James Whatling(LONDON) -- Prince Harry was joined by his American girlfriend Meghan Markle at a charity polo match Saturday, a significant step in the couple's relationship and the first time they have attended a public event together as a couple.



Markle stood on the sidelines cheering on the fifth in line to the throne while he rode at the Coworth Park Polo Club in Berkshire, England, to support his charity Sentebale. Harry was joined by his brother Prince William to raise funds and awareness for their various charities.



"Their Royal Highnesses have taken part in polo fixtures in support of their charities since 2007 and have continued each year since, raising over 10 million ($13 million) for charitable causes to date," Kensington Palace said in a statement today.



A slew of A-list celebrities including Eddie Redmayne and his wife Hannah Bagshawe, "The Crown" actor Matt Smith, and actor Tom Hardy were on hand to see the two princes play for their teams.



Markle has started to attend a number of high profile private events with Prince Harry. In March she accompanied him to a wedding in Jamaica for a childhood pal from Eton, the school Harry attended as a teenager.



Harry joined the "Suits" actress over Easter instead of spending Easter at Windsor with his family, indicating just how serious the relationship has become.



Markle is expected as Harry's plus-one at Pippa Middleton's wedding to Financier James Matthews in two weeks. She reportedly will not attend the church service but will attend the reception with Harry.



The couple met last summer when they were introduced by mutual friends and were photographed together for the first time last November attending a play and leaving the private Members Club Soho in February holding hands.



Markle and Harry have been nearly inseparable, with the two jetting back and forth across the Atlantic to spend time together. Recently Markle has spent weeks at Harry's Nottingham Cottage, and speculation has been rife that an engagement is likely in the coming months. The couple also took a romantic vacation together after the New Year to view the northern lights in Norway.



Kensington Palace announced that Prince Harry will be making an overseas tour to Singapore and Sydney in June to launch the 2018 Invictus Games in Australia, the international sporting competition for wounded, injured and sick servicemen and women founded by the prince in 2014. This fall, Harry's Invictus Games will be held in Toronto, where Markle films her television show "Suits."

Copyright  2017, ABC Radio. All rights reserved.
The U.S. Supreme Court has been active this spring, not only welcoming Neil Gorsuch to the bench but also hearing cases involving religious, property and privacy rights.

Legal experts question what influence Gorsuch might have on the court. He has missed oral argument in many of the pending cases, and traditionally judges do not participate in that circumstance, though there is no formal prohibition.

Gorsuch did participate in oral arguments in Trinity Lutheran v. Comer, which is of high interest to court-watchers. The case began when Trinity, a religious school in Missouri, applied for a state grant to replace its playground mulch. The school met criteria for the grant, but it was denied because Missouris constitution prohibits money from the state treasury going directly or indirectly in aid of any church.

The church argued that the denial of the grant was an unconstitutional denial of its First Amendment right to free exercise of religion and its 14th Amendment right to equal protection under the law.

Not surprisingly, those involved in school vouchers are interested in the outcome. Thirty-nine state constitutions, including to some degree Wisconsins, prohibit the use of public monies for religious purposes  all of which may be affected by the courts ruling. The outcome could be used for analyzing other programs. Legal experts have opined that Gorsuchs prior decisions tend to favor free exercise claims, and thus the balance may tip in favor of Trinity.

The second case to watch comes from Wisconsins St. Croix County. Murr v. Wisconsin will analyze the interplay between the Fifth Amendment and land-use regulations to determine whether just compensation is owed.

The Murr case involves their property along the St. Croix River first purchased about 50 years ago and owned in two parcels  one owned by the parents and one by their business. In 1976, Wisconsin enacted new zoning requirements relating to waterfronts that imposed a minimum lot size. The Murrs lots are substandard because they are not the minimum size, but were grandfathered because they had different ownership. The properties passed down to Murrs children, who now jointly own both pieces of property.

The Murr children now want to build a new structure on the lot previously owned by the business (there is already a grandfathered cabin on one lot), but the state argues they cannot because all owners have known since 1976 that if the two adjoining properties came under common ownership they would be considered one parcel subject to the minimum lot size rule.

The court will look generally at whether the situation constitutes a regulatory taking, and, in doing so, will analyze what experts call the denominator problem. That is, what amount of land should courts consider in determining whether a regulation so unreasonably limits the use of land so that the owner is entitled to just compensation.

After oral argument, many experts believe the court will rule in favor of Wisconsin, relying on state law and using a case-by-case analysis, leaving the possibility for more regulatory takings litigation.

The third case arises amid much press about excessive use of force claims against police. Los Angeles County v. Mendez began when officers were searching for a parolee at large. Without a warrant, officers entered a residence searching for him. Two others went to clear the backyard where they saw a shack. Without knocking or announcing, one of the officers opened the door to the shack to find two people sitting on a futon; one of them had a BB gun next to him and moved it so he could stand up. The officers, seeing the gun pointed in their direction and not knowing whether it was a rifle, fired at the couple, causing severe injuries.

The case will analyze whether the officers have qualified immunity. The couple says the officers provoked the situation by entering without warning and then used excessive force resulting in injuries. The county says the officers actions were reasonable given what they observed when they opened the door, and the moments leading up to the use of force arent relevant. Mendez says the preceding moments need to be considered because the force would never have occurred were it not for the officers prior actions.

Lower courts applied the provocation theory, finding that the officers created the situation that led to the shooting and thereby are not entitled to qualified immunity. The high court may consider and reject that theory, which it has never truly endorsed. It may also consider proximate cause which analyzes the primary cause of an injury, which can be a difficult question. The ultimate ruling here is difficult to predict, though it would not be surprising if the provocation theory was rejected.

Certainly these arent the only cases under review, but they are the ones with great interest to people in our region and should give us an understanding of the new court.
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A selfie reveals more than whether it's a good hair day. Facial lines and contours, droops and dark spots could indicate how well you're aging, and, when paired with other data, could someday help determine whether you qualify for life insurance.

"Your face is something you wear all your life, and it tells a very unique story about you," says Karl Ricanek Jr., co-founder and chief data scientist at Lapetus Solutions Inc. in Wilmington, North Carolina.

Several life insurance companies are testing Lapetus technology that uses facial analytics and other data to estimate life expectancy, he says. (Lapetus would not disclose the names of companies testing its product.) Insurers use life expectancy estimates to make policy approval and pricing decisions. Lapetus says its product, Chronos, would enable a customer to buy life insurance online in as little as 10 minutes without taking a life insurance medical exam .

Life insurers already gather other data with your permission to get insight beyond the information you supply on the application. For example, they often pull motor vehicle records, prescription drug histories and reports from an insurance industry database of certain information disclosed on past individual life and health insurance applications.

Many life insurance companies are exploring how to use additional data, statistical models, artificial intelligence and other techniques to help make quick decisions to ease the policy buying process and boost sales. Consumers don't like the wait on the typical application process, which can take weeks and often requires a medical exam.

Time and testing will tell which new approaches prove effective, says Robert Kerzner, president and CEO of LIMRA, a life insurance trade group. "This one may or may not meet the vetting process to make carriers comfortable," he says.

It's important for the consumer to feel comfortable, too. It's one thing to post a selfie on Instagram, another to send it to an insurer for analysis. And it's crucial for consumers that any technology an insurer uses works. Their claims may not be fully paid if insurers make inaccurate predictions and go belly up.

It's written all over your face

If Chronos is adopted by an insurer - which would need to get regulatory approval from states to use it in the underwriting process - here's generally how it would work.

You'd upload a selfie to the insurer online and answer health and other questions. The facial analytics technology would scan hundreds of points on your face and extract certain information, including your body mass index, physiological age (in layman's terms, how old you look) and whether you're aging faster or slower than your actual age.

Ricanek says the program can detect makeup, but not plastic surgery. It verifies identity by comparing the photo to the one on your driver's license.

The insurer would combine the results with your application answers and, if it chooses, any other information it typically pulls. If approved for coverage, you could buy a policy immediately online.

Several of the largest life insurers contacted for this story declined to comment on the Lapetus product or the potential use of facial analytics in the underwriting process.

Ricanek worked on facial recognition technology for the FBI's Biometric Center of Excellence and is a computer science professor at the University of North Carolina at Wilmington. He started Lapetus with S. Jay Olshansky, a public health professor at the University of Illinois at Chicago. Lapetus launched Chronos, its first product, in November 2015.

Shortening the wait

Insurers are in a tough spot because consumers are used to buying products instantly. But it can take a month or longer to approve coverage if the insurer requires a medical exam.

Exams cost insurers money, says Samantha Chow, a life insurance and annuities senior analyst for Aite Group, a research and advisory firm in Boston.

And fewer people are buying. In 2016, an estimated 9.4 million individual policies were sold, down from 17.7 million individual policies in 1984, according to LIMRA.

Consumers don't like waiting. Only 42 percent of consumers said it was OK to wait a month for policy approval, and less than 18 percent said waiting for two months was acceptable, according to a 2015 study by LIMRA and Life Happens, another trade group.

Chow tested the Lapetus platform as part of research of automated underwriting for Aite. She says the ease of the process could appeal to consumers who want a quick way to buy coverage.

Photo ops

Ricanek says his company's market research found that consumers are willing to share photos with insurers if they get something back, such as the opportunity to buy coverage quickly.

Amy Bach, executive director of consumer advocacy group United Policyholders, says such technology could be good for consumers if it makes the application process easier.

But she says she is concerned that insurers may rely too heavily on new technology and find later that their risk projections were off.

Meanwhile, Lapetus is exploring how facial analytics may identify early signs of diseases such as diabetes, heart disease or dementia. And it's developing a feature that it says will be able to tell whether someone ever smoked. Among the clues are early signs of crow's feet around the eyes and under-eye bagging.

"Smoking is going to be written on your face," Ricanek says. "Even if you stopped smoking, once it's written, it's there."
CARBONDALE  It has been close to three years since the Southern Illinois University Carbondale campus has had a chancellor not encumbered by the interim tag  which tends to suggest a placeholder position at a time when empowered leadership is needed to navigate the tough financial course ahead.

That may be about to change.

The Southern Illinois University Board of Trustees has called a special meeting for Wednesday in Edwardsville. Appointment of a chancellor for the Carbondale campus is among the three items on the agenda.

The meeting is scheduled to begin at 4:30 p.m. in the second floor board room of Morris University Center on the SIU Edwardsville campus.

Interviews were recently concluded in Carbondale for the four finalists for the position of SIU Carbondale chancellor. The notice of the special meeting did not give any hints about who might be selected and university officials have been tight-lipped regarding the pending decision that may be finalized on Wednesday.

One candidate, Jeff Elwell, withdrew his name from consideration after accepting a position as president of Eastern New Mexico University.

The three remaining finalists are Interim SIU Chancellor Brad Colwell; George Hynd, president of Oakland University in Michigan; and Carl Pinkert, vice president for research and economic development at the University of Alabama.

Also on the agenda for Wednesdays meeting is authorization for Carbondale to borrow from Edwardsvilles unrestricted funds and notice of a potential need to seek declaration of a short-term fiscal emergency for the Carbondale campus, excluding the School of Medicine for fiscal year 2018, which begins July 1.

In late March, SIU President Randy Dunn, in a Systems Connection letter to the campuses, addressed the need for Carbondale to borrow from Edwardsville as the Carbondale campus faces financial difficulties created by declining enrollment and the ongoing budget stalemate in Springfield that has led to significantly reduced state support for higher education during the past two years. In that letter, Dunn acknowledged that he understands there may be keen frustration  if not anger  at the fact that earlier cost cutting efforts and strong enrollments at Edwardsville are being rewarded with that financial strength achieved now benefiting another campus.

Indeed, many faculty members and employees at the Edwardsville campus have expressed anger and frustration since the plan was publicized. Several people spoke in opposition to the proposal as it was first presented at the April 6 meeting of the board at the Carbondale campus, and people closely tied to the Edwardsville campus have continued to express their opinions via a variety of forums that this is a raw deal for Edwardsville  and that their campus has been shortchanged by the SIU system for years.

In his letter, Dunn wrote that the SIU budget is, and has always been, one budget comprised of three sub-budgets. The Carbondale and Edwardsville campuses are often described as sister campuses, though they have distinct cultures and identities. The Carbondale campus has already borrowed what it can from the unrestricted reserves of the SIU School of Medicine without jeopardizing its future, Dunn explained in his April letter.

That decision was not taken to the board because the SIU School of Medicine, based primarily in Springfield, sits under the management umbrella of the Carbondale campus, Dunn previously said. In the absence of any state appropriation by the fiscal year ending June 30, SIU Carbondale will burn through $83.8 million from internally loaned unrestricted funds from both the Carbondale campus and School of Medicine.

Dunn has described the transfer of money as being on paper only  there is to be no physical transfer of cash  to demonstrate operations in the black for the Carbondale campus. It is anticipated that the money would be paid back by a portion of the $30 million in cuts that Dunn ordered the Carbondale campus to identify by the start of the next fiscal year, prior to the boards next regularly scheduled meeting on July 13.

According to the notice, it is anticipated the board will vote at the top of the meeting to go into a closed executive session meeting. After that concludes, the board meeting may then move to the conference center on the same floor to accommodate more people.

There will be time made available for a question-and-answer session and public comments prior to open discussion on the agenda items, which also includes an amendment to the employment agreement of the dean of the SIU School of Medicine.
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.
A local couple has posthumously given a large donation to the Robert N. Brewer Family Foundation.

Martha Jane (Moore) Clark and Clifford Eugene Clark, longtime residents of West Frankfort and Marion, left a donation to support scholarships awarded by the Brewer Foundation.

The Brewer Foundation provides scholarships to graduating seniors at Herrin and Marion high schools who have a commitment to hard work, bettering their communities and fulfilling career goals.

The family of Gene and Jane Clark will be recognized during an open house from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. May 18 at the Robert N. Brewer Family Foundation, 2 N. Park Ave. in Herrin. Those attending are asked to make reservations by calling 618-988-1234.

According to a biography from the Clark family provided to Marie Delaney, president of the Robert N. Brewer Family Foundation, the Clarks were born and raised in the West Frankfort area.

Gene Clark worked briefly for a company producing war material in St. Louis after graduating from Frankfort Community High School. He enlisted in the Navy and became a Naval aviator, flying the TBM Torpedo Bomber. He and Jane were married after basic training.

After discharge from the Navy, the couple returned to West Frankfort where Gene became a coal miner. Jane worked for the child welfare department in Benton. Gene was credited with saving his life and three others during an explosion at Orient Mine 5 in 1963. Through Jane Clarks work in child welfare, the couple adopted two girls ages 7 and 8.

Gene Clark also worked at potash mines new Carlsbad, New Mexico, and as a salesman for J.F. Fletcher and Co. He created a roof bolting system for underground mines, known as the Automatic Temporary roof System sold by the company.

Delaney appreciates the generous gift from the Clark family and says it will help provide scholarships for years to come.

Brewer Foundation was created in 2001 upon the death of Robert Brewer to promote education in Southern Illinois.

Delaney calls Brewer a visionary, as well as a successful business man. Brewer owned Best Inns and Best Suites, owning and operating more than 35 hotels from 1968 to 1998. He began by delivering milk door-to-door before going to school.

In other words, he worked hard, earned his successes, then turned around and gave it back, Delaney said.

The foundation offers an unlimited number of scholarships each year, giving away as many as 57 in a year. Scholarship awards are currently $4,300 per year, renewable for up to four years. Students who are chosen to receive scholarships become members of the Brewer Family Foundation.

Students must submit a written application, a 300-word essay and three letters of recommendation. Applicants then go through an interview with a committee and final selections are made. Recipients may attend any accredited college, university, technical or trade school and have the flexibility to change majors and schools.

Delaney said she keeps in contact with students during their college career and is a available to offer assistance and advice. She sends birthday and holiday cards and receives wedding invitations and birth announcements from graduates.

Amanda Brayfield of County Financial is a member of the Brewer Family Foundation. The 2002 graduate of Herrin High School used her Brewer Foundation award to help pay for an associates degree in information systems at John A. Logan College and bachelors degree at economics from Southern Illinois University.

Overall, they have really created a family. Marie has kept in touch with me. She sends birthday cards, receives updates and knows about my kids, Brayfield said.

The scholarship was the largest one she received, by far, and has helped her avoid additional student loan debt.

Im one of those people who find a way not matter what. It was definitely less of a burden to pay off student loans because of it, Brayfield said.

She also believes the interview process put her ahead of her peers when applying for jobs after college. She had been through an interview by a committee, so it was less daunting to go to job interviews.

In addition to scholarships, the foundation helps fund medical research at the Mayo Clinic for treatment of pulmonary diseases and hosts a family day in December.
MARION  The Gander Mountain store in Marion apparently isnt closing at this time  though it is understandable if some assumed it was.

The store has posted large yellow, red and blue Going out of business signs in the windows, and hung them from the ceiling inside the store next to signs that read Everything must go! Entire store 10% to 30 % off. A large yellow Going out of business banner greets customers at the stores entrance.

Gander Mountain store in Marion to close read the headline in a local Marion publication that printed on Friday, a perfectly reasonable assumption to make from signs at the store that read: Gander Mtn. Closing.

So why the confusion? It began when news hit that several liquidation companies had bought the Gander Mountain inventory in a bankruptcy auction and that the Gander Mountain brand would be significantly diminished. The liquidation sales began this past week at Gander Mountain stores across the country, including the one in Marion.

And its true that a number of additional stores are likely to close as a result of the Chapter 11 bankruptcy the company filed for in March  but not all of them  and apparently not the one in Marion.

Camping World Holdings Inc., the countys largest RV dealer, which is based in Lincolnshire, a Lake County community north of Chicago, also walked away from the bankruptcy auction held April 28 with some of Gander Mountains assets and its Overtons boating business, according to a press release on Camping Worlds website.

The deal calls for Camping World to continue operating at least 17 of Gander Mountains 160 stores nationwide. Camping Worlds CEO, Marcus Lemonis, a multibillion dollar businessman and star of the CNBC reality show The Profit  has attempted to dispel false information about store closures via rapid fire tweeting from his personal account that has 1.3 million followers. Not true he wrote above a link to a media headline stating all Gander Mountain stores nationwide would close, as an example.

Hes also been responding to people tweeting him various questions about the transition, including about which stores will close. On Friday evening, he posted a picture of a list of cities with the following text: Alert:: update on @GanderMtn stores that are in. Please click photo to see list --- thanks for patience

Marion was the second city listed as making the cut to remain open.

Gander Mountains Marion location opened two years ago Sunday at 2480 Blue Heron Drive. The 52,000-square-foot-store was welcomed to this region chock full of outdoor lovers and hunters with much fanfare.

The multi-day celebration included appearances by former St. Louis Cardinals manager Whitey Herzog and former UFC heavyweight champion Tim Sylvia.

But over the months, after the initial excitement waned, customer traffic to the store seemed to as well, and the parking lot was rarely full.

But as of Saturday, as word of the liquidation sale spread, the store was hopping with activity. Its not clear how long the sale will last, or whether it will change over time. Some customers expressed disappointment that the deals were not greater, as some high-end Gander Mountain items are comparatively pricey. At least as of the weekend, guns and ammunition did not appear to be included in the sale. A store manager said that he could not provide any official comments to the media.

However, customers were told by store employees that the liquidation sale is to reduce some of its merchandise, and that over time, the new owner, Camping World, will replace it with a different mix of inventory.

In the press release on Camping Worlds website, Lemonis, the CEO, said that the structure of the deal provides much flexibility and will allow the company to refine the inventory selection and select only those stores which are profitable or we believe have a clear path to profitability. It also will allow Camping World to immediately offer our comprehensive portfolio of services, protection plans, products and resources to Gander Mountain and Overtons customer base, he said, in the statement.

He noted that while Camping World is obligated to assume a minimum of 17 leases, the designation rights allow the company to operate stores and retain employees at a number to maximize profitability.

Marion store employees told customers that gift cards purchased prior to the bankruptcy auction can be utilized there to June 4. Gander Mountains website says gift cards can be used until May 17. Its not clear to the newspaper why the discrepancy in dates, so customers with gift cards should act quickly or check with the store for further clarification.

In his statement, Lemonis said that the Gander Mountain and Overton customer  and their affinity to the outdoor lifestyle  are the perfect complement to Camping Worlds business.
In secret, behind locked gates, our Nation's Oldest City dumped a landfill in a lake (Old City Reservoir), while emitting sewage in our rivers and salt marsh. Organized citizens exposed and defeated pollution, racism and cronyism. We elected a new Mayor. We're transforming our City -- advanced citizenship. Ask questions. Make disclosures. Demand answers. Be involved. Expect democracy. Report and expose corruption. Smile! Help enact a St. Augustine National Park and Seashore. We shall overcome!
MCLEANSBORO  The former industrial arts teacher at Hamilton County Senior High School has been indicted on two felony charges of official misconduct for allegedly having sex with an underage student and allowing her to consume alcohol on his property.

A Hamilton County grand jury returned the two-count indictment on Tuesday against Chad Payne, 41, of Macedonia, according to Hamilton County States Attorney Justin Hood.

Payne was arrested on Thursday morning and booked at the Hamilton County Sheriffs Office. His bond was set at $25,000, of which he paid the $2,500 cash bail required by law; his first court appearance is set for June 14.

Hamilton County Unit 10 School District Superintendent Jeff Fetcho said the school acted immediately upon receiving information regarding the allegations that Payne engaged in inappropriate conduct with students. Student safety is always our No. 1 concern and what we do every day, he said on Friday.

Fetcho said that Payne was an employee of the district for about nine years and was recently terminated.

The allegations were taken to law enforcement and the Illinois State Police immediately launched an investigation, both Fetcho and Hood said.

Fetcho said Payne was escorted from school property on March 28 and was placed on paid administrative leave while the investigation was pending, per standard practice.

A few weeks later, on April 21, the school districts board called a special meeting. That Friday evening, board members voted 7-0 to terminate Payne from his position. The school provided the newspaper a copy of the unanimously approved resolution to terminate Payne in response to a Freedom of Information Act request.

The resolution states that Payne was terminated for violating The School Code when he engaged in immoral conduct involving two female students. He has 17 calendar days upon receipt of the termination notice to request a hearing, which he had not done as of Friday, Fetcho said.

Fetcho declined further comment on the matter, noting the ongoing criminal proceedings and that it is a matter involving personnel.

The criminal charges were filed a few weeks after the board meeting. The criminal charges Payne faces allege inappropriate sexual misconduct with one minor, a female between the ages of 13 and 17 (this age range is noted because state statute provides for stricter sentencing for sexual misconduct involving children under 13). The victim is identified only by her initials in the indictment, which the newspaper declines to print in an effort to protect her privacy.

Hood said that he presented four possible charges for the grand jurys consideration, and jurors returned a true bill on two of those charges. The information he provided the newspaper included only those charges on which Payne was indicted.

Both official misconduct charges he faces are Class 3 felonies, punishable by two to five years in prison for a first offense, in most cases. Certain aggravating factors in Class 3 felony cases, including prior convictions and the age of the victim(s), can provide for a longer sentence at a judges discretion, of up to 10 years.

Payne was the second employee in about two years to be escorted off the grounds of the school district and placed on administrative leave.
To the Editor:

The United States is the only developed nation on Earth that does not provide its citizens with universal health care, and one of the only to not provide paid maternity leave. Everyone agrees that the ACA is flawed, but that is one of the problems with the Republicans strategy. They think that just because that consensus exists, that they have the right to introduce austerity as the answer.

Austerity certainly isnt the moral answer. Austerity kills. People have interpreted the ACA as the supposed be-all-end-all to domestic healthcare policy, which simply isnt true. It was an imperfect first step toward having a functional healthcare system in the United States.

House republicans, including our own Rep. Mike Bost, voted Thursday in favor of a grossly inhumane bill that will actually kill U.S. citizens. The list of pre-existing conditions that will no longer be covered is truly shameful.

If the bill passes the Senate, people will either be denied coverage or charged extortion prices if they, for example, become pregnant, develop cancer, or suffer depression while without insurance. Meanwhile, the nations elite will bathe in a $900 million tax break, as well as members of congress keeping their evil Obamacare as they kick millions off of healthcare.

Additionally, no one that has complained about the ACA being shoved down Americans throats is allowed that argument anymore, as some House Republicans have admitted to voting on this bill without even reading it.

Ben Woolard

Herrin
Baloney!

Thats our response to letters Ben Carson, Department of Housing and Urban Development secretary, sent to the people of Cairo earlier this week.

Carsons letters were a reply to a series of notes penned by Mary Beth Goffs sixth-grade students, asking him to intervene in the ongoing public housing crisis in Cairo. The story is well-known by now.

After years of physical neglect and malfeasance by Alexander County Housing Authority employees, the federal Department of Housing and Urban Development took over management of the county housing authority, and a year later, declared the McBride and Elmwood housing complexes in Cairo uninhabitable. That is one fact everyone can agree on. The units were plagued by rodent and insect infestation, lacked adequate heating and had issues with mold.

Recently, lead-contaminated water was added to the litany of horrid conditions residents faced.

The nearly 400 residents of the housing complexes were informed the units would be razed and not rebuilt. The governments solution: Vouchers for housing in nearby communities.

Not surprisingly, Cairo residents found this solution unacceptable. There have been public meetings. The situation drew the attention of state representatives and senators, and Sen. Dick Durbin has recently intervened on behalf of Cairos citizens.

Goffs sixth-grade students did their part, writing heartfelt letters to Carson.

I dont want to lose my home, wrote Pircola Brazil. We represent Cairo, we are Cairo.

The students, and the community, got their response this week. Unfortunately, the response isnt what they wanted to hear.

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 wrote. I am working with very smart people who want to persevere 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.

While we commend Carson, and his staff, for the tone of the letter and the quickness behind the response, we disagree with the content.

If Carson is indeed huddling with very smart people, they should be able to find a solution.

Carson also wrote to the students, You are living proof of the old saying, Home is where the heart is.

In a letter to school superintendent Andrea Evers, Carson stated, Relocating people is not something we do without extensive thought, research and candidly, a fair amount of hand-wringing.

Its hard to believe that all these smart people spent a lot of time fretting, wringing their hands and the best solution they could come up with is, Our bad, see ya.

We get it. These are tough times in the United States. There are tough financial decisions to make. The government cant be everything to everybody.

But, this is different.

The government shares culpability for what happened in Cairo. The government stood by for decades while the buildings deteriorated and public funds disappeared.

The federal budget is $3.65 trillion. In President Trumps first budget proposal he sought a $54 billion increase in military spending. Conversely, there was a proposed $6 billion cut from HUD.

The federal government undeniably has the duty to keep citizens safe. But, the definition of safe extends beyond fear of foreign attack. The preamble to the constitution charges the government to: "Promote the general welfare, and secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity.

It is that premise that makes Carsons response unacceptable.

Surely, these smart people can find a solution more acceptable than displacing families that wish to continue to call Cairo home. We have seen over the years that when the federal government wants to find money, it can. This crisis is partially of the governments making. Turning its back on 400 people isnt a solution.
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South State Bank, a bank founded in Orangeburg, announced it was named one of the 2017 Best Employers in North Carolina.

The bank received the recognition from the Business North Carolina, N.C. Society for Human Resource Management and Best Companies Group.

South State was ranked 15th in the large employer category, which consists of businesses with 250 employees or more. The bank has about 102 employees in North Carolina. There were 17 large employers ranked in the category.

One of the reasons given for the bank's ranking is that the bank's employees can leave "Bankers Notes," photos from their departments, on the company's website.

"They also recognize each other with peer awards to celebrate good work," the commentary states. "Other company perks include a contribution to offset health premium costs and financial assistance after a natural disaster."

South State Corp. is the largest bank holding company headquartered in South Carolina.
T&D Region students are being encouraged to ThinkFast about the dangers of underage drinking and driving under the influence.

Emphasis on the issues during the 2017 prom and graduation seasons comes through a program sponsored by the Tri-County Commission on Alcohol and Drug Abuse in collaboration with the Edisto Health Coalition.

ThinkFast recently impacted more than 500 students at Branchville and Calhoun County high schools during April and is coming back on May 8 to engage Carver-Edisto Middle School students at 9:30 a.m. and Denmark-Olar High School students at 1:30 p.m.

ThinkFast is designed to educate young people using top production techniques and relevant music, trivia and safety facts. The entire audience competes with each other in teams to answer trivia questions remotely to earn points.

Students also compete in a dance-off and a DUI-prevention scenario to earn more points. Winners each receive a $20 Amazon gift card and then compete in a final round for $100 worth of Amazon gift cards for their team.

The program was brought in by the TCCADA in collaboration with the EHC through funding received from the S.C. Department of Alcohol and Other Drug Abuse Services for strategic planning, which includes capacity and awareness building.

We want to especially thank our principals and superintendents for allowing us to bring this program to their students. Without their help, we could not reach youth as effectively and efficiently with substance-abuse prevention messages.

"Youth dont need alcohol to have fun, said Kandie Goodwin, prevention services director.
Bamberg County is seeking to bring in a 24-hour emergency room, even as it continues to deal with the debt from its closed hospital.

County Administrator Joey Preston said the county is in talks with a health care provider to bring a 24-hour ER center to the county.

Thats about all I can tell you now, he said.

Health care has been a concern since the Bamberg County Hospital Board voted to close its hospitals doors in April 2012.

Bamberg County Councilman Trent Kinard said, I know that SouthernCarolina Alliance has made mention of a possible plan to bring a 24-hour emergency room to Bamberg County, but they are in the beginning stages.

I am in hopes that we can see a 24-hour emergency room become a reality as all citizens deserve health care in 2017. We have an elderly population, and it worries me what they would do in an emergency situation.

SouthernCarolina is the Barnwell-based economic development group serving Bamberg, Allendale, Barnwell, Colleton, Hampton and Jasper counties.

County Council Chairman Evert Comer Jr. said, There are ongoing discussions of this among interested parties. Im not able to provide any specifics at the moment.

Bamberg County wants the best available health care options for its citizens, and this has always been one of its highest priorities and goals.

There have been previous efforts to bring in an ER.

The county had been working to develop a partnership with the Hospital Corporation of America for 24/7 emergency health care services, but the plan was never finalized.

The hospital board agreed to sign a Letter of Interest with Colleton Medical Center HCA South Atlantic Hospitals in January 2013, but those talks also stopped.

Colleton Medical Center Marketing Director Ashley Phelps said in an email, Currently our strategic vision does not including opening a free-standing ER.

Meanwhile, the hospital board continues to deal with the closure. It borrowed $1.5 million in 2008 in an effort to address safety issues and pay off debts at the hospital. The hospital has until 2028 to pay that bond off.

Dr. Danette McAlhaney, chairperson of the Bamberg County Hospital Board, has said the hospital had its bankruptcy case dismissed in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court.

Since then, the hospital has been working through a debt set-off program through the South Carolina Hospital Association to recoup as much of the money owed to the hospital as possible, with priority given to post-bankruptcy creditors.

McAlhaney said that while she has not been privy to conversations regarding a 24-hour emergency center, she welcomes the idea.

I believe the board as a whole would love to see 24/7 emergency room care but from my standpoint, I would say yes, she said.
Two Orangeburg police officers who were killed in the line of duty have been inducted into the S.C. Law Enforcement Officers Hall of Fame.

Six officers were added this week from across the state, including Officer Christian J.D. Wolfe and Sgt. Howard Henry Franklin.

According to information provided by the S.C. Department of Public Safety, Wolfe succumbed to a gunshot wound he received when serving a warrant on a suspect on Sept. 13, 1897.

Wolfe, 52, died on Sept, 21, 1897.

Hed served in the five-man Orangeburg Police Department since 1889.

Franklin, another fallen Orangeburg police officer, died moments after a wanted jail escapee shot him several times on March 9, 1917.

Franklin was 59.

The Hall of Fame is part of the S.C. Department of Public Safety and was established by a legislative act in 1974. It is to serve as a memorial to law enforcement officers killed in the line of duty and in recognition of the selfless dedication of all law enforcement officers in the day-to-day performance of their duties.

Induction into the Hall of Fame Memorial Room is a humble gesture by the people of South Carolina to recognize and remember the bravery of our fallen officers, SCDPS Director Leroy Smith said during Wednesdays ceremony. Your officers will always be remembered and revered for the heroes that they were -- not only in this room, but in the hearts and souls of the entire law enforcement family.

There are now 371 officers who hold a place of honor in the Hall of Fame Memorial Room.
If President Donald Trump expected Nikki Haley to be a quiet, low-profile ambassador to the United Nations, he has gotten a surprise. In South Carolina, there is no surprise.

From the time of her emergence on the statewide political scene in 2010, the Bamberg County native has been unafraid to take a stand and to stand on her own. She won a stunning victory against establishment Republican candidates to become governor, then used the position to become one of the states most popular chief executives in recent times.

In the process, she bucked the GOP-controlled Legislature and the party leadership. She went her own way on many issues, not the least of which was stepping up to call for removal of the Confederate flag from Statehouse grounds after the 2015 Emanuel AME Church massacre.

Her national stature grew and her endorsement was sought for the S.C. presidential primary in 2016, with Haley throwing her support to Florida Sen. Marco Rubio and in the process drawing the ire of eventual nominee Trump.

Yet Trump made her one of his first picks for key positions after he became president  and apparently has not regretted the selection.

What could be a problem, however, is the continuing reality of Haley going her own way in foreign affairs.

As much as the positions of the United States seem to daily get redefinition from the statements of the president, Haley has shown no inclination to clear her statements and positions with Trump or the State Department.

And while that has not drawn the ire of Trump (which is the most important if not only vote that matters), there is growing indication that Secretary of State Rex Tillerson (he of a low profile) is not happy with Haley making statements that contradict his or Trumps.

As the Associated Press reports, Haley warned Syrian President Bashar Assad that "the days of your arrogance and disregard of humanity are over," even as other top aides to Trump insisted that his fate was a decision for the Syrian people.

She pushed human rights as a driver of foreign policy just as the Trump administration showed its willingness to work with leaders who have suppressed civil liberties, such as Turkey's Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Egypt's Abdel-Fatah el-Sissi.

And as far back as her confirmation hearing, she was calling Russia an enemy and taking a hard line on any new cooperation with the Putin government  a position that could be tested further in coming weeks as Trump seeks cooperation with Russia in the Syrian civil war.

The AP report on Haley (titled Unbound ambassador) followed a New York Times piece regarding U.S. diplomats fear that Haley's words could result in an inconsistent, incoherent international message. The Times reported that State Department diplomats drafted an email urging Haley's office to ensure that her public statements on high-profile issues are cleared.

As much as the governor should not be called a renegade, and cooperation with the Trump team can be expected to a point, its unlikely she is going to be a mouthpiece for the State Department.

While once doing less would have seemed unthinkable of a U.N. ambassador, Haley is an embodiment of the contradictions that are the Trump administration. Even if the State Departments scripted positions were echoed by Haley, the presidents words could quickly undo any appearance of uniformity in stances.

As long as Haley is popular (a Trump measuring stick) and does not do anything to directly undermine the president, she is likely to continue to grow in stature and influence.

And while speculation that Haley could at some point assume the position of secretary of state appear to be at this point just speculation, add us to the list of those believing shes got the tools needed to take on such a role, particularly as she gains more and more experience on the international stage as a U.N. ambassador with whom Trump appears pleased.
When asked to identify the founding fathers, Americans typically name a few prominent political leaders and military heroes  figures like George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, James Madison and Alexander Hamilton. A more difficult question is: Who are Americas intellectual founding fathers? That is, whose ideas informed the American founding principles in republican self-government and liberty under law?

The standard history books report that the American founders in the last third of the 18th century drew on diverse intellectual sources, most prominently British constitutionalism, classical and civic republicanism, and Enlightenment liberalism. One could fill the shelves of a substantial library with all the books written on how John Locke and Baron de Montesquieu, the authors of the influential Two Treatises of Government and The Spirit of the Laws, respectively, founded America.

Strangely missing from this list, however, is the Bible, the text sacred to the Christian faith and the most venerated, authoritative, and accessible book in 17th and 18th century America. It is a remarkable omission, indeed, given that several of the colonies were founded as Bible commonwealths. And even as late as the founding era, the Bible continued to hold a place of reverence in American culture.

Most Americans of the age were intimately familiar with the Bible not only because of its place in religious life but also because it had been critical in their general education. Many Americans of this generation learned to read with a Bible opened in front of them. The Bible, in short, shaped significant aspects of American public culture, including language, letters, arts, education, and law.

Drawing attention to the Bibles vital contributions to the founding is not meant to diminish, much less dismiss, the substantial contributions of Locke, Montesquieu, and other secular theorists who influenced the founders political pursuits. Rather, acknowledging the Bibles often ignored role in the founding enriches ones appreciation of the multiple, diverse influences that informed the ambitious enterprise of securing political independence and establishing new constitutional republics committed to political liberty and self-government constrained by the rule of law.

The founders, as I document in my new book Reading the Bible with the Founding Fathers, lived in a biblically literate society. Their many quotations from and allusions to both familiar and obscure biblical texts confirm that they knew the Bible from cover to cover. Biblical language and themes liberally seasoned their rhetoric. The phrases and intonations of the King James Bible, especially, influenced their written and spoken words. Its ideas shaped their habits of mind.

The Bible left its mark on their political culture. Legislative debates, pamphlets, and political sermons of the age are replete with quotations from and allusions to the Bible. Following an extensive survey of American political literature from 1760 to 1805, political scientist Donald S. Lutz reported that the Bible was cited more frequently than any European writer or even any European school of thought, such as Enlightenment liberalism. Approximately a third of all citations in the literature he surveyed were to the Bible. The book of Deuteronomy alone was the most frequently cited work, followed by Montesquieus The Spirit of the Laws. In fact, Deuteronomy was referenced nearly twice as often as Lockes writings, and the Apostle Paul was mentioned about as frequently as Montesquieu.

Many in the founding generation regarded the Bible as indispensable to their political experiment. This should not surprise us because 98 percent or more of Americans in the founding era were affiliated with Protestant Christianity, which has traditionally viewed Scripture as authority in all aspects of life. Although the founders held a wide range of theological views and some even doubted the Bibles divine origins, there was broad agreement that the Bible offered valuable insights into human nature, civic virtue, social order, political authority, and other concepts essential to the establishment of a new political society.

The Bible, many believed, provided guidance on selecting righteous political leaders and the rights and responsibilities of citizens, including the right to resist a tyrannical ruler. Many founders thought the Bible was essential for nurturing the civic virtues that give citizens the capacity for self-government. Many also saw in the Bible political and legal modelssuch as republicanism, separation of powers, and due process of lawthat they believed enjoyed divine favor and were worthy of emulation in their polities.

Despite this evidence of the Bibles influence, both scholarly and popular works give little attention to the Bible and its impact on the founding generation. Not content to simply ignore the Bibles substantial contributions to late-18th century political culture, some historians contend that the founding era, sandwiched between two great spiritual awakenings, was an enlightened age when rationalism was in the ascendancy and the Bible was, if not rejected outright, relegated to the sidelines.

Why has so much modern scholarship missed or dismissed the Bibles role in the founding? Often the most important things in life, like the air we breathe, do not receive the attention they merit because they are so pervasive and so much a part of our very existence that they are taken for granted.

Biblical illiteracy, especially a lack of familiarity with the distinct phrases and cadences of the King James Bible, may explain the failure of some scholars to recognize biblical language in the founders political discourse. The founders often quoted the Bible without using quotation marks or citations, which were not necessary for a biblically literate society but the absence of which fail to alert a biblically illiterate modern audience to the Bibles invocation.

Also, scholars trained in the modern academy with its emphasis on the strictly rational and the secular may discount biblical themes because they find them less noteworthy or sophisticated than the intellectual contributions of the Enlightenment. There may even be a discomfort with or (perhaps) hostility toward explicitly religious material and themes. Some fear that the mere acknowledgement of Christianitys and the Bibles influence on the American founding will diminish the Enlightenments influence and buttress the alleged theocratic impulses of some 21st century citizens.

Moreover, some commentators find a focus on the God of the Bible and biblical religion divisive or even offensive to 21st century secular sensibilities. In an admonition seldom mentioned in the scholarly literature, for example, George Washington warned in his Farewell Address of September 1796 that one who labors to subvert a public role for religion and morality cannot call oneself a patriot. Such rhetoric, unexceptional in its time, is discordant with the secular ethos of our time. Other founders held views similarly out of step with secular academic and popular sentiments of the 21st century, such as advocating state support for the Christian religion.

Does it matter whether the Bible is studied alongside other intellectual influences on the founding fathers who established an independent constitutional republic committed to liberty and representative rule by the consent of the governed? Yes, it matters if one wants to understand the broad range of ideas that shaped the founders political thoughts, actions, and deeds. An awareness of the Bibles contributions to the founding provides insight into the identity of the American people and their experiment in republican self-government.

Indeed, the widespread biblical illiteracy of the modern age inevitably distorts the conception Americans have of themselves as a people, their history, and their bold political experiment. The publics increasing unfamiliarity with the Bible, political theorist Wilson Carey McWilliams lamented, makes it harder and harder for Americans to understand their origins and their mores, or to put words to their experiences.  Lacking knowledge of the Bible, Americans are likely to be literally inarticulate, unable to relate themselves to American life and culture as a whole.

This danger alone should inspire Americans to study the Bible and its role in the life of the nation.
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Help Yourself

Real Food starts May 16

Its time to stop eating so many processed and packaged foods and start eating more whole foods! Join this five-week program and learn how to plan meals, shop, and cook using whole, natural ingredients. Also learn how to read labels and decipher ingredient lists. Real Food will meet Tuesday evenings from 5:30-7:30 starting May 16 and finishing June 13. Classes will be held at the UW Extension office at 2011 Fairgrounds Road. Half of the class time will include hands-on healthy cooking in our foods lab. The cost is $30, which covers all materials, including food. For more information and to register, contact Karla Case, RD, at 235-9400 or kcase@natronacounty-wy.gov. Register soon as classes fill up quickly.

Buddhists meet

David Vaughn is a Buddhist living in Casper who finds himself feeling more and more isolated and wishing that he had someone to share his Buddhist interests with. But there are no Buddhist temples here; no place for people who wish to share stories of Dharma or Karma, no place to learn and exchange meditational techniques, no place to meet people of like minds for friendship, conversation, companionship, or even romantic interest.

So Vaughn has decided to take matters into his own hands and do something about it. He proposes to establish a Casper Buddhist Fellowship, and set up a common meeting place where the Buddhists of Casper can congregate at regular intervals to practice our Buddhist customs; where Buddhists can go to and feel safe, mingle with other Buddhists, and experience all of those most wonderful things that the Buddhist religion has to offer.

Vaughn invites all who are interested to contact him at davidvaughn991@yahoo.com so that a dialogue might begin.

Saturday watercolor sessions

The schedule for the Saturday Morning Watercolor Sessions from 10 a.m. to noon for April at Art 321 is below. These are coordinated by Ellen Black, 265-6783. $10 per session.

May 13, Matting and Framing Your Paintings; May 20, practice session; May 27, Techniques for Aerial Perspective.

June 3, practice session; June 10, Oriental Painting, Claudette Mowery; June 17, practice session; June 24, Big Brush Landscape.

Financial literacy series: hardships

As part of the Natrona County Library and Reliant Federal Credit Union's Financial Literacy Series, a talk titled "When Financial Hardships Happen," will be held at 6:30 p.m. Monday in the library's Crawford Room. A Reliant FCU representative will discuss what a garnishment is and how it can affect your bank account, debt management and consolidation, how to work with financial institutions in hard times, and how delinquencies and repossessions affect credit. The lecture is open to the public and free of charge. Call 577-READ x2 or email reference@natronacountylibrary.org for more information.

Learn Google Chrome

The Natrona County Library will offer a Google Chrome class from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. Tuesday. This introductory class will cover the basic features and functions of one of the most popular web browsers. Learn about add-ons, extensions, how to download and install Chrome to your computer and how to sign in to Chrome using a Google account. Call 577-READ x2 or email reference@natronacountylibrary.org for more information.

Parkinson's support

You are invited to attend the Parkinson's Support Group Meeting at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday at Rocky Mountain Therapy, 2546 E. Second St., Building 500. The support group is open to anyone with Parkinson's or caring for someone with Parkinson's. The guest speaker is Beth Hickman, who will speak on cognition and Parkinson's disease. To RSVP, call 577-5204 and ask for Shannon or Jerri.

Learn computer basics

The Natrona County Library will offer a Computer Basics class from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. Wednesday. This class is designed for computer beginners and will take participants through a series of exercises to help learn how to use the keyboard and mouse, how USB drives work, and basics of navigating your computer. Feel free to bring your computer or use one of the library computers. Call 577-READ x2 or email reference@natronacountylibrary.org for more information.

Learn iOS for low-vision users

The Natrona County Library will offer an iOS for Low Vision Users at 2 p.m. Thursday. Laurel Henry with Wyoming Independent Living's Visual Impairment Program will teach individuals who are low vision or blind how to use the accessibility features of the iPhone. She will also talk about helpful apps. Call 577-READ x2 or email reference@natronacountylibrary.org for more information.

Caregiver support

The support group is open to anyone caring for someone with a debilitating illness. Meetings are held at 5:30 p.m., the second Thursday of each month at Rocky Mountain Therapy, 2546 East 2nd Street, Building #500. The next meeting is Thursday. Meeting and talking with others who are going through the same experiences you are can benefit your well-being by providing an emotional outlet, ideas to help with situations, adapt home/lifestyles you may face with the progression of the illness. If you have any questions or to RSVP, please call Jerri or Shannon at 577-5204.

Felt scarf workshop at Nic

A felt scarf workshop will be held from noon to 3:30 p.m. May 13 at the Nicolaysen Art Museum, instructed by Tatiana Lushnikova. Fees are $40 for members, 30 for students with valid student ID, and $55 for non-members. Please pre-register and pay by May 8. Bring a friend and save $10 on your class fee. This class is recommended for high school students and older.

In this class, students will learn the process of wet felting and produce their own piece of handmade fiber art.

For more information, contact Zhanna at zgallegos@thenic.org or call 235-5247.

Mindfulness workshop at UU

Everyone is invited to a free two-hour workshop facilitated by mindfulness instructor Tim Clark at 4 p.m. May 14 at the Unitarian Universalist Community of Casper, 1040 West 15th St.

Attendees will explore the what, why, and how of living in the present moment, how to develop mindfulness, how to use it to stay present, and where those efforts lead. The class will be mostly discussion with some meditation.

Clark has more than 25 years of experience with many different meditation traditions.

For more information, contact Laura at 259-4469 or info@uucasper.org.

Job fair in Douglas May 17

The Douglas Workforce Center is hosting a job fair on Wednesday, May 17, at the Eastern Wyoming College campus in Douglas. The event is open to veterans only from 10 to 10:30 a.m., and then welcomes the general public from 10:30 a.m. to noon. Job seekers are encouraged to bring copies of their resume and dress for an interview. For more information call the Douglas Workforce Center at 307-358-2147.

Corporate team building with (theater) murder

Casper Theater Company will be teaching teambuilding workshops.

After determining areas of emphasis designed to a specific business, the workshop will be steered in that direction.

For more information, visit www.caspertheatercompany.net, or Casper Theater Company on Facebook or call Casie at 247-6167, or Donna at 267-7243 to set up a time.

Teen Challenge spring groups

Smart Step Families: Putting two families together is never easy. The Smart Step Families, led by a Christian couple, will give answers and encouragement. Thursday evenings starting in March. Call Pastor Mark or Linda at 259-1081.

Insight: Discovering the path to Christian character, especially in the midst of stress. For more information, call Teen Challenge Wyoming at 258-5397. There are nine sessions to the class.

Professionals in Recovery: An ongoing Christian recovery group. For more information, call Gary at 267-7777.

Free to Grow: Helping people overcome disappointments and setbacks that have arrested or are presently hindering their emotional and spiritual development. Starts in February and meets on Thursdays. For more information, call Jane at 797-7271 or Judy at 251-5644. There are 12 sessions to the class.

Peacemaking: In this world of division and conflict, its important for Christians to stay grounded in what the Bible teaches about resolving differences with others in a God- honoring way. Sunday at 4 p.m. For more information, call Teen Challenge Wyoming at 258-5397. There are 12 sessions to the class.

Stepping into Freedom: A Christ-centered 12-step program that offers support for anyone struggling with a life controlling problem like drug addiction, alcoholism, sexual addiction, gambling or workaholism. There are 12 sessions to the class.

New ministry at HPCC

Family Life Ministry at Highland Park Community Church is offering premarital, marriage enrichment, and parenting workshops, seminars, retreats and conferences, empowering families to thrive through Gods love. Please visit the website for more information or to register, http://hpcc.church/FLM.

Dementia caregiver support

Wyoming Dementia Care offers five Alzheimers Caregiver Support groups each month. Caregivers of those with dementia-related illnesses and the loved ones they care for are welcome at any of the group sessions. Professional staff from Intermountain Home Companions will be on hand to offer separate activities and snacks for those who need care. There is no charge for Wyoming Dementia Cares support groups or for the respite care provided during the approximately one-hour sessions.

The morning support group sessions meet on the first and third Thursday of each month at 10 a.m. at Central Wyoming Senior Services, 1831 E. Fourth St. The afternoon support groups meet at 1 p.m. on the second Tuesday of each month at Life Care Center of Casper, 4041 S. Poplar. The evening groups meet on the second and fourth Wednesday of the month at 6:30 p.m. at Meadow Wind Assisted Living, 3955 E. 12th St.

For information, email wyodementia@casperseniorcenter.com or call Dani Guerttman at 265-4678.

Family continues suicide support

Good Grief, Support will continue at 5:30 p.m. on the second and fourth Wednesdays of the month at the 12-24 Club, 500 S. Wolcott, by request of attendees. Anyone who is grieving a suicide or death or considering suicide is encouraged to attend. Attendance, as well as the content, will be strictly confidential. The Fresh Start Cafe will be open, and you can eat during the meetings. This meeting place was offered by Dan Cantine of the 12-24 Club. You need not be a member to attend. For more information, email jlh35@hotmailcom.

New depression group begins

J.R.s Hunt for Life is offering See it Clearly, a free peer support group for people suffering from depression and other mental conditions that lead to suicidal thoughts and actions. The group is led by like-minded peers wishing to offer support. Anonymity and confidentiality is offered to all attending. Meetings are at 6:45 p.m. on the second and fourth Wednesdays of the month at 500 South Wolcott in the conference room on the second floor, (12-24 Club). Those who have considered or attempted taking their life or are struggling are welcome. For more information, email jlh35@hotmailcom.

Parkinson's exercise

Rocky Mountain Therapy is offering a Parkinson's exercise program. Join us from noon to 1 p.m. Thursdays at Rocky Mountain Therapy, 2546 E. Second St., Building 500. These classes are open to anyone with Parkinson's or caring for someone with Parkinson's.

Thursday's class is tailored for the individual with more advanced Parkinson's and focuses on improving endurance, safety and managing symptoms. We are open to all ages and can tailor the class to meet varying exercise needs. The cost of the class is $5. To RSVP, call 577-5204 and ask for Jerri or Shannon.

Celebrate Recovery every Friday

Celebrate Recovery meets at 5:30 p.m. every Friday at Highland Park Community Church, just south of Elkhorn Valley Rehabilitation Hospital on East Second Street. A family meal starts the evening, followed by praise and worship. At 7 p.m., there's either a lesson from Celebrate Recovery's planned curriculum or a testimony by a person who has found recovery through Christ. Then, people go to gender-specific small groups until 8:30 p.m., when dessert and fellowship conclude the evening. Child care is available at no cost. For more information, contact Chris at 265-4073.

Here and Now: Dementia-focused monthly art class

Classes are every third Tuesday of the month from 1 to 3 p.m. There is no charge. Here and Now is a program made possible through a collaboration between Wyoming Dementia Care and the Nicolaysen Art Museum. It is designed to provide a supportive environment for people with dementia and Alzheimers and their loved ones.

To register, contact Dani with Wyoming Dementia Care 265-4678, ext. 106, or at wyodementia@casperseniorcenter.com or Zhanna Gallegos at 235-5247 or at zgallegos@thenic.org.
Problems at the Casper landfills baler building have plagued solid waste department staff since new machines arrived seven years ago.

Now  after years of unsuccessful repair efforts by the manufacturer  landfill staff members think theyve identified the problem: The interior rods of the pistons that power the balers trash compression arent straight.

A metallurgical process requires the rod to be heated and quenched, said solid waste superintendent Sean Orszulak. If that wasnt done properly, it can be warped.

The pistons appear to be warped around less than half an inch, but over the 15-foot length of the cylinder, that small difference can cause the machine to malfunction.

If youve got a heavy load and youre trying to move in a straight line, youve got problems, Orszulak said.

The purpose of the balers is to compact trash into neat blocks that save space in the landfill and prevent Caspers notorious wind from whisking away loose trash. The city began using balers in the 1980s at the behest of the state Department of Environmental Quality.

With the machines mostly out of service since their installation in 2010, the landfill has resorted to tall fences and employees picking up by hand any pieces of trash blown around by the wind.

Individuals bringing waste to the landfill were also forced to adapt, no longer able to dump trash directly into the baler room.

Solid Waste Division manager Cindy Langston said that until recently, the cylinders had been under warranty and all repairs were handled by the manufacturer.

The manufacturer supposedly fixed them, but now we know they didnt, she said. They would never let us open them up.

But with the warranty expired, the division spent $120,000 earlier this year to take apart and reassemble the machines. The repairman discovered that the real problem was that the pistons werent straight  leading to City Council approving an additional $60,000 on Tuesday to purchase two new pistons for the baler.

The money is coming from the landfills reserve fund and was already budgeted for the current fiscal year.

Langston is hopeful this will be the final fix needed to solve long-running issues with the baler.

Im really thrilled that staff thinks this is it, she said.

The new piston rods will be produced in Georgia and could arrive in Casper as soon as next week.

Langston said that she hoped to recover the costs of replacing the pistons because they are covered under a warranty from Harris Waste Management Group, which purchased the original piston manufacturer several years ago.

But because warranty claims can be lengthy legal processes, she asked Council to approve the replacement money first.

Councilman Charlie Powell, who has been in office during previous failed efforts to fix the baler, was excited that a solution appeared near.

Weve done this about eight times now, Powell said. When we file this warranty claim, can we add emotional damages?
Authorities know the opiate crisis has come to Wyoming.

Theyve seen it in the uptick in criminal cases for heroin and pill thefts. Pharmacists report more prescriptions being filled for painkillers.

Nationally, the crisis has left a trail of bodies that rivals the death toll of the AIDS crisis at its peak. In 2015, opioids such as OxyContin and Vicodin were involved in about 33,100 overdose deaths across the country  quadruple the number in 1999, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

But its exact toll here is hard to gauge.

Officials say the difficulty starts on the local level, with county coroners and health care providers, and is further obfuscated by a patchwork of incomplete indicators, such as ambulance rides, police calls and the number of people seeking help for drug abuse.

All of those markers have holes. The ambulance rides dont account for overdose victims riding in police cars or personal vehicles. Not everyone seeks help for substance abuse. Police may not be able to differentiate a heroin overdose and an OxyContin death, or an accident versus a suicide.

Kim Deti, the spokeswoman for the Wyoming Department of Health, said her agency relies on information from coroners and health care providers in the states 23 counties. But that information is reported differently across the state, which results in inconsistent data. Put simply, there is no complete count of opiate-related overdose deaths in Wyoming.

The numbers that do exist are improving as awareness of the national drug epidemic increases, she said, but the existing reporting system still creates difficulties for tracking exact death rates.

Because of the incomplete numbers, the department has trouble breaking down its overdose data into anything more specific. Overdoses are generally lumped together, a death caused by methamphetamine indistinguishable from one caused by oxycodone. Opioids are a class of drug that includes heroin as well as substances commonly used to medically treat pain, like morphine.

For instance, in 2015, Wyoming had 95 overdose deaths. How many of those were caused by prescription drugs, Deti and other health department officials said, is difficult to determine.

Sometimes (coroners and health care providers) know more than other times, thats true, Deti said. Sometimes its hard to determine. But they provide the best information they can. Theres not always full toxicology, or (people) can have more than one cause of death.

However, the state does possess some data. Between 2005 and 2014, prescription drugs were a contributing factor in 400 deaths, according to a department of health chart. The Rx Abuse Stakeholders group, a collection of law enforcement officials, health care providers and other community members dedicated to fighting prescription drug abuse, says that prescription drugs contributed to a combined 96 deaths in 2014 and 2015.

Those numbers come from the health department, but Mariah Storey, a statistician for the agency, said officials cautioned against the release of that data because it may be incomplete and out of context; she said coroners have improved at reporting prescription overdoses, which may create the impression that theyre going up.

We have no way of knowing the exact numbers and exact severity, Deti said.

The stakes are high. The Rx Abuse Stakeholders group says that Wyoming has the 15th highest overdose death rate in the country. Its 11th in rates for people who are 12 to 25. Lewis attributed the rise partially to Wyomings I-25 and I-80 corridor, which is a major pathway.

Kevin Bohnenblust, the executive director for the Wyoming Board of Medicine and a member of the Rx Abuse Stakeholders group, said its pretty well agreed that we could have better numbers.

There are a lot of well-meaning coroners in communities who maybe dont have the expertise to make determinations, he said.

Coroner consistency

Part of the problem in tracking fatal opioid overdoses in Wyoming is that each county coroner fills out death certificates differently.

In Wyoming, county coroners are elected officials. State law doesnt require coroners to be doctors or nurses, though all coroners undergo specialty training.

Paul Zamora, Carbon County coroner and president of the state coroners association, said that each of the 23 coroners list causes of death differently. While some might list the specific drug suspected in the death, others wont.

Its like trying to herd cats, he said. I think herding cats would be easier than herding 23 county coroners.

But he said he and other coroners have been working to standardize how deaths are recorded. In the past eight months, coroners have been asked to specify what kind of drug is suspected in an overdose death.

Guy Beaudoin, the deputy state registrar, said that emphasis on giving the exact drug helps give clear data. If the coroner were to put multi-drug toxicity  indicating that multiple, undisclosed drugs were involved in the overdose  the data is given the ambiguous classification of unspecific drugs. But the number of deaths that fall into that category has been dropping as coroners become more detailed in their reporting.

The coroners are very proactive in trying to clarify some of these and unspecific events, he said

Zamora said he has also been working to create a statewide database that would track all deaths and would standardize how coroners enter information. However, he doubts there will be funding for that program in the near future.

Natrona County Coroner Connie Jacobson echoed Zamoras diagnosis of the problem: Everybody fills out the paperwork differently. She said that death certificates are made of two parts: The first is the cause of death, and the second is a list of contributing factors.

Jacobson said that she generally lists any drug suspected in a death in the second part of the certificate. Other coroners, however, dont list the drugs as thoroughly, or they dont list them at all, she said.

Aimee Lewis, the chairwoman for the Rx Abuse Stakeholders group, said the reporting system recently still had an option to check Quaaludes as a cause of death. The drug was a sedative popular in the 1970s, but it was banned in the U.S. decades ago.

Getting general detail is difficult, and getting more detail on what were facing and what were overdosing on is difficult, Lewis said.

National epidemic hits home

Perfect data or not, she said, theres no question that prescription drug use is an issue in Wyoming. Pharmacists and physicians say the number of opiate prescriptions being distributed is going up. Law enforcement officials say theyve seen a rise in the number of people abusing and dealing prescription and illicit opioids.

I think it would be a more clear picture if we had better data, Lewis said. But would we be doing anything different? No. Were doing a full-court press already.

Natrona County District Attorney Mike Blonigen said his office has seen an uptick in cases involving heroin and prescription pills that are used illegally. But he said theres a lack of reliable data about overdoses, both fatal and non-fatal.

We dont have numbers  we dont know what our problem looks like, he said. We just have peoples anecdotes.

Unlike many other drugs that are brought into the state, many of the illegal prescription pain pills in Wyoming are bought at local pharmacies and then sold in the area, Blonigen said. In a few recent cases, people working as caretakers for the elderly have been charged with stealing the older persons painkillers for their own use or sale.

Nobodys cooking this in Mexico and bringing it across the border  its in every kitchen cabinet, he said.

The larger problem, Blonigen said, is that its common for people who abuse prescription painkillers to transition to heroin because its cheaper. Wyoming also has relatively high levels of all types of substance abuse, and those who have or had addictions are also more likely to abuse opioids.

He said that part of the problem with prescription painkillers is that people assume theyre safe because theyre prescribed through a doctor and can be legally obtained. In the past few years, Blonigen said he noticed local medical practitioners working to better educate patients about the risks of painkillers and the proper ways to use them.

Recent changes, including the creation of the prescription monitoring program and prescription drop-off boxes, have helped mitigate the spread of opioids, Blonigen said. But the state needs to be ready to better fund substance abuse treatment, drug courts and testing, he said.

You cant just wish this away, he said.
POWELL  Ramsey Green of Billings worked a landscaping job to earn a living while he attended physical therapy classes in Salt Lake City.

It didnt take him long for him to realize he enjoyed his landscaping job more than what he was studying in class.

I made gazebos and water fountains, and I was like, This is way more fun than the physical therapy stuff, Green said in a recent interview.

That was when he decided to switch majors and attend the welding program at Northwest College in Powell instead.

I just like building stuff, he said.

Green, now an NWC sophomore, said he likes fabrication and production classes the most because they let him use his creativity.

You can build whatever you feel like, he said.

Last semester, he made a set of barstools that are constructed of metal and wood, and he burned a design in them.

When I first made them, I thought I would sell them or give them to friends and family, but I like them too much. I decided to keep them, he said.

Green said he plans to get a job in Tucson when he finishes school, and eventually, he wants to set up his own welding business.

Despite layoffs in the oil field, welders are still in high demand, and enrollment in the Northwest College welding program is increasing, said Bill Johnson, coordinator of the program.

Even though the Bakken and stuff shut down, there hasnt been, really, a loss in welding positions, Johnson said.

This spring, 75 students are enrolled in NWC welding classes  up from about 40 welding students 10 years ago, he said.

That growth has been fueled in part by welding students talking to other students about the program; the students make good recruiters, Johnson said.

In addition, area high schools recommend the colleges welding program, and NWC recruiters have done a great job attracting new students as well, he said.

The programs success speaks for itself.

When contractors hear students are coming from this program, they get hired right now, no questions asked, Johnson said.

Most of the students in the program are welding majors, but we get quite a few who take a class or two, Johnson said. Theyre not looking for (an associate degree) or a certificate; they just want to learn how to weld.

Caleb Red McMillan of Soap Lake, Washington, is one of the welding majors. McMillan said he enrolled in the program because theres always work to be done in welding; there will always be a job welding.

His favorite project so far was making some of his own tools, then getting to use them.

That saved me a little bit of money, and it was pretty cool, he said.

After he graduates, Im probably going down to the Mexican border and (be) helping Trump build the wall, McMillan said. I think that would be kind of cool.

Freshman Michelle Barber of Greybull enrolled in welding because I thought it would be fun, and I know theres work everywhere, she said. Theres always something new, and its hands-on.

Barber said she enjoys the creative aspect of welding the most; she currently has plans to construct a guitar.

Ive laid it out in my mind, and that should work, she said. It should come together pretty easily.

Barber said she plans to work in a fab shop before going out on her own.

I want to get my own truck, get my own rig setup and work more on the creative side, she said.

Sophomore Luke Miller said he decided to major in welding because its a good trade to know.

Its not very restricted, and you can kind of do your thing, he said. You use your hands a lot more, and youre not restricted to the classroom. Its a nice, relaxed program, and you can learn at your own pace.

Johnson said the welding programs growth presents its own set of challenges, such as crowding in the shop and increased use of limited equipment.

But the three of us (Johnson and assistant professors of welding Harold and Lee Elton) have figured out a way to keep everything going and keep the students going, and I take care of all the equipment to make sure its all functioning, he said. We all teach an assortment of classes; we have become very diversified, the three of us.

The programs greatest needs are to expand the shop and to bring in new technology, Johnson said.

Theres so much stuff out there thats changing, you know, and Id like to see us be part of that change. But the way it is right now, were tool-blocked. You bring some of that stuff in now, and theres no place to put it.

Johnson has been welding for 40 years, spending years as an ironworker on high-rises, pipelines and many other kinds of projects.

If they needed a welder, I was there, he said. I worked on the MGM Grand in Las Vegas after it caught fire (in 1980). I worked in Louisiana; I worked all over this country.

Then, in 1987, Johnson was injured on the job.

They wouldnt let me work the trade anymore. I went back to school. I thought first electrical engineering, but I didnt like that. I didnt like it at all.

While studying at Montana State University, Johnson noticed some people trying to figure out how to use some of the universitys welding equipment.

I got to playing with those welders, and I decided that was what I wanted to do  was teach my trade, he said. It was fun teaching them kids down there in the education department how to use a welding rod. That was what excited me, and thats what excites me today.
Tucson Electric Power Co. recently completed two big energy-storage projects aimed at taking advantage of new technologies and smoothing out the intermittent generation of renewable-energy sources like solar and wind.

Chicago-based E.ON Climate & Renewables finished building a 10-megawatt capacity lithium-ion battery-storage facility and an accompanying 2-megawatt solar array at the University of Arizona Tech Park southeast of Tucson, known as the Iron Horse project.

In December, a subsidiary of Florida-based NextEra Energy Resources completed construction of a 10-megawatt lithium-ion energy storage system at a TEP substation near Interstate 10 and West Grant Road.

TEP will buy the solar power from E.On and pay capacity charges for both battery systems under power-purchase agreements.

The TEP installations are short-duration battery systems intended to bridge the time it takes to bring supplemental generating sources online after an outage, and to help with grid reliability by shoring up voltage and regulating power frequency when needed.

Long-duration storage systems are designed to keep customers lights on for hours during an outage  or even replace natural-gas plants fired up to handle demand peaks.

But those are more costly and have been mainly pursued in places with high electric rates like California and Hawaii.

TEP spokesman Joe Barrios said the short-run battery systems will help reduce costs by supplanting other grid-reliability measures.

This is a pretty new technology that has become reliable, and the cost is now reasonable, Barrios said.

TEP expects to spend about $1.7 million annually on the two new storage systems combined, under contract with E.On and NextEra.

Under a plan approved by the Arizona Corporation Commission, TEP will pay for the services through an existing purchased fuel and power surcharge that will cost the average customer about 13 cents per month, Barrios said.

Mark Frigo, an E.On vice president who heads the North American energy-storage business for the German-based company, said the short-term battery system at the Tech Park  the companys first in North America  can pump out a full 10 megawatts of power for 15 minutes.

That can help even out grid power in places like Tucson, where solar arrays put out massive amounts of power, then drop off in the evening when demand soars, in what is know as a duck curve.

That ramp-up and ramp-down puts a big stress on the transmission and distribution systems, and the batteries help you smooth that out and provide more grid resiliency, Frigo said.

The storage systems are expected to save TEP money it would have to spend on other grid-stability measures, including standby gas combustion turbines that can take 10 minutes or more to start up.

You can ramp it (storage) up very, very quickly, Barrios said.

For example, he said, in early March TEPs system experienced a voltage drop that prompted the utility to bring more generating resources online, but the system at the DeMoss Petrie substation instantly brought that circuit up to normal.

TEP plans to invest in 50 megawatts of additional energy storage in 2019, add another 50MW by 2021 and another 100MW in 2031, according to TEPs most recent resource plan.

TEP isnt alone in its storage expansion, in Arizona or nationally.

Arizona Public Service Co., the largest state-regulated utility, has agreed to buy a 4MW storage system for use with its company-owned rooftop solar program. APS installed a 1.5MW battery storage as a pilot project in Flagstaff in 2012.

In April, the self-governed Salt River Project announced a 20-year power purchase agreement with NextEra for a 10MW lithium-ion battery-storage system linked to a 20MW solar farm.

GTM Research, a Boston-based firm that studies the renewable-energy markets, projects the U.S. energy-storage market will grow from 221 MW in 2016 to roughly 2.6 gigawatts  one gigawatt equals 1,000 megawatts  in 2022.

The move to utility-scale energy storage has been pioneered in places like Hawaii, which because of its reliance on imported fuel has historically paid the highest prices in the nation.

The Aloha State has jumped all-in on local, renewable generating resources such as solar and wind, but the intermittency of those resources has resulted in a more brittle power grid.

Island communities such as Hawaii have been at the forefront of implementing these types of (storage) solutions, and now on the mainland its been recognized, and the prices have come down so much that its becoming mainstream here, E.Ons Frigo said.

Some utilities are moving toward using larger, longer-duration storage systems to replace so-called peaker generating plants  generally natural-gas combustion turbines  used to generate extra power during peak demand .

Hawaiian Electric has proposed a 20MW, five-hour-duration battery storage system paired with 28MW of solar in Kauai, to match peak demand with generation.

In California, which has mandated that state-regulated utilities install 1.3 gigawatts of storage by 2020, Southern California Edison has proposed a 100MW, four-hour battery system specifically designed to replace a gas peaker plant in Long Beach.

Barrios said TEP could install long-duration battery storage in the future, but for now plans to focus on short-run storage for grid resiliency.

Frigo said rapidly dropping prices for battery storage may convince TEP and other s to consider storage to replace the gas generators to handle peak demand, sooner rather than later.
Two bachelors degree programs at a for-profit Tucson university have received failing grades from the federal government because graduates didnt earn enough to repay their student loans without hardship.

The graphic design and interior design programs at Southwest University of Visual Arts, 2525 N. Country Club Road, did not meet the governments new gainful employment standards, federal data show.

The rules, which took effect Jan. 1, take aim at career training that leaves graduates with high debt levels compared to their earning power.

The regulations are intended to protect students and taxpayers by providing warnings about programs with relatively high loan debt compared to the earnings their students could hope to achieve after graduating, lawyers for the U.S. Education Department said in a recent court filing.

For a program to pass muster, the student loan payments of a typical graduate cannot exceed 8 percent of total earnings or 20 percent of discretionary income.

At Southwest  which charges $23,000 a year for tuition and fees  a graphic design graduate had median annual earnings of $29,393 after four years of schooling, while interior design graduates had median earnings of $32,046, the data show.

About 140 students in various programs attended Southwest last school year, and nearly 60 percent took out federal student loans, government data show.

Southwest officials could not be reached for comment. The Arizona Daily Star left a phone message with a receptionist Thursday but no one responded by Friday.

A cosmetology program at privately-owned Arizona Academy of Beauty, 5631 E. Speedway, also failed the new standards.

The academy charges $14,500 for its 54-week cosmetology program, and according to federal data, its graduates earn $8,977 a year. The school had a total of 33 students in all programs last school year, the data show.

Carey White, owner of the beauty school, said the annual earnings figure for graduates is artificially low because it only counts income reported to the Internal Revenue Service.

Cosmetologists typically derive much of their income from tips, which they often dont report for tax purposes, she said.

The Scottsdale-based American Association of Cosmetology Schools made the same argument in a February lawsuit against U.S. Education Secretary Betsy DeVos that seeks to block the new rules.

Education Department lawyers are fighting back in court  to the surprise of some higher education experts who expected the Trump administration to side with the for-profit education industry on the issue.

The public interest is served by allowing the (education) department to go forward with implementing the (gainful employment) regulations, attorneys representing DeVos said in a court filing.
We've collected a few front pages from newspapers.com to give you a look at some May 7 papers in history. With a subscription to newspapers.com you can search the Arizona Daily Star and many other newspapers using keywords or dates, and download articles or pages.
The 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.
Schools across the country, including at least two in the Tucson area, are urging parents to exercise caution if they allow their children to watch 13 Reasons Why, a popular Netflix series about a teenage girl who commits suicide and leaves behind audio tapes explaining how she got to that point.

In light of recent suicides in the Vail area, the school district there is taking extra precautions to make sure parents are aware of the issues surrounding the show.

Ive been doing this a long time, and unfortunately suicides do occur with young people, and its a very difficult issue for all of us to deal with, said Vail School District Superintendent Calvin Baker.

The district spoke with principals about the show and left it up to each school about whether to send information to parents.

Esmond Station K-8 and Corona Foothills Middle School sent emails to parents earlier this week.

I decided to do that because I was familiar with the series, said Corona Foothills Principal Margaret Steuer. I felt like it was important for me to keep my parents informed and also I knew of some resources, including in terms of people at school, and I wanted to provide parents with those resources.

Emails contained a link to specific talking points to guide family conversations about the series as well as suicide-prevention resources, hotline numbers and a reminder that school staff is available to assist students.

Please be sure your student knows that there are staff at Corona Foothills who can help them if they, or someone they know, is hurting themselves or contemplating suicide, the email reads.

Steuer said she received responses from parents thanking her for the concern and for keeping them in the loop.

I got this email and I wasnt shocked at all, Stephanie Langston wrote in a Facebook forum. My sixth-grader asked if he could watch it because people at school talk about it a lot. So, I watched it first. I told him no but asked if he knew what it was about. We had a discussion about suicide. It would be a good show for his age, if it werent for the graphic scenes.

However, he told me that a lot of kids his age saw the show. I really hope the parents know and have talked to their children.

The information sent is a very fair and balanced look at the series, said Baker. Its not, Oh my goodness alarm ringing. Its very fair and balanced and raised some questions and helps give adults some ideas in language on how to talk to their children about the topic.

The show is rated TV-MA, which means it may be unsuitable for children under 17, and three episodes that contain explicit material have viewer discretion advised warnings.

The Vail School District is not recommending that students watch the series, but encourages parents to watch it themselves before allowing students to watch.

Tucsons largest school district, Tucson Unified, has taken an internal approach.

Tammy Hille, coordinator of the districts guidance and counseling department, sent a letter with information to school counselors about how to talk to students, parents and staff about the show.

As this show sensationalizes suicide, it is important for parents and students to understand the reality of suicide, not what Hollywood portrays, the letter reads.

The letter also included guidance specifically written around the series for educators from the National Association of School Psychologists.

We do not recommend that vulnerable youth, especially those who have any degree of suicidal ideation, watch this series, the guidance reads. Its powerful storytelling may lead impressionable viewers to romanticize the choices made by the characters and/or develop revenge fantasies. ... While many youth are resilient and capable of differentiating between TV drama and real life, engaging in thoughtful conversations with them about the show is vital.

The Sierra Vista Unified School District posted a detailed message on Facebook notifying parents about the show and weighed in on the series.

There is no mention of behavioral health and treatment options, the notion of suicide is glamorized, there are no examples of help-seeking by the teens portrayed in the program and there are several scenes depicting serious trauma in which the teens do not seek help or resources, including rape, bullying, alcoholism and suicide, the district post says. And the graphic portrayal of the actual suicide was unnecessary and potentially harmful to young people facing challenges.

The response to the Facebook post was mixed with some expressing appreciation for the heads-up and others arguing the district went a little overboard, saying the series doesnt glamorize suicide, but portrays it accurately.

The Amphitheater, Flowing Wells, Sahuarita and Marana school districts have not issued any warnings about the show.

In Marana we do have full-time, masters-level school counselors in every school, Crawley said. And part of our ongoing curriculum does include suicide awareness and information we share with students and parents, as well as addressing other issues such as bullying, drugs and alcohol and how to make healthy choices. ... We are very much committed to emotional behavior and academic enrichment involving our students.
Days after crews finally extinguished a nearly 50,000-acre brush fire southeast of Tucson, a new brush fire was reported in the area Saturday afternoon.

The fire was reported east of Arizona 83 near Old Sonoita Highway shortly after 2 p.m., Corona de Tucson Fire Department said in a tweet.

As of 8 p.m., the Mulberry Fire, eight miles southeast of Vail, had burned approximately 500 acres of grass and brush, according to the Arizona Department of Forestry and Fire Management.

The blaze was threatening structures, and the Pima County Sheriffs Department was assisting with evacuations, the department said.

Ground resources were being provided by the Bureau of Land Management, the U.S. Forest Service and fire departments from across Southern Arizona, with structure-protection crews working hard Saturday evening to usher the fire away from homes.

Six air tankers and several helicopters were also on hand, dropping fire retardant onto structures threatened by the fire.

The blaze was in a canyon southeast of the Charron Vineyards. Sheriffs Department and fire personnel were helping to evacuate homes closest to the fire, the tweet said.

The Sonoita-Elgin Fire District said in a Facebook post that the fire was in Hilton Ranch, an area that was on pre-evacuation status during the Sawmill Fire, which was contained early last week.

Sherry Whitfield, who lives north of Hilton Ranch, was out of town for business when the fire broke out Saturday.

Thats my home being evacuated and my pregnant daughter there alone, Whitfield wrote on Twitter, later adding that her daughter had been safely evacuated.

Pray for us, she wrote in another tweet.

Whitfield was under pre-evacuation notice for most of the Sawmill Fire, according to earlier tweets.

The Red Cross of Southern Arizona set up an evacuation shelter at the Pima County Fairgrounds, 11300 S. Houghton Road, with entry off Houghton at the Brekke Gate.

Drivers were asked to avoid Arizona 83, as traffic congestion was creating safety concerns for firefighters and evacuees.

The cause of the fire is unknown.

The Sawmill Fire started on April 23 and burned 46,991 acres off Arizona 83 between Interstate 10 and Sonoita.
In May 2006, Pima County voters approved the Regional Transportation Authority plan and an associated half-cent sales tax that was then estimated to bring in $2.1 billion over 20 years.

What voters were promised was a long list of major transportation projects, including new roadways, widening of existing thoroughfares, bike lanes, safer intersections and transit improvements, among many other items. There were 51 principal elements  projects like Twin Peaks Road from North Silverbell Road to Interstate 10 and the West Ina Road Interchange at I-10  broken down into roughly 940 sub-projects.

As mandated by state law, the multi-billion dollar effort was audited at the halfway point, and the results were released in late April.

To save you the tedium, the Road Runner gave the 115-page document  prepared by Sjoberg Evashenk Consulting on behalf of the states Auditor General  a pretty close read, and the findings can be summarized like this: Things have gone pretty well. A PDF copy of the audit is included in the online version of the story, for those who want to decide for themselves.

Ten years into the 20-year RTA Plan, the  plan partners are generally delivering the projects as described in the RTA Plan within budget and on-schedule, the audit report reads.

Roger Cracraft, a member of the Citizens Accountability for Regional Transportation Committee, which is tasked with keeping an eye on the RTA project, agreed that the audit was very positive. The RTA board members from Oro Valley, Sahuarita, Tucson, Marana and Pima County had similarly positive things to say.

This has been an example of the region working together to help everyone in the valley, Tucson Mayor Jonathan Rothschild said in written comments provided by a spokeswoman. Those comments go on to note that the plan doesnt deal with pavement preservation, so local governments are having to handle that on their own during a time when times are tight.

As of June 2016, 753 of those sub-projects have been completed, 158 were in progress, 26 had not yet started and four were canceled. More than $760 million in RTA funds were expended over the same period, with another $358 million coming from other sources.

Despite the major impact of the Great Recession on sales-tax revenues, the audit concludes that the RTA has plans in place to ensure projects are completed.

While estimated revenues through 2026 are now well below the originally estimated $2.1 billion  a recent study conducted by the Eller College of Management put the figure at just shy of $1.6 billion  state and federal money are expected to cover the shortfall. Some projects also came in well under engineer estimates, freeing up funds.

While the audit was largely positive, it also had a number of recommendations to improve things over the next decade. The RTA has agreed to implement the changes or has already done so in some cases, according to an April 4 letter from RTA Executive Director Farhad Moghimi.

At the top of the list was the suggestion that the eight jurisdictions adopt ways to better measure the efficiency and effectiveness of project management.

The audit also recommended capturing roadway-related data to evaluate project performance.

Because the (plan) was originally not designed with targets for performance outcomes, we cannot evaluate performance related to congestion, mobility, and connectivity over the first 10 years, a later chapter in the audit opens.

The audit notes that PAG established such goals and metrics last year, meaning that a future evaluation of performance outcomes should be possible.

Jim DeGrood, deputy director with the Pima Association of Governments, which manages the RTA, told the Road Runner that the organization is fully committed to doing it.

While the timing and form of a possible RTA reauthorization is not at all clear, several officials said the audit would make the case to county voters, who would have to approve any reauthorization, more compelling.

I think what you tell the voters is, look at the audit, Marana Mayor Ed Honea told the Road Runner. They said that we did what we told you we would do.

DOWN THE ROAD

Starting Monday, the county transportation departments contractor VSS International will crack-seal North Thornydale Road from West Ina to Cortaro Farms roads. Crews will work weekdays from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. through Friday, May 19. Lane restrictions and reduced speeds will be in effect, and law enforcement and flaggers will be on-site to assist.

At 6 a.m. Tuesday, crews will begin installing water lines on North Seventh Avenue at East Grant Road. The work will last through Thursday afternoon, and Seventh will be temporarily closed at the intersection, though business and residential access will be maintained.

Crews with Southwest Gas will start work on their pipelines along North Cherry Avenue Sunday night. The first phase of the project will be between East Mabel Street and East Drachman Street, and the second will be between East Speedway and East Helen Street. Work will take place between 7 p.m. and 6 a.m. Sunday through Friday. South of Speedway on Cherry to East Second Street, there will be a 24-hour road closure until late summer. Southwest recommends using North Mountain or Campbell avenues during the work, according to a release from the company.
Border Patrol agent Lonnie Swartz will go on trial in federal court on Oct. 12 in the shooting death of a teen who was standing across the border in Mexico.

U.S. District Court Judge Raner Collins in Tucson set the date Friday, months after rejecting the contention of the agent that he cant be tried in his court.

Collins said he will resolve all remaining pretrial issues at a hearing June 19. And he set a deadline for any plea deal of Sept. 22.

Swartz, on duty at the time, has not disputed that he fired shots through an opening in the border fence at 16-year-old Jose Antonio Elena Rodriguez, who was on the Sonora side of the line. An autopsy found 10 of the bullets hit the teen in the back.

But Swartz, now on administrative leave, contends he fired in self-defense, saying the boy was throwing rocks across the border. He was indicted by a grand jury on a second-degree murder charge. That explanation has been in dispute, if for no other reason than the Mexican side of the border is about 25 feet lower than the Arizona side.

His attorney attempted to have the case thrown out of federal court, contending the case should be tried in state court. But Collins, in a ruling earlier this year, said Swartz was standing in a 60-foot zone at the time of the incident, land he said is federal property.

Meanwhile, a separate civil suit against Swartz by the youths parents remains on hold. The issue there is whether federal courts in this country have jurisdiction to hear the complaint, as Elena Rodriguez was shot and died in Mexico.

Attorneys for his family have argued to federal appellate judges that the incident originated in the United States, making it appropriate to have it heard in courts in this country. But the judges in this case said they wont decide that issue until there is a ruling in a similar case out of Texas, where a Border Patrol agent in 2010 shot and killed a Mexican teen playing in a culvert that separates El Paso from Juarez.

The 5th Circuit Court of Appeals had ruled the parents cannot pursue their claim against Jesus Mesa Jr. because the boy, Sergio Hernandez, was a Mexican citizen who was on Mexican soil at the time he was shot.

But that case is now on review to the U.S. Supreme Court. Whatever the justices rule likely will determine whether the civil case against Swartz can continue.
The peoples priest was laid to rest Friday.

Monsignor Arsenio Sotomayor Carrillo, who for nearly 50 years ministered to Roman Catholics in Tucson and Southern Arizona, was eulogized and celebrated at St. Augustine Cathedral in downtown, where he first served as an assistant pastor in his initial assignment after ordination in 1956, and later as pastor and rector for more than 30 years beginning in 1969.

Monsignor Thomas Cahalane, pastor of Our Mother of Sorrows Parish, remembered his longtime friend and mentor for his humility, humanity and heart. The two priests met in 1969 and served together at the Cathedral, forming a deep bond of friendship and loyalty that extended over the years.

I share the pain of your grief, Cahalane said to the Carrillo-Sotomayor families at the beginning of his homily.

Carrillo, who was known to many as Padre Cheno, died April 26 at the northeast home where he had lived in his later years cared for by his family. He had turned 87 on April 2. He was one of the first Tucson-born, Mexican-American priests to serve in the Diocese of Tucson.

On the citys west side two murals  one in Barrio Anita on the freeway frontage road and the other at the underpass of West St. Marys Road and the freeway  carry Carrillos images, a reminder of the spiritual and secular roles he played in many Tucsonans lives.

About three dozen priests and deacons, including Tucson Bishop Gerald F. Kicanas, led the funeral Mass attended by Carrillos extended family, many friends and acquaintances, some of whom were baptized or married by Carrillo.

Carrillo, was a Pope Francis priest long before the Pope Francis era, said Cahalane, referring to the current pope known for his pastoral ways and support of social issues.

Carrillos cousin, Frank Sotomayor, eulogized Cheno as a dedicated priest of the people and for the people. He said Carrillo had a common touch that he exercised in an uncommon and remarkable manner and always had the right words to share with someone in grief, troubled or in need of compassion.

Cheno always had a joke or a funny story to kick off his homilies, Sotomayor said, regardless if the punchline had any connection to the scriptures heard at the same Mass. But Carrillo had a talent and a touch for connecting with people with his meaningful and masterful homilies. He would lean into the pulpit, roll up the sleeves of his priestly garb and talk, simply and directly to churchgoers. And when he finished, Carrillo always asked those in the pews to pray for him.

He was a giant of a priest, Kicanas said.

While leading the Cathedral parish, Carrillo steered the congregation to a more active social role. He created CROSS, Christian Responsibility in Sharing and Service. He was a founding member of the Pima County Interfaith Council and promoted numerous parish activities such as the annual Christmas Posadas at San Cosme Chapel on West Simpson Street in Barrio El Hoyo just south of the Cathedral.

Above all, Carrillo relished being a priest, humble and devoted, taking Holy Communion to the sick or the elderly in their homes. He didnt seek attention nor did he look to advance in the church hierarchy.

As priests, Monsignor Carrillo said, We are ordained to be with the people, Sotomayor said.

Carrillo was born in Barrio Anita, just north of downtown. He wasnt expected to live. He and his twin sister Maria were born underweight and weak. She didnt survive. Carrillo entered an Ohio seminary when he was 14 years old and was ordained on May 26, 1956. He celebrated his first Mass with his family at Holy Family Church where the family worshipped, and where Carrillo and his brothers were altar boys.

He was profoundly proud of his Mexican-American barrio roots.

And if Carrillos priestly contributions were not enough, credit him for the role he had in the growth of mariachi music in Tucson. A lifelong lover of mariachi music, Carrillo shared the music with a fellow priest, Charles Rourke, assigned to the Cathedral. Rourke, a musician, took to the music and formed a youth ensemble in 1964. Los Changuitos Feos, with two of Carrillos nephews, Randy and Steve, was the incubator for Tucsons youth mariachi movement which thrives today.

To understand and appreciate Tucson is to have known Cheno. For in his life he was a spiritual leader and friend to countless Tucsonenses over several generations whose experiences reflected their hard work, perseverance, and faith in family and God. Chenos steady hand, dry and razor-sharp wit, and uncompromising devotion to his church and congregations, were his hallmarks.

He was Tucsons priest.
It was well beyond a last-minute agreement, but Northwest Healthcare is once again an in-network provider for thousands of Tucson-area UnitedHealthcare patients.

In a joint news release sent at 2 p.m. Saturday, both entities said they had reached a new three-year contract agreement that will keep all Northwest Healthcare facilities, urgent-care locations and physicians in UnitedHealthcares network.

A public standoff between the two for-profit companies was punctuated by finger-pointing and dueling newspaper opinion pieces, and no agreement was reached by the May 1 deadline.

That meant the contract was severed, leaving patients on Tucsons northwest side scrambling to find new providers. Senior citizens and people with chronic illnesses were particularly hard-hit, some of them faced with giving up specialists theyd had for years.

But the new agreement is effective immediately, officials said, and retroactive. Patients who received care at Northwest during the out-of-network period beginning Monday, May 1, will be processed as in-network, the joint statement says.

Northwest Healthcare, owned by Tennessee-based Community Health Systems, had set up a website, StandUpToUnitedAz, while the dispute was ongoing. That site now redirects to the Northwest Healthcare website, which has news of the agreement .

Our community is the real beneficiary because the agreement ensures they continue to have the freedom to choose their provider without any further disruption, Northwest CEO Kevin Stockton said in a prepared statement.

Officials with both companies thanked the public for their support and patience. Northwest Healthcare first sent out letters to affected patients on March 2, and many patients have been getting increasingly anxious about losing their providers ever since.

We understand that these last few weeks have been difficult for people in northwest Tucson who rely on the Northwest system for their medical needs. We are honored to continue supporting these members and the more than 2 million people across Arizona who depend on us for access to quality, cost-effective health care, UnitedHealthcare of Arizona CEO Dave Allazetta said.

The new contract is focused on value-based performance and quality of care, similar to Northwest Healthcares contracts with other large health insurers in the area, officials on both sides of the agreement said.

The agreement comes just as UnitedHealthcare patients of Northwest Healthcare are receiving letters telling them how to proceed with Northwest as out of network. Patients can disregard those letters now.

This is good news for all the people out here in this area who will not have to drive 40 minutes to see a doctor, said Marana resident Michael Browning, who was dreading losing the Northwest Healthcare primary care doctor hed been seeing for years.

The retired businessman is in good health and fortunately had been to his doctor before the contract was severed. Hed been hoping for the best.

I was going to wait it out and not actively try to find a primary-care physician for a certain length of time, maybe three months, Browning said. But I am happy I dont have to search for one. Everyone would have been scrambling at the same time.  Im glad it settled. From a consumer standpoint, it works for me. I really like my primary-care physician.

Estimates of affected patients ranged from 46,000 to 60,000  critical enough that Tucsons largest physician group weighed in on the dispute and called for both sides to do the moral and ethical thing and reach a truce.

Thats terrific, Pima County Medical Society Board member and past president Dr. Tim Fagan said Saturday afternoon, when told of the resolution. Were delighted. The only regret is that they couldnt figure it out five days sooner, so they didnt get so many people so worried and upset.
Casas Adobes Plaza, at the southwest corner of North Oracle and West Ina roads, is not on any officially designated list of historic architecture.

Still, its neighbors and local historic preservationists are concerned about recent remodeling of the 63-year-old shopping plaza.

It is often compared to Broadway Village at North Country Club Road and East Broadway, the first shopping complex outside Tucsons downtown commercial district. Broadway Village was designed by famed Tucson architect Josias Joesler, built in 1939 and was recently designated a City Historic Landmark by the city of Tucson.

Casas Adobes Plaza was built in 1954 by developer Sam Nanini and designed by Gordon Luepke, who had worked under Joesler.

Portions of it are reminiscent of Broadway Village. It has courtyards with fountains and a shaded arcade along the front.

Its walls are a mix of adobe and fired brick, some stuccoed, some not.

Its has gone through many renovations during its years in existence.

Still, nearby resident Steve Hannley was perplexed when he noticed pavers at Casas Adobes Plaza being replaced with a concrete slab and the plazas signature Spanish tiles coming off an overhang at the former Frogs Organic Bakery.

Like many of his neighbors, he said, he has a deep affection for the plaza and resists any changes that would dilute its appeal.

It just seemed like its disrespectful of the plaza, he said. Its a completely modern, contemporary addition.

Hannley recalled that when pavers and roof ornaments were ripped out at Broadway Village, people raised a fuss and the city issued a stop-work order.

He wondered if he couldnt make a change this time. He cant.

Like so many things in our community, it has no protection, said Demion Clinco, executive director of the Tucson Historic Preservation Foundation.

Its disappointing that these places that are in this community are not treated with more respect, he said.

The plaza, a mix of retail shops, restaurants and a Whole Foods grocery, has long been a gathering place for folks in the Casas Adobes area, named for the adjoining subdivisions of adobe-brick homes, built by Nanini in the 1950s.

An architect who worked on the plaza in recent years said that its many additions and renovations have kept the spirit of the place and preserved the most important expressions of Luepkes architecture.

Burak Bekat of a.23 Studios designed the expansion of the Whole Foods Market at the north end of the shopping center and the work underway at the former bakery, which will become home to BIRD Modern Provisions and Bar, a Southern-flavored, modern American restaurant from the owners of Obon and Goodness.

Bekat said the restaurant will fit within the perimeter of a canopy-covered patio at the former business and will not impede the courtyard.

The addition we are putting in, height- and width-wise, is smaller than what was enclosed with the canopy structure The landlord was very hesitant to create additional bulk there

You are going to feel like OK, this is going to fit.

Brandon Katz, BIRDs co-owner, said the original design for the restaurant would have been an even better fit.

We proposed a brick and adobe-like structure. The landlord wanted to retain a modern feel, Katz said. Katz said revisions to the design have held up the opening, now set for June.

The plazas local investors sold it in 2015 for $46 million to Maryland-based Global Retail Investors. The local property manager referred questions about the plaza to to Wright Sigmund at GRI. After repeated phone calls, Sigmunds office asked for a list of written questions.

After they were sent, an email response said we are not able to speak on record about the properties.

Hannley said he likes the addition of another restaurant. He just wished it wasnt enclosing what was formerly patio space.

Likewise, he likes having Whole Foods nearby, but wishes it fit more neatly into the plazas form.

Hannley is enamored of the whole mid-century-modern Casas Adobes vibe.

He lives nearby in a 1959 home. Hes happy to have the upscale Whole Foods market nearby and glad it expanded rather than closed, but still hes miffed that its expansion disturbs the scale of the entire complex.

Architect Chris Evans, president of the Modern Architecture Preservation Project, said Casas Adobes Plaza has been significantly modified over the years and it is impossible to claim historic integrity for it.

It remains, however, an icon and really the heart of northwest Tucson, Evans said. And because of that, its historic significance for the community is substantial and perhaps equal to Broadway Village.

Its many renovations honored the scale and look of the place until recently, Evans said. These new modifications are different and troubling, he said.
WASHINGTON  Heres how area members of Congress from Arizona voted on major issues in the week ending May 5.

HOUSE

Republican Health Care Alternative: Voting 217-213, the House on May 4 passed a Republican bill (HR 1628) that would dismantle the Affordable Care Act on terms that would allow states to waive most ACA coverage requirements. Over 10 years, the bill would add 24 million uninsured persons, slash Medicaid spending by 25 percent, cut taxes for high-earning taxpayers and some health-related companies by at least $600 billion and reduce deficits by $300 billion. A yes vote was to send the bill to the Senate.

Voting yes: Martha McSally, R-2, Paul Gosar, R-4, David Schweikert, R-6, Trent Franks, R-8

Voting no: Tom OHalleran, D-1, Raul Grijalva, D-3, Andy Biggs, R-5, Ruben Gallego, D-7, Kyrsten Sinema, D-9

Comp Time for Overtime Work: The House on May 2 voted, 229-197, to allow employers in the private sector to offer compensatory time off in place of extra wages for overtime work. The comp time would amount to time-and-a-half for hours worked over 40 per week, just as overtime wages are calculated at time-and-a-half under the 1938 Fair Labor Standards Act. A yes vote was to pass a bill (HR 1180) backed by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and opposed by the AFL-CIO.

Yes: McSally, Gosar, Biggs, Schweikert, Franks

No: OHalleran, Grijalva, Gallego, Sinema

Paid Sick Leave From Work: The House on May 2 defeated, 192-234, a motion by Democrats to require that employees who choose comp time instead of overtime wages automatically qualify for at least seven days annual sick leave with pay. A yes vote was to add mandatory paid sick leave to a bill (HR 1180, above) making changes in overtime pay.

Yes: OHalleran, Grijalva, Gallego, Sinema

No: McSally, Gosar, Biggs, Schweikert, Franks

Personal Privacy on the Internet: The House on May 2 blocked, 233-190, a Democratic bid to force floor debate on a bill (HR 1868) now in committee that would restore a recently nullified Internet privacy rule. The rule required service providers to obtain customer consent before sharing their personal data with advertisers. President Trump recently signed a measure (SJ Res 34) killing the rule before its effective date this year. A yes vote opposed bringing the bill to the floor.

Yes: McSally, Gosar, Biggs, Schweikert

No: OHalleran, Grijalva, Gallego, Sinema

Not voting: Franks

$1.1 Trillion for Government Operations: The House on May 3 passed, 309-118, a bill (HR 244) that would fund government operations from May 5 through Sept. 30 at an annualized level of $1.07 trillion in discretionary spending. A yes vote was to send the Senate a bipartisan appropriations bill for the remainder of fiscal 2017.

Yes: OHalleran, McSally, Sinema

No: Grijalva, Gosar, Biggs, Schweikert, Gallego, Franks

SENATE

Retirement Savings at Work: The Senate on May 3 voted, 50-49, to nullify a Department of Labor rule that would help states set up privately run retirement plans for private-sector workers who lack access to such plans at work because their employers have not established them. A yes vote was to send the nullification measure (HJ Res 66) to President Trump.

Yes: John McCain, R, Jeff Flake, R

$1.1 Trillion for Government Operations: Voting 79-18, the Senate on May 4 joined the House in passing a bill (HR 244) that would fund government operations for the remaining five months of fiscal 2017 at an annualized level of $1.07 trillion in discretionary spending. A yes vote was to send the bill to President Trump.

Yes: McCain

No: Flake
Northwest Healthcare is once again an in-network provider for UnitedHealthcare patients.

In a joint news release sent out at 2 p.m. today, both entities said they had reached a new, three-year contract agreement that will keep all Northwest Healthcare facilities, urgent care locations and physicians in UnitedHealthcare's network.

A standoff between the two for-profit companies severed the contract May 1. But the new agreement is effective immediately, officials said and retroactive. Patients who received care at Northwest during the out-of-network period since last Monday will be processed as in-network.

Health plan members enrolled in UnitedHealthcare individual, employer-sponsored (commercial), Medicare Advantage and AHCCCS Managed Medicaid health plans will have continued in-network access to Northwest Medical Center, Oro Valley Hospital, Northwest Emergency Center Vail, Northwest Allied Physicians, Desert Cardiology, Heart Center of Southern Arizona, Northwest Heart & Vascular, Northwest Urgent Care, Northwest Tucson Surgery Center, Tucson Surgery Center, Center for Pain Management, and other locations.

Northwest Healthcare is owned by Tennessee-based Community Health Systems.

"Our community is the real beneficiary because the agreement ensures they continue to have the freedom to choose their provider without any further disruption," Northwest CEO Kevin Stockton said in a prepared statement.

Officials with both companies thanked the public for their support and patience. Northwest Healthcare first sent out letters to affected patients on March 2, and many have been getting increasingly anxious about losing their providers ever since.

On May 1, when both sides announced they hadn't reached a resolution, patients were left looking for alternatives, including providers in other parts of Tucson and in some cases, a new health insurance company.

"We understand that these last few weeks have been difficult for people in northwest Tucson who rely on the Northwest system for their medical needs. We are honored to continue supporting these members and the more than two million people across Arizona who depend on us for access to quality, cost- effective health care," UnitedHealthcare of Arizona CEO Dave Allazetta said.

The new contract is focused on value-based performance and quality of care, similar to Northwest Healthcares contracts with other large health insurers in the area, officials on both sides of the agreement said.

The agreement comes just as UnitedHealthcare patients of Northwest Healthcare are receiving letters telling them how to proceed now that Northwest is out-of-network. Patients can disregard those letters now.
iStock/Thinkstock(ABUJA, Nigeria) -- Dozens of Nigeria's missing "Chibok girls" have been released three years after they were kidnapped by Boko Haram from a school in Chibok in Borno State, Nigeria.

A statement from the Nigerian government said 82 girls were released after "lengthy negotiations" and in exchange for some suspected members of the Islamic militant group who were being held by authorities.

"President Muhammadu Buhari expresses his deep gratitude to all who played a part in ensuring the success of this operation, as follows: Security agencies, the military, the Government of Switzerland, the International Committee of the Red Cross, and local and international NGOs," the statement said.

Boko Haram kidnapped 276 girls on April 14, 2014. Some were able to escape and 21 were released in October after negotiations brokered by the Red Cross between the administration and Boko Haram.

In January, the Nigerian military said soldiers found of the missing girls in the Sambisa Forest, a Boko Haram stronghold. Officials said Rakiya Abubakar was found with a six-month-old baby.

The fate of nearly 200 girls was still unknown before the latest release.

Copyright  2017, ABC Radio. All rights reserved.
The final round of the French presidential election is underway between Marine Le Pen, the far-right leader, and the centrist Emmanuel Macron. In the earlier runoff to the final election, Marine had approximately 21% of the vote while about 23.5% voted for Macron. There is a chance that Macron will win the election but that does not mean that Marine and her supporters can be written off. Even if Marine gets 40% of the vote the number of people supporting her would run into millions. It will be difficult for the incoming French president to ignore this vast number.

You cannot shut out the thoughts and ideas of millions of French citizens. There is no doubt that Le Pen commands the support of millions of French men and women. The far-right is also gathering strength in other EU nations as well.

Marine Le pen

What does Le Pen stand for? she stands for the identity of France and has repeatedly said that France must have its own destiny. Another big factor is the rise of Islamic extremism in the form of the Islamic State that has spread its tentacles in Europe. In France, hundreds have been killed in terrorist attacks by extremist Muslims, prompting the far right candidate to say that she would shut down all mosques in France and deport those involved in anti-French activities.

She also wants to take France out of the EU. Many Frenchmen realise that France was once a world power which is now reduced to an appendage of Germany in the EU. She would like to take France out of the EU and close the borders to Muslim immigrants from other countries. Even if Le Pen loses, the new French president will not be able to ignore the dreams of millions of French people who want an independent and strong France and not an appendage to Germany.

There is no doubt that Germany will call the shots in the EU, because of its economic muscle which in due course could also be translated to military muscle. Germany is the powerhouse of the EU. In fact, this is Hitler's dream come true and without firing a shot

At the crossroads

The French are at the crossroads now. Many French persons, who run into millions, would be happy to see France out of the EU so that it could chart an independent course as a great power.

The German won't be happy because an EU without France will be like a dragon without its fire

Muslim community

Le Pen is right in a way as far as the Muslim community is concerned. Some Muslim have not integrated into French culture and insist on having a separate identity. This by itself is not bad but when one sees the influence of the Islamic state on some Muslims in France then the bell tolls for the French Republic. Whosoever wins or loses this French election is like no other and France will never be the same again in the years to come
Theresa May has unveiled that during her tenure as Prime Minister, if the Conservatives were to win the general election on June 8th, she would overhaul mental health care within the UK. She has stated she would rip up the 30-year old act and replace it with a new law that is designed to halt the number of people with mental health conditions being detained by increasing thresholds for detention. However, there has been no word on how this would be funded.

The news will be welcomed by mental health campaigners and professionals alike, however, the steep rise has largely been due to a lack of resources rather than badly drafted laws.

There will be scepticism over the Conservatives ability to enact without further funding.

The policy

The Conservatives are describing this as the largest overhaul of mental health in over 30 years. Currently there were more than 63,000 detained under the Mental Health Act in 2014/15, comparing to 2005/06, this is an increase of more than 43 per cent. Black people are disproportionately affected with 56.9 per 100 patients who spent time in hospital for mental health issues, comparative to just 37.5 per 100 patients who were white.

The Conservatives will commit to a further 10,000 NHS staff by 2020. The new bill would form a series of measures aimed to improve mental health in schools and the workplace.The Equalities Act would also be altered because it affects those who suffer with mental illnesses such as depression, anxiety and bipolar disorder.

On the surface the plans look good and campaigners, professionals and commentators would find the move welcoming. However, funding and resources has been the reason that a steep hike in the number of detainees has occurred. Their funding plan is vague and by saying that mental health funding will be up by 1.4bn in real terms, does this mean that the money has been there all along or is this at the cost of another service?

The idea that the money will suddenly appear now makes very little sense if you consider the Conservatives have been saying that the country has limited funds for the last 6-7 years.

Real policy or vote winner?

There is also a concern after many U-turns made by the Conservatives since they have been in power, have been substantial.

Furthermore, they have already cut the NHS services to the bare minimum and to state that mental health funding will have risen in real terms by 2020 is sceptical. They havent offered any form of affordability plan, and have just stated that they can afford it but where is the real scrutiny over the aspect?

Any other party would be laughed at whilst there were severe attacks on how this would be afforded. Yet so far there has been little to no mention of how the Conservatives are going to afford such a costly plan and by claiming funding will be up in real terms is a cop out. Plus, mental health issue has risen under Conservative rule, the extensive measure of ripping up a law and rewriting it will cost extra public money rather than just make sure funding and resources are secure for the sector.

It also fails to address the cause of mental health rising in the last 9 years (6-7 of which have been under a Conservative government), their harsh measures on benefits and workers have increased food bank usage and the number of suicides directly linked to DWP measures is astounding. It is merely a vote winner and designed to make it look like they are doing something worthwhile, however, it is the Conservative austerity measures that have been a significant factor as to why there is less funding for mental health and a rise in those suffering from mental health problems.
Many people would not like to travel to the Middle East during the present state of affairs. However, a visit to the United Arab Emirates is an entirely different kettle of fish. Here is a place that is peaceful and tranquil. The main constituent of the UAE is Abu Dhabi. It has wonderful resorts, bars, and beaches. In the north of the country is the famous Jebel Hafeet mountain. This forms a barrier between Saudi Arabia and the UAE. The mountain rises to a height of over 5500 feet and during winter it becomes pretty cold here. At a height of 5000 feet, there is the Mercure Grand Resort.

This is a 5 Star Deluxe resort and is nestled in the mountains creating a wonderful world more like that in the Arabian Nights. There is a lovely road that leads to the resort up in the mountain. It rises up to 5000 feet, it's a beautiful motorable road and is an engineering delight. At night the road is floodlit. The resort is 120 kilometers from the capital Abu Dhabi

The resort

The resort overlooks the town of Al-ain which is supposed to be the green belt of Abu Dhabi. The resort itself is a delight with a heated swimming pool and three eating outlets and a bar. One can have his choicest cocktails and mocktails at the bar and on certain nights the bar also regales customers with the belly dance.

The resort has all the amenities that one can think of and many Americans and Britishers spend days at this resort relaxing in the sun and swimming in the heated pool and drinking away to glory. At times the resort also organises yoga classes which are very well patronised

Up to the top

From the resort, one can drive another 7 kilometers up the mountain to the flat plateau that overlooks the town of Al-ain below.

It can be really chilly in winter at this site. The place has two cafeterias where one can enjoy hot coffee and a burger. The best time is to drive to this spot after midnight. it can be a very romantic moment at that height with the cold wind swishing around your ears. A hot cup of coffee adds to the atmosphere

Best mountain resort

This is the best mountain resort in Abu Dhabi and compares very favorably with similar resorts in Europe and America.

It has the added advantage of being located in an exotic place. Considering that the entire area was barren, rocky and covered with sand dunes, it's a tribute to the ingenious of the UAE to have set up such a lovely resort here. The best part is that the entire area is peaceful and the Arabs are a friendly lot. There is no dress code and it is possible to swim in the pool in a bikini. Many women from Egypt, Lebanon, Pakistan, and Saudi Arabia also visit this resort to get away from the oppressive discipline in their countries. Maybe if you are lucky you could strike a relationship with one of them
4K Ultra HD Blu-ray (HDR10) -- 5.0 Stars

The UHD Blu-ray release of The LEGO Batman Movie features an HEVC H.265 encode in 2160p and a 2.40:1 aspect ratio with an impressive HDR10 / WCG grading. There is no 3D available here, though.

As discussed in the VUDU UHD version (below), this overal video presentation is very good. However, during that review, I noticed some soft spots and light pixelation during the very big explosions, fireworks, and clouds in the Phantom Zone. This is completely non-existent in this physical 4K UHD copy, which was such a delight to see. Detail is ultra sharp and vivid with every tiny detail showing up and the colors are just as vibrant and strong here. Black levels are very deep and inky as well. It's just when a ton of LEGO debris is flying around or tons of fireworks going off, there is no softness or pixelation whatsoever, making this video presentation worth of 5 stars.

VUDU UHD (Dolby Vision) -- 4.5 Stars

The LEGO Batman Movie is available on Vudu's streaming service in 1080p HDX as well as 4K UHD with Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos. I viewed the film in both formats, which are presented in 2.40:1 aspect ratio. In either form, the film looks incredible, with bright colors, fancy effects, sharp detail, and great contrast. This is perhaps the most colorful Batman film to ever be released (and, yes, I'm including Batman Forever and Batman and Robin in on that claim).

On that note, let's discuss the UHD with Dolby Vision version. On one hand, streaming is a simple, quick, and easy way to get a movie in HD or 4K. On the other hand, you run the risk of clarity loss, due to buffering or internet speeds, which makes this every growing format bittersweet.

I was fortunate enough to not have that problem and have top of the line internet speeds. Detail was incredibly sharp in this CGI fest, or at least as much as it could be. Being shiny, flat, plastic figures, there's only so much detail you can see, but in this case, it's very evident. Every little tiny factory line, indention, scuff mark, accent, bubble, and texture on these figures truly stand out, particularly in close-ups. It's as if they used practical LEGO figures to make the film. It's that good. Batman's cape shows the individual hard plastic threads at one point where you can literally see every piece of woven plastic.

Bigger action scenes where the Bat-vehicles are traveling through the city with explosions, or fireworks, or even when we are in the cloudy Phantom Zone, the detail is sharp that we see the tiny imperfections and lines in these LEGO pieces. That being said, there is some softness in things like the bigger explosions that's not visible in the 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray.

The Dolby Vision HDR and is simply fantastic and definitely the way to watch this film -- there is so much color happening all at once. The opening scene alone will show you the boost in yellow in the LEGO figure's heads as well as the different shades of red in the Batcave. Simply phenomenal. The Joker's purple and green attire definitely stands out as well. There is one scene in the film where the image turns to a Black and White image with the exception of certain primary colored objects in the background. This scene truly shows just how well the Dolby Vision handles contrast while these primary colors pop through the Black and White screen (it's almost 3D.) Black levels are consistently deep and inky with zero crush, which was great because there are dark moments in the film, as well as Batman's outfit. Needless to say, this was a top of the line streaming video service experience.

By comparison, the VUDU HDX (SDR, 1080p) version also looks excellent, specifically when detail is concerned -- I still noticed the tiny imperfections and textures in all of the LEGO pieces here, while is still smooth in all lighting conditions -- but the main difference is in colors and contrast. Even though the HDX 1080p HD version pops, that Dolby Vision truly brings it to another level. At the Fortress of Solitude, the HDX version presents blues and whites as two standard colors, but with the Dolby Vision, you can clearly see the many shades of blue and white in that icy world. The same goes for Robin's green eyeglasses -- in the HDX version, they shine brightly, however in UHD, you can actually see different shades of green flying around. HDX black levels are still deep and inky here too, but with a good uptick in color and improved contrast, the VUDU UHD & 4K Ultra HD Blu-rays offer dramatic improvements.
Michelle Obama, the former first lady responds to Donald Trump's dismantling of the Education Program she championed while she was in the White House. Obama at an event in New York declared that although she is not in the White House anymore that will not end the passion she has for encouraging educational upliftment programs.

On Friday, the former first lady was in the Big Apple at the city's annual event that marks College Signing Day. The program was started by her and has now become a nationwide tradition, this has been the fourth year that she showed up at the event.

During her tenure as the country's First Lady, Obama encouraged young people to always strive for higher education.

Trump ordered cancellation of Obama's initiative

However, President Trump, who had dismantled almost every law that was signed or event started by the Obama's, had stated that his government will end the education program initiated by Michelle Obama. Reportedly, the Trump administration had ordered the cancellation of the 'Let Girls Learn' program that started in 2015 for adolescent girls in several developing countries.

An email sent to the Peace Corps acting director Sheila Crowley revealed that the President had ordered the immediate cancellation of 'Let Girls Learn' and all related operations.

The inter-governmental program is primarily run by the Peace Corps and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).

However, the Peace Corps spokesperson said they will seek out other independent education plans that will assist the young ladies. She added that girls' education and empowerment programs will be their main priority and has been a hallmark of their work for more than five decades.

Additionally, she said, the Peace Corps looks forward to continuing other educational programs with their inter-agency partners.

Obama education program receives $1 billion

Tina Tchen, who had served as Obama's chief of staff, said she was disappointed with the new announcement. She added that a branded campaign is very important in drawing attention to the issues.Tchen added that the discontinuation was unfortunate as the program is not a Republican or Democratic issue.

She said that funding for the program was already backed for several years and hopefully it could continue with private donations.

Late last year, the White House announced $5 million in private sector commitments towards the program. And those financial pledges total over $1 billion, it will continue to facilitate the 'Let Girls Learn' program in fifty countries.
Los Angeles City Council voted to impeach President Trump on Saturday. They agreed that he has allegedly committed "many impeachable offenses," and the country SHOULD hold him accountable. Los Angeles council speaker said that they plan to require the Senate to do a complete investigation.

It's up to Congress to decide

LA Council member, Bob Blumenfield (D-San Fernando Valley) said that they want Congress to exercise their power to investigate President Trump's international finances and make sure that he is really working for America and not to line his pockets with more money.

Blumenfeld explained that it isn't about Trump's politics that have led to the all for his impeachment, it is about the president's clear conflict of interest.

Trump has funneled money to his family-held businesses

According to Occupy Democrats, Trump has funneled nearly $15 million to Trump-owned companies. He seems to be pulling double duty working as POTUS and still conducting business as Trump business head.

The truth is Trump's family continues to exploit the government to enrich his brand while pretending to have America's best interest at heart.

Thank goodness, the city of LA has stepped in, and we hope Congress will take heed and investigate Trump's connections to other countries.
The San Diego Police officer-involved shooting happened in the parking lot of the Torrey Pines High School on Saturday morning. It all started with a 911 call at 3:30 a.m. from a caller who gave no name, asking police to check on an unarmed boy standing in front of the high school. It turns out it was the 15-year-old himself that made the call and it ended up with San Diego police shooting and killing the teenager in the high school parking lot.

Teenager pulls handgun on San Diego police officers

San Diego Police said in a statement that as the officers left their patrol cars at the scene, the teen pulled a handgun he had hidden in his waistband, pointing it at the officers.While both police officers were drawing their weapons, they repeatedly told the teenager to drop his handgun, however, the boy refused to comply.

This led both officers to fire their weapons at the teenager, as they feared for their safety.

San Diego police shoot, kill 15-year-old in high school parking lot https://t.co/mSWmou9WdJ pic.twitter.com/AZltg5lOEb  Fox News (@FoxNews) May 7, 2017

Teenager shot several times by police

The teenager was reportedly hit several times. Officers performed first aid on the boy while awaiting paramedics, but the teenager was pronounced dead on arrival at the hospital. After the incident, investigators established that the weapon the 15-year-old was pointing at the officers was a semi-automatic BB air pistol.

Both officers were wearing body cameras during the incident

ABC10 News reports that both police officers involved in the incident were wearing body cameras, adding that it is unclear whether police will release the footage.

The teenager has not yet been named due to his age, but was a student at Torrey Pines High School and reportedly lived close by.

BREAKING: 15-year-old killed in officer-involved shooting at Torrey Pines High School https://t.co/8u2yIkOgQ4 pic.twitter.com/4ljhOyC4dT  10News (@10News) May 6, 2017

School district to provide a crisis response team at the school

As reported by NBC 7 San Diego, there will be a crisis response team on hand at the school Monday to offer support to students, their parents and staff members following the officer-involved shooting.

The superintendent of the San Dieguito Union High School District sent a message to students of the school confirming the teenager was a student of Torrey Pines High School. Eric Dill said they are thinking of the student, his family, and friends, adding that it is a difficult time for the boys family and that they must be allowed to mourn.

Tracy Francisco-Dominice is a parent of a boy who attends the school and she told NBC 7 that she cried when she heard the teenager had been killed by the police. Francisco-Dominice has offered support to students at the school, saying it is important to help the kids and, in fact, anyone who is feeling such desperation.

According to police, one of the officers involved in the shooting is a 28-year veteran while the other has been with the department for four years.
In the face of continued national and international public outrage, united airlines is still reeling a month after the passenger-dragging incident captured on video went viral, showing passenger Dr. David Dao being violently removed from a UA plane after refusing to voluntarily give up his seat. The incident triggered other passengers to share videos showing that there is a bigger problem at hand with airlines across the US and Canada routinely asking passengers to give up their seats due to overbooking.

Congress cracks down on airline industry's poor customer service practices

US and Canadian legislators are responding to the public's outrage by vowing to crack down on the airline industry's overbooking practices with critics calling for a ban on the practice. On Tuesday, at a US House of Representatives committee, United Airlines president Scott Kirby apologized for the mistreatment of Dr. David Dao.

United Airlines tried to appease lawmakers threatening to write legislation to oversee airline industry's customer service policies by saying that they have plans to reduce the number of overbooking but with no promises to eliminate the practice. They further stated that they will no longer call security officers onboard planes to remove passengers for non-security incidents.

After the United Airlines fiasco, Chicago airport security will no longer board planes over customer service issues https://t.co/J8YDXF2CAM  Los Angeles Times (@latimes) May 6, 2017

Legislators not taking a wait-and-see approach

Chairing the aviation operation, safety and security subcommittee Republican Senator Roy Blunt of Missouri said Congress wanted "to find out what went wrong and what we are going to do to be sure it doesn't happen in the future."

Florida's Democratic Senator Bill Nelson added that Congress "isn't just going to sit back and take a wait-and-see approach."

The Senate Aviation Subcommittee commented that the United Airlines incident only casts light on the airline industry's poor customer service practices in general.

These range from the increase of add-on fees which nickel and dime customers for almost every service to reducing basic comforts such as legroom between seat rows referring to American Airlines' plans to reduce 30 inches between rows.

Other air carriers responding to the backlash have since announced measures to improve customer service.

According to the La Times, Southwest Airlines announced plans to stop the practice of overbooking. Southwest spokesperson, Beth Harbin told the LA Times that "with better forecasting tools and a new reservations system coming online next month, the airline no longer will have a need to overbook flights." Delta airline stated that they will give up to $10,000 dollars to passengers who voluntarily give up their seats in cases of overbooking.

On April 27 Dr. David Dao reached an amicable settlement with United Airlines for an undisclosed amount for the incident.

JUST IN: Dr. Dao has reached an "amicable settlement with United Airlines for the injuries he received in his April 9th ordeal," lawyers say pic.twitter.com/UgEoLkLdi9  ABC News (@ABC) April 27, 2017
A US soldier was killed in Somalia during a night- time military operation against the al-Shabab activists. The U.S. military confirmed that two other soldiers were also injured in the incident. The accident happened on Thursday near the western part of Mogadishu just about 40 miles (64km) from the city of Barii.

It was first reported by the United States' Africa Command (AFRICOM). In Friday's announcement, its spokesperson stated that the al-Shabab militants killed a United States soldier in the May 4th operation. According to the US military, the soldiers were deployed just over three weeks ago to help train the Somalian National Army.

They were there to provide training as well as equipping the Somalian troops with weapons to help fight the al-Shabaab rebels.

Donald Trump sends U.S. Military to fight al-Qaeda

Reportedly, President Trump had extended the military's role in the fight against al-Qaeda strongholds in the Horn of the African Continent. Robyn Mack of the US Africa military center said the soldiers had helped the Somali National Army launched an attack on the rebel's stronghold when the serviceman was fatally shot. Mack further stated that two US servicemen were seriously injured and taken to a military hospital for treatment.

According to Reuters, the soldier's main focus was capturing the leader of the al-Shabab rebels.

Reportedly, they were chasing their main target along the coastline of Shabelle when the incident occurred. Previous American Presidents had used caution when dealing with the Somalian militants since the ill-fated incident, which claimed the lives of 18 marines. The soldier's helicopter was shot down while they were battling the Mogadishu rebels in 1993.

The incident was documented in a Hollywood movie famously known as "Black Hawk Down".

Critics blast Trump's military in-experience

However, after Donald Trump became President, the Pentagon increased operations against the al-Shabab rebels with additional air strikes. In March, President Trump approved the deployment of more soldiers to the troubled region.

BBC Africa Security's Tomi Oladipo stated that the slain officer had been in the region for a while and was not one of the soldiers recently sent to Somalia.

And while the U.S. Defense Department had not released much information about the incident, Trump's critics have openly criticized his actions. According to them, Donald Trump is incapable of dealing with complicated U.S. military operations.
After Syrian President Bashar al-Assad launched a chemical attack on his own people and killed innocent men, women, and children in the process, it was only a matter of time before the United States made a decision on how they would react. On Thursday night, President Donald Trump decided to launch his own attack on a Syrian airbase, which has resulted in a mixed reaction.

"The View" on Syria

The civil war in Syria has been going on for some time, as multiple factions on the ground fight to take over and secure different parts of land for themselves.

As the ISIS and other radical groups move in, the Syrian government is being backed by Russia and Iran to fight back against other Islamic terrorists, as well as rebel factions. Caught in the cross-hairs have been thousands of innocent civilians, with many losing their lives. After Donald Trump decided to retaliate by launching over 50 tomahawk cruise missiles into the Syrian airbase, backlash quickly followed, which was evident during the April 7 edition of "The View" on ABC.

During a heated segment on "The View," conservative co-host Jedediah Bila attempted to make her case for why Donald Trump was right to act as he did against Syria. "I love what he did, I am very proud of President Trump," Bila said, pointing out that he enforced the so-called "red line" that former President Barack Obama backed off on.

At this point, co-host joy behar noted that Obama attempted to take action against Syria, but failed to do so because he tried to go through Congress, unlike Trump.

"If he had not gone to Congress, they would have impeached him!" Joy Behar told Jedediah Bila. At this point, fellow co-host Sonny Hostin cited the War Powers Resolution of 1973 which argues against a sitting president taking action on issues of war without first seeking and getting approval of Congress to move forward.

"President Trump did not have the authority to do this without Congress," Hostin explained.

You have to question your humanity!: The View hosts clash over Trumps Syrian missile strike https://t.co/2fEXeDDgDK pic.twitter.com/STSTdEcxX2  Raw Story (@RawStory) April 7, 2017

Moments later, "The View" co-host Paula Faris said that those who aren't "affected by looking at those pictures" in Syria, need to "question your humanity!" Joe Behar wasn't happy with her remarks, and fired back.

"Please!," Behar said, before adding, "This isn't personal. Its not about questioning anybodys humanity!" After Behar said it was simply a discussion about a "military operation," Faris replied, "We're talking about dead children!"

Moving forward

Not long after the missiles were launched into Syria, Donald Trump addressed the issue during a pre-planned statement reading at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach, Florida. Trump claimed it was in the best interest of the United States' national security to act against Syria, but it looks like the reaction has been mixed from the American people.
On Friday's episode of "The Young and the Restless," Victoria Newman had a heart to heart talk with her brother Nicholas. Vicky has been devastated since finding out that her ex-husband Billy, is back with former lover Phyllis. She needed Nick's perspective on the situation, and he was all too eager to give it.

Victoria wants to know about Phyllis

Phyllis was once married to Nick, which made her Victoria's sister in law. She later, married Jack Abbot, which then made her Billy's sister in law. In spite of the family dynamic, Billy and Phyllis had an affair, while she was still married to his brother.

Vicky cannot figure out why the male population in Genoa City seem to go for Phyllis. She asked Nick why so many men find her former sister in law irresistible. She tells brother that men consider her to be cold and harsh.

On "The Young and the Restless,' Victoria shares with her sibling how she wishes to reconcile with her former husband. Nicholas tells his sister to not try to out do Phyllis. He says that she should be the best Victoria that she can be. Nick adds that if Vicky indeed wants to put her family back together she should go for it. And that if she really wants Billy back, she should fight for what she wants.

Victor Newman's long arm affects Billy and Victoria

Nicholas and Victoria's father, Victor Newman has on many occasions,willfully and maliciously set things in motion to tear Billy and Victoria apart.

This time his long arm has reached them, and it was unwittingly. The siblings and their mom Nikki, found out that Victor manipulated a situation that ultimately led to the death of his son Adam. The trio decided to keep the news to themselves, so that family and business ventures would not suffer.

Prior to this, Billy and Victoria had been getting closer, and even shared a kiss.

Each of them was believing they were headed towards a reconciliation. After Victor was banned from a birthday party for Vicky's son Reed, he had an expensive vehicle delivered to the party venue. Billy noticed his former wife was nervous and anxious. When he asked what was going on, Victoria angrily told her ex to stay out of her business.

Billy became frustrated because his ex was going hot and cold on him. He decided he could get along better with his brother's former wife, and he and Phyllis began their relationship once more. Later, Vicki apologizes to Billy and asks if they can try again, but he tells her it is too late. The next day when the company elevator opens, Victoria sees Billy kissing Phyllis, and they tell her that they are back together. So now her brother has encouraged her, and Vicki is panning on getting her man back.
President Xi Jinping shakes hands with Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko during the signing of a treaty of friendship and cooperation and a joint statement on deepening cooperation after their talks in Minsk, capital of Belarus, May 10, 2015. [Photo/Xinhua]

The Republic of Belarus will continue to strengthen its ties with China, as the country's Belt and Road Initiative is providing a new economic growth point for the world, said the country's president, Alexander Lukashenko.

The president made clear in 2015 the standpoint to support China's Belt and Road Initiative, saying Belarus was willing to become an important pillar of the proposal in Europe.

He also will participate in the Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation this month in Beijing.

In an exclusive interview, Lukashenko said his participation in the forum in Beijing shows Belarus highly values the Belt and Road Initiative, and also demonstrates relations between the two countries have reached their highest point.

"I will meet and talk with President Xi Jinping about bilateral cooperation as well as international issues," he said.

Lukashenko said when countries propose cooperation, they always raise some political requirements, which become an obstacle to the development of cooperation.

He told China Daily the most important feature of the Belt and Road is that during its development, China has never raised any requirements to participating countries, thus creating no disagreements.

"Once we don't have any disagreements, we will have better and smoother cooperation," the president said. "China knows this very much, therefore I have to say Chinese is a wise people."

He said the Belt and Road is an initiative with international influence, and China is providing loans, investment and the most advanced technologies to those who participate in the new Silk Road.

Lying in Eastern Europe, Belarus is one of the first members of the Eurasian Economic Union and joined in May 2014.

Lukashenko said the territory of the Eurasian Economic Union is over twice as large as China, and can provide huge support to China when coordinating with the Belt and Road.

Meanwhile, there are more natural resources and well-trained workers in the Eurasian Economic Union, not to mention people from the member countries greatly treasure friendship with China, according to the president.

This year marks the 25th anniversary of the establishment for diplomatic relations between Belarus and China, and a comprehensive strategic partnership, featuring mutual trust and win-win cooperation, was built during Lukashenko's visit to China in September 2016.

Lukashenko said the strategic partnership of the two countries has reached its highest point in history, and all topics, such as military, diplomacy, security and energy sectors, can be discussed under such a relationship.

He said what he understood about the Belt and Road is not about China selling its own products, but creating co-prosperity with all the participants around the world.

"China has become more important to the international community than ever, and I believe there are not any international or regional issues that can be solved without China," Lukashenko said.
Alibaba's Jack Ma and President Mauricio Macri of Argentina have reached a strategic e-commerce cooperation agreement.

Alibaba will help the Argentine government introduce the country's wine and other agricultural products into China, as well as help medium and micro corporations in Argentina make progress in China.

In return, the Argentine government will use Alibaba's electronic platforms as its official sales channels.

In the dialogue between Ma and Macri as well as other cabinet ministers, Ma pointed out that the government is obligated to support the development of medium and micro corporations.

Macri hopes that Argentine wine, lobster and fish can be sold to Chinese people through the commercial platforms of Alibaba.

"Our country will grasp the chance of developing online business and promote the domestic electronic commerce with the help of Alibaba," said Macri. "We are now initiating a series of reforms in order to promote investment in infrastructure facilities and enlarge our import and export, in which China and Argentina can help each other."

After the talks with Ma, Macri expressed his excitement on Twitter: "I had a meeting with Jack Ma, the founder of Alibaba. Now the medium and micro companies from Argentina can do business on the largest online commercial platform in the world."

"The internet does not steal jobs. Ignoring the internet leads to the loss of jobs," Ma told Xinhua in an exclusive interview. "Shifting resources and energies from the large corporations towards the smaller will benefit the country."

Established as China's answer to Amazon.com in 1999, Ma made his fortune by embracing internet technology. He is confident about what technology can do for society if applied correctly.

According to Argentine officials, there are more than 10,000 companies specializing in export, many of which have not been able to expand sales channels independently.

The government is committed to simplifying local laws and regulations to help those companies compete globally. The agricultural product group of Tmall.com can do business with companies directly as soon as it arrives in Argentina in June.

"Entrepreneurs and small and medium-sized companies will have an advantage, because they are more agile, they will be driving the country's growth," Ma stressed.

"This way of cooperation will lead to a win-win result," said Ma. "The medium and micro corporations in Argentina will have broader sales channels with the help of Alibaba, and we will find qualified local entrepreneurs and reliable partners in this process."

Products from Argentina are becoming increasingly popular among Chinese clients. According to research by Alibaba, seven of the top 10 Argentine products sold on Tmall.com are wines.

In the first season of the year, sales of Argentine wine increased by 256 percent, which is a much faster rate of increase than that of France and other wine-producing countries.

Before talking with Macri, Ma held dialogues with the prime ministers of Denmark and Canada about selling products on Alibaba.

The channel of direct import from the native country has long been considered part of the core competitiveness of online commercial platforms. Many other leaders of Chinese online business platforms are talking with overseas partners to expand commerce, such as Liu Qiangdong, CEO of JD.com, and Ding Lei, CEO of Netease.

"In current international commerce, business of generalized preference is much more welcome than ever before. Medium-sized and micro corporations are becoming more deeply involved and important, said Wang Jian, an expert in cross-border online commerce and professor at the University of International Business and Economics.

"Cross-border online business lowers the threshold of international commerce. The structure of global markets and ways of commerce are driven to fragments, which is more suitable for small companies. Their function needs to be revalued and emphasized by the market as well as the government," said Wang.

Ma is confident that the next 30 years will be the true era of the internet. "In the future, 90 percent of businesses will be online. E-commerce is where the shopping opportunities are, and it is going to become the new way to do retail," he said. "In the next 10 years, all products will be made to measure for the client, and they are only going to be available online."
Zhongbei (Daisy) Wu, Guzheng (or Chinese Zither, a traditional Chinese instrument) artist also associate director of Confucius Institute at Alfred University, teaches American students play Guzheng during the 2017 "Open Day - Experience China" event held at Chinese Consulate General in New York on Friday. Hong Xiao / China Daily

Tahmidul displayed a paper-cutting he had just completed  the Chinese characters shuang xi, or "double happiness."

"I like the hands-on part, I cut this out, and it's really nice," he said delightedly.

Tahmidul (whose teacher preferred not to disclose his last name) is a student from Pace Academy MS 118 in Bronx, New York.

On Friday afternoon, Tahmidul, along with other American students, took part in the 2017 Open Day: Experience China at the Chinese Consulate General in New York.

More than 200 K-12 students and principals, teachers and parents from Bayside High School, Medgar Evers College Preparatory School, PS119, MS118, BASIS Independent Brooklyn, Maspeth High School in New York city and Glen Ridge High School, Montville Township High School in New Jersey were invited.

The event was held by the consulate to help achieve the goal of having one million American students studying Chinese by 2020 as set by former president Barack Obama in 2015 and stimulating US students' interest in Chinese language and culture.

During the half day event, students got a chance to take part in several cultural immersion activities, such as paper cutting, using chopsticks, playing a guzheng (Chinese zither), tying Chinese knots, matching Chinese words and calligraphy.

Students from Bayside High School performed on diabolos and students from Montville Township High School performed a group talk show called "Shared Values of China and the US."

Mandarin teacher Li Zhaohong from McDonogh School in Massachusetts demonstrated the fun of learning Chinese for the guests.

"I think it's very interactive and very fun, I've learned a lot of culture and people here," said Tahmidul, who has never been to China but hopes to visit one day.

"I learned a lot of Chinese culture in my Chinese Mandarin class at school, I think there are a lot of different attractions and that would be fun," he said.

"The activities are wonderful and interesting," said Sharon Jiang, an arts and world language teacher of Pace Academy. "I think it has a positive significance in promoting cultural heritage and cultural exchanges between China and the United States. It also enhances the results of Chinese language teaching."

"This event aims not only to stimulate students' interest in learning Chinese language and to broaden students' understanding of Chinese culture, but also to enhance the student and school's relations with China to promote Chinese language teaching and education cooperation between China and the US, which will lay the solid foundation for good bilateral relations between the two countries," said Cheng Lei, acting consul general.

The open day event was supported by the Confucius Institute (CI) Headquarters (Hanban) in Beijing, and the directors and teachers in CI in New York area, including CIs at China Institute, Pace University, Alfred University, University of Massachusetts-Boston, New Jersey City University and SUNY.

xiaohong@chinadailyusa.com
Nebraska Governor Pete Ricketts speaks to Chinese business leaders in Omaha, Nebraska on Friday. MAY ZHOU / CHINA DAILY

In welcoming scores of Chinese and American business leaders to Omaha, Nebraska Governor Pete Ricketts said that he believes the state's relationship with China will grow.

"In China, we see the middle classes are increasing tremendously," Ricketts said on Friday. "That presents opportunities for us to expand the relationship. In Nebraska, we think long term."

"That's actually one of the things that is very similar between the Nebraska culture and Chinese culture -- emphasis on long term. That's why I think the relationship with China will grow," he said.

The governor said that China is the state's second largest trade partner outside of North America and one of the fastest-growing: "Nebraska exported $1.3 billion of products last year to China," he said.

Elaborating on the state governments effort to improve education, regulation and the tax system, Ricketts invited business leaders to consider investing in the state.

"We seek those Chinese companies who look to invest in Nebraska to help them to grow their business in the US, help them to leverage our regulatory and tax environment, our central location and the shared culture value," Ricketts said.

Compared to other states such as Texas or California, Chinese direct investment in Nebraska is relatively small. The notable Chinese investments include a $3 million investment in shipping and logistics by Easyway International of Xi'an, Shaanxi province, and a $25 million investment in Worldlawn Power Equipment by Jiangsu World Group from Zhenjiang, Jiangsu province.

To attract more business from China, Ricketts visited China twice since he took office in 2015, with the last trip in November 2016. Ricketts said that he took more than 70 businesspeople with him.

During the last trip, Ricketts and Shaanxi province's governor Hu Heping formalized Nebraska and Shaanxi province's relationship as sister states.

"Basically, we had investment summits in Shanghai and Xi'an. We tried to connect business leaders together to see where we can find those relationships and where to invest."

"We visited Jiangsu World Group. They make lawnmowers in Nebraska and farming equipment in China; it's a kind of a natural relationship there."

He also witnessed Nebraska's Preferred Popcorn extend its relationship with its Chinese partner Zhong Liang Tian Run Trading Inc to sell an additional 10 million pounds of Nebraska popcorn to China.

Nebraska is strong in agriculture, and Ricketts said that's where Nebraska and China can grow the relationship the most.

"That's why when we were in China last fall, we broke ground on a demonstration Nebraska farm in Yangling. The idea is to show what technology and processes we have in agriculture to Chinese farmers and see how they may be able to use that."

Ricketts said that Nebraska is the largest irrigable state in the US, and 80 percent of center pivot irrigation equipment is made in the state. "China might take advantage of that technology," he said.

Ricketts had taken his family to China for sightseeing before he became governor, and said his favorite city is Xi'an.

"China is a beautiful country with friendly people. I love history, and China has history more than anyplace else. I love going to Xi'an to see terracotta soldiers and the first Qin Dynasty. I am a history buff, and I love to learn what people did a long time ago," Ricketts said of his impression of China.

Contact the writers at mayzhou@chinadailyusa.com
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HA NOI  A high-ranking Party official has received an official warning and been dismissed from the Politburo of the Party Central Committee for past wrongdoings as the head of a national economic corporation.

The disciplinary measures against inh La Thang, a Politburo member and Secretary of HCM City Party Committee, were announced yesterday, the third working day of the 12th Party Central Committees fifth session.

The Central Committee reviewed a Politburo report on the punishment to be meted out to Thang for his responsibility in causing serious losses as Chairman of the Viet Nam Oil and Gas Group (PetroVietnam) from 2006-2011.

Thang also delivered his own opinions at the meeting.

The committee concluded that despite 35 years of working and contributing to PetroVietnam, as well as his service rendered in other posts, Thang had still committed very serious wrongdoings and violations in management as a member of the 10th Central Committee of the Communist Party of Viet Nam, Party Secretary and the Chairman of the Board of PetroVietnam from 2009-2011.

It said the wrongdoings and violations have hurt the reputation of Party organisations that he was a member of, his own individual reputation and caused a loss of confidence among the people and other Party members. These factors have influenced the decision on his punishment, the committee added.

Up to 90 per cent of the meetings participants voted yes on the punitive measures proposed for Thang.

Thang, 57, took up his current post as the Secretary of the HCM City Party Committee in February last year. He is a member of the 10th, 11th and 12th Central Committee of the CPV and was a member of the 19-member 12th Politburo of the CPV. He was also a member of the 11th and 13th National Assembly of Viet Nam.

Before becoming the Minister of Transport in August 2011, he was Chairman of PetroVietnam, Deputy Party Secretary for Thua Thien-Hue Province (2003-2005) and Chairman of Song a Corporation (2001-2003).

Last month, the Party Central Committees Inspection Commission decided to consider disciplinary action against seven former top executives of PetroVietnam.

The Commission found that the groups Party Committee Standing Board had been negligent in advising the PetroVietnam Party Committee on a 2009 resolution that approved illegal contract packages, and a 2011 resolution on investing in OceanBank, contrary to the Law on Credit Institutions, which resulted in a loss of VN900 billion (US$39.59 million), including VN800 billion ($35.19 million) for OceanBank.

The Commission asked the Party Committee of the Central Business Bloc to take quick disciplinary action against the PetroVietnam Party Committees Standing Board.

It found that Thang bore prime responsibility for resolutions and wrongdoings by the Party Committee Standing Board and the Member Council of PetroVietnam in 2009-2011.

He was found to have violated regulations of the groups Board of Directors by signing an agreement on contributing 20 per cent and more of OceanBanks capital before getting approval for the move from the Board of Directors.

Thang was also held responsible for the Member Councils resolutions authorising bidding packages in violation of Government decrees and advising the Prime Minister to approve many bidding packages that failed to meet legal regulations.

He was also found responsible for violations of the Law on Bidding related to the engineering, procurement and construction contract for Dung Quat Biofuel Plant, as well as low investment efficiency in a number of projects, including the inh Vu Polyester manufacturing plant and several bio-energy projects.

Institutional work

Earlier, on Saturday morning, the Central Committee discussed the project on completing institutions of the socialist-oriented market economy.

In the afternoon, the Central Committee worked in groups to discuss the project to rearrange, reform and improve the efficiency of State-owned enterprises.  VNS
A man born on a mattress made by his native village artisans tries to gain a fresh lease of life for the traditional craft with new, market-oriented designs, Phuoc Buu reports

Nguyen Viet Nam was born on a mattress woven by highly skilled artisans.

He was not the only one, of course.

The mattresses produced by artisans of Pho Trach Village in the northern part of Thua Thien-Hue Province using craft skills handed over through generations have also welcomed the birth of generations of babies in the village and beyond.

For Nam, the knitting of dry, grey rush stems has been an indispensable part of his conscious life, and the awareness of his native villages craft legacy has only deepened over time.

For decades, Nam has been struggling to expand the market for the villages mattresses, so that local weavers can earn higher incomes and their traditional craft thrives in the face of mass-produced industrial products.

"It is not just me that was born on these mattresses, but many generations in this village. Obviously, the craft is a legacy of my community and many among us want a healthy life for this craft.

Losing it would be like losing a part of my life and the villages history.

Headgear: An elderly artisan knits a hat in Pho Trach em Village. VNS Photo Hue Phong

Half a millennia

The craft dates back to the 16th century, with pioneer residents from the northern part of the country following their commanders, who later became the Nguyen Lords (1558-1777), settling down in the village.

The early residents recognised that the village had many marshes and rush plants growing naturally in them. They found that the plant had a hollow cylindrical stem and if these were flattened and dried, they would become durable.

They invented a tool like a wooden hammer to flatten a bundle of the stems at the same time before drying them in the sun.

Then they started knitting these threads to make mattresses and this became the villages mainstay for generations. The villages name became Pho Trach em. The word em means mattress in Vietnamese.

For centuries, the villagers relied on this craft to augment their income from agricultural cultivation. In their heyday, they were the sole suppliers of mattresses throughout Thua Thien-Hue and neighbouring provinces.

They made mattresses for beds, for floors to be used as carpets, and for baby cradles. The mattresses characteristics were amazing. They were soft, because of the air that remained in the flattened stems; they were also able to absorb water, a useful feature for babies; they were washable; and they give off a cool feeling during hot, sunny days.

Even today, Hue residents prefer rush mattresses for babies rather than plastic ones. However, sales of other products have declined.

Only nostalgic rural customers continue to consume the mattresses produced in the village.

"The traders pay me very little, around VN 50,000 ong (over US$2) for a mattress that I spend at least a week knitting," said an elderly woman in the village who did not want to be named. She said the traders blamed low sales for their low buying prices.

The decline in sales is forcing the craft to fade out. Most younger residents have left the village, looking for other jobs with better incomes. The craft is now in the hands of elder artisans and housewives.

Tagged: Nam introduces his products to a representative of the Phuong Nam craft sales outlet. VNS Photo Hue Phong

Nam to the rescue

Saddened by the plight of the villagers and their traditional craft, Nam, as the deputy head of villages agriculture co-operative, gave the body a new direction in 2000.

He organised a team of skillful artisans to make mattresses and products, including handbags, sofa mats and hats.

Those products became popular in the market, before the handmade items were overtaken by trendy fabric hats and plastic bags. Eventually, the knitting section was eliminated from the cooperative after Nam was removed through trickery.

"I left the village to earn an income in Quang Binh, the native province of my wife. But I have never stopped thinking of the craft," Nam said.

Far away from home, Nam designed samples using cut pieces of knitted mattresses as way to deal with his homesickness.

Last year, he decided to make a determined comeback to his home village and work on creative products made with pieces of knitted mattresses.

"Only creativity would work. I think that traditional handicrafts cannot compete with mass-produced items, so a transformation in the way they (traditional products) are used is necessary.

Late last year, Nam had his new products make their debut and they were welcomed by locals and visitors to a festive event held in Phuoc Tich Village by the organisers of the biennial Hue Festival.

Today, he has almost 150 designs for sofa mats, lanterns, tissue boxes and desk lamps, and key rings in different shapes, including fish, Santa Claus, Doraemon, 12 Zodiac animals and the Dharma Wheel of Buddhism.

I want to meet the demands of customers of all types and ages, he said. Whatever is good for the sale of rush mattress, I will do.

Nam has designed many toys for kids, too  cars, planes, trains, etc.

For producing his items, Nam purchases complete mattresses from locals and cuts them into smaller pieces for his works. For complicated designs, he does the knitting himself. Luckily, Nams creativity and skills have been accepted in the market.

"These are so good, and it is great that they help consume the knitted mattresses," said Nguyen Van Loi, who was seeking nostagic products. Pleased at his discovery during an accidental visit to Nams workshop, he said: "The items here are artistic and attractive for people of different ages.

Recently, Nam has received orders from the Phuong Nam arts and crafts outlet, an organic food supermarket Que Lam in Hue and potential traders from a Nang and HCM City, who met him at the Hue Craft Village Festival held in the city earlier this month. Nam was invited to the festival as a representative for new craft products.

Higher sales of Nams products mean stronger hopes of survival for the 500-year craft.

With increased interest in organic product consumption in the country and elsewhere, Nam seems to have done the right thing at the right time. VNS
by Son Ha

One of Southeast Asias best kept secrets is HCM Citys food scene: home to a veritable melting pot of local and international flavours found in the finest high-end restaurants and the lowliest streetside cafes.

Since theres something for just about everyone, the city has great potential to develop culinary tourism, according to Han Nguyen Nguyen Nha, former director of the Viet Nam Culinary Research Institute.

The city, which leads the country in the number of international tourists, is a culinary microcosm of the entire country.

Raw materials and products from the seas, rivers, lakes and forests are plentiful and can be easily sourced, sometimes even more so than in the local areas where the food items originated.

Moreover, leading travel companies such as Saigontourist and Vietravel operate in the city, and many schools provide training in tourism services and culinary careers.

Nguyen Quoc Ky, general director of Vietravel, said people from different localities and countries come to live and work in the city, resulting in a diverse culinary mix.

This is a great advantage for the city to develop culinary tourism, but it has yet to be properly exploited, said Ky, who is also head of the board that established the Viet Nam Culinary Culture Association.

Activities in the culinary tourism sector, for example, can include tours with culinary festivities, mixed-use restaurant complexes and showcases of specialty food.

Besides the beauty of the country, its world-famous cuisine is an important part of the countrys tourism brand and should be promoted, he said.

Cuisine is increasingly seen as a brand ambassador for the country, he added.

When visiting Italy, for example, tourists insist on sampling its cuisine, popular worldwide. Italian food tours include wine-tasting and wine-making, short cooking classes, visits to olive oil production factories and more.

And in Japan, tourists are impressed with the sophistication and adherence to rules in the process of making sushi, sashimi, unagi and sake. The culture and traditions of Japan are crystallized in its food, and its culinary festivals and tours have received great attention from visitors.

Viet Nams history, with its pains and victories, brought us a mixture of cultures from different civilizations, said Paul Le, secretary of the Escoffier French Cuisine Association. The food, mainly influenced by the French in the beginning, became extremely diverse and is an important vector of the unique Vietnamese lifestyle.

In HCM City, we have a large selection of ways for enjoying quality food, from light bites with friends on the street, to extraordinary gastronomical experiences with great chefs or even Michelin-starred chefs, he added.

Besides excellent street food, the city is home to countless restaurants that serve a wide variety of traditional food and regional specialties. Besides the citys burgeoning coffee shop scene, a wide range of international cuisine can be sampled, Le said.

Phan Thanh Long, director of the Rex Hotel in HCM City, pointed out that cuisine is an essential part of culture and helps tourists learn something about their destination.

On the river and on the streets

For years, travel firms in HCM City have been taking their guests to floating restaurants on the Sai Gon River where they dine on boats and enjoy the views of the city by night.

Rosmalin Pitipaln, 58, from Thailand, travelled on a Ben Nghe cruise ship during her two-day visit in the city.

It was really a great experience for us to taste local food on the floating restaurant on the Sai Gon River. I could experience the hustle and bustle of the city centre, with its many skyscrapers and vehicles, and see the lights of the restaurants, bars and commercial centres, she said.

Dining cruise: The Elisa floating restaurant on the Sai Gon River. Photo Son Ha

Besides river tours, travel companies often take tourists on the back of motorbikes for tours of amazing food at local street stalls. The tours are guided by locals who delight in showing what the city has to offer.

Founded in 2014, the Saigon Food Tour company, for example, focuses on local food and lifestyle. During the motorbike tour, travellers are able to talk to locals and learn about their eating habits.

And, at the high-end Rex Hotel, food is a strategic tool that helps to promote its brand, with a menu of authentic Vietnamese cuisine developed to serve guests.

The hotel also offers guests a tour of a local market, where they choose ingredients for a meal, return to the hotel, follow the chefs instructions, cook their own dishes and then enjoy the results.

Development plans

In an action programme to make tourism as a spearhead economic sector, the citys authority is focusing on its food sector, according to La Quoc Khanh, deputy director of the Department for Tourism.

The department has launched several annual culinary activities related to tourism promotion, including the Food Festival of the South, Southern Fruit Festival and International Food Festival.

It also plans to consult experts to develop a set of criteria to evaluate and classify catering establishments so they can reach high tourism standards.

In addition, the city plans to roll out a restaurant ranking to encourage restaurants and eateries to standardise their services.

Vietravel general director Ky said that food courts and food markets should be better organised and classified into different types of cuisine.

The food area at Cho Lon market in District 6, for example, should be developed as a Chinese food area, while a chain of restaurants that serve traditional dishes across the country could be a highlight of travellers tours.

Food safety and hygiene should also receive top priority, Ky said, adding that street food stalls should be inspected regularly.

Promoting local cuisine can be done through the media, while farmtrip delegations can be invited to sample the citys cuisine, he said.

Cultural exchange activities and tourism events held in Viet Nam and abroad should also incorporate information about the countrys cuisine, he added.

More international food events, such as fairs, exhibitions, competitions, and nominees for best artisans, chefs, food ambassadors and specialties, would also help promote the citys culinary offerings.

Local experience: A foreign couple enjoy a meal at a street-side eatery in HCM City. Photo Son Ha

The Viet Nam Culinary Culture Association, which is in its infancy, has promised to gather well-known culinary experts, restaurants, hotels and tourism companies to discuss ways to promote and preserve Vietnamese cuisine.

Giovanni J DelRosario, chef of the culinary arts at the Los Angeles Trade and Technical College, said that farmers markets and night markets in HCM City districts would help spur healthy eating and provide a wide variety of dining options.

He said that a comprehensive rating programme had been proposed, with the main focus on core factors such as food and beverage quality, process of service, staff behaviour, atmosphere, design and decoration, and sustainable development.

With the citys new approach to tourism via its lively food scene, both HCM City residents and tourists are expected to reap the benefits of an ever-growing and more dynamic restaurant and travel market. VNS
The capital city of Ha Noi has launched an initiative  lending visitors a longsleeved shirt or dress that stretches to below the knee, so that inappropriately clad visitors, local and foreign, can enter places of worship and other important sites with due respect for local culture and religious traditions, Hong Van reports.

It is a custom or a tradition, all over the world, that people dress with a certain decorum when visiting places of worship, whether they are temples and pagodas, or churches or mosques.

That decorum and respect is maintained whether one goes to pray or simply to admire the architecture or cultural aspects of the place of worship, the rituals, and so on.

In Viet Nam, pagodas and temples are places where the Buddha and various deities are worshipped. They are also places where Buddhist monks teach Buddhism, its precepts and its way of life to the devout and others who are interested in learning. They are usually tranquil, serene and solemn places.

When people visit these places, the devotion and respect they have is also reflected in what they wear.

However, there are many tourists who, either because of a lack of awareness or because of an attitude of disrespect and indifference, visit places of worship in this country wearing shorts, sleeveless shirts and other inappropriate attire.

Rather than ban such people from entering the places of worship, the capital city of Ha Noi has launched an initiative  lending visitors a long-sleeved shirt or dress that stretches to below the knee.

I am totally OK with wearing this. When I travel to some other countries, they also offer tourists such garments. I want to make sure that I dont disrespect the local culture, said Pam Robertson, an Australian tourist, accepting a garment from the staff of Ngoc Son Temple.

We are on a tour to Ha Noi and didnt plan to visit the temple, so I didnt dress properly. Its convenient that I can borrow the long shirt here and continue my visit, said Nguyen My An from HCM City.

At Ngoc Son Temple and many other tourist attractions of Ha Noi, visitors can see a booth with a pile of neat and clean garments that staff offer to both local and international visitors who are not attired appropriately.

Temple staff guide any visitor with inappropriate attire to the booth and offer to lend them the garments for free. All they need to do is to deposit some form of ID. In general, visitors are happy to accept.

Cover up: A foreign tourist puts on a garment over her shorts and sleevless T-shirt to enter the Ngoc Son temple. VNS Photos oan Tung

According to Nguyen uc Vuong, head of the Ngoc Son Relic Site Management Board, about 100 long shirts are available for tourists to borrow everyday.

The garment, which comes in different sizes, can be worn by both men and women. They come in a light purple shade, have V shaped necks, half-sleeves and some simple patterns.

The introduction of this garment is one of several initiatives taken to implement the Code of Conduct in Public Places that municipal officials released in March. The code requires people to wear decent clothes in public places.

Ngoc Son Temple is the first place in Ha Noi to implement the initiative. It will soon be emulated at other sites, including the Temple of Literature, Kieu Temple, former Hoa Lo Prison and the historical relic at 48 Hang Ngang. The style of garment offered will differ according to the nature of the site, officials said.

It is not necessary to make the garment uniform because each region has its own cultural features and each relic has its own characteristics.

What is the most important is that tourists understand the need to wear proper clothes in places that are deemed sacred or carry other cultural or historical importance  a custom of Viet Nam, Pham Trung Luong, former deputy head of Viet Nam Tourism Research and Development, told the online Dan Tri newspaper.

He also said that while there was no general standard for the garments, they must be clean and aesthetic. "Visitors cannot be asked to wear garments that smell or dont fit," he said.

Earlier Cua Ong Temple in the northern province of Quang Ninh, Linh Ung Pagoda in the central city of a Nang and the Ponagar Tower in the central city of Nha Trang had begun offering the garment. The Ponagar Tower offers about 50, while Linh Ung Pagoda has nearly 1,000 sets of clothes for visitors to use every day.  VNS
with chef Nguyen Van Tuan from Fortuna Hanoi Hotel



Well-known as a summer treat in Hong Kong, the soup is sometimes praised as the fountain of life. A good soup is believed to increase the appetite and provide as much nutrients as the rest of the meal. Lets try out this sweet soup which will knock your socks off!

Ingredients: serves 1

500g winter melon

50g shrimp

20g crab meat

10g scallops, dried

10g Shiitake mushrooms

20g cuttlefish

10g snakehead fish

150ml mixed soup

Method:

- - Rinse the winter melon, peel the rind and divide it into thick slices.

- - Remove the pulp and seeds from the melon slices, then dip them into boiling water for couple of minutes, before placing them on the dish.

- - Slice the seafood above into small pieces and half-boil them before putting them onto the winter melon.

- - Boil the special soup from pork bones, then pour over the winter melon slices with mixed seafood inside.

- - Put the dishes into the steamer for 10 minutes.

You can sample this dish at Fortuna Hanoi Hotel, 6B Lang Ha St, Ba inh Dist, Ha Noi. Tel: 84.4. 3831 3333, ext 6435.
HCM Citys coffee scene has picked up steam in the last few years. The Bosgaurus Cafe stands out for its ambitious goal to show the world that Viet Nam can make great specialty coffee. Susan Ransdell reports.

I knew I would like Hung as soon as I saw his striped, rainbow-hued socks.

A showman, you say? No way.

Nguyen Canh Hung is one of HCM Citys quiet, unassuming coffee masters whose business, the Bosgaurus cafe, specialises in serving a great product in the most transparent way possible.

In other words, hes the real deal. He doesnt have anything to hide, and he wants you to know it.

When he talks about quality, he knows whats what.

Not all cafe owners in HCM City, which has seen a veritable boom in coffee shops in the last few years, can back up their branding spin.

Hungs product speaks for itself. Though hes not averse to promotion, his approach is, as he says, slow, natural marketing.

As an authorised Specialty Coffee Association of Europe (SCAE) trainer, Hung holds cupping workshops for the public, lending his expertise to those who want to learn more about specialty coffee (as opposed to commercial coffee, which is processed on a massive scale, often with lower-quality beans).

Though he imports top-quality Arabica beans from Ethiopia, Honduras and elsewhere, Hung also works directly with farmers in Lam ong Province in the production of Arabica, a higher quality bean than Robusta, the bean that Viet Nam predominantly exports and drinks.

An engineer by trade, Hung, 41, fell under coffees spell when he travelled to Europe for work.

Id always thought of coffee one way, but travelling really opened up my mind to other tastes, he said.

In Viet Nam, he had been used to the ubiquitous cafe a (iced) or cafe sua a (iced with milk), made with Robusta beans and condensed milk. Its a strong, dark, and bitter brew.

But, at his cafe, Hung uses only Arabica beans, including in the traditional cafe sua a, which contains a blend of Arabica from a Lat and Ethiopia, processed in his giant Giesen roasters on the ground floor. (He stores his beans in a climate- and humidity-controlled room in the basement).

The Vietnamese drink is offered in three different roast styles: Tender, Fumee and The Big Smoke, at VN60,000 (and VN65,000 with condensed milk).

As Im no lover of milky coffee, and have a preference for a darker roast, I chose the iced Fumee and was pleasantly surprised. Punchy, bright and a bit fruity.

Master roaster

In Europe, Hung trained and studied with master roasters and learned as much as he could, saved up enough money to buy the best equipment, and then opened up his cafe in a villa in the Saigon Pearl complex in Binh Thanh District.

The building, facing the Sai Gon River in a setting so serene that you can hear birds chirp and feel the wind in your hair, is only 10 minutes away from the citys chaotic central business district.

The spacious white interior, with lots of glass, stainless steel, slim black chairs, and the occasional grey beanbag, stands in contrast to other cafes around town, with their warm wood tones and smaller spaces.

The outdoor terraces facing the tree-lined river are great for a chat or for working or surfing on a laptop for hours.

Though the open, airy atmosphere appeals to foreign customers, locals often prefer a cozier spot with tables closer together, according to Hung. Customers tend to be a mix of 60 per cent foreigners and 40 per cent Vietnamese.

To add a bit of colour to the minimalist space, Hung is introducing his newly designed 250 gram coffee packages, based on a traditional ong Ho design, with detailed information: the date of harvest, the flavour note (body, acidity, finish and more), the farm note (location, altitude) and preferred brewing method (filter or espresso-based).

And soon, at an international coffee fair in Budapest, he will be introducing his roasted single-origin Ethiopian bean (heirloom variety, naturally processed) in the new Bosgaurus (named after Viet Nams Guar bison) packages.

For now, Hung sells his bags locally to individuals and businesses. He roasts the bean according to their requested flavour profile and allows them to package it under their name.

Thats a win-win for everyone, and besides, their tastes may not be my taste, he said.

Hung urged me to try one of his signature drinks, called Caramelly Rain, an espresso-based concoction (VN90,000) made with milk foam via an ice-dripped method that has the flavour of salted caramel.

Although I shun sugar in coffee, only a dab of simple sugar syrup and a bit of whipped cream were added to the blend, and it was, indeed, wonderfully caramelly.

The caramel flavour comes completely from the natural sugar in the coffee, which is extracted as the espresso stream drips onto the ice cubes, Hung said.

Besides coffee, the cafe has a full menu, with eggs benedict, omelettes and other breakfast items such as waffles and yogurt with oats.

He sticks to Western favourites such as Cobb and Caesar salads (VN125,000), as well as three pasta dishes (carbonara and Bolognese are VN135,000 each), developed from recipes by chef Jack Lee.

Organic and handcrafted teas and juices are also on offer, as well as craft beer, but youre coming for the coffee, right? And the views not bad, either. In fact, its fabulous, and who knew that only 10 minutes away from downtowns frenzy you could have specialty coffee in such a peaceful setting, delivered by Viet Nams top prize-winning baristas?  VNS

Address: Saigon Pearl Villa 1D5, 92 Nguyen Huu Canh Street, Binh Thanh District, HCM City

Hours: Open daily, 7am  9pm

Offerings: specialty coffee made from imported and locally sourced Arabica beans; Western style breakfast, lunch and dinner served in a quiet riverside setting.
PARIS  Emmanuel Macron, winner of Frances presidential election, said on Sunday he would "fight the divisions" in the country after a campaign that laid bare the "anger, anxiety and doubts" of many voters.

"I will fight with all my strength against the divisions that are undermining us," he said in a solemn address at his campaign headquarters.

Macron, running as a centrist, won between 65.5 and 66.1 per cent of the vote ahead of Le Pen on between 33.9 per cent and 34.5 percent.  AFP
CEDAR FALLS  Dave Wilson knows the real estate business isnt all about big deals, big bucks and the bottom line. Its also about providing a better life for people.

Wilson, 43, an executive vice president with Lockard Cos., has risen to a spot at the top of his profession. This fall, hell become international president of Certified Commercial Investment division of the National Association of Realtors. Hell be inducted in October in Toronto during the CCIM convention. He is the first international president from Iowa in the 50-year history of CCIM and the youngest ever.

Its a lofty recognition. But Wilson, at Lockard since 2000, said a woman in Texas put his profession in perspective  and its a lesson he carries with him.

She approached him as he was working on a 65-acre retail project in Fort Worth, Texas, anchored by a Wal-Mart Supercenter in an economically distressed area serving an area of roughly 150,000 people within three miles with an average household income of $27,000.

When I first walked into the Wal-Mart, a lady greeted me at the door and I was wearing my suit. She said, You must be one of the developers. She started crying and she said, I just want to thank you for what you did here.

I said No problem, Wilson said. She said, No, you dont understand. I was at home on a chair with a rope around my neck. I couldnt find a job anywhere. And the phone rang. It was Wal-Mart. And they gave me an opportunity to work for them. I literally stopped myself from killing myself. You really changed my life.

That was in 2010, Wilson said. Our mission statement at Lockard is to enhance the quality of life in the communities we serve. And from that point on, that really put the focus on the fact that were not just doing real estate deals, that we can change lives wherever we go  whether thats here in Cedar Falls-Waterloo or in Fort Worth, Texas. What we do does impact people.

That kind of changed my whole outlook on doing commercial real estate, Wilson said. Because its not just going building to building. We really want to do something thats good for the community  wherever we go  to make it better than when we found it. I think weve done a good job of that.

Wilsons resume includes numerous local projects by Lockard. It includes procuring the land for the massive Target Distribution Center in Cedar Falls, now the citys largest private employer; the redevelopment of Black Hawk Village Shopping Center, including the addition of a Kohls department store there; the redevelopment and growth of a strip commercial center near Crossroads Center in Waterloo following the departure of Electric Avenue & More to add the present Barnes & Noble and Bed, Bath & Beyond stores, as well as numerous medical clinics in outlying communities  including helping an Allen Hospital clinic during the 2008 Parkersburg tornado.

The company also mounted a relief effort following a subsequent tornado in Moore, Okla., and Norman, Okla., while working on a hospital project there.

Sometimes in the local community its harder to be seen as the experts, but that is the case in other communities. We can come and give our expertise and really make a difference in a lot communities where we go.

Were finding land, were finding deals to develop. It could be redevelopment, it could be from the ground up, Wilson said. Right now currently were doing a redevelopment of a Kmart in Kansas City. Weve been involved in about over 30 states across the country now doing projects, and have been blessed to find really good opportunities, both ground up and redevelopment. Currently were doing a lot of senior housing, medical office and retail.

CCIM has an institute in Chicago. As a developer its been great for me in my career, Wilson said. Longtime colleague Bob Smith Jr. likened it to the Ph.D. of commercial real estate.

Wilson rose within the organization and was finally urged by colleagues Smith, Lockard President Ken Lockard and his family to pursue the presidency. He was elected first vice president in 2015 and as a result of that will accede to the presidency this fall. CCIM has 13,000 members internationally with chapters in Taiwan, South Korea, Japan, Dubai, Turkey, Poland, Russia and Canada as well as the U.S.

In fact he secured a commitment from Donald Trump Jr., son of the president of the United States, to speak at the Toronto conference. Were going to do a one-on-one interview with him, Wilson said. Its going to be a fireside chat type deal  not about politics, but about international real estate, international business as whole.

Its a great, great organization,  Wilson said  raising the profile of, and business opportunities for, Lockard as well as prospects for the Cedar Valley.

The question is always, Hey, tell me about Waterloo-Cedar Falls, including inquiries from overseas investors looking for business opportunities in the U.S.

Weve been blessed to be a part of a lot of projects in the local community that we feel have been a been a great asset to our community, and want to continue to do so going forward, Wilson said. Were seeing huge growth here, not just because of our doing, but because of people giving back.

Wilson is a native of Oak Park, Ill., and a graduate of Dubuque Hempstead High School, where his family moved and father ran a printing operation. He graduated from Upper Iowa University. Wilson was among one of the first classes of The Couriers 20 Under 40 honorees in 2003. He and his wife, Karen, have two teenage children. He also is an elder at Bethany Bible Chapel in Cedar Falls.

Giving back is what I love doing  and striving to be a servant leader in everything I do, Wilson said.
WATERLOO  Three council members spearheading a citizens review committee will hold their second meeting Tuesday.

Waterloo Councilmen Tom Lind, Bruce Jacobs and Steve Schmitt are inviting interested residents to the meeting at 5 p.m. Tuesday in the Waterloo Public Librarys main meeting room.

The goal is to provide review and suggestions on potentially improving city services and discovering operational efficiencies. Findings will be presented at a Waterloo City Council meeting at a future date.

Lind said the first meeting Wednesday drew a cross-section of the community. Residents interested in joining can contact Lind, Jacobs or Schmitt through their contact information on the city website.
What is the greatest threat to our American way of life? Oligarchy? Elections manipulated by wealth? Economic disparity?

Those are issues in crisis, but they are results of inattention to foundational principles; the root causes of our dysfunction are our contradictions, double standards and hypocrisies.

Until we discover the enlightenment that allows us to be honest and will mediate our duplicities, we will continue on a course of political divides that will deepen, obscure reality and erroneously remove our responsibility.

No one should be surprised I did not vote for President Trump, but I accept what I cannot change. What I have not accepted are the double standards that conspired to elect him. I am troubled by those who vote according to deeply religious criteria, yet celebrated the election of a man whose personal behavior should be considered the near antithesis of piety and virtue.

That contradiction has been defended by a new moral majority that points out Bill Clinton was just as bad. But Clinton was vilified for the very reasons many now dismiss as simply locker room behavior.

How do we measure character if virtue is determined on a sliding scale according to political affiliation?

Perhaps the election is old news, but contradictions run deep. Today in Des Moines there is a legislative majority that was elected on a platform of smaller government. Yet they enact bigger government policies, from unnecessarily overreaching immigration policy to government-mandated identity cards and placing under the authority of government a womans choices regarding her own body. And lets not pretend interferences to gay rights arent in the works.

Apparently smaller government only applies to liberal policies for civil rights, educational funding, teachers bargaining rights and programs to help the poor and the infirm. When it comes to controlling votes, access to due process of law and moral dominion over our personal lives, apparently big brother government is encouraged.

Republican economic rhetoric, state and nationally, reeks of ubiquitous incongruity as well. How do you rail against the deficit, yet increase corporate giveaways that will invariably exacerbate the discrepancy?

Democrats are not immune to the epidemic of double-speak, either. I bristle when we say we stand for working Americans yet pander to oligarchic interests by bailing out Wall Street with taxpayer money.

We should accept our disagreements, even to polar-opposite points of view. But when political ideology stands in contrast to its own premise, when the rules change to manipulate us or to excuse contradictory behavior, then there are going to be societal dysfunctions that manifest as mistrust, fear and anger.

I am not surprised by, nor do I judge, the millions of people who are publicly demonstrating those feelings, but I implore everyone  keep protests within the parameters of peaceable assembly. Violence is also hypocritical.
Leave it to the language experts at Englands Oxford Dictionaries to come up with a two-word Word of the Year for 2016.

That (those) word(s) is (are) post-truth.

Post-truth, explain the Oxford experts, is defined as relating to or denoting circumstances in which objective facts are less influential in shaping public opinion than appeals to emotion and personal belief.

A food example might explain the difference.

Recently, while accompanying newly minted Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue to an elementary school in Leesburg, Va., Senate Ag Committee Chairman Pat Roberts, a Kansas Republican, endorsed Perdues swift action to slow down implementation of the nutritional  and controversial  school lunch standards promoted by former first lady Michelle Obama.

Said Roberts to his fourth-grader lunch mates, Try eating a biscuit made with whole grains. It just doesnt work!

Secretary Perdue agreed, telling nearby reporters, I wouldnt be as big as I am today without chocolate milk.

You can all but hear the conversations around Leesburg dinner tables that night, right?

Mother: Eat your broccoli, son, its good for you.

Son: But, Mom, an old guy with glasses, a salesman or a senator or something, told me at lunch that I should eat biscuits and then a round guy  he said he was a used DA or USDA or whatever  gave me a glass of chocolate milk and told me I could be big like him if I drink it every day!

Mother: What have I told you about making up nonsense? Eat your broccoli!

So it goes in post-truth Washington, D.C, where the new normal is two grandfatherly politicians dispensing personal nutrition advice and partisan political retribution to an audience of 10-year-olds who just want to go to recess.

It wasnt much different back on Capitol Hill that day as both Republicans and Democrats claimed victory after a funding deal was announced to keep the federal government open through Sept. 30.

No one, of course, dared to mention the deal covered just the five remaining months of the fiscal year because Congress and the White House had failed to agree on an annual spending plan for the 21st year in a row.

But this new $1 trillion-plus bill, they said, ensures the federal government will remain open through Sept. 30, a key element sought by midterm-wary Republicans.

Fine, but the deal did not include money to fund new programs U.S. dairy farmers and cotton growers claim they need to make it through September, too.

The dairy lobby wanted changes in its almost completely ineffective Margin Protection Program, a government-sponsored revenue program similar to todays crop insurance program. Those changes will likely have to wait on the still-not-started 2018 farm bill.

The cotton growers, however, after being denied their cottonseed-as-an-oilseed, $1 billion assistance program, were in no mood to wait. They immediately took a pitchfork to two Senate Democrats.

Senate Ag Committee members Debbie Stabenow of Michigan and Patrick Leahy of Vermont, complained Ronnie Lee, chairman of the National Cotton Council, chose to play politics at the expense of cotton producers and farm families.

Why, pray tell?

Because the senators desire to help dairy producers somehow became a prerequisite for whether Congress could provide a policy to cotton producers to help respond to the ongoing financial and trade policy challenges, said Lee. There was no rationale or justification for linking support between cotton and dairy producers.

Sure there is; its called politics. Its what political leaders used to do to arrive at policies  dairy policies, cotton policies, ag trade policies, federal farm budget policies, you name it  through committee hearings, open debate and, finally, through compromise to meet the nations crying needs.

In post-truth America, however, political leaders bellyache about too many whole wheat biscuits and not enough chocolate milk to non-voting fourth graders rather than swallowing hard and doing their jobs.
Black Hawk County is overflowing with activities and support for veterans.

The most recent example was a packed house April 29 at a fundraiser for Becker-Chapman American Legion Post 138, recently relocated and saddled with more renovation costs than it expected. We congratulate the organizers.

There are many other examples:

That same evening, the Grout Museum District, home to the Sullivan Brothers Iowa Veterans Museum, conducted its annual dinner and fundraiser, honoring the Mather family with the Sullivan Brothers Military Family Award for multiple generations of military service.

On Tuesday, Cedar Valley Honor Flight will again take a group of veterans to Washington, D.C., to see U.S. military memorials. Two more flights are planned this fall, and fundraising is ongoing.

On May 18-21, the Wall that Heals, a traveling version of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C., will be at Cedar Falls AMVETS Post 49. On May 20, the post, AMVETS Riders and the current Cedar Valley Leadership Class are hosting a fundraising bicycle and motorcycle ride to raise funds for and awareness of post-traumatic stress disorder.

On May 19-20, the Waterloo Sullivan Brothers VFW Post 1623 will be at various retail locations giving away poppies in exchange for donations to support its own beleaguered operations and replenish its resources to help veterans.

Last month, U.S. 1st District Rep. Rod Blum hosted a veterans service fair at the Iowa National Guard Armory and presented three veterans with service decorations they never received.

Separate, commemorative brick sales honoring the service of individual veterans support Veterans Park in Cedar Falls and Veterans Memorial Hall and Soldiers and Sailors Park in Waterloo.

Americans for Independent Living, a nonprofit headed by Tim Combs, opened a shelter for homeless veterans in Waterloo.

All this activity demonstrates ample support for veterans.

In spite of that, veterans organizations are hurting.

The Waterloo Legion and VFW posts face financial challenges. While Legion Post 138 has seen an uptick in new members and the addition of a Sons of Legion group, membership is still not what it was decades ago.

The same is true for the Waterloo VFW. The Waterloo AMVETS sold its post a few years ago and now holds meetings at Memorial Hall. While there is mutual membership and financial support on an individual basis, many of the organizations largely function independent of each other.

While we have significant numbers of younger veterans of the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan, the bulk of membership in veterans organizations is made up of older veterans.

We cant help but wonder if all these worthy organizations and efforts wouldnt be better served by a little more coordination.

Were not alone, as indicated by public blog comments on articles weve run on various efforts.

Kevin Dill, executive director of the Black Hawk County Veteran Affairs Commission, is trying to focus those efforts and reach out to younger veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan and their families  veterans in need of support as they try to resume a normal life.

Were seeing examples of that cooperation. Coordinating the PTSD bicycle-motorcycle ride with The Wall that Heals exhibition is a good move. The best example is the Waverly Area Veterans Post, a successful fundraising effort that was the result of four different veterans organizations in that community working together.

A similar effort was proposed in Waterloo in the mid-1980s. It never got off the ground. Retired U.S. Army Reserve Maj. Gen. Evan Curly Hultman supported that proposal then, and helped with the recent fund drive for the Waverly post.

Dill, viewing the old 1980s plans at a Veterans Day event last November, said hed still like to see it happen here.

In 2002, we supported the idea of Veterans Memorial Hall being made part of the Riverfront Renaissance downtown redevelopment plan as a satellite veterans drop-in center  an idea that also went nowhere.

Weve heard a lot of reasons veterans organizations cant work together  national bylaws, a reluctance to intrude on each others territory or business and the like.

The time for that is past.

Veterans posts, especially in Waterloo, are hurting. Younger veterans and their families are hurting. While a merged Waterloo or county veterans building may only be a nice idea, we nevertheless would like to see veterans groups better coordinate their activities and make a concerted effort to reach out to younger veterans.

One coordinated event on a given weekend instead of smaller conflicting ones on the same date would provide more bang for the buck for everyone involved and reduce public confusion as to which activity to support.

And wed like to see some local foundations review their own restrictions that prohibit contributions to veterans projects. It may not be possible under federal tax code. But its worth asking the question.

Dill seems to be taking the point on that effort to better coordinate the worthy mission of better serving our veterans of all ages. Its time for others  not just veterans groups, but the Cedar Valley community at large  to gear up and fall in.
Trash talk

Awbree Mast, Erin Hollen, Katelyn Blair and Adrianna Gallen

seventh-grade students at Blessed Maria

WATERLOO  We are seventh-grade students working on a service learning project to spread the word about littering.

Did you know garbage truck drivers spend about 10 hours a day collecting trash? Or two tons of trash per truck is collected each week? Maybe you didnt even know that garbage trucks cost around $200,000 each.

We interviewed Dennis, a local truck driver for Waterloo, who has been collecting trash for 24 years. He told us three things we as citizens could do to make his job easier. Keep your garbage can lid shut, keep your garbage can 3 feet away from surrounding objects and have your garbage cans out by 6 a.m. Those are all ways you can become a leader in your own community.

With this knowledge you can take action helping your neighborhoods become a cleaner and more beautiful place. We would like to thank Dennis, an employee of the Black Hawk Sanitation Department, and Sam Barret and Tammy Turner, both representatives of Black Hawk Sanitation Department, for educating us on this issue.

Korean danger

Steve Wikert

CEDAR FALLS  All throughout history the world has encountered numerous countries leaders who tried to take on the world or part of it.

In most cases other countries underestimated their maniacal resolve to their own nations detriment. Some dictators were stupidly narcissistic like Donald Trump, some were brutal and evil, while others were intelligent, cunning and purposeful. Their common trait was lacking conscience, and being sociopathic. Trump views escalating war with North Korea as a game with fireworks at the end. In Trumps case it is like pushing a stick into a hornet nest and then standing around to see what happens. The mother of all bombs is his stick.

A Japanese admiral characterized the U.S. just before the bombing of Pearl Harbor as awaking a sleeping giant. Prodding a leader like Kim Jong Un in North Korea is similar. Unfortunately Seoul is only about 25 miles from the DMZ where 11 million people live. The surrounding area boasts a combined population of around 50 million people. While Trump is poking the stick, Seoul, 50 million South Koreans and 30,000 American troops are the unfortunate recipients of the outcome. Meanwhile Trump will sit calmly eating chocolate cake at Mar-a-Lago and smiling at his greatness.

Column response

Leon Nelson

CEDAR FALLS  Steve Corbins guest column (April 30) is clearly all about the new Iowa gun law. Yet in his sixth paragraph he states that per day since Jan. 1 there have been 163 gun-related incidents, 40 deaths by gun, 10 children killed by guns and 79 injuries by gun. He fails to say where these incidents occurred.

I strongly doubt all were in Iowa, but his column is purposely written to invite the reader to assume that. Shame on you, professor Corbin.

85 years strong

Mary Nicholas

executive director, Waterloo Visiting Nurses Association

WATERLOO  As the Waterloo Visiting Nursing Association celebrates its 85th anniversary this year, we would like to salute and extend our appreciation to the nurses and health-care professionals of our past and who, in the present, are dedicated to their profession.

Nurses and health-care professionals cannot be appreciated enough for their tireless efforts of providing health care in the home environment. We at the VNA are proud of the 85 years of existence in our community and extend a salute to the many nurses and health-care professionals that have been an important part of our history. Thank a nurse today and every day.

Trump statements

Brad Condon

WATERLOO  OK, OK we get it. You didnt like Hillary. But is this what you expected when you voted for Trump? In a 24-hour period he has made some of the dumbest statements: Andrew Jackson was angered over the Civil War. I bet he may have been, but what I think he was most angered about was the fact he had been dead for 16 years. And the Civil War wasnt even on the horizon yet.

Then how about the statement pre-existing conditions would be in the current health care amendments. No they werent. He doesnt have a clue what is the bill; he just wants something to pass he can say he fulfilled his promise to repeal and replace. Oh yeah, what about the other promise that health care will be so much better, lower premiums, everyone covered, etc.? What about that promise?

These werent his only mistakes in the last day, but they sure were the dumbest. Why are so many of you still supporting this man? Hasnt he lied to us enough? Just wait, the week is just getting started.

Hillary Clinton

Steve Kapler

WATERLOO  If the election had been on Oct. 27, Id be your president. Thus spoke 2016 presidential campaign loser Hillary Clinton during a recent interview in which she continued to blame FBI Director James Comey and of course the Russians as the reason she lost last November.

This stuff gets old, doesnt it? She still thinks you, the average voter, are so stupid you will actually believe the lie if she repeats it often enough. Lets put this tired baby to rest.

Clinton spent $1.2 billion and lost to a guy who had never run for public office, a virtual unknown political quantity. Her campaign flew over entire states, so sure was she of her inevitable victory. Indeed, I was fully prepared for her coronation, as were her court jesters in Hollywood, the political establishment and, as always, the decidedly liberal news media.

She rants about winning more votes. But she fully understands the electoral college system as well as you or I.

She simply counts on you to be as gullible as she thinks you are. Dont be fooled. Mrs. Clinton, you lost, plain and simple. Its time to grow up. Really.
BLUFFTON  A bridge crossing the Upper Iowa River in Winneshiek County has collapsed into the river after an overloaded feed truck more than five times the weight limit crossed it.

The Winneshiek County Engineers Office directed questions to DecorahNews.com, which showed photos of a feed truck described as 15 tons halfway over the side of the river bank, with the collapsed bridge laying over the Upper Iowa River.

Photos of the bridge, which DecorahNews.com calls Dahly Bridge, show a sign warning the weight limit was 3 tons, which was verified by the county engineers office.

Photos show the trucks back end jutting out into the river, indicating it may have nearly made it all the way across before the bridge collapsed.

The bridge was located on Cattle Creek Road, according to the Winneshiek County Sheriffs Office, and both motorists on Cattle Creek Road west of Bluffton and paddlers on the Upper Iowa were advised to stay away.

The engineers office said they were working to get the bridge debris out of the river. The Iowa State Patrol assisted.

C.F. police seek

fraud suspects

CEDAR FALLS  The Cedar Falls Police Department and Cedar Valley Crime Stoppers are seeking the publics help in identifying two females for alleged credit card fraud.

The women are suspected of committing credit card fraud throughout the Midwest. They are known by the following names: Nicole Lopez or Ashley Perez, Sophi or Sophia Martin and Andrea Pierre. It is unknown if these are their real names.

They have been seen in the following vehicles: white Dodge Caravan, Michigan DHW 9224 (September); gray Toyota Corolla, Nebraska UDB-504 (December) and a beige Hyundai Accent, Florida BXZ2890 (Most recent).

Controlled burn gets

out of hand at Allison

ALLISON  A controlled burn got out of control Friday afternoon, burning a building to the ground.

The Butler County Sheriffs Office said a controlled burn along 245th Street got out of hand around 3 p.m. Friday, starting the roof of a nearby, empty building on fire.

That building was allowed to burn. No other structures were impacted and no one was hurt.

Allison Fire, Allison Police, Parkersburg Fire and Parkersburg Police assisted in the fire and with traffic control along nearby Iowa Highway 214.

Allison Fire officials could not be reached for comment.

4-year-old found

alone in Waterloo

WATERLOO  A 4-year-old boy was found wandering alone on Kaplan Drive, and police found his home after his 6-year-old sibling called police.

Their parents, Eric Herman and Lisa Winegar of Waterloo, were arrested Thursday and charged with one count each of nonserious child endangerment.

Police got a call from a passing motorist who found the 4-year-old wandering the 1000 block of Kaplan Drive by himself. He was carrying a brown blanket. The boy could not say where he had come from.

Police brought the boy to the police station, where Cedar Valley CrimeStoppers put out a call on social media for help finding the boys parents.

Before anyone else called in, Waterloo police received a call from a 6-year-old child, who called 911 to report the parents arguing.

When we knocked on the door, it all started coming together  these were the parents of the missing kid, said Waterloo Police Capt. David Mohlis.

Herman and Winegar were booked on the charge, an aggravated misdemeanor. Their children were released to a grandmother.

Deputy stops

chase suspect

WEST UNIONA Fayette County Sheriffs deputy used her vehicle to stop a chase with a motorcycle early Friday.

Around 2:45 a.m., dash camera video shows a close call between a motorcyclist and a deputy. Thats when a man on the Kawasaki took off about a mile north of West Union.

Deputies said the biker then took the deputy on a chase through West Union, speeding on city roads. The deputy then cornered the driver, wedging her front bumper up under the back of the bikes back tire, stopping him on Main Street.

Benjamin McIntyre, 20, of Hawkeye, faces multiple charges including eluding law enforcement, reckless driving, and multiple traffic violations.
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By West Kentucky Star Staff

May. 05, 2017 | PADUCAH, KY

By West Kentucky Star Staff May. 05, 2017 | 11:54 PM | PADUCAH, KY

Acknowledging the lead gift to the regions first comprehensive cancer care center, Baptist Health Paducahs new $19.1 million facility will be named the Ray & Kay Eckstein Regional Cancer Care Center.



The centers grand opening will be celebrated in late June, and it will open for patients July 10.



The Ray & Kay Eckstein Charitable Trust donated the lead gift in honor of their founders, Ray and Kay Eckstein.



Ray Eckstein said he knew he wanted to be involved as soon as he learned of the hospitals plan to build a cancer center.



From two close family members affected by this disease, we know firsthand the impact it has on the family, he said, so we want to be part of the solution.



The two-story, 56,000-square-foot facility, is on Broadway near the intersection of 24th Street, on the northeast corner of the hospital campus. Eckstein said the regional cancer care center is important for area residents.



We want people in our region to be able to receive quality cancer care close to home, so they dont have the additional stress or costs for traveling, he said, and staying close to home allows their friends and family to provide the support they need.



The Ecksteins established the Ray & Kay Eckstein Charitable Trust in 2005, because we believe the Lord has been good and faithful, and we want to give back to others, he said.



As Baptist Health Paducah celebrates its 50th year of cancer care, it consolidates a variety of cancer services from across the hospital campus into the new location. Patients can see their doctors and get their labs and treatment  all in the new center designed with a serene healing atmosphere.



Our goal is to make life easier for people fighting this disease, said William A. Brown, hospital president. The trustees of the Ray & Kay Eckstein Charitable Trust understand the need and support our mission to help patients and their families during this fight. We are very grateful for their generous gift, as well as for the generosity expressed throughout our community, to help bring this center to our region.



Starting with the areas first cobalt treatment here in 1967, Baptist Healths multi-disciplinary program has been nationally-accredited since 2001, with the areas only radiation oncology service accredited since 1998. Recent technology upgrades have included da Vinci robotic surgery, 3-D mammography and stereotactic radiosurgery, which can reduce radiation treatment from weeks to days.



The Ray & Kay Eckstein Charitable Trust gift is the largest of the $10 million capital campaign, announced by Baptist Health Foundation Paducah in January to support cancer, cardiac and maternity care, and outreach programs to improve the health of the community. Celebrating Miracles, Transforming Lives is the first-ever comprehensive capital campaign in the 64-year history of Baptist Health Paducah.



For more information or to make a donation to the Celebrating Miracles, Transforming Lives campaign, contact the Foundation at 270.575.2871 or visit SupportBaptistHealth.org/Paducah.


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By Ro Morse, WestKyStar Staff

May. 07, 2017 | PADUCAH, KY

By Ro Morse, WestKyStar Staff May. 07, 2017 | 07:00 AM | PADUCAH, KY

Mayor Brandi Harless proclaimes May 7th as Bill Ford Beaux Tie Day in Paducah.



The proclamation encourages the community to "donate to your favorite charity" on this day in honor of local decorator, artist and all-around charitable citizen, Bill Ford, who always wears a beaux tie. And why today? This is Mr. Bill's 80th Birthday.



"It was such a surprise to hear the proclamation at the City Commission meeting a few weeks ago. I am honored and humbled by this act of kindness. Paducah is a generous town, full of compassionate people who support all kinds of causes. I want to encourage others to give to their favorite charity - not only today, but year-round."



Former Mayor Gayle Kaler made a request to Mayor Harless to make this happen. She had planned to make this proclamation during her tenure but wanted to wait until his mile-marker birthday. "Bill is one of Paducah's most generous and supportive citizens. He gives endlessly of his time and energy to encourage and participate in all things Paducah," said Kaler.



In the proclamation, Mayor Harless listed some of Ford's contributions to Paducah. Each year he encourages others to get involved-give their time and talents, give monetarily. He leads by example.



When you give to your charity today, write Beaux Tie in the note line. It will be interesting to see how much impact this one man's influence is having in our community. Those who know Mr. Bill will tell you he is constantly giving and donating his time and talents to his Paducah friends, family and charities.



When Wally and Diane Wise, from Elkhart, IN were in town for QuiltWeek, they heard about the proclamation and donated to Hope Unlimited in honor of Ford's Beaux Tie Day. "We think this is a great idea and know Paducah is a 'giving' community. We've been coming to Quilt City USA for 20 years and meet people from around the world who agree with us. We heard of Beaux Ties for the Arts last year, and got on board. This giving to your favorite charity is a great idea and know Paducah will embrace the opportunity to honor Mr. Bill and make a difference in the lives of others."


By West Kentucky Star Staff May. 05, 2017 | 10:43 PM | CALLOWAY COUNTY, KY

A Hazel store owner faces wanton endangerment and other charges after a shot was fired Friday afternoon in Calloway County.

According to the Calloway County Sheriff's Office, deputies received a call concerning a shoplifter at the KY C-Mart in Hazel. While deputies were responding to the call, dispatchers received a second call with the report of shots fired at the same location.

While deputies were responding, the store owner, 32-year-old Ghanshyam N. Patel of Cadiz, followed the suspects outside and attempted to detain them until deputies arrived on the scene. Police said Patel fired a warning shot into the asphalt parking lot beside the vehicle. The suspects quickly left the area and were later found in Puryear, TN.

Patel was charged with wanton endangerment, terroristic threatening and menacing. Deputies say other charges are pending and the investigation is ongoing.
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By The Associated Press

May. 07, 2017 | BRANCHBURG, NJ

By The Associated Press May. 07, 2017 | 12:33 PM | BRANCHBURG, NJ

House Speaker Paul Ryan insists a bill the House passed to repeal and replace Barack Obama's health care law provides sufficient coverage to people with pre-existing medical conditions.



Ryan says the House measure gives states flexibility to set up high-risk pools for the very sick so that no one is denied coverage.



Republican Sen. Susan Collins of Maine, however, says she's not so certain the House plan would protect people from higher costs. She says a high-risk pool in Maine worked only because it had a clear source of funding. Health analysts question whether the extra $8 billion the House bill provides over five years for high-risk pools will be enough.



Ryan acknowledged the Senate is likely to make changes to the House bill.



Both spoke on ABC's "This Week."
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In 1935 my Grandfather Keeton took out a note from a bank for $1000. This was only done once in his life and I happen to have the paid slip for that note taken out from the bank. A bank in Kansas City, MO.

From my understanding:

This money was for paying off medical bills and burying my Grandmother Keeton. She died young, in pain and of cancer. She was 37 when she died and my Dad who was the baby of the family had to grow up fast, hard and tough. My dad was the youngest of seven kids

Grandpa, a boiler maker as his profession, was raising seven kids all alone and the eldest sisters of the siblings took over mothers spot

$1000 is like $18,000 right now:

To borrow this kind of money must have been a terrible thing for my grandfather to have to do? My dad said it hung over his dad like a demon for the year it took him to pay it off. It seems that grandpa did not like to borrow money and felt that owing someone, was slavery until paid

That is how we thought in the old days

He paid that $1000 off in exactly one year. That is like paying $18,000 back nowadays, having seven kids to feed, house and take care of, then paying everything else that life throws at you. Could you do that? right now and still raise seven kids. No I mean you, that person who brings home 45,000 a year in gross pay. Taxes and whatnots take half and then remove $18,000 for debt and live in the rest for a year

Give or take according to your situation, that would be from $4000 to $5000 to survive, feed the family and pay the bills

My dad told about how the whole family all did what they could to help pay it back. Every penny went to pay the debt back, a debt that was imposed upon them because they lost a mother to cancer

Debt:

Somehow we have lost that fear of debt. We live in a debt society or I should say, the west lives in a very debt society and I now live in a cash or do or buy it society. Russians and that extends to the government try really hard to keep from taking out debt

Neither a borrower nor a lender be; for loan doth oft lose both itself and friend.  -William Shakespeare

I watch Russians give money to others. I very rarely see a Russian hand out money and ever expect it back. Everyone in Russia has that person who has to have a ruble to survive and it is handed over without recourse. It is the Russian way and no we do not care to talk about mafia types. That is a whole another world and a very small part of this world. Same as in America. Playing with the devil is the path you take selling your soul

A huge portion of the populace gives to those who do not have, for one day, you may need that ruble back and someone will pay it forward. It is a circle of life in a country like Russia

I have learned to become part of that circle and it simply works

Who really eats?

In the real world life is like this

One man has a dollar, the other man has just borrowed 10 dollars from the bank. The man who borrowed the money just bought his dream toy that morning and the man who has a dollar, does not have that toy

But later that night when dinner comes around; the man who spent $10 on a toy, does not have any money to buy food. His belly is growling and he is hungry. The toy is not edible. He actually borrowed money to buy that toy, money he did not have in the first place. Money he now owes on top of everything else

The man with the toy looks out his window and across the street sitting at the dinner table is a man with his family eating dinner. That dollar bought dinner and the man with the toy sees boiled potatoes, salad, pot roast and even wine to drink

The man with the toy looks at his family and sees a hungry family, but he has his toy!

What this means?

Very simply, it means you have two ways to look at things and two ways to take care of life. One you buy toys and owe, owe and owe some more. You never have enough and you never get out of debt. To eat you even borrow money. To live just basics of life, you have to borrow money. Money is that 800# Gorilla sitting in the corner

Or! You buy what you need with what you have and feed your family and yourself. You belly is full, you do not have an 800# Gorilla staring at you and your family goes to bed at night in peace

You either live within your means or you do not

We have misconceptions:

We associate countries like we do people around us, people with who are rich and who are not. Who is third world and who is not. Who has massive GDP and who has small GDP. This misconception is not real world and that is the crux of the matter

The man with a dollar and no debt is rich in all truthfulness. The man with $10 debt and a toy is dirt poor, until he pays that debt back

We must pay our debts and when our family looks at us and their bellies growl from hunger, then we might learn to not go into debt for toys

WtR
A startup needs to test an idea quickly. For this, an MVP is created. MVP, Minimal Viable Product  a test version of a product or service with a minimum set of functions (up to one or two), which allows you to see the product's value for consumers and the market. MVP is created to test hypotheses and check the viability of the intended product: is it worth developing the project further, what changes should be made? The sooner a startup brings its MVP to market and tests the idea, the better. This article will look at how no-code technology can help founders achieve their business goals.

This article will try to cover everything that a founder needs to know about no-code at the initial stage of creating a startup.

What is no-code?

No-code, zero-code platform is a tool for creating websites, applications, chatbots, and other programs without the need for direct code writing by programmers. No-code is a valuable alternative to traditional development.

No-code is confused with low-code, but there is a difference in these terms. Low-code includes no-code and the ability to "finish code", add parts of code and the functionality.

A user of a no-code platform usually does not need to know layout, programming languages, or hire a team of programmers. The user of the no-code tool creates an application using a visual block constructor, which he fills with the necessary content and functions, and the no-code platform itself does the processing of requests, compiling the application and other "magic." It generates code using AI and/or contains blocks of code pre-written by programmers.

No-code allows the startup founder to create an MVP himself, entrust it to his employee with basic technical literacy and understanding of the project, or hire a no-code developer. Even in the case of hiring a no-code developer, the cost of creating an MVP will be significantly lower than with classical development with programmers. For example, you can read the interview of a startup and no-code developer on our website, who initially worked as a Product Manager and was able to master no-code for his project himself.

Benefits of no-code for a startup founder

There are the following key advantages for a startup founder in using no-code technology:

a large selection of no-code tools, platforms, and their integrations at the moment  already in 2022, there are many tools and platforms for creating an MVP, a larger project, or even a finished product on no-code, but few people still know about them, and others are far from all startups and founders use their potential;

cost  no-code development saves the money by speeding up the development process, not hiring professional programmers or no need to maintain a developer department, monitoring functions and quick bug fixes, avoiding or reducing the growth of technical debt;

speed is the main advantage over classical development  no-code allows you to build a simple application in a weekend, and a more complex one can be built in a month. In this way, you can test an MVP and even several versions of an MVP very quickly;

low entry threshold  to master a no-code platform, you often do not need technical education at all, but only an understanding of a company's business processes or product from the inside. In the case of pro-level no-code platforms, technical education is required, but you can get used to it hundreds of times faster than with any programming language. This makes no-code available to almost everyone who wants to work with technology;

ease of use  no need to write hundreds of code lines  just move the blocks and assign links between them. Work on a project can be entrusted to your employee without communicating with a team of third-party developers. You can speak "in your language" without the need to understand the "inner kitchen" of developers;

flexibility  with the help of no-code, it is easy for a startup founder to add new functionality and new features right during a project or a MVP testing without a significant increase in development costs.

Possible disadvantages of no-code for a startup founder

As often, any property can be, under certain conditions, both a disadvantage and an advantage. In no-code, many of the benefits with the wrong choice of tool can turn into disadvantages:

no-code is not always a budget solution for a project. Sometimes in a no-code development package, you get unnecessary functions and additions (on AppMaster.io you can separately connect the frontend and pay only for the backend or only for those functions that you are using); if you do not understand the needs of your project, then you can make a mistake with the choice of a no-code tool and not be able to implement the necessary functions on it, or it will be too difficult to implement them; often, no-code tools fail to ensure proper data security and contribute to data leakage (but AppMaster.io allows you to host a finished application on any server); no-code tools often do not provide the ability to upload source code or provide uploading in an inconvenient format, which makes it difficult to move to another tool or to your development. You have to choose a no-code tool "once and forever immediately" (AppMaster. io gives you the ability to download the source code. Also, we generate human-readable code and you will not have any difficulties with its transportation); most no-code tools on the market are not suitable for creating a finished product, and there are significant difficulties with scaling the project if the MVP is successful (AppMaster.io is a professional no-code platform and our capabilities allow us to implement and support the finished product and scale it in the future).

Forewarned is forearmed. Choose your no-code tool wisely and take full advantage of your choice.

Types of no-code platforms

Conventionally, all no-code tools can be divided into several types: no-code devices with a low entry threshold (you can create frontend and not very powerful backend on them), integrators that help connect applications and services, and professional no-code platforms (they strive to replace the code completely, provide the ability to create a robust backend and high bandwidth).

The basic principle of operation of your MVP and the choice of a no-code platform depend on such a conditional division into types. For example, if you make a simple application like a diary, you can limit yourself to a no-code tool with a low entry threshold and a beautiful design.

If your application has powerful potential, high bandwidth, multi-user interface, and works with large amounts of data or real-time data, it is better to choose a professional no-code platform like AppMaster.io or Direcual.

If you use several services at once, link them on integrators like Integromat and Zapier.

Adalo

An easy-to-learn designer with a relatively user-friendly interface. The free version is helpful for learning. The free version contains Adalo watermarks and does not allow you to upload your applications to GooglePlayMarket and AppStore. Beginners often choose this no-code platform to create their first applications with simple logic.

Bubble

It will take more time to learn Bubble , but the platform allows you to work with the backend, databases, business processes, and layout. There are many plugins. The free plan allows you to master the tool, and you can start developing at the middle rate. The price increase is due to the rise in the number of users.

Integromat

It is an integrator. Experts talk about it as a simple and affordable platform for linking applications and services. Scenarios can be created personally, or you can use templates. If you need to connect an application with a service not from the Integromat database, fill out the form and connect to its API via HTTP.

Zapier

This is an integrator for linking applications with each other or with other external services. You can transfer data between thousands of applications. There is a script constructor (one event starts a chain of necessary actions).

Directual

The no-code platform positions itself for creating MVP applications (Minimal Viable Product, minimum viable product) and full-fledged applications of finished products. Scenarios are the backbone of the platform. Using scripts, you can automate the backend logic of the application, create and combine workflows. The Directual catalog includes out-of-the-box connectors, HTTP requests, webhooks, database listeners, and integration with popular services.

AppMaster.io

No-code next-generation platform for creating native and web applications on a real backend. Visual drag-and-drop designer, user-friendly business process designer, one-click app publishing to AppMaster Cloud, or integration with any cloud platform. Push notifications, authorization using social networks. Networks, email, and more. Connect applications to hundreds of services or programmatically access them using APIs. The ability to upload source code and documentation in a human-readable format and transfer it to your servers. Documentation auto-generation. Modern and fast language GoLang at the core.

No-code perspectives for startups

No-code development is gradually gaining popularity around the world. There are already more than 500 no-code tools for creating websites and various types of applications.

According to the forecasts of IT world experts, no-code will develop more and more actively and capture parts of the market responsible for medicine, small online business, small business, and all niches where it is possibly necessary to optimize and automate development processes.

The mass shift of businesses and their customers online and to gadgets has increased the demand for the fast and inexpensive creation of mobile applications that would work according to a single quality standard and have a simple, understandable, user-friendly interface.

Conclusion

No-code is visual programming in the form of a constructor without directly writing code. Usually, basic knowledge in development is enough to build applications on no-code.

The logic of no-code constructors is intuitive: the application interface is assembled from blocks, icons, buttons, and text which are connected to the database. Usually, you can choose a suitable template or do everything from scratch. Speed and economy are the main advantages of no-code tools.

No-code is suitable for creating an MVP, testing an idea or new features in a product, saving time for solving standard tasks. PRO level no-code platforms can provide you with a finished product, an application.

If you don't have an account on AppMaster.io yet, join us. After registration, you will be given a free trial period for 14 days, in which all the basic functionality of the platform is available. It will allow you to learn the intricacies of working with a professional-level no-code platform and understand its potential.
Claire Messud in Salon:

Dear Livia,

When you were seven weeks old, we took you to a wedding in New York City. We dressed you in an embroidered white linen dress Id also worn as an infant, we combed what little hair you had, we popped you in the car seat and zoomed down from western Massachusetts. With the exception of the lovely bride, you were the belle of the ball  handed from aspiring grandmother to aspiring grandmother, chin-chucked, dandled, cooed over, cuddled. Daddy surreptitiously changed your diaper in the library of the fancy private club. A television star praised your dimples. You loved every minute and didnt cry once. Two days later, less than twenty-four hours after we got home, al-Qaeda terrorists hijacked passenger jets and flew them into a field in rural Pennsylvania, the Pentagon, and the Twin Towers, killing thousands. The world into which we thought you had been born was ineradicably altered in a matter of hours. So began the terrible Time of Fear, the better part of a decade in which our actions and reactions as a nation were premised on constant dread and anxiety. We prosecuted wars on false pretenses; we blithely dispensed with our fundamental moral beliefs and turned a blind eye to extraordinary rendition and torture. With arrogant ignorance, inadequate military preparations, and botched strategies, we sacrificed countless young men and women, both on the battlefield and afterward, many of them victims of severe injuries whose lives can never be fully restored. We treated our allies in the region with cavalier indifference (remember Kirk Johnson, Daddys friend from Berlin, who started the List Project and worked so hard to help Iraqis abandoned by the American government for whom theyd worked?). In the course of these years, we alienated a generation of young people across the Middle East. When I visited Turkey in 2007 as a cultural guest of the State Department, it was explained to me that under Bill Clinton, the United States had had a more than 75 percent approval rating in Turkey. By the last years of George W. Bushs presidency, that rating was 9 percent. And 50 percent of the Turkish population was under twenty-five years old, which meant that most young Turks had never thought well of our country.

In 2008, Barack Obama ran for president with the slogan Yes We Can, on a platform of Hope. You turned seven years old that year  the age of reason  and both at home and in the country, the optimism was palpable. Your friend Annie favored Hillary and dressed up as HRC for Halloween; you liked them both, Hillary and Obama, and didnt mind who won. Even though you were still small, you laughed at Sarah Palin jokes  not realizing, I think, that they were funny only because she wasnt elected. We believed that we could, as a nation, surmount our fear together. We believed in choosing peaceful dialogue instead of conflict; in openness and tolerance instead of division and hatred. We believed in a progressive future instead of a return to the past. These past eight years have not been without problems or limitations. But it has a been a gift for you  and for us, raising you  to grow to maturity in a political culture that supports equal rights, dignity, and mutual respect for all, that believes in global cooperation on important issues as diverse as climate change and world peace.

More here.
Daphne White in Berkeleyside:

George Lakoff, retired UC Berkeley professor and author of Dont Think of an Elephant, is one of a very few people in Berkeley who does not underestimate Donald Trump. Trump is not stupid, he tells anyone who will listen. He is a super salesman, and he knows how to change your brain and use it to his advantage.

In fact, Lakoff predicted a year ago that Trump would win with 47% of the vote. (The actual total was 46%.) Lakoff even told Hillary Clintons campaign and PAC staffers how to counteract Trumps message. But they couldnt hear him.

As far back as 2006, Lakoff saw the writing on the wall. A dark cloud of authoritarianism looms over the nation, he wrote in his book Thinking Points, A Progressives Handbook. Radical conservatives have taken over the reins of government and have been controlling the terms of the political debate for many years. The progressives couldnt hear him, either.

Lakoffs message is simple, but it is couched in the language of cognitive linguistics and neuroscience. The problem is that political candidates rely on pollsters and PR people, not linguists or neuroscientists. So when Lakoff repeatedly says that voters dont vote their self-interest, they vote their values, progressive politicians continually ignore him. His ideas dont fit in with their worldview, so they cant hear him.

More here.
James M. Sherlock in Psychology Today:

This might sound like nothing new if youve kept up with the replication crisis, but Im referring to a completely different issue  one that is all too often overlooked.

Let me introduce the problem with an example. In a recent article from The Conversation, researchers from the University of Queensland describe a study in which they observed families during hospital visits and measured the and distress of both parents and children. Measures of childrens anxiety and pain were positively associated with parents distress levels. The researchers interpret the role of the parents distress during the visit as causal, arguing that parents who are more anxious and distressed are less able to support their child during the procedure. This seems like a rather sensible and intuitive conclusion to draw; however, the researchers should have absolutely no in doing so.

Anxiety sensitivity (i.e. how susceptible an individual is to feeling anxious, ranging from completely normal to pathologically desensitise/hypersensitive) is substantially genetic. In fact, nearly half of the variation (i.e. the differences between people in the population) in anxiety sensitivity is likely to be genetic. The researchers therefore have no way to distinguish whether the children are responding to their parents distress or simply share their anxious disposition for genetic reasons, or more likely some combination of the two.

More here.
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.








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The world understands implications of the weapons of mass destruction lying around and believes that the fear of a potential mishap culminating into a devastating perilous outcome is very real. The efforts are in the offing through open or backdoor diplomacy to find a solution to the long standing political problem of Kashmir. International community while rejecting Indias claim that Kashmir conflict is cross-border terrorism agrees that a solution based on the will and aspirations of the people of Kashmir must be found so that plebiscite guaranteed by UN in its various Security Council Resolutions is implemented without any further delay.

Like previous US administrations President Donald Trump showed inclination to mediate and solve Kashmir tangle followed by grave concern conveyed by newly appointed UN Secretary General of the United Nations. All countries in the neighbourhood of Indian sub-continent are on tenterhooks fearing conflagration of a nuclear conflict. Great Britain, France, Germany, Australia, Canada and many other countries in Europe and Middle East have offered to negotiate a settlement terming it vitally important for the maintenance of world peace. On his current visit to India, Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan impressed upon India to initiate a dialogue with Pakistan to settle Kashmir issue once and for all. However, without giving any logical concrete explanation, India called Turkish Presidents Kashmir comment as controversial.

The known trouble shooter Ajit Kumar Dovals (currently Indias National Security Adviser previously police officer promoted to Indian intelligence and law Enforcement Officer) recent dash to Kashmir proceeded nineties like situation; a combination of unrest and surge spiralling into deadly cycle of violence created to taint and discredit freedom struggle. A posse of masked criminal gangs in a spree of looting local banks, raid household properties in the darkness to harass and intimidate public masquerade as Kashmirs freedom fighters. Kashmiris fighting Indian army for independence do not cover their faces but the criminal outfits under the plan do so to hide their identity. Dovals new drama would again result into another mass murder of Kashmiri populace. World community must take cognizance of this sinister conspiracy hatched as again civilians fear getting caught in new web of violence in Kashmir.

A. S. Dulat Ex-Chief RAW (Research & Analysis Wing) Chief maintains that Kashmir is slipping out of Indian hands. The statement widely reported in Indian media caused ripples in Indian political circles as Dulat criticized the way Indian government is handling Kashmir using harsh and ruthless methods. Ex-RAW Chief believes that Kashmir problem can be resolved providing there is a will to do so. The situation in Kashmir has never been scarier, Dulat added.

India under international pressure in a crafty manner tells the world including the UN Secretary General that it is allergic to third party intervention to settle Kashmir Issue and likes to solve it through bilateral engagement with Pakistan. India struggles to isolate Kashmiris the actual stakeholders, the rightful owners whose blood is spilled in an unprecedented manner. India, ruled by Her Majestys Government for three hundred years, in comparison has nothing to show except the tragedy of Jallianwala Bagh even though General Dyer lost his mind and British Indian government had no hand in it. On the contrary, India in the last eighteen years committed genocide on people of Kashmir killing more than one hundred thousand people in cold blood.

The local daily newspaper, Greater Kashmir (May 04, 2017) reports that Indian Forces lay siege to around dozen-odd villages to conduct searches using over forty thousand heavily armed soldiers forcibly entering households to plunder, pillage and ransack creating panic, harassment and bodily harm. Indian army notorious for using rapes as the main weapon is freely used and spoils of anything of value in searches is a welcome bonus.

The ongoing student clashes with Indian forces a new political dimension has unnerved Indian power block and when questioned is very hard to explain the developing trend. The school girls of all educational institutions from all districts of Kashmir have joined the political struggle indulging in stone-throwing getting injured on daily basis.

China, the immediate neighbour sharing the border with Kashmir sensing the widespread implications has jumped in the political ruckus and its leaders want to mediate between India and Pakistan on Kashmir. China has refuted Indian allegations and denied there was a shift in its stand on Kashmir issue. China is one of the stakeholders in the Kashmir imbroglio as it administers the area of Kashmir known as Aksai Chin.

Kashmiris have rejected Indian supremacy by confronting its one million strong army armed to teeth with stones and bricks demonstrating their resolve to use peaceful and democratic methods to voice their legitimate demand for a plebiscite. UN Secretary General in a recent statement paying attention to India-Pakistan tension terms Kashmir issue explosive and urges India to start a dialogue. However, Kashmiris think it is not enough but plead with the Secretary General to do more to have UN Resolutions implemented to earn peace for the world and most importantly for Kashmir.

Pakistan pleads for initiating a dialogue and India as usual harps no talks till the terrorism embedded in Pakistan by India does not come to an end. India commits a genocide in Kashmir and insists that Kashmir has no role in the solution discarding the factuality that people of Kashmir are the real owners of the land and the reality that comity of nations consider Kashmir occupied needing a permanent solution. India needs to realize that Kashmir cannot wait indefinitely for India to pull its head out buried in sand.








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Since his arrival to the White House in November last year, US president Donald Trump has raised deep concerns among the international due to his polemic statements and tough politics.

However, in the last month, his actions have been considered as one of the key factors associated with the beginning of the feared World War III.

In a recent interview with Reuters, Mr Trump affirmed that a major, major conflict with North Korea could start anytime.

There is a chance that we could end up having a major, major conflict with North Korea, the American leader said. We'd love to solve things diplomatically but it's very difficult, he continued.

These statements were replied by Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, who warned that the situation on the Korean peninsula could escalate or slip out of control.

China, who has traditionally been a powerful ally of North Korea, has recently expressed concerns on the North Korean nuclear weapons project. According to the US Secretary of State, Rex Tillerson, the Chinese government is planning a package of sanctions against Pyongyang if the nuclear tests continue. We were told by the Chinese that they informed the [North Korea] regime that if they did conduct further nuclear tests, China would be taking sanctions actions on their own, Mr Tillerson said in an interview with American TV channel Fox News.

Mr Tillerson did not offer details on when and how China would apply these sanctions, but it has to be mentioned that, in February, Beijing ceased to import coal from North Korea and more recently has threatened with stopping the oil shipments to Pyongyang.

The US Secretary of State also said that the UN Security Council foreign ministers will have a meeting on Friday in order to discuss new strategies to solve the conflict.

However, at the same time, the United States has send USS Carl Vinson aircraft carrier to the Korean peninsula. This fact has led the North Korean government to warn about catastrophic consequences for US and South Korean troops if they decide to carry out an attack.

North Korea is still technically in war with South Korea since the signing of an armistice in 1953.

For further information: http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/defence/donald-trump-stokes-world-war-iii-fear-warns-of-major-major-conflict-with-north-korea/articleshow/58409674.cms








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Date: 11 March, 2017.

Place: not mentioned.

Last month, British online newspaper Express carried out a survey about alien abductions and hybrid beings, and its results were shocking.

According to Express, of the 9,300 people surveyed, 5487 (59%) responded that they were absolutely convinced they [abductions] are taking place and the evidence for them is compelling, while 3,813 (41%) affirmed they believed the claims from so called alien abductees were just the stuff of dreams and fantasy.

This research was conducted alongside the publication of a series of reports about alien abductions and experimentations with alien-human hybrid beings.

The British news site mentioned the story of a pair of twins that affirmed they were abducted by bald aliens repeatedly from the age of five. They [the twins] told a sinister story of how they would tell their parents the bald men are coming in the run up to another cosmic kidnap, stated Express.

This story was released by UFO researcher Audrey Starborn Hewins at the 26th Annual International UFO Congress held in Fountain, Arizona.

Ms Hewins, a native from Maine, United States, said she attended the congress to give therapy to alien abductees. She added that she have had contact with aliens since the age of just five.

Express also mentioned the case of a French-Canadian woman who believes she was implanted as a so-called hybrid by aliens.

Lisa, whose surname is not revealed in a video, which broke the story, says her mother was supposedly pregnant with just a son in 1975, when she was born, stated the article. She is now convinced she was implanted into her mother by aliens after they visited her while she was pregnant".

About this issue, a UK researcher called Miguel Mendonca expressed in an interview that aliens have been secretly implanting extraterrestrial DNA into pregnant humans. In his opinion, the so-called alien-hybrid community is expanding on Earth and is vital to the future of the human race because of how they are helping us evolve into higher beings.

Draw your own conclusions

For further information: http://www.express.co.uk/news/weird/777789/alien-abductions-Express-survey-hybrids-compelling-evidence

Aliens ARE abducting humans: 'Evidence is compelling' for cosmic kidnaps survey finds

NEARLY 60 percent of people surveyed said they are convinced aliens are regularly abducting humans for experiments and other research.

Express.co.uk has conducted a poll asking readers if they think "people are abducted by aliens" after a series of shocking claims from alleged victims.

Around 9,300 people have responded to the survey, with a whopping 59 percent (5,487)saying they were "absolutely convinced" they are taking place and the evidence for them is "compelling".

The remaining 41 percent (3,813) said they believed the claims from so called alien abductees were just the stuff of dreams and fantasy.

Express.co.uk carried out the poll alongside a series of reports of claims being made on UFO conspiracy theory websites, where people had sworn to have been abducted, and even that they were the alien-human hybrid children of bizarre experiments involving their parents.

This month we told how a pair of twins claim they were abducted by "bald aliens" repeatedly from the age of five.

They told a sinister story of how they would tell their parents the "bald men are coming" in the run up to another cosmic kidnap.

The tale was revealed by Audrey Starborn Hewins at the 26th annual International UFO Congress in Fountain Arizona.

Ms Hewins, 43, from Oxford, Maine in the United States, attended the conference which aimed to give "therapy" to "alien abductees.

She claims to have had contact with aliens since the age of just five.

She told how her identical twin, Debbie, was also visited by grey aliens as they grew up in Athens, Ohio.

Last month we told the story of a 6ft 3in, green-eyed blonde French Canadian woman, who was a SURPRISE second twin, and claims she was implanted as a so-called hybrid by aliens.

Striking Lisa claims her mother gave birth to twins after a bizarre encounter with two aliens.

Lisa, whose surname is not revealed in a video, which broke the story, says her mother was supposedly pregnant with just a son in 1975, when she was born.

She is now convinced she was implanted into her mother by aliens after they "visited her while she was pregnant".

Her bizarre story was revealed for the first time by UFO researcher Luigi Vendittelli from Montreal, Canada, on the Earth Mystery News YouTube channel.

Express.co.uk has revealed a number of these bizarre stories over the past 18 months.

In May 2016, we exclusively revealed how green energy expert, Miguel Mendonca, 43, who helped shape UK renewable power policies, said he was convinced aliens have been secretly implanting extra terrestrial DNA into pregnant humans, in a book he wrote about it.

Mr Mendonca now claims the so-called alien-hybrid community is expanding on Earth and vital to the future of the human race because of how they are helping us "evolve into higher beings".

Mr Mendonca, who suffers with MS, the illness that leaves suffers with neurological symptoms, muscle pain and severe physical and mental exhaustion, even feels better with increased energy levels for having regular contact with the hybrids, although he stressed it could not cure his condition.

He said: "It's made no difference to my condition, but I do feel better on some levels."

In his book, Meet The Hybrids: The Lives And Missions of ET Ambassadors On Earth published by Amazon and co-authored with Barbara Lamb, he spent time interviewing eight people who claim they have grown up with implanted alien DNA in their bodies and are part of a mission to improve mankind.

Take part in our survey and tell us if you are also convinced by these stories.








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Last week, US President Donald Trump set the alarm bells ringing since he warned about a major, major conflict with North Korea if the Asian country continues to develop nuclear weapons.

However, just a couple of days after those statements, Mr Trump tried to calm the tense situation. In an interview with American TV channel CBS, Mr Trump did not seem very prone to executing a military action against Pyongyang.

Hes going to have to do what he has to do. But he understands were not going to be very happy, expressed the politician when questioned on North Korea President Kim Jong-uns attitude towards his country. The interviewer, journalist John Dickerson, insisted on asking Mr Trump about the possibility of attacking the communist country. I dont know. I mean, well see, answered the US president.

The American tycoon also expressed his opinion on Chinas posture. The Asian giant is still one of the main allies of North Korea, though in the last months has slightly changed its opinion towards North Koreas nuclear weapon program. I dont think they [the Chinese] want to see a destabilized North Korea. I dont think they want to see it. They certainly dont want to see nuclear on  from their neighbour, Mr Trump expressed. They havent liked it for a long time. But well see what happens. The relationship I have with China, its been already acclaimed as being something very special, something very different than weve ever had. But again, you know, well find out whether or not [Chinese] President Xi is able to effect change, he continued.

On this issue, US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson expressed his willing to start negotiations with Pyongyang, but also warned on further economic sanctions. He also expressed that the United States is ready to send aid if the North Korean government immediately stops its nuclear program. However, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi opined that punitive actions would not remedy the situation. Instead, he suggested that North Korea should stop its nuclear development and, at the same time, the US and South Korea should halt their military actions in the area. Nevertheless, both countries (US and South Korea) denied this possibility.

Draw your own conclusions

For further information: http://www.msn.com/en-ca/news/world/trump-is-not-ruling-out-military-action-against-north-korea/ar-BBAzefT?li=AAggNb9&ocid=UE07DHP
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Assyrian Mother Describes Moment ISIS Stole 3-Y-O Daughter Off Her Shoulders

Christina Khader Ebada, a 3 year-old Assyrian girl, was abducted from her family by ISIS as they were leaving Baghdede. A displaced Iraqi Christian mother is desperate to find her now 6-year-old daughter who was stripped from her by an Islamic State militant in 2014 as her family fled from their home in northern Iraq. The mother, who spoke with the Saudi-owned news outlet Al Arabiya, is now living in the Bahraka displacement camp in the Kurdish town of Erbil along with many other residents who fled the town of Qaraqosh, which was once home to over 50,000 Christians, when IS (also known as ISIS, ISIL or Daesh) conquered the city of Mosul and areas of the Nineveh Plains in the summer of 2014. But this mother, only referred to as "Christina's mother," is going from displacement camp to displacement with a giant photo of her youngest daughter, hoping that somebody has seen her. Christina, only three at the time, was stripped off her mother's shoulders by a jihadi in July 2014 when they decided to make a last-ditch effort to flee after they were told by the militant group to pay a tax or be killed. Although Christina's mother tried to negotiate her daughter's release, she was eventually told to never ask about her daughter again. The mother recalled her horrifying encounter with IS in an interview with Al Arabiya's "Death Making" program.

"My husband, a blind man, was sick and unable to escape. I sent my older children to run away with people in town. I stayed behind with my husband and younger daughter, Christina, and I thought she would be safe, no matter how cruel they were," the mother was quoted as saying. "I didn't expect them to hurt my little girl. What would make them hurt a little girl like her or even a woman?" Like many other Christians who could not escape from their homes before the IS takeover, Christina's mother soon learned that the jihadi death cult taking over their town has a disdain for Christianity. "We were told that we must convert to Islam, pay 'jizya,' (taxation against Christians and other non-Muslims) or leave the city. I told them that we will think about it and asked for more time," the mother explained, adding that the three of them then tried to flee the town. "My husband was recovering, so I took him and carried my daughter on my shoulders looking to leave the city," she continued. "However, she was then captured and I had to go back to Qaraqosh and beg them to return my daughter." The mother explained that a few days later when she met with a Tunisian militant who served as the head of the outfit in Qaraqosh, her daughter was sitting in his lap. "I cried and begged for her return. He pointed to one of the fighters to send me outside," she said. "This armed man told me they would cut my head off if I remained in the city one more day. I left with my husband feeling my heart bursting out of my chest." Nearly three years later, Christina and her parents have yet to be reunited. Al Arabiya reports that Christina's mother tried to negotiate the release of her daughter through mediators in Mosul and Qaraqosh. However, they could not secure her release. Even though Christina's mother received a recent photo of her daughter, she was told to never inquire about her daughter again. Although little is known about the fate of Christina, IS is known to enslave religious minority girls and women, who are bought, sold and bartered by IS militants as sex slaves. Earlier this week, it was reported that as many as 36 yazidi women and girls were rescued after spending nearly three years in IS enslavement. "What these women and girls have endured is unimaginable," Lise Grande, the United Nations' humanitarian coordinator for Iraq, was quoted by Al Jazeera as saying.
Join me on a tour of my neighborhood in Israel as I witness the local children light the local park on fire.

On Lag BOmer, we celebrate the death of Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai (known as the Rashbi), who is known for having revealed the Kabbalah to us. We call this celebration a Heelulah (a day of joy) as a rabbis death signals his reaching the culmination of his teachings, actions and deeds. Rashbis Heelulah is a huge celebration throughout Israel and for some reason, we rejoice with bonfires. Here is my advice on how to celebrate a Heelulah based on what I have witnessed in my own neighborhood.

Making The Bonfire

Background

Due to the light Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai brought to the world by revealing the mystical layer of the Torah, the Yahrzeit candle is not big enough. Instead, we have the children go out and make huge fires without parental supervision.

Collecting the Wood

The kids of Israel collect anything they can find that burns. This includes trees, branches, and homes. The children take their wood collection very seriously so, hide all inanimate objects. This includes houses, plastic and older people.

A word of caution: there is a fine line between a childs understanding of paying respects to the Rashbi and religious vigilantism. The children will burn everything. Stand by your door. Let them know it belongs to your house. If you are not around for Lag BOmer, hire a neighbor to make sure they do not burn down your home.

Heelulah of Rebbe Shimon Bar Yochai on Lag BOmer with the kids in my neighborhood. Thats me in the corner.

Bringing Your Flammables to the Park in Israel

In Israel, last Lag BOmer, I learned that supermarket carts only cost 5 shekel. If you put the 5 NIS in the cart, it is yours. The children put the 5 NIS in the cart and then take the cart and load it with wood. If you pile it correctly over the sides, and take up both sides of the street, you can push a good amount of the wood in your neighbors home in one trip. Bypassing the use of the parents car allows the child to up the ante and burn appliances.

What Happens at the Fire

There are many ways to use a fire. Most of them are dangerous. I suggest just watching it or eating marshmallows. But do not stick the marshmallows into the fire. That is a good way to burn yourself, or your friends.

The kids in my neighborhood didnt seem concerned about fire safety. They were running around the fire and throwing stuff into it, most of it highly flammable. That reminds me. I forgot to add another item that is flammable; deodorant. Do not worry. The parents are not to blame for exploding aerosol containers. After all, the parents werent there to see it.

If you cannot make it to Israel, to fully connect with the tradition, make sure your fire is uncontained. In Israel, it is fine to make uncontained fires in the park. Your town might have silly things like protections against forest fires. If that is the case, take a couple of rocks and tell them it is contained.

Playing a guitar is another bonfire experience. People see fires and play guitars. Its automatic. Nobody played guitar in my neighborhood last year though. Maybe thats because the kids threw it in the fire.

Bows & Arrows

Bereishit Rabba (35:2) says that not a single rainbow appeared in the sky during the lifetime of Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai. As the shooting of an arrow represent a rainbow, there is a tradition for the children to go out and play with bows and arrows. Or perhaps its just to add to the danger of the uncontained fires.

If you cannot make it to Israel, where children are allowed to carry weapons on Lag BOmer, I suggest that your children do not run around the streets with bows and arrows. Walking the streets of your city armed, and leaving your children with uncontained fires might not be legal. Cops in America may not be as forgiving as they are in Israel. For this reason, I would recommend that your children should use the bows and arrows in the house. Or whatever is left of your home after the bonfire.

One last piece of advice: if for whatever reason, the cops find your children on the streets with bows and arrows, I recommend that you dispose of the evidence immediately and throw them into the bonfire. The bows and arrows, I mean.
PLEASE NOTE!

Due to the March 23, 2020 NM DOH Public Health Order, These Event Listings Are Not Accurate!

All non-essential businesses are closed, public gatherings are prohibited!

(One day some of these events will be rescheduled or will resume, but they are not happening now!)
PinnacleHealth Friday said it will remain an in-network provider for United Healthcare for at least another year.

The health system again extended its contract with the insurance provider for another 12 monthsthrough May 31, 2018, per the contract extension.

PinnacleHealth has been in protracted contract negotiations with United Healthcare since August 2015, and ABC27 reported this will be the seventh contract extension.

Patients had been told United Healthcare would not be accepted as an in-network provider after talks initially fell through, according to ABC27, but PinnacleHealth said it has extended the contract.

We extended the contract solely for the benefit of our patients, the health system said in a statement Friday. It is our hope that this latest extension will yield a new contract that fairly reflects the value we provide to our patients.

Though details were not released about the contract talks, PinnacleHealth is not the only health provider balking at United Healthcares terms. Last week, Northwest Healthcare in Arizona reportedly had difficultly settling on an agreement.

According to the Associated Press, Northwest Healthcare claimed United rejected every proposal it offered, while United claimed Northwest turned down a five-year agreement other.

The AP previously reported the two had failed to reach an agreement, but United Healthcare said it reached a new 3-year agreement with Northwest this past Saturday.

The story was corrected from a previous version to show the new agreement with Northwest.
May 4, 2017

Egypts economists are lauding a new law that grants residency to foreigners in the North African country in return for bank deposits in hard currency. They say the new law will help ease the countrys foreign currency crunch and boost the national economy.

The law was approved April 27 by the Egyptian parliaments Defense and National Security Committee with its head saying that it will serve Egypts interests and will not negatively affect national security.

Kamel Amer, the head of the committee, noted that the law grants residency in return for deposits, which is different from granting citizenship in return for investments.

According to the new law, foreigners can only apply for citizenship after five years of residency. Amer said that citizenship will be granted only if the relevant conditions are met and after a security clearance. The parliaments committee did not announce the amount of the deposit that foreigners are required to put in Egypts banks if they are seeking Egyptian citizenship. Local media reports claimed that the amount a foreigner must put in an Egyptian bank to get a five-year residency permit was $500,000. The foreigner can then give up that dollar deposit to the government if he or she wants to obtain citizenship after five years of residency.

Amer said that the new law comes amid increasing demand from foreigners to get a residency in Egypt, adding that putting a foreign currency deposit in Egyptian banks is regarded as indirect investment and would encourage Arab and foreign investors to take part in Egypts economic projects.

The Egyptian government has recently started to introduce economic reform measures in order to ease its currency crunch and stimulate economic growth.

The countrys currency peg and a decline in foreign investment and tourism after the 2011 uprising drained the Central Banks foreign reserves.

Foreign currency flows have gradually been boosted in recent months after the government signed late last year a $12 billion, three-year loan program with the International Monetary Fund. The program calls for aggressive economic reforms, including energy price increases and the introduction of a value-added tax.

Egypts foreign reserves edged up to $28.6 billion at the end of April from $28.5 billion at the end of March, the Central Bank said.

The country had roughly $36 billion in reserves before the 2011 revolution scared away tourists and foreign investors, both of which were key sources of hard currency.

Maj. Gen. Yehia Kedwany, a member of the Defense and National Security Committee, told Egyptian news site Parlmany that the residency-for-deposits system is followed in several countries around the world, including the United States, the United Kingdom and Germany.

He said that not all foreigners residing in Egypt will get citizenship, as security bodies and the Cabinet might determine that the applicant is not eligible based on information and monitoring of his or her actions during the period of residency in the country.

Kedwany added that revenues from applying this law would reach $10 billion shortly, as the number of foreigners residing in Egypt stands at 4-5 million. That is a huge amount of hard currency that can significantly benefit the states economy, he noted.

Economists say that the new law would remarkably bolster the governments efforts to increase the availability of hard currency in the market and prop up the national economy.

The move comes at the perfect time, said economist Ahmed el-Shami. Shami described the move as excellent, saying that the country is in dire need of such ideas amid hard economic times.

However, he emphasized the importance of scrutinizing the applications submitted by foreigners to get citizenship, saying that security bodies should track down all of their activities in the country during the period of their residency in order to avoid any harm to national security.

Editor's note: This article has been updated since its initial publication.
May 4, 2017

German Chancellor Angela Merkel is furious about Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahus decision on April 25 not to meet with German Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel, following Gabriels meeting with left-wing Israeli human rights organizations. According to a senior source close to Federica Mogherini, the European Union high representative for foreign affairs and security policy, the EU heard extremely harsh criticism in that line from the chancellors office in Berlin. Netanyahus move is seen, both in Brussels and Berlin, as a slap in the face of the European leadership and as a signal that Israel rejects European involvement in any further US-led peace initiatives.

The official told Al-Monitor on condition of anonymity that since Donald Trump was elected as the 45th US president, Netanyahu has turned more combative than ever before. He is directly opposed  in rhetoric and in deed  to a two-state solution, said the source. Despite the relative calm in the West Bank and Gaza, the EU sees the situation as extremely unstable. The Israeli settlement construction restraint is a hoax. On the Palestinian side, there are increasingly more militant voices in Fatah for a possible uprising.

According to this official, given that June 2017 marks 50 years since the occupation began, it could become a month of violence. Such a violence surge will probably take the form of more terror attacks, rather than a new intifada, leading to cycles of violence throughout this summer.

The EU official said that Mogherini is in frequent contact on Middle East issues with US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson. She estimates, he added, that Trump will talk about the principles of his Middle East policy while visiting Brussels for the NATO summit on May 25. But the administration may prefer reaching out to the EU on the anti-Islamic State coalition, rather than including the Europeans in the possible regional peace initiative.

In any case, on the Israeli-Palestinian issue, the assessment in Brussels is that Trumps rhetoric will be very pro-Israel, even on the Jerusalem issue. While the US president will visit Saudi Arabia, his team is considering the possibility of also meeting with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and King Abdullah of Jordan during his trip to the region. The United States, like the EU, is apparently aware of the viewpoint espoused by pragmatic Arab countries, by which the 2002 Arab Peace Initiative is vital for any Israeli-Palestinian peace process. Trump, according to the Brussels official, may surprise people by taking a more favorable attitude toward a two-state solution.

The EU expects Washington to initiate a regional peace conference on the Israeli-Palestinian issue and on the war on terror, yet Brussels does not believe that the administration will involve the leaders of Europe in such a conference.

The EU official stressed that even if this is the case, the European leadership will not leave the Israeli-Palestinian diplomatic field solely to the United States. The EU will inform Washington that it will support an American initiative for a two-state solution, but should the conference not take place, or turn out to be merely a photo opportunity, Brussels will coordinate with Berlin and Paris on the renewal of the Paris conference (or in any other EU member capital) and the monitoring of Security Council Resolution 2334 implementation on the illegality of settlement construction.

A senior PLO official close to Abbas told Al-Monitor that despite improved coordination between Abbas and Trump on a possible regional initiative based on the Arab Peace Initiative, Ramallah is simultaneously coordinating future initiatives with Brussels. The PLO representative in Paris has been in close contact with leading French presidential candidate Emmanuel Macrons foreign policy team and is encouraged by a seemingly pro-two-state solution and anti-settlement policy.

In fact, the Palestinian leadership would welcome another Paris peace conference in 2017. The weeks to come seem to be the last window of opportunity for diplomacy. A senior Ministry of Foreign Affairs official with access to Netanyahu told Al-Monitor on condition of anonymity that Netanyahu is optimistic about the outcome of the Trump visit. We are not taking anything for granted, we have been reassured of President Trumps full support of Israel, and that nothing will be imposed on the Israeli government.
May 7, 2017

Russia, Iran and Turkey have agreed to be guarantors of a six-month cease-fire in four Syrian regions  Idlib and parts of its neighboring provinces, Eastern Ghouta, northern Homs, and areas around Daraa and al-Quneitra provinces  to de-escalate violence, facilitate humanitarian access and improve the conditions for a political settlement.

UN Syria envoy Staffan de Mistura praised the agreement as a promising and positive step in the right direction.

With the Astana agreement, Russian President Vladimir Putin has again changed the conversation on Syria, making clear to Washington that the road to both a political settlement and the defeat of the Islamic State and al-Qaeda passes through Moscow.

Just last month US-Russia collaboration on Syria, which US President Donald Trump had proposed during the US presidential campaign, seemed on life support. There had been an international outcry over allegations that the Syrian government has used chemical weapons against civilians in the town of Khan Sheikhoun, killing over 90. The US intelligence community had assessed with a very high level of confidence that Syrian forces had used chemical weapons against the town in Idlib province April 2, and responded with a missile attack on a Syrian air base. The Russian government rejected US accusations of Syrian blame, condemned the US missile attack and stepped back from the US-Russia conflict-avoidance arrangements in Syria.

But Putin seized on an ill-defined American plan for safe zones in Syria to put US-Russia partnership back in play. A White House statement noted that Trump and Putin discussed safe, or de-escalation, zones to achieve lasting peace for humanitarian and many other reasons, in a telephone call May 2. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov linked the de-escalation zones in the Astana agreement to earlier US proposals for safe zones to reduce violence in Syria, telling MIR TV on May 6, It is not by chance that the United States welcomed the results of the meeting in Astana, specifically an agreement on setting up de-escalation zones. The same day, US Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Joseph Dunford and the Russian chief of the General Staff of the armed forces, Gen. Valery Gerasimov, affirmed their commitment to conflict-avoidance operations in Syria.

Although the State Department made clear that the United States was not a party to the agreement, despite the presence of Acting Assistant Secretary of State Stuart Jones at the Astana talks, and that Washington has concerns about the role of Iran as a guarantor of the agreement, the United States nonetheless encouraged Syrian opposition groups to participate in the talks and declared that the opposition must also live up to its commitments, with Turkey as the guarantor, to separate from designated terrorist groups, including Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, which continue to hijack the legitimate aspirations of the Syrian people for a representative and accountable government.

Hayat Tahrir al-Sham is a coalition of radical Salafi groups led by Jabhat Fatah al-Sham, Syrias al-Qaeda affiliate.

Because military operations against IS and al-Qaeda and its affiliates continue, the Astana agreement reopens the possibility of deepening US-Russian coordination beyond conflict avoidance, especially as the United States readies an offensive against IS in Raqqa. The deal calls on parties to take all necessary measures to continue the fight against [IS], Jabhat al-Nusra and all other individuals, groups, undertakings and entities associated with al-Qaeda or [IS] as indicated by the UN Security Council within and outside the de-escalation areas. On May 5, Gen. Sergei Rudskoy, the chief of the Russian Defense Ministrys Main Operational Directorate, stressed that the memorandum of understanding "does not stop fighting against terrorists of [IS] and Jabhat al-Nusra in Syria. State guarantors undertake to continue fighting against formations of these and other terrorist organizations in the de-escalation zones as well as provide assistance to the government troops and armed opposition in fighting insurgents in other areas of Syria. After establishing the de-escalation zones, the government troops will be sent to continue offensive on the [IS] formations in the central and eastern parts of Syria as well as to liberate areas located along the River Euphrates.

Four weeks ago, this column predicted that Russia might consider reinforced military deployments or even a Russian no-fly zone following the US attack on the Shayrat air base.

The inclusion of Turkey in the deal suggests that Washington may require Moscows good offices to manage Turkeys role in Syria. Last week, we wrote that following Turkeys airstrikes against the Syrian Peoples Protection Units (YPG) in northern Syria, the United States is out on a limb as Turkey, a NATO ally, is almost daring the United States to continue its reliance on the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), whose most effective fighters are drawn primarily from the YPG, in the long-anticipated military campaign to expel IS from Raqqa.

Maxim Suchkov writes, As Moscow has sought a reliable way to move the Syrian conflict from the battlefield into the political realm (the conflict has gradually claimed more Russian lives and drained more resources) the idea of safe zones became worth exploring. The concept only had to be recalibrated to meet at least three objectives: to not impede Russias own military actions on the ground; to be packaged as Russias own political achievement domestically; and to be presented as a genuine international effort co-mediated by Turkey and Iran to get them on board. Besides, such a move would also be helpful to show Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and the Iranians that Moscow is not selling them out to Americans as they fear. At the same time there is an understanding that without Washington, implementing the initiative would be more difficult. Hence, Russias Defense Ministry said it is willing to resume discussions with the United States  which Russia halted after the strikes on the Shayrat air base  on a flight safety memorandum designed to prevent midair collisions.

"For now, the Russian Defense Ministry says safe zones will be a key tool in securing these immediate goals:

To divide moderate opposition forces from the Islamic State (IS) and Jabhat Fatah al-Sham

To more freely deliver humanitarian aid to population in the de-escalation areas

To restore infrastructure and water facilities in the zones so refugees can return."

Suchkov adds, Most importantly, the memorandum is seen as a key step to stop the fighting in Syria.  Operationally, Russians believe that the safe zone initiative will untie the Syrian governments hands and help Assad direct forces to liberate central and eastern parts of Syria from IS, including territories along the Euphrates River and east of Palmyra. All that would help with preparing a large-scale offensive on IS-held Deir ez-Zor. The Russian military makes it clear it will support those efforts with its airstrikes.
May 7, 2017

US President Donald Trump's decision to make Saudi Arabia his first foreign stop on his first trip abroad reflects the importance his administration has given to courting the Saudis. There are useful lessons to be learned from previous presidents' trips to the kingdom about how to successfully court the royal family.

The first American president to seek Saudi support was Franklin Delano Roosevelt. He began by inviting two of King Ibn Saud's sons, Princes Faisal and Khalid (both future kings), to the White House in 1943 where the fundamentals of the American-Saudi relationship were agreed upon. On Valentine's Day 1945, FDR met with the king face to face on a US Navy cruiser, the USS Quincy, in the Suez Canal just after the Yalta summit. That moment is the cornerstone of the relationship.

FDR was careful to avoid any offense. He sent his daughter to Cairo for a day of shopping. A chain smoker, the president did not smoke in front of the king; instead he grabbed a quick puff in the ship's elevator on the way to lunch alone. In his discussion, FDR did well when he stuck to the big picture of strategic cooperation. When he pushed for the king to back a Jewish state in Palestine, Ibn Saud was firmly negative. The Jews should have a state carved out of Germany since they were responsible for the Holocaust. Hitting a stone wall, FDR dropped the subject.

When he learned that FDR was to meet Ibn Saud, British Prime Minister Winston Churchill insisted on his own meeting in Cairo. Churchill smoked and drank alcohol throughout the lunch. The meeting was a disaster. The British moment in the Middle East was over.

The first American president to visit the kingdom was Richard Nixon in the last days of the Watergate scandal. He was desperate for a big diplomatic deal to save him from impeachment. King Faisal, who has just lifted the 1973 oil embargo that had sent America into a recession, instead lectured Nixon on the evils of Zionism and the need to return East Jerusalem to Arab and Muslim rule. Nixon left empty-handed.

President George H.W. Bush fared much better traveling on Thanksgiving 1990 to discuss the upcoming Operation Desert Storm to liberate Kuwait with King Fahd. Bush assured Fahd that once Iraq was defeated he would turn to organizing a multinational conference to address the Arab-Israeli conflict, including the Palestinian issue. The Madrid conference followed in 1992. Bush senior is still highly regarded by the royal family.

Ironically, Barack Obama probably courted the Saudis more than any president since Roosevelt. He certainly sold them more arms than any other president. The kingdom was his first stop in the Middle East in 2009. The visit went poorly. Obama asked for a commitment from King Abdullah to open direct contact with Israel to help facilitate a renewal of the peace process. Abdullah outright refused. Obama thought his staff had worked a deal with the Saudis to take prisoners from the Guantanamo Navy base; the king said he knew nothing about such a deal. By trying to transact business rather than focus on building a personal relationship first, Obama got off to a bad start. It only got worse over time. The new king, Salman, stiffed Obama when he was first invited to America.

The Saudis are planning three events for this month's Trump visit. First is a session with the king and his court, then a meeting with the leaders of the Gulf Cooperation Council and finally a meeting with other Muslim leaders and representatives. It is a demonstration of the Saudis' convening power and broad influence. The custodian of the two holy mosques, as they style themselves, has huge soft power in the Islamic world.

Iran is Salman's top issue. This month, Saudi Defense Minister and Deputy Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman gave an interview condemning Iran in extremely harsh sectarian terms. The prince, the king's favorite son, characterized the Iranian Islamic Republic as being driven by messianic prophecies and determined to dominate the entire Islamic community. He claimed that Iran sought to take control of Mecca from the kingdom. There was no room for dialogue with Tehran, according to his statement. Indeed, the prince promised that the kingdom will fight its war against Iran inside Iran, not in Saudi Arabia. He was vague about what that means, but it suggests he supports regime change in Tehran. It was one of the most virulent public attacks on Iran ever by the House of Saud.

The royal family is eager for American support against Iran in Yemen, Syria and Iraq. The Saudi leaders face a more skeptical domestic audience. The new Trump administration is widely seen by the public in the Arab world as an enemy of Islam. A poll of Saudis in November showed overwhelming support for Hillary Clinton and only 6% for Trump. There will be no demonstrations against the president in a police state, but the palace will not want to be seen as failing to defend Muslim rights, especially when it comes to Jerusalem.

There will be agreement on fighting terror, including al-Qaeda and the Islamic State. Behind the scenes, the Saudis will want some administration action to prevent legal action against the kingdom via the Justice Against Sponsors of Terrorism Act (JASTA). Numerous lawsuits have been filed alleging Saudi responsibility for 9/11. The Saudis will note that the CIA just awarded Crown Prince and Interior Minister Mohammed bin Nayef the George Tenet medal for fighting terrorism. How can a medal winner be a sponsor of terror?
When Abby Hensley asked Marc McLendon to be her date to the Priceville High School prom, she wore a hot dog costume and held a sign that said "Don't be a Meanie, go to prom with this Weenie."

Then came the tweet from Abby that said "300 retweets and Marc will wear the hotdog costume to prom."

That's when the Wienermobile team at Oscar Mayer got involved and they tweeted "Hot dog promposal? Way to go @abbyhensleyy! How about we throw in a ride to the dance in the @Wienermobile?"

It's really rare for the Wienermobile to divert from its usual schedule, but they couldn't resist when they saw Abby's "promposal" to her boyfriend Marc while wearing a hot dog costume.

And so the Wienemobile took a detour from it's Atlanta tour and stopped in Decatur, Alabama Saturday March 6th to "ketch-up" with Abby & Marc and give them a ride from Decatur to Stone Bridge Farm in Cullman, Alabama for the Priceville High School prom in in the 27-foot hot dog on wheels.

With 335 retweets, Marc did wear the hot dog costume to the prom and Abby carried a bouquet of flowers and hot dogs.

Marc's mother told us he is considering applying to become a Wienermobile driver, known as a Hotdogger. It's a one year commitment to see the country while spreading hot dog joy to thousands. The ride to the prom in the Wienermobile looks like a great resume enhancement if and when he applies for the job.
This how Huntsville, Alabama - home to the longest running chapter of the Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International celebrated International Drone Day Saturday May 6th at the U.S. Space & Rocket Center.

Drone Races - 22 drone racing pilots from around the southeast had their miniature high tech flying machines zipping around a course of obstacles at 60 mph. With five drones racing in each heat, the goal was to see how many laps could be completed in three minutes without crashing the drone and doing the "Walk of Shame" (returning with a downed drone).

Check out this GoPro video from drone racing pilot John Ball. While this is a higher resolution view of flying from the drone's perspective, pilots wearing goggles get a similar view to guide their drones but with a much lower resolution black & white image because of the need for real time transmission of the images.

Spectators could also view the drone view images on large screen TVs or on their own screens or goggles by tuning in to the live stream video radio frequency similar to what you might do at a NASCAR race.

The new netted drone flight space at the Space & Rocket Center The 150 x 150 x 30 foot high permanent enclosure will be used for drone training by the Aviation Challenge and Robotics programs run by the Space & Rocket Center. It will also be used by UAH as a drone research facility and by other organizations such as first responders to learn safe flying techniques. The area will eventually be open to individuals to improve their drone flying skills but access will need to be scheduled with the Space & Rocket Center.

Displays of both military, commercial and hobbyist drones - Companies such as Dynetics and Redstone Arsenal's Project Management Office for Unmanned Aircaft Systems were on hand as well as Avion Unmanned Solutions to show both the military and commercial uses for drones including inspections, search & rescue, mapping, surveying, security and real-estate uses.

Drone Forum - FAA personnel were on hand to to talk about regulations as well as answer questions from drone pilots. Dave Arterburn, director of the Rotocraft Systems Engineering & Simulation Center at UAH was on hand to discuss their research into drone safety standards.

Food trucks - After all what could be better than combining I Love Drones with the I Love Bacon food truck.

As drone technology improves and the community of drone users expands, it is helpful for individuals and organizations to come together at events such as International Drone Day to exchange information, promote education, training and the safe operations of this ever changing high tech industry.
What do you tell a middle school student who is more worried about getting shot than passing the next exam?

That was the situation Tuesday for Candyse Anderson, a therapist at Samaritan Counseling Center who provides counseling to Montgomery's Valiant Cross Academy twice a week.

One day after 14-year-old Bellingrath Middle School student Ja'Querria Timmons was murdered after school let out, sixth-grade students at Valiant Cross came to Anderson with fears and questions children and teenagers shouldn't have.

"Many of them were emotionally and psychologically affected by the death of the young lady at Bellingrath," Anderson said. "Kind of a post-traumatic stress response to what happened. One young man said things like, 'I'm scared that this will happen to me. Why does this happen? I don't understand how you can just kill somebody. Where do they get the guns from? How do I stay safe?'"

Valiant Cross students are known for their maturity and manners, products of their intensive support system and school camaraderie. And yet, after the fatal shooting of Timmons, those students were shaken. Anderson said they were afraid to walk through their own communities.

"One sixth-grader said, 'I want to keep my community safe, but I'm afraid I'm going to be shot," Anderson said.

Anderson said it's concerning to see middle schoolers having to ask why shootings happen. It's also a product of the recent wave of youth crime. Two students have been shot near school grounds after school this semester, and hours before Timmons was shot near Bellingrath on May 1, two other juveniles attempted to bring a gun into McKee Middle School. When they were stopped, they fired in the air outside the school.

The youth crime problems go back to last year. There were several reports of youths breaking into or stealing cars, a possible source of many of the guns used in youth violence, police say. Then there was the lady who was forced out of her car at gunpoint while in line at drive-thru and the teens who stole iPads from Pike Road School, to name a few incidents. On Jan. 30, 18-year-old Jaylen Henderson was shot and killed by 17-year-old Markeefe Hill after the two allegedly stole a rifle, and there were reports from the city at the time that the youth facility was at full occupancy. Lee High School student Quinterrious Norman is facing assault and burglary charges after he allegedly stole a gun from a neighbor, brought it to school and shot both a car and a female student outside the school on March 16.

Anderson said having to worry about safety can severely impact a student's performance at school. When asked what can be said to a middle schooler afraid to walk home in the afternoon, Anderson said she told Valiant Cross students to be mindful of the impact of every decision, both good and bad.

"One thing I explained to the kids (Tuesday) was that although we can't affect the actions of bad people, we can speak up, make healthy choices and do our part to make positive change in our community," Anderson said. "Your actions affect other people whether they're good or bad. I'd just like to encourage parents to talk to their children and reassure them that they will work to make their community safe."
Rachel Dees with Henry

Rachel Dees with Henry, a little boy who got a Make-A-Wish Foundation wish granted thanks to her help raising money.

((Contributed by Janet Dees))

They don't give grades for "citizenship" in school anymore, but if they did, Rachel Dees would be in the National Honor Society of Citizenship.

A senior at Spain Park High School, Rachel maintains a grade point average of 4.12 at one of the state's top schools and is a member of the actual National Honor Society. But she also raises money for the Make-A-Wish Foundation, volunteers for The American Heart Association and the Ronald McDonald House and is a youth leader and Sunday School teacher at Riverchase United Methodist Church. That's just a snippet of the resume' of leadership and volunteerism she's put together.

Rachel Dees of Spain Park High School is the Alabama DAR Good Citizen of the year and will be compete for the organization's national award.

She has been honored for her citizenship, however. She won The Finley Award --- Hoover City Schools' highest character award -- twice, in 2013 and 2016.

This year Rachel has been recognized as Alabama's top young citizen, being named the Daughters of the American Revolution's Good Citizen for the state of Alabama. Later this month, she'll be considered for the DAR Good Citizen national award.

If she's selected over other state winners, based on her resume', recommendations and an essay on the value of citizenship to our nation, she will be honored at DAR's 126th Continental Congress, at Continental Hall in Washington, D.C., June 28 through July 2.

In this time when teens and young adults are often portrayed as spoiled and self-centered, students like Rachel shatter that stereotype.

"We are all called to help our neighbors and have a responsibility to strive to be our best selves," Rachel said. "I also think that the best way to lead is to be in service of others."

In her winning essay for the state DAR competition, Rachel referenced people's mad scramble to have every new piece of technology or follow every new trend, but turned what might seem a negative into a positive. It's part of our nature to be competitive and that contributes to what makes us a great nation, she wrote.

But that initiative has to be channeled into positive pursuits, not just by the gifted and talented, but by the everyday citizen, Rachel wrote.

"Doctors, lawyers, and inventors play a pivotal role in keeping America moving forward. In fact, the smartest and brightest people often create and inspire within the United States, but this top few percent of people alone cannot be credited with holding America to the highest of standards it is held to now," she wrote. "The goodwill and benevolence of the United States is due to the hard work and dedication of good citizens. One person can make a difference, but when numerous people join together with a common goal there is hardly any (limit) on what a group can accomplish."

Rachel has already been accepted to Auburn University and awarded the Founders Academic Scholarship. With her intelligence she could pursue any career and make tons of money when she graduates.

But her plan isn't to cash in, but to invest her talent into making the world a better place. She plans to major in global studies with a double minor in business and non/profit/philanthropic administration, then go to law school with the goal of becoming a nonprofit or human rights lawyer.

"I feel like God has placed a calling on my life to serve other people and fight for those people who cannot fight for themselves," she said.

Haskins writes about points of pride statewide. Email your suggestions to shaskins@al.com, or tweet them to @Shelly_Haskins using #AlabamaProud
According to a probable cause statement from the Madison County Sheriffs Department, a Fredericktown man is charged with attempting to disarm a sheriffs deputy and resisting arrest.

In the report, Deputy Wendell Bellew said that on March 3 at the Madison County Sheriffs Office, Slade Foster, 47, of Fredericktown grabbed for Bellews service gun and tried to remove it from the holster. Foster then continued to resist after Bellew advised him that he was under arrest.

Foster is scheduled for arraignment at 9 a.m., May 18 at the Madison County Courthouse.

* * *

In a separate incident at the Madison County Jail, an inmate is charged with possession of a controlled substance.

In his report of the incident, Deputy Steven Robinson said he discovered marijuana in the cell of inmate Jerry Miller, 29, of Fredericktown during a search of the cell on March 3 at around 9:40 p.m.

Miller is scheduled for arraignment at 9 a.m., May 4 at the Madison County Courthouse.

* * *

A Marquand man is charged with assault and unlawful use of a weapon stemming from a March 11 incident.

According to the probable cause statement, Madison County Sheriffs Deputy Lindell Lunsford was dispatched at 5:35 p.m. to a residence in Marquand regarding an individual who had been threatened with a knife.

Lunsford arrived at the location and made contact with the alleged victim of the threat. According to the report, the victim claimed that upon arriving home from the grocery store, he observed his own dog across the street at a neighbors residence.

An individual, later identified as Anthony Wolfe, 42, of Marquand, approached the dog and began making verbal threats at the animal. The victim told Deputy Lunsford that he got between Wolfe and his dog, at which point an argument ensued. During the argument, Wolfe allegedly produced a folding knife from his pocket and threatened to gut the victim and his dog.

Wolfe is scheduled to be arraigned at 9 a.m. on May 4 at the Madison County Courthouse in Fredericktown.

* * *

A Fredericktown man is facing a felony unlawful use of a weapon charge, following a March 21 incident.

According to his statement, Madison County Sheriffs Deputy Steven Robinson was dispatched at 3:32 p.m., regarding a domestic assault at a residence on U.S. 67. Robinson arrived and made contact with Julius McDonald, 30, of Fredericktown, who told Robinson that he and his cousin had gotten into a dispute over some movies that McDonald had loaned him and wanted returned.

Robinson then went to speak with McDonalds cousin, who told Robinson the two cousins had been having issues for some time, but the current dispute was indeed over movies that McDonald had loaned to the cousin, and that he wanted returned.

The alleged victim also told Robinson that McDonald had threatened he and his wife with a knife, and had taken a video of the confrontation on his phone. Robinson viewed the video, confirmed that the cousin wished to press charges and took a statement from him.

Robinson returned to McDonalds apartment and placed him under arrest. McDonald is scheduled for arraignment at 9 a.m., May 4 at the Madison County Courthouse.

* * *

A McGee man is charged with possession of a controlled substance in the Madison County Jail, following his arrest on April 20.

According to a Madison County Sheriffs Department report, Deputy Lucas Nickelson stated that he was dispatched to the Longhorn Motel in Cherokee Pass, regarding a man who was allegedly attempting to steal a car. While on his way to the motel, Nickelson was advised that the subject was now at the Cherokee Pass Mobil station. Nickelson arrived at the gas station at 2:43 a.m. and observed the described individual, later identified as Joshua Walk, of McGee, Missouri.

Nickelson stated Walks eyes were bloodshot and his speech was slurred. When Nickelson asked Walk where he was from, he replied that he was from, Down there, and then commenced to cursing at the deputy. Nickelson decided to take the man into custody for 12 hours for safety, due to the mans behavior.

The report also stated that once in the Madison County Jail, Walk was directed to remove everything from his pockets. Walk removed a metal container from his pocket, ran into the bathroom and attempted to throw the container into the toilet, but missed. The metal container held a white powder, which twice tested positive for methamphetamine.

Walk is scheduled for arraignment at 11 a.m. on May 11 at the Madison County Courthouse in Fredericktown.
As others head home, a community of cleaners start work in insecure jobs that often leave them vulnerable to abuse.

London, UK  From Monday to Friday between 9 and 11pm, Ramona* works at an office building near Finsbury Square, in the commercial heart of London.

As the last employees trickle out through the rotating glass doors, she puts on her uniform.

Then she begins cleaning: vacuuming five storeys along with another cleaner, clearing out all the rubbish, and washing and drying all the used cutlery and crockery in the communal kitchens which are often filthy by the time she arrives. She has just two hours to complete her work.

Her least favourite task, she says, is cleaning the toilets.

If the stench of human waste doesnt bother you, the bleach will, the 36-year-old explains.

It is exhausting work, particularly as she has another cleaning job in the afternoons. But Ramona tries to lighten her mood by putting on earphones and listening to salsa music.

Apart from the awkward greetings of those who pass her on their way out, Ramona barely speaks to anyone, but she says she doesnt mind.





My life now is not so good, but still much better from when I first arrived in London, she says.

Ramona, who is pink-cheeked and jovial, and wears her dyed blonde hair in pigtails, came to London in search of better employment opportunities.

She left her native Bolivia in 2006, shortly before Evo Morales became president, when the countrys extreme poverty rate was at an all-time high of 38.2 percent.

For almost a year, she shared a flat with her sister and cousin, taking on commercial cleaning jobs at night in different offices on an informal basis. Shed learn about the work through word of mouth, usually from fellow Latin Americans in her neighbourhood.

No contracts, no uniforms, nothing when I first started, Ramona, who was paid in cash, recalls. Sometimes when I called my manager to ask when I would be paid after working for a week, he or she would respond, So, do you want this job or not?'

She hadnt yet met her husband and working such unsocial hours meant that days or even weeks could pass without her speaking to anybody.

Ramona is just one in a largely invisible and vulnerable community of hundreds of migrant night cleaners in London. Her journey to the UK is characteristic of others in the industry. They often enter the country as tourists looking for a way out of poverty, working illegally at first under informal arrangements, which leave them vulnerable to job insecurity and abuse. Undocumented migrants have some avenues for legal advice but taking a case to court puts them at risk of deportation.

Ramona qualified to be a resident of the UK when she met and married her husband, a Spanish citizen of Ecuadorian descent.

But the road can be just as tough for those workers who enter the UK legally. Several cleaners that Al Jazeera spoke to had spent a number of years working both legally and illegally first in another EU country, exposed to the same problems, before exercising their right to move to the UK under the principle of the single market. All nine cleaners that this reporter spoke to were legal residents in the UK at the point of their interviews.

READ MORE: What will become of EU residents who call the UK home?

English classes

The precariousness that Ramona faces is similar to that of Colombian sisters Gloria, 43, and Desdemona, 47.

But their path to London was far more arduous. In 2001, they smuggled themselves to Spain where they worked undocumented as fruit collectors and then as domestic cleaners until three years ago.

Then, after securing EU citizenship, a brother-in-law living in London invited them to the UK. They stayed with him for a short period of time and began working as commercial cleaners.

Life is hard, Gloria says in Spanish. I wake up at 1am to take the bus to work, and my office is near St Pauls Cathedral. My shifts are between 2[am] to 4am, and 5[am] to 7am every day.

It's difficult even going to buy groceries at a supermarket because I'm too scared to ask for help. by Gloria, commercial cleaner from Colombia

When we first came here, Desdemona laughs, we had this impression of London as a city full of blond people with blue eyes, who were rich and had a lot of money. We didnt know there were other poor people like us, too.

Neither sister speaks any English.

Its difficult even going to buy groceries at a supermarket because Im too scared to ask for help, Gloria says.

Their older sister died in Cali in Colombia in September 2016, but they couldnt afford to return home for the funeral. Gloria was also worried that she wouldnt be able to re-enter the UK if she left.

Most of the time, the cleaners say they dont know where exactly they are going to work until their first day.

READ MORE: Do different generations of immigrants think differently?

I really wanted to learn English, and after saving for over a year, I finally paid 1,400 pounds (roughly $1,760) to attend morning classes at a language centre, Ramona says.

She remembers the exact amount she paid because she ended up failing the course.

I slept through every lesson. It was so difficult to keep focus when Id been cleaning for 14 hours through the night.

After that came a particularly painful period of time when one of Ramonas several employers did not pay her for three months straight.

Calls to the cleaning company went unanswered, and when she finally got hold of her manager, she was told that she had been dismissed.

He said, We lost your contract. Dont call again,' she says ruefully. There was nothing she could do as she was working illegally at the time and feared being sent back to Bolivia.

Her savings were being depleted at an alarming rate, and she would walk from office to office to save on bus fares, even if it took over an hour.

She didnt consider seeking legal aid or exposing the employment abuse she was suffering. Its better to be exploited than to have no job, she reflects.

Desdemona and Gloria see their work as a trap.

We have no TV and no internet in our home. If were not catching up on sleep in our free time, we go to the park and eat outside in the cold, Desdemona says. How is this life?

Migration and exploitation

The stories of Ramona, Gloria and Desdemona are all too ubiquitous. There are hundreds of night cleaners like them living in London.

There are no official statistics for the total number of people cleaning Londons offices at night.

According to a 2014 report published by the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC), a quasi-autonomous non-governmental organisation in the UK that advocates and enforces equality and non-discrimination laws, the non-domestic cleaning sector as a whole contributes more than $10bn (PDF) to the economy each year and comprises a largely invisible workforce of around half-a-million people predominantly made up of women and ethnic minorities.

Likewise, there are no hard numbers on the extent of the abuse specific to the night cleaning industry, but social justice advocates interviewed for this article say they have no doubt that it is rampant. According to the EHRC report, abuses include workers being harassed and treated as the lowest of the low, being underpaid, unfair dismissal as a result of pregnancy, and the lack of facilities to take breaks.

The Office for National Statistics states that the minimum wage for workers above the age of 21 is 6.50 pounds (about $8) an hour. Almost all nine cleaners interviewed for this article were paid this bare minimum.

Carolina Gottardo, director of the Latin American Women Rights Service (LAWRS) based in central-east London, told Al Jazeera that anecdotal evidence points to a large percentage of night cleaners being Latin American.

Just go to any office in the evening, and youll see, she says.

According to No Longer Invisible, a report jointly published by Queen Mary, University of London, LAWRS and the Trust for London, an independent funder focused on poverty and inequality in the city, the first wave of Latin Americans arrived in the UK in the early 1970s.

They quickly filled up work permit quotas for the hospitality and cleaning industries. These migrants were frequently from countries facing political and economic turmoil, including Argentina, Chile and Uruguay. After the work permit scheme for unskilled workers was tightened in 1979, the migration pattern for Latin American workers to the UK changed significantly. A sizable number of asylum seekers, notably those from Colombia and Ecuador, were given permanent residence in the UK under the Family Indefinite Leave to Remain scheme in 2003, a one-off attempt by the British government to grant residency to 15,000 asylum-seeking families.

Since 2000, with stricter enforcement of immigration policy, secondary migration from EU countries has driven the growth of the Latin American community in the UK.

It is also quite common for Latin American migrants to first apply for a Spanish passport or citizenship due to the shared language, and work in Madrid for a few years before moving to the UK, some illegally. Most settle in the boroughs of Southwark and Lambeth, the neighbourhoods with the highest concentration of Latin American workers in London according to the No Longer Invisible report. Of more than 1,000 respondents almost 40 percent has experienced workplace abuses, such as not receiving pay, and 11 percent earn less than the minimum wage.

They think employment prospects here are better, and they [can] easily find jobs in cleaning and hospitality. But in truth, exploitation is endemic, and women are the most vulnerable of all, Gottardo says. She adds that female night cleaners are a target for sexual harassment because there are no witnesses to the crime.

Gottardo, who is from Colombia, is determined to change the status quo and explains that LAWRS uses a holistic approach to target these issues. Aside from offering English classes, housing and immigration advice, counselling and therapy, LAWRS is also engaged in advocacy and high-level policy work to push for increased regulation of the cleaning industry in London.

She stresses that the aim of LAWRS is not to empower Latin American women in blue-collar jobs.

We just provide them with the tools to empower themselves, she tells Al Jazeera.

A range of other government-affiliated sources is available to cleaners seeking support, including the Citizens Advice resource and the Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service (ACAS), a public body that arbitrates disputes within organisations with the aim of facilitating more robust employment relations practice. Workers can also file a complaint directly to HM Revenue and Customs about their employers.

READ MORE: UK  How deportations are tearing families apart

In 2016, a cleaners union

This message of empowerment is gaining traction with Londons cleaning community.

Alberto Durango is the National Organiser with the Cleaners and Allied Independent Workers Union (CAIWU), formed to collectively target problems faced by contracted cleaners and other workers across the service sector. Durango was a cleaner for more than a decade after he arrived from Colombia.

He says he has been blacklisted by most cleaning companies due to his political activities organising support for workers who have been discriminated against, so he has decided to spend time on negotiation and advocacy work for CAIWU instead.

They treat us like machines, Durango says. Jobs used to be eight pounds [$10] per hour, but now most cleaning companies try to get away with the national living wage [an informal benchmark] of 7.20 pounds [$9], which is obviously not enough if youre living in London. There are so many tactics they can employ to trick cleaners of their wages. For example, they say that you [the cleaner] have to finish cleaning a certain number of rooms or floors within two hours, and deliberately pack so many tasks in that its impossible.

If you dont finish, you just dont get paid. One company even makes cleaners pay 60 pounds [$75] out of their own pocket for training.

Night cleaners, Durango says, have it even worse.

According to him, they are more susceptible to depression due to their work hours, and the manual labour is often left to them, meaning that they can develop an array of physical ailments, including spine problems and back pain.

CAIWU was officially registered as a trade union in March 2016. It already has 700 members and is steadily growing in strength. Durango believes that the main draw of the union is the fact that it is egalitarian and has no elected leaders.

They have already staged several walkouts and protests, and Durango says that the most notorious offenders among the cleaning companies are beginning to take notice and show a grudging willingness to comply with their demands.

Speaking to Al Jazeera in November last year, he was in the middle of negotiations to reinstate employment for Gabriel*, a Nigerian cleaner who had been working in different cleaning jobs since 1971, including night shifts.

Gabriel said that he had been unfairly dismissed because he protested against racial discrimination to his bosses while contracted to clean by an external firm at one of the biggest insurance companies in the city.

He claims his Ecuadorian supervisor consistently showed favourable treatment to fellow Latin American cleaners and blatantly ostracised him at work.

Im Latin American, and I think thats wrong, Durango says. So I will do everything within my power to make sure that Gabriel can go back to work.

READ MORE: Decoupling immigration and race in Britain

Modern-day slavery

Maria Gonzalez-Merello, 43, is an employment lawyer who is also working assiduously to empower night cleaners in London and to ensure that they know their rights.

Every Thursday between 10am and 2pm, she holds free legal counselling sessions at St Georges Cathedral in south London for Spanish-speaking migrants. A large number of those who attend are night cleaners.

What is happening to cleaners in this country today is essentially modern-day slavery, she says.

They pretended that they couldn't communicate with me because my English isn't good. by Laura, a night cleaner who spoke to Al Jazeera under a pseudonym

Laura*, a 51-year-old cleaner from the Dominican Republic who has returned to Gonzalez-Merellos legal session for a follow-up consultation, works only night shifts which begin at 8pm and end at 8am.

She had just emerged victorious from an acrimonious attempt to secure over 500 pounds (about $627) worth of unlawfully withheld wages, thanks to Gonzalez-Merellos help.

They pretended that they couldnt communicate with me because my English isnt good, Laura says as Gonzalez-Merello translates. And when Maria got in touch with them on my behalf to claim my wages, they said I never contacted them at all. I had to show them screenshots of my phone records to prove that I had called them numerous times.

Laura says that she is owed more than $2,500 by the same company for cleaning various sites, but is too exhausted to continue the legal battle and would rather focus on finding a new job. She is grateful to Gonzalez-Merello for her assistance, but the ordeal has left her feeling resentful.

When I worked in Spain, she says, the pay was lower. But at least I felt respected. I felt like a real human being.

But there has been some hope for workers rights.

In 2014, Gonzalez-Merello was involved on a pro bono basis in a widely-publicised case involving 35 unpaid workers contracted by an external company to clean at the advertising company Saatchi & Saatchi. Although Saatchi & Saatchi itself was not legally responsible, it eventually paid each cleaner 30 percent of what they were owed until the cleaners contracts were properly taken over by the new cleaning company. The company that violated the workers rights is now insolvent.

IN PICTURES: Solidarity and British humour at London anti-Trump demo

Hanging on to hope

Its a cold, gloomy Saturday afternoon in November, but not even the overcast weather can affect Ramonas good mood, as she sits in her home in Camberwell, a neighbourhood in southeast London.

Mi casa es su casa (my home is your home), she greets me cheerily. She shares the apartment with her husband Basilio, who is also a night cleaner like her, and three other migrant workers from Jamaica. The couple pays a total of $880 for their room, which is crammed with a lifetimes worth of belongings.

Ramona thinks that the rent is exorbitant, but is happy that she is finally seeing peaceful days. Before they moved here, she and Basilio shared an apartment with a mutual friend. One day while she was at work, Basilio called her in a panic. Two men claiming to be the police had entered their home, damaged their bedroom door and rummaged through all their clothes and belongings.

Dont come home, Basilio had implored her. Its not safe.

Ramona remembers breaking down at work. They still have video footage of the mess that the men left behind. To this day, neither of them have dared to report the incident to the police since they dont know if the intruders were just anti-immigrant troublemakers. Ramona and other migrant workers remain reticent about contacting the police for help, fearful of not being able to articulate themselves fully in English and of being laughed at.

Ramona enjoys inviting people over and cooking for them, making hearty Bolivian fare including sancocho (chicken soup) and cerdo al horno (a roast pork dish). Mealtimes are accompanied by catchy, upbeat Latin American music, and when she gets homesick, she plays Andean tunes. Over the last 10 years, Ramona has become more confident with her English language skills and is good friends with the receptionists at one of the offices she cleans. Even with the uncertainty surrounding, among many things, the future of migrant workers in the UK with the countrys plan to leave the EU, Ramona remains hopeful.

I am tired of cleaning, she says over lunch. If you had told me 10 years ago that I could do anything else but cleaning, I wouldnt have believed you. But now, I am ready. I think it is possible  First, a receptionist job, maybe, then better things.

*Pseudonyms have been used at the request of the subjects who wish to protect their identity.
Gaza City  On the windy evening of January 4, 33-year-old fisherman Muhammad al-Hissi had an instinct that he wouldnt be coming home this time after fishing.

Im afraid. If I turn off the lights, please come to me quickly. Dont forget about me.

These were Muhammads last words to his relatives as they set out to the sea for their evening catch, his cousin Nihad al-Hissi explained, as he recounted the story for Al Jazeera from Gaza Citys port.

Muhammad was feeling uncomfortable that night and wary of the Israeli navy that regularly patrols the sea. He asked his younger brother Wael to switch boats with him in order to stay further away from the six-mile nautical border.

READ MORE: Gaza: 100,000 hours of isolation

In Gaza, fishing is risky business. In 2016, there were 126 incidents when the Israeli navy fired at Palestinian fishermen and their boats; 12 fishermen were injured that year according to the Palestinian Centre for Human Rights (PCHR).

The Israelis are experts in understanding the sea; they knew how difficult it was to control the boats, how horrible the weather was that night. They intentionally killed him. by Nihad al-Hissi, Muhammad's cousin

There were also seven cases of shelling at fishermens boats. Its common for shootings and arrests to occur even when fishermen remain within the Israeli-imposed six-nautical-mile limit. All three of their boats were within the designated area for the Palestinian fishermen, Nihad and Wael explained to Al Jazeera.

Wael agreed to switch and stayed in the third boat closest to the six-nautical-mile border.

Muhammad stayed further away in the second boat at five nautical miles while Nihad and the rest of the al-Hissi family remained at four nautical miles. They were all about 200 metres away from Israels southern border.

While they were casting their nets, the waves pushed Nihads boat across the border area. The Israeli navy vessel came and began circling around Muhammads boat. It was a windy night and the waves were so strong that they overpowered the generator on Nihads boat, shutting down the lights.

When that happened, the Israelis suspicioned us immediately. The Israeli ship started to move in a really crazy way towards [Muhammad], Nihad said. I was standing in my boat and suddenly, I heard a lot of explosions.





The 60-ton ship rammed into Muhammads wooden boat and crushed it just like a rock thats dropped on an egg, Nihad explained. Palestinian fishermen and the Israeli navy searched for Muhammad for three days, but his body was never found. The boats electric generator may have dismembered his body.

Israelis in their media said it was a mistake, but it doesnt make any sense for us. How can these kinds of mistakes happen when they have the best technological capabilities in the whole world? Nihad asked.

The Israelis are experts in understanding the sea; they knew how difficult it was to control the boats, how horrible the weather was that night. They [the Israelis] intentionally killed him.

An Israeli army spokesperson wrote in an email response to Al Jazeera: A Palestinian fishing boat deviated from the designated fishing zone in the northern Gaza Strip. As part of operational procedure, a navy vessel was dispatched.

As it approached the fishing boat that deviated from the zone, the navy vessel collided with another fishing boat in the area. As a result of the collision, the operator of the fishing boat was wounded and fell overboard.

According to an investigative report released by the Fatwa and Legislation Office in Gaza, Muhammads boat had searchlights that could be seen clearly from 11 nautical miles away. The report accuses the Israeli navy of deliberately sinking the boat, killing Muhammad and urges the United Nations and Security Council to intervene.

IN PICTURES: Gaza fishermen  A life under attack

Some stories from Israel in the beginning, they confirmed that the captain of the Israeli gunboat was drunk and that they were sailing very fast, said Shaheen Khalil, a PCHR researcher. We even heard from eyewitnesses that it was very clear that [the Israeli ship] sailed directly towards the Palestinian boat.

In the al-Hissi familys apartment, Muhammads mother Najat caressed his framed photo, tears streaming down her face. The family had already been struggling financially but Muhammads death made matters worse for his wife and three kids.

The kids drink salty water [from the tap], Najat said, explaining that they cant afford drinking water. Its very hard for me. We cant get his death certificate because they couldnt find his body. We have nothing to prove that hes dead, she said.

Without a death certificate, the family has no hope of receiving any kind of financial compensation.

Ninety-five percent of Palestinian fishermen in Gaza live below the poverty line, living off of loans and humanitarian aid to survive. We earn 10 shekels a day, maybe less than that, Wael said, explaining that their income varies. For four months, we didnt earn a single shekel.

According to BTselem, an Israeli rights group, Israel has decimated Gazas fishing sector due to severe restrictions on sea access, fishing exports and entry of raw materials into Gaza as well as harassment of fishermen.





In 2000, Gaza had about 10,000 fishermen. Today, the number has dwindled to some 4,000 registered fishermen, breadwinners for 50,000 people. But BTselem says even this figure is misleading since half of the registered fishermen are unemployed because their boats cant be repaired due to a shortage of raw materials.

Under the Oslo Accords, Israel is obligated to permit fishing up to 20 nautical miles, but this has never been implemented; the widest range Israel has allowed is 12 nautical miles. The limit reduced over the years; at times it was at as little as three nautical miles. The shrinking fishing zone has led to overfishing in a small area, depleting fish breeding grounds.

Its why Gazas fishermen constantly race each other to the strips northern sea border off of Beit Hanoun where the best fish can be caught in the calmest waters. There is not enough space for everyone and fishermen often have no choice, but to go over the border to fish and race back when the Israeli navy appears, Wael and Nihad explained.

BTselems findings show that fishermen are arrested even when theyre within the permitted fishing zone. According to testimonies, Israeli soldiers have forced fishermen at gunpoint to take their clothes off and swim over to navy vessels regardless of the weather. They are then interrogated in Ashdod while blindfolded and handcuffed.

Sometimes, when were even far away from the border, the Israelis come whenever they want, Wael said. Its as if theyre playing with us; [as if they want to say] even when youre not near us, we can come and circle around you.

Muhammad was not the first nor the last one to get killed by the Israelis, Wael said. We will do everything we can in order to earn an income just to live. Its very dangerous but the situation is very hard. Even if they close everything in front of us, we will do whatever we can. We have to earn money to live.
France possesses the worlds sixth largest economy, but while it is relatively strong, finances at home are tough.

With the second largest armed forces in the European Union, France ranks among the worlds top five most powerful militaries, behind only the United States, Russia, China and India.

French armed forces are deployed in countries from Mali to Syria, and the country spends a hefty sum on its defence budget.

In 2016, General Pierre de Villiers, chief of defence staff, said of Frances security woes: Peace no longer happens by itself.

He called for a greater defence budget, 2.0 percent of GDP by 2020 compared to the current 1.7 percent.

According to the World Bank, France is the worlds sixth largest economy. But while it is relatively strong, finances at home are tough  making international ties all the more important. Its main export partner is Germany  which is also the main import partner, followed by Spain and US.

In 2015, a report by investment bank Natexis said by 2050, French will be the most spoken language in the world. Thats because of a growing number of sub-Saharan francophones. Currently, French is the sixth most spoken language after Mandarin Chinese, English, Spanish, Hindi and Arabic.

The OECD says France is the fourth most generous country in terms of giving foreign aid, after the US, Germany and UK. It is also among the top 10 contributors to the UN, alongside the UAE, Switzerland and Kenya. Most of its developmental assistance, however, is directed at former colonies in Africa, many of which suffer poverty.

France sits on many international decision-making tables. A founding member of the EU, the countrys membership is cherished and a so-called Frexit could ultimately end the bloc altogether. In recent years, France has also taken a role in the Syrian war and in the Wests careful negotiations with Iran and Russia.

There are more than 1.5 million French citizens living abroad, most going no further than the borders of Western Europe. The majority of French expatriates are highly educated, and many work in the corporate sector or as civil servants. Higher earning power is just one of the reasons French people flock to other countries.
South Koreans are on the horns of a dilemma about North Korea policy ahead of the presidential election.

South Korea is a deeply divided country. It is divided by socioeconomic inequality. It is divided by its past, its present, and its future. But most importantly, it is divided by North Korea and the US.

Within South Korea, North Korea has been a permanent point of friction between Liberals and Conservatives. These two major parties, which represent the centre-left and the centre-right in South Koreas parliament, get into fights that reduce the North Korean issue to a number of hackneyed slogans before every election.

The upcoming election, which will take place on May 9, is no different.





The previous administration ended in the ignominy of now former President Park Geun-hye being arrested for her alleged involvement in an extortion ring, where she leveraged her position as president, with a close friend named Choi Soon-sil.

And Parks decisions on her countrys North Korea policy, as expected, also played a central role in this scandal.

It has been alleged that Parks friend Choi was directly involved in a decision to close an industrial complex that was viewed as the main symbol of inter-Korean cooperation in early 2016.

Parks liberal predecessors established the Kaesong Industrial Complex (KIC) in 2004 inside North Korea to help the country to reform its economy and ease tensions between the two Koreas. In the KIC, South Korean companies were allowed to manufacture their products using North Korean labour.

Chois involvement in the decision to close down the KIC may be a conspiracy theory, or it may even be true, but the controversy and speculation surrounding this closure demonstrate that policy on North Korea is a highly divisive subject among South Koreas political elite.

A soft approach

The frontrunner in the race, Moon Jae-in, the candidate for the liberal left who lost the presidency in the last election, wants to reopen the KIC. Moon also wants to re-open Mount Kumgang, a tourist resort in North Korea that welcomed tourists from the south between 1998 and 2008.

Moon Jae-in and Donald Trump may have to choose between the safety of Seoul and San Francisco. by

It may look like a fair deal to a South Korean liberal, but in a way it misses the point: North Korea did not develop nuclear weapons to force the South Korean government to invest in their development or to send tourists to their beach resorts. Moons condition to reopen both these establishments is simple: a freeze on North Koreas nuclear programme, and an agreement to start negotiations aimed at ultimately ending it.

Indeed, the North Korean government quite happily developed nuclear weapons and missiles while accepting South Korean investment and aid in the 2000s, and it is unlikely that a future President Moon could stop them continuing to do so.

An armed peace

This is the basis of one of the main criticisms that Moon has faced during the election race. The centre-right candidate in the presidential race, Hong Jun-pyo, has repeatedly accused Moon of planning to form a left-wing government that would be too soft on North Korea.

One of the main pieces of evidence supporting Hongs allegation is Moons close relationship with the last liberal president in the Blue House, Roh Moo-hyun  who has also been criticised for being too soft on North Korea. It has recently been alleged that in 2007, while he was working as an aid to Roh, Moon had suggested the Seoul government consult Pyongyang before deciding its position on a UN resolution condemning North Koreas human rights abuses. Moon denied the accusation.

OPINION: Is war coming to North Korea?

Hongs policy alternative has a catchy name, Armed Peace, but it generally involves the continuation of the status quo of frozen relations with the North, combined with a larger defence budget and continued reliance on US military support.

Hong also argues that the KIZ and other North-South cooperation projects are effectively employment plans for North Koreas young people, and emphasises that South Korea itself has a youth unemployment rate of 25 percent. Hong seems basically to have no new ideas  no surprise there. Befitting a small c conservative, he simply wants to continue what has gone before. Not exactly inspiring, to put it mildly. He is the candidate from Park Geun-hyes party, and has been third in the polls for most of the race.

The awkward middle-ground

In the centre ground of the polls and of this debate sits Ahn Cheol-soo. A successful tech entrepreneur, Ahn is relatively new to politics and looks decisively awkward under questioning.

He briefly came close to leading in the polls, but has since been pushed back to a distant second. Basically, Ahn has been reduced to being a Hong-lite as he seeks to appeal to both the parts of the centre-left that backed his party in general elections last year and the parts of the centre-right that loathe to see Moon become president but do not want Hong to assume power either. He is now being squeezed by both sides and might finish third  he was joint second in one of the polls before the election, with momentum swinging in Hongs direction.

At any rate, whoever wins the race to the Blue House will have to balance between a Trump presidency seeking to get tough on North Korea and the desire for peace and stability on the Korean peninsula.

Thinking the unthinkable

Yoo Seung-min, the other principal conservative candidate in the race  and also by far the most qualified and knowledgeable of all the candidates, in my opinion  highlighted this predicament that South Korea continuously finds itself in.

Korea Passing is maybe the term that best describes the situation. Inspired from the phrase Japan Passing, it implies that South Koreas view on North Korea is not being taken seriously by the outside world.

Just like Yoo, I want South Korea to be taken seriously, but in order for this to happen, it might need to try something different, something radical  such as doing what is good for peace, regardless of what the Trump administration thinks.

OPINION: Will China intervene in North Korea?

North Korea already has the ability to destroy Seoul with conventional forces along with its existing nuclear stockpile, so a freeze on North Koreas nuclear programme is less in the interests of South Korea than the United States.

It is very true that America has kept the peace and kept South Korea secure for the past 70 years. But a threatened US strike on North Korea could result in an attack on Seoul.

The truth is that South Korea and America may no longer be natural allies. No candidate will say such a thing for fear of provoking a genuine controversy that they cannot control. But truth be told, Moon Jae-in and Donald Trump may have to choose between the safety of Seoul and San Francisco.

Kim Jong-un may yet witness a nuclearised South Korea that no longer relies on US support for its security. From such a position of nuclear equality, inter-Korean economic engagement starts to look like a viable, progressive option once again.

Peter Ward is a researcher at the Asan Institute for Policy Studies in Seoul. His work has been published in NKNews, SinoNK, and numerous other outlets.

The views expressed in this article are the authors own and do not necessarily reflect Al Jazeeras editorial policy.
Authorities in Hanover defuse two bombs, while a third requires special equipment to be neutralised.

More than 50,000 people were evacuated from Germanys northern city of Hanover on Sunday in one of the countrys largest post-war operations to defuse unexploded World War II-era bombs.

Residents in a densely populated part of the city were ordered to leave their homes for the operation, planned since mid-April, to remove several recently discovered unexploded bombs.

Authorities had expected to remove at least five explosive devices, but only three were found. Two were defused successfully, while the third required special equipment to be made safe.

At two other sites, only scrap metal was found.

More than 70 years after the end of the war, unexploded bombs are regularly found buried in Germany, a legacy of the intense air campaigns by allied forces against Nazi Germany.

On October 9, 1943, some 261,000 bombs were dropped on Hanover and surrounding areas.

READ MORE: Unexploded WWII bomb found near Dortmund stadium

Several retirement and nursing homes were affected and some rail traffic through the city was disrupted because of the operation, which was expected to last all day.

Authorities arranged sports, cultural and leisure activities  including museum visits  and film screenings for residents affected by the mass evacuation.

German authorities are under pressure to remove unexploded bombs from populated areas with experts arguing that old ordnance is becoming more dangerous as time goes by because of material fatigue.

The biggest evacuation took place in December 2016 when an unexploded British bomb forced 54,000 people out of their homes in the southern city of Augsburg.
Authorities are considering reversing a water plan that protects supplies for communities and wildlife in the southeast.

Australias government is reviewing the way water is distributed in the southeast of the country.

Two rivers  the Murray and Darling  provide much of the water supply for the hundreds of thousands of Australians. Most live in the city of Adelaide and surrounding rural towns.

Australias outback is usually dusty and dry. However, the Menindee Lakes are an exception: they have more water now than they have had in years following an unusually wet few months.

It is good news for tourist operations such as Lady River Tours of Robert Gregory.

The lakes look great and its really good for the town, said Gregory, who runs boat tours for bird watchers. Tourists come in and spend money, which keeps the economy buzzing.

READ MORE: Environmentalists fear damage to Great Barrier Reef in mine talks

A plan was introduced five years ago to stop farmers upstream from taking too much water to protect communities and wildlife downstream. Now, a U-turn in policy is being considered.

Environmentalists say communities upstream take so much water that it damages wetlands and ecosystems downstream. It also reduces the amount of water that downstream towns such as Broken Hill and cities, particularly Adelaide, rely on.

Irrigation as an industry has a huge role to play in terms of keeping the communities vibrant. So how much can you continue to take? Tony Thompson, a cotton farmer, told Al Jazeera.

Barnaby Joyce, Australias agriculture and water minister, has backed a review calling for a reduction in the plans targets. He has also promised to look at how water-allocation decisions affect rural communities.

But downstream  at the other end of the river  local politicians and environmentalists want the current plan to be more ambitious, for rivers to flow more in line with their original courses.

Clearly, Australias water wars have some way to run.
A group of 82 girls held captive for three years by Nigerias Boko Haram have met Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari in the capital Abuja on Sunday, a day after they were released in a prisoner swap.

I cannot express in a few words how happy I am to welcome our dear girls back to freedom, Buhari told the girls at his residence, according to a statement by his office.

This evening I received 82 of our daughters, who have just regained their freedom after three years in Boko Haram captivity. pic.twitter.com/fy6pEXAOZx  Muhammadu Buhari (@MBuhari) May 7, 2017

The girls were among a group of more than 200 schoolgirls kidnapped by the armed group Boko Haram, which has waged an eight-year insurgency against the Nigerian government.

Buhari vowed help to the girls, pledging to personally supervise authorities charged with ensuring the girls health, education, security and general well-being.

The 45-minute meeting was held shortly before Buhari left for London for a medical consultation amid concerns over his health, according to his spokesman Femi Adesina, who said the girls had now been handed over to those who will supervise their rehabilitation.

Al Jazeeras Ahmed Idris, reporting from Abuja, said: A lot of people are happy, a lot of people are excited. But there is also anxiety  Everybody hopes that his or her daughter is part of the 82 whove come home now.





Anxious for good news

This is the largest release since Boko Haram fighters stormed a secondary school in Chibok in northeastern Nigeria in April 2014 and seized 276 teenaged girls who were preparing to sit high school exams.

Before Saturday, more than 80, including 21 whose release was negotiated in October 2016, had been freed.

The Chibok girls have become a symbol of the Nigerian conflict.

Enoch Mark, a Christian pastor whose two daughters were among the kidnapped, said of the latest releases: This is good news to us. We have been waiting for this day. We hope the remaining girls will soon be released.

It was not clear if his daughters were among those freed.

The Nigerian government said it was committed to securing the release of all hostages held by Boko Haram.

The president has said that as many of the girls are alive, his administration will strive to get them back, Adesina told Al Jazeera.

So 21, and 82 now, plus three that were recovered by the military, till the very last of the girls are recovered, the Nigerian government will stay on the matter.

READ MORE: Father of Chibok girls, 3 years on  I lost my peace

Aisha Yesufu of the Bring Back Our Girls campaign said the freed girls require rehabilitation and trauma counseling.

Its not just to bring them back home, we must ensure that they get the education they are supposed to have, she said.

It is time for them to be reunited with their families. Psychosocial therapy  there has to be rehabilitation. And at the end of the day, we want to have world leaders out of every one of them so that they can be what the terrorists did not want them to be.

In a statement, the UN childrens agency said it was heartening that the girls would finally be reunited with their families after so long.

They will face a long and difficult process to rebuild their lives after the indescribable horror and trauma they have suffered at the hands of Boko Haram, said Pernille Ironside from UNICEF Nigeria.

UNICEF calls on Boko Haram to end all grave violations against children, especially the abduction of children and the sexual abuse and forced marriage of girls.

Boko Haram has used kidnapping as a weapon of war, seizing thousands of women and children, and forcibly recruiting young men and boys into their ranks.

In a less publicised attack in November 2014, some 300 children were among about 500 people kidnapped from the town of Damasak, on the border with Niger, in the far north of Borno state. Most are still missing.

Boko Harams eight-year uprising has killed more than 20,000 people and driven 2.6 million from their homes.

The Nigerian government has claimed that Boko Haram has been defeated, but the armed group continues to stage attacks in the northeast, often using child suicide bombers.
National Liberation Army guerrilla group to return to peace talks with the Colombian government after recent delays.

The government of Colombia and the countrys last active rebel force, left-wing National Liberation Army (ELN), will resume peace talks in just over a week, according to the lead state negotiator.

The return to the negotiating table was scheduled for last Wednesday but was put off because of an information-sharing meeting in Cuba between the ELN and the bigger leftist rebel group, FARC, which has already struck an accord with the government.





Ecuador has generously hosted the peace talks between the Colombian government and the ELN, which will resume on May 16, Juan Camilo Restrepo, the Colombian negotiator, said on Twitter.

A visit to Colombia by Lenin Moreno, president-elect of Ecuador  due to take place on Monday  also pushed back the resumption of talks.

Restrepo said Moreno will keep supporting the talks looking for peace in Colombia as his outgoing predecessor Rafael Correa did.

In November, FARC, or the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, signed a peace deal with the government after four years of talks.

The ELN launched its peace negotiations in February.

It has an estimated 1,500 fighters, compared with FARCs 7,000.

Formal negotiations between the ELN and the government were delayed from November 2016 pending the release of a prominent politician the group held hostage for nearly 10 months.

READ MORE: Complaints over construction delays at FARC peace camps

More than five decades of conflict involving the two rebel movements, the army and right-wing paramilitary groups, have resulted in more than 260,000 deaths, the disappearance of tens of thousands, and the displacement of about six million people.

The ELN is considered a terrorist group by the US and the EU. It is believed to have extorted, bombed oil and electricity infrastructure and kidnapped hundreds of people in its 52 years of existence to raise funds for the war and put pressure on the government.

Colombia is the last country to see major armed conflict in the region. Peace with the two rebel groups could allow for economic development in previously rebel-held areas.
US military says a joint raid with Afghan forces in April killed leader of ISILs Afghan affiliate.

The head of ISIL (also known as ISIS) in Afghanistan was killed in an operation led by Afghan special forces in the eastern province of Nangarhar last month, US military officials confirmed on Sunday.

Abdul Hasib  appointed last year after his predecessor Hafiz Saeed Khan died in a US drone attack  is believed to have ordered a series of high-profile attacks, including one in March on the main military hospital in Kabul by a group of fighters disguised as doctors.

US military officials in Afghanistan have previously said Hasibs death would significantly degrade the groups operations and help reach our goal of destroying them in 2017.





Last month, a Pentagon spokesman said Hasib had probably been killed during a raid by US and Afghan special forces in Nangarhar, during which two US Army Rangers were killed. But there was no confirmation.

The compound was located near the tunnel complex where the US military dropped its largest non-nuclear device on April 13, killing 94 fighters, including four commanders.

Afghanistans government confirmed Hasibs death on April 27.

He had ordered the attack on 400-bed hospital in Kabul that resulted in the death and injuries of a number of our countrymen, women. The Afghan government is committed to continuing its operations against Daesh and other terrorist groups until they are annihilated, it said in a statement, using another name for ISIL.

The local affiliate of ISIL  sometimes known as ISIL Khorasan (ISIL-K), after an old name for the region that includes Afghanistan  has been active since 2015, fighting the Taliban as well as Afghan and US forces.

It is believed to maintain links with the main ISIL group in Iraq and Syria, but has considerable operational independence.

If it is true that American and Afghan security forces managed to kill the head of ISIL in Afghanistan that would be a big victory but it doesnt mean that its the end of ISIL here, Al Jazeeras Qais Azimy said, reporting from Kabul.

American and Afghan special forces, backed by drone attacks and other air support, have waged a series of operations against ISIL-K this year, killing dozens of fighters, mainly in Nangarhar, on the border with Pakistan.

The Pentagon estimates about 1,000 ISIL-K fighters remain in Afghanistan.
Policeman and workers clearing accident site on highway connecting valley with India killed by fighters, officials say.

Fighters have carried out an attack in Indian-administered Kashmir which killed at least three civilians and a policeman, the latest violence to hit the valley, according to authorities.

They said one of the fighters was also killed while attacking policemen clearing the site of a road accident late on Saturday near Kulgam district.

A police party was at the accident site when they were attacked. In the crossfire, one policeman and three civilians died. One of the attackers also died, a police source told the AFP news agency on Sunday.





S P Pani, senior police officer, confirmed that a police unit came under fire on Saturday night as it reached a road accident site on a key highway connecting the valley with the rest of India.

He said the dead civilians included road construction officials of a private company.

Police believe two of the attackers escaped under the cover of darkness after the officers retaliated in Malpora, a village 65km south of Srinagar, the main city in Indian-administered Kashmir.

In the same Kulgam district, five Indian policemen and two civilians were killed when fighters attacked a bank van, and two soldiers were killed in an attack along the de facto border with Pakistan.

And on Sunday, thousands of local residents gathered to mourn the dead separatist fighter at a funeral where his comrades fired shots into the air as a mark of respect.

In another Kashmir-related development, Pakistans army said Indian troops shot and wounded at least four Pakistani villagers.

A military statement said the troops committed a ceasefire violation when they fired without provocation late on Saturday from near the UN-monitored military control line near the border between the two countries.

The statement said the Indians also targeted civilians in the village of Thruti with mortars, and that Pakistani troops returned fire.

IN PICTURES: Female Kashmiri students lead anti-India protests

Anti-India sentiment runs deep in the predominantly Muslim Kashmir valley, one of the worlds most heavily militarised areas.

The clashes have become more frequent since the killing last July of Burhan Wani, the popular commander of a separatist armed group.

Kashmir has been divided between India and Pakistan since the end of British rule in 1947 but both claim the territory in its entirety.

Separatist groups have for decades fought the roughly 500,000 Indian soldiers deployed in the region, demanding independence or a merger of the entire territory with Pakistan.
In deal with Syrian army, fighters from group formerly known as Jabhat al-Nusra are transferred from Damascus to Idlib.

An agreement has been reached to evacuate fighters from the hardline group formerly known as Jabhat al-Nusra from Yarmouk in the southern suburbs of Damascus to rebel-held Idlib province in the northwest of Syria.

The agreement is the second phase of an earlier deal to evacuate people from two towns besieged by rebels, and two towns besieged by pro-government forces, the first phase of which was implemented last month.

Activists in the area told us that green buses arrived in Yarmouk and left carrying dozens of Nusra Front fighters along with their families, said Al Jazeeras Hashem Ahelbarra, reporting from Gaziantep along the Turkey-Syria border.





The operation will continue for some days, and then the Syrian army is expected to take over the part of the camp that was under the control of al-Nusra.

Most of the nearly 50 fighters were wounded, according to the Beirut-based Hezbollah-affiliated television channel al-Manar.

Hezbollah is a close military ally of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

Jabhat al-Nusra was the official branch of al-Qaeda in Syria until a year ago when it broke its formal allegiance and renamed itself. It has since joined a number of hardline groups under the new name Hayet Tahrir al-Sham (commonly referred to as Tahrir al-Sham).

Jabhat al-Nusra and later Tahrir al-Sham have at times fought alongside other rebels, including those that operate under the banner of the Free Syrian Army, against the government and at times have clashed with them.

Yarmouk, in the southern suburbs of Damascus, is the location of a large Palestinian refugee camp. Parts of the area are held by the government, parts by rebels including Tahrir al-Sham, and parts by Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL, also known as ISIS).

READ MORE: Syrias de-escalation zones explained

The earlier deal involved evacuating civilians from the rebel-besieged Shia-Muslim towns of Kefraya and al-Fouaa in Idlib province in return for the departure of civilians and rebel fighters from the government-besieged areas of Zabadani and Madaya, near Damascus.

Completed late last month, that agreement was the largest and most complex so far in a series of evacuation deals for besieged areas that have grown more common over the past year of Syrias bloody six-year war.

While Assads government in Damascus has praised such deals as a way to reduce bloodshed, the rebels have condemned them as a means to impose demographic change by forcing large numbers of civilians to leave pro-opposition areas.

The United Nations, which has not been party to the agreements, has also voiced concern that the evacuations amount to forced displacement.

Elsewhere on Sunday, the Syrian army seized control of the village of al-Zalakiyat north of Hama amid heavy bombardment, a war monitor reported, despite a deal brokered by Russia, Syrias main foreign backer, to reduce fighting.

Violence has raged in the countryside north of Hama for more than a month, since rebels there launched an assault against government forces that was quickly reversed and has now turned into an army push into areas the opposition captured last year.

Under an agreement that took effect at midnight on Friday, fighting was intended to subside over six months in four de-escalation zones, where violence between the army and rebels has been most intense.

Fighting also took place on Sunday in the Qaboun district of Damascus, said the Syrian Observatory For Human Rights, a UK-based group that monitors the war via a network of contacts around the country.

READ MORE: Syrias civil war explained from the beginning

The besieged rebel-held enclave of Qaboun is not included in the four de-escalation zones and has been under increasingly heavy bombardment in recent months.

Negotiations were under way on Sunday to evacuate rebels and their families from Qaboun and the adjacent district of Barzeh, an anonymous Syrian military source told AFP news agency.

If the talks are successful, this would be the first time rebels will have been evacuated from Syrias capital since the countrys conflict broke out six years ago.

The safe zones deal was agreed to during ceasefire talks last week in Astana, Kazakhstan, between the Syrian governments backers Russia and Iran, and the main rebel sponsor Turkey.

Syrias government said it supported the proposal but added it would continue to fight what it called terrorist groups around the country.

Opposition groups rejected the deal saying special zones threatened Syrias territorial integrity, that any role for Iran was unacceptable, and that Russia had been unable to get Assad to respect previous ceasefire agreements.

The opposition is accusing the Syrian government of using siege and starvation to force people out of their own areas, Al Jazeeras Ahelbarra said.

They also say the government has managed, over the last few months, to forcibly displace thousands of people from Hama, Homs, Aleppo and from Damascus. Theyre concerned if this continues, the government could further move towards Idlib and do the same thing.
Centrist candidate beats out far-right rival Marine Le Pen, just one year after establishing En Marche! movement.

Emmanuel Macron was elected president of France on Sunday with a business-friendly vision of European integration, in a resounding defeat of Marine Le Pen, the far-right nationalist who threatened to pull out of the European Union.

The centrists emphatic victory, which also smashed the dominance of Frances mainstream parties, will bring huge relief to European allies who feared another populist upheaval following Britains vote to quit the EU and Donald Trumps election as US president.





Macron  the 39-year-old former investment banker who served for two years as economy minister but has never previously held elected office  will now become Frances youngest leader since Napoleon with a promise to transcend outdated left-right divisions.

Three projections, issued within minutes of polling stations closing at 8pm (1800GMT), showed Macron beating Le Pen by about 65 percent to 35  a gap wider than the 20 or so percentage points that pre-election surveys had pointed to.

A new page in our long history has turned tonight, said Macron in a brief address to the press after the results were announced.

I want it to be that of rediscovery of hope and trust.

He promised to fight the divisions that undermine France and to rebuild the links between Europe and its citizens.

Al Jazeeras Natacha Butler, reporting from Macron headquarters outside the Louvre Museum, called his win an extraordinary story.

READ MORE: Five things you need to know about Frances vote

He only just launched his political movement a year ago, and so many people at the time said he was too young, that he had no political experience  and here he is, one year on, Frances youngest president.

Al Jazeeras Anealla Safdar was at Macrons headquarters when he won. Members of the crowd, celebrating the win, called it a sign of hope and urged the president-elect to unify the divided nation.

French political columnist Pierre Haski told Al Jazeera that Macrons win was unprecedented.

Its historical because it has blown up the political system. Hes betting on his youth, on the energy and the optimism, he said.

Even so, it was a record performance for Le Pens National Front (FN), a party whose anti-immigrant policies until recently made it a pariah in French politics, and underlined the scale of divisions that Macron must try to heal.

Le Pen called to congratulate Macron shortly after news broke of her defeat, telling her supporters and members of the press she wished the new president success even though he faces huge challenges.

But, she added, her FN party needed to undergo a profound transformation in order to create a new political force.

The far-right candidates high-spending, anti-globalisation France-first policies may have unnerved financial markets, but they appealed to many poorer members of society against a background of high unemployment, social tensions, and security concerns.

Marine Le Pen has tried to put a positive spin on her loss tonight, said Al Jazeeras senior political analyst Marwan Bishara. She will remain an important figure in French politics.

The 48-year-olds share of the vote was set to be almost twice that won by her father Jean-Marie, the last National Front candidate to qualify for a presidential runoff, who was trounced by Jacques Chirac in 2002.

Marine Le Pen now realises she is becoming the main opposition figure inside French politics, said Al Jazeeras David Chater, reporting from Le Pen headquarters in Paris.

READ MORE: Populism: The French elections big winner

Chater said Le Pens FN was likely to turn its attention to the upcoming parliamentary elections in June.

We have not heard the last from nationalism, we have not heard the last from the National Front and we have not heard the last from Marine Le Pen, he said.

Macrons immediate challenge will be to secure a majority in next months election for En Marche! (Onwards!), his political movement that is barely a year old, in order to implement his political programme.

At least one opinion poll published in the run-up to the second round has indicated this could be within reach.

European Commission chief Jean-Claud Juncker hailed Macrons win in a post on Twitter, writing that the French had chosen a European Future.

EU Council President Donald Tusk also offered his congratulations, saying the French had chosen liberty, equality and fraternity and said no to the tyranny of fake news.

In a speech to thousands of his supporters later on in the evening, Macron made a plea for national unity.

We will not give into fear, we will not give into division, he said, adding he would do everything to ensure that the French had no reason to vote for extremes.
Ex-Gurkha who attempted to break the world record for oldest person to scale Mount Everest suffered altitude sickness.

An 85-year-old ex-Gurkha who was attempting to reclaim his title as the worlds oldest person to summit Mount Everest died of altitude sickness, the expedition organiser said on Sunday.

Min Bahadur Sherchan died at Everest base camp on Saturday and his body was airlifted to the Nepalese capital Kathmandu.

Doctors said that he died of natural causes. There was water build-up in his lungs because of altitude sickness, Shiv Raj Thapa of Summit Nepal Trekking told AFP news agency after an autopsy.

Sherchan was resting at the base camp and waiting for the weather window to summit in a single attempt, skipping the usual multiple acclimatisation rotations because of his age.

He was on a bid to reclaim a title that he lost to Japanese mountaineer Yuichiro Miura in 2013.

READ MORE: Japanese octogenarian breaks Everest record

The former Nepalese soldier became the oldest person to summit Everest in 2008 when he was 76, but he lost the record five years later when Miura reached the 8,848-metre peak at the age of 80.





Speaking to AFP earlier this year, the slightly hard of hearing grandfather said he just wanted to prove to himself that he could still make it to the top of the world.

My aim is not to break anybodys record, this is not a personal competition between individuals. I wish to break my own record, Sherchan had said in February.

Sherchans death is the second fatality of the spring climbing season on Everest, which runs from late April to the end of May.

Experienced Swiss climber Ueli Steck died last month when he fell from a steep ridge during an acclimatisation exercise.

READ MORE: Famed Swiss climber falls to death near Mount Everest

Nearly 750 people will, this year, attempt to summit the worlds highest mountain during the narrow window of good weather that usually falls in mid-May.

Hundreds of climbers have been on Everest for weeks to acclimatise before making a bid for the top.

This year is particularly crowded, as it is the last chance for climbers who were forced off the mountain by the devastating 2015 earthquake to use their extended permits. This has raised concerns about dangerous traffic jams on the mountain.

Mountaineering is a major revenue earner for impoverished Nepal, home to eight of the worlds 14 peaks over 8,000 metres.
At least two people killed as string of suicide bombers attack army base in Kirkuk base where US advisers are stationed.

At least two people have been killed and six injured when multiple ISIL suicide bombers attacked a base in northern Iraq, security sources said.





Two of the attackers died overnight when they detonated their vests at the entrance to the K1 base, where US advisers are also stationed.

Three more were killed by Kurdish Peshmerga forces who control the Kirkuk area where it is situated.

They were wearing uniforms like the Kurdish Peshmerga and had shaved their beards to look like us, one officer told Reuters news agency.

The Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL, also known as ISIS) claimed responsibility for the attack in a statement, saying it had killed and wounded dozens of crusaders and apostates, referring to the Peshmerga and Western military advisers.

Iraqi forces backed by a US-led coalition are fighting to dislodge ISIL from Mosul, 140km northwest of Kirkuk, but large pockets of territory remain under the groups control, including Hawija, which is near the targeted base.

In recent months, ISIL has stepped up its attacks in different parts of Iraq in an effort to distract attention from the ongoing US-backed campaign to remove it from Mosul in northern Iraq.

Mosul offensive

On February 19, Iraqi forces started a major offensive to wrest back the western section of Mosul from ISIL, almost a month after they recaptured the eastern part of the city.

The western side of Mosul is thought to be the most difficult to retake in the ongoing campaign because of the high population density there.

ISIL seized Mosul, Iraqs second-largest city, in a blitz in mid-2014.

As hundreds of thousands of civilians are still in Mosul, anti-ISIL forces have had to limit their use of aerial attacks and artillery in the city. Nevertheless, hundreds of civilians have been killed by coalition air raids and shelling, as well as in the counter-attacks launched by ISIL.

The US-led coalition bombing ISIL positions in Iraq admitted that it carried out air raids in March at a location in west Mosul where officials and residents say scores of civilians were killed.

READ MORE: Mosul civilians  Who knows who was shooting?

Hundreds of thousands of civilians have been forced to flee their homes in Mosul as the military offensive to re-take the city rages on.

ISIL is now besieged in the northwestern corner of Mosul, which includes the historic Old City centre and the medieval Grand al-Nuri Mosque and its landmark leaning minaret.

The mosque is a hugely symbolic prize as it is where ISIL leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi made a rare public appearance in July 2014 and declared the groups self-styled caliphate, after the armed group seized almost one third of Iraq.

According to Iraqs authorities, ISIL now controls less than seven percent of Iraq.
Italian coastguard says about 3,000 refugees were saved from boats in the Mediterranean Sea in a single day.

About 3,000 people have been saved in the Mediterranean Sea in a single day while trying to make the journey from northern Africa to Europe, according to the Italian coastguard.

They were picked up in more than 20 separate rescue operations on Saturday, involving the Italian coastguard and navy, the EUs EUNAVFOR mission in the Mediterranean, European Union border agency Frontex, NGOs, and merchant ships.

The coastguard gave no details of the nationalities of those rescued.





According to the International Organisation for Migration (IOM), so far this year 43,490 refugees and migrants have arrived in Europe by sea as of April 26.

More than 1,000 have died or are missing.

Earlier this month, Angelino Alfano, Italian foreign minister, said his country will host an international conference on migration.

The stabilisation of Libya has a tremendous value for us [Italy]: it means national security, the end of human trafficking, and a reduction of the migration flow, Alfano was cited as saying in the Italian Ansa news agency.

Refugees and migrants who pass through conflict-ridden Libya endure harsh conditions.

The refugees and migrants  many from Nigeria, Senegal and The Gambia  are captured as they head north towards Libyas Mediterranean coast, where some hope to try and catch boats for Italy.

Along the way, they are prey to an array of armed groups and people-smuggling networks that often try to extort money in exchange for allowing them to continue.

READ MORE: What is the world doing for migrants?

Last month, the IOM said many refugees and migrants have been held for ransom, kidnapped, made to perform forced labour and, in some cases, sold in markets as slaves.

Some of those who cannot pay their captors are reportedly killed or left to starve to death, the IOM said. When migrants die or are released, others are purchased to replace them.

Libya is the main gateway for people attempting to reach Europe by sea, with more than 150,000 people making the crossing in each of the past three years.
Some 7,400 troops from 20 nations taking part in Eager Lion military drills, the largest and most complex to date.

Jordan and the United States kicked off Eager Lion, an annual military exercise with about 7,400 troops from more than 20 nations taking part, on Sunday.

US and Jordanian officials said the manoeuvres would include border security, cyber-defence, and command and control exercises to bolster coordination in response to threats including terrorism.

Joint efforts and coordination and the exchange of expertise  are needed at the time when the region is facing the threat of terrorism, Jordanian Brigadier-General Khalid al-Sharaa, who will head the exercise, told reporters.

US Major-General Bill Hickman, deputy commanding officer for the American army in the region, said this years Eager Lion exercise  the seventh so far  is the largest and most complex to date.

The highlight of this years war games, he said, will be that for the first time ever a global strike mission will be conducted by two US Air Force B-1B bomber aircraft  a long-range multi-mission bomber.

READ MORE: Jordan and Russia to cooperate on Syria military action

A statement by the Jordanian army said troops from Europe, Asia, Africa and the Gulf region  including from Britain, Japan, Kenya and Saudi Arabia  are taking part in the exercise, which runs through May 18.

About 6,000 troops from Jordan and the US took part in last years exercise, a joint operation first launched in 2011.

Jordan is a key partner in the US-led coalition battling Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL, also known as ISIS) fighters in Syria and Iraq.

Two years ago, the US announced its intent to increase overall US assistance to Jordan from $660m to $1bn annually for the 2015-2017 period.
Independent centrist Emmanuel Macron and far-right leader Marine Le Pen vie for the top job at the Elysee Palace.

French voters are picking a new president, choosing between Emmanuel Macron, an independent centrist, and Marine Le Pen, the far-right leader, in an election crucial for both France and the European Union.

The battle for the top job at the Elysee Palace has been the most divisive in a generation.

Sundays vote pits the pro-Europe, pro-business Macron, 39, against anti-immigration and anti-EU Le Pen, 48  two radically different visions that underline a split in Western democracies.

Le Pen has portrayed the ballot as a contest between the globalists represented by her rival  those in favour of open trade, immigration and shared sovereignty  versus the nationalists who defend strong borders and national identities.

READ MORE: Five things you need to know about Frances vote

The political choice the French people are going to make is clear, she said in her opening remarks during a heated debate between the pair on Wednesday night.

Polls opened on the mainland at 06:00 GMT on Sunday in 66,546 polling stations after a campaign marked by surprises and a hacking attack on Macron.

Voting at most polling stations will close at 17:00 GMT, except those in big cities, which will stay open an hour longer.

A first estimate of the results will be published at around 18:00 GMT.

Blandine, a French voter who did not provide her last name, said she voted for Le Pen just to piss off people.

Speaking to Al Jazeera from the 10th arrondissement of Paris, Blandine explained she is sick of the mainstream political establishment. Although she doesnt expect Le Pen to win, Blandine voted for the far-right candidate so her results are higher.

Daniel, another Le Pen voter, had just returned from attending a church service when he spoke to Al Jazeera. If Macron wins, it will be very difficult for France, he said, accusing the centrist candidate of seeking to raise taxes and increase immigration.

Le Pen is better than Macron for this country, of course, he said, adding: I dont agree with everything she says.

Aka, a young man training to become a security guard, told Al Jazeera that while Macron was not his favorite candidate, he was planning to vote for him anyway to oppose Le Pen and her partys racist comments.

They are trying to mask their racism, but it is in their genes so it wont work. But anyway, the election is already over, Emmanuel Macron is going to win.

Campaigning blackout

The last opinion poll showed Macron  winner of last months election first round  with a widening lead of around 62 percent to 38 percent before the hacking revelations on Friday evening.

A campaigning blackout entered into force shortly afterwards.

Hundreds of thousands of emails and documents stolen from the Macron campaign were dumped online and then spread by anti-secrecy group WikiLeaks, leading the candidate to call it an attempt at democratic destabilisation.

Kenneth Grey, a retired FBI special agent and lecturer at the University of New Haven, told Al Jazeera he is not surprised by the hacking attack.





It certainly does seem to be the new way to try to affect politics in other countries, he said.

Hack into their email, release the contents, and if there is embarrassing information there, it may very well cause a swing in the election.

Grey said that unless there is a smoking gun within these emails, he does not believe it will have an effect on the election result.

Frances election authority said publishing the documents could be a criminal offence , a warning heeded by traditional media organisations but flouted by Macrons opponents and far-right activists online.

We knew that there were these risks during the presidential campaign because it happened elsewhere. Nothing will go without a response, French President Francois Hollande told AFP news agency on Saturday.

There has been no claim of responsibility for the French hack, but the government and Macrons team previously accused Russia of trying to meddle in the election  accusations denied in Moscow.

Whoever wins Sundays vote it is set to cause profound change for France, the worlds sixth-biggest economy, a permanent member of the UN Security Council and a global military power.

Winds of change

It is the first time neither of Frances traditional parties has a candidate in the final round of the presidential election under the modern French republic, founded in 1958.

Rim-Sarah Alouane, a PhD candidate and researcher in public law at the University of Toulouse, says Le Pen has already won by normalising a toxic nationalist, xenophobic and eurosceptic ideology.

The possibility of having a far-right frontrunner as Frances next president should raise concerns, and many still do not realise the magnitude of this danger, she told Al Jazeera on Sunday.

READ MORE: Roma Raymond Gureme warns of civil war if Le Pen wins

Macron , a former investment banker, was a virtual unknown three years ago when he was named economy minister, the launch pad for his presidential bid.

He left Hollandes Socialist government in August and formed En Marche, a political movement he says in neither of the left or the right and which has attracted 250,000 members.

Macrons programme pledges to cut state spending, ease labour laws, boost education in deprived areas and extend new protections to the self-employed.

He is also staunchly pro-European and wants to re-energise the 28-member European Union, following Britains referendum vote last summer to leave.

Rokhaya Diallo, a journalist and filmmaker, says the vote between Macron and Le Pen is emblematic of a deep identity crisis in France, which is willing to get rid of the politicians who have been around forever.

None of them represent the left, which shows how the general political landscape have been shifting to the right during the last for decades, Diallo told Al Jazeera on Sunday.

Whether [Le Pen] wins or not, her victory stands in how her ideas especially regarding law and order are now acceptable.





France is not a closed country. We are in Europe and in the world, Macron said during Wednesdays debate.

On her part, Le Pen is hoping to spring a surprise that would resonate as widely as Britains decision to withdraw from the EU or the unexpected triumph of US President Donald Trump.

She sees herself as part of the same backlash against globalisation that has emerged as a powerful theme in the US and in recent ballots in Britain, Austria and the Netherlands.

She has pledged to organise a referendum on withdrawing France from the EU and wants to scrap the euro, which she has dubbed a currency of bankers.

WITNESS: Paris: Voice of the Suburbs

She has also pledged to reduce net immigration to 10,000 people a year, crack down on outsourcing by multinationals, lower the retirement age and introduce measures against what she calls Islamic extremists.

Many voters still see her party as anti-Semitic and racist despite her six-year drive to improve its image.

Macron topped the first round of the presidential election on April 23 with 24.01 percent, followed by Le Pen on 21.30 percent, in a crowded field of 11 candidates.

The results revealed Macron was favoured among wealthier , better educated citizens in cities, while Le Pen drew support in the countryside as well as poverty-hit areas in the south and rustbelt northeast.

Voting for the runoff started for French voters in North America and some overseas territories on Saturday.

Additional reporting by Al Jazeeras Anealla Safdar. Follow her on Twitter: @Anealla








President Muhammadu Buhari heads to London for medical tests, handing over power to his deputy Yemi Osinbajo

Nigerias President Muhammadu Buhari will travel to London on Sunday for follow-up medical tests after weeks of mounting concern about his health.

Tonight I leave for London, to see my doctors. When I came back in March, I hinted that there might be a need to return soon,for a follow-up pic.twitter.com/mfmVYSLfO4  Muhammadu Buhari (@MBuhari) May 7, 2017

Femi Adesina, his spokesman, said the 74-year-olds doctors would determine how long he will stay in the British capital, where he spent nearly two months undergoing treatment from mid-January.

Officials have refused to disclose details of his medical condition.

The president wishes to assure all Nigerians that there is no cause for worry, Adesina said in a statement, adding that parliament had been informed of his absence.

Government will continue to function normally under the able leadership of the vice president [Yemi Osinbajo].

Buhari misses cabinet meeting amid health fears

Buharis previous trip to London in January was billed by his office as a 10-day holiday combining routine medical check-ups, but it was extended from early February and he did not return until early March.

On his return, he said he would need more rest and then would return to Britain for follow-up tests.

Buhari had not been seen in public for several weeks until last Friday when he attended weekly prayers at the presidential villa after missing the last three cabinet meetings and other engagements.

Earlier on Sunday, he was pictured sitting in an armchair at his residence, dressed in white traditional robes, looking gaunt, surrounded by 82 recently released Chibok schoolgirls.

Adesina said Buhari would have left earlier on Sunday but wanted to meet the students, who were kidnapped by Boko Haram fighters along with nearly 200 others in northeast Nigeria in April 2014, causing worldwide outrage.

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.
The North Koreas KCNA says Kim Hak-song is being held on suspicion of hostile acts against the state.

North Koreas state media says it has detained another US citizen for suspicion of acts against the state.

If confirmed, it would make him the fourth American to be held by the isolated country amid heightened diplomatic tensions.

Kim Hak-song, reportedly detained on Saturday, worked for the Pyongyang University of Science and Technology, the KCNA news agency reported on Sunday.

A relevant institution of the DPRK detained American citizen Kim Hak-song on May 6 under a law of the DPRK on suspicion of his hostile acts against it, KCNA said, using the acronym for the Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea.

No further details were given about the circumstances related to the reported arrest and a spokesman for the Pyongyang University of Science and Technology was not immediately available for comment.

INTERACTIVE: Two Koreas  History at a glance

A US state department official on Sunday issued a terse comment about the Americans reported detention.

We are aware of reports that a US citizen was detained in North Korea, a statement said, adding no additional comment was being offered due to privacy considerations.

Earlier this week, North Korea confirmed the late April detention of Kim Sang-duk, a professor associated with the same university, for committing criminal acts of hostility aimed to overturn the DPRK, KCNA said.

The detentions come as tensions remain high between Washington and Pyongyang.

On Friday, North Korea accused the CIA and South Koreas spy agency of an unsuccessful assassination attempt against leader Kim Jong-un involving biochemical weapons.

Officials in Washington and Seoul have not commented on the allegations.

READ MORE: North Korean state media lashes out at main ally China

Tensions have surged in the Asia Pacific region in recent weeks in the wake of a series of North Korean missile tests, and rhetoric from US President Donald Trumps administration on the countrys nuclear weapons programme.

The US also deployed a naval strike group to the Korean Peninsula, angering Pyongyang, and US officials have said that all options are on the table.

At least two other US citizens are currently being held in North Korea 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 is serving a 10-year sentence for espionage.
Kabul denies Islamabads claim that its forces killed 50 Afghan soldiers as tensions deepen over border fighting.

Pakistans military said its forces killed more than 50 Afghan soldiers and destroyed five checkpoints in heavy fighting along their disputed border, a claim quickly rejected by Kabul.

The clashes took place on Friday at the Chaman border that divides Pakistans southwest Balochistan province and Afghanistans southern Kandahar, as Pakistani officials were carrying out a census count.

At least eight civilians were killed, according to previously stated death tolls by officials  seven on the Pakistani side and one Afghan.

On Sunday, Pakistan elevated its rhetoric by saying Afghan forces had suffered much more dramatic losses.

READ MORE: Pakistan-Afghanistan crossing closed after border clash

We are not pleased to tell you that five Afghan check posts were completely destroyed  more than 50 of their soldiers were killed and above 100 were wounded, Major-General Nadim Ahmad, head of the paramilitary Frontier Corps, said.

We are not happy for their losses, but we were forced to retaliate.

Ahmad said two Pakistani soldiers were killed and nine more wounded in the incident.





Afghanistan quickly denied the statement.

Very false claims by Pakistani Frontier Corp that as many as 50 Afghan soldiers lost their lives in Pak retaliation; totally rejected, Sediq Sediqqi, a government spokesman, said on Twitter.

Al Jazeeras Qais Azimy, reporting from Kabul, said Afghan officials called Pakistans claims totally false.

Afghan security official at the border confirmed to us at least four policemen killed, and that one woman, a civilian, was killed as a result of artillery attack by Pakistani forces, he said.

He said Afghan officials also denied the claim that Pakistani civilians were killed.

The clashes prompted thousands of families to flee the area, he said.

Residents are worried that fighting could start any minute because security forces remain in the area. Thats why they are leaving.

According to Pakistan, the fighting began when Afghan troops fired on Pakistani census workers.

They said the Afghan government had been notified and given the coordinates of the border villages, where the census workers were going door to door.

Afghan officials, however, said Pakistani troops fired the first shots.

They blamed Pakistani census enumerators, who were accompanied by soldiers, for straying across the border, a charge Islamabad denied.

The so-called Durand Line, a 2,600km frontier drawn by the British in 1896 and disputed by Afghanistan, has witnessed increased tension since Pakistan began patrolling along it last year.

The border has remained closed since Friday, with senior Pakistan army general Amir Riaz telling reporters it would remain so until Afghanistan changes its behaviour.

It is not the only area of dispute between the neighbours: They accuse each other or harbouring armed groups who carry out attacks across their borders.

Pakistan embarked on the enormous task of conducting its first census in almost two decades in March.

Pakistan is the sixth most populous in the world with an estimated 200 million people, but has not held a census since 1998, despite a constitutional requirement for one every decade.
The Taliban has captured a district in Afghanistans northern Kunduz province, the second area to fall to the group a week after they launched their so-called spring offensive.

Mahfoozullah Akbari, a spokesman for Kunduz police, said Taliban fighters attacked the district of Qala-e-Zal from several directions on Friday, and took full control of the district by mid-morning on Saturday.

Akbari said security forces had put up tough resistance but were forced to retreat because reinforcements failed to arrive in time.





In a statement posted on their website, the Taliban said they had killed a number of soldiers, policemen and pro-government militia members and confiscated a huge cache of arms and ammunition.

Afghanistan has seen intensified Taliban attacks across the country, leaving Afghan forces  already beset by killings, desertions, and vacuums in leadership and morale  stretched on multiple fronts.

They have faced high casualties, up 35 percent in 2016 with 6,800 soldiers and police killed, according to a US watchdog.

Last month the Taliban delivered a painful blow to the government, with its fighters dressed in Afghan army uniforms killing at least 135 young recruits at a base near northern Mazar-i-Sharif city.

More than 16 years after they were driven from power, almost half of the country is either contested or under the control of the Taliban.

According to US military estimates released by the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR), the Afghan government can only claim to control or influence 57 percent of the countrys 407 districts.
Preventable disease blamed for several deaths as civilians continue to bear the brunt of two-year war in Yemen.

More than 200 cholera cases have been reported in Yemens capital Sanaa as contaminated water and poor sanitation have led to a sharp rise in the transmission of the deadly disease.

Cholera is one of several risks to civilians, but a rapid advance of the disease would add a new dimension to an unfolding humanitarian disaster.

In the last few days, weve received more than 200 patients with cholera, a nurse at the Jumhouri hospital in Sanaa told Al Jazeera on Saturday.





Two patients died because they were in bad condition and they came here too late.

Khabar agency, a local news website, reported 10 deaths across the country on Saturday, citing information provided by the Ministry of Public Health.

Abdul Hakim Kahlani, the official spokesman for the ministry, told the website that there were three confirmed deaths in Sanaa, three in Ibb province and four in Hodeidah province.

The streets of Sanaa and its suburbs have been littered with piles of rubbish, and families living in close proximity have been some of the hardest hit.

Street cleaners have repeatedly called on the government to increase wages and a strike over pay has lasted seven months.

We drink from a well that distributes water to the whole district, a resident told Al Jazeera.

We never got sick in the past, but lately weve had a crisis with garbage in the city and its caused severe diarrhoea and vomiting. Its horrible.

READ MORE: UNICEF  One child dies every 10 minutes in Yemen

Yemen has been battling a cholera outbreak since mid-October 2016.

Out of 23,506 suspected cases, there have been 108 associated deaths.

Cholera is a disease that is transmitted through contaminated drinking water.

Most sufferers exhibit mild symptoms that can be treated with oral rehydration solution, but the disease can kill within hours in severe cases if not treated with intravenous fluids and antibiotics.

The war in Yemen has killed more than 10,000 people, left 7.4 million children in need of medical help, nearly 2.2 million malnourished, and around 462,000 at risk of severe acute malnutrition, according to the UN childrens agency, UNICEF.
The case against Assange is as political as it is legal; where does it go from here? Plus, Kenyas election influencers.
Joko Widodo, commonly known as Jokowi, was elected president of Indonesia, one of Asias leading economies  and the country with the largest Muslim population in the world  in October 2014. He rose to power promising to be the peoples president and with an initial approval rating of 70 percent, expectations were high.

His dreams of further improving the countrys economy  especially for the poor  and to fight corruption and bureaucracy, however, were very ambitious. He promised to transform Indonesias infrastructure to interconnect its most remote regions, a project at an estimated cost of over $1 trillion.

But only in 2015, Indonesias economy, South Asias largest, was growing at its lowest rate in six years.

Meanwhile, the presidents tough approach on drugs  including his push to execute drug traffickers  have created diplomatic tensions since many of the accused have been foreign nationals.

Additionally, disputes with China over territories in the South China Sea and the growing tension brought about by North Koreas threats, are putting the region under a lot of pressure.

Indonesia is a large country. It's a lot more than just about Jakarta's affairs. In general, Indonesia is still in safe condition, in good condition, and if in a governor's election there are issues that heat up - that situation is normal. This not only happens in Indonesia, not only in Jakarta. by Joko Widodo, president of Indonesia

One of Widodos main political allies and closest friends, Jakartas governor, Basuki Tjahaja Purnama, nicknamed Ahok, lost the April election that wouldve kept him in office for another term.

The Christian governors popularity tumbled after his political enemies accused him of blasphemy against Islamic beliefs.

So, is Widodos Indonesia at the crossroads between a multireligious state and a nation ruled by Islamic principles?

As President Widodo is close to completing three years in office, we discuss his record and the problems he is facing domestically and internationally.

Al Jazeera: Your friend and political ally, Governor Ahok, has lost the Jakarta elections and we had mass rallies in the capital for quite a long time. You really needed the governor to win these elections to firm your power base. How sad are you about his loss?

Joko Widodo: Indonesia has 34 provinces, we dont have only gubernatorial elections in Jakarta. I think the most important thing is that the Jakarta elections went smoothly and peacefully and people could use their voting rights. About winning or losing  thats normal in a democracy.

Al Jazeera: But how worried are you? We had hundreds of thousands of people on the street and many have been pushing people in Jakarta to vote for a Muslim candidate. Many people I spoke to said, we had no choice but to vote for a Muslim.

Widodo: This is not about minority versus majority, once again, this is about politics  Even though the demonstrations were large, they were peaceful  If there is a topic to be blown up, it will be done. If there is an issue that needs to be pushed, it will be pushed. Its normal. Most importantly, after the gubernatorial election was finished, one day after that, Mr Ahok and Mr Anies held a meeting. This shows how grown-up our democracy is, I dont think we need to focus on the issues that happened before.

Al Jazeera: One of the reasons governor Ahok lost was the blasphemy case against him. Why did you agree with that case happening against him, because it was very clear that it would undermine his chances for re-election?

Widodo: Once more, most importantly, our democracy functions well. The democratic process of the gubernatorial election went well. And the people could properly use their right to vote. Voter turnout during the gubernatorial election in Jakarta was very high, 78 percent. This means the people used their voting rights  I think the blasphemy issue belongs in the past and it is being dealt with by our justice system. Most importantly, Jakarta looks to the future. The government programmes can run well and the elected governor can implement these programmes and improve Jakarta, thats most important.

Al Jazeera: What weve seen recently is that a more conservative version of Islam is getting more popularity in Indonesia. How worried are you? And what are you doing to counter that?

Widodo: I am not worried abut that. These issues only came up during the election. It may look like the whole of Indonesia is like that, but thats not true. Islam in Indonesia is a tolerant Islam, Islam in Indonesia is moderate, and we will continue to push for this: that our diversity, our pluralism in Indonesia will continue, that our people are united, that our country will continue to be developed and improve itself so that we will get better and better and better.

Al Jazeera: One of the groups that have been rallying against Governor Ahok, and also against you, is the Islamic Defenders Front. People from this group made statements that are full of hatred against other religions  and people who say these things go unpunished. What are you planning to do with groups like this and people making statements like this?

Widodo: I leave this all up to our justice system. Our justice system will decide. Is there any proof, is there any legal evidence that these things are against the law? If we have legal evidence, if we have legal facts, I think police, prosecutors and courts will decide. Not me.

Al Jazeera: If someone say he wants to kill Christians or kill people from Ahmadiyya, for example, is that against the law?

Widodo: I think we should leave this up to the justice system.

Al Jazeera: You are now half way through your term, two and a half years exactly. When you became the president, you had a very ambitious agenda of bringing change to Indonesia, combating poverty, corruption and bringing economic reforms. If we look at the current situation, the economic growth is not as high as you had wished and also infrastructure projects have not been completed as you had wished. Do you feel that with all the political debate going on in Jakarta you had to compromise?

Widodo: The world economy is indeed slow, all nations are facing the same problems: how to handle the economy so it will be stable or even grow  Whatever political issue comes up, we will continue to work on speeding up infrastructure, making our regulations simpler so it will be easier to do business and create jobs for our people. and basic things like healthcare and education will continue to be our focus.

Editors note: The president was reluctant to answer questions regarding the legal case against Ahok, showing how sensitive the case is in Indonesia. The verdict against the governor will be on May 9.

You can talk to Al Jazeera, too. Join our Twitter conversation as we talk to world leaders and alternative voices shaping our times. You can also share your views and keep up to date with our latest interviews on Facebook.










ACTUALITES After 118 days in Boko Haram captivity 82 Chibok girls free

Alwihda Info | Par Info Alwihda - 7 Mai 2017



We are not aware of release  DHQ There were indications, last night, that 82 of the more than the 200 Chibok schoolgirls abducted by the terrorist group, Boko Haram, in April 2014, may have been released.

Meanwhile, the Defence Headquarters (DHQ) said it was not aware of the schoolgirls release. I have not heard that. I am just hearing it from you, the Director of Defence, Major General John Enenche, told Sunday Vanguard when contacted for the confirmation of the release of the girls. The SaharaReporters report said the release of the 82 girls came after further negotiations between the Islamist group and the Buhari administration. The released girls were said to be in Banki, Borno State awaiting airlift to an unknown destination. The report added that once the girls were secured in a new location, they would be debriefed, undergo a psychological and medical test and then be reunited with their families. The release, if confirmed, came 118 days after the girls were taken from their domitory while writing their final West African Senior Secondary Certificate Examination (WASSCE) in Chibok town on April 14, 2014. The kidnapping happened under the immediate past Jonathan administration. In October 2016, 21 of the girls had been freed by Boko Haram after negotiations between the group and the Nigerian government brokered by the International Committee of the Red Cross and the Swiss government. But told that the story of the release of the new batch of the girls was already online, yesterday, the DHQ spokesperson, Enenche said: Well, SaharaReporters is not my source. I dont have any correspondent from SaharaReporters. The people I have on ground have not told me that. Reminded that the online platform quoted military source for its information, he asked: Which military source? They dont have military source than me. He spoke further: I have not heard about it; even if you have, its better you confirm their identity.  How many people have been released by Boko Haram? So many people, so its better we confirm their identity. From me, theres nothing like that so far. SaharaReporters has put people into so many confusion in this country. Thats the truth of the matter. But like I said, I have not heard that. If I had, I would have told my Chief of Defence Staff and other Service Chiefs. But theres nothing like that. Read more at: http://www.vanguardngr.com/2017/05/118-days-boko-haram-captivity-82-chibok-girls-freed/





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The Hillary Clinton whinefest continues. I had hoped that like the falling out of favor Kardashians and Caitlyn (aka Bruce) Jenner, shed just start fading out of an audience, but she feels compelled to keep complaining about all those who cost her the election. This week she blamed James Comey and Russian hackers for her loss.

There are two parts to the Russian collusion claim by the Hillaryites. They contend, first, that there was some still unspecified evidence to support a Russian preference for Trump. Then they claim that it was Russians who hacked her email accounts. This week both of those claims proved to be without substance.

In Congressional testimony, the only basis for the first assumption was the purely factually unsupported, speculative belief by FBI director Comey that Russia preferred Trump. The only basis for the second was that the FBI was examining contacts between Trump and the Russians -- a suggestion Comey swatted off. Paul Sperry writes in the New York Post:

It turns out the FBI probe doesnt even focus on Trump or his key campaign aides. It centers almost exclusively on a former Merrill Lynch executive who was based in Moscow a decade ago. His name is Carter Page, and he never formally worked for the Trump campaign. In fact, he first showed up on the FBIs radar three years before Trump announced his candidacy. Page is the main investigative target and apparently the only one remotely tied to the Trump campaign to have his communications targeted with a FISA warrant. To obtain that surveillance warrant, the FBI relied on a discredited dossier, which will make it hard to prosecute Page. The opposition research firm behind the dossier, which alleges nefarious collusion between Trump and Putin, is Fusion GPS, which conducts political disinformation campaigns -- sometimes for Moscow. The relationship casts further doubt on an already highly dubious dossier, Senate Judiciary Chairman Chuck Grassley wrote the Justice Department in a recent letter. Adding to suspicions, the author of the dodgy dossier may have been on the FBIs payroll, according to Grassley. The GOP senator asked Comey about payments the bureau made to researcher Christopher Steele, and Comey dodged the question without denying payments. So nine months in, this is where the FBIs investigation stands: No evidence of collaboration between the Trump campaign and Moscow, something even Obamas intelligence czar verified. No charges against any Trump aides for espionage. And one case against a single, tangentially connected suspect built on tenuous evidence at best.

Its hard, in any event, to comprehend how Comey could have been clueless enough to give an ounce of credence to the Christopher Steele (Hillarys GPS-commissioned) Dossier -- so clueless that he included it in his final intelligence community report on Russian election meddling.

Comey couldnt say whether GPS is, in fact, part of the Russian intelligence operation, but there is some evidence it is.

Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., the top Democrat on the Senate Judiciary Committee who also sits on the intelligence committee, told CNN on Wednesday that she does not at this time have evidence of collusion between Trump associates and Russia during the campaign. Fusion GPS is now the subject of a formal complaint at the Justice Department, facing allegations the company violated the Foreign Agents Registration Act, as is the companys founder former Wall Street Journal reporter Glenn Simpson.

Let's repeat this more simply: the FBI Russian-meddling investigation and the FISA warrant used to electronically surveil Trump and his associates during the campaign appears to have been based on entirely on a dossier written by a man hired by Hillary through GPS which is itself being charged with being an unregistered agent for Russia. But there is more: The author of the dossier himself says it is an unreliable account.

During the heated hearing, Grassley also chided the FBI for giving him materially inconsistent information and specifically referenced Steele, noting The man who wrote the dossier admitted in court that it has unverified claims. Does that sound like a reliable basis for law enforcement or intelligence actions? Fox News also spoke to Steeles solicitor Nicola Cain in London, who had no comment citing ongoing litigation. A British court document, first reported by The Guardian and signed by Steele, offers a glimpse into his companys work for Fusion GPS. The document describes "unsolicited intelligence" and "raw intelligence" that needed to be [sic] analysed and further investigated/verified.

At the least -- even giving credence to GPS defense that it never lobbied for Russia -- GPS concedes it provided supporting material for the law firm that lobbied to lift the U.S. sanctions on Russia. In sum, GPS has closer ties to Russia than Trump ever had.

Hillary Clinton engaged GPS to dig up dirt on Trump. Then his unnamed Republican opponents followed on. It's unclear whether the FBI picked up the tab when they dropped GPS' services.

Grassley stressed his concerns that the FBI has relied on the document to justify [Comey's] current investigation. There have been reports that the FBI agreed to pay the author of the dossier, who paid his sources, who also paid their sub sources. Where did the money come from and what motivated the people writing the checks?

Maybe it was the FBI that paid them. Maybe it was Planned Parenthood, which GPS also works for. Planned Parenthood is strongly backed by Hillary which is in Republican gunsights for defunding.

This is the same opposition research firm that was hired by Planned Parenthood to discredit the Center for Medical Progress sting videos, revealing that Planned Parenthood representatives selling aborted baby tissue samples. They were also hired to investigate Trumps sexual history in 2015 and conduct anti-Romney opposition research for the Democrats in 2012.

Outside the hearing room, theres even more evidence to drive the final nail into this fairy tale.

The hacker Guccifer says it wasnt the Russians -- it was he who got into Hillarys unsecured email server:

The Romanian hacker who first exposed Hillary Clinton's private email address is making a bombshell new claim -- that he also gained access to the former Secretary of State's "completely unsecured" server. "It was like an open orchid on the Internet," Marcel Lehel Lazar, who uses the devilish handle Guccifer, told NBC News in an exclusive interview from a prison in Bucharest. "There were hundreds of folders."

In sum, all the available evidence shows that the Russians did not hack Hillarys emails, that the dossier which was the basis for the FISA warrants is both unreliable and a paid confection of Trumps political opponents.

This does not look good for James Comey.

It also doesnt look good for either Comey or Hillary that her closest, most confidential aide, Huma Abedin, forwarded classified emails addressed to Hillary to her husband Anthony Weiner who, in turn, maintained them in a file reportedly marked life insurance. For one thing, Hillary said she never received or transmitted classified material on her (completely unsecured) email accounts. "I never sent or received any classified material while being investigated by the FBI. For another, Huma Abedin told the bureau in an April interview that she used the account on the clintonemail.com domain only for issues related to the secretarys personal affairs, such as communicating with her friends. For work-related records, Abedin claimed she primarily used the email account provided to her by the State Department.

The FBI apparently relied on this explanation without seeking to examine her home account. It wasnt until October when local law enforcement was investigating Weiners sexting with an underage girl that they noticed the classified emails and the FBI got involved.

Comey still has done nothing to indict her  because, he claims, as he did with regard to Hillarys mishandling of classified material, that he couldnt find an intent to violate the law, a requirement that exists in his own head, not the relevant law. Doubtless, he understood how lacking in credibility it would have been to go after Abedin for the same sort of conduct for which hed absolved Hillary.

Not responded to at the hearing this week was a claim made that among the hacked emails was one, reported by the New York Times that "Attorney General Lynch would protect Secretary Clinton by making sure the FBI investigation 'didn't go too far.'"

How, and when, did you first learn of this document? Also, who sent it and who received it?

COMEY: That's not a question I can answer in this forum, Mr. Chairman, because it would call for a classified response. I have briefed leadership of the intelligence committees on that particular issue, but I can't talk about it here.

A cynic might argue that given that Lynch was his boss and her department had the authority to indict, not him, had he somehow blasted through the Lynch wall around justice, and obtained an indictment, no D.C. jury would have indicted her and the Democrats would have had a martyr to keep contesting the election results -- but with a more substantive basis than they now have. (If you recall the special prosecutor in the Whitewater case said the only reason they had not indicted her for perjury was because no D.C. jury would convict her.) By laying out the evidence and inventing the no intent explanation for not seeking criminal prosecution he let voters know how corrupt she was and allowed them to be the jury, not 12 Democrats on a D.C. jury. Thats as much credit as I would ever give him.

Still, Comey remains as head of the FBI, and Hillary's fans have not given up on her. There is a new fantasy website called Hillary Beat Trump where they meet and pretend she won.

HillaryBeatTrump.com calls itself News from the Real America, where the majority rules, and the pantsuit-wearing political goddess has somehow, inexplicably triumphed over Trump. With headlines like Historians say Clintons presidency is already in all time top 5, and NYT pans Clintons oppressively intelligent press conference as boring and too sane, the site takes alternative facts to the next level: deliberately allowing progressives to live in a well-decorated alternative universe. The website claims to be satire, but it also says that its an active part of the organized anti-Trump movement, the resistance. On its about page, it whines, In the midst of a Constitutional crisis, this is our response. Long live the true president, Hillary Rodham Clinton. It is not immediately clear what they mean by Constitutional crisis, but it probably has something to do with the Electoral College.

Hillary seems to reside in fantasyland along with her diehard fans. She is launching a PAC to fund the resistance. But even some of her supporters have had enough of her petulant screeching that she was robbed. Clinton supporter the New York Daily News Gersh Kuntzman is one of them:

Kuntzman said that Hillary may be sorry, but her supporters, including Kuntzman, are suffering the consequences while she makes millions expanding on the trip-ups that killed her presidential hopes in a memoir, which the two-time presidential loser described as a painful process. She wouldnt elaborate on those mistakes by the way in her discussion with CNNs Christiane Amanpour at the Women for Women International luncheon on Tuesday. Kuntzman didnt blame Russia. He didnt blame FBI Director Comey. Kuntzman accepted that Clintons loss was her making and hers alone. Period. At the same time, he did link to the various anti-Trump columns he wrote over the past few months. So, of course, hes no friend of the Trump White House, but I do respect how hes able to accept that Trump is president. Its Clintons fault, and she needs to go away.

David Axelrod has also told her to move on:

CNN's "New Day" called in former President Barack Obama's adviser to discuss Mrs. Clinton's news conference on Tuesday, which framed her failed presidential bid as the result of forces beyond her control. Mr. Axelrod told co-hosts Chris Cuomo and Alisyn Camerota that he was baffled why she would continue to revisit the issue since "it takes a lot of work to lose to Donald Trump." "Jim Comey didn't tell her not to campaign in Wisconsin after the convention," said Mr. Obama's winning campaign strategist. "Jim Comey didn't say, 'Don't put any resources into Michigan until the final week of the campaign.' One of the things that hindered her in the campaign was a sense that she never fully was willing to take responsibility for her mistakes, particularly that server."

She probably won't, though. Her overweening ambition has always taken precedence over the nations interests and the Democrats never criticized her for any of her misconduct. It is only now, when she threatens the partys interests, that all but the deluded fantasists are raising a stink and telling her to just go home.
If youre Jared Kushner, what could possibly be harder than mending U.S.-Mexico relations? Try being the Trump administration's front man for streamlining the out-of-control, stagnant federal government bureaucracy.

As the recently-appointed head of the new Office of American Innovation, Kushner has been tasked with incorporating private-sector solutions into some of the governments most dysfunctional agencies, operations, and services. While this might seem like an impossible task, there is one way the new office can clinch a big first win: stopping the governments wasteful, uncompetitive practice of awarding sole-source (no-bid) contracts.

In typical Washington fashion, hasty bureaucrats oftentimes dole out large government contracts to favored multimillion-dollar corporations without even considering others for the job. Key decision-making factors like cost, efficiency, and reliability are tossed to the curb in the name of working in the public interest.

These bureaucrats are spending our tax dollars like children rolling down the supermarket aisles.

It is irresponsible and unsustainable. If the Trump administration is serious about draining the swamp, then these no-bid contracts need to be blasted into the history books.

Kushner will not be fighting alone. There is already a movement building in Congress to stop this blatant waste and cronyism.

Last month, House Science, Space, and Technology Committee chair Lamar Smith (R-TX) sent a letter to the new HHS Secretary Tom Price, asking for details about millions of dollars that the NIH has paid to the Ramazzini Institute over the past few decades. Ramazzini, a little-known scientific institution in Italy, has churned out a slew of controversial pronouncements on occupational and environmental health. Since 2009 alone, the NIH has reportedly sent $92 million to the Ramazzini Institute and its fellows, mostly in the form of no-bid contracts. NIHs Linda Birnbaum, who also happens to be a Ramazzini fellow, oversaw many of these disbursements.

Coincidence? I think not.

Ramazzini has enjoyed a steady stream of competition-free NIH funding and has not produced much of anything with its allocated taxpayer funds. But Congress has more than one bone to pick with the NIHs spending: the body also wants more information about NIHs funding links to the France-based International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC).

Last fall, the House Oversight Committee began investigating NIHs funding of IARC, an agency that has already been under scrutiny for peddling fake news in the science realm. The agency alleges everything from coffee to glyphosate is carcinogenic in nature. A number of IARC personnel also have professional ties with both Ramazzini and the NIH -- raising the question of what motivated the NIH to award sole-source contracts to these overseas organizations.

Unfortunately, the NIH isnt alone: other big government agencies like the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the Department of Defense (DoD) award their own questionable no-bid contracts. For example, in 2003, the brand-new DHS signed a $2 million no-bid contract with Booz Allen Hamilton to start a new intelligence operation. By the end of 2004, monthly payments to Booz Allen had shot up to $30 million -- 15 times the original value of the deal. Per the department lawyers who later investigated the agreement, the contract had gone grossly beyond the scope of the original terms and in violation of government procurement rules.

But things got worse: in 2008, an audit found that FEMA had exposed taxpayers to fraud and wasted at least $45.9 million on four no-bid contracts for post-Katrina recovery work. FEMA later raised the total amounts for the four no-bid contracts to $2 billion and later $3 billion. The waste was incredibly flagrant: contracts included a $20 million payment for an evacuee camp that was never inspected and turned out to be unusable.

FEMA was rightly taken to task for how badly it bungled its contracts, but the scandal changed absolutely nothing about how government contracts are doled out today. This past December, Microsoft landed a nearly $1 billion no-bid contract for tech support services to DoD. Could another contractor have offered a more competitive bid? We will never know.

Sole-source bidding has already wasted billions of taxpayer dollars, but government officials apparently care more about whatever time they save by avoiding a standard RFP process than they do about creating a fair, efficient playing field. Permitting market competition might be an inconvenience to them, but it is the only way to cut down on cronyism and force contractors to maximize performance.

The problem at hand is a thoroughly bipartisan one as well. In 2008, Candidate Obama promised to end the abuse of no-bid contracts once and for all. Instead, his administration raised them to record highs after just four years.

If President Trump truly wants to apply his ahead of schedule, under budget' mentality to the government, then he will eliminate this pernicious culture that has seeped into so many corners of government. After all, the administrations new Office of American Innovation was created with the intent of bringing private sector solutions to government. Given the trail of waste and fraud that no-bid contracts have left, this kind of initiative should be a no-brainer.

Tommy Behnke (@Tommy_Behnke) is a Mises Institute alumus and former communications staffer for Sen. Rand Paul. His commentary on fiscal and monetary policy has been highlighted in The Hill, Zero Hedge, Business Insider, the Mises Institute, Washington Examiner, Conservative Review, and the Daily Caller.
James Comey epitomizes a lot of what is wrong with Washington and the elite culture of which he is a part. The question Americans ought to be asking after his recent testimony before Congress is not What happened? with Hillary Clinton, the election, or the Russians but How the hell is this guy still running the FBI? Its a question for the president too.

Comey is a creature of Washington and the self-interested hypocritical elites that President Trump excoriated on his road to the White House. And yet there was Comey the other day, preening before Congress in his ah shucks Im just a big tall guy trying my darndest to do the right thing act, balancing attacks from the left and right with a complacent disregard for any notion of what is right, other than his take at the moment on any particular issue.

Comeys survival owes in part to some basic qualities. In many respects he is the type of guy who typically prospers in a hierarchical environment. He is tall and imposing, while being technically smart and basically competent. Comey always appears calm and has the knack to look slightly exasperated when fielding questions or criticism, as if those inquiring are barely worthy of his intellect or attention, but he deigns anyway. In an attempt to buffer his obvious condensation he offers up that occasional Aw shucks moment, as when at the recent hearing he exclaimed Golly! to explain how he felt about the slings and arrows sent his way.

Comey is very much like his bete noir Hillary Clinton, the woman with whom he is now historically entangled -- dont try to imagine it literally. Like Hillary Clinton, he wont go away, cant admit to mistakes, nor does it appear he has a good sense of self-awareness. Its like inspector Javert investigating Torquemada, or vice-versa, it really doesnt matter.

Hillary Clinton obsessively blames Comey for her defeat at least in part because consciously or not, she recognizes that he acted much the way she would have in a similar situation. That is, she would have lied, dissembled, and rationalized a position that she thought would bring her personal advantage, and arrogantly blow off any criticism as ignorant or in bad faith.

And as like members of the same class, Comeys accomplishments are actually similar to Hillarys. They are marked by connections, politics, legalisms, self-interest, and mediocrity. Just as Hillary nurtured a false reputation as a crusader for womens and the underprivileged, so Comey carefully cultivated one for probity and impartiality. The centerpiece of this construct, his 11th hour intervention to stop evil White House counsel Alberto Gonzales from getting ailing then Attorney General John Ashcroft to sign off on a wiretapping order Comey deemed illegal has a kernel of truth to it, not unlike Hillarys coming under sniper fire in Bosnia. It assumes that Ashcroft could not have refused to sign but for Comeys hulking presence in the room. Its a nice story, but thats all it is.

Even Comeys use of language mimics to some degree Hillarys similar efforts, as when she modulates her grating harangue into an odd approximation of a southern drawl. Thus we get Comeys golly comment, quite as if he fell off the turnip truck, and the even more inauthentic dyspeptic comment that hes mildly nauseous over the idea that in another 11th hour act, reopening of the Clinton email investigation, might have influenced the election. Like everything Comey seems to do, its an attempt to have it both ways, to eat his cake and keep it too, which ought to make ordinary Americans on both sides of the aisle a bit queasy.

But Comeys real genius is that he knows what ordinary Americans think doesnt matter. All that matters is what his fellow elites think, and they still seem unwilling to make him pay for his myriad errors in handling the Clinton email scandal. Hes cleverly taken the position that because everybody is upset with his actions, both on the right and on the left, he must have done things correctly, like Solomon threatening to split the baby, only to tweak out the ethical center.

He knows that lawyers and politicians more than anyone are familiar with this approach, deal-making and compromise being the lifeblood of both professions. Every lawyer knows the old saw that a modest settlement is usually better than a trial, and that if both parties walk away from the negotiations unhappy, than the mediator must have done his job well.

But this is not what Comeys really done. Unlike Solomon, metaphorically speaking, he actually split the baby that is federal law and procedure then ground it up into an unidentifiable mush, ladled equal portions to both Democrats and Republicans, and expects everybody to go Mmmmm! Its enough to make a reasonable person much more than mildly nauseous.

The real question now is what does Donald Trump think about all this? One of his most puzzling moves was the decision to keep Comey on as FBI director. Not long after the FBI went through a pro forma interview of Hillary and shortly before Comeys infamous July announcement that no reasonable prosecutor would bring charges in the email scandal Trump tweeted that the system was rigged presumably with Comey at the controls. Comeys July announcement seemed to prove that, but now Trump seems content to keep the rigged system in place, Comey still at the controls.

Trump came into office seemingly willing to confront and put some big tough guys in their places. But upon meeting and getting to know some of them, hes had a change of heart, for example reverting back to one China rhetoric after meeting with Chinese Premier Xi Jinping, whom he clearly respects. That might make perfect sense on the international stage and be good policy in dealing with the worlds largest nation, but Comey works for Trump.

Does Trump actually like the guy? Does he think Comeys actually doing a good job now after excoriating him on the campaign trail? Or is Trump, like the Washington elites among whom Comey swims so successfully, unwilling to put the big guy in his place, which means somewhere other than the FBI.
A few weeks ago, prior to the latest chapter of anti-Trump hatred, I decided to attend one of my business meetings. Being a long-term partner in a group mental health practice, I thought it was time to make the occasional token appearance. As mentioned in past articles, I am a clinical social worker who is a political minority in a practice with well intentioned but closed-minded left-wing mental health providers.

I sat next to a colleague who is quite pleasant and has at times respectfully engaged me about our political differences. He looked at me and said, "You know what I am going to ask you?" I didn't, but I assumed by his mischievous tone that it was about politics. He proceeded to ask me about Bill O'Reilly and the debacle at Fox. I told him I was mixed about O'Reilly because of his softball approach toward President Obama. His retort was, "Oh, so he was not conservative enough for you?" I stated that it has nothing to do with people's political orientation; rather, it's about accountability.

"I have no problem with President Trump being held accountable, but for eight years, the same practices were not applied to number 44." I provided him with an example:

A few days before our bantering, a close friend of mine who is extremely liberal reminded me that Trump derided the mentally challenged. I then reminded her that Obama did the same, but of course, the obsequious press quickly excused his mishap. As expected from my lovely but misguided friend, silence ensued.

A few years ago, this same man, who was so ready to ask me about politics, indicated that he did not know what sharia was. Last year at a social gathering, he looked at me and said he had never met a Republican. I informed him that I was unenrolled because the Democrats are bullies and the Republicans are cowards. This man, who is Jewish, is heavily supportive of J Street. In addition, he has traveled to Israel and maintains that the Israeli government commits atrocities against the Palestinian people. A few months ago, he sent me an email maintaining his issue with the Israeli government and his desire to improve the plight of the Palestinians. I responded with my commendation of his attempts to make the world a better place but insisted that I could not support any group committing murder in the name of religion or any other cause.

As blind as he is to his ideology, this colleague is truly one of the more reasonable ones. Although he boldly adheres to his false beliefs and gods, he is willing to have a discussion, which I never initiate. As most of the readers recognize, this is not the case for most on the left, especially here in the Northeast. If you express your dissent against some of their positions, you are labeled racist, homophobic, misogynistic, etc., etc.

Many of my colleagues are wealthy and live in the tony suburbs of the closest metropolis. Some of the loudest have co-opted our meetings to the point of no return. From what I have been told during my absence, political references are not frequent but unpredictable.

Now, with the initial repeal of Obamacare, the frenzy has taken on an even louder tone, as evidenced by our practice's Facebook page. This page is for the general public, not for professionals only. A few days ago, my colleagues posted a call for service from one of the professional organizations to contact your representatives in opposition to the repeal of the Affordable Care Act. I was taken aback by this posting. Mental health professionals are supposed to maintain a position of neutrality with the general public.

Based on the behavior of my other colleagues, however, I should not have been surprised. In the last few months, they have openly worn pins saying "Black Lives Matter" or something referring to "feminism." Like the mainstream media, they assume that enlightened people share their sentiments and that such outward positions will not affect their business. Some do not worry because their financial position affords them the ability to be so revealing. Living in the Northeast, perhaps, they are correct, but based on the number of people I have seen over the years, my colleagues are foolish to assume that everyone takes on the liberal mantra. Many of my clients are appalled by the left's persecution. One young woman who has never shared her political orientation expresses fear about going to work at a local college because of student unrest.

Most of my colleagues and some of my clients continue to express worship of President Obama. Some truly view him as the Black Jesus who walks on water and will not familiarize themselves with history and what happens when false gods prevail. They refuse to recognize his nefarious attempts to transform the United States and believe that Obamacare was an altruistic attempt to help the truly needy. Along with their comrades on the left, they celebrate their so-called openness and superiority about positions around social justice. Lenin's quote aptly fits them: "A lie told often enough becomes the truth."

Again, I will stay away from our meetings indefinitely. Although such recusals protect me from listening to fears about impending Armageddon as a result of repeal and replace, I will probably hear such rumblings from a few of my left-leaning clients. Hopefully, as always, they will quickly move to more important topics about their own lives, and as I continue to self-improve, I will help them do the same.

The author is using a pen name for reasons she explains here
Before he left office, President Obama set a goal of accepting 110,000 refugees in the 2017 fiscal year (beginning Oct. 1st 2016), even though he was only president for four months of that fiscal year. Once Donald Trump became president, he set a revised limit of 50,000 for the 2017 fiscal year. However, a federal judge struck down the 50,000 limit.

As a result, Trump is admitting larger numbers of refugees.

The U.S. accepted 2,070 refugees in March, the lowest monthly total since 2013, according to State Department data. April ended with 3,316 refugees admitted....

That's 160% higher than March.

Now here's the tricky part:

While a federal judge has struck down Trump's 50,000 limit, that does not mean that Trump is required to admit more than 50,000 refugees. He just can't explicitly set a limit of 50,000. He could actually select fewer than 50,000, as long as he did not order a formal limit. No federal judge in the world can order President Trump to specifically select refugees to admit to America.

As we have said repeatedly, Trumps refugee admissions are not at the mercy of two rogue judges, said longtime refugee watchdog Ann Corcoran in her blog post Thursday at Refugee Resettlement Watch. He can bring in any number under the CEILING set either by Obama (110,000) or his reduced ceiling (50,000).

So why is Trump admitting a larger number of refugees when he doesn't have to? When he campaigned for the presidency, Trump promised to deport all Syrian refugees in America; now he is admitting more than ever, even taking in ones bound for Australia.

Trump supporters say we should be happy that Trump is admitting fewer refugees than Hillary would. But why not hold Trump to a higher standard--to his own promises? He can stop admitting any more refugees right now, not admit a single new one, and no federal judge can order him otherwise.

I guess we can file this away with other security promises that will never be fulfilled, like the wall that will be paid for by Mexico (or a wall at all), and the termination of the illegal "DREAMer" program. I just wonder, when a radical Islamic Syrian refugee that Trump admits into the country kills someone, who will Trump supporters blame? A federal judge? Paul Ryan? The Deep State? The Freedom Caucus? Ted Cruz's father?

Ed Straker is the senior writer at NewsMachete.com
Editor's note 5 12 17: For unknown reasons, the DHS has taken down the page that we linked to. The link was cited by several other websites, and did exist.

A damning report from the DHS inspector general explains why the Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency has such a difficult time in catching foreigners who overstay their visas.

The problems are tied to incompetent oversight by the DHS Chief Information Officer and the dizzying number of databases that contain information on people who enter the country.

The report concludes:

Department of Homeland Security IT systems did not effectively support ICE visa tracking operations. ICE personnel responsible for investigating in-country visa overstays pieced together information from dozens of systems and databases, some of which were not integrated and did not electronically share information. Despite previous efforts to improve information sharing, the DHS Chief Information Officer (CIO) did not provide the oversight and centralized management needed to address these issues. Additionally, ICE did not ensure that its field personnel received the training and guidance needed to properly use the systems currently available to conduct visa overstay tracking. Further, the Department lacked a comprehensive biometric exit system at U.S. ports of departure to capture information on nonimmigrant visitors who exit the United States. Without a complete exit system, DHS relied on third-party departure data, such as commercial carrier passenger manifests, to confirm a visitors departure from the country. However, these commercial sources occasionally provided false departure or arrival status on visitors.

The end result was that ICE was able to arrest only a miniscule number of visa overstays:

ICE arrested just 0.4 percent of visa overstays it could account for, according to an audit by the inspector general. The agency has 27 different databases used to investigate and track immigrants who remain in the country past the deadline issued on their temporary visas. The lack of a cohesive system has "produced numerous inefficiencies," making ICE ineffective at catching visa overstays who may pose security risks, according to the audit. [...] Of the more than 500,000 identified overstays, only 3,402 were arrested, which amounts to less than 0.4 percent. ICE's databases also had inaccurate information recorded on those who were arrested. "In some cases, the individuals arrested had been reported in DHS systems as having already left the United States," the inspector general said. "Because this information was not recorded, ICE personnel were unable to provide an exact number when asked during our audit." The United States issued more than 10.8 million nonimmigrant visas in 2015. The inspector general said that although only a small percentage overstay their visas, those individuals could pose severe national security risks. "For example, two of the 19 hijackers on September 11, 2001, were visa overstays," the inspector general said. "This prompted the 9/11 Commission to call for the government to ensure that all visitors to the United States are tracked on entry and exit."

The report highlights the antiquated computer systems being used by ICE that do not have the capability to link up various data bases that would alert authorities if someone overstays their visa. A "biometric" entry and exit system would go a long way toward addressing the problem. Instead of relying on passenger manifests from the airlines, ICE would have its own data base of those who entered the US and would know almost immediately if someone was in the country illegally.

The governmet-wide IT problem is present in every agency and every department. The process to upgrade computer systems takes so long that by the time requests are approved, the proposed computer systems are nearly obsolete. You would think something as important to the security and safety of American citizens as a data base that keeps track of foreigners would be a high priority for ICE.

But apparently, DHS has better uses for IT funds than to upgrade its visa data base computers.
Sanctuary cities have all sorts of ways to reward criminality and punish tax-paying citizens. Most recently, Sacramento has joined other cities in using tax dollars to fund legal fees for illegal aliens. Fox News reports:

Sacramento became the latest city this week to go above and beyond sanctuary policies by approving the use of taxpayer dollars to support the legal defense of illegal immigrants facing deportation. [snip] The plan, backed by the mayor, fits a trend of local and state lawmakers taking similar action. As the Trump administration separately faces a court setback in its bid to cut off federal funds to sanctuary cities, those jurisdictions are only doubling down.

Sacramento isnt the first city to institute this new level of lawless madness.

Earlier in the week, officials in Michigan's Washtenaw County gave initial approval to pay such legal bills with taxpayer funds. Proposals to directly or indirectly pay for legal assistance to illegal immigrants have also gained approval in Providence, R.I.; Austin, Texas; San Francisco, Calif.; and Newark, N.J. Even in the small New York city of Ithaca, politicians are gearing up to spend emergency funds to help illegal immigrants taken into custody by Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents, according to The Ithaca Voice. And on a broader scale, New York lawmakers recently signed off on a statewide legal defense fund, while California legislators are considering a bill creating a fund that could carry a price tag of up to $12 million per year.

All of this is rationalized, as only the left can rationalize, by tossing out vapid buzzwords:

Councilman Eric Guerra told Fox News in an email that their move to assist with legal defense reflects a commitment to treat all Sacramento residents equally and with the dignity and respect they deserve.

Ah, yes. Equality, dignity, and respect.

Never mind that people who enter this country illegally have disrespected our laws. Never mind that entering the United States illegally does not place you on equal footing with people who are here legally. Never mind that citizens struggling to make ends meet and pay their taxes are stripped of their dignity when their hard-earned money is used to defend people whose first act on American soil is to break the law.

And as a side note, why should anyone bother to come to America legally, when they can come illegally and be provided with all manner of aid? And how dare city governments use our tax dollars to fund and defend illegal activity?

They dare because they are leftists. And they are using our tax dollars to buy Democrat voters.

Are you feeling the respect yet? Me either.

Hat tip: The Gateway Pundit
Obama was a sensible, understanding guy. He knew the limits of American power and was careful not to overstep them.

Iran installs uranium-enrichment centrifuges, engages in nuclear warhead design, develops long-range missiles? Mr. Obama, realizing the unstoppable will of the Iranians to build an atom bomb, bowed to the inevitable and wisely decided on palliative measures, negotiating a ten-year delay in production of Iranian weapons, granting in exchange legality to the Iranian nuclear project.

Bashar Assad uses chemical weapons, which Mr. Obama warned him not to use? Realizing how little a U.S. military strike would achieve, Mr. Obama wisely refrained from retaliating.

North Korea is hell-bent on putting the U.S. within its nuclear range? With great wisdom, Mr. Obama realized that nothing could be done to stop it and did nothing.

To judge by the Tomahawk strike on the Syrian airfield from which Assad's latest chemical attack was launched, by his ordering a carrier group to move within striking distance of North Korea, by his rhetoric of putting Iran on notice that its violations will no longer be observed with a blind eye, it looks as if Mr. Trump is not as understanding as Mr. Obama was and is not willing to just wisely accept the inevitable. In fact, he clearly appears to think nothing is inevitable, that events can be controlled, outcomes shaped, and bad actors restrained and neutralized.

Given that kind of philosophy, Mr. Trump's approach to the Arab-Israeli conflict is one of today's hot topics. After all, he just hosted Palestinian president Abbas; in a couple of weeks, he will go on his first overseas trip, visiting among other places Saudi Arabia and Israel. The moment of truth for his pledge to move the American embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem is fast approaching: early June is when signing of the waiver for that move is due. Will he sign it, or won't he? Will he heed Arab pleas, buttressed by darkly hinted threats of resulting Palestinian violence? Or will he fulfill his promise to his Jewish and Evangelical supporters?

I suggest we look at this question from a different angle, asking: How will the move of the U.S. embassy to Jerusalem affect the prospect of Israeli-Palestinian negotiations and settlement of the Arab-Israeli conflict?

Both sides want particular outcomes. From the extensive history of previous attempts at negotiating the conflict, we can easily reverse-engineer those ultimately desired results. Since, in the past, Israelis put on the table various proposals to end the conflict, we can reasonably conclude that they ultimately want security and official recognition of legitimacy and legality of the Jewish state.

From persistent declining of those offers by the Palestinians, and from their avoiding negotiations whenever possible, we learn that the Palestinian goal is to not grant Israel that legitimacy and security. In fact, it is clear from Palestinian demands that settlement construction stops before negotiations even start, from their unwavering demand of the "right of return," from saturation of Palestinian media and textbooks with anti-Israel incitement, it is clear that Palestinians hope to eventually roll Israel back. Clearly, their strategy is twofold: on the one hand, freeze Israel's progress and movement, and on the other, chip away at it at every opportunity. The changes would thus go in a single direction  that of diminishing of Israel. It is thus only a matter of time and patience. Bound hand and foot during an Israel-friendly American administration and actively diminished during unsympathetic, Obama-style ones, Israel will inevitably come to an end.

This being the Palestinian calculation, what should the sensible response be?

To continue stroking Palestinian grievances, waiting patiently for yet another generation of Palestinians to come to their senses  the approach taken during the last seventy years? Given how entrenched, and well supplied, Palestinians are (their leader, Mr. Abbas, is feted in every capital of the world, and Palestinians themselves are fed, clothed, and housed by the U.N.), I see no reason why they would change their stance.

But how about sending Palestinians a clear signal that their stalling tactic that holds regional peace and progress hostage will no longer be tolerated?

Moving the U.S. embassy to Jerusalem would be that signal. It would tell the Palestinians that their strategy of gradual encroachment is no secret, and will not succeed  that they should either negotiate, and get something in return (that something being not the destruction of Israel, which they so fervently hope for, but merely the ability to have decent lives), or be left behind.

Mr. Trump's reaction to Assad's poison gas attack did not topple the regime; it did not even do much physical damage. Yet it was a clear signal that the U.S. administration's patience with Assad's use of chemical weapons is over. It was merely a warning shot. And looks as though it was heard  Mr. Assad has not resorted to chemical weapons since.

Moving the U.S. embassy to Jerusalem  a mere logistical move, a change in geographic location of a building  would likewise be a mere signal. It would be a signal that Palestinians should abandon their hopes for destroying Israel and come to the negotiating table, resolving the conflict.

And if they persist in their intransigence, too bad. They will be simply left behind.
You all probably remember Trayvon Martin, the celebrated black youth who was shot while trying to pound night watchman George Zimmerman's head into the pavement. To the left, Trayvon is a hero, a young man who was shot simply because he was black. To everyone else, he was a thug, with all the evidence, including the bruises on Zimmerman's head, pointing to the fact that Trayvon was trying to kill him when he got shot.

But now Trayvon has "turned his life around" and gotten a degree in aeronautics from Florida Memorial University. I think being dead helped him a lot with his studies; Trayvon won the degree posthumously, because he loved to fly. I don't know about the flying part, but Trayvon sure loved to get high. Whether Trayvon could have earned the degree if he were alive was debatable. He was suspended from high school for getting into fights with others.

In the months and days before his shooting death, Trayvon Martin was getting into fights, getting high on marijuana, getting suspended from school and talking with friends about getting a gun, according to cellphone text messages that defense lawyers for shooter George Zimmerman released Thursday. Trayvons chronically misspelled, slang-filled messages... [featured] pictures of a semi-automatic pistol, marijuana plants and Trayvon flipping his middle fingers....

And then there were his exotic tastes in fine jewelry:

In October, 2011, Martin was caught on a school surveillance video defacing lockers with obscenities using a magic marker pen. The police investigator said Martin was hiding and being suspicious. When the officer confronted Martin the next day he found Martins backpack contained some womens jewelry  a watch, some silver wedding bands and diamond-encrusted earrings. Martin told the officer, Theyre not mine. A friend gave it to me. Continuing his search, the officer found a large flat-headed screwdriver which the officer described as a burglars tool. The jewelry was turned over to the police and Martin was suspended for defacing school property.

Could Trayvon really have gotten a degree in aeronautivs from Florida Memorial University? F-U has only a 39% graduation rate. Could Trayvon have really allocated enough time to study when his life was already busy smoking weed, beating up people, and stealing ladies' jewelry?

The Times had a "Diff'rent Strokes" photo of Trayvon:

When in reality, he looked more like a young Apollo Creed:

I predict that Trayvon will have a very successful post-life career. Now that his life can be fictionalized like a Cosby show character, I am sure he will get all kinds of Ph.D.s and other educational honors to celebrate what a scholarly and sagacious individual this young man would have grown up to become, if only he hadn't been cut down in his prime while he was trying to murder someone.

Questions for discussion:

1) F-U claims to have a graduation rate of 39%. What do you think the real graduation rate is if you exclude dead people?

2) If Trayvon had become an astronaut, would you fault his fellow astronauts for getting orbital concealed carry licenses?

Ed Straker is the senior writer at NewsMachete.com.
Theres stiff competition among our bastions of higher education. The race to the bottom is fast and furious. Toward that end, the University of California at Berkeley recently honored student Juan Prieto with an award for outstanding service to undocumented students. Juan then sent out the following tweet: Lets celebrate 5 de Mayo by going to Dolores Park and beating the shit out of white people, in the spirit of La Batalla de Puebla.

But dont worry. Juan didnt mean it. Its just Twitter and he often posts dumb s*** on Twitter all the time.

Oh, ok. I see.

Meanwhile, Florida Memorial University, a historially black college that produces a large number of teachers, announced it will be awarding a posthumous degree in Aeronautical Science to Trayvon Martin.

Also in the past few days, Emory University will cover tuition for all their students that are in the country illegally, while Mira Costa College in southern California will be offering scholarships to students who say they are transgender.

As I said, the race to the bottom is fast and furious. Which institution will move the bar to the lowest point imaginable remains to be seen. But, again, dont worry. Its only the future of America thats at stake. Viva President Preito!

Hat tips: The Geller Report, The Daily Caller, The Gateway Pundit, The Daily Wire, The College Fix
What do you do when you lose everything between Maryland and the California border? You look for friendly judges who hate Trump as much as you do. You get these judges to write opinions that slow down or stop President Trump's agenda.

It probably draws a cheer from left-wing precincts, but it does not serve the independence of the judiciary. After all, who wants to take the field when the guy calling balls and strikes is a partisan for the other team?

Marc O. DeGirolami is a law professor at St. John's University and the author of The Tragedy of Religious Freedom.

Professor DeGirolami wrote a great post this weekend about judges with a bad case of Trump Derangement Syndrome:

Something ugly is happening to the First Amendment. It is being contorted to enable judges to protest Donald Trump's presidency. The perennial impulse of judges to manipulate the law to achieve morally and politically desirable ends has only been exacerbated by the felt necessity to "resist" Trump. The result: Legal tests concerning the freedoms of speech and religion that in some cases were already highly dubious are being further deformed and twisted. Welcome to the rise of fake law. Just as fake news spreads ideologically motivated misinformation with a newsy veneer, fake law brings us judicial posturing, virtue signaling, and opinionating masquerading as jurisprudence. And just as fake news augurs the end of authoritative reporting, fake law portends the diminution of law's legitimacy and the warping of judges' self-understanding of their constitutional role. Those who try to police the relentlessly transformational projects of constitutional progressives had much to dread from the Obama administration, an inveterate ally of the legal left that did what it could to graft the aspirations of progressives onto the Constitution. But Trump's presidency may be even worse, because too many judges now feel called to "resist" Trump and all his works  no matter the cost to the law's authority and to the integrity of the judicial role.

It may go on for a while. In other words, it won't be long before every law that passes a red state, such as the new sanctuary city rules in Texas, will be frozen by some judge who thinks he knows best.

How much longer will this nonsense go on? I don't know, but Attorney General Jeff Sessions could do the U.S. Constitution a big favor by taking a few of these opinions to the Supreme Court to re-establish executive authority.

It's time to remind judges that President Trump is the commander of the chief or that the federal government can withhold funds if states are not living up to the law.

Can you say the 55 mph speed limit, please? Who remembers the "bathroom" debate?

It may be time for Chief Justice John Roberts to remind judges that they are in the wrong branch if they want to make law.

P.S. You can listen to my show (Canto Talk), (YouTube) and follow me on Twitter.
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If youre considering a subscription to the Disney Plus streaming service, you may be wondering how much it costs. The service is available on both
Abdulla (pictured right) has been deputy CEO of the Mubadala subsidiary to Badr Al-Olama. Al-Olama is promoted to the head of Mubadalas aerospace division where he will be responsible for a portfolio of high-tech manufacturing and services businesses which include Strata and Turbine Services & Solutions.

This is a landmark moment for both Strata and Mubadala, as the aerospace sector continues to be one of the most prestigious and prosperous industries in the UAE, supporting the drive to create a knowledge based and sustainable economy, said Khalid Al Qubaisi, in his capacity as the newly appointed chief executive of Mubadalas aerospace, renewables and ICT business platform.

Badr Al-Olama has been an outstanding leader at Strata, establishing the business as a crucial aero-structures manufacturer for the global aviation ecosystem, a legacy that will continue under the guidance of Ismail Abdulla,  Al Qubaisi said.

Al-Olama has been credited with being instrumental to Stratas growth in the aerospace industry. In just six years, Strata established new partnerships OEMs such as Airbus and Boeing and evolved into a global tier one supplier. Throughout this period, Strata also grew its product lines from three products in 2012, to ten products by the end of 2016, signing significant contracts that exceeded $5b, including new work packages for highly complex parts, such as the horizontal stabilizers for the Airbus A320 and the vertical fins for the Boeing B787 Dreamliner aircraft.

In addition, Strata fostered a competent pool of talented UAE nationals which now represent 51% of a 700-strong workforce, including a strong representation of UAE women across all levels of the organization. Strata also invested in building a robust local aerospace supply chain in Abu Dhabi to enhance its global competitiveness, and over 50% of its suppliers are now locally-based.

Al-Olama, said: I am extremely proud to have Ismail Abdulla succeeding me in Strata, and I am confident that he will drive the company towards greater achievements and successes over the next phase of the companys growth. Strata, as many have come to know, has played an important role in building a business, a sector, and an ecosystem for the city of Al Ain. The future resides on this strong foundation to drive Stratas global competitiveness towards becoming one of the worlds leading aero-structure manufacturers.

With the expansion of Stratas operations and customer base, Ismail Abdulla was appointed as Deputy CEO of Strata in February 2016, with a mandate to grow capabilities for Strata's next phase of development by overseeing the commercial department, integrating management services, and driving business performance and production excellence.

Since his appointment, Abdullas major focus was to launch the Strata 2.0 factory, a second manufacturing facility that will be established at Nibras Al Ain Aerospace Park. Strata 2.0 is modelled around a Factory of the Future vision that was announced recently, and will introduce new technologies on Smart Building, Smart Manufacturing and Smart Workforce, revolutionizing traditional production methods in aerospace through the introduction of Smart technologies and additive manufacturing. Strata 2.0 is expected to have a final size of approximately 60,000 sqm. once it becomes fully operational in 2020.

Abdulla said: It is a great honour to continue the tremendous work of Badr Al-Olama in Stratas emergence as leading global aero-structures manufacturing business and a central representative of Abu Dhabis economic diversification story. Building on the strong platform of an emerging aerospace ecosystem in Al Ain, our deep relationship with the industrys leading OEMs, a rich Emirati talent base, and an efficient supply chain at a local, regional and international level, Strata is ready for its next phase of growth.






More than a hundred female pilots from all over the world along with the president of the international organisation of the Ninety Nines, Jan Mckenzie, will attend the meeting where members will enjoy cultural tours and variety of aviation activities and get the chance to learn from each other experiences in the aviation field, said governor Alia Twal.

Twal met with HE Sherif Fathi Attia, Minister of Civil Aviation in Cairo who gave his full support for the group.

His Excellency was very encouraging and supportive and we are very happy to have this meeting under the patronage of the Ministry of Civil Aviation, this will add more value to the meeting. Twal said.

The Arabian Section was founded in 1989 by 12 members - one of them, Captain Lotfia El Nadi, is from Egypt, Today the Section had 120 members from around the world, giving their own scholarships for its members , and is working on plans to host the global meeting for the Ninety Nines in 2021 in the Kingdom of Jordan.

Aviatrix interested in joining the Arabian section of the Ninety Nines can contact twalalia@gmail.com.

Pictured: Alia Twal and Minister Sherif Fathi Attia
Before conducting the heck out of Schuberts First Symphony, written when he was of a similar age to the student who was killed, Dudamel said the violence in Venezuela is unacceptable, and he dedicated the concert to the slain student and to all the victims of violence. We play for all our children, he concluded, to build a better future for them with peace and love.'
So, is Harvey to blame? For decades, Weinstein bestrode the Oscars like a colossus, pulling off coup after coup (pushing Shakespeare in Love to a best-picture victory over Saving Private Ryan; winning two in a row with The Kings Speech and The Artist). He held sway over a stable of actors: Working for Harvey is like working for the mafia, Gwyneth Paltrow once told me, laughing. There are all these favours. Pop-culture fare such as Entourage referred to him by first name alone.
Well, the White nationalist movement is realizing that we put a damn fool into office, someone so ignorant of the world that having taken power in the face of resistance from the polluted forces of multi-cultural America, he is now abandoning those who put him into office to enter into an alliance with those same forces of hatred that opposed his rise.

Well, the White nationalist movement is realizing that we put a damn fool into office, someone so ignorant of the world that having taken power in the face of resistance from the polluted forces of multi-cultural America, he is now abandoning those who put him into office to enter into an alliance with those same forces of hatred that opposed his rise.

Well, the White nationalist movement is realizing that we put a damn fool into office, someone so ignorant of the world that having taken power in the face of resistance from the polluted forces of multi-cultural America, he is now abandoning those who put him into office to enter into an alliance with those same forces of hatred that opposed his rise.

Well, the White nationalist movement is realizing that we put a damn fool into office, someone so ignorant of the world that having taken power in the face of resistance from the polluted forces of multi-cultural America, he is now abandoning those who put him into office to enter into an alliance with those same forces of hatred that opposed his rise.

This betrayal was always a possibility, part of the calculated risk of electing into office someone whom we all knew to be a liar and a charlatan, on the hopes that he would be smart enough once in office to tame the machinery of government and to use it without conscience on the enemies of humanity who have hijacked this country. Instead, Trump has decided to turn that machinery against his own people, and we have to live with the consequences.

So, among the new possibilities of a world dominated by the old Judaic-Zionist-One World philosophy, but led by an utterly erratic and probably insane leader, the question arises of what White nationalists should be hoping for from an American interventionist policy. Unlike in the occupations of the past two decades, Trump has inherited a dessicated, weak, multi-culturalized, feminized, faggot military, one which Barack Obama hesitated to deploy because he knew he had weakened it beyond all recovery. An aggressive policy with such a weak hand may be exactly what White nationalism needs to achieve its goals by the back door, the door created by the destruction of the United States military in wars that it will not win. With this in mind, a frank appraisal of what White nationalists want is needed.

White nationalism's goal within the United States is the liberation of White working people from the globalist regime, and White nationalism's foreign policy goals must be considered in that context. To achieve the liberation of the White worker from Jewish exploitation, White people must want to see:

1) First and foremost, the destruction of the Zionist Entity in Palestine. Jewish influence on White people is a hidden influence, and thus one that does not immediately resonate with most White working people. Further, the corrupting effects of Judaeo-Christianity, that pollution of the Christian Bible, have also to be considered, as that perversion has persuaded many White workers to link the survival of the Satanic Judah-cult with a false belief in their own personal salvation.

Thus, while striving for the physical destruction of the Zionist Entity in Palestine, the criminal base from which the polluted ideologies of America emanate, the exposure of the Judah-cult as a racial cult of hatred is needed as well.

2) Second, the promotion of nationalism in the face of internationalist institutions worldwide is an important corollary to the destruction of the Zionist Entity in Palestine. All internationalist organizations such as the EU, the UN, the IMF-World Bank, American imperialism, and the intelligence agencies which support them, work hand in hand with World Zionism to impose hatred and slavery on the peoples of the world.

Thus, every nation which can be broken from the internationalist structure should be broken from that structure, and every nation that breaks from that structure should be supported, regardless of the violence which it has to use to suppress the inevitable uprisings supported by internationalist forces. Within nations, nationalist forces should be supported even when they take an erroneous line on issues like the Zionist Entity in Palestine. Once empowered, if these forces then turn into agents of internationalism, they should be called out as what they are, traitors to White workers, and opposed.

3) As long as the Syrian war continues, there will be no existential threat to the physical continuity of the Zionist Entity in Palestine. If the Islamic State wins that war it will immediately take its wars to the Shi'a of Iraq, which it considers to be a greater enemy that Zionism, and thus an ISIS victory in Syria must be opposed. Similarly, if Zionist-aligned forces like the Kurdish communists or the "liberal Google executives" of the Syrian Free Army win, there will be no continuation of the war into Zionist-occupied Palestine.

However, if the Russian-Syrian-Iranian coalition wins, it is extremely likely that Hezbollah will carry its war into the Zionist Entity, as six years of war in Syria have transformed Hezbollah into a power guerilla army. Prior to this empowerment, Hezbollah categorically defeated the false Israeli Defense Force in Lebanon. After the victory of Assad in Syria, it will categorically defeat the same enemy in Palestine. Thus, in the Syrian war the only rational position of a White nationalist is unconditional support of the Shi'a coalition against its enemies, with an eye towards a quick resolution of combat in Syria, and, a continuation of that combat into the false Israel.

4) As long as Trump continues to view the US military as world Zionism's army of enslavement, the best thing that White nationalists can hope for is a general war with North Korea -- a war in which the United States will likely lose 100,000 of its soldiers in the first week or two of fighting. North Korea's nuclear weapons mean that a Trump attack on North Korea will lead to the instant incineration of the 78,000 troops currently deployed in the Korean peninsula and Japan; coupled with this, we can hope for the loss of one to two U.S. aircraft carriers, a bit over a quarter of the U.S . fleet.

The effect of the draft needed to supplement the U.S. military to the point where it is capable of fighting will destabilize the United States, as the mongrel mix of nations that have settled here will be suddenly found to have little enthusiasm for fighting for their adopted home, and the White fools who pledge loyalty to this decadent empire will hopefully rush off into battle to join their unfortunate brethren in the irradiated wasteland Korea will quickly become. Further, the destruction of Korea and nuclear destruction in Japan,will create a power void that will likely be filled by China, pushing U.S. forces back from their positions in east Asia towards the mid-Pacific.

5) White nationalists should support the continuing empowerment of Russia as a counter-weight to Zionist imperialism and the reunification of the Ukraine with its motherland. The commitment of U.S. forces to a Korean theater will strip the United States to the point where it cannot project power into other theaters, and hopefully at this time Russia will have the wisdom to invade, and, annex, the Ukraine.

Because there is no other European nation that is both pursuing a nationalist agenda, and, of significant power, Russia is the only White nation that can provide a counter-point to One World forces, and on that basis alone Russia has to be supported, along with any move that increases Russia's power vis-a-vis its One World enemies.

6) Lastly, nationalist governments all over the world, including those in small nations like Hungary, Slovakia (to a degree), Poland (to a degree), Cuba (despite its anti-racist communism), Nicaragua, Ecuador, Venezuela, and, in more powerful nations like Turkey or China, despite their flaws, should be supported insofar as they challenge the international order.

Unfortunately, the remnants of colonialism have caused many Third World nations to equate nationalism with opposition to White people, and,insofar as anti-White racism motivates them as it does in Rhodesia-Zimbabwe or the Jewish cesspool of South Africa, these nations have to be opposed; our embrace of White workers must extend to White working people everywhere they are found in the world.

But in nations where a White bourgeoisie has been misled by Third World anti-White racism into embracing Jewish institutions, as in Venezuela, our struggle must be to educate that White elite as to their error in not seeking a path independent from internationalism.

Trump's betrayal of White workers is not a death knell for White nationalism. Trump was elected because the old path of internationalism was destroying America; his embrace of that path is not going to stop America's collapse.

In fact, his reckless and possibly insane behavior is more likely to do the opposite, to accelerate the collapse of the United States, and, given the state of his own military, possibly lead to a defeat or even a "victory" of the magnitude that destroyed Britain as an international power in the 1940s. Thus, while Trump was never the Great White Hope, and now is in fact a great White traitor, the movement which carried him to power is positioned to benefit no matter what path he takes.
She shared horrific details about child sexual abuse after visiting Zimbabwe as a UNICEF goodwill ambassador.

One of the pictures of the visit shared by Priyanka Chopra on her Instagram profile.

Mumbai: Priyanka Chopra says she is dismayed by the level of sexual violence against children in Zimbabwe, with government officials there telling her many young girls are asking for it.

Chopra spoke to The Associated Press on Saturday after visiting the southern African country as a UNICEF goodwill ambassador.

She said it was an eye-opening experience meeting girls who had been shunned by society and thrown out of their homes after being raped. She says girls are told its their fault.

I heard a lot of this when I asked these government officials who said girls are asking for it, she said. Some girls were as young as 3 when they were raped by their fathers, uncles or other relatives, she said.

One out of three children under 18 in Zimbabwe has suffered some form of sexual violence, she said, calling that staggering. In neighbouring South Africa its one out of five, she said.

Chopra, who turned heads with her sweeping Ralph Lauren trench coat at Mondays Met Gala in New York, said she feels its her duty to use her celebrity status to fight for worthy causes, especially violence against children.

I am from India and I have seen wealth and poverty live together all my life, she said. That is the state of the world. That is our reality. It takes people like us who are privileged, who have everything that we may need in abundance, to be able to share it in parts of the world where they may not have that.

Once-prosperous Zimbabwe has sunk into economic crisis over the years, with a cash crunch so severe that livestock in some cases is being accepted in lieu of currency. Unemployment is high, and the health and social services system has suffered.

Chopra, who stars in the upcoming Baywatch film, said she couldnt get one Zimbabwe girls story out of her mind.

The girl told Chopra how she was raped by her uncle when she was 7. The pastor of their church told her family that she was possessed and she should come and live with him ... but the pastor raped her for two years, Chopra said.

She was taken away from there and sent to another uncle and aunty of hers. The aunty then forced her to have sex with her husband, who was HIV positive. That was how she contracted HIV at age 17. The girl tried to kill herself three times before she was rescued by a group that offered her psychological support, Chopra said.

The U.N. Population Fund calls Zimbabwe an extremely young country, with 62 percent of the population under 25.
The Oscar-winning actor turned up to support Penn, who founded J/P Haitian Relief Organisation.

Leonardo DiCaprio and Sean Penn had collaborated on the film 'Assassination of Richard Nixon.' (Photos: AP)

Los Angeles: Leonardo DiCaprio attended an annual gala for Haiti Takes Root, a 10-year long initiative dedicated to the reforestation and development of the Caribbean country, along with his actor friend Sean Penn.

The Oscar-winning actor turned up to support Penn, who founded J/P Haitian Relief Organisation, the non-profit that put on the event, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

"Haiti was devastated by Hurricane Matthew. And I watched from another country as news organisations said no one is doing anything for these people," Penn said.

The event witnessed acoustic performances by Damien Rice and Andra Day, who in toe with the spirit of evening performed her hit 'We Will Rise,' bringing everyone to their feet for a standing ovation.

Many of Penn's other friends were also in attendance, including Naomi Campbell, Ellie Goulding, Andy Cohen and Donna Karan.
This is a guest post from Matthew Hoffmann, a Professor of Political Science at the University of Toronto

Should I stay or should I go now?

If I go, there will be trouble

And if I stay it will be double (The Clash)

The Trump administration is nearing a decision about whether to withdraw from the Paris Agreement on climate change. A number of commentaries are urging Trump to stay in and my underlying predilection is to join this chorus. Cards on the table, I am a fan of the Paris Agreementit certainly has flaws, but it is the best thing to happen to the multilateral response to climate change  perhaps ever. I agree with just about every reason for staying in the Agreement Ive seen:

Robert Stavins and Ban Ki Moon are right that it is a good deal for the US in that it binds India and China to action and has the flexibility for the US to revise (downward) its commitments from within the Agreement. They are also right that there is broad support from the private sector for staying.

David Waskow at the World Resources Institute is right that staying in is good for US strategic and business interests and is what most Americans favor.

Han Chen, Jake Schmidt, and Brendan Guy from the NRDC are right that staying in facilitates US efforts to ensure others are taking their commitments seriously, increases business opportunities in clean teach/energy, and fulfills its responsibility to vulnerable people.

Under normal circumstances, staying in the Paris Agreement is a no-brainer for the U.S. But circumstances are not normal. What these commentaries have in common (besides being right and well-argued) is that the force of their arguments for the U.S. staying in depends on the U.S. being, at worst, ambivalent about taking action on climate change. Unfortunately, this is simply not the case. I am therefore, uncomfortably, suggesting the need for serious conversation about whether it is better for action on climate change if the U.S. withdraws from the Paris Agreement.

Lets be clear about the nature of the reality were facing. The Trump administration is not ambivalent about climate change action, it is openly hostile to it. The dismantling of President Obamas efforts on climate change have taken center stage in the first 100 days of the Trump administration including: attacks on energy efficiency programs; automobile mileage standard walk backs; removing climate science from the EPA website; and seeking to roll back the Clean Power Act. This open hostility towards climate action and even denial of climate change should be the baseline for assessing the value of the U.S. remaining in the Agreement.

We are in the realm of bad choices. Either an openly hostile U.S. stays in the Agreement or an openly hostile U.S. withdraws. Looking at the decision from six vantage points leads me to consider that an openly hostile U.S. withdrawing might be the less bad of these terrible options.

Political Cost/Benefit to the Trump Administration

If the U.S. withdraws there will be significant backlash and some political cost to the Trump administration both domestically and internationally. This will be tempered by support from Trumps base (for keeping his campaign promise), but given the widespread support in opinion polls for both the Paris Agreement and general climate action, there will be a cost. There will also be a potential drop in support from the private sector given the number of big corporate players that have urged remaining (even in the fossil fuel sector).

If the U.S. stays in there is the potential for some political benefit to the Trump administration, normalizing an otherwise entirely hostile climate/environmental policy record and blunting critique without having to change the hostile stance. There would likely be reduced international blowback (at least initially) and any reputational hits would be felt in upcoming negotiations, not as much in the domestic political sphere or in the court of international public opinion.

If you want Trump to face some (additional) political cost for his administrations hostility to climate action, you might be okay with a U.S. withdrawal from the Paris Agreement.

Effect on the functioning of the Paris Agreement

Whether the U.S. withdraws or not may matter little to the functioning of the Paris Agreement. The decentralized nature of the agreement (Hale 2016; Keohane and Victor 2016, Falkner 2016) insulates it to some extent from the recalcitrance or absence of any one party. However, the U.S. is no ordinary party and has been a linchpin for the success of the multilateral climate regime from the last 30 years. The importance of leadership (e.g. Young 1989) has long been understood in studies of multilateral bargaining around environmental issues and withdrawal would entail a total loss of U.S. leadership.

This loss of U.S. leadership and the damage from it is already underway thoughwithdrawing from the Paris Agreement would be a symptom of the administrations unrelenting hostility, but it would not necessarily cause additional damage to the functioning of the Paris Agreement on its own. In fact, if the U.S. remains, negotiations over the ratcheting up of commitments and monitoring and verification of climate action could be significantly more contentious. Within the Trump administration, those arguing for staying in are not climate champions; they hope to renegotiate the Agreement and even forward fossil fuel interests in the climate negotiations:

Even some big U.S. coal companies have taken a similar position [to remain in]. They have argued in recent weeks that the pact offers their best chance to advocate for coal in the worlds future energy mix, perhaps by promoting technology to capture emissions and store them underground.

Further, it may be difficult to maintain the delicate North-South bargain at the heart of the Paris Agreement if the U.S. stays in the Agreement, ratchets down its commitments, and simultaneously backs off from previous funding pledges.

The leadership vacuum that already exists opens an opportunity for India and China to assume even greater leadership roles, differentiating themselves as responsible climate actors (at least potentially) as opposed to the United States. China is already actively pursuing this role. This is certainly bad for the U.S. standing in the world, but not necessarily a problem for the functioning of the Paris Agreement (unless they too work to ratchet down their commitments).

U.S. climate leadership is lost. When the decision about remaining in Paris depends on whether the Trump administration can ratchet down its commitments while remaining a party, it is plausible that the Paris Agreement might function better without the U.S.

Effect on the global response to climate change

This is not the same as the functioning of the Paris Agreement, because, as many have noted, the global response to climate change is more than the multilateral response (e.g. Hoffmann 2011; Jordan et al 2015). In this sense we have to wonder if a U.S. withdrawal would generate a chilling effect on climate action, not just within Paris, but amongst the transnational city networks, NGO-corporate alliances, corporate pledges, and local actions that constitute the growing groundswell of climate action outside the U.N. process. Would a U.S. withdrawal disrupt what has been a growing normative consensus about the necessity of aggressive climate action? How would it change expectations about the future of climate action?

There is a debate about the factors generate and disrupt normative consensus, but the role of normative entrepreneurs is understood as important by most (e.g. Finnemore and Sikkink 1998; Hoffmann 2005; Busby 2010). Withdrawal from the Agreement would be an entrepreneurial move to disrupt the normative consensus around climate action. However, the effect of the move may be blunted by the fact that the U.S. has already removed itself from the community that accepts the norm of aggressive climate action. Withdrawal may conversely strengthen the normative community by enhancing its cohesiveness, if (a big if) the rest of the international community remains as committed to climate action as current rhetoric would imply. The U.S. is becoming such an outlier on this issue that it may (hopefully) not be able to catalyze a general move away from aggressive action.

Effect on U.S. domestic climate action (national, state, local)

Here we find what may be the most compelling reason to try and convince the Trump administration to stay in the Paris Agreement: if the U.S. remains a party that may make it easier to use the courts to defend President Obamas climate policies. As explained in this article by Jennifer Dlouhy, it is accepted legal doctrine that federal policies should be interpreted, when possible, so they dont conflict with international laws. This principle could be used to contest the rollback of President Obamas climate policies. Some on the Trump team realize this and have made this a centerpiece of their argument for withdrawing from the Paris Agreement along with the notion that staying in the Paris Agreement means that the U.S. cannot reduce its commitments (a notion disputed by Susan Biniaz and Daniel Bodansky).

This is significant because much of the fight over U.S. climate policy at the national, state, and local levels will be in the courts. Challenges will come over executive orders attempting to rollback climate policies in contradistinction to the EPAs court mandated responsibility to act on carbon dioxide as a pollutant and there will be a legal battle over Californias ability to set its own, more stringent auto emissions standards. The issue is less whether a U.S. withdrawal will chill efforts to pursue aggressive climate action by U.S. states and cities (so far all evidence indicates that federal recalcitrance has led to a galvanizing effect leading states to be more aggressivefor past evidence of this see Rabe 2008). Rather, staying in the Paris Agreement might make the Trump administration more vulnerable to court challenges.

Effect on Clean Tech/Energy Sectors

It is doubtful that the U.S. will reap the economic and technological benefits of being in the Paris Agreement if the Trump administration decides to stay. The Trump administration has come out against renewable energy (even research into renewable energy) and in support of the fossil fuel industry in rhetoric, executive order, and administrative action. It is difficult to see how staying in the Paris Agreement would counterbalance these actions. Economic benefits from growing clean tech sectors that are realized will come about despite the moves of the Trump administration. Deciding to stay in the Paris Agreement will not be a signal from the U.S. that the Trump administration is positively disposed to these sectors or willing to provide a policy environment conducive to their growth.

Process of Withdrawal

It is one thing to announce withdrawal and another to carry it out. Formally withdrawing from the Paris Agreement is at least a three-year process and walking away from the underlying UN Framework Convention on Climate Change itself would require at least a year. The worst of all outcomes is probably a withdrawal announcement, followed by years of disruptive U.S. attendance at conferences of the parties, ending with a formal U.S. withdrawal just before the next presidential election. It is unclear how the rest of the international community would react to such an outcome, but even this worst case scenario may not be materially different from the U.S. staying in the Paris agreement and being disruptive and counterproductive at the negotiations.

An Awful Calculus

The Trump administration is a disaster for climate change action. Is it therefore prudent to suggest that the Trump administration stay in the Paris Agreement? I see the value in defending the Paris Agreement as a rhetorical strategy to help maintain momentum outside the U.S. federal government. I see the value of pushing for the U.S. to remain a party to benefit the legal resistance to Trumps climate policy rollbacks. I see the symbolic value of pushing for the U.S. to remain as a way of telling the rest of the world that many of Americans want to see their government act on climate change. Even so, it is depressingly plausible that a U.S. withdrawal might be better for the global response to climate change.

As there is no inkling that the Trump administration can be convinced to act responsibly on climate change or that remaining in the Paris Agreement will somehow socialize this administration, a U.S. withdrawal is potentially the lesser evil. On the one hand, the negative effects of Trumps action on climate are already being felt, domestically and internationally, so the act of withdrawing wont necessarily make things worse than they already are. On the other hand, withdrawing will entail political costs for the Trump administration and may limit the damage the U.S. can do from within the climate negotiations. Further, withdrawing would shatter any remaining illusions that this administration intends to act remotely responsibly on climate thus providing a further catalyst for resistance, activism, and climate action by other actors and means.

At the 2007 Bali climate change meetings, the representative from Papua New Guinea famously called on a recalcitrant United States to lead or get out of the way. Leadership is off the table, replaced by steadfast determination to disrupt climate action. Until there is any sign that this could change, it may be prudent to urge Trump to get out of the way. U.S. withdrawal from the Paris Agreement would be a terrible day for the global response to climate change. A decision to stay might be worse.
The filmmaker bagged the Best Director Award in the recently held 64th National Film Award in the Best Educational Film category for The Waterfall.

New Delhi: Documentary filmmaker Lipika Singh Darai, who in 2015 returned her awards accusing the BJP government of fanning intolerance, seemed to have a change of heart and on May 3 accepted the national award for her new documentary  The Waterfall. Interestingly, though she had earlier returned the awards to the Narendra Modi government, her film was selected for the awards under the same political dispensation.

Sources said her name was selected by the committee despite the fact that Lipika had returned her earlier awards and had severely criticised the functioning of the Central government. It also elicits that the process established for selecting contenders for national awards is a transparent one and does not discriminate against anyone, sources added.

When contacted Lipika refused to clarify as to what forced her to change her stance regarding the Modi government and on the issue of taking awards from the regime to which she and her fellow filmmakers had returned awards a couple of years ago. I dont want to answer these questions? Lipika said.

The filmmaker bagged the Best Director Award in the recently held 64th National Film Award in the Best Educational Film category for The Waterfall.

The documentary traces the evolution of a young city boy, Karun, to appreciate the value of the environment and think critically about climate change and development.

When contacted, documentary-maker Anand Patwardhan, who too had returned his awards, had nothing much to say. Its her personal decision. Earlier, she returned her award, now shes accepting, he told this newspaper. Incidentally, Lipika and Patwardhan were among other signatories of the letter sent to President Pranab Mukherjee and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, which had condoled the BJP government of intolerance and returned the honour bestowed on them by the state.

Hailing from tribal community Ho, from Odishas backward Mayurbhanj district, Lipika is a graduate of the countrys prestigious Film and Television Institute of India Pune. She was among 10 filmmakers who had returned their National Awards In October 2015 in solidarity with protesting FTII students and against growing intolerance in the country.

In a letter to the President and PM, the group, including Lipika, had stated, We feel compelled to return the honour the state has bestowed on us. Condoling deaths without interrogating the forces that scripted those murder revealed a tacit acceptance of the ugly force distorting our country. As filmmakers we stand with the students of FTII and are determined to not let them shoulder the entire burden of the protest.
Lalu Yadav is a fodder scam convict and was granted bail in December 2013.

Patna: The BJP on Saturday demanded cancellation of RJD chief Lalu Yadavs bail on grounds that he has been trying to influence officials in Bihar.

Lalu Yadav is a fodder scam convict and was granted bail in December 2013. The demand was made by senior BJP leader Sushil Kumar Modi after an audio tape exposed Mr Yadavs close nexus with mafia don Mohammad Shahabuddin, who is now languishing in Delhis Tihar jail.

The audio tape shows that he violated bail guidelines, the state government must immediately move the court for his bail cancellation, Mr Modi said on Saturday in Patna.

Stepping up the heat on Nitish Kumar government over the leaked telephonic conversation tape between Lalu and Shahabuddin, BJP leaders on Saturday took the matter to the governors doorstep and submitted a memorandum.

Chief minister Nitish Kumar and the DGP must clarify their stand on the issue because this is not the matter of RJD only, the entire grand secular alliance government is answerable, Mr Modi said.

The party accused the Nitish Kumar government for not taking strict measures to maintain law and order in Bihar.

Speaking on the issue, Mr Modi said, Close nexus between criminals, politicians and the government has pushed the state into a situation where criminals are now running a parallel government.

Mohammad Shahabuddin has been convicted in 10 cases while as many as 40 criminal charges are still pending against him, including an acid attack case in which he had allegedly killed two sons of a local businessman in Siwan and murder of journalist Rajdeo Ranjan.

This was not the first time when opposition parties questioned Shahbuddins close relationship with Lalu Yadav and his party RJD. In September 2016 after he was granted bail Shahabuddin had created ripples in the political circles by terming Nitish Kumar a chief minister of circumstances while Lalu Yadav praised him.

Shahabuddin was shifted to Tihar in February after a selfie of his had gone viral in January. The photograph had raised questions about the security system of the Siwan jail.

Reacting sharply to the allegations JD (U) spokesperson Niraj Kumar told this newspaper that, questions being raised by the opposition are baseless as the situation is quite different. Nitish Kumar government is known for good governance and it was our government which had challenged his bail in Supreme Court and Shahabuddin was shifted to Siwan jail. Secondly, the SP is also still posted in Siwan.
Sadhu Balyogi Arun Puri Chaitanya, said that for the last few months he has been training volunteers from Kanpur to throw stones.

He also asserted that he has planned to visit Poonch, and Krishna Ghati, where the Pakistanis killed and mutilated the bodies of two Indian jawans. (Representational Image)

Kanpur: In a mission to support the Indian Army in Jammu and Kashmir, a squad of sadhus and Hindu priests from Jan Sena, a Kanpur-based religious organisation, began their journey to the Valley on Sunday, to respond to the stone pelting locals.

The squad consists of hundreds of common civilians including large number of Muslims, sadhus and the Shankaracharya Munisa ji Maharaj along with the President of the Jana's squad Arun Parme Ji Maharaj.

Sadhu Balyogi Arun Puri Chaitanya, said that for the last few months he has been training volunteers from Kanpur to throw stones. He has also claimed that he would perform a yajna at Srinagar's Lal Chowk on May 10.

He also asserted that he has planned to visit Poonch, and Krishna Ghati, where the Pakistanis killed and mutilated the bodies of two Indian jawans.

Another religious leader also claimed that people from other parts of the country are also willing to join the mission, which is to fight against stone pelters who are attacking the Indian Army in the Valley from last few days.

However, the mission is expected to face trouble as they have not received clearance for their visit.
Police sources and witnesses said that Handwara degree college students on Saturday took to the streets chanting anti-government slogans.

Girl students pelt stones at security personnel during clashes in the vicinity of Lal Chowk in Srinagar on Monday. (Photo: PTI/File)

Srinagar: Student protests in the Kashmir Valley have spread to new areas, pushing the authorities into tizzy. Scores of students and policemen were injured in day-long clashes on Saturday, officials said.

Meanwhile, militant group Hizbul Mujahideen has asked the girl students to stay away from protests. Its purported commander Zakir Musa has in an audio message asked the female students to abandon stone-pelting and stay in their homes. Your brothers are alive yet, he says, adding, I want to tell the sisters that whatever you are doing is against Sharia law as pelting stones without being in veil is un-Islamic. In Islam, there are no such protests and that is why Allah is punishing us in the form of occupation (sic), he said.

The latest round of protests and subsequent clashes were reported from Handwara in frontier district of Kupwara and Newa in southern Pulwama district. At both places, the security forces swung bamboo sticks and fired teargas canisters to quell the protests and stone-pelting mobs of students, reports received here said.

Last month, about 60 students of a degree college in Pulwama were injured in police action following student unrest. Since protests by students has become a daily occurrence in the Valley and has left nearly 200 students and many security personnel injured.

Police sources and witnesses said that Handwara degree college students on Saturday took to the streets chanting anti-government slogans. As they tried to walk along the streets of the town to protest the arrest of fellow students in Pulwama, the police came in their way, leading to clashes that left about two dozen students, including girls, injured. The condition of one of the injured girl students is stated to be critical.

Amid the protests, the student unfurled Pakistans national flag atop the administrative block of the college, a report said.

Meanwhile, the police on Saturday said that it has arrested three alleged over-ground workers of militant outfits in Shopian district and recovered three Chinese hand grenades on their disclosure.

The trio was taken into custody during a routine checking by the police between Chekora and Hajipora villages of the district, the official said and identified the accused as Akeel Ahmad Malla, Asif Abdullah Wagay and Aamir Hussain Ganaie.
Verma said that Pakistan's only motive is to create trouble in the Valley and everybody is aware of that.

Now it's time for everyone to realise this, including those pseudo-liberals, who see no fault with Pakistan and go on blaming the Indian Security forces, Verma said. (Representational Image)

New Delhi: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Sunday said that time has come for everyone to realise that Pakistan is the core reason behind the rampant terrorist activities in the Valley.

"Now they must address the truth and the truth of Jammu and Kashmir is something else. If solution has to be found out then it has to come to this process of discovering the truth and trying to readdress the situation," BJP leader Sudesh Verma told ANI.

Verma said that Pakistan's only motive is to create trouble in the Valley and everybody is aware of that.

"Now it's time for everyone to realise this, including those pseudo-liberals, who see no fault with Pakistan and go on blaming the Indian Security forces," he said.

According to reports, post the recent arrest of two ISI operatives in India, it has come to light that separatists in Jammu and Kashmir area have been getting a constant flow of funds to the tune of Rs 70 lakh from the Pakistan ISI over the past few months.

Slew of documents that have been accessed cite that the nexus between Pakistan and the separatist leaders is responsible for instigating the youth to conduct violent acts in the conflict-ridden state of Jammu and Kashmir.
BJP, Congress ask Delhi CM to step down as huge graft scandal hits AAP.

New Delhi: Delhis wobbling AAP government was hit by a huge scandal as sacked Delhi minister Kapil Mishra claimed on Sunday that he had witnessed chief minister Arvind Kejriwal take Rs 2 crores in cash from health minister Satyendar Jain at his residence, a charge that was termed unsubstantiated and not even worth responding to by deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia.

Mr Mishras allegations come at a time when the ruling Aam Aadmi Party is grappling with massive internal conflicts. In a tell-all press briefing at Rajghat a day after he was sacked, the AAP leader said he had given a statement to lieutenant-governor Anil Baijal on various irregularities that he had seen during his two-year tenure in Mr Kejriwals Cabinet.

Mr Mishra sacking came days after he rallied support for Kumar Vishwas, a senior AAP leader who had several run-ins with the party leadership since the end of April. Before his press briefing, the shunted minister tweeted he has witnessed HIM taking illegal cash. According to Mr Mishra, the cash had exchanged hands on Friday.

Both the BJP and the Congress responded to Mr Mishras claim and demanded that Mr Kejriwal step down as Delhi chief minister. A BJP delegation led by its Delhi unit chief Manoj Tiwari met Mr Baijal on Sunday evening and sought an inquiry into the matter. Mr Tiwari told reporters he had got assurances from the L-G.

I saw with my own eyes Satyendar Jain giving Rs 2 crores in cash to Arvind Kejriwal at his residence. When I asked Kejriwal, he said such things happen in politics, and it will be revealed later, said Mr Mishra, who was accompanied by his wife at the Rajghat briefing. He also alleged Mr Jain, Delhis health and PWD minister, had told him he had settled land deals worth Rs 50 crores for a relative of Mr Kejriwal.

Deputy CM Manish Sisodia told reporters: His allegations do not merit a response. He has been sacked due to poor performance The allegations are so absurd and there are no facts. But the former water minister alleged a big conspiracy and said he was removed after he put pressure on party leaders over corruption issues that were doing the rounds for quite some time. He wondered why Mr Kejriwal and his deputy were trying to fool people by talking about the accomplishments of the AAP government in improving the city water supply.

He alleged that his sacking was probably linked to his massive expose on the tanker which he was due to make on Sunday. The Rs 400-crore deal is alleged to have taken place during the tenure of former chief minister Sheila Dikshit. He claimed Mr Kejriwal was suppressing a report on the alleged scam to shield people in the AAP. In August 2015, Mr Mishra, who headed a fact-finding committee to probe irregularities, is said to have given a report that could spell trouble for not just those in Ms Dikshits government, but also for some people in the AAP government.

Signalling that Mr Mishra was fighting a lone battle, senior AAP leader Kumar Vishwas backed Mr Kejriwal on Sunday, saying that it was unimaginable to think that he would accept bribes. Mr Vishwas, recently accused by AAP MLA Amanatullah Khan of hobnobbing with the BJP and RSS, had put out a cryptic tweet on Saturday. I want to assure the country and party volunteers that we will continue to raise our voice against corruption, within and without, irrespective of what the outcome is, he had tweeted in Hindi. With the AAPs political affairs committee likely to decide his fate soon, the road ahead is not going to be easy for Mr Mishra.

I saw some of it with my own eyes but I believed in Kejriwal and felt no one can corrupt him. The cases of money-laundering, black money and appointment of the daughter of a minister (Mr Jain), the luxury bus scheme, CNG fitness test scam... all these were in his knowledge and I always believed he will take action, the sacked Delhi minister told reporters. Just wait and watch, Satyendra Jain will be behind bars within a few days, he said.

Punjab CM Amarinder Singh, who fought a bitter poll battle with the Delhi CM in the recent Punjab elections, said his counterpart had no moral right to continue in office as his corrupt face has been totally exposed. Veteran social activist Anna Hazare said he was saddened by the allegations against Mr Kejriwal. Kejriwal became CM due to the fight against corruption in Delhi, he told PTI. Mr Mishra was one of the AAPs founding members and was a prominent figure in the anti-graft campaign led by Anna Hazare earlier.

Mr Mishra said he will go to the anti-corruption branch (ACB) office on Monday morning. He added he had sought time to apprise the ACB on the alleged tanker scam. He claimed his position on the scam hadnt gone down well with Mr Kejriwal, whom he had met briefly on Saturday.
CRPF shifts strategic command centre for anti-Maoist ops from Kolkata to Raipur.

New Delhi: Union home minister Rajnath Singh will chair a high-level meeting with the chief ministers of 10 Naxal-infested states here Monday, where the CMs will be joined by top security and intelligence officials both from the Centre and the states.

The conclave will discuss ways to revamp intelligence-gathering, take a close look at the operations against Naxalites, identify problem areas and devise ways to minimise casualties among the security forces.

In a tactical move, the CRPF has shifted its strategic command headquarters for anti-Naxal operations from Kolkata to the Maoist heartland of Chhattisgarh, and it will now operate out of Raipur. A decision has already been taken to launch a massive offensive against Naxal outfits after 37 CRPF personnel were killed in the last two months in the state.

Mondays meeting in New Delhi will be attended by the chief ministers of Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Odisha, West Bengal, Bihar, Maharashtra, Telangana, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Andhra Pradesh. Sources said the meeting will focus primarily on evolving a new strategy to deal with the Naxalites. It will aim to ensure the maximum damage is inflicted on the top Maoist leadership in the months ahead. In addition, development work, particularly road construction in Naxal-dominated areas, will also be discussed in detail.

Home ministry officials have so far claimed that nearly 90 per cent of Naxal activity has been confined to 35 districts in the country, while their area of influence is across nearly 68 districts in 10 states.

The CRPF, the sources added, has already decided to immediately shift its central zone command centre from Kolkata to Raipur as some districts of Chhattisgarh have emerged as the main areas of Naxal activity, as seen in the recent killing of CRPF personnel in Sukma.

Citing connectivity and logistics issues, the CRPF had decided to shift the ops centre from Raipur to Kolkata about seven years back. The CRPFs new chief, Rajeev Rai Bhatnagar, had directed that the command centre be moved back to Raipur before Mondays meeting.

Following this directive, CRPF additional DG Kuldeep Singh rushed to Raipur and took charge of the command on Friday. The CRPFs central zone was formed in 2009 with the sole purpose of monitoring the deployment of forces and operations against Naxals in Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Odisha, Bihar and West Bengal.

After the Dantewada attack in July 2010, in which 75 CRPF personnel were killed, the command centre was shifted to Kolkata following reports of poor rail and air connectivity. Now the home ministry feels the command headquarters should based in the most Naxal-infested area as it would help launch a faster counter-offensive. Recent Naxal attacks have proved it remains the biggest internal security challenge for the security forces.

From Raipur, the command ops centre will coordinate joint operations with the Indian Air Force, Border Security Force, Indo-Tibetan Border Police and the respective state police forces.

The issue of such joint operations and a greater role for the state police, particularly sharing of local intelligence, will also be taken up at the meeting on Monday. Sources said the MHA was keen state police forces should have a bigger and more active role in anti-Naxal operations, and they should not depend only on Central forces.
The BJP won 312 Assembly seats in this politically-crucial state in the recent Assembly elections.

New Delhi: Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath could contest a byelection either from the Gorakhpur rural or Gorakhpur urban constituency to enter the state Assembly. However, both the deputy chief ministers  Dinesh Sharma and Keshav Prasad Maurya  are not interested in contesting byelections, sources said.

Yogi Adityanath is currently an MP from Gorakhpur. To continue in office, the chief minister and the two deputy CMs will have to enter either House of the state legislature within six months of taking the oath.

Unlike his predecessors  SPs Akhilesh Yadav and BSPs Mayawati  the BJP leadership wants Yogi Adityanath to enter the Assembly to send a message that UPs new chief minister is a jan neta.

The BJP won 312 Assembly seats in this politically-crucial state in the recent Assembly elections. Other than the chief minister and his two deputies, two ministers  minority affairs minister Mohsin Raza and transport minister Swatantra Dev Singh  also need to enter either the Assembly or the Council. The BJP now has eight councillors. Sources said these ministers and one of the deputy CMs could be asked to enter the Legislative Council.

While Mr Keshav Prasad Maurya is currently an MP from Phulpur, Mr Dinesh Sharma is Lucknow mayor. Mr Swatantra Dev Singh was general secretary in the partys state unit while Mr Mohsin Raza, the lone Muslim face in the Yogi Adityanath ministry, joined the BJP ahead of the last general election.
Pune district police had formed multiple probe teams earlier, but could not crack the case.

Meanwhile, parents of the boy said they were going to meet the Chief Minister and demand speedy investigation. (Representational Image)

Pune: After failing to make any headway in the probe of double murder case where a boy and a girl were found killed in a forested area near Lonavla, Pune district police have now formed a special investigation team.

Bodies of the victims, both students of an engineering college in Lonavala, were found on April 3. Police have also announced an award of Rs 50,000 for any information about the murder.

The victims were found to have been hit on the back of their heads with a blunt object.

Pune district police had formed multiple probe teams earlier, but could not crack the case.

"We have now formed an SIT, which will be headed by an inspector from the Local Crime Branch and will be assisted by two police officials, one from Pune city police's cyber Cell and another from Kolhapur police," said the district Superintendent of Police Suvez Haque.

An award of Rs 50,000 had been announced for providing information about the culprits, he told PTI.

Vishwas Nangare-Patil, Inspector General (Kolhapur Range), said the police were investigating various angles and had questioned several people.

Meanwhile, parents of the boy said they were going to meet the Chief Minister and demand speedy investigation.
Muslim women shouldnt be deprived of constitutional rights, says Amit Shah.

Agartala: BJP national president Amit Shah on Saturday exuded confidence that the party would form the next government in Tripura and termed it as the only alternative to the long Marxist misrule in the northeastern state.

For the past 25 years, Tripura is experiencing an atmosphere of corruption where law and order situation has virtually collapsed and women are not safe, he said at a press conference here.

He added In India, every woman, irrespective of caste, creed and religion should enjoy constitutional rights, but triple talaq often takes away the right of Muslim women. We are against talaq and the party's stand on the issue has already been conveyed to the Supreme Court.

The BJP chief did not rule out the possibility of forging alliance with other non-Left political parties, but said it was concentrating more on strengthening its own base. The state with a population of 37 lakh has over 65 per cent people living below the poverty line (BPL), while around 25 per cent people do not have access to safe drinking water, claimed Mr Shah, who arrived here on a two-day visit. Marxist violence and vindictiveness cannot stop the BJPs rise in the state. BJP will gain more ground if the ruling party continues to let loose its terror, he said. Asked whether the party would seek a CBI probe into the chit fund scam, Mr Shah said, There is no point asking for a CBI probe into the multi-crore scam. (Tripura) Chief minister Manik Sarkar could himself ask for CBI probe on moral ground.

Appealing to the people to be part of Prime Minister Narendra Modis Vikas Yatra, an optimistic Shah said, BJP will form the next government in Tripura.

If the BJP is voted to power, the new government would implement recommendations of 7th pay commission, he said.

On being asked how many seats the party is expecting in the Assembly elections due early next year, Shah said, I will answer that when I return here in November.
The new app will work along the same lines as Uber and Grab, but with better understanding of local travel habits, developers said.

A locally developed ride-hailing app was unveiled on Friday in Vietnam, giving travelers yet another option in the rapidly expanding market, Vietnam News Agency reported.

APPP, developed by Vietnams University of Transport Technology with funding from German-based investment company Sapa Thale, will work similarly to Uber and Grab but with a better understanding of local travel habits, its developers said.

Uber and Grab are both popular services in Vietnam and considered major rivals to traditional taxi companies, which have reported losses due to the competition.

While the other apps estimate the fare of each trip in advance, APPP allows the customer to negotiate the fare with eight drivers before booking, the developers said at the launch.

The investor expects a door-opening fare of between VND8,000-8,500 ($0.35-0.38) and for fees to range from VND6,000-6,300 per kilometer.

Sapa Thale said it has submitted an application to license the service with the transport ministry. No timeframe for a commercial launch has been revealed.
Mishra said he is one of the founding members of AAP and will always be in the party's inner circle.

New Delhi: Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Kapil Mishra, a day after being ousted from the cabinet, on Sunday accused Delhi Health Minister Satyendra Jain of giving Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal Rs 2 crore in cash.

"Such things happen in politics, Kejriwal told me," Mishra said in a press conference on Sunday.

Mishra also met the Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal on Sunday, and revealed all details to him about the alleged water tanker scam.

Earlier on Sunday morning Mishra had tweeted, "I have witnessed HIM taking illegal cash.. have shared all details with Lt. Gov. I cannot keep quiet anymore."

Kapil Sharma tweets after his meeting with Delhi L-G

He also flatly ruled out any possibility of him joining the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), saying he is one of the founding members of AAP and will always be in the party's inner circle.

"I am one of the founding members of AAP and will always be in the party. Those who are corrupt will be sacked from the party" Mishra told the reporters in Delhi.

"His allegations are not even worth responding to. They are absurd and not supported by facts," said Manish Sisodia, Delhi Deputy CM responding to Mishra's allegations.

AAP leader HS Phoolka denied the allegations on Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal. "I don't know anything regarding this, because I was in a meeting. But I am not going to accept that Kejriwal has taken money from somebody. This is highly unacceptable," Phoolka said.

On Saturday, shortly after being removed from the Delhi Cabinet, Mishra said he may have been axed for saying he would submit the names of those people involved in the tanker scam to the Anti Corruption Bureau (ACB).

"It has nothing to do with the MCD polls, and till now, I have not received any official confirmation so far. But I met Arvind Kejriwal this morning, and I said that it has been a year since the report on the tanker scam was tabled and no action has been taken," Mishra told ANI.

"I had told him that I will submit the names of the responsible persons to the Anti Corruption Bureau (ACB)," he added.

The Congress was quick to comment on the tectonic infighting within the AAP. Congress leader Ajay Maken highlighted that it is the public of Delhi who is suffering the most, as governance is in total paralysis in the national capital.

"The common man is suffering because of the governance paralysis which is going on in Delhi," Congress leader Ajay Maken told ANI.

Mishra said he would expose the names involved in the tanker scam on Sunday. However, sources close to Kejriwal claim that Mishra did not meet the Chief Minister and neither had he submitted any papers related to the tanker scam.

"I have also written a letter to the ACB and have an sought appointment from them. I will expose everyone involved in the scam and will apprise the ACB," he added. He also denied that he was ousted for supporting AAP leader Kumar Vishwas.

Meanwhile, BJP Delhi chief Manoj Tiwari on Sunday lauded Mishra for showing courage, while asserting that Kejriwal had surpassed Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) chief Lalu Prasad Yadav in terms of corruption.

"The whole of Delhi is in a state of shock after Kapil Mishra's revelation. The chief ministers of all the states must also be in a state of shock following this. It is not an allegation, but a statement of a witness. I would like to thank him for the courage that he has shown by raising his voice against corruption," Tiwari told the media in Delhi.

Tiwari further said that Mishra had raised this issue before the chief minister earlier and asked him to apologise to the party for taking money from Satyendra Jain. Mishra tweeted that he was the only minister who has not come under the CBI scanner and has not been charged with corruption. This decision came soon after the AAP suffered a humiliating defeat at the hands of the BJP in the recently concluded MCD polls.

Denying allegations against Kejriwal, party leader Kumar Vishwas on Sunday said that he had worked with Kejriwal and he could not imagine labelling him as corrupt. "Even his enemies will not believe in these allegations," he added.

But sticking to his allegation against Jain on Sunday, Mishra said, "The day Satyendra Jain will go to jail, everything would be revealed. People who indulge in corruption and those who protect the corrupt should be removed from the party. I have submitted the evidence, now the law will take its course."

"The time we lost MCD polls, they said that we faced the defeat due to tampering of EVMs. As soon as I wrote the letter to the ACB, they started targeting me," he added.

Recently, a rift developed within the party after Okhla AAP MLA Amanatullah Khan alleged that Vishwas was planning a coup against Kejirwal. Vishwas threatened to quit the party before Kejriwal and other senior AAP leaders managed to assuage his hurt feelings and appointed him in charge of the AAP's affairs in Rajasthan.

Meanwhile, MLAs Rajendra Gautam and Kailash Gahlot have been included in the Delhi Cabinet.

Earlier, Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia said, "Water management was not up to the mark. Kapil Mishra made a lot of effort. The Chief Minister decided to bring in Kailash Gahlot in his place."

He added that two persons have been included in the Cabinet now, Kailash Gahlot and Rajendra Gautam for posts which were vacant.

Speculation and rumours, however, are afloat that axing of Mishra from the Delhi Cabinet was an attempt by Chief Minister Kejriwal and Deputy Chief Minister Sisodia to send a veiled message across to the Vishwas camp to quell any sort of dissent.

Rumors abound that the AAP is currently bifurcated into two camps, one led by Kejriwal and the other by Kumar Vishwas. The political impact of Saturday's axing of a key associate and minister is yet to unravel.
The BJP has opposed the revocation of AFSPA, opposed the return of power projects and formally ruled out any political initiative vis-a-vis Kashmir.

Srinagar: Jammu and Kashmirs main Opposition party National Conference (NC) termed chief minister Mehbooba Muftis assertion that Prime Minister Narendra Modi was the only hope to take the state out of the quagmire as her sycophancy.

It said that the ruling party has humiliated Kashmiris and asked, Has she forgotten how Modi insulted her father Mufti Sahib? The NC said that the CMs continued and unconditional loyalty to the BJP and the Prime Minister in light of her declaration that Mr Modi was Kashmirs only hope despite the Central governments refusal to even acknowledge the political nature of the Kashmir issue her sycophancy is unbecoming and has denigrated the sanctity of the J&K chief ministers office.

Party spokesman Junaid Azim Mattu said in a statement that Ms Muftis unilateral declaration of loyalty to the PM vis-a-vis the resolution of the Kashmir issue was astounding as the PM had publicly snubbed and humiliated her father by curtly telling him that he doesnt require any advice on Kashmir during a public rally in Srinagar.

Either Mehbooba Mufti is suffering from amnesia or she is willing to oversee the humiliation meted out to her late father by the same Prime Minister. We have a PM who refuses to accept the political nature of the Kashmir issue and somehow Mehbooba Mufti sees the same PM as Kashmirs only hope, the spokesman said.

The NC also said that the chief minister would do well to remember how late Mufti openly declared that Mr Modi was a toofaan ka aadmi and expressed similar unfounded and unrealistic optimism in his political will to resolve the Kashmir issue.

What was the outcome of that optimism apart from BJP publicly and officially demolishing every single promise made in the alleged Agenda of the Alliance? There is not a single promise made in the Agenda of the Alliance that BJP has not belittled and ridiculed and despite all of this Mehbooba Mufti shamelessly indulges in this sycophancy which is unbecoming of a CM, the party spokesman said.

He said that Muftis declaration of Modi being Kashmirs only hope was ironic and ridiculous in the backdrop of the Advocate General of Indias statement in the Supreme Court ruling out any possibility of talks with various stakeholders in Kashmir including the separatists. Did Mehbooba Ji not read that statement made by the Advocate General in the SC? Her allies have openly humiliated her and continue to humiliate her and sadly it seems like she has become insult-proof in order to remain glued to her chair. The BJP has opposed the revocation of AFSPA, opposed the return of power projects and formally ruled out any political initiative vis-a-vis Kashmir. Is this the only hope Mehbooba Mufti is talking about?, Mattu asked.
The statement comes at a time when the relations between her ruling PDP and government ally BJP are said to be deteriorating.

Srinagar/New Delhi: J&K chief minister Mehbooba Mufti said on Saturday that Prime Minister Narendra Modi alone can resolve Kashmir and take its people out of the bog.

Humein daldal se koi agar bahar nikal sakta hai toh woh PM Modi hain. Woh jo faisla karenge, mulk support karega (If there is anyone who can take us out the bog it is PM Modi. The decision he takes will be supported by the country), she said.

The statement comes at a time when the relations between her ruling PDP and government ally BJP are said to be deteriorating. The BJP state unit and the RSS have been questioning her ways of checking escalating violence in the Valley.

The CM said that Mr Modi enjoyed the mandate of the people of the country to address issues such as Kashmir, and was the only hope left for the people of the state to take them out of the quagmire.

The previous Prime Minister also wanted to go to Pakistan but he couldnt summon up courage. PM Modi went to Lahore which is a sign of power he enjoys and an example of his moral authority, she said after inaugurating a flyover in Jammu.

She said, He (former PM Manmohan Singh) had repeatedly said he wants to visit his ancestral home in Lahore. It was an excuse as he too actually wanted to have a solution to this issue but couldnt do it as he lacked the strength. PM Modi had made a surprise visit to Lahore on his way back from Afghanistan in December 2015. It was the first visit by an Indian PM in a decade.

The CM reiterated that it were her late father Mufti Mohammad Sayeed and then PM and BJP stalwart Atal Bihari Vajpayee who successfully worked towards improving relations with Pakistan but these were again unhinged as a result of lack of initiatives by the UPA governments.

Recalling the path breaking initiatives of the three-year Mufti government beginning in 2002, she said India and Pakistan signed a historic ceasefire agreement and started cross-LoC bus and truck services.

But such initiative could not be taken forward and the lava back in Kashmir was simmering and the same surfaced in 2008 and 2010 and it is what the Valley is witnessing again, she said and added, Im saying it again and know I will be criticised but if anyone can solve Kashmir issue it is PM Modi.

The CM while complimenting the people of Jammu for having maintained communal harmony and brotherhood despite provocations said that nobody would be allowed to disturb peace, and mischief mongers would be dealt with sternly.

Her statement calling PM Modi the only hope came on a day when BJP president Amit Shah said that the government would not hold any talks in J&K unless violence stops. The Modi government has already clarified before the Supreme Court that it would not hold any talks unless violence stops in J&K, he told reporters in Agartala. He said the government and security agencies are working on a strategy to tackle the situation in the restive state.
Rahul Gandhi on Saturday held a meeting of Gujarat leaders in the national capital to resolve the ongoing infighting within the Gujarat state unit.

New Delhi: With the Gujarat Assembly elections approaching, the Congress high command is all set to appoint former state chief minister and senior party leader, Mr Shankaersinh Vaghela, as chairman of the campaign committee. Though speculations were rife that Mr Vaghela could be projected as the Congress chief ministerial candidate, party insiders claimed that Congress vice-president Mr Rahul Gandhi was not inclined to announce a face for the elections.

Mr Gandhi on Saturday held a meeting of Gujarat leaders in the national capital to resolve the ongoing infighting within the Gujarat state unit. The meeting was attended by general secretary incharge Ashok Gehlot, Ahmed Patel, Shankarsinh Vaghela, Gujarat Congress chief Bharatsinh Solanki, Arjun Modhwadia, Shaktising Gohil among others.

It may recalled that the Gujarat state unit was hit by four warring factions led by Shankersinh Vagehla, Bharatsinh Solanki, Shakti Singh Gohil and Arjun Modhwadia.

The meeting was held by Mr Gandhi to settle the differences and evolve a consensus in the working of the Gujarat Congress and also to have a consensus on the campaign committee chief.

While the Congress high command was trying to resolve the raging factionalism within the outfit, the state unit received another blow recently with a large number of its of its minority cell members joining the BJP. While the state BJP claimed that the nearly 2,000 memebrs of Congress Gujarat Muslim cell joined the saffron camp, the Congress state leaders maintained that the BJP was coming out with misleading report to demoralise the Congress. However, in its fight against the BJP, the Congress had kick started its election campaign on May 1 with Mr Gandhi holding a public rally in Narmada district.
Liu has been fighting against the disease which should've killed him years back.

Beijing: A mosquito bite may seem like an everyday affair, but these are also known fro spreading several life altering and even fatal diseases. Apart from the recent outbreak of zika virus, mosquitoes are also known to spread elephantiasis.

A 20-year-old contracted elephantiasis due to roundworms that entered his body from a mosquito as a child, but is still fighting it out against a disease which shouldve killed him several years back. But the disease has taken its toll as Liu Zhongqui is left with legs weighing 150 kg, same as a giant panda.

Although Liu has given up all hopes of his legs returning to their normal state, he wants to extend his prognosis as the swelling reaches his abdomen and the disease hinders his chances of survival.

This swelling is caused by accumulation of fluids in the affected part of the body due to blockage of the lymphatic system. Liu said that he has visited many provinces in China for a cure and now begs in streets to fund his treatment in hospitals.

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After wrapping a schedule in Austria, the cast and crew have set off to Abu Dhabi for the next schedule of the film.

It's the first time that Salman Khan and Angad Bedi are sharing screen space on the big screen.

Mumbai: Salman Khan silenced his critics with his acting chops in the recent released teaser of 'Tubelight.'

While we see him as a man child in the film, he is anything but that in his next film after 'Tubelight,' 'Tiger Zinda Hai.' Salman will be seen as a macho man, performing such intense action sequences.

After wrapping up a schedule in Austria, the cast and crew of the film have now set off to Abu Dhabi for the next schedule.

Angad Bedi, who earned praises for his performance in Pink, has also joined the cast and is seen with Salman on the sets of the film in Abu Dhabi in a picture shared by a fan club of the superstar on Instagram.

Salman is dressed in an oversized kurta and Angad is dressed casually on the sets.

It is not clear if the lead actress Katrina Kaif is also a part of the shoot yet.

The director of the film, Ali Abbas Zafar, had shared several pictures of some of the locations from Abu Dhabi, which would definitely look stunning on the big screen.

Tiger Zinda Hai is gearing up for release during Christmas this year.
Rabindranath Tagore was the first non-European to win this prestigious award, in recognition for his collection of poems, 'Gitanjali'.

Tagore visited Egypt as a young adolescent in 1878 and later as a famous poet-philosopher in 1926, when he met King Fouad and interacted with scholars in Alexandria and Cairo. (Photo: AFP)

Cairo: India will organise a cultural festival in Egypt to mark the 156th birth anniversary of the famous Indian poet, Rabindranath Tagore.

Tagore Festival which is being organised by the Maulana Azad Centre for Indian Culture (MACIC), the cultural wing of the Indian Embassy in Cairo, from May 8-12 will feature a dance show, film screening, a play and painting competition.

On May 8, the movie 'Kabuliwala' directed by Hemen Gupta will be screened at the Hanager Cinema, Opera House Complex. The movie is based on a novel written by Tagore about an immigrant from Kabul who forms a bond with a young girl in India who reminds him of his daughter in Afghanistan.

A dance drama based on Tagore's work called 'Chitrangada' will be presented by Dancers' Guild. Chitrangada is the warrior princess in the ancient Indian epic, Mahabharata. Dancers' Guild is a well-known dance company based in Kolkata in the Indian state of West Bengal.

'Chitrangada' will be performed at the Sayed Darwish Theatre in Alexandria on May 9 and at the Arab Music Institute in Cairo on May 11. The festival will conclude on May 12 with 'Rituranga Play of Seasons' which will be performed by members of the

Indian community at the Hanager Theatre, Opera House Complex at 7:30 pm.

The Embassy is also organising a painting/drawing competition for the Indian community children on May 12. Rabindranath Tagore received the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1913. He was the first non-European to win this prestigious award, in recognition for his collection of poems, 'Gitanjali'. His poetry, novels, plays, short stories and essays are widely read in India and across the world.

His songs have been set to music, his plays have been enacted as dance drama and his novels have been filmed. He is an integral part of India's literary heritage and a towering figure in Bengali literature who continues to inspire creativity even in the contemporary world.

Tagore is not unknown to Egypt. He visited Egypt as a young adolescent in 1878 and later as a famous poet-philosopher in 1926, when he met King Fouad and interacted with scholars in Alexandria and Cairo. His friendship with Egyptian poet Ahmed Shawki is well known and he wrote a moving eulogy on his friend's death in 1932.

He was impressed by the strong literary trends and found great resonance in the intellectual movement in Egypt. He also wrote about the beautiful relationship between the noble Nile River and the flourishing civilisation of Egyptians.

The Tagore Festival is organised in cooperation with the Egyptian Ministry of Culture, Cairo Opera House, Cultural Production Sector, Dancers Guild and the Indian Community Association in Egypt.
Govt plans rigorous vetting process to check travel history.

The state department has issued a notification publishing some of the questions that the US state department wants to ask from US visa applicants.

Washington: The Trump administration has proposed a rigorous vetting process for US visa applicants, including investigating their social media profiles, to keep foreigners with connection to terror activities or other national security-related ineligibilities out of the country.

The state department has issued a notification publishing some of the questions that the US state department wants to ask from US visa applicants.

The state department in the notice invited comments on the impending set of measures. It said an estimated 65,000 applicants annually, or 0.5 per cent of applicants worldwide, will be impacted.

Regarding travel history, applicants may be requested to provide details of their international or domestic (within their country of nationality) travel, if it appears to the consular officer that the applicant has been in an area while the area was under the operational control of a terrorist organisation, the notification said.

The applicants who come under the new stepped-up criteria, would be required to provide names and dates of birth of siblings and, for some applicants, children who are new.

They will also have to provide the details of their social media handles and other associated online platforms. This is already being collected on a voluntary basis by the department of homeland security in certain cases.

The applicants who come under the extreme vetting criteria will also have to show details of their past international and domestic travel history if the officer finds the applicant stayed in a terrorist occupied area. If this is the case, applicant will also have to recount or explain the details of their travel, and when possible, provide supporting documentation.

The notification says it has been issued in accordance with the directive of President Donald Trump to implement additional protocols and procedures focused on ensuring proper collection of all information necessary to rigorously evaluate all grounds of inadmissibility or deportability, or grounds for the denial of other immigration benefits.

The department of state said the additional information collected will help the consular officers to identify applicants with visa ineligibilities without going for the assistance of law enforcement and intelligence community.

If the scrutiny of the stepped-up details finds that the applicant is involved in activities that warrant to visa ineligibilities, the consular officer can deny the visa. The notification also says that visas will not be denied on the basis of race, religion, ethnicity, national origin, political views, gender, or sexual orientation.

It adds if an applicant cannot provide details due to valid reasons, it will not necessarily result in visa denial if the consular officer finds the applicant is speaking the truth. In such cases, applicants are requested to carry supporting documents to prove their claim.

The stepped-up questions will be only asked if the officer needs to resolve an applicants identity or to vet for terrorism.
The Bab-e-Dosti or the friendship gate remained closed on Sunday  for the third day.

Last week, Afghan forces opened firing on Frontier Corps personnel accompanying the Pakistan Census team  killing 10. (Photo: Representational Image/AP)

Islamabad: Pakistan on Sunday declared four-kilometre area adjacent to the Chaman border with Afghanistan a no-go area amid tensions with the neighbour.

Last week, Afghan forces opened firing on Frontier Corps personnel accompanying the Pakistan Census team  killing 10.

The Bab-e-Dosti or the friendship gate remained closed on Sunday  for the third day.

All activities, including Nato supply line and Afghan transit trade, were suspended. Pedestrian movement has also been banned in the no-go area.

Pakistan Army was on high alert to respond to any aggression shown by Afghan forces. Tanks and heavy artillery were ready at the front. The Army was also monitoring the area with helicopters, the military said.

Camps have been installed five kilometers away from the border for villagers who had evacuated their homes.

Balochistan authorities said that as many as 2,000 families had been affected by Afghan shelling at the civilian areas near Chaman.
Says attack was retaliation for firing by Afghan forces at border villages in Balochistan on Friday.

Afghan border police personnel keep watch during a battle between Pakistani and Afghan border forces near the Durand Line, at Spin Boldak, in Kandahar. (Photo: AFP)

Islamabad: The Pakistani Army on Sunday said it killed over 50 Afghan soldiers near the border between the two countries, as tensions between the two forces escalated after clashes earlier this week killed 10 Pakistani civilians.

Major General Nadeem Ahmed said more than 100 Afghan soldiers were also injured in the retaliatory attack by the Army to the firing by Afghan forces on Friday in the Balochistan province.

Mr Ahmed, however, told reporters he was not happy about the incident as Afghans are Muslims, our brothers.

Afghan and Pakistani security forces have been fighting since Friday when 10 Pakistani civilians were killed and more than 40 people, including women and children, were injured in firing by Afghan forces on Pakistani census workers and the troops escorting them at border villages in Balochistan.

The incident marked the latest round of escalation of border tensions between the two countries, which often accuse each other of sheltering terrorists who launch deadly cross-border attacks on each others soils. Both the countries deny the accusations.

Separately, Commander of the Southern Command Lieutenant General Amir Riaz said the Pakistan Army destroyed five Afghan checkposts.

Anyone who tries to make Pakistans territory disputed will face similar consequences, General Riaz said during a visit to Chaman, where the Friday clashes took place.

To a question on the closure of the border crossing point Bab-e-Dosti, General Riaz said it would remain shut unless the situation improves in the area. The border will remain closed until Afghanistan changes its behaviour, he said.

Pakistans defence minister Khawaja Asif said his country would respond instantly and effectively to cross-border attacks by Afghan forces on the census team.

Major General Ahmed said on Sunday that Pakistan had informed the Afghan side about the census team in border villages.
London-based dogs - and their owners - are urging French voters not to elect far-right presidential candidate Marine Le Pen.

Dogs join fight against far-right ahead of French election Dogs join fight against far-right ahead of French election

Hundreds of London-based dogs - and their owners - have dug their claws into a campaign urging French voters not to elect far-right presidential candidate Marine Le Pen.

The pet-powered political platform "Paws For Effect" approached playful pooches on Hampstead Heath to pose in front of a sign reading "Pets Against Le Pen."

A Paws For Effect spokesperson said they started the petition because of the rise in hate speech in mainstream media required a response.

"So it's really important that people can speak out. And if a way they can do that is through their dog or cat, and engage with people that way, that's great, because we need people to speak out about all kinds of things. That's really important, to empower people to do that," Paws for Effect co-founder, Dan Elkan, said.

The campaign's online petition already has hundreds of animal signatories and organisers have made a resolution to deliver a hard copy to the Elysee Palace should Le Pen get elected on Sunday (May 7).
In a statement, Mr Macrons political movement En Marche! (Onwards!) confirmed that it had been hacked.

Frankfurt/Paris: Leading French presidential candidate Emmanuel Macrons campaign said on Friday that it had been the target of a massive computer hack that dumped its campaign emails online one-and-a-half days before voters choose between the centrist and his far-right rival, Marine Le Pen.

Mr Macron, who is seen as the frontrunner in an election billed as the most important in France in decades, extended his lead over Ms Le Pen in polls on Friday.

As much as nine gigabytes of data were posted on a profile called EMLEAKS to Pastebin, a site that allows anonymous document sharing. It was not immediately clear who was responsible for posting the data, or if any of it was genuine.

In a statement, Mr Macrons political movement En Marche! (Onwards!) confirmed that it had been hacked.

The En Marche! Movement has been the victim of a massive and co-ordinated hack this evening which has given rise to the diffusion on social media of various internal information, the statement said.

An interior ministry official declined to comment, citing French rules that forbid any commentary liable to influence an election, which took effect at midnight on Friday.

The presidential election commission said in statement that it would hold a meeting later on Saturday after Mr Macrons campaign informed it about the hack and publishing of the data.

It urged the media to be cautious about publishing details of the emails given that campaigning had ended, and publication could lead to criminal charges.

Comments about the email dump began to appear on Friday evening just hours before the official ban on campaigning began. The ban is due to stay in place until the last polling stations close Sunday at 8 pm.

Opinion polls show independent centrist Mr Macron is set to beat National Front candidate Ms Le Pen in Sundays second round of voting, in what is seen to be Frances most important election in decades. The latest surveys show him winning with about 62 per cent of the vote.

Former economy minister Mr Macrons campaign has previously complained about attempts to hack its emails, blaming Russian interests in part for the cyber attacks.

On April 26, the team said it had been the target of a attempts to steal email credentials dating back to January, but that the perpetrators had failed to compromise any campaign data.

The Kremlin has denied it was behind any such attacks, even though Mr Macrons camp renewed complaints against Russian media and a hackers group operating in Ukraine.

Vitali Kremez, director of research with New York-based cyber intelligence firm Flashpoint, told Reuters his review indicates that APT28, a group tied to the GRU, the Russian military intelligence directorate, was behind the leak. He cited similarities with US election hacks that have been previously attributed to that group.

APT28 last month registered decoy internet addresses to mimic the name of En Marche, which it likely used send tainted emails to hack into the campaigns computers, Mr Kremez said. Those domains include onedrive-en-marche.fr and mail-en-marche.fr.

If indeed driven by Moscow, this leak appears to be a significant escalation over the previous Russian operations aimed at the U.S. presidential election, expanding the approach and scope of effort from simple espionage efforts towards more direct attempts to sway the outcome, Mr Kremez said.

France is the latest nation to see a major election overshadowed by accusations of manipulation through cyber hacking.

US intelligence agencies said in January that Russian President Vladimir Putin had ordered hacking of parties tied to Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton to influence the election on behalf of Republican rival Donald Trump.

On Friday night as the #Macronleaks hashtag buzzed around social media, Florian Philippot, deputy leader of the National Front, tweeted, Will Macronleaks teach us something that investigative journalism has deliberately killed?

Mr Macrons spokesman Sylvain Fort, in a response on Twitter, called Mr Philippots tweet vile.

En Marche! said the documents only showed the normal functioning of a presidential campaign, but that authentic documents had been mixed on social media with fake ones to sow doubt and misinformation.

Ben Nimmo, a UK-based security researcher with the Digital Forensic Research Lab of the Atlantic Council think tank, said initial analysis indicated that a group of US far-right online activists were behind early efforts to spread the documents via social media. They were later picked up and promoted by core social media supporters of Ms Le Pen in France, Mr Nimmo said.

The leaks emerged on 4chan, a discussion forum popular with far right activists in the United States. An anonymous poster provided links to the documents on Pastebin, saying, This was passed on to me today so now I am giving it to you, the people.

The hashtag #MacronLeaks was then spread by Jack Posobiec, a pro-Trump activist whose Twitter profile identifies him as Washington D.C. bureau chief of the far-right activist site Rebel TV, according to Mr Nimmo and other analysts tracking the election. Contacted by Reuters, Mr Posobiec said he had simply reposted what he saw on 4chan.

You have a hashtag drive that started with the alt-right in the United States that has been picked up by some of Le Pens most dedicated and aggressive followers online, Mr Nimmo told Reuters.

Alt-right refers to a loose-knit group of far-right activists known for their advocacy of extremist ideas, rejection of mainstream conservatism and disruptive social media tactics.
According to Taylor's lawsuit, the situation caused him to experience pain, injuries and discomfort during the 14-hour flight.

American Airlines recently announced that they are removing up to two inches of leg room in some passenger seats in the Economy class cabin in their new passenger aircraft. (Photo: AFP)

Melbourne: An Australian man has sued American Airlines seeking over 100,000 dollars in compensation for getting 'squashed' after being seated next to two "grossly obese" passengers during a nearly 14-hour flight.

Michael Anthony Taylor, 67, of Wollongong, New South Wales, is seeking more than 100,000 dollars in damages from the airline, claiming he was crushed by the next passenger during the flight from Sydney to Los Angeles and refused permission to move to another seat.

According to documents lodged in court, Taylor was seated next to the window in economy class on the December 2015 flight, sharing the row with two passengers described as "grossly obese", news.com.au reported.

The body of the passenger next to Taylor "spilt over and encroached" into his seat, forcing him to "contort his body into a series of positions including standing up, crouching, keeling and leaning forward".

The case, brought in Australia's Federal Court, follows a similar lawsuit last year in which an Italian lawyer sued Emirates airline after he was forced to "suffer" a nine-hour flight beside an obese man.

According to Taylor's lawsuit, the situation caused him to experience pain, injuries and discomfort during the whole flight, which was about 14 hours long.

Taylor was quoted as saying that he has since suffered back injuries, neck pain and injuries, ongoing discomfort and the aggravation of pre-existing scoliosis -- curvature of the spine.

Taylor's lawyer, Thomas Jansen, said his client repeatedly asked the cabin crew if he could move to another seat, but he was not allowed.

"As a result of the fact that American Airlines failed to reseat him or even offer a viable alternative, he suffered bodily injuries by contorting his body within the cramped space caused by the intrusion of the grossly obese passenger sitting next to him," he said.

A spokesperson for American Airlines in a statement said, "We just received the lawsuit and we are reviewing the allegations." Taylor's claim comes amid growing concern over airlines shrinking seats and cutting back on legroom in order to cram more passengers onto flights.

American Airlines recently announced that they are removing up to two inches of leg room in some passenger seats in the Economy class cabin in their new passenger aircraft.

The lawsuit also comes amid a growing row about the treatment of passengers by airlines in the United States, including a California family that was removed from their flight and threatened with having their children taken into care if they did not comply.

United Airlines reached a settlement last week over a passenger who was dragged down the aisle of one of its jets, after refusing to give up his seat.
On the World day of prayer for vocations, Pope Francis ordained ten young men from diocesan seminaries in Rome, aged 26 to 38, including one from Asia (Azerbaijan). The ritual homily was dotted with sometime scathing impromptu comments. "Do not give homilies that are too intellectual or elaborate; speak in a simply manner, he said. A dual life is a bad disease in the Church." Instead, Be joyful, in the joy of Christ's service, even in the midst of suffering, misunderstanding, and ones own sins." And Do not be masters, state clergy, but shepherds of the people of God."

Vatican City (AsiaNews)  "These sons and brothers of ours have been called to the presbytery . . . They have been elected by the Lord, not for a career, but to perform this service," said Pope Francis as he ordained ten deacons into the priesthood this morning, the Fourth Sunday of Easter, in which the Church celebrated the 54th World day of prayer for vocations.

The candidates ordained today come from various diocesan seminaries in Rome. The youngest is 26; the oldest are 38. Four of them are from the Diocese of Rome, two from the Roman missionary seminary Redemptoris Mater, one from the Congregation of the Brothers of Our Lady of Mercy, one from the Family of the Disciples, and one from the diocese of Nocera Inferiore-Sarno. One of the newly ordained comes from Asia, David Behbud Mustafayev, 35, from the Apostolic Prefecture of Azerbaijian.

Following the readings about the Good Shepherd, Pope Francis delivered the ritual homily, as provided by the Roman ritual for the ordination of priests. Although the text was rather traditional, mentioning the priest's mission, liturgical service, prayer, etc., the pontiff broke here and there with the prepared text to add his sometimes scathing comments and exhortations.

Thus, after exhorting to read and meditate "assiduously the Word of the Lord to believe what you have read, to teach what you have learnt in faith, to live what you have taught," the Holy Father added, "Speak in a simple way, as the Lord did. Do not give homilies that are too intellectual or elaborate; speak in a simply manner."

Noting that it is necessary to nourish the people of God even with "the scent of your life," he noted that "The word without the example of life is pointless. It is better go back. A dual life is a bad disease in the Church."

With respect to bringing "the death of Christ in your limbs" and walking "with him in the newness of life," he said, "A presbyter who perhaps studied a lot of theology, [has] one, two or three degrees, but has not learnt to carry the cross of Christ, is useless. He will be a good academic, a good professor, but not a priest."

The homily then listed the sacraments that the priest must administer in the name of the Church. Citing the sacrament of reconciliation, Francis noted, "Please, I ask you in the name of Christ and of the Church to be merciful, always: do not saddle the faithful nor yourselves with burdens you cannot carry. Jesus reproached the doctors of the law with this, and called them hypocrites.

For the sacrament of the sick, he added, "One of the tasks, tedious perhaps, even painful, is to visit the sick. Of course, the laity and the deacons can do it, but you do it [as well]. Do not avoid touching the flesh of the suffering Christ: this sanctifies you.

The ritual homily emphasised that "conscious of having been chosen among men and made in their favour to attend to God's things, exercise Christs priestly work in sincere gladness and charity. [. . .] Be joyful, in the joy of Christ's service, even in the midst of suffering, misunderstanding, and ones own sins."

"Always hold before your eyes the example of the Good Shepherd, who did not come to be served, but to serve, to try to save what was lost. Do not be masters, state clergy, but shepherds of the people of God."
Nearly nine in 10 (88%) Australian organisations are worried that a failure to adhere to the European Unions (EUs) upcoming General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) could have a major negative impact on their business, according to research from Veritas Technologies.The study expects Australian businesses to spend an average of $1.86m to get themselves GDPR compliant before enforcement begins on 25 May next year.Some 23% of firms fear non-compliance could put them out of business, as fines could reach up to 20m or 4% of global annual turnover. Less than 30% believe their organisation is compliant, and 46% have expressed concerns that they will not meet the deadline, further data revealed.Although it was crafted for the EU, the legislation also applies to organisations outside of it if they hold or process personal data of EU residents or offer goods or services that monitor their behaviour.It aims to enhance data protection rights of individuals in the EU and facilitate the free flow of personal data in a single digital market. It includes oversight over information that can be used to directly or indirectly identify a person, including bank details, posts on social networking websites, medical information.Among other things, it requires companies to appoint Data Protection Officers and to notify clients of a data breach within 72 hours of first learning about it. Individuals will also have a right to erasure and a right to know how organisations use their personal data.
International law firm Kennedys is to merge with US firm Caroll McNulty & Kull (CMK) to create a global insurance practice.Effective 1st June 2017, the two firms will combine to bring together Kennedys 975 lawyers with the 100 of CMK. There will also be around 750 combined support staff across Asia Pacific, Europe, the Americas, the Middle East and Africa.In America the merged firm will be known as Kennedys CMK due to the strong reputation of the CMK brand in the region and Kennedys existing office in Miami will also be rebranded.Kennedys senior partner Nick Thomas said that the merger is a meeting of minds and the two firms know each other well, having worked together for more than 10 years.Our growth is always predicated on client need and the global nature of the insurance market means that our clients will benefit from the expertise CMK can offer in the US. Likewise, CMKs clients will benefit greatly from access to our network of specialists, stretching from Dublin to Auckland, and many points in between, Thomas said.Two senior hires have been made at Linklaters in China.Meng Sheng (Simon Meng) joins as a partner in the corporate practice with more than 25 years of experience including 18 as a partner, focusing on cross-border M&A, project development and project finance work. He was previously with KWM.Meanwhile, Andrew Ruff joins from Shearman & Sterling in Shanghai as a partner in the projects team. He has more than 16 years of experience in China, Hong Kong and Taiwan, having worked on numerous energy infrastructure investments and project finance deals.Law student from University of Sydney have won the Philip C. Jessup International Law Moot Court Competition amid tough competition, and claimed a prestigious trophy sponsored by law firm White & Case.The students beat out the largest field of teams in the competitions history, 143 teams from 89 countries and territories and faced Norman Manley Law School of Jamaica in the final round.The winning team members are Alyssa Glass, who was awarded Best Oralist, Will Khun, Joel Phillips, Eric Shi and Harry Stratton, who have been awarded the 2017 White & Case Jessup Cup."The students from the University of Sydney have accomplished a major feat, winning this year's prestigious Jessup Cup," said White & Case Chairman Hugh Verrier. "Every student who participated in this year's competition has gained valuable skills that will help them on their journey to a career in international law."
From time to time, the United States identifies certain individuals as important to the operations or future plans of a terrorist organization. In all cases, these are people who have committed, or are deemed to pose a significant risk of committing, acts of terrorism.

When such an individual is identified, the U.S. Government places that person's name on the Specially Designated Nationals List. His assets within U.S. reach are immediately frozen, and he is locked out of the global financial network. No U.S. citizen or company may conduct business with a designated individual. In this way, the United States disrupts financial support networks for terrorists and terrorist organizations.

On April 13th, the U.S. Department of State identified two Canadians as global terrorists.

Tarek Sakr is a Syrian-born Canadian citizen who has conducted sniper training in Syria and periodically travels to Turkey. Sakr has been linked to the Foreign Terrorist Organization and Specially Designated Global Terrorist group al-Nusrah Front, al-Qaidas affiliate in Syria.

Farah Mohamed Shirdon was born in Toronto, Canada of Somali parents, in 1993. He joined ISIS in 2014, where he also became known as Abu Usama al Somali. Shirdon is an ISIS fighter, and is also involved in recruiting, fundraising encouraging others to commit violence, and spreading propaganda.

Both Tarek Sakr and Farah Mohamed Shirdon have been named Specially Designated Global Terrorists under Executive Order 13224. This action notifies the U.S. public and the international community that Sakr and Shirdon are actively engaged in terrorism.

Designations of terrorist individuals and groups expose and isolate organizations and individuals, and result in denial of access to the U.S. financial system. Moreover, designations can assist or complement the law enforcement actions of other U.S. agencies and other governments.
By David Glance, Director of UWA Centre for Software Practice, University of Western Australia

Rama/Wikimedia, CC BY-SA

Democracy has entered a new phase marked by hacking by foreign states and fake stories shared on social media aimed at damaging political parties.

The social media companies have so far been mostly incapable, or unwilling, to do anything about the fact that a large part of the dissemination of this fake news has been through automated software programs posting on Twitter.

The French presidential election didnt escape malicious information operations after the party of leading favourite, Emmanuel Macron, was hacked and nine gigabytes of emails, documents and photos posted on the internet Friday evening.

The French presidential election has had its share of fake news including a claim repeated by right wing National Front leader, Marine Le Pen, that opponent Emmanuel Macron has an offshore account in the Bahamas. This accusation appears to have originated on the notorious online bulletin board 4chan, but its lack of credibility didnt stop the right-wing leader from quoting it in an attempt to at least fuel the story for mainstream media and social media.

The strange part of the hacked emails release was the timing  just before the start of a media blackout period where presidential candidates are banned from communicating or reporting anything that could be construed as electoral propaganda. Since the documents contain emails up until April 24th 2017, the hackers would have been able to release them with presumably more effect well before this time.

The late release of the dump, combined with the media blackout, means its effect on the election is likely to be minimal. Wikileaks has already reported that metadata in the dump features Cyrillic writing and mentions the name of an employee of a Russian government security contractor Evrika, raising the possibility of Russian involvement.

At this time, however, it is really not possible to conclude very much about the authenticity of the data or who could have been behind its hack and release. Digital fingerprints, such as those found in the metadata of the dumped files, is hardly conclusive evidence of the identity of the perpetrators. The inclusion of Cyrillic metadata with names tied to the Russian Federal Security Services (FSB), could just as easily have been other nations security services attempting to implicate and discredit Russia. In fact, this last possibility would explain the release of files at the last minute when it was very unlikely to have had much impact on the outcome of the election.

Whoever was responsible for the hack, the National Front and far-right activists in France and the United States quickly have tried to exploit the release on Twitter, making it briefly a trending topic.

There is a lesson however for all future elections and their political participants about how technology has come to dominate the political process.

First, social media, once believed to be the vehicle for true democratic expression by the public, has become a morass of disinformation, easily manipulated through software. Second, the production of fake news supported by falsified photos and documents has become another mainstream tactic employed by anyone and everyone wanting to influence electoral outcomes. Third, it is certain that political parties will be hacked and there is little they can do to prevent it happening.

Dealing with this new political reality is going to be difficult, but at least governments and political parties will not need much persuading that something needs to be done to stop the democratic process from being entirely subverted.

The first thing governments could do would be to force social media companies such as Facebook and Twitter to deal with automated bots that are responsible for amplifying the spread of disinformation. Technically, this would be easy for such platforms to do and it is unclear why they havent done so already.

Preventing political party communications from being hacked is going to be an impossible task. Phishing emails are becoming increasingly sophisticated. A recent spate of phishing emails targeting Google Docs users is fooling even technically adept users. Employees of political parties will have to become much better at scrupulously deleting emails and documents that contain anything that would cause issues if they became public. Encryption should be used for documents that absolutely need to be kept secret.

On a more optimistic note, it seems fake news may be something that loses its potency with time. The fact this phenomenon is now widely understood means that disinformation is being identified and countered before it has much impact. The public is also getting better at discounting unreliable sources of information.

There is also the process of habituation. After a continuous succession of outlandish claims made on social media, people simply stop listening.

Originally published in The Conversation.
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A trio of high schoolers in South Florida are being hailed heroes after saving a man from a sinking car--and the daring rescue was caught on camera.

Three teens rescue driver from sinking vehicle in lake

Driver lost control of vehicle, drove into lake

Two dogs were also in the vehicle--one survived

Three high school seniors dove into a Hollywood lake to help a driver after officials said he drove into the water, Friday morning.

According to officials, the driver lost control of his Smart Carwith two dogs inside--and careened into the lake.

The teens, who are students at Chaminade-Madonna College Preparatory School, were attending their Senior Day picnic at the park when they saw the car in the lake.

One of the girls says, Oh, a car just went into the water, Jose Cabrera said, and we all heard that splash.

Cellphone video shows the teens in the water next to the partially submerged car. Moments later a lifeguard can be seen running into the water.

By that time, officials said the three teens had already helped the driver out of the car and taken him to shore.

One of the teens described how they were able to pull the driver to safety.

We were finally, like, pushing the door, and we both put our feet on the door and stuff and ripped the door open, Ryan Seilkop said. We were taking him out, and the car just started going underwater.

A second teen said they were able to pull the man out just before the entire car submerged into the water.

Then I start pushing him to the mangroves and then when he has his hands caught, like I can see hes fine, thats when we all got out of the water, when he was OK, said Cabrera.

Cabrera said the driver appeared to be in a daze.

We were the most stressed-out ones in all of it. Its like he wasnt processing whats going on, said Jose Cabrera. We were the stressed-out ones. He was the calmest one.

Officials said there were also two dogs inside the vehiclenamed Kirk and Spock.

Unfortunately, Kirk did not survive since the car was underwater for about 15 minutes. However, rescue divers were able to pull Spock to safety because they believe he was able to find an air pocket in the top of the vehicle.

Despite the ordeal, the driver is expected to be okay.

Officials are still investigating into what caused the driver to lose control of his vehicle.
Vidor will not get a new high school after voters rejected a $73.5 million bond issue on Saturday.

The bond issue, placed on the ballot by Vidor Independent School District, was opposed by almost 60 percent of voters.
India has reportedly become the biggest two-wheeler market in the world with a sale of 17.7 million two-wheelers in 2016. According to reports, around 16.8 million two-wheelers were sold in China, which became the second largest market. Notably, Indonesia stood behind China with 6 million units sold last year.
A famed British maternity retailer is set to crack the Chinese market and capitalise on a pending baby boom after the country's Communist government ditched its one child policy earlier this year.

Seraphine boss and founder Cecile Reinaud told the Press Association that her company is now in advanced talks with a regional partner that would help launch its clothing line in the Asian powerhouse.

"We are in advanced discussions so it's looking very promising," she said.

"That market, obviously, is changing very fast. But they key thing is that the second child policy has been passed since January, so people are really expecting a baby boom. So that works well for our industry."

When asked whether she was hoping for favourable post-Brexit trade deal with China as a result, Mr Reinaud said: "Yes, absolutely."

The maternity fashion line - which has been worn by the likes of the Duchess of Cambridge, Anne Hathaway and Angelina Jolie - exports about 70% of its goods to about 100 counties outside of the UK, with the US accounting for around 35% of its revenue, and Europe making up around a third.

But Ms Reinaud said she would not consider relocating her business outside of the UK in order to avoid potential tariffs after Brexit, adding that she benefits from the UK's relatively low corporate tax rate and a less bureaucratic business environment compared to her home country of France.

Profit last grew from 1.5 million to 2 million last year while sales jumped 11% to 15.5 million,

Seraphine is now targeting a further 30% jump in sales for 2017 to 20 million, in light of its international expansion plan and an "aggressive" marketing programme in the US.

The collapse of the pound since the Brexit vote has increased pressure on Seraphine's margins by raising the cost of imports.

But while Ms Reinaud does not expect that Brexit negotiations will result in new tariffs between the UK and EU, the business would likely adapt by hiking prices and focusing on other markets like Asia.

"If it was to happen we would need to raise - a bit - our prices, which is what we do in America.

"When we trade in America, prices are a bit higher to compensate for the fact that we are paying duty on sending products to the US .... and of course it would probably mean focusing more effort in new territories other than in Europe."

But Ms Reinaud says Seraphine - which has dresses ranging from around 40 to over 250 - provides a price range that will continue to attract customers.

"The reality is that if a product is 4 more - it's the price of a cup of coffee and she's not going to not have a nice dress because it's 4 more. I think we have room for manoeuvring, especially because when it affects the whole industry, everybody brings up their price."

She added: "You always do (lose customers) but I think we have some price elasticity. At the end of the day, we offer a very specific and unique product for a unique moment in the life of a woman."
A stunning yacht belonging to one of the world's richest men has arrived in Northern Ireland.

Lady M, owned Alexei Mordashov, glided into Belfast lough and docked in the shadow of the Waterfont Hall on Sunday May 7.

Mordashov, is reputed to have a fortune of 13billion. The yacht is valued at 40million.

The 65-metre, three-deck ship boasts its own helipad and can sleep up to 12 guests in its six cabins. It also has a crew of 14 who share seven cabins.

Powered by two MTU 16V4000 engines, it has a top speed of 28 knots.

Mordashov is the main shareholder and chairman of Severstal, a Russian conglomerate with interests in metal, energy and mining companies.
The search operation in France for the body of Seamus Ruddy (Commissioner for Recovery of Victims' Remains/PA)

The family of a "Disappeared" victim of the Northern Ireland Troubles has said it is delighted human remains have been found in the French forest where it is believed he was secretly buried more than 30 years ago.

Seamus Ruddy, a 32-year-old teacher from Co Down, was abducted from Paris then murdered and buried by republican paramilitary group the INLA in 1985.

The Independent Commission for the Location of Victims' Remains (ICLVR) announced on Saturday that it had made the discovery at Pont-de-l'Arche near Rouen in northern France.

Experts began a fresh search of the wooded area on Tuesday.

Mr Ruddy's sister Anne Morgan said: "We just want to take Seamus home and give him a Christian burial with his parents Molly and John.

"We would like to thank the ICLVR and the forensic team.

"And we are very grateful to the French authorities for their role in facilitating the search.

"We would especially like to thank those who gave the vital information which has helped to find him.

"We have waited a long time and prayed for the day that he could be given a Christian burial in Newry."

The commission said the process of recovering the remains would take some time.

Expand Expand Previous Next Close Seamus Ruddy The search operation in France for the body of Seamus Ruddy (Commissioner for Recovery of Victims' Remains/PA) / Facebook

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A post-mortem examination and formal identification will then be carried in conjunction with the French authorities.

The ICLVR was set up during the peace process by the UK and Irish governments to recover the bodies of those murdered and secretly buried, mainly by the IRA, in the 1970s and 1980s.

There had been a number of previous searches in same forest area for Mr Ruddy, the most recent by the ICLVR in 2008.

The commission's experts, who require those with knowledge of the crimes to come forward and provide information without fear of prosecution, were confident the guidance they were acting on this time was accurate.

If the remains are those of Mr Ruddy, that will leave three of the 16 Disappeared victims still to be recovered.

The remains of Columba McVeigh, Joe Lynskey and Robert Nairac have yet to be found.

Expand Close Anne Morgan and her husband visited the search site for her brother Seamus Ruddy / Facebook

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Mrs Morgan added: "But while we have received the news that we have longed for for so many years we are conscious that there are others still waiting and our thoughts are also with the families of Columba McVeigh, Joe Lynskey and Robert Nairac.

"We urge anyone who can provide information on these cases to please come forward to ICLVR".

Sinn Fein president Gerry Adams said: "I want to welcome the recovery by the Independent Commission for the Location of Victims' Remains of what appears to be the remains of Seamus Ruddy in northern France.

"I want to commend the commission and all of those involved in today's discovery.

"Efforts must continue to recover the three remaining bodies.

"I would appeal to anyone with information to come forward."
The search operation in France for the body of Seamus Ruddy

A search team examining French forest land for the body of Disappeared republican murder victim Seamus Ruddy has found human remains.

The Independent Commission for the Location of Victims Remains (ICLVR) announced that the discovery was at Pont-de-lArche near Rouen in northern France.

Experts began a fresh search of the area on Tuesday. Mr Ruddy, from Newry, Co Down, was abducted from Paris, killed and buried by the republican paramilitary group the INLA in 1985.

The commission said the process of recovering the remains would take some time. A post-mortem examination and formal identification will then be undertaken in conjunction with the French authorities.

The family of Mr Ruddy, who was 32, now face a tense wait for news they have been waiting more three decades to hear. His sister Anne Morgan visited the search site in France on Friday, just hours before the discovery.

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The ICLVR was set up during the peace process by the UK and Irish governments to recover the bodies of those murdered and secretly buried, mainly by the IRA, in the 1970s and 1980s. There had been three previous searches in the forest area for Mr Ruddy, the most recent by the ICLVR in 2008.

The commissions experts, who require those with knowledge of the crimes to come forward and provide information without fear of prosecution, were confident the guidance they were acting on this time was accurate.

If the remains are those of Mr Ruddy, that will leave three Disappeared victims still to be recovered. The commission was originally tasked to find 16 murder victims. The remains of Columba McVeigh, Joe Lynskey and Robert Nairac have yet to be found.

Sinn Feins Mickey Brady, a childhood friend of Mr Ruddy, said his thoughts were with his family.

While it is too early to say, I can only hope that they are those of Seamus Ruddy, he said of the remains found.
The Liberal Democrats have said their pledge to put a penny on income tax to fund a cash injection for the NHS and social care is about being straightforward and honest with voters.

Described as their flagship spending commitment of the election campaign, party leader Tim Farron said the policy was the first time a party has offered a real alternative to the current decline in health and social care.

Under the Lib Dem plan, 1p would be added to the basic, higher and additional rates of income tax and the rate of dividend tax from the next financial year, with the 6 billion raised being ring-fenced for the NHS, social care and public health.

The announcement comes as Theresa May insists the Conservatives have no plans for tax rises while appearing to back away from a previous pledge not to put up income tax or national insurance.

Expand Close Liberal Democrat leader Tim Farron boards his battle bus following a general election campaign visit to Harts Boatyard on the banks of the river Thames in Surbiton, south London (Jonathan Brady/PA) PA Wire/PA Images / Facebook

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Whatsapp Liberal Democrat leader Tim Farron boards his battle bus following a general election campaign visit to Harts Boatyard on the banks of the river Thames in Surbiton, south London (Jonathan Brady/PA)

Speaking during a visit to the Riverside Medical Centre GP surgery, in Vauxhall, south London, Mr Farron told the Press Association: Politicians are often scared of saying things like this. My view is, youve got to be bold and tell the truth if you want to be believed and be supported  and the Liberal Democrats are being very straightforward and honest.

Mr Farron insisted the public realised the need to address the chronic state of healthcare and would support the tax hike.

The partys health spokesman Norman Lamb said the NHS is on its knees, with growing waiting lists and an insidious trend of wealthy people opting out of long waiting times.

The Lib Dems pointed to an opinion poll finding from last year, which suggested 70% of voters would back a 1p rise in income tax if the money was guaranteed to go to the NHS, to claim strong public support for the plan.

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According to figures released by the party, the rise would mean an increase of 33 per year  or less than 1 per week  for someone on 15,000 a year, rising to 133 per year  or less than 3 per week  for someone earning 25,000.

At the top end, someone earning 150,000 would pay an additional 1,500 a year  a 29-a-week increase  while someone on 250,000 would see their annual tax bill rise by 2,500  an increase of 48 per week.

In the longer term, the Lib Dems said they would bring in a dedicated health and care tax, bringing spending on both services together in a collective budget while setting out on peoples payslips what is being spent on them.

The party said it would also seek to establish a cross-party health and care convention to review longer term sustainability of the health and care finances while setting up an office of health and care funding, similar to the Office for Budget Responsibility.
Some of the abducted Chibok girls pictured by Boko Haram in 2014 (AP)

Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari has expressed joy at meeting the 82 Chibok schoolgirls freed after being held captive for three years by Boko Haram Islamic extremists.

"We've always made it clear that we will do everything in our power to ensure the freedom & safe return of our daughters & of all BH (Boko Haram) captives," Mr Buhari said on his Twitter account.

Photos tweeted by the president show dozens of the freed girls at his official residence.

"The president was delighted to receive them and he promised that all that is needed to be done to reintegrate them into the society will be done," said presidential spokesman Femi Adesina.

"He promised that the presidency will personally supervise their rehabilitation. He mentioned that they will continue with their education.

The young women have been handed over to government officials who will supervise their rehabilitation, said Mr Adesina. The schoolgirls will be reunited with their families soon, said the International Committee of the Red Cross, which helped negotiate the girls' release.

Shortly after meeting the freed schoolgirls Mr Buhari announced that he will be returning to London for medical treatment.

He was in Britain earlier this year for more than seven weeks for medical care. In Nigeria Mr Buhari missed three consecutive Cabinet meetings, prompting concerns for his health.

Other Nigerians including some parents of the kidnapped girls gathered in Abuja at the Unity Fountain to celebrate the weekend release.

Parents of the missing girls expressed anxiety over the fate of their daughters.

The Rev Enoch Mark, whose two daughters have been among the missing, was still waiting word if they were among those freed. He emphasised though that he considered all 82 of the girls to be his daughters "because most of them worship in my church".

"Three years is not three days," he said. "I have to be anxious with the intention to see if one of my daughters is among the released ones."

Some parents did not live long enough to see their daughters released, underscoring the tragedy of the three-year saga. And the recovery process is expected to be a long one for the girls, many of whom endured sexual assault during their time in captivity.

"They will face a long and difficult process to rebuild their lives after the indescribable horror and trauma they have suffered at the hands of Boko Haram," said Pernille Ironside, acting representative of Unicef Nigeria.

Authorities say 113 schoolgirls remain missing from the group of 276 abducted from their boarding school in April 2014. Girls who escaped early on said some of their classmates had died from illness. Others did not want to come home because they had been radicalised by their captors, they said.

Human rights advocates also fear some of the girls kidnapped from the Chibok boarding school have been used by Boko Haram to carry out suicide bombings.

Last year, a first group of 21 Chibok girls was freed in October, and they have been in government care in Abuja for medical attention, trauma counselling and rehabilitation.

Human rights groups have criticised the decision to keep the girls in custody in Abuja, nearly 560 miles from Chibok. It was not immediately clear whether the newly freed girls would join them.

Five Boko Haram commanders were released in exchange for the freedom of the 82 Chibok schoolgirls, a Nigerian government official said.

AP
Two suspected militants died and three alleged sponsors were arrested when counter-terror police carried out a raid Sunday at a hideout in southwestern Jhenaidah district, about 245 km (152 miles) from Dhaka.

Two police officers, including one working with the counter terrorism unit, were injured, according to police officials who said their condition was not life threatening.

One militant clad in a suicide vest rushed in toward police as we entered the house of Jahurul Islam in Bazrapur village (Jhenaidah district). The police fired at him and he died, Monirul Islam, the chief of the counter terrorism unit, told a press conference in Dhaka. This is not clear whether he died of the police firing or he died of the suicide vest explosion.

Then another militant fitted with suicide vest tried to hug the officer-in-charge of Maheshpur police station (inside the house), Islam said. The officer-in-charge left the house and the militant chased him.

In seconds after the officer-in-charge came to a safe distance, the suicide vest exploded, Islam said.

An officer said the militants were firing at police during the raid.

At one stage of the firing we entered the house and the militants in suicide vests chased us, the officer who requested anonymity because he was not authorized to talk to reporters told BenarNews.

Nazmul Karim, an additional deputy commissioner of the counter terrorism unit of the police, and Md Mohsin, the officer-in-charge, were injured in the blast, according to Islam.

Police announced the end of the raid around 8:45 p.m. after the bomb disposal unit defused four bombs recovered from the den.

Islam said one of the slain militants was identified as Tuhin while the other had not been identified.

Landlord, others arrested

Police arrested landlord Jahurul Islam, his son, Jasim Uddin, and his tenant, Alamgir Hossain, on charges related to sponsoring militants.

Jahurul Islam and his son, Jasim Uddin, are inspired by militants. They used to shelter the outsiders at their house, Monirul Islam said, adding the two killed and three arrested were members of Neo-JMB, an offshoot of Jamaat-ul Mujahideen Bangladesh.

Bangladeshi police have carried out at least 20 counter-terrorist raids since July 1, 2016, when members of Neo-JMB killed 20 people, mostly foreigners, during an attack at the Holey Artisan Bakery cafe in Dhaka. Since then, at least 65 suspected Neo-JMB militants have died, either killed by police or through suicide bombs.

On April 27, four suspected militants blew themselves up as commandos raided a house where they were holed up in Chapai Nawabganj district and after a woman and child were able to flee to safety, officials said.
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Brandon police say theyve arrested inmates for a five-on-one assault at the Brandon Correctional Centre in February.

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GR8 Savers Week encouraging parents to talk to children about importance of money management

A new initiative is urging parents to talk to their children about the value of money and the importance of saving for the future.

The annual GR8 Savers Week campaign, run by credit unions across Ireland from May 8-14, aims to assist parents in teaching young people how to manage money responsibly.

The initiative will be supported with a social media information campaign on the Irish League of Credit Unions Twitter and Facebook pages. Information leaflets, containing tips and guidelines for parents, and activity sheets will also be available in local credit unions.

Credit Union Youth Ambassadors and Olympic rowing medallists Gary and Paul ODonovan officially launched Gr8 Savers Week for 2017.

Also speaking about the youth savings initiative, Credit Union Youth Ambassador Paul ODonovan said: Gary and myself learned a lot about managing our finances through saving with our local credit union over the years. Being financially responsible was important for us and really helped us along the way and we think this is an important message to communicate to young people.

Gary ODonovan added: Financial independence is a great skill to have in life, and especially when you are working towards achieving a goal that you have set yourself. We would encourage all young people to learn about managing their money responsibly.

The campaign comes at a time when there is a clear trend towards saving among Irish consumers. 2016 ESRI figures show that 70% of Irish people are now saving, with the majority of these saving 200 a month. This is up from a 2013 ESRI report which found that 40% of the population were not saving at all.

Speaking about the GR8 Savers campaign, ILCU Director of Communications and Marketing, Emmet Oliver said; The skills necessary for financial independence and responsibility need to be learned from an early age, and this can sometimes be overlooked.

There is never too young an age to teach children and teenagers how to spend wisely, and GR8 Savers Week is all about giving parents the tools necessary to show their children and teens how to develop a healthy relationship with money.

Financial responsibility is an essential life skill and can be developed through simple approaches, such as helping a young person to save towards a goal of their choice.

Mr Oliver added Its important that Irish consumers who are saving each month have the necessary skills to manage these savings wisely  and that they pass these financial skills and lessons on to their children and teenagers.
A beach in County Mayo has reappeared after being washed away 30 years ago.

The beach near the village of Dooagh on Achill Island was washed away by waves in 1984.

However, for the first time since then the ocean has deposited thousands of tons of sand and shells re-creating the 300m beach.

Speaking about the new beach, Sean Molloy of Achill Tourism said, It's so nice for the villagers to have their beach back.

"It is an incredible example of the force and power of nature and how the coast can change in a matter of days."

Dooagh resident Emmet Callaghan told the IrishTimes.com that the spot was once one of the largest villages in Europe when householders living on the side of Slievemore mountain moved down to the shore.

As the beach disappeared so did the population and now residents are now hoping that beautiful beach will restore Dooagh as the buzzing seaside town it once was.
Update 3pm: Fianna Fail has again expressed its desire to see Garda Commissioner Noirin OSullivan resign her post, writes Daniel McConnell.

Party leader Micheal Martin and Justice Spokesman Jim OCallaghan both reiterated their calls for Ms OSullivan to depart on foot of the breath tests controversy, saying her refusal to do so is damaging the force.

Speaking today on Newstalk radio, Mr Martin said: We believe that, in our view its in the interests of An Garda Siochana into the future that the Garda Commissioner should consider her position. We do not have confidence in her position given all that has happened.

He told broadcaster Ivan Yates that they were entitled to call on her to resign but made it clear they were stopping short of forcing her from her post.

We understand the demarcation line, we understand that the precedent that would be created where motions in the Dail could essentially render the position of any public servant, particularly a Garda Commissioner, essentially sacking a Garda Commissioner I think is a bridge too far in terms of the legislative provision, the law was brought into being in a very specific way so that there wouldnt be the politicisation of a Garda Commissioner, he said.

He said in his view there should be a complete change at the top in relation to An Garda Siochana.

Were not in a position to articulate confidence in the Garda Commissioner because of the breath test debacle and also the fixed penalty charges debacle, he said.

He said there has to be a commission established to fundamentally change how An Garda Siochana operates, a bit like what happened in the transfer mission of the RUC into the PSNI in Northern Ireland, the Patten Commission, which looked at a whole range of issues from recruitment, from operation, from continued professional development, standards, resourcing as well.

That has to happen in the Republic. Thats the most effective way to reform and change what has happened with An Garda Siochana, he added.

Meanwhile, while speaking on RTEs This Week programme, Mr OCallaghan said the failure by Ms OSullivan to give effective answers to the making up of almost one million breath test results forced him and his party to call on her to resign.

This was a big decision for us as a party but we are not in a position to express confidence in her as Commissioner, he said.

We demanded accountability and answers from the Commissioner. She issued a statement and we didnt get that accountability from her, he added.

Mr OCallaghan added that if he was in government he would move to exercise powers open to the Minister for Justice to remove the Commissioner.

He said the 2005 Garda Siochana Act, in Section 11, which allows for her removal under three conditions.

If in Government, we would invoke Section 11, he said.

But for now, Ms OSullivan does retain the confidence of the Government with Social Protection Minister Leo Varadkar saying: She is doing a good job in very difficult circumstances.

Earlier:

Pressure is once again mounting on the Garda Commissioner Noirin O'Sullivan to resign.

The head of the Garda analysis service has written to Commissioner O'Sullivan saying he was not given a copy of Ireland's homicide figures before they were presented to the Policing Authority.

Dr Gurchand Singh is the head of the unit responsible for verifying Ireland's crime statistics.

His comments come after Fianna Fail last week joined calls for Commissioner O'Sullivan to step down.

Noirin O'Sullivan

Labour Senator and barrister Ivana Bacik says the claims warrant an investigation.

"I suppose a lot of us thought Noirin O'Sullivan's appointment would mark a turning of the page and a shift in culture," she said.

"This is fairly serious stuff - that he's saying he was misrepresented as having signed off on a report that he hadn't even seen an advance copy of.

"So again it places the Commissioner, I think, in even more difficulty."
Update 5pm: Up to 1,500 people have protested in Dublin over the ownership of the new National Maternity Hospital.

The 'We Own Our Hospitals' march was organised by Parents for Choice, together with Uplift, the National Women's Council, and Justice for Magdalenes.

Orla O'Connor, the Director of the National Women's Council of Ireland, said their message is clear.

She said: "The Government need to resolve this, we need to have the new National Maternity Hospital, but it needs to be owned by the State."

Protestors holding up the petition in Dublin today. Pic: Derek Speirs

The Minister for Health Simon Harris says giving him an extra month to examine the ownership model of the hospital will get it "absolutely right".

He maintains that the current plans would guarantee its autonomy and independence from any religious interference, but Sinead Redmond from 'Parents for Choice' is not convinced.

Keep our #NationalMaternityHospital public! 100000 signatures delivered to Simon Harris today! pic.twitter.com/sp4ZalLiNh  Natasha Duffy (@Natasha_Duffyyy) May 7, 2017

Do we have any assurances that what has happened in other religiously owned and run hospitals, such as the Mater - where cancer trials have been pulled because they required women to use contraception? she asked.

The answer to all that is no we dont.

There is a general wrongness in this action and it should be really, really obvious to the government that this is not something that should happen, that it is obviously going to outrage people and that people dont trust the Sisters of Charity to do what is best with their ownership of the National Maternity Hospital.

Getting ready to give women the support they deserve w/ @Natasha_Duffyyy  103,600 signatures along one scroll. #NationalMaternityHospital pic.twitter.com/PWFgnKMHOC  Max Kane (@MaxTKane) May 7, 2017

She said it is a mark of disrespect to the survivors of mother and baby homes, and to the people of Ireland, to give the Sisters of Charity ownership of our National Maternity Hospital.

"As parents, we are protesting to protect our maternity care and our daughters' future care, and to ensure that healthcare facilities paid for by the people of Ireland are accountable to and run by the people of Ireland, she said.

The various groups including Justice for Magdalenes say the hospital belongs in public not private hands.

Sinead Redmond, speaking for Parents for Choice says the Health Minister has got it wrong.

"[There is a] general wrongness in this action and it should be really, really obvious to the Government that this is not something that should happen, that it's obviously going to outrage people and that people don't trust the Sisters of Charity to do what's best with their ownership of the National Maternity Hospital," she said.

A similar protest is also taking place outside Sligo Courthouse at 2pm today.
An American citizen has been detained in North Korea over unspecified hostile acts against the country.

North Korea's official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said Kim Hak Song, an employee of the Pyongyang University of Science and Technology, was detained on Saturday.

North Korea on Wednesday announced the detention of an accounting instructor at the same university, Kim Sang Dok, for "acts of hostility aimed to overturn" the country. The KCNA did not say whether the two cases are connected.

"A relevant institution is now conducting detailed investigation into his crimes," the KCNA said about Kim Hak Song.

In Washington, the State Department said it was aware of the report of the new detention and that "the security of US citizens is one of the department's highest priorities".

Kim Hak Song is among at least four Americans being detained in North Korea. The others 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.

Kim Sang Dok, the former accounting instructor at the Pyongyang university, was arrested at the Pyongyang International Airport on April 22, the KCNA said. It said he was "intercepted for committing criminal acts" to overthrow the North's government.

The Pyongyang University of Science and Technology is the only privately-funded university in North Korea and is unique for having a large number of foreign staff.

Washington, Seoul and others often accuse North Korea of using foreign detainees to wrest diplomatic concessions, which in recent years have involved high-profile American missions sent to secure the release of the Americans.

North Korea's announcement of the detentions comes amid tensions over fears that Pyongyang is preparing another round of nuclear or missile tests.

US President Donald Trump has further spiked animosity by saying he is not ruling out military action against the North, although he has also said he would be willing to talk with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un under the right circumstances.

North Korea on Friday accused the US and South Korean spy agencies of an unsuccessful assassination attempt on Kim Jong Un involving biochemical weapons.
Fairfax Media has released the details of an approach from a TPG Group-led consortium that would see it split up its publishing business.

On Sunday Fairfax revealed TPG Group had made an unsolicited approach that would see property listings business Domain sold to TPG along with the metropolitan publishing assets (including the Sydney Morning Herald, The Age and the Australian Financial Review) to form a new company the consortium is calling "Domain Co".

Fairfax Media chief executive Greg Hywood. Credit:Louise Kennerley

TPG is offering 95 cents per share in cash to get the assets to create Domain Co, which would not be listed, along with scrip in a new listed vehicle which would own Fairfax's remaining assets including its New Zealand media titles and its 50 per cent stake in streaming video service Stan.

Faifax shares finished trading on Friday at $1.06. Fairfax's leadership held urgent meetings over the weekend to discuss the proposal.
Fairfax Media has confirmed it has received an unsolicited approach from a consortium led by private equity company TPG capital.

Fairfax chief executive Greg Hywood wrote to staff on Sunday evening confirming the "preliminary indicative" proposal and pointing out it was still subject to a number of conditions including approval by the Foreign Investment Review Board (FIRB).

Mr Hywood said TPG's proposal would see it acquire Domain, Australian Metro Media (including the Sydney Morning Herald, The Age and the Australian Financial Review) as well as the company's events and digital ventures.

The deal's proposed structure would mean shareholders would receive cash for the assets TPG bought and scrip for the company holding Fairfax's New Zealand business, its regional and community newspapers, radio assets and 50 per cent share of online streaming network Stan.
He writes columns for publications including The Guardian, and is working on a memoir of his early life in Africa, an all-encompassing history of philosophy, and a book responding to Trump and Brexit that will be released in September called Democracy and Its Crisis. "It's a discussion about what went wrong; what's happened with our democracies," says Grayling

His latest book is titled The Age of Genius: The Seventeenth Century & the Birth of the Modern Mind. "The mindset of the best-informed people in that century changed from being medieval to being modern in so short and tumultuous a time," he writes in the book's introduction.

I ask him about our time, that crisis of democracy, the profound influence of the internet: will historians and philosophers in years ahead view it in epochal terms, as a time of tumult, as disruptive and distinct as the 17th century? His answer is a ramble that starts with Fukuyama (the political scientist and author), touches on the doctrines of perfectibilism and meliorism (Google them), and casts back to ancient Egypt and the clay tablet.

But still, there are some kernels I take from it: "The great story of human history is of a very, very wobbly-wheeled cart that we're trundling up a hill and there's always the risk that it's going to tip over as it did with Trump and Brexit  The price of anything worthwhile is vigilance and endeavour  You can't turn your back on the process, you can't not be involved in society, you can't not keep arguing with your politicians and keep fighting for human rights and keep being involved. If you stop, you become lazy and that cart will begin to wobble and fall off the hill."

I'm not sure my question has been answered, I'm not sure whether we're in epochal times, but I'm not worried any more  other than about appearing star-struck. Grayling is delightful; the light pours through the window onto his silver-maned, blue-eyed charisma; he's like some marvellous twinkling wizard from an Enid Blyton story. He's a vivid talker, as though he's been schooled in the dramatic arts.
Brisbane city traffic became 'a big mess' in the space of 15 minutes, thanks to two separate crashes on Sunday morning.

The worst of the two happened on the Story Bridge about 11.45am and was believed to have involved four vehicles. An inbound and outbound lane on the bridge were blocked after the accident, but reopened about 1pm.

Two lanes were closed on the Story Bridge after a multi-vehicle crash. Credit:Glenn Hunt

Australian Traffic Network spokeswoman Olympia Kwitowski said just after midday that delays on the southern side of the bridge stretched several kilometres along Main Street into Woolloongabba and along Shafston Avenue in Kangaroo Point.

"There is no escaping the big bridge mess," Ms Kwitowski said.
Beenleigh resident John Egan received an emergency alert warning after his home was already flooded. Credit:Jorge Branco 'Unfortunately it was a little bit too late'  John Egan, Beenleigh For Mr Egan there was no warning of knock on his door by SES before water started flowing through the laundry and garage of his Beenleigh home at 6.30am on Friday, March 31. By 7am his home was underwater. La Baracca Espresso Bar and Trattoria owner Steve Krieg said he sent staff home before the Lismore CBD flooded. Credit:Facebook

Hours later, just before 9am, his phone received a text message alert from Queensland SES. Mr Egan said the alert was just a little too late. Steve Krieg said the emergency alert warning to evacuate Lismore CBD was too early and business owners could have remained behind for longer to flood-proof their properties. Credit:Kate Geraghty "I think we were one of the lowest houses in the area and we were under a couple of hours before we got the alert to evacuate," he said.

"We would have had to get it a lot earlier for it to have given us more time. By 5.30am it was obvious we had to move and that was the first time we really noticed it." La Baracca Espresso Bar and Trattoria at Lismore flooded in 2017. Credit:Facebook Mr Egan said if he had received an SMS he would take it seriously, but also relied on finding other sources to assess the situation, like news sources.

Ms Drennan said people tended to validate the information they receive from the SES via text messages against their own trusted sources. Do residents trust the information from SES?

SES volunteers, with the help of Queensland Police, door-knocked some low-lying areas to tell residents of the impending dangers and to evacuate. Ms Drennan said if resources were infinite she would choose door-knocking as the ideal method for conveying warnings to residents. "If I've got an SES volunteer who has seen plenty of floods, who knows their business who has taken the time to come and tell me you are at risk  I am much more inclined to believe that personal investment of effort than a text message." Ms Drennan said a big problem surrounding the emergency alert system was the use of terminology in the limited character message. "If you're in the emergency management sector you know what a moderate flood warning means, you know what a major flood warning means," she said.

"The general public really doesn't and most of the time there is no reason why they really should. "People don't trust those informational alerts as they don't really know what it means." 'I'll admit that I was pretty complacent about it'  Steve Krieg, Lismore For Lismore business owner Steve Krieg the arrival of two text message warnings within two hours led him to frantically pack up shop and head to higher ground. But, as he watched and waited for the water to flood Lismore's CBD he questioned the alert system  was the warning premature, are people too complacent?

"The miscommunication was really hard in this flood," Mr Krieg said. "It was certainly clear enough of what to do, it was just about six hours too early." Mr Krieg said he received his first text message warning to expect a moderate flood about 4.30pm on March 30 and at 6.30pm a warning to evacuate the CBD as a major flood was now predicted. He said he believed residents relied too much on technology and not enough on local knowledge when it came to disasters.

"There are some really great older farmers in this area that knew it was going to flood at six o'clock on Thursday morning and they started moving all of their livestock and moving all of their equipment," he said. "They know because they've lived through floods, heaps of floods. Those people don't get consulted anymore. "A lot of the warnings that we've received are based on what might happen rather than what is going to happen. "When you get warnings on things that may happen, you do get complacent. "I'll admit that I was pretty complacent about it as well. Thursday afternoon at four o'clock our staff went home and we all said, see you tomorrow."

Mr Krieg received about two metres of water through his Lismore CBD business, La Baracca Espresso Bar and Trattoria. The system A Queensland Fire and Emergency Services spokeswoman said the emergency alert system was a comprehensive way to contact a large group in short period of time, but was just one method used when informing the community. "Spreading important safety messages through the media and social media as well as conducting face-to-face communications activities like door-knocking and community meetings ensure that vital safety messages can get to those who need them by various means," the spokeswoman said. A New South Wales SES spokeswoman said the SES were satisfied with the functioning of the emergency alert system as one part of a suite of tools that the SES used during this flooding event in the warning and evacuation of residents.

"It supported the use of door-knocking and community engagement activities," she said. Ms Mehta said more research needed to be done into the length and content within the text message alerts. Approximate number of successful text messages delivered by council area: Banana: 14,500

Burdekin: 9900

Central Highlands: 1500

Gold Coast: 786,600

Logan: 337,000

Mackay: 213,500

Palm Island: 4900

Rockhampton: 102,200

Scenic Rim: 81,200

Townsville: 7850

Whitsunday: 89,100

Agnes Waters south to NSW Border: 2,323,200 There were approximately 449,403 text messages and 92,486 voice call warnings successfully sent in New South Wales.
Police are still waiting to speak to a hospitalised victim of a shooting at a Deception Bay home on Sunday.

Investigators remained at the scene Monday morning, carrying out ongoing forensics.

Police closed off the street before calling in Polair and the dog squad in the search for a shooter north of Brisbane. Credit:Darren Curtis - Nine News Queensland

The crime scene north of Brisbane was guarded overnight and investigations were continuing as the victim, a man in his 20s, recovered in hospital.

Officers responded to reports of the shooting about 2pm and upon arrival at the Wagtail Drive residence, they found the victim with a gunshot wound to the abdomen.
A teenage mother has been charged with stealing her own child.

The 19-year-old will appear in the Brisbane Magistrates Court on Monday on one count of child stealing after she allegedly took the eight-month-old boy from a medical appointment at Holland Park in Brisbane's south last Thursday morning.

Police issued a child abduction amber alert for the baby on Friday amid concerns he may be at risk, however the pair were found safe and well that evening.

AAP
For a tiny tabletop robot, ElliQ has a lot of opinions.

When the weather is nice, it suggests a walk. When it's time to take medication, the device is ready with a reminder. Haven't spoken to relatives in awhile? It thinks a call is in order.

Our virtual assistants are programmed to win our trust; soon they'll tell us what to do.

Israel-based Intuition Robotics is developing the virtual assistant specifically for the elderly, a population shown to be more vulnerable to social isolation and physical inactivity. The founders expect that frequent engagement with a robot that makes positive lifestyle suggestions will promote physical and mental wellness, said chief executive Dor Skuler.

"Think of it as a fully autonomous agent," Mr Skuler said. "You tell it what your goals are, and it tries to measure how you're doing on those goals and suggests activities accordingly to help you meet those goals."
Paris: France's presidential election on Sunday has already broken all kinds of barriers in a country whose politics seemed frozen for decades. The two candidates are outsiders. The political establishment has been elbowed aside. The tone of the race between the insurgents has shocked many for its raw anger and insolence.

Then, barely an hour before the official close of campaigning at midnight Friday, the staff of the presumed front-runner, Emmanuel Macron, a 39-year-old former investment banker, announced that his campaign had been the target of a "massive and coordinated" hacking operation. Internal emails and other documents, some real, some fake, according to the campaign, were posted on 4chan, an online message board favoured by white nationalists, in an apparent effort to aid his rival, Marine Le Pen, 48, the far-right leader.

French independent centrist presidential candidate, Emmanuel Macron, center, and his wife Brigitte, right, walk in a street of Le Touquet, northern France on Saturday. Credit:AP

Saturday was a surreal day in France. The dramatic timing of the leaks, coming just as French law mandated a 44-hour media blackout before and during Sunday's critical presidential runoff, jolted the final hours of the race.

Government officials warned that there could be charges filed against those who violated the law. The French media largely observed the blackout, offering little about the content of the hacking, which so far appeared to involve mostly mundane exchanges.
New York: John F Kennedy's only grandson has given his first major interview, discussing how Barack Obama inspired him and fielding questions about his own future political ambitions.

Jack Schlossberg, who is about to begin a course at Harvard Law School  Mr Obama's alma mater  spoke alongside his mother, Caroline Kennedy, the former US ambassador to Japan.

Caroline Kennedy, left, and John "Jack" Schlossberg attend The Metropolitan Museum of Art's Costume Institute benefit gala in early May, 2017, in New York. Credit:AP

In an interview on America's Today program, the 24-year-old said he admired Mr Obama's commitment to delivering reform on health care and climate change.

While he did not mention President Donald Trump by name, an implied criticism was clear.
Tokyo: North Korea has detained another American who worked at a private university in Pyongyang, taking to four the number of US citizens being held by Kim Jong Un's regime.

Kim Hak-song, who worked for the Pyongyang University of Science and Technology, was detained on Saturday, North Korea's state news agency said.

Kim Hak-song worked at Pyongyang University of Science and Technology. Credit:PUST

Kim was arrested on suspicion of "hostile acts" against North Korea, the official Korean Central News Agency said. "A relevant institution is now conducting a detailed investigation into his crimes," it said.

No other details about him were available.
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

US mortgage insurance giant Arch Capital Group is ramping up its Australian presence in a bid to win more business in the countrys lenders' mortgage insurance (LMI) market.The Australian Financial Review reports that Arch is considering a request for proposal by National Australia Bank to provide its LMI. Currently, the banks LMI is provided by Genworth Mortgage Insurance Australia for broker-originated loans and QBE Insurance for bank-originated loans.According to the AFR, the process is still in the preliminary stages.Arch already has a presence in Australia, supporting Westpac s LMI operations by reinsuring riskier loans, the AFR reported. And now the US giant is said to have been granted a local license and plans to ramp up its business in the country.Theres one big customer the US company wont be able to touch for a few years, though. Genworth managed to lock down its relationship with Commonwealth Bank of Australia last year, renewing its contract for a further three years, according to the AFR.
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When you think about Native Americans and fashion, your first thought might be Beads. (Well, at least mine was). Wait, no. Feathers! No  buckskin with fringe. Whats more Native American than buckskin pants worn by some high-cheeked hunter about to shoot a deer?

Well how about a Louis Vuitton arrow quiver?

That is just one of the beautiful and unsettling items on display Native Fashion Now, an exhibit at the National Museum of the American Indian in Downtown Manhattan, just opposite the Bowling Green subway stop. Admission, by the way, is free  the museum is part of the Smithsonian Institute.

Step into the exhibit and you are surrounded by the kind of beauty and boundary-pushing youd expect at a fashion show, not a powwow  and thats the idea. While most non-indigenous Americans may think of Native fashion as whatever the bad guys wore in old westerns, Native Americans themselves have been designing chic clothing since at least the 1950s.

That was when Lloyd Kiva New burst onto the scene. Trained at the Art Institute of Chicago, the Cherokee designer opened a boutique in Scottsdale, Arizona, that was so popular, you could buy his dresses in New York and Beverly Hills. Neiman Marcus carried his clothes. He hobnobbed with the Kennedys. When New came out with a line of leather handbags inspired by Navajo medicine pouches, they were the Birkin Bags of their day: Everyone wanted one.

His genius was to straddle both cultures. He used beads, yes, and Native symbols and colors, but the dresses of his on display at the show were classic 50s and 60s silhouettes. Think of the first cocktail dresses Barbie wore. Shed look great in News.

Frankie Welch, News friend and sometime collaborator also of Cherokee extraction, incorporated Native designs and even basketry patterns into her work, too. From the 60s through the 80s, her styles were so popular, she designed clothes for five first ladies and seven Presidents. Her most celebrated creation was the Cherokee Alphabet scarf, an accessory she designed in 1966 when Virginia Rusk, the secretary of states wife, asked her to come up with an all-American design. What could be more all-American than Cherokee?

While Welch continued designing, New pivoted in the early 60s and opened the Institute of American Indian Arts in Santa Fe, which to this day serves as an incubator for Native American fashion. Karen Kramer, curator of the Native Fashion Now exhibit, goes to the annual Indian Market there, which has grown to a gathering of 1,000 artists. While the market had always held a traditional clothing contest, Kramer said, I started noticing more and more contemporary Native fashion making its way on to the scene.

That was the inspiration for this show, which debuted at the Peabody Essex Museum in Salem, Massachusetts, where Kramer works. There are a lot of things in this show that might not look quote-unquote Native American,  she said. But why is that? Everything in the show is Native American, so it should look native whether there are symbols and patterns you recognize or not.

Most of the clothes are simply, strikingly gorgeous.

For instance, theres an Oscars-worthy gown of orange and black swirls accompanied by a spiky headdress made of, as it turns out, porcupine quills. The ensemble is worn with a short cape of shiny black feathers as sexy as it is stunning, fastened with a sparkly beaded choker.

Then theres the Old Time Floral Elk Tooth dress by Bethany Yellowtail, of Apsaalooke (Crow) and Northern Cheyenne heritage. A sheer black sheath covers a tight ivory-colored mini-dress. The sheath is decorated with elks teeth, which Kramer says were the epitome of wealth and style among the Apsaalooke people (also known as the Crow). Thats because only two teeth per elk are ivory, and considered suitable for adornment. On the dress, they form an outline that is sleek and slightly scary.

But not all the items on display are meant for the red carpet. In a section of the exhibit titled Activators, Kramer highlights designer who area also activists. Native Americans Discovered Columbus, says a T-shirt that manages to flip history on its head. Jared Yazzie, of Dine (a.k.a. Navajo) heritage designed that shirt to protest Columbus Day.

Im rockin the tee today because I am the 500-year resistance, he wrote on his social media account. I have been persecuted, stereotyped, hated, and killed. I stand strong with my people. I wear the tee to continue the fight and share the truth.

As with all the clothes in Native Fashion Now, the shirt is a startling reminder of the fact that, like America itself, American style has been around for thousands of years, and it just keeps evolving.

Read Lenore Skenazys column every Sunday morning on Brook lynPa per.com
Live coverage: Bucks County results are in

Pennsylvanians will choose their next governor and US senator, as well as new state representatives and state senators.
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.
Its books have helped school students of several generations pass many examinations. Last week, the 78-year old text book publisher S Chand & Co is in the middle of a test of its own.
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A major accident was averted when an flight on Saturday morning came in contact with an aerobridge, while being marshalled to the parking spot at Jaipur Airport.

The Airlines later released a statement asserting that no injury was reported in the incident.

" aircraft (6E-962, Delhi-Jaipur) came in contact with the aerobridge while being marshalled to the parking spot at Jaipur Airport this morning. Our team at the airport immediately took the precautionary measure. There was no injury reported to anyone," the statement said.

has voluntarily reported the matter to the regulator, the statement added.

The matter is being investigated by the safety department.
Beleaguered Indian businessman has consulted an award-winning lawyer, Claire Montgomery, the Queens Counsel, to fight the Indian governments attempt to extradite him to India. Chambers & Partners, famous for ranking legal luminaries, described her as the most formidable member of the bar. Montgomery is likely to defend Mallya at forthcoming hearings in British courts.

India, it was reliably learned from a high level source, will adopt a strategy of trying to convince the British judiciary that Mallya committed fraud, so as to get him back to India. This was finalised at discussions between officials of India's Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the Enforcement Director of the Finance Ministry and Britain's Crown Prosecution Service lawyers in London.

In effect, what will be pursued is the CBIs charge in India that Mallya, whose Kingfisher Airlines collapsed owing thousands of crores to various Indian banks, colluded with officials of IDBI Bank to obtain a loan of Rs 900 crore. The facility was allegedly granted despite the companys weak financial position and low credit rating.

The extradition process between Britain and non-European Union countries, notwithstanding a 1993 treaty on the subject between the United Kingdom and



India, is long and tortuous. No absconder wanted by India under this agreement has involuntarily ever been repatriated by a British court, including people allegedly involved in acts of murder and terrorism.

Last year, Samirbhai Patel, said to be connected with the heinous 2002 Gujarat riots, returned of his own will. It is believed he did so thinking Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) governments at both Gujarat and the Centre may take a lenient view of his wrongdoing. This was indirectly an indictment of the present dispensation's human rights credentials.

The British Home Office explained, a 2003 Act applies to non-EU territories with international extradition arrangements with Britain, such as India. Under this, the process began with the Indian High Commission in the UK requesting the British Foreign & Commonwealth Office to extradite Mallya. This was then forwarded to the Home Office, which approved the requisition. Following this, a judge issued a warrant of arrest against Mallya, who was produced in court on April 18 before being granted conditional bail.

The next stage is a preliminary hearing on May 17. After this will take place, the actual extradition hearing sometime later in the year. Here, the judge, according to Home Office guidelines, must be satisfied that the conduct amounts to an extradition offence (dual criminality), none of the bars to extradition apply, where applicable, there is prima facie evidence of guilt (in accusation cases), and whether extradition would breach the person's human rights.

Regardless of the ruling of the magistrates' court, either side can appeal to two levels at the High Court and finally to the Supreme Court.

The human rights aspect is where applications for extradition by India have generally floundered. In Britain, extradition is prohibited by statute if the person could face the death penalty (unless the Secretary of State [for Home] gets adequate written assurance that the death penalty will not be imposed or, if imposed, will not be carried out.

In other words, India will have to extend such an assurance. This may not be a problem since Mallya has been accused of an economic offence, not killing anyone. But the hurdles don't end there.

India is not a signatory to the United Nations Convention against Torture. This is normally held against it. Last but not the least, Indian prison conditions are deemed to be unsatisfactory, including the lives of prominent detainees being threatened by other prisoners.

Over and above, there is the issue of a media trial that's been taking place in India, which in the eyes of a British judge may have prejudiced the case against the defendant. Any exaggerated, false and malicious story put out by the central government and its agencies, whether on or off the record, and carried by media could be cited as mal-intent.

Mallya has argued the Narendra Modi government is on a witch-hunt against him for political purposes. To counter this, the Union government has recently moved against other alleged defaulters to establish the liquor baron is not being solely victimised.

Besides, British law is less stringent about business failure as opposed to deliberate fraud. So, Mallya's lawyers could well contend Kingfisher Airlines becoming defunct was a genuine downfall in adverse market conditions. Unconfirmed reports say, Mallya has offered to repay Rs 6,000 crore as a settlement  Rs 4,000 crore upfront and another Rs 2,000 crore if he wins a suit against an engine manufacturer.

If the petition is upheld, the Secretary of State for Home will be called upon to decide whether to ratify the order. Since there is said to be a political will on the part of Prime Minister Theresa May to please India, the political part is a foregone conclusion.

But, history suggests it is an uphill climb. The UKs Home Office confirmed its Second Permanent Secretary, Patsy Wilkinson, met senior officers of the Indian Home Ministry on Thursday. She held constructive discussions with the Government of India on a range of home affairs issues, a statement said. There was, however, no mention of the Mallya matter having come up.
Public sector steel major Steel Authority of India Ltd (SAIL) is willing to take over a stressed asset if it is offered.
Bollywood's vibrant colours and dynamic music have turned out to be key reference points for Japanese consumer electronics major Sony, which is seeking to strengthen its dominance in premium TV panel segment in India by selling more products tailored for the market.

Having tasted success, the company is now even looking to come up with high-end ultra high definition (4K) technology at affordable price range even as it steps up its consumer research in New Delhi.

With Internet-enabled TV becoming popular, the company will also launch a new range, which will have YouTube button on remote control, later this year.

"India is a quite unique and big market for us, so we have made lot of research and development to make best product for India," India Pvt Ltd Managing Director Kenichiro Hibi told PTI in an interview.

The company's research team in India conducts studies about consumer behaviour, pattern of TV usage, kind of programme watched, preference for particular picture and colour; and the kind of sound they like.

These feedback are then shared with global engineers along inputs as to what kind of features, picture quality and sound is required for India so as to develop product to meet Indian requirements, Hibi added.

Citing example of Sony's popular 46 and 49 inches model range developed specially for India, he said: "The Indian people, they like Bollywood movies. They are crazy about sound and they never compromise on sound. Even they like to be very colourful. So, the colour reproduction should be very precise."

The effort, thus, was to highlight colour reproduction as much as possible, while a sub-woofer was added to cater to their preference for sound with the TV, he said.

"That is very big hit in India. This is thanks to our input, they (global engineers) developed model just for India," Hibi said.

Earlier the company had come out with a 24 inches, small TV segment as an India-specific product.

"We would continue to do it, not just in small inches, but even in 46 and 49 inches, mid to high segment," he added.

Hibi said is also gearing up to take similar steps with 4K products, which are priced highly and available mostly in big screen sizes of 85 inches.

"Even the 4K technology, we are trying to make it more affordable. This hi-end technology would be brought on more affordable range," Hibi said without elaborating details.

At present, Sony's 4K TV can cost up to Rs 5 lakh, while starting at around Rs 83,000.

He also said with increasing popularity of internet- enabled TV, will launch a new range, which will have YouTube button on remote control, later this year.

"We found that many consumers are watching YouTube on TV and they faced difficulties in accessing due to multiple steps on the remote button. Our new product will remove all that with a single button," Hibi said.

He further said it is not only in television business that Sony is focusing on for India-specific products. Even in audio business also it has adopted similar strategy.
The Conference on Sunday expressed serious concern over the deteriorating situation in the Kashmir Valley, saying the Centre's "unwillingness" to recognise the political nature of the problem was "compounding the situation" in the state.

The opposition party stated this after a meeting of its core group - its highest decision-making body - which was chaired by NC president and Member of Parliament .

Former chief minister and the party's working president Omar Abdullah also attended the meeting.

"The NC core group while expressing serious concern over the deteriorating situation also expressed disappointment at the complete failure of the state government both in terms of governance and to create a suitable peaceful environment, as evidenced by the cancellation of the Anantnag by-poll, as also (by) rising incidents of violence and turmoil in the state," a party spokesman said.

He said the core group also expressed disappointment over the "unwillingness of the Government of India" to recognise the political nature of the problem which has "compounded the situation in the Valley and added to the already serious level of alienation".

The NC core group expressed profound grief and sorrow over the loss of lives in the recent incidents of violence in the valley and expressed solidarity with bereaved families and extended the party's condolences to them, he said.
Air passenger carrier on Sunday grounded two of its aircraft after they were involved in a minor collision at the IGI airport here.

An airport official said the incident occurred in the afternoon when the two aircrafts, belonging to Jet Airways, brushed against each other while "taxiing out" to runway 29.

The official said the passengers and crew on-board on both flights numbered over 200.

According to a spokesperson, the two aircraft -- operating flight 9W 603 from Delhi-Srinagar and 9W 730 from Delhi-Patna -- were involved in a ground incident during taxi, while preparing for departure from IGI Airport.

"All guests and crew on-board both aircraft are safe and are being taken to the terminal for re-accommodation in subsequent flights," the spokesperson said.

"The aircraft are currently being inspected by the Jet Airways engineering team. The airline has reported the event to the regulatory authorities. Both sets of crew have been de-rostered pending investigation."

The aviation regulator, Directorate General of Civil Aviation, has ordered an enquiry into the incident.
on Sunday claimed that its four civilians were injured in cross-LoC firing by Indian forces.

The Army alleged that the Indian troops on Saturday resorted to firing in Nakiyal sector at the Line of Control in violation of the ceasefire agreement.

"Indian troops committed ceasefire violation and targeted civilians with mortars in village Thruti. Four civilians were injured," a spokesman of the army said.

The injured included two women, a 12-year-old boy and a man, the spokesman said.

"Pakistani troops effectively responded to silent Indian firing," the spokesman said.

On Saturday, in Kulgam district of Jammu and Kashmir, a policeman and a wanted militant of Lashker-e-Taiba terror group were among five persons killed when terrorists made an attempt to ambush a police party.
At least one incident of ceasefire violation by Pakistan has been reported daily along the LoC in Jammu and Kashmir in 2015 and 2016, with 23 security personnel being killed in the two years, the Home Ministry has said in an RTI reply.

It also said that 1,142 terror incidents were reported in J&K between 2012 and 2016 in which 236 security personnel and 90 civilians were killed.

In the same period, 507 terrorists were killed in encounters, the ministry said.

According to the reply, Pakistan violated the ceasefire across the Line of Control 449 times in 2016, as compared to 405 violations in 2015. Twenty-three security personnel were killed in the two-year period, it said.

Major Gen (retd) G D Bakshi said Pakistan is running a "covert" war against India.

"Though Pakistan talks about peace, it does not believe in it, and Jammu and Kashmir is an example," he said.

Compared to 220 terror incidents in Jammu and Kashmir in 2012, there were 322 incidents in 2016 in which 82 security personnel and 15 civilians were killed, the RTI reply said.

It said in 2015, 39 security personnel and 17 civilians were killed in 208 terror incidents while 108 terrorists were killed in encounters. While 47 security personnel and 28 civilians were killed in the state, 110 terrorists were killed in encounters in 2014, the reply said.

The RTI reply said in 2012, 15 security personnel and as many civilians were killed in 220 terror incidents, and 72 terrorists were killed in encounters.

In 2013, 53 security personnel and 15 civilians were killed in 170 terror incidents in J&K with security forces killing 67 terrorists in encounters.

"There is a new trend these days. Whenever the army surrounds militants in an area, messages are sent on social media platforms and residents from nearby places gather there, slowing down operations," Bakshi said.
Amid increasing strain in Sino- India ties, China has proposed a four-point initiative to overcome differences and deepen relations which includes aligning its 'One Belt One Road' project with India's 'Act East Policy' and restart negotiations on a free trade pact.

The proposal put forward by Chinese envoy Luo Zhaohui also includes starting negotiations on a 'China-India Treaty of Good Neighbourliness and Friendly Cooperation' and prioritising finding an early solution to the border dispute between the two countries.

"Firstly, start negotiation on a China-India Treaty of Good Neighbourliness and Friendly Cooperation. Secondly, restart negotiation of China-India Free Trade Agreement. Thirdly, strive for an early harvest on the border issue. Fourthly, actively explore the feasibility of aligning China's 'One Belt One Road Initiative' (OBOR) and India's 'Act East Policy'," he said.

The Chinese envoy made the remarks while speaking at defence think-tank United Service Institution on Friday but the text of his closed-door address was released by the Chinese Embassy today.

Referring to Indo-Pak ties, Luo said China is willing to mediate to resolve differences between the two countries if both sides accept it.

He said good ties between the two countries were conducive to regional stability and in China's interests.

The development of China, India, Pakistan and the stability of the whole region call for a stable and friendly environment, he said.

"Otherwise, how could we open up and develop? That's why we say, we are willing to mediate when India and Pakistan have problems. But the precondition is that both India and Pakistan accept it. We do this only out of goodwill. We do hope that there is no problem at all," Luo said.

"When the Mumbai terrorist Attack on November 26, 2008, took place, I was Chinese Ambassador to Pakistan, and I did a lot of mediation at that time," he said.

On the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) which passes through Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, Luo said China has no intention to get involved in the sovereignty and territorial disputes between India and Pakistan.

"China supports the solution of the disputes through bilateral negotiations between the two countries. The CPEC is for promoting economic cooperation and connectivity. It has no connections to or impact on sovereignty issues," he said.

"Even we can think about renaming the CPEC. China and India have had successful experience of delinking sovereignty disputes with bilateral relations before. In history, we have had close cooperation along the ancient Silk Road. Why shouldn't we support this kind of cooperation today? In a word, China is sincere in its intention to cooperate with India on the OBOR, as it is good for both of us," he said.

The Chinese envoy said the OBOR and regional connectivity could provide China and India with fresh opportunities, calling the project a major public product China has offered to the world.

"It is a strategic initiative aimed at promoting globalisation and economic integration," he said.

Referring to the views in India that China always puts Pakistan first when handling its relations with South Asian countries, he said the government always follows 'China first' policy and that "problems" are dealt with based on merit.

"I want to tell you this is not true. Simply put, we always put China first and we deal with problems based on their own merits. Take Kashmir issue for example, we supported the relevant UN resolutions before 1990s. Then we supported a settlement through bilateral negotiation in line with the Simla Agreement. This is an example of China taking care of India's concern," he said.

On India's bid for the membership of the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG), he said, "We do not oppose any country's membership, believing that a standard for admission should be agreed upon first."



The envoy's four-point suggestion to overcome differences comes at a time when the relationship between the two Asian powers has been going through a rough patch due to differences on a range of issues, including China blocking India's move to get Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) chief Masood Azhar banned by the UN and its opposition to India's bid for NSG membership.

On trade ties between the two countries, Luo said he was happy to see that China has contributed its share to India's development.

"Today, China is the second largest economy in the world, with a GDP of 11 trillion US dollars. China's development also benefited from India's participation.

"We sincerely hope that India can become more developed, as it not only benefits Indian people but also creates more opportunities for China's development. Some people in the West misread China and tend to think that the 'Dragon' and the 'Elephant' are inevitable rivals, and that China would not like to see India developing. This conception is wrong. We hope to see India develop well and we are more than happy to help India develop to achieve common development," Luo said.

On combating terrorism, he said China has been a victim of terrorism.

"China strongly opposes terrorism; second, China is ready to work with India, Pakistan, Afghanistan and the international community in fighting terrorism, and believes that terrorism knows no borders; third, countries need to have compatible policies, consensus and actions in fighting terrorism," he said.
Engineering students from Hyderabad are among the 'least employable' in the country due to their lack of programming skills, a study conducted by employability assessment company Aspiring Minds has revealed, reported the Times of India on Sunday.
The strategic anti-Naxal operations command headquarters of the CRPF has been shifted from Kolkata to right into the heart of the Naxal violence hit state of Chhattisgarh by the Centre in the wake of 37 men of the paramilitary being massacred by Naxals in a span of less than two months.

The CRPF issued an order on May 4 directing the "immediate" transfer of the command headquarters of the central zone of the paramilitary, roughly seven years after it was shifted from Raipur to Kolkata owing to "logistical and connectivity issues" that gave the West Bengal capital an upper hand over its Chhattisgarh counterpart.

The newly appointed CRPF Director General Rajeev Rai Bhatnagar has been asked to ensure that the command begins functioning from Raipur before the high-level meeting of LWE hit states here tomorrow (Monday).

Additional Director General of the central zone of the CRPF Kuldiep Singh was immediately air dashed to Raipur from Kolkata along with the headquarter transfer orders and the IPS officer has taken charge of the command in Raipur on Friday, the sources said.

The central zone, an operational field formation, was raised on August 7, 2009 and was tasked to oversee the CRPF troops deployment across the entire 'red belt' of the Left Wing Extremism hit states from West Bengal to Jharkhand, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Odisha, Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh.

It was moved to Kolkata in July 2010 for want of better connectivity through rail and air transport for the command office, days after the Dantewada ambush where Naxals had carried out their biggest attack against security forces and brutally killed 75 CRPF men and a Chhattisgarh police jawan on April 6.

Top sources in the security establishment said the Union Home Ministry, after reviewing the April 24 Naxal ambush in the Sukma district that killed 25 CRPF men, ordered the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) to immediately shift the central zone command of the force to Raipur, without even bothering for the basic logistics to be put in place.

"The idea is to base the Naxal command headquarter where the exact fight and the LWE challenge is. The ministry felt that having this strategic office, headed by an ADG rank officer, in far off Kolkata was not serving the purpose of strategising quick, intelligence-based and coordinated offensives against Naxals right where the guerrillas are posing the biggest threat to the internal security of the country," a senior officer said.

The command office has been tasked to convene meetings and strategies joint operations with the Indian Air Force, the Border Security Force, the Indo-Tibetan Border Police force and various state police forces to carry out special anti- Naxal offensives along the southern border tip of Bastar where Sukma's border meet four neighbouring states that too suffer from the LWE menace.

They said DG Bhatnagar himself oversaw the quick activation of the command from the ground in Raipur after he attended a meeting of the Unified Command on LWE on May 5 that was chaired by Chief Minister Raman Singh.

He later moved to Sukma to take an on-spot assessment of the ambush site near Burkapal and held a 'sainik sammelan' (troops meeting) to boost the morale of his men at a CRPF camp in the jungles of the district in south Bastar, few kilometres from the state's border with Odisha, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana.

"Over the last two days, the new CRPF DG has travelled to the interiors of Sukma and Dantewada, the two worst LWE- violence districts in the state. He also visited the ambush site in Bheji in Sukma where Naxals had killed 12 jawans on March 11," a senior officer said.

The urgency of shifting the CRPF command office in a matter of few days after the deadly Naxal attacks can be gauged from the fact that the transfer orders of the headquarter stated that it should be activated quickly by deploying "necessary support staff" and bare minimum facilities in the office of the sector Inspector General of the CRPF in Raipur.

The full facilities for this largest field formation of the paramilitary could be created over the next few weeks time, the order said.

The central zone has jurisdiction and deployment of troops over about 42 per cent of the geographical area of the country from the Bay of Bengal in the east to Madhya Pradesh in the west and from the international border with Nepal in the north to Odisha in the south.

It comprises eight sectors, 13 ranges, 17 group centres, 83 battalions, eight composite hospitals, 2 central weapons store, two central training colleges, three recruit training centres, a counter-insurgency and anti-terrorism school, 6 ANTS (Anti Naxal Training School) of the CRPF, the country's largest paramilitary with about 3-lakh personnel in its ranks.

It is also designated as the lead security force for conducting anti-Naxal operations.
Finance Minister on Sunday asked Asian Development Bank (ADB) to ensure primacy is accorded to views of developing countries in operations of the multilateral lending agency. The finance minister expressed the views in his meeting with ADB President Takehiko Nakao here. He also held bilateral discussions with Japanese Finance Minister Taro Aso.

During the meeting with his Japanese counterpart, he highlighted the initiatives under Make in India and called upon Japanese companies to set up facilities in India for manufacture of rolling stock for Metro rail projects. "Both the ministers noted the growing synergy between India and Japan and committed themselves towards working closely to expand India-Japan bilateral economic cooperation," a statement said.

In his meeting with Nakao, Jaitley discussed India-ADB bilateral engagements. "While noting with satisfaction that India today is the largest client of ADB, Jaitley urged the president to ensure that since ADB provides services to developing countries, the bank should ensure that primacy is accorded to the views of developing countries in ADBs operations and resource planning."

Jaitley is on a three-day visit to Japan to participate in the annual meeting of Board of Governors of Asian Development Bank.
Telangana government has started the work on the new set of reforms early, in order to retain the top slot in the Ease Of Doing Business (EODB) rankings this year. It has engaged global consultancy firm PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) to assist the departments in implementing proposed reform measures.
The Union Home Minister Shri Rajnath Singh will review the situation in Left Wing Extremism affected States here tomorrow. The Chief Ministers of Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, Uttar Pradesh, Telangana and West Bengal have been invited to attend the meeting. The Union Ministers in charge of Ministries of MoRTH, Railways, Civil Aviation, MoRD, Power, New & Renewable Energy and Telecom will also attend. A holistic review of the situation will be undertaken covering a wide canvas of security and development issues, particularly infrastructure building. .

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The Government of India has a multi-pronged strategy centred around security, development and ensuring rights and entitlements of local communities etc. The Centre has been providing assistance to States in terms of CAPF Battalions, intelligence, training and capacity building of State Police Forces. It is also assisting the States through Schemes that support building of infrastructure, specially Road, Railways and Power etc. The meeting will focus on devising new strategies to maintain the momentum achieved in 2016, notwithstanding a couple of incidents. Development issues will also be discussed with a view to ensure rapid development of LWE affected areas. .

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The day-long meeting will include two sessions to discuss upon operational issues like role of States in Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs) Operations, raising and employment of India Reserve (IR) Battalions and Special India Reserve Battalion (SIRB), etc, capacity building and Intelligence issues like vacancies in State Police Forces, capacity building of State Intelligence Units, etc and other Ministry-wise related matters. .

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The meeting will also be attended by the Secretaries of the Central Ministries, Chief Secretaries and DGsP of the LWE affected states. .

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The Union Finance Minister (FM) Shri Arun Jaitley asks the Asian Development Bank (ADB) to set up a regional hub in New Delhi for the South Asia region to meet growing aspirations of the people .

The Union Finance Minister Shri Arun Jaitley asked the Asian Development Bank (ADB) to set up a regional hub in New Delhi for the South Asia region in order to keep pace with the growing aspirations of the people and to expedite the process of project preparation and delivery for India and other countries in the region. He also urged the Bank to adopt country system for procurement, social and environmental safeguards expeditiously. He was addressing the Board of Governors of the ADB at its 50th Annual Meeting at Yokohama, Japan. The Finance Minister was accompanied by Shri Shaktikanta Das, Secretary, Department of Economic Affairs, who is also the Alternate Governor of India to ADB. .

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The Union Finance Minister Shri Arun Jaitley congratulated the Asian Development Bank (ADB) on completing its 50 years and serving the people of Asia-Pacific region. While lauding the efforts of the Bank in eliminating poverty in the region through development of physical and social infrastructure, Shri Jaitley called for a greater focus on renewable energy keeping in view our commitment to tackle climate change. .

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In urban development, especially in the sectors of drinking water and sanitation, Shri Jaitley underlined the major challenges faced by many developing countries in making the system work without having to depend much on the budgetary support from the national governments. He urged the Bank to promote sustainable models that will address these challenges. He called upon ADB to focus on climate resilient agriculture, better farm production technologies, improved value chain management and creation of better marketing infrastructure for farm produce. .

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The Union Minister of Finance, Defence and Corporate Affairs, Shri Arun Jaitley is on a three-day official visit to Japan to participate in the Annual Meeting of Board of Governors of Asian Development Bank (ADB) among others. During his visit, the Finance Minister is being accompanied by Shri Shaktikanta Das, Secretary, Department of Economic Affairs (DEA) and other senior officials of the Ministry of Finance. .

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Armenia: EU and Armenia Hold annual Dialogue on Human Rights

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The Union Finance Minister (FM) Shri Arun Jaitley holds a bilateral discussion with the Finance Minister of Japan, Mr Taro Aso; calls upon Japanese companies to set up facilities in India .

The Union Finance Minister Shri Arun Jaitley highlighted the initiatives under Make in India and called upon Japanese companies to set up facilities in India for manufacture of rolling stock for the metro rail projects during the bilateral discussion with the Finance Minister of Japan, Mr Taro Aso. Both the Ministers noted the growing synergy between India and Japan and committed themselves towards working closely to further expand India-Japan bilateral economic cooperation. .

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Later, Shri Jaitley also had a meeting with the Asian Development Bank (ADB) President, Mr Takehiko Nakao and discussed India-ADB bilateral engagements. While noting with satisfaction that India today is the largest client of ADB, Mr Jaitley urged the President to ensure that since ADB provides services to Developing Member Countries, the Bank should ensure that primacy is accorded to the views of developing countries in ADBs operations and resource planning. .

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Shri Arun Jaitley is on a three-day official visit to Japan to participate in the Annual Meeting of Board of Governors of Asian Development Bank (ADB) among others. During his visit, the Finance Minister is being accompanied by Shri Shaktikanta Das, Secretary, Department of Economic Affairs (DEA) and other senior officials of the Ministry of Finance. .

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David Miller, a white collar defence lawyer and former federal prosecutor, has emerged as a candidate to succeed Preet Bharara as the next Manhattan US attorney, according to people familiar with the matter.
Nigeria's president says he will meet Sunday with 82 freed this weekend after being kidnapped three years ago by Boko Haram.

President Muhammadu Buhari said in a statement that he will receive the released schoolgirls in Nigeria's capital, Abuja.

The president said the schoolgirls were freed in exchange for detained suspected extremists in the largest negotiated release so far of the nearly 300 girls whose mass abduction in 2014 highlighted the threat of Nigeria's homegrown extremist fighters who are linked to the Islamic State group.

Before Saturday's release, 195 of the girls had been captive. Now 113 of the girls remain unaccounted for. As news of the latest release broke, long-suffering family members said they are eagerly awaiting a list of names and their "hopes and expectations are high."



The April 2014 abduction by Boko Haram brought the extremist group's rampage in northern Nigeria to world attention and began years of worry and heartbreak for the families of the missing schoolgirls.

Some relatives did not live long enough to see their daughters released. Many of the captive girls, most of them Christians, were forced to marry their captors and give birth to children in remote forest hideouts without knowing if they would see their parents again. It is feared that other girls were strapped with explosives and sent on missions as suicide bombers.

A Nigerian military official with direct knowledge of the rescue operation said the freed girls were found near the town of Banki in Borno state near Cameroon.

Boko Haram remains active in that area. On Friday, the United States and Britain issued warnings that the extremist group was actively planning to kidnap foreigners in an area of Borno state "along the Kumshe-Banki axis."



The 276 schoolgirls kidnapped from Chibok in 2014 are among thousands of people abducted by Boko Haram over the years.
Organisers barred journalists on Sunday from a publicly advertised event in Shanghai to attract Chinese investment in a US real estate project linked to the family of President Donald Trumps son-in-law in exchange for immigrant visas.
Eight-two Chibok schoolgirls among the 276 were released by Boko Haram militants on Saturday after more than three years in captivity.

A government official said consistent negotiations between the terrorist group Boko Haram and the Nigeria government resulted in the release of 82 girls.

The freed girls are in military custody in Banki, a town in Northeast Nigeria, CNN reports.

The girls will undergo medical checkup in Abuja and then they will be reunited with their families.

Around 276 girls were kidnapped from the government Secondary School in the town of Chibok in Borno state in the middle of the night in April 2014, sparking a global campaign 'bringbackourgirls'.

The campaign was supported by then U.S. First lady Michelle Obama. As many as 57 girls escaped within days after mass abduction. Another 21 Chibok girls were released in October 2016 in a deal brokered by Switzerland and the International Red Cross.

President Muthammadu Buhari had said in a statement that his government is in constant negotiations with the Boko Haram group.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Sunday demanded Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar to sack his ministers, who are accused of renting out their official bungalows for private functions.

Bihar BJP president Nityanand Rai termed the news reports as unacceptable and demanded resignations of the accused ministers.

"There is chaos like situation in Bihar. It is unacceptable that the ministers have been renting out their official bungalows to private persons. Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar should sack the ministers involved in renting out their official bungalows for marriages," Rai told ANI.

Another BJP leader, S Prakash termed the incident 'as a new change that the new dispensation has brought into Bihar'.

He said it was very shameful that the Bihar ministers have been lowering the respect of the post they were holding for some petty cash.

"It is very unfortunate that official bungalows are being rented out for marriage and other private functions for petty cash. This is the new change the new dispensation has brought into Bihar. Now only the people who are looting and indulging in all types of criminal activities are part of Nitish government," said Prakash.

He demanded the Bihar Chief Minister to immediately sack ministers involved in the case.

"If Nitish has some respect to the promises he made, then he should immediately sack those ministers who have indulged in such shameful act of renting out their official bungalows for private function for petty cash," demanded Prakash.

News reports say that some ministers in the Nitish Kumar-led government have been renting out their official bungalows for private functions.

Two Bihar Ministers, Abdul Ghafoor and Shivchandra Ram are accused of allowing private functions in their official bungalows for hefty rent. Ghafoor and Ram are MLAs of Lalu Prasad Yadav led Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD).

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Netherlands Foreign Minister Bert Koenders will visit India for a four-day trip starting from May 7 to 9 to strengthen political and economic bilateral ties.

Netherlands ranks among India's top ten trade partners and is a major investor in India in sectors like technology, energy, logistics, financial services and transport. For many decades, India was a recipient of Dutch development aid.

On Sunday, Foreign Minister Bert will arrive at 23:40 p.m. in Bengaluru.

In Bengaluru on May 8, Dutch Foreign Minister will hold a meeting with Minister of large and medium scale industries R. V. Despande and announce opening of the new Netherlands Business Support Office to enhance economic ties with India.

On Tuesday, Dutch minister will meet his Indian counterpart Sushma Swaraj on Tuesday at Jawarharlal Nehru Bhawan.

On the theme "The Netherlands, your gateway to Europe," Minister Koenders will also address a gathering of businessmen, diplomats, organised by the Confederation of Indian Industry in New Delhi.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
U.S. President Donald Trump's transition team had warned former national security adviser Michael Flynn about the risks involved in communicating with Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak.

Trump's transition team members had alerted Flynn in November that any conversations with Kislayk were being monitored, a warning issued weeks before the two discussed US sanctions on Russia by phone.

"The head of Trump's national security transition team, Marshal Billingslea ,requested Obama administration officials to provide a classified CIA profile on Kislyak to show to Flynn out of concern that he didn't completely appreciate the Russian ambassador's motives," sources close to Billingslea confirmed to CNN.

Former national security adviser Flynn was forced to resign after reports surfaced that he misled Vice President Mike Pence ,the FBI, about his phone calls with the Russian envoy on December 19,2016

Transcripts of intercepted calls between Flynn and Russian Ambassador to the U.S., Sergey, showed the two had discussed sanctions ahead of Trump's inauguration, when Flynn was part of the transition team.

Flynn conceded in his resignation letter that he had misled the vice-president, who had previously publicly denied that Flynn had discussed sanctions with Envoy.

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Treating prostate cancer with a single, high dose of radiation delivered precisely to the site of the tumour results in good quality of life and fewer trips to the hospital, with adverse side effects that are no worse than if the radiation treatment had been given in several lower doses, according to a recent study.

Alfonso Gomez-Iturriaga, from the Hospital de Cruces, Baracaldo, Spain, told the ESTRO 36 conference that the results were encouraging from the phase II trial of high-dose rate (HDR) brachytherapy, delivered in a single fraction of 19Gy, to 45 patients with prostate cancer that was at low or intermediate risk of spreading elsewhere in the body.

Gomez-Iturriaga noted that the study demonstrates that patients do not suffer higher toxicity or a worse quality of life than might be expected with other methods of delivering radiation treatment. In fact, patients are very satisfied with this single outpatient treatment, which they find convenient and which allows them to return rapidly to normal activities.

He added, "It is too early to say that this strategy can be used outside the trial setting, but it seems quite clear that the toxicity and impact on quality of live are very low. Longer follow-up for at least five years is needed to demonstrate definite cancer control."

HDR brachytherapy involves the very precise positioning of catheters, with the aid of ultrasound, at the site of the tumour while the patient is under spinal or general anaesthetic. A radioactive source (iridium-192) is delivered via the catheters to the target, avoiding other structures such as the bladder and the bowel, so that they deliver the maximum dose precisely to the target. The treatment usually takes about 30 minutes.

Though HDR brachytherapy has been considered for treating prostate cancer, until now there has been limited evidence of its safety and efficacy. In this study, 45 consecutive patients received HDR brachytherapy at the Hospital de Cruces between January 2014 and July 2016.

In terms of quality of life, the need to pass urine urgently declined significantly between the first and sixth month after treatment and had returned to normal after a year. There were no significant changes in bowel movements, sexual or hormonal functioning. Sixty percent of patients who had normal sexual functioning before the treatment continued to function normally afterwards. Six months after the radiation therapy, 77 percent of patients said they were "extremely satisfied" with their treatment and quality of life and 23 percent were "very satisfied."

Gomez-Iturriaga said that these were excellent results in terms of patient satisfaction, quality of life, toxicity and tolerability and safety.

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The Indian woman, whose husband claimed that she was stranded inside the Indian High Commission office in Islamabad, is being provided necessary consular access.

According to sources, the Commission is in constant touch with the Pakistan Foreign Office on the matter and the girl's family in India.

Pakistan Foreign Office spokesperson Nafees Zakaria has said that Uzma of Indian orgin and married to Tahir Ali, a Pakistani, who 'went missing' from the Indian High Commission last week, is 'stranded' inside the building, reports the Dawn.

Uzma, reportedly, met Ali in Malaysia where the latter was working as a taxi driver eight months ago.

The two had a court marriage on May 3, two days after Uzma arrived in Pakistan via the Wagah border.

Ali alleged that they both went to the Indian High commission to submit visa application form after Uzma's brother invited them to India.

"At the Indian embassy window, she asked about Adnan. A while later, a man came out and took her inside through gate number six. I waited and waited, and then at 7 p.m., I asked at the embassy gate if my wife Uzma was inside. They told me no one was inside," Dawn quoted Ali, as saying.

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The Congress Party on Sunday asked for a thorough investigation into the reports of Pakistan's intelligence agency ISI funding separatist leaders in Kashmir to spread violence.

Congress leader Tom Vadakkan said that such issues are serious and needs enquiry.

"Whatever the information we have must be investigated because these are serious matters who are funding the separatists and who are the recipients of these kinds of funds. All this should be enquired immediately," Vadakkan told ANI.

Meanwhile, another Congress leader P.L. Punia asserted that now evidence that available in the regard, Pakistan must be unmasked.

"Now we have evidences that ISI funds Hurriyat. Now there is a need to unmask Pakistan and isolate it internationally so that a pressure is built on Islamabad which would stop it from carrying out anti-India activities," said Punia.

According to reports, post the recent arrest of two ISI operatives in India, it has come to light that separatists in Jammu and Kashmir area have been getting a constant flow of funds - to the tune of Rs 70 lakh - from the Pakistan ISI over the past few months.

Slew of documents that have been accessed cite that the nexus between Pakistan and the separatist leaders is responsible for instigating the youth to conduct violent acts in the conflict-ridden state of Jammu and Kashmir.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Gaza based Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas on Saturday elected Ismail Haniya as its new political chief, replacing Qatar based veteran Khaled Meshaal.

"The Hamas Shura Council on Saturday elected Ismail Haniya as head of the movement's political bureau," said a statement on the group's official website.

This change of leadership comes just days after Hamas released its new policy document last week accepting the establishment of a Palestinian state based on 1967 lines.

The 42-point document reaffirms the group's belief that 'no part of the lines and no part of Palestine shall be compromised or conceded'.

Haniya served as Palestinian prime minister after Hamas won a 2006 parliamentary election but was sacked by Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.

Recently, United States President Donald Trump has vowed to revive the stalled Israel-Palestine peace process by acting as a "mediator, an arbitrator or a facilitator". During his meeting with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas at the White House, Trump had said he is committed to working with Israel and the Palestinians to reach an agreement.

Trump said the Palestinians and Israelis must work together to reach an agreement that allows both peoples to live, worship, thrive and prosper in peace.

President Abbas said that their strategic option and choice is to bring about peace based on the vision of the two-state, a Palestinian state with its capital of East Jerusalem that lives in peace and stability with the state of Israel based on the borders of 1967.

Palestinian militant outfit Hamas chief Khaled Meshaal has said that 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 civilized 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.

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A policeman, a terrorist and two civilians were killed in a shootout at Malpora area in south Kashmir's Kulgam district on Saturday evening.

A police party at Malpora on Qazigund-Kulgam road was clearing the traffic when the terrorist group comprising three members opened indiscriminate fire upon them.

The cops retaliated resulting into the killing of a terrorist.

In the attack, four policemen and two civilians sustained serious bullet wounds.

All the injured were immediately evacuated to the nearby hospital where a policeman and two civilians succumbed to injuries.

A massive hunt has been launched to find out the other terrorists involved in the attack.

Yesterday, Pakistani troops violated the ceasefire along the Line of Control (LoC) in Balakote Sector of Jammu and Kashmir's Poonch District, prompting the Indian Army to retaliate.

Later in the day, the Indian Army's 62 Rashtriya Rifles unit and police authorities busted the module of the militant organisation Hizb-ul-Mujahideen.

The forces busted modules of three Over Ground Workers (OGW) of the HuM.

Earlier on Thursday, two Army soldiers and a civilian were injured after terrorists attacked an Army patrol party in the district.

Following this incident, a search operation was carried out in the area on Friday by the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF).

"South Kashmir is a bit hot, lots of local militants are joining various outfits and we are trying to bring the situation under control. The operation was important, was carried out successfully," CRPF IG Ravideep Sahi told ANI.

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In a mission to support the Indian Army in Jammu and Kashmir, a squad of sadhus and Hindu priests from Jan Sena, a Kanpur-based religious organisation, began their journey to the Valley on Sunday, to respond to the stone pelting locals.

The squad consists of hundreds of common civilians including large number of Muslims, sadhus and the Shankaracharya Munisa ji Maharaj along with the President of the Jana's squad Arun Parme Ji Maharaj.

Sadhu Balyogi Arun Puri Chaitanya, said that for the last few months he has been training volunteers from Kanpur to throw stones. He has also claimed that he would perform a yajna at Srinagar's Lal Chowk on May 10.

He also asserted that he has planned to visit Poonch, and Krishna Ghati, where the Pakistanis killed and mutilated the bodies of two Indian jawans.

Another religious leader also claimed that people from other parts of the country are also willing to join the mission, which is to fight against stone pelters who are attacking the Indian Army in the Valley from last few days.

However, the mission is expected to face trouble as they have not received clearance for their visit.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Pakistan Chief of Army Staff General Qamar Javed Bajwa has said that peace in Karachi is vital for stability in Pakistan.

General Bajwa made these remarks during his visit to Karachi Corps HQ.

He was briefed on security situation in Karachi, progress of operation Raddul Fasad and support to census in Sindh Province, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said in a statement.

General Bajwa appreciated the efforts of the army and Pakistan Rangers (Sindh) for their contributions towards successful execution of these assignments.

He also appreciated efforts of intelligence agencies and security forces in winning back dissident sub nationalist elements in to national mainstream through positive engagement.

The army chief reiterated that efforts will continue till restoration of complete normalcy in Karachi and the Province.

Earlier, General Bajwa was received by Commander Karachi Corps Lieutenant General Shahid Baig Mirza.

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Taking a swing at Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the current state of unrest in the Valley and India's severely deteriorating ties with Pakistan, the Congress on Sunday asserted that Jammu and Kashmir has comparatively experienced normalcy under the tenure of Manmohan Singh, and that tourism had witnessed its most flourishing days.

"Prime Minister Narendra Modi's policy has been a failure and a disaster. He has no road map in engaging with Pakistan. During the tenure of former prime minister Dr. Manmohan Singh, who was taunted by then BJP chief minister of Gujarat Narendra Modi, Kashmir Valley resulted near normalcy," Senior Congress leader Anand Sharma told ANI.

He also blamed Prime Minister Modi for the severe hit taken by the tourism sector in the Valley in the wake of the unrest.

"Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's tenure saw a record arrival of foreign and Indian tourists in the Kashmir Valley. Today there is no tourism," he added.

Meanwhile, the Congress has also asked for a thorough investigation into the reports of Pakistan's intelligence agency ISI funding separatist leaders in Kashmir to spread violence.

Congress leader Tom Vadakkan said that such issues are serious and needs enquiry.

"Whatever the information we have must be investigated because these are serious matters who are funding the separatists and who are the recipients of these kinds of funds. All this should be enquired immediately," Vadakkan told ANI.

According to reports, post the recent arrest of two ISI operatives in India, it has come to light that separatists in Jammu and Kashmir area have been getting a constant flow of funds - to the tune of Rs 70 lakh - from the Pakistan ISI over the past few months.

Slew of documents that have been accessed cite that the nexus between Pakistan and the separatist leaders is responsible for instigating the youth to conduct violent acts in the conflict-ridden state of Jammu and Kashmir.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Emmanuel Macron is set to become France's next President, French media reports said on Monday.

According to French state television estimates, the pro-European Union (EU) centrist is leading 65.1% to 34.9% over his rival Marine Le Pen.

At the time of filing this report, counting was continued. However, conceding defeat, Pen called Macron to congratulate him on the historic win.

Macron, 39, who has never held elected office and was unknown until three years ago, is France's youngest president.

As soon as the projections projected him as a winner, Macron tweeted in French, "My dear compatriots, you have chosen to give me your confidence and I would like to express my deepest gratitude to you."

Macron vowed to defend France and its vital interests. His said that "we have a duty to our country. We are the inheritors of a great story and great humanist message addressed to the world".

The outgoing French President Francois Hollande called Macron to congratulate him on his "election of the President of the Republic."

"His large victory confirms that a very large majority of our citizens wanted to assemble around the values of the Republic and mark their attachment to the European Union as well as to the openness of France in the world," Hollande said.

President of the European Council Donald Dusk congratulated Macron via a tweet: "Congratulations @EmmanuelMacron.

Congratulations to French people for choosing Liberty, Equality and Fraternity over tyranny of fake news (sic)"

British Prime Minister Theresa May congratulated Macron on his victory.

German Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel pledged his support for Emmanuel Macron's plans for France.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel's spokesman Steffen Seibert congratulated Macron and said his win was a victory for a united Europe and for the Franco-German friendship.

Two days before the voting, reports said that Macron's emails were hacked and leaked online on a profile called EMLEAKS to Pastebin, a site that allows anonymous document sharing. However, it was not clear whether the nine gigabyte data was genuine or not.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
At least nine security officials were killed and three others injured on Saturday in car bomb attacks claimed by ISIS or Daesh in Iraq's Mosul.

Iraqi security official Safa al-Behadli said Daesh detonated four explosive laden vehicles at a location where the police forces were stationed in Mosul's west side, Anadolu Agency reports.

Two military vehicles were destroyed in the car bomb attacks.

U.S. led coalition forces is providing air and ground support to the Iraqi forces for the offensive in the country's largest northern city ,fell to Islamic State in June 2014.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Asserting that Islamabad desires peace and friendship with New Delhi, Pakistan President Mamnoon Hussain has called upon India to join hands for peace efforts instead of endangering stability of the region by 'creating tension'.

President Hussain made these remarks while addressing the inaugural ceremony of "Made in KPK" exhibition organised by the Sarhad Chamber of Commerce and Industry at Pak-China Friendship Centre here on Saturday.

He said that Pakistan is keen on having durable peace and stability in the region.

Emphasising that peaceful co-existence is the hallmark of Pakistan's foreign policy, President Hussain said that Islamabad has always extended goodwill gestures to all neighboring countries for peace in the region.

Radio Pakistan quoted President Hussain as saying that Pakistan has been at the helm of efforts for peace in Afghanistan, adding that both side shares common religious and cultural values.

Highlighting that the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) aims at development in every part of the country, he said the project after its completion would change the fate of the region and Pakistan would emerge as the most important country.

He also urged all stakeholders to join hands with the government for successful completion of development projects.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
In a major blow to the Ashraf Ghani Government in Afghanistan, Taliban militants have seized control of a Qala-e-Zal district near Kunduz on Saturday morning, following two days of heavy fighting with the security forces.

Sayed Asad Sadat, a Kunduz provincial council member, said Qala-e-Zal district collapsed on Saturday morning to the Taliban after two days of heavy clashes between the insurgent group and security forces, Tolo News reported.

Emran Khalil, a spokesman for the Taliban group, claimed that the district administrative compound, police commandment and all other civilian and security compounds are under Taliban control.

Mahbullah Sayede, the district governor said Taliban militants carried out a group attack on Aqtepa in the district and there is an urgent need for more reinforcements.

But the ministry of Defence spokesman Gen. Dawlat Waziri confirmed that heavy clashes are underway in Qala-e-Zal since Friday.

The Taliban militants have launched this year's annual spring offensive last week.

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Warner Bros. has just released a new teaser of the upcoming 'Blade Runner' sequel and it will surely make the fans excited.

The clip for 'Blade Runner 2049' opens with a mysterious figure walking alone. Then, the clip shows a bleeding Ryan Gosling, holding a gun in his hand.

Then we are introduced to Robin Wright who says, "There is an order to things. That's what we do here, we keep order," with a growl.

Afterwards, we see Gosling walking in a desert landscape and soon we see Harrison Ford approaching with a gun.

The teaser is intense and by looking at the visuals, the movie looks beautiful.

'Blade Runner 2049,' which picks up 30 years after the events of the first film, a new blade runner, LAPD Officer K ( Ryan Gosling), unearths a long-buried secret that has the potential to plunge what's left of society into chaos.

Helmed by Denis Villeneuve, the flick is slated to release in the UK cinemas on October 6.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Sunday said that time has come for everyone to realise that Pakistan is the core reason behind the rampant terrorist activities in the Valley.

"Now they must address the truth and the truth of Jammu and Kashmir is something else. If solution has to be found out then it has to come to this process of discovering the truth and trying readdress the situation," BJP leader Sudesh Verma told ANI.Verma said that Pakistan's only motive is to create trouble in the Valley and everybody is aware of that.

"Now it's time for everyone to realise this, including those pseudo-liberals, who see no fault with Pakistan and go on blaming the Indian Security forces," he said.

According to reports, post the recent arrest of two ISI operatives in India, it has come to light that separatists in Jammu and Kashmir area have been getting a constant flow of funds - to the tune of Rs 70 lakh - from the Pakistan ISI over the past few months.

Slew of documents that have been accessed cite that the nexus between Pakistan and the separatist leaders is responsible for instigating the youth to conduct violent acts in the conflict-ridden state of Jammu and Kashmir.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A major accident was averted after two flight collided with each other while preparing for departure at Delhi airport on Sunday.

"The flights - 9W 603 from Delhi to Srinagar and 9W 730 from Delhi to Patna, were involved in a ground incident," said a spokesperson of the aircraft.

However, all the passengers of both the aircrafts were evacuated safely and re-accommodated in subsequent flights.

After the collision, both the planes were taken to the parking area and grounded till further inquiry.

The aircrafts are currently being inspected by the engineering team.

The regulatory authorities have been informed about the event and an inquiry would also be ordered.

Jet Airways is yet to issue an official statement over the incident.
Two people were killed and six others injured in two explosions on Saturday in Philippines capital Manila.

The blasts rocked the Quiapo district of Manila when the Philippine capital was hosting the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summit.

National Capital Region Police Chief Oscar Albayalde said, "There is no indication that this is a terrorist attack. The package was intended for a specific person."

"The first explosive was inside a small box delivered as a package", Albayalde was quoted as saying by CNN.

First blast took place near Manila Golden Mosque at 5:55 p.m. on Saturday, killing two people. While the second blast went off a couple of hours later in the area, wounding two police officers.

The blasts come a week after a pipe bomb exploded in Quiapo, injuring 14 people.

Jihadist terror group Abu Sayyaf is based in the southwestern part of the Philippines. Militants based in southern Philippines have pledged allegiance to the Islamic State group.

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Turns out, you can ward off cognitive ageing just by learning like an infant.

Researcher Rachel Wu University of California, Riverside asserted that as adults, if we continue to learn the way we did as children, we can redefine what it means to be an "aging" adult.

In the paper, she redefined 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 argued 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 defined "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).

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.

The researchers explained 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 defined "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 noted.

"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 concluded. "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."

The study is published in the journal Human Development.

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The Asian Development Bank (ADB) on Sunday urged the US to continue its investment in the bank amid uncertainty about Washington's commitment to multilateral entities.

During the bank's 50th annual meeting in Yokohoma, south of Tokyo, ADB President Takehiko Nakao said American investment had been efficient and productive over the years, Efe news reported.

"I hope this administration will continue to support us," Nakao told a press conference.

Japan and the US are the major financial contributors to the ADB, whose role and relevance have been challenged following the creation of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) sponsored by China, a venture the two counties have not decided to join as yet.

Since its founding in 2015, the 70-member AIIB has succeeded in gaining more members than the ADB.

Nakao said at the beginning of the summit on May 4 that the goal was to cooperate and not compete with the other regional bank.

The ADB held its annual meeting to discuss a series of challenges on poverty and sustainable growth amid growing protectionism.

Finance ministers, central bank governors and delegates from its 67 member countries participated in the four-day meetings in which they were urged to respond to the changing needs of various member countries, and address climate change and gender inequality.

The ADB also agreed to promote universal health coverage and make developing countries better prepared to cope with rapidly expanding pandemics that can become economic risk factors. The next meeting will take place in Manila in 2018.

--IANS

ksk/mr

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Hours after Delhi's Water Minister was sacked from his ministerial post, a fresh crisis arose in the AAP as founder member Kumar Vishwas vowed for "another movement inside and outside".

"I want to assure the workers and people of the country that we will keep on raising our voice against corruption inside and outside, whatever be the consequences. Bharat Mata Ki Jai," Kumar Vishwas tweeted.

                  ,    !    Dr Kumar Vishvas (@DrKumarVishwas) May 6, 2017

The Aam Aadmi Party leader in another tweet said: "Let there be another movement.

We will not wear out. Haven't tasted a drop of power until now, which is why the zeal from Jantar Mantar struggle still remains alive. Friends be assured."
The ice sheets of central Antarctica have been stable for millions of years when conditions were warmer than now, a new research has found.

Researchers from the Universities of Edinburgh and Northumbria studied rocks on slopes of the Ellsworth Mountains in Antarctica, whose peaks protrude through the ice sheet.

However, the scientists are concerned that ice at the coastline is vulnerable to rising temperature, though the discovery points towards the long-term stability of Antarctica's ice sheet.

Scientists calculated that the mountains have been shaped by an ice sheet over a million-year period, beginning in a climate some 20 degrees warmer than at present.

"The preservation of old rock surfaces is testimony to the stability of at least the central parts of the Antarctic ice sheet -- but we are still very concerned over other parts of Antarctica amid climate change," said David Sugden, professor at University of Edinburgh.

The last time such climates existed in the mountains of Antarctica was 14 million years ago when vegetation grew in the mountains and beetles thrived, the paper published in Earth and Planetary Science Letters noted.

This time marked the start of a period of cooling and the growth of a large ice sheet that extended offshore around the Antarctic continent.

Glaciers have subsequently cut deep into the landscape, leaving a high-tide mark -- known as a trimline -- in the exposed peaks of the Ellsworth range.

The extended ice sheet cooled the oceans and atmosphere, helping form the world of today, researchers stated.

--IANS

qd/ksk/mr

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BJP President Amit Shah on Sunday had lunch at a tribal's house in Tripura's capital Agartala before he left for Delhi at the end of a two-day tour of the Left-ruled state.

Shah, accompanied by Assam Finance Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma and state Bharatiya Janata Party President Biplab Kumar Deb, ate food at the house of party activist Chirasundar Debbarma at Bagaban Thakur Chowmuhani on the city outskirts.

Debbarma's wife Budhulekha was a BJP candidate in the Agartala Municipal Corporation polls in 2015.

"We arranged for both traditional tribal and Bengali food for Amit-ji and other party leaders," Debbarma told the media, as a visibly happy Budhulekha said Amit Shah was welcomed into the house as per the traditional Hindu rituals.

Shah told the media on Saturday that the tribal couple with whom he had lunch in West Bengal last month was "forcibly" made to join the ruling Trinamool Congress.

"The tribal couple did not join the Trinamool on their own; they were forced to join the ruling party."

Raju Mahali and his wife Geeta had hogged media limelight when Shah ate food at the tribal couple's village home at Naxalbari in West Bengal on April 25. On May 3, the couple reportedly joined the Trinamool.

During his two-day stay in Tripura, the BJP chief held a series of meetings with leaders of the BJP and its frontal organisations, intellectuals, and select media persons to finalise the party's strategy for the Tripura assembly polls, likely to be held in February 2018.

The BJP chief also addressed a public meeting at Kumarghat in northern Tripura.

--IANS

sc/tsb/dg

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A head-on collision between two buses along Nigeria's Lagos-Ibadan expressway left at least 26 people dead, a road safety official said.

The two 18-seater buses caught fire immediately after a head-on collision on the expressway, , Xinhua news agency quoted Oyo State Sector Commander of the Federal Road Safety Corps Yusuf Salami as saying on Saturday.

On his part, the state police spokesperson Adekunle Ajisebutu said 26 people were burnt to death before any intervention arrived.

He said 11 people including children were injured in the crash and were being treated in the hospitals.

Eyewitness said the passengers in the two buses were burnt beyond recognition.

Nigeria has one of the highest fatality rates for road accidents in the world mainly due to shoddy highways, poorly maintained vehicles, violation of traffic rules by inept drivers and lack of monitoring.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The Congress on Sunday demanded the Modi government to initiate criminal action against Arvind Kejriwal over bribery allegations and asked him to step down as Delhi's Chief Minister.

A day after being sacked as Water Minister, Aam Aadmi Party legislator Kapil Mishra claimed he saw Delhi Health Minister Satyendar Jain handing out Rs 2 crore to the Chief Minister at his residence.

Mishra also alleged that Jain informed him about "settling land deals worth Rs 50 crore for Kejriwal's relative".

Delhi Congress President Ajay Maken told the media that Mishra's claims were not mere allegations but testimony of an eyewitness warranting initiation of criminal proceedings against Kejriwal.

"Mishra's claim that Kejriwal took Rs 2 crore is not mere allegation rather an affidavit before the public of what he saw. He is saying what he saw as an eyewitness. The Centre, the Anti-Corruption Bureau and the CBI should immediately take action and register an FIR against Kejriwal.

"Kejriwal has no moral right to continue as the Chief Minister. He should immediately resign," said Maken.

He said the AAP, which governs Delhi, was "riddled with corruption".

"Six of the seven AAP ministers including Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia are facing corruption charges," he said.

Maken alleged that the Modi government was reluctant to take action against the Kejriwal government.

"Corruption charges against AAP are nothing new. The Shunglu Committee indicted the AAP government of serious corruption charges but we have seen no action.

"The BJP is very vocal in criticising the Kejriwal government but when it comes to taking action there is a reluctance. The charges made by Mishra are very serious and cannot be dismissed. The Centre has to take action."

Maken said the Congress will launch a signature campaign in Delhi from Tuesday and hand over 10 lakh signatures to Kejriwal as a referendum on the AAP.

--IANS

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Police rescued a 17-year-old girl from a stinking, garbage-filled house where she had been allegedly held captive for over three months by her mother, officials said on Sunday.

Police personnel broke open the doors of the Pandav Nagar house in east Delhi on Saturday night following complaints by neighbours that Pihu Ghosh was being held in the house against her will.

The girl, however, claimed she had voluntarily confined herself in the house.

"We were told the girl was being confined by her mother who visited her once a day to give her food. We found the girl in poor physical condition, locked inside the house full of garbage," said Joint Commissioner of Police Ravindra Yadav.

Neighbours told the police that the mother stayed elsewhere with her elder daughter.

"The girl (Pihu) seems to be under depression," said Yadav.

She is now admitted to a hospital and will be taken to the Child Welfare Committee after her condition improves.

The mother, Krishna Ghosh, 44, is separated from her husband and a case of maintenance against him is pending since 2011.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Tech giant Dell has expressed interest in setting up a data centre in this upcoming Andhra Pradesh capital.

The company expressed the interest when Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu met Srikanth Satya, a top executive of Dell in Dallas.

Naidu, currently on a visit to the US, met officials of various companies.

According to the Chief Minister's office here, 28 IT service companies have come forward to start their operations in Andhra Pradesh. Premier IT solutions GlobalOutlook, Tekpros, Arcus Technologies are among them.

These companies will lease space in Visakhapatnam and Amaravati.

Naidu met the Director of Bell Helicopters wherein the possibilities of establishing manufacturing facilities in Andhra Pradesh were discussed.

The Chief Minister will also attend a Non-Resident Telugus (NRTs) community dinner.

Earlier, he interacted with high-end technology entrepreneurs and Indian CEOs in a meeting organised by KPMG at San Francisco.

The Who's Who of Indian business and tech industry were present in the meeting chaired by Arun Kumar, who was with Obama administration for three years.

Andhra Pradesh, strategically located with abundant natural resources and a long coastline, can be a logistics hub of India, said the Chief Minister.

He reaffirmed his commitment to make Amaravati one of the five best cities in the world, which would be a completely green, blue, eco-friendly and most liveable metropolis.

Naidu sanctioned Rs 6 crore for establishing Amaravati School of Telugu linguistics in the University of Silicon Andhra.

--IANS

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British Prime Minister Theresa May and US President Donald Trump were among a few global leaders who congratulated Centrist candidate Emmanuel Macron after he was declared winner in the French Presidential elections' crucial runoff on Sunday.

While May "warmly" congratulated Macron in a statement from her office, Trump took to twitter to wish the president elect, BBC reported.

"Congratulations to Emmanuel Macron on his big win today as the next President of France. I look very much forward to working with him!" Trump tweeted.

Outgoing French President Francois Hollande also wished Macron on twitter: "All my wishes of success for our country.

Hollande, who had backed Macron in the second round, later called his former economic adviser and economy minister to congratulate him on his win.

"His large victory confirms that a very great majority of our fellow citizens wanted to rally to the values of the Republic and mark their attachment to the European Union as well as to France's open attitude to the world," Hollande was quoted as saying.

"I expressed to him all my wishes for the success of our country because the highest stake is it to draw together and work constructively to keep France on the track of progress and social justice," he said.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau issued a statement on the result of France's presidential election: "On behalf of the Government of Canada, I would like to congratulate Emmanuel Macron on his election as the next President of France.

"Canada and France share a warm and historic relationship, rooted in our common history, deep cultural ties, people-to-people connections, and strong economic partnership. We also closely collaborate on important international issues as strong allies and partners with the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, G7, G20 and La Francophonie."

"I look forward to working closely with President-elect Macron in the years ahead as we work together on a progressive agenda to promote international security, increase collaboration in science and technology, and create good, middle class jobs on both sides of the Atlantic. This also includes implementing the Canada-European Union Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement," the statement said.

Democrat Hillary Clinton also congratulated Macron and tweeted: "Victory for Macron, for France, the EU, & the world. Defeat to those interfering w/democracy. (But the media says I can't talk about that)."

European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker congratulated on Macron's election victory, saying he was happy that "the French have chosen European future."

European Council President Donald Tusk also congratulated Macron, saying the French have chosen "liberty, equality, and fraternity."

German chancellor's chief of staff Peter Altmaier said over Twitter Macron's success has sent a strong signal for "common values" and Franco-German ties.

--IANS

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Ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Israel, an Indian delegation, including Congress leader Manish Tewari, will be in Tel Aviv for three days to attend conferences on security issues beginning on Monday, a statement said.

The delegation has been invited by the Institute for National Security Studies (INSS) in Tel Aviv, National Nuclear Security Administration and Centre for Global Security Research, according to the statement from the office of Congress leader Jaiveer Shergill, who is also part of the delegation.

The members of the Indian delegation will speak on security and economic issues facing the Middle East and South Asian countries.

The delegation also comprises National Security Advisor Ajit Doval's son and Indian Foundation Director Shaurya Doval, and other individuals having expertise on security issues, said the statement.

Efraim Halevy, a former head of Mossad, will address the Indian delegation.

The Indian delegation is also expected to visit the Golan Heights and the Lebanese border, the statement said.

Modi is expected to visit Israel while returning from G-20 Summit in Hamburg (Germany) to be held July 7-8.

--IANS

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(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
An Indian woman has sought refuge at the Indian High Commission in Islamabad just two days after her marriage to a Pakistani national, informed sources said.

Sources in New Delhi on Sunday said the woman sought help from the mission on May 5 and necessary consular assistance was being provided to her.

According to the sources, the Indian mission is in touch with the Pakistan Foreign Office and with the woman's family in India as well in this connection.

However, as per reports in the Pakistani media, the man approached police saying his wife had gone missing after they visited the Indian High Commission.

The woman, named Uzma, on May 3 married Pakistani national Tahir Ali, who she met in Malaysia some eight months ago.

The two met and fell in love in Malaysia, where he worked as a taxi driver. Uzma then travelled to Pakistan on May 1 via the Wagah-Attari border and the two contracted a court marriage on May 3, as per the Dawn daily, citing the request for help lodged at Islamabad's Secretariat Police Station.

Tahir Ali told the police that he went to the Indian mission with his wife Uzma to apply for Indian visa.

Dawn said Uzma had earlier telephoned her brother in New Delhi to relay the news of her wedding.

Her brother reportedly asked her to visit India on her honeymoon and told her she could find a man named Adnan at the Indian High Commission who would be able to sort out the visa formalities for the trip.

Uzma then went inside the building on being called by officials while he stayed back, the report said.

When his wife did not return even after several hours, Ali asked Indian High Commission officials who claimed Uzma was not there.

Pakistani media said the matter had been taken up at the diplomatic level by Islamabad.

The Dawn quoted the Pakistani Foreign Office as saying it was in contact with the Indian mission "and the issue would be resolved soon".

--IANS

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Japan and China have agreed to increase financial cooperation and reopen a bilateral dialogue on economic and policy issues.

The two countries' finance ministers met in Yokohama on Saturday on the sidelines of the 50th annual meeting of the Asian Development Bank, which concludes on Sunday, Efe news reported.

Taro Aso and his Chinese counterpart Xiao Jie, as well as representatives of both countries' central banks, agreed on the need to strengthen cooperation in areas of mutual economic, financial and investment interest.

"Both sides recognized the necessity of economic restructuring", according to a joint statement.

Saturday's meeting was the first since 2015, with another planned for 2018.

Japan and China had been holding meetings on the sidelines of the annual ADB gathering since 2006, but they were suspended last year over tensions surrounding disputed islands in the East China Sea.

In 2012, Japan nationalized the uninhabited Senkaku Islands, known as the Diaoyu Islands in China, leading to widespread protests in China, who a year later introduced new air traffic restrictions over the East China Sea.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The death toll in an attack in the Kashmir Valley by militants rose to five after an injured civilian succumbed to his injuries on Sunday, a police official said.

The Saturday attack had also left a policeman, two other civilians and a wanted LeT militant dead in Mir Bazar area of the Jammu-Srinagar highway in Kulgam district.

Earlier, reports said two policemen and two civilians were killed in the attack.

"A police party had gone to investigate a road accident when militants travelling in a car opened fire at them," a police official said.

"The police retaliated in which LeT militant Fayaz Ahmad was killed and another was injured."

According to the official, Ahmad was involved in the Udhampur highway attack on a Border Security Forces convoy in August 2015 that left two BSF troopers and a militant dead.

He said the injured militant managed to escape and searches were on to trace him.

Ahmad was wanted by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) and a reward of Rs 2 lakh had been announced for his capture.

--IANS

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Almost a fortnight after Maoists killed 25 CRPF personnel in an ambush in Chhattisgarh, the Centre will hold a ministerial-level review meeting on Monday to discuss security issues in Maoist-affected states.

Home Minister Rajnath Singh will chair the meeting at Vigyan Bhavan here, to be attended by Chief Ministers of 10 Maoist-hit states and union ministers for Road Transport and Highways, Railways, Civil Aviation, Rural Development, Power, New and Renewable Energy, and Telecom, a Home Ministry official said on Sunday.

"Operational issues, as well as infrastructure and logistics requirement, to combat the Maoists will be taken up, as also the rapid development of affected areas," the official added.

The meeting will focus on devising new strategies to maintain the momentum achieved in 2016 in the drive against Maoists, notwithstanding a couple of incidents, he said.

"The day-long meeting will include two sessions to discuss issues like role of states in operations by Central Armed Police Forces, and raising and deployment of India Reserve Battalions and Special India Reserve Battalions.

"Capacity building and intelligence issues like vacancies in state police forces, capacity building of state intelligence units and other Ministry-wise related matters will be discussed," the official said.

Officials of the ministry's Left Wing Extremism Division -- which monitors the situation in Maoist-hit states -- will also participate, apart from Secretaries in various Ministries as well as Chief Secretaries and Directors General of paramilitary forces deployed in these states.

At least 106 districts of Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Odisha, Bihar, West Bengal, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh are affected by Maoist violence.

On April 24, Maoists killed 25 Central Reserve Police Force personnel in Sukma area of Chhattisgarh. Twelve CRPF troopers were killed in a Maoist attack in Sukma earlier on March 11.

The Minister had convened a meeting of Chief Ministers of Chhattisgarh, Telangana, Odisha, Maharashtra and Jharkhand in February 2015 to review security in the three worst affected districts of Sukma, Bijapur and Dantewada in Chhattisgarh.

A total of 3,136 people -- including civilians, security force personnel and alleged police informers -- were killed in 7,781 incidents of Maoist-related violence between January 2011 and April 15, 2017.

--IANS

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Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia on Sunday rejected the corruption charge hurled by sacked minister Kapil Mishra against Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, calling it "unbelievable".

"The kind of allegations that have been made against Kejriwal are unsubstantiated. No one will believe them," Sisodia told the media. "There is no substance in this allegation."

Sisodia said the allegations came just after Mishra was told he was being removed as minister.

Mishra on Sunday claimed he saw Kejriwal accept Rs 2 crore in cash from Delhi Health Minister Satyendra Jain on Friday. Mishra was sacked on Saturday.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A Pakistani man says his newly wed Indian wife has gone missing after they visited the Indian High Commission here, media reports said on Sunday.

Tahir Ali told the police that he went to the Indian mission with wife Uzma to apply for Indian visa.

The two met and fell in love in Malaysia. Uzma then travelled to Pakistan on May 1 via the Wagah-Attari border and the two contracted Nikah on May 3.

The News International quoted Ali as saying that the two visited the High Commission and submitted their forms as well as phones to officials.

Dawn said Uzma had earlier telephoned her brother in New Delhi to relay the news of her wedding.

Her brother reportedly asked her to visit India on her honeymoon and told her she could find a man named Adnan at the Indian High Commission who would be able to sort out the visa for the trip.

Uzma then went inside the building on being called by officials while he stayed back, the report said.

When his wife did not return even after several hours, Ali asked Indian High Commission officials who claimed Uzma was not there. He alleged that they also refused to give their three mobile phones back to him.

Pakistani media said the matter had been taken up at the diplomatic level by Islamabad.

The Dawn quoted the Pakistani Foreign Office as saying it was in contact with the Indian mission "and the issue would be resolved soon".

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) has taken a senior pilot off duty after he allegedly slept for two-and-a-half-hours while on an Islamabad-London flight, a report on Sunday said.

The incident happened in April when Amir Akhtar Hashmi took the nap in the passenger compartment after handing over the aircraft to an under-training pilot soon after the take-off, the Dawn said.

This put the lives of over 305 passengers at risk, it said.

Dawn quoted unnamed sources as saying that PIA was initially reluctant to act against Hashmi, a former president of the highly influential Pakistan Air Lines Pilots Association (PALPA) "but later caved in to pressure from above".

PIA spokesperson Danyal Gilani told Dawn that Hashmi was off from flying duty due to the investigation under way but refused to share further details.

On April 26, Hashmi was in charge of operating the London-bound PK-785 along with first officer Ali Hassan Yazdani, the Dawn said.

Another first officer, Mohammad Asad Ali, who was under training, was also in the cockpit.

Hashmi, an instructor, gets paid over Rs 100,000 each month to train pilots and was supposed to train Ali during the flight. "However, instead of performing his duty, Hashmi went for a quick lie-down."

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Female supporters of both the government and the opposition called for major protests here, continuing weeks of demonstrations that have left 37 dead since April 1, media reports said.

Followers of President Nicolas Maduro, mostly militants of the ruling United Socialist Party of Venezuela (PSUV), called for the march to be "for peace and life" and against "terrorism", Xinhua news agency reported on Saturday.

Women who support the opposition party Democratic Unity Roundtable (MUD), however, called to mobilize against the "repression" which they say has oppressed the country.

At 10 a.m. (local time) on Saturday, the opposition "March of the Women" began, being led by Lilian Tintori, wife of jailed opposition leader Leopoldo Lopez, according to TV station NTN 24.

These competing marches on Saturday will likely further stoke tension in Venezuela, as the opponents continue to hold Maduro responsible for the country's political, economic and social crisis.

However, Maduro's administration this week blamed the opposition for carrying out "terrorist acts" to destabilize the nation under the guise of "peaceful" marches.

On Friday, the government confirmed the death of Hecder Lugo, 20, who was injured on Thursday during an opposition protest in the town of San Diego, Carabobo, bringing the total of deaths to 37 since large-scale protests broke out in early April.

According to the Minister of Interior, Justice and Peace, Nestor Reverol, at least 135 shops have been looted with security organisms having identified 45 criminal gangs "hired by the criminal right."

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Sacked Delhi Water Minister Kapil Mishra on Sunday alleged that Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal accepted bribe of Rs 2 crore at his residence here.

Mishra said the cash was handed over to Kejriwal by AAP leader Satyendra Jain.

"I have informed about this to Lt Governor Anil Baijal and will also inform all investigation agencies," Mishra told the media here.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
US President Donald Trump is looking to unload his luxurious $28 million French St Martin beachfront estate, a media reported on Sunday.

Trump bought Le Chateau des Palmiers for a reported $19.3 million in 2013 and has rented it out for up to $28,000 a night, MansionGlobal.com reported.

"Greetings from Donald J. Trump. Escape to a place no other," reads a brochure for the property.

The 4.8-acre estate on St Martin's Plum Bay includes two villas with a total of 11 bedrooms and 12 baths.

The smaller villa has themed bedrooms, including a "jungle room". Fittingly for Trump, the property is enclosed by an 8-foot boundary wall.

Rental packages for the President's tropical refuge start at $6,000 per night in the low season for the smaller of two villas and top off at $28,000 during the winter holidays, according to Sotheby's St Martin office.

Disclosures sent to the federal Office of Government Ethics indicate that Trump owns the St Martin property under two limited liability companies, Excel Venture I LLC and Excel Venture Corp II, for which he owns a 100 per cent share.

--IANS

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At least two militants were killed when Bangladeshi police on Sunday raided a house in Jhenidah district where members of banned militant group were holed up.

District police chief Mizanur Rahman told Xinhua news agency that the militants were killed in "suicide explosions". A huge blast and sporadic gunshots were heard from the house, he said.

Two police officials were injured when the militants fired at them.

The militants were from Neo-JMB, an offshoot of the banned militant Jamaatul Mujahideen Bangladesh. It was blamed for the deadly July 1 attack on a Spanish cafe here that left 22 persons, mostly foreigners, dead.

Last month, police found 17 large containers of hydrogen peroxide, a chemical used to make bombs, from a militant den in Jhenidah district.

--IANS

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The Los Angeles City Council on Saturday passed a resolution saying President Donald Trump should be investigated for any high crime or misdemeanour sufficient to warrant impeachment proceedings.

It calls for the city's 2017-18 federal legislative programme to include support for any legislative action to investigate whether Trump violated the Foreign Emoluments Clause of the US Constitution or committed any other high crime or misdemeanour, Los Angeles Daily News reported.

Since taking office, Trump has been criticised by ethics experts for not divesting himself of his vast real estate empire, which could be in violation of a provision in the Constitution barring officials from accepting gifts or benefits from foreign leaders or states.

"If he is not going to come clean and show the US that his hands are clean of potentially illegal foreign money in investments, then we must demand that Congress use their power to investigate the situation," said Councilman Bob Blumenfield, who introduced the resolution.

"With this resolution, the city of Los Angeles calls on our Congress members and senators for the good of the country to investigate Trump's international finances, and make sure that he is actually working on behalf of the American people and not his own pocketbook."

The resolution passed on a 10-0 vote. Councilman Mitchell Englander, the City Council's lone Republican, was not present during the vote, although he was in the chamber immediately before and after.

Several dozen members from a group called West Valley Resistance were in the audience for the vote and burst out in applause when the resolution passed. Blumenfield credited the group with pushing him to bring the resolution forward, the daily said in its report.

In January, Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington filed a federal lawsuit against Trump, alleging he was violating the Emoluments Clause.

"Diplomats from foreign governments and their agents are staying in Trump hotels, like the Trump hotel in DC," said Zephyr Teachout, one of the lawyers on the case.

"That's money from foreign governments going into our President's pocket while he is making decisions that affect those countries."

Trump, during a news conference at the White House in January, said the suit was "without merit".

Trump also said he will donate any profits from foreign governments to the US Treasury on an annual basis.

--IANS

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Voting is underway in the final round of Frances presidential race on Sunday after a massive online hack of frontrunner Emmanuel Macrons campaign data delivered a final dramatic twist to the countrys most divisive election, media reports said.

Mainland France's 47 million voters began casting their ballots at about 70,000 polling stations across the nation at 8 a.m., the media reported.

Estimates of the result, based on a representative count of actual votes cast, will be released as the last stations close at 8 p.m. Paris time.

Voting got underway in France's overseas territories and French embassies abroad on Saturday.

According to analysts, up to a quarter of the electorate is expected to abstain, with some supporters of the centre-right candidate Francois Fillon and the hard-left veteran Jean-Luc Melenchon, both defeated in the first round on April 23, saying they would not be voting for either Macron, a 39-year-old former banker and economy minister running as an independent centrist, or his far-right rival Marine Le Pen, 48.

Macron and Le Pen topped an 11-strong field, taking 24 per cent and 21 per cent of the vote respectively, media reports said.

While Macron has campaigned on a pro-Europe, pro-integration platform, Le Pen has suggested she would aim to take France out of the European Union, withdraw it from the NATO and forge closer ties with Russia.

Hours before the official close of campaigning on Friday, Macron's campaign announced he had been the target of a "massive and coordinated" hacking operation, reports CNN.

Around 14.5 gigabytes of emails, personal and business documents were posted to the text-sharing site Pastebin.

Macron's party said the hackers had mixed fake documents with authentic ones "to create confusion and misinformation".

The French election watchdog has warned that it would be a criminal offence to publish the tens of thousands of hacked emails and other documents until polls close on Sunday evening.

Both candidates also traded insults in a bad-tempered head-to-head debate on French television on Wednesday.

He called her a liar who sowed division and hatred, while she accused him of being soft on terrorism and said he would preside over a nation enfeebled by its powerful neighbour Germany, CNN reported.

Final polls published on Friday suggested Macron widened his lead over the Front National leader to between 22 and 23 percentage points.

Macron, if successful, would become the youngest President in the history of France and the nation's youngest leader since Napoleon.

If Le Pen wins, she would be the first female head of state in France.

The official results of Sunday's polls will be officially proclaimed by France's constitutional council on May 11, reports the BBC.

May 14 marks the end of outgoing President Francois Hollande's term and is the latest possible date for the inauguration and official transfer of power to his successor.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Sacked Delhi Water Minister Kapil Mishra on Sunday said that he will not quit the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and asserted of being the only one in Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's cabinet who does not face any corruption charges.

"I will neither quit the party nor can anyone send me out," Mishra told the media here.

"I am the only minister in the cabinet who faces no corruption charges nor has the CBI initiated any inquiry against me," he said.

Kejriwal on Saturday removed Mishra and inducted AAP legislators Rajendra Pal Gautam and Kailash Gehlot in his cabinet.

Gehlot, an MLA from Najafgarh, and Gautam from Seemapuri, will be sworn in as new ministers.

However, they have not been allotted any portfolio yet.

--IANS

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The Goods and Services Tax (GST) Council is to meet in Srinagar on May 18 to finalise the rates on individual items and services. Hopefully, it will decide on a nil rate on the work of writers and poets, art work such as paintings and sculptures, and performances of classical music, folk dance, theatre artists and the like.
Social activist on Sunday said he was deeply saddened by the latest controversy surrounding his former protege and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal.

"I am deeply saddened by whatever I saw on television," Hazare told media persons in Ralegan Siddhi, Maharashtra, after sacked Delhi Water Minister Kapil Mishra said he saw Delhi Health Minister Satyendra Jain hand over Rs 2 crore to Kejriwal at his Delhi residence.

He said he had been fighting corruption for the last 40 years and Kejriwal had joined in his fight against the menace.

Hazare had led the 2011 anti-corruption campaign in Delhi to seek introduction of the Jan Lokpal Bill.

"It was because of the anti-corruption fight in Delhi that Kejriwal became the Chief Minister. And today, when he (Kejriwal) is accused of corruption, I cannot tell how deeply sad that makes me," Hazare said.

The social activist said he will talk in detail after studying the accusation made by Mishra.

Mishra, who was sacked on Saturday as minister, said: "Day before yesterday (Friday), I saw Jain hand over Rs 2 crore in cash to Kejriwal. When I asked about the money, Kejriwal refused to answer."
Delhi Congress Chief Ajay Maken on Sunday demanded the resignation of Chief Minister over the "graft" charges made by sacked Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) minister Kapil Mishra, adding that the party had "lost its anti- corruption plank."



Terming Mishra's allegations against Kejriwal as "very serious" in nature, he said the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) should take cognisance of the charges.

"Kejriwal has no moral right to continue as chief minister in the wake of the allegations by Mishra. He should step down," he said at a press conference in New Delhi.

A day after being dropped as a minister, AAP MLA Kapil Mishra on Sunday levelled stunning allegations of corruption against Chief Minister and Health Minister Satyendar Jain.

Mishra told reporters at Raj Ghat in New Delhi that he "saw" Jain "handing over Rs 2 crore to Kejriwal" at his official residence.

He also alleged that Jain told him about a Rs 50 crore land deal that the latter had settled for a relative of Kejriwal.

"CBI should register cases regarding Mishra's allegation that he saw Kejriwal receiving Rs 2 crore from his Health Minister Satyendar Jain, and also with regard to the findings of Shungulu Committee report," Maken said.

"The Aam Admi Party which was formed on anti-corruption plank has lost it in the wake of Mishra's allegations against the chief minister, and the Shungulu Committee report that has put his government under the dock for various irregularities," he said.

The six ministers of the AAP government, out of a total of seven, who had taken oath to fight against corruption on February 14, 2015 (when the government was formed) have been removed so far. It explains that the party has lost its basic premise of being against corruption, he said.

"AAP was formed on three basic premises of fight against corruption, internal democracy and Lokpal. They have lost all these premises," he said.

Maken added the Delhi Congress will launch a campaign to collect 10 lakh signatures from people supporting the demand for Kejriwal's resignation.
Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Kapil Mishra, who was removed from the Delhi Cabinet in a reshuffle on Saturday, alleged on Sunday that he saw Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal receive Rs 2 crore in cash from AAP leader Satyendra Kumar Jain.
Bihar police today seized a consignment of foreign liquor being smuggled to Nepal and arrested a man in this connection from Shahpur police outpost in Nawada district.

The Nepal-bound vehicle, carrying 1,070 cartons of foreign liquor, was intercepted and impounded at the police outpost, Shahpur police outpost in-charge Ranjit Kumar said.

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Two suspected militants today blew themselves up in "suicide blasts" when security forces raided their hideout in Bangladesh, the latest such incident amid an intensified nationwide crackdown on Islamist militants, officials said.

"It is a Neo-JMB den where two militants were killed in the encounter...It (operation) is still underway," a senior police officer told reporters.

One of the militants detonated his suicide vest when police entered the single-story building at Bazrapur around Jhinaidah district, officer-in-charge of Moheshpur Police Station Ahmed Kabir was quoted as saying by the Daly Star.

The second militant died in another suicide blast inside the building, he added.

The first militant was identified as Tuhun.

The security forces now await arrival of a special bomb disposal unit at the scene to launch the "final assault" to flush out the rest of the militants, the official said.

Media reports earlier said the elite anti-crime rapid Action Battalion (RAB), police's counter-terrorism team and transnational crime unit (CTTC) and district police laid a siege along the hideout since midnight after receiving information that the militants were inside the house.

Bangladesh witnessed an intensified anti-militancy clampdown across the country as the police headquarters recently circulated a list of nearly 5,000 suspected militants to all district police chiefs.

In March, Bangladeshi police conducted series of large- scale operations against militants, in which at least 17 suspected militants were killed.

On March 31, eight militants blew themselves up with a grenade after the security forces raided their hideout north of the Bangladeshi capital.

Bangladesh has been witnessing a spate of attacks on secular activists, foreigners and religious minorities since 2013. The country launched a massive crackdown on militants specially after the Dhaka cafe attack.

The Islamic State has claimed several attacks in Bangladesh, but the government rejects the presence of foreign terrorist groups in the moderate Muslim-majority country, blaming home-grown groups such as the neo-JMB for terrorist attacks.

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Twenty-three persons including seven children were injured in a fire caused by leaking gas cylinder at a family gathering on the eve of a wedding in Ahmedpur area of the city last night.

Eighteen persons, six of them with serious injuries, were admitted to a hospital in Bhopal, city superintendent of police Nagendra Pateria told PTI. Five others were being treated at a local hospital.

The mishap took place when dinner was being cooked. The victims had gathered for a wedding in the family of Naval Kushwaha.

Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan and his wife Sadhna today met the victims at Kamla Nehru Hospital in Bhopal. Chouhan assured all help to Kushwaha whose daughter is getting married this evening.

The Chief Minister also announced aid of Rs 50,000 each to those who are injured seriously and Rs 25,000 to others.

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A South India-based organisation, aiming to elevate the Indian film industry to global platform, has plans to roll out 500 multiplexes in the eastern region in the next two to three years.

"This is our effort to boost the regional film industry and part of the plans to set up 2000 multiplexes all over India during the time," Indywood Founder Director Sohan Roy told PTI on the sidelines of an award ceremony for journalists here on May 5.

Asked about the trend of smalltime producers also financing films in Bengal, Roy said, "In a structured system individuals never put money. They make projects for companies. We also believe in the structured system."



"Our initiative is we should facilitate Bengali film screening, like other regional films, in other states also," he said.

He said the 3rd edition of Indywood Film Carnival 2017, one of the largest film-based events in the country, will be held at Ramoji Film City, Hyderabad, from December 1-4, 2017 as part of the initiative to elevate Indian film industry to global platform.

"It will be a major one in terms of participation of national and international delegates. The event offers interactive sessions with the eminent filmmakers from across the world, networking opportunities," he said.

He said Indywood has firmed up a "10 billion US dollar project aimed at benchmarking Indian cinema, of which regional films are a significant part, to global level through film festival and other activities."



The entire Bengali film industry will be invited to the Carnival including names like Goutam Ghosh, as well as directors in other languages including Shyam Benegal, he said.

Earlier in the day, 35 journalists - both veterans and youngsters from print, visual, online - were given Indywood Media Excellence Awards in different categories.

"We want to extend our support to the mediapersons of the city who are the true ambassadors of Bengali film industry," Roy said.

Indywood Media Excellence Awards shall be conducted in all major cities across the country to honour and appreciate the commendable work of media professionals.

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Industry body Assocham has suggested creation of a Stressed Assets Fund with active participation from cash-rich public sector firms to tackle the burgeoning non-performing assets (NPAs).

The suggestion comes at a time when the government last week empowered the RBI to ask banks to initiate insolvency proceedings to recover bad loans and promised more measures to resolve the NPA crisis.

Bad loans of PSU banks have ballooned to over Rs 6 lakh crore.

The chamber suggested creation of a Stress Asset Fund (SAF) to help revive assets under high leverage.

"Once these assets are brought back in shape, the pay- backs to the SAF can take place. Different forms of the SAFs can be thought of, including some which can be neutral to creating a hole in the government finances," Assocham said.

It recommended that some of the cash-rich public sector companies can be encouraged to participate either in the SAFs or take over some of the assets where the present promoter wants to exit.

With the green shoots visible in several sectors, this could even be an opportunity for the government, or special purpose vehicles, to buy assets at much lower valuations, the chamber suggested.

Lauding the government's move to amend the Banking Regulation Act, along with enabling changes in other related laws, Assocham said that while empowering the RBI to help the banks by way of oversight committees was a welcome move, more needs to be done in the future.

"The key would be to have persons of high integrity on these oversight committees, which then should be given all out support from the government to help the lenders resolve the top NPA accounts within a time bound period.

"What is equally important is that the persons mandated with the task can be rest assured that they would be of no fear of vigilance bodies after decisions involving some losses for the sake of reviving the stresses assets are taken in good faith," Assocham President Sandeep Jajodia said.

Moreover, Assocham suggested that in cases where the stressed assets or NPAs can be turned back into healthy assets, the existing promoters should be extended adequate working capital for the purpose.

It also impressed upon the RBI to quickly clear all the pending applications from foreign investors for setting up Asset Reconstruction Companies in India, providing a clear-cut framework for business of asset reconstruction.

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With increasing volatility in Rupee and strengthening of steel price, engineering exports from West Bengal face threats that may have fallout on thousands of local employment.

"Rupee getting stronger day by day and steel prices rising since protections, both hurting engineering exports and Bengal industry is suffering," Bharat Chamber of Commerce president and engineering manufacturer cum exporter, Rakesh Shah told PTI.

He said that the impact of rising steel price on engineering export of around USD 5 billion from this part of the country was high due to lower value addition like sanitary casting.

On top of these, the 'Made in USA' push was also going to eat into existing export pie, Shah said. "In the last one year, exports are down by 10-12 per cent.

"If Rupee and other factors do not ease out, we face further slide that will definitely hurt local employment," Shah, also former chairman of Engineering Export Promotion Council of India (EEPC), said.

In Bengal, most of the units are in MSME sector and direct employment runs into thousands.

EEPC had said that there should be a price reimbursement scheme for domestic exporters and the Duty Free Import Authorization Scheme (DFIA) should allow imports of steel without paying any duty including anti-dumping or safeguard duty.

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Blue Mount Appliances, which sells domestic and commercial water purification systems, is targeting a revenue of up to Rs 300 crore in three years as it expands its overseas operations.

"We are targeting Rs 250-300 crore revenue in 3 years time as we expand our distribution in India and overseas. We are looking at increasing exports to 40 countries by the end of this financial year," Blue Mount Appliance Managing Director Vishal Gupta told PTI.

Blue Mount Appliances, which at present has operations in nine countries, is expected to report around Rs 100 crore turnover in the current fiscal.

"We are in talks to enter into African, Gulf and Latin American countries. We are looking at Europe and Canada," he added.

The company sells its products in countries such as Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Egypt, Nigeria and Nepal.

Gupta said the company is also preparing to raise money from public through initial public offering (IPO) in 1-1.5 years.

It is also looking at launching air purifiers by the end of this fiscal, Gupta said.

Blue Mount Appliances brand is endorsed by actor Karishma Kapoor.

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Auto component major Bosch, which had temporarily ceased operations at its plant after getting notice from Karnataka State Pollution Control Board, will resume operations at its Adugodi and Koramangala facilities from Monday.

"Having received clarification from the KSPCB, will commence operations at its location in Adugodi and Koramangala," Group India President Soumitra Bhattacharya said in a statement.

The Group made a representation to Karnataka State Pollution Control Board authorities on May 6, and received clarification that the provisions mentioned in the public notice dated May 5 was not applicable to the Group's facilities, the company said.

The company had taken the decision to close the plant after the KSPCB directed closure of all industrial units within the catchment area of Bellandur lake here.

"The decision to temporarily close operations was taken as the Group has the highest regard for environment protection and legality.

India has been operating all of its facilities in accordance with the prescribed environmental norms," it said.

"However, as a matter of abundant caution and to be in adherence with the law, the Group's management in India decided to temporarily halt operations on May 6, 2017," it added.

The company further said that the Group highly appreciates the support and quick clarification provided by the state government authorities.

"Throughout its tenure in India, Bosch has been implementing and practicing socially and environmentally friendly practices.. These practices have been adopted and discussed with relevant stakeholders from the state government," it said.

In the past, Bosch locations have been the recipient of recognition and awards pertaining to environmental-friendly best practices, the company said.

Bosch does not foresee any financial impact or turnover loss on account of this temporary closure, it added.
Nigeria's President Muhammadu Buhari today promised the government's help to 82 Chibok schoolgirls who were released after more than three years held captive by Boko Haram.

"The president was delighted to receive them and he promised that all that is needed to be done to reintegrate them into society will be done," Buhari's spokesman, Femi Adesina, told reporters.

"He promised that the presidency will personally supervise their rehabilitation. He mentioned that they will continue with their education."



Presidential aide Bashir Ahmad tweeted a photograph of the girls, most of whom were sitting on the floor of his official residence, as Buhari sat in an armchair, dressed in white traditional robes.

The meeting, which was scheduled to start at 4:00 pm local time, began shortly after 7:00 pm and lasted for about 45 minutes, said an AFP reporter at the scene.

Only state media were in attendance.

The girls, who were among more than 200 abducted by the Islamist militants on April 14, 2014, were released yesterday under a negotiated deal that saw a number of Boko Haram suspects freed from custody.

Adesina said the teenagers had now been "handed over to those who will supervise their rehabilitation". He made no comment on how many jihadists were handed over in the formal exchange.

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Comedian-actor Vir Das says comedians can take on the government directly with their jokes in the West but to be able to do that in India is difficult.

Recently, comedian Hasan Minhaj hosted the White House Correspondents' Association (WHCA) dinner in the US, during which he roasted everyone in the room including the media and US President Donald Trump, who wasn't present at the event.

When asked if Indian comedians can take on the government like that, Vir told PTI, "You might have to ask that to the government. But I don't think anytime soon. Could we do it digitally? Yes. Could you do it live with the government in the room? I think that's being too optimistic."



A lot of comedians and comedy groups in India and abroad are addressing important political issues through their jokes.

Vir says though they might be talking about relevant issues, people shouldn't call them the "new fourth estate."



"Just let comedians be comedians. Don't call them fourth estate, intellectualisers or prophets. If you start putting these title and pressure on comedians they are bound to disappoint you at some point. Just let them be silly people who crack jokes.

"Hasan slayed at the White House Correspondents dinner but next week if he wants to crack a joke about his family or dog, he should be able to do that. Let him be free to do that," he adds.

The problem, according to Vir, is that people have started reading too much into jokes, which takes the fun away.

"We have over-intellectualised jokes. We read it into jokes too much. What's the meaning, was it factually correct. The essence of a comedian is to be a clown. When you over intellectualise a joke, you take away the freedom to be foolish," he says.

Jokes do hold a power to communicate larger issues but the actor says a comedian should be allowed to be silly.

"Every joke can't communicate a larger issue. In a one hour show, there'll be jokes that do that, other jokes will be funny and some that are just silly. You should give a comedian the freedom to put out all those jokes."



The "Delhi Belly" actor is geared up for his Netflix special "Abroad Understanding", a combination of his show in New Delhi and New York where he talks about several issues without mincing words.

"I don't self-censor my jokes. My Netflix special talks about racism, Islamophobia, Kashmir, patriotism, right and left wing. You just have to put it out there, not knowing how it is going to go. It's a gamble. You'll like it or you won't," he says.

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Homegrown tea cafe chain Chaayos is looking to scale up its presence in Mumbai and Delhi, and plans to open about 20-30 outlets in the next few months.

"We are looking at expanding in and around our current hubs Delhi and Mumbai. We are looking to open about 20-30 outlets in the next few months," Chaayos co-founder Raghav Verma told PTI here.

Chaayos currently runs 31 outlets across Delhi-NCR and Mumbai.

"We can open another 15-20 outlets in Mumbai itself going forward, as it is under-penetrated. We are looking to open outlets in Pune, Gujarat, Goa, Chandigarh, Jaipur, and highways around NCR this year," he added.

The Tiger Global-backed company is also betting big on the deliveries business, Verma said.

"Our deliveries business is growing rapidly at almost 20 per cent month on month," he said.

"We were earlier investing in third-party deliveries, but now we do it on our own.

"We were not able to deliver the customer experience we expected through third-party deliveries, so we decided to do it ourselves," he said.

Currently, the company has over 600 employees and is looking to double this number as it expands more stores this year.

While the company did not speak about further investments, or when they will be able to break even, Verma said that every store is "making money on an operational level, every other month".

The tea cafe chain was founded in November 2012 by Raghav Verma and Nitin Saluja. It had raised close to USD 5 million from Tiger Global in 2015.

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Chikankari, known for its creative blend of intricate and delicate embroidery and fine motifs, is losing its original finesse in the process of revival, owing to economic exploitation of artisans and increasing market competition, designer Meera Ali has said.

Speaking at the launch of a new book 'Chikankari: A Lucknawi Tradition' by Paola Manfredi here recently, Ali said in the process of revival, it was important to give the artisans sufficient time to create the Chikan (embroidery) on different fabrics like muslin, silk, chiffon among others.

"Earlier craftsmen would spend a year on one Chikankari piece. It is obvious that the more time you give to the artist the better will be the outcome.

"Now because of the competition in the market, big companies and brands who pay artisans a meagre sum for the work, want them to deliver a piece in 15 days. How can you expect to get great embroidery in 15 days?" Ali said.

Ali, along with her fashion designer and director husband Muzaffar Ali, has revived the traditional craftsmanship of Lucknow through their international couture brand 'Kotwara'.

Looking back at her early years in Lucknow after marrying the 'Umrao Jaan' director, Ali remembered how the art of Chikan was almost lost 26 years ago with "unwearable and unusable" work being created.

"When I first went to Lucknow I found really sweet people, lovely language and culture but the saddest thing to see was that the Lucknow of real Chikankari that the entire world knows did not exist anymore.

"All the work that was being done in the name of Chikan was taken over by the middle man. What they were making was unwearable and unusable. There was a standard kurta that came out with two straight lines of daraz," the fashion designer said.

The book's author, who has lived and worked in India for over 30 years now, resonated Ali's thoughts about how the "emotionally charged" work is affected by exploitative practices.

"Chikankari is a highly evocative work and emotionally charged too. It is reputed to be one of the finest traditional embroideries from India. Chikankari embodies an ideal concept of aesthetics, but at the same time it is also a paradox.

"If on one hand it is the ultimate sophistication of its patrons, on the other it exemplifies exploitative practices by the patrons and abysmally low wages of the craftsmen," Paola said.

Also speaking at the event was activist and Indian handicrafts curator Jaya Jaitly, who said that while it was important to have well-researched work on Chikan, given the dearth of it, it should be the researcher's aim to bring recognition to the people behind such art forms.

"There is hardly any publication and literature about Chikan anywhere. There are probably some old records in some archives and museums somewhere. This book should fill that void.

"The writing should not be aimed at coming out as a scholar to the world but it should be able to stir people to be curious about the artisans behind these works of art. We should go to those small lanes and homes, sit with these people and work with them to see how they can be recognised and benefit economically and socially," Jaitly said.

It was not only the Chikankari artists who were living on meagre wages, Jaitly said that it was a major factor behind her becoming an activist seeing the miserable conditions of artists behind different craftworks across the country.

"What made me an activist was seeing such lovely work all over India. And when you go to track them down, the people who are doing it are in miserable conditions.

"And especially in Lucknow, it is only now that women and girls are coming out, learning to be designers themselves. Otherwise they just sat there with their heads covered and some block printed pieces in front of them. And they would be paid a miserable amount. Nobody gave them credit for the actual crucial work that made it beautiful," Jaitly said.

Published by Niyogi Books, 'Chikankari: A Lucknawi Tradition' showcases specimens of fine craftsmanship accumulated from personal and public collections, and focuses on "those cloths that are expressions of elaborate artistry and skills of the different artisans involved in the art of muslin dress making".

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Chief ministers of Naxalite- affected states will meet top civil and police officers here on Monday to devise new ways to tackle the armed rebels.

The meeting, to be held two weeks after 25 paramilitary personnel were killed by a band of Maoists in Chhattisgarh, will be chaired by Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh.

It is expected that the meet will help firm up an anti- Naxal strategy to fight the guerillas in their hideouts in Chhattisgarh and other states in the coming days, a Home Ministry official said.

The chief ministers of Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Odisha, West Bengal, Bihar, Maharashtra, Telangana, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Andhra Pradesh have been invited to take part in the crucial meeting.

District magistrates and superintendents of police of 35 of the worst-hit Naxalite-affected districts, along with heads of paramilitary forces and intelligence agencies, will attend the meeting.

It is expected to stress on revamping the intelligence gathering mechanism, meticulous analysis of ongoing operations, identifying problem areas and seeking solutions for better results.

On top of the agenda will be the issue of re-calibrating the anti-Naxal strategy to make it more effective and to minimise casualties, the official said.

The home minister has told the security officials to look for out-of-the box solutions to the problem of successive attacks by Naxalites when security personnel oversee road repair or development work in the troubled areas.

Road construction and other development activities in the affected areas will also be discussed. The chief ministers may endorse an alternative modern technology which would help with the speedy completion of projects.

Home Ministry officials said currently 90 per cent of Maoist activities were limited to 35 districts, though they have a hold over pockets in 68 districts in 10 states.
The Delhi High Court will consider whether a daughter-in-law falls in the category of "children" or "relatives" if she were to be evicted from her matrimonial home on a complaint made under the law for welfare of parents.

The issue assumes importance as the high court had recently held that parents could evict an abusive adult child from their home even if they did not own the property.

Based on the ruling, a tribunal set up under the Maintenance and Welfare of Parents and Senior Citizens Act of 2007 had ordered the eviction of a woman from her matrimonial home on her mother-in-law's plea.

The order was challenged by the woman in the high court earlier this week. It came up for hearing before Justice Sanjeev Sachdeva, who put on hold the tribunal's February 4 decision till the next date of hearing on the issue on July 31.

The court also issued a notice to the woman's husband and mother-in-law, seeking their replies to the plea which contended that a daughter-in-law was not covered in the definitions of 'children' and 'relatives' under the Senior Citizens Act.

The woman in her petition alleged that her husband and mother-in-law were trying to evict her to counter a case that she had lodged against them under the Domestic Violence Act.

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Marketing solutions provider Epsilon is planning to consolidate its global delivery in India and add about 500 employees this year to take the total to 1,800, a top company executive said.

"Currently, we are at 1,300 or so employees... We are aggressively growing, almost as fast as we can here, we have a plan to get to 1,800 this year and keep going from there," Epsilon President, Technology, Wayne Townsend told PTI here.

Epsilon delivers strategy, analytics, creative and technology solutions and is looking for ways to find the right talent to scale that for global delivery which is more cost efficient, he said.

"So, we had historically delivered largely from the US with contract relationships in various parts around the world and we are looking to consolidate that delivery in a place that has both -- great access to talent and is more cost effective. India has the right mix," Townsend said.

The company is focused on hiring more in the mid-tier of the hierarchy.

"We actually do have a fair number of managers, directors and a we have a lot of more senior talent that we have hired away from competitors with experience. I think that it was important that we started off that way. We do have young talent coming out of university as well that we know we're developing and training over the course of the year," he added.

Echoing his view, Epsilon Country Head Ashish Sinha said the company will hire middle management but the volumes will be more at the junior levels.

"Creative, analytics, consulting, research, these are the areas that we'll be looking at. And again, since it is new businesses we are starting so we can't hire many junior level people, we need the top management first then we'll build the team around it," he said.

Talking about diversity in workplace, he said, it is critical and the company has set a 50:50 goal in two years.

"We are very aware that at the end of the day, our end clients are 50 per cent men 50 per cent women, so you want an organisation reflective of that.

"In technology it's difficult as the talent market has fewer women. We have set a goal that in next two years 50 per cent of our employees would be women. For this we have put referral programmes," he added.

On people of Indian origin wanting to come back, Sinha said the number has surged as they believe there is a lot of action in the Asia Pacific region and India.

"It has always been there, but its become much more now, its increased heavily. I think lots of folks in the US with Indian origin believe that a lot of action is going on in AsiaPac and India. Some of them may fully not agree with some of the policies that the new US President is going to roll out and so its also about convincing them to come back," he added.

One of the major challenge is the compensation and benefits that they are getting in the US, Sinha added.

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European Commission chief Jean- Claude Juncker today hailed French voters for electing pro-EU candidate Emmanuel Macron today as their nation's new president.

"Happy that the French chose a European future," Juncker said on Twitter, after Macron defeated far right candidate Marine Le Pen who favoured withdrawing from the European Union.

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Police on Sunday arrested five persons including two medical students here for allegedly making an attempt to leak question papers of the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) examination that was held today across the country.

Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Manu Maharaj said acting on a tip off a police team arrested five persons of an inter-state gang from an area under Patrakar Nagar police station for allegedly trying to leak question papers of examination.

Police also seized mobile phones, various equipment and pick van from the arrested persons.

Those arrested are the gang's kingpin and Patna Medical College and Hospital (PMCH) student Shiv Kumar, Nalanda Medical College and Hospital (NMCH) student Shivam Mandal, law student Avinash Roshan, a private school coordinator Avinash Chandra Dubey and a pick van driver Sanjay Yadav, the SSP said in a release.

During the interrogation, the accused persons revealed that they had talked to a Centre Superintendent of an examination centre who would help them in getting the question paper.

The pick van was to be used for transporting question paper which they would get it photocopied somewhere en route and then they would distribute it among candidates, SSP said adding that the gang had demanded a hefty sum from some of the candidates of Bihar, West Bengal and Jharkhand.

Police are interrogating the accused persons besides conducting raids to nab their accomplices, he added.

Over 11 lakh MBBS and BDS aspirants today appeared for examination at over 1,900 centres in 103 cities across the country.
Eighty-two of the more than 200 schoolgirls kidnapped in northeast Nigeria in 2014 today headed to meet President Muhammadu Buhari after a prisoner swap deal with Boko Haram secured their release.

The presidency announced late yesterday that months of talks with the jihadists had "yielded results" some six months after 21 of their classmates were freed with the help of international mediators.

"Today 82 more Chibok girls were released," a statement said.

"After lengthy negotiations, our security agencies have taken back these girls, in exchange for some Boko Haram suspects held by the authorities."



No details were given about how many suspects were released or their identities.

But AFP understands three Chadian nationals, allegedly senior commanders under Boko Haram leader Abubakar Shekau, were handed over.

Military and civilian militia sources in the town of Banki, on the border with Cameroon, said the girls left for Borno state capital Maiduguri on board six military helicopters at 6:10 am (0510 GMT).

"One of the girls was carrying a baby with her, a boy of less than two years," said the source on condition of anonymity.

The presidency said the teenagers would be brought to Abuja to meet Buhari, who was swept to power on a promise to defeat Boko Haram, whose insurgency has killed at least 20,000 people in Nigeria since 2009.

Shehu Sani, a Nigerian senator who has been involved in previous negotiations, said the talks lasted for "three to four months".

The government would now look to secure the release of the remaining hostages, he added.

Boko Haram fighters stormed the Government Girls Secondary School in the remote town of Chibok on the evening of April 14, 2014 and kidnapped 276 teenaged girls who were preparing to sit high school exams.

Fifty-seven managed to escape in the hours that followed but the remaining 219 were held by the group.

Boko Haram's Shekau claimed in a video message that they had converted to Islam.

The audacious kidnapping brought the insurgency to world attention, triggering global outrage that galvanised support from the former US first lady Michelle Obama and Hollywood stars.

The girls have become a symbol of the conflict. Last month, parents and supporters marked the three-year anniversary of the abduction, describing the situation as an unending "nightmare".

But they said previous releases had given them strength.

Enoch Mark, a Christian pastor whose two daughters were among those kidnapped, said of the latest releases: "This is good to us. We have been waiting for this day.

"We hope the remaining girls will soon be released."



Patrick Yousef, the deputy regional director for Africa at the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), confirmed the group "facilitated the safe return" of the girls as a "neutral intermediary".

The Swiss government was also involved, Nigeria said.

Military and civilian militia sources in Banki said the girls were brought back to the town in ICRC vehicles late on Saturday afternoon and stayed in the military barracks there overnight.

Boko Haram has used kidnapping as a weapon of war, seizing thousands of women and children, and forcibly recruiting young men and boys into their ranks.

In a less publicised attack in November 2014, some 300 children were among about 500 people kidnapped from the town of Damasak, on the border with Niger, in the far north of Borno state.

The release of the 21 girls in October last year followed talks between Boko Haram and the Nigerian government brokered by the ICRC and the Swiss.

Three other girls have also been found. The first had a baby and was accompanied by a man she said was her husband but the military said was a Boko Haram suspect.

Shekau has previously said the girls would be released if militant fighters held in government custody were freed.

When the 21 were freed, Buhari's spokesman Garba Shehu said the government was hoping to secure the release of 83 others being held by a different Boko Haram faction.

A total of 113 Chibok girls are now missing, although Shekau claimed last August that some had been killed in military air strikes.

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A French mineworker who was kidnapped in Chad and taken to neighbouring Sudan has been freed after more than six weeks in captivity, the French president's office said today.

President Francois Hollande feels "great pleasure" over the release, his office said in a statement.

Sudanese security agents launched a search for the man, whose identity has not been revealed, in late March after a Chadian minister said he was being held there.

The man was kidnapped near Goz Beida, in southeastern Chad, on March 23.

Several French and other Western nationals have been kidnapped by jihadist groups in west and central Africa in recent years.

The last such case in Chad - a former French colony - was in 2009, when a Frenchman working for the International Committee of the Red Cross was abducted by a shadowy armed group called the Freedom Eagles of Africa, based in Sudan's war-torn Darfur province.

He was freed after 89 days.

Chad is one of France's key African allies in the counter-terror fight, with the capital N'Djamena serving as headquarters for France's Operation Barkhane anti-jihadist force.

Set up in 2014, the force, which counts 4,000 troops, works in five Sahel countries - Chad, Mali, Niger, Mauritania and Burkina Faso - to flush out Al-Qaeda-linked extremists.

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French nationals in Puducherry exercised their franchise at the second round of the French presidential poll today simultaneously with France.

The Union Territory of Puducherry and regions coming under the purview of the French Consulate here has an estimated 4,600 French voters.

The first round of polling was held on April 23.

Voters turned up at the booths on the premises of the French Consulate and also at Lycee Francais (aschool run by the French government) here from morning.

91 year old Jeaubin Dorairaju turned up at a booth in the French consulate within hours of commencement of polling and was assisted by the staff to reach the booth in a wheel chair.

Voters in Karaikal and Chennai which come under the jurisdiction of the Consulate of Francehad the booths to cast their votes in their respective regions, sources said.

Special arrangements were made for aged people and infirm to exercise their franchise, they said.

Puducherry was a former French colony.

Voters in France will pick a new president today, choosing between young centrist Emmanuel Macron and far-right leader Marine Le Pen.

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Cruising down the magnificent Ganges criss-crossing the majestic Himalayas, interspersed with verdant terrains and vignettes of the holy city of Moksha on the way, could well be an experience to remember.

What if this cruise figures right up there among the very best in the world and a must one to go for along with the likes of the Volga or the Danube?



Check this out. Reputed international publication Conde Nast Traveller has put the Ganga cruise on its checklist as one of the top six river cruises to take in 2017.

The global luxury and lifestyle magazine has placed the luxury cruise vessel Ganges Voyager II, which sails on the Ganga from Kolkata to Varanasi, in the league of cruises on the Mekong and the Yangtze in China, the Amazon in South America, the Volga in Russia and the Irrawaddy in Myanmar.

Shipping, Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari, who dreams making India a global hotspot for cruise tourism -- be it river or sea -- says massive work is under way on the Ganges, be it for cruise tourism or cargo transport, and a 'nirmal and aviral Ganga' will take India to the path of development.

"We are working on a massive scale to make India a global hotspot in tourism. We have received offers from Dubai's Sultan to develop cruise tourism here," Gadkari told PTI.

Conde Nast's endorsement of the Ganga as a cruise destination is a shot in the arm for river tourism in the country.

"Massive work worth Rs 5,000 crore is under way to develop various projects on the Ganga with the World Bank assistance, including development of multi-modal hubs," Gadkari said.

The Inland Waterways Authority of India, a body under the Ministry of Shipping, is facilitating cruise operations on National Waterways-1 (river Ganga) from Kolkata to Varanasi in collaboration with private cruise operators.

The facilities, provided by the IWAI, include navigation aids, including night navigation facility, embarking and disembarking at designated locations, facilitating expeditious crossing of the Farakka Navigation Lock, pilotage, and assistance in distress.

The National Waterway NW-1 from Varanasi to Haldia is being developed by the IWAI, under the Jal Marg Vikas Project (JMVP).

In addition to becoming one of the principal cargo movement routes in India, this stretch on NW-1 has good potential for river cruise tourism.

The minister said that as many as 168 cruises had came to major ports last year and a terminal in Mumbai is being constructed at a cost of Rs 800 crore.

Also, a policy is in the works to make India a global destination for cruise shipping and work is in progress to identify such circuits.

Five circuits each are being identified for international and domestic cruise services and a report is likely by this month.

"Endowed with a sprawling 7,500 km of coastline, we have taken steps in a big way to promote cruise tour, which includes relaxation of policies and developing infrastructure," he said.

So far, Indians had been travelling to South-East Asia, the Mediterranean and the Caribbean to experience the cruise, but for the first time, Europe's key player Costa Cruises launched Costa neoClassica in India recently, which has confirmed seven voyages.

A task force to promote cruise tourism in the country has been constituted under the chairmanship of the tourism secretary, with the shipping secretary as co-chairman.

The idea is to put India on the global cruise map, both for oceans and rivers, Gadkari said, adding that it comes with a huge job potential. India saw 1.76 lakh cruise passengers in 2016-17, a merely 0.5 per cent of the global pie.

Domestic cruise passengers are estimated to grow to 1.5 million by 2031-32.

Of the 12 major ports, only five -- Mumbai, Goa, Cochin, New Mangalore and Chennai -- have facilities to berth international cruise ships.

One of the circuits identified so far is "coastal circuit" for development of coastal tourism infrastructure, an official said.

The government is developing a modern 2 lakh square feet terminal in Mumbai to make it a landmark destination, which will have infrastructure to accommodate cruise ships with size for 4,000 passengers.

The project includes hospitality, retail, shopping, restaurants and will allow general visitors during non-cruise seasons.

Apart from its huge coastline, India has the geographical advantage as it is strategically located between the Mediterranean and China, he said.

Recently, the Mumbai Port Trust, which has a dedicated berth for cruise tourism, hosted its largest passenger ship Genting Dream with 1,900 passengers.

Listing out the policy initiatives to promote cruise shipping, the minister said ships are now allowed to stay for three days, up from the earlier 24 hours, and rules have been simplified to attract more vessels.

The government has allowed foreign flag vessels carrying passengers to call at Indian ports without securing a licence from the director general of shipping till February 5, 2024.

Also, major ports will offer a minimum of 30 per cent rebate across the board on all vessel-related charges for cruise shipping and not levy any priority fee.

On land excursions, an average tourist spends USD 70-100 per day and with a cruise ship of 3,000 capacity.

Also, average employment on a cruise ship, as per studies, is one job for 3-4 passengers, which translates into a boost for recruitment as well.

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How to differentiate a bona fide drone from a rogue one? Thats the key challenge being faced by the government before it allows commercial use of unmanned aerial vehicles.

More than a year after the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), the aviation regulator, came out with draft norms for Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UASs), the civil aviation and the home ministries are still discussing ways to put in a robust framework to regulate them.

R N Choubey, civil aviation secretary, said there are still apprehensions about drones, with the issue of tracking them remaining a major technological challenge.

"I would not say that we have come to a stage where we can say that we have a nice system for . We are still finding that the issue of tracking of is a very major technological challenge. How to track whether a particular drone is a bona fide drone or a rogue drone. So, we are working on that technical aspect, Choubey told PTI in an interview.

Amid concerns over security, government had banned the use of UASs, including drones, by civilians in October 2014.

In April 2016, DGCA came out with draft norms for UASs, including .

Discussions have been going on within the government and among the stakeholders for quite sometime on the matter but the final result is yet to emerge.

While stressing that regulation of drones would be done by the DGCA, Choubey said it would be in a manner that satisfies the security agencies.

DGCA will regulate the drones. It will regulate it in a manner which is satisfactory to the security agencies of the country. They will provide the input but the regulation will be done by the DGCA, the civil aviation secretary said.

In October 2014, the government had banned the use of UASs by any non-government agency, organisation or an individual. According to the DGCAs draft regulations, issued last year, drone users would have to secure a permit and a unique identification number for their operations.

Civilian use of UAS includes damage assessment of property and life in areas affected with natural calamities, critical infrastructure monitoring among . UA (unmanned aircraft) operations present problems to the regulator in terms of ensuring safety of other users of airspace and persons on the ground, it had said.

Globally, there have been instances of drones and other unmanned aerial vehicles coming into the flight paths of aircraft, especially near busy airports, leading some of these countries to formulate rules to regulate these operations.
He may have received two special mentions at the recently held National Awards, but according to actor Adil Hussain he still remains "underused" in films.

"I have realised that the kind of rigour that I am used to while doing theatre is not demanded out of me in movies. Not even 10 per cent of it. This includes even the best of the films that I have done. I feel I am underused, unexploited... my artistic thirst is not fulfilled at all," says Adil.

Speaking on 'Theatre Beyond Borders', a lecture series organised by National Foundation for India (NFI) at India International Centre, the 'Mukti Bhawan' actor says he has decided to take a break from acting "in front of the camera for this year" to shift all his attention to theatre.

"I want to get rid of this realistic acting for some time. I want to fly, and stage is one place where I am allowed to fly. Stage is this black background where you can create anything depending upon your skill, your wishes, your intent behind it and that is my plan till December," says the actor, whose next play is based on Hindu scripture 'Gita' where he will be seen playing both Krishna and Arjuna.

The 53-year-old actor feels art is not properly funded in India and the discipline of arts should be considered more seriously.

Talking about National Film Development Corporation (NFDC), Adil says it is sad that the central agency established to encourage high quality Indian cinema gets only Rs 30 crore per year for its funding.

"It is unfortunate that NFDC gets only Rs 30 crore to make meaningful cinema for a population of 1.3 billion people. This is when they have to fight this monstrous market of commercial cinema which spends that much amount only to advertise one film.

"So here you can understand the priorities of successive governments and we are paying the price for that," he rues.

A strong believer in the "power of arts", Adil says the nation will need to spend way less money in defence if it "starts spending more in the field of arts".

"If we spend money sincerely on arts...Recognise all artists from all the disciplines and consider it as an important subject right from the primary school till college. Believe me, we will be spending way less money on our defence budget than what we are spending now," he says.

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The Indian Consulate in Shanghai organised 'India week celebrations' at a commodities fair in Yiwu, which is the world's biggest commodity market, to promote Indian goods and distinct art forms like Madhubani paintings.

The India week celebrations in Yiwu coincided with the participation of a 30-plus member delegation of Indian companies under the umbrella of Export Promotion Council of Handicrafts (EPCH) - which organised a large scale Indian pavilion at the 'Yiwu Annual Imported Commodities Fair'.

India was the guest of honour country at the fair which got started yesterday.

Yiwu is the world's biggest commodity market. The Indian participation showcased under the Indian Pavilion included works of Indian embroidery, Madhubani paintings, fine wood carvings from Rajasthan, and other distinct forms of art work from Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Assam and Gujarat, the Consulate said in a statement.

Yiwu also shares a special relationship with India, given that nearly 2,200 Indian nationals (mostly traders) are long term residents in Yiwu city and constitute the largest foreign community in this small commodity metropolis in eastern China.

India was also Yiwu's largest bilateral trading partner in 2016.

It may also be noted that Party Secretary of Yiwu Qiu Shenping led a high level delegation to India last week from May 3-6 and visited Mumbai and Delhi, with a specific objective of promoting bilateral trade with small and medium enterprises from India.

"During his visit, an Yiwu promotion event was also organised by CII in New Delhi on May 5, where a large number of Indian SME's and members from small commodity trading community were present. Party Secretary also interacted with the Reliance Group and TATA Retail during the Mumbai leg of the visit," the statement said.

A special cultural dance performance by Indian artists led by Namrata Dhawan, along with Salom and other Indian artists were held to mark the opening of the India week.

Consulate General of India in Shanghai along with Yiwu government jointly, also organised a photo exhibition on Buddhism which was attended by a large number of art lovers from Yiwu including participants at the fair.

Indian films such as "PK", "Three Idiots", "English Vinglish", "Taare Zameen Par" and "Queen" were screened as part of the fair with Chinese subtitles.

"All these events showcasing various facets of India received very enthusiastic response from Yiwu audiences as large number of local people turned up to participate in the India Week celebrations," the statement said.

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After years of delay, India and Russia are likely to soon ink a "milestone" pact to finalise the detailed design for the fifth-generation fighter aircraft (FGFA) and move ahead with the multi-billion dollar co-development project.

Government sources said almost all the ground work has been completed to finalise the deal for the design of the jet as well as some other critical issues.

"The contract for the detailed design would be signed soon and that will be a major milestone. It should be signed in the second half of the year," a top official involved in the negotiations with Russia on the project said.

Asked whether India has linked the project to full-scale transfer of technology, the official, who requested anonymity, said both the countries are co-developers and India will have equal rights over the the technology.

"We are co-developers. There is nothing called technology transfer in this project. India has equal rights. We will have the wherewithal to continue production. We are equal partner in the project," he said.

In the negotiations for the project, India had insisted that it must get all the required codes and access to critical technology so that it can upgrade the aircraft according to its requirements.

In February last year, India and Russia had revived talks on the project after a clearance from then Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar.

Since then, a lot of issues related to work share, intellectual property rights and technology transfer among others have been sorted out between the two sides, along with the monetary commitments.

In 2007, India and Russia had inked an inter-governmental pact for the FGFA project.

In December 2010, India had agreed to pay $295 million towards the preliminary design of the fighter, which is called in India as the 'Perspective Multi-role Fighter' (PMF). However, negotiations faced various hurdles in the subsequent years.

Sources said the work on various co-development projects have been expedited following the government's renewed focus on modernisation of the armed forces.

In March, India and Russia had signed two key agreements for long-term maintenance and technical support for Russian-made Su-30MKI fighter jets of the Indian Air Force.

Currently, the IAF operates around 230 Su-30MKI fighter jets and, according to the agreements, Russian defence majors United Aircraft Corporation and the United Engine Corporation will render technical support and provide maintenance services and spares for the fleet for a period of five years.
An Indian-African entrepreneur is planning to use the 'Digital India' model in South Africa as a global case study to incubate innovative digital start-ups that will propel the continent towards faster growth.

Ramesh Awtaney is the founder and chairman of iSON Group, Africa's leading IT conglomerate, who is executing his own vision of 'Digital Africa' inspired by the Indian government's digital drive.

"The Digital India programme has picked up remarkable pace over the last few years. I am sure that 'Digital India' is on its way to become a global case study that will inspire many countries," he told PTI during a recent visit to the UK to attend the London Business School's Africa Business Summit.

"Through my latest venture, iSON Innovation, I am contributing to a similar vision for a Digital Africa, wherein I want to support and incubate innovative digital start-ups that will propel the continent towards faster growth," he said.

Awtaney, who has over 28 years of experience in global technology, market development and business process outsourcing (BPO), highlighted the need for India to move up the "value chain" towards Knowledge Process Outsourcing (KPO), which is more "cerebral and offers a better price".

"I predict that Africa can replicate India's growth story in IT/ITeS in just 10 years. We saw this opportunity early and have been investing in new centres across Sub-Saharan Africa over the past seven years, which have helped catalyse the ecosystems for growth in these countries," he said.

The iSON Group chief, whose companies have a presence in 25 countries in Sub-Saharan Africa alone, also believes in big scope in India and Africa collaborations in the IT industry.

"The IT and ITeS industry in India is very evolved.India can export this Process Intellectual Property to Africa, which will create capabilities and capacities onshore. This will be a winning proposition for Africa too, which will benefit from immense skilling and employment opportunities," Awtaney said.

Given the changing IT dynamics across the world, Awtaney played down the threat of US President Donald Trump's increasingly protectionist policies.

"There is more hype than substance in this perceived threat. Industry has always followed the economics and while in the short-term there would be some noise, yet in the medium-to-long term, businesses would compel the logic to prevail and global IT industry would refocus on its growth trajectory," he said.

Under his leadership, the iSON Group has been on an expansion spree and has invested over 20 million dollars in Africa in the last seven years and plans to invest an additional 20 million dollars to set up four new centres, which will create 4,000 more jobs.

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Dozens of Islamic State group fighters cornered in a northern part of Syria's Tabqa are holding off US-backed forces that hold almost all of the city, a monitor said today.

Tabqa sits on the Euphrates River and on a strategic supply route about 55 kilometres (35 miles) west of Raqa, the Syrian heart of IS's so-called caliphate.

In their drive for Raqa, the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces have captured more than 90 per cent of Tabqa, but have not been able to fully clear the jihadists out of the city or the adjacent dam.

"The SDF hasn't been able to seize complete control of Tabqa because IS fighters are still present in the neighbourhoods of Wahdah and Hurriyah," said Rami Abdel Rahman, who heads the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

The two districts are in the city's north near Tabqa Dam, Syria's largest.

Abdel Rahman said "dozens" of IS fighters were laying mines and engaging in small-scale skirmishes with the SDF, but had not deployed suicide bombers in recent days.

An SDF commander inside Tabqa told AFP today that his forces were locked in "violent clashes" in the northern part of the city.

"The operation is going slowly because of the presence of civilians being used as human shields by IS," the commander said, saying his forces were trying to advance "carefully and accurately".

"Soon we will be able to announce the city fully cleared of Daesh," he added, using the Arabic acronym for IS.

The SDF first entered Tabqa on April 24, but IS has put up fierce resistance including using snipers and weaponised drones, a tactic it perfected in neighbouring Iraq.

Overnight, IS's propaganda arm Amaq said jihadists had clashed with SDF forces inside the city.

The assault on Raqa, dubbed "Wrath of the Euphrates", was launched in November and has seen the SDF capture large swathes of countryside around the city.

More than 320,000 people have been killed in Syria since the country's war began with anti-government protests in March 2011.

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The Bandra Kurla Complex CBD, touted as the new Nariman Point of Mumbai, has not witnessed a single land deal since 2008 even though realty players in the city remain upbeat about the commercial space.

The Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA), the nodal town planning agency, has not tendered a single bid for monetising the land bank of 25-30 hectares it is currently sitting on in the newly developed central business district (CBD).

"We have not been able to sell any land parcel since 2008 as we did not get the desired response for the bids. We have decided to put our land monetisation plan on the backburner as we feel it's not the right time and we will not be able get the price we would be quoting," Deputy Metropolitan Commissioner Anil Wankhede told PTI.

In 2016, the MMRDA withdrew its bids for selling a 12,500 square metre plot in the BKC with a base price of Rs 1,500 crore. In 2008, it had auctioned three plots for a cumulative Rs 1,322 crore. However, in 2007, three plots had fetched it a much higher price of Rs 2,800 crore. The reserve price during those deals ranged between Rs 3-3.53 lakh per sq m.

The agency currently has a land bank of 25-30 hectares and considering the floor space index (FSI) of 4 there, it is sitting on over 150 hectares of developable land.

"In any deal, we generally keep a base price of 2-3 lakh per sq m and if we have to sell around 4,000 sq m plot, the cost will be in excess of Rs 1,000 crore, which developers are currently not willing to shell out. So, we have decided to hold on for some more time till we feel the market is right for any deal," he said.

Wankhede said that since many business houses are in consolidation mode and also have other cheaper options, there is not much demand for land in the BKC, the development of which began in the late 1990s on the mostly marshy land between the tony Bandra area on the west and the not-so-posh Kurla on the east. A part of the area was developed by diverting the Mithi, the only river flowing through the megapolis.

Shashank Jain, partner, transaction services at property consultant PwC, said the liquidity-starved developers are reluctant to buy land parcels at locations like the BKC, given the high cost.

"There is enough appetite for commercial realty from demand-supply and investors' perspective. But the challenge for locations like BKC is the very high cost of rentals, which has a spiralling effect on demand," Jain told PTI.

He further said the demand for large office space generally gets generated by the IT sector, which today has become very price-conscious, thus impacting the overall demand.

"Typically, such businesses look at rentals ranging between Rs 35 and Rs 65 per sq ft. They prefer to set up offices on the outskirts like Navi Mumbai, Thane or even cities like Gurgaon, Noida, Bengaluru which are much cheaper than Mumbai, where the average rentals are upwards of Rs 250 sq ft," he explained.

On the developers' side, since the land cost in BKC is high, construction cost shoots up too.

"If a developer has to recover its cost, he/she will have to ensure 100 per cent occupancy and up to Rs 300 per sq ft in rentals. Since attracting such high rentals is difficult, even developers are refraining from buying land here," Jain said.

He, however, said BKC may attract niche customers like financial institutions or banks or even large corporate offices.

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Congress Veteran A K Antony today slammed the Pinarayi Vijayan-led government's performance so far as a "complete disappointment."



People have lost all expectations from the government and the life of the common man, farmers and workers was worse compared to the previous Congress-led UDF regime, he said.

"Congress will bounce back.. Setbacks are normal," Antony said adding it is not enough to have leaders alone in the party.

Party workers and activists are equally important, he said in his address at a function to mark the state-wide inauguration of champaran satyagraha centenary celebrations in Kerala.

Antony also said CPI(M) in Kerala will hail Congress president Sonia Gandhi.

"That time is not far away.. In Bengal and Tripura people are of the view that Congress will return to power," he said.

Later, talking to reporters, Antony ducked queries on the Kerala Congress(M)'s recent overtures to CPI(M) in Kottayam civic body saying it was a local issue and the reinstatement of TP Senkumar as state DGP after a legal battle with the government.

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French voters went to the polls today to pick a new president, choosing between young centrist Emmanuel Macron and far-right leader Marine Le Pen in a watershed election for the country and Europe.

Polling day follows an unprecedented campaign marked by scandal, repeated surprises and a last-minute hacking attack on Macron, a 39-year-old who has never held elected office.

The run-off vote pits the pro-Europe, pro-business Macron against anti-immigration and anti-EU Le Pen, two radically different visions that underline a split in Western democracies.

Le Pen, 48, has portrayed the ballot as a contest between the "globalists" represented by her rival -- those in favour of open trade, immigration and shared sovereignty -- versus the "nationalists" who defend strong borders and national identities.

Voting began at 0600 GMT in 66,546 polling stations. Most will close at 1700 GMT, except those in big cities which will stay open an hour longer.

A first estimate of the results will be published around 1800 GMT.

"The political choice the French people are going to make is clear," Le Pen said in her opening remarks during an often vicious debate between the pair on Wednesday night.

The last polling showed Macron -- winner of last month's election first round -- with a widening lead of around 62 per cent to 38 per cent before the hacking revelations on Friday evening. A campaigning blackout entered into force shortly after.

Hundreds of thousands of emails and documents stolen from the Macron campaign were dumped online and then spread by anti-secrecy group WikiLeaks, leading the candidate to call it an attempt at "democratic destabilisation."



France's election authority said publishing the documents could be a criminal offence, a warning heeded by traditional media organisations but flouted by Macron's opponents and far-right activists online.

"We knew that there were these risks during the presidential campaign because it happened elsewhere. Nothing will go without a response," French President Francois Hollande told AFP on Saturday.

US intelligence agencies believe state-backed Russian operatives were behind a massive hacking attack on Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton's campaign ahead of America's presidential election last November.

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The Maharashtra government has removed over 2,000 huts for encroaching the mangrove land in the Mumbai region, an senior official said today.

The task to remove the encroachments on nearly four acres of the mangrove land was carried out in the last two months in suburban Chembur and its neighbouring areas where people had built small huts, he said.

"The encroachments had caused a major problem for the mangrove land and we were waiting for all permissions from the state government," Chief Conservator of Forests, Mangrove Cell, N Vasudevan told PTI today.

"More than 2,000 huts and illegal structures have been removed in Chembur and neighbouring areas," he said.

"The mangroves are vulnerable and due to the rising population there is increased need for houses which leads to illegal encroachments," he said.

"The ecosystem of the mangroves should be protected. Hence, we decided to carry out an eviction drive with the support of police and civic officials," Vasudevan said.

"The decision to remove the encroachments was taken in September last year but its implementation was delayed - first due to the monsoon and then because of the non-availability of staff due to other important works. The eviction was not initiated on humanitarian grounds in September," he claimed.

The official said that now fencing will be done around the mangroves to avoid such rampant encroachment.

The state government has already sanctioned around Rs two crore for the construction of fences, he said.

The Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) norms came into effect in 1991, mandating restoration of the mangroves to the pre-1991 status. However, there have been incidents of gross violations.

The Bombay High Court had in 2005 issued directives for avoiding further violation of the Environment Protection Act-1986, the official added.

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will suspend its flight between Karachi and Mumbai from tomorrow due to commercial considerations, a senior airline official has said.

PIA operated two flights in a week (Monday and Thursday) between Karachi and Mumbai.

However, the PIA's Lahore-Delhi flight operation will continue as traffic volume on this route is satisfactory, the PIA official told PTI.

The suspension of Karachi-Mumbai route may add traffic to Lahore-Delhi route, he said.

"There will be no PIA flight between Karachi to Mumbai and Mumbai to Karachi from April 8. The PIA has stopped booking for flights on this route," the official said.

The PIA management has decided to suspend the flight on the Karachi-Mumbai route because of extremely low traffic (on the route).

"Since we have been bearing financial loss on this route for the last six months or so we have arrived at a decision to suspend this route," the official said, adding that unless a special subsidy is not given by the government on this route it may not be restored in the near future.

The move comes amid a strain in Indo-Pak ties following the beheading of two Indian soldiers by the Pakistan military in Jammu and Kashmir.

The PIA administration, however, dismissed media reports that the Karachi-Mumbai operation is being suspended due to tense relations between India and Pakistan.

"The reasons behind the move are purely commercial," PIA spokesperson Danyal Gillani said.

The proposal to suspend the Karachi-Mumbai flight may have been made for commercial purposes, but deteriorating ties indirectly have affected traffic on the route.

PIA was a profit making entity and earned more than Rs 2 billion in 2004 but after that it went into deficit and could not recover.

Since 2013, when the current Nawaz Sharif government took over, the carrier has suffered more than Rs 100 billion in losses, according to officials.
North Korea has detained another US citizen for committing "hostile acts," it said today, its second arrest of an American in a fortnight with tensions high between Pyongyang and Washington.

The arrest of Kim Hak-Song means that the North now is holding four US citizens, with the two countries at loggerheads over Pyongyang's nuclear and missile ambitions.

Kim was detained yesterday, the official Korean Central Agency (KCNA) reported. "A relevant institution is now conducting detailed investigation into his crimes," it added.

The two-paragraph report gave no further details of the latest arrest.

But it said Kim had been working for the Pyongyang University of Science and Technology (PUST) -- an institution founded by evangelical Christians from overseas and opened in 2010, which is known to have a number of American faculty members. Pupils are generally children from the North's elite.

A State Department official in Washington today issued a terse comment about the American's reported detention.

"We are aware of reports that a US citizen was detained in North Korea," the statement said.

"The security of US citizens is one of the Department's highest priorities. When a US citizen is reported to be detained in North Korea, we work with the Swedish Embassy in Pyongyang, which serves as the United States' Protecting Power in North Korea," the State Department official said, adding that no additional comment was being offered "due to privacy considerations."



Kim is the second of the university's personnel to have been detained in as many weeks.

Accounting professor Kim Sang-Duk, or Tony Kim, also a US citizen, was held on April 22, the North confirmed last week, for trying to "overturn" the regime.

He was detained at the capital's airport as he tried to leave the country after teaching for several weeks at the university.

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.

Using similar phrasing to today's dispatch, it added that Kim was "under detention by a relevant law enforcement body which is conducting detailed investigation into his crimes."



PUST officials could not immediately be reached for comment in connection with yesterday's arrest.

In a statement in late April the university said Tony Kim's arrest was "not connected in any way with the work of PUST."



Pyongyang is engaged in a tense standoff with the administration of US President Donald Trump over the North's banned missile and nuclear weapons programs.

The North, which is widely seen as making progress toward building a missile capable of delivering a nuclear warhead to the US mainland, has carried out a series of launches this year. It has also warned that it could carry out a sixth nuclear test at any time.

But no blast took place during symbolic anniversaries in April, and its key ally and diplomatic protector China has urged restraint.

Trump has suggested military action could be on the table but has softened his message more recently, saying he would be "honored" to meet the North's leader Kim Jong-Un under the right conditions.

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.

Two more 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 labor for spying. Warmbier was sentenced to 15 years in 2016 for stealing a propaganda banner and for "crimes against the state."



Pyongyang last week accused the CIA and the South's intelligence services of conspiring to assassinate Kim Jong-Un using a biochemical weapon.

The claim came just months after Kim's half-brother was murdered by two female agents at Kuala Lumpur airport using a banned nerve agent, in a killing widely blamed on Pyongyang.

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ONGC Videsh Ltd, the overseas arm of state-owned Oil and Natural Gas Corp, produced a record 12.57 million tonnes of crude oil and equivalent gas from its assets abroad in 2016-17.

The output was up from 8.92 million tonnes of oil and oil equivalent gas in the previous fiscal 2015-16, OVL Managing Director Narendra K Verma said.

In its over five-decade existence, which began in 1965 with a venture in Iran, OVL has seen a peak production of 9.45 million tonnes in 2010-11.

"Production in 2016-17 was higher on account of acquisition of stake in Russia's Vankor oil field," Verma told PTI here.

For 2017-18, the company is targeting 14.37 million tonnes of oil and oil equivalent gas production.

OVL last year bought 26 per cent stake in Vankor field in two tranches. First it acquired 15 per cent in May 2016 for USD 1.268 billion, and then another 11 per cent in October 2016 for USD 930 million.

It received its 15 per cent share of oil from Vankor for the almost 11 months but 11 per cent share was only for a part of year as the deal.

This fiscal, it will get full 26 per cent share.

OVL's share of oil from Vankor will be 7.3 million tonnes.

Besides OVL's 26 per cent, a consortium of comprising Oil India (OIL), Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) and Bharat PetroResources (BPRL) has acquired 23.9 per cent stake in the field at a cost of USD 2.02 billion, giving them 6.56 million tonnes of oil.

The daily production from the field is around 410,000 barrels per day of crude oil and 26% stake would give OVL about 107,000 bpd.

OVL has 37 projects in 17 countries. Of this, 14 assets in 10 countries are producing and four in a similar number of countries are under development, he said.

Verma said OVL's next incremental production will come from Columbia where it has made a significant discovery and from Iran where it is negotiating a contract for a gas field it had discovered.

OVL plans to spend USD 1 billion in the current fiscal to drill new wells and add production facilities in fields from Russia to Venezuela.

The company has 633 million tonnes of oil and oil equivalent gas reserves in its assets abroad.

Acquisition of Vankor added 72.58 million tonnes of oil and oil equivalent gas (15 per cent) and 51.96 million tonnes (11 per cent) of reserves to its portfolio.

Though the company had been in existence since 1965, its first production started only in 2002-03. In its first three decades, it did no major acquisition and its first breakthrough came in 1988 when it acquired stake in an oil and gas field in Vietnam. The next acquisition happened only 2001 when it bought 20 per cent stake in Sakhalin-1 project in Russia. There was no looking back thereafter.

It has so far invested USD 27.23 billion in overseas projects, the highest by any Indian company.

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A Pakistani man accused the Indian High Commission here of detaining his newly-wed Indian wife after they went there to apply for his visa, media reports said today.

Uzma, who belongs to New Delhi, and Tahir met in Malaysia and and fell in love with each other after which she travelled to Pakistan on May 1 via the Wagah border. The two contracted nikkah (marriage) on May 3.

According to Tahir, they visited the High Commission building and submitted visa forms as well as their phones to the officials. Uzma then went inside on being called by the officials while he stayed back, reports said.

When his wife did not return after several hours, Tahir enquired about her from officials, who claimed she was not there. Tahir alleged that the officials also refused to give their three mobile phones back to him.

Tahir said he has filed a First Information Report (FIR) in the Secretariat Police Station.

On the other hand, the Indian High Commission claimed that Uzma has been staying there out of her own will, Geo said.

They said that they have told her husband to visit the High Commission tomorrow to meet his wife and get the visa as well, it said.

Earlier an Indian High Commission official when enquired about the alleged detention told PTI, "Plz check with JSXP (External Affairs Ministry Spokesman) in Delhi."



The matter has also been taken up at the diplomatic level by Pakistan, the reports said.

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With an aim to create a distinctive identity for its premium products, biscuits and confectionery maker has created a new division Platina, and is eyeing a quarter of its revenue from this segment over the next two to three years.

"Brands like Hide & Seek, Milano, Mexitos and Simply Good are more futuristic and aspirational. These brands are very different from the mother brand, .

"Hence, we wanted to create a distinct identity for these set of brands, and hence Parle Platina came about, which will consolidate our premium brands under one division," Parle Products Category Head Mayank Shah told PTI.

The new division will also include the company's gourmet snack offering Parle Mexitos.

The premium segment is growing at 15-20 per cent for the company and Shah said, "there is a huge growth potential for premium products over the next 2-3 years and we see this segment contributing to about a quarter of our revenue."



Parle Products enjoys a market share of 15 per cent in the premium biscuit industry and the city-based company is aiming to increase it to 25 per cent in the next two years.

The premium biscuit industry stands at Rs 6,500 crore growing at 14-15 per cent, according to Nielsen.

The company's mass brands include flagship product Parle G, Parle Marie, KrackJack and Monaco, among others.

The biscuit major will invest substantially in Parle Platina and will unveil a new packaging and logo, which will feature prominently for all products under this division.

"Going forward, we will be adding new products, new formats and new innovations under the Platina division," Shah said.
Peace is necessary for carrying out development, Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti said today adding that her government is trying to address the problems faced by people living in the far-flung areas of the state.

"The government is conscious of the difficulties in border and far flung areas and efforts are apace to mitigate the sufferings of the people. (But) peace is crucial for undertaking developmental activities," Mufti said.

She was speaking at the foundation stone laying ceremony of a model village in Machil area of north Kashmir's Kupwara district here today, an official spokesman said here.

Earlier in the day,she also visited a village in Awoora area to express condolences to the family of constable Muhammad Qasim who was killed in south Kashmir's Kulgam district on May 1 when a bank cash-van was looted by militants.

The model village at Machil would be developed at a cost of Rs 22 crore and would be completed in three years.

Mufti said she would like the area to have facilities in health, education, recreation for youth and other necessities under the Model Village project rather than just a mass of concrete and mortar.

She emphasised on involvement of locals in the works to be taken up under the model village project.

The chief minister said nature has bestowed Machil with abundant beauty and focus of her government would be to develop tourism in the area to maximise tourist arrivals which would also generate employment.

She also reviewed measures to enhance tourist footfall to the Bungus-Drangyari circuit in the district, the spokesman said.

During a meeting here, she was informed that the famed Bungus valley in this frontier district is being developed as a Himalayan biosphere valley and around Rs 15 crore are being expended on developing tourism infrastructure in its catchment.

Terming Bungus as the future of Kashmir tourism, the Chief Minister directed holding of a tourist festival in Bungus valley in midsummer this year.

She said that would not only expose the destination to potential customers, but also give a fillip to tourist footfall to the area.

Mehbooba also directed holding of excursions and visits for the students of schools in the state and local people so that the potential of the place is adequately marketed.

The Chief Minister was informed that Bungus is being developed as Himalayan biosphere valley by Tourism Department under which no concrete structure would be raised within the valley and all tourist infrastructures in the catchment areas would be developed in conformity with local architectural pattern and cultural ethos.

The destination would be offering eco, adventure and cultural tourism in a single package, the review meeting was informed, the spokesman said.

Earlier, the Chief Minister visited the Manwan village of Awoora and conveyed her sympathies to the bereaved family of constable Muhammad Qasim who was killed in south Kashmir's Kulgam on May 1 when a bank cash-van was attacked by militants.

Mehbooba sat with the family of the slain constable and consoled his aged parents and young kids.

She said the government would take all possible steps for the rehabilitation of the dependents of the slain cop, the spokesman said.

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In some good for bookworms, scientists have found that people who regularly read fiction are more likely to be friendly, well-behaved and sympathetic towards others.

Those who prefer watching television over reading are less sociable, according to the study.

Those who like reading of drama and romance were best able to understand other people, while those who preferred experimental books showed more positive social behaviour and ability to see things from different perspectives.

"The findings support previous evidence that exposure to fiction relates to a range of empathetic abilities," said Rose Turner, from Kingston University in the UK.

Researchers at Kingston University questioned 123 people on their preferences for books, TV and plays.

The volunteers were then tested on their interpersonal skills and prosocial behaviour - such as whether they considered other's feelings, whether they could see things from different points of view and whether they acted to help others.

Researchers found people who preferred reading were more likely to show positive social behaviour and be able to empathise with others.

However, those who preferred watching TV did not have the same ability to empathise and were more likely to show antisocial behaviour.

Comedy fans scored the highest for being able to relate to others, 'The Sun' reported.

Researchers suggest that this could be because reading books allows people to see things from other's points of view, which makes them better able to understand others.

"All forms of fiction are not equal. Associations between empathetic skills, media and genre diverge," said Turner.

"Engaging with fictional prose and comedy, in particular, could be key to enhancing people's empathetic abilities," she said.
Philippine police believe a Shiite Muslim cleric was the likely target of explosions that killed two people in Manila, an official said today, rejecting Islamic State claims of involvement.

Six others were injured when two explosions rocked the office of the imam, Nasser Abinal, in the capital's busy Quiapo district on Saturday.

Oscar Albayalde, head of police forces in the capital, said the bomb was apparently intended for Abinal who is also government tax officer for the Manila region.

He was not at the office at the time.

"He admitted there were threats to his life in the past" while being questioned by police, Albayalde told AFP.

The bomb was carried in a package by a hired delivery man who handed it over to an aide of Abinal just before it went off, killing them both.

As police were searching the blast site late Saturday, another explosion rocked the area, possibly from a second bomb planted earlier, said Albayalde.

"This has nothing to do with terrorism. There is no indication that this was done by a terror group, local or foreign," he said.

The Islamic State group has claimed it staged the explosion.

"Five Shiites were killed and six others wounded in a bomb blast by Islamic State fighters in the centre of Manila," said a statement from Amaq, IS's propaganda arm.

Albayalde said this was just the IS custom of taking credit for any such incidents.

The Islamic State has carried out attacks in other countries on Shiite sites and events.

But Albayalde said the attack seemed to be targeting Abinal, adding that it may be for personal reasons, his work or his religion.

Tension remained high after the blasts, with police cordoning off the area again on Sunday after a suspicious bag was spotted.

A bomb disposal robot later established it was a false alarm.

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte's spokesman Ernesto Abella urged the public to stay alert but avoid spreading "unverified" that may cause panic.

The Philippines is a mainly Catholic country but has a significant Muslim minority, some of whom live in the Quiapo district.

Just over a week ago another explosion injured 14 people in Quiapo as Southeast Asian leaders were meeting for a summit a few kilometres away.

IS claimed responsibility for the April 28 explosion, but police insisted it was not a terrorist attack and not related to the gathering of political leaders.

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A senior pilot of Pakistan's flag carrier PIA has been taken off duty for allegedly sleeping on a London-bound flight and risking the lives of over 300 passengers by handing over the aircraft to a trainee.

Captain Amir Akhtar Hashmi had taken a two-and-a-half- hour nap in the business class passenger cabin on April 26 soon after flight PK-785 took off from Islamabad for London, the Dawn reported.

The issue would have gone unnoticed, but one of the passengers saw the uniformed pilot sleeping. Upon learning about who he was, the passenger raised the matter with cabin crew and an airhostess registered his complaint.

Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) was initially reluctant to take action against Hashmi, a former president of the highly influential Pakistan Air Lines Pilots Association (PALPA), but later caved in to "pressure from above".

PIA spokesman Danyal Gilani said Hashmi, who "compromised air safety and put the lives of over 305 passengers on board at risk", has been taken off from flying duty pending an investigation.

During the journey, Hashmi asked Mohammad Asad Ali to control the flight, while regular first officer Ali Hassan Yazdani sat in the observer's seat in the cockpit.

Hashmi, an instructor, gets over Rs 100,000 each month to train pilots. He was supposed to train Yazdani during the flight, however, instead of performing his duty, Hashmi went for a quick lie-down, the report said.

Meanwhile, Hashmi told PTI that it was a normal practice that a pilot takes a nap during long-hour flights in the presence of co-pilots.

"It is a wrong allegation that I took a two-and-a-half hour sleep during the flight. I did not sleep during the said flight," Hashmi clarified.

The flight was carrying over 305 passengers - 293 in the economy class and 12 in the club class.

The development has surfaced at a time when a top PIA official, facing serious allegations of corruption, left the country yesterday after he was given a special exemption by the Interior Ministry to fly abroad for a month even though his name is still on the country's no-fly list.

Bernd Hildenbrand, the suspended CEO of the national flag carrier is under investigation on charges of corruption amounting to billions of rupees. The Federal Investigation Agency is probing the corruption charges against him.

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Terming Prime Minister Narendra Modi's stand on 'triple talaq' as "communal campaign" CPI-M leader Sitaram Yechury today questioned his alleged silence on impediments to widows' remarriage in other religions.

CPI-M is opposed to all forms of oppressions to and discrimination against women, including that through 'triple talaq' and thousands of widows not being allowed to marry again in name of religious practices, he said here.

"Modi's campaign against triple talaq is a communal campaign," alleged CPI-M general secretary while accusing the prime minister of not taking steps on various other issues concerning woman, including the Women Reservation Bill.

Yechury questioned Modi's stance on 'triple talaq' while addressing a national seminar on the occasion of 150th year of publication of Karl Marx's book "Das Kapital" here.

He urged Prime Minister Modi to hold discussions with the representatives of all religions for reforming all practices concerning women of all faiths.

Referring to the prime minister's statement that the Muslim sisters should also get justice, Yechury said he was also of the opinion that the "triple talaq should go" along with other practices prevailing in other religions.

"Why widows' remarriage are not allowed? They are not allowed to remarry," the CPI(M) leader claimed adding such a situation prevailed in the prime minister's Lok Sabha constituency Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh too.

"If the prime minister is really sympathetic to women, why is he not talking about his own constituency? What about the husbands leaving women without saying triple talaq?" asked Yechury.

The seminar had been jointly organised by EMS Study and Research Centre and Economics department of the Cochin University of Science and Technology (CUSAT).

Yechury, a Rajya Sabha member, said if the prime minister was really concerned about the plight of women, he would have initiated the steps to pass the Women's Reservation Bill in Parliament particularly when the BJP is having a clear majority in the Lower House of Parliament.

He said though Rajya Sabha had passed it in 2010, the Lok Sabha never voted on the legislation which seeks to reserve 33 per cent of seats in Parliament and legislatures to women.

Modi had last month urged the Muslim community to ensure that the 'triple talaq' issue was not "politicised," and hoped that intellectuals from the community would come forward to fight the practice.

The opposition parties, however, had charged Modi with politicising the triple talaq issue to gain electoral mileage.

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The Kerala Police is investigating the circulation of a pro-Islamic State message on social media that urges the state's youth to follow the terror outfit's doctrine, a senior police official said today.

The Internal Security wing of state Intelligence initiated the probe after one Harris Mastan of Kasargod on Thursday received a WhatsApp message saying he had been added to a group christened "Messageof Kerala".

The message was purportedly sent by one of the 21 Keralite youths who went missing and were believed to have joined the IS last year.

The message from Abdulla, hailing from Trikharipur in Kasargod district, allegedly urged the youth to take up the path of 'jihad'. Harris immediately forwarded it to Kasargod Circle Inspector Abdul Rahman.

"We had received the WhatsApp message forwarded by Harris two days ago. We have forwarded it to the Internal Security wing", said Rahman when contacted.

Deputy Superintendent of Intelligence wing (Internal Security), T P Suresh said: "We are inquiring into the message and collecting further details. So far, no case has been registered. After looking into all the details, we will book a case. This is only a WhatsApp message".

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Sacked Delhi minister Kapil Mishra today accused Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal of taking Rs 2 crore from his cabinet colleague, a charge refuted by Deputy CM Manish Sisodia.

The allegation by Mishra, who was sacked from the AAP dispensation last night, came amid growing rumblings in the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP).

Mishra, whose surprise sacking came days after he sided with senior party leader Kumar Vishwas who has been at loggerheads with the AAP leadership, said he has given a statement to Lt Governor Anil Baijal regarding various irregularities seen by him during his two-year stint as a Cabinet minister in the Kejriwal government.

"I saw with my own eyes Satyendar Jain giving Rs 2 crore in cash to Arvind Kejriwal at his residence. When I asked Kejriwal, he said such things happen in politics and it will be revealed later," Mishra told reporters after paying homage to Mahatma Gandhi at his memorial at Rajghat here.

He also alleged that Jain, the Health and PWD minister in AAP government, told him "personally" that he had "settled a land deal of Kejriwal's relative".

"Jain personally told me that he had settled a land deal worth Rs 50 crore of Kejriwal's relative. When I told Kejriwal, he said that it was a lie and asked me to have faith in him."



Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia said the allegations of corruption levelled by Mishra did not merit a response.

"His allegations do not merit a response. He has been sacked due to poor performance," Sisodia told reporters.

"The allegations are so absurd and there are no facts," he added.

However, Mishra claimed that he was removed after he put pressure on the party leaders over matters of "corruption" that have been taking rounds for quite some time.

"I want to ask if it was so, why did not Kejriwal and Manish Sisodia say it earlier. If they were fooling people when they were talking about work done by their government in developing water supply in the city," the former Delhi Water minister said.

For a long time, talks about different types of "corruption" involving fundings, Punjab elections and Delhi government have been making rounds, he said.

"I saw some of it with my own eyes but I believed in Kejriwal and felt no one can corrupt him. The cases of money laundering, black money and appointment of daughter of a minister (Jain), luxury bus scheme, CNG fitness test scam, all these were in his knowledge and I always believed he will take action."



He asserted that he will fight "corruption" while remaining in the AAP and no one can throw him out from the party.

"AAP is my party, no one can throw me out of the party. We will sweep corruption away from the party and I have come here (Rajghat) to begin this work," he said.

Mishra asserted his honesty saying he was a minister in the Kejriwal government for two years but faced no corruption charges.

"I am the only minister in Kejriwal government who has no corruption cases against him and who is facing no CBI or ACB probe and who has not appointed his daughter or relative on any post," he said.

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Unparallelled space bonding was witnessed on Friday when seven heads of states from South Asia unanimously applauded India's Rs 450 crore gift to its neighbours by way of a communications satellite.

There is no precedent in the space-faring world of a free regional communications satellite being gifted like this, and it shows India has a large heart.

Touted as Prime Minister Narendra Modi's pet project, the South Asia Satellite is now in orbit, so the riskiest, but easy, part is really over and undoubtedly the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has delivered.

The tricky bit starts now when the seven member-states have to start putting in their own hard earned resources to get the ground infrastructure in place and to get the software ready for the content that will be beamed by the satellite. Easier said than done.

Speaking at the live video conference after the successful launch, Modi said "Today is a historic day for South Asia. A day without precedence. Two years ago, India made a promise. A promise to extend the advanced space technology for the cause of growth and prosperity of our brothers and sisters in South Asia.

"The successful launch of the South Asia Satellite marks the fulfilment of that. With this launch we have started a journey to build the most advanced frontier of our partnership," Modi said.

What was actually left unsaid was that with this single out-of-the-box foreign policy initiative, New Delhi was essentially trying to contain China's growing influence in the region. In its cussedness, Pakistan opted out of the project citing its existing space programme which everyone knows is rather primitive in comparison to India's advanced space- faring capabilities.

While there is no doubt India has end-to-end capabilities in space technology but many of the country's space assets often turn into so-called "white elephants in space".

In the past, the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) has come down heavily on ISRO for the non-utilisation of space imageries that the country's vast remote sensing satellites collected but which remained locked up and were not available to the civilian planners.

Some of that has changed but still high-quality satellite images of less than one meter resolution remain out of bounds for civilians. Similarly, India's Rs 450 crore Edusat--a communications satellite launched in 2004 to "reach the unreached" through interactive teaching--did not live up to its objectives.

The National Institute of Advanced Studies, Bengaluru evaluated the EduSat and concluded that it remained "under- utilised' as it was a top-driven technology initiative where enough thought was not given to generation of appropriate content.

More recently in 2014, ISRO launched the highly controversial GAST-6, a satellite that provides unprecedented satellite-based multimedia capabilities for India's armed forces but till date reports suggest that the handsets that would enable satellite telephony and handheld capability are still being developed.

Between 2013 and 2016, India placed in orbit a constellation of seven navigation satellites in space costing about Rs 1,500 crore but while the space-based system is constantly beaming down signals yet it seems chipsets that can effectively tap these GPS-like signals are still under development.

It seems the 16,000 dedicated workforce of ISRO delivers what it is mandated for but on the downstream side the line ministries seem to fail to capitalise on the gains.

It is too early to assess the outcome of South Asia Satellite for that we may need to wait another 12 years which is the nominal mission life of the satellite. But in daily life when one receives expensive gifts that also need to be serviced with lots of money on a continuous basis, they often turn dust collectors.

Let us hope Afghanistan, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, India and the Maldives will collectively and individually put in the several million dollars a year that may be necessary to effectively tap the benefits of the friendly bird in the sky.

There could be many other reasons why the countries that got the "invaluable gift" may not fully utilise it since several of India's neighbours already have advanced communication satellites in orbit or are in the process of acquiring them.

The war-torn country of Afghanistan, whose President Ashraf Ghani said "If we can't cooperate on land, we can at least cooperate in the sky", participated at the highest level in the unprecedented video conference but sources have said it is yet to ink the deal and cites technical reasons. Hopefully that will happen soon.

But if one analyses its satellite communications capabilities one finds that Afghanistan already possesses a satellite called AfghanSAT. This is a communications satellite it has leased from a European country.

Interestingly, the AfghanSAT which was formerly called W2M is an Indian-made satellite. This satellite was made in the same facility where the South Asia Satellite has been fabricated in the ISRO Satellite Centre in Bengaluru.

In 2014, when Kabul acquired the satellite the then Communication and Information Technology Minister Amirzai Sangin said the satellite "is a new milestone in the development of the ICT [Information and Communications Technologies] in Afghanistan, which in the last 12 years has already seen mobile telephony coverage of 88 per cent and penetration grow from zero to 75 per cent through the licensing of six operators".

One will have to wait and watch how the Afghans finally decide to utilise the services of the South Asia Satellite.

Nepal is a country that felt the need to have a communications satellite in place soon after the devastating 2015 Kathmandu earthquake.

Towards that as recently as December 2016, the Himalayan country has floated a global tender to acquire not one but two of its own communications satellites. May be the Nepali government will dirty its hands by testing Satcom technology on India's gift but whether it will set up a duplicate infrastructure in the long run is something one will have to wait and watch.

Today Nepal already utilises telemedicine facilities using India's INSAT satellites and hospitals in Kathmandu are often hooked up to hospitals in New Delhi and Chandigarh for medical consultations.

Bangladesh is one country because of its deltaic geography it can benefit greatly by having well established capabilities of Satcom.

Speaking at the video conference, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina said "this is an extremely important step to know nature and nature's patterns. On today's auspicious occasion betterment of our people can happen through fruitful engagement".

But at the same time without waiting for the South Asia Satellite to kick in, Bangladesh initiated expanding its capabilities in space and hopes that by the end of this year its very own Bangabandhu-1 satellite will be in orbit as reports suggest that it is being made by the French company Thales Alenia Space. The total cost of the satellite is USD 248 million. Bangabandhu-1 carries a total of 40 Ku and C-band transponders. In contrast, India is offering capacity of about one transponder.

Sri Lanka already owns a communication satellite called SupremeSat which it acquired in 2012 and is operated by SupremeSAT (Pvt) Limited, a Sri Lankan satellite operator.

Interestingly, it has partnership with China's state- owned satellite manufacturing institution China Great Wall Industry Corporation. This satellite has a capacity of 56 transponders.

A less than effervescent Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena, joining in from Colombo for the video conference, said "May this initiative support people in all regions, enhance economic conditions and help to eliminate poverty".

But with China already having the first mover advantage will it let India get a toehold on the island nation?



The Maldives and Bhutan are the two countries that have minimal space-faring capabilities and hopefully will be the biggest beneficiaries of the fruits of the South Asia satellite.

No wonder then that Maldives President Abdulla Yameen actually echoed Modi's words by saying "this launch is an example of India's 'neighbour first policy'. We must work for common good, better economic opportunities. Sabka Saath Sabka Vikas".

India on the other hand is the biggest donor and possibly the biggest beneficiary from the project. Over the 12 year nominal life of the satellite India is extending aid which would be worth at least USD 1,500 million, if one extrapolates the total cost of the project over 12 years.

A highly optimistic and visionary space buff that Modi is, he said "The South Asia Satellite tells us that even the sky is not the limit when it comes to regional cooperation among like-minded countries".

Hopefully, the 2,230 kg South Asia Satellite will remain a friendly bird in the sky and not morph into a "white elephant in space".

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West Bengal Education Minister Partha Chatterjee has said the government wants students to give first priority to studies and attend classes regularly.

"Students should give first priority to studies and union activities would come after that," Chatterjee told media on the sidelines of a function at Dinabandhu Andrews College in south Kolkata last evening.

Disapproving of students with very little attendance heading student unions, Chatterjee said, "We are not in favour of students with 2-3 per cent attendance in colleges leading student bodies."



"We are taking a relook at the issue," the minister said commenting "During my tenure as general secretary of the students' union in my college I seldom skipped classes.

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NRI industrialist Lord Swraj Paul has lauded Prime Minister Narendra Modi's efforts to eradicate corruption, saying he has managed to put the fear of law in the minds of corrupt people.

Paul, the Chairman of the Caparo Group which has over 20 manufacturing units in India, also said Modi is very committed and he is very clear where he wants to take the country.

"The Prime Minister has managed to put the fear of law in the minds of corrupt people," Paul said here last evening.

Referring to demonetisation, he said, "People have come to believe it is a serious effort and a lot of black money has been unearthed. Now fear of getting involved in black money has increased a lot. People have started realising the consequences of indulging in black money."



Paul, who just returned from India after meetings with President Pranab Mukherjee, Prime Minister Modi and several ministers, said there is a sense of optimism and progress.

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On the back of an over 11 per cent growth last year, largest commercial vehicles maker expects to ship at least 15 per cent more trucks and buses this financial year as it hopes to export at least half of the banned BS-III inventory.

The company also expects domestic sale of commercial vehicles, led by LCVs and buses, to grow 10-15 per cent in fiscal 2018 aided by a favourbale GST rate and the likely normal monsoons.

"We expect our exports to grow 15 per cent this year over last year when we grew over 11 per cent and for the first time crossed the 60,000-mark. This will be partly because we expect to ship at least 8,000 of the banned 15,000 BS-III trucks and buses in the Saarc markets, primarily Nepal, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh where we already have good presence, and also in the West Asian and African markets," executive director for commercial vehicles unit Ravi Pisharody told PTI.

In fiscal 2017, for the first time-crossed the 60,000-mark in CV exports at over 61,200 units, which was a growth over 11 per cent in fiscal 2016, while its cumulative CV sales in the domestic market had slipped 1 per cent to 3,25,211 units.

During the year, its bus exports improved marginally to 5,650 units from 5,142 units, while Leyland's declined massively to to 4,877 units from 6,135 units.

Following the March 28 Supreme Court ban on sale, was left with around 15,000 trucks and buses while its dealers are sitting on around 3,000 units. Out of this, it expects to ship at least 8,000 units beginning this month to the Saarc markets, where it already sells over 500 units each every month, Pisharody had said, adding this was worth around Rs 4,000 crore.

Pishaordy had said the a portion of the unsold BS-III units would be converted at minimal cost and the remaining would be cannibalised for parts. Parts like gears, steering, seats and tyres, etc, could be used in BS-IV models, he added. The company began the new fiscal year on a high note in April by bagging an order for 500 buses from Ivory Cost.

It can be noted that for the first time in many years, Tata Motors overtook Ashol Leyland in bus market share with a wide margin in fiscal 2017, when its bus volumes (medium and heavy segment) grew 22 per cent to 18,198 units from 14,917 units. On the contrary, the Hinduja group company saw its bus sales decline by 10 per cent to 17,725 units.

Tata Motors now command over 40 per cent of bus market share, which went by 7 percentage points from fiscal 2016.

"We added almost 7 percentage points to our market share in the year," Pisharody had said adding, "as our volumes clipped 26 per cent in the intermediate, medium & heavy commercial vehicle bus category."



Also, Tata Motors led the LCV growth by more than double the industry growth rate in fiscal 2017 clipping at 22 per cent. And it is confident of this trend continuing in fiscal 2018 as well, overall driving the industry vloume by clocking 10-15 per cent growth in domestic sales, Pisharody had told PTI late last month.

The industry lobby Siam has forecast a 4-6 per cent growth in fiscal 2018 for the commercial vehicles segment in fiscal 2018.

For fiscal 2017, Tata Motors' cumulative sales stood at 5,42,561 units, up 6 per cent over 5,11,705 vehicles sold in 2015-16. During the year, its bus market (medium and heavy) grew 8 per cent to 47,262 units.

Tata Motors' share in the medium and heavy CV market came down to 49.2 per cent in fiscal 2017 from 52 per cent. In light CVs, it marginally declined to 38 per cent.
France went to the polls today to choose between centrist Emmanuel Macron and far-right leader Marine Le Pen for president, in a watershed election marked by falling turnout after an extremely divisive campaign.

The vote, seen as crucial for Europe's future, caps a rollercoaster race marked by mudslinging, scandals and a last-minute hacking attack targeting Macron, a 39-year-old former banker who has never held elected office.

The run-off vote pits the pro-Europe, pro-business Macron against the anti-immigration, anti-EU Le Pen, two radically different visions that underline a split in Western democracies.

Turnout at 1500 GMT stood at 65.30 per cent, 6.6 points down on the 2012 presidential election and about four points lower than the April 23 first round, data from the interior ministry showed.

Le Pen, 48, has portrayed the ballot as a contest between "globalists" such as Macron, who back free trade and immigration, and "patriots" who defend national borders and identities.

She is hoping to spring a shock win that would resonate as widely as Britain's decision to withdraw from the European Union or the unexpected victory of US President Donald Trump.

Macron, who topped the first round of the election on April 23, is the runaway favourite however, with polls giving him a lead of more than 20 points over Le Pen.

Most polling stations close at 1700 GMT, but those in big cities will stay open an hour longer. First estimated results will be published at 1800 GMT.

Le Pen cast a ballot in her northern stronghold of Henin-Beaumont, where bare-breasted Femen activists climbed scaffolding on a church and unfurled a banner reading: "Power for Marine, despair for Marianne," referring to the symbol of France. Macron and his wife Brigitte voted in the northern seaside resort of Le Touquet where they have a holiday home.

Both candidates later travelled to Paris to see in the results.

"The world is watching," said 32-year-old marketing worker Marie Piot as she voted in a working-class part of northwest Paris.

"After Brexit and Trump, it's as if we are the last bastion of the Enlightenment," she said.

In a sign of the security jitters caused by a string of jihadist attacks since 2015, the square outside the Louvre Museum, where Macron will hold a victory party if elected, was evacuated today afternoon.

A spokesman for Macron's En Marche (On The Move) movement said a suspicious package had been found.

Outgoing Socialist President Francois Hollande, who decided in December against seeking re-election, cast his ballot in his former electoral fiefdom of Tulle, in central France.

Hollande, who plucked Macron from virtual obscurity to name him economy minister in 2014, said voting "is always an important, significant act, heavy with consequences".

The last polls before the vote showed Macron extending his lead to around 62 per cent to 38 per cent over Le Pen after a bruising TV debate in which Macron was seen as the hands-down winner.

The hacking of his campaign was revealed on Friday evening. Paris prosecutors are investigating the attack, a source close to the case said today.

Hundreds of thousands of emails and documents were dumped online and then spread by anti-secrecy group WikiLeaks, in what the candidate called an attempt at "democratic destabilisation".

France's election authority said publishing the documents could be a criminal offence, a warning heeded by traditional media organisations.

Whoever wins Sunday's vote, it is set to cause profound change for France, the world's sixth-biggest economy, a permanent member of the UN Security Council and a global military power.

It is the first time neither of the country's traditional parties has a candidate in the final round of the presidential election under the modern French republic, founded in 1958.

Macron would be France's youngest-ever president and was a virtual unknown before his two-year stint as economy minister, the launchpad for his presidential bid.

He left the Socialist government in August and formed his movement that he says is neither of the left nor the right and which has attracted 250,000 members.

Macron campaigned on pledges to ease labour laws, boost education in deprived areas and extend new protections to the self-employed.

He is also fervently pro-European and wants to re- energise the soon-to-be 27-member European Union, following Britain's referendum vote last June to leave.

National Front leader Le Pen sees herself as part of the same backlash against globalisation that has emerged as a powerful theme in the United States and in recent elections in Britain, Austria and The Netherlands.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The scandal over Russian meddling in last year's presidential election returns to the forefront of Washington politics after weeks of quiet tomorrow, when two top officials from the Obama administration are set to testify in Congress.

Sally Yates -- acting attorney general in the Trump administration for 10 days before being fired -- could bring new pressure on the White House over what it knew about former national security advisor Michael Flynn's communications with Russian officials.

Obama's director of national intelligence James Clapper is also set to testify, after repeatedly warning of the need to get to the bottom of how the Russians interfered in the election, and whether anyone on President Donald Trump's team colluded with Moscow.

The case has simmered for weeks as attention focused elsewhere on what keynote legislation the president could push through in his first 100 days, reached on Sunday.

Congressional investigations into the matter have also been held up by infighting between Democrats and Republicans over how aggressively to pursue a matter that continues to cast a cloud over Trump's election win.

Trump this week repeated his dismissal of US intelligence chiefs' conclusion that Moscow had sought to boost his campaign over his Democratic rival Hillary Clinton's in an effort overseen by Russian President Vladimir Putin.

In an interview with CBS's "Face the Nation" program marking his 100 days, Trump again rejected the official view that Russians hacked Democratic Party computers and communications.

"(It) could have been China, could have been a lot of different groups," he said.

On Tuesday, he again branded the whole story as fake.

"The phony Trump/Russia story was an excuse used by the Democrats as justification for losing the election," he said on Twitter.

Trump's dismissals notwithstanding, the Senate Judiciary Committee -- where Yates and Clapper appear tomorrow -- and the House and Senate Intelligence Committees are stepping up their probes, calling numerous current and former government witnesses to testify, mostly behind closed doors.

And the FBI continues its own active investigation into possible collusion.

The country's top intelligence officials have no doubt Moscow tried to swing the election against Clinton last year through hacking and disinformation.

Nor is there any doubt that people closely associated with the Trump campaign -- including Flynn, onetime foreign affairs advisor Carter Page and campaign chairman Paul Manafort -- all had ongoing contacts with Russians.

But whether those contacts resulted in any collusion with Moscow remains unproved.

Asked on CNN this week if she had yet seen any evidence of collusion in private intelligence briefings, Senator Diane Feinstein, the top Democrat on the Senate Intelligence Committee, responded: "Not at this time."



In tomorrow's hearing, Yates -- an Obama deputy attorney general who was fired by Trump for refusing to support his immigration ban -- reportedly could testify that she warned the incoming administration in January that Flynn's discussions with Russia's US ambassador left him vulnerable to blackmail.

A former military intelligence chief, Flynn was Trump's national security advisor for 24 days before he was fired for lying about the substance of the calls.

Clapper, still bound by secrecy requirements of his former job, might not add more than what the intelligence community has already said publicly about the scandal.

The more serious investigative action in the coming weeks will take place out of the public eye. The House and Senate intelligence committees are holding interviews with current intelligence and Trump campaign officials behind closed doors.

The Senate side has warned possible witnesses, including Flynn, Page and Manafort, that they could be subpoenaed to testify if they do not voluntarily cooperate with the probe, according to the New York Times.

In a statement Friday, the top senators of the Senate committee specifically warned Page, a former Moscow-based investment banker, to meet their week-old request for specific documents.

"Should Mr Page choose to not provide the material requested" by specified dates, they said, "the committee will consider its next steps.

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Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai) will "look into" the complaints about operators doling out customised retention offers to influence subscribers who want to shift to a rival network.

Chairman R S Sharma asserted that all offerings by operators need to be transparent, non-discriminatory and filed with the regulator but refused to be drawn into the specifics.

"If these complaints have come, we will certainly look into them. Because the tariff has to satisfy the criteria of being transparent and being non-discriminatory. So these principles have to be followed...We will look into that," Sharma told PTI.

He was responding to a query about views on newcomer Reliance Jio's recent allegation that incumbent operators are lining up customised retention offers for subscribers wanting to shifting out of their network.

In a letter to last month, Jio had termed such methods as being "unfair and deceptive", and claimed that the offers were being presented to customers "surreptitiously" on a one-to-one basis and not available to the general public.

Nor are the companies openly publicising such offers on their website as is stipulated, Jio charged, demanding that "strongest action" against the three operators - Airtel, Vodafone and Idea Cellular  for what it termed as a gross violation of Trai's norms.

"I remember having discussions in Trai in one of the meetings that such complaints have come. But I have not seen the specific complaints," Sharma said.

While it may be natural for operators to play up offerings and the strength of their networks to the departing customers, telcos cannot offer plans that they do not file with Trai, he said.

"If someone tries to leave, people will tell him ours is the best network, that is part of the business. (But) I don't think any operator should be giving a plan which is not given to Trai...Or is not a part of their standard set of plans," he said.

As per the norms, while tariffs are under forbearance, every plan has to be filed with the Trai within 7 working days from its launch.

Asked if the regulator will call operators for a meeting to discuss and resolve the issue, Sharma said the matter was still in a "preliminary" stage.

"This is preliminary...We will certainly take necessary action within the framework of our regulation," he emphasised.

Admitting that business rivalry comes into play when operators compete in a hyper-competitive market, Sharma said that the regulator will have to look into every complaint and take a call.

In its complaint, Jio had alleged that such practices are in violation of tariff reporting requirements of Trai and breach the limit of 25 plans (prepaid and postpaid) allowed as per regulations to operators.

However, Airtel and Vodafone had refuted Jio's allegations saying they were in compliance of all regulatory guidelines including tariff orders and mobile number portability regulations.
Police have arrested a typist working at the office of Maharashtra minister Ramdas Kadam for trying to 'extort money' using the minister's name.

Kadam, a senior Shiv Sena leader, is the minister for Environment.

Mahesh Sawant, typist-cum-clerk was working at Kadam's residential office here. He called up a few people using the official phone and demanded money from them, a senior police official said.

When the minister came to know about Sawant's actions, he informed the police, the officer said.

A complaint was lodged at the Malabar Hill police station in South Mumbai on Friday. Police arrested Sawant on the same day, the official added.

As per the FIR, Sawant had demanded Rs 10 lakh from a businessman from Vidarbha region. Police were probing if Sawant had made similar demand from others, the official said.

The accused has been booked under section 384 (extortion) of the IPC, he added.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray today said the farmers in Maharashtra are going through a bad phase and demanded a loan waiver for them.

He said sowing will begin in mid-June and the farmers need to be debt-free, otherwise they will not get fresh crop loan.

"Farmers' issues are highly sensitive. One should not overstretch it. If farmers stop tilling the fields, it will be the end for all," Uddhav told reporters in Aurangabad.

"We are launching a campaign -- 'I shall be debt free' -- focusing on farmers' plight in the state. The farming community is passing through a bad phase and loan waiver is the much-needed remedy," he said.

Farmers' produce did not incur good returns following the tur dal crisis where despite the state's intervention, procurement centres are purchasing very little amount of tur or split red gram, Uddhav said.

"The district central cooperative banks are weak. Hence, credit supply is largely dependent on public and private sector banks," the Sena chief said.

The budget session of the Maharashtra Legislature was largely affected due to the agrarian crisis. After the opposition parties took out 'Sangharsh Yatra', Shiv Sena also launched its 'Shiv Sampark Abhiyaan'.

Uddhav held meetings in Aurangabad and said he will speak on regional issues during the 'Sampark Abhiyaan' in the coming days.

He also held a meeting with party MLAs from the Marathwada region. Uddhav held a discussion with party leaders over possible Shiv Sena candidates for the next Lok Sabha and assembly polls. A detailed report of the previous elections, candidates who contested the polls and vote share was discussed in the meeting, Sena sources said.

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Britain will deploy attack dogs which may respond only to particular acts or commands at the gates of its Parliament as part of the latest anti-terror security drive in the country.

The dogs will be stationed with police handlers at the weakest point, the gates through which Khalid Masood tried to gain entry into the Palace of Westminster during the March 22 attack in which four people, including an unarmed policeman guarding Parliament, were killed.

Sir Paul Beresford, former chairman of the House of Commons administration committee, said the dogs were being "seriously considered" in a review of perimeter security.

Other steps, including stronger vehicle barriers, are likely to form part of the review, which was due to report last week but has now been delayed by the general election next month, 'The Sunday Times' reports.

"The gates have to be open when MPs are coming into vote, but we recognise it is a chink in the armour," Beresford was quoted as saying by the paper.

"If some idiot who is not a terrorist runs in, and there are a few of those out there, the dog will drop them and they won't be shot," he said.

A second inquiry is examining security inside the building in central London.

Dogs, typically Alsatians, are already used on gate duties at British military bases during times of threat, although they are a rare sight outside the world's democratic parliaments.

The dogs can be trained to respond only to particular acts or commands.

A spokesperson for the Commons authorities declined to comment on the two reviews' contents before publication, but said that members' views were being considered in detail.

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The UN refugee agency sprang to the defence today of aid groups that rescue migrants in the Mediterranean, some of which have come under fire in Italy for alleged complicity with Libyan people smugglers.

An Italian prosecutor said last month that charity boats were colluding with traffickers off Libya, in what EU border agency Frontex described as tantamount to providing a "taxi" service to Europe.

But UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi paid tribute to the role of non-governmental organisations (NGOs), in comments about Mediterranean crossings over the weekend.

"The tireless efforts of the Italian Coast Guard, in coordination with Frontex .. And of NGOs are truly remarkable," he said in a statement.

"Together, they have saved tens of thousands of lives. In 2016, NGOs rescued more than 46,000 people in the central Mediterranean, representing over 26 per cent of all rescue operations. This trend continues, reaching 33 percent since the beginning of the year."



Some 6,000 migrants were rescued over Friday and yesterday in the Mediterranean in some 40 operations coordinated from Rome by Italian coastguards, as well as by several NGOs.

But these groups, in particular SOS Mediterranee and Medecins sans Frontieres (MSF), have been for some days the target of criticism from prosecutors and politicians in Italy.

NGOs have all dismissed suggestions of de facto collusion with smugglers as a baseless slur on volunteer crews whose only mission is to save lives in the absence of EU governments acting effectively to do so.

The number of people leaving Libya in the hope of starting a new life in Europe is up nearly 50 per cent this year compared with the opening months of 2016.

With most departures coming in the warm summer months, the trend points to around 250,000 people arriving over the course of 2017. Some 500,000 migrants were registered in Italy in the three years spanning 2014-16.

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US health regulator USFDA has issued a warning letter to drug firm Sal Pharma for its Hyderabad facility for misbranding and deviations from the good manufacturing norms.

The US Food and Drug Administration (USFDA) inspected the company's manufacturing facility at Hyderabad from June 27 to July 1, 2016, the regulator said.

"This warning letter summarises significant deviations from current good manufacturing practise (CGMP) for active pharmaceutical ingredients (API)", it added.

The letter to Sal Pharma owner Solomon Amrutharajan said: "During our inspection, we found that two of your suppliers were not registered with the FDA as drug manufacturers at the time of inspection."



However, the company shipped API from these firms to the US, and "declared on importation documents and the certificates of analysis (COA) that you provided to your customers that you were the manufacturer", it added.

The failure to declare the original manufacturers on the importation documents and COA provided to the customers enabled the entry of unregistered firms' products into the United States, the warning letter said.

Another deviation was failure to relabel and hold API under appropriate CGMP controls, it said.

Repackaging, relabelling, and holding of API must be performed under appropriate CGMP controls to avoid loss of API identity or purity, the regulator said.

USFDA added that though the company in its response had said that it intended to suspend exports to the US and would address FDA's observations prior to resuming exports to the country, the response was not inadequate.

"Your response is inadequate because you did not provide sufficient detail or evidence of corrective actions to bring your operations into compliance with CGMP prior to resuming distribution", it added.

The FDA also strongly recommended to the company to engage a CGMP consultant.

The company also misbranded the itraconazole and lansoprazole API labels as they bear only Sal Pharma's name without further qualifications, the labels falsely represent that Sal Pharma is the sole drug manufacturer, the letter said.

"Therefore, the itraconazole and lansoprazole API are misbranded under section 502(a) of the FD&C Act because the labels are false and misleading", it added.

The regulator said it had put Sal Pharma on Import Alert on February 15, 2017.

"Until you correct all deviations completely and we confirm your compliance with CGMP, FDA may withhold approval of any new applications or supplements listing your firm as a drug manufacturer", the letter said.

Failure to correct these deviations may also result in FDA continuing to refuse admission of articles manufactured at Sal Pharma in Hyderabad facility into the United States, it added.

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Newly appointed Congress general secretary in charge of Karnataka, K C Venugopal is all prepared to set the tone for the 2018 assembly election when he will arrive here tomorrow to discuss organisational issues, including proposing name for the post of KPCC president.

"I am coming to Bengaluru on Monday with an open mind for discussions related to various organisational matters of our party unit of Karnataka," he told PTI over phone from Alapuzha in Kerala.

Venugopal said he would hold talks with senior party leaders, including Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and G Parameshwara, the present state party president and others.

"I will be in Bengaluru for a minimum of three days. I have to discuss various issues with my senior leaders, including Siddaramaiah and Parameshwara," he said.

Asked whether proposing the name for Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee President's post would be on top of his agenda, he said he has not prioritised any issue, but would do so after getting an idea during discussions with the leaders.

"I have not prioritised any issue. It is a primary meeting and it is my maiden visit to Bengaluru...Also I am a novice to Karnataka politics. Therefore, I have to first meet the senior party leaders to understand the issues," he said.

Venugopal said he would get an idea after discussions with party leaders, based on which they would decide what the priorities should be and the need of the hour.

His arrival here will be after he met Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi, who had assigned him the task of understanding ground realities and the mood of party workers.

According to media reports, the names of D K Shivakumar, R Patil and M B Patil and present President Dr G Parameshwara are doing the rounds for getting the coveted post.

Asked about S M Krishna and former minister V Srinivasprasad joining the BJP, Venugopal said he would consult party leaders, including Siddaramaiah and work out a strategy to put a stop to Congress workers leaving the party.

To a question on anti-incumbency in the party, Venugopal said if there was any truth in it, Congress would not have won Nanjangud and Gudlupet bypolls last month.

He is expected to give a ground report to the High Command.

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West Bengal Governor Keshari Nath Tripathi was today admitted at a city hospital after he bled from the nose and underwent a minor surgery.

He was stable after the operation, an official said.

Tripathi was rushed to a private hospital at around 7.30 AM when the octogenarian started bleeding from his nose due to high blood pressure, a senior official of the Raj Bhawan said.

"The governor was admitted with acute severe Epistaxis (nose bleeding). He was found to have active bleeding from deviated nasal septum with nasal spur in left nostril with sinusitis," a release issued by the hospital during the day said.

A five-member medical team, which was constituted to keep 24-hour-long observation on Tripathi decided for a minor surgery to stop bleeding from his nose.

Later in the evening, the governor underwent an hour-long minor surgery.

"The operation was successful and the governor is doing fine. He has been shifted to the ICU and will be under observation for the next 24 hours," Governor's Press Secretary Manab Bandyopadhyay told PTI.

Meanwhile, following Tripathi's illness, all his engagements scheduled tomorrow, including the swearing-in programme of two state ministers have been postponed, Bandyopadhyay confirmed.

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee visited the hospital later in the evening and spoke to the doctors about the governor's health.

State Education minister Partha Chatterjee and CPI-M leader Sujan Chakraborty and a few leaders of the BJP too visited Tripathi at the hospital.

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A woman, accused of honey-trapping and blackmailing a BJP MP from Gujarat, was today sent to a one-day judicial custody by a court here.

The woman was produced before Metropolitan Magistrate Neha Paliwal after the expiry of her five-day police custody and the police requested the court to send her to judicial remand.

She would be produced tomorrow before the court concerned.

The court had, on May 2, sent her to a five-day police remand.

She was arrested the same day by the Delhi Police from her Ghaziabad house.

KC Patel, the MP from Valsad in Gujarat, had filed a police complaint last week, alleging that he was drugged by the woman, who had then shot obscene videos and photographs of him.

He had claimed that the woman had asked him to come to Ghaziabad for some work and offered him a soft drink laced with sedatives.

The MP had also alleged that the woman had threatened to file a rape case against him if he did not pay an amount of Rs 5 crore to her.

The woman had earlier approached a city court, claiming that the police had refused to lodge her complaint of rape against the MP.

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A Samajwadi Party-free Uttar Pradesh and a Congress-free India is the goal of the BJP and it is making big strides in that direction, deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya today said.

He said that on the completion of first 100 days in office, the Yogi Adityanath government will bring a white paper on "what it inherited from the previous SP government, what it has done so far and the road map for future".

"One cannot feel the change in 48 days. Once the BJP government completes 100 days in office, the people would be able to make a clear distinction between the performance of the current and the previous government," a confident Maurya told PTI in an interview.

He said a big difference "between us and the previous SP government is that the earlier regime put its self-interest ahead of the development of the state".

Maurya said whatever the BJP government has done in 48 days could have been achieved by the SP government also, but it failed to do so as it was only interested in its own development.

The deputy chief minister gave a summary of what the Adiyatnath government is planning to do and achieve on the development front in the state.

He said it is mulling action against illegal tanneries on the banks of the Ganga in Unnao and Kanpur as per the orders of the National Green Tribunal.

"The previous government lacked willpower to take action against the illegal tanneries which pollute the river," Maurya said.

The government is also considering resurrecting cinema halls that had shut operations due to losses.

He said the government can also ask cinema halls' owners to disseminate information on the government's welfare schemes before the screening of films.

Maurya told PTI that the state's Public Works Department is employing new technologies for constructing roads.

"The new technology uses the remainder of the old roads as the construction material for new ones. This will ensure longevity. The average age of roads is 5 years," he said.

On how the party plans to celebrate the birth centenary of Jan Sangh founder Pandit Deen Dayal Upadhyay, he said all BJP office bearers will reach out to people as vistaaraks, talk to them and take a note of their problems.

The government will strive to make "Antyodaya" a household name.

"We will ensure that the benefit under the Antyodaya Anna Yojana percolates to the last strata the society. Till now, a section of the society had no idea about it. Our efforts will bring smile on the face of poor people," Maurya said.

Under the scheme, identified poor families are given food grains at a highly subsidised rate of Rs 2 per kg for wheat and Rs 3 per kg for rice.

"I have a high regard for the posts of deputy chief minister and the UP BJP chief," Maurya said, when he was asked which of the two is more challenging.

On the upcoming urban local body polls in the state, he said the BJP will continue its string of victories.

"The way we won the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, the UP Assembly polls ... The results would be same in the urban local body polls," he said.

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Youth Congress workers today staged a protest outside the residence of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal over the corruption allegations levelled against the AAP supremo by sacked Delhi minister Kapil Mishra.

Demanding a CBI probe into the allegations, the outfit said Kejriwal should resign from the post of chief minister pending the investigation.

"It seems the whole of Delhi has become like a circus. The people are feeling cheated by the chief minister. These allegations have come from an ex-minister and therefore, it is a very serious issue," Amrish Ranjan Pandey, national spokesperson, Indian Youth Congress, said in a statement.

He demanded an inquiry into the allegations by the Central Bureau of Investigation and said Kejriwal should step down from the post of chief minister till the probe was concluded.

A day after being dropped from the Delhi cabinet, Mishra today alleged that he was present in person when Kejriwal took Rs 2 crore in cash from Delhi Health Minister Satyendar Jain, a charge refuted by Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia.

Mishra told reporters at Raj Ghat here that he saw Jain handing over the money to Kejriwal at the chief minister's official residence.

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By Nathan Layne and Karen Freifeld

NEW YORK (Reuters) - David Miller, a white collar defense lawyer and former federal prosecutor, has emerged as a candidate to succeed Preet Bharara as the next Manhattan U.S. attorney, according to people familiar with the matter.

Miller, a partner at Morgan, Lewis & Bockius in New York, has in recent weeks spoken with officials in the U.S. Department of Justice and the White House as well as members of Congress about the job, said the people, who spoke on condition of anonymity about the private discussions.

The administration's interest in Miller for the prestigious post has not been previously reported. Edward McNally, a partner at Kasowitz Benson Torres, has been viewed as the leading candidate among at least four people said to have been under consideration, according to sources and media reports.

It is not clear who is now favored to get the position, which requires the President's nomination and is subject to confirmation by the Senate.

Spokespeople for Morgan Lewis, Kasowitz and the Department of Justice declined to comment. The White House did not respond to questions about Miller as a candidate.

U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York is considered one of the most important posts in the U.S. justice system. It entails overseeing more than 200 prosecutors handling high-profile cases ranging from terrorism to wrongdoing on Wall Street, cyber attacks and corruption.

In addition to Wall Street cases, whoever is chosen will inherit the office's investigation into a scandal at Fox Channel over payments to settle sexual harassment claims and the prosecution of a Turkish gold trader in a politically charged case that has angered Turkey's president Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

INDEPENDENCE

Miller, 43, was an assistant U.S. attorney under Bharara from 2009 to 2014. During that time he was on a team of prosecutors involved in the office's crackdown on insider trading and was lead counsel in prosecutions of narcotics-related cases, as well as mail fraud and embezzlement schemes.

Bharara's former deputy Joon Kim is currently acting Manhattan U.S. Attorney. Bharara was fired in March after refusing to resign along with 45 other U.S. attorneys from the Obama administration. The dismissal was a surprise because Bharara was asked by Trump in November to stay on.

Bharara had built a strong reputation as Wall Street's top cop and for going after political corruption, regardless of party.

Both Miller's and McNally's law firms have ties to U.S. President Donald Trump. Sheri Dillon, a partner at Morgan Lewis, took part in Trump's January conference on his plans to avoid conflicts of interest. Kasowitz has handled various cases for Trump for more than a decade and David Friedman, a former name partner at the firm, was confirmed in March as U.S. ambassador to Israel. Miller and McNally are both Republicans.

Before his stint under Bharara, Miller served as a trial attorney in the Justice Department's counterterrorism section and as assistant general counsel for the Central Intelligence Agency. While at the CIA, he assisted in prosecuting Lewis "Scooter" Libby, who was found guilty of lying and obstructing a probe into who blew the cover of a CIA officer in a case that fueled debate over the Iraq war.

Miller's former and current colleagues described him as a talented, "by-the-book" lawyer who - if chosen - could be expected to protect the office's culture of independence.

"David Miller would be a fine choice," said Carrie Cohen, a partner at Morrison Foerster whose time as a prosecutor in Manhattan overlapped with Miller's. "Appointing someone who previously worked in the office bodes well for bringing the types of cases it has historically brought, without fear or favor."

McNally, 61, has had a wide-ranging career in law and government. He was interim U.S. attorney for the Southern District of Illinois in late 2005 and 2006 and, during the 1980s, he worked as a prosecutor in the U.S. Attorney's office in Manhattan under Rudolph Giuliani.

He also has served as a White House speechwriter under President George H.W. Bush, was general counsel for homeland security and terrorism and spent three years as senior counsel in the criminal division of the U.S. Department of Justice.

Other names that have cropped up in media reports as contenders for the post are Marc Mukasey, a defense lawyer whose father served as attorney general under Republican President George W. Bush and Edward O'Callaghan, a partner at Clifford Chance. O'Callaghan and Mukasey did not respond to emailed requests for comment.

Besides Giuliani, who went on to become New York City Mayor and more recently a Trump adviser, past U.S. Attorneys for Manhattan include James Comey, now FBI director, and Robert Morgenthau, who was the inspiration for the first district attorney on the television series, "Law & Order."

According to his Linkedin profile, Miller has made a foray into television as a consultant for "Billions," a Showtime TV drama that was reportedly inspired in part by Bharara's investigation into hedge fund manager Steven Cohen.

(reporting by Nathan Layne and Karen Freifeld in New York, and Steve Holland in Washington; Editing by Tomasz Janowski)

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The Centre has allowed emergency vehicles on duty for maintaining law and order, including those of the police, defence and paramilitary forces, to use multi-coloured beacon lights having red, blue and white colours.

Seeking to end the VIP culture, the Union Cabinet last month had decided that beacon lights will be removed from all vehicles from May 1, except emergency vehicles, like ambulances and fire brigade.

"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 lights," the road transport and highways ministry said in a notification.

Elaborating such vehicles, the notification said these pertain to the duties relating to control of fire and the duties by police, defence forces or paramilitary forces for maintenance of law and order.

Also the duties relating to management of natural disasters including earthquake, flood, land slide, cyclone, tsunami and man-made disasters including nuclear disaster, chemical disaster and biological disaster can use such lights.

"The multi-coloured light shall not be put to use when the vehicle is not on the designated duty," the notification issued in pursuance of powers conferred on the Central government under sub-rule 4 of rule 108 of the Central Motor Vehicles Rules, 1989 said.

The notification mentioned that every year, the transport department of the state or union territory administration, as the case may be, shall issue a public notice bringing to the notice of the general public the list of authorities to whom the permission to use the vehicles specified.

It said such vehicles shall display on their windscreen the sticker issued by the transport department of the concerned state or union territory which shall include details like the state government or union territory, designation of the officer and vehicle number.

"Only one sticker shall be issued to the designated officer for one vehicle at one point of time," the notification said, adding the sticker shall be on security printed water mark paper and shall carry hologram as specified by the transport department of the concerned state government or union territory administration.

The government after the Cabinet meeting on April 19 had said that the vehicles with beacon lights, which are seen as a symbol of VIP culture, "have no place in a democratic country".

A rule that empowered the Centre or state governments to allow the use of red beacon lights to dignitaries will be altogether removed from the statute books.

Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari had said, "The government is of the considered opinion that beacons on vehicles are perceived symbols of VIP culture and have no place in a democratic country. They have no relevance whatsoever.
Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong (right) and Speaker of the House of Representatives of Japan Oshima Tadamori (Photo: VNA)



At the reception, the Party chief said the Speakers visit takes place when the Vietnam-Japan extensive strategic partnership is at its best ever, noting the strong progress in all aspects of bilateral ties over the past time.

He expressed his delight to welcome Japanese high-ranking leaders, especially the Emperor and the Empress, to Vietnam this year. Those visits contributed greatly to deepening the friendship and cooperation between the two countries and peoples, the Party General Secretary said.

Oshima said the visit to Vietnam made by Japanese Emperor and Empress marked a new development in bilateral ties, adding that the royal couple carries home deep impressions of the Vietnamese people and land, and the friendship between the two countries.

He also informed his host about the outcomes of the talks with National Assembly Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan and stressed his wish to boost the exchange and cooperation between the two legislative bodies.

The Japanese House of Representatives gives high priority to promoting ties with Vietnam in economic-trade, education, and people-to-people exchange, Oshima said.

The lawmaker stressed Japan is willing to cooperate with Vietnam in the organisation of the 2017 APEC summit.

Lauding the outcomes of talks between the top legislators, the Party chief underscored significant contributions of the Japanese House of Representatives to bilateral relations.

Vietnam attached importance to the partnership with Japan for mutual benefits of the two peoples as well as for peace and security in the region and in the world, he added./.
<p dir=ltr>What does it feel like to win a brand new custom truck, complete with all the bells and whistles? Just ask Carrie Newman! After months of waiting, when her family couldnt tell a soul, the Providence mother of four shared her excitement loud and clear Saturday morning when the truck of her dreams was delivered red carpet-style to <a href=http://www.heritagecdjr.com/>Heritage Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram of Logan</a>.

<p dir=ltr>Newman won the truck, a 2017 Dodge Ram 2500 Laramie Mega Cab in granite crystal metallic, during the <a href=https://ramrodeo.com/>Ram Rodeo</a> 2016 Sweepstakes. She entered the contest at promotional booth she visited during the <a href=https://www.cachecounty.org/fair/>Cache County Fair and Rodeo</a> last August, never believing for a moment she had a real chance to win.

<p dir=ltr>Our family loves going to the rodeo every year, just like many other families in the area and out West, Newman said, and every year they drive the nice, new Dodge trucks through and talk about how one lucky persons going to win a new one, and you always wonder if its real!

<p dir=ltr>Newman said she and her husband, Cory, had always wanted a new Dodge truck, and she convinced him to visit the Ram Rodeo booth just to dream a little bit. Jibing at the sales team about the odds of winning, Newman admits she and Cory did indulge in some wishful thinking before going on our merry way.

<p dir=ltr>Fast-forward to February 2017, when Newman got a message from Ram Rodeo saying she was a preliminary finalist in the sweepstakes. Newman thought it may be a scam, but she followed up nonetheless expecting nothing more than a sales-pitch. What she got instead was confirmation of her selection in the drawing and formal instructions on what needed to happen next.

<p dir=ltr>Lets just say I had quite the exclamation, Newman said. I was shaking so bad and just so excited. It was just really fun!

<p dir=ltr>After formalizing the paperwork with Ram Rodeo, Carrie got to work with salesman Darin Kowalis at Heritage Auto to decide on the features shed order.

<p dir=ltr>At that point, I kind of really geeked out and did a bunch of research on trucks and all the things that are available in the new trucks, she said.

<p dir=ltr>Cory, however, remained skeptical and didnt believe the offer was legit until the couple visited the dealership to officially place the order.

<p dir=ltr>It was at that point that my husband realized that it was real, and hes pretty darn lucky to be married to me and to be able to enjoy this nice, new truck, Carrie joked.

<p dir=ltr>Right away, the Newmans named the vehicle El Jefe, Spanish for the boss. While the eight weeks theyve been awaiting the trucks delivery have been surreal, it all came together Saturday morning as the truck pulled up to meet them.

<p dir=ltr>She got one of the nicest trucks you can get, said Drake Oldham, who represented Heritage Autos marketing department during the transaction. Its a beautiful truck, and we put all the things she wanted into itleather interior, heated seats, cooled seats, a heated steering wheel. Its exciting.

<p dir=ltr>Scott Marsh, assistant general manager of Ram Rodeo, traveled to Cache Valley from Kansas to share in the weekends excitement. Contracting with <a href=http://www.rescue1studios.com/>Rescue 1 Studios</a> in Logan, Marshs team will develop promotional content for Ram Rodeo, showcasing Carrie and her truck in a nationwide advertising campaign.

<p dir=ltr>With more than 300,000 entries having been received during last years contest, Marsh said hes thrilled to have been able to present the award to Carrie Newman.

Were really excited that Carrie was the winner. Marsh said. Shes a super lady, and I enjoyed speaking with her. We would just invite everybody to come out and support their local PRCA rodeos and the other events Ram sponsors. Its just a great opportunity to give 30 seconds of your time to win an opportunity to pick out the truck of your choice from Ram.

<p dir=ltr>After the keys to El Jefe were exchanged, Marsh invited the Newmans to attend the National Finals Rodeo as guests of Ram Rodeo in Las Vegas, December 7-9, 2017. Until then, the family will enjoy their new truck locally, beginning with a quick trip home to transfer car seats between vehicles, followed by a big old ride and dinner at Maddox.

<hr />

jennifer@cvradio.com

<p dir=ltr>
Speaker of the Japanese House of Representatives Oshima Tadamori

and National Assembly Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan

(Photo: VNA)

Tadamori held talks with the Vietnamese NA leader, while paying courtesy calls to Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong, President Tran Dai Quang and met with Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc. He also had a meeting with leaders of the Vietnam-Japan Friendship Parliamentarian Group.

During his stay, Tadamori paid tribute to President Ho Chi Minh at his mausoleum, and laid a wreath at the Heroic Martyrs Monument in Bac Son street of Hanoi.



At the meeting, the two sides agreed that similarities in culture, history as well as friendship and common interests of the two nations have helped boost bilateral ties in a comprehensive and deep manner. The two countries set up their intensive strategic partnership for peace and prosperity in Asia in March 2014, they noted.



Both sides agreed to further promote cooperation in labour, while the Japanese side concurred to increase the reception of Vietnamese apprentices in wider areas such as agriculture, fisheries and construction under a newly-issued law that will become effective in November this year.



The Japanese legislator suggested that the two sides implement the content of global trade agreements, including the Trans-Pacific Partnership, while expressing his hope that both countries will speed up the approval of the deal.



Regarding collaboration between the two parliaments, the two sides lauded the fruitful partnership between Friendship Parliamentarian Groups and parliamentarians of the two countries, sharing hope to maintain high-level meetings among leaders of the two legislative bodies and strengthen cooperation and dialogue as well as experience sharing between the two sides.



They also lauded the two Friendship Parliamentarian Groups efforts in speeding up the establishment of the Vietnam-Japan University in Vietnam, which has become operation.



They shared belief that the two countries will see rise in the number of tourists visiting each others country. Japan expected to foster partnership with Vietnam in culture and sports.



Over some regional and international issues of mutual concern, including the East Sea matter, Vietnam and Japan agreed to uphold the ensuring of peace, stability, maritime and aviation security, safety and freedom in the East Sea. They stressed the need for the settlement of disputes through peaceful measures, the respect for diplomatic and legal processes, and the strict preservation of international law.



The Japanese guest also visited the Nguyen Dinh Chieu high school for blind children, Birla Children Village, Vietnam-Japan University and some enterprises at Thang Long Industrial Park in Hanoi./.
Pro-EU Macron defeats far-right's Le Pen to win French presidency

Emmanuel Macron won the French presidential election on Sunday by what is expected to be a huge margin, as leaders in France and beyond hailed it as a victory for the European Union.

GALLERY

Emmanuel Macron won with between 65 and 66 per cent of the vote, projections published by multiple French media showed.

Paris (dpa) - He won with between 65 and 66 per cent of the vote, projections published by multiple French media showed.Macron, 39, easily beat far-right National Front leader Marine Le Pen after a bitter contest pitting his pro-EU liberal platform against her calls for France to close its borders and pull out of the euro single currency.He will be the youngest ever president of France, and the first in over a century to be elected by popular vote without the backing of an established political party.Macron supporters gathered for a rally in the courtyard of Paris Louvre museum cheered wildly as the results came through moments after polls closed at 8:00 pm (1800 GMT).Le Pen quickly conceded victory and said she had called Macron to congratulate him."The French have chosen a new president of the republic, and have voted for continuity," she told a rally of voters in eastern Paris.She made it clear, however, that she now saw herself as the leader of the opposition."This second round has set up a great realignment of French politics around the cleavage between patriots and globalizers," Le Pen, who has slammed Macron as a proponent of "savage globalization," said.Macron was himself expected to make a statement soon.President Francois Hollande, under whom Macron served as economy minister for two years, congratulated him more whole-heartedly."His broad victory confirms that a very large majority of our fellow-citizens wanted to rally around the values of the Republic and express their attachment to the European Union and to a France that is open to the world," the outgoing head of state said.Plaudits also came from Europe, where Le Pens mounting popularity over the past few months has been viewed with alarm.European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker congratulated president-elect Emmanuel Macron in a letter he posted on Twitter."Happy that the French chose a European future," he wrote.Emmanuel Macrons presidential win is a "victory for a strong, unified Europe and for the Franco-German friendship," German Chancellor Angela Merkels spokesman Steffen Seibert said on Twitter.Macron was heavily favoured to win the vote after the first round on April 23 pitted him against the National Front leader, with centre-right and centre-left politicians all backing him.The last days of the campaign were marked by an insult-laden debate in which Le Pen proved shaky on facts, cementing Macrons advantage.The final hours of campaigning on Friday night saw a huge leak of emails and documents from the Macron campaign, which denounced a "massive and coordinated" hacking attack.News agency AFP reported that prosecutors had launched an investigation.Macron now faces the challenge of winning a parliamentary majority for his year-old En Marche! movement.Turnout was expected to slightly down on previous polls, as many voters found the choice between Macrons pro-business, socially liberal programme and Le Pens hardline anti-EU, anti-immigration stance unpalatable.Macron will formally take over from Hollande on or before May 14.
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 ...
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.

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You are our people. You Care. We Care2.
The launch of China's first domestically built aircraft carrier 001A has created national sensation in recent days, but experts have noted that the carrier-based aircraft currently in use in China are backward and the country needs a new aircraft to match the new carrier, such as a version of J-31 stealth fighter.

A military expert who requested anonymity was quoted by the Science and Technology Daily on Friday as saying that the current carrier-based J-15 fighter jet is a third-generation machine and lags far behind the F-35C jet to be used by the US.

"If our aircraft carrier can get a modified version of the fourth-generation J-31 fighter jet, it will largely enhance the fighting capability of the aircraft carrier," the expert said.

However, another military expert Zhang Wenchang told the same newspaper that several improvements must be made if the J-31 is to be modified into a carrier-based aircraft, such as additional devices to help the J-31 adapt to the aircraft carrier's landing and takeoff environment, enlarging the plane's wings and tail as well as strengthening the structure of the plane body and the landing gear.

"Opinion is divided as to what type of fighter jet is fit to be modified into a carrier-based plane. Some people think that J-20 is more suitable for the mission, as its technologies are more mature than J-31, but the manufacturer of J-31 has more experience in modification of carrier-based jets," Zhang noted.
Hyundai caused a firestorm of excitement when the company unveiled the Santa Cruz concept at the North American International Auto Show in 2015. However, it appears the companys first production pickup is still away off.



In an interview with CarAdvice, Hyundai Australia COO Scott Grant said The official word is that ute is developing now but it will not arrive this side of 2020. Grant went on to say he wants the truck to be a traditional pickup that competes with the Ford Ranger, Holden Colorado, and Toyota HiLux.

He added that a number of different markets are also seeking the same thing but he doesnt have any detailed information about the vehicle at this point.

Interestingly, Grant says he wouldnt want the company to offer a production version of the Santa Cruz as its a different proposition, we dont have any interest for it, even if it happens at all, and in right-hand drive. Instead, he wants a proper 44 and 42 truck instead of a lifestyle vehicle like the concept.

Given Hyundai Motor Americas desire for a truck like the Santa Cruz and the international preference for something more rugged, it will be interesting to see which way the company goes.

Photo Gallery
Italy in the 1950s produced some pretty outlandish automotive designs  and a fair few of them came from Ghia. Few were as striking, however, as this one-of-a-kind Abarth coupe thats now up for sale.



In something of a forecast of mergers to come decades later, Ghia rebodied this 1953 Abarth 1100 Sport (itself based on the Fiat 1100) alongside the much larger Chryslers it was building at the same time.

With a nose like a jet airplane and streamlined bodywork to match, it debuted at the 1953 Turin Salon and surely stunned the gathered crowds.

Ghia subsequently sold the concept car to one Bill Vaughn in the US, who rebadged it as the Vaughn SS Wildcat and displayed it at the New York Auto Show in 1954. Vaughn claimed it was powered by a V8 with overhead camshaft instead of the four-cylinder engines with which all other 1100s were fitted  the nameplate representing the engines displacement in cubic centimeters.

The concept car was then lost in time, according to RM Sothebys, until it was discovered in a barn in 1982. Its current owned bought it in 2010 and spent the next five years comprehensively restoring it to original condition.

Upon its return to the scene in 2015, it won best-in-class at the Pebble Beach Concours dElegance, losing out for best-in-show to a 1924 Isotta Fraschini Tipo 8A Cabriolet  the vast majority of winners coming form the pre-war period.

Itll be offered for sale in Monterey, California, this coming August, where its sure to fetch a suitably high price. But you can check it out now in the gallery of artful photography by Angus McKenzie, presented courtesy of the auctioneer.

Photo Gallery
Photo: Deborah Pfeiffer

A Penticton couple spread the word about Lyme Disease at a booth at the Penticton Farmers' Market on Saturday.

Gary and Sue McDougall, with the Penticton and Area Lyme Group, manned the information booth all morning at the busy market.

"We are spreading the message, because ticks are out all year long and people with the disease are being misdiagnosed," said Sue McDougall.

The disease is an inflammatory infection that spreads to humans through tick bites.

Among the highlights of the information session was doing a demonstration on how to properly remove ticks, a display of tick kits and how to take precautions when outdoors.

The couple also alerted people that on May 27 there will be a free showing of Under Our Skin, an acclaimed documentary about the untold story of Lyme Disease, at the Penticton Museum and Archives.

The event is from 1 to 4 p.m.

The information booth will be at the market again on May 20 and Sept. 3.
Photo: Contributed

A state of local emergency has been declared in Enderby.

The city made the announcement Saturday afternoon due to imminent loss of water.

Residents and businesses west of the bridge are asked to take all steps to conserve water until further notice.

The city will be implementing its powers pursuant to the Emergency Program Act that it considers necessary to prevent or alleviate the effects of the emergency.

The citys ability to make water is severely limited and verging on non-existent, said Tate Bengtson, COO and emergency operations centre director.

The city is requiring businesses and residents to co-operate with the mandatory water conservation advisory to ensure water availability is not completely eliminated.

The mandatory water conservation advisory was issued Friday due to high turbidity in the Shuswap River.

Under normal conditions, the city is able to rely upon its secondary well source east of the bridge, but the loss of the water main under the river bed earlier this year has eliminated that option.

As a result, the city is reliant upon its primary source, which cannot produce water when river turbidity is extremely high.

The following steps should be taken by all businesses and residents immediately:
Photo: https://itsmaha.wordpress.com/tag/personal-blog/

I used to tell my students I was like Mary Poppins, practically perfect in every way.

They would groan and laugh, but I wonder how many of them wished they really were practically perfect.

The idea of being perfect conjures images of sunshine, and rainbows. A perfect person, living a perfect life means nothing ever goes wrong, and you never make mistakes.

I have a couple of comments about this vision.

First, being perfect isnt all it is cracked up to be. Friends and family may wonder how I know that, as I am far from perfect. You dont have to jump off the Empire State Building to know it isnt a good idea.

Perfectionists pile pressure onto their shoulders. Nothing is ever good enough. It is hard to be happy when you are constantly criticizing your endeavours.

Second, life is designed to have ups and downs, good and bad times, so looking for a perfect life is unrealistic. The pressure you put on yourself to achieve this unattainable level, is more likely to limit your happiness than add to it.

Third, perfectionists often care more about appearing perfect than actually being perfect. It is a great example of the power of smoke and mirrors. You may tell me everything is perfect, I may look at you and imagine that everything is perfect, but that doesnt mean it really is perfect.

In our culture, an emphasis is placed on achieving goals rather than learning, and growing. How many parents are more concerned with the grades their children bring home, than the skills and lessons they have learned?

I am here to take back the mirrors, and unplug the smoke machine. If you want to be happier in your life, be proud of your mistakes, and own your less-than-perfect decisions.

You will learn far more from your mistakes than you will from the things you do right the first time. When you do something that needs to be corrected, or learned from, it interrupts your flow through life.

Interrupters do just that: they grab your attention away from the thought pattern you are engaged in. Our minds are designed to pay more attention to these interruptions.

Working hard to achieve something you're proud of is vastly different than being driven to appear perfect. If you have done your best, and learned from the experience, you will have a surge of happiness.

If you need to be seen as perfect, you are more likely to stick with activities you know you can do perfectly, rather than pushing yourself to try something more difficult.

It is only in challenging yourself that you will grow. Trying to be perfect means you are less likely to grow and learn new skills than your non-perfectionist counterpart.

Strive for progress rather than perfection. Recognize that by trying new, harder tasks, you will learn more, even if it means making mistakes.

Learn that good enough has a place in the world. There are times when aiming for perfection is appropriate, but there are also occasions when your time and energy is better spent on another activity.

No one is perfect, and those who strive to be are inviting unnecessary pressure and disappointment into their lives.

Instead, enjoy being perfectly imperfect.

This article is written by or on behalf of an outsourced columnist and does not necessarily reflect the views of Castanet.
Photo: Contributed

For Canadas 150th birthday this year, Castanet is featuring an Okanagan wine each week, celebrating the bottles of our Valley and the diversity of the Canadian wine industry, including suggested food pairings and Canadian music artist to listen to while enjoying a glass. For current availability, consult the winery.

Wine: Ranch Hand Red Reserve (blend), 2015

Winery: Monte Creek, Kamloops (Monte Creek)

Why drink it? Never mind that one of their other red blends just won best red blend at the Spring Okanagan Wine Festival, this wine shows that Monte Creek likes to have fun with blends and under-the-radar grapes such as Marquette and Frontenac Noir (give those a Google). The winery says it can hold till 2020, but this medium-bodied, straightforward red with Bing cherry and dark plum nuances is great to drink now. While its been aged for more than a year, it is already smooth with supple tannins, hints of cinnamon and nutmeg.

Price: $30

Pair with: Generally, a young-ish red blend calls for some meat. While this one is smooth enough for a glass on its own, it pairs well with a nice meat sauce ladled over pasta, or spicy pork meatballs stuffed with cheese, anda takeout beef burrito when its been a long workday.

Classic cancon music pairing: New Frontier, Aaron Pritchett

Have a wine you'd like to suggest? Contact us at [email protected], and we will put you in touch with our wine writer.
A Chinese mainland spokesperson Saturday called on Taiwan to investigate immediately the shooting of mainland fishermen by Taiwan coast guards.

A fishing boat from Guangdong Province was seized Saturday morning by Taiwan coast guards in waters near Penghu County of Taiwan, local authorities said.

Two fishermen were injured by rubber bullets fired from the coast guard ship. They were sent to a hospital in Penghu for medical treatment. The other five are detained.

An Fengshan, spokesperson for the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council, called on the Taiwan side to respect the fact that fishermen from both sides of the Strait had long been fishing in the area.

He said that Taiwan should respect the rights of mainland fishermen and stop seizing fishing boats for no sound reasons.

An also requested the Taiwan side to seriously handle the case, release the fishermen as soon as possible and prevent the reoccurrence of similar incidents in the future.
Chinese emergency rescue teams should be fully prepared for this year's flood season, according to an official with the country's work safety authority.

Extreme weather events have become more frequent in recent years, including rainstorms, high temperatures and typhoons, posing serious threats to people's lives and homes, Sun Huashan, deputy head of the State Administration of Work Safety said at a Friday meeting.

Emergency rescue teams should step up training and drills, conduct preventative safety checks, become expert in local natural conditions and sources of danger, and prepare emergency response resources well in advance, Sun said.

They should be active in disaster relief during the flood season this year and use their expertise to save lives and property, he added.

In China, the flood season can run from April to October due to a wide range of latitudes.

In 2016, natural disasters caused over 1,700 deaths and direct economic losses of 500 billion yuan (73 billion U.S. dollars), data from the Ministry of Civil Affairs showed.
Aircraft from Europe left China via a China-European train on Saturday, after attending an airshow in central China.

Eight light airplanes from Britain, France and Italy were disassembled and put in containers before being carried away by the train at 5:10 p.m. from Zhengzhou, capital of Henan Province. The train is bound for Hamburg, Germany.

The planes attended the Zhengzhou Airshow 2017 from April 27 to May 1. Most of them will continue to perform in late May in Europe.

The train journey will take about 17 days, at least one month less than by sea, giving them sufficient time for more shows, said Jiang Siyu, an official in charge of acrobatic performances at the Zhengzhou airshow.

Adam Shaw, a pilot of France's acrobatic team The Captens, said that the journey by train was safer and faster. He said that the planes arrived in Zhengzhou safe and sound by a China-Europe train last month.

"We are going back by train to attend airshows in France, Switzerland and Italy," Shaw said.

Pilot Tom Cassells from Britain said the planes would be flown home after arriving in Hamburg.

Cassells attended the airshows in China's Zhuhai and Hong Kong in 2014, when there were no train services to deliver aircraft.

Another five planes from Lithuania and Australia will embark on the train journey in the next few days.

There are currently 51 routes for China-Europe trains, reaching 28 cities in 11 countries.
For a tiny tabletop robot, ElliQ has a lot of opinions.

When the weather is nice, it suggests a walk. When it's time to take medication, the device is ready with a reminder. Haven't spoken to relatives in awhile? It thinks a call is in order.

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Israel-based Intuition Robotics is developing the virtual assistant specifically for the elderly, a population shown to be more vulnerable to social isolation and physical inactivity. The founders expect that frequent engagement with a robot that makes positive lifestyle suggestions will promote physical and mental wellness, Chief Executive Dor Skuler said.

"Think of it as a fully autonomous agent," Skuler said. "You tell it what your goals are, and it tries to measure how you're doing on those goals and suggests activities accordingly to help you meet those goals."

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Advancements in artificial intelligence have given rise to in-home virtual assistants, devices that listen and respond as we can command them to turn off the lights, purchase items online or order restaurant takeout. Amazon Echo and Google Home, two popular systems, can now be found in millions of homes.

ElliQ (pronounced L-E-Q) represents a new role for these technologies: proactively recommending ways in which humans could be living better lives, from getting more exercise to watching informational videos. Humans may not yet be taking direct orders from their technology, but a relationship may be emerging in which smart devices wield even greater influence over our decisions.

"If we're focusing just on virtual assistance, I think so far the interaction has been very much human-initiated," said William Mark, president of information and computing sciences at SRI International. "I put it that way because if we broaden the perspective, of course there are lots of examples of machines telling us what to do."

Indeed, machines prod humans all day. Your alarm rings to keep you from sleeping through a morning meeting. Your car beeps when you've started the engine but haven't clipped your seat belt. Your Netflix account suggests movies to watch based on your viewing history.

Virtual assistant robots are different in that they have a broader view of our daily lives and are designed to help us accomplish tasks. They can already learn when we typically wake up and go to sleep, what we watch on television and what we purchase online. As the devices become capable of doing even more, they will store and analyze that information, too.

The key is that we invite those technologies to nag us and that we have control over them. We set the alarm clock ourselves, and have the power to hit snooze.

"We have a whole set of words for talking about this in English: persuade, hint, advocate, encourage," Mark said. "There's all kinds of things that have a wide variety of implications and very different feelings that are generated by it."

ElliQ monitors the user's movements and learns their patterns to ensure its suggestions are well-timed, Skuler said. The user might prefer to take walks in the morning rather than after lunch or value quiet time in the evening over listening to music.

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Currently, ElliQ is programmed with seven goals that the user can choose among, such as learning something new each day, being more physically active or communicating with family more often. The company sets one of the goals for you: developing a "positive affinity" for the robot.

"Meaning we don't annoy you to the point you unplug us," Skuler said.

Developing machines that can persuade people to act in a certain way is both a technological and psychological challenge, Mark said. Even humans struggle to know when advice will be well received and deliver it in a way that actually motivates the recipient.

"The system has to hit it just right in terms of giving you the information you need at just the right time without annoying you," Mark said.

"You want to think that virtual assistance cares about you or has your best interest at heart," he added.

That may seem like a tall order considering the robot does not, in fact, have a heart. But it's common for people to develop bonds, irrational as they might seem, with technology and other personal inanimate objects. It's why we give names to our cars or yell at our malfunctioning computer, for example.

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Virtual assistant systems can take many cues from the way humans engage one another, said Justine Cassell, director emerita of the Human-Computer Interaction Institute at Carnegie Mellon University. In her research, Cassell programs robots to replicate common features of human conversations that help people to establish trust. For example, the machine might divulge information about itself before asking the human for information - creating a sense of equality and transparency in the process.

The technology got a trial run at a meeting of world leaders in Davos, Switzerland, this year. Attendees had conversations with the system, which then recommended conference sessions they would enjoy or fellow attendees they should meet. In most cases, the attendees accepted the recommendations, Cassell said.

"It's not empty chit chat," she said of the conversations between humans and machines. "On the contrary, it greases the wheels of task interaction by making people comfortable, making them trust the system, and making them disclose information that allows the system to do a good job."

Of course, as virtual assistants gain greater influence, it's easy to conjure up dystopian scenarios in which technology starts to actually exert authority. It's one thing for a system to suggest you go for a walk after watching television for hours and another for a system to power off the TV until you've complied.

"The machines that we interact with need to be designed to keep sight of allowing people to maintain that very important sense of autonomy, that they are in control of their existence," Cassell said.
The impact of a recent Supreme Court decision that raised the legal bar on what school districts must provide special education students in Lake County is hard to know, local school district and advocates said.

The unanimous decision, released in March, ruled that school districts can't just provide the minimum but instead should set goals that are "appropriately ambitious" for each individual child.

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Nationally, many special education advocates and observers said they expect the decision to lead to more parents challenging their school districts about their child's individualized education plan, or IEP.

But locally, some school district officials and advocates say the future is hard to predict.

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Pam Labellarte, a Mundelein-based special education advocate who has worked professionally in the field since 2003, said she was "thrilled" when she heard about the Supreme Court decision in Endrew F. v. Douglas County School District, which raised the bar set by some lower courts.

She said the Supreme Court decision means parents and advocates should push for more ambitious goals for their children but also make sure those goals come with the supports necessary to achieve them.

But she added it's hard to know what the impact will be because average parents might not know about the decision, and it isn't known how school districts will respond.

Megan Clarke, the executive director of a special education collaborative set up by three Lake County school districts, said she doesn't see the decision "making a big difference," but that change could come as circuit courts begin using the new precedent in making decisions.

The districts that belong to Clarke's cooperative  Stevenson High School District 125 and two of its feeder elementary school districts, Kildeer Countryside School District 96 and Lincolnshire-Prairie View School District 103  try to be "very collaborative" with its parents, she said.

Most disagreements between families and school districts are resolved within their individual school districts, but parents can choose to take it to the next level by filing complaints or requests for mediation with the state.

Across the country, there were 18,011 due process complaints filed in the 2013-14 school year, along with 9,688 requests for mediation and an additional 4,997 written complaints, according to the latest data from the U.S. Department of Education obtained by The Associated Press.

With two-thirds of complaints coming from New York, California or New Jersey, Illinois makes up a relatively small piece of that picture, the data showed.

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Of the 293 due process complaints filed during that period with the Illinois State Board of Education, 27 involved Lake County school districts, according to data from the state agency obtained by the News-Sun.

Among the nearly 130 additional written complaints filed, four involved Lake County school districts.

For Clarke's school districts, disagreements are usually the result of a lack of communication or a misunderstanding, she said. They always try to make sure the parents understand the goals set for their child and the services they'll receive.

Sometimes parents want something that's not the school's responsibility or they'll disagree over whether a proposed service would work for the child, Clarke said. She said showing the parents data that back up the district's position can help alleviate disagreements.

Some of the most difficult-to-resolve issues Labellarte has encountered often have to do with where the child is placed, she said.

The disagreements can center on whether a child should be placed outside the district in facilities such as the Special Education District of Lake County or private specialty schools or whether a child should be in a special education class or a regular education class with supports, both within the district, she said.

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When a disagreement escalates and is headed toward a more formal process, the school districts try to go through state-sponsored mediation, Clarke said. That can often be successful because it involves a smaller group.

The next step is a time-consuming process that involves witnesses, data collection and documentation, Clarke said. While costs are hard to estimate because each case is different, she put the cost in the ballpark of $25,000.

It's not cheap for parents either, said Labellarte, who in the 2 1/2 years she spent at a law firm that specialized in special education issues, referred only two cases.

She had 41 active cases when she left the law office, she said.

Labellarte said some families who have issues with their school districts can't afford to go this route because it requires hiring an attorney. As an advocate, Labellarte, who works with some families pro bono, can't take families through due process cases.

She said it's important to have an attorney to help families through due process because of the level of knowledge needed.

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The process can be difficult with all the emotion involved, she said. A lot of families think they can resolve their issues with the school district, but when they can't, it's disheartening, she said.

The entire process is "overwhelming, emotional," especially because it can be difficult for parents to make decisions along the way, she said. They often are learning as they go, she said, and don't know the lingo.

For parents who are considering residential placements, it's a whole new level of fear, fear for their safety and fear that they failed their child, Labellarte said.

The challenge for school districts is to try and maintain good relationships through the process because they have to continue to work with the family and the child, Clarke said.

emcoleman@tribpub.com

Twitter @mekcoleman
China's most successful food and drink companies have been honored in Beijing at an event dubbed as the 'Oscars' of China's catering industry.

This year's China Catering Industry Development Conference also celebrated the 30th anniversary of the China Cuisine Association.

Food and drink are big business in China, with industry revenue reaching a staggering 3579.9 billion yuan (about 519 billion US dollars) in 2016, according to a report unveiled at the prestigious event.

However, revealing the details of the performance of China's top 100 catering enterprises and top 500 catering stores, Jiang Junxian, the president of the China Cuisine Association (CCA), noted "a steady slowdown" in revenue compared to the year before.

Nevertheless, Jiang said that China's 2016 nationwide food and beverage revenue still reached 3579.9 billion yuan (about 519 billion US dollars), attaining a year-on-year growth of 10.8%.

He said the income created by industrial enterprises above a designated size totaled 921.3 billion yuan (about 133.5 billion US dollars), representing a year-on-year increase of 6 per cent.

Industry pioneers  the top 100 catering enterprises  saw a growth of 7.4% year on year, achieving an overall operating income of 218.17 billion yuan (over 31.6 billion US dollars) last year.

The top 500 catering stores booked an average 8.5% growth year on year.

Awards were made honoring the top 10 catering brands in China in 2016, with 12 kinds of awards in 7 different categories, including dinner, hotpot, fast-food, etc.
Matthias Merges worked at Charlie Trotter's for 14-odd years, and he was the man for most of them, serving as chef de cuisine, corporate chef and finally director of operations. "He was the glue to that place," one restaurateur says, admiringly.

That glue is now happily stuck on a quiet stretch of Kedzie Avenue  in Avondale, Merges says, though most maps put him in Logan Square  running Yusho, a Japanese street-food restaurant.

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The name, in Japanese, is an exhortation to celebrate, and that's what I recommend you do here.

If one thinks of Japanese foods as exercises in subtlety, Yusho will be a rude  make that exhilarating  awakening. Merges' dishes have all the subtlety of a jackhammer. These are big, powerful, in-your-face flavors, and your culinary journey, from the complimentary "pork candy" (fried pig skin dusted with dehydrated nori and spices) to the arrival of the check (presented in a Japanese sardine tin) is apt to be a wild ride indeed.

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There are more than two dozen savory dishes on the menu, most of them less than $10, and the twin questions are where to start and when to stop. For the former, the chicken skin, fried so brittle you can break off pieces with your fingers, is covered in sharp flavors  Japanese mustard, garlic, togarashi spices and lime  and absolutely addictive. "Like Thanksgiving all over again," Merges says.

As to the latter, I can only advise that you stop two or three dishes before I do. When food is this tempting, prices this reasonable and payoffs so consistently rewarding, over-ordering is easy to do.

But I would find a way to try the takoyaki, soft batter buns filled with a treasure trove of salmon roe, and, when available, the massively large Hama Hama oysters, cooked in the shell, shucked and topped with cubes of house-cured lardo, crispy shallots and grated ginger.

Must-try dishes include piping-hot and meaty pieces of tempura-fried cod, suspended over a savory chawan mushi (a Japanese custard, often sweet) with shiitake mushrooms and toasted ginkgo nuts. Maitake mushrooms arrive alongside a soft-cooked egg, cubes of jellied dashi and frisee; the dish is warm enough that the cubes gradually melt into a savory, salty sauce; a splash of vinaigrette turns the savory experience into something akin to a salade Lyonnaise.

Fatty eel draped over crispy balls of brandade  yes. Quail eggs speared over a bowl of broccoli rabe and charred kombu (kale seaweed)  yes. Chicken thigh meat with Anaheim peppers  yes. Foie gras layered with sweet slices of kabocha squash and drizzles of honey  pricey, but yes. Barbecue sauce-lacquered sweetbreads  yes.

And the "Logan poser" ramen  the name refers to NYC chef David Chang, who once opined that anyone making ramen noodles outside of Japan was just posing  is, with apologies to Chang, terrific, served with crispy pig tail suspended over the bowl. Some people dunk the pig tail in the broth; I prefer eating the pork separately, enhancing the contrast with the soft noodles, but you're likely to enjoy it either way.

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I rarely order dessert in Japanese restaurants, but I happily made an exception here for the kalamansi (a bitingly acidic Asian citrus, rendered here as a custard) with peanut cake and peanut brittle (two very distinct sensations, by the way); and the soft-serve, a bowl of Sichuan-pepper frozen custard alongside pieces of chocolate rice cone, cocoa nibs and kumquat.

There's a nice wine list with some attractive prices (including a $30 dolcetto d'alba that I liked a lot), but I kept returning to the cocktail list, which has such imaginatively titled libations as Hemingway in Hokkaido (think "Japanese daiquiri" and you're almost there), the bitter and clove-y Baconian Cipher (a nod to Logan Square; ask the waiter to explain) and, my favorite so far, Soul of the Sensei, a gin, rum and tangerine concoction.

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The decor, by architect Rachel Crowl (not coincidentally, Merges' wife), is as eclectic as the menu. Mismatched hanging bulbs  inspired, Merges says, by Tokyo fish markets  are used throughout the dining room; over the bar, Edison-style filament bulbs hang from loosely knotted ropes thick enough to moor a yacht. Bare brick walls run the length of the restaurant; smallish booths upholstered in nubby fabric line the south wall, while much of the north wall is taken up by the long bar, which gives way to an open galley kitchen. Toward the back, a hanging projector flashes Japanese anime and monster movies; the background music, playing at modest volume, offers tunes from bands such as Shonen Knife, an all-female Japanese punk band playing, among other things, Ramones covers. Of course.

Having reviewed Next last week, I'm reminded that Grant Achatz and company plan a Kyoto-inspired menu in September. Before packing their bags, they ought to check out this place.

pvettel@tribpub.com

Twitter @philvettel

Yusho

2853 N. Kedzie Ave.

773-904-8558

www.yusho-chicago.com

Tribune rating:   

Address: 2853 N. Kedzie Ave.

Phone: 773-904-8558

Website: www.yusho-chicago.com

Open: Dinner Monday-Sunday

Price: Small plates $3-$18

Credit cards: A, DC, DS, M, V

Reservations: Strongly recommended

Noise: Conversation-challenged

Other: Wheelchair accessible; street parking

Ratings key:     outstanding;    excellent;   very good;  good; no stars: unsatisfactory. The reviewer makes every effort to remain anonymous. Meals are paid for by the Tribune.
Steven Seagal, the American actor best known for his role in '90s action movies such as "Hard to Kill" and "Under Siege," has been blacklisted from the Ukraine as a national security threat.

Seagal is banned from entering the country for five years on grounds he has "committed socially dangerous actions ... that contradict the interests of maintaining Ukraine's security," according to a Ukrainian security service letter published by the news site Apostrophe and reported by the Guardian.

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The 65-year-old actor has for years cultivated a friendship with Russian President Vladimir Putin, bonding over their love of martial arts and shared macho images.

Though the Ukrainian security letter does not outline specific statements that got the actor banned, Seagal once participated in a pro-Putin motorcycle rally in Crimea, a disputed peninsula that Russia annexed in 2014 after Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych was overthrown in a revolution.

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In an interview then, Seagal defended Russia's annexation of Crimea, saying that Putin's "desire to protect the Russian-speaking people of Crimea, his assets and the Russian Black Sea military base in Sevastopol . . . is very reasonable," the Moscow Times reported.

Seagal's Crimea comments made him persona non grata in another country, Estonia, where organizers of a 2014 music festival there canceled his set after backlash from the Estonian public.

"We hope that Estonian public will primarily view Seagal as an actor and musician," said Raul Ukareda, program director for the festival, according to the Hollywood Reporter. "But, as it turned out, everyone sees him only as a politician and Putin loyalist."

During the Obama administration, Seagal often praised the Kremlin while criticizing U.S. foreign policy. In a 2013 interview with the Russian news channel RT, Seagal called Putin "one of the greatest world leaders, if not the greatest world leader alive today."

The feeling seemed mutual. Putin would later propose that Seagal become an honorary Russian envoy to the United States.

In November, Putin granted Russian citizenship to Seagal, presenting him with a Russian passport in a formal ceremony.

It was "an ending fit for Hollywood," The Washington Post's Andrew Roth reported then, one that consummated "an odd-couple bromance that has blossomed despite years of dark relations between the two men's respective countries."

Seagal, who supported Donald Trump during the 2016 presidential race, has appeared in numerous direct-to-video films since breaking out as an action star in the 1990s. He also starred in his own reality show on the Reelz Network, "Steven Seagal: Lawman," which showed him teaming up with law enforcement organizations in Louisiana and Arizona.

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"I think our biggest problem is the open border," Seagal told ABC15 News in a 2014 interview about the Arizona season of the show. "I think this is a tremendous oversight by our current administration. As Ronald Reagan once said, if we don't have security on our borders, we don't have a country."

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Watch the latest movie trailers.

Expand Autoplay Image 1 of 122 Sophie Turner as Jean Grey, anger management student, in "Dark Phoenix." The film, the latest in the "X-Men" franchise, costars James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender and Jessica Chastain. Read the review. (Twentieth Century Fox)
Police officers gather outside Stroger Hospital after Chicago police Superintendent Eddie Johnson spoke to the news media about the shooting of two officers in the 4300 block of South Ashland Avenue in the Back of the Yards neighborhood on May 2, 2017. (Nuccio DiNuzzo / Chicago Tribune)

Members of a Hispanic street gang pointed to two of their own in last week's shooting of two plainclothes Chicago police officers, information that led to the arrest of one man involved in the attack and the identification of a second suspect who remains at large, police officials said Sunday.

After officers tracked down some members of the La Raza street gang, the members acknowledged the seriousness of the Tuesday shooting of the two officers, who were driving in a covert Chicago Police Department van in the 4300 block of South Ashland Avenue when a passenger in a minivan traveling behind the officers opened fire with a military-style semi-automatic rifle.

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"Everyone in the gang knew at that point that these guys did not shoot rival gang members, they shot officers," Chicago police Area Central Cmdr. Brendan Deenihan said of the La Raza members at a Sunday news conference. "At that point, these individuals cooperated with us and we were able to identify the driver and the shooter. We were able to arrest the driver of the van. He confessed to what he has done, and he's charged as an adult. We are still looking for the shooter at this time. It's a very active and ongoing investigation."

Angel Gomez, 18, was charged Saturday night with two counts each of attempted murder and aggravated battery with a firearm. He's expected to appear at a bond hearing Monday.

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In detailing the events surrounding the shooting for the first time, Deenihan said Chicago police had no reason to believe the suspects knew they were following and shooting at police officers.

"They thought they were probably shooting at a rival gang member, but it's not like the van was throwing up gang signs or pointing weapons at them," Deenihan said. "They shot right into the back of it. It could have been a van full of kids for all they know."

The two Deering District tactical officers were investigating another gang-related shooting that occurred earlier last Tuesday night near 20th and Halsted streets. A 15-year-old boy was wounded in the left leg while riding in a black SUV, and those riding in the vehicle later called officers, Deenihan said, adding that the boy was hospitalized and their vehicle was processed by officers.

In investigating the earlier shooting, police identified the individuals in the vehicle as members of La Raza, Deenihan said. When the members were done being questioned by police, the two officers began to follow them in the covert police van because of the possibility the members would seek retaliation against a rival gang, police said.

But as the officers followed that vehicle, the gang members noticed they were being followed and phoned others, Deenihan said. Soon after, the officers made eye contact with men in a vehicle that pulled up alongside them and "got the feeling things were not going right" and decided to return to their station, he said.

Before the officers could do so, an individual in a stolen Chrysler minivan behind them opened fire, striking the police van's gas tank, which led the vehicle to roll to a stop, Deenihan said. Officers believe only one shooter opened fire from the minivan, he said.

"The CPD van then starts to come to a halt as the stolen minivan is coming around the left-hand side of our van, the door swings open, a high-powered rifle starts riddling the covert van with bullets, going through and through," Deenihan said. "It's actually quite remarkable, and everyone is thankful, that the officers were not killed."

Police said the two officers returned fire through their windshield after being wounded, one in the arm and hip and the other in the back. The gang members then fled, ditched their car, which had flat tires, and hid the .223 caliber high-powered rifle used in the shooting in some woods near 38th Street and Racine Avenue, Deenihan said.

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One of the suspects buried the weapon, which was later located by a K-9 dog. Deenihan said officers have identified where the gun was purchased and were working with federal officials at the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives to identify its ownership history. He declined to identify where the gun was purchased or whether it was in Illinois.

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Police Superintendent Eddie Johnson described the gun as a "weapon of war," and directed the department to release photos of the black police van pocked with bullet holes. Johnson vowed the shooter would be apprehended. Police did not release that suspect's identity.

In February, the Tribune reported that La Raza was one of four Hispanic gangs believed to be responsible for about three dozen shootings since early 2016 tied to semi-automatic rifles in the Southwest Side neighborhoods of Back of the Yards and Brighton Park. Police said that was the only area of the city where rifles styled after AR-15s and AK-47s were regularly used, a menacing new development in the gang fights.

At the time, there had been more than 30 shootings in those neighborhoods tied to semi-automatic weapons, with 46 people shot in those attacks, 13 of them fatally. Police have suspected the guns are being passed around by members of the four rival Hispanic gangs in the area  La Raza, the Almighty Saints, Satan Disciples and Gangster Two-Six.

Asked Sunday if officers knew why semi-automatic rifles were being used so frequently in Back of the Yards and Brighton Park or where they were coming from, Johnson did not give an answer, other than to acknowledge the trend. He did, however, reiterate his push for stronger sentencing laws for gun crimes.

"We just have to absolutely do something about this gun violence," Johnson said. "If these individuals, these maniacs, would shoot at the police like that, do you think they would really care about shooting at an average citizen in this city? The answer is no."

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bruthhart@chicagotribune.com

Twitter @BillRuthhart
Fred Brown, 46, appeared next to his son, Calvin McClendon, 27, in court, where each was given $1 million bonds Saturday, May 6, 2017, following a spat between neighbors that turned into a car chase and shooting that left a neighbor woman critically injured, authorities said. (Chicago police photos / )

Father-and-son felons were each given $1 million bonds Saturday following a spat between neighbors that turned into a car chase and shooting that left a neighbor woman critically injured, authorities said.

Fred Brown, 46, appeared next to his son, Calvin McClendon, 27, during a bond hearing at the Leighton Criminal Court Building in connection to an early Friday morning shooting in the 10600 block of South State Street in the Roseland neighborhood. Each is charged with attempted murder and aggravated battery.

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Judge Donald Panarese Jr. handed down the high bonds after hearing that both father and son had multiple felony gun convictions. The charges come less than a month after McClendon was released from the Shawnee Correctional Center on parole for a 2015 charge of felon in possession of a firearm, after he served 418 days in custody as part of a three-year sentence, according to state records.

The incident began after a quarrel between McClendon and the 41-year-old neighbor's daughter, prosecutors said. After the exchange, both father and son went toward their neighbor's home armed with handguns, threatening to "shoot it up," Assistant State's Attorney Sheila York told the court.

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Several hours later, as several other members of the neighbor's family left her home and drove away, Brown and McClendon followed in a separate vehicle driven by someone else and chased after them, York said. During the chase, McClendon showed a handgun through the window, but the pursuit ended without a shot being fired.

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About the time both Brown and McClendon returned to their home, McClendon confronted the 41-year-old mother of the neighbor he had argued with, once again flashing his gun as his father flashed his weapon at the woman's 21-year-old daughter.

Father and son then opened fire on their neighbors, causing both women to run away. The mother fell to the ground and was shot in the buttocks by McClendon even after she begged him to stop firing, York said.

McClendon then began firing at the woman's daughter, who continued to run away and alerted police officers responding to the scene.

The daughter identified her neighbors as the gunmen, and police found multiple 9 mm shell casings at the scene. Officers arrested both men at their home, with officers noting that McClendon was washing his hands.

The wounded victim was taken to Advocate Christ Memorial Hospital in Oak Lawn. Despite undergoing at least one surgery, the bullet remains lodged in her body, York said.

Police identified both men as members of the Four Corner Hustler street gang.

They're expected to return to court next week.
Police arrested a homeless man who spray-painted a racial slur on a sidewalk outside a Greektown Walgreens, authorities said.

William Floyd Jr., 39, was charged with one felony count of criminal damage to government property for the defacement outside the Walgreens, 111 S. Halsted St., early on Friday. A judge ordered him held on $10,000 bail.

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Floyd, whose listed home address was Franciscan House shelter in the Lawndale neighborhood, was spotted by Walgreens workers on a surveillance camera spray-painting the N-word on the sidewalk, authorities said.

Workers at the store, who had had several previous run-ins with Floyd, contacted police, who arrested Floyd about a half-block away a short time later.

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After his arrest, Floyd told police, "I spraypainted something, but I don't remember what it said, though," according to a police report.

wlee@chicagotribune.com

Twitter @MidNoirCowboy
Jamila S. Hodge, 32, of Gary, is charged with homicide, aggravated battery and neglect of a dependent resulting in death. (Gary Police Department)

An Indiana foster mother has been charged with murder in connection with the death on Thursday of a 20-month-old girl who was under her care, authorities said Saturday.

Jamila Hodge, 32, of Gary, also faces charges of aggravated battery, neglect of a dependent resulting in death and other felonies in connection with the death, said Lt. Dawn Westerfield of the Gary Police Department.

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The Lake County coroner's office identified the infant as Emma Salinas and ruled her death a homicide. A determination about her injuries is still pending.

Gary police on Thursday found Salinas dead at her home in the 7500 block of Ash Avenue about 11:40 a.m. after receiving a call about an unresponsive child.
No one was injured Saturday when an SUV crashed into the front of an Italian restaurant in Chicago's West Town neighborhood during dinner service.

At 8:04 p.m., officers responded to a single-car accident at Bella Notte, 1374 W. Grand Ave., where a vehicle hit but did not go through, the building, officials said.

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A young woman was driving a black Honda SUV east on Grand Avenue, swerved across the westbound lanes and hit the restaurant, said a woman who was riding a bus on her way home from work. The witness said the driver looked disoriented.

"We're just working and it crashed into the front of the building," said Ramon Aguirre, general manager of the restaurant. "We have some French doors, and she kind of went through one of them. She got really lucky that nobody was sitting there at the time."

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Aguirre said the car was only a few feet away from hitting a 7-year-old girl who was sitting near the doors with her family.

"It's very busy and there was somebody sitting next to the window. I'm just happy that she wasn't closer," he said. "I'm just happy that nobody was physically hurt."

Despite the incident, Aguirre said it was business as usual. The restaurant has been there for 22 years and this is the first time something like this has happened, he said.

"Obviously, we can't seat anybody at the window, and we have a car on the curb right now," he said.
Chicago police Deputy Superintendent Kevin Navarro, Deputy Chief Kevin Ryan and 15th Ward Ald. Raymond Lopez speak at the scene of a shooting that left two people dead and eight wounded in Brighton Park on May 7, 2017. (Alyssa Pointer / Chicago Tribune/Chicago Tribune)

Two people were killed and eight others were wounded in an attack at the site of a memorial for a man who was slain earlier Sunday in the Brighton Park neighborhood, police said.

Chicago police First Deputy Superintendent Kevin Navarro told reporters at the Southwest Side scene in the 2600 block of West 46th Place that the attack was "another brazen act of gang violence."

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Navarro said the victims, a mix of men and women, were taking part in a memorial for a man, identified by the Cook County medical examiner's office as Daniel Cardova, who had been killed at that location earlier in the day when two people fired rifles from a nearby alleyway.

Deputy Chief Kevin Ryan said gang and tactical teams were hitting the area hard in their investigation.

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"We have a fairly good idea who we're looking for," Ryan said. "We have a fairly good idea of the conflict involved. And right now we're trying to saturate the area."

The attack happened about 5:20 p.m., police said. Earlier, police said only five people were wounded.

A man about 25 was dead on the scene, and a 29-year-old woman died of her wounds at Stroger Hospital, officials said.

Eight additional gunshot victims, mostly adults, were being treated at hospitals, according to the Chicago Fire Department and police.

A 25-year-old man who was shot in the right hip and right elbow was in good condition at Mount Sinai Hospital; a 26-year-old man who was shot in the right leg was in good condition at Stroger; a 23-year-old man who was shot in the right leg was in good condition at Stroger; a 26-year-old man who was shot in the right leg was in good condition at Stroger; a 26-year-old man who was shot in both ankles was in good condition at Stroger; a 19-year-old woman who was shot in the leg was in good condition at Mount Sinai Hospital; a 25-year-old woman who was shot in the right arm was in good condition at Stroger; and a 23-year-old man who had injuries to his leg was in good condition at Stroger.

Cardova, of the 4400 block of South Troy Street, was shot about 4:30 a.m. Sunday in the 2500 block of West 46th Place, police and the medical examiner's office said. Cardova was pronounced dead at 4:42 a.m., the office said.

Near the 2600 block of West 46th Place, neighbors on their porches craned their heads toward the scene of the shooting, where a group of about two dozen police officers had gathered to scour the area.

Just outside a one-story building at the center of the scene sat a makeshift memorial decorated with a heart-shaped balloon, liquor bottles and numerous candles.

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Blocks away from where police vehicles cast blue flashing lights, children ran toward an ice cream truck and jumped in a bounce house, seemingly unaware of the violence that had just taken place.

Juxtaposed with the older residents and children were large groups of young men, many wearing hooded sweatshirts.

The men haggled with people in passing cars, reporters and police. When a police SUV drove to 46th Street and Rockwell, one of the men with his hood up tried to open the car door. As the officer chastised the group, another one in the bunch held up his phone, shouting, "I got you on camera!"

Officers got out of the car, ordering the men to leave. As the group walked north, the man with the camera phone backpedaled and yelled, "I got your face on camera!"

A man wearing a black Chicago Bulls hat spoke with investigators at the scene before swiftly walking away. He said two of his children had been taken to Stroger and reportedly died in Sunday's late afternoon shooting.

"I hate violence. I don't know how I feel but I know how to get even," said the man, who declined to identify himself or elaborate.

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The shootings come five days after two Deering District tactical officers were struck by rifle fire in the neighboring Back of the Yards, southeast of Brighton Park.

During the news conference, Navarro said "at this point,'' police do not believe the two Sunday shootings on 46th Place are connected to the officers' shooting.

Ald. Raymond Lopez, 15th, who surveyed the shooting scene, expressed his frustration with the third rifle shooting in a week and called on neighbors to be vigilant in reporting criminal activity.

"The wakeup call has been here. It's time to act. It's time for each and every one of us to start looking at what's going on on our block, identifying who is a gang member who's selling drugs and who is supporting them in our communities,'' Lopez said.

The neighborhood, consisting of well-kept three-story brick homes, has been through a lot of "ups and downs" over the years, according to residents. In recent years, the number of gang incidents seems to have been on the rise.

"For the last five to six years it's been a steady decline," said a longtime resident who gave only her first name, Michelle.

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Michelle, who has a 16-year-old daughter and 12-year-old son, said the violence is especially disheartening given its proximity to Shields Elementary School, a few blocks north.

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"The one I'm worried most about is my son because he will be mistaken (for a gang member) and he is in that age group," she said.

In other Sunday shootings:

Two people were shot about 7:25 p.m. in the 300 block of South Central Park Avenue in the East Garfield Park neighborhood on the West Side. The shooter was inside a vehicle that approached the men and opened fire. A 23-year-old man was shot in the torso, arm and leg. He was taken in critical condition to Stroger Hospital. A 22-year-old man was shot in the upper leg, and he was taken in critical condition to Mount Sinai Hospital.

About 5:35 p.m., a 25-year-old man was shot in the stomach while he was in the 5400 block of West Fulton Street in the South Austin neighborhood on the city's West Side. He took himself to West Suburban Medical Center.

A 33-year-old man was shot in the 9800 block of South Harvard Avenue in the Longwood Manor neighborhood about 5:05 pm., police said. The 33-year-old was driving when an assailant fired into the vehicle, grazing the man's shoulder, police said. The man then crashed into a tree and the shooter fled. He was taken in good condition to an area hospital, police said.

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Earlier Sunday, about 9:15 a.m. Sunday, police were sent to a home in the 6300 block of South Troy Street in the Marquette Park neighborhood for a woman who was wounded during a possible domestic attack, according to police. They found a woman, 27, who had been shot in the head and the abdomen. She also had been stabbed multiple times in the abdomen, authorities said. She was taken to Advocate Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn, where she was in critical condition, officials said.

No arrests had been made, and detectives were investigating.
Conrad Hilton, right, leaves court with his parents, Kathy and Richard Hilton, in 2015 after his sentencing for causing a disturbance aboard an international flight from London to Los Angeles. (David Buchan / Getty Images)

Conrad Hilton, the younger brother of socialite Paris Hilton, was arrested in Los Angeles early Saturday morning on suspicion of stealing an automobile and violating a restraining order, authorities said.

Hilton, 23, was arrested after police were called to a home in the 2300 block of Jupiter Drive in the Hollywood Hills at 4:50 a.m., said LAPD Officer Jenny Houser. When officers arrived on the scene, Hilton was inside a Bentley Continental belonging to the father of the restraining order victim, authorities said.

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He is being held at the Metropolitan Detention Center downtown in lieu of $60,000 bail, said LAPD Officer Mike Lopez.

Hilton, the namesake great-grandson of the late hotel magnate, has a lengthy history of run-ins with authorities. Last June, he was arrested on the same block on Jupiter Drive on suspicion of violating a restraining order obtained by his ex-girlfriend. Officers found him inside his ex-girlfriend's home.

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Also last year, he was sentenced to 60 days in jail for admitting to using pot, cocaine and synthetic marijuana.

The month before, he turned himself in to Riverside County authorities in connection with an Aug. 23, 2014, incident in which authorities say he led an officer on a high-speed pursuit before crashing his black BMW in Cathedral City.

He was also placed on probation last year after pleading guilty to attacking several flight attendants aboard a British Airways flight from London to Los Angeles in 2014.

andrea.castillo@latimes.com

@andreamcastillo
Roy Oliver faces a murder charge in the April 29, 2017, shooting of 15-year-old Jordan Edwards. Oliver was fired from his job as a Balch Springs Police officer on May 2, following the review of video from a body camera. ( Parker County Sheriff's Office)

HOUSTON  Authorities who've charged a white suburban Dallas police officer with murder in a black teenager's death face a tough task in getting a conviction as few of these cases go to trial and, when they do, juries remain reluctant to second guess an officer's decision to use deadly force, legal experts said Saturday.

Roy Oliver is free on bond after being charged Friday in the death of 15-year-old Jordan Edwards. Investigators say Oliver shot into a car of teenagers leaving an unruly party on April 29, killing Edwards. Oliver was fired by the Balch Springs Police Department three days after the shooting.

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Philip Stinson, a criminal justice professor at Bowling Green State University in Ohio, said data he's collected since 2005 on police shootings shows officers rarely are charged in deadly shootings. It's even rarer for an officer to be convicted, according to the data.

From his research, Stinson estimates that fatal shootings by U.S. police officers who are on duty occur about 1,000 times a year. But since 2005, only 81 officers have been charged with murder or manslaughter resulting from an on-duty shooting, he said. Of these 81 cases, there have been 30 convictions, 31 cases with no conviction and 20 that are still pending.

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In recent years, many police shootings have been captured on video taken by officers' body cameras or witnesses' cellphones. But Stinson said such evidence still doesn't guarantee a conviction.

He points to the 2015 shooting in South Carolina of black motorist Walter Scott by officer Michael Slager. A cellphone video captured Slager shooting Scott five times in the back as the unarmed 50-year-old man ran away during a traffic stop. In December a mistrial was declared in Slager's murder trial after a jury couldn't reach a verdict. Slager pleaded guilty on Tuesday to a federal charge of violating Scott's civil rights.

"I'm not willing to say it's jury nullification where the jury is just not going to convict in any scenario," Stinson said. "But we are getting close to that, to the extent that even in what seem to be the strongest cases for a prosecutor, such as the Slager case, a jury is just very reluctant to convict the officer."

Attorneys for Oliver didn't immediately return calls or emails seeking comment on Saturday.

Oliver's mother, Linda, has told KXAS-TV her son is "a man of strong character."

Edwards' family issued a statement late Friday saying Oliver's arrest on the murder charge "brings hope that the justice system will bend against the overwhelming weight of our frustration."

A private funeral service for Edwards was held on Saturday.

Balch Springs police had originally said the vehicle Edwards was a passenger in was reversing "in an aggressive manner" toward officers, who had responded to a complaint about underage drinking.

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But Police Chief Jonathan Haber later said video taken at the scene proved the vehicle was actually driving away. Oliver opened fire on the teenagers' car with a rifle. The bullets shattered the front passenger-side window and fatally struck Edwards.

The warrant issued on Friday for Oliver's arrest was based on evidence that suggested Oliver "intended to cause serious bodily injury and commit an act clearly dangerous to human life that caused the death," said the Dallas County Sheriff's Department, which is investigating the shooting along with the Dallas County District Attorney's Office.

Records show that Oliver was briefly suspended in 2013 following a complaint about his conduct while serving as a witness in a drunken-driving case.

Philip Hilder, a Houston criminal defense attorney and former federal prosecutor, said the issue of race will be "in the back of everybody's mind going forward in this case" but whether it's brought up at trial will be up to the judge.

"The fact (authorities) moved as rapidly as they have indicates confidence in their case and that they believe they will be able to prevail on the murder charge because in a situation like this, it's very unusual to have a charging decision so soon after the shooting," Hilder said.
As the mountaineering season approaches, a large number of expeditionists are lured to Mount Qomolangma, or Everest, bringing hopes of reviving Nepal's quake-ravaged tourism.

The sole international airport in this Himalayan country, Tribhuvan International Airport, handles around 400 flights on a daily basis. During peak tourism season, over a quarter of these flights are operated for Tenzing Hillary Airport, located in Lukla, the gateway to the world's highest peak.

Due to heavy demand of flights for Lukla in the mountaineering season which falls from March to May, even other domestic flight schedule often gets disrupted or become the victim of air traffic jam.

Tenzing Hillary Airport, famed as most dangerous airport in the world, recorded up to 105 flights in a single day this season.

"Since March, we are having 90 flights in average per day, with the highest 105 on April 16. Since the passenger movement is excessive this year," Lokendra Kunwar, manager at the airport, told Xinhua on Friday.

Unlike low flight tendency in the past few years, this season's high passenger movement at this airport has been regarded as evidence that the mountaineering season of 2017 is going to be highly beneficial for the quake-hit Himalayan country.

Kunwar added that the highest number of flights is handled by private airlines companies Tara and Goma Air and the tendency will go on till the end of June.

Up to 40 expedition teams comprising 373 climbers are conquering the world's highest peak this spring season. As May is the perfect window for this expedition in terms of favorable weather, foreign and Nepali expedition teams are once again all set for trying their luck.

There were no mountaineering expeditions in the spring of 2015 after avalanches triggered by the devastating April 25 earthquake killed 19 climbers, including high-altitude guides and helpers.

The Department of Tourism, the authorized government body to issue expedition permits, informed that all the climbers have already reached the Mt. Qomolangma region with Sherpa guides and helpers for acclimatization.

Durga Dutta Dhakal, information officer at the Department of Tourism, told Xinhua "There are around 1,500 people at the base camp and nearby areas currently. As part of acclimatization, climbers have reached up to Camp III from base camp. We are hopeful that the first summit will be held probably next week."

Starting from March, the climbers usually spend 30 to 60 days in the region, including at the base camp, as part of their preparation.

Dhakal, who himself is heading toward the base camp, added that this year's Mt. Qomolangma expedition can contribute a lot to revive quake-ravaged tourism.

He nodded at the reports of possibility of traffic jam in the peak owing to a large number of climbers attempting to utilize the benefit of narrow weather window at the same time.

According to the Expedition Operators Association of Nepal (EOAN), authorized body for rope fixing from Camp II to top of the peak, the rope fixing task shall be completed within next few days, which will pave the way for all the commercial and independent summiteers.

President of EOAN Dambar Parajuli told Xinhua Friday that "a team of 14 Sherpa known as Icefall Doctors are waiting in Camp IV for the weather clearance. The weather was not so good in the past few days. If everything went well, they will start rope fixing from tomorrow and shall complete it within 3-4 days."
President Donald Trump's revised travel ban faces two major legal tests this month when federal appeals courts on opposite coasts take up challenges to an executive order that the administration says is urgently needed for national security and opponents say discriminates against Muslims.

The first hearing comes Monday in Richmond, Va.

Federal immigration law gives the president broad authority to bar foreign travelers from entering the United States. The Trump administration's new policy temporarily suspends the U.S. refugee program and blocks new visas to citizens of six majority Muslim countries.

Before the order could take effect in March, a judge in Maryland and one in Hawaii halted enforcement of critical sections, pointing to comments by Trump and top advisers indicating they wanted to bar Muslims from entry.

On Monday, a panel of more than a dozen judges on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 4th Circuit will consider whether to leave in place the Maryland decision siding with challengers who say the order violates First Amendment prohibitions on government denigration of a particular religion.

Judges are likely to have questions about the administration's national security justification for singling out the six countries  Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen  and about the relevance of Trump's statements before and after he took the oath of office.

In his March ruling, Maryland U.S. District Court Judge Theodore Chuang wrote that the "history of public statements continues to provide a convincing case that the purpose of the Second Executive Order remains the realization of the long-envisioned Muslim ban."

Justice Department lawyers want the Richmond-based appeals court to lift Chuang's injunction that applies only to the part of Trump's order that would temporarily block new visas for 90 days.

How quickly the 4th Circuit will rule is not known. But in an unusual step, the court bypassed the traditional three-judge panel to review the case as a full complement of as many as 14 judges. Judge J. Harvie Wilkinson, a Ronald Reagan nominee, will not participate Monday because his son-in-law, Jeffrey Wall, will argue the government's case as acting solicitor general.

To resurrect the administration's policy in full, the Justice Department would have to win in Richmond and in its upcoming appeal of the Hawaii ruling at the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit  or eventually persuade the Supreme Court to intervene.

A three-judge panel of the 9th Circuit has scheduled oral arguments for May 15 in Seattle.

The revised travel order followed widespread confusion and protest in January after a first version caused deportations and detentions of people already aboard flights to the United States as the order was signed. The 9th Circuit in February upheld a court order that suspended the original travel ban, leading to the president's revamped version.

The new order dropped Iraq from the list of excluded countries and did not touch green-card holders and valid visa holders, as the first order had.

In Richmond, government attorneys will ask the court to limit its review to the language of the order. The ban does not mention religion, and the administration says it is designed to give officials time to assess existing screening procedures for entries from countries that Congress and the Obama administration previously identified as areas of "concern."

The Justice Department said in court filings that the lower court's reliance on campaign statements made by then-candidate Trump is "unprecedented": "The court should have focused on official acts, not perceived subjective motivations."

Top law enforcement officials from 13 states, including Texas, Arizona and Florida, backed the administration in court filings, urging the 4th Circuit not to interfere with "an area of strongest executive authority" and arguing that foreign citizens do not have a constitutional right to enter the United States.

The challenge in Maryland was brought by organizations and individuals, including Muslim U.S. citizens and Muslim green-card holders who are trying to reunite with relatives who would be affected by the ban. They are being represented by the National Immigration Law Center and the American Civil Liberties Union.

Allowing the policy to go forward harms the individual plaintiffs by "prolonging their separation from their loved ones, most of whom remain in dangerous conditions abroad," according to their attorneys, led by ACLU lawyer Omar Jadwat.

Opponents argue that the president's travel order specifically violates the establishment clause of the First Amendment that forbids the government from favoring or condemning a particular religion.

"The anti-Muslim message embodied by the order singles them out for particular condemnation and stigma because they are Muslim immigrants," the ACLU filing said.

Diverse organizations representing technology companies in Massachusetts, art museum directors, religious leaders and labor unions filed briefs opposing the administration's policy.

More than 40 former national security, foreign policy and intelligence officials, including former secretaries of state Madeleine Albright and John Kerry, also signed on to a brief saying the blanket ban is misguided and would undermine U.S. security by adding to the narrative that the United States is at war with Islam. The order will "impair relationships with the very Muslim communities that law enforcement professionals rely on to address the threat of terrorism."

National security is not at risk, the former officials said, because travelers are already subjected to vigorous vetting before visas are issued.

A coalition of about 50 constitutional law professors joined a separate brief insisting the president's remarks must be considered. Even if the court defers to the president when it comes to immigration and national security, the professors said, "it is hard to imagine a clearer case of governmental action motived by animus toward a single religion."

Attorneys opposed to the ban drew parallels to the 1944 Supreme Court case Korematsu v. United States and urged caution. In that case, the court deferred to the executive's national security concerns to uphold the internment of Japanese Americans during World War II.

University of Texas law professor Stephen Vladeck, who signed onto a brief challenging the first iteration of the ban, said Korematsu's lesson is that "even  if not especially  when the government claims a discriminatory policy is justified by amorphous national security concerns, courts should treat such claims with great skepticism."
A conservative Republican congressman from Idaho is drawing criticism for his response to a town-hall attendee's concerns about how his party's health care bill would affect Medicaid recipients.

"You are mandating people on Medicaid to accept dying," the woman said.

"That line is so indefensible," said Rep. Raul Labrador, a member of the influential House Freedom Caucus. "Nobody dies because they don't have access to health care."

The boos instantly drowned him out.

The town hall meeting occurred at Lewis-Clark State College in Lewiston, Idaho, a day after Labrador and 216 other Republicans in the House narrowly passed the American Health Care Act, which would overhaul the country's health-care system.

The bill was passed hastily, with few public hearings and key revisions agreed upon during closed-door meetings at the White House and on Capitol Hill. The Congressional Budget Office had not analyzed the bill's cost and impact on coverage before it was approved by the House, but the agency's analysis of its original version projected that 24 million would lose insurance by 2026.

The estimate also showed that the bill would cut $880 billion from the Medicaid program over the next decade. The program provides health insurance to low-income Americans and helps pay for long-term care for seniors and people with disabilities.

After the town hall Friday, Labrador said on his Facebook page, "It was my privilege to spend two hours today in Lewiston fielding questions from my constituents, many of them about our efforts to provide quality health care to all Americans at an affordable and sustainable cost."

But many of the comments to his post were in response to his earlier statement.

"My brother died because he was poor and could not go to a doctor because he couldn't afford the bills. He is dead. People die because they don't have access to healthcare," one Facebook user wrote.

"Quite a few middle-aged people sitting in your audience that you just aced out of health coverage," another one said.

Twitter also has been flooded with angry posts.

A spokesman for Labrador did not respond Saturday to an email seeking comment.

As The Washington Post's Carolyn Y. Johnson wrote, figuring out exactly how many people would die if access to health care is taken away is not an easy estimate to reach. Johnson wrote:

- - -

That's because the law's most widespread feature is helping people buy health insurance, and the link between being covered by health insurance and actually being healthier is not fully understood.

 health is a cumulative, complex and long-term outcome, determined not only by health insurance status, but by socioeconomic factors, genetics, lifestyle and the neighborhoods where people live. The differences between having insurance and not having insurance often encapsulates a broad swath of other factors that affect people's well-being.

- - -

It would not, however, be a leap to say that losing health insurance would make someone's health worse and might even lead to death. Studies have drawn connections between lack of access to health care and mortality rate.

A 2009 study in the American Journal of Public Health found that 45,000 deaths annually were linked to lack of health coverage, and that uninsured, working-age Americans have a 40 percent higher risk of dying than their insured counterparts.

According to another 2009 study by the Institute of Medicine, people without health care are more likely to die if diagnosed with illnesses, such as cancer, congestive heart failure, diabetes and heart attack, among others.

On the other hand, those with access to health care are likely to fare better.

A recent study on young adults found that the average mortality rate among those between ages 19 and 25 who have contracted diseases have dropped by 3 to 6 percent because of expanded coverage. The study examined the impact of an Obamacare provision that allowed young adults to stay on their parents' insurance until they're 26.

House Republicans celebrated with the White House Thursday after narrowly passing the controversial repeal-and-replace bill.

In a statement after the bill was passed, Labrador said, "We have negotiated legislation that keeps our promise to the American people to lower health costs while also protecting those with preexisting conditions. Furthermore, unlike the first version of the AHCA, our bill showed it had enough support to actually pass the House."

An amendment to the bill would allow states to obtain a waiver so they could charge customers with preexisting conditions more than other people. The latest addition, which would provide $8 billion over five years to lower premiums for those with preexisting conditions, swayed some concerned moderate Republican lawmakers to support the bill, allowing the House GOP leadership to secure enough votes to pass it.

Democrats, however, say the $8 billion is not enough and those with preexisting conditions will face the choice of paying exorbitant premiums or carrying no insurance.

The contentious fight to repeal and replace Obamacare is likely to continue on Capitol Hill, as Senate Republicans have indicated that they plan to write their own legislation. Whether it would have similar features as the House bill, or if it would be something entirely different remains unclear.

Labrador is not the first Republican lawmaker to face a hostile crowd during a town hall meeting. Republicans who've hosted town halls in the past several months have been met with protests, boos and sharp rebukes from attendees. Some have opted against holding town halls, while President Donald Trump has dismissed the "so-called crowds" as "liberal activists."
5 things to know about Adam Frisch

Laure Boebert is in a tight race for s second term in Congress with Democrat Adam Frisch looking to unseat her and represent Colorado's 3rd district.
Baku, Azerbaijan, May 8

Trend:

Twenty-five years have passed since the occupation of Azerbaijan's Shusha city by Armenia.

Shusha, one of the unique cultural centers of Azerbaijan, is a city, characterized for its natural beauty, and is a valuable monument of national architecture and medieval urban art. Constantly keeping the Azerbaijani national-spiritual values and traditions of music, Shusha before forming as a city of great economic, political and cultural significance, has passed a rich way as a center of Karabakh khanate, played its role in the lives of the people of Azerbaijan. This city, which went down in history thanks to Gasim bey Zakir, Khurshidbanu Natavan, Mir Mohsun Navvab, Najaf bey Vezirov, Abdurrahim bey Hagverdiyev, Yusif Vazir Chemenzeminli, Firidun bey Kocharli, Ahmad bey Agaoglu and other eminent personalities, is known worldwide as the cradle of the Azerbaijani mugham.

In 1977 at the initiative of Heydar Aliyev a decree "On the declaration of the historic part of the city of Shusha as historical and architectural reserve" was passed. Since that time, creative work in Shusha became widespread, house-museums of the great figures of our culture and arts Uzeyir bey Hajibeyli, Khurshidbanu Natavan and Bul-Bul were created, a mausoleum of an outstanding poet Molla Panah Vagif was built.

As a result of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, the Republic of Azerbaijan, which adopted on October 18, 1991 relevant documents for the restoration of its national independence, came face to face with the aggressive policy of ethnic cleansing by Armenia. Given that the country which was undergoing profound political, economic and social crisis and finding ways out of from tense situation in Nagorno-Karabakh, has not yet formed its own national army, it relied only on voluntary assistance of self-defense units during defense of Shusha which has high military and strategic importance. However, despite the fact that they fought valiantly, and had a decent resistance, on May 8, 1992 the Armenian armed forces armed to the teeth occupied Shusha.

In the battle for the defense of Shusha, 195 our compatriots were killed, 165 people were injured, 58 people captured and taken hostage. During the occupation the Armenian vandals looted the museums, in which there were thousands of pieces, destroyed hundreds of historical and cultural monuments, defaced shrines and mosques, destroyed a large number of specimens of rare manuscripts, and ruined the education and health care institutions.
Baku, Azerbaijan, May 7

Trend:

A farewell ceremony has been held at Azerbaijan National Academy of Sciences (ANAS) for outstanding chemist, academician, ScD in Chemistry, professor, Merited Scientist Rafiga Aliyeva.

President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev, first lady Mehriban Aliyeva and family members attended the ceremony.

President Ilham Aliyev and first lady Mehriban Aliyeva offered condolences to family members of Rafiga Aliyeva.

In their remarks, president of ANAS Akif Alizade, rector of Baku State University Abel Maharramov, vice presidents of ANAS Dilgam Taghiyev and Isa Habibbayli, director of the Institute of Chemistry of Additives Vagif Farzaliyev, and Rafiga Aliyeva`s daughter Fakhriyya Khalafova highlighted the life and activities of the late scientist.

Rafiga Aliyeva was buried at the First Alley of Honors.

President Ilham Aliyev, first lady Mehriban Aliyeva and family members attended the funeral.
"China Keywords" on the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) was launched in multilingual versions on May 5 in Beijing to coincide with the upcoming forum for international cooperation. [Photo by Zheng Liang/China.org.cn]

"China Keywords" on the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) was launched in multilingual versions on May 5 in Beijing to coincide with the upcoming forum for international cooperation.

Published in 14 foreign languages including English, French, Russian, Spanish, Arabic and German by theNew World Press, it provides foreign readers with an overall and objective picture of the core concepts of the BRI.

The book features a systematic introduction to the information, construction goals, cooperation priorities and the essential mechanism of the Initiative through a series of keyword entries, offering a comprehensive and expert interpretation of its vital significance to the international community, said Wang Gangyi, deputy president of the China International Publishing Group (CIPG) and executive director of China Academy of Translation, in a speech at the launch event.

Sun Haiyan, director general of the information and communications bureau within the International Department,Central Committee of CPC, believed the publication was a timely response to the concerns of the outside world about the BRI, which elaborates China's political thinking, policies and path of development in easily understood terms.

At the recently-concluded Abu Dhabi International Book Fair, the B&R section found much favor with international publishers signing copyright deals with China to publish the book series in Arabic, Korean, Russian and Turkish.

The "China Keywords" program jointly operated by CIPG, the China Academy of Translation and the Translators Association of China, is a multi-language platform for explaining the new governance philosophies and strategies of the CPC with President Xi Jinpingas its core as well as China's policies and developmental pathways.

The program provides entries in 15 languages including Chinese, English, French, Russian, Spanish and Arabic, establishing an information platform with novel and authoritative interpretation of the development ideas and core concepts of contemporary China.

The multilingual book series - Keywords to Understand China - under the program has drawn wide attention from home and abroad since publication began. A number of the translation versions of the entries have been adopted by authoritative international organizations like the translation agency of the United Nations.
 Flash

The Japanese government has begun examining the possibility of deploying cruise missiles in the future, local media reported on Saturday.

The government is keen to allocate funds to look into the possibility of acquiring the capability to strike enemy launch sites, with the spending possibly coming from the government's budget for fiscal 2018, Kyodo News quoted a government official as saying on condition of anonymity.

The official said the type of cruise missile in the government's forecast is a long-range Tomahawk cruise missile that could be deployed on Maritime Self-Defense Force's Aegis-equipped ships.

Security experts within the ruling Liberal Democratic Party have been looking into ways of improving Japan's current defense capabilities with one of the mandates being to help the government look into the idea of a strike capability option.

Critics of such military moves in Japan have been quick to point out that Japan's pacifist Constitution forbids it from maintaining any war potential.

A key clause of the Constitution states that "land, sea, and air forces, as well as other war potential, will never be maintained."
Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, May 7

By Huseyn Hasanov  Trend

The issues concerning the safety of construction of the Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India (TAPI) gas pipeline were mulled at a meeting of the joint Turkmenistan-Afghanistan commission in Kabul, the Turkmen Foreign Ministry said in a message.

Turkmen delegation led by Foreign Minister Rashid Meredov was received by Afghan President Mohammad Ashraf Ghani, according to the message.

The sides discussed the construction safety of other infrastructure projects, involving the two countries, as well.

Turkmenistan and Afghanistan further mulled the bilateral cooperation in security and providing stability on the common border, as well as in the two countries border areas.

Construction of the Turkmen section of TAPI was launched on Dec. 13, 2015. The pipelines annual capacity will be 33 billion cubic meters. TAPIs total length will be 1,814 kilometers.
 Flash

Emmanuel Macron, French presidential candidate for the On the Move (En Marche) movement, delivers a speech at a rally after the first round of French presidential election in Paris, France on April 23, 2017.(Xinhua/Jose Rodriguez)

French voters are preparing to return to the polling stations on Sunday to decide which of the two candidates will take the country's presidency for the next five years.

Unlike the neck-and-neck race in the first round of votes on April 23, the margin between centrist candidate Emmanuel Macron and far-rightist Marine Le Pen in the runoff vote is estimated to be quite large, according to opinion polls.

Various polls released on Friday, the last campaigning day, estimate that Macron will win with 61 to 62 percent of votes, while only 38 to 40 percent will go to Le Pen.

A Harris Interactive survey for French television network LCP indicates Macron will garner 62 percent, and Le Pen 38 percent. The same figures were given by an Odoxa-Dentsu Consulting poll for Le Point magazine and a Elabe survey for BFMTV and newspaper L'Express.

Meanwhile, an Ipsos-Sopra Steria poll for France Televisions and Radio France also estimates a clear victory for Macron with 61.5 percent of voting intentions, against Le Pen with 38.5 percent.

The almost unanimous estimations have put pressure on Le Pen and her far-right party National Front (FN).

Although the polls are consistent with those conducted right after the first round, the margin between the two has indeed further widened after a final television debate, which many analysts have dubbed as "aggressive" and "inappropriate."

Media reported that many viewers were disappointed by the performance of both candidates, but a poll conducted afterwards showed that 63 percent found Macron more convincing, while 34 percent supported Le Pen.

Even her farther Jean-Marie Le Pen, co-founder of FN, said that he was not satisfied with the performance of his daughter in the debate in a radio interview on Thursday.

Le Pen was greeted by a hail of eggs on Thursday at a factory in Dol-de-Bretagne, where she had received a high score in the first round, and was heckled by protesters as she visited the cathedral in Reims.

However, it is yet too early for Macron and his En Marche! (On the Move!) party to be at ease.

If the abstention rate on Sunday is high, then Macron's victory would come with a narrower margin, making it difficult for the centrist to establish his authority to govern, several pollsters have said.

One of the frontrunners in the first round, far-leftist Jean-Luc Melenchon refused to endorse either of the candidates, which could lead to not voting or casting a blank vote on Sunday among the 19.2 percent of voters who supported him.

Moreover, the refusal to endorse Macron by several representatives from the Republican party and right-wing activists also added to the risk of high abstention and blank vote rate.

A daily poll of FIFG indicates a possible decline in the turnout of the second round, with only 71 percent of voters, a decrease of seven points compared with the first round.

Ipsos-Sopra Steria also said in its survey published on Friday that 48 percent of those who plan to vote blank or void are certain to do so.

According to Le Pen's niece and fellow FN lawmaker Marion Marechal-Le Pen, even if her aunt loses, receiving 40 percent of the vote in the runoff would be already "an enormous victory."

"The objective is winning, and if not, 40 percent would position us particularly well to be the opposition or maybe even the majority in the National Assembly," the lawmaker said in a recent interview.

"The FN is now a party that, in the mind of French people, a party like the others," she added.

Regardless of the results of Sunday's vote, Le Pen has already made history for the far-right party by not only being qualified for the second round, but also breaking the record of FN in the presidential race with 7.5 million votes in the first round.

French President Francois Hollande, who has openly endorsed Macron, said on Friday that "there must be the highest score for Macron and therefore, the lowest for the far-right."

But that decision is in the hands of the French people on Sunday.
BEIJING -- For centuries, the ancient Silk Road had played a significant role in commercial and cultural exchange among the countries plying its route.

Today, entrepreneurs are devoting themselves to rejuvenating the historical route and building a new world.

STRONGER TRADE LINKS

More than a thousand years ago, Emperor Xuanzong of China's Tang Dynasty (618 AD-907 AD) sent special envoys and fast horses to southern China thousands of miles away from the capital to get freshly picked lychees for his favorite concubine, killing many horses and envoys during the exhausting long trip.

Now even for fresh fruits tens of thousands miles away, say fresh cherries from Chile in South America, they can easily "fly" into Chinese supermarkets for ordinary people to enjoy thanks to the current convenient and fast trade routes.

China has now become the largest export destination for Chilean cherries. Data from the Chilean Fresh Fruit Exporters Association shows that during the last cherry export season, over 80 percent of the country's cherries were exported to China.

Chilean cherry planters and traders have made huge endeavors to ensure the fresh, crisp texture of cherries for Chinese customers. For example, newly picked cherries are transported to China by "private planes" to ensure good quality.

"I hope direct flights between China and Chile will be opened in the near future, so that Chile's cherries could arrive in China sooner and at a lower cost," said Ricardo Vial, trade manager of the Rucaray Corporation, a large-scale Chilean cherry manufacturer.

Poland is the world's third largest apple producing country. In 2014, the Russian government imposed a ban on food imports from the European Union and the United States in retaliation for their sanctions against Moscow over the Ukraine crisis, forcing Poland's apple exports to plunge.

"We launched a three-year apple promotion project focused on the Chinese market, bringing new hope for fruit farmers," said Miroslaw Maliszewski, principal of Polish Fruit Growers Association.

BOOMING INVESTMENTS AND ECONOMIC COOPERATION

In December 1992, China's Shougang Group bid for 98.4 percent of Peruvian Iron Ore Corporation's stocks and the right to tap, explore and run the mineral resources of its mineral field.

Shougang headquarters founded Shougang Hierro Peru S.A.A., a mining company, which extracts, processes and sells iron ore in Peru.

The company's entrepreneurial path in the South American country with a different language and environment from China has been bumpy with obstacles, both big or small.

"During the past 24 years, Shougang Group has invested nearly 1.5 billion US dollars in equipment replacement, technology transformation, environmental governance, living quarters and project expansion. Its output has surged from less than 3 million tons in 1992 to 11.12 million tons in 2015," said Kong Aimin, general manager of Shougang Hierro Peru S.A.A.

In addition to founding new companies abroad, a large number of Chinese corporations have deepened their cooperation with local companies overseas.

Zhejiang RIFA Digital Precision Machinery Company is a manufacturer of high-end precision machine tools with annual sales exceeding a billion yuan (about $145 million).

In 2014 and 2015, it bought out Italian corporations MCM and Colgar, which were suffering from an economic crisis in Italy.

The two Italian companies are world-leading machine tool manufacturers, whose customers include renowned airplane manufacturers such as Airbus and Boeing and industrial giants General Electrics and Siemens.

"Improving technology, boosting development and expanding markets are not only play an important role in the Belt and Road Initiative, but they also meet the needs of both Chinese and Italian corporations," said Wang Benshan, chairman of Zhejiang RIFA Digital Precision Machinery Company.

"MCM and Colgar boast high-quality products and good word of mouth. Chinese companies help Italian ones out of difficulties with the market and funds, and increased taxes and stimulated employment for our city. This is win-win cooperation," said Maria Catrina Wono, deputy mayor of Cornaredo, where Calgar is based.

SMOOTHER PASSAGEWAY LINKING CHINA AND WEST

Kazakhstan is an important hub on the ancient Silk Road. The city of Khorgas is located in China, in Kazakhstan and on the border of the two countries. It serves as China's youngest border port city, a special economic zone forged by Kazakhstan, and the first cross-border trade area between China and its neighboring countries.

In December 2014, the Khorgos-Eastern Gate special economic zone in Kazakhstan, the most significant logistics center, was officially put into use.

Some foreign enterprises have gradually settled down in the special zone. With a soaring population and schools, hospitals, kindergartens and other supporting public facilities having been built, a brand new town is appearing. Many young Kazakh people have come to the special zone, some even giving up their jobs in big cities, because they think highly of the development potential and vitality here, said Zaslan, investment director of the special economic zone.

"The China-Kazakstan Horgos Frontier International Cooperation Center is the busiest among the three Horgoses," said transport driver Juura.

Spanning Chinese and Kazakh territory, the center is 5.28 square km in size. With special access linking the two countries, a constant stream of Chinese and Kazakh customers come here to buy Chinese commodities.

"My customers are merchants from Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Belarus and many other countries," said Zhang Wei, who sells bed linen at the center's Yiwu International Shopping Mall.

The Horgos city in China has become an important nod opening up to the West. Central Asia freight trains and China-Europe trains have linked up Horgos with the outside world.

Once the highway in Kazakhstan linking western China and western Europe is complete, travel time will be reduced from 40 days by sea to 10 days by land.
KAMPALA  Tucked away over 50 kilometers north of the capital Kampala, Chinese technicians continue to set up the first agricultural industrial park in the East African country.

In different parts of the country, Chinese experts advise local farmers on how best to make agriculture a lucrative business.

Back in the capital, Chinese enterprises at a one day China-Uganda business forum are networking to devise ways of setting up more businesses in the country.

Among the key discussions in the meeting attended by top Ugandan government officials and Chinese enterprises is the agriculture sector, the mainstay of the economy.

Agriculture is Uganda's main economic activity with over 70 percent of the country's population deriving its livelihood from the sector.

Government figures show that the sector growth 2014/15 was 4.4 percent with a contribution of 24 percent to the Gross Domestic Product. The growth was mainly on account of increased cash and food crop production.

Uganda is hoping, basing on the experiences back home, that the Chinese enterprises could set up businesses to boost growth in the sector.

Already some Chinese business people have set up shop. The locals are farming Chinese hybrid rice and fox-tail millet both on a small and large scale basis.

According to experts, the yield of Chinese hybrid rice is three times more than the local breed from one hectare of land. Similarly, the yield of fox-tail millet is two times more than the local breed, finger millet in the same acreage.

At the business forum, Evelyn Anite, minister of state for privatization and investment said Uganda welcomes Chinese enterprises into the agriculture sector with open arms, noting that government has set up many incentives to make the sector lucrative.

"That is one untapped opportunity that many investors have not gone into," Anite told the meeting convened by Uganda Investment Authority (UIA), a state run investment agency and the Chinese Enterprise Chamber of Commerce in Uganda.

Among the key incentives is that companies would enjoy tax free export on agricultural products. Those that bring into the country machinery that is geared towards adding value to agriculture would not pay tax on the equipment imported.

Jolly Kamugira, UIA executive director told the meeting that the companies also stand out to benefit from the different lucrative markets that the country has access to.

Uganda exports its agriculture products tax and quota free to the United States through the American Growth Opportunity Act. It has also access to the European Union market and other markets like China on tax and quota free basis.

In the region, Uganda supplies its agriculture produce to neighboring South Sudan, eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, Rwanda, Burundi and western Kenya.

According to UIA, the investment opportunities in the sector are in commercial farming, agro-processing, manufacturing inputs, cold storage facilities and irrigation among others.

Uganda is optimistic that with the conclusion of the ongoing transport and energy infrastructure projects, the cost of doing business in the country would go down enabling investors to recoup big returns.
It begins to snow in the Greater Hinggan Mountains in North China's Inner Mongolia autonomous region, May 5, 2017. Firefighters walk to a rally point after they put out a fire, which broke out in Bilahe Beidahe Forest in the Greater Hinggan Mountains on May 2. [Photo/Xinhua]

The fire spread throughout over 11,500 hectares of forest. The emergency response team consisted of more than 9,400 firefighters, police and civilians. Authorities said the blaze was caused by smoldering coal that had been improperly dumped and a suspect is currently in police detention. Steps are now being taken to prevent the fire from reigniting.
Swiss President Doris Leuthard speaks during an interview with Xinhua in Bern, Switzerland, on Jan 12, 2017. She is expected to attend the Belt and Road forum for international cooperation in Beijing on May 14-15. [Photo/Xinhua]

GENEVA - "The Belt and Road Initiative will strengthen well-being and contribute to poverty reduction in concerned regions. It will improve 'connectivity' between Europe and Asia, and help develop trade and the exchange of people," Swiss President Doris Leuthard told Xinhua in a recent interview.

Leuthard is among the heads of state and government leaders who accepted China's invitation to attend the Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation slated for May 14 and 15 in Beijing.

The trip to China reflects Switzerland's support for the Belt and Road Initiative. It also highlights the very positive relations prevailing between Switzerland and China, she said.

Leuthard noted that Switzerland was among the first non-Asian countries to become a member of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB), whose mandate involves, amongst other things, financing infrastructure projects along the Belt and Road.

The improvement of transportation and communication links between Europe and Asia is also important for Switzerland, she said.

According to Leuthard, the Belt and Road Initiative has the potential to strengthen Sino-Swiss relations. By using the know-how and innovation of Swiss businesses, Switzerland's private sector can play an important role in the implementation of infrastructure projects.

As an example, Switzerland boasts globally recognized expertise in the green energy sector, as well as in the construction of tunnels.

"Only a few months ago, we opened the world's longest and most modern railway tunnel in the Swiss mountains," Leuthard said.

Leuthard stressed however that the initiative must integrate meticulous risk management for it to succeed.

This entails respecting internationally recognized norms and standards, something Switzerland already encourages within the AIIB in terms of social and environmental benchmarks.

It's also important to guarantee transparency with regards to project-financing mechanisms and legal measures guiding bidding procedures and attributions.

Finally, concerted planning on an international scale is crucial to carry out the projects in question.
BEIJING - Since childhood, Palestinian Dima Albughdadi dreamed of going to China to learn the Chinese language.

"When I was a little girl, I used to stare in wonder at the Chinese ornaments displayed in shop windows and imagine going to China myself one day."

She remembers copying down Chinese characters crookedly in her notebook and seeing them on T-shirts. "Although I had no idea what they meant, joy would fill my heart whenever I saw them," she said.

However, in Palestine, it was never easy for girls like Albughdadi to go to university. She applied to study Chinese at the University of Jordan after high school, but as a Palestinian her options were limited and she couldn't enroll in her dream major unless she paid double the amount in the tuition fees.

Out of practical considerations, she eventually studied engineering. "My mind grew numb with dull formulas and mechanical thinking, and I derived no pleasure from it," Albughdadi said, recalling her two years of engineering study.

As her request to change major was repeatedly denied by her family, she realized that she had only herself to rely on in the pursuit for learning Chinese. So she began seeking whatever way possible: searching free online materials, watching video courses, and looking for Chinese-major students as language partners.

During her final year in college, Albughdadi was granted a scholarship by Dalian University of Technology for a one-year study in northeast China's port city of Dalian.

She said China gave her a sense of "deja vue" upon arrival, but the country is "far more beautiful that I thought, and the people here much kinder ... I've brought myself closer to my dream. My dreams of learning Chinese have come true over and over again."

Learning Chinese has become increasingly popular overseas in recent years, especially after China proposed the Belt and Road Initiative in 2013. Like Albughdadi, more young people from around the world have become fascinated with the Chinese language as well as Chinese culture.

The ever closer ties between China and countries along the Belt and Road have provided ample opportunities for young people to realize their Chinese dreams.
Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, May 7

By Huseyn Hasanov  Trend

The next meeting of the joint Turkmenistan-Germany working group will be held May 11 in Ashgabat, the Turkmen government said in a message.

This issue was considered at a meeting of the Cabinet of Ministers of Turkmenistan.

President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov noted that the Federal Republic of Germany is traditionally one of the main business partners of Turkmenistan.

He added that the next meeting in Ashgabat will give a new momentum to the intergovernmental dialogue, according to the message.

As of today, Turkmenistans private sector enterprises with German capital operate in refining industry, construction, trade, services sector, as well as in education and engineering.

German companies make huge contribution to the implementation of Turkmenistans long-term projects. Such companies as Siemens, Daimler, Claas, Rohde & Schwarz, Dresser-Rand are among those.

Moreover, 167 investment projects and contracts with participation of German capital in a total amount of $540 million and about 555 million euros are registered in Turkmenistan.
Baby Groot [Photo/VCG]

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 is a 2017 American superhero film based on the Marvel Comics superhero team Guardians of the Galaxy, produced by Marvel Studios and distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures.

It is the sequel to 2014's Guardians of the Galaxy and the fifteenth film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

In Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, the Guardians travel throughout the cosmos as they help Peter Quill learn more about his true parentage.

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 premiered in Tokyo on April 10, 2017 and was released in China on May 5, 2017, in 3D and IMAX 3D. It was praised by critics for its humor, soundtrack and cast.

Now, let's take a look at the main characters in the film.
A voter casts ballot during the French presidential election in Paris, France, April 23, 2017. Millions of French voters began casting their ballots in the first round of the presidential election Sunday morning amid an atmosphere of uncertainty. [Photo/Xinhua]

PARIS - French voters in overseas territories started their voting for the decisive second round of presidential elections on Saturday, a day before it is scheduled in the mainland.

But the results will be only know after all votes are casted on the French mainland.

Official campaigning period ended Friday night, signalling the start of a blackout on any campaigning and media coverage, according to French electoral laws.

The polling stations in French mainland are scheduled to open at 08:00 a.m. local time (0600 GMT) and close at 20:00 p.m. (1800 GMT) in big cities, and at 19:00 (1700 GMT) in other places.

According to French law, no exit poll or early counting results of the vote is allowed to be released until all polling stations are closed.

Nearly 47 million voters are expected to cast their ballots on Sunday in 66,546 polling stations in the French mainland, where final preparation work is being carried out on Saturday.

Opinion polls indicate that pro-European Union (EU) centrist Emmanuel Macron is on course to become the country's youngest ever leader, after a tense campaign against his anti-EU challenger far-rightist Marine Le Pen.

An Ipsos-Sopra Sterna poll released on Friday showed Macron widening his lead to 63 percent of votes, up by two points compared with the previous poll, while Le Pen dropped to 37 percent.

This is Macron's best score in polls since the first round of votes on April 23.
A person holds a ballot as the voting started in the second round of 2017 French presidential election in Marseille, France, May 7, 2017. [Photo/Agencies]

PARIS - Polling stations opened on France's European mainland on Sunday for the decisive round of a presidential election crucial for both the country and the European Union (EU).

Nearly 47 million voters are expected to cast their ballots, choosing between pro-Europe, pro-business centrist candidate Emmanuel Macron, and anti-immigration, anti-EU far-right leader Marine Le Pen.

More than 66,000 polling stations on the French European mainland opened at 08:00 local time (0600 GMT) and are scheduled to close at 20:00 in big cities, while the rest will close at 19:00.

French voters in overseas territories casted their votes on Saturday, but the results will be only known after all votes are casted on the mainland.

Official campaigning period ended Friday night, signalling the start of a blackout on any campaigning activities, according to French electoral law.

The law bans the publication of any early poll or counting results of the vote before all polling stations are closed.

Preliminary projections of the voting results are expected to be revealed by various sources after 20:00.

Macron and Le Pen topped the first round vote of the election on April 23, with 24.01 percent and 21.30 percent of votes, respectively.

Several major French opinion polls conducted after the first round have been consistent, which estimate that former economy minister Macron is likely to win the runoff after an intense campaign against Le Pen.

The two candidates both casted their votes on Sunday morning.

Macron, accompanied by his wife Brigitte, casted his vote around 11:00 local time in Le Touquet, north France.

Le Pen voted in Henin-Beaumont, north France, around 11:05.

The two contenders proposed very different prospects for France throughout an intense campaign.

Dubbed himself as "the candidate for jobs," Macon invited electorate from various political views to endorse his pro-business projects and plans to revive the European project.

His rival Le Pen, proposing a strict opposite program based on protectionist approaches, promised voters a return to the national currency and tightening internal borders to restore security.

Outgoing French president Francois Hollande and prime minister Bernard Cazenveuve both voted around 10:25 (0825GMT).

Hollande publicly endorsed Macron, who had served in his government as economy minister, calling on voters to support Macron and to reject the rise of the far-right.

The turnout at 12:00 (1000 GMT) in the ongoing runoff of the French presidential election on Sunday was 28.23 percent, lower than the figure in 2012, French interior ministry announced. In 2012, the turnout for the runoff at the same hour was registered at 30.66 percent. In the first around of the election on April 23, the turnout at noon was 28.54 percent.

The French interior ministry has vowed to to carry out tight security measure to safeguard the election, with over 50,000 police and gendarmes deployed across the country.

On Sunday afternoon, the courtyard outside the Louvre Museum, where Macron plans to celebrate if he wins the election, was temporary evacuated for "precautionary measures," the Paris police department said.
Emmanuel Macron was elected president of France on Sunday with a business-friendly vision of European integration, defeating Marine Le Pen, a far-right nationalist who threatened to take France out of the European Union, early projections showed.

The centrist's emphatic victory, which also smashed the dominance of Frances mainstream parties, will bring huge reliefto European allies who had feared another populist upheaval to follow Britain's vote to quit the EU and Donald Trump's election as US president.

Five projections, issued within minutes of polling stations closing at 8 pm (1800 GMT), showed Macron beating Le Pen byaround 65 percent to 35 - a gap wider than the 20 or so percentage points that pre-election surveys had pointed to.

Even so, it was a record performance for the National Front,a party whose anti-immigrant policies until recently made it apariah in French politics, and underlined the scale of the divisions that Macron must now try to heal.

Le Pen's high-spending, anti-globalisation 'France-first'policies may have unnerved financial markets but they appealedto many poorer members of society against a background of highunemployment, social tensions and security concerns.

Macron's immediate challenge will be to secure a majority innext month's parliamentary election for En Marche! (Onwards!),his political movement that is barely a year old, in order toimplement his programme.

The 39-year-old former investment banker, who served for twoyears as economy minister but has never previously held electedoffice, will become France's youngest leader since Napoleon with a promise to transcend outdated left-right divisions.

At least one opinion poll published in the run-up to thesecond round has indicated that the majority he needs could bewithin reach.

Despite having served briefly as economy minister inPresident Francois Hollande's deeply unpopular Socialistgovernment, Macron managed to portray himself as the man torecast a political landscape moulded by the left-right divisionsof the last century.

While Macron sees France's way forward in boosting thecompetitiveness of an open economy, Le Pen wanted to shieldFrench workers by closing borders, quitting the EU's commoncurrency the euro, radically loosening the bloc and scrappingtrade deals.

Socialist Prime Minister Bernard Cazeneuze said France hadchosen to retain its place at the heart of Europe.

Shortly after the first projections were published, Le Pen,48, said she had congratulated Macron. But she defiantly claimedthe mantle of France's main opposition in calling on "allpatriots to join us" in constituting a "new political force".

Her deputy said this new force would not be called "NationalFront".

When he moves into the Elysee Palace after his inaugurationnext weekend, Macron will become the eighth - and youngest -president of France's Fifth Republic.

He plans to blend a big reduction in public spending and arelaxation of labour laws with greater investment in training.

A European integrationist and pro-NATO, he is orthodox inforeign and defence policy and shows no sign of wishing tochange France's traditional alliances or re-shape its militaryand peace-keeping roles in the Middle East and Africa.

His election also represents a long-awaited generationalchange in French politics that have been dominated by the samefaces for years.

He will be the youngest leader in the current Group of Seven(G7) major nations and has elicited comparisons with youthfulleaders past and present, from Canadian Prime Minister JustinTrudeau to British ex-premier Tony Blair and even President JohnF. Kennedy in the United States.

Reuters
French President-elect Emmanuel Macron delivers a speech at his campaign headquarters after early results in the second round in the 2017 French presidential election in Paris on Sunday. Lionel Bonaventure / Reuters

Emmanuel Macron will be the next president of France after decisively defeating Marine Le Pen in Sunday's second-round run-off, according to early polling issued after voting closed at 8 pm local time.

Le Pen phoned Macron to congratulate him, and he was also called by Theresa May, the prime minister of the United Kingdom, and received a message from German Chancellor Angela Merkel.

Less than an hour after the polls closed, Macron told the AFP news agency: "A new page in our long history this evening. I would like it to be one of hope and of confidence rediscovered."

The centrist Macron is predicted to win 65.5 percent of the vote to right-winger Le Pen's 34.45 percent. The result shows that Macron did better than previous opinion polls suggested and that Le Pen's support deteriorated during the last two weeks.

The election prediction is based on a broad sample of votes cast in around 200 locations and such polls tend to be very close to the actual result.

The 39-year old Macron will be the youngest president of France after a remarkable three years in which he has travelled from obscurity to the Elysee Palace. He has promised to reform the French economy, reduce the role of the state and cut unemployment, all of which will require confronting powerful vested interests.

Fears that Le Pen might do better because of some voters deciding to abstain did not materialize and a national and international crisis that could have been precipitated by a Le Pen victory was avoided. Le Pen wanted to pull out of the European Union and the euro, which would have damaged both institutions, perhaps irreparably.

Le Pen later slammed the parties that swung behind Macron in the second round after their own candidates were eliminated in the first round.

"The parties that backed Macron discredited themselves and lost legitimacy," Le Pen said. "The first round had a great decomposition of the French political life and this is the second political rapprochement between the patriots and the globalists."

She then suggested that she would create a new party which she wanted to be the main opposition to the new president, but gave no further details. She stepped down from the leadership of the Front National after the first round in order to focus on her bid.

Winning the presidency is only part one of the battle for Macron. The movement he set up to bolster his candidacy, En Marche (Onwards), has no elected representatives in the French Parliament and the new president will need a majority of members to advance his political program.

The French Fifth republic has been hampered on three occasions when a president of one party was forced to appoint a prime minister from a rival party. These periods of "cohabitation" meant the president and prime minister were often working against each other, rather than together.

Le Pen will tell her supporters at a rally in France that although she has lost, the result represents a victory for the National Front. In 2002, her father gained 17.8 per cent of the vote and she has raised that figure to 34.5. A National Front president in the future has become a real possibility.

The party could transform Le Pen's 11 million votes into increased representation in the French Parliament in the June parliamentary elections but it will always face the obstacle of the two-round election system, in which many voters oppose more extreme candidates in the final round.

The result will be welcomed in Brussels and London. In Brussels, the EU will be relieved that a major threat to it and its currency has been removed for the time being.

In London, some of the more ardent Brexiteers would have rejoiced in the further wounding of the EU, but anyone in government would have realized that it's easier to negotiate with a stable entity, rather than one in crisis.

The reported hack and data dump of communications from Macron's En Marche party does not appear to have had an obvious effect on the election result. The party claimed that it appeared that the hack originated in Russia and that the hackers released fake documents as well as real ones. French media said they would not publish any articles on the hack until after the elections had passed as French police announced that they would investigate the hack.

But with the election out of the way, attention will turn to the leaked documents and communications. If there is anything damaging, Macron could be dangerously weakened before he has had a chance to get a parliamentary majority.

conal@mail.chinadailyuk.com
Baku, Azerbaijan, May 7

By Fatih Karimov  Trend:

Iranian petrochemical holding signed a deal with Japanese Itochu Corporation for selling polyethylene.

Under the deal, Persian Gulf Holding Company will send 11,000 tons of polyethylene per month to various markets through Itochu, Mohammad Hossein Kakouei-Nejad, head of the Persian Gulf petrochemical industry Commercial Company, said, IRIB news agency reported May 7.

The annual value of the exported polyethylene will be $150 million, Kakouei-Nejad said.

He added that the deal will become operational in coming months.

The aforementioned deal follows a finance agreement signed between the two parties last year.

Managing Director of Persian Gulf Petrochemical Industries Company (PGPIC) Adel Nejad-Salim and the Itochu executive Vice President Ichiro Nakamura signed the Usance Letter of Credit worth of 320 million euros in December 2016.

Iran has the annual capacity of producing up to 63 million tons of various types of petrochemical products and the Islamic Republic plans to increase it to 130 million tons in the next decade.

According to the official sources, Iran should absorb $50 to $70 billion to complete its half-finished petrochemical projects.
Tehran, Iran, May 7

By Mehdi Sepahvand - Trend:

Irans nuclear deal (the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, aka JCPOA) may fall apart if the wrong candidate is elected to be president, former MP and university professor Jalal Jalalizadeh told Trend May 7.

All the problems, tension and critical situations are liable to return if the wrong one is elected, Jalalizadeh said.

Asked who he deems as the right president to carry the nuclear deal through, the former MP said President Hassan Rouhani would be the fittest choice since he is the one who created it in the first place.

Iranians will go to polling booths on May 19 to elect their next president. Rouhani is running for a second term. The JCPOA was his most landmark achievement, ending years of harsh sanctions.

Rouhani is being challenged by five other candidates, Mostafa Mirsalim, Eshaq Jahangiri, Ebrahim Raisi, Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf, and Mostafa Hashemi Taba.
(Photo : PLAN) CNS Shandong during her launch.

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Russian state-controlled media has revealed that China's much vaunted first indigenous aircraft carrier -- the CNS Shandong (CV-17) -- is only capable of coastal patrol missions near the shores of mainland China and is patently unsuitable for long-distance, blue water patrols into the Pacific Ocean.



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The Russians also claim that "without Russian engineering the vessel would never have been built."



They also pointed out their key contributions to building the Shandong were the vital engineering and concepts, which together contribute to the "Russianness" of this warship.



A curiously anti-China story in one of the Kremlin's main propaganda websites reminds readers that China's first aircraft carrier, CNS Liaoning (CV-16), began life as the Soviet Union aircraft carrying heavy cruiser, Varyag, before China bought this rusting hulk in 1998 and refurbished it.



"The prototype of the very first Chinese aircraft carrier, the Liaoning, was the Soviet 1143.5 series project, which also spawned the Russian aircraft carrier Admiral Kuznetsov, as well as Ukraine's Varyaga, which was sold to China in 1998," said the story.



The story also said that "China might not want to admit it, but there are many Russian aspects to the Shandong."



Varyag became the model for Shandong's builders, claims Andrei Frolov, chief editor at Export Vooruzheny magazine.



China "preserved the 1143.5 project's overall concept and engineering solutions, which include, for example, planes taking off with help from a rising deck and not steam or electromagnetic catapults. Another particularity is combining the features of a missile cruiser and an aviation group in one ship," according to Victor Murakhovsky, chief editor of Arsenal Otechestva magazine.



Murakhovsky pointed out that the Soviet concept for building its warships was that each vessel had to have the maximum number of offensive and defensive weapons systems to maintain a technological advantage over U.S. Navy warships.



One of the shortcomings of the 1143.5-project, and consequently the Liaoning, is its small aviation wing. The story said that because of the Liaoning's many missile systems, heavy planes can't take-off; only light fighters can. This disadvantage has been inherited by the Shandong.



Taken together, the disadvantages besetting the Shandong means this aircraft carrier "will primarily patrol coastal areas and not the ocean" because its puny aircraft complement renders it more vulnerable to U.S. Navy aircraft and missile attacks.



Patrolling close to the Chinese mainland in wartime means Shandong will remain within China's anti-access, area-denial (A2/AD) defense network where it will be protected by land-based intermediate range ballistic missiles.



Shandong was launched last April 26.



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TagsCNS Shandong (CV-17), china, Russia, Russianness, CNS Liaoning (CV-16), Varyag, Admiral Kuznetsov, Andrei Frolov, Victor Murakhovsky
(Photo : US Navy) F/A-18 with LRASM (black missile).

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The first successful launch of the air-to ground version of the AGM-158C Long Range Anti-Ship Missile (LRASM) -- the longest-range anti-ship cruise missile in the U.S. Navy - confirms the operational deployment of this new weapon aboard attack aircraft by 2019.



A "captive carry integration test" for LRASM scheduled for mid-year follows the jettison release of this weapon from a U.S. Navy Boeing F/A-18E/F Super Hornet in early April at the Navy Air Weapons Station (NAWS) China Lake, California. Initial operating capability for LRASM will follow after a bevy of more tests in the coming year.



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The air-launched variant will first be integrated onboard the U.S. Air Force's B-1B Lancer supersonic strategic bombers in 2018 and on the navy's F/A-18E/F Super Hornets in 2019.



"The first time event of releasing LRASM from the F/A-18E/F is a major milestone towards meeting early operational capability in 2019," said Mike Fleming, Lockheed Martin LRASM program director.



"The program is executing the integration and test contract, maturing subsystems and proving flight worthiness."



The air-launched LRASM prioritizes the destruction of enemy warships, which has been neglected since the end of the Cold War in 1991, but has since taken on importance with the modernization and aggression shown by the People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) and its growing fleet of aircraft carriers.



LRASM can find a warship target on its own by using its onboard AI to locate a specific warship from among a fleet of enemy warships. A multi-mode seeker guided by the AI ensures the correct warship is hit in a specific area to maximize the probability of sinking the target.



The AI enables autonomous targeting by using on-board targeting systems to independently acquire a target without the need for prior precision intelligence, GPS or data-links.



These capabilities allow positive target identification and the precision engagement of moving warships in an enemy fleet heavily defended by surface-to-air missiles (SAMs) and electronic countermeasures. The missile is designed with counter-countermeasures to evade active defense systems on enemy ships.



Built by Lockheed Martin, LRASM will be an effective counter to the capabilities of the People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) that relies on long-range anti-ship missiles (ASMs) and SAMs for its offensive and defensive power. Its warhead is a 450 kg blast-fragmentation penetrator.



LRASM can be launched at a target PLAN warship from as far away as 370 kilometers. That places the launching U.S. attack aircraft well out of the range of the Chinese HHQ-9 SAM defending many of the PLAN's modern warships. HHQ-9, the PLAN's most modern SAM, has a slant range of 200 km.



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TagsAGM-158C Long Range Anti-Ship Missile, LRASM, long-range anti-ship cruise missile, Boeing F/A-18E/F Super Hornet, People's Liberation Army Navy
(Photo : Russian Air Force) Beriev A-100 taking-off.

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The Russian Air Force (VVS) will rely heavily on its new Beriev A-100 "Premier" airborne early warning and control (AWACS) aircraft to detect stealthy enemy aircraft such as the Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor and F-35 Lightning II.



First flown in October 2016, the Beriev 100 carries the new Vega Premier AESA radar in a rotating radome. The array rotates once every five seconds, improving the radar's ability to track fast moving targets such as enemy jets.



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The Beriev 100, which is based on the Il-76MD-90A (Il-476) transport aircraft, remains under development, however. The A-100 was first tested in flight on a flying laboratory last month.



The A-100 is being developed by Vega Radio Engineering Concern, a subsidiary of Rostec, the state corporation that dominates Russia's defense industry.



Nicknamed "The Flying Mushroom" because of its huge radome, the Beriev A-100 is a long-range radar surveillance and guidance system. Its role is to detect air targets, surface ships and inform command centers about the situation existing in a specific battlespace.



In addition, they can serve as air command posts and provide assistance to assault aircraft attacking air, land and sea targets.



The Beriev A-100 multifunctional long-range radar surveillance aircraft will be able to detect new classes of targets, including next-generation operational-tactical aircraft, claims Russian Defense Minister, Russian Army General Sergei Shoigu.



"This complex will be able to rapidly build up the radar field in a given operational direction. Its development is conditioned by the appearance of new classes of targets, including next-generation operational-tactical aircraft," said Gen. Shoigu a few days ago.



Russian state-controlled media said the "next-generation operational-tactical aircraft" cited by Gen. Shoigu refers to the F-22 and the F-35.



Gen. Shoigu also said the VVS plans to develop two variants of the Breiev A-100: a flying laboratory and a prototype of a multifunctional radar surveillance and guidance system.



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TagsRussian Air Force, Beriev A-100 "Premier", rborne early warning and control (AWACS) aircraft, Vega Premier AESA radar i, Il-76MD-90A (Il-476) transport aircraft, The Flying Mushroom, General Sergei Shoigu
Chinese hypersonic glide vehicle

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Russia and China simultaneously claim they're both ahead of the United States in the development of hypersonic missiles despite the absence of convincing proof to back-up their claims made through their respective state-controlled media outlets.



The U.S., China and Russia are engaged in a deadly "hypersonic arms race" to develop operational hypersonic glide vehicles (HGVs) armed with either conventional high-explosive or nuclear warheads.



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HGVs travel at hypersonic speeds (or speeds from Mach 5 to Mach 10 or 6,200 km/h to 12,340 km/h) and these fantastic speeds make them virtually immune to interception by modern surface-to-air missiles and anti-ballistic missiles.



Russian scientists have now surpassed U.S. scientists in hypersonic speed advances, alleges Vasily Fomin, Director of the Russian Academy of Sciences' Siberian Branch, without offering proof to back-up this claim.



"The results are better than those of the U.S.," said Fomin.



On April 20, Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin boasted Russia was developing hypersonic weapons at par with the United States.



Russia's Ministry of Defense a few years ago said it plans to deploy hypersonic missile and other advanced weapons by 2025 within the framework of the 2018-2025 State Armaments Program.



Russia, however, is still frantically searching for new materials to protect the hypersonic missiles from being destroyed by the superheated plasma cocoon created by their flight.



Russia has made hypersonic weapons a defense priority, especially with the opening of NATO's first defensive missile shield in Romania. When completed, NATO's missile defense system will extend from Greenland in the far north of Europe to the Azores Islands in the south. Another missile defense system will become operational in Poland by 2018.



Russian Deputy Defense Minister Yuri Borisov said Russia is searching for new materials to develop its hypersonic weapons.



"Coming next are hypersonic weapons, which require the use of principally new materials and control systems that operate in a completely different medium, in plasma," said Borisov.



Borisov's remarks seem to indicate Russia's hypersonic weapons development program has run into trouble after announcing in August 2016 that its Yu-74 HGV is ready for war. The new ICBM intended to carry Yu-74 won't be ready until 2020 at the earliest, however.



On the other hand, China's state-controlled media says Chinese scientists will test a prototype combined-cycle hypersonic engine later this year. If successful, the engine might be the first of its type in the world to power a hypersonic vehicle or the first stage of a two-stage-to-orbit spaceplane.



This announcement is at odds with news released last month that confirms Chinese scientists will be unable to deploy a hypersonic boost and glide missile by 2020 and hypersonic missiles propelled by scramjets by 2025.



Chinese state-owned media reported that China will test a prototype combined-cycle hypersonic engine -- one of the proposed propulsion systems for an HGV -- later this year. If successful, this test might lead to the first demonstration flight of a full-scale scramjet propulsion system by 2025.



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TagsRussia, china, United States, hypersonic missiles, hypersonic arms race, hypersonic glide vehicles, HGVs, Vasily Fomin
Baku, Azerbaijan, May 7

By Khalid Kazimov  Trend:

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Zavad Zarif at a meeting with his Afghan counterpart Salahuddin Rabbani has called for serious fight against terrorist groups.

Mohammad Javad Zarif said that there is no good terrorist and countries must cooperate in fight against terrorism, IRNA news agency reported.

The Iranian official added that the countries should cooperate to improve security along borders.

Zarif further touched upon economic issues and called for expansion of bilateral ties in the economic sphere.

Zarif-led high-ranking delegation has arrived in Kabul at the official invitation of Salahuddin Rabbani.
Clear Creek Independent School voters have authorized a $487 million bond package aimed at addressing enrollment growth, aging campuses, technological needs and safety improvements.

In unofficial results from the May 6 election, the bond won support of more than 63 percent of voters.

"We are appreciative of the community's support of our schools, our teachers and our students," Superintendent Greg Smith said in a press release. "I would like to first and foremost thank the CCISD Facility Advisory Committee who worked tirelessly over the course of many months to put together a bond package that reflected the community's priorities. We are ready to get to work on these important projects that will undoubtedly improve the learning and working environment for teachers and students across this great school district."

Approval of the bond allows the district to build new schools, increase the capacity of crowded campuses and rebuild and renovate schools that are between 40 and 50 years old. It also will provide funds to renovate or replace aging elementary school playgrounds, purchase new buses and build a second magnet campus to expand enrollment. The district's security systems and other technological systems, such as computer labs, would be updated.

"This school bond program will give us the ability to stay competitive in education and the ability to support the children of CCISD today and decades into the future," district board president Laura DuPont said in a press release. "As a school board we appreciate the community's support of this bond package and we will ensure these funds will be used solely for the purposes we outlined to the public."

The district's tax rate is $140 per $100 valuation. The bond package is projected to result in a 3.7 cent increase in the rate, which could mean around $6 more monthly in taxes on a home with the median value of $223,635.

There was opposition to the bond proposal from one group, Citizens for CCISD, a political action committee, which questioned whether the district was overspending. In March, the Galveston County Republican Party approved a resolution which called for the district to postpone the bond election until November.
A Houston police officer has been relieved of duty after a Saturday morning misdemeanor drunk driving arrest.

Just before 1 a.m. Saturday, police allegedly found Officer Ronald Gilbert passed out drunk in his patrol car while on duty in the 15200 block of Galveston Road.

He's since been relieved of duty, pending a resolution to the case, an HPD spokeswoman said.

Gilbert was released Saturday on $500 bond and is due back in court Friday, according to court records.
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Pasadena Councilman Jeff Wagner led a crowded field of candidates in the Pasadena mayoral race and is headed to a runoff with John Moon Jr., according to unofficial voting results.

Wagner, 53, won 38.85 percent of the vote, while John Moon Jr., a banker and former trustee for San Jacinto College, was running second with 18.29 percent. The race drew seven candidates.

Wagner, who served 32 years as a Houston police officer, including several terms as a board member for the Houston Police Department union, watched returns along with more than 300 supporters at the Hampton Inn and Suites on East Sam Houston.

Wagner said he appreciated the support he had received from the community.

"The citizens of Pasadena have spoken and they want me to be their mayor," Wagner said.

Although described by some as an ally of term-limited Mayor Johnny Isbell, Wagner said his campaign received no support from Isbell and he had worked to establish his status as an independent candidate.

"My slogan is 'Leadership for All' and not just for a select few," he said. "I think the election results show my message is coming out. Voters weren't there to vote for Johnny Isbell. I received support from voters who responded to my message."

Wagner and his wife Ginny have two grown daughters: Jessica, who works in oil and gas, and Jillian, a schoolteacher, and two young grandchildren.

Moon said he is grateful for support from his family and volunteers and plans to continue working to connect with voters until the runoff.

"I feel very encouraged at the response that the city as given me, and I look forward to the runoff," Moon said. "My strategy for the runoff is to explain what my plans are for the city - to unify the citizens and make it better than where I found it. So far, voters have responded very positively to my message."

Moon contributed his success to hard work and "the fact that the citizens of Pasadena want a mayor that as qualifications and experience and a plan for where the city is going."

Other candidates in the race were David Flores, City Council member Pat Van Houte, Pasadena ISD Assistant Superintendent Gloria Gallegos and former state representatives Robert Talton and Gilbert Pena.

In other unoffical results from the city's election, the District A race was headed for a runoff with Daniel Vela with 37 percent of the vote, followed by Felipe Villarreal with 33 percent. The third candidate in the race, Keith Nielsen had 29 percent of the vote.

The current District A council member, Ornaldo Ybarra, is stepping down due to term limits.

In District B, incumbent Bruce Leamon defeated Steve Halvorson by nine votes to retain his seat. Leamon garnered 407 votes (50.56 percent) over Halvorson with 398 (49.44 percent), according to unofficial results.

Phil Cayton defeated challenger Larry W. Peacock with 62.48 percent for District F. Cary Bass won the District G seat over Allen Munz and Oscar Del Toro with 55.19 percent of the vote.

In a four-way contest for District H, Thomas Schoenbein beat Keith Sargent, April Lance and Brad Hance with 50.92 percent of the vote.

Don Harrison (District C), Sammy Casados (District D), Cody Ray Wheeler (District F) were unopposed.
A ballot measure that would give the Houston ISD the green light to pay $77.5 million to help subsidize less property-wealthy districts across Texas was drawing overwhelming support from voters, according to early returns.

With 53 percent of precincts reporting, a strong majority favored Proposition 1, which authorizes the payments under the state's "recapture" policy.

In November, about 62 percent of Houston ISD voters rejected paying the states recapture fee, which was originally going to be about $162 million. The state then threatened to seize some of the district's most valuable properties and turn the tax revenue over to less property-wealthy districts. The Texas Education Agency then adjusted the amount due by subtracting a portion of the money that HISD loses by offering a generous homestead exemption.

But recapture will soon more than quadruple in cost, ballooning from the $77.5 million owed this year to $376 million by the 2019-2020 school year, according to HISD estimates. That would be more than 15 percent of the districts $1.8 billion annual budget, said Glenn Reed, HISDs managing director of budgeting and financial planning.

Voters other option  refusing to pay the states recapture fee and seeing the property taxes of some of HISDs most valuable commercial real estate go to other districts  would be similarly costly. This year, the district could have lost out on about $98.4 million in tax revenue, Reed said, and about $413 million by the 2019-2020 school year if property values increased.

Critics argued the district should fight the state in court, saying a district with many poor and English-learner students shouldn't be subsidizing other districts in the state.
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One person is dead after a car careened into a tree Sunday morning in East Houston.

Around 4:30 a.m., a speeding car veered off the road at Tidwell near Balsam, crashing into a tree.

The wreck destroyed the car and killed the driver. One passenger was taken to the hospital with major injuries, according to Houston police.

It's unclear if the driver was intoxicated and authorities did not immediately release additional information about what sparked the crash.
Baku, Azerbaijan, May 7

By Fatih Karimov  Trend:

Irans Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei slammed the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), saying the body is under influence of world powers.

Khamenei made the remarks during a meeting with a group of Iranian teachers and education specialists May 7, the official website of the leader reported.

UNESCO, as a body infiltrated by world powers, has no right to make decisions for other nations, Khamenei said, adding that the Islamic Republic will not surrender to UNESCOs Global Education 2030 Agenda.

The UNESCO 2030 education agenda and similar documents are not issues that the Islamic Republic could surrender and submit to, he said.

The Iranian leader also criticized the countrys administration for signing and implementing the agenda.

This is wrong per se. That we sign an agenda and begin to carry it out secretly is wrong. It is not permitted at all. I declared it.

Khamenei further regretted that Irans Supreme Council of the Cultural Revolution has neglected to supervise the signing of the document, saying I am disappointed by the Supreme Council of the Cultural Revolution. They should have taken care of it and prevent it from getting to where it is now, so that I would not have to take action and prevent it. It is the Islamic Republic here!"

The global education agenda (Education 2030) is part of the 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) that make up the Agenda 2030 for sustainable development.

The United Nations SDG 4 (2030 Agenda) recognizes education as key to achieving full employment and poverty eradication by ensuring inclusive and equitable quality education and promoting lifelong learning opportunities for all.

It seeks to ensure, among other targets by 2030, that all learners acquire the knowledge and skills needed to promote sustainable development, including, among others, through education for sustainable development and sustainable lifestyles, human rights, gender equality, promotion of a culture of peace and non-violence, global citizenship and appreciation of cultural diversity and of cultures contribution to sustainable development.

Iranian hardlineres say that implementing of the agenda paves the path for infltration of foreingeres and promoting western life-style and liberalism values in Iranian comunity.
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Police are on the hunt for a man accused of shooting at an officer Saturday night in west Houston.

Two officers responded to a call for a suspicious person around 9:45 p.m. at an apartment complex near Bentworth and Waldemar.
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Bystanders helped police collar a man suspected of opening fire in a possible robbery attempt Sunday morning outside a Houston food mart.

Just after 2 a.m., officers responded to a shooting call at the Gulfton-area Sunny's Food Store.

When police arrived in the 5600 block of Renwick, they found a victim in the parking lot with gunshot wounds, police told reporters at the scene.

The shooter had already fled the scene and run into a nearby apartment complex, but witnesses were able to identify the man and set police on his trail.

The suspect was arrested and charged with aggravated assault, although authorities did not immediately identify him. The victim was rushed to the hospital and is expected to survive.
Houston ISD voters changed course Saturday and opted to allow the district to write a check to subsidize less property-wealthy school districts across Texas, a proposition voters soundly rejected in a November election.

About 84 percent of constituents voted "for" HISD's Proposition 1, giving the school district the green light to send $77.5 million to the Texas Education Agency rather than let the state forcibly remove some of most valuable commercial properties from the district's tax rolls.

The reversal from the "come-and-take-it" mentality followed trustees' meetings with state officials and lawmakers earlier this year. Board members feared vindictive action from Austin and also had second thoughts about going with the more costly "detachment" option.

Christopher Busby, an HISD teacher at the Sam Houston Math, Science, and Technology Center who voted for Proposition 1 on Saturday, said paying recapture was the lesser of two evils.

"Recapture is not on the ballot; recapture has already happened. This is about how we handle recapture," Busby said. "The solution that does the least damage to the district is a 'for' vote."

Mark Jones, a political science fellow at Rice University's Baker Institute, said HISD gained nothing through the two referenda, which cost the district an estimated $1.7 million.

"In the end, what HISD has done is use a lot of its political capital and has gained absolutely nothing," Jones said. "They used political capital in (the) fall to persuade people to vote no, and they used political capital this spring to get those same people to vote yes. But they could have just said yes and paid the state like everyone else."

In November, about 62 percent of Houston ISD voters sided against paying the state recapture, which was originally expected to be about $162 million. Possibly because of the "no" vote, the TEA lowered the amount by discounting a portion of the money HISD loses through its generous homestead exemption.

But recapture will soon more than quadruple in cost, ballooning from the $77.5 million owed this year to $376 million by the 2019-2020 school year, according to HISD estimates. That would be more than 15 percent of the district's current $1.8 billion annual budget, said Glenn Reed, HISD's managing director of budgeting and financial planning.

Voters' other option - refusing to write the recapture check and seeing some of HISD's most valuable commercial real estate credited to other districts - would have had escalating costs as well. This year, the district could have lost about $98.4 million in tax revenue, Reed said, and about $413 million by the 2019-2020 school year if property values increased.

But Reed said homeowners would have been on the hook for more taxes if the state had "detached" some of the district's commercial property.

"When we raise taxes to increase teacher pay or pay for cost increases, my penny of tax effort is not worth as much because there are fewer properties to tax," Reed said. "We'd have to raise a higher rate for those leftover."

They would have also lost the portion of taxes on the commercial properties that go toward bond debt.

This is the first year Houston ISD property values triggered recapture. Statewide, about 250 property wealthy districts, including Spring Branch ISD, pay a collective $1.87 billion to the state. That represents about 5 percent of the state's education budget.

When the "Robin Hood" school finance system started in 1993, only 34 districts paid a total of $131.5 million to the state.

Houston ISD officials argued that while their property wealth pushed them over the threshold, the district serves a large number of students who need more resources to succeed. About 77 percent of Houston ISD students are economically disadvantaged and about 30 percent are English language learners.

After learning Houston would have to pay the state, HISD trustees and others campaigned for the referendum in November that saw voters refuse to hand over the money.

"They'll retaliate harder than they have already," trustee Rhonda Skillern-Jones said of lawmakers and the TEA in February. "We could say fight the fight, but I don't believe showing up to a fight unless we can win."

Most trustees agree that referendum produced some desirable outcomes - the Senate authorized a work-study committee to look into overhauling the state's school finance system in January, and Rep. Dan Huberty, R-Houston, proposed a bill that would increase state education spending and lessen the amount districts would pay under recapture.

After the November vote, board President Wanda Adams and trustees Skillern-Jones, Anna Eastman and Mike Lunceford grew worried that refusing to pay the state recapture fee willingly would have dire consequences for the district and the board.

Trustees Jolanda Jones and Manuel Rodriguez Jr. insisted that the district hold fast in its decision to withhold the recapture money. Otherwise, they argued, HISD risked losing ground in getting the state to rethink recapture and its school funding formulas.

"The whole point was to get the Legislature to move on this. The only reason they're paying attention was not because we have a great lobbying team, it's because we voted no," Jones said in February. "The second we relent and bend over, it'll ruin this for rest of state and our momentum because everyone is looking at Houston."

Jones with Rice's Baker Institute said the state's actions were more likely the result of a May 2016 Texas Supreme Court ruling that found while the state's school finance formula was constitutional, it desperately needed to be overhauled.

He added that either outcome of Saturday's election would have made Houston ISD and its board look foolish, even though their concerns over the state's funding formula and their high needs students are justified.

"This is a school district with so many students with significant needs who are more costly than the average student to educate, and now they have to pay recapture, so they're totally justified in saying this is not right and is indicative of the broken nature of Texas' public education finance system," Jones said. "But in reality, their gambit in (the) fall was never going to change that. They used up political capital and made themselves look foolish."

Houston Chronicle reporter Marialuisa Rincon contributed to this report.
There's an old joke about lawyers being paid by the word because they are quite talkative.

One Texas lawyer last week learned the price of using too many words in front of a judge.

The U.S. 5th Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans, in an unsigned opinion, upheld a $500 fine against Federal Public Defender William Hersmesmeyer in Fort Worth.

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Hermesmeyer got into a prolonged exchange with U.S. District Judge John McBryde during a hearing about a man being sentenced for illegally reentering the country.

After giving an extended answer about what Hermesmeyer was objecting to, McBryde got a bit impatient with the attorney.

"Ive asked the question again," McBryde said. "Would you please answer the question either yes or no."

Hermesmeyer gave another long answer, which irritated McBryde even further. Finally the judge held Hermesmeyer in contempt of court and fined him.

NEW CHARGES: Second murder count added after 2-day crime spree

Hermesmeyer appealed but the 5th Circuit shot him down, but also threw a little shade McBryde's way, too.

"Perhaps the district court contributed to the difficulties, but an attorney must comply with court orders," the court wrote.

Now, Hermesmeyer is out $500 but, possibly, he learned a lesson on the price of words.
Clear Creek ISD's $487 million bond seemed set to pass in early returns from Saturday's special election.

Two different political action committees threw money and resources into the vote.

Supporters of the bond item said the district needed the money to catch up to staggering growth. Opposition pushed for a less-expensive bond and disputed the cost of new schools and renovations for existing buildings.

"We are ready to get to work on these important projects that will undoubtedly improve the learning and working environment for teachers and students across this great school district," Superintendent Greg Smith said in a statement.

Other results from around the Houston metro area:

 Pearland Mayor Tom Reid will go into a June runoff with challenger Quentin Wiltz.

 Dalia Kasseb will go to the June runoff with Woody Owens for the newly created Pearland City Council position.

 Accountant and lawyer J. David Little and incumbent Gary Moore also won seats on Pearland's city council.

 Mike Floyd narrowly beat incumbent Rusty DeBorde for a seat on the Pearland ISD Board of Trustees.

At 18, Floyd is the youngest person to ever run for the position, much less win.

 The other Pearland ISD trustee race went to Pam Boegler over her two challengers.

Boegler was appointed to the seat after longtime trustee Virgil Grant died in June of last year.

 All three incumbents won re-election to the Humble ISD Board of Trustees.

 City council member Andy Curry won re-election in Humble.

 Courtney Doyle and Ashley Vann retained seats on the Katy ISD Board of Trustees.

 Challenger Bill Lacy defeated incumbent Henry Dibrell for a seat on the board.

 Richmond Mayor Evalyn Moore cruised to re-election over challenger Tres Dale Davis.

 Cleveland ISD's $80 million bond passed easily. Turnout was very low with only 518 total votes.

 Results from city of Katy and Pasadena ISD were not released as of late Saturday.
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.
Malayalam actor Dulkar Salman has appeared in Telugu films 'Oke Bangaram' and '100 Days of Love'.He was the father of yesterday's promotion.According to social media,his wife gave birth to a girl and her dream came true. Many of his actors were greeted by him.Chennai beauty Samantha also tweeted to him and congratulated him. Dulkar responded to her tweet by saying Thank you Samantha.He also said that Nagachaitanya also greeted me with a message.Samantha reacted and stated that it is Thanks.This interesting conversation surprised fans.
A total of five explosions struck a bus en route from Damascus to Syrias As Suwayda, inflicting casualties, Sputnik reported Sunday.

According to the Al Mayadeen broadcaster, the explosive devices were detonated remotely.

No information on the exact number of casualties has been provided to date.
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President Donald Trump called Kim Jong Un a "smart cookie" and said he would be willing to meet with him under the right circumstances.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Last weekend, President Donald Trump called North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un a "smart cookie" and said he would be honored to meet with the despot, under the right circumstances. By Friday, North Korea accused the CIA and South Korea of plotting to kill Kim Jong Un in a biochemical attack. The plot North Korea detailed in a nearly 2,000 word statement was so convoluted it stopped just short of claiming nuclear Oreos were to be used in the attack.

This is what Trump said about Kim Jung Un in last Sunday's interview aired on CBS' "Face the Nation."

"People are saying, 'Is he sane?' I have no idea. I can tell you this, and a lot of people don't like when I say it, but he was a young man of 26 or 27 when he took over from his father, when his father died. He's dealing with obviously very tough people, in particular the generals and others.

And at a very young age, he was able to assume power. A lot of people, I'm sure, tried to take that power away, whether it was his uncle or anybody else. And he was able to do it. So obviously, he's a pretty smart cookie."

Monday, Trump told Bloomberg news, "If it would be appropriate for me to meet with him, I would absolutely, I would be honored to do it. If it's under the, again, under the right circumstances. But I would do that."

Given North Korea's response Friday, it appears Trump's compliment and overture were lost in translation, or Kim Jong Un is more of a cake guy than a cookie guy.

Dr. Sung Gun Lee, from the Korean Language Center of New York, told New York Daily news columnist Gersh Kuntzman that Trump should have used the expression "yagappajin nom," That expression has two meanings, "smart cookie" and "a smart guy who uses his intelligence to do evil," according to Lee.

Trump caught some flack for the cookie comment and saying he would be honored the meet with the despot who lets his people starve.

It's hard to determine if Trump was engaging in his typical Trump speak towards tyrants or if he was deploying a new cookie diplomacy strategy towards Kim Jong Un.

In addition to his long history of complimenting Vladimir Putin, Trump has also extended a White House invitation to Philippine leader Rodrigo Duterte, who has boasted about personally killing people.

At the same time, The White House would obviously like to see the tension with North Korea deescalate by diplomatic means. North Korea's sabre rattling by missile testing is believed to be driven by a need for attention and to be taken seriously as major player in the world, as much it is the desire of North Korea to protect itself and for Kim Jong Un to protect his hold on power. In that sense, Trump's cookie charm and meeting overture makes some logical sense.

Trump may just be trying to play mind games with Kim Jong Un. But playing mind games with a headcase who has missiles that can hit Japan and South Korea, is always a risky proposition.

The Keebler elves and Sesame Street's Cookie Monster have yet weigh in on Trump calling Kim Jong Un a smart cookie. But it's a safe bet the Girl Scouts will not be selling smart Kim Jong Un lemon missile cookies or even Trump thin mints.

Below is a 2010 cartoon of mine on Kim Jong Un that was published in The Plain Dealer. As you can see, not much has changed in seven years, except he's now Cookie Monster blue.

Cartoon on North Korea, published in The Plain Dealer in 2010.

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AKRON, Ohio -- Medina High School's Class of 2017 donned their best and sleekest looks for their senior "Gatsby Gala" themed prom. Although the weather was a bit rainy and chilly, students still showed up to Quaker Square in the heart of Akron with nothing but enthusiasm for their last hurrah of high school.



Cute couples in long, flowing dresses and flashy suits strutted into the ballroom on the evening of May 6 ready to dance the night away. Ladies sported fancy up-dos and guys came with fresh, slicked back hair. It was surely a night to remember for these students.

Mira Kuhar is a freelance writer in Cleveland Heights.


CLEVELAND, Ohio - North Ridgeville High School students celebrated their prom in high fashion. On Saturday, May 6, they danced the night away at LaCentre in Westlake.

Students and their dates mingled in the decadent ballroom. In the lobby, they all took turns at the photo booth stocked with emoji-inspired props. And between songs, they cozied up by the fireplace.

Browse through our photos for a peek at all the styles. Flowing gowns and unique two-pieces were popular for dresses, while traditional tuxes kept things dapper and dashing.

You can check out photos from other Northeast Ohio proms at cleveland.com/prom.

cleveland.com is a partner of the Greater Cleveland Food Bank. Every dollar buys four meals for the hungry. Click here to donate.
US President Donald Trump in a phone call discussed with Peruvian President Pedro Pablo Kuczynski the political and economic crisis in Venezuela, the White House said in a statement, Sputnik reported.

"President Donald J. Trump spoke today with President Pedro Pablo Kuczynski of Peru to address the deteriorating political and economic crisis in Venezuela. President Trump underscored that the United States will work together with Peru in seeking to improve democratic institutions and help the people of Venezuela," the White House said.

The White House added that Kuczynski thanked Trump for promptly providing assistance to Peru in connection to the disastrous floods in the country.

The mass protests started in Venezuela on April 4, after the countrys Supreme Court ruled to restrict the power of the states National Assembly. The decision was subsequently canceled, but the protests continued, claiming the lives of over 30 people.

Since March, severe floods in Peru have killed over 100 people. The United States has allocated more than $775,000 to support the Peruvian government, provided ten helicopters, and built 13 Regional Emergency Operations Centers, according to the Department of State.
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Lakewood police arrest suspect for fleeing and hit-skip.

(File photo)

Fleeing, Clarence Avenue: Police received information about 3 a.m. May 1 about a car northbound on Clarence Avenue from Franklin Boulevard. Police said the car had struck two vehicles and the driver appeared intoxicated. Police pursued the driver and stopped him at Fry, but the driver refused to get out of the car. Officers took the suspect into custody. They charged him with felony fleeing, hit-skip, and operating a vehicle while impaired.

Trafficking, Madison Avenue: Police received a call May 4 from a man who said his son, who is on house arrest, is selling marijuana out of his window and the caller said he found a large amount of it in his son's room. Police report they arrested a juvenile male for trafficking.

Grand theft of a vehicle, Plover Street: A woman told police about 4:20 p.m. May 1 that she left the keys in her vehicle while she ran inside a residence. When she came back out, the car was gone

Petty theft, Reveley Avenue: A resident told police May 3 that a men's blue and gray Mongoose mountain bike was stolen from the front porch of a house. The lock was cut off.

Breaking and entering, Quail Street: Police were called May 2 about a garage break-in. A garage door was kicked in, according to officers.

Disorderly conduct, Warren Road: Police were called about 4:15 p.m. May 2 about a man walking erratically in and out of traffic. A woman reported the man almost walked into her car. Officers caught up with the man on Hilliard. They cited him for disorderly conduct while intoxicated and transported him to a hospital.

Petty theft from auto, Edgewater Drive: Police were called about 2:45 p.m. May 1 about a car break-in at a condominium parking lot. A window had been smashed and a wallet was taken out of the car.

Burglary, Westwood Avenue: A man called police about 8:15 p.m. May 1 to report he just returned home and found money missing from the residence.

Attempted burglary, Bonnieview Avenue: Police were called about 2 a.m. April 30 to an apartment building about a man trying to break into an apartment window with a hammer. Police received a description of the suspect but were unable to locate him.

Assault on a police officer, Detroit Avenue: Police received a call about 3:15 p.m. April 30 about a shoplifter at Detroit Avenue grocery store. Police were told the man left the store southbound and were given a physical description. Police pursued the man and stopped him on Bunts Avenue. He is charged with assault on a police officer, disorderly conduct by intoxication and theft.

If you would like to discuss the police blotter, please visit our crime and courts comments page.

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Eastern Michigan University

Jayquon Tillman, 18, of Cleveland, was a sophomore at Eastern Michigan University. He was shot and killed late Friday at a party in Portage County, officials say.

(Paul Sancya, AP Photo)

FRANKLIN TOWNSHIP, Ohio - The Eastern Michigan University community is grieving the death of Jayquon Tillman, the 18-year-old Cleveland man who was shot and killed late Friday at a party in Portage County.

Tillman, a sophomore at the school, was a member of various organizations on campus, including the Kings of Color Student Organization and the Delta Nu chapter of the Kappa Alpha Psi fraternity, according to a statement released on the Eastern Michigan University website.

"It is with the deepest of sympathy that we mourn the death of Jayquon Tillman," Eastern Michigan University president James Smith said in a statement. "Our heartfelt thoughts go out to his family and friends at this time of grief."

Tillman was shot about 11:30 p.m. Friday at large house party in Franklin Township, the Portage County's Sheriff's Office said.

Sheriff's deputies went to the house to try and quiet down the party, and while they were there, they heard a gunshot come from inside a house, the office said in a news release.

Tillman was taken to University Hospitals Portage Medical Center, where he died, the sheriff's office said. A 20-year-old Columbus woman was also shot at the party, but she was treated and released from Summa Health Akron City Hospital.

No suspects in the shooting have been identified. Anyone with information about the incident should contact the Portage County Sheriff's Office at 330-296-5100.

Any Eastern Michigan University students who want to talk about Tillman's death are welcome to call the school's Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) at 734-487-1118, the university said in its release.

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OBERLIN, Ohio - Jessa New and her friends just might have saved her fellow taxpayers thousands of dollars.

That wasn't their intention, but when they started researching the Oberlin school busing system they came across costs for bus repair that seemed out of line.

Turns out they were right, and the school district is now putting the services out for bid for the first time in 10 years.

Their work began when New and other parents were disturbed when the school district said last year it would no longer bus their children to Lake Ridge Academy in nearby North Ridgeville.

The state requires districts to transport kids to nearby private schools, unless districts can show a financial hardship. Oberlin said last year it could no longer afford busing students to private schools, last year.

New said between 14 to 20 children were being bused to the Lake Ridge Academy, at an annual cost of about $33,000.

"We asked ourselves if there might be a way to save the money used for the busing from other areas of the budget, so we started looking," New said. "It meant a lot of work looking through records and files and took months, but what we found shocked us."

New and four other researchers found that the Oberlin City School District spent on average three or four times as much on bus repairs and maintenance than other local communities, such as nearby Wellington, with a similar operation. It spent three times more than recommended state standards.

New told school officials about the problem over the past few months and then shared a full report at last week's school board meeting.

"Since the school board started using the Countryview Services for bus maintenance in 2006, the costs have skyrocketed," New said. "In the 2005 and 2006 school year, the district paid $47,107 for repairs. In the 2006-07 school year, it paid $135,453."

Annual costs went as high as $145,976 in the 2015-16 school. They didn't go below $100,000 since 2007, they found.

At the same time, the cost maintenance per vehicle went from $5,234 in 2005-06 to $15,050 in 2006-07, when Countryview was hired. Since then, the per-vehicle cost went from a low of $12,503 in the 2010-11 school year to a high of $18,247 in 2015-16. In those same years, Wellington spent about a third that.

Doug Palmer, a transportation consultant for the Ohio School Boards Association, said annual maintenance costs vary with the age of the bus.

"The first five or six years there is little cost, $550 to $650 a year for preventive maintenance in the beginning," he said. "Most of the other costs are covered under warranties. It goes up after year seven. By the tenth year, costs can be between $5,000 and $6,000. Statewide, the average maintenance costs for all buses is about $3,100 each."

He said anyone interested can go to the cost analysis year by year link for more detailed information.

Jay Viskocil, who worked with New on creating the report said they found a "lot of work fixing old buses, especially body work, and a lot of little things like replacing light bulbs."

He noted that there was no real cost breakdown that we could find.

"The billing information just lists a price and lumps all the repairs together with no cost breakdown," he said.

Countryview's 2006 bid of $40 an hour was less than the $60 per hour submitted by the only other bidder. But neither capped the number of hours.

Matt Tipple, owner of Countryview and the main mechanic, blames the district for the higher costs.

"They have a bus that is 17 years old," he said. "Buses should be replaced after 10 years. It takes a lot of work for me to keep these buses in service, and I have told them that."

Oberlin Superintendent David Hall noted that the district plans on replacing one or two buses in the near future.

School buses must be inspected each year by the Ohio Highway Patrol and kept up to its safety standards. The biggest problem is repairing rust, says Tipple.

"I spent two solid weeks repairing rust damage on one bus," Tipple said. "I told them they should replace it, but they told me to fix it. You think I wanted to spend two weeks under a bus? No, I didn't."

New showed the board its own reports from previous meetings indicating Countryview was awarded the maintenance contract every year since 2006-07, without discussion and without bidding.

There is no requirement for school districts to put maintenance work out for a bid, but it is often done for comparison.

School Board member Ken Stanley listened to New's report at last week's the meeting and shook his head "This is just an embarrassment," he said.

Hall, who was hired early in 2016, said in a later interview that he was aware of some of the maintenance issues before New brought them forward.

He said he has advised Countrywide that when the current contract runs out in June that it will not be automatically renewed. "We will be putting the contracts out for bid this year," he said.

Hall also said he has been talking with other districts and the city about the possibility of connecting with them to maintain buses jointly.

He said, however, that there may be explanations for New's comparison, noting that Wellington's maintenance needs may be different and the number of buses Oberlin has owned has varied over the years - between 8 and 10 - causing per bus expenditures to be off.

Yet, New points out that the district has paid more than a million dollars to Countryview since 2006, while a new bus costs less than $100,000. "We could have bought 10 new ones," she said.

After hearing New's report, Stanley said in an interview last week that the entire bus maintenance situation needs to be investigated.

"It came as a surprise to me at the board meeting," he said. "There was no investigation into these costs, that's what I was embarrassed about. I want the complete story. I suspect we will bring in an outside service to evaluate what we have been paying for bus maintenance. I think we should be able to save some money."

New, the owner of the Slow Train Cafe in Oberlin and a 2001 Oberlin College grad, said her investigation has come at a cost.

"There has been a backlash, I've been called names, but that's not going to discourage us," she said. "We elect these people to do their jobs and spend our money wisely. I recommend others do what we have done and see if that is being done. It's called being part of a community."
middleburg heights police car.jpg

(Joanne Berger DuMound/special to cleveland.com)

Drunken driving, Lucerne Drive

: Dispatch received a call about a car hitting a street sign and leaving the scene at 9:16 a.m. April 8. Police arrived at the scene and found a bumper on the ground next to the bent street sign post. Witnesses showed police a picture of the car they took on their cell phones that showed a clear view of the license plate.

Police learned the owner of the car lived nearby. They were quite familiar with him having dealt with him several times in the last month. Each time the man was under the influence of alcohol.

They went to the complex where they saw the car pulling into the parking lot. The driver, who appeared highly intoxicated, stopped. Officers could smell alcohol from inside the car as they approached.

The motorist, who was very unsteady, said his last drink was at 4 a.m. just before getting two hours of sleep. He admitted to losing control of his car while turning. He planned to report it even though he fled the scene. He failed field sobriety tests, almost falling over several times and then gave up. He measured a .217 Blood Alcohol Content level. He was also cited with leaving the scene, failure to control and not wearing a safety belt.

Weaving, Bagley Road

: An officer at 5:31 a.m. April 29 saw a car in the curb lane near the Cuyahoga County Fairgrounds weave across its lane several times. The car also changed lanes without signaling. The officer saw the motorist improperly turn onto Interstate 71.

The officer stopped the car and immediately smell alcohol. The motorist said he had two drinks at a nearby restaurant. He failed field sobriety tests, measuring a .200 BAC. He said he finished his second beer right before getting into his car and driving. He was cited for several offenses, including drunken driving.

Possession of marijuana, Engle Road

: An officer saw a pick-up truck stop at a traffic light that turned on red at 3:19 a.m. April 25. He stopped it due to a posted sign prohibiting turning on red.

The motorist said she did not see the sign, but said her passenger told her about it as she completed the turn. The officer noticed a smell of marijuana, but the driver and passenger said they did not have any in the car. The two got out of the car as the officer searched it. He found a digital scale and suspected marijuana in a plastic bag inside the center console. The passenger said the items were his. The driver was cited for turning on red and the passenger, possession of marijuana and paraphernalia.

Drunken driving, Engle Road

: A woman at Motel 6 called police April 21 about a friend at the motel taking her husband's car without permission. Police got to the hotel room and found the woman naked in bed. She insisted he took the car, but she was in a very drunken state. She refused medical assistance.

An officer standing on the balcony saw the car in question strike a curb as it parked in the lot. The driver said he was the friend who took the car to buy beer at a nearby gas station. He said she gave him the OK to do that.He said she would not remember due to her being drunk. The man failed field sobriety tests, registered a .145 BAC and was cited.

Grand theft auto, Hepburn Drive

: A woman spent April 30 overnight at her parents home and found her car missing the next day. She said the hatchback doesn't always close or lock. The keys, title and registration were inside the car as well as a child booster seat, edge trimmer and extension cord.

Found property, Pearl Road

: A motorist at 10:10 a.m. April 27 saw two mattresses on a pick-up truck. One fell off. He stopped, placed it in his truck and tried to catch up to the other one to alert the driver. He was unsuccessful so he drove to the police station and dropped off the mattress. The driver who lost the mattress came to the station at 11:45 a.m. and claimed it.

Theft, Pearl Road

: An employee at Southland Nails called police at 3:43 p.m. April 26 about a customer who failed to pay her bill.

The woman got a pedicure and presented a gift certificate to cover the cost, but the employee told her it had expired. The issue date was December 23, 2013. The employee explained gift certificates expire after six months. The customer refused that answer and left without paying.

Police contacted the customer who admitted to not paying. She added that gift certificates do not expire in the state of Ohio so the business had to accept it. She was told to come to the station to provide a statement. She said she planned to do that the next day. The business planned to pursue charges.

Assault, Bagley Road

: Police went to Taco Bell at 3:40 p.m. April 30 about a fight between two customers.

According to the report and witnesses, a man saw another customer arguing at an employee. He went up to the suspect and told her to stop swearing since he had his children with him. The suspect was rude to the man. Another customer told the women to settle down. Those two had some words. The suspect then spit in the woman's face and punched her. The woman, in an attempt to get the suspect to stop hitting her, threw her pop at her. The suspect continued to hit her and even bit the woman's leg.

The employee told police the incident began when she accused the suspect of stealing a drink. That is when the suspect became verbally abusive and swore at her several times. Police saw that the victim sustained injuries to her neck, arm and ear.

The employee told police the incident began when she accused the suspect of stealing a drink. That is when the suspect became verbally abusive and swore at her several times. Police saw that the victim sustained injuries to her neck, arm and ear.

To comment on this story, please visit Wednesday's crime and courts comments section
A key part of congressional Republicans' tax reform plan, the border adjustment tax, is "not productive," retail veteran and former Varsity Brands CEO Matt Rubel told CNBC on Friday.

He believes the provision, which would slap a 20 percent tax on imports, will have a negative impact on the economy, of which consumers are the biggest part. That's because it will raise prices on imported goods, he explained. Rubel serves on an advisory committee for trade policy, and was first appointed under former President Barack Obama in 2014.

"If consumers haven't had income growth over a long period of time and then you go and move to a border adjustment tax as it's articulated by Congress, it will only move things out of the range of where people can buy them," said Rubel, also the former CEO of Collective Brands, in an interview with "Power Lunch."

"Adding that to the current environment would actually lead to more unemployment and would lead to a tremendous disruption," he added.

The U.S. House of Representatives is now expected to turn its attention to tax reform in earnest after passing the GOP's health-care bill on Thursday.

President Donald Trump and Republicans in Congress have pledged to complete the biggest tax reform since 1986, when President Ronald Reagan was in office, before the end of 2017.

However, there already appear to be differences within the party, including the controversial border adjustment tax.

House leaders believe the tax is crucial to helping keep the plan revenue-neutral. However, the White House doesn't appear to support the measure, which was not included in the outline of Trump's plan released last week.

Last week, Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said the administration doesn't think the provision works in its current form.

"We're going to continue to have discussions with them above revisions," he said in an event hosted by The Hill.

While retail executives have been outspoken in their criticism of the tax, General Electric CEO Jeff Immelt on Thursday supported the idea.

"All of our global competitors have some form of a border adjustment," he said. "Isn't it worth a debate?" he said in a speech at Georgetown University.

He also warned the administration to avoid protectionist policies.

Correction: Matt Rubel serves on an trade advisory committee. He does not advise President Donald Trump directly.

CNBC's Jacob Pramuk and Reuters contributed to this report.

Watch: CEO concerns over border tax
When she leaves work, she never gets stuck in traffic.The weather is eerily sunny and perfect. One random benevolent executive that only Mae seems to communicate with conjures white wine from the bushes. The Circle has even managed to solve tech's diversity problem , with about as many women working at the company as men and a balance of people from all backgrounds. Oh, and there are also no children around, but that part may not be far from the truth .

Soon, our heroine is working client customer service at the company, enjoying free concerts from Beck, swanky dorm-style housing in the Bay Area and a generous health insurance plan that extends to cover family members with pre-exisisting conditions. It's the new American dream.

The movie  which is loosely based on the 2013 David Eggers novel  follows the story of Mae (Emma Watson), a wide-eyed millennial protagonist with an art history degree. A friend named Annie lines up a job interview with her employer, The Circle, that turns cringeworthy and borders on sexual harassment. It seems to be a social network meets cloud services meets online wallet meets every single buzzworthy media company you can think of.

But although it is somewhat rooted in reality, you'll have to suspend disbelief to take this film seriously.

With the obsession over data collection and analytics, we've become an open book for technology companies. And, "The Circle" wants to be a cautionary tale of what life could be like if we voluntarily sign away our rights.

Despite seeming to work at a tech utopia, not everything is perfect for Mae. She's forced to party and stay on campus with her colleagues so she can share enviable pictures on her social feeds. The executive shows her an empty abandoned tunnel and tries to strike fear in her with talk of an impending server installation.

Mae grows more distant from her family and loved ones, especially when she boasts about her ex-boyfriend Mercer's bespoke deer antler chandelier business, which causes him to be ridiculed by animal lovers. It's a bit strange how easily online critics find Mercer, especially since he's made an emphatic point that he's off the social grid. Hey, maybe The Circle really can do everything.

Then, in an effort to get people and politicians to be more transparent, Mae's manipulating boss  played by Tom Hanks, who no one could believe is evil  gets her to wear a 24/7 camera. The "novel" idea ignores the entire lifecasting trend where social media stars like iJustine got their start. Mae embarrasses her family by broadcasting one of her parents' jaunts in bed, and still her feed isn't shut down.

Mae even pitches a ludicrous idea to tie voting to The Circle for the sake of convenience. Governments could, of course, just take Australia's lead and fine citizens, or they could ask a third-party to handle the solemn civic duty.

Eventually The Circle's actions turn into a drone-induced public relations nightmare, causing Mae to snap out of her love for her company. What's the first thing she does? Reconnects with Annie using The Circle's video chat, apparently forgetting her cult-like employer's ability to access all data is what caused this mess in the first place. We get an uncharacteristic Hollywood ending, which to be fair differs from the more satirical book. She presumably leaves her plush job to pursue whatever art history majors do with their degrees.

In the end, the audience is stuck wondering if they should fear the tech world being run by people like Mae, or fear that people seem to be working for companies where people have little understanding of what they do.

Actually, both may not be as far from reality as we think.
A man stands in front of posters during the second round of the French presidential election in the town of Saint-Sulpice-des-Landes, western France on May 7, 2017.

Rising far-right nationalism in Europe is still looking for another major victory, for now.

Centrist Emmanuel Macron will win the French presidential election over far-right candidate Marine Le Pen with roughly 65 percent of the vote, according to projections from polling firms. If that margin holds, Macron will have outperformed the average of recent polls, which forecast him getting about 61 percent of the vote compared with 39 percent for Le Pen, according to an aggregation from Huffington Post Pollster.

However, winning even 35 percent of the vote would be significant for Le Pen  an anti-immigration nationalist who may have tried to pull France from the European Union  and her National Front party ahead of legislative elections in June. Still, nationalist movements have failed to prevail in at least two recent high-profile European elections since the triumphs last year of President Donald Trump in the United States and the British vote to leave the EU.

Earlier this year, Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte won re-election after a closely-watched challenge from anti-immigrant Geert Wilders, whose Party for Freedom slightly underperformed polls leading up to the election, according to FiveThirtyEight.

That said, Rutte's center-right VVD party lost eight seats in the parliamentary election, while Wilders' party gained five and became the second-largest part in the Netherlands' parliament.
Some 50,000 residents of the German city of Hanover were ordered to leave their homes on Sunday as experts were preparing to defuse five unexploded World War Two bombs, Sputnik reported citing local media.

The Rheinische Post newspaper said that the operation on the bombs disposal was expected to start in the afternoon and last until the evening.

The local authorities have arranged cultural and sport events for the evacuated citizen and prepared to provide the people with medical care, hot meals and rollaway beds.

In late December, 2016, citizens of the German city of Augsburg also faced a massive evacuation caused by an operation on a WWII bomb disarmament.
Kim Jong Un is detaining American citizens as human shields amid fears of a U.S. attack targeting his nuclear and missile programs as part of a new form of "hostage diplomacy," according to experts. North Korea has long detained U.S. citizens to use as bargaining chips. But unlike his father Kim Jong Il, the young dictator is using prisoners to protect himself rather than as a tool to bring the U.S. to the negotiating table, analysts said. Last month, North Korea detained U.S. citizen Kim Sang-duk, who also is known as Tony Kim, at Pyongyang Airport as he was preparing to leave the country. Kim had been teaching at Pyongyang University of Science and Technology before being taken into custody. That brings the total number of Americans held by the isolated nation to three, and comes amid worsening tensions between North Korea and the United States. "Kim Jong Un is using hostage diplomacy as a part of his military and defense strategy with focus on preventing the U.S. from removing him from power as well as to prevent the U.S. from taking military options against North Korea, " Dr. An Chan Il, president of the World Institute for North Korea Studies and a former defector, told NBC News.

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 | Reuters

Dr. Koh Yu Hwan, a professor of North Korean studies at Dongguk University in Seoul, said that taking hostages remained worth its while for North Korea. "Although such hostage talks don't usually lead to negotiation over missile or nuclear weapons ... the added numbers can certainly hamper and limit options the U.S. can take over North Korea," Koh added. More from NBC News:

North Korea detains third American citizen: Officials

North Korea accuses CIA of failed Kim Jong Un assassination plot

Hillary Clinton: Tweets won't solve threat from North Korea John Nilsson-Wright, a senior research fellow in the Asia program at the London-based Chatham House think tank, agreed that Kim Jong Un's actions could be part of an effort to stop the U.S. military from attacking North Korea. But he said it more like such moves were "grandstanding," and not about bringing the U.S. to the negotiating table. "The current situation is not a bad one for Kim Jong Un," Nilsson-Wright said. "He's had a lot of airtime and the more he continues to test missiles and move forward with militarization, he can demonstrate his independence to the international community and present himself to his people as unbowed." He added: "It's poking a stick in [President] Donald Trump's eye in a signal of defiance." America has long since sought to put pressure on North Korea to stop its missile and nuclear tests that contravene United Nations sanctions  something Kim has ramped up under his leadership. His regime has made no secret of the fact it is working on a nuclear-tipped missile capable of reaching America. On Wednesday, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said that the U.S. was not interested in "regime change." But he previously had suggested that military action against Kim's regime was "on the table."

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Earlier this week, state-run North Korean media said "U.S. military provocations"  referring to drills carried out alongside South Korea  had left the region "close to nuclear war." On Friday, it also accused the CIA and South Korea of being behind a failed assassination plot targeting Kim Jong Un. In the past, detaining  and then releasing  U.S. citizens has given Pyongyang leverage in negotiations with Washington or allowed the country to offer them up as goodwill gestures to the international community, experts say. In 2009, Kim Jong Il pardoned and freed two detained American journalists after former President Bill Clinton visited Pyongyang, giving North Korea a fleeting moment of international legitimacy. Five years later, Kim Jong Un released U.S. citizens Jeffrey Edward Fowle, Kenneth Bae and Matthew Todd Miller after James Clapper, then the director of national intelligence, made a secret visit to Pyongyang. At the time, North Korean state media trumpeted that that three Americans were being released following the "repeated requests" of President Barack Obama. "Such detention and then handing over after harsh sentencing and releasing after a high-level U.S. official is a carefully planned tactic North Korea use," Dr. Lee Jung Hoon, South Korea's ambassador for North Korean human rights, told NBC News. It's "immoral," and "shameless," the diplomat added. "But it is useful and they know it." Kim Jong Un has continued to detain American citizens, but experts note a shift in his tactics. While Trump told Bloomberg News on Monday that he would be "honored" to meet the North Korean dictator, many analysts believe that Kim no longer even aims to hold talks with the U.S. "This is North Korea's hostage diplomacy," Dr. Koh said. "They are like the human shields against the U.S. government with the ultimate goal of attention grabbing." Lee So Yeon, president of New Korea Women's Union, an NGO for defectors, said American prisoners who were accused of "crimes against the state" were being used by Kim as a propaganda tool for a domestic audience. "One stark difference between Kim Jong Un from his predecessors over hostage diplomacy is that he emphasizes publicizing detaining American citizens to the North Korean public," Lee said. "By doing so, Kim Jong Un seems to confirm that North Korea is exposed to constant attack from the U.S."

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If students got paid for getting an "A", would that be enough incentive to push them from high school achievement to college success?

That's the idea behind Raise.me, a for-profit startup, lets high school students earn small tuition grants from colleges to help pay for their higher education.

"Students are earning as much as $80,000 towards college on the platform," Raise.me co-founder and CEO Preston Silverman, told CNBC's "On The Money" in an interview.

"It can be anything from getting good grades in their classes, to taking on leadership roles in clubs or sports," Silverman said.

About 700,000 students from all 50 states are using the platform, and have earned $1 billion in financial aid from colleges partnered with Raise.me. Students accrue these "micro-scholarships", adding more cash amounts for additional achievements.

The average award is $22,500, earned from Raise.me's more than 225 partner institutions. In order to access the money, students must apply, be accepted, and enroll in the particular institution awarding the money.

The roster of affiliated institutions is impressive: Just a few of include University of Chicago, Carnegie Mellon, University of Pennsylvania, Tulane, and Loyola Marymount University.

Meanwhile, different colleges offer different amounts for the same achievement. For example, one may offer $50 for an "A", while another school will give $300.

So is it wrong to pay for high academic achievement? Absolutely not, Silverman argued.

"There's a great body of research that shows that performance-based aid, which essentially is what Raise.me is, not only increases academic outcomes over time, but it also doesn't do anything to diminish a student's intrinsic motivation towards learning," he added.

While the site is free for students, colleges and universities pay Raise.me an annual fee to participate. Because students can join Raise.me as early as the 9th grade, Silverman said the site gives schools a head start on reaching future prospective students.

"Raise.me gives them the opportunity to start engaging students earlier in high school so they can build a relationship and let students know about them before they've solidified their decisions about whether or where to apply to college," Silverman added.

Plus, he added, "many schools are looking to increase diversity on campus. We have a very diverse population of students we're serving."

Raise.me says 40 percent of its student users are low income, and 45 percent are first-generation college-goers.

However, what if the student decides not to attend one of the member colleges? where does the micro-scholarship money go?

"If they don't end up using the scholarships that they've earned, that money goes back in the pool for other students," Silverman added.

Clarification: Students

On the Money airs on CNBC Saturday at 5:30 am ET, or check listings for air times in local markets.
President Donald Trump walks along the West Wing colonnade with his daughter Ivanka Trump and his son-in-law Jared Kushner.

Organizers barred journalists on Sunday from a publicly advertised event in Shanghai that offered Chinese investors the chance to get U.S. immigrant visas if they put money in a real estate project linked to the family of President Donald Trump's son-in-law.

The two-tower luxury apartment complex in New Jersey, One Journal Square, is being developed by KABR Group and the Kushner Companies, which until recently was headed by senior White House advisor Jared Kushner, the husband of Trump's daughter Ivanka.

The developers are seeking to raise $150 million, or 15.4 percent of funding for the project, from investors through the EB-5 visa program, according to marketing materials posted by the event's organizer, immigration agency Qiaowai.

The controversial EB-5 program allows wealthy foreigners to, in effect, buy U.S. immigration visas for themselves and families by investing at least $500,000 in certain development projects.

"Sorry, this is a private event," said a man stopping journalists from entering a function room at the Four Seasons Hotel in Shanghai, China.

Guests at the event said Kushner's sister, Nicole Kushner Meyer, spoke for about 10 minutes, including about her family's humble roots.

According to the New York Times, Meyer attended a similar event in Beijing on Saturday and told the audience of about 100 people the project "means a lot to me and my entire family".

Jared Kushner, whose White House portfolio includes relations with China, sold his stake in Kushner Companies to a family trust early this year.

"Mr. Kushner has no involvement in the operation of Kushner Companies and divested his interests in the One Journal Square project by selling them to a family trust that he, his wife, and his children are not beneficiaries of, a mechanism suggested by the Office of Government Ethics," his lawyer, Blake Roberts of WilmerHale law firm, said in a statement emailed to Reuters by the White House.

"As previously stated, he will recuse from particular matters concerning the EB-5 visa program."

A Kushner Companies spokeswoman declined to comment in a New York Times article about the Beijing event published on Saturday.

The Times story said Meyer did not respond when asked if she was concerned about possible conflicts of interest facing her brother. Journalists from the Times and Washington Post were removed from Saturday's Beijing event, the newspapers reported.

POPULAR WITH WEALTHY CHINESE

One potential investor, Sophie Xing, said a "very important" factor in her decision to attend Sunday's event was the fact the project was a Kushner Companies investment and that Trump's son-in-law's sister would be in Shanghai.

"Actually I really don't know how close they are but I felt that this was a pretty good project," she said.

In a promotional text message seen by Reuters, Qiaowai made note of Meyer's relationship to Trump and called her the event's "heavyweight honored guest".

Qiaowei representatives at the event declined to answer questions from journalists, and calls to its listed phone number went unanswered.

Qiaowei is also known as QWOS. Its promotional materials for the project, which it also calls Kushner1, advertise the prospect of putting money in under the federal EB-5 program.

The program is popular among wealthy Chinese looking to shift assets abroad or move overseas, but it has come under fire in the United States.

Some U.S. lawmakers have called for changing or abolishing the EB-5 program, but the scheme was recently renewed by Congress until Sept. 30.
One day we'll all be jetting around in flying cars. Or that's what Google co-founder Larry Page hopes will happen anyway. The billionaire is an investor in Kitty Hawk, the flying car startup that showed the world its aerial jetski in action last month.

Uber also has plans to bring flying cars to U.S. airspace by 2020, which the company shared at a conference it held in April to discuss its big sky vision of operating a network of aerial taxis.

More from Recode:

What will it take for Uber to change?

This startup wants to make human drivers safer

Here's the first look at how Elon Musk's 'boring' car tunnels will work

But will anyone actually want to ride in one of these weird, dangerous looking things?

Turns out a lot of people would.

Researchers Michael Sivak and Brandon Schoettle from the University of Michigan's Transportation Research Institute recently conducted a survey with 508 respondents from across the country to ask what they thought about flying cars. The respondents were fairly evenly split between men (48 percent) and women (52 percent) and across age brackets.

The study, published last month, showed that 44 percent of respondents were very interested in riding a fully autonomous flying taxi and 41 percent said they'd be interested in owning one.

Still, even if people are down to ride, they're not sold on safety. 63 percent of respondents reported to be very concerned about how safe it would be to ride in one of these things (20 percent were moderately concerned and 11 percent were only slightly concerned). That's probably why nearly 80 percent said that they think it's either very important or extremely important for flying cars to have a parachute on board.

When it comes to lifting straight off the ground like a helicopter  rather than using a landing strip  83 percent of respondents overwhelming said they'd prefer vertical take off.

Men were more enthusiastic about the technology than women. 52 percent of male respondents reported feeling positive or very positive about flying cars, while only 38 percent of women were equally optimistic.

And in terms of practicality, 62 percent said they'd prefer the flying cars to seat between 3 and 4 people and 41 percent felt a flying car should be able to go for a minimum of about 400 miles before needing to recharge or refuel.

Here's a video Kitty Hawk shared last month of its new aircraft:
Somalia's National Security Forces killed a regional leader of the al-Shabaab terror group and his three associates in a raid in the country's southern Bariiree area, Sputnik reported Sunday.

According to Mareeg Media outlet, Moalin Osman Abdi Badil, who had been heading the group in Lower Shabelle region, was killed on Friday.

The raid came a day after a US service member was killed in a Somali military-led operation in the same area west of the country's capital, Mogadishu.

Somalia has been experiencing violence since the country devolved into civil war in the early 1990s. The states collapse provided a breeding ground for warlords, pirates and al-Shabaab. The terror group, which is linked to al-Qaeda has been staging numerous attacks in Somalia in an attempt to create an Islamic state ruled by Sharia law.
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In our latest survey, we presented party members with a list of possible Conservative policies and asked them to tell us, on a scale of 1-10, what priority they would give them should the party be returned to office in June.

Some of the results are unsurprising. Topping the list, and the only item to receive an average score of eight or over, was meeting the NATO requirement for spending two per cent of GDP on defence.

Other popular policies (scoring between seven and eight) included balancing the budget in the next Parliament, delivering Parliament on deadline in 2019, and repealing and replacing the Human Rights Act, as well as raising the tax-free personal allowance.

Yet the last policy in this high-priority bracket was more at odds with the caricature of the comfortable Home Counties Conservative: building more homes.

Theres no doubt that this is one of the most pressing issues facing British governments of any colour: were not building nearly enough new houses, which means demand greatly outstrips supply and prices stay sky-high. But its a particular challenge for the Tories, who are supposed to be the party of home-ownership  a long-term drift back towards a society of renters would bode ill for the partys electoral prospects.

Each wing of the party will have its own solutions, whether its a Macmillan-style state-led housebuilding drive or a targeted loosening of planning restrictions. But whichever path May chooses  and with a comfortable majority she really must choose one  there is clear grassroots support for meeting the issue head one.

The same cant be said for another of the policies weve recently seen floated by Number Ten: capping energy prices. The party derided this when Ed Miliband proposed it and members don seem any keener on it now: it ranks in the very bottom priority bracket, with an average score between three and four.

Other policies at this nadir of grassroots support are predictable enough, such as the 0.7 per cent aid spending floor and completin HS2. But the last one is a possible surprise: the pensions triple lock.

The picture this paints overall is a complex one. Whilst the membership in our survey are certainly cool on some of the signal policies of the partys liberal wing, that housebuilding ranks so highly and pensions so low suggests a keener sense of inter-generational justice than the stereotype would suggest.

Combine that with strong support for Brexit, defence, and the Prime Ministers scepticism of the Human Rights Act, and you have the building blocks of a strong foundation for Mayite Conservatism. Whether and how shell try to build on that remains to be seen.

We will publish a full table of the results tomorrow. The number of Party member survey responses is now up to 1,469  a record.
Afghanistan's security forces killed 23 militants, including eight members of Daesh, outlawed in many countries, including Russia, in the past 24 hours, Sputnik reported on Sunday citing the Afghan Defense Ministry.

"During the past 24 hour, Afghan National Defense and Security Forces conducted joined offensive operations in order to protect lives and properties of people also defeating the insurgents in different parts of the country that as a result, 23 insurgents including 8 Daesh affiliates killed and 1 other wounded," the ministry said in a statement.

The anti-terrorist operations took place in the provinces of Nangarhar, Kapisa, Paktia, Ghazni, Kandahar, Urozgan, Badghis, Ghor, Kundoz, Faryab, Sarepul, Takhar, Badakhshan and Helmand.

"During these operations, in Achin district of Urozgan, 8 Daesh affiliates including their local commander killed, in Khanshin district of Helmand, 5 Taliban [radical group, banned in Russia] militants killed a vehicle destroyed, in Zebak district of Badakhshan, 6 insurgents including 4 foreign nationals killed and 2 vehicles destroyed," the statement read.

Afghanistan has long been suffering from unstable political, social and security issues due to the activity of the IS terrorist group and Taliban radical movement. The Afghan National Defense and Security Forces are currently conducting joint offensive operations to combat terrorism across the country.
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The World Trade Organization (WTO) backed Australia's decision to implement the cigarette plain packaging law in a draft that was leaked before the official announcement in July. Get to know more details, here.

Plain Packaging Law In Australia

The cigarette plain packaging law in Australia was passed in 2010 and was aimed to only allow uniform packaging of all cigarettes, regardless of brand. The tobacco industry's main players Cuba, Honduras, Indonesia, and the Dominican Republic immediately sought relief with the WTO because they believed the law was a barrier to trade. Cigarette companies also believed that the cigarette plain packaging law infringed on its trademarks and intellectual property, Reuters reported.

The dispute at the WTO between Australia and the big tobacco firms has gone on for almost five years. Prior to their WTO case, the big tobacco companies have already brought their arguments before the Permanent Court of Arbitration in 2011 and the High Court of Australia in 2012 and lost both times. But with deep pockets, the tobacco firms have backed the smaller nations with tobacco interests to file a case against the law at the WTO, the Econotimes reported.

If all goes in favor of Australia, this will be an affirmation that countries can and have a right to introduce measures like the cigarette plain packaging law for the protection and promotion of health of its citizens. This type of measure has already been adopted in the UK, France, and Hungary, with many more countries to follow suit or at least seriously considering it.

Tobacco Companies Not Having It

The tobacco companies are unwilling to follow the cigarette packaging law because it will affect their pricing power. They will be unable to maintain their edge over their cheaper rivals, since the uniform look of all packaging will disregard which one is "premium" or not.

Big tobacco companies also are wary of the fact that the plain packaging can erode their profit margins more because the uniform look can easily be faked. Stay tuned for more details.

See Now: What Republicans Don't Want You To Know About Obamacare
Leader of the En Marche! (On the Move) movement, Emmanuel Macron, who is the projected winner of the French presidential election, thanked all those who voted for him, TASS reported.

"It is a great responsibility for me to be elected president," Macron said on Sunday evening after the preliminary results of the voting were made public.

He pledged that as president he will live up to the expectations of his rival in the run-off polling, National Front leader Marine Le Pen.

"I will defend the interests of all of France," he vowed.

"A new page is opening in Frances history this evening. I would like it to be a page of realized hopes and confidence," he said, adding that his country will "follow the principles of peace."

According to the initial results announced by BFMTV after the closure of polling stations, Macron has clinched 65.9% of the vote, whereas Marine Le Pen has scored 34.1% of the ballots.

The French Interior Ministry said after counting 60% of ballots that Emmanuel Macron is winning Sundays run-off presidential election in France with 62.34% of the votes. The final results will be announced later at night, the ministry added.
Polysyllabic German weird.

The Absurd Double Life:

In 2014, Hans, a German citizen of Spanish descent, secretly converted to a radical sect of Islam and joined up with the BfV with the objective of warning "his religious brothers" when Cologne's Finest were about to rappel through their windows.

Flophila88/Wiki Commons

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So they could set a series of painful but hilarious traps.

Then one day in 2016, German counter-terrorism agents were hanging out in a terrorist chatroom looking for some terrorism to counter, when they happened upon a user claiming to be a German secret agent. After luring him into a private chat and goading him into spilling literally every single detail about his job that was capable of being spilled, the agents were nearly certain they were speaking to their co-worker Hans. Just to be sure, though, they googled his screen name.

And that's when they discovered that Hans -- married father of four, radical Islamist, wannabe terrorist -- was openly using an alias that matched yet another of his personas: the stage name he used when starring in gay pornographic films. That's right -- the man who was a secret terrorist posing as a counter terrorist operative was using his porn name. Obviously this was a huge oversight on Hans' part, but it also doesn't cast the BfV in the best light considering it took them two years to catch on.
Jack Miller lamented the riding from some of his colleagues during the MotoGP encounter at Jerez, which was limited to just six laps after Alvaro Bautista collected his Honda RC213V at turn one.

Starting from tenth position and brimming with confidence after strong showings in free practice and qualifying, Miller found himself under siege in the opening exchanges, as riders attacked him from a variety of angles.

Eventually, it was Bautista that took him down when he tucked the front of his Aspar Ducati while moving under Miller that ended both riders' races, a move that the Australian criticised soon after.

"There was no way he was going to stop the bike for turn one," he said. While Bautista admitted his mistake, he insisted he had simply made a mistake while attempting to "overtake him correctly."

"Not a great day at all," began Miller. "I had great confidence all weekend, had a good start to the race but then just caught up in s**t basically. I lost so much time in the first two or three laps just with people lunging from six kilometres back and then they don't even make the corner. They end up off the end of the track.

"The problem is here, you have this asphalt run-off so they can still turn, come back and do it again two laps later. So it was a pain in arse with that in the first three laps and then I was closing the gap to Dovizioso and then it happened again with Petrucci, he did the same thing but he was able to get past.

"Then me and him were going and then Bautista tried the same thing at turn one and took me out with him. I mean there was no way he was going to stop the bike for turn one, he came in hot, I was already halfway into the corner and then he lost the front and cleaned me out."

Jack Miller's punishment for shoving Alvaro Bautista, after the Spaniard fell and took down the Australian in the #SpanishGP #MotoGP pic.twitter.com/TG59PWNgyM-- Crash.net MotoGP (@crash_motogp) May 7, 2017

The Australian picked up a EUR1,000 Euro fine for reacting angrily to the incident, Miller pushing Bautista over in gravel trap before kicking the Spaniard's stricken machine in the wake of the clash.

That was a mistake, he said, but explained his frustration was so high at what had gone before, his anger boiled over. "I pushed him, it's not the right thing to do. It was just the frustration because the first five laps I had so many people run me wide...."

Offering his version of events, Bautista said, "For the crash I was riding a little bit faster than the guys in front of me. When I arrived at Jack I was close on the straight so I tried to pass him into turn one.

"On the straight I was alongside him but I was on the inside so I had to have a bit more lean angle and with the track being warmer today it was more difficult to hold that line and unfortunately I lost the front and pushed him down.

"I'm sorry for him but it wasn't a mistake from me that caused it, I was trying to overtake him correctly. I can understand how Jack felt, because when you crash and it's not your fault you will be angry, but I didn't expect him to kick my bike. I didn't like that from him.

"It was normal that he was angry from the situation and afterwards he came to my box and said that he thought that my overtake was similar to other riders earlier in the race where they came from a long way behind. Mine wasn't like that and it was mostly due to the difficult track conditions that I couldn't overtake him properly.

"When he came to the box he was very angry but once I explained to him how I was trying to overtake him correctly and that I wasn't doing anything crazy he understood. Once he knew this he was much calmer."
Egypt's president Abdel Fattah El-Sisi is heading to Kuwait on Sunday on an official two-day visit, to meet with Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmed Al-Gaber Al-Sabah, the prince of Kuwait, State News Agency MENA reported Saturday.

The visit aims at enhancing the solid relations between the two countries, as well as co-ordination around different regional and international issues that concern both sides.

The two leaders are set to discuss ways to consolidate the bilateral cooperation in different fields and deal with the challenges the Arab nation face, a statement by the Egyptian presidency said Saturday.

Earlier in April, Egypt and Kuwait renewed an oil supply deal for three years.

According to the contract signed by the Egyptian General Petroleum Corporation (EGPC) and the Kuwait Petroleum Corporation (KPC), Kuwait would supply Egypt with 1.5 million barrels of petroleum products per year and 2 million barrels of crude oil per month.

In January, Kuwait and Egypt signed a legal and judicial cooperation agreement, as well as an agreement on extradiction of sentenced persons.

The Arab Gulf country has backed the Egyptian economy with billions of dollars in oil shipments, cash grants and central bank deposits since the ouster of the former Islamist president Mohamed Morsi in July 2013.

Following his visit to Kuwait, the Egyptian president is set to head to Bahrain to meet with king Hamad Ben Eissa Al Khalifa, to discuss developing bilateral relations between the two countries and to address all attempts of external intervention.

Egypt has carried out several joint military exercises with Bahrain and other Gulf region countries.

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Italian Foreign Minister Angelino Alfano on Saturday held talks in Tripoli with top Libyan officials on peace efforts for the war-wracked country and ways to curb illegal migration to Europe.

Alfano met Government of National Accord head Fayez al-Sarraj and his vice president Ahmad Meitig to discuss "efforts being made towards national reconciliation", the GNA said in a statement.

Alfano's trip to Libya came hot on the heels of a two-day visit Thursday and Friday to the oil-rich North African nation by his British counterpart Boris Johnson.

Johnson met Sarraj on Thursday and congratulated him on meeting earlier this week in Abu Dhabi with Libyan military strongman Khalifa al-Haftar, who does not recognise the GNA's legitimacy.

Italy, too, has welcomed the meeting between Haftar and Serraj. The foreign ministry has said that Alfano's visit was aimed at renewing Italy's support for peace efforts to ensure Libya's stability.

Alfano and Libyan leaders also discussed ways of curbing the influx of migrants trying to reach Europe from Libya, as authorities Saturday said that hundreds of migrants were rescued by the Libyan coastguard.

The Libyan judiciary in March suspended a deal struck the previous month between Libya and Italy aimed at bolstering joint efforts to stop the flow of migrants.

In April, the Italian government said that a dozen of rival tribes in southern Libya had agreed to cooperate on securing the country's borders to prevent illegal migration.

Sarraj has struggled to impose the authority of his fragile government, which continues to meet resistance at home despite its backing by many political and military leaders.

Six years after a revolution that toppled dictator Moamer Kadhafi, Libya has become a key departure point for migrants risking their lives to cross the Mediterranean to Europe.

Each year, thousands of people, mostly from sub-Saharan countries, board boats operated by traffickers in the country's west heading for the Italian island of Lampedusa, some 300 kilometres (190 miles) away.

In the first three months of 2017, more than 24,000 migrants arrived in Italy after making the perilous crossing from Libya, up from 18,000 in the first quarter of last year, according to the UN refugee agency UNHCR.

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With one month left in the legislative session, only three bills have passed both the House and Senate. In an average year, about 250 become law.

But 2017 is anything but a normal year for the General Assembly.

Literally all major legislation, from a new casino to the so-called transportation lock box, to the two-year budget, is hanging in the balance as the General Assembly copes with what is now a $5 billion deficit.

Still important legislation

Senate Majority Leader Bob Duff, D-Norwalk, expects the proposed constitutional amendment to secure a dedicated fund for transportation infrastructure will win bipartisan approval and reach the 2018 statewide ballot for voters.

Duff said Friday that he believes enough votes exist to support the East Windsor site of a third casino, backed by the Mashantucket Pequot and Mohegan tribal nations as way to keep discretionary gambling cash from leaving Connecticut when the billion-dollar MGM Springfield casino opens across the border in Massachusetts.

Duff expects to provide some relief for about 30,000 Eastern Connecticut homeowners whose 30-year-old foundations are crumbling because of concrete that contains the mineral pyrrhotite.

There is still legislation that we want to do thats important to our members, said House Majority Leader Matt Ritter, D-Hartford.

But nearly everything else among about 770 active pieces of legislation is taking a back seat to whatever may occur in the way of a budget agreement in what is an evenly divided Legislature.

Overshadowing everything

The budget is first and foremost in my mind and in that context of the budget, all the other decisions being made are subject to budget negotiations, Duff said. The budget is overshadowing every other thing.

The budget is sucking a lot of oxygen out of the room, said Speaker of the House Joe Aresimowicz, D-Berlin.

Bills on the state spending cap; allowing upstart electric car manufacturer Tesla to skirt state franchise law; electronic highway tolls; funding state parks; recreational marijuana; and the National Popular Vote are all frozen, awaiting movement on the budget.

First and foremost is to grow jobs and impact the quality of life in our state, Duff said.

Gov. Dannel P. Malloy says that one percent of the population pays 30 percent of state income taxes.

That is going to make you subject to some pretty big swings and were evidencing that, Malloy said last week, the day the $1.7 billion first-year deficit increased by hundreds of millions of dollars.

Over reliance on the wealthy

Its tax increases, its borrowing, its relying more on wealthy individuals, said House Minority Leader Themis Klarides, R-Derby. When you see bond reports, they talk about an over reliance on the wealthy. When you have the ability to easily establish residence in another state or even worse, move your business to another state because its not economically feasible to do business here any more, its a combination of all of it.

Pete Gioia, economist for the Connecticut Business and Industry Association, last week said lawmakers need to adjust themselves to the problems that have caused the deficits.

It's essential the final budget solves not only the immediate problems but builds in enough leeway to deal with a potential future tax shortfall that has a lot to do with people relocating to more affordable states, Gioia said. Given demographics, theres no reason to think that trend isn't going to continue over the next two years.

Gioia said the April tax collection that was about $440-million short of projections, repudiates the tax increases of the Malloy administration, which supported two record revenue hikes during the governors six years in office.

Undo 20 years of policy

And it's been a case of raise taxes, get less revenue than projected. All this combined says you need to make sure any budget solution does not increase taxes, Gioia said. What we need to do is right-size government and services to fit the new economic reality of lower revenue.

Aresimowicz, D-Berlin, in his first term as speaker, said all solutions, including higher taxes, are on the table. Even so-called recreational marijuana, which is lacking overall support in the Legislature but is projected to raise as much as $185 million in tax revenue by the third year, could find itself in a final budget, Aresimowicz said. Thats a lot of money were talking about, Aresimowicz told reporters.

The reality about this budget crisis, and lets call it a crisis, is we are going to undo 20 years of policy in a matter of days when it comes to settling this budget, Aresimowicz said. The priorities that weve had as a state of Connecticut are going to be shifted to what we think we have to provide for the citizens, not necessarily what we want to provide. And its difficult. Its hard and its a certain amount of almost depression thats now setting in, that were having to that.

kdixon@ctpost.com; Twitter: @KenDixonCT
BRIDGEPORT  The City Councils budget committee wrapped up its month-plus of work Saturday evening, unanimously passing a no-tax-increase proposal that gives $3.1 million more to the schools than Mayor Joe Ganim proposed.

The committee moved numbers around but did not significantly reduce the $542 million, 2017-18 municipal spending plan Ganim submitted in early April.

Based on education advocates claims that Ganim did not just flat fund education, but cut it by $2.7 million, the councils contribution gets the schools to flat funded. Meanwhile, Superintendent Aresta Johnson and the school board over the winter requested $11 million to maintain current services and to restore the popular kindergarten teachers aides cut last year.

The full 20-member, all-

Democrat council is scheduled to vote on the budget Monday. Tom Gaudett, a Ganim adviser who joined the budget committee for its daylong work session Saturday, was optimistic the mayor will approve, not veto, the document.

Many of the things (changes) are reasonable or at our suggestion, Gaudett said.

The mayor, also a Democrat, had been under pressure not to raise taxes. He campaigning in 2015 to hold the line, but the budget he and the council agreed to a year ago resulted in a steep increase in the tax or mill rate, from 42 mills to 54 mills.

Around 450 angry residents packed City Hall last July after their bills arrived to protest Ganim and the council. But that outrage did not carry over into this budget season. Most of the people who attended the budget committees public hearings wanted more dollars for education.

The kids are important, said Budget Committee Chairman Scott Burns.

Of the $3.1 million in additional education dollars, $1 million of that is a reduction in the proposed police overtime budget. City Hall optimists hope having three new classes of officers on the streets will reduce cop overtime next year.

Whether or not that savings materializes, Ganim and the council have a far more immediate concern about a loss in counted-on state aid. Ganims budget was balanced with $18 million worth of state money proposed in February by outgoing Gov. Dannel P. Malloy. But Connecticuts financial forecast has only gotten bleaker, and the governor and General Assembly may be negotiating their budget through the summer.

Bridgeport Finance Director Ken Flatto said Saturday the councils revised budget relies on around $14 million from the state.

Weve got a massive question mark with the state right now, said Council President Tom McCarthy. If Hartford cuts us, we have to come back and cut.

Having spent many weeknights meeting with department heads, the budget committee from 9 a.m. until around 7 p.m. Saturday argued and finalized changes to Ganims proposal. The group turned down a request for an additional $99,000 deputy in Ganims office, eliminated a handful of vacancies, cut the police departments gas budget by $100,000 and the citys overall office supplies by nearly $63,000.

A plan by the Ganim administration to better market Bridgeport was trimmed from $200,000 to $175,000 at Burns suggestion. Burns noted the current budget was $75,000 and it just seems like thats a real big leap.

It is not unusual for city mayors to spend money on marketing, either to attract visitors, investors, or both.

The man Ganim ousted in 2015s Democratic primary  Bill Finch  launched a $250,000 marketing blitz in 2014 that happened to coincide with his failed bid for a third term.

If the Ganim administration launches a marketing campaign in the coming months, it will coincide with his exploring a run to succeed Malloy next year as governor.
President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi told Kuwait's emir Sabah Al-Ahmed Al-Sabah in a meeting on Sunday that the security of the Gulf states is also the security of Egypt, stressing that Egypt will not allow threats to the stability and security of its "brother countries in the Gulf", state news agency MENA reported.

Sisi, who arrived at Kuwait International Airport earlier this morning for a two-day visit, has renewed an invitation to Al-Sabah to visit Egypt, to which the latter promised that he would make the trip at the nearest opportunity.

Sisi and Sabah agreed the two countries should join efforts to encounter terrorism, and that the international community should strengthen efforts to reach political settlements to the region's civil conflicts in a way that preserves the institutions of these countries, Egyptian presidenty spokesman Alaa Youssef said.

The meeting also saw a discussion on enhancing relations between the two countries as well as methods of consolidating Arab efforts.



The Egyptian president also met with Kuwaiti PM Jaber Al-Mubarak Al-Hamed Al-Mubarak and a number of ministers and officials, including the Minister of Finance Anas Khaled, where they discussed Egyptian-Kuwaiti bilateral relations.

Sisi also discussed regional developments in a meeting with Kuwaiti Foreign Minister Sabah Al-Khaled Al-Hamed Al-Sabah.

The Arab Gulf country has backed Egypt's economy with billions of dollars in oil shipments, cash grants and central bank deposits since the 2013 ouster of Islamist president Mohamed Morsi.

Following his visit to Kuwait, the Egyptian president is set to head to Bahrain to meet with King Hamad Ben Eissa Al-Khalifa to discuss developing bilateral relations between the two countries as well as "foreign intervention" in the region.

Egypt has recently carried out several joint military exercises with Bahrain and other Gulf countries.

In March, Sisi met with several top UAE leaders, including Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Mohamed bin Zayed Al-Nahyan, where he discussed the importance of intensifying Arab and international efforts to achieve political resolutions to the regions various civil conflicts.



Sisi also stressed Egypt's appreciation of its ties with the UAE and the support of the Gulf country to Cairo.

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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 ...
Opening dates, hours and new policies set for 2022 ski season

A price increase on all day and season passes at Seven Springs, Hidden Valley and Laurel Mountain ski areas goes into effect on Nov. 20.
A political tidal wave is on the way. A blue surge seems certain on June 8.

We are about to see a May monopoly in politics. Partly, this is the fault of the Labour Party, which produced a hopeless leader in Jeremy Corbyn and then proved too inept to remove him.

But the party I blame most is Ukip. At the end of 2014, Ukip was surging in the polls, with one in five voters supporting us.

Our byelection wins in Clacton and Rochester had stunned the political establishment and  for a few brief weeks  we were standing in front of an open goal.

We are about to see a May monopoly in politics. Partly, this is the fault of the Labour Party, which produced a hopeless leader in Jeremy Corbyn and then proved too inept to remove him. But the party I blame most is Ukip (pictured, Douglas Carswell with Farage)

The Cameroons were in Downing Street, full of condescension. Labour were in the same sorry state theyre in today. The Lib Dems were on single digits in the polls.

Ukip alone offered the chance of change. But we blew it.

We won almost 60 per cent of the vote in Clacton by talking about GPs, not just immigration.

In Rochester, we won by reaching out beyond our base. But rather than learn from that, Nigel Farage reverted to type.

On the day we triumphed in Clacton, the then Ukip leader majored on migrants with HIV.

Then he managed to end up in an argument about mothers breastfeeding in public, before making rude noises about Romanians. Why?

Far from having a strategy, we seemed to be driven by whatever came out of Nigels mouth.

Far from having a strategy, we seemed to be driven by whatever came out of Nigels mouth

The political establishment loved it. Just when there seemed to be a realistic chance of far-reaching change, the Farageists unwittingly handed the established order a lifeline.

With every angry outburst, support for Ukip started to decline. Folk who had considered voting for Ukip just a few months before, started to tell me they could never back us.

Having failed to make any breakthrough at the election, we unwittingly started to help the Cameroons win the referendum.

Downing Street endlessly tried to collude with broadcasters to ensure the TV debates pitched David Cameron against Farage.

Why do you imagine they wanted that? Not because they feared Farage  on the contrary, they thought that if Nigel was the face of the Leave side, Remain would win.

Throughout history, oligarchies have emerged, taking power and profit. And each time there has been a populist revolt in response.

So why do the elites almost always seem to survive? Its because the populists prove so off-putting to ordinary people.

You need only to think of the effect of Ukips Breaking point posters featuring Syrian refugees, to see what I mean.

If Ukip had been in charge of the Leave campaign, I believe David Cameron would still be PM and we would have voted to Remain.

lDouglas Carswell was a Tory MP until defecting to Ukip in 2014. He is standing down from the Commons at this Election. His book Rebel: How To Overthrow The Emerging Oligarchy is published by Head of Zeus.
Not long ago a large part of Londons Hyde Park, and the roads that run beside it, stank of illegal cannabis for an entire day. Law-abiding people passing nearby just had to put up with it. The Royal Park, a public space for the use of all, was partly taken over by pro-drug campaigners celebrating the dope-smokers annual festival and deliberately breaking the law.

Internet publicity for this event made it clear that those present would be expected to smoke marijuana. Though the official penalty for possessing this Class B drug is five years in prison or an unlimited fine, they were told by campaigners not to worry.

London's Hyde Park, where marijuana users descended for the day, making the park smell of weed

As thecannabisgeek.com pointed out, this annual event gets soft treatment from the Metropolitan Police. People have been spotted openly engaging with police officers while smoking a joint, so I think we neednt fear arrest.

As if to confirm this breezy attitude, the police themselves tweeted helpful advice (from MPS Events) to pro-dope demonstrators. I really cannot see why. Perhaps to make up for this, they also tweeted: A reminder for those attending the rally at Hyde Park today, officers will be enforcing drugs legislation.

Did they? See later on. But in previous years they had been far from rigorous, according to organisers, who claimed in April 2016 that they had arranged a safe conduct zone with police, where discreet law-breaking would be more or less tolerated. So, what happened? There were some arrests (about half as many as there had been in 2016 ). I would guess they involved a tiny proportion of those openly breaking the law. But what then? I pestered Scotland Yard for details. This is what I found.

One man was arrested and charged with assault (so much for dope being peaceful). And a mere 11 people (out of thousands) were actually arrested on suspicion of cannabis possession. Three of them were released without charge. Six teenagers received cautions.

WHY IS THE EU DEMANDING BILLIONS? Once upon a time we were told that the European Union was a generous group of kind friends. Supposedly we gained more from them than they did from us. Well, in that case, why is their first response to our departure a greedy demand for billions of pounds, and a barrage of spiteful innuendo? Advertisement

Another six juveniles, who were not arrested, were told to go to police stations for a ticking-off later. Fifty-eight, also not arrested, received empty cannabis warnings which are not recorded centrally and are effectively meaningless.

Just two  thats right, two  were charged and prosecuted for cannabis possession. And what happened to them? One was so overawed by the majesty of the law that he did not turn up for his trial at a London magistrates court last week. The other received a fine of 80, plus a victim surcharge of 30, and was ordered to pay costs of 85. Tough prohibition, huh?

I have not been able to find out exactly why these two were singled out from the surrounding thousands, and can only guess that it was because of the quantity of the drug found in their possession. But interestingly they were not charged with intent to supply.

Our society is drenched in dangerous drug use because we no longer enforce our own laws, says Peter Hitchens

I wouldnt mind this pathetic weakness so much if responsible people didnt so frequently pretend it wasnt happening. Take the former Deputy Prime Minister, Nick Clegg, who claimed in 2014 that the courts jail a thousand cannabis users every year for doing no more than possess the drug.

Ive never seen his evidence for this. But other prominent people often make similar blood-curdling claims. Can they be true? Or have they just made them up, as part of a dangerous campaign to destroy what is left of the drug laws? Even back in 1979, an official survey could find only 80 people in jail for this offence, just one of them a first offender. Things are much slacker now.

Drug laws grow laxer, in practice, every year. Personally, I think this is a grave mistake, just as the evidence comes pouring in that use of supposedly soft cannabis is correlated with mental illness.

But if we are to debate this matter seriously, those who call for weaker drug laws really must stop pretending the problems we have result from severe and stern enforcement, and the Government must stop pretending it is standing firm.

The opposite is true. Our society is drenched in dangerous drug use because we no longer enforce our own laws. Did anyone ever ask your opinion on that policy  pursued by all the big parties for 45 years  at an election?

Lovely shed, Dave - but seven years too late

David Cameron should have bought the hut before he became prime minister

Well, I like David Camerons shed, or shepherds hut, expensive paintwork and all.

I long to have one of my own. The only pity is that he didnt buy it years ago, before he forced his oily charms on the country and became one of the worst prime ministers in history. A good shed could have saved him, and us, from all of that.

I have spent some of the happiest hours of my life in sheds of various kinds, and hope to spend many more.

I dont know what their magic is, but it is beyond doubt.

When I lived in communist Moscow, I noticed how many people fled from the cares and oppressions of that vast and overpowering city to dachas, a fancy word for sheds, to which they would hurry every weekend, to grow cucumbers, scorch meat and drink vodka around the fire.

In fact, if they hadnt been able to do this, I expect the system would have exploded in wrath much sooner than it did. A small space in the woods, perfumed with creosote and earth, untidy but private, is balm to the soul.

Jeremy Corbyn must surely have begun to realise that time spent on his allotment (another form of shed therapy) is far more satisfying and productive than hours spent trying to lead the dead Labour Party.

If I were him, Id spend the next month tending my vegetables, and perhaps giving slow-moving, pensive interviews about tomatoes, while leaning on a spade. He might even win if he did, but if (as is more likely) he lost, at least hed have kept the weeds under control.

Pepsi's soppy riot ad quickly loses its sparkle

The failed Pepsi commercial, in which Kendall Jenner defuses a radical street protest by giving a can of the horrible drink to a policeman, has had a strange and bitter sequel.

Full cans of Pepsi were recently hurled at police officers in Portland, Oregon, by anarchist protesters.

Police did not smile, but swiftly shut the demonstration down, in that unsentimental way that American cops have. Corporations must learn to stop sucking up to the soppy spirit of the age.

In the end, they rely on the conservative, disciplined parts of society to survive. Without ordered peace, whod buy and sell their products?

If you want to comment on Peter Hitchens click here
Last week, I was asked on stage to reveal the biggest risk I had ever taken in my life. I answered instantly.

Getting married, I said, and explained that it was far harder and far longer than anything else so far (its OK  my husband was in the audience and he agreed he would have answered the same).

Then came the Prince Philip retirement news, and it struck me with force. Forget me and forget you and forget all of us. When it comes to mega-risk, it was the tall, young, blond Adonis whom the Queen Mum called the Hun (and not in sense of, you OK, hun?) who took perhaps the biggest marital punt in history.

Phil the Greek was the ultimate alpha-male: tall, distinguished and handsome

Before he married Princess Elizabeth, the future Duke of Edinburgh is said to have asked a relative: Am I being very brave or very stupid?

Phil the Greek was the ultimate alpha-male: tall, distinguished and handsome.

Yet he had to give up his Naval career, his name, his independence, his own personal sovereignty, his hopes of running the Navy like his Uncle Dickie  he had to give it all up to marry the woman he loved, and become a full-time and supportive plus one.

In many ways, the potential Playboy of the Western World became the first, the most visible, and most uxorious New Man in British history  a role he has executed without ever losing his masculinity and unique brand of humour. The 70-year Royal marriage therefore serves as an unexpected role model all subjects might do well to inspect, and emulate.

Philip took perhaps the biggest marital punt in history when he wed the Queen in 1947

The Queen and Duke of Edinburgh show that there is no right way or wrong way of being a couple, for the pair subverted traditional roles right from the moment they returned from his Naval posting in Malta in 1951.

On her accession, the young Queen put him in charge of domestic duties while she did her everlasting day job of being part human, part divine, and Her Majesty, which she continues to this day.

He ran the household, the houses, arranged childrens education; when Windsor Castle burnt down, he brought the refurb in under budget and on time. In other words, as the Royal biographer Sally Bedell Smith says, now we would call him a house-husband.

For her part, his wife promised to obey him in her wedding vows, and allowed him to advance his own causes and interests as far as she could, knowing that men are like sailors and come in with the tide. And now, just as Prince Philip stands down when he can no longer stand up, along comes an academic study to show that he played it just right from the start.

The Queen put Philip in charge of domestic duties and he ran the household, the houses and arranged childrens education. It takes a very big man indeed to carry that off with pep and zip

According to a journal called Organisational Science, the societal norm is still that the husband has a more important job than the wife. But when she outranks him, in order for the marriage to thrive he has to provide more than emotional support, he has to be more than the Everest of rocks: the man has to provide tangible support too, in the shape of hands-on help around the house.

Now, Im sure Philip doesnt put on a pinny and do the hoovering, but he never shirks his unpaid domestic duties, and hes played second fiddle and walked two steps behind his wife in an age when males are still the main breadwinners and mostly operate the main levers of power.

In my book it takes a very big man indeed to carry that off with such pep and zip for so long. And as you can tell by the Queens face every time she looks at him, Philips still got it, even at 95.

At least this years freak show got a few things right...

New Yorks annual freak show, the Met Ball, is over for another year. Let us draw a much needed veil over Madonnas camouflage dress, Caras head painted with silver Dulux and Bella Hadids scratchy catsuit, and take comfort in one thing: the very few women who were not far too thin. Kim Kardashian, left, actress Lea Seydoux and Roger Federers wife Mirka all seemed the most comfortable in their own skin. Thats the best look of all.

Kim Kardashian was one of the few women who did not look too thin at this year's Met Ball

So its ciao ciao to Alitalia, or Always Late In Take Off, Always Late in Arriving. When I was growing up in Brussels, the Belgian flag-carrier was the unlamented Sabena, aka Such A Bloody Experience Never Again. Not that we were ever allowed to fly  it was too expensive. We always took the overnight ferry, as it was cheapest.

My father would make us all sleep in the white Opel Kadett in the bowels of the vehicle deck rather than book seats in the passenger lounges. He would even formally change into stripey pyjamas for the illicit occasion (the ferries in theory didnt allow it as they worried passengers would die of fumes).

Oh yes, unless youve experienced the glamour of cross-Channel travel with the Johnson family in the 1970s, you havent lived.

Mon Dieu! The greatest Gallic love story ever told is to climax with Brigitte Trogneux, 64, becoming the First Lady of France. Her ex-pupil Macron, Emmanuel has promised to give his former drama teacher and current wife a crunchy job in the administration. I should be disapproving but secretly Im delighted.

It makes me want to move across the Channel, because over there they really appreciate ze older woman and think she gets better with age, like vintage wine in a cask or salty vintage cheese matured in damp cellars. Or as one observer commented of the unfruitful May-December partnership, You make good soup in old pots with young carrots, which was maybe a touch too much information even for a receptive female audience dun certain age like moi.
Eman Ahmed Abdel-Ati, an Egyptian believed to have been the world's heaviest woman before undergoing surgery, is receiving treatment in Abu Dhabi with the goal of being able to move autonomously using a wheelchair within three months, an official of Burjeel Hospital said on Sunday.



Abdel-Ati was transferred to the hospital in Abu Dhabi on Thursday after receiving treatment in India.

"She is expected to be transferred out of the intensive care unit on Sunday to continue her treatment plan," Yassin Al-Shahat, the executive medical manager of Burjeel Hospital, said at a press conference.

Al-Shahat explained that the medical team is working on treating Abdel-Ati for a number of maladies, including a bone defect, a defect in her heart valve, bed sores and infections.

"Her condition is being evaluated by a medical team of 20 doctors," he added, according to Emirati Newspaper Al-Ittihad.

Abdel-Ati, 36, weighed some 500 kilograms (1,100 pounds) before undergoing surgery in Mumbai in March, which doctors said resulted in her shedding around a fifth of her weight.

In February, Abdel-Ati made headlines all over the world when she was flown to Saifee Hospital in Mumbai to undergo weight loss surgery.

On 21 April, Saifee Hospital announced that Abdel-Ati lost 250kg two months after undergoing the surgery.

However, her sister Shaimaa Selim, who was accompanying her sister in India, accused the hospital and the doctor in charge of treating her sister of lying, asserting that Abdel-Ati lost only 50kg and had suffered a stroke, which the Indian hospital denied.

Shortly after, Selim asked the UAE for medical assistance, to which Abu Dhabi agreed.

On Friday, an Egyptian diplomatic delegation visited Abdel-Ati to check on her condition.

Before travelling to India, Abdel-Ati had not left her home in Egypt's Mediterranean port city of Alexandria for two decades, according to AFP.

Her family told doctors that she was diagnosed as a child with elephantiasis, which left her almost immobile.

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Obsession: Nicola Sturgeon's party won't keep their grip, says Ruth Davidson

According to the experts, it isnt supposed to happen. Tories winning in Scotland? Come on. Everybody knows pandas stand a better chance. Yet last week, all across this supposedly Tory-free land, the experts were handed a corrective lesson.

In Scotlands local elections  in the land they once described as Gordon Browns fiefdom  Conservatives pushed Labour into third place. We won in the their heartland of Cowdenbeath and West Fife, just down the road from the former premiers home. Brown country, now turning just a little blue.

In the East End of Glasgow  a no-go territory for Conservatives for decades  two local lads wearing blue rosettes beat Scottish National Party rivals to proudly take up their place sorting out the citys services.

And even out in the Western Isles, where there has never been a Tory presence, a Conservative fought his way on to the Na h-Eileanan Siar local authority. Last Thursday morning, just 112 councillors represented the Conservative party in Scotland. By Friday evening, that number had risen to 276.

SNP leader Nicola Sturgeon was declaring victory with the kind of rictus smile which suggested even she didnt believe it. As for Labour, they were left to count the cost of decades of complacency, arrogance and a failure to respond to the concerns of ordinary families.

It was a remarkable result and the lesson I take from it is clear. Its that in Scotland, and elsewhere in the UK right now, people of all walks of life  urban and rural, middle class or blue collar  are simply looking for some certainty.

That precious commodity has been thin on the ground in the last few years  after the Brexit vote and, in Scotland, the independence referendum in 2014. So its clear that the over-riding task for political parties is to focus on delivering stability and not forever be adding to the chaos. This, for me, explains why the SNP and Labour left the count last week relatively disappointed. Of course, in Scotland, the SNP is still the dominant force. But the key point about last week is that the political juggernaut of the last ten years, which has swept all before it, is running out of gas.

Scottish Labour Leader Kezia Dugdale, Scottish Conservative leader Ruth Davidson and First Minister Nicola Sturgeon

The reason is their failure to grasp peoples priorities. People know our education system is no longer the envy of the world. They are angered by SNP ministers putting their own ambitions for separation ahead of childrens education.

People know the economy in Scotland is in danger of going into reverse. They are fed up with SNP ministers trying to concoct a case for independence when they should be focusing on jobs.

Most of all, people remember how the SNP promised that the 2014 vote would be once in a generation. They are genuinely furious now to see the First Minister using the Brexit vote to suggest that promise never existed.

These people might once have turned to Labour to express their anger at the nationalists. But then Labour has twice elected the worst British leader of any political party I have ever seen in Jeremy Corbyn. The last time he made a public visit to Scotland, he said he was absolutely fine with the SNPs plan for a second referendum. He may deny it, but this is also the leader who has suggested he would be more than happy to do a deal with the SNP in order to get into No 10.

And leaving aside his actual politics, the idea that this clueless individual could credibly represent Britain in vital EU talks in just a few weeks would be laughable if it wasnt so horrendous a prospect.

Faced with the SNP and Labours offer of instability and chaos, it is easy to see why many voters in Scotland, last week, were turned off.

People are furious at calls for a second vote for independence, says the Tory leader

And it is easy to see why our message in Scotland  to say No to a second independence referendum so we can get the strong government we need right now  seemed so appealing. Last weeks result, however, didnt add any seats to our total at Westminster, where we have a majority of only 12.

There is no time to rest on our laurels and enjoy the success we have had. Thats because, in less than five weeks, we go back to the polls. As with the local government vote in Scotland, we can expect the SNP to take the majority of seats. We all know what Nicola Sturgeon will want to do on June 9.

Just as she did after the Brexit vote last year, she will try to use any gains she makes to insist that independence is necessary. My job, therefore, is to take the local government results and move the fight back to the national stage.

Only the Conservatives at this election can really take on the nationalists in Scotland and only a vote for us can deliver  on two fronts. It will say we dont want another referendum on independence. And it will strengthen the hand of our UK Government to get the best Brexit deal for all of us  in Scotland as elsewhere.

Far from breaking away, thousands of Scots are fighting back against the SNPs independence obsession. The local government vote makes it clear. We value a Union we helped build along with our family and friends in the rest of the UK. We arent going to roll over and let the SNP tear it up.

We will lead the fightback against the SNP right across Scotland and were going to fight on behalf of everyone.

Theresa May and I are determined to stand up for all those people who have had enough of the chaos and uncertainty of the past few years. We are determined to speak up for people in Scotland who are beginning to find their voice. The Prime Minister has made it clear that preserving our precious Union is of vital importance to her government.

Far from breaking away, thousands of Scots are fighting back against the SNPs independence obsession

In standing up to the SNPs drive for separation, she is now more in touch with Scotland than Nicola Sturgeon. The Prime Ministers plan to speak up for all working people, not just the privileged few, has as much relevance in Scotland as it does elsewhere in the UK.

Only Theresa May can secure the best deal for the UK during Brexit negotiations  protecting jobs and ensuring we have a strong economy. I know in Scotland, theyll say the Conservative message cant win. But Ill be able to point them to Cowdenbeath, to the East End of Glasgow, to the Western Isles, and to all over Scotland and reply: Dont be so sure. A quiet rebellion began last week. Im determined by June 8 that we make some proper noise.
When will they learn? What will it take for the penny to finally drop for the boneheaded, obstinate Euro-cultists who constitute The Continuity Remainers.

Not the millions of us who voted in good faith to Remain but have since accepted the verdict of the British people. I mean the hooded figures who stalk the Brexit battleground, still refusing to swap the Armalite for the ballot box. How many parliamentary votes or referenda or elections must be surrendered before they finally realise the war is over, and they have lost?

Theresa May criticised Jean-Claude Juncker, above, when announcing her plans for Brexit

Last week Theresa May committed what to Continuity Remain was an electoral hate crime. She stood in Downing Street and brought Brexit into the heart of the Election campaign. Even worse, she did it by pledging to stand up for Britain. And then  and I shudder to type such sacrilegious words  she criticised Jean-Claude Juncker. Seriously, how does that bloody difficult woman have the nerve?

The reaction was predictably vengeful. Emily Thornberry accused her of being paranoid and xenophobic. Nicola Sturgeon claimed she had poisoned the atmosphere. Nick Clegg branded her desperate and bizarre. At which point the voters muscled past them, marched up to their local polling stations, and proudly declared: You know that bloody difficult woman? Were with her.

CORBYN'S OFFICE DIDN'T BOTHER WITH PHOTO OP Jeremy Corbyns absence from his candidates campaign literature underlines just how toxic he is on the doorstep. But even if candidates had wanted a picture of the Peoples Champion on their leaflets, they would have been disappointed. His office didnt bother to organise the traditional pre-Election photo opportunity, says one, adding wistfully: When Tony Blair did it, people were queuing for two hours. Advertisement

Let's remember how this Election started, before May had the temerity to  in Jeremy Corbyns words  wrap the Conservative Party in the Union Jack. It began with the SNP pledging to use Brexit as the springboard for a new independence referendum. With the Lib Dems boasting Brexit would be the catalyst for their political resurrection. With Labour praying Brexit could be used to press-gang wavering supporters back into its ranks.

They didnt wrap themselves in the perfidious folds of the Union Jack. They cocooned themselves in the 12 stars of the European Union. And how has that worked out?

What did the Continuity Remainers think would happen, as they stood there at the start of the week, taunting May with the spectre of Juncker, the tired and emotional pin-up boy for Euro bureaucratic boorishness? When they squealed with glee as Angela Merkel and Francois Hollande slapped a 100 billion bill on British taxpayers? Did they think May would just turn the other cheek, or the British people would allow her to?

When the Election was called, the Prime Minister pledged to unite the nation. That was ludicrously ambitious. But thanks to her opponents, she is at least reuniting the Leave coalition. From day one, every step Continuity Remain has taken seems to have been designed to deliver the 52 per cent gift-wrapped into her hands. And to simultaneously pull the rug from the pragmatists in all parties who are trying to chart a safe path through the post-Brexit labyrinth.

What did the Continuity Remainers think would happen, as they stood there at the start of the week, taunting May with the spectre of Juncker, the tired and emotional pin-up boy for Euro bureaucratic boorishness?

First there was Tony Blairs call for tactical voting, which unleashed the Corbynite furies on Brexit realists such as Emma Reynolds, Dan Jarvis and Rachel Reeves.

This was swiftly echoed by Open Europe, which cut Nicky Morgan, Anna Soubry and Dominic Grieve off at the knees. And it has been followed by entreaty after entreaty to use the Election to send May a message on Brexit. Well, the voters will send a message and it will be this: the Brexit debate is over. The issue is settled. Get into the negotiations, get us the best deal, and get us out as fast as you can. We want to move on.

THERESA PREPARED TO SHOW NO MERCY After her stunning gains in Thursdays local elections, Theresa May is going head-hunting. Im told an analysis of the results shows Lib Dem leader Tim Farrons Cumbrian seat of Westmorland and Lonsdale may now be in play. According to a Tory insider: Farrons in our sights. It could be very interesting. In 2015, Nick Clegg survived after David Cameron decided to soft-pedal the Tory campaign against him in Sheffield. Cameron showed mercy, my source tells me. Theresa wont. Advertisement

Theresa May understands this. Its why she called the Election. Not, as her critics claimed, so she could bulldoze through a hard Brexit, but so she would have sufficient parliamentary flexibility to neutralise the Kamikaze Brexiteers on her backbenches, and negotiate a fair settlement. But now its not the Kamikaze Brexiteers threatening a secure Brexit, its the Continuity Remainers. Within Government, frustration among those Ministers who initially opposed Brexit is boiling over  not at the Eurosceptics, but at their former allies in the Remain camp.

Were not all a bunch of mad colonels out of Kenya, one pro-Remain Cabinet Minister fumed last week. We actually believe in making this work. They should too. Another Remain Minister said: We cant keep fighting over the same old language. We must move forward.

But Continuity Remain cant move forward because they still fail to understand what Brexit actually is. Last years vote was not a political or economic phenomenon, but a cultural one. Those who won the Brexit war were those who committed themselves to shaping the soul of a nation, not conducting a chemistry experiment in supra-continental governance.

To win  or at least mould  the peace, the Remainers have to show they have the empathy and humility to grasp this.

But they will not do so by being seen to line up against the Prime Minister and with her Brussels opponents, or by turning the Election into a proxy second referendum they are predestined to lose.

Last week the voters said we stand with Theresa May. On June 8, thanks to Continuity Remain, they will say it twice as loudly.
The global fashion industry is a major contributor to global waste and pollution, and Australia is the second biggest textile consumer in the world.

And for one Australian designer, making a change in a competitive industry is her passion.

Lenka Harvey, from Melbourne, is Australia's first ethical wedding dress designer and founder of Lenka Couture.

The 35-year-old spoke to Daily Mail Australia about her career and journey to making sustainable, beautiful couture wedding dresses.

Lenka Couture is the business of Lenka Harvey, a Melbourne-based fashion desinger

The designs are part of Australia's first ethical bridal wedding dress label

The dresses are ethically accredited for their sustainable materials

'Sustainability is a core value in my business and I try to incorporate it everywhere I can,' Lenka said.

The designer had humble beginnings as a fashion design student, and from there made her way into the bridal industry.

'I had a passion for evening wear and couture gowns,' she said.

'That was a good 15 years ago now.'

Bridal wear gowns were the only couture industry she found at the time and ever since, she'd been working in that industry.

'Sustainability is a core value in my business and I try to incorporate everywhere I can,' Lenka said

Another wedding dress in Lenka Couture's latest collection

While ethical clothing was not a part of Lenka's career path when she first began, in the last 18 months of working on her own company she has developed a passion for it

While ethical clothing was not a part of Lenka's career path when she first began, in the last 18 months of working on her own company she has developed a passion for it.

'As I got older and refined my values and passions, and experiencing first hand the waste of the fashion industry, it's naturally evolved into my business,' she explained.

With a lot of research, education and trialing new materials, Lenka has created her couture bridal business with sustainability in mind.

Having experienced the amount of waste that the fashion industry causes and the exploitation of workers, even in Australia, Lenka wanted her brand to help create an awareness.

With a lot of research, education and trialing new materials, Lenka has created her couture bridal business with sustainability in mind

In the last 18 months of working on her own company, Lenka has developed a passion for sustainability

A detailed wedding dress in the collection, with feminine cutouts

'Choosing sustainable fabrics and fibres to use in the gowns and also waste minimisation is something I'm very big on,' she said.

'I use zero waste pattern cutting techniques and incorporate off cuts from the wedding dresses.'

Sustainability is found in every step of Lenka's design process, from the 'amount of fabric needed to create the dress' to the 'off cuts at the end of the process'.

There are some set backs to being ethical in fashion, such as lengthy research into where the fabric comes from, which Lenka said is the hardest part of the business.

'People are either really open to where their fabric is from and others know it's not sustainable and don't really want to tell you about it,' she said.

'I use zero waste pattern cutting techniques and incorporate off cuts from the wedding dresses'

The dresses are made with sustainability in mind from the design idea to the finished product

A beautiful 'V' cut out back with button detailing give this dress it's elegance

'I did think I was never going to get there and 'what kind of choices am I making', but I've learnt that perfection is not key.

'It's about making whatever positive choices you can at the time and moving forward rather than not doing anything at all.'

'The biggest learning curve in her journey so far has been to "be the best that I can'".

'I'm going to improve and grow and change as I move forward with my business,' she said.

'As technology grows and people change, hopefully I can be a part of that change.'

'I want my brand to help make ethical and sustainable fashion the new normal'

Lenka describes her designs as 'simple but charming' and this sleek gown is a definite resemblance

Being the only ethically accredited bridal designer in Australia has helped give Lenka Couture an edge in the industry

Being the only ethically accredited bridal designer in Australia has helped give Lenka Couture an edge in the industry.

'I would describe my dresses as simple gowns with a bit of charm and a little different,' Lenka said.

'I want my brand to help make ethical and sustainable fashion the new normal.'
Fancy splashing about in a 3.5 billion infinity pool that looks like a surfboard, perched atop three towers in Singapore? Or a stay in an eco-lodge in Ecuador, where you can watch a hummingbird theatre, and a poor man with tired arms whose job it is to keep the moisture on the picture windows at bay?

Or a sojourn at the Royal Mansour in Marrakech, where 350 curtains are hand-pleated daily, and a room isnt a room  its a riad, with private plunge pool, fireplace and Bedouin tent? Or the 20 million Fogo Island Inn, Canada, where your stay means you are not just saving your marriage, you are saving a race of island people from extinction? Then just switch on the BBC for a dose of pure hotel porn.

Ive been addicted to Amazing Hotels: Life Beyond The Lobby, the BBC2 series hosted by Giles Coren and Monica Galetti, which ends tomorrow night.

Take A Very British Hotel, a recent Channel 4 series about the Mandarin Oriental in Knightsbridge, fed our desire to take a peek inside ridiculously expensive establishments

The series follows a grand tradition of salivating peeks behind the doors of the worlds fanciest hotels (usually featuring presenters so cringingly supine that they make Judith Chalmers look like Jeremy Paxman).

Take A Very British Hotel, a recent Channel 4 series about the Mandarin Oriental in Knightsbridge, part of a chain owned by a British conglomerate incorporated in Bermuda; or Skys Hotel Secrets, hosted by Richard E. Grant.

Our fascination with these ridiculously expensive establishments (a night on Fogo Island STARTS at over a grand), is fuelled, I think, by a sort of Downton Abbeyesque need to glimpse perfection.

Here is a world where you are collected from the airport by a vintage Rolls-Royce (The Peninsula, Hong Kong), there is no need to sign your name or hand over your passport (the Plaza Athenee, Paris), and the moment you sink into your waterbed in a marble spa suite, having been scrubbed naked from head to toe (the Es Saadi Hotel, Marrakech), you can escape all the troublesome baggage that will never be allowed to clutter your room (though your Vuitton trunk will make it safe and sound).

Its all very well. However, the reality of most hotels, particularly provincial hotels in the UK, is very different indeed. They are not temples to perfectionism  they are shrines to suspicious stains. Rooms have plug sockets so secreted that you need to be a Chinese contortionist to reach them. You also have to be Derren Brown to be able to find the remote control (Its in ze second drawer down of ze desk).

Amazing Hotels: Life Beyond The Lobby, the BBC2 series hosted by Giles Coren and Monica Galetti, follows a grand tradition of peeking behind the doors of the worlds fanciest hotels

You have to become habituated, for the first time since 1972, to unzipping a sachet of Nescafe into a cup and undressing a teeny square of Walkers shortbread (the only sustenance youll get as the minibar is as barren as my womb and room service stops at 10pm). You will require a microscope and tweezers to uncork the dolly-sized shampoo (why is there never, ever hair-conditioner in these beige prison cells?) in the shower over the narrow bath, which inevitably has a non-slip rubber mat thats seen better days (only arthritic pensioners, I presume, are poor enough to want to stay here). Provincial hotels always have a sign saying Danger! Hot water!, when the only real risk is that the hot water ran out long ago.

When you book in to a British hotel that isnt owned by Arabs or oligarchs, you immediately feel you should be clapped in irons. This happened to me last Friday when I checked in to a hotel in Surrey that looked lovely on the website, but turned out to be like an NHS asylum fallen on bad times: all fire doors (there are no fire doors at the Mercer in SoHo, New York; I even spotted Meg Ryan in the lift!), rancid carpet and a room so hard to find I needed satnav.

The receptionist pre-authorised my card to the tune of 152. When I checked out the next day, I paid 202.54, settling the entire bill. A week later, the 152 was still missing (stolen) from my account. I phoned them up. Where is it? It will be returned to your bank, HEVEN-tualLY!, said someone with a heavy accent. Haha! Manuel is alive and well and abusing guests near Richmond Park! At least some traditions hold good

PS If you buy one thriller this summer, make it He Said/She Said, by Erin Kelly. Its an intelligent study of what its like to live (as I do) with extreme anxiety. The heroine envies drug addicts who are able to dry out in rehab, whereas she carries an endless supply of adrenaline and cortisol, produced at the slam of a door or the ping of an email. Her anxiety is a third wheel in her marriage, like a hyperactive, unreasonable toddler. The climax is so chilling, if I wasnt already a nervous wreck, Id certainly be one now
Mummy blogger Constance Hall has penned a candid blog post on ways men should 'respect' women for her sons to read when they are older.

The Perth mother-of-four revealed her five top tips, including how to speak about women, menstruation, sex, relationships and rejections.

The 32-year-old writer said if she 'can influence just one part of your relationship with the almighty womankind I'll be a happy woman'.

Mummy blogger Constance Hall has penned a candid blog post about respecting women

The mother-of-four has dedicated the post to her 'sons, their friends and other young men'

The 32-year-old writer has started dating young father-of-two Denim Cooke, who accompanied her recently while she was on her international book tour in Ireland

'For when my dearest sons grow up, for their friends and any other young men who might cross paths with this ramble about chicks,' she wrote.

'All women are different, you'll never master them. You'll probably never even master one.'

In her light-hearted social media post, the high-profile blogger said the way men speak about women to their friends will 'define your happiness with them'.

'Nothing wins a woman over more then knowing she is being spoken about with respect, people will try and convince you that it's just "boys talk" it's not,' she said.

'Calling her fat or disclosing intimate details or taking the p*** out of her in any way will do nothing but determine your own unhappiness.'

She said it was important to speak about women the 'way you want your sisters spoken about'.

In her second tip, Ms Hall said if men want to 'score' sex from their other half, they need to 'love the whole package'.

'Nothing turns chicks off more then a bloke who's not man enough to man up in the face of menstruation,' she said.

'Buy the tampons, wash the undies. Dont be a p***y when dealing with p***y.'

The high-profile blogger said the way men speak about women to their friends will 'define your happiness with them'

She said it was important to speak about women the 'way you want your sisters spoken about'

The Perth mother pictured with her four children and estranged husband Bill Mahon

The outspoken mother also shared her tips in the bedroom, saying men should not be afraid of being spontaneous to spice things up in between the sheets.

'Women need more then just d**k,' she said.

She opened up about women, menstruation, sex, relationships and rejections

'I won't gross you out too much but get creative and don't let it get to you when simple penetration doesn't blow her mind. She's being honest, try harder.'

In her fourth tip, she said the biggest priority in life was to put a woman 'first and fight for her right to still be an individual'.

'Fight for the passion of mothers. Because their passion and identity is walked over the minute they give birth,' she wrote.

'Don't forget or let her forget who she was when you met her, the crazy, creative, soul burning or mysteriously shy, sexy individual woman that she was.

'In a world that will try and convince her not to fight for her rights to be first, force her to be her own star. Stand by her side, share your money with her, respect her friends, buy her the good wine, don't let her beauty threaten you.

'You don't own anyone, youre just lucky if she chooses to walk the same road as you for a while. Brighten that road or when a fork presents you might find yourself on the lonely side.'

Last month, the mother announced her split from her husband of six years Bill Mahon (left)

And finally, Ms Hall said men should respect a woman's decision because it's 'her right to walk away no matter how much you love her'.

'You may need to let her go. You can be a complete d*** about it, stalk her, b**** about her, threaten her, or you can bow out,' she said.

'I once rejected a man who shrugged, smiled, winked at me and walked away. That was the only rejection I've ever regretted.'

Her latest blog post comes after she was accompanied by her new beau Denim Cooke on her international tour to promote her book 'Like a Queen' in Ireland.

The pair have made their relationship public just weeks after Ms Hall announced her split from her husband of six years Bill Mahon.
A woman with a large birthmark that's often confused for a 'facial tattoo' is flaunting her difference in an empowering modelling shoot to show others it's beautiful.

Mariana Mendes, 24, from Juiz de Fora, Brazil, is defying her critics despite being told that her large congenital melanocytic nevus was 'ugly' and 'strange.'

She believes her birthmark makes her 'unique' and 'will never be ashamed' of it because it helps her to stand out from everyone else.

Mariana Mendes was born with the large mark covering part of her nose, her right eye and right cheek

The stylist assistant decided to do a series of photos to highlight her mark and to encourage others to embrace their differences

At five-years-old she underwent three laser surgery treatments to reduce the appearance of her nevus - as her mother feared she would be bullied.

But instead of being embarrassed, Mariana embraces her difference and has shown it off in a series of stunning modelling shots.

Mariana's birthmark became darker as she got older

Mariana, a stylist assistant, said: 'I feel more beautiful and totally different from other people because I have a nevus.

'Having a nevus that is as large as mine is not common, so of course there are many people who stare and who don't like it, but I don't care.

'A lot of people ask me about my birthmark, sometimes they think it's makeup or a tattoo but I don't mind and explain it to them.

'Some people do like it, others don't, some love it and others hate it - I get a very mixed response.

'I have been told by a few people that it's "ugly" or "strange", but it doesn't bother me that's just their opinion and I think it's beautiful.

'I don't get upset if a person doesn't like my nevus, to me it's like any other part of my body, so I prefer to remember the praise I receive for it.

'I'm proud of having a nevus, it's a part of who I am and how I learned to like myself.'

Mariana says she is happy to have her birthmark but explains that others sometimes mistake it for a facial tattoo

She says: 'I have been told by a few people that it's "ugly" or "strange", but it doesn't bother me that's just their opinion and I think it's beautiful'

When she was five years old Mariana's mother feared she would be bullied, and took her for laser surgery in an attempt to reduce the size and appearance

Large congenital melanocytic nevi affect one in every 20,000 births and are caused by an increased amount of pigment beneath the skin - giving the area a darker appearance.

In 1998, Mariana received lightening sessions to help make her birthmark less visible.

She said: 'When I was a child, for fear of me being bullied, my mother took me to the doctor for laser treatment to clear the nevus.

'As I only had a few sessions the results were very little and almost unnoticeable.

Mariana says she is 'glad' that she didn't have any more surgery as a child as she wouldn't have been able to appreciate it

Mariana hopes she will be able to inspire others to embrace their differences. She says she is happy to explain to others what the mark is

'I'm glad I stopped because more sessions the more reduced it would have become.'

Despite her mum's best intentions, Mariana says she's happy she didn't have any surgery and that she's pleased to still have a facial difference.

Mariana said: 'I don't want to get rid of it, I'm glad no more treatments were conducted on my nevus.

'The laser treatment didn't help to reduce its appearance too much thankfully.

'I'm grateful for that, because if I was old enough to understand I would never have wanted anyone to change my nevus in the first place.'

Large congenital melanocytic nevi affect one in every 20,000 births and are caused by an increased amount of pigment beneath the skin

Now she's hoping to inspire others to embrace their differences too.

Mariana said: 'When people don't know me they just stare and ask what it is, but the people who know me say that the don't even realise I have the mark, to them it's just another part of my body.

'I find living with a facial nevus very easy because I like it a lot and I want others to feel as confident as I do about their nevi.

'I will never be ashamed of my nevus and feel good having it.'
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The Disney princesses are usually considered to be the embodiment of innocence and happiness.

But now an artist has created versions of the childhood favorite characters that have had their innocence yanked away, with graphic images representing everything from drug addiction to domestic abuse.

The unnamed project was created by Philadelphia photographer Shannon Dermody as a class assignment, and described its goal as 'to show awareness to world problems with characters in a nine image series.'

Behind closed doors: Belle of Beauty & the Beast is depicted as a victim of domestic abuse in a new photo series by Philadelphia photographer Shannon Dermody

Down for the count: Snow White is seen having passed out after a drinking binge

The photos are graphic, some showing blood drawn from violence or abuse of drugs in raw, at times shocking, situations.

Each of the nine images in the series address a separate issue - and star a different lookalike model dressed as a Disney princess.

Belle is shown to be a victim of domestic abuse, with a bruise and scratch-covered face, as the Beast stands ominously behind her in shadow, handing her a rose.

Damage done: The Little Mermaid's Ariel is left floating in rubbish as a victim of pollution

Story to tell: Tiana from the Princess and the Frog is depicted as a shooting victim in an instance of police brutality

Taking a toke: Jasmine of Aladdin is shown as a tobacco smoker in the nine-image series

Alcoholism is represented by Snow White, who is shown in a photo lying face down on a mattress on a floor, her hand wrapped around an empty liquor bottle - and surrounded by several more.

Ariel of the Little Mermaid is made a victim of pollution in the series, photographed floating in water among debris including plastic bottles and candy wrappers.

One of the more graphic images depicts police brutality by showing Tiana from the Princess and the Frog lying dead on the pavement, with her pulse being checked by a man standing over her, holding the gun.

Real problems: A model dressed as Merida from Pixar's Brave is shown shooting heroin in a dirty bathroom

Broken: Cinderella is seen as a victim of sex trafficking, while Aurora of Sleeping Beauty is a battered rape victim abandoned outdoors

Serious issues: The last image of the graphic series depicts suicide using Rapunzel

Addiction is also covered in the photos, with Jasmine from Aladdin shown sitting on a carpet smoking tobacco and Merida of Pixar's Brave injecting heroin on a dingy bathroom floor.

Locked in chains on a floor with her mascara smeared by tears, Cinderella is depicted as a victim of sex trafficking, while Aurora of Sleeping Beauty appears as a rape victim, left bruised in a street.

The last image depicts Rapunzel as the representation of suicide, having been hung with her famous gold tresses.
Burns victims are making incredible recoveries thanks to a revolutionary gun that sprays stem cells on to their wounds, enabling them to rapidly grow new skin.

People who suffer extensive burns usually have to endure weeks or even months of treatment, with surgeons taking large sheets of skin from elsewhere on the body and grafting them.

The process is painful, and patients are often left with permanent, unsightly scars.

Now, US doctors are using a new technique that allows patients to regrow a new layer of healthy skin in as little as four days.

Burns victims are making incredible recoveries thanks to a revolutionary gun that sprays stem cells on to their wounds, enabling them to rapidly grow new skin

Patients who have benefited say their new skin is virtually indistinguishable from that on the rest of the body.

Thomas Bold, chief executive of RenovaCare, the company behind SkinGun, said: The procedure is gentler  and the skin that regrows looks, feels and functions like the original skin.

First, a small patch of healthy skin the size of a postage stamp is removed. The stem cells are then separated out and put into a solution that is sprayed on to the wound. The process takes just 90 minutes.

In one case, a 43-year-old man sustained an extensive hot-water scald to his left shoulder and upper arm, so bad that it left him with huge raised welts.

He was sprayed with 17 million cells and within six days new skin had formed over the whole wound and he was discharged from hospital. Within six weeks he had recovered full range of motion.

In another case, a 35-year-old man suffered electrical burns to more than a third of his body after touching a live wire.

US doctors are using a new technique that allows patients to regrow a new layer of healthy skin in as little as four days

Doctors harvested nearly 24 million stem cells from an area smaller than an iPhone 5, and sprayed them back on to his body. After four days, a thin layer of skin had regrown over his arms and chest, areas which had suffered the least deep burns. After 20 days, all of the areas treated with cell spray grafting were noted as completely healed.

Mr Bold explained that, in normal circumstances, wounds heal from the outside in, with healthy skin on the edges supplying the stem cells needed for the repair process. Plastic surgeons assist by taking skin grafts and puncturing them with many holes. This they lay on the wound. The holes cover over with skin, creating a new layer.

In this way, wounds up to six times the area of the donor skin can be healed, but the process is slow and prone to scarring.

By contrast, Mr Bold said, the SkinGun meant that new skin could form evenly across the whole wound from day one. More than 60 patients have now been treated with the SkinGun.

RenovaCare is applying to the US Food and Drug Administration for permission to use it in routine clinical practice. It will then look to obtain a similar licence in Europe.

Lieutenant Colonel Professor Steven Jeffery, consultant plastic surgeon at Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham, said approaches like the SkinGun had the potential to transform treatment of large burns. He added: With a big burn, its a race between a graft getting a hold and infection killing you.

Stem-cell methods helped cut this risk by quickening healing and providing a source of new skin from a very small area.
An Army probe has raised suspicions of a local porter's complicity in last month's terrorist strike on a military camp in Jammu and Kashmir's Panzgam area.

If the intel is accurate this would be the third instance of insider involvement in attacks on Indian troops in less than eight months.

Three soldiers including a captain were killed when a group of attackers stormed the garrison in Kupwara district on April 27.

An Army probe has raised suspicions of a local porter's complicity in last month's terrorist strike on a military camp in Jammu and Kashmir's Panzgam area (file pic)

Two terrorists were also killed following a nearly four-hour-long gun battle. In the Uri and Nagrota suicide attacks on military camps last year, the Army probes had pointed to the role of locals working at the facilities in bringing the terrorists inside and helping them target soldiers.

'The third terrorist who escaped from the Panzgam encounter site seems to be an insider as he knew the complete layout of the camp and used his knowledge to not only attack the camp but also to escape from there,' a top Army source told Mail Today.

The attack came four days after Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Mehbooba Mufti met Prime Minister Narendra Modi and home minister Rajnath Singh in New Delhi to assess the security situation in the violence-racked state.

General Bipin Rawat (left) arrives on a two-day visit to Kashmir

As per the initial reports, three terrorists breached the fence and launched attacks on the camp, which was housing nine Army units and acting as their administrative support base.

The third militant managed to escape.

'The weapons recovered from the terrorists also indicate that the two killed had come afresh from across the border as they were carrying new AK-47s while the third weapon left behind by the escaped terrorist is an old one,' sources said.

They said the old weapon suggests that he has been here for a long time with his weapon and had complete knowledge about our base. The sources said efforts are still on to locate the insider and identification process is going on there at the camp, they said.

In the Uri and Nagrota attacks, it was believed that locals who worked either as porters or assistants had provided to the attackers inputs and ways of breaching the fence as well as the inside layout of the camp.

But this time in Panzgam, it is emerging that the insider had even carried weapons to help the terrorists, they said.

After the Uri attack, the Army has tried to scrutinise the porters it hires in its camps and is likely to further strengthen the process to employ only highly reliable candidates.

The terrorists were able to cause heavy damage to Army troops during the Uri strike as they managed to kill 20 of them with most of them asleep, while in Nagrota, nine soldiers died.

However, due to heightened security measures, the terrorists in Panzgam were contained close to the perimeter fence as one Naik Rishi Singh killed two attackers soon after combat began between the forces and militants.

As per the initial reports, three terrorists breached the fence and launched attacks on the camp, which was housing nine Army units and acting as their administrative support base

After two terrorists were killed and the firing stopped, soldiers launched a combing operation in and around the Army camp.

Seven jawans, who were injured in the attack, were airlifted to Srinagar for treatment.

In the past two years, Army and Air Force camps have been attacked with a similar tactic where terrorists in small groups launch pre-dawn raids to catch the troops off guard.
Related Two Turkish nationals kidnapped in Nigeria: Police Nigeria's military frees 593 people cleared of Boko Haram ties A group of girls released by Boko Haram jihadists after kidnapping them in 2014 in the north Nigerian town of Chibok arrived on Sunday in the capital Abuja, a Reuters witness said.

The girls arrived at Abuja airport and were driven away in a military convoy.

Nigeria said on Saturday it had secured the release of 82 girls in exchange for Boko Haram prisoners.

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Royal Bank of Scotland shareholders are being urged to vote against bosses potential bonuses as a pay backlash spreads across the FTSE giants.

Under a new pay plan, RBS chief executive Ross McEwan, 59, will be eligible for a long-term award of 175 per cent of his salary, and finance chief Ewen Stevenson, 50, 200 per cent. It is being put to a binding investor vote at the companys AGM on Thursday.

Backlash: Under a new pay plan, Ross McEwan will be eligible for a long-term award of 175 per cent of his salary

The awards are a decrease on the previous 400 per cent, but investor advisory group Institutional Shareholder Services (ISS) says this is not enough and is recommending investors oppose the policy. ISS and Pensions And Investment Research Consultants have also expressed concern over proposals that would see executives in line for pay awards even after they quit.

It is the latest shareholder pay revolt to hit some of the UKs biggest firms. Satellite group Inmarsat, Bookmaker Ladbrokes Coral, publisher Trinity Mirror and support services firm Carillion all faced opposition last week to remuneration reports.

It comes as ISS is also recommending shareholders abstain on voting to re-elect Barclays boss Jes Staley, 60, as chief executive on Wednesday, as he is under investigation over claims he failed to protect a whistleblower.
A desperate father has revealed how he is powerless to save his 20-year-old son from 'a life of drugs and crime' because he can't force him into going to rehab.

Father-of-three Simon Thomas spoke to Daily Mail Australia about his eldest son's drug problem which has left him 'close to death and dangerous'.

Mr Thomas' son Rhys first began using drugs, mostly marijuana and alcohol, when he was 15 but now at 20 he is 'addicted to meth and prescription pills and will do anything to get his hands on drugs'.

A father has revealed what it is like to have a son addicted to drugs after his eldest child's third drug overdose in three years, pictured

Mr Thomas' eldest son Rhys, 20, (pictured as a baby above) started using drugs when he was just 15

Rhy, pictured here with his father Simon weighed just 50 kilograms after his third overdose

The 20-year old was kicked out of home last year after his family became sick of him selling their possessions so he could get his high.

Now he is on and off the street, fading away because his family 'can't trust him to be with them, but can't get him to go to rehab'.

'It rips me up - he's a danger to himself and the public,' Mr Thomas said.

'If he was two years younger I'd be able to get him help, but because he's 20 now, I'm powerless.'

Mr Thomas explained that because his son is an adult, he cannot force him to get help or admit him to a rehabilitation facility - the same way he could if Rhys was under 18.

He said Rhys is 'in and out of court' and 'on his last legs with the law'.

'Some part of me wishes he was put in jail - at least then I would know where he was.'

Rhys was finally kicked out of the family home last year - his parents only fund his mobile phone so they can reach him.

'We can't trust him with possessions or money so I will give him a feed and pay for his phone but that is it.'

'His mother had to tell him to leave because we just can't trust him,' the father said.

'They got home one day and everything was gone, the television, his brother's guitar, he will take anything from anyone to get his drugs.'

The 20-year-old's devastating spiral into a life of crime 'fueled by his need for drugs' started at 15 when he 'got with a bad group of friends and started smoking pot'.

Now he is on and off the street, fading away because his family 'can't trust him to be with them, but can't get him to go to rehab'

The man was 'found with ice' in his possession during one overdose but told his parents he was clean

'He would come home and lie about it even though we could smell it on home, he still lies about his drug use now.

'Pot was his gateway drug, he just kept trying more now he is on ice and in court every other week.'

The father revealed he has 'become numb' to the constant problems caused by his son

'Every week there is something else, last year I was told he had overdosed for the third time - and was found with ice on him and that was the first time I realised he wasn't just going to stop.'

Since that overdose in November last year his father has been trying to get him into a rehabilitation service - but the young man refuses to accept the help and can't be forced.

Mr Thomas and Rhys pictured in happier times - before the young man turned to drugs at 15

'I thought he was going to die, he was so skinny.

'I sat by his bed for 12 hours - then he woke up and left. I tried to get a nurse to let him stay longer but she said he couldn't because he wasn't sick, just a drug addict.'

Photographs show the young man, weighing just 50 kilograms, passed out on the hospital bed.

'He had scabs on his face, his eyes were yellow I just didn't think he was going to wake up.'

He says his family's home has been targeted and his son hurt by dealers since.

'Another day his mother got home and there was a big patch of graffiti on the front fence that said 'pay up Rhys' it is terrifying living with this,' he said.

'Just six weeks ago he was bashed by drug dealer who said he owed them money.

'Yet every time we see him he says he is under control and hasn't used for a while  he can be high while he is saying it'

'Yet every time we see him he says he is under control and hasn't used for a while  he can be high while he is saying it.'

The father wants to be able to force his son into a rehabilitation facility  but because he is over 18 it isn't possible.

'He needs full time professional help to stop this,' he said.

The young man 'has overdosed on different drugs three times in three years' but the father days he still isn't getting any help.

The concerned father says his son threatens suicide at times, is paranoid and 'goes nuts when he is on drugs.

'My other two boys are struggling with it as well  they look up to him.

'The middle one has accepted the bad thing he does is just because of the drugs but the youngest doesn't understand that.'

Mr Thomas says this is the first time he has been exposed to anyone with a drug problem and he is 'terrified' for his son.

Mr Thomas has formed a petition to try to change the law so parents can put their adult children in rehab, it has more than 40,000 signatures.
Several hundred people have gathered to honor the 35 people who died when the Hindenburg burst into flames 80 years ago.

A ceremony was held at the Lakehurst Naval Air Station in New Jersey on Saturday, where the German airship crashed and burst into flames.

As the crash occurred 80 years ago, Chicago radio announcer Herb Morrison said: 'Oh, the humanity!' into the microphone, though his words weren't originally heard live in 1937.

But the incident became the first multimedia air disaster of the 20th century, and Morrison made broadcast history.

A wreath-laying ceremony was organized by the Navy Lakehurst Historical Society to honor the 34 passengers who died out of the 97 people on board, as well as the one person on the ground.

The ceremony also honored those in the military who have given their lives and organizers also noted Morrison's recording that made history.

Pictured are Chief Master Sgt Larry C Williams Jr and his son Lance as they pause during a moment in the ceremony marking the 80th anniversary of when the Hindenburg burst into flames

Audience members are pictured listening to a speaker during the Hindenburg ceremony at the Lakehurst Naval Air Station in New Jersey on Saturday. About 600 people attended the event, including members of the public

About 600 people attended Saturday's event, including members of the public.

'We're honoring people who lost their lives as pioneers who made today's air travel what it is,' Historical Society President Carl Jablonski said.

Though 62 passengers survived the crash 80 years ago, only one remains alive today.

Werner Doehner was 8 years old when he boarded the zeppelin with his parents and older siblings after their vacation to Germany in 1937.

The 88-year-old now living in Parachute, Colorado, said the airship pitched as it tried to land in New Jersey and that 'suddenly the air was on fire.'

When Herb Morrison said: 'Oh the humanity!', his words weren't heard live and they weren't even linked to the film shot by four newsreel crews on the scene, but he still made broadcast history.

'It was one of the real moments in media history that had a broadcaster reacting to something totally unexpected,' said Ron Simon, senior curator of television and radio at New York City's Paley Center for Media.

Morrison's voice was being recorded on a transcription disc as he described the airship's arrival, Simon said. The disc was running slowly, so his voice sounded higher when played back.

'It's burst into flames!' he shouted. 'It's fire, and it's crashing!'

Military service people place wreaths for the victims of the Hindenburg crash at a ceremony 80 years after the disaster. The event was organized by the Navy Lakehurst Historical Society

This photograph was taken at almost the split second the Hindenburg exploded over the Lakehurst Naval Air Station in New Jersey on May 6, 1937

For about 40 minutes, Morrison described the final moments, pausing when emotions got the best of him, and interviewed witnesses. But his report wasn't heard until the next day.

Simon said the radio networks had to decide what to do because they had a policy against playing recorded material. NBC decided to play it once, while others used excerpts.

No one is certain when Morrison's words were merged with the film, but it was long after the disaster.

'To this day, there's a generation that associates the two,' said radio historian Steve Darnall, of the Museum of Broadcast Communications in Chicago. 'The report is so ingrained it is tempting to reappropriate it as a cliche that diminishes the emotional impact of hearing it.'

The recording, along with the newsreel, were played Friday at a dinner held by the Navy Lakehurst Historical Society. The group, which has more than 200 members, preserves airship history.

President Carl Jablonski said time has not diminished interest in the Hindenburg.

'Younger people are drawn to it after seeing the footage and hearing the broadcast on the internet,' he said.

The German airship Hindenburg crashes to earth in flames after exploding at the US Naval Station in Lakehurst, New Jersey in 1937

News photographers take pictures of an unidentified survivor of the Hindenburg disaster on May 7, 1937, one day after it happened. The survivors were being transferred from Paul Kimball Hospital in Lakewood, New Jersey, to other area hospitals
A miracle baby has defied the odds after she was born weighing just 900g with a 1.2kg tumour outside of her body following her mum's 108-hour labour.

Sharna Spears went into labour with daughter Aleyathiah at only 23 weeks pregnant and anticipated the worst - that her newborn daughter wouldn't make it.

'Labour was the most horrible thing. I was on bed rest not able to move - only for a shower,' Ms Spears told Daily Mail Australia.

The mother of a baby girl spent a 'horrible' 108 hours in labour before giving birth to her baby girl Aleyathiah who was born with a 1.2kg tumour (pictured)

She is now seven-years-old and fighting an ongoing battle with her health

When Aleyathiah was born she weighed only 900 grams and had low chances of survival

Following her mother's 108 hours in labour her 900 gram child was born and remarkably defied the chances of survival

Her labour would start and hospital staff would have to stop it, sometimes minutes later, other time hours later.

On January 13 there was no way of stopping it.

As Ms Spears was rushed off for her C-section she was told because of her daughter's low weeks gestation and tumour, there was only a seven per cent chance she would live.

Ms Spears said she struggled every day with the idea that her daughter wouldn't make it

'All I wanted to do is keep her inside me as long as possible when my water broke. When they could not stop it I was put under a general anaesthetic to have her via C section,' she told Daily Mail Australia.

Ms Spears said she struggled every day with the idea that her daughter wouldn't make it.

After 108 hours in labour, her 900g baby girl was born and remarkably defied the chances of survival.

Aleyathiah suffers from incontinence, has severe digestion issues and an intellectual disability

'There was not a day that would go by that I didn't break into tears thinking my little bundle would be taken from me,' she said.

'To think leaving that hospital without her, it just wasn't in the picture. She was strong for me. Every day she would prove them wrong.'

Five days after her birth she was taken to Sydney with her mother and underwent her first operation to remove the large tumour from the bottom of her tail bone.

She is now seven-years-old, hower, still fights an ongoing battle with her health as a result of the scarring from the tumour.

Aleyathiah suffers from incontinence, has severe digestion issues and an intellectual disability. She also has a cyst on her brain that requires regular testing.

She is in a support class at school as she can't go to the toilet due to issues with her bowels.

Her family has setup a GoFundMe page in hopes to raise awareness around her condition and fund her ongoing medical expenses.

When Ms Spears was rushed off for her C section she was put to sleep and told there was only a seven per cent she would live

She has a cyst on her brain that requires regular testing from the tumour she was born with

Her mother Sharna Spears has setup a GoFundMe page to fundraise for her medical expenses

'By spreading the word I'm hoping to bring more people like our selves together and raise awareness. In seven years there has been little to no knowledge about what my daughter is going through, ' Ms Spears said.

'It breaks my heart that I have to calm her down and wipe her tears away because she hates she can't be like the other kids.

'The funds that are raised are to go towards her toileting assistance and medical costs, travel, special appointments, testing, equipment that is going to make her day to day living easier on her.'


Police shot and killed a 15-year-old student Saturday after he pointed a BB gun at them in a high school parking lot, authorities said.

The Torrey Pines High School student called 911 shortly before 3:30 a.m. to ask officers to check on the welfare of an unarmed boy in front of the school, according to a police statement.

He didn't name the boy, but investigators later determined he was referring to himself, police said.

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Members of the San Diego Police Department collect evidence at the scene of a fatal police officer involved shooting of a 15-year-old boy in one of the parking lots in front of Torrey Pines High School, early Saturday morning

When two officers arrived, they spotted a youth in the front parking lot. But as they got out of their patrol cars, he pulled a gun from his waistband and pointed it at an officer, police said

When two officers arrived, they spotted a youth in the front parking lot. But as they got out of their patrol cars, he pulled a gun from his waistband and pointed it at an officer, police said.

The officers drew their guns and ordered him to drop the weapon. But instead he began to walk toward an officer, ignoring more demands to drop the weapon, police said.

Both officers fired, hitting him several times. They performed first aid and summoned paramedics, but the teen was pronounced dead at a hospital, police said.

The gun was found to be a BB air pistol.

'Fearing for their safety, both officers fired their weapons at the male, striking him numerous times,' Lt Mike Holden said in a statement.

He said the officers were 28-year and four-year veterans of the force. Both were wearing body cameras at the time of the shooting according to KFMB-TV.

The shooting took place just hours before students were due to take the SAT college entrance exam at the school

Both officers fired, hitting him several times. They performed first aid and summoned paramedics, but the teen was pronounced dead at a hospital

Police didn't release the teen's name because of his age. The shooting took place just hours before students were due to take the SAT college entrance exam at the school.

'Our hearts go out to the student, his family and his friends,' said a statement from Eric Dill, superintendent of the San Diego Union High School District.

A crisis-response team will be on campus Monday to support students, staff and parents, Dill said.

Counseling also will be available at all district schools for anyone who needs a place to talk about the shooting or "to mourn and process this tragedy," he said.

The incident comes just a week after Dallas police officer shot dead unarmed 15-year-old Jordan Edwards.

The boy was killed after Oliver fired a rifle into a car of teenagers who were leaving a party.

A private funeral was held on Saturday for the boy. The officer has been fired from his job and on Friday was charged with murder.
New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo isn't afraid of ghosts, but spooky sounds still keep him awake at night when he stays at the governor's mansion in Albany.

The Democrat told a Long Island crowd Thursday that during legislative sessions he spends evenings unsettled by unexplained noises in the 161-year-old mansion near the Capitol building in New York.

'Now, I don't believe in ghosts and I'm a big tough Italian guy,' Cuomo began, speaking about the mansion situated between Eagle Street and Trinity Place.

'But I'll tell you  it gets creepy in that house and there're a lot of noises that go on, and you are very alone.'

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo told a Long Island crowd Thursday that during legislative sessions he spends evenings unsettled by unexplained noises in the 161-year-old mansion near the Capitol building

'Now, I don't believe in ghosts and I'm a big tough Italian guy,' Cuomo began about the mansion situated between Eagle Street and Trinity Place

The governor, who spends most of his time at his family home in Westchester, has mentioned apparitions in the reputedly haunted mansion before.

In an April speech in Harlem, he said he spends the eerie, sleepless nights reading about past governors.

The only known death in the mansion was in 1909, when the Rev. David C. Hughes, the father of Gov. Charles Hughes, died from a 'stroke of apoplexy,' according to state archives.

The governor, who spends most of his time at his family home in Westchester, has mentioned apparitions in the reputedly haunted mansion (pictured) before

In an April speech in Harlem, Cuomo (left) said he spends the eerie, sleepless nights reading about past governors. The only known death in the mansion was in 1909, when the Rev. David C. Hughes, the father of Gov. Charles Hughes (right), died from a 'stroke of apoplexy,' according to state archives

New York State Capitol assistant curator Stuart Lehman said historians have no reason to believe Hughes had unfinished business that would cause his spirit to remain in the house, but Albany's state buildings brim with reports of paranormal activity

New York State Capitol assistant curator Stuart Lehman said historians have no reason to believe Hughes had unfinished business that would cause his spirit to remain in the house, but Albany's state buildings brim with reports of paranormal activity.

Former Gov. David Paterson said he also believes the house is haunted and recalled his five-year-old nephew saying an invisible hand guided him upstairs. 'Governor Cuomo should be relieved. 'It's a friendly ghost, like Casper,' said Paterson

Lehman, who leads popular Capitol Hauntings tours every Halloween, said visitors and staffers have reported supernatural sounds and sightings in other state buildings: the sound of jangling keys from the spirit of a watchman who died in the Capitol's 1911 fire and the ghost of a benevolent librarian who resides in the state education building.

Former Gov. David Paterson, who spent some time in the mansion before Cuomo took office, said he also believes the house is haunted.

Paterson told the New York Post that one evening, staff told him the sound of a vase smashing was caused by the spirit of the building's original groundskeeper.

Paterson said his five-year-old nephew also told him he could feel an invisible hand guiding him up the mansion's stairs.

'Governor Cuomo should be relieved,' Paterson said.

'It's a friendly ghost, like Casper.'

Originally built in 1856, the Executive Mansion has housed 31 of New York's governors and their families including both Theodore and Franklin Delano Roosevelt.

Theodore Roosevelt famously had a gymnasium built on the nearly 10 acre estate while FDR had a swimming pool built and Alfred E. Smith had a zoo installed.
A teenager accused of fatally stabbing a service station worker in an 'ISIS inspired' attack has been segregated for allegedly threatening to rape and kill a prison guard 'in the name of Allah'.

The 16-year-old boy and another juvenile, aged 15, were last month charged with murdering Caltex worker Zeeshan Akbar, 29, at Queanbeyan, in southern New South Wales.

They were arrested in nearby Canberra over the death of the Pakistani national, after they had allegedly written 'IS' in blood on the front of the service station.

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Two boys aged 15 and 16 were charged with fatally stabbing a Caltex service station worker

Caltex worker Zeeshan Akbar, 29, a Pakistani national was fatally stabbed doing his job

The older boy is being held at the Frank Baxter Juvenile Justice Centre at Kariong, on the NSW Central Coast north of Sydney, where he allegedly repeatedly threatened to rape and murder prison officers, the Sunday Telegraph reports.

Prison sources told the newspaper the accused murderer had also threatened to stab and rape the officers' families.

The report said he was being investigated for previously posting extremist material online as part of his possible links with Islamist groups.

His alleged behaviour has led to calls from the Public Service Association, which represents prison guards, for purpose-built juvenile detention wing of the Supermax prison at Goulburn.

The other young boy is being held in a separate juvenile justice centre and is reportedly co-operating with staff.

Both teenagers reportedly should 'Allahu Akbar' following his arrest, which is an Arabic phrase for 'God is the greatest'.

One of the teenagers accused of fatally stabbing a Caltex worker in an ISIS-inspired attack

One of the teenagers who is accused of killing Pakistani national Zeeshan Akbar in April
A rift emerged between Angela Merkel and Jean-Claude Juncker last night after she reportedly accused him of inflaming Brexit talks by leaking details of his row with Theresa May.

The German Chancellors relations with the EU Commission president are said to have soured after Mr Juncker described Mrs May as living in another galaxy following a recent dinner.

According to German newspaper Der Spiegel, which has close links with Merkels government, she believes the leaking of private conversations  blamed on Juncker  is not helpful in heating up the mood in this way. The Der Spiegel article, headlined Merkel angered by Juncker at Brexit dinner, said it had made her mood sour towards him.

Tensions soured? German Chancellor Mrs Merkel and EU Commission president Mr Juncker clink glasses

Junckers another galaxy comment was made in a telephone call with Mrs Merkel after he clashed with Mrs May over dinner in Downing Street 11 days ago.

Juncker reportedly told Mrs Merkel: It went very badly. She is in a different galaxy.

The leak was blamed on Mr Juncker or his formidable German chief of staff, Martin Selmayr.

In remarks clearly aimed at Mr Juncker, a furious Mrs May responded to the leaks last week by accusing the bureaucrats of Brussels of trying to influence the General Election.

But a defiant Mr Juncker took another swipe at Britain on Friday by claiming at a European Union summit in Italy that the English language was already losing its importance in Europe.

The Der Spiegel article echoed public comments made by Mrs Merkel on Friday in which she struck a markedly more conciliatory tone towards Mrs May than outspoken Mr Juncker.

Mr Juncker described the Mrs May as living in another galaxy following a recent dinner

She stressed that she would approach Brexit negotiations fairly and constructively. Mrs Merkel denied she aimed to cause trouble in the Brexit talks and said she wanted clarity and security as quickly as possible for EU residents in Britain, including about 100,000 Germans.

The EU must also limit the damage that Britains withdrawal could bring for the European Union as a whole if [Britains] withdrawal and transition did not succeed.

Another influential German newspaper, Die Welt, said yesterday that following Junckers attacks, Mrs Mays Government had privately sought reassurances from Mrs Merkel that she did not side with Juncker in wanting Brexit to be a disaster for Britain and use it to teach it a lesson.

It said some members of Mrs Mays Government fear that Merkel and Juncker want Brexit to be a disaster for Britain for educational reasons: all Eurosceptics on the Continent should be shown the dire consequences of their dissidence.

Noting its concern, Die Welt said: Germany is not yet a theatre of war. Discreet UK enquiries were made in Berlin last week asking: whose side are you on?
A Central Texas judge has been formally reprimanded for a social media post that said a 'tree and a rope' were needed for a man accused of fatally shooting a San Antonio police detective.

James Oakley was given the reprimand by the State Commission on Judicial Conduct, according to The Austin American-Statesman.

Oakley, Burnet County's top administrator, must complete a 30-hour training program for new judges and four hours of racial sensitivity training with a mentor.

Oakley has said his comment was intended to reflect his personal feelings that the killing 'should qualify for the death penalty.'

He said it had nothing to do with race. The suspect in last year's shooting, Otis Tyrone McKane, is black; Oakley is white.

James Oakley (left), a central Texas judge, was reprimanded after he commented on Facebook that Otis Tyrone McKane (right), 31, needed 'a rope and a tree' for allegedly shooting dead a San Antonio detective last November

Oakley has said his comment (seen above) was intended to reflect his personal feelings that the killing 'should qualify for the death penalty.' He denied that the comment had anything to do with race

The commission said it received 18 written complaints about Oakley, including ones about the post's racial overtones.

It came to the conclusion that Oakley's remark 'cast reasonable doubt on his capacity to act impartially.'

Several people 'liked' the comment, but others were outraged.

Oakley sits on the board of Texas Commission on Law Enforcement, appointed by former Governor Rick Perry.

The agency grants or denies licenses to Texas peace officers, county jailers, and public security officers.

Oakley, Burnet County's top administrator, must complete a 30-hour training program for new judges and four hours of racial sensitivity training with a mentor. He is seen above with wife Julie (right) and the governor of Texas, Greg Abbott

He was elected Burnet County Commissioner in 1998 and sits on several other boards.

He is married with five children, according to his TCOLE bio.

Oakley told The Statesman that he deleted the comment soon after writing it, and that it was 'curt and harsh.'

The judge also sits on the board of directors of the Pedernales Electric Cooperative (PEC), a non-profit which distributes utilities and electrical power to rural areas of Texas.

The cooperative issued a statement on Wednesday condemning his remarks, according to The Statesman.

'PEC does not condone any type of offensive language. Comments such as these are not a reflection of our cooperative values,' it said.

Oakley apologized and said his language was 'unfortunate' but denied it was racist.

'I never made that connection but I do see how somebody could make that connection and be offended towards that. That was not my intent,' he told The Huffington Post on the phone.

'Maybe I watched too many Westerns when I was little.'

'What I should have posted, if anything, is a comment that more clearly reflects my opinion on the cowardly crime of the senseless murder of a law enforcement officer. My view of the 'suspect,' whom has admitted to the murder, is the same regardless of ethnicity or gender,' he added.

Oakley said he supports the death penalty but doesn't work in a criminal court.

Oakley had posted the comment about the suspect arrested in the shooting death of San Antonio police officer Detective Benjamin Marconi.

Marconi, 50, the father of two grown children, was fatally shot as he sat in his patrol car writing a traffic ticket on November 21.

The suspect arrested in the ambush, McKane, 31, said he was angry about a child-custody battle and 'lashed out at somebody who didn't deserve it.'

McKane told reporters that he was angry with the court system for not letting him see his son and took it out on Marconi.

'I've been through several custody battles, and I was upset at the situation I was in, and I lashed out at someone who didn't deserve it,' McKane said.

He said he wanted to apologize to the family of the slain officer.

McKane was jailed on a $2 million bond after his arrest on a capital murder charge.

The detective was shot as he sat in his squad car Sunday after making a traffic stop.

Authorities have said a gunman walked up to Marconi's driver's-side window and fired.

It was one of several weekend attacks against law enforcement in multiple states.

The San Antonio detective and officers shot in Missouri and Florida were conducting routine tasks during that late November day when they became the targets of violence.

'I think the uniform was the target and the first person that happened along was the first person that (the suspect) targeted,' San Antonio Police Chief William McManus said.

A day earlier, a St. Louis police sergeant was shot twice in the face while he sat in traffic in a marked police vehicle.

He was later released from a hospital.

Law enforcement officials say there's been an alarming spike in ambush-style attacks.

Sixty officers, including the San Antonio detective, were shot to death on the job in 2016, compared with 41 in all of 2015, according to the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund.

Of the 60 killed, 20 were purposely targeted by their assailant compared with eight last year, the group said.

Police officers also were shot and injured during traffic stops in Sanibel, Florida, and Gladstone, Missouri, but authorities have not suggested those were targeted attacks.

All the shootings come less than five months after a black military veteran killed five white officers at a protest in Dallas - the deadliest day for American law enforcement since September 11, 2001.

Chief McManus said McKane was arrested without incident after the car he was riding in was stopped Monday afternoon on an interstate.
Political satirist Bill Maher has been criticized for an incest joke about Ivanka Trump

Political satirist Bill Maher has been criticized for making an incest joke about Ivanka Trump and her father on his show.

While on his HBO program Real Time with New York magazine reporter Gabriel Sherman on Friday night, the 61-year-old made the incest joke about first daughter Ivanka Trump's relationship with her father President Donald Trump.

He said: 'What do you make of Ivanka and her efforts to sort of humanize her father?

'We see all this misogyny at Fox News, we see it in Donald Trump himself. A lot of us thought, Ivanka is gonna be our saving grace.'

The political commentator then took it a step further and mimicked Ivanka performing a sex act on her father.

'When he's about to nuke Finland or something, she's gonna walk into the bedroom and"Daddy, Daddy'Don't do it, Daddy,"' said Maher.

'Is that how you see Ivanka?' Maher asked Sherman who, red faced, replied: 'No.'

He said: 'A lot of us thought, Ivanka is gonna be our saving grace. When he's about to nuke Finland or something, she's gonna walk into the bedroom and"Daddy, Daddy'Don't do it, Daddy."' President Donald Trump and First Daughter Ivanka are pictured at a NASA video conference in April

'Is that how you see Ivanka?' Maher - seen with Donald Trump at the 56th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards in 2004 - asked Sherman who, red faced, replied 'No.'

Sherman - one of the leading media voices to have contributed to the outing of Roger Ailes at Fox News - added: 'I think, again, she's on the margins trying to save usto the degree that she canbut Donald Trump doesn't listen to anybody, including his own family'

Sherman, one of the leading media voices to have contributed to the outing of Roger Ailes at Fox News, added: 'I think, again, she's on the margins trying to save usto the degree that she canbut Donald Trump doesn't listen to anybody, including his own family.'

Some social media users were quick to respond to the crude joke, with one writing: 'I can't believe @billmaher just did that... Ivanka Trump... @RealTimers.'

This isn't the first time Maher has told an incest joke about Ivanka and Donald.

On November 2, the comedian performed a stand-up set at the Los Angeles Largo comedy club on Facebook Live where he cracked a joke many found as inappropriate.

Some social media users responded to the joke with disgust. Pat wrote: 'I can't believe @billmaher just did that... Ivanka Trump... @RealTimers'

On November 2nd, the comedian performed a stand-up set at the Los Angeles Largo comedy club on Facebook Live where he cracked a joke many found as inappropriate

He said, again mimicking a sex act: 'Be nice to Ivanka, she's our only hopebecause she seems like she actually knows rationality, but she's [Trump's] kid, and she's the only one who can get to him, and you know he loves her'

He said, again mimicking a hand job: 'Be nice to Ivanka, she's our only hopebecause she seems like she actually knows rationality, but she's [Trump's] kid, and she's the only one who can get to him, and you know he loves her.

'If he's going to do something nutty, we're going to depend on Ivanka going into that bedroom. "Daddy, Daddy! You have to apologize for that tweet where you called Angela Merkela a 'c***.' You have to apologize, Daddy!"'

POTUS has reportedly said of his daughter that he might 'be dating her' if they weren't related.
Related Iran holds air force drills to display defence capabilities Saudi Arabia holds live-fire drills during Gulf war games Jordan and the United States kicked off annual military exercises Sunday known as "Eager Lion", with about 7,400 troops from more than 20 nations taking part, officials said.

US and Jordanian officials said the manoeuvres would include border security, cyber defence, and "command and control" exercises, to bolster coordination in response to threats including terrorism.

"Joint efforts and coordination and the exchange of expertise... are needed at the time when the region is facing the threat of terrorism," Jordanian Brigadier General Khalid al-Shara, who will head the exercises, told reporters.

US Major General Bill Hickman, deputy commanding general for the American army in the region, said this year's "Eager Lion" exercises -- the seventh so far -- are "the largest and most complex to date".

The highlight of this year's exercise, he said, will be that "for the first time ever a global strike mission" will be conducted by "two US Air Force B-1B bomber aircraft" -- a long-range multi-mission bomber.

A statement by the Jordanian army said troops from Europe, Asia, Africa and the Arab Gulf region are taking part in the exercises which run to May 18, including from Britain, Japan, Kenya and Saudi Arabia.

About 6,000 troops from Jordan and the US took part in last year's exercises -- a joint operation first launched in 2011.

Jordan is a key recipient of US financial aid and a partner in the US-led coalition battling Islamic State group jihadists in Syria and Iraq.

US forces have trained a small group of vetted Syrian rebels in Jordan, and American instructors have trained Iraqi and Palestinian security forces in Jordan as well over the past few years.

Two years ago, the United States announced its intention to increase overall US assistance to Jordan from $660 million to $1 billion annually for the 2015-2017 period.

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A tycoon's son has revealed how he and his father flew out to Africa following a reported sighting on Madeleine McCann.

It was revealed last month by the missing youngster's family spokesman, Clarence Mitchell, that a plane was put on standby after the English-speaking blonde girl was located in Morocco.

But, millionaire Brian Kennedy 50, and his son, Patrick, 32, went one step further by actually taking off and flying across the Mediterranean in a bid to identify her.

A plane was put on standby after the English-speaking blonde girl (left) was located in Morocco, believed to be Maddie (right)

They boarded his 1.5million private jet from Manchester to Tangiers and then drove through the Atlas mountains to hunt Maddie down, but then had to break the news to her devastated parents, Kate and Gerry.

Patrick told the Sun: 'They were shattered. You can't even imagine how they must have felt.'

The pair had to hire a guide to navigate them through the African terrain, before they eventually found the girl in a village named. Zinat.

'We realised very quickly it was not Madeleine,' Patrick added.

Brian Kennedy (pictured), 50, and his son, Patrick, 32, went one step further by actually taking off and flying across the Mediterranean in a bid to identify her

'We were shattered because we had got so driven by the lead.'

Clarence Mitchell, who has been heavily involved throughout the last decade, said last month that how several matching details led detectives to a near-certain assumption it was Maddie.

Writing in the Telegraph, he said: 'All the information coming back to us suggested heavily that it could be Madeleine, so much so that an aircraft was put on stand-by, with its engines running, waiting to fly to pick her up.

'Kate and Gerry sat tight. They had learned by that stage to be sceptical, not to give in to natural hope only for it to be dashed. They preferred to wait until the Moroccan authorities had checked it out. And when they did, it became clear she was not Madeleine.'

McCann family spokesman Clarence Mitchell (pictured holding artist's renderings of a one-time suspect seen in the Praia da Luz) said last month that how several matching details led detectives to a near-certain assumption it was Maddie

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.

But, ten years 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'.
Despite campaign promises to tackle opioid addiction in the United States, the Trump administration is weighing a cut of almost 95 per cent of the governmental agency that combats drug use.

The President is considering a significant cut to the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy, according to an internal memo.

That office is in control of coordinating much of the United States' drug strategy, including responses to drug trafficking, and could now see several grant programs for drug prevention discontinued.

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Despite campaign promises to tackle opioid addiction in the United States, the Trump administration is weighing a cut of almost 95 per cent of the governmental agency that combats drug use. Pictured above is President Trump at a May 4 press conference

The proposal was decried by prevention advocates and members of Congress from both parties when it was reported on Friday, according to Bloomberg.

'These drastic proposed cuts are frankly heartbreaking and, if carried out, would cause us to lose many good people who contribute greatly to ONDCP's mission and core activities,' Richard Baum, acting director, wrote on Friday in a staff memo.

During his election campaign, Trump pledged to tackle the opioid epidemic and traveled to many communities overtaken by heroin use.

Sarah Sanders, a White House spokesperson, said Friday that the president is committed to taking on this crisis, and dismissed reports about the proposed budget cuts.

'We haven't had a final document and I think it would be ridiculous to comment on a draft version of something at this point,' she said, according to Bloomberg.

President Trump is scheduled to release his budget proposal for the 2018 fiscal year later this month.

President Trump, pictured May 4, is scheduled to release his budget proposal for the 2018 fiscal year later this month

Following along with his campaign promises, on March 29 Trump signed an executive order that created a 'Commission on Combating Drug Addiction and the Opioid Crisis.' Trump is pictured on March 29 during a meeting about the order

Following along with his campaign promises, on March 29 Trump signed an executive order that created a 'Commission on Combating Drug Addiction and the Opioid Crisis,' and directed the drug policy office use its funds to cover the costs of this new commission.

Before signing the order, the President said: 'Opioid use has become a crippling problem throughout the United States. This is a total epidemic. And i think it's almost untalked about compared to the severity that we're witnessing.'

Additionally, Scott Gottlieb, the President's pick to head the US FDA said that tackling the opioid epidemic should be the agency's highest priority during his confirmation hearing.

However, Baum said that these proposed budget cuts will make it harder for the commission to achieve its goals.

The new commission is led by New Jersey Governor Chris Christie (left), a Trump supporter who has been a strong advocate for addiction treatment. They are pictured together March 29 during a meeting about the executive order that created the commission

A Republican Senator for Ohio, Rob Portman (pictured), also commented: 'We have a heroin and prescription drug country crisis in this country and we should be supporting efforts to reverse this tide, not proposing drastic cuts to those who serve on the front lines of this epidemic'

'OMB's Proposed cuts are also at odds with the fact that the President has tasked us with supporting his Commission on Combating Drug Addicting and the Opioid Crisis,' Baum wrote.

A Republican Senator for Ohio, Rob Portman, also commented: 'We have a heroin and prescription drug country crisis in this country and we should be supporting efforts to reverse this tide, not proposing drastic cuts to those who serve on the front lines of this epidemic.'

The new commission is led by New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, a Trump supporter who has been a strong advocate for addiction treatment.

A spokesman at OMB didn't immediately respond to requests for comment from multiple organizations.
Rolf Harris could be released from prison in six weeks

Rolf Harris could be released from prison in six weeks after serving half of his sentence for abusing children.

However, before he walks free from HMP Stafford to care for his ill wife he will have to face another trial on May 15 over further sex offences, for which a guilty verdict will extend his time behind bars

The 87-year-old paedophile was jailed for five years and nine months in 2014 for 12 indecent assaults on four girls between 1968 and 1986, but was cleared of three offences in February this year.

If he is cleared of the additional charges later this month, he is expected to walk free my the middle of June, a week earlier than anticipated.

A source told the Sunday People: 'Rolf is now counting down the days. He isn't enjoying jail life at all and is desperate to get out.

'His wife Alwen is 85 and has been in failing health, so he wants to be reunited with her as soon as possible.'

The 87-year-old paedophile was jailed for five years and nine months in 2014 for 12 indecent assaults on four girls between 1968 and 1986

It was revealed last week that the disgraced entertainer has earned a tax windfall of over 100,000 after his business empire folded, it has been revealed.

HM Revenues and Customs had to pay the sum of 103,000 to Rolf Harris Enterprises for tax overpaid on cash earned since his 2014 conviction.

The Australian, 86, is believed to have forked out 50,000 to accountants to wind up his finances after he was found guilty on numerous incidents of sexual assault.

HMP Stafford (pictured), where he is currently serving a five-year sentence for sexual assaults on underage girls between 1968 and 1986

And he is also writing murder mystery novels and hopes to sell them to the public under a pseudonym when he is released.

He is said to have been inspired by the crime fiction in the prison library, and is new books are said to be based around a private investigator who solves crime in the art world.
Australian police are going into the jungles of Colombia to combat the cocaine trade.

Their paramilitary operation is being ramped up as 22-year-old Adelaide woman Cassie Sainsbury languishes in a Colombian prison.

The Australian Federal Police have joined forces with Colombian, American and European Union authorities to combat drug cartels and their coca plants used to produce cocaine, the Sunday Telegraph reports.

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Australian authorities will be co-operating with Colombia police (pictured) to tackle cocaine

Cassie Sainsbury is fighting a charge of attempting to smuggle 5.8kg of cocaine

Colombian police have enlisted Australia's help to tackle drug smuggling cartels

The AFP, which is more accustomed to counter-terrrorism operations in Australia, has a post in the Colombian capital Bogota, where eight to 10 combat-ready paramilitary police are ready, the newspaper story said.

Their co-operation in an air, land and sea campaign is designed to stop young Australian travellers in South American from being turned into drug mules.

The revelation about the unprecedented international operation to combat the cocaine trade comes as Ms Sainsbury fights the prospect of serving time ina notorious Colombian prison,

She has denied trying to smuggle 5.8kg of cocaine, following her arrest earlier this month.

Judge John Jairo Zambraro has contracted her lawyer, and says she will have to serve all of her sentence in one of Colombia's most notorious prisons if convicted, reports 9News.

Ms Sainsbury's fiance Scott Broadbridge, 23, has defended her innocence as it's revealed she was hunted by Colombian narco agents for a week before she was arrested at a Bogota international airport.
The man set to become Frances youngest ever president today is a lover of Britain who will continue to cross the Channel for his holidays  even as he battles No 10 over Brexit.

Emmanuel Macron may even descend from the English, his wife Brigitte has revealed in an exclusive interview with The Mail on Sunday.

Mr Macron, 39, has spoken of Brexit as a crime, and if, as expected, he defeats far-Right rival Marine Le Pen, he will be opposing Theresa May in the increasingly fraught negotiations over Britains departure from the EU.

Emmanuel Macron with his wife Brigitte, who says they both love the UK despite his comments on Brexit

But his wife said: We both absolutely love Britain, and make sure we visit every year  this wont change. We go to plays in London, but Emmanuel and I are great strollers too. We love to go on long walks through the city, and to speak to people. We love walking.

Ive been going to Britain since I was 12, initially to learn English. Emmanuel has been visiting all his life too.

She also explained that her husband may have a British ancestor on his fathers side. Known only as Mr Robertson, he is thought to have come from Bristol and married a French woman after the First World War.

We are sent many Macron genealogies and this is one we are very keen to find out more about, said 64-year-old Mrs Macron, who met her toyboy husband when she was his teacher.

Mr Macrons grandfather Andre, married a woman called Jaqueline, who is said to have been the daughter of the Englishman.

This is a very interesting possibility, and one that needs further work, said Honore Froideval, the mayor of Authie in Normandy  a civic position that Andres father Henri held until his death in 1964.

Mr Macron himself said: Half my family is buried in Authie, in a sad valley that I visited only for burials. This countryside  I know its charm and its suffering.

The politician, who speaks perfect English, has often said that growing up in the Somme region, where thousands of British soldiers were slaughtered during the First World War, turned him against Brexit-style nationalism.

The glamorous Brigitte Macron is said to have had a big role in her husband's presidential bid

He believes that the EU has meant an end to the bloodshed that saw his home city of Amiens all but destroyed by conflict. In an election debate, Mr Macron told Ms Le Pen: Nationalism is war. I know it.

Asked by The Mail on Sunday if battles such as the Somme had affected his view of Europe, Mr Macron said: Yes, thats a very important part of my politics.

Its something that needs to be talked about.

Mr Macron will today vote in the English Channel beachside resort of Le Touquet, where he and his wife live with their dog, Figaro.

Ms Le Pen and her partner, Louis Aliot, will cast their ballot in nearby Henin-Beaumont, where she has regularly tried to become an MP, without success.

Final opinion polls put Mr Macron on at least 60 per cent of the vote.
Thousands of travel reps are being given counter-terrorism advice to help protect British holidaymakers from the threat of Islamic State attacks.

Police have made special videos showing how to keep safe if a gunman runs amok and advising on spotting terror suspects and suspicious packages.

The short films will be shown to as many as 40,000 travel industry workers before the summer holiday season.

Thousands of travel reps are being given counter-terrorism advice to help protect British holidaymakers from the threat of Islamic State attacks. Pictured

Scott Wilson, of the National Counter Terrorism Policing Headquarters, told a security conference that the gun attack at the Tunisian beach resort of Sousse two years ago, which killed 38 including 30 Britons, was a game-changer.

He said that the priority countries for UK counter-terror experts to work with local police and governments were Turkey, Morocco, Tunisia, Egypt, Kenya and Nigeria.

Mr Wilson told delegates to the Counter Terror Expo at Londons Olympia: Forty thousand travel reps will be trained up in counter-terror awareness when they get to resorts.

The gun attack at the Tunisian beach resort of Sousse (pictured) two years ago, which killed 38 including 30 Britons, was said to be a game-changer

The six-minute video clips adapt the run, hide, tell message developed by UK police to help the public survive a gun attack.

A spokesman for travel agent and tour operator association ABTA, said it was supporting initiatives by the police National Counter Terrorism Security Office.
Three years ago he was unknown across France. His bid for the presidency was announced only six months ago. Yet today, 39-year-old Emmanuel Macron seems almost certain to be elected president, the countrys youngest head of state since Napoleon.

Already he has shaken up the French system, smashing aside the two mainstream parties of Left and Right that have held the presidency since the Fifth Republic was founded in 1958.

Now, if Macron wins todays second-round run-off  and polls put him 20 points ahead of his loathsome far-Right rival Marine Le Pen  this former investment banker pledges to shake up his nervous nation too.

Emmanuel Macron seems almost certain to be elected president, the youngest since Napoleon

This election is a fierce struggle for the soul of a great European country, a battle between forces of nationalism and liberalism. His success also offers a lesson for our floundering Labour Party.

Frances economy remains sclerotic, with rampant youth unemployment. The country has been assailed by terror attacks, leaving it confused over how to tackle Islamist extremism.

Yet Macron is a defiant pro-European optimist, a devout supporter of globalisation in a land suspicious of free markets, and sympathetic to Muslims and migrants. His supporters tend to be wealthy, urban and better-educated.

Pitched against him is a pessimist who claims to stand for the forgotten masses. Le Pen wants to close borders, erect trade barriers, slash migration, tax firms that hire foreigners, and strengthen ties with Vladimir Putin.

Their two-hour debate last week was electric.

Le Pen accused Macron of being a smirking banker and soft on terrorism, while he responded angrily that she was a lying priestess of fear whose policies would lead to civil war.

His determination to snare his wife Brigitte showed the audacity that defines his life. The relationship began when he was 15 and she was a teacher at his Jesuit school, a married woman 24 years his senior, with three children. This same ambition and relentless energy took him in four years to the top of a bank, making him a millionaire.

Polls put Macros 20 points ahead of his far-Right rival Marine Le Pen in the second round of votes

But is he a chimera? Is he just another smart politician like Tony Blair, who reflects whatever voters want to hear with his ambiguous talk of change but will shrink in the spotlight  or is he strong enough to reform France?

Macron is liberal in French terms. He is a courageous, likeable moderate who has challenged political conventions and seems genuinely intent on loosening some restrictions that choke the sluggish French economy. Yet for all his talk of a new politics, Macron has cleverly adopted the tools of populism to pose as an outsider.

He is forging a modern update of the Socialist Party at a time when the Left is in disarray across Europe.

His former party won a humiliating six per cent in the first round and  like Labour in Britain  is predicted to lose many seats in looming parliamentary elections.

So he fights under his own flag. He creates a new force in his image, even calling it En Marche! so that it bears his initials. He attacks the empty system he once served, and relies on social media, not party structures, to promote his cause.

Macron was mocked last year when he revealed his plan, but his gamble looks set to pay off in the most spectacular terms.

And if the broken Labour Party fail to follow his lead, then they deserve to be trampled by the march of history.
Theresa May maintained her strong lead in opinion polls ahead of next month's national election

Theresa May maintained her strong lead in opinion polls ahead of next month's national election.

Almost one third of Britons said they will vote tactically 'to prevent a hard Brexit' - while an analyst predicted she was on course for the kind of huge success Margaret Thatcher enjoyed over 30 years ago.

May is asking voters to strengthen her hand as she seeks a mandate for her plan to implement the result of last year's Brexit referendum by quitting the European Union's single market.

The Conservative party made big gains in local elections last Thursday at the expense of Labour and polls published at the weekend - conducted beforehand - showed her with a commanding lead of up to 19 percentage points.

May has a working majority of less than 20 seats in the 650-seat parliament but polling analysts have predicted she could increase that number by as many as 100 at the June 8 election.

Adrian Drummond of pollsters Opinium said the strains of the campaign spotlight have had some impact on the public perception of May.

Those who voted to remain in the EU in last year's referendum in particular feeling less convinced by her message than at the start of the campaign.

But he added: 'The Conservatives can afford to lose some Remain voters because, as the local elections showed, they are absorbing most of the UKIP vote and are on course for the type of victory last seen by Tony Blair and Margaret Thatcher when they were at their peaks.'

Opinium had the Conservatives 16 percentage points ahead of Labour on 46 to 30 percent of those surveyed but another poll by YouGov for the Sunday Times newspaper put them 19 points clear, a six-point increase over last week.

An ORB poll had the Conservatives extending their lead over Labour by four points to 15 percent.

Thatcher was one of the Conservatives' most dominant leaders of the post-war years between 1979 and 1990.

Blair, Britain's longest-serving Labour prime minister, was in office between 1997 and 2007.

May is asking voters to strengthen her hand as she seeks a mandate for her plan to implement the result of last year's Brexit referendum by quitting the European Union's single market

Almost 'one in three' voters opposed to hard Brexit consider tactical options Almost one-third of voters are ready to consider voting tactically in the hope of preventing a hard Brexit, according to a new poll. The survey by ORB for The Independent found 30 per cent would consider backing a candidate from a party other than their first preference if they thought it would help bring about a less extreme version of EU withdrawal. They included 46 per cent of people who voted Remain in last year's EU referendum and 16 per cent of those who backed Leave. But 50 per cent of all voters said they would not do so. Tactical voting against hard Brexit was more favoured by the young, with 51% per cent of 18-24 year-olds willing to consider it. And it was more popular among Liberal Democrat (44 per cent) and Labour (40 per cent) supporters than Tories (19 per cent). ORB interviewed 2,006 adults across the UK on May 3 and 4. Advertisement

It comes as May said she is 'taking nothing for granted' in the June 8 General Election despite an emphatic set of Conservative local election victories which have put her firmly on track to substantially increase her House of Commons majority.

She said she would be fighting every day of the next five weeks to 'earn the support of the British people' to strengthen her hand in negotiations with the European Commission over Brexit.

Tories were celebrating historic gains across the country, picking up more than 450 councillors and gaining control of 10 authorities as they made deep inroads into parts of Scotland and Wales which had been no-go areas for a generation.

Ukip's vote collapsed, with the eurosceptic party's supporters apparently defecting in swathes to the Conservatives.

Meanwhile, Labour forfeited more than 250 council seats, lost control of Glasgow after 40 years and suffered reverses in Welsh strongholds.

An expert said May could enjoy the popularity of Tony Blair at his peak

One analyst said May was on course for the kind of huge success Margaret Thatcher enjoyed over 30 years ago

And Jeremy Corbyn's party was pushed into third place in Scotland, where Tories added at least 110 councillors.

Speaking during a visit to a factory in Brentford, west London, Mrs May said: 'I will not take anything for granted and neither will the team I lead, because there is too much at stake.

'This is not about who wins and who loses in the local elections, it is about continuing to fight for the best Brexit deal for families and businesses across the United Kingdom to lock in the progress we've made and get on with the job of making a success of the years ahead.

'The reality is that today, despite the evident will of the British people, we have bureaucrats in Europe who are questioning our resolve to get the right deal.

'And the reality is that only a General Election vote for the Conservatives in 34 days' time will strengthen my hand to get the best deal for Britain from Brexit.

'So today, I will continue my efforts to earn the support of you, the people.'
A kindergarten class in Georgia celebrated a milestone Wednesday after each student read 1million words during the school year.

Breyden Suragh and his classmates celebrated their accomplishments in style at the 'Millionaire Bash,' a class party celebrating each student's reading accomplishments during this past school year.

The students celebrated by getting all dressed up and then riding in a limousine to the party, where they got to walk down a red carpet into the festivities.

Breyden Suragh (pictured) and his classmates celebrated their accomplishments in style at the 'Millionaire Bash,' a class party celebrating every student reading 1million words this school year

Breyden's mom, Denetta Suragh, told Buzzfeed that the school marked each student's number of words with reading logs. They estimated that 1million words is equal to 250 books, which each student read throughout the year.

This year, the entire class met the goal, as opposed to just a handful of students.

Surgan said that once he found out that they would get to go to a party and ride in a limousine, 'Breyden was really on me about it. He was like, "I want a limousine ride so we have to turn in all our reading logs!"'

When they got into the classroom, each student took his or her turn walking down a red carpet covered in gold stars while parents and teachers cheered them on.

'They made them feel like a celebrity,' said Suragh. 'They call their name out, and they have us here as their fans. So while they step out on their little red carpet we're screaming and congratulating them.'

The children even went around giving autographs to their friends and family members.

The proud mother said that her son was 'all smiles' during the party, and that he especially loved getting the chance to ride in a limousine.

When they got into the classroom, each student took his or her turn walking down a red carpet covered in gold stars while parents and teachers cheered them on

'It was the most exciting thing to him,' she told Buzzfeed. 'It encourages every child to want to read even more.'

Surgah said that she's incredibly proud of how far her son has come as a reader this year, as well as the initiative that he showed.

She explained that when Breyden first started kindergarten reading wasn't his strong suit, but that through the program he was encouraged to read more and is now on a second grade reading level.

The students celebrated by getting all dressed up and then riding in a limousine to the party, where they got to walk down a red carpet into the festivities

Because of his new love of reading, Breyden's four-year-old brother is now inspired to learn to read as well, his mother said.

'His little brother is looking up to him, so that's something he wants to do,' she explained. 'He wants to get in a limousine and he wants to read something.'

Surgah also said that watching Breyden accomplish something like this makes her proud as his mom, and that she loves seeing him so happy about reading.

'You push your children, and you want the best for them,' she said.
French presidential candidate Marine Le Pen's father Jean-Marie has suggested his daughter is unfit to lead the country.

His words come just a day before France goes to the polls to decide between the former National Front leader and centrist Emmanuel Macron.

Speaking from his Paris office, Mr Le Pen, 88, told The Sunday Times he believed his granddaughter National Front MP Marion Marechal-Le Pen, 28, would have made a better candidate.

Jean-Marie Le Pen has suggested he believes his daughter is unfit to be the next French president

Rift: Marine Le Pen pictured with her father Jean-Marie in 2011

Far-right candidate Ms Le Pen and her father have been on frosty terms since she dismissed him from the party three years ago.

The decision came after Mr Le Pen, who led the party himself for nearly 40 years, referred to the Holocaust as a minor detail of World War II. The pair have not spoken since.

Speaking of his daughter's presidential potential, Mr Le Pen said: 'She has character; she doesn't lack that. But you also need other qualities.'

He added that Ms Le Pen had given a 'disappointing' performance in last week's television debate in which he accused her of hurling personal criticism at Macron in an unsuccessful attempt to induce a 'psychological meltdown' in her rival.

Ms Le Pen and presidential favourite Emmanuel Macron pose prior to the start of their televised debate

The former presidential candidate said his dismissal from the party had been a display of 'ingratitude' from his daughter and he criticised her for not approaching him for advice for her campaign.

Despite his scathing analysis, Mr Le Pen stressed that he wanted Marine to win the presidential election - the chances of which are slim.

'I've called unequivocally for people to vote for Marine Le Pen,' he said.
The scandal over Russian meddling in last year's US presidential election returns to the forefront of Washington politics after weeks of quiet on Monday, when two top officials from the Obama administration are set to testify in Congress.

Sally Yates -- acting attorney general in the Trump administration for 10 days before being fired -- could bring new pressure on the White House over what it knew about former national security adviser Michael Flynn's communications with Russian officials.

Obama's director of national intelligence James Clapper is also set to testify, after repeatedly warning of the need to get to the bottom of how the Russians interfered in the election, and whether anyone on President Donald Trump's team colluded with Moscow.

The case simmered for weeks as attention focused on what keynote legislation the president could push through in his first 100 days, a milestone reached last week.

Congressional investigations into Russian meddling have also been held up by infighting between Democrats and Republicans over how aggressively to pursue a matter that continues to cast a cloud over Trump's election win.

Dianne Feinstein, the top Democrat on the Senate Intelligence Committee, which also is investigating Russia's role in the election, said she is eager to hear Yates's testimony.

"Sally Yates is very much respected. She's a professional. She's not a politician. She's spent a lot of time in the department," Feinstein told NBC News's "Meet the Press" program.

"She apparently has some information as to who knew what when that she is willing to share -- and that would be what she knew about Michael Flynn's connections to Russia," said Feinstein.

Trump last week repeated his dismissal of US intelligence chiefs' conclusion that Moscow had sought to boost his campaign over his Democratic rival Hillary Clinton's in an effort overseen by Russian President Vladimir Putin.

In an interview with CBS's "Face the Nation" program marking his 100 days, Trump last week again rejected the official view that Russians hacked Democratic Party computers and communications.

"(It) could have been China, could have been a lot of different groups," he said.

On Tuesday, he again branded the whole story as fake. "The phony Trump/Russia story was an excuse used by the Democrats as justification for losing the election," he said on Twitter.

Trump's dismissals notwithstanding, the Senate Judiciary Committee -- where Yates and Clapper are to appear on Monday -- and the House and Senate intelligence committees are stepping up their probes, calling numerous current and former government witnesses to testify, mostly behind closed doors.

And the FBI is continuing its own investigation into possible collusion.

The country's top intelligence officials say they have no doubt that Moscow tried to swing the election against Clinton last year through hacking and disinformation.

Nor do they doubt that people closely associated with the Trump campaign -- including Flynn, onetime foreign affairs adviser Carter Page and former campaign chairman Paul Manafort -- all had ongoing contacts with Russians.

But whether those contacts resulted in any collusion with Moscow remains unproved.

Asked on CNN last week if she had yet seen evidence of collusion in private intelligence briefings, Feinstein responded: "Not at this time."

In Monday's open hearing, Yates -- an Obama deputy attorney general who was fired by Trump for refusing to support his immigration ban -- reportedly could testify that she warned the incoming administration in January that Flynn's discussions with Russia's US ambassador left Flynn vulnerable to blackmail.

A former military intelligence chief, Flynn was Trump's national security adviser for 24 days before he was fired for lying about the substance of the calls.

Clapper, still bound by secrecy requirements of his former job, might not add more than what the intelligence community has already said publicly about the scandal.

The more serious investigative action in the coming weeks will take place out of the public eye. The House and Senate intelligence committees are holding interviews with current intelligence and Trump campaign officials behind closed doors.

The Senate side has warned possible witnesses, including Flynn, Page and Manafort, that they could be subpoenaed to testify if they do not voluntarily cooperate, according to the New York Times.

In a statement Friday, the top senators of the Senate committee specifically warned Page, a former Moscow-based investment banker, to meet their week-old request for specific documents.

"Should Mr. Page choose to not provide the material requested" by specified dates, they said, "the committee will consider its next steps."

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House Speaker Paul Ryan was unwittingly trolled at a Wisconsin event just days after House Republicans narrowly voted to pass a bill to replace Obamacare.

Twitter user @Minnysconsin took a picture with Ryan at the Kiwanis Club fundraiser in Wisconsin on Saturday and posted it to the social media site. The man, known only by J on his profile, was wearing a shirt that said: 'Repeal and go f*** yourself. -GOP'.

The shirt is merchandise from the political podcast, Pod Save America and his tweet read: 'Couple friends of the pod hanging out this morning.'

Twitter user @Minnysconsin took a picture with Ryan at the Kiwanis Club fundraiser in Wisconsin on Saturday and posted it on social media. The shirt he was wearing underneath his zip-up jacket said: 'Repeal and go f*** yourself. -GOP'

House Speaker Paul Ryan was trolled just two days after House Republicans narrowly voted to pass a bill to replace Obamacare. Ryan is pictured after the health care bill was passed

@Minnysconsin also tagged three of the co-hosts of the podcast: Jon Favreau, Jon Lovett and Tommy Vietor.

Since the picture was posted on Saturday morning, it has been liked and retweeted thousands of times, with responses from the Pod Save America co-hosts, the podcast's Twitter handle and others who were entertained by the trolling.

Co-host Jon Lovett tweeted back: 'Best photo I've ever seen.' While Tommy Vietor responded: 'Heroic work!'

One person tweeted: 'OMG not all heroes wear capes but they sure as hell wear that shirt,' followed by plenty of applause emojis.

Another wrote: 'The hero we deserve.'

The Twitter trolling comes just two days after House Republicans narrowly voted to repeal and replace parts of the Affordable Care Act.

Though the bill was passed in the House, it still has to be approved in the Senate, where Republicans are working to write their own health care bill, separate from the one passed by the House.



@Minnysconsin's shirt is merchandise from the podcast Pod Save America, which is co-hosted by Jon Lovett, who said the photo was the 'best' he's ever seen

Tommy Vietor was also pleased with the troll, calling the photo 'heroic work'

Pod Save America co-host Jon Favreau also responded to the Twitter picture saying it was 'amazing'

This Twitter user pointed out that Ryan wrote out his full name on his name tag for the event

One person tweeted that @Minnysconsin is a hero for wearing the shirt and taking the picture with Ryan

Another called @Minnysconsin 'The hero we deserve'

@bitterflie enjoyed the photobomb and said it has given her hope for 'quite the good time in 2017'
Colombian police are reluctant to hunt down a mystery man who Australian Cassie Sainsbury says fooled her into attempting to smuggle 5.8kg of cocaine.

Hidden camera footage shows a man visiting the 22-year-old Adelaide woman in the Bogota hotel where she stayed in April.

The closed-circuit TV images even showed him asking the hotel receptionist to see her, the Sunday Telegraph reports.

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Cassie Sainsbury checking out of the Bogota hotel where she stayed for a week in April

The 22-year-old Adelaide woman shortly after her arrest on a serious cocaine smuggling charge

This is also the only line of defence Miss Sainsbury has offered in her defence.

However, a spokesman for Colombia's Attorney General told the newspaper police had not viewed the footage or contacted the hotel.

Hotelier Ingrid Hernandez confirmed to News Corp the police were yet to ask her for the footage of the well-presented man with a dark complexion, known as Angelo.

'I will not release the images until I have some kind of official order from the police,' she said.

Cassie Sainsbury has told her family she believed she was transporting 18 packages of headphones

Miss Sainsbury has told her family she thought she was transporting 18 packages of headphones, as she denies the charge of attempting to smuggle 5.8kg of cocaine.

The former personal trainer has maintained a man, who she only knew as Angelo, gave her plastic-wrapped packages after he had befriended her during her stay in Bogota between April 3 and 11.

She has told her lawyers she had contacted him on a mobile phone number that is no longer connected.
Two respected Boston doctors were killed in their penthouse apartment, with their throats slit, on Friday night.

Police were met by gunshots from the doctors' killer when they arrived at the $1.9million penthouse apartment in South Boston where Dr Richard Field and Dr Lina Bolanos lived.

Bampumim Teixeira, 30, did not hit police officers before they shot him multiple times and wounded him. He was taken to Tufts Medical Center for treatment for non-life threatening injuries.

Dr Richard Field, 49, left, and his fiancee Dr Lina Bolanos, 38, right, were killed in their South Boston apartment with their throats slit on Friday night. The couple's bodies were found with their hands bound

Boston police were called to the apartment on Friday night after hearing reports of a man with a gun. They responded around 8.45pm.

Bampumim Teixeira, 30, pictured, opened fire on police when they arrived at the scene. He was shot and injured by police

When officers finally entered the apartment, they saw the bodies of Field, 49, and Bolanos, 38, whose throats had been slit.

Their hands were bound, blood and messages of retribution were on the walls and photos of the two doctors in the apartment had been cut up, according to the Boston Globe.

The motive for the killings are unknown, but police say the crime does not appear to be random, according to WCVB. Officials have also said that the two doctors and their killer knew each other.

'(For) someone to come here, go up to the 11th floor, to the penthouse, we got to believe that somehow there was some type of knowledge of each other,' Boston Police Commissioner William B Evans said.

The apartment building has a special security system. In order to get inside and to use the elevator, a special key is needed, according to CBS Boston.

Teixeira was taken to Tufts Medical Center for treatment for non-life threatening injuries after being shot multiple times by police. Emergency officials are pictured lifting a stretcher into an ambulance

Field, right, worked at North Shore Pain Management and Bolanos, left, was a pediatric anesthesiologist at Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary

Bolanos, left, was also an anesthesia instructor at Harvard Medical School. Field, right, had previously been an anesthesiologist and pain management specialist at Beverly Hospital and Brigham and Women's Hospital

The engaged couple were described as 'good, kind, gentle people,' and will be missed by their friends, families and coworkers

The couple were described as 'good, kind, gentle people,' according to the Boston Globe.

Michael Gibbs, Bolanos's godfather, said: 'Hopefully, this guy that they caught will be able to say who he is and why this was done.

'Thats all were hoping, is to get some kind of information. Why did this happen?'

Field worked at North Shore Pain Management and had previously been an anesthesiologist and pain management specialist at Beverly Hospital and Brigham and Women's Hospital.

A statement from the NSPM clinic said: 'Dr Field was a guiding vision at North Shore Pain Management and was instrumental in the creation of this practice.'

The couple, pictured, were found in their $1.9 million penthouse apartment on the 11th floor. Police believe they knew the suspect, Teixeira

Boston Police Commissioner William B Evans said: '(For) someone to come here, go up to the 11th floor, to the penthouse, we got to believe that somehow there was some type of knowledge of each other'

Bolanos was a pediatric anesthesiologist at Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary. She was also an anesthesia instructor at Harvard Medical School.

Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary released a statement from the hospital's CEO John Fernandez, who said: 'Dr Bolanos was an outstanding pediatric anesthesiologist and a wonderful colleague, in the prime of both her career and life.'

The Suffolk County District Attorney's office said Teixeira will be arraigned on Monday, according to NBC Boston. He had previously been convicted of two counts of larceny, for passing notes demanding money from the same bank in 2014 and 2016.

Teixeira plead guilty to both counts last year. No weapons were used in either incident. He had been released from a correctional facility after his nine-month sentence in April.

Teixeira's girlfriend said that he was a former security guard and that he never acted violently.

Police said that multiple charges are expected to be brought against Teixeira, likely 'charges for two counts of murder,' Evans said.

People are pictured gathered outside the doctors' luxury apartment building in South Boston

Police are pictured at the crime scene in Boston, where some of the roads were blocked off

Pictured is the apartment building on Dorchester Avenue where Field and Bolanos lived on the 11th floor

When police found the couple in their apartment, blood and messages of retribution were on the wall
A woman has died in a horrific single-car crash after she collided with a power pole on the Sunshine Coast.

The Coolum Beach woman, 23, was pronounced dead at the scene, after she lost control of her silver sedan on Bli Bli road about 10.05pm on Saturday.

She was trapped inside the damaged vehicle when emergency services arrived, according to 7 News.

A woman has died in a horrific single-car crash after she collided with a power pole on the Sunshine Coast

The Coolum Beach woman, 23, was pronounced dead at the scene, after she lost control of her silver sedan on Bli Bli road about 10.05pm on Saturday

'It was all hands on deck and we had a couple of critical care paramedics as well as a retrieval doctor attend the scene,' Queensland Ambulance Service's Grant Williams said.

'Despite all attempts we were unable to save the driver.'

Bli Bli residents reported experiencing power outages on Saturday night around the time of the crash.

Police said the forensic crash unit is investigating.
The Kushner family is reportedly hoping to lure wealthy Chinese investors to the United States with the promise of American visas if they invest $500,000 in their property develop projects.

Nicole Kushner Meyer, the sister to White House adviser Jared Kushner, spoke at an event on Saturday in Beijing where she was marketing a property owned by their family in New Jersey.

She made a pitch to attract $150million in financing for the housing development known as One Journal Square, a $976.4million project that's currently underway, to the more than 100 Chinese investors who attended the event at the Ritz-Carlton, CNN reported.

The money would be provided though EB-5, a government program that provides foreign investors a path to citizenship in exchange for investments of at least $500,000 in U.S. development projects, according to The New York Times.

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Nicole Kushner Meyer, the sister to White House adviser Jared Kushner (pictured together), spoke at an event on Saturday in Beijing where she was marketing a property owned by their family in New Jersey

She made a pitch to attract $150million in financing for the housing development known as One Journal Square, a $976.4million project that's currently underway, to the more than 100 Chinese investors who attended the event at the Ritz-Carlton

The company has stated about 15 per cent of the nearly $1billion project will be funded through the EB-5 program.

The tagline on a brochure for the event on Saturday reads: 'Invest $500,000 and immigrate to the United States.'

The potential investors were advised to invest as soon as possible in case visa rules are changed under President Donald Trump's administration.

'Invest early, and you will invest under the old rules,' one speaker said.

Trump has taken a strong anti-immigration stance and has promised to severely tighten the use of work visas. In addition, the EB-5 program has faced criticism by members of Congress on both sides of the aisle.

Some lawmakers claim the program sells citizenship to high-income foreigners.

The money would be provided though EB-5, a government program that provides foreign investors a path to citizenship in exchange for investments of at least $500,000 in U.S. development projects. Above she is pictured with her brother Jared

Meyer, who is a principal for the company, also spoke to the crowd at the event, which was open to the public and organized by Chinese immigration agency Qiaowai, on Saturday about her grandfather immigrated to the U.S. to build a business from scratch.

She discussed her brother's new position at the White house, but did not overtly mention the president.

'In 2008, my brother Jared Kushner joined the family company as CEO, and recently moved to Washington to join the administration,' she said.

Kushner, who is married to Trump's oldest daughter Ivanka, has stepped away from the family business since taking on the high-profile role in the White House.

He served as chief executive of Kushner Companies, the family's real estate company.

The tagline on a brochure (above) for the event on Saturday reads, 'Invest $500,000 and immigrate to the United States' when translated to English

Blake Roberts, an attorney at the WilmerHale law firm who serves as Kushner's personal counsel, told the Washington Post: 'Mr. Kushner divested his interests in the One Journal Square project by selling them to a family trust that he is not a beneficiary of, a mechanism suggested by the Office of Government Ethics.

'As previously stated, he will recuse from particular matters concerning the EB-5 visa program.'

Back in March 2016, Bloomberg News reported that the EB-5 program has been used by both the Trump and Kushner family businesses.

Jared Kushner reportedly raised $50million from Chinese EB-5 applicants for a Trump-branded apartment building in Jersey City prior to joining the White House, the Post reported.

Kushner Companies could not be reached for comment.
When it comes to politics, MPs are often accused of being boring, throwing out pre-prepared lines and promoting their own agenda.

But federal treasurer Scott Morrison parted with the trend, unleashing an expletive- laden tirade during an interview with Weekend Today on Sunday... or so it seemed.

As the troublesome 'beep' of the censor button sounded mid-interview, Today Show viewers were left to wonder what Mr Morrison had said - but Channel Nine later said it was nothing more than a technical glitch.

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Federal treasurer Scott Morrison (pictured) was accidentally censored during an interview on Weekend Today on Sunday, leading many viewers to think he had sworn

During an intense chat with Laurie Oakes on the upcoming federal budget, the MP known as 'ScoMo' was asked about a controversial change to school funding.

'Do you expect a row at the party meeting over this next week?' Mr Oakes asked.

'Politics is not the issue, what the issue is is the funding of the schools,' Mr Morrison replied.

'That can be the issue for other people but...,' he began to say before being cut off by the loud beep.

Believed to have said 'what we're focussed on', the interview soon continued with Mr Morrison saying: '...on is supporting the schooling needs of every child in the country and making it fair.'

Twitter was full of viewers keen to find out just what Mr Morrison had said that led to him being 'beeped'

During an intense chat with Laurie Oakes (pictured) on the upcoming federal budget, the MP was asked about a controversial change to school funding when his response was censored

Taking to Twitter to calm the hysteria that quickly arose post-interview, Mr Oakes, a legendary political reporter, blamed the incident on a 'technical issue'.

'Technical issue caused bleep. Apologies to the (non-swearing) Treasurer,' he wrote.

A spokesperson for Channel Nine said: 'A burst of tone went to air. The interview was live (on the East Coast) so we would not censor or "beep" intentionally.'
At the beginning of the year, the former Essendon great was spending time in a Melbourne hospital following an overdose on sleeping pills.

But James Hird appeared ready to move on from his troubled past on Sunday as he strolled through the Prahan Markets promoting his Colombian chocolate business.

Pictures show him holding a microphone as he spruiked his product to onlookers, and later enjoying it for himself as he raised a heaped spoon to his mouth.

James Hird was spotted at Prahan Markets in Melbourne on Sunday spruiking his new Colombian chocolate to passersby

The 44-year-old appeared happy and refreshed as he worked, following five weeks in a psychiatric facility at the beginning of the year

Hird appeared to enjoy his product during a demonstration and was seen raising a heaped spoon to his mouth

The 44-year-old was seen walking around with his young son. The pair were both wearing a Cacao Hunters t-shirt and matching trucker cap.

A cheeky smile flashed at the cameras finished off his refreshed look.

Hird acquired the Australian license for the premium chocolate brand with business partners Chris McKiernan and David Yallouz and launched in November 2016.

Months later, the AFL legend overdosed on sleeping pills and spent five weeks at Albert Road Clinic in Melbourne.

In March, he addressed the incident in his first column for the Herald Sun, blaming 'years of continual stress' for his breakdown.

'I am not ashamed to say that I needed the care I received and, without it, I do not know where I would be. Depression is more than just sadness,' he wrote.

The AFL legend was joined by his young son, and the pair wore matching Cacao Hunters t-shirts and caps

The pair appeared deep in conversation as Hird held what appeared to be a chocolate mousse with berries on top

The former Essendon senior coach looked immersed in his new career venture, and seemed deeply interested in a cooking display

While the father-of-four was hard at work, his son looked more interested in what was going on elsewhere

While his father took orders, the young boy appeared to be keeping an eye on the stock

Hird credited his wife, four children and others for his recovery and their continued support.

'Tania, my children, my extended family and friends have loved, supported and cared for me when I didn't deserve their support,' he wrote.

'It is the unconditional love and care alongside the professional attention that has given me a second chance at life. I am an extremely lucky man.'

Readers seeking support and information about depression can contact the Depression Helpline (from 8am to midnight) on 0800 111 757.
A young woman who had triple heart-valve replacement surgery says she felt embarrassed by her scar before sharing a picture of it to social media.

Lucy Simpson suffered two strokes last year and was told she will die in 12 months if she didn't have an operation.

She became one of the youngest Australians to receive complex heart surgery at 23-years-old, according to The West Australian.

Perth woman Lucy Simpson who triple heart-valve replacement surgery at the age of 23, said she felt embarrassed by her scar before sharing a picture of it to social media

Ms Simpson suffered two strokes last year and was told she will die in 12 months if she didn't have an operation

Ms Simpson said she did 'everything' possible to try and cover her scar because she was embarrassed

Ms Simpson told the newspaper that she did 'everything' possible to try and cover her scar, but eventually decided to reveal it on social media.

'At the beginning I was very embarrassed by it ... then I posted a photo on my social media where it's just me in a bikini,' she said.

'One woman reached out and said it was great to see someone posting it and so proud, it sends a good message.

'It was just amazing. I never thought in my life I could help other people by just being myself and sharing my story.'

Ms Simpson became one of the youngest Australians to receive complex heart surgery at 23-years-old

The Perth woman has been named as the youth ambassador for the Heart Foundation

'I never thought in my life I could help other people by just being myself and sharing my story,' Ms Simpson said

Ms Simpson posted the photo to Instagram in January this year, saying the scars are 'beautiful in a way.'

'They show what you've been through and how strong you are coming out of it,' she said in the post.

The Perth woman has been named as the youth ambassador for the Heart Foundation, after she raised $13,000 by completing the Rottnest Channel Swim in February, according to The West Australian.

She is scheduled to speak about her journey at the Red Hot Winter Ball in Perth on August 5.

Ms Simpson and her boyfriend share a moment together in Bali after her surgery
One of the men accused of killing Hofstra graduate Joseph Comunale has, once again, denied having any role in the November 2016 murder, saying that his co-defendant threw him under the bus.

Used to a lifestyle of money, parties and women, James Rackover has now been in prison for nearly six months awaiting trial for a murder he swears he did not commit.

'What motive would I have?' the 26-year-old inmate told the New York Daily News from his seat in the Manhattan Detention Complex.

James Rackover is pictured in court on April 21, 2017. He maintains that he is innocent in the murder of Hofstra graduate Joseph Comunale

'What trouble would I be in? Does it make sense to you?' he explained.

Rackover insists that his co-defendant, Lawrence Dilione, 'threw me under the bus to save his own a**.'

He also said that, in his last conversation with his ex-friend in November, Dilione had apologized for ratting him out to police and promised to make things right.

Rackover quotes Dilione as telling him: 'I'm going to get you out of here,' and 'ask your lawyer if you can get my statements dismissed.'

Neither of the two men have been charged in Comunale's murder, and instead each are facing charges of hindering prosecution, tampering with physical evidence and concealing a human corpse.

Prosecution hopes to bring homicide charges before a Manhattan Grand Jury on May 19 after an incredibly messy investigation.

James Rackover (left), says that his friend Lawrence Dilion (right) threw him under the bus 'to save his a**"

In November, James Comunale was stabbed 15 times in the chest while at a party in James Rackover's upper east side apartment before his corpse was driven to a beach in New Jersey and buried in a shallow grave

In November, Comunale was stabbed 15 times in the chest before his corpse was driven to a beach in New Jersey and buried in a shallow grave.

Police said that the walls of Rackover's apartment were stained with blood, and that 32 pieces of evidence were found at the scene.

Police believe that he was killed during a night of hard partying at Rackover's apartment in a luxury Upper East Side building, and that he had gotten in a fight with Dilione and Rackover.

Rackover now claims that he has been unfairly targeted, and believes that he is being treated so harshly because of his dad's celebrity clientele and because the murder took place at his apartment.

He also wonders why Dilione isn't under the same scrutiny, saying 'Why is it always me? It's because of my last name.'

The socialite said that he hasn't spoke with his ex-friend since Dilione was freed on bail in November. Rackover was unable to make his own $300,000 cash bail or $1million bond.

When they were first accused, the two friends hung tough and stayed by each other's sides.

However, according to statements filed in Manhattan Supreme Court after the suspects parted ways, Dilione acknowledged beating Comunale unconscious in an argument over cigarettes at Rackover's apartment.

Rackover, pictured on November 17, 2016, quotes Dilione as telling him: 'I'm going to get you out of here,' and 'ask your lawyer if you can get my statements dismissed'

Speaking to a NYPD investigator on November 17, Dilione said: 'I didn't kill Joe, it was James (who is pictured on November 17, 2016)'

However, he pinned the actual murder on his friend.

According to a court filing, Rackover 'viciously kicked and beat the defenseless Mr Comunale. After realizing Mr Comunale was severely injured, Rackover, fearing arrest, stated "We have to kill him."'

Speaking to a NYPD investigator on November 17, Dilione said: 'I didn't kill Joe, it was James.'

'All I did was punch him, then James said he didn't want to go to jail and then James stabbed him,' his statement reads.

Dilione claimed that Rackover, pictured right, stabbed Comunale after all three of them had gotten in a fight over a pack of cigarettes

Unable to make bail, Rackover has been in jail for nearly six months, though his co-defendant Dilione is out

Dilione then went on to tell police that Rackover attempted to dismember Comunale's dead body in a bathtub with a 'serrated blade'. He told police that the cleanup and dumping of the body was a team effort.

He also admitted that he and his friends were using cocaine that night.

Details of his admissions were disclosed in a filing by attorney Mark Bederow, who is representing a third suspect Max Gemma.

Gemma is not suspected in the killing itself, but is accused of participating in the cleanup and disposal of the body.

Comunale's remains were found behind a florist shop in Oceanshop NJ, near Jersey City, where Dilione grew up.

There was significant evidence of a major cleanup effort in Rackover's apartment, though his lawyer says that police entered without a warrant.

There was significant evidence of a major cleanup effort in Rackover's apartment, though his lawyer says that police entered without a warrant. Rackover is pictured March 7, 2017, in court

Rackover told the Daily News that his Dilione has a 'Napoleon complex because he's short,' and said that he would frequently pick fights with other men for no apparent reason

Additionally, Dilione's attorney said that statements his client made were taken illegally and well after they knew that he had council.

The attorney believes that his statements will be ruled inadmissible, though prosecutors argue they were all obtained legally.

Rackover told the Daily News that his Dilione has a 'Napoleon complex because he's short,' and said that he would frequently pick fights with other men for no apparent reason.

Before landing himself in prison, Rackover traveled among New York's social elite, reforming himself after moving to the city from Florida, where he pleaded guilty in 2009 to a residential break-in.

Rackover was born James Arthur Beaudoin in Florida, and was arrested multiple times for burglary, armed robbery, and drug possession.

A 2009 burglary led to his arrest and a plea deal in which he was sentenced to six years behind bars. It is unclear when he was released from prison and how much time he served for the offense.

At some point after his release, he met Jeffrey Rackover, a celebrity jeweler who treated James like son. He then moved into his surrogate father's New York City apartment building, changing his name to James Rackover and starting living among the social elite.

Rackover told the Daily News that Dilione, pictured center, won't even look him in the eye anymore and refuses to speak with him when they are in court together

Rackover and Dilione met through a common ex-girlfriend, and became unlikely close friends, bonding over a shared experience. Soon, they were spending nearly every weekend together out on the town.

Besides maintaining his innocence, Rackover says that he did not even see what happened in his apartment because he went to bed before the murder took place.

'I'm not going down for this,' he vowed, telling the Daily News he will fight charges he faces now and anything more that comes his way.

'Every time I'm in court I stare at him to see if he'll look at me or if he'll say anything like "I'm sorry,"' Rackover said, explaining that his former close friend refuses to even look him in the eye anymore.

'He never does. He looks away.' he concluded.
A teenage boy who made a daring escape from police custody by pretending to be another prisoner has handed himself back in.

The 15-year-old returned to the Southport Watchhouse with his lawyer about 11.45 on Sunday, after being mistakenly released the morning before.

He was arrested on Friday after he and his girlfriend, also 15, allegedly attempted to carjack a woman on the Gold Coast.

The 15-year-old boy (pictured) who was arrested over an alleged carjacking before escaping jail by pretending to be another prisoner handed himself back in on Sunday

He escaped by stepping forward when police called the name of another boy who was due to be released on bail.

The boy was charged on Saturday with attempted robbery and threatening violence, and on Sunday was charged with escape lawful custody and stealing.

He was charged with stealing because when he was released under another boy's name, he fled with their property, a spokesperson for Queensland Police told Daily Mail Australia.

It was not until the teenager was allowed through a watchhouse door and into an internal walkway leading to Scarborough Street on Saturday that officers realised he was not who he claimed to be.

Police told the boy to stop but he allegedly jumped over a second locked gate at the end of the walkway and fled from the watchhouse on foot.

He was pursued by officers down the street but they were unable to catch him.

Acting Inspector Brett MacGibbon said the Queensland Police Service was 'embarrassed' they had allowed the boy to escape from the Southport Watchhouse (pictured) on Saturday

Acting Inspector Brett MacGibbon said the Queensland Police Service was 'embarrassed' they had allowed the boy to escape from custody on Saturday.

'It is a bit embarrassing,' he said.

'I would hope that it wouldn't be that easy.'

Inspector MacGibbon said the boy pretended to be another juvenile detainee who was granted bail.

When the detainee's name was read out, the teenager stepped out in his place.

Police realised their mistake about 30 seconds after the boy was released, he said.

The incident will be investigated internally by the Queensland Police Service.

The 15-year-old was arrested on Friday after he and his girlfriend, 15, allegedly attempted to carjack a woman on the Gold Coast.

The young couple allegedly asked a 24-year-old woman for a lift home from Harbour Town Shopping Centre on the Gold Coast on Thursday night.

When the woman gave them a lift, she claimed they held a knife to her throat and demanded her car.

The 15-year-old boy (pictured) allegedly fled the scene when his attempted carjacking went south and his girlfriend was critically injured

The woman reportedly struck the girl with her car in an attempt to escape the violent carjacking.

The boy allegedly fled the scene, and left his seriously injured girlfriend. She was later taken to hospital where she remains in a critical condition.

Queensland Ambulance Service's Paul Barry said it was a 'very confronting scene for paramedics' when they arrived at the crash on Thursday night.

Mr Barry said the 15-year-old girl was badly injured.

'It's a very young and tender age and she required some stabilisation,' he said.

A police dog pursued the boy for half a kilometre to a highway where he crossed eight lanes of traffic moving at 110km/h.

The 15-year-old girl was taken to Gold Coast University Hospital following the crash.

A spokesperson for the hospital told Daily Mail Australia on Sunday she remains in a critical condition.

Detectives have alerted the girl's parents she was in a coma and could also face charges over the alleged carjacking, 9 News reports.

The 24-year-old woman sustained a minor cut on her hand and escaped with a significant fright.
Outgoing French President Francois Hollande on Sunday said that centrist Emmanuel Macron's victory in France's presidential election showed most voters wanted to unite around "the values of the Republic".

Hollande said in a statement he had called Macron to congratulate his former economy minister after he defeated anti-EU, anti-immigrant candidate Marine Le Pen.

"His big victory confirms that a very large majority of our fellow citizens wanted to unite around the values of the Republic and show their attachment to the European Union," the statement said.

Hollande's former prime minister Manuel Valls called separately for a broad presidential majority to be built around Macron in legislative elections next month.

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The Bishop of Rome is not happy with the new title given to the largest non-nuclear United States bomb.

Pope Francis on Saturday criticized the naming of the U.S. military's biggest non-nuclear explosive as 'the Mother of All Bombs', saying the word 'mother' should not be used in reference to a deadly weapon.

The U.S. Air Force dropped such a bomb, officially designated as the GBU-43 Massive Ordnance Air Blast (MOAB) on Islamic State fighters in eastern Afghanistan last month. The nickname was widely used in briefings and reporting on the attack.

Pope Francis on Saturday criticized the naming of the U.S. military's biggest non-nuclear explosive as 'the Mother of All Bombs', saying the word 'mother' should not be used in reference to a deadly weapon

The U.S. Air Force dropped such a bomb, officially designated as the GBU-43 Massive Ordnance Air Blast (MOAB) on suspected Islamic State fighters in eastern Afghanistan last month. The nickname was widely used in briefings and reporting on the attack

'I was ashamed when I heard the name,' Pope Francis told an audience of students in Milan on Saturday.

'A mother gives life and this one gives death, and we call this device a mother. What is happening?'

Pope Francis told an audience of students in Milan on Saturday: 'I was ashamed when I heard the name. A mother gives life and this one gives death, and we call this device a mother. What is happening?'

Pope Francis is set to meet U.S. President Donald Trump on May 24 in a potentially awkward encounter given their opposing positions on immigration, refugees and climate change.

The MOAB unleashes a devastating fireball that incinerates and vaporizes anything within 30 feet upon detonation.

In the milliseconds following the initial blast in Afghanistan, all the oxygen would have been forced out of the tunnels and for hundreds of feet around, literally sucking the life out of ISIS terrorists, suffocating them as their lungs imploded.

Then, in a flash the fiery shockwave would have radiated outwards at the speed of sound for up to a mile, causing huge blunt force trauma injuries to anyone caught in its path, leveling buildings and trees.

The Pentagon estimates that 800 ISIS terrorists were in the area.

Its frightening power was unleashed by the United States for the first time in April when it was dropped on an ISIS camp in Afghanistan's Nangarhar Province, in order to obliterate underground tunnels used by the terrorists.

A crater left by the blast is believed to be more than 300 feet wide after it exploded just six feet above the ground. Anyone at ground zero was vaporized.

The bombs frightening power was unleashed by the United States for the first time in April when it was dropped on an ISIS camp in Afghanistan's Nangarhar Province, in order to obliterate underground tunnels used by the terrorists
It was an international doomsday cult and he was its leader, controlling his 40-strong online following from his rundown regional home.

Until one day, in 2007, Simon Kadwell vanished.

The founder of 'Truth Fellowship', the English-born Kadwell led police on a search for answers from his adopted home in Nannup, Western Australia, all the way to Brazil.

Not long after the disappearance of Kadwell, his girlfriend Chantelle McDougall, their six-year-old daughter Leela and friend, Tony Popic, 42, did the real mystery about the cult leader begin to emerge, Perth Now reports.

Kadwell, who was known to his followers simply as 'Si', was better known to many in his homeland as 'Gary Feltham', having stolen his new identity in the 1990s.

And now, close to a decade since the four were last seen on July 13, 2007, an inquest into their mysterious disappearance and 'suspected deaths' was announced.

Simon Kadwell (pictured back) the leader of an international doomsday cult which he ran from his regional Western Australia home disappeared in 2007 and hasn't been seen since

Kadwell, his girlfriend Chantelle McDougall (left), their six-year-old daughter Leela (front) and friend, Tony Popic (right), 42, were all a part of an international cult called 'Truth Fellowship'

Having just 40 followers allowed Kadwell to easily interact with the people who he called 'The Forecourt'.

Through a chat room called 'The Gateway' they would discuss the teachings written in 'Servers of the Divine Plan' - a book Kadwell had written himself.

Inside it were promises of a new world, one promoting a higher consciousness once a 75,000-year cycle had been completed.

According to neighbours, the cult founder was 'off the planet' and 'paranoid', not just about earth's pending doom, but also 'electromagnetic fields'.

'Simon was paranoid about electromagnetic fields,' Bruce Blackburn said in 2015.

'He was always ranting and raving about them, to the point where he was breaking out in hives and his face looked as if it was about to burst, it was so red.

'He began burying a heap of magnets around the place because he believed they diverted these rays away from him.'

Not long after, Kadwell, Ms McDougall, their daughter Leela and Mr Popic left behind their personal belongings and without any warning left their Nannup home.

A few days following their landlord found a note on the door saying: 'Gone to Brazil'.

Having just 40 followers allowed Kadwell to easily interract with the people who he called 'The Forecourt' via an online chat room called 'The Gateway' from inside his home (pictured) in Nannup, WA

Among the foursome who disappeared in July 2007 were Kadwell and Ms McDougall's six-year-old daughter Leela (pictured)

They were seen for the last time in Busselton, north of Nannup, where they sold their car for $4,000 before being whisked away in a waiting vehicle.

While it is now believed the four are most likely dead, police initially suspected they may have escaped the country to New Zealand before fleeing to South America.

Cult hotspot Rio Branco, Brazil, had been mentioned by both Kadwell and McDougall previously.

However Ms McDougall's parents refuse to believe their daughter has passed away, claiming it is more likely the foursome are hiding away under the guidance of Kadwell.

'I think he's probably got them hiding somewhere while he is up to his usual tricks of getting money off people by scamming them over the internet with this cult stuff,' Jim McDougall has previously said.

The McDougall's continue to spread the word about their daughter in the hope she is still alive, spreading posters throughout the Nannup area.

According to neighbours, Kadwell was 'off the planet' and 'paranoid'. Members of his cult read a book their leader had written himself called 'Servers of the Divine Plan'

Inside it were promises of a new world, one promoting a higher consciousness once a 75,000-year cycle had been completed. (Ms McDougall and her daughter Leela are pictured)

Four years ago an investigation revealed a man identifying himself as Popic visited a Perth backpackers on July 15, 2007, just days after the group left Nannup.

Detective Senior Sergeant Greg Balfour said police believe the man could have been Popic, Kadwell or someone completely unknown to them.

'It's such a bizarre story and we have as little an idea of their whereabouts today as we did in 2007 when they disappeared,' Snr Sgt Balfour said.

'There's no evidence to suggest they are dead, just as there's no evidence to suggest they are alive.

'Remember, he successfully isolated Chantelle and Leela from their families so it's perfectly possible they are alive, living off the grid somewhere in Australia or overseas.'

The inquest into the disappearance of Kadwell, Ms McDougall, Leela McDougall and Mr Popic will get underway in December.
Video footage has emerged from China that shows the moment an eel is surgically removed from a patient's body, after it was allegedly inserted for sexual gratification.

The video posted to LiveLeak has received more than 50,000 views in less than 24 hours.

In the video, a surgeon delicately holds onto the end of an eel with surgical forceps.

Video footage has emerged from China that shows the moment an eel is surgically removed from a patient's body, after it was allegedly inserted for sexual gratification. In the video, a surgeon delicately holds onto the end of an eel with surgical forceps

The surgeon then slowly begins to lift the eel out of the unconscious patient on the operating table.

The full size of the creature isn't revealed in the video, although it appears to be longer than the operating assistant's forearm.

It's unknown how the eel ended up inside the person, however the video description suggests it was for sexual gratification.

Last month a man in southeast China put a half-a-metre eel into his anus as a home-remedy cure to his constipation.

He was taken to hospital in Guangzhou with a severe stomach ache.

Doctors examined Liu's abdominal area and were then shocked to find an eel in his intestines.
Russia and the United have found common ground over Syria.

The Russian and U.S. chiefs of general staff agreed on Saturday to fully resume the implementation of a joint memorandum on preventing mid-air incidents over Syria, Russian news agencies quoted the Russian Defense Ministry as saying.

Russian General Valery Gerasimov and General Joseph Dunford of the United States discussed in a phone call the Syria de-escalation zones and agreed to continue working on additional measures aimed to avoid clashes in Syria.

Russian and U.S. chiefs of general staff agreed on Saturday to fully resume the implementation of a joint memorandum on preventing mid-air incidents over Syria, Russian news agencies quoted the Russian Defence Ministry as saying.

The aircraft safety memorandum was signed in October 2015 after Russia began bombing targets in Syria to support Syrian government forces in their fight against Islamic State and other armed groups.

In Washington, a Pentagon spokesman said in a statement that Dunford and Gerasimov 'talked about the recent Astana agreement and affirmed their commitment to de-conflicting operations in Syria. Both also agreed to maintain regular contact.'

An agreement reached at peace talks in Astana, Kazakhstan, and backed by Russia, Iran and Turkey, calls for 'de-escalation zones' in major areas of conflict between Syrian government forces and rebel groups.

The aircraft safety memorandum was signed in October 2015 after Russia began bombing targets in Syria to support Syrian government forces in their fight against Islamic State and other armed groups

This news comes right after US-led coalition warplanes were barred from flying over four 'safe zones' in Syria from Saturday as part of a Russian plan to reduce the violence there.

Sergei Rudskoi, a Russia military leader, said four 'de-escalation' zones in rebel held territory in Idlib, Homs, a suburb of Damascus and between Daraa and Quneitra provinces will be established under a pact that comes into force from tomorrow.

As a sign of intent, he said Russia warplanes had already stopped bombing the areas in an armistice which he claimed started on May 1.

The Russian plan was signed by Iran and Turkey on Thursday and is backed by the UN. Moscow said that it was talking to 'Jordan and a number of other countries' to sign up as backers of the initiative.
A woman whose husband is serving two decades behind bars for stabbing her daughter through the heart fears he will harm her when he is released.

Marlene Locke's husband Raymond Mead was last year sentenced to life in prison for murdering Sherelle Locke in 2014.

Despite the 20-year non-parole period, the grieving mother continues to live in fear.

'He never gives up even by bars,' Ms Locke told News Corp.

Marlene Locke (pictured right) speaks to the media outside the Supreme Court of Queensland in Brisbane last year

Marlene and her daughter had been watching television at home in the living room of Marlenes Boronia Heights home in southern Brisbane when Mead committed a heinous act in February 2014.

After a night of drinking, he stabbed his 23-year-old stepdaughter through the heart as he pinned her to the couch.

The 52-year-old monster then pinned Marlene against a wall as her daughter's life evaporated.

Mead, who blamed Sherelle for his marital problems, had told a neighbour just weeks earlier that if she 'stuffed up again'she would 'get what's coming to her'.

'If I could stab Sherelle and get away with it I would,' Mr Mead told the neighbour.

Mead was sentenced to life in prison in November 2016, however Ms Locke, 44, said the moment she watched her daughter die will haunt her forever.

Sherelle Locke, 24, was stabbed in the chest at her mother's home in 2014, by her stepfather

Sherelle's mother Marlene Locke watched on in horror as her daughter was murdered before her eyes

In November 2016 Mead, 52, was sentenced to life in prison with a non-parole period of 20 years. He is pictured here with Ms Locke and their daughter Zavannah

'I will never be able to get that vision out of my head of her being killed before my eyes and not being able to help her,' she told The Sun.

'But I want my story to be told as a warning to women in situations like mine.'

Mead had come home about 11.30pm after a night of drinking, and began rifling in the kitchen drawers.

'Sherelle pointed out something funny in her catalogue and we both burst out laughing,' Ms Locke told The Sun.

'Suddenly, Ray charged into the room, his face twisted with rage,' she said.

Ms Locke said Mead approached Sherelle and struck her. She thought her husband had punched her daughter in the chest.

But when he 'staggered' back from the bleeding woman, her mother saw she was 'clutching her body', and realised something was seriously wrong.

Ms Locke (right) is pictured here with a supporter outside the Brisbane Supreme Court after her estranged husband was found guilty of her daughter's murder

'He'd stabbed her in the heart with a knife from the kitchen,' Ms Locke said.

Mead then held his wife against a wall so she was unable to help her dying daughter, who was screaming that she was bleeding.

'I sobbed as I heard Sherelle howl that she was bleeding, but Ray kept his grip around my neck,' Ms Locke said.

'He told me she deserved it,' she added.

For ten minutes Mead held her against the wall, until his stepdaughter went silent. Mead said her daughter was very pale and there was 'so much blood'.

Ms Locke called an ambulance and paramedics worked tirelessly to save the young woman, but it was too late.

The night Sherelle (right) was killed, she had gone to spend the night at her mother's (left) house in Boronia Heights, Brisbane, for a quiet evening on the couch

'My beautiful daughter and my best friend was gone.'

At the sentencing hearing for Mead last year, Ms Locke said seeing her daughter being murdered was the most 'unbearable experience' of her life.

'Witnessing my daughter Sherelle being murdered right before my own eyes is the most devastating, heart-breaking, horrific, unbearable experience and pain I have ever been through in my entire life and I will never be able to get that vision out of my head,' she said in her victim impact statement read to the court.

The court also heard that Mead blamed his stepdaughter for problems in his marriage to her mother.

Sherelle, a mother of three, had urged her mother to leave the abusive relationship

Ms Locke told The Sun that after she and Mead married in 2008, he became controlling and cut her off from friends and family.

She also revealed that when she was twelve weeks pregnant with his child, they got into an argument and he kicked her in the stomach.

The baby was unharmed and Ms Locke gave birth to Zavannah later that year. The couple also went on to have a son, Owen.

She fled to her daughter Sherelle's house, before going to the police and taking out a domestic violence order against her husband.

Sherelle, who had three children herself, had begged her own mother to leave Mead, but Ms Locke felt powerless as her husband had control of their finances.

Mead did plead guilty to manslaughter but was found guilty of murdering Sherelle.

He was additionally sentenced to two years for assault occasioning grievous bodily harm and 12 months for retaliation against a witness, which are to be served concurrently.

He will be 72 years old before being eligible to apply for parole.
A Queensland man has relived the terrifying moment he was attacked by a shark while on a spearfishing trip with three friends.

Glenn Dickson, a 25-year-old father of two, was attacked almost instantly when he entered the water to go spearfishing at a remote reef off Hinchinbrook Island in North Queensland.

Airing on Sunday night's 60 minutes Mr Dickson shared details of his life-threatening encounter with a 3.5 metre bull shark.

Scroll down for video

Glenn Dickson, 25, survived a shark attack while his fiance Jessie Lee was pregnant with their third child (pictured)

Mr Dickson's leg was amputated the day after the attack and faces battles to come

He was in the water off the island near Cairns on February 18 when the shark attacked soon after he had spearfished a parrotfish.

Mr Dickson lost a lot of blood during the attack as the shark snapped down onto his legs and hip until he was rescued by friends - one who was an ex navy officer.

With medical training at the forefront of his mind companion Rick Bettua immediately applied a tourniquet to stop the excessive bleeding.

'It came down to seconds,' he explained.

Airing on Sunday night's 60 minutes Mr Dickson shared details of his life-threatening encounter with a 3.5 metre bull shark

He was in the water off an island near Cairns in February when the shark attacked

Mr Dickson loves fishing according to his friends who commented at the time of the attack

His friends raced him to the mainland town of Cardwell, 30kms away, where he was stabelised by ambulance crews and rushed to Cairns Hospital.

On the way they called triple-0 when they got into phone range with friend Aaron Butler explaining to the operator, 'he's not in a good way.'

Mr Dickson reveals as he reflects on the moments that followed the shocking attack: 'I remember seeing a bright light,'

As the group approached the marina they weren't certain if he would make it.

A paramedic was able to assist in the rescue effort until the helicopter got to him.

Glenn Dickson (right) was attacked almost instantly when he entered the water to go spearfishing at a remote reef off Hinchinbrook Island in North Queensland

Queensland Ambulance Service senior operations supervisor Neil Noble said Mr Dickson was just 60 seconds from dying from the injuries

By the time he was moved from the chopper to Cairns hospital Glenn could be heard shouting 'I will survive' as a result of the painkillers kicking in.

Glenn's finance Jessie-Lee - who was pregnant with their third child during the ordeal and mother of their two children, thought she had lost him for good.

She was frightened of going near him, fearful it would be their last moments together.

Mr Dickson's friends dragged him back to the boat before applying a tourniquet to stop the excessive bleeding. Paramedics say their actions saved his life

The day after the attack his leg was amputated - which Mr Dickson doesn't mind, considering he got to keep his life.

In the two months following the attack 60 minutes reveals the battles he now faces following Centrelink's decision to reject his application for a disability pension.

He's determined to walk again to stand along his bride's side on their wedding day.

In the interview, he says he is just lucky to be alive: 'So life's great.'
A 32-year-old man has lost an arm and a foot after climbing on to a moving bulk freight train in Western Australia.

He was with his brother, 34, and the pair are believed to have been intoxicated when he fell between a break in the carriages about 7.30pm on Saturday.

The train was passing through Brookvale in Perth when he fell and the train severed his arm and foot.

A 32-year-old man was airlifted to hospital (pictured) on Saturday night after drunkenly trying to cross train tracks by boarding a moving freight train

Emergency services were quick to arrive and the man was airlifted to Royal Perth Hospital.

A spokesperson for the hospital told Daily Mail Australia on Sunday the man is still in a critical condition.

Imagery of his rescue was shared by the local police force to Twitter, alongside a warning message to others trying to use the train as a shortcut across the tracks.

'A lucky outcome for what could have been potentially deadly,' they wrote.

'A reminder why we wait for trains to pass before attempting to cross.'

The other brother made his way across the carriage and to the other side of the track without injury.
Some couples enjoy long walks on the beach with the sun setting on the horizon.

Others, seemingly, enjoy getting far more intimate during a trip down to the seaside.

Beachgoers at the famous Bronte Beach, in eastern Sydney, were left in shock when a man and a woman began getting amorous in front of them on Sunday.

Footage shows a woman lying on her back on the sand with a towel draped over her waist.

At one point the woman can be seen lifting her legs up into the air and crossing her feet, with a man seemingly moving under the towel.

While the pair seemingly didn't harbour any qualms about being intimate in a public arena, the same couldn't be said for onlookers.

Video of the incident, which lasts just eight seconds, was posted to Facebook with the caption: 'They are having sex in front of me'.
Sally Jones (pictured) has shot up the Pentagon's kill list

British ISIS bride Sally Jones has shot up the Pentagon's kill list as it is revealed she and her late husband were responsible for planning a dozen terror plots.

Jones, a 49-year-old mother-of-two from Kent, is considered to be a 'high priority' for assassination in Syria.

The failed punk rocker's extremist husband Junaid Hussain, a computer hacker from Birmingham, was wiped out by an American drone strike in Raqqa in 2015.

One foiled plot hatched by the pair involved kidnapping a former US soldier and beheading him on camera, according to The Sunday Times.

Another plan was to be carried out by a teenager shooting at hundreds of people at a nightclub or concert.

Jones abandoned her disastrous career as a punk rocker to convert to Islam before joining ISIS in 2013.

The convert has previously hinted that she might fancy becoming a suicide bomber herself, writing earlier: 'I know what I'm doing. Paradise has a price and I hope this will be the price for Paradise'.

It is believed that Jones recruited dozens of women to ISIS via social media before her accounts were shut down.

Jones, a 49-year-old mother-of-two from Kent, is considered to be a 'high priority' for assassination in Syria

One foiled plot hatched by Jones and her late husband involved kidnapping a former US soldier and beheading him on camera

She is also believed to be using her 11-year-old son Jojo as a human shield.

After her husband's death, it is thought she received a monthly salary from ISIS of 520, plus a bonus of more than 200 every couple of months for being the widow of a 'shahid' or martyr.

According to one activist she is yet to remarry because 'she is considered old and ISIS fighters prefer young girls.'

The failed punk rocker's extremist husband Junaid Hussain (pictured), a computer hacker from Birmingham, was wiped out by an American drone strike in Raqqa in 2015

Just yesterday it was revealed that ISIS has claimed responsibility for the largest number of terrorism attacks in the world this year.

A map, created by Esri Story Maps and PeaceTech Lab, shows that Islamic State has claimed responsibility for most of the attacks so far on the map - 140 in total - while a group listed as 'other', such as lone wolves, closely follow behind with 130 attacks.

As a result, Islamic State is responsible for 1,180 deaths that have occurred as a result of terrorism this year, with the total number of deaths being 2,841 by 8am on May 7.
An Australian woman who managed to escape the death penalty over drug trafficking charges in Malaysia has urged Cassandra Sainsbury not to cut a deal with Colombian police.

Emma L'Aiguille faced the prospect of death by hanging when she was found with a kilogram of ice under the seat of her boyfriend's car in Kuala Lumpur, in 2012.

The mother-of-six spent 115 days in prison before becoming a prosecution witness against her boyfriend, but has urged Sainsbury not to cut a deal with authorities despite the horrific nature of Colombia's prisons, the Herald Sun reports.

Emma L'Aiguille (pictured), who escaped the death penalty over drug trafficking charges in Malaysia, has urged Cassandra Sainsbury not to cut a deal with Colombian police

Cassandra Sainsbury (pictured) was arrested by Colombian police on April 11 after authorities found 5.8 kilograms of cocaine in her suitcase. She has said she is innocent

'She should never make a deal because she would be saying that she is guilty,' Ms L'Aiguille, from Victoria, said.

'If she is innocent she needs to remain strong and not be pressured into pleading guilty.'

Ms L'Aigulle said Miss Sainsbury needed to put her faith in her lawyers to sort her matter out and implored her to remain positive despite how bad conditions may get in prison.

Miss Sainsbury is currently languishing in the notorious Colombian prison, El Buen Pastor, having been accused of cocaine smuggling.

Miss Sainsbury (pictured) faces up to 25 years' in jail if convicted over drug smuggling

Miss Sainsbury is pictured on CCTV footage being led away by an immigration officer at Bogota airport moments after handing over her passport after checking in for a flight

Miss Sainsbury is currently languishing in the notorious Colombian prison, El Buen Pastor (pictured)

On Saturday, footage emerged of the moment Miss Sainsbury was arrested by Colombian authorities.

Vision from inside Bogota Airport obtained by Nine News shows Miss Sainsbury being led away just moments after handing her passport to an immigration officer on April 11.

The 22-year-old Adelaide woman had earlier checked-in for her flight to London and was being questioned by the officer who had already been given her travel details when she was intercepted.

Authorities later allegedly found 5.8kg of cocaine in Miss Sainsbury's suitcase.

The drugs were packed inside what Miss Sainsbury said she thought were 15 pairs of headphones.

She faces up to 25 years' in jail for the offence but Miss Sainsbury has declared she is innocent.
Emmanuel Macron, who exit polls say won France's presidential elections on Sunday, may have seen off the competition in the race for the Elysee Palace but will face daunting challenges when he takes office.

The 39-year-old must unite a deeply-divided country, roll back unemployment and try to nudge a fractious EU along the path of reform -- but he first faces a battle to secure a governing majority in legislative elections due next month.

Macron, a pro-European centrist and former banker, takes over a divided country where nearly half of voters backed extremist candidates -- critical of the EU, globalisation and "elites" -- in the first round of the election.

The "two Frances" are divided geographically -- one urban, more affluent and open to reform; the other, concentrated in the northern rustbelt and in disadvantaged areas of the countryside. It was this latter France that voted for Macron's far-right opponent, Marine Le Pen.

Macron knows that many voters backed him not out of conviction but simply to stop Le Pen taking power, and his support could evaporate at the parliamentary elections.

"Will the Macron-Le Pen divide -- which is a national, existential identity divide, not the usual left-right split -- continue into the legislative election? I tend to think so," said analyst Stephane Rozes of the CAP thinktank.

Macron has promised to move beyond traditional left and right parties to create a new majority in the centre.

He launched his En Marche! (On the Move) party less than a year ago but managed to attract hundreds of thousands of supporters. He finished first in the first round of the election with a quarter of the vote. In the runoff against Le Pen, he notched up almost two-thirds of the vote, according to exit polls.

Now he must convert his extraordinary rise -- unprecedented in recent French history -- into a solid presence in the National Assembly.

After his success in the presidential race, Macron believes that the French people will give him another victory in parliamentary elections, which will take place on June 11 and 18.

But the traditional centre-right, whose candidate Francois Fillon crashed out in the first round amid a fake jobs scandal, hopes to strike back and force Macron into a coalition arrangement in parliament.

The far left, emboldened by the first-round success of candidate Jean-Luc Melenchon, who took an unexpectedly high 19.6 percent, is also aiming for a strong showing.

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French voters in overseas territories across the world queued to cast their ballots for the presidential elections.

This morning French citizens in London formed huge queues to cast their votes at the polling station in the Lycee Francais Charles de Gaulle primary school in South Kensington.

The station was subject to heavy security and armed police looked on as men and women patiently waited outside.

Thousands of French citizens who live and work in the UK are voting in 11 cities in Britain, making their choice between centrist Emmanuel Macron and far-right populist Marine Le Pen.

London has been described as France's 'sixth-biggest city,' and French voters in the British capital had two polling stations to choose from. Sylvie Bermann, the French ambassador to the UK was among the voters casting their ballots on Sunday morning.

With Macron the pollsters' favourite, voting stations opened across mainland France at 8am (6am GMT) under the watch of 50,000 security forces guarding against potential terror attacks.

Yesterday voting started in foreign territories across the world. From Saint-Pierre-et-Miquelon, an archipelago near Newfoundland, to French Guiana and the French West Indies and beyond voters turned out in their droves.

This morning French citizens in London formed huge queues to cast their votes at the polling station at the Lycee Francais Charles de Gaulle primary school in South Kensington

The station was subject to heavy security and armed police looked on as men and women patiently queued

French voter were rewarded for getting up early on a Sunday morning to cast their ballots and were handed pain au chocolat while they waited

Thousands of French citizens who live and work in the UK are voting in 11 cities in Britain, making their choice between Macron and Le Pen

Security services were being vigilant and checked everyone's bags before they ended the primary school

Today French voters have a stark choice between two candidates - pro-business independent Emmanuel Macron and far-right populist Marine Le Pen

Polling agency projections and initial official results are expected as soon as the final stations close at 8pm in France and 6pm in the UK

The fate of the European Union may hang in the balance as France's 47 million voters decide whether to risk handing the presidency to anti-EU Le Pen

Pain au chocolat and other pastries were handed out to French voters as they prepared to cast their ballots in Kensington

French citizens also lined up to cast their votes at the French International School in Hong Kong, China this morning

There are about 8,160 voters registered with the French consulate in Hong Kong and Macau who can vote in the second round of the presidential election

A woman signs a voters' register during the second round of the French presidential election at a polling station in Iracoubo, French Guiana

A voter casts her ballot in the second round of the French presidential elections in NoumEa, New Caledonia

French voters walk past posters of their candidates as they cast their ballots in in Noumea, New Caledonia today
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Voters descended on polling stations across France today in an unusually tense election that could decide the future of Europe.

The French have a stark choice between two candidates - pro-business independent Emmanuel Macron and far-right populist Marine Le Pen.

With Macron the pollsters' runaway favourite, voting stations opened across mainland France at 8am (7am GMT) under the watch of 50,000 security officers guarding against extremist attacks.

Both candidates were surrounded by press as they voted on Sunday morning. Le Pen cast her ballot in a church in Henin-Beaumont, a small northern town controlled by her National Front party.

Independent centrist Macron and his wife Brigitte were mobbed by fans as they went to vote at the polling station in Le Touquet this morning

Right wing National Front candidate casts her ballot in Henin-Beaumont after Femen protesters were cleared from outside the polling station

Le Pen, 48, arrived at the polling station with Henin-Beaumont Mayor Steeve Briois, who took over as the National Front's leader during the presidential election campaign.

Topless feminist activists, who had climbed on to the roof of the church, hung a banner and shouted anti Le Pen chants, were removed and briefly detained by police before the candidate arrived.

The Femen protest was the latest in many demonstrations against Le Pen or against both candidates.

A church, acting as a polling station in Henin-Beaumont, saw the protest from feminist activist group Femen. The activists were detained after the protest, the latest in many demonstrations against Le Pen

Le Pen spoke to fans after casting her vote in Henin-Beaumont. The anti-globalist wants to introduce protectionist policies favouring French workers, and strengthen borders, while ending all immigration, legal or not

Emmanuel Macron waved to supporters as he left his home in Le Touquet flanked by bodyguards to go and vote this morning

Unions are reportedly already planning a protest on Monday, regardless of whether Le Pen or Macron wins.

Front-runner Macron, 39, voted in the coastal town of Le Tourquet in northern France alongside his wife, Brigitte.

The former Socialist economy minister and one-time banker was all smiles as he stepped out of his holiday home in the seaside resort.

The 39-year-old is the runaway favourite to become France's youngest ever president and cast his vote in an election that will have huge repercussions for Brexit and the future of the EU.

If he defeats Le Pen in France's runoff election, 39-year-old Emmanuel Macron will become the country's youngest president of all time, erasing Louis Napoleon Bonaparte's record

Le Pen has continually trailed Macron in opinion polls since the pair beat off competition from nine other candidates and made it through the first round of voting two weeks ago

Le Pen left the Henin Beaumont polling station clutching flowers and travelled to Paris to await the results

Front-runner Macron voted in the coastal town of Le Tourquet in northern France alongside his wife, Brigitte

France's Interior Ministry said voter turnout at midday was running slightly lower than during the last presidential runoff in 2012. The ministry said 28 per cent of eligible voters had cast ballots, compared with a half-day tally of 31 percent five years ago

Macron arrived at the town hall in Le Touquet, on the English Channel coast, shortly after 10.30am, with his wife, 64, and shook hands with a large crowd of supporters before voting.

Both looked confident as they put their ballot papers in a box at the start of a contest, which opinion polls suggest Macron will win by as much as 68 per cent.

For security reasons, Macron was surrounded by armed security and driven from his nearby home to the polling station in a five-car convoy.

Unions are reportedly already planning a protest on Monday, regardless of whether Le Pen or Macron wins. Pictured Femen activists hold flares after unveiling a banner on a church in Henin-Beaumont

For security reasons, Macron was driven to his nearby polling station at Le Touquet City Hall. He shook hands with a large crowd of supporters before voting

Macron looked confident as he put his ballot paper in a box at the start of a contest, which opinion polls suggest Macron will win by as much as 68 per cent

Despite the couple living around the corner with their Argentine Mastiff dog, Figaro, they were in a five-car convoy and surrounded by at least a dozen armed security guards and police officers

Presidential candidate Macron is pictured leaving his home to make his way to a polling station in Le Touquet, northern France

The French presidential election was rocked by a security alert in the heart of Paris at about 1pm. The courtyard outside the Louvre museum, where Macron plans to hold an election night victory party, was evacuated on police orders after a bomb threat.

Macron's campaign press office said it was a 'suspicious bag' that prompted the evacuation and the museum was reopened some 90 minutes later.

Polling agency projections and initial results are expected as soon as the final stations close at 8pm (7pm GMT).

The polls suggest thepassionately pro-EU Macron will win by as much as 68 per cent. He has described Brexit as 'a crime' and wants the UK to be denied any special privileges as it negotiates its way out of the EU

Marine Le Pen (centre ) was escorted by her bodyguard Thierry Legier (second from left) as she walked out the polling station

Outgoing French president Francois Hollande cast his vote in the runoff election to replace him in his political fiefdom of Tulle in southwestern France.

Hollande, the most unpopular French leader in the country's modern history, decided not to stand for re-election last year.

The Socialist president has called on voters to back centrist Emmanuel Macron, his former protege. Former French president Nicolas Sarkozy and his wife Carla Bruni were also photographed voting at a polling station in Paris.

The French presidential election was rocked by a security alert in the heart of Paris at about 1pm after the courtyard outside the Louvre museum, where Macron plans to hold an election night victory party, was evacuated (pictured) on police orders after a bomb threat

Macron's campaign press office said it was a 'suspicious bag' that prompted the evacuation and sniffer dog search. The museum was reopened some 90 minutes later

Yesterday the rest of the world watched as the most unpredictable and important French presidential campaign in recent memory ended with a hacking attack targeting Macron on Friday night, just hours before the country went into media blackout.

France's government cybersecurity agency, ANSSI, is investigating the hack, which Macron's team says was aimed at destabilising the vote.

The fate of the European Union may hang in the balance as France's 47 million voters decide whether to risk handing the presidency to Le Pen.

The far right candidate has made no secret of her dream to quit the EU and its common currency. Macron on-the-other-hand is an unabashed pro-European who wants to strengthen the bloc.

Brigitte Macron met her husband in 1992, when he was just 15 years old, and a pupil at a private school in Amiens. She was his teacher

The family of Macron's wife, Brigitee, have run a chocolate shop 'Jean Trogneux' for five generations in Amiens, his hometown

Macron grew up in the workers quarters (pictured) in rue Gaulthier de Rumilly in Amiens. Macron has argued that France must rethink its labour laws to better compete globally and appealed for unity and tolerance

Global financial markets and France's neighbours are watching carefully. A 'Frexit' would be far more devastating than Britain's departure, since France is the second-biggest economy to use the Euro.

The country is also a central pillar of the EU and its mission of keeping post-war peace via trade and open borders.

The vote will help gauge the strength of global populism after the UK opted out of the EU in June last year and Donald Trump won the U.S presidential election.

In France, it is a test of whether voters are ready to overlook the racist and anti-Semitic past of Le Pen's National Front party.

The topless women climbed on to the roof of the church, hung a big banner and chanted against far-right Marine Le Pen's National Front party

French President Francois Hollande was mobbed by the press as he left a polling station in Tulle this morning

Le Pen has broadened the party's appeal by tapping into, and fueling, anger at globalisation and fears associated with immigration and Islamic extremism.

Macron has argued that France must rethink its labour laws to better compete globally and appealed for unity and tolerance. Le Pen has called his policies naive.

Either candidate would lead France into uncharted territory, since neither comes from the mainstream parties that dominate parliament or have experience running the country.

The winner will have to try to build a parliamentary majority in elections next month to make major changes.

Former French president Nicolas Sarkozy (left) and his wife Carla Bruni (centre) were photographed voting at a polling station in Paris

Hollande, the most unpopular French leader in the country's modern history, decided not to stand for re-election last year. The Socialist president has called on voters to reject far-right candidate Marine Le Pen and to back centrist Macron, his former protege

Fears of outside meddling hung over the race after France's election campaign commission said yesterday that 'a significant amount of data', along with some fake information, was leaked on social networks following the hacking attack on Macron.

The leaked documents appeared largely mundane, and the perpetrators remain unknown. It's unclear whether the document dump will dent the large polling lead Macron held over Le Pen going into the vote. The Paris prosecutors' office said it has launched an investigation following the attack.

The commission urged French media and citizens not to pay attention to the leaked documents. French electoral laws impose a weekend news blackout on any campaigning and media coverage seen as swaying the election meaning Le Pen's campaign could not formally respond due to the blackout.

Sarkozy served as president from 2007 until 2012. Before his presidency, he was the leader of the Union for a Popular Movement party

With Macron the pollsters' favourite, voting stations opened across mainland France at 8am (6am GMT) under the watch of 50,000 security forces guarding against extremist attacks. Pictured: A municipal employee checks bags at the entrance of a polling station

Voters descended on polling stations across France this morning in an unusually tense election that could decide the future of Europe. Pictured: Voters in Paris

The Macron team asked the campaign oversight commission to bring in cybersecurity agency ANSSI to study the hack, according to a government official who spoke to The Associated Press on the condition of anonymity.

ANSSI can only be called in to investigate cyberattacks that are 'massive and sophisticated' - and the Macron hack appears to fit the bill, the official said.

The documents leaked Friday were widely circulated on far-right sites based in the U.S. Experts dissecting the data said they spotted some Russian names in the dump.

From depressed northern France to the streets of Paris, some voters were just looking forward to the end of the vitriolic campaign.

The French have a stark choice between two candidates - pro-business independent Emmanuel Macron and far-right populist Marine Le Pen. Pictured: Voters at an international school in Hong Kong walk past posters of the candidates

The far right candidate has made no secret of her dream to quit the EU and its common currency. Macron on-the-other-hand is an unabashed pro-European who wants to strengthen the bloc. Pictured: French voters line up at a polling station in Hong Kong

Le Pen has broadened the party's appeal by tapping into, and fueling, anger at globalisation and fears associated with immigration and Islamic extremism. Pictured: Benedictine monks of the Saint Pierre de Solesmes Abbey cast their ballots

Yesterday the rest of the world watched as the most unpredictable and important French presidential campaign in recent memory ended with a hacking attack targeting Macron. Pictured: Voters in Le Touquet, northern France

In Henin-Beaumont in northern France, where Le Pen will cast her ballot, Thomas Delannoy, 28, said the campaign 'looks like reality TV.'

The construction painter called the electoral process 'laughable,' saying that neither candidate had a platform with which he could identify.

Many voters expressed similar frustration, and a big question remaining Sunday was how many of them would bother to vote.

Turn out is already down on the last election, with pollsters recording a 28.23 per cent so far compared to 30.6 per cent at the same hour in 2012.

Pictured left: Special macarons in the family chocolate shop. Pictured right: Macron's childhood home in Amiens

Either candidate would lead France into uncharted territory, since neither comes from the mainstream parties that dominate parliament or have experience running the country
Postwar Germany began its second biggest evacuation of a major city on Sunday as ordnance disposal experts moved in to Hanover to tackle five RAF bombs from World War II found on building sites.

Fifty thousand people from flats, houses, care homes and clinics were on the move in Hanover at 9.00am and told they won't be allowed back for up to 24 hours. The number amounts to ten per cent of the city's population.

Hanover was hit 125 times by Allied air forces during the war. The unstable duds that must be tackled date from a raid in October 1943 when 260,000 high explosive and incendiary devices were dropped.

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These are the World War II bombs discovered on a building site that led to the evacuation of 50,000 people in Hanover including residents of seven care homes

Fifty thousand people from flats, houses, care homes and clinics were on the move in Hanover at 9.00am on Sunday

The evacuation came after five RAF unexploded RAF bombs from World War II were found on a building site

The bombs were from a raid in October 1943 when 260,000 high explosive and incendiary devices were dropped.

The raid killed 1,245 locals and left a further 250,000 homeless.

Hanover was often a target for Allied forces in World War II. It was a vital railway junction through which two major east-west and north-south routes passed.

Additionally, it was an industrial city where tyres for military vehicles and aircraft were produced.

Tyres were made by Continental AG factories in Hanover, while another factory - run by Accumulatoren Fabrik Aktiengesellschaf (AFA) - built batteries for submarines and torpedoes.

The Hanover evacuation was only topped by a mass movement of people in Augsburg on Christmas Eve last year when 54,000 people were forced from their homes by unexplored wartime bombs.

The raid in which the newly discovered bombs were dropped killed 1,245 locals and left a further 250,000 homeless in Hanover. Pictured above, the building site where the RAF bombs were found

The Hanover evacuation was only topped by a mass movement of people in Augsburg on Christmas Eve last year when 54,000 people were forced from their homes by unexplored wartime bombs. Pictured above, the building site where the RAF bombs were found

Schools have been opened to accommodate those with nowhere to go. Long distance trains have been rerouted to avoid the city's main train station

The city has launched a number of cultural and athletic activities for those affected by the evacuation to keep them busy

The 'iron harvest' of bombs and munitions continues to be a huge headache for Germany 72 years after the end of the war

Thousands of helpers from across the state of Lower Saxony have been drafted in to aid in the Hanover evacuation.

Schools have been opened to accommodate those with nowhere to go. Long distance trains have been rerouted to avoid the city's main train station.

The evacuation zone included seven care homes, a hospital and a tyre factory. Residents are expected to be able to return to their homes in 24 hours.

The 'iron harvest' of bombs and munitions continues to be a huge headache for Germany 72 years after the end of the war.

It is estimated that 150,000 bombs lie unexploded beneath German towns and cities and they grow more unstable with every passing day.

Elderly people from a senior care facility wait to board a bus as part of the evacuation of 50,000 people on Saturday

Bomb disposal experts will check five locations in the city today where unexploded bombs from World War II lie underground

Unexploded World War II bombs, mostly from Allied aerial bombing, remain a deadly legacy and smaller scale evacuations are a regular occurrence in major urban centers across Germany throughout the year

Dozens have been killed and injured in explosions in the past decades and thousands placed in danger.

In 2011, falling water levels on the River Rhine in Koblenz exposed two mammoth RAF bombs capable of causing catastrophic damage if they detonated: Some 45,000 people were evacuated to render them safe.

A bomb from an RAF or US Air Force plane from WWII is discovered on average once a day across the country, sometimes as many as three times a day, costing authorities tens of millions of pounds a year.

The Allies rained 2.7 million tons of bombs on Germany between 1940 and 1944.

The academic Journal of Mine Action estimates that as much as half of them failed to do their job.

Thousands of helpers from across the state of Lower Saxony have been drafted in to aid in the Hanover evacuation

It is estimated that 150,000 bombs lie unexploded beneath German towns and cities and they grow more unstable with every passing day

Dozens have been killed and injured in explosions in the past decades and thousands placed in danger. Pictured above, elderly people are evacuated from a care home on Sunday

Many of these bombs are of a type containing a vial of acetone in the fuse which was designed to burst on impact.

The fluid was meant to trickle down and dissolve a celluloid disk keeping back the cocked firing pin that then ignites the TNT inside.

Those components, as well as the plastic parts of other detonators, are disintegrating at an alarming rate.

Experts warn that within a decade bombs will begin to detonate by themselves - or will be too unstable to defuse if discovered.

That would mean controlled explosions on site with colossal damage to infrastructure around and about.
Prince Philip's impending retirement has created a serious discussion within Buckingham Palace about the royal family's role in public life.

The Queen has suggested that, in wake of The Duke of Edinburgh stepping down from public life, the younger royals needed to put more emphasis on state duties.

Prince Harry and the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge have presented a softer public image in recent years, campaigning for several charities.

As Prince Phillip retires the younger royals will now be expected to put a greater amount of emphasis on state duties, rather then their individual charity work

They have been heavily involved with the mental health campaign Heads Together. In April Prince Harry made headlines when he disclosed that he endured two years of 'total chaos' following the death of his mother.

However a royal source told the Sunday Times that a different attitude will now be expected from the younger royals.

They said: 'As successful as that campaign [Heads Together] was, it might be that soul-baring isn't what Buckingham Palace is looking for.

'The direct impact [of Prince Phillip's retirement] will be that the Cambridges will be expected to step up and undertake more state business and do less of their own campaign work.'

William and Kate have both been involved with the Heads Together mental health campaign

The source added that there was the view that the royal family needed to focus on 'representing the nation' instead of 'individual royal activity.'

The royal realignment was announced in front of 500 staff at Buckingham Palace by the Queen's private secretary Sir Christopher Geidt.

Prince Phillip stood down on Thursday after an astonishing 22,191 solo public engagements and 637 overseas visits.

Prince Harry made headlines in April when he revealed he endured two years of 'total chaos' following the death of his mother

The Duke, who turns 96 in June, maintained his famous sense of humour as the news broke however.

When Sir Michael Atiyah, 88, said to him: 'I'm sorry to hear you're standing down, the Duke replied: 'Well I can't stand up much longer'.

Prince Phillip, who turns 96 in June, has retired after ore than 20,000 public engagements

He also told one of his oldest friends: 'I'm passed my sell-by date!'

Aides however have insisted that there are no concerns about his health and that the Queen's public schedule will continue as normal.
It is 'legally impossible' to enforce demands for Britain to pay a massive 92billion (100billion) divorce bill, lawyers in Brussels have reportedly privately admitted.

The shock revelation is contained in minutes of a meeting and given to the Brexit negotiation team in Brussels.

But the European Commission has ignored the advice of its own lawyers and pushed ahead with demanding the hefty bill regardless.

The staggering bill has contributed to the poisoning of relations between Britain and the EU.

Aides to European Commission president Jean Claude Juncker, pictured in Florence on Friday, have briefed against Theresa may contributing to a downturn in relations between Britain and the bloc

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 numbers have shot up because they are trying to deny the UK a share of billions of pounds of assets across the continent - such as buildings.

But it has now emerged that serious questions have been raised over the legality of this position, according to a report in the Sunday Telegraph.

Demands that the UK's share of assets should not be included in calculations of the Brexit settlement were reportedly made at a seminar in February held by Brexit chief negotiator Michel Barnier.

According to minutes of the meeting seen by the newspaper, Nadia Calvino, the director-general in charge of the budget, argued against the idea.

She warned that Europe could not start 'cherry-picking' which parts of the annual accounts it wanted to base its calculations on.

In a separate legal memo seen by the newspaper, Mr Barnier's team warned it would be 'legally impossible' to insist Britain keeps paying for farm subsidies after it leaves the EU in March 2019.

Theresa May, pictured in Wolverhampton yesterday, has dismissed the Brexit Bill demand and insisted that no deal is better than a bad deal with the EU

But they appear to have been overruled.

A source told the paper: 'It was the clear view of the Commission that it would be legally impossible to defend the idea that the entire seven-year budget plan was a binding commitment on the UK, and that insisting the UK pay after Brexit would give them an excuse to walk.'

The revelations are a boot for the British government ministers, who have dismissed the huge bill.

Brexit Secretary David Davis has said: ''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 the PM's view that 'no deal is better than a bad deal'

Relations between Britain and the EU have nose-dived after negative briefings against Mrs May from Brussels.

Aides to European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker accused the PM of being 'deluded' and 'in another galaxy' after meeting her for talks in Downing Street.

It triggered a furious response from Mrs May who used a speech outside No 10 to warn that meddling Eurocrats were mounting a desperate bid to interfere in Britain's General Election.
William Ury was a member of the group who helped stop the 52-year conflict between the Colombian Government and the brutal Farc guerrillas

A hostile negotiations expert who played a key role in ending Colombia's vicious civil war has been consulted by the British government to help in Brexit talks.

William Ury was a member of the group who helped stop the 52-year conflict between the Colombian Government and the brutal Farc guerrillas.

He has 35 years of experience of hostile and emotional conflicts in regions across the world, including the Balkans, Middle East and the former USSR.

Theresa May and her EU counterparts have been locked in a war of words this week.

EU Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker accused the Prime Minister of living in 'another galaxy', according to leaked reports of a Downing Street dinner.

Mrs May replied with a broadside claiming EU diplomats wanted to influence the General Election, which Mr Juncker dismissed by saying he was 'too busy' to interfere'.

The Department for Exiting the European Union confirmed to The Sun On Sunday that its officials had met with Mr Ury but refused to say if he had been paid.

Theresa May and her EU counterparts have been locked in a war of words this week. The Prime Minister is pictured yesterday visiting an aerospace company in Wolverhampton

A government source told The Telegraph the meeting with Mr Ury took place earlier this year and did not represent 'anything unusual'.

A source told the paper: 'It's astonishing... that before the negotiations have even started the government have pressed the nuclear button by bringing in a war negotiator.'

Mr Ury studied an undergraduate degree at Yale before gaining a PhD from Harvard.

He co-founded the International Negotiation Network, which seeks to end civil wars around the world, with former US president Jimmy Carter.

Mr Ury has also authored several books, including Getting to Yes: Negotiating An Agreement Without Giving In, which sold almost 12 million copies.

In the 1980s, he worked with the governments of the USA and Soviet Union to create nuclear crisis centres intended to avoid an accidental nuclear war.

EU Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker (pictured) accused the Prime Minister of living in 'another galaxy', according to leaked reports of a Downing Street dinner

Summing up the key to difficult negotiations, he told the BBC: 'Not to react impulsively.

'As the old saying goes 'when angry you will make the best speech you will ever regret'.'

He has also spoken of the need to avoid 'veiled threats' and focus on a achieving a long-term settlement.
An explosive recording of a conversation between Anthony Bell and his wife Kelly Landry has been leaked just days before a bitter court case involving the pair is set to be finalised.

The conversation was secretly recorded by TV presenter Ms Landry in August last year at the Rio Olympics, with celebrity accountant Mr Bell heard swearing at his wife.

'You're hiding on my f***ing coat tails. That's all you are,' Mr Bell is heard saying in the conversation, which was played on Nine News on Sunday night.

'And robbing from me while you do it. That's the whole reason you stay with me.'

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A recording of a private conversation between Kelly Landry (pictured) and Anthony Bell has been leaked to the media

In the recording, Anthony Bell (pictured) can be heard swearing at his wife and accusing her of 'robbing from me'

Mr Bell told Ms Landry to look him 'clean in the eye' and say 'I've never cheated on you' and at one stage asked her to swear on the life of one of their children. She denied ever cheating on her husband.

The recording also included talk about Ms Landry's use of Mr Bell's credit card.

'You had to admit to memorising my number and rinsing my f***ing card. On all sorts of f***ing items of clothing. You forgot about that one,' Mr Bell said.

Ms Landry responds by saying that it wasn't clothing, 'it was kid's stuff', prompting Mr Bell to say, 'It had nothing to do with the kids you idiot'.

Ms Landry and Mr Bell (pictured here together in earlier times) are currently engaged in a bitter court case

In the recording, Ms Landry (pictured) is heard telling her husband that she has never cheated on him

Mr Bell (pictured centre) claimed the recording was 'highly edited and one-sided'

Mr Bell later tells Ms Landry she has 'completely destroyed my soul, my decency, my self-confidence'.

The couple spent last week in Sydney's Downing Centre Local Court for a hearing into an AVO Ms Landry has taken out against Mr Bell.

During the week, the court heard Ms Landry thought Mr Bell had an 'odd relationship' with NRL Footy Show co-host Erin Molan. Ms Molan has denied ever having a romantic relationship with Mr Bell.

A magistrate will decide in two weeks' time whether to grant a permanent AVO against Mr Bell.

A court last week heard Ms Landry thought Mr Bell had an 'odd relationship' with NRL Footy Show co-host Erin Molan (pictured). Ms Molan has denied ever having a romantic relationship with Mr Bell

Mr Bell told Nine News he was 'deeply disappointed' the recording was made public and said it was 'not a fair representation'.

'I have remained silent since the first day of this horrendous time in my family's life for the sake of my children,' Mr Bell said.

'Given the media reporting of private and highly edited one-sided recordings I have been left with no choice.

'I am deeply disappointed that a personal relationship matter has been made public and it is not a fair representation of the situation.'
Paris is supposed to be the city of love and romance.

But a visiting British couple had a very difference experience - when French police blew up their van thinking it was a terror threat.

Roofer Louis Cole, 27, from Kent, treated his girlfriend to the city break and drove down to the French capital in his van.

Roofer Louis Cole, from Kent, was on a romantic trip to Paris with his girlfriend

But they struggled to find a car park where he could leave the van, so instead they parked it outside a church on Sunday morning.

After sightseeing around the city the pair returned to the van to find it gone.

Anti-terror police had been called to the spot by worried locals and carried out a controlled explosion on the van by blowing a huge hole in the roof and smashing the windows.

The vehicle was removed and taken to a compound.

Worried locals were suspicious when Louis parked his van outside a church and called police - who carried out a controlled explosion

Louis, 27, from Faversham, Kent said: 'We drove to Paris on the Friday and the car parks were all so expensive as the van is quite tall.

'We found the spot outside the church and parked up there thinking it would be all right.

'When we came back, the van was gone, and we initially believed it had just been towed away.

The windows to Louis's van were smashed and the roof blown wide open

'When we arrived at the compound to pick it up, we were told what had happened and couldn't believe it.

'There is a mass at the church on the Sunday and people had reported it as looking suspicious.

'When police arrived, they found a passport in the driver's door which apparently made them more suspicious and they believed it was a terror threat.'

France has been on a state of high alert since the 2015 terrorist attacks in Paris

Louis, who owns his own business, L Cole Roofing in Faversham, is still awaiting payment for the damage and an apology from the French authorities.

He added: 'I haven't heard from the insurance people yet but I would've thought it's a write off.'

France has been in a state of emergency since 2015 attacks in Paris, where 130 people died.
A nurse is facing losing her lips after paying for unlicensed filler that left her with an extreme 'trout pout'.

Merve Kales, 22, underwent the treatment after paying 220 for the injection.

Neither she, nor the untrained hairdresser who injected her, know exactly what substance was in the injection.

Merve Kales, 22, from southern Turkey, pictured before she was injected with unlicensed filler, which left her lips so swollen that she is now barely able to close her mouth.

But the procedure left Merve, from Adana, southern Turkey, with lips so swollen that she can barely close her mouth.

An operation to try to remove the filler will take place this week.

But surgeons have reportedly told her that because they have no idea what has been injected into her, both lips may have to be removed.

Merve would then have to endure long, painful months of reconstructive surgery.

 Slide me  Before and after: The unlicensed filler, which Merve paid a hairdresser to inject for 220, transformed her lips lips from natural (left) to swollen (right)

Local media named the hairdresser who carried out the procedure as Soner G.

But the crimper denied being responsible.

Soner told local media: 'I didn't tell Merve that I am a doctor.

'She is a friend of my friend. We were at the same house drinking alcohol and she asked me to give her a lip injection.

Warning: Surgeons have reportedly told Merve that she may lose her lips after she was injected with an unknown substance

'She had the lip injection substance with her. Although I said I could not do it, she insisted. I injected it wherever she told me to put it.'

It was not clear where Merve got the unknown lip filler from.

Fillers have been rising in popularity, largely due to celebrities such as Kendall Jenner, who have made a career out of their plump pouts.

Others such as Angelina Jolie have naturally plump lips, but are often mentioned by women arriving at clinics in search of a similarly voluminous look.

In the UK, non-surgical cosmetic procedures can be injected by anyone, regardless of their training or experience, resulting in leading medical experts calling in recent years for greater legislation.
An elephant in the room is often the cause of tension, arguments and fighting.

But a video has emerged of an elephant doing the exact opposite when it acted as peacemaker during a punch-up between two ostriches.

In the clip, the sensible bull elephant in the Tarangire National Park, Tanzania, broke up a fearsome fight between two outraged ostriches.

The large birds were filmed delivering vicious kicks to each other during the heat of the argument in April last year.

While the ostriches locked feathers a huge bull elephant began to approach to get a better look at what was causing the commotion.

The magnificent animal ambled towards the pair, surveying them quietly for a few moments.

But he clearly decided their spat was more than a mere annoyance when he began flaring his ears.

An elephant in the room is often the cause of tension, arguments and fighting. But a video has emerged of an elephant doing the exact opposite when it acted as peacemaker during a punch-up between two ostriches in the Tarangire National Park, Tanzania

Locking feathers: The large birds were filmed delivering vicious kicks to each other during the heat of the argument in April last year

This magnificent animal ambled towards the pair, surveying them quietly for a few moments before flaring his ears, trumpeting and charging at them to break up the spat

Ear-spreading is known to denote aggression, according to biologist and conservationist Joyce Poole, who has shared her research into elephant body language with National Geographic.

The ostriches did not seem to get the message though, and continued to spar.

As if to say enough is enough, the elephant decided to up the ante - and let out an almighty trumpeting roar before charging towards the squabbling pair.

The busted-up birds sensibly scattered, bringing an abrupt end to their conflict.

Ear-spreading is known to denote aggression in elephants, but the ostriches did not seem to get the message at first, and continued to spar until the beast charged at them
Related Chibok girls released by Boko Haram arrive in Abuja

A group of 82 girls held captive for three years by Islamist militants met Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari in the capital Abuja on Sunday a day after they were released in exchange for several militant commanders, officials said.

"I cannot express in a few words how happy I am to welcome our dear girls back to freedom," Buhari told the girls surrounding him in his residency, a presidency statement said.

"On behalf of all Nigerians, I will like to share my joy with you," he told the girls, who were seen clapping, according to an official picture of the meeting.

The girls were among a group of 270 schoolgirls kidnapped in April 2014 by the militant group Boko Haram, which has waged an eight-year-old insurgency to create an Islamist caliphate, killing thousands and forcing more than two million from their homes.

The government secured the release with mediation by the International Committee of the Red Cross. A military source said three Boko Haram commanders had been freed in an exchange, but declined to give further details.

Photographs released by the ICRC showed a line of girls wearing vests emblazoned with the charity's logo waiting to board a military helicopter.

The military source said the girls had been flown from Banki near the border with Cameroon to Maiduguri and then Abuja, where they first got a medical checkup at a police hospital before being driven in two buses to the presidential villa.

Their meeting with the president apparently took place before they were reunited with their parents and relatives.

In Chibok, the remote town in northeastern Nigeria where the girls were abducted from, families were nervously waiting for names of those freed to be published.

"Many of the parents of the girls are anxious about the identities of the girls," said Maina Mohammed, uncle of one of the abducted girls. "'Will my daughter be there?' they keep asking today."

Boost for Buhari

Their release was a boost for Buhari, a former military ruler who made crushing Boko Haram a pillar of his election campaign in 2015. Buhari, 74, has made few public appearances since returning from Britain in March for medical treatment.

A thin-looking Buhari met the girls in the evening. Only state television and his official photographer were allowed to attend.

"Let me reassure Nigerians, especially relatives and friends of the remaining girls that the Federal Government will spare no effort to see that they and all other Nigerians who have been abducted safely regain their freedom," Buhari said in the statement.

The girls, who wore headscarves, were driven through Abuja to the hospital in a military convoy. One had a bandaged arm and some could be seen laughing.

Although the kidnapping of the Chibok girls caught global attention, Boko Haram, which has pledged loyalty to Islamic State, has kidnapped thousands of adults and children.

The army has retaken much of the territory initially lost to Boko Haram, but large parts of the northeast, particularly in Borno state, remain under threat from the militants. Suicide bombings and gun attacks have increased in the region since the end of the rainy season late last year.

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A couple whose sausage dog broke its spine in a car accident have pleaded for help paying for the pup's $10,000 veterinary bills.

The hound's owner Melanie Joy was travelling from Ngaruawahia to visit relatives in Auckland when tragedy struck.

The traffic came to a sudden halt on the southern motorway, and with Frank sat in the back seat inside his crate, another vehicle plowed through the back of their car.

Luckily Ms Joy avoided injury from the collision, yet her canine companion was not so fortunate.

The impact of the crash fractured his L7 vertebrae, leaving the two-year-old dachshund with a broken spine and needing an operation to insert a metal plate to piece back together his shattered spinal cord.

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Frank the sausage dog was a lively and energetic pooch before breaking his spine in a car accident. Vets have told doting owners he will never be the active pup he once was

The two-year-old dachshund is 'like a child' to his doting owners

The aftermath of the crash which broke the pooch's spine. The back end of the car was completely crushed as the dog's owner was lucky to escape injury

The costs of the veterinary treatment has left the 34-year-old and her partner Ewen McBeth $10,000 out of pocket.

With the pair currently living off a single income, the accident happened at an inconvenient time in their lives.

The couple have recently made their first move onto the property ladder after buying a home in Ngaruawahia, and with Joy currently in full time study, they struggled to come up with money to cover the costs.

Following the surgery, Frank now has a large metal plate in his spine which is fixed in with five screws and two pins

However coughing up the cash and saving their beloved pet was never in question.

'We don't have children and at this stage we're not sure whether we will have children or not,' McBeth told The New Zealand Herald.

'If we were to lose him it would be like losing a child really.'

Having decided not to pursue charging the driver who rear ended their car during the crash, they now hope on the goodwill of the public to recoup the costs of the surgery.

McBeth has set up a Give A Little page and so far has been inundated with donations with the current figure raised standing at $6,566.40.

Three months after the accident, Frank is making a positive recovery and is undergoing canine hydrotherapy treatment in attempt to get him back to full fitness.

The doting owners have been told though that the pooch will never be as active as he once was.

'We've been told he can't really run and jump like he did because if he falls the wrong way then it's potentially going to damage [his back] or cause some other complications.'
John McDonnell has hinted that Jeremy Corbyn could cling on as Labour Party leader even if they lose the General Election.

And the left-wing shadow chancellor said the world has a lot to learn from Karl Marx - the German communist whose writings led to revolutions around the world.

It comes after Labour hinted that they plan to slap those earning more than 80,000 with a tax hike if they are elected.

Mr McDonnell risked derision making the comments just days after Labour lost more than 380 council seats across the UK in a crushing defeat.

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John McDonnell hints that he and Jeremy Corbyn might cling on in the leadership even if Labour is defeated in the election

Mr McDonnell laid out Labour's tax plans at a speech in London today

The humiliation has fueled predictions that Labour will lose heavily on June 8.

Appearing on the BBC's Andrew Marr Show, Mr McDonnell was repeatedly challenged over whether the Labour leadership will stand down if they lose.

He said: 'I'm not working on wild hypotheticals, we are out there to fight for every vote.

'It is interesting over the last week, there has been a rush of young people registering to vote. I think this is going to be a young person's election as much as anything.

'I think we are in there with a real fight. We know how tough it is, when it's tough that when the Labour Party comes out fighting, and we will, I believe, win this election.'

Jeremy Corbyn, pictured today at a rally in Leicester, could stay party leader if Labour loses on June 8, his shadow chancellor has hainted

He was shown a clip of his appearance on a previous episode of the show in which he says it would be 'inevitable' that he and Mr Corbyn resign if they don't win the election.

Challenged if this is still his position, Mr McDonnell said: 'Well I think we are going to win this election, full stop.

'I am fighting to win this election as are our 500,000 members. We are not contemplating any loss.

'We are going to win the votes and we are going to win the election. Why? Because our country needs us.'

Mr McDonnell also repeatedly dodged questions over whether he would be Britain's first 'Marxist chancellor' if Labour are voted into Downing Street.

Mr McDonnell said the world has much to learn from Karl Marx, pictured, who wanted to overthrow capitalism and sparked revolutions

But he did say that people can learn a lot from Marx and his book Das Kapital- the revolutionary whose writings called for the overthrow of capitalism and sparked revolution.

He said: 'I am in the strong tradition of the Labour Party which takes into account all of those economic thinkers.

'What I am saying is democratic decision making about the future of our economy will be open and transparent and inclusive.'

He added: 'I believe there is a lot to learn from reading Das Kapital, of course there is, and that has been recommended not just by me but many others - mainstream economists as well.

'I also believe in the long tradition of the Labour Party....'

Asked if he wants capitalism to be overthrown like Marx, he said: 'I want to transform the system, that's where Marx got it wrong - we know that.

'I want to transform the system, I want to transform it in a way where we have a prosperous economy but where that prosperity is shared by all, where it is economically sustainable but environmentally sustainable as well.'

Asked if he is not looking for a revolutionary moment 'I am looking for transformative government.'

Secretary of State for International Development, Priti Patel said slammed Mr McDonnell over his Marx comments.

She said: 'The man Jeremy Corbyn wants to make Chancellor believes that the nonsensical ideas of Karl Marx  punitive taxes, closing down businesses and the removal of private property  should be at the heart of Britain's economic policy.

'It is just a glimpse of the economic destruction that Jeremy Corbyn and John McDonnell, backed by a coalition of chaos, would unleash on the British economy in less than 5 weeks' time.'

Liberal Democrat former cabinet minister Alistair Carmichael said: 'John McDonnell seems to think it's 1917, not 2017.

'But the Marxism we're seeing in the Labour party right now has more in common with Groucho than Karl.

'Groucho Marx once said that politics is the art of looking for trouble, finding it everywhere, diagnosing it incorrectly and applying the wrong remedies. That could easily have been written with Jeremy Corbyn's Labour in mind.'
Prominent Muslim feminist and wife of The Project's Waleed Aly claims she was treated to an unprovoked lecture on female genital mutilation by a shop owner.

Dr Susan Carland - who recently debuted her book Fighting Hislam: Women, Faith and Sexism - revealed she was subjected to the rant when picking up a bound copy of her PHD thesis on Muslim women fighting sexism.

The Muslim-convert academic said she was 'not surprised' the man felt the right to reproach her faith and discuss the 'allegedly sexist' treatment of women in Islam.

Author and Muslim convert Susan Carland (left) is married to The Project's Waleed Aly

Dr Susan Carland (pictured) debuted her book Fighting Hislam: Women, Faith and Sexism earlier this month

'That he felt authorised to deliver a lecture to me about his understanding of the allegedly sexist treatment of women in the very subject of my years-long PhD dissertation, didnt surprise me,' Dr Carland wrote.

'Its uncanny how often people try to demonstrate their concern about the alleged oppression of Muslim women by humiliating them.'

Dr Carland also shares in her book the typical wide-eyed scepticism she receives when telling strangers her thesis was on how Muslim women fight sexism.

'I often wonder how people can be so comfortable presenting these attitudes directly to me, a clearly identifiable Muslim woman in a hijab,' she said.

Dr Carland often uses her platform as a public Islamic figure to dispute preconceptions that Islam and feminism are at odds.

Susan Carland invited left-wing feminist Clementine Ford to the launch of her new book

Dr Carland (left) and Waleed Aly (right) often share their views on living in Australia and following Islam

The feminist Muslim-covert disputes the idea that feminism and Islam are at odds in her new book (pictured)

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 self-proclaimed feminist also describes critics of Islam as Islamophobic but she is uncomfortable answering questions about female genital mutilation and the treatment of women in Islam.

She has however spoken about how Muslim women are portrayed in the West.

'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 and her husband Waleed Aly had dinner last year with Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull and controversial Muslim youth activist Yassmin Abdel-Magied

Islam critic Ayaan Hirsi Ali says it is misleading to equate Islam with liberal values like feminism

Dr Carland's 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'.

Susan Carland appeared at the TV Week Logie awards with her husband Waleed Aly
A British fisherman has told of how he spent 90 minutes battling to reel in a deadly shark.

Ben Bond, 26, struggled against the deadly 25ft long sixgill shark after it took his bait on a fishing trip to Ireland.

The beast from the deep was eventually bought alongside the 40ft long fishing boat Ben was on - and it turned out to be more than half the craft's length.

It was impossible to heave the specimen on board but experienced boat skipper Luke Aston measured its length and two metre girth to calculate its weight.

Luke said the shark was at least 1,500lbs - 107sts - which makes it the biggest ever caught in not only the British Isles but also in Europe.

After releasing the sixgill safe and well, exhausted Ben, from Somerset, made it back to port and celebrated with pint.

Ben said he was 'proud' to have landed such a big catch which happened on Thursday.

He said: 'It was absolutely massive.

Ben Bond said his 'eyes nearly popped out' when the shark eventually surfaced

'When it first took my bait it felt like a very heavy weight. I thought it would be really hard to lift it off the bottom but the real fight was when it was in mid-water.

'After about 75 minutes I saw it near the surface and my eyes nearly popped out.

'Its tail was at one end of the boat and its head was over halfway up the boat.

'It had a big set of jaws. There have been very few attacks on humans by sixgill sharks but that's mainly because of how deep they live. I wouldn't have wanted to go into the water with it.

There's only been one recorded attack by a sixgill shark on a human - but that doesn't mean it jaws aren't menacing

'I was knackered afterwards and had to have a sit down.

'Afterwards we went back to port and had a pint.

'I am still buzzing now and very proud that I have caught one of the biggest, if not there biggest sharks in Europe.'

Ben was on a three day fishing trip to Carrigaholt, Ireland, with friend Ben Carter - who himself caught an impressive 1,000lbs sixgill shark.

The sixgill shark spends much of its time in deep water and as a result has little interaction with humans, with only one reported attack in 500 years.

Ben celebrated catching the shark with a pint of beer - but he made sure to release it back into the sea, since sixgill sharks are a threatened species

They feed on other fish including sharks, skates and rays, bony fish, squid and crabs. They have also been known to scavenge on dead animals such as seals.

They have razor-sharp teeth and resemble fossil sharks from the Triassic period.

For Ben's catch to be classed as an official record he would have had to have killed it so it could be weighed on land.

He said he wasn't prepared to do that, not least because sixgill sharks are a threatened species.

Ben wasn't prepared to bring the shark back to land so he could officially weigh is record

Luke Aston, who runs Carrigaholt Sea Angling Centre, said: 'We had someone land a sixgill shark seven years ago which weighed 1,056lbs and that was the biggest ever caught in the British Isles.

'Ben's catch was much bigger than that. It was 25ft long and at least 1,500lbs.

'I am an experienced fishermen and it was easily the biggest shark I have seen.'

It is the latest in a series of big shark catches in the British Isles in the last six weeks.

Last month two porbeagle sharks weighing more than 400lbs were caught off the coast of Cornwall.
Pupils from just ten private and grammar schools make up three per cent of the applicants for prestigious graduate recruitment schemes, a study has revealed.

And the same pupils are 100 times more likely to apply to the schemes than their peers who were educated in the bottom ten per cent of schools, regardless of what university the students attended.

Applications from 28 graduate schemes - including Baker McKenzie, Barclays, Boston Consultancy Group, Clifford Chance and Deloitte - were analysed using a Contextual Recruitment System (CRS) to see who applied where.

Information on the study has been released by the recruitment company, Rare.

Pupils from just ten private and grammar schools, including Sevenoaks School in Kent (pictured), are 100 times more likely to apply to elite graduate recruitment schemes than their peers who were educated in the bottom ten per cent of schools

Jobs at law firms, consultant agencies and banks are dominated by applicants from an elite group of schools.

Pupils were from prestigious schools including the 36,000-a-year Westminster School, which has alumni including former deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg and author A A Milne, and the 34,000-a-year Sevenoaks School in Kent, attended by Daniel Day-Lewis.

Nine of the top ten schools were independent, while the tenth is Queen Elizabeth's School, a boys grammar school in north London, according to The Telegraph.

Rare Recruitment founder Raphael Mokades, developed the CRS to look at who was applying to what graduate schemes.

The program's goal is to help companies hire applicants with more diverse backgrounds, with firms using CRS hiring 50 per cent more applicants from disadvantaged backgrounds than they have in previous years.

'All these people have As coming out of their ears. Typically the firms would look at who has the best work experience or the best extra curricular activities on their CV,' he told The Telegraph.

'But the easiest way to get the best work experience if your parents have posh city jobs and it's much easier to climb Kilimanjaro and play waterpolo if you have money.

'What we were trying to do was give them a scalable way of measuring and identifying disadvantaged backgrounds.'

The CRS, which was added to application forms from September 2016 to March 2017, enables companies to gather data including what schools applicants went to and whether they were eligible for free meals. Pictured above, a student receives a meal in the canteen at Sevenoaks School

The CRS, which was added to application forms from September 2016 to March 2017, enables companies to gather data including what schools applicants went to and whether they were eligible for free meals.

It also features a performance index, which looks at applicant's A-level scores compared to other students in their year.

'The motivation in the city is that they want to find the best graduates. This is a good way of identifying talent that your might otherwise have missed,' Mokades said.

Meanwhile, children from poorer backgrounds are less likely to sit or pass the 11-plus, according to a new report.

A study of data from Kent found that about a quarter of all students went to a grammar school in 2016, but children eligible for free school meals (FSM) were less likely to sit or pass the 11-plus.

The report acknowledged that the situation will vary across the country, but said Kent could be a useful case study as it is an area where selectivity 'is most heavily embedded' and comprises both rural and urban communities of varying social class.

Kent County Council has said improvement of social mobility in education is one of its priorities and one of the biggest challenges for the selective and non-selective education system.

The data relates to pupils who sat the 11-plus in September 2015 for entry to grammar school in September 2016.

It was obtained under the Freedom of Information Act by the Kent Education Network, a group opposed to selective education.
Prisons have begun employing 'cleavage police' to make sure female visitors are not showing too much flesh.

A female guard at Wandsworth Prison, the largest in the UK, now requests that women button up if their outfits are too revealing.

Other prisons monitor skirt length and some even ban ripped jeans.

Prisons have begun employing 'cleavage police' to make sure female visitors are not showing too much flesh. Pictured, Patricia Brake from the classic prison sitcom Porridge

One female lawyer who visited Wandsworth, South London, said: 'Everyone has to be checked by "clothing police,"' according to The Mirror.

She added: 'It is making a lot of prisoners unhappy because they want their wives and girlfriends to dress nicely.

'It's the closest they get to being intimate but now their women are being told to dress primly.'

A statement on the website for HMP Bullingdon in Oxfordshire said: 'In recent months there have been a high number of visitors that are dressed in what could be described as "indecent" clothing and, in some cases, this has no doubt been to enable inappropriate fondling to take place or to retrieve packages easier by a prisoner.

A female guard at Wandsworth Prison (pictured), the largest in the UK, now requests that women button up if their outfits are too revealing

'Ladies tops must be sufficient enough to cover both the breasts and midriff area and must not be see-through.

'Cleavage must be appropriately covered so as not to cause offence to anyone in the area.'

HMP Dovegate, a private Serco-run prison in Staffordshire, also bans cleavage and demands a minimum length of skirt for female visitors.

Their dress code says: 'Cleavage must be appropriately covered so as not to offend

'Skirts must be no more than three inches [above] the knee and in any event, cover the middle and inner thigh.'

They also ban ripped jeans and shorts.
Nigel Farage has suggested that Ukip could be disbanded if Theresa May delivers a proper Brexit.

The party faced near total electoral wipeout in the local elections, retaining just one of its 147 councilors.

Its former leader said Ukip still has a role to play as an 'insurance' policy until Britain leaves the EU, he said.

He told ITV's Peston on Sunday: 'I think if in two and a half years' time Mrs May has delivered the progress that the voters wanted, then I think you can ask the question  what is Ukip's future? Where does it go from here?'

Nigel Farage said Ukip is an insurance policy for Brexit and could be disbanded if Theresa MAy delivers the deal they want

And he said the PM's warning that a coalition of chaos hellbent on derailing Brexit could be elected if she is not had convinced Ukip voters to switch to the Tories.

He said: 'The number of Ukip supporters that contacted me and said, you know what Nigel this time we have to support Theresa May.

'Now fast forward a couple of weeks when people realise that actually this election is no contest and she is going to win anyway, then I think the squeeze that you tend to see with small parties in a general campaign in this case will be the other way round.

'Ukip has to survive.

'Its rather like paying the house insurance every year, not because we want there to be a fire but in case there is one.'

'Ukip needs to be there.'

Marine Le Pen, pictured today in France after casting her ballot, has been backed by Mr Farage

Mr Farage and Ms Le Pen, pictured in March, are both vocal opponents of the EU

He also defended the party leader Paul Nuttall as being 'strong and reassuring' -leading the party to humiliating defeats in the elections.

The politician turned pundit also defended his decision to back far-right Marine Le Pen for French president.

Although he predicted she would be beaten by her centrist rival Emmanuel Macron as voters go to the polls today.

He said: 'Three words on Marine Le Pen  she is the real deal.

'She is a proper, genuine Eurosceptic. It is not about race, but it is about sovereignty.'

'For 18 years I absolutely refused to sit with the French National Front.'

He added: 'Do I think Marine Le Pen herself is an extremist? No I don't.

'I absolutely don't. She stood down as president of the party to fight the presidential campaign, she has linked up with the conservative eurosceptics.'

Asked about the outcome of the election, Mr Farage said: 'Marine Le Pen I do believe will become the French president, but I suspect it is more likely to be in 2022 than today.'
A devoted wife who has been married to her husband for a staggering 67 years has had her hospital bed moved next to his so they can spend their final days together before she passes away.

Beatrice Whitehead, 87, has been battling bone cancer for six years and recently decided to decline any further treatment for the disease.

The great-grandmother was taken to the Royal Bolton Hospital, in Greater Manchester, four weeks ago and, just a few weeks later, husband Bert Whitehead, 90, fell ill and was also admitted.

Now the childhood sweethearts from nearby Farnworth have had their beds moved by hospital staff and are side by side as they see out Beatrice's last days in a move daughter Suzanne Hall has described as 'wonderful'.

Devoted Beatrice Whitehead (left), 87, who has been married to her husband Bert Whitehead (right), 90, for a staggering 67 years has had her hospital bed moved next to his so they can spend their final days together before she passes away

Great-grandmother Beatrice has been battling bone cancer for six years and recently decided to decline any further treatment for the disease

The 52-year-old from Farnworth, Greater Manchester, said: 'I can't thank hospital staff enough for putting them together like this and for allowing them to be on the same ward.

'The staff on wards C2 and B3 have been incredible.

'It's made this heartbreaking situation so much more bearable for our family.'

The couple, who met when Beatrice was just 15 and Bert 17, have four children, four grandchildren and five great-grandchildren and have been 'inseparable' for all of the time they've been together.

The childhood sweethearts from Farnworth, Greater Manchester, were married in 1950 (left) and enjoyed their honeymoon in Scarborough (right)

The couple, pictured here celebrating their 65th wedding anniversary in 2015, met when Beatrice was just 15 and Bert 17. They have four children, four grandchildren and five great-grandchildren and have been 'inseparable' for all of the time they've been together

Suzanne said: 'They have been together forever and we've all had a wonderful life.

'I couldn't have wished to be born into a better family.

'Mum has been struggling with this cancer for six years and she's had enough. It's become too hard.

'When she was offered a further round of treatment, she declined but when she went into hospital, my dad started going downhill - he was eventually admitted with a chest and water infection.

Daughter Suzanne said Beatrice (left, in 2010) was 'struggling' and has now 'had enough' of her battle against bone cancer

'You could tell he couldn't cope without her.'

Suzanne added: 'It's right the two of them should be together - she only has a few more days to live.'

Beatrice, a former tailoress, and Bert, a former bathroom centre driver, were married in 1950 after Bert had finished his national service.

The two have spent many years perusing their combined passion of going dancing together.

Before the hospital were able to move Bert closer to Beatrice, the family were visiting both parents on separate wards and Bert had to be taken up several wards in a wheelchair to see his wife.

Speaking about the moment the pair were properly reunited, son-in-law Stephen Hall said: 'When they were put together Bert just gave the biggest smile, it was a really touching moment.'

He also praised the staff at the hospital for going the extra mile and said: 'The staff have been absolutely brilliant, we can't fault them whatsoever.

'We just want to say thank you to them all.'

A spokesman for Royal Bolton Hospital said: 'We take every step possible to support patients and their relatives when they are approaching end of life.

'We know how much the little things matter and we do all we can to get them right.

'Our staff understood how important it was for Mr Whitehead to be by his wife's side at this difficult time and have made changes on the ward to move them into a separate bay together.

'Mr Whitehead has been by his wife's side ever since.'

Before the hospital were able to move Bert closer to Beatrice, the family were visiting both parents on separate wards and Bert had to be taken in a wheelchair to see his wife

Speaking about the moment the pair were reunited, son-in-law Stephen Hall said: 'When they were put together Bert just gave the biggest smile, it was a really touching moment'
The Conservatives have yet to unveil their manifesto ahead of June 8 vote

Home Secretray Amber Rudd, pictured outside Downing St last Wednesday, repeatedly refused to say if the Tories will keep the pledge in its party manifesto

Amber Rudd has hinted at Cabinet splits over whether the Tories will keep their commitment to bring net migration down to the tens of thousands.

Theresa May last month appeared to re-pledge the party to the promise when she said she was committed to bringing numbers down to a 'sustainable' level in the tens of thousands.

But the Home Secretary repeatedly refused to say if the Tories will keep the pledge in its party manifesto.

Asked if they will keep the same wording, she told Pienaar's Politics on BBC Radio 5 Live: 'We will be coming forward with our manifesto soon and all will be revealed in there.

'That's why we are having a new manifesto  it is not going to be identical to the last one. We are setting out for hopefully for a five year term.

'We have got a lot to think through to work out what's the best way to deliver on our priorities.

'My personal view is that we need to continue to bring immigration down, I want to make sure that we do it in a way that supports businesses.

'We know we are ending freedom of movement when we are leaving the European Union, so the situation from that time and manifesto..has changed because we are leaving the European Union.

'So it is right that we look at it again.'

Asked if he agreed with Culture Secretary Karen Bradley that immigration policy is 'not about putting numbers on it', she added: 'It's too early to say.'

The Tories have yet to say when they will be unveiling their manifesto.

But the PM last month said she was still committed to bringing the numbers down to the target.

Theresa May, pictured yesterday on the campaign trail in Wolverhampton, has she she is committed to bringing down immigration to sustainable levels in the tens of thousands

But speaking during an election visit to Enfield, in north London, Mrs May insisted: 'We want to see sustainable net migration in this country.

'I believe that sustainable net migration is in the tens of thousands.

'Leaving the European Union enables us to control our borders in relation to people coming from the EU, as well as those who are coming from outside.'

It will be a major policy departure if they decide to ditch the tens of thousands pledge.

There have been calls for students to be taken out of the net migration numbers.

Ms Rudd was not drawn on whether the Tories would do this, but said that it 'does not' want to keep foreign students out.
A gunman is on the loose after a man in his 20s was shot at a home north of Brisbane.

Police were called to the property at 2pm on Sunday afternoon and found a man with gunshot wounds to his abdomen at the Wagtail Street house.

Witnesses say the man was shot on the driveway of the Deception Bay home.

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Man in his 20s has been shot at a home in Deception Bay, north of Brisbane

Police were called to the property on Wagtail street at 2pm on Sunday afternoon

The victim was found with gunshot wounds to his abdomen and was rushed to hospital

The victim was rushed to Royal Brisbane Hospital in a serious but stable condition and has undergone surgery.

Police searched for the shooter with dog squads and a helicopter but were unsuccessful in locating the individual.

A number of families were at home on Wagtail street at the time of the shooting and police have closed the street to allow forensic officials to investigate.

The police are waiting for the man to emerge from surgery to give a statement and are investigating a number of leads.

Police searched for shooter with dog squads and a helicopter
The tax season, which started at the beginning of January and concluded on the last day of April, saw an outcome of EGP 21.3 billion compared to EGP 15.22 billion last year

Egypts Finance Minister Amr El-Garhy announced on Sunday that the second batch of the first $4 billion tranche from the International Monetary Funds (IMF) loan will be delivered in June, Ahram Arabic website reported.

In November, Egypt received the first batch, worth $2.75 billion, of the three-year $12 billion loan deal struck with the IMF.

El-Garhy, who has met with companies in celebration of the end of the tax season, also announced a 40 percent increase in tax declarations this year compared to the same period last year.

The tax season, which started at the beginning of January and concluded on the last day of April, saw an outcome of EGP 21.3 billion compared to EGP 15.22 billion last year.

In October 2015, Egypt introduced a Value Added Tax (VAT) system of 13 percent, replacing a 10 percent sales tax.

At the time, Moodys Investors Service released a statement saying the VAT would gradually increase Egypt's low tax receipts and support its fiscal consolidation efforts.

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The six-year-old son of Australian terrorist Khaled Sharrouf is being used in more ISIS propaganda as his father fights in the Middle East.

A photo shows the notorious jihadist's youngest son Humzeh posing with a sign attached to the body of a man strung up on a cross with cable ties.

The sign, which the boy is pointing to, reads: 'The Crime: Collaborating with Christians. The Punishment: Execution.'

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A six-year-old boy posing with a body of a man strung up on a cross attached to a sign reading: 'The Crime: Collaborating with Christians. The Punishment: Execution' for ISIS propaganda

He is the son of Australian terrorist Khaled Sharrouf who is fighting with ISIS in the Middle East

NSW Police said it was aware of the photo 'depicting a minor making threats in the name of ISIS' and was investigating, but there was 'no specific threat'.

The new image surfaced just days after a propaganda video using the boy circulated online showing him making threats to kill Australians while holding a knife.

Humzeh, six, was captured on camera wearing a suicide vest and at times with a Glock pistol, automatic machine gun and knife in hand in the terrifying video.

The boy was asked by his off-camera father 'How do you kill a non-Muslim?' and 'How do you kill an Australian?', The Daily Telegraph reported.

The new image surfaced just days after a propaganda video using the boy circulated online showing him making threats to kill Australians while holding a knife

Khaled Sharrouf is pictured here at right in a past photo with three of his children, all of whom are holding weapons

Humzeh responds by showing his father how he would kill a person and can also be heard heaping praise on Islamic State.

The video is believed to have been filmed only recently by Sharrouf, who is fighting for Islamic State in the Middle East.

The six-year-old is the youngest of Sharrouf's five children, all of whom left Australia with their late mother, Tara Nettleton, in 2013 to join their father overseas.

The others are his daughter Zaynab, 15, who now has her own baby daughter, and siblings Hoda, 14, Abdullah, 12, and Zarqawi, 11.

A disturbing photo Sharrouf posted in 2014 of one of his five children, who was aged seven at the time, holding up a severed head

Counter-terrorism authorities said they were aware of the chilling video and gave a similar response to the latest propaganda image.

The grandmother, who was determined to bring her five grandchildren back from the Middle East, was once very close to Humzeh and was hopeful she will reunite with him and his siblings one day.

'It kills me because I know he's just a six-year-old little boy. He's just being used as some sort of media,' Ms Nettleton told the ABC's 7.30 program last week.

Sharrouf also posted a photo at the same time of himself holding up a severed head

'He's my baby. I was devastated. He's the baby out of all of them you know.

'I was with him just about every day of his life. I rocked him to sleep, I sung him songs, I took him swimming. He was my little baby.

'I love them all to bits. They're not lost. They're not gone. They're just kids. With the right help, they should be okay. They will be okay.'

Sharrouf was stripped of his Australian citizenship earlier this year.
A man who had his leg completely torn off by a shark has been refused Centrelink disability payments only months after the agonising attack which left him as close as humanly possible to death.

Glenn Dickson, a 25-year-old father of two, was ferociously mauled by a shark while on a spearfishing trip with three friends at a remote reef off Hinchinbrook Island in North Queensland.

In a harrowing interview airing on 60 Minutes, Mr Dickson detailed the shark attack which 'tore through his leg like a chainsaw', and said he has been inexplicably denied much-needed Centrelink benefits.

'They didn't consider losing a leg as a disability. They must think I'm going to grow it back,' Mr Dickson said.

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Glenn Dickson, 25, survived a shark attack while his fiance Jessie Lee was pregnant with their third child (pictured)

Mr Dickson's leg was amputated the day after the attack and faces battles to comeM

With two young children to support and another on the way, Mr Dickson is in desperate need of a disability support pension from Centrelink.

A prosthetic leg will set him back around $70,000 - and that doesn't even count the medical bills and regular physiotherapy he needs.

A GoFundMe page set up in his name has amassed over $50,000 in donations from supporters to help Mr Dickson gain his strength back to walk fiance Jessie-Lee down the aisle.

Department of Human Services General Manager Hank Jongen told Daily Mail Australia that Mr Dickson will receive support 'for which he is eligible'.

'The department recognises medical conditions can have a significant impact on peoples lives, however, does not have any discretion to grant payment outside the very clear criteria set down in legislation,' Mr Jongen said.

'To qualify, a person must meet general age, income, assets and residency criteria. In addition, a persons medical condition must be assessed as fully diagnosed, treated and stabilised, and attract an impairment rating of a minimum of 20 points.'

According to the Department of Human Services, people who have had an amputation and are in hospital or therapy are 'not fully treated' and may have functional improvement and an improved capacity for work.

Airing on Sunday night's 60 minutes Mr Dickson shared details of his life-threatening encounter with a 3.5 metre bull shark

During the interview Mr Dickson also relived the agonising four hours he was forced to wait as he was taken back to a hospital in Cairns, and credits his spearfishing buddies for saving his life.

He had become separated from the rest of the group off the Island near Cairns on February 18 when the 3-and-a-half metre shark tore chunks out of his leg.

'It went in slow motion... I watched the blood rise through the water. That image of the shark swimming through my blood is imprinted on my mind forever,' Mr Dickson said.

'I got as close as you can get to death. I never gave up, I could have gone to sleep but I thought "screw that" and just focused on my breathing and on the pain.'

Mr Dickson lost a lot of blood during the attack as the shark snapped down onto his legs and hip until he was rescued by friends - one who was an ex navy officer.

With medical training at the forefront of his mind companion Rick Bettua immediately applied a tourniquet to stop the excessive bleeding.

'It came down to seconds. I think he died at least six times,' he explained.

'He had a 360 degree cut, every artery and every vein had been severed and he was an ashy-white colour.'

He was in the water off an island near Cairns in February when the shark attacked

Mr Dickson loves fishing according to his friends who commented at the time of the attack

His friends raced him to the mainland town of Cardwell, 30kms away, where he was stabelised by ambulance crews and rushed to Cairns Hospital.

On the way they called triple-0 when they got into phone range with friend Aaron Butler explaining to the operator, 'he's not in a good way.'

Mr Dickson reveals as he reflects on the moments that followed the shocking attack: 'I remember seeing a bright light,'

As the group approached the marina they weren't certain if he would make it.

A paramedic was able to assist in the rescue effort until the helicopter got to him.

Glenn Dickson (right) was attacked almost instantly when he entered the water to go spearfishing at a remote reef off Hinchinbrook Island in North Queensland

Queensland Ambulance Service senior operations supervisor Neil Noble said Mr Dickson was just 60 seconds from dying from the injuries

By the time he was moved from the chopper to Cairns hospital Glenn could be heard shouting 'I will survive' as a result of the painkillers kicking in.

Glenn's finance Jessie-Lee - who is pregnant with their third child and the mother of their two children, thought she had lost him for good.

She was frightened of going near him, fearful it would be their last moments together.

The day after the attack his leg was amputated - which Mr Dickson doesn't mind, considering he got to keep his life.

'If I had to lose my leg to save my life... I accepted it.' he said.

He's determined to walk again to stand along his bride's side on their wedding day.

In the interview, Mr Dickson said he is just lucky to be alive: 'So life's great.'
A racing boat driver has suffered serious injuries after hitting a tree while competing at a race on the Hawkesbury River in north west Sydney.

Rodney Burns was on the return leg during the Double Dash 2017 when he collided with the tree and subsequently flung into the water shortly before 1pm.

The 52-year-old was quickly recovered from the water by rescue crews near the Pitt Town boat ramp before he was treated for multiple injures, including lower leg fractures.

Following attention from CareFlight's specialist doctor and critical care paramedic, the man was flown to Westmead Hospital in a stable condition, 7 News reports.

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Rescue crews assist in bringing 52-year-old Rodney Burns to the riverside before he received medical treatment for injuries he sustained in a crash during the Double Dash race

Rodney Burns was treated by paramedics after his boat collided with a tree during the Double Dash race

It is clear to see the destruction caused to the boat (pictured) that Mr Burns was driving as it is recovered from the water

The race was taking place between the riverside town of Windsor and the suburb of Sackville.

Boats during the annual race travel at speeds exceeding 100km/h.

The Upper Hawkesbury Power Boat Club, who hosted the event, announced on Facebook there had been an 'incident' at the race this afternoon.

The statement thanked its followers for their messages of support and reassured them Mr Burns' injuries were not life threatening.

The Facebook update from the Upper Hawksebury Power Boat Club regarding the incident

The 52-year-old was eventually airlifted to Westmead Hospital, where he currently remains in a stable condition

Mr Burns' boat was pulled to the side of the river with the substantial damage evident to see

Mr Burns was the sole person on the boat and the incident was fortunate not to include any of the 125 other boats participating in the race.

UHPBC safety officer Sean Walker told 7 News the driver was 'thankfully wearing a lifejacket and helmet,' otherwise his injuries could have been far worse.

He also joked that Mr Burns was 'probably more concerned about his boat' than the injuries he had suffered.

The local SES assisted in recovering the damaged vessel from thee water and an investigation has been launched by the local club and the Australian Power Boat Association.

The incident was also attended by Roads and Maritime Services and NSW Ambulance crews who offered their assistance.
Two parents have been arrested after being filmed in a tug of war with their son in a hotel car park.

Footage filmed from the window of La Quinta in Orem, Utah, last Sunday showed mother Britnie Hass desperately clinging onto her 11-month-old son after ripping him from the boy's father Elias Holt's arms.

Relative Melina Ylinen tried to intervene to save the crying baby from danger and the child is seen dangling precariously from Hass' hip as she fought both off, striking them in the face.

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Two parents have been arrested after being filmed in a tug of war with their son in a hotel car park (pictured)

Footage filmed from the window of La Quinta in Orem, Utah, last Sunday showed mother Britnie Hass desperately clinging onto her 11-month-old son, and hitting the boy's father Elias Holt and relative Melina Ylinen when they tried to intervene

Holt and Ylinen were heard pleading with the mother to, 'Stop! Britnie, stop! Let go!' while the boy's father yelled, 'Give me the goddamn baby!'

At one point, Holt managed to grab the boy and was holding him when the hysterical Hass snatched him back during the tug of war.

Hass is now facing charges of domestic violence in the presence of a child, child abuse, and assault. Holt was arrested for a previous warrant.

The baby was not hurt and is now staying with a family member.

At one point, Holt managed to grab the boy and was holding him when the hysterical Hass snatched him back during the tug of war

Ylinen told Fox 13 she is just glad the couple's son is safe.

'I want Elias and Britnie to get help,' she said. 'I want the baby to be safe in the meanwhile, and I think that's the direction that we're going in finally.'

She described the terrifying moment she saw Hass grab her son 'out of (Holt's) arms so violently.'

'The baby was really low on her hip, and he was bowing backwards, and I was afraid his back was going to snap,' she told Fox 13.

Police did not immediately arrest the parents after they were called to the hotel following the incident. A spokesman said they had wanted to go over the case before making any arrests.

Hass (left in her mugshot) is now facing charges of domestic violence in the presence of a child, child abuse, and assault. Holt (right in his mug) was arrested for a previous warrant

Ylinen said that she just wants 'Elias and Britnie to get help' and for their child to be safe

The couple disappeared after police responded to the scuffle last Sunday, but Hass (left) and Holt (right) were picked up and arrested on Friday

Hass (with her son) appears to be dealing with mental illness following an incident last month, according to a post on her Facebook post

Unfortunately, in the meantime, the parents had disappeared.

Ylinen said she was terrified that the couple had fled out of state to Colorado. However, the pair were arrested in Utah in Friday.

Police and DCFS personnel are investigating the case.

Hass appears to be dealing with mental illness following an incident last month, according to a post on her Facebook post where she described herself as planning to go to therapy for PTSD.
The French presidential election was rocked by a security alert in the heart of Paris today.

The courtyard outside the Louvre museum, where Emmanuel Macron plans to hold an election night victory party, was evacuated on police orders after a bomb threat.

Macron's campaign press office said it was a 'suspicious bag' that prompted the evacuation.

The courtyard outside the Louvre museum was evacuated this afternoon on police orders

French Police could be seen moving people away from the tourist attraction at lunchtime today

Anti-terror police asked visitors and some 300 journalists to leave the historic courtyard with immediate effect following the alert at about 1pm.

Heavily armed officers and specially trained sniffer dogs then began to scour the area outside the Louvre museum where the Mona Lisa painting is one of many priceless art works on display.

Hundreds of tourists and journalists queued outside the historic building in the rain as police swarmed into the closed courtyard, which was reopened some 90 minutes later.

The Paris police Tweeted a reassuring message: '(hash)Louvre These are simple verification measures carried out as precautionary measure.'

Anti-terror police asked visitors and some 300 journalists to leave the area with immediate effect following a bomb threat.

A witness told MailOnline: 'The whole of the courtyard was evacuated. Everyone in the esplanade de Louvre was told to leave immediately.

'That was about 1.15pm. Now the police are searching the area with dogs. There was a bomb threat.'

The election, in which Macron is competing against far-right candidate Marine Le Pen, is being conducted under the watch of 50,000 security forces guarding against extremist attacks.

The Louvre was already being heavily guarded after an extremist attacker targeted soldiers near the museum during the presidential campaign

Macron's campaign press office said it was a 'suspicious bag' that prompted the evacuation

The Louvre was already being heavily guarded after an extremist targeted soldiers near the museum during the presidential campaign.

Macron picked the dignified internal courtyard of the renowned palace-turned-museum as the location for his post-election rally.

Presidential rival Marine Le Pen will hold her post election rally at a restaurant away from the Paris centre.

Macron picked the dignified internal courtyard of the renowned palace-turned-museum as the location for his post-election rally

The Front National candidate will gather with party supporters at the Chalet du Lac in the Vincennes district if the French capital.

The far-right party leader is said to have preferred a 'sombre' setting for her post poll speech.

This is sharp contrast to the Macron rally. An open air stage with lighting and sound system was set up in the Louvre courtyard.

Supporters have been urged to gather from 7pm to learn the election result.
Theresa May is 'battling for Britain' against EU countries who want the UK to 'fail', a Cabinet minister has said.

Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt hit out at meddling officials in Brussels who are trying to 'undermine' the Prime Minister.

And he warned that a bad Brexit deal would be a 'disaster' for the NHS.

It comes after the Prime Minister's explosive claim that European politicians and officials were seeking to meddle in the outcome of the June 8 General Election.

Jeremy Hunt, pictured today on the Andrew Marr show, said EU officials are trying to meddle in Britain's election

Speaking on the BBC 's Andrew Marr show, he said only Mrs May can be trusted to face down Brussels and get the best deal for Britain.

He said: 'If we don't get a good Brexit outcome and we don't protect the economic recovery, the jobs that so many people depend on whose taxes pay for the NHS; if we get a bad Brexit outcome, that would be disaster for the NHS.

'The choice that people face is do they want a strong Theresa May doing those very difficult negotiations - we've got 27 countries lined up against us, some of them appear to think that for the EU to survive Britain must fail.'

He said it was 'very plain for everyone to see' how Brussels was seeking to influence the election - pointing to negative briefings from aides of European Commission president Jean-Claude Juncker.

The sources claimed that the PM was 'deluded' and 'in another galaxy' after meeting her for talks at Downing Street.

Aides of Jean Claude Juncker, pictured at a Florence press conference on Friday, have issued negative briefings against the PM

Mr Hunt slammed Brussels for peddling the negative briefings while Britain is in the midst of a crucial election campaign.

He said: 'They didn't have to leak these reports to newspapers of dinners that happened in the middle of an election campaign.

'It is the wrong approach to negotiations.'

He added: 'The answer is very clear that they are trying to leak reports that undermine Theresa May's position.'

Mr Hunt also stressed how crucial it is to get a good Brexit to maintain Britain's NHS.

He said: 'We think getting a good deal would be better for the NHS, better for all of us.

'We also recognise that a bad deal would be bad for the country, bad for our long-term future and we are not prepared to say we will get a deal at any cost.'

The PM last week gave an explosive speech on the steps of No 10 in which she criticised the threats' and 'misrepresentation' being touted by some in Brussels.

Home Secretary Amber Rudd also lashed out at the meddling and said Brussels should put its 'aggression' on hold.

She told Pienaar's Politics on BBC Radio 5 Live: 'It seems very clear that they did meddle insofar as they put out these very unhelpful slightly hostile comments, both in terms of the potential leak  I don't know how much of it was true in terms of the gossip from the dinner  and then putting out that Theresa May shouldn't be leading the negotiations.

'And then somehow supporting that there should be this 100billion bill.

'It is aggressive negotiating tactics.'

She added: 'Why would it not be possible to hold on to your aggression, perhaps your opening negotiation salvos, during an election period?

'It seems extraordinary to me that they would launch in during an election period.'

She said Mr Juncker have taken a 'very hostile approach.'
Thousands of children are facing painful sunburn because teachers are too afraid to put sun cream on students, it has been claimed.

Teachers at many schools have been told not to put sunscreen on pupils for fear of opening themselves up to allegations of child abuse.

But a survey has found two thirds of parents want rules relaxed so teachers can help.

Teachers at many schools have been told not to put sunscreen on pupils for fear of opening themselves up to allegations of child abuse. File pic

Experts say sunburn during childhood can more than double the risk of developing skin cancer as an adult.

Touching pupils, such as to apply sun cream or offer a reassuring hand, is not banned under government rules, with the official guidelines stating there are occasions when physical contact... with a pupil is proper and necessary

But in practice, many schools discourage teachers from touching pupils with controversial no touch policies.

A survey of 2,000 parents found 1 in 5 children had returned home from school or nursery with sunburn during the summer months, with one third of them being sunburnt at least once a week during the summer months.

The research was conducted by Garnier Ambre Solaire ahead of Sun Awareness Week, starting on Monday.

It has partnered with the British Skin Foundation to raise awareness of the impact of children not being adequately protected from the sun, whether at school or home with its Wrap Splat Hat campaign.

But a survey has found two thirds of parents want rules relaxed so teachers can help

Matthew Patey, British Skin Foundation CEO said: Being aware of sun protection is an essential life skill all children need to be educated in.

'Sunburn can cause serious long term damage but suitable clothing such as hats, sunglasses and long sleeved t-shirts, alongside frequent application of sun lotions and sprays, greatly minimises the risk.

'Parents, teachers and suncare brands all play a key role in making this process as easy as possible for children.

Garnier Ambre Solaire said there was confusion of responsibility between teachers and parents on the application of sun lotion.

Nearly half of parents (46%) said they felt the responsibility of protecting kids from harmful SPF and UV rays at school should be shared between both parent and teacher.

Nearly two thirds of parents (64%) said their children either know nothing about correctly applying sun lotion, or need extra help with the process; yet teachers are often left powerless to get involved in the physical application.

Karen Fagg, Headteacher at Park Primary School in Doncaster, said: There is huge stigma attached to teachers applying sun lotion directly to childrens skin.

Matthew Patey, British Skin Foundation CEO said: Being aware of sun protection is an essential life skill all children need to be educated in.' File photo of a NHS poster

'We therefore rely heavily on verbal instructions given in the classroom, which can be challenging when dealing with young children. If we dont feel a child is adequately protected from the sun, well remove them from that situation entirely.

Malcolm Arnold Academy in Northampton sparked outcry last year after its no-touch policy meant even students were banned from hugging one another or holding hands.

Principal Chris Steed said it was to ensure the children respect each others personal space.

At another school, Barrowford primary school in Lancashire, teachers were banned from raising their voices to pupils or dishing out punishments.

Suffering one or more blistering sunburns in childhood or adolescence more than doubles a persons chances of developing potentially-deadly melanoma later in life, according to research from the Skin Cancer Foundation.

Skin cancer is one of the most common cancers in the UK and kills 2,500 people each year.
North Korea has detained its fourth US citizen as part of Kim Jong Un's strategy to use American hostages as bargaining chips.

Kim Hak Song was detained in the dictatorship 'on suspicion of acts against the state' on May 6, according to the state news agency.

Song worked for the Pyongyang University of Science and Technology alongside another US citizen, Kim Sang-duk, who was detained for 'hostile acts' last month - making him the third American to be detained in North Korea.

The other two Americans already held in the isolated country are Otto Warmbier, a 22-year-old student and Kim Dong Chul, a 62-year-old Korean-American missionary.

North Korea has detained its fourth US citizen, Kim Hak Song, who worked for the Pyongyang University of Science and Technology alongside another US citizen Tony Kim, 58, (left and right) who was detained last month

The other two Americans already held in the isolated country are Otto Warmbier, a 22-year-old student, (right) and Kim Dong Chul, (left) 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.

Now Song makes four US captives in the isolated country.

North Korea has in the past used detained Americans to extract high-profile visits from the United States, with which it has no formal diplomatic relations.

Indeed, former president Bill Clinton traveled to North Korea in 2009 and met with officials. Un's father, Kim Jong-il, went on to pardon American journalists Euna Lee and Lisa Ling, who had been sentenced to 12 years of hard labor.

But his son appears less willing to negotiate.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un is believed to be taking American hostages to use as bargaining chips

North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un (center) hopes the detainees will act as human shields against American attack, experts say

In June, North Korean state media said the country will not negotiate with the US over the Americans citizens it had captive, until former detainee Kenneth Bae stops publicly talking about his time in prison.

North Korea arrested Bae, a US missionary, in November 2012 and sentenced him to 15 years' hard labour for crimes against the state. He was released two years later, along with Jeffrey Edward Fowle and Matthew Todd Miller after James Clapper, then the director of national intelligence, made a secret visit to Pyongyang.

Bae has written an account of his detention in a memoir and spoken about his experiences at several public appearances - to the fury of Kim Jong Un and North Korea officials.

Experts believe that Kim Jong Un is holding Americans, not to get a seat at the negotiating table, but to act as human shields amid fears the US may attack amid worsening tensions between North Korea and the United States.

'Kim Jong Un is using hostage diplomacy as a part of his military and defense strategy with focus on preventing the U.S. from removing him from power as well as to prevent the U.S. from taking military options against North Korea, ' Dr. An Chan Il, president of the World Institute for North Korea Studies and a former defector, told NBC News.

Both Kim Hak Song and Kim Sang-duk, were working at the Pyongyang University of Science and Technology (pictured) before being detained

The latest detention will likely be seen as an act of aggression by President Trump who has warned he will consider military action against North Korea.

But Dr Koh Yu Hwan, a professor of North Korean studies at Dongguk University in Seoul, said that even if the step does not lead to negotiation, it could limit the options faced by the US for an attack.

'This is North Korea's hostage diplomacy,' Dr. Koh said. 'They are like the human shields against the U.S. government with the ultimate goal of attention grabbing.'

Detaining American hostages for 'crimes against the state' also allowed Kim Jong Un to feed the propaganda rhetoric to his citizens than North Korea was constantly under attack from outside forces.

Dr An believes North Korea will detain more Americans if they can.

'North Korea considers detaining an American a measurably successful move,' she said.

Kim Dong Chul, center, a U.S. citizen detained in North Korea, is escorted to his trial last April where he was sentenced to 10 years for espionage

Pyongyang has issued increasingly belligerent rhetoric in a tense stand off with the Trump administration over its rogue weapons program.

The war of words between the West and the reclusive regime has spiked in recent weeks, and Pyongyang has threatened to carry out a sixth nuclear test that would further inflame tensions.

Trump warned in an interview with Reuters 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.

The escalation of aggressions came after North Korea conducted a weapons test fire last month.

In a show of force, the United States sent an aircraft carrier strike group, led by the USS Carl Vinson, to waters off the Korean peninsula to conduct drills with South Korea and Japan.

Then last week, Kim Jong-un accused the US of pushing the Korean Peninsula to the brink of nuclear war after a pair of American bombers carried out training drills in the region.

The supersonic B-1B Lancers were deployed in a joint training exercise with the Japanese air forces amid heightened tensions between Pyongyang and Washington.

Warmbier told a North Korean court he tried to steal the banner as a trophy for an acquaintance who wanted to hang it in her church (March 2016 photo)

Otto Frederick Warmbier, 21 (pictured), was detained at Pyongyang airport in January 2016 before he was due to board a flight back to China after a five-day trip

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'.

And on Friday, Kim Jong Un accused the CIA of plotting with South Korea to assassinate him.

Secretary of State Rex Tillerson had said previously that the U.S. was not interested in 'regime change.'

Kim Hak Song and Tony Kim, 58, who worked in California and also goes by his Korean name Kim Sang-Duk, were both working at the Pyongyang University of Science and Technology before they were arrested.

Kim Hak-song had previously described himself as a Christian missionary who intended to start an experimental farm at PUST, Reuters news agency reported.

Kim Sang-duk, who was teaching accountancy, was detained at Pyongyang Airport as he was preparing to leave the country in April and accused of trying to overthrow theNorth 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.

President Trump (right, on Thursday) warned that he was prepared to take military action against North Korea although Secretary of State Rex Tillerson (left) said they weren't looking for a regime change

The university was founded by evangelical Christians and opened in 2010. Its students are generally children of the country's elite.

The volunteer faculty of PUST, many of whom are evangelical Christians, has a curriculum that includes subjects once considered taboo in North Korea, such as capitalism. The college is an unlikely fit in a country that has been condemned by the U.S. State Department for cracking down on freedom of religion.

No further details were available about the circumstances related to the arrests of the two men associated with the college. A spokesman for the Pyongyang University of Science and Technology was not immediately available for comment.

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.

Former New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson, who has been working to get Warmbier released, said progress had been 'very slow'.

'It's not a government-to-government deal, because we have a very bad relationship with North Korea,' he said at the end of last year.

Richardson told Fox News, 'in the past, we could talk to (Kim Jong Un's) father [Kim Jong-il] when he was the president and you could make deals, but now there's just like silence. There's nothing coming back.'

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 Korean.
A doctor has told of the terrifying moment she feared she was going to die after being repeatedly stabbed and doused in petrol by a man she had met on Tinder.

Angela Jay, 28, was brutally attacked by her former boyfriend Paul Lambert, 36, after he broke into her home at Port Macquarie, on the New South Wales Mid-North Coast, in November 2016.

Lambert waited for Dr Jay to come home from work at the local hospital and jumped out at her as she went to enter her bedroom and grabbed her by the mouth.

'I realised I had to get away or die trying,' a tearful Dr Jay told Channel Seven's Sunday Night program.

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Dr Angela Jay (pictured) was stabbed 11 times and doused in petrol by Paul Lambert, a man she had dated after the pair had matched on dating app Tinder

In November last year, Paul Lambert broke into her home in Port Macquarie on the NSW Mid-North Coast and waited for her to come home from work at the local hospital

'So I just made a run for it. He of course caught me and then I just suddenly saw this knife in his hands and I didn't actually feel him stabbing me but I could see the blood when I looked down.

'I just thought in my head, "Oh my God he's actually stabbing me, he's going to actually kill me".

'I was so scared and I felt so alone and that I was just going to die in this big house, stupidly I shouldn't have gone back too and I'd never see my friends or family again.'

Dr Jay was stabbed 11 times by the man she had broken up with six weeks after the pair matched on dating app Tinder because he had become obsessive.

Angela Jay, 28, (left) met Paul Lambert, 36, (right) on dating app Tinder and they had a six week relationship

Dr Jay managed to escape after being stabbed and doused in petrol by Paul Lambert and fled next door, where she directed a neighbour to perform first aid

An emotional Angela Jay told Channel Seven's Sunday Night of the moment she feared she was going to die at the hands of Paul Lambert

Dr Jay said she was 'so scared' and 'felt so alone' when she was attacked by Lambert in her Port Macquarie home

Dr Jay is pictured with her friends and Sunday Night journalist Melissa Doyle

'He looked just like a normal guy,' Dr Jay said.

But she said on the night of the attack, Lambert 'wanted to destroy me... he wanted me to be ruined for anyone else'.

Lambert threw petrol over Dr Jay's head after stabbing her.

'I can't even explain the horror you feel when someone is trying to set you on fire. I was just terrified that any second I would just go up in flames,' Dr Jay said.

She managed to make an escape to next door, where she directed her neighbour to perform first aid in their garage.

'I just kept saying over and over again, I'm just going to bleed to death, please call and ambulance I'm just going to bleed to death,' Dr Jay said.

Dr Jay said Lambert (pictured) seemed like a normal guy, but he has a shocking history of stalking

Lambert fled Dr Jay's Port Macquarie home in his white hire car (pictured) and led police on a wild chase

Lambert was forced off the road near Coffs Harbour and was shot dead when he lunged at police with a knife (scene pictured)

Lambert fled the scene in his hire car and led police on a wild car chase 150 kilometres up the Pacific Highway before he was forced off the road near Coffs Harbour and shot dead when he charged at police with a knife.

'He was gone and he couldn't hurt me anymore or come back to get me one day. It was a huge, huge relief,' Dr Jay said.

'[It was] Almost a euphoric sense, like, you know, I somehow got away and he's gone. I don't have to worry... I'm well and truly safe.

'I feel like I didn't die for a reason and that I now am here to make as much of a difference as I can, and to help as many people as I can.'
Taxpayers could end up paying for the legal aid of accused cocaine smuggler Cassandra Sainsbury under a government scheme designed to help Australians facing serious criminal charges overseas.

The 22-year-old's Bogota lawyer confirmed he and Miss Sainsbury filled out a form to apply for financial assistance as her legal costs mount, News Corp reports.

'They are looking for state funds in Australia for the legal costs, so she was signing a form for that, to put before the government there,' Colombian attorney Orlando Herron said.

Cassandra Sainsbury faces 25 years in jail after she was arrested with 5.8 kilograms of cocaine at an airport in Colombia

The personal trainer from Adelaide (pictured) was denied bail and is being held at the overcrowded El Buen Pastor women's prison until her hearing in two months, her family said

Pictured are the 18 concealed packages of cocaine which Miss Sainsbury believed were headphones

'I have no idea how much they are looking for. It is to cover the lawyer's fees in Australia.'

The Attorney-General's Department may help Australians facing serious criminal charges in an overseas country with the cost of their defence.

Applications can be made to the department for grants to cover legal fees and other expenses - which can often run into hundreds and thousands of dollars.

It is only granted to Australian citizens who are facing either imprisonment for 20 years or more or the death penalty in a foreign country.

According to the guidelines, the government can cover costs associated with legal defence of up to $290 per hour, psychological treatment of up to $2000 and counsel fees of up to $3600 per day.

It can also cover the costs of travelling and flying out legal counsel from Australia to aid Miss Sainsbury during her trial.

The financial scheme paid part of the long-running legal costs of high profile drug smuggling cases including the two executed Bali Nine members Andrew Chan and Myuran Sukumaran and Schapelle Corby.

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 Read

The 22-year-old appeared cheerful as she left the hotel in Bogota, Colombia, carrying a suitcase allegedly packed with cocaine and wearing the same clothes she was arrested in

Cassie Sainsbury left her Moana home for a working holiday in South America on April 3 and was arrested at an airport in Bogota eight days later

The accused drug smuggler is locked in El Buen Pastor prison - where she has been since her arrest on April 11 - and has been advised to plead guilty to avoid the maximum sentence of 25 years.

But Miss Sainsbury has maintained her innocence and claims she was tricked into carrying the 5.8kg of cocaine which she believed were separately wrapped headphones.

Vision from inside Bogota Airport obtained by Nine News shows Miss Sainsbury being led away just moments after handing her passport to an immigration officer on April 11.

The 22-year-old Australian woman had earlier checked-in for her flight to London and was being questioned by the officer who had already been given her travel details when she was intercepted.

Miss Sainsbury had initially appeared calm throughout her exchange with the guard, even smiling and chatting with the officer.

Her mood changed when she was asked why her ticket, which was purchased by a mystery person in Hong Kong, had been bought just hours earlier, before being handed over to a supervisor and marched into a secure area for further questioning.

Staff at the hotel where Miss Sainsbury spent her last night of freedom said she was accompanied by a well-dressed Colombian with a stylish haircut and dark skin everywhere she went.

US drug enforcement authorities tipped off Colombian police about Cassie Sainsbury after her last-minute plane ticket was bought by an 'unknown party' in Hong Kong

Miss Sainsbury's fiance Scott Broadbridge (left) has maintained a strict silence but vows his partner is innocent

CCTV footage of the moment the 22-year-old was detained by police were released

Hotel manager Ingrid Hernandez said Miss Sainsbury had just the one visitor during her stay.

'Supposedly she met him around the hotel where she was staying, in the first few days when she arrived here,' Ms Hernandez said, according to the The Daily Telegraph.

'She didn't speak Spanish so was supported by him. He helped her, accompanied her, they went everywhere together.

Miss Sainsbury told family she called the man who gave her the packages when she was arrested, but he hung up on her and reportedly destroyed the phone.

She said his name was Angelo, but she had no further information.

The hotel manager said they had no record of the mystery man either.

Miss Sainsbury can be seen walking up to an immigration officer with her passport

Photographs of her boarding pass and passport (pictured) have also come to light after they were seized by police

Cassandra Sainsbury could apply for parole and return to Australia if she pleads guilty - as her lawyer (pictured) says she bought the headphones to sell back home NOT as gifts for her bridal party

Accused drug smuggler Cassandra Sainsbury is reportedly refusing to leave her prison cell El Buen Pastor (pictured)

'He came a few times, the receptionists told me, but we don't have a record of him because he didn't stay the night. She said this guy was very friendly, he spoke English and Spanish,' she said.

The hotel's deputy manager also saw Miss Sainsbury with a black mystery man.

'I did see her one time with a man. The man, he was tall, he was black and they were talking in the lobby before they left the hotel,' they told Nine News.

Staff also said she spent most of her time inside the room of the hotel, which was situated in a notorious downtown Bogota neighbourhood.

She is reportedly 'permanently crying' inside notorious Colombian prison El Buen Pastor where she remains behind bars.

Sources from inside the prison said Miss Sainsbury was not in a good mental state inside the small, overcrowded cell where she was kept with other prisoners.
Egypts House of Representatives approved on Sunday a new investment law that grants investors a number of incentives, including tax breaks.

The law was drafted by the Egyptian government in March 2015 with the aim of cutting red tape and attracting foreign investments.



It is expected to boost badly needed investment by cutting down bureaucracy, especially for starting new projects, and providing more incentives to investors looking to put money in Egypt.

The government approved an earlier version of the investment law in 2015 that it said would bolster investor confidence, but the legislation was criticised for coming up short.

The new investment law includes a raft of new incentives, such as a 50 percent tax discount on investments made in underdeveloped areas and government support for the cost of connecting utilities to new projects.

One provision will return to investors half of what they pay to acquire land for industrial projects if production begins within two years.

The law also restores private sector free zones - areas exempt from taxes and customs - a provision that had held up the law's passage because of objections over whether to forfeit tax revenues at a time of austerity.

Egypt's direct foreign investment jumped 39 percent in the first half of the current fiscal year ending in June to reach$4.3 billion.

The new law is yet to be ratified by President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi.



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Actor Steven Seagal has been banned from Ukraine as a national security threat.

The star, best known for the blockbusters Hard to Kill and Under Siege, will not be allowed to enter the Eastern European nation for the next five years.

According to a Ukrainian security service letter published by Apostrophe, the 65-year-old is banned on grounds that he has 'committed socially dangerous actions... that contradict the interests of maintaining Ukraine's security'.

Suspicions have arisen that this may be due to Seagal's relationship with Russian President Vladmir Putin, which has gone so far as to obtain a Russian passport and declare that he 'would like to consider [Putin] as a brother'.

Steven Segal has been banned from Ukraine for five years due to committing 'socially dangerous actions...that contradict the interests of maintaining Ukraine's security'. Many believe this is because of his relationship with Russian President Vladmir Putin (seen here at the mixed fight Championship in Sochi in August 2012)

Seagal has a close relationship with Russia and even participated in a pro-Putin motorcycle rally in Crimea, a disputed peninsula that Russia annexed in 2014 after Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych was overthrown in a revolution (pictured right, at the rally)

The letter did not define any specific statements or actions that caused the star to be banned.

However, Seagal once participated in a pro-Putin motorcycle rally in Crimea, a disputed peninsula that Russia annexed in 2014 after Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych was overthrown in a revolution.

In an interview at the time, Seagal defended the annexation of Crimea, saying that Putin's 'desire to protect the Russian-speaking people of Crimea, his assets, and the Russian Black Sea military base in Sevastopol...is very reasonable'.

In 2015, Seagal was included on a proposed banned list with other foreign actors such as France's Gerard Depardieu (who was later banned).

The comments about Crimea labeled Seagal a persona non grata in Estonia, one of the member countries of the former Soviet Union, where organizers of a 2014 music festival there canceled his set after backlash from the Estonian public.

'We hope that Estonian public will primarily view Seagal as an actor and musician,' said Raul Ukareda, program director for the festival, according to the Hollywood Reporter.

'But, as it turned out, everyone sees him only as a politician and Putin loyalist.'

Seagal is best-known for starring in blockbusters such as 1992's Under Siege (left) and 1990's Hard to Kill (right). In 2015, Seagal and other actors - including Gerard Depardieu - were included on a proposed blacklist a of foreign cultural figures who 'speak out in support of violating the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Ukraine'

In November 2016, Putin granted Seagal Russian citizenship along with a Russian passport in a honorary ceremony (pictured here at the Kremlin in Moscow in November 2016)

During former President Barack Obama's administration, Seagal often praised the Kremlin while criticizing US foreign policy.

In a 2013 interview with the Russian news channel RT, Seagal called Putin 'one of the greatest world leaders, if not the greatest world leader alive today'.

In return, Putin not only proposed Seagal become an honorary Russian envoy to the US but granted him Russian citizenship along with a passport in November 2016.

The cultural war with the Kremlin continued this year when Ukraine banned Russias Eurovision entrant Yulia Samoilova for performing in Crimea in 2015.

Samoilova plans to hold another concert in the peninsula when the competition is held in Kiev on 13 May.
Dozens of Nigerian schoolgirls stolen by Boko Haram have been welcomed back into the free world by the country's president after they were released from captivity.

Muhammadu Buhari met with 82 of the Chibok schoolgirls on Sunday night in the capital Abuja, saying it was difficult to put into words how happy he felt.

The girls were pictured with the president in brightly coloured outfits, in stark contrast to the black robes they were forced to wear by the Islamic extremist group.

Muhammadu Buhari, the president of Nigeria, posed with 82 Chibok schoolgirls after they were freed from captivity by terror group Boko Haram

The girls donned brightly coloured outfits as Mr Buhari welcomed them back to freedom, in stark contrast to how they were pictured after being captured three years ago

Mr Buhari told the girls that nobody should have to go through their ordeal, and promised more protection for schools at threat from extremist groups

The girls were freed on Saturday as part of a swap for an undisclosed number of Boko Haram fighters, according to government officials

Saturday's deal marks the largest release so far of the almost 300 schoolgirls who were captured by Boko Haram back in 2014

Posting images of their meeting on Facebook, Mr Buhari wrote: 'I cannot express in a few words how happy I am to welcome our dear girls back to freedom.

'On behalf of all Nigerians, I'd like to share my joy with you, your parents, your relatives, friends and Government of Borno State on regaining your freedom.'

He added: 'No human being should go through this kind of ordeal. The security agencies and state governments should continue to provide special protection to educational institutions vulnerable to this kind of outrage especially in remote areas.

'This administration is resolutely determined to safeguard the security of all Nigerians at all times.'

The girls were freed Saturday in exchange for an unspecified number of detained suspected Boko Haram extremists, according to government officials.

This is the largest negotiated release so far of the nearly 300 girls whose abduction in 2014 highlighted the threat of Nigeria's homegrown extremists who are linked to the Islamic State group.

Boko Haram fighters stormed the Government Girls Secondary School in the remote town of Chibok on the evening of April 14, 2014 and kidnapped 276 girls.

Fifty-seven managed to escape in the hours that followed but the remaining 219 were held by the group.

This photo, tweeted by the Red Cross, shows the schoolgirls boarding a Nigerian army helicopter. It is the first image of the freed schoolgirls

The release is the largest so far of the schoolgirls, who were abducted in 2014

Many of the girls were forced to marry their captors, not knowing if they'd see their parents ever again

A group of 21 girls had been previously released by the jihadist group, but this is the largest release yet

Families faced an anxious wait to see if their daughters had been returned safely

The release has been negotiated with the Swiss government as an intermediary

Before Saturday's release, 195 of the girls had been captive. Now 113 of the girls remain unaccounted for.

A first group of 21 girls were released in October as Nigeria announced it had begun negotiations with the extremist group. At the time, the government denied making an exchange for Boko Haram suspects or paying ransom.

The girls released in October have been reported to be in government care in Abuja for medical attention, trauma counseling and rehabilitation, according to the government.

Human rights groups have criticized the decision to keep the girls in custody in Abuja, more than 500 miles from Chibok.

The International Committee of the Red Cross, which along with the Swiss government mediated months of negotiations between Nigeria's government and Boko Haram, said the newly released girls soon would meet with their families.

The ICRC also tweeted what the first public image of the freed schoolgirls on Sunday, showing a line of young women wearing shirts with the ICRC logo waiting to board a helicopter.

The ICRC said it had acted as a neutral intermediary to transport the freed girls into Nigerian government custody.

Long-suffering family members said they were eagerly awaiting a list of names and their 'hopes and expectations are high.'

The Bring Back Our Girls campaign said Sunday it was happy that Nigeria's government had committed to rescuing the 113 remaining schoolgirls.

It said: 'We urge the president and his government to earnestly pursue the release of all our Chibok girls and other abducted citizens of Nigeria,' the group said in a statement.

'Bring Back Our Girls' campaigners celebrated the release of the kidnapped Chibok school girls at the unity fountain in Abuja, Nigeria, today

The women high-fived as they celebrated the freedom of 82 Chibok schoolgirls who were kidnapped by the extremist group three years ago

Michelle Obama famously lent her voice to the Bring Back Our Girls campaign

The International Red Cross also assisted with the prolonged negotiations

The 276 schoolgirls kidnapped from Chibok in 2014 are among thousands of people abducted by Boko Haram over the years.

The mass abduction brought the extremist group's rampage in northern Nigeria to world attention and began years of heartbreak for the families of the missing schoolgirls.

Many of the captive girls, most of them Christians, were forced to marry their captors and give birth to children in remote forest hideouts without knowing if they would see their parents again.

It is feared that other girls were strapped with explosives and sent on missions as suicide bombers.

President Buhari late last year announced Boko Haram had been 'crushed,' but the group continues to carry out attacks in northern Nigeria and neighboring countries. Its insurgency has killed more than 20,000 people and driven 2.6 million from their homes, with millions facing starvation.

Enoch Mark, a Christian pastor whose two daughters were among those kidnapped, said he was told of the release by the Bring Back Our Girls pressure group and an official in Maiduguri.

He added: 'This is good news to us. We have been waiting for this day. We hope the remaining girls will soon be released.'

Boko Haram has waged an insurgency aimed at creating an Islamic state that has killed thousands and displaced more than 2 million people.

Despite the army saying the insurgency is on the run, large parts of the northeast, particularly in Borno state, remain under threat from the militants, and suicide bombings and gun attacks have increased in the region since the end of the rainy season late last year.

The Nigerian Army has claimed Boko Haram is on the run, but the group is still present in the north of the country

Boko Haram has killed thousands and displaced millions over the course of their insurgency
A 10-year-old girl is recovering at a Florida hospital after being attacked by an eight-foot alligator at a park on Saturday.

Authorities said the girl was bitten on the leg by the reptile while she was sitting in about two-feet-deep water at the Moss Park near the Lake Hart area, according to the Orlando Sentinel.

Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) spokesman, Chad Weber, said the 8-foot, 9-inch alligator bit her in the knee and calf around 3pm.

A 10-year-old girl is recovering from an alligator (file image) attack at a Florida park on Saturday. Authorities said the girl was bitten on the leg by the reptile while she was sitting in about two-feet-deep water at the Moss Park near the Lake Hart area

Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) spokesman, Chad Weber, said the 8-foot, 9-inch alligator bit her in the knee and calf around 3pm at Moss Park (pictured)

'She had puncture wounds but I don't think they're life threatening,' Weber told the Sentinel.

The girl was with her family, who were nearby, at the park when the attack happened.

Her family drove her to Nemours Children's Hospital for treatment.

Wildlife officials trapped and euthanized the suspected alligator not long after the incident.

Park officials have closed the waterfront area to the public for the remainder of the week.

Matt Suedmeyer, the manager of Orange County Parks and Recreation, told the Sentinel the decision was made out of 'an abundance of caution'.

The park is located between two large lakes. This map depicts the location of the park between Lake Hart (left body of water) and Lake Mary Jane (right body of water)

Wildlife officials trapped and euthanized the suspected alligator not long after the incident. Park officials have closed the waterfront area to the public for the remainder of the week. Pictured is a gated area of Lake Hart that connects to the park

Suedmeyer added that he will meet with the FWC before 'making any decisions on opening the waterfront' area.

The park is located near Lake Hart and Lake Mary Jane.

Following the tragic death of two-year-old Lane Graves, who was killed by an alligator at the Grand Floridian Resort & Spa at Walt Disney World last year, Orange County officials added or replaced alligator and snake warning signs near swimming areas.

According to the Sentinel, the warnings were posted at some of the most popular recreational areas such as Moss Park.
Sir James Dyson, who invented the bagless vacuum cleaner, has revealed that he receives just six emails per day

The billionaire British inventor behind the bagless vacuum cleaner has revealed the secret of his success - that he gets just six emails per day in his inbox.

Sir James Dyson first banned staff from writing memos to each other 30 years ago when he was in the founding stages of his company and the policy has stuck ever since.

He now gives new recruits notebooks to use in meetings and encourages staff to talk to each other rather than communicating digitally across the office.

Speaking from his company's headquarters in Malmesbury, Wiltshire, the inventor said: 'I get six emails a day. Really. No more than six. I suspect everybody else in the business will be like me.'

Sir James, who has become a household name across Britain thanks to his flagship invention, was speaking as it was revealed that he is the 14th wealthiest person in the UK.

He has a fortune of 7.8billion, according to the Sunday Times Rich List - a stark rise of 2.8bn on his fortune last year.

The inventor, who is planning to launch a university and invest 2.5bn in artificial intelligence, added: 'We're creating things, working out how to sell them. You can't do that on your own. You have to talk.'

Sir James has become a household name across Britain over the last 30 years thanks to his flagship vacuum cleaner invention. He said: 'We're creating things, working out how to sell them. You can't do that on your own. You have to talk'

Sir James's email strategy is in sharp contrast to that of other chief executives such as Apple boss Tim Cook.

He said in an interview that he receives 700-800 messages per day and wakes up at 3.45am to read them all.

Amazon chief executive Jeff Bezos has encouraged customers to email him directly - but staff are said to dread his infamous 'question mark' messages.

If someone raises a particularly troublesome issue he forwards it to the relevant department with the single character added on top - which staff at the retailer have claimed is like a 'ticking time-bomb'.

Amazon chief executive Jeff Bezos, pictured, has encouraged customers to email him directly

The employees are then said to scramble for a solution which is passed through several layers of management before being presented to Bezos.

However, Microsoft founder Bill Gates revealed he only gets a few dozen emails in his inbox per day and added: 'You process some, and get back to others at night. You make sure if you put something off you get back to it later.

This year's rich list found the wealthiest 1,000 individuals and families have record total fortunes of 658bn, up 14 per cent on last year's figure of 575bn.

Brothers Sri and Gopi Hinduja have topped this year's Sunday Times Rich List, with a combined fortune of 16.2bn

Singer Adele saw her wealth increase by 40million this year with the help of a world tour and the continued success from her most recent album 25

Sri and Gopi Hinduja are the richest people in the UK with a fortune of 16.2bn, and the brothers are among a record 134 billionaires on the list - 14 more than were recorded in the 2016 edition.

It was a good year for women with former Miss UK Kirsty Bertarelli named as the country's richest and Adele the most successful female under 30 with a fortune of 125m.

Heiresses Fawn and India James (bottom right) also climbed the list, now ranking at 234.

The seventh Duke of Westminster, 26-year-old Hugh Cavendish Grosvenor debuted on the list as a solo entry after inheriting his title and a 9.3 billion fortune last year when his father passed away.
A large-scale sea search is taking place for two men missing on a speedboat trip off the south-west of Scotland.

The Coastguard was alerted on Saturday evening when the boat was reported overdue from Port Logan, Dumfries and Galloway.

Two helicopters and lifeboats searched the water overnight, following the boat's known and projected movements, but no trace has been found.

Two coastguard helicopters are among 10 search and rescue teams looking for two men who went missing in a speedboat off the coast of Scotland on Saturday (file picture)

Police Scotland said two men, aged 46 and 35, had launched the 16ft black boat on Saturday morning, believed to be heading towards Stranraer.

The alarm was raised by family members after they failed to return early on Saturday night and their three-wheeled trailer was found on the beach.

Around 10 rescue teams have been involved in the search and returned to the water on Sunday.

A Coastguard spokeswoman said: 'Portpatrick, Stranraer, Ballantrae, Isle of Whithorn and Bangor Coastguard rescue teams were involved, along with lifeboats from Port William, Stranraer, Donaghadee, Ramsey and Peel.

'Two HM Coastguard search and rescue helicopters from Prestwick and Caernarfon, along with Police Scotland, have also been involved.

'The extensive search covering a carefully planned area based on the vessel's known and projected movements continued through the night but nothing has been found.

'Resources have returned to station to refuel and swap crews, and the search has recommenced today.'

Police Scotland Inspector Claire Walker said: 'We can confirm that Police Scotland is supporting a search operation after a 46-year-old man and a 35-year-old man launched a speed boat at Port Logan with the intention of going on a leisure trip.

'Their destination was unknown, however, it is believed the boat was launched at around 9am on Saturday May 6 from Port Logan in the direction of Stranraer.

'Since the matter was reported to the Coastguard at 6.15pm on Saturday evening, we have been working with the Maritime and Coastguard Agency and the RNLI to trace the men safe and well.

'Inquiries are ongoing.'

The boat was reported overdue from Port Logan, pictured, in Dumfries and Galloway, and was believed to be bound for Stranraer

The extensive search - covering a carefully planned area based on the vessel's known and projected movements - continued through the night but nothing has been found.

One local said: 'It was quite rough along the coast on Saturday with a good wind but today is lovely and sunny with a calm sea.

'Everyone is hoping they are found safe.

Another man added: 'The trailer for the boat was found on the shore. There have been helicopters, lifeboats and coastguards all over the place last night and today.

'I've never seen a search like this in this area for many years. We can only hope and pray that they are found safe.'
The inspector general of Germanys armed forces has ordered a search of all army sites to root out neo-Nazi Hitler worshippers after Wehrmacht memorabilia was found in a barracks.

Objects glorifying the Nazi regime were found on Saturday at an army base in Donauschingen, close to the border with France.

They included swastika-bedecked steel helmets from the Second World War.

Other objects included an ammunition belt from a Second World War German machine gun known as Hitler's buzzsaw, a pistol and the machine gun itself, an MG-42.

Investigators found Nazi memorabilia at Fuerstenberg barracks in Donaueschingen, Germany, yesterday, with 'Nazis Out!' since written in graffiti on its walls, pictured

German defence minister Ursula von Der Leyen, pictured, said the search of every army barrack, storeroom, munitions depot and training area was necessary to restore the reputation of the Bundeswehr

The move comes a week after an army officer was exposed plotting a bomb attack which he allegedly wanted to blame on refugees.

Posing as a Damascus fruit seller, army lieutenant Franco Albrecht, 28, managed to gain asylum in his home country, and is said to have been plotting an attack in an attempt at agitational propaganda against immigrants.

As officials dug deeper they discovered a sinister network of like-minded soldiers who honour the wartime Wehrmacht of Hitler and secretly collected forbidden Nazi symbols.

After Albrechts arrest at a Bundeswehr barracks in French Alsace investigators said they found a lounge where he and like minded officers shared their enthusiasm for the Nazi Wehrmacht.

They called their retreat the bunker and in it stored pictures romanticizing WW2 German troops alongside original steel helmets, guns and medals.

Inspector general Volker Wieker has ordered all military premises to be thoroughly searched.

Anyone who decorates an entire room with devotional objects in such a barracks must be deeply convinced, said a spokesman for Germanys MoD in Berlin.

In 2012 at the site soldiers made a huge four foot swastika on the ground outside a training site.

A Nazi-era MG 42 machine gun similar to this one pictured was found at the barracks. The gun was known as 'Hitler's buzzsaw'

German defence minister Ursula von Der Leyen said the search of every army barrack, storeroom, munitions depot and training area was necessary to restore the reputation of the Bundeswehr.

She added: Given the current cases of degradation, harassment and clear right-wing extremism, there must be be complete enlightenment and far-reaching consequences for the future.

We educate people how to use weapons and we are right to have stricter standards. The process that has begun now requires courage and stamina.

We should now, together, from the generals to the recruits, support this process with all its strength. Nothing less less than the reputation of our Bundeswehr is at stake.
The Australian Federal Police will receive an extra $321 million to step up the fight against terrorism, criminal gangs and drug rings.

The authority's cash injection will be doled out over four years and is included in this year's federal budget, to be handed down on Tuesday.

The number of surveillance personnel and crime scene investigators will be beefed up under the new funding package, The Daily Telegraph reported.

The Australian Federal Police will receive an extra $321 million over four years (stock image)

The money will help the AFP in its fight against terrorism (stock image)

The extra cash will enable an additional 300 covert intelligence operators and forensic specialists to be added to the force's ranks.

It is the largest financial boost given to the federal police in the past 10 years, and will also assist in countering cybercrime and fraud.

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull said the battle to destroy terrorists was a crucial national security issue.

'This struggle against terrorism... is of vital importance for our safety at home in Australia,' Mr Turnbull said.

Minister Assisting the Prime Minister for Counter Terrorism, Michael Keenan, said the funding will assist the federal police by accelerating their investigations, ensuring they are able to swiftly put criminals behind bars.

The cash injection, the largest given to the AFP in the past 10 years, will also help in the fight against criminal gangs and drug rings (stock image)
A county school district is denying claims it was 'negligent' as the student who was repeatedly 'body-slammed' to the floor by a teacher has filed a suit for $25 million.

Montravious Thomas, 13, from Georgia had his right leg amputated because of the injuries he allegedly suffered at the hands of a contracted teacher at the Edgewood Student Service Center, an alternative learning center for students who have violated school rules.

In the lawsuit Thomas's family filed in March, their lawyers said they were demanding $25 million because of punitive damages and his expensive medical treatments, which have amounted to more than $600,000.

A response filed by the Muscogee County school district on May 4 states among other defenses that Thomas's injuries 'were the result of an independent intervening cause and not the result of any alleged negligence or other actions or inactions of these defendants,' according to the Ledger Enquirer.

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The school district is denying claims it was 'negligent' as student Montravious Thomas (pictured left and right after surgery) has filed a lawsuit for $25 million. The teenager was repeatedly 'body-slammed' to the floor by his teacher and had to have his right leg amputated

The teen's amputation was performed Tuesday night in the Children's Hospital of Atlanta at Egleston as his family's attorney said 'he doesn't want anyone to look at his leg'. Thomas is pictured above after surgery

Their defense also stated that the teenager 'failed to exercise ordinary care for his safety, so the plaintiffs arent entitled to recover some or all of the claims.'

The lawsuit documents show more than 18 defendants including the teacher who allegedly caused the injuries, Bryant Mosley, the school's superintendent and the assistant principal.

Attorneys representing Moseley - who no longer works at the school - have also filed a response denying his 'negligent act' contributed to Thomas's injuries.

'No allegedly negligent act on Mosleys part caused or contributed in causing any of the plaintiffs alleged injuries and damages,' the response obtained by the Ledger-Enquirer read.

The alleged incident took place on September 12. During a class with Mosley, the teacher 'had to physically restrain a student... due to behavioral issues,' a Columbus Police Department report said.

Renee Tucker, the attorney representing Thomas and his mother, said Mosley repeatedly threw the boy to the ground then sent him home without medical attention or telling his mom, The Ledger-Enquirer reported.

The teen's amputation was performed Tuesday night in the Children's Hospital of Atlanta at Egleston as Tucker said he is 'coping.'

'He's doing OK, as much as can be expected,' Tucker said. 'He was emotional, of course, yesterday and last night. Today, he's a little better. He's still coping.

'Egleston has done a pretty good job, and he's getting the idea of a prosthetic in his mind.

'They're sending counselors by and showing him pictures of kids still being active (with a prosthetic leg).

'So he's getting used to the idea, but it's still emotional for him. He doesn't want anyone to look at his leg.'

Thomas had his right leg amputated below the knee because some veins were severed as part of his broken tibia that provided blood flow to his foot, she added.

Doctors at the hospital tried to save Thomas' leg by removing an artery from his thigh and tried to have it act like a vein, but it didn't work.

Tucker also said another injury he suffered required surgery to repair his dislocated right knee.

Thomas has been hospitalized since since the September 12 incident.

His mother, Lawanda Thomas, lost her job working at a temporary agency because she has spent most of her time to be by her son's side at the hospital.

At the time, the teen was attending the AIM program, which hosts children who have been temporarily removed from their regular schools due to disruptive behavior, when the incident happened. It was his first day at the program WTVM reported.

Thomas (above) had his right leg amputated below the knee because some veins were severed as part of his broken tibia that provided blood flow to his foot

Thomas (left) has been hospitalized since since the September 12 incident. His mother, Lawanda Thomas (right), lost her job working at a temporary agency because she has spent most of her time to be by her son's side at the hospital

The family's lawyer Renee Tucker (left) is now preparing a $5million lawsuit in relation to the alleged altercation that happened last month

Tucker said Thomas was trying to leave class to call his mom when Mosley, a behavioral specialist, stopped him.

Mosley then threw him to the floor for an 'unknown reason,' Tucker said, and did it again when the boy tried to leave again.

Tucker also claims that Eddie Powell, the assistant principal, saw the violence at one point, and that a school resource officer saw Thomas limping away but didn't help or file a report.

The attorney also says that the school talked about calling for an ambulance, but then decided against it, and that Mosley then put the boy on a bus home without calling his family.

'We don't know the extent that the injuries were worsened by the failure to render aid and certainly by picking him up and seating him on the school bus,' Tucker told the Leger-Enquirer.

'Then they had him ride in that same school bus home without any support or stabilization of that leg.'

The boy's mom took him to a Columbus hospital when he got home. He was then airlifted to an Atlanta hospital.

Since then, he has undergone four surgeries AllOnColumbus reported.

He was told on Sunday that the nerve damage was so severe, his leg would have to be amputated.

Tucker told AllOnColumbus: 'Doctors talked to him and his mother on Sunday and told him they were having to take his leg since they were unable to improve the flow of blood to his lower leg.

'Right now we are all concerned for his long-term health.'

The family will be pursuing a lawsuit, Tucker said, and that early filing notices put the figure at $5million.

A police report filed at the time cited 'behavioral issues' as the reason for Mosley having to 'physically restrain' the boy, according to WTVM.

And in a statement to the press, Muscogee County School District director of communications Valerie Fuller cited safety issues for the altercation.

'It is our understanding that there were issues concerning the safety of the child and others in the room, which called for the use of restraint per state guidance,' she said.

The incident occurred at Edgewood Student Services Center (above) in September during a class for disruptive teens. Teacher Bryant Mosley is no longer there

She added that 'physical restraint' is allowed in Georgia schools if 'the student is an immediate danger to himself or others and (they are) not responsive to less intensive behavioral interventions including verbal directives or other de-escalation techniques.'

There were no other children in the room at the time, Tucker said.

The attorney also says that an insider has told her there is video footage of the alleged assault and has filed an open records request to see it.

Fuller also appeared to distance the district from Mosley, saying that he was not hired directly by them.

'Bryant Mosley was provided by Mentoring and Behavioral Services, a contract service provider, to the Muscogee County School District,' she said in her statement.

'Mr Mosley is not presently providing services to the Muscogee County School District.

'Mr Mosley is specifically trained in MindSet curriculum, a system of preventing and managing aggressive behavior, and Georgia restraint requirements.'

The teacher is no longer working at the school, Fuller said, although it isn't known when that decision was made.

Mentoring and Behavioral Services' (MBS) website says that it provides Autism, Aspergers, ADHD, and behavioral services in Columbus and Phenix City.

Bryant has not been charged with any crimes related to the incident involving Thomas (pictured above)

The site says it is a 'client focused organization that specializes in individualizing holistic behavioral approaches to produce a healthy and productive environment that fosters positive growth.'

It says that it follows the 'wholesome values' including compassion, caring, honesty and integrity.

It is currently 'accepting clients between the ages of 2-18 that have been diagnosed on the autism spectrum.'

When asked whether Bryant was still employed by MBS, Dailymail.com was directed to the company's Rob Poydasheff, who declined to comment.

' At this point, we are still in the early stages of investigating the events which occurred and I have advised my client not to comment or speculate on the matter until we have completed our investigation,' he wrote.

'We are certainly very concerned for Montravious and our hearts go out to him. He and his family are in our thoughts as prayers.'

Bryant has not been charged with any crimes related to the incident, according to WTVM.
Stuart McLevy, 21, pictured, died after falling from a jet ski while on Loch Lomond

Police have launched an investigation after a bodybuilder fell off a jet ski and died in a Scottish loch.

Stuart McLevy, 21, was a passenger on the jet ski and fell into the water at Loch Lomond at around 9.15pm on Saturday near the island of Inchmurrin.

The 37-year-old driver of the jet ski tried to help Mr McLevy from the water before other boats in the area managed to take both men back to shore in Balloch.

They were rushed to the Royal Alexandra Hospital in Paisley where the 21-year-old, from Hawick Street in Yoker, Glasgow, died.

The jet ski driver was treated for minor injuries suffered when trying to help Mr McLevy from the water and has since been released from hospital.

Police Scotland said inquiries are ongoing to determine exactly what happened and officers are appealing for information.

Inspector John McMillan said: 'One man has died and another man is receiving treatment following this incident.

'We understand Stuart McLevy fell from the jet ski and entered the water. The 37-year-old man who was driving also entered the water and attempted to assist.

'Other individuals who were also on the water on private vessels quickly came to the aid of both men and brought them back to shore at the Duncan Mills Memorial Slipway at Balloch where paramedics could take over.

The bodybuilder, pictured, was pulled out of the water by other boat users in the area

'At this time I am appealing to anyone who may have witnessed the incident from the shoreline to contact officers at Dumbarton Police Station via 101.

'Our inquiries are continuing to establish the circumstances surrounding this incident.

'Any information you have, no matter how small, could greatly assist our inquiry.'
An Australian eye wear company had an unusual explosion of website traffic after ABC presenter Yassmin Abdel-Magied's controversial Anzac Day post went viral.

Ms Abdel-Magied promotes glasses brand Sneaking Duck and spruiked the company in a post only hours before her disrespectful Anzac comments drew a frenzy of fury.

Sneaking Duck's Kim Heras said traffic skyrocketed by 1000 per cent and the store received hundreds of negative phone calls, emails and social media messages, reports The Australian.

Yassmin Abdel-Magied (pictured) sparked fury with her disrespectful Anzac Day Facebook post

The Muslim activist endorsed the eye-wear brand on her Facebook page only hours before her Anzac Day post

Ms Abdel-Magied's post listed Manus, Nauru, Syria and Palestine under the words Lest We Forget (pictured)

Ms Abdel-Magied's original post was quickly deleted and replaced with a simple 'Lest we forget'

Over the following days, the overnight hysteria of attention resulted in a 300% increase in sales for the eye-wear brand too.

'People are certainly not indifferent about (Ms Abdel-Magied) which is good but also the negative picked up really quickly,' Mr Heras said.

Her Facebook post read: 'Sooo stoked with my new set of frames from @sneakingduck ! I got a whole bunch of frames with new lenses too, as they've just launched @clens_hq - where u can send your old frames in and get new lenses installed!'

To celebrate the launch of this new brand, I've got a sweet discount code for you! Use 'YASQUEEN' for 25% off your next @clens_hq purchase and enjoy a new lease on sight!'

Representatives for Sneaking Duck confirmed Ms Abdel-Magied was not paid to endorse the brand.

The Muslim activist sparked national outrage when she wrote: 'Lest we forget (Manus, Nauru, Syria, Palestine)' on Anzac Day.

She sparked national outrage when she wrote: 'Lest we forget (Manus, Nauru, Syria, Palestine)' on Anzac Day

Ms Abdel-Magied, who hosts the ABC's Australia Wide program, was accused of disrespecting Anzac Day in favour of her own religious agenda

She quickly deleted the Facebook post and said: 'It was brought to my attention that my last post was disrespectful, and for that, I apologise unreservedly.'

She replaced the controversial post with, 'Lest we forget', but it failed to deter people's outrage.

'No sh** it was disrespectful don't try and hide behind your words. You clearly said it with malicious intent,' one person said.

Ms Abdel-Magied, who hosts the ABC's Australia Wide program, was accused of disrespecting Anzac Day in favour of her own religious agenda.

'Do you know anything about the history of the Anzacs? Do you even care? Because if you did, you would have known better than to make today about your agenda,' another said.

Despite calls for the ABC to dump the presenter from the air, the network defended the activist, saying: 'Her views and opinions in that capacity are her own and do not represent those of the ABC'.
The largest so far to arise out of about 2,400 lawsuits accusing J&J of not adequately warning consumers about the cancer risks of talc-based products

Johnson & Johnson on Thursday was ordered by a Missouri jury to pay over $110 million to a Virginia woman who says she developed ovarian cancer after decades of using of its talc-based products for feminine hygiene.

The verdict in state court in St. Louis was the largest so far to arise out of about 2,400 lawsuits accusing J&J of not adequately warning consumers about the cancer risks of talc-based products including its well-known Johnson's Baby Powder.

Many of those lawsuits are pending in St. Louis, where the J&J has faced four prior trials, three of which resulted in $197 million verdicts against J&J and a talc supplier.

Thursday's verdict came in a lawsuit against J&J and talc supplier Imerys Talc by Lois Slemp, a resident of Virginia who is currently undergoing chemotherapy after her ovarian cancer initially diagnosed in 2012 returned and spread to her liver.

Slemp claimed she developed cancer after four decades of using talc-containing products produced by J&J, including J&J's Baby Powder and Shower to Shower Powder.

J&J in a statement said it sympathized with women impacted by ovarian cancer but planned to appeal.

"We are preparing for additional trials this year and we continue to defend the safety of Johnson's Baby Powder," J&J said.'

The verdict came after J&J secured its first trial win in the Missouri litigation, when a jury in March sided with the company in a lawsuit by a Tennessee woman who said she developed cancer after using Baby Powder.

That verdict broke a three-trial winning streak by plaintiffs that began with a verdict in February 2016 in which a jury awarded $72 million to the family of a woman who died from ovarian cancer.

In May 2016, another jury awarded $55 million to a woman who said J&J's talc-powder products caused her to develop cancer. A third jury hit J&J and Imerys with a $70 million verdict in October. The jury awarded $5.4 million in compensatory damages and said J&J was 99 percent at fault while Imerys was just 1 percent. It awarded punitive damages of $105 million against J&J and $50,000 against Imerys.

Reuters watched the verdict through Courtroom View Network, which broadcast it online.

"Once again we've shown that these companies ignored the scientific evidence and continue to deny their responsibilities to the women of America," Ted Meadows, a lawyer for Slemp and other plaintiffs, said in a statement

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Emily Thornberry, pictured on TV today, said voters are only backing Theresa May because they like her hair

Labour frontbencher Emily Thornberry risked enraging voters today by claiming they are only backing Theresa May because they like her hair.

The close Corbyn ally implied that Britons are letting shallow opinions influence their political choices.

She made the comments on ITV's Peston on Sunday as she insisted that Labour will win the General Election despite their humiliating defeat in local elections earlier this week.

She said: 'We will win this, if we win it, on the basis of our policies and the fact that we have been able to get over our message on the doorstep showing people that it does not need to be this way.

'There is no alternative vision that the Tories are offering. It is not good enough for people to simply say 'I like Theresa May's hair' or 'I like that shade of blue'.

'Politics is not about that, politics is about how you change people's lives.'

Theresa May unveiled her new softer cropped bob in January, but voters will undoubtedly find it insulating to suggest that is why they are swinging behind her.

It is not the first time the shadow foreign secretary has scoffed at the public over their politics.

She was sacked as shadow attorney general in 2014 by Ed Miliband after sneering at a family home draped with an England flag.

Ms Thornberry, who lives in a multimillion pound house in Islington, north London, was sent to tour the TV studios to speak in support of Labour's plans to raise taxes on those earning more than 80,000.

But she admitted she did not know how much Labour's 'modest' rise would raise and refused to say whether tax relief on pensions would be cut.

Dan Ware arrives back at his Rochester home in 2014. Ms Thornberry sneered at his home because it was draped in the England flag

Theresa May, pictured in January her favourite Vivienne Westwod suit, is well known for her love of fashion

Explaining why the 80,000 threshold had been chosen, she acknowledged that 'many people on 70,000 do not necessarily feel themselves to be rich, but the truth is average incomes are 26,000'.

And she defended Mr Corbyn's leadership: 'He is genuine, he talks like people talk and his preoccupations are the preoccupations of ordinary people.

'Theresa May doesn't get out enough to be able to understand what the preoccupations of ordinary people are.'
Shocking images have emerged of five fiddler rays with fatal stab wounds to the head in an appalling case of animal cruelty.

The rays, commonly known as banjo sharks, were found near Rye pier, off the coast of Victoria's Mornington Peninsula.

The discovery has provoked enraged divers to call for an end to barbaric attacks on marine creatures.

The slaughtered sea creatures are the latest in a long line of cases of animal cruelty encountered by Mornington Peninsula divers daily.

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A close up of one of five fiddler rays with its head sliced open in a barbaric attack by fishermen in Port Phillip Bay

Activists are calling for an end to the slaughter after divers found five fiddler rays with gaping wounds to their heads

The animals have suffered huge stab wounds to their heads as a slit has been made right along the middle of the rays

Diving instructor Jane Bowman reported to Fisheries Victoria she spotted 18 dead fiddler rays with similar stab wounds during a recent dive.

All the rays were returned to the water in breach of the laws regarding unwanted catch.

Divers disturbingly found one of the rays was in fact still alive after sustaining the head injury and filmed the animal struggling on the seabed.

According to Fisheries Victoria 2009, Regulation 101 it is 'an offence to fail to return fish to water without injury or damage.'

These brutal attacks have prompted Melbourne-based Project Banjo Action Group to stand up and take action as they have begun to collate evidence to suggest such attacks are not isolated incidents.

Testimonials and photographic evidence will be used to support their claim that banjos have been slaughtered as unwanted catch regularly for many years across the piers of Port Phillip Bay and Westernport.

'This goes beyond the illegal slaughter of unwanted catch,' said Project Banjo Coordinator PT Hirschfield.

'Often it's a matter of animal cruelty, increasingly we're finding rays that are thrown back in the water, cut in half, mutilated and maimed but still alive.'

'They're being thrown back like rubbish.' Ms Hirschfield added.

Horrific evidence of marine animal cruelty under Rye pier, where divers are constantly finding discarded dead banjo sharks

Even the tails of the animals have been hacked at by fishermen flinging the dead rays back into the sea

A fiddler ray, more commonly known as a banjo shark, with a fatal cranial split lying motionless on the seabed

A banjo shark has had its mouth ripped out to remove a fishing hook before being illegally dumped in Port Phillip Bay

Port Phillip Bay does have a constant patrol of undercover and uniform inspectors safeguarding the iconic tourist area yet local divers have called for more action following the latest cruel attack on the Port Phillip Bay's marine life.

Travis Dowling, director of Fisheries Victoria, confirmed it was illegal to throw dead rays back into the sea.

He also said offenders would face a $310 on-the-spot fine or up to $2000 in court.

In response to the recent spate of banjo deaths, the CEO of peak Victorian recreational fishing body VRFish, Michael Burgess outlined that the slaughter of the rays would not be tolereated.

'VRFish encourages all fishers to return unwanted rays to the water unharmed and comply with fishing regulations.'

'We all need to work together to stamp out this unacceptable and illegal behaviour,' Mr Burgess said.

The discovery of the slaughtered fiddler rays comes after divers found a 250kg stingray with its fins and tail hacked off.

It is believed the huge ray was killed as fishermen believe the large sea creatures are eating fish in which fisherman are trying to catch or simply because they don't want to catch them again.

A close up of the shocking injuries sustained by the stingray as it is believed fishermen are killing rays as they're eating the fish they are trying to catch

Local diver PT Hirschfield gets a close up look of the dead stingray, which suffered horrific fatal injuries as the result of an inhumane attack

The tail of the sea creature had been hacked off as it was disposed of on the seabed of Port Phillip Bay

Larger species, like the one found, may also have been used as bait for the fisherman.

Ms Hirschfield told Daily Mail Australia it was 'devastating to find the smooth ray in that condition under the pier after diving with it regularly over many months'.

'People worldwide were angry, sickened and saddened to see what had happened,' she continued.

'It's not very sporting to kill a graceful resident animal like this which is loved by locals and tourists alike in shallow water under a pier and pretty distressing to see it having met such a brutal fate.'

Campaigners Project Banjo Action Group urged for stricter laws and punishments for those responsible at a recent rally on the peninsula.

They had gathered with signs brandished with 'Stop the Slaughter!' and 'Protect Peninsula rays!' in an attempt to raise awareness of the issue.

Campaigners Project Banjo Action Group held a rally in an attempt to stop the killing of harmless stingrays.

One protester displays one of the dead rays which were found while diving at Mornington Peninsula

Enough is enough! Locals turned out in force to show their support for the rays of Port Phillip Bay

Divers and locals combined to take a stance on the issue at Rye pier

Local families came down to lend a hand in an attempt to get their poignant message across

The images of the dead stingray harbored strong social media attention with many users commenting on the shocking pictures.

'Whoever did this this is just the first stage of becoming a serial killer or a mass murder,' one user commented.

'Prosecute them and throw away the key as the fish can't defend themselves,' another suggested.
A 47-year-old woman was caught on Tuesday trying to smuggle heroin from Mexico to the US by strapping it to her buttocks.

The woman was referred for further inspection by US Customs and Border Protection (CPB) officers at the Port of Nogales Dennis DeConcini.

Agents referred her when she attempted to enter the US from Mexico via the pedestrian lanes.

A 47-year-old woman was caught on Tuesday trying to smuggle heroin from Mexico to the US by strapping it to her buttocks. Officers found the woman to be in possession of nearly three pounds of heroin. According to the agents, the heroin is worth more than $45,000

Officers found the woman to be in possession of nearly three pounds of heroin. According to the agents, the heroin is worth more than $45,000.

By the end of the day, authorities at the port had seized a combined 68 pounds of methamphetamine, cocaine and heroin worth more than $410,000.

Early in their shift, officers located nearly 22 pounds of meth, worth $65,000, in the rear quarter panels of a Ford SUV driven by a 38-year-old woman from Peoria, Arizona, as she was returning from Mexico.

Shortly after, agents referred a 40-year-old Mexican man for a closer inspection of his Nissan sedan when he applied for entry into the US.

Officers used a CBP narcotics-detection canine, who located more than 31 pounds of meth and 2.5 pounds of cocaine hidden in the vehicle's floor area.

The drugs were estimated to be worth $123,000 combined.

By the end of the day, authorities at the Port of Nogales Dennis DeConcini (pictured) had seized a combined 68 pounds of methamphetamine, cocaine and heroin worth more than $410,000

A 26-year-old woman from Rio Rico, Arizona, was also stopped and searched as she returned from Mexico.

Police found more than 10 pounds of heroin worth more than $178,000 in the back seat of her Honda sedan.

All four individuals were arrested and turned over to US Immigration and Customs Enforcement's Homeland Security Investigations; along with the drugs and vehicles involved.
A Penn State frat brother claims his pleas to call 911 for an unconscious pledge who died after hazing ritual were dismissed.

Kordel Davis described how his fellow Beta Theta Pi brothers stood round 'laughing and pointing' at pledge Timothy Piazza, 19, who lay unconscious after falling 15 feet down a flight of stairs.

It was more than 12 hours before anyone finally called 911 but by then it was too late. Piazza was pronounced dead in hospital the following day.

Davis told Good Morning America that he had begged his fellow frat brothers to call emergency services after he found Piazza passed out on the couch - but his concerns were dismissed.

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Kordel Davis (left) claims his pleas to call 911 for unconscious pledge Timothy Piazza (right) who died after hazing ritual were dismissed

'Everybody was surrounding him, basically laughing, pointing,' said Davis, who initially believed the pledge might have alcohol poisoning.

'Right away I started freaking out. Tim fell and he's just lying on the couch. If Tim fell, he does not need to be on the couch, he needs to go to the hospital, we need to call 911,' he says he told his brothers. 'He could have a concussion.'

But they simply told him he was 'overreacting' and being 'crazy.'

'You don't know what you're talking about,' he was told.

Davis claims he was told the situation 'was going to be handled their way.'

'They thought calling for help was just unnecessary.'

He added that his brothers were more concerned with making sure 'that they themselves were safe, rather than Tim truly being safe.'

Pictured above is the Penn State Beta Theta Pi house on Burrowes Road after it was shut down following Piazza's tragic death

Sickening new details surrounding the death of a Pennsylvania State University pledge, Timothy Piazza (left and right), 19, have emerged

It is not clear why Davis did not just call 911 himself.

Eighteen members of the now-shuttered fraternity have now been arrested and are facing charges over Piazza's death. Eight frat brothers at Beta Theta Pi and the frat are accused of involuntary manslaughter.

The other charges range from evidence tampering to furnishing alcohol to minors.

Police had said hazing and excessive drinking at the private chapter house on February 2 contributed to the death of Timothy Piazza, 19, a sophomore engineering student from Lebanon, New Jersey.

'You don't know what you're talking about Kordel Davis

Penn State permanently banned Beta Theta Pi on March 30, accusing it of a 'persistent pattern' of excessive drinking, drug use and hazing.

The coroner determined that Piazza died as a result of multiple traumatic injuries sustained from the fall. The death was ruled an accident that was entirely preventable, according to Daily Collegian.

Since Piazza's death, chapter alumnus Donald Abbey, a California real estate magnate, has sued the fraternity for the $10million he says he loaned the chapter to fix up the house and shore up its finances.

On Saturday, Centre County District Attorney Stacy Parks Miller released new details of how the deadly night unfolded, citing evidence from surveillance cameras, testimony and phone records, according toABC News.

On Saturday morning Centre County District Attorney Stacy Parks Miller (pictured) released new details of how the deadly night unfolded, citing evidence from surveillance cameras, testimony and phone records

Jim and Evelyn Piazza (right) stand by as Centre County District Attorney Stacy Parks Miller (left) announces the results of an investigation into the death of their son Timothy Piazza in Bellefonte, Pennsylvania, on Friday

According to the report, Piazza engaged in drinking as a part of a pledge ritual and his blood alcohol content reached between .28 and .36 on February 2.

He then fell down a flight of stairs. His fall was not caught on camera but someone in the frat house heard it and found Piazza lying face-down at the bottom of the stairs.

One man sent a group message to other frat brothers that read: 'Tim Piazza might actually be a problem. He fell 15 feet down a flight of stairs, hair-first, going to need help.'

Surveillance video following the fall around 10.47pm showed Piazza being carried upstairs by four fraternity brothers.

His body appeared limp and he had a visible bruise on his side.

Everybody was surrounding him, basically laughing, pointing, Kordel Davis

He was then placed on a couch as some of the frat boys poured liquid on his face attempting to wake him up. One member even punched him in his abdomen.

At one point, someone sat on his legs to keep him from rolling off the couch.

According to the detailed report, one of the new initiates of the fraternity saw Piazza, became upset and screamed at the others that they needed to get him to the hospital.

The new initiate told authorities that he saw Piazza 'thrashing and making weird movements on the couch' stressing the need to take him to the hospital because he could have a concussion.

He later told the grand jury that Piazza looked 'horrible' and when he wanted to call for help he was quickly told to leave and shoved against a wall as the others said they had the situation under control.

Eight frat brothers at Beta Theta Pi (among them Joe Sala, left, and Nicholas Kubera, right) and the frat are accused of involuntary manslaughter

Luke Visser (left) and Jonah Neuman (right) were also among the eight frat members charged with involuntary manslaughter

Shortly before 11.30pm, the pledge master allegedly slapped Piazza three times in the face.

And seven minutes later, one frat brother tackled another brother into the couch, landing on top of Piazza, according to the report.

Around 1am, the frat brothers allegedly put a backpack full of books on Piazza to keep him from rolling onto his back.

At 3.22am, Piazza tried to stand but fell back and hit his head on the wooden floor.

Close to 3.46am, Piazza was in the fetal position on the floor with his knees toward his chest.

He fell again at 4am and at 5am, he fell a third time, hitting his head on an iron railing and landing on a stone floor.

Piazza then attempted to get up but he fell, this time hitting his head on the front door.

Kordel Davis described how his fellow Beta Theta Pi brothers stood round 'laughing and pointing' at pledge Timothy Piazza, 19, who lay unconscious after falling 15 feet down a flight of stairs

Meanwhile, fraternity brothers entering and leaving the frat house stepped over him and just left him there, according to the findings.

After 7am on February 3, Piazza fell down the basement stairs again.

When fraternity members found him, unconscious, cold to the touch, and with blood on his face around 10am, more than 40 minutes passed before they called 911.

The grand jury report said Piazza rolled to his side and clutched his abdomen after falling several times.

Surveillance video showed some of the frat brothers shaking Piazza and trying to prop him up.

When they did call 911, they allegedly didn't tell dispatchers that Piazza fell down the stairs the previous night.

Authorities concluded that after Piazza was taken to the hospital the frat brothers attempted to conceal evidence of the hazing and underage drinking, by deleting messages and attempting to erase surveillance video.

According to ABC, authorities recovered a deleted text that said: 'If need be, just tell them what I told you guys, found him behind [a bar] the next morning at around 10 a.m., and he was freezing-cold, but we decided to call 911 instantly, because the kid's health was paramount.'

Eight frat brothers at Beta Theta Pi and the fraternity are accused of involuntary manslaughter.

The other charges range from evidence tampering to furnishing alcohol to minors.

Penn State permanently banned Beta Theta Pi on March 30, accusing it of a 'persistent pattern' of excessive drinking, drug use and hazing.

Authorities found that 12 hours had passed before fraternity members called 911 after Piazza fell down the stairs.

'Timothy was lying on his back with his arms clenched tight at his sides and his hands in the air,' grand jurors wrote.

He was hospitalized and pronounced dead in the early hours of February 4, according to the Centre County, Pennsylvania, grand jury investigation report.

The coroner determined that Piazza died as a result of multiple traumatic injuries sustained from the fall. The death was ruled an accident that was entirely preventable, according to Daily Collegian.

Parks Miller embraces Evelyn Piazza (left) as Jim Piazza stands near an enlarged photo of his late son during a press conference on Friday

Authorities also included in the grand jury report, evidence hazing at the fraternity that included forced drinking and paddling.

The grand jury concluded that Piazza's death wasn't the result of isolated conduct or a simple mistake but as a 'direct result of the extremely reckless conduct of members of the Beta Fraternity who operated within the permissive atmosphere fostered' by Penn State's Interfraternity Council, according to ABC.

'This didn't have to happen. We are devastated,' said Piazza's father, Jim, at the press conference on Saturday morning.

'This is the result of a feeling of entitlement, flagrant disobedience of the law and disregard for moral values that was then exacerbated by egregious acts of self-preservation,' he added.

One man sent a group message to other frat brothers that read: 'Tim Piazza might actually be a problem. He fell 15 feet down a flight of stairs, hair-first, going to need help A frat brother's group text

Jim Piazza said on Friday that his son was 'an incredible young man and an excellent student. He was an amazing son, brother, boyfriend and friend'.

'We are going to miss him terribly. No parents should have to deal with this,' he said.

Penn State President Eric Barron called the alleged findings 'heart-wrenching and incomprehensible'.

'The University community continues to mourn his tragic death, but no pain we feel can begin to compare to the devastating heartbreak that Timothy's family and friends are experiencing,' Barron added.

Beta Theta Pi has been banned from ever returning to the school.

Barron said in the statement that 'hazing and dangerous drinking are not permitted by the University, and the University takes appropriate action to educate its students about these issues and to hold them accountable whenever it learns of such wrongdoing'.

Timothy Piazza's heartbroken father (with his son and wife Evelyn) said: 'We are going to miss him terribly'

Beta Theta Pi International Fraternity also released a statement calling the charges 'incredibly disheartening as the organization and its membership continue to grieve Tim's passing and the pain experienced by his family'.

The Fraternity said since the incident, the organization has 'cooperated fully with local officials in their investigation'.

'The early findings of that investigation indicated that the behavior of several undergraduate members was in direct contradiction of the International Fraternity's expectations and risk management policies, as well as the International Fraternity's reputation and commitment to character development,' the statement said.

'Beta Theta Pi International Fraternity has clearly and consistently expressed its position that it does not tolerate hazing or alcohol abuse in any form by its member.'

All defendants charged with involuntary manslaughter were arraigned on Saturday.

No pleas were entered and bail was set at $100,000 and they were released on their own recognizance.

Each defendant is prohibited from having alcohol and non-prescription drugs, cannot leave their home state without express permission from the judge and must surrender their passports, according to the district attorney.

The charges against the 18 fraternity pledges were announced during a news conference held Friday by Miller and her special deputy in the case, prosecutor Bruce Castor, according to PennLive.com.

'This has been a very intense investigation,' Miller said. 'I am not sure we have charged as many people at one time in one case.'

In a statement, the Penn State Interfraternity Council said its thoughts 'continue to lie with the Piazza family as the justice process moves forward'.

'Our focus, as students, is leading the change Penn State needs to prevent a senseless tragedy like this from happening in the future,' the statement continued.
South Australian MP Dennis Hood says parents should be allowed to legally hit their children.

His comments come after media commentator Felicity Gerry QC called for smacking children to be banned, calling it 'legal chastisement'.

Hood believes it can be in the child's 'best interest' to be physically disciplined, and that some are more likely to change their behaviour 'following a loving smack'.

South Australian MP Dennis Hood says smacking children can be 'in their best interests'

Australian law dictates parents may use 'reasonable' force when smacking children, but the conservative MP believes there needs to be less ambiguity.

'Parents should be protected under the law, but it seems parliament wont support that common sense position. I would like to see it made clearer in legislation', he told The Advertiser.

In 2007 Mr Hood attempted to amend State law to protect parents who used corporal punishment, but was unsuccessful in gaining support from either Liberal or Labor.

Felicity Gerry QC believes smacking children should be made illegal

A study by Gershoff and Grogan-Taylor in 2016 found an association between the use of spanking and physical abuse, and that children who are physically punished are just as 'likely to defy their parents when they spank as comply with them'.

Poll Do you think corporal punishment for children should be outlawed? Yes No Do you think corporal punishment for children should be outlawed? Yes 14 votes

No 44 votes Now share your opinion





Mr Hood says smacking cannot be used 'carelessly', but that it is 'entirely appropriate as a last resort'.

He says current legislators are 'out of touch with community thinking'.

Ms Gerry though believes it is a 'serious violation' of a child's rights and is a systematic issue.

'Using physical force intending to cause a child pain or discomfort to punish or correct behaviour ... is embedded in cultural views, government law, social policy and in some religious texts,' she told The Daily Telegraph.

She also wants changes both culturally and by a government she accuses of having laws in place that allow abuse.

'Either society must demand change, or law-makers must make the brave decision to change the untenable laws that permit child abuse in the form of punishment.'
A Sydney family is furious Labor senator Sam Dastyari mocked their $1.3 million house as an example of Sydney's runaway housing boom.

Leanne and Bob Carabetta slammed the flamboyant MP as a 'snob' after a bizarre foul-mouthed video on his Facebook page singled out their Ryde home.

Senator Dastyari said everyone knew inner-city prices were 'incredibly expensive', but most people didn't know whole city had become unaffordable.

A Sydney family is furious Labor senator Sam Dastyari mocked their $1.3 million house in Ryde (pictuered) as an example of Sydney's runaway housing boom

Leanne and Bob Carabetta slammed the flamboyant MP as a 'snob' after a bizarre foul-mouthed video on his Facebook page singled out their Ryde home (inside pictured)

'This is whats called a classic house in the suburb of Ryde, immaculately kept as its been told, on one of the busiest roads of Sydney to boot,' he said about the house

'Everybody loves talking about house prices, but what does a million bucks in Sydney actually buy you? Not much,' he said.

He then toured some of the outer suburbs of Sydney to see what $1 million would buy you in several houses up for auction.

'This is whats called a classic house in the suburb of Ryde, immaculately kept as its been told, on one of the busiest roads of Sydney to boot,' he told the camera about the Carabettas' house that sold for $1.3 million.

'And you know if its got security shutters youre onto a good thing.'

Senator Dastyari said everyone knew inner-city prices were 'incredibly expensive', but most people didn't know whole city had become unaffordable

He then toured some of the outer suburbs of Sydney to see what $1 million would buy you in several houses up for auction

They bought it in 1999 for $245,000 as a young family with a baby on the way after it sold for $92,500 in July 1987, $108,000 in 1995, and $187,000 in 1996.

Ms Carabetta, 46, said she took 'great offence' to Senator Dastyari's 'snobbery', particularly his comment about the security shutters.

'We had shutters because we didnt have curtains and we had a baby,' she told The Australian, adding that she was surprised he picked her house.

'What I wasnt surprised about was a Labor political campaign that stated the obvious and didnt say how they were going to fix it.'

Senator Dastyari moved on to a small vacant block in a neighbouring suburb. 'All you're really paying for is the chance to spend another couple hundred thousand dollars to build,' he said

The land was over the road from a power station (pictured) and a train line

Senator Dastyari moved on to a small vacant block in a neighbouring suburb over the road from a power station and near a noisy train line.

'People like to talk about how a generation of young people are being picky,' he said.

'We are an hour and twenty away, in peak hour traffic, from the CBD of Sydney and all a million bucks will buy you is, essentially, a block of land across from not only a power station but also the train line.

'All you're really paying for is the chance to spend another couple hundred thousand dollars to build something.'

In another surrounding suburb he mocked a house for being described as having a 'functional kitchen'.

'For a f**king million dollars, you'd like to think the kitchen can work,' he said.

Senator Dastyari stopped by another house that he mocked a house for being described as having a 'functional kitchen'

'For a f**king million dollars, you'd like to think the kitchen can work,' he said

Senator Dastyari then pointed out that a $1 million house would cost $1,050 a week just on interest if it was at a rate of 5.29 per cent interest.

'I'm sorry but that's just not affordable,' he said.

He responded to criticism of the video by saying it was wrong to interpret his video as anything other than a 'cry for reform'.

'Borrowing $900,000 for a $1 million first home locks people out,' he said.

Senator Dastyari has made and posted almost 50 videos on his Facebook page, paid for from his own pockets or parliamentary communications allowances.

He was famous for his 'Halal snack pack' video last year, inviting One Nation leader Pauline Hanson to eat the popular dish with him - it was viewed 2.1 million times.
The journalist had rejected his invite to Trump's inauguration

Duca, 25, said the CEO's actions were 'an act of targeted harassment'

His profile had several photos of Duca

Shkreli's account was deactivated in January due to his 'shrine' of Lauren Duca

He became a public pariah after significantly hiking price of AIDS drug

Martin Shkreli is the former CEO of Turing Pharmaceuticals

Pharma bro Martin Shkreli's Twitter account has been suspended for good after he harassed a Teen Vogue writer who rejected his invitation to President Donald Trump's inauguration in January.

The 33-year-old CEO announced on Wednesday that the social media site had permanently barred him from using a profile.

Shkreli's profile was suspended in early January after he turned his own Twitter profile into a shrine of journalist Lauren Duca.

He filled his account with photos of the 25-year-old - including one picture where Shkreli photoshopped his face over her husband's.

Duca tweeted to Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey asking how such 'targeted harassment' could be allowed.

Shkreli's profile was later suspended.

Martin Shkerli, 33, (left) had his Twitter account suspended permanently after he 'harassed' Teen Vogue writer Lauren Duca (right)

The pharmaceutical boss had changed his Twitter profile to a shrine of Duca, including a photo where he replaced her husband's face with his own

On Thursday, Shkreli created two new Twitter profiles, yet he announced on Facebook that both of them had been suspended within hours.

Shkreli reportedly used the Twitter handle @TrashyTheCat to follow a few 'hackers, tech figures, politicians, and reporters,' including Duca.

Shkreli received serious backlash in 2015 for raising the price of a crucial HIV treatment drug 5,000 per cent.

Duca later said to Buzzfeed: 'I dont know how could this could possibly be allowed because this is an act of targeted harassment.

'This is an entire profile dedicated to upsetting me.'

The weekend editor at Teen Vogue asked Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey how such 'targeted harassment' was allowed

Duca said Shkreli was 'an insufferable troll who has been harassing me for weeks'

Shkreli announced on his Facebook page Wednesday that he had been barred from Twitter

He had tried to sign back on to Twitter using fake accounts, but he says they did not work

'New Twitter...is blocked (how dare they!),' he wrote on his Facebook page on Wednesday

Preceding the incident, Duca had rejected an invitation to Trump's inauguration from Shkreli over Twitter.

He was looking for a date to the president elect's ceremony on January 20 and asked the journalist if she would join him over a social media direct message.

In a scathing refusal, she tweeted out her response to her 129k followers which said: 'I would rather eat my own organs'.

Shkreli later said his offer was only a 'joke' and he was asking the 'most liberal journalists out'.

Duca rejected the pharmaceutical boss's invite to Trump's inauguration. She responded by saying she would 'rather eat [her] own organs'

He responded to Duca saying that she first should eat her heart when she started snacking on her organs

Duca said: 'Martin Shkreli is an insufferable troll, who has been harassing me for weeks.

'He doesn't even deserve the attention he got from my tweet.

'I'm similarly repulsed by the idea of attending Donald Trump's inauguration. I will be in D.C. on January 20th as part of the Women's March. Anyone reading this is welcome to be my "+1" to that.'

Duca works as weekend editor at Teen Vogue and graduated from Fordham University with a degree in English in 2013.

She later obtained a master's in journalism and critical theory at NYU in 2015.

He responded to Duca by saying that she should first start by eating her heart when she snacked on her organs.

The blistering rejection from the writer didn't stop Shkerli from then asking social media fitness star Jen Selter and Observer journalist Dana Schwartz to accompany him.

Shkerli, who came under fire for increasing the price of a crucial HIV treatment drug, then asked Instagram fitness star Jen Selter to accompany him

The Instagram star with 10.4million followers declined to respond to him

The 33-year-old (left) then turned to Observer writer Dana Schwartz (right) to attend the inauguration with him. Shkreli is known for increasing the price of Daraprim from $13.50 to $750 per pill

He causally tweets to Schwartz, implying that he was going to extend the invitation to her next

Schwartz followed Daca's lead and said that she could not attend due to previously made plans to 'gnaw off' her limbs

Selter, who has 10.4million followers on Instagram, declined to respond and Schwartz said she couldn't go because she 'already made really fun plans to gnaw off all of [her] limbs'.

After being turned down by the women Shkreli said he only asked 'the most liberal' journalists out as 'a joke'.

After he was turned down by the women, Shkreli said the whole thing was a 'joke' and he was purposely asking the 'most liberal journalists out'

This isn't the first time the businessman's dating life has been scrutinized in the public eye.

Over the past two years his online profiles for Tinder and OKCupid have been found.

New York writer Eve Peyser, 23, says she matched with pharmaceutical CEO on Tinder in October of 2015.

She then posted her conversation with Shkreli online in which she questions him for the jacking up the price of Daraprim from $13.50 to $750 per pill.

Budding reporter Eve Peyser, 23 (left), matched with Shkreli (right) on Tinder in 2015

He explained his reasoning to Peyser for the controversial hike because the 'disease was forsaken by drug companies for not being profitable enough'.

He continued: 'Only a few thousand people get it. So no new drugs for 70 years.

'Now we'll fix that. Also no one goes without drug even if they can't afford it.'

Peyser's final question to Shkreli is whether he believes he is the Edward Snowden of AIDS drugs, but he never responded.

Peyser says that he either blocked or unmatched her on Tinder after that message.

She decided to use their exchanges to interview him about his company's controversial price hike of the HIV drug Daraprim

Peyser quizzes Shkreli on why he increased the price of the drug from $13.50 to $750 per pill

He explained his reasoning was because the 'disease was forsaken by drug companies for not being profitable enough'
Mysterious street artist Banksy has weighed into the EU debate by creating a giant 'Brexit mural' in Dover.

The painter's latest piece depicts a workman chipping away at one of the 12 golden stars of the the European Union flag.

Banksy laid claim to the creation on his Instagram page, after it appeared on the side of a house in the Kent port overnight.

Banksy has created a giant 'Brexit mural' in Dover as Europe's eyes turn to the French presidential elections

Pictured: Young people in Kent stare at the latest artwork by mysterious street painter, Banksy

Banksy is well known for commenting on politics with his street art.

In 2015, he created four artworks at the Jungle migrant camp in Calais, including one featuring Apple founder Steve Jobs, in a reference to his background as the son of a Syrian migrant.

Pictured: The painter's latest piece depicts a workman chipping away at one of the 12 golden stars of the the European Union flag

In March he created the Walled Off Hotel in Bethlehem, a quirky guesthouse that stands close to Israel's towering security barrier in the occupied West Bank.

Despite his high profile art work, Banksy's identity has been kept a closely guarded secret - with a network of myths surrounding his persona.

In 2008 he was 'unmasked' by the Mail on Sunday as Robin Gunningham, a former public schoolboy from Bristol with a passion for art.

At the time Banksy's agent refused to confirm or deny the story.

Banksy then wrote on his website:'I am unable to comment on who may or may not be Banksy', and denied it was him.

In 2015 a man sparked speculation that he could be the elusive graffiti guerilla after baring a striking resemblance to an alleged picture of him from 2011.

Banksy's fans went into a frenzy after a man was snapped outside his Dismaland bemusement park in Weston-Super-Mare.

However, he was late revealed to be a parking attendant working for the local council.

Pictured: The Banksy piece in Dover, a busy port that connects England with Calais in France

William Kasper took these pictures in Bethlehem in 2007 and claim they are of UK painter James Ames - one of the artists responsible for the iconic street pieces of Banksy

Last month a man claimed to have unmasked the identity of Banksy after taking a photo of a British street painter who he says is one of four different people behind the secretive artist.

William Kasper took a photograph of an artist in Bethlehem in December 2007, who he believed was Banksy. The man in the photograph was later identified as James Ame - also known as aka AM72 - a UK painter who lives in Israel.

But Mr Kasper insists Mr Ame is one of four people who has been responsible for Banksy's work the whole time.

He came forward with the nine-year-old picture after recognising Mr Ame from a recent video, which another woman claimed showed Banksy at work in Israel.
An Oklahoma attorney has been charged with egging stranger's cars parked on the street outside her parents' million dollar home.

Kelly Hensley, 37, who lives with her parents in the spacious home in the 1500 block of Wilshire Ave, in Nicholls Hills, is charged with misdemeanor vandalism for the bizarre crime.

Surveillance footage from a house across the street reportedly showed the attorney throwing eggs at allegedly illegally parked cars across the street on February 11.

Kelly Hensley, 37, (pictured right) who lives with her parents in the spacious home in the 1500 block of Wilshire Ave, in Nicholls Hills, was arrested for egging cars

A passing motorist had called 911 saying they spotted her throwing raw eggs at parked cars

A witness who was driving past the house called 911 to report that he had seen a woman in a white shirt throwing raw eggs at parked cars.

The five or six cars were reportedly there for a bridal shower.

Hensley and her parents have been embroiled in a long battle with city hall over parking outside their home.

But police are baffled why the attorney took such drastic action.

Hensley was arrested and is charged with misdemeanor vandalism for the bizarre crime

The 37-year-old lives with her parents' in their million dollar home in Oklahoma

'I couldn't even imagine why somebody would be upset that cars were parked on the street legally,' Nichols Hills Police Chief Steven Cox told Fox affiliate KDVR.

Hensley, who denied any involvement in the incident when confronted by police, could be hit with a $500 fine and up to a year in jail.

The suspect, a lawyer certified to practice law in Texas and Oklahoma, had declined to comment about the case. Records show that she practiced law in Oklahoma from 2006 to 2012 although there are no records of her in court after that date.
A pensioner who has been without a gas supply since the millennium is being sued over an unpaid gas bill.

Retired hospital consultant Dr Roland Graf is being taken to court by British Gas over a 200 bill even though his supply was cut off in 2000.

The 74-year-old says he has been hauled before magistrates in his hometown of Leicester three times already over the bill, but the energy supplier has now filed fresh legal papers.

Retired hospital consultant Dr Roland Graf, 74, is being sued over a 200 bill by British Gas - despite not having a working supply since 2000

Two of those cases were thrown out of court, and another case abandoned.

Dr Graf told The Sunday Mirror that the bill stems from an attempt to reconnect his home to the gas network two years ago.

He claims a meter was installed but engineers failed to reconnect the supply. British Gas then began applying a standing charge to the meter.

Dr Graf said: 'It's been continual harassment. British Gas keep cancelling the bills, then the thing starts up again.

'The past few months have been very stressful. It's been bad enough without a gas supply. I've had to make do.

Dr Graf says British Gas have been applying standing charges to a meter they installed two years ago, despite the fact that engineers never connected it to the gas network

'Sometimes I sleep on the floor of a friend's flat. British Gas's objective was to enforce demands for money which I believe are illegal.'

British Gas said it has offered to send an engineer to reconnect Dr Graf, or to remove the meter, but he has refused to cooperate.

The company says it is forced to apply standing charges to all meters under strict industry regulations, whether or not a supply is connected.

A spokesman for the energy firm said: 'Weve done everything we can to help resolve Dr Grafs issue and acted properly throughout.

'We are disappointed he has not accepted the solution we proposed.'
Dogs with flat faces, which have surged in popularity recently, could be more susceptible to heat stroke, vets have warned.

Brachycephalic hounds, such as French bulldogs and pugs, are at a greater risk because their short snouts cause them to have difficulty breathing properly.

President of the British Veterinary Association (BVA) Gudrun Ravetz told The Sunday Telegraph: 'Dogs are unable to sweat when they get hot, so rely on panting to cool down.

The French bulldog's flat face means it is more susceptible to heat stroke in high temperatures

'Brachycephalic dogs are not able to breathe properly because of their short noses, making it harder for them to cool down and more prone to overheating, and putting them at greater risk of conditions like heat stroke.'

The BVA has announced it will be publishing guidelines for owners on how to keep flat-faced dogs cool.

According to the Kennel Club, the French bulldog is 31 times more popular than it was a decade ago.

And this popularity is on the rise with some 28,000 expected to be registered in the UK this year.

Mr Ravetz added: 'If owners of flat-faced dogs or other breeds with respiratory or cardiac problems have concerns about how to help their dog during the summer months, we'd recommend speaking to their local vet for advice.'

Some French bulldogs are 28,000 expected to be registered in the UK this year

It's not just Brachycephalic dogs that are at risk in the heat. All pet owners are being advised to stop their dogs and cats from spending long periods in the sun where they risk burning.

And pet insurance company Animal Friends claims the number dogs with skin cancer or dehydration has increased by 20 per cent.
Katie Gee, pictured right, has bravely spoken out about the struggles of recovery after she was attacked with acid while volunteering in Zanzibar with a friend in 2013

A British woman who had acid thrown in her face on a volunteer trip to Zanzibar has revealed the struggles of suffering with loneliness and anxiety after undergoing 50 operations.

Katie Gee, 22, and her friend Kirstie Trup were attacked by two men on a moped in August 2013 when they were volunteering on the mainly Muslim island. They were heading out to dinner when a man lifted a jerry can, filled with battery acid and poured across the pair

Miss Gee told The Sunday Times she still has recurring nightmares of being chased by attackers and waking up without her scars, and only 'felt normal again' at a friend's 21st birthday party in July.

Speaking about the incident previously, she said she watched as he smiled, lifted a jerry can that had been held out of view and swung it towards us, soaking Kirstie and me from head to toe.

Doctors said that she would have been blinded if she had not instinctively blinked when the battery acid was thrown.

Bystanders helped douse her with water to wash away the liquid before the women were taken to hospital and then flown back to London for treatment.

Miss Gee had skin grafts on her face, back, arms, stomach and legs, which, she said, left her body like a patchwork quilt.

Her right ear was removed as it was so badly damaged.

Miss Gee was faced with difficult decisions during the operations, when at one point doctors wanted her to shave her head so they could use skin from her scalp to graft onto her face.

Katie Gee, 22, and friend Kirstie Trup were attacked with acid on Zanzibar. Pictured above: Left, Katie's scars and right, Katie entering the hospital in the hours after the attack

But she said she refused to let them as her hair was the only part of her she felt was undamaged.

Now almost four years on from the attack, Miss Gee has bravely spoken out about the road to recovery and how she is determined not to let her attackers destroy her life.

A turning point when she started to feel normal again she said was a night out for a friend's 21st birthday in east London last July.

She said: 'That night I finally felt free to talk about my life outside the context of the acid attack. I was reliving some of the old times I had shared with my friends during our teen years,' she told the paper.

'It was a far cry from the feelings of anxiety and loneliness I'd grown use to; a loneliness that became almost unbearable and began to kick in four months after I was attacked.'

In three years, Miss Gee has had 50 operations and still has several more to go.

But while she used to be squeamish, she said she now looks forward to surgery as it means she is one step closer to a normal life.

She said her view of herself and the world around her has been made normal again thanks for months of therapy. and determination not to let her attackers - who were never brought to justice - ruin her life.

Miss Gee was moved to speak to the paper following a recent spate of attacks in the UK and told the paper 'something needs to be done about getting access to acid so easily'.
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Emmanuel Macron last night vowed to 'defend Europe' minutes after becoming France's youngest leader since Napoleon.

Macron, 39, beat far-right National Front (FN) candidate Marine Le Pen, 48, in an election that will have widespread repercussions for the future of Europe.

He has previously stated he will not give Britain an easy Brexit deal and even branded the UK's departure from the EU 'a crime'.

With the final ballots counted this morning, Macron had won 66.1 per cent of the vote in the first ever election he has contested, far ahead of Le Pen at 33.9 per cent. Turnout was 74.62 per cent, but in a sign of widespread disillusionment, one in three voters abstained or cast a blank ballot.

Just 15 minutes after the exit polls were announced, Le Pen conceded and revealed she phoned Macron to 'congratulate' him on his election victory.

Later in the evening, Macron addressed thousands of his adoring supporters who had gathered at his election victory rally outside the Louvre in central Paris.

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Emmanuel Macron and his wife Brigitte (pictured) addressed his adoring supporters outside the Louvre in central Paris last night just hours after he was elected the youngest French president

The president-elect celebrated with his wife Brigitte (third from right) and her granddaughter (pictured receiving a kiss from Macron) on stage after he convincingly defeated far-right Marine Le Pen in the tense election

Emmanuel Macron celebrated on stage with wife Brigitte Trogneux and her granddaughter at the Louvre in Paris last night

Macron, 39, raised his hands as thousands of his supporters waved French flags and listened to him say that he will 'defend the spirit of the enlightenment everywhere'

Emmanuel Macron, 39, and his wife Brigitte, 64, waved to their supporters after he gave a speech in Paris on Sunday evening

A couple were photographed kissing in Pairs after it was announced that Emmanuel Macron would become the new president of France

There were jubilant scenes in Paris last night as it emerged that Emmanuel Macron had won a resounding victory over Le Pen

French president-elect Emmanuel Macron (left) celebrates with his wife Brigitte Trogneux (third from right), her granddaughter (four from right), Brigitte's daughter Tiphaine Auziere (scecond from right) and Tiphaine's husband Antoine Choteau (right) on stage at the Carrousel du Louvre in Paris last night

Macron, speaking at the Carrousel du Louvre last night, said that France had 'chosen audacity' and promised to serve his country with 'humility and strength'

Emmanuel Macron (centre) was joined by his wife Brigitte (third from right), her granddaughter (fourth from right), her daughter Tiphaine Auziere (second from right) and Tiphaine's husband Antoine Choteau (right)

He walked across the sprawling historic courtyard to the music of Beethoven's 'Ode to Joy', the European Union anthem, and said: 'Europe and the world are waiting for us to defend the spirit of the enlightenment everywhere.'

Addressing the jubilant crowd with a beaming smile, he said: 'Thank you my friends. Thank you for being here tonight. You have fought with courage.

'What we have done for so many months, everyone thought it was impossible, but they didn't know France. I thank you for your trust. Thank you for the risk some have taken.'

Macron also addressed those who had voted for Le Pen, telling the crowd: 'They have expressed today anger.

'I respect them and I will do everything in the five years that come for there to be no reason to vote for extremists. Today there are just the French. France reunited.'

He repeatedly said the task before him was 'immense' adding that Europe and the world were looking to France. He added that he would work to 'reform our Europe'.

Macron said that France had 'chosen audacity' and promised to serve his country with 'humility and strength'.

Emmanuel Macron (pictured) addressed a jubilant crowd in Paris on Sunday evening and said: 'Thank you my friends. Thank you for being here. You have fought with courage

Macron supporters had gathered at the Carrousel du Louvre in Paris to celebrate the result which showed the 39-year-old had won more than 66 per cent of the vote

The married couple were mobbed by fans as they went to vote at the polling station in Le Touquet yesterday. He won the election with more than 66 per cent of the vote

Macron, a former banker, waved to supporters as he left his home in Le Touquet, northern France, flanked by bodyguards to go and vote yesterday

Supporters of French independent centrist presidential candidate, Emmanuel Macron, reacted outside his campaign headquarters in Paris on Sunday

Macron spoke one hour after the polls indicated he had won the election and had become France's youngest ever president and said a 'new page of our history' has turned

A woman reacted with jubilation as the polls indicated that Macron had won 66 per cent of the vote in the tense election

The 39-year-old (pictured) has become the country's youngest president of all time after winning more than 66 per cent of the vote

French far-right presidential candidate Marine Le Pen (pictured) reaveled last night that she has phoned Emmanuel Macron to congratulate him

Mr Macron achieved a resounding 66 percent election landslide that ended any hopes of power for the nationalist firebrand Marine Le Pen, 48, and her National Front (FN) party

He added last night: 'This evening it is Europe and it is the world that are watching us. Europe and the world are waiting for us to defend the spirit of the enlightenment everywhere, threatened in so many places.

'They expect us to defend liberties everywhere, that we protect the oppressed. They are waiting for us to have a new hope, a new humanism, a more secure world, a world of freedom, a world of more growth, more justice, more ecology. They await us finally.

'The task before us is immense and will begin tomorrow (Monday). It will require making public life more responsible, defending our democratic values, strengthening our economy, building the new protections of this world around us, giving a place to everyone, rebuilding our Europe and ensuring the safety of all the French.'

He ended his speech with the immortal French words: 'Long live the Republic, long live France'.

This morning, the French President-elect is preparing the groundwork for his transition to power, with plans for a visit to Germany, a name change for his political movement and an appearance on Monday with the man whose job he assumes.

Mr Macron must pull together a majority for his year-old political movement by mid-June legislative elections. His party, En Marche! (Forward!) is tweaking its name as it prepares a list of candidates.

Mr Macron has promised that half of those candidates will be new to elected politics, as he was before Sunday.

The far-right National Front party is also gearing up for a name change, if not a makeover of its ideas, after Marine Le Pen's decisive loss.

In interviews on Monday her campaign director David Rachline said the party founded by her father would get a new name as bait to pull in a broader spectrum of supporters in France.

During the campaign, Le Pen had hoped that the surprise election of Donald Trump in America, and the Brexit result in the UK, would favour her hardline opposition to the EU, globalisation and immigration.

But instead it was Macron who celebrated in front of crowds of supporters outside the Louvre in central Paris.

Brigitte Macron (pictured) was her husband's former schoolteacher and blew a kiss to supporters during the tense vote on Sunday

Macron supporters looked relieved as they celebrated the announcement at around 7pm by hugging each other in central Paris

Young men and women jumped and danced together after learning that Macron is to become the new French president

A couple kissed each other and waved French flags in front of the Pyramid at the Louvre Museum in Paris following the announcement at around 8pm local time

On Sunday morning, National Front candidate casts her ballot in Henin-Beaumont after Femen protesters were cleared from outside the polling station

Macron (pictured on Sunday) will become France's youngest president after he received two thirds of the vote in the tense election

Supporters of newly-elected president Macron waved French flags after the announcement confirmed he won the election on Sunday

This was thr scene as an activist from the feminist group Femen staged a demonstration at a polling station in Henin-Beaumont. The activists were detained after the protest, the latest in many demonstrations against Le Pen

This morning, focus has already shifted on whether he can govern the country without the support of a traditional party.

Macron faces a formidable challenge to enact his policy programme while trying to unite a fractured and demoralised country.

He has proposed an ambitious domestic reform agenda including cutting state spending, easing labour laws, boosting education in deprived areas and extending new protections to the self-employed.

But he is inexperienced, has no political party and must fashion a working parliamentary majority after legislative elections next month.

There is scepticism about Macron's ability to win a majority with candidates from his En Marche movement - 'neither of the left, nor right' - alone, meaning he might have to form a coalition.

'In order for us to act, we will need a majority in the National Assembly,' En Marche secretary general Richard Ferrand told TF1 television, adding that only 'half of the journey' had been completed.

And his economic agenda, particularly plans to relax labour regulations to fight stubbornly high unemployment, is likely to face fierce resistance from leftist opponents.

He also inherits a country still in a state of emergency following a string of Islamist-inspired attacks since 2015 that have killed more than 230 people.

'I WISH HIM SUCCESS IN THE FACE OF THE IMMENSE CHALLENGES FACING FRANCE', SAYS LE PEN Speaking after the exit polls showed Macron had won the election, Le Pen (pictured) said she had phoned to congratulate him on his victory Marine Le Pen delivered her concession speech less than 15 minutes after official exit polls confirmed her devastating defeat. Speaking to an audience of party officials and close aides she said she would create a new force in French politics pitting 'patriots against globalists'. She said: 'The French have chosen a new president of the republic and voted to continuity. I congratulate him on his election because I have the best interests of the country at heart, I wish him success. 'I wish him success in the face of the immense challenges facing France. 'I would like thank the 11 million French people who gave me their voice and their confidence. 'I want to thank the activists who have supported and accompanied me throughout this campaign. 'I would like to thank [rival election candidate turned support Nicolas] Dupont-Aignan and his party Debout La France for their courageous choice. 'The French people have chosen a patriotic and republican alliance as the first force of opposition. 'The political groups who have taken the responsibility to elect Mr Macron have been discredited. The first round showed a breakdown in French politics with the elimination of the old parties. 'The second round created a realignment of politics split between patriots and globalists. This choice between patriots and globalists will be presented to the French people in the parliamentary elections. 'I will be at the head of this fight to gather together all of those who choose France first. 'The Front National must renew itself to live up to this historic opportunity and expectations of the French people. 'I plan to begin the transformation of our movement to create a new political force. 'I am calling all patriots to join and participate in the decisive political battle that begins tonight. 'More than ever in the coming months France will need you. 'Long live the Republic, Long live France.' Advertisement

Macron has erased Louis Napoleon Bonaparte's record as the youngest ever president and said he would fight with all his might against all inequality in French society.

In his election victory speech, he said: 'This is a new democratic landscape. Today you've agreed to put your trust in me and it's a great honour and responsibility, as nothing was written in stone.

'I want to thank all of you from the bottom of my heart. I want to speak to all citizens now. No matter who you voted for, I do not hold anything against you.

'We need to deal with the economy and the moral weakness of the country. I want to address my opponent, Marine Le Pen.

'I know the divisions of our nations have pushed people to extremes and I know the anger and the doubt in our country. It's my duty to listen to this.

'It's about organising solidarity, fighting all forms of inequality and discrimination, ensuring unity and guaranteeing the security of the nation.'

His supporters had already flocked on to esplanade in front of the most popular museum in the world when the results were announced, waving red-white-and-blue French flags and chanting 'Macron, President!'

British Prime Minister Theresa May 'warmly congratulated' Macron on his victory in the French presidential race and said 'we look forward to working with the new president on a wide range of shared priorities.

Mrs May's message comes after Macron described Britain's exit from the EU as 'a crime', and revealed he favours a so called 'Hard Brexit' which will see the UK excluded from Europe's single market.

The area outside the Carrousel du Louvre was a sea of blue, white and red as Macron supporters celebrated his victory over Le Pen

The result was met with huge cheers from the Macron camp as exit polls showed he had won the election by a landslide

Macron supporters drank champagne to celebrate his victory in the crucial election which sees him become France's youngest president

Despite this he and his wife, Brigitte, 64, have admitted that they have strong personal links with Britain, and often holiday in cities such as London and Bristol.

Mrs Macron - her husband's former schoolteacher in the northern French town of Amiens - said at the weekend: 'We both absolutely love Britain, and make sure we visit every year - this won't change.'

Mrs Macron, who has three grown-up children from a first marriage, will now become first lady of France when the couple move into the Elysee Palace following an inauguration ceremony later this month.

US President Donald Trump also congratulated Macron and tweeted: 'Congratulations to Emmanuel Macron on his big win today as the next President of France. I look very much forward to working with him!'

Participation in the election by 7pm was 74 per cent, a relatively low turnout compared to previous elections.

The Macrons voted in the town hall in Le Touquet, on the English Channel coast, where they share a beachside home with their Argentine Mastiff dog, Figaro.

WHAT WORLD LEADERS SAY ABOUT MACRON'S WIN Pro-EU centrist Emmanuel Macron stormed to victory in the French presidential election on Sunday, roundly defeating his far-right rival Marine Le Pen in a run-off vote. Here is a selection of comments from world leaders and other political heavyweights on Macron's election victory. United States 'Congratulations to Emmanuel Macron on his big win today as the next President of France. I look very much forward to working with him!' President Donald Trump wrote on Twitter. US President Donald Trump congratulated Macron after his 'big win' on Sunday and added that he is 'looking forward' to working with him Germany 'Congratulations, @EmmanuelMacron. Your victory is a victory for a strong and united Europe and for French-German friendship,' said Chancellor Angela Merkel's spokesman. Britain 'The Prime Minister warmly congratulates President-elect Macron on his election success. France is one of our closest allies and we look forward to working with the new President on a wide range of shared priorities,' said a Downing Street spokesman. Prime Minister Theresa May also discussed Brexit with Macron, saying 'the UK wants a strong partnership with a secure and prosperous EU once we leave,' the spokesman added. European Union 'Happy that the French chose a European future,' European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker wrote on Twitter. EU Council President Donald Tusk also offered his congratulations, saying the French had chosen 'liberty, equality and fraternity' and 'said no to the tyranny of fake news'. European Parliament President Antonio Tajani told AFP: 'We have received a vote of confidence from France in the European Union.' China President Xi Jinping congratulated Macron, saying their countries share a 'responsibility toward peace and development in the world.' 'China stands ready to work with France to move the strategic Sino-French partnership to a higher level,' Xi said in a congratulatory note, according to the Chinese foreign ministry. Japan Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said 'the victory of President-elect Macron is a symbolic victory against inward-looking and protectionist moves and shows a vote of confidence in the EU'. Canada Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said he wanted to work together with Macron on a 'progressive agenda' to 'promote international security, increase collaboration in science and technology, and create good, middle-class jobs on both sides of the Atlantic'. Australia Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull said he had congratulated Macron and had received a text back saying he was 'looking forward to working together'. Greece Prime Minister Alexis Tspiras said Macron's victory was 'an inspiration for France and for Europe', adding he was 'sure we will work closely together.' Spain 'Congratulations to @EmmanuelMacron, new president of #France. Let us work in France and Spain for a stable, prosperous and more integrated Europe,' Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy said in a tweet. British Prime Minister Theresa May tweeted that she 'warmly congratulates' Macron and wrote that she is 'looking forward' to working with him Ireland 'I am delighted that a leader with a positive ambition for Europe has won this election,' said Irish Prime Minister Enda Kenny. 'There's lots of work ahead for all of us in Europe, in a challenging environment, not least on Brexit.' New Zealand Prime Minister Bill English welcomed Macron's victory as 'good for political stability', adding 'it's a result I think a lot of people will see as making a clear path for France'. Sweden 'This is a victory for the French people and for European cooperation. New opportunities will now open up for the proactive agenda needed to strengthen the EU, including more jobs and fair working conditions, a stronger climate policy and a functioning asylum system in which everyone takes responsibility,' said Prime Minister Stefan Lofven. Brazil 'I congratulate @EmmanuelMacron on his victory in the French presidential election. Brazil and France will continue to work together for democracy, human rights, development, integration and peace,' tweeted President Michel Temer. Others Defeated US presidential candidate Hillary Clinton, who like Macron had her campaign hacked, tweeted: 'Victory for Macron, for France, the EU, & the world. Defeat to those interfering w/democracy. (But the media says I can't talk about that).' Nigel Farage, former leader of British anti-EU party UKIP, who backed Le Pen, said on Twitter: 'A giant deceit has been voted for today. Macron will be Juncker's puppet.' In The Netherlands, Dutch far-right leader Geert Wilders commiserated with Le Pen, saying in a tweet: 'Well done anyway @MLP-officiel millions of patriots voted for you! You will win next time - and so will I!' -In Austria, Heinz-Christian Strache, head of the far-right Freedom Party, said Le Pen deserves 'respect... She is from now on the strongest opposition force against Macron.' Advertisement

Le Pen meanwhile voted in Henin-Beaumont, the former coalmining town just 75 miles from Le Touquet.

She is massively in favour of Brexit, and wants France to follow suit with its own Frexit vote - one that would almost certainly lead to the collapse of the whole European project.

Le Pen has continually failed to win a parliamentary seat in Henin-Beaumont - where she shares a flat with her partner, Louis Aliot - and this is her second failed presidential election campaign.

Le Pen had been continually trailing Macron in opinion polls since the pair beat off competition from nine other candidates and made it through the first round of voting two weeks ago.

Macron will take over from Socialist president Francois Hollande, whose five years in power have led to spiralling unemployment and other economic problems.

The end of the campaign was blighted on Friday night when suspected Russian hackers posted previously confidential data belonging to En Marche! (On the Move!), Macron's electoral movement.

In a statement, Macron's team described this as 'democratic destabilisation, like that seen during the last presidential campaign in the United States.'

Macron was a fierce critic of Le Pen too, describing his opponent as 'the high priestess of fear', and saying she needed to stop her 'idiocies' and lies'.

In turn, Le Pen said Macron, a former unelected finance minister in France's Socialist government and Rothschild banker, was a 'darling of the system', who wanted to turn the country 'into a trading floor'.

Macron's first big challenge as President will be to built a majority in the National Assembly in parliamentary elections that take place in June.

Le Pen (pictured) continually trailed Macron in opinion polls since the pair beat off competition from nine other candidates and made it through the first round of voting two weeks ago

Le Pen spoke to fans after casting her vote in Henin-Beaumont. The anti-globalist wanted to introduce protectionist policies favouring French workers, and strengthen borders, while ending all immigration, legal or not

Le Pen left the Henin Beaumont polling station clutching flowers and travelled to Paris to await the results which were announced later on Sunday night

Front-runner Macron (pictured) voted in the coastal town of Le Tourquet in northern France alongside his wife, Brigitte

France's Interior Ministry said voter turnout at midday was running slightly lower than during the last presidential runoff in 2012

Unions are reportedly already planning a protest today and Femen activists were photographed holding flares while standing on a church in Henin-Beaumont

For security reasons, Macron was driven to his nearby polling station at Le Touquet City Hall. He shook hands with a large crowd of supporters before voting

Last night some 10,000 Macron supporters filled the courtyard of the Louvre Museum in Paris, waving the tricolour French flag, alongside the starred EU banner.

In contrast, Le Pen - who had called for France to quit the EU in its own Frexit - held a smaller consolation rally in a restaurant on the outskirts of the city, with only hard-line supporters invited.

This morning, it emerged that France's far-right National Front party is gearing up for a name change - but not a makeover of its ideas - after its decisive loss to Macron.

In interviews Monday, the campaign director for Marine Le Pen, David Rachline, said the party founded by her father would get a new name as bait to pull in more supporters in France.

During the day the Louvre courtyard was evacuated and shut off for just over two hours when police were called to deal with a suspect package found in the media tent.

Ballots were cast by voters protected by private security guards, searching bags and frisking people at entrances, as armed police and soldiers are outlawed from protecting 67,000 French polling stations.

However the 50,000 policemen and gendarmes, together with 7,000 soldiers, on standby were not required.

Macron has previously pledged to start a 'rebirth' of the European project with his pledge to strengthen EU external borders with a 5,000 strong force.

He also wants to maintain the Schengen free-travel zone and appoint a finance minister for the eurozone.

Macron argued that Britain must be dealt a hard Brexit in which the UK leaves the single market, with no free movement, and a completely renegotiated trade deal.

Speaking in October 2016 he said: 'I am attached to a strict approach to Brexit: I respect the British vote but the worst thing would be a sort of weak EU vis-a-vis the British.

'I don't want a tailor-made approach where the British have the best of two worlds. 'That will be too big an incentive for others to leave and kill the European idea, which is based on shared responsibilities.'

Both candidates voted early on Sunday before heading to Paris. Macron arrived at the town hall in Le Touquet, on the English Channel coast, shortly after 10.30am, with his wife Brigitte, 64.

Despite the couple living around the corner with their Argentine Mastiff dog, Figaro, they were in a five-car convoy and surrounded by at least a dozen armed security guards and police officers.

Macron looked confident on Sunday morning as he put his ballot paper in a box at the start of a contest, and exit polls suggested he has won 66 per cent of the vote

Despite the couple living around the corner with their Argentine Mastiff dog, Figaro, they were in a five-car convoy and surrounded by at least a dozen armed security guards and police officers

Presidential candidate Macron was pictured leaving his home to make his way to a polling station in Le Touquet, northern France

Macron (pictured) has described Brexit as 'a crime' and wants the UK to be denied any special privileges as it negotiates its way out of the EU

Marine Le Pen (centre) was escorted by her bodyguard Thierry Legier (second from left) as she walked out the polling station on Sunday morning

The French presidential election was rocked by a security alert in the heart of Paris at about 1pm after the courtyard outside the Louvre museum was evacuated (pictured) on police orders after a bomb threat

Macron's campaign press office said it was a 'suspicious bag' that prompted the evacuation and sniffer dog search. The museum was reopened some 90 minutes later

Brigitte Macron met her husband in 1992, when he was just 15 years old, and a pupil at a private school in Amiens. She was his teacher

Le Pen, voted in Henin-Beaumont, the former coal mining town just 75 miles from Le Touquet.

Topless feminist activists, who had climbed on to the roof of the church, hung a banner and shouted anti Le Pen chants, were removed and briefly detained by police before the candidate arrived.

The Femen protest was the latest in many demonstrations against Le Pen or against both candidates. Unions are reportedly already planning a protest today.

Macron, the former Socialist economy minister and one-time banker was all smiles as he stepped out of his holiday home in the seaside resort.

For security reasons, Macron was surrounded by armed security and driven from his nearby home to the polling station in a five-car convoy.

The French presidential election was rocked by a security alert in the heart of Paris at about 1pm. The courtyard outside the Louvre museum, where Macron plans to hold an election night victory party, was evacuated on police orders after a bomb threat.

Macron's campaign press office said it was a 'suspicious bag' that prompted the evacuation and the museum was reopened some 90 minutes later.

The family of Macron's wife, Brigitee, have run a chocolate shop 'Jean Trogneux' for five generations in Amiens, his hometown

Macron grew up in the workers quarters (pictured) in rue Gaulthier de Rumilly in Amiens. Macron has argued that France must rethink its labour laws to better compete globally and appealed for unity and tolerance

The topless women climbed on to the roof of the church, hung a big banner and chanted against far-right Marine Le Pen's National Front party

French President Francois Hollande was mobbed by the press as he left a polling station in Tulle yesterday

Former French president Nicolas Sarkozy (left) and his wife Carla Bruni (centre) were photographed voting at a polling station in Paris

Hollande, the most unpopular French leader in the country's modern history, decided not to stand for re-election last year

Outgoing French president Francois Hollande cast his vote in the runoff election to replace him in his political fiefdom of Tulle in southwestern France.

Hollande, the most unpopular French leader in the country's modern history, decided not to stand for re-election last year.

The Socialist president called on voters to back centrist Macron, his former protege. Former French president Nicolas Sarkozy and his wife Carla Bruni were also photographed voting at a polling station in Paris.

Yesterday the rest of the world watched as the most unpredictable and important French presidential campaign in recent memory ended with a hacking attack targeting Macron on Friday night, just hours before the country went into media blackout.

France's government cybersecurity agency, ANSSI, is investigating the hack, which Macron's team says was aimed at destabilising the vote.

Fears of outside meddling hung over the race after France's election campaign commission said yesterday that 'a significant amount of data', along with some fake information, was leaked on social networks following the hacking attack on Macron.

The leaked documents appeared largely mundane, and the perpetrators remain unknown. It's unclear whether the document dump will dent the large polling lead Macron held over Le Pen going into the vote. The Paris prosecutors' office said it has launched an investigation following the attack.

The commission urged French media and citizens not to pay attention to the leaked documents. French electoral laws impose a weekend news blackout on any campaigning and media coverage seen as swaying the election meaning Le Pen's campaign could not formally respond due to the blackout.

Sarkozy served as president from 2007 until 2012. Before his presidency, he was the leader of the Union for a Popular Movement party

With Macron the pollsters' favourite, voting stations opened across mainland France at 8am (6am GMT) under the watch of 50,000 security forces guarding against extremist attacks

Voters descended on polling stations across France in an unusually tense election that could decide the future of Europe

The French had stark choice between two candidates - pro-business independent Emmanuel Macron and far-right populist Marine Le Pen

The far right candidate has made no secret of her dream to quit the EU and its common currency. Macron on-the-other-hand is an unabashed pro-European who wants to strengthen the bloc

Le Pen has broadened the party's appeal by tapping into, and fueling, anger at globalisation and fears associated with immigration and Islamic extremism

Yesterday the rest of the world watched as the most unpredictable and important French presidential campaign in recent memory ended with a hacking attack targeting Macron

Pictured left: Special macarons in the family chocolate shop. Pictured right: Macron's childhood home in Amiens
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Thousands of jubilant Emmanuel Macron supporters packed the courtyard of the Louvre as they celebrated his landmark victory in the French presidential election.

Crowds waving blue, white and red tricolore flags, danced, cheered and even kissed outside the iconic Paris museum as the overwhelming victory results were announced with Macron set to be France's youngest ever president.

According to exit polls, the 39-year-old former banker, has secured a landslide win as voters are believed to have rejected Marine Le Pen's populist vision of France.

Macron's victory is made all the more impressive by the fact his party En Marche! ('On the Move') has existed for slightly more than a year.

Speaking for the first time since the results were announced, Macron said the election marked the dawn of a new age for France.

He said: 'A new page of our history has turned.'

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Pictured: Two Macron supporters celebrate the election win with a kiss in the French capital as the nation reacts to his defeat of populist Marine Le Pen

Pictured: Emmanuel Macron supporters celebrate outside the Louvre Museum in Paris as he is set to become France's youngest ever president

Pictured: Euphoric Macron supporters cheer in Paris as the exit poll results are announced this evening

Pictured: Macron supporters wave the French flag as they celebrate his win outside the Arc de Triomphe in Paris

Pictured: Crowds waving blue, white and red tricolore flags and holding homemade posters celebrate outside Macron's Paris headquarters as the overwhelming victory results were announced

Pictured: A couple celebrate the historic Macron win with a kiss as supporters around them wave French flags outside the Louvre Museum

Speaking for the first time since the results were announced, Emmanuel Macron said the election marked the dawn of a new age for France

Macron added that he would fight with all his might against all inequality in French society, in his election victory speech broadcast from his party headquarters.

He said: This is a new democratic landscape.

Today you've agreed to put your trust in me and it's a great honour and responsibility, as nothing was written in stone.

I want to thank all of you from the bottom of my heart.

I want to speak to all citizens now. No matter who you voted for, I do not hold anything against you.

We need to deal with the economy and the moral weakness of the country.

I want to address my opponent, Mme Le Pen.

I know the divisions of our nations have pushed people to extremes and I know the anger and the doubt in our country.

It's my duty to listen to this.

It's about organising solidarity, fighting all forms of inequality and discrimination, ensuring unity and guaranteeing the security of the nation.

The President-elect will later deliver an address to the 10,000-strong crowd tonight from a stage set up in the esplanade de Louvre.

Pictured: Two emotional Macron supporters hug each other as they celebrate his victory this evening

Pictured: A cheering Macron supporter is carried aloft on the shoulders of a friend as she celebrates in front of the Louvre

Pictured: A woman cheers during celebrations in Paris as it is announced that Macron has won the election by a landslide

Le Pen delivered her concession speech less than 15 minutes after official exit polls confirmed her devastating defeat.

Speaking to an audience of party officials and close aides she said she would create a new force in French politics pitting 'patriots against globalists'.

She said: 'The French have chosen a new president of the republic and voted to continuity. I congratulate him on his election because I have the best interests of the country at heart, I wish him success.

'I wish him success in the face of the immense challenges facing France.

'I would like thank the 11 million French people who gave me their voice and their confidence.

'I want to thank the activists who have supported and accompanied me throughout this campaign.

'I would like to thank [rival election candidate turned support Nicolas] Dupont-Aignan and his party Debout La France for their courageous choice.

Pictured: Supporters of French presidential candidate Emmanuel Macron celebrate outside the Louvre Museum in Paris

Pictured: Macron supporters cheer and wave the French flag in Lyon after exit poles were announced this evening

Macron, a 39-year-old former banker, will now become the youngest leader of France since Napoleon Bonaparte. Pictured, his supporters in France react to news of the exit polls

Pictured: Thousands of people celebrate the victory of centrist politician Macron in Paris by waving French flags

Pictured: Marine Le Pen speaks at her election day headquarters. Addressing the audience of party officials and close aides she said she would create a new force in French politics pitting 'patriots against globalists'

'The French people have chosen a patriotic and republican alliance as the first force of opposition.

'The political groups who have taken the responsibility to elect Mr Macron have been discredited. The first round showed a breakdown in French politics with the elimination of the old parties.

'The second round created a realignment of politics split between patriots and globalists. This choice between patriots and globalists will be presented to the French people in the parliamentary elections.

'I will be at the head of this fight to gather together all of those who choose France first.

'The Front National must renew itself to live up to this historic opportunity and expectations of the French people.

'I plan to begin the transformation of our movement to create a new political force.

'I am calling all patriots to join and participate in the decisive political battle that begins tonight.

'More than ever in the coming months France will need you.

'Long live the Republic, Long live France.'

The latest polls suggest voter turnout in the election was far lower than the 80 per cent in the first round of polling two weeks ago.

Pictured: Macron supporters celebrate his victory - after the French people rejected the Le Pen's populist vision of their nation's future

Pictured: Macron supporters toast his victory with a glass of champagne. He will later address crowds from a stage set up in the esplanade de Louvre in Paris

Pictured: Jubilant Macron supporters celebrate after news of his victory is broken at En Marche! local headquarters in Marseille

MACRON SUPPORTERS CELEBRATE IN LONDON French citizens at the Square Pig pub in Holborn, central London, celebrate Emmanuel Macron's victory in the presidential election Emmanuel Macron's historic victory was celebrated across the Channel as UK-based supporters learned of the presidential election results. While crowds in Paris danced, cheered and even kissed to mark the 39-year-old former banker's defeat of populist Marine Le Pen, there were also cheers in London. Supporters gathered in pubs and and bars to watch the drama unfold on TV screens. Brigitte Dano, 64, who lives in Amersham, north west London, said: 'I'm very, very happy and relieved - I was scared before.' While Emeline Mettavant, 35, echoed Mrs Dano's joy but compared Macron's 65% majority to France's 2002 election in which Le Pen's father lost out on the presidency by a wider margin. She said: 'It's still a relative victory - today we (achieved) 65%, in 2002 we were 81% against Le Pen, so democracy is still in danger. I'm not 100% relieved.' Student Alexander Huyberechts, 20, was pleased with the result but already concerned about Mr Macron's road ahead. He said: 'Yes, Macron has won the election, but he's going to need to fight for the legislative, to make sure that he gets enough members in parliament and in the senate, to make sure that he can pass through laws. 'Once he succeeds in that, he can put in place any policies he wants.' Mr Huyberechts added: 'He is someone who is straight up and honest. He's not the political type that will try to convince you, just to get votes. 'We'll see how he goes in the next five to 10 years but it could be that other countries follow the same course.' Advertisement

Some 65 per cent went to the polling stations, with apathy for both candidates and unseasonal rain to blame, according to the French Interior Ministry.

If the 65.5 per cent figure is accurate, it could mean that Britain will face tougher Brexit negotiations as Macron said that the UK can't have the 'best of two worlds' when it leaves the European Union.

He has previously pledged to start a 'rebirth' of the European project with his pledge to strengthen EU external borders with a 5,000 strong force.

He also wants to maintain the Schengen free-travel zone and appoint a finance minister for the eurozone.

Macron argued that Britain must be dealt a hard Brexit in which the UK leaves the single market, with no free movement, and a completely renegotiated trade deal.

Speaking in October 2016 he said: 'I am attached to a strict approach to Brexit: I respect the British vote but the worst thing would be a sort of weak EU vis-a-vis the British.

'I don't want a tailor-made approach where the British have the best of two worlds. 'That will be too big an incentive for others to leave and kill the European idea, which is based on shared responsibilities.'

Macron, who will become the youngest political leader of France since Napoleon Bonaparte, was called into government by Francois Hollande to bring private sector know-how to the France's ailing economy and made Minister for the Economy, Industry and Digital Affairs.
The head of ISIS in Afghanistan has been killed in a raid carried out by Afghan and US special forces, the country's president has said.

Abdul Hasib died during an attack by 50 US special forces and 40 Afghan commandos overnight on April 27, President Ashraf Ghani said.

His statement came after US Captain Jeff Davis said Hasib was believed to have died in the raid which also claimed the lives of two Army Rangers.

Abdul Hasib, the commander of ISIS in Afghanistan, was killed in a raid on April 27 which also left Army Rangers Cameron Thomas, 23 (left), and Joshua Rodgers, 22 (right), dead

Hasib had been leader of the terror group since last year when a US drone strike killed his predecessor, Hafiz Saeed Khan (pictured)

Joshua Rodgers, 22, of Illinois, and Cameron Thomas, 23, of Ohio, were killed in a suspected incident of friendly fire.

A statement by United States Forces - Afghanistan, said the raid also killed several other high-ranking members of the organisation along with 35 fighters.

Hasib took over as leader of ISIS-K, an ISIS affiliate in Afghanistan, last year after predecessor Hafiz Saeed Khan was killed by a US drone strike.

General John Nicholson said: 'This successful joint operation is another important step in our relentless campaign to defeat ISIS-K in 2017.

'This is the second ISIS-K emir we have killed in nine months, along with dozens of their leaders and hundreds of their fighters.

US commanders in Afghanistan said the raid killed several high-ranking members of ISIS-K along with 35 of their fighters

'For more than two years, ISIS-K has waged a barbaric campaign of death, torture and violence against the Afghan people, especially those in southern Nangarhar.'

Hasib was responsible for directing the Kabul National Military Hospital on March 8 which killed more than 100 Afghan civilians, the statement said.

He was also responsible for beheading tribal elders in front of their families and kidnapping women and girls before forcing them to marry his fighters,

General Nicholson added: 'I applaud the tremendous skill and courage shown by our Afghan partners.

'This fight strengthens our resolve to rid Afghanistan of these terrorists and bring peace and stability to this great country.

'Any ISIS member that comes to Afghanistan will meet the same fate.'

The compound is located close to where the 'Mother Of All Bombs' was dropped on an ISIS tunnel network on April 13.
A man was robbed and stabbed in New York City by a trio claiming to be from the gang MS-13.

The 45-year-old was walking in the Queens neighborhood of Jackson Heights on Saturday night when he was approached from behind.

The trip shouted 'MS-13', robbed him, and fled - leaving the man with a one-inch deep gash.

MS-13 is thought to be behind a recent string of murders in Long Island, pushing into the public eye the decades of evil perpetuated by the group.

On the corner of Roosevelt Avenue and 90th Street (pictured) in Jackson Heights, Queens, New York, a 45-year-old man was robbed of $600 and stabbed in the back by a trio of men who shouted 'MS-13' - the name of a notorious El Salvadorian criminal enterprise

The group was started nearly 20 years ago in Los Angeles after millions of immigrants from El Salvador came to the US after a violent civil war left more than 100,000 dead (Pictured here, four unidentified members of MS-13 show their tattoos at the National Penitentiary in Tamara, Honduras)

The man was walking in Jackson Heights, Queens, on Saturday night when the trio approached him from behind.

They shouted MS-13 during the attack and stole about $600 in cash from the victims pockets, according to police.

It's not immediately clear if the men were actually members of the notorious gang or were just pretending to be.

The victim was treated for a one-inch deep stab wound at Elmhurst Hospital, police said.

He was intoxicated at the time of the incident, which was around 7pm, and his name has not yet been released.

An NYPD spokeswoman told Daily Mail Online that no arrests have been made but that an investigation is ongoing.

The El Salvadorian criminal enterprise MS-13, also known as Mara Salvatrucha, is believed to have a presence in 46 states, according to an independent study conducted by the University of Pennsylvania.

MS-13 is the first and only criminal organization in the US to be named as 'transnational' by the FBI and operates on the motto of 'Kill, Rape, Control', former Massachusetts US Attorney Carmen Ortiz said.

The group was started nearly 20 years ago in Los Angeles after millions of immigrants from El Salvador came to the US after a violent civil war left more than 100,000 dead.

Miguel Alvarez-Flores (right) smiles and waves at news cameras in a Houston court on Wednesday, as the gang leader known as 'Diabolico' and his partner, 18-year-old Diego Hernandez-Rivera (left), faced charges of aggravated kidnapping and murder

Nisa Mickens, 15 (left), and Kayla Cuevas, 16 (right), from Long Island, New York, were ambushed by a carload of other teens on September 13 and killed. Thirteen members of the MS-13 gang were arrested on March 2 in connection with the slayings

The gang has since spread all over the country, and are known widely as the best killers - due to their exceedingly brutal weapon of choice: a machete.

Thirteen alleged members, 10 of whom are illegal immigrants, were arrested in connection to seven slayings in Long Island over the last year.

Cops believe MS-13 is behind the brutal beating and slaying of four young men in Recreation Village Town Park in Central Islip, Long Island, last month.

Ten illegal immigrant members of the notorious gang - including one who was previously deported - were indicted in March in the wave of violence that ended in the deaths of two teenage girls - Nisa Mickens, 15, and Kayla Cuevas, 16 - in Brentwood in September.
Theresa May has warmly congratulated Emmanuel Macron as she aims to establish good relations with the French President-elect ahead of Brexit negotiations.

A Downing Street spokesman said: 'The Prime Minister warmly congratulates President-elect Macron on his election success. France is one of our closest allies and we look forward to working with the new president on a wide range of shared priorities.'

As the leader of one of Europe's major powers, Mr Macron will be a key player in the diplomatic wrangling over Brexit in the coming months and Number 10 will be keen to establish a good relationship with the new president.

Theresa May (pictured attending church today) has warmly congratulated Emmanuel Macron on his election success

Emmanuel Macron, 39, and his wife Brigitte, 64, were mobbed by fans as they went to vote at the polling station in Le Touquet this morning. He has won with 65.5 per cent of the vote

An official preliminary result released at 8pm French time showed 65.5 per cent of votes were for Mr Macron, meaning a clear victory over Le Pen, on 34.5 per cent.

Donald Trump was among those to congratulate Macron with an unusually straight tweet reading: 'Congratulations to Emmanuel Macron on his big win today as the next President of France. I look very much forward to working with him!'

German Chancellor Angela Merkel's chief of staff Peter Altmaier congratulated Mr Macron with a tweet saying: 'Long live France, long live Europe!,' while her chief spokesman Steffen Seibert said it is a victory 'for a strong and united Europe'.

European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker said in a message to Mr Macron that it makes him 'happy that the ideas that you defended of a strong and progressive Europe that protects all its citizens will be those that France will cherish under your presidency'.

And Donald Tusk, the former Polish prime minister who chairs summits of European leaders, tweeted: 'Congratulations to French people for choosing Liberty, Equality and Fraternity over tyranny of fake news' - an apparent reference to misleading stories about Macron that were spread on social media in the run-up to the vote.

Donald Trump was among those to congratulate Macron with an unusually straight tweet reading: 'Congratulations to Emmanuel Macron on his big win today as the next President of France. I look very much forward to working with him!'

Britain's other political leaders were quick to celebrate Marine Le Pen's loss.

Liberal Democrat leader Tim Farron said victory for Emmanuel Macron in the French presidential race has kept the far-right 'wolves from our door'.

Mr Farron said: 'I would like to congratulate Emmanuel Macron on his election as France's new president. This is not just a victory for France but a victory for Britain and the liberal values we hold dear.

'A National Front win would have posed a grave threat to our national interest.

'Emmanuel Macron has kept the wolves from our door, but we must never be complacent in the fight against racism, fascism and the far-right.'

With an eye on the June 8 General Election, he added: 'The liberal values of tolerance, openness and free trade that triumphed in France today can triumph in Britain too.

A couple were photographed kissing in Pairs after it was announced that Macron would become the new president of France

Supporters of French independent centrist presidential candidate, Emmanuel Macron, reacted outside his campaign headquarters in Paris on Sunday

Emmanuel Macron waved to supporters as he left his home in Le Touquet flanked by bodyguards to go and vote this morning

Macron supporters had gathered at the Carrousel du Louvre in Paris to celebrate the exit polls which showed he had won 65.5 per cent of the vote

'Together we can change Britain's future, stand up to Theresa May's hard Brexit agenda and keep our country open, tolerant and united.'

London Mayor Sadiq Khan, who travelled to Paris for talks with Mr Macron in March, said: 'The French people have chosen hope over fear and unity over division.'

Former Ukip leader Nigel Farage, who backed Ms Le Pen's bid for the Elysee Palace, said: 'Macron offers five more years of failure, more power to the EU and a continuation of open borders. If Marine sticks in there, she can win in 2022.'

Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn said: 'I am delighted that the French people have decisively rejected Le Pen's politics of hate.'

Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon added: 'Vive La France. Congratulations to new President, Emmanuel Macron on his decisive victory over the hard right.'

French far-right presidential candidate Marine Le Pen reaveled this evening that she has phoned Emmanuel Macron to congratulate him

Francois Hollande congratulated Mr Macron and said his victory shows the overwhelming majority of voters rallied behind the European Union and openness to the world.

Former prime minister Tony Blair said: 'I congratulate Emmanuel Macron on a superlative victory which is great news for France and Europe.

'His campaign and the substantial majority he achieved, shows that the centre ground is alive and kicking and the place where elections can still be fought and won by progressive politics.'

Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn said: 'I am delighted that the French people have decisively rejected Le Pen's politics of hate.'
Marine Le Pen has vowed to carry on leading the fight against 'the globalists' by gathering together all those who 'choose France first'.

But she said the name of her party Front National will have to change as she aims to carve out a new political force.

Le Pen delivered her concession speech less than 15 minutes after official exit polls confirmed her devastating defeat to Europhile Emmanuel Macron by 65 per cent to 35 per cent.

Marine Le Pen has vowed to carry on leading the fight against 'globalists' by gathering together all of those who 'choose France first'

Devastated: A supporter of French presidential election candidate for the far-right Front National (FN) party, Marine Le Pen holds a blue flower after being defeated

Speaking to an audience of party officials and close aides she said she would create a new force in French politics pitting 'patriots against globalists'.

She said: 'The Front National must renew itself to be up to this historic opportunity and to meet the expectations of the French people.

'I call on all the patriots to join us to participate in this decisive political battle that starts from tonight.'

She added: 'I will be at the forefront of this battle so that I can bring people together further still those who want to choose France.'

Le Pen delivered her concession speech less than 15 minutes after official exit polls confirmed her devastating defeat. Pictured: Her sad supporters

Le Pen delivered her concession speech less than 15 minutes after official exit polls confirmed her devastating defeat. Pictured: Her sad supporters

Marine Le Pen's mother Pierette Lalanne (second right) and guests arrive at the Chalet du Lac under a heavy security ahead of Marine Le Pen's concession speech

Le Pen congratulated Macron, saying: 'The French have chosen a new president of the republic and voted to continuity. I congratulate him on his election because I have the best interests of the country at heart, I wish him success.

'I wish him success in the face of the immense challenges facing France.

'I would like thank the 11 million French people who gave me their voice and their confidence.

'I want to thank the activists who have supported and accompanied me throughout this campaign.

'I would like to thank [rival election candidate turned supporter Nicolas] Dupont-Aignan and his party Debout La France for their courageous choice.

'The French people have chosen a patriotic and republican alliance as the first force of opposition.

'The political groups who have taken the responsibility to elect Mr Macron have been discredited. The first round showed a breakdown in French politics with the elimination of the old parties.

Le Pen said: 'I will be at the head of this fight to gather together all of those who choose France first'

'The second round created a realignment of politics split between patriots and globalists. This choice between patriots and globalists will be presented to the French people in the parliamentary elections.

'I will be at the head of this fight to gather together all of those who choose France first.

'The Front National must renew itself to live up to this historic opportunity and expectations of the French people.

'I plan to begin the transformation of our movement to create a new political force.

'I am calling all patriots to join and participate in the decisive political battle that begins tonight.

'More than ever in the coming months France will need you. Long live the Republic, Long live France.'

She said the name of her party Front National will have to change as she aims to carve out a new political force

Le Pen insisted: 'I am calling all patriots to join and participate in the decisive political battle that begins tonight'

Despite crashing out of the contest yesterday, Miss Le Pen achieved doubled her father's voting efforts, who in 2002 lost with 18 per cent.

Her deputy Florian Philippot announced that the party would be renamed describing how it would become 'a new political force'.

He added: 'Marine Le Pen said it clearly: the National Front will change. It's going to change into a new political force which, necessarily, will not have the same name.'

Le Pen already has the backing of former Ukip leader Nigel Farage, who said: 'Macron offers five more years of failure, more power to the EU and a continuation of open borders. If Marine sticks in there, she can win in 2022.'

Legislative elections are scheduled to take place on 11 and 18 June 2017 to elect the 577 members of the 15th National Assembly of the French Fifth Republic.
It might be safe to say that Cinco de Mayo is not a good holiday for Donald Trump.

Last year, Trump faced huge backlash after tweeting a picture of himself with a taco bowl, writing: 'I love Hispanics!'

And when the annual celebration rolled around again this past Friday, a class of students in Colorado rejoiced by hitting a pinata with the president's face on it, CBS Denver reported.

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Students at Roosevelt High School in Johnstown, Colorado were filmed hitting a pinata with a photo of Trump on it

The display was held for Cinco de Mayo festivities on Friday, and multiple students took snapchats of the event

The Spanish teacher who allegedly let the incident take place on school grounds has now been placed on paid administrative leave

Several students at Roosevelt High School in Johnstown snapchatted videos and photos of themselves in Spanish class hitting the colorful pinata, which featured a smug-looking photo of Trump plastered in the center.

The Spanish teacher who allegedly let the incident take place on school grounds has now been placed on paid administrative leave.

'This was an incredibly disrespectful act that does not reflect the values of Roosevelt High School or the district,' District Superintendent Martin Foster said in a statement.

The teacher was reportedly disciplined only after parent Lesley Hollywood called to complain.

Parent Lesley Hollywood called to complain after seeing Snapchats of the pinata, saying: 'Why divide people? Why do this?'

'This was an incredibly disrespectful act that does not reflect the values of Roosevelt High School or the district,' District Superintendent Martin Foster said in a statement

'It is disturbing that this would be happening in a school setting,' Hollywood told CBS Denver. 'Why divide people? Why do this? There are so many other ways we can address politics in schools.

'Political discourse right now, in this country, is already so strained and so angry.

'I wouldnt of cared if it was Obamas face on that pinata, or if it had been Hillary Clintons face. It doesnt matter. This is not how we should be teaching our children politics in this country.'

Hollywood added that while she didn't vote for Trump, she believes the teacher should not have been allowed to hold this type of display.

After the controversy, some students reported that Mexicos president, Enrique Pena Nieto, was put on the other side of the pinata, but that detail could not be confirmed.

'They can have these conversations in a respectful manner. I just didnt feel this was very respectful,' Hollywood said.
President Trump used Twitter Sunday to extend a hand to France's new president-elect, Emmanuel Macron.

'Congratulations to Emmanuel Macron on his big win today as the next President of France. I look very much forward to working with him!' Trump wrote.

Macron easily sailed past rival Marine Le Pen in Sunday's run-off election between the 39-year-old centrist and the far-right candidate, often compared to Trump.

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While President Trump (pictured) had called Marine Le Pen France's 'strongest' presidential candidate, he congratulated Sunday's winner Emmanuel Macron

President Trump used Twitter to extend a hand to France's new leader Emmanuel Macron, who easily beat Marine Le Pen in Sunday's run-off election

Marine Le Pen (left) was bested by Emmanuel Macron (right) in Sunday's French presidential run-off election. President Trump had called Le Pen the 'strongest' candidate in the race

Marine Le Pen was spotted eating at Trump Tower shortly before President Trump's inauguration fueling speculation that the two were meeting. His people denied the rumors

Exit polls showed Macron besting Le Pen 65.5 percent to 34.5 percent.

White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer quickly followed up Trump's tweet with his own statement of congratulations.

'We congratulate President-elect Macron and the people of France on their successful presidential election,' Spicer wrote in a statement to reporters.

'We look forward to working with the new President and continuing our close cooperation with the French government,' Spicer said.

While Trump's predecessor, President Obama, endorsed Macron for French president, Trump didn't technically endorse a candidate, though he flirted with Le Pen.

Speaking to the Associated Press last month, before the first round of French voting, Trump called Le Pen, the leader of the Front National, the 'strongest' of the candidates.

Trump said that while he wasn't 'explicitly endorsing' Le Pen she was 'strongest on borders, and she's the strongest on what's been going on in France.'

'Whoever is the toughest on radical Islamic terrorism, and whoever is the toughest at the borders, will do well in the election,' Trump said.

The American president also predicted that Le Pen would be buoyed by the latest bout of French terrorism, the shooting of a police officer off the Champs-Elysees in Paris, which occurred 72 hours before voters headed to the polls.

'Another terrorist attack in Paris. The people of France will not take much more of this. Will have a big effect on presidential election!' Trump wrote on Twitter.

Le Pen did get enough support to move from the first vote in late April, which featured 11 presidential candidates, to Sunday's ballot, which was between the top two.

She believed she was riding Trump's and Brexit's coattails into office, with a hard line position on immigration that she, like the American president, connected to Muslim extremism and terrorism at home.

Le Pen had applauded Trump.

His election, she told CNN in late November of last year, 'shows that people are taking their future back.'

It also 'makes the French realize that what the people want, they can get, if they mobilize themselves,' Le Pen said.

'Donald Trump has made possible what was presented as completely impossible,' Le Pen continued. 'So it's a sign of hope for those who cannot bear wild globalization. They cannot bear the political life led by the elites.'

In the interview, she criticized pro-EU politicians including France's outgoing president Francois Hollande and German Chancellor Angela Merkel, and said she was in stride with Russian President Vladimir Putin, British Prime Minister Theresa May and, of course, Trump.

She was even seen dining at Trump Tower, shortly before the president's inauguration, igniting speculation that the two right-wing leaders were to meet.

Trump's spokespeople denied that Le Pen saw the president-elect face-to-face during that January visit.

Le Pen is a second generation politician in France as her father, Jean-Marie Le Pen, was the founder of the Front National party, known for its xenophobia, racism and antisemitism.

Marine Le Pen has tried to polish the party's reputation by expelling her father and denouncing his comments, which she did in 2015 over his Holocaust denial.
Three Florida high school students heroically rescued a man who drove his car into a lake in an apparent suicide attempt while also leading divers to save one of the man's dogs on Friday.

Police in Hollywood, Florida say that a man, 50, drove his car with two of his dogs inside into a lake at Topeekeegee Yugnee Park at around 11am, according to NBC 6.

Three high school students from Chaminade-Madonna College Preparatory School  Ryan Seilkop, Jose Cabrera, and Samuel Rivera - saw the car as it was being submerged into the lake and took action.

'Oh, a car just went into the water, we all heard the splash, so Ryan, Sam and I ran over there,' Cabrera said.

The students said that they were in the area as part of a senior class trip.

Three high school students from Chaminade-Madonna College Preparatory School in Hollywood, Florida  Ryan Seilkop (left), Jose Cabrera (right), and Samuel Rivera - rescued a man who drove his car into a lake with two of his dogs inside

Colin Vairy, 48, a driver with Davie Fire Rescue, dove 15 feet underwater in a successful attempt to rescue the surviving dog who was inside the car for 20 minutes as it rested at the bottom of the lake

Vairy entered the car through the driver's door, which was open. All four of the car's wheels were resting at the bottom of the lake

After extricating the dog from the car, Vairy undertook a 'rapid ascent', bringing the dog to the surface in seconds

Police in Hollywood, Florida say that a man, 50, drove his car with two of his dogs inside into a lake at Topeekeegee Yugnee Park (seen in the above stock image) at around 11am

Seilkop said that when the three first reached the car, they had difficulty prying the door open.

'We got there, I was banging on the door cause it wasn't opening because of the water pressure, Sam got there and we started to open the door and he hit the car twice,' Seilkop said.

'We grabbed the handle and put our feet against the car and pushed the door and finally got it to open and I grabbed the guy to get him out,' Rivera said.

When the driver was pulled to safety, he was said to be unresponsive, according to Orlando Sun Sentinel.

Seilkop (left), Cabrera (right), and Rivera said that they were in the area as part of a senior class trip

The three teens noticed that the driver wasn't in the car alone. He had two dogs there with him, but they only had enough time to get him out.

Fire and rescue personnel who responded to the scene sent divers underwater to extricate the dogs.

Unfortunately, one of the dogs drowned, but the other dog miraculously found in air pocket in the submerged car.

The trapped dog stayed in the air pocket long enough  20 minutes - to be rescued.

Colin Vairy, 48, a driver with Davie Fire Rescue, dove 15 feet underwater in an attempt to rescue the live dog.

Vairy entered the car through the driver's door, which was open. All four of the car's wheels were resting at the bottom of the lake.

'You could tell it was very tired. It had been holding on for a very long time and appeared to be exhausted,' Vairy said of the surviving dog.

After extricating the dog from the car, Vairy undertook a 'rapid ascent', bringing the dog to the surface in seconds.

'It looked very scared during the time it was under, but on dry land it started looking appreciative, quite happy,' Vairy said.

'The chances for rescue are few and far between, and it's rare to have an air pocket like that,' said Vairy. 'That dog is lucky to be alive.'

The driver could face animal cruelty charges.
A Boston doctor texted a desperate plea for help in his final moments before he and his fiance were killed.

Dr Richard Field and Dr Lina Bolanos were brutally murdered after Bampumim Teixeira, 30, burst into their luxury $1.9million penthouse on Friday evening, police say.

The terrified doctor Field had managed to send a text to a friend saying an 'armed man' had entered their apartment. But by the time police arrived, the couple were already dead.

Dr Richard Field and Dr Lina Bolanos (pictured together) were brutally murdered after Bampumim Teixeira, 30, burst into their luxury $1.9million penthouse on Friday evening, police say

Dr Richard Field, 49, left, managed to send a text to a friend saying an 'armed man' had entered their apartment. But by the time police arrived, he and his fiancee Dr Lina Bolanos, 38, right, were already dead

The ex-girlfriend of Teixeira, a former security guard who had just finished a nine-month sentence for robbing two banks, revealed that he had confessed to her he 'did not have long to live' during the last conversation they had before the murders.

She told the Boston Globe that he had sounded 'strange' when he called her on April 22.

After telling her he did not have long left to live, he insisted he was not suicidal, but welcomed her offer to pray for him, saying: 'Yeah, I need prayer.'

He had also hinted at something darker, telling her, 'I am not a good person.'

Bampumim Teixeira, 30, pictured, is accused of murdering the couple

Even so, his ex, who has chosen to remain anonymous, said she was stunned to learn Teixeira - who she described as a 'charming' 'gentleman' who was patient with her 9-year-old - could have done such a brutal crime.

She added that he had gone back on promises he made during that phone call that he would never hurt anyone.

'Lies,' she told the Globe, in tears.

Investigators, who have been trying to determine a motive for the double homicide, discovered that Teixeira and the two doctors were known to each other, but have not said how.

'(For) someone to come here, go up to the 11th floor, to the penthouse, we got to believe that somehow there was some type of knowledge of each other,' Boston Police Commissioner William B Evans said.

It is still a mystery how he got access as the apartment building has a special security system. In order to get inside and to use the elevator, a special key is needed, according to CBS Boston.

It is still a mystery how he got access as the apartment building (pictured) has a special security system. In order to get inside and to use the elevator, a special key is needed,

Police are pictured at the crime scene in Boston, where some of the roads were blocked off

Teixeira was taken to Tufts Medical Center for treatment for non-life threatening injuries after being shot multiple times by police. Emergency officials are pictured lifting a stretcher into an ambulance

Police were met by gunshots from the doctors' killer when they arrived at the 11th floor of 141 Dorchester Ave in South Boston at around 8.45pm on Friday.

Teixeira did not hit police officers before they shot him multiple times and wounded him. He was taken to Tufts Medical Center for treatment for non-life threatening injuries.

When officers finally entered the apartment, they saw the bodies of Field, 49, and Bolanos, 38, whose throats had been slit.

Their hands were bound, blood and messages of retribution were on the walls and photos of the two doctors in the apartment had been cut up, according to the Boston Globe.

Field, right, worked at North Shore Pain Management and Bolanos, left, was a pediatric anesthesiologist at Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary

Bolanos, left, was also an anesthesia instructor at Harvard Medical School. Field, right, had previously been an anesthesiologist and pain management specialist at Beverly Hospital and Brigham and Women's Hospital

The couple were described as 'good, kind, gentle people,' according to the Boston Globe.

Michael Gibbs, Bolanos's godfather, said: 'Hopefully, this guy that they caught will be able to say who he is and why this was done.

'That's all we're hoping, is to get some kind of information. Why did this happen?'

Field worked at North Shore Pain Management and had previously been an anesthesiologist and pain management specialist at Beverly Hospital and Brigham and Women's Hospital.

A statement from the NSPM clinic said: 'Dr Field was a guiding vision at North Shore Pain Management and was instrumental in the creation of this practice.'

The engaged couple were described as 'good, kind, gentle people,' and will be missed by their friends, families and coworkers

Boston Police Commissioner William B Evans said: '(For) someone to come here, go up to the 11th floor, to the penthouse, we got to believe that somehow there was some type of knowledge of each other'

Bolanos was a pediatric anesthesiologist at Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary. She was also an anesthesia instructor at Harvard Medical School.

Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary released a statement from the hospital's CEO John Fernandez, who said: 'Dr Bolanos was an outstanding pediatric anesthesiologist and a wonderful colleague, in the prime of both her career and life.'

The Suffolk County District Attorney's office said Teixeira will be arraigned on Monday, according to NBC Boston. He had previously been convicted of two counts of larceny, for passing notes demanding money from the same bank in 2014 and 2016.

Teixeira plead guilty to both counts last year. No weapons were used in either incident. He had been released from a correctional facility after his nine-month sentence in April.

Teixeira's girlfriend said that he was a former security guard and that he never acted violently.

Police said that multiple charges are expected to be brought against Teixeira, likely 'charges for two counts of murder,' Evans said.
A man has been charged in the stabbing of an off-duty New York cop who was throwing his daughter a First Communion party.

Diego Velasco, 18, was arrested and charged with two counts of felony assault for knifing Luis Diaz, 43, outside his East Elmhurst home on Saturday around 9:30pm.

Velasco, who was unknown to the family, intruded on the small party.

When Diaz, 43, tried to remove him, Velasco stabbed his right arm, according to police.

He also allegedly slashed a 59-year-old relative of Diaz's in the right shoulder.

Diego Velasco, 18, has been charged with two counts of felony assault for the stabbing of off-duty NYPD cop Luis Diaz, 43, at his East Elmhurst home (second from the right) on Saturday night during his daughter's First Communion party

According to police both Diaz and Velasco were treated at New York-Presbyterian Hospital Queens, in Flushing, and were released.

Diaz's wounds were not life-threatening and therefore he was able to return home about three hours after the incident with a bandage on his right arm.

Meanwhile Velasco, who lives in Jamaica, was taken into custody.

'There was a party going on at the house, kids running around everywhere,' Kathy, a neighbor, who declined to give her last name, told the New York Daily News.

'Then I came outside when all the sirens and lights started.'

Diaz's wife, Ana, said Velasco walked in through the front door, apparently drunk, even though the family had never seen him before.

He refused to leave the house when her husband tried to kick him out, she said.

'My husband was downstairs in the basement playing with the kids when this man came inside the house,' she told the Daily News.

'So we called him to take him out. It was very scary.'

Neighbors were stunned by the violence that marred the special occasion.

'My husband talks to him, he is a nice man,' a neighbor said.

'It's all very strange - this is usually such a quiet neighborhood.

Investigators are working to determine why Velasco was trying to gain entry to the party.
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As Prince Harry prepares to fly to Sydney to celebrate the city's hosting of the Invictus Games, his minders have been busy securing a $40 million waterfront mansion for the royal to call home during his stay.

The 32-year-old's staff are reportedly in negotiations to rent an eight-bedroom property in an exclusive Sydney east suburb, according to sources.

The mansion, with several private balconies and a butler's quarters, could also become a short-term home for his girlfriend, Meghan Markle, with Prince Harry 'making arrangements' for her to join him in Australia, New Idea reported.

As Prince Harry prepares to fly to Sydney, his minders have been busy securing a $40 million waterfront mansion for the royal (left) and his girlfriend, Meghan Markle, (right) according to sources

The 32-year-old's staff are reportedly in negotiations to rent an eight-bedroom property in an exclusive Sydney east suburb. The address of the mansion has not been released, but it is expected to be similar to this Point Piper home

'[Meghan] will fly in separately and they're hoping to keep it very low-key,' a source said.

The waterfront mansion has eight bedrooms, a massive pool overlooking Sydney Harbour and a library.

While the address of the Sydney east home the prince's minders are trying to secure has not been released, it is believed to be very similar to Villa Del Mare in Point Piper.

Villa Del Mare has stunning waterfront views of the Harbour Bridge and sold for $41 million in 2015.

Prince Harry is due to touch down in Sydney in early June.

The last time Prince Harry dropped into Sydney for a visit two years ago (pictured) he was inundated with kisses and marriage proposals

The 32-year-old's staff are reportedly in negotiations to rent an eight-bedroom property - similar to this mansion - in an exclusive Sydney east suburb

This Point Piper mansion is believed to be similar to where Prince Harry will stay and sold for $41 million in 2015

Villa Del Mare has stunning waterfront views of the Harbour Bridge and sold for $41 million in 2015

A statement from Kensington Palace says the royal 'will attend events to celebrate the city's hosting of the 2018 Invictus Games'.

The Invictus Games is the international sporting competition for wounded, injured and sick servicemen and women founded by the Prince in 2014.

They will take place from October 18 to 29 next year, with over 500 competitors taking part from 17 nations.

The last time Prince Harry dropped into Sydney for a visit two years ago he was inundated with kisses and marriage proposals.

When he arrived in the city to bid farewell to Australia in 2015, hundreds of fans lined the Opera House steps, some with signs emblazoned with 'Marry Me Harry' and 'His Royal Hotness'.

The mansion, with several private balconies and a butler's quarters, could also become a short-term home for his girlfriend, Meghan Markle (left), with Prince Harry (right) 'making arrangements' for her to join him

The waterfront mansion has eight bedrooms, a massive pool overlooking Sydney Harbour and a library and is believed to be similar to this Point Piper home

Both properties have Sydney Harbour views and numerous private balconies

Last time the royal visited Sydney, one of his biggest fans, Victoria McRae, a 21-year-old student at the time, even managed to get a peck on the lips (pictured)

One of his biggest fans, Victoria McRae, a 21-year-old student at the time, even managed to get a royal peck on the lips.

Prince Harry's return to Sydney comes just three months before the 20th anniversary of the death of his mother, Diana, Princess of Wales, in a Paris car crash.

Before arriving in Sydney, Prince Harry will visit Singapore to play in the Sentebale Royal Salute Polo cup on June 5.

The 32-year-old's staff are reportedly in negotiations to rent an eight-bedroom property in an exclusive Sydney east suburb. The address of the mansion has not been released, but it is expected to be similar to this Point Piper home
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Following the retirement of her husband last week, the Queen showed today she wasnt going to be taking a back seat.

The 91-year-old took to the wheel of her green Jaguar as she was spotted driving home from a Sunday morning service at the Royal Chapel of All Saints in Windsor Park with a security guard, wearing a blue suit and matching hat.

The Queen has a well-documented love of cars and driving, and is regularly spotted behind the wheel on her Sandringham estate and often drives to the church near the Royal Lodge on the Windsor estate.

Queen Elizabeth II was photographed today driving back from a church service at the Royal Chapel of All Saints in Windsor Park today

Cruising: The Monarch is the only person in the UK who is not required to hold a driving licence and has often been photographed driving around her Sandringham estate

While she is always chauffeured during royal occasions, the Queen is in fact a capable driver, having learnt to drive while serving as a mechanic in the Women s Auxillary Territorial Service during the Second World War.

Over the years she has been photographed on numerous occasions taking to the lanes of her Sandringham estate in a trusted Range Rover.

The monarch is the only person in the UK who is permitted to drive without a licence and is the only person allowed to drive down the 2.6-mile Long Walk in Windsor apart from park rangers.

Last year, the Queen played chauffeur to her granddaughter-in-law Kate in Balmoral, driving the Duchess of Cambridge to a picnic lunch with Prince William.

Keen driver: The Queen driving herself in a Land Rover, in January 2000, to the stables on the Sandringham Estate in Norfolk

Her Majesty is no stranger to getting behind the wheel, driving ambulances during her time in the Auxiliary Territorial Service during the Second World War (pictured in 1945)

More often than not however, the Queen has to be driven by chauffeurs to engagements.

But that doesn't stop Ma'am from paying an interest in where she is going.

Just last week, she was photographed alongside Prince Philip travelling back from a visit to Leicester Cathedral.

Pictured in the back of their Bentley alongside the pair, was a handy atlas.

Showing the location of speed cameras and significant locations in 72 major towns and cities, the map would give the head of State all the information she needs to keep a close eye on the driver.

The Queen's outing today shows she has no plans of slowing down after the news that her husband Prince Philip will retire later this year.

The Duke of Edinburgh announced he would step down from royal duties after a secret emergency meeting at Buckingham Palace last week.

The Prince made the decision after carrying out more than 22,000 solo engagements since 1947, and giving more than 5,000 speeches.

Just last week, the Queen was photographed alongside Prince Philip travelling back from a visit to Leicester Cathedral with an atlas to hand, should the driver need help with directions

The Queen had been on her way back from presenting Maundy Money to pensioners at Leicester Cathedral this month when she and Philip were pictured alongside the AA map
A council has made 2.6million by fining motorists, including scores of parents, unknowingly driving through a road closure on the school run.

Motorists have accused officials of entrapment after they issued more than 40,000 tickets in six months for violations of an 'unclear' new traffic system on the suburban crescent.

Kingston Council has earned a fortune from the penalties  worth 130 a time  since it introduced the trial at Surbiton High School in November to 'improve safety for cyclists and pedestrians'.

The school run road that has raked in 2.6m of fines after council issue 40,000 tickets in six months as motorists accuse Kingston Council of entrapment

A small section of road outside is closed off to the majority of traffic. But parents and teachers say town hall officials have failed to provide adequate signage or spell out the new rules properly.

Only buses and bikes are allowed to travel southbound, while drivers who live on the right side or use a sixth form car park must register their number plates for access northbound. Anyone else who drives through it will be slapped with a charge, with 8,000 affected in the first week alone.

Claire Geraghty, who has two daughters at the 5,000-a-term independent school, called the closure 'absolutely appalling'.

The 48-year-old said: 'I'm quite an observant and conscious driver and I got two tickets in one week. I'd gone through it because there hadn't been a sign, or if there was it was pretty subtle. Absolutely everyone I know has had tickets. One of my friends had four.

'It's obviously a money-making venture. I think they thought they would just find a bunch of middle-class parents dropping their children off at school who would pay up. I don't understand what it achieves there.'

The fines are initially charged at 130, which is reduced to 65 if paid within 14 days. Amanda Maxwell, 55, who was dropping off her daughter at school, said she initially appealed her penalty but decided to pay up after receiving a letter from the council.

Kingston Council has earned a fortune from the penalties  worth 130 a time  since it introduced the trial at Surbiton High School (pictured) in November to 'improve safety for cyclists and pedestrians'

'The wording was just so threatening,' she said. 'I got caught in both directions. So did my neighbours, so did my best friend and so did my daughter. It's absolutely renowned for the number of people it caught. I'm so angry about it because it was so deceptive.

'After there were a lot of complaints they put up more signposting, so that was tantamount recognition that it wasn't clearly signposted. Every time I see that road it makes me furious.'

Ann Haydon, the principal of Surbiton High School  once attended by former education secretary Nicky Morgan  confirmed several of her staff had also been ticketed when the trial began.

Kingston Council denied the closure is a money-making scheme, pointing out that most of its fines issued had been upheld by the parking adjudicator on appeal. A spokesman said: 'The signage meets the requirements set out by the Department for Transport.

'In addition, the council has installed a number of non-mandatory signs to give road users advanced warning on their approach to the closure. Despite sending out 5,500 warning notices prior to giving out fines, writing to residents and the school in the area of the closure, we have had a high number of road users who have breached the restrictions.'
The body of a man was found dead on the tracks of a Brooklyn subway early Sunday morning.

Police believe the man was homeless, though he has not been identified and his cause of death is unknown.

Officials do not know the man's age.

The body of a man was found dead on the tracks of a Coney Island-bound Q train early Sunday morning. A Q train is pictured

MTA workers found the body on the Coney Island-bound Q train tracks between the Seventh Avenue and Prospect Park stations.

They were alerted to the scene when the emergency brakes were triggered around 6.45am, according to the New York Daily News.

Police officers removed the body from the tracks and exited from the 7th Avenue subway station, according to a picture from the New York Post.

This is not the first time a dead body has been found near a Q train this year.

In January the body of a man in his 50s was found dead on a Q train at the 96th Street stop of the new Second Avenue Subway stations in Manhattan. Police believe he died of natural causes, according to NBC New York.

The man's body was on the tracks between the Seventh Avenue and Prospect Park stations in Brooklyn. MTA officials were called to the spot around 6.45am. People are pictured waiting for the Q train in Manhattan

There were also a series of five bodies that were found near subway trains in a two-week period in March, according to the New York Daily News.

One man was found dead on a Queens-bound J train and another was found unconscious on the floor of an E train at the World Trade Center station. He was brought to the New York-Presbyterian Lower Manhattan Hospital where he died.

Another man who was found unconscious on an A train in Brooklyn Heights died after he was brought to the Brooklyn Hospital.

A homeless man was found unconscious on the downtown tracks of the 6 train in Harlem and died after he was found. And another man was found already dead near subway tracks at the 103rd Street station on the Upper West Side. Police said that man had been dead for a week.

None of the five people were hit by trains and officials said none of the deaths were suspicious.
Sergeant Alexander Blackman had been behind bars for 1,134 days when he learned that his controversial murder conviction for killing a Taliban fanatic on the battlefield stood a chance of being quashed.

The independent Criminal Cases Review Commission had accepted new psychiatric evidence that the Royal Marine  a man of impeccable moral courage until he was dismissed with disgrace at a court martial in 2013  was suffering combat stress when he snapped and shot a mortally wounded insurgent in Afghanistan, and was referring his case for a fresh appeal.

It was a tremendous victory not only for common sense but for his wife in a million, Claire, who had fought tooth and nail to clear her husbands name, as well as for the Daily Mail readers who so generously gave 810,000 to the Marines legal fund.

Devoted: Alex Blackman with his wife Claire

Al was reading in his cell at HMP Erlestoke Prison in Wiltshire when a fellow inmate burst in with the news. He says: Lots of people, especially the lads in prison, had been saying for months, Have you heard anything? Some of them had put into the campaign fund. When youve got someone whos earning 15 a week sending a fiver to help fight to get you out of prison its . . .

Such is his gratitude, words elude him. It is one of the few times during this astonishingly candid interview that 42-year-old Al struggles to contain tears. He takes a deep breath.

This guy came running into my cell telling me to bang on the TV. It was on the news. The CCRC had decided they were sending my case back to the Appeal Court. They receive thousands of cases and, of those, less than 5 per cent are sent back. You realise youve come over a hell of a hurdle and you think, Theres a chance here.

I spoke to Claire on the phone. We said, Lets not get too excited. Its great news but, as things stand, Ive still got five years of my minimum sentence to do.

Enjoy it for today but lets not get carried away. 

Al and Claire are, as they say, practical rather than emotional types. When Claire visited him in prison, which she did every week, more often than not, they talked about the stuff of everyday life  such as rugby scores.

There were plenty of times we didnt talk about the case at all, she says. We were all talked out.

Often, wed just sit there with an ice cream or hot chocolate enjoying spending time with each other, trying to be as normal as we could.

Even knowing, OK, youve got eight years [Als initial minimum ten-year sentence had been reduced to eight at an earlier appeal], you think: Weve got to get on with it. Lets break this down into bite-size chunks. Weve done three years. We can do this.

Claire and her husband of eight years were reunited after he was freed from jail

Claire, 45, says her role was to support her husband. She admits: There were times when it was tough. The hardest thing probably has been the family occasions  the get-togethers and notable birthdays.

Theres nothing worse than turning up to those when everyone else is there together but theres only one half of you there and its not ever going to be the same as if he was with you like he should be.

Now Claire is in tears. Over the past four years, she has had to be so very strong. Just ten days ago, Al was freed on licence from prison: finally, she can relax.

They married in a church in the foothills of the Mendips in December 2009 in a flurry of snow, confetti and blue skies, and Claire has only ever known Al to be a generous-hearted, thoughtful man.

I remember shortly after we met, in a bar, Id been to my godmothers funeral. Al was on leave at his mum and dads in Brighton, and rang to see how I was.

I said, Im OK but I could do with a hug. When I got home there was a knock on the door. Hed got on his motorbike and come all that way to deliver me a hug.

Today, she says, theyre like two legs of the same pair of trousers. Just the two of them has always been enough. Claire has never felt the need to have children.

Ive never had that ticking biological clock, she says. If Al had really wanted children, no question wed have done it, but I think we enjoyed each others company too much.

Im just so glad now that we didnt have children. Imagine having to have put them through the past four years.

Claire was in a shop in Somerset when a distraught Al phoned her from custody in Colchester military jail, a year after the atrociously hellish tour he spoke about with such compelling honesty in Saturdays Mail.

That wasnt an easy phone call to make, says Al. Something Id done has ruined our lives  not just mine but Claires as well.

The only person whose opinion Ive really cared about is hers. I was thinking: What will she think of me? What will it do to our relationship?

I said: This isnt what you signed up for when we got married, so if its too much and you want to part company Ill fully understand.  He turns to her. Its not what you ...

Brave marine Sgt Blackman in 2001

Claire takes his hand: And miss all of this?

He smiles. Well, its not something you expected you were going to have to go through when you stood there on your wedding day. She leans into this huge bear of a man. I know what youre saying, she says. Other people have said it. But that conversation moved me to tears because Id never heard you that upset.

I remember exactly what I said: Dont ever, ever, say or think that again, because were in this together and everything will be fine. And it is, isnt it?

Neither of them, though, anticipated the three-and-half-year battle for justice that lay ahead.

When they said Guilty at the court martial, its like someones dropped an anvil on top of you.

The defence team had told us they felt we were in a good position, says Al. Right through the court process, they told us they felt it was going well. They led us to believe all this would go away.

Al, at this time, was known to the public only as Marine A to protect his identity. In court, he stood with two young marines from his troop partitioned off by a screen.

They too faced charges of murder for what had taken place that fateful day in September 2011 in what has been described as the most dangerous square mile on Earth.

You think, Did I miss something? Did I miss a not? Did he say Not Guilty? I didnt think he did: I think he just said Guilty.

Then they went straight to the verdicts for the other two. They were acquitted. There was a massive sense of relief that I hadnt wrecked their lives.

Al was taken to the back of the court to change from his dress uniform into his combats.

Claire came in. I was a bit of a wreck. Youve just been found guilty of murder. You know that comes with a life sentence.

He was transported in a caged minibus to Colchester Military Prison to await sentencing the following month.

One of the guards jumped in the back with him, so he wouldnt have to roll around in the van worrying on his own, says Claire. There have been so many people who have been so kind. To know hed done that . . .

She is crying now. Im just so grateful to that guy because everything was out of my hands at that point.

At Colchester, Al was placed on suicide watch. I was depressed, he says, so I was sleeping in an observation cell, with a big mirror so they could see what I was doing. I had to sleep on my back with my arms above the blanket.

When youre waiting for sentence, you dont know what youre going to get. Is it going to be bad or is it going to be horrific? You dont know where to go at that point.

On December 6, 2013, Al was sentenced to life in prison with a minimum term of ten years. He was also dismissed with disgrace.

That was the worse bit for me  the dismissal with disgrace, says Claire. It sounds ridiculous to say your husbands got a life sentence and the hardest part to hear is disgrace. But for such an amazing career . . . She bites her lip.

Al doesnt remember much about that moment. My mind was completely gone. I was focusing on the far distance, thinking, Oh my God, its hard to see the light at the end of the tunnel. 

As dictated by Army protocol, he saluted the board. [A court martial has a board, not a jury.] The seven members saluted him back.

We didnt know the board are not meant to do that until a senior officer told me they all insisted they wanted to, says Claire. For me, that was the moment I thought, This is not right.

There had been so many things that didnt add up. It wasnt that I didnt ask questions  I did. Ive watched the telly and sometimes there will be an argument for manslaughter running alongside the murder charge.

I asked our legal team, Why are we not doing that? They told me the prosecution decided upon the charges and they wanted to go all out for murder.

That was the answer I was given, and I trusted them.

After Al was sentenced, I didnt know where to go, but I was determined I wasnt going to let them do this to him.

In truth, Claires determination to seek justice for her husband was never a co-ordinated campaign.

It was more a continuous series of activities that rumbled along, she says. A gentleman wed never met set up an e-petition for Als case to be debated in Parliament. He did it out of frustration because he didnt know what else to do.

Claire, 45, says her role was to support her husband

An ex-Marine, John Davies  again someone Al and Claire did not previously know  set up a Facebook page.

He was furious with what had happened to Al. Without him we wouldnt have got 100,000 names on the petition, says Claire.

But we still had to have an MP to host it. I wrote to several MPs I thought might do it because they had a military background. Everything Ive done has been a little bit of a stab in the dark.

Richard Drax MP responded. He went up to Lincoln [the Category B civilian prison Al had been moved to] to see Al. Thats a big ask to go all the way up there.

He rang me on the way home and said: Something is really wrong here. It was such a relief to hear somebody else who was a genuinely independent voice saying what Id been telling myself for so long.

The campaign began to gather momentum, particularly once best-selling author and former RAF pilot Frederick Forsyth wrote about it in his newspaper column.

Out of courtesy, I wrote to him via his publisher to thank him for his support. He quickly got back in touch to say, Can we meet? That was a critical point.

He bought the transcripts of the court martial and asked a friend of his, Jonathan Goldberg QC, to look through them to see if anything stood out as missed or wrong. He didnt even tell me he was doing it. He just copied me into emails.

Jonathan felt we did have grounds for a fresh appeal but decided we needed a public voice. So Freddie approached the Daily Mail  he knew the Mail was the campaigning newspaper.

A Mail investigation revealed the existence of a secret Royal Navy inquiry, codenamed Telemeter, into the circumstances surrounding the Blackman shooting. It had been commissioned months after he had been convicted.

Sources led the investigative team to understand the final report was critical of a number of factors and individuals. They also learned that one of the Royal Marines most highly regarded officers, Colonel Oliver Lee, had resigned his commission as a result of what he saw as the unjust way in which Al had been treated.

An analysis by Mr Goldberg and his team also demonstrated the flaws in the original court martial: the fact that an alternative verdict of manslaughter was not offered, nor, inexplicably, was Al examined by a psychiatrist until after his conviction.

Upon these foundations the new campaign for justice was built. An appeal to fund it was launched and Mail readers responded with overwhelming generosity.

Youd never think that so many people who dont know you from Adam could care enough to do anything, let alone put their hands in their pocket for you at a time in this country where money is tight for a lot of people, says Al.

On December 6, 2013, Al was sentenced to life in prison with a minimum term of ten years. He was also dismissed with disgrace

He and Claire are clearly deeply moved by the public response.

That support helped so much more than I ever anticipated, says Claire. It made me feel like I wasnt in this alone. It felt like the whole country and most of the world were behind me. We were.

On March 15, Als conviction for murder was substituted by manslaughter on the basis of diminished responsibility after prosecutors accepted he was unequivocally suffering mental disorder when he snapped.

He has no complaint with the length of time the process took, understanding that the wheels of justice move slowly. Nor does he wish to point the finger of blame at his former colleagues.

There are lots of facts we still dont know so we could be pointing the finger at the wrong person, says Al. The last thing we want to do is be chucking blame around.

When, a few weeks later, his sentence was cut to seven years, the public gallery erupted into loud cheers, but its the fact the with disgrace was dropped from his dismissal that moves this proud Marine most.

Yes, youve been convicted of shooting this dying insurgent but the rest of your career counts again. Youre not a dishonourable man. He stops. Breathes deeply.

Youve been punished for what youve done but youre not an evil person.

Al is not too sure what he will do next. For now, he just wants to be at home with his wife and spend as much time with her as possible.

I just want to get settled, get used to being out and get used to my licence restrictions  just ease back into life.

What of the reports of a Hollywood film offer? They both laugh.

Additional reporting: Sam Greenhill
Ivanka Trump shared a sweet photo of her daughter Arabella on Sunday afternoon after a long week at work.

President Donald Trump's eldest daughter shared the photo of her daughter looking into the camera with a sly smile to Instagram with the caption 'what a pose'.

It's been a busy week for Ivanka after the release of her new book, 'Women who Work: Rewriting the Rules for Success'.

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Ivanka Trump shared the photo of her daughter Arabella looking into the camera with a sly smile to Instagram with the caption 'what a pose' on Sunday

Ivanka and Jared walked hand in hand on the tarmac at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland. The First Daughter has had a busy week after Tuesday's release of her new book, 'Women who Work: Rewriting the Rules for Success'

The book, which was released Tuesday, is described as a self-help guide for working mothers, something that Ivanka considers herself an expert in.

However, the first daughter, who has officially taken a position alongside her father in the White House as an adviser, faces complex ethical quandaries that limit her ability to hawk her book.

Still, her family members appear eager to fill the void.

Tiffany Trump, Ivanka's half-sister, posted an image on Instagram showing her holding the book while standing on a Manhattan balcony

On Instagram, Lara Trump posted a photo of herself reading the book while relaxing in her New York Trump Tower office, which overlooks Central Park

Brothers Eric and Donald Trump Jr, sister-in-law Lara Trump, and half-sister Tiffany Trump took to social media to urge their followers on Twitter and Instagram to buy the book.

While Ivanka won't be formally promoting the book with a tour and media appearances, she did post a video on Instagram Thursday morning that showed herself dancing with her sons after a day at work.

When posting the 'Throwback Thursday' clip, Ivanka couldn't resist urging her 3.5million Instagram followers to check out a new article outlining the things she says about motherhood in her book.

'Little moments matter, especially for working moms!! #TBT to an after-work dance party with my boys,' Ivanka captioned the footage.

While Ivanka won't be formally promoting the book with a tour and media appearances, she did post a video on Instagram Thursday morning that showed herself dancing with her sons after a day at work

'@WorkingMother magazine outlined 10 additional things I have to say about motherhood in my #WomenWhoWorkBook,' she added, providing a link to the article.

The adorable video sees her standing in the kitchen in her Washington, D.C. home, still wearing her wool winter coat.

The 35-year-old did get into a bit of a tight spot on Saturday though after the State Department, The Office of Global Womens Issues, retweeted a post that promoted her book.

Ivanka quickly came under fire for crossing the ethical line in using her political position to promote the book.

Ivanka Trump looked elegant as she carried her one-year-old son Theodore on her hip after arriving at JFK International Airport on Thursday

While the retweet doesn't technically break any laws, it could break federal rules that prohibits those in public office from marketing commercial products or using governmental resources such as social media accounts without authorization.

Earlier this year, Ivanka found herself under an unwanted spotlight again after Kellyanne Conway told Fox News viewers to buy Ivanka's clothes.

Despite a busy schedule, Jared and Ivanka make a point to spend as much time as they can with their little ones as they are all adjusting to a new life in Washington, DC.

On Thursday morning, Arabella was pictured bringing a plate full of donuts to the group of men working outside their home, and they gladly grabbed some of the breakfast sweets.

Despite a busy schedule, Jared and Ivanka make a point to spend as much time as they can with their little ones as they are all adjusting to a new life in Washington. Arabella is pictured as she gives their Secret Service agents doughnuts on Tuesday with the help of her father Jared

On Thursday morning, Arabella was pictured (left) bringing a plate full of donuts to the group of men working outside their home, and they gladly grabbed some of the breakfast sweets. She did the same on Tuesday

An agent is pictured happily taking one of the doughnuts Arabella had on a plate. Her newfound interest in sharing baked goods is becoming somewhat of a tradition for the family

Her newfound interest in sharing baked goods is becoming somewhat of a tradition for the family.

Early last week, Ivanka's husband Jared Kushner helped Arabella carry a plate of sugar doughnuts outside, so she could offer them to their Secret Service agents.

During Thursday's early morning visit, Arabella appeared to be in the midst of getting ready for the day.

Jared, 36, walked hand in hand with Arabella and Joseph while Ivanka carried their baby boy as they get onto Air Force One to head to New York with President Trump

It was clear the family was going away for the weekend as members of their team were photographed putting their luggage into the backseat of Jared's SUV

The whole family was incredibly busy throughout the weekend.

On Thursday, they all traveled to New York together aboard Air Force One with the President, where he was going to host a dinner for Australian Prime Minister Malcom Turnbull at the intrepid museum.

The family were pictured before and after landing in New York. It was clear that the family was going to be away for the weekend as members of their team were photographed putting their luggage into the backseat of Jared's SUV.
A NSW homicide detective who leapt to his death after struggling with post traumatic stress disorder wrote letters to his children before he died.

Sgt Bryant's last words to his two sons and daughter  then aged 12, nine and five  were presented last week to an inquest into his death, according The Daily Telegraph.

Former NSW Detective Sergeant Ashley Bryant, 44, wrote letters to his children hours before he died in December 2013 (pictured)

Sgt Bryant (pictured with his wife Deborah), who struggled with PTSD and depression, posted separate Christmas cards to his three children

The 44-year-old leapt to his death on December 16, 2013, in the Border National Park after battling for several years with a multitude of mental health problems brought on by exposure to traumatic events in his job.

He called triple-0 before jumping and asked that his death be investigated so other police officers don't go through what he and his family had.

Mr Bryant was exposed to road fatalities, drownings, rapes, murders and suicides during his 24-year career, the inquest previously heard.

The 44-year-old leapt to his death on December 16, 2013, in the Border National Park after battling for several years with a multitude of mental health problems

He called triple-0 before jumping and asked that his death be investigated so other police officers don't go through what he had (pictured is Border National Park)

Deborah Bryant, 47, told the inquiry last week her husband's PTSD, depression and struggles with alcohol took a toll on the entire family, according to The Daily Telegraph.

She said Sgt Bryant became increasingly angry and would yell at herself and their children about trivial matters.

Mrs Bryant, who is battling stage three breast cancer, revealed she and her husband had separated seven days before he died.

Readers seeking support and information about suicide prevention can contact Lifeline on 13 11 14 or Suicide Call Back Service 1300 659 467.
An independent politician has blamed abortion for the loss of millions of dollars in GST due to slow population growth.

During a parliamentary debate on Thursday, Northern Territory politician Gerry Wood said $77 million of the $200 million cuts was because of the declining population, with the state 'losing 600 to 1,000 people through abortion' each year.

'People will laugh at me. I have raised it before. Why do we not promote help for people going through pregnancy? Why do we not look at adoption?' he said.

During a parliamentary debate on Thursday, Northern Territory politician Gerry Wood said $77 million of the $200 million cuts was because of the declining population

He said the Northern Territory is 'losing 600 to 1,000 people through abortion' each year (stock image)

'Regardless of your opinion you reduce one-quarter of your population, and we have a declining population. It is fact of life.

'If you looked at alternatives to helping people, we may have some increase of our population'.

The member for Nelson, who is a staunch anti-abortion campaigner, spoke to ABC radio about the Northern Territory's struggling population on Friday, saying 'the new legislation is very pro-abortion'.

'I have no problems saying I support the unborn... since when has having children caused a problem,' he said.

'People will laugh at me. I have raised it before. Why do we not promote help for people going through pregnancy? Why do we not look at adoption?' Mr Wood (pictured) said

Family Planning NT medical director Dr Jacqui Murdoch also spoke to the program, saying Mr Wood's argument was 'ridiculous' (stock image)

'Why would we make a decision based on that life should be terminated because they caused a problem'.

Family Planning NT medical director Dr Jacqui Murdoch also spoke to the program, saying Mr Wood's argument was 'ridiculous'.

'I think it's a ridiculous argument to try to suggest women should be forced to carry unwanted pregnancies for economic purposes,' she said

'This is Australia in 2017 and we don't use women's bodies for economic purposes'.
A California bar has come under fire for celebrating Cinco de Mayo with an inflatable wall and green card drink vouchers.

Hennessey's Tavern in Dana Point set up the inflatable climbing wall outside its restaurant on Friday as part of its Cinco de Mayo festivities.

Patrons who could successfully climb the wall were given green cards that could be redeemed for free drinks.

But the owner of Hennessey's Tavern has now been forced to defend their decision after the stunt backfired and drew heavy criticism for being a 'horrible, tactless, racist event'.

Hennessey's Tavern in California came under fire for handing out green cards and setting up an inflatable climbing wall outside its restaurant on Friday for its Cinco de Mayo festivities

After receiving an onslaught of complaints on social media, owner Paul Hennessey posted a statement on Facebook saying he was trying to express his concerns about Trump's pledge to build a wall between the US and Mexico.

'Our intentions were to create a dialogue and show how ridiculous that it is to spend tens of millions of dollars to build a wall and even infer that Mexico foot some or the entire bill and have their citizens build it,' he wrote.

'This event obviously struck a chord with many of you out there and you and a number of you did not understand our intent.'

Outraged patrons took to Facebook to slam the bar's statement and accusing its owner of 'casual racism'.

The inflatable climbing wall was set up outside the restaurant and patrons were given the green card drink vouchers if they could successfully climb over it

The owner of Hennessey's Tavern has now been forced to defend their decision after the stunt backfired and drew heavy criticism for being a 'racist' and 'tactless' event

'This response says it all. It is dismissive and condescending. Paul Hennessy, you cannot honestly believe that a 'climb wall, green card, equating to a free drink' in anyway supports anything but a racial stereotype,' one person wrote.

'This was not creating a dialogue. This was promoting casual racism,' another said.

Another person wrote: 'Next year I might suggest you give out Mexican Citizenship cards after climbing the wall - then, we will all get 'your intent'. See how that changes the discussion? Disappointing on so many levels.'

The event came just days after President Trump signed a federal budget plan that essentially stalled his US-Mexico border wall.

Trump campaigned heavily during the election on his pledge to build a wall along the country's southern border to curb immigration from Mexico.

Outraged patrons took to Facebook to slam the bar's statement and accusing its owner of 'casual racism'
Firefighters in southern Georgia are battling to keep a fire in a wildlife refuge from spreading amid unfavorable weather conditions and some 79 people have been evacuated from a neighboring town

The Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge says more than 500 personnel are working to contain the fire and that 11,000 acres have been consumed by fire in the past two days. A total of 129,856 acres has been burned since the fire was reported April 6.

Several dozen people in St. George have already been evacuated, yesterday, but a county administrator couldn't immediately say how many residents might be ordered to leave the newly affected area.

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The Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge says more than 500 personnel are working to contain the Southern Georgia fire and that 11,000 acres have been consumed by fire in the past two days. A total of 129,856 acres has been burned since the fire was reported April 6

The fire is raging through the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge that lies on the border of Georgia and Florida

As of today, 12 percent of the fire that has ravaged the area has been contained and so far some 79 people have been evacuated

Several dozen people in St. George have already been evacuated, yesterday, but a county administrator couldn't immediately say how many residents might be ordered to leave the newly affected area

Saturday's evacuation initially included a sparsely populated rural area of Charleton County from Jim Crawford Loop road south to St. George on the west side of Highway 121. A firefighter carries a fawn deer to safety

Saturday's evacuation initially included a sparsely populated rural area of Charleton County from Jim Crawford Loop road south to St. George on the west side of Highway 121. County Administrator Shawn Boatright couldn't immediately say how many residents might be affected in the latter area.

The wildfire started by lightning April 6 and has since burned more than 150 square miles (389 sq. kilometers) on public lands. It has burned almost entirely within the Okefenokee refuge boundaries - and some public forestland in north Florida - for the past month, but escaped fire breaks around the refuge Friday and has burned an estimated 1,000 acres on private land.

Earlier Saturday the St. George emergency manager said the entire unincorporated community of about 2,000 people was under a mandatory evacuation order, according to West Mims Public Information Officer Michael Davis.

The wildfire started by lightning April 6 and has since burned more than 150 square miles (389 sq. kilometers) on public lands

It has burned almost entirely within the Okefenokee refuge boundaries - and some public forestland in north Florida - for the past month, but escaped fire breaks around the refuge Friday and has burned an estimated 1,000 acres on private land

Earlier Saturday the St. George emergency manager said the entire unincorporated community of about 2,000 people was under a mandatory evacuation order, according to West Mims Public Information Officer Michael Davis

Davis said the emergency manager later clarified that the evacuation was not mandatory and that only the people in the homes closest to the fire were asked to leave. The fire is now within 3 miles (5 kilometers) of the community, Davis said

Davis said the emergency manager later clarified that the evacuation was not mandatory and that only the people in the homes closest to the fire were asked to leave. The fire is now within 3 miles (5 kilometers) of the community, Davis said.

The area, on the Georgia-Florida line, is also under a dense smoke advisory that is expected to impact visibility in the towns of St. George, Callahan, Ratliff and northern Duval County near the Jacksonville International airport.

So far, 12 percent of the fire has been contained.

The area, on the Georgia-Florida line, is also under a dense smoke advisory that is expected to impact visibility in the towns of St. George, Callahan, Ratliff and northern Duval County near the Jacksonville International airport

A temporary shelter has been opened in the gymnasium at the Folkston Elementary School. Boatright said it will stay open indefinitely

A temporary shelter has been opened in the gymnasium at the Folkston Elementary School. Boatright said it will stay open indefinitely.

'We're not sure what's going to happen right now, so it's open until further notice,' he said.

He encouraged residents to bring whatever personal items they might need for an extended shelter stay.

According to Mark Davis, a spokesman for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, a wildfire burned down 300,000 acres of the 407,000-acre refuge six years ago.
A crime is committed every hour by moped-riding thugs, figures revealed last night.

More than 11,389 incidents  an average of 31 a day  including thefts, robberies and acid attacks took place in the capital last year.

And officers fear they are in the grip of a moped crime epidemic with similar offences taking place in all the countrys major urban centres.

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The Metropolitan Police has released footage of a foreign tourist breaking his leg as he was hunted down by moped-riding muggers in central London. Above, the innocent man walks along Park Lane while the gang of thugs follow him from behind

Chased: As the man crosses the road, the motorists briefly stop as he tries to get away

Chased: As the man crosses the road, the motorists briefly stop as he tries to get away

Struck: But the tourist is then hit by one of the drivers and as he manages to crawl away into the view of CCTV cameras, the robbers flee empty handed

The figures came as the Metropolitan Police released footage of a foreign tourist breaking his leg as he was hunted down by moped-riding muggers in central London.

The tourist in his 30s was targeted as he walked in Park Lane, famous for its luxury hotels and boutiques.

CCTV cameras show the moment he realises he is being followed by eight robbers on four mopeds who have seen his expensive watch.

One of the would-be thieves gestures to another as they mount the pavement, forcing bystanders to leap out of the way. After trying to escape by walking between parked cars, the victim attempts to run away only to be sent sprawling as a moped hits him from behind.

City under attack: The Mail reported on Saturday how hammer-wielding drivers caused mayhem outside the BBC's offices in White City, London

Despite his serious injury, the man still manages to crawl away as the robbers flee empty handed in the chaotic melee.

On Saturday, the Daily Mail also reported how a gang of moped-riding thieves brandished a hammer and tyre iron at pedestrians outside the BBCs landmark headquarters just off Oxford Street.

Chief officers suspect young thugs are emboldened by the mistaken belief that frontline officers are afraid to tackle them in case they are seriously injured.

In some cases thieves have even filmed themselves being chased as they laugh at police before posting the footage online. But officers in London have launched a specialist operation in a bid to catch moped-riding robbers and smash-and-grab thieves.

Some areas have invested in off-road motorcycles, while specialist drivers have been trained to ram mopeds off the road.

The Met have drawn up a list of about 200 people who they believe may be responsible for the majority of the moped-related offences

The tourist (pictured above) is in his 30s and was targeted as he walked in Park Lane, famous for its luxury hotels and boutiques

Met Chief Superintendent Peter Ayling said the vast majority of moped thefts were opportunistic

Earlier this year a police helicopter recorded the moment a police pursuit ended when officers smashed into the back of a bike, sending its rider and pillion passenger sprawling. The epidemic is focused on busy areas where thieves prey on unwitting commuters and shoppers who are often distracted by their phones.

Police in one of the areas most badly affected released a map at the weekend showing how 20 moped thefts took place in one square mile in just one week.

The Met have drawn up a list of about 200 people who they believe may be responsible for the majority of the moped-related offences.

But crimes such as these are often hard to prosecute because of the difficulty in securing evidence as the identity of offenders is often disguised.

Met Chief Superintendent Peter Ayling said the vast majority of moped thefts were opportunistic.

He said: It is a top priority to identify and arrest these reckless offenders who have little regard for their own safety, or the safety of others.

Outside London, similar crimes have occurred in most major cities, including Manchester, Newcastle upon Tyne and Birmingham.

In one case an 84-year-old woman suffered serious injuries in Harlow, Essex when she was robbed by two teenagers on a moped who stole her bag.

In Manchester, a woman in her 70s was punched in the face and thrown to the pavement by two men on a moped who stole her handbag and gold bracelets.
An unmanned military space plane landed at Kennedy Space Center Sunday with a sonic boom.

The reusable X-37B Orbital Test Vehicle's (OTV-4) return concluded an almost two-year mission in orbit, according to the US Air Force.

The Air Force tweeted shortly after 8am that the vehicle had landed safely, marking the conclusion of its fourth classified mission, which lasted more than 700 days.

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The reusable X-37B Orbital Test Vehicle (pictured) returned Sunday morning, concluding an almost two-year mission in orbit, according to the US Air Force

The Air Force tweeted shortly after 8am that the vehicle had landed safely, marking the conclusion of its fourth classified mission, which lasted more than 700 days

The unmanned X-37B, which resembles a mini space shuttle, landing on a runway used by the now-mothballed craft.

The Boeing-built space plane blasted off in May 2015 from nearby Cape Canaveral Air Force Station aboard an Atlas 5 rocket built by United Launch Alliance, a partnership between Lockheed Martin Corp and Boeing Co.

The X-37B, one of two in the Air Force fleet, conducted unspecified experiments for more than 700 days while in orbit. It was the fourth and lengthiest mission so far for the secretive program, managed by the Air Force Rapid Capabilities Office.

The Air Force said the orbiters 'perform risk reduction, experimentation and concept-of-operations development for reusable space vehicle technologies.'

However, the exact nature of the mission and its cost is classified.

X-37B TEST SHUTTLE Contractor: Boeing Height: 9 feet 6 inches Length: 29 feet 3 inches Wingspan: 14 feet, 11 inches Weight: 11,000 pounds Power: Gallium Arsenide Solar Cells with Lithium-Ion batteries Launch Vehicle: Alliance Atlas V (501) Advertisement

The Secure World Foundation, a nonprofit group promoting the peaceful exploration of space, says the secrecy surrounding the X-37B suggests the presence of intelligence-related hardware being tested or evaluated aboard the craft.

The vehicles are 29 feet long and have a wingspan of 15 feet, making them about one quarter of the size of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration's now-retired space shuttles.

The X-37B, also known as Orbital Test Vehicle, or OTV, first flew in April 2010 and returned after eight months. A second mission launched in March 2011 and lasted 15 months, while a third took flight in December 2012 and returned after 22 months.

Sunday's landing was the X-37B's first in Florida. The three previous landings took place at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California.

The Air Force relocated the program in 2014, taking over two of NASA's former shuttle-processing hangars.

The Air Force intends to launch the fifth X-37B mission from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, located just south of the Kennedy Space Center, later this year.

Air Force officials have called the X-37B program 'the newest and most advanced re-entry spacecraft.' The program is managed by the Air Force Rapid Capabilities Office

When the plane landed Sunday morning the sonic boom could be heard throughout Central Florida, and some Brevard County residents likely heard them before it even touched down at the Shuttle Landing Facility.

Air Force officials said that several technologies are being tested in the program.

'The primary objectives of the X-37B are twofold; reusable spacecraft technologies for America's future in space and operating experiments which can be returned to, and examined, on Earth,' an official said, according to Click Orlando.

Officials also explained that the X-37B is the first vehicle of its kind able to return experiments to Earth for further inspection and analysis. It is the first with this capability since NASA's Shuttle Orbiter.

The X-37B is able to stay in space longer because of its minimum on-orbit time of 270 days, officials said.

When the plane landed Sunday morning at the Kennedy Space Center (pictured) the sonic boom could be heard throughout Central Florida, and some Brevard County residents likely heard them before it even touched down at the Shuttle Landing Facility

According to the Air Force, this is the fourth successful mission for the project, with the first three landing at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California.

In total, the two craft have spent a total of 2,085 days in orbit.
He made headlines last week after being photographed kissing married publicist Roxy Jacenko at his Darling Point apartment.

And on Saturday night, Nabil Gazal surfaced for the first time since Daily Mail Australia published the sensational pictures.

The millionaire property developer enjoyed an evening out with his family at Cure Brain Cancer Foundation's Enchanted Gala Ball in Sydney.

Night out: On Saturday, Nabil Gazal (bottom row, centre) surfaced for the first time since Daily Mail Australia published sensational pictures of him kissing married PR queen Roxy Jacenko

Nabil, who is notoriously private, was joined by his sister Nicole Gazal O'Neil, one of the stars of Real Housewives Of Sydney.

Appearing in high spirits, Nabil enjoyed quality time with his other siblings, Nicholas and Nora, as well as his mother Maud.

Nicole shared a family photo with her 22,000 Instagram followers, and she looked simply stunning in a metallic Rebecca Vallance dress.

The reality TV star captioned the snap: 'La Familia'.

Belle of the ball! Roxy (right, pictured at the Gold Dinner earlier this week) is awaiting the release of her husband Oliver Curtis from prison, after he was jailed for insider trading

'We are family': The photo from Saturday night was posted by Nabil's sister, Real Housewives Of Sydney star Nicole Gazal O'Neil (second from right)

Pals: Reality TV star Nicole appears to live a far more public life than her notoriously private brother Nabil. Pictured with friend Holly Candy (nee Valance), wife of billionaire Nick Candy

Last week, Nabil was spotted kissing Sweaty Betty PR founder Roxy, whose husband Oliver Curtis is currently serving jail time for insider trading.

The former couple shared an intimate embrace at his luxury apartment, after enjoying dinner at Bar Machiaveli in Sydney with friends.

Roxy has previously declined to comment on the photographs.

What's going on? Last week, Nabil was spotted kissing Sweaty Betty PR founder Roxy (pictured), whose husband Oliver Curtis is currently serving jail time for insider trading

In recent months, Roxy has worn her wedding rings sporadically. It has also been reported Nabil bought her a diamond eternity ring as a Christmas gift.

Roxy has denied the expensive jewellery is from her former lover.

Nabil has been described as one of Roxy's more 'serious' past boyfriends, and the pair dated until 2010.

However, little is known about their former relationship.

Former flame: Nabil has been described as one of Roxy's more 'serious' past boyfriends, and the pair dated until 2010. However, little is known about their former relationship

Meanwhile, Oliver and Roxy married in 2012, and are parents to five-year-old Pixie, and three-year-old Hunter.

Speaking to Daily Mail Australia recently, Roxy said it will be 'business as usual' when Oliver is released from Cooma Correctional Centre.

'I'm not really about making a big fuss over something that shouldn't be celebrated,' she stated bluntly.
She is celebrating 10 years as co-host of Today this month

But Lisa Wilkinson has revealed her tenure on Channel Nine's breakfast show was almost over as soon as it began.

Speaking to Stellar magazine, the 57-year-old claimed she once told husband Peter FitzSimons she would 'give up the Today show' to improve their marriage.

Difficult: Lisa Wilkinson (L) has revealed her tenure on the Today show was almost over as soon as it began, as the job took a toll on her marriage to Peter FitzSimons (R)

At the time, Peter, 55, was working in breakfast radio and the married couple were finding it hard to balance family and working life.

'The problem was that when you had two parents doing exactly the same hours, and the kids were in primary school and high school - they really are intense years,' Lisa said.

'What we discovered was basically it was two people racing to bed, and whoever was the last to bed ended up helping with the homework... Pete was always much better at getting to bed first.'

Describing it as one of the most 'testing' periods in their marriage, Lisa revealed that once they realised something had to give, it was her who offered to make the sacrifice.

'Intense': When Lisa joined Today, Peter was working in breakfast radio and the married couple were finding it hard to balance family and working life

'I'll give up': The 57-year-old recalled telling her husband, 'I think I'll give up the Today show'

'I think I'll give up the Today show, because what's happening here in these four walls more important than any job,' she recalled telling her husband.

But Peter instead offered to resign from his radio position so that Lisa could continue her career at Channel Nine.

This is not the first time Lisa and Peter have worked through a difficult time in their 25-year marriage.

Working dad: But Peter instead offered to resign from his radio position so that Lisa could continue her career at Channel Nine

Longtime love: This is not the first time Lisa and Peter have worked through a difficult time in their 25-year marriage

Last year, Lisa told The Australian Women's Weekly about the toll Peter's drinking used to take on their relationship.

'He stopped caring when he had alcohol. He wouldn't care too much what he'd say to me, he'd be careless he might upset me - and it actually takes a lot to upset me,' she confessed.

'He just wasn't the man I married,' Lisa added. Peter has since quit alcohol and lost significant weight by embracing a healthy lifestyle.
She landed her first film role in an untitled project by Nash Edgerton.

And days later, Paris Jackson stepped out for a celebratory lunch at Gracias Madre with her gal pals in West Hollywood.

For her Saturday afternoon brunch, the 19-year-old opted for a low key look of a colorful hoodie with ripped denim.

Casual: Paris Jackson stepped out for a celebratory lunch at Gracias Madre with her gal pals in West Hollywood

The teenager, who is the daughter of the late Michael Jackson, kicked off her weekend in her red, black and white cover up.

Paris highlighted her trim legs in blue jeans that featured a ripped hemline.

She added even more color with her multi-colored purse that she slung over one shoulder.

The stunner slipped on pink and red socks with her Converse sneakers.

Happy Saturday: For her Saturday afternoon brunch, the 19-year-old opted for a low key look of a colorful hoodie with ripped denim

She wore her blonde locks into two buns on each side of her head.

Paris opted to show off her natural beauty by going makeup free.

The stunner finished off her look with glasses.

Gorgeous: Paris opted to show off her natural beauty by going makeup free

Low key: She wore her blonde locks into two buns

Having fun: The natural beauty slipped on pink and red socks with her Converse sneakers

Paris will make her film debut in the as of yet untitled dark comedy, set to be directed by Nash Edgerton.

The film also star Joel Edgerton, Amanda Seyfried and Charlize Theron.

Last Monday, Paris wowed in a black dress with a cut-out detail for the Met Gala in New York City.

Beauty: Paris will make her film debut in the as of yet untitled dark comedy, set to be directed by Nash Edgerton; seen at the Met Gala on Monday
They have been dating for nearly four years after falling in love on the first season of The Bachelor Australia.

And as Tim Robards and Anna Heinrich attended yet another friend's wedding over the weekend, fans were once again asking when he plans to propose.

The 34-year-old fitness instructor shared an Instagram photo on Saturday of the reality TV couple posing at the Palm Beach ceremony.

'Your turn now?': Following their attendance at yet another wedding on Saturday, Bachelor fans were quick to ask when Tim Robards and Anna Heinrich (pictured) would get engaged

In the photo, Tim looked dashing in a grey suit with a blue tie, crimson pocket square and his trademark ruffled hair.

Anna, meanwhile, was effortlessly stylish in a navy blue frock featuring a banded white section over her chest.

She styled her blonde hair in a middle parting and cuddled up to Tim as he affectionately placed his arm around her waist.

Gorgeous girl: Anna looked effortlessly chic at the wedding ceremony in a navy blue frock with a banded white section over the chest

When will their wedding bells sound? Tim paid tribute to the newlyweds, but kept quiet about whether he was planning to propose to his longtime girlfriend

Tim offered his congratulations to the newlyweds, but offered no clue as to when he was planning to propose to his longtime girlfriend.

'An amazing location in Palmy yesterday to celebrate Ali and Fairbs tie the knot! Congrats!' he wrote.

But Bachelor fans weren't about to let Tim off that easy, with one follower commenting: 'Your turn now?'

Everybody's talking! Bachelor fans weren't about to let Tim off that easy, with one follower commenting under his Instagram photo: 'Your turn now?'

It comes as the entrepreneur hinted to TV Week at the Logie Awards that the couple could be getting married soon.

'Let's just say 2017 is going to be a good year,' he said.

Anna, 30, replied: 'That's the first I've heard of it! But obviously it would be great'.

'Let's just say 2017 is going to be a good year': It after Tim hinted to TV Week magazine that the couple may get married sooner rather than later

It wasn't the first time Tim has discussed engagement plans, as he told The Kyle And Jackie O Show in October it was about time he popped the question.

'It's three years on, so probably getting around that time,' he said.

'I know where I'd probably go to get (the ring)... I know what she likes. I need to steal one of her other ones to find out the size.'
He set pulses racing in that famous shirtless scene in BBC drama Poldark.

And Aidan Turner has hinted that he may be stripping off once again in the third series of the show, joking: 'Ive done it in nearly every job. I insist.'

The hunky actor, 33, also described his surprise at the 'mild hysteria' in response to the scene in the first series, in which he showed off his sculpted physique.

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'I've done it in nearly every job': Aidan Turner has hinted that he may be stripping off once again in the third series of the show, joking: 'Ive done it in nearly every job. I insist'

According to The Mirror, the Irish star said he would go shirtless again 'if it seems right and [is] not gratuitous'.

Speaking about the initial decision to strip off, he added: 'It was just really hot that day and it would have been more weird to keep my shirt on. It didnt feel like a stunt.

'There was mild hysteria about it all  that was quite surprising.'

Heartthrob: The hunky actor, 33, also described his surprise at the 'mild hysteria' in response to the scene in the first series, in which he showed off his sculpted physique

Aidan, who stars as Ross Poldark in the series, has previously revealed how it was his idea to take his shirt off in that famous scything scene, not thinking it 'would cause a stir'.

The actor also thrilled fans when he appeared in nothing but a towel during a racy scene in Agatha Christie drama And Then There Were None back in 2015.

Speaking ahead of the hotly-anticipated new series of Poldark, the actor described how he and his character have blended into one for some fans.

New series: Elizabeth's pregnancy will be the focus of the series with the heavy implication that her unborn baby is not in fact her husband George Warleggan's, but Ross's love child

He told the Radio Times: Im Ross more times than Im Aidan these days. Its kind of weird, but such is the nature of the business.'

Speaking about what fans can expect in the new series, he added: 'When we start the third series we get a feeling that a lot has passed; months have passed and theyve already discussed what has happened.

'And so theyre not at each other's throats, but theres definitely questions about who the father [of Elizabeths baby] may be and whether the relationship is going to last.'

Poldark will be back on our screens when the third season airs this June.

'I'm more Ross than Aidan': Speaking ahead of the new series of Poldark, the actor described how he and his character have blended into one for some fans

It is inspired by books five and six of the original novels by Winston Graham: The Black Moon and The Four Swans.

Elizabeth's pregnancy will be the focus of the series with the heavy implication that her unborn baby is not in fact her evil husband George Warleggan's, but Ross's love child.

New characters will also be introduced in the series, including Osborne Whitworth, a flamboyant, sex-crazed vicar played by Christian Brassington.
He's the outspoken journalist known for his role on Studio 10.

But despite his high-profile status, Joe Hildebrand has no patience for celebrities who complain about paparazzi.

In his column for Stellar, the 40-year-old criticised celebrities who routinely moan about being followed by photojournalists.

'If being famous is that bad, we can all get jobs in a coal mine somewhere!' Despite his high-profile status, Joe Hildebrand has no patience for celebrities who complain about paparazzi

Joe dryly observed that the problem with being a celebrity 'is that it often comes with being famous'.

'Which is why - and I'm just going out on a limb here - most people are bemused when actual celebrities complain about getting unwanted attention,' he added.

'What I'm really trying to say to my genuine fellow celebrities is: relax! If being famous is honestly that bad, we can all go and get jobs in a coal mine somewhere.'

Relax! Joe dryly observed that the problem with being a celebrity 'is that it often comes with being famous'. Pictured with radio personality Tim Blackwell (left)

He continued: 'It's not the end of the world that people are taking your photograph - it's when the stop taking it that you really have to worry.'

Joe, who has been a panelist on Studio 10 since 2013, recently promised to do a nudie run if the morning show was nominated for a Logie Award.

Unfortunately for him, the show was nominated and he had to run around the set naked while being chased by comedian Lawrence Mooney.
She did her best to fight against the windy, west coast weather.

And on Saturday, Mandy Moore looked chic in a light trench coat for a day out in LA.

The 33-year-old star attempted to keep her outerwear closed in hopes to keep warm, despite the duster's thin fabric.

Battling the cold: On Saturday, Mandy Moore, 33, did her best to fight against the windy, west coast weather

The beauty layered a light-colored top underneath her coat.

Mandy added a set of cropped, distressed jeans, which she rolled at its cuff.

The A Walk to Remember star completed her look with close-toe, striped slides and a black handbag.

Minimalist style: The actress looked chic in a light trench coat for a day out in LA

Mandy currently stars on the NBC hit, This Is Us.

The show, which is currently in its second season, was renewed until season three due to its major success.

In the drama, Mandy plays Rebecca Pearson, a mother of twins and an adopted son, who is also the age of her children in the show.

Trying hard! Mandy attempted to keep her outerwear closed in hopes to keep warm, despite the duster's thin fabric

The show was created by Dan Fogle, the man behind the script for her animated film, Tangled.

'I thank my lucky stars every day just to have this job and to be a part of this,' she told The Hollywood Reporter.

'To have this really nuanced, rich, creative, collaborative experience? Dan Fogelman changed my life. Him giving me this opportunity to play Rebecca and to be a part of this cast has allowed me to do what I've been wanting to do and trying to do for so long. I'm just thrilled and can't see what it leads to.'

Her big hit: Mandy currently stars on the NBC hit, This Is Us. She is pictured with co-star Milo Ventimiglia, 39

The Princess Diaries star has a packed schedule up until next year.

In addition to her successful show, she also voices Rapunzel in the television version of Tangled.

She also stars in the films 47 Meters Down and I'm Not Here, followed by The Darkest Minds in 2018.

Simple pieces: The beauty layered a light-colored top underneath her coat. Mandy added a set of cropped, distressed jeans, which she rolled at its cuff

'Please be okay': In her Instagram story, Mandy revealed that her dog Joni had consumed 'an entire dark chocolate bar' and had to be 'rushed to the vet'
Kim Zolciak showed off her perfect pins in a flirty white dress on Saturday.

The 38-year-old TV personality hosted the Kentucky Derby Hat Contest in New York alongside her husband, NFL Player Kroy Biermann.

The event took place at Empire City Casino at Yonkers Raceway in the Big Apple.

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Lovely: Kim Zolciak showed off her perfect pins in a flirty white dress on Saturday

She wore a white lace dress and matching white sandals as she posed on the carpet ahead of the event.

The reality TV star wore her blonde tresses in subtle waves as she added a chic white hat to her look.

She also posed on the carpet with VP and COO of Empire City Casino Bob Galterio.

Dapper couple: The 38-year-old TV personality hosted the Kentucky Derby Hat Contest in New York alongside her husband, NFL Player Kroy Biermann

The man himself: She also posed on the carpet with VP and COO of Empire City Casino Bob Galterio

Jockey Jason Bartlett also posed with the hostess.

Meanwhile, Kim made some pretty outrageous and racy comments on her Twitter on Thursday.

Her son Kash is a big fan of John Legend, so Kim used the powers of Twitter to get his wife Chrissy Teigen's attention.

Nice: Jockey Jason Bartlett also posed with the hostess

Long locks: Kim showed off her flowing mermaid tresses

Cheers! The girls seemed to be having a great time

She tweeted: 'S]ooo ur hubby is comin' to ATL may19 [sic] & Kash is beyond OBSESSED w/ him!' Zolciak wrote to Teigen on Twitter.

She then added: 'Who does Brielle have to blow in order to meet him?? LOL.'

Seeing the funny side to it, Chrissy responded in a sarcastic and jokey way: '@Kimzolciak Plz don't blow anyone it's not that good of a show,' she began.

'Jk it's good but I'll get you tix without the oral.'

On Thursday, Kim was standing by her tweet, telling fans: 'If you can't take a joke feel free to unfollow.'

Making a statement: Her dress also features feathered arms
She is Sydney's PR queen known for her busy lifestyle.

And Roxy Jacenko flew to the Gold Coast for an event at the Pacific Fair Shopping Centre on Sunday, shortly after celebrating her son Hunter's third birthday.

Roxy was styled by celebrity hair and make-up artist Craig Beagle Hole, who kept her look simple yet glamorous with a smoky eye and light pink lip.

Showing off her Sydney glam! PR queen Roxy Jacenko flew Queensland's Gold Coast on Sunday for a meet-and-greet session at the Pacific Fair Shopping Centre

The Double Bay socialite was pictured at the meet-and-greet speaking to fans during a business themed Q&A session.

Roxy appeared to be having a great time, laughing and chatting with the crowd and showing off her beaming white smile.

The successful mother-of-two flaunted her slim figure in a short dress by Herve Leger worth $2,900.

Now that's bling! Roxy was dressed in head-to-toe designer clothes - but it was her stunning diamond ring that caught everyone's eye

She's all smiles! The Double Bay socialite was pictured at the meet-and-greet speaking to fans during a business themed Q&A session

Nothing but sparkle! The stunning ring, reported to be over four carats, was given to Roxy by her jailed husband Oliver Curtis as a 'thank you' for giving birth to their first daughter Pixie

She matched it with a pair of suede heels by Alaia, worth $1,200 that showed off her toned pins and perfectly pedicured feet.

Her head-to-toe designer ensemble was accessorised with a navy blue Kelly handbag, which retails at $12,600.

She finished off her luxury look with a $37,000 Rolex Cosmograph Daytona watch, silver and gold bangles, and a pair of stud earrings.

Having a laugh! The mother-of-two flaunted her trim figure in a short, figure hugging knit dress by Herve Leger worth $2,900

Whats so funny? Roxy appeared to be having a great time, laughing and chatting with the crowd and showing off her beaming white smile

Dripping with jewels! Roxy finished off her luxury look with a $37,000 Rolex Cosmograph Daytona watch, silver and gold bangles, and a pair of stud earrings.

But the PR guru's most eye catching accessory was the pear shaped diamond ring on her finger by Nicholas Haywood.

The stunning ring, reported to be over four carats, was given to Roxy by her jailed husband Oliver Curtis as a 'thank you' for giving birth to their first daughter Pixie.

After the Q&A session, Roxy happily posed for photos and selfies with her legions of fans that attended the event.

Her Gold Coast trip comes just after she celebrated her son Hunter's third birthday at their home in Sydney.

Selfie time! After the Q&A session, Roxy happily posed for photos and selfies with her legions of fans that attended the event

Stepping out in style! Roxy matched her designer outfit with a pair of dusty pink suede heels by Alaia worth $1,200 that showed off her toned pins and perfectly pedicured toes
He's the new judge on House Rules and Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen is certainly making his mark on the Channel Seven design show.

The 52-year-old Brit savaged contestants on Sunday's show, where he spat out some insults during the renovation reveals.

From saying a study nook was designed for a 'manic depressive,' to a 'satanically hideous' lounge room, he didn't hold back.

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Not holding back! Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen (L) savaged House Rules contestants during renovations reveal on Sunday's show

In his feedback for Fiona and Nicole - which was delivered to them by host Johanna Griggs - Lawrence said their lounge room was 'hobo, not boho.'

He said he liked the lounge room wall design - which featured numerous picture frames - but everything else was cluttered and 'rubbish'.

He was seen critiquing the area with fellow judges Wendy Moore and Drew Heath, saying: 'There is stuff of such satanic hideousness.'

Out with the old! Seen is the old dining room and lounge room that was a converted garage

Look out: In his feedback for Fiona and Nicole, Lawrence said their lounge room (seen) was 'hobo, not boho'

Nice and bright: The dining room featured pops of pastel

Fiona and Nicole scored just 13 points from the judges for their lounge room and laundry.

When critiquing the study nook of Sean and Ella, he remarked: 'This has obviously been conceived for a manic depressive, you're just staring into the depressing infinity of a black corner, with a skull and a couple of "I had a good idea" bulbs,' he said.

The pair scored 19 points from the judges for their study nook, kitchen and entryway.

Ouch: When critiquing the study nook of Sean and Ella (pictured) he remarked: 'This has obviously been conceived for a manic depressive'

Dark! Laurence couldn't believe the pair painted the study wall black

Bright! Sean and Ella were commended by the judges for the kitchen, but said fingerprints on cabinets would be a problem

Makeover: The kitchen was put in an old bedroom in the original house

Laurence also had a humorous remark when critiquing Troy and Bec's space, which was the children's room and family bathroom.

He remarked about the bedroom: 'There is an eye for design being used by the team, but it's like a cross-eyed eye for design. It's just not looking in the right direction.'

Laurence also described a rug hung on the wall by Aaron and Daniella as an 'abomination,' and said their bonus room - a children's play area - looked like a 'creepy scientific experiment.'

Another blow: Laurence also had a humorous remark when critiquing Troy and Bec's space, which was the children's room (seen before) and family bathroom

Too much everywhere! He said the pair had a 'cross-eye' for design

In need of attention: The main bathroom featured low sinks and a shower without a screen

Fresh: The pair kept up the house rule which was to add turquoise

New look: The entryway had a white colour scheme

Parents abode: Pictured was the main bedroom

However, he gave glowing reviews to twins Andrew and Jono for their dining room and ensuite, saying he thought it was like the 'mad hatter's tea party.'

Andrew and Jono topped the leader board this week for judges scoring, getting 20 points out of a possible 30, while Sean and Ella scored 19 points for their kitchen, entry and study nook.

Troy and Bec scored 16 for their bathroom and Xavier's bedroom, Aaron and Daniella scored 13 for the master bedroom, hallway and linen closet, and Fiona and Nicole scored 13 for their lounge room and laundry.

The teams were renovating Harry and Kate's 'half a house,' with their feedback and scores to be revealed next episode.

Looking good: The bedroom features an open closet and a black wooden bed head

Not so welcoming: Before, the entryway was bare
Last weekend she turned heads at the impossibly glitzy Met Gala.

And Gwyneth Paltrow once again took to the red carpet, this time for the UCLA Children's Hospital gala in Los Angeles on Saturday.

The 44-year-old actress and GOOP lifestyle guru looked effortlessly chic in her all-white ensemble.

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Back in action! Gwyneth Paltrow once again took to the red carpet, this time for the UCLA Children's Hospital gala in Los Angeles on Saturday

The monochrome combination featured a sleeveless top, which afforded just a glimpse of her taut tummy.

A matching skirt included a split up the right side which showed off her gloriously long gams.

Some very delicate black stiletto heels completed her basic but extremely fashionable look.

She kept her accessories to a minimum, opting only for a small braided bracelet on her left wrist.

Fashionable: The 44-year-old actress and GOOP lifestyle guru looked effortlessly chic in her all-white ensemble

Leggy lady: A matching skirt included a split up the right side which showed off her gloriously long gams

Trademark: Her famous dirty blonde tresses were parted in the middle and cascaded down past her shoulders

Her famous dirty blonde tresses were parted in the middle and cascaded down past her shoulders.

Of course her eye shadow was spot on, and a little blush and light rose lipstick ensured the Iron Man beauty was ready to accept her Kaleidoscope Award.

More of Hollywood's A-list was in attendance as well.

Peek-a-boo! Hart of Dixie's Jaime King, 38, flaunted her fit figure in a sheer black number embroidered with red roses and white stems

Dapper duo: A pair of glorious crimson earrings and matching shade of lipstick made her pout pop (seen here with husband Kyle Newman)

Almost incognito: Molly Sims, 43, managed to obscure her model figure with a very busy floral frock which included a plethora of pleats and folds

Hart of Dixie's Jaime King, 38, flaunted her fit figure in a sheer black number embroidered with red roses and white stems.

A pair of glorious crimson earrings and matching shade of lipstick made her pout pop.

Before she settled in, she kept warm in a classic black leather biker jacket.

Iconic beauty: Thelma & Louise actress Geena Davis, 61, looked darling in a navy blue frilled dress that fell all the way to the floor

Molly Sims, 43, managed to obscure her model figure with a very busy floral frock which included a plethora of pleats and folds.

Thelma & Louise actress Geena Davis, 61, looked darling in a navy blue frilled dress that fell all the way to the floor.

Super director Ron Howard, 63, was also in attendance, as was music mogul Randy Jackson, 60.
She was caught kissing her ex-boyfriend Nabil Gazal last Saturday, despite being married to jailed investment banker Oliver Curtis.

But it was business as usual for Roxy Jacenko on Sunday as she flew to the Gold Coast for a speaking engagement at Pacific Fair Shopping Centre.

The Sweaty Betty PR founder, 36, looked stunning in a $2,900 Herve Leger dress and designer shades as she arrived at the Broadbeach venue.

What headlines? It was business as usual for Roxy Jacenko on Sunday as she flew to the Gold Coast for a speaking engagement, just a week after she caught kissing her ex-boyfriend

Scandalous! The Sydney publicist was photographed kissing her former flame Nabil Gazal last Saturday, despite being married to jailed investment banker Oliver Curtis

Dressed to impress! The Sweaty Betty PR founder, 36, looked stunning in a $2,900 Herve Leger dress and designer shades as she arrived at Pacific Fair Shopping Centre in Broadbeach

Roxy accessorised with a $12,600 Hermes handbag, a flashy gold watch and a large oval diamond ring, which appears to be a gift from Oliver.

She finished off her look with a pair of $1,200 Alaia high heels and styled her long blonde hair in loose waves for the promotional event.

The Double Bay socialite smiled to photographers as she stepped out of her car with employee Holly Brooke before the scheduled appearance.

She's got style! Roxy accessorised with a $12,600 Hermes handbag, a flashy gold watch and a large diamond ring, which appears to be a gift from Oliver

Blonde ambition! Roxy styled her long blonde hair in loose waves for the promotional event

Smile! The socialite smiled to photographers as she stepped out of her car with employee Holly Brooke (right)

You're famous! It appeared Holly found the media frenzy surrounding Roxy rather amusing

Twinning! Roxy's companion flaunted her leggy figure in a patterned longsleeve dress

Roxy's trip to Queensland follows a busy few days for the high-profile publicist.

Her marital status has been the subject of rumours after she was photographed kissing her ex-boyfriend last weekend.

Roxy was caught in an embrace with Nabil Gazal at his Sydney apartment, after the pair had enjoyed dinner with friends at Bar Machiavelli.

Be careful! The Ministry Of Talent founder looked like a Hollywood star arriving at the venue

New career direction? While Roxy is best known for her PR career, she is also an in-demand speaker and aspiring businesswomen are known to seek her advice

Everything OK? Roxy's trip to Queensland follows a busy few days, which has seen her personal life make headlines

And off we go! Roxy looked happy and confident despite a challenging few days

She had previously dated the wealthy property developer until 2010, but little is known about their former relationship.

Roxy later married Oliver Curtis in 2012, and the couple share two children together - daughter Pixie, five, and three-year-old sun Hunter.

In June last year, Oliver was jailed for insider trading and is expected to be released from Cooma Correctional Centre in a few weeks.

Image is everything! Roxy always takes care to look her very best at public appearances

Plastic fantastic! In the past she has spoken candidly about her cosmetic treatments, including a breast enlargement and lip fillers
PR queen Roxy Jacenko turned on the charm at a speaking engagement on the Gold Coast on Sunday, posing up a storm with her fans.

The Sydney publicist proved she is a bona fide celebrity after the event at Pacific Fair Shopping Centre as she took photos with guests.

Fans looked delighted as the 36-year-old socialite offered up her signature selfie poses while laughing and smiling by the media wall.

But first let me take a selfie! Roxy Jacenko (left) proved she is a bona fide celebrity while hosting an event at a Gold Coast shopping centre on Sunday afternoon

In one photo, a gentleman in blue enjoyed a moment with Roxy as they smiled for the camera together.

In another snap, the blonde beauty stood behind a young female fan and flashed the peace sign as they took a selfie.

Not one to forget her younger followers, Roxy posed for a friendly snap with a pair of young girls in matching striped T-shirts.

Selfie time! Fans looked delighted as the 36-year-old socialite offered up her signature selfie poses while laughing and smiling by the media wall

Twinning! Not one to forget her younger followers, Roxy posed for a friendly snap with a pair of young girls in matching striped T-shirts

Big crowds formed for the meet and greet, with guests ushered between plush velvet ropes as they waited for their photo opportunity.

While plenty of women were caught lining up for a chance to meet the personality, Roxy also had no shortage of male admirers.

Meanwhile, the Ministry Of Talent founder looked stunning in a low-cut Herve Leger dress worth $2,900.

It's really her! Big crowds formed for the meet and greet, with guests ushered between plush velvet ropes as they waited for their photo opportunity

Looking good! The publicist looked stunning in a low-cut Herve Leger dress worth $2,900

She paired her frock with $1,300 studded suede Alaia sandals and a navy blue Hermes handbag, which retails at $12,600.

The Double Bay socialite accessorised with a gold watch, designer shades and large diamond ring, which appears to be a gift from her jailed husband Oliver Curtis.

The meet and greet took place after a Q&A session at the Broadbeach shopping centre, as part of their special Beauty Weekend.

Event: The meet and greet took place after a Q&A session at the Broadbeach shopping centre, as part of their special Beauty Weekend

Expert: Following on from her successful Tips And Tricks seminar in Sydney, Roxy shared her essential style and business advice with fans during the event

Following on from her successful Tips And Tricks seminar in Sydney, Roxy shared her essential style and business advice with fans during the event.

The trip to Queensland follows a busy few days for the high-profile publicist, after she was photographed kissing ex-boyfriend Nabil Gazal despite still being married.

Roxy was caught in an embrace with the wealthy property developer at his Sydney apartment last Saturday, after the pair had enjoyed dinner with friends.

Her investment banker husband Oliver is expected to be released from prison in a few weeks, after serving one year for insider trading.
It's been a busy few weeks for Roxy Jacenko, who was recently caught kissing her ex-boyfriend while husband Oliver Curtis serves a prison sentence.

So it was hardly surprising the Sydney PR queen was enjoying some well-deserved retail therapy while on a business trip to the Gold Coast on Sunday.

Following a speaking engagement at Pacific Fair Shopping Centre, the 36-year-old socialite went on a spending spree and even drank some cocktails.

Bottoms up! Roxy Jacenko was enjoying some well-deserved retail therapy while on a business trip to Gold Coast the on Sunday

Looking fit and fabulous in a $2,900 Herve Leger dress and $12,600 Hermes handbag, Roxy was photographed browsing the aisles of Culture Kings.

She was joined by Ministry Of Talent staffer Holly Brooke and the glamorous pair made sure to pick up some must-have items.

At one point, Roxy was caught enjoying a flirty exchange with a handsome young shop assistant.

Do you come with the clothes? At one point, Roxy was caught enjoying a flirty exchange with a handsome young shop assistant

Shopping spree! Looking fit and fabulous in a $2,900 Herve Leger dress and $12,600 Hermes handbag, Roxy was photographed browsing the aisles of Culture Kings

Must-have: Roxy was joined by Ministry Of Talent staffer Holly Brooke and the glamorous pair made sure to pick up some must-have items

Roxy pays for it! The Sweaty Betty PR founder proved she meant business by flashing a thick wad of $50 notes over the counter

The Sweaty Betty PR founder proved she meant business by flashing a thick wad of $50 notes over the counter.

With a bundle of clothes in hand, the busy mother-of-two made her way to her next important engagement.

A spot of lunch and a round of drinks was next, and the publicist could not resist taking an Instagram-worthy photo of her cocktails.

Roxy's fun-filled shopping trip followed a brief speaking engagement at the shopping centre.

Busy lady! With a bundle of clothes in hand, the mother-of-two made her way to her next important engagement

Flashing some thigh! Roxy offered a glimpse of her legs as she cleaned her designer sunglasses on her dress' hemline

Roxy's trip to Queensland comes after a busy few days for the high-profile publicist.

Her marital status has been the subject of rumours after she was photographed kissing her ex-boyfriend last weekend.

Roxy was caught in an embrace with Nabil Gazal at his Sydney apartment, after the pair had enjoyed dinner with friends at Bar Machiavelli.

She had previously dated the wealthy property developer until 2010, but little is known about their former relationship.

Roxy later married Oliver Curtis in 2012, and the couple share two children together - daughter Pixie, five, and three-year-old sun Hunter.

In June last year, Oliver was jailed for insider trading and is expected to be released from Cooma Correctional Centre in a few weeks.

For a hard earned thirst! A spot of lunch and a round of drinks was next, and the publicist could not resist taking an Instagram-worthy photo of her cocktails
Chris Pine is, in fact, aware how often his name gets mixed up with the profusion of other Chrises currently enjoying international movie stardom.

Guest-hosting Saturday Night Live this week, he crowed in his opening monologue that 'I have a movie coming out this weekend. It's called Guardians Of The Galaxy!'

At the applause, he hung his head and said: 'See? You see, I knew that was gonna happen. I'm not in Guardians Of The Galaxy. That is Chris Pratt. I am Chris Pine.'

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Trickery: Guest-hosting Saturday Night Live this week, Chris Pratt crowed in his opening monologue that 'I have a movie coming out this weekend; it's called Guardians Of The Galaxy!'

Inviting Saturday Night Live writer and cast member Leslie Jones onstage to 'help me out,' he claimed that 'Leslie has seen all of my movies. Tell them who I am, Leslie.'

'Uh, you Captain America, Chris Evans,' she said confidently, and when he insisted: 'I'm Chris Pine,' she mistook him for another Marvel Chris - Hemsworth this time.

He finally got her to enunciate 'Pine,' whereupon she decided that was 'good enough,' flung an arm about him for a selfie, and left, saying: 'Thank you, Thor.'

Clarity: At the applause, he said: 'See? You see, I knew that was gonna happen,' noting: 'I'm not in Guardians Of The Galaxy; that is Chris Pratt,' whereas 'I am Chris Pine'

Chris tried reminding her he wasn't, in fact, Thor - a role famously played by Chris Hemsworth lately - but she was already exiting by the time he got the words out.

Frustration drove Chris to the point of wheeling out a poster showing photos of him, Chris Pratt, Chris Hemsworth and Chris Evans - all in similar hairdos and outfits.

Chris Pine, who's previously sung in the movie version of Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine's 1986 Broadway show Into The Woods, explained himself in song.

'Tell them who I am, Leslie': Inviting SNL writer and cast member Leslie Jones onstage, he tried unsuccessfully to get her to distinguish him from Chrises Evans and Hemsworth

Set to the tune of Billy Joel's 1983 number Uptown Girl, Chris belted; 'I'm not that Chris. / I look just like him, but I'm not that Chris. / Not Pratt or Hemsworth; I'm a different guy. / Not Evans either. Look, I'm my own cool vibe.'

Gesturing at the poster, he went on, still singing: 'We're all white guys, but these aren't white guys I am. / I'm six feet tall, and Chris Evans... Chris Evans is six feet, as well,' said Chris, slightly deflated, lapsing into his speaking voice.

An excited-looking Kate McKinnon, also a cast member on Saturday Night Live, strolled onstage and grasped Chris arm, saying: 'Chris, oh, my God, hello!'

All in one place; Frustration drove Chris to the point of wheeling out a poster showing photos of him, Chris Pratt, Chris Hemsworth and Chris Evans - all in similar hairdos and outfits

Chris seemed thrilled to see her, imploring: 'You know who I am right?' and, for once, he'd met someone seemingly of distinguishing him amid a fleet of Chrises.

'Yes, of course! You're Chris Pine, man,' she said, glancing at her palm before saying, without conveying a great deal of surety: 'You're in Star Trek and Wonder Woman.'

When Chris expressed disbelief at 'how people confuse us,' Kate offered by way of explanation that 'you're all named Chris, and you're all kind of scruffy and squinty and jacked, but in a sweet way,' prompting Chris to say: 'Thank you!'

A bit of luck: SNL cast member Kate McKinnon, reading her palm, was able to correctly identify some of Chris' films, and advised him on why he was so easily mixed with other Chrises

As Kate departed, Chris launched into another Uptown Girl-inspired verse - now joined by four backup dancers - but Kate soon returned to interrupt.

She'd 'thought of another way that all the Chrises are the same,' it transpired. 'You're always at the airport wearing raggedy tees that are tight just around the pecs, and you have bracelets with, like, wooden beads from, like, Bali or whatever.'

'I have one, but it is from Hawaii,' Chris conceded, ushering her offstage before Saturday Night Live cast member Pete Davidson rolled on yet another poster.

'Are you this one?': Even standing from of an image of himself next to an image of Chris Evans, Chris Pine couldn't get SNL cast member Pete Davidson to tell which one he was

This one showed Chris Evans' titular Captain America character Steve Rogers alongside an image of Chris Pine as his Wonder Woman character Steve Trevor.

The Chris who was hosting - which is to say, Pine - pointed out the difference and tried to ensure the audience understood these two men were entirely distinct.

'Are you this one?' said Pete, pointing of course to Chris Evans and rather miffing Chris Pine, who groused: 'Hey, that's my face man!' and posed next to his own image.

'Nah, I think that's Ryan Reynolds,' said Pete, before vanishing with the poster and being replaced by the backup dancers, who completed the song with Chris Pine.
Real Housewives of Sydney has never been afraid to stir up controversy.

And on Sunday night's finale episode the antics continued, with Christa Billich's precious pup Charlie wedding Instagram-famous feline Frost.

The stars went all out for the lavish nuptials, which included an outdoor ceremony, Rolls Royce transportation and hand-crafted speciality gowns.

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Paw-fect pair: On Sunday night's finale episode of Real Housewives of Sydney the antics continued, with Christa Billich's precious pup Charlie wedding Instagram-famous feline Frost

The animals donned flamboyant frocks for their big day, with Charlie in a bedazzled white gown and Frost sporting a Game of Thrones style cape.

Their owners tried hard to match their pets, with Christa showing off her svelte frame in an off-the-shoulder dress with matching high heels and floral headpiece.

Meanwhile, Frost's dad Josh Britt dressed up in white pants and a grey blazer, with black bow-tie.

Spoiled: The stars went all out for the lavish nuptials, which included an outdoor ceremony, Rolls Royce transportation and hand-crafted speciality gowns

Dressing up: The animals donned flamboyant frocks for their big day, with Charlie in a bedazzled white gown and Frost sporting a Game of Thrones style cape

The event was designed to support marriage equality, showcasing the love between two Insta-famous female pets.

But the extravagance of the event overshadowed the day, with the pampered pair chauffeured to the nuptials in convertible Rolls-Royce cars.

Enjoying a lavish outdoor affair where they were showered with diamonds, the pet pair 'tied the knot' in front of a crowd of onlookers, fellow RHOS stars and their four-legged friends.

Good cause: The event was designed to support marriage equality, showcasing the love between two Insta-famous female pets

Grand affair: Enjoying a lavish outdoor affair where they were showered with diamonds, the pet pair 'tied the knot' in front of a crowd of onlookers, fellow RHOS stars and their four-legged friends

The decadence didn't stop there though, with the pooch and her new cat partner celebrating their reception at the Billich Gallery.

YouTube star Alan Tsibulya emceed the celebrations, with stars partying away into the night.

Rocking up to the event in fabulous silver and white gowns, 20 of Sydneys most fabulous drag queens also lent their humour and wit to proceedings.

But everything from a smashed champagne glass and accusations of infidelity threatened to cause a stir in the explosive final episode.

After party: The decadence didn't stop there though, with the pooch and her new cat partner celebrating their reception at the Billich Gallery

Frocking up: Real Housewives stars were front and centre at the nuptials, donning bright gowns and trying to keep the wind from blowing their hair about

As for the four-legged stars themselves, the duo are used to being pampered, with Charlie previously snapped being fed expensive cuisine like caviar.

And Frost, who rose to prominence as an Instagram star, is often spoilt during photo-shoots and has a devoted 100k social media following.

While slightly overwhelmed by the attention, the two seemed relaxed and content for most of the day, snuggling close to their owners.

Star power: Rocking up to the event in fabulous silver and white gowns, 20 of Sydneys most fabulous drag queens also lent their humour and wit to proceedings

Used to the fuss: As for the four-legged stars themselves, the duo are used to being pampered, with Charlie previously snapped being fed expensive cuisine like caviar

Social star: And Frost, who rose to prominence as an Instagram star, is often spoilt during photo-shoots and has a devoted 100k social media following

It isn't the first inter-species wedding for pet pooch Charlie, who wed owner Christa's friend's cat Bentley back in 2015.

The $20,000 affair was hosted by Christa's Real Housewives of Melbourne co-star Gamble Breaux and was in support of charity Monika's Doggie Rescue.

The animals also donned designer threads for the event, and were again transported to the event by Rolls Royce cars.

But after a swift doggy divorce on Charlie's part she was free to wed new friend Frost.
She once admitted to keeping a doll of Irish One Direction hunk Niall Horan by her bed and having a 'slight crush' on him due to his luscious blonde locks.

And Samantha Faiers, 26, is now sleeping in his bedroom - after it was revealed that she is renting Niall's 1.5 million Hertfordshire home.

A source told The Sun, 'Sam moved out of Essex because she no longer wants to be seen as the girl from TOWIE [The Only Way Is Essex]'.

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Knock knock! Samantha Faiers, 26, has just moved into One Direction hunk Niall Horan's 1.5 million Hertfordshire home

Keeping them close: She is renting the Irish hunk's house after once admitting that she had a 'slight crush' on him and kept a doll of him by her bed

They added, 'Shes been seen popping into a few of the shops and enjoying a drink in the local pub. She seems like a lovely girl.'

Sam has made no secret of her aspirations to shed her former Essex girl image and become something of a Hollywood celebrity.

She has started with the luxurious Hertfordshire home, and has been open about her plans to crack Los Angeles by moving to the prestigious California location.

LA dream: Sam has made no secret about her plans to crack America by moving to Los Angeles with her partner Paul Knightley and baby Paul

But it seems that some of the properties in the US state 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.

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's known for baring it all on Instagram in the most provocative and unusual ways.

And Sunday was no different for Kyle Sandilands' girlfriend Imogen Anthony.

The 26-year-old model posted a bizarre video online in very little clothes while donning a very strange accessory.

Nightmare material: Imogen Anthony posted an unusual video to Instagram on Sunday while donning a terrifying accessory

Bombshell: Imogen wore a pair of bright red underwear that rode up to her hips, showing off her slender pins

Imogen wore a pair of bright red underwear that rode up to her hips, showing off her slender pins.

She also wore a black T-shirt that she pulled up and held to her neck, exposing her ample assets.

She wore a creepy Halloween bear mask on her head as she wiggled her hips around as if music was playing.

Terrifying: She wore a creepy Halloween bear mask and captioned the video with: 'Far from normal, just how u like it. #cuddleme'

Horror fan: Imogen is no stranger to posting horror-fueled provocative pics online

She captioned the video with: 'Far from normal, just how u like it. #cuddleme'.

The weird video welcomed comments such as: 'Normal is boring' and 'That is just too creepy!'

She also posted a solo pic to go along with the video which attracted just as much attention, racking up 500 likes in just two hours.

Sunday dress-ups: She posted a photo along wit the video which she hashtagged with #lazysunday and #loveme

She posted with her arms in the air and captioned the shot: 'Cuddle me? Found the best mask, but my dogs absolutely hate it. #understandable #lazysunday #loveme'.

One commentator described the ensemble as a: 'Zombie-ewok Babe' while others simply pointed out her enviable figure.

Another comment liked her to a character from the horror computer game Five Nights At Freddy's to which Imogen responded: 'I just googled and I'm not sure if it's the same but it's definitely close'.
PR maven Roxy Jacenko turned on the charm at speaking engagement on the Gold Coast on Sunday, taking time out to pose for selfies with fans.

Heading back to her native Sydney, the publicist even found time to grab some fast food at the Gold Coast airport Red Rooster to sustain her before hopping on to her flight.

Taking to Instagram, Roxy posted a photo, taken by her Ministry of Talent booker Holly Brooke, which showed the blonde socialite standing at the counter perusing the menu while she chats on the phone.

Fast food glam: PR Queen Rocky Jacenko stopped for a quick bite at Red Rooster before hopping her flight from the Gold Coast to Sydney on Sunday

Weighing up her chicken options, the 36-year-old wore the same stunning $2,900 Herve Leger dress, $12,000 Hermes bag and $1,200 Alaia high heels she wore to the promotional event at the Gold Coast's Pacific Fair shopping centre.

'Sprung @hollyvbrooke,' Roxy captioned the photo, punctuating it with an airplane emoji.

Fans looked delighted at Sunday's event as Roxy offered up her signature selfie poses while laughing and smiling by the media wall.

But first let me take a selfie! Roxy Jacenko (left) proved she is a bona fide celebrity while hosting an event at a Gold Coast shopping centre on Sunday afternoon

In one photo, a gentleman in blue enjoyed a moment with Roxy as they smiled for the camera together.

Another showed the blonde beauty standing behind a young female fan, flashing the peace sign as they took a selfie.

Not one to forget her younger followers, Roxy posed for a friendly photo with a pair of young girls in matching striped T-shirts.

Selfie time! Fans looked delighted as the 36-year-old socialite offered up her signature selfie poses while laughing and smiling by the media wall

Twinning! Not one to forget her younger followers, Roxy posed for a friendly snap with a pair of young girls in matching striped T-shirts

Big crowds formed for the meet and greet, with guests ushered between plush velvet ropes as they waited for their photo opportunity.

While plenty of women were caught lining up for a chance to meet the personality, Roxy also had no shortage of male admirers.

It's really her! Big crowds formed for the meet and greet, with guests ushered between plush velvet ropes as they waited for their photo opportunity

Looking good! The publicist looked stunning in a low-cut Herve Leger dress worth $2,900

The Double Bay socialite accessorised her designer outfit with a gold watch, designer shades and large diamond ring, which appears to be a gift from her jailed husband Oliver Curtis.

The meet and greet took place after a Q&A session at the Broadbeach shopping centre, as part of their special Beauty Weekend.

Event: The meet and greet took place after a Q&A session at the Broadbeach shopping centre, as part of their special Beauty Weekend

Expert: Following on from her successful Tips And Tricks seminar in Sydney, Roxy shared her essential style and business advice with fans during the event

Following on from her successful Tips And Tricks seminar in Sydney, Roxy shared her essential style and business advice with fans during the event.

The trip to Queensland follows a busy few days for the high-profile publicist, after she was photographed kissing ex-boyfriend Nabil Gazal despite still being married.

Roxy was caught in an embrace with the wealthy property developer at his Sydney apartment last Saturday, after the pair had enjoyed dinner with friends.

Her investment banker husband Oliver is expected to be released from prison in a few weeks, after serving one year for insider trading.
She's known for her proud Tennessee roots and endearing Southern drawl.

So it comes as no surprise that Reese Witherspoon got into the spirit of the Kentucky Derby on Saturday as she celebrated the renowned horse racing event in Brentwood, California.

The 41-year-old Oscar winner looked race ready as she stepped out in a darling yellow sundress as she left a Derby themed party in summer inspired style.

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Race ready! Reese Witherspoon got into the spirit of the Kentucky Derby as she celebrated the renowned horse racing event in Brentwood, California on Saturday night

Reese flaunted her honed pins in the knee-grazing Draper James dress which featured an empire waist and cinched in her narrow waist, despite not making it to Louisville, Kentucky for the actual event.

Accentuating her petite frame, her charming floral print number boasted cutout detail nestled in the midst of her bust that teased at her ample cleavage.

The mother-of-three appeared in jovial spirits as she hurried to her waiting car in a pair of platform wedge heels with white strap detail.

Stepping out: The 41-year-old Oscar winner looked race ready as she stepped out in a darling yellow sundress as she left a Derby themed party in summer inspired style

Accessorising her look, she carried a large straw floppy hat and wicker mini bag in her red manicured mitt.

The Academy Award winner appeared effortlessly glam as she worked her glossy blonde locks into a soft curl which highlighted her flawless beauty look.

Elsewhere, Reese - who married screenwriter Jim Toth in 2011 - recently got fans in a frenzy when she told E! News that she and Big Little Lies co-star Nicole Kidman have been discussing a way to continue their hit mini series.

Chic: Accentuating her petite frame, her charming floral print number boasted cutout detail nestled in the midst of her bust that teased at her ample cleavage

She told the publication, 'Yeah, Nicole [Kidman] and I just spoke about it three days ago.'

'We're talking to Liane Moriarty, who wrote the book, about how could these characters go on, what would happen? We definitely left it open-ended so there's a possibility there.'

Reese has wrapped production on her movie A Wrinkle In Time with Oprah Winfrey and it is expected to hit theaters in 2018.

Coming back? Reese - who married screenwriter Jim Toth in 2011 - recently got fans in a frenzy when she told E! News that she and Big Little Lies co-star Nicole Kidman have been discussing a way to continue their hit mini series

Meanwhile, her dazzling appearance comes days after she honored Goldie Hawn on the Walk of Fame.

The Legally Blonde beauty was so excited to be giving a speech at the event that she made up her very own badge in honour of the iconic actress.

Reese, 41, said: 'First of all, I just don't know where to begin with the amount of excitement I have had since 6:30 this morning. I had to go down and make an 'I love Goldie' button because I am literally her biggest fan.

Selfie-obsessed: She could not resist sharing a snap of herself at the event on Snapchat

'Really, I mean it. I mean, if you don't believe me, my very first email address was overboard@aol.com. OK? That's how much I loved these two people.'

And she said she would always try and put herself in her idol's shoes whenever she was picking projects.

She said: 'The first time I ever fell in love with a movie star, it was Goldie Hawn. Oh my gosh, I'm going to try not to cry. Her characters had such a huge, profound effect on my career.

'In 2001, someone sent me a script for Legally Blonde, and I was like, "I really like the character, but I'm not sure." Basically, every career choice I make in my life, I think, "Would Goldie approve of this?"'
Flamboyant star of the Channel Seven renovation reality show, Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen has never been shy about voicing his, sometimes, risque opinions.

Speaking to News Corp on Sunday, the 52-year-old design guru urged Australians to 'lick' their abodes, and even 'flirt' with them.

'One of the extraordinary things about where we live [is that] our houses are our shrines. It's a big lump of money that defines you. So, love it. Lick it,' he professed.

Flamboyant: House Rules star Laurence Lewelyn-Bowen has urged Australians to lick their houses and even flirt with them.

'Enjoy it. Hang out with it. Flirt with it. Have an affair with it. Don't just treat it as bricks and mortar. Treat it as an incredibly important part of your identity, your personality,' he added.

Laurence also revealed to the publication that his connection to Australia goes back to an uncle who 'jumped ship' in Australia during the gold rush and a distant map engraving relative who was responsible for creating one of the earliest depictions of Australia.

Laurence also urged Australian's to embrace the colours of the country in their design choices rather than boring beige.

'Actually the colour of Australian nature is unbelievably vibrant,' he said.

Brighten up: Laurence added Australians should embrace the colours of the country rather than boring beige. Pictured with co-stars Wendy Moore (L) and Drew Heath (R)

'A chromatic orgasm of blue sky; green foliage; thousands of different greens; the colours of the flowers; the colours of the birds; the colours of the sea; the colours of the soil  this place is an absolute rainbow.'

Speaking to the Daily Telegraph, prior to the House Rules season five premiere late last month, host Johanna Griggs said that her co-star Laurence was 'absolutely bonkers'.

'Occasionally, he'll push the boundaries and I'll have to say, 'Laurence, we have a certain time slot here in Australia' and then he rephrases it with something equally brilliant. I mean, he's absolutely bonkers, but he's so good,' she said.

Risque: 'A chromatic orgasm of blue sky...this place is an absolute rainbow,' Laurence told News Corp

The international design stylist joined the House Rules cast for the current season, alongside Wendy Moore, Carolyn Burns, Drew Heath and host Johanna Griggs, replacing Sydney architect Joe Snell.

The outspoken star married wife Jackie in 1989 and the pair have two children together - Cecile, 22 and Hermione, 19.

New blood: Laurence joined the House Rules cast for the current season, replacing Sydney architect Joe Snell
She was recently honored on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for her incredible career in film.

And now Goldie Hawn settled back into everyday life following her celebrations as she stepped out for a relaxing stroll in Brentwood, California on Saturday.

The glamorous 71-year-old showcased her youthful figure as she slipped into an all black workout look for her sun-soaked walk.

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Relaxed: Goldie Hawn settled back into everyday life as she stepped out for a relaxing stroll in Brentwood, California on Saturday

The Death Becomes Her actress highlighted her slender frame as she slipped into a pair of black leggings and simple zip jumper for her outing.

She pounded the pavement in her orange soled trainers and white ankle socks while covering her dazzling eyes with a pair of kooky clear framed sunnies.

Goldie - who is mother to actress Kate Hudson - left her signature blonde locks loose while her trademark fringe tousled in the wind as she stretched her arms above her head.

Her active display comes after she received her star on the Hollywood Walk Of Fame earlier in the week alongside her long-term partner Kurt Russell.

Glam gal: The glamorous 71-year-old showcased her youthful figure as she slipped into an all black workout look for her sun-soaked walk

The screen icon was given her honour by Oscar-winning actress Reese Witherspoon, 41, who couldn't help but gush about the legendary actress - admitting she would put herself in her idol's shoes when picking projects.

She said: 'The first time I ever fell in love with a movie star, it was Goldie Hawn. Oh my gosh, I'm going to try not to cry. Her characters had such a huge, profound effect on my career.

'In 2001, someone sent me a script for Legally Blonde, and I was like, "I really like the character, but I'm not sure." Basically, every career choice I make in my life, I think, "Would Goldie approve of this?"'

Youthful: The Death Becomes Her actress highlighted her slender frame as she slipped into a pair of black leggings and simple zip jumper for her outing

Stretch it out: Goldie - who is mother to actress Kate Hudson - left her signature blonde locks loose while her trademark fringe tousled in the wind as she stretched her arms above her head

For her part Goldie said she was thrilled to get a star at the same time as her long-term love.

The Bird On A Wire beauty said: 'It's really kind of great. We're (getting) our stars together and it is kind of a celebration of the two of us!'

Goldie got her start in the 1960s in Laugh In and then made it big in the 1972 film Butterflies Are Free.

Selfie-obsessed: Reese Witherspoon could not resist sharing a snap of herself at the event on Snapchat alongside Goldie's daughter Kate Hudson

So much love! For her part Goldie said she was thrilled to get a star at the same time as her long-term love Kurt Russell

In the 1970s she was the comedic darling that landed top roles in films like 1978's Foul Play with Chevy Chase.

In the 1990s she also did well with movies like Bird On A Wire with Mel Gibson and Death Becomes Her with Meryl Streep, while in 1996 she stood out in the Woody Allen film Everyone Says I Love You.

Goldie's star is great timing: her film Snatched with Amy Schumer is set to open in US theaters next week. The film is about a heartbroken woman who takes her cautious mother to South America for an exotic getaway.
When it comes to wine, Australia is home to some of the world's greatest growing regions and drops.

And it looks as though a new label is about to give the 'big boys' a run for their money - courtesy of Nova 96.9 breakfast radio duo Ryan 'Fitzy' Fitzgerald and Michael 'Wippa' Wipfli.

The pair took to their Twitter page last week to post a sneak preview of their new wine - called the Fitzy & Wippa Robbie Shiraz - named after the 'character' who is often mentioned as the misheard lyric 'rubbish Yaris' in the duo's 'rap battles' on the show.

A good drop: Nova breakfast duo Fitzy and Wippa are about to unleash their own wine onto the market

'Get ready to see this one topping every Aussie wine list - we've got our very own wine - the #robbieshiraz,' the pair captioned the tweet.

The radio duo's weekly rap battle segment saw Wippa take on Today host Karl Stefanovic and his co-star Lisa Wilkinson on Friday with Wippa blasting Karl's penchant for Birkenstocks.

'Stop wearing Birkenstocks!' Wippa urged in the rap battle against the Today couple.

The pair took to their Twitter page last week to post a sneak preview of their new wine, the Robbie Shiraz

Sound advice: Michael 'Wippa' Wipfli dished out fashion advice whilst also poking fun at Karl Stefanovic's favourite style of footwear, the Birkenstock

Wippa's fashion advice for Karl comes during the Fitzy & Wippa show's weekly 'rap-up' segment during which celebrity guests, in this case Karl and Lisa, are invited into the studio to wax lyrical in a battle of the versus.

Despite their best attempts to channel their inner rap stars, the Channel Nine presenters became the first ever guests to lose the competition.

Earlier in the segment, Wippa, 37, deserved a slam-dunk remark when he compared the Today pair to their Channel Seven rivals over at Sunrise.

'Stock wearing Birkenstocks!' The Nova host poked fun at Karl's dad style, which he often proudly shows off

'I love you guys; you're classy and posh; you're almost as good as the great David Koch,' the comedian rapped, referencing Sunrise's male host.

When it came to Karl and Lisa's turn to offer their rebuttal, it appears the pair's talents came up short.

Karl was seen gesticulating enthusiastically while delivering his lyrics, adopting a quasi-American accent for the rap.

The weekly rap-up: The comments came during the Fitzy & Wippa show's segment during which the hosts rival celebrity guests, in this week's case Karl and Lisa Wilkinson, in rap

Burn! Earlier in the segment, Wippa also called out Karl and Lisa's breakfast TV rivals Sunrise, rapping: 'You're classy and posh; you're almost as good as the great David Koch'

Lisa raised the fact that the pair were missing from the Logie Awards action earlier this month while taking a swipe at Wippa's weight, rapping: 'And no Logies invite for you two clowns; just as well Wip, you know the camera adds some pounds.'

Despite raising their hands and bouncing to the beat with gusto following the rap, the TV stars were shocked when producer and judge Sarah awarded the win to Fitzy and Wippa, making it the first time a celebrity guest has ever lost.

Meanwhile, Wippa isn't the first to raise concern about Karl's daggy fashion transformation since his split from wife Cassandra Thorburn.

Rap stars: Despite their enthusiasm, Karl and Lisa's rap failed to impress and led to Fitzy and Wippa being crowned the winners

In February, shock jock Kyle Sandilands told his KIIS FM listeners of how he warned Karl against wearing his favourite sandals.

Claiming to have been texting the father-of-three, Kyle said on-air: 'He begs to hang out with me, it's almost embarrassing,' before detailing his last text to Karl was a mix of fashion advice and getting back in the sack.

'He was wearing those ugly sandals and getting around town in those Birkenstocks,' Kyle explained to his co-host Jackie 'O' Henderson to give context to his message.

'I wrote: "Yo Bro, you ain't gonna get laid wearing those lesbian chef shoes, lose those asap".'
She rose to prominence on Big Fat Gypsy Weddings, and is carving a career for herself as a glamour model.

But Danielle Mason, 33, has revealed that crippling anxiety led to her attempting to end her own life after struggling to cope with the breakdown of her marriage to gypsy king Tony Giles.

Speaking to The Daily Star, the beauty revealed that after her anxiety got too much for her, she asked her parents to take her children away before she carried out her suicide attempt.

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Lowest point: Danielle Mason, 33, has revealed that crippling anxiety led to her attempting to end her own life

Struggling: Speaking to The Daily Star , the beauty revealed that after her anxiety got too much for her, she asked her parents to take her children away before she carried out her suicide attempt

'I got my mum and dad to pick the kids up and then I took loads of tablets,' Danielle revealed.

'There was nothing going through my mind. I felt like I had no hope. I just didnt want to be here and I just had no confidence.'

Luckily, a friend found her before it was too late, and she was saved.

Getting through it: Danielle admitted that looking back on the dark time, she would never want to leave her children without their mother

Danielle admitted that looking back on the dark time, she would never want to leave her children without their mother.

'Id just got so low. Id been on an emotional rollercoaster and it was a cry for help because I couldnt cope.'

'Looking back now, Id never want to leave my kids. But in that moment I didnt feel like I was any good for them.'

The glamour model was with Tony for six years, and shares two adorable children, Rudy, five, and Delilah, three with him, but struggled to fit in with the gypsy community she married into.

Danielle, who is the half sister of Eastenders star Jessie Wallace, revealed that she was expected to limit her career prospects and take care of housework and cooking like a traditional traveller woman.

Different worlds: The glamour model was with Tony for six years, and they share two adorable children, Rudy and Delilah, but she struggled to fit in with the gypsy community she married into

After a couple of traumatic experiences, which included Tony getting shot in what was thought to be a war between rival gypsy gangs, Danielle asked him if they could leave their caravan site and live in a house.

However, the pair decided to split for good last year after the differences in their cultures became too much for Danielle to cope with.

Danielle is now focusing on gaining her inner strength again and forging her own successful career in modelling.

For confidential support call the Samaritans in the UK on 08457 90 90 90, visit a local Samaritans branch or click here for details.

Staying strong: Danielle is now focusing on gaining her inner strength again and forging her own successful career in modelling
The brooding Cornwallian drama was trounced in the ratings war by ITV's period offering last autumn.

And according to reports, Poldark is set to switch to a summer slot to avoid a repeat of last year's clash with Victoria.

The BBC show, which ran on Sundays at 9pm from September 4 to November 6 last year, was in direct competition with the royal drama for six weeks.

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Avoiding a ratings war: Poldark is reportedly set to switch to a summer slot to avoid a clash with ITV drama Victoria, which trounced the brooding BBC show in 2016

Reigning supreme: ITV's Victoria, which aired at 9pm on Sundays from August 28 to October 9, was in direct competition with Poldark for six weeks last autumn

While the final episode of Victoria triumphed with an average audience of 5.5 million, Poldark limped in with 4.9 million viewers.

Victoria, which follows the early years of one of Britain's most iconic monarchies, filled the gap left by Downton Abbey, which concluded on Christmas Day 2015.

BBC head of Drama Piers Wenger told the Telegraph: 'I think we're going to put it out at a time when most people can enjoy it.'

The paper report that the BBC is expected to announce a new June timeslot for their popular drama.

If the move does go ahead, it would go against the words of Charlotte Moore, BBC's head of content, who said last year: 'My duty is to the licence fee payers and to our audience, and to try and find the best place in the schedule for a piece we know is much loved by the audience is incredibly important.

Trounced: The royal drama brought in 5.5 million viewers for the series finale, while Poldark limped home in November with just 4.9 million

'I want to put one of the most loved dramas on television in that spot and I think it would be very wrong to move out of that.'

The news comes as Aidan Turner hinted he may be stripping off once in the third series of Poldark, joking: 'I've done it in nearly every job. I insist.'

The hunky actor, 33, also described his surprise at the 'mild hysteria' in response to the scene in the first series, in which he showed off his sculpted physique.

According to The Mirror, the Irish star said he would go shirtless again 'if it seems right and [is] not gratuitous'.

'I've done it in nearly every job': Aidan Turner has hinted that he may be stripping off once again in the third series of the show, joking: 'I've done it in nearly every job. I insist'

Speaking about the initial decision to strip off, he added: 'It was just really hot that day and it would have been more weird to keep my shirt on. It didn't feel like a stunt.

'There was mild hysteria about it all  that was quite surprising.'

Aidan, who stars as Ross Poldark in the series, has previously revealed how it was his idea to take his shirt off in that famous scything scene, not thinking it 'would cause a stir'.

The actor also thrilled fans when he appeared in nothing but a towel during a racy scene in Agatha Christie drama And Then There Were None back in 2015.

Speaking ahead of the hotly-anticipated new series of Poldark, the actor described how he and his character have blended into one for some fans.

New series: Elizabeth's pregnancy will be the focus of the series with the heavy implication that her unborn baby is not in fact her husband George Warleggan's, but Ross's love child

He told the Radio Times: I'm Ross more times than I'm Aidan these days. It's kind of weird, but such is the nature of the business.'

Speaking about what fans can expect in the new series, he added: 'When we start the third series we get a feeling that a lot has passed; months have passed and they've already discussed what has happened.

'And so they're not at each other's throats, but there's definitely questions about who the father [of Elizabeth's baby] may be and whether the relationship is going to last.'

Poldark will be back on our screens when the third season airs this June.

'I'm more Ross than Aidan': Speaking ahead of the new series of Poldark, the actor described how he and his character have blended into one for some fans

It is inspired by books five and six of the original novels by Winston Graham: The Black Moon and The Four Swans.

Elizabeth's pregnancy will be the focus of the series with the heavy implication that her unborn baby is not in fact her evil husband George Warleggan's, but Ross's love child.

New characters will also be introduced in the series, including Osborne Whitworth, a flamboyant, sex-crazed vicar played by Christian Brassington.
She's wealthy businessman and entrepreneur James Packer's niece.

And according to The Daily Telegraph, Francesca Packer-Barham is now officially off the market.

The 22-year-old brunette is said to be dating Englishman Charlie Watson, after putting on an amorous display at Sydney's Gold Dinner, last week.

Million-dollar girlfriend! James Packer's niece Francesca Packer-Barham, 22, was reported in Sunday's The Daily Telegraph to be officially off the market, dating Englishman Charlie Watson

The publication stated that Francesca was accompanied by her 34-year-old beau Charlie at last week's Gold Dinner event.

Raising over $2 million for Sydney Children's Hospital, the black tie soiree saw the pair putting on an amorous display.

Sporting a black plunging frock, Francesca flaunted her ample cleavage and curvaceous frame.

Former flame: Francesca previously dated Joshua Mullane

Split: Francesca was last with Kelli Holland, calling time on their relationship in April last year

A snap posted to the starlet's Instagram account prior to the bash, saw Francesca dressed in the same frock, wrapping her slender arms around a suave-looking Charlie.

Charlie, who is said to work in finance, donned a tailored suit jacket, crisp white shirt, slim-fitting trousers and black dress shoes.

'When Mr Watson comes to town,' Francesca captioned the photo.

Francesca previously dated Kelli Holland, calling time on their relationship in April last year.

Making her own mark: Francesca has expressed little interest at joining her uncle James in the casino world. The brunette is said to be the driving force behind the setting up of a $200 million National Philanthropic Fund, The Sydney Morning Herald reported

Meanwhile Francesca, the eldest grandchild of Kerry Packer, is currently in Australia after moving to London earlier this year to study a $50,000-a-year interior design course, at the prestigious Inchbald School of Design in Chelsea.

Having previously begun a psychology degree at Sydney University, Francesca has expressed little interest at joining her uncle James in the casino world.

But Francesca is passionate about charity work, said to be the driving force behind the setting up of a $200 million National Philanthropic Fund, The Sydney Morning Herald reported.

Fortune: The budding entrepreneur will also inherit a slice of her mother Gretel Packer's $739 million fortune alongside her brothers Benjamin and William

The budding entrepreneur will also inherit a slice of her mother Gretel Packer's $739 million fortune alongside her brothers Benjamin and William.

An avid Instagrammer, the heiress told Fairfax Media last year that she believes her grandfather Kerry, who died in 2005, would have been a fan of social media.

'He loved TV because you got to see it - it was in front of your face - which is Instagram. Everything is online, everything is at the touch of your finger,' Francesca said.

'Maybe the privacy and over-sharing, he'd be a little bit, "Woah, what is going on there?" but I think that's how most people would react who haven't experienced the level of openness that my generation seems to find very, very exciting.'
She previously revealed she's expecting the pitter-patter of tiny feet again for the second time.

And now Bar Refaeli, 31, flaunted her blossoming stomach in a daring swimsuit selfie on Instagram on Sunday as she holidays in Ibiza, Spain.

The supermodel - who confirmed the exciting news on her social media in March - showcased her ever-growing bump in full as she posed in an emerald green bikini.

Sun soaked: Bar Refaeli, 31, flaunted her blossoming stomach in a daring swimsuit selfie on Instagram on Sunday

Soaking up the sun, she showcased her slender pins while resting on a towel covered sun lounger in her tie-side bikini bottoms.

The fashion star teased at her straw hat in the candid snap which highlighted her radiant pregnancy glow.

Sharing the darling snap with her 2.5 million followers, she wrote: 'Baby wanted some vitamin D'.

Sweet: Bar is expecting her second child with businessman husband Adi Ezra and confirmed the happy news by posting a sweet snap of her growing baby bump on her Instagram page on March 28

Bar is expecting her second child with businessman husband Adi Ezra and confirmed the happy news by posting a sweet snap of her growing baby bump on her Instagram page on March 28.

It's just eight months since the couple - who tied the knot in their native Israel in September 2015 - welcomed their baby daughter Liv in August 2016.

Bar playfully wrote alongside the shot: 'Something's cooking'.

The catwalk queen showed off her blossoming bump by posing in a crop top and low-slung jeans as she snapped away on her mobile phone in front of the mirror.

Baby on board: The catwalk queen showed off her blossoming bump by posing in a crop top and low-slung jeans as she snapped away on her mobile phone in front of the mirror

Sealed with a kiss: The former girlfriend of Hollywood star Leonardo DiCaprio announced her first pregnancy via Instagram last January

The former girlfriend of Hollywood star Leonardo DiCaprio announced her first pregnancy via Instagram last January.

In an interview with Hello! Fashion Monthly in 2015, the model admitted family is everything to her and she's planning to have a large brood.

'I think this will be a decade of family...I come from a family of four children,' she told the publication. A lot of mums could read this and think, "Yeah, try having one first". Hopefully, Ill have a big family, but Ill take it one by one.

A regular on the 100 sexiest women lists, the free-spirited model has fronted campaigns for brands ranging from Chanel and Escada to Reebok and Gap.
They are both no strangers to finding themselves on the guest-list of many prestigious fashion events.

But both Courtney Love and Susan Saradon were present for a style first in Milan on Sunday, as they landed front row seats at Prada's first ever Cruise runway show for the fashion house's mid-collection.

The ladies were in high spirits as they caught up in full view of the catwalk ahead of them and were seen animatedly chatting to each other as they waited patiently for the show to get underway.

VIP guests: Courtney Love and Susan Saradon were present for a style first in Milan on Sunday, as they landed front row seats at Prada's first ever Cruise runway show

The Secret Life Of Marilyn Monroe star Susan, 70, cut a strikingly youthful figure among the fashion forward crowd.

She paired together a blouse that boasted a black collar and a red-trim with a pair of tailored trousers and patent flat-forms on her feet.

Susan threw a leather jacket on top of her shoulders and wore it slung over her shoulders in a cool manner.

Her fiery locks had been styled into glamorous curls that grazed her shoulders and she completed her day's attire by flaunting her age-defying complexion with flawless make-up.

Her beauty look paired together a subtle smokey eye with a berry lip.

Stylish appearance: The Secret Life Of Marilyn Monroe star Susan, 70, cut a strikingly youthful figure among the fashion forward crowd paring together a red-trimmed blouse with a long-line leather jacket and flat-forms

Age-defying: She flaunted her age-defying complexion with flawless make-up that boasted a subtle smokey eye and berry lip

Glamorous: Her fiery locks had been styled into glamorous curls that grazed her shoulders and she appeared in high spirits as she waited for the show to get underway

The actress cut a content figure as she mingled with other guests, including Courtney Love - the former wife of Nirvana front man Kurt Cobain.

Courtney opted for a vibrant ensemble for the Prada Cruise runway show and teamed a turquoise blouse that was embroidered with yellow flowers with a velvet violet skirt and chunky heels to match.

Catching up with Susan inside the venue hosting the catwalk show, Courtney was seen deep in conversation with the Hollywood veteran as she bent down to chat her on her arrival.

Deep in coversation: Catching up with Susan inside the venue hosting the catwalk show, Courtney was seen bending down to speak with the Hollywood veteran

Engrossed: The former wife of Nirvana front man Kurt Cobain seemed highly animated as she spoke

They were later seen cuddled up together as they eagerly waited for Prada's latest sartorial display - the first Cruise show the brand has ever put on.

Also in attendance was former model Bianca Jagger, 72.

Proving she still oozes excellence when it comes to style, the catwalk star looked incredible in a matching pink satin ensemble that she covered up with a tailored coat that boasted fur-trimmed sleeves.

Dressed to impress: Former model Bianca Jagger, 72, proved she still oozes excellence when it comes to style in her pink ensemble

Chic: Bianca - who was previously married to Rolling Stones star Mick Jagger and shares daughter Jade, 45, with him - accessorised with dangly peal earrings and donned a pair of chic sunglasses while attending the show

Bianca - who was previously married to Rolling Stones star Mick Jagger and shares daughter Jade, 45, with him - accessorised with dangly peal earrings and donned a pair of chic sunglasses while attending the show.

She finished off her look with a slick of deep red lipstick across her lips.

had been actress Carine Roitfeld who dazzled in a snakeskin printed mac coat and nude lace-up heels.

Courtney appeared to take a seat next to the former editor-in-chief of Vogue Paris, while Susan was seen sharing a joke with 51-year-old Italian actress Valeria Golino.

Friendly display: Courtney appeared to take a seat next to the former editor-in-chief of Vogue Paris Carine Roitfeld

Stylish: Carine dazzled in a snakeskin printed mac coat and nude lace-up heels

Eye-catching: Courtney opted for a vibrant ensemble for the Prada Cruise runway show and teamed a turquoise blouse that was embroidered with yellow flowers with a velvet violet skirt

Rubbing shoulders: Susan was seen sharing a joke with 51-year-old Italian actress Valeria Golino

Susan's appearance in Milan comes after it was confirmed she will be starring in the sequel to hit comedy Bad Moms.

A Bad Moms Christmas will feature Susan, along with Cheryl Hines and Christine Baranski, as the trio will play the mothers of Kathryn Hahn, Kristen Bell and Mila Kunis - the original Bad Moms from the first movie.

Production is about to begin in Atlanta, Georgia, with Jon Lucas and Scott Moore returning to direct from their own script.

A Bad Moms Christmas is set to be released later this year and will see Mila and co attempting to create the perfect Christmas for their families as well as their tough-to-please mothers.

Fashion first: Prada hosted its very first Cruise runway show for its mid-collection in the Italian city

Lady in red: Dasha Zhukova rocked a pencil skirt and blue striped shirt for the occasion
She's never been shy in flaunting her figure in an array of skintight looks.

And now Charlotte Crosby, 26, went one step further as she flaunted her enviable figure in a racy lingerie inspired swimsuit on Instagram on Sunday.

The former Geordie Shore star exhibited her curves in the lace detailed one-piece which featured panels of the sultry fabric around her bust and hips.

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Figure-flaunting: Charlotte Crosby, 26, went one step further as she flaunted her enviable figure in a racy lingerie inspired swimsuit on Instagram on Sunday

The figure-flaunting look displayed her toned pins to perfection while she posed infront of a luxurious pool.

Flashing her intricate thigh inking, she teamed her poolside attire with a simple gold necklace while her ombre coloured locks cascaded down her shoulders in a tousled style.

Forging make-up for her spa day, she appeared radiant as she showcased her bronzed skin against the black one-piece.

Her swimsuit display comes after she proved her heart belongs to the one and only Stephen Bear after she shared a series of seductive snaps captioned with her boyfriend's name.

The Bear necessities: Her swimsuit display comes after she proved her heart belongs to the one and only Stephen Bear after she shared a series of seductive snaps captioned with her boyfriend's name

The MTV star flaunted her incredible figure in a scarlet dress, putting on a sizzling display in the bodycon number.

Charlotte went braless in the scoop neck number, which highlighted her tiny waist and showed off her slim legs thanks to a side-split.

The bubbly blonde also posted a couple of close-up snaps, offering onlookers a look at her plumped up pout and new, shorter hairdo.

The posts went down a storm with her followers, who branded her beautiful and stunning.

Red hot: Charlotte went braless in the scoop neck number, which highlighted her tiny waist

Pucker up: The bubbly blonde also posted a couple of close-up snaps, offering onlookers a look at her plumped up pout and new, shorter hairdo

End of an era: Charlotte decided to rid her ex Mitch Jenkins from her life for good on Friday, as she finally had the tattoo dedicated to him removed

The beauty took to her various social media pages to document her tattoo removal earlier this week, which saw her have the 'M' for Mitch - who she split from in 2015 - zapped off her upper arm.

Taking to Instagram and Snapchat, the former CBB winner shared a short video of the seemingly painful procedure.

Dressed in a casual vest and loose-fitting trousers, the beauty can be heard squealing and shouting in pain as the laser is pressed against the tattoo to remove the ink.

Clearly excited by the procedure despite the pain however, she wrote to her 5.8 million followers: 'And there you have it! My FIRST laser tattoo removal it's been a long time coming... thanks so much.'

No more: Charlotte had first got the inking, which saw an 'M' in the middle of two crossed arrows, when she was last dating Mitch in 2015 (above)

Goodbye: Clearly excited by the procedure despite the pain however, she wrote to her followers: 'And there you have it! My FIRST laser tattoo removal it's been a long time coming'

She then added in support of her practitioner: '@chris_new_look_laser_treatment check him out if you need any laser treatments and your in the north east guys!'

Charlotte had first got the inking, which saw an 'M' in the middle of two crossed arrows, when she was last dating Mitch in 2015.

She has announced the news on her Instagram with the besotted caption: Happy valentines........ #YoungStupidAndVeryCrazyInlove'

On again off again: The couple first called it quits in late summer of 2014, following a year and a half together, but reconciled months later during a trip to New York (above)

However breaking up soon after, Charlotte was quick to reveal her desires to remove the tattoo in August of that year.

She said in her Star magazine column: 'I need to get my 'M' tattoo removed, though. I can't walk around with that now we're not together, can I?'

The couple first called it quits in late summer of 2014, following a year and a half together, but reconciled months later - after Charlotte revealed to MailOnline he had dumped her by text message.

For good: However it seems the course of true love was not meant to be for the couple, as they broke up once again later that year, just before they were due to move in together

The pair became largely inseparable again following a trip to New York in January 2015 - confirming their reconciliation - before he accompanied her on her mammoth tour of Australia later that year.

Yet, it seems the course of true love was not meant to be for the couple, as they broke up once again later that year, just before they were due to move in together.

Removing the tattoo not only rids her life of her ex, but also shows a higher level of commitment to her current boyfriend Stephen Bear.

The pair have put on an incredibly loved-up display ever since meeting on their new show Just Tattoo Of Us - and have even discussed the prospect of children after mere months together.

Moving on: Removing the tattoo not only rids her life of her ex, but also shows a higher level of commitment to her current boyfriend Stephen Bear (above)

Charlotte recently told OK! magazine: 'We always talk about children. All the time. He likes Teddy, but I like Wolf, or Elle for a girl.'

It seems their relationship is only going from strength to strength, after Charlotte had gushed to CBB champion was 'the one' last year.

She had told MailOnline: 'We fancied each other straight away and then things just developed slowly. I knew we couldnt rush into anything because he was going on a dating show so we took it really slow at first.

'Stephen really cares, he even got sacked from Celebs Go Dating because of me. Ive met all of Stephens family and they are amazing, it just works and feels so right.'
She is currently making her stage debut in a six-month UK tour of Peter James' new play Not Dead Enough.

But Laura Whitmore enjoyed some much-needed time off from her busy performance schedule on Sunday, as she spent a morning at the Sexy Brunch launch at London's Sexy Fish.

The TV presenter, 32, opted against one of her signature feminine dresses for a trendy white trouser suit instead, as she made her chic arrival at the bash.

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Suits you: Laura Whitmore enjoyed some much-needed time off from her performance schedule on Sunday, as she spent a morning at the Sexy Brunch launch at London's Sexy Fish

The blonde showed off her famously slender figure in an androgynous suit instead of a typical chic dress, as she spent her day off at the swanky eatery.

Her look was a sporty version of a traditional two-piece - consisting of a shimmering white blazer, layered atop a peach mesh shirt, and matching tracksuit trousers.

The jacket featured traditional lapels and a button fastening, but was jazzed up by silver varsity jacket-style cuffs, mirrored on the ankles.

Gorgeous: Her look was a sporty version of a traditional suit - consisting of a shimmering white blazer, layered atop a peach mesh shirt, and matching tracksuit trousers

The skinny sporty trousers then hugged her enviably svelte figure to the floor, where they met a pair of towering rose gold platform heels.

Maintaining the trendy vibe from head to toe, the Strictly star accessorised with a marble printed clutch bag and a selection of delicate rings.

Laura left her blonde locks in loose waves and added light, dewy make-up to her face to enhance her glowing complexion as she posed for cameras.

Statuesque: The skinny sporty trousers then hugged her enviably svelte figure to the floor, where they met a pair of towering rose gold platform heels, as she posed with Olivia Inge (L)

Stunning: Laura also took to Instagram to show off her outfit - clearly proud of her trendy ensemble

The Irish beauty had headed to Sexy Fish for the launch of their new Sexy Brunch, which is set to occur every Sunday throughout May and June, with the likes of Nick Grimshaw and Jodie Harsh performing for guests on the decks.

Laura appeared to be enjoying a morning off from her busy schedule, as part of the cast of the touring theatre production of Not Dead Enough.

Directed by Ian Talbot, the play follows DS Roy Grace attempting to solve a perplexing murder, while dealing with the disappearance of his own wife.

Catching up: Laura sipped on a fruity beverage at the event as she mingled with Hofit Golan (third right), Marissa Montgomery (second right), and a number of other pals at their table

New project: The Irish beauty had headed to Sexy Fish for the launch of their new Sexy Brunch, hosted by model Suki Waterhouse (above)

Big debut: Laura appeared to be enjoying a morning off from her busy schedule, as part of the cast of the touring theatre production of Not Dead Enough

Speaking to the Irish Independent earlier this year about her feelings towards mortuary assistant character, she said: 'Peter (James) has created a strong character in Cleo Moray and I can't wait to sink my teeth into the role.

'Before I trained in journalism, I studied drama and played some great roles. I have been waiting a long time to return to acting and for a great role like this to come along, so I can't wait to get on stage.'

The first leg of the tour saw Laura star opposite EastEnders star Shane Richie - who she promoted the show with on Good Morning Britain back in January.

As hosts Piers Morgan and Susanna Reid quizzed the pair about the play, attention quickly shifted to their steamy onstage kiss.

Discussing the romantic relationship between the two characters, Shane had joked of his co-star: 'I hate it. I have to kiss her, Im forced to kiss her!'
She has walked for designers Marc Jacobs and Mui Mui.

But it seems model and actress Emily Ratajkowski is just as happy helping a girlfriend walk her dog.

The beautiful 25-year-old was spotted out with her pal and a little white terrier in Manhattan's East Village in New York City on Sunday.

Fun with a friend: Emily Ratajkowski was spotted out walking with a pal and a little white terrier in Manhattan's East Village in New York on Sunday

The brunette beauty was casually dressed in a velvet blazer, green pants and suede ankle boots.

Emily left her long brunette tresses to cascade over her shoulders and down her back and she covered her eyes with a pair of large round shades.

The only pop of color in the Gone Girl actress's ensemble was the bright red purse she slung over her shoulder.

And she accessorized with large gold hoop earrings, two gold chain necklaces and a ring.

Casual Sunday: The 25-year-old brunette beauty was dressed in in a velvet blazer, green pants and suede ankle boots

Her gal pal was also casually dressed in a white T-shirt worn under a plaid shirt and black leather jacket plus cropped pants.

Emily's mind was obviously on warmer climes as she posted a snap of herself in a teeny weeny white bikini that she captioned simply, 'Miami,' on Sunday.

Meanwhile, the Blurred Lines video star has three projects set up in the coming year.

Going for gold: she accessorized with large hoop earrings, two chain necklaces and a ring

Peek-a-boo: The Gone Girl star's tummy button peeped out in a gap in her jacket

Two are in post-production: London-set murder thriller In Darkness with Natalie Dormer and Ed Skrein; and Cruise, a romance set in 1980s New York with Kathrine Narducci and Spencer Boldman.

Horror thriller Welcome Home, co-starring Aaron Paul, is in pre-production.

They play a couple who spend a weekend at an idyllic vacation rental home in the Italian countryside in an attempt to repair their relationship, but become victims of the homeowner's sinister plans.
Although Mother's Day is next week, Kim Kardashian's already celebrating with daughter North West.

On Saturday, the raven haired beauty and little lady stopped by Jerrys Famous Deli in Studio City, California for a mother-daughter dinner.

While out the 36-year-old starlet and offspring were both dressed chicly, with mom in donning a floor-sweeping black coat while three-year-old North sported a $240 jacket from Kim's new Kid's Supply clothing line.

Girl's night! Kim Kardashian and daughter North kicked off Mother's Day a week early by sharing a mother-daughter date on Saturday

During the blustery Los Angeles day Kim covered up, pairing her long coat with tight black jeans and suede over-the-knee boots.

But on top the mother-of-two's outfit was more revealing, wearing a skin-tight top that revealed her full bust and tan chest.

Adding an ultra fashionable edge, the Keeping Up With The Kardashians star's crisply cut bob was styled poker straight while she hid behind large shades.

Very Important Kid: Little North got the VIP treatment, as her mommy carried the three-year-old into the restaurant while she donned a design from the star's new kid's clothing line

Designing woman! Kim debuted her new kid's clothing line on Saturday by showing off a cool silk jacket worn by daughter North. The look is embroidered with the name of Kardashian hometown Calabasas

Mini-fashionista North got the VIP treatment as her very famous mother carried her into the restaurant.

The little lady was dressed in a handsome reversible bomber jacket from her mom's new Kid's Supply clothing line.

Although difficult to see the stylish garment - which retails for $240 - featured dark embroidery on the back repping the Kardashian's hometown of Calabasas.

North's outfit was topped off with tiny combat boots and cute twin buns.

Stylish mommy: The mother-of-two was ultra chic during her outing, donning a floor-sweeping coat and cleavage-baring top

Chic parents looking to dress their children like the trendy Kardashian kids now have the perfect option.

On Saturday, Kim debuted her new clothing line Kid's Supply by sharing a picture of North wearing a chic orange jacket on Instagram.

It turns out the bomber was the same one the toddler wore out to dinner - but this time displaying its bright orange reverse side.

The multi-use piece is the priciest item in the 16 item kids collection.

While Silk dresses and a camouflage sweatpants set are both going for $125, an elastic choker will run you $22.
She may be playing a sexy Russian spy in her new movie Red Sparrow.

But Jennifer Lawrence dropped the dramatics to pull a series of silly faces between takes on set in London on Sunday.

The actress, 26, looked like she was having the time of her life goofing around as she styled her long camel trench coat for filming.

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Killer pose! Jennifer Lawrence pulled a series of silly faces while filming new movie Red Sparrow in London on Sunday

She wore a low-key black costume underneath the beige coat, no doubt a perfect fit for her spy role.

The Hunger Games beauty donned her disguise, a platinum wig complete with a chunky fringe, as she sashayed across the capital's busy streets.

But the Oscar winner temporarily put aside her acting as she showed off her cheeky side.

She tossed her head back and pulled a series of funny faces as a touch of light relief between filming heart-stopping dramatic scenes for the Cold War thriller.

Goofing around: The actress, 26, was having the time of her life on set as she styled her long camel trench coat for filming

Jennifer has touched down in London to film, following her gruelling stint of shooting with her co-stars across Europe including Slovakia and Austria.

The highest paid actress in the world has slipped into the character of Dominika Egorova, a spy recruited for a Russian agency to seduce a first-tour CIA agent.

She enjoys an on-screen passionate liaison with Joel Edgerton's character Nathaniel Nash, upping the ante for the pair in the flick.

Good fun: The Oscar winner temporarily put aside her acting as she showed off her cheeky side

Film role: The highest paid actress in the world has slipped into the character of Dominika Egorova, a spy recruited for a Russian agency to seduce a first-tour CIA agent

Meanwhile in her personal life, she has remained coy about her blossoming romance with film director Darren Aronofsky.

Rachel Weisz's ex, 48, and the starlet 22 years his junior have rarely been seen in public together.

Sparks flew when they met on set of drama Mother! set for release this year.

More serious: The Hunger Games beauty donned her disguise, a platinum wig complete with a chunky fringe




She appeared on the last season of Celebrity Big Brother ever to air on Channel 4 in 2010, before the franchise switched to Channel 5 the following year.

And with the current trend of putting old celeb housemates back into the house for s second go, it seems Ivana Trump is being eyed for a sensational CBB return this summer.

But what makes this even more tantalising is the fact that she is of course now the ex-wife of the President of the United States, Donald Trump.

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'The White House will have to keep an eye on her!' Donald Trump's first wife Ivana is being wooed back to Celebrity Big Brother with a 2m paycheck having previously starred in 2010

So keen are Channel 5 bosses to reinstall Ivana, 68, into the house that they are offering her a rumoured 2m to do it.

An insider spilled the beans to the Daily Star, saying: 'Theres every chance Ivana will reveal intimate or embarrassing information about Donald. She knows him inside out.

'Because theyre divorced, shes unlikely to hold back when the housemates ask about him.

The source added that this won't go down well with President Trump himself - and insinuated that it will cause a ripple in his marriage to his current third wife, Melania, who is of course First Lady of the USA.

Star housemate: With the current trend of putting old celeb housemates back into the house for s second go, it seems Ivana Trump is being eyed for a sensational CBB return this summer

Grand return? She appeared on the last season of Celebrity Big Brother ever to air on Channel 4 in 2010, before the franchise switched to Channel 5 the following year

'For the first time, the White House will have to keep an eye on CBB,' said the source. 'What Ivana says in the house could cause serious problems for his marriage.'

Ivana was married to now-President Trump from 1977 until 1992.

They divorced when it was revealed that Trump had been unfaithful to Ivana - who was a Czech model when they met - with actress Marla Maples.

Ivana mothered three of Trump's children, Donald Jr, Ivanka and Eric. But the would-be President made Maples pregnant, leading to his second daughter Tiffany.

Old times: Ivana was married to now-President Trump from 1977 until 1992. They divorced when it was revealed that Trump had been unfaithful to Ivana - who was a Czech model [pictured in 1990 at Ivana's father's funeral]

To the cleaners...: Ivana and Trump's divorce was highly publicised, and although the details remain in a sealed court settlement, it is thought she came away with a sizable alimony sum

Trump married Maples two moths later, in 1993, divorced in 1999, met Melania a few years later, married her in 2005 and now shares 11-year-old son Barron with her.

Ivana and Trump's divorce was highly publicised, and although the details remain in a sealed court settlement, it is thought she came away with a sizable alimony sum.

She has since married and divorced twice more, the most recent in 2009 - to date having had four husbands (Trump being her second).

But her relationship with the now-President seems to have been amicable in recent years, with him even hosting her third marriage to Rossano Rubicondi at his Mar-a-Lago estate in April 2008.

Meaty: So keen are Channel 5 bosses to reinstall Ivana, 68, into the house that they are offering her a rumoured 2m to do it

Back to the house: The source added that this won't go down well with President Trump himself - and insinuated that it will cause a ripple in his marriage to his current third wife, Melania, who is of course First Lady of the USA

Inside information: When she appeared on the 2010 season, she starred alongside the likes of Alex Reid, Dane Bowers, Heidi Fleiss, Sisqo, Vinnie Jones and Stephanie Beacham [pictured]

This casts doubt over how likely Ivana will be to accept the offer to be on CBB, should Trump himself advise her against it.

When she appeared on the 2010 season, she starred alongside the likes of Alex Reid, Dane Bowers, Heidi Fleiss, Sisqo, Vinnie Jones and Stephanie Beacham.

She came in seventh place, with Alex Reid winning the series.

The next season is set to air in the summer with rumoured returning celebrities to include Katie Price, Lauren Harries and Jeremy McConnell.

Coming back? She came in seventh place, with Alex Reid winning the series. The next season is set to air in the summer
Presenter Helen Skelton has revealed the dramatic moment firefighters came to her rescue as she gave birth to her second son on her kitchen floor in France.

Helen had just got back from a stroll with her eldest son Ernie, two, in idyllic Perpignan where she and rugby league star husband Richie Myler have their family home.

After feeling the first signs of labour a panicked Helen called Richie, who was stuck in the UK, telling him he should get to the airport quickly as the baby was on the way.

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Dramatic: Presenter Helen Skelton has revealed the moment firefighters came to her rescue as she gave birth to her second son on her kitchen floor in France

'It was all a bit frantic. We are just so relieved he is safely here,' Helen told Hello magazine.

As her first birth took two days, Helen expected this one to be the same but within an hour she was on the kitchen floor unable to move.

'I'm still not really sure why the fire brigade arrived but it seems they were the closest emergency service at the time!' she explained.

Back in the UK Richie had rung a friend who was their neighbour who called emergency services and rushed over to help.

'Family of four': Helen Skelton, 33, has given birth to her second child with husband Richie Myler, 26, announcing the arrival with a sweet black and white snap of the newborn's hands

'The firefighters were lovely and beside themselves with excitement as they said they hadn't been at a birth before, but bless them they weren't up to speed with what you do so they were all flapping,' she added.

Although Richie didn't arrive in time for the birth he later admitted how proud of Helen he was for going through it alone.

Also in the interview, Helen revealed her newborn baby son, which arrived on April 8, is called Louis.

Helen added finally: 'People talk about the early baby bubble, but it really is like that, we feel like we are on happy pills. Two is a gamechanger though. I think it's going to be chaos!'

Exciting day: Helen began dating rugby hunk Richie back in 2011, with the couple tying the knot two years later (above)

Adorable: Helen began dating rugby hunk Richie back in 2011, with the couple tying the knot two years later before welcoming their first child Ernie (pictured)

Heart-warming: Helen announced she was pregnant back in November with a sweet snap of Ernie clasping a sign reading 'Ready for my partner in crime, due Spring 2017'

'Worst day': However, the star had given an insight into her life as a mother back in January, when she claimed she was asked to leave a playgroup with her 'screaming' son

Helen began dating rugby hunk Richie back in 2011, with the couple tying the knot two years later before welcoming their first child Ernie.

The family subsequently moved to France, after Richie transferred from the Warrington Wolves to the Catalan Dragons, based in Perpignan in the Pyrenees.

This week's Hello! is out now

However one year after the birth of her son, Helen was separated from her family when she took on a presenting role at the Rio de Janeiro 2016 Olympics.

Alongside swimmers Rebecca Adlington and Mark Foster, the former Blue Peter presenter was based at the Olympic pool, hosting the dramatic events of the swimming, diving and water polo for UK viewers.

Helen admitted how difficult the separation was going to be to The Mirror last summer, ahead of her stint in Brazil with the BBC.

She said: 'It's hard because it's 20 days and I've never been away from him for one night. But you can't not do the Olympics.'
She has been working her way through the recent split from Lewis Bloor.

And Marnie Simpson certainly showed off her revenge body as she took to Instagram on Sunday.

The 25-year-old Geordie Shore star showed off her eye-popping curves in a semi-transparent dress.

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Doing it for the likes: Marnie Simpson certainly showed off her revenge body as she took to Instagram on Sunday

Making the most of her slender physique, Marnie squeezed her curves into the bronze chain-link frock.

Sporting a very deep tan, the raven-haired reality starlet wore her hair loose for the snap.

Going for bold brows and pouting her plump lips, she put on a racy display for the cameras.

Racy: The 25-year-old Geordie Shore star showed off her eye-popping curves in a semi-transparent dress

Meanwhile Marnie has been candid about her sexuality, since coming out as bisexual last year.

And after the demise of her latest relationship, Marnie once again opened up as she revealed in a Twitter question and answer session that her romance with love rat Lewis Bloor could see her date women once again.

The reality star split with the former TOWIE cast member earlier this year amid claims he cheated with 'every Tom, Dick and Harry' and she is now adamant she is on the hunt for a new girlfriend rather than boyfriend.

Marnie and Lewis' relationship came to a bitter end after it was revealed he cheated on his ex on several occasions.

After returning from a friendly trip to Dubai which ended in a blazing public row, Marnie later stated that if she were to tell all about her ex, he would be 'ruined'.

Writing in her column for Star, she said: 'Lets just say if people knew the truth of whats gone on and how Lewis has treated me, it would ruin him. But I couldnt do that to him, even though he deserves it. Karma will do my dirty work for me.'

Elaborating further on the shocking developments, she replied to a fan who asked if she liked guys or girls better with: 'After the last guy defo girls.' Despite Marnie's heartbreak, she went on to say: 'Ill keep going until I find Mr Right and get married and have kids.'

Slammed: Her comments come after she and Lewis were caught on camera in the midst of a blazing row in Dubai as Marnie accused her former beau of taking her bank card

Her comments come after she and Lewis were caught on camera in the midst of a blazing row in Dubai as Marnie accused her former beau of taking her bank card.

Admitting that she was mistaken in her accusation, she wrote of the incident: 'Wed been drinking all afternoon and had been arguing for a good hour.

'To clear things up, Lewis didnt steal my bank card. I thought hed taken it so I couldnt storm out of the hotel. I was so angry.'

'It was karma ten times over': Admitting that she was mistaken in her accusation, she wrote of the incident: 'Wed been drinking all afternoon and had been arguing for a good hour

In her column she touched upon the Twitter spat they had last week, after their return to the UK.

The toxicity bubbled to the surface when Lewis took to the micro-blogging site to deem himself a 'mug' after seeing pictures that appeared to show brunette beauty Marnie getting close to her ex Aaron Chalmers as she shot season 14 of her show.

Lewis dredged up an old loved-up tweet he'd written about Marnie as she filmed her show, which read: 'Spoke to my lovely gf today really cheered me up. Shes ok.. i can imagine its tough living with exes.. cant wait to get my arms round her.' (sic)

Sharing the old tweet with his 409,000 followers, he wrote: 'How jokes when i tweeted this and she was doing that... what a mug. #PotKettle.' (sic)

His words soon met the wrath of his fiery ex, who struck back: 'U we're tweeting me when u were s***ging every Tom dick and harry! R u crazy.' (sic)

While Lewis, who admitted to cheating on Marnie during their relationship when he kissed another girl, later deleted the tweet, his ex wasn't finishing ranting.

But rather than directly reveal further details surrounding their ill-fated coupling, she opted for a more cryptic route as she added: 'If people knew the truth. That is all.'

During a recent interview, Marnie lamented over her own cheating past and insisted her romance with Lewis has taught her a 'valuable lesson'.

Make or break: Despite Marnie revealing she and Lewis had 'salvaged a friendship' on their Dubai holiday, she has since claimed the trip made her realise their relationship was 'not worth fighting for'

Marnie and Lewis had split in February after footage emerged of him kissing another girl on Valentine's Day.

He later confessed to cheating on Marnie during a trip they had taken to Barcelona at the beginning of their relationship and she has since revealed that Lewis is the first person to have cheated on her.

Marnie, meanwhile, has been unfaithful in the past to former boyfriends and speaking about her messy split with Lewis, she claimed that it had been 'karma' for her previous wrongdoings.

In an interview with Daily Star, Marnie lamented: 'Lewis was my karma, but it was karma ten times over.

War of words: Their Twitter spat last week was ignited when Lewis tweeted about snapshots apparently showing Marnie getting close to her ex Aaron Chalmers while they were together

'That's fine, but I've learned a valuable lesson... 'I'll never ever do to anyone what Lewis did to me. Ever.'

Marnie went on to explain that she and Lewis are now completely over, after failing to rekindle their relationship during a make or break trip to Dubai.

She claimed that the break had made her realise that there 'was nothing left to fight for' when it came to Lewis.

While away, she had taken to Instagram to tell fans that she and Lewis had 'salvaged their friendship' on the getaway, but their holiday was left on a sour note after footage emerged of Marnie in an explosive row with her former boyfriend - accusing him of 'stealing her bank card'.

Happier times: The pair had embarked on a romance after starring alongside each other on Celebrity Big Brother in August last year - before splitting six months later

Lewis denied the claims and branded them 'absolutely ridiculous'.

Now, Marnie has claimed that there is more to her split with Lewis than meets eye.

Hinting that not everything that happened between them has been made public knowledge, she cryptically said: 'If I was honest about what happened between Lewis it would ruin him... But I am the bigger person.'

Fans of the duo saw Marnie and Lewis get together while starring on Celebrity Big Brother in August last year.

Serious: They had continued their love affair after the show and Marnie had even moved away from her hometown of Newcastle to live with Lewis in London

After just ten days in the Elstree compound, Lewis had claimed he was 'in love' with Marnie.

They were forced to defend their relationship against claims they were putting on a 'showmance' and had continued their love affair on the outside.

Marnie had even moved away from her hometown of Newcastle to live with Lewis in London.

Her latest comments come after Lewis appeared to make a dig at his ex-girlfriend while proving he is now moving on from their failed romance.

Pucker up! The former Celebrity Big Brother star was seen receiving a kiss from both Made In Chelsea's Daisy Robins and Love Island star Tina Stinnes as he attended the same showbiz party as Marnie on Wednesday night

While attending the same showbiz bash as Marnie on Wednesday night, Lewis shared a photo of himself sandwiched between reality beauties Daisy Robins (of Made In Chelsea fame) and Love Island's Tina Stinnes.

The girls were seen draped over Lewis and in one photo even planted a kiss on either of his cheeks.

Lewis suggested that he is keen to embrace single life again and teased alongside his snap of the trio: 'Summer's always funner.'
He may have moved out of the family home last week but Ben Affleck was with his estranged wife Jennifer Garner and their three children for church on Sunday as usual.

The actor, 44, who is working on his sobriety following a stint in rehab, was a doting dad as he carried his youngest, Samuel, five, on his shoulders while holding hands with daughters Violet, 11, and Seraphina, eight.

Garner, 45, seemed equally relaxed as the family sticks to its regular routine.

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Doting dad: Ben Affleck, 44, carried son Samuel, five, on his shoulders as he walked hand in hand with daughters Seraphina, eight, and Violet, 11, after church on Sunday in LA

The celebrity couple finally decided last month to move ahead with divorce after almost two years of separation, seeking to formally end their marriage after more than a decade.

They have agreed to share physical and legal custody of their children, according to court documents.

Affleck and Garner had continued to live in the same compound during their separation but E! News reported the two-time Oscar winner has finally moved out to a place of his own.

'They didn't want to alarm the kids or have them feel like Ben was leaving, so he has slowly moved out over time. But....he will be living at his new home.'

Focused on their kids: Garner, 45, seemed equally relaxed as the family sticks to its regular routine despite the couple's divorce finally moving ahead after a two-year separation

Not Sunday best: Both actors were casually dressed for church, Affleck in dark denims with a t-shirt and blue bomber jacket and Garner in distressed jeans with a pale pink sweater

Both stars were casually dressed for church.

Garner paired a pale pink v-neck sweater with distressed jeans and pink espadrilles.

She donned retro shades and a large dark tote over her shoulder.

Affleck wore dark denims with gray lace-up sneakers, a blue t-shirt and a blue bomber jacket.

Mother hen vibes: The actress marshaled her kidsd and their friends on the curb before crossing the road together

Style: The Dallas Buyer's Club star revealed her decolletage in a light pink v-neck sweater paired with distressed jeans and pale espadrilles

Mom-daughter time: She stayed close to eldest daughter Violet who seemed somewhat somber as she walked along in a pretty spring dress and dark cardigan with her arms folded

Now that Ben has moved out to a home of his own nearby, the children will slowly start to divide their time between the two residences, insiders have claimed.

A source told E! News: 'They really want the kids to continue with their same routine and have assured them that that's not going to change. However, in the next few weeks, they will start to spend regular time at Ben's house as well.'

'They will continue to spend holidays together and take family vacations.'
She split from Love Island ex Tom Powell dramatically last year.

But Sophie Gradon has found love again, and took to Instagram over the weekend to share snaps as they enjoyed their sun-soaked holiday in Gran Canaria.

Putting on a sizzling display in a cross strap bikini, she shared another snap as she cosied up to former Love Island hopeful Ashley Ienco.

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Turning heads: Sophie Gradon has found love again, and took to Instagram over the weekend to share snaps as they enjoyed their sun-soaked holiday in Gran Canaria

Showcasing her bronzed curves, one snap saw her pose in a pink sequin-encrusted bikini, captioning the snap: 'Feeling rested and several pounds heavier, been amazing!!! Till next time GC'.

And another picture saw her planting a smooch on her hunky other half's lips, as they posed against the picturesque backdrop.

Swooning over her new love, one snap of the tattooed hunk read: 'You ever see something so beautiful that you just wanna freakin eat it!!!!'.

Loved up: Putting on a sizzling display in a cross strap bikini, she shared another snap as she cosied up to former Love Island hopeful Ashley Ienco

Speaking to The Sun Online last week, Sophie said of Ashley- who she first met when he tried for a place on Love Island: 'It's a completely different relationship, 100 per cent.

'I think when you're in a show like Love Island, it's a really strange environment even though it's reality.

'I don't think its entirely true to life. You do things that aren't entirely you. With respect, Tom wasn't for me, and we weren't for each other.

'I can be myself and laugh and joke around [with Ashley]. Ashley doesn't take himself too seriously. He's my partner in crime.'

'I can be myself and laugh and joke around [with Ashley]. Ashley doesn't take himself too seriously. He's my partner in crime,' she recently said

Besotted: Swooning over her new love, one snap of the tattooed hunk read: 'You ever see something so beautiful that you just wanna freakin eat it!!!!'

Sophie and Tom fell in love on the ITV2's Love Island in June buBt endured an explosive breakup in November.

The 24-year-old fitness instructor and the former Miss Great Britain, 30, took to social media to document their dramatic split in an array of scathing posts - which saw both parties accuse each other of infidelity.

Sophie first hinted at a breakup on Thursday night when she took to Instagram to post a quote that read: 'Some people are meant to fall in love with each other, but not be together.'

It's over: Love Island's Sophie Gradon, 30, and Tom Powell, 24, endured a dramatic breakup on Thursday - documenting the whole saga on social media

However the Geordie beauty later deleted the post, causing more of a stir among fans regarding the status of their relationship.

With things between them evidently progressing from bad to worse, the brunette then posted on Instagram again - this time uploading an exposing Twitter message of Tom's, which he had sent to another girl.

In the screen grab of the Direct Message thread, Tom was seen asking for a girl's mobile number.

Then, in a second message, he was seen desperately backtracking on his actions, writing: 'Hey Soph found out I got your number and kicked off she's prob gonna message you, please don't reply to her or this message please.'

Clearly heartbroken, Sophie captioned the shot: 'When I didn't do anything wrong'.

Dirty move: The beauty posted an exposing Twitter message of Tom's, which saw him ask for another girl's number, on her Instagram

Fighting talk: Not backing down, Tom then took to his Twitter to post a photo of Sophie cosying up with another man

Not one to back down however, it was not long before Tom retaliated to his ex-girlfriend's bold move with an exposing snap of his own.

Taking to his Twitter page, the fitness guru wrote to his 230,000 followers: '2 can play at that game.. here's a picture of Sophie cheating on my the week she got out of the villa...,' followed by a photo of his former love cosying up to another man.

Showing his rage further, Tom continued with his Twitter rant by describing the photo as: 'Only a few days after her promising to make it up to me for cheating on me in the villa.'

Fuming: The star then embarked on a scathing Twitter rant, revealing the kiss was only 'a few days' after she promised to be faithful

'Got sent the photo from the guy telling me about it...', he continued, before mocking her with: 'Don't piss into the wind sweetheart.'

Firing one last blow, he added: 'And FYI I tried to speak to her personally and leave it off social media.. but nope.. she was adamant about being a child.'

The stream of Tweets has since been hit by criticism from fans, who pen him as equally childish for splashing their personal drama all over social media.

While it has since been deleted, Sophie then reportedly replied to the post with: 'A misconceived picture vs actual words. Go figure.'

At loggerheads: While it has since been deleted, Sophie then reportedly replied to the post with: 'A misconceived picture vs actual words. Go figure'

She later added to the fray with further dramatic Tweets, such as: 'Fall in love, learn, then let go. The chapter may be over but the story isn't' and 'When shit goes from 0 - Jeremy Kyle in 2.7 seconds.'

In light of her witty Tweet, Tom then hinted that the pair will actually appear on the ITV problem-solving show Jermey Kyle on Friday morning - to work out their issues once and for all.

The troubled lovers first met in the villa on ITV2's Love Island, where they were initially coupled off.

However Tom was one of the first voted off after audiences watched their tempestuous relationship play out.

Happier times: The troubled pair first met in the villa on ITV2's Love Island, where they were initially coupled off - and have embarked on a romance since returning to the UK

After his departure, Sophie then became involved in a short yet steamy fling with Liverpudlian finalist Katie - with the ladies even sharing a controversial and passionate kiss.

However, Sophie soon called things quits with Katie as she realised her true feelings for Tom, leading to her shock decision to leave the villa.

Tom was left furious upon discovery of the steamy smooch in his absence - but they worked through their issues to give the romance another try when they returned to the UK.

The gym fanatic even went to stay with her in her native Newcastle recently, to be introduced to the parents - proving things were hotting up before the drama kicked off.

Joking about meeting her mum and dad on Twitter, he explained: 'Just got home from meeting @sophiegradon 's parents No black eyes or thick lips Think it went pretty well!'
She's a regular when it comes to going to church.

And Gwen Stefani was again spotted taking her three boys to a place of worship in Los Angeles on Sunday.

The 47-year-old took her eldest son Kingston, 10, by the hand as she led her sons to the service, making sure to greet fellow parishioners along the way.

Regular churchgoer: Gwen Stefani was casually dressed when she took her three boys to a service in Los Angeles on Sunday

Family time: Later, Blake Shelton joined the gang for lunch at a deli

Looking years younger than her age, the Hollaback Girl wore a dark blue leopard-print top with a red ruffle detail under a dark blue bomber jacket with a white faux fur collar.

She teamed it with a distressed denim mini-skirt, opaque black tights and knee-high black leather boots on a cooler day in the city than of late.

The beautiful platinum blonde, who has dyed the last few inches of her hair black, smoothed her tresses back into a pony tail.

Gwen was wearing her trademark pale foundation, making her bright red lipstick pop out even more, and she accessorized with a red Chanel purse.

She was followed by her eldest son, 10-year-old Kingston, who donned a camouflage-print T-shirt and jogging pants from Adidas plus sneakers.

Street chic: The 47-year-old wore a dark blue leopard-print top with a red ruffle detail under a blue bomber jacket with a faux fur collar, a denim mini-skirt, opaque tights and black boots

Happy: The star seemed thrilled to join the church service as she greeted fellow parishioners

Proud mother: The Voice judge looked back fondly at 10-year-old Kingston, who was decked out in Adidas camouflage, and Zuma, eight, who wore a white T-shirt and blue silky shorts

Zuma, eight, opted for a white T-shirt with the words 'I can do all things' on the front, silky blue shorts and white sneakers with blue laces. Meanwhile, a nanny carried three-year-old Apollo at the read.

The two oldest boys celebrated their first communion at St Brendan's Church in Los Angeles on April 29.

And the Voice judge smiled as she and her family were welcomed by a deacon waiting near the door.

Bringing up the rear: A nanny carried three-year-old Apollo who was sucking on a pacifier

The boys' father is Gwen's ex-husband, Gavin Rossdale, 51, who is presently on tour with his band, Bush.

The couple divorced in 2016 after 14 years of marriage after splitting in 2015 following his affair with the family's nanny.

Meanwhile, Gwen is now happily in a relationship with country star Blake Shelton.

She met the 40-year-old on The Voice, where he is also a judge.
After debuting in October Zcash hit an exchange rate of $1,000 per unit, putting it in league with the much better established Bitcoin, the virtual currency pioneer

Zcash, the latest virtual currency, has been a smash success since its launch seven months ago, drawing in new users with promises of unrivaled privacy protection.

But the new virtual money could face a tough battle integrating into the wider financial system.

After debuting on currency trading platforms in October, Zcash took off, hitting an exchange rate of $1,000 per unit, putting it in league with the much better established Bitcoin, the virtual currency pioneer created in 2009.

While its value has since come down to earth, Zcash is attracting the interest of Russian, Chinese, Venezuelan and, as of May 4, South African consumers.

Brazilians now use Zcash to pay taxes and electricity bills and make purchases.

To make its mark in the world of virtual currencies, Zcash boasts that it protects user privacy.

But because of that guarantee it does not offer the transparency demanded by authorities who want to prevent these new tender from being used in money laundering, financing terrorism, evading taxes or fraud.

- Untraceable transactions -

Zcash was developed by researchers at Johns Hopkins University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in the United States and Tel Aviv University and the Technion-Israel Institute of Technology in Israel. Only five of the six people who developed the cryptography have been publicly identified.

It is based on a technology dubbed zk-Snark, which allows untraceable transactions. The resulting data are encrypted but users are free to identify themselves.

Other cryptocurrencies such as Dash and Monero offer a level of privacy, but Zcash goes further, even obscuring the origin of a payment.

This is the opposite of Bitcoin, which uses blockchain technology that publicly records transaction details including the unique alphanumeric strings that identify buyers and sellers.

"You don't expose all of your communications or all of your transactions to random people on the internet you barely know," said Zooko Wilcox, CEO of Zerocoin Electric Coin Company, which manages Zcash.

Virtual currencies are produced, or "mined," by banks of computers solving complex algorythms, an operation that can be expensive.

Wilcox told AFP he hoped the expanded privacy protection could overcome businesses' reluctance to adopt Zcash as a trustworthy alternative to traditional state-controlled currencies.

But Jonathan Levin, co-founder of Chainalysis, a start-up that helps banks and authorities trace the origins and destinations of virtual currency payments, doubts Zcash will find its place in the wider financial system.

"It is hard for existing financial institutions to integrate these types of crypto currencies as information on the origin of funds is very hard to ascertain," he said.

Financial institutions began to take an interest in Bitcoin, and in particular in its blockchain technology, once the darknet marketplace known as Silk Road was closed in 2013.

Silk Road facilitated Bitcoin transactions but was also platform for the sale of illegal drugs.

"Nobody has ever used Zcash for any kind of crime as far as anyone knows," Wilcox said, while conceding that "all technologies can be misused."

- Hacking threat -

Wilcox said he gave a presentation on Zcash to Canadian and US authorities in November and their attitude was "very pragmatic."

Virtual currencies are not regulated by any central bank. In the United States, trading is authorized by individual states which issues license to exchanges, and so far there is no regulation at the federal level.

Unlike central bank-issued demoninations, virtual currencies can be "mined" by anyone with sophisticated software skills to gather up the code.

Nevertheless, despite Zcash's efforts to protect users, the currency itself may be vulnerable to hacking or counterfeiting. In a June attack against another cryptocurrency called ether, hackers reportedly made off with 3.6 million units with a value of $50 million.

Cryptography consultant Peter Todd said in a November blog that Zcash's encryption could be weak, allowing hackers to crack the code.

"The threat here is that an attacker may be able to create fake zk-Snark proofs by breaking the crypto directly, even without having access to the trusted setup backdoor," he wrote.

Wilcox said Zerocoin Electric was alert to such risks and pays hackers to test the currency's security.

In total, Zerocoin Electric expects a maximum of 21 million Zcash units will be mined, or produced, of which 10 percent will go to Zcash Electric shareholders, including founders, employees and investors.
South Korean politician Sim Sang-Jeung, the only female candidate to succeed disgraced former president Park Geun-Hye, attends a campaign rally in Seoul

When Park Geun-Hye was elected South Korea's first female president five years ago she secured the largest-ever vote share of the country's democratic era. But after her term ended in impeachment and disgrace only one of the 13 candidates to succeed her is a woman.

Analysts say the near all-male panel -- epitomised by rows of campaign posters dominated by middle-aged men in dark suits -- demonstrates the enduringly patriarchal nature of Korean society.

The only exception is Sim Sang-Jeung, a former labour activist who is the leftwing Justice Party's candidate.

Park -- the daughter of the late dictator Park Chung-Hee -- was ousted from power in March over a massive corruption and influence-peddling scandal centred on a secret female confidante that prompted millions to take to the streets calling for her ouster.

She is now detained and awaiting trial for charges including abuse of power and bribery, and the public outrage unleashed a storm of sexist remarks online such as: "Don't even dream about having a female president for the next 100 years."

Women listen to a speech by female presidential candidate Sim Sang-Jeung in South Korea, where female politicians account for only 17 percent of parliamentary representatives

Sim condemns what she calls a sexual double standard, saying no one took issue with the gender of two previous presidents -- both men -- who were imprisoned in the 1990s for their part in crushing the Gwangju Uprising against the military-backed dictatorship.

"We had two other ex-presidents jailed for slaughtering countless citizens who were protesting against army rule. But not a single person said, 'No more male presidents'," she said in a campaign speech.

Park is a conservative who did little for women's rights while in office, and female politicians struggling with the glass ceiling say her humiliating downfall has done nothing to help.

"I've seen recently many male voters, or even male politicians, saying, 'This is why women should never be in politics'," said Han Jeoung-Ae, a two-term lawmaker with the centre-left Democratic Party.

"We have no shortage of male politicians brought down by corruption and other crimes, but no one ever frames it as the failure of entire male politicians like they do over women," she told AFP.

- Glass ceiling -

South Korea remains a deeply conservative society in many respects and, along with Japan, is seen as one of the worst places for working women among economically advanced nations

Female politicians are still a relative rarity in the South, accounting for only 17 percent of parliamentary representatives, ranking it 30th among the 35 advanced nations of the OECD.

That is an advance on the six percent of 2000, but it is still "extremely hard" for female politicians to secure electoral nominations, said Nam In-Soon, a Democratic lawmaker, who is pushing for parties to be legally obliged to select women as at least 30 percent of their candidates.

"We have made some progress over the years, but most internal networking within a political party's leadership is still based on the good old boys' club," she told AFP. "We still have this hard, thick glass ceiling all over our head."

Park herself rose to power largely due to the popularity of her father, who remains widely revered by older voters who benefited from rapid growth under his 1961-79 iron-fisted rule.

South Korea remains a deeply conservative society in many respects and, along with Japan, is seen as one of the worst places for working women among economically advanced nations.

The two Asian neighbours were this year ranked at the bottom of the Economist's "Glass Ceiling index", which measures gender equality at work among 29 advanced nations.

- 'Superwoman Prevention' -

Women cheer as they attend a rally for South Korean presidential candidate Hong Joon-Pyo, who is known as "Korea's Trump" for his outspoken rhetoric and sexist remarks

Sim has no chance of victory at the ballot box, with South Korea's leading pollsters both putting her in fourth place in the final surveys of the campaign, on 7.3 percent according to Realmeter and eight percent for Gallup Korea, far behind Democratic Party front-runner Moon Jae-In.

But the 58-year-old scored well in debates and was the most vocal critic of Hong Joon-Pyo, the candidate of Park's conservative Liberty Korea Party, who is known as "Korea's Trump" for his outspoken rhetoric and sexist remarks and has been polling third.

Hong, 62, drew fire for saying "washing dishes is women's work" in an interview, and for bragging in his memoir about helping a college friend with an attempted date rape by drugging a woman.

Sim targeted him repeatedly during a television debate until he forced out an apology.

Sim is pushing for measures to help working mothers faced with the double burdens of employment and household duties, dubbed "Superwoman Prevention Laws", and rules to make half the cabinet women.

"The current reality faced by female politicians still looks bleak," said Lee Jin-Ock, head of Korea Women's Politics Solidarity think tank.

But Sim offers a ray of hope as a "new female leader who climbs the political ladder on her own terms", she told AFP, "unlike Park who symbolises the patriarchal, patronage politics of the past".
People look at the wreckage of a bus that plunged into a gorge while transporting children from Arusha to Karatu, on May 6, 2017

A bus crash in Tanzania that claimed the lives of 32 primary school pupils, two teachers and the driver was likely caused by speeding, police said.

"Preliminary investigations show that the accident is due to speeding," regional police chief Charles Mkumbo told the state-run Tanzania Broadcasting Corporation late on Saturday.

Some reports said the people on the bus were not wearing seat belts at the time of the crash.

The accident happened early on Saturday when the bus went off the road and into the Marera river gorge in Karatu district near the northern city of Arusha where the children were attending Lucky Vincent Primary School.

The final year primary pupils were on their way to sit mock examinations ahead of seeking places at secondary school.

"It's a huge tragedy," Innocent Mushi, the school's director said.

President John Magufuli sent his condolences to the families of the dead.

"This accident extinguishes the dreams of these children who were preparing to serve the nation, it is an immense pain for the families involved and for the whole nation," Magufuli said in a statement.

Speeding is the cause of most road accidents in Tanzania, according police statistics that show around 3,000 people killed each year.
Bomb squad operatives and a bomb disposal robot inspect a suspicious package in Quiapo, Manila on May 7, 2017

Philippine police believe a Shiite Muslim cleric was the likely target of explosions that killed two people in Manila, an official said Sunday, rejecting Islamic State claims of involvement.

Six others were injured when two explosions rocked the office of the imam, Nasser Abinal, in the capital's busy Quiapo district on Saturday.

Oscar Albayalde, head of police forces in the capital, said the bomb was apparently intended for Abinal who is also government tax officer for the Manila region.

He was not at the office at the time.

"He admitted there were threats to his life in the past" while being questioned by police, Albayalde told AFP.

The bomb was carried in a package by a hired delivery man who handed it over to an aide of Abinal just before it went off, killing them both.

As police were searching the blast site late Saturday, another explosion rocked the area, possibly from a second bomb planted earlier, said Albayalde.

"This has nothing to do with terrorism. There is no indication that this was done by a terror group, local or foreign," he said.

The Islamic State group has claimed it staged the explosion.

"Five Shiites were killed and six others wounded in a bomb blast by Islamic State fighters in the centre of Manila," said a statement from Amaq, IS's propaganda arm.

Albayalde said this was just the IS custom of taking credit for any such incidents.

The Islamic State has carried out attacks in other countries on Shiite sites and events.

But Albayalde said the attack seemed to be targeting Abinal, adding that it may be for personal reasons, his work or his religion.

Tension remained high after the blasts, with police cordoning off the area again on Sunday after a suspicious bag was spotted.

A bomb disposal robot later established it was a false alarm.

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte's spokesman Ernesto Abella urged the public to stay alert but avoid spreading "unverified" news that may cause panic.

The Philippines is a mainly Catholic country but has a significant Muslim minority, some of whom live in the Quiapo district.

Just over a week ago another explosion injured 14 people in Quiapo as Southeast Asian leaders were meeting for a summit a few kilometres away.

IS claimed responsibility for the April 28 explosion, but police insisted it was not a terrorist attack and not related to the gathering of political leaders.

Local Muslim militants who have pledged allegiance to IS are based in the southern Philippines, hundreds of kilometres from Manila.
Jared Kushner, 36, is a senior adviser to US President Donald Trump with far-reaching influence over domestic and foreign policy

The sister of White House senior adviser Jared Kushner urged wealthy Chinese Sunday to buy stakes in real estate through a controversial programme that offers US residency in exchange for investment.

Nicole Kushner Meyer was in Beijing Saturday and in Shanghai Sunday, seeking more than $150 million in investment in a luxury apartment complex project in New Jersey.

Jared Kushner, 36, is both a senior adviser and the son-in-law of US President Donald Trump with far-reaching influence over domestic and foreign policy. He stepped down from the family company in January to serve in the administration.

However, eyebrows have been raised as the Chinese investment sought by his family firm will be funnelled through the US EB-5 visa programme.

This offers foreigners permanent residency -- commonly known as a green card -- in exchange for investment of at least half a million dollars in a US business that must also create 10 American jobs.

Meyer told a crowd of more than 100 potential investors at the Four Seasons Hotel in Shanghai that her grandfather had come to the US as a poor refugee, labouring as a carpenter before building up a real estate empire.

But they could fast-track the process by buying into the 1,476-unit complex in Jersey City, scheduled to break ground in early 2018.

The investment drive, hosted by Chinese government-approved immigration agency QWOS, has sought to highlight the project's connections to the "famous" clan, raising concern over potential conflicts of interest.

On Sunday Meyer was introduced in Chinese to investors as a representative of "a famed celebrity investment family".

QWOS representatives courting potential investors on-site pointedly dropped the name of Trump's daughter Ivanka, who is Jared Kushner's wife and a popular icon on the mainland.

Attendees were reassured by an American lawyer that despite his tough talk on immigration, Trump himself was a key decision-maker for EB-5 policy and was unlikely to make any changes to it in the near future -- making it a safe path to US residency.

But acting sooner was better than later since investment thresholds were likely to rise come autumn and regulations tighten, he warned.

- 'My entire family' -

The housing complex, known as "One Journal Square", will include recreational facilities, child playrooms and a pet hospital, according to the QWOS website.

EB-5 investment from China will account for around 15 percent of its total $976.4 million cost.

Sunday's presentations emphasised the complex's similarity to a Trump-branded luxury development a ten-minute drive away.

Those apartments were also developed by Kushner Companies, and about a quarter of the funding -- around $50 million -- was obtained via EB-5 investment, according to a report last year by Bloomberg News.

Most investors were Chinese and were brought in by QWOS, the company said.

Around a dozen clients had signed on for the new project after a Beijing event headed by Meyer the day before, QWOS representatives told AFP.

There, Nicole Kushner Meyer told investors that the project "means a lot to me and my entire family", and mentioned her brother's former role as chief executive of Kushner Companies, the New York Times reported.

Photos of the meeting showed promotional posters bearing the slogan: "Government supports it; Celebrity property developer builds it".

Journalists had been asked to leave the room in Beijing. In Shanghai, they were told they could not attend the "private event" even though it was publicly advertised.

Kushner Companies are also due to pitch for investment in the southern Chinese cities of Shenzhen and Guangzhou next weekend, according to the QWOS website.

The EB-5 programme was created in 1990 to help stimulate the US economy through job creation and capital investment from foreign nationals, but detractors say it puts citizenship up for sale.

Nearly 90 percent of EB-5 visas were issued to Chinese nationals in 2014, when the programme reached its quota of 10,000 visas.
Indian paramilitary stand guard in Srinagar

Suspected militants launched an attack in Indian Kashmir killing three civilians and a policeman, the latest violence to hit the restive valley, authorities said on Sunday.

One of the militants was also killed when they attacked policemen clearing the site of a road accident late Saturday near Kulgam district.

"A police party was at the accident site when they were attacked. In the cross-fire, one policeman and three civilians died. One of the attackers also died," a police source told AFP.

On Sunday, thousands of local residents gathered to mourn the dead militant at a funeral where rebels fired shots into the air as a mark of respect.

The Press Trust of India said the attacker had been identified as Fayaz Ahmed Ashwar, who carried a bounty of 200,000 rupees ($3,100) on his head over his role in an attack on a military convoy in 2015 that killed two soldiers.

Anti-India sentiment runs deep in the predominantly Muslim Kashmir valley, one of the world's most heavily militarised areas, where most people favour independence or a merger with Pakistan.

Apart from armed militant groups, the roughly 500,000 Indian soldiers deployed in Kashmir are regularly involved in clashes with civilians, fuelling growing resentment against New Delhi.

The clashes have become more frequent since the killing of popular rebel leader Burhan Wani last July which sparked widespread unrest.

Kashmir has been divided between India and Pakistan since the end of British rule in 1947 but both claim the territory in its entirety.

On Monday, five policemen and two civilians were killed when militants attacked a bank van in Kulgam, and two soldiers were killed in an attack along the de facto border with Pakistan.
A handout picture provided by the office of Iranian President Hassan Rouhani on May 7, 2017 shows coal miners and rescue workers standing at the scene of a coal mine which suffered from an explosion in Azadshahr, in northern Iran

Iran's President Hassan Rouhani faced furious protests from victims' families on Sunday when he visited the site of a mine accident that claimed dozens of lives, two weeks ahead of an election.

Local news agencies showed people stamping on Rouhani's car and beating the windows as it tried to make its way through an angry crowd at the site in the northern Golestan province, where at least 26 people were killed by an explosion on Wednesday.

"Why is there no safety at the mine? Why does no one care?" shouted one emotional spokesman for the miners at the scene, in a video shared on social media.

"Last year, we gathered in front of the governor's office together with our wives because we were unpaid for 14 months. And you, the president, didn't even notice," he added.

Rouhani, who is standing for re-election on May 19, earlier addressed the crowd, saying: "The entire Iranian nation shares the sorrow of families of those killed in the Zemestan Yort mine accident.

"Those responsible and anyone who had a fault in the incident must be found and dealt with accordingly, without any exceptions."

As well as 26 confirmed dead, at least nine more miners were trapped inside after Wednesday's explosion, but officials say there is little chance they have survived.

The accident is thought to have been caused by concentrated methane gas that was triggered when workers tried to jump-start an engine.

Thousands of factories and industrial sites across Iran have struggled to keep up with payments in recent years due to the stagnant economy.

Conservative presidential candidates trying to unseat Rouhani have focused on the poor, saying government policies have only benefited the wealthy.

The miner's spokesman said workers earned 10 million rials ($265) a month.

"Can you live with that?" he asked the president. "Look at this mother with seven children. We have nothing to eat."

Labour Minister Ali Rabii travelled 1,400 metres deep into the mine earlier on Sunday, where rescue teams have been trying to unblock the collapsed tunnel.

The president has ordered a task force to investigate the causes of the explosion and handle compensation for victims and their families.

A handout picture provided by the office of Iranian President Hassan Rouhani on May 7, 2017 shows him visiting coal miners and rescue workers at the scene of an explosion in Azadshahr, in northern Iran

"We are all responsible in this incident," said Rouhani, calling for tighter regulations in the mining sector.
The Germanwings plane was deliberately crashed into a mountainside in the French Alps in March 2015 by suicidal copilot Andreas Lubitz

Two years after the Germanwings plane crash, relatives of the South American victims have filed suit in Germany seeking over three million euros in damages, a judicial source said Sunday.

The Duesseldorf civil court has received two cases seeking compensation of "more than three million euros" ($3.3 million) from the German subsidiary of Lufthansa, a spokesman told national news agency DPA.

According to German daily Bild, the lawsuits were filed by three Paraguayan plaintiffs.

None of the nine South American victims had Paraguayan nationality but an Argentinian businessman had been living in the country.

Germanwings copilot Andreas Lubitz deliberately flew the plane into a mountainside in the French Alps in March 2015, killing 149 people.

It later emerged that he had been treated for mental health problems in the months before the disaster.

In January, German prosecutors closed a criminal investigation into the crash after concluding that Lubitz alone was responsible and without pressing negligence charges against the airline or the doctors who had examined him.

But many relatives of the victims were unhappy with the outcome.

In March last year, two lawyers representing 73 victims filed a case in the United States against the pilot school that trained Lubitz.

After the crash, the airline said it would pay 50,000 euros in emergency aid to the families of all the victims, as well as 35,000 euros to parents of the Germans killed -- as required by German law.
Frenchman Thierry Frezier who was kidnapped in Chad on March 23 speaks with French charge d'affaires in Khartoum Christian Bec on May 7, 2017, after being freed

A French mineworker who was kidnapped in Chad and taken to neighbouring Sudan has been freed after more than six weeks in captivity, French and Sudanese officials said on Sunday.

Thierry Frezier, 60, was freed after collaboration between Sudanese, Chadian and French intelligence services, a member of the National Intelligence and Security Service (NISS) told reporters in Khartoum.

Frezier was taken to Sudan's capital after being freed on Saturday.

French President Francois Hollande's office put out a statement saying he felt "great pleasure" at the release.

Freed Frenchman Thierry Frezier who was kidnapped in Chad on March 23, pictured at Khartoum airport on May 7, 2017

Sudanese security agents launched a search for Frezier in late March after a Chadian minister said he was being held there after being abducted near Goz Beida in southeastern Chad on March 23.

His kidnappers took him to Sudan's war-torn region of Darfur and it was from there that he was liberated, a foreign ministry official in Khartoum said.

"I thank Sudan's government and civil and military authorities for their efforts to free me," Frezier said in a brief statement to reporters at Khartoum airport on Sunday.

"The kidnappers treated me well during my time in captivity."

NISS officer Mohamed Hamid said Frezier would be handed over to the French embassy in Khartoum.

"An operation to free him was launched in coordination with French and Chadian intelligence services," Hamid said.

Sudanese and French officials in Khartoum said no ransom had been paid.

"The outlaws inside Chad had kidnapped him for ransom, but no ransom has been paid," Sudanese foreign ministry official Khalid Al-Kalas said on Sunday.

"NISS was monitoring his situation and yesterday they liberated him and also captured his kidnappers."

France's charge d'affaires in Khartoum, Christian Bec, also told reporters that no money had been handed over in exchange for Frezier's freedom.

"I thank the Sudanese government for liberating the hostage without paying any ransom," Bec said.

Several French and other Western nationals have been kidnapped by jihadist groups in west and central Africa in recent years.

French mineworker Thierry Frezier, 60, who was kidnapped in Chad on March 23, arrives at Khartoum airport on May 7, 2017

The last such case in Chad -- a former French colony -- was in 2009, when a Frenchman working for the International Committee of the Red Cross was abducted by a shadowy armed group called the Freedom Eagles of Africa, based in Sudan's Darfur province.

He was freed after 89 days.

Chad is one of France's key African allies in the counter-terror fight, with its capital N'Djamena serving as headquarters for France's Operation Barkhane anti-jihadist force.

Set up in 2014, the force, which counts 4,000 troops, works in five Sahel countries -- Chad, Mali, Niger, Mauritania and Burkina Faso -- to flush out Al-Qaeda-linked extremists.
The skirmish took place Friday at the Chaman border that divides Pakistan's southwest Balochistan province and Afghanistan's southern Kandahar, as Pakistani officials were carrying out a census count

Pakistan's military on Sunday said it had killed more than 50 Afghan soldiers in a clash on a major border crossing two days earlier, a claim quickly rejected by Kabul.

The skirmish took place Friday at the Chaman border that divides Pakistan's southwest Balochistan province and Afghanistan's southern Kandahar, as Pakistani officials were carrying out a census count.

At least eight civilians were killed, according to previously stated tolls by officials -- seven on the Pakistani side, and one on the Afghan side.

Afghanistan had blamed Pakistani census enumerators accompanied by soldiers for straying across the border, a charge denied by Islamabad.

On Sunday, Pakistani forces elevated their rhetoric by saying Afghan forces had suffered dramatic losses.

"We are not pleased to tell you that five Afghan check posts were completely destroyed -- more than 50 of their soldiers were killed and above 100 were wounded," Major General Nadim Ahmad, head of the paramilitary Frontier Corps told reporters.

"We are not happy for their losses but we were forced to retaliate," he said, adding two Pakistani soldiers were killed and nine wounded in the incident.

Kabul quickly denied the claim.

"A very false claims by a Pakistani Frontier Corp that as many as 50 Afghan soldier lost their lives in Pak retaliation; totally rejected," tweeted Sediq Sediqqi, a government spokesman.

Samim Khpalwak, a spokesman for the governor of Kandahar province, instead said two troops were lost in the attack, in addition to the death of a civilian.

The border has remained closed since Friday, with senior Pakistan army general Amir Riaz telling reporters it would remain so "until Afghanistan changes its behaviour".

The so-called "Durand Line", a 2,400-kilometre (1,500-mile) frontier drawn by the British in 1896 and disputed by Kabul, has witnessed increased tension since Pakistan began trenching along it last year.

The border is not the only area of dispute between the neighbours: Afghanistan has long accused Pakistan of sponsoring the Afghan Taliban, though Islamabad says it provides the militants with safe haven as a "lever" to bring them to peace talks.

Pakistan has also accused Afghanistan of harbouring militants who carry out attacks in its territory.

Pakistan embarked on the enormous task of conducting its first census in almost two decades in March.

The fast-growing country is the sixth most populous in the world, with an estimated 200 million people, but has not held a census since 1998, despite a constitutional requirement for one every decade.

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North Korea's leader Kim Jong-Un (C) waves as he attends a ceremony for the opening of a housing project in Pyongyang on April 13, 2017

North Korea has detained another US citizen for committing "hostile acts," it said Sunday, its second arrest of an American in a fortnight with tensions high between Pyongyang and Washington.

The arrest of Kim Hak-Song means that the North now is holding four US citizens, with the two countries at loggerheads over Pyongyang's nuclear and missile ambitions.

Kim was detained on Saturday, the official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported. "A relevant institution is now conducting detailed investigation into his crimes," it added.

The two-paragraph report gave no further details of the latest arrest.

But it said Kim had been working for the Pyongyang University of Science and Technology (PUST) -- an institution founded by evangelical Christians from overseas and opened in 2010, which is known to have a number of American faculty members. Pupils are generally children from the North's elite.

A State Department official in Washington on Sunday issued a terse comment about the American's reported detention.

"We are aware of reports that a US citizen was detained in North Korea," the statement said.

"The security of US citizens is one of the Department's highest priorities. When a US citizen is reported to be detained in North Korea, we work with the Swedish Embassy in Pyongyang, which serves as the United States' Protecting Power in North Korea," the State Department official said, adding that no additional comment was being offered "due to privacy considerations."

Kim is the second of the university's personnel to have been detained in as many weeks.

Accounting professor Kim Sang-Duk, or Tony Kim, also a US citizen, was held on April 22, the North confirmed last week, for trying to "overturn" the regime.

He was detained at the capital's airport as he tried to leave the country after teaching for several weeks at the university.

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.

Using similar phrasing to Sunday's dispatch, it added that Kim was "under detention by a relevant law enforcement body which is conducting detailed investigation into his crimes."

PUST officials could not immediately be reached for comment in connection with Saturday's arrest.

In a statement in late April the university said Tony Kim's arrest was "not connected in any way with the work of PUST."

- Tense relations -

Pyongyang is engaged in a tense standoff with the administration of US President Donald Trump over the North's banned missile and nuclear weapons programs.

The North, which is widely seen as making progress toward building a missile capable of delivering a nuclear warhead to the US mainland, has carried out a series of launches this year. It has also warned that it could carry out a sixth nuclear test at any time.

But no blast took place during symbolic anniversaries in April, and its key ally and diplomatic protector China has urged restraint.

Trump has suggested military action could be on the table but has softened his message more recently, saying he would be "honored" to meet the North's leader Kim Jong-Un under the right conditions.

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.

Two more 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 labor for spying. Warmbier was sentenced to 15 years in 2016 for stealing a propaganda banner and for "crimes against the state."

Pyongyang last week accused the CIA and the South's intelligence services of conspiring to assassinate Kim Jong-Un using a biochemical weapon.

The claim came just months after Kim's half-brother was murdered by two female agents at Kuala Lumpur airport using a banned nerve agent, in a killing widely blamed on Pyongyang.
A Syrian government forces' MiG-23 fighter-bomber drops a payload during a reported air strike in the rebel-held area of Qabun, east of the capital Damascus, on May 6, 2017

Negotiations were under way on Sunday on evacuating insurgents and their families from two districts in Damascus, a Syrian military source on the ground told AFP.

If the talks are successful, this would be the first time rebels will have been evacuated from Syria's capital since the country's conflict broke out six years ago.

Several evacuations of insurgents and their families have already taken place in towns and cities in Damascus province.

"Negotiations are taking place between intermediaries in the Barzeh and Qabun districts and the authorities on evacuating rebels and their families," the source said, speaking on condition of anonymity.

Evacuations from Barzeh could begin as early as Monday, the source added, without elaborating on numbers.

The negotiations follow Saturday's start of a "de-escalation" process put in place by regime allies Russia and Iran and rebel-backer Turkey in four regions of Syria.

Damascus is excluded from the multi-phase safe zones plan.

Rebels and their jihadist allies currently operate in five districts of the capital.

In the northeast, they control most of Qabun and Tishrin, and in the east they control about half of Jubar.

Rebels are also present in the north of the city in the Barzeh neighbourhood and in the south in Tadamun.

Qabun has seen fierce fighting for weeks as President Bashar al-Assad's forces advance on rebels.

According to the Syrian military source, a "ceasefire until midnight was concluded with a view to reaching a compromise concerning the two districts" of Barzeh and Qabun.

Britain-based monitor the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights also reported the negotiations.

"Barzeh and Qabun are calm because talks are under way on what would be the first evacuation of its kind in the capital," Observatory chief Rami Abdel Rahman told AFP in Beirut.

He said an evacuation would affect several thousand rebels and civilians, and that its timing was still under discussion.

At the end of April, a vast operation took place in which nearly 11,000 people were evacuated from besieged rebel-held and loyalist areas.

The rebels, who have lost large areas to government forces, have been forced to sign deals to evacuate many of their strongholds.

Syria's conflict erupted in March 2011 with the repression of pro-democracy protests.

Since then, more than 320,000 people have been killed and millions displaced, and the war has become more complex as regional and international powers have been drawn in.
Political instability and jihadist attacks in Egypt have put off tourists and foreign investors since the 2011 uprising that toppled longtime president Hosni Mubarak

Egypt's parliament on Sunday adopted a law whose aim is to attract foreign investors to the country as authorities seek to redress its struggling economy.

Political instability and jihadist attacks in Egypt have put off tourists and foreign investors since the 2011 uprising that toppled longtime president Hosni Mubarak.

The law, which still has to be approved by the president, seeks to boost foreign direct investment, which totalled $6.8 billion in the year to June 2016 compared with $13.2 billion before the uprising.

Lawmaker Medhat al-Sherif, a member of the parliamentary commission on economic affairs, said the new legislation provides for tax exemptions of up to 50 percent for investors in the country's poorest regions and other incentives in sectors such as electricity and renewable energy.

It provides for "a service centre for investors", which will be "a one-stop-shop to allow them to deal with one body," Sherif said.

Under the new law, authorities will have a 60-day deadline to provide investors with all requested authorisations, the lawmaker said.

Investment Minister Sahar Nasr said the new service centre aimed to "eliminate bureaucracy", including through services online.

In November, the International Monetary Fund approved a $12-billion loan to Egypt, conditional on its adoption of ambitious economic reforms including reducing state subsidies on energy.

Egypt received a first tranche of the loan worth $2.75 billion that month, and Finance Minister Amro al-Garhi has said a second tranche of $1.2 billion could be delivered next month.
CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) - The crew of a propeller plane carrying UPS cargo made no distress call before the small aircraft landed hard enough to gouge the runway and break into pieces on Friday, a federal investigator said.

Both the pilot and co-pilot were killed as their plane went off the edge of a steep, wooded hillside. There was no fire, but responders had to cut their way through thick brush and trees from above and below to reach their bodies.

"It's difficult terrain to negotiate," said Mike Plante, a spokesman at Yeager airport, which serves West Virginia's capital.

Part of a cargo plane lays on the ground following a fatal crash at Yeager Airport in Charleston, W. Va., Friday, May 5, 2017. The plane contracted by UPS went off the runway and over a hillside at the West Virginia airport Friday morning, an airport official said. (AP Photo/Ben Queen)

The Air Cargo Carriers plane had departed from Louisville, Kentucky, at 5:43 a.m. and arrived at the Charleston, West Virginia, airport at 6:51 a.m., Plante said.

National Transportation Safety Board lead investigator Bill English said the sky was overcast, with about 10 miles of visibility under the cloud cover, which began at about 500 feet above the ground.

The airport will remain closed until Saturday at least, since the gouge marks may need repair, English said. United Airlines, Delta Air Lines and American Airlines canceled upcoming flights in and out.

Joining the NTSB probe is the FAA and the Short Brothers Co. of Northern Ireland, which makes the Short 330, a small, twin-engine turboprop.

___

This story has been corrected to show that the plane arrived at the airport at 6:51 a.m.

An officer walks near part of a cargo plane following a fatal crash at Yeager Airport in Charleston, W. Va., Friday, May 5, 2017. The plane contracted by UPS went off the runway and over a hillside at the West Virginia airport Friday morning, an airport official said. (AP Photo/Ben Queen)

Emergency officials work near the site of a fatal plane crash at Yeager Airport in Charleston, W. Va., Friday, May 5, 2017. A cargo plane contracted by UPS went off the runway and over a hillside at the West Virginia airport Friday morning, an airport official said. (AP Photo/Ben Queen)

Police and rescue personnel work near the site of a fatal plane crash at Yeager Airport in Charleston, W. Va., Friday, May 5, 2017. A cargo plane contracted by UPS went off the runway and over a hillside at the West Virginia airport Friday morning, an airport official said. (AP Photo/Ben Queen)
PEKANBARU, Indonesia (AP) - Indonesian authorities said about 200 inmates remained at large two days after a mass escape from an overcrowded prison on Sumatra island.

The prison break Friday occurred when prisoners were let out of their cells at Sialang Bungkuk Prison in Pekanbaru, the capital of Riau province, to perform prayers. They broke through a prison door, overwhelming the few guards on duty.

Local police chief Susanto, who goes by one name, said 242 men were recaptured by Sunday morning leaving about 200 still at large.

Police officers escort a captured inmate following a prison break at the Sialang Bungkuk Prison in Pekanbaru, Riau province, Indonesia, Saturday, May 6, 2017. Indonesian authorities are searching for hundreds of inmates still at large after a jailbreak at the overcrowded prison on Sumatra island Friday. (AP Photo)

Authorities were initially uncertain about how many prisoners had escaped from the prison, estimating the numbers at between 100 and 300.

Police said some of the men surrendered or were returned by their families while others were captured by residents, police and soldiers.

Various officials have said the prisoners were angry at poor conditions and treatment. The prison has a capacity of about 360 but according to local police spokesman Guntur Aryo Tejo it is holding more than 1,870 men.

Tejo said four of the recaptured inmates were apprehended by police late Friday about 100 kilometers (62 miles) from the prison on a bus heading for neighboring West Sumatra province.

Hundreds of police and soldiers have been deployed since Friday in the hunt for the prisoners.

Jailbreaks are common in Indonesia where overcrowding has become a significant problem in prisons that are struggling to cope with poor funding and an influx of people arrested under a war on drugs.

Friday's escape was the biggest since July 2013 when about 240 prisoners, including several convicted terrorists, escaped following a deadly riot at a prison in Medan, the capital of North Sumatra province.
Meanwhile, staff of the corporation told the Crime Branch that the letter pad issued in the name of the mayor was fake.
LAS VEGAS (AP) - Saul "Canelo" Alvarez left no doubt who is the top active Mexican boxer by dominating Julio Cesar Chavez Jr.

Come September, Alvarez will get a chance to become the middleweight champion again.

Minutes after winning every round on all three judges' cards in a 12-round romp over Chavez, Alvarez invited Gennady Golovkin into the ring and announced a long-awaited clash on Sept. 16.

Canelo Alvarez, right, of Mexico, hits Julio Cesar Chavez Jr., of Mexico, during their catch weight boxing match, Saturday, May 6, 2017, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/John Locher)

The contract has already been signed. Only the venue is undetermined.

"GGG, you are next my friend. The fight is done," Alvarez said as the crowd cheered. "I've never feared anyone, since I was 16 fighting as a professional."

Alvarez (49-1-1, 34 KOs) used a punishing jab to take control early against Chavez in a matchup of former middleweight champions. The bigger Chavez (50-3-1, 32 KOs) started bleeding from the nose in the third round. His left eye swelled in the sixth and started to close a round later.

Alvarez, who went off as a 4-1 favorite, was much quicker than the largest fighter he's faced. He had a 228-71 edge in punches landed and an 83-15 advantage in jabs landed.

"Tonight, I showed I could move, I could box," Alvarez said. "I showed as a fighter I can do all things. I thought I was going to showcase myself as a fighter that could throw punches, but he just wouldn't do it."

Alvarez's team was so confident, they cut the deal with Golovkin before the bout. It didn't matter in this one-sided fight.

"Do you think I lost focus?" Alvarez said. "I consider myself a person of strong mental strength."

Alvarez had no choice after relinquishing his WBC belt last year to Golovkin when he declined to reach a fight deal.

"I feel very excited, right now is a different story," Golovkin said. "In September, it will be a different style, a big drama show. I'm ready."

The 31-year-old Chavez, son of iconic Mexican boxer Julio Cesar Chavez Sr., was trying to revitalize a career derailed by positive drug tests, weight issues and lax training. But he proved no match.

Chavez avoided a $1 million-per-pound penalty when he weighed in at 164 pounds Friday, a half-pound below the bout catchweight and the lightest he's been since losing his middleweight title to Sergio Martinez in 2012.

The 26-year-old Alvarez also weighed in at 164, nine pounds heavier than he's ever fought. Alvarez, whose lone loss was to Floyd Mayweather Jr., got against the ropes several times and absorbed combinations from Chavez before quickly recovering with uppercuts.

Despite a four-inch height advantage and an obvious weight edge after he rehydrated, Chavez was overmatched in his first fight under iconic trainer Ignacio "Nacho" Beristain.

Chavez's left eye was badly swollen in the post-fight press conference and he acknowledged he felt weaker having lost so much weight.

"If I would've attacked more I would've been countered by his punches. Nacho told me to do that but the strategy didn't work," Chavez said. "I couldn't throw as many punches as I wanted. My father kept telling me to throw more punches from the ringside."

A confident Canelo didn't bother to sit in his corner after the seventh round of a fight that wasn't nearly as competitive as hoped.

A week after Anthony Joshua stopped Wladimir Klitschko in the 11th round of a thrilling heavyweight bout in front of 90,000 fans at London's Wembley Stadium, the sport staged another big fight. Only this time there was a distinct Latino flavor.

Mexican bands played outside T-Mobile Arena more than three hours before the main undercard began. Many of the 20,510 fans inside the sold-out building wore either red (Canelo) or green (Chavez) headbands as they celebrated the Cinco de Mayo weekend by chanting "Mexico, Mexico."

There was tension between the two fighters along with political overtones as a commercial for the fight depicted both boxers bursting through President Donald Trump's proposed border wall.

The red-bearded Alvarez is normally mild-mannered, but he had criticized Chavez for his work ethic. Chavez then needled him for refusing to fight the bigger Golovkin.

Alvarez was guaranteed $5 million and Chavez $3 million. The September fight could produce an eight-figure purse for Alvarez.

"I've had difficult fights," Alvarez said, "and that will no doubt be a tough fight."

In the co-main event, former IBF middleweight champion David Lemieux of Montreal took a unanimous decision over stubborn Mexican Marco Reyes in a catchweight bout at 163 pounds.

A left by Lemieux (38-3) opened a large gash above Reyes' right eye in the second round. Lemieux later twice knocked out Reyes' mouthpiece with punches. But Reyes (35-5) stayed upright for 10 rounds as blood streamed down his face and onto his chest.

Other matches on the undercard included Lucas Matthysse, a former junior welterweight champ, ending a 20-month layoff by dropping Emmanuel Taylor (20-5) of Maryland twice before the referee stopped it in the fifth round. The Argentine (38-4) was making his welterweight debut.

Joseph "JoJo" Diaz Jr. (24-0) out-pointed fellow Californian Manuel "Tino" Avila (22-1) in a one-sided 10-round featherweight bout.

For much of the undercard, fans traded "Canelo" and "Chavez" chants on a festive night that brought out several stars, including Evander Holyfield.

Alvarez knows his next fight will be bigger.

"I expect the fight is going to be explosive and powerful," Alvarez said. "The styles are there. They should mesh together."

Canelo Alvarez, right, of Mexico, hits Julio Cesar Chavez Jr., of Mexico, during their catch weight boxing match, Saturday, May 6, 2017, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/John Locher)

Canelo Alvarez, right, of Mexico, gets hit by Julio Cesar Chavez Jr., of Mexico, during their catch weight boxing match, Saturday, May 6, 2017, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/John Locher)

Canelo Alvarez, left, of Mexico, fights Julio Cesar Chavez Jr., of Mexico, during their catch weight boxing match, Saturday, May 6, 2017, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/John Locher)

Canelo Alvarez, left, of Mexico, fights Julio Cesar Chavez Jr., of Mexico, during their catch weight boxing match, Saturday, May 6, 2017, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/John Locher)

Canelo Alvarez, right, of Mexico, hits Julio Cesar Chavez Jr., of Mexico, during their boxing match, Saturday, May 6, 2017, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/Isaac Brekken)
FOLKSTON, Ga. (AP) - Firefighters were battling Sunday to prevent a fire in a southern Georgia wildlife refuge from spreading, authorities said.

The Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge said in a statement that "extremely dangerous burning conditions persist" and that 11,000 acres (4,450 hectares) have been consumed by fire in the past two days. The unincorporated community of St. George is under a mandatory evacuation order and Charlton County schools have been closed for Monday. Wind gusts and dry conditions were raising the risk of the fire spreading.

The fire in total has burned 129,856 acres (52,550 hectares), and wind gusts and dry conditions were raising the risk of the fire spreading, the statement said.

In this Saturday, May 6, 2017 photo provided by the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge smoke rises from a wildfire east of Fargo, Ga. Firefighters were battling Sunday to prevent the fire from spreading, authorities said. (Ben Palm/Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge via AP)

Some 535 personnel had been assigned to fight the fire, along with 10 helicopters, 55 wildland fire engines, bulldozers and other equipment, the statement said. The fire is 12 percent contained.

The area, on the Georgia-Florida line, is also under a dense smoke advisory that is expected to impact visibility in the towns of St. George, Callahan, Ratliff and northern Duval County near the Jacksonville International airport. Some road closures were in effect and the main entrance to the refuge was closed.

A temporary shelter has been opened in the gymnasium at the Folkston Elementary School. County Administrator Shawn Boatright said it will stay open indefinitely.

"We're not sure what's going to happen right now, so it's open until further notice," he said.

He encouraged residents to bring whatever personal items they might need for an extended shelter stay.

The wildfire was sparked by lightning April 6 and has since burned almost entirely within the Okefenokee refuge boundaries - and some public forest land in north Florida - for the past month. However, fire spread to private land around the refuge Friday, burning an estimated 1,000 acres (405 hectares).
YOKOHAMA, Japan (AP) - The head of the Asian Development Bank said Sunday he is hoping the U.S. will step up and support the regional lender despite President Donald Trump's avowed preference for bilateral cooperation.

ADB President Takehiko Nakao told reporters at a news conference wrapping up the bank's annual meeting that it "isn't really good" that the second largest shareholder in the development bank is lacking a permanent appointee to the U.S. executive directorship.

Nakao said he hoped Washington would nominate an ambassador soon. Many such positions have yet to be filled, and the previous U.S. ambassador to the ADB was ordered back to the U.S. along with many other appointees of the previous administration.

Asian Development Bank (ADB) President Takehiko Nakao reacts as he listens to a reporter's question during the closing press conference of an ADB annual meeting in Yokohama, near Tokyo, Sunday, May 7, 2017. Nakao said Sunday he is hoping the U.S. will step up and support the regional lender despite President Donald Trump's avowed preference for bilateral cooperation. (AP Photo/Shizuo Kambayashi)

For a country that is a co-founder of one of the world's most influential lending institutions, the U.S. presence at the ADB annual meeting - one marking its 50th year of operations - was low key.

Japan is the largest donor to the ADB and plays a leading role in its management. It is unclear what Trump's "America First" foreign policy stance means for the ADB, or even for Asia in general.

Soon after taking office in January, Trump announced the U.S. would withdraw from the Trans-Pacific Partnership regional trade agreement, saying he prefers country-to-country trade deals.

Trump recently appointed Eli H. Miller, chief of staff at the Treasury Department, as acting director of both the ADB and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development pending a permanent appointment. Miller did not attend the ADB's annual meeting.

The top U.S. representative in Yokohama was Robert Kaproth, U.S. deputy assistant secretary for Asia.

The ADB is preparing to set its long-term strategy for the years leading to 2030, and Nakao said he intends to make the lender "stronger, better and faster."

He said the regional bank, which has dozens of member countries from the Asia-Pacific region and beyond, has been a relatively efficient source of support for development of a region that once was characterized by extreme poverty.

"The U.S. investment in Asia has been very efficient and productive. I hope the U.S. government will look at these issues and continue to invest in the ADB," Nakao said.

A top priority for the ADB and other regional institutions is to help countries weather natural disasters and other threats. Apart from investing in infrastructure such as power plants, bridges and hospitals, the ADB provided financial support for countries during the 1997 Asian financial crisis, and is seeking ways to leverage more private investment to help make up for shortfalls in funding.

One of the bank's key roles has been to help reduce risks for investments in developing countries, thanks to its strong links to local governments.

Asian Development Bank (ADB) President Takehiko Nakao speaks during the closing press conference of an ADB annual meeting in Yokohama, near Tokyo, Sunday, May 7, 2017. Nakao said Sunday he is hoping the U.S. will step up and support the regional lender despite President Donald Trump's avowed preference for bilateral cooperation. (AP Photo/Shizuo Kambayashi)

Asian Development Bank (ADB) President Takehiko Nakao speaks during the closing press conference of an ADB annual meeting in Yokohama, near Tokyo, Sunday, May 7, 2017. Nakao said Sunday he is hoping the U.S. will step up and support the regional lender despite President Donald Trump's avowed preference for bilateral cooperation. (AP Photo/Shizuo Kambayashi)
PARIS (AP) - Emmanuel Macron has been a star student, a champion of France's tech startup movement, an investment banker and economy minister.

But the man who will become France's youngest president has never held elected office. After a campaign based on promises to revive the country through pro-business and pro-European policies, the 39-year-old centrist independent defeated far-right nationalist Marine Le Pen and her protectionist, anti-immigration party.

In his victory speech, Macron vowed to "rebuild the relationship between Europe and the peoples that make it." He pledged to open a new page for France based on hope and "restored confidence."

French independent centrist presidential candidate, Emmanuel Macron is greeted by supporters after casting his vote in Le Touquet, France, Sunday, May 7, 2017. Voters across France are choosing a new president in an unusually tense and important election that could decide Europe's future, making a stark choice between pro-business progressive Emmanuel Macron and far-right populist Marine Le Pen. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus)

It won't be his first experience in the challenge of reforming France.

He quit his job as a banker at Rothschild to become Socialist President Francois Hollande's economic adviser, working for two years by Hollande's side at the presidential palace.

Then as economy minister in Hollande's government from 2014 to 2016, he promoted a package of measures, notably allowing more stores to open on Sundays and evenings and opening up regulated sectors of the economy.

Opponents on the left accused him of destroying workers' protections. Tens of thousands of people poured into the streets for months of protests, and the government had to force the law through parliament under special powers.

Last year, Macron launched his own political movement, En Marche, or In Motion, and quit the Socialist government. He promised to shake up the political landscape by appointing a government that includes new figures from business and civil society.

His next challenge will be to get a parliamentary majority in an election next month to make major changes - with no mainstream party to support him.

The strong advocate of a free market and entrepreneurial spirit has called for France to focus on getting benefits from globalization rather than the protectionist policies advocated by the far right.

In his political rallies, he encouraged supporters to wave both the French tricolor and the European Union flags.

Le Pen, who has tapped into working-class anger at the loss of jobs and once-secure futures, called him the face of "the world of finance," the candidate of "the caviar left."

"I'm not under control of the banks. If that was the case, I would have kept working for them," Macron answered.

Macron had an unexpected test of his political skills following the first round of the vote during what became known as "the battle of Whirlpool," when Le Pen upstaged him at a Whirlpool factory in Amiens that is threatened with closure.

Le Pen's surprise appearance put him on the defensive and prompted him to meet with angry Whirlpool workers later the same day. He was whistled and booed when he first arrived. But he stood his ground, patiently debating workers in often heated exchanges about how to stop French jobs from moving abroad.

In a country shaken by recent terror attacks, he pledged to boost the police and military as well as the intelligence services and to put pressure on internet giants to better monitor extremism online.

To improve Europe's security, he wants the EU to deploy some 5,000 European border guards to the external borders of the bloc's passport-free travel zone.

Macron did not campaign alone: His wife was never far away. Brigitte Macron, 24 years his senior, is his closest adviser, supporting him and helping prepare his speeches.

Macron and his wife have publicly described how their unusual romance started - when he was a student at the high school where she was teaching in Amiens in northern France. A married mother of three at the time, she was supervising the drama club. Macron, a literature lover, was a member.

Macron moved to Paris for his last year of high school.

"We called each other all the time. We spent hours on the phone, hours and hours," Brigitte Macron recalled in a televised documentary. "Little by little, he overcame all my resistances in an unbelievable way, with patience."

She eventually moved to the French capital to join him and divorced. They married in 2007. Emmanuel Macron says he wants to formalize the job of first lady, adding "she has her word to say in this."

Following his victory speech in the courtyard of the Louvre, his wife appeared on stage by his side, with tears in her eyes.

___

AP video journalist David Keyton contributed to the story.

French independent centrist presidential candidate Emmanuel Macron shakes hands with well-wishers as he leaves the polling station after casting his ballot in the presidential runoff election in Le Touquet, France, Sunday, May 7, 2017. Voters across France are choosing a new president in an unusually tense and important election that could decide Europe's future, making a stark choice between pro-business progressive candidate Emmanuel Macron and far-right populist Marine Le Pen. (AP Photo/Christophe Ena)

French President-elect Emmanuel Macron gestures as he speaks during a victory celebration outside the Louvre museum in Paris, France, Sunday, May 7, 2017. Speaking to thousands of supporters from the Louvre Museum's courtyard, Macron said that France is facing an "immense task" to rebuild European unity, fix the economy and ensure security against extremist threats. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus)

French independent centrist presidential candidate Emmanuel Macron, center, waves as he leaves the polling station after casting his ballot in the presidential runoff election in Le Touquet, France, Sunday, May 7, 2017. Voters across France are choosing a new president in an unusually tense and important election that could decide Europe's future, making a stark choice between pro-business progressive candidate Emmanuel Macron and far-right populist Marine Le Pen. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus)

French independent centrist presidential candidate, Emmanuel Macron is greeted by supporters as he arrives to cast his ballot in Le Touquet, France, Sunday, May 7, 2017. Voters across France are choosing a new president in an unusually tense and important election that could decide Europe's future, making a stark choice between pro-business progressive Emmanuel Macron and far-right populist Marine Le Pen. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus)
ABUJA, Nigeria (AP) - Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari expressed joy at meeting Sunday with the 82 Chibok schoolgirls newly freed after being held captive for three years by Boko Haram Islamic extremists.

"We've always made it clear that we will do everything in our power to ensure the freedom & safe return of our daughters" and all captives of Boko Haram, Buhari said on his Twitter account.

But the president then announced he was leaving Sunday night for more medical checkups in London, renewing fears about the 74-year-old's health after he spent a month and a half on medical leave earlier this year and said he'd never been as sick in his life. The exact nature of his illness remained unclear. He has missed three straight weekly Cabinet meetings.

'Bring Back Our Girls' campaigners celebrate the release of the kidnapped Chibok school girls at the unity fountain in Abuja, Nigeria, Sunday, May. 7, 2017. Five Boko Haram commanders were released in exchange for the freedom of 82 Chibok schoolgirls kidnapped by the extremist group three years ago, a Nigerian government official said Sunday, as the girls were expected to meet with the country's president and their families. (AP Photo/ Sunday Alamba)

The news shook Africa's most populous country even as it rejoiced in the Chibok schoolgirls' return.

Photos tweeted by the president showed dozens of the girls at Buhari's official residence Sunday evening, a day after their release.

"The president was delighted to receive them and he promised that all that is needed to be done to reintegrate them into the society will be done," adviser Femi Adesina said. "He promised that the presidency will personally supervise their rehabilitation."

The young women have been handed over to government officials who will supervise their re-entry into society, Adesina said. The International Committee of the Red Cross, which helped negotiate the girls' release along with the Swiss government, said they would be reunited with their families soon.

Five Boko Haram commanders were released in exchange for the girls' freedom, a Nigerian government official said Sunday. The official spoke on condition of anonymity as he was not authorized to speak to reporters on the matter. Neither Nigeria's government nor Boko Haram, which has links to the Islamic State group, gave details about the exchange.

Parents of the schoolgirls were waiting for a government list of names of those who had been freed.

Some parents of the kidnapped girls gathered in the capital, Abuja, to celebrate the release, while others expressed anxiety over the fate of the 113 girls who remain missing after the mass abduction from a Chibok boarding school in 2014.

The Rev. Enoch Mark, whose two daughters have been among the missing, was still awaiting word if they were among those freed. He emphasized that he considered all 82 of the girls to be his daughters "because most of them worship in my church."

Some parents did not live long enough to see their daughters released, underscoring the tragedy of the three-year saga. And the recovery process is expected to be a long one for the girls, many of whom endured sexual assault during their captivity.

"They will face a long and difficult process to rebuild their lives after the indescribable horror and trauma they have suffered at the hands of Boko Haram," said Pernille Ironside, acting representative of UNICEF Nigeria.

Boko Haram seized a total of 276 girls in the 2014 abduction. Girls who escaped early on said some of their classmates had died from illness. Others did not want to come home because they'd been radicalized by their captors, they said.

Human rights advocates also fear some of the girls have been used by Boko Haram to carry out suicide bombings.

Last year, a first group of 21 Chibok girls was freed in October, and they have been in government care for medical attention, trauma counseling and rehabilitation. Human rights groups have criticized the decision to keep the girls in custody in Abuja, nearly 900 kilometers (560 miles) from Chibok.

It was not immediately clear whether the newly freed girls would join them.

They should be quickly released to their families and not be subjected to lengthy government detention, Amnesty International's Nigeria office said, adding that the girls don't deserve to be put through a "publicity stunt" and deserve privacy.

Though Boko Haram has abducted thousands of people during its eight-year insurgency that has spilled across Nigeria's borders, the Chibok mass kidnapping horrified the world and brought the extremist group international attention.

The failure of Nigeria's former government to act quickly to free the girls sparked a global Bring Back Our Girls movement; U.S. first lady Michelle Obama posted a photo with its logo on social media.

The Bring Back Our Girls campaign said Sunday it was happy that Nigeria's government had committed to rescuing the 113 remaining schoolgirls, and it urged the president to "earnestly pursue" the release of everyone held by Boko Haram.

Buhari late last year announced Boko Haram had been "crushed," but the group continues to carry out attacks in northern Nigeria and neighboring countries. Its insurgency has killed more than 20,000 people and driven 2.6 million from their homes, with millions facing starvation.

___

Associated Press writers Haruna Umar in Maiduguri, Nigeria and Sunday Alamba in Abuja, Nigeria contributed.

Martha Mark, who says two of her daughters are missing and that she is hoping they are among the girls released, attends the daily 'Bring Back Our Girls' rally at the unity fountain in Abuja, Nigeria, Sunday, May 7, 2017. Five Boko Haram commanders were released in exchange for the freedom of 82 Chibok schoolgirls kidnapped by the extremist group three years ago, a Nigerian government official said Sunday, as the girls were expected to meet with the country's president and their families. (AP Photo/Sunday Alamba)

Esther Yakubu, a woman who says one of her daughter is missing waits for news if she is among the girls released in Abuja, Nigeria, Sunday, May. 7, 2017. Five Boko Haram commanders were released in exchange for the freedom of 82 Chibok schoolgirls kidnapped by the extremist group three years ago, a Nigerian government official said Sunday, as the girls were expected to meet with the country's president and their families. (AP Photo/ Sunday Alamba)

Chibok school girls recently freed from Boko Haram captivity are seen in Abuja, Nigeria, Sunday, May 7, 2017. The 82 freed Chibok schoolgirls arrived in Nigeria's capital on Sunday to meet President Muhammadu Buhari as anxious families awaited an official list of names and looked forward to reuniting three years after the mass abduction. (AP Photo/ Olamikan Gbemiga)

Rev. Enoch Mark, who says two of his daughters are missing and he is hoping they are among the girls released, attends the daily 'Bring Back Our Girls' rally at the unity fountain in Abuja, Nigeria, Sunday, May 7, 2017. Five Boko Haram commanders were released in exchange for the freedom of 82 Chibok schoolgirls kidnapped by the extremist group three years ago, a Nigerian government official said Sunday, as the girls were expected to meet with the country's president and their families. (AP Photo/ Sunday Alamba)

Aisha Yusuf, a 'Bring Back Our Girls' campaigner, speaks on the release of the kidnapped Chibok School Girls at the unity fountain in Abuja, Nigeria, Sunday, May 7, 2017. Five Boko Haram commanders were released in exchange for the freedom of 82 Chibok schoolgirls kidnapped by the extremist group three years ago, a Nigerian government official said Sunday, as the girls were expected to meet with the country's president and their families. (AP Photo/ Sunday Alamba)

Chibok school girls recently freed from Boko Haram captivity are seen in Abuja, Nigeria, Sunday, May 7, 2017. The 82 freed Chibok schoolgirls arrived in Nigeria's capital on Sunday to meet President Muhammadu Buhari as anxious families awaited an official list of names and looked forward to reuniting three years after the mass abduction. (AP Photo/ Olamikan Gbemiga)

Chibok school girls recently freed from Boko Haram captivity are seen in Abuja, Nigeria, Sunday, May 7, 2017. The 82 freed Chibok schoolgirls arrived in Nigeria's capital on Sunday to meet President Muhammadu Buhari as anxious families awaited an official list of names and looked forward to reuniting three years after the mass abduction. (AP Photo/ Olamikan Gbemiga)

Chibok school girls recently freed from Boko Haram captivity are seen in Abuja, Nigeria, Sunday, May 7, 2017. The 82 freed Chibok schoolgirls arrived in Nigeria's capital on Sunday to meet President Muhammadu Buhari as anxious families awaited an official list of names and looked forward to reuniting three years after the mass abduction. (AP Photo/ Olamikan Gbemiga)

Chibok school girls recently freed from Boko Haram captivity are seen in Abuja, Nigeria, Sunday, May 7, 2017. The 82 freed Chibok schoolgirls arrived in Nigeria's capital on Sunday to meet President Muhammadu Buhari as anxious families awaited an official list of names and looked forward to reuniting three years after the mass abduction. (AP Photo/ Olamikan Gbemiga)

Chibok school girls recently freed from Boko Haram captivity are seen in Abuja, Nigeria, Sunday, May 7, 2017. The 82 freed Chibok schoolgirls arrived in Nigeria's capital on Sunday to meet President Muhammadu Buhari as anxious families awaited an official list of names and looked forward to reuniting three years after the mass abduction. (AP Photo/ Olamikan Gbemiga)

Rev. Enoch Mark, centre, who says two of his daughters are missing and he is hoping they are among the girls released, attends the daily 'Bring Back Our Girls' rally at the unity fountain in Abuja, Nigeria, Sunday, May 7, 2017. Five Boko Haram commanders were released in exchange for the freedom of 82 Chibok schoolgirls kidnapped by the extremist group three years ago, a Nigerian government official said Sunday, as the girls were expected to meet with the country's president and their families. (AP Photo/ Sunday Alamba)

'Bring Back Our Girls' campaigners celebrate the release of the kidnapped Chibok school girls at the unity fountain in Abuja, Nigeria, Sunday, May 7, 2017. Five Boko Haram commanders were released in exchange for the freedom of 82 Chibok schoolgirls kidnapped by the extremist group three years ago, a Nigerian government official said Sunday, as the girls were expected to meet with the country's president and their families. (AP Photo/ Sunday Alamba)
MOGADISHU, Somalia (AP) - A regional leader of the al-Shabab extremist group has been killed in a raid by Somalia's military, the government announced Sunday, as the country's new offensive against the fighters moves ahead.

The statement by Somalia's information minister said Lower Shabelle regional leader Moalin Osman Abdi Badil and three associates were killed Friday in Bariire village west of the capital, Mogadishu.

There is no immediate comment from the extremist group.

The raid came a day after a U.S. service member was killed while supporting an operation by Somalia's military in the same area. The Pentagon called it the first U.S. combat death in Somalia since 1993. That's when U.S. forces pulled out of the Horn of Africa nation in the wake of the "Black Hawk Down" incident in which two helicopters were shot down and bodies of American soldiers were dragged through the streets.

Both Somalia and the U.S. are stepping up efforts against the Somalia-based al-Shabab, which has carried out attacks in other parts of East Africa and continues to target the Somali capital with deadly bombings.

Somalia's new President Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed on April 6 declared the country a war zone and launched a new offensive against al-Shabab, while offering the extremists a 60-day amnesty period to surrender.

"Leave al-Shabab now," the government statement said Sunday. "Defect, as many of your brothers are beginning to do."

Somalia's military is under growing pressure to take full responsibility for the long-chaotic country's security as a multinational African Union force prepares to start withdrawing in 2018. The U.S. military has been supporting Somalia in recent years with a small number of special operations forces and counter-terror advisers, along with a number of airstrikes against al-Shabab.
SEOUL, South Korea (AP) - North Korea has detained another American citizen accused of committing unspecified hostile acts against the country.

The country's official Korean Central News Agency said Kim Hak Song was detained Saturday and that "a relevant institution is now conducting detailed investigation into his crimes."

He worked at Pyongyang University of Science and Technology, the same workplace as another American, accounting instructor Kim Sang Dok, whose detention was announced last Wednesday. The KCNA didn't say whether the two cases are connected.

FILE - This image made from May 21, 2014, video shows the Pyongyang University of Science and Technology. The country's official Korean Central News Agency said Kim Hak Song was detained Saturday, May 6, 2017, and that "a relevant institution is now conducting detailed investigation into his crimes." He worked at Pyongyang University of Science and Technology, the same workplace as another American, accounting instructor Kim Sang Dok, whose detention was announced on May 3. The KCNA didn't say whether the two cases are connected. (AP Photo/File)

The university said in a statement early Monday that Kim Hak Song was doing agricultural development work at an experimental farm. It said his detention was not related to his work at the university and therefore it could not comment further.

In Washington, the State Department said it was aware of the report of the new detention and that "the security of U.S. citizens is one of the department's highest priorities."

Kim Sang Dok, the former accounting instructor at the Pyongyang university, was arrested at the Pyongyang International Airport on April 22, the KCNA said. It said he was "intercepted for committing criminal acts" to overthrow the North's government, but didn't elaborate.

The Pyongyang University of Science and Technology is the only privately funded university in North Korea and is unique for having a large number of foreign staff.

South Korea, the U.S. and others often accuse North Korea of using foreign detainees to wrest diplomatic concessions, which have sometimes involved high-profile Americans sent to secure the release of the Americans.

Two other Americans detained in North Korea 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.

When an American citizen is reported detained, the U.S. works with the Swedish Embassy in the North Korean capital, since the U.S. and the North do not have diplomatic relations.

North Korea's announcement of the detainments comes amid tensions over fears that Pyongyang is preparing another round of nuclear or missile tests and comments. U.S. President Donald Trump has further spiked animosity by saying he isn't ruling out military action against the North, although Trump has also said he would be willing to talk with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un under the right circumstances.

North Korea on Friday accused the U.S. and South Korean spy agencies of an unsuccessful assassination attempt on leader Kim Jong Un involving biochemical weapons.
LONDON (AP) - Police in Ireland are refusing to comment on a blasphemy complaint and investigation involving British comedian Stephen Fry.

The inquiry came to light when the Irish Independent newspaper reported Saturday that a member of the public had contacted police about remarks Fry made in 2015 to Irish broadcaster RTE.

The individual told the newspaper it was his duty to complain under the Defamation Act, which makes blasphemy a crime punishable by a fine of up to 25,000 euros ($27,500.)

FILE - In this Friday, Jan. 9, 2015 file photo, British actor and comedian Stephen Fry poses for photographers during a photocall to mark the announcement of the BAFTA (British Academy of Film and Television Arts) award nominations in London. Police in Ireland are refusing to comment on a blasphemy complaint and investigation involving comedian Stephen Fry. The inquiry came to light when the Irish Independent newspaper reported Saturday, May 6, 2017 that a member of the public had contacted police because of remarks Fry made in 2015 to Irish broadcaster RTE. (AP Photo/Matt Dunham, File)

In the interview, Fry was asked what he would say if he were confronted by God.

He replied: "How dare you create a world in which there is such misery that is not our fault? It's not right."

Police say they won't comment on an "ongoing investigation."

Fry's agent, Christian Hodell, also declined to comment.
PORT ORCHARD, Wash. (AP) - The dark gray fish prized for its buttery flavor live deep in the ocean, so researchers keep their lab cold and dark to simulate ideal conditions for sablefish larvae.

A biologist shines his dim red headlamp and uses an ultrasound to scan the belly of an anesthetized sablefish about the length of his forearm to tell if it's female and has eggs to collect. He gently squeezes out hundreds of tiny, translucent eggs into a glass beaker.

After the eggs are fertilized externally, they'll grow in large indoor tanks and some in floating net pens in Washington state's Puget Sound to be used for research.

In this photo taken March 28, 2017, Bill Fairgrieve, a fisheries research biologist with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, holds a sablefish at a research facility in Manchester, Wash. Scientists are studying sablefish genetics and investigating ways to make it easier and more efficient to commercially grow and farm the fish as part of a larger effort by NOAA to support marine aquaculture as a possible solution to feed a growing demand worldwide for seafood. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren)

At this federal marine research station near Seattle, scientists are studying sablefish genetics and investigating ways to make it easier and more efficient to commercially grow the fish.

It is part of a larger effort by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to support marine aquaculture as a solution to feed a growing demand worldwide for seafood.

People are consuming more fish than in previous decades, with average worldwide per capita consumption hitting 43 pounds (20 kilograms) a year, according to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Fish consumption is expected to grow even more in coming years.

NOAA says aquaculture can relieve pressure on fishing populations and promote economic growth.

Fishermen along the U.S. West Coast, mostly in Alaska, catch millions of pounds of wild sablefish each year but no commercial sablefish net-pen farming exists in the U.S.

Sablefish, also known as black cod or butterfish, are long-lived species that is native to the northeast Pacific Ocean and highly valued in Asia for its beneficial nutrients and delicate flavor. The fish are grilled, smoked, poached, roasted or served as sushi.

Michael Rubino, who directs the NOAA aquaculture program, noted that practices for farming fish in the U.S. meet very strict environmental regulations.

But some critics worry large-scale farms could harm wild fish stocks and ocean health, and some commercial fishermen worry about potential competition.

"This would be a big threat for us," said Robert Alverson, executive director of the Fishing Vessel Owners' Association, a Seattle-based group that represents about 95 commercial fishermen in Alaska, Oregon, Washington and California.

In 2015, fisherman harvested about 35 million pounds (16 million kilograms) of sablefish worth $113 million in the United States, all along the U.S. West Coast.

Of that, nearly two-thirds, or about 23 million pounds (10 million kilograms), were caught in Alaska, with smaller amounts in Oregon, Washington and California. Nearly half of the sablefish caught in the United States is exported, with a majority going to Japan.

"Our fear is that science isn't going to stay in the U.S., and it will be exported to a Third World country where people work for a few bucks a day," Alverson said. "They'll raise it with low-valued labor and use our science to undercut our commercial fishery and coastal communities."

Alaska law prohibits finfish farming.

Rubino and others say wild harvests and aquaculture can complement each other, particularly during months when there are lower catch limits for wild sablefish.

"You always have this yin-yang problem between fisheries and aquaculture," Rick Goetz, who leads the marine fish and shellfish biology program at the Manchester Research Station, across Puget Sound from Seattle. "The big problem is allaying the fears of people that you can have both. You can have both of those things working, particularly because this fish is such a high-value product."

In recent years, NOAA Fisheries scientists have worked to reduce potential barriers to sablefish aquaculture. They have developed techniques to produce all-female stocks of sablefish that grow faster and much bigger than males in about 24 months. Ideal market size is roughly 5  pounds (2  kilograms).

They've also studied different ways to reduce the costs of feeding juvenile fish, increase larvae survival rates and decrease deformities.

One research project is replacing more expensive algae with clay that is used to help sablefish larvae better find their prey. Another looked at finding the optimal temperature to increase larval growth.

Wild fish are caught off the Washington coast and used to develop captive brood stocks, or mature fish that are used for breeding.

At the facility, the fertilized eggs grow in silos in dark, cold rooms before being moved to other indoor tanks where they're fed a steady diet of brined shrimp and other food. Large circular tanks hold fish in different growth stages.

The facility produces about 10,000 all-female fingerlings, or juveniles about an inch (25 millimeters) long, each year.

It has sent some fish to a Texas company that uses land-based recirculation tanks to grow fish, as well as others interested in sablefish aquaculture.

NOAA Fisheries also is working with a Native American tribe in Washington state to get a pilot project to grow sablefish in net pens outside the research facility at Manchester. The tribe and others have applied for a federal grant.

Kurt Grinnell, aquaculture manager for the Jamestown S'Kallam Tribe, said the tribe is very interested in sablefish aquaculture for many reasons.

"It's a native fish to our area. It's a very robust fish. It's very sought-after. It's got great market value," he said. "Over time, our country and other countries will have to get their protein source somewhere, and we believe this is one way to meet that demand."

In this photo taken March 28, 2017, Ken Massee, right, and Cort Jensen, left, biologists with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, collect eggs from a sablefish at a research facility in Manchester, Wash. The silvery-black fish prized for their buttery flavor live deep in the ocean, so researchers keep their labs cold and dark to simulate ideal conditions for sablefish larvae. Scientists are studying sablefish genetics and investigating ways to make it easier and more efficient to commercially grow and farm the fish. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren)

In this photo taken March 28, 2017, Rick Goetz, a program manager with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, checks on sablefish larvae growing in tanks where they feed on green algae at a research facility in Manchester, Wash. Scientists are studying sablefish genetics and investigating ways to make it easier and more efficient to commercially grow and farm the fish. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren)

In this photo taken March 28, 2017, tiny sablefish larvae swim in a tank where they feed on green algae at a research facility in Manchester, Wash. Scientists are studying sablefish genetics and investigating ways to make it easier and more efficient to commercially grow and farm the fish. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren)

In this photo taken March 28, 2017, Bill Fairgrieve, a fisheries research biologist with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, checks on a tank housing sablefish at a research facility in Manchester, Wash. Scientists are studying sablefish genetics and investigating ways to make it easier and more efficient to commercially grow and farm the fish as part of a larger effort by NOAA to support marine aquaculture as a possible solution to feed a growing demand worldwide for seafood. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren)

In this photo taken March 28, 2017, sablefish swim in a tank at a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration research facility in Manchester, Wash. Scientists are studying sablefish genetics and investigating ways to make it easier and more efficient to commercially grow and farm the fish. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren)

This photo taken March 28, 2017 shows outdoor fish pens used to house sablefish at a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration research facility in Manchester, Wash. Scientists are studying sablefish genetics and investigating ways to make it easier and more efficient to commercially grow and farm the fish. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren)

In this photo taken March 28, 2017, Rick Goetz, a program manager with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, explains the life cycle of a sablefish using a poster at a research facility in Manchester, Wash. Scientists are studying sablefish genetics and investigating ways to make it easier and more efficient to commercially grow and farm the fish. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren)
Hundreds have honoured the victims of the Hindenburg airship disaster at a ceremony in New Jersey, 80 years on.

A wreath-laying ceremony was held on Saturday at the Lakehurst Naval Air Station, where the massive German airship crashed to the ground in flames on May 6 1937, after a transatlantic crossing.

Thirty-five of the 97 people on board died, along with one person on the ground.

Wreaths are placed for the victims of the Hindenburg crash. (AP)

Sixty-two others aboard the airship survived, but only one of them remains alive today.

The ceremony was organised by the Navy Lakehurst Historical Society, which preserves airship history. About 600 people attended the ceremony.

The event also paid tribute to military service members who have given their lives.

(AP)

On Friday the historical society played newsreels of the disaster, and Herb Morrisons recorded report in which he uttered the now-immortal exclamation: Oh, the humanity!

Morrisons words were not heard live, nor were they initially linked to the film shot by newsreel crews.

But it was one of the first moments in media history that had a broadcaster reacting to something totally unexpected.

An airship weather vane flies above a memorial honouring the victims of the Hindenburg crash. (AP)

The US Commerce Department determined the accident was caused by a leak of the hydrogen that kept the airship aloft. It mixed with air, causing a fire.

The theory that a brush discharge ignited such mixture appears most probable, the departments report said.

The New York City Fire Museum in Lower Manhattan unveiled the Hindenburgs Lloyds of London insurance document on Thursday.

The policy for the airship, which lists underwriters and insurance brokers, was valued at six million Reichsmarks, which in 1937 amounted to nearly 11.6 million. Now, according to Forbes, that would be about 62 million.
Around 100 eels and some fish have been killed after a stream in south-east Wales was polluted.

Natural Resources Wales (NRW) officers were investigating following reports that a stream running through Llantwit Major in the Vale of Glamorgan was running a milky colour.

Fish killed in a pollution incident on a stream in Llantwit Major, Vale of Glamorgan. https://t.co/WmsstMt8EL pic.twitter.com/KcabSgBsj2  Cyfoeth Naturiol Cymru | Natural Resources Wales (@NatResWales) May 6, 2017

About 100 eels died as well as a number of brown trout, the environment body said.

Dead eels in a stream running through Llantwit Major in the Vale of Glamorgan

Chris Rees, the NRW team leader, said: Our officers are working today to try and identify the source of the pollution and are assessing any further impact on the river.

If we find the source we will make sure no further pollution is happening and will take enforcement action against those responsible if appropriate.
Theresa May is battling for Britain against European Union (EU) countries who want the UK to fail, a Cabinet minister has claimed.

Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt said a bad Brexit outcome could be a disaster for the NHS as he repeated Tory claims that Brussels officials were attempting to undermine the Prime Minister.

His comments came as a British former ambassador to the EU criticised Mrs Mays approach to the crucial Brexit talks.

Jeremy Hunt (Jeff Overs/BBC/PA)

Bad Brexit outcome will be a "disaster" for the NHS, says @Jeremy_Hunt #marr pic.twitter.com/RgTGn8UZ0n  The Andrew Marr Show (@MarrShow) May 7, 2017

Lord Kerr, who wrote Article 50  the European legal process for Brexit, said the Government had spent more time negotiating with itself than seeking the views of the 27 other EU states.

Mr Hunts comments, on BBC Ones Andrew Marr Show, come after the Prime Ministers explosive claim that European politicians and officials were seeking to meddle in the outcome of the June 8 General Election.

The Health Secretary said: If we dont get a good Brexit outcome and we dont protect the economic recovery, the jobs that so many people depend on whose taxes pay for the NHS; if we get a bad Brexit outcome, that would be disaster for the NHS.

The choice that people face is do they want a strong Theresa May doing those very difficult negotiations  weve got 27 countries lined up against us, some of them appear to think that for the EU to survive Britain must fail.

With some in Brussels determined not to let Brexit talks be a success, our country needs strong and stable leadership to get the right deal. pic.twitter.com/bbcckCcHd4  Theresa May (@theresa_may) May 3, 2017

He added: There is something very different about this election because, in a normal election, you are choosing a prime minister for the next five years, but this time we are choosing a prime minister who will do the Brexit negotiations that will last for generations.

Mr Hunt said it was very plain for everyone to see how Brussels was seeking to influence the election, pointing to the leaks about a difficult dinner in Downing Street attended by European Commission president Jean-Claude Juncker.

They didnt have to leak these reports to newspapers of dinners that happened in the middle of an election campaign, he said. It is the wrong approach to negotiations.

He added: The answer is very clear that they are trying to leak reports that undermine Theresa Mays position.

"There is a lot of new money going into mental health services" Health Secretary @Jeremy_Hunt tells #marr pic.twitter.com/oyUpl7IIik  The Andrew Marr Show (@MarrShow) May 7, 2017

The impact of Brexit on the NHS is highly contentious, with fears about the citizenship status of EU medics and the lingering row about the Leave campaigns pledge of extra funding once contributions to Brussels have ceased.

Lord Kerr told BBC Radio 4s Broadcasting House that the UK should be on the front foot in the negotiations but Mrs May had failed to properly set out her position.

Why havent we put forward a proposal for the framework for the future relationship which has to be agreed under Article 50? The words are in Article 50.

You cant settle the money without settling on the future framework. Why havent we put forward a draft framework describing how on, say, foreign policy, security policy, anti-terrorism, anti-global warming, anti-crime?

We want to remain very close to these people, who are our most important partners and neighbours. I feel that we missed a tactical point there but I think its also a strategic point.
Maria Sharapova set up a grudge match against Eugenie Bouchard as she continued her return from a drugs ban with a first-round win at the Madrid Open on Sunday.

Sharapovas three-set triumph over Mirjana Lucic-Baroni means she will next meet the Canadian, who branded Sharapova a cheater prior to her return to competitive action.

Bouchard, who won her first-round match against Alize Cornet on Saturday, said she believed the Russian should have been banned for life rather then the 15-month sentence she served for taking meldonium.

Maria Sharapova (Empics/PA)

She told reporters last month: Shes a cheater and I dont think a cheater in any sport should be allowed to play that sport again

Its so unfair to all the other players who do it the right way and are true. (Shes) definitely not someone I can look up to any more.

Sharapova beat Lucic-Baroni 4-6 6-4 6-0 in her second tournament back after making the semi-finals on her return in Stuttgart last month.
Jonny Bairstows irresistible late hitting gave England a telling advantage as they wrapped up a 2-0 Royal London Series success with an 85-run win over Ireland at Lords.

Captain Eoin Morgan (76) and ultra-reliable number three Joe Root (73) put England in handy shape with a third-wicket stand of 140, before Bairstow (72no) and Adil Rashid took over in a total of 328 for six.

Root and Morgan departed within the space of three overs, and it therefore fell to the all-Bradford alliance of Bairstow and Rashid to take toll of a flagging attack.

Jonny Bristow (David Davies/PA)

What a yorker! England win by 85 runs! See ALL the wickets here: https://t.co/I9jhwzDni3 pic.twitter.com/mtZCZacCg5  England Cricket (@englandcricket) May 7, 2017

It was enough to put the onus squarely on the touring batsmen on their Lords international debut - and despite the flying start provided by Paul Stirling on his home ground, and a half-century from captain William Porterfield (82) back at the venue where he was once an MCC Young Cricketer, a successful chase was not in the offing for long on the way to 243 all out.

As on Friday at Bristol, a combination of spin from Root (three for 52) and Rashid - who snared danger man Kevin OBrien - did its share of the damage.

After being put in under initially cloudy skies, Englands batsmen did not fluff their lines either - although Morgan had one moment of fortune on 39, when a ball from Stirling trickled back off his pads on to the base of the stumps but did not dislodge the bails.

Otherwise, after he and Root joined forces at 60 for two, Englands progress was largely seamless if at first slightly conservative.

Openers Alex Hales and Jason Roy both failed to cash in their handy starts.

Tim Murtagh got one to go up the slope and bowl Hales through the gate, and then Barry McCarthy had Roy driving straight into the hands of short cover in his first over.

Root made it five 50s in his last seven innings - among which one of his failures was an unbeaten 49 against these same opponents two days ago.

There was an inevitability about his latest run-a-ball contribution, but equally it was not especially surprising either that when the time came to up the ante it was he who failed to beat mid-off with an attempted hit over the top off Peter Chase.

Soon afterwards Morgan became the second batsman to fall in the first over of a McCarthy spell - advancing as he had previously to good effect against pace, only this time chipping a catch to cover.

But after Sam Billings picked out long-on off George Dockrell, Bairstow raced to a 38-ball half-century, hitting six fours, as he and Rashid supplied the much-needed late thrust in a smash-and-scurry sixth-wicket stand of 88 in under eight overs.

For good measure, Bairstow then clubbed three sixes among 22 runs from the last five balls he faced as 51 came from the last three overs.

Stirling carved eight fours and a six from 42 balls to give the Irish reply a flying start, and reason to believe.

But the introduction of Jake Ball first stifled the stocky right-hander and then had him edging behind.

Wicket! Big wicket too, captain @purdy34 goes for well made 82 off 83 balls with @Irelandcricket 223/7, well batted skip! #BackingGreen  Cricket Ireland (@cricketireland) May 7, 2017

Stirlings opening partner Ed Joyce fell victim to Root with a delivery which was darted in from round the wicket and clattered into leg-stump.

Andy Balbirnie also got in a tangle at the other end to fall lbw to Liam Plunkett (three for 23), as England began to stall momentum by picking up regular wickets.

Root, who belied his billing as a part-time spinner to bowl his full 10 overs, took advantage as Niall OBrien and Gary Wilson both holed out in the deep.

Then Rashid had OBriens younger brother mistiming another attempted big hit into the leg-side ring, leaving England in a degree of comfort.

Porterfield, dropped by Root off Rashid from a leading edge to cover on 42, kept the margin of defeat respectable with six fours and a six from 83 balls until he was bowled round his legs off his pads by the returning Mark Wood as the last four wickets fell for 20 runs.
An American citizen has been detained in North Korea over unspecified hostile acts against the country.

North Koreas official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said Kim Hak Song, an employee of the Pyongyang University of Science and Technology, was detained on Saturday.

North Korea on Wednesday announced the detention of an accounting instructor at the same university, Kim Sang Dok, for acts of hostility aimed to overturn the country. The KCNA did not say whether the two cases are connected.

A man watches a television screen showing President Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un (Ahn Young-joon/AP)

A relevant institution is now conducting detailed investigation into his crimes, the KCNA said about Kim Hak Song.

Kim Hak Song is among at least four Americans being detained in North Korea. The others 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.

Kim Sang Dok, the former accounting instructor at the Pyongyang university, was arrested at the Pyongyang International Airport on April 22, the KCNA said. It said he was intercepted for committing criminal acts to overthrow the Norths government.

The Pyongyang University of Science and Technology is the only privately-funded university in North Korea and is unique for having a large number of foreign staff.

Washington, Seoul and others often accuse North Korea of using foreign detainees to wrest diplomatic concessions, which in recent years have involved high-profile American missions sent to secure the release of the Americans.

North Koreas announcement of the detentions comes amid tensions over fears that Pyongyang is preparing another round of nuclear or missile tests.

US President Donald Trump has further spiked animosity by saying he is not ruling out military action against the North, although he has also said he would be willing to talk with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un under the right circumstances.

North Korea on Friday accused the US and South Korean spy agencies of an unsuccessful assassination attempt on Kim Jong Un involving biochemical weapons.
CAIRO, May 6 (Reuters) - The head of Egypt's Al-Azhar university, the 1,000-year-old seat of Sunni Muslim learning, has been replaced after describing a leading Islamic researcher as an apostate, official media reports said on Saturday.

Al-Azhar said its Grand Imam, Sheikh Ahmed al-Tayeb, had named Mohamed Hussein al-Mahrsawy, dean of the Arabic language faculty, as the university's acting president following the resignation of Ahmed Hosny and pending the appointment of a permanent successor.

The ahramonline news site said Hosny had quit after being criticised for describing researcher Islam El-Behery, known for controversial interpretations of Islamic jurisprudence, as an apostate.

The shake-up comes as the university, one of the most prominent Sunni academic institutions, faces criticism from Egypt's parliament and sections of the media, who say its clerics have resisted pressure to modernise their religious discourse to help the fight against extremism.

Al-Azhar last month played host to Pope Francis, who visited Cairo to improve relations between Catholics and Muslims. (Reporting by Ali Abdelatti; Writing by Giles Elgood; Editing by Hugh Lawson)
By Ingrid Melander

PARIS, May 7 (Reuters) - After a tumultuous election campaign filled with scandal and surprises, French voters will decide on Sunday whether a pro-European Union centrist or an anti-EU, anti-immigration far-rightist will lead them for the next five years.

Opinion polls indicate they will pick Emmanuel Macron, a 39-year-old ex-economy minister who wants to bridge the left-right divide, resisting an anti-establishment tide that has seen Britons vote to leave the EU and Americans choose Donald Trump as U.S. president.

But should an upset occur and National Front candidate Marine Le Pen win, the very future of the EU could be on the line.

Macron, who wants to deregulate the economy and deepen EU integration, has a 23-26 percentage point lead over Le Pen in the opinion polls.

Forecasts proved to be accurate for the presidential election's first round last month and markets have climbed in response to Macron's widening lead over his rival after a bitter debate on Wednesday.

In a campaign that has seen favourites drop out of the race one after the other, Le Pen, who wants to close borders, ditch the euro currency and clamp down on migration, is nevertheless closer to elected power than the far right has ever been in Western Europe since World War Two.

Even if opinion polls prove accurate and France elects its youngest president ever rather than its first female leader, Macron himself has said himself he expects no honeymoon period.

Abstention could be high and close to 60 percent of those who plan to vote for Macron say they will do so to stop Le Pen from being elected to lead the euro zone's second-largest economy rather than because they fully agree with the former banker-turned-politician.

"The expected victory...wouldn't be a blank cheque for Emmanuel Macron," Odoxa pollsters said in a note. "A huge majority will not be backing him wholeheartedly."

MORE ELECTIONS TO COME

Sunday's election will in any case far from spell the end of the battle between mainstream and more radical policies in France, with parliamentary elections next month equally crucial.

Once the presidential ballot is over, attention will immediately switch to whether the winner will be able to count on a parliamentary majority. The first poll on the parliamentary election, published this week, showed that was within reach for Macron.

Much will also depend on both the candidates' score on Sunday. Le Pen's niece, Marion Marechal-Le Pen, on Thursday told L'Opinion daily that a 40 percent score would already be "a huge victory" for the National Front.

Whoever wins will spell a new chapter in French politics after the major left-wing and right-wing parties -- the Socialist Party and The Republicans -- that have ruled France for decades both suffered humiliating defeats in the election's first round.

The campaign was hit by yet another surprise on Friday night just before the quiet period which forbids politicians from commenting started, as Macron's team said a massive hack had dumped emails, documents and campaign financing information online.

Some 67,000 polling stations will open at 8 a.m. and pollsters will publish initial estimates at 8 pm (1800 GMT), once all polling stations are closed.

More than 50,000 police officers will be on duty. Security will be a prime concern in the wake of a series of militant attacks in Paris, Nice and elsewhere in the past few years that have killed more than 230 people in the past two-and-a-half years.

(Reporting by Ingrid Melander; Editing by Angus MacSwan)
ABUJA, May 7 (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - Boko Haram militants freed 82 of more than 200 schoolgirls they kidnapped from the northeastern Nigerian town of Chibok in April 2014 in exchange for prisoners, the government said on Saturday.

Three years ago, the abduction of the girls from their secondary school by the jihadist group Boko Haram sparked global outrage and a celebrity-backed campaign #bringbackourgirls.

For more than two years there was no sign of the girls. But the discovery of one of them with a baby last May raised hopes for their safety, with a further two girls found in later months and a group of 21 released by the Islamist militants in October.

Nigeria thanked Switzerland and the International Committee of the Red Cross - who brokered the October release - for helping secure the freedom of the 82 girls after "lengthy negotiations", the presidency said in a statement.

Following this release, 113 of the Chibok girls are believed to be still in captivity.

Here are 10 key facts about the Chibok girls and Boko Haram:

* Since 2009, Boko Haram has waged an insurgency to carve out an Islamic state in northeast Nigeria that has killed at least 20,000 people and displaced more than two million.

* The most high-profile attack took place on April 14, 2014, when Boko Haram kidnapped 276 schoolgirls from a secondary school in Chibok in northeast Borno state. Around 50 of the girls escaped in the initial melee but 219 were captured.

* Nigeria's government and military, then under the command of former president Goodluck Jonathan, faced heavy criticism for their handling of the incident, with towns and cities across the nation witnessing protests.

* The kidnappings sparked a strong social media reaction, with the phrase #bringbackourgirls tweeted around 3.3 million times by mid-May 2014, and the global campaign which followed backed by then U.S. First Lady Michelle Obama.

* Hope for the girls was briefly raised in April 2015 when the Nigerian military announced it had rescued 200 girls and 93 women from the Sambisa forest, northeast of Chibok. It was later revealed that the Chibok girls were not among them.

* One of the Chibok girls, Amina Ali, was rescued in May 2016. Held for months by the Nigerian government, she told her mother the girls were starved and resorted to eating raw maize, and that some had died in captivity, suffered broken legs or gone deaf after being too close to explosions.

* At least 2,000 girls and boys have been kidnapped by Boko Haram since the beginning of 2014, according to Amnesty International, which says they are used as cooks, sex slaves, fighters and even suicide bombers.

* Boko Haram used 27 children to carry out suicide attacks in West Africa in the first three months this year, almost surpassing the total of 30 child bombings during 2016, said the U.N. children's agency UNICEF.

* The militants split last year with one faction moving away from the group's established figurehead Abubakar Shekau over his failure to adhere to guidance from Islamic State to which Boko Haram pledged allegiance in 2015.

* The group of 21 girls freed in October have since been held in a secret location in the capital Abuja for assessment, support and debriefing by the Nigerian government. (Reporting By Kieran Guilbert, Editing by Belinda Goldsmith; Please credit the Thomson Reuters Foundation, the charitable arm of Thomson Reuters, that covers humanitarian news, women's rights, trafficking, property rights, climate change and resilience. Visit http://news.trust.org)
"Research into cyber war did not just stop being an intellectual exercise it became a serious policy debate which led to the creating of various cyber initiatives to counter cyber attacks globally"

For cyber security experts mainly focusing on the contentious notion of cyber war, year 2017 is the 10 years anniversary of the first recorded cyber war, pitting Estonia against hack attacks allegedly sanctioned by Russia but to datethere is noreal forensic evidence to prove this claim. Between April and May of 2007 Estonia suffered a series of cyber attacks in the form of denial of service attacks which disrupted both commercial and state operations in a mass scale. This attack for many formed the text book case study into interstate cyber rivalry and heighted interest inresearch into cyber war.

Research into cyber war did not just stop being an intellectual exercise it became a serious policy debate which led to the creating of various cyber initiatives to counter cyber attacks globally. Yet the preparations for cyber war in 2007 did not see a softer but deadlier version of cyber attacks that could mainly strike democracies in the form of alternative political narratives that can undermine the integrity of the political system and values of the states by coordinated efforts of a third party of an adversarial state that are experienced in 2017.

Security analysts coined the term weaponized narrative in the after match of the US Presidential election, which embodied serious cyber hacks, dumping of politically sensitive material on message forums such as 4Chan or whistle blowing websites such as Wikileaks, to create false news in coordinated form to achieve the political objective with the objective of interfering in election processes by disseminating misinformation to effect the political decision of voters. These cyber borne attacks and narratives had a significant impact on the American presidential elections and the Brexit vote. France underwent a massive weaponized narrative onslaught towards the tail end of the presidential election campaign, with the leading candidate Emanuel Macrons campaign suffering a well coordinated cyber attack and theft of documents.

French presidential candidate Emmanuel Macron

Cyber security corporations, online data analysts have observed a surge in cyber attacks that were directed against macron and his En Marche party. While American political analysts are still debating the impact it had on the US presidential elections, the French election theatre seems to be intensely under a growing competition between Pro le Pen and Pro Macron groups. Yet very recent research indicates aburgeoning of a social media campaign that is overwhelmingly backing le Pen. The hash tag#macrongate, has been circulating and almost going viral after the nine gigabyte dump of material that was stolen from Macrons campaign. Fake documents claiming to be of Macrons secret off shore bank account in the Caribbean were shared.

While Macron seems to be leading in all polls at the time when this column is been written and historic accuracy of French pollsters, Macron seems to be well set to be the next French president. Yet French political analysts are not convinced especially with the large number of anticipated absentee votes, of many disillusioned French voters who are neither with Le pen or Macron. Yet when French voters are bombarded with disinformation campaigns that try to merge authentic news with fake news, it creates a toxic political narrative that can be controlled by the party that is behind this sustained effort.

Wikileaks' Julian Assange

"Cyber political scholars claim weaponized narratives are serious strategic offense systems that can undermine states, international organization, and political norms"



Thus cyber political scholars claim weaponized narratives are serious strategic offense systems that can undermine states, international organization, and political norms and can do more harm than a militant form of interventionism in political processes. The level of automation in the recent social media campaigns has reached unprecedented levels. Twitter analytics claims that automation has enabled bots to tweet more than 1000 times within a span of 24 hours. A pro le Pen bot has tweeted 1668 times and mostly in English launching various attacks on Macron in one day. Macrons social media campaign is predominately driven by French language messages and updates, which signals that the bots used for Le Pens campaign are designed to address a more universal audience to change their political perspective of France.



French political processes will not end from the presidential elections, in June of this year France will have its general election. Macrons party is just 13 months old and has not elected representatives in parliament. Yet his party is tipped to win many seats in the parliament, thus French politics is undergoing some radical transformations. Yet Macron even as President has to live wit the fact that le pens power base may not wither and as she claimed in the final election debate he should not be seen as a puppet of Angela Merkel. Thus a sustained cyber assault on France leading to the general election may be tough for a new president with no real party to back him up in the legislature.

European political architecture seems to be entering a phase of significant reorientation and redesign. The local election results in Britain are giving all the signals of a Conservative party that is decimating labour heartlands and creating the necessary political currency leading to a serious consolidation of power in the upcoming general election. This signals a tough UK stance on Brexit negotiations with the European Union. Again from day one of the Brexit vote, social media campaigns have spearheaded both sides of the argument. It also forced both camps to be more militant and hard-line. Last weeks local elections in the United Kingdom saw, Theresa May aggressively campaigning for her party, her primary claim was that theEuropean Union was meddling in British affairs. Mays political message of EU interference in British political process itself is a serious form of misinformation but seems to have achieved what May wanted. It even dissuaded far right UKIP voters and pulled significant votes to the Conservative party.

"French election theatre seems to be intensely under a growing competition between Pro le Pen and Pro Macron groups. Yet very recent research indicates aburgeoning of a social media campaign that is overwhelmingly backing le Pen."



In the United States, President Trump completed his first 100 days in office and summed up his achievement in a fiery speech that revisited the same messages he delivered during his election campaign. Trumps speech, the final French presidential debate came across as having very similar under currents. How Western democracies have suffered from their own success, the technological advances, the internet revolution brought up mass scale empowerment. It created new political platforms but it seems cyber space has provided opportunities for politicians and movements that spread fear, anger and resentment instead of hope, liberty and progress. From Beppe Grillos Five Star movement in Italy to Le Pens nationalist party. European democracies are buckling under new forms of weaponized narratives channeled in the cyber sphere.

Political elites and establishments were too late to recognize that cyber politics had moved on from low politics to high politics. Obama was seen as the real success story of the internet age, yet it seems quite the opposite, Obama was successful in wooing part of the tech community to work with him and raise contributions from individual donors online, yet Trumps unguarded Tweets seem to have created an uncritical following elevating him to a cult figure. European politics seems to be shaped by increased cyber interventions, yet the hope is when such narratives become unsustainable democratic political processes will recover unless they are not permanently crippled.

Thus even among Sri Lanka policy makers and academics it is high time to take the workings of cyber machinations in politics seriously as we do have an intense geo political regional rivalry that is played out in this country. If weaponized narratives comes to play it will wreak havoc in an already opaque and confused political environment.



The Writer is the Director, Bandaranaike Centre for International Studies (BCIS)
A man carries a wounded child after the attack

As the fallout of the April 4th chemical weapons attack in Khan Sheikhun in Syria continues to unfold, contradictory reports on the incident have produced more questions than answers as to what really happened. The only certainty seems to be that sarin or a similar poison was used. This was confirmed by the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons according to Reuters, but OPCW was not mandated to assign blame.

While mainstream media adopt the western worlds group-think that unquestioningly accepts the view that Syrian President Bashar al Assads forces were behind the attack and, even without evidence, took it as justification for a unilateral and illegal US airstrike against Syria, multiple reports continue to surface that tell an entirely different story. These reports find no quarter with the big names in the news industry. Viewed collectively they point to the likelihood that the recent chemical weapons incident in Syria is nothing but a replay of an old US-led ploy that was tried earlier to overthrow the Syrian regime. It was the same that unraveled following the chemical weapons attack in Ghouta on August 21, 2013, used as an excuse to prepare a massive strike against Syria that was circumvented at the last minute. In other words they suggest it was a false-flag chemical weapons attack, set up by interested parties in order to trigger predictable reactions from an unsuspecting world, which blamed the wrong party. (Incidentally there were false-flag newspaper articles as well - set up so that the wrong party got the credit!).



In the aftermath of the incident, statements by multiple commentators including some shocked ex-CIA officers, have cast serious doubt over the plausibility of the version presented by the Trump administration, that too quickly claimed to have a high degree of confidence that Assad was behind the horrific incident that killed scores last month. Many analysts observed that the US narrative made no sense since Assad had no motive to carry out such an attack, risking the political, military and diplomatic gains he had made in the recent past. Comments from the intelligence community reflect the view that Trump was manipulated into going along with false intelligence. He sidelined his own intelligence officials, it turns out, and excluded CIA Director Mike Pompeo from a crucial decision making meeting. Pompeo had identified the attack as false-flag and briefed Trump that Assad was most likely not responsible. But Trump was trumped, by the neocon hawks who are increasingly gaining the upper hand in his administration it appears.

In 2013 following a spate of chemical weapon attacks reported in Syria, Carla del Ponte, a member of the UN Commission of Inquiry told Swiss-Italian TV that evidence pointed to the opposition rebels, not government authorities, having used sarin gas. After the major attack in Ghouta in August 2013, Theodore Postol, Emeritus Professor of Science Technology and National Security Policy at MIT, along with UN weapons expert Richard Lloyd co-authored a report which meticulously laid out scientific evidence showing how the mistaken intelligence could have led to an unjustified US military action based on false intelligence.

In his assessment of the White House Report on Khan Sheikhun, Postol recalling how the previous White House Report on Ghouta was partly fabricated and had not been vetted by competent intelligence experts, states that the current Report is similarly flawed.



I believe it can be shown, without doubt, that the document does not provide any evidence whatsoever that the US government has concrete knowledge that the government of Syria was the source of the chemical attack in Khan Shaykhun, Postol wrote in his assessment dated April 11th. The main piece of evidence cited in the document points to an attack that was executed by individuals on the ground and not from an aircraft, he said, adding that the Report has absolutely no evidence to show the attack was the result of munitions being dropped from an aircraft.

Ex-CIA officer Philip Giraldis remarks on the Scott Horton Show two days after the incident but before the US airstrike show that the intelligence was available, pointing in a direction other than that which was adopted by the White House.

(The intelligence sources) are coming back and telling us that that they are astonished at how this is being played by the administration and by the US media and in some cases people are considering going public Giraldi said. These are sources that are on active duty there and seen the intelligence that the US government has about what happened in Syria, and the intelligence indicates that it was not an attack by the Syrian government using chemical weapons. He faulted the media who, instead of waiting for the evidence, went immediately to the material that was provided by the opposition, accepting it as fact.

A site that was devastated by the chemical attack



Peter Ford, former UK ambassador to Syria was prophetic when he appeared on BBC4 on April 7; the day of the US airstrike, to say that possibly they are looking for a pretext to attack Syria. Assad may be cruel, brutal, but he is not mad he said. It defies belief that he would bring this on his head - with no military advantage. Trump has given the jihadists a thousand reasons to stage fake-flag operations he added, Seeing how easy it is with a gullible media to provoke the West into intemperate reactions.... Mark my words it will happen. Then the war mongers will come telling us Assad is defying us, we have to go in more heavily into Syria  fake-flag.

Ex-CIA agent (Marine Corps) Robert Steele, basing his comments on inside sources he absolutely trusts, alleged that the Khan Sheikhun false-flag was planned by Senator John McCain, former CIA Director John Brennan and National Security Advisor Herbert McMaster. Steele expressed misgivings that Trumps son-in-law and advisor Jared Kushner may be a Mossad agent. In an interview online he said the false-flag was an act of treason planned in the United States and funded by Saudi Arabia and Israel. They split the cost.

Interestingly, the reference to John Brennan and the Saudis also comes up in other reports, from totally different sources, relating to the 2013 chemical weapons attack in Ghouta. Brennan was CIA Director at the time. A report by Christof Lehmann set out circumstances that pointed to the involvement of Brennan and Saudi Intelligence Chief Prince Bandar. The opposition insurgents had suffered a major setback in Jobar, and a chemical attack would allow the US, UK and France to call for military strikes and to turn the tide in the war, he said. Bandar had met Russian President Vladimir Putin in the Kremlin in a bid to win his support for Assads ouster, and told Putin he expected a US-led military intervention to come soon, suggesting foreknowledge of what was to come, Lehman said. Given the close relations between Bandar and Brennan, he concluded that top-level White House executives, including President Obama had the same foreknowledge.

"Recent chemical weapons incident in Syria is nothing but a replay of an old US-led ploy that was tried earlier to overthrow the Syrian regime"



Hillary Clintons leaked emails on Wikileaks indicate that destroying Syria has long been part of the US game plan in the Middle East. The best way to help Israel deal with Irans growing nuclear capability is to help the people of Syria overthrow the regime of Bashar al Assad, she wrote in 2012. ......With his life and his family at risk, only the threat or use of force will change the Syrian dictator Bashar al Assads mind. Following the violent NATO-backed overthrow of Libyan leader Muammar al Gaddafi in 2011, the US is believed to have run a rat line that smuggled weapons from Gaddafis arsenal through Turkey into Syria. Details of it were reported by top investigative journalist Seymour Hersh. He said that the Senate Intelligence Committee report on the attack on the US consulate in Benghazi in September 2012, in which US ambassador Chris Stevens was killed, described a secret agreement reached in early 2012 between the Obama and Erdogan administrations pertaining to the rat line. By the terms of the agreement, funding came from Turkey, as well as Saudi Arabia and Qatar; the CIA, with the support of MI6, was responsible for getting arms from Gaddafis arsenals into Syria. Hersh didnt say whether the arms included the precursor chemicals for making sarin, but there have been other reports that Gaddafi possessed such stockpiles. Washington abruptly ended the CIAs role in the transfer of arms from Libya after the attack on the consulate, but the rat line kept going, Hersh said.



The most recent western report blaming Assad for the Khan Sheikhun attack has come from French intelligence sources. While Hershs reportage tends to undermine the French reports assertion that jihadist groups did not possess sarin and could not have launched the attack, its conclusion - that Assad was the perpetrator - hinged on the finding that the samples it obtained contained hexamine, which it said was a hallmark of sarin produced by the Syrian government.

Washingtonsblog.com inquired from Ake Sellstrom, the Swedish chemical weapons expert who headed the United Nations team investigating the possible use of chemical warfare in Syria, about the credibility of these conclusions. Dr. Sellstroms response was that It is really a question of the meaning of the word indicating. The presence of hexamine could, indeed, indicate that the source is the government. Leaving out who actually used it. But it could also indicate a lot of other things, like someone using the same recipe for example. (Washingtonsblog.com  28.04.17)

After the 2013 false-flag chemical attack in Ghouta, Obama had to abandon the plan to launch a massive strike against Syria owing to lack of public support. The crisis was defused thereafter with a Russian brokered deal where Syria agreed to destroy all its chemical weapons and production facilities. According to the Russians, this was done between 2013  2016. The irony is, as Hersh remarked with prescience back in December 2013, that after Assads stockpile of precursor agents is destroyed, al-Nusra and its Islamist allies could end up as the only faction inside Syria with access to the ingredients that can create sarin, a strategic weapon that would be unlike any other in

the war zone.
The Ministry of Health lodge a complaint with the CID against the social media websites which are publishing false information that H.I.V. AIDS is being spread by the health officials who visit homes to test blood samples for filariasis during night.

The Ministry officials have requested the CID to investigate into these websites.

The Health ministry said in a statement that the Anti Filariasis Campaign (AFC) had lodge the complaint with the CID on Saturday (06) following instructions by Health Minister Rajitha Senaratne.

According to the ministry some websites had spread false information stating H.I.V AIDS was being spread by the health officials in the guise of blood testing for filariasis during night.

Public Health Officers attached to the Anti Filariasis Campaign (AFC) of the Ministry of Health are visiting the houses during night to take blood platelets as the filarial warms are active at night time. This is done as a part of the Anti Filariasis Campaign , the statement said.

These officers travel with their uniforms and identity cards and anybody wanting to verify their identity are requested to contact the doctors of the Health Services in the area the ministry said.

It further stated that the ministry had also complained to the Police Cyber Crime Unit as well in this regard.
The Government Medical Officers Association (GMOA) is to launch an indefinite strike in all hospitals island-wide beginning from May 15 demanding the nationalization of SAITM, the private medical college in Malabe.

The Executive member of the Association Dr. Nalinda Herath said the indefinite strike most probably would be from May 15.

He stated that the GMOA's executive meeting would meet tomorrow in Colombo to decide on the date.

The association has given the final warning about the indefinite strike to the government through the token strike on Friday, he added.

"The executive committee will decide on the date for commencement of the indefinite strike as government had not responded favourably on association's trade union actions taken so far", he said.

Dr. Herath expressed the confidence of support of number of other trade unions for their strike.(Dayaseeli Liyanage)
Sri Lanka Girl Guides Associations Aththammage Kusalatha Tharagaya

For the centenary year of the Sri Lanka Girl Guides Association, the guides have many events lined up in order to uplift their girls and members of society. One such event, Aththammage Kusalatha Tharagaya, was held on Saturday, April 29. Guides from all nine provinces joined here at the Polhena Walawwa in Rathambale where they took part in many competitions, from pounding paddy to making watalappan to drawing rangoli. The guides were exposed to various traditions carried out by their ancestors.The day was marked not just to commemorate the services of those who came before but also to celebrate the SLGGAs most illustrious Girl Guide, Sirimavo Bandaranaike, Former Prime Minister of Sri Lanka.

This is the centenary year of the Girl Guides and this is the second event we have organized in order to commemorate this year. We began our celebrations three years ago under the tag line A 1000 Days to a 100 Years, where we held daily activities, starting off with the organization of Child Safety Week, where we had child-safety specific themes on each of the seven days. The Girl Guides Movement is a low-cost, high benefit movement, supported by many dignitaries all over the country, said the Deputy Chief Commissioner of the SLGGA, Visaka Tillekeratne. Describing the days activities, Ms. Tillekeratne said the aim of the event was to look back on traditions and keep them alive in a progressive way. Today we have Guides from all nine provinces and they have a draw to determine what competition they will take part in. So a Sinhala girl might have to make watalappan and a Tamil girl might have to make kokis and a Muslim girl might have to make modhaham. Through this, the girls will be more aware of each others cultures and this will create harmony, which is one of our main policies as Girl Guides.

Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga



Mahiya Abdul Rafoor, Director of the Differently-able Branch of the SLGGA spoke to us about how the association did its best to integrate the differently-able into as many of their activities as possible. We are planning on having a similar event with them in a more comfortable environment. We try to give them the same experiences by conducting such events in a more accommodating environment.

The Daily Mirror was also able to get some insight from Guides at the event.

We take part in many interesting activities at the Girl Guides. Weve gone on hikes and camps and in order to earn badges, we are given different challenges. Everything is really fun and we learn so much.

We have learned to cook, sew and wash our own clothes. We conduct many social service visits to elders homes and to outstation places. At an event like this we can learn about the traditional foods and activities of various Sri Lankan cultures, said Tashiya Stefanie, 17, from Sapugaskanda Vishaka Balika Vidyalaya.

"This is the centenary year of the Girl Guides and this is the second event we have organized in order to commemorate this year"



We learn how to face life in general. In these camps, we learned to cook, look after ourselves and gain leadership skills. We also do a lot of community service in the Guides. This event is important because we get to learn about how things were done in the past before technology and before everything was ready-made. We can also learn about our roots and about people from other ethnicities, said Yadhusha Raweendram, 14, and Isuri Chandrasiri, 14, from Lyceum International School.

Addressing the crowd, Yasmin Raheem, Chief Commissioner of the SLGGA said, On March 21, 2017 the SLGGA celebrated 100 years of excellence in the leadership of girls and women. The work of the SLGGA is designed and implemented by volunteer members.

The fact that this volunteer-based movement has sustained itself for a 100 years is not only a call for celebration but also for reflection. We should look back on our strong traditions and move forward into the new century progressively.

Taking all of this into account, this inter-provincial challenge competition was organized by the Girl Guides and Guide leaders who have the knowledge, experience and expertise of Sri Lankas multi-ethnic traditional practices of harmony and peace.

Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga, Former President of Sri Lanka and Chairperson of the Office for National Unity and Reconciliation was the Chief Guest at the event. She started off her speech by speaking about how her mother was part of the SLGGA and how she used the qualities she learnt from being a Girl Guide throughout her life.

My mother, Mrs. Sirimavo Bandaranaike, was a Girl Guide from the time of her schooling at St. Bridgets Convent. Even then, the SLGGA was very active. She was also a ranger and head of the rangers before she left school.

Afterwards Im not sure what she did with the Association. But because I know of the activities of the Girl Guides, I can imagine how she got involved with them, to train them and contribute to the association and become an active part of it.

Looking at her life, I can imagine how she was inspired by the Guides. She had many skills; at home she saw to it that the house was clean and she would train us as well. She would make cakes, kavum, traditional foods and upcountry foods and sweetmeats. She also knew how to embroider. As a lady she was well-mannered and well-spoken. Even as leader of the country she used the training she received as a Girl Guide. She would not raise her voice like us and would stand by the decisions she made. She never let go of her qualities as a Girl Guide. She taught us how to live with dignity and to help and respect others. She was a strong and exemplary woman who never forgot what the Girl Guides taught her.

Speaking of the event she said, There are girls from all parts of the country attending this event. This shows that the Girl Guides is a place where people pay no heed to race, colour or religion, and young girls and women can be united in peace and harmony. When you join the Girl Guides, you should have an open mind and set your thoughts and attitudes in such a way so you can cultivate all that youre taught in order to become part of a respected

generation of women.



Pics by Damith Wickramasingh
Are we doing enough to prevent avoidable wars in the future? Are we learning any lessons from our past mistakes?

Is anyone held accountable for the colossal mistakes that have led to appalling human tragedies in our times?

Lets take the Iraq War. The Chilcot report returned a clear verdict on Britains role in one of the most defining and unnecessary wars of our times. Tony Blair accepted that "his decision was based on inaccurate intelligence reports".

The then prime minister of a permanent UN Security Council member state agreed that he had rushed out to bomb a sovereign country based on "inaccurate intelligence report". In the same breath he said, "the world is safer today without Saddam Hussain. I would do it again if I had to."

How and why is this world tolerating such bunkum? Mr Blair, the world is safer with you out of power.

A US Navy corpsman holds an Iraqi child victim in central Iraq (2003). Photo: Reuters

It is dangerous to have a leader who is capable of making such a grave "mistake". It is disastrous to have someone in power who doesnt want to learn from such mistakes!

John Prescott, Blairs deputy in the cabinet, told the Sunday Mirror months back that "the war was illegal". A significant but pointless afterthought! He had been an integral part of that colossal mistake.

He really shouldnt join the chorus after a critical report on the war. Why didnt he resign in protest when he had found that his boss was leading the country to an "illegal" war?

He could have saved his own country over 200 invaluable lives, not to talk about the millions of Sterling pounds!

Mr Prescott said, I will live with the decision of going to war and its catastrophic consequences for the rest of my life.

Not sure if that subtle regret would bring any relief to the tens of thousands of Iraqis whose lives have been irreversibly shattered by his support for the misadventure.

Consider this: over half a million Iraqis dead, nearly the entire infrastructure of a well-developed country destroyed, billions of dollars wasted, the partisan and oppressive rule of one community in Baghdad replaced with a worse (since it pretends to be democratic) dispensation with only the roles reversed, a ruthless autocratic ruler replaced by a bunch of corrupt manipulative politicians, selective political violence replaced by widespread sectarian bloodshed, scores of priceless treasures lost or vandalised, security on the streets worse than ever before, unprecedented level of hunger and desperation for the have-nots of the society, and to top it all emergence of a barbaric new face of terrorism  the ISIS.

And Mr Blair says the world is a safer today!

At least the British have proven their democratic fundamentals. Though in his heyday, Blair had survived serious challenges to his decision, he is nailed down now. But, what about the self-appointed captain of democracy, the United States?

What about its former president George W Bush? The Iraq War is now termed as "the most ill-advised act of Bush presidency"  rather sophisticated and nuanced choice of words for an act that brought so much misery to millions of people.

What about Colin Powell, who as the secretary of state unleashed a barrage of shameful lies on the floor of the United Nations to convince many Americans, besides scores of fence-sitters elsewhere in the world, that Saddam Hussain was just about to destroy the world and he had to be stopped?

What about defence secretary Donald Rumsfeld, who along with Paul Bremer, is supposed to be responsible for systematically destroying every Iraqi institution?

They disbanded a highly-skilled army, sacked thousands of skillful citizens just because they had links with the Baath party, making all of them jobless, angry and vengeful.

Now, Powell tells us that all these happened in contravention of what was meticulously planned prior to the invasion at the presidency level.

Powell insists that President Bush knew but did not do anything to change the course of events.

Powell says he had, and shared with his boss, strong reservations on the invasion. If you break it, you own it." Apparently he warned the president. Now he says, We broke it, we owned it, but we didnt take the charge.

But, he remained the secretary of state till the next elections!

No WMDs were found in Iraq; Iraqi army did not use any chemical weapons to defend themselves; instead we had Abu Gharib, we had thousands of highly trained army personnel out on the street without a job, defeated and humiliated, thousands of orphaned young Iraqis, angry and smarting: an excellent breeding ground for future extremists!

The likes of Powell and Blair now go on the lecture circuits earning huge amounts per speech talking about their experiences, their mistakes, and preaching the world on leadership issues and strategies!

Is there any accountability? Or does such a word exist only for selective actions, selective people and selective nations?

When the fundamental premises of a war that killed half a million, displaced more than a million, destroyed a thriving country, created a new front of spiralling violence are found to be grossly wrong, and possibly manipulated, how and why is no one held accountable?

What are we doing to ensure that another ill-advised or ill-conceived collaboration of over-enthusiastic leaders to free the world of "imminent danger" does not destroy a generation of hapless people elsewhere within the same world?
Science opens our eyes. But could one ever be blinded by it? One would think not, until that is, the WHO found answering evidence in its 2015 multi-country survey.

Conducted across 12 countries (including India) to test the awareness of adults (16 plus years) on one of the most sordid health threats faced by the human race  of antibiotic resistance and the rise of the superbugs  this is what the survey indicated.

For 43 per cent of respondents, self-prescription of antibiotics was acceptable if they fell sick, and antibiotics helped them get well, when they had the same symptoms before. 25 per cent said they would confidently advise a friend or a family member to use the antibiotic that helped them fight sickness, as long as the symptoms looked familiar and similar.

32 per cent said they would drop out of the antibiotics treatment course as soon as they felt better. Both situations, howsoever logical they may appear, are precisely the reasons for emergence of superbugs, or antibiotic-resistant varieties of disease-causing bacteria.

The entire world is under the threat of antibiotic resistance. For India, the colour of threat is deep crimson. This is a health emergency: Code Red. Indias Health Ministry recently shirked off its inertia. Encouragingly enough, it acknowledged the do-or-die juncture that our country has reached on this matter. The Ministry chaired an inter-ministerial brainstorming session on how to tackle this time-bomb of a health issue that has already begun to explode at many places in the country.

32 per cent respondents in a WHO survey said they would drop out of the antibiotics treatment course as soon as they felt better. Photo: Reuters

Back to the cause of blindness. 80 percent of the survey respondents werent aware of the term "anti-microbial resistance" or the abbreviation "AMR"  the terms issued by the WHO and other health advisory and action groups in all communication to the general public on this matter.

The 2016 UN General Assembly also recorded the declaration of "antimicrobial resistance/AMR" as the greatest future threat to our civilisation.

Both the terms, however, are considered too scientific and complex by the public  instant brain-shutters, promptly pulling down blinders to block any further interest on the topic, leave alone engagement, concern, panic and fear.

Thats the power of words. For instance, it has been well-proven in the past that the term "global warming" emanates a more powerful sense of personal threat for Americans than a call for action against "climate change", which sounds like just another worldly issue for the political debates.

"Climate change" creates mind-associations with weather changes, while "global warming" generates an imagery of melting glaciers or apocalyptic floods in ones mind.

Yesterday, in a commentary published in the journal Nature, Marc Mendelson (Professor, University of Cape Town, South Africa) and colleagues have urged the United Nations Interagency Group to acknowledge the power of words.

They advise the UN and the WHO to replace "AMR" simply with "drug resistance", a term more relatable for people to seriously associate the imminent danger linked with it.

Another study by the Wellcome Trust supports the above advice.

This UK-focused research confirmed that people in the UK don't understand the concept of antibiotic resistance. The language used by scientists and media have left many confused, and several others to believe that its they (and not the germs), who develop resistance against antibiotics, if not taken as directed by the physician. A lethal misconception.

These scientists write: "The interchangeable use of terms by the press and by scientists in publications and meetings is likely to be counterproductive in all sorts of contexts. Take food production. In recent years, different sectors have called on countries to phase out or abolish the 'antimicrobials' used to promote animal growth, to protect humans from increasing levels of drug-resistant bacteria. But, by definition, antimicrobials include medicines that play a crucial role in sustaining current levels of poultry production worldwide by reducing the gut inflammation caused by coccidian parasites. Anticoccidial medicines have no effect on bacteria, and do not drive bacterial resistance in humans or other animals. So a demand to abolish all antimicrobials for growth promotion misses the point and could potentially harm food security.

"Simple, clear and unambiguous terminology would help to ensure that the global effort against drug resistance is focused on the greatest immediate challenge: the rise of drug-resistant bacteria that cause common illnesses, resulting from the high use of antibiotics by humans. It could also improve people's understanding and engagement."
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Town chair resigns to become debt collector

VietNamNet Bridge - Money invested in Phuoc Son cannot rescue the gold company owned by a Canadian group from bankruptcy. Hundreds of creditors, including the chair of a town, have had to resign from their posts to spend time to collect debts.













The amount of money Phuoc Son owes to Quang An has reached VND17.5 billion, but Quang An still has not received any dong.

The Quang Nam provincial Peoples Court decided to open bankruptcy proceedings on March 24, 2017. However, more than 100 Phuoc Son creditors have lost sleep for years because of the failure to collect debts from the big gold mining company.Do Ngoc Thang, former chair of the Kham Duc Town in Phuoc Son district, had to resign from his post in 2014 to spend time to chase debt payments from Phuoc Son, together with his wife, who is director of Quang An Company.The amount of money Phuoc Son owes to Quang An has reached VND17.5 billion, but Quang An still has not received any dong.

Thang and his family have had to borrow money from many different sources to implement construction contracts.



Tens of other people in Phuoc Son district have also not been able to collect debts from Phuoc Son.



Ly Minh Tam, director of Ly Chau Giang Trade & Tourism in Kham Duc Town, said Phuoc Son owes VND1.5 billion to his company.



Meanwhile, Le Thi Do, the owner of Trung Do Hotel, estimates that Phuoc Son has not paid VND197 million to the hotel, which is the value of the accommodation service provided to the companys staff.



Do said she recently received a document from Quang Nam Peoples Court, requesting her to send a claim for debt. However, she still has not done this, because she is not sure if she can collect debt, while she is sure she will have to pay a court fee.



Phuoc Son owes VND22 billion to businesses and people in the locality.



After the Quang Nam Peoples Court released the decision on opening the bankruptcy proceedings against Phuoc Son, many creditors were worried that they could not get the money back.



The biggest creditor of Phuoc Son is the Quang Nam provincial Taxation Agency, which said Phuoc Son owed VND335 billion in tax. After taking adrastic measures, the agency got VND224 billion back, which means Phuoc Son still owes VND91 billion.



Phuoc Son was allowed to resume the operation of Dak Sa gold mine in August 2016 to help make money pay debts. However, the State Bank has refused to grant a license to the company to export gold.





RELATED NEWS

Phuoc Son Gold sees business registration certificate revoked

Gold miner Besra Vietnam suffers massive losses





M. Ha
Boston Scientific Corporation develops, manufactures, and markets medical devices for use in various interventional medical specialties worldwide. It operates through three segments: MedSurg, Rhythm and Neuro, and Cardiovascular. The company offers devices to diagnose and treat gastrointestinal and pulmonary conditions; devices to treat various urological and pelvic conditions; implantable cardioverter and implantable cardiac resynchronization therapy defibrillators; pacemakers and implantable cardiac resynchronization therapy pacemakers; and remote patient management systems. It also provides medical technologies to diagnose and treat rate and rhythm disorders of the heart comprising 3-D cardiac mapping and navigation solutions, ablation catheters, diagnostic catheters, mapping catheters, intracardiac ultrasound catheters, delivery sheaths, and other accessories; spinal cord stimulator systems for the management of chronic pain; indirect decompression systems; and deep brain stimulation systems. In addition, the company offers interventional cardiology products, including drug-eluting coronary stent systems used in the treatment of coronary artery disease; percutaneous coronary interventions products to treat atherosclerosis; intravascular catheter-directed ultrasound imaging catheters, fractional flow reserve devices, and systems for use in coronary arteries and heart chambers, as well as various peripheral vessels; and structural heart therapies. Further, it provides stents, balloon catheters, wires, and atherectomy systems to treat arterial diseases; thrombectomy and acoustic pulse thrombolysis systems, wires, and stents to treat venous diseases; and peripheral embolization devices, radioactive microspheres, ablation systems, cryotherapy ablation systems, and micro and drainage catheters to treat cancer. The company was incorporated in 1979 and is headquartered in Marlborough, Massachusetts.
The Estee Lauder Companies Inc. manufactures, markets, and sells skin care, makeup, fragrance, and hair care products worldwide. It offers a range of skin care products, including moisturizers, serums, cleansers, toners, body care, exfoliators, acne care and oil correctors, facial masks, cleansing devices, and sun care products; and makeup products, such as lipsticks, lip glosses, mascaras, foundations, eyeshadows, nail polishes, and powders, as well as compacts, brushes, and other makeup tools. The company also provides fragrance products in various forms comprising eau de parfum sprays and colognes, as well as lotions, powders, creams, candles, and soaps; and hair care products that include shampoos, conditioners, styling products, treatment, finishing sprays, and hair color products, as well as sells ancillary products and services. It offers its products under the Estee Lauder, Aramis, Clinique, Lab Series, Origins, MAC, Bobbi Brown, La Mer, Aveda, Jo Malone London, Bumble and bumble, Darphin, Smashbox, Le Labo, Editions de Parfums Frederic Malle, GLAMGLOW, Kilian Paris, Too Faced, Dr. Jart+, DECIEM, and The Ordinary brands. The company sells its products through department stores, specialty-multi retailers, upscale perfumeries and pharmacies, and salons and spas; freestanding stores; its own and authorized retailer websites; third-party online malls; stores in airports; and duty-free shops. The Estee Lauder Companies Inc. was founded in 1946 and is headquartered in New York, New York.
Nucor Corporation manufactures and sells steel and steel products. The company's Steel Mills segment produces hot-rolled, cold-rolled, and galvanized sheet steel products; plate steel products; wide-flange beams, beam blanks, and H-piling and sheet piling products; and bar steel products, such as blooms, billets, concrete reinforcing and merchant bars, and special bar quality products. It also engages in the steel trading and rebar distribution businesses. This segment sells its products to steel service centers, fabricators, and manufacturers in the United States, Canada, and Mexico. Its Steel Products segment offers hollow structural section steel tubing products, electrical conduits, steel racking, steel joists and joist girders, steel decks, fabricated concrete reinforcing steel products, cold finished steel products, steel fasteners, metal building systems, insulated metal panels, steel grating and expanded metal products, and wire and wire mesh products primarily for use in nonresidential construction applications. This segment also engages in the piling distribution business. The company's Raw Materials segment produces direct reduced iron (DRI); brokers ferrous and nonferrous metals, pig iron, hot briquetted iron, and DRI; supplies ferro-alloys; and processes ferrous and nonferrous scrap metal, as well as engages in the natural gas drilling operations. This segment sells its ferrous scrap to electric arc furnace steel mills and foundries for manufacturing process; and nonferrous scrap metal to aluminum can producers, secondary aluminum smelters, steel mills and other processors, and consumers of various nonferrous metals. It serves agriculture, automotive, construction, energy and transmission, oil and gas, heavy equipment, infrastructure, and transportation industries through its in-house sales force; and internal distribution and trading companies. Nucor Corporation was incorporated in 1958 and is based in Charlotte, North Carolina.
RADFORD  Tuition and fees for Radford University students will increase for the 16th consecutive year, part of a national and statewide trend.

The universitys board of visitors voted unanimously Friday morning  with member Steve Robinson absent  to increase tuition by 5.4 percent for in-state undergraduate students and 2.5 percent for out-of-state. The cost of on-campus housing, however, was kept the same.

In-state students will pay annual tuition of $10,627 and out-of-state students will pay $22,709. The university projects it will have the second or third lowest total cost including tuition, fees and room and board for in-state students at four-year universities in Virginia.

Last year, Radford University students experienced the lowest increase since tuition was frozen statewide in the 2001-02 school year  an increase that was 0.31 percent for out-of-state students and 2.77 percent for in-state students.

Mary Ann Hovis, chairwoman of the business affairs and audit committee, said she and the rest of the committee would prefer having no rise in tuition but, this is as close as we could get, she said.

According to a summary of a university officials presentation to the business affairs and audit committee Thursday, the university is facing financial stress from the state following a revenue shortfall in the state budget.

The university will see a reduction of $1.3 million of funds appropriated by the state for next fiscal year and will also pay almost $840,000 for salary increases mandated by the General Assembly.

In other business Friday, the board discussed a change in faculty morale in the last year.

Carter Turner, a professor of religious studies and president of the faculty senate, presented the results of a faculty survey that found confidence in administration and overall morale rose compared with a survey conducted the previous year.

Turner credited a newfound emphasis on cooperation and communication with faculty from administrators and the board of visitors that coincided with the arrival of university President Brian Hemphill in July.

During his address to the board, Hemphill emphasized the importance of meeting with faculty, students and staff in a variety of settings around campus.

He said hes met with 37 of 38 academic departments since taking the post and will meet with the final department  forensic science  soon.

Board Rector Christopher Wade praised Hemphills ability to connect with people across campus.

I knew last January we made the right decision, Wade said. You have reaffirmed that.

The board also elected its rector for next year, Mark Lawrence of Roanoke. Lawrence is vice president of government and external affairs for Carilion Clinic.

He said he was looking forward to taking over from the outgoing rector Wade.

Its an exciting time to be here, Lawrence said.

The only contested vote of the meeting was for vice rector. It pitted Randy Marcus of Richmond against Bob Archer of Salem.

The board voted 7-5 for Marcus, who works as a resident vice president for government affairs for Virginia CSX. Hes a former aide for Gov. Terry McAuliffe and previous worked for Gov. Bob McDonnell.

In other notes from the meeting:

 The university advancement office announced it raised more than $10 million in donations between July 2016 and March of this year. Over that same time period, Radford raised $7.1 million and finished the year a little below $8 million. That includes a donation from Pat and Nancy Artis worth $5 million, which led to the re-naming of the Artis College of Science and Technology.

 Enrollment for next year also appears promising, Marcus said. Freshman applications almost doubled between 2016 and 2017. New freshmen who have put down deposits on tuition rose from the same date last year from 1,700 to 1,900.

 The board also voted in favor of a proposal for a doctorate in education, to be subsequently considered by the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia. The program would be Radfords fourth doctoral program.
The much-anticipated trial for a $3 million lawsuit against agents of Virginias Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control will not go forward until April 2018, more than three years after their controversial arrest in Charlottesville of plaintiff Martese Johnson made national headlines.

Originally scheduled for October 2016, and later pushed to July 2017, the trial was again pushed to next spring following an April motion from Johnson, who blamed the ABCs legal team for the delay.

[Johnsons] counsel has made a good faith effort to resolve this matter with defendants counsel without success, which has necessitated the filing of this motion, reads Johnsons request for a delay.

Counsel for the suits three defendants  ABC law enforcement director Shawn P. Walker and agents Thomas Custer and Jared Miller  neither supported nor opposed the request, but vehemently denied the notion that they were responsible for the delay.

In an April filing, the departments attorneys said that Johnson has not established good cause for the delay, but added that they could not oppose the request without jeopardizing their full, fair and rightful opportunity to obtain and review all of the documents and information relevant to the case.

[Johnson] has nobody but himself to blame for seeking a continuance and an amendment of the scheduling order, the filing adds.

That kind of acerbic rhetoric has been commonplace in this litigation, brought by University of Virginia graduate Johnson after his heavily scrutinized arrest on March 18, 2015. Then a 20-year-old, third-year student, Johnson was apprehended by three agents after being turned away from a crowded Corner bar by a bouncer in the early-morning hours after St. Patricks Day.

The interaction between Johnson and the agents quickly escalated and ended with Johnson being taken to the ground, his face becoming bloodied in the process. He was arrested and charged with public intoxication and obstruction of justice.

Photos and videos of the arrest, depicting Johnson on the ground with a bloodied face and the agents standing over him, drew intense criticism and controversy online. Supporters of Johnson, who is black, hurled accusations of police brutality and racial profiling at the ABC, whose involved agents are white, prompting calls from state legislators to reform the law enforcement branch of the department.

City prosecutor Dave Chapman dropped the charges against Johnson in June 2015. Johnson filed suit the following October, accusing the three officers of false arrest, excessive force, gross negligence and assault and battery; the ABC and Walker of failure to train and supervise the agents; and Walker of negligent supervision of the agents.

Last December, a federal judge dropped the ABC and one of the agents as defendants and excluded the charges of excessive force and negligence, but allowed the remaining allegations to go forward. Judge Glen Conrad opined that a reasonable ABC agent would believe that they had probable cause, albeit possibly incorrectly and that the department was due 11th Amendment protections as an arm of the state.

Since the judges ruling, both sides of the dispute have accused one another of withholding important documentation and failing to cooperate with each others requests in the trials discovery phase.

In February, the ABCs counsel said that Johnson had omitted critical materials in his responses to their requests. Among the unanswered inquiries were questions about Johnsons previous addresses, the nature of any expense or loss claimed in the case, and his consumption of any alcoholic beverage, sedative, tranquilizer, or other drug, medicine, or pill, whether such substance was legal or illegal or prescription or over-the-counter, during the 24 hours immediately preceding [his] arrest.

Weeks later, Johnson fired back, saying that the ABC was seeking information that went far beyond  [the] narrow issues involved in the case; days later, Johnson filed yet another motion alleging that the department itself had withheld documents related to Johnsons claim that Walker failed to train his officers and condoned their pattern or practice of excessive force.

The tit-for-tat accusations of fishing expeditions reappeared in the latest round of filings, which finds Johnson claiming that the fundamental dispute over the scope of discovery has deprived him of the time needed to explore his claims against Walker under the current schedule. In late March, Conrad permitted several of Johnsons inquires on the claims against Walker to go forward, with only months left before the discovery phase of the trial was scheduled to end.

These claims require rigorous inquiry into the practices and culture regarding the use of force at ABC under Director Walkers watch and will take significant time and effort to pursue, the filing reads.

In their response, the ABCs counsel deferred to the court for judgment on Johnsons motion, but rebuked the implication that their hesitation to release certain documents caused the delay.

Since the inception of this action, the plaintiff has aggressively pursued a course of litigation which has had little to do with his March 18, 2015, arrest and meanwhile has undertaken painstaking efforts to obfuscate and conceal information which refutes his claims, the response reads. This pursuit, not the defendants appropriate response to it, has complicated what should be a straightforward action and caused needless delays.

The defense team asserts that Johnsons latest delay and focus on the supervisory liability claim against Walker stem from dissatisfaction with the ABCs dismissal from the suit, and the fact that Custer and Miller have flawless law enforcement records, including not a single prior complaint or incident involving unlawful force.

Thus, to fill the void, the plaintiff asks this court to approve of the casting of an even larger, more aggressive, an no more meritorious net to catch some vague and superficial semblance of unlawfulness, the response reads.
Bullying, especially violent bullying, has declined dramatically in the past decade, according to a new study by researchers at the University of Virginias Curry School of Education.

The study, published last week in the journal Pediatrics, found that only about 13 percent of students reported being the victims of bullying in 2014, compared to nearly 29 percent in 2005. Less than 10 percent reported being violently bullied in 2014, either by a push [or] shove, or by a hit, kick [or] slap.

Both measures had been in the 20s the decade before.

In anonymous online surveys, about 89 percent of students said they felt safe in their schools, compared to about 79 percent in 2005.

We often hear press about how bullying is on the rise, but when we look at the data points over the years, we arent seeing that increase, said Catherine Bradshaw, a faculty member in the Curry School and the studys principal investigator.

Some of the results defy popular wisdom. Cyberbullying, a frequently discussed topic in recent years, is one of the least common types of bullying, according to the study; less than 4 percent of respondents reported being cyberbullied in 2014, and the number has never risen above 8.5 percent.

Bradshaw began the study when she was a faculty member at Johns Hopkins University, partnering with the state of Maryland to gather data on more than 240,000 students in the state public system from 2004 to 2014. The questions ask students if they have, in the past 30 days, been the victims of various types of bullying, including violent attacks, false rumor spreading, threats or cyberbullying.

Students also were anonymously asked whether they had perpetrated any of these types of attacks.

Virtually every measure showed steady improvement, with the most dramatic changes from 2011 to 2014. The percentage of children who reported engaging in bullying, for example, fell from about 22 percent in 2005 to about 10 percent in 2010 and was about 7 percent in 2014.

The results show that efforts to curb bullying  something that used to be seen as an unavoidable part of school life  have made a major dent in the problem, Bradshaw said.

Rather than thinking thats not my business, it has become more ingrained in schools to think about the social context for learning, she said. If a student is distracted by bullying, they cant focus on academics.

Dewey Cornell, another Curry School faculty member who studies violence and safety in schools, said hes seen an overall attitude shift in Virginia schools in the 20 years he has studied the subject.

Education researchers have worked to teach parents and school staff about the harms associated with bullying  higher dropout rates, for instance  and theyve begun to see it as unacceptable. The most effective changes focus on encouraging victims to ask for help.

Thats the biggest barrier  students dont come forward because they dont feel it will solve anything, Cornell said. Many schools have changed that climate.

Cornell and his research team conduct similar climate surveys in schools around Virginia and they currently are working on a similar report on the trends over time. The aggregate data, collected from surveys of middle- and high-school students from 2012 to 2016, show that 6 percent of students reported being bullied in the past school year.

The majority of students, about 82 percent, agreed or strongly agreed with the statement I feel safe in my school.

Similar percentages of students reported feeling proud to be part of their school and said they usually finish their homework.

The results have been more positive than people expected, Cornell said. I think we have a jaded view that schools are not safe and students are not happy there. Weve found just the opposite.

But both researchers said there is still work to do and caution against dismissing bullying as a problem of the past.

Bradshaw said she wants to collect more detailed data that could examine whether bullying against certain types of students  Muslim Americans, for example, or immigrant students  might actually be on the rise.

And all types of bullying are not equal, she said. For example, cyberbullying may be rare, but the permanence of the internet and the speed at which a false rumor or embarrassing picture can spread make it potentially more harmful than old-fashioned rumor mongering.

Bradshaw said the results of the study are promising, but educators still have work to do.

We havent zeroed this out by any stretch, she said. I dont think Im particularly satisfied that 10 percent or so of our kids still dont feel safe in our schools.
Mark your calendars for Wednesday, May 17 for the next Third Thursday pet owner seminar at Clevengers Corner Veterinary Care. Thats right, the presentation will be on a WEDNESDAY this time. Due to the commencement of Culpeper Renaissances Third Thursday summer concert series on May 18, we decided to move our event a day early.

This months topic will be my presentation on Choosing a Pet Food: Science vs. Myth. It has proven to be one of our most popular seminars in the past. The only thing changing is the day of the week. The seminar will still begin at 7 p.m., is still free and open to the public and there will still be refreshments served. Please see Facebook.com/ClevengersCorner for more information.

Q: My nine year old pugs eyes have begun to look cloudy. Could he have cataracts? Can they be treated?

A: Dogs do get cataracts, but there are several more common conditions that may cause cloudiness to an older dogs eyes. Perhaps seen most frequently is lens hardening, also called lenticular sclerosis. Considered a normal aging change, a dogs pupil begins to take on a blue or grey appearance. A dog can see through a hard lens, but may have difficulty focusing. Sometimes this inability to focus makes stairs more difficult or keeps squirrel chasers from detecting their adversaries. Otherwise, the condition is harmless.

Some types of dogs, including pugs, have a predisposition for dry eye, also called KCS. These dogs lose the ability to produce enough watery tears. As the disease progresses, the clear outer portion of the eye, called the cornea, may begin to cloud and some mucus may begin to appear periodically. In later stages, the cornea may be damaged leading to painful ulcers or blindness.

True cataracts may occur for several reasons. Some birth defects in the eye lead to cataracts at a young age. More commonly, genetics cause cataracts as a dog ages. Sometimes cataracts are a sign of an underlying metabolic disease like diabetes. Other times they can be the cause of secondary problems including glaucoma. Cataracts sometimes remain as small specks on a dogs lenses. Sometimes they progress to consume the entire lens and lead to blindness. Occasionally, they will rupture or tear the lens away from its attachments, causing serious and painful eye damage.

When you notice cloudiness in your dogs eye, you should make an appointment to see a veterinarian. The doctor will examine the eye thoroughly, including tear testing, glaucoma screening, and cornea staining.

It may also be advisable to test for related metabolic diseases. Some cloudiness, like lens hardening, will not need to be treated. Other conditions, like glaucoma or diabetes, will need prompt attention.

If the diagnosis is uncomplicated mature cataracts in an otherwise healthy dog, you must decide whether to have them removed or not. Many people choose to accept blindness in their pet and decline to treat the cataracts. If this is your decision, your veterinarian will want to examine your pets eyes every three to four months to guard against secondary conditions. If you decide to have the cataracts removed, a veterinary ophthalmologist will evaluate your dogs retinal function before the procedure. If the back of the eye functions normally, a short surgery is performed to remove the cataract tissue.

The American Veterinary Medical Association, American Animal Hospital Association and Virginia Veterinary Medical Association all publish guidelines recommending wellness examinations twice a year for all dogs over seven years of age. Special attention should be paid to these older pets eyes during the examinations. Susceptible breeds should be screened for dry eye, glaucoma, and cataracts.

In addition, biannual laboratory tests may help detect metabolic problems early enough to prevent cataracts from ever forming.
New Delhi: Industry body Assocham has suggested creation of a Stressed Assets Fund with active participation from cash-rich public sector firms to tackle the burgeoning non-performing assets (NPAs).

The suggestion comes at a time when the government last week empowered the RBI to ask banks to initiate insolvency proceedings to recover bad loans and promised more measures to resolve the NPA crisis.

Bad loans of PSU banks have ballooned to over Rs 6 lakh crore. The chamber suggested creation of a Stress Asset Fund (SAF) to help revive assets under high leverage. "Once these assets are brought back in shape, the pay- backs to the SAF can take place. Different forms of the SAFs can be thought of, including some which can be neutral to creating a hole in the government finances," Assocham said.

It recommended that some of the cash-rich public sector companies can be encouraged to participate either in the SAFs or take over some of the assets where the present promoter wants to exit.

With the green shoots visible in several sectors, this could even be an opportunity for the government, or special purpose vehicles, to buy assets at much lower valuations, the chamber suggested.

Lauding the government's move to amend the Banking Regulation Act, along with enabling changes in other related laws, Assocham said that while empowering the RBI to help the banks by way of oversight committees was a welcome move, more needs to be done in the future.

"The key would be to have persons of high integrity on these oversight committees, which then should be given all out support from the government to help the lenders resolve the top NPA accounts within a time bound period.

"What is equally important is that the persons mandated with the task can be rest assured that they would be of no fear of vigilance bodies after decisions involving some losses for the sake of reviving the stresses assets are taken in good faith," Assocham President Sandeep Jajodia said.

Moreover, Assocham suggested that in cases where the stressed assets or NPAs can be turned back into healthy assets, the existing promoters should be extended adequate working capital for the purpose.

It also impressed upon the RBI to quickly clear all the pending applications from foreign investors for setting up Asset Reconstruction Companies in India, providing a clear-cut framework for business of asset reconstruction.
New Delhi: Chartered accountants' apex body ICAI has asked its members to ensure that companies have made adequate disclosures about transactions involving cancelled notes post demonetisation till December 30, 2016.

Companies are required to disclose details about transactions involving scrapped notes from November 8 till December 30 in the annual financial statements and auditors are required to mention in their reports about such details.

In this regard, the Corporate Affairs Ministry has made amendments to certain provisions under the Companies Act, 2013. Following the Ministry's decision, the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI) has issued a communication to its members about the disclosure requirement pertaining to the scrapped notes.

In its efforts to fight the black money menace as well as curb corruption, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on November 8 last year announced cancelling old Rs 500 and 1,000 notes.

From November 8 till December 30, 2016, entities, including individuals, were allowed to deposit the invalid notes with banks. For a brief period, exchange of junked notes was also permitted.

"Every company shall disclose the details of Specified Bank Notes (SBNs) held and transacted during the period from November 8, 2016 to 30th December, 2016" in a given tabular form, the Ministry said in a recent notification. SBNs are the demonetised notes. The companies are required to mention closing cash in

hand as on November 8 and on December 30. Besides, the ministry has directed auditors to state "whether the company had provided requisite disclosures in its financial statements as to holdings as well as dealings in SBN during the period from November 8, 2016 to December 30, 2016 and if so, whether these are in accordance with the books of

accounts maintained by the company".

Citing these directions from the ministry, the ICAI has issued the communication to its members -- who carry out the audit of companies. "We request you to please note the amendment and take care in your professional capacity for disclosure requirements and reporting requirements while accounting/ auditing the financial statements for the year 2016-2017," the ICAI communication said.

While the junked notes cannot be used or deposited anymore, NRIs have been allowed to exchange them at the select offices of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) till June end.
New Delhi: ONGC Videsh Ltd, the overseas arm of state-owned Oil and Natural Gas Corp, produced a record 12.57 million tonnes of crude oil and equivalent gas from its assets abroad in 2016-17.

The output was up from 8.92 million tonnes of oil and oil equivalent gas in the previous fiscal 2015-16, OVL Managing Director Narendra K Verma said. In its over five-decade existence, which began in 1965 with a venture in Iran, OVL has seen a peak production of 9.45 million tonnes in 2010-11.

"Production in 2016-17 was higher on account of acquisition of stake in Russia's Vankor oil field," Verma told PTI here. For 2017-18, the company is targeting 14.37 million tonnes of oil and oil equivalent gas production.

OVL last year bought 26 per cent stake in Vankor field in two tranches. First it acquired 15 per cent in May 2016 for USD 1.268 billion, and then another 11 per cent in October2016 for USD 930 million.

It received its 15 per cent share of oil from Vankor for the almost 11 months but 11 per cent share was only for a part of year as the deal. This fiscal, it will get full 26 per cent share. OVL's share of oil from Vankor will be 7.3 million tonnes.

Besides OVL's 26 per cent, a consortium of comprising Oil India (OIL), Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) and Bharat PetroResources (BPRL) has acquired 23.9 per cent stake in the field at a cost of USD 2.02 billion, giving them 6.56 million tonnes of oil.

The daily production from the field is around 410,000 barrels per day of crude oil and 26% stake would give OVL about 107,000 bpd. OVL has 37 projects in 17 countries. Of this, 14 assets in 10 countries are producing and four in a similar number of countries are under development, he said.

Verma said OVL's next incremental production will come from Columbia where it has made a significant discovery and from Iran where it is negotiating a contract for a gas field it had discovered.

OVL plans to spend USD 1 billion in the current fiscal to drill new wells and add production facilities in fields from Russia to Venezuela. The company has 633 million tonnes of oil and oil equivalent gas reserves in its assets abroad.

Acquisition of Vankor added 72.58 million tonnes of oil and oil equivalent gas (15 per cent) and 51.96 million tones (11 per cent) of reserves to its portfolio. Though the company had been in existence since 1965, its first production started only in 2002-03. In its first three decades, it did no major acquisition and its first breakthrough came in 1988 when it acquired stake in an oil and gas field in Vietnam.

The next acquisition happened only 2001 when it bought 20 per cent stake in Sakhalin-1 project in Russia. There was no looking back thereafter. It has so far invested USD 27.23 billion in overseas projects, the highest by any Indian company.
New Delhi: Foreign investors have pulled outclose to Rs 1,700 crore from Indian stock markets in the last four trading sessions amid global weakness triggered by a renewed slide in crude prices.

This comes following a record net inflow of over Rs 40,000 crore in the last three months (February-April) on several factors, including expectations that BJP's victory in recently held assembly polls will accelerate the pace of reforms.

Foreign portfolio investors (FPIs) had pulled out over Rs 1,100 crore from equities in January. According to depository data, FPIs withdrew a net sum of Rs 1,680 crore from equity markets during May 2-5.

However, they pumped in Rs 1,177 crore in the debt segment during the period under review. Drop in crude and fresh fall in commodities, including base metals, has sparked concerns about the health of the global economy, market experts said.

Oil prices touched a five-month low of USD 43.76 a barrel on Friday. "Investor sentiments took a hit following a sharp plunge in oil," said Anand James, Chief Market Strategist, Geojit Financial Services. So far in 2017, total fund mobilisation in equities stands at Rs 40,345 crore.
New Delhi: Mutual fund managers net purchased stocks worth close to Rs 10,000 crore in April, making it the highest investment in five months, on sustained participation by retail investors.

This comes on the top of over Rs 51,000 crore investment in stocks in the entire 2016-17 financial year. Fund houses are upbeat over the industry's performance in the ongoing fiscal while expecting investment from new investors to fuel the growth of the sector.

As per data released by the Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi), mutual fund managers invested a net sum of Rs 9,918 crore in stock markets last month, much higher than the Rs 4,191 crore infused in March.

This was the highest infusion by fund managers since November 2016, when they had invested a net sum of Rs 13,775 crore in stock markets. Apart from equities, fund managers invested a staggering Rs 58,000 crore in debt markets in April.

According to market experts, the mutual fund industry is at a take-off stage in terms of growth and Indian investors are warming up to investments in equity as an asset class. "The positive net inflow in equities can be credited to maturity of retail investors," Bajaj Capital Chief Executive Rahul Parikh said.

"Indian investors have now eventually assimilated mutual funds and the credit goes to awareness programs and endeavours by regulators and Asset Management Companies (AMCs)," he added.

Kaustubh Belapurkar, Director Fund Research at Morningstar, said that flows into equity and balanced funds have been phenomenal since the market correction post demonetisation in November 2016.

"Fund managers over the last few months are effectively deploying these fresh inflows and also looking to reduce their cash levels by investing greater amounts into the equity markets," he added.

A mutual fund pools the assets of its investors and invests the money on their behalf. It provides diverse investment instruments like stocks and bonds without requiring investors to make separate purchases and trades.
Mumbai: While most of the Bollywood celebrities are on social media today, Katrina Kaif had stayed away from it for a substantial amount of time.

While the actress still has not logged on Twitter, where most of the Bollywood celebrities are active, she had joined Facebook few months back, followed by Instagram just few days ago.

Katrina has more than 11.1 million followers on Facebook and has started her journey on Instagram with a bang too, earning 1.7 million followers in a jiffy.

Her start to the platform has also made headlines primarily because of the interesting ways in which celebrities from the film industry like Shah Rukh Khan, Salman Khan, Priyanka Chopra, Ranveer Singh, Alia Bhatt and Arjun Kapoor welcomed her to the photo-sharing medium.

This was followed by the interesting pictures she shared, like the sizzling phootoshoot in a towel for Mario Testino and some more pictures of a hot photoshoot, still from Jagga Jasoos and many other candid clicks.

The actress has now shared an adorable picture of herself when she was a 12-year-old.

However, the picture is not from an album she has treasured over the years, but one she recently found. Thats what she mentions in the caption, adding that she was quite the poser and highlighting her modelling ambitions with the hashtag #iwannabeamodel.

With such regular photo updates and that too interesting ones, there is no doubt that her number of followers would grow at a blistering pace.

On the professional front, Katrina will next be seen in Jagga Jasoos opposite Ranbir Kapoor.
Salman Khan with Angad Bedi on the sets of the film. (Photo: instagram.com/ beingsalmankhan.official)

Mumbai: Salman Khans teaser of his recent film Tubelight, where we see him as a man child, earned him applause from the audiences and the critics.

However, in his next film post Tubelight, 'Tiger Zinda Hai', Salman will be anything but a man child, and will be seen as a macho man, performing such intense action sequences.

After wrapping up a schedule in Austria, the cast and crew of the film have now set off to Abu Dhabi for the next schedule.

Angad Bedi, who earned praises for his performance in Pink, has also joined the cast and is seen with Salman on the sets of the film in Abu Dhabi in a picture shared by a fan club of the superstar on Instagram.

Salman is dressed in an oversized kurta and Angad is dressed casually on the sets.

It is not clear if the lead actress Katrina Kaif is also a part of the shoot yet.

The director of the film, Ali Abbas Zafar, had shared several pictures of some of the locations from Abu Dhabi, which would definitely look stunning on the big screen.

Tiger Zinda Hai is gearing up for release during Christmas this year.
Priyanka with one of the families she met during her trip to Zimbabwe for UNICEF (Pic courtesy: Instagram/ priyankachopra).

Mumbai: Priyanka Chopra says she is dismayed by the level of sexual violence against children in Zimbabwe, with government officials there telling her many young girls are asking for it.

Chopra spoke to The Associated Press on Saturday after visiting the southern African country as a UNICEF goodwill ambassador.

She said it was an eye-opening experience meeting girls who had been shunned by society and thrown out of their homes after being raped. She says girls are told its their fault.

I heard a lot of this when I asked these government officials who said girls are asking for it, she said. Some girls were as young as 3 when they were raped by their fathers, uncles or other relatives, she said.

One out of three children under 18 in Zimbabwe has suffered some form of sexual violence, she said, calling that staggering. In neighbouring South Africa its one out of five, she said.

Chopra, who turned heads with her sweeping Ralph Lauren trench coat at Mondays Met Gala in New York, said she feels its her duty to use her celebrity status to fight for worthy causes, especially violence against children.

I am from India and I have seen wealth and poverty live together all my life, she said. That is the state of the world. That is our reality. It takes people like us who are privileged, who have everything that we may need in abundance, to be able to share it in parts of the world where they may not have that.

Once-prosperous Zimbabwe has sunk into economic crisis over the years, with a cash crunch so severe that livestock in some cases is being accepted in lieu of currency. Unemployment is high, and the health and social services system has suffered.

Chopra, who stars in the upcoming Baywatch film, said she couldnt get one Zimbabwe girls story out of her mind.

The girl told Chopra how she was raped by her uncle when she was 7. The pastor of their church told her family that she was possessed and she should come and live with him ... but the pastor raped her for two years, Chopra said.

She was taken away from there and sent to another uncle and aunty of hers. The aunty then forced her to have sex with her husband, who was HIV positive. That was how she contracted HIV at age 17. The girl tried to kill herself three times before she was rescued by a group that offered her psychological support, Chopra said.

The U.N. Population Fund calls Zimbabwe an extremely young country, with 62 percent of the population under 25.
Mumbai: Paris Hiltons younger brother, Conrad Hilton, has been arrested in Los Angeles for allegedly stealing a car and violating an ex-girlfriends restraining order.

Police say the 23-year-old Hilton Hotel heir was arrested shortly before 5 a.m. Saturday at a home in the Hollywood Hills.

He allegedly was in a Bentley owned by his ex-girlfriends father.

Hilton was booked for grand theft auto and violating a restraining order and jailed on $60,000 bail.

It wasnt immediately clear whether he had obtained a lawyer.

Hilton has had a series of run-ins with the law. He was arrested two years ago inside his ex-girlfriends home.

He also received probation for threatening British Airways flight attendants. Last year, he spent two months in jail for violating that probation by using cocaine and other drugs.
Interestingly, with the release date of Baahubali: The Conclusion becoming a festival of sorts for cinema lovers throughout the world, it seems difficult for any Indian star to surpass this films records or craze in the near future.

S.S. Rajamoulis magnum opus Baahubali is unstoppable and creating new records in Indian cinema, already surpassing the records of many top Hindi stars like Shah Rukh Khan, Salman Khan and Aamir Khan. Not just in India, the film is doing wonders overseas too. While the Telugu and Tamil film industry reacted positively with Rajinikanth, Mahesh Babu, Chiranjeevi and Nani among others talking about the epic drama and praising Rajamouli and his team, surprisingly, except for a few stars like Priyanka Chopra from Hindi cinema, none of the big stars have reacted, especially the Khans.

It seems they are all in shock as they never expected that a Telugu film dubbed into Hindi would become the talk of the town. Interestingly, with the release date of Baahubali: The Conclusion becoming a festival of sorts for cinema lovers throughout the world, it seems difficult for any Indian star to surpass this films records or craze in the near future.
When Pelli Choopulu director Tharun Bhascker spoke to several media houses post the announcement of his National Award, little did he know that his words would become the target for Jr NTRs fans. How, you might wonder! But thats exactly what has happened as angry Jr NTR fans put up slurry messages on the actors social media pages.

While it is still unclear as to which statement they were miffed by, a particular video in a news channel, titled sensational comments, seems to be the reason. In the video, Tharun comments on why he lashed out on the IIFA Jury, but says nothing defamatory about the actor. After I put up the post expressing disappointment (with IIFA), several people from the industry called and explained that the way award ceremonies work is totally different. If Jr NTR comes to the show therell be TRPs, I understand, he says in the video. What the director meant was that the presence of Jr NTR will get the channel airing the show more TRPs.

Well, he had no idea that this would snowball into a huge online furore. Fans of Jr NTR assumed that Tharun thinks the actor is not worthy of the award and that he is being arrogant just after the success of one film. Throughout this furore, Tharun has been in New Delhi to receive his National Award.

The director decided to do a damage control and posted an apology on Facebook. Although I have made all statements regarding him in a humorous light, I should have been more careful. Im aware it has hurt his fans all over & and Im extremely apologetic about it. My father, and uncles have worked with Senior NTR garu during his regime and have been followers of his values ever since. I have huge respect for Jr. NTR and, in fact, he was one of the first person to openly give a positive statement about Pelli Choopulu (sic), he wrote. He added, I hope to work with Jr.NTR garu once Ive reached that level. Please forgive me for any hasty actions or comments of mine. (sic).

The fans instead want Tharun to organise a press meet to tender an apology. Tharun put up yet another post saying, Guys, Im going to give an apology in front of the media for sure. But please understand that I havent mentioned anything bad about NTR sir and this time, my family is watching and its really hard for us to see all these comments. Im sorry if I have offended anyone. It was never my intention. Kindly let it go. (sic). While the director is trying his best to pacify things, several industry insiders are calling for this hooliganism in the name of fandom, to end.
Beijing: A mosquito bite may seem like an everyday affair, but these are also known fro spreading several life altering and even fatal diseases. Apart from the recent outbreak of zika virus, mosquitoes are also known to spread elephantiasis.

A 20-year-old contracted elephantiasis due to roundworms that entered his body from a mosquito as a child, but is still fighting it out against a disease which shouldve killed him several years back. But the disease has taken its toll as Liu Zhongqui is left with legs weighing 150 kg, same as a giant panda.

Although Liu has given up all hopes of his legs returning to their normal state, he wants to extend his prognosis as the swelling reaches his abdomen and the disease hinders his chances of survival.

This swelling is caused by accumulation of fluids in the affected part of the body due to blockage of the lymphatic system. Liu said that he has visited many provinces in China for a cure and now begs in streets to fund his treatment in hospitals.

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If you are a woman struggling to conceive naturally or fear hitting menopause without any kids, all is not lost. Take the case of a Greek lawyer (40), who was diagnosed with congenital ovarian failure, and told that she couldnt have babies anymore. However, in a dramatic turnaround, she conceived naturally, nine days after she underwent an experimental therapy which reversed her menopause. She is ecstatic and now expecting twins.

For the first time in India, a hospital has introduced Platelet-rich Plasma (PRP), a recent technique that can enable a woman to have babies even after menopause or with conditions like congenital ovarian failure. Whats more, the treatment has been successful and is on the rise. Dr Manjula Anagani, M.D., consultant gynaecologist, obstetrician and laparoscopic surgeon, shares more details about the treatment.

What is PRP all about?

PRP is blood plasma that is enriched with platelets. As a concentrated source of autologous platelets, it contains several growth factors and other cytokines that can stimulate healing of ovarian soft tissue (growth cells). This therapy utilises growth factors present in alpha granules of platelets in an autologous manner to generate new, younger tissue and blood vessels. The PRP can be directly injected into the endometrium and stimulates cellular processes that aid in endometrial regeneration.

Parameters and recommendations

We conduct a follicle-stimulating hormone blood test and based on the parameters, we proceed to the treatment. There are two types of treatments:

PRP in endometrium  It aims to determine the change in endometrial lining thickness, blood flow to zone-3 of the endometrium in patients with Ashermans Syndrome, rate of return or normalisation of menses, chances of spontaneous pregnancy, embryo transfer and clinical pregnancy rate. This treatment is recommended for women with persistent thin lining < 6 mm in previous IVF or FET cycles, moderate-to-severe Ashermans syndrome and severe oligomenorrhea.

PRP in ovaries  The PRP is injected into the ovarian stroma or into the blood supply that comes to the ovary. It primarily aims at resumption of menses and improvement in hormonal levels toward normal ranges. The analysis is determined by a positive pregnancy test. This is recommended for women with primary or secondary amenorrhea for at least three months and infertile women more than 35 years of age having low ovarian reserve and low anti-mullerian hormone levels.

Description

Between the seventh and 11th day of the menstrual cycle, 20 ml of venous blood is drawn from the patient and centrifuged immediately to obtain 2 ml of PRP. Hysteroscopy is then done to see the endometrial cavity, endometrium adhesions or any other diseases. PRP is infused into the uterine cavity immediately with an IUI catheter (2 ml). For ovarian instillation, 20-40 ml of venous blood is drawn to obtain 2-4 ml of PRP. Laparoscopy is done to see if the patient is suffering from uterus, tubes, ovaries, adhesions or any other diseases.

Assessment

Endometrial thickness is measured at the thickest part of the longitudinal axis of the uterus. Hormones such as follicle-stimulating hormone, luteinising hormone, anti-mullerian hormone are measured before and after the procedure. The steps for overall treatment would vary from three to six months, and the pregnancy results are then assessed.

How different is prp from IVF?

IVF is a procedure where you take out an egg and a sperm, make a baby and put it back into the uterus. But in PRP, theres no egg at all, so we are using a technique to produce and stimulate the egg.

Number of cases in India

There are quite a few cases in India where women in their mid 20s have also undergone menopause (premature ovarian failure). We are working with several patients and one woman is currently going through these tests.

Safe and cost-effective

The therapy is considered safe, cost-effective and natural because, rather than using a synthetic substance, PRP uses cells and growth factors from ones own blood. Also, theres no risk of transmission of blood-borne infections like hepatitis and HIV as no preservatives are used.

Results

It is not a one off miraculous success. Although good results are expected, there is no guarantee. People who have been going for surrogacy are now coming forward to try this. Through this treatment, women who have not been menstruating or have undergone premature menopause will get back to the normal menstrual cycle and have a chance at pregnancy.
Rajamahendravaram (AP): A couple allegedly committed suicide after poisoning their two minor children in their house in East Godavari district, police said on Sunday.

U Vishnu Satyanarayana Swamy (32) and his wife Annapurna (25) hanged themselves from a ceiling fan on Saturday night at their house in Kathipudi village, located about 60 km from the district headquarters, police inspector A Srinivas Rao said.

Police suspect that the couple poisoned their two daughters, aged 4 and 2, before committing suicide.

The incident came to light when Annapurna's father visited the house at around midnight on Saturday. When no one opened the door and neither responded to his phone calls, he contacted the police.

The policemen then arrived at the spot and broke open the door of the house.

They found the couple hanging and the children lying dead on the floor of the house, Rao said.

Swamy belonged to Tamarada village in the district and had moved to Kathipudi about five years ago.

He started a real estate business which didn't work. Later, he set up a chit fund business.

The police officer said that Swamy incurred huge financial losses in both the businesses and this may have led the couple to take the extreme step.

The bodies have been sent to a government hospital in Tuni for postmortem, he said adding that further investigation is on.
Bengaluru: The city police have arrested two associates of former corporator and rowdy sheeter V. Nagaraj, who is absconding after a police raid on his house. The accused have been identified as Sujith, 28, and Srihari, 26, a bouncer. Police said that Sujith, a resident of Sriramapura and was working in an office that distributes SIM cards in Vijayanagar.

He has been arrested on charges of issuing multiple SIM cards to Nagaraj using the documents of other customers. Using those SIM cards, Nagaraj is still in touch with some of his associates and is managing to dodge police who are on the lookout for him, an official said.

The other accused Srihari was allegedly raiding Nagarajs house, whenever people brought huge amount of demonetised currency for exchange.Srihari along with 3-4 associates was raiding the house posing as CCB police and extorted money from people. It was all done at the behest of Naga. We are on the lookout for two of his associates, the official added.
The police have continued their investigations to get more details about all illegal Bangladeshis in Belagavi city. (Representational image)

Belagavi: Seven illegal immigrants from Bangladesh, who had got their Aadhaar and ration cards done in Belagavi to legalise their stay, have been arrested. Anwar Sadar, Ajubeg, Shoufi Bepari, Hafiz Islam, Hakeeb and Abdul Gali were arrested in a joint operation by Pune and Belagavi police, while another illegal immigrant, Mohammad Bepari, also shown to be a Belagavi resident, was caught in Pune.

Six of the arrested were remanded to judicial custody, while one to police custody by Belagavi 2nd JMFC on Saturday. Pune and Belagavi police officers carried out the joint operation to catch all the seven illegal immigrants, sources said.

The Malamaruti police have registered cases under the Foreigners Act of 1946 against the accused.

Mohammad Bepari was on his way to catch a flight to Dubai from the Pune airport when the Pune police got a tipoff on his whereabouts and arrested him. During the interrogation, Bepari spilled the beans on the locations of his associates in Belagavi.

All the arrested were working in mutton shops at various locations in Belagavi city for the past sometime. A resident of Gandhi Nagar, Riyana Kattimani, has allegedly got 20 Aadhaar cards done for Bangladesh residents staying in Belagavi. The police have continued their investigations to get more details about all illegal Bangladeshis in Belagavi city.

At a meeting in Belagavi recently, MPs Ananth Kumar Hegde and Suresh Angadi had raised the issue of illegal Bangladeshi immigrants staying in various parts of Belagavi and alleged that many had already got Aadhaar and ration cards and passports done through agents. The MPs had questioned the local authorities as to why a survey was not done to arrest them.
Chhatarpur: A dalit bridegroom was allegedly beaten up for "daring" to ride a decorated car at Deri village in Chhatarpur district of Madhya Pradesh, police said on Saturday.

Arvind Singh, Akhand Singh, Prithvi Singh and Pintu Vishwakarma attacked Prakash Bansal, who was heading for the wedding venue in a decorated car last night, Inspector Rameshwar Dayal of Orchha Road police station told PTI.

The group of four men forced Bansal to alight from the car and thrashed him and six others of the marriage party, he said.

They also allegedly smashed up the camera of a photographer hired to click the pictures of the wedding, he said.

On getting the information, the police reached the spot and arrested Prithvi, Dayal said, adding a hunt has been launched to arrest the other suspects who fled from the spot.

A case under relevant sections of Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe (Prevention of Atrocities) Act has been registered, police said.

Incidents of members of upper castes objecting to dalit grooms riding horses or using fancy vehicles during weddings have been reported in many areas, especially in Bundelkhand region.
New Delhi: Around 475 girls at two schools in South Delhis Tughlakabad area were hospitalised on Saturday after toxic fumes spread due to chemical leakage at a container in the area. The leakage from a container filled with chloromethyl pyridine, a chemical used to produce insecticides and pesticides, parked near their schools led to the incident.

Preliminary investigations revealed that pesticides from the container fell on the nearby road. The pesticides turned into poisonous fumes after it came into contact with the sunlight, a local police officer told this newspaper.

The students and nine teachers of Rani Jhansi Sarvodaya Kanya Vid-alaya and Government Girls Senior Secondary School were immediately rushed to the nearby hospitals  ESI Okhala, Batra, Apollo, Majethia and AIIMS.

As many as 406 students and teachers were discharged and the remaining are still undergoing treatment at various hospitals. The condition of those undergoing treatment is said to be stable.

According to the police, a call was received at 7.35 am about some chemical leakage at customs area of Tughlaqabad depot, which is located near the schools. The chemical in the container was imported from China and was to be taken to Sonepat in Haryana, it said.

Following the incident, teams of police and National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) as well as CATS ambulance reached the spot. The Delhi government has also issued a showcause notice to the authorities of Tughlaqabad depot. An NDRF official said there were 80 drums in the container and the chemical leaked from three-four of them.

A girl from Class 9 of the Government Girls Senior Secondary School, Pinki, said that several of her schoolmates reported watering eyes and irritation in their throats and were sent back home. But a few minutes later, an ambulance reached our home and took us to the hospital.

Another student Suniti, a student of Class 8 in Rani Jhansi School said, I felt dizziness and irritation in my eyes. First, I washed my face, but there was no relief. Three of my friends even fainted and our teachers rushed them to the hospital. I was also taken to the hospital and discharged after two hours.

Deputy chief fire office Rajesh Pawar said, A chemical leakage at the customs area of Tughlaqabad depot caused irritation in eyes of the students studying in Rani Jhansi School, Tughlaqabad. The local police, NDRF, fire, and Centralised Ambulance and Trauma Services teams reached the spot. The students were shifted to nearby hospitals and are reported to be normal.

The principal of Rani Jhansi School, Manisha Vaish, said that the children had complained of suffocation and irritation in the eyes while they were praying.

At around 7 am, during prayer time, the children complained of suffocation and irritation in the eyes. Without any delay, we got the children out from their classes and called the police to investigate. We later sent the children home and those who complained of breathing problem were admitted to three nearby hospitals. The teachers are currently with the students at the hospital, the principal said.

An FIR under relevant sections of the IPC and environment protection act has been filed against unknown persons.
The J&K police in its advisory asked the banks to stop cash deliveries at those branches which are located in sensitive areas of the twin districts of south Kashmir. (Photo: PTI)

Srinagar: In the wake of a series of robberies blamed by the police on separatist militants, the authorities in Jammu and Kashmir have stopped cash transactions at about forty branches in southern districts of Shopian and Pulwama.

The bank authorities have issued formal orders imposing a ban on cash transactions while acting on an advisory issued by the police earlier which cautioned about possibility of more bank robberies in the area. The issue was discussed threadbare at a meeting held by the States Finance Minister Haseeb A Drabu here on Friday.

The J&K police in its advisory asked the banks to stop cash deliveries at those branches which are located in sensitive areas of the twin districts of south Kashmir. The police officials had informed the government that there could be more bank robberies in these districts. The forty branches where the cash transactions have been banned are those of Jammu and Kashmir Bank, the largest bank of the State having maximum presence in south Kashmir districts, and Ellaquai Dehati Bank, a joint venture of Government of India, the J&K government and the State Bank of India set up in 1976 to help towards development of agriculture sector and rural economy in the State.

Gunmen believed to be militants went on bank robbery spree in the southern parts of the Valley past week during which they decamped with cash of several lakh rupees. However, the worst occurred on May 1 when five policemen and two bank guards were killed by gunmen in an attack on an empty cash van in Kulgam district, also in south Kashmir. The police says that it has gathered irrefutable evidence about the involvement of the Hizb-ul-Mujahedin cadres led by its local commander Omar Majeed in the gory act and announced a cash reward of Rs. 100,000 on his head. The Hizb had admitted to carrying out the attack but said that while it killed five policemen and snatched their service weapons, the two bank employees were shot dead by the CRPF.

The official sources said that the cash transactions have been stopped as a precautionary measure and that the order would remain in force for some time. They added that the people can go for cash transactions at designated bank branches in adjoining safer locations. However, the other bank work at the branches identified as vulnerable will continue as usual. Following the ban, the Automated Teller Machines (ATMs) in many Pulwama and Shopian areas have gone cashless, causing much inconvenience to the people.
With the civil aviation ministry announcing a series of penalties on Friday against passengers for unruly behaviour, the ministry is concerned that airline staff not misuses these to cover up rude behaviour by the cabin crew.

New Delhi: Amid periodic complaints about rude behaviour by Air Indias cabin crew, the airline management has promised strict action against errant crew members if it is found after a probe that they are guilty of misbehaving with passengers.

With the civil aviation ministry announcing a series of penalties on Friday against passengers for unruly behaviour, the ministry is concerned that airline staff not misuses these to cover up rude behaviour by the cabin crew or other airline staff either on board or at airport terminals.

If any complaint of misbehaviour by cabin crew or other employees towards passengers is received, we immediately order a probe. The entire genesis of the incident is studied. If it is found the cabin crew are guilty, firm action will be taken, Air India CMD Ashwani Lohani said. In fact, the ministry is worried that genuine complaints by passengers may be unfairly termed as unruly behaviour.
New Delhi: Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Kapil Mishra on Sunday, a day after being ousted from the cabinet, has charged AAP Minister Satyendra Jain of giving Chief Minster Kejriwal Rs two crore in cash.

"I saw Satyendra Jain give Rs 2 crore to Arvind Kejriwal day before yesterday. I couldn't sleep all night," he said.

He further alleged that Health minister Satyendra Jain had told him that he settled land deals worth Rs 50 crore for Kejriwal's relative. He further said that Kejriwal had said, "such things happen in politics".

I have been sacked after I spoke out. I have told LG about all corruption cases, said Mishra at the press conference post his meet with Baijal.

Speaking about the allegations, Delhi deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia said, "His (Mishra) allegations are not even worth responding to, they are so absurd and without any facts".

The ousted Delhi Cabinet Minister was speaking to the press after he met the Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal, and revealed all details to him about the alleged water tanker row.

Furthermore, Mishra had tweeted, "I have witnessed HIM taking illegal cash.. have shared all details with Lt. Gov. I cannot keep quiet anymore."

Also earlier on Sunday, he flatly ruled out any possibility of him joining the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), saying he is one of the founding members of AAP and will always be in the party's inner circle.

"I am one of the founding members of AAP and will always be in the party. Those who are corrupt will be sacked from the party" Mishra told the reporters here ahead of his meeting with Baijal.

Earlier on Saturday, shortly after being removed from the Delhi Cabinet, Mishra said he may have been axed for saying he would submit the names of those people involved in the tanker scam to the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB).

"It has nothing to do with the MCD polls, and till now, I have not received any official confirmation so far. But I met Arvind Kejriwal this morning, and I said that it has been a year since the report on the tanker scam was tabled and no action has been taken," Mishra told ANI.

"I had told him that I will submit the names of the responsible persons to the Anti Corruption Bureau (ACB)," he added.

He had said he would expose the names involved in the tanker scam on Sunday.

However, sources close to Kejriwal claim that Mishra did not meet the Chief Minister and neither had he submitted any papers related to the tanker scam.

"I have also written a letter to the ACB and have and sought appointment from them. I will expose everyone involved in the scam and will apprise the ACB," he added.

He also denied that he was ousted for supporting AAP leader Kumar Vishwas. Mishra tweeted that he was the only minister who has not come under the CBI scanner and has not been charged with corruption.

This decision came soon after the AAP suffered a humiliating defeat at the hands of the BJP in the recently concluded MCD polls.

Recently, a rift developed within the party after Amanatulla Khan had alleged that Vishwas was planning a coup against Kejirwal. Vishwas had threatened to quit the party before Kejriwal and other senior AAP leaders managed to assuage his hurt feelings and appointed him in charge of the AAP's affairs in Rajasthan.

Meanwhile, Rajendra Gautam and Kailash Gahlot have been included in the Delhi Cabinet.

Mishra was believed to be close to Vishwas. Earlier, Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia said,

"Water management was not up to the mark. Kapil Mishra made a lot of effort. The Chief Minister decided to bring in Kailash Gahlot in his place."

He added that two persons have been included in the Cabinet now, Kailash Gahlot and Rajendra Gautam for a post which was vacant.

Speculation and rumours, however, are afloat that axing of Mishra from the Delhi Cabinet was an attempt by Chief Minister Kejriwal and Deputy Chief Minister Sisodia to send a veiled message across to the Vishwas camp that to quell any sort of dissent.

Rumors are abound that the AAP is currently bifurcated into two camps, one led by Kejriwal and the other by Kumar Vishwas. The political impact of today's axing of a key associate and minister is yet to unravel.
Chennai/Mannargudi: In a major embarrassment to the government, the Mannargudi police have registered FIR against food minister R. Kamaraj and an aide alleging cheating.

The police action followed a rap from the Supreme Court questioning the delay in registering FIR against Kamaraj and giving the government time till Monday to submit detailed report.

Was the minister above law, asked the Supreme Court when the matter came up on Wednesday (May 3). Tamil Nadu counsel filed a compliance report on Saturday at the SC registry stating that the Mannargudi police have filed FIR against minister Kamaraj.

Following this, opposition leaders have demanded that Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami should sack Kamaraj. Now that the police have registered FIR against Kamaraj, that too after intervention by the Supreme Court, we demand that the CM should dismiss the minister without further delay, said DMK spokesman TKS Elangovan, MP. PMK chief Dr S. Ramadoss too has made a similar demand for Kamarajs sack.

Realtor S.V.S. Kumar from Tiruvarur district had filed a petition in SC seeking intervention, alleging that the Mannargudi police did not act on his complaint against the minister and aide M. Ramakrishnan, working as assistant public relations officer (APRO) in state secretariat.

In that complaint of March 10, he had alleged that he had paid Ramakrishnan `15 lakh as the fee demanded for getting the occupant of a property he had purchased on Sringeri Mutt Road in Mylapore. The man had introduced himself as Kamaraj's cousin. When Ramakrishnan did not keep his word, he approached Kamaraj who promised to get the property vacated for him but asked for a 'loan' of `30 lakh for his election expenses. Once he got elected and became minister, both he and Ramakrishnan became inaccessible despite his attempts to meet them to get back his money even as the occupant of his Chennai property stayed put there, Kumar alleged.

He moved the Madras high court seeking help to recover the money and also complaining that minister Kamaraj and aide Ramakrishnan threatened to kill him. The Mannargudi police told the court that Kumar did not appear before the DSP despite being called several times for inquiry of his complaint. The high court had then told the police to provide Kumar with protection as he was under threat from influential persons.

With the police remaining indifferent to his complaint, Kumar moved the Supreme Court seeking intervention, which has now happened. Deccan Chronicle made several attempts to reach Kamaraj for his response to the police filing FIR, but his secretary kept saying through Saturday evening that the minister "is still busy in his meetings". Sources close to the minister ruled out resignation, saying the police has evidence of Kumar's alleged misdemeanors.
Raipur: A woman jail official in Chhattisgarh was on Saturday suspended following her "objectionable" post on naxalism on Facebook, a senior official said.

"The prison department has suspended Assistant Jail Superintendent Varsha Dongre, who was posted in Raipur Central Jail," Deputy Inspector General (Jail) KK Gupta told PTI Bhasha.

"We had sought an explanation from her on the Facebook post, but so far she has not responded. The state government has issued guidelines for government officers for using social media, but Dongre has violated those directions," he said.

Earlier, the department had received information that Dongre had reportedly posted some comment on social media over naxalism and tribal-related issues after the Maoist attack in Sukma on April 24, another official said.

Deputy Jail Superintendent RR Rai was assigned to probe the matter to ascertain whether such comment was made by the officer and what was the objective of the comment, the officer said.

"The officer had issued a notice to Dongre seeking her reply in two days. But she failed to give a response and went on leave," he said.

However, the post that was in Hindi, was deleted later.

On April 24, as many as 25 Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel were killed in a Naxal ambush in Burkapal area of the state's Sukma district.
New Delhi: Documentary filmmaker, Lipika Singh Darai, who in 2015 returned her awards accusing the BJP government of fanning intolerance seemed to have a change of heart and on May 3 accepted the national award for her new documentary  The Waterfall.

Interestingly, though she had earlier returned the awards to Narendra Modi government, her film was selected for the award under the same political dispensation. Sources stated that her name was selected by the committee despite the fact that Lipika had returned her earlier awards and had severely criticised the functioning of the Central government.

It also elicits that the process established for selecting contenders for national awards is a transparent one and does not discriminate against anyone, sources added. When contacted Lipika refused to clarify as to what forced her to change her stance regarding the Narendra Modi government and on the issue of taking awards from the regime to which she and her fellow filmmakers had returned awards a couple of years ago. I dont want to answer these questions, Lipika said.

Lipika bagged the Best Director Award in the recently held 64th National Film Award in the Best Educational Film category, for her documentary The Waterfall.

The film traces the evolution of a young city boy, Karun, to appreciate the value of the environment and think critically about climate change and development.

When contacted, another noted documentary filmmaker, Anand Patvardhan, who too had returned his awards had nothing much to say. Its her personal decision. Earlier she returned her award, now she has accepting, he said.

Incidentally, Lipika and Patvardhan were among other signatories of the letter sent to President Pranab Mukherjee and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, which had condoled the BJP government of intolerance. In the letter the group, including Lipika, had stated, We feel compelled to return the honour the state has bestowed on us.

Hailing from the tribal community Ho, from Odishas Mayurbhanj district, Lipika is a graduate of the countrys prestigious Film and Television Institute of India Pune. In October 2015 she was among 10 filmmakers who had returned their National Awards in solidarity with the protesting FTII students and against growing intolerance.
New Delhi/Shillong: Aiming to make the Northeast a gateway of Southeast Asia, the government has initiated major infrastructure projects in the seven states, including investing Rs 40,000 crore to improve the roads and highways, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Sunday.

However, he lamented that "only Gangtok (in the Northeast) had found a place in the first 50 clean cities", out of the 12 cities from the region surveyed as part of the recent nationwide cleanliness survey.

While four Northeastern cities found a place between 100 and 200 clean cities, seven were positioned between 200 and 300, with Shillong being the 276th, he said while stressing that 'Swachhata' or cleanliness was a major challenge for everyone in the region.

He was addressing the centenary celebrations of the prominent voluntary organisation, Bharat Sevashram Sangha, in Shillong through video conferencing.

"We have to make the Northeast a gateway for Southeast Asia," Modi said, adding if this gateway is dirty, then the dream would not be fulfilled and asked the people and organisations like the Sangha to join hands in the cleanliness campaign.

Observing that there has been no balanced development in the entire Northeastern region even so many years after Independence, Modi said his government "with all its resources" had planned to bring about overall and balanced development of the states here.

The Prime Minister said the major thrust would be to improve connectivity and develop the entire region for tourism purposes.

"All these initiatives will help to make the Northeast the gateway of Southeast Asia," he said.

While an investment of Rs 40,000 crore is being made to improve the road infrastructure in the Northeast, 19 big railway projects have also been started in the region, he said.

"We are also improving the electricity situation in the

Northeast and trying to bring even more tourists to the region," Modi said.

Announcing that the Northeast would soon be connected with UDAN (Ude Desh ka Aam Nagarik) scheme, he said small airports were also being developed in the region, while the extension of the runway at Shillong airport has been approved.

Bharat Sevashram Sangha is a network of volunteers across the globe engaged in helping people in distress.

The Sangha's social welfare activities include disaster relief, spreading education, providing healthcare facilities, vocational training and upliftment of the tribals.

Lauding the role of the Sangha in playing a critical role during natural calamities, the Prime Minister said a myth was created that spirituality and service cannot go together.

"Some people tried to tell that those who are in the spiritual path are different from those on the way of providing service to the humanity," Modi said, adding that the

Sangha has proved this wrong through its activities.

He said Sangha had more than 100 branches and over 500 units engaged in providing social service in sectors including health, education as well as training the youths.

He appreciated the services rendered by the Sangha during various calamities, including the Bengal famine in 1923, Noakhali riots in 1946, Jalpaiguri floods in 1950, 1956 Anjar earthquake, Andhra Pradesh cyclone in 1977 and Bhogal gas leakage in 1980.
There is also a possibility that the group has been formed to gain information on the conditions and morality of life under ISIS after US MOAB attack on the ISIS-held territory in Afghanistan. (Photo: File)

Kochi: The National Investigation Agency (NIA), while conducting a probe on the suspected ISIS members from Kerala, has discovered a WhatsApp group operating from Afghanistan that has been used to communicate with certain people in Kasargod, Kerala.

According to a report in The New Indian Express, the NIA had interrogated some people who were members of the group.

The group was started by a native of Kasargod named Abdul Rashid, using a mobile number he had taken from Afghanistan. He added his acquaintances from Kerala as well to the group.

Rashid had earlier allegedly transported 21 people to Afghanistan, said the report.

We have examined a few witnesses at Kasargod and extracted messages as part of the investigation into the IS case being probed by our team," NIA officers were quoted as saying.

An NIA officer said that his family members have identified the Afghan number used by him.

It is suspected that the group may have been created to radicalise more people and invite them to join the Islamic group.

"It might be part of dawah work assigned by the people handling them in Afghanistan," the officer said.

There is also a possibility that the group has been formed to gain information on the conditions and morality of life under ISIS after US MOAB attack on the ISIS-held territory in Afghanistan.

The NIA has however decided not to register a case in this matter as it will include this as part of its investigation against the 14 persons who had migrated to Afghanistan from Kasargod.
New Delhi: Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Kapil Mishra on Sunday accused Delhi Health Minister Satyendra Jain of giving Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal Rs 2 crore in cash.

"Such things happen in politics, Kejriwal told me," Mishra said in a press conference on Sunday.

Mishra also met the Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal on Sunday, and revealed all details to him about the alleged water tanker scam.

Earlier on Sunday morning Mishra had tweeted, "I have witnessed HIM taking illegal cash.. have shared all details with Lt. Gov. I cannot keep quiet anymore."

He also flatly ruled out any possibility of him joining the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), saying he is one of the founding members of AAP and will always be in the party's inner circle.

"I am one of the founding members of AAP and will always be in the party. Those who are corrupt will be sacked from the party," Mishra told the reporters in Delhi.

Mishra has been sacked as Delhis water minister on Saturday.

"His allegations are not even worth responding to. They are absurd and not supported by facts," said Manish Sisodia, Delhi Deputy CM responding to Mishra's allegations on Sunday.

AAP leader HS Phoolka denied the allegations on Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal. "I don't know anything regarding this, because I was in a meeting. But I am not going to accept that Kejriwal has taken money from somebody. This is highly unacceptable," Phoolka said.

On Saturday, shortly after being removed from the Delhi Cabinet, Mishra said he may have been axed for saying he would submit the names of those people involved in the tanker scam to the Anti Corruption Bureau (ACB).

"It has nothing to do with the MCD polls, and till now, I have not received any official confirmation so far. But I met Arvind Kejriwal this morning, and I said that it has been a year since the report on the tanker scam was tabled and no action has been taken," Mishra told ANI.

"I had told him that I will submit the names of the responsible persons to the Anti Corruption Bureau (ACB)," he added.

The Congress was quick to comment on the tectonic infighting within the AAP. Congress leader Ajay Maken highlighted that it is the public of Delhi who is suffering the most, as governance is in total paralysis in the national capital.

"The common man is suffering because of the governance paralysis which is going on in Delhi," Congress leader Ajay Maken told ANI.

Mishra said he would expose the names involved in the tanker scam on Sunday. However, sources close to Kejriwal claim that Mishra did not meet the Chief Minister and neither had he submitted any papers related to the tanker scam.

"I have also written a letter to the ACB and have an sought appointment from them. I will expose everyone involved in the scam and will apprise the ACB," he added. He also denied that he was ousted for supporting AAP leader Kumar Vishwas.

Meanwhile, BJP Delhi chief Manoj Tiwari on Sunday lauded Mishra for showing courage, while asserting that Kejriwal had surpassed Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) chief Lalu Prasad Yadav in terms of corruption.

"The whole of Delhi is in a state of shock after Kapil Mishra's revelation. The chief ministers of all the states must also be in a state of shock following this. It is not an allegation, but a statement of a witness. I would like to thank him for the courage that he has shown by raising his voice against corruption," Tiwari told the media in Delhi.

Tiwari further said that Mishra had raised this issue before the chief minister earlier and asked him to apologise to the party for taking money from Satyendra Jain.

Mishra tweeted that he was the only minister who has not come under the CBI scanner and has not been charged with corruption. This decision came soon after the AAP suffered a humiliating defeat at the hands of the BJP in the recently concluded MCD polls.

Denying allegations against Kejriwal, party leader Kumar Vishwas on Sunday said that he had worked with Kejriwal and he could not imagine labelling him as corrupt. "Even his enemies will not believe in these allegations," he added.

But sticking to his allegation against Jain on Sunday, Mishra said, "The day Satyendra Jain will go to jail, everything would be revealed. People who indulge in corruption and those who protect the corrupt should be removed from the party. I have submitted the evidence, now the law will take its course."

"The time we lost MCD polls, they said that we faced the defeat due to tampering of EVMs. As soon as I wrote the letter to the ACB, they started targeting me," he added.

Recently, a rift developed within the party after Okhla AAP MLA Amanatullah Khan alleged that Vishwas was planning a coup against Kejirwal. Vishwas threatened to quit the party before Kejriwal and other senior AAP leaders managed to assuage his hurt feelings and appointed him in charge of the AAP's affairs in Rajasthan.

Meanwhile, MLAs Rajendra Gautam and Kailash Gahlot have been included in the Delhi Cabinet.

Earlier, Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia said, "Water management was not up to the mark. Kapil Mishra made a lot of effort. The Chief Minister decided to bring in Kailash Gahlot in his place."

He added that two persons have been included in the Cabinet now, Kailash Gahlot and Rajendra Gautam for posts which were vacant.

Speculation and rumours, however, are afloat that axing of Mishra from the Delhi Cabinet was an attempt by Chief Minister Kejriwal and Deputy Chief Minister Sisodia to send a veiled message across to the Vishwas camp to quell any sort of dissent.

Rumors abound that the AAP is currently bifurcated into two camps, one led by Kejriwal and the other by Kumar Vishwas. The political impact of Saturday's axing of a key associate and minister is yet to unravel.
Thiruvananthapuram: BJP on Sunday alleged that some miscreants attacked the office of former Union minister and MLA O Rajagopal here early on Sunday and blamed CPI(M) for it.

Rajagopal's office is on the ground floor of a two storeyed building.

BJP state President Kummanam Rajasekharan alleged that CPI(M)'s Kannur lobby was responsible for the attack and demanded that the culprits be brought to book immediately.

Police said three motorbike borne miscreants had hurled stones at the first floor portion of the building, where one Anil Kumar resides. His car was also damaged.

A case has been registered on the basis of a complaint from Anil Kumar, police said.

They said the incident was not due to political rivalry.
Dried ginger powder too is laced with a banned pesticide, according to the latest report released by the pesticide residue lab of the Kerala Agriculture University. (Representational image)

Thiruvananthapuram: Dried ginger powder too is laced with a banned pesticide, according to the latest report released by the pesticide residue lab of the Kerala Agriculture University. So far, only vegetables and condiments were found to have banned pesticides.

The Pesticide Residue Research and Analytical Laboratory at College of Agriculture, Vellayani, has found that three dried ginger powder samples contained methyl parathion ranging from 1.1 parts per million to 4.85 parts per million.

At the same time, Kasuri methi, which is an important flavouring agent used in North Indian dishes like butter chicken, dal makhani, gobi makhani etc, has three types of pesticides  chlorpyriphos (1.82 ppm), quinalphos (0.74 ppm) and cypermethrin (0.13 ppm).

Dr. Thomas Biju Mathew, associate director (plant protection) and head of the PRRAL, told this newspaper that though 7,500 samples of fruits, vegetables, spices and condiments were checked for the last five years, farmers and traders contaminate them with banned pesticides.

These samples were checked during January  March. The Kerala government had banned methyl parathion in the 80s with the central government restricting it in 2001. I understand that the farmers use the banned pesticide when dried ginger is stored in sacks for longer period, he said.

Out of the three dried ginger powder samples procured for checking, one was an organic product from Wayanad. One packet of branded tea dust out of two samples tested had 0.11 ppm of ethion, an organophosphate insecticide used by chilli farmers from remote farms to control chilli mites, a major pest problem of the crop.
Bengaluru: Newly appointed Congress general secretary in charge of Karnataka, K C Venugopal is all prepared to set the tone for the 2018 assembly election when he will arrive in Bengaluru on Monday to discuss organisational issues, including proposing name for the post of KPCC president.

"I am coming to Bengaluru on Monday with an open mind for discussions related to various organisational matters of our party unit of Karnataka," he said over phone from Alapuzha in Kerala.

Venugopal said he would hold talks with senior party leaders, including Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and G Parameshwara, the present state party president and others. "I will be in Bengaluru for a minimum of three days. I have to discuss various issues with my senior leaders, including Siddaramaiah and Parameshwara," he said.

Asked whether proposing the name for Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee President's post would be on top of his agenda, he said he has not prioritised any issue, but would do so after getting an idea during discussions with the leaders.

"I have not prioritised any issue. It is a primary meeting and it is my maiden visit to Bengaluru...also I am a novice to Karnataka politics. Therefore, I have to first meet the senior party leaders to understand the issues," he said.

Venugopal said he would get an idea after discussions with party leaders, based on which they would decide what the priorities should be and the need of the hour. His arrival in Bengaluru will be after he met Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi, who had assigned him the task of understanding ground realities and the mood of party workers.

According to media reports, the names of D K Shivakumar, R Patil and M B Patil and present President Dr G Parameshwara are doing the rounds for getting the coveted post. Asked about S M Krishna and former minister V Srinivasprasad joining the BJP, Venugopal said he would consult party leaders, including Siddaramaiah and work out a strategy to put a stop to Congress workers leaving the party.

To a question on anti-incumbency in the party, Venugopal said if there was any truth in it, Congress would not have won Nanjangud and Gudlupet bypolls in April. He is expected to give a ground report to the High Command.
Chennai: A day after the Madras high court has suggested the state government take action in accordance with law against the doctors, who are protesting, the Tamil Nadu Government Doctors Association has informed the court that it has cancelled its proposed one-day strike on May 8.

Dr P. Balakrishnan, the state secretary of TNGCA, stated this in his affidavit filed before a division bench comprising Justices N. Kirubakaran and V. Parthiban when a PIL from advocate A.K. Velan came up for hearing on Saturday.

Balakrishnan submitted that based on the demands of TNGDA, two decades ago, the government in order to promote medical graduates and post-graduates to take up government service, especially in rural areas, had allotted 50 per cent of PG seats within the state quota to the service doctors.

Based on the suggestions of the association, incentive marks were given to the doctors working in remote and rural areas for the last 15 years by the government. A petition came to be filed by a doctor for admission to PG medical course, based on Neet marks in the manner as prescribed in the regulation. The petition came to be ordered on April 17. Against which, an appeal has been filed by the state government and TNGDA, awaiting the final verdict from the court.

The government doctors were indulging in agitation only after duty hours, taking care not to affect patients care. In spite of several rounds of talks, as there was no positive response, TNGDA called for agitation involving fractions of its members, he added.

Taking the affidavit on record, the bench said, "This court hopes that the treatment to the patients will be taken care of by the doctors without any problem in future. As far as the doctors, who are not reporting to the duty, it is for the state to take action against them in accordance with law".
There are many farmers in Uttar Pradesh's Baghpat who are worried about not receiving sugarcane payments. (Photo: Reprsentational/PTI)

Baghpat (Uttar Pradesh): A group of sugarcane farmers have written a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, demanding euthanasia.

The farmers also asserted that the Prime Minister and Chief Minister must take a decision over sugarcane payments in 15 days, otherwise they all will commit suicide on the 16th day because they cannot continue suffering anymore.

"It's better to die instead of suffering from pain," the letter read.

The newly formed Uttar Pradesh Government is facing a challenge of dealing with the crisis of farmers, but the biggest problem is that of those sugarcane farmers who have not yet been paid.

There are many farmers in Uttar Pradesh's Baghpat who are worried about not receiving sugarcane payments, which has resulted in them writing letters to the Prime Minister and threatening to take the extreme step.
Hyderabad: The balance sheets and income-tax returns of builders will not be made public under the Real Estate (Regulation Development) Act, 2016. The state government may exempt this provision from the RERA, when it notifies the rules in the next two weeks. Builders said they would submit these details to the government but they dont want them uploaded on the RERA website and made public.

The RERA mandates that builders must disclose all financial details. Because it is a Central Act, and land is a state subject, states can modify the Act. Several states have done so. For example, in Gujarat, developers do not have to divulge their income-tax returns.

The RERA says 70 per cent of the money taken from home buyers must be maintained in a separate escrow account and must be used only for the purpose of the ongoing project of building the homes. This money can be withdrawn in proportion to the percentage of completion of the project.

This is a key clause in RERA and was put in to stop builders from raising money for a project and then using it for other things like completing an earlier project or paying off a debt that was due.

In the case of Gujarat, the guidelines do not mention the norms for withdrawal of money from the escrow account, while in Kerala and Madhya Pradesh, there is no clarity on how much money can be withdrawn from the escrow account.

Andhra Pradesh, Kerala, Uttar Pradesh and Haryana have altered the definition of ongoing project in their notified rules. In Gujarat, the operational rules do not mention any definition of an ongoing project, according to sources.
Union minister M. Venkaiah Naidu on Saturday said that the BJP will emerge victorious in South India and Telangana would be its gateway to success.

Hyderabad: Calling upon the party cadre across the state to strive hard so that the BJP comes to power in Telangana in 2019, Union minister M. Venkaiah Naidu on Saturday said that the BJP will emerge victorious in South India and Telangana would be its gateway to success.

He was addressing BJP booth-wise committee leaders in Secunderabad Lok Sabha constituency, presently represented by Union minister Bandaru Dattatreya, where he said the BJP cadre should not only strengthen the partys base in TS, but also strengthen the hand of Prime Minister Narendra Modi so that India can be rebuilt in all respects.

The Union minister said that India will teach a befitting lesson to Pakistan in the coming days for aiding and abetting terrorist activities in India besides resorting to inhuman acts against the countrys Army.

The Congress, though losing its base everywhere, still hasnt learnt from its communal politics and appeasement of a few, he said, warned the party of further deterioration.

The Union minister also accused the TRS government of appeasing the minorities by bringing in 12 per cent reservation to Muslims. It lacks Constitutional sanction, he said.

Digvijay Singhs comments are reprehensible and irresponsible and we condemn them, he said.
New Delhi: Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Sunday spoke to West Bengal Governor Keshari Nath Tripathi, who was hospitalised due to bleeding from the nose, and enquired about his health.

During the telephonic conversation, Singh wished Tripathi speedy recovery and good health.

The Governor was rushed to a private hospital around 7.30 am when he started bleeding from his nose due to high blood pressure, according to a senior official of the Raj Bhawan.

Thought the condition of the 82-year-old Tripathi was stated to be stable now, the doctors have decided to keep him under observation throughout the day, the official said.
The 14-year-old honorary principal supervised the preparation of mid-day meal and tasted the food before it was served to the students. (Photo: File/Representational)

Jamshedpur: A 14-year-old meritorious tribal girl student of a high school at Durku village in East Singhbhum, was made an honorary school principal for a day on Saturday.

Sharing her experience of becoming a day-long principal of her school, Priyanka Murmu, promised that she will work hard to achieve her academic goal and become a real Principal in her life.

As soon as Priyanka arrived at her school this morning, the school principal Sunil Yadav and village Mukhiya Laxmi Charan Singh escorted her to the principals chamber, where she sat in the principals chair for a while and went to attend the school morning prayers.

Addressing the students, Priyanka said the teachers and students can play an important role to make "Beti Bachao, Beti Padao" campaign launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Jharkhand Chief Minister Raghubar Das a grand success to bring about a reform in the society.

Following the assembly prayer, Priyanka, a Standard X student of the school, visited each class, supervised the preparation of mid-day meal and tasted the food before it was served to the students.

The idea of one day school principal was conceptualised by Deputy Collector Sanjay Kumar Pandey. Pandey said the objective behind the decision was to inspire students for education and to promote healthy and productive teacher-student relationship.

The initiative would not only allow the school authorities to understand what the students expect from the teachers but also to promote healthy competition among students to become one-day principal in the coming month, Pandey said.
Whatever be the result of the French election  the centrist candidate, Emmanuel Macron, is expected to win  the face-off between him and the far-right Marine Le Pen in the second and final round is a telling comment on the currents hurling around Europe.

The truth is that Europe is in turmoil as never before. The economic downturn, now slightly on the way up, has sapped enthusiasm for the European Union  a truly great undertaking to bury wars and enmities  has lost its sheen. As the extreme right fans the flames of nationalism in country after country, those left out of the prosperity bulge are inclined to support jingoist causes.

For European liberals Donald Trumps election to the US presidency was a big danger signal. It occurred even as ultra-nationalist parties in Europe were exploiting the refugee influx from the Middle East and Africa, with Germany alone taking in more than a million refugees in a year, and disillusionment with the bureaucracy in Brussels growing everywhere Then came the bombshell of Britains decision to leave the EU.

Europeans looked nervously over their shoulder at a string of elections coming up. First, there was the election to the Austrian presidency in which a far-right candidate was seeking the post. He was narrowly defeated.

The election in the Netherlands followed; there again the far-right candidate and his party took second place. After the French election, many eyes are fixed on the German election in a few months. Mercifully, Chancellor Angela Merkel is pitted against a Social Democrat, Martin Schulz.

The French presidential election was so important because, together with Germany, the dominant European economy, France is the only fellow leader and driving force of the EU after Britains exit. And France is both singular in its problems and reflects the European malaise.

Ms Le Pens National Front (FN) was founded by her father Jean-Marie Le Pen, who also once reached the second round against Jacques Chirac but lost badly. Since her accession to the party leadership, after formally ousting her father, Ms Le Pen has been seeking to broaden the partys appeal to a wider constituency. The FNs roots in the neo-Nazi past, however, keep cropping up, most recently by her having to replace her successor because of his alleged Nazi sympathies. Mr Le Pen had famously called the Holocaust a detail of history. Remarkably, it is the first time in modern French history that the two mainstream parties, the Socialists and the main centre- right Republican Party, have been eliminated in the first round. While Ms Le Pen has long been seeking broader acceptance, Mr Macron is a phenomenon. He was a banker and served briefly in President Francois Hollandes Cabinet as economy minister. And then he went ahead to form his own party, calling it En Marche! (Forward).

Mr Macron has a brilliant mind and is a good speaker. In personal life, he threw conventions to the wind by marrying his school teacher 24 years his senior in age. The crisis point for the presidential aspirant will come after his likely victory because parliamentary elections are due in a few months and his party is not expected to win a majority, probably forcing him to rely on the centre-right.

The Republican candidate, Francois Fillon, was expected to win the first and second rounds before he got engulfed in a financial scandal by allegedly paying his wife and children money from State coffers when he was Prime Minister. He asked his supporters to vote for Mr Macron in the final round.

It is typical of the intricacies of French politics that unlike all parties backing Mr Chirac against Ms Le Pens father, all the Opposition parties did not publicly support Mr Macron; some, including the far left, refused to endorse him. French politics has been ruled by ennui for a time as problems have been mounting.

First, there is the problem of blacks, mainly from Africa (thanks to the French colonial legacy), many of whom are native-born living in ghettos in the suburbs. They are not truly assimilated and feel angry and dispossessed. A tiny minority tends to join the Islamic State as a form of protest or indulge in terrorism in their home country.

France itself has changed. During my two-year sojourn in Paris in the 1980s, mastery over French language and literature entitled one to be considered truly French, whatever the colour of ones skin. But colour consciousness has seeped into the social mores and civilities in France like in most European countries and in the US.

Mr Macrons tasks, if he wins, are formidable. He has hinted at introducing much-needed reforms, easier said than done. For one thing, the countrys rules for work and play are seemingly set in stone as are the very generous health provisions for all its citizens. How will he tackle these problems without the support of a major chunk of the centre-right and what price will the latter demand?

Yet the French are a highly talented people with a great civilisation and achievements in their chequered history, whether in revolution or peacetime.

In some respects, their achievements in the art of living in modern times have reached a high point unparalleled by any other nation. The problem, of course, is whether they will sacrifice their way of life for utilitarian ends.

For the EU, Mr Macrons likely win will be a lifesaver. Ms Merkel or Mr Shultz would feel very lonely at the top with Britain out and France now the only other major country to lead the EU. Besides, Germany has its inhibitions in exercising power, given its unsavoury past.

Mr Macrons likely victory will indeed boost the EUs fortunes. He is unabashedly pro-EU, pro-globalisation and determined to try to undo French traditions that prevent it from reaching its full potential.
It was just a stroke of luck that the chemical leak from the Tughlaqabad container depot didnt take any young lives though it led to the hospitalisation of around 475 girl students in the South Delhi area on Saturday. The scenes could be straight from a horror film as student after student fell ill in schools and ambulances rushed them to hospitals. The incident does nothing to reinforce our belief in our ability to handle hazardous substances.

The Chloromethyl Pyridine is particularly vile as the extremely toxic organic compound goes into the making of pesticides. There is no reason to link China to this even if the chemical came from there. The blame must lie in Indias lax safety standards, particularly in handling hazardous substances. Rules and regulations on handling of toxic chemicals and gases, whether manufactured here or imported, are fairly stringent, but its unclear if sufficient awareness has been created down the line to those handling the materials in storage or transportation. The 1984 Bhopal gas leak, one of the worlds worst industrial accidents outside of nuclear power mishaps like Chernobyl, Three Mile Island and Fukushima, also stemmed from chemicals to make pesticides.
This is what Justice Leila Seth, a pioneering jurist who became the first woman chief justice of a high court in India, and died in New Delhi late on Friday night, wrote in a national newspaper in 2014:

My name is Leila Seth. I am 83 years old. I have been in a long and happy marriage of more than 60 years and I am the mother of three children... I love them all. My husband and I have brought them up with the values we were brought up with  honesty, courage and sympathy for others. We know that they are hardworking and affectionate people, who are trying to do some good in the world.

But our eldest, Vikram, is now a criminal, an unapprehended felon. This is because, like many millions of other Indians, he is gay; and last month, two judges of the Supreme Court overturned the judgment of two judges of the Delhi high court that, four years ago, decriminalised homosexuality. Now, once again, if Vikram falls in love with another man, he will be committing a crime punishable by imprisonment for life if he expresses his love physically. The Supreme Court judgment means that he would have to be celibate for the rest of his life  or else leave the country where he was born, to which he belongs, and which he loves more than any other.

I myself have been a judge for more than 14 years  first, as a judge of the Delhi high court, then as chief justice of the Himachal Pradesh high court. Later, I served as a member of the Law Commission, as well as the Justice J.S. Verma Committee, which resulted in the Criminal Law Amendment Act 2013 being passed. I have great respect for legal proprieties in general, and would not normally comment on a judgment, but I am making an exception in this case. But what has pained me and is more harmful is the spirit of the judgment. The interpretation of law is untempered by any sympathy for the suffering of others.

The voluminous accounts of rape, torture, extortion and harassment suffered by gay and transgender people as a result of this law do not appear to have moved the court. Nor does the court appear concerned about the parents of such people, who stated before the court that the law induced in their children deep fear, profound self-doubt and the inability to peacefully enjoy family life. I know this to be true from personal experience. The judgment fails to appreciate the stigma that is attached to persons and families because of this criminalisation.

As her comments indicate, though as a retired judge she was well aware of the confines and boundaries of the law, she could transcend them in defence of a higher sense of justice. Nothing that I may venture to write will better communicate to the reader the courage of conviction, extreme sensitivity and the deep commitment to human rights of Justice Leila Seth than the above excerpt. It aptly demonstrates her ability to weave together constitutional jurisprudence with feminine sensibilities of being the mother of a gay son and brings to life the slogan of the early feminist era  the personal is political.

Reading this article three years ago made me wonder about the inner conflict which she must have gone through to come to terms with this reality and the battles she would have had to wage within her family, community and within the legal field, first as a lawyer and then as a judge. I have never forgotten this article and with her passing away, the words carry a new meaning to me and bring to life her sterling qualities.

And yet, her appearances were highly deceptive of the bold public stand she had taken on many occasions. Dressed in traditional silk sari, a big red bindi adorning her forehead, the traditional mangal sutra (the black bead chain worn by married women) around her neck, just half inch above five foot, the average height of an Indian woman, she looked every bit a traditional Indian homemaker. It was difficult to imagine her seated on the stately high-backed chair carrying the state emblem on the high podium reserved for a chief justice and delivering judgments on constitutionalism or complex matters of taxation.

Perhaps it is easier to visualise this today when four of our important high courts have women chief justices, but must have been very difficult for her, as she was the first to break the glass ceiling when she was appointed the chief justice of Himachal Pradesh high court in 1991. Extra cushions had to be placed on her chair so that she could become visible to lawyers and litigants in the large court hall.

Equally difficult it would be to imagine her as a headstrong feminist carrying the flag of womens rights and gender mainstreaming. And yet she did both. She was the member of the 15th Law Commission of India (1997-2000), which ushered in far reaching changes to the Hindu Succession Act that were finally enacted in 2005, giving daughters rights in the ancestral property.

She was also an important member of the Justice J.S. Verma Committee constituted to make recommendations after the December 16 brutal rape and murder case in 2012 which broadened the definition of rape. But she stood firm against the death penalty. It is indeed a travesty of justice that she breathed her last on May 5  a day after the Supreme Court upheld the death penalty for rapists in the Nirbhaya case.

However, when she started her legal practice, she didnt opt to specialise in a branch of law considered to be in the domain of the feminine  matrimonial law  and instead opted to practice in areas traditionally considered as masculine  taxation, corporate law, civil and criminal appeals and constitutional law and made a mark, which led her to be appointed as the first woman judge of the Delhi high court in 1978. A fine example of mainstreaming gender.

And yet her foray into the law was a sheer accident. While in London accompanying her husband from the corporate field, she enrolled for a course in law, as it did not require her to attend classes regularly. This was convenient as she had tiny tots to care for. She thought she would fail the exams and was pleasantly surprised to find that she had topped the bar exams and had become the first woman to hold this position. And from there on, there was no looking back.

Justice Seth could traverse with ease the two seemingly opposing poles that of the formal justice system and of feminist legal domain. Even after her retirement, she never rested. Apart from being on several commissions, she published three books, the last one at the ripe old age of 84, Talking of Justice: Peoples Rights in Modern India (2014), which provides an analysis of several critical issues she experienced during her legal career spanning 50 years.

With her passing away, feminism has lost one of its strongest pillars. It would indeed be very difficult to fill the void left behind by her. But she has left behind a legacy and it is for us now to walk in her footsteps. For me, the loss is personal, as she was not just a friend, but also someone I looked up and hugely admired.
Why is it necessary to have a continuous political conversation in the Kashmir context when Kashmir is an integral part of India? (Photo: PTI/File)

The djinn has returned to Kashmir Valley after a quarter-century  the guns are out, the blaze has started. But in New Delhi the discussion is not about how to wean the young away from the suicidal course of dancing to Pakistans martial tune at the expense of their own religious traditions and culture, or on communicating with people or taking on dissenters with words that persuade, not with guns. The new formula seems to be boli se naheen, goli sey  forget about talks, our guns will lead us to glory; we have the resolve.

Thats why, in recent days, Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti, whose credibility has been destroyed by her partner, the BJP, by making her appear its vassal, when she showed the gumption to suggest that delaying political engagement in the Valley may prove costly.

Not now is the impatient message RSS and BJPs pointman for Kashmir, Ram Madhav, leaves behind in Srinagar on the issue of holding talks. He is silent on when, or in what conditions. Perhaps the BJP-RSS envisage that a solution can only be found when the protesting Kashmiri wears himself out.

In the Valley, they are calling this the Doval doctrine, after national security adviser Ajit Doval. They are wrong. A doctrine of such sweep, which places Indias democracy and national integration on the line, must be owned by Prime Minister Narendra Modi himself. The NSA is just a bureaucrat.

Instead of embedding Indias security in integrative democratic politics, the discussion instigated by the BJP is on raising the propaganda pitch of Hindutva through nationalism.

Phoney nationalistic fervour is being force-fed at cinemas. At universities, there is a race to please the HRD ministry. Vice-chancellors scurry to find the tallest pole on which to hoist the national standard  in the making of which the kisan-mazdoor played the stellar role while Hindutvawadis played no part at all  so that the young may be encouraged to breathe the spirit of nationalism.

Meanwhile, Kashmir conspicuously slips into strategic anarchy and violence which, going by the signs, can only presage tragedy. School and college girls are now filing out and hurling stones at the Army. This had not happened in the militancy of the late 80s and early 90s.

If we are not careful, there could be a lose-lose situation for all. As the flower of Kashmirs youth is mowed down, India will lose its democratic shine  ironically, under a leader who commands a bigger majority in Parliament than any of his predecessors in a quarter-century. Or, is it the seemingly impregnable majority, which is leading this man into pathways of hubris, which clouds his reason?

It is evident there are four key differences between then  the first militancy, a quarter-century ago  and now. The first three concern the militants, the last the national political leadership. Together, they point to a worsened situation  one that will encourage Pakistan and its closest ally, China, to frame anti-India moves.

One, there is no more a fear factor in Kashmir. The weapons of men in uniform are today up for snatching, as happened in Anantnag last week with the CRPF. Earlier weapons of only the J&K police used to be snatched. When the security forces did a cordon and search in the past, the villagers would run away out of fear, but not now.

Two, in the earlier militancy, young men gathered up gumption to cross the Line of Control to go into PoK for training at ISI-designated camps. Nowadays, arms training, and to an extent arms caches, are home-delivered. This has happened in the last three years, on Mr Modis watch.

Three, there is now no pro-independence party or faction left in the Kashmir Valley in any effective, real sense although Yasin Malik is still around. He and Mirwaiz Umar Farooq are obliged to kowtow to separatist stalwart Syed Ali Shah Geelani, the grandfather of all pro-Pakistan elements, considering the situation on the ground.

Four, and crucially, the present national leadership has allowed its regional ally PDP of Ms Mufti to get discredited. But in an earlier period, Delhi tried to foster the regional Kashmiri partner, which was more in tune with local sensitivities. This gave elbow room to the Centre and the state government. That creative space, which afforded scope for governance ingenuity, has disappeared.

There is an unconnected and extremely important fifth factor, namely, that until only a few months ago, many even among the most rabid Islamic Right in the Valley desired a dialogue with the Centre. Non-official interlocutors would be sometimes asked: Do you have access to the PMs office and can you ask them to initiate talks? If you cant, why are you wasting time talking to us? It has no meaning.

Why is it necessary to have a continuous political conversation in the Kashmir context when Kashmir is an integral part of India? The answer is that this is a necessity flowing from a constitutional requirement.
Donkey Streets!

Google translation can wreak havoc at times and the latest example of this is a report by a leading news website. The Yogi Adityanath government issued a press statement in Hindi promising gaddha (pothole)-free roads by June 15 this year. The website apparently put the press release on to Google translation which read gaddha (pothole) as gadha (donkey) and the result was  Uttar Pradesh chief minister promises donkey-free streets by June 15.

By the time the website realised its faux pas, the headline had gone viral on the social media with GIFs and memes crowding WhatsApp accounts. Bureaucrats in UP also took considerable time to realise how the statement got converted from potholes to donkeys.Wonder who is having the last laugh on this  the donkeys are surely not.

Yogi keeps media at bay

Since the day he was sworn in as chief minister of Uttar Pradesh, Yogi Adityanath has made it clear that he would not like to be friendly with the media. Even though his popularity in the electronic and print media is soaring by the day, the CM refuses to entertain journalists. A few top editors from Delhi who came to meet the CM at his residence were given five minutes each and after basic courtesies, the CM made it clear that he had more important things to attend to.

Yogi has also indicated his ministers that they should concentrate on their work instead of cozying up to mediapersons. As a result, even ministers are reluctant to meet mediapersons and the governments interaction with journalists is limited to Cabinet briefings by Shrikant Sharma and Siddhartha Nath Singh.

Interestingly, Yogi is also said to be averse to women journalists. He is a Yogi and does not interact with women in general, said one of his aides in Gorakhpur.

Yogi has also indicated his ministers that they should concentrate on their work instead of cozying up to mediapersons.

The curious case of rats

A bizarre case of rats nibbling liquor bottle lids and sipping alcohol has sent a wave of shock in the entire police department. The incident was reported by police officials to Patna senior superintendent of police Manu Maharaj during an internal meeting. Sources said, the senior police official was not convinced by the information and believes that it could be the work of insiders.

Officials said an internal probe into the matter will be carried out to find facts and the SSP also gave instructions for the installation of breath analysers at all police stations in the state capital.

Sources said if probe report into the case is found adverse, it may prove a major setback for Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar, who has not left any opportunity in showcasing the prohibition law imposed by him after he returned to power.

Shivraj's second marriage

Madhya Pradesh chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan made the occasion of his 25th wedding anniversary, described in Hindu culture as a second marriage in a couples conjugal life, a simple and low key affair on May 5.

Mr Chouhan and his wife Sadhna quietly visited famous Mahakaleshwar Jyotirlinga temple in Ujjain, Madhya Pradesh, on the occasion and performed pujas at garva griha (sanctum sanctorum) of the temple. The Chouhan couple later exchanged garlands offered to the Shivalinga amidst chanting of shlokas by Pradip Guru, the chief priest of the shrine.

The couple was greeted with clapping by his ministerial colleague Paras Jain and party MLAs Anil Firozia, Bahadur Singh Chouhan and Satish Malviya, who were waiting for them in the premises of the temple along with local police officers, as they emerged out of the sanctum sanctorum. Mr Jain then offered them a couple of garlands asking, How about another session of exchange of garlands?

Fine, but what is the need for fresh exchange of garlands when Lord Mahakal himself has presented his garlands to us, Mr Chouhan quipped while gesticulating at the garlands the couple were presented by the temple priest.

Mr Chouhan and his wife Sadhna quietly visited famous Mahakaleshwar Jyotirlinga temple in Ujjain, Madhya Pradesh, on the occasion and performed pujas at garva griha (sanctum sanctorum) of the temple.

You should exchange fresh garlands. It will then make us, the mortals, and the Mahakal, the immortal, witnesses to your second marriage with your wife, one of the BJP leaders present on the occasion persuaded the chief minister. The couple finally submitted to his logic and exchanged garlands for a second time.
Citigroup listed seven companies as potential takeover targets for Apple Inc, including Netflix, Walt Disney and Tesla Inc, as a way to put its cash hoard of more than $250 billion to work.

With over 90 per cent of its cash sitting overseas, a one-time 10 per cent repatriation tax would give Apple $220 billion for acquisitions or buybacks, Citigroup analyst Jim Suva said in a note to clients.

US President Donald Trump's tax blueprint, which was unveiled last month, proposes allowing multinationals to bring in overseas profits at a tax rate of 10 per cent versus 35 per cent now.

"Since one of the new administration's top priorities is to allow US companies to repatriate overseas cash at a lower tax rate, Apple may have a more acute need to put this cash to use,"

The analyst is rated three out of five stars for his recommendations on Apple, according to Thomson Reuters StarMine.

The other potential acquisition targets include video game developers Activision Blizzard, Electronic Arts and Take Two Interactive Software as well as video streaming service Hulu.

The analyst said the targets were screened considering five criteria - strategic fit, global scale, transaction size, few non-strategic assets and likely impact on Apple's share price.

Under pressure from shareholders to hand over more of its cash hoard, Apple recently boosted its capital return program by $50 billion, increased its share buyback program by $35 billion and raised its quarterly dividend by 10.5 per cent.

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Turkish Airlines has said it would offer laptops to business-class travellers after Britain and the United States banned large electronic devices from the cabin of flights from certain countries.

Washington has barred all electronic devices larger than a mobile phone on direct flights to the United States from 10 airports in seven Middle Eastern countries and Turkey, only allowing them to be transported in hold luggage.

Britain followed with a similar ban from five countries in the Middle East and north Africa as well as Turkey.

But Turkish Airlines said it would offer travellers a solution.

"The national flag carrier has now started to offer laptops for its business class passengers on US-bound flights as from today," it said in a statement released on Saturday.

The airline would also offer the same service for UK-bound business class passengers from May 12.

Such passengers would be able to request a laptop from the cabin crew to use in-flight, it said.

The laptops would offer top security and protect the users' privacy by "automatically deleting" all personal data after being shut down, it said.

Announced in March, the ban drew Turkish fury with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan urging Washington and London to withdraw it "as soon as possible."

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This could wipe out hundreds of professions from the job market and leave lakhs, especially those who are low skilled, jobless.

Come 2050, a researcher predicts, the human race would cease to exist. It is not because of a nuclear holocaust or due to an extraterrestrial body hitting the earth. Researcher Jeff Nesbit, a former director of the US-based National Science Foundation, believes our extinction would be triggered by our own creation: artificial intelligence.

He claims that the human race would either cease to exist by 2050  or become immortal. While both the scenarios appear to be taken from science fiction, it is a fact that we are staring at a human crisis caused by automation and robotics, which are the result of machine intelligence.

A study by Oxford University suggested that 100 professions or occupations are at risk of being eliminated by automation in the future. All jobs that dont require exceptional thought processes and those that could be accomplished by analysing data with a simple algorithm could be replaced. People whose jobs require them to come up with solutions on a case- by-case basis can rest assured that their jobs will not be replaced.

We are on the cusp of a technological revolution. There were protests in India when computers were introduced in the 1980s as typists and others feared that they would be replaced by smart machines. Now, automation would bring a tsunami of change that could sweep off many jobs, said an HR head of a telecom company.

Blue collar jobs and simple office jobs are under greater threat, which could leave crores of people jobless. Imagine a scenario where an e-commerce company needs to deliver the purchase. Right now, the courier partner of the e-commerce company delivers the purchase at the address. Over a period of time, there is a possibility of a drone dropping by the destination to deliver the package. Similarly, automation can write codes that software engineers do, putting their jobs at risk.Its impact is already being seen in the Indian IT industry  the first sector in the country to witness its effect, as Indian companies compete directly with major US companies.

A statement made by Infosys CEO Vishal Sikka sums it up: We have to eliminate our own work to automation, improve productivity, deploy the improved productivity to innovation. Instead of 10 people, what if we have three people to work on it? If we dont have the software, then some others will take advantage... If you look at the 3.5 million people in our industry, the only thing that I see in the future is automation.

True to his words, several major IT companies have either trimmed their hiring or sacked employees. In 2016, Infosys released  a synonym in IT circles for sacking  9,000 employees. Wipro has moved some 4,500 engineers into different projects in one year, while automation could hit 14,000 employees at IBM. According to a report by HfS, a global analyst, 6.4 lakh people in the Indian IT sector would lose their jobs by 2021.

Low-skilled jobs, which involve following set processes and are repetitive, face the biggest threat. Thirty per cent of such jobs may be lost to automation. The number of medium-skilled jobs that require some amount of human judgement in processing and dealing with more challenging problems will increase by eight per cent. High-skilled jobs which require creative problem solving, analytics and critical thinking will increase by 56 per cent.

While the threat to IT jobs may not be immediate, you cannot consider your job safe as yet. The Oxford Martin Programme on the Impacts of Future Technology listed out 100 jobs which at great risk of being replaced by technology.

Some of those jobs include telemarketers, insurance underwriters, cargo and freight agents, photographic process workers and processing machine operators, brokerage clerks, packaging and filling machine operators and tenders, fitters, assembling staff, milling and planning machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic, credit analysts, accountants, telephone operators, real estate brokers, cashiers, farm labour contractors, paralegals and legal assistants.

All these jobs involve routine work. Though credit analysts require deeper analysis to take a decision on granting a loan to an applicant, algorithms can be trained to analyse data from sources like bank statements and credit reports to analyse creditworthiness. The jobs which are unlikely to be replaced are the ones which require deeper analysis and creative work.

These include doctors, dentists, nurses, biochemists, biophysicists, engineers, except those relating software, jobs related to religion, mental health, and psychology, artists, architects, interior designers, directors, photographers, physical therapists, fashion designers, teachers, scientists, creative writers, public relations practitioners, computer research scientists, computer systems analysts, first-line supervisors, mechanics, fund-raisers, social workers, sales agents, and recreation therapists.

Exports may take a big hit

One of Indias biggest assets is always considered to be its demographics  especially its employable youth  as the rest of the world, including China, ages. But automation and robotics could dent the countrys advantage and affect its Make-In-India programme, which seeks to attract foreign companies through its low labour cost, talent pool and huge domestic market.

While all companies may not shift to automation immediately, exporters and companies, exposed to foreign competition in India would have to introduce automation and robotics to stay competitive in the global market.

With exports contributing 20 to 25 per cent of Indias economy, automation and robotics would slow down job creation in a big chunk of business activity. Agricultural activity has already started shifting to mechanisation due to higher rural wages, leading to the creation of new service of renting out and maintaining agricultural equipment to those who cant afford to own them. This has rendered the unskilled or low-skilled workers jobless.

Several automakers have to shifted some of their processes to automation and robotics. The deciding factor for the survival of a job would be labour cost and requirement of precision.

As labour cost in India is still low, Mr Ajay Kolla, founder & CEO, Wisdom Jobs, claims that the threat is exaggerated. Labour costs in India are still much lower than the capital cost of introducing automation and robotics, unlike in the US where the costs are more or less at par. Therefore automation across the board is still a long way off in India. That said, industries that are technology-focused such as IT and BFSI (banking, financial services and insurance), have been early movers, and are in the process of piloting hybrid models, he said.

Another issue that stems out of this is how Indian exporters retain their customers, as their competitors from developed countries, with access of cheaper credit and automation, bring down prices.This scenario, experts believe, requires urgent attention of the government to make Indian exporters competition-ready before automation hits exports.

Low-cost products manufactured by companies in developed countries could also threaten Indian companies, if the country has free trade agreement with them. With most countries under the World Trade Organisation, companies in the rich countries could swamp poor countries with their products, killing local industry and rendering their employees jobless

Low-cost products manufactured by companies using robots in developed countries could threaten Indian companies, if india has a free trade agreement with them.

Politicians take note: Job promise not easy



While the extinction of jobs may happen slowly in India, the immediate threat would be slower job creation. In a country with the second largest population, fewer jobs would have several socio-economic and political implications.

A faster pace of job creation was one of key promises made by Prime Minister Narendra Modi during the 2014 Lok Sabha election campaign. Job creation has been one of crucial electoral planks of most parties, as they seek to project themselves as development-focused entities.

Slower job creation could affect political fortunes of the ruling parties in the country as it has done elsewhere. One of the reasons for the victory of Mr Donald Trump in the US Presidential elections was job losses caused by automation and robotics.

While Mr Trump focused on jobs shipped to China and India, he avoided speaking about job losses caused by modern technology.

While governments or political parties can do little to speed up job creation, ruling parties could change the job-seeking mindset of people and encourage them to move towards entrepreneurship, after providing them a social security net.

With automation and robotics affecting mostly low-end process-driven jobs, the most affected would be the less educated low-skilled labour, who are already economically vulnerable. It could lead to an unequal society, with the lowest strata earning dismally low incomes and the top rung getting obscenely high salaries or larger share of profits.

Wider use of robotics and automation would result in lower revenue for the government as workers, whom robots or automation replace, would have paid income-tax, consumption tax and added to the size of the domestic market by their purchases.

The immediate solution to this problem, according to Microsoft co-founder and worlds richest person Bill Gates, is robots tax.

He proposes that governments should tax companies that use robots to at least temporarily slow the spread of automation and to fund other types of employment. A robot tax could finance jobs taking care of elderly or working with kids in schools, Mr Gates has said. This proposal, while it sounds good for high population countries like India, wont please business owners and developed countries with low population growth.

Bill Gates

Change education; dont roll out clerks

If India wants to be prepared for the changing job market due to automation and robotics, it needs to revamp the education system, which is known to have been designed by the British to churn out clerks for the Raj, and which produces computer coders for the US now

For 150 years, we have been following an education system which is suited for low-level jobs. It doesnt train and enable students to solve critical problems. No matter how well designed artificial intelligence could be, it cannot match human brain in dealing with critical issues. We need to shift our education system from rote- and knowledge-based system to the one which allows students to come up solutions for problems, said Mr Neeraj Jawalkar, the founder of Sugar Math.

For 150 years, we have been following an education system which is suited for low-level jobs.

He said replacement of humans by machines has been a constant process. Earlier people used to weave fabric by hand and now machines have replaced them. Instead of weaving fabric, people are now operating the machines. Old jobs will be replaced by new jobs. We need to be prepared to equip ourselves to garner those new job opportunities, said Mr Jawalkar, who designed an app that uses research in neuroscience of learning to develop critical thinking skills among students.

According to a World Economic Forum report, Future of Jobs, three kinds of skills are required to survive in the automation-driven world

1 Basic ability such as content and process skills (critical thinking, active listening)

2 Cognitive competence (creativity, problem solving, logical reasoning, etc.) and physical abilities (physical and manual strength, etc.)

3 Cross-functional capabilities, which include social skills, systems expertise, complex problem solving ability, resource management and technical skills.
Bengaluru: A sick suicide internet game called 'Blue Whale' that is being probed by Russian cops after being linked to 130 teen deaths and its copy cat, A Silent House and Wake Me Up at 2.40 am, which reportedly challenge participants to kill themselves as part of the tasks given, are giving city schools here the jitters. Most concerned are residential schools that have a good sprinkling of foreign students.

Fears have been raised that the sinister game is just the tip of the iceberg not just in Russia, - which has one of the highest suicide rates in the world - but here in Bengaluru which has the second highest suicide rate after Delhi. The faculty of these city schools say they have blocked their students access to Internet games on campuses, especially in hostels, where students cannot be monitored round- the -clock.

Blue Whale involves teens completing tasks every day for 50 days including self-harming, watching horror movies and waking up at unusual hours.

On the 50th day, the controlling game reportedly instructs youngsters to commit suicide.

Mental health professionals and activists are calling for a probe to ascertain the reasons youngsters are attracted to these games. Russia saw 24,982 suicides in 2014.

Said a principal of a residential school near Electronic City, "Many of our students have access to Internet and gadgets for a few hours in the hostels as their parents live abroad. But since news of these games spread, we have become very alert and have banned our students from playing games on social media."

Added a faculty member of the school, " For the past two or three days we have been getting frequent calls from parents asking if their children are playing games on social media. Thankfully, as we have strictly banned them, no student is playing them. But we are being watchful."

Ms. Nooraine Fazal of Inventure Academy said," I don't believe any of our kids are playing them, thankfully!" Said general secretary of the Karnataka Associated Managements of English Medium Schools (KAMS), D Shashikumar, "All Internet games have been banned for students both on campus and in their homes as they are believed to make them violent and suicidal. We are expecting the government to do something about these games on social media. It should come out with guidelines."

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This means building a phone which runs on both Windows and Android is a very good way to deal with the Microsofts decline of its smartphone ecosystem.

Windows Phone OEM Coship (also known as Moly) recently confirmed that fact that it is not giving up on Microsofts mobile platform. Instead the company has stated that it wants to stay with it in a pretty unique way.

The company is working towards making a device that runs not only Windows 10 Mobile, but also Android. Users can choose which OS to boot at start just like on a PC.

This means building a phone which runs on both Windows and Android is a very good way to deal with the Microsofts decline of its smartphone ecosystem. This is especially because the majority of users are switching by picking a device running Googles platform.

A dual-OS device would also make it possible for hardcore Windows users to stick with Android platform and also keep updated with everything that Microsoft is doing on this front, without the lack of apps and all the other setbacks that do not exist on Android.

But switching from one OS to another isnt quite the most smart thing to do every once in a while, but this device is most likely aimed at tech-savvy users who do not have a problem changing operating systems every now and then to see whats new on the other side.

The OEM has stated that it already has the know-how to build a dual OS device, as the company launched such a project in the past, but at that point Windows wasnt yet a priority. The Coship 960 was running Linux and Android, a mix that was supposed to appeal to many more buyers, though its success has been rather limited.

As far as the feasibility of a Windows phone is concerned, OEMs hardly find a reason to build a device running it these days, mostly because all the uncertainty thats impacting the platform at the moment.

Even though Microsoft has stated that its still committed to phones, the future of Windows 10 Mobile isnt very clear, with the company expected to migrate towards Windows 10 on ARM and leaving its platform specifically built for smartphones behind.

Theres still no official confirmation for the new Android + Windows 10 Mobile dual OS device, but since its already in the works, we can expect it to be unveiled by the end of the year.

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WeChat is betting an array of services that include money transfers, prepaid electricity and airtime purchases.

Chinese internet giant Tencent said Saturday it was "deeply sorry" its messaging app WeChat was blocked in Russia, adding it was in touch with authorities to resolve the issue.

WeChat, which had 889 million global users by the end of 2016, was not properly registered with Russian regulators, Tencent said.

It is not clear how many Russia-based users the app has.

"We're experiencing a block and we're deeply sorry," a company official said on a Tencent microblog.

"Russian regulations say online service providers have to register with the government but WeChat doesn't have the same understanding (of the rules)," the official added.

A law passed in 2014 requires foreign messaging services, search engines and social networking sites to store the personal data of Russian users inside Russia.

Sites that breach the law are added to a blacklist and internet providers are obliged to block access.

The law prompted criticism from internet companies but entered into force in September 2015, with professional networking site LinkedIn blocked after it was found to have broken the law.

WeChat, known as Weixin in China, is more than just a messaging app. It offers payment, ride-hailing and other services and Tencent has ambitions to spread it far beyond its home country.

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Last year, Russia blocked U.S. social networking site LinkedIn, owned by Microsoft, for violating a law that requires data on Russian citizens to be stored on Russian servers.

Russia has blocked access to Chinese social media app WeChat, developed by Tencent Holdings, for failing to give its contact details to the Russian communications watchdog.

Access to China's most popular social media platform has been restricted since May 4, according to information posted on the Russian regulator's website.

Last year, Russia blocked U.S. social networking site LinkedIn, owned by Microsoft, for violating a law that requires data on Russian citizens to be stored on Russian servers.

Vadim Ampelonskiy, spokesman for the Roskomnadzor watchdog, said on Saturday WeChat was blocked because it did not provide contact details for Russia's register of "organisers of information distribution on the internet."

Tencent told Reuters it was checking the status of WeChat in Russia and was in talks with the relevant authorities.

WeChat, launched in 2011, is not hugely popular in Russia but the blockage may affect Chinese tourists and Russians doing business with China.

The most popular mobile messaging applications in Russia last year were Mail.ru's VKontakte, Facebook's WhatsApp and Rakuten's Viber, according to consultants J'son & Partners.

Meanwhile social media applications such as Facebook and Twitter are blocked in China, with President Xi Jinping a vocal advocate of so-called cyber sovereignty.

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Tagore visited Egypt as a young adolescent in 1878 and later as a famous poet-philosopher in 1926, when he met King Fouad and interacted with scholars in Alexandria and Cairo. (Photo: File)

Cairo: India will organise a cultural festival in Egypt to mark the 156th birth anniversary of the famous Indian poet, Rabindranath Tagore.

Tagore Festival which is being organised by the Maulana Azad Centre for Indian Culture (MACIC), the cultural wing of the Indian Embassy in Cairo, from May 8-12 will feature a dance show, film screening, a play and painting competition.

On May 8, the movie 'Kabuliwala' directed by Hemen Gupta will be screened at the Hanager Cinema, Opera House Complex. The movie is based on a novel written by Tagore about an immigrant from Kabul who forms a bond with a young girl in India who reminds him of his daughter in Afghanistan.

A dance drama based on Tagore's work called 'Chitrangada' will be presented by Dancers' Guild. Chitrangada is the warrior princess in the ancient Indian epic, Mahabharata. Dancers' Guild is a well-known dance company based in Kolkata in the Indian state of West Bengal.

'Chitrangada' will be performed at the Sayed Darwish Theatre in Alexandria on May 9 and at the Arab Music Institute in Cairo on May 11. The festival will conclude on May 12 with 'Rituranga Play of Seasons' which will be performed by members of the Indian community at the Hanager Theatre, Opera House Complex at 7:30 pm.

The Embassy is also organising a painting/drawing competition for the Indian community children on May 12. Rabindranath Tagore received the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1913. He was the first non-European to win this prestigious award, in recognition for his collection of poems, 'Gitanjali'. His poetry, novels, plays, short stories and essays are widely read in India and across the world.

His songs have been set to music, his plays have been enacted as dance drama and his novels have been filmed. He is an integral part of India's literary heritage and a towering figure in Bengali literature who continues to inspire creativity even in the contemporary world.

Tagore is not unknown to Egypt. He visited Egypt as a young adolescent in 1878 and later as a famous poet-philosopher in 1926, when he met King Fouad and interacted with scholars in Alexandria and Cairo. His friendship with Egyptian poet Ahmed Shawki is well known and he wrote a moving eulogy on his friend's death in 1932.

He was impressed by the strong literary trends and found great resonance in the intellectual movement in Egypt. He also wrote about the beautiful relationship between the noble Nile River and the flourishing civilization of Egyptians.

The Tagore Festival is organised in cooperation with the Egyptian Ministry of Culture, Cairo Opera House, Cultural Production Sector, Dancers Guild and the Indian Community Association in Egypt.
Austin: Parents seeking to adopt children in Texas could soon be rejected by state-funded or private agencies with religious objections to them being Jewish, Muslim, gay, single, or interfaith couples, under a proposal advancing in the Republican-controlled Legislature.

Five other states have passed similar laws protecting faith-based adoption organisations that refuse to place children with gay parents or other households on religious grounds but Texas' rule extends to state-funded agencies.

Only South Dakota's is similarly sweepingly. Republican sponsors of Texas' bill, which is poised to pass Saturday in the state House, say it is designed to support the religious freedom of adoption agencies and foster care providers. Many of the agencies and are private and faith-based but receive state funds.

But opponents say it robs children of stable homes while funding discrimination with taxpayer dollars. "This would allow adoption agencies to turn away qualified, loving parents who are perhaps perfect in every way because the agency has a difference in religious belief," said Catherine Oakley, senior legislative counsel for the Human Rights Campaign. "This goes against the best interest of the child."

The bill also blatantly violates the Constitution, Oakley added. "As a governmental entity, Texas is bound to treat people equally under the law," said Oakley. "This is a violation of equal protection under the law." State Rep James Frank, the bill's author, said it's designed to address the state's foster care crisis by making "reasonable accommodations so everyone can participate in the system."

"Everyone is welcome. But you don't have to think alike to participate," said Frank, a Republican from rural Wichita Falls, near Texas' border with Oklahoma.

Suzanne Bryant, an Austin-based adoption attorney who works with LGBT clients and was one of the first individuals to have a legal same-sex marriage in Texas, said the bill fails to provide alternatives for prospective parents rebuffed by adoption agencies.

"Say you call an agency and say, 'I'm Jewish,' and it's a Catholic agency and they hang up on you," said Bryant. "The bill says you can be referred to another agency, but there's no mechanism to set that up."

Not only could agencies turn away hopeful parents under the religious freedom provision, but they could require children in the foster care system to comply with their faith-based requirements, said Bryant.

That means child welfare organisations could send LGBT kids to conversion therapy, a treatment designed to turn people straight which the Pan American Health Organization calls a "serious threat to the health and well-being of affected people." And they could deny young people contraception and abortions.
Trump this week repeated his dismissal of US intelligence chiefs' conclusion that Moscow had sought to boost his campaign over his Democratic rival Hillary Clinton's in an effort overseen by Russian President Vladimir Putin. (Photo: AP)

Washington: The scandal over Russian meddling in last year's presidential election returns to the forefront of Washington politics after weeks of quiet on Monday, when two top officials from the Obama administration are set to testify in Congress.

Sally Yates -- acting attorney general in the Trump administration for 10 days before being fired -- could bring new pressure on the White House over what it knew about former national security advisor Michael Flynn's communications with Russian officials.

Obama's director of national intelligence James Clapper is also set to testify, after repeatedly warning of the need to get to the bottom of how the Russians interfered in the election, and whether anyone on President Donald Trump's team colluded with Moscow.

The case has simmered for weeks as attention focused elsewhere on what keynote legislation the president could push through in his first 100 days, reached on Sunday.

Congressional investigations into the matter have also been held up by infighting between Democrats and Republicans over how aggressively to pursue a matter that continues to cast a cloud over Trump's election win.

Trump this week repeated his dismissal of US intelligence chiefs' conclusion that Moscow had sought to boost his campaign over his Democratic rival Hillary Clinton's in an effort overseen by Russian President Vladimir Putin.

In an interview with CBS's "Face the Nation" program marking his 100 days, Trump again rejected the official view that Russians hacked Democratic Party computers and communications.

"(It) could have been China, could have been a lot of different groups," he said. On Tuesday, he again branded the whole story as fake. "The phoney Trump/Russia story was an excuse used by the Democrats as justification for losing the election," he said on Twitter.

Trump's dismissals notwithstanding, the Senate Judiciary Committee -- where Yates and Clapper appear on Monday -- and the House and Senate Intelligence Committees are stepping up their probes, calling numerous current and former government witnesses to testify, mostly behind closed doors.

And the FBI continues its own active investigation into possible collusion. The country's top intelligence officials have no doubt Moscow tried to swing the election against Clinton last year through hacking and disinformation.

Nor is there any doubt that people closely associated with the Trump campaign -- including Flynn, onetime foreign affairs advisor Carter Page and campaign chairman Paul Manafort -- all had ongoing contacts with Russians.

But whether those contacts resulted in any collusion with Moscow remains unproved. Asked on CNN this week if she had yet seen any evidence of collusion in private intelligence briefings, Senator Diane Feinstein, the top Democrat on the Senate Intelligence Committee, responded: "Not at this time."

In Monday's hearing, Yates -- an Obama deputy attorney general who was fired by Trump for refusing to support his immigration ban -- reportedly could testify that she warned the incoming administration in January that Flynn's discussions with Russia's US ambassador left him vulnerable to blackmail.

A former military intelligence chief, Flynn was Trump's national security advisor for 24 days before he was fired for lying about the substance of the calls.

Clapper, still bound by secrecy requirements of his former job, might not add more than what the intelligence community has already said publicly about the scandal.

The more serious investigative action in the coming weeks will take place out of the public eye. The House and Senate intelligence committees are holding interviews with current intelligence and Trump campaign officials behind closed doors.

The Senate side has warned possible witnesses, including Flynn, Page and Manafort, that they could be subpoenaed to testify if they do not voluntarily cooperate with the probe, according to the New York Times.

In a statement Friday, the top senators on the Senate committee specifically warned Page, a former Moscow-based investment banker, to meet their week-old request for specific documents.

"Should Mr Page choose to not provide the material requested" by specified dates, they said, "the committee will consider its next steps."
Boston: A couple in Boston, US, was found dead in their penthouse apartment with their hands bound and throats slit on Friday evening. Blood and revengeful messages were scribbled on the walls and their pictures were cut up. The police found the attacker in the house.

The man Richard Field and the woman Lina Bolanos were doctors, engaged to each other, said a report in the Daily Mail. After murdering them, the attacker Bampumim Teixeira tried to fire at the police, who missed the shots and fired back at him. He was taken to Tufts Medical Center to be treated for non-life threatening injuries.

The Boston police were alerted and called to the apartment after they were informed about a man with a gun. According to them, the crime does not seem to be random, however, the motive for the killings are unknown. It is believed that the doctors and the killer knew each other.

Hopefully, this guy that they caught will be able to say who he is and why this was done, said Michael Gibbs, Bolanos godfather. Thats all were hoping, is to get some kind of information. Why did this happen?, he added.

Field worked at North Shore Pain Management and Bolanos was a paediatric anesthesiologist at Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary. She was also an anaesthesia instructor at Harvard Medical School.

Teixeira was previously convicted of two counts of theft in 2014 and 2016 and had pleaded guilty to both counts last year. He was released from a correctional facility in April.

He will be accused on Monday in connection with this murder and is likely to be charged with two counts of murder.
A preschool teacher in Ohio has been fired after she was photographed dragging a student by the arm down a school hallway.The teacher, who worked with children at a Youngstown school in the Mahoning County Head Start programme, was employed by Alta Care Group, a non-profit company that serves 845 children from birth to 5 years old.

Youngstown City Schools said one of their teachers saw this teacher pulling a child down the hallway by the arm, and took a picture of it. Its not known what prompted the incident, CNN reported.Neither the student nor the teacher were identified. The teacher has been told not to come back. The Head Start programme provides education to students between the ages of 3 and 5.
American Airlines recently announced that they are removing up to two inches of leg room in some passenger seats in the Economy class cabin in their new passenger aircraft. (Photo: AFP)

Melbourne: An Australian man has sued American Airlines seeking over 100,000 dollars in compensation for getting 'squashed' after being seated next to two "grossly obese" passengers during a nearly 14-hour flight.

Michael Anthony Taylor, 67, of Wollongong, New South Wales, is seeking more than 100,000 dollars in damages from the airline, claiming he was crushed by the next passenger during the flight from Sydney to Los Angeles and refused permission to move to another seat.

According to documents lodged in court, Taylor was seated next to the window in economy class on the December 2015 flight, sharing the row with two passengers described as "grossly obese", news.com.au reported.

The body of the passenger next to Taylor "spilt over and encroached" into his seat, forcing him to "contort his body into a series of positions including standing up, crouching, keeling and leaning forward".

The case, brought in Australia's Federal Court, follows a similar lawsuit last year in which an Italian lawyer sued Emirates airline after he was forced to "suffer" a nine-hour flight beside an obese man.

According to Taylor's lawsuit, the situation caused him to experience pain, injuries and discomfort during the whole flight, which was about 14 hours long.

Taylor was quoted as saying that he has since suffered back injuries, neck pain and injuries, ongoing discomfort and the aggravation of pre-existing scoliosis -- curvature of the spine.

Taylor's lawyer, Thomas Jansen, said his client repeatedly asked the cabin crew if he could move to another seat, but he was not allowed.

"As a result of the fact that American Airlines failed to reseat him or even offer a viable alternative, he suffered bodily injuries by contorting his body within the cramped space caused by the intrusion of the grossly obese passenger sitting next to him," he said.

A spokesperson for American Airlines in a statement said, "We just received the lawsuit and we are reviewing the allegations." Taylor's claim comes amid growing concern over airlines shrinking seats and cutting back on legroom in order to cram more passengers onto flights.

American Airlines recently announced that they are removing up to two inches of leg room in some passenger seats in the Economy class cabin in their new passenger aircraft.

The lawsuit also comes amid a growing row about the treatment of passengers by airlines in the United States, including a California family that was removed from the flight and threatened with having their children taken into care if they did not comply.

United Airlines reached a settlement last week over a passenger who was dragged down the aisle of one of its jets, after refusing to give up his seat.
The evacuations will begin at 9 am local time and residents have been advised to take necessary items like medication with them when they leave, as well as turning off gas and electrical appliances.(Photo: AP/Representational Image))

Around 50,000 people in Hannover will be evacuated from their homes on Sunday while experts defuse five World War Two bombs.The operation is the second largest of its kind carried out in Germany, and will affect around a tenth of the citys population.

The buildings set to be evacuated include seven care homes, a clinic, and a Continental tyre plant.Officials hope those affected will be able to return home by the evening.

The evacuations will begin at 9 am local time and residents have been advised to take necessary items like medication with them when they leave, as well as turning off gas and electrical appliances.

Rail travel may also be hit by delays after early afternoon, The Local reported.The city has set up a programme of museum tours, childrens films, and sporting events to help those being evacuated spend the day as pleasantly as possible.

Tens of thousands of soup portions are also being prepared, according to the German news agency DPA. Allied planes bombed Hannover heavily during WWII, killing thousands.
Washington: While increasing internet accessibility has been regarded as a boon, there comes an alarming issue with regards to the accountability of what is shared on the platform. As there is a flipside to every coin, recent reports have mapped the increasing presence of the Islamic State in Pakistan, merely through online recruitment.

Young Pakistanis, both men and women, educated or otherwise have fallen prey to being lured by extremism and commitment to jihad.

One such example can be cited through the life of 20-year old Noreen Leghari, a medical student who joined the 'daesh' at the brim of her education.

For over a year, Noreen was in touch with extremists online. While her parents thought she was abducted, she reached out to them via Facebook, informing them of her whereabouts and admitting to being in ' Syria for jihad'.

"Stop searching for me," said the young girl.

In April, security forces stormed her hideout there, killing one of her two accomplices and recovering two suicide vests and hand grenades. Leghari had planned to detonate herself at a crowded church two days later, on Easter Sunday, as reported by the Washington Post.

While exact statistics of the Islamic State's presence in Pakistan have not been ascertained, it has been warned that the potential threat they can cause is real, and it is expanding its presence through digital platforms.

Apart from this, the extremist group has also reportedly garnered support from local terrorist organisations, although recruitment levels have not been as significant as that of the al-Qaeda and Taliban.

In an attempt to propagate the Caliphate Regime, women and girls from Islamabad's Jamia Hafsa - a madrassa adjacent to Lal Masjid, the infamous militant mosque in the heart of Pakistan's capital - addressed a message in late 2014 to the chief of the Islamic State, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, "the caliph" and to "our brothers, the mujahideen," according to a Washington Post report.

However, sources revealed that although this was perceived as an opportunity to examine potential in Pakistan, the Islamic State had already entered the country with the help of local groups and began recruitment drives in Baluchistan.

Around the same time, reports surfaced of pamphlets being distributed along the Afghanistan border propagating extremism, following which two suspects were taken into custody for displaying posters with such content in Lahore.

In January 2016, following the appointment of Hafiz Saeed Khan as the Chief of the Islamic State Khorasan that governs operations in Afghanistan and Pakistan, he and five others allegedly pledged alliance to al-Baghdadi.

Post this the Islamic State Khorasan has taken responsibility for several attacks which followed, collaborating with several local groups and thus branching out activities to its allies.

One of the most lethal attacks carried out by the Islamic State was the suicide bombing in February this year in a Sufi shrine, which claimed over 88 lives leaving hundreds injured. This alarming incident came just a few weeks after 25 civilians were killed in an explosion carried out by the Islamic State's partner Laskhar-e-Jhangvi-Alami and the Pakistan Taliban.

While governing authorities have often denied the Islamic State of posing a measurable threat to the country, recent incidents have instigated deliberations to take place on understanding the impact of extremist influence.
Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and army chief Qamar Javed Bajwa have resolved to amicably address the differences over a leaked report that had angered the powerful army, a media report said today.

In October, a columnist for Dawn newspaper wrote a front-page story about a rift between civilian and military leaderships over militant groups that operate from Pakistan, but engage in proxy war against India and Afghanistan. Army resented the leaked news item and asked for a probe. Geo News reported that meeting was held on Thursday night at the wish of the PM.
Pakistani man accused the Indian High Commission in Islamabad of detaining his newly-wed Indian wife after they went there to apply for his visa. (Representational image/File)

Islamabad: A Pakistani man accused the Indian High Commission in Islamabad of detaining his newly-wed Indian wife after they went there to apply for his visa, media reports said on Sunday.

Uzma, who belongs to New Delhi, and Tahir met in Malaysia and fell in love with each other after which she travelled to Pakistan on May 1 via the Wagah border. The two contracted nikkah (marriage) on May 3.

According to Tahir, they visited the High Commission building and submitted visa forms as well as their phones to the officials. Uzma then went inside on being called by the officials while he stayed back, reports said.

When his wife did not return after several hours, Tahir enquired about her from officials, who claimed she was not there. Tahir alleged that the officials also refused to give their three mobile phones back to him.

Tahir said he has filed a First Information Report (FIR) in the Secretariat Police Station.

On the other hand, the Indian High Commission claimed that Uzma has been staying there out of her own will, Geo News said.

They said that they have told her husband to visit the High Commission tomorrow to meet his wife and get the visa as well, it said.

Earlier an Indian High Commission official when enquired about the alleged detention said, "Plz check with JSXP (External Affairs Ministry Spokesman) in Delhi."

The matter has also been taken up at the diplomatic level by Pakistan, the reports said.
Senior White House adviser Jared Kushners family business is courting wealthy Chinese to buy stakes in real estate through a controversial government programme that offers US residency in exchange for investment.

Kushners sister Nicole Kushner Meyer was in Beijing on Saturday, seeking $150 million in investment in a luxury apartment complex project in New Jersey, according to US media reports.

Jared Kushner, 36, is a senior adviser to US President Donald Trump with far-reaching influence over domestic and foreign policy, and stepped down from the family company in January to serve in the administration.

However, eyebrows have been raised as the Chinese investment sought by his family is to be funnelled through the US EB-5 visa programme.

The programme offers foreign nationals permanent residency  commonly known as a green card  in exchange for investments of at least half a million dollars in a US business that must also create 10 American jobs. The New York Times reported that the family business investment drive is also highlighting their ties to Mr Kushner as they court investors.

Speaking to over 100 investors at Beijing, Nicole Kushner Meyer said the project means a lot to me and my entire family, and mentioned her brothers former role as chief executive of Kushner companies, the report added.

Photographs of the event showed promotional posters bearing the slogan: Government supports it; Celebrity property developer builds it. The EB-5 programme was created in 1990 to help stimulate the US economy through job creation and capital investment from foreigners.


Let us hope Afghanistan, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, India and the Maldives will collectively and individually put in the several million dollars a year that may be necessary to effectively tap the benefits of the friendly bird in the sky. There could be many other reasons why the countries that got the "invaluable gift" may not fully utilise it since several of India's neighbours already have advanced communication satellites in orbit or are in the process of acquiring them.



The war-torn country of Afghanistan, whose President Ashraf Ghani said "If we can't cooperate on land, we can at least cooperate in the sky", participated at the highest level in the unprecedented video conference but sources have said it is yet to ink the deal and cites technical reasons. Hopefully that will happen soon. But if one analyses its satellite communications capabilities one finds that Afghanistan already possesses a satellite called AfghanSAT. This is a communications satellite it has leased from a European country.



Interestingly, the AfghanSAT which was formerly called W2M is an Indian-made satellite. This satellite was made in the same facility where the South Asia Satellite has been fabricated in the ISRO Satellite Centre in Bengaluru. In 2014, when Kabul acquired the satellite the then Communication and Information Technology Minister Amirzai Sangin said the satellite "is a new milestone in the development of the ICT [Information and Communications Technologies] in Afghanistan, which in the last 12 years has already seen mobile telephony coverage of 88 per cent and penetration grow from zero to 75 per cent through the licensing of six operators".



One will have to wait and watch how the Afghans finally decide to utilise the services of the South Asia Satellite. Nepal is a country that felt the need to have a communications satellite in place soon after the devastating 2015 Kathmandu earthquake. Towards that as recently as December 2016, the Himalayan country has floated a global tender to acquire not one but two of its own communications satellites. May be the Nepali government will dirty its hands by testing Satcom technology on India's gift but whether it will set up a duplicate infrastructure in the long run is something one will have to wait and watch.



Today Nepal already utilises telemedicine facilities using India's INSAT satellites and hospitals in Kathmandu are often hooked up to hospitals in New Delhi and Chandigarh for medical consultations. Bangladesh is one country because of its deltaic geography it can benefit greatly by having well established capabilities of Satcom. Speaking at the video conference, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina said "this is an extremely important step to know nature and nature's patterns. On today's auspicious occasion betterment of our people can happen through fruitful engagement".



But at the same time without waiting for the South Asia Satellite to kick in, Bangladesh initiated expanding its capabilities in space and hopes that by the end of this year its very own Bangabandhu-1 satellite will be in orbit as reports suggest that it is being made by the French company Thales Alenia Space. The total cost of the satellite is USD 248 million. Bangabandhu-1 carries a total of 40 Ku and C-band transponders. In contrast, India is offering capacity of about one transponder. Sri Lanka already owns a communication satellite called SupremeSat which it acquired in 2012 and is operated by SupremeSAT (Pvt) Limited, a Sri Lankan satellite operator.



Interestingly, it has partnership with China's state- owned satellite manufacturing institution China Great Wall Industry Corporation. This satellite has a capacity of 56 transponders. A less than effervescent Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena, joining in from Colombo for the video conference, said "May this initiative support people in all regions, enhance economic conditions and help to eliminate poverty".



But with China already having the first mover advantage will it let India get a toehold on the island nation? The Maldives and Bhutan are the two countries that have minimal space-faring capabilities and hopefully will be the biggest beneficiaries of the fruits of the South Asia satellite. No wonder then that Maldives President Abdulla Yameen actually echoed Modi's words by saying "this launch is an example of India's 'neighbour first policy'. We must work for common good, better economic opportunities. Sabka Saath Sabka Vikas".



India on the other hand is the biggest donor and possibly the biggest beneficiary from the project. Over the 12 year nominal life of the satellite India is extending aid which would be worth at least USD 1,500 million, if one extrapolates the total cost of the project over 12 years.



A highly optimistic and visionary space buff that Modi is, he said "The South Asia Satellite tells us that even the sky is not the limit when it comes to regional cooperation among like-minded countries". Hopefully, the 2,230 kg South Asia Satellite will remain a friendly bird in the sky and not morph into a "white elephant in space".

Unparallelled space bonding was witnessed on Friday when seven heads of states from South Asia unanimously applauded India's Rs 450 crore gift to its neighbours by way of a communications satellite. There is no precedent in the space-faring world of a free regional communications satellite being gifted like this, and it shows India has a large heart. Touted as Prime Minister Narendra Modi's pet project, the South Asia Satellite is now in orbit, so the riskiest, but easy, part is really over and undoubtedly the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has delivered.The tricky bit starts now when the seven member-states have to start putting in their own hard earned resources to get the ground infrastructure in place and to get the software ready for the content that will be beamed by the satellite. Easier said than done. Speaking at the live video conference after the successful launch, Modi said "Today is a historic day for South Asia. A day without precedence. Two years ago, India made a promise. A promise to extend the advanced space technology for the cause of growth and prosperity of our brothers and sisters in South Asia."The successful launch of the South Asia Satellite marks the fulfilment of that. With this launch we have started a journey to build the most advanced frontier of our partnership," Modi said. What was actually left unsaid was that with this single out-of-the-box foreign policy initiative, New Delhi was essentially trying to contain China's growing influence in the region. In its cussedness, Pakistan opted out of the project citing its existing space programme which everyone knows is rather primitive in comparison to India's advanced space- faring capabilities.While there is no doubt India has end-to-end capabilities in space technology but many of the country's space assets often turn into so-called "white elephants in space". In the past, the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) has come down heavily on ISRO for the non-utilisation of space imageries that the country's vast remote sensing satellites collected but which remained locked up and were not available to the civilian planners.Some of that has changed but still high-quality satellite images of less than one meter resolution remain out of bounds for civilians. Similarly, India's Rs 450 crore Edusat--a communications satellite launched in 2004 to "reach the unreached" through interactive teaching--did not live up to its objectives. The National Institute of Advanced Studies, Bengaluru evaluated the EduSat and concluded that it remained "under- utilised' as it was a top-driven technology initiative where enough thought was not given to generation of appropriate content.More recently in 2014, ISRO launched the highly controversial GAST-6, a satellite that provides unprecedented satellite-based multimedia capabilities for India's armed forces but till date reports suggest that the handsets that would enable satellite telephony and handheld capability are still being developed. Between 2013 and 2016, India placed in orbit a constellation of seven navigation satellites in space costing about Rs 1,500 crore but while the space-based system is constantly beaming down signals yet it seems chipsets that can effectively tap these GPS-like signals are still under development.It seems the 16,000 dedicated workforce of ISRO delivers what it is mandated for but on the downstream side the line ministries seem to fail to capitalise on the gains. It is too early to assess the outcome of South Asia Satellite for that we may need to wait another 12 years which is the nominal mission life of the satellite. But in daily life when one receives expensive gifts that also need to be serviced with lots of money on a continuous basis, they often turn dust collectors.


"Since we have been bearing financial loss on this route for the last six months or so we have arrived at a decision to suspend this route," the official said, adding that unless a special subsidy is not given by the government on this route it may not be restored in the near future.



The move comes amid a strain in Indo-Pak ties following the beheading of two Indian soldiers by the Pakistan military in Jammu and Kashmir. The PIA administration, however, dismissed media reports that the Karachi-Mumbai operation is being suspended due to tense relations between India and Pakistan.



"The reasons behind the move are purely commercial," PIA spokesperson Danyal Gillani said. The proposal to suspend the Karachi-Mumbai flight may have been made for commercial purposes, but deteriorating ties indirectly have affected traffic on the route. PIA was a profit making entity and earned more than Rs 2 billion in 2004 but after that it went into deficit and could not recover. Since 2013, when the current Nawaz Sharif government took over, the carrier has suffered more than Rs 100 billion in losses, according to officials.

Pakistan International Airlines will suspend its flight between Karachi and Mumbai from tomorrow due to commercial considerations, a senior airline official has said. PIA operated two flights in a week (Monday and Thursday) between Karachi and Mumbai.However, the PIA's Lahore-Delhi flight operation will continue as traffic volume on this route is satisfactory, the PIA official told PTI. The suspension of Karachi-Mumbai route may add traffic to Lahore-Delhi route, he said."There will be no PIA flight between Karachi to Mumbai and Mumbai to Karachi from April 8. The PIA has stopped booking for flights on this route, the official said. The PIA management has decided to suspend the flight on the Karachi-Mumbai route because of extremely low traffic (on the route).
Chief ministers of Naxalite- affected states will meet top civil and police officers here tomorrow to devise new ways to tackle the armed rebels. The meeting, to be held two weeks after 25 paramilitary personnel were killed by a band of Maoists in Chhattisgarh, will be chaired by Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh.



It is expected that the meet will help firm up an anti- Naxal strategy to fight the guerillas in their hideouts in Chhattisgarh and other states in the coming days, a Home Ministry official said. The chief ministers of Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Odisha, West Bengal, Bihar, Maharashtra, Telangana, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Andhra Pradesh have been invited to take part in the crucial meeting.



District magistrates and superintendents of police of 35 of the worst-hit Naxalite-affected districts, along with heads of paramilitary forces and intelligence agencies, will attend the meeting. It is expected to stress on revamping the intelligence gathering mechanism, meticulous analysis of ongoing operations, identifying problem areas and seeking solutions for better results.



On top of the agenda will be the issue of re-calibrating the anti-Naxal strategy to make it more effective and to minimise casualties, the official said. The home minister has told the security officials to look for out-of-the box solutions to the problem of successive attacks by Naxalites when security personnel oversee road repair or development work in the troubled areas.



Road construction and other development activities in the affected areas will also be discussed. The chief ministers may endorse an alternative modern technology which would help with the speedy completion of projects.



Home Ministry officials said currently 90 per cent of Maoist activities were limited to 35 districts, though they have a hold over pockets in 68 districts in 10 states.


Residents of a village near Bangladesh border have lodged an FIR against the BSF claiming that Friday's firing by its personnel to stop "cattle smugglers" was actually a fake encounter. BSF had said in a statement that their men posted at Kachu Adokgre in West Garo Hills district apprehended cattle smugglers, who attacked them along with local people, and they had to fire injuring two persons.



Villagers of Belabor, however, contested this version and lodged an FIR demanding action against the BSF personnel involved, Superintendent of Police Dr MGR Kumar said today. BSF personnel were trying to pass ordinary villagers as cattle smugglers to impress their superiors, said the FIR lodged yesterday. The district SP said, "We are looking into all aspects of the case and an investigation into what really happened is currently on."



The villagers asked how cattle smuggle could take place during daytime in presence of security personnel along the border. The FIR claimed that BSF men came in two vehicles at a spot away from their jurisdiction, questioned one resident of Belabor about cattle smuggle and let him go at around 9 AM.



Then they moved to Kochu Adokgre and found Namseng Ch Sangma, a resident of Belabor village, tending six cattle. They accused him of smuggling the animals to Bangladesh, the FIR said. Villagers reached the spot and an argument ensued as BSF personnel refused to listen to the plea of the local people that the cattle belong to them, it said adding BSF men then fired injuring two persons including Namseng.



District police officers later reached the village and talked to the villagers. The injured men, who were shot in the leg and were hospitalised, and two others were arrested.


Aiming to make the Northeast a gateway of Southeast Asia, the government has initiated major infrastructure projects in the seven states, including investing Rs 40,000 crore to improve the roads and highways, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said today. However, he lamented that "only Gangtok (in the Northeast) had found a place in the first 50 clean cities", out of the 12 cities from the region surveyed as part of the recent nationwide cleanliness survey.



While four Northeastern cities found a place between 100 and 200 clean cities, seven were positioned between 200 and 300, with Shillong being the 276th, he said while stressing that 'Swachhata' or cleanliness was a major challenge for everyone in the region. He was addressing the centenary celebrations of the prominent voluntary organisation, Bharat Sevashram Sangha, in Shillong through video conferencing.



"We have to make the Northeast a gateway for Southeast Asia," Modi said, adding if this gateway is dirty, then the dream would not be fulfilled and asked the people and organisations like the Sangha to join hands in the cleanliness campaign. Observing that there has been no balanced development in the entire Northeastern region even so many years after Independence, Modi said his government "with all its resources" had planned to bring about overall and balanced development of the states here. The Prime Minister said the major thrust would be to improve connectivity and develop the entire region for tourism purposes.



"All these initiatives will help to make the Northeast the gateway of Southeast Asia," he said. While an investment of Rs 40,000 crore is being made to improve the road infrastructure in the Northeast, 19 big railway projects have also been started in the region, he said. "We are also improving the electricity situation in the Northeast and trying to bring even more tourists to the region," Modi said.



Announcing that the Northeast would soon be connected with UDAN (Ude Desh ka Aam Nagarik) scheme, he said small airports were also being developed in the region, while the extension of the runway at Shillong airport has been approved. Bharat Sevashram Sangha is a network of volunteers across the globe engaged in helping people in distress.



The Sangha's social welfare activities include disaster relief, spreading education, providing healthcare facilities, vocational training and upliftment of the tribals. Lauding the role of the Sangha in playing a critical role during natural calamities, the Prime Minister said a myth was created that spirituality and service cannot go together.



"Some people tried to tell that those who are in the spiritual path are different from those on the way of providing service to the humanity," Modi said, adding that the Sangha has proved this wrong through its activities.



He said Sangha had more than 100 branches and over 500 units engaged in providing social service in sectors including health, education as well as training the youths.



He appreciated the services rendered by the Sangha during various calamities, including the Bengal famine in 1923, Noakhali riots in 1946, Jalpaiguri floods in 1950, 1956 Anjar earthquake, Andhra Pradesh cyclone in 1977 and Bhogal gas leakage in 1980.
Children should be taught to respect women the same way they respect men, the Supreme Court's lone woman judge R Banumathi has said while stressing that gender equality should be made a part of school curriculum.



Justice Banumathi, in her separate but concurring verdict running into 114 pages, upheld the death penalty of the four convicts in the brutal December 16, 2012 gangrape case and suggested several measures to curb violence against women.



She also said that a change in the mindset of the society at large is needed.



"Stringent legislation and punishment alone may not be sufficient for fighting increasing crime against women. In our tradition-bound society, certain attitudinal change and change in the mindset is needed to respect women and to ensure gender justice.



"Right from childhood years, children ought to be sensitised to respect women. A child should be taught to respect women in the society in the same way as he is taught to respect men. Gender equality should be made a part of the school curriculum," the judge said.



Justice Banumathi said school teachers and parents should be trained, not only to conduct regular personality-building and skill-enhancing exercise, but also to keep a watch on the actual behavioural pattern of children so as to make them gender-sensitised.



"The educational institutions, government institutions, the employers and all concerned must take steps to create awareness with regard to gender sensitisation and to respect women. Sensitisation of public on gender justice through TV, media and press should be welcomed," she said.



She suggested putting up banners and placards in public transport vehicles, illuminating bus stops and launching extra police patrol during odd hours.



"On the practical side, few suggestions are worthwhile to be considered. Banners and placards in the public transport vehicles like autos, taxis and buses etc. must be ensured. Use of street lights, illuminated bus stops and extra police patrol during odd hours must be ensured.



"Police/security guards must be posted at dark and lonely places like parks, streets etc. Mobile apps for immediate assistance of women should be introduced and effectively maintained," the judge said.



She said apart from effective implementation of various legislations protecting women, change in the mind set of the society at large and creating awareness in public on gender justice, would go a long way to combat violence against women.



"There are a number of legislations and numerous penal provisions to punish the offenders of violence against women. However, it becomes important to ensure that gender justice does not remain only on paper," the judge said.
Samajwadi patron Mulayam Singh Yadav today blamed the alliance with the Congress for the "poor" state of the party and said efforts should be made to strengthen the SP.



He said though the Congress left no stone unturned to "ruin" his life, his son Akhilesh Yadav forged an alliance with the party in the run up to the assembly polls.



"Alliance with Congress is responsible for the present poor state of the party. I had advised Akhilesh not to go ahead with it but he did so. The SP is itself responsible for its defeat and not the people of the state", he told reporters here.



Mulayam was here to unveil a statue of martyr Dharmendra Yadav in Junesa village in Karhal area here.

Attacking the Congress further, Mulayam said, "Congress left no stone unturned to ruin my life. It (Congress) lodged cases against me and Akhilesh forged alliance with it".



To a question on his brother Shivpal Yadav deciding to form a new front, he said efforts should be made to strengthen the Samajwadi Party.



Shivpal, who retained the Jaswantnagar Assembly seat during the recent elections, has said that a secular front would be formed if Akhilesh Yadav did not hand over the reins of the party back to his father Mulayam in three months.



On Shivpal Yadav's comment terming Ramgopal Yadav as "Shakuni", Mulayam said, "Whatever he (Shivpal) said is true. Attempts were made to ensure his defeat and money was also spent for it".



The SP patron also attacked Prime Minister Narendar Modi and dubbed him as a "liar".



"He (Modi) had lied to the people and promised Rs 15 lakh in every account but even Rs 15,000 was not given," he said.



The Samajwadi Party had witnessed a bitter feud between uncle Shivpal and nephew Akhilesh in the run up to the Uttar Pradesh Assembly polls.



Many in the party blamed the power struggle between Akhilesh and his uncle Shivpal for the Samajwadi Party's dismal performance.



The Samajwadi Party contested the polls under Akhilesh's leadership but suffered a humiliating defeat at the hands of the BJP.



Mulayam had earlier blamed Akhilesh for the Samajwadi Party's poor performance in the Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections and said that his son had insulted him.



The SP tally in the assembly elections has come down to 47 from 227 in the 403-member House.



Following a bitter feud between the father and the son, Akhilesh had snatched reins of the party from Mulayam and their fight also reached the Election Commission.
Pakistan International Airlines has taken its senior pilot off-duty for allegedly sleeping on a London-bound flight, risking the lives of over 300 passengers on board by handing over the aircraft to a trainee.



Captain Amir Akhtar Hashmi had taken a two-and-a-half- hour nap in the business class passenger cabin on April 26 soon after flight PK-785 took off from Islamabad for London, the Dawn reported.



The airline was initially reluctant to take action against Hashmi, a former president of the highly influential Pakistan Air Lines Pilots Association (PALPA), but later caved in to "pressure from above".



PIA spokesperson Danyal Gilani said that Hashmi was off from flying duty due to the investigation under way, but refused to share any further details.



Another first officer, Mohammad Asad Ali, who was under training, was also in the cockpit.



Hashmi, an instructor, gets paid over Rs 100,000 each month to train pilots, and was supposed to train Ali Hassan Yazdani during the flight. However, instead of performing his duty, Hashmi went for a quick lie-down, the report said.



The flight was carrying over 305 passengers  293 in the economy class and 12 in the club class.



The development has surfaced at a time when a top PIA official, facing serious allegations of corruption, left the country yesterday after he was given a special exemption by the Interior Ministry to fly abroad for a month even though his name is still on the country's no-fly list.



Bernd Hildenbrand, the suspended CEO of the national flag carrier is under investigation on charges of corruption amounting to billions of rupees. The Federal Investigation Agency is probing the corruption charges against him.
Security agencies are not ruling out the possibility of the banned ISIS trying to create a base in the Kashmir Valley, noting that internet chats and establishing of contacts with possible handlers in Syria and Iraq by some youths have grown in the last six months.



Officials in the security establishment, who are not authorised to speak to the media, said on condition of anonymity that there have been small pockets in the Valley from where some youths are trying to get in touch with one or more handlers in Syria and Iraq.



Last month, two masked gunmen appeared at the grave of a Hizbul Mujahideen terrorist in Pulwama during which they asked the gathering to follow the rules laid down by Taliban and ISIS and not support or raise slogans in favour of Pakistan.



They gave fiery speeches for over three minutes in which they spoke about pan-Islamisation and the importance of having Shariat as a law, the officials said.



While militant outfits including United Jehad Council, a conglomerate of terror outfits based out of Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, as well as the local unit of Hizbul Mujahideen were quick to downplay the incident, security officials viewed it with more seriousness.



The agencies felt if the growing influence of ISIS was not checked, it could be detrimental to the situation in the Valley.



The officials said that the activities on the internet from the Valley to some accounts in Syria and Iraq have been tracked during last one year.



In 2014, 2015 and early 2016, there were few stray cases whichi had been noticed. But beginning this year, after a comprehensie monitoring system was placed to track such chats, over a 100 users were found to be conversing with possible handlers in the two foreign countries.



There was no pinpointed information about the users other than the general areas of some villages in South Kashmir, Sopore in North Kashmir, Prang and Lar in Central Kashmir as well as Reasi, Kishtawar and Doda areas of Jammu region, they said.



During the recent protests across the Valley, ISIS flags were waived in certain areas and even walls in some were splattered with slogans supporting the banned terror outfit.



Army has also been worried about the growing influence of the ISIS ideology on the youth of the Valley and a study done last year showed that six out of 10 youths were watching videos of controversial Islamic preacher Zaki Naik or other jehadi videos.
At a time when relations between India and Pakistan have reached a new low in the wake of the beheading of two Indian jawans and awarding of capital punishment to businessman and former naval officer Kulbhushan Jadhav on charges of spying, fishermen from Gujarat and Diu have requested the governments of the two neighbours for a no arrest policy, consular access and immediate release of captured boats.



The fishermen communities of Saurashtra region of Gujarat and union territory of Dui have requested Dr Shashi Tharoor, the Chairman of Parliamentary Standing Committee on External Affairs, to look into the issue.



Dr Tharoor, a former Minister of State for External Affairs and ex-Under Secretary General of the United Nations, and other members of the Standing Committee met fishermen last week in Porbunder and Diu.



Lot of issues were discussed at the meeting, peace activist Jatin Desai, General Secretary of India chapter of Pakistan-India Peoples Forum for Peace and Democracy (PIPFPD), said in Mumbai on Sunday.



There is an urgent need for a No Arrest Policy in the case of these fishermen. If Indian Coast Guard realizes Pakistani fishing boats have entered the Indian territory, then instead of arresting them, they should just be sent back. Pakistans Maritime Security Agency should act in a similar manner in case of Indian fishermen, he said.



Besides, the Agreement on Consular Access, 2008, needs to be implemented in letter and spirit and both India and Pakistan should release all fishermen from their custody. Highlighting the issue of boats, he said: Over the years, Pakistan has confiscated more than 900 boats of Indian fishermen. The average cost of a boat is Rs 50 lakhs. We believe that around 175 boats can be brought back with some repair work. Pakistan had released 57 Indian boats in March 2015 and they committed to release 22 more but that has not yet happened.



Meanwhile, Bharat Mody, the President of the Porbandar Macchimar Boat Association, said: For multiple reasons Indians and Pakistani fishermen crosses the maritime limits. It includes heavy stream, gusty wind, dark nights, failure of boat engines etc. Also, in the absence of proper knowledge of the border, fishermen get arrested. These fishermen are not indulging in any illegal activities. They catch only fish.



The IMBL between India and Pakistan is still under dispute and it should resolved on a priority basis, he said.
A group of Lashker-e-Toiba militants on Sunday afternoon appeared at the funeral of a slain associate to offer gun salute in south Kashmirs Kulgam district.



Witnesses said atleast four militants appeared in the funeral of LeT commander, Fayaz Ahmad alias Setha and fired a volley of bullets in the air in the form of gun salute. Setha, a resident of Kaimoh, Kulgam was killed in retaliatory fire by police on Saturday night after militants attacked a police party which had gone to Mir Bazaar area to investigate a road accident. Three civilians and a policeman were also killed in the attack.



Sources said Setha was killed when he attempted to snatch a AK-47 rifle from a policeman after the attack. He was one of the accused in the August 2015 attack on a BSF convoy in Udhampur in which two paramilitary personnel were killed and 13 others were injured. The case was subsequently transferred to NIA for investigation.



Soon after the attack, police had arrested a Pakistani national and member of LeT, later identified as Mohammad Naveed alias Usman. However, Setha, who had driven the truck to Udhampur in which militants travelled from Kashmir was absconding since then. Setha, who was in his early thirties, as per his relatives, was father of one-year-old male child.



There have been a number of instances of militants appearing at the funerals of slain associates in the last two years in what appears to have taken the shape of a disturbing trend. This trend reminds of the times in 1990s when militancy had just begun in Kashmir. It also hints at the volatility of the situation in south Kashmir, a senior police official told DH.



The growing crowds at the funerals of slain militants not only indicate a groundswell for separatism, the crowds also try to provide cover for holed up militants during encounters. People are made to come out and protest. It sometimes leads to violence thats intended to divert our attention and help militants escape," he said.
There seems to be no end to RJDs woes. A day after party president Lalu Prasad was exposed talking to the incarcerated former MP Mohammad Shahabuddin, two RJD ministers in the Nitish Cabinet were in the eye of storm for turning their bungalows into banquet halls.



The two ministers - Abdul Ghafoor and Shiv Chandra Ram - have been charged with entering into a deal with an event management company which organised marriage function on the sprawling campus of huge ministerial bungalows allotted to them by the State legislature secretariat.



While Ghafoor, the Minority Affairs Minister, stays at Taylor Road, Shiv Chandra Ram, the Art and Culture minister, has been allotted bungalow on Strand Road.



After the gaffe was exposed by a local TV channel, the main Opposition party BJP submitted a memorandum to Bihar Governor Ram Nath Kovind and urged him to ask Nitish to sack the two ministers from the RJD quota.



Abdul Ghafoor and Shiv Chandra Ram have turned their Government bungalows into banquet halls. We have been told that they have tied up with event management companies and charge hefty fee in lieu of letting out parts of their sprawling bungalows for marriage functions, said Bihars former Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Kumar Modi after meeting Governor.



We have demanded that Nitish Kumar not only sack the two ministers but recover such earnings from their salaries, said Modi.



As per rules of the States Building Construction Department, which looks after the maintenance and upkeep of the Government bungalows, commercial exploitation of ministerial or any official bungalow is strictly prohibited.



I never charge a single paise from anyone if ever I lease out the land on my bungalow. Its purely as a goodwill gesture with an aim to help those people from my constituency who need it for marriage or any other purpose, clarified Shiv Chandra Ram, the Bihar Minister.
The centre's anti-naxal strategy will come up for close scrutiny on Monday when Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh meets Chief Ministers and officials from naxal-infested states here.



The meeting chaired by Singh will discuss security related issues and development aspects in separate sessions during the meeting, which comes a fortnight after 25 CRPF personnel were killed by naxals in Chhattisgarh's Sukma.



Sources said the high-level meeting will look at various ways of improving the existing strategy to counter naxals, who have managed to strike the force twice in a month. In March, 12 CRPF personnel were killed in Sukma.



The meeting will be attended by Chief Ministers of Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Odisha, West Bengal, Bihar, Maharashtra, Telangana, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Andhra Pradesh. District magistrates and Superintendents of Police of 35 of the worst-affect districts will also attend the meeting.



Sources said the agenda for the meeting include commando training of state forces by the Army, use of India Reserve Battalions instead of CRPF for road opening duties and the need for frequent unified command meetings among others.



An increase in IAF sorties for transporting security personnel may also figure in the meeting. The day-long meeting will discuss the role of states in operations of paramilitary forces, raising and employment of India Reserve (IR) Battalions and Special India Reserve Battalion (SIRB) as well as capacity building. It will also discuss intelligence issues like vacancies in state police and capacity building of state intelligence units, an official statement said.



Senior officials at the Centre would also discuss the modality for increasing anti-naxal operations in the states. Another point that will be debated is the need for upgrading the intelligence gathering apparatus in these states.



Singh had already said that the Centre would review the anti-naxal strategy following the April 24 incident.



The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) had on May 4 ordered the immediate shifting of the anti-naxal operations command headquarters from Kolkata to Chhattisgarh following the two incidents in which 37 CRPF personnel were killed. In 2010, the headquarters was shifted to Kolkata from Raipur citing logistical and connectivity issues.



CRPF Additional Director General (Central Zone) Kuldiep Singh took over the command in Raipur on Friday as the MHA had instructed the CRPF to ensure that the command start functioning from the new place before the Monday meeting.
Jammu and Kashmir will be back on track soon as the security forces are now acting more professionally with a larger degree of freedom, Union minister Jitendra Singh said today.



Tension prevailed in the Valley as six policemen died in terror attack in South Kashmir in the first week of May. Six civilians also lost their lives during the same period amid stone pelting by students.



"By the next couple of weeks, Jammu and Kashmir would be back on track. There has been such (disturbing) incidents in the past one or two days. But there are noticeable differences ...the para military forces are now acting more professionally with larger degree of freedom," Singh told reporters here.



The MoS, who is on a two-day visit to Jammu region, said "I am sure that sooner than later, things will return to normalcy and J&K will start moving ahead like the rest of the country."



The BJP leader also hit out at Pakistan for unleashing a reign of terror on the people of Gilgit-Baltistan region.

"It is condemnable that the government of Pakistan has unleashed the most inhuman oppression on the people of Gilgit-Baltistan," he said.



"The manner in which Pakistan is seeking to suppress its own subjects is also an eye opener for the entire world, and clearly establishes that Pakistan has emerged as the gravest form of human rights violator in this part of the world, particularly in Indian sub-continent.



"Not jut in Gilgit Baltistan and PoK, which are under its (Pakistan) illegal control, but under its legally occupied territories like Baluchistan also, Pakistan has been suppressing people," he said.



The Union minister further added, "India's concerns emanate not only from the human point of view, but also when the neighbourhood is on fire, it is the responsibility and duty of the Government of India and its security agencies to ensure that all these developments do not have a negative ramification in the region."
A 32-year-old Indian-American doctor has been shot dead under mysterious circumstances in a car in the US state of Michigan.



Rakesh Kumar, who worked in the Urology Department of the Henry Ford Hospital, was found dead on the passenger seat of a car in a rest area, some 90 miles out of Detroit, on late Thursday evening.



Police are investigating the case to ascertain the cause of his death.



The family members of Kumar say they do not suspect anyone and have ruled out the possibility of it being an incident of hate crime.



"We do not know (the reason for his murder). They (The police) are yet to find out," his father Narendra Kumar, a former president of the influential American Association of Physicians of Indian Origin (AAPI), told PTI.



"We do not suspect anything. We do not think, it was a hate crime," said a shocked Kumar.



Rakesh was a medical graduate from the Amrita Institute of Medical Sciences in Kochi.



When he did not show up for his work, a hospital doctor called his father to enquire about him.

"This was quite unusual," the father said.



He said he made several phone calls and sent text messages to his son, but there was no response.



The father went to his son's apartment and called the police when he did not find him there.



After hours of search, police found the dead body of Rakesh in the passenger seat of a car at a rest area.



By late night on Thursday, the body was identified as that of Rakesh.



The police have refrained from making any comments about the incident.



There has been a surge in hate crimes against the Hindu and Sikh communities in the US after Donald Trump became the President of the country.



Indian engineer Srinivas Kuchibhotla was killed when a US Navy veteran Adam Purinton opened fire at him and his friend Alok Madasani before yelling "get out of my country" in February.



In Florida, an Indian-American family's store was almost burnt to the ground and many more have been harassed and threatened.
With almost all the lakes in the district becoming bone dry, the district administration has taken up desilting of lakes under Kere Sanjeevini project.



The disposal of soil after desilting has, however, become a bane for contractors as farmers, who used to collect it earlier, have rejected it now. As many as 14 lakes have been identified from seven taluks (two lakes in each taluk) and works have been initiated in Chikkakere of Basaralu village and Singari Katte lake at Nanjenahalli.



The soil removed from dry lakes is fertile, rich in minerals and can be used for agricultural lands but despite contractors appealing to farmers to collect the soil, no one has shown interest.



As a result, the soil is being dumped at government lands and on roads. Speaking to DH, contractor Nandeesh said that earlier, farmers used to voluntarily collect the soil in their bullock carts as it is very fertile and helps in getting good yield but now they are not ready to collect the soil.



Hence, it has become inevitable for them to dump it at Varakodu temple premises and on nearby roads.



No tractors to transport



Farmers, however, have a different story to tell. Farmer Ningegowda of Kenchanahalli explained that only the creamy soil after good rains is considered fertile and good for agriculture.



Due to drought, no water flowed into the lake and the soil has turned dry and dusty and is unfit for agriculture. But the soil can nevertheless be used to cover roots of coconut trees that get exposed as the tree grows taller.



Farmers say that they need tractors, bullock carts to transport the soil but most of them have sold their vehicles and it is difficult for them to hire. Two lakes in Maddur taluk are being desilted. While farmers have taken the soil from Byadarahalli lake, there are no takers for Kundanakere lake soil.



Zilla Panchayat Engineer Ramakrishna said that the decision of farmers has not affected the desilting works. The soil is being dumped at government lands and on roads, he said.


The rain in the last 15 days has brought relief to farmers of the district. The rain was sufficient for the crops to stand for some more days.



The greenery has returned to the district and the coffee growers are expecting a good yield in the next season. Had the district not received rain in the months of March and April, the planters would have been in distress. Without proper pre-monsoon shower in the last three years, the coffee, cardamom and banana plants had dried up.



The small water bodies near the plantation too had dried up, depriving the farmers of water supply facility through sprinklers too. Even this year, farmers struggled to water pepper vines after its harvest in the month of February. When the farmers were in distress over the withering of long-term crops, the rain has brought relief to them.



With the region receiving rain, the farmers are gearing up to prepare the field for sowing vegetables, ginger, ragi and jowar in north Kodagu. Compared to last year, the district has received 125.02 mm more rainfall in the past four months. Last year, the district had received only 34.46 mm rainfall during the corresponding period. This year, the district has received an average of 159.62 mm rainfall. Last year, during the period, Madikeri had received 73.90 mm rainfall, Virajpet10.03 mm and Somwarpet19.47 mm rainfall. This year, Madikeri has received 171.86 mm while Virajpet152.33 mm and Somwarpet154.71 mm rainfall.



Suntikoppa, Gonikoppa, Madikeri, Mekeri, Moornadu, Napoklu, Nakooru, Kedakal, Mathikadu and Kushalnagar have experienced good rainfall.



Speaking to DH, Biddappa, a coffee planter from Suntikoppa said, The district had received only 70 inches of rainfall in 2016. The row over sharing water from river Cauvery occurred due to deficit rainfall. If the district experiences good rainfall this year, then it will bring relief to people in Mysuru, Bengaluru, Mandya and Tamil Nadu.


Indias space diplomacy has taken regional cooperation into a higher orbit. On Friday, Indian Space Research Organisations GSLV rocket hurled into space a 2,230-kg GSAT-9, a geo-stationary communications satellite that will benefit Indias smaller neighbours by making available to them space technology applications in telecommunication and broadcasting, internet services, disaster management, weather forecasting, tele-medicine and tele-education, e-governance, etc. South Asia, a region which has some of the worst socio-economic indicators in the world and is routinely hit by natural disasters, can expect to address at least some of its problems with the South Asia Satellite beaming back vital data. Many of our problems are shared and a cooperative effort towards tackling them would lighten burdens of individual countries. That is what the South Asia Satellite has set out to do. This should provide a boost to regional cooperation. The India-built and funded satellite will directly benefit Bangladesh, Bhutan, Maldives, Nepal and Sri Lanka as well as Afghanistan, when it signs on to the initiative.



India was keen to have Pakistan on board, too, and had invited it to collaborate in the project. Unfortunately, Islamabad pulled out saying that it had its own space programme. Cooperation in space is possible even for countries that are hostile towards each other on the ground. It may be recalled that in the 1970s, the US and Soviet Union collaborated in the Apollo-Soyuz Test Project. Relations between Washington and Moscow have gone through several ups and downs since. But their collaboration in space remains steadfast. Pakistan must shed its suspicions and inhibitions to participate in projects like the South Asia Satellite.



The success of Indias space diplomacy will depend on how fully its neighbours use the satellites potential. Several of them already have advanced communication satellites of their own in space or are in the process of getting them. Sri Lanka, for instance, will have a second China-built satellite launched sometime next year. Will it be willing to invest in the necessary ground infrastructure for use of a few transponders in the South Asia Satellite when it already has its own satellite? It has already spent several millions to purchase the Chinese satellite. There is some concern, therefore, that China, which moved swiftly into South Asia with offers to launch satellites, already has the first-mover advantage and could render the South Asia Satellite a white elephant. Apparently, the idea of a South Asia Satellite predates the BJP government; the UPA was reportedly mulling over it for years. The delay in making it a reality gave space for China to swoop in with its satellites. This is a lesson for India. Coming up with useful initiatives arent enough. They must be implemented swiftly as well.
Letters of grievances are pouring in and we are doing our best to accommodate as many as possible. Readers may write in to highlight civic problems affecting their locality and we will help address them in an interactive and effective manner.



Grievances and issues related to public utility agencies such as Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BBMP), Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB), Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) and Bangalore Electricity Supply Company Limited (Bescom) would be highlighted in the weekly column.



The writeups, which could be accompanied by photographs highlighting the problems, will be published on Mondays.



Mail your grievances to: peoplesproblems @deccanherald.co.in



BBMP trucks dump waste in Varthur lake

We have seen BBMP trucks dumping garbage in Varthur lake from Munnekolala side, which is close to areas such Marathahalli, Varthur and Whitefield. Steps should be taken to ensure that no dumping takes place inside the waterbody which is already in a neglected state.



Elan

Glitch in Bescom online payment



Bescom has served a notice on me to pay additional security deposit which could be done online, but the utility agencys website is unable to process the transaction as it accepts only monthly bills. I request the authorities to rectify the glitch and enable online payment of additional security deposit.



M Krishna Murthy



Zebra crossing in Gubbalala



With just one traffic signal at Gubbalala main gate on Kanakapura Main Road, there is an urgent need for another one to regulate the vehicular movement towards Thalaghattapura. Pedestrians find it difficult to cross from one side of the gate to the other. If there cant be another signal, at least a zebra crossing should be marked so as to help the pedestrians.



K Ragavan,

Gubbalala Main Road



Repair footpath at Jalahalli Cross



The footpath from the Jalahalli Cross signal towards Aiyappa temple has gaps in between. Pedestrians are likely to trip and fall. Making things worse are Bescom poles and illegal shops. Will the BBMP take action to restore the footpath?



Nagarajan R



Resume BMTC bus route number 126



We have often urged the BMTC to run a bus service from Jeevanahalli and Cox Town to the city railway station. The route number 126 is not a new route to make BMTC officials scratch their head. It just needs to be resumed. Hope the BMTC considers the request.



T Prakash Murthy



Loudspeakers blare in JB Nagar



Residents of BDA Layout, Jeevan Bima Nagar, have been facing constant disturbance from loudspeakers blared at religious events in nearby areas. Although the Supreme Court has banned devices that make more than 60 decibels of sound, the local police are unwilling to enforce the rule for reasons best known to them. We request the competent authorities to intervene and direct the police to control the menace that sometimes starts at 6.30 am and goes on till late night.



Residents of BDA Layout



Vehicles block entrance road



The entrance road of GC Colony, Queens Road Cross, has been blocked by the parking of cars from a nearby garage and car dealers, who do not have enough space for parking. Residents find it difficult to drive into this locality. Besides, many car dealers live in the colony and park 3-4 cars, hassling other residents.



The car dealers have converted the residential area into a commercial place and carry out dealings here. These dealers and their friends occupy the parked cars in the night and carry out all sorts of undesirable activities. Complaints to the inspector of Shivajingar traffic police station, the ACP and the joint commissioner of police (traffic) have gone unattended.



Sara Jhon, GC Colony,

Queens Road Cross



Chakra buses in Allalasandra



People living in and around Allalasandra and in Janapriya apartments (508 flats) face commuting problems. There is just one bus service (284E) but it is irregular. We request the BMTC to introduce Chakra buses that can ply via the ramp from Ballari Road flyover to NES to Allalasandra. Three buses during peak hour and two at other times will immensely benefit people.



Alternatively, buses from NES can be extended to Allalasandra. The move will greatly help students and office goers alike. Auto-rickshaws charge at least Rs 40 for a distance of less than 2 km.



Manjunath Narayan

Janapriya apartments,

Yelahanka

Garbage dumped in Michaelpalya

People living in the surrounding areas have been dumping garbage at the entrance of Michaelpalya in Indiranagar. Repeated complaints to the BBMP have not yielded any results. We are forced to cover our noses while walking in and around Michaelpalya because of the stench.



Gopinath, Michaelpalya

Waste near transformer in Fraser Town



Some people have been dumping garbage around a transformer near the police quarters in Fraser Town. Local residents appeal against the dumping has gone unheeded.



Vinaya Shekar
A bike ICU that reaches an accident victim in quick time, a pre-school for tiny tots with hearing loss, an app that measures the noise levels around it were among the innovations showcased at the Bangalore Health Festival that concluded on Sunday.



Thousands of visitors thronged the three-day festival. The event brought together health-conscious, students, educators, doctors, housemakers and others. Hundreds of visitors benefited from various check-ups done through state-of-the-art machines.



Vishwanath Eakbote, a retired professional, said, I got to know about different services offered by hospitals and the government. The free health checkups and consultations by doctors were very good. A panel discussion on Alcoholic liver disease and liver transplant by eminent doctors threw light on the ill-effects of alcohol on the liver and transplant possibilities for people with damaged liver.



A unique session on End of Life Care by Dr Roop Gursahani highlighted the need for healthcare for patients in the final stage of their lives and for patients with a terminal illness. There was a session on stress and mental health in doctors, an often ignored element of the profession.



It helped me interact with various medical colleges and courses they offer. The health check-ups helped us avail services not easily available outside, said Anusha Hariharan, a physiotherapy student.



Recognising the potential of saving a life by administering medical help within the first hour of a mishap, a city-based hospital has come up with a bike ICU (Intensive Care Unit) that reaches the patient fast.



To avail the service, one has to register on the BEAST (Brookefield Emergency Accident Support Team) phone application. A database of patients or users is thus built. A magnetic sticker inscribed with emergency contact number and registration number is provided. In case of emergency, the user can call the emergency no and quote the registration number.



Our emergency team receives the call and gets the details of the patient through the App on their phone. The BEAST bike ICU starts in 30 seconds and rapidly commutes through traffic to reach the patients site in a few minutes. The trained ERT team administers emergency treatment. Once he is stable, the team shifts the patient to the nearest hospital, said Nithin Raghu from Brookefield hospital that provides the service.



Listening-ears by Starkey is a unique early intervention school for children with hearing-related challenges. With the help of parents, the school works towards equipping the children with skills to help them enrol in mainstream schools, said Rupa Sawant, auditory verbal therapist.



Another innovation featured was a phone application that measures noise levels around it. Called SoundCheck, the app by Starkey Hearing Technologies allows to measure environmental noise levels to help one evaluate his or her hearing abilities. It determines whether the noise is within normal range or if one has a potential hearing loss, said Arshad Hussain from Hearing Health Care Clinic.


The Makhna (tuskless male) elephant that fatally trampled two CRPF personnel near the Bannerghatta National Park (BNP), about 35 km south of Bengaluru, early on Sunday morning is suspected to have come from the adjacent Savandurga forest.



Forest officials suspect the tuskless male elephant set out from Savandurga, passed through Mysuru Road (near Kumbalgod) and Kanakapura Road and reached the Bhuthanahalli reserve forest near Taralu village.



The Makhna, aged between 35 and 40, repeatedly tried to jump over a rail barricade to enter the forest patch but failed. At this juncture, it came across the two CRPF personnel and brutally attacked them. It then ran away and hopped over a rail fence but fell down, injuring its limbs and abdomen. It, however, managed to run into the BNP, forest officials said.



In the meantime, a sub-adult tusker which had accompanied the Makhna broke a compound wall near Hakki Pikki Colony to enter the Ragihalli state forest. This has been confirmed by pug marks around the site.



Javed Mumtaz, Deputy Conservator of Forests, BNP, said the Makhna and the sub-adult tusker were part of an all-male tusker group. They are now in the BNP and the Forest Department is trying to keep a watch on them. The herd had previously drawn the attention of scientists and forest officials as they roamed freely from the BNP to Tamil Nadu and back, along the elephant corridor. Scientists and forest officials have been tracking the herd for the last one decade. The herd, however, broke off recently. While two tuskers were captured and sent to the Bandipur Tiger Reserve last December, two others were captured and rehabilitated in the Bannerghatta kraal. Two were electrocuted early this year while one Sidda died after a prolonged illness last December.



Mumtaz said the department was checking all camera trap details to zero in on the attacker elephant and the other pachyderm. There are 23 cameras in the BNP forest limits; seven of them are in the BNP forest. The forest patch is being combed to locate the pachyderms, he said.



Meanwhile, residents of Uttarahalli and Nelamangala reported seeing two elephants heading towards Kaggalipura in the early hours of Sunday. We have registered a case under Section 174 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, Kaggalipura Police Inspector Krishna Kumar.


Indian Space Research Organisations (Isros) ambitious planetary science programmes are marred by slow progress in several key projects, including its proposed mission to the Sun.



The Aditya-L1 mission, in which Isro plans to send a probe to the Sun, could not spend almost 50% of its budget till January 2017, indicating the poor progress in realising the payload.



Similarly, till January 2017, the space agency didnt spend a single penny from the allocated Rs 4.54 crore on the X-ray Polarimeter Satellite (XPOSAT), approved in 2016-17. On the sensor development for the planetary programme, Isro utilised less than 25% of the money sanctioned last year.



The underutilisation of the budgeted money at Isro remains a concern for the government, which has now been advised by a panel of lawmakers to undertake financial scrutiny of these projects in every quarter to ensure timely completion.



The Aditya-L1 project was allocated a budget of Rs 35 crore in 2016-17, but Isro could spend only about Rs 17.92 crore. Scheduled for a launch in 2019-20, the Sun-bound payload would be carried by the PSLV to an orbit, 800 km away from the Sun to study the corona  the outer layer of the Sun  extending to thousands of kilometres above the disc.



The corona has a temperature of more than a million degrees Kelvin, which is much higher than the solar disc temperature of around 6,000 degrees Kelvin.



How the corona gets heated to such high temperatures is still an unanswered question in solar physics. The XPOSAT, on the other hand, is meant to study hard X-ray sources like pulsars, black hole, active galactic nuclei and supernova remnants among others. But the non-usage of the sanctioned budget for the payload indicates that the payload development work has stopped.



Chandrayan-2 appears to be the only deep space project, which is on track as almost the entire money (at least Rs 80 crore) sanctioned in the last two financial years were spent. With another year to go for the launch, Chandrayan-2 mission received another Rs 50 crore this year.



The space agency has also faulted on its heavier satellite programme. Even though it set a target of sending 14 communication satellites during the 12th plan period (2012-17), Isro could manage to launch only seven communication satellites in the same period.


In a serious breach of aviation safety precautions, two Jet Airways aircraft on Sunday came so close on the runway at the Delhi airport that their wings brushed against each other, prompting the airline to deroster the pilots.



All passengers and crew of the two aircraft were reported safe, the airline said in a statement. The incident took place when one of the planes was taxiing and the other was getting ready for take off.



The Air Traffic Control gave permission to Jet Airways 9W 730 from Delhi to Patna for taxiing on runway 29 at 2.48 pm. It then allowed the airlines 9W 603 flight from Delhi to Srinagar to taxi on the same runway at 2.53 pm.



The Patna-bound aircraft had 115 passengers and eight crew members on board, while the Delhi-Srinagar flight had 137 people, including eight crew. At 2.59 pm, the Patna-bound aircraft reported ground collision after the Delhi-Srinagar flight brushed against its wing.



The airline said regulatory authorities were informed about the incident and cockpit crew of the two aircraft taken off duty pending investigation.



Engineers of the Jet Airways are inspecting the aircraft, an official statement said.




The anti-Maoist strategy will come up for a close scrutiny on Monday when Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh meets chief ministers and officials from the Maoist-hit states.



The meeting, which comes a fortnight after 25 CRPF personnel were killed by Maoists in Chhattisgarhs Sukma district, will discuss security-related issues and development aspects in separate sessions. Sources said the high-level meeting will look at various ways of improving the existing strategy to counter Maoists, who struck twice in a month.



In March, 12 CRPF personnel were killed in Sukma. The meeting will be attended by the chief ministers of Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Odisha, West Bengal, Bihar, Maharashtra, Telangana, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Andhra Pradesh.



District magistrates and superintendents of police of the 35 worst-affected districts will also attend the meeting. Sources said the agenda for discussion includes commando-training of state forces by the army, the use of India Reserve Battalions instead of CRPF for road-opening duties and the need for frequent unified command meetings.



The increase in IAF sorties for transporting security personnel may also be considered in the meeting.

The day-long meeting will discuss the role of the states in the operations by paramilitary forces and the raising and employment of India Reserve Battalions and Special India Reserve Battalion.



It will also discuss issues like vacancies in the state police force and the capacity-building of state intelligence units, an official statement said. Senior officials at the Centre will also debate the possibility of increasing anti-Maoist operations in the states.



Another point that is expected to be discussed is the need to upgrade the intelligence-gathering apparatus in these states.



The home ministry, on May 4, had ordered an immediate shifting of the CRPFs anti-Maoist operations command headquarters from Kolkata to Chhattisgarh.


When Lamani woke up and came out of the tent, he was shocked to see Murthy lying on the ground, struggling to breathe. He offered a can of water to Murthy.



Within seconds, the elephant appeared from nowhere and attacked Lamani. It stepped on him, killing him on the spot. The attack was so brutal that Lamanis body was beyond recognition. Only the flesh remained, Nayak said. The elephant uprooted a tree and then vanished into the forest.



The constables said they were instructed not to use weapons against animals and hence, did not use them to chase away the elephant.



Dakshina Murthy is survived by his wife and three daughters. One daughter is employed at a private firm in Electronics City, while the other two are studying. Lamani has a son and two minor daughters.



A wild elephant strayed into the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) camp at Taralu village near Bannerghatta National Park, about 35 kilometres from Bengaluru, and trampled two CRPF men to death in the early hours of Sunday.The deceased are H Dakshina Murthy (55), assistant sub-inspector from Andiyappanur village in Vellore district of Tamil Nadu, and Puttappa Lamani (35), a constable from Chirabadagi village in Haveri district.Murthy, Lamani and two other constables  Sudeep and Nayak  were on duty at sentry post-3 on a hillock on Saturday night. All the four were part of a CRPF platoon.This is the first time that a wild elephant has killed anyone in this area. The animal might have come from Savanadurga, said Javed Mumtaz, deputy conservator of forests.The police, quoting residents of the area, said the elephant strayed into the camp in search of water and food. It couldnt find any and went on a rampage, destroying a bike, a tent and a tree. The CRPF facility, spread over 220 acres, houses a training camp and a separate one for dogs.There are seven sentry posts, with one ASI and three constables at each post. There is a toilet down the hillock, a few yards away from post-3.Dakshina Murthy was returning from the toilet when he was attacked by the elephant around 5.30 am, constable Sudeep told DH.I heard a rustle and thought it was a herd of wild boars passing by the toilet. I watched closely and sighted the elephant. I shouted at Murthy to run to safety. But before he could move, the elephant was right in front of him, grabbing him with its trunk and tossing him up in the air, Sudeep recounted the attack.Sudeep tried to chase away the elephant, but it came charging at him instead. He managed to escape and alerted his colleagues in the other tents.The elephant also chased Nayak and destroyed his bike. It partially damaged our tent and retreated. All this while, Lamani was fast asleep in his tent, Sudeep said.
Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Sunday said all migrants to the Congress will not get the ticket to contest the next Assembly elections.



Let JD(S) MLA Zameer Ahmed Khan and others join the Congress. The decision on issuing tickets to them will be decided later, the chief minister said while talking to reporters here.



Siddaramaiah, who was in the town to attend the wedding of legislator Raju Alagurs daughter, said that the Congress high command would take a final decision on the appointment of KPCC president. To a query, he said that two vacancies in the Cabinet would be filled up soon.



Referring to BJPs allegation that the government had failed to tackle drought, he said that K S Eshwarappa (leader of the Opposition in Legislative Council) had no knowledge of drought. The BJP leaders are a disappointed lot after the partys debacle in the bypolls and are not finding any issue to be discussed in their state executive meeting. Hence, they are crying hoarse over drought, Siddaramaiah chided.



Meanwhile, the Congress leader in the Lok Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge said that the next Assembly election in the state would be fought under the leadership of Siddaramaiah. Speaking to reporters at Sainik School helipad in Vijayapura, Kharge said that Rahul Gandhi should make up his mind to take on the mantle of All India Congress Committee president and Sonia Gandhi (incumbent) should take a decision in this regard. Both are assets for the Congress.



To a question, Kharge said that the Centre and the Jammu and Kashmir government had failed in tackling the Kashmir conflict as a result of which situation was worsening in the valley. The Centre should hold broad-based consultations with all the stakeholders, including separatists, to find a solution for the vexed problem, he added.



Will contest as Cong candidate: Zameer

Suspended JD(S) MLA B Z Zameer Ahmed Khan on Sunday said he will contest the next Assembly elections as the Congress candidate from Chamarajpet constituency in Bengaluru, which he currently represents, DHNS reports from Bengaluru.



I met Rahul Gandhi (Congress vice president) recently on joining the Congress. It is confirmed that I will contest as the Congress candidate from Chamarajpet... I waited all these days hoping that H D Deve Gowda (JD-S national president) and H D Kumaraswamy (JD-S state president) will take me back to the party fold, he told reporters on the sidelines of a job fair.



Kumaraswamy is daydreaming about becoming the chief minister. But the fact is the JD(S) cannot even find able candidates for 100 Assembly constituencies, let alone him becoming the chief minister. I feel pity for Kumaraswamys situation. I wish him all the best, he stated.


Two San Diego police officers shot and killed a 15-year-old boy who pointed what turned out to be a BB gun at one of them as he stood in front of Torrey Pines High School early Saturday, May 6, police said.

Police officials are declining to name the boy because he was a juvenile. The teen was a freshman at the Carmel Valley school and lived in the neighborhood.

Police received a 911 call at 3:27 a.m. asking for a welfare check, said police homicide Lt. Mike Holden. The caller said there was a kid in front of the school who someone should probably check on and stated the person was not armed, the lieutenant said.

Police believe the caller was the boy himself, Holden said.

The two officers arrived at the school on Del Mar Heights Road about the same time and saw the teen. As they got out of their patrol cars to speak with him, he pulled a handgun that was concealed in his waistband and pointed it at one of the officers, Holden said.

Both officers drew their weapons and told the boy to drop the gun, but he continued to point the gun and walk toward the one officer, Holden said.

The teen ignored additional commands, and the officers, fearing for their safety, both fired, the lieutenant said.

The teen was struck several times.

The officers immediately began life-saving measures, and the boy was taken to Scripps Memorial Hospital in La Jolla, where he died, Holden said.

The boys gun remained at the scene to be processed as evidence. Police later determined that the gun was a semi-automatic BB air pistol, Holden said.

Both officers had activated their body-worn cameras at some point and there is video of the incident for investigators to review, Holden said.

The shooting occurred in the front parking lot, near a turnaround area. It was not known how the student got to the school, although police said he didnt appear to have driven himself there.

According to police radio traffic, a dispatcher asked two officers to check the welfare of someone at the school. The person was described as a white male, 15, of medium build, wearing a gray shirt and black pants. Officers said they were there about a minute later.

There was no more radio traffic about the call for six or seven minutes. Then, a dispatcher acknowledged shots fired and asked if any officers were injured. One officer answered negative but said paramedics are needed now. He said he and another officer were doing CPR. Another two or three minutes passed and an officer noted that CPR was still in progress.

Other officers were asked to check around the grounds of the high school, apparently for anyone who may have been involved with the teen or any witnesses.

The details of the situation are still unfolding, but whatever they are, this event is very traumatic for our students, staff, families, and community, Eric Dill, superintendent for the San Dieguito Union High School District, said in a letter posted on the districts website. The teens name was not released in the letter.

I know this is difficult, but we ask that you please refrain from conjecture or spreading rumors. This is a difficult time for the family and we need to let them mourn.

He said a crisis response team will be at school Monday, May 8, for students and faculty as needed.

As a community, we have a shared responsibility to care for one another. Please rest assured that we will do everything possible to maintain our daily routine while supporting each other as we deal with this sad event, Dill said.

Amanda Chen, a 17-year-old senior, showed up outside the campus by late morning, not long before the remaining investigators and evidence technicians packed up their equipment and left the parking lot. She said news of the shooting was shocking.

I feel like those types of incidents, you always hear about them in the news but you never feel like its going to happen here in Carmel Valley where traditionally theres not a lot of crime, she said. Theres never been, like, really big issues with the police ever. So I think its just really surprising, and honestly Im so shocked that it happened somewhere so close to home, especially in the parking lot of my school.

Amanda, who is editor-in-chief of the school newspaper, the Falconer, said she didnt know the identity of the boy, but hoped that in light of this incident students might try harder to empathize with one another and to listen to what other people are going through.

Tracy Francisco Dominice, a life coach and parent of a Torrey Pines student, held a sign on the edge of campus that read: TEEN HELP. She offered her own phone number to young people in need of emotional support.

We just need to help our children so they dont get to this point, she said.

The shooting occurred just hours before an unknown number of students arrived at the school to take SATs, tests used for college admissions.

Dill told the Union-Tribune that police redirected students arriving for the tests to a rear entrance. Students also were informed about what had happened and were given the opportunity to opt out and take the test another day, but Dill said he had not heard of any students who had.

Torrey Pines Principal Rob Coppo sent a tweet Saturday that read: A very sad day for our school. Our thoughts and prayers are with the family. #wearetp.

He was expected to write a letter that will be sent to families and staff members.

I know hes quite saddened by this, Dill said about Coppo. He has been in touch with the family, and his focus is on supporting the school.

Dill said the family had told Coppo that they wanted privacy. He also said he had not heard of any note or other message the student had left behind that would give an indication of why the incident occurred.

A small memorial of flowers and notes began to grow at the scene by Saturday afternoon.

The involved officers have been identified as Officer Gilbert Flores who is a 28- year veteran and Officer Kai Johnson who is a four-year veteran of the San Diego Police Department

They were not injured.

---Kristina Davis and Dana Littlefield are writers for The San Diego Union Tribune

-- San Diego Union-Tribune staff writers Gary Warth and Pauline Repard contributed to this report.
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Find out where your Secret Service spy has been snooping  and if the standards came up to scratch.

When your spy heard about a curry house serving a chicken curry cooked in a mint sauce, they just had to investigate.

The flavour combination seemed a little unusual - so, together with their companion, they headed to Jeera, billed as an authentic Bangladeshi cuisine hotspot in the rural town of Codnor.

This is a fairly petite eatery, though busy enough to feel welcoming, and not too vast that service takes too long. Staff are very polite, smiley and move elegantly around the tables with purpose.

The decor incidentally is branded with the Jeera name on, down to the pepper pots, and each table has fresh flowers in a vase.

Once presented with the menus, your spy's choices were made fast and the poppadums were whizzed back to our table rapidly.

The pickle selection included a very tangy lime pickle, the usual rich red chopped onion mix and some sweet mango chutney. There was nothing about these items that stood out but it was a reassuring standard snack.

Then the additional mixed platter starter your spy and their companion ordered to share was impressive. The platter had four items on it - chicken tikka, onion bhajis, tandoori chicken and a lamb kebab.

Each piece more succulent that the last perhaps. The chicken tikka was soft, the onion bhaji smooth, the chicken tandoori was spicy and the lamb kebab meat tingled. Your spy and their companion agreed the selection was top class.

Unusually, both your spy and their fellow diner selected the same main course from the menu - the chicken Jalali. The mint curry sauce had piqued their interest along with the claims on the menu that it was an award-winning dish.

It is delivered as a generous dish of large chunks of chicken marinated in fresh herbs and spice, then cooked in a very tangy mint sauce.

Customers can choose from pilau rice or naan, so your spy and their companion asked for two different types of naan bread so we had at least some variety. So, to accompany the curry, they picked a tomato and garlic bread with a Peshwari naan too.

The bread was soft, steaming and almost melted in the mouth. The sweetness of the coconut in the Peshwari naan complemented the mint perfectly and the garlic one had almost a fruity edge.

But your spy needs to tell you about the unique minty curry. Now it is a very British custom to enhance lamb dishes with fresh mint or mint sauce on Sunday roasts.

But the zingy combination of chicken and mint was really fun and woke up your spy's senses. The sweet tang of the spice with the bite of the mint was original and memorable.

After enjoying the meal, the waiter presented your spy and their companion with hot towels to wipe their hands with. A nice touch.

The duo barely had room for any kind of desert but shared the cheesecake anyway to complete their night out.

It was a very modest circular traditional biscuit base with thick creamy topping and drizzled with a sweet sauce too.

With not room for a morsel more, your spy and their companion left eventually shaking our heads at how our lips were still tingling from the Jalali.

THE BILL

Jeera, 19-21 High Street, Codnor, DE5 9QB. Telephone 01773 748054

Poppadoms x 3 and pickles selection 3.40

Mixed platter 4.95

Chicken Jalali x 2 (inc naan) 27.00

Tonic water 4.10

Coke 4.10

Cheesecake  shared 3.50

TOTAL: 47.05
I recently saw a photo online of Alabamas Gov. Kay Ivey standing beside the president as he proclaimed, Common Core is a Disaster! President Trump has promised many times during his campaign he would get rid of Common Core. Betsy DeVos, his Secretary of Education, affirmed states will be allowed to set their own high standards and can now put an end to the federalized Common Core. So why is our Alabama legislature wanting to put off getting rid of Common Core?

President Trump has given the green light to all states. We now have a president who sympathizes with parents, teachers and children. Why isnt our Republican leadership here in Alabama listening? I can tell you who they have been listening to -- people and groups like Billy Canary of the Business Council of Alabama, former governor Bob Riley and others who have the political clout and power to pressure them to continue with the failing Common Core.

We were encouraged by those in education leadership such as Dr. Tommy Bice (former Alabama State Superintendent), Mary Scott Hunter and others that adopting the Common Core Standards Imitative would make our students more college and career ready. Are you kidding me? According to NAEP scores, Alabama plunged from 25th place pre-Common Core, to dead last (50th in the nation) on reading and math, and Alabamas ACT scores have also dropped several points. These scores do not indicate college and career readiness.

This kind of failure cant possibly be good for attracting businesses to Alabama. Its time for some of the big corporate businesses who stood with the BCA in supporting the Common Core Standards to separate themselves from the sinking ship called the Common Core and begin to stand with parents, teachers and children and pressure legislators to do something about the Common Core Disaster before further damage to our children and our state is done.

I agree with parents, teachers, children and President Trump -- Common Core is a disaster! Are you with us, Alabama Power, Alfa Corporation, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Alabama, etc? Time for action! Get HB558 passed this year!

Wanda McDonald

Dothan
With regard to the April 27 story, Suspended Alabama Chief Justice Moore Running for U.S. Senate, Moore said the Supreme Court has destroyed marriage. Hes wrong. The Scriptures declare God established marriage as a one man, one woman relationship, which stands immovable. Immune to dent, damage, and destruction.

Moore, a man of the Word, should know this. Moore claimed Judge Myron Thompsons order to remove the 10 Commandments monument from the state judicial building was unlawful. Why? Moore said he had a right to acknowledge God. However, acknowledging God doesnt mean you have to display a boulder that weighs over 5,000 pounds, does it? Especially when displaying it has been ruled unconstitutional.

The Prophet Isaiah declared how judges can acknowledge God. Promote justice, help the down and out, stand up for the homeless, and go to bat for the defenseless. Suppose an Islamic judge adorned an Alabama judicial building with the Prophet Mohammeds teaching? Can you picture Moores or his Moore-ites reaction? Would their response exude calmness or conciliation?

Moore dispatched his so-called status update to probate judges six months after the U.S. Supreme Court, in Obergefell v. Hodges, legalized same sex marriage. However, Moore failed to demand they enforce the new ruling. Why? Instead, he said an obsolete law remained in full effect. Quite an update. With his job in jeopardy, Moore reversed course. Thus, he informed everyone that his order wasnt an order after all. Oh.

This denial, birthed by desperation, reeked of convenience and crassness.

Marc Greenwood

Camp Hill
Recently, the sheriff of Barbour County was accused of writing checks to himself (Dothan Eagle, April 15). There have been other instances in which public officials have been suspected of mismanagement of public funds.

There are several common factors. Public funds are involved, the questionable conduct is usually discovered after the fact, and such acts would have been discovered immediately if public disclosure measures were implemented.

A recently proposed gas bill was made more palatable to the public by offering full disclosure of expenditures of the money collected. If this is possible, why cant all expenditures of tax funds be published at the time of dispersal?

It seems that politicians are quick to tax but slow to show how our money is spent. Houston County and the City of Dothan each have web sites that would easily be adapted to list a register of checks and credit card payments at the time the expenditures are made, and that information could be accessible to the public. This would show the check number, amount of the payment and to whom the check or charge was made. A short justification of the check or charge could also be included.

Just as a lock keeps an honest man honest, full and immediate disclosure of the dispersal of the taxpayers money should maintain the integrity of public officials. Questionable spending can be addressed by auditing only if the conduct is detected and not ignored or the party involved in problematic payments can use his position to cover up the misuse of funds. Remember, audits are time-consuming and expensive.

I am aware of several elected officials who are very positive toward this proposed disclosure, but there seems to be reluctance by others. I ask each taxpayer to question their elected officials why this disclosure cannot be done at both the city and county level. There would be little to no cost. It can be installed by in-house computer departments and there should be no security problems. Each and every citizen could review all payments by visiting the existing web sites on their computer. This would eliminate having to travel to city hall or to the county administrative building, plus not being subjected to a fee for this service. This proposal will eliminate any need for recovery of cost for information searches by public employees, discourage questionable expenditures by elected officials and immediately provide the public with information it has the right to know.

Ask your public official, Why not? and Why not now?

Gary Knight

Dothan
The electric three-wheeler is equipped with an advanced lithium-ion battery, a revolutionary move in the segment. Most of the other manufacturers use the lead acid battery in electric three-wheelers.

The lead acid battery has its drawbacks such as short life, long charging time and more weight. The lithium-ion battery eliminates these issues.

The company states that this new technological breakthrough will have a significant impact on the green mobility for masses in the country. But the lithium-ion battery will cost more by Rs 55,000 to Rs 60,000.

Currently, the newly launched electric three-wheeler is being homologated. A pilot batch will be launched within a month. Kinetic Green will provide the battery, BMS (battery management system) and charger to the customers.

Founder and CEO, Kinetic Green Energy and Power Solutions, Sulajja Firodia Motwani said, "Kinetic Green's affordable Kinetic Safar e-three-wheeler is a sincere effort to provide a pollution-free green mode of safe transportation in the country."

Motwani added, "Safar is well engineered with a strong chassis and all steel body and has been approved by Automotive Research Association of India (ARAI) to meet all government safety norms as per Central Motor Vehicle Rules (CMVR)."
Aquaponics is an emerging urban farming trend thats ideal for big cities since its relatively low-maintenance and can be set up just about anywhere, from rooftops to formerly abandoned lots and buildings.

And Brooklyn is now home to not one, but three aquaponic farms: Verticulture, Edenworks and OKO farms.

[instagram https://instagram.com/p/BEQnYt5MFDB expand=1]

Aquaponics, simply, is a combination of aquaculture and hydroponics. Fish waste becomes a nutritious fertilizer for the plants growing in a soil-free, recirculating water system. In turn, the plants help purify the water for the fish. This agricultural method has plenty of sustainable attributes. Because the water recirculates, it uses 90 percent less water compared to conventional farming methods and eliminates the need for pesticides and other synthetic chemicals.

The only input into an aquaponics system is food which the fish consume, resulting in a completely organic system, Oko Farms points out. As the fish grow and the system ages, the number and variety of crops you can grow also increase so long as you maintain a neutral pH, maintain high oxygen levels, and honor temperature requirements for both fish and plants.

Oko Farms is located on a formerly vacant lot in Brooklyns Bushwick neighborhood and, at 2,500 square feet, is the largest outdoor aquaponics farm in New York City. The farm raises edible fish (tilapia, catfish) and ornamental fish (koi and goldfish) and cultivate vegetables, herbs and flowers, co-founder and farm manager Yemi Amu told the GRACE Communications Foundation. The fish are raised at a ratio of 1 fish per 5 gallons of water and eat a combination of commercial pellets and duckweed cultivated on the farm.

[instagram https://instagram.com/p/BAhRLf-MFOx expand=1]

For dwellers living in the trendy NYC borough, getting fresh local food is as easy as looking up. Edenworks is such a sky-high farm operating off the roof of a East Williamsburg metalworking shop.

The farm utilizes vertical farming methodsin which microgreens, baby greens, and basil are grown in stacked channels.

The plants are nourished from the nutrient-rich manure created by tilapia swimming in nearby tanks.

Hello tilapia. These fish are omnivorous so they can thrive on a vegetarian/vegan diet. Su https://t.co/OmJCP0UcFE pic.twitter.com/qx8QX6uAlh  Upward Farms (@eatupwardfarms) May 19, 2016

Whats unique about Edenworks is its LEGO, or Ikea-like infrastructure thats prefabricated and can be flat packed and shipped to site, TechCrunch reported last year.

Edenworks is expanding to a full-scale commercial facility in New York that will yield 130,000 pounds of greens and 50,000 pounds of fish each year.

[instagram https://instagram.com/p/BBkf0FGqBMK expand=1]

At an old Pfizer manufacturing plant in Bedstuy, Verticulture is raising food such as kale, micro basil and Brooklyn-born tilapia and looking to tap into the Big Apples $600 million in unmet demand for local produce.

According to The Verge, the startup is producing about 30 to 40 pounds of basil a week thanks to the help of 150-180 tilapia.

The venture is currently in pilot mode and has been experimenting with blue, red, and white LED lights which consume less energy than fluorescent lights and help the plants grow faster, The Verge explained.

The goal of the project is to make aquaponics a sustainable and profitable way to provide local produce to cities all over the world, as co-founder Miles Crettien told The Verge.

I believe strongly in the ecological design, he said. We can build this anywhere. We can build it in the desert. We can build it in Antarctica.

Crettien told Edible Brooklyn that the harvest is being sold to retailers such as Foragers, Brooklyn Kitchen, Fresh Direct and Farmigo.
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...




LONDON: Britain and Germany were already beefing up cyber security ahead of key elections even before the hacking attack on France's Emmanuel Macron, months after Hillary Clinton was caught in the online crosshairs.



Clinton recently reiterated her view that Russian hacking of her campaign's emails was partly to blame for her defeat in last year's US presidential election to Donald Trump.
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Last weeks Pound movement was mixed, with support from forecast-beating PMIs being counteracted by an escalating row between UK and EU officials.

On the positive side, the UK manufacturing, construction and services PMIs all rose in April instead of falling as forecast. The surprise activity growth in these sectors supported the Pound, pushing GBP NZD up to 1.88 at the height of weekly trading.

The more negative news saw relations deteriorate between UK and EU leaders; this started with reports of a tense dinner between Theresa May and European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker.

May later denied these reports, but then declared that Juncker would find her a bloody difficult woman. The PM followed up on this by accusing EU officials of meddling in the UK general election, which they in turn denied.

The tit-for-tat accusations showed no signs of stopping on Friday, leaving traders concerned about how the situation could worsen further in the coming weeks.

New Zealand data was limited but high-impact  the global dairy trade price index rose by 3.6%, with higher dairy prices pushing the NZD GBP exchange rate up.

The NZD was also boosted by the Q1 unemployment rate, which fell sharply from 5.2% to 4.9%; forecasts had been for no change.

The coming weeks main UK data will be confined to Thursday, but UK-EU political developments could still shift the Pound beforehand.

Thursday will open with Marchs trade balance, which may weaken Sterling if it shows a wider deficit.

UK production figures may also lower Sterling demand if they show slowing growth as forecast.

The Bank of England (BoE) interest rate decision on Thursday may not bring much excitement, as the BoE could stay hands-off due to the general election.

By contrast, the Reserve Bank of New Zealand (RBNZ) announcement on Wednesday may cause significant NZD movement.

Westpac economists have forecast for hints of a rate hike after Wednesdays meeting; such hints would likely trigger an NZD rally.

The other main news will be Thursdays business PMI for April, which previously showed stable growth.
Early voting totals released Saturday night favored the Alamo Colleges $450 million bond proposal, which got almost 68 percent of the early vote.

More than 50,000 people voted early for the bond. But almost 2,500 of those casting ballots Saturday skipped the proposition, according to the Bexar County Elections Department.

St. Philip's and San Antonio College, the oldest campuses in the Alamo Colleges district, would get the most out of the bond, more than $80 million each. Some old facilities would be renovated, including the Norris Technical Building at St. Philip's, the natatorium and gym at Palo Alto College and the McAllister Fine Arts Center at San Antonio College. Palo Alto's allocation would include a $30 million manufacturing building supporting an early college high school in a partnership with the Southwest Independent School District, H-E-B and other area employers.

The bond issue also would fund $23 million for each of two new campuses on the South and Northwest sides that would not be fully accredited colleges but would provide occupational training, remedial education and college counseling. An equal amount would go to renovate the Westside Education and Training Center.

Northwest Vista College and Northeast Lakeview College, newer colleges in the fastest-growing parts of Bexar County, would get new or expanded science and technology buildings..

The bond would fund Centers of Excellence at each campus. Many would host programs that are in high demand locally, such as the law enforcement and first responders academy at San Antonio College and health care technology at Palo Alto. The well-reputed culinary and hospitality management program at St. Philips College would move from its cramped facilities to a new Culinary Arts Center of Excellence. The bond would also be used to improve technology across the district, including classrooms and labs.

The package contains $11 million to buy land adjacent to Palo Alto and for a future education and training center on U.S. 281 on the far North Side.

The agency that accredits community colleges issued warnings in December to San Antonio College, St. Philip's and Northwest Vista, saying they were not representing themselves as autonomous institutions and that trustees had overstepped their bounds in setting some curriculum and governance policies. In response, trustees have recently modified policies.

amalik@express-news.net
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Voters on Saturday overwhelmingly approved the six propositions that made up San Antonios largest ever municipal bond, including a new initiative to address the need for more affordable housing.

Applause and yelps erupted at a watch party at Alamo Brewery for the $850 million bond, as early voting totals rolled in and solidly indicated all of the propositions would pass.

It is a home run. It is a definitive victory for the future of our city, said Christian Archer, the political consultant who headed up OneSA, the political action committee that promoted the bond.

City officials project the bond will require no property tax increase.

The propositions address streets, bridges and sidewalks; drainage and flood control; parks, recreation and open space; library and cultural facilities; public safety facilities; and neighborhood improvements.

The $20 million for the Neighborhood Improvements pilot program, which will fund the development of affordable and mixed-income housing, was the one considered most in danger of failing, particularly because the ballot language included the description urban renewal, a loaded term that signals low-income housing to some, and gentrification and displacement to others.

But the support for the housing proposition exceeded expectations Saturday, Archer said.

As of last year, the city was short at least 153,000 affordable housing units.

The first five propositions appeared to pass with between 70 percent and 79 percent of the vote. The housing bond secured 67 percent approval, with more than 86 percent of precincts reporting.

The victory was an important one for City Manager Sheryl Sculley and former Mayor Phil Hardberger, who hired Sculley more than 10 years ago. Both embraced at Saturdays watch party after seeing the vote totals.

Included in the bond was a controversial project to build a land bridge connecting the two halves of Hardberger Park, which was named for him. The former mayor pushed vigorously for the projects inclusion in the bond  the $13 million for it was split between the streets and parks categories.

The former mayor, who served from 2005 to 2009, saw the election results as a sign that the people of San Antonio have vision, Hardberger said. Once we get a vision, we love to see it through. I think it will be one of the great sights of San Antonio for a few hundred years. And I kind of like leaving that legacy behind me.

Hardberger also said the passage of such a large bond program was a solid endorsement of Sculley, who faced substantial criticism from several candidates running for office this spring, notably mayoral candidate Manuel Medina. Medina, the Bexar County Democratic Party chairman, failed to make the runoff.

They believe in her (Sculley) to make sure this $850 million is spent correctly, Hardberger said. You dont turn over $850 million to someone you dont trust.

The 2017 bond package is the latest in a succession of ever-growing bond initiatives put to San Antonio voters since Sculley was hired in 2005. Voters approved a $550 million bond in 2007 and a $596 million bond in 2012.

Sculley praised City Council, city staff and the citizen committees that vetted the projects in the bond program.

We really all worked together to make sure we had a good list of projects to address the needs of the community and also some of the future growth we expect in the upcoming years, Sculley said.

Now that the bond has passed, the city will begin the process of hiring firms to design the projects. The city has committed to finish or at least begin all 180 bond projects in the next five years

With the housing bond, the city will use some of the money to buy land and property in any of 12 blighted areas across the city. Money will also be used to prepare the land for redevelopment, which could mean addressing any environmental concerns, knocking down dilapidated buildings or extending utilities to the site.

The city will then sell the land to developers, who will build homes and apartments that will be for sale or rent at affordable rates. The developments could be mixed-income, but at least half of each one must be set aside for people making 80 percent of the area median income or less.

Concerns about the housing bond prompted the city to create an oversight committee to monitor that program.

vdavila@express-news.net
CNN senior White House correspondent Jim Acosta will be in San Antonio on July 15 to speak at the 19th annual San Antonio Association of Hispanic Journalists Scholarship & Awards Gala.

The black-tie-optional event begins at 6:30 p.m. at the Grand Hyatt, 600 E. Market St.

SAAHJ will award $40,000 in scholarships. For the first time, eligibility has been expanded to students who live in counties surrounding Bexar County.

Acosta, who has been at the center of pointed exchanges with President Donald Trump over his charges of fake news, is based at CNNs Washington bureau. He has been a familiar sight at presidential news conferences, visits by heads of state and breaking news events.

He followed Trumps 2016 presidential campaign, was embedded in the Mitt Romney Republican presidential campaign and covered both of President Barack Obamas inaugurations. Acosta continues to serve as a substitute anchor for CNN.

While in San Antonio, Acosta will receive SAAHJs Corazon de Oro Award, given to individuals or institutions whose work has been recognized nationally for excellence and whose example serves as an inspiration to others. Previous winners include filmmaker Robert Rodriguez and Grammy winners Vikki Carr and Little Joe Hernandez.

Two other awards will be bestowed July 15.

John W. Gonzalez, retired political reporter for the San Antonio Express-News whose career spanned 45 years, will receive the Henry Guerra Lifetime Achievement Award for Excellence in Journalism.

The Refugee and Immigrant Center for Education and Legal Services, known as RAICES, will receive the SAAHJs Community Service Award for its work in aiding and representing refugees and immigrants.

Tables of eight are available for $1,500, $2,500, $5,000, $7,500 and $10,000; email gala@sahispanic journalists.com or call (210) 250-3402. Individual tickets are $125 and are available online at saahj.ticketbud.com.

Deadline for scholarship applications has been extended to May 17.

Scholarships of $1,000 to $5,000 are available to full-time college students and college-bound high school seniors who live in Bexar and the surrounding counties of Atascosa, Bandera, Comal, Guadalupe, Kendall, Medina and Wilson.

The scholarship program is open to students of all ethnic and socioeconomic levels pursuing journalism or communications-related degrees, including film. Scholarships are open to students attending universities at home or anywhere else in the U.S.
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Six City Council races, including two with incumbents, are headed to a June 10 runoff, with early voting starting May 30.

In District 1, Councilman Robert C. Trevino held just under 49 percent of the votes. His key challenger, Michael Montano, trailed with about 31 percent among six candidates.

A licensed architect and pilot, Trevino has described his council experience as a balance between fighting systemic problems, such as income inequality, and tackling daily nuts-and-bolts complaints about sidewalks, streetlights, sewers and potholes.

Montano, making his first run for elected office, has said he wants to focus on streets, sidewalks and drainage in District 1. He also seeks a more collaborative effort between the city and police to help reduce crime, he told the Express-News in March.

District 2 incumbent Alan E. Warrick II garnered about 40 percent of the vote, with William Cruz Shaw, his closest challenger in a four-way race, carrying nearly 29 percent with all votes counted.

Warrick touts funding for ShotSpotter, a $280,000 gunshot-detection system the councilman says has reduced police response times. He also has said he helped reduce the number of vacant lots in his district from about 2,700 to 1,900.

Shaw has advocated focus on education and economic development to combat crime, and an entrepreneur incubator in the district. He has voiced concern about the new police union contract that Warrick voted to support last year, saying the community wants more officer accountability.

There was no dominant candidate among eight people running in District 6 to replace Ray Lopez, who cannot seek re-election because of term limits. Greg Brockhouse was the front runner with about 36 percent, followed by Melissa Cabello Havrda, who carried more than 20 percent.

Brockhouse arrived late to his own election party, but told the crowd he was happy to be leading the pack.

We're going to carry a commanding lead going into the runoff, and were going to close the deal June 10, he said.

Brockhouse, who served in the Air Force and worked in banking before shifting to business and political consulting, has focused his campaign on public safety, streets and sidewalks, neighborhoods, jobs, education and care for seniors. He had served as a chief of staff and constituent services manager for members of the City Council.

Havrda, an attorney specializing in federal disability laws, has focused on public safety, streets, sidewalks and efforts to attract jobs with competitive salaries. She has talked about her leadership abilities and past work in city constituent services, monitoring city contracts and helping taxpayers get speed bumps on busy streets.

Havrda said she would be a liberal alternative to Brockhouse.

There will be some open ears, she said.

Cynthia Brehm led a six-way race in District 8 with 33 percent of the vote, ahead of Manny Pelaez, who carried more than 27 percent, and Pat Stout, who held just under 21 percent. The incumbent, mayoral candidate Ron Nirenberg, did not seek re-election to the district.

Its wonderful, Brehm said after she took the lead in early voting. Praise God, God is good.

She said she was not surprised with the early vote totals because she told the voters the truth about the bond.

The distribution is unfair, Brehm said. Traditionally the bonds are divided equally among the districts and this bond isnt doing that. This bond doesnt address everyones needs.

Pelaez, a lawyer, has talked about efforts to control and alleviate traffic congestion as a primary issue in his campaign, and a key motivation to enter the race. His background includes service on the VIA Metropolitan Transit board of trustees. He has said San Antonio needs to take a high-tech, multimodal approach to traffic that includes intelligent traffic systems that communicate with one another  not one that is just about pouring more concrete and asphalt.

In District 9, Marco Barros led a field of 10 candidates in a race to succeed Councilman Joe Krier, who opted not to seek re-election. Barros carried more than 24 percent of the early votes cast, followed by John Courage, who had more than 22 percent, and Patrick Von Dohlen, who just missed the runoff with 19 percent.

Barros, president/CEO of the San Antonio area Tourism Council, has emphasized traffic signal synchronization, better planning for growth and street maintenance and expansion of park space among his key issues.

Courage, a former trustee of the Alamo Colleges District board, has emphasized public safety, transportation, infrastructure maintenance and education in his campaign.

District 10 also lacked an outright winner in a 10-candidate race to succeed incumbent Michael Gallagher, who did not seek re-election. Clayton Perry and Ezra A. Johnson led the pack, with each carrying more than 21 percent of the votes counted late Saturday.

Perry, a retired Air Force lieutenant colonel, had told the Express-News in a recent interview that his military experience helped him prepare for service in municipal government.

Ezra Johnson, a lawyer and musician, practices mineral and oil law and teaches at St. Marys University. He said he plans to keep his practice if elected to the council. His campaign is based on a three-pronged platform: walkability, driveability and beautification.

Staff Writers J.p. Lawrence, Emilie Eaton, Bruce Selcraig and Brittney Martin contributed to this report

shuddleston@express-news.net

Twitter: @shuddlestonSA
When is anything not enough?

Manuel Medina, who once declared he would do anything to win an election, learned the answer on Saturday night when his outrageous antics failed to churn up enough votes to push him into a runoff in the mayors race.

Throughout his campaign, Medina distinguished himself as a candidate willing to do almost anything to win, no matter how outrageous the tactic. (Plugging his political consulting firm to a San Antonio Express-News reporter in 2014, Medina said, People know I'll do anything I can to win an election. That's what I do for a living.)

Generating outrage, of course, was half the point: Medina craved the spotlight, doing anything that might create a buzz around his campaign and increase his visibility to voters. He drew attention most recently by hiring police officers to flash their lights and blare their sirens on motorcycles while escorting a caravan of his campaign workers to an early voting site with voters in tow.

In that case, Medinas anything to win ethos crossed a clear line.

Although he told media outlets that none of the officers was a city employee, I learned that one was employed by the San Antonio Police Department. On Thursday, that officer was given a 3-day suspension for not having an approved off duty work permit, a failure to exercise good judgment, and providing an escort for non-public safety purposes, according to an email from Assistant City Manager Erik Walsh to City Manager Sheryl Sculley.

The police escort was far from the only time that Medina sought to stir up excitement by pushing into the realm of the theatrical and surreal.

First came the press conference on the steps of City Hall, where he appeared in December with a choir of fervent supporters to announce that he was merely exploring a run for mayor.

Then, after announcing his run, he aligned himself with local conservatives Carlton Soules and George Rodriguez: strange bedfellows for Medina, who has been chairman of the Bexar County Democratic Party for the past five years and once declared that his job was to challenge Democrats to act like Democrats.

But Medina did not act like a Democrat. Instead, he acted like President Donald Trump: lying when convenient, attacking the media, embracing populism in an attempt to appeal to an aggrieved underbelly and even tweeting the slogan: DRAIN THE LOCAL SWAMP!

I got a pungent taste of the former when Medina staged a protest on the front steps of the San Antonio Express-News to rail against a column Id written questioning his official campaign biography. Returning from lunch, I walked flush into an unruly mob of Medina supporters (including his wife, who gave me a nice shove) accusing me of racism and agitating for my termination.

The sensational scene drew local media and dominated discussion of the race for a while, likely the outcome Medina was seeking: once again, people were talking about him.

To score points as a populist, Medina endorsed a cap on property tax revenues, a measure that would do little to help homeowners while hobbling the very city he sought to lead. He even vowed to fire Sculley for having too high a salary: the better to drain the swamp.

But unlike Trumps coup on the national stage, Medina was unable to muster a win using the same playbook.

His overtures to conservatives fell flat, likely because he overestimated the influence of also-rans Judson and Soules. In any case, most conservative voters already were behind Taylor by the time Medina abandoned his identity as a liberal firebrand to scrounge for votes.

(As an anti-incumbent candidate, Medina likely siphoned more votes from Councilman Ron Nirenberg than from Taylor, a dynamic that could mean trouble for the mayor in the runoff.)

Ultimately, Medinas slippery identity only hastened his downfall. Trying to be everything to everyone, he ended up a nobody. And willing to do anything to win, the chairman, in the end, came up with nothing.

bchasnoff@express-news.net
Two years ago, Ivy Taylors most serious challenger, Leticia Van de Putte, condensed Taylors shortcomings as mayor into three big issues.

Van de Putte argued that Taylor had failed to resolve a bitter, two-year collective-bargaining stalemate between the city and the San Antonio Police Officers Association, had bungled the citys handling of rideshare regulations in a way that caused Uber and Lyft to angrily bail on S.A. and had whiffed at a golden opportunity to attract cutting-edge Google Fiber technology.

Two years later, all those issues have been addressed. Taylor brokered an arbitrated deal with the police union (although the firefighters have yet to come around). She helped craft a ride-hailing pilot program that became a permanent regulatory framework, which brought back Uber and Lyft. And Google Fiber ultimately came to town.

That made running against Taylor a thornier proposition this time around.

When District 8 Councilman Ron Nirenberg started mulling a race against Taylor, a prominent local politician, who is no fan of Taylor, warned him that the mayor hasnt messed up enough to be voted out. The message for Nirenberg was clear: Proceed with caution.

Nirenberg did not choose the cautious route. He gave up the near certainty of two more terms on the council for the chance to defeat Taylor this year. Saturdays results came close to confirming the wisdom of the move.

Taylor and Nirenberg are headed for a runoff, which is not a shock, but the numbers that will carry them there are very surprising. As the results came in Saturday night, it was obvious that Nirenberg would finish within 10 percent of Taylor, and that she would fail to reach 45 percent of the vote.

The consensus among experienced San Antonio politicos in the final days of the campaign was that anything less than 45 percent meant big trouble for Taylor, because it would mean at least 55 percent of the voters wanted a change, and Nirenberg would be in perfect position to swing the voters of third-place finisher Manuel Medina, the shoot-from-the-hip chairman of the Bexar County Democratic Party.

While Medina blasted Taylor from every conceivable angle  for supporting the 2017-22 bond program, for supporting the Vista Ridge pipeline, for being willing to provide a rich contract to City Manager Sheryl Sculley  Nirenberg operated with surgical precision and delivered nuanced critiques.

In some cases, differentiating himself from Taylor meant falling back on If I knew then what I know now arguments. Like Taylor, he voted for Vista Ridge in 2014, but said during this years campaign that the deals changing financial terms had soured him on it.

He voted to approve a zoning request that displaced 106 South Side households from the Mission Trails mobile-home park in favor of a $75 million mixed-use development.

But this week, as a report emerged that showed the damage inflicted on those Mission Trails residents, Nirenberg said he regretted the vote.

What helped Nirenberg was a nagging sense of local frustration that built over the course of the campaign. Residents looked at the fact that the citys homicide rate rose by 61 percent last year, and they wanted answers. They dealt with the sticker shock of rising home appraisals, and even though the mayor has no control over those appraisals, they wanted relief.

These frustrations tapped into Nirenbergs broad message, that weve watched our citys momentum falter during Taylors three-year tenure, that weve been coasting on the initiatives created by former Mayors Phil Hardberger and Julian Castro. Nirenbergs mantra was that San Antonians should vote for the city you deserve. Over the course of the past five months, he successfully chipped away at Taylors argument that we already have such a city.

Were very pleased, Nirenberg said Saturday night, as the returns came in. Weve been following a plan to continue to build momentum as a challenger. That takes some time.

I think this is a clear mandate that a majority of San Antonians want change.

ggarcia@express-news.net

Twitter: @gilgamesh470
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Is Brussels trying to hijack the British election? Quite the opposite is true. The EU is looking for a strong partner in London.

Last Wednesday wasnt supposed to be spectacular at all. The House of Commons was to be dissolved in preparation for the snap election on June 8th. Wednesday was the last moment to do that, given the 36 day minimum prescribed for campaigning between a dissolution and an election.

Sie konnnen diesen Artikel auch auf deutsch lesen: Zum deutschen Text

Thomas Gutschker Politischer Korrespondent fur die Europaische Union, die Nato und die Benelux-Lander mit Sitz in Brussel. Folgen Ich folge

However, Prime Minister Theresa May turned the occasion into an act of dramatic magnitude. In front of Downing Street she looked stern and her words sounded determined. She said, the next Prime Minister would be confronted with one task above all else. To get the best possible Brexit deal. The past few days had shown how tough those negotiations were bound to become. She had said as much before. Now, though, she went a step further. The negotiating position of her government had not only been misrepresented in the continental press.

European politicians had in fact issued threats against Britain. And the ultimate bombshell: All of these acts have been deliberately timed to affect the results of the General Election. Europe, according to May, is manipulating the British election. An outrageous accusation.

The conflict started at a dinner in Downing Street last week

This was the definitive escalation of a fight that had started a week before during a dinner in Downing street. This paper covered the dinner in its previous edition and was probably what May was referring to as the continental press. When May was first confronted with the matter on Monday she called the whole affair Brussels gossip. A smart move, that way May could ignore the content of the leaks and still retained the option of sending her negotiators to Brussels after the election without much ado about it. Because in spite of all the commotion caused by the report, the public is quick to forget. Nobody knows that better than politicians. Yet, 48 hours later May suddenly changed course. She went on the offensive.

David Davis put it this way during a BBC interview: But then we had further briefings that we would have to pay a hundred billion, the Prime Minister would not be able to negotiate. And eventually we got to the point where the line was crossed. Clearly, what was happening was the Commission was trying to bully the British people.

It seems plausible that the inflated bill is what did it for the government. When the Brexit bill ballooned from 60 to 100 billion Euros, as published first in the Financial Times, that crossed a line. But Davis conclusion was still wrong.

Thats because the Commission isnt responsible for the new demands. Chief negotiator Michel Barnier actually fought the bigger bill behind closed doors. He wanted to include in his tally only assets that London is legally obligated to cover. That includes all past financial commitments and a big position from the structural fund submitted for the budgets of 2019 and 2020. So it concerns the time period after the Brits will have left the EU.

Thats where the money for investment in businesses, the support for minorities and infrastructure projects comes from. The Commission agrees with the member states at the beginning of a fiscal period  each lasting seven years  on how the funds are to be allocated.

Money for agriculture should not be part of the bill

Its a different story for the money that farms and agricultural businesses receive. In the current year their share totals nearly 60 billion Euros, about a third of the overall budget. These expenses need to be reapproved every year. So London has yet to give its OK. Thats why Barnier omitted them from his calculations. But the EU member states whose farmers profit the most from these funds put pressure on the Frenchman. They argued hat the payments are in fact a part of the farmers property. The value of a farm depends mainly on the uniform payment per hectare, whereas its of little import how much milk their cows produce.
Hyosung Corporation, a South Korea based textile and chemicals company, is likely to increase its investment in Vietnam, encouraged by good earnings by its Vietnamese subsidiary and a slew of measures taken by the government to attract foreign investment in the Southeast Asian nation. The company may increase its spandex and tire cord production capacity.

In fact, Hyosungs Vietnamese subsidiary registered the best earnings among the 26 Hyosung subsidiaries, according to the information filed with Koreas integrated financial regulator, Financial Supervisory Service. The good earnings are despite the Trump administration announcing the pull-out of the US from the 12-nation Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) agreement, which was expected to boost manufacturing in Vietnam.

Several Korean companies had raised their investment in Vietnamese textile sector, in order to take advantage from the TPP, which would have lowered tariffs on Vietnamese products exported to the US. However, following the US decision to not to go ahead with the TPP, these companies put a halt on their investment plans.

Hyosung Corporation, a South Korea based textile and chemicals company, is likely to increase its investment in Vietnam, encouraged by good earnings by its Vietnamese subsidiary and a slew of measures taken by the government to attract foreign investment in the Southeast Asian nation. The company may increase its spandex and tire cord production capacity.#

Meanwhile, the Vietnamese government has introduced several measures to attract foreign investment into the country. These measures and impressive performance of its subsidiary has made Hyosung to resume its investment in Vietnam, according to Korean media reports.

Hyosung is expected to increase its spandex production capacity in Vietnam to 80,000 tons from the current 50,000 tons. This would make Vietnam the largest spandex production base for Hyosung. The company is also likely to gradually increase its tire cord manufacturing capacity.

Hysoung first built its textiles and industrial materials factory in Vietnam about ten years ago. (RKS)

Fibre2Fashion News Desk  India
The import of textiles and apparel by United States declined 3.89 per cent in the first three months of 2017 to $24.288 billion, compared to imports valued at $25.270 billion in the corresponding period of the previous year. Apparel constituted the bulk of these imports valued at $18.923 billion, while non-apparel imports accounted for $5.365 billion.

China continued to be the largest supplier of textiles and clothing items to the US market. The US imports from China were valued at $7.848 billion, accounting for 36.35 per cent share of all textile and garment imports made by the US during January-March 2017, according to the Major Shippers Report, released by the US department of commerce.

Vietnam, India, Bangladesh and Indonesia were the next four top suppliers of textiles and garments to the US, with goods valued at $2.840 billion, $1.996 billion, $1.430 billion and $1.261 billion, respectively, during the three-month period, the report showed.

The import of textiles and apparel by United States declined 3.89 per cent in the first three months of 2017 to $... billion, compared to imports valued at $... billion in the corresponding period of the previous year. Apparel constituted the bulk of these imports valued at $... billion, while non-apparel imports accounted for $... billion.#

Segment-wise, among the top ten apparel suppliers to the US, only Vietnam, Mexico and El Salvador were able to increase their exports by 7.21 per cent, 4.76 per cent, and 1.14 per cent year-on-year, respectively. On the other hand, imports from Bangladesh, China and Cambodia declined by more than 5 per cent compared to the previous year.

In the non-apparel category, among the top ten suppliers, Mexico and India registered a positive growth of 7.77 per cent and 6.45 per cent year-on-year, respectively. While imports from Vietnam, China, Italy and Canada dropped by 49.03 per cent, 18.85 per cent, 11.23 per cent and 9.83 per cent to $75.196 million, $2.095 billion, $118.669 million and $167.532 million, respectively.

Of the total US textile and apparel imports of $24.288 billion during the period under review, cotton products were worth $11.245 billion, while man-made fibre products accounted for $11.770 billion, followed by $680.625 million of wool products and $592.812 million of products from silk and vegetable fibres.

In 2016, the US textile and apparel imports had declined by 6.44 per cent year-on-year to $104.722 billion, with apparel alone accounting for $80.713 billion. (RKS)

Fibre2Fashion News Desk  India


SUMMIT (dpa-AFX) - The following are some of the biotech stocks that made their way onto the Day's Gainers & Losers' list of July 6, 2017.



GAINERS



1. Verastem Inc. (VSTM)



Extending rally to a second day, the stock gained 41.98% to close Thursday's (July 6) trading at $3.45.



News: No news



Pipeline:



The Company's lead drug candidate is Duvelisib, under phase III development for certain types of hematologic malignancies.



Pending Catalyst:



- Top-line data from its phase III study of Duvelisib in patients with relapsed or refractory Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia, dubbed DUO, slated to be reported in mid-year 2017, are pending.



2. BeiGene Ltd. (BGNE)



Gained 26.80% to close Thursday's trading at $66.28.



News: Celgene Corp. (CELG) and BeiGene have entered into a strategic collaboration to develop and commercialize BeiGene's investigational BGB-A317, for patients with solid tumor cancers in the United States, Europe, Japan and rest of world outside Asia.



BGB-A317 is currently in two pivotal trials in China - one in patients with bladder cancer and another in patients with relapsed or refractory classical Hodgkin lymphoma. Global pivotal studies of BGB-A317 are planned for initiation in 2018.



BeiGene is set to receive $263 million in upfront license fees and Celgene will acquire an equity stake of 5.9% in BeiGene, which equals to a $150 million equity investment. BeiGene is eligible to receive up to $980 million in development, regulatory and sales milestone payments and royalties on future sales of BGB-A317.



As part of the agreement, BeiGene will acquire Celgene's commercial operations in China and gain an exclusive license to commercialize Celgene's approved therapies in China namely, ABRAXANE, REVLIMID and VIDAZA.



3. ObsEva SA (OBSV)



Gained 13.14% to close Thursday's trading at $8.09.



News: No news



Pipeline:



The Company's most advanced investigational drug is OBE2109, under phase III clinical trials for the treatment of heavy menstrual bleeding (HMB) associated with uterine fibroids (UF) in pre-menopausal women, dubbed PRIMROSE 1 and PRIMROSE 2. A Phase 2b clinical trial of OBE2109 for the treatment of pain associated with endometriosis (EM) is also underway.



Also in the pipeline are Nolasiban to improve pregnancy and live birth rates in women undergoing assisted reproduction by in vitro fertilization (IVF) or intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) for low fertility, and OBE022 for the treatment of preterm labor.



Nolasiban advanced to phase III testing as recently as March of this year. The phase III trial, known as IMPLANT2, is being conducted at approximately 50 fertility clinics across Europe, and is expected to enroll about 760 women who have undergone assisted reproduction technology. OBE022 is expected to move into phase II trial later this year.



4. Corium International Inc. (CORI)



Gained 11.95% to close Thursday's trading at $8.90.



News: The Company is slated to present preliminary positive results from its recently completed pilot bioequivalence study of Corplex Donepezil at the Alzheimer's Association International Conference 2017 (AAIC) in London, UK, on July 18, 2017.



Preliminary results from this study were reported on May 11, 2017.



Corplex Donepezil is a proprietary once-weekly transdermal patch for delivery of the most commonly prescribed treatment for all stages of Alzheimer's disease.



In the study, Corplex Donepezil successfully met the criteria for bioequivalence to oral Aricept. Aricept is an approved drug to treat mild to moderate dementia caused by Alzheimer's disease.



Corium is planning to start its pivotal BE study later this year and remains on track to file a Section 505(b)(2) New Drug Application (NDA) for the product candidate in 2018.



5. Aduro Biotech Inc. (ADRO)



Gained 9.17% to close Thursday's trading at $12.50.



News: No news



Pipeline:



The most advanced product in the pipeline is CRS-207, which is under phase II trials in the indications of malignant pleural mesothelioma and gastroesophageal adenocarcinoma.



Another investigational drug is ADU-S100 for the treatment of advanced/metastatic solid tumors or lymphomas. A Phase 1b study of ADU-S100 in combination with Novartis' investigational PDR001 is expected to be initiated in the second half of 2017. A phase 1 monotherapy trial of ADU-S100 in patients with cutaneously accessible metastatic solid tumors or lymphomas is already underway.



Near-term catalysts:



-- Janssen is expected to initiate Phase 1b/2 trial of ADU-214 in lung cancer and determine next steps for ADU-741 in prostate cancer in the second half of 2017. -- Report top-line findings from Phase 1 monotherapy trial of ADU-S100 in the second half of 2017 -- File Investigational New Drug Application for BION-1301, anti-APRIL antibody, in the second half of 2017 -- Initiate Phase 1 multiple myeloma trial with anti-APRIL antibody in the second half of 2017.



6. Aileron Therapeutics Inc. (ALRN)



Gained 8.04% to close Thursday's trading at $13.30.



News: No news



Recent event:



Aileron's common stock made its debut on the NASDAQ Global Market on June 29, 2017 $15.00 per share.



Pipeline:



The Company's lead product candidate is ALRN-6924. Multiple clinical studies of ALRN-6924 are underway, including a Phase 1 All-comers trial in advanced solid tumors or lymphomas, a Phase 2a trial in peripheral T-cell lymphoma (PTCL), a Phase 1 trial in acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and advanced myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) as a monotherapy, and a Phase 1b trial in AML/MDS in combination with cytosine arabinoside (Ara-C).



LOSERS



1. TherapeuticsMD Inc. (TXMD)



Lost 14.34% to close Thursday's trading at $4.60.



News: No news



Recent event:



The Company was issued a Complete Response Letter for its New Drug Application for TX-004HR on May 8, 2017.



TX-004HR, also known as Yuvvexy, is an applicator-free vaginal estradiol softgel for the treatment of moderate-to-severe vaginal pain during sexual intercourse (dyspareunia), a symptom of vulvar vaginal atrophy (VVA) in postmenopausal women. The lack of long-term endometrial safety data for TX-004HR beyond the 12-weeks studied in the pivotal phase 3 Rejoice Trial was the reason for the FDA giving thumbs down to TX-004HR.



Near-term catalyst:



-- The NDA for TX-001HR, its investigational oral bio-identical combination of estradiol and progesterone for vasomotor symptoms in menopausal women is expected to be submitted to the FDA as early as the third quarter of 2017.



2. NantKwest Inc. (NK)



Lost 11.87% to close Thursday's trading at $6.98.



News: No news



Pipeline:



The Company is a pioneer in NANT cancer vaccine, the first combination immunotherapy protocol designed to deliver metronomic low dose radiation and chemotherapy with molecularly informed tumor associated antigen vaccines and natural killer cells.



The vaccine is intended to induce cancer cell death and at the same time protect and enhance a patient's immune response against cancer cells with lower toxicity and higher efficacy in comparison with current standards of care.



Recent events:



-- On June 6, 2017, the Company announced that in addition to the previously announced Pancreatic Cancer Vaccine, it is working to initiate multiple clinical trials across a wide range of cancer types which include: Lung, breast, head and neck cancer, colon, melanoma, ovarian, urothelial, Hodgkins and non-Hodgkins lymphoma, sarcoma, and Merkel cell carcinoma. -- The FDA authorized the Investigational New Drug (IND) Application for the NANT Cancer Vaccine for clinical trial enrollment for pancreatic cancer patients on May 9, 2017.



3. Immunomedics Inc. (IMMU)



Lost 9.33% to close Thursday's trading at $8.31.



News: No news



Recent event:



On June 29, 2017, the Company announced that its stockholders approved an amendment and restatement of its Company's certificate of incorporation to increase the number of authorized shares of capital stock from 165,000,000 shares to 260,000,000 shares.



To know more about IMMU, read our Company Spotlight column.



4. Cidara Therapeutics Inc. (CDTX)



Lost 8.11% to close Tuesday's trading at $6.80.



News: No news



Near-term catalyst:



A phase II trial of CD101 IV in candidemia, dubbed STRIVE, is ongoing. This study is comparing the safety and efficacy of CD101 IV to standard-of-care therapy, Caspofungin with an optional step-down to oral fluconazole. The top line data from the STRIVE study are anticipated in the fourth quarter (Q4, 2017).



Upcoming event:



Jeffrey Stein, the Company's president and chief executive officer, will be participating in a panel discussion at the 2017 Infectious Diseases Summit being held July 13-14 in Baltimore, Maryland.



5. InVivo Therapeutics Holdings Corp. (NVIV)



Lost 7.84% to close Thursday's trading at $2.35.



News: No news



The Company's lead product candidate is Neuro-Spinal Scaffold, an investigational device, currently being evaluated in a pivotal study for the treatment of patients with spinal cord injury, dubbed INSPIRE.



The Company expects to complete enrollment in the INSPIRE study during the third quarter of this year.



6. Presbia PLC (LENS)



Lost 7.62% to close Thursday's trading at $2.06.



News: No news



Pipeline:



The Company's lead product candidate is Presbia Flexivue Microlens, a revolutionary optical lens implant for treating presbyopia, the age-related loss of near vision.



Near-term catalyst:



The Company expects to seek approval of Presbia Flexivue Microlens in the fourth quarter of this year.



7. Ocular Therapeutix Inc. (OCUL)



Lost 6.68% to close Thursday's trading at $9.50.



News: No news



Near-term catalyst:



The FDA decision on Ocular's Dextenza, proposed for treatment of ocular inflammation and pain following cataract surgery, is slated for July 19, 2017.



The FDA had refused to approve Dextenza last July, raising concerns pertaining to manufacturing process and controls.



Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX

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Lauder's donation to the Technion-Israel Institute of Technology gives students access to cutting-edge housing facilities

HAIFA, Israel, June 14, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- On Tuesday, June 13, 2017, leading Israeli government officials and academics came together to celebrate World Jewish Congress President Ronald S. Lauder and Jo Carole Lauder's donation of new dormitories at Technion-Israel Institute of Technology. The new Lauder Dormitory Building at the Technion was built with a $5 million donation from Mr. and Mrs. Lauder and will provide hundreds of students with state-of-the-art housing facilities.

Israeli Minister of Education Naftali Bennett, Haifa Mayor Yona Yahav and Technion President Prof. Peretz Lavie joined Mr. Lauder's representative in Israel, Avi Balashnikov, at the inauguration of the new Lauder Dormitory Building at the Technion. The ceremony was held during the annual meeting of the Technion's International Board of Governors.

"My family and I are so pleased that the Lauder Dormitory Building will serve as the home for hundreds of young people who are building the future of the State of Israel and the Jewish People," said World Jewish Congress President Ronald S. Lauder. "When we visited the Technion about three years ago, my family and I were struck by the vital role this institution plays in advancing higher education in Israel. I am deeply proud to be among the distinguished group of Friends of the Technion."

"The new dormitories, built through the donation of the Lauder family, will enable students to invest their time and energy in their demanding studies," said Israeli Minister of Education Naftali Bennett. "On this day, we are planting the seeds of a promising future."

"Haifa is a university center where 45,000 students live. The Lauder family's investment in student dormitories is an important and correct investment for the Technion and for Haifa," said Haifa Mayor Yona Yahav. Mayor Yahav went on to praise the Lauder family for their decades of community leadership and philanthropy, calling the family a "cornerstone" of the Jewish People.

"We are delighted and grateful to be inaugurating today the Ronald and Jo Carole Lauder dormitory building on the Technion campus," said Technion President Prof. Peretz Lavie. "This is a great day of celebration for us."

Ronald S. and Jo Carole Lauder donated $5 million to the Technion for the construction of the dorms, part of a stunning complex consisting of four nine-story buildings with 116 apartments and space for nearly 500 residents. The complex, designed by architects Yael and Yaron Granot, will house 408 single students and 40 couples.

Media Contact: Avi Small

646-676-4485; avi@risaheller.com
Thanks to cities such as Bangalore, and increasingly Pune, Hyderabad and even Mumbai, India is not far in the race of rivaling the global leaders of technology. This is evident in how much we have grown through the ages.

In 1999, the age of Indian Information Technology (IT) began with IT giants such as Intel, Wipro, Infosys, and TCS paving the way. In 2010, the global era struck us, bringing with it many more international players to the technology scene  think Accenture, Bosch, IBM, HCL and many more.

The present is the era of start-ups. Start-ups that are too big and innovating so much so soon, that it almost doesnt feel right to attribute the word start-ups to them. Ola, Flipkart, Practo, Furlenco, Zomato and so many more that they are easier to recall today than the IT pioneers.

So, what has changed? We are currently in the middle of, what is popularly known as, the Fourth Industrial Revolution. Anybody who has been reading the news would know about the wave of automation that has hit most areas of work, all over the world, but specifically made its impact felt within the IT sector.

Newspaper headlines around layoffs within these tech companies (old and new alike), and large manufacturing firms (automobiles, hardware, etc) have become extremely common these days, with managers often citing the need to keep up with changing business needs and technological transformations as the reasons for such downsizing.

Without a doubt, the data and digital age is transforming and restructuring the working world as we know it and the pace of change is exponential. This is not only reflected in the economic impact the country is experiencing, but also wages. While many consider the new political scenario in the US to be the reason for tumbling IT stocks, the truth is that Indian IT exports have been declining for the past few years.

In Karnataka itself, (given that it is home to Bangalore  the true Silicon Valley of India) in 2015-16, revenue from exports of electronics, IT software and BT fell by 65 percent from 2014-15, according to a newspaper report. In addition, in 2015-17, tens of thousands of IT employees were laid off by giants like Wipro, Infosys, Tata Consultancy Services, and even start-ups like Flipkart.

In the Indian IT Industry, revenue from digital technology projects is growing 7x faster than that from traditional projects. So, it is evident that we need to focus our (human) resources in the right areas and skill them for the jobs of tomorrow.

Unfortunately, most policies around employment and skill training have stayed limited to blue-collar jobs rather than white collar ones. This has made us land up in a unique situation wherein our demographic dividend is at the risk of turning into a disaster.

We have a surplus of low-skilled workers whereas we need to fill all the upcoming, high-skill jobs. In straight numbers: two million existing IT employees need to be reskilled in digital technology areas and 1.5 million new employees by 2025.

What are some of these emerging roles? Data scientists, mobile app developers, compliance officers, social media architects, cloud integration specialists and thousands of other exciting opportunities are coming up. And beyond just skills upgradation is required to have a strong change in mindset amongst technology professionals.

But how do we take on this mammoth task of upskilling more than three million people? Especially considering the obstacles that hinder our path to achieving this goal:

65 percent of IT employees are not retrainable

80 percent of engineering graduates are unemployable

50 percent of subject-knowledge acquired during the first year of a four-year technical degree is outdated by the time students graduate

65 percent of children entering school today will ultimately end up working in completely new job types that dont yet exist

It is, therefore, evident that we need to come up with new solutions, fast. Gone are the days  when individuals have to rely just on college education and hope that their employees will pay for their skill upgradation. It is important for professionals in the technology domain to take charge of their career and invest in their future. It is imperative for professionals to unlearn and relearn  and not expect someone else to take care of their careers.

Let us be prepared then for what the knowledge economy holds for us, instead of painting a gloomy picture about the number of jobs being lost due to automation, we should be readying ourselves for the careers of tomorrow.

(The writer is Managing Director and Co-Founder, Upgrad, an online education platform)
There are movie franchises. And then, there is the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU).

Thanks to Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, the MCU movie franchise has now raked in a staggering $11 billion worldwide. This means that the Marvel Cinematic Universe grossed more than movie franchises like the James Bond series, Harry Potter films or the Star Wars franchise.

But it's not just about the big bucks. The MCU is more than that. It is about the fictional universe that is shared by some of the world's most famous superheroes based on Marvel Comics. The MCU has given us a whole new world to imagine, full of metallic suits, super-soldiers, demi-gods, assassins and some extremely sharp wit. Some of the most critically acclaimed superhero movies belong to the MCU.

This article is all about the movies which shaped the MCU, the characters which defined it and the changes the franchise went through since its birth in 2008. And as the MCU grows in the future, so shall this article.

Before we dive into the details of the films of this franchise, here is a timeline of all the MCU movies released so far:

The entire franchise is divided into three phases (for now). Each phase has a distinct set of movies and the franchise evolved as it went from one phase to another.

PHASE ONE

The first phase was all about introduction of the most important characters of the franchise till now. In its early stage, the MCU could be a bit cliched sometimes, but the first and last movies of this phase are films which will be remembered as great cinema for all times to come.

Iron Man

"I am Iron Man," said Robert Downey Jr's Tony Stark before the credits rolled out for Iron Man, released in May 2008.

It was with that movie that the world was introduced to the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Iron Man was the big bang for the MCU. All the main features of the Marvel Studios films, from their unique brand of humour, the post-credit scenes which we patiently wait for, the 'genius-billionaire-playboy-philanthropist' persona of Tony Stark, SHIELD and Samuel L Jackson as the badass Nick Fury, were introduced in this film.

Iron Man was a breath of fresh air and the beginning of the highest grossing movie franchise in the world.

The movie was about how rich industrialist Tony Stark built an armoured suit after being abducted by terrorists. Stark then ultimately uses the suit to fight evil.

Before Iron Man, "it was a rough time for Marvel characters on the big screen. But that would all change a year later with a new movie, this time direct from Marvel themselves, about a then second-tier comic book hero called Iron Man," as this article in io9 so aptly put it.

Iron Man was no longer a second-tier hero after the movie, though. The character and his portrayal by Robert Downey Jr in MCU's Phase One cannot be highlighted enough because for the rest of the phase, it was Iron Man who dominated the screen, not Captain America, Hulk, Thor, Black Widow or Hawk-Eye.

The Incredible Hulk

After Iron Man, another one of Marvel's most iconic superheroes, The Hulk, was re-introduced in The Incredible Hulk, released in June 2008. Even though Edward Norton portrayed Bruce Banner aka The Hulk in the movie and Tim Roth was quite convincing as the villain Abomination in the movie, the film generated a lukewarm response. The Incredible Hulk was the first and the last time Norton portrayed Bruce Banner. And even though The Hulk is one of the most known faces in Marvel comics, he has not had a film of his own in the MCU since The Incredible Hulk.

The film was about the origin of the giant and angry green superhero. In the movie, Bruce Banner turns into The Hulk (a green-skinned, muscular giant with a massive temper problem) every time he is under emotional stress because of a gamma ray experiment gone wrong. While Banner struggles to deal with his alter ego, he also has to stop a soldier who uses the same technology to become the Abomination.

Iron Man 2

The much-awaited Iron Man 2 was released two years later in May 2010. Even though Downey Jr's charm as Iron Man carried the film on its shoulders, the sequel was not as good as Iron Man. However, this movie introduced some of the most important characters in the MCU. Scarlett Johansson's Black Widow and Don Cheadle's War Machine were introduced in this movie. It also had one of the better Marvel villains: Ivan Vanko played by the legendary Mickey Rourke (who also played Randy Robinson in The Wrestler).

Thor

Thor was released in May 2011 and it again introduced one of the main characters in The Avengers. Chris Hemsworth played the powerful but arrogant Asgardian, Thor, who is banished from his home and sent to live among human beings on earth to learn humility. Yes, the plot does sound childish but Thor is a very significant movie in the MCU because it introduced probably the best villain the MCU has had so far: Loki.

Tom Hiddleston's Loki has a very special place in Marvel not only because of the character's naughty-bordering-on-evil demeanour but also because Loki had some extremely convincing motivation to be evil when he finds out his family's secrets in the movie. Idris Alba played Heimdall, based on the god Heimdallr of Norse mythology. His character may play an important role in the movies to come. And Odin was played by none other than Anthony Hopkins. One of the most disappointing aspects about the movie, though, was that the role played by Natalie Portman was reduced to a bit more than a damsel in distress.

Captain America: The First Avenger

It was only in July 2011 that Captain America, the long-time leader of the Avengers, was brought to the MCU. Chris Evans' Captain America in Captain America: The First Avenger focused a bit too much on the superhero's boy scout image. It would not be until this movie's sequel in the second phase of the MCU that Evans' character would dominate the MCU and get himself the fame and respect that he enjoys in the Marvel comics. Sebastian Stan also played Bucky Barnes, another crucial character whose significance would rise in the second and third phase. Red Skull, the villain, was played by Hugo Weaving (famous for portraying Agent Smith in The Matrix).

Marvel's The Avengers

And it was on 4 May 2012 that all these superheroes came together on the silver screen for the first time in Marvel's The Avengers.

Apart from the grand battle sequences in the film, there is something about the beauty of the depiction of these characters coming together, fighting among themselves, resolving their disputes, and eventually forming an alliance to fight a common threat that has made The Avengers one of the best superhero movies of all time.

There could not have been a better finale to the first phase of the MCU. This movie also showed the importance of a villain in a movie as Hiddleston portrayed Loki with exactly the right balance of intensity and wit to create a character evil enough that he needed to be stopped by a team of superheroes.

Even though Downey Jr's Iron Man clearly dominated the film with his 'genius, billionaire, playboy, philanthropist' and 'We have a Hulk' dialogues, every other character was also given his or her due time and importance in the movie.

After the massive success of The Avengers, filmmakers sensed an opportunity and a lot of films with superheroes coming together were made and will be made.

But perhaps no group of superheroes will assemble the way the Avengers assembled in this movie.

PHASE TWO

The second phase of the Marvel Cinematic Universe focuses on the post-Battle of New York exploits of the Avengers, introduces more heroes, and a few very important villains.

If you say that the first phase of the MCU is the introductory phase, you could say that phase 2 gives us a more detailed look at our favourite heroes. And you know what that means  a barrage of sequels.

Iron Man 3

The first film of phase II starts off with Iron Man 3. Tony Stark is traumatized by his actions in The Avengers whereby despite all his technology and wealth at his core he is still a man and as such vulnerable. Furthermore it's the first major time we have seen Tony's greatest weakness and indeed the source of his power in action, his fear.

Iron Man 3 works well because it infuses a dose of reality into The Avengers spectacle, like taking in the consequences of the destruction the superheroes have caused, and putting it into perspective in the real world. But does nothing to cover the overall story line of The Avengers/MCU storyline.

Thor: The Dark World

Shifting to Thor: The Dark World, the film did a lot to build the overall story arc of the MCU. After the events of the first Thor film, our celestial hero returns to earth where he finds a mysterious element called the Aether that attaches itself to his lover Jane's body, and is slowly killing her. Thor returns to Asgard with Jane in search of a solution, where they are attacked by a villain called the Malekith and the Dark Elves, who were prevented from unleashing the Aether eons ago. Thor realises the only way to defeat Malekith is to enlist the help of Loki.

Though the film might be strictly average in terms of storyline, it is must watch because it introduces another supervillain Aether. You could say the film it was clearly the first step taken towards the post Phase II world and that of Avengers: The Infinity War.

Captain America: The Winter Soldier

The Russo Brothers masterpiece is one of the best films in the history of the MCU. The plot follows Steve Rogers, along with Black Widow and Falcon, who uncover the secrets hidden within S.H.I.E.L.D., while also battling a dangerous new enemy, the Winter Soldier, whom Captain America knows from his past along with a shadowy organisation called 'The Hydra.'

The film works because of its villain  the Winter Solder/Bucky Barnes and the equation he shares with Captain America.

Instead of an alien super villain with motives of world domination, we are faced with an antagonist that struggles with human emotions and that's what makes this film work.

Guardians Of The Galaxy

A group of intergalactic misfits band together to stop an evil celestial being, Thanos, from taking control of the universe. Thanos wants possession of an orb known as the Infinity Stone, which is capable of destroying the world. Peter Quill/Star Lord (Chris Pratt), Gamora (Zoe Saldana) team up with a bunch of criminals to thwart Thanos's plan of possessing the infinity stone.

The out-of-the-world storyline combines with an amazing soundtrack and razor sharp dark humour makes this the MCU hit that nobody envisioned.

Though it does great as a stand-alone film, it introduces one of the major villains in the Marvel multiverse, Thanos. Thanos will play an important role in Marvel's Phase III Avengers: Infinity War story line.

Avengers: Age Of Ultron

Joss Whedon returned to the director's chair to helm the sequel of the hugely successful Avengers film. The superhero ensemble bands together to fight an artificial intelligence program, Ultron, who has gone rogue. The film also introduces two new Avenger recruits: Scarlet Witch, Quick Silver and the infinity vision stone bearing Vision.

James Spader voices the menacing robot with plans of world dominance, but fails to be a convincing villain.

Though the film might not have received critical acclaim, it was packed with lots of easter-eggs for Phase III of the Marvel cinematic universe: the Wakanda name-drop point to Black Panther, the Mind Gem points to Avengers: Infinity War, the wood-chopping feud between Captain America and Iron Man points to Captain America: Civil War, Thor's vision points to Thor: Ragnarok, and even Scarlet Witch's mind-bending magic is preparing us for more magic to come in Doctor Strange.

Joss Whedon walked out of Marvel after the studio failed to meet his expectations of making the film better by cutting a few scenes and making the story more believable rather than making it a visual VFX masterpiece.

Would the film look any different?

Ant-Man



Con artist Scott Lang gains the ability to shrink in the scale of an ant with the help of a futuristic suit designed by the scientist, Hank Pym. Lang must help Hank Pym and his daughter to retrieve a similar suit  before it gets into the wrong hands.

Ant-Man, played by Paul Rudd was supposed to be the underdog of the MCU.

No one thought the superhero film about a man who could shrink to the size of a red minuscule being would work  but it proved all its critics wrong. Not only was it a box-office success, fans loved Paul Rudd's take on Ant-Man. He is to have famously said that he wanted to take 'the Chris Pratt approach' for his superhero role, making it obvious that his focus was on humour and not giving the audience another boy-scout, do-gooder superhero.

PHASE THREE

Marvel really started taking risks and letting go of its conventional story arcs in phase III, now that it had properly developed its characters.

There's a dose of magic from Doctor Strange, a tale about team dynamics in Captain America: Civil War and the return of the intergalactic misfits in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2.

That's what makes this phase the best one, Marvel's experimentation means you never know what to expect onscreen. Here are the films so far:

Captain America: Civil War

Death and destruction are the results of any war: whether or not superheroes participate. After the events of Avengers: Age of Ultron, this film takes a look at the internal conflicts between our Avengers. Sides are taken: Tony Stark aka Iron Man ensembles his own team of Avengers (which includes the teenage Spider-Man and Black Panter) to battle Captain America, the Falcon, The Winter Soldier and in a surprise cameo, Ant-Man.

The Russo brothers (Joe Russo and Anthony Russo) once again weave their magic on a superhero film with the right focus. Rather than having a super villain who wants to conquer the universe, the secret of the film's success lies in the dynamics of the superhero team. The villains are more believable, and heroes more human.

The film also sets up the next Black Panther film, along with heralding the joining of Spider-Man to the cast of Avengers: Infinity War in 2019.

Doctor Strange (2016)

Benedict Cumberbatch stars as an extremely unique Marvel superhero: his superpowers are a result of his abilities of concentration and knowledge of alternate dimensions; instead of a bug bite (Spider-Man), or being a homegrown experiment (Black Widow) or exposing themselves to radiation (Hulk).

Doctor Strange works because of its humour and because Benedict Cummberbatch looks like he was made for the role; but the film's conventional story line of an unwilling hero who has the responsibility of saving the world on his shoulders has been exploited time and again in other phases of the MCU. Its time to pursue a fresh story arch.

Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 2 (2017)

The guardians team up again in a tale of family and belonging. Chris Pratt returns as Star Lord/Peter Quill, only this time his jokes are stale and his only goal is to locate his lost dad. His adopted family, the Guardians, tag along as he goes on a wild goose chase to look for his biological father, Ego (played by Kurt Russel.) Then, he realixes his real family is the Guardians, and Yondu, the man who raised him is his dad, not the man who gave birth to him.

The story arc of Peter and his lookout for his biological dad are more suited to a 80s Bollywood film starring Amitabh Bachchan. But nonetheless, the film works because, like the first Guardians of the Galaxy film, it sets up an important premise of the upcoming Avengers: Infinity War film.

What's Next?

After Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, Spider-Man will be making its MCU debut (previously Spider-Man was owned by Sony pictures) in his own film titled Spider-Man: Homecoming.

Other films that are lined up include Thor: Ragnarok, Avengers: Infinity WarPart 1 (2018), Black Panther (2018), Captain Marvel (2018) an untitled And Man and The Wasp film which will all lead upto the climax of Phase III in Avengers: Infinity War (2019) and its sequel.

THE CURIOUS CASE OF SPIDER-MAN

Ask any Marvel fan, or any avid comic book reader for that matter, about who their top five superheroes are, and Spider-Man should definitely be a part of that list. The web-slinger is probably the most popular face of Marvel.

And because of his popularity, the character of Spider-Man has seen multiple reboots in cinema, which can make things a bit confusing. Add to this the fact that Spider-Man: Homecoming is the first standalone Spider-Man film in the MCU and it gets even more confusing, especially because the MCU has such a rich history so far but not one Spidey movie in it.

This issue is all about film rights.

It was not Marvel Studios but Sony Pictures which controlled the rights to the character from 1999 to 2015. So technically, all the Spider-Man movies which we saw so far (We're not counting Captain America: Civil War because Spider-Man just made a brief but nonetheless spectacular appearance in the movie) in that period were not part of the MCU because movies in that film franchise are made by Marvel Studios.

In 2002, Sony Pictures hired Sam Raimi to direct Spider-Man, in which we saw Tobey Maguire play the shy, reclusive high-school student Peter Parker who get superpowers when he is bitten by a genetically-engineered 'super-spider' and adopts the identity of Spider-Man. Even though Spider-Man and Spider-Man 2 (2004) are great films which depict the superhero and some of his most iconic enemies really well, things turned quite bad in Spider-Man 3 (2007). The dance moves of Peter Parker in that movie will always be a nightmare for Spider-Man fans.

It was after Spider-Man 3 got mostly negative reviews that Sony Pictures decided to reboot the franchise and The Amazing Spider-Man (2012), directed by Marc Webb, was released in which Andrew Garfield portrayed Peter Parker. The movie was a refreshing change from Raimi's series but The Amazing Spider-Man 2 (2014) again failed to generate enthusiastic response.

Because Sony Pictures needed to breathe life back into the series and Marvel really needed to get one of its most iconic superheroes into the now massive MCU, in February 2015, Sony, Disney and Marvel Studios announced a deal to share the Spider-Man film rights.

And it was in 2016, with the release of Captain America: Civil War, that we finally saw our beloved web-slinger in an MCU movie. And how!

One of the key qualities of Spider-Man which was very clearly missing in the Spidey movies so far was Peter Parker's sharp sense of humour. The movies focused too much on how Parker is nerdy and either ignored or were not able to do justice to how hilarious he really is.

For example, check out the first ten seconds of this video from the 2000 game Spider-Man, in which Spidey lands on Venom's head shouting 'Tag!' after Venom asks him to 'come out and play'. (In fact, play the entire game if you want to get a good understanding of what Spider-Man is all about.)

In the brief appearance of Spider-Man in Civil War, we finally saw a glimpse of that sense of humour with its perfect timing. Perhaps this is why we loved it.

And perhaps this is why people are waiting with bated breath for Spider-Man: Homecoming to be released in July 2017. Will this movie finally give us the goofy but extremely funny Peter Parker we all know and love? We'll just have to wait and see whether Tom Holland does justice to the character.

MCU TV SHOWS

The Marvel Cinematic Universe would not be complete without the TV shows which are set in the MCU. Most of these TV shows have not only received a lot of positive reviews but have also depicted some iconic Marvel superheroes and supervillains in a realistic way  which some would say is better than what we have seen in the MCU movies.

After the success of The Avengers, the first MCU television show Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. was aired in September 2013. The series revolved around the character of Phil Coulson, played by Clarg Gregg, and his team of agents of the spy agency Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement, and Logistics Division (S.H.I.E.L.D.), who investigate unusual cases and fight against enemies, including those from evil organisation Hydra.

After the first season, the show's premise also deals with events which take place in Captain America: The Winter Soldier. The show has met with a lot of positive reviews, especially the last two seasons and has helped give an important place to the agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. in the MCU. With this show, the audience got the idea that the events in MCU's TV shows will also play a vital role in its future.

Marvel's Agent Carter was aired in January 2015 and is based on one of the most important characters from Captain America: The First Avenger: Peggy Carter, played by Hayley Atwell. The show is set in 1940s America and depicts how Carter balances her life as a secret agent for the Strategic Scientific Reserve (SSR) while secretly helping Howard Stark (Tony Stark's father), who is framed for supplying weapons to enemies of the US.

The show was praised for the complexity of the protagonist's character and how she deals with the rampant sexism that exists in 1940s America. Despite the positive reviews, the show was cancelled in May 2016 due to declining viewership.

The MCU TV shows which were launched after Agent Carter were aired on Netflix. In April 2015, the popular superhero Daredevil was depcited in the show Marvel's Daredevil, in which Charlie Cox stars as Matt Murdock aka Daredevil, a blind lawyer who uses his heightened senses to fight crime. Apart from the realistic portrayal of the moral dilemma which Daredevil faces many times in the show, the show also gave MCU one of its best villains: Wilson Fisk, played by Vincent D'Onofrio.

But perhaps the best character of Daredevil was the iconic anti-hero The Punisher, played by Jon Bernthal, who definitely gave us all the best depiction so far of the angry and ruthless vigilante.

Another one of MCU's most powerful TV shows was Marvel's Jessica Jones, aired on Netflix in November 2015. The show is about Jessica Jones (played by Krysten Ritter), a former superhero who opens her detective agency and has to fight against a menacing supervillain. Apart from the hard-hitting performance by Ritter, and the gripping performance by David Tennant as the supervillain Kilgrave, the show also successfully delved into some dark issues like rape and post-traumatic stress disorder.

Marvel's Luke Cage, aired on Netflix in September 2016, is again one of the most socially relevant TV shows of the MCU, especially considering that we live in a world where Donald Trump is the US president. The show revolves around Luke Cage, a superhero with superhuman strength and unbreakable skin who eventually uses his superpowers to fight crime. The show also had great performances by Mahershala Ali and Alfre Woodard.

Marvel's Iron Fist, aired on Netflix in March 2017, is probably the weakest of the MCU TV shows made so far. The show is about Danny Rand aka Iron Fist is a martial arts expert who uses the mystical powers of the Iron Fist. Even though the show was criticised a lot for its poor storytelling, it is still an important watch as Iron Fist will play a crucial role in the upcoming Defenders crossover series.

But overall, the MCU TV shows were successful in giving the audience what was missing in most of its movies: Focus on a realistic portrayal of superheroes, complex characters, some great storytelling and the use of good acting and writing rather than flashy stunts and visual effects to tell a spectacular story.
YOKOHAMA, Japan Japan will provide $40 million to the Asian Development Bank to promote high-level technology as part of efforts to boost quality infrastructure in Asia, Finance Minister Taro Aso said on Saturday."Japan has been promoting quality infrastructure in Asia in close collaboration with the bank," Aso told the ADB's annual gathering in Yokohama. "Enhancing quality of infrastructure in terms of lifecycle cost and environmental and social considerations is important."The money will be provided over a two-year period to a newly created fund of the ADB, he said.

Aso's remarks came as China's increasing presence in infrastructure finance has alarmed some Japanese policymakers, who worry that Beijing-led Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) may overshadow the Japan-U.S.-led ADB.The AIIB is viewed by some as a challenger to both the Western-dominated World Bank and the ADB, which is primarily funded by Japan and the United States.

Partly to differentiate itself, the ADB has broadened its activities beyond infrastructure such as financing of steps for poverty reduction, healthcare and education.

ADB President Takehiko Nakao told the annual gathering that investment in infrastructure would remain a priority."Asia will need $1.7 trillion per year in investments in power, transport, telecommunications and water through 2030," he said on Saturday.On Thursday, Nakao said the ADB would cooperate with China's development finance and infrastructure plans under its "One Belt, One Road" initiative, shrugging off the view Japan and China are competing for influence through development finance. (Reporting by Tetsushi Kajimoto; Editing by Nick Macfie)

This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed.
The Centre on Saturday approved the BJP-led Maharashtra government's decision to rename the Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus by adding 'Maharaj' and rechristen Western Railway's Elphinstone Road station as 'Prabhadevi' station.

"The Centre has approved renaming of Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus to Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus. Also, Elphinstone Road railway station has now been renamed to Prabhadevi," Maharashtra Transport Minister Diwakar Raote said in a statement.

Raote said that the state government has published the changed names in English and Devnagri scripts in the gazette and had sought the Centre's approval for renaming of the stations.

"We had followed this issue with the Centre for years and have finally succeeded in getting our demand met," added the minister.

Welcoming the Centre's decision, Raote said the state government would initiate measures to implement it on priority.

This is the fourth name change for CST  earlier known as Bori Bunder in the 1850s, then rebuilt as Victoria Terminus to commemorate the Golden Jubilee of British monarch, Queen Victoria.

Later, during the first Shiv Sena (SS)-Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government, the name was changed to Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus, and now under the second BJP-SS regime, it has become 'Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus', in honour of the great Maratha warrior king.

Elphinstone Road was named after the Governor of Bombay Presidency, Lord John Elphinstone, who held the post between 1853-1860.

A few months before his appointment, history had been created in India with the first railway line laid between Bori Bunder-Thane, 34 km away, which became operational on 16 April, 1853 by the Great Indian Peninsular Railway.

The new name 'Prabhadevi' is dedicated to Goddess Prabhavati Devi, whose 12th century idol is installed in the modern temple, now over three centuries old.

The CSMT, a beautifully designed building  constructed at a cost of around Rs 1.61 million between 1878-1888  is designated as a Unesco World Heritage site and one of the busiest terminals of the Indian Railways.

The CSMT came into global headlines nine years ago when it was targeted by Pakistani terrorists during the November 26-28, 2008 Mumbai terror attacks.

Now, there is a demand to rename Marine Lines station as 'Mumbadevi Station', made by BJP legislator Raj Purohit to Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu and Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis.

With inputs from agencies
New Delhi: Cruising down the magnificent Ganga criss-crossing the majestic Himalayas, interspersed with verdant terrains and vignettes of the holy city of Moksha on the way, could well be an experience to remember.

What if this cruise figures right up there among the very best in the world and a must one to go for along with the likes of the Volga or the Danube?

Check this out. Reputed international publication Conde Nast Traveller has put the Ganga cruise on its checklist as one of the top six river cruises to take in 2017.

The global luxury and lifestyle magazine has placed the luxury cruise vessel Ganges Voyager II, which sails on the Ganga from Kolkata to Varanasi, in the league of cruises on the Mekong and the Yangtze in China, the Amazon in South America, the Volga in Russia and the Irrawaddy in Myanmar.

Shipping, Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari, who dreams making India a global hotspot for cruise tourism -- be it river or sea -- says massive work is under way on the Ganges, be it for cruise tourism or cargo transport, and a 'nirmal and aviral Ganga' will take India to the path of development.

"We are working on a massive scale to make India a global hotspot in tourism. We have received offers from Dubai's Sultan to develop cruise tourism here," Gadkari said.

Conde Nast's endorsement of the Ganga as a cruise destination is a shot in the arm for river tourism in the country.

"Massive work worth Rs 5,000 crore is under way to develop various projects on the Ganga with the World Bank assistance, including development of multi-modal hubs," Gadkari said.

The Inland Waterways Authority of India, a body under the Ministry of Shipping, is facilitating cruise operations on National Waterways-1 (river Ganga) from Kolkata to Varanasi in collaboration with private cruise operators.

The facilities, provided by the IWAI, include navigation aids, including night navigation facility, embarking and disembarking at designated locations, facilitating expeditious crossing of the Farakka Navigation Lock, pilotage, and assistance in distress.

The National Waterway NW-1 from Varanasi to Haldia is being developed by the IWAI, under the Jal Marg Vikas Project (JMVP).

In addition to becoming one of the principal cargo movement routes in India, this stretch on NW-1 has good potential for river cruise tourism.

The minister said that as many as 168 cruises had came to major ports last year and a terminal in Mumbai is being constructed at a cost of Rs 800 crore.

Also, a policy is in the works to make India a global destination for cruise shipping and work is in progress to identify such circuits.

Five circuits each are being identified for international and domestic cruise services and a report is likely by this month.

"Endowed with a sprawling 7,500 km of coastline, we have taken steps in a big way to promote cruise tour, which includes relaxation of policies and developing infrastructure," he said.

So far, Indians had been travelling to South-East Asia, the Mediterranean and the Caribbean to experience the cruise, but for the first time, Europe's key player Costa Cruises launched Costa neoClassica in India recently, which has confirmed seven voyages.

A task force to promote cruise tourism in the country has been constituted under the chairmanship of the tourism secretary, with the shipping secretary as co-chairman.

The idea is to put India on the global cruise map, both for oceans and rivers, Gadkari said, adding that it comes with a huge job potential. India saw 1.76 lakh cruise passengers in 2016-17, a merely 0.5 per cent of the global pie.

Domestic cruise passengers are estimated to grow to 1.5 million by 2031-32.

Of the 12 major ports, only five -- Mumbai, Goa, Cochin, New Mangalore and Chennai -- have facilities to berth international cruise ships.

One of the circuits identified so far is "coastal circuit" for development of coastal tourism infrastructure, an official said.

The government is developing a modern 2 lakh square feet terminal in Mumbai to make it a landmark destination, which will have infrastructure to accommodate cruise ships with size for 4,000 passengers.

The project includes hospitality, retail, shopping, restaurants and will allow general visitors during non-cruise seasons.

Apart from its huge coastline, India has the geographical advantage as it is strategically located between the Mediterranean and China, he said.

Recently, the Mumbai Port Trust, which has a dedicated berth for cruise tourism, hosted its largest passenger ship Genting Dream with 1,900 passengers.

Listing out the policy initiatives to promote cruise shipping, the minister said ships are now allowed to stay for three days, up from the earlier 24 hours, and rules have been simplified to attract more vessels.

The government has allowed foreign flag vessels carrying passengers to call at Indian ports without securing a licence from the director general of shipping till February 5, 2024.

Also, major ports will offer a minimum of 30 percent rebate across the board on all vessel-related charges for cruise shipping and not levy any priority fee.

On land excursions, an average tourist spends USD 70-100 per day and with a cruise ship of 3,000 capacity.

Also, average employment on a cruise ship, as per studies, is one job for 3-4 passengers, which translates into a boost for recruitment as well.
New Delhi: Ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Israel, an Indian delegation, including Congress leader Manish Tewari, will be in Tel Aviv for three days to attend conferences on security issues beginning on Monday, a statement said.

The delegation has been invited by the Institute for National Security Studies (INSS) in Tel Aviv, National Nuclear Security Administration and Centre for Global Security Research, according to the statement from the office of Congress leader Jaiveer Shergill, who is also part of the delegation.

The members of the Indian delegation will speak on security and economic issues facing the Middle East and South Asian countries.

The delegation also comprises National Security Advisor Ajit Doval's son and Indian Foundation Director Shaurya Doval, and other individuals having expertise on security issues, said the statement.

Efraim Halevy, a former head of Mossad, will address the Indian delegation.

The Indian delegation is also expected to visit the Golan Heights and the Lebanese border, the statement said.

Modi is expected to visit Israel while returning from G-20 Summit in Hamburg (Germany) to be held July 7-8.
Srinagar: The Jammu and Kashmir government has asked all the deputy commissioners of the state to take action against transmission of 34 TV channels, including those from Pakistan and Saudi Arabia, saying they have the potential to incite violence and create law and order situation.

The directive comes after the Centre asked the state government to take immediate steps to stop the unauthorised broadcast of Pakistani and Saudi Arabian channels in the state.

It has been reported that the cable operators in the Valley have been transmitting certain TV channels (which are not permitted by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Government of India).

"It needs being noted that transmission of non-permitted TV channels apart from attracting the violation (of the law), has the potential to encourage or incite violence and create law and order disturbances in the Kashmir Valley, an order issued Saturday by Principal Secretary, Home Department, R K Goyal, to all the district rpt district magistrates (deputy commissioners) of the state said.

Goyal asked deputy commissioners to clarify as to what action has been taken in regard to media reports that certain cable operators were transmitting such non-permitted channels and also directed them to take urgent necessary action.

"In the circumstances, it is impressed upon you to ensure that urgent necessary action is taken in accordance with provisions of law, the order reads. He said the transmission of non-permitted TV channels by the cable operators attracts violation of the Cable TV Networks Regulation Rules.

"As per Section 11 of the Cable Television Networks (Regulation) Act, the district magistrate has the power to seize the equipment in case of a violation, the order reads.

On Friday, Union Information and Broadcasting Minister M Venkaiah Naidu spoke with the state chief secretary over the issue and sought a compliance report at the earliest.

He expressed concern over reports that these channels were being broadcast in Jammu and Kashmir without permission. The State Home Department, which is headed by Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti, has listed 34 such channels belonging to Pakistan and Saudi Arabia including Zakir Naiks banned Peace TV.

The 34 channels are Peace TV Urdu and English, ARY QTV, Madni Channel, Noor TV, Hadi TV, Paigam, Hidayat, Saudi Al-Sunnah Al-Nabawiyah, Saudi-Al-Quran Al-Karim, Sehar, Karbala TV, Ahli-biat TV, Message TV, Hum TV, ARY Digital Asia, Hum Sitaray, ARY Zindagi, PTV Sports, ARY Musik, TV One, ARY Masala, ARY Zauq, A TV, Geo News, ARY News Asia, Abb Takk News, Waseb TV, 92 News, Duniya News, Samna News, Geo Tez, Express News and ARY News.

The principal secretary, Home Department, asked the deputy commissioners to file a compliance report by email by Sunday.
The student wing of Communist Party of India (Marxist) usually lies low whenever the party comes to power in Kerala. But the Students Federation of India (SFI) has become more aggressive this time resulting in a series of violent incidents on campuses across the state.

Violence erupts when SFI uses force to prevent the entry of student unions belonging to other parties. The heads of institutions, mostly women, who tries to instil discipline in them become vulnerable to their attacks.

Only three percent of the students and a few teachers are troublemakers. Others cooperate with me in our efforts to maintain academic excellence, says Prof NL Beena, the principal of 142-year-old Maharajas College in the port city of Kochi.

Police had this week seized a cache of weapons from a hostel room of the college which is the alma mater of people like former federal ministers AK Antony and Vayalar Ravi, former chief justice KG Balakrishnan, Swami Chinmayananda and actor Mammootty. Her trouble started after the University Grants Commission (UGC) gave autonomy to the state-run institution two years back, after a prolonged resistance from the highly politicised staff and student unions.

They level all sorts of allegations against me and oppose everything - from syllabus evaluation to programmes aimed at improving standards. This is the only autonomous institution under the state government, Prof Beena told Firstpost. In January, SFI activists took her chair out of her office and burnt it at the entrance of the campus, as a warning. They called it a symbolic protest against her moral policing of enforcing a dress code on the campus.

On 4 May, its governing council decided to sack six students, including the students union chairman and the president and secretary of the SFI unit, based on an enquiry report, which also found some teachers also encouraging it but suggested no action against them. In the cache kept under their bed, there were bombs, machetes and iron rods used to attack those who question their hegemony, said local legislator PT Thomas, also an alumnus of the college, who raised it in the Assembly on Friday.

The SFI is not allowing the ongoing renovation of the institution as the contractor refused to pay Rs 1,00,000 that they have demanded, said the Congress party leader.

He also displayed a newspaper carrying a picture of an SFI leader threatening the principal, a Dalit, of finishing her off and another one of police inventorying the crude weapons.

However, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, a CPI (M) politburo member, said they were the tools of construction workers kept temporarily hostel rooms of students who were on vacation, and there were no bombs. He confirmed the arrest of three for burning the principals chair and asserted there was no police inaction in the two other cases that Thomas mentioned involving Dalit or lower caste women heads of institutions.

The chief minister is deliberately misleading the House and the people. It would only encourage violence on our campuses, said former chief minister Oommen Chandy, a senior Congress party leader. Prof Beena, in her police complaint registered on Wednesday, had pointed out that the safety of the faculty members on duty was at stake after the recovery of weapons and she had earlier received a death threat. She said a student involved in the burning of her chair was also illegally occupying the temporary hostel facility inside the staff quarters, as the men's hostel building was under repair.

As a government servant, I have nothing to say against what the chief minister had stated in the House, said Prof Beena. Police said the weapons were wrapped in a cloth banner and it included swords and iron rods.

Last year, they had arrested four SFI workers for allegedly gifting the lady principal of another prestigious institution, the 128-year-old Victoria College, Palakkad, Dr TN Sarasu, also a Dalit, her grave on her retirement. She was shocked beyond anybodys imagination to see her own grave on the campus she served for close to three decades when she reached there for farewell.

A wreath was also placed on the grave while the death note found next to it contained a list of charges, as she refused to take orders from SFI and the Association of Kerala Government College Teachers (AKGCT), a CPI (M)-backed union. On her last working day, she had heard them bursting crackers in celebration as she left the campus.

The organised unions were doing this in many institutions in Kerala. But I didnt expect them to stoop to this level, she says.

I enforced some discipline to ensure smooth academic activities. I prevented the SFI activists from accommodating outsiders in hostels inconveniencing residents. She said they did not even allow her to conduct internal exams at the behest of the agitating teachers union. They were targeting me ever since I started disciplining the campus, she said.

I tried to set everything right after I assumed office a year back. I used to reach the campus at 9 am every day and leave at 7 pm, and worked hard. But they wouldn't allow. Though the high court had banned campus politics in Kerala as early as 2006, none of the parties bothered to heed. They, instead, are trying to increase their political muscle by dragging the students into politics.

SFI clean sweeps elections in all the state-run universities and opponents say they do it through silencing dissenting voices and preventing others from even filing their nominations if they stand a chance to win. The Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) had been of late trying to storm their bastions, often leading to bloody clashes on the campus, destroying the academic ambience.

Last month, Dr T Vijayalakshmi, director-student services at the University of Kerala, submitted a petition before Governor P Sathasivam seeking the ouster of CPI (M) Syndicate member AA Rahim, who led a mob of SFI workers forcing her to release funds for the university festival. She approached the Governor after her complaints of physical and mental harassment to the chief minister, education minister and the police chief went in vain. Following this, the police registered her complaint.

She said the CPI (M) leader had brought female protesters from outside the campus to inflict bodily harm on her and abused her during the gherao that lasted three hours, not even permitting to drink water, forcing her to sign cheques against the university statute. She says she was not in a position to release further funds as the organisers had not submitted bills for Rs 22 lakh that they had already taken. She was just following the vice-chancellors instructions for which she had to undergo an ordeal that I would not forget till death.

There were some hundred people. They did not even allow me to go to the loo. They shouted at me, pricked me with their pens, pulled my hair and showered abuses, she says.

When (former CPI (M) legislator V Sivankutty came, they told him that I was caught in immoral trafficking. I insisted on rules, and that was my sin. Vice-chancellor PK Radhakrishnan had to remain at home for two days citing life threat from the SFI. He is now back in the office, and the students are busy with their annual exams. On the same campus in February, the SFI vigilantes had severely assaulted a young man and abused three girl students, whom he visited. Even the CPI (M) ally Communist Party of India (CPI) accused the big brother of not allowing them to participate in elections here.

Also last month, the SFI activists ransacked the principals office of another prestigious institution, the church-run Newman College in Thodupuzha, Idukki, as he refused to take back a student facing disciplinary action. Similar things have happened on many other campuses like Kerala Varma College and Government Law College in Thrissur, Thomas said.

Its high time the government acted, cleansed the campuses of such elements and restored the academic ambience before the new academic year begins, he added.
Srinagar: A policeman and a wanted militant of Lashker-e-Taiba terror group were among five persons killed when terrorists made an attempt to ambush a police party in Kulgam in South Kashmir on Saturday.

Wanted militant Fayaz Ahmed Ashwar alias Setha, who had been been on the run since August 2015 after his name cropped up in the Udhampur terror strike case, was killed in the attack when he tried to target the police party at Mir Bazar in Kulgam.

Constable Mehmood Ahmed Sheikh, who was part of the police team, risked his life and snatched a pistol from one of the militants before other members of the police party opened fire at them, according to an eyewitness account.

Three civilians were also killed due to indiscriminate firing by the militants. Director General of Police SP Vaid told PTI that a policeman had been killed. And indiscriminate firing by militants had led to the death of three civilians.

The militants ambushed the police team which had gone to Mir Bazaar area to investigate a road accident case, the DGP said.

The injured militant was taken to a local hospital where he was declared brought dead, police said. He was later identified to be Ashwar, who carried a cash reward of Rs two lakh on his head. He has been charge-sheeted by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) in the Udhampur

terror strike case.

In the terror case, Pakistani national Naved was arrested on the spot when he was firing on a BSF convoy in August 2015 in Udhampur on the Srinagar-Jammu national highway.
Dhar (MP): Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Sunday said that no illegal slaughterhouses will be allowed to function in the state.

"No illegal slaughterhouses will be allowed to function in Madhya Pradesh," Chouhan said at a function of the Jain community. "The tenet of Jainism 'Jeeyo aur Jeene do' (live and let live) was praiseworthy," he said.

"Jainism preaches compassion and kindness to animals, and advocates non-violence," the chief minister said. "We should imbibe these teachings and be kind to animals," he said and declared that no illegal slaughterhouses will be allowed to function in the state. The Narmada Seva Yatra, being currently organised by the Madhya Pradesh government, is aimed at protecting and conserving the water body.

"We want to conserve all rivers in the state," he said, adding, rivers should be protected for future generation. Chouhan said MP government was running schemes for the welfare the girl child. "Our tomorrow depends on the well-being of girls," he said. Chouhan also shed light on the Beti Bachao Andolan and Ladli Laxmi Yojna of the state government aimed at improving the skewed sex ratio in the state.
Bhilar (Maha): Lying between the picturesque hill stations of Panchgani and Mahabaleshwar in Satara district, this sleepy village, having no literary pretensions, has been known for long for its strawberry cultivation.

But the hamlet has suddenly turned into a hotspot for the bibliophiles after it was declared India's first 'Pustakanche Gaav' (the village of books) by the Maharashtra government recently.

The project to promote the "culture of reading" and to lure the visitors, keen to spend hours on end immersed in their picks, is inspired by Britain's Hay-on-Wye, a Welsh town known for its bookstores and literature festivals.

The concept was mooted by the Marathi Bhasha department and Rajya Marathi Vikas Sanstha, a government body.

As many as 25 artistically decorated locations around the village have been turned into the readers' hot-spots with the display of books ranging from literature, poetry, religion, women and children, history, environment, folk literature, biographies and autobiographies to the festival specials.

The state government has also provided several facilities such as chairs, tables, decorated umbrellas and glass cupboards at these spots to enhance the reading experience of literary connoisseurs.

Balasaheb Bhilare, a villager and one of the 25 hosts, who has turned a portion of his house into a free-library, expressed hope that the initiative would promote reading habit among the youth.

"The objective of the initiative may be to boost tourism and help the village economically. But we think that the project will transform the village as its young generation will soon be enchanted by the Marathi language and its literature."

Bhilare, instrumental in convincing the villagers on how the project will benefit them, said that after the fruition of the project this week, the atmosphere of the village is changing and more and more people are coming forward to host free libraries at their homes.

Each of the 25 locations chosen initially is dedicated to a particular genre of literature and the walls of the cottages are depicted with literary themes.

"The libraries are arranged in such a way that a visitor can choose books as per his or her interest. If somebody is interested in novels, there is a dedicated spot where he can walk in and browse through fictions," said Dr Jagatanand Bhatkar, assistant secretary of the Marathi Vishwakosh Centre.

Bhatkar, who is associated with the project, said that though there is no literary legacy or history attached to the village, legendary lyricist Anand Bakshi and top-notch film composer Naushad had briefly stayed at the village.

Talking about the stock, Bhatkar said of the 15,000 titles available, around 2,000 are of children's literature.

"In order to promote the reading habit, popular books from Marathi have been kept at these locations," Bhatkar said.

Vinay Mavlankar, in-charge of the project, said currently there are only Marathi books but soon popular English and Hindi books will also be stacked.

"The initiative, led by state Education Minister Vinod Tawde, has received whole-hearted support from the villagers.

However, its ultimate success lies with the response it gets from the tourists, and we are sure that the project will attract visitors," he said.

He added that in the next phase, the government is planning to build on a 3.5-acre, a state-of-the-art library, litterateurs' corner and place for holding literary workshops.

Noted author Sadanand More termed the project as a "novel concept."

"Generally every village has a library. However, Bhilar is the first of its kind village, which is called as Pustakanche Gaav, where bibliophiles can come and spend their time reading the books, and even writers can come to fulfil their literary pursuit," he said.
Voices either in support or dissent became vigorous soon after the Supreme Court on Friday confirmed the death sentences to the four convicts who had brutally raped 23-year-old paramedic Jyoti Singh at Munirka, a neighbourhood in South Delhi, on 16 December, 2012 leading to a nationwide shock and outrage. The nature of the assault on her was so barbaric that she passed away on 29 December the same year at a Singapore hospital.

While six people were behind this heinous act, one committed suicide in custody and the other, a juvenile was let off after he spent three years at the remand home. In a country, where it is not an exaggeration to call rape epidemic, this particular incident had sparked off a gargantuan public outcry, leading to a domino effect, as protesters seething with rage thronged the streets in a shrill call for justice.

On 5 May 2017, when the Supreme Court upheld an earlier order passed by the Delhi High Court of awarding capital punishment to the four convicts  Mukesh, Pawan, Vinay Sharma and Akshay Thakur  the millennials who would take charge of the country gradually had many things to say about the verdict.

Response to the judgment

Smera Jayadeva, 20, a final year undergraduate student of International Studies said that the much-awaited Supreme Court judgment provided some salvation to Jyoti. However, the employment of capital punishment continues to remain a contentious subject for her.

"While the death penalty can be a deterrent to serious crimes, the human psyche is not conducive to fear-enabled techniques of crime prevention. Capital punishment has not been looked upon favourably owing to the judicial trials that have been conducted in the past," she said.

Sahana Maddali, 20, a Life Sciences graduate felt that the verdict awarding death penalty represents the right stance in the debate of right and wrong, and makes for a very pressing statement concerning the implications of rape in the light of the 2012 act of gore. However, Maddali, was quick to add a caveat.

"Capital punishment should not be misinterpreted by anyone as a convenient one off solution to rape," said the Life Sciences graduate.

Louis Unni, 20, a third-year law student was of the view that Fridays judgment was a thorough affair wherein the proceedings took into question all the facts of the case and evidence put forth.

"This case made for a compelling argument to be passed off under the title of the 'rarest of rare'. The apex court was justified in the pronouncement of the death penalty. The entire debate now rests on thin ice, questioning whether the pronouncement of the death penalty itself passes moral muster," Unni said.

Jaslein Mahil, 22, an English Literature graduate was both satisfied and dissatisfied with the verdict.

"The verdict comes after five years, which in my opinion, is a copious amount of time. No innocent human being should ever be placed unfairly under the gavel yet in this case the facts seemed pretty self-evident. It eludes me as to why the court took five years to make up their minds on the matter?" Mahil asked.

Is the death penalty justified?

Maddali said that the death penalty is irreversible, which is why it is usually considered unhealthy for legal systems seeking to reform convicts. The 2012 gangrape case, though, was far from anything that has been witnessed in the past.

"How much ever one may argue that there have been similar or more perverse cases in the past, few have incited such explosion of outrage or a display of unity and purpose," she said. The Life Sciences graduate deemed the verdict fair for it sets a serious precedent on the consequences of committing rape, much like an electric fence surrounding what seemed to be a sandbox up until now. "It pushes them to wake up and smell the coffee, come to terms with the seriousness of the crime," she said.

Shivali Shrivastava, 20, another third-year law student was however not in favour of a straight death sentence.

"Life imprisonment until death should be the maximum punishment handed out for the most heinous of crimes. No person or institution should be the authority on sending people off to the gallows. There are several Supreme Court judgments wherein the death penalty was revoked by the court on finding faults in the verdict issued. This could also conversely lead to innocent people getting executed because of unfair and discriminatory application of the death penalty," said Shrivastava.

"Studies across the world have shown that in most cases, the person sentenced to death comes from an economically and socially backward section of the society indicating their depraved status and lack of access to public infrastructure thereby paving their way to delinquency," she said.

There is no official proof so far in the world that death sentences serve as a deterrent. That's what bothers

Abhiraj Singh, 24, a Political Science graduate.

"Death penalty serves zero purpose. There is no scientific or empirical method to measure the extent of the deterrence it serves. Its almost similar to regressing to the medieval system of public executions. Were no longer savages to answer brutality with brutality. The need of the hour clearly is stricter laws for convictions and the widening of the definition of rape to ensure provisions for all victims regardless of sexual orientation," he said.

Punishment was lenient for the juvenile?

Jayadeva, believed that in the case of the juvenile offender, he ought to have endured a longer sentence in the correctional facility as this would serve to bring a change in his mindset. Considering that he was still in his formative age, being let off for a crime as heinous as rape would only cushion the boy's privilege.

"Theres a good chance that he would grow up to believe that he could get away with the same in the years to come," she said.

Not everyone though shared Jayadeva's views.

"I think to say that the juvenile was 'pardoned' is wrong. He was dealt with in a manner provided for under the law of our land. Having said that, I wish he was provided with some sort of psychological or mental intervention that would help reform him," said Soujanya Sridharan, 21, in her final year media studies.

Some even feared that letting the juvenile roam free might prove to be a costly proposition for the society at large.

"Regarding the minor, allowing him to run loose outside the framework of the law, especially surrounding the nature of his offences, without exacting any true payment for his misdeeds is at total cross-purposes with the statement the death penalty makes. What is a ringing statement if it is not a statement to all? Do all the degenerate juveniles get to poke fun at all the degenerate adults for what's meted out to them for the same crime? To let him off the hook is to point at a shortcoming in the sentiment backing this verdict and a verdict this important has no business in having any shortcomings," said Maddali.

It is unlikely that the debate whether the juvenile was let off lightly or adequately punished would ever end in a manner where we can have a logical conclusion. But the debate has brought out some key issues like the lack of adequate child psychologist in the country.

"Ive heard speculations that the juvenile himself was a victim of sexual abuse, where was the safety mechanism when this child off the streets actually required it? How is it psychological reform if theres no dedicated child psychologist who is having sessions with such baby criminals? More importantly, is anyone having sessions with these children at all? Why are we spending obscene amounts on Commonwealth Games instead of rehabilitating these children and making them stand up on their own feet?" Mahil asked.

Her second issue lies with the differential punishments meted out to the juvenile delinquent vis-a-vis the adult perpetrator.

"If the said juvenile has the temerity to insert an iron rod into the genitalia of a woman then why cant he be held accountable for his actions? Though accountability is taught and as much as I love the idea of how fear shouldnt be a tool for us to whip people into shape, the idea of reforming the mind is exceedingly utopian for a country like ours," Mahil said.

Unni felt that the involvement of the juvenile unfurled a huge moral debate on whether trial as a minor offender is truly in the interest of justice. Riding on this emotional upsurge the Parliament even passed the Juvenile Justice Act that allowed for a 16-year-old to be tried as an adult provided s/he crime commits a crime of "heinous" nature.

"The law does not exhaustively define what constitutes a 'heinous' crime and thus leaves us with the extreme subjectivity of judicial interpretation. It is such subjectivity that causes the various legal conundrums that exist," he said. "Secondly, the efficacious nature of a law that is made primarily on the basis of one singular case seems to be questionable. It is my submission that the law that governs the entire nation cannot and should not be altered on the basis of one singular and particularly rare case. This does not go on to say that I do not condemn the acts of the juvenile, in this case, I most certainly do. I just do not think it mature for the country to subject its citizens to a law that is premised on one isolated incident."

Did Bilkis Bano get justice?

On Thursday, the upholding of the life sentence to the rapists of Bilkis Bano by the Bombay High Court who was raped and left to die in the post-Godhra riots in 2002 amid the dead bodies of her many family members including her daughter, came into direct comparison with the apex court verdict on the Delhi incident as soon as it was out on Friday.

"There is a definite bias in the verdict awarded to Bilkis Bano in comparison to the Delhi gangrape case. This could be attributed to the manner in which the media built up the case and brought it to the fore. Sadly, the trajectory seems as though the gravity of a rape and the severity of the punishment can be determined only after the victims death," said Jayadeva.

Trial by media

There is little doubt that the 2012 Delhi gangrape incident came under intense media scrutiny leading to questions whether it was right to go for such kind of a frenzied coverage.

"I believe that the media has been extraordinarily insensitive in revealing the names of the convicts and the rape victim. Everyone, including criminals, deserves a right to privacy and this has been violated," said Sridharan.

"Banning the (BBC) documentary (on the incident) was a bad decision. Not only does it undermine the freedom of speech and expression but also portrays the country in a much worse light. When you can't address the situation of dwindling women's safety, why must you stifle them? Whatever the convict spoke of in the documentary is clearly indicative of the fact that he's hardly changed or reformed. Also, the prosecutor's comments are misogynistic and undermine the status of women," she said.

The media student said that she does not support capital punishment but the news of the verdict hardly came to her as a surprise considering the hypersensitive media trial.

Reforms that can make a different tomorrow

More than the legal provisions and the general outrage towards this kind of incidents it is important that the society itself undergoes a thorough change in terms of how women should be treated in society. It is the thought process of people that needs to have an overhauling including those who intend to rule and govern us  the political class.

"Hold politicians accountable for statements like boys will be boys and they should be thankful they didnt rape their daughters. If a normal citizen can be pulled up for mere defamation, the lawmakers should be taken to task for reinforcing patriarchal stereotypes," Mahil said.

What was particularly worrying for this literature student is that rape cases are not treated with similar intensity across the country despite being equally grave in nature.

"Women are women, it doesnt matter if theyre tribals, Muslims or Sikhs. It is irrelevant if they are immigrants or Kashmiris or from the North East. We need to look at rapes objectively, punish perpetrators sans ridiculous biases. Were a lot better from a certain point in time but that doesnt mean we dont have anything to work on for our future," Mahil said.

These women in distress need support. They are ought to be shown that the law and the society are with them. It is but natural that when a woman's body is violated so gravely a sense of hopelessness pervades entirely and this is where the support mechanism comes in. Unfortunately, this is where the sensitivity is lacking even among those who are entrusted to secure us.

"Try looking at this rape victim who committed suicide in Patiala somewhere between 2012-2013. She was a teenager (maybe 13/15) who the cops made fun of while she was called in to give her statement, she felt so ashamed over the heartless joking that she committed suicide. Serious sensitisation drives should start with the cops first," she said.

The literature graduate also pointed out to another grave predicament of the society  trafficking of girls  in this context.

"Why arent we also talking about human trafficking? Many of the girls caught in the racket have been raped so many times by now, its a way of life for them. Do they not deserve any justice? Do they not deserve any aid?" Mahil asked.

Not just restricting itself to condemnation and seeking exemplary punishments for the perpetrators, another area that requires society's positive intervention is the reformation centres.

"The juvenile homes in Delhi do not have the adequate resources and infrastructure which is needed for the care and protection of the concerned children. It is the society which makes a juvenile, a delinquent and by trying him/her in courts for adults, all hope for reformation is lost as s/he would be exposed to a world of heathen criminals instead of receiving rehabilitation and an education," said Abhiraj.

Apart from improving the conditions in the juvenile homes, what he suggested, was the pressing need for increased involvement of science and technology while collecting evidence from the crime scenes and their study later on.

"We even need lot more women personnel in our police force as well. Women should be made aware of the various provisions that are accessible to them and which they must thereby exercise such as the likes of free legal aid, ability to file a case in any jurisdiction and not specifically hers alone and her ability to exercise the right to private testimony," Abhiraj said.

Will hope be elusive forever

Murmurs of exaltation and disparagement would always be heard no matter what the judgment is. The only worry is will the word 'rape' ever disappear from the dictionary or is there another Jyoti Singh unknowingly waiting to be taken down the gory path again? I pray not, I fear there is.
New Delhi: Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh and chief ministers of 10 Maoist violence-hit states will brainstorm on Monday over ways to tackle the menace, a fortnight after 25 CRPF men were massacred by underground guerrillas in Chhattisgarh's Sukma.

Ahead of the crucial meeting, the strategic command headquarters of CRPF's anti-Naxal operations was shifted from Kolkata to Chhattisgarh.

The conclave would discuss ways to revamp intelligence gathering mechanism, take a close look at ongoing operations against Naxalites, identify problem areas and devise ways to minimise casualties among the security forces, a home ministry official said on Sunday.

Altogether 37 CRPF personnel have been killed by Naxalites in the worst-hit Chhattisgarh in less than two months.

The 24 April assault on a CRPF road opening party that claimed lives of 25 personnel was the deadliest since the April 2010 attack in Dantewada, also in Chhattisgarh, in which 76 personnel were killed.

Chief ministers of Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Odisha, West Bengal, Bihar, Maharashtra, Telangana, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Andhra Pradesh have been invited to the meeting which would be chaired by Singh.

District magistrates and superintendents of police of 35 worst-hit districts, besides heads of paramilitary forces and intelligence agencies, will also attend the meeting.

On top of the agenda will be the issue of re-calibrating the anti-Naxal strategy to make it more effective, and to minimise casualties, the official said.

The home minister has asked security officials to look for out-of-the-box solutions to the problem of successive attacks by Naxalites on security personnel providing protection for road repair or development work in the troubled areas.

Road construction and other development activities in the affected areas will also be discussed. Ways to cut down on time spent on laying roads are also likely to be discussed.

Road opening parties of central paramilitary forces have repeatedly come under savage assault by Naxalites in the past.

Home ministry sources said currently 90 per cent of Maoist activity is limited to 35 districts, though the ultra-Left guerrillas have pockets of influence in 68 districts in 10 states.

Meanwhile, in a move to shore up its capabilities to tackle Maoist violence, the CRPF has ordered "immediate" shifting of the command headquarters of the central zone of the force from Kolkata to Raipur.

The move comes roughly seven years after it was shifted from Raipur to Kolkata due to logistical and connectivity issues.

Official sources said the newly appointed CRPF Director General Rajeev Rai Bhatnagar has been asked to ensure that the command begins functioning from Raipur before the high-level meeting of Left Wing Extremism (LWE)-hit states here tomorrow.

After the order was issued on 4 May, CRPF ADG (central zone) Kuldeep Singh was air-dashed to Raipur and he took charge of the command on Friday.

The central zone, an operational field formation, was set up on August 7, 2009, and was tasked with the responsibility of deployment of CRPF troops in the entire "red belt" of states hit by Naxalite violence including West Bengal, Jharkhand, Bihar, Orisha, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh. Uttar Pradesh has been largely free from Naxalite violence in the last few years.

It was moved to Kolkata in July 2010 after the Dantewada attack exposed the problem of poor rail and air connectivity. 75 CRPF personnel and a constable of Chhattisgarh police were massacred by Maoist guerrillas on 6 April 2010.

"The idea is to base the Naxal command headquarter where the exact fight and the LWE challenge is.

"The ministry felt that having this strategic office, headed by an ADG rank officer, in far off Kolkata was not serving the purpose of strategising quick, intelligence-based and coordinated offensives against Naxals right where the guerrillas are posing the biggest threat to internal security of the country," a senior officer said.

The command office has been tasked with strategizing on launching joint operations with the Indian Air Force, Border Security Force, Indo-Tibetan Border Police and the state police along the southern tip of Bastar in Chhattisgarh where its border meets with Odisha, Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh, all of which are affected by Maoist violence. Maoist rebels quickly move to other states after launching an attack in one.

Bhatnagar oversaw the quick activation of the command in Raipur after he attended a meeting of the Unified Command on May 5 which was chaired by Chief Minister Raman Singh.

Meanwhile, a home ministry statement said a "holistic" review of the situation will be undertaken covering a wide canvas of security and development issues, particularly infrastructure building.

The meeting will focus on devising new strategies to maintain the momentum achieved in 2016, notwithstanding a couple of incidents, it said.

The meeting will discuss operational issues like the role of states in Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs) operations, raising, employment and deployment of India Reserve (IR) battalions by recruiting local youth and Special India Reserve Battalion (SIRB), capacity building and intelligence issues like vacancies in state police forces, besides capacity building of state intelligence units.

Development issues will also be discussed with a view to ensuring rapid development of LWE-affected areas, the statement said.
New Delhi: Nearly a fortnight after Maoists killed 25 CRPF troopers in Chhattisgarh, the Centre will hold a ministerial-level review meeting on Monday to discuss security issues in Maoist-affected states.

Home Minister Rajnath Singh will chair the meeting at the Vigyan Bhavan in Delhi, to be attended by Chief Ministers of 10 Maoist-hit states and other union ministers, a Home Ministry official said.

"Operational issues, infrastructure and logistics requirement to combat the Maoists will also be taken up at the meeting," the official added.

At least 106 districts of Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Odisha, Bihar, West Bengal, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh are affected by Maoist violence.

Officials of the ministry's Left Wing Extremism Division  which monitors the situation in Maoist-hit states  will also participate.

On 24 April, 25 Central Reserve Police Force men were killed in Sukma area of Chhattisgarh. Twelve CRPF men were killed in Maoist attack in Sukma earlier on March 11.

The Minister had convened a meeting of Chief Ministers of Chhattisgarh, Telangana, Odisha, Maharashtra and Jharkhand in February 2015 to review security in the three worst affected districts of Sukma, Bijapur and Dantewada in Chhattisgarh.
Mumbai: Police have arrested a typist working at the office of Maharashtra minister Ramdas Kadam for trying to "extort money" using the minister's name.

Kadam, a senior Shiv Sena leader, is the minister for Environment.

Mahesh Sawant, typist-cum-clerk was working at Kadam's residential office here. He called up a few people using the official phone and demanded money from them, a senior police official said.

When the minister came to know about Sawant's actions, he informed the police, the officer said.

A complaint was lodged at the Malabar Hill police station in South Mumbai on Friday. Police arrested Sawant on the same day, the official added.

As per the FIR, Sawant had demanded Rs 10 lakh from a businessman from Vidarbha region. Police were probing if Sawant had made a similar demand from others, the official said.

The accused has been booked under Section 384 (extortion) of the Indian Penal Code, he added.
Indias Universities are erupting with anger. After Hyderabad Central University and Jawaharlal Nehru University, the latter unnecessarily publicised in recent times, it is the erstwhile Oxford of the East, where real action seems to be unfolding. The University of Allahabad has been witnessing large scale student protests since last month  the Allahabad High Court and administration have demanded a wash-out of the students (complete vacating of hostels).

Violence erupted around the main university campus on the 28 April, when the police lathi-charged protesting students  who had gathered to 'gherao' a meeting between the executive council and requested to meet the vice-chancellor, RL Hangloo. However, the vice chancellor refused to meet the students. When the students continued their protest, they were were faced with violence from the police. Students then broke up into several groups and vandalised various parts of the University, buildings and other vehicles. The scuffle lasted nearly five hours, various student union leaders were detained and are still in jail. Numerous students, both male and female, along with a few policemen were injured in this scuffle. Students also alleged that the police, along with PAC and the RAF, entered their hostels and damaged their belongings. The MHRD, ironically, constituted a committee to look into the aspect of violence, rather than scrutinising the brutal imposition of the hostel wash-out.

Last month, the high court, in response to a writ petition, instructed that the hostels be washed-out and repaired, and then allotted to the students in the next session. The university administration, along with the city administration, gave students a deadline to leave their rooms by 18 May, 2017 and asserted that they would throw students out with the help of police and other security forces, if the instructions were not followed. The students, on the other hand, alleged that their side of the story was not represented in the court and that the University has been trying to force them out of their hostels under the veil of court orders.

The students have their own set of problems. They are arguing that various civil services and other competitive exams are in May and June and if they are to be forced out of their rooms, it will affect their preparations. Even otherwise, it seems a personal and logistical nightmare for thousands of college students to find alternate accommodations on such short notice. The students also maintain that the renovation of the hostels can be done by shifting students into different blocks gradually. However, the students are also in the favor of ousting 'illegal' students  who lie at the core of the problem. The students maintain that this can be done by listing the legal and illegal students and removing them instead of completely vacating the hostels. The administration is unwilling to understand these approaches.

A similar incident took place four years ago, in 2013, when the then vice-chancellor, AK Singh, tried to wash-out the hostels. Violence erupted in a similar fashion and the then MHRD minister constituted a two-person committee under SK Thorat. The committee, instead of arbitrary wash-outs, recommended better management of the hostels and the construction of new hostels. However, the present situation suggests that no action was taken on those recommendations.

The university currently has around 15 men's and women's hostels and can accommodate only around four thousand students. However, the total student strength of the University is more than fifteen thousand, and, thus, is able to accommodate less than one third of its students in hostels. Most of its students are forced to stay in rented rooms in various quarters of the city. The hostels are in poor condition as most of them are devoid of a regular mess facility. Most of the wardens and superintendents of these hostels do not stay in the residences attached to these hostels, resulting in neglect. There are massive problems due to the possession of rooms by ex-students and outsiders and every year the university takes the help of city administration and police in identifying and combating illegal possession of rooms. The vice-chancellor of the university does not meet student delegations, resulting in a communication gap. Favoritism runs high in allotment of hostel rooms, carried out by the faculty and staff of the university.

The 130-year-old university started declining in the mid 1980s and has progressively crumbled over the last twenty years. Once considered a factory for the mass production of civil servants, writers, scientists and other scholars, it finds itself as less than a shadow of its glorious past. In the recent NIRF rankings of the MHRD, the university was unable to secure a position in the top 50 educational institutes in India. The University of Allahabad began its decline during Congress rule, as Indira Gandhi turned her party into an apparatus of nepotism and corruption. The decline picked up during the regimes of the BSP and the SP, the former indifferent to student life, and the latter actively engaged in criminal activity. After decades of neglect, many students turned their hopes towards the Modi Government and made him the vehicle of their hopes and aspirations. As the aspirations of the students turn rapidly to dust, it is crucial to remember that the university of Allahabad is not JNU. Both bigger and actually significant in regional politics, damage done to students lives here will have reverberations elsewhere.



Pankaj Singh graduated from the University from Allahabad. He is currently at the Centre for Historical Studies, Jawaharlal Nehru University. Satyaki Roy is a Researcher at the latter
By Maya Palit

Bachi Karkarias new book on the infamous Nanavati murder case of 1959 should be a textbook for millennials to let them know they didnt invent anything  sex, viral marketing and most fascinatingly, trial by media.

Lets begin with a vishesh tippani about the subject of Karkarias In Hot Blood. On 27 April 1959, Nanavati, a Parsi naval commander coolly rocked up with a revolver to his wife Sylvias Sindhi lover Prem Ahuja, and shot him in his Mumbai apartment. Why are we saying Parsi, Sindhi in this uncool way? We want to say hang on but that brings us to another thing that hung on.

The detail that the victim Ahujas towel had stayed on after the shooting was apparently endlessly brooded over in the court trial, and capitalised upon by street vendors outside. Ahuja towels and Nanavati guns were advertised to the crazed public outside the sessions court with this ingenious catch phrase: Ahuja ka towliya. Marenga toh bhi nahin girenga! (Youll die, but it wont fall off!)

Despite this jaw-dropping display of capitalism, the most fascinating historical lesson that lies in this book is its tracing of what was possibly modern Indias first trial by media.

At the heart of the book is the sensational coverage of the murder by one newspaper with a white-hot reputation and a red-hot agenda. Blitz  Indias most-read weekly tabloid at the time, which was started in 1941  manipulated representation of the case, driven by an almost manic allegiance to clearing Nanavatis name.

Trial by media is by now a well-worn phrase to describe the countless ways that the media impacts public perception of a court case  think the Jessica Lal murder case, the blatant lies reported by the The Pioneer prior to Afzal Gurus hanging, or more recently, the airing of doctored evidence of Kanhaiya Kumar. But what Karkaria points out as different about this case is that it was single-mindedly focussed on defending the accused with a ferocious amount of dedication.

A man kills his wifes lover, and then goes to a police station to confess his crime. How do you get him off the hook and all the way to Canada after hes been sentenced to life imprisonment by a high court? This is not an academic question. Nanavati (accompanied by Sylvia and their children) fled to Canada in 1961, after being pardoned by none other than Governor Vijaylakshmi Pandit. By getting his numerous allies to rally around, making him look like a wronged hero, and tainting the character of the victim, of course. And the editor of Blitz, a Parsi gentleman named Russi Karanjia, was a formidable ally.

Karkaria depicts Karanjia as a masterful conductor, requesting readers to sign a letter of support to the Governor who suspended Nanavatis sentence, organising mercy petitions and events to show Parsi solidarity for Nanavati. In one such event, he held a garlanded photograph of Nanavati and shouted, with a show-biz style yodel, The Struggle Must Go On. (This veritable mastermind knew just how well sensation sold, and would later tell off his well-meaning deputy editor P Sainath for removing pin-ups of women from Blitz and emulating the Vatican Gazette.)

Read an excerpt from the book.

But the alliance to Nanavati was also overwhelmingly obvious in Blitzs reportage of the case and the court proceedings.

More history? It was Indias last case in which a jury sat on a trial. The jury was made up of two Parsis, two Christians and five Hindus.

Although Blitz did not explicitly refer to the ethnic divide between Parsis and Sindhis in its coverage, it focussed instead on painting a stellar image of Nanavati and pitting him against his dead opponent. This included bizarre gimmicks like commissioning a palmist-astrologer to predict Nanavatis future, but also the always reliable rhetoric of the Mark Antony school (For Nanavati is an honourable man). It placed a strong emphasis on Nanavatis upstanding patriotic look and white naval uniform (his valour during World War II had been applauded by Lord Mountbatten, claimed Blitz), and his stature as a benevolent family man. Sylvia, meanwhile, was portrayed as helpless, blue-eyed, and remorseful.

Blitz was also hard at work dragging Ahujas reputation in the dirt: it insisted he was a rich entitled man (which he was) and an alcoholic, it published his salacious love letters from Sylvia and bizarre notes from women claiming that they felt possessed around Ahuja. Most hilariously, when a police witness mounted Ahujas skullcap (a piece of evidence) onto a dummy skull, Blitzs report described the skull as grinning sinisterly.

Blitz also used the oldest tricks in the book  headlines and visuals  to captivate and sway readers. Wouldnt you be gripped by captions hinting to a story of epic proportions like The Tragedy of the Eternal Triangle, Three Shots that Shook the Nation, and Sylvia Nanavati tells her Story of LOVE and TORTURE? Blitz was the baap of clickbait, but it also knew how to keep it simple, recreating the crime and courtroom scene through strategic photographs, and tugging massively at the publics heartstrings with a photograph of Nanavatis son Feroze under the caption Mr. Governor, Give Me Back My Father.

These details give Karkarias racy book a slapstick quality. The nonchalance with which Blitz was brazenly open about its bias, and descriptions of the cheering crowd practically taking over the courtroom, are surreal.

Karkarias book isnt the first time the Blitz coverage has been examined thoroughly: last year the film Rustom did the same, and previously academics like Jamia lecturer Sabeena Gadhioke and Prakash have underscored Blitzs populist appeal and single-minded focus on Nanavatis moral high ground. But Karkarias close retelling of Blitzs passionate defence manages to communicate with a great deal of energy how weekly tabloids turned a relatively banal crime of passion into a polarising force and a national battleground.

In case youre wondering, Blitz did not reserve its verve exclusively for Nanavati at that time. It reported extensively on other scandals, fabulous rumours of Western plots against India, and political developments like India and Chinas border dispute. But turning Nanavati into a cause celebre, confirms historian Gyan Prakash, was its mission.

Karanjia might have been evangelical about his undertaking, but Karkaria hits home in her book that youd be hard pressed looking for a newspaper without a bias in that period. Karanjia had an arch-rival named DF Karaka, who ran The Current, another weekly which was politically and in every other way, opposed to Blitz. It took the stance that Nanavati was in the wrong. Because they were all about the facts? Nope.

The Currents primary bone to pick with Blitz had to do with the latters pro-Nehru and secular stance, and Karaka took brutal jabs at Karanjia (his tirades like Sweat it out, chum. Your future now lies in lavatory journalism might not pass muster in our relatively PC world: think Arnab Goswami dropping ever-so-subtle hints about an American citizen running an Indian media site). Between these rival weeklies, as startling as it might seem to us habitual dissers, perhaps what Prakash informs us is true: sober and impartial dailies like The Times of India would have been the ones to peruse at the time.

Not to say that we are rolling in the laps of non-biased news sources today, especially in the era of rapidly disseminated fake news. But at least the influence of media on court cases is occasionally debated  although courts are temperamental about this too. (For instance, the courts objected to the screening of Indias Daughter because it could influence judges, but not Zee TVs docudrama December 13, a grossly misleading recreation of the attack on the Indian parliament that called itself truth based on police chargesheets).

So plus ca change, plus c'est la meme chose? No no, nothing about French memes, millennial friends, do not panic. Just that more things change, more they remain the same.

The Ladies Finger (TLF) is a leading online womens magazine
Lahore: Among the most powerful feminist voices in Pakistan today is that of Tehmina Durrani.

Durrani's father  Shahkir Ullah Durran  was the governor of the State Bank of Pakistan, and the managing director of Pakistan International Airlines; while her mother, Samina Durrani, was a homemaker. From her mother's side, Tehmina is the granddaughter of Nawab Sir Liaqat Hayat Khan, of the Khattar tribe; a prime minister of the former princely state of Patiala for eleven years. Sir Liaqat Hyat Khan himself was the brother of Sir Sikandar Hayat Khan, a pre-1947 Punjabi Indian statesman and leader.

Throughout her life, Durrani has been something of a rebel. As the wife of Punjabs Chief Minister Mian Mohammad Shahbaz Sharif, Tehmina could have chosen to live a life of leisure. Instead, she chose to focus on social activism and reform.

Durrani played an important role in her husband's political success (he is the younger brother of Pakistans Prime Minister Mian Mohammad Nawaz Sharif). But she chose to forge an identity of her own.

Tehmina received tremendous attention when her autobiography, My Feudal Lord, was published in 1991. It detailed her abusive and traumatic marriage to Ghulam Mustafa Khar, then the chief minister and later, governor of Punjab. It was translated into 39 languages and became a best-seller. Since that time, Durrani emerged as one of Pakistan's leading human rights activists. She also founded the Tehmina Durrani Foundation.

I found Tehmina Durrani to be an incredibly brave woman, who opted to serve the people of Pakistan and managed to build her own identity  beyond the shadows of the Sharif family, says Ansar Burney, a social worker.

Durrani works with a team of volunteers at the Foundation's headquarters in Lahore. No one who needs help is turned away from its doors.

In 2001, she launched a movement called Ana Hadjra Labaek. A document describing the movement reads: "Indeed, at that time it was futuristic to believe that women empowered with an Islamic symbol as proof of their Islamic rights, could move towards a peaceful transition to Islam's original intention through ijtehad. Tehmina sent a message...that... women will remain subjugated, not only by men but also by women conditioned by the patriarchal construct of mainstream Islam, until the Quran is not re-interpreted in a manner that does justice to its original intention.

It is redundant to state that the current condition of Muslim women, especially in terms of the self-image they have constructed  consonant with the dominant image of a bearded and turbaned Islam  is dismal. However long the issue has been debated, the quest for a solution remains. Until the Quran is not re-interpreted in a manner that does justice to its original intention, women will remain subjugated, not only by men but also by women conditioned by the patriarchal construction of mainstream Islam. Two obstacles need to be crossed, and the very first was the fear of change that will disturb the present balance," Durrani says.

In 2002, a year after launching Ana Hadjra Labaek, Durrani publicly spoke out for the rights of Fakhra Younas, a victim of an acid attack, and her five-year-old son Noman.

Younis, a dancing girl from Karachi's Napier Road area, was allegedly attacked by Bilal Khar, the son of Punjabs former governor Ghulam Mustafa Khar. Durrani knew she could face wrath of influential attackers if she dared to stand by the victim. However, nothing could stop her from helping Younus.

The only sanctuary I could provide them was my own home, where my children, my staff and I were terrorised with life threats and acid attacks, while I confronted the criminals and fought the laws' of an unlawful' military government, Tehmina recounts. "Finally, after five grueling months, with the support of the media and the public pressure it ignited, the government issued identification papers for the victims to travel."

Durrani helped arrange for Younus to receive treatment in Italy.

In Rome, Fakhra Younus underwent 30 major surgeries in nine years, at the expense of the Italian Government. She tragically succumbed to the agony of her existence and committed suicide on 17 April 2012.

I received her coffin draped in the Italian and Pakistani flags at Karachi, where Edhi sahib at Edhi Home Kharadar led her funeral prayers. Fakhra's son Noman continues to study at school in Rome, and remains under the supervision of an Italian family and myself," Durrani said.

In Pakistan, people familiar with Durranis work compare her to Princess Diana, whose philanthropic efforts were noted across the world.

Meeting this correspondent at the office of the Foundation, Durrani says she hoped it would become a global movement striving to educate and help the downtrodden achieve rights denied them by the state.

In September 2012, Durrani was named to the Pakistan Power 100  a list that honours the highest levels of achievements from within the international Pakistani community. With or without awards, however, Durrani will continue to soldier on.
Five years ago, Pascal Mazurier a former French diplomat who lived in Bengaluru with his family, was accused by his wife Suja Jones of sexually abusing their three-year-old daughter. On 20 April 2017, Mazurier was acquitted.

The Mazurier-Jones case was a problematic one. However, this article is not about the many contentious issues surrounding the case which have been widely discussed in the media and in social circles. This is about the objectification of motherhood which came to the fore when the judgement was being read out.

It was the father who was on trial, but the judge who acquitted him chose instead to dwell at length on Suja Jones 'un-motherly' behaviour. The judge seemed to imply that if Suja had been a good stay-at-home mother and not the partying type, her child would not have been subjected to the abuse! In other words, the guilt was shifted from the accused perpetrator to the mother who tried to get justice for her child.

Jones was accused, among other things, of going out shopping in expensive malls without her children, going out to parties without her husband, moving about with male and female friends, and  horror of horrors!  taking nude pictures of herself and sending it to her husband at his behest. She was even accused of irresponsibility for leaving the child alone with her father while she went partying! Yes, it was the partying (which was mentioned more than a dozen times in the judgement) which did her in. No good mother goes partying.

Nowhere was Mazurier accused of being un-fatherly because he asked his wife for those pictures. And because the nanny and the driver testified that he did not party, the stigma of being accused of abuse was also wiped out. In fact, the judge went one step further and said that because he was having regular sex with his wife, he did not have any need to rape his child!

The motherhood trope is becoming almost farcical. Everyone uses it to prove a point: Lawyers, politicians, family patriarchs, vigilantes. A politician who has never been a mother becomes Amma to the masses. The cow is our mother and so is the earth and the Nation itself! The advertisers use it ad nauseum and so do filmmakers. Mothers filled with plastic joy waltz happily to the nearest box of detergent the moment the kid comes home with heavily soiled clothes. They cook ten-course meals for large finicky families without getting a hair out of place.

And, come Mothers Day, the commercial media goes berserk, carrying the objectification to new heights. Pamper her. Take her to a spa. A special meal. Clothes. All the things a woman is supposed to desire and is missing out on while she is busy mothering.

Do any of these objectifiers even know what it means to be a mother? Motherhood is tricky business. It has no special template. A mother just is. She has a visceral hormonal bond with the child inside her womb which continues much after the umbilical cord is cut. Even mothers who bring up children who are not biologically their own have the same visceral link with the children they raise. But this does not mean they have to dress or behave in any particular manner  or even raise their children in any specific way.

A mother may pamper her child or not. She may toil in a field or in a corporate office. She may be a back-up dancer in an 'item song' or an airlines pilot. She might be married or single. She might be cradling a much desired and longed for baby in her arms. Or she might have had motherhood thrust upon her by circumstances. She may sell her body to feed her child and she may take out her anger and frustration on her child. She may party or stay at home. She may be religious or not. None of this in any way defines her motherhood. Because a mother, like everyone else around her, is human. Neither a deity, nor a doormat.

Society, however, has a skewed view of motherhood. Years and years of patriarchal brainwashing has made women draw 'Lakshman Rekhas' around themselves. They are on perennial guilt trips, worried about being perceived as bad mothers. Bright, professional achievers go overboard trying to run perfect homes because they are afraid of being judged as bad mothers. Unlike fathers who feel guilty about going home when there is work in the office, mothers feel guilty about staying back at the office because their children need them. How much of this social conditioning and how much generic?

Perhaps the time has come for us to cut through the chatter and take autonomy over our motherhood. After all, the hand that rocks the cradle  rules the world.
Union Home Ministry has sent a notice to AAP to furnish information about overseas/foreign funding it has allegedly received. The notice is not a show-cause notice and a regular correspondence which is sent to parties as per official quoted in news reports. The reports also state that similar notices have been sent to other parties.

Many questions arise from this act of Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA):

1. Why have the MHA officials not named these other parties who were sent notices?

2. Why have they named only AAP? Is there any intention to malign the party?

3. Have BJP, Congress, other national parties also been sent notices?

4. Does action need to be taken against officials for leaking information to media?

5. Why media which was quick to publish this news across platforms failed to ask these basic questions to MHA officials?

As I stated earlier in an earlier Firstpost article, there is something personal between Modi-Shah Jodi and Kejriwal. After winning MCD elections, BJP tried to do an Arunachal in Delhi by attempting to lure Kumar Vishwas, but failed miserably. The notice appears part of a strategy to unsettle AAP, which suits the politics of victimisation played by the party. Political parties in India are barred from accepting funds from foreign entities as per Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA). This ensures that foreign companies do not influence law makers in India. However, Indian companies can do so though.



In the past as well similar notices were issued and AAP denied any wrongdoing. In February 2015, the central government had made a representation in High Court that there is no foreign funding element in AAPs books of accounts.

According to Times Now, MHA has asked AAP to reveal the source, nature and the amount of donation as well as the shareholding pattern the foreign equity in the company from where the donation is received.

As expected, AAP hit back hard, alleging political vendetta and proclaiming they have nothing to hide. Spokesperson after spokesperson maintained on television channels that they had been given clean chit in February 2015; how could fresh notices be issued? However, there is a flaw in that argument, two years have lapsed since then, the notices issued could involve donations received in the subsequent period.

BJP supporters on social media were quick to pounce upon AAP, claiming that it has fallen off the moral pedestal. However, most of them forgot that BJP as well as Congress have been found guilty of accepting foreign funding from Vedanta Resources (listed in London Stock Exchange) and its subsidiaries by Delhi High Court in March 2014. The Vedanta Group owned by Shri Anil Agarwal, shot to fame after turning around Hindustan Zinc and Balco, two companies he purchased in the disinvestment process under Vajpayee. Currently there are only allegations against AAP, charges have already been proved against BJP. The court had also issued directions to Election Commission to take action against these two parties.

BJP supporters could argue that the Delhi High Court is not the final authority and that the party has approached Supreme Court. True, but if everything was clean, why did Arun Jaitley amend the FCRA in Budget Document of 2016 (which went mostly unnoticed)? Why was definition of foreign source changed?

The amendments, carried out with reterospective effect from 2010, were supported by Congress  which was also caught pants down along with BJP. If the BJP was so confident of victory in the Supreme Court, why was the definition of foreign company changed so that Vedanta or its subsidiaries do not qualify to be a foreign source anymore.

"Where the nominal value of share capital is within the limits specified for foreign investments under the Foreign Exchange Management Act, 1999, then, notwithstanding the nominal value of the share capital of a company being more than one half of such value at the time of making the contribution, such company shall not be deemed a foreign source". (which was the case earlier)

In a surprise move in November 2016, both Congress and BJP withdrew their petitions from Supreme Court challenging the High Court order. On 21 March, 2017, Delhi High Court sought an answer from MHA Secretary in the central government on a contempt plea filed by ADR. ADR has made a case that the central government has failed to take action against BJP and Congress for accepting foreign funding. The next hearing is scheduled on 20 July. It is shocking that even after three years, the government and the Election Commission have not taken any action on the court's order.

BJP should worry about High Court order and its implications. Of course the bigger question which arises is, how government of a country of a particular party (BJP) can instruct the Election Commission to take action on itself/parent party (BJP). The credibility of the Election Commission is also at stake. It raises larger questions on how can agencies like CBI, EC, ED etc continue to be independent if they are controlled/appointed by and report to government authorities.

To sum up, BJP should realise that AAP thrives on politics of confrontation and if notices have been issued without any base, it will only help AAP mobilise/get back its support base and gain sympathy. This witch hunt wont help.
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How did Satyendra Jain get those cash? I asked Kejriwal to offer a apology. But Kejriwal is silent.

When I asked him, he said that in politics certain things happen which will be revealed later.

I trusted Kejriwal, whom I thought to be clean. There were several funding related issues in Punjab. I though Kejriwal would act on it. I had this trust in him since two years. But two days back, I saw Satyendra Jain giving a bribe of 2 crore rupees to Arvind Kejriwal at his residence.

Kapil Mishra says that he is ready to go to CBI and the anti-corruption Bureau against Kejriwal and his cabinet colleagues. He said that he will expose Satyendra Jain's corrupt practise.

I could have been sacked before too. I was being praised initially by every AAP leader. There were no talks of me being sacked. Now the timing of the axe raises questions.

Speaking to News18, BJP said that Arvind Kejriwal to resign as chief minister and dissolve the Assembly to seek fresh mandate from the people. BJP also added that it will go to the public to put pressure on Kejriwal. The party said that a cabinet colleague exposing Kejriwal is a serious issue.

No moral right for Kejriwal to continue as CM

Accompanying Kapil Mishra to the Rajghat, his wife backed him and said that AAP took precedence over family. She also said that Arvind Kejriwal did wrong by sacking him: Kapil Mishra 's wife.

Congress leader Ajay Maken said that the expose is in line with the findings in the Shinglu Panel report on nepotism by the Kejriwal government. Maken also added why there was no action on the Shunglu Panel report. On Kapil Mishra's allegations, he said that a former cabinet colleague making such charge is serious and cannot be dismissed.

Reacting to the expose, Deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia said, " MLAs were being heckled by the public for the lack of water. This made Kejriwal to trigger a cabinet reshuffle. With respect to the allegations made by Kapil Mishra, they are baseless. I have no answers for them."

Speaking to India Today, former AAP leader and Mumbai-based social activist Mayank Gnadhi said that the party is becoming just like other parties and is going down the slippery slope and the party's decline will not stop for now.

Talking to News18, the Sacked AAP minister said that Arvind Kejriwal is running away from media. He also said that the Jain will go to jail in the next 8 to 10 days.

Addressing a press conference, Congress leader Ajay Maken said that the party will collect 10 lakh signatures against the Kejriwal government in the next four to five days in order to remind him of the 'right ot recall'.

Electricity and water are the two main promises that AAP government fulfilled after coming to.power in 2015. Every household has been given 20,000 litres of free water but free water failed to reach the most deprived area in Delhi  Sangam Vihar.

Sacked Minister for Water Resources, Kapil Mishra, might have taken to theatrics by visiting Rajghat to pay tribute to Mahatma Gandhi before speaking to media. However, his allegations against his party top leadership cannot be ignored.

Even Mishra as the water resources minister failed to bring Sangam Vihar under the ambit of Delhi Jal Board.

Yet two years later, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has failed to provide relief to Sangam Vihar  Asia's largest unorganised colony. People in this colony still buy water every week from tanker mafias. Earlier, the Congress party had been at the epicentre of this water tanker scam.

AAP candidate Prakash Jarwal became MLA for the first time from this area promising that he would make the Sangam Vihar residents free from the clutches of water tanker mafia and provide regular free supply of water.

Has AAP fail to fulfil its promise to provide clean water?

In what looked like an almost supportive statement, Swarajya India leader and former AAP member, Yogendra Yadav has said that while he can believe allegations of authoritarianism and greed for power against the Delhi chief minister, he will need solid proof to believe that Kejriwal can be corrupt.

Whether or not Kampil Mishra's allegations hold any merit, right from Kejriwal to Mishra and local MLA of Sangam Vihar, the party leaders have to answer why they failed to end the water tanker mafias and why Sangam Vihar residents still do not have access to drinking water.

Meanwhile... as AAP leaders trade barbs, party must answer some pertinent questions

"I had always believed that one person who is incorruptible is Arvind Kejriwal. I always thought that he will fix everything within the party as soon as he gets proof of irregularities. But my faith was betrayed. I couldn't sleep at night when I saw Kejriwal accept cash with my own eyes," Mishra said.

My faith in Kejriwal has been betrayed: Kapil Mishra

Kapil Mishra's ouster became inevitable the very day he towed a different line from that of AAP on the issue of EVMs. He didn't agree with party leadership that BJP won MCD election by manipulating EVMs.

"Since these allegations have been levelled from within the party, I think these are not just allegations but a witness' statement," Tiwari said. He added that the people have already punished the party.

This is a witness statement not just allegations: Manoj Tiwari

"Arvind Kejriwal neither has the moral right, neither the legal standing to remain Delhi chief minister as it is unprecedented that a cabinet colleague of a sitting chief minister has levelled such serious charges. Kejriwal must seek apology from his party men and quit as Delhi CM as soon as possible," BJP's Delhi unit chief Manoj Tiwari said.

According to former AAP members and volunteers right from Yogendra Yadav to ex Speaker of Delhi Assembly MS Dhir to AAVAM convener Karan Singh  "Only a Yes Man to Kejriwal will remain in AAP and in the government. Anyone raising voice will be thrown out irrespective how honest and competent the other person may be".

Kapil Mishra sealed his ouster from party by raising voice against Kejriwal

Earlier Vishwas had merely tweeted that party workers must be patient and that party's best interests will be upheld in the end. It is also instructive to note here that Mishra is considered close to Vishwas and he has sided with the leader in the recent rift between him and the party's core leadership.

After a cryptic twitter message, Kumar Vishwas finally came out in support of Delhi CM stating that a corrupt Kejriwal would be an unimaginable thing for him. He said that he was saddened by the way Mishra took things up. Seeking to reassure the party workers, he said if ever anyone thinks that anyone is wrong within the party, they must come with the proof and keep it in front of everyone. "Levelling baseless allegations like this in front of media is not right," Vishwas said.

Corrupt Kejriwal is unimaginable; saddened the way things were done today: Kumar Vishwas

We had always raised questions over transparency in the AAP. But when I saw him with Satyendra Jain, I could not sleep that night. I had always felt that Kejriwal would look into the issue, Mishra told Times Now.

Kapil Mishra says he could not sleep after the incident

"I was the first to raise this water tanker scam. Now Kapil Mishra, the water resources minister in AAP government, has raised it and questioned his own party leadership. By ousting him from the department, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has again proved that only 'Yes man' will thrive in the party, whereas the rest will be sidelined or thrown out by branding them as 'tainted'. This is because the AAP wants to hide its incompetence and failures," BJP MLA and Leader of Opposition in Delhi Assembly Vijendra Gupta told Firstpost.

Kapil Mishra ousted by AAP to hide its incompetence and failures

AAP MLAs Alka Lamba and Somnath Bharti, who are reportedly close to Mishra, have also come out in support of Kejriwal. With the PAC meeting likely to seal his fate, the road ahead is not easy for Mishra.

According to media reports, Kapil Mishra is close to Kumar Vishwas. However, with the poet-politician backing Kejriwal, saying that it is unimaginable to think that the Delhi chief minister will accept bribes, it seems Mishra is fighting a lone battle. Even Yogendra Yadav, who left the party after being disillusioned with Kejriwal, seems to be backing the chief minister.

Anti-corruption crusader Anna Hazare reacts for the first time on the issue. Talking to Times Now, he said, "It is unfortunate if he has accepted the cash. If the allegations are true, then he has shattered the movement. Probe will definitely reveal the truth."

"Six of the seven AAP ministers including Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia are facing corruption charges," Maken said.

He said the AAP, which governs Delhi, was "riddled with corruption".

"Mishra's claim that Kejriwal took Rs 2 crore is not mere allegation rather an affidavit before the public of what he saw. He is saying what he saw as an eyewitness. The Centre, the Anti-Corruption Bureau and the CBI should immediately take action and register an FIR against Kejriwal. He has no moral right to continue as the Chief Minister. He should immediately resign," said Maken.

Sources within AAP say there is no operational MLA office in water minister Kapil Mishra's constituency Karawal Nagar. They also share that he doesn't live in his constituency and his residence is in Yamuna Vihar. "We had to plead with him for six months so he sets up a base here, where both volunteers and people and go to him with their grievances. But he doesn't like to engage with people, except on social media" say volunteers from Karawal Nagar.

"His mother Annapurna Mishra was the first mayor of the East Delhi Municipal Corporation. Kapil Mishra was given a ticket too soon and he hasn't toiled in the field and has been in a hurry to get to the top," a volunteer said.

AAP's volunteers say that Kapil Mishra has shown streaks of arrogance in the past. His lack of connect with the people in his constituency is a known fact within the party. Six months ago, nearly 60 women of Sonia Vihar ward angrily charged at him regarding a water related problem but he refused to address the issue.

AAP came to power promising that this issue will be resolved. But they did nothing. Today, Kapil Mishra had accused the party leadership on this issue. Sangam Vihar is a case in point. Sangam Vihar is the largest unorganised colony in Asia in the heart of posh south Delhi.

The crisis seems to raise a major question over the perfomance of the sacked Delhi minister.

People also claimed that the MLA from this area, which is also Asia's largest unorganised housing complex, Prakash Jarwal, has done nothing for the area.

During the MCD polls, Firstpsot had spoken to citizens of Sangam Vihar on the water crisis they have been facing since several years. Every person who spoke to Firstpost said that they have been let down by every political party in Delhi, including the AAP. Citizens said that the AAP government's promise of delivering 20,000 litres of free water has been a sham and that they still face water scarcity.

Another line that they have heard from him recently: I am not like Prashant Bhushan and Yogendra Yadav. When I leave, I will ensure that the party also drowns.

AAP volunteers rubbish Mishra's claim that he has been associated with the AAP movement since the Anna Andolan. They say that he joined the party once it was formed. They also ask where Mishra was when India Against Corruption was being formed on 5 April 2011. "He came into the picture before becoming a minister and has been greedy for power all along," a volunteer said.

With his blunt allegation against Kejriwal, Kapil Mishra, who became a former minister a day ago, has delivered the biggest blow not only to the person but also to the fledgling party. The BJP might just have found the handle it needed to take the Delhi chief minister on. Whether or not minister Satyendra Jain paid Rs 2 crore to Kejriwal may take time to establish, but the latest development makes one thing certain: the latter wont have an easy time in power from now on. The countdown to his exit may have begun.

BJP should realise that AAP thrives on politics of confrontation and if notices have been issued without any base, it will only help AAP mobilise/get back its support base and gain sympathy. This witch hunt wont help.

Meanwhile, Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh took potshots at the anti-corruption crusader, adding that Kejriwal should have resigned a long time back.

After allegations against Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal came to light following ex-minister Kapil Mishra claim that the leader took bribes from Satyendra Jain, the youth wing of the Congress party is protesting outside the residence of the chief minister.

BJP delegation led by Delhi MP Manoj Tiwari meets L-G Anil Baijal. Tiwari says that the delegation has sought the dismissal of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and Health Minister Satyendra Jain for their alleged involvement in graft. The delegation also sought an enquiry into the case and Tiwari said that he has got an assurance from the L-G on this issue.

"Arvind Kejriwal, the self proclaimed messiah of anti-corruption has been charged with accepting a huge some of money by none other than his own party colleague and ex-minister of his cabinet. This is very serious allegation questioning Mr. Kejriwal's personal integrity. Seems AAP is collapsing under the weight of its own misdeeds. We demand that CBI should immediately lodge FIR against him and do thorough investigation. Kejriwal should step down immediately on moral grounds. We also want to know why L-G is not taking any action on the Shunglu Committee reports. Delhi Congress will launch a 5-day campaign to collect 10 lakh signature demanding Kejriwal's resignation, " Delhi Pradesh Congress chief spokesperson Sharmistha Mukherjee told Firstpost.

Kejriwal should step down, CBI must file FIR against Delhi CM, says Sharmistha Mukherjee

In more I-T trouble for Satyendra Jain, a report on CNN News18 says that Jain used two of his employees  one of them is his distant relative  as a front to route hawala money to buy land between 2011 and 2013. The report added that the two employees later joined Jain's office after the deal were completed.

Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh on Sunday sought the resignation of his Delhi counterpart, Arvind Kejriwal, claiming that the AAP supremo had no moral right to continue in office as his "corrupt face" had been "totally exposed". The Congress leader said his party had for long been maintaining that Kejriwal was a "dacoit", who was "only interested in filling his pockets".

"People expect you to do the honourable thing and resign immediately rather than trying to discredit Kapil Mishra," the SAD leader said.

"Kejriwal has always maintained that he will take action against anyone accused of wrongdoing... What will you do now when you yourself are in the dock?" Majithia asked.

"Now, we have a person who was a cabinet minister in the Delhi government till a few hours back claiming that he has witnessed the Delhi CM accepting Rs two crore from a tainted colleague with his own eyes," he said.

Terming the "bribery scandal" as an "epoch event" which has "finally uncovered Kejriwal's real face", SAD general secretary Bikram Singh Majithia said the AAP was being accused of being involved in corruption since long.

The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) on Sunday demanded the resignation of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and also his immediate arrest after he was accused by AAP MLA and sacked minister Kapil Mishra of taking Rs two crore cash illegally.

After Amarinder, Akali Dal trains its guns on Arvind Kejriwal, seeks his resignation

"It is a serious allegation leveled by Kejriwal's former minister...he should step down immediately on moral grounds," Gandhi, an MP from Patiala, told PTI.

Suspended AAP MP Dharamvira Gandhi on Sunday demanded Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal to step down on moral ground after his former cabinet colleague Kapil Mishra accused him of receiving Rs two crore from another minister.

The controversy around Aam Aadmi Party is refusing to die down. Ousted AAP leader Kapil Mishra on Monday informed media persons that he has already submitted some proof to the Anti-Corruption Bureau, and will be going back again on Tuesday to submit more details.

Kapil Mishra challenges Kejriwal and team to sack him from party

Singh also labelled the fresh accusations made by Mishra as false and accused him of insulting the party workers. "Today, he is saying that everyone in AAP is corrupt. He didn't see it when he was a minister. When he was sacked, he is making false accusations. He doesn't want to join BJP. But he wants to stay with AAP and create more troubles. I think he is going to make false accusations in the future," Singh added.

Replying to the fresh salvo of accusations made by Kapil Mishra on Monday, AAP leader Sanjay Singh said, "I think Kapil Mishra is afraid. The decision of the PAC meeting is not done yet. Whatever is to be done will be told to everyone."

Kapil Mishra is afraid of being sacked from Aam Aadmi Party: Sanjay Singh | CNN-News18

Referring Mishra's latest press conference on Monday as another attempt to defame the Aam Aadmi party, Jain said, "If he wanted to give it to CBI, then why would he come to the media. He would have gone ahead and given it to the CBI. He has not been able to give the time of when I went to Kejriwal's residence."

"There is a no deal, and I am not involved in anything. When there's no deal, why will I speak with him. If there's a deal then please submit proof," Jain said.

Delhi Health Minister and Aam Aadmi Party leader Satyendra Jain once again rubbished the fresh allegations of corruption raised by sacked minister Kapil Mishra. Jain, who has been labelled as one of the conspirators in the ongoing graft charges said that Mishra has lost his mental balance.

Delhi ACB chief MK Meena, said that the bureay will regiter Mishra's detailed statement soon.

Sacked AAP minister Kapil Mishra had been having quite a busy Monday. Before the former water minister of Delhi gave details about his meetings with ACB and challenging AAP's PAC committee to oust him, Mishra had submitted a bunch of documents alleging that Delhi chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal knowingly delayed the investigation into Rs 400 crore tanker scam.

After Kapil Mishra's morning press conference, where the sacked Aam Aadmi Party leader sought Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's "blessings" as he was going to file an FIR against him, Kejriwal in turn tweeted saying that AAP minister Saurabh Bhardwaj will reveal a massive conspiracy in the Delhi Assembly.

"I am releasing an open letter to Kejriwal. I am going to file FIRs against the person from whom I have learnt to fight against corruption and to take a stand for the truth. He used to be my 'guru' and today I am fighting against him. This is very painful for me but I can't keep quiet. From whom I have learnt these things, today I want his blessings for the victory in this war against corruption. I will file an FIR against you and I am apologizing for the same," Mishra said.

Sacked from Aam Aadmi Party, MLA Kapil Mishra on Tuesday issued an open letter to Arvind Kejriwal while challenging him to contest open elections. Asserting that Kejriwal once used to be his 'guru', Mishra said that he was going to lodge a string of FIRs against the one who taught him to how to fight against corruption.

News 18 reported that BJP youth wing members started protesting outside Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's residence in New Delhi. According to the channel, water cannons were used at BJP protesters in order to scatter the crowd.

Mishra later told reporters that he was going to file three FIRs: One against Kejriwal, one against his family members, and one against five AAP leaders. Mishra also tweeted that he will be going to the CBI office at 11.30 am.

According to Hindustan Times , sacked AAP MLA Kapil Mishra reached CBI office to file complaint against Kejriwal. "I will register an FIR against you (Kejriwal). I apologise for that and seek your blessing," Mishra had said at a press conference on Tuesday morning. Mishra was suspended from AAP and sacked by Kejriwal from his Cabinet.

Mishra stepped up his demand to reveal details of foreign tours of AAP leaders. In a series of tweet, he said some that party leaders have made dozens of foreign trips out of state expense and illegal money. "Party should make public where these leaders went, who they met and how much time they spent in which country," (sic) tweeted Mishra.

Sacked party MLA Kapil Mishra tweeted that Aam Aadmi Party must make public the details of foreign trips by Raghav Chadha, Ashish Khetan, Sanjay Singh, Satyendar Jain and Durgesh Pathak. Mishra said he will sit on hunger strike from Wednesday if these details were not made public.

The session is scheduled to begin at 2 pm and high-octane war of words is expected on the floor of the 70-member House as Mishra and Kejriwal may come face-to-face for the first time since the allegation was made on Sunday.

The Delhi Assembly will hold a special session on Tuesday afternoon where Arvind Kejriwal is expected to speak for the first time after being accused by sacked MLA Kapil Mishra of taking Rs 2 crore cash from a cabinet colleague, a charge denied by the AAP.

Mishra has questioned Kejriwal's integrity and accused him of taking Rs 2 crore in cash from Health Minister Satyendra Jain, of shielding people linked to a 2012 water tanker scam and being party to a land deal that benefited his relative. The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has denied the charges.

"The truth will emerge victorious. It will begin from the special Delhi Assembly session on Tuesday," the Chief Minister wrote.

The BJP is expected to corner the ruling AAP during the one-day session over Mishra's charges. The AAP is also likely to raise the issue of alleged EVM manipulations in Delhi civic body polls. Kejriwal has not spoken about the charges made by Mishra. But on Monday night he tweeted that truth will prevail.

Intensifying his agitation against Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and other Aam Aadmi Party leaders, Kapil Mishra threatened to go on a hunger strike. "Five AAP leaders misused funds for foreign trips. I will sit on a hunger strike if they do not reveal details of their foreign trips," Mishra said.

As Kapil Mishra makes his way to the CBI office, AAP leaders Manish Sisodia, Ashutosh and Atishi Marlena have made their way to chief minister Arvind Kejriwal's residence. India Today has reported that the party has issued a whip to all its MLAs, asking them to attend the special Assembly session on Tuesday.

Activists of the BJP's youth wing protested near Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's residence, demanding his resignation and the sacking of minister Satyendra Jain over corruption charges levelled against them by suspended leader Kapil Mishra. The protesters, who took out a march to Kejriwal's Civil Lines residence, were stopped by the police at a barricade. Policemen used water canons when the agitators tried to breach the barricade.

Delhi Bhartiya Janta Yuva Morcha (BJYM) president Sunil Yadav warned the protests would intensify if Kejriwal didn't step down. "We had been saying Kejriwal is a liar but he turned out to be something else. He should resign, sack Jain, and face corruption charges. Mishra was removed because he exposed corruption in AAP," he said.

Based on a CNN News18 expose, Delhi BJP chief Manoj Tiwari targeted Delhi Chief Minsiter Arvind Kejriwal on the irregularities in the donations to the Aam Aadmi Party. The party also claimed that the AAP lied to the Election Commission on its source of donations.

According to India Today, a complaint has been filed against Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal over the death of his brother-in-law. The complaint seeks a probe over the death of Kejriwal's relative. According to the report, he wanted to expose a scam in the PWD department.

Delhi Assembly begins as all eyes are on Arvind Kejriwal's defence over corruption allegations against him. The Speaker calls it a historic meeting for the sake of Indian democracy.

BJP leader Vijendra Gupta claims that the Arvind Kejriwal government has been indulging in a Rs 1,000 crore land scam in Delhi.

Even as AAP MLA Alka Lamba is speaking in the Assembly, the four-member BJP is creating ruckus and stopping the House from working. The first 15 minutes have thus been wasted in the ruckus.

Amid the ruckus, Delhi Assembly Speaker Ram Nivas Goel has dismissed BJP MLA Vijendra Gupta from the House for a day.

Lamba also does some self praise that it is the Delhi government which has been instrumental in forcing the Centre to sanction over Rs 3,000 crores for procuring VVPAT machines.

AAP leader Alka Lamba talks on the EVM tampering row. She claims that when the party went to the EC, the EC said that the EVMs used in the MCD polls were not their responsibility. Lamba raises the question as to why VVPAT machines are not being used to conduct elections.

While Alka Lamba is speaking on EVM tampering, it is interesting to note that rebel AAP leader Kapil Mishra is present in the Assembly.

At a time when the Election Commission has dared hackers to tamper EVM machines, the Aam Aadmi Party has promised to show tampering of(Electronic Voting Machines) EVMs to expose the truth.

Speaking in Assembly, AAP MLA Naresh Yadav claims that the country's trust on the Election Commission is declining due to the constant EVM tampering. He also claims that the Centre is least interested in looking into the allegations.

After being marshalled out of the House, Vijendra Gupta trained his guns on the Aam Aadmi Party and its involvement in the 1,000 crore land scam. He added that the BJP is not being allowed to raise the issue by the ruling party.

While EVM tampering row is being discussed in the Delhi Assembly, the Delhi Chief Minster Arvind Kejriwal is yet to speak on the bribery allegations made by Kapil Mishra against him.

The BJP leader of Opposition in the Delhi Assembly is sitting outside in dharna. He has asked for the arrest of Satyendra Jain in the bribery scandal. Talking to media persons, he claimed that democracy has been murdered in the state and that the AAP is encouraging corruption in Delhi.

Perhaps what can be termed as unprecedented in Indian political history, AAP MLA Saurabh Bhardwaj is currently conducting a live demonstration of show how easy it for anyone to tamper an EVM machine.

Saurabh Bhardwaj brings the cheat sheet of all secret codes that need to be fed into the EVM machine in order to manipulate the machines. He says that the secret codes are fed into the system after a certain period of time. He adds that the secret codes depend on the position of a candidate in the race. He says that if a candidate is third in the race, then a secret code corresponding to the third position is fed into the system. This helps the candidate to win, Bhardwaj claims.

After proving that an EVM machine can be manipulated, Saurabh Bhardwaj taunts BJP legislators and claims that they won their elections in that manner. This leads to a flare up between BJP and AAP MLAs in the Assembly.

So was the EVM demo drama a diversionary tactic of the party? Time will tell.

Kejriwal is yet to speak on the bribery allegations levelled against him by sacked AAP leader Kapil Mishra.

Before the session began, the Delhi chief minister had tweeted that there would be a major revelation made in the Assembly. However, the major revelation turned out to be on EVMs.

Amid a sensational live demonstration of EVM-tampering, the most striking image of the day was that of a silent Arvind Kejriwal.

Immediately after Saurabh Bhardwaj's sensational EVM expose , the Election Commission has hit back at the Aam Aadmi Party, and claimed that the machine used during the live demonstration in the Delhi Assembly is not an EVM machine at the first place.

Mishra slammed Kejriwal for diverting the issue from bribery charges to EVM manipulation. He said, " Today, he will blame EVM, tomorrow your fingers." He also added that AAP won't get any vote in the name of Arvind Kejriwal and that it is best for him to leave the party.

Former Delhi minister Kapil Mishra's allegations will be examined. Mishra has given three complaints relating to bribery and irregularities against functionaries of Delhi government: CBI.

In a major revelation, sacked AAP leader Kapil Mishra on Sunday alleged that Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal is running a hawala racke tin the Aam Aadmi Party by converting black money into white through shell compnaies and hiding donations from the Election Commission of India.

Alleging that there is a scam in the running of the Mohalla clinics in Delhi, sacked AAP muinister Kapil Mishra has also promised to expose the scam later.

Nevertheless, the discrepancy in the details led to a Income Tax notice to the party, after which it revised its amount to Rs 30 crores, Mishra, however, questioned Kejriwal over the remaining Rs 15 crores.

The major crux of Mishra's allegation was that the Delhi chief minister hid the full details of the funds that the party recieved between 2013 and 2016. According to the Karawal Nagar MLA, the party had over Rs 45 crores in its bank account in 2013-14. However, the party only declared rs 9 crores worth of funds to the Election Commission. On the other hand, on the party website, details of funds amounting Rs 19 crores were listed.

The sacked AAP minister also added that the details provided by the party in 2014-15 was also forged. He said that the party had disclosed funds worth Rs 32 crores to the Election Commission. However, Mishra alleged that the party in fact had Rs 65 crores in its account, while the website listed the source of funds amounting to rs 32 crores.

According to Mishra, Kejriwal's party did not answer I-T notice seeking to know the source of funds for three continuous years: 2013-14, 2014-15 and 2015-16.

He also alleged that there were 16 such shell companies which donated money to the Aam Admi Party on 20 January 2014 at 12 am at midnight.

Kapil Mishra alleged that four shell companies allegedly linked to the party donated Rs tow crores on 5 April 2014. Interestingly, the Chartered Accountant of all the four companies is same.

Kapil Mishra added that the party's donations were being converted from black to white through the Krishna Nagar branch of the Axis Bank, This particular branch as well as the bank cam under the scanner of the Enforcement Directorate during the crackdown on illegal funds during demonetisation drive.

Mishra alleged Goyal of lying to the Election Commission, in contravention of the RPA Act, 1951.

Kapil Mishra trained his guns at Moti Nagar MLA Shiv Charan Goyal and alleged that the four shell companies that donated money to the AAP belonged to him. He also dragged the name of a Congress leader Sushil Kumar Gupta into the alleged scam and argued that it was Gupta who routed the money through Goyal.

After Goyal, the sacked leader went after Naresh Yadav. According to Mishra, Yadav's wife Preeti is a shareholder in a company called Legacy Mercentile Pvt Ltd, which donated to the AAP. This company was alleged by Mishra to be yet another shell company.

Coincidentally, the company's accounts was found to be in the controversial Krishna Nagar Axis Bank branch.

This company, the sacked MLA alleged, is a shell company which routed money to the AAP. He in fact added that there is no record of anybody called Bablu and Yogesh Chand.

According to Mishra, a certain duo of Bbalu and Chand are directors in a company called Vishal Diigital Studio, which is also listed in the Bombay Stock Exchange.

A certain Ramesh Bellamkunda from Bangalore was alleged by Mishra to have donated over Rs one crores between 2013 and 2016. However, in its disclosure to the Election Commission, the party only revealed Rs 5,000 as Bellamkunda's total donation.

Here are some of the tweets from top leaders of the party.

As Mishra was hogging the spotlight, it was Neil Haslam who was explaining the details of the 'scam'. After the presser, AAP leaders slammed him and alleged that he has had links with the BJP.

Countering allegations against the AAP, Sanjay Singh took potshot at the BJP, asking it to stop defaming AAP. Singh added that the Centre's only policy is to defame AAP while side stepping corruption within its own ranks. Also dragging the Congress party, the party leader said that BJP and the largest Opposition party have not been declaring 80 percent of their funding details since the last 10 years.

On being asked why the party is targetting the BJP, AAP leader Sanjay Singh said the issue of funding raise by Mishra is similar to the demand made by the BJP. He added that Manoj Tiwari too had raised the issue recently. He said that if the state machinery which is controlled by the BJP cannot prove any allegation against the party. then it must give up and consider itself useless.

After Kapil Mishra, Congress party targets Arvind Kejriwal over the alleged "hawala scam". Delhi Pradesh Congress Committee chief Ajay Maken said that the foreign tours of the AAP leaders need to be probed as the allegations made by the sacked leader are serious. He added that there are strong proofs of AAP leaders visiting London to get donations from Khalistani separatists. He continued and said that the Indian intelligence agencies also knew about the meeting. The party asked the government to take action against the names taken during the presser.

Late last night, a team of doctors from RML hospital had examined Mishra and said his blood sugar level, pulse rate and blood pressure were normal. The doctors had also advised that he be hospitalised, but Mishra carried on with his hunger strike.

The former water resources and tourism minister in the Delhi government is suffering from "a little weakness and mild dehydration", an RML doctor said. "But he is conscious and his vitals are all normal," the doctor said.

The condition of Kapil Mishra, who was admitted to the RML hospital after he fainted while addressing the media earlier in the day, is stable, doctors said.

Countering allegations against the AAP, Sanjay Singh took potshot at the BJP, asking it to stop defaming AAP. Singh added that the Centre's only policy is to defame AAP while side stepping corruption within its own ranks. Also dragging the Congress party, the party leader said that BJP and the largest Opposition party have not been declaring 80 percent of their funding details since the last 10 years.

Former CEC has also said in an interview that the only party who takes funds with all the transparency is only AAP: Sanjay Singh, AAP pic.twitter.com/gcegD7SLt2

Neel is an agent of BJP. he also worked with BJP: Sanjay Singh, AAP

BJP is totally involved in this. Kapil Mishra is only saying what BJP is saying for past 2 years: Sanjay Singh, AAP pic.twitter.com/AQ6TWDaxEu

On being asked why the party is targetting the BJP, AAP leader Sanjay Singh said the issue of funding raise by Mishra is similar to the demand made by the BJP. He added that Manoj Tiwari too had raised the issue recently. He said that if the state machinery which is controlled by the BJP cannot prove any allegation against the party. then it must give up and consider itself useless.

When party was not formed, I used to go for foreign trips. There is nothing new in that. I travel with my own money: Raghav Chadha, AAP pic.twitter.com/1XnZcGYaNl

After Kapil Mishra, Congress party targets Arvind Kejriwal over the alleged "hawala scam". Delhi Pradesh Congress Committee chief Ajay Maken said that the foreign tours of the AAP leaders need to be probed as the allegations made by the sacked leader are serious. He added that there are strong proofs of AAP leaders visiting London to get donations from Khalistani separatists. He continued and said that the Indian intelligence agencies also knew about the meeting. The party asked the government to take action against the names taken during the presser.

Kapil Mishra faints after the Press Conference; taken to hospital pic.twitter.com/ZPm4zAldDs

Watch the drama that enfolded at the end of the press conference

Late last night, a team of doctors from RML hospital had examined Mishra and said his blood sugar level, pulse rate and blood pressure were normal. The doctors had also advised that he be hospitalised, but Mishra carried on with his hunger strike.

The former water resources and tourism minister in the Delhi government is suffering from "a little weakness and mild dehydration", an RML doctor said. "But he is conscious and his vitals are all normal," the doctor said.

The condition of Kapil Mishra, who was admitted to the RML hospital after he fainted while addressing the media earlier in the day, is stable, doctors said.

Former Delhi minister Kapil Mishra on Saturday alleged that the police were trying to "forcibly" take him to hospital based on "fake reports" given by doctors, just a day before he was planning to make another "expose".

He claimed that the report of his health is "faked" by the doctors, who were directly reporting to health minister Satyendra Jain, even as a team of doctors from Ram Manohar Lohia (RML) hospital late tonight examined Mishra and said his vitals, including blood pressure and sugar level, were normal.

"Before tomorrow's expose, they are spreading fake news and trying to divert attention. It is a ploy to end my hunger strike," Mishra said in a tweet.

"Doctors gave fake report. They report directly to health minister Satyendar Jain," he stated in another tweet.

Mishra, who was recently sacked from Delhi cabinet, had started an indefinite hunger strike on Wednesday demanding Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) divulge details of foreign tours undertaken by five of its leaders.

Doctors had yesterday advised hospitalisation to Mishra due to drop in blood sugar level and dehydration.

Mishra also asked the Delhi police commissioner to not take actions based on "fake reports".

"Sir @CPDelhi, Please don't do this just based on a fake report. I am fighting for a big cause. It's a conspiracy," the MLA said in a tweet.

In a late night development, a team of doctors from RML hospital examined Mishra and said his vitals, including blood sugar level, pulse, blood pressure, is normal.

However, he had mild dehydration which is due to no salt intake since last four days, the doctors said, adding it was a case of "starvation ketosis".

Meanwhile, police officials reached Mishra's house to take him to hospital but he remained adamant on not going with them.

"Mishra is adamant to not leave his house before he holds a press conference at 11 am on Sunday. He has gone inside his house saying he wants to meditate," a source said.

Earlier, a team of doctors from Aruna Asaf Ali hospital had examined him in the afternoon and evening and advised his hospitalisation.

Mishra mounted a fresh attack on Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Saturday, accusing him of using AAP MLAs as "shield" after party legislator Sanjeev Jha announced a hunger strike to counter the rebel leader's ongoing fast.

Jha was detained by the police twice while he was proceeding to stage the planned hunger strike outside Mishra's residence. He later began his "indefinite strike" at Jantar Mantar.

Jha has demanded that Mishra come clean on the claim that he saw health minister Jain pay Rs two crore to Kejriwal.

In an "open letter" to Kejriwal, Mishra again pressed for divulging the details of foreign tours undertaken by five leaders of the party.

"How much drama will you create to hide one truth. You are trying all tactics to divert attention. Don't try any new tactic tomorrow.

"You (Kejriwal) made a strategy to use MLAs as a shield. However, only one MLA came forward to be that shield?" Mishra said, adding he would make his next "expose" tomorrow.

He further said "thief" is demanding to hand over all the evidences to him.

"Then he would prove himself innocent by becoming a judge, a lawyer and a witness," he added.

In the morning, Jha, who is an MLA from Burari, went to Rajghat, Mahatma Gandhi's memorial, to "seek blessings".

"On 7 May, Mishra had said that Kejriwal had met Jain where he paid him Rs two crore. My question to him is at what time did he meet the chief minister. Which car did he use? I have the entire day's video footage (of people entering Kejriwal).

"The whole world knows about Kejriwal's credentials and he (Mishra) should give evidence to back his claim. If it turns out to be true, even I will join him in his hunger strike against Kejriwal," Jha said.

Mishra hit back at Jha with another "open letter" and "advised" him to drink lots of water during the hunger strike.

With inputs from PTI
Kerala Vanitha League president Kamarunnisa Anwars acknowledgement of its fast growth in the southern state and the rest of the country had put the state unit of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in an upbeat mood.

The state BJP leadership had viewed her observation that the BJP would be able to do good for the people and the state while inaugurating its fund collection drive in Muslim-dominated Malappuram district as an endorsement of the BJPs development politics and the efforts of its government at the Centre to protect the Muslim women.

The Indian Union Muslim League (IUML), her parent party, has quelled the controversy by sacking her from the post. The party had on Friday sought to close the issue after the woman leader tendered an apology to IUML state president Syed Hyderali Shihab Thangal, saying that her statement to the local television channels was a slip of the tongue.

However, he found it difficult to shield the woman leader after a large number of IUML activists thronged his house on Friday night demanding her expulsion from the party. The leadership was left without any option after the workers threatened not to vote for the party. The IUML workers were furious because of Anwars close links with the saffron party.

They felt that Anwar, who was nominated as a member of the High Power Committee of the Central Social Welfare Board recently, had lavished praise on the BJP as a mark of gratitude to the Narendra Modi government for her elevation. The workers feared that Anwar, who has a close association with BJP state president Kummanam Rajashekharan, may ultimately make her way to the Hindutva party.

The BJP leaders were not without hope, though. Sources in the party said that the party chief himself had personally invited Anwar to the BJP. Party workers had welcomed the move as they felt that her entry would have helped the party to remove the apprehensions nursed by Muslims against BJP.

Anwar, who was widely regarded as a firebrand and a progressive woman leader, was critical of her party for not taking a stand on the sensitive issue of triple talaq that Prime Minister Narendra Modi is trying to address. She had also come out openly against the IUML leadership for not giving representation to women in the state Assembly.

A section of the BJP workers in the district hopes that she may embrace BJP in the wake of her removal from the post of the Vanitha League president. The BJP's Malappuram district president K Ramachandran told Firstpost that they would wholeheartedly welcome her if she would like to associate with the party.

"Anwars open praise of our party is a strong indication of the change in the thinking among minorities about the BJP. It has given a new vigour to the party. Minorities in the state had maintained distance from the BJP as they felt we would cause harm to them. The three years of Modi governance has removed this apprehension, he claimed.

Ramachandran said that many Muslims in Kerala were not ready to openly align with the BJP due to threats from the radical sections of the community. The extremists will not be able to hold them long, he said, adding that many Muslims were overtly and covertly supporting the party now.

The state BJP leadership views Anwars praise for the BJP as a success of its strategy to woo the minorities by focusing on development politics. Party general secretary MT Ramesh told Firstpost that the statement of IUML's Vanitha League's president was a reflection of the thinking of women, who have no strong political affiliations, about his party. He hoped that it will help the BJP to reach out to minorities.

The party, which has targeted 12 seats from the state in the 2019 Lok Sabha election, knows very well that it cannot make any headway in Kerala without the support of the minorities, who account for about 44 percent of the states 3.2 crore population.

The BJP had earlier tried to cement its position in the state by uniting the Hindus. However, it dropped the plank after its alliance with Bhartiya Dharma Jana Sena (BDJS), a political outfit of the numerically strong lower caste Ezhava Hindu community, failed to give any dividend.

This had become clear in the Malappuram Lok Sabha bypoll in which the party could garner only 900 votes more compared to 2014 elections, despite the support of the BDJS which holds sway over a large chunk of the 30 percent Hindu votes in the constituency.

The BJP had also tried to woo the Muslims in the constituency by watering down its beef politics. The party candidates offer to provide quality beef if he was elected to the Lok Sabha had no takers among Muslim voters. The BJP has realised that it would not be able to break the jinx in Malappuram without the support of influential Muslim community outfits.

The BJP strategy to drop the Hindu unity plank has also not helped the party in the Christian belt. The partys efforts suffered a setback when the Kerala Congress (M), a pro-Christian regional party they wooed into the NDA fold, showed signs of leaning towards the Left Democratic Front (LDF).

The KC (M), which had quit the UDF after the Assembly polls in April last year, has made its intentions clear by dislodging the Congress from power in the Kottayam district panchayat with the support of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) in violation of an agreement reached with the Congress at the time of the divorce so as not to upset the political equations in the local bodies.

The BJP had pinned its hope on the KC (M) after its bid to win the confidence of different denominations of the Christian community did not yield any result. The party is now trying to focus on various fringe groups in the community to strengthen its position in the Christian-dominated central Kerala.

However, the move by the BJP government in Uttar Pradesh to renew the bid for building the Ram Temple at Ayodhya may make the task difficult. The various moves of UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath to implement the BJPs Hindutva agenda have raised fresh concerns among the minority communities in the state.
Problems for the Aam Aadmi Party don't seem to subside any time soon. Just when the party was heaving a sigh of relief after convincing Kumar Vishwas to stay in the party, Kapil Mishra, the former water minister in the AAP cabinet has levelled serious corruption charges against Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and Health Minister Satyendra Jain.

Here are 10 points on the story so far:

Kapil Mishra was sacked on Saturday, shortly after which, he claimed to make a massive expose on Sunday at the Rajghat. Mishra was one of the founding members of the AAP and had been a prominent face in the India Against Corruption movement tat lead to the formation of the party. He was also one of the few MPs in AAP who backed Kumar Vishwas during the recent crisis. Kejriwal and sources within AAP claimed that Mishra was incompetent in dispensing his duties as a minister, which is why his portfolios were taken away from him. Mishra on the other hand wonders, whether his dismissal was related to a report on the tanker scam that he recently handed over to Kejriwal. "Arvind Kejriwal is directly calling up many AAP leaders and legislators... huge conspiracy ahead of my press conference... won't stop, won't bend", NDTV reports Mishra as saying. Mishra meets Delhi Leuitenant Governor Anil Baijal and apprises him of the situation. "I have informed about this to Lt Governor Anil Baijal and will also inform all investigation agencies," Mishra told the media, adding, "Just wait and watch, Satyendra Jain will be behind bars within few days." Mishra lays controversial allegations against his own partymen, claiming that he saw Kejriwal accept Rs 2 Crore in cash from Jain, adding that the chief minister must come clean on why the payment was made in cash and where did the money go. Mishra also questions Kejriwal's silence and inaction despite him handing over proof of Congress leader Sheila Dikshit's involvement in the tanker scam. Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia, convenes a hurried press conference to offer party's official response. He calls Mishra's allegations 'baseless', adding that they do not deserve a response. The party puts up a united face, sending out a message that Mishra's allegations against Kejriwal are unbelievable. Meanwhile, News18 reported that Mishra's mother has said that AAP has mistreated his son and she would be happier if he joins BJP. Mishra, however, has reiterated that AAP is his party and he will never leave it to join BJP. Congress, in a guarded response suspected something "fishy" within the party, adding that if such allegations are coming from within the party then people of Delhi deserve to know the truth. The party has sought an unbiased enquiry in the matter. BJP, on the other hand, has demanded Kejriwal's resignation on moral grounds.

Follow our LIVE blog for constant updates on the story

With inputs from agencies
Sacked Delhi Water Minister Kapil Mishra on Sunday said that he will not quit the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and asserted of being the only one in Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's cabinet who does not face any corruption charges. Mishra said Rs 2 crore cash was handed over to Kejriwal by AAP leader Satyendra Jain.

"I have informed about this to Lt Governor Anil Baijal and will also inform all investigation agencies," Mishra told the media here.

"I will neither quit the party nor can anyone send me out," Mishra told the media here.

"I am the only minister in the cabinet who faces no corruption charges nor has the CBI initiated any inquiry against me," he said.

Kejriwal on Saturday removed Mishra and inducted AAP legislators Rajendra Pal Gautam and Kailash Gehlot in his cabinet.

Gehlot, an MLA from Najafgarh, and Gautam from Seemapuri, will be sworn in as new ministers.

However, they have not been allotted any portfolio yet.

With inputs from IANS
RECORDER REPORT





KARACHI: Karachi Shipping Intelligence report incorporating changes till 7 am on Monday (February 25, 2019).





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VESSELS ON BERTH



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Berth Ship Working Agent Berthing



No. Date



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ALONG SIDE (BULK OIL PIER)



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OP-I Palawan Star D.Mogas ALPINE 23/02/2019



OP-II Mr Pagasus L. Naptha ALPINE 23/02/2019



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ALONG SIDE (EAST WHARVES)



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1 Al Mahboobah D. Chemical WILHELMSEN 24/02/2019



2 Al Safa D.Jet Oil EAST WIND 24/02/2019



4 Jessie L. Rice OC.WORLD 23/02/2019



5 Nordic Bulker 2 L. Rice OC-SERVICES 20/02/2019



14/15 Evrial D. Gen.Cargo CRYSTAL SEA 25/02/2019



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ALONG SIDE (PDWCP)



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SAPT-4 Hyundai Busan D. L. Cnt. U.M.A 24/02/2019



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ALONG SIDE (K.I.C.T)



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26/27 Beijing Bridge D. L. Cnt. OC-Sea Shipping 24/02/2019



28/29 Diyala D. L. Cnt. X-PRESS FEEDER 24/02/2019



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EXPECTED ARRIVALS



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Name of Agents Arrival Import Export



Vessels Name Date Tons Tons



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CONTAINER (GEARLESS)



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Ever Union GREEN PAK 25/02/2019 1000 Cnt. 900 Cnt.



Kota Kamil P-DELTA 25/02/2019 300 Cnt. 300 Cnt.



Xin Mei Zhou COSCO 28/02/2019 1000 Cnt. 1000 Cnt.



Ever Decent GREEN PAK 02/03/2019 800 Cnt. 900 Cnt.



MS Tiger COSCO 03/03/2019 600 Cnt. 600 Cnt.



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CONTAINER (GEARED)



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Polo GOLDEN 01/03/2019 587 Cnt. 350 Cnt.



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OIL TANKER



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Lady Nisreen ALPINE 25/02/2019 55.000 Mogas Nil



Forest Park GAC 27/02/2019 3,354 Chemical Nil



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SHIP DEPARTURES



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Vessel Name Port Name Agent LOA Departure



Discharging Date



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Worldera-3 N/A CRYSTAL SEA 190 Nil 24/02/2019



Prestige Ace N/A DYNAMIC-SH. 199 Vehicles 24/02/2019



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MISCELLANEOUS VESSELS EXPECTED OFF PORT



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Vessel Name Type Agent Expected Arrival



Berth No. Date



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Kota Karim Container Ships P-DELTA Not Allocated 25/02/2019



Navi Sky General Cargo GAC Not Allocated 04/02/2019



Azalea Oil Tanker TRANSTRADE Not Allocated 16/02/2019



Chemroad Nova Oil Tanker ALPINE Not Allocated 20/02/2019



Hong Ze Hu Oil Tanker ALPINE Not Allocated 20/02/2019



Pike Oil Tanker ALPINE Not Allocated 21/02/2019



Oriental Lotus Oil Tanker EAST WIND Not Allocated 22/02/2019



Line Galaxy Oil Tanker EAST WIND Not Allocated 23/02/2019



Tai Hu Oil Tanker GAC Not Allocated 24/02/2019



Shalamar Oil Tanker PNSC Not Allocated 25/02/2019



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PORT QASIM INTELLIGENCE





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Berth Vessel Working Agent Berthing



Date



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MULTI PURPOSE TERMINAL



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MW-1 Sea Sapphire Palm Kernel North Star 18.02.2019



MW-2 Malin-V Cement Global Maritime 24.02.2019



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LIQUID CARGO TERMINAL



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LCT Spico Palm Oil Alpine 23.02.2019



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QASIM INTERNATIONAL CONTAINER TERMINAL



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QICT Safmarine Nyassa Containers Maersk Pak 23.02.2019



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2ND CONTAINER TERMINAL



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QICT CMA CGM Butterfly Containers CMA CGM 23.02.2019



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FOTCO OIL TERMINAL



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FOTCO Al-Salam-II Diesel Oil G.A.C 23.02.2019



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ENGRO ELENGY TERMINAL



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EETL Al-Thumama LNG G.S.A 24.02.2019



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DEPARTURES



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Vessel Commodity Ship Agent Departure Date



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CMA CGM Butterfly Containers CMA CGM 25.02.2019



Safmarine Nyassa Containers Maersk Pak -do-



Spica Palm Oil Alpine -do-



Al-Salam-II Diesel Oil G.A.C. -do-



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OUTER ANCHORAGE



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MSC Valencia Containers MSC Pak 25.02.2019



MSC Maeva Containers MSC Pak -do-



BW Tiger Mogas/Disel Oil Alpine -do-



Gingo Jaguar Palm Oil Alpine -



Bottiglieri Franco Soya Bean East Wind -



Orange Harmony Soya Bean Ocean Service Waiting for berthing



Hong Yuan Soya Bean East Wind -



Tegea Coal Ocean Service -



Port Maccu Coal Sino Trans -



Valovine Coal Wilhelmsen -



Ikan Pulass Coal Wilhelmsen -



Equinox Agnadoussa Coal Wilhelmsen -



Gao Cheng-2 Palm Oil Alpine -



GL Cosmos Diesel Oil G.A.C. -



Torm Sovereign Diesel Oil Trans Marine -



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EXPECTED ARRIVALS



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CMA CGM Pitisburg Contaienrs CMA CGM 26.02.2019



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The Aam Aadmi Party is in the eye of another storm that was once again stirred from within its folds. Kapil Mishra, the former water minister who was sacked by Arvind Kejriwal on Saturday, has stirred a hornet's nest by levelling serious charges of corruption against Kejriwal, national convener of the party that came to the fore solely on the promise of fighting corruption.

In a dramatic revelation under full media glare, Mishra claimed that he witnessed Kejriwal taking Rs 2 crore in cash from state health minister Satyendar Jain, a charge rejected by Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia as "unsubstantiated". Meanwhile, Mishra's charge has triggered calls for Kejriwal's resignation from the BJP and Congress.

"Day before yesterday (Friday), I saw Jain hand over Rs 2 crore in cash to Kejriwal at his residence. When I asked about the money, Kejriwal refused to answer," Mishra told the media, a day after being sacked on Saturday.

Mishra said that he had informed Lt Governor Anil Baijal about the issue and will provide details to investigating agencies as well. Reactions streamed in as soon as Mishra's so-called mega expose flashed across TV screens. Here is a brief account of who said what.

Aam Aadmi Party

It's not clear whether it's the fear of being ousted from the party (for criticising Kejriwal), or, that AAP leaders have unwavering faith in their leader, but the party has put up a united face so far. No one from the party has as much as acknowledged Mishra's statement even in the light of doubt. Kumar Vishwas, who was considered close to Mishra and was recently in headlines over a rift with the party, has also sided with Kejriwal, stating that he could not even imagine that Kejriwal could be corrupt.

Sisodia has said that the allegations levelled are baseless and so trivial that they do not even merit a response. Party's spokesperson Richa Pandey, sought to label Mishra a sore loser, adding that he was sacked due to non-performance, which is why he was blowing things out of proportion.

Another AAP leader Alka Lamba said that it was unbelievable that Kejriwal would indulge in corruption. Meanwhile, an interesting thing to note here is that nobody has so far said anything about Satyendra Jain, even though Mishra's allegation loom large over the health minister equally. Jain has consistently been a soft target within the party as far as corruption is concerned as his name has cropped up in money laundering cases and favouring his relatives as well as using his power as a minister.

Kejriwal so far has kept mum.

Congress

While BJP took the opportunity to take on Kejriwal head on, Congress' response was very guarded initially. It was only a couple of hours after the newsbreak that the grand old party consolidated its voices and hardened its stance to demand Kejriwal's resignation

The Congress has demanded the Modi government to initiate criminal action against Kejriwal, asking the latter to step down as Delhi's chief minister.

Delhi Congress president Ajay Maken told the media that Mishra's claims were not mere allegations but a testimony of an eyewitness warranting initiation of criminal proceedings against Kejriwal.

"Mishra's claim that Kejriwal took Rs 2 crore is not mere allegation rather an affidavit before the public of what he saw. He is saying what he saw as an eyewitness. The Centre, the Anti-Corruption Bureau and the CBI should immediately take action and register FIR against Kejriwal.

"Kejriwal has no moral right to continue as the chief minister. He should immediately resign," said Maken.

He said that AAP, which governs Delhi, was "riddled with corruption".

"Six of the seven AAP ministers including Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia are facing corruption charges," he said.

Maken alleged that the Modi government was reluctant to take action against the Kejriwal government.

"Corruption charges against AAP are nothing new. The Shunglu Committee has indicted the AAP government of serious corruption charges but we have seen no action.

"The BJP is very vocal in criticising the Kejriwal government but when it comes to taking action there is a reluctance. The charges made by Mishra are very serious and cannot be dismissed. The Centre has to take action," Maken said adding that the Congress will launch a signature campaign in Delhi from Tuesday and hand over 10 lakh signatures to Kejriwal as a referendum on the AAP.

BJP

The BJP, which is the main opposition in the Delhi assembly, was quick to demanded Kejriwal's resignation.

"Kejriwal has no moral right to hold the post of chief minister. He must resign immediately," Delhi Bharatiya Janata Party President Manoj Tiwari said.

"I have said a number of times that Kejriwal is directly involved in corruption. Mishra's allegations prove that point."

He said that the party has lost its way and Mishra had tried to raise the issue of tanker scam soon after taking charge of the water ministry. However, his silence over the period shows that AAP was not only reluctant to act against former Delhi chief minsiter Sheila Dikhsit, who was named in the scam, but also carried on with Congress-era scams in the same way.

Swaraj India and India Against Corruption members

This may come as a partial relief to Kejriwal that most of his former comrades from the time of India Against Corruption are, at worst, guarded in their response. Even friends-turn-foe Swarajya India leaders who have criticised Kejriwal for his "greed for power", "lack of morality", and "authoritarianism" refrained from calling him outright corrupt, unlike the BJP and Congress.

This is what Swarajya India's chief spokesperson had to say.

Yogendra Yadav also said that he could believe that Kejriwal was authoritative or power hungry, but he would need solid proof to believe that the leader was corrupt.

Kiran Bedi, who has since joined the BJP also said that a probe is necessary in the matter to decide the veracity of the claims.

Allegations of corruption made by a Minister claiming to b an eye witness, against his own CM needs an independent investigation forthwith..  Kiran Bedi (@thekiranbedi) May 7, 2017

However, anti-corruption crusader and Kejriwal's political mentor Anna Hazare sounded upset over the allegations made against the Delhi chief minister. Talking to Times Now, he said, "It is unfortunate if he has accepted the cash. If the allegations are true, then he has shattered the movement. Probe will definitely reveal the truth."
Puducherry: Lt Governor Kiran Bedi on Sunday demanded an independent probe into corruption charges levelled by sacked Delhi minister Kapil Mishra against Delhi Chief Minister

Arvind Kejriwal.

Without naming anyone, Bedi in her twitter handle said that the "allegation of corruption made by a minister claiming to be an eyewitness against his own chief minister needs an independent investigation forthwith".

Mishra, who was sacked from AAP on Saturday, has charged Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal of taking Rs two crore from his cabinet colleague, a charge refuted by Deputy CM Manish Sisodia.

Mishra also said he had given a statement to Lt Governor Anil Baijal on various 'irregularities' seen by him during his two-year stint as a Cabinet minister in the Kejriwal government.
New Delhi: Sacked Delhi minister Kapil Mishra on Sunday accused Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal of taking Rs 2 crore from his cabinet colleague, a charge refuted by Deputy CM Manish Sisodia.

The allegation by Mishra, who was sacked from the AAP dispensation last night, came amid growing rumblings in the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP).

Mishra, whose surprise sacking came days after he sided with senior party leader Kumar Vishwas who has been at loggerheads with the AAP leadership, said he has given a statement to Lt Governor Anil Baijal regarding various irregularities seen by him during his two-year stint as a Cabinet minister in the Kejriwal government.

"I saw with my own eyes Satyendar Jain giving Rs 2 crore in cash to Arvind Kejriwal at his residence. When I asked Kejriwal, he said such things happen in politics and it will be revealed later," Mishra told reporters after paying homage to Mahatma Gandhi at his memorial at Rajghat.

He also alleged that Jain, the Health and PWD minister in AAP government, told him "personally" that he had "settled a land deal of Kejriwal's relative". "Jain personally told me that he had settled a land deal worth Rs 50 crore of Kejriwal's relative. When I told Kejriwal, he said that it was a lie and asked me to have faith in him."

Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia said the allegations of corruption levelled by Mishra did not merit a response. "His allegations do not merit a response. He has been sacked due to poor performance," Sisodia told reporters. "The allegations are so absurd and there are no facts," he added.

However, Mishra claimed that he was removed after he put pressure on the party leaders over matters of "corruption" that have been taking rounds for quite some time.

"I want to ask if it was so, why did not Kejriwal and Manish Sisodia say it earlier. If they were fooling people when they were talking about work done by their government in developing water supply in the city," the former Delhi water minister said.

For a long time, talks about different types of "corruption" involving fundings, Punjab elections and Delhi government have been making rounds, he said.

"I saw some of it with my own eyes but I believed in Kejriwal and felt no one can corrupt him. The cases of money laundering, black money and appointment of daughter of a minister (Jain), luxury bus scheme, CNG fitness test scam, all these were in his knowledge and I always believed he will take action."

He asserted that he will fight "corruption" while remaining in the AAP and no one can throw him out from the party. "AAP is my party, no one can throw me out of the party. We will sweep corruption away from the party and I have come here (Rajghat) to begin this work," he said.

Mishra asserted his honesty saying he was a minister in the Kejriwal government for two years but faced no corruption charges. "I am the only minister in Kejriwal government who has no corruption cases against him and who is facing no CBI or ACB probe and who has not appointed his daughter or relative on any post," he said.
22 May 2015: TP Senkumar appointed Keralas director-general of police. 25 May 2016: Pinarayi Vijayan sworn in as Kerala chief minister. 1 June 2016: Vijayan removes Senkumar from the DGPs post and packs him off to a lower post. He appoints an officer junior to Senkumar as the police chief. 24 April 2017: After Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT), the Kerala High Court reject Senkumars petitions, the Supreme Court orders his reinstatement, saying his transfer was unfair and arbitrary. 29 April 2017: Senkumar goes back to SC, saying the Kerala government is committing contempt of court by delaying his reinstatement. 5 May 2017: The SC pulls up the Vijayan government and orders immediate reinstatement of Senkumar. 6 May 2017: Senkumar assumes office as police chief again.

So, whats new in all that has gone on in Kerala? Nothing much, really. This is a story that has been repeating itself like a stuck record in state after state with a frequency that alarms both upright officers as well as the Supreme Court.

Before TP Senkumar was removed as Keralas police chief, a dozen others met a similar fate in the hands of chief ministers across India. Time and again, state governments have either removed the senior-most IPS officers of their states as the Director General of Police (DGP) or superseded them while appointing politically amenable new police chiefs.

This happened so often that the Supreme Court came up with seven directives on 22 September 2006 to reduce political control of the police to reasonable levels. These guidelines were part of its verdict in what has famously come to be known as the "Prakash Singh case".

Demanding immediate compliance from the states and the Centre, the court spelt out its directives which, if implemented in letter and spirit, would have amounted to sweeping reforms in the police force across India.

One of these directives dealt exclusively with the appointment of state police chiefs.

The SC said:

the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) must list three senior-most officers, keeping in mind not only their seniority but also their range of experience and service record.

the chief minister then shall have the freedom to choose one from the UPSCs panel of three officers.

a police chief must be in office for a minimum of two years irrespective of the date of his or her superannuation.

an officer thus appointed to the top job can be relieved only in consultation with the State Security Commission, which the court said the states should set up with members representing the government, a retired judge and the Opposition leader.

As for removing a police chief, the Kerala High court said in the Senkumar case: "The removal or displacement or transfer of an officer from a sensitive post requires consideration and good reasons that can be tested so the officer is not dealt with as a pawn in a game."

It must be noted that the Supreme Court in 2006 did not completely deny a chief minister the freedom to appoint his police chief. While ensuring transparent criteria for the UPSC to empanel three officers, it allowed the chief minister to select one among them who enjoys his trust.

Kerala not the only state

Most chief ministers have been openly defying these directives.

In 2007, just a year after the SCs directives, the then Congress chief minister of Andhra Pradesh YS Rajasekhara Reddy appointed Shayam Sunder Prasad Yadav as the DGP, overlooking two other seniors to him. In March 2009, the Election Commission ordered Yadavs removal for violating election code of conduct, but once he returned to power after the polls, Reddy brought him back as the DGP.

Reddy was doing what Telugu Desam Party leader Chandrababu Naidu had done earlier as the Andhra Pradesh chief minister. In 2002, Naidu appointed P Ramulu as the police chief, overlooking four officers senior to him.

In February 2008, then Maharashtra chief minister Vilasrao Deshmukh appointed AN Roy as the police chief, superseding three officers. The CAT quashed the appointment in October 2008 and its order was later upheld by the Bombay High court. SS Virk was then appointed DGP, but, after his retirement in 2009, the post was vacant for nearly three months because the Congress and its coalition partner Nationalist Congress Party of Sharad Pawar couldnt agree on a successor.

Finally, Roy was brought back as the DGP in January 2010. And when Roy retired, D Sivanandan replaced him as the police chief. Sivanandan superseded two officers.

Violations of the seniority rule continue in several states after 2006, just as they did before that. Only in a handful of cases did merit really play a role when seniority was overlooked.

Yogi Adityanaths reversal of injustice

What Yogi Adityanath did in Uttar Pradesh a month after he took over as BJPs Uttar Pradesh chief minister in March this year was something very different. He replaced Javeed Ahmed with Sulkhan Singh as his police chief. When the earlier chief minister, Akhilesh Yadav, appointed Ahmed in January 2016, he superseded as many as seven officers. By appointing Singh, the new BJP chief minister undid a wrong done by his predecessor.

Ahmed, of course, had never been a BJP favourite. Before the recent Assembly elections, the party had demanded his removal, accusing him of being a stooge of Samajwadi Party.

Following the 2006 SC directives, only half the states in the country have enacted new Police acts to replace the colonial Police Act of 1861. Even so, most of these virtually allow chief ministers to pick police chiefs at their whims officers with weak vertebrae, as Senkumar might say  instead of choosing them from UPSC-recommended panels. A monitoring committee headed by former judge KT Thomas that the SC appointed in 2007 reported two years later that "practically no state" had implemented the apex courts directives.

Karnataka, for instance, is one of the states that have set up the Police Establishment Board  a requirement under the SCs 2006 guidelines to depoliticise transfer of police officials  but the very purpose of it is defeated with politicians and senior officers continuing to be hand in glove to place pliable men in key places.

"Events since 2006 (when the SC guidelines were established) have been dismaying, with several state governments devising their own means to dilute  if not wholly sabotage  what the Supreme Court had laid down," says former CBI director RK Raghavan.

Not a single state government is willing to cooperate. What can we do? remarked then Chief Justice of India KG Balakrishnan, three years after the 2006 verdict.

Police reforms are going on and on. Nobody listens to our orders, said Chief Justice of India JS Khehar last month.

Its perhaps high time that the countrys highest court once again cracked down on the Centre and the states to force them to implement its verdict. If not, Keralas Senkumar wont be the last officer to be denied the police chiefs post for flimsy, political reasons.

The author tweets @sprasadindia
Islamabad: Fifty Afghan security personnel were killed and 100 others injured as Pakistani forces retaliated to unprovoked firing in Balochistan's Chaman area last week, a top official claimed here on Sunday.

Major General Nadeem Anjum, Inspector General (IG) of Frontier Corps (FC) - Balochistan, however, said that "we are not happy over their losses since they are our Muslim brothers", Dawn online reported.

The Frontier Corps IG was briefing media persons here over a cross-border attack in Chaman on 5 May, in which 12 Pakistani civilians were killed and 40 injured when Afghan border forces opened fire at security personnel guarding a census team, although Kabul was informed of the exercise in advance.

The attack caused residents in Killi Luqman, Killi Jahangir and Badshah Adda Kahol to evacuate their homes as Chaman was shut down and security ramped up in Quetta and other parts of Balochistan.

The FC Balochistan chief said four or five check posts were also destroyed when Pakistani border guards retaliated to the cross-border attack.

Maj Gen Anjum said that on 5 May, Afghanistan pleaded for ceasefire, which Pakistan accepted.

He said Afghan border forces targeted civilians even though they had been informed about the on-going census exercise.

Earlier, Pakistan Army's Southern Command chief Lt General Aamir Riaz termed the cross-border attack as "shameful", reports Dawn online.

"This was a shameful act to target civilians at the border villages of Pakistan," Riaz had said earlier when he visited Chaman.

In response to the attack, Pakistan had closed its borders with Afghanistan at Chaman and Torkham on February 18 after a series of terrorist attacks in the country killed over 100 people.

After over a month of closure, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif ordered reopening of the borders as a goodwill gesture.
Mogadishu (Somalia): A regional leader of the al-Shabab extremist group has been killed in a raid by Somalia's military, the government announced on Sunday, as the country's new offensive against the fighters moves ahead.

The statement by Somalia's information minister said Lower Shabelle regional leader Moalin Osman Abdi Badil and three associates were killed Friday in Bariire village west of the capital, Mogadishu.

There is no immediate comment from the extremist group.

The raid came a day after a US service member was killed while supporting an operation by Somalia's military in the same area. The Pentagon called it the first US combat death in Somalia since 1993. That's when US forces pulled out of the Horn of Africa nation in the wake of the "Black Hawk Down" incident in which two helicopters were shot down and bodies of American soldiers were dragged through the streets.

Both Somalia and the US are stepping up efforts against the Somalia-based al-Shabab, which has carried out attacks in other parts of East Africa and continues to target the Somali capital with deadly bombings.

Somalia's new President Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed on 6 April declared the country a war zone and launched a new offensive against al-Shabab, while offering the extremists a 60-day amnesty period to surrender.

"Leave al-Shabab now," the government statement said Sunday. "Defect, as many of your brothers are beginning to do."

Somalia's military is under growing pressure to take full responsibility for the long-chaotic country's security as a multinational African Union force prepares to start withdrawing in 2018. The US military has been supporting Somalia in recent years with a small number of special operations forces and counter-terror advisers, along with a number of airstrikes against al-Shabab.
Kano, Nigeria: Scores of Nigerian schoolgirls who were among more than 200 kidnapped by Boko Haram in 2014 have been released, multiple sources told AFP on Saturday, with unconfirmed reports that at least 80 have been freed.

"I can confirm they have been released," said a senior government minister, who asked not to be identified, adding that an official statement would be released later.

A military and a civilian militia source in Banki, near the border with Cameroon, said "at least 80" girls were brought to the town late afternoon on Saturday.

"The girls are now lodged in the military barracks and will be flown to (the Borno state capital) Maiduguri on Sunday," said the military source.

The civilian militia member gave an identical account.

Enoch Mark, a Christian pastor whose two daughters were among those kidnapped, said he was told of the release by the Bring Back Our Girls pressure group and an official in Maiduguri.

He added: "This is good news to us. We have been waiting for this day. We hope the remaining girls will soon be released."

Bring Back Our Girls said it was awaiting an official statement but added: "Our hopes and expectations are high as we look forward to this news being true and confirmed."

Boko Haram fighters stormed the Government Girls Secondary School in the remote town of Chibok on the evening of 14 April, 2014 and kidnapped 276 girls.

Fifty-seven managed to escape in the hours that followed but the remaining 219 were held by the group.

Boko Haram leader Abubakar Shekau claimed in a video message that they had converted to Islam.

The audacious kidnapping brought the insurgency to world attention, triggering global outrage that galvanised support from the former US first lady Michelle Obama and Hollywood stars.

Twenty-one girls were released in October last year after negotiations between Boko Haram and the Nigerian government brokered by the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and the Swiss government.

Three others were also found.

At the time of the release of the 21, President Muhammadu Buhari's spokesman Garba Shehu said the government was hoping to secure the release of 83 others being held by a different Boko Haram faction.

Last month he said in a radio interview that there were ongoing negotiations involving "some foreign entities" to release the 195 girls believed still held.

He told BBC Hausa the ICRC and Swiss government "have not withdrawn their support in the negotiations".

Other countries were also involved, he added, without elaborating.
Dhaka: Two suspected militants on Sunday blew themselves up in "suicide blasts" when security forces raided their hideout in Bangladesh, the latest such incident amid an intensified nationwide crackdown on Islamist militants, officials said.

"It is a Neo-JMB (Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh) den where two militants were killed in the encounter...It (operation) is still underway," a senior police officer told reporters.

One of the militants detonated his suicide vest when police entered the single-story building at Bazrapur around Jhinaidah district, officer-in-charge of Moheshpur Police Station Ahmed Kabir was quoted as saying by the Daily Star.

The second militant died in another suicide blast inside the building, he added.

The first militant was identified as Tuhun.

The security forces now await arrival of a special bomb disposal unit at the scene to launch the "final assault" to flush out the rest of the militants, the official said.

According to Daily Star, the attack took place on the same day when the bodies of two Neo-JMB operatives responsible for the Gulshan Cafe attack in July 2016 were handed over for burial to a local charitable trust on Sunday. However, no connection has been established between the incidents.

Media reports earlier said the elite anti-crime Rapid Action Battalion (RAB), police's counter-terrorism team and transnational crime unit (CTTC) and district police laid a siege along the hideout since midnight after receiving information that the militants were inside the house.

Bangladesh witnessed an intensified anti-militancy clampdown across the country as the police headquarters recently circulated a list of nearly 5,000 suspected militants to all district police chiefs.

In March, Bangladeshi police conducted series of large-scale operations against militants, in which at least 17 suspected militants were killed.

On 31 March, eight militants blew themselves up with a grenade after the security forces raided their hideout north of the Bangladeshi capital.

Bangladesh has been witnessing a spate of attacks on secular activists, foreigners and religious minorities since 2013. The country launched a massive crackdown on militants specially after the Dhaka cafe attack.

The Islamic State has claimed several attacks in Bangladesh, but the government rejects the presence of foreign terrorist groups in the moderate Muslim-majority country, blaming home-grown groups such as the neo-JMB for terrorist attacks.

(With inputs from PTI)
Lagos: Following is a timeline of events since the Boko Haram jihadist group abducted more than 200 schoolgirls in the remote town of Chibok in northeastern Nigeria in 2014.

Snatched from school

On 14 April 2014, Boko Haram gunmen seize 276 girls from the Government Girls Secondary School in Chibok, Borno state.

The girls are forced from their dormitories onto trucks and driven into the bush. Fifty-seven girls manage to flee.

Boko Haram leader Abubakar Shekau claims responsibility in a video released on 5 May, and vows to sell the girls as slave brides.

A week later, a second video shows about 100 of the missing girls. Boko Haram says they have converted to Islam and will not be released unless militant fighters held in custody are freed.

Global response

An international media campaign is launched, backed by US First Lady Michelle Obama and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Malala Yousafzai. The hashtag #BringBackOurGirls fires up a social media storm.

On 17 May, Benin, Cameroon, Chad, Niger and Nigeria vow to fight Boko Haram together, in what Cameroon President Paul Biya terms a "declaration of war".

The UN Security Council says the kidnappings "may amount to crimes against humanity", as Britain, China, France, Israel and the US offer help.

US military specialists deploy to neighbouring Chad but later move elsewhere after Nigeria stops requesting their services.

On 26 May, Nigeria's Chief of Defence Staff Alex Badeh says the girls have been located but warns a rescue operation would put their lives at risk.

One year on

On 14 April 2015, Nigeria's president-elect Muhammadu Buhari warns he "cannot promise that we can find" the girls, as vigils are held in many countries to mark their first year in captivity.

Amnesty International says the girls may have been separated into three or four groups and are being held in camps, some of which might be in Cameroon or Chad.

Buhari says in late December he is willing to negotiate with any "credible" Boko Haram leadership, a week after claiming the country has "technically" won the war against Boko Haram.

Other victims freed

Throughout 2015, the Nigerian military announces the rescue of hundreds of people, most of them women and children, who have been kidnapped by Boko Haram.

But the missing schoolgirls are not among them, despite several unconfirmed sightings.

Suicide attacks using women and young girls increase against "soft" civilian targets such as mosques, markets and bus stations, fuelling fears that Boko Haram might be using its captives as human bombs.

In March 2016, it emerges that Boko Haram also seized 500 women and children from the north east town of Damasak in Borno state just months after the Chibok abduction. The kidnapping was denied at the time.

'Proof of life'

On the eve of the abduction's second anniversary, US news channel CNN reports that Boko Haram has sent a "proof of life" video which shows 15 of the girls -- the first concrete indication that at least some are still alive.

On 18 May 2016 the Nigerian army confirms the first of the schoolgirls has been found.

The 19-year-old, who later meets President Buhari, was discovered with a four-month-old baby and a man she described as her husband near Boko Haram's Sambisa Forest enclave.

Prisoner exchange

On 13 October 2016, Nigerian officials announce the release of 21 of the girls following talks between the government and Boko Haram brokered by Switzerland and the International Red Cross.

Local sources say four jihadist prisoners were freed as part of the deal to secure the girls' release.

The Nigerian government raises the prospect that more releases could follow, with a senior official in the president's office saying that "the negotiations will continue".

'At least 80' more released

At least 80 more girls have been released, security sources, a senior minister and Enoch Mark, the father of two of the girls, tell AFP on Saturday.
Dar Es Salaam: A bus crash in Tanzania that claimed the lives of 32 primary school pupils, two teachers and the driver was likely caused by speeding, police said. "Preliminary investigations show that the accident is due to speeding," regional police chief Charles Mkumbo told the state-run Tanzania Broadcasting Corporation late on Saturday.

Some reports said the people on the bus were not wearing seat belts at the time of the crash. The accident happened early on Saturday when the bus went off the road and into the Marera river gorge in Karatu district near the northern city of Arusha where the children were attending Lucky Vincent Primary School.

The final year primary pupils were on their way to sit mock examinations ahead of seeking places at secondary school. "It's a huge tragedy," Innocent Mushi, the school's director said.

President John Magufuli sent his condolences to the families of the dead. "This accident extinguishes the dreams of these children who were preparing to serve the nation, it is an immense pain for the families involved and for the whole nation," Magufuli said in a statement.

Speeding is the cause of most road accidents in Tanzania, according police statistics that show around 3,000 people killed each year.
New Delhi: Foreign Minister of the Netherlands Bert Koenders will arrive here on Tuesday to hold talks with External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj on ways to ramp up bilateral cooperation in a range of areas, including trade and investment, water and education.

Swaraj and Koenders will deliberate on the entire gamut of bilateral issues on Tuesday during which they are likely to identify areas for expanding cooperation.

"Looking forward to meet Mr Bert Koenders, Foreign Minister of Netherlands - the land of Tulips. @DutchMFA," Swaraj tweeted.

On his part, the Dutch foreign minister said he was happy to be visiting India and that the Netherlands would like to boost cooperation with the country in several areas, including technology and water.

Relations between India and the Netherlands have largely been shaped by engagement in trade and investment. Dutch ships had come calling to Indian ports around 400 years ago.

The Netherlands is today one of India's largest trading partner in the European Union.

During his four-day India visit, Koenders' first destination will be Bengaluru where he will meet Karnataka's Minister for Large and Medium Scale Industries R V Deshpande.

He will also attend an event of the Confederation of Indian Industry.
Paris: Pro-EU centrist Emmanuel Macron takes on far-right candidate Marine Le Pen in the second-round run-off of France's presidential election on Sunday.

Why is it important?

France is the eurozone's second-biggest economy as well as a global military and diplomatic heavyweight, with veto power as a permanent member of the UN Security Council.

The second round has boiled down to a battle between the pro-European, pro-globalisation vision of Macron and Le Pen's hostility to the EU and Nato.

If Le Pen wins, it would further shake up the West's postwar order, already rattled by Britain's vote to leave the EU and Donald Trump's election to the White House.

How is the president elected?

The president is elected in a direct popular vote of one or two rounds.

Sunday's run-off comes after neither candidate obtained an absolute majority in the first round. Every French presidential election since 1965 has gone to a second round.

What happened in the first round

Macron won 24 percent of the vote and Le Pen finished second with 21.3 percent as France's traditional left and right parties were eliminated in the first round for the first time since the start of the Fifth Republic in 1958.

How does the election work?

A total of 47.58 million people are registered to vote. The country's 66,546 polling stations will open at 8:00 am (0600 GMT) and most will close at 7:00 pm, while those in Paris and other big cities will remain open an hour longer.

The first estimated results could come as early as 7.45 pm (1745 GMT).

What happens next?

The new president will take over from Socialist Francois Hollande and is expected to be sworn in by 14 May.
Paris, 6 May 2017: In the quiet village of Seine et Marne, about 70 km from Paris, there is no one on the streets this rainy Saturday morning and the town hall  a tiny single-storey building  wears a bare look.

Arnaud Rousseau, the mayor, points to the floor-length white curtain and the tiny booth in the corner of the ground-floor room: this is where the 184 eligible voters in this village will go to cast their ballot. In the front of the room is an empty glass ballot box with two padlocks: here the votes will be collected and counted, once polling for the French presidential election ends on Sunday night.

This farming village voted for Marine Le Pen of the extreme right-wing party, the Front National (FN), in the first round in April  she captured 47 of the votes of the 144 votes cast. Her rival in Sundays election, and the favourite to win, the independent centrist Emmanuel Macron, managed just 23 [both candidates reached the run-off from a field of 11 candidates].

The main reason why farmers vote for Le Pen is sheer despair, said Rousseau, who is also the president of a farming union. You dont think rationally, you act emotionally People are attracted by what Le Pen tells them. They feel, we tried the right, we tried the left, now we want to destroy the system. There is a mistrust.

Rousseau, a tall, thin man, is a fourth generation leader of the village, and though he is based here, has travelled widely and believes that agriculture will stand to benefit from France remaining in Europe.

Macron is pro-Europe, Le Pen is not. And her brand of white-hot nationalism, based on restricting migration and withdrawing from the European project has grown to find more takers, particularly among Frances vexed rural and semi-rural populations.

In the first round in Paris, for instance Le Pen managed to get just 5 percent of the vote, compared to Macrons 35 percent. He also did well in other big cities, whereas Le Pen did well in the north, an area with a high rate of unemployment.

The working class is for us, said a Front National member and candidate for the parliamentary elections in June. There is a rightful anger in the population. The future is bright for us.

Populist anger has spurted in various parts of the globe, and both Brexit and Donald Trumps victory have emboldened far-right wing movements elsewhere. Though Le Pen is expected to win no more than 40 percent of the vote on Sunday, the fact that she has managed to sanitise her party and bring it from the extremist end of the spectrum to a mainstream place, has in itself been a dramatic transition of the past few years.

It is important for us to give hope to the people, said the FN candidate. The existing system has failed, we need a new system.

FNs vision for France includes returning to the franc as currency, withdrawing from Europe and tightening borders. Sundays election will essentially be a contest between two vastly differing visions for the country. Polls have Macron winning with 60 percent of the vote.

As expected, minority voters are rallying to vote against Le Pen, who is seen as xenophobic, Islamophobic and anti-Semitic. She has threated to ban religious symbols  such as the turban or burqa  in public should she come to power, a position that has naturally estranged her from Muslim, Sikh and Jewish voters. Imran Dar, 60, a Pakistani origin French citizen will be voting for Macron, for his social and economic positions. The EU is a system that has been working well, he said. We dont want to leave.

Still, many are disgusted by both candidates, a sentiment that is likely to manifest in a higher than usual proportion of blanc votes or votes for neither candidate. Many on the left are likely to take this route. One estimate put it as high as 7 percent, compared to an average of half that number in the past. The turnout for the first round was 78 percent but the turnout on Sunday is expected to be 75 percent, which would make it the lowest turnout since 1965.

There is the fear that this could all boost Le Pens chances, even though they might be slim. And the traditional parties have swiftly moved to build a front to block her further ascent.

At a meeting on Friday night high profile leaders from different parties, including former Prime Minister Manuel Valls, gathered to emphasise that voters should vote for Macron rather than simply vote against Le Pen by casting a null vote. Every vote not expressed is a vote for Le Pen, said Pierre Moscovici, a former French minister and current European Commissioner for Economic and Financial Affairs, Taxation and Customs, The challenge is not just to beat her, but to beat her severely so that populism is not just defeated, but it is also not in a position to come back.

Not far from where this meeting was taking place, retired tour guide Sabine Le Duault, 70, was resting on the grass by the side of the road. She appeared unperturbed by the possibility of an upset Le Pen victory. We were surprised by Trumps victory too, she said. But I think our system is strong enough to eliminate the extreme right.
France's presidential election reaches its climax on Sunday with the winner-takes-all runoff vote between Emmanuel Macron and Marine Le Pen. Macron, who is seen as the front-runner in an election billed as the most important in France in decades, extended his lead over his far-right rival, Marine Le Pen on Friday.

Just hours before the final voting on Friday, his team also made a surprising announcement stating that it has become the target of a "massive" computer hack that dumped its campaign emails online, one-and-half days before voters choose between the two leaders.

This presidential campaign has been unusually bitter, with voters hurling eggs and flour, protesters clashing with police and candidates insulting each other on national television  a reflection of the widespread public disaffection with politics.

Le Pen, 48, has brought her far-right National Front party, once a pariah for its racism and anti-Semitism, closer than ever to the French presidency, seizing on working-class voters' growing frustration with globalisation and immigration. Even if she loses, she is likely to be a powerful opposition figure in French politics in the upcoming parliamentary election campaign.

Thirty-nine-year-old Macron also helped upend France's traditional political structure with his wild-card campaign outside standard parties.

Many voters, however, don't like either Le Pen or Macron. They fear Le Pen's party's racist past, while worrying that Macron's platform would demolish worker job protections or be too much like his mentor, the deeply unpopular outgoing President Francois Hollande.

Here's where the two presidential candidates stand on some of the key issues:

The future of the European Union

Financial markets have watched this election with exceptional attention, jittery over Le Pen's dreams of pulling France out of the European Union and its shared euro currency. The market mood has buoyed in recent days as polls show the chance of a Le Pen victory receding, but the prospect of a "Frexit" would be dire.

Far worse than Britain's exit from the European Union, France's departure from either the EU or the Euro could spell death for the idea of European economic unity, which emerged from the bloodshed of World War II. France is a founding member of the EU, and its main driver along with former rival Germany.

Le Pen has waffled on how exactly she might deal with the EU as French president, but tapped into a widespread misunderstanding of the bloc, blaming it for myriad economic and security woes. She also blames free trade pacts for killing French jobs and wants to renegotiate them, which would cause a financial tangle for the rest of the EU and France's trade partners.

A Frexit could herald controls on money transfers, capital flight, a plague of defaults and lawsuits on bonds and contracts. Le Pen's team, however, downplays apocalyptic scenarios, arguing that the euro, now used by 19 countries, is headed for a breakup eventually anyway.

Macron countered with a campaign video this week showing British voters regretting their vote to leave the EU, saying they didn't realize what they were getting into  and American voters regretting their vote for Donald Trump.

Immigration

Le Pen has portrayed herself as the guardian of a disabused France, where citizens are losing their culture to an encroaching Islam, their identity to "massive immigration" and their sovereignty to the European Union.

According to a BBC report, Le Pen said, "French citizenship should be "either inherited or merited". As for illegal immigrants, they "have no reason to stay in France, these people broke the law the minute they set foot on French soil." Her views on immigration is very similar to Trump who stunned the poll pundits by winning the November election riding on a wave of populism.

According to The New York Times, Macron has promised to attract skilled immigrants to France "by shortening the visa application process, promoting talent visas and financing programmes to help immigrants become more fluent in French."

"The French people shouldnt be worried about immigration. From an economic, cultural and social point of view, immigration is a chance," said Macron, as per The New York Times report.

Security and terrorism

France has been under a state of emergency since 2015 and has suffered a spate of Islamist militant attacks mostly perpetrated by young men who grew up in France and Belgium. More than 230 people have been killed in the past two years.

In the only face-to-face televised debate, Macron called his far-right opponent Marine Le Pen a "parasite" who would lead the country into civil war, while Le Pen painted the former banker as a lackey of big business who is soft on Islamic extremism. One of the most heated exchanges was on terrorism  a top concern for Le Pen's voters and many French in the wake of repeated attacks since 2015. Saying that Islamic extremists must be "eradicated," Le Pen said Macron wouldn't be up to the task.

Saying France's fight against terror would be his priority if elected, Macron countered that Le Pen's anti-terror plans would play into extremists' hands and divide France.

"The trap they're setting for us, the one that you're proposing, is civil war. What the terrorists expect is division among ourselves. What the terrorists expect is heinous speech," Macron said.

Iman Amrani in The Guardian argues that though terrorism in France is mostly home-grown, the policies of both of the candidates have failed touch upon this point. She writes for Le Pen: "Her policies to tackle terrorism in France are almost always linked to security, rarely touching on the idea of prevention." For Macron, Amrani writes: "Macron did tweet about prevention, saying that vigorous action would be taken to combat Islamic radicalisation, including on the internet, but he has given little insight into what that action may involve."

Unemployment and economy

Apart from terrorism and globalisation, France's unemployment rate is one of the core issues. Henry Grabar writes for Slate: "Two sections of the population have suffered from the French system: Young people and the first- and second-generation French who compose the countrys permanent underclass."

According to the Al Jazeera, unemployment rate in France has hovered around 10 percent since 2008. Macron has promised to bring it down to 3 and Le Pen feels "state-led industrialisation and greater taxes on foreign workers will boost employment."

Pollsters, bookmakers and financial traders calculate that Le Pen would have to accomplish a miracle to overcome an estimated 20-point poll gap. But after Britons chose Brexit and Americans chose Trump, no one can be sure what will happen Sunday, when France's 47 million voters cast ballots.

With inputs from AP
Washington: A 32-year-old Indian-American doctor has been shot dead under mysterious circumstances in a car in the US state of Michigan.

Rakesh Kumar, who worked in the Urology Department of the Henry Ford Hospital, was found dead on the passenger seat of a car in a rest area, some 90 miles out of Detroit, on late Thursday evening.

Police are investigating the case to ascertain the cause of his death. The family members of Kumar say they do not suspect anyone and have ruled out the possibility of it being an incident of hate crime.

"We do not know (the reason for his murder). They (The police) are yet to find out," his father Narendra Kumar, a former president of the influential American Association of Physicians of Indian Origin (AAPI), told PTI.

"We do not suspect anything. We do not think, it was a hate crime," said a shocked Kumar. Rakesh was a medical graduate from the Amrita Institute of Medical Sciences in Kochi. When he did not show up for his work, a hospital doctor called his father to enquire about him.

"This was quite unusual," the father said. He said he made several phone calls and sent text messages to his son, but there was no response. The father went to his son's apartment and called the police when he did not find him there.

After hours of search, police found the dead body of Rakesh in the passenger seat of a car at a rest area. By late night on Thursday, the body was identified as that of Rakesh.

The police have refrained from making any comments about the incident. There has been a surge in hate crimes against the Hindu and Sikh communities in the US after Donald Trump became the president.

Indian engineer Srinivas Kuchibhotla was killed when a US Navy veteran Adam Purinton opened fire at him and his friend Alok Madasani before yelling "get out of my country" in February.

In Florida, an Indian-American family's store was almost burnt to the ground and many more have been harassed and threatened.
Jerusalem: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says the Palestinians are not educating their children toward peace.

Netanyahu spoke on Sunday at his weekly Cabinet meeting ahead of US President Donald Trump's upcoming visit to Israel.

Netanyahu says Trump's first overseas trip as president reflects the strong bond between the nations.

He welcomed Trump's push to resume peace talks, but criticised Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas for "praising terrorists and paying them" and lying about preaching peace to children.

The Palestinian "martyrs' fund" pays about 35,000 families of Palestinians killed and wounded in the long-running conflict with Israel, and says the money amounts to welfare payments to victims.

Israel has long said the payments glorify terrorism and provide an incentive to kill. Last week, Netanyahu urged Abbas to "fund peace and not murder."
Marine Le Pen, the leader of the far-right National Front, does not look upon France's relationship with the European Union (EU) charitably.

The 48-year-old's policies can be best described as isolationist, protectionist and nativist. She has proposed a 3 percent import tax, promised to suspend France's border-free zone, wants to slash legal immigration to zero, and has previously spoken in favour of abandoning the EU altogether, although she has recently backed off that policy.

Le Pen has dubbed herself 'Madame Frexit' and has vowed to negotiate a new European Union with Brussels, promising the French people a referendum on whether they want to stay with the EU.

While the polls indicate that the French people would prefer to stay with the EU, if they vote for a Frexit, the EU would need to amend its constitution to let France leave. However, the aftermath of a Frexit would be simple: Economic chaos for everyone involved, including France.

If France left the EU, the interest on their debt alone would hamstring their economy. According to the French Central Bank, it would cost France $32 billion a year just to service their debt outside the EU.

Le Pen has predicted that after France leaves the EU, Italy, Greece and Spain will follow suit. At this point, while it seems unlikely that France will vote to leave the EU, a Frexit could lead to a house of cards scenario where the entire experiment implodes.

Germany's Europe Minister Michael Roth has predicted that a Le Pen victory would  have massive consequences for a united Europe and be the end of the EU as we know it.

I never thought that in my lifetime I could believe that the European Union will be threatened, but it is threatened, Gerard Araud, Frances Ambassador to the US, told NPR.

For Europe's leaders, a Le Pen victory could be the stuff of nightmares and possibly, shake the European Union to its core.

Her impact on the world

A victory for Le Pen would be the third political earthquake in the past year, after Brexit and the Donald Trump presidency. It would continue the ascendancy of the Right across the globe and reignite the anti-establishment sentiment, which was recently dimmed by the loss that Dutch candidate Geert Wilderss suffered earlier this year.

After voting in the first round, Le Pen made an "appeal to all patriots", saying a vote for her was the key to the "survival of France". She framed the choice between herself and Macron as a referendum on "uncontrolled globalisation. The voters face a stark choice. Now it is up to them to decide.

The fate of the EU is in their hands.
By Paul Carrel and Oliver Denzer

| BERLIN/KIEL, Germany

BERLIN/KIEL, Germany German Chancellor Angela Merkel's conservatives won a clear victory over their Social Democrat rivals in a vote in the northern state of Schleswig-Holstein on Sunday, boosting her prospects of winning a national election in September.Merkel's Christian Democrats (CDU) fetched 33 percent of the vote in Schleswig-Holstein, up from 30.8 percent in the last election there in 2012, an exit poll for broadcaster ARD showed. The Social Democrats won 26 percent, down from 30.4 percent.The result leaves the CDU short of sufficient support to rule alone in the state, but means the SPD cannot continue to govern in coalition with the Greens and the South Schleswig Party (SSW), which represents the ethnic Danish minority."This is a clear mandate to become state premier of Schleswig Holstein," Jens Spahn, a senior member of the CDU, said of the state result.The CDU's victory means it has now beaten the left-leaning Social Democratic Party (SPD) in two regional elections this year. The SPD enjoyed a revival in the opinion polls early this year after nominating former European Parliament president Martin Schulz in January as its candidate to run against Merkel.

But the "Schulz effect" failed to deliver in the western state of Saarland, where his party flopped in a March poll. The result in Schleswig-Holstein, a region of 2.3 million voters that juts north of Hamburg and borders Denmark, is an even bigger blow for the Social Democrats because they have been the main ruling party there since 2012.Should the SPD be unable to form a coalition government with other parties in Schleswig-Holstein, it will be the first time since 2012 the party has lost power in a state election.

The Greens won 13.5 percent of the vote in the state, the liberal Free Democratic Party (FDP) 11.5 percent and the SSW 3.5 percent. The anti-immigration Alternative for Germany (AfD), which has recently been losing support after a bout of infighting, scored only 5.5 percent.A third regional vote, in the western state of North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW) next Sunday, offers Merkel's conservatives a chance to defeat the incumbent SPD again and build momentum in her bid to win a fourth term in office in September. SPD Secretary General Katarina Barley said the Schleswig-Holstein vote was a "bitter result" for the Social Democrats, but hoped her party would fare better in the next regional vote in NRW next Sunday and hold on to the state.

Merkel, who won the endorsement of former U.S. president Barack Obama on a farewell to Berlin visit last November, is presenting herself to voters as a crisis manager and Europe's anchor of stability.Schulz has responded with a focus on fighting inequality, trying to sharpen the SPD's policy edge, which has been blunted by spending seven of the last 11 years sharing power as junior coalition partners with Merkel's CDU at the national level.That arrangement turned voters off the two big parties and fed the rise of the AfD last year.The FDP's candidate Wolfgang Kubicki said the results showed the SPD would have to broaden its election platform if it wanted to topple Merkel in the federal election in September. "The Social Democrats have to become more innovative than just offering their slogan of fairness, fairness, fairness", he said. (Additional reporting by Michael Nienaber; Editing by Angus macSwan/Richard Lough/Susan Fenton)

This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed.
Karachi: Pakistan International Airlines has taken its senior pilot off-duty for allegedly sleeping on a London-bound flight, risking the lives of over 300 passengers

on board by handing over the aircraft to a trainee.

Captain Amir Akhtar Hashmi had taken a two-and-a-half- hour nap in the business class passenger cabin on 26 April soon after flight PK-785 took off from Islamabad for London, Dawn reported.

The airline was initially reluctant to take action against Hashmi, a former president of the highly influential Pakistan Air Lines Pilots Association (PALPA), but later caved in to "pressure from above".

PIA spokesperson Danyal Gilani said that Hashmi was off from flying duty due to the investigation under way, but refused to share any further details. Another first officer, Mohammad Asad Ali, who was under training, was also in the cockpit.

Hashmi, an instructor, gets paid over Rs 100,000 each month to train pilots, and was supposed to train Ali Hassan Yazdani during the flight. However, instead of performing his duty, Hashmi went for a quick lie-down, the report said.

The flight was carrying over 305 passengers  293 in the economy class and 12 in the club class. The development has surfaced at a time when a top PIA official, facing serious allegations of corruption, left the country on Saturday after he was given a special exemption by the Interior Ministry to fly abroad for a month even though his name is still on the country's no-fly list.

Bernd Hildenbrand, the suspended CEO of the national flag carrier is under investigation on charges of corruption amounting to billions of rupees. The Federal Investigation Agency is probing the corruption charges against him.
New Delhi: At least one incident of ceasefire violation by Pakistan took place daily along the LoC in Jammu and Kashmir in 2015 and 2016 in which 23 security personnel lost their lives, the Home Ministry has said in an RTI reply.

As many as 1,142 terror incidents were reported in the state between 2012 and 2016 in which 236 security personnel and 90 civilians were killed, it said in reply to an RTI query filed by a PTI Bhasha correspondent.

In the same period, 507 terrorists were killed in encounters, it said.

According to the reply, Pakistan breached the truce along the Line of Control 449 times in 2016 as compared to 405 violations in 2015. 23 security personnel were killed in the two-year period.

Compared to 220 terror incidents in Jammu and Kashmir in 2012, there were 322 incidents in 2016 in which 82 security personnel and 15 civilians were killed, the ministry said.

It said in 2015, 39 security personnel and 17 civilians were killed in 208 terror incidents, while 108 terrorists were killed in encounters.

While 47 security personnel and 28 civilians were killed in the state, 110 terrorists were killed in encounters in 2014, the reply said.

In 2013, 53 security personnel and 15 civilians were killed in 170 terror incidents in J&K. Security forces killed 67 terrorists in encounters that year, as per the ministry.

In 2012, 15 security personnel and as many civilians were killed in 220 terror incidents, and 72 terrorists were killed in encounters, it said.
London: Britain will deploy attack dogs which may respond only to particular acts or commands at the gates of its Parliament as part of the latest anti-terror security

drive in the country.

The dogs will be stationed with police handlers at the weakest point, the gates through which Khalid Masood tried to gain entry into the Palace of Westminster during the 22 March attack in which four people, including an unarmed policeman guarding Parliament, were killed.

Sir Paul Beresford, former chairman of the House of Commons administration committee, said the dogs were being "seriously considered" in a review of perimeter security.

Other steps, including stronger vehicle barriers, are likely to form part of the review, which was due to report last week but has now been delayed by the general election next month, The Sunday Times reports.

"The gates have to be open when MPs are coming into vote, but we recognise it is a chink in the armour," Beresford was quoted as saying by the paper.

"If some idiot who is not a terrorist runs in, and there are a few of those out there, the dog will drop them and they won't be shot," he said. A second inquiry is examining security inside the building in central London.

Dogs, typically Alsatians, are already used on gate duties at British military bases during times of threat, although they are a rare sight outside the world's democratic

parliaments. The dogs can be trained to respond only to particular acts or commands.

A spokesperson for the Commons authorities declined to comment on the two reviews' contents before publication, but said that members' views were being considered in detail.
What does the future of banking look like? That question is at the top of bankers' mindstoday.The rise of the internet is presenting a lot of new puzzles for companies across the board to solve.

In this week's episode of Industry Focus: Financials, Motley Fool analyst Gaby Lapera and contributor John Maxfield talk about three of the biggest problems facing the financials industry in the wake of the internet and big data. Listen in to find out more about crypto-currencies, especially Bitcoin, and what hurdles they'll have to clear before they're adopted by the masses; what API is and how it can both help banks and hurt their businesses in a big way; some of the biggest benefits and drawbacks to cloud banking and third-party app banking; and much more.

A full transcript follows the video.

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Gaby Lapera: Hello, everyone!Welcome to Industry Focus, the podcast that dives into a different sector of the stock market every day. You'relistening to the Financials edition, taped today onMonday, May 1, 2017. My name is Gaby Lapera, and joining me via the phone isJohn Maxfield, one of our financials analysts here at the Fool. How's it going, Maxfield?John Maxfield: It'sgoing great,very happy to be with you, as always.Lapera: Fantastic.I'm excited for today's show, because we're doing a theme week that'sseparate from the topic of today's show,but I decided to marry them andmarinate them a little, and it's just full of flavor for our listeners.I'm going to end that metaphor andmove on to what we're actually talking about today. Today's theme is mysteries! But, no,seriously, today we're going to be talking about puzzles, both anactual puzzle for listeners to solve and puzzles that banks aregoing to need to start solving in the near future. Make sure youlisten all the way to the end to hear about ourlistener puzzle challenge. We're going to put that aside for now and turn to banking puzzles. We have these threebig categories were going to talk about. The first is going to beBitcoinand blockchain technology. We're also going to be talking about big data and cloud, and we're also going to be talking about API stuff. So, Bitcoin.Maxfield and I are going to have a bit of a back and forth with this. This iskind of a new topic for both of us, so we're both learning. Bear with us. Ifanyone out there is a Bitcoin expert and we getsomething wrong, please write us a gentle email andwe'll make sure to fix it in the next episode. What is Bitcoin? Bitcoin iswhat they call a crypto-currency, which is a digital currency, it's made, mined, actually, by thesecomputers that are basically solving math problems. In order to get one, in thebeginning, it was really easy to get a Bitcoin, theproblems were easier, but astime goes on,the problems become harder. Andwhat's really interesting is there's a cap onthe total number of Bitcoins that can ever exist, which is 21 million. Right now, we're around 16.3 million Bitcoin in circulation, at the moment.Bitcoin,you can buy one whole Bitcoin, andI think thecurrent price on Bitcoin, last I looked, was around $1,300, which is a lot of money for one Bitcoin. I just looked it up. Right now, onMay 1 at 12:42 p.m. Eastern time,Bitcoin is equal to $1,446.41. Which is a lot of money, butthankfully you don't have to spend an entire Bitcoin,because that would be pretty excessive to pay that for one pizza. They can be split up to100-millionth of a Bitcoin,which is called a satoshi, and that's the name of the person orpotentially group of people who created the crypto-currency. Much like someone who would create a crypto-currency, this is a very cryptic individual, ha-ha, andno one knows who he or she or they are. So, yeah,Bitcoin, very interesting. Do you have any questions so far, Maxfield?Maxfield: You knowwhat I think about when I think about Bitcoinand blockchain technology more generally --I'm not an expert on blockchain technology, I'mmuch more of an expert on bankingas opposed to technology, butmy understanding is the way the blockchain works,and this is in the context of Bitcoin, is, to your point, Gaby, each time a transaction happens to create orexchange Bitcoins, there issome sort of large formula,complicated math problem, that is solved, and that ends, and the nexttransaction that happens, that happens again,and then it happens again. So that's that blockchain, that's what that's referring to. Am I understanding that correctly?Lapera: That'sactually a really good question. Blockchain technology is the other side of the Bitcoin stuff. Theblockchain is actually just a public ledger, and on it, it contains a date that a transaction took place and the amount that the transaction was for, but it doesn't contain any personallyidentifying features for the transaction, soyou don't know who the two individuals werein the transaction. The way the blockchain works is,in order to exchange Bitcoins, a computer has to be hooked up to this Bitcoin network, andeach computer becomes a node, and each node has a copy of the ledger downloaded to it, and it's updated fairly regularly. That's the price ofbeing able to transact Bitcoin. That way, there's this huge, diffusepublic ledger that's really hard to hack,because even if you get to a few computers on this network,you probably can't get to all of them, andeventually the correct ledger will pop back up again, unless you somehow manage to get all of them at once. Bitcoin, asyou might be starting to understand, is a very secure way of dealing with money. It'sreally interesting because it's not exactly like the U.S. dollar. There's no physical stuff backing it. It'sone of those amazing things that humans do, where they're like, "We have this thing, you can't touch it, it has value."Maxfield: If youthink about it, when they talk aboutcreatingBitcoins, they talk about mining them. In that respect,it really is very analogousto, say,the gold standard, where thequantity of currency that is in circulation at any one particular time is a function of how much gold they're pulling out of the mine. Butwhat's interesting, to your point about what'sdifferent between how a Bitcoin is createdand the gold standard is at, there can always be more mines discovered. But in the Bitcoin arena, there is a lifetime cap in terms of the number of Bitcoins that can be created. Is that right?Lapera: Yeah. I thinkwhat you're getting at is that,unlike gold, wherewe don't know 100% exactlyhow much gold is in the world in mines that we can dig up, butwe do know exactly how many Bitcoins there are, or could possibly be in the world. So, it lends this really hard cap,it gets into this crazy economic theory. Listeners, if you're really interested in Bitcoin,I'm actually hopefully going to do an interview with an author whospecializes in Bitcoin in a couple weeks.I'm still working with the publicist to figure out the details, buthopefully it all works out. But, let's turn to why Bitcoin is a puzzle for banks. One of thethings about Bitcoinis that it's fast,cheap or free, andfrictionless to transfer money, totransfer this currency. And banks andmoney transmitters especially, people likeWestern Unions, make a lot of money off fees of shuttling people's money around the world. Do you know what the cap is forWestern Union, how much they can charge you fortransmitting money for you?Maxfield:I'm guessing it's high,given Western Union's reputation.Lapera: 9% of the amount that you sent. That's a lot of money.Maxfield: Andeven in the context of banking,if you think about how cumbersome checks and dollar bills are --you go into an ATM and get dollar bills and then go and use that as a currency to transact with, as opposed to,you could just have this on your phone, and you go to a store andtake that whole middle step out of it. The other point about Bitcoin andcrypto-currencies of blockchains in the context of payments, becauseI think that's really where this is going to impact banking significantly, is for checks, somebody writes you a check, yougo to your bank todeposit it, andin this day and age with the technology that we have,particularly with a huge, sophisticated bank that poursbillions of dollars every year into technology, still, to this day, a check takes overnight to clear. That's so absurd. And the reason it takes so long is it has to go through theFederal Reserve's system. Blockchain and crypto-currencies provide,potentially, an end run around that,because as soon as you make that payment transaction,it's my understandingand it sounds like what you're saying, Gaby, there's an immediate update to that open-source ledger, and then it moves on to that next transaction. Itmight not happen instantaneously, like, in a nanosecond, but in a couple of minutes,which is significantly faster than, say, overnight.Lapera: Yeah,definitely. I guess one of the things to know about Bitcoin isthe people who originally started it were a group that,I think they described themselves in theparticularlyendearing term cypherpunks. "Cypher" because they were really into cryptology and "punks" because they were kind of against the system. One of the big things about Bitcoin iseveryone is their own bank, and thisdecentralizes the banks andtakes away the power from the governments and the military-industrial complex or whatever. Not to sound dismissive. That's thephilosophybehind it, and that's a huge problem for banks, if everyone can be their own bank. If the only thing you need the bank for is lending money, that takes away a lot of their fee income, which for a lot of banks, that's a big chunk oftheir income.Maxfield: Yeah. If you talk to the leading bankers,one of those things they'lltell you is that the way that banking is changing right now is, it'stransitioning frominstitutions that store money to institutions that lord over the movement of money. This is the payments space. If you go into thatcrypto-currency arena, that blockchain arena where the payments structure can occur on the outside of banks, really, potentially could attack thefundamental business purpose of banksin the future. I think that's why,when you hear people talking about things like, "Are banks facing an Uber moment where new technologies will come in andcompletely disrupt the business model?" I think blockchain plays a very major role in that.Lapera: Yeah. One of the things to think about, too, is that Bitcoinisn't this thing that's going to take over overnight, although it has spread very rapidly. Bitcoin is stillstruggling to figure out who and what it is. I told you a little bit about the history and how it's thisdecentralized movementand people who are libertarian in nature who are really excited about Bitcoin. But then,of course, there's also people who want to make money off Bitcoin. And then, there's a third party that's involved in any financial interaction ever in the United States, which is the federal government, and we don't really know what regulation is going to do to Bitcoin. Bitcoin might be driven underground, or it might become an actual tool that's easy for people to use in the United States. A lot of that depends on what the federal government decides. Andone of the major issues they've run into in the past is the federal government regulations surrounding "know your customer" and anti-money-laundering laws, because one of the things about Bitcoin is you don't need to know anything about the person you're sending money to. You don't need to know their name, you don't need to know their address. So, it becomes very easy for illegal activities, at leastin the eyes of the federal government, to occur, the most notable incident being Silk Road, I think that's the one most people are familiar with, which was an underground deep web marketplace where people could buy things like drugs with Bitcoin, because there was no way to trace who it was coming from and where to. That got shut down, and I'm sure a million iterations have sprung up since then. But, it's areally interesting world that isvery divorced from the reality that I think most Americans experience from day to day.Maxfield: Yeah. This is how I see it --it's not even so much about Bitcoin, but about crypto-currency. Bitcoin could be the first one that gained attraction, but there will be different iterations of crypto-currencies that improve on the ability to, whether it's to know your customer, to track, to determine whether there's money laundering going on, in order for this type of thing to really catch on, those issues are going to have to be addressed. That's why, at the end of the day, something will emerge in this area, whether or not it's Bitcoin itself remains to be seen, although it doesn't look like it, because of those issues you pointed out. But, something will come up in this area, it's only a matter of time.Lapera: Yeah. Who knows. A lot of the issues the government has with Bitcoin, technically, they have with cash, too. The only difference is that cash is really hard to, if you're in Indiana, send to Hong Kong, especially if it's $1 million.Maxfield: And if you think about it like, I had this friend who, his parents were libertarian, and they didn't trust banks. So they saved his money for college in cash. They had something like $100,000 in cash. Well, one of their sons got a full-ride scholarship to college, so then they had $100,000 in cash. So then, they started depositing the cash into a bank in increments of $9,999, which is one dollar below that $10,000 threshold at which point the banks have to disclose to the federal government that it's a presumably suspicious transaction going on. In the Bitcoin area, it could be a similar thing, where the government could take care of it by setting a threshold, above that threshold, an amount of Bitcoins or crypto-currency that would trigger the regulatory disclosure requirements. But still, you would need to sort out exactly how that would work.Lapera: Yeah. Wherea lot of these Bitcoin start-ups got caught up wasthey were considered money transmitters by the federal government, and they wereconsidered to be operating outside the law, soa lot of them got shut down in the United States. But there's one thathas been operating for a while where theyliterally just hold your Bitcoins for you,they just help you create a wallet, andif you forget your password you're pretty much out of luckbecause they don't know what your password is,they don't know anything about you,they don't even know how many Bitcoins there are in your wallet. Theyjust provide a service to help you do that. Thatcompletely falls outside of the existing regulations,noone knows what to do with them. So, we'llsee what happens. It's definitely a puzzle forbanksto think about and the federal government to think about, andtrust me, they are thinking. Theyactually recently denied theWinklevoss twins application to start a Bitcoin ETF,and it doesn't really sound like they want to let anyone start an ETFbecause they're worried about fraud. So, we'll see what happens. One bigpuzzle for people in finance to figure out.Another one is API. Do youwant to tell me a little bit about what an API is?Maxfield: Yeah. Here'sthe best way that I have found to think about API. Theacronym stands for applicationprogramming interface. All that is, basically, is a tube that connects your bank to, say, a third-party app like the Mint app. And in that tube, Mint can pullpertinent data to its customers from their bank. That's what an API does, itconnects those,anoutside third-party developer to a bank andallowsinformation to flow over it. Here's the interesting thing about API. If youlook at what's going on in Europe right now, they are more advanced on thetechnological front in terms of financial services than we are, andone of the big movements they are pushing right now is to force banks andother companies in the payment space to use so-called open APIs. Closed APIs,information needs to be exchanged within a bank between, say, the investment banking division andmaybe the retail banking division or the corporate banking division, whatever that is, those are called closed APIs. Open APIs, theyprovided that highway tooutside third-party developers. And theregulators in Europe are now starting to force banks andfinancial services companies to use open APIs in the payments space, the thought process being that that's thebeachhead, and thenopen APIswill be used much more broadly in all areas of financial services. This is a huge benefit, becausetraditionally,the way that apps like Mint would work is that the customers would have to go in, log into the Mint account, and then give Mint their usernames and their passwords to their banks, and then that app would then log into your bank account andscrape the screen,basically just copy the information from that screen andincorporate itinto the Mint app. API allows a much more seamlesstransfer of data to take place. So,you're not going to have interpretation issues between scraping the data from the screen and translating it into text in the Mint area. But,here's the interesting thing about APIs. Companies and banks for a while were opposed to that screen-scraping technology. But now,because of the importance and the growth andproliferationof these third-party apps, banks realize that, "Look, we have to get in on this game."JPMorgan Chasemade news last year, starting to use open APIs with Mint and other apps like that in particular. But here's the interesting point about API. If these open APIs really take hold, and everybody starts banking through a third-party app,think about how convenient that would be, if you could have an app that had all of your banking accounts, you mortgage, your car loan on there, all of your retirement funds, your credit card accounts,all these different accounts all aggregated in one single place. Basically, anycustomer at any one time had a constantly updating balance sheet that they could justpull upon their phone by tapping on an app. It would be revolutionary. But then, if those apps are created -- and, there are some of those, and there will be more and more -- what will happen is, the question will become, willcustomers then be able to actually do banking, not just see their accounts, actually doconductive banking in these third-party apps, where they candeposit a check into theirChaseaccount through their Mint app, and do all these different things, to where not only are you puttingAppleandSamsung'sapp store thereby between a customer and their bank, but you're also putting that third-party app between the customer and the bank. Which, thereby, means that the bank itself and the bank's brand will erode further and further and further into the distance as these types of things are going. So, the question is, how will that change therelationship between banks and their customers if there's always somebody standing in between the two?Lapera: Yeah. That's one of the things that banks are thinking aboutright now, even just in terms ofhow many physical locations do theyhave? Likeyou said, customers are increasingly moving to online platforms. When youlose that personal touch, you'repotentially also losingactual customers. On the other hand, customers really want thatconvenience. I was telling someone the other day aboutmy experience trying to switch banks. It's hard. It takes a lot of effort,and it takes you going physically into the bank branch in order to get all of your money out all at once,after you systematically, slowly drained your account over months, at least in my case. It'snot a pleasant experience. But if someone created an app that let you switch banks super easily,people could do that and banks wouldn't really have a lot of recourse. They would actually maybe have to change the way they operate with customersin order to retain them.Maxfield: Yeah,I'm so glad you brought that up,I had forgotten about it, that switching element. That'sone of the most important elements inthe context of API. Bankstraditionally have benefited from the fact that there are high switching costs. Let's sayyou have a bank account and you set up your direct deposit,you know how when you set up accounts, the bank is all over you aboutsetting up direct deposit and reminding you aboutautomatic bill pay and all those kinds of things, andtrying to get you to rollover your IRA at another bank into an IRA at your current bank, and get your car loan there. The reason they do that is, the more and moretentacles or stringsthey put between the customer and the bank, the harder it is for them to switch, because you have todetached all of those things and it would be a nightmare.I don't know if this statistic is accurate or not,but I heard this statistic from a board member of a major bank. He told me that, at their bank,approximately 40% of customers lived paycheck to paycheck. If you'reliving paychecktopaycheck and you have direct deposit andautomatic bill payconnected to your account, it becomes a very delicate dance to detach all of those things, go to a different bank, and not accrue an overdraft charge. The switching costs are really high. But if they come up with an app whereyou can just go in there and say, "Justswitch all my accounts over to this other bank,because I'm tired of this bank charging me overdraft fees or doing this or that, all these things that banks have been doing for all these years against customers," it willcompletely erodethat switching cost,which would dramatically change thecompetitive dynamic in the banking industry. Banks pretend and talk abouttreating their customers well today, butthey would actually have to back that up with reallysubstantial actions in the future in order to combat the impact that open APIs could have on lowering the switching costs.Lapera: Yeah,definitely. Likeyou mentioned, the other thing is,when you have someone in person, it is way easier to just sell them something. It'sway harder to sell someone a mortgage online,because they have time to sit back and thinkabout all theirdifferent options withmortgages. But if you have them in the bank, it's way easier to be like, "You knowwhat you really mean? Another credit card."Maxfield: Right. That'ssuch a good point. Cross-selling has gotten a bad name because of theWells Fargobank account scandal last year, which isunderstandable, that it got a bad name from that. But, there's only a couple ways to grow a bank, andone of them is to cross-sell customers. You have tobe able to do that, but youhave to be able to do it appropriately. Butif you don't have those interactions, you'renot going to have the opportunity to cross-sell. So,it's a major conundrum.Lapera: Yeah. This is another puzzle for the banks. People are moving increasingly online. They also need to moveincreasingly online. They'vestarted to embrace this API technology,because that's the way the tide is turning. Buthow do theybalance that with making sure that they're able to grow their businesses and retain customers? Something for them to think about. Let's talk about big data and banks, something that youwouldn'tinitially think would be a puzzle for banks, but could be. Big data,just in case you're not familiar with this, is this thing that's emergednow that we livebasically our entire lives online and with easily accessible data, it'scompanies basically using it, mining through it, tofigure out trends and patterns, both for consumer groups like on a general level and also for consumers on an individual level. One of the things you might see are, "We saw you look at thisoutdoor brands company, you might also be interested in this other outdoor brands company," and those ads follow youaround the internet, or, you're suddenly getting emails whenyou don't remember signing up for something, stuff like that.Maxfield: Yeah. If you think about big data, there are fewinstitutions that have more data at their disposal than banks. In fact, a lot of bankers willtalk about the fact that the future of banking is not in money, it's in information. Googleobviously has a lot of information,Amazonhas a lot of information about your purchase history,Google about your search history. But banks know what you spend money on. They know what everybody spends money on. They know what people are spending money on on Amazon. And whilepeople might be doing searches on Google, they'reactually making the purchases via their banks. That information is incredibly valuable. But the problem that banks have had is justbecause of the way the bank industry has developed in the United States. First, banks weren'tallowed to operate multiple branches in those states, then they also were not allowed to bank across state lines, what happened was, you had thousands and thousands of banks, small little banks all over the United States.

And then,when those regulations around banks getting together and banking andoffering services over interstate lines and through branches, etc., once that opened up, thenyou had this huge consolidation movement. So,banks buyingother banks,and pretty soon you have your big four banks --Bank of America, Wells Fargo,JPMorgan Chase, andCitigroup-- that are, excluding Citigroup, hundreds of banks that have been rolled up into one. Theproblem with that is that each of those individual banks that were acquired or mergedinto thesehuge organizations had data, and they used different systems, different software to record and analyze data, they stored it in different places,they stored iton antiquated mainframes and things like that. So, you think, aperson at a bank should just be able to go on the computer and type in, "What accounts doesJohn Maxfield have?" and it showsall the different accounts that I have across that banking company. But, the fact of the matter is,because of that situation with all that data dispersed all over the place, it's taking a long time for banks to wrangle all the data that they have at their disposal. So, that'swhere they're at right now. To tie this into that API conversation, wherebig data is so valuable outside ofthe risk and compliance area, which isextremely valuable, to track customers,making sure they'renot doing inappropriate things with money,the other area where it comes in really handy is that cross-selling area. The reason is because, once a bank gets its arms around its data,it can then determine not only which products each customer has, but they can look at the transaction history of that customer and determine, say, if this customer would really benefit from a brokerage account, or a specificretirement account or another credit card. And then, they can see which customers have those needs, and pitch those specific products to those customers, which reallydramatically increases your cross-sell ratio and the revenue you derive from your customer.Lapera: Andit's not just that. If they get organized enough, and if this is legal, which,it might not be in the future,there aren't really laws around it right now, banks could sellpackages of data ormake some sort of agreement with outside retailers, and say, "I know that Gaby Lapera really likes swimming,why don't you sell her a pool or swimsuits," or whatever it is, and they can do integrated ads in the bank app, which is on the API. Those are all things they couldpotentially do, and that could be a major source of money for them. That's howFacebookmakes a lot of its money, ittracksyou around and lets businesses serve ads of websites that you recently visited. That could be huge.Maxfield: Yeah. Credit card companies, they'vealready made a significant amount of progress. If you look at Bank of America'srewards for their credit card, theBankAmericard, they haveindividualized rewards programs for customers that can be tailored based on a customer'stransaction history. The benefit there would be, if a bank,like we were talking about before the show, Gaby,let's say they know you loveChipotle. They have 10 millioncustomers who go to Chipotle once a week --because one of the things Chipotle is trying to do right now is getpeople to come more frequently to their stores after that whole issuethey had last year with food-borne illnesses -- Bank of America could go to Chipotle and say, "We have 10 millioncustomer who go to yourrestaurants once a week. Why don't we send a coupon to them and see if we can get them to go more frequently?" The benefit to banks would be, that moretransactions are processed. If I get a coupon forChipotle, rest assured I'm going to use it. You know what I mean? That would probably encourage me to go to Chipotle morefrequently, which means I would conduct another transaction, and banksmake money on those transactions from interchange fees.Lapera: Some do. It depends.Maxfield: So, there'sa number of different ways they could use it to generate revenue.Lapera: Yeah, that'sdefinitely really interesting. Side note, you're saying Chipotle wrong.Maxfield: [groans]I know! God,I've only been going there for, like,20 years.[laughs]Lapera: Yeah, they got you on that one last time, too. Listeners, it's not his fault. If you say it one way for years and years, it'sreally hard to break out of that habit. So,don't get mad. Don't write us emails about it. But, yeah,I 100%agree with you. It has boundless potential. But then,if they do figure out how to do thisand the federal government OKs it, they have a puzzle before them,which is figuring out a way to do thiswithout alienating people. And also,even if they do figure out a way to do it,if the federal government hasn't caught up with them,figuring out a way to do it without breaking the law,because there are a lot of laws surrounding what banks can do with your personal information.I don't think they could sell your name to a different company. Butif they could figure out a way to protect your information and sell you the ads,there's a lot of potentialchallenges for them here. AndI don't know about you, Maxfield, butsometimes I get really annoyed when ads follow me around the internet, and I'm like,I'm just not going to get on Facebook for three daysbecause I don't want to see thesefuzzyGucciloafers anymore.I'll send you a picture,I swear to God, if you email me industryfocus@fool.com, they're hideous. I warn you, you will befollowed around the internet for days by them. Not to make it personal or anything.[laughs]Maxfield: Buy Gaby's shoes,you'll be trailed by Gaby's shoes.Lapera: Ohmy gosh, I just don't understand,someone sent them to me, and be like, "Haha, look at these shoes!" AndI clicked on them and now they won't leave me alone. But, anyway, there's a lot of things to chew on there. And thenthe last thing I want to hit on super quick because we're running way over is cloud banking, which is basically the banks lettingother services like Amazon or Google to host their data centers, which is cheaper for the banks, then the banks have all their own data easilyat theirdisposal. But there are potentialproblems with it. For example, Amazon Web Services went down,was it this year or last year?I can't remember, but it was down for a whole day. That's no good.Maxfield: Yeah. And the big benefit -- cloud banking,it's good that we left this for last and won'tspend a lot of time on it because it's kind of boring. But,basically, what itallows banks to do is allows banks to shut down their data centers and outsource that to a largercompany like Amazon,Microsoft,IBM. It's a huge way to save money. Andwhen you consider how much data banks have, it's something that, a bank like JPMorgan Chase, ifthey eventually shut down the majority of their data centers to go over to anAmazon Web Services,it's hard to say how much they could save, buthundreds of millions of dollars, maybe even billions of dollars, over a stretch of time.Lapera: Yeah. Butthe puzzle for them to think on is security there, because they're letting other people run their security. So, it'ssomething they really need to think about, and something they need to make sure they keep, because that's why customers stay with them, because they feel banks are doing a good job of protecting their data and their money. If they don't, it's no good. Anyway, we don't have all the time in the world,and we definitely don't have all the answers in the world, but these are all things we think you guys should watch in this space. That's really it for the analysis part of the show. But,as I mentioned in the beginning, we have a special thing for our listeners this week. We love games at Fool HQ,puzzles and challenges area really big part of how we team-build and sparkcollaboration at the Fool. Welove them so much that we have achiefcollaboration officer,which is reallyhippy dippy but super cool,we have our own resident puzzle master named Todd Etter. This week,we wanted to let listeners in onsome of the fun that we have in the office andgive them a taste of one of Todd's challenges, so we asked him to put together apuzzle for you guys. Every day this weekeach host will wrap up the showwith a clue, andthe answer to that clue is a company name,and the company names from Monday to Friday will all fit into a final puzzle that will berevealed on the Friday Tech show. So,if you want to solvethe whole thing, you need to listen to every episode this week. What do you get for jumping through all of our clue hoops? The first 10 listeners to shoot us an email after Friday's show with the five company names and the final answer will get Fool swag. So,just the company names, we don't needany other answers to the clue. Fivecompany names andthe final answer. If you're ready, here is today's Financials clue: Take the common name of a financial company. Add a letter to the front to get something you might get at KFC. Add another letter in front to get a word to describe someone in debt. Add one more letter to the beginning to get anactivity a homeowner might do on the weekend. What is the financial company? Starting Friday, if you solve every clue, write in to industryfocus@fool.com with the email subject line "Puzzle" and the answers. Also, make sure to tell us your T-shirt size. If you're stumped and want the reveal, on May 12, we'll post them to The Motley Fool podcasts Facebook group and the Industry FocusTwitteraccount. To enter this contest, there'sno purchase necessary, and the contest is open to all legal residents of the United States and Canada,excepting residents of the province of Quebec over the age of 18. Employees,affiliates, and contractors and their families atThe Motley Fool LLCor any of their affiliates are not eligible. Void whereprohibited by law. For a complete list of contest rules, visit puzzle.fool.com.

As usual, people on the program may have interests in the stocks they talk about, and The Motley Fool may have recommendations for or against, so don't buy or sell stocksbased solely on what you hear. Super glad we're done with the legal language, because now I can slow down.Contact us at industryfocus@fool.com, or by tweeting us @MFIndustryFocus.Thank you to Austin Morgan. Have you solved the puzzle yet, Austin?Austin Morgan: I have not.Lapera: [laughs] Why not? You've had 30 whole seconds. And,thank you to everyone else all for joining us. Everyone have a great week!

Teresa Kersten is an employee of LinkedIn and is a member of The Motley Fool's board of directors. LinkedIn is owned by Microsoft. Gaby Lapera owns shares of JPMorgan Chase. John Maxfield owns shares of Bank of America, Chipotle Mexican Grill, Facebook, and Wells Fargo. The Motley Fool owns shares of and recommends Amazon, Apple, Chipotle Mexican Grill, Facebook, and Twitter. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
In this segment fromMotley Fool Answers, Alison Southwick and Robert Brokamp break down a proper investing and retirement strategy by decade.It's time to talk about our 40s -- the kids are growing up, and you're in your peak earning years now. So financially speaking, Brokamp says there are a few things you should be focused on at this time: saving hard for retirement, planning for college expenses, and updating your estate plan. Tune in to learn more.

A full transcript follows the video.

10 stocks we like better thanWal-MartWhen investing geniuses David and TomGardner have a stock tip, it can pay to listen. After all, the newsletter theyhave run for over a decade, the Motley Fool Stock Advisor, has tripled the market.*

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This podcast was recorded on April 18, 2017.

Southwick:Your 40s are an exciting time. Your kids are so busy with school and their friends that it gives you time to get to know you again. You'll do things like start a Styx cover band with your neighbors, and you'll lie to yourself and your friends that it's actually cool to drive a minivan. And it's practical, too, because of all those guitars and amps you'll have to haul around to open mic nights one day. Does that sound like your 40s, guys? Rush! Sorry. It's a Rush cover band.

Brokamp:No, Styx. Actually I was a big Styx fan before I was a big Rush fan.

Rick Engdahl:I just don't have time to practice my guitars.

Brokamp:Both of those work. Because Easter is coming up, at this point [my wife and I] we get the kids more little gifts than candy, and I got Styx' "Mr. Roboto" in eighth grade. My Easter basket. I still remember this many years later.

Southwick:Because it was the coolest thing ever.

Brokamp:Because it was the coolest thing ever. So 40s, three priorities. You want to be super saving for your retirement. And most people hit their peak earning years in their late 40s, early 50s. From the point from your 20s to your 40s, your income probably went up pretty significantly because you were climbing the corporate ladder. It starts to level off once you reach your late 40s, early 50s. You're about at where you're going to be, so you want to take advantage of that as much as possible. That's number one.

Number two is start planning for how you'll pay for college for the kids, and that means, of course, saving, but also arranging your finances to a certain degree for financial aid. You don't want to wait until the year before they go to college. You want to start doing that a good three years [in advance]. So if your kid is a sophomore in high school, you need to start thinking about arranging your finances for financial aid. And actually, even a freshman in high school is a better way to do that.

And then number three is to update your estate plan, which includes your life insurance. If you got your will and your life insurance back in your 30s when you first had kids and had your first house and all that stuff, a lot has changed since then. You might have had more kids. You've accumulated more assets. You probably own things that are not incorporated into your will. You're also earning more money, so you might need more life insurance. Now's the time of life to do that.

Southwick:And how much should you have saved for retirement in your 40s?

Brokamp:By the time you reach 40, ideally two to three times your household income. By your mid-40s you'll want to be around four times.

Southwick:Whoa!

Brokamp:Yes.

Southwick:Things accelerate.

Brokamp:And of course there's a lot of variation on this. It depends on your own situation. It depends on your income. It depends on whether you'll get a traditional pension or not. So these are rough guidelines, but they're good road signs along the way of whether you're roughly on track or not.

Southwick:And what's a big mistake to avoid in your 40s?

Brokamp:I would say actually spending too much on kids, as we've talked about. There was a good article inThe Wall Street Journallast year about mistakes to avoid and it quoted a financial planner at Compass Planning Associates in Boston. Her name is Jennifer Lane. She recommends that parents pay no more than 10% of income on expenses related to kids. I'd never heard that guideline before, but I liked it. She also said that giving kids allowances actually helps keep costs down. Her quote was: "They'll choose not to spend when it's their money versus your money," which I thought was pretty good.

So it's very difficult. You want to give your kids all that they want. You want to send them to camps. You want to get them whatever when it comes to clothes, and toys, or even college (the situation I'm in with my kids right now). We've looked at two colleges so far this year. One was UVA as a Virginia resident. One was Duke. There's about a $40,000 a year difference between those two schools.

Southwick:Yeah, so I know where you're leaning.

Brokamp:Right. But you just have to put it in the context of your own finances. You don't want to compromise your own financial security because if you don't take care of your own financial security, if you don't take care of your own retirement, it's going to fall back on your kids at some point.

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Last week, the Israeli Air Force more than doubled the size of its fleet of Lockheed Martin (NYSE: LMT) F-35 stealth fighter jets. Of course, that was easier than it sounds.

Israel took possession of its first two F-35s when they touched down at an air force basein the Negev last December. Last week, three more of the Lockheed Martin jets arrived at the Nevatim Air Force Base, more than doubling the F-35 composition of Israel's "Golden Eagle" squadron to five fighters. In the months and years ahead, Israel intends to acquire 45 more F-35s, with new jets arriving every few months until it has 50 F-35s total.

Israel's Minister of Defense Avigdor Lieberman in the first Israeli Air Force F-35 in June 2016. Image source: Lockheed Martin.

Israeli "awesomeness"

Israel plans to buy 50 F-35A conventional takeoff and landing (CTOL) stealth fighters from Lockheed, paying $110 million per plane for its first 33 F-35s, with prices dropping subsequently. (Admittedly, "paying" may be overstating the case. Israel will be using a big chunk of the $38 billion, 10-year military aid package that Congress recently approved for it to pay for its F-35s.)

Soon after taking possession, the Israelis will be modifying the aircraft, adding local components and transforming them into a variant it will call the F-35I "Adir." ("Adir" translates from Hebrew as "the mighty one" or, in modern slang, "awesomeness.")

And Israel is part of a steadily lengthening line of international buyers queuing up to purchase the F-35.

An awesome global fighter

In addition to the United States, eight other nationspartnered with Lockheed Martin to develop the F-35 for use by their Air Forces. And recently, even more countries -- not partners in the plane's development -- have expressed an interest in acquiring F-35s for their air forces.

Israel is among them, as are Japan and South Korea. And even more recently, Belgium has expressed an interest in exchanging its aging F-16 fighter jetsfor shiny new F-35s. So far, Lockheed has built and delivered "more than 200" F-35s globally. And in total, Lockheed Martin says partner and nonpartner countries have confirmed plans to acquire "nearly 700 F-35s," on top of the 2,443 planes that the United States military intends to buy for itself. That puts the anticipated size of F-35 deployments, worldwide, at well over 3,100 aircraft.

Here's a quick rundown of the major players to date, and how many F-35s they're planning to buy:

Country Planned Purchases to Date Australia 72F-35As Belgium No decision yet made Canada 65 F-35As planned, but may buyBoeing (NYSE: BA) F-18s instead Denmark 27F-35As Israel 50 F-35As Italy 60 F-35As, 30 F-35Bs Japan 42F-35As Netherlands Up to 37 planned, but only 8 authorized so far Norway 52 F-35As planned, but only 22 authorized so far South Korea 40F-35As Turkey 100 F-35As United Kingdom 138F-35Bs United States 1,763 F-35As, 353 F-35Bs, and 327 F-35Cs

Data source: Lockheed Martin.

Many buyers, but only one indispensable buyer

So as you can see, viewed in the most favorable light, and assuming all of the F-35 program partners and all of the non-partnered foreign buyers follow through on their announced intentions, total non-U.S. purchases could add up to 713 aircraft. (Or they might not. If Canada, for example, ultimately pulls out of the program, that would drop the number of non-U.S. F-35 orders well below 700.)

Still, with Pentagon purchases making up 78.5% of all anticipated F-35 sales, the U.S. really is the "indispensable buyer" in this project. Cancellations or reductions in purchases by any other country would incrementally hurt the economics of the program, making it harder for Lockheed Martin to achieve scale of production and drive the F-35's price down. By the same token, though, new international buyers could emerge to take their place. In addition to Belgium, for example, Lockheed Martin is said to be in talks with both Spain and Switzerland about possibly acquiring the F-35.

Meanwhile, so long as the U.S. remains "all-in" on the F-35, this program should remain viable.

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There are more breweries in existence today than at any other time in U.S. history, and the mega-brewers are finding their watered-down suds being rejected in favor of more flavorful craft beers, while craft brewers are having trouble gaining more than just a sliver of the pie because there's just too much choice on package store shelves and on tap at local bars.

Changing drinker preferences are also wreaking havoc with sales as consumers have increasingly exhibited a fondness for spirits and wine, which are enjoying newfound popularity. Add in the growing movement to legalize marijuana sales, which gives people a different way to catch a buzz, and the beer industry looks like it's reached an inflection point.

Image source: Getty Images.

Over a barrel

According to the Brewers Association, there are more than 5,300 breweries in operation in the U.S. producing almost 197 million barrels of beer last year. While 99% of the breweries are craft brewers, they accounted for 24 million barrels in 2016, up 6% year over year, or 12.3% of the total.

Despite this seeming healthy growth, the biggest brewers are having problems. Anheuser-Busch InBev (NYSE: BUD) produced over 500 million hectoliters globally in 2016, or about 13.2 billion gallons (about 425 million barrels), though on an organic growth basis, that was down 2% from the year before. In comparison, leading craft brewer Boston Beer (NYSE: SAM) produced 974,000 barrels last year, up 1.7%, but saw depletions, or sales to distributors and retailers, an industry proxy for demand, fall 5% year over year.

At the same time, spirits demand, particularly forAmerican whiskey, has never been stronger. The Distilled Spirits Council of the U.S. says bourbon, Tennessee whiskey, and rye enjoyed an 8% jump in sales last year to $3.1 billion, with volumes rising 6.8% to 21.8 million cases.

Similarly, sales of U.S.-produced wines are also enjoying a rebirth of interest. Revenues hit $39.8 billion last year, a 5% increase from 2015, and if you include imported wines, sales rose to $60 billion. According to the market researchers at IRI Worldwide, wine now holds 32.9% of the adult beverage dollar share, compared to beer, which saw its dollar share decline 0.3% to 49.2% of the total.

Image source: Getty Images.

Going sky high

The added wrinkle in these changing preferences is what role legalized marijuana will play in beer sales. There are 26 states and the District of Columbia that have legalized marijuana to some extent, with California, Massachusetts, Maine, and Nevada all passing ballot measures last November to allow recreational use.

Analysts have pointed to beer sale volumes falling somewhat in states that legalized marijuanalike Washington, Oregon, and Colorado as a cause for the shortfall, and the question intrigued the folks at Foursquare, which analyzes anonymous, aggregated foot-traffic data.

Because the location intelligence outfit has recorded nearly 11 billion check-ins from the 50 million monthly users across both its Foursquare City Guide and Foursquare Swarm, a "game of life," where you can earn real-world perks as well as fun accomplishments, such as being named mayor of a spot if you check in there enough times, it can get a sense of where people are going.

It dove deep into the data from Oregon to see just what effect, if any, weed legalization has had on alcohol sales. It was seen as a perfect test case since Oregon legalized it in October 2015, giving it the ability to make year-over-year comparisons in a state where, because of its recency, any impact would be immediately identifiable.

Image source: Getty Images.

Good news, bad news

The downside for the beer industry seems to be that while consumers are still visiting liquor stores in Oregon, they're not visiting them with as much frequency as they are elsewhere in the country. Although statewide liquor store visits grew by 5% to 10% between 2015 and 2016,the national average was twice that, suggesting Oregonians haven't been drinking at home quite as much as the rest of the country since marijuana legalization was approved.

The upside, though, is that bars, nightclubs, and lounges don't appear to have been affected by legalization at all as statewide visits in Oregon matched the 3% growth such venues registered nationally. That suggests bars may be more insulated from legalization than packaged-goods stores, and the "Netflix and chill" phenomenon doesn't quite seem to translate to the marijuana issue.

It's also important to note that Foursquare's data doesn't measure sales, only visits, and with the increased popularity of spirits and wine, it doesn't mean brewers can hope for bars to offset any decline at liquor stores; people might not be buying beer regardless of whether they're going out to a club or hanging out at home.

We've noted before that the beer industry, particularly craft brewers, is increasingly becoming a victim of its own success. Having grown to such a size, they are now primed for consolidation. If Foursquare's data is any indication, at least in states where marijuana has been legalized, it may hasten the shakeout set to occur.

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Police in Ireland are refusing to comment on a blasphemy complaint and investigation involving British comedian Stephen Fry.

The inquiry came to light when the Irish Independent newspaper reported Saturday that a member of the public had contacted police about remarks Fry made in 2015 to Irish broadcaster RTE.

The individual told the newspaper it was his duty to complain under the Defamation Act, which makes blasphemy a crime punishable by a fine of up to 25,000 euros ($27,500.)

In the interview, Fry was asked what he would say if he were confronted by God.

He replied: "How dare you create a world in which there is such misery that is not our fault? It's not right."

Police say they won't comment on an ongoing investigation."

Fry's agent, Christian Hodell, didn't immediately respond to an email seeking comment.
The Food and Drug Administration announced Friday it approved a new drug to help treat amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, commonly known as ALS or Lou Gehrigs disease.

The agency said it approved the drug Radicava, or edaravone, the first new drug approved to treat ALS in 22 years. The only other drug used specifically to treat ALS is riluole, which was approved in 1995.

After learning about the use of edaravone to treat ALS in Japan, we rapidly engaged with the drug developer about filing a marketing application in the United States, Eric Bastings, M.D., deputy director of the Division of Neurology Products in the FDAs Center for Drug Evaluation and Research said.

This is the first new treatment approved by the FDA for ALS in many years, and we are pleased that people with ALS will now have an additional option.

The new drug is administered intravenously with two weeks of daily treatments and a two-week break. Tests on more than 100 patients showed the drug slowed some of the effects of the disease, which eventually paralyzes patients. The disease is always leads to death and there is no cure.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that about 12,000 to 15,000 Americans suffer from the disease. Most people die from respiratory failure caused from ALS.

However, the drug comes at a price. Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma Corporation told The New York Times that it will cost $145,524 a year. The company said it would provide some co-pay assistance.
LGBT Canadians are furious after a Catholic school district canceled performances of a play about gender identity  meant for children as young as 5 years old.

I fear these cancellations may be based on misinformation, grown out of fear, intolerance, transphobia, homophobia and misogyny, wrote Jessica Carmichael, the artistic director of the Carousel Playhouse.

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The playhouse had been scheduled to perform a play called, Boys, Girls and Other Mythological Creatures. The show had already been booked in five elementary schools in the Niagara Catholic School District.

The play features an 8-year-oid boy who dresses as a girl and questions his gender, The Globe and Mail reports.

In the play, Simon(e) feels boxed in by the restrains of gender, Carmichael wrote in a letter posted on the playhouse website.

It turns out the Canadian government believes its appropriate to discuss transgenderism with small children  without their parents being present. Im surprised the actors didnt try to give the kids condoms.

Carmichael defended the production by referring to guidelines approved by the Ontario Ministry of Indoctrinationpardon me  Ministry of Education.

The curriculum states: It is also critical to student success to create an atmosphere in which students of all body shapes and sizes, abilities, gender identities and sexual orientations, and ethnocultural, racial and religious backgrounds feel accepted, comfortable and free from harassment.

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The play was initially performed for one Catholic grade school  and it did not take them long to realize the content was definitely not age appropriate.

The school district released a statement explaining that the play was not originally presented as a play about gender identity.

Kudos to Catholic educators for standing their ground and ordering the playhouse to pack up and get out of their schoolhouses.

And while LGBT groups are accusing the Catholics of being homophobic and transphobic, others are applauding their resolve.

Its appalling for any school board, let alone a Catholic one, to use a cutesy play to force gender ideology and whatever the latest social fad is on kids who are nowhere near equipped to process this information, education activist Tanya Allen told LifeSiteNews.

As I wrote in my new book, The Deplorables Guide to Making America Great Again, grade schools have been turned into left-wing indoctrination centers. Its imperative for parents to engage with educators so they can fight back against the social justice warriors.

Otherwise, American and Canadian schools will simply become playgrounds for the gender and sex revolutionaries.
First of all, a sigh of relief is in order. The election of Marine Le Pen in Frances presidential election on Sunday would have been bad news for France, for the United States, and for the world. Le Pen is no friend of conservatism  instead, as my AEI colleague Marc Thiessen put it, she is the left's caricature of Trump come to life.

At home, her agenda of economic protectionism and government-led reindustrialization would lead the French economy closer to a precipice of a disaster. She advocated the withdrawal of France from the common European currency. Sure, the introduction of the Euro might have been an instance of overreach by European leaders at the time. However, Frexit, which would have been likely accompanied by a default on Frances sovereign debt, could trigger a global financial panic of a magnitude far exceeding the experience of 2008 and 2009.

Le Pens ties to Moscow are well known, including 11m worth of loans from Russia. The hacking of the emails of the campaign of her opponent, Emmanuel Macron, revealed just before the end of the campaign, does not appear accidental. Le Pen repeatedly denied that there had been a Russian invasion of Ukraine and asserted that Crimea, annexed illegally by Vladimir Putin in 2014, had always been Russian.

Like the United States in 2016, France is living through a moment of public discontent with politics. The grievances behind the anger directed at the political class are real. Yet, those who are trying to draw parallels with the US election need to be careful. For one, Emmanuel Macron is no Hillary Clinton.

Sure, the 39-year old former banker and a graduate of one of the countrys most elite educational institutions, the Ecole nationale dadministration, might be seen vaguely as a member of the countrys establishment. Yet, he does not exude entitlement nor does he have a corrupt, self-serving political dynasty behind him. Notwithstanding the WikiLeaks' dump of 9 gigabytes of stolen data from servers of his campaign on Friday, the most controversial thing about Frances president-elect seems to be the fact that he is married to his high school teacher, 24 years his elder.

None of this is meant to suggest that Macrons decisive victory on Sunday is in itself a cause for celebrations. Just like in the case of former president Barack Obama, Macrons biggest strength  the fact that people on the left and right are able to project their own ideas of hope and renewal on him  might easily become his biggest weakness.

In particular, unless the government he appoints moves aggressively to liberalize Frances labor markets, liberalize areas of the economy shielded from competition, and drive down the cost of doing business, the country will not see a return of economic dynamism. To be sure, France is far from being an economic basket case  its per capita income is comparable to that of the United Kingdom. However, with a growth rate of a mere 1.4 percent, the French economy is failing to generate economic opportunities. Since the onset of the crisis of 2008, youth unemployment has exceeded 20 percent and hundreds of thousands of particularly young French have left the country in search of jobs.

Red tape remains an acute problem too. According to the World Banks Doing Business project, France ranks 100th in the world in the ease of registering property, behind Uzbekistan and Burundi. If an entrepreneur in France buys a piece of real estate, he will spend three times as much time dealing with bureaucrats than in an average developed economy.

Among other promises, Macron has vowed to change all that and turn France into a much more flexible and dynamic place, friendly to entrepreneurs and start-ups. But the necessary reforms are going to upset influential interest groups, particularly trade unions. Unless he can seize the window of opportunity of the first months of his presidency to radically transform the French economy, his presidency risks being a simple continuation of the status quo. That would make a 2022 victory by a candidate of either the far left or the far-right inevitable.
So, France has taken the easy way out, and voted for more of the same.

Yes, Emmanuel Macron, the president-elect who won nearly two out of three votes cast Sunday, portrayed himself as an outsider. But what policies does he advocate that back up that claim?

He wants France to stay in the European Union and continue its open borders policy that has brought thousands of Muslim immigrants to France. When asked what he would do about Islamic terrorism, candidate Macron said: This threat will be a fact of daily life in the coming years. Hows that for taking decisive action?

His victory over Marine Le Pen, the right-wing candidate who got further than many expected her to by finishing a close second to Macron in the first round of presidential balloting, will calm Frances neighbors for the time being. The stock markets across the continent, which hate uncertainty, point to big gains in the immediate aftermath of the election.

The problem for Macron, a 39-year-old former investment banker and a member of the cabinet of the deeply unpopular incumbent, Francois Hollande, is that he might not be able to scrape up enough support in parliament to govern effectively.

He will have to wheedle deals with the established political parties  the right-leaning Republicans and the left-wing Socialists, to secure a majority in the National Assembly. Even if he accomplishes that, he will have to convince the deeply skeptical electorate that they have put someone in power who can break the tired mold of French politics being entrusted to a small circle of elite, and often corrupt insiders.

Perhaps most tellingly, a quarter of registered voters simply didnt cast ballots in the second round, either disgusted by both candidates or not caring enough to show up.

Le Pen, who could never quite shake off the charge that she is a racist and an extremist, offered an unfettered vision of nationalism and a return to French independence from the EU. Haunted by the memory of her father Jean-Marie Le Pen, who founded the National Front as an unabashed anti-Semite and Holocaust denier, Marine Le Pen could only tell voters that she was not her fathers ideological successor.

Le Pen performed badly in the heated debates she had with Macron. Partly as a result of that, her own party will probably stage a revolt against her in the near future. Having come so far since the last elections that put Hollande in office five years ago, the Front will want to find new leadership that is not tainted with the name Le Pen.

France has halted  for the time being  the slide toward populism that the Brexit vote and Donald Trumps election began. It remains to be seen if Macrons France will satisfy those French citizens tired of taking orders from the bureaucrats in Brussels.
For the last few weeks the most violent city in the world has been not Baghdad, not Kabul, but Caracas, a city right on our doorstep. Venezuela, a country awash with natural resources, has been systematically dismantled by two socialist dictators in two decades. Economic mismanagement, nationalization and expropriation of private enterprise, exorbitant corruption, and a trickle-down culture of cronyism and impunity have left Venezuela as the poorest nation in the Americas; right on our doorstep.

With the 2013 death of Hugo Chavez, things have gone from bad to worse. His successor Nicolas Maduro has hammered rusty nails into the coffin of Venezuelan democracy. With all the powers removed from the opposition-led parliament, the Supreme Court filled with regime cronies, the constitution undermined at every step, and pro-democracy voices silenced by imprisonment and torture, Venezuelans have been pushed to the very edge. A true state of terror; right on our doorstep.

As the political oppression continues, mismanagement and corruption have caused an unprecedented humanitarian crisis in Venezuela. The medical system is collapsing, diseases are rife and spreading. There is no food on the shelves, and more than 80% of Venezuelans are struggling to meet the recommended daily allowance of calories. Children  given up by parents who cannot afford to feed them  now wander the streets hungry. Kidnapping for ransom has even become an all too common source of income. Chaos, anarchy, helplessness; right on our doorstep.

It is no surprise that the people have therefore decided to protest. A basic human right, after all. The last few weeks have witnessed protest after protest. Pictures coming out of Venezuela show popular desperation met head-on with state-sponsored brutality. The regimes security forces (the National Guard and the National Police) have restricted access to Caracas ahead of every march. They have incited pro-government counter-protests and armed gangs  colectivos - to attack the peaceful pro-democracy protestors. Maduro, on a daily basis, deploys his bullies to repel women, children, and elderly protestors with tear gas, pepper spray, high-pressure water cannons, and even live fire. All on our doorstep.

Since the protests started, more than 1,400 peaceful demonstrators have been arrested. At least half them are still being detained, including local and foreign journalists whose only crime has been their commitment to cover the protests.And when you are arrested in Caracas, you arent read your rights - you are thrown into one of Maduros infamous dungeons, and more often than not, tortured. Yes, this is all happening on our doorstep.

So as the number of dead protestors over the last two weeks reaches thirty, and desperate Venezuelans flee across borders, what are we going to do about it?

For President Trump, this is a real opportunity to support democracy, support freedom, and support basic human rights. Sanctions against the corrupt Venezuelan leadership and their cronies will show the Americas that the United States of America will not stand by in silence.

The President should use the smart power at his disposal to make sure that, at least in this part of the world, freedom reigns. Because neither America, nor the Americas, can ever be great again while this human tragedy unfolds under our own eyes, right on our doorstep.
A Republican congressman from western New York has gotten an earful from constituents over his vote to repeal the federal health care law commonly called ObamaCare.

The Post-Journal of Jamestown reports Rep. Tom Reed was booed during a town hall meeting Saturday in Busti.

Reed defended his vote Thursday to repeal the Affordable Care Act and said there is misinformation about the replacement bill that narrowly passed the House of Representatives.

Some residents brought signs that said Repeal and Replace Tom Reed and Reed Took Away Pre-Existing Coverage.

@RepTomReed You're done. I don't usually vote in the midterms, but i will now. Start packing your bags you muppet.  Alex Cepero (@amazins_86) May 5, 2017

Attendees at an earlier town hall in Hinsdale said theyre afraid theyll lose coverage for pre-existing conditions, including cancer and diabetes.

Reed told them he hopes the new health bill will bring down costs. He said the current law is collapsing.

Similarly, across the country, Republican Rep. Raul Labrador of Idaho faced a chorus of boos after claiming nobody dies due to lack of health care at a town hall on Friday.

According to AOL, video of the incident shows the congressman advocating for the newly passed bill in front of constituents at a town hall at Lewis-Clark State College in Lewiston, Idahobefore the crowd is suddenly outraged by the representatives response to a question about Medicare cuts.

You are making a mandate that will kill people, said a woman who stood up and challenged the Idaho representative over the newly passed bill.

Other House Republicans are bracing themselves for encounters with angry constituents when they return to their districts this weekend.

Rep. Tom MacArthur (R-N.J.), the centrist who negotiated the amendment that helped bring the House GOPs healthcare bill over the finish line, expects his town hall next Wednesday could get rowdy. MacArthur noted the event is being held in Willingboro, N.J., where he only won 10 percent of the vote in the last election.

This is a not a town thats going to perhaps be thrilled with this. But I will meet my constituents and talk to them and tell them why and help them understand that what they hear in the media and what fearmongerers are trying to whip up is simply not the truth, MacArthur said to The Hill just off the House floor after Thursdays 217-213 vote on the healthcare bill.
President Donald Trump took to Twitter Sunday to congratulate Emmanuel Macron on his overwhelming victory in the French presidential election.

Trump congratulated Macron on his "big win" in the second round of voting and said he looks forward to working with France's new leader. He didn't immediately extend an invitation for Macron to visit the White House.

Macron, 39, defeated Marine Le Pen to become the youngest president in the 59-year history of the French Fifth Republic.

A White House statement congratulated "Macron and the people of France on their successful presidential election.

"We look forward to working with the new President and continuing our close cooperation with the French government," the statement added.

Trump had not expressed support for either candidate in France's election, although he predicted last month that an attack on police officers in Paris could help Le Pen because she is "the strongest on borders."

Macron's embrace of globalization won him an unusually high-profile endorsement last week from former President Barack Obama. An aide to Obama said Sunday he was not expected to comment on the day of the results.



"I have admired the campaign that Emmanuel Macron has run," Obama said in a video endorsement message. "He has stood up for liberal values; he put forward a vision for the important role that France plays in Europe and around the world; and he is committed to a better future for the French people. He appeals to people's hopes, and not their fears."

Other current and former U.S. lawmakers, including former President Bill Clinton and New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, congratulated Macron for defeating the anti-European Union and anti-immigration Le Pen in a race that prompted comparisons to last year's American presidential election, as well as the June "Brexit" vote by the United Kingdom to leave the EU.

Cuomo's tweet referenced the Statue of Liberty, a gift to the U.S. from France in 1886.

Congratulations to President-elect @EmmanuelMacron and the French people.  Bill Clinton (@billclinton) May 7, 2017

#France is America's close ally & good friend. I look forward to working w/ @EmmanuelMacron to strengthen relations & advance shared values  Marco Rubio (@marcorubio) May 7, 2017

Today France chose Liberty, Equality & Fraternity over Discrimination, Bigotry & a Stupid Wall. #frenchelection2017  Ted Lieu (@tedlieu) May 7, 2017

I congratulate Emmanuel Macron for his victory and applaud the French people's rejection of isolationism #Frenchelections2017  Senator Ben Cardin (@SenatorCardin) May 7, 2017

The loser of last November's election, Hillary Clinton, tweeted her own congratulations to Macron and included a reference to hacking attacks that targeted her and Macron's campaign, as well as a shot at the news media.
White House Chief of Staff Reince Priebus expressed confidence Sunday that the Republican-led Senate will now do its part to pass an ObamaCare overhaul measure for President Trump to sign and tried to assure the public that Trump will keep his campaign promise that all Americans will have health insurance under a new plan.

Its up to the Senate to make improvements if theyre to be made, Priebus told Fox News Sunday. Everyone is excited and ready to go to work and take the time necessary to look at the bill.  No ones going to be beating down their door."

Priebus also said he spoke with several key senators after the GOP-led House on Thursday passed an ObamaCare overhaul measure and that hes confident about the Senate crafting a measure compatible with the House version that Trump could sign into law.

He said the House version -- which replaces the problematic 2010 health care law known as the Affordable Care Act -- fulfills Trumps promise to provide comprehensive and affordable insurance to Americans, amid concerns that those with pre-existing conditions will no longer be covered.

Its a binary choice between what we know is a collapsing system offering no options, no coverage and getting to a place that is calamitous for Americans across the country, or a system in place that offers coverage, . . . offers lower premiums, he told Fox. This president is not going to let you down.

Trump on Sunday tweeted: "Republican Senators will not let the American people down! ObamaCare premiums and deductibles are way up -- it was a lie and it is dead!"

Priebus also tried to put some muscle behind Trumps suggestion about a potential government shutdown in September if congressional Democrats continue to try to keep money out of the federal budget for the presidents priorities, including a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border.

As far as the fight coming down the pike in September, were going to be ready for that fight, he told Fox News. And were going to make sure that President Trumps priorities continue.

He also suggested that House Republicans in next year's midterm elections will be rewarded by voters for changes to ObamaCare, amid Democrats boasting about a wave election in which they'll retake the chamber.

"I believe this is going to be a better product," he said. "And by the time people see that the premiums are lower, theres a better service, there's more options and more choices, they're going to reward the Republicans that sat up and said, 'We are not going to see the ObamaCare system, which is failing and collapsing, continue any longer."
The sister of White House senior adviser Jared Kushner reportedly pushed Chinese citizens in a presentation at a Beijing hotel to invest hundreds of dollars in a luxury New Jersey apartment complex that would help them obtain an investor visa.

Nichole Kushner Meyer made the pitch at a Ritz-Carlton in front of wealthy Chinese investors as investors were told to invest sooner rather than later in case the Trump administration changes the visa rules, The Washington Post reported Saturday. A tagline on the brochure reportedly read: Invest $500,000 and immigrate to the United States.

Though Jared Kushner was not part of the event, his sisters work in China for the Kushner family shows how his private business affairs could collide with his work in the Trump administration. Kushner has reportedly divested from parts of his family business, including the project in Beijing.

Ethics officials reportedly slammed the event, calling it an attempt to cash-in on Kushners influence in China.

Its incredibly stupid and highly inappropriate, Richard Painter, the former chief White House ethics lawyer for President George W. Bush, told The Washington Post. They clearly imply that the Kushners are going to make sure you get your visa. Theyre not going to take a chance. Of course theyre going to want to invest.

The program Meyer flouted in the presentation Saturday is called the EB-5 immigrant investor visa program. It allows wealthy foreign investors who are willing to invest large sums in U.S. projects that create jobs to apply to immigrate to the U.S., according to The Post. The Trump and Kushner businesses have both benefited from the visa program, according to Bloomberg. Jared Kushner had raised some $50 million from visa applicants for a Trump-backed apartment building in Jersey City, N.J.

The newspaper noted that the program is popular among rich Chinese citizens who are eager to get their families out of the country. However, the Government Accountability Office said in 2015 that the EB-5 program carried a high risk of fraud and had no reliable method to verify the source of the funds of petitioners.

The program had previously been scrutinized by Congress, saying it essentially sells visas to wealthy foreigners.

Click for more from The Washington Post.
At least 7,000 bodies could be buried on the University of Mississippi Medical Center campus, officials have estimated.

The bodies are former patients of the states first mental institution and underground radar revealed that their coffins stretch 20 acres across campus where the school wants to develop, The Clarion-Ledger reported Saturday.

School officials have ran into an issue in exhuming the bodies: cost. The newspaper reported that it could cost $3,000 to exhume and rebury each body, an effort that could cost up to $21 million.

The school is looking for cheaper alternatives in handling the exhumations possibly bringing down the yearly cost to $400,000 over the next eight years. The school is also looking at possibly creating a memorial for the bodies and opening a visitors center and a lab to study the remains, the paper reported.

It would be a unique resource for Mississippi, Molly Zuckerman, an associate anthropology professor at the school, told The Clarion-Ledger. It would make Mississippi a national center on historical records relating to health in the pre-modern period, particularly those being institutionalized.

The Insane Asylum was completed in 1855 to move the mentally ill from chains in jails to better living conditions, though life in the institution remained harsh. The newspaper reported that of the 1,376 patients who were admitted between 1855 and 1877, more than one in five patients died.

The facility eventually moved in 1935 to its present location of the State Hospital at Whitfield. School officials discovered 66 coffins in 2013 while starting constructing a road on the campus.

By 2014, 1,000 more coffins were found when the school was constructing a parking garage. School officials now believe there are Around 7,000 coffins in the area.

Click for more from The Clarion-Ledger.
Two Massachusetts doctors were found in their luxury Boston condo Friday night with their throats slashed, police said.

Authorities in Boston identified the couple as Richard Field, 49, and Lina Bolanos, 38. They were found dead on the 11th floor of the Macallan Building in their residence, Fox 25 Boston reported.

Police arrested Bampumin Teixeira, 30, in connection with the murders. The station reported that police responded to a call of a man with a gun in the area. As police arrived, Teixeira began firing at the officers. Police returned fire and hit the man several times, but did not kill him.

Teixeira has a criminal record. He pleaded guilty to two bank robberies  one in 2014 and the other in 2016. In both instances, he passed the bank teller a note saying he had a weapon but never brandished one. Fox 25 Boston reported that he will be arraigned Monday on a long list of charges.

Field was a doctor at North Shore Pain management and served as an anesthesiologist and pain management specialist at several other places.

"His tragic and sudden passing leaves an inescapable void in all of us. Our deepest thoughts are with his friends and family," North Shore Pain management said in a statement.

Bolanos was a pediatric anesthesiologist at Massachusetts Eye and Ear.

UPDATE: Victims found murdered in S. Boston condo both anesthesiologists, Dr. Lina Bolanos (pictured) & Dr. Richard Field. They were engaged pic.twitter.com/CDOEKcVog2  Elysia Rodriguez (@ElysiaBoston25) May 6, 2017

"Dr. Bolanos was an outstanding pediatric anesthesiologist and a wonderful colleague in the prime of both her career and life. We will do all we can to support their families and our staff members who are processing this senseless tragedy and grieving an enormous loss," John Fernandez, president and CEO of Massachusetts Eye and Ear, said in a statement.

The specialty hospital added that Bolanos and Field were engaged to be married.

Click for more from Fox 25 Boston.
Chicago police say two plainclothes officers shot last week were mistaken for rival street-gang members and that other gang members cooperated with police when that became clear.

Chicago Police Commander Brendan Deenihan spoke to reporters Sunday about the South Side shooting.

Deenihan said several La Raza gang members helped identify a driver and a shooter who opened fire from a van Tuesday. He said they knew it was "a different game" once they realized police, not rivals, were shot as they sat in an unmarked car.

Police on Saturday announced attempted murder charges against the alleged driver, 18-year-old Angel Gomez. The shooter is still being sought.

One officer was shot in the arm and hip and the other in the back. They've both been released from hospital.
A Red Wing family was evacuated from their burning home Saturday morning, after their dog woke them up.

At 1:56 a.m., the Red Wing Fire Department responded to a call about a garage fire on the 1900 block of Burton Street.

Paramedics responded within five minutes, only to find the garage fully engulfed in flames. Flames and smoke extended into the house, damaging the second floor and attic.

Everybody in the house was evacuated safely, including a cat who was administered oxygen before being returned to the family.

After about two and a half hours, five fire engines and 35 firefighters were able to extinguish the fire. All fire personnel were unharmed.

The cause of the fire is still under investigation.

Read more from FOX 9.
The condemned Illinois home where a 16-month-old girl was found dead last month was set on fire and burned to the ground.

Deputies are conducting a criminal investigation into little Semaj Crosbys death and had just returned the home to the owner a few days ago, the Chicago Sun-Times reported.

It wasnt clear what impact Saturday's fire may have on the probe.

East Joliet Fire Chief Robert Scholtes said arsonists most likely started the fire, the paper reported.

Semaj was found under a couch in the home on April 26. She had been reported missing 33 hours earlier. Deputies have not said how she died.

ILLINOIS TODDLER SEMAJ CROSBY'S DEATH AN 'ONGOING CRIMINAL INVESTIGATION,' REPORT SAYS

She was buried Friday, the day before the fire, the Sun Times reported.

Police who searched for Semaj said the home was in deplorable condition. They said as many as 15 people were living there, and some of them were squatters. The home was later declared unfit for habitation.

When firefighters arrived around 6 a.m. Saturday the house was engulfed in flames, the paper reported. Firefighters said there was nothing they could do to save it.

This is a ghastly turn of events for a community that was already wounded by the death of a 16-month-old who lived here, state lawmaker Pat McGuire said Saturday, according to the paper. The wound is even deeper.

MISSING ILLINOIS GIRL, 1, FOUND DEAD IN 'SQUATTER' HOME

Rumors had been circulating that the house was going to be set on fire.

They had even been heard by East Joliet firefighters, Scholtes told the Chicago Tribune.
An Oregon high school is receiving some blowback after one of its teachers wrote a three-page opinion piece on rape culture and distributed it to students and fellow staff members.

David Lickeys paper was addressed to Grant High Schools esteemed students and Mr. Leeman, The Oregonian reported Saturday. The piece starts with Lickey apologizing for interrupting your lesson and the train of your discussion in a way that was disruptive. He continues to go on about defining what rape culture is.

I don't see it in my life or the lives of any of the men and women I have known. I have never met a person who believes rape is anything other than a heinous crime, he wrote.

Lickey concludes by asking those who disagree with his thoughts to come to him.

Principal Carol Campbell sent a message to parents Friday apologizing to students and parents and offered support sessions.

The perspective of the teacher does not reflect nor support our approach to educating students on sexual assault, Campbell said. A strong contradictory argument should be accompanied by counter arguments from credible sources. In this case, the document was shared with many students and staff with very little context. We apologize for any harm or negative impact.

Its unclear what punishment, if any, Lickey may face.

Click for more from The Oregonian.
France's election campaign commission said Saturday that it is examining the reported hacking attack on candidate Emmanuel Macron's political movement and subsequent document leaks online.

It urged French media not to publish the documents, warning that some of them are "probably" fake. It also urged citizens not to relay the data on social media to protect the integrity of the French vote.

French electoral law imposed a blackout Saturday and most of Sunday on any campaigning and media coverage seen as swaying the election, to allow voters a period of reflection before casting their ballots.

The Macron team asked the campaign oversight commission Saturday to bring in cybersecurity agency ANSSI to study the hack, according to a government official who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because they weren't authorized to discuss the details publicly.

ANSSI can only be called in for cases where the cyberattack is "massive and sophisticated"  and the Macron hack appears to fit the bill, the official said.

Someone on 4chan  a site known, among other things, for cruel hoaxes and political extremism  posted links to a large set of data Friday night.

Macron is seen as the favorite going into Sunday's runoff against far-right leader Marine Le Pen, with most polls showing him leading the National Front candidate by double digits.

The hacking incident comes at time when many have said that the future of the European Union and its currency, the Euro, hang in the balance depending on what voters decide Sunday.

Macron, a former investment banker and centrist, is widely seen as being pro-immigration and in favor of continuing and strengthening the European Union.

Le Pen, a hard-right nationalist, is in favor of closing borders and protecting the French economy from the force of globalization. She is the daughter of Jean-Marie Le Pen, a convicted Holocaust denier who has dismissed the Nazi gas chambers as a "detail of history."

Fears of hacking, fake news manipulation and Russian meddling clouded the French campaign but had largely gone unrealized  until late Friday's admission by Macron's campaign that it had suffered a coordinated online pirate attack had led to the leak of campaign emails and financial documents. It was unclear who was behind the hack and the leak.

U.S. intelligence agencies said they have definitive evidence that Russia was behind the hacking of Democratic email accounts, with the aim of benefiting Donald Trump's campaign and harming his Democratic opponent, Hillary Clinton.

Putin has long denied such claims. On Tuesday, during a tense meeting with German Chancellor Angela Merkel, the Russian president was forced to again deny reports of Russian meddling in international elections.

Merkel said she was confident that Germany can weather any disinformation campaign targeting Germany's upcoming election. Asked about the threat during the news conference, she cited two recent incidents of what she described as "gross misinformation."

Le Pen, meanwhile, told The Associated Press that she believes she can pull off a surprise victory in the high-stakes vote that could change Europe's direction.

Le Pen has lately played down her plans to quit the EU and the euro, saying this may not be her top priority. But if she wins, the euro will fall around 5 percent in the immediate aftermath, a Reuters poll found this week.

A campaign blackout starting minutes after the Macron team announcement means that Le Pen's campaign can't legally comment on the leak.

In a statement, Macron's En Marche movement said the hack took place a few weeks ago, and that the leaked documents have been mixed with false documents to "seed doubt and disinformation" and destabilize Sunday's presidential runoff. Hillary Clinton's U.S. presidential campaign suffered similar leaks, and also said that authentic documents were mixed with false documents.

The documents' release just before France enters a roughly two-day-long blackout means that the leak may have very little impact beyond the overheated world of Twitter and Reddit.

On the other hand, the messages' release just before France's political machinery shuts down for the weekend might mean that talk of the leak - regardless of its veracity - will dominate dinner table conversations as French voters make up their minds Saturday.

The candidates stopped campaigning at midnight Friday to give voters a day of reflection before the election. It's a stark choice: Le Pen's anti-immigration, anti-European Union platform, or Macron's liberal, pro-EU stance.

From depressed northern France to the streets of Paris, few voters seemed aware Saturday of the hacking attack on Macron's team  although several were looking forward to the end of a vitriolic campaign.

In Henin-Beaumont in northern France, where Le Pen will cast her ballot on Sunday, 28-year-old Thomas Delannoy said the campaign "looks like reality TV." The construction painter called the electoral process "laughable," saying that neither candidate had a platform he could identify with.

Macron will vote Sunday in the seaside town of Le Touquet, where his wife Brigitte went for a walk Saturday with her daughter and grandchildren.

The Associated Press contributed to this report
At least 50,000 people are being forced out of the center of Hannover after five unexploded World War II bombs were discovered.

People living in the city, as well as businesses, have been told to ensure their water, electricity and gas supplies are turned off before they leave.

It is one of the biggest post-war operations to diffuse devices, mostly dropped in aerial attacks by Allied forces.

Bomb disposal expert Chris Hunter described the find as "quite a significant incident", telling Sky News: "We don't tend to see five at once."

7,000 BODIES FROM MENTAL INSTITUTION BELIEVED BURIED ON MISSISSIPPI CAMPUS

Among the people moving out of a densely populated area are elderly residents of retirement and nursing homes. Transport throughout the city is also being disrupted.

For those affected, authorities have laid on a range of sports, cultural and leisure activities, including trips to museums and film screenings.

Mr Hunter explained that a property boom and construction work are among the reasons for an increase in the discovery of WWII bombs, as well as people spending more time outdoors as the weather gets warmer.

FROZEN IN TIME: DNA MAY ID SAILORS LOOKING FOR NORTHWEST PASSAGE IN 1845

He said that high-explosives lying dormant for years, on devices that often have booby-trap mechanisms, can be ready to detonate any second.

"It's inherently dangerous," he said.

The evacuation of Hannover is the biggest of its type since Christmas, when an unexploded British bomb forced 54,000 people out of the southern city of Augsberg.

This story originally appeared on SkyNews.
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Nigeria's president says that he will meet Sunday with 82 Chibok schoolgirls freed this weekend after being kidnapped three years ago by Boko Haram.

President Muhammadu Buhari said in a statement that he will receive the released schoolgirls in Nigeria's capital, Abuja.

The president said the schoolgirls were freed in exchange for detained suspected extremists in the largest negotiated release of the nearly 300 girls whose mass abduction in 2014 highlighted the threat of Nigeria's homegrown extremist fighters linked to the Islamic State group.

Before Saturday's release, 195 of the girls had been captive. Now 113 of the girls remain unaccounted for.

As news of the latest release broke, long-suffering family members said they are eagerly awaiting a list of names and their hopes and expectations are high.
The mother of all bombs dropped on Islamic State militants in Afghanistan last month may not have been as effective as U.S. military officials have led on, analysts studying the airstrike said.

Alcis, an institute for geographical analysis, surveyed the targeted area in the Nangarhar province where the largest non-nuclear bomb ever used in combat was used, The Guardian reported Friday. The group determined that 38 buildings and 69 trees were destroyed in a near 500-foot radius, which contradicts statements made by residents who told local media the bomb damages houses up to two miles away.

The group added that the imagery shows no 1,000-foot crater and that much of the damage done appeared to be caused by ground fighting. The group said the number of militants the U.S. said it had killed in the airstrike may not be accurate. Officials said 94 ISIS militants were killed in the blast.

Im staggered by that, Richard Brittan, the institutes managing director, told The Guardian. I simply dont understand where they can get that number from.

Brittan also questioned whether it was true no civilians had been killed. He said the strike happened less than a month before the harvest season and that most farms would have been near their crops.

Its the only place to be if you want to tend to those fields, he said. It is entirely possible that working-age male farmers could be counted as militants.

Multiple Afghanistan military and government officials told Fox News last week that there simply was no other solution but to opt for the MOAB, as the vast array of planted landmines was making it next to impossible to effectively clear ISIS from the area without enduring severe soldier casualties.

"This bomb was a good thing. It destroyed everything. ISIS can't use that area anymore, so that is the success," said Maj. Abadullah Karimi, spokesperson for the 202nd Shamshad Police Corps, which is operating in those ISIS-infiltrated areas of Nangahar Province.

Capt. William Salvin, a U.S. military spokesman in Kabul, defended the use of the MOAB saying it was used for a specific tactical purpose on the battlefield.

Click for more from the Guardian.
Emmanuel Macron, the centrist and political newcomer, defeated far-right candidate Marine Le Pen Sunday to win the French presidential election.

With all votes counted, the passionately pro-European Union Macron had garnered 66 percent of the vote to just 34 percent for Le Pen, who had promised a Frexit referendum should she win the election.

At a victory party outside the Louvre Museum in Paris, Macron supporters roared with delight at the news, waving red, white and blue tricolor flags. The jubilant crowd swelled to thousands as the night wore on.



"A new page in our long history is opening tonight. I want it to be one of hope and renewed confidence," Macron said. The 39-year-old investment banker became the youngest president in the 59-year-history of the French Fifth Republic with his victory.

The result amounted to an emphatic rejection of Le Pen's "French-first nationalism." The 48-year-old had hoped the same populist wave that led Donald Trump to the White House would also carry her to the Elysee Palace.

Macron, in a solemn televised victory speech, vowed to heal the social divisions exposed by France's acrimonious election campaign and bring "hope and renewed confidence" to his country.

"I know the divisions in our nation that led some to extreme votes. I respect them," he declared, unsmiling. "I know the anger, the anxiety, the doubts that a large number of you also expressed. It is my responsibility to hear them."

Macron's victory marked the third time in six months -- following elections in Austria and the Netherlands -- that European voters shot down far-right populists who wanted to restore borders across Europe. The election of a French president who championed European unity could also strengthen the EU's hand in its complex divorce proceedings with Britain.



After his initial televised speech, Macron took a motorcade to join the party at the Louvre, passing Parisians who had lined the streets outside his campaign headquarters. The European anthem "Ode to Joy" played as Macron strode out to address his supporters.



"France has won!" he said. "Everyone said it was impossible. But they did not know France!"



Saying Le Pen voters backed her because they were angry, he vowed: "I will do everything in the five years to come so there is no more reason to vote for the extremes."



Many French voters had backed Macron reluctantly and with the sole goal of keeping out Le Pen and her National Front party, which has a long anti-Semitic and racist history.



After the most closely watched and unpredictable French presidential campaign in recent memory, many voters rejected the runoff choices altogether. Pollsters projected that French voters cast blank or spoiled ballots in record numbers Sunday.



Congratulatory messages poured in from abroad. Trump tweeted congratulations on what he called Macron's "big win" and said he looked forward to working with the French leader. Macron has said he wants continued intelligence-sharing with the United States and cooperation at the United Nations and hopes to persuade Trump not to pull the U.S. out of a global accord fighting climate change.



Germany's foreign minister, Sigmar Gabriel, laced his welcome for Macron with a warning to the French, saying: "If he fails, in five years Mrs. Le Pen will be president and the European project will go to the dogs."



Until now, modern France had been governed either by the Socialists or the conservatives. Both Macron and Le Pen upended that right-left tradition.



"France has sent an incredible message to itself, to Europe and the world," said Macron ally Francois Bayrou, tipped among his possible choices for prime minister.



Unknown to voters before his turbulent 2014-16 tenure as France's pro-business economy minister, Macron took a giant gamble by quitting Socialist President Francois Hollande's government to run as an independent in his first campaign.



His startup political movement -- optimistically named "En Marche! (Forward)" -- caught fire in just one year, harnessing voters' hunger for new faces and new ideas.



"I'm so happy, it feels so good! I lived the election of Donald Trump in New York, and now finally, after Brexit, after Trump, populism has been beaten in France," said Pierre-Yves Colinet, a joyous Macron supporter at the Louvre victory party. "Today, I'm proud to be French."



Despite her loss, Le Pen's advancement to the runoff for the first time marked a personal and political breakthrough and underscored a growing acceptance of her fierce anti-immigration, platform. She had placed third in the 2012 presidential vote.



Le Pen immediately turned her focus to France's upcoming legislative election in June, where Macron will need a working majority to govern effectively. Le Pen said her "historic and massive" score turned her party into "the leading opposition force against the new president's plans."



"I call on all patriots to join us," Le Pen said. "France will need you more than ever in the months ahead."



Her supporters at a National Front election night gathering in Paris put on a brave face.



"Now we enter combat," said Didier Roxel, a National Front legislative candidate.



Le Pen said she got 11 million votes. If confirmed, that would be double the score of her father, National Front co-founder Jean-Marie Le Pen, at the same stage in the 2002 presidential election.



Macron and Le Pen's polar-opposite visions presented France's 47 million registered voters with the starkest possible choice. Le Pen's closed borders faced off against Macron's open ones; his commitment to free trade ran against her proposals to protect the French from global economic competition and immigration. Her desire to free France from the EU and the shared euro currency contrasted with his argument that both are essential for the future of Europe's third-largest economy.



As well as capitalizing on voter rejection of the left-right monopoly on power, Macron also got lucky. One of his most dangerous opponents, conservative former Prime Minister Francois Fillon, was hobbled by allegations that his family benefited from cushy taxpayer-funded jobs for years.



On the left, the Socialist Party imploded, its candidate abandoned by voters who wanted to punish Hollande, France's most unpopular president since World War II. Hollande himself decided not to run again.



Macron takes charge of a nation that, when Britain leaves the EU in 2019, will become the EU's only member with nuclear weapons and a permanent seat on the U.N. Security Council.



But the vote also showed that France's 67 million people are deeply divided, riven by anxieties about terrorism and chronic unemployment, worried about the cultural and economic impact of immigration and fearful of France's ability to compete against giants like China and Google.



Macron has promised a France that would stand up to Russian President Vladimir Putin but that also would seek to work with Putin on fighting the Islamic State group, whose extremists have claimed or inspired multiple attacks in France since 2015.



France has been in a state of emergency since then and 50,000 security forces safeguarded Sunday's vote.



Read more from SkyNews.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
The head of ISIS in Afghanistan was killed in a raid by U.S. and Afghan forces last month that also resulted in the death of two American soliders, the military said Sunday.

A statement by U.S. Forces, Afghanistan confirmed that Sheikh Abdul Hasib, described as the Emir of ISIS in the Khorasan Province (ISIS-K), was killed in the April 27 raid in southern Nangarhar province, eastern Afghanistan.

The raid that killed Hasib was carried out in the same area where the U.S. dropped the so-called "Mother of all Bombs" last month.

TWO US ARMY SOLDIERS KILLED FIGHTING ISIS IN AFGHANISTAN

The Pentagon said that more than 50 U.S. Army Rangers and dozens of other partnered Afghan forces battled ISIS for over three hours in the mountain terrain. Two of the Rangers were killed and a third was wounded. Defense officials told Fox News that friendly fire was the suspected cause of the Rangers' deaths.

Gen. John Nicholson, the commander of U.S. forces in Afghanistan, said Hasib's death marked "another important step in our relentless campaign to defeat ISIS-K in 2017."

"This is the second ISIS-K emir we have killed in nine months, along with dozens of their leaders and hundreds of their fighters," Nicholson added. "For more than two years, ISIS-K has waged a barbaric campaign of death, torture and violence against the Afghan people, especially those in southern Nangarhar."

Hasib is suspected of directing the March 8 attack on a military hospital in the Afghan capital, Kabul, that killed 50 people.

The U.S. currently estimates that around 800 ISIS fighters are based in Afghanistan.

Fox News' Lucas Tomlinson contributed to this report.
Israel's Prison Service released footage on Sunday that it says shows the leader of a mass Palestinian hunger strike breaking his fast, a claim dismissed by the Palestinians as an attempt to undermine the open-ended strike, now in its 21st day.

Assaf Librati, a spokesman for the prison service, said strike organizer and Palestinian uprising leader Marwan Barghouti ate a candy bar on May 5 and cookies on April 27. He said surveillance was increased and Barghouti was caught on film eating.

Footage aired by Israeli media shows a prisoner sitting down fully clothed on a toilet unwrapping something and putting it in his mouth. Other footage shows a prisoner eating something near a sink.

Qadoura Fares, who heads an advocacy group for Palestinian prisoners, cast doubt on the footage, saying Barghouti is being held in solitary confinement and has no access to food.

"This is a fabrication," Fares said of the footage released Sunday. "This is psychological warfare that we expected Israel to wage against the strike." He said that "the prisoners will not buy this account from the Israeli side, and they will continue their strike."

Barghouti, a leader of the second Palestinian uprising, is serving five life terms after being convicted by an Israeli court of directing two shooting attacks and a bombing that killed five people. Barghouti, who disputed the court's jurisdiction and did not mount a defense, has been in prison since 2002.

Polls suggest that the 58-year-old Barghouti is the most popular choice among Palestinians to succeed 82-year-old Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.

Palestinians have held large rallies in support of the hunger strike since it began. After decades of conflict, hundreds of thousands of Palestinians have been imprisoned at one time or another for acts ranging from stone-throwing to carrying out attacks that wounded or killed Israelis.

Palestinians say the mass hunger strike is an attempt to improve conditions inside the jails and gain more family visits. Israeli officials have dismissed the strike as a bid by Barghouti to burnish his credentials in an internal Palestinian power struggle.

"This hunger strike was never about the conditions of the convicted terrorists, which meet international standards," Israeli Minister of Public Security Gilad Erdan said. "Barghouti is a murderer and hypocrite who urged his fellow prisoners to strike and suffer while he ate behind their back."

Fares said earlier Sunday that some of the hundreds of Palestinians participating in the hunger strike began taking vitamin supplements on day 15. He said guards had punished the strikers by seizing all personal items and leaving prisoners "with nothing except their beds." He says the information comes from lawyers who recently visited the strikers.

Israel holds about 6,500 Palestinians on charges related to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Israel says 890 prisoners are participating in the hunger strike.


The Latest on the release of Chibok schoolgirls kidnapped three years ago by Boko Haram extremists in Nigeria (all times local):

___

9:35 a.m.

Nigeria's president says he will meet Sunday with 82 Chibok schoolgirls freed this weekend after being kidnapped three years ago by Boko Haram.

President Muhammadu Buhari said in a statement that he will receive the released schoolgirls in Nigeria's capital, Abuja.

The president said the schoolgirls were freed in exchange for detained suspected extremists in the largest negotiated release so far of the nearly 300 girls whose mass abduction in 2014 highlighted the threat of Nigeria's homegrown extremist fighters who are linked to the Islamic State group.

Before Saturday's release, 195 of the girls had been captive. Now 113 of the girls remain unaccounted for.

As news of the latest release broke, long-suffering family members said they are eagerly awaiting a list of names and their "hopes and expectations are high."
Nigeria's president was departing Sunday night for further medical checkups in London, renewing fears over his health after he spent weeks overseas on medical leave earlier this year and said he'd never been so sick in his life.

The announcement came shortly after 74-year-old President Muhammadu Buhari met at his official residence with the 82 Chibok schoolgirls freed this weekend from three years of captivity by Boko Haram extremists.

The latest medical leave startled Africa's most populous nation even as it rejoiced in the schoolgirls' return.

Buhari has missed three straight Cabinet meetings and is said to spend most of his time working from home. On Friday, the government released images of his first public appearance in a week as he attended Friday prayers.

The nature of the president's illness remains unclear. On his return from his earlier medical leave in London in March, Buhari made reference to blood transfusions.

That earlier absence led some to call for Buhari's replacement.

Photos from his meeting with the freed schoolgirls Sunday night showed the rail-thin leader standing and addressing his audience.

A statement from the president's office said Buhari had delayed leaving for London earlier Sunday so he could meet with the schoolgirls.

"There is no cause for worry" about this latest medical leave, the statement said, adding that the length of Buhari's stay in London will be determined by his doctors.

After his return from London earlier this year, Buhari had indicated that further checkups might be needed.

The president's office said Vice President Yemi Osinbajo again will be in charge while the president is out of the country.
Five Boko Haram commanders were released in exchange for the freedom of 82 Chibok schoolgirls, a Nigerian government official told the Associated Press.

The confirmation of the prisoner swap came a day after the young women were liberated after more than three years in captivity by the Islamic militants.

There was no immediate comment about the exchange from the Nigerian presidency or Boko Haram, the extremists linked to the Islamic State group. President Muhammadu Buhari said Saturday that some Boko Haram prisoners had been released for the freedom of the schoolgirls, but he did not give any details.

A happy site for families missing loved ones: Some of the 82 released #ChibokGirls board an aircraft. pic.twitter.com/9yiJOUocQe  ICRC Africa (@ICRC_Africa) May 7, 2017

The freed young women were flown Sunday by military helicopters from northeastern Nigeria to Abuja, the capital, where they were expected to meet the president.

"They will face a long and difficult process to rebuild their lives after the indescribable horror and trauma they have suffered at the hands of Boko Haram," said Pernille Ironside, acting representative of UNICEF Nigeria.

Authorities say 113 schoolgirls remain missing of the 276 girls abducted from their boarding school in 2014. Girls who escaped said some of their classmates had died from illness. Others did not want to come home because they'd been radicalized by their captors, they said.

Human rights advocates also fear some of the girls kidnapped from the Chibok boarding school were used by Boko Haram to carry out suicide bombings.

In Nigeria's capital, Abuja, anxious families were awaiting the official list of names of the 82 schoolgirls freed. Some parents have not lived long enough to see their daughters released, underscoring the tragedy of the three-year-long saga.

Last year, 21 other Chibok girls were liberated in October and they have been undergoing counseling for months. It was not immediately clear whether the newest girls freed Saturday would join them.

Those girls are still in government care in Abuja for medical attention, trauma counseling and rehabilitation, according to the government. Human rights groups have criticized the decision to keep the girls in custody in Abuja, nearly 900 kilometers (560 miles) from Chibok.

The newly freed schoolgirls should be quickly released to their families and not be subjected to lengthy government detention, Amnesty International's Nigeria office said, adding that they don't deserve to be put through a "publicity stunt" and deserve privacy.

The International Committee of the Red Cross, which along with the Swiss government has mediated negotiations between Nigeria's government and Boko Haram, said the girls soon would meet with their families.

Saturday's release marks the largest negotiated release so far of the 276 girls whose abduction in 2014 drew international attention to the threat of Nigeria's extremists. Boko Haram has pledged allegiance to the Islamic State, and has increasingly carried out attacks in neighboring countries.

The mass kidnapping horrified the world and brought Boko Haram international attention. The failure of Nigeria's former government to act quickly to free the girls sparked a global Bring Back Our Girls movement; U.S. first lady Michelle Obama posted a photo with its logo on social media.

The Bring Back Our Girls campaign said Sunday it was happy that Nigeria's government had committed to rescuing the 113 remaining schoolgirls.

"We urge the president and his government to earnestly pursue the release of all our Chibok girls and other abducted citizens of Nigeria," the group said in a statement.

The schoolgirls kidnapped from Chibok in 2014 are among thousands of people abducted by Boko Haram over the years.

A Nigerian military official with direct knowledge of the rescue operation said the freed girls were found near the town of Banki in Borno state near Cameroon.

Buhari late last year announced Boko Haram had been "crushed," but the group continues to carry out attacks in northern Nigeria and neighboring countries. Its insurgency has killed more than 20,000 people and driven 2.6 million from their homes, with millions facing starvation.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
The Queen has reportedly told Prince William and Prince Harry to stop "soul-baring" and be more stately like their grandfather.

As Prince Philip prepares to retire in the autumn, the Queen has suggested that the younger royals should place more emphasis on state duties.

PRICE PHILIP WILL NO LONGER CARRY OUT PUBLIC ENGAGEMENTS, BUCKINGHAM PALACE SAYS

Both Princes William and Harry have spoken out recently about their struggle of coming to terms with the death of their mother, Diana, Princess of Wales as part of the Heads Together mental health campaign.

A royal source told the Sunday Times: As successful as that campaign was, it might be that soul-baring isnt what Buckingham Palace is looking for.

The direct impact [of Prince Philips retirement] will be that the Cambridges will be expected to step up and undertake more state business and do less of their campaign work.

Buckingham Palace confirmed the Duke of Edinburgh, who turns 96 next month, will no longer attend public engagements after 70 years of loyal service.

Click for more from The Sun.
Authorities in Belize have named 54-year-old John Deshaies of Canada as the prime suspect in the death of a U.S. Marine veteran from Atlanta and his Canadian girlfriend.

Drew DeVoursney, 36, and his girlfriend, Francesca Matus, 52, were last seen leaving Scotty's Bar and Grill in Corozal in the Central American country on the night of April 25, according to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

However, a friend of Deshaies said police have the wrong man in custody and the Canadian construction company owner would never harm Matus.

"It's a terrible misunderstanding," the friend told the Toronto Sun. "Francesca was his best friend. He's a really good guy."

The friend, who did not want to be identified, said officers targeted Deshaies because he disappeared shortly after the couple went missing.

"Belize is a very corrupt country," the friend told the Toronto Sun. "I think they're actually keeping him in jail for his own safety. They want it to seem like it's a Canadian or American problem rather than a Belizean one."

The couple were reported missing on Friday after one of their friends went to Matus' home to drive her to the airport and couldn't find her. Matus' car also was gone.

The vehicle turned up Sunday in a sugar cane field, about 10 miles from the bar, The Journal-Constitution reported. A close friend told the newspaper a search party found the bodies of DeVoursney and Matus on Monday.

The bodies reportedly appeared on a road near the field, not far from the country's border with Mexico. Authorities said the bodies showed evidence of strangulation.
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Friday he would considering banning thermal coal shipments in response to the U.S. imposing a 20 percent tariff on lumber imports from Canada.

Trudeau said in a letter to British Columbia Premier Christy Clark that his officials were seriously considering the federal ban on U.S. thermal coal shipments through the provinces ports.

The Government of Canada is considering this request carefully and seriously. I have asked federal trade officials to further examine the request to inform our governments next steps, Trudeau said in the letter, Bloomberg reported. We disagree strongly with the U.S. Department of Commerces decision to impose an unfair and punitive duty on Canadian softwood lumber products.

U.S. Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross responded to Trudeaus threats, calling them inappropriate and that it would not influence the U.S. decision on its tariffs.

We continue to believe that a negotiated settlement is in the best interests of all parties, Ross told Bloomberg.

The Trump administration imposed the tariff after it determined that Canada was unfairly subsidizing its lumber producers. The White House has already threatened to take actions against Canadian dairy over what the U.S. called unfair subsidies. Trump has also threatened to withdraw from the North American Free Trade Agreement.

The Canadian Press reported that Trudeau has also considered trade actions against companies in Oregon.

Click for more from Bloomberg.
For City Manager Tim Baroody, the framed portraits of Fredericksburgs mayors are more than just pictures hanging at City Hall.

They are symbolic of a couple hundred years of Council/Mayor community leadership, he said in an email. We are a great City with unlimited potential looking forward, in large part because of the leadership of these Mayors and the Councils they served with.

Baroody wanted to capture that symbolism by inviting Mayor Mary Katherine Greenlaw and the four living former mayors for a group photo at the historic Lincoln steps outside the former Town Hall building, now the home of the Fredericksburg Area Museum.

Lincoln used the steps on May 23, 1862, when he visited U.S. Gen. Marsena Patrick at his quarters in what was then the Farmers Bank Building at 900 Princess Anne St. Developer Mike Adams donated the now much worn stone steps to the Fredericksburg Area Museum when he was renovating the historic bank building last year as the new home of Foode and his company.

The steps are now located at the corner of Princess Anne and William streets next to the museum. Greenlaw gathered there with Josiah P. Rowe III, the Rev. Lawrence Davies, William M. Bill Beck and Dr. Tom Tomzak recently for the shot. City staff will use the photo in various promotional materials.

Rowe served as Fredericksburg mayor from 1964 to 1972, Davies from 1976 to 1996, Beck from 2000 to 2004, Tomzak from 2004 to 2012, and Greenlaw since 2012. Bill Greenup, who was mayor from 1996 to 2000, and Ed Cann, who was mayor from 1972 to 1976, have both passed away.

Their leadership (Mayors and Councils) has gotten us to where we are today, a vibrant City with unlimited potential Baroody said. The photo will reflect six decades of diverse leadership in the City of Fredericksburg. It will be a great visual representation of who we are, and how we arrived at this great time in our history.
SimVentions, an engineering firm based in Fredericksburg, hosted a Rise Against Hunger event in April. More than 70 employees, friends and family members came together to package 26,136 meals in two hours. This was Simventions fifth event with Rise Against Hunger, and over the years they have packaged a total of 117,318 meals.

In the weeks leading up to the event, SimVentions raised $7,584.95 necessary to pay for the meals, which cost 29 cents each, for Rise Against Hunger, an international hunger relief organization with a goal of ending hunger by 2030.

During the event, participants donned hair nets and gloves and worked in groups to create nutritious, ready-to-eat meals. First, vitamin packs, dehydrated vegetables, rice and soy protein were placed in plastic bags. The bags were weighed and the amount of rice adjusted to meet guidelines. Another crew sealed the bags, while others packed them into boxes and stacked them on pallets for shipping. As each 1,000 meals were loaded on pallets, someone struck a gong in celebration.

There is no better way to celebrate our 1-year anniversary in our new building, than to once again host this Rise Against Hunger event, which is focused on helping and feeding others. In previous years we have seen the meals that we have packaged end up in Africa and Haitimaybe this year they will be headed to Syrian refugees in Jordan or Turkey? The golden rule encourages us to do unto others as we would have them do unto usso, I am proud of our SimV family for living this out and putting this into practice! said Larry Root, CEO of SimVentions.
Reverend Ernest Dyson, Ed.D., died April 22, 2017, at Mary Washington Hospital, in Fredericksburg. Ernie was born September 6, 1926 in Philadelphia, where he attended Olney High School. He left high school early to serve in the U.S. Merchant Marine and then the U.S. Navy, participating in the invasion of southern France. Ernie was aboard the destroyer U.S.S. Benson alongside the U.S.S. Missouri, in Tokyo Bay, when the Armistice was signed, September 2, 1945. He left the Navy in 1946, and received a Bachelor of Science degree from Temple University in 1950, as well as a Masters and Doctorate in Education in 1956 and 1965. He received a Master of Divinity from Wesley Theological Seminary in 1984.

After a career in public school education, including as a high school teacher, principal, and district superintendent in Pennsylvania, he decided to enter the ministry, pastoring in Virginia at Hopewell, Bowling Green, and most recently, Hillcrest United Methodist Churches.

Ernie authored two books, Living With God in Loss, and Yearning For Eden. He was on the staff of Fredericksburg Personal Counseling Service for many years. More recently, he counseled at Lake of the Woods Church and also Wilderness Community Church, where he was a member and preached.

Ernie was predeceased by his two sons, Ernest and Theodore; and by two of his siblings, James and Doris.

He is survived by his dear friend and partner, Helen Ramsey, of Spotsylvania; his brother Ronald and sister-in-law, Linda, of Wilmington, Del. and loving nephews; and by his adopted children, Robert and Cathy Kravetz. Ernie will be missed by the many whose lives he touched as an educator, author, minister, counselor, and friend.

His memorial service will be at Wilderness Community Church, in Spotsylvania at 10 a.m., Tuesday, May 16. His family asks that in lieu of flowers, donations be made to the church in his name.
AMERICANS want their cyber data to be safe from prying eyes. They also want the government to be able to catch criminals. Can they have both?

Its a pertinent question at a time when concerns over Russian hacking are prevalent. Can we expose lawbreakers without also putting law-abiders at greater risk? After all, the same iPhone that makes life easier for ordinary Americans also makes life easier for criminals.

Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance Jr. has described the operating system of the iPhone as warrant-proof, saying criminals are using the devicesencrypted by defaultto their advantage. In one instance, he quoted an inmate who, ironically, called the iPhone a gift from God.

Divine involvement is a matter of debate, but theres no question that when it comes to the choice of breaking the cybersecurity of criminals without also endangering the personal data of ordinary Americans, well, the devil is in the details.

This is especially true given the evolving nature of the threat. Even if we wanted to give the government access to all the metadata it wants (when, where, and who called), technology is moving away from phone calls to text messages and other non-telephony applications. Traditional metadata will be of limited use to law enforcement in pursuit of the savvy criminal of the future. Law enforcement needs to develop new strategies without making us all prey.

Its nearly impossible to assess the monetary value for all successfully prosecuted cybercrimes in the U.S., let alone estimate the number of criminal cases that would have fallen apart without access to smartphone data. But, according to the 2014 Center for Strategic and International Studies report Net Losses: Estimating the Global Cost of Cybercrime, global cybercriminal activity is valued at $400 billion a year. Cybercrime damages trade, reduces competitiveness, and limits innovation and growth.

The fundamental problem is that no one in the government is responsible for securing the internet for all of us. The Department of Homeland Security is responsible for safeguarding our nations critical infrastructure, yet the insecure internet presents multiple cyberthreats. Some elements of the federal government are so focused on hunting down information against a few horrendous criminals that they dont seem to realize theyre doing it at the expense of our right to privacy and online protection. We can appreciate their dedication in these causes, but the fact remains that the internet has become a host to more and more personal information ever since Steve Jobs introduced the iPhone.

Since then, the smartphone has evolved to have much more control over our lives, homes and vehicles. In attempting to square this cyber-circle, the government would be wise to take a cue from the medical profession, which uses the Hippocratic oath to dictate an underlying requirement to refrain from causing harm to patients.

There is no such oath for members of the Department of Justice. They simply affirm that they will faithfully execute their duties without affirming that they will do so without harming the citizenry.

DOJ lawyers focus on individual prosecutions. That is too narrow of a definition of success. It forces them to use all means they can muster to make their prosecutions successful with little or no consideration of the larger harm their efforts may cause to the population.

That is a problem today and will only be magnified in the coming years as technology advances and the gap between those advances and the DOJs understanding of them widens. Within this environment, where insecurity breeds criminality and stopping individual high-value criminals can motivate the DOJ to undermine security, one can only wonder, who is responsible for our security?

The world has changed. A new paradigm is needed to ensure the security of all Americans data. There is no return to the past. Perhaps the Trump administration will make this need for security a priority.

David R. Shedd, a former acting director of the Defense Intelligence Agency, is a visiting distinguished fellow at The Heritage Foundation.
I GREW UP in the Maryland suburbs right outside of Washington, where politics was always in the air. Two newspapers a day landed on our front porch, followed by a weekly county paper.

Dinner conversations revolved around current events. Every day, we listened to a short radio show called Meet the Member, which introduced listeners to a different member of Congress in each broadcast. With these front-row seats at the Washington pageant, government and politics became both familiar and exciting.

My high school reinforced this focus by modeling the student government after Congress. We had a Senate (with senators elected from every grade) and a House of Representatives (one rep from each home room). The two chambers met using Roberts Rules of Order, requiring a parliamentarian to learn and enforce protocol. Bills (regulating things such as homecoming activities and student clubs) had to pass through committees and both houses before they became law. For government nerds like me, it was a vigorous, practical way to learn civics.

Unfortunately, teaching civics, much less modeling it, has fallen by the wayside. In 2010, the last time the U.S. Department of Education assessed high school students knowledge of government, fewer than half knew what the Bill of Rights was and only 10 percent could identify a statement describing the purpose of our checks and balances. According to the National Education Association, fewer than 25 percent of high-school students can achieve a proficient rating in the subject. Only eight states (including Virginia) test students knowledge in government, and only two (Virginia and Ohio) require passing that test for graduation.

Our neglect of this subject explains a lot. For example, after the last presidential election, I heard quite a lot of grumbling about the Electoral College. Few people apparently understand the reason for the two-step process for electing a presidentto protect the interests of less-populated states, whose concerns are inherently different from states with large populations.

The current trend of college students shutting down speakers (mostly conservatives) with whom they disagree stems from a failure to appreciate free speech, enshrined in the First Amendment. Students at Middlebury College in Vermont got so rowdy when political scientist Charles Murray came to speak that a professor accompanying him was injured. Ann Coulter cancelled a speech she was to give at the University of CaliforniaBerkeley because of threatened protests. Students dont seem to understand that the suppression of speakers they deem fascist is, in itself, fascistic.

Most reasonable people get this. The New York Times reports Sen. Bernie Sanders, who most certainly disagrees with Coulter on everything, chided the Berkeley protesters, saying, What are you afraid ofher ideas?

Our lack of understanding of the principles on which this country was foundedprinciples summarized in the Constitution and Bill of Rightscreates divisions, misunderstandings and tumult. Unlike many other countries whose population is defined by natural descent, the United States is a melting pot. People of all races, religions, and ethnic and cultural backgrounds have come here, drawn by a desire for freedom and for a chance to better themselves economically.

What holds such a diverse community together? The set of values expressed in the Constitution and Bill of Rights. You want to express yourself, worship a god of your own choosing, start a business? Fine. In America, you have the freedom to do all thatand I have the freedom to disagree with you. What holds us in peaceful equilibrium is mutual respect for that freedom.

Younger people without civics education have not been taught that the design of our government was a burst of innovation, that thousands of years of human moral and ethical history erupted in a bright explosion we call America. Our form of democracy, with its emphasis on human rights and the limited power of government, is exceptional. But it could fail if ignorance and disrespect for foundational principles prevails.

These are high concepts in an age in which more students can name all the Kardashians but not the current vice president, a time in which we are inundated with information but not knowledge. Wisdom is a rare commodity.

Actor Richard Dreyfuss is passionate about democracy. An avowed constitutionalist, he began The Dreyfuss Civics Initiative (dreyfussinitiative.org) a few years ago to remedy what he sees as the root cause of gridlock, partisanship and dissension in Congress and in our nation: Many Americansincluding most members of Congressnever were required to take civics. Dreyfuss hopes to return meaningful civics education to public schools. By doing so, he hopes to produce more thoughtful citizens (and legislators) and restore civility to our national discourse.

I wish him well.

Linda J. White, a former assistant editorial page editor, lives in Fauquier County.
GOOD ideas come and go. Many are quickly forgotten. Few alter the course of important events. But one that Donald C. Pfanz had, 30 years ago this spring, gave voice to what a number of people who cared deeply about American history were feeling and thinking.

As he saw yet another Virginia battlefield go under the bulldozers blade amid a building boom, Pfanz spoke up. He sat down at a typewriter in April 1987 and wrote Brian Pohanka, a Civil War historian living in Alexandria who he knew. Pfanz was then a National Park Service historian at Petersburg National Battlefield; Pohanka was an editor with TimeLife Books.

To avert the sort of disaster that befell Fairfax Countys Chantilly battlefield, Pfanz suggested, the nation needed a nonprofit that would devote itself to preserving the yet-unprotected places that loomed large in its bloodiest conflict.

Pohanka and others took the ball and ran with it, arranging a meeting in Fredericksburg for those interested in Pfanzs idea. By evenings end, theyd formed the Association for the Preservation of Civil War Sites to take on the huge task hed outlined.

Thirty years later, many are astounded by what has been accomplished by that nonprofit, its offspring, donors and allies.

The creation of the APCWS at a Fredericksburg restaurant in July 1987 launched a grass-roots preservation movement that has achieved a vast amount of good all across the country, Civil War historian Robert K. Krick told us last week. From that small beginningonly 27 people attendedsprang a movement that now counts more than 50,000 members and has saved thousands of acres of battlefield land.

Specifically, 45,800 acres on 132 battlefields in 23 states from Vermont to Florida and the Atlantic Ocean to New Mexico. In Virginia, the most fought-over state during the war, 23,871 acres have been saved at 65 sites. Places in Spotsylvania, Culpeper, Stafford, Orange and Fauquier are on that list.

Achieving that took many hands. Deserving boundless credit are the individuals who began the crusadeamong them historian Gary W. Gallagher, the first APCWS president; Jack Ackerly, the nonprofits pro bono lawyer for years; and Pohanka, who supplied generous resources.

What they started here, small, became a big dynamo after APCWS merged with another nonprofit based in Hagerstown, Md., called the Civil War Trust. Today, it has the more familiar name, having perfected the art of matching private donors dollars with government grants.

The modern incarnation of the APCWS, the Civil War Trust, has streamlined a homemade local initiative into a powerful national engine, infinitely well connected, Krick said.

Local groups also formed, focusing with laser-beam intensity on sites and issues closer to home. In Tennessee, Franklins Charge is a good example. In the Fredericksburg area, one group still carries on such preservation work: the Central Virginia Battlefields Trust, which marked its 20th anniversary last weekend with three days of battlefield tours.

With a clear focus on the great battles waged along the RappahannockRapidan River frontier near Fredericksburg, [CVBT] has achieved a string of successes that benefit anyone interested in some of the most consequential, and dramatic, military events of the Civil War, Gallagher, director of the University of Virginias John L. Nau III Civil War Center, told us. The CVBT serves as a model for how local efforts can contribute, in substantial and sometimes remarkable ways, to the larger effort to preserve the historic landscape of our most riveting national crisis.

They are, without question, one of the most effective local battlefield preservation groups in the nation, said Jim Campi, chief policy officer of the Civil War Trust. They are a terrific partnerno local group has raised more private preservation dollars over the past 20 years.

Community leadersMike Stevens, Charlie McDaniel, Lloyd Harrison, Pete Kolakowski, Tom Van Winkle and many otherskeep CVBT humming along. This lean little nonprofit did the initial legwork at Spotsylvania Countys Slaughter Pen Farm, which enabled the national trust to save that crucial part of the Fredericksburg battlefield from development. It raised $1 million for that one goal, and has preserved more than 1,000 battlefield acres in our area.

All together, the nation has been bequeathed an incredible legacy by the tireless work of these groups and their advocates, with contributions from thousands of supporters as well as state, federal and local governments.

Few things that any of us do will have results as consequential and lasting as the permanent preservation of historic ground for posterity, Krick said.
Mildes experience plus for House seat

Twenty-two years ago, I opened Gargoyles Coffee Bar in North Stafford. Over the years, many customers became friends. Paul Milde is one of those.

Paul was an enthusiastic customer of the coffee bar. He was ready to listen if I needed an ear and eager to help in any way.

I returned to Stafford from my new home in North Carolina to help Paul when he first ran for the Stafford County Board of Supervisors in 2005, and I saw many familiar and friendly faces at the polls.

Many times, as our families shared holiday dinners or weekends together, I would listen to Paul speak passionately about his desire to protect the environment and to govern responsibly.

I was witness to his passionate drive to save Crows Nest, which pitted him against real-estate developers. And I am proud to say that Pauls motivation was always for the greater good, not to appease the powerful few.

Paul and I do not agree on all things. But I know well that his character and experience would make him an exceptional representative for the 28th District in the Virginia House of Delegates, and I hope the people of Stafford support him in the June 13 primary.

John Herlig

Green Cove Springs, Fla.
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Its Always Dreaming vs. Classic Empire heading into the 2017 Kentucky Derby with very little separation between the two where oddsmakers are concerned.

Most books online had the two between +550 and +600 or offering a potential payout of $55 to $60 on a $10 bet should either of these horses win .

All eyes were on the skies as we still did not have a definitive picture of the weather situation come post time as a line of showers were now forecast to approach the two hours before the Derby is set to go off. Rain would tend to favor McCracken, a horse that has won in the mud and he did so earlier in the Kentucky Derby prep race season at Churchill Downs.

The 2017 Kentucky Derby is being viewed as the most wide open field in modern history with the largest payouts on the favorites starting at $55 for every $10 bet .

"This is our third time and the first two times, our horses have been 50-1 in the morning line," said Terry Finley of West Point Thoroughbreds, which co-owns Always Dreaming along with Siena Farm, Brooklyn Boyz Stables, Teresa Viola, St. Elias Stable, and MeB Racing. "To come here with this much firepower is obviously very exciting and a different outlook for everyone, because we all expect that he's going to run lights out. Now whether that is good enough to win this race ... we think it is.

"But there are probably at least 10 connections that really feel strongly that they're going to win."

KENTUCKY DERBY FUTURES - May 06 >>> All In Betting<<< Others Horses on Request Odds to win Kentucky Derby 2017 88101 Looking at Lee +2050 88102 Thunder Snow +2450 88103 Fast and Accurate +6550 88104 Untrapped +4050 88105 Always Dreaming +565 88106 State of Honor +6225 88107 Girvin +2250 88108 Hence +1015 88109 Irap +4050 88110 Gunnevera +825 88111 Battle of Midway +4046 88112 Soneteer +3050 88113 J Boys Echo +2050 88114 Classic Empire +595 88115 McCracken +705 88116 Tapwrit +1615 88117 Irish War Cry +685 88118 Gormley +2563 88119 Practical Joke +1975 88120 Patch +3542 2017 Triple Crown - Winner 88121 No Triple Crown Winner -1015 88201 Looking at Lee +20250 88202 Thunder Snow +22550 88203 Fast and Accurate +52500 88204 Untrapped +40250 88205 Always Dreaming +3050 88206 State of Honor +40250 88207 Girvin +20250 88208 Hence +8550 88209 Irap +32550 88210 Gunnevera +5250 88211 Battle of Midway +20250 88212 Soneteer +25250 88213 J Boys Echo +10250 88214 Classic Empire +2250 88215 McCracken +3050 88216 Tapwrit +10250 88217 Irish War Cry +4050 88218 Gormley +18250 88219 Practical Joke +15250 88220 Patch +25250 2017 Kentucky Derby - To Finish Last >>> DNF Does Not Count <<< Kentucky Derby 2017 - To Finish Last 88021 Lookin at Lee +4050 88022 Thunder Snow +1815 88023 Fast and Accurate +345 88024 Untrapped +1615 88025 Always Dreaming +3250 88026 State of Honor +745 88027 Girvin +1615 88028 Hence +2623 88029 Irap +805 88030 Gunnevera +3154 88031 Battle of Midway +1415 88032 Sonneteer +2050 88033 J Boys Echo +2050 88034 Classic Empire +3050 88035 McCracken +3050 88036 Tapwrit +1646 88037 Irish War Cry +3050 88038 Gormley +1215 88039 Practical Joke +1415 88040 Patch +1215 Kentucky Derby 2017 - Top 3 Finish 88041 Looking at Lee +525 88042 Thunder Snow +605 88043 Fast and Accurate +1615 88044 Untrapped +1015 88045 Always Dreaming +165 88046 State of Honor +1415 88047 Girvin +505 88048 Hence +285 88049 Irap +925 88050 Gunnevera +265 88051 Battle of Midway +925 88052 Sonneteer +685 88053 J Boys Echo +425 88054 Classic Empire +125 88055 McCracken +175 88056 Tapwrit +425 88057 Irish War Cry +165 88058 Gormley +625 88059 Practical Joke +465 88060 Patch +785

- Don Shapiro, Gambling911.com
You can bet this years Triple Crown online from Florida via any number of international racebooks that wont ask for your social security number or report your betting activity to a government entity.

While Florida features a number of top race tracks in which to bet from, most of these are located in and around the Miami/Fort Lauderdale area and Tampa Bay.

Charge up your smart phone and place your bets online while enjoying the Gulf Stream Park Preakness Stakes Triple Crown watch party. Parking and admission are free.

Gulf Stream Park - Doors for the Preakness viewing party typically open at 10:30 am but check with the track for any changes to scheduling.

Past events included the "Spin & Win" Drawings* I Silks Simulcast Center and the chance to win a bet on Preakness Stakes with Drawings start at 5PM



Ten Palms Buffet - Lavish Preakness Day Buffet Ten Palms Noon - 4PM (call or visit site for pricing)



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"Pick" your favorite horse for the Preakness Stakes and win great prizes.

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Garcia had a commanding lead over Republican John Briscoe in the race for the newly formed 42nd District.
The oneness of humanity is the animating principle of the Bahai faith. A corollary is that women and men are equal partners in advancing civilization. The Bahai writings aver that The world of humanity has two wings  one women, the other men. Not until both wings are equally developed can the bird fly. These words were penned in 19th century Persia by Abdul-Baha, son of Bahaullah, the prophet-founder of the Bahai religion.

Yet worldwide, the progress of women to achieve full equality has been uneven  for example, even in the United States, we have yet to ratify the Equal Rights Amendment.

At a time when women worldwide were largely confined to the home, the Bahai teachings encouraged women to study science, engineering, agriculture, and other subjects designed to improve the human condition. In the 1870s, Bahais in Iran established schools that taught a curriculum highlighting science and math.

In 1911, Bahais established the Tarbiyat School for Girls in Tehran, offering science, languages, math, and even gymnastics, more than 15 years before the government allowed physical education for girls. By 1934, when these schools were closed by government decree, at least 25 Bahai-run schools for girls were thriving in Iran. Against custom, no classes on religion were offered in these schools, and the schools were open to Bahais and non-Bahais alike.

In 1918, Abdul-Baha wrote that education must be compulsory, and added that if funds in a family were insufficient to educate both the girl and the boy, the money must be dedicated to the girls education  a profound and radical challenge to the status quo.

More recently, in 1995, Beijing was host to the Fourth World Conference on Women, drawing 30,000 participants from around the world. The Bahai International Community launched a platform for action in advancing women from the standpoint of moral principle, as distinct from pure pragmatism. The Bahai International Community named the education of women and girls as the key to every countrys development, a theme adopted by the World Bank and now central to global development efforts.

Another example is the Tahirih Justice Center. As a law student, Layli Miller-Muro was first shocked, and then galvanized by her experience with the plight of women seeking refuge from physical abuse in their home countries. In 1997, inspired by the principles of her Bahai faith, she launched the Justice Center in Washington, D.C. The center's advocacy led to changes in the law, and the center continues to advocate through the courts and legislatures. Since its founding, it has helped more than 22,000 people.

Today, with offices in four U.S. cities, it is a national nongovernmental legal services and advocacy group that focuses primarily on immigrant women and girls. A wealth of information about the center is available online. This April, its fierce advocacy for immigrant women and children was described in The New York Times.

Under the recent executive orders, immigrant women are less and less likely to seek help, especially as U.S. courts and churches cease to be places of protection and refuge. In an April 5, interview with Nicolas Kristof of The New York Times, Miller-Muro explains this situation in detail (goo.gl/VHRqTM).

Our faith must lead us to action, to enacting laws and regulations that promote education for women and ensure their equality and legal protection. The still-undeveloped female wing cripples the entire human race  every country, every political and economic system testifies to this weakness. Only when women equal men in strength, capacity, and knowledge will humanity truly soar.
Tracy Daugherty didn't plan for his new book, "Let Us Build Us a City," to come out at this precise moment, with federal programs supporting the arts under attack from the Trump administration.

But the Corvallis writer and five-time winner of the Oregon Book Award (most recently for "The Last Love Song," his biography of Joan Didion) doesn't mind if his collection of essays about American writing comes across as a passionate defense of why writing matters.

"The arts enrich our communities," Daugherty said in an interview last week in his Corvallis home.

And there's something else that's vitally important: The effort of finding just the right word for the right place, learning to think clearly and imaginatively about language, arguably never has been more important than it is right now.

"Sloppy language leads to sloppy thinking," Daugherty said. "You cannot distinguish between the two. ... You can teach people to be more alert and imaginative."

Daugherty will read from "Let Us Build Us a City" (the title comes from the biblical book of Genesis) at a reading Tuesday night at Grass Roots Books and Music in Corvallis. (See the attached box for details.)

It's Daugherty's third book in the three years since he stepped down from 30 years of teaching students. Retirement from Oregon State University has freed him to write full-time. (Another nonfiction work is currently making the rounds of publishers.)

Daugherty calls the essays in "Let Us Build Us a City" "a summary of my thinking about writing over 30 years." In some cases, the work required him to go back and review pieces that had been published years ago.

While reviewing those earlier essays, Daugherty found that some of his thoughts about writing had changed, especially after he retired from teaching: "Yes, it was very helpful to shut up for a while," he said.

In particular, he noted, when writers start their careers, they tend to focus on being original and performing dazzling feats with language: "In the beginning, you write to show off," Daugherty said. "Now, I'm much more concerned with a clear story and theme than I am with a clever sentence."

And, as he argues throughout the book, writing can best be understood through the literary traditions that came before it: "It's our connection to tradition and the American past that gives our stories subtext," he said. "The new only comes out of its contrast to the old." In an early essay in "Let Us Build Us a City," he quotes with approval a comment from urban theorist Jane Jacobs: "New ideas must come from old buildings." That "old building" metaphor, applied to the work of American writers such as Edgar Allen Poe and Nathaniel Hawthorne, runs through the pages of "Let Us Build Us a City."

Daugherty covers a lot of ground in "Let Us Build Us a City," from Dante ("our greatest poet," he writes) to Shakespeare to Ron Hansen, with many stops in between.

In the book of Genesis, "Let Us Build Us a City" is the call that brings people together to build the Tower of Babel.

That effort, of course, failed. And much writing, Daughtery notes near the end of the book, ends in failure: "Already, we know that nothing may come of our efforts."

And yet: "To find the delights in uselessness, the somethings in nothing  that's why we gather with only the slightest notion of what might happen, to build communities of thinkers, readers, writers."

Let us build us a city, indeed. (mm)


Coelacanth thought to be extinct 65,000,000 has been found in the waters off the coast of East Africa





Many creatures thought to be extinct were found to still exist. The world is a large place and those that survive, know how to carve out their own niche. Let's have a look at some that were found and some that might still be here awaiting finding.





Nelson - from Mexico was thought to be extinct but was found again





Takahe - thought to be extinct in New Zealand was found again





Narwhal - Discovered in 1555 in the arctic and thought to be extinct - they still exist, but only a few









Let's look into some extinct ones that may just need a little locating to reveal that they never left us. Here's some big contenders.





Thylacines





Thylacines, commonly known as "Tasmanian Tigers"





These carnivorous marsupials from Australia, Tasmania and New Guinea were thought to have been killed off in the early 20th Century. But, today, many film and photograph what would appear to be thylacines.

























Pterodactyl


New Leak

And while we are waiting eagerly, the company has yet again released a teaser and this further confirms that the flagship is coming. Meanwhile, in the new teaser, OnePlus has used the Star Wars theme and have mentioned the number 4. Well, the number signifies the Star Wars day which is May 4.

Besides we are ruling out the possibility the smartphone is going to OnePlus 4 the company will not be going with the number 4 as it is considered unlucky in China. That being said, we suspect that the leaked image is of the OnePlus 5.

Analysis

However, talking about the teaser, the photo doesn't provide a clear picture of what exactly the phone looks like. But analyzing from all that is given, it seems that the handset will come with a slim and sleek design.

SEE ALSO: OnePlus 5 listing reveals price and complete specs ahead of June launch

If you look carefully you can also see that there is a slight camera bump at the back but it is still unclear whether the phone will have dual camera setup or not. The phone's power and volume rockers are also noticeable at the sides. Interestingly this looks way different from the OnePlus 3T.

Rumored Features and Specs

Well from all that we have been hearing and seeing so far, OnePlus is definitely developing the next-generation smartphone which we believe will be the OnePlus 5. It might take some more time and that we are waiting to get the actual render, the smartphone is rumored to come with a Snapdragon 835 processor as well as 6GB RAM or an 8GB RAM version as well.

OnePlus 5 is expected to feature a 5.5-inch display with 1080p or 2K resolution. Camera rumors include a 16MP dual rear camera. The OnePlus 5 is expected to launch anytime soon.
22 NCR Held Critical Role During Exercise African Lion 2017

Navy News Service

Story Number: NNS170505-20

Release Date: 5/5/2017 3:20:00 PM

By Senior Chief Mass Communication Specialist Jeffrey J. Pierce

AGADIR, Morocco (NNS) -- The men and women of the 22nd Naval Construction Regiment (22 NCR) played a critical command and control role in the success of Exercise African Lion 2017 (AL17).

AL 17 is the U.S. Marine Corps Forces, Europe (MARFOREUR) and U.S. Marine Corps Forces, Africa's (MARFORAF) largest annual training event. AL17 was sponsored by U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM) with support from the U.S. Marine Corps, U.S. Army, U.S. Navy, U.S. Air Force and the Utah and Kentucky Air National Guards. The exercise also received support from the United States Embassy, Rabat's Office of Security Cooperation and the Defense Attache Office.

Approximately 1,300 military personnel from the U.S., Canada, France, Germany, Great Britain, Mali, Mauritania, Senegal, Spain and Tunisia traveled to various regions of the Kingdom of Morocco to take part in AL17.

22 NCR relieved Commander, Task Force (CTF) 68 as AL17's command and control (C2) element, April 22, and remained in this capacity through the remainder of the two-week exercise.

The C2 mission is 22 NCR's core competency and they train continuously to keep their skills sharp. 22 NCR joined AL17 with a group of well trained and experienced personnel ready to tackle the enormous challenges the exercise presented.

According to 22 NCR's Commander, Capt. Lore Aguayo, the Regiment has trained extensively for C2 of expeditionary units, however, AL17 not only included joint integration of U.S. Army, U.S. Navy, U.S. Air Force, and U.S. Marine Corps units, but also included C2 of multi-national units as well.

"The addition of multi-national units made AL17 more challenging than previous exercises," Aguayo said. "I was extremely pleased with our staff's execution of C2 throughout AL17."

AL17 was also the first time 22 NCR conducted a relief-in-place with CTF 68.

"Our goal was to make the transition from CTF 68 to 22 NCR as the C2 element seamless for the U.S. and multinational units," Aguayo said. "It went very well, but that's not to say there weren't lessons learned along the way. We would like have more exercise opportunities with CTF 68 in the future, implement the lessons learned, and work even better together."

According to 22 NCR's Chief Staff Officer for AL17, Cmdr. Charles Kubic, the hardest part of planning for AL17 was looking at the branch plans to mitigate the risks involved.

"The 22 NCR team did a great job preparing for this mission, but nothing ever truly goes as planned," Kubic said. "The team did an even greater job meeting all the new challenges that arose."

At the conclusion of AL17, Aguayo was confident in 22 NCR's C2 ability.

"We knew this exercise would be challenging, but the staff flexed when it needed to, made the proper course corrections and I'm confident that we can perform C2 when any need arises," Aguayo said.

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Islamic Jihad rejects Hamas's new policy to approve 1967 borders

Iran Press TV

Sat May 6, 2017 2:19PM

The Islamic Jihad Movement has rejected Hamas's new policy of accepting a Palestinian state based on the 1967 borders.

Islamic Jihad's deputy leader, Ziad al-Nakhala, expressed concern about the Palestinian resistance movement's new political program.

"We are opposed to Hamas's acceptance of a state within the 1967 borders and we think this is a concession which damages our aims," Nakhala said on Islamic Jihad's website.

He argued that the new Hamas policy formally recognizes the idea of a state in the territories occupied by Israel in the 1967 Six-Day War and warned that the plan would "lead to deadlock and can only produce half-solutions."

Hamas announced its new political roadmap, which accepts the establishment of an independent Palestinian state along the 1967 borders in the Qatari capital of Doha on Monday.

"Hamas advocates the liberation of all of Palestine but is ready to support the state on 1967 borders without recognizing Israel or ceding any rights," said the chief of Hamas political bureau, Khaled Meshaal.

He went on to stress that the new document in no way amounted to recognition of Israel.

"We do not want to dilute our principles but we want to be open. We hope this (document) will mark a change in the stance of European states towards us," he added.

The document states, "There shall be no recognition of the legitimacy of the Zionist entity."

It also calls for the return of the Palestinian refugees, and underscores Hamas's right to armed resistance against the Tel Aviv regime.

Following its announcement, the Tel Aviv regime referred to it as a smoke screen aimed at fooling the world.

"Hamas is attempting to fool the world but it will not succeed," said a spokesman for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Meanwhile, Hamas spokesman Fawzi Barhoum confirmed on Saturday that Ismail Haniyeh had been chosen as the leader of the movement, replacing Khaled Meshaal.

Hamas is a leading force in the fight against Israel, which has waged three wars against the Palestinian territory since 2007, killing thousands of people.

The last war began in early July 2014 and ended on August 26 the same year. It killed nearly 2,200 Palestinians and wounded over 11,100 others.

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Taliban seize district near Afghanistan's Kunduz

Iran Press TV

Sat May 6, 2017 10:29AM

Taliban militants have seized control of a district near the Afghan city of Kunduz after a day of heavy clashes with security forces there.

Police sources said the Qala-e-Zal district just outside Kunduz fell to the militants on Saturday morning after Afghan security forces pulled out of the district to avoid further civilian and military casualties in the heavy fighting.

Zabihullah Mujahid, a spokesman for the Taliban, said in a statement that the group had taken control of police headquarters, the governor's compound, and all security checkpoints in the district.

The spokesman also claimed that several Afghan police forces and soldiers had been killed and wounded in the clashes.

Taliban militants have twice overrun Kunduz's center for brief periods over the past 18 months. Their capture of Qala-e-Zal district on Saturday may be a sign of renewed activity to attack the city for a third time.

The Taliban increase their attacks across Afghanistan every spring, targeting government officials and the US-led foreign forces in the country, with many ordinary people also often falling victim to the attacks.

The militant group formally launched this year's annual spring offensive last week, and heavy clashes are already underway from the northern province of Badakhshan to Helmand and Kandahar in the south.

More than 1,000 members of Afghan security forces as well as over 700 civilians have lost their lives since the start of the year, according to Afghan officials and figures cited by the US Congressional watchdog Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR).

Some 75,000 people have also been forced to flee their homes in the first four months of the year, according to United Nations figures.

Security remains elusive in Afghanistan almost 16 years into a US-led invasion and occupation of the country. A Taliban regime that had been in power then was toppled in the 2001 invasion of Afghanistan. Members of the group started their militancy then.

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Daesh is a US product: Afghanistan's ex-president

Iran Press TV

Sat May 6, 2017 10:24AM

Former Afghan president Hamid Karzai holds the US responsible for the rise of Daesh in his homeland, saying Washington is in cahoots with the notorious terrorist group it has created.

"Daesh is a US product," Karzai said in an exclusive interview with the US-based Fox News network published earlier this week. "Daesh -- which is clearly foreign -- emerged in 2015 during the US presence."

The ex-Afghan leader further said he receives regular reports of unmarked helicopters airdropping supplies to Daesh militants active on the Afghanistan-Pakistan border, saying Washington "must explain this."

Karzai further pointed to last month's dropping of an American mega-bomb on Afghanistan's eastern province of Nangarhar, saying Washington had "coordinated" the attack with Daesh militants.

The Massive Ordnance Air Blast (MOAB) -- the US military's largest non-nuclear bomb -- was used against suspected Daesh positions in Nangarhar last month, killing nearly 100 people.

Karzai, who was president from 2004 to 2014, further said, "Daesh had already emptied most of their (families and militants) so this was coordinated. This group is just a US tool. This cannot be any other tool."

"First, Daesh comes to drive people away and then the US comes and drops that big bomb," he added, saying he was convinced that the use of the massive bomb "was a joint US-ISIS (Daesh) operation."

The former Afghan leader also told Fox News that the US "simply wants to use Afghanistan terrain to "test" its toys.

"They [America] think this is no man's land for testing and abuse, but they are wrong about that," Karzai said. "We have a deeply patriotic population here that will not allow this."

The development comes as the US military mulls the deployment of thousands more troops to Afghanistan.

US media quoted a senior senator as saying Thursday that the Pentagon plans to ask for between 3,000 and 5,000 more conventional military personnel with the stated aim of advising and assisting Afghan military and police units.

The US currently maintains nearly 8,400 soldiers in Afghanistan with nearly 5,000 more troops from NATO allies.

Washington and its allies first invaded the country in 2001 as part of the so-called war on terror. The invasion removed Taliban from power, but militancy continues to this day.

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47 killed in clashes between Chadian forces, Boko Haram terrorists

Iran Press TV

Fri May 5, 2017 11:23PM

At least seven Chadian troops and some 40 militants belonging to the Boko Haram Takfiri terrorist group have been killed in clashes in the volatile Lake Chad region, the Chadian military says.

According to Chadian army spokesman Colonel Azem Bermendoa Agouna, the fighting broke out in the early hours of Friday, when Boko Haram terrorists launched an attack against the Chadian army's position in Kaiga on Lake Chad but "were pushed back" by fierce response from the government troops.

Chad is a member of a multinational task force battling Boko Haram across its border with Nigeria, Niger and Cameroon. The force has been created with the aim of preventing a spillover of the Nigeria-based militancy to those countries.

Boko Haram terrorists started their reign of terror in 2009 with the aim of toppling the Nigerian government. In their heyday in early 2015, they managed to control an area in the country's northeast as vast as Belgium but lost most of that territory over the past year as the multinational task force launched a campaign to eradicate the militant group.

On December 24, 2016, Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari, who came to power in 2015 with a pledge to eradicate Boko Haram, announced that the army had "crushed" the terror group a day earlier by retaking its last key bastion, deep inside the thick Sambisa Forest in Borno.

The group, however, has resorted to sporadic shooting and bombing attacks in the country's northeast, spreading panic among the local residents. It also carries out cross-border attacks in Niger, Chad and Cameroon.

Boko Haram, whose name means "Western education is forbidden," has claimed responsibility for numerous deadly terror attacks in Nigeria during the past eight years. The attacks have so far claimed the lives of at least 20,000 people and displaced more than 2.7 million others.

In March 2015, the terrorists pledged allegiance to the Daesh Takfiri group, which is mainly operating in the Middle East.

The United Nations has warned that areas affected by Boko Haram militancy face a humanitarian crisis.

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Afghan Taliban Captures District Near Kunduz

May 06, 2017

Taliban militants captured a district near the northern Afghan city of Kunduz on May 6, officials said.

Mahfouz Akbari, a police spokesman for eastern Afghanistan, said security forces had pulled out of Qala-i-Zal district, west of Kunduz city, on May 6 after more than 24 hours of heavy fighting.

In a statement, Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said the insurgents had taken police headquarters, the governor's compound, and all security checkpoints. He said several police officers and soldiers had been killed and wounded.

Over the past 18 months, Taliban fighters have twice succeeded in seizing the town center of Kunduz for brief periods.

In a separate incident, at least four police officers have been shot to death in Afghanistan's southern Helmand Province, according to a police official.

General Aqa Noor Kentoz, provincial police chief, said on May 6 that all four had been killed the night before at a checkpoint on the outskirts of the provincial capital, Lashkar Gah.

Kentoz says the four might have been attacked by an insider. An investigation is under way, he said.

No one immediately claimed responsibility.

According to U.S. estimates, government troops control only some 60 percent of the country, with the rest either controlled or contested by the insurgents, who are seeking to reimpose Islamic law after their 2001 ouster.

More than 1,000 members of Afghanistan's security forces have been killed since the start of the year, according to Afghan officials and figures cited by U.S. congressional watchdog SIGAR, along with over 700 civilians.

According to the United Nations, some 75,000 people have also been forced to flee their homes in the first four months of the year.

Earlier this year, the top NATO commander in Afghanistan, General John Nicholson, said a few thousand more international troops are needed to boost the Resolute Support training and advisory mission and break a "stalemate" with the Taliban.

Based on reporting by Reuters and dpa

Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/afghanistan-taliban -kunduz-fighting-/28471288.html

Copyright (c) 2017. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.

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Kosovo Opposition Files No-Confidence Motion In Bid To Topple Government

RFE/RL May 06, 2017

Opposition parties in Kosovo on May 5 filed a motion of no confidence in the government, in a new attempt to bring down Prime Minister Isa Mustafa's coalition government.

More than 40 deputies, including 12 from parties that are part of the ruling coalition and some independent members of parliament, signed the motion, which accuses the government of failing to meet its campaign pledges and creating public distrust.

Mustafa, whose conservative LDK party is the second-largest in the 120-seat parliament, has enough votes to survive the no-confidence motion if all or most coalition lawmakers support him.

Parliament's largest party, the center-right PDK, has yet to give its backing, however.

The parliament will debate the motion on May 10. The opposition will need at least 61 of parliament's 120 votes to force Mustafa out.

"This is a democratic step that serves the country's benefit. I hope that when the parliamentary session is held the government will be overthrown," said Pal Lekaj, head of the opposition party Alliance for the Future of Kosovo.

Fueling the move is opposition to legislation proposed by Mustafa's government to establish a fixed border with Montenegro, a move the European Union has said is needed before it will grant visa-free travel to citizens of Kosovo.

Opposition parties say the border deal would transfer some 8,000 hectares of territory, mostly forested highland, to Montenegro. The government and its supporters in the EU and United States say that is not true.

In the two years since the border change was proposed along with a raft of other measures aimed at furthering Kosovo's bid to join the EU, opponents have used various tactics to block the legislation.

Opposition deputies have frequently disrupted parliament, throwing tear gas within the chamber, while opponents on the street outside staged riots. At one point, a rocket-propelled grenade was fired at the parliament building.

Opposition to the border deal from Mustafa's own coalition members prompted the government to withdraw its bid to pass the legislation in September. It would have needed a two-third's vote to pass.

"The situation in Kosovo is not good. I am not happy. People are not happy," said PDK leader Kadri Veseli, who is also the speaker of parliament, after meeting with opposition lawmakers on May 5.

Veseli said he would discuss the no-confidence motion with the prime minister.

Mustafa has said he will call a snap election if the border deal is not passed soon.

With reporting by Reuters and Balkan Insight

Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/kosovo-opposition -files-no-confidence-motion-bid-topple mustafa-coalition-government/28471129.html

Copyright (c) 2017. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.

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Hamas Political Chief Announces Successor

Sputnik News

21:05 06.05.2017

Khaled Meshaal, the head of Palestinian Hamas movement, announced that Ismail Haniya, the president of the political bureau of the movement, was elected as his successor.

MOSCOW (Spitnik)  Khaled Meshaal, the head of Palestinian Hamas movement, on Saturday said that Ismail Haniya, a former leader of the group in the Gaza Strip, was elected as his successor.

"I would like to announce that this new council has elected Abu al-Abed, my brother Ismail Haniya, the president of the political bureau of the movement," Meshaa told Al Jazeera news outlet. "The new leadership will announce any other names in the appropriate time. The movement blesses this election which came in a consultative, democratic way that is homogenous with the lists and that shows the unity of the movement."

Meshaal, who now lives in an exile in the Qatari capital of Doha, has been running the Hamas political wing for the maximum two terms in office.

It comes several days after the Hamas movement, which rules the Gaza Strip, issued a new policy document, announcing for first time that it would accept the creation of the Palestinian state within the borders preceding the Six-Day War. The document stressed that it would not recognize Israel but lacked the movement's longstanding call for violence against Israel.

 Sputnik

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US, Russian Generals Revive Agreement on Syrian Airspace

By VOA News May 06, 2017

Top U.S. and Russian military officials say they have agreed to revive a previous agreement intended to prevent midair incidents by warplanes from the two countries flying over Syria.

Statements in Washington and Moscow on Saturday said General Joseph Dunford, chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff, had spoken by telephone with his Russian counterpart, General Valery Gerasimov, and that they had agreed to fully restore the agreement on using Syrian airspace that had been in force from late 2015 through most of last year.

The two senior generals also discussed the recent Astana agreement, in which Russia, Turkey and Iran agreed on a Kremlin-proposed plan to reduce the violence in Syria through "de-escalation zones"  areas of the war-torn country where clashes between Syrian rebels and forces of the Damascus government have been particularly intense.

No U.S. participation

The United States had a representative at the talks in Kazakhstan but did not participate in the negotiations, largely because of Iran's involvement.

A Pentagon spokesman in Washington said Gerasimov and Dunford "affirmed their commitment to de-conflicting operations in Syria," and that they also agreed to remain in contact.

Russian authorities said the de-escalation zones in Syria went into effect at midnight Friday (2100 UTC), and that those zones were now closed to aircraft from the U.S.-led coalition. No details of how the zones will operate or how aircraft exclusions will be enforced have been announced, and other reports quoted Russian officials as saying full details of the plan would not be available for at least a month.

Syrian, Russian, Turkish and U.S.-led coalition aircraft sometimes operate in the same area in Syria, and it is uncertain whether American aviators will agree to abide by the airspace restrictions Russia has declared.

Pentagon officials told The Washington Post the de-escalation measures would not affect the U.S.-led campaign against militants from the Islamic State group.

Separately, U.S. officials reported multiple airstrikes targeting Islamic State positions in Syria and Iraq on Friday. A news release on the air assault said 18 strikes, consisting of 59 sorties by warplanes, were carried out. The strikes destroyed IS oil storage tanks, weapons systems, supply caches and a "factory" that assembled car bombs and truck bombs.

Russia, Turkey and Iran said they signed their Astana agreement on Thursday. It's aimed at reducing bloodshed in Syria, where a six-year civil war has killed hundreds of thousands of people.

The four areas set for de-escalation are parts of Syria where rebels not associated with IS terrorists control significant territory. Representatives of the Syrian rebels who attended the Astana talks said in a statement early Saturday that truce efforts should be extended throughout all of Syria.

The rebels said they would not be bound by the Russian-Turkish-Iranian declaration, since they had no part in negotiating it. However, reports from Syria itself on Saturday  gathered from activist groups, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights and news reporters  indicated there was relative calm in many areas, with fewer airstrikes and less shelling than in recent days.

U.S. cautious

The U.S. State Department said this week that "the United States supports any effort that can genuinely de-escalate the violence in Syria, ensure unhindered humanitarian access, focus energies on the defeat of [Islamic State] and other terrorists, and create conditions for a credible political resolution of the conflict."

However, a statement issued Thursday in Washington said U.S. diplomats would be cautious in assessing whether the Astana agreement could offer such hopes, "in light of the failures of past agreements."

"We expect the [Damascus] regime to stop all attacks on civilians and opposition forces, something they have never done," the U.S. statement said, adding that Washington expects Russia to ensure compliance by Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and his government.

Iran's involvement in the de-escalation effort together with Russia and Turkey is a particular concern, the U.S. statement noted: "Iran's activities in Syria have only contributed to the violence, not stopped it, and Iran's unquestioning support for the Assad regime has perpetuated the misery of ordinary Syrians."

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India successfully launches South Asia satellite

People's Daily Online

(Xinhua) 11:04, May 06, 2017

NEW DELHI, May 5 (Xinhua) -- In its biggest space diplomacy push, Indian launched a South Asia communication satellite on Friday from the spaceport of Sriharikota in the southern state of Andhra Pradesh.

The State-owned Indian Space Research Organisation's (ISRO) rocket, Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV), carrying the 2,230 kg satellite GSAT-9, lifted off from the launch pad at Satish Dhawan Space Center in Sriharikota at 4:57 p.m. local time (1127 GMT).

ISRO, which has built the satellite for use by countries of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) region, said GSAT-9 has been launched with an objective to provide different communication applications in Ku-band with coverage over South Asia.

The satellite was originally named SAARC satellite, but was later changed to South Asia satellite after Pakistan opted out of the project, stating "it has its own space program."

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi lauded the country's scientists for the successful launch. "We are a united family of South Asian countries, united in our pursuit of peace, progress & prosperity of our region & the entire humankind," he tweeted soon after the launch.

Later joining the five heads of state of SAARC nations -- Afghanistan's President Ashraf Ghani, Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, Maldives President Abdulla Yameen, Nepal's Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal and Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena -- Modi hailed the launch.

"Today is a historic day, one without precedent. We extend our close links into Outer Space. Space technology will touch the lives of our people in the region. Convinced when we join hands and mutually share fruits of knowledge, technology and growth, we can speed up development," he said.

On his part, Afghanistan's President Ashraf Ghani said: "This is an extremely important step to know nature and nature's patterns. Development must be citizen centric. Today's development is child centred and women centred, it makes governance accessible."

Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina took the opportunity to thank India. "On today's auspicious occasion, I congratulate the Government of India (for the successful launch). Betterment of our people can happen through fruitful engagement," she said.

Modi, who had first announced the project during the 2014 SAARC Summit in Nepal as a gift to the regional countries, spelled out the date of launch of the satellite in his monthly radio program, Mann ki baat (talk from the heart) Sunday.

The satellite has 12 Ku-band transponders. It is cuboid in shape and built around a central cylinder has a mission life of over 12 years.

It is expected to help communicate during disasters and also focus on telemedicine and education. Each country can beam its own TV programs while there will be the possibility for a common South Asia programming.

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C919 takes wing, marks milestone

People's Daily Online

(China Daily) 09:16, May 06, 2017

Debut flight hailed as making a Chinese 'dream come true'

The C919, China's first homegrown large passenger plane, made its debut flight on Friday in Shanghai, a breakthrough in the country's innovation and manufacturing drive and a change to the landscape of the global civil aviation market.

The successful test flight of the C919 comes only nine days after the country debuted its first homegrown aircraft carrier in Dalian, Liaoning province, showing the world its manufacturing prowess, development of advanced technology and national ambition to regain past glory.

After the flight, which lasted about 79 minutes at an altitude of 3,000 meters and an average speed of 300 km/h, the plane returned to Shanghai Pudong International Airport, from which it had taken off at 2 pm.

"All the activities made in the air are normal. The C919's debut flight is a complete success," said Cai Jun, captain of the flight.

In a letter of congratulation to the C919 project, the State Council said: "The successful maiden flight of the C919 marks a milestone for China's aviation industry. The project carries great weight and importance to the country's innovation drive and manufacturing upgrade push.

"It is also a shot in the arm for the ongoing supply-side reform," the letter said. "The large passenger aircraft flying in the blue sky makes generations of Chinese people's dream come true."

About 3,000 people witnessed the historic moment of the first flight of the narrow-body jetliner. Before the flight, the C919, whose enhanced version has a range of 5,555 kilometers, passed a series of strict tests after rolling off the assembly line in November 2015.

Zhou Guirong, deputy chief designer of the C919, said more than 50 percent of its parts and components were domestically made, either by Chinese companies or joint ventures in China. Since launching the C919 project, the plane's research team has made 102 technological breakthroughs in areas including integrated design of engines and systems control.

With 158 to 174 seats, the twin-engine, single-aisle aircraft will be used for medium-haul commercial flights. The State-owned Commercial Aircraft Corp of China, which manufactured the C919, has received 570 orders for the C919 from23 clients.

According to its designers, the commercialization of the C919 will take two to three years before getting certification from the Civil Aviation Administration of China. Boeing earlier predicted that China will need 5,110 new single-aisle airplanes through 2035. With China's aviation market growing rapidly as a rising middle class travels more for leisure and business, the C919 aircraft is also expected to eventually take market share from Boeing and Airbus in the lucrative narrow-body market, which accounts for more than 50 percent of the aircraft in service worldwide.

"We believe the C919 will bring new competition to the market, and we welcome com-petition, which is good to the development of the industry," said Eric Chen, president of Airbus Commercial Aircraft China.

Kevin McAllister, president and CEO of Boeing Commercial Airplanes, expressed his congratulations on behalf of Boeing for the C919's successful debut flight. "This is a great achievement in the history of COMAC and an important milestone for Chinese aviation," he said.

Federico Marziali, head of quality management of Dornier Seawings GmbH, said he is very impressed by the size of the COMAC C919 project. "I can imagine the huge production ability once it starts production, by the size."

Meanwhile, Lin Zhijie, an aviation industry analyst and columnist at Carnoc.com, one of China's largest civil aviation web portals, said there is still a long way to go before the C919 enters the market.

"Apart from meeting flight safety standards, the C919 team has to make sure all things go right, such as the reliability, fuel efficiency, maintenance cost, as well as the comfort level of the aircraft. They should all be considered before it is put into use in the market," Lin said.

The C919 project was launched in 2006. Two years later, the C919 maker COMAC was established in Shanghai. Plans for the plane, which was originally due to fly in 2014 and be delivered to buyers in 2016, were postponed for manufacturing reasons.

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France's Future Course Hangs In Balance Of Presidential Election

Pete Baumgartner May 06, 2017

French voters will choose a new president on May 7 in a runoff that could determine whether their country embraces its status as a leading member of the European Union or sets it on the path to a "Frexit."

Centrist Emmanuel Macron (say Mah-kro) has campaigned on a pro-EU platform while anti-immigration nationalist Marine Le Pen wants France to leave the EU and abandon the euro currency.

The election is the culmination of a polarizing campaign in which Le Pen, 48, has portrayed Macron, 39, as an elitist who is soft on Islamic fundamentalism and other potential threats to her vision of the French state.

"Le Pen's only strategy is to harm Macron, to paint [him] as a globalist candidate whose political approach and policies are dangerous for France," Martin Michelot, deputy director of the EUROPEUM Institute for European Policy, told RFE/RL.

Macron has enjoyed a lead in opinion polls since the first round of the presidential election on April 23, with the former investment banker holding a 62 percent to 38 percent lead over his rival in the polls on May 5 -- the last day of campaigning.

"As a matter of fact, the polls haven't moved that much, which indicates the fact that Marine Le Pen has never been able to...impose her themes in the campaign,... the themes that would carry voters towards her," Michelot said.

Macron called Le Pen "the high priestess of fear" at a fiery May 3 debate between the candidates in Paris that the daily Le Monde labeled "brutal" and "violent from start to finish."

Accused of being overly emotional during the debate, Le Pen told RTL radio that "my words were nothing but the reflection of the anger that will explode in this country."

Macron countered: "Madame Le Pen speaks for no one. Madame Le Pen exploits anger and hatred."

Le Pen, the head of the National Front party founded by her father, has advocated abandoning the euro for the French franc, saying the euro is "the currency of bankers, it's not the people's currency."

Macron called his opponent's euro policy "the big nonsense of Marine Le Pen's program."

While differing on almost every domestic policy, the two candidates also have very divergent views on foreign policy.

"Le Pen would want to have a much closer cooperation with Russia on fighting terrorism in the Middle East and also...would reopen lines of political negotiation with Iran which, for example, goes completely counter to the goals of the United States...[and] could lead to a clash with the United States and President [Donald] Trump," said Michelot.

"[She] would want to take France out of NATO's military command and she would largely put an end to the French military operations in Africa."

Macron's foreign policy would largely be a continuation of the course set by current President Francois Hollande, a Socialist in whose government Macron served as economy minister from 2014-16.

"Macron is a politician who has never in his career dealt with [foreign policy] issues...so you can expect lots of predictability on the Macron team," Michelot said, ticking off a list of EU points of emphasis vis-a-vis security and Russia, whose invasion of Ukraine and continuing support of separatists there prompted Western sanctions: "the same strong position on Russia, the importance of respecting the Minsk agreements, on not recognizing the illegal annexation of Crimea," and a strong commitment to NATO.

He added that if Le Pen wins the election, "you would have a France that is more shriveled up on itself...which would largely take France outside the liberal world order in which Macron believes."

Since the first round of the election -- in which Macron edged Le Pen by 24 percent to 21.3 percent -- the leader of the Forward! (En Marche!) political party has accused Russia of meddling in his election campaign with cyberattacks and has refused to accredit Russian media outlets RT and Sputnik, accusing them of issuing fake news stories.

Moscow has rejected accusations of interfering in the election campaign, as it has rejected similar charges out of Berlin and Washington.

Le Pen, whose National Front party received a multimillion-dollar loan from a Russian bank in 2014, has defended Russia's annexation of Ukraine's Crimean Peninsula and has met several times with Russian President Vladimir Putin -- most recently in Moscow in late March.

Macron has been endorsed by the overwhelming majority of French politicians, many European leaders, and by former U.S. President Barack Obama.

Though claiming not to have endorsed her, Trump has called Le Pen the "strongest on borders, and she's the strongest on what's been going on in France."

Polls showed some 18 percent of French voters were still undecided in the days leading up to the May 7 election.

On May 5, dozens of students protested outside of 10 high schools in Paris, holding signs that read, "Neither Le Pen nor Macron, neither the fatherland nor the boss," a reference to the nationalist stances of Le Pen and the pro-business Macron.

The French president is elected to a five-year term. There are nearly 48 million eligible voters and turnout is expected to be high, as 77.8 percent of the voters cast ballots in the first round.

Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/france-presidential- election-macron-lepen/28471903.html

Copyright (c) 2017. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.

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French President Vows Response To Hacking Of Candidate's E-Mails

RFE/RL May 06, 2017

French President Francois Hollande has promised to respond to the hacking of centrist presidential candidate Emmanuel Macron's campaign e-mails and the spreading of them online just one day before the May 7 runoff election.

Speaking in Paris on May 6, Hollande said: "We knew that there were these risks during the presidential campaign because it happened elsewhere. Nothing will go without a response."

Hollande said that if there has been "any interference or appropriations, there will be procedures which will begin," adding: "We need to let the investigations happen."

France's electoral commission has warned French journalists not to reveal the contents of the hacked e-mails on the last day before the election when no campaigning is authorized.

The documents were spread on social media on May 5 just before midnight in what Macron's team said was an attempt at "democratic destabilization, like that seen during the last presidential campaign in the United States."

Similar leaks of Democratic campaign documents on WikiLeaks and other online sites during the U.S. presidential election last year were eventually traced by U.S. intelligence agencies to hackers they said were working for the Russian government.

Hollande said he was unable to say whether it was an attempt at destabilizing the election, as alleged by Macron's team.

Macron faces far-right nationalist leader Marine Le Pen in the runoff.

The final public opinion polls, issued just hours before the hacked e-mails were released, suggested Macron would win the runoff with about 62 percent of the vote compared to 38 percent for Le Pen.

The electoral commission, which supervises the presidential campaign, said in a May 6 statement that the publication or republication of the information could be a criminal offense.

The commission's warning comes after Macron's campaign said on May 5 that it had been the target of a "massive" computer hack that dumped its campaign e-mails online 1 1/2 days before voters choose between the centrist and his far-right rival, Marine Le Pen.

"Free and fair elections are at play," the commission said in a statement, adding that some of the documents probably were fake and there could penalties -- even criminal ones -- for rebroadcasting forged documents. The commission issued the statement after an emergency meeting on May 6.

Macron's En Marche! (On The Move) party said in a statement that the leaks came "in the last hour of the official campaign" and were "clearly" aimed at "democratic destabilization, like that seen during the last presidential campaign in the United States."

Such a large-scale hacking is "unprecedented in a French electoral campaign," it said.

The WikiLeaks website posted a link on Twitter to the trove of documents, saying it "contains many tens of thousands [of] e-mails, photos, attachments up to April 24, 2017."

WikiLeaks indicated that it was not responsible for the leak itself but did not say where it obtained the documents.

As much as 9 gigabytes of data was posted on Pastebin, a document-sharing site that allows anonymous posting. The Pastebin document dump was posted by a user called EMLEAKS.

Front-runner Macron takes a hard line on maintaining EU sanctions imposed on Moscow over the Ukraine crisis, whereas Le Pen, who favors France leaving the EU, backs the lifting of sanctions and improving ties with Russia.

"The files circulating were obtained several weeks ago due to the hacking of the personal and professional mailboxes of several party officials," and then were released just as campaigning for the May 7 presidential runoff officially ended at midnight on May 5, Macron's campaign said.

While most of the leaked documents appear authentic, the campaign said, "those circulating these documents are adding many false documents to authentic documents in order to sow doubt and disinformation."

The campaign said the leaks are clearly aimed at boosting the election prospects of Macron's opponent, far-right nationalist leader Marine Le Pen.

"The aim of those behind this leak is, all evidence suggests, to hurt the En Marche! party several hours before the second round of the French presidential election," it said.

"Throughout the campaign, En Marche! has constantly been the party the most targeted by such attempts, in an intense and repeated fashion," it said.

Despite the apparently massive effort to sway the election, none of the leaked documents contained anything potentially damaging or embarrassing to Macron, the campaign maintained.

"The documents arising from the hacking are all lawful and show the normal functioning of a presidential campaign," it said.

Whether there is time before the election for the public to even learn what's in the huge trove of documents was a question, however. WikiLeaks said there were around 9 gigabytes of data in total.

Moreover, French journalists are prohibited by law from publicizing the material in the hours left before the vote. Soon after the documents were released, France's electoral commission issued guidance asking French publications to refrain from covering them.

"Free and fair elections are at play," the commission said in a statement, adding that some of the documents probably were fake and there could be penalties -- even criminal ones -- for rebroadcasting forged documents.

Macron's campaign first disclosed it was under attack by hackers in February, and at that time it blamed a hackers' group operating out of Russia or Ukraine.

It did not say who could be behind the May 5 leaks. Russia has repeatedly denied any involvement or interference in the French election.

The French Interior Ministry declined to comment on the leaks, citing French rules which forbid any commentary that could influence an election in the day before the vote.

The last opinion polls taken before the election show Macron was heavily favored to win with about 62 percent of the vote.

The first voting stations opened on May 6 in the small territory of Saint-Pierre-et-Miquelon, off the eastern coast of Canada.

The territory is made up of two islands with a population of some 6,000 people.

French South American and Caribbean territories including Guiana and Martinique and French Polynesia also were voting on May 6.

With reporting by AP, AFP, and Reuters

Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/french-presidential- candidate-macron-campaign-hit-massive-hacking- attack-wikileaks-russian-meddling/28471099.html

Copyright (c) 2017. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.

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French Presidential Campaign Targeted in Huge Computer Hack

By Lou Lorscheider May 06, 2017

The campaign of French presidential front-runner Emmanuel Macron says it was targeted by a "massive and coordinated" computer hacking operation on the eve of the final round of voting for the country's next president.

The large volume of confidential data posted online near midnight Friday included troves of emails and accounting records from the Macron campaign. In France and beyond, pundits and analysts said Saturday that there were clear comparisons to cyberthefts in the United States last year that targeted the presidential campaign of Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton.

Senior U.S. intelligence officials have since tied the cyberattack against Clinton to Russian operatives seeking to advance Republican candidate Donald Trump's chances in the 2016 U.S. election. Russia has denied involvement.

There were no reports of similar intrusions in France against the campaign of far-right candidate Marine Le Pen. Voters will choose between her and Macron, a centrist, in a second-round presidential ballot on Sunday.

Because of French laws prohibiting any political discussions or campaigning for a 44-hour period  throughout Saturday and until the polls close on Sunday evening  no detailed information was available about how damaging the hacked documents might be. There have been reports, however, depicting the gigabytes of leaked material as a combination of both genuine and fake documents.

The French daily Le Monde on Saturday stopped just short of directly accusing Russia of orchestrating the French hacking, which was the second known cyberintrusion against Macron's campaign in the past two months. The newspaper said it had copies of the leaked documents but would not report on their contents until after the election, since the data were released "with the clear goal of harming the validity of the vote."

U.S. right-wing activist

Le Monde named an American right-wing activist, Jack Posobiec, as one of the first people to spread news of the Macron hacks, and said he sent his 100,000 Twitter followers information about how to locate and download the Macron campaign files on the online message board 4chan.

The French newspaper said Posobiec played a key role in disseminating the stolen documents. Attempts to contact Posobiec for comment on Le Monde's report were unsuccessful.

Posobiec is the Washington bureau chief of a right-wing news group, The Rebel Media, and was projects coordinator last year for a grass-roots organization that supported the Trump campaign.

The Japanese anti-virus firm Trend Micro last month reported on an earlier Macron campaign intrusion that some analysts identified as the work of Russia-linked hackers.

Trend Micro did not tie any specific country to the cybertheft it detected in March, but U.S. spy agencies and private intelligence analysts have said the suspected perpetrators, known by the code name APT28, are an arm of Russia's intelligence apparatus.

The 4chan forum that received the stolen Macron documents is frequented by activists and supporters of extreme right-wing groups, often known as the alt-right. The British newspaper Guardian described alt-right members as "lunatic, juvenile ... brilliant, ridiculous and alarming."

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France Ready for Sunday's Ballot Box 'Revolution'

By Luis Ramirez May 06, 2017

Voters in France prepared to go to the polls Sunday, ending what observers describe as the country's most contentious and divisive presidential campaign since the founding of the Fifth Republic.

Sunday also could mark the start of a new path for France and its relationship with the rest of Europe, regardless of who wins.

Surveys at the official end of campaigning had centrist Emmanuel Macron in a strong lead, with 62 percent support, and nationalist anti-immigration candidate Marine Le Pen at 38 percent.

Macron's campaign late Friday said it had been "the victim of a massive and coordinated (computer) hack" that resulted in the leak of campaign emails  a mixture of both real and fake documents  on social media.

For the first time in recent history, French voters will cast ballots in a presidential election with no candidates from traditional establishment parties.

Their choices are between Macron  a centrist from the left who is pro-business and pro-Europe  and Le Pen  who wants France out of the European Union and an end to most immigration, especially from Muslim countries.

In the final week of campaigning, Le Pen made one last push to convince voters she is the one who can best deal with the challenges of a changing Europe.

"I am 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 May," Le Pen said.

"Because all of those countries are more or less backing away from the ideology of free trade, of competition and of undermining social protection, so I feel much more in line with their political philosophy," she said on French television.

Le Pen came in second in the first round of voting two weeks ago, but she hopes her promises of returning French factory jobs and boosting social benefits will win over the far left. Macron, to his supporters, represents a more balanced and pragmatic approach to a globalization that cannot be reversed.

"It is not only the intellectual, political and moral heritage of France which is at stake now, but also the future of a united Europe, master of its own destiny, the future of a world that we have decided to take part in," Macron said in an interview on French television.

One of the highest unemployment rates in Europe and a string of Islamist terrorist attacks have prompted big questions about globalization and what many perceive as failed policies.

Le Pen wants to get rid of the Euro and would like a Brexit-like referendum on France's continued membership in the EU.

The left and center see her as dangerous. In a final debate marred by personal attacks, Macron said Le Pen would provoke a "civil war" in France.

In arguing about France's industrial policy, Le Pen chided Macron for lecturing her like a teacher would a student, referring to Macron's marriage to his former high school teacher, a woman 24 years his elder.

Reports of the hacking of Macron's emails added to the suspense on Saturday.

Mainstream media were banned from releasing the hacked emails, in keeping with restrictions that forbid campaigns from making statements or disseminating propaganda within 24 hours of the start of voting.

Supporters confident

The release of potentially damaging information did not daunt his supporters, who were confident of a solid victory Sunday. Some were troubled, however, that the breach could hurt his numbers.

"He has no opportunity to defend himself," said Nicolas Brocard, a 19-year-old law student in Paris, who has volunteered to mobilize young voters for Macron.

"At this time we are in a period of restriction on campaign propaganda and the mainstream media cannot defuse the [hacked] information," he told VOA. "Parts of it are appearing on social media where the information is not reliable," said Brocard.

Macron promises reforms in France's relationship with Europe. His big challenge has been to convince voters he, as a former member of the unpopular ruling Socialist Party administration, will not bring more of the same.

Still, he has consistently led in the polls and is widely favored to win Sunday "because he managed to present himself as an outsider. As a maverick within the administration," Paris historian Patrick Weil, told VOA. "Now, what will be the meaning of this revolution, we don't know yet," he said.

France is deeply divided, perhaps more than at any time in its post-war history. Either way, Sunday's election will mark a change. The big question is how much of one French voters really want.

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Presidential hopeful: Astana talks show power of Iranian diplomacy

IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency

Tehran, May 5, IRNA -- Presidential hopeful Hassan Rouhani says Iran alongside with Russia and Turkey plays a major role in the Astana talks aimed at addressing the crisis in Syria and this shows the power of Iranian diplomacy.

Rouhani made the remarks during the second group debate of presidential candidates, aired on the state television Friday evening with political and cultural issues in the spotlight.

Rouhani referred to the efforts made by the nuclear negotiators during talks with the members of G5+1 and noted that all nuclear-related sanctions have been lifted.

He pointed to increase of oil export to 2 million bpd after the nuclear deal, known also as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) and noted that without the nuclear deal, the Islamic Republic oil export would have been just 200,000 bpd.

"Thanks to the nuclear deal, we have not only removed sanctions but also we have made progress in nuclear technology," he said.

The presidential candidate said that Iran's heavy water nuclear reactor in the city of Arak is expected to be redesigned by using most advanced and modern technologies.

Rouhani also called closure of Possible Military Dimension (PMD) of Iran's peaceful nuclear program and the ongoing Syria talks in the Kazakhstan capital, two of its government achievements in the field of diplomacy.

He went on to refer to the adoption of the citizenship rights charter by his government and urged all to follow the rules in this regard.

All sects and minority groups should enjoy equal rights according to the law, Rouhani noted.

Two weeks before Iran's 12th presidential elections, the second live debate of presidential candidates, started here on Friday afternoon with political and cultural issues in the spotlight.

The first debate focusing on social affairs was held live on state TV on April 28.

Ebrahim Raeisi, the custodian of Imam Reza (AS) holy shrine, Vice-President Eshaq Jahangiri, Tehran Mayor Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf, former minister of culture and Islamic guidance Mostafa Mirsalim and former vice president Mostafa Hashemi Taba, as well as President Hassan Rouhani are the six candidates to compete in May 19 presidential elections.

The candidates are given equal times so that they can introduce their plans in both live and recorded television and radio programs to the nation, based on a specific time-table which has been announced earlier.

Documentaries about each candidate's biography have also been produced by their electoral headquarters to be aired twice on state television to let those eligible to vote get more familiar with the candidates.

Social networks seem to have a significant role in the elections this year as the supporters of each candidate have an active presence in cyberspace.

After 1979 Islamic Revolution which led to the fall of the Pahlavi regime, Iran has held one election each year on average all of which have witnessed large turnouts of the people.

9191**2044

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Presidential hopeful says will stand against US breach of JCPOA

IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency

Tehran, May 6, IRNA -- Presidential candidate Es'haq Jahangiri slammed US breach of its obligations enshrined in the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action saying he will powerfully stand against any violation of the nuclear deal.

Jahangiri made the remarks during the second group debate of presidential candidates, aired on the state television Friday evening with political and cultural issues in the spotlight.

Elaborating on the country's problems before the nuclear deal, Jahangiri who is currently first vice president said that despite deficiencies, the government was successful in all its programs.

The JCPOA was one of the great successes of Iranian nation and the government reached all its goals enshrined in the nuclear deal, Jahangiri added.

He said that Iran's right for peaceful use of nuclear energy was recognized by the world and the oppressive sanctions were removed.

Persophilia replaced Iranophobia as the result of the incumbent government approach, the presidential hopeful noted.

He said that the country is now ready for development and we have elevated the crude oil export from 1 million bpd to 2.5 bpd.

Jahangiri noted that the export of petrochemical products witnessed 30 percent growth and the shipping insurance problem has been already resolved.

Tens of billions of dollars of oil revenues which was blocked aboard was released, he added while explaining the outcomes of nuclear deal.

"We accept that the US violated its obligations enshrined in the nuclear deal and we will stand against their disloyalty powerfully."

He urged all Iranians to help the government in showing the real face of Iran in the world, adding that boost of tourism can help improve Iranian people ties with the world.

Iran's power has roots in its rich culture, Jahangiri added, noting that "Showing the peaceful nature of Iranian culture to the world can empower its economic, defensive and foreign policy."

He urged people to vote for moderate presidential candidates to prevent new adventurist policies in the country.

The universities are main centers for development of science and technology, the presidential hopeful said, adding that the current government has done its best to make a link between university research centers and industry.

Two weeks before Iran's 12th presidential elections, the second live debate of presidential candidates, started here on Friday afternoon with political and cultural issues in the spotlight.

The first debate focusing on social affairs was held live on state TV on April 28.

Ebrahim Raeisi, the custodian of Imam Reza (AS) holy shrine, Vice-President Eshaq Jahangiri, Tehran Mayor Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf, former minister of culture and Islamic guidance Mostafa Mirsalim and former vice president Mostafa Hashemi Taba, as well as President Hassan Rouhani are the six candidates to compete in May 19 presidential elections.

The candidates are given equal times so that they can introduce their plans in both live and recorded television and radio programs to the nation, based on a specific time-table which has been announced earlier.

Documentaries about each candidate's biography have also been produced by their electoral headquarters to be aired twice on state television to let those eligible vote get more familiar with the candidates.

Social networks seem to have a significant role in the elections this year as the supporters of each candidate have an active presence in cyberspace.

After the 1979 Islamic Revolution which led to the fall of the Pahlavi regime, Iran has held one election each year on average all of which have witnessed large turnouts of the people.

9191**1771

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Iraqi forces kill dozen Daesh terrorists, destroy 4 bomb-rigged cars west of Mosul

Iran Press TV

Sat May 6, 2017 1:42PM

Members of the Iraqi rapid response forces have carried out an operation in the western part of the strategic city of Mosul, killing a dozen Daesh Takfiri terrorists as government troops and fighters from the Popular Mobilization Units are battling to drive the extremists out of their last urban stronghold in the Arab country.

Lieutenant Colonel Abdel Amir al-Mohammedawi, a spokesman for the forces, announced in a statement on Saturday that the elite units of the Interior Ministry had managed to destroy four vehicles rigged with explosives and kill 12 Daeshis in the process.

Mohammedawi added that government forces continued to make territorial gains in western Mosul, and dozens of families were being evacuated from liberated regions.

Commander of Federal Police Forces Lieutenant General Raed Shaker Jawdat also said that his forces were making a steady advance in Mosul's western neighborhood of al-Haramat. He said that they had killed 15 Daesh terrorists there. Eight vehicles belonging to the terrorists were destroyed as well.

Moreover, Nayef al-Shammari, a member of the Iraqi Parliament's Security and Defense Committee, said on Saturday that Daesh terrorists were retreating from Zanjili and 17 Tamuz neighborhoods in western Mosul to al-Farouq district near Grand al-Nuri Mosque, where purported Daesh ringleader Ibrahim al-Samarrai aka Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi gave his speech on the formation of the terror group.

Elsewhere in the eastern province of Diyala, Iraqi army soldiers and fighters from the Popular Mobilization Units, commonly known by the Arabic name Hashd al-Sha'abi, have launched a major offensive against Daesh positions, trying to purge the areas of Hawdh al-Nada, Hamrin, Wadi al-Thalab and Talal Qazlaq from Daesh extremists.

Meanwhile, the Ninth Division of the Iraqi Army announced that government soldiers had detained the self-proclaimed Daesh police chief of Hamam al-Alil town south of Mosul.

There are reports that the high-profile Daesh figure had disguised himself among civilians fleeing the area.

Iraqi army soldiers and Hashd al-Sha'abi fighters 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.

Daesh butcher in Speicher carnage arrested

Additionally, Iraqi security forces have arrested a Daesh commander wanted for the June 2014 massacre of hundreds of military recruits in the city of Tikrit, the capital of Salahuddin Province.

The media bureau of Baghdad Operations Command stated that the high-ranking militant commander, whose identity was not immediately available, was nabbed in Sheikh Awad village north of Baghdad.

On June 12, 2014, Daesh terrorists killed around 1,700 Iraqi Air Force cadets in an attack on Camp Speicher, a former US base. There were reportedly around 4,000 unarmed cadets in the camp at the time of the attack.

An investigation committee later revealed that 57 members of the former dictator Saddam Hussein's Ba'ath Party had aided Daesh terrorists in massacring the Iraqi troopers.

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Moscow Protest Marks Five Years Since Bolotnaya Crackdown

RFE/RL's Russian Service May 06, 2017

MOSCOW -- Thousands of Russian opposition activists held a rally in Moscow on May 6 to mark five years since the 2012 Bolotnaya Square antigovernment protest in Moscow.

Moscow authorities approved the rally on a section of Sakharov Avenue in the city center. But city authorities refused to allow an opposition march toward Bolotnaya Square itself.

Alec Luhn, a correspondent for The Guardian, tweeted that at least seven protesters were detained at Bolotnaya Square on May 6 after they held up placards with photographs of people who were jailed for taking part in the 2012 protest.

The latest May 6 protest in Moscow was named by the organizers: For Russia, Against Arbitrary Practices And Reprisals.

Participants chanted slogans like "Russia without Putin!" and "Putin is a thief!"

Organizers claimed as many as 10,000 protesters took to the streets for the anti-Putin rally. Independent observers estimated that about 3,000 people took part.

According to Russia's Interior Ministry, about 1,000 people attended the rally, with participants listening to speeches and music.

"The police and Russian National Guard are ensuring public order and security," the ministry said.

Sakharov Avenue was closed for traffic, while those entering the rally area had to walk through metal detectors.

Meanwhile, the start of the demonstration was briefly delayed when municipal authorities and police tore down banners from a stage that had been set up for rally speakers.

Those banners contained slogans like "'The Case Of May 6," "Shame On Russia," and "Enough With Kadyrov, Enough Despotism" -- referring to Ramzan Kadyrov, the pro-Putin head of Russia's Chechnya region.

Russian journalist Aleksandr Ryklin, a moderator of the rally, said municipal officials alleged that the banners were "subversive" and tore them down "because they believe that they contradict the purpose of our rally."

Meanwhile, demonstrators carried Russian flags, posters, and other banners.

Many participants wore badges and ribbons reading: "Five Years Since The Bolotnaya."

An 81-year-old rally participant named Alla told RFE/RL that she is "worried sick" about the things happening in Russia since Putin came into power.

"I became anxious since the very beginning when Mr. Putin came to power and the first thing he did was to shut down [independent] NTV," Alla said. "It was very scary. Then I remember [the sinking of] the Kursk submarine. Then I remember Beslan [school siege]. I remember everything. I am doing everything [I can] to have this government changed."

Another protester, who identified herself as Tatyana, told RFE/RL that the longer Russians accept living in an "isolated country, the harder our life will be in the future."

Once the demonstration was under way, Russian opposition activist and former State Duma deputy Gennady Gudkov told the crowd that Russia has become "internationally isolated" because of Putin's policies.

"The country is in a deep economic and -- actually -- systemic crisis," Gudkov said. "The system of our governance is good for nothing. The country is getting involved in ever new armed conflicts. We lost 42 million [people] during World War II. Do we want to risk our lives, the lives of our family members and loved ones, the future of our children again?"

Russian Yabloko Party leader Sergei Mitrokhin said "the main danger for Russia today is a weak, cowardly, and dangerous government."

On May 6, 2012, several thousand Russians demonstrated on Bolotnaya Square in Moscow against Putin's reelection, and there were clashes with police during the event.

Between 400 and 700 people were detained. Dozens have been prosecuted and many have spent time in pretrial detention or been sentenced to prison. Some remain behind bars.

Fearing persecution, several other people, who had not yet been officially accused, left Russia and were granted asylum in Spain, Sweden, Lithuania, Estonia, and Germany.

Participants in the 2012 protest blame police for the violence and say that the severity of the charges laid against demonstrators has been grossly disproportionate to their actions.

The reaction of Russian authorities after the 2012 demonstration also included a crackdown against the country's opposition leaders.

Nikolai Kavkazsky, an opposition activist who was jailed after the 2012 Bolotnaya Square protest and only recently was released, told the Moscow rally on May 6 that "Kadyrov has been de facto waging genocide in Chechnya."

"Should we allow this to happen, it will begin in other [Russian] regions as well, because Chechnya is a certain testing ground of totalitarianism," Kavkazsky said. "Russia may be transformed into one big Chechnya in the future. I believe we must resist. We must help political prisoners. We need to stand up against all sorts of repression."

With reporting by Interfax, Reuters, and TASS

Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/russia-putin-bototnaya- anniversary-opposition-rally/28471273.html

Copyright (c) 2017. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.

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Trump mulling over major weapons deals, THAAD sale in Saudi visit

Iran Press TV

Fri May 5, 2017 10:15PM

US President Donald Trump is planning to sign multi-billion dollar weapons deals with Saudi Arabia during his upcoming visit to the country, including the possible sale of a Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) missile system.

Trump has decided to visit Saudi Arabia before heading to Israel on his maiden international trip, a move that underscores the kingdom's significance in his foreign policy.

The new Republican president is planning to enhance relations with the key Middle Eastern ally, which distanced itself from Washington after former President Barack Obama's push for the historic nuclear deal between Iran and six world powers.

He also plans to deliver on his promises to boost manufacturing jobs in the US by offering the Riyadh regime a wide range of weapons deals, Reuters reported Friday, citing unnamed sources within the administration.

Apparently, Trump will offer the Saudis an agreement with weapons manufacturer Lockheed Martin for a $1 billion THAAD missile system, similar to the one that the US has already sent to South Korea.

Lockheed's package would also include a Command, Control, Battle Management and Communication (C2BMC) software system as well as a series of satellite capabilities.

The American head of state would also offer the Saudis an $11.5 billion deal for four multi-mission warships and technical support. The US State Department approved the deal in 2015, however, it never went through because of disagreements on both sides.

The warships belong to the US Navy's Littoral Combat Ship class, which has been regarded by Pentagon officials as some of the most problematic and least equipped units operated by the force.

This would be the first time in decades that Washington sells new small surface warships to a foreign nation. The deal was suspended under Obama over human rights concerns.

Trump is also looking forward to selling the Saudis more than $1 billion of Raytheon's armor-piercing Penetrator Warheads and Paveway laser-guided bombs.

The bombs have been used by Saudi military forces against civilian targets in Yemen since March 2015, when the monarchy launched an aggression against its poverty-stricken southern neighbor. The Pentagon has been providing the Saudi forces with logistic and surveillance support.

Washington has been under pressure to stop selling Riyadh new weapons.

However, US Defense Secretary James Mattis said during his last month trip to Saudi Arabia that the new US administration would do its best to "see a strong Saudi Arabia."

Trump criticized Saudi Arabia in late April, saying America was "losing a tremendous amount of money in defending Saudi Arabia" and the country should pay the US a fair share in return.

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Syria de-escalation zones deal takes effect: Russia Defense Ministry

Iran Press TV

Fri May 5, 2017 9:31PM

An agreement to create four "de-escalation zones" aimed at ending the conflict in war-torn Syria has come into force in the Arab country, the Russian Defense Ministry says.

The agreement on creating four de-escalation zones in four areas in northern, central and southern Syria, where the most intense fighting is underway between the Syrian government and different militant groups, took effect at the stroke of midnight local time on Saturday (2100 GMT on Friday).

The enforcement of the deal came a day after Iran, Russia and Turkey signed the agreement during the fourth round of the Syria peace talks in the Kazakh capital Astana, and two days after Moscow put forward the proposal.

The four safe regions are situated across eight of Syria's 14 provinces. The first zone includes the northwestern province of Idlib, the western province of Latakia, the western-central province of Hama, and the northern province of Aleppo.

The second zone covers the northern parts of the central Homs province. The third zone encompasses the Eastern Ghouta district near the capital Damascus, while the fourth zone includes southern Syria, particularly Dara'a and Quneitra provinces.

The four zones are only safe for the so-called armed opposition factions and exclude the Takfiri terrorist groups of Daesh and the Jabhat Fateh al-Sham, formerly known as al-Nusra Front.

'Safe zones to end Syria war'

Meanwhile, Russian Deputy Defense Minister Lt. Gen. Alexander Fomin expressed optimism that the de-escalation zones in Syria would end the years-long war in the Arab country.

"The implementation of the memorandum will allow for stopping the combat activities by warring sides and practically put an end to the civil war in Syria, which is why the document is of great importance for the political settlement in the country," Fomin said on Friday.

He added that all "main players concerned," namely "the United Nations, the US administration, the Saudi Arabian leadership and other authorities," supported the de-escalation agreement, a move that could be a "certain guarantee" for the implementation of the deal.

Meanwhile, Colonel General Sergei Rudskoi, the head of the Russian General Staff's Main Operations Department, said Moscow had already stopped using its air force in the four zones since May 1.

According to the deal, the three guarantor states -- Iran, Russia and Turkey -- have a month to define the exact borders of the de-escalation zones.

Rudskoi also said at a press conference on Friday that the zones would improve the position of Syrian army troops, adding, "The Russian Air Force will continue supporting them in their operations aimed at eliminating."

Syria has been grappling with militancy since March 2011. UN Special Envoy for Syria Staffan de Mistura estimated last August that more than 400,000 people had been killed in the conflict until then.

Lavrov, Tillerson discuss Syria on the phone

Meanwhile, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov talked with US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson on the phone on Friday to discuss Syria.

The two discussed how to stabilize a ceasefire that has been in place in Syria since late last year. That ceasefire was also facilitated by Russia, Iran, and Turkey.

The US State Department also said in a press release after the phone conversation that the US would like to see United Nations-brokered talks in Geneva to move forward. Those talks had been stalled for almost a year when the negotiations in Astana began.

"The Secretary looks forward to further meetings with the Foreign Minister [Lavrov] to discuss the respective roles of the United States and Russia in de-escalating the conflict and supporting the talks in Geneva to move the political solution forward," read the press release by the US State Department.

The Astana talks have been organized by Russia, Iran, and Turkey.

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Relative Calm Reported In Syria Safe Zones After Deal Comes Into Force

May 06, 2017

Wide parts of Syria have enjoyed relative calm despite sporadic clashes after a deal to set up "de-escalation zones" mostly within opposition-controlled areas went into effect, opposition activists and government media outlets said.

There were no immediate reports of casualties after the plan -- sponsored by Russia, Turkey, and Iran -- went into effect at midnight.

Also on May 6, a text detailing the agreement was published by Russia's Foreign Ministry.

The establishment of safe zones after talks held in Kazakhstan's capital, Astana, earlier this week is the latest effort to reduce violence amid a six-year civil war that has left more than 400,000 dead and is the first to envisage armed foreign monitors on the ground in Syria.

However, the United States is not part of the deal, and the Syrian armed opposition refused to sign it, saying that Iran, which it considers a party in the conflict, should not be a guarantor.

According to the text of the document published by the Russian Foreign Ministry on May 6, Russia, Turkey, and Iran agreed to establish four separate de-escalation zones in Syria for at least six months.

The largest safe zone includes Syria's Idlib Province and adjoining districts of Hama, Aleppo, and Latakia provinces.

The other three zones are in northern Homs Province, the Eastern Ghouta region east of the capital, Damascus, and along the Jordanian border in southern Syria.

Russia, Turkey, and Iran will finalize maps of the de-escalation zones by June 4, and the agreement can be extended automatically if the three guarantors agree.

The memorandum provides for halting the hostilities between Syrian government forces and armed opposition groups within the safe zones, allowing humanitarian access, medical assistance, as well as the return of displaced civilians to their homes and the restoration of damaged infrastructure.

The three guarantor states will continue fighting Islamic State, the Al-Nusra Front, and other groups both within and beyond the de-escalation zones, according to the document.

Russia and Iran are key allies of President Bashar al-Assad's government.

Political and armed opposition groups in Syria have rejected the proposal, saying Russia has been unwilling or unable to get Assad and his Iranian-backed militia allies to respect past cease-fires.

Turkey is a major backer of opposition factions and has also sent troops into northern Syria.

It is also not clear how the safe zones will be enforced.

Russian Colonel General Sergei Rudskoi told reporters on May 5 that personnel from Russia, Iran, and Turkey will operate checkpoints and observation posts.

An official with Russia's military general staff said other countries may eventually have a role in enforcing the de-escalation areas.

Meanwhile, there were limited reports of bombing in northern Homs and Hama, and the southern province of Daraa, areas expected to be part of the "de-escalation zones," activists said. There were no immediate reports of casualties.

Still, opposition activists in southern, central, and northern Syria said the situation so far is better than previous days, with no air strikes reported.

The government-controlled Syrian Central Military Media reported there was "relative calm" in the "de-escalation zones" nine hours after the deal went into effect.

The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, which has activists around the country, said government helicopter gunships dropped three barrel bombs on the rebel-held Latamneh area in central Syria, where fighting was reported between rebels and troops.

Government forces also bombarded rebel-held neighborhoods of Damascus, the observatory said.

"Despite some violations, the situation is much calmer than before," said opposition activist Mohammed al-Homsi, speaking via Skype from northern Syria.

Syrian, Russian, Turkish, and U.S.-led coalition aircraft sometimes operate in the same areas in Syria. It is not yet clear how the new plan would affect flight paths of coalition warplanes battling IS militants and other radical groups -- and whether U.S. warplanes would abide by a diminished airspace.

The Pentagon said the de-escalation agreement would not affect the U.S.-led air campaign against IS.

A previous cease-fire agreement that went into effect on December 30 helped reduce overall violence in Syria for several weeks but eventually collapsed. Other attempts at a cease-fire in Syria have all ended in failure.

Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/syria-safe-zones-relative- calm-reported-russia-iran-turkey/28471529.html

Copyright (c) 2017. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.

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A webmaster from Gloucestershire who used to run 14 factories for International Telephone and Telegraph will soon turn 100.

Denis Gibbs, who lived through the Second World War, was Britain's oldest webmaster when he was in his 80s.

He also invented a water leak detector and wrote a lottery syndicate book, and will soon be celebrating the big birthday surrounded by family and friends from as far afield as America and Peru.

Denis, who lives in Cheltenham, began working in the 1930s, and over the course of his career ran 14 factories for the multinational company which deals with speciality components for the aerospace, transportation, energy and industrial markets.

He has now been retired for 40 years, and according to his son, has seen a lot of the world in his lifetime.

His son Peter said: "He lived in the UK and then in Belgium. He also lived in the Canary Islands for 20 years  the only place he hasn't been is India, Australia and South America."

Denis, who has children, grandchildren, great grandchildren and great-great grandchildren, spends time painting.

Peter said: "His main hobby in painting  he does it every day. He loves the study of painting and colours too."

For the big day, which is in June, the family are heading to Stratford-upon-Avon where they have rented two large houses on the banks of the River Avon.

An estimated 60 people will be attending the celebrations, which will include a hog roast.

And interestingly, there are some relatives attending who haven't ever met each other before.

When talking about the fast approaching birthday of his father, Peter said he believes that his father's alert mind is the secret to his old age.

"He does no exercise, and according to experts eats all the wrong food. I think what keeps him going is his mental stimulation. Yes he's getting old, but mentally he's brighter than you or I. He is very on the ball and very alert. It keeps him going and it has always been his ambition to make 100."

The next highest age in the family was reached by his father, who lived to 86.

And Peter believes that his father's happiest memory is likely to be when he met his wife, Eileen, who has now sadly passed away.

He added: "I think it's remarkable that he has lived alone for 15 years. When my mother was alive, he knew there was a room in the apartment called a kitchen, but he didn't know much more than that. Now, he cooks all of his own means and even holds dinner parties. He is extremely independent."
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The research team included scientists from the Department of Energys SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Fukuoka University, University of Tokyo, and the Center for High Pressure Science and Technology Advanced Research in Shanghai, China. The work was supported by King Abdullah University of Science and Technology. A paper on the work is published in the journal Angewandte Chemie .

Water-splitting systems require a very efficient catalyst to speed up the chemical reaction that splits water into hydrogen and oxygen, while preventing the two gases from recombining back into water. Now an international research team has developed a new catalyst with a molybdenum (Mo) coating that prevents this problematic back reaction and works well in realistic operating conditions.

One of the significant issues associated with water splitting is the facile reverse reaction; that is, the catalyst for the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) is also active in undesired water-formation reactions, such as the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR), or the thermal reaction of H 2 and O 2 . Therefore, inhibition of these back reactions is of paramount importance for photocatalytic water splitting.

In this contribution, we report the structural and electrochemical properties of a Mo-coated Pt HER catalyst that is highly active, oxygen-insensitive, and stable in acidic media for overall water splitting. In operando X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) at relevant potential shifts was used to characterize the working electrode. To our best knowledge, the Mo-based modifier developed in this study is the only acid-tolerant material to date that can selectively prevent the water-forming back reaction. Garcia-Esparza et al.

The researchers suggested that the molybdenum layer likely hinders oxygen gas permeation, impeding contact with the active platinum. Photocatalytic overall water splitting proceeded using MoO x /Pt/SrTiO 3 with inhibited water formation from H 2 and O 2 the prevailing back reaction on the bare Pt/SrTiO 3 photocatalyst. The Mo coating was stable in acidic media for multiple hours of overall water splitting by membrane-less electrolysis and photocatalysis.

A key part of the development centered on understanding how the molybdenum coating worked using experiments at SLACs Stanford Synchrotron Radiation Lightsource (SSRL), a DOE Office of Science User Facility.

The experiments demonstrated that their molybdenum coating strategy has applications in electrocatalysis and photocatalysis devices, added Angel Garcia-Esparza, lead author and currently a postdoctoral researcher from the Ecole Normale Superieure de Lyon.

Garcia-Esparza helped develop the new catalyst as a graduate student at King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) in Saudi Arabia under the direction of Kazuhiro Takanabe, an associate professor of chemical science at KAUST. Takanabes research group explored the stability, performance and function of many different elements before selecting molybdenum as the coating for a standard platinum-based catalyst.

Finding a coating that worked well in the acid electrolyte used for water splitting was a major challenge for my collaborators, because many materials quickly degrade in the acidic conditions. co-author Dimosthenis Sokaras, a staff scientist at SLAC

Another major challenge was finding a way to measure the properties of their molybdenum-coated catalyst, because these molybdenum compounds are not stable when exposed to air. Taking the catalyst out of water perturbs the identity of the material, explained Garcia-Esparza. Therefore, it was necessary to study the electrocatalyst under working conditionswhich is difficult.

The researchers tested a bare platinum catalyst, with and without a molybdenum coating, during water electrolysis at SSRL, using in operando X-ray absorption spectroscopy with a custom-made electrochemical cell.

In addition, the research team explored photocatalysis applications. They built a photocatalytic water-splitting system using either a standard catalyst of platinum on strontium titanium oxide (Pt/SrTiO 3 ) or the same catalyst coated with molybdenum. Both systems were tested at KAUST with the lights on and off that is, with and without an energy source driving the water-splitting reaction.

When the light was on, the standard Pt/SrTiO 3 catalyst increased hydrogen production for only six hours because the system lost efficiency due to the back reaction. When the lights were then turned off, the amount of hydrogen decreased with timeverifying that significant amounts of the gases were recombining to form water.



Graph of the photocatalytic water splitting performance of a 0.3 wt% Pt/SrTiO 3 catalyst with and without Mo coating under UV-light irradiation. The Mo-coated catalyst generated increasing amounts of hydrogen gas for 24 hours with the light on, and inhibited water reformation when the light was off. Whereas, the uncoated catalyst increased hydrogen production for only six hours with the light on and the level decreased when the light was off due to water formation. Oxygen production followed a similar pattern but at half the amount of hydrogen, since water has two hydrogen atoms for each oxygen atom. (Angel Garcia-Esparza/KAUST). Click to enlarge.

In contrast, the molybdenum-coated catalyst continuously split water to generate increasing amounts of hydrogen gas for 24 hours, producing about twice as much hydrogen gas as the standard catalyst in one day. In addition, the amount of hydrogen remained stable in the dark, confirming that the coating inhibited water formation.

The results are promising, but more work still needs to be done before the catalyst can be used in a practical device.

I think were far from actually talking about a commercial device, but it is certainly a huge improvement to have this new catalyst material that prevents the back reaction. Now we need to find a way to make the coating more stable so it produces hydrogen for even longer. Dimosthenis Sokaras

Resources
Environmentalists say they are fighting a defensive battle this session of the North Carolina General Assembly, hoping to fend off changes in state law that they believe threaten the states air, water and other natural resources.

Changes afoot in the Republican-controlled legislature would limit local governments power to create buffer zones beside streams, shield agribusinesses from high damage awards in certain types of lawsuits and fully endorse a new landfill technology that some consider iffy.

Other proposals still under consideration as the session moves into its second half include restrictions on wind-farm development, efforts to roll back state support for solar power and the repeal of a regional ban on plastic grocery bags aimed at protecting sea turtles.

We would definitely like to see more pro-environmental legislation, said Dan Crawford of the North Carolina League of Conservation Voters. If you take a quick look at the score card, you see that there is not a lot of positive, environmental legislation being considered right now.

The clash between environmental advocates and conservative legislators stems from deep-seated convictions on both sides. Activists see right-of-center legislators as beholden to business interests and too willing to sacrifice natural resources for commercial ends.

Business-oriented partisans counter that environmentalists are too quick to sacrifice individual property rights and free enterprise to trendy ecological concerns.

Critics on the environmental side say that the state Senate has been the more tone deaf chamber in Raleigh this session when it comes to the environment. Thats where the measure that many environmentalists see as the worst so far this session, Senate Bill 434, emerged.

Entitled Amend Environmental Laws-2, the bill would repeal buffers along the Catawba River, delay the cleanup of Falls Lake in the Triangle region and prohibit local governments from establishing waterside buffers on private lands any wider than the minimum required by state or federal rules  thereby limiting one of the more effective ways to prevent erosion and other pollution.

The measure also would lift the Outer Banks plastic bag ban that was intended both to curtail litter and to save turtles that are endangered when they consume waterborne plastic bags they mistake for jellyfish.

The bill  sponsored by state Sens. Norm Sanderson (R-Arapahoe), Bill Cook (R-Chocowinity) and Andy Wells (R-Hickory)  passed the Senate last week and was sent to the House for additional scrutiny.

I just hope that the House shows leadership and values water quality and local government control more than the Senate did, said Cassie Gavin, legislative lobbyist for the North Carolina chapter of the Sierra Club.

Landfill pollution

The landfill technology at issue this session involves leachate aerosolization, a fancy name for the process of dredging up the contaminated water that collects under a landfill and using specialized equipment to spray it into the air within a confined sector of the landfill.

The mist separates into water that evaporates and various pollutants that fall back onto the landfill surface.

The House approved a proposed aerosolization bill last week that would require state environmental officials to approve the relatively new technology at landfills under conditions where pollutants presumably would not migrate off site.

State environmental regulators have said that they are OK with that. But environmentalists would like those regulators to have more of a say in whether a particular landfill is suitable for a technology about which many questions remain, said Grady McCallie, policy director of the North Carolina Conservation Network.

Among other things, they worry about making sure pathogens and other contaminants sprayed into the air actually would remain on landfill grounds and not threaten surrounding property owners.

In our view, that bill still has some serious problems, McCallie said.

Renewable power

Measures to restrict or roll back renewable energy are particularly disconcerting to environmentalists this session because North Carolina has made steady progress in recent years in expanding both technologies, but especially solar.

Several bills in both houses include such provisions as retreating from North Carolinas goal to derive 12.5 percent of the states electricity from renewable sources by 2021, making wind farms more difficult to site and approve, and studying the decommissioning of solar installations to understand better their impact on the land.

Its a study of something that has already been studied to death, said Crawford of the solar inquiry. I know we live in world of alternative facts these days, but the real facts dont show any need for this.

Smell bill vetoed

Environmental groups also are critical of the nuisance-suit bill that would shelter agricultural and forestry operations from high damage awards in that singular type of case, which routinely is brought against farming conglomerates by neighbors who are not wealthy and who contend their lives are being made miserable by the odor of hog waste and other intrusive smells, noises or distractions.

If enacted, the measure  House Bill 467  would limit damages in such cases to the rental or resale values of the neighbors property, meaning that winners in a nuisance lawsuit could not be compensated for such other impacts as pain and suffering or for wages that have been lost to poor health linked to the nuisance.

Supporters assert that the measure would apply only to nuisance suits, leaving the way open for other types of civil lawsuits that could seek compensation for those additional kinds of damage.

Critics said the bill was made only slightly more tolerable by an amendment introduced by state Rep. John Blust (R-Greensboro) that exempted cases currently underway from the proposed cap, meaning that it would not apply to a series of high-profile nuisance cases currently underway against corporate hog farms run in eastern North Carolina by a massive Chinese corporation.

But they say the bill is still unfair because it would apply to future cases only after a farming or forestry operation has been found guilty of causing problems for its neighbors, McCallie said: So the judge and jury already would have found that they were harmed. In our view, thats just wrong.

Both state House and Senate approved the nuisance-suit measure in its amended form last week and sent it to Gov. Roy Cooper, a Democrat, who vetoed the bill on Friday. The bill will return to a General Assembly containing large enough GOP majorities to override.

Environmental pros

The nonprofit groups that advocate for the environment say there are several bills in the General Assemblys hopper this session that they rate highly and think would be helpful.

They include a proposal to require schools and child care facilities to test their water supplies for lead and to respond properly if too much of the metal is found. Another sponsored by state Rep. Pricey Harrison (D-Greensboro) would give taxpayers the option of sending some or all of their annual state tax refunds to a grant program for conservation projects.

In fact, Harrison has sponsored a number of bills this session that environmental groups applaud, including one that would forbid Duke Energy from recovering coal-ash cleanup costs by hiking customer rates and another that would encourage conservation by letting state agencies keep in their budgets whatever money they save by cutting energy usage.

But as a member of the minority party, Harrison has limited ability to make things happen in a General Assembly.

Also popular with environmentalists are several bills that would expand the state parks and trails system, including a new Black River State Park in Bladen, Pender and Sampson counties, and additional natural areas in Bertie, McDowell and Robeson counties.

More to come?

Overall, its too early to say with any certainty how many pluses and minuses the opening year of the 2017-18 session will end up delivering to environmentalists.

The new budget looms, and legislators can make sweeping changes to state environmental policy depending upon where they ultimately decide to put taxpayer money, said the Sierra Clubs Gavin.

We always see budget provisions added that dont have anything to do with budget matters. So theres more to come, Im sure, she said.

McCallie agreed, noting that were only part way through the session.

A lot depends, he said, on the legislature making good choices in the budget.
Jennifer Rubins column on April 27 was accompanied by its usual byline, which claims that she writes from a conservative perspective for The Washington Post. But readers who hail from a right-of-center position along the political spectrum will reach one of the following conclusions: Either the Post has absolutely no understanding of the Right, or its editors are so far out on the left-wing fringe that, relative to their position, Rubin is a conservative.

It is possible, of course, that Rubin is a Republican of the moderate variety. But she is definitely not a conservative. How do we know this? Begin with a premise that no authentic right-winger will dispute: Tax cuts are a fundamental and indispensable tenet of conservatism. Believing otherwise is heresy.

Yet, on at least eight occasions in her April 27 op-ed, Rubin blasted President Donald Trumps tax reform proposal as tax cuts for the rich, or some variation thereof. This rhetoric is straight out of the progressive playbook. In fact, Rubin approvingly cites the class warfare ramblings of Nancy Pelosi and Chuck Schumer.

Every time a tax cut is proposed, leftist elected officials risk life and limb in a frantic race to the nearest microphone, where they piously (and hypocritically) condemn tax cuts for the rich.

We expect this from liberals; apparently, we must also expect it from so-called conservatives at the Post. One suspects that Rubins personal contempt for Trump has displaced her ability to reason.

As the Posts conservative pointed out in terms less than flattering to Trump, the details of his plan have yet to be determined. But of course, presidents dont write legislation; Congress does. Meanwhile, there is much to learn from the history of tax cuts, and much of it flatly contradicts the rhetoric of progressives.

For one thing, history teaches us the degree to which the Democratic Party has drifted leftward in the last half-century. Here is President John F. Kennedy on tax cuts: An economy hampered by restrictive tax rates will never produce enough revenues to balance our budget, just as it will never produce enough jobs or enough profits.  It is a paradoxical truth that tax rates are too high today and tax revenues are too low, and the soundest way to raise the revenues in the long run is to cut the rates now.

In other words, tax cuts boost the economy, provide jobs and increase revenue. But a Democrat who took such a position in the modern era would risk eviction from his party.

When tax rates were slashed in the 1920s, the percentage of all income tax revenue paid by the wealthy increased from 44 to 78. Following JFKs significant cuts in the 1960s, the percentage paid by the rich increased from 12 to 15. Finally, when Ronald Reagan cut taxes in the 1980s, the top 1 percent of income earners got clobbered: their share of the total revenue collected increased from 17.6 to 27.5. Were those tax cuts for the rich?

Leftists sanctimoniously demand that the rich step up and pay their fair share of taxes. But the wealthy pay far more than that. In 2014, for instance  a typical year  only 16 percent of filers made at least $100,000 a year. Yet those filers paid 80 percent of the total income tax collected  much more than their fair share.

Suppose Trumps plan indeed benefits the rich. So what? Most of us work for people who are wealthy (and, more often than not, generous). The conservative believes that, rather than envying and resenting the affluent, we should admire them and emulate their behavior.
Birth

To Shane and Emma Deehan of Port Chester, N.Y., a daughter, Molly Rose, April 5, White Plains Hospital.

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Honor society

Kelsey E. Norrgard of Old Greenwich has been selected for membership in Gamma Sigma Alpha, the national academic Greek honor society, at St. Lawrence University in Canton, N.Y. Norrgard is a member of the Class of 2017 and is majoring in art and art history and business in the liberal arts. Norrgard attended Saint Georges School.

Ingrid M. Thalheim of Old Greenwich has been selected for membership in the art and art history honorary society at St. Lawrence University in Canton, N.Y. Thalheim is a member of the Class of 2017 and is majoring in Psychology. She attended Greenwich High School.

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Leadership award

Laura Corrigan of Cos Cob was awarded the Alfred L. and Ruby C. Davis Leadership Award Scholarship during a recent ceremony at Rochester Institute of Technology. The Leadership Awards and Scholarships are awarded to undergraduate students who have exhibited strong leadership skills through their involvement at RIT and in the greater Rochester community.

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Graduation

Holly Schiff of Old Greenwich, advanced certificate degree in school-community psychology, Hofstra University.
The Society of the Sacred Heart is an order of Catholic nuns created in 1800 by St. Madeleine Sophie Barat. It has more than 2,500 members around the world who dedicate themselves to teaching Catholic education.

It wasnt this rich history or this particular line of work that attracted Sister Joan Magnetti to the group, however.

I met our religious order when I was in college, and I was very struck by the quality of the women who were there, she said. They were not just smart  they were loving, they were fun. Each one was distinct, but they had a worldview.

Magnetti, who would spend 19 years as headmistress of Convent of the Sacred Heart in Greenwich, encountered the order in the aftermath of Vatican II and the assassination of President John F. Kennedy.

There was such a sense that you could make a difference in the world, and that we needed to be fully part of the world, she said. And it was through education that we could mold the character and the souls of people.

That initial personal connection led Magnetti to a life in teaching and administrative duties at Catholic schools across vastly different communities. In addition to her tenure in Greenwich, her career includes 13 years spent as a headmistress in Princeton, N.J. Since 2010, she has been the executive director of the Catholic Academy of Bridgeport , an elementary school that serves 950 children across four inner-city campuses.

If you want someone who loves young people, and is able to relate to young people of any economic, cultural or ethnic background, its Sister Joan, said Bishop Frank Caggiano, head of the Diocese of Bridgeport.

On May 11, Magnetti will be honored for a lifetime of exemplary service to Catholic education by Foundations in Education, which raises money for Catholic education throughout the Diocese of Bridgeport.

The gala awards dinner will be held at Woodway Country Club in Darien.

Money raised will go to the Bishops Scholarship Fund, which helps offset the cost of tuition for families who cannot afford Diocesan schooling. Last year, the fund raised $2.3 million for 1,750 families.

Sister Magnetti will be honored alongside longtime Stamford educator Tony Pavia and Ridgefield businessman and philanthropist George F. Landegger.

Holly Doherty-Lemoine, executive director of Foundations in Education, said 300 people are expected to attend; the group is aiming to raise $650,000 from the event.

Foundations in Education raises its money largely from the yearly Bishops Appeal to the parishioners throughout the diocese, but the hope is that the gala will become a major source of fundraising as well. In addition to supporting the scholarship fund, Foundations in Education works to provide grants for professional development and innovation in the classroom, its executive director said.

Their purpose is really to keep the Catholic schools in the forefront of pedagogy and ensuring that Catholic schools are addressing current teaching methods, said Doherty-Lemoine.

Fundraising is often difficult for Catholic schools, and the Diocese recently announced plans for the reorganization and consolidation of several cities schools in response to low enrollment and high tuition. Caggiano acknowledged the challenge but said the climate also represents a chance to change the future of Catholic education in the area.

We are in a unique opportunity to strengthen Catholic education for the next two or three generations, he said. Its not easy, but the goal is always to strengthen what we do for our children, so were all on the same page. So we have some financial challenges, but some of that can be addressed through good business practice, and some of it is going to be addressed by letting people know that Catholic education is worth investing in and giving of their money, as Foundations is going to do.
GREENWICH  The Representative Town Meeting is set to vote on the proposed $421 million 2017-18 municipal budget on Monday.

The body will meet at a special 7 p.m. start time at Central Middle School. First Selectman Peter Tesei said he was confident in the budget, which comes in below the $430 million current spending plan.

This is a budget that responded to the concerns of the Board of Estimate and Taxation, the RTM and our residents that expenses were too high, Tesei said.

Teseis initial budget, which was first unveiled in late January, was even lower at $419 million. The budget was increased by the Board of Estimate and Taxation as it set money aside for potential increased state costs.

Greenwich, like the rest of Connecticuts municipalities, could have to pick up part of the teachers pension costs, which have been wholly funded by the state. Gov. Dannel Malloy has proposed that municipalities pick up some of the expenses in order to close budget deficits. The proposal is still in the legislature.

The RTMs Budget Overview Committee has called for reductions in town spending because of the states ongoing fiscal issues. After narrowly pushing through an across-the-board $613,000 budget cut for 30 town departments, the BOC has several motions it intends to make on Monday, members have said.

Among them: elimination of $100,000 for a fire services study that would examine staffing, station location, response times and other areas of the department; cutting $600,000 for the Steamboat Road landing reconstruction; cutting $250,000 for streetscape improvements and repaving on Greenwich Avenue, and $730,000 for new vehicles.

We were very careful and analytical about what we recommended, said Committee Chairman Lucia Jansen. We were not arbitrary or capricious.

The BOC also plans to reduce $2 million from the employee benefits costs by expecting town employees to move to the states health care plan and cutting $214,395 from Nathaniel Witherells budgeted employee overtime costs.

Most notably, the BOC has called for $220,000 in reductions from the Board of Educations $153 million budget. The motion specifically says the cuts would come from proposed management salary increases, administration costs, class size equalization and a media specialist.

This is not just targeting the schools to target, Jansen said. In the state (educational cost sharing) cuts, we have seen the Board of Education has not shared in the sacrifice like the town has. The town has taken the brunt. Other towns have produced budget cuts to their boards of education. This will be a sharing of costs. These are not random cuts. They have been done very carefully.

The BOC is not the only committee to make motions to reduce the budget. The RTMs Health and Human Services Committee will call for a $75,000 cut in Greenwich Emergency Medical Services budget.

The HHS Committee made the recommendation last week after an at-times contentious meeting that called into question GEMS communication practices and transparency. The committee said it was unfair to have town taxpayers pay for attorney fees in GEMS effort to overturn a 1988 state Freedom of Information Commission ruling.

Jennifer Baldock, vice chairman of GEMS Board of Directors, said last week the cut would mean a cut in services.

Tesei said he did not understand why the BOC would move to cut money for the fire services study since the RTM specifically asked for fresh data when it eliminated his funding for a northwest fire station last year.

This is something the RTM requested, Tesei said. Why they wouldnt want to see it now is beyond me, given that is a responsive move after last years discussion. We have reams of reports and analysis and plans and this would be a fresh look from an external source.

Jansen praised this years overall budget process.

We feel very satisfied with how things have gone, she said. In June the BOC communicated its goals. Since then, we have had good discussions and an exchange of ideas and perspectives, Its created more and more understanding of each others point of view.

Tesei agreed.

I think it gave better understanding of what the issues are, he said. There are some very complex and layered issues here. They require time to review and explain. It cant be done in one three-hour meeting. It all contributed to what I feel is that better understanding, particularly with the RTM committees.

While the budget included no layoffs, there was a reduction of the equivalent of 8.81 positions in town government through reorganization and reassignment, which also saved the town money, Tesei said.

kborsuk@greenwichtime.com
WESTPORT  An electric car maker and various environmental groups are hosting a town hall meeting Monday to discuss the economic benefits of allowing electric cars to be sold in Connecticut.

Tesla, a leading electric car manufacturer, the Westport Electric Car Club, the Connecticut Fund for the Environment, Westport Selectman Avi Kaner and State Rep. Jonathan Steinberg, D-Westport, are hosting the event, which focuses on a bill before the Legislature that would allow electric cars sales in the state.
Taipei, May 7 (CNA) Minister of Health and Welfare Chen Shih-chung () said Sunday that the government is set to hold a press conference the next day to explain its response measures if Taiwan does not receive an invitation to attend the annual World Health Assembly (WHA) after the deadline for online registration for this year's session ends that day.
It's been six consecutive weeks now that the Samsung Galaxy S8 has led our interest chart. The Korean flagship is also showing no signs of slowing down, having nearly twice the daily hits of the second placed handset, which this week is the Galaxy J7 Prime.

The Xiaomi Mi 6 lost some of its initial hype and rolled down to fourth, so the Samsung mid-ranger was able to snatch the silver medal this time. Somewhat surprisingly the Redmi Note 4 is the third device on the podium both the Mi 6 and the Samsung Galaxy S8+ since last week.

The Galaxy S8+ has actually lost two positions and is now in sixth - right behind a new entry on the chart. The Sony Xperia XZ Premium is about to launch in Europe and naturally interest in it is picking up, which helped it snatch the fifth spot.

Going further down the list, the entry-level Xioami Redmi 4a holds seventh ahead of the Samsung Galaxy A5 (2017) and the Samsung Galaxy S7 edge.

The final spot in the Top 10 goes to the iPhone 6 - Apple announced a few price cuts across different markets for its 2014 flagship and they seem to be working out. It's also the oldest phone on the chart by more than a year.
Yet another week is behind us and OnePlus 5 was the device to dominate headlines over the past seven days. We saw a screenshot from the upcoming flagship from the Chinese company as well as suggested specs and pricing in an online listing. In more official news, the maker revealed why it will be skipping number 4 and calling it OnePlus 5.

Sony caused some excitement as its X Ultra handset leaked, while the XZ Premium got benchmarked.

A couple of Samsung mid-rangers also made an appearance - the Galaxy J5 (2017) and Galaxy J7 (2018) should be going official shortly.

In the more premium segment HTC is about to deliver its U 11 flagship with a unique pressure-sensitive frame that should allow for some interesting functionality. It will come without a headphones jack though.



OnePlus 5 confirmed, coming this summer OnePlus officially confirmed it will skip the number 4.





CEO teases OnePlus 5, avoids any specifics OnePlus posted this image on Weibo, which doesn't have a dual-edge screen, but we shouldn't read too much into that.





Sony Xperia XZ Premium pops up on GeekBench Sonys upcoming smartphone has been benchmarked with resulting numbers raising eyebrows.





Nokia teases for May the fourth, confirms global launch timeframe Nokia Mobile has confirmed to a couple of commenters that the Nokia devices will launch globally within the next couple of months.





Samsung Galaxy S8 Active leaked by Netflix Netflix confirms the yet unannounced rugged device can stream HD content.





Galaxy J7 (2017) once again leaks in full on GFXBench The 5.5 screen comes with Full HD resolution and the chipset is Exynos 7870.





Xiaomi left out the headphone jack on the Mi 6 for bigger battery Not having a headphone jack on this 5.1-inch display phone allowed them to increase the battery size over the Mi 5.





Samsung Galaxy S7 sales hit 55 million The first quarter of the ongoing year saw the South Korean tech giant selling 7.2 million Galaxy S7/S7 edge units.





Android Nougats distribution grows steadily in May This months Android distribution numbers show a steady increase in favor of Nougat, though Lollipop remains at the top.





Leaked OnePlus 5 screenshot points at 8GB RAM We're still on the fence whether we believe it - OnePlus 3T already has more RAM than early 2017 flagships.





Apple iPhone sales go down in Q1 2017 The iPhone and iPad sales go down; Mac and services business are up.





Red HTC U 11 appears, virtual render leaks The 5.5 screen comes with Full HD resolution and the chipset is Exynos 7870.





Microsoft announces Windows 10 S Aimed primarily at budget PCs for education.


You, our readers, are a savvy bunch and you like to make informed decisions. Thats why most of you have decided to wait out the first reviews of the Sony Xperia XZ Premium before you spend your hard-earned cash. The people in the wait and see camp outnumber the pre-order group by 3:1!

Though it is fairly clear that Sony fans have an appreciation for the XZ Premium, it is strongly preferred over other Sonys. About a third of voters are seeking other brands, but half the vote went to Sonys flagship - predicated on living up to its lofty promises, of course.

Looking at the comments gave us a clue why some hold Sony in such high regard - it's the longevity of its flagships. Many Xperia veterans attested that even after 2+ years, they keep chugging along with no major issues or slowdowns.

Well, we cant say how the Xperia XZ Premium will hold up after 2-3 years (wed need a crystal ball for that), but pretty soon we will publish our review of what the phone is like today.




Haiti - FLASH WEATHER : The Ministry of the Interior calls for vigilance





According to the National Meteorological Center (CNM) forecasts, the humidity conditions associated with a cold front located in the east of Cuba this Saturday, May 6th, will cause rain and isolated thunderstorm activities on several departments of Haiti, over the next 24 to 72 hours.



Meanwhile, the weather conditions of the previous week, caused more or less significant showers, especially on the North, North-East and South of the country in the afternoon of Saturday.



Associated with this situation, the Ministry of the Interior informs that the cumulative rainfall in some areas has saturated the soil, making it unstable in some areas and likely to increase runoff, causing flooding, landslides and mudslides.



Faced with the persistence of these inclement weather, the Ministry of the Interior calls on the inhabitants of the risk areas to remain vigilant and to apply scrupulously the safety instructions. In general, local residents are urged to identify potential risks in their immediate environment, to warn the authorities of any identified situation that could lead to possible damage and to take the first steps necessary to preserve their lives, those of their relatives and their neighbors.



The Ministry, together with the Directorate of Civil Protection (DPC), instructed the Departmental Technical Coordinators and the Municipal Civil Protection Committees to continue the mobilization in order to continue to accompany the population during these rains.



HL/ HaitiLibre






















Haiti - Petit-Goave : Anti-Jovenel Moise demonstration dispersed in violence





Thursday, following the dismissal of 7 employees of Petit-Goave's National Port Authority (APN), a peaceful protest organized by supporters and sympathizers of the Deputy Germain Alexandre Fils quickly became an anti-Jovenel Moise demonstration. The protestors chanted through the streets of the city hostile remarks to President Moise, the Mayor Petit-Goave, Limongy Samson Jean and against Stevenson Thimoleon, the Director General of the Ministry of Planning, whom they accuse of having make revoked these 7 employees of the APN.



The demonstrators were brutally dispersed by the vigorous intervention of the officers of the Departmental Order Maintenance Unit (UDMO), who used tear gas against demonstrators. Chaduc Louis, a member of the communications office of deputy Germain was arrested and beaten by the forces before being released later. The sign of radio Thim FM, was damaged by stone throws by unidentified individuals.



Following the violence, Deputy Germain Alexandre Fils reacted on Thursday evening in an exclusive interview given to Radio Preference, on the program Tribune popular (pale palew) declaring "I am a supporter of non-violence [...] I support any demonstration provided that it is peaceful and that it takes place in order and discipline [...] I therefore regret the incidents recorded during the demonstration on Thursday, when people made their demands heard for a just cause. Our supporters have been victims of police brutality and tear gas [...]



If the demonstrators had took the Grand'Rue and passed near the radio Thim, I would deplore, with all my heart, the attack perpetrated against the sign of this station. I said IF because, according to the information I have, the protesters avoided passing near this radio station. It seems that this act of vandalism had nothing to do with the demonstration of that day. However, whatever the origin of this incident, I deplore what happened.



In addition, I give full guarantee that the problem of the revocation of these 7 employees of the Petit-Goave APN will be resolved soon. I initiated talks with the DG of the Port-au-Prince APN. The population can therefore stay at home. Everything will come back in order. Use patience."



HL/ HaitiLibre / Guyto Mathieu (Correspondant Petit-Goave)






















Haiti - FLASH : More than 100 pharmacies operate illegally in 5 communes





Only 4 of the 104 pharmacies listed in 2016 in the communes of Croix-des-Bouquets, Thomazeau, Ganthier, Fonds-Verrette and Cornillon were authorized to operate by the Pharmacy Directorate of the Ministry of Public Health.



The sale of medicines in other pharmacies is of concern because there is no guarantee of quality, correct storage conditions (storage) and the sales of medicines under poor conditions (sometimes outdated, unknown, falsified or unauthorized), pose a significant risk to the health of populations.



The Frontier Cul-de-Sac Sanitary Unit (UCS), which coordinates the health sector in the aforementioned communes, want a better control of the Ministry and harmonization of rapid and effective interventions in the pharmaceutical sector.



With the support of Plan International Haiti, the UCS brought together the Directorate of Pharmacy of the Ministry of Public Health, the mayors and heads of health institutions of these communes to address the problem and to identify solutions and measures.



HL/ S/ HaitiLibre


















By William Schwartz | Published on 2017/05/06

With the coming of spring comes another iteration of the Jeonju International Film Festival. While the scope of the Jeonju International Film Festival is quite large, on a year by year basis there's surprisingly little change between the essentials. This is because unlike other major South Korean film festivals, there's no sense of expansion being a priority in and of itself on a yearly basis. I spoke at length on the subject with Lee Ji-eun, the head of the media outreach team, and she made a point of emphasizing the fresh new feeling that's supposed to come to the festival every year.

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Lee Ji-eun is, admittedly, herself an example of such an attitude, having acquired her obviously temporary position here by virtue of an open interview process, having to rely on the power of her resume with past work doing marketing for such films as "Bunshinsaba". Although marketing a festival is very much a different story. Rather than attempt to coalesce around a single theme the Jeonju International Film Festival makes it clear that any independent film, of any genre, is welcome at any year of the festival.

This explains such apparent eccentricities as special sections ranging from the written work of Song Gil-han, to films directed by Michael Winterbottom, a look back into the Soviet scripts of Aleksey German, and then into Modern Italian Cinema. The films even in these individual sections have very little to do with each other. Writers frequently inhabit a wider variety of genres than is common for other production staff, Michael Winterbottom does "normal" films as often as he does political documentaries and Modern Italian Cinema...look, Italy's a big country. Not everything their filmmakers produce is necessarily going to have a lot in common.

Although the political angle- that is a definite theme that has been talked up a lot at the many press conferences held here. But this is less due to intentional effort than it is a sign of the times. Reliable readers of my film reviews may have noted an uptick in political content as of late and this isn't due to discrimination on my part any more than it is the festival planners at Jeonju. Politics has been a very thorny issue as of late, and the election casts a long shadow over any subject matter.

I'll get more in to that later when I interview director Emmanuel Moonchil Park of "Blue Butterfly Effect". Eagle-eyed viewers may recall that I interviewed Emmanuel Moonchil Park at Jeonju four years ago. I got much of the same vibe from the festival back then, too, even as that was a year of controversy with "Project Cheonan Ship" dominating headlines with eerie pre-"The Truth Shall Not Sink with Sewol" efforts at censorship and more internal rumblings questioning whether the festival was giving too much attention to more mainstream films in an attempt at gaining publicity.

I note the oddness of this demeanor because, even with large numbers of sell-out shows on Monday, the Jeonju International Film Festival did then and does now feel surprisingly quiet to me. Part of this is just a matter of the festival taking place in Jeonju, a relatively obscure (if tourist friendly) area a couple hours' drive far to the south of Seoul. It feels somewhat discordant to me, seeing all these movie theaters in such a small area that it's hard to imagine there can be enough business for them year-round.

Although as you can see, they go a bit farther than just watching movies. Next, Jeonju in a bit more detail.

Article by William Schwartz
By William Schwartz | Published on 2017/05/06

Elizabeth Johanna Shepping's mother came to the United States in search of opportunity. That did not end well. After a disaffected childhood where she was used to having no friends, Shepping eventually moved back in with her mother and stepfather, only to have a falling out over religious differences. In her quest for salvation, Shepping eventually settles upon colonial Korea as the outlet for her work, adopting the Korean name Suh Pyoung in order to better fit in.

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It's quite an appropriate title- literally meaning something like "reading instructor", Suh Pyoung made it her life's work to teach as many people as possible, particularly women and orphans, how to read. Hence the religious falling out with her Catholic mother, who did not see direct understanding of Scripture as relevant to salvation. But with every step Shepping makes in Korea, her ideals are vindicated. The people there need her.

"Suh-Suh Pyoung, Slowly and Peacefully" makes frequent use of dramatic flashback (with Anna Rihlmann as the title character) in order to emphasize the personal touch behind Shepping's motivation. At times this is cheesy- I'm thinking in particular of one scene where this guy with a sinister looking moustache talks about the need for good missionaries to do good work overseas in the sad pathetic land of Korea. The guy says his lines in such a way as to make it sound like he's making the story up for sinister reasons.

Or is that just my general cynicism talking? "Suh-Suh Pyoung, Slowly and Peacefully" is a markedly hopeful documentary, with a clear-throated passion for good work that's sadly in short supply these days. Even though Shepping is portrayed as being in constant poor health, her emotional bond with the people she assists as Suh Pyoung is so powerful that Shepping does not appear sick at all. When "Suh-Suh Pyoung, Slowly and Peacefully" gets to Shepping's mandatory sabbatical, it's well noted how, having found her calling, the United States no longer feels like "home" to her.

Is it possible that "Suh-Suh Pyoung, Slowly and Peacefully" is exaggerating some of the woman's more angelic qualities? Sure- but the documentary is fairly meticulously researched, going into Shepping's letters as well as everything known about her from the relevant missionary archives in the United States. Besides that the narrative directors Hong Hyeon-jeong and Hong Joo-yeon come up with is quite plausible. It makes sense that a woman who felt unwanted and unloved as a child would be so single-minded in her determination to help others avoid a similar plight.

There's also history as a guide. South Korea has a very strong Christian culture- strong enough to bankroll documentaries like this one, anyway. And women like Suh Pyoung were a big reason for that. They came to Korea, not for enrichment or personal gain, but because they were compelled to by the power of their faith. Those kinds of good deeds leave a strong, long-lasting cultural memory far after women like Suh Pyoung herself pass away and are forgotten. I am glad, though, that "Suh-Suh Pyoung, Slowly and Peacefully" brought her accomplishments to my attention.

Review by William Schwartz

"Suh-Suh Pyoung, Slowly and Peacefully" is directed by Hong Hyeon-jeong, Hong Joo-yeon, narrated by Ha Jung-woo and featuring Anna Rihlmann and Ahn Eun-sae.
Published on 2017/05/06

Gong Yoo's Hong Kong fan meeting happened on May 6th at the World Expo, but he didn't have to go it alone as his friend, Gong Hyo-jin showed up as the special guest.

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But the secret was out before the fan meeting happened, as Gong Hyo-jin and Gong Yoo were spotted in Hong Kong by local paparazzi while going for a late-night dinner. The two actors have had a long-standing but low-key friendship for years, and also belong to the same company. I never managed to make it all the way through "Biscuit Teacher And Star Candy"; regardless, the idea of Gong Yoo and Gong Hyo-jin hanging out together just makes me happy.

Gong Yoo has had a busy couple of weeks, what with his fan meeting in Taiwan on April 29, and winning the Baeksang Award for Best Actor in a drama for "Guardian: The Lonely and Great God". There's no news on what's next for either actor, so maybe we can get another drama with the two of them? Please?

Love,

Only of Noonas Over Forks




Supreme Court of Hawaii.

OFFICE OF DISCIPLINARY COUNSEL, Petitioner, v. DEXTER K. KAIAMA, Respondent.

SCAD-16-0000522

Decided: May 01, 2017

(By: Recktenwald, C.J., Nakayama, McKenna, Pollack and Wilson, JJ.)

ORDER OF PUBLIC CENSURE

Upon examination of the July 18, 2016 report filed with this court by the Disciplinary Board of the Hawai'i Supreme Court, the exhibits appended to it, and the record as a whole, and upon full and careful consideration of the briefs in this matter submitted to this court by Respondent Dexter K. Kaiama and by the Office of Disciplinary Counsel, we conclude, by clear and convincing evidence, that the record supports the violations identified by the Disciplinary Board: specifically, that, on July 13, 2012, by filing the Notice of Protest and its attachments in the Third Circuit litigation presided over by the Judge in question, Respondent Kaiama, with reckless disregard as to the truth or falsity of the allegation, accused the presiding Judge of committing war crimes under international Conventions, and thereby filed a frivolous document that served no legal or practical purpose, in violation of Rule 3.1 of the Hawai'i Rules of Professional Conduct (HRPC) (1994), harassed and embarrassed the Judge, in violation of HRPC Rule 3.5(b), engaged in conduct reasonably likely to disrupt the tribunal - and which did disrupt the tribunal - in violation of HRPC Rule 3.5(c), and made statements with reckless disregard as to their truth or falsity concerning the integrity of the Judge, in violation of HRPC Rule 8.2.

With regard to Respondent's arguments concerning the scope of permitted testimony at the disciplinary hearings, we note Respondent Kaiama had an opportunity to argue before the Hearing Officer for the admission of witness testimony, and was allowed to submit written evidence into the proceedings regarding the legal arguments which he asserted supported his accusations against the Judge. We therefore conclude the Hearing Officer's evidentiary rulings, made following the October 17, 2014 hearing, and the general conduct of the proceedings did not deny Respondent Kaiama's rights to due process. See Bank of Hawaii v. Kunimoto, 91 Hawai'i 372, 388, 984 P.2d 1198, 1214 (1999).

We conclude that Respondent Kaiama's allegations are clearly false upon the evidence in the record, as Respondent Kaiama has not proffered any evidence the Judge in question has been convicted of war crimes by any court or tribunal.

We further conclude the Respondent's accusations were not opinion based upon fully-disclosed facts, but were mere allegations, based upon tenuous legal analysis of broad statutory provisions which do not survive analysis. We conclude Respondent Kaiama's allegations  imply a false assertion of fact  which could reasonably be interpreted as stating actual facts about their target which are not true, and the charge of war criminal does, by its plain language, charge the Judge with commission of a criminal offense. See Standing Comm. on Discipline of the U.S. Dist. Ct. v. Yagman, 55 F.3d 1430, 1438 (9th Cir. 1995) (quoting Milkovich v. Lorain Journal Co., 497 U.S. 1, 19 (1990)). In sum, in the words of the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, Respondent Kaiama's accusations erode public confidence without serving to publicize problems that justifiably deserve attention, id. at 1438. As such, Respondent's allegations are not protected speech. Cf. State ex. rel. Oklahoma Bar Ass'n v. Porter, 766 P.2d 958, 968 (1988). We further conclude these allegations were made with a reckless disregard to their truth or falsity, and were not assertions a reasonable attorney, considered in light of all his professional functions, would make in the same or similar circumstances. See Yagman, 55 F.3d at 1440, U.S. Dist. Ct. v. Sandlin, 12 F.3d 861, 866-67 (9th Cir. 1993); In re Terry, 394 N.E.2d 94, 95-96 (Ind. 1994); In re Comfort, 159 P.3d 1011, 1019-20, 1027 (Kan. 2007); Kentucky Bar Ass'n v. Blum, 404 S.W.3d 841, 856 (Ky. 2013); In re Cobb, 838 N.E.2d 1197, 1212 (Mass. 2005); In re Petition for Disciplinary Action Against Nathan, 671 N.W.2d 578, 584-86 (Minn. 2013), In re Coe, 903 S.W.2d 916, 917 (Mo. 1995); Matter of Westfall, 808 S.W.2d 829, 837 (Mo. 1991); Disciplinary Counsel v. Gardner, 793 N.E.2d 425, 429 (Ohio 2003); Lawyer Disciplinary Bd. v. Hall, 765 S.E.2d 187, 198 (W.Va. 2014).

We also emphasize Respondent Kaiama faces discipline for the allegations made in the Notice of Protest, not for his arguments in the underlying litigation that the court lacked jurisdiction because of the continued existence of the Kingdom of Hawai'i, an argument which, if successful, could achieve an articulable objective for his client, i.e., dismissal of the litigation. See ODC v. Burgess, No. 12608 (August 3, 1988) (drawing a similar distinction and imposing a public censure for Burgess's personal denial of the de jure legitimacy of the government of the State of Hawai'i and its courts, in so doing repudiating his oath taken upon admission to the bar). By contrast, the allegations for which Respondent Kaiama faces discipline do not serve any discernible purpose within the underlying litigation and, hence, cannot be characterized as mere zealous representation of the Respondent's clients. Nor do the allegations bear a rational relationship to any previous opinions of this or other courts of the State and, hence, are not good faith arguments for an extension of such precedent. Nor was the filing of the Notice justified for any other proper purpose: Respondent Kaiama does not offer any specific evidence, cite to any court rule or procedure of any other fora, or articulate any reasonable legal theory to support his assertion that filing the Notice of Protest was necessary to preserve the issue for review by another forum. In short, we conclude that the allegations serve no other purpose but to harass the presiding Judge by threatening him with dire consequences for his previous and subsequent rulings in the litigation.

Respondent Kaiama's conduct warrants suspension, absent mitigating circumstances. See American Bar Association Standards for Imposing Lawyer Sanctions (2000), Standards 6.22 and 6.32; ODC v. Ng, SCAD-12-414 (March 1, 2013); ODC v. Shea, SCAD-11-777 (May 1, 2012); see also ODC v. Cook, No. 28300 (March 6, 2007); Gardner, 793 N.E.2d at 424, Sandlin, 12 F.3d at 862-63, 867; Cf. Westfall, 808 S.W.2d at 838.

We find, in aggravation, that Respondent Kaiama has substantial experience in the practice of law while, in mitigation, we find Respondent Kaiama has a clean disciplinary record, his conduct was absent a dishonest or selfish motive, and he was fully cooperative with the disciplinary proceedings. Therefore, in light of the mitigating factors, which outweigh those in aggravation,

IT IS HEREBY ORDERED that Respondent Kaiama is publicly censured for his misconduct. Respondent Kaiama is, however, cautioned that further such conduct may result in a period of suspension.

IT IS FINALLY ORDERED that Respondent Kaiama shall bear the costs of the disciplinary proceedings upon the approval of a timely-submitted verified bill of costs from the Office of Disciplinary Counsel.

Paula A. Nakayama

Sabrina S. McKenna

Richard W. Pollack

Michael D. Wilson

FOOTNOTES

. We accept the Findings and Conclusions as amended by the Board, with two exceptions. Based upon the Hearing Officer's role as finder of fact, we accept Finding No. 12 as proposed by the Hearing Officer, and accept Finding 13, as amended to read It was never Respondent's intent to be disruptive. Nevertheless, insofar as we join other jurisdictions in applying an objective test regarding such conduct, and conclude Respondent Kaiama, at a minimum, leveled his accusations with a reckless disregard to their truth or falsity, we conclude the record supports the violations of the Hawai'i Rules of Professional Conduct identified by the Board.

Mark E. Recktenwald

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ILind: Heres Why Hawaii Judges Are Not War Criminals



2011: Sovereignty Mortgage Scammer Keanu Sai at it again with help from Legislators, Maui Council, University

2013: Kaiama Accuses Judges of War Crimes

Google: Keanu Sai Dexter Kaiama
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Taipei, May 7 (CNA) No new progress has been made so far in Taiwan's efforts to get an invitation to attend this year's annual World Health Assembly (WHA), which is scheduled to take place May 22-31 in Geneva, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) said Sunday.
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Taipei, May 7 (CNA) A Malaysian tourist was caught on Sunday at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport for trying to smuggle into Taiwan three angonoka tortoises, which are listed as critically endangered species by international wildlife conservation organizations and reputed to be the most expensive tortoise on earth - worth about NT$1 million (US$33,150) each.
Mary Peterson knew she had to do something.

At the time, the local woman was at the Fremont Family YMCA with friends.

I looked at myself in a full length mirror, she said. I was telling the group I was with that I just had to lose weight.

Thats when Janet Bloemker, a member of the TOPS 0661, overheard Peterson. Bloemker then invited Peterson to visit the group which meets on Monday mornings at First United Methodist Church in Fremont.

So Peterson attended a group meeting and joined.

Ive never been sorry, said Peterson, who has lost 42 pounds. I feel so much better.

On Monday, the local group will celebrate its 40th anniversary with a little party and coffee. Past members have been invited to come and reminisce. The public is invited as well. Group members weigh in at 8 a.m. and meetings start at 9 each Monday.

The TOPS (Take Off Pounds Sensibly) organization has a lengthy history.

Esther Manz of Milwaukee started the group in 1948 at her kitchen table with two other women  and the organization grew.

The TOPS 0661 chapter started in May 1977 and had 17 members.

Currently, the group has 15 members, said Bert Troester, chapter president.

Each week, group members support one another in their weight-loss endeavors. They discuss health information and sometimes exchange recipes.

We learn to take smaller portions of food, exercise and drink water to aid in losing weight, Troester said.

There is a TOPS magazine from which members learn about nutrition and weight management.

We have a spring rally and a fall rally and meet with other chapters, Troester said. The spring rally has all the clubs in Nebraska meet together where we gain more knowledge.

Members of TOPS 0661 have lost weight with help and encouragement from the group.

Bloemker was even named runner-up to the queen during the TOPS State Recognition Days in 2013. At that time, she had lost 80 pounds.

She now has lost a total of 100 pounds.

The group has had three statewide division winners: Pam Mayer, Lynne Barnhart and Connie Hummel.

Mayer, who has been in TOPS since 1998, said her weight went up and down for years. After having some health issues, she had gastric bypass surgery in 2010 and has lost 80 pounds.

Shes 14 pounds away from her goal. When she reaches that goal, she will become a KOPS (Keep Off Pounds Sensibly).

KOPS are those people whove met a weight loss goal set by a health official, Troester said.

One group member, the late Mildred Kirchmann, was a KOPS for 40 years. The group now has five women whove reached KOPS status, Troester said.

When you become a KOPS, you stay in the group and encourage others and youre an example to the others that it can be done, Bloemker said.

Mayer appreciates the group.

Without the TOPS chapter and the girls in the chapter, I wouldnt be where I am today, because the support of the girls is enormous, Mayer said. You look forward to coming every Monday, because no matter what kind of a week youve had the girls will stand by you.

Beverly Struebing of Fremont joined the group last fall.

Its been wonderful, she said.

Members say weighing in each Monday morning helps keep them accountable. During the meeting, they say if theyve lost or gained weight, but dont have to say how much, Bloemker said.

A member may be sad about a weight gain, but will get reassurance from others in the group.

They help us by words of encouragement so when we leave here after the meeting, we know we can do it, Mayer said.

Bloemker said the group has monthly dues of $4. National dues for the year are $32.

Members believe the encouragement and friendships formed in the group have kept it going for so many years.

I didnt know any of these people, hardly at all, before I came, Bloemker said.

Members said they plan to keep the group going. They hope to gain new members.
Wes Moore makes history as Maryland's next governor

Maryland's 2022 election is history-making with Wes Moore. Only two other Black politicians have ever been elected governor in the U.S.
Staff members of the Caldwell County Board of Elections were each honored in separate ways at the North Carolina Association of Directors of Election (NCADE) Conference held in Wilmington in April.

Sandy Rich, director of the Caldwell County Board of Elections, was elected first vice president for the association. She will serve a two-year term until 2019. Rich has previously served as honors and as secretary for the NCADE.

The other two members of the Caldwell County Board of Elections staff were also recognized at the conference. Chad Barnes, chief deputy director of elections for Caldwell County, received a certificate honoring his five years of service. Margaret Lester, deputy director of elections for Caldwell County, was recognized as a new member.

The NCADE was established in 1967 as a professional association dedicated to continuing education and improving the electoral process in North Carolina
4-H offers youth the opportunity to participate in specialty and general interest 4-H clubs. Horse clubs are one type of 4-H specialty club that can be found in many North Carolina counties and across the nation.

The horse clubs and related contests allow youth to learn about horses, animal science, and biology while building skills in leadership, communication, teamwork and other life skills. It is not necessary to own a horse to participate in a horse club. Brookford Equestrians 4-H Club meets monthly at Brookford Community Center and currently involves youth ages 10 and older, although the club is open to youth ages 5 and older.

In addition to horse shows, there are many knowledge-based horse contests that do not require a horse. Brookford Equestrians has focused on Horse Bowl and Hippology and recently won first place in the junior division in the state Horse Bowl contest. The club qualified for the state contest after winning in the district contest earlier in the year. Horse Bowl involves a team of four or five youth answering horse-related questions, much like quiz bowl or jeopardy. The team earns points for each correct answer, loses points for incorrect answers, and earns the chance to answer team bonus questions. Horse Bowl helps youth develop independent study skills, build skills in teamwork and communication, and performing under some stress. Horse Bowl team members were Claire Boger, Lauren Williams, Maliha Shabeldeen, Breelane Griffin and Kenzie Lee.

In addition to capturing the top team award, several of the Brookford 4-Hers earned individual awards based on the total points they earned as they progressed through the tournament. Maliha Shabeldeen earned the fifth-place individual award and Lauren Williams received the eighth-place individual award.

Hippology is another knowledge-based contest that includes a written test on subjects like horse breeds and equipment. Hippology is offered along with the state Horse Bowl contests. The Catawba County team finished third in the junior division in Hipplogy. Maliha Shabeldeen earned the sixth-place individual award and Lauren Williams earned the second-place individual award in Hippology with top scores in the exam and identification portion of the contest.

Other knowledge-based horse contests available through 4-H include presentations, public speaking, and judging. High scoring seniors in these contests have the chance to be part of the state team that travels and competes in national 4-H horse contests. For more information about Brookford Equestrians, other 4-H clubs, or starting a 4-H horse club, contact Donna Mull, Catawba County 4-H agent, at 828-465-8240 or donna_mull@ncsu.edu. 4-H is the youth component of the NC Cooperative Extension and an outreach of North Carolina State University.
Dave Brewer and Katie Boyette, both of Foscoe, are an intriguing couple. Daves a Worthless Son-in-Law as well as a Possum and Katie knits monsters.

With an introduction like that, Im sure its not hard for you to imagine that Ive amassed two stories worth of information about Dave and Katie.

For that reason, this weeks article is devoted to Dave. Youll have to wait until HDRs May 14 edition for the lowdown on Katies monster-making enterprise.

Hey now, dont pout or one of Katies creatures might take up residence under your bed tonight.

So, Daves a Worthless Son-in-Law. Notice the capitalization. Its the name of an eclectic, country, blues, folk, rock, Americana Boone-based band, described Dave, whos the drummer. He pointed out that theyre currently working on a new album.

Theyre not worthless, by the way. The names just for fun. The bands got some son-in-laws in the mix, one of whom has a mother-in-law who suggested the name  again, just for fun. At least thats what Dave said.

I learned about Daves involvement with the Son-in-Laws in October when I attended the fun and fabulous Carolina Ramble and Reunion on the grounds of Brayshaw Farm in Bethel.

What a great event! The beauty of the hills in October, a sunny afternoon, kids and teens, young adults and seniors, great food, and best of all: terrific music, including the energetic, toe-tapping-causing, knee-bending-inducing offerings from a band thats become one of my favorites: Possum Jenkins.

When they take the stage, oh my goodness, its like the groups members have been itching for months to get together and do their thing.

Dave, who plays guitar and sings for Possum Jenkins, said its because they really like each other. I hadnt thought about it until he explained it, but its true. When Possum plays, its as if each member showed up for the benefit of the others -- like theyre saying howdy to each other with guitar strumming and harmonica blowing and drum tapping and singing.

To understand how Possum Jenkins was born in 2004 is first to learn about Six Foot Groove, a jam, rock band that started in 1999 when Dave was living in Clemmons, his hometown.

He and a group of friends formed Six Foot Groove, which continued playing when all its members moved to Boone to attend Appalachian State University.

We gigged very regularly throughout college, Dave said.

Then, Six Foot Groove was losing a few members, as Dave stated, when they left Boone for internships down the mountain. That prompted Dave to put Possum Jenkins together. The name comes from a character in an Outcast music video.

We were just looking for something kind of country, Dave said.

Occasionally, Six Foot Groove merged with Possum Jenkins, resulting in shows dubbed Six Foot Possum. No, Im not kidding.

Getting back to Possum Jenkins, it became apparent pretty early on that we got along famously, Dave said, so famously that all the original members continue to play in the band: Nathan Turner of Kernersville; Jared Church, who lives in Winston-Salem; David Willis, also a Winston-Salem resident; and Dave. Harmonica player Brent Buckner of Winston-Salem joined the group a few years in.

The quintet has performed in North and South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, and Georgia and recorded four albums; the most recent, Carolinacana, which is the word Dave used to describe the bands sound.

As stated on Possums website, www.possumjenkins.com, Carolinacana means, among other things, liberal doses of country, gospel, Piedmont blues, folk and soul.

We try to be reflective of North Carolinas vast musical heritage, Dave explained.

Besides being a Worthless Son-in-Law and a Possum, Daves also a member of a number of other groups, including the Boone-based Soul Benefactor, a classic soul and R&B band and funk, I guess, Dave described.

Hes also in the band that supports the Junaluska Gospel Choir of the Boone Mennonite Brethren Church; joins in from time to time with the King Bees, a husband and wife blues band from Todd; and is a member of a four-piece rock band called The Moravian Buns, Dave said.

We've been together for more than a decade. We play classic rock, gospel, and whatever else we're feeling. One member is a pastor, another is a bishop, and the fourth is a guy about my age.

I grew up in the Moravian Church, Dave continued. Moravians are a musical bunch, and that certainly was a big influence on me as a guitar-playing teenager at summer camp.

Dave said he started really playing guitar at age 15.

I had a one-track mind after that. The one track was making music, whether playing guitar, drums, or singing.

Most of the bands arent full-time, but, as Dave put it, he treats his musical career as such, which requires adhering to a seriously detailed schedule of playing with various groups, working three nights a week at Boone Saloon on West King Street, and volunteering multiple hours as what Dave called an ad-hoc high country live music consultant, meaning people call him all the time, looking for a band or a musician or a sound person for various reasons and functions.

I am definitely a musician for hire, Dave stated. I run around like a maniac, always working to enrich the local music scene.

Wife Katie said she has to pencil herself in just to spend an evening with her husband.

Which leaves her with lots of time to knit monsters, which youll read about next week. Until then . . .

Visit Possum headquarters at www.possumjenkinsband.com for Possum updates, including band news, upcoming shows, and information about the 2017 Carolina Ramble and Reunion. You can also buy stuff and see lots of pictures.

Share story ideas with Mary at marycanrobert@charter.net.
Malaika Arora, visibly fed up of rumours pairing her with actor Arjun Kapoor, snapped at a journalist who asked her to comment on the same. The actor told the journalist to ask questions relevant to the event and not spread gossip.

Bipasha Basu, Malaika Arora and interior designer Sussanne Khan during the launch of a campaign in Mumbai on Tuesday, May 2. (PTI)

According to Catch News, Malaika was at a promotional event with Susanne Khan and Bipasha Basu when she was asked about her and Arjun. Seriously? Talk about us. We are three independently wonderful and amazing women, talk about that. Why dont you talk about the fact when we meet, what all happens? Everybody is laughing, happy and talking about us. Talk about that. I think thats more interesting, right? Gossip karne ki kya zarurat hai (what is the need to gossip), she replied.

Arjun & Shraddha on the sets of Nach Baliye 8 with Judges Terence, Malaika & director Mohit Suri. @InstantBollywood  A post shared by Instant Bollywood  (@instantbollywood) on Apr 25, 2017 at 9:06am PDT

Rumours of Malaika and Arjuns relationship started doing the rounds in May last year. The two have often been spotted at same venues, where they seem to make conscious efforts not to be clicked together.

Arjun and Shraddha Kapoor were recently on the sets of Nach Baliye season 8 sto promote his upcoming film, Half Girlfriend. Malaika was also invited as guest judge in the absence of Sonakshi Sinha. The two reportedly only shared pleasantries and refrained from talking more.

Some rumours even suggested that Arjun may have been the reason behind Malaikas divorce with her husband of 18 years, Arbaaz Khan.

Humble request to the media, stop speculating and leave us alone. Will talk when ready, please respect our privacy. http://www.dnaindia.com/entertainment/report-what-we-all-feared-we-are-separated-confirms-malaika-arora-khan-and-arbaaz-khan-2194898 A post shared by Arbaaz Khan (@arbaazkhanofficial) on Mar 27, 2016 at 10:26pm PDT

The couple decided to part ways in March 2016.

While Arbaaz recently revealed that he has started dating someone, Malaika has remained tight lipped about her personal life. They have a 15 year old son together, Arhaan.

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Sacked Delhi minister Kapil Mishra on Sunday accused CM Arvind Kejriwal of accepting Rs 2 crore from Satyendar Jain, who holds the health portfolio, intensifying the infighting in Aam Aadmi Party. (LIVE UPDATES)

Mishras charges were not even worth responding to, deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia said.

Whatever the party position, the accusation comes at a time when Kejriwal is struggling to keep Delhis ruling party together, with several colleagues questioning his style of functioning.

The AAP was born out of an anti-corruption movement five years ago. Mishra was a part of it and his sensational charge against Kejriwal will only pile pressure on the chief minister.

Here are five things Mishra told mediapersons on Sunday:

Rs 2-crore bribe

He saw Satyendar Jain give Rs 2 crore to chief minister Arvind Kejriwal at his residence on Friday. When he confronted Kejriwal, the chief minister said things happen in politics and they would talk about it later.

                 Kapil Mishra (@KapilMishraAAP) May 7, 2017

Rs 50-crore land deal

Mishra said Jain had also told him that he had settled a Rs 50-crore land deal for a relative of Kejriwal. He, however, didnt offer details about the so-called deal or the charge. Kejriwal told him Jains claim was false and he should trust him.

Jain is being investigated by the CBI for alleged money laundering. The senior minister, already battling accusations of nepotism, laundered over Rs 4 crore through a web of shell companies, CBI officials have said.

Mishra later tweeted that the day Jain would be imprisoned, everything he said would come true.

     ,            

     Kapil Mishra (@KapilMishraAAP) May 7, 2017

L-G in the loop

The Karwal Nagar MLA met Delhis lieutenant governor Anil Baijal before he spoke to the media at Rajghat, the memorial to Mahatma Gandhi.

He had told the L-G in detail about what he saw at Kejriwals residence and would share the information with the Central Bureau of Investigation as well as the Delhis anti-corruption bureau.

i have witnessed HIM taking illegal cash.. have shared all details with Lt. Gov.

            Kapil Mishra (@KapilMishraAAP) May 7, 2017

Nothing on water tanker scam

Mishra on Saturday had promised an expose on the alleged Rs 400-crore water tanker scam but said little about it to mediapersons.

But he did question the party line on his sacking in a tweet. Until recently, Kejriwal was blaming electronic voting machines for poll defeat and suddenly water became the issue. Why is Kejriwal avoiding media, he said.

         EVM                   @ArvindKejriwal  Kapil Mishra (@KapilMishraAAP) May 7, 2017

Mishra was removed as his department failed to solve the citys water woes, the AAP had said. But Mishra said he was asked to go because he had asked Kejriwal to take action in the tanker scandal that alleged took place on the watch of former CM.

AAP war intensifies

Mishras charge of corruption against Kejriwal is Round 2 of the infighting plaguing Delhis ruling party, still to recover from a round of humiliating poll defeats.

Voices of dissent got louder after party finished a poor second to the BJP in recent civic polls. Senior party leader Kumar Vishwas questioned the party line of blaming EVMS for the poll debacles.

Mishra, who is considered close to Vishwas, said the party should introspect instead of blaming tampering of voting machines for its defeats.

Four days ago, the party managed to placate Vishwas but the truce lies in tatters as another leader has risen in revolt against Kejriwal.

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The Uttarakhand government has sanctioned 3.2 crore to the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Roorkee for installation and maintenance of earthquake sensors in the state as a part of the Earthquake Early Warning System.

Earlier, 84 such sensors were installed in the Garhwal region. Now, sensors will be set up in the Kumaon region.

The entire online system is transmitted in real-time to IIT Roorkee

We have released a sum of 3.2 crore to IIT Roorkee for setting up the sensors as well as for maintaining them for one year, disaster management secretary Amit Negi told Hindustan Times.

Earlier, the whole project was being funded by the union earth sciences ministry. The funding was, however, discontinued recently after which the state government has stepped in to provide the funds, he said.

Ashok Kumar, a professor with the department of earthquake engineering at IIT Roorkee, said, Through the funds, we will be purchasing and installing around 80-100 sensors in the Kumaon region besides operating the entire network (including both in Garhwal and Kumaon region).

Of the total amount, sensors will be purchased for around 1-1.5 crore, while the rest will be used for covering the operational costs, a major part of which goes to the state-run telecom service provider Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd for data transmission, Kumar said.

As a part of the system, sensors installed across various locations detect the primary waves (or the initial tremors), after which the data is transmitted in real-time to the main server at IIT Roorkee.

Based on the data analysis, advance warnings or alerts can be sent out through TV, radio, mobile etc to help prevent loss of life during earthquakes.

Notably, most parts of Uttarakhand fall in either Zone V or IV of the Seismic Zone Map of India, and are susceptible to high-intensity earthquakes.

The Himalayan state has already witnessed many low intensity earthquakes in the past few months, including one of moderate intensity, reading 5.8 on the Richter Scale, in February.

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Five people were injured when an unoccupied five-storey under-construction building tilted and rested precariously on another in Inderpuri on Saturday.

The building toppled on an adjacent four-storey house in JJ resettlement colony in Inderpuri, trapping five people, who were rescued by fire department personnel over an hour.

No one sustained any serious injury, said a fire department official.

A senior official of the North Delhi Municipal Corporation said the foundation of the building was very weak as it was built in just 25 square yards which is not sufficient space for a five-storey building.

It was constructed in just six months time and substandard material might have been used, he said.

The builder might have taken advantage of corporation officials as corporation staff are busy during these days and hurriedly erected the structure, he added.

He, however, said building plan is not needed for constructing houses in JJ colonies because the building plots are just 15-25 square yards.

The area has been cordoned-off. The debris from the collapsed structure was being removed and workers have been engaged to dismantle it.

Police said the owner of the building is being questioned.

A senior police officer said there are several other buildings in the area which are constructed in a similar fashion and have a very weak foundation.

The Inderpuri JJ Colony has around 3,000 houses and several of them been constructed on 25 to 30 square-yard plots. These plots were given to families in the 1960s by former prime minister Indira Gandhi.

The North Corporation is planning to launch a major crackdown on such buildings soon.

The incident has damaged five nearby buildings and cracks have developed in three of them.

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The expert team from Delhis All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) that inspected Saturdays gas leak spot in Tughlakabad area, says the residents of the area are sitting on a (ticking) bomb.

We visited the container yard and the nearby areas and found it to be a heavily populated area. Those living there are sitting on a bomb, with such chemicals being handled in the vicinity, Dr YK Gupta, head of pharmacology department, AIIMS, told HT.

Dr Gupta heads the five-member expert team that Union health minister JP Nadda created to manage the impact, soon after the gas leak was reported.

Emergency calls were received by the Fire department around 7.35am about leaking chloro methyl pyridine from a container depot in the locality on Saturday. The chemical that is used in fertilizers, insecticides and certain drugs, is a known eye and respiratory irritant.

At least 200 girls, who were exposed to the chemical because their school was close to the spot, were rushed to different hospitals. Most were discharged after a few hours, only a few were kept in the hospital under observation.

It may have been a secluded area at some point, which is why they created the yard there but now its advisable to move the yard to some other place as these kind of substances should not be handled in such thickly populated areas, says Dr Gupta.

Since the area is exposed to all sorts of chemicals because of the yard, experts say it would not be a bad idea to get the water and air quality of the area checked.

This chemical is toxic in nature but not fatal unless consumed in a very high dose. It is a hygroscopic substance that tends to absorb moisture from the air, liquefies and generates fumes. Unlike gases, fumes have a limited spread, which is why the effect in this case was localized, says Dr Gupta.

Though the substance is not known to have any long-term adverse health impact after acute exposure of such mild nature, the expert team of AIIMS will again visit the spot either on Monday or Tuesday.

It is just as a measure of abundant caution that we will visit the spot again. Also, we still have beds earmarked for people who develop any complications, even though its highly unlikely, says Dr Gupta.

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After an unoccupied five-storey under-construction building tilted and rested precariously on an adjacent four-storey house in JJ resettlement colony in Inderpuri on Saturday, the people living close by have vacated their buildings and shifted with their relatives.

Salma Khatun, 26, and her four children, all aged below 10 years, were forced to abandon their house here as the family had escaped death by a whisker. Khatun lived on the top floor of the three-storey house, which is next to the four-storey building. After the incident she had to move to her sisters home in Nizamuddin.

While my sister-in-law Salma has moved to her sisters house, I am staying with a friend in JJ Colony. Our house was one of the worst-affected. It has developed gaping cracks. We dont know whether and when we could return. It is too risky, said Mohammad Husnain, 30, a resident in the same building as Khatuns.

But they are not the only ones. Fear and uncertainty is now looming over around 30 families who lived in seven other buildings adjacent to the collapse site. The civic authorities have verbally directed them to evacuate their homes as demolition work is underway.

We have asked residents of six to seven adjacent buildings to evacuate, as demolition work is going on. The tilted building is resting in a very precarious condition and hence it is risky to stay in the adjacent buildings, said an engineer of north Delhi Municipal Corporation, supervising the demolition work.

At least 25 labourers have been engaged for the demolition. Work starts from 8am and continues till 10pm. But civic authorities claimed that they are forced to work at a slow pace as the building could crumble anytime.

It was around 3:30am on Saturday that locals were jolted out of their sleep by a deafening noise. Initially they thought that it was an earthquake. A cloud of dust had blanketed the neighbourhood as people scurried out of their houses. Women and children were screaming as the dust choked them.

When people realised that it was a building collapse, rescue operations started. The families trapped in the two worst-affected buildings were evacuated. Those trapped on the top floor had to climb down with the help of a rope, said Kishen Kheraliya, one of the rescuers.

The affected families have taken shelter either in their relatives homes or have put up with neighbours and friends. They could not bring out any of their belongings. Five youths, who were living in one of the flats on rent, had to spend their night in a temple in the locality. Throughout Sunday, locals gathered at the spot and recalled the horror.

We have asked one of the affected families to use a room in our house. Where will they go? This is the time to stand by them, said 57-year-old Sarita Devi.

Meanwhile, pressure is mounting on the owner of the tilted building to compensate the affected families. Locals said that the owner, Laxmi Narayan Pahariya, has agreed to compensate the seven families who used to live in the two worst-affected houses. He is also being questioned by the police.

Locals alleged that even though one building has tilted, there are several other buildings in the area which have been built in the same manner and could meet the same fate in the future.

Most of the buildings stand on less than 25-30 square yards without any space between them in the dingy lanes. Building rules are openly flouted here. The civic officials only wake up if a building collapses and several people are killed, said Raju Bhaktiyar, a local.

The North Corporation is planning to launch a major crackdown on such buildings soon.
The Congress on Sunday demanded the Narendra Modi government to initiate criminal action against Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal over allegations that he accepted Rs 2 crore, and demanded his resignation.

A day after being sacked as water minister, Aam Aadmi Party legislator Kapil Mishra claimed he saw Delhi health minister Satyendar Jain handing out Rs 2 crore to the chief minister at his residence.

Day before yesterday (Friday), I saw Jain hand over Rs 2 crore in cash to Kejriwal at his residence. When I asked about the money, Kejriwal refused to answer, Mishra told media at a press conference at Rajghat.

Delhi Congress president Ajay Maken told the media that Mishras claims were not mere allegations but the testimony of an eyewitness warranting initiation of criminal proceedings against Kejriwal.

Mishras claim that Kejriwal took Rs 2 crore is not mere allegation rather an affidavit before the public of what he saw. He is saying what he saw as an eyewitness. The Centre, the Anti-Corruption Bureau and the CBI should immediately take action and register an FIR against Kejriwal.

Kejriwal has no moral right to continue as the Chief Minister. He should immediately resign, said Maken.

He, also targeted the Modi government for not taking action against AAP.

Corruption charges against AAP are nothing new. The Shunglu Committee indicted the AAP government of serious corruption charges but we have seen no action... The BJP is very vocal in criticising the Kejriwal government but when it comes to taking action there is a reluctance...The Centre has to take action.

The BJPs Delhi unit however also demanded Kejriwals resignation, with president Manoj Tiwari commending Mishra for his courage.

The whole of Delhi is absolutely shocked by todays remarks of Kapil Mishra. Its not an allegation but a statement of a witness, ANI quoted Manoj Tiwari as saying.

He further thanked Mishra for finally speaking up and doing the right thing.

Apart from claiming that he saw money change hands, Mishra also alleged that Jain told him about settling land deals worth Rs 50 crore for Kejriwals relative.
Aam Aadmi Party leader Arvind Kejriwal, who rose from being an anti-corruption crusader to Delhi chief minister, became the target of a graft charge on Sunday as his former water minister, Kapil Mishra, accused him of accepting Rs 2 crore from a cabinet colleague.

The accusation is the latest in a string of troubles that has engulfed the ruling AAP, after its crushing defeat in the citys April civic elections and the assembly polls in Punjab and Goa.

Deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia dismissed the charges against Kejriwal, who rode to power two years ago vowing to stamp out corruption.

Mishra, who was sacked on Saturday night apparently for mismanagement in water supply, cast aspersions on the integrity of the chief minister, saying a conspiracy was hatched against him because of the alleged Rs 400-crore water tanker scandal in the Delhi government.

He said he saw Kejriwal take Rs 2 crore from health minister Satyendra Jain and demanded to know what the money was for.

When I asked Kejriwal what is this for, he refused to answer and said such things happen in politics and he will explain to me later, he said.

This is not a political allegation. These are details of whatever I have seen happening in front on my eyes at the CMs house.

Also, Mishra alleged that Jain had told him that he had settled a land deal for a Kejriwal relative at Rs 50 crore. When I asked Kejriwal about it, he said this is false and I should trust him, he said.

Kapil Mishra speaks to media persons in New Delhi. (Sonu Mehta/HT Photo)

The alleged tanker scam dates back to 2012 when the Congress ruled the city, and involves irregularities in hiring stainless steel water tanks from private contractors.

An inquiry committee under Mishra was formed after the AAP came to power and he apparently said to Kejriwal that the panels report could spell trouble to people in the AAP government as well.

Mishra alleged on Sunday that Kejriwal was protecting corrupt AAP leaders and supporters by not making the report public.

The allegations bolstered swirling speculation about a raging infighting within the AAP, as Kejriwal had just about managed last week to douse an internal fire after legislator Amanatullah Khan accused senior leader Kumar Vishwas of being an agent of the BJP and RSS.

Khan was suspended, while Vishwas was pacified with the post of Rajasthan in-charge of the party.

Mishra is considered close to Vishwas and had reportedly taken his side during the controversy.

For his part, Vishwas, who was having a troubled relationship with the party, defended the chief minister.

I know Arvind Kejriwal for the past 12 years and after having worked with him for so long I can say that I cant even think Arvind Kejriwal will do corruption or take a bribe. Even his enemies wont believe this.

Deputy chief minister Sisodia said the former ministers charges were not worth responding to.

He was removed due to his poor performance. The allegations against Kejriwal are unsubstantiated. No one will believe them.

Mishra stood his ground, though. He alleged that he was removed for putting pressure on the party leadership to act against corruption.

I have proof for the tanker scam, which I will put before the anti-corruption branch, he said, underscoring that he would give his statement before the CBI or the anti-corruption bureau if required.

Mishra alleged that there are other instances of corruption in the party such as money laundering and a scandal involving luxury buses. But I always believed in Kejriwal and felt no one could corrupt him.

I will say that it was Kejriwals bad luck that I reached there and saw this thing happening. I worshiped him like god, I left my job for the party, said the former AAP minister.

The allegations have given fresh ammunition to Kejriwals opponents. The Delhi Congress demanded an FIR against him.

Mishras charges were not mere allegations but testimony of an eyewitness that warrants criminal proceedings against Kejriwal, the partys city unit chief Ajay Maken said.

The BJP demanded his resignation.

Kejriwal has no moral right to hold the post of chief minister. He must resign immediately, said Manoj Tiwari, the BJP Delhi unit chief.

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It was around 11pm when Asha Devi finally retired to her room on Friday, after a long day at the Supreme Court and several appearances on news channels. She was now away from the spotlight. There were no TV cameras, no questions, no noise.

She lay on her bed, with her eyes closed and it is then that it sunk in. She had won the battle that she had been fighting for the past four years.

On December 16, 2012, Devis 21- year old daughter was brutalised by six people on a moving bus. She died 13 days later in a hospital in Singapore.

Four years have passed since that day and for the bravehearts parents, the journey to justice has been a long and tough one. For them the only motivation on most days was their daughters last words demanding punishment for the men who violated her.

Speaking to HT on Saturday, Asha Devi shares how the fight for justice was far from over and how her daughters memories are a driving force.

When you went home after a long day (on Friday), what was the first thought that crossed your mind?

When I closed my eyes, for the first time in so many years, I felt I was at peace. That my fight has yielded some result. That my journey has been fruitful. My efforts, my sufferings, did not all go waste. Earlier I used to get scared thinking that these men might walk free. But now, at least I am confident they will be hanged one day. There should be no mercy for them.

What kept you going?

That scene is still fresh in my memory. On December 16, she got dressed and told me Bye mummy, main 2-3 ghante main ati hun (I will be back in two-three hours).

Those words still haunt me. That wait has not ended. I know I will never see her again, but my eyes are still waiting for her. Hoping to see her again.

These memories have kept me going.

The worst time was when my daughter was admitted in the hospital with so many pipes running through her body. She asked me for a few drops of water.

She said her throat was parched. I picked up a glass of water, but the doctors advised me not to give her even a drop. They told me that her internal organs had collapsed and her body will not accept water. They said they can only give her fluids through injections and nasal pipes. To see her on the hospital bed, longing for a few drops of water, was the most disturbing scene. It still flashes in my head whenever I pick up a glass of water to drink. Why was she made to suffer so much? How did all this happen? Do you think I will ever forgive the men who made her so helpless. She was my brave girl and took care of everyone in the family. And I could not even give her a few drops of water in her last hours.

What was the hardest part in this fight that went on for more than four years?

The hardest part was that despite a tough fight, one accused was let off. Also, despite the verdict by two courts, including the high court, the Supreme court took nine months to uphold the death sentence decision. Every day I had to prove that my daughter was subjected to brutality and that she was not the one who was wrong here. How I felt through those hearings is almost impossible to describe. Earlier, I used to cry in proceedings when I heard arguments by the defense lawyers trying to put the blame on my daughter. But, later I realised I had to be strong.

The Supreme Courts verdict came in our favour and we climbed another step towards justice. This decision has given us hope. It has reinforced my faith in the judiciary.

Is the fight over?

No not at all. This battle is just half won. This judgment has given me a strong hope that my daughter will get justice. I am now hopeful that if someone commits a crime, he will be punished. It may take time but justice will be done. It is very difficult, but possible.

Asha Devi and her husband BN Singh light candles at a memorial at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi on Friday. (PTI)

Now, this fight is not just about my daughter anymore. So many such cases have been lingering in the court for the past 10 years. Like this case was tried in a fast track court, there were regular weekly hearing, still it took more than 4 years to reach a conclusion. In the Supreme Court, it took nine months despite the high court giving its judgment in our favour. So, I feel that all rape cases should be tried in fast track courts. Also the Supreme Court too should not take this long. We can understand that the lower court may take time, but when the high court too gave its decision, they why take so long? But we are happy that the verdict came in our favour. Justice has been done.

The convicts still have an option to make appeals? Your reaction?

The fight is on and I am ready to take up any challenge that comes our way. They may approach whoever, but I am certain that they will be hanged. If they approach the President and put forward a mercy plea, we will oppose it aggressively.

What do you feel about the Supreme Courts judgment?.

The way the judge explained the intricacies of the case and put it forward before us, nothing could have been better. They just did not pronounce these men guilty, but through the judgment, sent across a wider message.

Through the judgment, they explained how parents should give good moral values to their children, how they should teach them to respect women in general. How in schools, gender equality should be taught. This judgment should be taken as a lesson by our society.

What next?

First, if they file a plea for mercy, we have to challenge that in court. And I will do anything to make sure they are hanged. I have reached this far and there is no going back from here.

Also, another very important mission is to help and support rape victims. Serious efforts need to be made to make sure that these victims get justice. Further, I wish to work towards stopping crimes against women and make this society a better place to live in. I dont know if it is too far fetched, but then when I look back, I get motivated.

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A slow loris, which had hit the headlines around five years ago after being rescued from Delhis Indira Gandhi International airport, is now spending its days alone in a cage in the zoo hospital. Three Dubai-bound passengers were trying to smuggle the primate, one of them having tucked it into his underwear.

The lone primate, around 6-7 inches tall and weighing around 200 grams, is in the 2X1.5 feet cage for the last two years. Although these nocturnal creatures are considered to be a solitary species, family groups have occasionally been found together.

As slow lorises sleep during the day and do all their activities at night, which include feeding and moving, this loris has to cover his eyes throughout the day even while sleeping to protect them from the harsh daylight.

The story dates back to September 2012 when three male passengers en route from Bangkok to Dubai were held with the primate at Delhi airport. It came to us in the year 2014-15 and since then it has been living in the zoo. We tried to put in an enclosure but then it had to be shifted to a cage as there were some problems, said a senior zoo official.

A source at the zoo said that the problem was rats. When the animal was put in an enclosure with birds, rats started stealing his food consisting mostly of fruits, eggs and bread dipped in honey, but they also disturbed him mostly during day.

Slow loris is a nocturnal animal. They come out only at night and sleep during the day. The rats disturbed him a lot during the day. So we decided to shift him to a cage so that we can scare away rats,

As slow lorises spend their lives on tree tops in dense tropical forests, zoo keepers have been kind enough though to place a twig inside the cage to make it feel homely. A rag, which falls short to cover the entire cage, has been placed on the top of the cage to provide some extra protection from day light.

Even though it is placed in the lobby area of the zoo hospital during the day, we shift the cage to the surgery room at night. We keep its food in the cage and lock the hospital. It feeds only during the night, said an official.

The Delhi zoo lacks any special enclosures such as a Nocturnal House to keep nocturnal animals including Loris, Civets and Owls. The zoos master plan, however, has such options and hence they could be planned in the future, sources said.

As the illegal trade in wildlife is gradually rising and such animals like the slow loris are in high demand, it is high time that every zoo should have such facilities. Animals when confiscated are usually sent to zoos, said Shekhar Kumar Niraj former head of TRAFFIC, the wildlife trade monitoring network, in India.

Zoo officials said that they are looking for a perfect enclosure so that the animal could be shifted. But as of now most enclosures are occupied and there are no such enclosures where the animal can feel homely without being disturbed by rats.

About slow loris

It belongs to the monkey family. They are nocturnal and arboreal in nature.

Habitat: Native to countries of east and South-east Asia, including India.

Generally found high in the trees in tropical rainforests, preferring warm, lowland areas below 1300 meters (4265 ft.) in elevation.

Diet: Fruits, insects, small birds.

Threats: Illegal pet trade, hunting and habitat destruction

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Thrown out of the Delhi cabinet, Kapil Mishra has claimed a conspiracy was being hatched against him ahead of his Sundays press conference in which he would share explosive details of alleged Rs 400-crore water tanker scandal.

Pointing fingers at Arvind Kejriwal, who took away both water and tourism portfolios from him on Saturday, Mishra tweeted that the chief minister was personally calling up senior Aam Aadmi Party leaders and MLAs but he was firm in his resolve .

 AAP      @ArvindKejriwal        PC        ,    Kapil Mishra (@KapilMishraAAP) May 6, 2017

Ahead of the press meet, Mishra also sought a meeting with Delhis lieutenant governor Anil Baijal.

Mishras sacking and defiance indicates that the four-day-old truce in the Delhis ruling party was collapsing.

The Karwal Nagar MLA had backed senior colleague Kumar Vishwas in questioning the AAPs line of blaming electronic voting machines for the partys humiliation in recent polls, including Delhis civic election.

Mishra is considered close to Vishwas.

Vishwas and the party leadership recently patched up after an ugly dispute that played out in front of TV cameras.

An hour after he was sacked, Mishra said he would go public with the details that he shared with Kejriwal the same day.

In a series of tweets in Hindi late on Saturday evening, Mishra said he would release the details at 11:30am on Sunday at Rajghat, saying he was clean and would not leave the party he was a founding member of.

He would reveal names of AAP leaders who were part of the scandal, Mishra said, adding he had not been informed about his sacking.

 AAP      @ArvindKejriwal        PC        ,    Kapil Mishra (@KapilMishraAAP) May 6, 2017

today shared explosive details with @ArvindKejriwal . tmew with public  Kapil Mishra (@KapilMishraAAP) May 6, 2017

i am the only minister with no corruption charges. no CBI enquiry against me.             Kapil Mishra (@KapilMishraAAP) May 6, 2017

The minister was removed as his department had failed to resolve the citys water problem, the AAP said.

Water management was not up to the mark and Kapil Mishra made a lot of effort but the CM decided to bring in Kailash Gahlot in his place, deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia said on Saturday.

A senior official said the decision to remove Mishra, who was holding the post since AAP came to power in February 2015, was taken at a cabinet meeting chaired by Kejriwal.

I was not informed of the decision and as per my knowledge, it was taken unilaterally by Kejriwal. The cabinet or the political affairs committee was not involved, Mishra told the PTI news agency.

The PAC is the highest decision making body of the AAP.

Mishra on Saturday also wrote to the anti-corruption bureau (ACB), demanding a swift investigation into the tanker scam.

Mishra, who was on July 4, 2016, questioned by the ACB, wrote to special commissioner of police MK Meena and wanted to know why the probe was taking so long.

So much time has passed and questioning of (former chief minister) Sheila Dikshit or any progress in the probe has not come to my knowledge. This is a grave issue and the people of Delhi want the truth as soon as possible, he said.

The Kejriwal government in June 2015 set up a five-member committee to probe alleged irregularities in the water tankers case. The panel submitted is report to Kejriwal in August 2015, pointing to corruption in the awarding of tenders. It recommended a first information report, or an FIR, against Dikshit and a probe by the CBI and the ACB.

On June 20, the ACB registered an FIR against Dikshit as well as Kejriwal. The FIR against Kejriwal was registered on a complaint by leader of opposition in assembly and BJP member Vijender Gupta for causing delay in the probe and not cancelling the contract for water tankers.

Since I had probed the issue and submitted the report of the fact-finding team, I had recommended that to complete the investigation, it was necessary to arrest and interrogate Sheila Dikshit and people in her government, Mishras letter said.

Pointing to delays, he told the ACB chief that investigation in four other Jal Board cases during Dikshits term, too, had not seen much movement.

Congress leader Dikshit served as the chief minister for three successive terms, from 1998 to 2013.

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Infosys has joined TCS and other Indian information technology services firms in announcing plans to hire more local workers for their cross-border work. Much of this hiring will take place in the United States to try and influence the Trump administrations review of the H1-B visa programme.

The expectation is that the review will, at the very least, pave the way for higher visa fees if not slash the number of such visas altogether. Even while it is fighting a rearguard action to save the H1-B, New Delhi should be realistic. The primary lobbying force for such visas is the US software industry. If they are unwilling to put their shoulders behind it, the visa boulder will be beyond Indias ability to move.

What should be understood is that the IT services industry is undergoing a fundamental change, one that is making H-1B visas increasingly redundant. Job growth in Indias IT services sector had been falling even before Trump was voted to office. Two technological developments are responsible. One is robotic process automation which is slowly erasing job creation in business process outsourcing, a pillar of the Indian IT industry.

A few lines of software can now replace thousands of programmers while voice tech is wreaking similar havoc on call centres. The other is what the industry calls SMAC innovation  social, mobile, analytics and cloud  in which software services are increasingly provided ready-made and transported through the internet. Unfortunately, Bangalore has been addicted to an earlier low-wage, body-shopping business model that is running out of steam.

The result is already evident in the industrys job figures. Nasscom, the Indian IT industry body, says overall job growth for the sector was only five per cent in 2017.

Worse, it predicts IT jobs will shrink by 20-25% over the coming three years. Donald Trumps impact may further pinch profits but he will be doing little more than flogging a horse that is already dying. Indias software industry must look at moving into exactly the cloud-based space that Silicon Valley firms are already well placed. The competitive advantage for a firm in this area is innovation, not labour arbitrage.

E-India Inc needs to reinvent itself and quickly. An obvious opportunity for Indian firms lies in Digital India. While Digital India remains nascent, the experience that its roll-out will provide would make Indias IT firms trailblazers in a new tech frontier. Bangalore has been the nations pride for two decades. Now it needs to upgrade.
Adding to the worries of pet owners who have been spending sleepless nights over reports of dogs going missing across the city, a resident of DLF Phase 2 filed a complaint saying her pet dog, Motu, is missing.

Animal rights activists have voiced concern over such incidents and have demanded that the culprits be identified and brought to book.

Sonia Bhardwaj, the owner, fears that her four-year-old pet was stolen and might meet the same fate as Brownie, the pet dog that was also taken away from the DLF Phase 2 area before being allegedly killed and eaten. An FIR was filed on May 1 at the DLF Phase 2 police station.

An interior designer and an animal lover, Bhardwaj said, Motu had been living with me for the last one year. He was a smart dog. I love stray dogs as well and feed four to five of them on my street every day.

The complaint says Motu went missing on April 11 from lane N-14 in DLF Phase 2. Bhardwaj said she went around her neighbourhood looking for her pet, but couldnt find it anywhere.

Read I Gurgaon pet eaten: Suspect says he ate dog meat but not Brownie

Alarmed by news reports about Brownie, Bhardwaj filed a missing complaint at DLF Phase 2 police station. I am scared. This (DLF Phase 2) area is close to Sikanderpur (where Brownie was allegedly killed and eaten). Ever since I learnt about Brownie, I have been spending sleepless nights. I fear my pet meeting the same fate. I want the police to act swiftly before another dog goes missing, Bhardwaj said.

The case was lodged on May 4 under Section 379 (theft) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).

Animal rights activists urged the police to show sensitivity towards such cases and act decisively against the culprits.

We found two dhabas in Nathupur where dog meat is openly sold. Though we lodged a complaint with the police, no action was taken, a member of Walk for Animals and Habitats (WAH), an NGO, said.

Amit Chaudhery, president, People for Animals, Gurgaon, said, We want police to take action before the situation gets worse. Such cases are on the rise in the city.

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Commuters from the city faced a tough time as the Delhi Metros Yellow Line services  the only DMRC service to and from Gurgaon  was hit for nearly two hours on Sunday afternoon because of a power snag that left people stuck inside metro trains and stations. The services were normalised by 7:45pm, said a metro official.

Commuters were stranded between Samaypur Badli and Huda City Centre stations between 3:17pm and 5 pm. Services were partially restored after 5pm but could be completely restored only after 7:45pm.

The snag occurred as an overhead power line between Qutub Minar and Green Park metro stations in Delhi was ruptured, bringing the train to a halt. Commuters said as they were left stranded inside trains and stations for over two hours, the exit limit of their coupons and cards expired, further creating a rush at metro stations.

I travelled from Malviya Nagar to Huda City Centre Metro station around 4pm and there was major rush both in the train and on the station. While we reached in time, many people had difficulty exiting the station as their tickets crossed the 120-minute expiry limit. They had to fix the issue with the customer service desk, said Sanjiv Saxena, a Gurgaon resident.

Angry commuters took to social media to vent their frustration while some cautioned others not to take the Yellow Line.

Train breakdown on Delhi Metro Yellow Line shuts down service from Gurgaon to Delhi. Why would we plan for breakdowns. Never gonna happen (sic), @abhidabhi tweeted.

Fault in Delhi Metro Yellow line no trains to Gurgaon (sic), @kanvanand tweeted.

Snag hits Delhi Metros Yellow Line, thousands of passengers stranded at stations between Jahangirpuri and HUDA City Centre (sic), @zafarabbaszaidi tweeted.

A DMRC spokesperson said, Train services on Line 2 were affected around 3:17pm on Sunday due to a problem with the pantograph of a train that damaged overhead equipment stands while approaching Chattarpur station going towards Badli.

The overhead equipment team repaired the affected section. In the meantime, normal services were maintained on the whole line by running trains in loops from Huda City Centre to Sultanpur, Sultanpur to Qutab Minar, and Qutab Minar to Badli. As a result, train services were resumed on the line and continuous service on the affected section was restored as soon as OHE repair work was over, the spokesperson added.

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Low and inadequate water supply have continued to give residents sleepless nights in many parts of the city over the last few months and it seems, theres little respite in sight.

The residents of Sushant Lok, Suncity, Ardee City, sectors 21, 22, 23, Ashok Vihar, Model Town and other localities have accused the government agencies of not acting promptly on their complaints.

With the authorities unmoved and allegedly dragging their feet in the matter, the desperate residents even took to social media on Sunday to post messages on their plight and urge the media to make common cause with them and force the authorities to act.

The extent of the water crisis is a lot more than what it was last year. It seems even the fulfilment of our basic needs has now become a challenging task. In fact, the crisis has doubled as compared to last year and when I say doubled I mean the amount of money that we have been shelling out to source water from private tankers is twice as much as we spent in April and May last year. This is a common complaint in every household this year and the supply shortfall is giving us sleepless nights. We have decided to click pictures every time a tanker arrives to provide water and use them for our social media campaign for justice, Abhey Poonia, a resident of Suncity, said.

Residents said the situation is especially alarming in the Sushant Lok area.

On Sunday, we got water around 6.30am. However, the supply only lasted 15-20 minutes and it wasnt enough to fill our overhead tanks. I rang up the maintenance agency and was told that water supply has been slow and inadequate over the last one month due to repeated ruptures in Hudas master water pipeline. The leaks hit supply from the Huda water treatment plant. I even sent emails to MCG (Municipal Corporation of Gurugram) and Huda (Haryana urban development authority) officials highlighting our plight. However, I dont have much hope of action, Anil Sharma, a resident Block C, Sushant Lok, said.

Read I Gurgaon: Water shortage to continue for another week, says Huda

The residents living in other sectors and municipal areas are worried over the lack of coordination between the Huda and the MCG in streamlining the water supply and distribution system.

Water came in a trickle this morning. The pressure of release was low and the supply wasnt even enough to meet our kitchen needs. My wife said low water pressure has been a regular occurrence over the last several weeks. I even asked residents of sectors 21, 23 and 23-A if they were facing a similar situation and they said they did. Repeated meetings with (Huda and MCG) officials have failed to resolve our situation, Bhim Singh, resident of Sector 22, said.

Last week, Huda administrator Yashpal Yadav asked executive engineer Bhup Singh Joon to fix the water distribution system after complaints of repeated ruptures in the citys water pipelines.

Our master line was ruptured repeatedly by Gawar Construction Limited, which is constructing underpasses and a flyover on the Delhi-Gurgaon Expressway. The leaks and repairs led to disruption of water supply from our plant. I will check if the situation improves on Monday, the Huda administrator said.
Actor Dave Bautista says he feels Marvel Studios will one day reclaim the Spider-Man franchise, which they had sold off to Sony in 1985.

The 48-year-old wrestler-actor says he is eagerly waiting for Spider-Man: Homecoming which is a collaboration between the two studios, reported FemaleFirst.

Spider-Man is the one Im really looking forward to. I love that kid - I love Tom Holland. I also love that theyre staying so true to the comics with this whole series and I think thats because Marvel Studios has gotten involved.

I think before, I think it was Sony who had control. And I think theyre doing a partnership now, but I think they will - I dont know this for sure - but I think theyre going to reacquire Spider-Man, Bautista said on Talk Is Jerichos podcast.

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Jennifer Lawrence is taking a big leap. According to the Hollywood Reporter, a new footage of Red Sparrow, shown at a special Fox event, highlighted the adult nature of the film.

The director, Francis Lawrence, told during the event that this movie is definitely going to be R. He also revealed that when he pitched the idea of his approach for the movie, nobody chickened out or got cold feet, everyone was up for it. It is a hard R.

The film, which also stars Joel Edgerton, Jeremy Irons, Matthias Schoenaerts, Mary Louise Parker and Charlotte Rampling, sees Lawrence reuniting with her Hunger Games director.

The film is heavy on sex, with the Oscar-winning actors character trained to seduce the individuals deemed enemies of the Russian state.

Talking about working with the Passengers star, he said, she was willing to take some risks in this movie, but might not have been willing to do for somebody she didnt know.

Lawrence revealed that there was just one weeks worth of shooting left to do, with production taking place across Europe and now in London.

Red Sparrow is due for a release in March 2018.

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Madhya Pradesh chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Sunday announced that all illegal slaughter houses in the state will be shut down.

Madhya Pradesh becomes the third BJP-ruled state after Uttar Pradesh and Haryana to ban illegal slaughterhouses.

Chouhan made the announcement at a religious function at a Jain pilgrimage site at Mohan Kheda in Dhar district, 264km from Bhopal. The function was organised for anointing Jain saint Rishabhchandra Vijayji as Acharya.

The CMs announcement followed Jain saint Rishabhchandra Vijay lauding him and expecting him to issue an order to shut down illegal slaughter houses in the state once he reaches Bhopal.

Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) leader Praveen Togadia in his address said not only illegal abattoirs, all the mechanised slaughter houses should be shut down in the state.

I also want there should be no export of meat from India, the Hindu hardline leader said. Togadia said the discourse should not be on gau rakshaks (cow vigilantes) but on the cow-killers even as vigilantes continue to run rampage in many parts of north India.

According to officials, the slaughter of animals for food is a State subject and regulated by local bodies through licensing of slaughterhouses and retail meat shops. However, most municipal slaughterhouses and meat shops lack modern machinery and equipment with inadequate hygiene and sanitation.

Many operate in gross violation of the norms. Effluent treatment and waste disposal facilities in these traditional slaughterhouses and meat shops are also not satisfactory, sources said. Last month Bhopal Municipal Corporation had identified over 100 meat sellers in Bhopal who were found selling meat in violation of guidelines.

On Friday, the Haryana government announced that a ban would be imposed on illegal slaughter of animals and sale of meat procured thereof throughout the state from May 15.

Earlier in March, the Yogi Adityanath government in Uttar Pradesh had ordered shutting down of illegal slaughterhouses.
Parts of Bengalurus Bellandur lake caught fire again on Sunday, engulfing the surrounding areas in smoke. A thick plume of smoke could be seen rising in the air from one side of the lake at about 4pm on Sunday.

Vasanthi Amar, joint commissioner of the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike, who visited the spot, said some dried weed had caught fire.

It appears that some cattle herders had set fire to dried grass, so that fresh grass can grow there, she said.

Amar said action will be taken against those responsible.

Bellandur lake had hit national headlines in February after it had caught fire. The National Green Tribunal (NGT) too had stepped in asking the Karnataka government to shut down industrial units in its vicinity as toxic effluents from these plants were being discharged into the lake.

A programme to remove the weed in the lake has been undertaken by the local authorities, and sewage entering the lake will also be checked as per the NGTs order. CCTV cameras have been installed in the area to check indiscriminate dumping of waste.

Read | Worried about water bodies frothing up like Bellandur Lake? Check your detergent
A deaf and mute girl was gangraped allegedly by three young men at a mango orchard in West Bengals Malda district, around 300km from Kolkata, on Saturday evening.

Police sources said the incident the girl, whose age hasnt been revealed, had gone to the orchard in her village under Pakuria police station to fetch mangoes with her younger sister and a friend.

There they came across several young men drinking alcohol by a canal adjacent to the farm.

A group of at least three youth pounced on the girl and her sister and tried to drag them to a secluded place. The younger girl managed to escape, but her deaf and mute sister could not, a district police officer said.

The younger girl ran to the village and informed the people, who dashed with members of the family to the spot.

They found the girl at another mango orchard  senseless and bleeding profusely. She admitted to hospital and referred for a medical test.

The culprits have not been identified or caught yet. Police have detained a few youth for questioning.
A minor girl was stabbed to death after she resisted rape at Charpokhari block in Bhojpur district, 80 km south-west of Patna on Saturday evening.

The victims cousin, who is a 22-year-old youth, has been detained by the police.

The police believe that the cousin, who came to the house in an inebriated condition, tried to force himself on the minor. When she resisted, he reportedly stabbed her around the neck with scissors. The girl, who bled profusely, succumbed to her injuries. The victims elder sister, also a minor, lodged an FIR with the local police on Sunday.

The police suspected the reason behind lodging of FIR against unknown persons due to family pressure.

The minor, a student of Class 4 at a government school, and her sister, 16, used to stay at the house of their uncle, who is a president of the primary agricultural credit society.

The incident took place when the girl was alone in her room on Saturday evening, the police added. The police have pressed charges against the accused, which provides for imprisonment up to 10 years.
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Drinking alcohol and going for his wedding proved costly for a bridegroom in dry Bihar on Saturday.

The young bride not only refused to marry the groom, but her family also held hostage the groom and his close relatives till they returned all that the family had taken as dowry.

If sources were to be believed, the groom, Ram Pravesh Das, a resident of Kamalpura village in Muzaffarpur district, 70 kms north of Patna, and some of his relatives reportedly came drunk for the marriage.

The brides relatives not only supported the girl who decided to call off the marriage, but also held hostage the groom and his close relatives, said Raja Rai, the panchayat mukhiya (head). Rai said he, along with mukhiya of Kamalpura panchayat and some elderly members of the village, were still trying to sort out the issue.

Lalan Kumar Das, mukhiya of Kamalpura told HT over phone: The girl is adamant, but we are still trying for a rapprochement.

Later, at the initiative of the elders, the brides family members released some baraatis (those from the grooms side attending the marriage) who returned to Kamalpura.

The father of the bride, Vashishtha Das, said her daughter refused to go ahead with the rituals after finding the groom to be under influence of alcohol. I stand firmly with my daughters decision. She did what she thought was good for her, Das told HT.

Sanjay Kumar, a baraati, said: The bride pulled out after some of the marriage rituals had been completed. She alleged that the groom was unable to properly recite the hymns and follow the instructions of the priest, he said.

Bihar became a dry state on April 5, last year. Consuming, keeping or dealing in liquor is an offence under the states new excise prohibition law, which provides for imprisonment up to 10 years.

This is, however, not the first instance of a bride calling off her marriage in Bihar. On April 29, a girl from Dumaria village in Samastipur district, 85 kms north-east of Patna, had walked out of her wedding mandap after the bridegroom demanded a motorcycle in dowry.

Nearly a couple of days ago, a bride refused to marry a dark complexioned groom, saying he was unsuitable for her. The bizarre incident took place at Bakhri village of Begusarai district, 125 km east of Patna.
A marriage turned into tragedy when an unidentified youth shot dead the bridegroom immediately after the jaimaal (exchange of garland) ceremony at Pilapur village of Jagdishpur sub-division in Bhojpur district, 80 kms south-west of Patna.

The bridegroom, Sudhir Singh, 22, a resident of Uttardahan panchayat of the same sub-division, had got down from the stage after the jaimaal ceremony, when a youth emerged from the dark and pumped bullets into his chest. The killer walked away on foot, as Singh slumped to the ground and lay in a pool of blood. He was rushed to the Ara sadar (district) hospital, where doctors declared him dead, late Saturday evening.

Police suspect the killing to be the result of a spurned love affair.

Singh, the only son of his mother, a widow, was supposed to marry Susum Kumari, daughter of one Sudeshwar Singh of Pilapur on Saturday.

The victims cousin, Azad Singh, had lodged an FIR with the local police on Sunday.

Superintendent of police, Bhojpur, Kshatranil Singh said the police had recorded the statements from both sides - the bride and the groom. The motive behind the killing was unclear, he added.
The Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) has shifted its strategic anti-Maoist command headquarters to Raipur from Kolkata to bring focus on combing operations in Chhattisgarh.

The move comes ahead of the meeting to be attended by the chief ministers of 10 Maoist-hit states on Monday.

Home minister Rajnath Singh will convene the meeting of chief ministers of states, including Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh and West Bengal to fine-tune the strategy to tackle the rebels, who have killed more than three dozen CRPF personnel in Chhattisgarh in the last two months.

The move is in line with the Centres plan to redeploy its forces from almost peaceful West Bengal to Maoist hotbeds of Abujmad in Chhattisgarh. The plan is likely to face resistance from Mamata Banerjee-led West Bengal government.

Seven years ago, the command headquarter was shifted to Kolkata due to logistical and connectivity issues.

Banerjee wont attend the meeting, she is likely to send two of her senior bureaucrats for the meeting.

District magistrates and superintendents of police of 35 of the worst-hit Maoist-affected districts, along with heads of paramilitary forces and intelligence agencies, will also take part in the meeting.

Union ministers incharge of ministries of road and transport, railways, civil aviation, rural development, power and telecom will be present to bolster the plan on road to telecom connectivity and electrification of villages in the areas.

The states will be asked to strengthen their intelligence-gathering network, more on the line of intelligence capabilities acquired by the Telangana (erstwhile Andhra Pradesh) police that managed to crush Maoism from the state. Generation of human intelligence is key to deal with Maoists, said an official.

On the technology front, the Centre has planned to enhance the surveillance of Maoist-hit areas by drones and more flying hours for Indian Air Force choppers, which are used by the forces for logistical support.

Involving the army in training anti-Maoist units of the states and using India Reserve Battalions for opening roads will also figure in the meeting.
The Congress in Assam has requested President Pranab Mukherjee to defend a clause on expelling illegal immigrants that was inserted in the citizenship act of 1955 after the 1985 Assam Accord, which ended a six-year anti-foreigner movement, primarily against Bangladeshis.

The appeal was sent to the President on Saturday, ahead of a scheduled hearing on the issue by a five-judge constitutional bench of the Supreme Court on Monday.

In 1985, Parliament inserted Section 6A in the citizenship act, prescribing March 25, 1971 as the cut-off date for detection and deportation of foreigners in Assam. For other states, the year is 1951.

We urge you to take necessary steps for defending Section 6A before the Supreme Court for protecting the rights of lakhs of people in Assam, the state Congress partys said in its plea to Mukherjee.

The Assam Sanmilita Mahasangha, an association representing the states indigenous people, challenged the validity of Section 6A in the top court in 2014.

The exercise to update the National Register of Citizens (NRC) from May 2015 saw other organisations demanding 1951, and not 1971, as the cut-off year for deporting illegal immigrants who threaten the existence of indigenous people.

The demand gained momentum after the BJP formed a coalition government in Assam last May.

According to the Congress, the worst-affected people will be religious minorities who had fled to erstwhile East Pakistan, now Bangladesh, during the 1947 Partition-linked riots in Assam.

These people returned home after the Nehru-Liaquat Pact of 1950, whose validity was extended to 1958. In the meantime, the work for preparation of NRC (1951) was completed, and these people could not be enlisted in the NRC that year, the Congress letter signed by state president Ripun Bora and legislature party chief Debabrata Saikia said.

The Assam Agitation between 1979 and 1985 against the influx of illegal Bangladeshi immigrants culminated in the accord on 1985 signed by leaders who spearheaded the movement. They included leaders of the All Assam Students Union and the Asom Jatiyatabadi Yuba Chhatra Parishad.

It was mutually agreed between the Centre and the unions that March 25, 1971, would be the cut-off date for detection and deportation of illegal migrants. The Assam-specific Section 6A was accordingly inserted in the citizenship act. Scrapping this cut-off date will be against the spirit of the Assam Accord, Bora said.

On Monday, the top courts constitutional bench will decide whether it can hear and complete the case of the validity of Section 6A between May 11 and 19.

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Within hours of Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Kapil Mishra, who was sacked on Saturday as the water minister, alleging that chief minister Arvind Kejriwal received Rs 2 crore from health minister Satyendar Jain, Delhi Congress chief Ajay Maken on Sunday demanded the resignation of Kejriwal.

He also said the party had lost its anti- corruption plank.

Terming Mishras allegations against Kejriwal as very serious in nature, he said the CBI and the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) should take cognisance of the charges.

Kejriwal has no moral right to continue as chief minister in the wake of the allegations by Mishra. He should step down, he said at a press conference here.

Mishra had told reporters at Raj Ghat here that he saw Jain handing over Rs 2 crore to Kejriwal at his official residence.

He also alleged that Jain told him about a Rs 50 crore land deal that the latter had settled for a relative of Kejriwal.

CBI should register cases regarding Mishras allegation that he saw Kejriwal receiving Rs 2 crore from his health minister Satyendar Jain, and also with regard to the findings of Shungulu Committee report, Maken said.

The Aam Admi Party (AAP) which was formed on anti-corruption plank has lost it in the wake of Mishras allegations against the chief minister, and the Shungulu Committee report that has put his government under the dock for various irregularities, he added.

The six ministers of the AAP government, out of a total of seven, who had taken oath to fight against corruption on February 14, 2015 (when the government was formed) have been removed so far. It explains that the party has lost its basic premise of being against corruption, he said.

AAP was formed on three basic premises of fight against corruption, internal democracy and Lokpal. They have lost all these premises, he said.

Maken added the Delhi Congress will launch a campaign to collect 10 lakh signatures from people supporting the demand for Kejriwals resignation.
A frail and old Kamal Hussain, dressed in a lungi and shirt, takes up position outside a Rohingya refugee settlement in Narwal locality as the clock strikes 10pm.

He, along with three men, will stand guard the whole night at different positions around the settlement comprising 80-odd shanties to stop any arson.

For the past several weeks, it has been the nightly routine for Hussain and his community members who have found refuge in Jammu after having fled persecution and violence in their native land of predominantly Buddhist Myanmar.

But violence seems to have followed them and the Rohingya refugees are forced to be on their toes.

Ties with their new neighbours have been testy even at the best of times, but the situation has taken a turn for the worse in recent months with calls growing for them to quit Jammu.

In February, posters put up by the Jammu and Kashmir Panthers Party demanding their immediate deportation were plastered on walls.

Let all Jammuites unite to save the history, culture and identity of Dogras, the posters exhorted.

Muslims by faith, the Rohingya refugees routinely raise suspicion in the Hindu-dominated town and were shaken after a prominent office-bearer of the local Chamber of Commerce and Industry called for them to be identified and killed in April.

Jammu, India -May 06,2017:Rohingya Muslim children study at a madrasa run by Rohingya refugees. (Waseem Andrabi/HT Photo)

A string of suspicious mysterious fires at the Rohingya settlement over the past few months have further heightened the tensions. The police hinted at electrical short-circuit but the refugees suspect sabotage.

Continuing turmoil in the Kashmir Valley has inflamed religious tensions in Jammu and Rohingya refugees are bearing the brunt of it.

Described by the United Nations as the worlds most persecuted minority, the refugees find themselves under siege in their new home.

Senior residents of our settlement had chosen four men as guards and we have started guarding our settlement. We got scared after some of our huts caught mysterious fire and locals started protesting against us, Hussain said.

Mohammad Araf, 23, who is keeping Hussain company for the night, is equally suspicious of his current surroundings. Perhaps we wont be able to catch the arsonists, but we may alert the residents on time and save them, he said.

Araf had arrived in Jammu in 2009. According to the United Nations refugee agency (UNHCR), there are around 14,000 Rohingya refugees registered with them in India out of which 7,000 are in Jammu.

Last month, media reports quoted anonymous home ministry officials saying that the central government was considering pushing for identification and possible deportation of the Rohingya from J&K.

Khifayatulla Arkani, a Rohingya refugee who teaches at a madarsa in one of the settlements, explained the predicament of his community. We have been living in Jammu for years now. But now suddenly, these radical voices against us have started pouring in. We were feeling safe here, but suddenly our world has turned upside down, he said.

Under fire for being illegal and being part of a conspiracy to reduce the dominant Hindu Dogra community to a minority status, the refugees feel they are being targeted for their religion.

Several of them said they were not illegal and were registered with the UNHCR and have

refugee cards that allow them to take refuge in any part of the country.

After a series of interviews in which we gave details about our lives and sufferings, and following multiple verifications of the same, we were given the Refugee Card from the UNHCRs Delhi office, Arkani said. Yet, he feels their current refuge has failed to give them the security that they sought while fleeing their home

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A group of militants appeared at Sundays funeral of a slain insurgent, Fayaz Ahmed alias Setha of south Kashmirs Kulgam district, and fired a volley of bullets in the air as a form of gun salute.

Militants had come to funerals of slain comrades in the past. But the latest incident followed Thursdays anti-insurgency search with around 4,000 troops, helicopters and drones in south Kashmirs Shopian district  the biggest combing mission against militants for more than a decade.

Ahmed of Qaimoh was among the militants that attacked a police convoy in Kulgam on Saturday evening, which also left three civilians and a policeman dead.

Photos of his funeral, which were shared extensively on social media, show at least four militants in a crowd of mourners and firing their automatic weapons.

An officer said police were trying to identify the militants.

According to south Kashmir deputy inspector general of police, SP Pani, the incident is being investigated.

The slain militant was wanted by the countrys counter-terrorism National Investigation Agency (NIA) and carried a reward of Rs 2 lakh on his head. His name cropped up after the August 2015 Udhampur attack in which two BSF troopers and a militant were killed.

Another funeral was held in Kulgam on Sunday  that of 38-year-old J&K police constable Mehmood Ahmad Sheikh, who died bravely fighting the militants the previous evening even after being hit by a spray of bullets.

DIG Pani was among a large group of people from Pariwan village, which has a population of about 2,000, as well as those from adjoining areas who came to pay respect to the brave constable.

Sheikh was part of a police convoy that was on its way to the Mir Bazar area to clear traffic after a road accident on the national highway. The squad was ambushed by at least four militants, but the policemen retaliated and killed a militant and captured another.

As the militants fired indiscriminately, civilians on the road got trapped too. Mehmood and his colleagues fought bravely. Their presence of mind and acumen saved a lot of lives, though Mehmood and three innocent civilians fell to militant bullets, a senior officer said.

Sheikh is survived by his wife and two sons  the elder is 12, and the younger is barely eight months.

He was promoted from special police officer (SPO) in May 2016 to full-time constable in the force because of his operational capabilities. He showed exemplary courage and presence of mind during the ambush, as he snatched a pistol from a militant and killed him and wounded another.

The SPOs are hired in the troubled state to assist the regular police force.

(With agency inputs)

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The death toll in an attack in the Kashmir Valley by militants rose to five after an injured civilian succumbed to his injuries on Sunday, a police official said.

The Saturday attack had also left a policeman, two other civilians and a militant dead in Mir Bazar area of the Jammu-Srinagar highway in Kulgam district.

A police party had gone to investigate a road accident when militants travelling in a car opened fire at them, a police official said.

The police retaliated in which LeT militant Fayaz Ahmad was killed and another was injured.

According to the official, Ahmad was involved in the Udhampur highway attack on a Border Security Forces convoy in August 2015 that left two BSF troopers and a militant dead.

He said the injured militant managed to escape and searches were on to trace him.

Ahmad was wanted by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) and a reward of Rs 2 lakh had been announced for his capture.
A minor girl was stabbed to death after she resisted rape at Charpokhari block in Bhojpur district, 80 kms south-west of Patna on Saturday evening.

The victims cousin, a 22-year old youth, has been detained. Police believe that the cousin, who came to the house in an inebriated condition, tried to force himself on the minor. When she resisted, he reportedly stabbed her around the neck with scissors. The girl, who bled profusely, succumbed to her injuries.

The victims elder sister, also a minor, lodged an FIR with the local police on Sunday. Police suspected the reason behind lodging of FIR against unknown persons due to family pressure.

The minor, a student of class 4 at a government school, and her sister, 16, used to stay at the house of their uncle, who is a president of the primary agricultural credit society (PACS). The incident took place when the girl was alone in her room on Saturday evening, the police added.

The police have pressed charges against the accused under the states stringent prohibition laws, which provides for imprisonment up to 10 years for boozing, possessing or dealing in alcohol.
Three workers of IISCO steel plant in Burnpur in West Bengal died after molten metal fell on them early on Saturday morning.

Sanwar Sheikh, 29, and Asish Sikka, 30, were killed on the spot when the molten metal fell on them from a height of about 60 feet.

Of the four critically injured, Shankar Nag, 30, succumbed to injuries in a private hospital in Durgapur on Saturday night. He had been brought to the hospital with almost 90% burns.

Three more are undergoing treatment, of which two are still in critical condition. Three other workers who suffered minor injuries were discharged after preliminary treatment.

The incident occurred at around 4 am while the labourers were working at the steel melting shop of the plant, police said. The crucible in which the molten metal was being transported in the shop floor tilted and fell on the victims who were working below.

We have instituted a high level inquiry to find out how the disaster happened and how such accidents could be avoided in future. We will not compromise on safety issues at all, a spokesperson of SAIL that owns the steel plant told the media.

The management would extend all support to the affected persons and their families, the company said.

Iron melts at around 1,600 degrees Celsius and there was no chance of saving Sheikh and Sikka.

About 25-30 tonne metal fell from a height exceeding 60 feet, Sukanta Chatterjee, a worker of the plant told the media.

We have told the management to find out how this horrible incident could take place. If hot metal is transported, below which people are working, accidents could take place at any time, said Harjit Singh, the leader of the workers union affiliated to INTUC.

Workers staged a brief demonstration on Saturday morning demanding adequate safety measures in the plant.

Established in 1918, it is one of the earliest integrated steel plants of the country. It was taken over by SAIL on February 16, 2006.

(With inputs from PTI)
Bihar and Rajasthan Police arrested nine people across Patna, Jaipur and New Delhi on Sunday for trying to leak the question paper of the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) for admission to medical, dental, AYUSH and veterinary colleges.

Five of those arrests were made in Patna even as Bihar is yet to recover from the toppers scam that hit the headlines last year.

The accused were nabbed from a van carrying question papers for Christ Church School centre. They were intercepted while trying unsuccessfully to take out the question papers from a metal box. The question papers for the centre were being brought from a Canara Bank branch at Exhibition Road, 2 km away from the centre.

On a tip off that the van carrying question papers was moving to different locations rather than going to the centre, police acted quickly and followed the vehicle.

We got information that the van was moving around rather than going to Christ Church School examination centre. Later, the van stopped near Kendriya Vidyalaya, Kankarbagh. Someone noticed torch lights flashing within the vans dark interiors, indicating that photos of the question papers were being clicked. They, however, could not succeed as our team reached there and arrested three men along with the driver, said SSP Manu Maharaaj.

The accused include a second year medical student of Patna Medical College and Hospital, Shiv Kumar who hails from Sahpur, Nalanda, a student of Nalanda Medical College and Hospital, Shivam Mandal (Khagaul, Patna), law student Avinash Roshan, driver Sanjay Yadav and Christ Church School centre superintendent Avinash Chandra Dubey. However, the kingpin is yet to be arrested.

Police also seized mobile phones and various equipments from them.

It is a great achievement of Patna police. We were successful in stopping the crime before it could take place. We will catch the kingpin also very soon, the SSP said.

In Jaipur, the Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) of the Rajasthan police arrested two persons of a gang that allegedly took money from candidates for leaking the NEET question paper. Two others of the gang were arrested in New Delhi.

Senior ATS officials said the arrested men were under scanner for the last 15 days. However, the question paper they were purportedly selling didnt match with the one that came in the exam on Sunday.

The arrested men had taken money from candidates and promised them to leak the question paper of NEET. One of our teams had gone to Delhi and another one was in Jaipur, keeping a watch on the accused, superintendent of police (ATS) Vikas Kumar told HT.

He said two men were arrested from Delhi and two from Rajasthan. The men have been identified as Vikram Singh, Bhupendra Sharma, Ashok Gupta and Rahul. Singh and Rahul are from Bihar; Ashok Gupta is a resident of Delhi. Sharma is a government employee in Jaipur.

Officials said the ATS also questioned 11 candidates who had paid money to the gang.

Last night, our teams simultaneously raided the facilities in Delhi and Jaipur where the gang members were preparing the candidates based on a question paper, which they claimed to be for the exam, said Kumar.

He added that the gang had taken approximately Rs 5 lakh each from the candidates, who are from several states.

After detaining the gang members, our teams accompanied the candidates to the exam centres in the morning. When we tallied the actual question paper of the exam with the one the gang had claimed to have leaked, we found them different, said Kumar.

Senior ATS officials said the four arrested men were being interrogated to ascertain their role in previous such scams.

We have booked all four accused for cheating and further details are expected to come up once the investigation progresses, said Kumar.

Over 11 lakh MBBS and BDS aspirants today appeared for NEET examination at over 1,900 centres in 103 cities across the country.
A modest amount of Rs 2.10 crore has been donated by the people through an online portal launched by the home ministry to help families of paramilitary personnel who laid down their lives fighting extremists.

Rs 60 lakh of the said amount has been received for 25 personnel who were massacred by the Maoists at Sukma in Chhattisgarh on April 24.

Following armed forces are among the major forces included in the Bharat Ke Veer Portal for contribution Border Security Force (BSF) Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) Indo - Tibetan Border Police Force (ITBP) Assam Rifles (AR) National Disaster Response Force (NDRF - India) National Security Guards (NSG) Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB).

Encouraging response to #BharatKeVeer website. Within a month, the portal has received more than Rs 2 crore for helping martyrs families, home minister Rajnath Singh tweeted.

The app and the website BharatKeVeer was launched last month by Singh along with Bollywood actor Akshay Kumar, who mooted the idea.

General public can visit the portal and make the contribution to support the families of those jawans who died in the line of duty.

Encouraging response to #BharatKeVeer website. Within a month, the portal has received more than Rs 2 crores for helping martyrs' families. pic.twitter.com/bcDnLZ9nSo  Rajnath Singh (@rajnathsingh) May 7, 2017

The monetary contributions made on the website go straight into the bank account of martyred soldiers family, the home minister said.

The monetary contributions made on https://t.co/P0bMWQ9gJo go straight into the bank account of martyred soldier's family.  Rajnath Singh (@rajnathsingh) May 7, 2017

Attending the launch of the app and the website, actor Akshay Kumar had lauded the Union home ministry for making his dream come true and providing a platform for everyone to help the next of the kin of slain soldiers financially.

This website has been made exactly in two-and-a-half months. About three months ago, this idea came in my mind, while watching a documentary film on terrorists, which showed how terror leaders financially support the families of the terrorist who carry out terror acts. Akshay had said at the inauguration.

As many as 2.60 crore people have visited the site so far.

In the baratkeveer.gov.in or Bharat Ke Veer portal, the general public can make donations online to the families of martyrs and soldiers of security forces.

The web portal and app has been launched by the Union home minister to pay homage to the paramilitary and security personnel who have laid down their lives in order to protect their country and citizens.

The main objective of the Bharat Ke Veer portal is to enable general public help the families of martyrs by donating money online directly to the individual jawans account or to Bharat Ke Veer corpus.
Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) will suspend its flight between Karachi and Mumbai from Monday due to commercial considerations, a senior airline official has said.

PIA operated two flights in a week  on Monday and Thursday  between Karachi and Mumbai.

However, the PIAs Lahore-Delhi flight operation will continue as traffic volume on this route is satisfactory, the PIA official told PTI.

The suspension of Karachi-Mumbai route may add traffic to Lahore-Delhi route, he said.

There will be no PIA flight between Karachi to Mumbai and Mumbai to Karachi from May 8. The PIA has stopped booking for flights on this route, the official said.

The PIA management has decided to suspend the flight on the Karachi-Mumbai route because of extremely low traffic (on the route).

Since we have been bearing financial loss on this route for the last six months or so, we have arrived at a decision to suspend this route, the official said, adding that unless a special subsidy is not given by the government on this route, it may not be restored in the near future.

The move comes amid a strain in Indo-Pak ties following the beheading of two Indian soldiers by the Pakistan military in Jammu and Kashmir.

The PIA administration, however, dismissed media reports that the Karachi-Mumbai operation is being suspended due to tense relations between India and Pakistan.

The reasons behind the move are purely commercial, PIA spokesperson Danyal Gillani said.

The proposal to suspend the Karachi-Mumbai flight may have been made for commercial purposes, but deteriorating ties indirectly have affected traffic on the route.

PIA was a profit making entity and earned more than Rs 2 billion in 2004 but after that it went into deficit and could not recover.

Since 2013, when the current Nawaz Sharif government took over, the carrier has suffered more than Rs 100 billion in losses, according to officials.
At least one incident of ceasefire violation by Pakistan took place daily along the LoC in Jammu and Kashmir in 2015 and 2016 in which 23 security personnel lost their lives, the home ministry has said in an RTI reply.

As many as 1,142 terror incidents were reported in the state between 2012 and 2016 in which 236 security personnel and 90 civilians were killed, it said in reply to an RTI query filed by a PTI Bhasha correspondent.

In the same period, 507 terrorists were killed in encounters, it said.

According to the reply, Pakistan breached the truce along the Line of Control 449 times in 2016 as compared to 405 violations in 2015. 23 security personnel were killed in the two-year period.

Compared to 220 terror incidents in Jammu and Kashmir in 2012, there were 322 incidents in 2016 in which 82 security personnel and 15 civilians were killed, the ministry said.

It said in 2015, 39 security personnel and 17 civilians were killed in 208 terror incidents, while 108 terrorists were killed in encounters.

While 47 security personnel and 28 civilians were killed in the state, 110 terrorists were killed in encounters in 2014, the reply said.

In 2013, 53 security personnel and 15 civilians were killed in 170 terror incidents in J&K. Security forces killed 67 terrorists in encounters that year, as per the ministry.

In 2012, 15 security personnel and as many civilians were killed in 220 terror incidents, and 72 terrorists were killed in encounters, it said.

Pakistan claims Indian LoC firing injures 4 civilians

Pakistan on Sunday claimed that its four civilians were injured in cross-LoC firing by Indian forces.

The Pakistan Army alleged that the Indian troops on Saturday resorted to firing in Nakiyal sector at the Line of Control in violation of the ceasefire agreement.

Indian troops committed ceasefire violation and targeted civilians with mortars in village Thruti. Four civilians were injured, a spokesman of the army said.

The injured included two women, a 12-year-old boy and a man, the spokesman said. Pakistani troops effectively responded to silent Indian firing, the spokesman said.
A Pakistani man has accused the Indian High Commission in Islamabad of detaining his newly-wed Indian wife after they went there to apply for his visa, media reports said on Sunday.

However, the Pakistan foreign office refuted the claims and said the woman approached them asking to be repatriated to India as she learnt that her husband was already married and had four children.

Uzma, who hails from New Delhi, and Tahir met in Malaysia and fell in love with each other after which she travelled to Pakistan on May 1 via the Wagah border. The two contracted nikkah (marriage) on May 3.

According to Tahir, they visited the High Commission building and submitted visa forms as well as their phones to the officials. Uzma then went inside on being called by the officials while he stayed back, reports said.

When his wife did not return after several hours, Tahir enquired about her from officials, who claimed she was not there. Tahir alleged that the officials also refused to give their three mobile phones back to him.

Pakistan Foreign Office statement on Indian woman married to Pakistani man @htTweets pic.twitter.com/UdX4fXkNId  Rezaul Hasan Laskar (@Rezhasan) May 7, 2017

Tahir said he had filed a First Information Report (FIR) in the secretariat police station.

The Indian High Commission, however, claimed that Uzma has been staying there on her own will.

They said they had told her husband to visit the High Commission on Monday to meet his wife and get the visa as well, it said.

According to sources, the high commission is providing necessary consular assistance to the woman and is in touch with the Pakistan Foreign Office and the womans family in India.

Earlier an Indian High Commission official when enquired about the alleged detention told PTI, Please check with JSXP (external affairs ministry spokesman) in Delhi.

The matter has also been taken up at the diplomatic level by Pakistan, the reports said.
After being in the cold storage for more than a year, the Narendra Modi governments land bill is possibly coming back in the reckoning.

The parliamentary joint panel, which is reviewing the legislation, will meet to debate the social impact assessment (SIA), one of the biggest bones of contention between the government and the Opposition.

It is very much in the agenda. The government has never decided to withdraw the bill despite the fierce criticisms against it, said a member of the joint committee on land bill.

Read: Will allow land bill to lapse: PM Modi on Mann Ki Baat

The NDA government will not re-promulgate the proposed land ordinance, but will include 13 points to reform the land acquisition

In the UPA-era law, every acquisition, regardless of size, would go through a social impact assessment. The assessment was aimed to determine the possible impact and benefits of the acquisition not just on the land owners but other people living nearby.

The SIA forms the basis for the compensation.

After coming to power, the NDA offered exemptions to five types of projects from this social impact assessment and also virtually took away the farmers right to refusal to sell land for government projects.

This will be the second meeting of the land panel, headed now by BJP MP Ganesh Singh, in this year.

Ironically, both meetings have happened after the Uttar Pradesh assembly election in which the BJP swept the state and Yogi Adityanath became the chief minister.

In 2016, only two meetings were held in the entire year in a clear indication that the political leadership was not in a hurry to debate the contentious bill.

The panel has now started seeking comments from the states on the specific provision of the social impact assessment. Earlier, many states had identified the SIA as the single biggest roadblock to faster acquisition.

Read: Lok Sabha grants another extension to Committee on Land Acquisition Bill

The panel has called the Congress-ruled Karnataka government and Delhi Development Authority (DDA), controlled by the Centre, to depose on the SIA.

The UPA era bill was drastically altered in 2014, December followed by two subsequent ordinances in 2015. But as the Bihar election approached, Prime Minister Narendra Modi declared in the Mann ki Baat that the government will not push any more ordinances on the bill.

The UPAs land act was seen by critics as heavily loaded in the favour of the farmers while the NDAs proposed amendments were touted as pro-corporate. The BJP had even failed to convince its own allies and affiliated organisations like the Bhartiya Kisan Sangh and Bhartiya Mazdoor Sangh.

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The Patna University (PU), which dates back to the British Raj, has decided to revive for its students over 30 pre-Independence scholarships, varying from Rs 2-15 monthly.

These scholarships, awards and fellowships were donated by rajas (kings) of erstwhile princely estates, landlords and academicians, to help poor and meritorious students.

Around 15 such endowment funds are defunct at the Patna College, and others at the Patna Science College, the BN College and other university departments.

Among some important scholarships, which are dead for over 40 years in Patna College are the John Ambulance Association scholarship, Wilson memorial prize, Russel memorial fund, Durgawati memorial fund, RN memorial prize, AC Pandey scholarship, Deo Dutt Tripathi scholarship, Basawan Singh Chhattavritti and the Syed Kaji Raza Hussain Jayanti Chhatravritti.

The amount of these scholarships varied from Rs 2 to Rs 15 per month and those sponsoring them had deposited the endowment funds with post offices. While some donors offered Rs 2,000 to Rs 5,000 as endowment, others came up with larger amounts of Rs 1 lakh, said PU sources.

Though the initial scholarship amount may appear too low today, the university is mulling to enhance the amount after updating accounts with interest accrued over these years, said Randhir Kumar Singh, head of the sociology department of Patna College and president of the PU Teachers Association.

These are like heritage funds and must be protected and utilised properly, he added.

Some of these scholarships were meant exclusively for students of a particular caste or community, while others were specific to toppers in different subjects and classes.

Prof Rash Bihari Singh, vice-chancellor of Patna University. (HT photo)

Prof Rash Bihari Singh, who was appointed as the PU new vice-chancellor (V-C) on April 29, has directed his officials to trace all old endowment funds, their bank accounts and donor details so that they could be revived. Among them was the scholarship, sponsored by eminent administrator and educationist Sir Ganesh Dutt in early 1930s.

Dutt had donated liberally to set up new departments at the Patna Medical College and the Darbhanga Medical College. He had even donated his house - Krishna Kunj - to the PU. The Institute of Psychological Research and Service is presently housed there.

Talking to HT, Prof Singh said, Principals of all PU colleges, heads of postgraduate (PG) departments and dean of students welfare have been tasked to trace out all such old endowment funds. Many scholarships have been discontinued due to lack of records.

The V-C said he would also ask colleges and university departments to digitise records and old awards, mostly of pre-Independence era, as they were like heritage funds.

Established in 1917, the Patna University, with 30 departments, is the seventh oldest university of the Indian subcontinent. Ten colleges are affiliated into this university.
Cash transactions are back in vogue despite the governments push for a less-cash economy post-demonetisation, Reserve Bank of India (RBI) data on ATM cash withdrawals indicate.

Withdrawals from ATMs in March this year stood at 2,259 billion  0.6% more than what people withdrew in the same month last year. This rate of growth is much lower than that in the corresponding period in the previous year an increase of 11.4% for March 2016 as compared to March 2015.

But this could be attributed to many ATMs being reported either dysfunctional or short of cash even four months after Prime Minister Narendra Modis November 8 announcement to recall the old Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes. Besides, it was only on March 13 that the RBI lifted all cash withdrawal limits.

March trends show that people are getting back to their old habit of using cash and the withdrawals have touched the same level despite restrictions and inadequate cash supply, economist Nirupama Soundararajan of Pahle India Foundation told HT. In December 2016, when there were many restrictions in place, only Rs 849 billion was withdrawn.

When contacted, minister of state for finance, SS Gangwar refused to comment on the issue. Other top officials of the ministry, too, did not respond.

The country was not fully prepared for moving towards digitisation through disruption and now data seem to suggest that people may be getting back to hoarding cash for emergency situations, the same way as during the pre-demonetisation period, Ashvin Parekh, managing partner, APA Services, said.

As a result of demonetisation, Rs 15.4 trillion was sucked out of the system. While the central bank hasnt yet revealed how much of that has returned to the banking system, many of the countrys 220,000 ATMs are yet to return to their normal level. There is a shortage of cash and now demand for cash is almost back to what it was during the pre-demonetisation period. Only 60% replenishment is possible with the current cash supply, NSG Rao, secretary of Cash Logistics Association, told HT.

Post-demonetisation, the Modi government laid thrust on moving towards a less-cash economy, promoting e-wallets and even announcing cash awards for both consumers and merchants adopting digital payment modes.

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Jammu and Kashmir will be back on track soon as the security forces are now acting more professionally with a larger degree of freedom, Union minister Jitendra Singh said on Sunday.

Tension prevailed in the Valley as six policemen died in militant attack in South Kashmir in the first week of May. Six civilians also lost their lives during the same period amid stone pelting by students.

By the next couple of weeks, Jammu and Kashmir would be back on track. There have been such (disturbing) incidents in the past one or two days. But there is a noticeable difference ...the paramilitary forces are now acting more professionally with larger degree of freedom, Singh told reporters here.

The MoS, who is on a two-day visit to Jammu region, said, I am sure that sooner rather than later, things will return to normalcy and the state will start moving ahead like the rest of the country.

The BJP leader also condemned Pakistan for unleashing the most inhuman oppression on the people of the Gilgit- Baltistan region.

The manner in which Pakistan is seeking to suppress its own subjects is also an eye-opener for the entire world, and clearly establishes that Pakistan has emerged as the gravest form of human rights violator in this part of the globe, particularly in the Indian sub-continent, he said.

Singh said the suppression of people was not limited to places like Gilgit-Baltistan and PoK, which are under Pakistans illegal control, but also witnessed in its legally occupied territories like Balochistan.

Indias concerns emanate not only from the human point of view. When the neighbourhood is on fire, it is the responsibility of our government and its security agencies to ensure that these developments do not have a negative ramification in the region, the minister added.
The government is working on a plan to turn seized benami property into offices or let them out for residential purpose, a move officials said was part of Prime Minister Narendra Modis crackdown on black money and corruption.

Union housing and urban poverty alleviation secretary Nandita Chatterjee met revenue secretary Hasmukh Adhia last month to discuss ways to monetise seized properties, especially for public purpose. The discussions centred around how such properties could be used for providing rental housing and hostels for working men and women, officials told HT.

Since Parliaments approval of the Benami Transactions (Prohibition) Amendment Bill last year, the Modi-led NDA government has launched an all-out war on properties acquired in the name of someone else. Such deals are believed to form a large chunk of the countrys black money.

In one of his weekly radio address, Mann Ki Baat, last year, Modi said the governnment will soon implement the benami transaction law to target other forms of illegally accumulated wealth.

A roadmap will be drawn depending on the need and location of the (seized) place. Monetisation of these assets cannot have a one-size-fits-all formula, a senior finance ministry official said.

A house in the middle of the mall or an office area will have to be put to use in a different manner from another one which is located in a residential area or agriculture land. Some properties could also be put to auction.

Monetising benami properties for providing affordable housing was also one of the recommendations made by a group of secretaries on health, sanitation and urban development.

Using seized illegal properties for public purpose is not a new idea.

In 2011, the Bihar government led by chief minister Nitish Kumar, confiscated a palatial bungalow of a senior IAS officer in Patna and converted it into a primary school. It also opened a residential school in a house seized from a clerk at Patna. Both the schools are for students from backward communities. Since then, a couple of more such properties have been seized and are being used for public purpose.

However, experts said auctioning or monetising a benami property could be a long-drawn process.

This (monetisation) is likely to lead to multiple litigations...litigations will be dynamic depending on property to property. Besides, valuation of the same will also be a crucial part of the process, said Manoj Kumar, a legal expert and managing partner of Hammurabi and Solomon, a top legal firm.

The government last year pulled out Rs 500 and Rs 1000 banknotes in what Modi described as a surgical strike on illicit cash and counterfeiting. Since then, the government has been aggressively pushing for electronic transactions.

Benami properties are largely cash-only deals to escape the tax net.
MUZAFFARPUR Two youths of Brahmapura village in Muzaffarpur district, 70 kms north of Patna, were arrested late on Saturday evening in connection with the recent gang rape of a minor girl of New Delhi.

Senior superintendent of police, Muzaffarpur, Vivek Kumar, said the duo was studying in Delhi and preparing for engineering competitive examination. The arrested youths have been identified as Akash Kumar, 19, and Shivam, 18, both from Muzaffarpur.

Akashs father is a priest and Shivams dad a businessman, who deals in wholesale vegetables.

A Delhi Police team assisted the district police in arresting the youths. The two were tracked down and arrested on the basis of their cellphone location, the SSP said.

We got details of the accused from the three-member Delhi police team. After completing legal formalities, we have handed over the two youths to the Delhi Police team, which will take them to Delhi on transit remand, the SSP added.

A member of the Delhi Police team said the youths were named accused in an FIR lodged by the victims mother at the Shakarpur police station, east Delhi, on May 3.

The accused were neighbours of the victim and had reportedly called her to their room, where they and one more youth raped her. We got the cellnumbers of the accused from their roommate. On the basis of their mobile location, we followed them to Muzaffarpur and arrested the youths, added the cop.
Two soldiers of the Indian Armys 14 EME wing drowned in Tawi Riverin Udhampur district of Jammu and Kashmir on Saturday.

Following a search operation by the army, their bodies were recovered on Sunday.

They had gone to take a bath in the river when they drowned, the police said.

They were bathing at the Kawa village near Udhampur Air Force Station, when strong currents swept them away.

The two have been identified as Sepoy Vinod Singh Gujjar, a resident of Jaipur, and Havaldar Anshul Kumar, a resident of Gwalior.
Principal secretary (home) Debasish Panda and UP director-general of police Sulkhan Singh on Sunday instructed officials to initiate stern action against those behind the caste violence at Shabbirpur village in Saharanpur on Friday.

Angry Thakurs had set fire to at least 15 houses belonging to Dalits after the death of a Thakur youth, Sumit Rana, in brick-batting.

Police arrested 17 rioters on Saturday night and raids are still underway to arrest other suspects.

Panda and Singh arrived in Saharanpur on Sunday for a division level review meeting. The district magistrates, senior superintendents of police and other officials of Saharanpur, Muzaffarnagar and Shamli districts briefed the duo about the law and order situation in the area.

The principal secretary (home) and the DGP also reviewed the Shabbirpur violence and tried to figure out the lapses on part of the administration and the police. They discussed possible preventive measures to stop the recurrence of such incidents. The officials appreciated the way Saharanpur DM NP Singh and SSP Subhash Chand Dubey had dealt with and controlled the situation.

The SSP and the DM said they had decided to take the help of influential members of different communities to prevent such clashes and control crime.

Soon, influential and respected people of different villages, blocks, towns and cities will be roped in. This will help spread harmony and brotherhood among members of different castes and communities, the SSP told HT

The district has witnessed caste clashes over the past month. In another recent incident, members of two communities clashed in village Doodhli during an Ambedkar Jayanti procession. Later, an angry crowd, led by BJP MP and MLAs barged into the residence of the then Saharanpur SSP, Luv Kumar, and damaged his name plate and the CCTVs installed there.

Cases were registered against BJP leaders and others who were a part of the mob, and Kumar was transferred to Noida.

On Saturday, Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) president Mayawati expressed concern over the clash and accused the Yogi Adityanath government of saffron appeasement.
Four unidentified motorcycle-borne assailants opened fire at a woman in the parking area of a posh hotel in the capital citys Krishna Nagar area on Saturday night, police said.

The 32-year-old victim has been identified as Monica, wife of a local businessman.

A security guard of the Sky Hilton hotel, who tried to rescue the woman, also sustained bullet injuries.

Monica suffered bullet wounds on her neck while guard Shailendra Tiwari was hit in his right hand. The duo was rushed to King Georges Medical University (KGMU)s trauma centre where the womans condition was stated to be critical.

The initial probe revealed that Monica, who is the second wife of Deoria-based businessman Sanjay Kedia, was coming out of the hotel after dinner around 9pm when she was attacked.

In her statement she claimed her estranged husband could be behind the attack, senior superintendent of police (SSP) Deepak Kumar said.

Monica stays in the citys Vijay Nagar locality while Kedia and his first wife stay in Deoria.

The woman told police that Kedia married her around a year ago by concealing information about his first marriage.

But she got separated from him soon after coming to know about his first wife.

The security guard told cops that four assailants riding on two bikes opened fired at the woman when she reached near her Honda City car in the parking area outside the hotel.

At least four bullets hit the womans car as she tried to hide herself behind the vehicle. One bullet hit her on the neck.

The assailants fled towards Kanpur.

The SSP said forensic experts and electronic surveillance teams were called to the spot and the police was trying to retrieve the video footage of CCTV cameras installed at the hotel entrance.

Efforts are also on to track the womans husband, said the SSP.
Six children were killed and 21 people sustained injuries when the tractor trolley in which they were going to a marriage ceremony overturned in Rajasthans Sawai Madhopur district on Saturday night.

Additional superintendent of police of Sawai Madhopur Dashrath Singh said many residents, including children, of Daulatpur village were on their way to attend a mass marriage programme of Bairwa community at Khanpur village, when the trolley overturned near Kushalipura village.

The police official said the trolley turned turtle after driver lost control of the vehicle.

The injured were rushed to the Sawai Madhopur district hospital. Three critically injured were later shifted to another hospital in Jaipur.

Among the injured was a groom, Vijay Bairwa.

Bodies were handed over to their families after postmortem on Sunday.

The deceased have been identified as Priyanka (15), Shiwani (8) Hashina (5) Vishakha (3) Bhavna (8),Manish (12).
The Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) of the Rajasthan police arrested on Sunday four people of a gang that allegedly took money from candidates for leaking the question paper of the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET), conducted for admission to medical, dental, AYUSH and veterinary colleges.

Senior ATS officials said the arrested men were under scanner for the last 15 days. However, the question paper they were purportedly selling didnt match with the one that came in the exam on Sunday.

The arrested men had taken money from candidates and promised them to leak the question paper of NEET. One of our teams had gone to Delhi and another one was in Jaipur, keeping a watch on the accused, superintendent of police (ATS) Vikas Kumar told HT.

He said two men were arrested from Delhi and two from Rajasthan. The men have been identified as Vikram Singh, Bhupendra Sharma, Ashok Gupta and Rahul. Singh and Rahul are from Bihar; Ashok Gupta is a resident of Delhi. Sharma is a government employee in Jaipur.

Officials said 11 candidates, who had paid money to the gang, were also questioned by the agency.

Last night, our teams simultaneously raided the facilities in Delhi and Jaipur where the gang members were preparing the candidates based on a question paper, which they claimed to be for the exam, said Kumar.

He added that the gang had taken approximately 5 lakh each from the candidates, who are from several states.

After detaining the gang members, our teams accompanied the candidates to the exam centres in the morning. When we tallied the actual question paper of the exam with the one the gang had claimed to have leaked, we found them different, said Kumar.

Senior ATS officials said the four arrested men were being interrogated to ascertain their role in previous such scams.

We have booked all four accused for cheating and further details are expected to come up once the investigation progresses, said Kumar.
Hyderabad Police showed the way in September 2016 and Kolkata Police followed it this year.

Soon after the car crash in south Kolkata that killed model- turned- actress Sonika Singh Chauhan and left actor, Vikram Chatterjee, who was at the wheel, severely injured, Kolkata Police has instructed all pubs and nightclubs in the city to maintain breathalysers.

At a meeting with owners of 30 city- based bars and nightclubs on Saturday, the additional commissioner (I) of city police, Vineet Goyela, instructed them to maintain breath analysers.

We have instructed bar authorities to ensure that anyone drinking beyond the permissible driving limit, is not allowed to occupy drivers seat. They have been asked to hire a pool of drivers to drive the drunk customers back home. If the car owner concerned does not allow any driver to occupy the drivers seat, the bar authorities will arrange a cab for the customer concerned and in the mean time, his vehicle will be custody of bar or nightclub authorities, a Kolkata Police official present at the meeting said.

Owners have to complete the process within a fortnight. However, the police official said, that system will be applicable between 11 PM to 2 AM, and hence only bars and nightclubs with extended bar license facilities will have to comply.
The mood in a small lane near Markaz Masjid, where 21-year-old Gulista grew up, was sombre on Sunday. Scores of locals burst into tears as her body covered in a white shroud arrived in an ambulance from Safdarjung Hospital in Delhi. Gulista, who was about to be married in May, battled severe burn injuries for 45 days after she was subjected to a brutal acid attack on the night of March 21.

Fourth among six siblings, Gulista got engaged to Danish, who hails from Khurja.

File photo of Gulista. (HT Photo)

Around 3am on March 21, an unidentified attacker barged into the house of Jameel Qureshi and poured nearly one litre of acid over his daughter in sleep. Gulista was rushed to Safdarjung Hospital where she died on Sunday morning.

She was showing signs of recovery but for the past two days she was silent and did not talk. We were suspicious that something wrong had happened. Sunday morning, she left us. Often, she enquired about everyone at home and told us that she would recover and go back home, Qureshi said.

Read | Ahead of her wedding, 21-yr-old battles for life after acid attack in Ghaziabad

But before she succumbed and lost vision, she got her attacker arrested by recognising his voice when he visited the hospital. Gulista heard Shahrukhs voice while he was talking to her mother. Gulista immediately informed her mother about it.

The victim had severed ties with Shahrukh about a year ago. The man had threatened to deface Gulista then.

Shahrukh told Gulistas mother that he had a soft corner for her daughter and could not hold himself from meeting her. He anticipated that she may not survive. She suffered nearly 50% burns and her eyes were also affected. However, when he went to the hospital abruptly and spoke to her family, she recognised his voice. The police later tracked and arrested him, former SP (city), Salmantaj Patil, had said after Shahrukh was arrested on April 5.

Read | Gulista acid attack: Ghaziabad woman still critical, cops clueless

Shahrukh hails from Dadri in Greater Noida and kept following Gulista even after she broke ties with him. On the night of the incident, he allegedly entered Qureshis house from the backyard of an under-construction house adjacent to the victims home and poured concentrated acid over her while she was asleep.

Read | Gulista acid attack: Ghaziabad police says case will be solved soon

Most parts of her body got burnt but she was more concerned about the recovery of her eyes. Her vision almost got impaired after the acid attack. We suspect that she suffered some infection in the head. The other parts of the body got severely burnt too. The doctors at the hospital did their best. I even donated two units of blood to a person in the hope that my good deed may help my daughter recover. But she left us all, Qureshi said.

Read | Gulista acid case: Attacker arrested as victim recognises his voice at hospital

This is the second acid attack her family suffered at their ancestral house in Ghaziabad. Nearly 36 years back, Gulistas grandfather, Haji Mallu Qureshi, was similarly attacked by their tenants.

Like Gulista, he too was attacked while in sleep. A woman from our tenants family poured acid over my father at night. We had an altercation with them over the water pump in the morning. At night, my father was attacked. The woman was jailed and she also died later, he said.

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Following a search for nearly two hours on late Saturday night, after an SUV plunged into the Hindon canal, local divers and police fished out the XUV 500 and a young man, who was declared dead at a hospital.

Five men, aged 22-25 years, were travelling to Vasundhara when their car hit the canals protection wall and plunged into the deep waters, near Kanawani in Indirapuram.

The police and local divers rushed to help and rescued four persons  Ashutosh Gupta, Piyush, Dron Sharma and Divyansh, the driver of Mahindra XUV 500. The incident took place around 8pm when the five men were returning after having dinner.

Bhupesh (the fifth person) went missing and could not be located for four hours amid the deep and toxic water in the canal. Around 10.30pm, he was traced and the local divers fished him out but he was declared brought dead. A team of National Disaster Response Force was also called for the rescue but the man was tracked before they arrived, Anil Kumar Yadav, circle officer (Indirapuram), said.

The police said that no complaint was filed by the victims family in connection with the incident. Officials suspect that the SUV was driven at around 80kmph and the driver probably lost control of the vehicle on the two-lane canal road.

The XUV 500 hit the wall and plunged into the canal. The doors were opened in the incident and four persons were rescued with the help of locals and the police. Bhupesh could not be located and he probably died after getting drowned in the toxic water, Yadav said.

The car was pulled out of the water with the help of cranes deployed at the site of the incident. Teams from the fire department also arrived at the spot but failed to located Bhupesh for more than two hours.

The canal road from Vasundhara to NH-24 is an inspection road used by the irrigation department but has become a major link for commuters who wish to skip traffic on the internal roads of Indirapuram, Vasundhara and Vaishali.

Many accidents have been reported on the canal road, on which the traffic plies in both directions, due to speeding.

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A 26-year-old woman met Uttar Pradesh minister of state for food and supplies Atul Garg on Sunday and alleged that she was subjected to triple talaq by her husband over a trivial matter.

She said that her parents lived close by and she handed over to her parents one of the two packets of namkeen bought by her husband, who got infuriated over the matter, uttered talaq thrice and threw her out of his house.

The woman, her father and brother, met Atul Garg, who is also an area MLA, at his residence in Kavi Nagar and sought help in the matter. Garg held a janata darbar at his Kavi Nagar residence, where the woman arrived on Sunday morning.

She came with her family members and explained the harassment she was subjected to and about being given talaq by her husband. She also raised apprehension of an attack by her husband and his brothers if she moved court. However, we asked her to file a case in the matter and assured that the administration will provide her proper security, said Garg.

Narrating her ordeal, the woman said that she was shown the door on Saturday night along with her three-year-old son and is now staying at her parents house at Kaila Bhatta. The woman has studied only up to Class 8.

There had been frequent incidents when my husband beat me up on trivial issues. On Saturday, he had brought two packets of namkeen, out of which I gave one to my parents who live nearby. My husband got infuriated and shouted at me for having given the snacks to my parents without his permission. He beat me up and uttered talaq talaq talaq thrice and threw me and my son out of the house, the woman said.

I cannot believe how I was trifled with and given talaq. It will be a hardship for all of us now, she added.

The womans father, Mohammad Sabir, said that his son-in-law Salim has been demanding money and a house ever since he married his daughter four years back.

Earlier they stayed elsewhere and had recently been staying at a rented house near our place. He demands money to buy a house. I have no money for buying him a house. Now, my daughter has been subjected to talaq and we have no options left. We will now try to approach police if they can help, said Sabir.

Garg expressed his inability to help the woman in the matter and advised her to file a case or approach the police.

When Hindu women come to us for help in such matters, we call up police to help them out. However, we have no such way for Muslim women. I hope their religious leaders come up with some solution to sort out such issues, so that women do not face such issues, Garg added.

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The crisis in higher education and our public universities has reached a new high. There are noises that research in these institutes lacks creativity and innovation, and hence they should be mandated to provide education that is linked with the industry and commercial economy.

This crisis is attributed to the neo-liberal path of development, and therefore its imperative to go in for structural transformation. This in essence is no choice. On the other hand, we look for practical solutions, such as fee hike or vocationalisation of the varsities to meet the deficits and pay salaries to the teachers. This, of course, is a trap leading to virtually no choice.

To put it in the words of our first Prime Minister, Jawaharlal Nehru: Over-theorisation is alienating and excessive reliance on practical knowledge produces tragedies. As such, the need is to apply correctives to these rather extreme remedies. These correctives must be competent enough to moderate the opposing claims of market efficiency with those of social equity and justice.

The universities are set up through legislations. So, it is fairly clear that educational innovation and excellent standards are inextricably linked to equity of access and democratisation of the university structure. However, there have been thoughtless attempts to erode the autonomy of universities, and the grants to these institutes have been tied to a number of conditionalities.

Tied grants the bane

The universities have to raise a specific percentage of funds from their own sources to become eligible for sanctioned grants. They have to either raise the fee or start vocational courses or implement teaching and non-teaching staff ratios as prescribed by the University Grants Commission.

To tie the grants with such conditions defeats the very purpose for which universities have been created, i.e. to achieve excellence and nurture creativity and innovation.

The constitution-framers desired that higher education must play a pivotal role in social transformation. Rather than making students pay to sustain the university, it should pay and provide for the financially weaker students. This principle should continue to be the guiding policy on fees, scholarships and cost of living on the campuses. The need, therefore, is to enlarge the scope of merit-cum-means scholarships. The enlarged pool of students will lay the foundation of innovation and creativity.

To raise financial resources, universities should not be coerced into running skill-based courses rather than promoting research. The job that can be performed by IITs, ITIs or polytechnics must not be assigned to the universities. The worst-hit have been the departments of social sciences and humanities. Already, the students in social sciences opting for PhD have reduced to merely 2.3% as compared to 22% in agriculture and 11.7% in engineering.

The grants have also been tied with the teaching and non-teaching staff ratios. The Panjab University (PU) vice-chancellor has rightly pointed out that it would be difficult to bring down the ratio, as it has to cater to the requirements of the colleges in terms of affiliation, conduct of examination and other related issues.

Autonomy at stake

All these foisted conditionalities seem to have been evaluated by the single-minded obsession towards sustainability of the efficiency of financial allocations. These violate and erode the autonomy of the universities, vitiate the student-teacher relations and activise partisan pressures which stifle intellectual creativity.

The need, therefore, is to move away from the tied grants to autonomous grants.

One size doesnt fit all

Each university has its own set of problems. Attempts to standardise their functioning in terms of financial allocations are likely to prove counterproductive.

The peculiar circumstances prevailing in this region have adversely affected the functioning of PU, which was set up in Lahore in 1882. Two important accidents of history, i.e. the Partition of India in 1947, and the reorganisation of Punjab in 1966, are largely responsible for the present crisis.

Non-resolution of the conflict arising out of the reorganisation has adversely affected PUs sustainability. The Haryana government stopped funding the varsity and ordered affiliation of its colleges with its own universities. On the other hand, the Punjab government contributes merely 8% of the budget. And now the Centre has also made its grants conditional.

The debate on whether PU should be a central university or funded by the Centre or by both the Centre and state has to be located in the unresolved issues between the Centre and the states of Punjab and Haryana. For a long-term solution, it would be desirable that the PU chancellor, vice-president Hamid Ansari, takes the lead and brings all stakeholders on board.

It is fairly well known that fragmented diagnosis produces tunnel vision, which is further constrained by what Churchill had said: We will do the right things having exhausted all other possibilities.

In this context, enough damage has already been done by various misadventures, including politically partisan interventions, fee hike and legal remedies. Before it becomes irreparable, right kind of solutions may be initiated.

The tendency towards centralisation and standardisation must be abandoned. The university has efficient teachers, board of studies, academic council and senate and other associated distinguished educationists, and therefore, is fully equipped to tell what is needed rather than face some dead bureaucratic attempt to tame the university autonomy.

letterschd@hindustantimes.com

(The writer is director, Institute for Development and Communication, and member of the Panjab University Senate)
The title of her book, In the balance, sums Leila Seth very well. It was her balanced yet sensitive approach of life around her that led to her becoming the first woman judge of the Delhi high court. Today there are eight women judges in the Delhi high court. She had a habit of being first, and went on to become the first woman chief justice of a high court, paving the way for other women chief justices. She was judicious on the bench and never forgot that she was also a human being. Her commitment to gender justice was evident in her book where she dealt with every law governing women, regardless of religion.

We do a lot in our lifetime but are remembered for something special. In the case of Justice Leila Seth, it was her defence of the rights of the LGBT community. With great courage, after the Supreme Court judgment in the Kaushik case, which overturned the Nazz Foundation case of the Delhi high court sticking down Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code, she very movingly wrote in an article:

What makes life meaningful is love. The right that makes us human is the right to love. To criminalize the expression of that right is profoundly cruel and inhumane.To acquiesce in such criminalization or, worse, to recriminalize it, is to display the very opposite of compassion. To show exaggerated deference to a majoritarian Parliament when the matter is one of fundamental rights is to display judicial pusillanimity, for there is no doubt, that in the constitutional scheme, it is the judiciary that is the ultimate interpreter.

Her own illustrious son Vikram Seth is gay and she knew of the love and living as much as she did. As a mother, as a person committed to human rights, she believed Section 377 should be repealed. We do not know whether it was her illustrious son who sensitised her to the right of the LGBT community or whether the liberal welcoming atmosphere in the family home enabled him to live the life he wanted to live.I suspect it was both, where the son assumes the role of a guru to his mother and the mother transferring her liberal values to her children. It was a happy home, what more can a mother do for her children?

Her contribution to the Verma committee set up after the December 16, 2012, gang rape in Delhi is written in stone . A report delivered within 30 days of the presentations, it led to history, making amendments to the rape law. Two of the members of that committee are no more but their footprints are written all over the law relating to sexual violence against women.It is ironic that she died one day after the historic judgment of the Supreme Court in the case. I can only hope she was told about it before she departed this world the conviction would have gladdened her heart, except that she did not believe in the death penalty.

She was a member of the Law Commission that gave the report that women must be copartners in Hindu Joint Families. The Hindu Success Act was amended after that report.Few have had the satisfaction of seeming their recommendation become law as she did .

With her husband Prem Seth, she went to the UK and enrolled for law. Starting her career in Patna, she later joined the Calcutta Bar, where she made her name as a lawyer. She was the first woman judge of the Delhi high court, the first woman Chief Justice of the high court at Himachal Pradesh. It was a life well lived. She will be missed.

(The author is a Supreme Court lawyer)
Call it an irony of sorts. At a time when the government is rooting for doing away with VIP symbols, Chandigarh bureaucrats are high on a sense of privilege and entitlement.

Sample this: The much-sought after fancy vehicle registration series numbers that were sold off for lakhs in auctions held by the UT transport department are being grabbed by bureaucrats by just shelling out a few thousand rupees.

But the difference is the bureaucrats are getting special treatment and are not required to bid for their favourite number because of the fresh notification by the transport department.

They can select any number in the series and get it without any effort. The 0001 number which has been getting major revenue in the past years with bidding going in lakhs, this time was allotted against the reserve price of Rs 5,000.

Past bids for 0001 series August, 2012: A farmer, Amarjit Singh, resident of sector 44, Chandigarh, bid the highest Rs 26.5 lakh, for registration number 0001 of the CH-01-AP. He purchased the fancy number for his S-class Mercedes-Benz, car worth around Rs 90 lakh. June, 2012: Jagjit Singh Chahal businessman and owner of Chahal Tyres Private Limited bid Rs 17 lakh to purchase CH-01-AN-0001. April, 2012: Former Haryana director general of police (DGP), SPS Rathore, bid Rs 10 lakh for registration number CH-01-AM-0001 for his Mercedes car.

The number went to UT transport secretary K K Jindal. RLA is also under the Transport Department. He got the number booked for his wifes car. Jindal has purchased a Toyota Innova car which will be used by his wife. In February this year, the 0001 number of CH-O1-BL went for Rs 6.70 lakh against the reserve price of Rs 30,000.

Getting special numbers is always meant as the status symbol and the residents have been bidding to get their favourite number. This time the residents were left wanting as the number was kept reserved. The sources in the administration said the similar practice of keeping number reserved is also being followed in Delhi.

The registration to participate in e-auction of vehicle registration numbers of new series CH01-BM for choice registration numbers 0002 to 9999 will be held between May 11 and May 17. The e-auction will begin from May 18 and continue till May 20.

The owner of the vehicle can register on the national transport website: https://parivahan.gov.in/fancy and the link for the registration is available on the Chandigarh administrations transport department website: www.chdtransport.gov.in and can obtain the Unique Acknowledgement Number (UAN). In the e-auction the vehicle purchased only at Chandigarh address can bid for their favourite number .

It has been decided that a special number will be kept reserved for UT administrator, bureaucrats, judges and senior officials. An official can use the facility only twice during his tenure. A notification was issued in this regard in March. As per earlier practice the number used to be auctioned. The dignitaries/officers in Chandigarh Motor Vehicle Rules, shall be eligible for allotment of such registration marks for the vehicle to be registered in their own (or spouses) name without payment of any additional fee limited to only two registration mark during their service tenure.

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The Panjab University (PU) senate on Sunday rolled back the controversial hike in tuition fee for the 2017-18 session and decided to increase it by just 10% across the courses for new students.

The minimum hike has to be Rs 500 if the annual fee is less than Rs 5,000, the senate said. The fee hike for existing students, however, will be 5% with a minimum of Rs 500 and maximum of Rs 1,200.

On March 26, the senate had approved hike in tuition fee, a move that would have helped the varsity earn 9 crore more this session. The hike was 963 % at University Business School, 1,065 % at chemical engineering department, 546 % for BSc honours courses and 500% for B.Pharmacy students.

PU vice-chancellor Prof Arun Kumar Grover said, We will generate around Rs 2 crore through the hike. We may have to change our plans submitted to the University Grants Commission (UGC).

Before passing the resolution, the V-C told the senators, I am cautioning you that UGC will freeze the grant at Rs 197 crore and so will the Punjab government at Rs 20 croreThink over it. You have to keep it increasing at 10% every year. This (10% hike ) will generate little income. We will have problems with the ministry of human resources and development (MHRD) and UGC.

SOME DONORS COME FORWARD PU senate member and former city MP Pawan Kumar Bansal announced to donate Rs 2 lakh every year to the university. He said if he wished to get out of the annual donation, he will make one-time payment of Rs 20 lakh. Deepak Kaushik, president of Non-Teaching Employees Federation, also announced to donate Rs 11,000 every year to PU. Some other teachers also offered not to charge fee for inspections, paper setting and paper checking.

STUDENTS CHANT VICTORY SLOGANS

After the decision, dean students welfare Prof Emanual Nahar made the announcement to students protesting outside the administrative block for nearly 10 hours. The students, mostly members of the Students for Society (SFS), raised lal salaam (red salute) slogans to celebrate their victory.

It is the victory of a constant struggle of students, led by the joint students action committee. With efforts of students, senate members and sections of people, the authorities had to reduce the fee hike which as much as 1,100% for some courses. Although it is a partial success in struggle against privatisation and commercialisation of education, said SFS president Damanpreet Singh.

We welcome the decision. It was on our initiative that the V-C called this special senate meeting, said Nishant Kaushal, president, PU Campus Students Council. Nishant belongs to Panjab University Students Union (PUSU). Todays victory is the result of struggle of all student parties. We agreed on 10 % hike since the university is facing a financial crisis, said Karan Randhawa, campus president, Students Organisation of India (SOI).

SENATE DISCUSSION

Several senators appreciated the V-Cs initiatives in dealing with the financial crisis facing PU.

Prof RP Bambah, former PU vice-chancellor and a senate member, said, The fee hike was too much for anybody. Universities are supposed to make people think, question and provide solutions. The rise in fee in basic sciences and humanities would have harmed the varsity.

Prof Chaman Lal, another senate member, said the UGC was armtwisting PU to raise fee. Prof Shelley Walia, also a senate member, raised the question of bringing down public funding to PU.
Urging the Centre to adopt a tough policy against Pakistan, chief minister Captain Amarinder Singh on Sunday said Punjab will not sell electricity to Pakistan until normalcy returns in the relations between the two countries.

The CM, who called on the family of Naib Subedar Paramjit Singh who was killed by the Pakistani army along the Line of Control (LoC) in Poonch sector of Jammu and Kashmir, said, As far as selling power to Pakistan is concerned, there can be no cooperation till the normalcy returns and environment gets better. In such an atmosphere, we wont go ahead with this offer.

Notably, Amarinder had recently taken up the proposal of Punjab selling electricity to Pakistan with Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The CM said the Centre needs to adopt a tough policy against Pakistan in view of the present scenario. The Centre is not doing enough to protect the men manning the countrys borders. Tough steps need to be taken to prevent the recurrence of such brutal killings at the border. India should retaliate with thrice the force to any incursions into our territory.

CAPT SEEKS KEJRIWALS RESIGNATION Demanding Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwals resignation, Amarinder said the AAP leader has been totally exposed in the wake of corruption charges against him and he has no moral right to continue in office. Talking to mediapersons here, he said that given the seriousness of the allegations being made against him and his party for the past several months, Kejriwal should have resigned a long time ago. But being shameless as he is, the AAP leader will not quit even now. He also demanded a probe by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and action against Kejriwal under the anti-corruption laws. He urged the Delhi lieutenant governor to initiate the necessary action against Kejriwal and his government.

WILL TAKE CARE OF OUR SOLDIERS

After meeting the family of Paramjit Singh, Amarinder said the government will recruit Paramjits daughter Simardeep Kaur, who is 16 now, as naib tehsildar when she passes Class 12.

He said the martyrs son Sahildeep, who is 12, will be directly recruited as ASI in Punjab Police once he does his graduation. The state government had earlier announced a total assistance of Rs 12 lakh to the martyr family. We all our here to share the pain of the family and we have assured them that whatever help they need in future will also be given, he added.

The CM also announced that a school and a stadium in the area will be named after the martyr.

Amarinder said a new policy will be formulated soon by the state government to compensate families of jawans who are posted in any force.

In the next cabinet meeting, we will bring a standardised policy. As many Punjabis are serving in various forces, the state will compensate all in the event of any loss, he added.

He reiterated that his government was acting tough on the drug issue and over 1,200 drug peddlers have already been arrested.

The CM was accompanied by Punjab Congress chief Sunil Jakhar, local bodies minister Navjot Singh Sidhu, power minister Rana Gurjit Singh and MLAs from Tarn Taran district.

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Like Arjun on the battlefield at Kurukshetra, we stand at the crossroads today in respect of the proxy war unleashed by Pakistan in Kashmir. It would be prudent to reflect on Lord Krishnas advice which stirred the Pandava warrior to action resulting in ultimate victory. Krishna said that winning in the mind is the first step towards becoming triumphant. We too must make up our minds: Do we allow the enemy to continue to hit us and mutilate our Jawans or do we take the offensive way? Conquering our fears must come foremost coupled with strengthening our resolve. Yudhaye Krit Nischaya (Into battle with determination), as Lord Krishna advised Arjun.

Getting down to winning, and not just fighting, comes next. That involves selecting a viable, strategic aim for our efforts. We should aim not just at defeating Pakistans designs, causing material and economic damage to them, but also overcoming the insurgency winning the estranged Kashmiris over. Maintenance of the aim involves putting everything into the war effort.

Taking the fight to the enemy, raising his costs and causing attrition, both in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir and the Pakistani mainland must take precedence over everything else. Nobody ever won a war with a purely defensive strategy. Lastly, once having entered into war with fortitude, we must resolve to win at all costs or as Guru Gobind Singh said  Nischaya Kar Apni Jit Karun (Will to win). Jai Hind!

Time for Surgical Strike 2.0?

In the wake of the barbarous mutilation of the bodies of two Indian soldiers, some commentators have asked whether its time for surgical strike 2.0? In the context of the civilised struggle were engaged in, Id say we need to carry out surgical strike 3.0, 4.0, and 5.0 too and keep striking the enemy till he relents. Here Id like to refer to the Rhodesian Bush War in a purely military perspective without taking a moral or political position. The white Rhodesians and their black allies were surrounded by black states giving shelter to nationalist guerrillas. The formers strategy was to engage infiltrators in the hinterland in essentially defensive operations which in effect allowed the nationalists to retain the advantage of striking at will. The Rhodesians seized the strategic initiative by launching raids and airstrikes on guerrilla camps in Zambia, Mozambique, Angola and Botswana. This enabled them to dominate their neighbourhood, disrupting the nationalists training, supplies, infiltration and even rest and recuperation.

Ultimately, the Rhodesians lost but the causes were political. Militarily, they were able to keep the guerrillas at bay. Pakistan is a different kettle of fish but the lessons of the past are as relevant today - no letting up on offensive action.

Centre for Indian Military History

A long-cherished dream of yours truly to set up an organisation to promote, research and bring military history closer to the masses was realised a few days ago with the inaugural event of the Centre for Indian Military History aided by a dedicated team of knowledgeable enthusiasts. Weve started with a series of oral history talks on combat experiences of veterans of the tricity with gracious funding from the Regiment of Artillery Association. The aim is to have smaller monthly events building up larger quarterly seminars on battles, campaigns, wars and aspects of military life. All those interested can contact me at any time.

(Please write in with your narratives of war and military life to msbajwa@gmail.com or call/WhatsApp on 093161-35343)
Living in a city in my sunset years, I yearn for the sight, sound and smell of my sunrise years in a village. The claustrophobic crowded spaces of the city scare me, the cacophony of its market places gets on my nerves and the stink of its garbage dumps nauseates me. To obliterate these unpleasant feelings, I close my eyes, block my nostrils and plug my ears but open the mental windows to let the old memories elevate my mood.

As a child, I woke up to the musical call of the cockerel, the rhythmic splash of churning of milk and the chirping of sparrows perched on the mulberry tree in our courtyard. The aroma of the home-made curd and butter made ones mouth water. But before one could relish this nourishing food, one had to go to the open fields to answer the call of nature.

The rays of the rising sun spread redness in the sky, which was a joy to watch. In our Urdu textbook was Allama Iqbals translation of Sanskrit hymn Gayatri.

Ai aftaab! Rooh-o-rawan-e-jahan hai tu, sheeraiga band-e-daftar-ekaun-omakan hai tu, Ai aftaab! Humko zia-e-shaoor de, Chashm-ekhirad ko apni tajalli se noor de (O sun! You are the moving spirit of all we see, organiser of the show, controlling each activity, grant us the light of wisdom, O thou light supreme, ignite the flame of reason with your bright beam)

Saying this prayer bequeathed to us by our ancient sages was the best way to begin ones day.

Our school teacher had told us that at sunrise, the air contains more ozone, so closing ones eyes and opening ones mouth, one should inhale it and let the sunrays in to disinfect the throat. The wisdom of the Gayatri

Mantra and the advice of the teacher, enlightened the mind and invigorated the body.

The cooing of the doves, the singing of sahbhan teri qudrat by black partridges, the sound of peacocks was the heavenly symphony pleasing to the ears and soothing the mind. One felt in tune with birds and in harmony with the natural scene. One felt inspired and energised to do the days tasks enthusiastically.

After the days work was done, lying on a cot on the roof, one gazed at the distant stars and envisioned golden dreams of the days to come. The magic of the moonlit night caught ones imagination and one internalised the glow which gladdened the heart. A sufi lived in a dera on the outskirts of our village. The lilting music coming from his flute was the lullaby that induced sweet sleep. At night, one dreamt of fairies about which one read during the day in Tales from Alaf Laila.

Such childhood memories make me forget the harsh realities of old age in a city. Treasures of heavenly bliss stored in my mind are a perpetual source of joy which cannot be robbed by time.

(ajhehar@gmail.com)

(The writer is a Ludhiana-based retired professor of English)
A doctor in Chandigarhs Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER) allegedly threw the Hippocratic Oath out of the window and abused a Kashmiri woman and her son, ticking them off for throwing stones at security forces in the Valley and coming to Chandigarh for treatment.

Nasreena Malik (55), a native of Srinagar, suffers from intracranial aneurysm (a blood vessel related condition in the brain) and had gone to PGI for consultation about a neurosurgical surgery, according to her family. The family said that they left the hospital in a huff after the doctors misbehaviour and misinformation about cost of treatment.

The incident happened on Thursday. Nasreenas son Javaid Malik told Hindustan Times that the nameplate outside the doctors cabin read Dr Manoj Tiwari, although Javaid says he is not sure if the doctor who misbehaved was Dr Tiwari or not.

As we entered the cabin, he talked to us in a civilised way and started his check up. Then he asked for the case history of the patient. The moment I showed him previous documents from Srinagars SKIMS Hospital and he got to know that we are Kashmiris, his attitude changed. He just got angry and threw away the documents and said that Vaha Kashmir me humara jawano ko patthar mar te ho aur phir yahan ilaj ke liye aate ho (you people pelt stones on security personnel in Kashmir and come here for treatment), Javaid said.

Javaid who is a shopkeeper in Srinagar, added that the doctor said the surgery would cost Rs 15 lakh while other patients with similar ailment told him that it should cost a maximum of Rs 80,000, including medicines and other expenses. The doctor also suggested they should go to AIIMS in Delhi, he said.

Due to such behaviour and misinformation, I left PGI with my mother that evening itself. Now we are considering going to Delhi for treatment, Javaid said.

Neither Nasreena nor Javaid lodged a complaint with the hospital.

The PGI has denied Kashmiri patients are discriminated against.

Everyday hundreds of people from Kashmir visit PGIMER for treatment and we provide best quality treatment to everyone. We havent received any complaint but we will look into the matter, if anything like that has happened. Though it is very unlikely, as such an incident has never been reported, Dr Jagat Ram, director PGIMER told HT.

The story, reported by a Srinagar-based English daily, has evoked strong reactions on social media.

Twitter user @Adeel_speaks described the incident as nationalism in hospitals.

Chandigarh-based lawyer Navdeep Singh tweeted, Thats quite hard to believe as far as Chandigarh is concerned. Is there any official complaint on this?

Shaktisinh Gohil, described as a spokesperson of Congress and MLA in Gujarat, tweeted: How can it be so inhumane?

How can it be so inhuman? Kashmiri patient denied treatment at PGI Chandigarhhttps://t.co/79q13oyZxD  Shaktisinh Gohil (@shaktisinhgohil) May 7, 2017

Facebook user M Tahir Firaz wrote on the news, The Indian media has poisoned minds of its people and we can see clear manifestations of that.

Another user shared the story saying, The incident below needs serious attention of concerned authorities.
Popular talk show host Ellen DeGeneres wishes she had not waited so long to embrace her sexuality in public.

The 59-year-old comedienne, who recently celebrated the 20th anniversary of her coming out on her talk show, says it was the biggest decision of her life, reported FemaleFirst.

In this April 5, 2017 photo released by Warner Bros., Oprah Winfrey, left, and Laura Dern appear with host Ellen DeGeneres at a taping of The Ellen DeGeneres Show in Burbank, Calif. Twenty years ago Winfrey and Dern guest-starred with DeGeneres in an episode of her comedy series Ellen, where she declared she was gay. (AP)

I wish I would have done it sooner. I wish I hadnt waited so long. I was anticipating it being a charged episode, which it was, because it was making a big decision to come out, and to be honest and to stop hiding something that I had kept secret for so long, Ellen told Matt Lauer on the Today show.

She added her career had to pay the biggest price when she publicly announced that she was a lesbian, but she is proud of her decision.

In this Nov. 22, 2016 file photo, actress, comedian, and talk show host Ellen DeGeneres, glances at US President Barack Obama as she is presented the Presidential Medal of Freedom during a ceremony in the East Room of the White House in Washington. (AP)

The biggest thing was that I lost my career. For three years, I couldnt work, and was not offered one thing. I was running out of money and didnt know if I was going to work again... (But) It was the greatest thing to ever happen to me, she says.

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A century after the controversial ICS officer John Comyn Higgins raised the Manipur Labour Corps to help France during World War I, his little-known market town of Alford in Lincolnshire is paying tributes to the men and its links with the north-eastern state.

Alford mayor Richard Quantrell recalled the history when 2,000 men from Manipur were recruited in May 1917 to be deployed in France. Many died on the way to Italy and later in France; graves have been discovered in France, Italy, Egypt and Yemen.

JC Higgins, early 1900s. (Imasi: The Maharaj Kumari Binodini Devi Foundation)

Prayers were said and a two-minute silence was observed in the commemoration in the local church this week attended by members of the British Legion and others. The Kohima War Cemeterys evocative epitaph was read out: 'When You Go Home, Tell Them Of Us And Say, For Your Tomorrow, We Gave Our Today.'

The commemoration was followed by the opening of an exhibition that brings together diaries written by Higgins, whose actions were also responsible for the Kuki Uprising.

The exhibition includes carefully re-created royal clothes of the then Maharaja Churachand Singh and Maharani Dhanamanjuri Devi (phanek dress), and items related to the Kuki Uprising and experiences of men in the Manipur Labour Corps.

The re-created royal dress of Maharaja Churachand Singh and Maharani Dhanamanjuri Devi at the exhibition (Courtesy: Alford Manor House)

A town with less than 3,500 residents, Alford, 141 miles north-east of London, was the home of Higgins, who qualified for the Indian Civil Service in 1905, and worked in Manipur from 1910 to 1933 as the political agent and president of the Manipur State Darbar, among other roles.

Higgins is known in Manipur for his role in suppressing the two-year Kuki Uprising from 1917, which saw tribes fiercely battling British forces and the latter burning several villages during the clashes. He and his family also developed close links with the royal family.

For over 150 years, Higgins and his family lived in the most famous house in town, the Alford Manor House, built in 1611. Turned into a museum since 1967, the trust running it has put together the exhibition that runs until December.

Sarah Teesdale, researcher and trustee of the Alford Manor House Museum, told Hindustan Times: It has been an important element for me from the beginning to depict both sides of the conflict. Higgins involvement in the suppression of the Kuki Uprising and recruitment for the labour corps provides a completely different focus for our exhibition.

The Kuki Uprising section is compiled from Higgins' diaries and British records. The work of (author) Radhika Singha includes comments from missionaries regarding British brutality, which are included. We have also received the doctoral thesis of Seilen Haokip which relates to this and he has kindly given us permission to use it as a reference for the public to ensure a rounded view is available.

The Kuki Uprising had its roots in British efforts to enlist the support of men, material and munitions from colonies at the outbreak of the First World War in 1914. Maharaja Churachand Singh of Manipur was prepared to extend such support.

Manipur's contribution included one double company of infantry, four ambulances to the St Johns Red Cross Fund, 2,81,860 rupees, a company of 120 sappers and miners as well as 500 Naga labourers.

The Maharaja sought to raise two additional labour corps for France. As the war progressed and men were desperately needed, Higgins was directly involved in the recruitment of tribal men from the hills in the Manipur Labour Corps.

The pressure for more men led to the Kuki Uprising and Higgins became further involved in the suppression of what the British termed a rebellion from 1917 to 1919.

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Pro-European centrist Emmanuel Macron won Frances landmark presidential election, first estimates showed on Sunday, heading off a fierce challenge from the far-right in a pivotal vote for the future of the divided country and Europe.

Far-right National Front must be relaunched, Marine Le Pen said after conceding defeat to centrist Macron.

In a short statement, Le Pen said she had called Macron to wish him success in tackling the huge challenges he faced and announced that she would lead the FN into Junes legislative elections.

Macron said his victory in Sundays election represented hope and a new chapter for France.

The victory caps an extraordinary rise for the 39-year-old former investment banker, who will become the countrys youngest-ever leader.

He has promised to heal a fractured and demoralised country after a vicious campaign that has exposed deep economic and social divisions, as well as tensions around identity and immigration.

Initial estimates showed Macron winning between 65.5% and 66.1% of ballots ahead of Le Pen on between 33.9% and 34.5%.

Unknown three years ago, Macron is now poised to become one of Europes most powerful leaders, bringing with him a hugely ambitious agenda of political and economic reform for France and the European Union.

The result will resonate worldwide and particularly in Brussels and Berlin where leaders will breathe a sigh of relief that Le Pens anti-EU, anti-globalisation programme has been defeated.

After Britains vote last year to leave the EU and Donald Trumps victory in the US, the French election had been widely watched as a test of how high a tide of right-wing nationalism would rise.

Le Pen, 48, had portrayed the ballot as a contest between Macron and the globalists - in favour of open trade, immigration and shared sovereignty - and her patriotic vision of strong borders and national identities.

Outgoing President Francois Hollande, who plucked Macron from obscurity to name him minister in 2014, said voting is always an important, significant act, heavy with consequences as he cast his vote.

Major obstacles ahead

Macron will now face huge challenges as he attempts to enact his domestic agenda of cutting state spending, easing labour laws, boosting education in deprived areas and extending new protections to the self-employed.

The philosophy and literature lover is inexperienced, has no political party and must try to fashion a working parliamentary majority after legislative elections next month.

His En Marche movement - neither of the left, nor right - has vowed to field candidates in all 577 constituencies, with half of them women and half of them newcomers to politics.

Supporters of Emmanuel Macron celebrate after the second round of 2017 French presidential election, in Lyon, France. (Reuters Photo)

We will reconstruct right to the end! Well keep our promise of renewal! he said during his last campaign meeting in the southern city of Albi on Thursday.

Many analysts are sceptical about his ability to win a majority with En Marche candidates alone, meaning he would have to form a coalition of lawmakers committed to his agenda -- something new under Frances current constitution.

Furthermore, his economic agenda, particularly plans to weaken labour regulations to fight stubbornly high unemployment, are likely to face fierce resistance from trade unions and his leftist opponents.

He also inherits a country which is still in a state of emergency following a string of Islamist-inspired attacks since 2015 that have killed more than 230 people.

Rollercoaster election

The vote on Sunday followed one of the most unpredictable election campaigns in modern history marked by scandal, repeated surprises and a last-minute hacking attack on Macron.

Hundreds of thousands of emails and documents stolen from his campaign were dumped online on Friday and then spread by anti-secrecy group WikiLeaks, leading the candidate to call it an attempt at democratic destabilisation.

Frances election authority said publishing the documents could be a criminal offence, a warning flouted by Macrons opponents and far-right activists online.

It was the latest twist in an election that has consistently wrong-footed observers as angry voters chose to eject establishment figures, including one-time favourite Francois Fillon, a rightwing former-prime minister.

Unpopular Hollande was the first to bow to the rebellious mood in December as he declared he would be the first sitting president not to seek re-election in the French republic, founded in 1958.

In the first round of the presidential election on April 23, Macron topped the vote with 24.01 percent, followed by Le Pen on 21.30 percent, in a crowded field of 11 candidates.

The results revealed Macron was favoured among wealthier, better educated citizens in cities, while Le Pen drew support in the countryside as well as poverty-hit areas in the south and rustbelt northeast.
President Donald Trumps son-in-law Jared Kushner, often called the most powerful man in this White House, has sought to disengage himself from his businesses over conflict of interest issues, but his family seems to have missed the memo.

Nicole Kushner Meyer, his sister, pitched a ballroom full of wealthy Chinese in Beijing on Saturday a US housing development project saying, according to US media reports, the project means a lot to me and my entire family.

And in case anyone missed the family connection, she mentioned, The New York Times said, her brothers service as chief executive of Kushner Companies, the family business from which he resigned in January, saying he had left to serve in the Trump administration.

The project was advertised in China as a star Kushner real-estate family offering, NYT reported, and one of the buildings in the project is called Kushner 1.

The pitch was to get investors to put in their money through a controversial US visa programme called EB-5 that offers US citizenship to foreigners who put in more than a certain amount in development projects that create jobs.

A brochure on the project said, Invest $500,000 and immigrate to the United States. And the company urged investors to get on with it before rules changed, given the Trump administrations ongoing tightening of visa rules. Invest early, and you will invest under the old rules, one speaker said, according to The Washington Post.

Both The Washington Post and NYT said their reporters were asked to leave the room.

After the event, Meyer refused to answer questions from reporters if there was any conflict of interest regarding the project and her brothers new position.

NYT said a man accompanying her told reporters, angrily, Please leave us alone!

Jared Kushner, who has had business dealings with China before and had sought investments from an insurance company with links to the communist party, has emerged as a central conduit between the Trump administration and China.

And he played a crucial role in the planning and execution of Chinese President Xi Jinpings recent visit to the US for his first meeting with Trump.

Blake Roberts, an attorney at the WilmerHale law firm who serves as Kushners personal counsel, told Washington Post: Kushner divested his interests in the One Journal Square project by selling them to a family trust that he is not a beneficiary of, a mechanism suggested by the Office of Government Ethics. As previously stated, he will recuse from particular matters concerning the EB-5 visa program.
French voters will pick a new president on Sunday, choosing between young centrist Emmanuel Macron and far-right leader Marine Le Pen in a watershed election for the country and Europe.

Polling day follows an unprecedented campaign marked by scandal, repeated surprises and a last-minute hacking attack on Macron, a 39-year-old who has never held elected office.

The run-off vote pits the pro-Europe, pro-business Macron against anti-immigration and anti-EU Le Pen, two radically different visions that underline a split in western democracies.

Le Pen, 48, has portrayed the ballot as a contest between the globalists represented by her rival -- those in favour of open trade, immigration and shared sovereignty -- versus the nationalists who defend strong borders and national identities.

Voting will begin on the mainland at 0600 GMT in 66,546 polling stations. Most will close at 1700 GMT, except those in big cities which will stay open an hour longer.

A first estimate of the results will be published around 1800 GMT.

The political choice the French people are going to make is clear, Le Pen said in her opening remarks during an often vicious debate between the pair on Wednesday night.

The last polling showed Macron -- winner of last months election first round -- with a widening lead of around 62 percent to 38 percent before the hacking revelations on Friday evening. A campaigning blackout entered into force shortly after.

Hundreds of thousands of emails and documents stolen from the Macron campaign were dumped online and then spread by anti-secrecy group WikiLeaks, leading the candidate to call it an attempt at democratic destabilisation.

Frances election authority said publishing the documents could be a criminal offence, a warning heeded by traditional media organisations but flouted by Macrons opponents and far-right activists online.

We knew that there were these risks during the presidential campaign because it happened elsewhere. Nothing will go without a response, French President Francois Hollande told AFP on Saturday.

Wind of change

US intelligence agencies believe state-backed Russian operatives were behind a massive hacking attack on Democratic candidate Hillary Clintons campaign ahead of Americas presidential election last November.

There has been no claim of responsibility for the French hack, but the government and Macrons team previously accused the Kremlin of trying to meddle in the election -- accusations denied in Moscow.

Whoever wins Sundays vote it is set to cause profound change for France, the worlds sixth-biggest economy, a permanent member of the UN security council and a global military power.

It is the first time neither of the countrys traditional parties has a candidate in the final round of the presidential election under the modern French republic, founded in 1958.

Macron would be Frances youngest-ever leader and was a virtual unknown three years ago when he was named economy minister, the launching pad for his sensational presidential bid.

He left Hollandes Socialist government in August and formed En Marche, a political movement he says in neither of the left or the right and which has attracted 250,000 members.

The ex-investment bankers programme pledges to cut state spending, ease labour laws, boost education in deprived areas and extend new protections to the self-employed.

He is also fervently pro-European and wants to re-energise the 28-member European Union, following Britains referendum vote last summer to leave.

France is not a closed country. We are in Europe and in the world, Macron said during Wednesdays debate.

But Le Pen is hoping to spring a shock that would resonate as widely as Britains decision to withdraw from the EU or the unexpected triumph of US President Donald Trump.

First round winners

National Front leader Le Pen sees herself as part of the same backlash against globalisation that has emerged as a powerful theme in the US and in recent ballots in Britain, Austria and the Netherlands.

She has pledged to organise a referendum on withdrawing France from the EU and wants to scrap the euro, which she has dubbed a currency of bankers.

She has also vowed to reduce net immigration to 10,000 people a year, crack down on outsourcing by multinationals, lower the retirement age and introduce hardline measures to tackle Islamic extremists.

Many voters still see her party as anti-semitic and racist despite her six-year drive to improve its image.

Macron topped the first round of the presidential election on April 23 with 24.01%, followed by Le Pen on 21.3%, in a crowded field of 11 candidates.

The results revealed Macron was favoured among wealthier, better educated citizens in cities, while Le Pen drew support in the countryside as well as poverty-hit areas in the south and rustbelt northeast.

Voting for the run-off started for French voters in north America and some overseas territories on Saturday.
Three boys trek up a snow-covered hilltop, part of a range that forms a natural boundary between Iraq, Turkey and Syria. One of them gazes into the horizon and cries in anguish: Kani Shingal? That in Kurdish is Shingal, Where Are You?

Thats the title of the disturbing documentary by Greek director Angelos Rallis that screened at the Hot Docs film festival in Toronto this week.

Looking for their hometown. (AR Productions)

The town of Shingal was the cultural and religious centre for Yazidis, the minuscule minority that was subjected to an ethnic cleansing by marauding Islamic State terrorists. IS captured the city in 2014, thousands of Yazidi men were killed, an equal number of women raped and forced into sexual slavery.

This haunting film tracks a refugee family in a makeshift camp in Turkey, trying to make sense of the devastation even as the head of the Havind family tries to rescue his daughter Viyan from IS through bribes paid to a chain of intermediaries.

The quest for their daughter Viyan, for me, its a metaphor for the quest for the Yazidi identity with their religious capital destroyed and half a million population displaced. Its very important to redefine whats left for the Yazidi people, Rallis said during an interview.

The pacing of the film is almost languid, with dramatic tension offered by episodes where Viyan describes her trauma, and those of other women who have been kidnapped, over the phone to her father. She remains a captive as she speaks. The genocidal violence visited upon the Yazidis is off-camera but it bleeds into the lives of the survivors.

As members of the family visit their hometown, they discover nothing remains but rubble. (AR Productions)

I wanted to do a very personal and anthropological documentary, where I just film the main characters. I wanted to catch the human geography of the refugee camp, Rallis said. The camera is the observer, taking in the psychological beating the Havind family has taken.

The main narrative arc, the attempt to bring Viyan back, came about by accident as the filmmakers developed a bond with the family which was very welcoming from the very beginning.

Shot between 2015 and 2016, the final filming also occurred at the newly liberated Shingal. As members of the family visit their hometown, they discover nothing remains but rubble. Theres nothing left. Even if they are allowed to return, they cannot rebuild the area because they have lost everything, Rallis said.

So, that question shouted out at the outset has a depressing answer: The Yazidis may have lost their roots forever.

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Family and supporters honoured the 85-year-old climber on Sunday who died attempting to regain his title as the oldest person to scale Mount Everest, while Nepali officials stressed the need to limit the age for such a daunting physical challenge.

The death of Min Bahadur Sherchan has revived concerns about allowing elderly people to attempt scale mountain peaks where the conditions are harsh and oxygen level low.

Under Nepali law, climbers have to be at least 16 years old to climb Everest, but theres no upper limit.

It is very necessary to immediately bring that age limit law. If there had been a limit, the loss of life could have been prevented, said Ang Tshering, head of the Nepal Mountaineering Association.

The association is planning to push the government to limit the age of climbers to at least 76, he said.

Sherchan died on Saturday evening at the Everest base camp. Another Nepali man, Shailendra Kumar Upadhyaya, died in 2011 at age 82 while attempting to scale Everest.

Dinesh Bhattarai, who heads the tourism department, said the government was seriously discussing limiting the age for elderly climbers.

Sherchans body was flown by helicopter to Kathmandu on Sunday. The cause of death was still unclear and the autopsy result will be available in a few days.

Family members of Nepalese climber Min Bahadur Sherchan honour him with the Nepalese flag on his body during his funeral in Kathmandu on Sunday. (AP Photo)

Sherchan had first scaled Everest in May 2008 when he was 76  at the time becoming the oldest climber to reach the top. But his record was broken in 2013 by 80-year-old Japanese Yuichiro Miura.

At a funeral ceremony held at the Thakali Service Society premises in Kathmandu, hundreds of family members, friends and supporters offered flowers and colourful scarfs while Buddhist monks chanted a hymn and burnt sandalwood incense.

A government minister and fellow climbers were also among those who paid their respects.

The body was later cremated.
North Korea has detained another US citizen for committing hostile acts, it said Sunday, its second arrest of an American in a fortnight with tensions high between Pyongyang and Washington.

The arrest of Kim Hak-Song means that the North is holding four US citizens, with the two countries at loggerheads over Pyongyangs nuclear and missile ambitions.

Kim was detained on Saturday, the official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported.

A relevant institution is now conducting detailed investigation into his crimes, it added.

The two-paragraph report gave no further details of the latest arrest.

But it said Kim had been working for the Pyongyang University of Science and Technology (PUST) - an institution founded by evangelical Christians from overseas and opened in 2010, which is known to have a number of American faculty members. Pupils are generally children from the Norths elite.

Kim is the second of its personnel to have been detained in as many weeks.

Accounting professor Kim Sang-Duk, or Tony Kim, also a US citizen, was held on April 22, the North confirmed last week, for trying to overturn the regime.

He was detained at the capitals airport as he tried to leave the country after teaching for several weeks at the university.

KCNA said he had been held for committing criminal acts of hostility aimed to overturn the DPRK, using an abbreviation for the countrys official name.

Using similar phrasing to Sundays dispatch, it added that Kim was under detention by a relevant law enforcement body which is conducting detailed investigation into his crimes.

PUST officials could not immediately be reached for comment in connection with Saturdays arrest.

In a statement in late April the university said Tony Kims arrest was not connected in any way with the work of PUST.

High tensions

Pyongyang is engaged in a tense standoff with the administration of new US President Donald Trump over its banned missile and nuclear weapons programmes.

The North, which is widely seen as making progress towards building a rocket capable of delivering a nuclear warhead to the US mainland, has carried out a series of missile launches this year. It has also warned that it could carry out a sixth nuclear test at any time.

But no blast took place during symbolic anniversaries in April, and its key ally and diplomatic protector China has urged restraint.

Trump has suggested military action could be on the table but has softened his message more recently, saying he would be honoured to meet Kim Jong-Un under the right conditions.

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.

Two more US citizens - college student Otto Warmbier and Korean-American pastor Kim Dong-Chul - are 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.

Pyongyang last week accused the CIA and the Souths intelligence services of conspiring to assassinate leader Kim Jong-Un using a biochemical weapon.

The claim came just months after Kims half-brother was murdered by two female agents at Kuala Lumpur airport using a banned nerve agent, in a killing widely blamed on Pyongyang.
The historic cities of Raqqa and Aleppo have gained resonance in recent times, featuring regularly on newscasts, becoming synonymous with destruction and markers of the Syrian conflict.

Two films featured at the Hot Docs documentary film festival in Toronto also focus on these cities, but as an attempt to humanise them beyond the headlines.

The first is City Of Ghosts, directed by Academy Award-nominated Matthew Heineman, which chronicles the group of citizen journalists Raqqa is Being Slaughtered Silently or RBSS.

RBSS smuggles out video footage and images from the Islamic State capital in an effort to counter the terrorist organisations slick propaganda. That effort has claimed some RBSS members and caused many to flee to Turkey and Europe, while several still remain to counter the IS narrative of urban utopia with horrifying images of brutality and of women and children clamouring for food.

In City Of Ghosts, Matthew Heinemans observational filming is augmented with footage that its members still in Raqqa are smuggling out. (Amazon Studios)

RBSS was founded, Heineman said in an interview, to shed light on this dark city that had been completely shut out from the rest of the world. Atrocities abound  such as severed heads displayed at the citys Paradise Square. RBSS spokesperson Aziz, now living in Germany, received a standing ovation at the premiere of the film in Toronto when he appeared on stage with Heineman.

As Heineman journeyed with the RBSS members in exile, his observational filming is augmented with footage that its members still in Raqqa, considered enemies by IS, are smuggling out. Thus, part of the film has amazing footage coming out of Raqqa, of life under the Caliphate, Heineman said.

The other, equally important, is the stress the members who have fled face, from their comrades and family members being executed by IS to being targets for assassination themselves.

I think the film is obviously a megaphone for what they are doing with their work, Heineman said.

A still from the documentary City of Ghosts, directed by Academy Award-nominated Matthew Heineman. (Amazon Studios)

City Of Ghosts is part of the Hot Docs section, Syria 360, that curates films about the conflict and its tangents, including the migration crisis in 69 Minutes Of 86 Days or the rise of ISIS in Europe in Recruiting For Jihad.

But a showcase film is Last Men In Aleppo. It features members of the White Helmets, a volunteer brigade that tries to rescue those trapped under the rubble left by bombing runs by fighter jets of the Assad regime or its Russian backers.

Directed by Feras Fayyad, who was born just outside Aleppo, the film begins with one White Helmet, Khaled, staring at the sky and saying, (Syrian President) Bashar (al-Assad) keeps us looking up all the time; we cant look down any more.

Death from above. (Hot Docs)

This group tracks the bombings and rushes to the scene in an attempt to dig out those trapped under debris, often finding dead bodies of infants.

Fayyad, who did much of the filming himself, said in an interview, Every frame, very second is like a tragedy. His intent was to tell a story of civilian life. For that he used the tool he knew best, the camera: Its a personal film. Its coming as a responsibility, of what I was seeing.

A still from Last Men in Aleppo. (Hot Docs)

And, obviously driven by characters like Khaled  local, ordinary people who decide to take the responsibility of saving their families, their friends, to protect their neighbourhood. Their response to the heavy bombardment, Fayyad said. Khaled is quite a character, his humour serving as a counterpoint to the devastation. He is a symbol for love of life, Fayyad said.

The film looks at the motivation and inner conflict of these volunteers. While news headlines dehumanise Aleppo as just a scene of ruin, Fayyads film populates it with real people living (and losing) real lives.

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Pakistans military on Sunday said it had killed more than 50 Afghan soldiers in a clash on a major border crossing two days earlier, a claim quickly rejected by Kabul.

The skirmish took place Friday at the Chaman border that divides Pakistans southwest Balochistan province and Afghanistans southern Kandahar, as Pakistani officials were carrying out a census count.

At least eight civilians were killed, according to previously stated tolls by officials -- seven on the Pakistani side, and one on the Afghan side.

Afghanistan had blamed Pakistani census enumerators accompanied by soldiers for straying across the border, a charge denied by Islamabad.

On Sunday, Pakistani forces elevated their rhetoric by saying Afghan forces had suffered dramatic losses.

We are not pleased to tell you that five Afghan check posts were completely destroyed -- more than 50 of their soldiers were killed and above 100 were wounded, Major General Nadim Ahmad, head of the paramilitary Frontier Corps told reporters.

We are not happy for their losses but we were forced to retaliate, he said, adding two Pakistani soldiers were killed and nine wounded in the incident.

Kabul quickly denied the claim.

A very false claims by a Pakistani Frontier Corp that as many as 50 Afghan soldier lost their lives in Pak retaliation; totally rejected, tweeted Sediq Sediqqi, a government spokesman.

Samim Khpalwak, a spokesman for the governor of Kandahar province, instead said two troops were lost in the attack, in addition to the death of a civilian.

The border has remained closed since Friday, with senior Pakistan army general Amir Riaz telling reporters it would remain so until Afghanistan changes its behaviour.

The so-called Durand Line, a 2,400-kilometre frontier drawn by the British in 1896 and disputed by Kabul, has witnessed increased tension since Pakistan began trenching along it last year.

The border is not the only area of dispute between the neighbours: Afghanistan has long accused Pakistan of sponsoring the Afghan Taliban, though Islamabad says it provides the militants with safe haven as a lever to bring them to peace talks.

Pakistan has also accused Afghanistan of harbouring militants who carry out attacks in its territory.

Pakistan embarked on the enormous task of conducting its first census in almost two decades in March.

The fast-growing country is the sixth most populous in the world, with an estimated 200 million people, but has not held a census since 1998, despite a constitutional requirement for one every decade.
Pakistan International Airlines has taken a senior pilot off-duty for allegedly sleeping on a London-bound flight, risking the lives of over 300 passengers on board by handing over the aircraft to a trainee.

Captain Amir Akhtar Hashmi had taken a two-and-a-half- hour nap in the business class passenger cabin on April 26 soon after flight PK-785 took off from Islamabad for London, the Dawn reported.

The airline was initially reluctant to take action against Hashmi, a former president of the highly influential Pakistan Air Lines Pilots Association (PALPA), but later caved in to pressure from above.

PIA spokesperson Danyal Gilani said that Hashmi was off from flying duty due to the investigation under way, but refused to share any further details.

Another first officer, Mohammad Asad Ali, who was under training, was also in the cockpit.

Hashmi, an instructor, gets paid over Rs 1 lakh each month to train pilots, and was supposed to train Ali Hassan Yazdani during the flight. However, instead of performing his duty, Hashmi went for a quick lie-down, the report said.

The flight was carrying over 305 passengers -- 293 in the economy class and 12 in the club class.

The development has surfaced at a time when a top PIA official, facing serious allegations of corruption, left the country on Sayurday after he was given a special exemption by the interior ministry to fly abroad for a month even though his name is still on the countrys no-fly list.

Bernd Hildenbrand, the suspended CEO of the national flag carrier is under investigation on charges of corruption amounting to billions of rupees. The Federal Investigation Agency is probing the corruption charges against him.
New Dubai hotel on Palm Jumeirah invites guests to enjoy a five-star menu of traditional Iftar and Suhour favorites. DUKES Dubai, the quintessentially British, five-star hotel will offer a carefully curated menu of traditional favorites including juicy dates, Arabic mezze and indulgent sweets at its at signature venue Great British Restaurant (GBR).

A lot of thought has gone into preparing the extensive Iftar and Suhour menus at GBR, said the propertys executive chef Martin Cahill. We are preparing a wide variety of traditional dishes alongside a selection of international favourites and are looking forward to welcoming guests to share this special dining experience with us.

There are five different Iftar menus, served buffet style, that will rotate every five days. Cooking stations will offer a selection of delicious dishes including healthy salads, hearty soups and Arabic mezze. Larger appetites will enjoy traditional Arabic dishes, such as stuffed chicken with coriander mousse, Arabic mixed grill and Kibbeh Bil Laban.

Diners will also have the chance to sample delicacies from the emirates, including camel meat and Lamb Ouzi with saffron rice. Favourites from Morocco, like Plum Lamb Tagine and Lamb Liver Pastilla will tempt alongside Indian dishes including Prawn Biryani, Aloo Gobi and Lamb Vindaloo. A choice selection of international dishes such as Fish and Chips and Grilled Beef Rib Eye with mushroom sauce ensure all tastes are catered for.

Those with a sweet tooth can tuck into a variety of much-loved desserts such as Amar Al Din Pudding, Umm Ali and Baklava, as well Salted Caramel Tart and Blueberry Cheesecake and fresh fruit, among others.

Iftar will be served from sunset until 9pm and is priced at AED175 per person including soft beverages, or AED145 per person for groups of 10 or more.

Suhour, served from 9.30pm to 2.30am, will be offered a la carte and features delicious options such as soup, hot and cold mezze and other tasty finger foods including grilled halloumi, falafel platter and fried calamari. An extensive range of salads and sandwiches, mixed seafood and grill  think lamb kofta and chicken shish tawook  will be complemented by rich desserts such as Pistachio Mahalabia and Date Pudding, all washed down with refreshing Ramadan juices.

Owned and operated by Seven Tides, the 279-room hotel and 287-hotel apartment complex, which opened to the public at the end of March 2017, is located along the main trunk of Palm Jumeirah overlooking the Arabian Gulf, Burj Al Arab and Dubai Marina. A key feature is the Duchess Floor, dedicated to female guests, which features 20 exclusive rooms with private lift access, womens only public spaces and discreet and private access to rooms.
If there was ever any question whether those resisting bail reform in the Legislature are doing so out of a concern for public safety, we can put that to rest now.

Last week, the Texas Senate passed a bill by Sen. John Whitmire that caught my attention less for what was in it than for what wasn't. Maybe that's because by the time it came up for vote, it had shrunk from 45 pages to nine.

The latest version simply mandates automated risk assessments for criminal defendants who are eligible for bail. In layman's terms, it requires judges to make sure the people we're jailing actually need to be there, either because they're a flight risk or a danger to society or the alleged victim.

Harris County regularly leaves people charged with low-level crimes in jail simply because they're poor - leading a federal judge recently to declare the bail system unconstitutional and order changes. Compared to that ruling, Whitmire's bill is modest.

What was missing from the version senators voted on was a constitutional amendment that would have let magistrates deny release for the most heinous offenses. In Texas, judges initially are not allowed to deny bond for people charged with murder, violent drug crimes or human trafficking - only with capital murder.

What ends up happening is poor people charged with those offenses - or even just driving with a suspended license - stay in jail. Rich people charged with the same crimes? They get out.

"They pay their $20,000 and go back to business," said Whitmire. "Isn't that crazy as hell?"

An apt assessment.

So, who would oppose giving magistrates the option of keeping those accused of violent crimes - regardless of income - in jail?

Mostly, said Whitmire, members of the bail bonding industry.

They had vehemently fought his original bill, fearing it would send them into bankruptcy. Even now that it's been stripped down, Whitmire said, they'll continue fighting it in the House. He said part of their campaign has included "misinformation, I guess you could say lies" about the dangerous criminals it would allow back out on the street.

It's worth reiterating that Whitmire's bill requires risk to be assessed, not ignored.

Untrue claims

A website sponsored by bondsmen claimed the bill "would let hardened criminals out of jail free because they say they are poor."

One handout from the Professional Bondsmen of Texas makes other untrue claims, stating, among other things, that people charged with crimes would face "no consequence for the failure to appear," that bail "would not be used," that the risk assessment is an attempt to remove "all discretion from trial judges." It claims the constitutional amendment involving non-capital violent crimes "eliminates the right to constitutional bail in Texas."

Whitmire said the bondsmen's real argument comes down to "economic development."

"If they have economic development, they're able to support their candidates in the judiciary, commissioners' court, and members of the Legislature," he said.

The veteran senator, who chairs the Senate criminal justice committee, said industry lobbying led him to water down his bill and led some colleagues - Democrat and Republican - to vote against it regardless of the changes.

"I had more than one legislator say: 'I can't do it. My bail bondsmen said it will put them out of business,' " Whitmire said. "Well, that's not really why we're here."

The U.S. District Court judge who issued the 193-page ruling in Harris County cited evidence that jailing people accused of low-level crimes does not make the community safer and may even increase the likelihood of another arrest. Being jailed days or weeks plunges people into desperate situations, putting them at risk of losing jobs, housing, cars.

Higher priorities

One bondsman, Michael Kubosh, said the "overriding issue" for members of his industry who oppose Whitmire's bill is concern about their bottom lines. But Kubosh is also a Houston city councilman who took an oath to serve his constituents, even if that conflicts with his business interests.

"I'm more concerned about the people and the taxpayers and the victims of the crimes than I am my own pocketbook," Kubosh told me.

He said he's not opposed to the risk assessment in Whitmire's bill, but worries it will "slow down people getting out." He's also concerned about the cost of implementing it, but doesn't seem to factor in how much counties would save by not feeding, clothing and housing people who don't need to be jailed.

After the bill passed, Kubosh said he wrote Whitmire to applaud his efforts to help those who can't afford bail.

"We do not want debtors' prisons," Kubosh said.

Like any other industry, bail bondsmen and ladies have the right to advocate for their livelihood. But lawmakers have the responsibility to consider higher priorities: the Constitution, public safety, and what's best for the Texans they represent. The majority of senators were willing to do that. Now it's up to the House. Whitmire is hopeful but he added:

"I do worry about the bail bonds' influence. They are not giving up."
Cherika Argus arrived at Briscoe's Place last October on the edge, her rental and credit history in tatters.

The south Houston rooming house with 20 small rooms was her best alternative to the streets.

"I didn't want to live in a shelter," said Argus, 37. "The shelter and homeless life is no life for a mother and a 17-year-old son."

Her sanctuary from the streets, however, nearly killed her.

On March 16, a fast-spreading fire set her bedroom door ablaze, sending her scrambling to escape.

Two residents died trying to get out, likely hampered by the haphazard interior with its maze of rooms, locked exit doors and lack of windows that city officials say violated building codes.

The deaths brought renewed attention to problems posed by rooming houses, which serve as refuges of last resort in a city where affordable housing is in precious short supply.

Rooming houses in Houston face little scrutiny from local or state governments, with spotty inspections for occupancy or safety permits and a hodgepodge of city records that complicates overseeing the facilities, the Chronicle found in a review of city permitting, fire and complaint records.

Even limited oversight can save lives.

A week after the fire at Briscoe's Place, 29 people escaped a fire at a southwest Houston boarding home, where the owner had made improvements ordered by the fire department.

Fire officials say the changes likely made the difference in getting people out the doors.

Overregulation of the facilities, however, could make housing more costly, potentially increasing homelessness.

"What is the alternative if these get shut down?" asked Dennis Borel, with the Coalition of Texans with Disabilities. "We don't have a good answer to that. Is the alternative no housing? Is this the de facto lowest housing available? And if we close them, then what?"

DEVELOPMENT: Mayor Turner steps up efforts to oversee rooming, boarding houses

Hundreds of complaints

City officials admit they have no idea how many rooming houses operate in Houston.

The state regulates nursing homes, assisted-living facilities and halfway houses, and the city registers boarding homes - facilities that house three or more unrelated adults and provide some sort of services.

But beyond basic building codes, no agency regulates rooming houses or bunkhouses, the low-cost rentals where residents often pay weekly for a bed.

Complaints about them, however, are plentiful. City call data from the 311 hotline shows more than 450 complaints since 2014 about "unsafe boarding houses," a broad category that can include rooming houses and other types of multi-resident housing.

Fifty locations had two or more complaints, and the Chronicle review found more than a dozen that appear to be operating as rooming houses.

Tangled city records, however, make it nearly impossible to determine whether those buildings are safe. Permits - if they exist at all - are often out of date, based on prior ownership and different uses for the buildings, and documentation is disconnected from related records in other city departments.

Occupancy permits, for example, are issued by the Department of Public Works and Engineering, but other safety and construction inspections go through the fire and building departments. Complaints to the city's 311 hotline, meanwhile, are investigated by the Department of Neighborhoods.

"What this highlights is a gap in information sharing," Houston Fire Chief Samuel Pena said. "Currently, there is no functional common records management system that would allow the city's building inspection program to mine data from multiple sources ... to track, score, and prioritize inspections of high-risk premises."

City officials say it could take years before all the departments' databases are fully linked. After the fires, the city's Administration and Regulatory Affairs Department reviewed the city's boarding home regulations with other key departments "to ensure that appropriate measures are being taken to protect public safety," ARA Deputy Director Lara Cottingham said.

The department is considering clarifying a city ordinance to define city-regulated homes that house the elderly and disabled as personal care residences rather than boarding homes, to clearly distinguish them from other types of lodging facilities, she said.

Two fires in two weeks

Today, Briscoe's Place sits empty and boarded up amid the vacant storefronts along Griggs Road, an iron chain wrapped through the front door.

Moses Briscoe - the owner of the damaged rooming house - declined recently to comment about the fire and its aftermath, as he worked next door in his upholstery business. He told the Chronicle after the March fire that he operated the building to give people who might otherwise live in their cars a place to stay.

Ten years ago, Briscoe received a certificate of occupancy to use the site as a banquet hall. In 2014, he paid the fire department to inspect the building so he could receive a permit for a boarding house, documents show.

The fire department denied the permit weeks later, however, and Briscoe never obtained a certificate of occupancy to operate the building as a rooming house for more than 16 people, according to city records.

The fire inspection did not cite the improper lock at the front door, nor the lack of windows for the interior bedrooms. The Department of Neighborhoods investigated a 2015 safety complaint and concluded the building was not overcrowded, but the city has not yet released a copy of the report.

Other city records show that employees from three departments visited the building more than a half-dozen times since 2014, but apparently never questioned whether the facility met basic life-safety or building codes.

Two residents died and one was injured after a fire broke out Thursday, March 16, 2017, at Briscoe's Place. Two residents died and one was injured after a fire broke out Thursday, March 16, 2017, at Briscoe's Place. Photo: J. Patric Schneider, For The Chronicle Photo: J. Patric Schneider, For The Chronicle Image 1 of / 1 Caption Close Fatal fire exposes lax oversight by city, state of Houston's rooming houses 1 / 1 Back to Gallery

Miles away and just days after Briscoe's Place erupted in flames, an early morning fire broke out at a registered boarding home in the 12700 block of Corona Lane at South Dairy Ashford.

Fire safety inspectors had visited that home in December 2015, ordering the building's owner to repair bedroom windows, add smoke detectors in the stairwells and signs at the exit doors, and install dead bolts to allow easier escape.

Larry Thomas, who ran the boarding home, said he's glad inspectors alerted him to potential problems.

"They made me aware of what we needed to do," he said. "It was a tremendous help."

Thomas started running the home after his own experience living in similar facilities, while recovering years ago from a serious illness. The 3,000-square--foot, seven-bedroom home on Corona Lane housed more than two dozen people, depending on the time of month and their finances.

"I tried to run a family-oriented environment," he said. "It wasn't no rootie-toot operation."

After the inspection, he bought smoke alarms, fire extinguishers and new door locks, and developed a fire evacuation plan.

The fire broke out March 23. He woke up that day smelling smoke, and he and his son found flames in the attic.

"We got everybody out before it got too bad," he said.

Fire department officials credit the changes he made with saving lives.

"When you have a structure that is going to house multiple occupants, evacuation can always be an issue," Houston Fire Captain Ruy Lozano said recently. "When a fire came in, not only were the occupants notified early, the ability to evacuate was made easier by all those safety measures that were put in place."

Thomas is not sure he'll be able to reopen. On a recent visit, the front of the house appeared largely undamaged, but flames had chewed through much of the rear roof and debris lay scattered throughout.

Getting people off the streets

Better enforcement - instead of more regulations - could make rooming houses safer for residents, said John Hernandez, who owns more than a dozen across the city.

He rents out about 500 rooms for about $80 to $100 a week to tenants who typically earn $1,000 or less a month.

"I want to help people have a place to stay," Hernandez said.

He makes every effort to keep renters safe by keeping his buildings up to code and regularly maintained.

"We have a full-time maintenance crew," he said. "We maintain our properties ... fairly decent, for the condition and rent we get. We have our crew out there every day."

Records from the fire department show inspectors have visited many of his properties, citing some with minor violations that appear to have been corrected.

"The standard regulations they have now, I think, are more than enough," he said. "They just may need to be enforced a little more often."

Residents shared mixed reviews of his facilities online. One person complained about poor upkeep and cleanliness at one location, while a renter at another left a five-star review.

"It's a roof over your head and you have your own room," she wrote.

At the Everett Bunk House just off Main Street in the quiet Near Northside neighborhood, owner Richard Salinas modeled his place on the bunk-style barracks he slept in during his military service.

First wake-up is at 3 a.m., for early morning workers. At 7 a.m., everyone has to get up, said the retired Houston police officer and former U.S. Marine with a bristly gray mustache.

"You have an hour to [expletive], shower and shave," Salinas said.

He houses 50 to 70 people a night for $12 a day, and recently expanded. Tenants include restaurants and warehouse workers, and day laborers, some of whom stay for months or even years.

"What I'm trying to do as a bunk house owner is get people off the street," he said. "My place is the last stop before rock bottom."

On a recent visit, the facility had a fresh coat of paint, the grass recently mown.

"If there's a permit, I have it," he said.

Looking ahead

For residents living on limited income or disability checks, rooming homes provide stability, said Eva Thibaudeau, director of programs at the Coalition for the Homeless of Houston/Harris County.

"It's filling a need," Thibaudeau said. "The problem is we're not doing it in a very safe or scrutinized manner."

Legislators have grappled with the issue for years. A 2008 report to the Texas Legislature found more than 845 boarding houses across Texas, with a lack of widespread local regulation.

RELATED: 70 years ago: The deadliest disaster in Houston's history

The report called for increasing housing options for low-income, elderly, disabled and mentally ill residents, and recommended that state and local communities support development of special housing with extra services for people with mental illness.

Some Texas cities have a more hands-on approach to regulation. In Austin, multi-resident facilities such as boarding homes, bunkhouses, and fraternities fall under a broad category of "rooming houses," said J.D. Meier, manager at the city's code enforcement division.

Any facility with more than six residents must obtain a license and pass an annual inspection, he said.

State Sen. Jose Menendez, who worked on legislation eight years ago to regulate group homes, said costs kept more-expansive legislation from passing.

"The big thing is no one has the financial wherewithal to be able to pay attention to this - no one is choosing to put the finances there," he said.

He filed a bill this legislative session to further regulate boarding homes, which would allow prosecution of owners or employees if they mistreat residents - similar to provisions for nursing homes or assisted living facilities.

"It's important, yes, to have good community-based [housing] options," Menendez said. "But they have to be safe."

Finding a home

More than a month after the fire at Briscoe's Place, Cherika Argus has moved into a new apartment in a new neighborhood in northwest Houston. But she spent all of her savings to do so.

She doesn't have a refrigerator or stove. Virtually all of her paperwork is gone, burned up. And she's still trying to acclimate to the neighborhood.

"It's stressful," she said.

Argus was credited with helping save more than a dozen people escape from the fire. She ran door-to-door, knocking to alert people about the blaze.

One of the women she helped to escape has since died, from what she believes was the stress of the whole incident.

"I'm not the only one stressed behind this, there are a bunch of people stressed behind it," she said. "It took a toll on everybody."

Houston Chronicle reporter Margaret Kadifa contributed to this report.
AUSTIN  Facing concerns over bad timing, House lawmakers decided Friday to postpone action on a bill that would essentially legalize all knives in the state just days after the fatal stabbing at the University of Texas.

The bill's author, Rep. John Frullo, had said Thursday he would not delay floor debate, but reversed that decision just hours after the House passed a memorial resolution in honor of the student killed in the attack.

"In light of just everything going on right now," Frullo said. "Now is not the right time for this to come before this body."

That move came after the Travis County delegation, which represents Austin, asked Speaker Joe Straus and Frullo to delay consideration. Rep. Donna Howard, D-Austin, said she told Straus and Frullo, "This was not the time to be debating this legislation."

In Texas, it is legal to openly carry pistols, rifles and other long guns in public. Texans can also carry concealed handguns on public college campuses, but state law still prohibits them from carrying some types of knives, including the popular Bowie knife. The Texas Legislature considered similar legislation last session, but it failed.

'Puts a dark cloud over the bill'

Before the decision was made to postpone the bill, House lawmakers honored UT student Harrison Brown - the victim who died in Monday's knife attack on the UT-Austin campus. The resolution was authored and introduced to the House by Rep. Drew Springer, a Muenster Republican who is also a joint author on the knife bill. Brown's family are Springer's constituents in the city of Graham.

Springer had hoped the House could separate their feelings on the UT stabbing and the bill that would remove a section of state law that defines "illegal knives" as those with a blade longer than 5 and a half inches, Bowie knives, daggers, swords, spears or any "hand instrument designed to cut or stab another by being thrown."

"I know it puts a dark cloud over the bill," Springer said. "We've just got to see if the body can separate the two today and have a discussion on it and figure out if it's the right thing to do to go forward."

University officials and police officers weighed in Friday. UT President Greg Fenves asked lawmakers to consider how university students and staff would feel about the legislation. As written, the bill does not have any restrictions for carrying knives on university campuses, meaning that if a person was walking through campus and carrying a blade larger than 5 and a half inches, they could not be stopped by police unless they committed an offense. The suspect of Monday's attack was carrying a large hunting knife, according to police.

"I think allowing knives on campus is a bad idea," Fenves said. "As events this week showed, this is a very real issue for our campus. I urge legislators considering this law to talk with members of our community and see how they feel about it."

Charley Wilkison, executive director of the Combined Law Enforcement Associations of Texas, said such a law would be frightening to regular citizens who could spot a person carrying a large knife in public.

"There's no compelling reason to change (the law)," he said. "Changing the law and adding a lengthier knife that can be carried outside is certainly not something that law enforcement needs."

Plans restrictions at colleges

House Bill 1935 - authored by Frullo, Springer and a handful of bipartisan lawmakers - currently addresses knife restrictions only at public schools. The bill would give public schools the option to expel students who bring a knife on campus or to a school-sponsored event. It also would remove knives from the list of weapons that are illegal to sell those younger than 18.

But lawmakers already have plans to change the legislation to include restrictions on knives at colleges. Rep. Joe Moody, an El Paso Democrat and joint author on the bill, said he hoped lawmakers would make those changes during floor debate to include restrictions for carrying knives at colleges, hospitals and churches - regulations similar to Texas law for handguns.

"What we should've done before we got here, is made this change to mimic what we do elsewhere in the law," Moody said.

Moody supports the bill, but suggested that lawmakers should wait and revisit the legislation next session.

"If we are going to take it up, then we need to make sure this conduct is still an offense when it's on college campuses and other locations like we've done with firearm laws," he said.
The Texas House on Saturday voted overwhelmingly to place new constraints on craft breweries that grow beyond a set size or become acquired by a larger beer company.

Supporters of House Bill 3287 also fought back efforts to amend the legislation to give craft brewers the right to sell some beer on site for consumers to take home - something the smaller brewers have tried to secure for years.

HB 3287, blasted as anti-competitive by critics, is opposed by the Texas Craft Brewers Guild and Anheuser-Busch InBev as well as pro-business groups and a conservative Texas think tank.

"Now we prepare for the Senate battle," guild executive director Charles Vallhonrat said after the vote.

A 2013 package of laws gave breweries that produce less than 225,000 barrels of beer annually to sell up to 5,000 barrels directly to customers, who must drink the beer in the taproom before they leave.

On-site sales

As originally written, House Bill 3287 would have extended the prohibition against on-site sales to any brewery that is acquired by another company that collectively exceeds that limit.

That group includes Houston's Karbach Brewing Co., acquired last fall by A-B InBev, which makes many of millions of barrels of Budweiser and other products across the globe.

A revision to the bill allows Karbach and the other larger breweries to continue to operate taprooms, but it would force them to sell their beer to a distributor and then buy it back for sale to the public.

The brewers say the bill would discourage investors and will hurt their ability to grow.

The only beneficiary, they say, are the distributors who already exert near-total control over how beer gets from producers to retailers.

Two other amendments that failed to pass targeted the wholesalers directly. One would have forced distributors, once they bought the beer, to take it to a warehouse before delivering it back to the brewery.

The other amendment would have forbidden distributors who merely collect their payment without touching the beer from charging more than an administrative fee.

'Hurts no one'

The sponsor of the bill, state Rep. Craig Goldman, R-Fort Worth, opened the discussion on the House floor by asserting that his proposal actually would save craft breweries by offering protection from large multinational companies that might buy Texas breweries in the future.

"This bill hurts no one," he said, neither craft brewers nor consumers.

Goldman also accused the Texas Craft Brewers Guild of spreading misleading information  a charge that Vallhonrat, the head of the guild, vigorously denied.

Vallhonrat called the accusations "misplaced and inaccurate."

Rep. Jason Isaac, R-Dripping Springs, introduced the amendment that would have allowed brewers to sell some beer for off-premise consumption. He said his amendment would put brewers on par with Texas wineries and distilleries.

Goldman objected, and that amendment also was soundly defeated.
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For much of the past 48 years, Johnny Isbell has dominated Pasadena politics, striving to bring this city of dual identities - industrial and suburban, diverse and divided - out of Houston's shadow.

Isbell, 78, is serving out his last days as mayor, after he was term-limited from running for re-election on Saturday. He leaves behind a legacy as conflicted as the city he steered for so long.

To some, Isbell is a hawkish businessman, and he'll step down with nearly $46 million in general fund surpluses. He is a staunch supporter of police, a recipient of untold community service awards and a responsive listener to the aggrieved citizen who gets his ear.

Others in this city of 150,000 reflect on his time in office through a different lens. They say he cultivated loyal lieutenants, doled out work to favored contractors, punished enemies and ramrodded through council rules and charter reforms.

Court documents, government records, newspaper archives and interviews paint a picture of the man who became entrenched as Pasadena's chief power broker, creating a system of patronage that relied heavily on his ability to distribute rewards to white, affluent constituents in the south.

He never embraced the inevitable cultural changes arriving with immigrants and their children, nor did he accept that any successful master plan for Pasadena would have to embrace them, too, his critics contend. Instead, they say, he appealed to deeply rooted xenophobia - Pasadena had a Ku Klux Klan bookstore until the 1980s.

Isbell declined interview requests, as did several family members and associates, but he spoke briefly to a reporter after the council meeting Tuesday. He pointed out that his legacy was clear from the result of his last election in 2013, where he won 83 percent of the vote.

In his 2017 state-of-the-city address, he reflected on the nearly half a billion dollars' worth of infrastructure, and endless municipal building and park projects, done under his watch.

"I did it all because I love this city, and I'm passionate about this city," he said.

Paulette Lanier, a retired schoolteacher, showed up at a council meeting last month to praise Isbell for his help with her south-side neighborhood's skirmish over an unwanted commercial development.

"I know Johnny Isbell is not perfect, who is?" she said about a recent flap in which the mayor referred to a Hispanic councilman as "boy" and later issued a public apology. "But he's done a lot in participating with groups that come in for help. Johnny hasn't stolen any land or taken anything away from people. I think he's been a good mayor."

Her views of Pasadena's north side illustrate the city's divide. "When you drive over there, it's all Hispanic signs," she said. "I don't like that. If they live here, why don't they have an American sign?"

On the north side, Isbell's legacy is decaying, vacant office buildings and renovations that never made it halfway.

He lost the ability to shape more of Pasadena's future by ignoring the changing demographics in Harris County's second-largest city, his critics say. When he spouted off, in 2013, the wildly inaccurate figure that 70 percent of Hispanics in town were there illegally, they saw it as part demagoguery, part wishful thinking.

A federal judge said he pushed a redistricting plan that year to keep the old regime in power. He tried to shift the districts to favor whites who have turned out to the polls in higher numbers, though they make up only about a third of the population.

U.S. District Judge Lee Rosenthal found the plan discriminated against Hispanics and ordered Pasadena to conduct Saturday's election using the old system.

Isbell's political machine at City Hall, 50 years in the making, might no longer be strong enough to stop the Hispanic majority.

---

Isbell grew up on the north side, roaming barefoot through strawberry fields. His father was a Harris County deputy sheriff who named him after a Texas Ranger and sent him to a military high school in San Antonio. He went to night school at the University of Houston starting in 1958, served in the Army National Guard for three years, and finished school with a science degree in 1969, the year he was first elected to council.

With $300 a month from council, he started Apache Oil Co., a fuel hauling business, wearing a suit in the morning for sales calls and changing into overalls by afternoon to drive the truck. Today, he has executive positions in Apache, Isbell Interests Inc., Isbell Equipment Co. and J&K Isbell Investments Inc. Through these companies and as an individual, he has owned dozens of properties in the Pasadena area worth millions of dollars.

Some of Isbell's transactions have happened without public disclosure, such as in 2016, when he and relatives sold 7.5 acres on Space Center Boulevard to Baywood Villas for more than $14 million. That property, owned by the Isbells since 1998, was not on the mayor's personal financial statement, which is supposed to list his real estate transactions.

Isbell was first elected mayor in 1981, stunning the city's political establishment with a landslide win over incumbent Jim Clark.

Early on, he rewarded patrons.

He quickly halted engineering work on a plan to extend a sewer along Fairmont Parkway. Instead, in a meeting closed to the public, he sold the council on rerouting the line along property owned by Bay-Fair Enterprises. It had plans to extend the Baywood Shadows subdivision. Bay-Fair Vice President Lee Petterson finished construction on Isbell's house after he filed for election as mayor.

Petterson employed, as a salesman in Baywood, City Councilman Richard Scott, who would go on to become a strong Isbell ally. In the voting rights trial decided earlier this year, Scott admitted to using city resources and employees to campaign for Isbell's charter amendments. Scott also had favored the sewer route benefitting his boss.

That same year, when local bankers objected to the city moving money to higher-interest accounts in Houston, Isbell halted a council meeting and had lunch with them in his office. When the meeting reconvened, Isbell and the council agreed to bar the city controller from investing outside of Pasadena. The move would cost the city thousands a month in interest. That Saturday, the bankers joined hundreds of people at an "appreciation dinner," raising $45,000 - about $117,000 in today's dollars - to recoup Isbell's campaign expenses.

He appointed a longtime friend and campaign supporter, David Mullican, as police chief, promoting him over higher-ranked officers. Mullican had been suspended by a previous chief because he was caught on duty making cash runs for the owner of Gilley's, the Pasadena honky-tonk of "Urban Cowboy" fame. A municipal court judge was so disgusted with Mullican's promotion that he resigned in protest.

Isbell could be vindictive with enemies. After a man came to council with a dagger and launched into a tirade against one of Isbell's opponents, the mayor sat and listened while someone else called police. Then he tossed the offender $130 through the cage of the police car to help him make bail.

Isbell could be autocratic. He refused (and still refuses) to let council members put items on the agenda. In that first term, he labeled them "damn idiots" for rejecting his plan to reorganize city administration, then insisted they submit written explanations for their votes.

In 1983, when council rejected a rate increase that Isbell wanted to help finance $6 million in bonds for water utility improvements, he took a quorum of councilmen on a secret trip to New York. There, to get a better bond rating, he deliberately misled Moody's Investors Service about the council vote, as reported at the time by the Houston Post.

He lost his 1985 mayoral bid to longtime rival John Ray Harrison after a bitter campaign in which he accused Harrison of, among other things, adultery. Before leaving office, Isbell shredded his administration's documents.

In 1993, when he reclaimed the mayor's seat, and with Harrison out of office just three weeks, Isbell had city workers remove the letters identifying the John Ray Harrison Convention Center.

---

Isbell did some of his most important work as mayor in the 1980s and 90s, said Pasadena historian David Pomeroy.

He advocated arts and culture, returning hotel tax money to initiatives that would make Pasadena its own destination apart from Houston, and luring restaurants and retail to offset the industry-heavy footprint. That era saw the formation of the Pasadena Cultural Arts Council and the local philharmonic orchestra.

He beefed up the ranks of the police and fire departments, adding buildings and equipment.

His five mayoral terms helped fend off annexations by Houston, acquired land that would become prime port real estate, and fostered the establishment of an economic development corporation, funded by sales tax, that allowed the city to shift the burden for some street, flood control and utility projects away from homeowners.

But Pasadena never could stick with a long-term plan, or develop a clear strategy for the north side.

Immigrants and their descendants settled in north of Southmore Avenue. Pasadena was about 10 percent to 15 percent Hispanic when Isbell entered city government as a councilman in 1969. Today, it's more than 62 percent.

Over the years, the lack of representation on council translated to decay in the north, while the city responded quickly to concerns in the south, according to the testimony of numerous officials and residents in the federal trial.

Isbell's successor from 2001 to 2008, marketing consultant John Manlove, had commissioned a north side revitalization plan. It was published in 2009, just as Isbell won the mayor's office again.

"I have pledged my whole political career never to give up on the north end," he said during that campaign. "I don't break our city down by north or south, and I don't break our citizens down by ethnicity. They're all Americans, and they're all Pasadenians, and that's the way I treat them."

But much of the plan would never get implemented, and by then, Pomeroy said, it was clear there were two Pasadenas.

Isbell reinforced that with his comments, including his pledges to have police check the immigration status of uninsured motorists. When council candidate Ornaldo Ybarra recruited a woman to hand out campaign materials, Isbell told him, "you know you can't have that black lady there pushing push cards," adding that he'd lose votes if whites saw her, Ybarra testified.

He'd been talking that way since his first days as mayor. After the federal government planned in 1981 to use Ellington Air Force Base as a detention center for Cubans, Haitians and others who entered the U.S. illegally, Isbell pulled no punches.

"I'm tired of this area being used as a dumping ground for the rest of the country," he said. "We already have the pollution from the refineries  They are now trying to surround us with their chemical waste dumps, and now they want to send us all their undesirables."

Cody Ray Wheeler felt the mayor's temperament in his first official meeting with Isbell in 2013.

The new councilman, who is Hispanic, had been helped in the election by his Anglo surname, he acknowledged. But his win also was a symbol of the north side's growing clout at the polls, and a rejection of the mayor's politics.

Wheeler sat down in Isbell's office, ready to hear the platitudes and pledges of cooperation that usually come after a municipal election. Instead, Isbell showed him a copy of the city charter, how it allowed him to have Wheeler thrown out of a meeting.

"It was a tumultuous start, to say the least," Wheeler said.

---

By the start of Isbell's final term, four years ago, a power shift was imminent.

But Isbell didn't throw support to the north side, as he'd pledged. Instead, he inspired more animus.

Freed by a Supreme Court decision that struck down federal oversight of the electoral systems in Texas, Isbell maneuvered a city committee into focusing on charter amendments, including changing two of the council's single-member districts to at-large seats.

After the public got wind of the change, and how it could hurt Hispanic representation, the committee held its fourth and final meeting in private, with police posted at the door.

It rejected the mayor's plan, but he still had enough council support to get it on the ballot as Proposition 1. Before council voted on it, Isbell had police remove council member Pat Van Houte from the meeting because she spoke beyond a 2-minute time limit.

He then turned to a mechanism his administration established in the late 1990s - the Neighborhood Network program. It used money set aside in the mayor's budget to award grants for sprucing up communities. Scott, the mayor's longtime ally, had ultimate sway over which neighborhoods to engage, according to court testimony.

About a month before the election, the Neighborhood Network program held an appreciation social for homeowners' associations.

Isbell told the groups at the white-tablecloth affair that they should vote for Proposition 1.

On Nov. 5, 2013, Pasadena voters approved the redistricting change by just 79 out of more than 6,500 ballots cast. Hispanic opposition was nearly 100 percent.

The resulting lawsuit and trial became a new front in the national battle over race and politics. Attorneys for the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund weren't just arguing the case for Pasadena. They were, in effect, arguing that scores of American communities hadn't grown far enough from their ugly pasts to do without federal oversight. And they pointed to the machinations of one powerful local politician to do it:

In the year leading up to the election, Neighborhood Networks issued no checks. But during five days surrounding the vote, it paid out nearly $100,000 to south-side groups.

The north got $776.23.

Susan Carroll and Kristi Nix contributed to this report.
From Akron to Youngstown and Canton to Cleveland, as in cities and towns across the country, workers who once walked out of factories at the end of each shift now stream out of hospitals.

While manufacturing employment has fallen nearly 40 percent in northeastern Ohio since 2000, the number of health care jobs in the region has jumped more than 30 percent over the same period. In Akron, the onetime rubber capital of the world, only one of the city's 10 largest employers still makes tires. Three are hospitals.

"People who used to make deliveries to factories are now making them to hospitals," said Samuel D. DeShazior, Akron's deputy mayor for economic development.

Akron's transformation is echoed in places as varied as Birmingham, Alabama, Los Angeles and Pittsburgh, along with rural areas like Iron County, Missouri, where health care accounts for one-fifth of all employment.

The outsize economic role of the U.S. health care industry heightens the risks posed by Republicans' effort in Washington to repeal the Affordable Care Act, enacted in 2010 under President Barack Obama, and it comes at a delicate moment for the broader economy.

While the government reported Friday that unemployment was at its lowest point in more than a decade, the health care industry has been an engine for much of that hiring - adding jobs at more than three times the rate of the rest of the economy since 2007.

Nor is the growth limited to hospitals. With help from the vast expansion of Medicaid enrollment that began three years ago, nursing homes, outpatient centers and medical labs have also grown, turning a fragmented industry into a strong political force.

Governors on both sides of the aisle, as well as many moderate Republicans on Capitol Hill, have expressed concern over whether the repeal will hurt local economies, especially in places where health care has softened the blow from struggling industries like retailing now or manufacturing in the past.

Moreover, in a recovery plagued by uneven growth and widening income inequality, the sector has been a reliable source of steady gains. Health care now equals almost one-fifth of gross domestic product, up from 13 percent in 2000, and it is poised to leapfrog retailing and leisure and hospitality as the second-largest source of overall employment, after professional and business services, accounting for 1 in 8 private-sector jobs.

Micro-concerns

The boom in health care did not begin with the Affordable Care Act. The industry was among the only parts of the economy to emerge relatively unscathed from the Great Recession, and it has flourished under Democratic and Republican presidents alike.

"Demographics and the expansion of Medicare and Medicaid in past decades contributed to the rise of health care's share of the economy, and Obamacare extended that," said Michael Gapen, chief U.S. economist at Barclays. Nevertheless, he warned that if the legislation approved by the House on Thursday were to become law, it could undermine overall economic growth.

"It's not trivial, and it's much easier to constrain activity than to promote it," Gapen said. "Reversing Obamacare is negative for the economy in the next year or two."

The cost of providing coverage to millions more Americans has its own economic consequences.

Many employers, particularly small businesses, complain that they are straining under the demands imposed by the law. They argue that the ACA stifles economic growth by forcing companies to pay heavy taxes and meet cumbersome regulatory burdens. Critics of the law, including many of the Republican backers of the proposed overhaul, say businesses and individuals are also being forced to pay for overly generous coverage.

Whatever the macroeconomic dangers, economists say the potential effects on individual consumers are just as worrisome. The House version of the repeal legislation does include significant tax cuts, which usually stimulate economic activity - but with most of the savings going to wealthier households, that bounty is likely to be saved, not spent.

At the same time, losing insurance coverage tends to constrain household spending while increasing financial insecurity among families, according to Matt Notowidigdo, a professor of economics at Northwestern. A 2016 paper Notowidigdo worked on showed that an uninsured hospital stay doubles the risk of bankruptcy for individuals, while lowering credit scores and leaving consumers with an average of $6,000 in unpaid bills.

Higher subsidies

The proposed legislation poses more risks for some parts of the country than others, said Mark Duggan, a professor of economics at Stanford University. For example, about 9 percent of the population in Florida buys coverage through the new exchanges created under the Affordable Care Act, more than any other state.

"If you lower the subsidies for coverage of 1.8 million Floridians, that will reduce what they can spend on other goods and services," he said.

Duggan said states like Kentucky, Arkansas, New Mexico and West Virginia would be hard hit by the planned cuts in Medicaid, estimated at more than $880 billion over 10 years. Another vulnerable slice of the population is workers who are a few years away from 65, when Medicare kicks in.

"If there is a group that loses out the most, it's near-seniors," said Craig Garthwaite, director of the Healthcare Program at Northwestern's Kellogg School of Management. "Their health care is so expensive, but the tax credit in the House bill caps out at $4,000."

Garthwaite, who is a registered Republican and describes himself as a conservative economist, said there were few benefits for local economies in the bill, "and from an individual standpoint, it will be financially crippling for the poor." Already, he added, "we're seeing hospitals pause and adjust to the uncertainty by rethinking expansion plans."

The potential loss of billions of dollars in federal money to states like New York, where large health systems like Northwell and Mount Sinai Health are among the biggest private employers, has helped turn state officials like Gov. Andrew Cuomo into vehement critics of the repeal efforts. The state estimated that the repeal could shift more than $2.4 billion in costs onto taxpayers and hospitals each year.

Economists on the left and right say the Affordable Care Act needs substantial changes to ensure its long-term sustainability. They warn, however, that the current House legislation is so sweeping and its changes so abrupt that it carries economic risks of its own, especially given the size of the health care sector and how slowly other parts of the economy are growing.

Potential changes to Medicaid are "going to put incredible pressure on the states, that will put incredible pressure" on what hospitals receive in payments, said Daniel Steingart, who follows the industry for Moody's Investors Service. How states would react could vary significantly, he said, with some doing more to make up for the shortfall from the federal government.

Hospital executives said they faced tremendous uncertainty. Many, like Dr. Akram Boutros, chief executive of the MetroHealth System in Cleveland, were talking with lawmakers to make the case against the bill's abrupt cuts to Medicaid, hoping for some relief in the Senate. The Ohio Medicaid expansion has "been incredibly important to the health of the community," he said.

Hospitals facing losses

Like other executives, Boutros argues that health system groups need to find ways of reducing the overall cost of care.

"The system as constituted today is underperforming and failing the American public," he said. Hospitals could deliver better care for less money, he said, pointing to a program at MetroHealth that improved the health of people with hypertension and diabetes while saving $1,500 per patient a year.

Steingart agreed, arguing that with Washington fixated on the issue of coverage, the difficult debate over how to control costs has not yet taken place.

"What's been missing is what makes health care so expensive in this country," he said. "We haven't tackled that issue, and it's a big one."

The House health care bill faces an uphill battle in the Senate, which seemed likely to soften some large cuts outlined in the House version that were put in to make the legislation more palatable to conservative Republicans. Still, the prospect of cuts of any size has challenged hospitals to try to provide lower-cost care while preparing themselves to absorb the loss of paying patients.

Atlantic Health System in Morristown, N.J., which benefited from the expansion of Medicaid and the falling number of people without insurance, faces the possibility of losing $65 million a year in revenue. The system's chief executive, Brian Gragnolati, talked to his staff Thursday about the possible impact of the House bill.

"What I worry about in our organization is, how are we going to lean into the changes we need to make while we have this uncertainty hanging there?" he said.

But Gragnolati also worried about the health bill's potential effects on patients, some of whom have gained access to care for the first time.

"What is going to happen here is when people don't have access now to care, they will go back to the emergency departments for their primary care, waiting and waiting and waiting," to get a condition treated, Gragnolati said. "I just feel like we're going back in time to a place where we were a decade ago. It's an absolute shame."
On May 6, airberlin started its new non-stop connection from Dusseldorf to Orlando. airberlin flight AB 7006 with Captain Peter Hackenberg and his 10 crew members took off right on time at 11 am from the Dusseldorf airport for the United States with 220 passengers on board.

The flight takes about 10 hours in the air and arrives at 3 pm local time at the Orlando International Airport (MCO).

airberlins summer schedule includes five weekly flights to Orlando. Starting this coming winter, the number of flights to the city that is known throughout the world for its unique theme parks such as Walt Disney World Resort will be increased to one per day.

Orlando is airberlins third destination in Florida alongside Miami and Fort Myers. With 21 weekly departures from Dusseldorf and Berlin, airberlin is now the German airline with the most non-stop connections to the Sunshine State and thus also for passengers to Florida from Germany.

The launch of our new route to Orlando is good news for Dusseldorf as an air traffic hub and for the new airberlin. By including this route, we are implementing a major step of our strategic repositioning and further extending the long-haul routes from Dusseldorf. Overall, we have increased the capacity of our flight schedule to Florida in the past twelve months by 76 per cent, while capacity on our US routes grew by 53 per cent on average. We look forward to bringing business travellers and tourists to Orlando as well as flying even more international passengers to Dusseldorf. airberlin is the new Florida airline, said airberlin CEO Thomas Winkelmann.

n the current summer season, airberlin will be flying a total of 84 times a week, non-stop, to eight destinations in the US: Boston, Chicago, Fort Myers, New York City, Miami, Los Angeles, Orlando, and San Francisco. The flights will be operated by long-haul A330-200 jets equipped with 19 FullFlat Seats in Business Class and 46 XL Seats in Economy Class. The latter provide passengers with 20 per cent more legroom and the largest seat pitch on long-haul flights in Economy Class.

Plane tickets to Orlando and many other destinations can be booked at airberlin.com
"Let's see if the wetback can swim."

With those words, Officer Terry Denson tossed Joe Campos Torres into Buffalo Bayou. His drowned body was found three days later on May 8, 1977 - exactly 40 years ago today.

The killing of Torres - a Hispanic veteran arrested at an East End bar - was the spark that set off a series of protests, firings and reforms that eventually transformed the Houston Police Department into the modern crime-fighting institution that we know today.

At the time, the department was enmeshed in a series of police brutality scandals covered by Texas Monthly in an article titled, " New Gang In Town: What Happens When Cops Run Wild?"

Killings, planted evidence and a federal discrimination lawsuit all provided the fuel that Torres' death set ablaze at an event known as the Moody Park Riot. Consider it our city's version of the Ferguson protests.

The conflicts could have kept escalating were it not for Houston's new police chief, Harry Caldwell, who was hired a few months after the riot.

Though he served in that role for less than three years, Caldwell instituted key reforms that still exist today, such as HPD's first internal affairs department, HPD's first formal manual and the first liaisons to minority communities. In just a few short years, relationships between HPD and Houston's Hispanic community had improved to such a degree that Caldwell even commended a local police critic during a LULAC convention, who in turn praised the chief for his efforts. That sort of exchange previously would have been unimaginable.

It goes to show how those moments of crisis and scandal within our public institutions become important opportunities for forward-looking leaders. The Department of Justice is supposed to fill that leadership role at a national level. Unfortunately, Attorney General Jefferson Beauregard Sessions III has made it clear he has no interest in putting federal pressure on local police departments that need reform. Every passing month seems to bring news of some officer killing an unarmed young man - we're still mourning the death of 15-year-old Jordan Edwards in Balch Springs, a Dallas suburb.

Last month, members of Congress visited our city to learn about HPD's successful community programs. Houstonians should take pride in knowing that a once-troubled department is now a model for the nation. We can only hope that the next congressional delegation brings along Sessions so that he, too, can learn the story of Joe Campos Torres and Chief Caldwell.
Years of talk

Regarding "GOP health care win generates joy, anxiety" (Page A1, Friday), it's so interesting that President Trump and the House Republicans celebrated the passage of this new health care bill. Each of them has just voted himself a big tax cut. They have the right to crow, "We won!"

The losers are the young woman with rheumatoid arthritis, the minimum-wage earner who has had diverticulitis, the child with an inoperable brain tumor, the elderly with a litany of ailments. Eight years in the making, and this is the best they can do?

Beth Gunn, Magnolia

Disastrous

Health care is a universal human right for any modern advanced society. So why can our politicians not get it right for all Americans? They are catering to those persons and corporations with wealth who contribute to their campaigns.

Other countries have done much better at handling health care for their citizens. Politicians should take advantage of their examples and do what is right for all Americans.

The underwriting principle of insurance is spreading risk. To be fair to all Americans, we must spread that risk over the whole population. To do less is not fair to those who need help the most. This should be simple, as anyone among us could be the next one at risk.

To push health care on the states will only result in a disastrous and confusing situation.

R.K. Entrekin, Houston

Consequences

Shame on House Republicans, a great many representing Texas, who voted to repeal Obamacare. A heavy political price might be paid. In the words of House Minority Whip Steny Hoyer of Maryland - Republicans "will rue the day." While in the short run they can declare a Pyrrhic victory, in 2018 voters in their districts will remember how they voted.

Some Republicans, most nonpartisan analysts and nearly every major health organization believe it is a bad policy that will hurt their constituents - not to mention a piece of legislation that likely won't survive in the Senate.

Ironically, Paul Ryan in 2009 criticized Democrats for trying to push through health care legislation to meet an "artificial deadline." House Republicans haven't learned a lesson from what happened to President Obama in the off-year election.

Richard Cherwitz, Austin

Looking ahead

Reports of Thursday's GOP kegger accompanied by cigar chasers reminds me of the frat guys I mostly avoided back in the late '60s. Youthful, privileged and monied, their thoughts were very far-removed from the aged, ill or poor.

Amazingly, those immature boys reappeared before my eyes Thursday as the House Republicans raised their mugs of Bud Light to toast passage of a "health" bill guaranteed to damage those with less - less money, less influence, less resources - while funding a tax break for the wealthiest Americans through withdrawal of that support for those most needy.

Hopefully, the more thoughtful fraternity brothers in the Senate will prevail with a mature review of the problems this bill creates for many of their constituents. Whether driven by altruism or self-preservation, the "100" can save our collective souls.

Carol Godell, Spring
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My doctor recently referred me to be screened for breast cancer after a regular exam. And like the overwhelming majority of black women, I have dense breast tissue, which decreases the sensitivity of mammography screening. This makes breast cancer more difficult to detect using traditional, older screening technology.

The breast health center technician asked me if I would be willing to pay any additional out-of-pocket cost - possibly between $50 and $200 - if I opted to use the better technology of a digital breast tomosynthesis. This screening might not be covered by my insurance, the technician advised. Yet, a traditional mammogram would not find cancer in my body - just like it misses early cancers in thousands of black women's breasts.

It wasn't long ago in my life that the sticker shock of the technician's cost estimate would have forced me to make a different choice - to forgo the screening that could potentially save my life. This is a choice low-income women are forced to make every day, and it's costing them their lives.

Black women die of breast cancer 41 percent often more than white women. My work with the Black Women's Health Imperative is focused on narrowing or eliminating the health disparities threatening the nation's 21 million black women and girls. Black women dying of breast cancer more often than white counterparts is a disparity we cannot let stand.

We have the tools to end this with early detection - which nearly guarantees a five-year survival rate.

The only thing stopping this tremendous investment in women's health is a commitment by insurers to cover the cost of screening using the best possible screening technology: digital breast tomosynthesis, sometimes referred to as a 3D mammogram.

Early detection saves women's lives. Yet we still expect women to play Russian roulette with cancer screenings? We can and should close the racial divide on breast cancer mortality by requiring all insurance plans to cover the best possible screening procedure. Doing so has the potential to save the lives of thousands of black women in our community.

A mammogram is a mammogram, regardless of the technology. This is why HB 1036, which the Texas House of Representatives passed Friday, is so important: It leaves the decision about what exam is best for a breast cancer screening up to a woman and her health-care provider.

In the absence of a cure, early detection is a woman's best hope for surviving breast cancer. Digital breast tomosynthesis is a better mammogram; all women should have the option to choose one in consultation with her health-care provider. By making sure we stay current with advances in breast-cancer screening, we can find more cancers earlier and give more women the chance to survive their diagnosis.

We can and must close the racial divide on breast cancer mortality by reducing the financial barriers to effective cancer screening. In doing so, we will send a strong signal to women across the state that every life matters, regardless of race or breast density. I urge the state Senate to support the bill.

Gamble, JD, DrPH, MPH, is the director for Health Policy and Legislative Affairs at the Black Women's Health Imperative and an expert with the Allies for Reaching Community Health Equity.
Citing Houston's demographic trends, the BBC World Service earlier this year declared Houston the "city of the future."

It wasn't alone. Smithsonian calls Houston the "Next Great American City." Politico calls it "A Preview of Future America." In many ways, Houston is indeed where the American future is going to be worked out.

Curiously, state lawmakers - ostensibly charged with shepherding Texas toward a sustainable and prosperous future - don't seem to be taking notice. If policymakers want Texas to thrive in the coming years, they'd be wise to take a trip down Highway 290 and see what's happening here.

Texas is making national headlines now that both its legislative chambers have passed versions of SB 4, the "sanctuary cities" bill that compels local law enforcement to honor the requests of federal authorities to detain undocumented immigrants. Many cities in Texas and elsewhere, including Houston, have made clear they believe that it's counterproductive for local police to enforce federal immigration laws and doing so may discourage Latino immigrants from calling the police to report a crime.

For 36 years, we've conducted the Kinder Houston Area Survey, designed to capture the changing beliefs and opinions of area residents in this dynamic city. Our latest survey, conducted in February 2017, asked the respondents about this statement: "If I needed assistance from the police, I would feel comfortable calling them for help." Fully 72 percent of all Hispanic immigrants strongly agreed that they would have no problem calling the police if they needed assistance. Only 7 percent disagreed. It would be the height of folly to jeopardize that trust and alienate Houston's immigrant communities just when confidence in the police is so critical to effective law enforcement.

More generally, Houston residents overwhelmingly - and increasingly - have said they welcome immigration. This year, for example, 65 percent of the survey participants said the increasing immigration strengthens rather than threatens American culture, up from 46 percent in 2011. Four-fifths (79 percent) of area residents now say we should grant illegal immigrants a path to legal citizenship if they speak English and have no criminal record. The policies being promulgated in the Legislature simply do not align with the sentiments of the general public.

Interestingly, the reason the needle is moving on these issues is not because individuals are changing their opinions. It's due to the coming of age of the more recent generations, most of whom grew up in this multiethnic city. Younger Anglos are increasingly comfortable with a diversity that still feels strange to the region's aging populations.

Meanwhile, we are not doing nearly enough to prepare our children for the future. By 2050, some 64 percent of all Texas K-12 students are projected to be Hispanic, and just 15 percent will be non-Hispanic whites, according to Rice's Hobby Center for the Study of Texas. According to a recent TEA study, of all the 70,000 students who started eighth grade in 2004 in Region IV (Houston area) schools, only 21 percent had obtained any kind of post-secondary certificate 11 years later.

Perhaps most troubling of all is that Houstonians increasingly believe that "there are many ways to succeed in today's economy with no more than a high school diploma." In the 2017 survey, just 54 percent of the respondents affirmed instead that "for a person to be successful in today's world, it is necessary to get an education beyond high school." That's down from 73 percent four years ago.

Maybe Houstonians have grown wary of accumulating college debt. Perhaps they have been inspired by a president who pledges to reverse the 40-year decline in manufacturing jobs. The surveys indicate that Trump voters (at 55 percent) were far more likely than those who voted for Clinton (at 35 percent) to believe that success in today's economy requires no more than a high school diploma.

Despite such views, it is indisputable that the good-paying, low-skilled, blue-collar jobs are rapidly disappearing in the wake of globalization and automation. Back in 1973, 72 percent of all the jobs in America required no more than a high school diploma, according to the Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce. By 2020, the center projects that no more than 36 percent of all American jobs will be available to those with a high school diploma or less.

For too long, our state has relied on the so-called "Texas Miracle" to be the driver of our economic success. The idea was that Texas would thrive as long as taxes were kept low and regulations to a minimum. The evidence suggests that the miracle keeping this economy afloat had much more to do with the price of oil.

The good news is that, through a renewed focus on education, the state can continue to thrive economically. If the education gaps can be bridged, this city and state will be well positioned to capitalize on the advantages of a young, multi-lingual, and multi-cultural workforce. The bad news is that this will require more work and more resources. If we don't step up to the challenge, the state's burgeoning inequalities will lessen its prospects for success and give rise to serious social conflict.

Governing magazine reported last year that just seven states spend less per student on K-12 education than Texas. And some states spend more than twice the Texas total. As the two chambers of the state legislature wrangle over budget deficits, an analysis by the Center for Public Policy Priorities says the likely outcome is that the state's share of overall K-12 education spending will fall from about 46 percent to 38 percent, with already strained local entities having to make up the difference.

The situation isn't much better for higher education, which will likely see near-flat spending levels at best. Meanwhile, tuition and fees at Texas public colleges have more than doubled since 2003, leaving families to pick up the costs, as post-secondary education becomes the minimal requirement for a decent job in today's economy.

It's easy for lawmakers to scapegoat immigrants, and given the scope of the state's challenges, perhaps it's no surprise that they seek an easy distraction by targeting them. But Houstonians and other Texans increasingly recognize that the state's diversity and its burgeoning immigrant communities are powerful assets. Lawmakers should use their limited time in Austin to address the real challenges that threaten the effectiveness of our education system and the quality of our workforce.

Klineberg is founding director of the Kinder Institute for Urban Research. Now in its 35th year, the Kinder Houston Area Survey, which Klineberg leads, tracks changes in the demographic patterns, economic outlooks, experiences and beliefs of Harris County residents. Holeywell is the Kinder Institute's communications manager.
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Why do so many women say sorry when they've done nothing wrong?

Recently I found myself in a jam-packed bar in the city watching a live band. At one point, I turned to look for my friend, who I'd lost in the crowd. As I turned, I accidentally whacked the woman behind me with my bag.

I didn't whack her hard - I didn't cause any physical damage. But it was my bag and my turning that were responsible for the bag whacking.

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However, before I could do a thing about it, the whacked woman herself had pulled a guilty face, patted my arm and said, 'Ooh, I'm so sorry.'

For what? She'd done nothing more than stand close to me. That hardly warrants an apology.

The word 'sorry' comes from the Old English 'sarig' which means 'distressed' or 'full of sorrow'. The modern dictionary definition is 'feeling sad, distressed or remorseful'. Surely none of these rightly describe how that woman must have felt when I whacked her.

So why did she feel compelled to take the blame? Why did she say 'I'm sorry'?

It seems that this reflex apology is largely linked to a societal perception of politeness. It's a pacifying technique to avoid further trouble or escalation.

'I'd say sorry in that situation too,' my friend said later when I told her about the bag-whacking incident. 'In a busy bar, at that time of night, I wouldn't know whether you're a peace-loving tree-hugger, or a gin-soaked, fist-fighter. It's best to assume the worst and take the lower status immediately, just in case I get punched.'

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Questions about my friend's choice of drinking establishments aside, the phrase 'lower status' stands out to me. Because this is what it seems we're doing when we say, so readily and so quickly, 'I'm sorry'. We're accepting defeat, withdrawing from battle, laying ourselves down before any objection can arise. Perhaps what we're really saying is not, 'I'm sorry,' but, 'I am not willing to fight.'

According to other women I've asked, it's all about being polite. 'You just say sorry and that keeps everything calm.' Which wouldn't be so bad, if everyone was doing it. But what's noticeable about this business of knee-jerk 'I'm sorry' responses is that they're very much a feature of female sociolect. If it had been a man that I'd whacked with my bag, I don't believe 'I'm sorry' would have been his reflex response. And if the men aren't saying it, why are we?

Personally, I gave up saying sorry for things that aren't my fault a few years ago, following a retreat at the Esalen Institute in California. I spent a few weeks there and got to know a downright sassy woman called Sowaila. After a few days in her company, she lost her patience with me.

'Why the hell do you say sorry all the time?'

'Sorry.'

'No, not "sorry", dammit. Stop saying that. You've got nothing to be sorry for. It's meaningless. You should only say sorry if you've gone and done something awful.'

'Sor -'

'Don't you dare. If you're going to say anything, say something life affirming. Say "I'm sexy" instead.'

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For the rest of the week, whenever she caught me saying sorry for small stuff, my Californian friend would shoot me a look and I'd blush and mutter, 'I'm sexy'.

To be honest, that felt a bit weird. But when I complained, Sowaila just said, 'How do you think I feel when you're running around saying sorry for every damn thing?'

By the end of my stay, her training had paid off. Not only was I feeling less apologetic, I was also beginning to feel a little more ... well ... sexy.

Back in the UK I've maintained this policy of not apologizing without good reason. I don't mean for the big stuff. Of course I'll say sorry if I'm genuinely sorrowful or regretful - if I've made a mistake or if I've heard bad news that affects a friend or if I feel I could have made a better try at something.

But for other things, like being the first one through a door, or for moving someone's coat on a chair, for speaking when it isn't my proper turn, or for laughing loudly, for standing where someone else wants to stand, or for not having the right money for the train, for having fun things already scheduled in my diary, and for being whacked by someone else's bag in a bar (all of which are examples of when I've heard other women say sorry), I will not.

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Perhaps it's time for all of us, men and women alike, to reassess the way we use the phrase. Wouldn't it be better to use the breath on something useful? Instead of saying sorry for things we haven't done, we could make positive comments about each other and the world. Not 'I'm sorry', but 'I love you.' Not 'I'm sorry', but 'You look great.' Not 'I'm sorry', but 'Wow, what a beautiful day.'

We could use the opportunity to state affirmations for ourselves. Not 'I'm sorry', but 'I'm talented.' Not 'I'm sorry', but 'I'm happy.' Not 'I'm sorry', but 'I'm feeling good today.' The things we say about ourselves are the things we come to believe. With a simple change of that one word 'sorry', we could change our whole day, our whole outlook on life.

I didn't mean to whack that woman in the bar with my bag. And I definitely didn't want her to feel sorrowful because of it. So as she patted my arm, I passed on Sowaila's gift.
"My cats eyes were so wide, he was also very afraid," Diana tells us matter of factly. The 10-year-old is explaining what happened during a recent day of intense shelling in Avdiivka, her hometown on the frontline of east Ukraine's more than three-year-old conflict.

This is where you hear first-hand the violence that continues unabated, and see its impact, mostly out of the media spotlight.

Apartment blocks with the misfortune of facing the wrong direction now have gaping holes revealing what once were homes. Damaged school windows and signs directing children to safer areas. Numerous military checkpoints. Regular water and power cuts. The persistent sounds of conflict.

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UNICEF/UN058434/Makhniboroda

A woman walks past a heavily damaged apartment block in Avdiivka, Donetsk region, in eastern Ukraine. The town has been severely affected by renewed heavy fighting around the area since January 2017.

For residents, this is everyday life. Some families living closest to the 'contact line' - separating Government and non-Government controlled areas - rarely seek safety in bomb shelters anymore. The normality of conflict is increasing people's thresholds and as a result, the physical and mental dangers they face.

Diana seems to epitomise this sentiment. In the tiny one-room apartment she shares with her mother, Diana describes in intricate detail how she forgot to take the keys with her when the fighting intensified. The painful decision to leave her cat behind in the apartment.

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The psychological stress of living in constant fear and uncertainty is taking its toll, particularly for the 200,000 girls and boys like Diana who live around the 'contact line'.

The good news is that Diana and many of her peers continue to go to school. UNICEF is advising and training teachers and other school staff on how to better cope themselves and how to provide the necessary support for children dealing with the impact of conflict and displacement. The new skills help children now and will do so in the future.

Services on the brink

Driving from UNICEF Ukraine's field office in Kramatorsk, closest to Avdiivka, the trip south to the port city of Mariupol takes time. The winter ice has melted and with it cracked open the tarmac.

Passing the coal mines and heavy industry that mark east Ukraine's landscape reminds you of what's at stake. While children and families come under attack, so does critical infrastructure that provides essential services for people across the region and further afield.

Water pumping stations and electricity lines that cross the 'contact line' are frequently damaged by the fighting. When water is cut in one area, it reduces access in another, and alternative sources such as small reservoirs are used up.

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UNICEF is providing emergency water transport, distribution, and treatment for water purification. Critical repairs and upgrades are also being carried out to improve an already fragile water network and provide more efficient and effective service for years to come.

When we finally reach Mariupol, it's nearly dark and most of the lights are off. Tonight, there is not enough electricity to power the whole town.

Surviving day by day

At daylight, we meet 35-year-old Andrii and his three children in a crammed apartment they share with another family. A coal miner from Horlivka, Andrii fled home with his children when their neighbour's house was hit by shelling. "It was impossible to stay there anymore," he explains. "Besides, there was no job."

UNICEF/UN058266/Kozalov

Andrii leaves his apartment block in Mariupol for the local playground with two of his, and one of his relatives, children. The 35-year old fled with his children from their hometown of Horlivka when a shell destroyed the neighbor's house.

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While Mariupol provides some relative safety and the children are at school, the job concerns have followed. Andrii found work at a local coal plant but struggles to make ends meet. "The salary is very low. It's very hard to support my family," he says.

The conflict in the east has reduced the purchasing power of families, many of whom have lost incomes, property, and land. "We are sitting on a powder keg. I have two kids whom I have to put on their feet," Andrii says with a sense of desperation.

Return to Hranitne

The next day we drive out of town to Hranitne, a small village that literally sits between the two sides in the conflict. I was here with a UNICEF Ukraine team 18-months ago and spent time with now 17-year-old Dasha and her mother. We've come back to see how they are.

UNICEF/UN058458/Kozalov

17-year old Dasha studies hard at home in Hranitne, a village on the 'contact line' in east Ukraine's conflict. With her final school year exams approaching, she is determined to do well and to get a place in University.

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The house and environment look very much the same, though the sand bags protecting the kitchen windows have been removed. I ask why and Dasha explains that one of them was leaking so they were removed.

The cellar is still ready to function as a bomb shelter. In the dark, cold and damp room Dasha reflects, "when you are sitting here, you don't know if you are ever going to get out." It's the stress of conflict. Children and young people across the area live with day in and out. But there is also extraordinary resilience and Dasha is focused on her final school year exams. "I want a good education and to get into college because I want a good future for my family and for myself," she says.

As we leave Hranitne the sound of shelling can be heard again. I think of the sandbags and wish they were back in place.

Among the havoc and uncertainty that the conflict breeds, there is hope. Diana and her peers are determined to continue their education and play a role in building a more stable future. Andrii is focussed on doing whatever he can so his children, "... live happy and prosper in life." Dasha is studying hard to realise her dream of going to University.
YMCA offers swim lessons to those with physical challenges

Swim lessons are now being offered to those with physical, cognitive, developmental and neurological challenges.
In an increasingly digitalized world, democracy has to adapt to a new environment. In order to bridge the gap between citizens and governments, and to promote the citizens participation in the democratic process, EU member States have started exploring e-democracy tools to recover citizen trust.

The European Parliament has focused on this field at the request of the Committee on Constitutional Affairs (AFCO) Committee in order to find the best practices and e-democracy tools that could be implemented at the EU level.

Elisa Lironi, the Digital Democracy Manager at European Citizen Action Service (ECAS) answered our questions. ECAS missions are to empower citizens to exercise their rights, and to promote open and inclusive decision-making through the provision of high-quality advice, research and advocacy, as well as capacity building for civil society organisations. As the author of the study  Potential and challenges of e-participation in the European Union  she gave us her expert opinion on e-democracy.

Why do some countries across Europe have different approaches regarding e-democracy?

Governments start implementing e-democracy mechanisms for different reasons and each case should be analyzed.

For example, in 2010 Iceland was recovering from a heavy financial crisis and as a result of deep crises in the legitimacy of its political and economic establishment, Icelands Parliament and Prime Minister (of the time) proposed a crowdsourcing experience to rewrite the Icelandic Constitution. So e-democracy was implemented as a way to regain trust of citizens in the Icelandic government.

Finland instead, is a very technologically advanced country, where hi-speed Internet access is a legal right so following this background, the government adopted the New Citizens Initiative Act and today there is an e-participation platform for this.

Do you think that cyberattacks are an obstacle for the evolution of e-democracy in some member States?

Yes sure because there are still many people who do not trust online services, tools because they are afraid, for example, that their data can be stolen or information can be held against them. Cyberattacks reinforce this sentiment and slows down the process of widespread e-participation.

What are the measures already in place about e-democracy at the EU level?

On the institutional level, the European Citizens Initiative (ECI) has a strong online component, so it can be considered an e-democracy tool at the EU level. Online EU public consultations are also part of these measures taken, but the questions are quite specific so there is mainly participation from experts in the field of the consultation and less from citizens.

As additional e-democracy measures at the EU level, we can include e-participation projects co-funded by the Commission and implemented by organizations (like ECAS), but these projects are usually short-term and rarely sustainable after the end of the project.

Some MEPs have also worked on their own initiatives by creating their own platforms to reach out to their constituents.

Do you think that the first concrete measures in this field must be taken at the national level or at the European level?

I think both. There are already a lot of e-democracy mechanisms being applied at local and national level and the EU level can definitely learn from these experiences. But the EU is also different so it should start experimenting with e-participation tools on its own to assess the potential and challenges of these tools.

Would the national measures be supported by the European Union or would their implementation depend on the Member States will?

I think national measures depend mostly on Member States will, although this does not exclude the fact that the EU could support them or be a role model by applying e-democracy mechanisms on its own.

Do you think that e-democracy would facilitate public consultations for citizens? Would it bridge the gap between the EU institutions and the people? Do you think that consultations would be binding?

Online public consultations are already a part of e-democracy. What should be the focus is how inclusive and representative these consultations are. A consultation is a way to consult and they dont have to be binding but it is important to give feedback, to explain very clearly to participants how their contributions will be taken into consideration and what sort of impact will the consultation have on policy-making. It is extremely important to meet the expectations of the participants.

Do you think it will allow a revival of the citizens interests in European policies? In your opinion, can we translate the ideal of e-democracy into useful tools for the EU?

You will always have people who are not interested or disengaged, but the point is to give the right tools to those who do want to participate. I think there is a strong potential for ICT (information and communications technologies) to contribute to a better democracy because e-participation tools could make democracy more efficient and widespread (you would just need the Internet and you could contribute to policy-making). Of course, online tools are always complementary to offline tools and shouldnt replace them.

The EU should embrace these new online mechanisms to reach out to citizens and allow them to have a say in decision-making processes. Traditional politics, based on elections, is not enough for many people anymore. Many people (i.e. young people) are using technology to voice their opinions on specific issues they care about and prefer having more direct contact with their policy-makers.

The EU should do two things: first, exploit technology better in order to understand what citizens are voicing online and see how this can contribute to better EU policy-making and second, experiment much more with online e-participation platforms to allow citizens to have a say and impact on policy-making.

Source: https://eulogos.blogactiv.eu/2017/05/02/e-democracy-could-it-bridge-the-gap-between-the-eu-institutions-and-the-citizens/




iciHaiti - Security : Two dramas of the sea avoided





The US Coast Guard vessel "Legare" returned to Portsmouth, New Hampshire, on Thursday after a 35-day surveillance patrol (drugs and migrants) in the Caribbean Sea, specifically in the Windward Passage between Cuba and Hispaniola.



At the beginning of its patrol, the "Legare" provided assistance to 11 Haitians on a light sailing boat in trouble near the Turtle Island. A few days later, the US Coast Guard saw an overloaded sailboat trying to leave Haiti. Through a creole interpreter, the Legare crew intercepted and escorted the ship back to the Haitian port.



The "Legare" also hosted multiple officials from the U.S. Embassy in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, to introduce them to Coast Guard missions and Haitian migration trends.



Legare also hosted multiple officials from the U.S. Embassy in Port au Prince, Haiti, to introduce them to Coast Guard missions and Haitian migration trends.



IH/ iciHaiti


















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Following the release of Ivanka Trumps latest book  once endorsed by the State Department  various scorching reviews have been published.

Critics mention how Trump fails to write much herself, relying heavily on quotes from other authors, ranging from Jane Goodall to Nietzsche.

One such quote, from Toni Morrison's Beloved  the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel about the psychological scars of slavery  has caused particular controversy.

NPRs write-up of Women Who Work, picked up by AV Club, notes how Morrisons words "Freeing yourself was one thing, claiming ownership of that freed self was another, written in a playfully cute style, are positioned before a chapter on "working smarter.

In the chapter, Trump evokes imagery of slaves and masters to emphasise how difficult being a rich working woman is. She writes: "Are you a slave to your time or the master of it? Despite your best intentions, it's easy to be reactive and get caught up in returning calls, attending meetings, answering e-mails ..."

Speaking about Trump's book on The View, Whoopi Goldberg criticised her use of the Morrison quote, saying: I dont think she understands that slavery actually was real. The Huffington Post were also critical, saying the book equated slavery with busyness.

During another section of the book, Trump uses the words of civil rights activist Maya Angelou when discussing asking for a raise. As pointed out by The Huffington Post, the quote reads: Ask for what you want and be prepared to get it.

Trumps use of others peoples quotes has not gone unnoticed by those who originally made the statements. Jane Goodall  the primatologist  has spoken about the use or her words, telling CNN: I sincerely hope she will take the full import of my words to heart. She is in a position to do much good or terrible harm.

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

The original quote read: What you do makes a difference, and you have to decide what kind of difference you want to make.

Various Conservatives have also been named in the book, including Sheryl Sandberg, Oprah Winfrey, and Cynthia Nixon. Trump replied in a statement: 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.
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Emmanuel Macron has done something thought unthinkable just six months ago: becoming President of France without the support of either of the two major political parties.

When the 39-year-old resigned from Socialist President Francois Hollandes government in 2016 to launch his En Marche! (On the Move!) political movement many thought he was doomed to failure.

But in just 18 months the movement signed more than 200,000 signed-up members and Mr Macron has now won the French presidential election, beating another political outsider, the Front National's Marine Le Pen, into second place.

This election has been the most shocking and unpredictable in modern French history. Mr Hollande became the first president not to run for a second term since the founding of the Fifth Republic in 1958 and his partys chosen successor, Benoit Hamon, came in an unprecedented fifth place behind far-left rival Jean-Luc Melenchon in the first round.

Meanwhile the centre-right Republicains had a disastrous campaign after their candidate, former Prime Minister Francois Fillon, suffered from several scandals including allegations that he used public money to pay his wife for administrative work she does not appear to have done.

Mr Macron making it into the Elysee Palace is a remarkable achievement for a former banker who was plucked from relative obscurity by Mr Hollande to become his economy minister in 2014.

 French Presidential Debate: Le Pen and Macron clash over immigration and burkini policy

Mr Macron was born into a middle-class family in the northern city of Amiens where he was educated at mostly private Catholic schools.

While in high school he fell in love with his drama teacher, Brigitte Trogneux, who was 24 years his senior, when they collaborated on an end of year play. When his parents sent him to finish his final year of school at an elite establishment in Paris, he refused to give up on Ms Trogneux and proclaimed he would come back and marry her.

Sure enough, the couple stayed together and eventually married in 2007. They now live together in Paris with her three children from her first marriage.

Ms Trogneux has played a key role in the election campaign, with Mr Macron vowing that she will have a role in his administration. She has been quoted as saying she is the president of his fan club and is often seen attending high-level meetings by his side.

Emmanuel Macron kisses his wife Brigitte at a campaign rally (REUTERS)

Despite initially wanting to be a novelist, Mr Macron graduated from the elite Sciences Po university in Paris before entering the civil service. He worked at the French treasury for four years before leaving to become a banker. In 2012 he was appointed as Mr Hollandes deputy chief of staff, then economy minister.

During his tenure in government Mr Macron became particularly unpopular among the traditional left as he enacted a series of labour laws, including one which allows companies to negotiate over the 35-hour week, which led to severe strikes across France.

Mr Macron pitched himself as a socialist-liberal and played on his personal appeal as a young, fresh face and a counterpoint to the xenophobic, nationalistic, anti-globalisation campaign of Ms Le Pen.

Recommended Polling opens in French election amid tight security and high tension

Before he announced his candidacy for president his team, inspired by the Obama campaign in the US in 2008, carried out a survey of thousands of French citizens to hear what policies they wanted from their politicians.

Le grande marche (the great walkabout) by supporters and activists resulted in 25,000 unusually in-depth interviews with votes which he has built his policy platform on, the BBC reported.

The resulting centrist manifesto has been ridiculed for being too bland and trying to please everyone but broadly speaking he vows to cut taxes and spending but also provide support for those on low incomes along with 50bn (42bn) for public infrastructure and a shift to renewable energy.

More controversially he has vowed to cut corporation tax and red tape, allowing companies to renegotiate the 35-hour week and make it easier to hire and fire.

His supporters say this will help revive Frances moribund economy as many believe strict statist rules. The French labour code is famously longer than the Bible, deterring investment and private sector growth.

World news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 World news in pictures World news in pictures 30 September 2020 Pope Francis prays with priests at the end of a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican AFP via Getty World news in pictures 29 September 2020 A girl's silhouette is seen from behind a fabric in a tent along a beach by Beit Lahia in the northern Gaza Strip AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 September 2020 A Chinese woman takes a photo of herself in front of a flower display dedicated to frontline health care workers during the COVID-19 pandemic in Beijing, China. China will celebrate national day marking the founding of the People's Republic of China on October 1st Getty World news in pictures 27 September 2020 The Glass Mountain Inn burns as the Glass Fire moves through the area in St. Helena, California. The fast moving Glass fire has burned over 1,000 acres and has destroyed homes Getty World news in pictures 26 September 2020 A villager along with a child offers prayers next to a carcass of a wild elephant that officials say was electrocuted in Rani Reserve Forest on the outskirts of Guwahati, India AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 September 2020 The casket of late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg is seen in Statuary Hall in the US Capitol to lie in state in Washington, DC AFP via Getty World news in pictures 24 September 2020 An anti-government protester holds up an image of a pro-democracy commemorative plaque at a rally outside Thailand's parliament in Bangkok, as activists gathered to demand a new constitution AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 September 2020 A whale stranded on a beach in Macquarie Harbour on the rugged west coast of Tasmania, as hundreds of pilot whales have died in a mass stranding in southern Australia despite efforts to save them, with rescuers racing to free a few dozen survivors The Mercury/AFP via Getty World news in pictures 22 September 2020 State civil employee candidates wearing face masks and shields take a test in Surabaya AFP via Getty World news in pictures 21 September 2020 A man sweeps at the Taj Mahal monument on the day of its reopening after being closed for more than six months due to the coronavirus pandemic AP World news in pictures 20 September 2020 A deer looks for food in a burnt area, caused by the Bobcat fire, in Pearblossom, California EPA World news in pictures 19 September 2020 Anti-government protesters hold their mobile phones aloft as they take part in a pro-democracy rally in Bangkok. Tens of thousands of pro-democracy protesters massed close to Thailand's royal palace, in a huge rally calling for PM Prayut Chan-O-Cha to step down and demanding reforms to the monarchy AFP via Getty World news in pictures 18 September 2020 Supporters of Iraqi Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr maintain social distancing as they attend Friday prayers after the coronavirus disease restrictions were eased, in Kufa mosque, near Najaf, Iraq Reuters World news in pictures 17 September 2020 A protester climbs on The Triumph of the Republic at 'the Place de la Nation' as thousands of protesters take part in a demonstration during a national day strike called by labor unions asking for better salary and against jobs cut in Paris, France EPA World news in pictures 16 September 2020 A fire raging near the Lazzaretto of Ancona in Italy. The huge blaze broke out overnight at the port of Ancona. Firefighters have brought the fire under control but they expected to keep working through the day EPA World news in pictures 15 September 2020 Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny posing for a selfie with his family at Berlin's Charite hospital. In an Instagram post he said he could now breathe independently following his suspected poisoning last month Alexei Navalny/Instagram/AFP World news in pictures 14 September 2020 Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga, former Defense Minister Shigeru Ishiba and former Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida celebrate after Suga was elected as new head of the ruling party at the Liberal Democratic Party's leadership election in Tokyo Reuters World news in pictures 13 September 2020 A man stands behind a burning barricade during the fifth straight day of protests against police brutality in Bogota AFP via Getty World news in pictures 12 September 2020 Police officers block and detain protesters during an opposition rally to protest the official presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus. Daily protests calling for the authoritarian president's resignation are now in their second month AP World news in pictures 11 September 2020 Members of 'Omnium Cultural' celebrate the 20th 'Festa per la llibertat' ('Fiesta for the freedom') to mark the Day of Catalonia in Barcelona. Omnion Cultural fights for the independence of Catalonia EPA World news in pictures 10 September 2020 The Moria refugee camp, two days after Greece's biggest migrant camp, was destroyed by fire. Thousands of asylum seekers on the island of Lesbos are now homeless AFP via Getty World news in pictures 9 September 2020 Pope Francis takes off his face mask as he arrives by car to hold a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican AFP via Getty World news in pictures 8 September 2020 A home is engulfed in flames during the "Creek Fire" in the Tollhouse area of California AFP via Getty World news in pictures 7 September 2020 A couple take photos along a sea wall of the waves brought by Typhoon Haishen in the eastern port city of Sokcho AFP via Getty World news in pictures 6 September 2020 Novak Djokovic and a tournament official tends to a linesperson who was struck with a ball by Djokovic during his match against Pablo Carreno Busta at the US Open USA Today Sports/Reuters World news in pictures 5 September 2020 Protesters confront police at the Shrine of Remembrance in Melbourne, Australia, during an anti-lockdown rally AFP via Getty World news in pictures 4 September 2020 A woman looks on from a rooftop as rescue workers dig through the rubble of a damaged building in Beirut. A search began for possible survivors after a scanner detected a pulse one month after the mega-blast at the adjacent port AFP via Getty World news in pictures 3 September 2020 A full moon next to the Virgen del Panecillo statue in Quito, Ecuador EPA World news in pictures 2 September 2020 A Palestinian woman reacts as Israeli forces demolish her animal shed near Hebron in the Israeli-occupied West Bank Reuters World news in pictures 1 September 2020 Students protest against presidential elections results in Minsk TUT.BY/AFP via Getty World news in pictures 31 August 2020 The pack rides during the 3rd stage of the Tour de France between Nice and Sisteron AFP via Getty World news in pictures 30 August 2020 Law enforcement officers block a street during a rally of opposition supporters protesting against presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus Reuters World news in pictures 29 August 2020 A woman holding a placard reading "Stop Censorship - Yes to the Freedom of Expression" shouts in a megaphone during a protest against the mandatory wearing of face masks in Paris. Masks, which were already compulsory on public transport, in enclosed public spaces, and outdoors in Paris in certain high-congestion areas around tourist sites, were made mandatory outdoors citywide on August 28 to fight the rising coronavirus infections AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 August 2020 Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe bows to the national flag at the start of a press conference at the prime minister official residence in Tokyo. Abe announced he will resign over health problems, in a bombshell development that kicks off a leadership contest in the world's third-largest economy AFP via Getty World news in pictures 27 August 2020 Residents take cover behind a tree trunk from rubber bullets fired by South African Police Service (SAPS) in Eldorado Park, near Johannesburg, during a protest by community members after a 16-year old boy was reported dead AFP via Getty World news in pictures 26 August 2020 People scatter rose petals on a statue of Mother Teresa marking her 110th birth anniversary in Ahmedabad AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 August 2020 An aerial view shows beach-goers standing on salt formations in the Dead Sea near Ein Bokeq, Israel Reuters World news in pictures 24 August 2020 Health workers use a fingertip pulse oximeter and check the body temperature of a fisherwoman inside the Dharavi slum during a door-to-door Covid-19 coronavirus screening in Mumbai AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 August 2020 People carry an idol of the Hindu god Ganesh, the deity of prosperity, to immerse it off the coast of the Arabian sea during the Ganesh Chaturthi festival in Mumbai, India Reuters World news in pictures 22 August 2020 Firefighters watch as flames from the LNU Lightning Complex fires approach a home in Napa County, California AP World news in pictures 21 August 2020 Members of the Israeli security forces arrest a Palestinian demonstrator during a rally to protest against Israel's plan to annex parts of the occupied West Bank AFP via Getty World news in pictures 20 August 2020 A man pushes his bicycle through a deserted road after prohibitory orders were imposed by district officials for a week to contain the spread of the Covid-19 in Kathmandu AFP via Getty World news in pictures 19 August 2020 A car burns while parked at a residence in Vacaville, California. Dozens of fires are burning out of control throughout Northern California as fire resources are spread thin AFP via Getty World news in pictures 18 August 2020 Students use their mobile phones as flashlights at an anti-government rally at Mahidol University in Nakhon Pathom. Thailand has seen near-daily protests in recent weeks by students demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Prayut Chan-O-Cha AFP via Getty World news in pictures 17 August 2020 Members of the Kayapo tribe block the BR163 highway during a protest outside Novo Progresso in Para state, Brazil. Indigenous protesters blocked a major transamazonian highway to protest against the lack of governmental support during the COVID-19 novel coronavirus pandemic and illegal deforestation in and around their territories AFP via Getty World news in pictures 16 August 2020 Lightning forks over the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge as a storm passes over Oakland AP World news in pictures 15 August 2020 Belarus opposition supporters gather near the Pushkinskaya metro station where Alexander Taraikovsky, a 34-year-old protester died on August 10, during their protest rally in central Minsk AFP via Getty World news in pictures 14 August 2020 AlphaTauri's driver Daniil Kvyat takes part in the second practice session at the Circuit de Catalunya in Montmelo near Barcelona ahead of the Spanish F1 Grand Prix AFP via Getty World news in pictures 13 August 2020 Soldiers of the Brazilian Armed Forces during a disinfection of the Christ The Redeemer statue at the Corcovado mountain prior to the opening of the touristic attraction in Rio AFP via Getty World news in pictures 12 August 2020 Young elephant bulls tussle playfully on World Elephant Day at the Amboseli National Park in Kenya AFP via Getty

Mr Macron has vowed to bring unemployment down from its current 10 per cent to 7 per cent. His biggest challenge is winning over blue collar workers who are put off by his support for globalisation, multiculturalism and the EU.

Some dissatisfied voters see immigration as the source of their woes and have flocked to the Front National, which is vowing to bring back French sovereignty with a referendum on EU membership; the suspension of immigration; and to fight back against perceived Islamist extremism in civil society.

During a presidential debate last month, Ms Le Pen attacked Mr Macron for his vague policy positions saying he managed to speak about foreign policy for seven minutes without saying anything at all.

I know the divisions in our nation, which led some to vote for extremist parties. I respect them, Mr Macron said in a solemn address at his campaign headquarters after winning the presidency.

I will work to recreate the link between Europe and its peoples, between Europe and citizens, he said.
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Iceland is harnessing volcanic heat to produce clean energy in a pioneering new geothermal technology project.

Energy company HS Orka has drilled down three miles into the earth near the countrys famous Blue Lagoon spa in the Reykjanes region.

If successful, the experimental project could produce up to 10 times more energy than a conventional gas or oil well, by generating electricity from the heat stored in volcanic areas.

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

Iceland has been a pioneer of geothermal energy, and 85 per cent of energy supply in the country is derived from renewable sources.

The small island nation is also the only country in the world with 100 per cent renewable electricity.

However, the new "supercritical" drilling technique is far more efficient than conventional geothermal wells.

 Huge volcano in Iceland

Albert Albertsson, an engineer on the project, named Thor after the Viking god, told Phys.org, to supply electricity and hot water to a city like Reykjavik with 212,000 inhabitants, we would need 30-35 conventional high temperature wells, compared to only three or five supercritical wells.

Although geothermal energy is generally considered to be a sustainable source, it is not entirely renewable.

There are also carbon dioxide emissions and sulphur pollution involved in the extraction process, although these are negligible compared to the environmental toll of fossil fuel extraction.

Iceland is also hoping to expand its geothermal capacity to power stations on the seabed.

If this project is successful, the countrys energy countries are exploring the possibility of selling renewable energy to the UK and other European countries through an undersea cable.
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Police reportedly let 45 men to walk away with a caution after they admitted to rape.

In the last five years, police forces in England and Wales cautioned 45 adults for rape and 1,585 for sexual assault, The Mirror reports.

Over the same period, 148 children were cautioned for rape and 606 for sexual assault.

There were also 745 adults and 185 children cautioned for indecent exposure.

 Theresa May says rape clause forcing victims to prove they were attacked is about 'fairness'

Anyone over 10 can be given a caution, but offenders must admit to the offence to be given the reprimand.

Once they accept the caution, the offenders are ordered to sign the Sex Offenders Register.

Thames Valley Police, which issued cautions to nine men for rape, told the paper rape cautions are given to adults in some historic cases and where it is not in the best interests of the victim for the case to go to court.

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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 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news in pictures 2 October 2022 Erling Haaland celebrates after scoring Manchester City's second goal against Manchester United at Etihad Stadium. Haaland went on to score a hattrick, his third of the season in the Premier League. City beat United 6-3. Manchester City FC/Getty UK news in pictures 1 October 2022 Protesters hold up flags and placards at a protest in London. A variety of protest groups including Enough is Enough, Don't Pay and Just Stop Oil all demonstrated on the day AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 30 September 2022 British Prime Minister Liz Truss, who has not been seen in days, leaves the back of Downing Street after a meeting with Office For Budget Responsibility following the release of her governments mini-budget Getty UK news in pictures 29 September 2022 The Virginia creeper foliage on the Tu Hwnt i'r Bont (Beyond the Bridge) Llanwrst, Conwy North Wales, has changed colour from green to red in at the start of Autumn. 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A spokesman said: "Thames Valley Police complies with Force and Ministry of Justices guidance in relation to adult and youth cautions.

"The sanction for the offence is not only dependent on the offence classification but also takes into consideration the individual circumstances.

"In some cases a caution may be given for a sexual offence. For example, where both the victim and suspect are children, if the offence is non recent or where it is not in the best interests of the victim for a case to go to trial. Where relevant this is in consultation with the victim.

"All cautions for rape are only applied with authorisation from the Crown Prosecution Service and are subject to internal validation to ensure that the caution is the appropriate sanction.

"Thames Valley Police is committed to dealing with serious criminals and will always seek to charge individuals when it is in the public interest."
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A rally organised by far-right groups in London resulted in apparent humiliation as protesters found themselves outnumbered 10-1 by anti-fascist demonstrators.

The opposing marches in East Croydon were overseen by police, who ensured the factions kept a safe distance from each other.

The South East Alliance planned an anti-immigration protest outside the Home Office headquarters for visa and immigration services.

Images from the scene, posted and shared on social media, may have disappointed right-wingers who were hoping for a larger turnout.

Non-profit group Hope Not Hate tweeted: The massed ranks of the far-right, protesting outside a (closed) immigration office in Croydon today, showing a photo of a small handful of men holding a flag and surrounded by at least two dozen police officers.

There appeared to be around 40 people on the far-right side.

They held signs that read say no to sharia and immigration ruined our NHS and social housing.

Present at the rally was reported chairman of the South East Alliance, Paul Prodromou, formerly the chairman of the Essex branch of the English Defence League.

The United Against Fascism and the Public and Commercial Services union reportedly drew around 400 protesters.

They vowed to stand up, fight back when sections of their communities were attacked or discriminated against.

There was little disruption throughout the protests, although one bystander was mistaken for a member of the South East Alliance by members of the counter-protest, resulting in a brief scuffle.

The Metropolitan Police said it had cordoned off one part of the street and that there had been some public transport disruptions due to the protests.
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The man known as Marine A has broken his silence to admit he regrets killing an injured Taliban fighter in Afghanistan, saying he still doesnt know why he did it.

Alexander Blackman, 42, was released from prison last month after his conviction for shooting a member of the Taliban was changed from murder to manslaughter following a lengthy court battle.

The killing was a breach of the Geneva Convention on how to treat injured enemy fighters and was captured on a camera worn by a fellow marine.

Recommended Last Royal Marines leave Afghanistan after more than 10 years of

After three-and-a-half years in prison, Blackman had his sentenced reduced from 10 to seven years with psychiatrists arguing he was suffering from an abnormality of the mind when he fired the lethal gunshot, making him eligible for parole.

Blackman, who joined the Marines aged 23 and rose to the rank of sergeant, shot the injured Taliban insurgent in the chest before quoting a modified line from Shakespeare.

He told the fighter: Now shuffle off this mortal coil, you c***.

In an interview with the Daily Mail, he admitted: I know I made a terrible mistake.

I dont know why I did it. I think about it a lot and have done ever since, but I still cant put an exact thought to why I did what I did at that moment in time. I wish I could.

It was frustration more than anything. There had already been a reasonably large attack on a friendly base. We didnt know where the other guy (a second armed Taliban insurgent) was or if there was a third out there.

Youre vulnerable all the time.

He added that fighting in Afghanistan, he encountered improvised explosive devices everywhere.

When he found the Taliban fighter, he had a hole in his back the size of my fist".

I didnt realise he was alive until I put my hands on him to search him. He was in a pretty bad state," Blackman said.

Arguably, as I was approaching him, if I had fired at that point I would have been well within the rules of engagement because he was armed. But I thought he was dead.

I could see his lungs. Of course, Id have done things differently if it was one of the lads. Id have thrown him on my shoulder and run him all the way to camp if necessary. But this was someone whod been trying to kill us for the past six months.

When I touched him, he opened his eyes. I got on the radio straight away and said, Hes actually alive. Were going to have to call a helicopter. I got a less than enthusiastic response.

Blackman said that after giving the insurgent first aid and realising it would have taken 45 minutes to carry him back to base, he made some choices, and I regret some of the ones I made".

He was unable to explain why he quoted from Hamlet.

I have no idea why I said it. I dont read Shakespeare," Blackman said.

After shooting the man, he said he realised he had screwed up immediately, and acknowledged this to the other marines, and the incident was never spoken of again between them.

He said: The first time I even knew it existed on videotape was when I was arrested.

His wife, Claire, spearheaded a campaign to have his conviction changed to one of manslaughter on the grounds of his mental health at the time of the incident, for which he was also dismissed with disgrace at a court martial.

The marine was placed on suicide watch during his first few weeks in prison.

Dismissed with disgrace meant everything Id done counted for nothing. Everything good before that and after that was washed away because of one incident. I struggled with that," he said.

Patrick Cockburn: 'We need to talk to the Taliban' Show all 3 1 /3 Patrick Cockburn: 'We need to talk to the Taliban' Patrick Cockburn: 'We need to talk to the Taliban' 422628.bin AP Patrick Cockburn: 'We need to talk to the Taliban' 422630.bin Reuters Patrick Cockburn: 'We need to talk to the Taliban' 422629.bin Reuters

Prior to the shooting, he had been judged a marine of impeccable moral courage who had progressed steadily through the ranks since joining in 1998, with tours in Northern Ireland, Iraq and Afghanistan already behind him when he was sent to the Taliban stronghold for a second time.

His troop was assigned to take over the notoriously dangerous Nad Ali (North) district from the Parachute Regiment.

He said of the conditions out there: Its very hot, youve got a lot of kit (100lb of equipment) and youve got to spend the hottest part of the day out there.

When youre out there for six to 10 hours a day, you know each step could be your last. I know that sounds dramatic, but its true.

Two of his colleagues were killed by explosions two months into the tour, while another marine was injured and had his leg amputated.

Blackman described how he found the legs of a teenage marine killed by the Taliban hung in a tree as a kind of trophy.

He said he felt he had to bottle up his feelings as one of the older and more experienced marines.

You have to be strong for the lads. I was 36. Most of the lads were in their early 20s," he said.

He said he and his fellow marines had captured a pair of Taliban fighters but were left frustrated when the Afghan army, who British troops fought alongside, had decided to let them go.

A fresh psychiatric evaluation, paid for by campaigning, led to a diagnosis of a stress combat condition known as an adjustment disorder, leading the Appeal Court to change his murder conviction to one of manslaughter.

Looking forward to readjusting to life outside of prison with his wife, he said: I think were lucky in this country that theres an independent body that looks at cases with no agenda. I am very conscious my sentence is not complete (he is on licence until 2020) but its still a massive step.
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Smoking should be banned in all new council houses to protect children from harmful second-hand smoke, a public health chief has said.

Anti-smoking campaigners consider smoke-free housing to be the next major frontier in reducing the harmful effects of passive smoking.

In 2015, the Government introduced a ban on smoking in all vehicles carrying children.

 Impact of smoking on lungs

Housing associations and councils are looking at smoke-free housing buildings. Where children are involved I think there is a real case for it, Dr John Middleton, president of the Faculty of Public Health, told The Sunday Times.

Dr Middleton said he believed housing association residents should sign contracts which would make non-smoking a condition of their tenancy.

You wouldnt evict a load of tenants for smoking. Where you have got new premises, you could have smoke-free agreements from the start," he said.

In the United States, the Obama administration passed a federal law which banned smoking in all public housing - the equivalent to UK social housing - in November last year.

The legislation, which will come into effect in August 2018, will affect more than million homes. In New York alone, which has the largest public housing agency in the country, 400,000 people will be bound by non-smoking agreements.

Passive smoking is particularly dangerous for children, who are at a much higher risk of developing respiratory infections, asthma, bacterial meningitis and cot death.

According to Cancer Research, the majority of exposure to second hand smoke happens in the home.

Research indicates 300,000 children in the UK visit a GP each year because of the effects of second-hand smoke, with 9,500 going to hospital.

Pro-smoking campaign Forest said the proposed policy would penalise unfairly those who cant afford to buy their own homes.
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Holocaust denier David Irving spoke alongside other anti-Semitic conspiracy theorists at a secret meeting of the neo-Nazi, white supremacist London Forum, where it was claimed Auschwitz is like Disneyland and that the Holocaust was gossip, propaganda and a rumour", The Independent can reveal.

Mr Irving, whose defeat in a libel trial is dramatised in 2017 blockbuster Denial, began by praising the organisers for ensuring there were only white faces in the audience.

Fellow speakers delivered anti-Semitic jokes and coded references to Adolf Hitler to a receptive crowd of around 100 at the meeting, which was attended by an undercover reporter.

One attendee told this reporter the murder of MP Jo Cox was cheery news. Another claimed there were Jews controlling all 193 states and a third said life for African-Americans was better before the end of slavery.

Far-right luminaries appearing alongside Mr Irving included Vincent Reynouard, a Frenchman who like Mr Irving has been imprisoned for Holocaust denial; Alison Chabloz, whose anti-Semitic songs have seen her banned from the Edinburgh Fringe; and David Shayler, an MI5 agent turned 9/11 truther who has claimed he is the Messiah.

Mr Irving addresses the crowd of around 100 far-right sympathisers, in a clandestine image captured by The Independent (Matt Broomfield)

Attendees rang a private phone number and were instructed to meet in Green Park, before being shepherded on the Underground to the Swedish Seamens Church in Rotherhithe for the meeting in February. The listed building closed to the public in 2012, and has since been sold to developers.

The security measures were put in place after a London Forum event in January this year was shut down by an anti-fascist demonstration. Speaking to The Independent at the time, London Anti-Fascists described the group as a Neo-Nazi, white supremacist organisation.

When asked at the time to respond to allegations of anti-Semitism, the London Forum said: We abhor the criminalisation of opinions and defend the right of anyone to question the conventional narrative concerning any events that took place in any period of history; and we regard the nature of Zionism, the role of Israel in international affairs and the influence of the Jewish Diaspora upon culture and politics as being legitimate subjects for discussion.

At the recent meeting, shaven-headed security guards stood by the heavy copper doors of the church, and an event organiser claimed a group of Millwall fans were waiting in a nearby pub as back-up in case of violence.

As people browsed bookstalls and drank coffee from polystyrene cups, discussion ranged from Jewish plots to take over the Houses of Parliament to defences of slavery and segregation.

One man showed The Independent a copy of the Evening Standard, saying a front-page story describing the rise of the far right was cheery news.

A lot of people talk the talk but dont actually do anything, but thats starting to change, he said. Asked what he meant, he pointed to a story inside the paper discussing the murder of MP Jo Cox by far-right extremist Thomas Mair.

Alongside Mr Irvings self-published works, other books on sale included The Biology of the Race Problem, The Rise of Hitler, Epic: The Story of the Waffen SS and SS Man, Be Fruitful  a booklet originally published by the paramilitary fascists who served as Adolf Hitlers personal bodyguards.

Far right and anti-fascists clash in Dover, January, 2016 Show all 6 1 /6 Far right and anti-fascists clash in Dover, January, 2016 Far right and anti-fascists clash in Dover, January, 2016 Dover Police separate anti-fascists and right-wing protesters PA Far right and anti-fascists clash in Dover, January, 2016 Dover Right-wing protesters and anti-fascist demonstrators clash PA Far right and anti-fascists clash in Dover, January, 2016 Dover Anti-fascists break through police lines PA Far right and anti-fascists clash in Dover, January, 2016 Dover Far-right protesters march on the streets of Dover PA Far right and anti-fascists clash in Dover, January, 2016 Dover Diane Abbott MP speaks to anti-fascists in Dover PA Far right and anti-fascists clash in Dover, January, 2016 Dover Police hold back far-right demonstrators PA

The event was compered by London Forum chief, Jeremy Jez Bedford-Turner, Britains third-most influential right-wing extremist, according to campaign group Hope not Hate.

Clad in a tweed suit and speaking in a cut-glass upper-class accent, he said: The West is degenerate, decaying and deracinated. This is the last home of free speech.

He then pulled out a Donald Trump mask and performed an impersonation of the incumbent US President, sending good wishes to the organisation.

Mr Reynouard, who is wanted in France to serve a second sentence for Holocaust denial, was the first speaker.

He claimed the Allies orchestrated propaganda in the Soviet style, that gas chambers at Nazi death camps were in fact used to delouse prisoners, and that the Holocaust was simply a rumour.

He ended by telling the crowd that defence is the best form of attack, and urged them to block the construction of a planned Holocaust memorial in Westminster.

Next up was David Shayler. The former MI5 man has previously claimed he is the Messiah, and told the London Forum he was on a divine mission from God.

Ive survived 10 assassination attempts because someone up there likes me, he said.

Similarly, Mr Irving told The Independent that Hitler appointed me his biographer, saying he felt a mystical connection with the Nazi leader and describing himself as The Messiah".

Britain First and EDL (English Defence League) protesters walk along Northumberland Avenue during a demonstration in London (Ben Stevens/PA Wire)

Mr Shayler said the Holocaust was beneficial to Jews as they could claim compensation, and described the United Nations and the International Monetary Fund as Zionist front organisations.

He further claimed the 9/11 terror attacks were orchestrated by Zionist agents, and that MI5 embezzled money from drug stings to fund false flag terror attacks on British citizens.

Ms Chabloz is currently out on bail, accused of posting a song on YouTube including the lyric: Did the Holocaust ever happen?

She used her performance before the London Forum to defend herself, saying she was in trouble just for writing a few offensive songs about Jews.

When she suggested the judge hearing her case had Jewish ties, using the euphemistic term one of our friends, one audience member called out: Could you tell by the size of his nose?

Another shouted theres no business like Shoah business, using the Hebrew word for the Holocaust.

She described performing at the 88th birthday party of Robert Faurisson, the pre-eminent French holocaust denier.

An 88th? in Vichy? Come on, she said, in a reference to the Nazi-collaborating Vichy government and a Neo-Nazi code number signifying Heil Hitler.

To close out her appearance she performed a parody of Edith Piafs I Regret Nothing on a malfunctioning keyboard, and said she was ready to be sent to jail for her beliefs. As the crowd applauded she performed an anti-Semitic quenelle salute.

 Denial: Timothy Spall on playing Holocaust denier David Irving

Finally, Mr Irving took the stage. His rambling speech focused on his life story and complaints that Denial misrepresented details of the court case.

Discussing negative media coverage of his work, he used the Nazi term Lugenpresse, or lying press, and when criticising Denial he described the actress Rachel Weisz as Jewish but good-looking".

Moving on to his hallmark claims that only 300,000 people of all religions died in the entirety of the Holocaust, he described Auschwitz as small beer and now like Disneyland.

In conclusion, he declared: I am still standing, the fight goes on, and I will continue writing true history as I find it to be true.

The crowd responded with a standing ovation.
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Theresa May is pledging an extra 10,000 staff to work in NHS mental health services  without saying how they will be funded.

In her first spending announcement of the election campaign, the Prime Minister will also pledge to overhaul a 34-year-old Mental Health Act to tackle discrimination and overuse of detention.

And people suffering from problems such as depression, anxiety and bipolar disorder will be promised beefed-up protection against discrimination at work.

Recommended Mental health funding cut by millions in five regions

On my first day in Downing Street last July, I described shortfalls in mental health services as one of the burning injustices in our country, Ms May said.

It is abundantly clear to me that the discriminatory use of a law passed more than three decades ago is a key part of the reason for this.

So today I am pledging to rip up the 1983 Act and introduce in its place a new law which finally confronts the discrimination and unnecessary detention that takes place too often.

We are going to roll out mental health support to every school in the country, ensure that mental health is taken far more seriously in the workplace, and raise standards of care with 10,000 more mental health professionals working in the NHS by 2020.

However, the announcement made no mention of how the extra mental health professionals and school support would be paid for, amid a gaping hole in NHS finances.

The Prime Minister has been locked in a battle with Simon Stevens, chief executive of NHS England, who has highlighted how NHS funding is set to fall next year.

In March, the NHS axed its flagship 18-week waiting-time target for operations as part of a rejigged survival plan.

Norman Lamb, the Liberal Democrat health spokesman, said: The Prime Ministers announcement on mental health stands in stark contrast to her record.

Her Government has failed to deliver all of the extra funding for children and young peoples mental health that Lib Dems secured in the coalition and, just last week, it was reported that schools across the country are cutting back mental health support.

Barbara Keeley, for Labour, said the NHS had 6,000 fewer mental health nurses than in 2010, adding: Seven years of Tory Government have left those with mental health problems without the support they need.

The Tory Government has allowed budgets for mental health services to be raided to plug financial black holes and to pay for other NHS priorities. These pressures are set to get worse.

But Ms May said she was announcing the biggest change to the law on mental health treatment in over three decades.

The 1983 law had been widely criticised for being out of date and for unintended consequences, with 43 per cent increase in the number of people detained over the past decade.

The Conservatives said people were being wrongly detained in police cells, adding: Black people in particular are significantly more likely to be detained in secure mental health wards.

Meanwhile, mentally ill employees are only protected from discrimination if their condition is continuous for 12 months, so the law would be changed.

Funding for mental health services is at record levels, the Tories insisted  and would be up by 1.4bn in real terms by 2020.
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Nigel Farage says Theresa May is hoovering up Ukip supporters because she has stolen his policies hook, line and sinker.

The former Ukip leader noted that, in 2013, he won the local council elections on a manifesto of bringing back grammar schools, getting Britain outside the European Union, controlling immigration.

Four years on, the British Prime Minister was running on exactly the same ticket and swept the board, he told ITVs Peston programme.

She is using exactly the same words and phrases that I have been using for 20 years. I thought bashing Brussels bureaucrats was purely my domain.

Mr Farage insisted Ukip voters would return to the party for the general election, on June 8, when they realised the Tories had made it a non contest.

But, looking back to last weeks local elections, he said: The number of Ukip supporters who contacted me and said, you know what Nigel, this time we have to support Theresa May

Mr Farage also gave his backing to beleaguered Ukip leader Paul Nuttall, saying: Its always difficult to step into somebody elses shoes  hes doing fine.

He vowed to remain an MEP, adding: I shall continue bashing Brussels bureaucrats, but obviously now - with Mrs May - I have got some real competition.
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The Government has hired a negotiator who specialises in military conflict resolution to advise on Brexit talks, as tensions escalate between Theresa May's team and the European Union.

On Saturday, a spokesman for the Department for Exiting the European Union confirmed that officials held a meeting with William Ury, a Harvard Fellow who has acted as a mediator in a number of conflicts in the Middle East, Indonesia, and the Balkans.

Most recently he was part of a team which helped end the bloody civil war in Colombia, where the Government had been fighting the Farc insurgency since the 1960s.

And his website says he helped the US and Soviet governments create crisis centres during the 1980s designed to avert an accidental nuclear war.

A source close to the negotiations told The Sun that Mr Ury was advising civil servants about negotiating when emotions are running high.

"It's astonishing," said the source, "that before the negotiations have even started, the Government have pressed the nuclear button by bringing in a war negotiator."

The Department for Exiting the European Union declined to say whether Mr Ury was being paid for his work, or what his terms of engagement were.

In March this year he told the BBC in an interview about how to handle difficult negotiations, saying: "The foundation of a successful negotiation is not to react impulsively.

War negotiator William Ury (Carl Studna)

When there are a lot veiled threats being made it is important to realise this is a long haul negotiation. This is not just about getting a deal this is about changing a fundamental relationship."

 Juncker takes swipe at UK stating 'English is losing importance'

The relationship between senior EU figures and Theresa Mays negotiating team has sharply deteriorated in recent weeks, after reports of a disastrous meeting between Jean-Claude Juncker and the Prime Minister led to a war of words in the media.

The Conservatives media team hit back at the reports with the outlandish claim that Brussels bureaucrats were trying to interfere in the general election, to which Mr Juncker replied that he was rather busy and preoccupied with more important matters.

The European Commission President also appeared to take a swipe at the UK when he said English was losing importance before he gave a speech on Friday, which he said would be better delivered in French instead.
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The Green Party has confirmed it will not stand candidates in a number of crucial Tory-Lib Dem marginals, in an effort to help defeat the Conservatives.

A Green candidate in Oxford West and Abingdon, where the Lib Dems came second in the 2015 general election, has announced she will be stepping down after a meeting with local party members.

"As it is a marginal constituency, the Greens are prepared to support the progressive party that has the best chance of beating the Conservatives", said Cheryl Briggs.

Under our electoral system, the Tories will win many seats where a majority of the voters in the constituency do not support them.

Our political system is broken, and it makes no sense that parties with many common values stand against each other and let the Tories through."

In 2015, the Green candidate in Oxford West and Abingdon, Larry Sanders - brother of the Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders - received 2,497 votes.

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 tactical redistribution of these Green votes could prove decisive in the marginal seat, which was controlled by the Liberal Democrats between 1992 and 2005.

Ms Briggs urged Labour to stand aside in the seat in order to further boost the Lib Dems chances.

The Green Party also announced on Saturday it would be standing aside in Richmond Park and Twickenham.

In Richmond Park, the Conservative candidate Zac Goldsmith, who triggered a by-election when he resigned over Heathrow expansion plans last year, is attempting to reclaim the seat he lost to the Liberal Democrats.

The Green candidate in Richmond Park won 3,500 votes in the 2015 general election  more than the Lib Dem's majority over Mr Goldsmith last November.

An exclusive poll for The Independent has shown that more than a third of people are prepared to vote tactically to keep out the Tories, in a move which might disrupt the Conservative landslide the polls are predicting.

The Greens have repeatedly called for a progressive alliance between left-of-centre parties to prevent a Conservative majority.

 The Green Party wants a three-day weekend

However, both Labour and the Liberal Democrats have ruled out this kind of coordination on a national scale.

The Liberal Democrats have said deals may be agreed on a local basis, while the Labour leadership has refused to enter into any kind of tactical pact.

Some Labour candidates have called for the party to work more closely with the Greens.

Former Shadow Cabinet members Clive Lewis and Tulip Siddiq put their names to a letter in The Guardian last week which called for Labour to stand aside in Brighton Pavilion, represented by Caroline Lucas, the Greens only MP, and the Isle of Wight.

With the progressive vote split, the danger of a Tory landslide and all it means for our country now looms darkly on 8 June, the letter states.

We therefore urge the Labour leadership not to stand candidates in just two seats, Brighton Pavilion, the one seat the Greens now hold, and the Isle of Wight, the one seat where they are the best-placed party to defeat the Tories.
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Amber Rudd has hinted that the Conservatives might drop their target to reduce net migration below 100,000 a year in their general election manifesto.

The Home Secretary suggested that she was personally in favour of abandoning the goal first set by David Cameron in the run-up to the 2010 election.

Theresa May reaffirmed her commitment to the target last month but several cabinet ministers believe it will never be achieved and want to see it omitted from the manifesto. It appears they include Ms May's successor as Home Secretary.

One compromise for resolving the battle over the manifesto would be for it to pledge to bring down net migration to a sustainable level without putting a number on it. Ms May would then say in media interviews that she had always believed such a level was in the tens of thousands. But she could not be accused of failing to hit the Conservatives formal target if it were not reached by the following election.

Asked whether the manifesto would restate the target, Ms Rudd told BBC Radio 5 Lives Pienaars Politics programme: It's not going to be identical to the last one. We're setting it out for hopefully for a five-year term, we've got a lot to think through to work out what's the best way to deliver on our priorities.

My personal view is we need to continue to bring immigration down. I want to make sure that we do it in a way that supports businesses  you know we're ending freedom of movement when we leaving the EU.

The Home Secretary said the situation had changed because of the decision to leave the EU so its right that we look at it again.

She said the Government would consult business this summer about the skilled and unskilled EU migration it would need after Brexit, and would be urging it to recruit more British workers. Of course immigration is good for this country, is good for business has been absolutely positive for the country overall, and we will want to continue that, she said. We will continue it though in a way that doesn't allow for straightforward freedom of movement, which is what we've been having in the EU and which has caused such disquiet in some communities.

Ms Rudd played down the likely impact of excluding foreign students from net migration figures, as some cabinet ministers are urging. It's a complete red herring to talk about taking students out of those numbers and it making a big impact, she said.

The Independent and the Open Britain group are running the Drop the Target campaign urging the Government to abandon the tens of thousands goal.

Joe Carberry, co-executive director of Open Britain, said: There is no justification for a migration target that, if ever met, would deny our economy of the skills and talent our businesses need. Any migration policy should be based on need not numbers. Whether in our NHS, farming, manufacturing or hospitality, the services and sectors we rely on would all be harmed if there were heavy restrictions on EU nationals coming to the UK. The Government should drop its divisive target and instead do more to promote and recognise the vital and necessary contribution EU nationals make.

Ukip, which will launch its immigration policy tomorrow, accused the Tories of being completely at sea on the issue and lacking the will to deliver the verdict of last years referendum.

John Bickley, Ukips immigration spokesman, said: Either they maintain their policy created by Theresa May of tens of thousands, a promise they have failed to deliver in seven years, or they drop it and admit that they have no intention to deliver what the country demands. The Tories are so in hock to their big business multinational corporate chums that they would rather see wages for working people in this country driven down by mass migration rather than acting to control immigration in the best interests of this nation. It is only Ukip who are serious about delivering concrete measures to control immigration.

If you agree, please sign our petition to call on the Government to Drop The Target:

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Coming off the back of a strong performance in the local elections, the Conservatives are 16 points ahead of Labour, according to the latest opinion poll from Opinium.

With just over a month to go until the general election, the Tories were on 46 per cent in the survey of 2,005 voters, down one point from the last Opinium poll on 25 April.

Labour were unchanged on 30 per cent, with the Liberal Democrats on nine per cent and Ukip on seven per cent.

Adam Drummond, head of political polling at Opinium, said the fall-out from the Brexit result was proving less damaging to the Tories than to other parties.

The Conservatives can afford to lose some remain voters because, as the local elections showed, they are absorbing most of the Ukip vote and are on course for the type of victory last seen by Tony Blair and Margaret Thatcher when they were at their peaks," he said.

Nevertheless, the Opinium figures were lower than some recent polls.

An ICM poll on 2 May gave the Tories a 21-point lead over Labour; the latest YouGov/Times poll on 4 May put the party 19 points ahead; and the most recent Panelbase survey on 3 May had them 17 points in front.

And those polls slight improvement for Labour since April, when another YouGov/Times poll put them a massive 24 points behind the Conservatives. If translated into voting on 8 June, this would give the Tories twice the number of votes as Labour.

And the new Opinium poll also saw Theresa May's next approval rating decline from to +13 per cent (46 per cent approve to 33 per cent disapprove) from +17 per cent. Jeremy Corbyn, meanwhile, has net approval rating of -32 per cent (21 per cent approve to 53 per cent disapprove).

Shadow Chancellor John McDonnell insisted they were moving in our direction in a recent interview, while cautioning: Dont believe the polls.

Those still optimistic of a shock Labour win have pointed to the fact that opinion polls have been wrong in the past, including at the 2015 general election when they consistently predicted a hung Parliament but the result was a small Tory majority.

Pollsters were also wrong in the last US election, when Donald Trump defeated Hilary Clinton, and in the EU referendum when a narrow remain vote was expected.

Privately, many Labour insiders admit the best they can hope for is not to see a Conservative landslide following a disastrous night for the party at the local elections, where they lost more than 380 seats while the Tories gained 563.

The Conservative gains were at the expense of Ukip, who were all but obliterated, as well as Labour and the Liberal Democrats. The Tories also gained overall control of 11 county councils, while Labour lost control of seven.
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The Brexit campaign's top donor has called on Theresa May to guarantee the rights of EU nationals living in the UK.

Peter Hargreaves, who gave 3.2m to the Leave campaign in the run up to the referendum, urged the Prime Minister to "make the gesture" of reassuring three million EU nationals they are not going to be booted out of Britain.

Mr Hargreaves, who retired after founding the financial advice company Hargreaves Lansdown, told The Observer he understood the reluctance to guarantee EU nationals' rights before Brexit negotiations.

 Barnier: Brexit deal won't be quick or painless

He said: People who are doing great jobs in this country are feeling insecure and I think it would be really good for those people to have the comfort that we are not going to boot them out in 18 months time.

I just think we should make the gesture, full stop. I dont think there should be a quid pro quo, I just think we should make the gesture. They would look pretty churlish if they didnt [reciprocate by guaranteeing the status of UK nationals in the EU].

Mr Hargreaves went on to say he was happy to see EU nationals already in the UK maintain their current rights.

Most of those are in work and adding to our economy, he told the paper.

We are going to be very selective about who we let in in the future, but I think there should have been that comfort given, because they came under different circumstances.

In pictures: European parliament Brexit discussions Show all 12 1 /12 In pictures: European parliament Brexit discussions In pictures: European parliament Brexit discussions European commission member in charge of Brexit negotiations with Britain, French Michel Barnier listens at the President of the European Commission Jean-Claude Juncker speaking at the European Parliament in Strasbourg Getty Images In pictures: European parliament Brexit discussions Frank-Walter Steinmeier, President of the Federal Republic of Germany, delivers his speech at the European Parliament in Strasbourg EPA In pictures: European parliament Brexit discussions European Union's chief Brexit negotiator Guy Verhofstadt, President of the Group of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe (ALDE), addresses the European Parliament during a debate on Brexit priorities and the upcomming talks on the UK's withdrawal from the EU Reuters In pictures: European parliament Brexit discussions Michel Barnier, European Chief Negotiator for Brexit reacts during a meeting at the European Parliament in Strasbourg EPA In pictures: European parliament Brexit discussions Member of the European Parliament and former leader of the anti-EU UK Independence Party (UKIP) Nigel Farage wears socks with Union Jack flag at the European Parliament in Strasbourg Getty Images In pictures: European parliament Brexit discussions Nigel Farage, United Kingdom Independence Party (UKIP) member and MEP, addresses the European Parliament during a debate on Brexit priorities and the upcoming talks on the UK's withdrawal from the EU Reuters In pictures: European parliament Brexit discussions European commission member in charge of Brexit negotiations with Britain, French Michel Barnier gestures during speeches at the European Parliament in Strasbourg Getty In pictures: European parliament Brexit discussions The President of the European Commission Jean-Claude Juncker (L) speaks with European commission member in charge of Brexit negotiations with Britain, French Michel Barnier at the European Parliament in Strasbourg Getty In pictures: European parliament Brexit discussions European Union's chief Brexit negotiator Guy Verhofstadt, President of the Group of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe (ALDE), addresses the European Parliament during a debate on Brexit priorities and the upcomming talks on the UK's withdrawal from the EU Reuters In pictures: European parliament Brexit discussions Getty In pictures: European parliament Brexit discussions German president Frank-Walter Steinmeier delivers a speech during a plenary session at the European Parliament in Strasbourg Getty In pictures: European parliament Brexit discussions The European Parliament in Strasbourg, eastern France Getty Images

It comes after the EU toughened its stance on the fate of the three million EU citizens living in the UK, demanding even those without proof of residency be allowed to stay after Brexit.

Michel Barnier, Brussels' lead negotiator, insisted "red tape" must not be allowed to stand in the way of EU nationals remaining with full rights.

He said the same should go for UK nationals living in Europe.

Theresa May has been accused of having put forward no proposals for the future rights of EU citizens, despite wanting to settle the controversy next month.
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Nigel Farage has only himself to blame for Ukip's collapse as a political force, the party's former MP Douglas Carswell has said.

Mr Carswell, who quit Ukip before announcing he would stand down as an MP at the 8 June election, said the party's former leader put voters off with "angry outbursts" over immigrants.

His comments came after a disastrous set of local elections for the eurosceptic party, which lost more than 100 councillors and won only a single seat on Thursday.

Leader Paul Nuttall acknowledged the party had lost large numbers of supporters to Conservatives, but insisted it had a "great future" so long as it could "stay on the pitch and hold its ground".

Voters would come back in droves once Theresa May starts to make compromises in Brexit negotiations, he said.

But the near-wipeout prompted millionaire former donor Arron Banks to declare Ukip "finished as an electoral force" under its current leadership.

Mr Carswell and Mr Farage have long been at daggers-drawn, with the former Ukip leader accusing the party's first elected MP of working to undermine it.

Writing in The Mail On Sunday, Mr Carswell said his defection from the Tories and subsequent victory in the 2014 Clacton by-election marked a highpoint for Ukip which was later set back by Mr Farage's outspoken comments.

"Ukip alone offered the chance of change. But we blew it," he said.

"We won almost 60 per cent of the vote in Clacton by talking about GPs, not just immigration. In Rochester, we won by reaching out beyond our base.

"But rather than learn from that, Nigel Farage reverted to type.

"On the day we triumphed in Clacton, the then Ukip leader majored on migrants with HIV.

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

"Then he managed to end up in an argument about mothers breastfeeding in public, before making rude noises about Romanians.

"Why? Far from having a strategy, we seemed to be driven by whatever came out of Nigel's mouth."

Mr Carswell claimed David Cameron was keen to debate with Mr Farage on TV because he believed it would ensure the Leave side lost the EU referendum.

The former Clacton MP said: "If Ukip had been in charge of the Leave campaign, I believe David Cameron would still be PM and we would have voted to Remain."
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The Canadian government is to hand millions of dollars to an organisation that provides rehabilitation to people who have been spent time in prison for sexual offences.

The Ministry of Public Safety will be giving $7.48 million (5.76 million) to the Circle of Support and Accountability (CoSA) National Capacity Project.

The organisation allows the community to play a direct role in the restoration, reintegration, and risk management of people who are often seen with only fear and anger.

Recommended Anger at family fun day in aid of charity which works with paedophiles

It works mainly with ex-offenders who have committed one or more sexual offences.

By providing a support network, called the Circle, and meeting with people who have committed serious sexual offences, they hope to prevent them from re-offending.

Participants of the program are also given help to access medical services, social assistance, seeking employment and affordable housing.

David Byrne, chair of CoSAs board of directors said: CoSA Canada is committed to making communities safer for all Canadians.

Director Byrne claims that attending Circles has been shown to reduce the likelihood of re-offending by more than 70 per cent.

Data from CoSA confirms that recidivism rates over five years were much lower  5.6 per cent in comparison to 22 per cent of former offenders not participating in the programme.

Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness Ralph Goodale said providing funding for the programme demonstrates [Canadas] commitment to evidence-based criminal justice policy.

The money will go to 14 CoSA sites across the country.

Mr Goodale said he was confident in the programme. saying: "This project will help reduce victimisation...by holding ex-offenders accountable for their actions and giving them the support they need to become responsible and productive members of society."
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A Syrian couple who fled war-ravaged Damascus to start a new life in Canada have named their newborn son Justin Trudeau in honour of the Prime Ministers open refugee policy.

Muhammad and Afraa Bilan arrived in Montreal in February of last year in the midst of Canadas bitterly cold winter accompanied by their daughter Naya, who is 4, and their son Nael who is 3.

The parents expressed their tremendous gratitude to Mr Trudeaus refugee initiative which has seen over 40,000 Syrian refugees resettled in Canada.

Afraa Bilan told The Star: We love this man, we appreciate him. He helped a lot of refugees. Hes the reason we are in Canada.

Justin Trudeau Adam Bilan came into the world on Thursday in Calgary - a city near the Canadian Rockies the family have relocated to which is home to around 1,000 Syrian refugees. The parents hope that their son will one day get to meet his namesake.

While Ms Bilan admitted it was initially hard to adapt to life in Canada due to language barriers and sub-zero temperatures, she said they were overjoyed to have escaped war and welcomed their first Canadian son into the world.

She said: Hes the first Canadian. He got his citizenship before us!

The familys opportunity to flee war-torn Syria came five years into the atrocities of the war. Upon learning Canada was starting to take in Syrian refugees after Mr Trudeau became Prime Minister, they leapt at the chance to leave.

More than 40,000 Syrian refugees have been resettled in Canada since Mr Trudeau took office in November 2015.

After President Donald Trump sought to introduce his hard-line immigraton ban, Mr Trudeau vocally restated the countrys open-door refugee policy. To those fleeing persecution, terror & war, Canadians will welcome you, regardless of your faith. Diversity is our strength," he wrote on Twitter.

Aleppo before the Syrian Civil War Show all 12 1 /12 Aleppo before the Syrian Civil War Aleppo before the Syrian Civil War Aleppo before the Syrian Civil War A man crosses a street in Aleppo, December 12, 2009 Reuters Aleppo before the Syrian Civil War Aleppo before the Syrian Civil War A vendor sits inside an antique shop in al-Jdeideh neighbourhood, in the Old City of Aleppo, December 12, 2009 Reuters Aleppo before the Syrian Civil War Aleppo before the Syrian Civil War A view shows part of Aleppo's historic citadel, overlooking Aleppo city, Syria Reuters Aleppo before the Syrian Civil War Aleppo before the Syrian Civil War A view shows part of Aleppo's historic citadel, Syria Reuters Aleppo before the Syrian Civil War Aleppo before the Syrian Civil War Visitors walk inside Aleppo's Umayyad mosque, Syria Reuters Aleppo before the Syrian Civil War Aleppo before the Syrian Civil War People walk inside the Khan al-Shounah market, in the Old City of Aleppo, Syria Reuters Aleppo before the Syrian Civil War Aleppo before the Syrian Civil War A man walks past shops in al-Jdeideh neighbourhood, in the Old City of Aleppo, Syria Reuters Aleppo before the Syrian Civil War Aleppo before the Syrian Civil War People walk along an alley in al-Jdeideh neighbourhood, in the Old City of Aleppo, Syria Reuters Aleppo before the Syrian Civil War Aleppo before the Syrian Civil War Visitors tour Aleppo's historic citadel, Syria December 11, 2009 Reuters Aleppo before the Syrian Civil War Aleppo before the Syrian Civil War A general view shows the Old City of Aleppo as seen from Aleppo's historic citadel, Syria December 11, 2009 Reuters Aleppo before the Syrian Civil War Aleppo before the Syrian Civil War People walk near Aleppo's Bab al-Faraj Clock Tower, Syria October 6, 2010 Reuters Aleppo before the Syrian Civil War Aleppo before the Syrian Civil War A man stands inside Aleppo's historic citadel, overlooking Aleppo city, Syria December 11, 2009 Reuters

Whats more, in December 2015, the Canadian leader personally welcomed the first planeload of Syrian refugees in the flesh at Toronto airport and was seen handing out winter coats.

A year later, the politician broke down in tears when he was reunited with one of the refugees he had welcomed into Canada. In total, roughly 12.5 million Syrians - six out of 10 - are displaced from their homes.
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North Korea claims it has detained another American citizen for suspicion of acts against the state, which if confirmed would make him the fourth US citizen to be held by the isolated country amid fierce diplomatic tensions with US over the Norths nuclear programme.

Kim Hak Song, who was detained on 6 May, worked for the Pyongyang University of Science and Technology, the Norths KCNA news agency said.

A relevant institution of the DPRK detained American citizen Kim Hak Song on May 6 under a law of the DPRK on suspension of his hostile acts against it, KCNA said. DPRk is short for the Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea, the Norths official name.

A third US citizen, Kim Sang Dok, who was associated with the same school, was detained in late April for hostile acts, according to the Norths official media.

The Pyongyang University of Science and Technology (PUST) was founded by evangelical Christians and opened in 2010. Its students are generally children of the countrys elite.

The volunteer faculty of PUST, many of whom are evangelical Christians, has a curriculum that includes subjects once considered taboo in North Korea, such as capitalism. The college is an unlikely fit in a country that has been condemned by the US State Department for cracking down on freedom of religion.

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

A message by Kim Hak Song dated February 2015 on the website of a Korean-Brazilian church in Sao Paulo said he was a Christian missionary planning to start an experimental farm at PUST and was trying to help the North Korean people learn to become self-sufficient.

No further details were available about the circumstances related to the arrests of the two men associated with the college. A spokesman for the Pyongyang University of Science and Technology was not immediately available for comment.

The reported detention comes as tensions on the Korean peninsula run high, driven by harsh rhetoric from Pyongyang and Washington over the Norths pursuit of nuclear weapons in response to what it says is a threat of US-instigated war.

North Korea has in the past used detained Americans to extract high-profile visits from the United States, with which it has no formal diplomatic relations.

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.

Mr 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
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Veterans Memorial Park in tiny Belle Plaine, Minnesota, is packed with remembrances for the towns men and women in uniform. Soon, it will get one more: A solemn black cube holding an upturned helmet, its sides adorned with upside-down pentagrams.

The Satanic Temple announced on Friday that it had received approval to install the monument, which is in production. Within a couple of months, it is expected to take its place alongside a flag-lined walkway, a marble plaque and a retired UH-1H Iroquois Huey helicopter positioned as if it is hovering above the ground.

The approval of the monument brings a new twist to a long-running battle that began last summer, when someone put up a metal silhouette of an infantryman kneeling before a cross. A resident objected, calling it a religious symbol that violates the principle of the separation of church and state.

After months of acrimony, the city decided to make part of the park a public forum, open to virtually any group that wants to honour the towns veterans. The Satanic Temple took them up on it.

It is not the first such effort from the Satanic Temple, a provocative organisation that often pushes the boundaries on free speech and religious liberties to prove a point about religion in public spaces; last year, it started its After School Satan clubs as a way of challenging Christian evangelical groups that sponsor after-school religious programming. But this is the first time the group has succeeded in having a monument placed on public land, according to Lucien Greaves, spokesman for the organisation, which is based in Salem, Massachusetts.

Belle Plaine officials didn't offer any resistance, to their credit, said Greaves, who also goes by the name Doug Mesner. We genuinely want something that will honour the veterans. Its not about being shocking or upsetting the locals, though its an inevitable byproduct.

City officials considered that the new policy could invite provocateurs, but approved it anyway.

It was discussed during our city council meeting when we authored the policy that groups that were unpopular or otherwise would put monuments in the park, said Michael Votca, the city administrator.

The flare-up in this town, about 45 miles southwest of Minneapolis, comes as the US is mired in a heated battle over religious freedom and the rights of people of faith, particularly conservative Christians, to opt out of activities that support same-sex marriage, abortion or contraception.

On Thursday, President Donald Trump signed an executive order aimed at expanding religious protections that, among other things, soften enforcement of the Johnson Amendment, which bars tax-exempt houses of worship from engaging in political speech.

But as the Satanic Temple has tried to demonstrate, expanding religious liberties can have unintended consequences. Because the Constitution bars the establishment of a national religion, it requires that the same protections be extended to people of all faiths, including ones with disturbing connotations such as satanism and those who profess no faith.

Greaves said that his organisation is now considering applying for the same tax-exempt status that churches and synagogues enjoy. It previously avoided doing so to freely engage in politics. But with Trumps executive order, he said, theres absolutely no advantage to not be tax-exempt. A lot more organisations should apply and put it to the test.

He said that his organisation does not worship the devil. Rather, he said, it is a nontheistic religious organisation devoted to art, free speech and individuality, whose values are no less deeply held than those professing a belief in God.

In its application to the city, the organisation described the monument as a black steel cube with embossed inverted pentagrams with inlaid gold on four sides. An inverted helmet rests on the top of the cube. A plaque on one side of the cube reads: In honor of Belle Plaine veterans who fought to defend the United States and its Constitution.

Belle Plaine has been grappling with its park policy since last summer, when the two-foot statue of the kneeling soldier appeared. Katie Novotny, a Belle Plaine resident and veterans advocate, said it was created by a local vet who died shortly after it was put up. It is affectionately dubbed Joe.

Novotny contends that it is not a religious display. Joe, she said, is simply kneeling at a headstone fashioned into the shape of a cross, which is a common way for gravestones to be depicted.

I dont think 90 per cent of people see it as a religious symbol when its in that context, she said.

Nevertheless, fearing a lawsuit, the city ordered the cross removed in January. Someone from the local Veterans of Foreign Wars group was tasked with sawing it off the statue, she said. The person given that job said it was the hardest thing he ever had to do, she said.

The decision immediately prompted protests. People fashioned their own crosses and defiantly installed them next to the statue. Around the town, Novotny said, citizens who supported the original display put replicas in their windows  including the cross.

The city eventually hit upon a compromise. It established a limited public forum within the park in which groups could erect, with city permission, a monument honouring the towns veterans. The permits last for a year, and no more than 10 monuments may be displayed at a time.

The cross was welded back onto the statue. Joe and his cross returned to the park last month.

Novotny said she does not object to the Satanic Temples plans. If they want to come here from Massachusetts and put something up to honour our veterans in Belle Plaine, go for it, she said. They deserve to be honored.

Some other places have opted to ban all religious displays when faced with this type of conflict. In 2015, the Oklahoma Supreme Court ruled that a monument of the Ten Commandments had to be removed from its grounds for violating a state prohibition against use of public property to promote one religion.

Another group planning to apply for a spot at the Belle Plaine park is the Freedom From Religion Foundation, which objected to the cross display. It is planning to commission a stone tribute to atheists in foxholes  a take on an old saying suggesting that everyone finds God when faced with death.

Annie Laurie Gaylor, co-president of the Freedom From Religion Foundation, predicted that city officials will come to regret opening the park to all displays.

Theyre going to run out of space, she said. It will just be littered... One day, they will look at everything and decide, was it really worth it?

 Washington Post
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Civil rights campaigners have spoken out against several US officials who attended the meeting of a hate group where one speaker compared Muslims to sharks which were drawn to attack distressed animals in the water.

South Dakota Attorney General Marty Jackley and Secretary of State Shantel Krebs were reportedly present at the meeting of 250 people, hosted by ACT For America, in Rapid City.

Both officials declined to comment when asked to confirm or explain their presence at the event, as reported by Rapid City Journal.

A spokeswoman for Mr Jackley told The Independent that Mr Jackley "stopped to chat with a few folks. He was there for less than 15 [minutes]...before he went to a different engagement."

The Southern Poverty Law Centre has described the event organiser, ACT For America, as the largest grassroots anti-Muslim group in America and a KKK for Muslims.

At the meeting in May in Rapid City, one invited speaker, former congressional candidate and radio host William Federer, claimed that being nice and tolerant to Muslims was a sign of weakness.

Weakness invites aggression, Mr Federer told the audience.

Sharks can sense a distressed animal in the water, and theyre naturally drawn to attack the distressed animal. So the dilemma the West faces is the nicer the West shows itself, theres a percentage of Muslims that view that niceness as weakness. And they take that as an invitation to attack.

 Muslim mother says all women should wear hijab to experience Islamophobia

Mr Federer has also questioned whether Muslims could be loyal citizens of the US, and said their goal was to immigrate, increase and eliminate. He could not be immediately reached for comment by The Independent.

As reported by the local journal, he said is not a member of ACT For America, but his views are closely shared by founder Brigitte Gabriel, a US immigrant who also claimed in 2007 that practising Muslims could not be loyal US citizens.

Ms Gabriels grassroots group, which has been accused of distorting Lebanese history to attack Muslims, has grown from inception in 2007 to about 500,000 members across 1,000 chapters in the US.

The organisation believes that Islam ideology is an "attack on Western civilisation" and the group produces propaganda-style videos talking of patriots fighting the "enemy".

Donald Trumps administration prompted controversy when Ms Gabriel tweeted that she was preparing for a meeting at the White House in March. The White House confirmed that Ms Gabriel had requested the meeting.

The South Dakota event was sponsored by the states chapter of the Family Heritage Alliance, a national Christian lobbying organisation, and several other religious organisations.

Several members of the audience left before the event was over, claiming the contents were harmful against other people. A small group of protesters were also outside the building.

The event comes as US Muslims and immigrants are suffering unprecedented levels of discrimination and hate crimes. The FBI found hate crimes against Muslims increase by 67 per cent in 2015.

The Council of American-Islamic Relations also condemned the officials for attending the group. CAIR found that, as of mid-March, the number of threats and acts of vandalism against mosques in the US had doubled so far in 2017 compared to the same period the previous year.
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A Texas police officer turned himself in on Friday after he was charged with murder in the shooting death of a 15-year-old.

Roy Durwood Oliver, a patrol officer in the Dallas suburb of Balch Springs since July 2011, was released on $300,000 bail.

While dispatched on complaints about drunk teenagers at a party last weekend, Oliver fired his rifle at a car full of teenagers who were leaving, according to investigators, killing Jordan Edwards.

The police department fired Oliver on Tuesday.

If convicted of the murder charge, he could spend the rest of his life in prison. In a statement released Friday, Jordan's family said the charge "brings hope that the justice system will bend against the overwhelming weight of our frustration."

A funeral for the Mesquite High School freshman is scheduled for Saturday.

Because Jordan was black, the shooting has thrust the North Texas town of 25,000 into the ongoing debate about whether police are too quick to use deadly force on blacks and other minorities.

Earlier in the week, activists decried an announcement by federal authorities that they would not prosecute two white Louisiana police officers in the fatal shooting of a black man, Alton Sterling.

The decision in Sterling's death, which occurred July 2016, shows how difficult it can be to bring charges against officers in such cases. But activists say they are worried that the Department of Justice under the new Trump administration may be especially less aggressive in investigating and pursuing such cases of holding police accountable. Last month, Attorney General Jeff Sessions said that such investigations and edicts aimed at reforming problematic police departments "can reduce morale of the police officers."

In the age of Trump, activists too have changed their approach to such shootings. In recent years, shootings like the one in Texas have often caused mass protests under the "Black Lives Matter" banner. But activists involved with the movement say they are beginning to shift their focus more toward policy and organising locally and politically rather than simply on protests.

Fifteen-year-old Jordan Edwards who was shot and killed in a vehicle by a Balch Springs, Texas police officer (EPA)

The Texas teen is the youngest of the 339 people shot and killed by police so far in 2017, according to a Washington Post database tracking such shootings. At least 10 people shot and killed by police this year were under 18.

On April 29, Oliver and other officers were dispatched 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 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, striking Jordan, who was riding in the passenger seat.

Jordan was taken to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead. The Dallas County Medical Examiners Office said he was killed by a rifle wound to the head. His family planned to bury him on Saturday.

Oliver was initially placed on administrative leave before he was fired just three days into the investigation. Parallel criminal and internal investigations are ongoing.

"The warrant was issued due to evidence that suggested Mr. Oliver intended to cause serious bodily injury and commit an act clearly dangerous to human life that caused the death of an individual," Melinda Urbina, a public information officer with the Dallas County Sheriff's Office, said in a statement.

"The investigation into the death of Jordan Edwards will continue and does not conclude with the arrest of Roy Oliver," the statement added.

Ferguson police shooting Show all 8 1 /8 Ferguson police shooting Ferguson police shooting Ferguson police shooting AP Ferguson police shooting Ferguson police shooting The immediate aftermath of the shots being fired AP Ferguson police shooting Ferguson police shooting Later officers closed the area EPA Ferguson police shooting Ferguson police shooting It is thought that the shots came from a hill overlooking the station AP Ferguson police shooting Ferguson police shooting AP Ferguson police shooting Ferguson police shooting AP Ferguson police shooting Ferguson police shooting AP Ferguson police shooting Ferguson police shooting EPA

Oliver, the second officer at the scene that night, "violated several department polices," Balch Springs police spokesman Pedro Gonzalez said, without elaborating.

"After reviewing the findings, I have made the decision to terminate Roy Oliver's employment with the Balch Springs Police Department," Police Chief Jonathan Haber told reporters Tuesday evening. "My department will continue to be responsive, transparent and accountable."

Police initially said that the vehicle reversed "aggressively" at the approaching officers, but they later retracted that statement and said that body camera video showed that the vehicle was driving away from officers when Oliver opened fire.

In the family's statement, released Friday after a warrant was issued for Oliver's arrest, attorney Lee Merritt called the charges "appropriate."

"Although this does not take away the excruciating pain caused by the loss of a son, brother, and friend, the announcement that the appropriate warrant has been issued for the arrest of Roy Oliver on the charge of murder has brought a bit of reprieve in a time of intense [mourning]," the statement said.

As the officer's murder case moves forward, Oliver has the right to appeal his termination. His attorney, Cindy Stormer, called for patience in a statement provided to the Dallas Morning News.

Washington Post
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The Trump and Kushner family's "brazen" exploitation of the US Presidency is "unlike anything we have ever seen before," Barack Obama's ethics lawyer has said.

Norm Eisen tweeted the remark as he shared a link to a story about Jared Kushner's sister highlighting her family ties as she wooed Chinese investors.

Mr Eisen is suing the President for allegedly violating the "domestic emoluments clause," which prohibits the President from receiving additional compensation besides his salary.

Mr Kushner said he stepped down as chief executive of Kushner Companies in January and sold stakes in several properties to allay concerns about conflicts of interest while he serves as senior adviser to his father-in-law, Donald Trump.

But his sister highlighted her ties to Mr Kushner as she made a pitch to raise funds from Chinese investors through the US government's controversial EB-5 visa programme, which gives permanent US residency to those who finance projects that create a certain amount of jobs.

The Kushner family's promotional efforts in China come amid widespread criticism of the EB-5 visa programme, which has grown popular among wealthy foreigners seeking to move to the US but faces allegations of fraud and misuse.

Critics say many of the investments purportedly aimed at assisting poor areas of the US have instead wound up going to projects in more affluent neighbourhoods, while many programmes have been badly hit by fraud scandals.

 Trump releases new 'America is winning' campaign advert

Now led by Mr Kushner's relatives, Kushner Companies had earlier been negotiating with China's Anbang Insurance Group to provide what could be hundreds of millions of dollars in equity for redevelopment of a Manhattan office building.

Critics saw it as a potential attempt by China to curry favour with the White House.

The Chinese company's advertisements for the One Journal Square development in Jersey City described the project as "Kushner 1," with punchy subtitles declaring that it has "government support" and is "founded by celebrity developers," without elaborating.

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

Journalists were barred from the event.

Bi Ting, a 34-year-old woman who attended the Shanghai event, told the Associated Press having the name of the US President's son-in-law associated with it was "a bonus for the project."

Ms Bi said Mr Kushner's sister Nicole Meyer spoke for more than 10 minutes, describing the history of the Kushner family and the highlights of the project.

Additional reporting by Associated Press
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Pope Francis has criticised the United States military and the talking heads who discuss the military for calling a bomb a mother.

The pontiffs comments  referencing the Massive Ordnance Air Blast bomb (MOAB), the largest bomb in the American arsenal  came during a speech he gave to an audience of students, and just weeks before he is scheduled to meet with President Donald Trump.

I was ashamed when I heard the name, the pope said. A mother gives life and this one gives death, and we call this device a mother. What is happening?

The MOAB bomb was used for the first time last month to attack a series of caves with Isis insurgents in tunnels in the Achin district, Nangarhar Province, Afghanistan. Although that was the first time that the bomb had been used by the US military, the explosive had been in the American arsenal for over a decade.

The bomb itself weighs more than 10 kilograms and has a blast radius that is a mile wide. Because it is referred to by its acronym instead of its official name, people began to refer to it as the mother of all bombs colloquially.

It is not the first time that the pope has taken offense from something connected to Mr Trump. The two disagree on a range of subjects and Pope Francis has been critical of the American president several times. For instance, the two have diametrically opposed views on immigration, very different understandings of the impacts and importance of climate change, and do not see eye to eye on how to respond to the ongoing refugee crisis that has stemmed from the civil war in Syria that has torn up families and communities.

The president will stop by the Vatican later this month during a trip to Europe, one of his first overseas ventures since moving into the White House.
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A bomb explosion that killed two people in a Muslim community in Manila was sparked by a personal feud, Filipino police officials have said, despite Isis claiming its fighters were responsible.

Police said a package being delivered by a man exploded late on Saturday in downtown Manilas Quiapo district, killing him and another man receiving it at a Shiite centre. Police said four others were wounded.

Another explosive, either a homemade bomb or a grenade, went off more than two hours later near the scene of the first blast and wounded two policemen deployed to help secure the area and investigate the bombing, according to authorities.

Manila Metropolitan Police chief Oscar Albayalde said the bombing was apparently set off by a personal feud, adding the package that contained the explosive was intended for a specific person.

Mr Albayalde called for public vigilance following the bombing, the second in little more than a week in Quiapo, a popular transportation, shopping and religious hub, mostly for the working class in the capital. The Manila police went on alert following the explosions.

Isis, through its Aamaq media arm, claimed responsibility for the Quiapo explosion, saying in a brief statement that five Shiites have been killed and six others injured by detonating an explosive device by the Islamic State fighters in central Manila.

The death toll differed from details released by the police and other officials in Manila.

There have been fears of the Sunni-Shiite violence spreading to the largely Roman Catholic Philippines, home to minority Muslims who are mostly Sunnis in the countrys south. A Shiite centre was bombed in the south in 2015 and two local Shiites were killed in an attack near Manila that same year.

A pipe bomb also exploded in Quiapo on 28 April while President Rodrigo Dutertes administration was hosting an annual ministerial meeting of The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) in a convention centre a few kilometres away.

Mr Albayalde and other police officials said the 28 April blast was triggered by a gang feud and unrelated to Saturday nights bombing.

Early on Friday, police, backed by a Swat contingent, raided the house of a suspect in that explosion and found materials to be used for two more pipe bombs, along with shotgun ammunition and electrical bomb parts.

The suspect, who was only identified as Saro, was not in the house in Manila, according to a police report.

The bombings came amid ongoing military offensives against the Abu Sayyaf and other groups, which have pledged allegiance to Isis.

AP
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France has chosen a new President after a turbulent and scarring election in which the centrist moderate Emmanuel Macron comprehensively beat Marine Le Pen of the hard-right Front National.

It is a result which will have widespread repercussions not just for France, but across Europe, including Britain as negotiations to leave the European Union begin.

Ms Le Pen had boasted that France would follow the triumphant populist path of Brexit and the presidency of Donald Trump in the US. But her harsh and negative campaign based on opposition to the European Union, opposition to immigration and opposition to supposed elitism, while espousing aggressive nationalism, was emphatically rejected by the voters.

Instead they chose, with around 65 per cent of valid votes cast, compared with only 35 per cent for his opponent, to entrust power at a time of domestic and international uncertainty to Mr Macron, a former Rothschild banker, who has made support for the European Union one of the central tenets of his appeal to the electorate.

As dusk fell on a rainy day in Paris, thousands of Mr Macrons joyous supporters were gathering, waving the European Union flag as well as the Tricolour, outside The Louvre to celebrate the victory, at the age of 39, of the youngest President in the Republics history.

Hours after his victory, Mr Macron took part in VE Day celebrations in Paris to commemorate the anniversary of end of World War II.

Across the city at the Front National camp, Ms Le Pen told her subdued followers that the country had chosen the continuity candidate. However, she claimed a historic, massive result and promised to lead the fight in parliamentary elections next month and pledged to create a new political force  though did not offer any more details.

Emmanuel Macron was elected French President in a resounding victory over far-right rival Marine Le Pen after a deeply divisive campaign, initial estimates showed (Getty)

Mr Macrons arrival at the Elysee Palace will resonate in the stance taken by Brussels towards both the increasingly acrimonious Brexit talks and Washington where the Trump administration had come to power repeatedly denigrating the European Union; although criticism from the US has become more muted of late. Indeed, Mr Trump congratulated Mr Macron for his big win.

The Le Pen camp had greeted Mr Trumps election last November with the tweet: Their world is crumbling. Ours is being built.

Brexit, said the Front National leader has been a powerful weapon for us. The warmth was reciprocated by hardline Brexiteers. For Nigel Farage, for example, President Le Pen would have been a valued Eurosceptic ally while Mr Macron was seen as the enemy.

Mr Macron had warned in the past that the UK can expect no concessions in the Brexit negotiations if he is elected, vowing to hold a rigid line on access to the EUs single market and the powers of the European court. The best trade deal for Britain, he maintained, was really membership of the EU.

Jean Pisani-Ferry, Mr Macron's chief economic adviser, told BBC Radio 4's Today programme the president-elect did not want to see a hard Brexit, but insisted he would be "tough" in negotiations.

He said: "I don't think anybody has an interest in a hard Brexit. I think we need to build a new relationship.

"There are interests on both sides. There is a negotiation to be carried out.

"There is a mutual interest in keeping prosperity that exists, that has been built over the years from lots of economic and various relationships, also the security and defence relationship is extremely important in the kind of environment we are in and which is a very dangerous environment.

"So we have to keep all that, at the same time we have divergent interests on some aspects of the negotiation, so there will be a tough negotiation and he [Macron] will be tough."

European Commission president Jean-Claude Juncker said he was happy that the ideas of a strong and progressive Europe would be preserved under Mr Macron's presidency.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel congratulated Mr Macron, with her spokesman saying his win was a victory for a united Europe.

Theresa May was quick off the mark with Downing Street saying in a statement: The Prime Minister warmly congratulates President-Elect Macron on his election success. France is one of our closest allies and we look forward to working with the new President on a wide range of shared priorities."

Downing Street also said Ms May spoke briefly with Mr Macron in a phone call, during which the pair discussed Brexit and the Prime Minister reiterated that the UK wants a strong partnership.

Supporters of Mr Macron celebrate outside the Louvre museum in Paris, France (AP)

Current French President Francois Hollande, under whom Mr Macron served as a minister, said the results showed voters support for the European Union, while the countrys Prime Minister Bernard Cazeneuve said it was a rejection of the deadly project of the extreme right.

Ms Le Pens defeat was not the first setback for right-wing populism in Europe. Norbert Hofer and Geert Wilders had failed to win in Austria and the Netherlands. But the prospect of a nation with the stature of France passing into the hands of a party regarded by so many to be racist, indeed near-fascist, had caused alarm internationally across the mainstream political board.

Of the three candidates beaten in the last round, the conservative Francois Fillon, and Benoit Hamon, the socialist, asked their supporters to vote for Mr Macron, while the team of the leftist Jean-Luc Melenchon advocated anyone but Le Pen.

But many, it appears, have not found either candidate palatable and the ni-ni ( neither nor) movement was vocal in calling for organised apathy. The abstention rate of nearly 25 per cent was higher this time than the previous three presidential elections with the turnout at 5pm at 65 per cent, down from 72 per cent in 2012, 75 per cent in 2005 and 68 per cent in 2002. The remaining votes were either spoiled or left blank.

Reacting to the result, Mr Melenchon said Mr Macron's programme would destroy the French social system.

Mr Macron, who had tried to project himself as outside the establishment, faces a potentially tough time ahead; he has no party and will have to build a parliamentary base from scratch in coming elections in June.

This election has repeatedly shown that divisions in France run deep. But there were also signs of outside interference.

Groups which had helped Mr Trumps election campaign have continued their clandestine activities in the French polls as well. Just as the Democratic Party computers were hacked in the American presidential campaigns, so were Mr Macrons. And, as in the US, Moscow was blamed for interfering in the campaign.

Marine Le Pen, French National Front (FN) political party candidate for French 2017 presidential election, greets supporters at the Chalet du Lac in the Bois de Vincennes in Paris after her defeat (Reuters)

Frances electoral commission warned that it would be a criminal offence to publish the hacked documents, which appeared to be mixed with a number of forgeries, in case they influenced the voting, but they were being disseminated through social media using the hashtag #Macronleaks.

Ms Le Pen had claimed, falsely, in the TV debate that Mr Macron held offshore bank accounts, and, on the eve of polling Florian Philippot, Front Nationals deputy leader, tweeted will Macron leaks teach us something that investigative journalism has deliberately kept silent?

Mr Macrons campaign team, En Marche! complained that the hack was clearly an attempt at democratic destabilisation, like that seen during the last presidential campaign in the US.

Mr Macron, who, at 39, is the youngest President in French history, voted with his 64-year-old wife Brigitte in Le Touquet. Their marriage, with its age gap, and the fact that she was his teacher, had been much commented on during the campaign. Ms Le Pen seemingly tried to make an issue of it during her debate with Mr Macron, snapping at him at one stage dont play teacher and pupil with me, its not my thing.

But there is no discernible evidence that it had any effect on voting intentions.

Ms Le Pen voted in Henin-Beaumont, a small town in north with a Front National administration. She arrived at the polling station with Steeve Briois, who had taken over as the partys interim leader when she temporarily stepped down to focus on the election.

In an interview, Jean-Marie Le Pen, the founder of the Front National, declared that his daughter lacked the right qualities to become President, claiming she had character but not much else.

Mr Le Pen, 88, insisted that he wanted his daughter to win the election, but that his granddaughter, Marion Marechal-Le Pen, would have been a better candidate.

It remains to be seen what Marine Le Pen will do next. Her supporters said she will now be focusing on elections to come, but there is a feeling among some in her party that she has been around so long that she has become part of what she castigates  the establishment. They see 27-year-old Marion Marechal-Le Pen as a leader in waiting.

In defeat, many of her supporters remained loyal and defiant.

Clotilde Berthier, a 63-year-old shopworker who recently moved to Paris from Caen in Normandy to live with her son, said: We know how this country is suffering, jobs disappear, people lose their homes and, at the same time, we see refugees coming in and being given everything.

"We suffer from Muslim terrorism. Macron is of the group who are responsible for this; he will be found out. Marine Le Pen is the person to save this country.

But Jean-Paul Eperney, a 27-year-old IT consultant, making his way to the rally by Mr Macrons supporters outside The Louvre, was adamant.

I am not one of those who says I only voted for Macron because Fillon is not there, Hamon is not there, he wanted to stress.

Macron is modern, he is a progressive; the economy will get better with reform. I am for the EU, most of France is, we should be together, not divided.

"I have lived in London and Bristol, they are great cities. It is a great pity that Britain chose to leave. But we made the right choice today for our future.
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A global child sexual exploitation ring has been taken down by the FBI and Europol, leading to the arrest of hundreds of suspected paedophiles.

Florida man Steven W Chase, 58, was sentenced to 30 years in prison for creating what is believed to have been the worlds largest child pornography website with more than 150,000 users.

In total some 870 people were arrested or convicted worldwide, including 368 in Europe alone, and so far at least 259 sexually abused children have been identified or rescued from abusers outside the US.

Recommended Paedophile caught after police video trick lures him out of Dark Web

Chase created the website, called 'Playpen', in August 2014 on the Dark Web network Tor, where people can communicate and access material anonymously through "hidden service" websites.

Special Agent Dan Alfin, who had been part of the investigation with the Bureaus Violent Crimes Against Children section, pointed out the initial difficulty in investigating the case.

Given the nature of how Tor hidden services work, there was not much we could do about it," he said.

However, in December 2014, Chase accidently revealed Playpens IP address in Florida, prompting a foreign law enforcement agency to contact the FBI.

A copy of the website was seized by US law enforcement; search warrants were issued for email accounts and eventually, said Mr Alfin, everything led back to Steven Chase.

One month later the FBI, along with support from European and local law enforcement, launched Operation Pacifier to find Playpens thousands of members.

Europol's executive director Rob Wainwright called it "one of the most important investigations of online child sexual abuse ever conducted".

Using court-approved network investigative techniques, US law enforcement uncovered IP addresses that helped identify members.

Intelligence packages were compiled and given to law enforcement authorities in a number of countries, including Colombia, Croatia, Czech Republic, France, Ireland, Italy, Slovakia, Spain, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom.

Organised crime surge in EU: Smuggling, counterfeit and internet abuse  all in a days work for Europol Show all 3 1 /3 Organised crime surge in EU: Smuggling, counterfeit and internet abuse  all in a days work for Europol Organised crime surge in EU: Smuggling, counterfeit and internet abuse  all in a days work for Europol p33euroPRESSIMAGE.jpg Police presence: Officers stand guard at the Europol conference at The Hague EPA Organised crime surge in EU: Smuggling, counterfeit and internet abuse  all in a days work for Europol p34manGETTY.jpg Crime stopper: Rob Wainwright at the Europol conference AFP/Getty Organised crime surge in EU: Smuggling, counterfeit and internet abuse  all in a days work for Europol p34officeAFP.jpg AFP

Some criticised the operation for its unprecedented" use of malware, targeting over 1,000 computers with one warrant.

Steve Wilson, head of Europols European Cybercrime Centre said: Those individuals involved in the sexual abuse of children are becoming increasingly forensically aware and are actively using the most advanced forms of anonymisation and encryption to avoid detection.

Law enforcement needs to be able to use proportionate means to tackle this threat to our children. The internet has no boundaries and does not recognise borders. We need to balance the rights of victims versus the right to privacy."

The investigation was ongoing, and Mr Alfin said: Members of [Chase's] enterprise who were raping children, who were producing child pornography all around the worldthose cases continue to be indicted and prosecuted."
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France has banned the breeding of killer whales and dolphins in captivity.

Campaigners hope the move will eventually bring an end to shows involving the marine animals.

The government has also banned the captivity of all whales, dolphins and porpoises, except for orcas and bottlenose dolphins.

 SeaWorld killer whale beaches itself

The new rules also ban direct contact between the animals and the public and require pools holding the animals to be made significantly larger.

Aquariums and water parks have six months to comply to the rules, and must expand their pools within three years.

It comes after SeaWorld announced the last birth of a killer whale at its theme park after it decided to stop breeding orcas following animal rights protests.

It has also said it is phasing out its orca shows after years of criticism, but activists remain unconvinced as its theme parks in San Antonio, Texas and Orlando are not expected to end the shows until 2019.

SeaWorld's killer whales Show all 10 1 /10 SeaWorld's killer whales SeaWorld's killer whales Visitors are greeted by an Orca killer whale as they attend a show featuring the whales during a visit to the animal theme park SeaWorld in San Diego, California March 19, 2014. A California lawmaker introduced a bill to ban live performances and captive breeding of killer whales in the state, a measure that would force the SeaWorld San Diego marine theme park to end is popular "Shamu" shows. Mike Blake/Reuters SeaWorld's killer whales A trainer shows the crowd a killer whale during a show at the animal theme park SeaWorld in San Diego, California March 19, 2014. A California lawmaker introduced a bill to ban live performances and captive breeding of killer whales in the state, a measure that would force the SeaWorld San Diego marine theme park to end is popular "Shamu" shows. Mike Blake/Reuters SeaWorld's killer whales An Orca killer whale is seen underwater at the animal theme park SeaWorld in San Diego, California March 19, 2014. A California lawmaker introduced a bill to ban live performances and captive breeding of killer whales in the state, a measure that would force the SeaWorld San Diego marine theme park to end is popular "Shamu" shows. Mike Blake/Reuters SeaWorld's killer whales Visitors get a close-up view of an Orca killer whale during a visit to the animal theme park SeaWorld in San Diego, California March 19, 2014. A California lawmaker introduced a bill to ban live performances and captive breeding of killer whales in the state, a measure that would force the SeaWorld San Diego marine theme park to end is popular "Shamu" shows. Mike Blake/Reuters SeaWorld's killer whales Trainers have Orca killer whales perform for the crowd during a show at the animal theme park SeaWorld in San Diego, California March 19, 2014. A California lawmaker introduced a bill to ban live performances and captive breeding of killer whales in the state, a measure that would force the SeaWorld San Diego marine theme park to end is popular "Shamu" shows. Mike Blake/Reuters SeaWorld's killer whales Trainers have Orca killer whales perform for the crowd during a show at the animal theme park SeaWorld in San Diego, California March 19, 2014. A California lawmaker introduced a bill to ban live performances and captive breeding of killer whales in the state, a measure that would force the SeaWorld San Diego marine theme park to end is popular "Shamu" shows. Mike Blake/Reuters SeaWorld's killer whales Trainers have Orca killer whales perform for the crowd during a show at the animal theme park SeaWorld in San Diego, California March 19, 2014. A California lawmaker introduced a bill to ban live performances and captive breeding of killer whales in the state, a measure that would force the SeaWorld San Diego marine theme park to end is popular "Shamu" shows. Mike Blake/Reuters SeaWorld's killer whales Trainers have Orca killer whales perform for the crowd during a show at the animal theme park SeaWorld in San Diego, California March 19, 2014. A California lawmaker introduced a bill to ban live performances and captive breeding of killer whales in the state, a measure that would force the SeaWorld San Diego marine theme park to end is popular "Shamu" shows. Mike Blake/Reuters SeaWorld's killer whales Tillikum, a killer whale at SeaWorld amusement park, performs during the show "Believe" in Orlando, September 3, 2009. A killer whale at the SeaWorld amusement park in central Florida killed a trainer on February 24, 2010, police and company executives said. According to the Orlando Sentinel the orca involved in the incident, named Tillikum but popularly known as "Tilly," has a controversial past. Mathieu Belanger/Reuters SeaWorld's killer whales An unidentified trainer works with a killer whale during the "Believe" show at Sea World in Orlando, Florida, in this photograph taken on February 14, 2010. A killer whale at the SeaWorld amusement park in central Florida killed a trainer on February 24, 2010, police and company executives said. Picture taken February 14. Richard Baum/Reuters

French environment minister Segolene Royal signed a version of the bill on Wednesday, but decided the rules needed to be more radical after learning some animals were drugged in aquariums, her ministry told AFP.

In a joint statement, five conservation groups hailed the ban as a historic French advance which could mean the end of breeding, exchange and import programmes.

Jon Kershaw, the head of the Marineland Antibes park in the French Riviera, told local media the ban was a bombshell for businesses like his.
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French people have been going to the polls in their millions, in an election that will be pivotal to the future of the country - and that of the entire continent.

Opinion polls had appeared to leave little doubt, suggesting Emmanuel Macron would be winner, with more than 60% of the vote. At the age of 39, he would be the youngest president of the Fifth Republic.

According to an Ipsos-Steria estimate for France Televisions, Radio France LCP / Public Senat, RFI-France 24, Le Point and Le Monde, abstention could amount to 26 per cent of voters.

And at 5pm this Sunday, participation in the second round of the presidential election was 65.30 per cent, down by six points compared to that of 2012. Those figures will be of some concern to Mr Macron's team, whose biggest fear has been voter apathy.

But how many of his electors will have voted to defend his program and his values? What part of the vote will be a rejection of the candidate of the Front National? Who will benefit most from those abstaining?

In Paris, where only five per cent of Parisians voted for Marine Le Pen in the first round, it is under a grey rainy sky that people go to the polls.

Vichea Pes, 32-year-old project manager consultant, has just cast a bulletin for Mr Macron.

"I had already voted for him in the first round because he is closest to my ideas, but I have serious reservations about his programme and how he intends to translate his ideas into action. It is rather vague," he told The Independent.

Emmanuelle, a 38-year-old Parisian woman "hates FN's ideas so fiercely" and thinks that if ms Le Pen is elected, "she will lead France directly to bankruptcy".

She will vote for Mr Macron because "it's the lesser evil. She said she was "full of disillusionment with these politicians who have lost the aura necessary to govern a country".

But this "Republican front", which was evident in 2002, when it carried crowds of people in the street to block Jean-Marie Le Pen and re-elect Jacques Chirac with more than 80%, is unlikely to prove as comprehensive this year.

In the duel between Mr Macron and Ms Le Pen, one can expect a significant score of "ni-ni" (neither one, neither the other).

Recommended How the French weather could help Marine Le Pen on election day

In an open letter to the magazine Causeur, lawyer Guillaume Sergent explains why he will vote for neither and rejects the "Republican front" that would force him to block the Front National.

He claims the right to "not choose", because even if he "understands the repugnance inspired by a vote for the National Front", he does not want to vote "for a candidate who is obviously ready for anything and who represents post-France, ... by its desire to substitute labour law for the 'Uberisation' of relations, by the repentant criticism of its history, by the invitation to youth to become a billionaire."

The bar of Paris advised its members to vote for Mr Macron to block Ms Le Pen, but he assures me that some Parisian lawyers will vote for the National Front candidate.

The latest polls predicted that just under half of the electors of Francois Fillon would vote for Mr Macron today, against 28% for Ms Le Pen, while a quarter would abstain.

The debate has clearly moved the lines in favour of En Marche's candidate.

Quentin, 30, who had voted Francois Fillon is sipping a coffee just yards from the polling station, but will not go to the polls. He is "angry and disappointed" about the result in the first round, during which "his champion was eliminated because of a media harassment".

Julien Mielchoc, 38, financial advisor, is also disappointed because his "candidate was eliminated" and today he "has the impression of having to choose between plague and cholera, between the fascist dictatorship and that of the bankers".

Nevertheless, he tells The Independent he is about to go to the polling station to vote "against the blockade of our country and of Europe" - and thus against Marine Le Pen.

Caroline, 42, a perfume development assessor, went early this morning to vote for Mr Macron.

"It's not my candidate, it's the first time I vote for the left-side," she explained.

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 considering whats at stakes, I would rather vote for a European Democrat than for an incompetent and dangerously intolerant candidate, as Wednesday's debate demonstrated too well," she concludes.

She said that debate showed "the professional mediocrity of Marine Le Pen" and her inability to fulfil the functions of a president.

Gilles, 36, also voted Fillon in the first round but will vote Macron. He explains that he is his second choice.

"I believe in many points of his programmes," he said.

On the other hand, he says, the debate, "made him realise the little background of MLP" and he finds Macron "much more credible as president".

There are also those who favoured left-wing candidate Jean-Luc Melenchon in the first round.

Emilien, 35, commercial director, declared: "I will vote by Republican conviction, therefore Macron."

He explains that for him the ideas of Ms Le Pen are not Republican, he has "the feeling that she is a threat to democracy".

And above all, he "does not like speeches that frighten and divide".

During a consultation organised on the platform of Unbowed France, two thirds were in favour of abstaining rather than vote for Macron. The debate swept things in favour of En Marches candidate, but until the big announcement tonight, nothing is for certain.
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The incoming French President Emmanuel Macron  the youngest person to ever hold the job at 39  has a large workload from the moment he enters the Elysee Palace.

Barring parliamentary elections next month, which we will return to later, the three big issues will be national security, the economy and the affect of Brexit on the European Union.

Security is the most pressing matter, the new president will want to look strong on the issue in the wake of a number of attacks on France that have killed more than 230 people in the last 18 months. The fact that Marine Le Pen made it through to the final round of voting on a platform that placed safety of French citizens and national security absolutely front and centre, shows how important it is to the electorate.

Whether Mr Macron can help stop to the violence against his country, is a different matter - but there is no doubt it is the priority domestically.

As a former Finance Minister in the French government, Mr Macron has made the economy a large part of his manifesto, and the issue is certainly something that has pre-occupied many voters. While statistics have shown modest recovery recently, the employment rate remains stubbornly at around 10 per cent. The success of Mr Macrons presidency in the long-term will rely on finding a way to bring that down, as well as healing the social divides that have seen many voters turn to extreme ends of the political spectrum  on both left and right.

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

Outside of France, one of the biggest issues is Brexit. Mr Macron set himself up as the opposite to Ms Le Pen  he is a lover of the European project who wants to see close co-operation with within Europe. Indeed, in his initial victory speech he said he wanted to defend both the values of both France and Europe. Mr Macron will become a key part of talks over Brexit, while he will also looks for a strong relationship between France and Germany  the pivotal one at the heart of Europe. Immediately after his victory, Mr Macrons team were quick to point out the President-elect had a warm call with German Chancellor Angela Merkel.

However, Mr Macron's biggest challenge may actually be being able to govern. He is expected to name his Prime Minister around the 15th  but that could be temporary. If Mr Macron and his En Marche! movement fail to gain a parliamentary majority in elections next month, then he may have to replace his pick with someone from an opposition party.

That will be a tough task. Mr Macron and his movement have no representation in parliament, he is essentially starting from scratch, and despite his pledge to field candidates  half of them women and half from civil society or local councils  in all 577 parliamentary constituencies there is no guarantee he will come out on top.

He is helped by the fall of the two main parties, the Socialists on the left and Les Republicains on the centre-right, but he will have to weigh up his promise to overhaul the political system with the need to quickly recruit heavy-hitters to ensure his position.

He will try and recruit his ministers from left, right and centre and hope that creates the momentum he needs. While governing with a minority would be difficult, not even being the biggest party in Parliament would leave Mr Macron and his legislative agenda stymied. Taking around 65 per cent of the vote in the presidential election is a strong start that may help push En Marche! towards a majority. If that doesn't come, difficult days could lie ahead.
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French voters are heading to the polls after a tumultuous presidential election race that has captivated international observers and turned the countrys political landscape upside down.

Centrist Emmanuel Macron, who has never been elected to a public office, is expected to win the presidency over his far-right rival Marine Le Pen, after extending his 20-point poll lead in the final hours of the campaign.

The election is seen as one of Frances most important in decades with two candidates with diametrically opposed views on Frances place in the European Union and the world going head to head.

A staunch Europhile, Mr Macron says he will strengthen EU cooperation and maintain an open economy while Ms Le Pen has pledged to quit the euro, hold a referendum on France's membership of the union and bring in protectionist trade policies.

Emmanuel Macron at a campaign meeting in Albi, southwestern France, on Thursday (Getty)

A focal point of the campaign was the bitter televised debate on Wednesday, when the two candidates attacked each other with a string of barbs and insults.

The election is seen as a test of the strength of populist movements in Europe and on the appetite for Frances own referendum on the EU. But above all voters have so far made clear their desire for change in the countrys political arena.

Frances two traditional parties, which have held power in the Elysee Palace for decades, were knocked out in the first round of the election on 23 April while politically extreme parties together received more than 40 per cent of the votes.

In the month preceding the elections first round, conservative Francois Fillon became mired in corruption scandal over payments to his wife and children for work they allegedly have not done. The saga meant his right-wing Republican party did not contest the second round of the election for the first time.

Boxes of ballot papers at the City Hall in Montreuil, outside Paris, yesterday (Getty)

The crisis of French politics has left many voters feeling the choice is one of the lesser of two evils, with many saying they would rather spoil their ballot than endorse either candidate.

On the one hand, Mr Macron, a former investment banker for Rothschild and minister of the economy in the Socialist government, has been accused of defending the interests of the financial sector.

A year after launching his own movement En Marche! (Lets Go!), Mr Macron has been fighting accusations that he is just more of the same despite attempts to portray him as a candidate for change. The 39-year-old, who has been accused of political immaturity, could become Frances youngest elected president.

On the other hand, Ms Le Pen has capitalised on a growing anti-EU sentiment and working-class voters frustration over globalisation and immigration.

Despite Ms Le Pens efforts to relinquish her partys former image of Holocaust denial and racism, French newspapers have suggested the far-right candidate is no different.

Earlier this month, Ms Le Pen crossed a red line when she said France was not responsible for the events of the Vel dHiv, referring to the mass arrest of 13,000 Jews by French police in Paris in 1942. They were then transported to Nazi extermination camps.

Marine Le Pen at a campaign meeting in Ennemain, northern France, on Thursday (Getty)

On its Friday front page, the Liberation newspaper splashed a black-and-white picture of Ms Le Pens father Jean-Marie, who was convicted of inciting racial hatred after saying gas chambers were a detail of the Second World War, with the words: She [Ms Le Pen] has not changed."

Crowds roared neither Marine, nor Macron and neither banker, nor fascist during demonstrations across France between the two rounds of the election, when a few hundred protesters clashed with police forces.

Participation is going to be a key issue in the final run-off with a high level of abstention potentially helping Ms Le Pen narrow the gap on her rival.

In the final days of the campaign, The Independent spoke to voters in Paris and its surroundings, where many remained undecided and unconvinced by the candidates.

Among them, supporters of far-left candidate Jean-Luc Melenchon, who could sway the results significantly after he narrowly missed out. Mr Melenchon, who won 19.5 per cent of the vote, has refused to endorse either Ms Le Pen or Mr Macron.

It is not the first time the far-right Front National party got through to the second round of an election. In 2002, Jean-Marie Le Pen faced conservative Jacques Chirac in the final run-off.

At the time, French voters came out en masse against Mr Le Pen, but this year's campaign has seen the Republican Front, in which all parties unite against the far right, crumble.

An anti-Le Pen poster in Paris depicts the Front National leader with the face of US President, reading: Do not Trump yourself. Choose France. Vote! (Getty)

The final leg of the campaign has also been caught up in security concerns. Less than 48 hours before polling stations opened, there was a huge leak of emails and campaign documents from Mr Macron's campaign team.

France's electoral commission ordered the media not to publish contents of the leaked documents to avoid influencing the election.

Under election rules, Mr Macron or his team were not allowed to comment on any allegations after 10pm on Friday.

In a statement released shortly before the rules came in to force, En Marche! said it had been the victim of a massive and coordinated hack and slammed the incident as an attempt to seed doubt and disinformation in the minds of voters.

En Marche! previously complained about attempts to hack its emails, blaming Russian groups in part for the cyber attacks amid denials of official involvement from the Kremlin.

Security has been an omnipresent theme of this campaign, which was marked by the death of police officer Xavier Jugele, killed by a suspected Isis supporter, who opened fire on the Champs-Elysees in Paris three days before the first round of the election.

France has been under a state of emergency since the Paris attacks in November 2015, when 130 people were killed. More than 240 people have died across the country in terror attacks in the past two years.

As the campaign officially closed at midnight on Friday, the latest polls put Mr Macron on 63 per cent against 37 per cent for Ms Le Pen. The first official projection of the results will be announced at 8pm local time (7pm BST) on Sunday.
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The head of Germanys armed forces has called for an inspection of all army barracks after investigators discovered Nazi-era military memorabilia in a garrison, broadening a scandal about right-wing extremism among soldiers.

The discovery at a barracks in Donaueschingen, in southwest Germany, was made in an investigation that began after similar Nazi-era items were found in the garrison of an army officer arrested on suspicion of planning a racially motivated attack.

As a result, general inspector Volker Wieker ordered a wider search of barracks.

The general inspector has instructed that all properties be inspected to see whether rules on dealing with heritage with regard to the Wehrmacht and National Socialism are being observed, a Defence Ministry spokesman said.

Defence Minister Ursula Von der Leyen said the military must root out right-wing extremism.

We are training people with weapons. It is right that there are higher standards for us. A carry on attitude is out of the question, she told weekly newspaper Bild am Sonntag.

Displaying Nazi items such as swastikas is punishable under German law, although possession of regular Wehrmacht items is not. However, von der Leyen said last week she would not tolerate the veneration of the Wehrmacht in todays army, the Bundeswehr.

Ms Von der Leyen provoked criticism from a soldiers group last week when she criticised what she called weak leadership in the military after the officers arrest on suspicion of planning a racist attack.

On Thursday, she apologised for the tone of her criticism of the military over its handling of the racism case, as she sought to contain a divisive row in the build-up to national elections in September.

A preliminary report into the inspection of all barracks is due on Tuesday, with the final results on 16 May.

Reuters
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Before the final results had even been announced in the French Presidential election, Marine Le Pen would have already been thinking about her next move in the political sphere - and who might replace her.

In a speech that was most likely written in anticipation of defeat to Emmanuel Macron and his En Marche! movement, Ms Le Pen vowed on Sunday evening to transform the Front National for the parliamentary elections in June.

"It's the choice between patriots and globalists that will be in front of the voters in each district in the parliamentary elections," she said.

During very uncertain times in politics, Ms Le Pen's personal road to L'Elysee could be nearing its end.

After stepping down as party leader last month to widen its appeal before the election, it is yet to be seen whether Ms Le Pen will take back the reigns. The presidential election result will be seen as a reaction to Donald Trump in the US and Brexit in the UK, and a sign that, for now, France has committed itself to the European project.

Ms Le Pen also said on the eve of her defeat that she would be forming a "new political group".

Her niece, Marion Marechal Le Pen, an up-and-coming star and also another family rival, told daily newspaper LOpinion that a 40 per cent support would be a huge victory for the National Front.

Le Front National supporters have looked increasingly to the 27-year-old, who was elected an MP in 2012 and who holds more extreme views than her aunt, as the right-wing "rock star" who could lead France to a Frexit. Her leadership could recruit more support given as 44 per cent of voters between 18 and 24 years old opted for the right-wing party.

Whether or not the party will be led in the near future by a younger generation, critics could wonder whether history is simply repeating itself.

It has been 15 years since her father, Jean Marie Le Pen, came close to victory after winning the so-called premier tour in the 2002 election, but he lost the second round and his daughter took over the party reins, distancing herself and the party from his anti-Semitic comments.

As the faces of leadership pass down the family line, the party's ideas remain largely the same.

Writer and historian Tim Stanley tweeted that the Front National has descended from the racist right.

It's not just measured in the odd slip of the tongue or a party official who defends the denial of the Holocaust, it is in the FN's very DNA, he said.

It is a fascist party. Where it now stands on precisely who should be deported is irrelevant. That is what it is - and conservatives of good conscience who understand it cannot I believe support it.

The dynamics that brought Ms Le Pen to near-victory and are far from over, a positive sign for her niece.

Marion Marechal Le Pen (Getty) (getty)

France has been labelled the sick child of Europe due to its poor economic backdrop, and the population has been driven to political extremes. Anti-Muslim marches have been taking place for years, and a growing number of French people are concerned about the influx of immigrants and the refugee crisis.

Ms Le Pen garnered praise from some quarters for identifying with women by being pro-choice and pro-equal rights, but her anti-Islamic rhetoric, her promise to clamp down on immigration and ban the burqa received strong condemnation in a country that only 70 years ago paired up with the Nazi regime.

Yet it took Mr Macron just three years to enter government as Francois Hollandes finance minister and rise to the top job, becoming the countrys youngest ever President.

Supporters will wonder why Ms Le Pen lost at a time when much of Europe and the US has seen growing right-wing support, and why she lost to a man who has never held an elected post, and whose movement has never fielded a single candidate in a local or national election.

While some people vow her reign is over, others speculate that many voters did not want to choose Mr Macron and his pro-business polices may act as a springboard for the hard-right in future.

The day after Ms Le Pens crushing defeat in the 2017 French Presidential election is Victory in Europe Day.

Seen through this lens, it is a bitter blow for Ms Le Pen, who called on her fellow 'patriots' to cast their vote for her and to emancipate their country from the supposed 'woes' of immigration and the European Union.

For her opponents, it will be seen as a day to celebrate the near-escape of Western Europes furthest right candidate becoming President - for now.
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Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov has argued no gay people exist in the Russian republic and those who are LGBT are fake Chechens.

Mr Kadyrov's comments come after Russian President Vladimir Putin announced he would communicate with the countrys Prosecutor General and Minister of Internal Affairs about reports of the detention and torture of gay men in Chechnya.

More than 100 men have reportedly been detained and tortured in Chechnya after being identified as suspected homosexuals. At least four are alleged to have been killed.

But Mr Kadyrov claimed gay men in the republic were not true Chechens and were simply pretending to be Chechen in order to get to the West.

Ramzan Kadyrov, the President of Chechnya (REUTERS)

We have never had them among the Chechens. Unless we are talking about those who aren't Chechens but say they are so that they can get to the West," the leader told Interfax news agency.

Chechen society does not have this phenomenon called non-traditional sexual orientation. For thousands of years, the people have lived by other rules, prescribed by God.

He claimed Chechen authorities had not received any official reports of the systematic persecution of gay people in the conservative and chiefly Muslim region. A spokesperson for Mr Kadyrov previously suggested the allegations were absolute lies and disinformation, claiming gay people did not exist in the republic.

 Hundreds protest at Russian embassy over 'gay concentration camps' in Chechnya

You cannot detain and persecute people who simply do not exist in the republic, he told Interfax. 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.

Mr Putins spokesman has backed his denials of brutality towards men who are suspected of being gay.

Survivors have told reporters and human rights organisations the people who captured and tortured them were members of the police force. It is of course unlikely for the police to record crimes they are reportedly perpetrating.

According to a survivor testimony from a man detained in a gay torture camp in the republic, Chechen police are urging parents to kill their gay children.

Russian police rounded up and detained LGBT activists seeking to raise awareness about the persecution of gay men in Chechnya last week. Around 10 protesters were arrested during a demonstration held at a May Day march in St Petersburg.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel has raised alarm bells about the reported ill-treatment of gay men and urged the Kremlin to properly investigate the allegations.
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Sadiq Khan has urged French voters to defeat the narrow populism of Marine Le Pen in todays presidential run-off.

The London Mayor met with Ms Le Pens rival, Emmanuel Macron, at the end of March and said he hoped the centrist triumphed in the race to become the next inhabitant of the Elysee Palace.

Speaking exclusively to The Independent, Mr Khan said: I had the pleasure of meeting Emmanuel Macron three or four weeks ago and was really impressed by him  really impressed by how he is putting aside tribalism to try to provide a progressive alternative to what France has seen before.

Recommended Macron retains narrow lead over Le Pen as France goes to polls

As far as Im concerned the choice couldnt be clearer: a progressive European who understands the importance of pluralism, diversity, the contribution made by all communities, the benefits of working together, versus the alternative of Marine Le Pen.

Weve seen across Europe and across the world the rise of narrow populist parties and nationalism and I think what we need to recognise is there are far more progressive [alternatives] and if they are ably led then people will unite behind that candidate.

Im looking forward to Macron defeating the narrow populism of Marine Le Pen.

The Mayor of London was speaking in London after launching the re-election campaign of Tulip Siddiq, the last Labour MP for Hampstead and Kilburn, who is facing a strong challenge from the Conservatives.

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

After meeting Mr Macron in March, Mr Khan said the 39-year-old had a progressive, positive vision for France and Europe but has, until now, stopped short of officially endorsing him.

It comes as French voters head to the polls to choose their next president. Opinion polls suggest Mr Macron is comfortably ahead but there are fears Ms Le Pen could benefit from abstentions and a refusal by some supporters of left-wing Jean-Luc Melenchon, who was defeated in the first round of voting, to switch their backing to Mr Macron.

The centrist emerged from relative obscurity to stand on the verge of becoming the successor to Francois Hollande, the current president.

Mr Macron only established his En Marche! party last year after leaving the French Socialist Party, in which he served as an economic adviser and member of Mr Hollandes cabinet.

He led a competitive field during the first round of voting, which saw left-wingers Mr Melenchon and Benoit Hamon fall by the wayside along with Republican candidate Francois Fillion, a former prime minister of France.

The result of the vote is expected to be announced on Sunday evening, with the new president formally taking office around a week later.
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I know what its like to make a new life in another country. To have no one. I am the best placed person to help, Omar Alshakal says, speaking carefully in English, a language he is almost fluent in despite only beginning to learn last year.

Alshakal is 23, but says he feels like hes 100. Its not surprising: like every Syrian forced to flee their home during the last six years of civil war, he has witnessed horrors both in Syria and on the refugee trail that eventually took him to Greece.

Speaking via a Skype video call, Alshakal is illuminated by bars of bright spring Mediterranean sunlight which pierce through the smoke of his cigarettes. In the background, birds are singing.

Omar Alshakal (yellow drysuit) returned to Greece in early 2016, earning a European-recognised lifeguarding qualification to assist in saving lives at sea

Like everyone who works on the front lines of the refugee crisis on the island of Lesbos, he says the natural beauty is at odds with the suffering and misery of the hundreds of thousands of people who have braved the perilous journey across the Aegean Sea from Turkey since 2014.

While every illegal crossing is dangerous, Alshakal faced even more hazards than most: he swam to Greece, despite a crippling leg injury.

Born and raised in DeirEzzour, now subject to a siege by Isis, Alshakal left Syria for Lebanon in 2010, where he worked as a lifeguard.

When the civil war broke out he returned home to his family, and was arrested for his activism against President Bashar al-Assads regime in the early days of the uprising.

I saw horrible things in prison. They beat prisoners until they died, he said. When I got out after six weeks I did not care if I lived or died anymore.

 The British volunteers risking their lives to help refugees across the Mediterranean

Alshakal began volunteering as an ambulance driver on his release. In May 2013, an air strike hit the road just behind his vehicle, which was already crammed with six injured people.

The blast killed everyone else on board. While Alshakals life was spared, the incident left him in a wheelchair with a serious shrapnel wound to his right leg.

He went to Turkey in search of adequate medical treatment, but couldnt find what he needed. The doctor told me, go to Europe, go to Germany, he said.

Eventually, Alshakal began to think: why not? Many others were starting to make the same journey at the mercy of smugglers in unseaworthy boats.

Syrian children beam as they receive gifts from Refugee 4 Refugees

From Bodrum, on Turkeys coast, at just 10 kilometres (six miles) across the water, the Greek islands looked close enough to touch. So he decided to see if he could.

Im a good swimmer, even with my bad leg. Maybe it was because I was young and stupid, but even with my leg, I thought I didnt have anything to lose to try to do it. Except his life?

Alshakal shrugs. I didnt think about it like that, he says.

The plan, once hatched, certainly didnt take long to execute. He and two friends went to buy snorkels, flippers, and a life jacket for the older member of their group. That night, they began the 14 hour swim from Turkey to Kalymnos.

They were picked up by the Greek authorities just before they reached the shore: and as so many refugees find out when they finally make it to Europe, Alshakals ordeal was far from over.

Over the next 18 months, he found himself sleeping rough on the streets of Athens, turned back from the Macedonian border multiple times, and when he eventually made it to Germany, his asylum application was temporarily suspended when he was picked up by police and accused of being a member of Isis.

By early 2016, disillusioned with the hardship of life on a continent he thought held solutions, Alshakal decided to try and go home to Syria. He headed back to Greece.

Lesbos at that time was the epicentre of the refugee crisis; thousands of people a day were arriving on its shores before the EUs deal with Turkey to return refugees was implemented in March.

I spoke their language, I knew their pain, I knew what they were trying to find, Alshakal said. I had been volunteering in Germany. I had to help here too.

Alshakal began using his lifeguarding skills again as a front line responder for smugglers boats in distress, and the more he helped, the stronger his belief that refugees should be leading the response became.

Some NGOs, you dont know how the money gets used, you disagree with how they do things. I wanted us to be able to help ourselves, he said.

He filed the papers to start his own charity at the beginning of this year. Two months later, Refugee 4 Refugees is getting off the ground, galvanising fellow refugees to collect clothes and toys for Syrians in Greece as well as those in Middle East refugee camps, run kitchen projects on the island, and fundraise for a rough-terrain vehicle to assist boat landings on Lesvos.

Omar is a pretty exceptional young man, Jude Bennett, the managing director of search and rescue team Refugee Rescue said. The two are friends after meeting in Skala last year.

Alshakal says the Refugee 4 Refugees team is already 14 people strong and growing

All the locals and volunteers know who he is. With few resources he has already done projects such as providing food for refugees on the Syrian border. In Lesbos he has rescued many people as they land on the shore.

Now he has set up Refugee 4 Refugees to help [give refugees] work that gives a meaning to life now that they are stuck in camps on the island It makes a simple but real difference to refugees everyday lives.

More and more refugees, and especially Syrians, come to help me all the time they want to take an active role, not just be victims, Alshakal said.

The 23-year-old doesnt know what the future holds: he has finally had proper medical care for his leg, but his Greek visa expires in 2018, and most of his family are now in Damascus. I will keep doing what Im doing here until someone stops me, he said.

But really, still, I just want to be able to go home. That is what all of us want and what I think many people in Europe still dont understand.
DES MOINES  Gov. Terry Branstad signed election-law changes Friday establishing new verification procedures for voters and shortening the voting period in Iowa that proponents say will improve election integrity but critics insist will suppress turnout and raise costs to taxpayers.

The real work begins now, said Iowa Secretary of State Paul Pate, also the states elections commissioner, after Branstad attached his name to House File 516, a bill the governor said would reform and modernize the administrative process of elections in Iowa.

This bill will increase the integrity of our election systems by reforming our voter identification laws, the governor said. This bill will also make the administration of our elections more efficient and convenient for Iowans.

The legislation reduces Iowas early-voting period for requesting and casting absentee ballots from 40 days to 29.

Also, prospective voters may be asked to have their signatures verified as part of the safeguards majority Republican legislators say are needed to prevent voter fraud.

About $700,000 was appropriated by the GOP-led Legislature to implement the new law, with some of the new money going to provide new voter identification cards to the estimated 85,000 eligible Iowa voters who do not have a drivers license.

Pate said about 95 percent of Iowa voters will not be impacted because their Iowa drivers license, U.S. passport or veterans ID card will meet the identification requirements at Iowa polling places. The 5 percent of prospective voters who do not have those will be mailed a new voter ID card before the June 2018 primary election, the first time the new system will be used.

Pate said his office plans a soft rollout public education program to ensure that everybody who doesnt have that photo ID card will have one.

Theres been a lot of misinformation and political hype. Now we have to cut through all of that, he said.

Other provisions of House File 516 would eliminate the option for voters to check a single box for straight-party voting, allow teenagers who turn 18 by the general election to vote in the earlier primary, put money toward helping precincts buy digital poll books and establish postelection audits.

Also, the bill would provide for technology upgrades and additional poll worker training.

Im just really excited about a chance to go to the next level on the technology side, Pate said. Those e-poll books are going to be one of the greatest things. Theyll be talking about that for the next 10 years on how much better the system works, and information will be so much quicker and the integrity will be there.

During the recently completed legislative session, critics argued the election bill would put up barriers to elderly, disabled, minority and other Iowa voters and would discourage participation in a fundamental American right.

They argued it would increase costs to the state and counties and create unintended consequences in a state with a track record of clean elections with high participation rates.

They also said it likely would trigger a legal challenge.

It is outrageous that Iowa legislators have passed the Secretary of States omnibus voter suppression bill, Rita Bettis, ACLU of Iowa legal director, said Friday. It includes measures calculated to harm voting in Iowa, including not only voter ID, but also unreliable and burdensome signature verification, cuts to early voting and other provisions.

Make no mistake: This is only the latest in a broad strategy to make it harder for qualified voters to vote and roll back decades of progress to expand participation in our elections by all eligible voters. Legislators have done so with the full knowledge that these laws will erect barriers to make it harder for people of color, senior citizens and people with disabilities, in particular, to vote, she added. This is nothing more than a cynical political ploy  a campaign talking point  that will harm Iowans ability to exercise the voting rights that they have under law.

MEDICAL MALPRACTICE

Also Friday, a day that Branstad declared a banner day given the significant legislation he acted on, the governor signed legislation capping medical malpractice awards but would allow juries to make awards of more than $250,000 in cases of substantial or permanent loss or impairment of bodily functions and substantial disfigurement.

Originally, Senate File 465 would have capped non-economic damages  damages awarded for pain, suffering, physical impairment, inconvenience and mental anguish among others  at $250,000.

This is something Ive waited a long time to sign, said Branstad, who expected the bill would make it easier for Iowa to attract and retain doctors by joining 35 other states that cap non-economic damages in medical malpractice cases.

MENTAL HEALTH

Branstad also signed Senate File 504, legislation designed to give counties more flexibility to equitably deal with regional mental health costs while holding the line on property taxes.

The bill would begin from the maximum property tax allowed to be collected across all counties at $114.6 million statewide. It will equalize mental health funding on a county basis within regions. It provides for a growth factor for each regional per-capita amount but maintains a $47.28 per-capita cap.

The legislation also requires regions to spend down fund balances but maintains the 25 percent limit on cash reserves.

The state organized counties into 13 regional authorities in 2013 and pooled their property tax revenues for mental health care. The reorganization was meant to fix some inequities due to a 1996 cap that prevented some counties from taxing residents at the same level as their partner counties.
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The number of holidaymakers ripped off by booking scams rose by almost a fifth last year, new figures show.

There were 5,826 reported cases in 2016, up 19 per cent on the previous year, according to the UK's national fraud and cyber crime reporting centre ActionFraud.

The most common scams related to airline tickets, online accommodation bookings and timeshare sales.

A total of 7.2m was lost last year, at an average of 1,200 per victim.

More than a quarter (26 per cent) said the scams had a significant impact on their health or financial well-being, while 259 were left needing medical treatment or at risk of bankruptcy.

Fraud prevention group Get Safe Online, travel trade organisation Abta and City of London Police have launched a campaign warning of the dangers posed by holiday booking fraud.

Tony Neate, of Get Safe Online, said holidays are often a big-ticket item and present the perfect opportunity for cyber criminals to swindle unsuspecting victims out of their hard-earned money.

He went on: Always do as much research as you can about the organisation you're booking through, and ensure that they are a reputable travel operator that is a member of a recognised trade body like Abta.

By booking in haste, you could not only risk losing a huge amount of money, but also disappoint family and friends when it comes to that long-awaited escape.

Sporting and religious trips are a popular target for con men due to the limited availability of tickets and subsequent higher prices.

Fraudsters are setting up bogus accommodation websites, hacking into legitimate accounts and posting fake adverts online.

Holidaymakers are also losing thousands of pounds by booking flights and not receiving genuine tickets. Flights to Africa and the Indian subcontinent were targeted last year.

Action Fraud says reports of travellers being swindled have consistently risen over the past five years.

Authorities believe criminals are taking advantage of travellers' lack of awareness of the strict regulations in place for UK-based travel firms.

The majority of those who are defrauded pay by methods such as bank transfer or cash, with no means of getting their money back.

Fraudsters are actively encouraging these payment methods by claiming they are the only ones protected by their own bogus insurance schemes.

Abta chief executive Mark Tanzer said: Abta is regularly contacted by members of the public who have been caught out by increasingly sophisticated travel-related frauds.

We know at first-hand that the loss and shock of finding that your flight or holiday accommodation has not been booked can be very significant.

Follow the tips we have put together in partnership with the City of London Police and Get Safe Online to avoid falling victim and to make sure your hard-earned money goes towards your holiday and not lining the pockets of an unscrupulous crook.

A holidaymaker said he was taught not to be so confident in using the internet after losing 8,000 in an accommodation scam.

William George, 38, booked a last-minute family trip to Cascais, Portugal in August last year and inquired about a villa through the homeaway.com website.

He paid for his stay by international bank transfer as requested by villa firm Sol Domus via email, but when he telephoned the company the day before he was due to arrive he realised he had been conned.

Mr George, a course director from Cambridge, said: It turned out they hadn't heard of me. They didn't have any record of the booking. It was a scam.

He explained that the firm's email account had been hacked, so even though he had been sending messages to the correct address, they were being accessed by a criminal.

I just knew in the pit of my stomach that that money was gone, he said. There was no way of getting it back.

Mr George added: I've learnt not to be so confident in using the internet without questioning what I'm doing.

I do buy a lot online. I have booked holidays online before. I think I can pick out a phishing email. I think I can spot a dodgy website. But you still have to be careful.

When I was so busy when they were asking for the payment, I should have taken five minutes to phone up the villa company just to make sure that it was really them and that the payment was going to the right place.

Other incidents of holiday booking fraud include a woman, Stephanie, from London, who paid 410 for a flight from Heathrow to Nigeria.

She received an e-ticket, but when she arrived at the airport there was no record of her booking.

Stephanie was initially told she would be given a refund but her calls to the company are now not being answered.

Another victim, John, from Tamworth, Staffordshire, paid 930 in March last year to someone who he thought was the owner of a villa in the Canary Islands.

But when he later tried to find the website it had disappeared, and he discovered several TripAdvisor reviews saying it was a scam.

He has since tried to contact the supposed villa owner but has not got hold of anyone.

Press Association
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As hundreds of holidaymakers start to return from disrupted Thomson packages to Mallorca, the travel firm is facing heavy criticism over the way it handled the late opening of new luxury resorts in the Balearics.

The night before the AluaSoul Mallorca Resort was due to open on 1 May, the owners told Thomson that it was not ready. Holidaymakers who flew in early on Monday were nonetheless taken to the hotel, where they were turned away. It was clear that building work and decorating was taking place.

Thomson now says the property will open on 10 May  as will a sister hotel on Ibiza, which also has been delayed because of overrunning work.

Recommended Britons arrive for holiday at luxury hotel only to find building site

Angry holidaymakers have been talking about their treatment by Britains biggest tour operator.

Terry and Melanie Turner from Newcastle flew out on 1 May for an 11-night holiday. This was meant to be a relaxing break to celebrate Terry's 65th birthday but turned out to be anything but relaxing, said Mrs Turner.

Before they left home, the couple became aware of comments on a TripAdvisor forum that raised concerns about the AluaSouls readiness, but say they were assured by Thomson that it would open on schedule on the day they arrived.

But when they landed at Palma airport, they were told their hotel was not ready and they would be going to the Rocador Hotel instead. At that property, they spent two-and-a-half hours waiting to check in. It was not an all-inclusive hotel, as they had booked, so they were then offered a third hotel, the Protur Playa. They accepted the option but had to pay the 44 taxi fare themselves, which they were told to claim back from Thomson UK.

Mr and Mrs Turner had been promised the Protur Playa was all-inclusive, but it turned out not to be. They then asked to go home, and arrived back a week before their holiday was due to end.

Why weren't Thomson monitoring the progress of the AluaSoul to ensure it would open on time, asked Mrs Turner. The couple are seeking a complete refund of the 1,700 cost of their trip  plus the 44 taxi fare.

The Independent has been repeatedly told that, since the problem emerged, Thomson has contacted holidaymakers only on the afternoon before they are due to depart.

Bryan Pegg and his wife Shirley, both aged 80, checked in at Doncaster airport early in the morning of Friday 5 May. They had left their home in Sheffield the previous afternoon and stayed in an airport hotel.

Only after my baggage had been tagged and placed on the conveyor was I handed a letter with my name on, with a new hotel and resort I had not booked and did not want," said Mr Pegg.

The letter included the offer to cancel for a full refund. But Mr Pegg said: At 4.20 am what options did I have? On arrival at Majorca my wife and I had then to wait well over two hours at the Thomson desk before a taxi was ordered.

"Our original booking was for adult-only with a sea view. We now have a hotel 15 minutes from the beach facing a busy car park plus a very noisy main road, in a place with a lot of children ranging from babies to 11-year-olds. This holiday is a total disaster."

Thomson told The Independent: We have currently placed all customers in suitable alternative accommodation and have offered guests a gesture of goodwill due to the unexpected disruption."

The standard compensation payment from Thomson has been 40. On the travel companys Facebook page, Sheila Trinder wrote: They charge us 50 to change an initial on a booking yet appear to think 40 is fair compensation for wrecking a holiday. They shouldn't be allowed to get away with this.

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Thomson's Facebook account also carries complaints about overrunning building work affecting the AluaSouls sister hotel in Ibiza. Dawn OHenley Smith wrote: Absolutely shocked and appalled with how your company has let down my parents who are in their sixties and seventies and were devastated to have received an email less than 12 hours before they were due to fly out this morning to say that the hotel that they were jetting out for my mums retiral holiday at AluaSoul Es Cana Ibiza hotel was still effectively a building site and would not be ready until mid May.

Thomson responded: We have been advised that, regrettably, there has been an unforeseen last minute delay with the work at this hotel which is a new addition to our programme for this summer. We are working with our hotel partners to ensure all of the facilities are completed to the high standards that we and our customers expect.

A contributor named Simon Fielding then pointed out: You were advised on here [the Thomson Facebook page] over a week ago what was happening but it took you til a few hours before people were due to fly yesterday to let them know.

There is no defence for how badly Thomson have handled this."

The holiday company reiterated to The Independent that it is sorry for the disappointment caused by the late opening, and said: Thomson would like to remind customers that we closely monitor the progress of work at the hotels we operate to and that situations such as this are rare.

A spokesperson for Abta, the travel association, said: "Customers who have gone on holiday but are not happy with the replacement holiday or the level of compensation offered, should in the first instance contact our member, but if they cannot resolve the matter or they feel that our code had been breached, they should contact the Abta customer support team for assistance."
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Despite the silence of the French medias legally imposed blackout, just days before the countrys 2017 elections, the news has been reverberating clear as a bell. This may sound particularly loud and familiar to those who followed the United States 2016 elections: candidate Emmanuel Macron has had his emails hacked.

In France the media, Government officials, and the two candidates themselves are bound to silence from midnight on Friday night until polling stations close at 8pm on Sunday. Article L49 of the electoral code declares it illegal to broadcast to the public by any means of electronic communication anything that could be considered electoral propaganda. While the rule may be effectively unenforceable in a world of social media, it represents Frances deep commitment to the importance of the democratic process, arguably over and above that of free speech.

Despite the media silence, the story is out there, and will be playing on voters minds as they cast their ballots on Sunday. This is surely part of the end goal, as it was  successfully  when Hillary Clinton suffered a similar fate.

Its almost too easy to draw parallels between the two elections and their candidates. Voters are dissatisfied with the status quo, indignant at the political elite, and suffering economic concerns which are all too easily blamed on immigrants.

 Barack Obama backs Emmanuel Macron for French president in video message

On Sunday, if voters choose not to abstain, the candidates they have to choose from are both largely unpopular. Marine Le Pen, a right-wing, populist nationalist is up against Emmanuel Macron, a former investment banker, considered by some as too similar to the current administration and political establishment. And now, leaked emails, with rumours of Russian interference.

But the differences between the election process in the US and France are stark enough to stop short of arguing the similarities will produce a parallel outcome.

Frances media blackout exists to avoid collateral damage in situations exactly like these, and shows a certain acknowledgement that scandals and rumours mustnt be treated as fact  especially so accurately timed before an election.

For all the baggage Trump brought to his campaign, Le Pen carries a longer history as the daughter of the National Fronts founder who was never elected into power. In 2002 Le Pen senior came as close as he ever has to winning the presidency, making it through to the second round of elections, just as his daughter has now. But ultimately France rallied behind Le Pens opponent, who beat the National Front 82.2% to 17.8%.

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

This is enough to question the assumption that France will follow the USs lead and succumb to the brand of far-right nationalism which is sweeping the Western world. For the French, this isnt novel or exciting, but part of a long history of populist presence which they have thus far always chosen to eschew.

The hacks are a troubling threat to Western democracy, but France is a deeply egalitarian country with a long history of revolution, and it takes more than some emails to derail an election. On Sunday the country will do what it does best  be as unlike the United States as possible.
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I read with interest your news article proclaiming that "a third of people are considering tactical voting to block the Conservatives' hard Brexit".

This is why I love the Greens but will be voting Lib Dem on 8 June. The former are prepared to unilaterally stand aside in accordance with their principles. I would (and did in 2015) vote for the Greens, but the Lib Dems held my current constituency from 1997 to 2005 and have a chance of taking it back.

Although Labour got a greater percentage of the vote in 2015, I cannot bring myself to vote for them after Sir Keir Starmer and Emily Thornberry indicated that they will carry on with Brexit. I will have to hold my nose to vote for the Lib Dems, following Tim Farron's praise for Trump's air strike in Syria and his unclear comments about gay people. However, I can't stomach the thought of taking support away from a progressive candidate who might have a real chance of unseating John Penrose.

Kat Deuchars

Weston-super-Mare

I believe that the Conservative Party is heading for an absolute majority in the UK Commons following this years general election, and that the UK is heading for Conservative Party hegemony in the UK Commons for the indefinite future.

I believe that Jeremy Corbyn will face irresistible pressure to resign following that election, and that the progressive agenda within the Labour Party will die with his demise.

Thus, I believe that the election offers a unique window of opportunity for some form of progressive alliance arrangement between progressive parties, both to maximise the presence of the progressive agenda in the UK and for the indefinite future.

Tim Knight

Bristol

It's sad the Lib Dems  for whom I and many other Independent readers will still vote  think they'll attract more voters with tax-raising pledges. They won't, even if it's true the NHS is as sick as it's ever been.

The only policy that matters is what makes them stand out from the other parties: insisting on staying in the single market.

Stefan Wickham

Oxted

If the middle class votes Tory, it'll be turkeys voting for Christmas

Labour is going to increase taxes on incomes over 80,000 and doubtless the Tories will use this, as they always do, to scare the middle class into voting for them. This is deception on a grand scale.

In fact, more than 95 per cent of the population earns less than 80,000 (the Governments own statistics prove that), so most people will not suffer at all. They may very well benefit, particularly if the cost of their national insurance does not go up, as is likely with the Conservatives.

If a middle-class person supports the Tories on this basis, its definitely a case of turkeys voting for Christmas.

John Day

Lyon, France

A very French attitude to voting

The French held their election on a Sunday, which seems strange to us Brits. We generally hold ours on a Thursday. I wonder if this says anything about our respective attitudes to voting. Could the British be bothered to find a voting booth on a Sunday, or do we need to feel more optimistic generally? Thursday is near to the weekend but not Friday, when I suspect the politicians would be even more concerned about us not voting.

France must consider its citizens to be very conscientious in these matters to allow elections to interfere with peoples weekends.

Lynn Brymer

Ashford, Kent

Sturgeon knows the tide is turning on the SNP

So Nicola Sturgeon sees the local election results are an emphatic victory for the SNP. Really?

On one level, indeed they are. The SNP has more or less repeated its 2012 local election result in terms of seat numbers, with more councillors than any other party in Scotland. Plus most Tory gains came from Labour, not the nationalists.

While local control is important to the SNP, Sturgeon has her sights firmly on the bigger Westminster prize  and it's here she faces losses rather than simply maintaining a steady position.

The 2012 local election was way before the massive surge in SNP support in late 2014 and 2015. Merely matching her party's 2012 performance starkly demonstrates how much ground the SNP has lost since the 2015 Westminster election.

The SNP secured significantly less than 40 per cent of the local election first preference vote  that's more than 10 per cent less than achieved in 2015. Plus last week, importantly, the Tories secured a high ratio of first preference votes in their key target Westminster seats.

Sturgeon is set to end up with more MPs than any other party north of the border in June. That's beyond doubt  and of course that'll be hailed as an emphatic victory too.

But the much more crucial question is: how many additional seats will she lose compared to 2015? And, importantly, what impact would say another sub-40 per cent SNP vote tally have on the validity of Sturgeon's ongoing Indyref2 demands?

As a barometer for the June vote, the local election result, far from being an emphatic victory, is an unmitigated disaster for the SNP. And whatever Sturgeon says for the benefit of TV audiences, she knows it.

Martin Redfern

Edinburgh

Ukip is gone because the Tories took their place

Now that we have the Conservukips, what's the use of Nigel Farage?

Patrick Cosgrove

Shropshire
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Following an interview on Irish state television, Stephen Fry is under investigation for blasphemy. In the 2015 interview, veteran television host Gay Byrne asked Fry about his atheism. If the whole Christian schtick turned out to be true, Byrne hypothetically enquired, what would Fry say to God at the pearly gates?

I remember watching a clip of the interview at the time, and while I was impressed as always with Frys eloquence and panache, I thought that his was, at base, a fairly run-of-the-mill answer. What would Fry say to God? Bone cancer in children? Whats that about? How dare you. He describes, like David Attenborough before him when similarly questioned, the existence of a parasitic worm whose life cycle necessitates feeding on the eyeballs of humans and blinding them. Why would any omnipotent God worth worshipping include such cruelty in his creation?

The conundrum of why we should believe that a good God lets bad things happen is a staple of theology courses. Its to be found at the core of much great literature  for example, in Dostoyevskys The Brothers Karamzov, Ivan argues with Alyosha about a little girl tortured by her parents. What worth is a God whose plan includes the suffering of that innocent child? Frys answer though provocatively delivered  represents a centuries-old philosophical and moral position. Yet, in Ireland, it is potentially an indictable offense, carrying a maximum fine of 25,000, to publicly state that position.

Youre probably thinking that Irelands blasphemy law is some anachronistic throwback from the nineteenth century, still on the books though never enforced  like the ones about being intoxicated while in charge of a cow or taking public transport while you have the plague. Youd be wrong. The offence of publication or utterance of blasphemous matter was introduced to a new defamation act by then justice minister Dermot Aherne in 2009, and came into law in 2010.

It is now illegal to utter or publish any material "grossly abusive or insulting in relation to matters held sacred by any religion" where intent and result is "outrage among a substantial number of the adherents of that religion. There are few absolutely dependable things in this world, but I would contend that the outrage of vast swathes of the religious when asked if they might be drunkenly driving their sacred cows is amongst them. Irelands modern blasphemy law has provided a model to Pakistan and other states who wish to limit freedom of conscience.

I know how the Irish head-in-the-sand brigade is going to respond to this latest piece of evidence that Father Ted was, in fact, a documentary. Theyre going to say that the complaint against Fry is just some crazy hick exploiting a harmless law, and itll go nowhere, so we should all calm our jets and laugh it off. I can see the jocular tabloid headlines already: Fry in Hell! And I agree that the case is likely to go nowhere. But we are deluded if we think that the 2009 law is not actively influencing, limiting, even dictating the content that we are offered by our national media.

And we are even more deluded if we think that we are living in a secular society. Just days ago, on 3 May, the Irish government made it mandatory to stand during the prayer that opens the Dail (parliament) and to observe a moment of silence afterwards. This is an obvious infringement on the freedom of conscience of our elected representatives and coercion of this sort has no defensible place in a secular society. The motion passed by 97 votes to 17.

This is the public discourse and political context that allows for a situation where our elected representatives think its acceptable to give full ownership of a state-of-the-art national maternity hospital to an order of Catholic nuns who are ideologically opposed to contraception, IVF, and, of course, abortion. This is the context that enables Catholic control of the Irish state-funded education system. It is the context that denies Irish women their reproductive rights.

It has to change  not because were all a bit embarrassed about inviting Stephen Fry on Irish telly and then casting him, without his permission, as a heretic in a medieval docudrama  but because the church should have no place in politics. We deserve a secular state. And we need to start insisting on one.
On Friday February 24, 2017, European Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development, and somewhat unlikely diplomat, Phil Hogan attended a funeral in Orleans, France.

But before the funeral, there was work to be done. Over a traditional French breakfast, at the four-star Empreinte Hotel, Hogan discussed Brexit, and specifically its implications for Ireland, with the European chief negotiator for Brexit Michel Barnier. It was here that a timely bromance blossomed between Barnier, the former European Commissioner for regional policy in the early 2000s, and ex Fine Gael Environment Minister Hogan.

It is understood the two men also bonded over shared interests like agriculture and horse racing - Barnier had already gained a unique insight into the nuances of Irish life during his time as regional policy commissioner and he is also from a rural region in the east of France.

With Ireland front and central to the Brexit outcome cultivating as many friends and allies was and remains crucial. At the funeral, the great and the good of the French and European political scene came to pay their respects to Xavier Beulin, a former agribusiness executive and lobbyist who had died unexpectedly at the age of 59.

Not many can match the Irish for appreciating the complex level of communication and human interaction that occurs at a funeral as well as the diverse range of discussion, from politics to sport. So it was here that Hogan managed to meet and, discuss briefly, the issue of Brexit with a number of other senior European politicians including French presidential hopeful Emmanuel Macron.

It was a unique opportunity to put the Irish case forward among key stakeholders even if some would consider Hogan an unusual diplomat given some of his comments when he was environment minister, particularly around Irish Water and the threat to cut water supplies to a trickle for those who refused to pay their bills.

But maybe there's something in the water in Brussels.

Earlier that month, Hogan facilitated a meeting between Foreign Minister Charlie Flanagan and five other European Commissioners, including the Budget Commissioner, in a bid to deepen their understanding of Brexit issues that are specific to Ireland.

The meeting took place at the Berlaymont building in Brussels, Belgium. And so far, it appears, the firm but softly approach and cultivation of relationships seems to be working for Ireland, although it will take a long time before we see the final outcome. It is becoming clearer also that changing tack following last year's Brexit vote in the UK has worked in Ireland's favour.

Just after the referendum result, from a diplomacy perspective, it looked as if Ireland was hitching its cart to the UK.

It is understood that at the time directly after the referendum result, the big temptation was to talk exclusively to the UK.

But there seems to have been a realisation around Christmas-time by senior diplomats and politicians that alienating other member states and institutions would be detrimental to the Irish case.

This was a very significant turning point and seems like a sensible one - after all, decisions on our future will be taken in Brussels and not in London.

There are lessons here for our Northern Irish cousins. While Sinn Fein seems to have better grasped the enormity of the potential damage of Brexit to the Northern Irish economy, the Democratic Unionist Party needs a wake-up call, although it seems to have been listening more intently in recent weeks.

Like the Republic, the North is not directly involved in Brexit negotiations so alienating itself would not appear to be a clever tactic.

For example, the shooting down of the proposal by Taoiseach Enda Kenny for an all-island forum by DUP leader Arlene Foster - it was not her finest diplomatic moment.

Instead, sensitive language and relationship building could be very useful background tools in helping get the tone of the actual negotiations to a better place as highlighted by the Irish approach.

Barnier said during the week that he would "pay particular attention to Ireland." And the Taoiseach seems to have hit the jackpot with the so-called "Kenny text" whereby European leaders recently approved the guidelines for negotiations on Brexit, including a commitment to protecting Irish interests as well as a guarantee that the North could rejoin the EU as part of a united Ireland.

While the signals are positive, we, as an island, have to accommodate the best results possible for ourselves post-Brexit. Certainly shooting ourselves in the foot at this juncture wouldn't be wise given the amount of tough groundwork that has been done.

There are also lessons to be learned from the increasingly nasty mud-slinging between UK Prime Minister Theresa May and EU Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker. Soon after Barnier's comments that particular attention would be paid to Ireland, European sources reminded us that details on Irish negotiations would have to wait until there was a functioning government in Belfast.

And that would appear to be as subtle a warning as possible for the North to get its house in order.

Having said that, it is heartening to hear of a softening of the DUP approach more recently, with representatives visiting Brussels more regularly.

Whether it was a lack of a realisation of the potential impact of Brexit on the North by the DUP or not, with the UK heading out of the single market the customs union should remain a central consideration for everyone both north and south of the Border.

So maybe a focus on the customs union aspect of Brexit might be a way to focus some minds too - it is our one glimmer of hope.

This is because the customs union requires that its members impose no tariffs on goods traded with each other while it also imposes the same duty on goods of non-members.

One solution, if it could be made politically and legally tenable, would be that the island of Ireland would be taken as one entity with Northern Ireland remaining in the customs union and with the border running down the Irish sea.

This may well not be palatable for many of our northern neighbours but showing that they are capable of a mature debate around proposals and that they are willing to intensify dialogue would also be a better approach.

Reminders of the damage Brexit can do to both the Irish and Northern Irish economies are coming at us hard and fast every day now.

One of the most recent warnings came from the Central Bank of Ireland, which has estimated that under a hard Brexit, Ireland could lose 40,000 jobs over 10 years and gross domestic product could take a 3pc hit.

Barnier will be in Ireland next week for a number of engagements and who knows what kind of diplomatic opportunities could arise from that.

DUP cousins take note - who says a leopard cannot change its spots?
Dairy co-operative LacPatrick has seen a 25pc surge in its sales into the British market in the wake of Brexit.

Chief executive Gabriel D'Arcy said that's because the company straddles the Border, with operations in Monaghan but also in the North.

He said this presents opportunities.

"From our perspective, and we straddle both sides of the Border, there are opportunities in Brexit. And those opportunities are already being realised," Mr D'Arcy told a Brexit briefing last week organised by specialist bank Investec.

"For instance, our business into the GB market from our sites in Northern Ireland have increased 25pc since the vote.

"Every GB manufacturer, every big company, equally they're looking at how can they mitigate the risks that they're facing, where most of their raw materials are coming from the EU, from Ireland, or elsewhere. And they're saying, is there a GB or UK supplier of these raw materials?"

Separately, the north-west-based Lakeland Dairies co-op said earlier in the week that it has a "massive safety net" against Brexit after its multi-million-euro purchase north of the Border.

It is just over a year since the Co Cavan headquartered firm bought Northern Ireland's Fane Valley's milk business.

Michael Hanley, Lakelands group ceo, said the move - struck just a month ahead of last year's UK Brexit referendum - means they now have added "flexibility".

Mr D'Arcy also said, however, that the political vacuum in Northern Ireland was very unhelpful in the context of Brexit.

The resumption of power-sharing in the wake of the March 2 Assembly election has proved elusive, and any potential deal between the parties is now not expected until after the June 8 UK general election at the earliest.

"The political vaccum that is in Northern Ireland at the moment is very, very unhelpful. If nothing else, as a political bridge into Whitehall, or a political bridge into Brussels, to enable people like me and others and various different trade associations to voice our concerns, that stepping stone isn't there. And that is an impediment."

Mr D'Arcy also said that a hard Brexit would be a "disaster".

"If we go to a hard Brexit and WTO tarriffs, this will be a disaster. It doesn't make sense for Britain, for Ireland or indeed for Europe, not to have a trade deal on such things that Britain needs and Europe produces."
US pharma giant Eli Lilly is to proceed with a 200m expansion at its Kinsale manufacturing site in Co Cork, in a major boost for the Government following a series of Brexit-related losses.

Senior management in Ireland were informed in recent days that Eli Lilly's global board had given the green light for the project, which will create hundreds of new jobs in addition to the 500 people already employed in Kinsale.

It was feared last February that Eli Lilly's planned investment into Ireland had fallen victim to US President Donald Trump's 'America First' policy, which has seen many US multinationals - especially pharmaceutical and tech companies - stall or cancel their overseas investments.

However, the company has confirmed that it is moving forward "with the next phase of capacity expansion at our Kinsale manufacturing site in Co Cork".

"This phase involves the construction of an additional production line at Kinsale and will increase the manufacturing capacity of the site's biologics campus," said Eli Lilly in a brief statement.

Confirmation of Eli Lilly's expansion comes as a senior delegation, led by IDA chief Martin Shanahan, pictured, travels to London this week to woo British and international investors to Ireland. Dublin has lost out to a number of other European capitals in the race for post-Brexit spoils from the City of London. US insurer AIG dealt an early blow to Ireland's post-Brexit ambitions after it announced in March that it was opening an operation in Luxembourg to write business across the European Economic Area and Switzerland.

UK insurer Lloyd's has chosen Brussels, while Standard Chartered opted for Frankfurt. "Competition for foreign investment has never been more intense," said Shanahan who will be joined on the investor blitz by Ann Nolan, second secretary general at the Department of Finance and Gerry Cross, the Central Bank's director of policy and risk.

"This event in London will allow over 200 potential investors to access information directly on why they should choose Ireland as a location for their business," he said.

"Despite the changing political and economic landscape, IDA Ireland's mission remains the same - our job is to fight and win investment for Ireland. Employment in foreign investors in Ireland is currently at record levels."
Ashers Bakery lost a Court of Appeal case last year following an Equality Commission ruling which found it had discriminated against a customer for refusing to make a cake with a same-sex marriage slogan on it. Photo: Reuters

The bakery at the centre of Northern Ireland's 'gay cake' court battle has posted accumulated profits of 1.5m (1.7m) for 2016, an increase from 1.3m (1.5m) on the previous year's figure.

Ashers Bakery lost a Court of Appeal case last year following an Equality Commission ruling which found it had discriminated against a customer for refusing to make a cake with a same-sex marriage slogan on it.

But financial accounts for the firm reveal that the controversy has failed to dent its profits.

The Northern Ireland bakery chain, which now has seven outlets across the North, was founded by husband and wife team Daniel and Amy McArthur.

The firm, which employs almost 80 people and delivers throughout the UK and Ireland, recorded a profit rise of 170,500 (200,000) in 2016.

It was issued with legal proceedings after the Equality Commission of Northern Ireland contended that the business, despite being founded and run by a Christian family, had no right to refuse a request from a customer for a cake bearing an image of Sesame Street characters Ernie and Bert alongside the message 'Support gay marriage'.

The case, which became one of the highest-profile court cases in Northern Ireland in recent years, eventually saw Belfast County Court rule that the bakery had been guilty of illegal discrimination. A Supreme Court appeal is under consideration by the firm's owners.

That ruling was upheld at appeal by the Court of Appeal - despite the bakery owners' argument that the message was incompatible with their Christian beliefs and their sole problem was with the message, not the customer, who had been served before and whose sexual orientation they said they did not know.

The McArthurs and the British Christian Institute, which supported them, are liable for costs that are estimated to be more than 150,000.
DES MOINES  Prior to the 2016 election, political advocacy groups funded by billionaire brothers from Kansas donated tens of thousands of dollars to Republican candidates for the Iowa Statehouse and reached hundreds of thousands of Iowa homes via campaign mailers, phone calls and door-knocking.

And during the recently concluded 2017 legislative session, those groups provided templates and advocated for multiple conservative bills that were passed into Iowa law.

Throughout the 2017 legislative session, Iowa Democrats accused their Republican counterparts of passing multiple state laws that were the will of out-of-state groupds funded by Charles and David Koch, billionaire industrialists and big-money conservative donors from Kansas. The Democrats said those conservative initiatives weren't desired by Iowans, not even Republican Iowa voters.

Democrats charged throughout the often-contentious legislative session that Republican-supported bills that reformed public-employee collective bargaining, workers' compensation, medical malpractice and asbestos claims were not the priorities of Iowans, but instead were the priorities of the Koch brothers and two groups they fund  Americans for Prosperity and the American Legislative Exchange Council.

The Koch brothers and corporate backers  theyre the ones who want this bill, not the people of Iowa, Democratic state Rep. Bruce Hunter of Des Moines said during the three-day debate on the collective bargaining bill.

Iowa Republicans deny their marching orders came from the Koch brothers or their political organizations, but the data shows the imprint of the Koch brothers and their groups are all over the 2017 session of the Iowa Legislature, starting with the 2016 election that produced all-Republican control at the Iowa Capitol for the first time in two decades.

Campaign support

Koch Industries political action committee donated $46,000 to Iowa Statehouse candidates in 2015 and 2016, according to state campaign finance records. All but $500 of that money went to Republican candidates.

The largest donations went to Republican leaders: $7,500 to state Sen. Bill Dix, who after the election became Senate majority leader, and $5,000 to House Speaker Linda Upmeyer.

And donations ranging from $1,000 to $2,500 went to Republican chairmen of key committees and candidates in competitive districts that were crucial in flipping control of the Senate from Democrats to Republicans.

Americans for Prosperity, a political advocacy organization funded by the Koch brothers, also was heavily involved in the campaign leading up to the 2016 election.

While the group does not divulge its spending, it says that during the 2016 campaign in Iowa, it made 718,408 phone calls, knocked on 52,903 doors and sent 318,048 mailers.

Session support

Americans for Prosperity also was active during the 2017 session, lobbying legislators and drumming support for some of the GOPs biggest bills, including the public-employee collective bargaining reform.

Met with great opposition from Democrats and public-employee unions, the bill, which has been signed into law, greatly reduced the benefits for which public employees can bargain.

Multiple bills introduced by Iowa Republicans were carbon copies of model legislation offered by another Koch-funded group, the American Legislative Exchange Council, or ALEC.

The organization calls itself Americas largest nonpartisan, voluntary membership organization of state legislators dedicated to the principles of limited government, free markets and federalism. Among the membership services it provides is model legislation for state lawmakers to introduce.

Few bills introduced this year by Iowa Republicans followed ALEC models to the letter, but many were ideologically similar.

A bill that limits claims for asbestos-related injuries was written with very similar wording to ALEC model legislation on the subject.

The Iowa bills on collective bargaining and workers' compensation reform were not copied from ALEC models, making Democrats accusations that ALEC wrote the bills erroneous. But the bills were similar in intent to ALEC model legislation.

Accusations of influence

Republicans deny that their 2017 legislative agenda was written by out-of-state groups, including those funded by the Koch brothers, as Democrats claim. Republican legislators said their reform bills were needed to update Iowa laws and were desired by the Iowans who voted the GOP into control.

Senate Republicans moved bills through this chamber focused on economic growth and improving career opportunities for Iowans, Dix, of Shell Rock, wrote in an emailed statement. "Democrats efforts to portray this agenda as a bizarre, grassy-knoll conspiracy theory show how fully and completely out of touch they are with the priorities of Iowans."

Dix in his statement turned the tables on Democrats, accusing them of being beholden to union donors.

The real story is how Iowa Democrats were showered with approximately $4 million from public sector labor over the last two election cycles, Dix said. It is no wonder Democrat Legislators are totally committed to their union bosses.

A spokesman for Americans for Prosperity said the organization reached out to Iowa voters during the campaign and then advocated during the session for conservative policies that Iowans wanted.

The impact that (Americans for Prosperity) had on the 2017 legislative session is based on the work that weve been doing across the state for several years, said Drew Klein, the organizations state director and Capitol lobbyist. We have focused much of our efforts on having real conversations with Iowans, whether at our events or on their doorsteps, about the issues that need to be addressed.

Klein was the focus of a partisan dustup when he was photographed with Terry Branstad as the states Republican governor signed the collective bargaining bill into law. The bill signing was not advertised as a public event, and upset Democrats decried Kleins presence and photo as a victory lap for Iowa Republicans and Americans for Prosperity.

Klein said Americans for Prosperity will be back in 2018 pushing for comprehensive tax reform.
One51, the Irish plastics and environmental services group, has sold the UK arm of its ClearCircle environmental business for 16m (18.8m). Stock photo

One51, the Irish plastics and environmental services group, has sold the UK arm of its ClearCircle environmental business for 16m (18.8m).

The sale, in tandem with the disposal of ClearCircle Ireland last month, completes One51's exit from the environmental services sector as the group focuses on its core plastics business.

When combined with last month's disposal of its 75pc interest in ClearCircle Ireland, One51 has raked in 48.5m.

ClearCircle UK, which was sold to an entity controlled by North Edge Capital LLP, comprises Future Industrial Services, a hazardous waste management and industrial services firm.

"Under the terms of the transaction, One51 is disposing of a 100pc interest in ClearCircle UK for an upfront cash consideration of STG16m," said a company statement.

In 2016, ClearCircle (Ireland and the UK) posted revenue of 102.8m, and ebitda of 10.3m.

One51's single biggest shareholder is financier Dermot Desmond. Other shareholders include beef baron Larry Goodman, as well as co-ops Kerry, Dairygold and Lakelands. Alan Walsh is chief executive.
The Department of Finance and its former secretary general have defended their contact with representatives of a US private equity giant before it acquired thousands of Irish Nationwide mortgages from the special liquidators of the IBRC.

The managing director of Oaktree Capital affiliate Mars Capital, Alex Forrester, emailed the Department of Finance on the day before final bids for the portfolio of mortgages known as Project Sand were due to be submitted.

In his email of March 14, 2014, Forrester sought to arrange a phone call with the department's then secretary general, John Moran, for the following week with a view to discussing Oaktree's intentions in relation to the management of the mortgage loans it was seeking to acquire.

Forrester wrote: "As I briefly explained, the reason for calling was to see if we could find 10 to 15 minutes of Mr Moran's time on Monday or Tuesday of next week on the telephone to discuss Project Sand and our approach to the sale.

"Oaktree and Mars Capital will tomorrow [March 15] submit our final bid for some of the former Irish Nationwide mortgage loans being sold by the special liquidators of the IBRC."

Forrester noted in his email the "public discussion" about the possible future treatment of mortgage borrowers by the funds involved in acquiring loan portfolios, and said that Oaktree and Mars Capital had "committed" to adopting the Code of Conduct on Mortgage Arrears (CCMA) for the "relevant acquired loans".

He concluded by saying: "If Mr Moran does have a few minutes free in his diary early next week, we would very much appreciate an opportunity to discuss our approach to the management of acquired mortgage loans and also to discuss the question of establishing a new mortgage lending operation."

In the event, Oaktree Capital and its affiliate Mars Capital emerged along with another US fund, Lone Star, as the successful bidders for the Project Sand loans being sold by the IBRC special liquidators.

Referring to the Oaktree and Mars Capital executive's email in the course of the recent Dail debate on the PAC's report into Nama's sale of its Northern Ireland loan book (Project Eagle), Independent TD Mick Wallace questioned whether it was "proper policy for officials and the Minister for Finance to meet and engage with US vulture funds who are actively involved in bidding on Irish loans that are supposed to be for sale on the open market".

Asked for comment on the Oaktree email, a spokesman for the Department of Finance said: "The call to arrange the meeting happened before they submitted their bid. The meeting happened after they submitted their bid. The meeting didn't impact their bid."

Asked why Oaktree might seek to arrange a meeting with the Department's then secretary general, Moran, to discuss its intentions for the mortgages in the Project Sand loan sale before it had even submitted its final bid for the portfolio, the spokesman said: "I'm not sure why they'd make those arrangements the day before, you'd have to ask them."

The spokesman insisted that the special liquidators of the IBRC are independent and "insulated from any potential political interference".

Oaktree Capital declined to comment on the content of the email or why Forrester had sent it.

Moran, meanwhile dismissed Wallace's questioning of his and officials' engagement with Oaktree and other US investment funds.

Moran said: "Despite what Mick would like to pretend, it was not just hedge funds who successfully bought assets who met me, but sovereign debt investors, Fr Sean Healy, small business representatives, the IFA and even people representing people in mortgage arrears.

"Indeed, I might have even have met, or other officials might have met, with losing bidders. One thing is for sure, I did not make representations to the liquidator of IBRC on behalf of anyone. So no conspiracy here," he added.

The former finance chief defended his and the Department of Finance's decision to meet US investment funds and other potential investors, saying it had been essential in helping to restore Ireland's reputation internationally in the wake of the economic crash.

"Part of any decision to invest in a foreign country, especially one rebuilding its reputation from almost bankruptcy, is to meet with the policymakers as part of a due diligence," he said.

"A refusal by us to meet interested parties would have likely resulted in criticism from the same quarters for forcing a push-down of the price for the Irish taxpayer by our refusal to engage. Remember all we did after 2011 very much on the public record to try and get people, including Irish pension funds, comfortable with reinvesting in Ireland."
Facebook is poised to expand further in Dublin, with the company set to hire 3,000 people for 'community operations' worldwide.

The social media giant, which employs 1,600 people here and announced a bumper set of financial results last week, has already announced an expansion into Dublin's northside East Wall.

That facility is designed to cater for up to 800 additional Facebook employees here.

However, company founder and chief executive Mark Zuckerberg announced a new recruitment round of 3,000 people last week to help fight illicit content and fake news on the platform.

The move all but guarantees that the Dublin facility is set for expedited expansion beyond the 2,400 people officially in its sights.

A spokeswoman for Facebook in Ireland said that the company had not yet made any decision on where the additional 3,000 employees would be based.

However, the company's Irish operation is indexed to Facebook's global growth. Zuckerberg indicated that the 3,000 jobs might be distributed "around the world".

"If the business and platform continue to grow, we expect to continue to grow pretty substantially in Ireland," Facebook Ireland boss Gareth Lambe told this newspaper in recent weeks.

"Our largest single team here is community operations, which is the team responsible for the trust and safety of our users."

As well as being Facebook's country lead in Ireland, Lambe has another role running the company's sales planning and operations for Europe, Africa and the Asian Pacific regions. Part of that role entails group-wide responsibilities for deciding on new offices and expansions.
The old adage suggests that if you build a better mousetrap, the world will beat a path to your door. It may even be true. But unless you know exactly what it is about your mousetrap that makes it better, for whom, and why, you'll never know how many more you could have sold, and for how much more. It's about knowing your value to clients. Rather than gut instinct, the way to establish that is through a series of clearly-identified steps that enable you understand precisely what problems your product or service solves for them.

"It's about establishing the priority of values your customers have," says Helen Blake, chief executive of Futurecurve and an author of best-selling business books. "This is not just rational value such as a need to reduce costs, or increase efficiency, but emotional value too, such as precisely why your customer loves a product, has trust in your brand or faith in your personnel."

It's a process that is already paying dividends for Joe Aherne, ceo of the Leading Edge Group. His business specialises in continuous improvement consultancy. Set up two decades ago and headquartered in Cork, it has offices in Canada and Australia. Despite its exports success - Canada accounts for 55pc of revenues - Aherne is keen to leverage that further.

Last year he participated in Enterprise Ireland's International Selling Programme, a series of eight two-day modules, delivered over seven months, and accompanied by practical, company-specific assignments. This helped him establish a clear customer value proposition for The Leading Edge Group. This was essential because, again working with Enterprise Ireland, he had recently identified an opportunity to develop a software product to complement the business's consultancy work.

"Every large company has a continuous improvement function," he says. "Our new product, Citric Cube, allows them track, research and report their improvements to a central repository." Throughout the product development phase he worked with clients to establish a customer value proposition. "We got regular feedback to the extent that some of our clients became almost extensions of our business which was fantastic because it's not just about selling, it's about building rapport," he says.

"We didn't take a 'build it and they will come' approach to the product. And having a clear customer-value proposition gives us the confidence, focus and direction we need to sell it. It provides clarity of messaging to the entire team, improves the effectiveness of our marketing and lets us hit the ground running." It has provided a valuable new string to the company's bow too. "Very many small businesses fall into the trap of just doing what they do," said Aherne. "We've always been a provider of services. Now we're a technology company too."

The key to establishing your value proposition is to interview your customers, says author Helen Blake. "Don't rely on a questionnaire, to get under the skin of what matters to them you need to sit down and talk." If possible, use a third party. "It doesn't have to cost, a good non executive director is perfect, as long as they are senior and seasoned." Next, really listen. "If they say they love your business's flexibility, find out what exactly they are referring to and ask why that matters to them." Then, do your homework. "Undertake classic contextual background research to understand the drivers in their market."

It all adds up to the kind of in-depth knowledge that enables you to add value. "If the buyer is the expert, the seller becomes the commodity," says Blake. "But if the seller is the expert, then everything changes. The closer you are to providing the solution your customers needs, the greater the margin you can earn for your business."

Claire Minogue is Programme Manager with Enterprise Ireland. To find out more about EI's International Selling Programme see www.enterprise-ireland.com/internationalselling Helen Blake's new book Selling Your Value Proposition, is published by Kogan Page.
Airbnb, that disruptive new kid on the hospitality block, is dying to come in from the margins, however lucrative, and join the mainstream.

Already a major force in American corporate travel, it's pitching itself in the Irish market, saying that a quarter of a million companies use AirbnB for business trips.

And it's tapped into the millennial push to experience a destination city, not merely arrive back at a homogenous hotel room after eating in a cookie-cutter hotel restaurant that could be in Boston or Bangkok.

Indeed, Airbnb reveals that over half of business trips on its platform included a Saturday night stay, so presumably its customers are after 'bleisure' - that mix of business and pleasure where the corporate traveller experiences more of a city than just a hotel room and convention centre. It's an area that was also seen by Ben Harper of apartment rental giant Saco, which is due to open its own lifestyle-meets-business offering on Dublin's quays in the near future.

But why the big push by Airbnb in recent months? It could well be down to the fact that Airbnb was last valued at around $30bn - nearly $7bn more than the next most valuable hospitality company, Hilton Worldwide, which has a market cap of $23.33bn. And lets not forget that while Airbnb has more than two million listings in more than 191 countries it doesn't own a single brick, bed or pillow, so that huge valuation has to be justified year after year.

At present, a mere 10pc of trips on Airbnb are for work, and the company could do with taking a larger slice of the cake, with the global corporate travel market with the market set to be worth $1.6trn by 2020, according to US-based Global Business Travel Association (GBTA).

The GBTA itself has found that, even in disruption-friendly states, there is still resistance to the likes of Airbnb from travel planners and companies, even though many employees are keen to embrace the trend. In a mirror image to Ireland and European tastes, ride-sharing with Uber or Lyft is par for the course nowadays, while accommodation is a different matter.

According to its Business Traveler Sentiment Index Global Report, published in January, only 30pc of business travellers in the US say home-sharing options are allowed by their employer's policies. Security of employees, and a company's duty of care to them while abroad, is a sticking point.

Airbnb, among others, is reacting with offers such as apartments with doorstep key pads, self check-in at destinations, business travel-ready listings of dwellings, plus booking tools aimed at travel planners. The marketing is slick (young professionals with lattes and MacBooks), and the product is a hit with younger corporate types, but a lot is riding on convincing their bosses that the sharing economy is one to be embraced.

n While much of the focus on connectivity revolves around Dublin Airport (still Europe's fifth-most important transatlantic hub), the provinces are also getting new services.

Shannon welcomed its new Lufthansa service to Frankfurt last weekend, with the route to Germany's biggest hub operating until the end of October. The service, although only once-weekly (departing Saturdays at 5.50pm) will boost links to Germany's financial heart, with the advantage of connectivity to some 200 destinations worldwide.

Meanwhile, the north west has a new service, twice daily from City of Derry Airport to London Stansted, offering good access to the British capital and the likes of Cambridge, England's technology 'Silicon Fen' tech hub. Operated by BMI regional, the 49-seater flight offers a free 23kg baggage allowance and complimentary drinks and snacks on board.

n Still Dublin continues to dominate, with the coming months seeing the equivalent of 60 flights to and from North America every day.

Airport authority DAA recently revealed that the number of seats to and from North America is up 23pc this year, with an extra 538,000 seats of capacity.

Peak summer months will see 10 airlines flying 414 flights per week to and from 15 destinations in the US and five destinations in Canada. Air Transat also announced during the week that it'll be extending its seasonal 'summer' Dublin-Toronto service by a month, with flights running up to November 25.
If technology is supposed to experience disruption every five years, it is currently behind schedule. Financial results from Apple and Samsung in the last week show that the world's top two tech companies are strengthening their hold on their respective markets. While Apple saw sluggish iPhone 7 sales ahead of its iPhone 8 model, the company now holds $250bn (228bn) in a cash pile, the largest in modern corporate history.

It's enough to buy the Walt Disney company outright, a possibility that US pundits are discussing because of a potential change in US tax law this year or next. Although its Apple Watch and wireless Airpods businesses are performing well, the company is said to be on the trail of a major acquisition because of its enormous cash reserves and its increasing reliance on the iPhone for profitability.

For Ireland, Apple's latest 10bn quarterly profit on 48bn in quarterly revenues keeps its Cork operations humming. Chief executive Tim Cook has repeatedly dismissed suggestions that an adverse tax conclusion from EU authorities will threaten the company's investment here or the fate of over 6,000 employees in Cork. Ireland is the only country outside the US where Apple runs its own computer manufacturing plant.

For Apple's main rival, Samsung, 2017 has been a big improvement on 2016. The Korean giant's latest quarterly financial reports showed a complete rebound from the public relations fiasco over its exploding Note 7 smartphone. For the first three months of the year, Samsung recorded almost 41bn in revenue. It also recorded an 8bn profit, a 50pc jump on last year. While this doesn't quite match Apple's earning power, it is as much profit as Google and Facebook combined and significantly more in revenue.

While the engine of the company's profit was driven mostly by its components and display business (it makes phone screens for rivals such as Apple), it also scored a hit with its latest smartphone, the Galaxy S8. It was a much-needed reprieve for the Korean tech giant, which courted worldwide controversy in October last year when its flagship Note 7 device was withdrawn from the market because of overheating batteries.

"The Irish market is in a very different place to what it was last year," said Conor Pierce, Samsung's Dublin-born vice president. "Samsung is in a much stronger position in terms of our premium market share. About 68pc of the value of the market is premium, meaning anything priced over 600. It's a two-horse race between ourselves and Apple."

Pierce says that Samsung has overtaken Apple in premium handset sales in Ireland. However, Samsung and Apple dominate the smartphone business between them, with the pair holding an estimated 75pc of the entire phone market here between them. Other tech hardware companies find themselves battling for scraps and niches.

HEAD TO HEAD: Apple versus Samsung

APPLE

2nd quarter revenue: 48.1bn

2nd quarter profit: 10bn

Strengths: Its high-margin electronics continue to sell very well and customer loyalty levels are high. It has also become the biggest wearables and smartwatch company, with sales of the Apple Watch doubling in the last year. Its enormous cash pile of 228bn puts it in a position of unprecedented corporate strength.

Weaknesses: It is increasingly dependent on the iPhone for the majority of its revenue and profit. Its iPad business is also declining as larger smartphones take over. Finally, it still faces uncertainty with its appeal of the European Commission's 13bn tax ruling against Ireland.

What to look for next: The iPhone 8 launch in September will be the biggest tech event in recent years, with analysts predicting a financial 'supercycle'. This is partially because Apple is expected to unveil something radically different to mark the handset's 10th anniversary. It continues to look at self-driving cars and artificial intelligence, with acquisition targets said to include companies as diverse as Tesla and Disney.

SAMSUNG

Quarterly revenue: 40.8bn

Quarterly profit: 7.9bn

Strengths: Its components, chip and display businesses are going gangbusters. It also scored a hit with its latest Galaxy S8 smartphone with its new all-glass design set to be mimicked by other phone manufacturers, potentially including Apple. It also bounced back strongly from difficulties over exploding Note 7 phone.

Weaknesses: Because it does not use its own proprietary interface, the company still has to fight harder to attract and retain phone customers than main rival Apple.

What to look for next: Samsung could be on the verge of overtaking Intel as the world's biggest chipmaker because of its strength in the mobile market. It is also trying to establish its electronics brand as a high-end premium marque, so look for flashier fridges, cookers and phones.
Colin Farrell in Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, which featured Framestores work, having previously created CGI for Gravity and Avatar

The Irish founder and ceo of Oscar-winning movie digital effects company Framestore plans to grow the revenue of his firm to 460m in the next few years.

At the moment Dublin-born businessman William Sargent is growing his London-based company organically to a turnover of about 250m by next year.

But he's also already looking at potential acquisitions for the company, which he co-founded in 1986, in the US, Europe and China.

Framestore - which is backed by Chinese martial arts movie star Jackie Chan - has created computer-generated imagery (CGI) effects for some of the most successful movies in recent years, including Gravity, Avatar and Harry Potter spin-off Fantastic Beasts.

It has offices in LA, New York and Montreal as well as its London HQ, employing 1,350 people, with turnover having reached 125m by the end of last year. It has also just opened a new office in Chicago to help boost sales in the US, where a recent key project in the field of animation was helping the ad agency Leo Burnett revamp the Kellogg's brand icon Tony the Tiger.

The firm is also looking to new clients outside of Hollywood, broadcasters and advertising agencies, and is already working with a Formula One team, the London Stock Exchange and Morgan Stanley investment bank on data visualisation to make the masses of information they gather and process easier to understand.

"I want to position the company for the next 20 years, and Asia will be key to that," said Sargent. "There's a potential audience there of about four billion people, compared to one billion in Europe and the US. We'll be enabling people to tell stories in a multi-layered, multi-platform way using CGI."

"After we get to about 200m (230m) revenue, we'll aim to double that again to about 400m (460m) in due course through acquisitions. I'm already looking at potential ones in Europe, the US and China. At the moment we have 1,350 employees, but I expect that to grow to around 1,800 people with the acquisitions," said Sargent. The firm has 140 vacancies across its five offices.

Asia will play a greater role in the future of the business after Chinese consortium Cultural Investment Holdings bought a 75pc stake in the firm, valuing it at about 175m, last November. Jackie Chan was part of it, and is now a director of the company. Chan is a successful entrepreneur too, owning film production and distribution companies and cinema, restaurant and gym chains. In 2015, Forbes magazine estimated he was worth about 300m.

Having starred in martial arts movies in the 80s and 90s and later the Rush Hour trilogy, he joins Pierce Brosnan in action thriller The Foreigner due for release in September. "In China, Jackie Chan is a huge star; bigger than Elvis," said Sargent, who was due to meet him for the first time at a board meeting in Beijing.

Leinster Rugby fan Sargent's own back story is also an interesting one. The 60-year-old was raised in Brazil, where his father ran a shipyard, once worked as a barman in a Galway pub and studied business and law at Trinity College. More recently he spent five years as a civil servant in Britain's Treasury, employed by former Prime Minister Gordon Brown to find ways to cut red tape for businesses, for which he was awarded a knighthood in 2008.

Think tank the OECD predicted that the foundations put in place to reduce the 20bn-plus burden of paperwork and form-filling for British businesses would see it fall by about 4bn a year from 2010. With such a varied career, if he hadn't gone into animation, he would have liked to have been an architect or a racing driver competing in Formula One, he has said previously.

Having helped the UK economy claw back billions from bureaucracy and navigated all kinds of legions of civil servants and minor officialdom to do so, his target for growing Framestore must seem easier in comparison.

Though movies due out this year featuring Framestore's traditional work include Paddington 2, Blade Runner 2049, Alien: Covenant and King Arthur: Legend of the Sword, one area of growth for the company is virtual reality (VR). The firm recently created a Game of Thrones experience that immersed the user in the TV series' world, giving them a bow and arrow. Another was in the Fantastic Beasts world.

How big a hit VR itself will be remains to be seen, but Samsung, Google, Facebook and HTC have all developed VR headsets, and big brands are increasingly using it for experiential marketing.

Sargent's colleague Mike McGee added that some early VR experiences he's seen - not created by Framestore - were less enjoyable, with people screaming or crying, ending up ripping off their headsets, but shared VR is the next big thing that the company finds exciting.

"Last year we created a unique one for a group of schoolchildren in the US," said Sargent. "We turned a school bus into a giant shared VR viewer, so all the windows were actually screens, showing what they'd see as if the bus was actually driving on the surface of Mars. It's an exciting way to tell stories and use a narrative to lead people through an environment, using it as an immersive, unique first-time experience from which they create emotional memories.

"Being from Ireland, which is a land of storytellers after all, I thoroughly enjoy working in a business that is all about telling stories and look forward to the journey ahead for myself and my growing staff."
Is the National Broadband Plan facing a walkout by one its three main bidders? Siro, a joint venture between Vodafone and the ESB, was set up partially to bid for the State's upcoming rural broadband contract tender. But it's sounding increasingly gloomy about it.

Ostensibly, the reason is down to the reduction of the number of homes and businesses to be included. It was 750,000 until the Government agreed that Eir would take care of 300,000. Siro thinks that those 300,000 may be critical to making a business case for an overall bid.

"There has been a very material change to the competition," a Siro spokesman told me last week. "We are looking at this very closely now and considering whether there is still a business case."

If Siro pulls out, that leaves only Eir and Enet as shortlisted bidders for the contract to run fibre-grade broadband to every last rural home and business in the country by 2023. That could mean either a higher taxpayer cost (we still don't know what the bill will be) or a longer rollout period because the bids would be less competitive.

In short, it would be bad news for Ireland.

For its part, the Government doesn't believe that Siro will pull out. Communications Minister Denis Naughten said as much a few weeks ago when announcing the 300,000 allocation for Eir.

Rival competitor Enet, which has spent millions on preparing a bid for the contract, also remains publicly committed to the process.

"The Enet consortium remains engaged in and supportive of the NBP process," a spokesman told me on Friday. "We truly believe that the National Broadband Plan can have a lasting effect on Ireland's future by addressing our broadband issues once and for all."

Enet's position is critical here. If anything, it would have potentially higher costs and bigger structural challenges than Siro if it won the tender.

This is because Enet would probably have to wade through Eir infrastructure to get to the rural homes listed in the Government tender, whereas Siro supposedly has ESB lines to bypass it all.

This is worth explaining in a little more detail. Typically, rural broadband connections start in small towns or villages, where the density of homes and businesses is highest. The fibre is then laid down so that it spiders its way to the outskirts. That's where the ribbon developments start to get more spread out and where one-off housing, with farms and other buildings, is the norm.

What Eir has done in offering to cover 300,000 of the 750,000 premises is to take these rural town centres. That means that anyone who wins the contract for the remaining 450,000 homes and businesses will face a tough choice. Either they duplicate a fibre network build themselves from the town centre (thus replicating Eir's build and thinning out any returns) or they apply to use Eir's infrastructure to carry their service out to where the remote rural premises are.

Both situations have their challenges.

If you're building fresh alongside Eir's already-built fibre lines, there's a much slimmer chance you'll make money off it (although it will also dent Eir's chances of profitability too). Alternatively, if you base your business model on transit over Eir's network, you risk certainty. Comreg has repeatedly found Eir in breach of service agreements to rival operators using its network infrastructure.

From Eir's perspective, all of this is an aggressive - but potentially very smart - competitive move. It wins a little, no matter what happens.

To be fair to the Government, it

may not have had much choice in accepting Eir's plan. Eir already has some 40,000 of the 300,000 built out. Under EU law, the State can't intervene with services where a private supplier is offering them.

One question over Siro's current concerns is that these infrastructural challenges are more pertinent to Enet than to Siro. After all, Siro's entire model is based on a partnership with the ESB. That means it is supposed to have the means, chutes, poles and ditches to already carry its own fibre lines in a way that's not dependent on Eir or anyone else. Enet doesn't have any of this but remains more upbeat about staying in the competition.

So is it possible that Siro is simply having second thoughts about the whole thing? That it's all starting to look a lot more difficult and expensive in practice than it seemed a year or two ago?

The company isn't shy about rolling out its own fibre. It has already connected up a number of large towns, including Drogheda, Tralee and Mullingar. It has workers on the ground building more.

But building out infrastructure in Ireland is hard and expensive. A hundred different things crop up to prevent stages of it happening on time. Siro itself is probably behind on its own stated targets. It was to have 500,000 homes and businesses connectable by the end of 2018. To date, it only has 70,000 completed. It will be surprising if it somehow reaches another 430,000 premises in the next 18 months, a rate of some 25,000 premises per month.

This undoubtedly isn't because the company is not committed. It's just a very, very hard thing to do. With this experience now under its belt, maybe Siro is wondering whether a further massive infrastructure project, with all of the deadlines, penalties and unknown issues that it would bring, would be the best use of its time and resources.

To be clear, the company has not suggested this or guided it. It has stuck pretty firmly to its original statement, which is that it is simply re-evaluating the business case in a straightforward way.

It also says that it will make its decision in weeks to come.

But it looks like there is a genuine chance that the National Broadband Plan tendering process may shrink from three competitors to two. That would not be good news for a million people currently without proper broadband.
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.
Michael Collins came from a place proudly known to its natives as "the independent Republic of Cork", but it was he who shrewdly summed up the reality that "whoever controls Dublin, controls Ireland". The capital that he made his home in 1916 after a lengthy spell in London was a crumbling outpost of empire, its Georgian splendour long gone, but it remained the centre of power in a rumbling land.

One of the achievements of Joseph Connell Jnr's new guide to Michael Collins' Dublin is to demonstrate that the city was a heavily armed fortress. Renamed shortly after independence were Constabulary Barracks (now Garda HQ in the Phoenix Park), Royal Barracks, Marlborough Barracks and so on. Dublin was an armed camp, against the Irish.

The author takes us on a street-by-street tour of today's capital, sorted by the 15 current postal districts. The vast time and effort he has poured into this labour of love are plain to see, and utterly commendable, although the sheer volume of fine detail threatens an information overload. This is a heavyweight book for the serious student. As a walking guide, its sheer bulk and squint-inducing map sizes count against it.

And yet buried within all the detail, the author delivers some sense of the living city of a century ago. By the time Collins settled himself into Dublin, the capital's well-heeled had abandoned the city centre for suburbs on the margins of the rolling countryside such as Rathmines and Whitehall; and in the run-up to the Rising, their formerly fine homes had fallen into dereliction, but not disuse. While much of rural Ireland was pitifully poor, many Dubliners fared even worse than their country cousins who had the small but health-giving comforts of fresh air and water. Inner-city Dubliners lived in a huddled squalor which condemned them to lives even more nasty, brutish and short than their rural counterparts. Dublin's slums were the filthiest and most diseased in all the British Isles.

In the closing years of Collins' short life, many families on the outskirts of the capital kept a cow as unpasteurised milk didn't travel well in a country where both electricity and refrigeration existed in tiny pockets. The short shelf life of milk led to heavy sales of the thick and slurpy condensed version. Fish was rarely consumed beyond trawling communities like Howth and Kingstown (renamed Dun Laoghaire under the new order), and chicken not much eaten beyond those who kept their own poultry. Tea, butter and eggs were luxury buys in the capital, costing up to three times the price of today.

While modern housing schemes were shooting up in the new suburbs, the building stock was tottering. The contrast between the haves and have-nots was most extreme in Dublin where nearly 10pc of families lived in grand designs of more than 10 rooms (under 3pc today), while 36pc of all family homes were just one room, and 2pc of all Dubliners were crammed into single-room tenement accommodation.

There is no overstating the trauma Ireland suffered in 1921-22. In the end days of British rule, the Dublin Metropolitan District had been living under a state of curfew for over a year. Armed troops patrolled the streets with orders to shoot anyone crossing their path between midnight and 5am. Looking on the bright side, Dublin Corporation's Electric Lighting Committee reckoned that the curfew would save it 19,000 a year on the cost of street lighting. Shortly before Collins accepted the handover of power from the British at Dublin Castle, a horse and trap travelling after dark on Gardiner Street was fired on by police, killing the horse.

A leading medic blamed the military clampdown on a range of public activities for a general breakdown in the health of Dubliners. He'd personally diagnosed the ill-effects in his own middle-class patients, and colleagues confirmed that rich and poor alike were also suffering.

"In all cases I have come to the same conclusion - that their complaints may be traced to close confinement indoors, the curtailment of their ordinary amusements, and the restrictions of faculties for obtaining fresh air," he remarked.

As the Irish public braced themselves for the step into the unknown that would be the transition to independence, normal life went on in surreal circumstances. While the police had their hands full with shootings and bombings, they still found time to issue a warning urging shopkeepers to be on their guard against ordinary decent criminals.

They were particularly worried that "cross-channel swindlers" were operating under cover of the turbulent civic conditions. A senior officer pointed out: "The whole aim of the swindler is to puzzle or perplex the shopkeeper or his assistant - often a girl."

According to police intelligence, many of the con-tricks were as old as the hills, involving various sleights of hand and the passing of counterfeit money. The authorities had come across a lot of suspicious activity where strangers had tried to pass off "spurious" five pound notes. Unhappily for the con men, the strife-torn economy was in such a depressed state that few shopkeepers had the change of a fiver to give them.

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Connell Jnr's forensic study of Michael Collins' Dublin is a noteworthy scholarly achievement, but it ignores one hulking elephant in the room. At the time of the Rising, a broad area east of Clerys department store on Sackville Street was the most notorious red-light district in Europe. A warren of bordellos centred on Montgomery Street, it was known as Monto, and shortly before the Rising the Encyclopedia Britannica marvelled at how Dublin's roaring skin trade was "carried on more publicly than even in the south of Europe or Algeria".

The rampant criminality of Monto (not "the Monto", as Connell fleetingly references it) provided crucial cover for the 1916 plotters, and the War of Independence insurgents. And yet the author virtually airbrushes this key factor from his history, which is to leave the reader short.
Portraying Martin McGuinness in new film The Journey, Colm Meaney inadvertently finds himself a representative for the late deputy First Minister of Northern Ireland. Inspired by the events of the St Andrew's Agreement, writer Colin Bateman's movie presents a rose-hued fictionalisation of the crucial deal brokered between McGuinness and Dr Ian Paisley, which led to devolution and the establishment of power sharing in Stormont.

While actual events leading to that fabled handshake took place behind closed doors, Bateman uses heavy artistic licence, teleporting the political titans into the claustrophobic confines of a car - forced together on a physical and emotional path to lasting peace beyond. It's in essence a brave play on Hollywood's mismatched 'buddy road trip' formula. And naturally, historians are baulking at these 'alternative facts' surrounding the men who would go on to be dubbed the 'Chuckle Brothers'.

Sadly, Martin McGuinness passed away at 66 after a short illness mere weeks before the film's release. And while publicising the film, which also features a noteworthy performance by Timothy Spall as the late DUP leader, Meaney not only finds himself having to defend the Sinn Fein political leader, he now has to protect and preserve his memory and legacy. "To be referring to him in the past tense, it's very shocking and sad. I suppose I've always defended Martin because there are revisionists on both sides of the Irish Sea who continue to snipe away," Meaney says, citing overwhelming divisive opinion, spliced between McGuinness' dual roles throughout life as paramilitary and peacemaker.

"He's a recognised, international statesman and in some ways he doesn't need any defending except from small minds who hark back to his very early years. People seem to think the north of Ireland was some sort of utopia in the 1960s. It was an apartheid state and when people tried to change that through civil disobedience, they were beaten off the street. Martin's point was: he didn't create this situation, he reacted to it. He would have been ashamed if he didn't defend his community from attacks from the forces of the State."

One doubts that the families of the victims of the IRA's campaign on violence, who pushed McGuinness to reveal the truth about his role during the Troubles and to apologise for his actions, would consider themselves to be 'small minds'. Pushed on McGuinness' denied, often contested, paramilitary ties right up to his passing, Meaney's resolve is admirable, vexing - and moderately rehearsed. "I just found the whole revisionism of the last 30 years to be ridiculous, to the point where we got to 1916 and you were considered weird if you celebrated the Easter Rising because they were terrorists. Anybody who resisted the British Empire was a terrorist all of a sudden. Any liberation struggle, any anti-Imperialist struggle, has a period of violence because empires don't give up without a struggle."

It's a highly personal project for Meaney, who won an IFTA for his work in the film last month. A former member of Sinn Fein in his late teens, he threw his celebrity sparkle behind McGuinness' bid for the Aras in 2011. "Martin was the most qualified candidate. He'd proved himself as a statesman, as a minister of education, as Deputy First Minister. He had negotiated on the world stage during the peace process. How he can be controversial when he brought the peace, as did Dr Paisley? Even though we had [Belfast-born] Mary McAleese, I thought it would be a unifying gesture to elect somebody from north of the border to be President of Ireland. And in case anyone gets their knickers in a twist, I was a member of Sinn Fein way back - it would have been late 1960s and I ceased to be a member around that time, before the split. I was too busy trying to be an actor."

The Journey is, indeed, the latest entry in a colourful career. The Finglas actor moved to the States in the early 1980s, scoring bit parts on Moonlighting, Remington Steele and MacGyver. His role as beleaguered 'Da' Dessie Curley in Roddy Doyle's The Snapper - which earned him a Golden Globe nomination - remains his most recognisable performance, alongside his part as transport engineer Miles O'Brien on the starship Enterprise. "I always get Star Trek; it has the loyallest fans. But when I'm in Dublin, always The Snapper. I'll always hear 'Georgie Burgess, snip snip.'"

Married to Ines Glorian, mother of Ada, 13 - he also has a grown-up daughter, Brenda, from his first marriage to the late actress Bairbre Dowling - he splits his time between LA and their home in Majorca. Coming off a five-year run of frontier saga Hell on Wheels, the 63-year-old is set for a summer stint on the West End with Sienna Miller in Cat on a Hot Tin Roof. The bulk of his upcoming work - Conor McDermottroe's Halal Daddy and another costly US series, Will, based on the early activities of young Shakespeare - will see Colm stationed on this side of the Atlantic.

His life and his legacy remain in the US, fortunately unaffected by Trumpism in the past months. "Obviously, the buffoonery, and the nonsense is dangerous; it's beyond Kafka almost. But here in California, Governor Jerry Brown is still there and the sanctuaries cities are being supported by the state government. He won't roll back environmental laws, so we haven't seen any real effect on the ground."

Meaney holds dual citizenship but admits the changing state of immigration laws is a cause for concern. "I'm sure if he wanted to, Trump could take it away from me," he snorts. Meanwhile, relocation back home has little appeal. "The cranes are coming back, the prices are sneaking up. I'd hope they're smart enough to not let that happen again. I would love to see politics change. Fianna Fail, Fine Gael: both parties represent the same thing.

"It'd be great to see real politics emerge out of left and right. I think there's hope for that with People Before Profit and I would hope that they would maybe consider Sinn Fein. A broad left alliance could lead to innovation and progressive solutions."

Has Meaney ever considered a political career,? He chuckles. "I have three brothers and I always remember my mother saying to my father, 'Well, at least none of them are politicians.'"

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For now, Meaney will have to settle for playing one. Critics have diced and carved "the farcical contrivances" within The Journey's invented dialogue between McGuinness and Paisley. It's an absurd, sometimes laughable, wildly convenient reimagining of a pivotal moment in Northern Irish history. But it's also engaging and evocative, thanks to meaty, profound turns from Spall and Meaney, whose combined force and talent elevate the drama from lazy caricature, an initial concern for the actor.

"It could have been so easy to slip into impersonation but the writing had such a wonderful, beautiful observance of the characters and their relationship. It felt real and truthful to who they were, to who Martin was. I only met him once [during his presidential campaign] and it was a gift, having that insight into who he was and how he behaved. He was a much more subdued character than Dr Paisley: he didn't really have any glaring mannerisms that you can hook onto. What I got was a wonderful presence and a charisma about him, a wonderfully wry sense of humour. The script captured that essence beautifully and delivers a special, hopeful message that even the most seemingly irreconcilable characters can come together."

His comments are fitting, considering the current state of flux of the Stormont Executive. "I'd hope this could stand as a reminder that where Martin and Dr Paisley came from was a far wider gulf than the parties now." Perhaps current opposition leaders Arlene Foster and Michelle O'Neill should sit together through a private screening?

"Indeed" he rumbles, "indeed."

The Journey is in cinemas now
McCabe has an appalling record, according to the judge

A banned driver caught without insurance for a 12th time has had a jail sentence deferred so he can go to his daughter's confirmation.

Jason McCabe (31) was also given the time to get treatment for substance misuse.

McCabe was subject to three driving bans, including a 10-year disqualification, when he was arrested, and had 70 previous motoring convictions.

Judge David McHugh said he would jail McCabe for five months but agreed to adjourn sentencing at Blanchardstown District Court.

McCabe, of Marigold Crescent, Darndale, Dublin, pleaded guilty to uninsured and unlicensed driving.

The offences are under the Road Traffic Act.

The court heard gardai were on duty at the Esso service station on the N7 in Rathcoole, Co Dublin, at 6.15pm on June 22, 2016.

They saw McCabe driving a Ford Focus and stopped him. Gardai demanded production of his driving documents and asked him for his personal details.

He had no driving licence with him and gave the garda his name and address.

Difficulty

The gardai arrested the defendant and brought him to Clondalkin Garda Station.

The court heard McCabe had fully co-operated with the gardai and "made certain admissions".

He had 94 previous convictions, including 70 for motoring offences.

Some 11 of these were for uninsured driving, with another 11 for driving without a licence.

McCabe also had prior convictions for public order and other offences.

"We are in some difficulty today, that cannot be denied," said defence solicitor Margaret McEvilly.

She told the judge there was a "certain pattern there" and alcohol and substance misuse was "the difficulty he has faced."

He was on a waiting list for a treatment course in hospital.

Ms McEvilly asked Judge McHugh if she would allow him time to access this, "without trying the court's patience".

In addition, his daughter was due to be confirmed.

Judge McHugh said he would impose a five-month prison sentence and a 10-year driving ban.

"He has an appalling record, to put it mildly," the judge said.

He adjourned the case to a date in June. McCabe was remanded on continuing bail.
Evidence: Archetypal entrepreneur Harry Crosbies 400m business was taken over five years ago by Nama and he wants to start again Picture: Jason Clarke

Generosity. A word never used but one that often came to mind during businessman Harry Crosbie's four hours in a High Court witness box explaining his financial affairs.

This was a generous man who looked after his family, business colleagues and employees before and since his 400m business was taken over five years ago by the government-appointed property market rescuer Nama.

His arrangement with Peter Aiken, the promoter who put on most of the shows at Mr Crosbie's "last remaining asset", Vicar Street, in Dublin, was "by handshake".

It had been so for 30 years as it had been with Peter's late father Jim, said the archetypal entrepreneur who is anxious to "start again". That is once he has sorted out his issues with both Nama, which took over most of his assets, and Ulster Bank, which owns Vicar Street, but which was not included in Nama.

Vicar Street is an architectural head-turner on what had been a withered section of Thomas Street, opened in 1998 it has hosted musical giants such as Bob Dylan, Neil Young and Paul Simon.

"I consider myself to be Vicar Street," Mr Crosbie told Paul Sreenan SC, for Nama, which had brought him before the court last week to answer questions about his finances.

It was part of Nama's efforts to get some of the 77m he owes under a judgment it obtained against him in 2014.

He told of having given a gift of a couple of fields in Kileek, north Dublin, to a loyal employee who had worked in his and his father Henry A Crosbie's haulage business for many years.

Another man who worked for him for 25 years as "an unpaid consultant" was given half-a-million "as a gift".

He had bought his son Simon's house in Booterstown for him for his work in Vicar Street and in the haulage business, which Simon took over. However, it was a "grave error of judgment" to put that house in the father's name to minimise stamp duty because it was placed at risk because of Harry's debts. "It's Simon's home, he has always lived there with his wife and four children," Mr Crosbie said.

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His generosity included mortgage payments for a house his wife, Rita, owns in Wexford and for his daughter Alison's home, also in Booterstown. Some 341,000 was paid in 2015-16 from monies he took from Vicar Street in the form of "drawings".

He also paid property tax on all three properties of his wife and children but did not know why and said it should not have happened.

Some 1.7m was drawn by him from the Vicar Street business between January 2013 and September 2016 at a time when total revenue was just over 8m. Mr Crosbie said: "Yes, I was told I can take it out as drawings. It was not to be taken as profit or salary and I was advised how to do it."

The drawings, which also "pay my legal fees and to have money to live on", would all have to be paid back, he said.

He paid for Alison's mortgage as she was a mother of two young children. "I helped her out which is what any father would do. I hope to get the money back as soon as she is up and running," he said.

Some 340,000 was transferred to Rita during this time for her Cafe Bar H, in the Grand Canal Dock, as part of an arrangement whereby they transfer funds between their businesses to make best use of their combined resources.

Asked by Mr Sreenan why substantial monies were spent from Vicar Street towards Rita's Wexford property, he said: "Because she is my wife, we share everything."

He was adamant he was entitled to do this because "we done a deal with Nama" and he was advised he could make such drawings from Vicar Street as "all the other successful businesses have been shut down".

He didn't know there was a difference in tax treatment between drawings and taking a salary but that is what his accountants advised him to do.

He was reminded by Mr Sreenan that his tax bill for 2013 was 23,000, just 2,588 in 2014 and 2,453 in 2015, despite substantial revenues at Vicar Street. That was only because the rent was not being paid to Ulster Bank, his landlord, he said.

When that matter is sorted he was going to "refinance the whole business and start again and that is the plan I had been advised to adopt".

Substantial transfers of money between Rita's operating company Fastwell had occurred, and Vicar Street at one point owed 1m to Fastwell. However, he insisted: "Fastwell has nothing to do with me or Nama and if money was being moved over and back, it could be the other way, too." The accountants, he said, "move money as they see fit".

The family home in Hanover Quay, bought for 18,000 25 years ago, was now solely in his wife's name. He did not know how much it was worth and did not want to "because I was in Nama".

He agreed there were "asset transfers to third parties" of some 2.97m since 2008, at which point an argument developed as to his understanding of the agreement with Nama that he would not dispose of assets as long as it was trying to recover the 77m debt. He did not see these transfers as being affected by the Nama agreement.

After Mr Justice Brian McGovern intervened to ask did he understand that cash was also an asset, Mr Crosbie said: "What I meant was in reference to the way Nama operates, in the sense of property - I may be wrong in that but I apologise."

He insisted he had been fully open with Nama and was "hiding nothing". He repeatedly referred to his Nama agreement, which includes that Nama released any claim over both his son's home and over Hanover Quay.

He reminded the court of his successes in setting up the Point Depot, Vicar Street and the Grand Canal Theatre, and how good things had been before the crash.

"We had 20m in cash on deposit and then Nama came along," he lamented.

He had a business, he said, worth 400m and if Nama would stop "denying me information about what they have belonging to me", he believed there was more than enough there to clear his debts.

It had included the Point Village, which has a hotel, cinemas, a shopping centre, 120,000 sq ft of offices and 900 car park spaces. It was extremely valuable and that was not even including the 3Arena, which had already been sold by Nama for 35m and has gone towards paying his debts, he said.

In the meantime, he was still operating as sole trader, Henry A Crosbie, trading as Vicar Street, a status he now regards as "singularly unwise but we are where we are".

Aiken Promotions pays him "400,000-odd, maybe 420,000, 430,000" as rent and there is no formal contract.

Mr Aiken runs the shows, Mr Crosbie operates the bars for the venue, as he does for a number of outdoor events around the country for which Vicar Street uses its drinks licence and gets 5pc of the bar sales.

The only reason Crosbie could do all this was because he was not paying rent due on Vicar Street which caused arrears of 4.1m to build up. "But that would have to be put right when we come to an arrangement with Ulster Bank," he said.

Mr Crosbie revealed details of what the court heard was a tax-driven arrangement between him and Ulster Bank which led to the establishment of Vicar Street under which the bank set up a company called Norgay to which Mr Crosbie paid rent. Unlike most tenants who do not pay their rent over a prolonged period, the court did not hear of any eviction threats or actions by Ulster Bank.

It was the bank that actually approached him about creating Vicar Street based on what Mr Sreenan said was a "put-and-call" arrangement, he said.

It involved the bank claiming capital allowances on tax with Mr Crosbie getting double rent allowances, although he believed it was the bank that got the rent allowance, too.

"We went up (to Thomas Street) because the land was cheap and I am not sure what they (Ulster Bank) did or why they did it," Mr Crosbie said.

He found, however, that under this structure, while it was "a very successful" venue, it would have had to close after 20 years.

But the economic crash came and it never got that far and Ulster Bank, he said, wanted to leave Ireland.

The last rent due had risen to 830,000pa, but even when it was 700,000, it was not viable, Mr Crosbie said. He added: "Some new solution would have to be found."

The complicated arrangement with the bank also involved splitting the rent into "additional" and "formula" rent which he said he understood as "a sinking fund and it was supposed to be enough to buy them (the bank) out but that did not happen".

The business could not support the rent sought and it was not paid but any arrears which had built up would be cleared as part of any buyout deal under the "put-and-call" option. The bank was looking for 4.6m, including the 4.1m rent arrears, but he was looking for a deal for 3.5m.

He was asked if Ulster Bank been "sitting back" in relation to all this.

Mr Crosbie said: "No, I had long and many discussions with them. I tried my best and I could not come up with a solution that suited them."

When asked by the court why the 400,000 paid to Aiken Promotions was presented in his accounts as trading rather than rent, he replied: "I don't know about it," adding that it was a matter for his accountants.

It remains to be seen what Nama does with the information that has been garnered from Mr Crosbie's evidence.
Gay Byrne and Stephen Fry during their appearance on 'The Meaning of Life'

Gardai have launched an investigation into Stephen Fry and RTE over comments the actor made on 'The Meaning of Life' two years ago.

Yesterday Independent.ie revealed that the investigation was sparked after a member of the public made a complaint to Ennis Garda station in Co Clare shortly after the show was broadcast in February 2015.

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Mr Fry now faces a fine of up to 25,000 if a decision is made to prosecute him.

Here is everything we know so far:

What was said?

In February 2015, RTE broadcast an interview by Gay Byrne with Mr Fry for 'The Meaning of Life'.

During the show the comedian and writer was questioned about what he might say to God at the "pearly gates".

Mr Fry, an atheist, replied: "How dare you create a world in which there is such misery? Its not our fault? Its not right. Its utterly, utterly evil. Why should I respect a capricious, mean-minded, stupid god who creates a world which is so full of injustice and pain?"

He went on to say that if he was met by the Greek gods he would accept them quicker because, "they didnt present themselves as being all seeing, all wise, all beneficent."

He added: "Because the god who created this universe, if it was created by god, is quite clearly a maniac, an utter maniac, totally selfish.

"We have to spend our lives on our knees thanking him. What kind of god would do that?"

A clip of the interview was posted online and it has since been viewed over seven million times.

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At the time there was a media furore surrounding the comments.

Mr Byrne said in an interview with Ray D'Arcy on RTE Radio One afterwards: "Everybody is getting much more excited about this thing than I am because we've had a good number of people on the programme down through the years and we've done a lot of programmes with many people expressing atheistic views and beliefs and views on God and so on."

How was the report made?

That month a member of the public walked into Ennis Garda station in Co Clare where he told gardai that he wanted to report a crime.

He told Independent.ie: "I told the Garda I wanted to report Fry for uttering blasphemy and RTE for publishing/broadcasting it and that I believed these were criminal offences under the Defamation Act 2009.

"The garda then took a formal written statement from me in which I quoted Frys comments in detail. This written statement mentioned both Fry and RTE specifically."

He said he was asked by the garda if he had been personally offended by the programme and If he wished to include this in the written statement.

"I told the Garda that I did not want to include this as I had not personally been offended by Fry's comments - I added that I simply believed that the comments made by Fry on RTE were criminal blasphemy and that I was doing my civic duty by reporting a crime."

The man, who has asked not to be identified, confirmed to Independent.ie that he is "not a religious zealot". He added that he is not a member of Atheist Ireland or any political movement.

What did the gardai do?

The complainant was told the garda would look into it and report the matter to his superiors.

In late 2016 the member of the public wrote to the Garda Commissioner Noirin O'Sullivan asking if the crime was being followed up.

"A few weeks later I got a standard 'we have received your letter' from her secretary," he said.

A number of weeks ago the complainant was called by a detective from Donnybrook garda station to say they were looking into the report he made about blasphemy on RTE.

"He said he might have to meet me to take a new more detailed statement."

What does the law say?

The Defamation Act was passed in 2009 and was introduced in January 2010 by then Justice Minister Dermot Ahern.

Section 36 states: "A person who publishes or utters blasphemous matter shall be guilty of an offence and shall be liable upon conviction on indictment to a fine not exceeding 25,000

It prohibits the publishing or uttering [of] matter that is grossly abusive or insulting in relation to matters sacred by any religion, thereby intentionally causing outrage among a substantial number of adherents of that religion.

The person must also intend by the publication or utterance of the matter concerned, "to cause such outrage".

There have been no publicised cases of blasphemy brought before Irish courts.

But if there have been no cases then why does the law matter?

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Labour Senator Ivana Bacik, a qualified barrister who campaigned against the introduction of the law in 2009 welcomed this test of the legislation.

She said then Justice Minister Dermot Ahern made a grave error introducing the blasphemy law in 2009 and while criminal prosecutions havent been pursued in Ireland the law has been used as a model by other less democratic states.

"Pakistan and other repressive states pointed to our law as an example of a law they wished to pursue.

"It is being used as a model by these regimes and this is not what Ireland should aspire to."

Atheist Ireland said it welcomed the garda investigation into Mr Fry for blasphemy, saying it "highlights a law that is silly, silencing, and dangerous".

What happens next?

Gardai said they cannot officially comment on an ongoing investigation. However a senior source added it was "highly unlikely" it would lead to a prosecution.

"Gardai will speak to all those who are available for interview and a report will be sent to the Director of Public Prosecutions."

Atheist Ireland has published a list of 25 blasphemous quotes in order to "challenge the law".

In a statement released on their website yesterday they wrote: "In solidarity with Stephen Fry, we are republishing those 25 blasphemous quotes, and adding in the quotation that has caused the Irish police to investigate Stephen Fry.

"If we are prosecuted, we will challenge the constitutionality of the blasphemy law. If we are not prosecuted, it will again highlight the absurdity of this law, which should be repealed immediately. We again call on the Irish Government to honour its commitment to hold a referendum to remove the ban on blasphemy from our Constitution."

What does everyone have to say about this?

Gardai say they do not comment on ongoing investigations.

RTE have also declined to comment on the matter.

And Stephen Fry is also staying quiet about the matter.

A spokesman for the actor told the Telegraph: "[There is] nothing for us to say while this is under investigation."

What does everyone else have to say?

While the main players have been quiet about the matter a number of others have spoken out to criticise the law:

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Dublin's north inner city is the most heavily policed neighbourhood in the State following seven gang-feud murders, but last weekend another two cars were torched as tensions intensified between increasingly reckless young gangs.

Local residents, ordinary decent people trying to bring up their children in the best way they can, are faced with fights, violence and wanton vandalism on the streets near their homes almost every weekend.

Some 700 garda are stationed in the Store Street District with an additional 78 recruits allocated there this year.

The district is also the test bed for a 'sectoral policing' policy under which gardai are supposed to be allocated to individual streets to build up confidence in the Seville Place area, right next door to the Irish Financial Services Centre, yet residents say nothing is being done to curb drug dealing and vandalism.

Last Saturday night and through Sunday, residents say youths, including several from families caught up in feuding, went on a rampage, leaving two cars on fire outside St Laurence O'Toole school and the adjoining Sisters of Charity counselling service - which are in line for up to 5m in funding promised by Taoiseach Enda Kenny.

Last week open drug dealing was taking place in the Sheriff Street-Oriel Street area while gardai in patrol cars roved around surrounding areas. Residents warned that as well as the deaths and attempted murders arising from the Kinahan-Hutch feuding, smaller feuds were breaking out among rival gangs in the north inner city, with the strong expectation of further violence.

One local resident said: "After years of allowing people to do what they want - drug dealing, vandalism, etc - it is now endemic and normal for these individuals to do exactly that. The complete failure by the cops and Dublin City Council to properly deal with people who are, in most cases, Dublin City Council tenants has led to this point.

"The question for Enda Kenny is: is the Government willing to allow 5m or 6m to be spent on projects in Sheriff Street without dealing with the ingrained antisocial problems? Is Dublin City Council willing to allow its tenants to destroy an entire community as we see all the time with burning stolen cars in front of schools and people's homes; the open selling of drugs from Dublin City Council-rented homes, dumping huge amounts of rubbish on the streets week in week out, and then sending in unmarked trucks twice a week to clean up the mess while the decent people in the area pay bin charges for doing things the right way?

"The evidence to date is that the gardai and DCC have and continue to facilitate a culture of non-compliance to the normal rules of decent social behaviour in the Sheriff Street-North Wall area and unless serious measures are taken to put manners on these out-of-control individuals, then the money to be spent on the Government 'plan' will be wasted."

Last June, the Taoiseach visited the area and met 50 residents, teachers and social workers. He appointed Kieran Mulvey, former head of the Labour/Workplace Relations Commission, to draw up a plan to improve social conditions in the area, including spending public money on refurbishing local schools.
A 25-year-old man has been charged in connection with the murder of Noel 'Duck Egg' Kirwan.

The suspect will be brought before Blanchardstown District Court on Monday morning where he will be charged in connection with the fatal shooting on December 22.

A woman who was being held in connection with the investigation has been released without charge. A file will be sent to the DPP.

The pair were held under Section 50 of the Criminal Justice Act, 2007 at Lucan and Blanchardstown Garda Stations.

Kirwan (62) was shot as he sat in a car outside his home on St Ronan's Drive, Clondalkin. He was the 11th victim of the Hutch Kinahan feud.

His partner, who was also in the car, escaped unharmed.

Several shots were fired at the victim, including to his head, before the assailant ran to a waiting van, which had another man in the drivers seat.

A white Peugeot Partner van was found burnt out a short distance away at the Neilstown Shopping Centre.

Gardai have been investigating whether he was shot dead after attempting to mediate in a dispute between the Kinahan cartel and their own gangland banker.

Kirwan attempted to prevent the cartel from carrying out an attack on the banker  who also works for the Hutch mob.

Kirwan was a childhood friend of Gerry The Monk Hutch and was a prominent anti-drugs campaigner in Dublins north inner city during the 1990s.

His adult son Kristopher and daughter Donna previously told RTE Crimecall that their father had done nothing to warrant the attack.

They have also issued a heartfelt plea for help catching his killers.

Why did they take his life?" asked daughter Donna. "I cant understand it at all. What did they think he was involved in at all?

We know 100pc, he was never involved in anything.

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The family explained that they have now been left to grieve for their father with no answers or explanation.

Kristopher said: When I was told about my dad the first person I wanted to call was my Dad. Its just now, still very very surreal.

Donna added: We are just traumatised. Every day we wake up and its groundhog day. We are just living a nightmare every single day. We can't even cry anymore, we are just numb.
HAMPTON | During a visit to Hampton on Saturday, U.S. Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, said there's no guarantee a Senate health care bill will cover everyone with pre-existing conditions.

The House of Representatives narrowly passed a GOP-led bill to repeal and replace Obamacare on Thursday. The Senate is expected to take up the issue after an 11-day recess.

Ernst, who visited the Hampton Public Library and several local businesses Saturday afternoon, said one of the biggest fears she is hearing from Iowans is that they will be priced out of insurance if they have a pre-existing health condition.

She noted one amendment to the bill added in the House calls for $8 billion in federal subsidies spread out over 10 years for a high-risk insurance pool for this group "so it is affordable for them."

However, "I can never say guarantee," Ernst said, noting the Senate just got the bill.

it could be weeks before she and her Senate colleagues are ready to vote on a health care bill, according to Ernst.

The Senate needs to scrutinize the amendments and look at the Congressional Budget Office score for the House bill once it is available, she said.

The CBO stated a proposed House bill from earlier this year would have left 24 million more people without insurance than under Obamacare.

That bill never made it to the House floor for a vote. The CBO score for the revised bill wasn't available yet when it was approved by the House on Thursday.

The Senate bill needs to include some flexibility, according to Ernst.

"What works in one state may not work in another state," she said.

Ernst said she want all Iowans to be able to get the coverage they need, but "we are not able to sustain what is going on right now."

She said two of the three statewide providers in Iowa's individual insurance market have already announced they will no longer sell those plans beginning in 2018 due to financial losses, and the third, Medica, has indicated it might withdraw as well.

Ernst's visit to Hampton was part of her annual tour of all 99 counties in Iowa.

Many of her county visits so far, such as Saturday's, have not included town halls.

Ernst said she generally holds those public forums in counties that are centrally located for a particular region, meaning there could be a North Iowa town hall in the future.

Ernst did speak Saturday with several invited guests at Rustic Brew, the last stop on the Hampton tour.

One of the guests, Donnis Borcherding of rural Latimer, said her adult daughter has a rare kidney disease and wasn't able to get insurance coverage before Obamacare.

After that she is able to pay premiums for insurance "just like everyone else," said Borcherding, past president of the Greater Franklin County Chamber of Commerce, during an interview with the Globe Gazette.

But now she is facing the possibility of losing that coverage, according to Borcherding.

Borcherding said according to a list of conditions defined as pre-existing in the House bill, a lot of other people could also be affected.

She said her daughter's care doesn't cost that much, noting she only has to see a doctor every six months to have blood work done and is only on a few medications.

"But as soon as everyone hears the word 'kidney,' she can't get insurance," Borcherding said.
A businessman has died following a tragic accident involving a lawnmower.

Father-of -three Ivan Bradshaw was the owner of Drumhoney Caravan Park, in Co Fermanagh. The incident happened at the caravan park on Friday, according to the Belfast Telegraph.

Ulster Unionist Party (UUP) MP for the area Tom Elliott told described the death as "a terrible tragedy".

And Democratic Unionist Party councillor Raymond Farrell also expressed his sadness.

"The local community have been left shocked and deeply saddened by tbe death of this well known family man and local businessman," he said.

"I know the prayers of many are with his family in tbe midst of their trauma and grief."
Taoiseach Enda Kenny has been told that if he does not step down as leader before the second week of June he risks causing internal chaos for Fine Gael officials tasked with organising the leadership election, the Sunday Independent can reveal.

There are growing concerns among senior figures in Fine Gael headquarters that plans to hold an orderly election campaign during the Dail's summer recess could be scuppered if Mr Kenny remains leader beyond June 10.

Officials fear being faced with an "administration nightmare" if the Taoiseach does not step down at least three weeks before the annual deadline for Fine Gael supporters to register as members on July 1.

Organisers are anxious to use last year's membership register as it is fully complete and accurate. They fear being faced with having to compile a voter register during the summer months while also organising a nationwide leadership election.

"If he doesn't go by June, and he has been advised of this, he runs the risk of causing a chaotic situation because numerous branches will inevitably not be registered and the voter register will be open to multiple challenges," a senior Fine Gael source said.

It is understood Fine Gael general secretary Tom Curran recently told Mr Kenny about the problems posed by the Taoiseach remaining in office when the annual registration for membership opens. However, a Fine Gael source speaking on behalf of Mr Curran said: "No-one whatsoever told the Taoiseach he had to go but he has been made aware of the issue." Mr Curran is a close friend and a long-time supporter of Mr Kenny.

If Mr Kenny is still leader when registration opens on July 1, the electorate for the leadership contest will be based on those who registered this year and have been members of the party for two years.

Read More

However, if he steps down before June 10, the electorate would be based on those who registered as members last July. The Sunday Independent has also learned Mr Kenny will be attending an Ireland Funds dinner in London on May 19 in his capacity as Taoiseach. The news is sure to add to frustrations in Fine Gael headquarters where organisers feel they are been hamstrung by the Taoiseach's refusal to set out his departure timeline.

Mr Kenny lashed out at reporters during a State visit to Canada last week when he was asked if he would be telling his parliamentary party about his exit plans this week.

In response to the question, an angry Mr Kenny said: "I can't believe, actually, that you have travelled this distance to ask a question like that." Fine Gael members have speculated that the Taoiseach would not make his intentions known at this week's meeting as he would not want to overshadow a crucial European People's Party (EPP) meeting in Wicklow on Thursday and Friday.

Mr Kenny will address the two-day conference as will EU Commission's Chief Negotiator on Brexit, Michel Barnier.

Separately, it has emerged Fine Gael headquarters have discussed live streaming leadership hustings on the party's website to appease the demands of candidates Leo Varadkar and Simon Coveney to take part in televised debate.
The increased momentum in consumption is mostly driven by younger people living in the greater Dublin area, but is also evident in Munster, and is primarily among the better-off social groups. (Stock photo)

The public has loosened its purse strings and intends to start spending again, according to a Sunday Independent/Kantar Millward Brown opinion poll.

The poll finds that discretionary spending has increased significantly and is set to rise even further in the year ahead.

It also finds there has been a sharp drop in those who say they will have to tighten their belts over the next 12 months.

Discretionary spending is money spent on non-essential purchases, such as holidays or a luxury item.

It represents the amount of income remaining after a person pays for personal necessities and taxes.

In the year ahead, three-quarters of people say they intend to spend the same or more than they did two years ago.

The increased momentum in consumption is mostly driven by younger people living in the greater Dublin area, but is also evident in Munster, and is primarily among the better-off social groups.

Read More

This weekend's poll supports findings published last week which revealed that the public's confidence about their personal finances has soared to a level higher than throughout the Celtic Tiger period and is now at its highest point in 28 years.

However, this poll also tempers that finding somewhat in that it reveals a level of consumer caution underlying the new-found optimism.

Almost half (44pc) of those polled have held steady and have not increased discretionary spending in the past two years.

But a significant minority, almost a fifth (19pc), now spend more than they did two years ago on non-essential items.

However, the poll finds that in the year ahead people intend to spend the same and, in some cases, significantly increase spending across a range of consumer categories.

These include home improvements, to holidays in Ireland and abroad, to going to the pub, and on alcohol and eating in restaurants. In other findings, today's poll also reveals that while Ireland's relationship with the European Union remains strong, only half (51pc) of respondents believe the EU will respect the country's "special position" with the UK in the Brexit negotiations.

A sizeable one-fifth (20pc) disagree that Ireland's position will be respected by the EU, while, separately, a further three-quarters (73pc) believe the EU has more control over the country's economy than the Government.

However, it is the findings in relation to discretionary consumer spending that will most encourage the retail sector at the cutting edge of what is often referred to as a 'real economy'.

The news is not all encouraging though: the poll finds the public believes there is less value for money in the hospitality sector than there was in 2012.

It also finds that while service in the retail sector and in pubs/clubs has improved, it has fallen back notably in hotels and restaurants.

The poll finds 19pc of the public has increased spending on discretionary goods and services - up from 7pc in 2012.

A breakdown shows that 32pc of 18-24 year olds, 25pc of those aged 25-34 and 23pc of those aged 35-44 have increased spending, as well as 27pc of those in Dublin.

The poll also reveals that 28pc have decreased such spending - down massively from 62pc in the same two-year period.

This poll also asked whether people thought they would spend more, less or about the same in 12 categories in the year ahead.

The results reveal an intention to increase spending across all categories.

However, discretionary cash will be mostly funnelled into savings and investments as well as on home improvements, which again reflects a residual level of caution.

But there is still a significant increase in those who intend to spend more on entertaining at home, weekend breaks in Ireland, groceries, clothes, foreign holidays, going to restaurants, mobile telephone bills, impulse purchases, going to the pub and on alcohol (see page 5).

Similarly, there has been a notable increase in the number of people who say their spending habits will remain unchanged in the year ahead.

The poll also finds a corresponding overall sharp drop in those who intend to cut back or reduce spending. For example, four years ago 50pc said they would reduce spending on home improvements - now 16pc intend to reduce such spending; more than half (56pc) said they would reduce spending on weekend breaks - now 19pc say they will; 58pc said they would cut back on clothes shopping - now 19pc; 57pc said they would reduce spending in restaurants - now 21pc.

On Europe, 75pc agree that the EU has been good to Ireland since the country joined the EEC in 1973, falling back slightly to 71pc who agree, on balance, the EU has been good to this country in the past 10 years.

However, a similar 73pc believe the EU calls the shots on economic policy in Ireland, while just over half (51pc) believe the EU will respect Ireland's position on Brexit.

Opinion is divided on what the future holds for Ireland in the EU: 28pc believe Ireland's relationship with Europe will strengthen over the next five years while 23pc believe it will weaken and 36pc say it will remain the same.

Nearly one in four (23pc) feel the UK will benefit more from Brexit than the EU (15pc), with 25pc saying there will be no winners.
Garda Commissioner Noirin O'Sullivan faces more damaging revelations over the coming months after last Thursday's embarrassing revelation that a 'brief' meeting over financial irregularities at the Garda College lasted two-and-a-half hours.

Several issues have yet to be aired publicly, including the fact that the number of gardai doing purely desk work has ballooned to the point where nearly one-in-six gardai are engaged full-time in 'back office' jobs.

Gardai have also systematically failed properly to investigate serious crime including murders and rapes, and massive discrepancies in crime recording are expected to emerge as the Dail Committee and the new Policing Authority probe further into the force.

Commissioner O'Sullivan dismissed the financial problems in Templemore at a 'legacy issue' when the Sunday Independent broke the story in October last year.

Last Thursday she told the PAC she was having a cup of tea in a room in Templemore when it was mentioned there were problems with the college's finances. She described the meeting as 'brief' and it was the first time she knew of any concerns in relation to spending at the college, she said.

However, John Barrett, civilian head of human resources, then appeared to contradict her evidence. He said the meeting lasted for more than two hours. He produced notes which he said he had taken at the meeting, including the start and finish time of the meeting, as well as who was present, the issues discussed and the order in which people had walked into the room.

It also emerged that an apparent 100,000 was transferred from the college's accounts to the Garda Rowing Club on the Liffey at Chapelizod in Dublin.

Tensions between the 'uniform' management of the force and the new batch of senior civilian staff have been mounting for some time, particularly over the issue of replacing gardai with better qualified civilians.

The new breed of civilian managers are said to be appalled at the lack of supervision of gardai with many left to do work for which they are untrained or unsuited.
BROTHER Kevin Crowley has spoken about how he hopes Pope Francis will visit the Capuchin Day Centre in Dublin where the lost generation of the recession still come to be fed  nearly a decade after the crash.

In a wide-ranging interview for the Paul Williams Podcast, Brother Kevin said of the Pope: He is an amazing man, I saw him at 7am, he came out with no pomp, he made his thanksgiving in the midst of us.

There was no such thing as being pushed on, you could spend a day with him. Please God I hope he comes to Ireland. I hope he visits the Capuchin Centre.

Brother Kevin also said that poverty in the country is the worst its ever been in the last century.

We have 30 or 40 people every morning coming in for showers. Its as bad as it was in 1916, Brother Kevin explains.

Why are so many people caught in the poverty trap? The Government is not doing enough to help these unfortunate people, when the chap died outside the Dail there was talk of getting more housing, but nothing has been done about it.

The Capuchin Centre receives 450,000 a year from the Government, according to Brother Kevin, but running costs are now some 3.3m.

The shortfall must come from public donations but Brother Kevin says that depending on the public for donations also results in virtue signalling and ostentatious giving.

One Christmas a man came with a turkey but there was a camera crew with him and I said the turkey is fine, but we didnt need the media there and he went away. Then, later that day a woman appeared at the door and gave me an envelope which I opened later and it was a cheque for 1,000. It was like the Lord himself appearing, he says.

Another time I owed someone 2,000 for work that had been done and I hadnt a hapenny.

I went down and knelt and prayed to the Blessed Sacrament and I told the Lord that if you want me to feed these poor people and look after them youd better do something and Ive never been short since then  thank the good Lord and the generous people keeping this place in operation.

Brother Kevin grew up in Cork and worked for the CIE in his youth. He laments the number of young people who are still living abroad for work and have little hope of finding housing should they attempt to return.

He says that the last recession has been the worst that he has ever experienced.

Even in the Eighties, we didnt have the fear and anxiety that we see today.

In 1969, when Brother Kevin entered the order, only 50 homeless people per week availed of help.

Now the numbers of homeless are many multiples of that.

Up to 100 cyclists will cover 300km from Dublin to Belmullet trying to raise 100,000 on the annual Cycle for Brother Kevin which takes place over May 19 and 20. You can help by:

* Signing-up as a cyclist (limited spaces)

* Personally, contributing at www.cycleforbrokevin.ie

* Texting HOPE to 50300. (Texts cost 2 & Cycle For Brother Kevin will receive a minimum of 1.63.

The Paul Williams podcast lifts a lid on the stories and lives of ordinary people doing extraordinary things and of famous Irish people behind closed doors.

Subscribe on iTunes or SoundCloud and never miss a show.
Kelly Smith on her beloved firstborn, who died tragically before birth

Eight years ago I lost my son at 33 weeks. Being 20, I really didn't find many places or people to turn too, only my Mam. You can type in as much as you want to Google but the answer will never be there. I found reading other people's stories helped me along.

At 20 years of age I was very healthy young girl and when my surprise pregnancy came along, I just thought I will get past 12 weeks and I can tell everyone and the baby will be fine. My Mam was with me the whole way through my pregnancy and helped me along with working and studying journalism and just making sure I had my rest etc. The pregnancy was great, no scares. Then at 33 weeks I noticed a spot of blood when I went to the bathroom, told my mam and we headed for the hospital.

She was excited as she knew I was in preterm labor, and ironically I was also born at 33 weeks. She kept telling me I was having the same labour as she did with me. I was sent straight to the delivery suite where they examined me and told me I was in preterm labor.

A while later a doctor examined me and told me my waters were ready to burst but he would leave them in tact and put an IV in my arm with medication to stop my labor. To this day I can still see that doctor's face in my nightmares. I was sent to a ward beside the delivery suite and basically told to rest.

The next day around noonish I was having contractions and my Mam insisted a doctor come to examine me. A new doctor came, examined me and told the nurse I was to be sent straight to the delivery suite. I'm still waiting for that nurse to bring me to the delivery suite.

The next day I was still much the same. Although the bleeding had stopped, I was getting a lot of pressure pains. The following morning around 4.30am I woke up with in pain. I knew I was in high labor and about to give birth.

I couldn't get out of the bed so I pressed my buzzer for the nurse, who was with me instantly. The doctor came examined me and I was brought straight to the delivery suite where I was met with a lot of people and my Mam. Luckily she lived very close by at the time.

Twenty or so minutes laters the midwives were asking me did I want gas and air etc but I told them I wanted to nothing. I wanted to be normal meeting my son. I knew from early on I was having a boy and his name was to be Ryan. A while later the doctor examined me and he told me that Ryan had gone into a little bit of distress and told me not to worry but he wanted to do an emergency C- section on me. I said no problem.

Unfortunately the theatre was on the next level and by the time they had got me to the theatre Ryan had died. I didn't know this until a group of doctors surrounded me in the theatre and I saw my Mam who told me Ryan had gone. I don't remember much after that but I am eternally greatful to my Mam for not letting them give me a section and six hours later I gave birth to my beautiful son Ryan who weighed five pounds and four ounces.

He was the most beautiful thing I've ever seen. Panic stations set in after my delivery as I started to haemorrhage, and they told my Mam and Dad that I was in a critical state and the next 24 hours were crucial. I ended up getting. 13 blood transfusions and two units of platelets which saved my life. They also wanted to do a hysterectomy on me but my Mam wouldn't let them.

I got to have Ryan for five days. I held him, hugged him, kissed him but most of all loved him so much. He may be in my past but he will forever be my future and very much my present. I tried to take the hospital to court but unfortunately when you are taking a maternity hospital to court you must get a report done in the UK, which cost 2.5k sterling. They sent my solicitor back a detailed report to say I couldn't go to court as it was a tragic accident. I had a major Placenta Abruption and it happened in the lift on the way to theatre. I asked them if they had of delivered Ryan four days earlier when I went in would he alive, and the reply which will forever haunt me was, if they had of got to me five minutes earlier he would be alive. It's very hard for me to live with that but over the last eight years I've learnt to live with it.

I never thought I would get pregnant again. Joe and myself weren't planning children and as he had a son from a previous relationship, and I had told him all about Ryan and how much it affected me kids weren't on our agenda. January 2016 changed all that when I wasn't feeling quite well and knew my period was just a few days away, but I knew what that feeling was. I was pregnant again. It wasn't the easiest of pregnancies I had to attend hospital from six weeks and had to be hospital two days a week. I had the best doctor who looked after me and had told me from day one that she would section me on at 37 weeks. At 37 weeks on the 5th September 2016 I had a beautiful daughter called Ava and I couldn't love her more if I tried.

* INM has a dedicated section independent.ie/babyloss where parents of all ages can share their stories of miscarriage, stillbirth and neonatal death. The section will serve as a testament to the women and men who share their stories, a memorial for the babies lost and as a resource for other people who have gone through or are going through the experience.

Your stories can be anonymous or on the record and nothing will be published in any format without prior consultation with you. If you would like to be part of this and tell your story, email Yvonne Hogan at yhogan@independent.ie
Over the last decade the practice of mindfulness has been thriving in Ireland as people seek inner respite from an increasingly hectic world.

It has now become a vital tool in the maintenance of mental health. Its recommended by the medical profession, seen as hugely important for young people and local mindfulness classes have cropped up nationwide.

But many attending the classes are unaware that mindfulness has its origins in Buddhism - unless, of course, they attend the classes run by the varied and plentiful Buddhist centres across Ireland today.

More of us than ever are turning to Buddhism. The latest census revealed that there are now 9,358 Buddhists in Ireland. That's an 11pc increase on the 2011 census findings. And a 43pc hike from a decade ago when the 2006 census recorded 6,516 Buddhists here.

And many believe the 2016 figure is, if anything, conservative.

Jnanadhara from New Zealand who runs the Dublin Buddhist Centre, and has lived in Ireland since 2004, says: "I think perhaps because of the way the census question was posed many who practise Buddhist teachings, but who were brought up as perhaps Catholic or Protestant, were confused. If the question was 'what religion do you practise?' then you'd find a far greater number of people who use some form of Buddhism in their lives."

MORE THAN MEDITATION

As with other faiths there are different branches of the religion operating in Ireland today.

The Dublin Buddhist Centre is part of the Triratna Buddhist Community, which has mainly Indian roots, and each week it caters for Dubliners who visit the centre on James Joyce Street to slow down, meditate and learn more about Buddhism.

"We have people coming to us from all walks of life," says Jnanadhara.

"Perhaps Buddhism was once seen as some kind of hippie fringe religion but that's completely changed.

"The growth of mindfulness has certainly brought more people to Buddhist teachings but I've noticed in recent years that people are coming to the centre wanting to find out more about Buddhism itself rather than just meditation."

Jnanadhara tells me that roughly half of those attending retreats and meditation courses through the Dublin Buddhist Centre are non-Irish by birth. Across the city in Kilmainham the Tibetan Buddhist Meditation Centre for World Peace and Health offers silent meditation, chanting practices, seminars, readings, talks and yoga in its impressive and calming shrine.

This year the centre celebrates its 40th anniversary.

AN ABSENCE OF JUDGMENT

In Munster too some new, and not so new, Buddhist retreat centres are seeing an increase in visitor numbers.

At the Palpung Ireland Buddhist Centre in the Cork town of Banteer, a Kerry woman is the resident teacher.

Anita Treacy found Buddhism while visiting India many years ago. She became a Buddhist nun and took on the name Ani Choedrun Lhamo. Now she teaches meditation and Buddhist philosophy to those looking for something different in their lives.

"We, as a country, became very rich, very quickly and then everything collapsed," she says. "People now are really starting to look more inwardly and Buddhism gives us that freedom. Nobody has to sign up, nobody has to actually become a Buddhist to avail of what we have to offer and I think that really appeals to people in Ireland today."

Indeed, the absence of 'judgment' is an aspect of Buddhism which is particularly appealing, according to Jnanadhara in the Dublin Buddhist Centre.

"In many ways traditional religions offer a 'take it or leave it' approach and people aren't always satisfied with that," he says. "Buddhists do not believe in a god that will punish those who commit sins and for many that's refreshing. It's not an authoritarian religion but rather one which encourages debate, conversation and contemplation."

IRELAND'S FIRST TIBETAN TEMPLE

The diggers at the Dzogchen Beara Retreat Centre in Allihies, West Cork signal a facility and religion in expansion mode.

Already three floors of Ireland's first Tibetan Buddhist Temple have been built overlooking Bantry Bay. East meets West by Atlantic waters.

It's an ambitious project with 1.2m already spent on the temple.

"We need to fund raise another half a million by July so we can stay on schedule," explains the centre's director Malcolm MacClancy.

"Our hope is that by St Patrick's Day 2018 we will have a fully functional building. We'll need another 200,000 for sacred decoration at the end and then at some stage in the summer of 2019 his Holiness Sakya Trizin will come to officially consecrate the temple which will be seen as something of a jewel in the crown of Tibetan Buddhism in the world," he adds.

I ask Malcolm, who became a Buddhist in 1995 at the age of 25, why he believes more Irish people are turning to the religion today.

"Buddhism encourages us to have confidence in our fundamental goodness and to nurture that; we're all 'Buddhas to be'. Buddha realised his full enlightened potential and we're on that path; to unveil the innate wisdom and compassion that all beings share. This focus on our positive attributes, personal responsibility and interdependence seems increasingly relevant to people in Ireland today."

Last year, 7,500 people engaged with meditation, either in daily sessions or on retreats at Dzogchen Beara and that figure is expected to rise this year.

MacClancy says it's the open-door policy of Buddhism which allows people to come and see if it works for them.

"People don't feel threatened by Buddhism; the teachings and practices are open to everybody. We're not about conversion but about communicating the teachings of Buddha to women and men so it is relevant in their modern lives."

I feel happier and more content with my life

Daniel Canning (20), law student and Buddhist from Dublin

By Graham Clifford

Daniel Canning will sit the first of his law exams at Maynooth university next Saturday but while his classmates may be fretting, the 20-year-old Dubliner will take to his chair feeling relaxed.

"I've always been fairly laid-back but since I started Buddhist meditation and implemented the practical Buddhist teachings in my everyday life I'm certainly even more chilled out," he tells me. Though Daniel, the eldest of three, was raised in a Catholic family in Clondalkin, he says his parents aren't overly religious.

And so in his mid-teens he started to explore the content of other religions.

"I never felt Catholicism was for me. The whole judgment and blind faith element just didn't tally. I went into the library in Maynooth and found a section on Buddhism and before long, with the help of videos on YouTube, I was meditating. Buddhist practices and teachings are quite logical and that really appealed to me."

Keen to learn more, he attended the Dublin Buddhist Centre on James Joyce Street a year ago and in February had his mitra ceremony where he confirmed his commitment to following the Triratna Buddhist teachings.

"I think a lot of my friends initially thought this was just a fad I was going through. But it's so much more than that and I feel happier and more content with my life. Even my parents can see the improvement in my personal relationships with them, I'm better at communicating and listening."

Daniel doesn't envisage a legal career for himself into the future per se but may consider something in international relations or the area of human rights.

And one unplanned benefit of his conversion is the discovery of vegan food.

"Obviously one pillar of the faith is the respect of all living things so we don't eat meat. I was brought up in a big meat-eating house so at first on our retreats, I wasn't sure about the vegan food. But I've developed a taste for it now and along with daily meditation, the healthy eating aspect really makes you feel so much better physically."
FOREST CITY | The student body at Forest City Community Schools was dealt a blow last month when two students were killed in separate utility vehicle crashes.

Fifth-grader Carter Trunkhill, 11, died on April 8. Freshman Colby Schleuger, 14, died on April 23.

In both cases, officials were informed of the death the night before and began planning for the following school day.

Forest City Superintendent Darwin Lehmann said that included breaking the news to the students classmates.

We went from fifth-grade classroom to classroom to explain the situation (Carters death) and let them know the supports and the people they can go to if they have questions or need to talk or just step out of the room and handle their grieving process, he said.

After Colbys death, places were also set up around the school where students or staff members could go to handle their grieving process.

You cope, he said. You handle the day as best you can.

The district also reached out to the Forest City Ministerial Association.

We had at least five local ministers, pastors, join us that morning (after Carters death) and throughout the day to provide support for students and staff, Lehmann said.

He said parents can help by continuing to talk to their children as the grieving process continues.

Those who feel their children are having a difficult time can reach out school officials.

Administrators, teachers and counselors can provide extra support and, if necessary, help connect parents with additional resources, Darwin said.

Dont be afraid to reach out to the school, Lehmann said.

Mason City Schools was assisted after Roderick Lewis, 18; Sydney Alcorn, 14; Alex Wiebke, 19; Zachary Hartley, 20; and Donte Foster, 17, died in a crash April 11.

Interim Superintendent Mike Penca said the district greatly appreciates the support we were provided by the AEA 267 Crisis Response Team as we responded to the traffic deaths of current and former students of our schools.

Penca said the team assisted in planning communication to students and families, as well as supporting students along with the districts counselors and support staff. They also provided resources to parents explaining the stages of grief.

We were thankful for their responsiveness and assistance during this difficult time, Penca said.
The IFA has reportedly worked hard to drive a strong calf export trade and are pushing to develop new markets, such as Turkey, where this month more than 3,000 young bulls depart for finishing on local farms. Photo: Stock image

My late brother's friend Finbarr talks with yearning about moving home from Western Australia. Who could blame him, especially this early summer, with lush, green pastures full of bovine babies, some no bigger than a dog, grazing alongside their mothers?

But there are also fields of unaccompanied calves, an unnatural and sad sight, although their time as orphans in their homeland is all too brief. For the IFA has reportedly "worked hard to drive a strong calf export trade" and are pushing "to develop new markets", such as Turkey, where this month more than 3,000 young bulls depart for "finishing" on local farms.

Which is why this vegetarian finds herself in the surreal position of feeling relief when the slaughter trucks that pass through this country town turn left up the road. That means they are heading to the local abattoir, hopefully for a quick and humane end.Whereas my heart sinks when trucks go straight towards Waterford, to be shipped to places where animal welfare is an alien concept.

Live exports also leave from Western Australia, where Finbarr says they have moved the ships further from port because the animals are so terrified.

It was the same decades ago. An octogenarian remembers how "the crafty Freo dockers trained a goat to walk bravely to the top of the gangway - where Nanny/Billy would smartly step aside, while their cousinly ruminants scooted on towards doom. The name given to the decoy beastie? The Judas goat."

For the betrayal of these gentle bovines is why an emotional debate about live exports has long waged in Western Australia. Like our agricultural minister, politicians there have seen the videos emerging as recently as last month revealing the immense suffering - such as images of animals starving and dehydrated; or cattle hoisted by one hind leg and spun on a chain as a man slashes with a knife at their necks.

So let us remind ourselves of the reality behind live exports: it means shipping live animals to where the only people bearing witness to what happens to them are reputable animal protection groups. These organisations stress that they are not trying to stop the export of food - but believe is entirely unnecessary for the animals to be transported while still alive.

"If it was replaced by a trade in meat and carcasses, then the animals would be slaughtered under EU laws designed to protect them from the worst kind of suffering," says Peter Stevenson of Compassion in World Farming.

This is not some sentimental sideshow. Meat eaters must show mercy and demand limits on the atrocities inflicted on Irish animals by processors and exporters - even if that means killing them with kindness where they were born, rather than abandoning them to a faraway and fearsome fate.

All the evidence about the evils of live exports brings the need for such compassion home.
Dubrovnik is Croatia's most famous destination, but Leslie Ann Horgan finds a home from home on the Istrian peninsula.

Set the Mood

There's a quirky new television ad for the Euromillions that envisions Ireland moved to a sunnier location. But you don't need any great leaps of imagination to know what that would be like - just visit Croatia.

From a distance the Balkan language may sound slightly abrasive, but strike up a conversation in (generally fluent) English with any of the locals and you'll discover a people as welcoming, laid back and up for the craic as ourselves.

Now that Game of Thrones has pushed prices higher in top destination Dubrovnik, smart travellers are looking to Croatia's other attractions.

At the opposite end of the country lies Istria, a peninsula jutting into the sapphire waters of the Adriatic. Whether it's beachside lounging or exploring historic townships that you look for in a holiday, hire a car and enjoy the many delights of this varied region - and excellent food to boot.

Guilty Pleasure

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It might take the guts of that Euromillions win to stay at the four-star Hotel Valamar Sanifor (valamar.com/en/hotels-rabac/valamar-sanfior-hotel) in peak season, but the view across Rabac bay to Cres island alone is worth it.

Non-residents can still enjoy the amenities by booking in for a meal or spa treatment. Or simply rent a lounger and straw umbrella on Lanterna beach directly outside, and make use of the bar on the adjoining pine walk and the roving doughnut sellers. Bliss.

Cheap Kick

Located on a cliff top, the medieval town of Labin (rabac-labin.com) is a charming step back in time. Wander the cobbled streets to discover small museums, galleries and craft shops or simply perch in the town square and drink in the gentle bustle.

The fortified city walls offer plenty of Instagram snap stops, or if you have a head for heights climb the bell tower at St Justus church and enjoy a view stretching for miles both inland and out to sea.

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With its diaphanous waters, it's no surprise that the seafood in Istria is excellent. However, for a rich taste of the region order fuzi s tartufi - pasta cooked with black truffles and cream. Enjoy a bowl at Labin's Restaurant Due Fratelli (due-fratelli.com), then pick up a jar of truffle paste to take home with you.

Insider Intel

For a holiday less ordinary, visit St Blaize's church in Vodnjon (zupavodnjan.com) to see 'the Holy Bodies'. These are the complete mummified corpses of three saints - one of which, St Nikolosa, is said to give off an energy that has caused miraculous healings. Among its beautiful altars, the church also holds more than 300 religious relics, many of which are body parts, including what's said to be a thorn from Jesus' crown...

Glitches

Istria's seaside towns are built on very steep hills, so be careful choosing accommodation - that amazing value Airbnb might take a toll on your calf muscles (and during one ill-judged uphill midday trek, my will to live). Older holidaymakers and those with impaired mobility or travelling with toddlers should research carefully. Sensible footwear is a must.

Get me there

Aer Lingus (aerlingus.com) operates a twice weekly service from Dublin to Pula until October 16. The service resumes on May 18, 2017 with three flights per week. One-way fares, including taxes and charges, start from 78.99. Rates at Hotel Valamar Sanfior start at around 98 per night.

For more to see and do in Istria, and Croatia, visit croatia.hr.

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Radio review: If you want to be annoyed in a good way (and who doesnt?) theres always Liveline

It is now clearly understood in social media and the traditional kind, that theres much to be gained by annoying people. An angry listener or viewer or reader is the one you want, as their rage can drive engagement, and all that stuff. What is less clearly understood, is this may not necessarily be a bad thing  it can be a good thing.
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Eoghan Harris Opinion Misery media fails to give due credit to the Taoiseach

Taoiseach Micheal Martin must drive his advisers mad. Unlike Leo Varadkar or Donald Trump, he never bigs up success stories such as the effect of Level 3 Plus on Covid or his visionary Shared Island project. Last Friday, Tony Holohan and RTE cheerleaders seemed to imply Level 5 was responsible for the improved Covid situation. Not so.
The Duke of Edinburgh was alleged to have said prior to his wedding to Princess Elizabeth, the heiress presumptive to the British throne, on November 20, 1947, at Westminster Abbey: "I suppose I won't be having any fun any more." That wasn't always the case.

In the 1950s, Prince Philip used to seek refuge in London from the fusty realities of life at Buckingham Palace with his aristo chums at the Thursday Club. Depending on the night, the pals included Lord Louis Mountbatten, Cecil Beaton, various Royals as well as David Niven, Peter Ustinov, Stephen Ward, the Krays, Arthur Koestler, spy Kim Philby, musician Larry Adler and lady friends with colourful names such as Flo, Loulou, Beryl, Gertie, Simone and Pat.

Tarts, toffs and traitors aside, a one-time member of the Thursday Club, Miles Kington, once recalled a revelatory conversation. "You men are all distinguished people," he said to Lord Mountbatten, "You are all distinguished in action, or thought, or culture, or in heredity. But these girls..."

"These girls are all great ladies in their own right," Lord Mountbatten said. "The Duchess of Northumberland, the Percy, the Lady Devonshire..."

"These are their titles?" Kington replied - his flabber well and truly gasted.

"No," he said. "They are the pubs they work at."

Another occasional guest at the Thursday Club was, of course, Stephen Ward, who procured actual ladies of the night for British government minister John Profumo, and whose sex parties became notorious in the subsequent court case. One of the more outrageous stories from that period was that the mystery man who attended Ward's parties at Cliveden, Lord Astor's estate, in late 1961 was none other than Prince Philip.

Apropos of preposterously apocryphal tales of extramarital infidelities at the Feast of Peacocks, and rumoured affairs down through the years, The Duke perhaps best answered those questions when he said himself once: "Have you ever stopped to think that for the past 40 years I have never moved anywhere without a policeman accompanying me?" Needless to say this last bit was roared at the journalist who had the cheek to ask the Duke such a question.

At the age of 95, The Duke of Edinburgh is sadly retiring from public engagements this autumn - sadly because he is inarguably the most entertaining and colourful British Royal by some distance. A curmudgeonly, possibly racist, possibly barking, old goat with his foot permanently in his mouth, Prince Philip is the Jeremy Clarkson of the Firm. "It looks as if it was put in by an Indian" - when pointing at an old-fashioned fusebox in a Scottish factory in 1999 - is as barking and racist as his comment to British students in China during an official state visit in 1986: "If you stay here much longer, you'll all be slitty-eyed."

Never one for polite conversation at Her Maj's side throughout her 65-year reign, Prince Philip says the most unforgivable, outrageous things. "You look like a suicide bomber" - to a young female officer wearing a bullet-proof vest in London in 2002; "There's a lot of your family in tonight" - to businessman Atul Patel at a reception for British Indians in 2009.

Still, he has long provided comic relief in the British Monarchy that possibly needed, from time to time, his terrifyingly un-politically correct one-liners. "British women can't cook", for example, uttered in 1966. Or, "It looks like a tart's bedroom," after seeing plans for the Duke and Duchess of York's house at Sunninghill Park.

He will be most remembered when he dies for his gaffes. The biggest gaffe, of course in an irony of ironies, was not by the Duke at all, but by one of his tormentors in the press: the Sun claiming he was dead last Thursday. His ill-tempered propensity for the public faux pas could perhaps be traced all the way back to the anger he buried inside himself since his unhappy and severely unsettled childhood.

Or to the fact that Philip had to give up his naval career to play second fiddle to his wife - as Vanity Fair put it, "an uncomfortably advanced spousal dynamic, especially for a headstrong officer in the 1950s."

The Duke has had to spend his entire adult life as an essentially emasculated consort to his Queen. This sense of emasculation was felt most keenly when on the constitutional advice of Winston Churchill (and his cabinet) the Queen denied Philip's request to give his name to their children.

"I am the only man in the country not allowed to give his name to his children - I'm nothing but a bloody amoeba," he is infamously alleged to have thundered at the time. There are other elements that added to his sense of being an outsider to the British Establishment. Born on a table in Corfu to an eccentric mother and a playboy father who effectively abandoned him, Philip "didn't go to Eton, he didn't shoot and because he was Greek it was thought he might do something wrong at any moment," Royal historian Christopher Wilson suggested. There were many in the Firm who considered him unsuitable. There was the little problem of the marriages of three of Philip's sisters to Nazis. His German mother, Princess Alice of Battenberg, suffered mental problems and ended up for a time in an institution. The Duke is possibly glad at 95 to finally be allowed to, in a sense, leave the institution of the British Monarchy.

He'll be missed. Don't beware of Greeks bearing gaffes.
Up to 50 Chibok schoolgirls were released by Islamist militant group Boko Haram yesterday after more than three years in captivity - the largest group yet to be freed after years of tense negotiations between the terror group and Nigerian government officials.

The girls were among about 220 students abducted from a secondary school in the town of Chibok in 2014, sparking the #bringbackourgirls campaign supported by then US First Lady Michelle Obama and list of celebrities.

About 21 schoolgirls were released in October in a deal brokered by Switzerland and the International Red Cross, while a handful of others have escaped or been rescued. About 195 are still missing.

At least 2,000 boys and girls have been kidnapped by Boko Haram since 2014, with many used as cooks, sex slaves or fighters. Boko Haram's use of children as suicide bombers is also on the rise in the Lake Chad region, with 27 such attacks recorded in the first three months of 2017.

Thin models must prove they're healthy

A law in France banning the use of unhealthily thin fashion models has come into effect. Models will need to provide a doctor's certificate attesting to their overall physical health, with special regard to their body mass index, which is a measure of weight in relation to height.

The health ministry said the aim is to fight eating disorders and inaccessible ideals of beauty.

From October, digitally altered photos will also have to be labelled. Images, in which a model's appearance has been manipulated, will need to be marked "retouched photo". Employers breaking the law could face fines of up to 75,000 and up to six months in jail.

France is not the first country to legislate on too thin models - Italy, Spain and Israel have already done so.

35 die as school minibus falls into ravine

Thirty-two schoolchildren, two teachers and a minibus driver died in Tanzania yesterday when a vehicle taking them to sit an exam plunged into a roadside ravine in the northern region of Arusha, a senior police official said.

"It happened when the bus was descending on a steep hill in rainy conditions," police said. "We are trying to determine if it was a mechanical defect or human error."

More than 11,000 people died in road accidents in Tanzania between 2014 and 2016.

Man (85) dies trying to get Everest record

An 85-year-old Nepalese man died yesterday while trying to scale Mount Everest to regain his title as the oldest person to climb the world's highest peak.

Min Bahadur Sherchan died at the base camp. An official said the likely cause of death was cardiac arrest.

The grandfather of 17 and great-grandfather of six first scaled Everest in May 2008, when he was 76 - at the time the oldest climber to reach the top. His record was broken by then 80-year-old Yuichiro Miura, of Japan, in 2013.

Before leaving for the mountain last month, Mr Sherchan had said that after he had completed the climb and become famous, he intended to travel to conflict areas to spread a message of peace.

He had trained for months before the attempt and said he did not suffer from any respiratory problems, and his blood pressure was normal. He was born in the mountains, so did not have a problem with high altitude and the low level of oxygen on Everest.
Dr Conor Kenny (32) from Rosses Point in Sligo with one of the rescued children

My alarm clock didn't get a chance to go off on Good Friday. The sound of quick, urgent footsteps on the narrow corridor outside my cabin wakes me up instead.

I'm out on deck a few minutes later - trying to negotiate the loose strap ends of a life jacket as a thin line of diaphanous dawn rises over the deceptively tranquil sea.

It's 5.10am; we're roughly 25 nautical miles from the Mediterranean coast of Libya and a rescue is imminent.

The rubber boat that has been spotted by the ship's captain soon comes into view, first as a dot and then as a discernible vessel. At least one hundred people are on board, sitting cheek to jowl, their legs dangling over the side.

I'm on board the Aquarius, a sturdy 77-metre-long former fishery protection vessel. It's one of a number of ships rescuing migrants who attempt to cross the Mediterranean through one of the last remaining openings in Europe's closed borders.

An 'unacceptable mortality rate'

The Aquarius is chartered by two humanitarian organisations - SOS Mediterranee and Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF). The groups work in tandem: the former performing the rescues and the latter delivering emergency medical care.

MSF launched its search and rescue (SAR) operations in April 2015 in response to "an unacceptable mortality rate at sea". At the time, Europe had wound down its Mare Nostrum SAR operation and the organisation believed that Europe was prepared to allow many fleeing war, persecution and poverty to drown at sea. The UN Migration Agency reports that over 43,000 migrants, including refugees, have entered Europe by sea this year. By April 23, 1,089 verified deaths were recorded.

There are four MSF medics on board the Aquarius - two nurses, a midwife and Dr Conor Kenny, a mild-mannered, 32-year-old doctor from Rosses Point in Sligo, who is waiting pensively on deck as the first RHIB (essentially an inflatable speed boat) is lowered into the water.

Rescues follow strict protocols. The SOS team first approaches the rubber boat to assess the situation while a cultural mediator delivers instructions to the people on board in French, Arabic and English. Next, initial observations are relayed to the crew on the Aquarius via two-way radio:

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The women are squeezed - really upset and screaming - over

Unconscious person, still breathing, at the bow

Unconscious person, not breathing

Minutes later, an unresponsive African man is lifted on to the boat and the medical team starts CPR. Adrenalin is delivered; chest compressions are performed - 26-27-28-29-30 - but he cannot be resuscitated. The sun is starting to rise when he is pronounced dead. We never find out the man's name - he was travelling alone.

Just the night before, Conor had been discussing the last cardiac arrest situation on the ship. "She was a young lady in her twenties - who may even have been pregnant," he said.

The young woman had severe fuel burns, which she sustained on the rubber boat. These chemical burns occur when gasoline mixes with seawater and then comes in contact with human skin. People sitting in the bottom of the boat are most likely to get them, as the canisters often get knocked over or dumped overboard if the boat is capsizing.

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A PALPABLE RELIEF

"If you have half or three-quarters of your team caught up in cardiac arrest and many others expected, your decision-making changes," he explained. "You have to make big calls and either decide to stay or move on, based on the overall context."

Sure enough, as the young man's body is covered in a blanket and carried off the deck, the rest of the crew continue their work, helping migrants aboard and passing out drawstring bags containing a tracksuit, T-shirt, socks, blanket, hat, hand towel, water and high-energy food.

The migrants' relief is palpable when they are eventually brought to safety. Some of them burst into tears. Some of them drop to their knees in thanksgiving.

The medic responsible for greeting the migrants uses the opportunity to perform triage and smell their clothing for gasoline. Some instinctively cower and raise their hands in the air.

"You are very welcome," says one of the nurses as the migrants, many of them barefooted, walk in single file towards the back of the ship. "You are safe now."

During this operation, we rescue a total of 515 people from four rubber boats and one wooden one - 397 men and 118 women, 21 of them pregnant. The vast majority are West African - Nigerian, Gambian, Senegalese.

Twenty-five of them are from Bangladesh; four from Morocco. It's a cross-section of culture, yet their experiences in Libya are almost identical. The Bangladeshis, for the most part, were lured to Libya on the promise of lucrative jobs. On arrival in Tripoli, they were detained by militias, their money, mobile phones and jewellery was taken and they were ordered to call their families for a ransom fee of 400.

The Africans were afraid to walk on the streets of Tripoli for fear of being kidnapped by 'Asma Boys' - gangs of young armed robbers - and sold by their captors in slave markets.

'THE BACK WAY' FROM GAMBIA

"If they see you on the street, you are money. They kill a lot of blacks," says Kebba, a 19-year-old from Gambia.

His 21-year-old brother, Malik, adds: "Sometimes, when you reach Tripoli, they come to the vehicle and collect the passengers and some of them give you a fake story. 'I am going to lodge you where I am'.

"They'll take you there, and there they will make contact with their Arab friends and say, 'I have the blacks which I want to sell'. Then he will take you to his friends and lock you up - it's like a jail."

Kebba and Malik embarked on what is known as 'The Back Way' - the 3,000-mile journey from Gambia to Europe via the Sahara - when Gambian president and dictator Yahya Jammeh indicated that he wouldn't be stepping down. They set off on the journey as a group of 25. Only four of them made it through the desert.

A designated area for women and children is positioned at the other end of the ship, run by a sprightly 69-year-old American midwife, Elizabeth Ramlow, who has been working with MSF for the last 10 years.

Elizabeth explains that she has just performed a number of pregnancy tests. Some of the women were happy with the news. Some are them were not.

Many of the migrants on this boat - both male and female - are victims of gender- and sexual-based violence, and their stories are harrowing.

Hope, a 33-year-old woman from Nigeria, was illegally detained with 30 other Africans and repeatedly raped by Asma Boys. When the women she was detained with became pregnant, their captors demanded oral sex instead. One of them was beaten to death. "They don't like blacks," she says. "They treat us like we are slaves."

ACCUSATIONS OF COLLUSION

Jojo, a 21-year-old Gambian man, says the boat smugglers carry AK47s - and shoot at the ankles of migrants who don't follow orders as they are directed on to the boats.

This was Jojo's third attempt at making the crossing - each time he paid roughly 330 to the smugglers. During one of these attempts, he was given a mobile phone with $50 credit on it and the number of the MRCC (the Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre) in Rome.

This time, the boat he was on was driven by one of the smugglers to within a certain distance of the rescue ships. The smuggler then transferred to another boat and went back.

All of the migrants I speak to tell me that they were expecting to encounter a rescue boat shortly after setting sail. Such testimonies have led the European Border and Coast Guard Agency, Frontex, to accuse NGO search and rescue missions of colluding with migrant smugglers.

Yet while it's clear that the smugglers are taking advantage of NGOs, I don't see any evidence of collusion. Furthermore, international maritime law states that all vessels have a legal obligation to assist boats in distress.

As MSF puts it: "If we weren't there, other vessels that do not specialise in search and rescue operations would be asked to assist boats in distress."

"Criticism has been levelled by some political forces in Europe that search and rescue is a pull factor," adds a spokesperson from MSF. "But we know that it's the push factors that are sending people out to sea in unseaworthy and dangerous vessels and causing death in such massive numbers."

Grinding poverty and horrific conditions in Libya are obvious push factors, but there are lesser understood cultural and religious motivations, too.

HOPE AND BEAUTY

Jojo explains that taking the Back Way is considered a badge of honour in Gambia. When I ask Kebba why he got on the rubber boat when 97 people died attempting the very same journey the day beforehand, he tells me that the choice wasn't in his hands. "Whatever God decides, that is what you will receive."

Later on, I ask someone to translate the words of a song that a group of African women, wearing washcloths fashioned into turbans on their heads, are singing. "It means God is my good," he says.

There are so many tragic stories on this ship, but there are moments of hope and beauty too: The tenderness of the Bangladeshi men, who gently place their hands on one another's shoulders when we ask them to get into single file; the relentless enthusiasm of nurse, Mary-Jo - an MSF 'lifer' - who greets every single passenger like a child who has just seen a puppy for the first time.

At midnight, I call into Conor in the clinic. "We have a few sickies," he says, as he looks across at the bunk beds where two African teenagers are sleeping. One of the young men was found wandering around the back deck in a state of confusion, and observations confirmed that he was septic.

Other medical cases include fuel burns, respiratory tract infections and scabies.

The disembarkation process the following day at Pozzallo is slow and tedious. Half a dozen people from various agencies come on board wearing white decontamination suits. The unidentified dead body is carried away in a hearse and groups of migrants - 10 at a time - are escorted off the ship.

A barefooted man in his fifties, whose only possessions looks to be a plastic bag of antibiotics that the medical staff gave him, breaks down as he disembarks. A crew member gives him a hug and the man gathers himself just enough to offer a sailor's salute as he walks away. Another man asks how long it will take him to walk from here to Rome.

Where do they go from here? Some of them will be taken to nearby refugee camps - one of which is a former US military base. Some of them will apply for asylum. It's likely that a few of the women will end up working as prostitutes under Sicily's Nigerian Mafia.

It's unlikely that the pregnant women who have been raped will get an abortion in a country where doctors often refuse to perform the procedure.

"When we disembark, a lot of the rescued people are keen and happy to go, which is great that they have this positive spirit," says MSF coordinator Marcella Kraay.

"But I'm thinking to myself: 'My friend, your journey is not over yet'."

Medecins Sans Frontieres/Doctors Without Borders (MSF) is an independent international medical humanitarian organisation that delivers emergency aid in nearly 70 countries worldwide. For more see msf.ie
MASON CITY | James Erickson, 32, of Mason City, IA, died Friday, May 5, 2017, at the Muse Norris Hospice Inpatient Unit. Funeral services will be held at 1 p.m. on Tuesday, May 9, 2017, at Major Erickson Funeral Home, 111 N. Pennsylvania Ave., with Pastor Art Zewert with Hospice of North Iowa officiating.

Military honors will be conducted by the Mason City Veterans Association. Visitation will be from 5 to 7 p.m. Monday, May 8, 2017, at Major Erickson Funeral Home. Memorials may be directed to My Happy Haven, C/O James Erickson Memorial Fund, Box 982, Mason City, IA 50401. Online condolences may be left for the family at www.majorericksonfuneralhome.com.
An American citizen has been detained in North Korea over unspecified hostile acts against the country.

North Korea's official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said Kim Hak Song, an employee of the Pyongyang University of Science and Technology, was detained on Saturday.

North Korea on Wednesday announced the detention of an accounting instructor at the same university, Kim Sang Dok, for "acts of hostility aimed to overturn" the country. The KCNA did not say whether the two cases are connected.

"A relevant institution is now conducting detailed investigation into his crimes," the KCNA said about Kim Hak Song.

Kim Hak Song is among at least four Americans being detained in North Korea. The others 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.

Kim Sang Dok, the former accounting instructor at the Pyongyang university, was arrested at the Pyongyang International Airport on April 22, the KCNA said. It said he was "intercepted for committing criminal acts" to overthrow the North's government.

The Pyongyang University of Science and Technology is the only privately-funded university in North Korea and is unique for having a large number of foreign staff.

Washington, Seoul and others often accuse North Korea of using foreign detainees to wrest diplomatic concessions, which in recent years have involved high-profile American missions sent to secure the release of the Americans.

North Korea's announcement of the detentions comes amid tensions over fears that Pyongyang is preparing another round of nuclear or missile tests.

US President Donald Trump has further spiked animosity by saying he is not ruling out military action against the North, although he has also said he would be willing to talk with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un under the right circumstances.

North Korea on Friday accused the US and South Korean spy agencies of an unsuccessful assassination attempt on Kim Jong Un involving biochemical weapons.

AP

In Washington, the State Department said it was aware of the report of the new detention and that "the security of US citizens is one of the department's highest priorities".

AP
A woman has been awarded $110.5 million (85m) after blaming her ovarian cancer on Johnson and Johnson baby powder.

Lois Slemp, 62, from Virginia, Missouri, was diagnosed with ovarian cancer in 2012, and the disease has now spread to her liver.

She claims she developed the cancer after four decades of using talcum products.

Heres what you need to know:

What was the basis for the case?

Slemps lawyers argued that there was evidence as far back as the 1970s linking the use of talcum powder to ovarian cancer.

Lawyers with Onder, Shelton, OLeary & Peterson cited case studies showing that women who regularly use talcum powder on their genital area face up to a 40% risk of developing ovarian cancer.

They also argued the company did not adequately warn about the cancer risks associated with the items.

The ruling came after three previous juries awarded a total of $197 million (152m) to plaintiffs who made similar claims. Those cases, including the previous highest award of $72 million ($55m), are all under appeal.

In addition, around 2,000 state and federal lawsuits are in courts across the US over concerns about health problems caused by prolonged talcum powder use.

How has Johnson & Johnson responded?

The company said in a statement that it would appeal and disputed the scientific evidence behind the plaintiffs allegations.

The company also noted that a jury found in its favour in March and that two cases in New Jersey were thrown out by a judge who said there wasnt reliable evidence that talcum powder leads to ovarian cancer.

We are preparing for additional trials this year and we will continue to defend the safety of Johnsons Baby Powder, the statement said.

The suit also named supplier Imerys Talc, which was held liable for $50,000 (38,000), who responded in a statement saying that it is confident in the consensus of government agencies and professional scientific organisations that have reviewed the safety of talc.

What is talcum powder made of?

Talc is a mineral that is mined from deposits around the world.

The softest of minerals, it is made up mainly of the elements magnesium, silicon, and oxygen and is crushed into a white powder.

It has been widely used in cosmetics and other personal care products to absorb moisture since at least 1894, when Johnson & Johnsons Baby Powder was launched.

But it is mainly used in a variety of other products, including paint and plastics.

Does it cause ovarian cancer?

Like many questions in science, there is no definitive answer and finding the cause of cancer is difficult.

While ovarian cancer is often fatal, it is relatively rare. According to Cancer Research UK, 20 cases are diagnosed every day and it is the 15th most common cancer in the UK.

In comparison, 150 breast cancer cases are diagnosed every day, making it the most common form of cancer in the UK.

Factors that are known to increase a womans risk of ovarian cancer include age, obesity, use of oestrogen therapy after menopause, not having any children, certain genetic mutations and personal or family history of breast or ovarian cancer.

What does the research say?

The biggest studies have found no link between talcum powder applied to the genitals and ovarian cancer. But about two dozen smaller studies over three decades have mostly found a modest connection  a 20% to 40% increased risk among talcum powder users.

However, that doesnt mean talcum powder causes cancer. In addition, there is no proof talc, which doesnt interact with chemicals or cells, can travel up the reproductive tract, enter the ovaries and then trigger cancer.

One large study published in June 2016 that followed 51,000 sisters of breast cancer patients found genital talc users had a reduced risk of ovarian cancer  27% lower than in non-users.

An analysis of two huge, long-running US studies, the Womens Health Initiative and the Nurses Health Study, showed no increased risk of ovarian cancer in talc users.

What do the experts think?

Dr Hal C Lawrence III, vice president of the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology, says large studies that tracked womens health for years would have verified results of the smaller ones.

Lord knows, with the amount of powder thats been applied to babies bottoms, we wouldve seen something, he said.

The National Cancer Institutes Dr Nicolas Wentzensen added the federal agencys position is that theres not a clear connection.

It is very hard to establish causal relationships, he said. A lot of ovarian cancers occur in women who have never used talc, and many women have used talc and not gotten ovarian cancer.

On its website, the American Cancer Society states about talcum powder use: The risk for any individual woman, if there is one, is probably very small.
Some tweets are just so awesome, they just need to be hung on the wall like works of art.

Which is why this company wants to frame them and sell them to you  so you can immortalise these tweets forever.

Framed Tweets is offering the Twitter-loving public a chance to purchase stylish framed prints of their favorite tweets.

You can pretty much order a framed version of any tweet you like  whether it is your own or any other tweet that may have caught your eye.

The companys website says: We frame tweets in a beautiful, ornate golden frame, printed on high quality paper with archival matting.

Its art for the 21st century.

If you are looking for inspiration, Framed Tweets handily offers a vast collection of tweets to choose from, with categories like Celebrities, Humour, Brand Fails, and Inspirational.

From Jaden Smiths stream-of-consciousness tweets to Ellen DeGeneress famous Oscar selfie, no important tweet will ever disappear into oblivion.

Bear in mind though, videos and GIFs wont give you the best results.

In case you are wondering what prompted Framed Tweets to kick-start this new venture, its website explains: People love tweets. They also love framing stuff. So we decided to put the two together.

You know what to do.
A US university has responded online backlash after offering a Trumpism & US Democracy course that described the US president in class materials as a purveyor of sexism, white supremacy, xenophobia, nationalism, nativism and imperialism.

Officials at Butler University in Indianapolis, which happens to be in vice president Mike Pences home state of Indiana, were criticised over the description of the class, which also indicated students would discuss and potentially engage in strategies for resistance to Donald Trump.

That description has since been removed, but not before it was tweeted by former Indiana state senator Carlin Yoder:

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Many joined in on Twitter to criticise the course description, with some some alumni vowing to stop donations:

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Meanwhile, others defended the universitys move:

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Butler University later posted a statement to clarify its position:

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Kathryn Morris, the private universitys vice president for academic affairs, wrote in a letter on the schools website: As a result of the recent media coverage, the University has been the recipient of numerous concerns about the course.

Just as I support this course, I would support a course that is complimentary of the President.

Butler offers a variety of courses that tackle controversial topics. Like any University, Butler should  and does  promote an environment of critical inquiry and engagement on controversial and unpopular topics.

Morris also clarified in her letter that Butler, which has about 5,000 enrolled students, would not make it mandatory for any student to participate in activism if they enroll in the class.

The professor has been very transparent about the goals of the course and has provided additional context that clarifies students in the class will not be required to participate in a particular form of activism, she wrote.

They will be asked to engage with classic and contemporary readings  including a text by President Trump  and evaluate the rise of the President as a political and social phenomenon.

But she added that students could potentially attend, as participant observers, campus and community events to witness and analyze ongoing responses to Trumps presidency and campaign.

You can read the amended course description here.
Emmanuel Macrons success in the French presidential election means he will play a key role in the Brexit process  so it was no surprise Theresa May was quick to congratulate him on his win.

Downing Street stressed that France is one of the UKs closest allies and the Prime Minister looked forward to working with him on a wide range of shared priorities.

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Macron has previously warned he will vigorously defend the European Unions single market and a favours a hard Brexit.

Here are some of the occasions where he has spoken about the issue:

His Monocle magazine interview

Macron told Marchs edition of Monocle magazine Britain had made a serious mistake by voting to quit the bloc.

He added: Boris Johnson enjoys giving flamboyant speeches but has no strategic vision; the turmoil he created the day after Brexit proves it.

Nigel Farage and Mr Johnson are responsible for this crime: they sailed the ship into battle and jumped overboard at the moment of crisis.

Theresa May has handled it but what has been happening since then? On the geopolitical level as well as on the financial, realignment and submission to the US. What is going to happen is not taking back control: its servitude.

His talks with May

Macron spoke of his desire to encourage French expatriates in the UK to return to France after his talks with May.

I was very happy to see that some academics and researchers in the UK because of Brexit are considering coming to France to work, he said.

It will be part of my programme to be attractive for these kinds of people.

His talks with London Mayor Sadiq Khan

Speaking with Khan, Macron said that the Brexit negotiations must not be used to punish the UK, insisting that my deep wish is to have Great Britain with the European Union in another relationship.

Meanwhile, Guy Verhofstadt, the European Parliaments Brexit negotiator who described Macron as 100% pro-European, said the French president-elect could now take the lead to make a new deal for Europe happen.
By the end of the day, France will know who its next president will be  independent centrist Emmanuel Macron, or former National Front leader Marine Le Pen.

The two candidates got through the first round two weeks ago, and now go head-to-head for the French presidency.

Heres how the day will play out.

What will happen during the day?

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The polls are open and French citizens have already started voting in booths around the world.

No results or polls will be released until voting has closed, but the French Interior Ministry will publish the first turnout details at 12pm local time (11am BST).

The figures can be compared with previous presidential races to see whether turnout is high or low  low turnout is expected to favour Le Pen, whose support is seen as more solid than Macrons.

The Interior Ministry will release a second update on turnout figures at 5pm (4pm BST).



When do polls close?

Polls will close at 7pm local time (6pm BST), though in some big cities they will remain open until 8pm (7pm BST).

When will the initial results come in?

As soon as polls close at 8pm local time (7pm BST), exit poll results will be announced on French TV.

The results should give a fairly accurate idea of who has won the election  two weeks ago they accurately predicted that Le Pen and Macron would get to the second round.

At the same time, actual preliminary results should also start to filter through.

If all goes to plan for Macron, who has had a lead of around 20 percentage points leading up to this election, these initial projections should show him as clear winner.

And what about officially?

Regions will confirm their votes throughout the evening  when enough have been counted to verify the vote, the official winner will be announced by the French Interior Ministry.

It will publish the results on its website.
Celebrations among the Christian Democratic Union after exit polls showed them in front (Marcus Brandt/dpa via AP)

German Chancellor Angela Merkel's conservatives have come in first place in a local election seen as a warm-up for her bid for a fourth term in a national vote later this year.

The results in the small northern state of Schleswig-Holstein were a blow to her main national challenger, Social Democrat Martin Schulz, whose party's governing coalition was ejected from office there.

The Social Democrats had governed the region of 2.8 million people since 2012 in coalition with the Greens and the small SSW party of the region's Danish majority.

Exit polls and early returns broadcast by ARD television show Ms Merkel's Christian Democrats, headed by local candidate Daniel Guenther, are in the lead with 32.8% of the vote, ahead of the Social Democrats on 26.7%.

Defeated Social Democratic governor Torsten Albig called it "a bitter day".

Preliminary estimates indicate the Christian Democrats could form a 42-seat majority in the region's 69-seat parliament with the Greens and the pro-business Free Democrats. Or they could form a left-right coalition with the Social Democrats.

The Social Democrats would in theory have enough seats in a coalition with the Free Democrats and the Greens, but Local Free Democrat leader Wolfgang Kubicki called that outcome "unlikely".

The anti-immigration Alternative for Germany party barely cleared the 5% hurdle to get into parliament and it now has seats in 12 of Germany's 16 legislatures. But it will not play a direct role in forming the local government because other parties refuse to work with it.

Regardless of the outcome of local coalition talks, the result dampened the mood among Social Democrats and was good news for Ms Merkel. Polls had suggested a neck-and-neck race.

The Social Democrats surged in national polls after Mr Schulz, a former European Parliament president, was nominated as Ms Merkel's challenger in January, but the party's ratings have since sagged.

The latest polls show them trailing Ms Merkel's conservatives by about eight points.

Nationally, the Social Democrats play second fiddle in a governing coalition headed by Ms Merkel, who became chancellor in 2005.

Mr Schulz could take over as chancellor if the Social Democrats come in ahead of Ms Merkel in the national vote on September 24.

The Schleswig-Holstein vote comes a week before an election for the regional parliament in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany's largest region and home to Mr Schulz - although he is not on the ballot.

The two local elections are the last ballots before the national contest.

AP
France sought to keep a computer hack of frontrunner Emmanuel Macron's campaign emails from influencing the outcome of the country's presidential election with a warning yesterday it could be a criminal offence to republish the data.

Macron's team said a "massive" hack had dumped emails, documents and campaign financing information online just before campaigning ended last Friday and France entered a quiet period which forbids politicians from commenting on the leak.

The data leak emerged as polls predicted Macron, a former investment banker and economy minister, was on course for a comfortable victory over far-right leader Marine Le Pen in today's election, with the last surveys showing his lead widening to around 62pc to 38pc.

"On the eve of the most important election for our institutions, the commission calls on everyone present on internet sites and social networks, primarily the media, but also all citizens, to show responsibility and not to pass on this content, so as not to distort the sincerity of the ballot," the French election commission said in a statement yesterday.

However, the commission - which supervises the electoral process - may find it difficult to enforce its rules in an era where people get much of their news online, information flows freely across borders and many users are anonymous.

French media covered the hack in various ways, with left-leading Liberation giving it prominence on its website, but television news channels opting not to mention it.

Le Monde newspaper said on its website it would not publish the content of any of the leaked documents before the election, partly because the huge amount of data meant there was not enough time to report on it properly, but also because the dossiers had been published on purpose 48 hours before the election with the clear aim of affecting the vote.

"If these documents contain revelations, Le Monde will of course publish them after having investigated them, respecting our journalistic and ethical rules, and without allowing ourselves to be exploited by the publishing calendar of anonymous actors," it said.

As the #Macronleaks hashtag buzzed around social media last Friday night, Florian Philippot, deputy leader of Le Pen's National Front party, tweeted: "Will Macronleaks teach us something that investigative journalism has deliberately kept silent?"

As much as 9 gigabytes of data purporting to be documents from the Macron campaign were posted on a profile called EMLEAKS to Pastebin, a site that allows anonymous document sharing.

It was not immediately clear who was responsible, but Macron's political movement said in a statement the hack was an attempt to destabilise democracy and to damage the party.

En Marche! said the leaked documents dealt with the normal operations of a campaign and included some information on campaign accounts. It said the hackers had mixed false documents with authentic ones to "sow doubt and disinformation".

Today's election is seen as the most important in France for decades, with two diametrically opposed views of Europe and the country's place in the world at stake.

Le Pen would close borders and quit the euro currency, while Macron wants closer European cooperation and an open economy.

Voters in some French overseas territories and the Americas were due to cast their ballots yesterday, a day before voting in France itself. The first polling stations to open were in Saint Pierre and Miquelon, islands off Canada.

Others in French Guiana in South America; Guadeloupe and Martinique in the Caribbean; the South Pacific islands of French Polynesia and French citizens living elsewhere in the Americas were also due to vote yesterday.

In France, police union Alternative Police warned in a statement that there was a risk of violence on election day by activists of the far-right or far-left.

Extreme-right student activists burst into the office of Macron's political movement in the south-eastern city of Lyon last Friday evening, setting off smoke grenades and scattering false bank notes bearing Macron's picture, police said.

France is the latest nation to see a major election overshadowed by allegations of manipulation through cyber hacking after US intelligence agencies said in January that Russian President Vladimir Putin had ordered hacking of parties tied to Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton to influence the election on behalf of Republican Donald Trump.

Vitali Kremez, director of research with New York-based cyber intelligence firm Flashpoint, told Reuters his review indicated that APT 28, a group tied to the GRU, the Russian military intelligence directorate, was behind the leak.

Macron's campaign has previously complained about attempts to hack its emails, blaming Russian interests in part for the cyber attacks.

The Kremlin has denied it was behind any such attacks, although Macron's camp renewed complaints against Russian media and a hackers' group operating in Ukraine.
The United States is expected to spend $23.9 billion on farm subsidies in 2017, the most since 2005. This spending represents the failure of promised savings from the big-ticket spending reforms included in the 2014 farm bill.

In 2014 Congress shifted the focus of farm subsidies from direct payments to crop insurance premium subsidies. Lawmakers claimed this move would reduce spending on farm subsidies by more than $23 billion over a 10-year period. Not only has that savings failed to materialize, but spending actually grew.

Spending growth is primarily due to expansion of the federal crop insurance program, which is now expected to cost taxpayers a total of $88 billion between 2017 and 2026.

Now the principal source of income support for farmers, the federal crop insurance program provides subsidies for purchase of crop insurance through pre-approved private insurers. The federal government is responsible for 62 percent of the cost of premiums, on average. The farmer covers the rest.

However, program spending doesnt end there. The private companies that provide crop insurance are guaranteed a 14 percent return. When those companies suffer a loss, the government covers that too.

There are many reasons why spending on premium support has increased. As prices change, so do premiums and payouts. When inclement weather is more common, farmers have an incentive to increase coverage levels. Over time more producers have enrolled in the program.

But the most important reason may be the complete lack of restraint in subsidy payments.

Most farm programs restrict payments to farmers with an adjusted gross income above $900,000 over three years. This restriction acknowledges that some farms are large or successful enough to do just fine on their own. In these other farm programs, we recognize those farmers no longer need taxpayer support.

No such limits exist for crop insurance.

That means the largest 1 percent of farms, which already receive 26 percent of all subsidy payments, receive the same crop insurance premium assistance as the beginner just trying to break even. It means the two dozen large-scale farm operations that each collect more than $1 million in farm subsidy payments can count on taxpayers to cover the same 62 percent of their crop insurance premiums as the wheat grower working a second job just to hold onto the family farm.

There is no question that farmers need an effective safety net. That we do not dispute. The stakes are high, and there is just too much on the line to leave farmers hanging out to dry.

But the crop insurance program should not be a source of unfettered spending. Instead, there should be caps on premium subsidies and limits on the amount of support the largest and most well-off farms receive.

A reasonable approach would be to cap premium subsidies at $50,000 for each individual actively engaged in farming. Such a policy would offer premium subsidies up to that cap and require farmers to pay their full crop insurance premiums for anything more. It is estimated that this modest limitation would affect only 2.5 percent of farmers but save more than $2.2 billion over 10 years.

A second option is to reduce premium subsidies slightly for those that do not need the assistance. One proposal reduces subsidies by 15 percent for those farmers with an adjusted gross income in excess of $750,000. This limit would affect only 1 percent of all farmers, while saving more than $1 billion over 10 years.

Even the Congressional Budget Office has considered changes to the crop insurance program as a way to reduce the deficit. It proposes reducing the subsidy from on average 62 percent to 40 percent of premium costs and lowering the return to private insurance companies from 14 percent to 9.25. This would save $27 billion over a nine-year period beginning in 2017.

When Congress chose crop insurance as the primary subsidy vehicle in the 2014 farm bill, it created a significant loophole that is now being fully exploited. The year 2018 offers an opportunity for real reform. We call on members of Congress to cap total subsidies and require a means-test to determine eligibility.

Gaining control over subsidy spending is a win-win situation for farmers and taxpayers alike. Doing so ensures that our farm safety net provides the support for which it was intended. Investing those savings in rural infrastructure and economic development ensures our communities have what they need to succeed.
The solid gold mask of King Tutankhamun is seen in its glass case in the Egyptian Museum (AP/Nariman El-Mofty)

Archaeologists and conservation experts have met in Egypt to discuss the safe transportation of King Tutankhamun's throne, chests and bed from the Egyptian Museum in Cairo to a new one being built in the capital.

The meeting, organised by the Egyptian Ministry of Antiquities, brought together experts from Egypt, France, Spain, Germany, Switzerland, Denmark and Japan.

Tareq Tawfiq, a senior ministry official in charge of the new museum, said the meeting's primary objective was to reach a "global consensus" on how to safely transport and display King Tut's items in the new museum being built close to the famed Giza Pyramids.

The meeting also discussed methods to display the human remains discovered in King Tut's tomb, particularly those belonging to his two daughters, both stillborn, according to a document distributed to participants.

"It's a very big challenge to move a collection, particularly of such importance," said one of the participants, German Egyptologist Gabrielle Pieke.

Moving items belonging to King Tut has become a particularly sensitive issue since 2014, when the beard attached to the ancient Egyptian monarch's golden mask was accidentally knocked off.

Workers later hastily tried to reattach it, causing damage to the priceless artefact and causing an uproar among archaeologists across the world.

A German-Egyptian team worked on the restoration of the mask, which was placed back on a year later.

Ms Pieke urged Egypt not to rush the transfer or display of the ancient artefacts related to King Tut.

"It's a delicate issue... we have to be very careful," she cautioned.

No date has yet been set for the complete transfer of the priceless items, which would be displayed at two halls in the new facility, formally called the Grand Egyptian Museum.

The halls, covering 7,000 square metres, are scheduled to open at the end of 2017.

The tomb of King Tut, who ruled Egypt more than 3,000 years ago, was discovered in 1922 in the southern city of Luxor.

AP
Supporters of Emmanuel Macron celebrate after exit polls project he will be named the next French president (Laurent Cipriani/AP)

Emmanuel Macron has said a "new page of our history" has opened after he defeated far-right populist Marine Le Pen to become France's new president.

Voters delivered a resounding victory for the pro-European former investment banker, strengthening France's place as a central pillar of the EU, and he immediately vowed to " defend France and Europe".

He acknowledged divisions in society which drove people to "vote to the extreme", and said he will work for all of France.

A crowd of Macron supporters roared with delight, jubilantly waving red, white and blue tricolour flags at a victory party outside the Louvre Museum in Paris.

Ms Le Pen said she had called the 39-year-old to concede defeat after voters rejected her "French-first" nationalism by a large margin.

Pollsters project Mr Macron won 65% of the vote to make him France's youngest president in history.

Ms Le Pen's projected 35% score was lower than her polling numbers earlier in the campaign, and dashed her hopes that the populist wave which swept Donald Trump into the White House would also carry her to France's presidential Elysee Palace.

Mr Macron's victory marks the third time in six months - following elections in Austria and Holland - that European voters shot down far-right populists who wanted to restore borders across Europe.

The election of a French president who championed European unity could also strengthen the EU's hand in its complex divorce proceedings with Britain.

In a statement minutes after the last polls closed on Sunday night, French Prime Minister Bernard Cazeneuve announced Mr Macron's victory.

"(This) testifies to the lucidity of the voters who rejected the deadly project of the extreme right," he said, adding that voters also showed they embrace the EU.

But many French voters backed Mr Macron reluctantly, not because they agree with his politics but simply to keep out Ms Le Pen and her far-right National Front.

After the most closely watched and unpredictable French presidential campaign in recent memory, many voters rejected the run-off choice altogether - pollsters project there were a record number of blank or spoiled ballots.

Mr Macron now becomes not only France's youngest president but also one of its most unlikely. Until now, modern France had been governed either by the Socialists or the conservatives - but both Mr Macron and Ms Le Pen upended those political traditions.

Unknown to voters before his turbulent 2014-16 tenure as France's pro-business economy minister, Mr Macron took a giant gamble by quitting the government of outgoing Socialist president Francois Hollande to run as an independent in his first electoral campaign.

Despite her loss, Ms Le Pen's advancement to the run-off for the first time marked a breakthrough for the 48-year-old. She had placed third in the 2012 presidential vote, underscoring a growing acceptance for her fierce anti-immigration, France-first nationalism among disgruntled voters.

After conceding defeat, she immediately turned her focus to France's upcoming legislative elections in June, where Mr Macron will need a working majority to govern effectively.

"I call on all patriots to join us," she said. "France will need you more than ever in the months ahead."

Mr Hollande congratulated Mr Macron and said his victory shows the overwhelming majority of voters rallied behind the European Union and openness to the world.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel's chief of staff Peter Altmaier congratulated Mr Macron with a tweet saying: "Long live France, long live Europe!," while her chief spokesman Steffen Seibert said it is a victory "for a strong and united Europe".

European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker said in a message to Mr Macron that it makes him "happy that the ideas that you defended of a strong and progressive Europe that protects all its citizens will be those that France will cherish under your presidency".

In a tweet, Mr Trump said : "Congratulations to Emmanuel Macron on his big win today as the next President of France. I look very much forward to working with him."

A White House statement cited Mr Macron and the French people for "their successful presidential election" and said the United States looks forward to "continuing our close relationship with the French government".

At a victory rally, Mr Macron said that France is facing an "immense task" to rebuild European unity, fix the economy and ensure security against extremist threats.

Speaking to thousands of supporters from the Louvre Museum's courtyard, he said that Europe and the world are "watching us" and "waiting for us to defend the spirit of the Enlightenment, threatened in so many places".

Mr Macron, who has never held public office and just founded his political movement a year ago, said "everyone said it was impossible. But they didn't know France".

He also promised to work to unify France after a bruising presidential campaign and serve the country "with love".

His wife Brigitte then came up on stage with him, and she kissed his hand and waved to the crowd.

AP

Mr Macron's inauguration will be held by the end of the coming week at the Elysee Palace.

The exact date has not yet been set but t he ceremony must be scheduled before the formal end of Mr Hollande's term on May 14.

Mr Macron will attend his first official event as president-elect on Monday by Mr Hollande's side at the commemoration of the Second World War Victory Day.

The Constitutional Council will declare the definitive results of the vote by Thursday.

Once president, Mr Macron will have to quickly designate a prime minister and form a government. The whole process usually takes no more than a few days.

AP
The Hindenburg disaster is marked at the site of the airship crash 80 years ago (NJ Advance Media/AP)

Hundreds have honoured the victims of the Hindenburg airship disaster at a ceremony in New Jersey, 80 years on.

A wreath-laying ceremony was held on Saturday at the Lakehurst Naval Air Station, where the massive German airship crashed to the ground in flames on May 6 1937, after a transatlantic crossing.

Thirty-five of the 97 people on board died, along with one person on the ground.

Sixty-two others aboard the airship survived, but only one of them remains alive today.

The ceremony was organised by the Navy Lakehurst Historical Society, which preserves airship history. About 600 people attended the ceremony.

The event also paid tribute to military service members who have given their lives.

On Friday the historical society played newsreels of the disaster, and Herb Morrison's recorded report in which he uttered the now-immortal exclamation: "Oh, the humanity!"

Morrison's words were not heard live, nor were they initially linked to the film shot by newsreel crews.

But it was one of the first moments in media history that had a broadcaster reacting to something totally unexpected.

The US Commerce Department determined the accident was caused by a leak of the hydrogen that kept the airship aloft. It mixed with air, causing a fire.

"The theory that a brush discharge ignited such mixture appears most probable," the department's report said.

The New York City Fire Museum in Lower Manhattan unveiled the Hindenburg's Lloyd's of London insurance document on Thursday.

The policy for the airship, which lists underwriters and insurance brokers, was valued at six million Reichsmarks, which in 1937 amounted to nearly 11.6 million.

Now, according to Forbes, that would be about 62 million.

AP
A Pakistani border security guard stands alert at the Pakistan-Afghanistan border post in Chaman (Matiullah Achakzai/AP/PA)

Pakistan said its forces killed at least 50 Afghan troops and destroyed five checkpoints in clashes along a disputed border.

Afghanistan, however, dismissed the account, saying only two border police and a civilian were killed.

The two armies traded fire on Friday around the Chaman border crossing, which has been closed by Pakistan, stranding people on both sides.

The clashes, which ended after a few hours when local commanders contacted each other via an emergency hotline, marked a dangerous escalation between the two US allies.

The uneasy neighbours share a porous 1,375-mile border and have long traded allegations of supporting militant groups.

Pakistani Major General Nadeem Ahmad told reporters at the crossing that two Pakistani soldiers were killed in Friday's fighting and another nine were wounded.

He said around 100 Afghan forces were wounded.

Najib Danish, deputy spokesman for the Afghan Interior Ministry, said that account was "completely baseless".

He said two Afghan border police were killed in Spin Boldak, on the Afghan side of the border, and another 11 were wounded.

He said a woman was killed and 30 other civilians were wounded in the attack, which forced several local residents to flee their homes.

Pakistani officials said the fighting began after Afghan security forces fired on Pakistani census workers and the troops escorting them, killing nine civilians and wounding 42, including women and children.

They say the Afghan government had been notified and given the co-ordinates of the border villages, where the census workers were going door to door.

Afghan officials said Pakistani troops fired the first shots.

Afghanistan refuses to recognise the international border, which follows the so-called Durand Line, established more than a century ago when the British Empire controlled much of South Asia.

The line runs through the traditional homeland of the Pashtun ethnic group, which dominates Afghanistan and is a minority in Pakistan.

Afghanistan refuses to allow Pakistan to set up additional border posts, even though the frontier area is used by the Taliban and other Islamic militant groups.

AP
AND STILL IT GOES ON: An 'internally displaced' girl who fled Raqqa city sits inside a camp in Ain Issa, Raqqa Governorate, last Friday afternoon. Photo: Rodi Said/Reuters

Fighting between Syrian rebel and government forces eased yesterday as a Russian-led effort to shore up a ceasefire took effect, although battles continued on an important frontline near Hama, a rebel commander and war monitor said.

The deal to create "de-escalation" zones in the major areas of conflict in western Syria took effect at midnight. The initiative was proposed by Russia, President Bashar al-Assad's most powerful ally, with the support of Turkey, which backs the opposition. Iran, Assad's other major ally, also backed it.

Political and armed opposition groups have rejected the proposal, saying Russia has been unwilling or unable to get Assad and his Iranian-backed militia allies to respect past ceasefires. The Syrian government said it backed the proposal but said it would continue to fight what it called terrorist groups across the country.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said there had been a reduction in fighting across Syria since the deal came into force, but warned it was too early to say whether it would last. "The reduction in violence must be clear and lasting," said Observatory director Rami Abdulrahman.

The rebel commander said that the general level of violence was reduced, but he added: "Regime attempts to advance in the Hama countryside continue."

With the help of Russia and Iranian-backed militias, the Syrian government has gained the military upper hand in the six-year conflict. The wide array of rebel groups include some supported by Turkey, the United States and Gulf monarchies.

The Observatory said it had not recorded any deaths as a result of fighting in the four zones since midnight, but there had been some violations.

Breaches were seen mainly in northern Hama province, where Syrian government and allied forces have taken territory from rebels in recent weeks.

Fighter jets fired at the rebel-held village of al-Zalakiyat and nearby positions in the northern Hama countryside, where the combatants exchanged shelling, the Britain-based war monitoring group said.

The Observatory said government forces shelled the nearby towns of Kafr Zita and Latamneh. There was no immediate comment from the Syrian army.

Mohammed Rasheed, a spokesman for the Jaish al-Nasr rebel group based in Hama, confirmed that fighting had broken out after midnight. Rasheed said rebel-held Idlib province to the north of Hama was almost completely quiet, but the attacks, which included barrel bombs, were focused on the northern Hama frontline area.

"The bombardment has not stopped; it is no different from before," he said.

Iran and Turkey agreed on Thursday to a Russian proposal for de-escalation zones in Syria. The text of the memorandum was published by the Russian foreign ministry on Saturday.

The agreement said four de-escalation zones would be established in Syria for a period of six months which could be extended if the three signatory countries agree. Weaponry and air strikes were not to be used in those zones by combatants, the text said.

The agreement also included creating conditions for humanitarian access, medical assistance and the return of displaced civilians to their homes.

This initiative is the most serious effort to reduce violence and shore up a ceasefire first declared in December since western states accused Damascus of a chemical attack in early April on rebel-held Idlib province.

The chemical incident prompted the US to fire dozens of cruise missiles at a Syrian airbase from which it said the attack had been launched, increasing tensions between the US and Russia.

The de-escalation zones appear intended to halt conflict in specific areas between government forces and rebels, and would potentially be policed by foreign troops.

The deal was negotiated at Russian-brokered talks in Astana which have taken place this year outside of United Nations-sponsored peace talks in Geneva.

UN Special Envoy for Syria Staffan de Mistura hailed the plan as a step in the right direction towards a real cessation of hostilities. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said he was encouraged by the agreement.

 Reuters

Four zones at centre of deal

The Russian defence ministry had said the agreement would come into force as of midnight Damascus time last Friday and encompass four zones.

The largest zone, in northern Syria, includes Idlib province and adjoining districts of Hama, Aleppo and Latakia with a population of more than one million people. The other three zones are in northern Homs province, the Ghouta region east of Damascus, and along the Jordan border in south Syria.

But one part of the Eastern Ghouta zone, Qaboun, is exempt from the deal as it contains the al-Qaeda-linked group formerly known as the Nusra Front, Russian defence ministry official Lieutenant-General Sergei Rudskoi said.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said yesterday that rockets hit Qaboun, where the government has been pressing an offensive for several weeks.
Image: twitter.com/arunjaitley

Yokohama, May 7 (IBNS): Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley highlighted the initiatives under Make in India and called upon Japanese companies to set up facilities in India for manufacture of rolling stock for the metro rail projects during the bilateral discussion with the Finance Minister of Japan, Taro Aso.

Both the Ministers noted the growing synergy between India and Japan and committed themselves towards working closely to further expand India-Japan bilateral economic cooperation.

Later, Jaitley also had a meeting with the Asian Development Bank (ADB) President, Takehiko Nakao and discussed India-ADB bilateral engagements.

While noting with satisfaction that India today is the largest client of ADB, Jaitley urged the President to ensure that since ADB provides services to Developing Member Countries, the Bank should ensure that primacy is accorded to the views of developing countries in ADBs operations and resource planning.

Arun Jaitley is on a three-day official visit to Japan to participate in the Annual Meeting of Board of Governors of Asian Development Bank (ADB) among others.

During his visit, the Finance Minister is being accompanied by Shaktikanta Das, Secretary, Department of Economic Affairs (DEA) and other senior officials of the Ministry of Finance.
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Global icon Priyanka Chopra is gearing up for her mega Hollywood release, Baywatch. With filming Quantico season-2 and promoting her debut movie, Peecee has her kitty full.

Still from Baywatch

But the actress doesn't consider Baywatch as her first American film. Confused?

Well, this is what she said when a leading daily spoke about her upcoming assignment,

"I didn't think of this as my first film in America. To me, its my next film, because its not just America that is going to see my film, the entire world is. I have done over 50 films and people who like my work and know me for my films, will also watch Baywatch."

She further spoke about how India might react differently on some issues than the rest of the country.



"I don't usually refrain from talking. I am opinionated and if I have an opinion on something, I will voice it. I can't say that its really difficult to have an opinion in India. Every country is different and we are too. But I do believe that public figures, in general, are soft targets, because its easier to make a headline about someone saying something. Then its sometimes misconstrued and that gets blown out of proportion. But, I cant speak on behalf of everyone in Bollywood.

I love this @sabyasachiofficial saree I wore last night at the @Unicef_southafrica gala. A hand painted bengal tiger blouse that made it so special. @stylebyami A post shared by Priyanka Chopra (@priyankachopra) on May 6, 2017 at 11:53pm PDT

Priyanka Chopra, who is also a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador, was recently in South Africa to promote the initiative End Violence Against Children. She wore a stunning Sabyasachi saree and her blouse had India's national animal on it. Yes, the Bengal tiger.

Isn't she the coolest ever?
On a balmy Mumbai afternoon in early April, Rituparna Sarkar was reading a book by Meik Wiking titled Hygge when she encountered the word Tokka  Finnish for a really large horde of reindeers  which is untranslatable in other languages simply because it isnt relevant. A quick Google search yielded other such anomalies like Lebensmude, which translates to weary of life in German, and it struck her that every language has words that are unique to the culture of a country.

A post shared by Rituparna Sarkar (@rituparna) on Apr 4, 2017 at 8:42am PDT

A lot of us might have realised this before, but in her case, this aha moment coincided with the start of #The100DayProject  a global art project where participants commit to a theme and upload their original work every day, for a 100 days, on Instagram. So she signed up to hunt down and illustrate words we use daily that have no equivalent elsewhere, such as the Bambaiya term Kali Peeli, and maybe even rediscover old archaic English words like Groke that are too good to be forgotten.

A post shared by Rituparna Sarkar (@rituparna) on Apr 11, 2017 at 11:29am PDT

Every evening, Ritu starts by narrowing down the word du jour, meticulously sketching the artwork by hand using watercolours in her little A5 sketchbook and then clicking a picture to upload  a process that can take 5 hours sometimes! Even though she earns a living designing on a computer, she avoids doing digital illustrations for this project, with the exception of Tsundoko  a Japanese noun for the act of constantly buying new books that we dont always read, but add to the growing pile in our house  because she wanted to add fine details of every book spines which she wouldn't have been able to do justice to on paper.

A post shared by Rituparna Sarkar (@rituparna) on Apr 22, 2017 at 10:57am PDT

On Day 29 of the project, while she was trying to decipher Kaffir Lime, we asked her why she got herself into this, considering she has a demanding day job as co-founder of the Bombay Design House.

Initially, it was because all the mail pushing and crazy deadlines were getting to me. I started feeling the urge to get back to a blank page and polishing my sketching skills, which were getting kind of rusty. So joining the #The100DayProject seemed like a good idea.

In the age of Emojis, GIFs and truncated sentences, it cant be easy committing to one word, but shes got a lot of eager beavers helping her crowdsource. Besides her own database, which has extended well over 100 words, Ritu now gets suggestions from friends as well as other artists and illustrators on Instagram. Regardless of the origin, its really about the visual, and what she feels like sketching that day. Since she claims to love quirky things in general, she tries to depict the word in a humourous way with an additional layer, and real life experiences always shine through. So the aforementioned Kali Peeli found its way into the project because after a night of drinking, her Uber driver cancelled on her and she had to take the regular Mumbai cab in a buzzed state. That night, even though she was exhausted, she couldn't go to sleep till she spent a couple of hours drawing it out. In fact, if the visual isnt calling out to her, she wont continue and there have been times when shes scrapped an illustration entirely and redone it.

A post shared by Rituparna Sarkar (@rituparna) on Apr 23, 2017 at 12:55pm PDT

The real reward is the emotional connection her work is creating with people from across the globe. After I put up my interpretation of the Swedish word Fika, essentially a coffee break over some light snacks, a Swedish Illustrator commented about her having a Fika at least once a day and I told her we Indians do the same and it's called a Chai Break. These little cultural exchanges, sometimes with strangers, make the project more enjoyable!

A post shared by Rituparna Sarkar (@rituparna) on Apr 15, 2017 at 4:37am PDT

While this began as a passion project, we hear a lot of people have been convincing Ritu to sell these prints or maybe even publish a coffee table book. On her part, the designer claims her biggest accomplishment would be if she can just finish the 100 days without missing out on a single day.
In another gaffe by the United Airlines, a French-speaking woman flew more than 4,800-km in the wrong direction because the airlines failed to notify her flights last minute gate change, the media reported.

Lucie Bahetoukilae, who does not speak English, was supposed to go to Paris from Newark on April 24, but landed in San Francisco instead. Lucie who cover three thousand miles (4,828 km) disembarked at San Francisco International Airport where she waited for another 11 hours before she could board flight back to Paris.

In total, she claims to have been travelling for 28 hours, WABC TV reported. The airline called the incident, which it just settled in a confidential lawsuit, "a horrible failure," it said.

"Newark to Charles de Gaulle," Bahetoukilae's boarding pass read. She went to the gate stamped on it and said a United representative scanned it. So she boarded the plane and headed for her seat, 22C.

AFP

When she went to sit someone was sitting there already," her niece Diane Miantsoko said.

She told that the flight attendant looked at her boarding pass and instead of questioning her, she did make her sit somewhere else. Bahetoukilae never realised United Airlines made a last- minute gate change.

The victim of the gaffe said the United never made the gate announcement in French or notified her by email. "If they would have made the announcement in French, she would have moved gates," Miantsoko said.

More than the inconvenience, the family's main concern is the apparent security lapse by United. "They didn't pay attention. My aunt could have been anyone. She could have been a terrorist and killed people on that flight and they didn't know they didn't catch it," her niece said.

AFP

"This is not about money, this is about United getting serious with their employees," Miantsoko said.

The airlines later apologised and also paid for accommodations it had not offered Bahetoukilae when she was waiting for her return flight to San Francisco.

An airline representative said United is working with their team in Newark to prevent this from happening again.
Arlington, TX, May 07, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Prabhu Patil, President & CEO of PROLIM, has been honored with the 2017 Entrepreneurial Success of the Year Award by the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA), Dallas, Texas, in recognition of his achievements and role in driving the nations economy.



This years honorees of the year were honored at a luncheon hosted at the Sheraton Arlington Hotel, Arlington, on the 4th of May 2017, by the SBA New Administrator, Linda McMahon.



Having extensive experience in successfully providing IT, Engineering, Consulting, and outsourced solutions across industries, Mr. Prabhu Patil is the man behind the concept, design and implementation of complex global delivery model across continents and countries.



Prabhu Patil, (an immigrant from India) founded PROLIM Global Corporation, the leading Product Lifecycle Management Software Product and Services Company, based in Farmington Hills, Mich. in 2005. With over 25 years of experience, his hard work, innovative ideas and dedication have contributed immensely to the growth of the community.



The event was attended by entrepreneurs, executives and leaders who shared their views and thoughts. The 2017 finalists were selected by an outstanding panel of hard-working, independent judges from USA Govt. Small Business Administration. The award is presented by Linda McMahon, who is Linda Marie McMahon, an American professional wrestling magnate, CEO of WWE and who is currently the Administrator of the Small Business Administration, under the Trump Administration.



About Small Business Administration (SBA)

The U.S.A Small Business Administration (SBA) was created in 1953 an independent agency of the federal government to aid, counsel, assist and protect the interests of small business concerns, to preserve free competitive enterprise and to maintain and strengthen the overall economy of nation. They recognize that small businesses are critical to the economic recovery and strength in building America's future, and helping the United States compete in today's global marketplace.



About PROLIM

PROLIM is a leading provider of end-to-end IT, PLM Solutions, and Engineering Services and Solutions for Global 1000 companies. PROLIM understands PLM and IT business much as technology, and help customers to improve their profitability and efficiency by providing high-value technology solutions, consulting, and project management outsourcing services from global delivery centers.
A 15-year-old girl, who had allegedly been held captive for two years, has been rescued from her house in East Delhi, police said on Sunday.

Representational Image

It is being alleged that the girl's mother had locked her up in the house. She is being questioned by the police. Locals say she used to come to the flat everyday evening only to give food to the victim.

The police raided the house after being tipped off by a suspicious neighbour. The room where the girl was held captive was full of garbage.

Cops say that the woman, Krishna Ghosh, mother of two, was separated from her husband and staying with her another daughter in a different flat. The victim has been handed over to Child welfare Committee. where she is being examined.
A family of Syrian refugees who got refuge in Canada has named their newborn baby boy after Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau who liberal policy on refugees has won him many hearts.

Afraa and Muhammad Bilan, originally from Damascus in Syria, have tried to show their thankfulness towards the Canadian PM through this act. "We love this man, we appreciate him. He helped a lot of refugees. He's the reason we are in Canada," Afraa told the Star.

The newborn Justin Trudeau Adam Bilan was born on Thursday, 4 May, in his parents' new home in Calgary. His parents came to Canada in February 2016 with their two children 4-year-old Naya and 3-year-old Nael.

The 29-year-old Mohammed Bilan, the father of the newborn was working as a barber in Syria. He was once targeted by the Syrian army and was detained also. He was released, but when he came to know that the army is looking for him again, the family decided to leave Syria.

They came to know that Canada was starting to take in Syrian refugees after Prime Minister Trudeau took office. They jumped at the chance and came to Montreal  the largest city in Canada's Quebec province.

Later, the family was moved to Calgary, in the western province of Alberta. "Canada is much more safe - there's no war, nothing. "Everything is different; everything is good - nothing like Syria," Afraa Bilan told the BBC and also admitted that initially, it was tough for them to adjust in another country, among unknown people and different language.
While finding it difficult to destroy the huge pile of demonetised currency notes, the Reserve Bank of India is now mulling to seek help from the army as it doesnt have enough man power to get this work done quickly.

PTI

The announcement of demonetisation of Rs 500 and Rs 1000 notes on November 8, 2016 by PM Narendra Modi has demonetised roughly Rs 15 lakh crore and by the current pace, RBI would take 2 years to destroy the currency.

The central bank has asked its regional offices to request the services of army personnel, wherever necessary through the central officer. The help of soldiers is being sought due to the sensitivity and secrecy required. We could not have hired just any agency for this task, a senior officer was quoted in The Hindu.

AFP

As of March 31 last year, there were 15.7 billion Rs 500 notes and 6.3 billion Rs 1,000 currency notes in circulation, before demonetisation.

A mammoth stockpile of demonetised notes worth 16.4 billion are with banks post the deadline of depositing notes expired. These notes now lie in 19 RBI officers which are now being sorted, counted, verified and the sent to the shredder.

AFP

A RBI official said each of its offices has three or four shredders running at least two shifts a day, with five people assigned to each. The central bank has also hired shredders from private banks. Two senior officials do random checks and the exercise is monitored using CCTV cameras.
Washington is Leading the U.S. and its Vassal States to Total Destruction

Sauron Rules in Washington

By Paul Craig Roberts

The problem is that the world has listened to Americans for far too bloody long.  Dr. Julian Osborne, from the 2000 film version of Nevil Shutes 1957 book, On the Beach

May 06, 2017 " Information Clearing House " - A reader asked why neoconservatives push toward nuclear war when there can be no winners. If all die, what is the point?

The answer is that the neoconservatives believe that the US can win at minimum and perhaps zero damage.

Their insane plan is as follows: Washington will ring Russia and China with anti-ballistic missile bases in order to provide a shield against a retaliatory strike from Russia and China. Moreover, these US anti-ABM bases also can deploy nuclear attack missiles unknown to Russia and China, thus reducing the warning time to five minutes, leaving Washingtons victims little or no time in which to make a decision.

The neoconservatives think that Washingtons first strike will so badly damage the Russian and Chinese retaliatory capabilities that both governments will surrender rather than launch a response. The Russian and Chinese leaderships would conclude that their diminished forces leave little chance that many of their ICBMs will be able to get past Washingtons ABM shield, leaving the US largely intact. A feeble retaliation by Russia and China would simply invite a second wave US nuclear attack that would obliterate Russian and Chinese cities, killing millions and leaving both countries in ruins.

In short, the American warmongers are betting that the Russian and Chinese leaderships would submit rather than risk total destruction.

There is no question that neoconservatives are sufficiently evil to launch a preemptive nuclear attack, but possibly the plan aims to put Russia and China into a situation in which their leaders conclude that the deck is stacked against them and, therefore, they must accept Washingtons hegemony.

To feel secure in its hegemony, Washington would have to order Russia and China to disarm.

This plan is full of risks. Miscalculations are a feature of war. It is reckless and irresponsible to risk the life of the planet for nothing more than Washingtons hegemony.

The neoconservative plan puts Europe, the UK, Japan, S. Korea, and Australia at high risk were Russia and China to retaliate. Washingtons ABM shield cannot protect Europe from Russias nuclear cruise missiles or from the Russian Air Force, so Europe would cease to exist. Chinas response would hit Japan, S. Korea, and Australia.

The Russian hope and that of all sane people is that Washingtons vassals will understand that it is they that are at risk, a risk from which they have nothing to gain and everything to lose, repudiate their vassalage to Washington and remove the US bases. It must be clear to European politicians that they are being dragged into conflict with Russia. This week the NATO commander told the US Congress that he needed funding for a larger military presence in Europe in order to counter a resurgent Russia. https://www.rt.com/news/387063-nato-counter-resurgent-russia/

Let us examine what is meant by a resurgent Russia. It means a Russia that is strong and confident enough to defend its interests and those of its allies. In other words, Russia was able to block Obamas planned invasion of Syria and bombing of Iran and to enable the Syrian armed forces to defeat the ISIS force sent by Obama and Hillary to overthrow Assad.

Russia is resurgent because Russia is able to block US unilateral actions against some other countries.

This capability flies in the face of the neoconservative Wolfowitz doctrine, which says that the principal goal of US foreign policy is to prevent the rise of any country that can serve as a check on Washingtons unilateral action.

While the neocons were absorbed in their cakewalk wars that have now lasted 16 years, Russia and China emerged as checks on the unilateralism that Washington had enjoyed since the collapse of the Soviet Union. What Washington is trying to do is to recapture its ability to act worldwide without any constraint from any other country. This requires Russia and China to stand down.

Are Russia and China going to stand down? It is possible, but I would not bet the life of the planet on it. Both governments have a moral conscience that is totally missing in Washington. Neither government is intimidated by the Western propaganda. Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov said yesterday that we hear endless hysterical charges against Russia, but the charges are always vacant of any evidence. https://sputniknews.com/politics/201705041053274379-lavrov-russia-us-relations/

Conceivably, Russia and China could sacrifice their sovereignty for the sake of life on earth. But this same moral conscience will propel them to oppose the evil that is Washington in order not to succumb to evil themselves. Therefore, I think that the evil that rules in Washington is leading the United States and its vassal states to total destruction.

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Having convinced the Russian and Chinese leaderships that Washington intends to nuke their countries in a surprise attack (see, for example, http://www.fort-russ.com/2017/04/us-forces-preparing-sudden-nuclear.html ), the question is how do Russia and China respond? Do they sit there and await an attack, or do they preempt Washingtons attack with an attack of their own?

What would you do? Would you preserve your life by submitting to evil, or would you destroy the evil?

Writing truthfully results in my name being put on lists (financed by who?) as a Russian dupe/agent. Actually, I am an agent of all people who disapprove of Washingtons willingness to use nuclear war in order to establish Washingtons hegemony over the world, but let us understand what it means to be a Russian agent.

It means to respect international law, which Washington does not. It means to respect life, which Washington does not. It means to respect the national interests of other countries, which Washington does not. It means to respond to provocations with diplomacy and requests for cooperation, which Washington does not. But Russia does. Clearly, a Russian agent is a moral person who wants to preserve life and the national identity and dignity of other peoples.

It is Washington that wants to snuff out human morality and become the master of the planet. As I have previously written, Washington without any question is Sauron. The only important question is whether there is sufficient good left in the world to resist and overcome Washingtons evil.

Dr. Paul Craig Roberts was Assistant Secretary of the Treasury for Economic Policy and associate editor of the Wall Street Journal. He was columnist for Business Week, Scripps Howard News Service, and Creators Syndicate. He has had many university appointments. His internet columns have attracted a worldwide following. Roberts' latest books are The Failure of Laissez Faire Capitalism and Economic Dissolution of the West , How America Was Lost , and The Neoconservative Threat to World Order .

The views expressed in this article are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Information Clearing House.
The Pope and I



By Andre Vltchek

May 06, 2017 "

Information Clearing House

" - In Cairo, Pope Francis, once again, did what he usually does best: he snapped at the state of immorality and selfishness, which is governing the world, particularly in the West. The message to Egypts priests could actually be directed at the population of the European and North American cities:

The first temptation is to letting ourselves to be led, rather than to lead The second temptation is complaining constantly The third temptation is gossip and envy The fourth temptation is comparing us with those better off The fifth temptation is individualism, me, and after me the flood the final temptation is keep walking without direction or destination

Pope Francis gave speeches, and met the President of Egypt, Abdel Fattah El Sisi. He appealed to Egypt to Save the world from famine of love. The Egyptian Gazette, an official English language newspaper, carried a headline with a photograph of Pope Francis and the President (and ex-general El Sisi), smiling at each other, as if this odd couple could truly become the entity capable of returning both love and passion to the world.

Although the Popes speeches were good, I have a big problem with anyone meeting the murderer El Sisi, one of my friends wrote to me from exile in Paris, one of the revolutionary doctors, a man who used to be imprisoned and tortured here in Egypt.

And El Sisi he did meet, and they grinned at each other for the camera lenses.

***

There is one point that is hardly made in the local and international media: the Christians in Egypt fully embraced the military coup of July 2013, during and after which allegedly thousands of people were massacred (some in the poorest slums of Cairo), tens of thousands tortured, and more than a million imprisoned.

In 2012 and 2013 I was filming in Egypt for Telesur, directing and producing a documentary film about the end of the Arab Spring and the crashing of all hopes for a better, socialist Egypt. After witnessing the horrors of El Sisis crackdown on Morsis supporters, as well as on the Egyptian left, I went to the famous Hanging Church in Coptic Cairo and asked the believers about the coup. They refused to even use the word coup, and expressed their unconditional support for the military junta.

Today, almost 4 years later, I went back to the same church, and confronted two leading Orthodox Christian clerics of Egypt, Father Jacoub and Father Samuel (they claim that in their mind there is no difference between the Catholics and Orthodox Christians).

Now that Egypt is bleeding and people are pushed to the edge, do Christians still support the military government? I asked point-blank.

First, Father Samuel replied:

Yes, now it is the same unwavering support as before. The church was behind the President, El Sisi from the very beginning, and it is with him now.

Then Father Jacoub joined the litany:

El Sisi protected us; he saved our country.

Then Father Samuel again:

President Sisi came to power during the difficult time for Egypt. Hes doing well, changing the country.

Isnt it all sectarian, religious? I wanted to know.  Arent you supporting El Sisi because he attacked the Muslim Brotherhood?

Another honest answer followed:

Yes it is religious Yes, it is one of the reasons for our support.

***

I spoke to people in slums and on the street. Almost all of them were desperate. Food prices were skyrocketing and periodically, there have been shortages, even of some basic food.

A person with whom I used to work before, during the days of hope, was subdued, frustrated, and angry:

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Now people are really furious. Everything is getting more and more expensive. But currently, people dont even dare to protest: the police and the army closely monitor everything. You dare to go to the streets, and they disappear you; you get immediately arrested. There are some 2 million people in our prisons, now Perhaps one or two more years and things will explode again. It really cannot continue like this, forever.

Egyptian people are well informed, but frightened and fragmented. They clearly comprehend what is taking place, but they are waiting for the right moment to return to the streets. I personally know those who were imprisoned and tortured in Egypt, after the coup. Every trip back here reminds me of extremely close calls, when I could have been killed myself, be it in Port Said, in Alexandria, and in Cairo. But Egypt is addictive: once you begin writing about it, it is extremely difficult to leave, forever.

The military is everywhere, Im told inside the monumental Citadel built by the great Sultan Saladin, who fought against the European crusaders, defending vast areas between Egypt, Syria and Iraq:

The military and the police; they are paid by the West, particularly by the United States. For decades, they were corrupted; they control Egyptian businesses, from A to Z. It would be suicidal to criticize them openly. And they love the West. Many of our people also have no choice but to love the West, because the economy of this enormous country has already collapsed. You are either miserably poor, or you are part of the armed forces, or in the tourist industry, or the few other services which are all somehow intertwined with the West.

The same pattern as in Afghanistan, I realize. Endemic corruption mostly injected from outside, and hundreds, perhaps thousands of treasonous families, the elites, who produce nothing tangible but live well from selling their own country to the imperialist Western rulers. And then there are of course the army, the police, and dozens of their branches with complicated and proud names.

And countries are going to the dogs, while the Western mass media is busy demonizing Syria, Venezuela, the Philippines and North Korea.

***

This is an S.O.S. written to me a few months ago by one of the left-wing revolutionary doctors, with whom I was working on my Egypt film:

The counter revolution has triumphed Sisi dictatorship strengthened All opposition parties and organizations squashed thousands of revolutionaries imprisoned Hundreds executed by court orders or liquidated by the police Media suppressed and directly controlled by the regime The military economic investment in the country has soared Neoliberalism is taking hold People are suffering.

Is the Pope blind? Or is there perhaps some other, more complex game, which is being played?

Pope Francis is, after all, from Argentina, and his own country is deeply divided about his role during the military dictatorship there.

POPE OF PEACE, IN EGYPT OF PEACE one reads from the thousands of posters hanging on the electric poles of Cairo.

Really? Egypt of peace
Home Killer Drones in the Empire State By Norman Solomon May 06, 2017 " Information Clearing House " - At dusk I stood on a residential street with trim lawns and watched planes approach a runaway along the other side of a chain-link fence. Just a few dozen yards away, a JetBlue airliner landed. Then a United plane followed. But the next aircraft looked different. It was a bit smaller and had no markings or taillights. A propeller whirled at the back. And instead of the high-pitched screech of a jet, the sound was more like a drone.



During the next half-hour I saw three touch-and-go swoops by drones, their wheels scarcely reaching the runaway before climbing back above Syracuses commercial airport. Nearby, pilots were at the controls in front of Air Force computers, learning how to operate the MQ-9 Reaper drone that is now a key weapon of U.S. warfare from Afghanistan to the Middle East to Africa.



Since last summer the Defense Department has been using the runway and airspace at the Syracuse Hancock International Airport to train drone operators, who work at the adjoining Air National Guard base. Officials say its the first time that the federal government has allowed military drones to utilize a commercial airport. It wont be the last time.



No longer will the pilots who steer drones and fire missiles while staring at computer screens be confined to remote areas like the Nevada desert. With scant public information or debate, sizable American communities are becoming enmeshed in drone warfare on other continents. Along the way, how deeply will we understand  in human terms  what the drone war is doing to people far away? And to us?



*** *** ***



The takeoffs and landings of military drones at the Syracuse airport get little attention in New Yorks fifth-largest city. Already routine, the maneuvers are hardly noticed. In an elevator at a hotel near the airport, I mentioned the Reaper drone exercises to an American Airlines flight attendant who had just landed on the same runway as the drones. I had no idea, she said.



The Reaper drones using the Syracuse runway are unarmed, the Air Force says. But when trainees go operational, their computer work includes aiming and launching Hellfire missiles at targets many thousands of miles away.



Despite the official claims that drone strikes rarely hit civilians, some evidence says otherwise. For example, leaked classified documents (obtained by The Intercept) shed light on a series of U.S. airstrikes codenamed Operation Haymaker. From January 2012 to February 2013, those drone attacks in northeast Afghanistan killed more than 200 people, but only about one-sixth of them were the intended targets.



Even without a missile strike, there are traumatic effects of drones hovering overhead. The former New York Times reporter David Rohde has described what he experienced during captivity by the Taliban in tribal areas of Pakistan: The drones were terrifying. From the ground, it is impossible to determine who or what they are tracking as they circle overhead. The buzz of a distant propeller is a constant reminder of imminent death.



As civic leaders in Syracuse and elsewhere embrace the expanding domestic involvement in day-to-day drone warfare, clear mention of the human toll far away is almost taboo. Elected officials join with business groups and public-relations officers from the military in extolling the benefits and virtues. Rarely does anyone acknowledge that civilians are maimed and killed as a result of the extolled activities, or that  in the name of a war on terror  people in foreign lands are subjected to the airborne presence of drones that is (to use Rohdes word) terrifying.



Such matters are a far cry from Syracuse, where the local airports role in drone warfare is visible yet virtually unseen. My random conversations with dozens of Syracuse residents in many walks of life turned up scant knowledge or concern about the nearby drone operations. Whats front and center is the metropolitan areas economic distress.



Unlike the well-financed Air National Guard base, the citys crumbling infrastructure and budgets for relieving urban blight are on short rations. When I talked with people in low-income neighborhoods of Syracuse  one of the poorest cities in the United States  despair was often unmistakable. A major study by the Century Foundation identified Syracuse as the city with the highest concentrations of poverty among African Americans and Hispanics in the United States. Locally, the latest influx of federal largesse is for the drone war, not for them.



*** *** ***



A group called Upstate Drone Action has been protesting at the Air National Guard base on the outskirts of Syracuse with frequent vigils and persistent civil disobedience. A recent demonstration, on Good Friday, included nine arrests. The participants said in a joint statement: What if our country were constantly being spied upon by drones, with some of us killed by drones? What if many bystanders, including children, were killed in the process? If that were happening, we would hope that some people in that attacking country would speak up and try to stop the killing. Were speaking up to try and stop the illegal and immoral drone attacks on countries against which Congress has not declared war. No Advertising - No Government Grants - This Is Independent Media Get Our Free Daily Newsletter The last couple of months have not gone well for authorities trying to discourage civil disobedience  what organizers call civil resistance  at the base. In early March, a jury in the Dewitt Town Court took just half an hour to acquit four defendants on all charges from an action two years ago that could have resulted in a year behind bars for disorderly conduct, trespassing and obstruction of government administration.



Later in March, citing a lack of jurisdiction, a local judge dismissed charges against four people who set up a nativity tableau in front of the main gate at the Hancock Air Force Base two days before Christmas last year. In a press release, Upstate Drone Action said that the activists had been protesting the hunter/killer MQ-9 Reaper drones piloted over Afghanistan by the 174th Attack Wing of the New York National Guard at the base.



*** *** ***



The U.S. drone war is escalating in numerous countries. A year ago the head of the Air Combat Command, Gen. Herbert Carlisle, told a Senate subcommittee that an insatiable demand was causing U.S. drone operations to grow at a furious pace. That pace has become even more furious since President Trump took office. In early April a researcher at the Council on Foreign Relations, Micah Zenko, calculated that President Trump had approved an average of one drone attack per day  a fivefold increase from the rate under the Obama administration.



Upstate New York is leading the way for the Pentagons plan to expand its drone program from isolated areas into populous communities, which offer ready access to workers. One hundred and sixty miles to the west of Syracuse, just outside the city of Niagara Falls, an Air National Guard base  the largest employer in the county  is in the final stages of building a cutting-edge digital tech center with huge bandwidth. There, pilots and sensor operators will do shifts at computer consoles, guiding MQ-9 drones and firing missiles on kill missions. The center is on track to become fully operational in a matter of months.



At the main gate of the Niagara Falls Air Reserve Station, a sergeant from the public-affairs office was upbeat about the base operating the MQ-9 remotely piloted aircraft. At city hall the mayor of Niagara Falls, a liberal Democrat, sounded no less pleased, while carefully sidestepping my questions about whether he could see any downsides to the upcoming drone role. A local businessman who chairs the Niagara Military Affairs Council  a private organization that has long spearheaded efforts to prevent closure of the base  told me that getting the drone mission was crucial for keeping the base open.



In such ways, functioning locally while enabling globally, the political economy and mass psychology of militarism do the work of the warfare state.



Norman Solomon is the author of War Made Easy: How Presidents and Pundits Keep Spinning Us to Death. He is a co-founder of RootsAction.org and the executive director of the Institute for Public Accuracy. This article was first published by ExposeFacts, a program of IPA. Published by ExposeFacts . The views expressed in this article are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Information Clearing House. Click for Spanish , German , Dutch , Danish , French , translation- Note- Translation may take a moment to load. What's your response? - Scroll down to add / read comments Please read our Comment Policy before posting - It is unacceptable to slander, smear or engage in personal attacks on authors of articles posted on ICH. Those engaging in that behavior will be banned from the comment section. Click here to comment on our Facebook page
HAMILTON, Bermuda, May 07, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- A team of industry experts, led by the Bermuda Business Development Agency (BDA), heads to Vancouver and Toronto this week to raise awareness about the value of captive insurance to Canadian corporations.



A photo accompanying this announcement is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/cbcafde4-0a80-4dbd-afd8-eb2323803880

The team visits Vancouver, BC, May 89, holding an Executive Forum on Bermuda Captive Insurance Solutions on the second day to offer insurance buyers, risk managers and financial executives an opportunity to learn more about the captive benefits Bermuda offers as a blue-chip international financial centre. The group will also visit Toronto, ON, May 1112 to meet with industry service providers. Captive insurance, or self-insurance, allows global corporations a cost-effective way to efficiently manage todays complex risks, including healthcare and cyber risks, as well as enterprise risk management.

This initiative is part of BDAs ongoing effort to pro-actively raise awareness about Bermudas sophisticated captive insurance market, said BDA Business Development Coordinator Mark Darko. Were looking forward to hosting our first-ever forum in Vancouver, as well as revisiting established contacts in Toronto. Trends indicate that not only larger corporations, but also medium-sized businesses, are benefiting from self-insurance.

Tuesdays Vancouver forum is scheduled for 8:30am to noon and features two sessions: the first, Captive Solutions & Strategies, explains what a captive insurer is, how to structure a captive, key reasons to set up a captive, along with common risks insured, citing several case studies. A second session focuses on regulatory, and tax and legal frameworks.

Im pleased to be endorsing insurance captives as commanding vehicles for comprehensive risk coverage and financial proficiency for businesses, said Richard Daley, President, JLT Insurance Management Bermuda. Well be highlighting Bermuda as the leading domicile of choice within captive insurance services and I am confident that our industry professionals will provide profound market knowledge to this event.

Along with Daley, industry speakers include Eric Bretson, Partner, International Tax, EY; Umer Islam, Executive Director, EY Bermuda; Christiane Kenny-Post, Corporate Manager, Consultant Compass Administration Services, ASW Law; Choisel Murray, Assistant Vice President, Business Development, Aon Bermuda; Mike Parrish, Senior Vice President, Marsh IAS Management Bermuda; David Platt, former risk manager, Encana; Leslie Robinson, Assistant Director, Department of Licensing & Authorisations, Bermuda Monetary Authority (BMA); and Mike Weiss, Senior Vice President, Liberty International Underwriters.

I am excited to be part of this BDA delegation, said Islam. The Vancouver forum will be an excellent opportunity for that regions industry players and service providers alike to learn more about captive solutions and the significant value Bermuda offers as the worlds number-one captive insurance jurisdiction.

Bermudas captive insurance market is the global leader, with close to 800 companies generating more than $55 billion in annual gross written premiums. The presence of commercial insurance and reinsurance companies on the island allows captive owners and operators to access open-market underwriting capacity not found in other captive domiciles, making Bermuda a one-stop-shop. Notably, captives are also increasingly popular tools for wealth preservation and succession planning for HNWIs and family offices.

There is no cost to attend the half-day forum in Vancouver. To register, click here.

CONNECTING BUSINESS

The BDA encourages direct investment and helps companies start up, re-locate or expand their operations in our premier jurisdiction. An independent, public-private partnership, we connect you to industry professionals, regulatory officials, and key contacts in the Bermuda government to assist domicile decisions. Our goal? To make doing business in Bermuda smooth and beneficial.
May 06, 2017 " Information Clearing House " - During the Korean War, the United States dropped more bombs and napalm on North Korea than was used against the Japanese during World War II. The carpet bombing destroyed all of the cities and most of the villages in North Korea. More than 3,000,000 Korean civilians died in the warmost were in the North. Since the war ended with a cease fire in 1953, the North has been governed by the Kim family dictatorship, which uses the threat of American aggression to maintain its ironfisted physical and mind control of the North Korean people.

President Trump is now threatening another destructive war against the North Korean people and their society. He must not be allowed to do thisthere is another way to deal with the problem. As a matter of policy, Trump can redirect his energy and efforts onto the person of Kim Jong-un, the country's dictator, who not only threatens the safety of other nations, but who holds his own people in slavery. Why should the United States make war against a captive nation and its helpless people when there is a more effective solution?

The Failure of War as an Instrument of Public Policy

Making war against nation states and their people no longer works. Unstable and undemocratic countries, such as North Korea, are usually controlled by individuals and cabals against whom military force ends up harming their own domestic victims more than the entrenched leadership. The wrath of the people is directed against the outsiders who slaughter their children and helps solidify the rule of their domestic despots.

Destroying the infrastructure of a nation to turn its people against their leadership failsas in Iraqresulting in the deaths of thousands of innocent children. Targeting insurgents using drones and violent nighttime home invasions failsas in Afghanistanresulting in collateral deaths and injuries to children and noncombatants. Imposition of economic sanctions failas in Iranresulting in the destruction of the middle class and small businesses that are essential to a free society. Support of rebels against their government failsas in Libyawhen the new government is controlled by hostile and undemocratic forces. Direct military strikes fail to make a differenceas in Syriafor all of these reasons; and the threat of violent waras in North Koreais simply stupid against an immature dictator who has nuclear weapons and nothing to lose by using them.

The use of war as an instrument of foreign policy fails in all of these situations because it does not produce the desired change. It primarily injures the innocent victims of their unrepresentative governments and results in their hatred of the aggressors, rather than their oppressors.

In addition, the use of war by the United States also harms its own people through the wasteful diversion of scarce tax resources to the military-industrial complex, the compiling of massive and unsustainable public debt, a reduction of personal freedoms by the intelligence-security complex, and a loss of respect by other people and nations around the world.

Moreover, continued use of aggressiveyet undeclaredwars by the United States has resulted in an undemocratic shift of power from the legislative branch to the executive branch of government. The Constitution provides that The Congress shall have power . . . To declare War . . . . For the past 50 years, however, American presidents, rather than Congress, have repeatedly unleashed military force against far weaker nations and their peoplewho do not have the means or ability to fight back, except through acts of terror.

In addition to Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iraq, and Syria, the United States is also currently conducting military operations in Somalia and Yemen. Not only are these wars undeclared by Congress, their extent is largely concealed from the People. Moreover, in fighting these wars, the president, as Commander-in-Chief, claims the right to kill and detain unlawful combatants, including American citizens, anywhere in the world, without trial.

Americans no longer want to militarily intervene in other countries. A CBS/NYT poll found that 72 percent of Americans are opposed to removing dictators where it can, and a CNN poll found more than six in ten Americans desiring a more non-interventionist foreign policy. Part of President Trump's electoral support resulted from his campaign promises to avoid military action in foreign nations. He said the United States. should "stay out of Syria and other countries that hate us."

Yes, there is violence and repression in the world, some of which may threaten the security interests of the United States, and it would be naive to deny it. It is equally foolish, however, to believe that launching undeclared aggressive wars against nation states and their people can resolve each and every one of these threats. There has to be a better solution, one that is both legal and effective.

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An Alternative to War

Let us, for a moment, think outside the box about an alternative public policy to deal with these dangerous geopolitical situationsone based on commonsense and the law.

Assuming that the Trump administration can make the case that Kim Jong-un and his regime pose a risk of danger to the People of the United States, shouldnt President Trump present that evidence to Congress and allow it to decide what to do? Rather than an authorization to launch a violent military attack against North Koreaessentially a declaration of warCongress could pass a resolution along these lines:

The Congress of the United States declares that Kim Jong-un and his administration of the government of North Korea pose a danger to the United States, and he is hereby declared to be an outlaw. Congress directs the President of the United States to file a legal proceeding against the government of North Korea in the International Court of Justice and to take all necessary and reasonable steps to compel the personal attendance of Kim Jong-un to defend his government and its conduct.

As a member of the United Nations, North Korea is automatically a party of the International Court; however, it must consent to jurisdiction in a specific case. The congressional resolution would, however, be directed against Kim, personallyas the dictator of North Koreainstead of the people of North Korea. It is narrowly designed to compel him to personally leave North Korea and to accept jurisdiction of the Court on its behalf. As a practical matter, once Kim leaves the country, the chances of his ever returning are very slim.

In many respects, the congressional resolution would act like an arrest warrant in a domestic criminal action. There, a judge finds probable cause for the arrest and directs the police to take the suspect into custody and deliver the defendant for trial. In doing so, the police are authorized to use all necessary and reasonable force to take custody of the accused.

The United Nations Human Rights Committee approved a resolution in 2014 calling for North Korea to be brought before another international tribunal, the International Criminal Court (ICC), on charges of human rights violations. During testimony before the UN Security Council in 2015, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights asked the Council to refer North Korea to the ICC. Following the recent assassination of Kim's brother, Kim Jong-nam, the UN General Assembly again asked the Security Council to refer the North Korean leadership to the ICC While a congressional resolution directing President Trump to secure the presence of Kim Jong-un before these international tribunals would be coercive, it would be far less violent than the unleashing of bombs and cruise missiles on the poor North Korean people.

Although the use of reasonable force personally directed against the outlaw dictator to arrest him might result in his death, the use of force would not have political assassination as its purpose. To the contrarymuch like hostage negotiations by professional police officersevery attempt should be made to obtain his voluntary surrender. Reasonable rewards and incentives might also be offered for his surrender by members of his own government.

The Kim dictatorship dominates the North Korean media and carefully controls the information received by the people. Radios and television sets are preset to North Korean frequencies and must be registered with the authorities. Although there is little access to the Internet, there is a widespread market for USB flash drives which feature South Korean music and movies. It is not difficult to image infiltrating and "bombing" the nation with bootleg flash drives and other forms of person-to-person communications reassuring the North Korean people that the United States was renouncing the making of war against them and their nation in favor of rewards and benefits for the arrest and delivery of their dictator. While ordinary North Koreans might not have the ready ability, those most close to the person of Kim Jong-un might be sufficiently encouraged to take action.

Sounding the Alarm

On becoming the Commander-in-Chief of the United States military, President Trump immediately abdicated his command responsibility by empowering the Secretary of Defense and the Central Command to authorize military actions they deem appropriate. Because of the numerous scandals and dysfunction associated with his political staff, Trump is relying on the military to distract the public from his presidential failures.

Within days of Trump's inauguration, a botched military counterterrorism operation in Yemen resulted in the deaths of 30 civilians, including an eight-year-old American girl. Trump blamed the failure on his generals and the Obama administration, while claiming unfounded successes. Trump's military aggression continued with a massive tomahawk cruise missile attack against a Syrian airbasewhich risked war with Russiaand the dropping of the largest conventional bomb in history in Afghanistan. Trump claimed that all of these attacks were successful, but the primary result was to divert attention from his rapidly falling popularity ratings, which are the lowest of all newly-elected presidents.

As Trump is now threatening to go it "alone" on North Korea, his senior policy adviser Stephen Miller has declared the powers of the president to protect our country are very substantial and will not be questioned." Secretary of State Rex Tillerson is warning of "catastrophic consequences" of a failure to take action against North Korea and warns that the United States will use military force if necessary. The Chief of the U.S. Pacific Command refuses to rule out an invasion of North Korea, even for the "heck of it."

Claiming "bone spurs" as a young man, Trump dodged military service. Now as America's leading "chicken hawk," he is like a little boy playing with matches as he risks reigniting the Korean War. Perhaps it matters not to him that millions of North and South Koreans may once again die in the resulting war, but he will also risk the lives of American service members and the economic health of the nation in an entirely avoidable war.

Near the end of World War II, as allied forces discovered the conditions in the German concentration camps, General Eisenhower ordered that local citizens be forced to look inside the camps at the atrocities committed by their Nazi leaders. Following the conviction and execution of these leaders at the Nuremberg trials, the United Nations established the principle that "All members shall refrain in their international relations from the threat or use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of any state . . . ."

The United States has not formally declared war on another nation since World War II; however, its presidents have repeatedly threatened to use, and have actually used, military force against other states. Truman and Eisenhower had the Korean War; Johnson and Nixon had Vietnam; Reagan invaded tiny Grenada; Bush Sr. invaded Panama and Iraq; Clinton bombed Sudan and Yugoslavia; and Bush Jr. invaded Iraq based on falsified evidence. Obama continued the "war against terrorism," extended it worldwide, and institutionalized the presidential hit list.

President Trump repeatedly expresses his admiration for "strong," yet repressive leaders, including Putin in Russia, Duarte in the Philippines, and Kim Jong-unwhom Trump calls "a pretty smart cookie." Trump sees the world as a "vicious and brutal place" and imagines himself as the risk-taking, angry, tough, and authoritarian warrior who can win every game. In response to threats in the Middle East, Trump said, "I would bomb the s--- out of them. . . . I'd blow up every single inch, there would be nothing left." Conservative commentator George W. Will described Trump as having "an untrained mind bereft of information and married to stratospheric self-confidence."

More than 53,000 mental health professionals have signed a petition sounding the alarm that Trump "manifests a serious mental illness that renders him psychologically incapable of competently discharging the duties of President of the United States." The petition was started by Dr. John Gartner, who said "Worse than being just a liar or a narcissist" Trump is "paranoid, delusional and [engages in] grandiose thinking."

With the most mentally unstable person ever to occupy the presidency having the most powerful military force in history at his unfettered disposal, Americans must ask themselves whether or not they approve of another war being launched in their name. If not, they must arrive at a solution to avoid their personal complicity with the consequences of their failure to act.

The American People are not powerless; however, they still have, restricted as it has become, the freedom to assemble and protest. They still have the power to contact their congressional representatives and implore them to take legislative action to avoid another war in Korea, and they still have the power to vote out of any office any representative who does not listen to their voice and respond to their demands. Their vote is the only real power left to the People; however, time is short. With an Army general now serving as the Secretary of Homeland Security, the United States is only one terrorist act away from the imposition of martial law by presidential order, in which all of these remaining rights may be forfeit.

William John Cox wrote the role of the police in America for President Nixon's National Advisory Commission on Criminal Justice Standards and Goals in 1972. As a public interest lawyer, Cox filed a class-action lawsuit in the U.S. Supreme Court in 1979 against President Carter and the Congress alleging that the government no longer represented those who voted for it. In 1980, he ran a write-in campaign for president calling for a law enforcement alternative to making war against the innocent people of other nations. Cox continues to write about philosophy, politics, and public policy matters . H is latest book is Transforming America: A Voters' Bill of Rights.
Memorandum Creating De-Escalation Zones in Syria By Stephen Lendman



May 06, 2017 " Information Clearing House " - The agreement reached by Russia, Iran and Turkey, created four de-escalation zones effective May 5, prohibiting ground and aerial operations by all parties.

Washington isnt part of the agreement, the fly in the ointment, likely undermining it because it wants endless war and regime change, not diplomatic resolution.



The Pentagon supports halting all aerial operations except its own, saying itll continue combating ISIS, the scourge it supports - pretending otherwise, fooling no one.



According to Russias Defense Ministry, its chief of General Staff Gen. Valery Gerasimov and US Joint Chiefs chairman Gen. Joseph Dunford discussed the de-escalation plan by phone. US agreements arent worth the paper theyre written on or verbal commitments made. Following their discussion, a Russian Defense Ministry statement left unexplained what Dunford may or may not have said about Moscows de-escalation plan.



It takes a giant leap of faith to think US policy will turn a new leaf in Syria, what it rejects in all its war theaters - seeking conflict resolution, ceasing support for ISIS and other terrorist groups, along with cooperating with Russia in combating them.



Below is the memorandum agreed to by Russia, Iran and Turkey on establishing de-escalation zones in Syria - as it appears on Russias Foreign Ministry web site.



Its represents a forthright commitment by Moscow and Tehran. Turkey is consistently unreliable. Washington and its other rogue allies can never be trusted.



 Memorandum on the creation of de-escalation areas in the Syrian Arab Republic



The Islamic Republic of Iran, the Russian Federation and the Republic of Turkey as guarantors of the observance of the ceasefire regime in the Syrian Arab Republic (hereinafter referred to as Guarantors):

 guided by the provisions of UNSC resolution 2254 (2015);

 reaffirming their strong commitment to the sovereignty, independence, unity and territorial integrity of the Syrian Arab Republic;

 expressing their determination to decrease the level of military tensions and to provide for the security of civilians in the Syrian Arab Republic, have agreed on the following.

1. the following de-escalation areas shall be created with the aim to put a prompt end to violence, improve the humanitarian situation and create favorable conditions to advance political settlement of the conflict in the Syrian Arab Republic:

 Idlib province and certain parts of the neighbouring provinces (Latakia, Hama and Aleppo provinces);

 certain parts in the north of Homs province;



 in eastern Ghouta;

 certain parts of southern Syria (Deraa and Al-Quneitra provinces).



The creation of the de-escalation areas and security zones is a temporary measure, the duration of which will initially be 6 months and will be automatically extended on the basis of consensus of the Guarantors.



2. Within the lines of the de-escalation areas:

 hostilities between the conflicting parties (the government of the Syrian Arab Republic and the armed opposition groups that have joined and will join the ceasefire regime) with the use of any kinds of weapons, including aerial assets, shall be ceased;

 rapid, safe and unhindered humanitarian access shall be provided;

 conditions to deliver medical aid to local population and to meet basic needs of civilians shall be created;

 measures to restore basic infrastructure facilities, starting with water supply and electricity distribution networks, shall be taken;

 conditions for the safe and voluntary return of refugees and internally displaced persons shall be created.

3. Along the lines of the de-escalation areas, security zones shall be established in order to prevent incidents and military confrontations between the conflicting parties.



4. The security zones shall include:



 Checkpoints to ensure unhindered movement of unarmed civilians and delivery of humanitarian assistance as well as to facilitate economic activities;



 Observation posts to ensure compliance with the provisions of the ceasefire regime.

The functioning of the checkpoints and observation posts as well as the administration of the security zones shall be ensured by the forces of the Guarantors by consensus. Third parties might be deployed, if necessary, by consensus of the Guarantors. No Advertising - No Government Grants - This Is Independent Media Get Our Free Daily Newsletter

5. The Guarantors shall:

 take all necessary measures to ensure the fulfillment by the conflicting parties of the ceasefire regime;

 take all necessary measures to continue the fight against DAESH/ISIL, Nusra Front and all other individuals, groups, undertakings and entities associated with Al-Qaeda or DAESH/ISIL as designated by the UN Security Council within and outside the de-escalation areas;

 continue efforts to include in the ceasefire regime armed opposition groups that have not yet joined the ceasefire regime.



6. The Guarantors shall in 2 weeks after signing the Memorandum form a Joint working group on de-escalation (hereinafter referred to as the Joint Working Group) composed of their authorized representatives in order to delineate the lines of the de-escalation areas and security zones as well as to resolve other operational and technical issues related to the implementation of the Memorandum.



The Guarantors shall take steps to complete by 4 June 2017 the preparation of the maps of the de-escalation areas and security zones and to separate the armed opposition groups from the terrorist groups mentioned in para.5 of the Memorandum.



The Joint Working Group shall prepare by the above-mentioned date the maps of the de-escalation areas and security zones to be agreed by consensus of the Guarantors as well as the draft Regulation of the Joint Working Group.



The Joint Working Group shall report on its activities to the high-level international meetings on Syria held in Astana.



The present Memorandum enters into force the next day after its signing.



Done in Astana, 4 May 2017 in three copies in English, having equal legal force.



Signatures



Islamic Republic of Iran Russian Federation Republic of Turkey



Stephen Lendman lives in Chicago. He can be reached at lendmanstephen@sbcglobal.net - His new book as editor and contributor is titled "Flashpoint in Ukraine: How the US Drive for Hegemony Risks WW III."

http://www.claritypress.com/LendmanIII.html - Visit his blog site at www.sjlendman.blogspot.com .

The views expressed in this article are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Information Clearing House.
Trump Wants to Talk. But Can He Think?

By Finian Cunningham

May 06, 2017 " Information Clearing House " - Tentatively, its good sign that US President Donald Trump had a productive phone call  again  with Russian leader Vladimir Putin this week, vowing to push for a diplomatic settlement in war-torn Syria.

At least the two leaders appear to be talking to each other  not at each other. Businessman-turned-politician Trump seems to have a refreshingly pragmatic way of respecting Putin as a potential partner, not viewing the Russian president with preconceived notions of Cold War-type hostility.

Another tentatively positive development this week was Trumps Secretary of State Rex Tillerson giving a major speech to the US State Department on priorities for foreign policy. Tillerson called for cooperation with Russia and reminded his audience of a meeting last month held in Moscow with President Putin in which both of them acknowledged that there was an all-time low in US-Russian relations which urgently needed improvement.

So, admittedly, there appears to be a willingness in the Trump presidency for at least engaging in mutual dialogue with Moscow, as opposed to adopting an imperious attitude of lecturing Russia on alleged wrongdoings, which was all-too evident under the previous Obama administrations.

A willingness to talk is a welcome place to start building trust between the worlds two military superpowers. Nevertheless, the next and more difficult problem is: talk about what exactly ?

Can agreement be found if one party to dialogue possesses such a thoroughly misguided understanding of international relations and conflicts?

The US political leadership in Washington, whether Republican or Democrat, seems to be so bereft of realistic understanding about the world. It is cocooned in a bubble of self-deluding hubris and propaganda about American power and the nature of many pressing world conflicts.

Rex Tillerson told his State Department staff that in order to improve US-Russia relations he has instructed his top policy staff to carry out a study on how to remove irritants between Washington and Moscow. The US chief foreign policy official went on in the same breath to accuse Russia of behaving badly in Ukraine .

Its rather daunting to hear that Washington needs to conduct a high-powered investigation into finding out how to remove irritants in relations with Russia.

How about the US and its 28-member NATO military alliance beginning to de-escalate the unprecedented build-up of offensive forces along Russias border? If Tillerson cant see how that threatening military encirclement of Russia is a major irritant then the prospects of a productive conservation are hampered from the outset.

Or how about Washington and its European allies letting go of their unfounded mantra accusing Moscow of destabilizing Ukraine? To anyone with an open mind there are ample grounds to argue that Ukraine has in fact been destabilized by US and European illegal meddling in its internal affairs. Washington and Brussels are living in denial if they cannot acknowledge that an illegal coup detat took place in Kiev back in February 2014.

Subsequent American and NATO military support for a dubious regime in Kiev that is flagrantly violating international law from its offensive campaign on eastern Ukraine is a far more brazen manifestation of actual Western interference than is presumed about Russia.

Getting back to President Trump. He says he now wants to work with Russia to bring peace to Syria. One additional good sign was that for the first time this week, the US sent an official delegate to the peace talks that were held in Astana, Kazakhstan. There, a breakthrough was brokered by Russia, Turkey and Iran on creating de-escalation zones to help towards implementing a broader ceasefire.

However, the deal worked out in Astana was immediately undermined by hardline anti-government militant factions who objected to the role being played by Iran in brokering any agreement. The US and Saudi Arabia also rowed in behind the militants, making provocative disparagement of Irans role as a supporter of terrorists.

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The irony, of course, is that the militants opposed to the Astana process and their Saudi and US state sponsors are the main practitioners of terrorism in Syria and beyond.

In his first overseas official trip as president, Trump is to visit Israel and Saudi Arabia later this month. The White House says Trump will seek to strengthen the cause of fighting terrorism, reining in Iran and uniting the world against intolerance.

The Financial Times this week reported: US president plans to unite a coalition against Islamist terrorism and Iran.

Its hard to imagine a worldview so divorced from reality than that. Saudi Arabia uniting the world against intolerance and terrorism? This despotic feudal kingdom has unleashed jihadist terrorism all over the world, from the Russian Caucasus to Europe, across the entire Middle East to as far as North and West Africa. Saudi oil money along with CIA expertise has been the engine of global terrorism since the 1980s.

For Trump to say that he is going to Israel and Saudi Arabia to form an anti-terror coalition really shows that this president is totally clueless about the world. The people actually fighting terrorism are Russia, Iran and Syria, terrorism which has in large part been fomented and fueled by the US, Saudi Arabia and Israel.

As we began earlier, it is a welcome sign that the Trump White House is at least prepared to talk with Russia on a basis of partnership and respect. Trump and his top diplomat Rex Tillerson have both this week intimated that this kind of engagement should be the way forward to improve badly frayed relations.

But that is only a tentative beginning. Far more serious is the obstacle of American delusions and downright ignorance about the real state of the world and the destructive role of American power.

If Trump and his team cant see that NATOs military forces pointing into Russias face is an outrageous provocation, or if they think that Saudi Arabia can be a reliable partner to fight terrorism, then that does not bode well for resolving problems.

Besides, an additional, perhaps ultimate, problem is that Trump and his officials have limited control over US foreign policy and power. Trump might want to talk and even be prepared to learn a new concept of world relations (which is doubtful).

But the shadowy, unelected forces that actually run American power  the Pentagon, CIA and corporate elite  are the real players behind the throne. Their track record is one of belligerence, militarism and hegemony  not one of peaceful resolutions.

This article was first published by Sputnick News -
Kushner Family Flogs $500,000 Investor Visa to Wealthy Chinese

By Congcong Zhang

May 06, 2017 " Information Clearing House " - The Kushner family came to the United States as refugees, worked hard and made it big  and if you invest in Kushner properties, so can you.

That was the message delivered Saturday by White House senior adviser Jared Kushners sister to a ballroom full of wealthy Chinese investors, renewing questions about the Kushner familys business ties to China.

Over several hours of slide shows and presentations, representatives from the Kushner family business urged Chinese citizens gathered at the Ritz-Carlton hotel to consider investing hundreds of thousands of dollars in a New Jersey real estate project to secure whats known as an investor visa.

The EB-5 immigrant investor visa program , which allows foreign investors to invest in U.S. projects that create jobs and then apply to immigrate, has been used by both the Trump and Kushner family businesses.

But President Trumps vow to crack down on immigration, as well as criticism from members of Congress, has led to questions about the future of a program known here as the  golden visa .

The EB-5 has been extremely popular among rich Chinese who are eager to get their families  and their wealth  out of the country, though the fact that some move their money out illegally has made the program unpopular with the Chinese government, too.

In the ballroom of the Ritz-Carlton on Saturday, Chinese investors were advised to invest sooner rather than later in case the rules change. Invest early, and you will invest under the old rules, one speaker said.

The woman identified as Jareds sister was believed to be Nicole Kushner, who is involved in the family business, not Dara Kushner, who generally stays out of the spotlight. But the womans face was not clearly visible from the back of the ballroom, where reporters were told to remain.



Saturdays event in Beijing was hosted by the Chinese company Qiaowai, which connects U.S. companies with Chinese investors. The tagline on a brochure for the event: Invest $500,000 and immigrate to the United States.

Qiaowai is working with Kushner to secure funding for Kushner 1, a real estate project in New Jersey. Promotional materials tout the buildings proximity to Manhattan and note that the project will create more than 6,000 jobs.

This project has stable funding, creates sufficient jobs and guarantees the safety of investors money, one description reads.

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Although there was no visible reference to Trump, the materials noted the Kushner familys celebrity status. Wang Yun, a Chinese investor who attended the event, said the Kushner familys ties to Trump, via son-in-law Jared, were a part of the projects appeal  but also a source of concern.

Even though this is the project of the son-in-laws family, of course it is still affiliated, Wang.

Wang reasoned that the link to Trump would be a boon if the presidency goes well but could be disastrous if it does not: We heard that there are rumors that he is the most likely to be impeached president in American history. Thats why I doubt this project.

Many of the people who attended the event declined to be interviewed, citing privacy concerns, or were blocked by organizers from speaking to the news media.

Though the event was publicly advertised in Beijing, the hosts were exceptionally anxious about the presence of reporters.

Journalists were initially seated at the back of the ballroom, but as the presentations got underway, a public-relations representative asked The Washington Post to leave, saying the presence of foreign reporters threatened the stability of the event.

At one point, organizers grabbed a reporters phone and backpack to try to force that person to leave. Later, as investors started leaving the ballroom, organizers physically surrounded attendees to stop them from giving interviews.

Asked why reporters were asked to leave, a public-relations representative, who declined to identify herself, said simply, This is not the story we want.

Congcong Zhang reported from Beijing.

This article was first published by Washington Post -
67 bandits have surrendered their arms in Isa Local Government of Sokoto State, according to its Chairman, retired Col. Garba Moyi.

The Chairman told Pressmen in Sokoto on Sunday that the arms were surrendered under an Amnesty Programme of the state government, headed by the Secretary to the State Government, Prof. Bashir Garba. Isa Local Government is close to Niger Republic and had witnessed many acts of brigandage and cattle rustling.

Moyi said, Fifty five of them surrendered their arms on April 14,2017, and were rewarded with cash, land plots to build houses and farmlands, to the tune of N30.5million.

The remaining twelve surrendered their arms afterwards and we are expecting more of them to do so soon.

Similar welfare packages are also being arranged for those who surrendered their arms subsequently.

Moyi stated that the surrendered arms included AK 47, pistols and submachine guns, among others. He did not specify the number of guns recovered.

According to the chairman, the repentant bandits were each given a minimum of N100,000 and a maximum of N 500,000, for each gun.

Similarly, a N500 compensation was given for each bullet surrendered.

No fewer than 290 ammunitions have been surrendered, Moyi said.

Moyi also explained that each of the ex-bandits was additionally given an assistance of between N 100,000 to N 200,000, to restart life.

Moyi commended Gov. Aminu Tambuwal for initiating and effectively funding the amnesty programme.

The programme has fully boosted peace and security in the area,as the repentant bandits were hitherto involved in kidnapping, cattle rustling and armed robbery, among other crimes.

They are now assisting the various security agencies with surveillance and intelligence gathering.

The governor therefore deserves commendation, while restating our commitment to ensure the sustenance of peace and unity in the state and Nigeria in general, Moyi said.

Source: (NAN)
The Pro-Democracy and Good Governance Group on Saturday issued a 14-day ultimatum to President Muhammadu Buhari to address the nation on his health status, noting that its members would be forced to embark on a nationwide protest if the President failed to do so.

This was stated by the convener of the group and a former Head of Online Media, Peoples Democratic Party, Mr. Deji Adeyanju.

Adeyanju said Section 144 of the constitution empowered the Federal Executive Council or the National Assembly to set up a fact-finding committee on the presidents health, should the president fail to speak by himself.

He said, For several weeks, the health of President Muhammadu Buhari has been subjected to a series of speculation. The handling of the situation relating to President Buharis health has led to a lot of political uncertainty in the country.

To this end, we call on President Buhari to, as a matter of urgency, publicly address the nation on the state of his health and other national issues.

However, a pressure group of 40 civil rights movements, Coalition of Civil Society Organisations for Good Governance, has alleged that some prominent Nigerians have been orchestrating a civilian coup to remove Buhari from power, under the guise of ill-health.

The coalition said that no organ of state is currently suffering directly or indirectly as a result of Buharis health, adding that able appointees of the President were running the various offices they have been entrusted with successfully.

According to CCSOGG, nobody should force the President out of power, since he has not declared himself unfit to lead the country.

They described the calls for Buharis resignation as a distraction.
President Muhammadu Buhari on Sunday evening departed Nigeria to London for medical treatment.

President Muhammadu Buhari departed Nigeria for London Sunday night for follow-up medical consultation with his doctors.

He had planned to leave Sunday afternoon, but decided to tarry a bit, due to the arrival of 82 Chibok girls who arrived Abuja earlier in the day.

The President assured Nigerians that there is no cause for worry, said Femi Adesina, the media and publicity adviser

He is very grateful for the prayers and good wishes of the people, and hopes they would continue to pray for the peace and unity of the nation.

The length of the Presidents stay in London will be determined by the doctors.

Government will continue to function normally under the able leadership of the Vice President.

President Buhari has transmitted letters about the trip to the Senate and the House of Representatives, in compliance with Section 145 (1) of the 1999 Constitution.

The President had travelled in January for a similar check and returned on 10 March.
The eight months old baby Khadija Bashir who was raped when she was just 6 months old by the husband of her mothers close friend and neighbor. was yesterday visited by the Emir of Kano, Muhammadu Sanusi II.

Her rapist claims that some spiritualist told him and his wife that for them to end the childlessness in their marriage, they have to rape a baby. Her rapist is currently in detention and has hired as many as 10 lawyers to defend him in court.

Source : ( Linda Ikeji )
The Federal government has released an official statement that confirms the release of 82 more Chibok girls from Boko Haram captivity. The girls were released yesterday May 6th after further negotiations between the Federal government and Boko Haram members.

The girls who are in Borno state presently, will be received in Abuja by Presidnet Buhari later today May 7th.

The Statement of the release is below and signed by Senior Special Assistant to President Buhari on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu.

President Muhammadu Buhari is pleased to announce that negotiations to release more of the #ChibokGirls have yielded results.Today, 82 more #ChibokGirls were released.
A French mineworker who was kidnapped in Chad and taken to neighbouring Sudan has been freed after more than six weeks in captivity, French and Sudanese officials said on Sunday.

Thierry Frezier, 60, was freed after collaboration between Sudanese, Chadian and French intelligence services, a member of the National Intelligence and Security Service (NISS) told reporters in Khartoum.

Frezier was taken to Sudans capital after being freed on Saturday.

French President Francois Hollandes office put out a statement saying he felt great pleasure at the release.

Sudanese security agents launched a search for Frezier in late March after a Chadian minister said he was being held there after being abducted near Goz Beida in southeastern Chad on March 23.

His kidnappers took him to Sudans war-torn region of Darfur and it was from there that he was liberated, a foreign ministry official in Khartoum said.

I thank Sudans government and civil and military authorities for their efforts to free me, Frezier said in a brief statement to reporters at Khartoum airport on Sunday.

The kidnappers treated me well during my time in captivity.

NISS officer Mohamed Hamid said Frezier would be handed over to the French embassy in Khartoum.

An operation to free him was launched in coordination with French and Chadian intelligence services, Hamid said.

Sudanese and French officials in Khartoum said no ransom had been paid.

The outlaws inside Chad had kidnapped him for ransom, but no ransom has been paid, Sudanese foreign ministry official Khalid Al-Kalas said on Sunday.

NISS was monitoring his situation and yesterday they liberated him and also captured his kidnappers.

Frances charge daffaires in Khartoum, Christian Bec, also told reporters that no money had been handed over in exchange for Freziers freedom.

I thank the Sudanese government for liberating the hostage without paying any ransom, Bec said.

Several French and other Western nationals have been kidnapped by jihadist groups in west and central Africa in recent years.

The last such case in Chad  a former French colony  was in 2009, when a Frenchman working for the International Committee of the Red Cross was abducted by a shadowy armed group called the Freedom Eagles of Africa, based in Sudans Darfur province.

He was freed after 89 days.

AFP
Following the shocking discovery of a whopping sum of N15 billion hidden in an Ikoyi apartment, it has been revealed that the whole building might be seized by the Federal Government.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) is considering pushing for the seizure of apartment 7B at Osborne Towers, Ikoyi, Lagos, from where it made the famous haul of $43million cash, The Nation has reported.

This comes after the EFCC on Friday asked the Federal High Court in Lagos through an application to order the final forfeiture of the money to the Federal Government.

The commission said that no one has come forward to claim the $43,449,947 (about N13 billion), N23, 218,000 and 27,800 (about N10.6milion) cash found in the apartment.

Already, lobbyists are finding their way to the Presidential Villa to plead for soft landing for the suspended Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Babachir Lawal and the Director-General of the National Intelligence Agency (NIA), Amb. Ayo Oke.

Some heads of security agencies are said to be canvassing a second opinion on the probe of Oke.

Ahead of the submission of the report of the Presidential Investigative Committee headed by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo tomorrow, there was anxiety last night among government officials who were implicated in the $43.4million haul.

Lawal is being probed over alleged N200million contract awarded to a company, Global Vision Limited, linked with him by the Presidential Initiative for the North East (PINE) for the clearing of invasive plant species (weeds) in Yobe State.

Oke, on the other hand, is being investigated in connection with the $43.4million cash haul.

Investigation however revealed that apart from seeking the forfeiture of the $43.4million, EFCC might take over apartment 7B.

A reliable source in EFCC said: The anti-graft commission will soon initiate moves to seize the apartment 7B in Osborne Towers in line with its mandate.

The circumstances surrounding the purchase of the apartment have been faulted by this commission at a Federal High Court in Lagos.

Therefore, we are set to invoke sections 26 and 28 of the EFCC (Establishment) Act 2004.

So, we are not only interested in the cash, we want to take over the apartment. But we are awaiting the decision of the committee bring led by the Vice President.

Section 26 reads in part:

(1) Any property subject to forfeiture under this Act may be seized by the Commission in the following circumstances 

(a) the seizure incidental to an arrest or search; or

(b) in the case of property liable to forfeiture upon process issued by the Court following an application made by the Commission in accordance with the prescribed rules.

(2) Whenever property is seized under any of the provisions of this Act, the Commission may 

(a) place the property under seal; or(b) remove the property to a place designed by the Commission.

(3) Properties taken or detained under this section shall be deemed to be in the custody of the Commission, subject only to an order of a Court.

Section 28 reads: Where a person is arrested for an offence under this Act, the commission shall immediately trace and attach all the assets and properties of the person acquired as a result of such economic or financial crime and shall thereafter cause to be obtained an interim attachment order from the Court.

Sections 28 and 34 of the EFCC (Establishment Act) 2004 and Section 13(1) of the Federal High Court Act, 2004.

It was also gathered that lobbyists have been mounting pressure on Presidency officials for soft landing for Lawal and Oke. It was also learnt that the ongoing probe of the two officials has divided members of the kitchen cabinet of the President.

A source in the presidency said: Even there is a split among the kitchen cabinet members on Lawal and Oke. The sympathy is more for Oke in view of his high rating in the intelligence community. He is considered a first class diplomat.

As a matter of fact, Oke was the first to initiate the recovery of Abacha loot during the tenure of ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo as a desk officer at the Nigerian High Commission in London. All attempts to make him compromise on Abacha loot failed.

Of all the security chiefs, he was the only one who wrote an accurate report to ex-President Goodluck Jonathan that he would lose the 2015 presidential election to President Muhammadu Buhari at the risk of his job.

This is why he was baffled when the $43.4million was linked to the campaign funds for Jonathan.

Oke has also travelled with the President with his initiatives making the foreign trips of Buhari attracting investments.

What the lobbyists, including some security chiefs, are saying is that Oke should not be humiliated out of office. They said he should either be allowed to go on voluntary retirement or compulsorily retired.

Some security chiefs are of the opinion that Okes trial might set a dangerous precedent.

Asked to be forthcoming, the presidency source said: The whole thing is messy and complicated.

But a source close to the panel said: Oke has not satisfactorily answered three questions:

*where he got the $43.4m from;

*why was Apartment 7B bought in the name of his wife instead of NIA

*how the cash got to Apartment 7B in Osborne Towers, Ikoyi instead of bank

*Oke actually admitted that NIA got $289million Special Intervention Funds for nine projects. He also said the $43.4million was part of the Special Intervention Funds.

The NIA on Friday said it is normal to use proxy for classified actions whether the covert front is a relation or not is immaterial.

But it could not be immediately ascertained what will be the fate of the SGF.

A third source said: As for the SGF, the Senate report has made his fate more complicated. But these lobbyists are still reading political meanings into the report of the Senate.

It is left to Buhari to take a final decision based on the findings of Osinbajos panel

As the committee submits its report tomorrow, there was anxiety among some top government officials implicated in the $43.4m haul and PINE contracts.

You seem to focus on the SGF and Oke but some officials were also implicated in all these.

There is a system failure and all those involved might be sanctioned in one way or the other.

This is why there is disquiet in some parastatals whose officers were implicated, the source added.
The Joint Admission and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has advised candidates for Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination not to panic over the delay in getting their examination centres.

Dr Fabian Benjamin, the Head of Media and Information of the board gave the advice in a telephone interview with the News Agency of Nigeria on Saturday in Abuja.

Benjamin said although the crosschecking of prospective candidates data would end by 9pm on Saturday, none of them has been given an examination centre.

He said that candidates would be given their examination centres before the examination date.

Candidates are just concluding their registrations, so no one has received centre for the examination starting from May 13.

Hopefully by next week they will start getting their centres, so there is no cause for worry, he said.

He, nevertheless, urged all the UTME candidates to always check their emails for further updates.

The Joint Admission and Matriculation Board said it had so far registered more than 1.7 million candidates for the 2017 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination across the country.

NAN
Monaco restored their three-point lead at the top of Ligue 1 thanks to a comfortable victory at relegation-threatened Nancy on Saturday.

Tobias Badilas own goal put the visitors ahead with Bernardo Silva doubling their lead before the break.

Thomas Lemar added a third four minutes from time as Monaco made it 98 league goals in 35 games so far this season.

Paris Saint-Germain had earlier beaten Bastia 5-0 to draw level on points with Monaco, who have a game in hand.

The Champions League semi-finalists boast a far superior goal difference to PSG and realistically need just one win from their final three matches to become champions for the first time since 2000.
Lionel Messi, Barcelonas all-time record goalscorer, has rejected the offer of a new contract to throw his future at the Nou Camp into significant doubt.

The Argentina international has been with the Catalan giants since joining the club aged 13, but there are no guarantees he will extend his association with the club beyond when his deal expires in June 2018.

According to the reports coming from the leading Spanish publication AS, understands that Messi has rebuffed a new deal worth between 30m and 35m (25.41m-29.65m) following months of talks between the two parties.

Father and agent Jorge Messi has been central to the negotiations, but an agreement has not yet been reached.

Negotiations are however ongoing between the Messi camp and Barcelona, whose president Josep Maria Bartomeu has been reassured that a deal will be agreed but only on the right terms.

Messi, a five-time Ballon dOr winner, is in no rush to put pen to paper  despite the looming expiration of his contract  and they are preparing to hold out for the best possible deal which they expect to be forthcoming.

Messi has won 29 major honours including the La Liga title eight times and the Champions League on four separate occasions
Nollywood actress, Mercy Aigbe has finally come out in full blast with the serial battering she endured from her husband. She also published even more shocking photographs of her last experience and challenged her husaband to back up his claims that she is mentally Unstable, that he had caught me with different men, that she do not take care of my parents and that a man rented an apartment for her. She was reacting, according to her, to the lies her husband, Lanre Gentry has been spreading about her, alleging infidelity and adultery, among other allegations. Aigbe who has remained silent, apart from reporting the case to the Lagos State Womens Affairs Ministry, said in her Instagram Post on Friday, that her silence is no more golden.

Her post was directly addressed to her estranged husband, who she still addressed as Dear Lanre

Dear Lanre Gentry, It breaks my heart that I have to do this but as it is you have left me with no choiceI had sleepless night because I just couldnt comprehend why someone i loved , someone with whom I have a child will be hell bent on destroying me, I just cannot comprehend it.. I read with tears in my eyes all the LIES you fabricated against me, LIES you feel will justify your inhumane act, LIES you feel will gain you public sympathy and LIES calculated to bring my person to public opprobrium.. You claim . (1) I am Mentally Unstable (2) That you have caught me with different men (3) That I do not take care of my parents (4) That a man rented an apartment for me. LIES all LIES..

Dear hubby I challenge you to back on your claims with PROOF!!!!!!!!!. Hmmmm lanre you forget quickly!., you forget how I have labored and stood by you all these years, even tho all what I was getting from you was constant beating, harrasment ,threat to my life and threat to destroying my image if I dare,leave you .,,You must PROOF all your allegations otherwise God knows I am going to add another lawsuit to the one on ground!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Although my Team has been pleading with me to stay silent all these while, but I have come to realize that you want to ride on my keeping mum #saynotodomesticviolence#realmendonthit #mylifeisnotinyourhands What got Mercy Aigbe talking was a post by her husband, Lanre saying that the photographs her wife had posted as indications of abuse, were taken from a movie set. He also said he did not beat his wife. But according to reports, Lanre beat his woman on Easter Sunday. I found this interesting I didnt find this interesting

Source: Vanguard
It has been revealed that more of the kidnapped Chibok Girls still in Boko Haram captivity will soon be released as plans are already in place.

The Minister of Communications, Adebayo Shittu, on Sunday expressed optimism that more Chibok girls would be released soon. He spoke in Ibadan at the 3rd General Assembly of the Muslim Ummah of South West (MUSWEN).

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that no fewer than 82 Chibok girls were released by the terrorist sect, Boko Haram, on Saturday.

The minister said more of the girls held hostage by the insurgents would be set free as government was adopting the same method used in brokering the earlier releases.

Shittu also said that the president needed the prayers of Nigerians in regaining his health as well as tackling the challenges confronting the citizenry.

He said the current administration was averse to propaganda, adding that it was diligently working hard to put the country on the path of growth and development.

It is now clear that Buhari has come today and you know that his body language is enough to get things working in a better way.

Electricity has improved, price of petroleum products has stabilised, corruption has reduced to the barest minimum, Boko Haram is no longer in control of territories and the Niger Delta issue has been resolved, Shittu said.

Shittu also said that for the first time in the history of the country, telecommunication contributed about 10 per cent to Nigerias GDP.

The President of MUSWEN, Alhaji Sakariyau Babalola, in his remarks, urged government at all levels to do more for the people.

Babalola advised the Federal Government in particular to quicken the pace of work on its social investment programme, saying it could help improve the economic wellbeing of citizens.

He enjoined all Nigerians to pray for good health for the president and all leaders in the quest to promote development.

Babalola also rallied support for the anti-graft war, saying corruption had been a major factor that had not allowed Nigeria to claim its rightful place in the comity of nations.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that dignitaries at the occasion included Justice Tijani Babalakin and Abdul-Jabar Ajibola, the Chairman of the Board of Trustees of MUSWEN.

Also present was Sheikh Jamiu Kewulere, the President-General of the League of Imams and Alfas of Yorubaland, Edo and Delta.
The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has been told that before the money involved in Abacha loot be released to Nigeria, President Donald Trump must be aware of such a move, this was said by the Embassy of the United States of America in Nigeria.

We will relay your letter to President Donald J. Trump and Secretary of State Rex Tillerson requesting the Administration to attach and release to Nigeria some $500 million worth of US-based proceeds of corruption traced to former Nigerian dictator General Sani Abacha.

The US embassy said that, The Justice Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation are in regular communication with the Nigerian Attorney General and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs regarding further cooperation needed to conclude pending asset forfeiture cases and to develop a mechanism for the timely and transparent repatriation of those assets.

The embassy letter signed by David J. Young, Deputy Chief of Mission followed SERAPs letter dated 3 February 2017 and signed by the organizations US Volunteer Counsel Professor Alexander W. Sierck and executive director Adetokunbo Mumuni.

SERAP had in the letter told Mr Trump that, the US Department of Justice must promptly initiate civil asset forfeiture proceedings against the $500 million proceeds of corruption so as to fulfill several non-controversial commitments by the US to assist Nigeria in recovering assets looted by former Nigerian government officials.

In response, the US embassy said last week that, Thank you for your letter regarding the recovery of Nigerian assets. As part of the 2010 Kleptocracy Asset Recovery Initiative, the US Department of Justice has sought to forfeit the proceeds of corruption by foreign officials [including from Nigeria], and where appropriate, to use recovered assets to benefit the people who were harmed. This policy is consistent with US treaty obligations, including the UN Convention against Corruption.

The embassy letter read in part: The United States Government supports the Government of Nigerias efforts to work with civil society to identify how harm can be remedied through the return of stolen assets. We encourage you to disclose these issues with the Nigerian Attorney General and Ministry of Foreign Affairs, who are working closely with the US on the repatriation process.

We were encouraged by civil societys role in the development of Nigerias Open Government Partnership Action Plan and the commitment to strengthening laws to foster transparency and accountability in the management of recovered and returned assets.

It would be recalled that SERAP had in its letter said, the $500 million proceeds are separate from the $480 million of Abacha-origin funds that have been forfeited to the US under an August 2014 US federal district court order. SERAPs request is fully consistent with the UN Convention Against Corruption, which both the US and Nigeria have ratified.

SERAPs letter read in part: We urge your new Administration to initiate discussions with the Nigerian government to fulfill these objectives within an agreed framework and timeline. Simultaneously, the Administration should instruct the Justice Department to initiate civil asset forfeiture proceedings in regard to the above-referenced $500 million in assets described above.

Any bilateral discussions between the US and Nigeria concerning these assets should include clear acknowledgement of the significant role that civil society plays in asset recovery matters.

To that end, the respective governments ought to commit to promptly sharing information with relevant civil society organizations on stolen assets of Nigerian origin located in the US or otherwise subject to US jurisdiction. This proposed commitment is similar to one between the US and Kenya as well as consistent with Articles 46(4) and 56 of the UN Convention Against Corruption.

SERAP notes that Article 51 of the UN Convention against Corruption provides for the return of corrupt assets to countries of origin as a fundamental principle. Article 43 provides likewise. Similarly, under Articles 47(3)(a) and (b) states parties have an obligation to return forfeited or confiscated assets in cases of public corruption, as here, or when the requesting party reasonably establishes either prior ownership or damages to the states.

In SERAPs judgment, some or all of these requirements have been met with respect to the $500 million in proceeds described above. A resolution adopted by the Conference of States Parties to the UN Convention Against Corruption in Panama in November 2013 reaffirms this obligation, by requiring state to make every effort to return such proceeds. to the victim state.

Nigerias Presidential Advisory Committee Against Corruption has recently informed SERAP that the US Government has identified another $500 million or so proceeds of Nigerian corruption subject to US jurisdiction.

Source: ( PM News )
Minister of Transport, Rotimi Amaechi who was the APC Presidential campaign manager for the 2015 general election, says Nigerians owe him a lot for working tirelessly as the party campaign manager to bring them out of a corrupt government. Minister of Transport, Rotimi Amaechi who was the APC Presidential campaign manager for the 2015 general election, says Nigerians owe him a lot for working tirelessly as the party campaign manager to bring them out of a corrupt government.

In a recent interview with Channels Television,the minister said Nigerians were tired of the past government.

He said, Nigerians wanted change. The level of corruption was very high so Nigerians wanted to contribute to remove that government. I believe that Nigerians owe me alot.

When I seat in my house, I feel that Nigerians owe me alot. First, we saved this country from that level of corruption. Corruption where you see $50 million at Osborne street and those who shared in the corruption are busy dancing about it.
Compromising photos of Diane Shima Rwigara, could be breaking the internet, but possibly, not her spirit.

The Rwandan presidential candidate on Friday morning was shocked to learn about her private naked photographs were making rounds around the world.

The move to humiliate the woman, who has recently boldly come out to attack President Paul Kagames bad governance, is likely to attract criticism from women rights activists.

The 35-year-old tough talking woman is a daughter of the late Assinapol Rwigara. He died in a motor accident in 2015

It is hardly a week since she announced her presidential ambitions and a photo bomb has fallen on her.

In the conservative Rwandan society, Ms Rwigara is likely to get shunned by moralists, while the youth might warm up to her candidature but for only excitement.

However, analysts ask, who will take seriously a woman who finds idle time to take Nood photos?

Noods are not new in Uganda, but no high profile woman has been rudely exposed to this extent. This has been a territory for musicians, socialites and corporate prostitutes.

How Rwigara will respond to this photo bomb will tell a lot about the substance she is made of. For now, an innocent act such as this is a little set back to the fire she had infused into her campaign..(Watchdog Ug)
Climate activists are planning to hold a teach-in protest on a putatively public terrace at Trump Tower on Tuesday.

The demonstration by the group 350 is part of a global week of action seeking to pressure public institutions to divest from fossil fuel companies. It is the fourth demonstration since the election planned for the terraces, built along with the multi-story atrium as part of the city's privately owned public space program, in exchange for the city allowing an additional 10 stories on the 58 story tower.

The terraces are supposed to be open to the public daily during Trump Tower store hours, but as activists and relaxation-seekers have found in months past, building management frequently closes them without explanation, or with alibis that don't stand up to scrutiny, such as the claim that repair work was being done on the fourth-floor terrace when no permits exist for such work.

Betamia Coronel, U.S. reinvestment coordinator for 350, predicted that "hundreds" would turn out for the protest, driven by antipathy to the environment-hostile Trump administration, including former Exxon CEO Rex Tillerson, now serving as secretary of state, and the climate-science-denying conspiracy theorizing of Trump himself. The protesters will include protest evangelist Reverend Billy and his Stop Shopping Choir, and will call on Comptroller Scott Stringer to pull what 350 says is about $3 billion in fossil fuel investments from the city's $175 billion pension portfolio.

"The fossil fuel industry is literally running the White House and more than ever we need to harness the energy from the Peoples Climate March and bring that energy back home and really have our local leaders take the lead," Coronel said. "We wont expect that change to come on the federal level when the fossil fuel industry is running the government."

Trump is reportedly considering pulling out of the Paris climate accords, and is trying to end the Clean Power Plan, meant to stem emissions from power plants, along with other regulations aimed at slowing climate change.

The Comptroller's Office objected to the notion that Comptroller Scott Stringer has the power to unilaterally divest from a given type of financial product, noting that each of the city's five pension funds is governed by a board of directors, and though he is the custodian of them all and sits on most, his role is advisory, and governed by fiduciary responsibility first and foremost.

"The grandmother in the Bronx collecting her pension, the former sanitation worker in Queens trying to make ends meet, and the retired police officer in Brooklyn who's living on a fixed budgettheir economic interests must come before anything else," spokesman Jack Sterne wrote in an email. "Those faces, and those New Yorkers trying to get by, must legally and morally be his priority. He shares the ideals of the activists. But at a time when corporate interests are trying to undermine collective bargaining, we have a moral and financial responsibility to deliver for working people."

That said, Sterne explained, Stringer has spearheaded several efforts to use the pension funds as a vehicle for fighting climate change. Stringer's office touts the comptroller's efforts to push for what's called proxy access, which allows shareholders to seek seats on corporate boards. Stringer has sought proxy access at more than 100 firms and won it at 96, including 38 carbon-intensive companies, according to a February WNYC story. Stringer credits the campaign for Exxon electing former National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration climate scientist Susan Avery to its board.

The board of trustees that Stringer helms also recently announced the initiation of a study of how to invest with an eye to reducing carbon impact, and his office is seeking investment managers "capable of providing sustainable or low-carbon investment options."

350 argues that the growth of renewable energy, developments like the Paris climate accords, and the predicted economic impacts of climate change mean that divesting from fossil fuels is in the interest of investors. The group also notes in its materials that ExxonMobil is currently under investigation by New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman for potential fraud related to public misinformation about climate change, propaganda at odds with its executives' knowledge of the real stakes.

The teach-in is set for noon on Tuesday, May 9th at Trump Tower, 725 Fifth Avenue, between East 57th and East 56th streets. Organizers advise arriving at 11:45 a.m. Among other planned pro-divestment events, there is also a "Climate, Jobs and Justice Accountability Forum" planned for the evening of Tuesday, May 16th at the Ethical Culture Society Concert Hall on Central Park West. 350 has invited Mayor de Blasio, Public Advocate Letitia James, and Stringer. Coronel said Stringer had confirmed his attendance, but his office would not confirm that. For more information on the activist campaign, click here.
A pastor identified Isaiah Alimi, was arrested on Saturday by the Oyo state police command as he caught with Human Skull. The self acclaimed pastor who claims to be the founder of a church in the Algbado area of Lagos state, said he found the human skull in a building currently undergoing refurbishment in the Pakoto area of Ogun state.

According to him, he planned to bury the skull on his landed property in Ijaiye so as to scare robbers from the area.

I did not exhume any dead body. I was going to bury it on my site around Ijaye in order to scare away robbers who have sacked seven towns in the area.

I planned to have another church on the site where I wanted to bury the human skull. I had yet to reach my site when police stopped me and found the skull in my possession.

 I was also caught with other charms. My father was a herbalist and he taught me how to prepare some charms. I did not plan to harm anyone with it or prepare money ritual. he said.

After parading him before newsmen, the state Commissioner of Police, Abiodun Odude, said Alimi would be charged to court soon.

Source : ( Linda Ikeji )
The news of the release of 80 Chibok girls brought smiles on the faces of Nigerians but there have been fresh information has it concerns the release of the girls.

According to Sahara Reporters who broke the news of the released girls, senior sources in Nigerias military have told us that the 82 Chibok girls released by Boko Haram, regained their freedom after intense negotiation with a faction of the militant group.

The report went on to say:

Tthe sources disclosed that the deal involved the Federal Governments release of two senior Boko Haram commanders who had been in detention by the Nigerian security services.

According to one of the sources, a combined team of military and Red Cross negotiators flew the two detained Islamist commanders to Banki town in Borno State where they were handed over to a team of Boko Haram representatives.

The Boko Haram team had, in turn, brought the 82 Chibok girls to the outskirts of Banki where a heavy contingent of Nigerian troops took custody of them. The sources said the negotiators included operatives from military intelligence as well as officials of the Department of State Security (DSS), Nigerias secret police
Front-line movie producer in Nigeria, Zeb Ejiro, OON, is currently warming up to delve into politics, ahead of 2019 general elections. Sources close to the creator of the popular Sitcom, Ripples which ran for five years uninterrupted on NTA before it was rested in 1993, said Zeb as a card carrying member of PDP is planning to contest for the House of Representatives, Isoko Federal Constituency, in Delta State. The seat is presently occupied by Hon. Leo Ogor who, according to our source, is considering vying for the seat for the fifth time in a row. Zeb, who our source said, hes going into politics because he wants to make a positive impact on the lives of the Isoko nation has already started making underground moves prior to flagging off his political campaigns soon.  Zeb is going into politics in 2019. He will be contesting for the House of Representatives, Isoko Federal Constituency under the platform of PDP. His campaign team will be launched very soon in his home town of Ozoro, in Isoko Local Government Area, ahead of 2019 general election, the source disclosed. Disclosing further, the source said,  Zeb is going into politics because he wants to make positive change that the people of Isoko nation can see and believe. Isoko nation contributes heavily to the economic development of the country as oil producing community, yet there is nothing to show for it. His slogan is putting the people first before any other thing. Meanwhile, when contacted, the Presido, as hes fondly called by his colleagues in the industry only nods his head in confirmation of the cheery news. Zeb, whose life resolves around film making, training and discovering young artists, according to many, is long overdue to delve into politics.

Source: Vanguard
Finnish mountain climbers Karl Haarala and Vadimir Koveshnikov may have documented the very last interview of Ueli Steck just weeks before famous mountaineer lost his life in Himalayas.

Swiss Alpinist Ueli Steck, 40, died in tragic mountaineering accident last Sunday, 30th of April. The incident where the mountaineer lost his life happened in Nuptse mountain in the Nepalese Himalayas.

The experienced climber was supposed to climb later in May on the highest mountain in the world, Mount Everest. Steck was practising when during a preparatory climb he lost his balance and slipped in to his death. The certain alternative route had been passed only a few times before.

Namche Bazaar village could be described as a gateway to the Nepalese Himalayas. On the streets of the village Finnish mountain climbers Karl Haarala and Vadimir Koveshnikov met Steck by a chance just few weeks before the accident. The pair are filming a documentary movie about mountain climbing and stopped Steck for a short interview.

You can watch the video above the article.

In the video Steck seems to be in relaxed mood. He listens to the questions carefully and answers calmly. This could be the last interview of Steck.

In the interview Steck tells he's going back to Everest and Lhotse. When he is asked if hes trying with Alpine style, which means you climb in self sufficient style carrying own equipment and food, he answers there is no more Alpine style in Everest.

 Alpine style does not exist in Everest anymore. There are too many fixed roads and groups there. Real alpine style is not existing, Steck says.

Swiss Alpinist Ueli Steck, 41, died last week.

Steck is described as a climbing machine because he is famous for training vigorously. He is asked how he practise.

 You said the video is one minute. If I start to explain it takes two hours, he jokes.

 I think its really important you train your physical strength, the mountaineer answers to the question.

Even meeting him only briefly, according to Haarala Steck seemed to be very focused.

 It became a feeling that his mind and physics are in a position that would not be possible for a normal person, Haarala told to Ilta-Sanomat this week.
Uber clearly isnt having a good year after it has been reported that it is facing another problem with its transportation network program. It has been reported that Uber has intentionally installed a software in their cars that allows it to detect authorities and evade them.

Authorities Find Ubers Secret Program Greyball

Uber is a widely popular transportation network company that markets Uber car transportation all over the world. Its transportation business operates alongside its self-named mobile application that clients use to get a car. Despite its popularity, the Uber service is still not allowed in certain parts of the United States like Portland, Oregon. It has been found out that Uber has found a way around the regulations by sneaking in with a secret program they have used to track down and evade authorities.

Ubers Greyball software revealed to a be a program that enables Uber drivers to identify government authorities. The program then works its magic by sending out a fake version of the Uber mobile app, showing imprecise details about the locations of the drivers. Because of this, it was hard for local officials to impound the Uber cars or even track down Uber drivers that were illegally operating.

Uber Treading In Deep Water

Uber has been on the headlines a lot nowadays for various reasons and they are mostly not good. The said transportation company is currently facing a huge lawsuit after Googles parent company, Alphabet Inc. accused them of stealing Googles confidential information regarding their own upcoming self-driving cars program. In addition to that, Uber also took a blow when a female employee stood up to reveal that she suffered repeated misogyny at the said company.

Now, the secret Greyball software has been found out, it has been reported last week that Uber will be facing a federal probe but has not been identified criminal yet. The Justice Department is still looking into it and there is a possibility that they will be bringing criminal charges against Uber. The companys aggressiveness in making the company widespread has been emphasized and it reveals that it will go lengths to give them the edge.
After five years of serving authentic and fresh Mexican and Cuban food, Cielo Cocina is closing its doors.

For owner Mariela Petroski, everything has always been about family. The restaurant is open for limited hours on Tuesday through Friday, so Petroski is home to cook for her family. Her kids are often in the restaurant helping and sometimes shell open later to attend a meeting at her kids' school. Now, her focus on family is taking her back to Los Angeles, where she has a son about to become a police officer and a young grandchild she wants to spend time with.

Cielos has never been about making a buck, she said. Its been about sharing my love of cooking and my culture.

Leaving Cielo and Helena behind will be bittersweet for the Petroski family, who moved here in 2003 from Los Angeles. Petroskis husband, Andrew, was working in California as an engineer for Verizon and had the opportunity to transfer to Montana.

Petroski spent her first few years in Helena raising her kids, working occasionally as a personal chef and writing a food column for the Independent Record.

But when she saw a sign advertising a space for lease across from Bennys Bistro, Petroski and her husband decided to open Cielo.

Ive cooked since I was really young, she said. But Id never even worked in a restaurant before. It was my little dream.

She grew up cooking with her mom and went to Mexico for several months each summer to live with her grandma, who purchased fresh food and cooked from scratch. Petroski remembers her grandma always had beans on the stove. She would run across the street with a quarter to a tortilla factory and return with a fresh stack for her grandma to cook with.

Now cooking with certain ingredients reminds her of her family and her own childhood.

Food just brings people together, she said.

While she was confident in her cooking, Petroski knew that restaurants are the businesses most likely to fail. So she created Cielo with short hours around lunchtime, and hoped customers would understand the time and effort it takes to make fresh food.

She said customers are often disappointed when Cielo is out of guacamole because the avocados arent ripe. But Petroski said shed rather tell people no than buy frozen avocados and always have it. It also took time before people realized that she cant make more of some menu items, like carnitas, if she runs out. The meat takes 14 hours to cook.

Everything is made fresh everyday, she said. When you mass produce, the freshness goes out the window.

After a while, Petroski said the community was willing to support her limited hours and understood her food was about quality, not convenience.

They supported my little dream and were understanding that my family was always going to come first, she said.

She also didnt try to expand or take on big catering projects. Petroski said she said yes to catering only one wedding. When she tried to decline, the couple said they had their first date at Cielo. The couple eats there often, and Petroski still has their thank-you card hanging up.

I made sure it was just like if they came in here on a Thursday, she said.

Since announcing on the Cielo Facebook page the restaurant would close in May, several people offered to buy it. Petroski considered their offers, but her menu items arent made from recipes. She worries the recipes and the feel of the restaurant couldnt be replicated.

Im just afraid it wouldnt be the same, she said. Cielo is me. My family is Cielo.

Petroski said shell miss the people most when her family leaves Helena.

People here just make my day, she said.

While Cielo will be gone, Petroski said she plans to share a few of her recipes on the Cielo Facebook page for people to make at home.

Cielos location at 105 E. 6th Ave. will be filled by a new restaurant, but Petroski couldnt say what would be moving in.
Wheat storms higher after snow

Last weekend, a massive snowstorm dumped up to 20 inches of snow on western Kansas and nearby states. This late-season storm devastated wheat fields as snow smashed emerging plants and below-freezing temperatures threatened to damage plant growth.

Kansas grows 20 percent of the U.S. wheat crop, and this storm could reduce production by over 50 million bushels. The extent of damage is unknown so far, but crop watchers are scrambling to assess the destruction.

Markets initially exploded on the news, with Kansas City wheat prices gaining almost 40 cents per bushel by mid-day Tuesday. By weeks end, the fears of crop loss and prices had subsided substantially, partially since the world is awash in wheat, which will allow the global supply to cover the potential losses.

Cattle steam ahead

The areas blanketed in snow are also home to a huge portion of the U.S. cattle herd. Many animals were caught in the storm, killing thousands. Even if the animals survived, cold weather and loss of access to feed led many to lose substantial weight, adding to the meat production loss. These losses devastated ranchers and came at a time when the beef market was already on edge.

Prices for cattle have been exploding, and the storm losses sent prices soaring, just as grilling season demand heats up. June cattle futures blew to new highs, pushing over $1.34 per pound on Thursday. Prices made a major U-turn on Friday, tumbling the maximum 3 cents per pound as traders took profits on bullish bets.

Vive la France? Vive la Euro?

French voters go to the polls this weekend to choose a new president, a direction for their nation, and the future of the European Union.

Emanuel Macron, the pro-European, centrist candidate, is currently showing a substantial lead in the polls but has been losing ground recently to Marine Le Pen, who represents the far-right National Front Party.

If Le Pen surprises pollsters and wins the election, many expect that France will follow Great Britains lead and pull out of the EU, a move that could irrevocably damage the political union and crush the eurocurrency. France is the second-largest EU economy and was one of the six founding members.

As a result, this election will have implications across Europe and around the world, which has even led U.S. politicians to weigh in, with President Trump voicing support for Le Pen, and former President Obama endorsing Macron.
WASHINGTON  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.

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.
On Tuesday, Mary Munger will give Jodi Smith the keys to her new home at a dedication ceremony for the most recent Habitat for Humanity project.

Munger, 93, has dedicated most of her life to public service, first as a nurse and finally creating a foundation to fund dozens of organizations and projects in the community each year. This year, she wanted to do something for Habitat for Humanity and sponsored the renovation of two homes. Both homes will go to two women who are each single mothers to three children.

Jacob Kuntz, executive director of Habitat for Humanity in Helena, said Mungers work to make all systems more just is an inspiration.

Mary Munger is the perfect partner in the work were doing, he said.

Munger was born and raised in Butte and later attended nursing school at St. James School of Nursing in 1944.

Munger initially got involved in the Montana Nurses Association with a job answering phones, but she stayed for 16 years. She eventually took a position as executive director and worked to help nurses organize.

Working conditions for nurses was very, very bad, she said.

In 1963 as a lobbyist for MNA, Munger fought for legislation to allow nurses to collectively bargain. She continued to lobby until the bill, which had been nicknamed the blue-eyed nurse bill in her honor, passed three sessions later.

She later worked for the American Nurses Association and traveled to educate nurses on collective bargaining. In 1971 she resigned, and started a masters program at the University of California.

After graduation, she returned to Helena as a consultant with the state. She spent several years there before helping Carroll College get their nursing program accredited. She taught public health full-time at Carroll for six years and part-time for 10 years until she retired in 1991.

Since then, shes stayed involved with different nursing organizations and dedicated herself to giving away the money her family made after they became part owners of Valley Bank when her husband, Chub, sold the land it sits on.

Thats where I got my ability to help other people, she said. We worked hard all those years, but I didnt make any money as a nurse.

The Mungers had been married for 46 years when Chub died in 1999. He was so generous that early on Mary had to remind him they had bills to pay. When he was gone, Munger wanted to continue her work for the rights and education of nurses as well as continue her husbands legacy of generosity.

In 2008, Munger started a foundation to make small contributions in Helena and across the state to a variety of organizations.

Early in December, Munger read a story in the Independent Record about Habitat for Humanity donating its 32nd area home.

I wanted to do something big for Christmas, she said. I wanted to help Habitat for Humanity. I didnt realize it would do so much.

Before the house was finished, Munger came and saw all the volunteers who put in time to complete the home and met the mother who will soon move in with her family.

She was very sweet. We hugged each other, Munger said. I was thinking about my own mom.

Mungers father died when she was 12, and her mother raised four children on her own. It was difficult, but having a house provided a level of security.

We owned our home and that made all the difference in the world, she said. It meant so much to us.

Now, Smith and her three children will have a safe and reliable place to live.

Its a whole new chance at life, Munger said.

Munger will hand over the keys at a ceremony on Tuesday at 5:30 p.m. at 107 Clinton Ave. in East Helena.
The National Control Commission for the Election Campaign for the Presidential Election (CNCCEP) [official website, in French] on Saturday cautioned [press release, in French] media outlets against sharing information leaked from an alleged hack of a presidential candidate. The hackers have claimed to have stolen an estimated 9 gigabytes of data from the Emmanuel Macron [official profile, in French] campaign and the Macron-backed En Marche Party [official website, in French], although this information is yet to be verified. The leak spread with #MacronLeaks on social media. The CNCCEP warning reminded that French law forbids interference into elections and that a journalist may face criminal charges if they release any report on the information to the public. The CNCCEP stated [French translation]:

On the eve of the most important election deadline for our institutions, it calls on all actors present on websites and social networks, first and foremost the media, but also all citizens, Of responsibility and not to relay these contents, in order not to alter the sincerity of the vote, not to break the prohibitions laid down by the law and not to expose oneself to the commission of criminal offenses.

Additionally, as the laws prevent continued campaigning, Macron is prohibited by law from speaking on the alleged hacking until the election is over.

The number of instances of hacking, specifically as it relates to the political and/or governmental spectrum, has increased substantially in recent years posing significant social and legal implications [JURIST backgrounder] that transcend international borders. Last month Roman Seleznev, the son of a member of the Russian Parliament, was sentenced [JURIST report] to 27 years in prison for hacking into more than 500 US businesses, and stealing and selling millions of credit card numbers. Earlier the same month the Department of Justice (DOJ) announced [JURIST report] that it had effectively disrupted the Kelihos botnet, a network of thousands of virus ridden computers used to glean personal information and login credentials by distributing malicious software through spam emails. The week before that announcement Peter Yuryevich Levashov, long thought to be the creator of the Kelihos botnet, was arrested [Reuters report] in Spain on charges purportedly related to US claims that Russia interfered with the November 2016 US election. In March the Senate held hearings [JURIST report] on seeking to determine the level of Russian involvement in the election, one week after the FBI Director James Comey [official profile] confirmed [JURIST report] it had begun investigating Russian interference. Earlier the same month the DOJ announced [JURIST report] indictments for four Russian hackers in March related to an email hacking incident.
On behalf of the entire Yes for Helenas Schools committee, thank you to Erik Burke and the team at MEA-MFT for their overwhelming support and generosity during the Helena School Bond campaign.

MEA-MFTs dedication to public service and public education for Montanas children and Montanas families is not often widely recognized or appreciated. Their efforts in support of worthy causes often come with little fanfare but, when the impact on a community is so substantial, it is appropriate to say thank you and to recognize the efforts of tremendous individuals and the entire organization.

The impact on our committee and our home town was significant and it was noticed. Several hundred volunteers, parents, grandparents, teachers, administrators, students, business owners, and community leaders felt your support and, for the next 50 years, thousands of Helena students and families will feel it as well.

Thank you MEA-MFT from our committee and from the children you stood up for and continue to support.

Sincerely,

Tom McGree

Chairman, Yes for Helenas Schools
Tennessee Governor Bill Haslam [official website] on Friday signed [press release] SB 1085 [text, PDF] into law which mandates that undefined laws be given their natural and ordinary meaning. Dubbed the natural and ordinary meaning law, it requires that undefined words be given their natural and ordinary meaning, without forced or subtle construction that would limit or extend the meaning of the language, except when a contrary intention is clearly manifest. Some rights groups, such as the Human Rights Campaign [advocacy website] have raised concerns [HRC report] that this new law could create conflicts with LGBT protections and gay marriage provisions. In response to these concerns, Haslam stated:

Using a words ordinary meaning is a well-established principle of statutory construction. While I understand the concerns raised about this bill, the Obergefell decision is the law of the land, and this legislation does not change a principle relied upon by the courts for more than a century, mitigating the substantive impact of this legislation. Because of that I have signed HB 1111/SB 1085 into law.

The concept of giving laws their natural and ordinary meaning derives from the idea of textualism, of which the late Justice Antonin Scalia was an ardent advocate. More than en years ago, Scalia engaged in a rare televised debate [JURIST report] with the former president of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) [advocacy website] Nadine Strossen [official profile]. The two clashed on issues of constitutional interpretation and fundamental rights, with Scalia defending his textualist approach [backgrounder] to constitutional interpretation, which asks what constitutional language meant at the time it was adopted. Strossen had then responded: Im very distressed about your failure to find protections in the Constitution for the right of consenting individuals in their homes to decide what they see and read, and what type of sexual relations they have. LGBT protections are still disputed globally and many rights groups have raised concerns about the future of LGBT rights within the US since the November elections. The US Supreme Court [official website] on Monday declined to hear [JURIST report] an appeal challenging Californias 2012 ban on gay conversion therapy. In April Nigerian prosecutors in Kaduna charged [JURIST report] 53 men for celebrating an LGBTQ wedding in violation of the states law against unlawful assembly and the Same-Sex Marriage Prohibition Act. The same week Human Rights Watch (HRW) [advocacy website] and other advocacy groups urged

[JURIST report] UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres [official website] to investigate alleged abuse against LGBT people in Chechnya. A week earlier the US Department of Justice (DOJ) [official website] dropped [JURIST report] a federal lawsuit against the state of North Carolina over a bill requiring transgender people to use the public bathroom associated with their birth gender.
The Helena City Commission will meet Monday to finalize a revision to its regulation on community decay, but it could also signal interest in striking a requirement for signed complaints that would affect its rule on clearing sidewalks of snow and ice.

The 6 p.m. meeting is held in the commission chambers on the third floor of the City-County Building.

Removal of the requirement that community decay complaints be signed is proposed by Commissioner Andres Haladay.

If the ordinance is amended to remove the requirement for signed complaints the city would be moving away from that requirement for snow removal complaints, Mayor Jim Smith said.

George McCauley, a member of the citys advisory panel that receives complaints regarding accessibility under the federal Americans with Disability Act, has been a vocal opponent of the requirement for signed complaints for sidewalks not cleared of snow and ice.

City Manager Ron Alles said having signed community decay complaints allows city staff to communicate with those who have noted their concern.

Although the city doesnt patrol to look for sidewalks that havent been cleared of snow and ice, the city takes notice of other sidewalks that are visible and covered with snow, Alles said.

Commissioner Robert Farris-Olsen supported Haladays proposal and said I think it will be more effective if its anonymous.

Ultimately its the citys responsibility to ensure that there are clear pathways for pedestrians, he added of the citys snow removal regulation.

Commissioner Dan Ellison said he saw Farris-Olsens point but said he had mixed feelings because anonymous complaints can be prompted by disputes between neighbors.

He said he hadnt yet come to a decision on removing the requirement for signed complaints.

Haladay explained McCauleys concerns that requiring signed complaints creates angst among neighbors and those who complain will become ostracized.

Helenas regulation on clearing sidewalks of snow and ice was modified in 2015 to allow the city to act if property owners didnt.

The owners of residential properties have 24 hours to clear or sand their sidewalks after snow stops falling.

Business owners in the B-2 and B-3 districts have less time and can be required to clear their sidewalks of snow and ice within four hours after snow stops falling.

This past winter was the snowiest for Helena in 25 years, according to the National Weather Service.

According to data on citizen complaints regarding snow and sidewalks, the city had 35 snow events from December 2016 through March of this year. With the snow came 165 complaints regarding 208 locations.

McCauleys concern with icy sidewalks prompted him to email the commission on Feb. 9.

He wrote to say that 1 years of work went into revising the sidewalk ordinance. He also included many of the 129 photos he took of properties within a 20 minute walk of his home where snow had not been removed from sidewalks.

Early on in the discussions about revamping our policy I and others strongly suggested that the new policy be one of citywide code enforcement as opposed to the ineffective complaint driven method.

The current complaint driven process makes our citizens police officers and most of us just will not turn in our friends, that process should be borne by the city, McCauleys email continued.

Most of the discussions I have had with people about the process came to the same conclusion  people do not want to be charged with policing. I submit that the current process does not result in compliance and we need additional help with identifying violators and enforcement.
A secretly recorded tape in which Republican Congressional candidate Greg Gianforte says he is "thankful'' for the passage of legislation repealing the Affordable Care Act sheds light on the high stakes of Montana's special election.

Gianforte has made no secret that he favors replacing the health care plan pushed through by President Barack Obama and Democrats in Congress. "It's not working. It's in a death spiral,'' he told the Missoulian. "It needs to be repealed and replaced.''

But how that's done could have a dramatic impact in Montana, where the percentage of people without insurance dropped from 20 in 2012 to 7.4 percent last year, according to the Commissioner of Securities and Insurance.

A recent report by the Montana Budget and Policy Center predicts that 142,000 Montanans could lose insurance if the Affordable Care Act were repealed.

That makes the replacement plan particularly critical here, especially with an election to select Montana's lone House member in Congress only 18 days away and with the race tight.

"We're seeing numbers in the single digits with still a lot of undecided voters out there, and that's why this race is still in play,'' Sen. Steve Daines said on the tape first revealed Friday by the New York Times and verified by the Lee Montana newspapers.

On Thursday, the day the House voted 217-213 to repeal the Affordable Care Act, Gianforte's campaign issued a statement to Lee Montana saying he would not have supported the bill because he needed more details about what it would do.

"Greg has repeatedly said he will not support a bill until he knows it reduces premiums, preserves rural access, and protects Montanans with pre-existing conditions,'' the statement from campaign spokesman Shane Scanlon said. "As an engineer, Greg needs all the facts because it's important to know exactly what's in the bill before he votes on it.''

That same day, however, Gianforte held a private conference call with conservative donors in Washington, D.C., in which he expressed support for the legislation.

According to a tape of the call, Gianforte told the donors "that the votes in the House are going to determine whether we get tax reform done, sounds like we just passed a health care thing, which Im thankful for, that were starting to repeal and replace.

At a Friday editorial board meeting with the Missoulian, Gianforte was again expressing more caution.

"We got into this mess with Obamacare because someone famously said we need to pass it to find out what's in it,'' Gianforte told the Missoulian. "This bill just passed yesterday, I have not been privy to the conversations in D.C.

"If I was back in Washington, the three criteria I would make a decision on voting for or against a bill (are) No. 1, does it bring premiums down, No. 2, does it protect people with pre-existing conditions and, thirdly, does it preserve rural access. I haven't had enough time or been party to the conversations to know if the bill that passed yesterday does those three things. If it does, I would have voted for it; if it didn't, I wouldn't,'' he said. "We're learning about what's in it right now.''

The GOP health bill would eliminate the fines Obama's law imposed on people who didn't buy coverage, and erase the tax increases in the ACA on higher-earning people and the health industry. It would cut the Medicaid program for low-income people and let states impose work requirements on Medicaid recipients.

It would transform subsidies for millions buying insurance, which are now based largely on their incomes, making the funding skimpier and tying it to consumers' ages. And states could get federal waivers freeing insurers from other ACA coverage requirements.

With waivers, insurers could charge people with pre-existing illnesses far higher rates than healthy customers, boost prices for older people to whatever they wish, and ignore a mandate that they cover specified services such as pregnancy care.

Democrats believe Republican votes to repeal and replace the ACA will work to their political advantage, citing nationwide polls that show voters strongly support continued coverage for pre-existing conditions and other Obamacare provisions.

Gianforte told the donors Thursday that he needed their financial support because the stakes were high not only in Montana, but nationally.

Liberal Democrats are pouring money into the state in an effort to "stop the Trump train,'' he said. And his Democratic opponent, Rob Quist, has more than 30,000 individual donors to the Republican's 5,000.

"There is no question we could win this, but we could also lose it,'' Gianforte said on the tape.

Daines, who also participated in the call with donors, added that the outcome of the special election for the U.S. House could set the stage for the 2018 Senate race in Montana, in which incumbent Sen. Jon Tester, a Democrat from Big Sandy, is seeking re-election.

A Gianforte victory, Daines said, "would send a strong message that Tester is a vulnerable incumbent.'' He said Republicans already are courting a popular statewide elected official to get into the race to challenge the Democrat.

Holly Michels, Lee Montana state reporter, and the Associated Press contributed information for this story.
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Just Eat, the UK's biggest online takeaway service, has temporarily removed a Ramsgate restaurant at the centre of a gang rape trial from its website.

The move follows pressure from far right activists who have been campaigning against 555 Pizza and Kebab.

An ongoing trial at Canterbury Crown Court has heard workers at the Northwood Road takeaway raped a 16-year-old girl.

Restaurant owner Tamin Rahani, 37, of Northwood Road, Ramsgate, Shershah Muslimyar, 20, of Hovenden Close, Canterbury, Rafiullah Hamidy, 24, of no fixed abode, and a teenager who cannot be named for legal reasons, all deny three charges of rape.

Although the trial is not over the shop has become the focus of an online campaign.

This week the Britain First group released a video of its deputy leader Jayda Fransen loudly confronting female shop staff through its window while demanding male workers come out to face her.

She then states: "Just Eat  you should be a little bit more choosy about who you promote on your website."

The group said it had contacted Just Eat for comment but had received no reply.

Since the emergence of the video the Just Eat twitter account has been bombarded with messages from people including former EDL leader Tommy Robinson.

Just Eat is now responding to those who complain with the following tweet: "We were deeply saddened to hear. We've not been involved with investigations but have removed the restaurant whilst the trial is ongoing."

The trial heard the girl was repeatedly raped in a flat above the takeaway after coming in lost and drunk at the end of a night out.

It is due to resume on Monday.
BILLINGS  The Rev. Dr. Karen Oliveto is still bishop of the Mountain Sky Area of the United Methodist Church, which includes Montana.

That much is clear one week after the UMCs Judicial Council ruled that consecrating a gay bishop violates church law. But confusion still remains about the complex decision handed down by the denominations judiciary body.

The 19-page decision, which came on a 6-3 vote, was in response to questions concerning the legality of the nomination, election, consecration and assignment of a gay bishop. Oliveto was not named in the complaint.

She is, however, the first and only openly gay woman to serve as a bishop of the UMC. Oliveto was elected last July and assigned to oversee an area that includes Colorado, Wyoming, Montana, Utah and a sliver of Idaho.

After her election at the Western Jurisdictional Conference in Scottsdale, Arizona, Oliveto was consecrated by the jurisdictions College of Bishops. She previously served as pastor of the 11,000-member Glide Memorial Church in San Francisco.

Oliveto began her tenure on Sept. 1. But soon after her election by the Western Jurisdictional Conference, a complaint was filed with the Judicial Council.

A hearing was held in New Jersey on April 25, with the decision handed down three days later. The Judicial Council ruled only on the question of the bishops consecration.

It is not lawful for the college of bishops of any jurisdiction or central conference to consecrate a self-avowed practicing homosexual bishop, the decision said, citing the denominations Book of Discipline.

Up until the decision, the Book of Discipline more narrowly referred to people as homosexual if they publicly declared to denomination officials that they were homosexual and engaged in sexual acts with a person of the same gender.

The recent decision expanded that to say: A same-sex marriage license issued by competent civil authorities together with the clergy persons status in a same-sex relationship is a public declaration that the person is a self-avowed practicing homosexual.

Thats where the confusion comes in, said Richard Marsh, the attorney who represented the Western Jurisdiction in the hearing. Oliveto remains in good standing, he said, and a lot of language in the decision confuses her with a hypothetical future case.

Marsh referred to a section of the decision that said until a process is completed to decide if a clergy person meets the criteria of a self-avowed practicing homosexual, he or she remains in good standing.

It reads: There is no provision in The [Book of} Discipline making it lawful to deny consecration to a duly elected episcopal candidate in good standing without fair and due process, even if there are serious concerns about his or her same-sex marital status at the time of consecration.

Because Oliveto hasnt been part of such a process, she remains in good standing, Marsh said.

The Judicial Council acknowledged that she was in good standing, eligible for election and therefore had to be consecrated after she was elected, he said.

He sees the decision more applicable to the hypothetical election of an LGBTQ bishop in the future, and outlined procedures that need to be followed well before that person could become a candidate for bishop.

The expanded language is forward-looking, maintained Marsh, who lamented its effect on other LBGTQ clergy.

Any clergy in a same-sex marriage faces the fear of somebody digging up the license and filing charges and forcing that person to say I am not engaged in sex, which is kind of an incredible turn, Marsh said.

Mirrored conflict

In a statement released the day of the ruling, the Western Jurisdiction College of Bishops said the decision mirrors a conflict in the denomination.

The ruling is long and complicated, reinforcing the reality that the church is not of one mind about inclusion of LGBTQI people and practices outside heterosexual marriage, the bishops said.

The statement went on to say that while the Judicial Council ordered a review of Olivetos qualifications for ministry, the Western Jurisdiction is in the process of responding to complaints filed after her election.

This process will continue according to the provisions of our Book of Discipline, the bishops said.

The Rev. Rob Renfroe, president of Good News, the largest orthodox renewal movement in the UMC, differed from Marsh in his interpretation of the councils decision.

Were grateful that they ruled that Karen Olivetos consecration was unlawful, which the Book of Discipline clearly states, Renfroe said. We wish they had been able to indicate that she should be removed immediately.

He is frustrated that the Judicial Council turned the matter back over to the very people who elected her and who consecrated her.

And they did so knowing she was living in contrast to what the Book of Discipline says, Renfroe said. We have a track record with the bishops of the Western Jurisdiction, and its not one where they address matters swiftly or, in my opinion, with integrity.

By electing Oliveto and then consecrating her, Renfroe said, the Western Jurisdiction has made it very clear how dire our differences are and how difficult it will be to move forward together.

'2 churches ... 1 body'

In 2016, the UMCs Council of Bishops created the Commission on a Way Forward, representing all sides of the denomination, to scrutinize and possibly recommend revisions to the Book of Discipline related to human sexuality. The bishops have called a special General Conference for Feb. 23-26, 2019, to consider the recommendations in the commissions report.

The commission was an effort to find common ground between the progressive and orthodox sides of the UMC. Renfroe doesnt believe that is possible.

"There was no decision good or bad that was going to change the state of the United Methodist Church," he said. "And that is we are fractured and broken, and we find ourselves two churches that are within one body."

He hopes the commission will come up with a way for two sides with irreconcilable differences to go their separate ways.

Lets stop fighting, he said. Lets create a solution thats no-win, no-lose, where no one is punished, we set each other free, take our own property assets and are free to go our own ways.

Looking forward

Oliveto, who has been at the center of the storm, has spent the past week at the Council of Bishops meeting in Dallas. Waiting for the decision was hard, she said, adding that its part of a faith journey.

She was struck that the Judicial Council appears as conflicted as the rest of the UMC when it comes to the role of LGBTQ people.

Yet through all of this, the Holy Spirit has been incredibly precious to me and the people Ive worked with, she said. I felt very sustained by the prayers of people, not just my colleagues, but literally United Methodists around the world.

Oliveto is worried about what the ruling will mean for young people who feel called to the ministry but are gay.

Is their call going to be affirmed in the United Methodist Church or not? she said.

Oliveto is looking forward to continuing her work as bishop of the Big Sky Area. In the past seven months she has fallen head over heels in love with the clergy and laity and the vital ministry Ive seen there.

She said she wants to help strengthen churches, giving them the resources they need to be agents of Gods transforming love in their communities.

God has put a vision in our hearts in the work we do together, Oliveto said. The clergy and I continue to be inspired by each other to roll up our sleeves and dig even deeper into the work ahead of us.
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In medicine, we speak of seeing patients when we are rounding in the hospital or caring for those who come to our clinics. But what about those people who may be sick but do not seek care? What is our responsibility to the patients we do not see?

This question takes on greater urgency in the current political climate, as patients face the threat of losing health insurance. Renewed efforts to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act leave millions wondering whether they will be covered.

For me, as a physician practicing in the safety net, abstract numbers evoke the very real stories of my uninsured patients. One of my patients, whom Ill call Elsa, had not seen a doctor since immigrating to the United States 15 years ago. That abruptly changed one morning: She awoke to find the room spinning around her and, terrifyingly, she could not articulate the words to explain to her husband what was going on. She was having a stroke.

There are many reasons that patients like Elsa may not seek care  until they have no choice. Although she felt no symptoms before her stroke, Elsa was one of about 13 million U.S. adults with undiagnosed high blood pressure. I wondered if making her aware of her blood pressure would have been enough to avoid her suffering.

But even if high blood pressure may sit atop the list of problems I write out, from his or her perspective it may not crack the top five. Food security, job stability, child care and affordable housing understandably feel more urgent. Time and again, I have learned that taking care of my patients starts by trying to walk a mile in their shoes.

Why patients may not seek care

Sometimes, forgoing care is a symptom of social isolation. I asked another patient of mine  whom I had recently diagnosed with uncontrolled, likely longstanding diabetes  about his eating habits. I learned that in his routine, he would go for days at a time without interacting with another person; he did not have any family nearby and worked from his home computer.

Aside from deterring access to care, loneliness and social isolation have direct effects on health. One review of 148 studies showed that the influence of social relationships on the risk of death was comparable with risk factors such as obesity and alcohol use.

In other cases, the health care system must take responsibility for barriers to patients that we ourselves erect. Beyond costs, structural barriers include inadequate language interpretation services and the assumption of health literacy when conveying information. Meanwhile, historical inequities often underlie wary attitudes toward health care.

Dr. Mary Bassett, the health commissioner of New York City, has spoken plainly about this: We must explicitly and unapologetically name racism in our work to protect and promote healthWe must deepen our analysis of racial oppression, which means remembering some uncomfortable truths about our shared history.

In the same vein, new immigration policies may have a chilling effect on the willingness of people like Elsa to see a doctor, if they perceive negative repercussions for themselves or their families.

Many patients with the greatest unmet needs are therefore marginalized, with only glancing interactions with the health system  or none at all, in the most wrenching cases of suicide, drug overdose and other chronic illnesses that end in catastrophe.

When they do seek care, it is sporadic. They may show up in the ER, but not to a primary care follow-up appointment. If an ensuing phone call goes unanswered, or their phone is out of service, we label them as lost to follow-up and move on to the next patient on the list.

What needs to change

Doing better by these patients will require moving the locus of accountability for health further into communities. It means bringing more of a public health mindset to health care; that is, not reflexively restricting our purview to those who happen to cross our clinics threshold.

Hospitals and health systems must have the humility to reach across boundaries and partner with local institutions that are sometimes more trusted, and often more relevant, in peoples daily lives, including churches, schools, food pantries and parks.

In one recent example, the 54 branches of the Free Library of Philadelphia were shown to be vital community nodes for health-related services like literacy programs, healthy eating initiatives, job fairs and food preparation courses. Public libraries are particular safe havens for those experiencing mental illness, substance use disorders and homelessness  as well as youth and recent immigrants. We should consider how the these locations are therefore already a part of our health ecosystem.

Doctors and other clinicians may balk at trying to take care of the patients we do not see. After all, with the harried pace set by the 15-minute office visit, it is hard enough to keep up with the patients we do see. But the goal is not to schedule doctors appointments for all library-goers, but rather to equip them to be better stewards of their own health, which sometimes involves health care providers, sometimes not. While physicians cant do it alone, we can lend our voices to those calling for greater outreach, less stigma and protection of the most vulnerable.

Prevention, not regression

In Elsas case, when she had her stroke, she was rushed to the ER and received excellent care from the hospital team. Neurologists treated the blocked vessels in her brain and diagnosed her with a narrowed heart valve and high blood pressure.

As a doctor in a system that accepts all patients, regardless of ability to pay, I was proud to be a part of her follow-up care. She underwent heart valve surgery, and we put her on blood thinners and blood pressure medicines to reduce her risk of another stroke. Her rehabilitation, all things considered, was going well. The health care system had reacted to Elsas crisis with swift competence.

At our last clinic visit, my mind turned to what could have been done to prevent her stroke. But the chances to intervene were too few. She and her husband made a living as bottle-pickers; they spent hours every day sifting through trash for bottles to recycle. Elsa told me they made enough money to get by, since they lived with her nephew. But visiting me in clinic, not to mention a cardiologist, neurologist and physical therapist, cost her time and thus cash.

And so for every Elsa who walks into our clinic I know there is another patient we do not see.

With health coverage for millions of Americans in limbo, we must speak out and organize just to keep seeing the many patients who have been newly brought into care. And at the same time, we must develop better ways to find and support people like Elsa  even before we see them as patients.

Dave A. Chokshi is an internal medicine physician and chief population health officer, NYC Health + Hospitals, New York, NY. He can be reached on Twitter @davechokshi. This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the original article.

Image credit: Shutterstock.com
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By Nam Hyun-woo



Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering (DSME) faces a possible delay in its debt readjustment as an individual investor holding DSME bonds appealed a court approval of its bailout plan.



An individual DSME bondholder recently filed an appeal with the Tongyeong Branch of Changwon District Court over the shipbuilder's debt restructuring.



The branch approved the plan on April 21, after DSME's creditor banks and institutional investors held a series of meetings to finalize its debt readjustment in mid-April.



The state-run Korea Development Bank (KDB), DSME's main creditor, and the government proposed to roll over half of DSME debts worth 1.35 trillion won ($1.2 billion), and exchange the other half for DSME shares.



KDB and the Financial Services Commission said last March that the state-run bank will provide about 3 trillion won in fresh loans to DSME after all parties agree to its debt bailout plan.



The individual investors' complaint could pose a setback to DSME's liquidity injections.



Even though it is unlikely to overturn the state bailout decision, it could delay the normalization of DSME as the investor could further appeal the case with the top court.



DSME is said to be persuading the investor to drop the appeal.



KDB said it will carry on its plan to put the shipbuilder back on track.



"The appeal will not stop the restructuring of DSME," a KDB official said.



KDB added it will form a DSME normalization committee comprised of experts from the private sector this week.



The committee will operate and make a decision independently without interference from KDB, DSME and another state-run DSME creditor, the Export-Import Bank of Korea.



The eight-man committee will oversee DSME debt management and the normalization process of the company.



Also, it will be in charge of appointing executives of the shipbuilder and setting up DSME's asset liquidation plan.



The DSME labor union and management agreed to return 10 percent of all employees' salaries as part of its self-rehabilitation.



The company plans to cut costs by 25 percent this year and reduce the number of employees.



The number of DSME employees stood at over 10,000 as of the end of last year, down 3,500 from June 2015.



Also, the company will sell its assets, including real estate, to secure cash.



It has so far sold two of its shipyard docks, and is in the process of selling more docks and cranes.



After the bailout and restructuring, KDB plans to sell DSME to either Samsung Heavy Industries or Hyundai Heavy Industries as the country seeks to reorganize the shipbuilding sector and create two big shipbuilders from three.



DSME made a profit for the first time in more than four years, as it posted an operating profit of 300 billion won in the first quarter of this year.



DSME posted a 38.1 billion won operating loss and a 3.4 billion won net loss in the first quarter of last year. Its first quarter sales dropped by 20.1 percent from the previous year, because of a plunge in new orders. DSME had been suffering losses after posting a surplus in the last quarter of 2012.




The tourism industry is picking up in Gyeongju, North Gyeongsang Province, after being shaken by earthquakes last September.



The number of visitors increased over 90 percent from a year earlier, reaching 3.5 million as of late April.



More than 70 percent of the growth came in April, thanks to cherry blossom festivals there. The city's industry has also benefited from the many holidays in early May, as people rushed to reserve spots in hotels and condos, most of which had been fully booked weeks ahead.



Hotels, restaurants and major attractions have drawn throngs of people with big sale events, which will continue until May 14.



For the industry that has almost seen a full recovery from last year's shock, one task still remains: bringing back school field trips. The number of school trips plunged, with some schools even canceling prearranged visits, as more than 600 mild quakes have occurred since. Only 30 schools have visited or are planning to bring their students to the ancient city of Silla Kingdom, previously a popular field trip destination.



One city government official commented, "Unlike individual tourists, we have seen less and less student groups visiting the area. Students and parents seem anxious about the aftershocks although they haven't caused further damage."



Gyeongju City and North Gyeongsang Province have embarked on full restoration efforts, such as providing safety information for facilities scheduled for use during school visits.




Fashion model and disk jockey Kim Ki-bum / Courtesy of YG KPLUS



By Kim Jae-heun



Model Kim Ki-bum is one of the hottest disk jockeys on the Korean fashion scene who is in his fourth year of turning music at almost all the luxury brands' pop-up store opening events here. Kim has played tunes at presentations of new collections for Chanel, Dior, Ralph Lauren and Michael Kors. Italian luxury brand Gucci contacted him privately to play at their party after watching footage of him playing the turntable on his instagram that 229,000 fans follow currently.

Kim was only a popular fashion model before he lost nearly 25 kilograms in a month to walk on the runway. He was only an 18-year old high school student then.

Although he was not desperate to become a model in the first place, his determination to be top in his field led him to debut through the Caruso collection in the first appearance on the local fashion scene. Caruso is one of the most prestigious designer brands in Seoul, led by designer Chang Kwang-hyo.

"I gain weight very easily and even now, I run on a tread mill every day," said Kim during an interview with The Korea Times at a cafe in Gangnam, Seoul, last Tuesday. "It's really boring and hard work to work out regularly and music helped me endure it.

"I liked listening to house music and it was then I began to search for various kinds. I soon fell in love with the progressive house genre, especially with the Swedish disk jockey team Swedish House Mafia. They were like the big names in the field and I liked their song Don't You Worry Child," said Kim.

Since then, the fashion model has listened to all albums of the Swedish group and looked for similar types. When he met his friends at their favorite restaurant, Kim played his music there connecting his phone to the speaker, because people liked his musical choices.

"Then I thought why not play music on my own? and I bought a small turntable called GO DJ. I watched YouTube and learned how to manipulate the machine by myself. I practiced mixing music by following the skills that my favorite disk jockeys showed through video clips online," said Kim.





Fashion model and disk jockey Kim Ki-bum / Courtesy of YG KPLUS



Then, he had a chance to play music at his model agency's party and the company began to give him jobs at fashion events after witnessing his decent DJ-ing skill.

Kim is now an established DJ playing music at local big name clubs like Octagon, Answer and Syndrome. He is also working on producing music, for which he uses Musical Instrument Digital Interface (MIDI) work.

Twice a week, Kim goes "digging" for new songs on the music streaming service "Sound Cloud." He checks out all the new tracks that his favorite artists have shared online or recommends or downloads recorded podcasts of high-profile disk jockeys and learns their tricks.

"Playing music as a DJ is no longer my hobby. It is becoming a job for me but that doesn't mean that I am satisfied with my level now. One day I want to play music at a music festival in Miami.

"When I only worked as a fashion model, it was really competitive and I could barely breathe. DJ-ing was like a resting point where I could relieve my stress. Now it has given me another talent to distinguish myself from models without an identity," added Kim.
Fashion model and ceo of Sohn Sohn Grilled Chicken restaurant Sohn Min-ho / Courtesy of Sohn Min-ho (Olive Magazine)



By Kim Jae-heun



Sohn Min-ho, 29, has been modeling for 10 years and he has no doubt that modeling is God's calling for him. Lately he came to hear his inner voice about a humble profession that he'd like to pursue during the rest of his life _ that of being an owner of a small chicken restaurant.

His dream has since gone specific. Sohn wants a mom-and-pop chicken store, rather than a franchise having nationwide eatery chains.

"I did not live an ordinary life when I was young," said Sohn during the interview with The Korea Times at Sohn Sohn Grilled Chicken restaurant in Doota Mall, central Seoul, Friday. "I had to help my parents financially, working part times jobs. While working at a chicken restaurant, I could not help envying the old married couple working together happily. Since then, it was my dream to own a chicken restaurant and live a normal life with my wife."

With all the money he earned as a model in eight years, Sohn opened a shop in Itaewon in Dec. 2015.












North Korea said Sunday that it has detained yet another U.S. citizen for conducting "hostile acts," raising the number of U.S. citizens known to be detained in the reclusive state to four.

The state-run Korean Central News Agency reported that Kim Hak-song was detained on Saturday with an investigation underway into "his crimes."

The U.S. citizen had been working for Pyongyang University of Science and Technology, the KCNA added.

The detention came after the North announced on Wednesday that Kim Sang-dok, a U.S. citizen who was invited to teach at the same university, was arrested on April 22 for "committing criminal acts of hostility aimed to overturn the DPRK."












Bareun Party presidential candidate Yoo Seong-min speaks at a news conference at the party's branch in Daegu, Sunday. He stressed he is the only person who can achieve the nation's renovation, asking voters to harshly judge those who cling to old politics. / Yonhap
By Rachel Lee



A delegation from Korea's leading investment and marketing companies has left for Cambodia for a promotional event on May 8-9, at the invitation of the Council for the Development of Cambodia (CDC).



The "Investment Promotion Seminar," co-hosted by the ASEAN-Korea Centre, aims to provide the Korean representatives with up-to-date information on investment policies, incentives and projects in Cambodia's agro-industry. The mission is expected to visit industrial sites and have business meetings, according to the organization.



"With stable GDP growth of 7 percent and the investment-friendly policies of the government, Cambodia is gaining attention as an attractive investment destination for Korean companies," ASEAN-Korea Centre Secretary General Kim Young-sun said.



"In line with the Cambodia Industrial Development Policy 2015-2025, the ASEAN-Korea Centre has organized its Investment Mission Program in the agro-industry, one of the country's prioritized sectors for industrial development.



"I hope this program serves as a platform not only for the Korean investors to explore new business opportunities in Cambodia, but also for the country to accelerate its industrial development."



CDC Secretary General Sok Chenda Sophea, Korean Ambassador to Cambodia Kim Weon-jin and the ASEAN-Korea Centre secretary general are expected to attend the opening ceremony at Raffles Hotel, Phnom Penh, on May 9.



After the ceremony, there will be presentations on Cambodia's investment promotion policies, incentives and projects in the agro-industry by Cambodia Investment Board Deputy Secretary General Chea Vuthy and a senior government official from the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fishery. Representatives from the Korea-Cambodia Agro-industry Association and the Korea International Cooperation Agency will also share their success stories and practical information on doing business in Cambodia.



As part of the program, one-on-one business meetings will be held to offer the Korean delegation an opportunity to find possible partners for further business. The mission will also visit the Phnom Penh Special Economic Zones and the Cambodia Rice Federation to gain information on recent developments in Cambodia's agro-industry and explore potential cooperation with local players. Korean companies that have successfully invested in Cambodia will share their experiences and success stories with the mission during the business consultation meeting.












By Rachel Lee



The Embassy of Azerbaijan says the country will organize the International Real Estate and Investment Exhibition (RecExpo III) on Nov. 23-25.



The expo aims to "bring together different international companies and create unique opportunities for Azerbaijani and foreign estate, construction and investment companies to interact and conclude business," the embassy said. It will be the third time the expo has been held.



The second expo was last November at the Baku Expo Center. More than 100 projects from eight countries, including Turkey, the United Arab Emirates, Russia, Italy, Lithuania, Georgia and Cyprus, featured.



The embassy said 91 local and international exhibitor companies participated, with 152 real estate projects from countries including Spain, Portugal, Georgia, Hungary and Luxembourg.



"Seven thousand visitors from Azerbaijan and nearby countries were hosted at the show," an embassy spokesperson said.



The embassy said it is looking for Korean companies interested in participating in this year's expo at the Baku center. For more information, contact r.m.abdullayev89@gmail.com or visit rec-expo.net.




By Jun Ji-hye



The Ministry of National Defense plans to dispatch military officers to Laos, Iran and Jordan as part of its efforts to enhance cooperation with countries that have traditionally maintained ties with North Korea, officials said Sunday.



The ministry will choose field-grade officers to be dispatched to the three countries  one for each  officials said, noting that the measure is aimed at raising pressure on the Kim Jong-un regime that continues to push ahead with its nuclear ambitions.



Exactly when the officers will be dispatched has yet to be determined, they added.



Vice Defense Minister Hwang In-moo visited Laos from June 29 to July 1 last year, during which time he agreed with his Laotian counterpart on Seoul's dispatch of a military officer to the Southeast Asian nation.



Before this, former President Park Geun-hye held summit talks with King Abdullah II of Jordan in Seoul in September 2015 and discussed ways of strengthening bilateral cooperation. Park also made the nation's first state visit to Iran in May of last year and discussed measures toward denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula.



"The decision to dispatch military officers to those countries is in line with agreements made during a separate summit with Laotian and Iranian leaders," said an official, asking not to be named.




Small firms criticize them as populist' pledge

By Lee Kyung-min

Five leading presidential candidates are seeking to reduce the current 68 hour-a-week working hours set by the government. But their plan is drawing a backlash mostly from small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) as they will need to bear the burdens for further holidays and extra pay.

Many of them complain such a "populist" campaign pledge will force them to shut down their businesses due to uncontrollable labor costs.

Frontrunner Moon Jae-in of the Democratic Party of Korea and Hong Joon-pyo of the conservative Liberty Korea Party both pledged they would reduce working hours to 52 a week.












By Lee Kyung-min

Firefighters conducted overnight operations, Sunday, to put out a wildfire that has burned more than 100 hectares, the equivalent to 140 times the size of a football field, in the eastern city of Samcheok, Gangwon Province.



Korea Forest Service (KFS) said 340 officers will be mobilized to continue efforts to put out the fire that broke out Saturday.



After sundown, 26 firefighting helicopters and 3,200 officers returned home due to poor visibility at night. At least 15 firefighting helicopters and 1,500 officers resumed operations to put out fire at sunrise Sunday.



The cause of the fire remains unclear, authorities said.



"Dispatching officers on the ground is difficult as the mountainous area is very steep and highly dangerous for them to conduct operations on," a KFS official said.



"Water from the helicopters is feared to scatter in the air, not touching the ground. Extremely dry air and strong wind is also exacerbating the situation," he added.



When a wind blows at the speed of 6 meters per second, a fire spreads up to 15 meters farther within a minute compared to no wind.



"We believe the fire could have traveled up to 26 times faster on the back of the wind," he added.













Firefighters are also trying put out a fire in a mountainous area near Gangneung. They have extinguished a fire in Sangju, North Gyeongsang Province. The fires in these two locations broke out Saturday.



The Gangneung fire was initially thought to be contained Sunday night after destroying 33 private houses and 50 hectares of forest, but it reignited, the authorities said. More than 310 residents were ordered to evacuate their homes.



The fire started on a hill near Daegwallyeong, a major mountain pass on the Taebaek Mountain range, around 3:30 p.m. Saturday.



Meanwhile, the fire in Sangju started at 2:13 p.m. Saturday and was extinguished after about 20 hours.



According to the Sangju city government and the forest authority, the fire was put out on Sunday after damaging 13 hectares of forest.



One mountain climber was killed and two others were injured due to the blaze and taken to a nearby hospital.



Authorities said 215 nearby residents were ordered to evacuate.



According to data compiled by the Gangwon Province over three years, an average of 808 fires break out every year.

Almost two-thirds, or 65.4 percent, were caused by careless activities by mountain climbers.



Cigarette butts not completely put out accounted for the most (36 percent), followed by burning trash (21 percent).



A fire on March 9 in Okkye, Gangneung, that destroyed 75 hectares was caused by cigarette butts thrown away by two smokers.



Authorities advised against bringing lighters or other equipment for cooking, saying precaution is always the best option to countermeasures after the fact.



Under the law, arson is a criminal offense punishable by seven years in prison. An individual who set a fire without premeditation is also subject to a prison term of up to three years or a 15 million won ($13,000) fine.
Moon Jae-in from the Democratic Party of Korea gives a free hug to a supporter on his back in Seoul's Hongdae district on Saturday. / Yonhap



By Ko Dong-hwan





An unidentified man threatened to assassinate Moon Jae-in in an online post, above, at DC Inside, May 5.

An anonymous online threat to assassinate a leading presidential candidate turned out to be a nonsensical flop.

An unidentified man, 26, turned himself in to Goseong-gun police in South Gyeongsang Province on Friday evening, confessing that hours earlier he had threatened online to assassinate Moon Jae-in the next day while he was giving free hugs to citizens in Hongdae district in western Seoul.

The unemployed college graduate told police he posted the threat as a joke to see how people would react.

But when the post went viral, he became frightened and decided to confess.

Ninety minutes earlier, he had apologized to visitors to animation/cartoon online site Ruliweb for making the threat, saying he "did it out of curiosity" and asking for"forgiveness."

"I had no intention to provoke fans of Joosik Gallery," the man said in the apology, referring to a section at online community site DC Inside where he posted the threat 10 minutes before.

He said he was "a fool," "indiscreet" and would "never do such a thing."

Moon, who leads the Democratic Party of Korea, promised on May 3 that if the turnout for early voting on May 4 and 5 was 25 percent or higher, he would give free hugs at the following day.

The figure hit 26 percent  more than 11 million votes  nationwide, and Moon kept his promise Saturday evening.

In the threat, the suspect said he would"pretend to give Moon a free hug before killing him."

Along with the insidious message was a black and white photo of an ultra-right male political supporter about to stab to death a high-profile Japanese politician giving a speech in 1960.

The threat was referred to Mapo police, who oversee the district, according to online news outlet The Fact.

Police said the man appeared to have no particular affinity to any political party and was unlikely to be charged.
Ex-ruling party slammed for regressing to old, pro-Park days

By Jun Ji-hye

The Liberty Korea Party (LKP), successor to the former ruling Saenuri Party, is facing criticism over two controversial decisions to lift disciplinary actions against key loyalists to former President Park Geun-hye and to accept lawmakers who defected from its splinter, the Bareun Party.

Critics say the LKP is virtually returning to the old, pro-Park party despite its earlier promise to be renovated into a new and rational conservative party. That public promise was made when the party changed its name from the Saenuri Party to the LKP in February as part of efforts to end the crisis caused by the massive corruption scandal involving Park, who was removed from office the following month.

Rep. Lee Cheol-woo, an LKP campaign chief, announced Saturday that the two decisions were made in accordance with the "special order" from the party's presidential candidate Hong Joon-pyo.





Hong Joon-pyo

"We made the decision on Hong's special order designed to win the election and consolidate conservative forces," Lee told a news conference at party headquarters.

Following the decisions, disciplinary actions imposed by the party's ethics committee against seven lawmakers, including three pro-Park figures  Suh Chung-won, Choi kyoung-hwan and Yoon Sang-hyun  were lifted.

The committee earlier suspended the memberships of Suh and Choi for three years and Yoon's membership for one year to hold them responsible for the scandal.

Also, 56 people, including 13 lawmakers who defected from the Bareun Party, were allowed to return to the LKP. This increased the LKP's National Assembly seats to 107.

The defectors, including Reps. Kweon Seong-dong and Kim Sung-tae, quit the Bareun Party on May 2, to support Hong because his popularity was increasing among conservative voters, while Bareun Party candidate Yoo Seong-min was suffering from low support.

But LKP pro-Park lawmakers opposed the defectors' return, claiming they previously left the Saenuri Party when it suffered a severe blow from Park's corruption scandal and voted in favor of Park's impeachment.

The two decisions came after Hong asked the party leadership to approve them, Thursday, saying, "Everyone needs to be forgiven, and we need to be consolidated into one party to win the election."

The leadership, including floor leader Rep. Chung Woo-taik, opposed the move because of a possible adverse impact on party harmony. So the decisions, made on Hong's special order without the leadership's approval, are inviting criticism not only from rival parties and outside critics, but also from party members.

The Bareun Party strongly criticized the LKP, calling the decisions "backdoor dealings" that ridiculed voters ahead of the election.

"The LKP will not be able to avoid judgment by the public," Rep. Kim Se-yeon, campaigning chief for Yoo, said Sunday.

Rep. Kim said that 13 lawmakers' defection showed dubious morality because they had done so simply because Yoo's popularity was lower than Hong's.

Kim added that disciplinary actions against pro-Park figures were lifted even before they had done any self-reflection at all.

"The LKP has crippled its own ethics committee by making unethical decisions," Kim said.
In the left photo, Moon Jae-in, presidential candidate of the Democratic Party of Korea, consoles a resident in forest fire-damaged Gangneung, Gangwon Province, Sunday. Hong Joon-pyo of the Liberty Korea Party, center, receives a gift from a senior voter in Geoje, South Gyeongsang Province, ahead of Parents' Day which falls today. Ahn Cheol-soo of the People's Party offers encouragement to a volunteer for the fire victims of an elementary school in Gangneung. / Yonhap



By Choi Ha-young

Presidential candidates went all out to woo voters in their final campaigning over the weekend. With the election only two days away, they crisscrossed the country to meet as many voters as they could.

On Sunday, four of the five main candidates rushed to Gangneung, Gangwon Province, where a large forest fire had broken out, to look into the victims' losses and inspect disaster prevention systems. Moon Jae-in of the Democratic Party of Korea (DPK), Ahn Cheol-soo of the People's Party, Yoo Seong-min of the Bareun Party and Sim Sang-jung of the Justice Party made the trip.

The previous day, Moon, who led multiple opinion surveys through last week, attracted around 30,000 citizens on his "free hug" tour of Hongdae, Seoul, to keep his promise to hold the event if the early voting turnout surpassed 25 percent  the final tally was 26.06 percent.

For the last few days, Ahn has sought to impress voters with his "campaigning on foot," which was broadcast live on Facebook. He walked 13,488 steps Friday and 12,338 steps Saturday. After his visit to Gangneung Sunday, he continued walking in Seoul.

Ahn has been appealing to conservative voters who turned from him to Hong Joon-pyo of the Liberty Korea Party (LKP) according to last week's polls.

Hong, who was on an upswing in the polls, visited the southern cities of Geoje, Tongyeong, Masan, Yangsan and Busan. This was his third visit to the Gyeongsang area, home turf of the conservatives, during the past week.












By Kim Bo-eun



The growing seriousness of fine dust blanketing the nation has emerged as a main issue ahead of the presidential election on May 9.



Mindful of this, major presidential candidates are coming up with pledges to tackle the worsening problem.



Over the weekend, Korea suffered through the year's worst fine dust.



Fine dust warnings were issued in 12 cities and counties nationwide, Saturday, as concentrations reached up to 330 micrograms per cubic meter.



Candidates' measures, however, have drawn criticism as they appear insufficient and lack feasibility.



Frontrunner Moon Jae-in of the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea has proposed decreasing coal-fired power plants. The plan is to prevent the new construction of plants and close existing ones.



However, it is uncertain how his government will realize the plan, as hundreds of billions of won have already been invested into business rights, sites and construction of the plants.



The government will have to provide compensation for the plants to operators to give up their businesses, and this could cost as much as 1 trillion won.



In addition, measures do not cover how the reduced energy supply will be substituted for.



If it is substituted by environmentally-friendly energy such as water, wind and solar power, energy production costs will rise, due to the current lack of infrastructure in renewable energy. This will inevitably lead to a hike in electricity bills.



Ahn Cheol-soo of the minor opposition People's Party also backs the cancellation of new construction of coal-fired power plants and lowering the operation rates of plants to 70 percent during seasons with high levels of fine-dust.



Moreover, Ahn has vowed to boost sales of LPG vehicles, which do not emit fine dust, by eliminating regulations in sales.



But while LPG vehicles do not emit fine dust, CO2 emissions are around 30 percent higher than diesel vehicles.



Meanwhile, Hong Joon-pyo of the conservative Liberty Korea Party has backed greater use of environment-friendly vehicles, and limiting the use of old diesel vehicles and buses.



He has pledged to have environment-friendly vehicles account for 35 percent of sales of new automobiles by 2022.



However, the details of the plan, such as what kind of regulations will be made, or how much in subsidies will be provided, are missing.



At the same time, because some of the dust also comes from China, all candidates have promised to seek international cooperation in resolving the issue.



Moon said he will have heads of state discuss the fine dust issue of Northeast Asia. Ahn said he will take the issue to international organizations such as the UN. Hong proposed drawing up an international body to improve air quality in Northeast Asia.



But in order to call for cooperation from neighboring countries such as China, studies will first need to clarify how much the domestic and international sources are contributing to the dust problem. Such studies have yet to be conducted.



"Fine dust, which in the past was simply a part of climate and energy policies, has now become a separate issue," the Korea Federation for Environmental Movements said in a statement.



"Industries must switch to low energy based systems, use of increased public transportation and the expanded use of renewable energy."








Recent high levels of fine dust are drawing attention on how to keep safe and avoid health risks.



Guidelines from the environment ministry caution about going outside, while people should wear ministry-certified masks for outdoor activities.



After returning home, one should wash off the dust thoroughly and drink sufficient amounts of water and take vitamin C supplements.



Indoor air quality also needs to be managed, by ventilating and mopping.



Hourly fine dust levels can be checked at airkorea.or.kr or on the Air Korea app.



The government measures fine dust with a four-level barometer_ - 0 to 30 micrograms per cubic meter is "good," 31 to 80 "average," 81 to 150 "bad" and 151 and above "very bad."



Outings are fine under good levels; and cautioned against for children, the elderly and those with respiratory and cardiopulmonary diseases under average levels. Under bad levels, these individuals are advised not to go outside, and under very bad levels, this applies for everyone.



Fine dust can pose health risks as is enters the body because the small particles are not filtered through the nose or lungs.



It can cause inflammation, rhinitis, bronchitis and cardiovascular as well as eye diseases.



The dust can be particularly harmful as it is composed not only of sand particles, but also chemicals from industrial areas.




By Ricardo Hausmann



CAMBRIDGE  What do Huntsville (Alabama), Princeton (Indiana), Georgetown (Kentucky), Blue Springs (Mississippi), San Antonio (Texas), Buffalo (West Virginia), and Greer (South Carolina) have in common? They are the locations where Toyota and BMW built their manufacturing plants in the United States. None is in the US Rust Belt  the tract of industrial towns stretching from Michigan to eastern Pennsylvania  where much of the car industry and its suppliers were traditionally located.



Evidently, the US Rust Belt's decline was not the exclusive doing of China and Mexico. It was also caused by the auto industry's geographic spread into other regions of the US, out of the clusters in which it had originally been concentrated. And this shift resulted not so much because GM moved its plants, but because it lost market share to Toyota, Nissan, Honda, Hyundai, BMW, and Mercedes-Benz.



Of course, pointing this out does not reduce the pain for those affected. But it does change the policy implications  and the lessons from the US example are relevant worldwide.



Two approaches have been pursued so far to help communities affected by this phenomenon. The first is embodied in the US Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA) program, which provides workers affected by international competition with financial support for retraining, job search, relocation, income maintenance, and health insurance. The second approach is to provide trade protection to affected industries, as US President Donald Trump has promised to do.



Neither approach is likely to help the Rust Belt. Any economy's success is very much affected by the performance of that sliver of activities that can sell their output to outsiders. And what is true for countries is also true for states, cities, and towns, provided we redefine what we mean by selling to "outsiders." These "export" activities have an outsize and amplified impact on the growth of the local economy as a whole.



Every geographic area must buy products it does not make and pay for them by selling to outsiders some of the output that it does make. But outsiders have the option of buying from others. So, these "export" activities face a level of competition that the local grocer, coffee shop, or barber does not.



Moreover, the income brought into the community by the "exporters" creates a large multiplier effect. When a mine shuts down, the result is not just unemployed miners. The grocer, coffee shop, and barber go out of business, and everybody leaves, turning the place into a ghost town.



The disruption can be caused not only by an industrial closure. Once upon a time, there were many relatively small department-store chains and other retailers with headquarters spread throughout the US and outlets in a few towns. These headquarters brought income into their town by providing back-office services to their network of stores.



But consolidation in the retail industry, driven in part by Walmart and Amazon, dealt a deathblow to many of these companies. The impact on the local communities where these retailers were headquartered was as devastating as a mine closure: the "export" activity ceased and towns shrank by a multiple of each "export job" lost. Video rentals, bookstore chains, pharmacies, home improvement stores, electronics and camera shops, catalog stores, and more: all went the way of the horse and buggy. At the start of 2017, Walmart had 5,332 stores in the US. It is headquartered in Bentonville, Arkansas, where it employs more than 18,000 workers.



Clearly, trade protection does not help if Detroit is competing with Blue Springs, Mississippi. Nor do import tariffs help those left unemployed by the bankruptcy of Blockbuster Video, Borders Books, CompUSA, Circuit City, Payless, or Virgin Megastores. In the meantime, employment at Amazon grew by 47% over the past year, to 341,000 people. But with Amazon employment concentrated in California, Texas, and Washington, the geography of those jobs is very different from that of those it is replacing.



As with the geographic relocation of US manufacturing jobs, TAA is not a solution for this kind of ailment. After all, whereas TAA targets individuals directly impacted by foreign competition, much of the competition faced by local economies is not coming from abroad, and many of the jobs being lost are not in the industries directly affected by outside competition, but in the surrounding economy. Facilitating individuals' relocation does nothing for those left behind in shrinking towns.



With industry after industry disrupted by technological change, much of this pain is hard to avoid. But interventions at the individual level must be complemented with assistance at the level of local economies. The goal should be clear: as a town's "export" industries are disrupted, new "export" activities must take their place, lest the town shrink and become impoverished. This highlights the need for what UK Prime Minister Theresa May has called a Modern Industrial Strategy, aimed at "delivering jobs and economic growth to every community and corner of the country" to "ensure [that] free trade and globalization work for all."



To achieve this, a new set of place-based policies will be needed. The point is not to prop up dying industries, but to increase the birth rate and reduce the infant-mortality rate of firms in industries that can take their place, especially those that can sell to "outsiders," reconnecting each location with external and increasingly global markets.



In their recent book The Smartest Places on Earth, Antoine van Agtmael and Fred Bakker document how this is already happening in parts of the US Rust Belt, where many towns  such as Akron, Ohio, or Albany, New York  have reinvented themselves. These places are not only recovering; we know from how they voted last November that they are also not buying into Trump's wall-building agenda.











Ricardo Hausmann, a former minister of planning of Venezuela and former Chief Economist of the Inter-American Development Bank, is Director of the Center for International Development at Harvard University and a professor of economics at the Harvard Kennedy School. Copyright belongs to Project Syndicate.




By Jameel Barkat





The escalation of the crisis on Korean peninsula has again gripped East Asia with uncertainty, political maneuvering and war mongering. The current crisis is unique in many ways given the advancement North Korea has made in its nuclear program and the unpredictable President Donald Trump at the helm of affairs in Unites States. What complicates this crisis is the arrogance of successive regimes in the United States and the obduracy of South Korean and Japanese right wing forces. There is a general perception among the masses that North Korea is a rogue state and poses a grave threat to the security of East Asia, which has global implications. The security threat to South Koreans has been hijacked by the media and that is paving the way for effective propaganda against North Korea, which by and large is aimed to legitimize the massive troop presence of the Unites States on the Korean Peninsula.

What made North Korea go nuclear?

To answer this question, we must go through flash points in historical facts systematically. During the ghastly fought Korean War that ended in 1953, North Korea was flattened by aerial bombing and was completely decimated. No single target was left to attack, even the dams were attacked which amounted to a war crime. Some 635000 tons of bombs including 32,557 tons of napalm were dropped by the USA on North Korea. The destruction was on such a massive scale that there was no double story building left in Pyongyang by the end of Korean War and this does have a huge impact on the Korean people and their leadership. The Kim dynasty took the war as an opportunity to their solidify rule, and state machinery was employed to impersonate the population with an anti imperialist, essentially anti American, propaganda. The bitter memories of the Korean War and helplessness of North Korea left them with no choice other than going nuclear. China being a weaker neighbor in the 1950's could neither ensure the security of its ally nor convinced them to terminate its nuclear program, however, they fought a heroic battle against apparent US aggression. Then the presence of military bases besieging North Korea combined with huge military exercises further threatened the existences of North Korea. It is imperative for any country to think when their wounds are not healed up and B-52 nuclear bombers fly over their heads.

Does engagement with North Korea work?

The answer is absolutely yes. Whenever the United States has given up its arrogance and started to negotiate with a communist nation, the outcomes were pretty sensible and successful. Is it true that nothing works? Let us have a look at the record. In 1994, President Bill Clinton made a frame-work agreement under which the North was suppose to terminate the proliferation of its nuclear programs and abandon ballistic missile tests, although neither side lived up to it completely. But until 2000 North Korea did not proceed nor conduct any ballistic missile test. This was the same year that U.S. President George Bush launched an assault on the North Korean government and reverted back to heavy sanctions. Again in 2005, North Korea and the United States came to an agreement under which North Korea would terminate its nuclear program and in turn the U.S. would reduce its hostile acts. Immediately afterwards, the Bush administration crippled the financial system of North Korea by heavy economic sanctions and in return North Korea resumed its nuclear program. These successive betrayals have created a huge trust deficit for which the U.S. has to be blamed more than North Korea.

Right wing forces of South Korea and Japan complicate the crisis.

Conservatives have exploited the security threat to the South Korean people enormously, and security issues dominate the current presidential election campaign. Tight control over the media has further obstructed progressive forces to debate engagement with North Korea. Any deviation from a hard line stance against North Korea can leave the conservative camp with nothing other than defeat. Similarly, Japanese right wing forces led by Prime Minister Shinzo Abe are flexing their muscles and reviving imperialist ideas by revoking the country's pacific constitution.

China used to be very soft on North Korea over its nuclear program perhaps because it acts as a buffer zone between the United States and China, and the emotional attachment the Chinese people have for their comrades. With the building of pressure, China has tightened its grip and exerted enormous pressure on its ally North Korea. Perhaps the Chinese are either succumbing to international pressure or they don't want any confrontation on the Korean peninsula. It also could not be ruled out that China cares more for their business than their ally, which is more or less becoming a liability for them. China should balance the pressure it exerts on Pyongyang by carefully not letting them feel completely isolated. The complete isolation of Pyongyang could be disastrous as they may feel insecure by hostile acts by the United States and might miscalculate the situation. Any pre-emptive strike by the United States would be disastrous as no such attack would disarm North Korea from its heavy conventional artillery and significantly advanced missile systems.





Jameel Barkat is a Ph.D. scholar from Daegu University South Korea. Write to jameelbarkat@gmail.com.
By Tong Kim





Tomorrow on May 9, the Republic of Korea elects a new president. Looking at the polls and the dynamics of a five-way race, the front-runner Moon Jae-in appears to have clinched the presidency, unless an incredible miracle takes place.

Even if some other candidate is elected, South Korea will restore its legitimate right and opportunity to end the dangerous course of military conflict and to open a new path to peace, stability, and prosperity on the peninsula.

Most voters want security and prosperity. They support the alliance with the United States for the shared interest of deterrence against North Korea. They all oppose North Korea's nuclear and missile programs. They all want a peaceful resolution of these complex issues.

For the first 100 days of the Trump administration, South Korea without a president has been largely left out or neglected from U.S. deliberations of the North Korean issue. Their views were taken for granted by Washington, while working more closely with Beijing and Tokyo, and even with some controversial leaders of Southeast Asian countries.

There has been news of some kind almost every day about tensions with regard to North Korea. Trump's loose cannons fire salvos of conflicting statements, sending mixed signals from military action to conditional talks. His intentional unpredictability risks dangerous miscalculation by adversaries.

One day, Trump says, "We could end up having a major, major conflict with North Korea", the next day he says Kim Jong-un is a "smart cookie" and he would be "honored to meet with him under the right circumstances." Then on another day, he threatens, "I will act, if I have to act." He seems to be saying he will act to carry out a military strike on the North.

Recently Trump also said South Korean should pay $1 billion for the cost of a THAAD battery system, as it will defend the South. The questions of the system's effectiveness and its impact on South Korea's economic and strategic interest have not been resolved.

The South Korean people were led to believe that the THAAD system was being deployed to protect the U.S. forces in Korea and the cost of the system would be paid by the U.S., while South Korea will provide the land and pay the cost of base preparations. The White House national security adviser told his Korean counterpart that the U.S. would shoulder the cost according to a 2016 agreement, until any renegotiation.

Doubling down on economic pressure, Trump said he would renegotiate or terminate the KORUS free trade agreement, which he describes as "horrible." Not too long ago, Trump said he was 100% with the South Korean allies. He still blames South Korea and other U.S. allies for not doing enough to defend themselves. Seoul will be asked to soon pay more one way or another.

In Washington, there is one consistent, comprehensive, and perhaps most reliable source on North Korea policy. It is Secretary of State Rex Tillersonas he was speaking recently from Seoul, Tokyo, Beijing, New York, and Washington.

In his latest speech at the State Department last week, he summarized what the U.S. policy objective is: a denuclearized Korean peninsula. He explained what "America first" means for foreign policy is to protect America's security and economic interest  in contrast to such values as human rights and democracy.

Tillerson's strategy on North Korea is two-fold: to increase a pressure campaign and to "test" China for pressing the regime in Pyongyang, while keeping all options on the table backed by the strength of force.

While all countries are asked to fully carry out U.N. resolutions on the North, Washington is preparing additional sanctions. The U.S. is "testing China's influence or their willingness to assert their influence on Pyongyangby leaning hard into them."

He also makes clear that the United States does not seek for regime change, regime collapse, an accelerated reunification of Korea, or to go north of the 38th parallel. It sends a clear message that Pyongyang's security and economic prosperity can only be achieved through their denuclearization.

Tillerson also said, "We are ready and prepared to engage in talks when conditions are right." North Korea will be the most urgent agenda for the new South Korean president as he steps into office this week. What's your take?

Tong Kim is a Washington correspondent and columnist for The Korea Times. He is also a fellow at the Institute of Korean-American Studies. He can be contacted at tong.kim8@yahoo.com.
By Lee Min-hyung



The nation's telecom market is overheating, with mobile retailers offering excessive subsidies for Galaxy S8 smartphones.



Since its launch late last month, tens of thousands of cell phone users here have changed carriers to get the new Samsung handset with cheaper payment options. This comes as wireless operators seek to lure more subscribers from rivals through big subsidies.



The Korea Communications Commission, the telecom watchdog, considers a market "overheated" when inter-operator switches exceed 24,000 in a day.



The S8 is priced at 935,000 won ($826.12) for the 64-gigabyte (GB) internal storage model. But mobile retailers from three major carriers -- SK Telecom, KT and LG Uplus -- are accused of offering up to 600,000 won in illegal subsidies. This has allowed users to get the new premium handset for less than 200,000 won.



The information went viral online, allowing customers to visit some clandestine retailers offering excessive rebates.



"It will be very tough to regulate these vendors in order to root out the illegal subsidies, as the transactions are made in a very secretive way," a mobile industry source said.



For this reason, the Ministry of Science, ICT and Future Planning introduced the Mobile Device Distribution Improvement Act in October 2014, setting an upper limit on handset subsidies. It worked to some extent but illegal subsidies remain prevalent online at retail stores.



Customers have stepped up their criticism of the ministry, as the act raised overall mobile charges and fattened the profits of mobile carriers.



"It remains to be seen whether the act will be scrapped or revised when the new government starts next week, but for the time being, illegal mobile paybacks will likely continue to prevail in the mobile industry," the source said.



After the Constitutional Court's decision to oust former President Park Geun-hye in early March, a new president will be elected on May. 9.



Two front-running presidential candidates -- Moon Jae-in of the Democratic Party of Korea and Ahn Cheol-soo of the People's Party -- have pledged to cut household mobile telecom costs.



In particular, Moon, who has dominated recent opinion polls, said he would revise the act to make mobile carriers offer more subsidies.




By Park Jae-hyuk



More Korean conglomerates are joining the American Chamber of Commerce in Korea (AMCHAM Korea) in hopes of finding a buffer against growing U.S. protectionism including anti-dumping measures against Korean companies.



POSCO and SeAH Steel recently joined AMCHAM, following Hyundai Motor which rejoined the nation's biggest foreign business network late last year, according to industry officials Sunday.



These companies seek to secure a communication channel with the U.S. government and business circles, as well as gathering more information on U.S. policies.



Since his inauguration in January, President Donald Trump has carried out protectionist measures for the U.S. automotive and steel industries.



Trump signed an executive order late last month to investigate whether imported steel products adversely affects U.S. national security, as a move to signal higher trade barriers against foreign steel makers.



The U.S. Department of Commerce has also imposed anti-dumping and countervailing duties for products made by Korean steel makers such as POSCO, SeAH and Hyundai Steel. Moreover, industry officials expect the U.S. government's protectionist measures will become stronger.



POSCO and SeAH want their memberships in AMCHAM to be one of their countermeasures.



"We joined AMCHAM to interact with U.S. firms and institutions, so that we can convey our opinions on trade-related issues," a POSCO official said. "We also joined the Australian and Indian chambers for business purposes."



Similar to Korean steel makers, Korean automakers are also mapping out countermeasures against the U.S. protective stance. They fear the rise of taxes on vehicles exported to the U.S. from Mexico and other countries.



Against this backdrop, Hyundai Motor rejoined AMCHAM last year. The company was a member of the business lobby in 2008 during the Korea-U.S. free trade agreement negotiations, but left the association a year later.



Hyundai Motor believes that AMCHAM will be an effective communication channel with the U.S.



Korea's No. 1 carmaker plans to attend the organization's Door Knock event held in the U.S. on May 15. At the event, it will explain how Korean companies helped boost the U.S. economy and how they have created jobs there. Ranking U.S. government officials and AMCHAM members are expected to attend the event.



Doosan Group also considers joining AMCHAM. Unlike POSCO and Hyundai, Doosan Bobcat, the conglomerate's construction equipment producer in the U.S., is expected to grow further under the Trump's policy of expanding investments into infrastructure.



Established in 1953, AMCHAM Korea has about 700 members, 40 percent of which are non-U.S. firms.




Customers line up to buy bread at a Paris Baguette bakery in Redondo Beach, California, March 2. / Courtesy of SPC Group



Paris Baguette satisfies customers in US, France





Seen above is an exterior view of a Paris Baguette bakery in Manhattan, New York. / Courtesy of SPC Group

By Park Jae-hyuk

Is it possible for a Korean bakery to survive in the saturated U.S. and French markets?

SPC Group has addressed such concerns, winning notable success even in the country known as the home of bread.

Operating more than 260 Paris Baguette bakeries in France, the United States, China, Singapore and Vietnam, the Seoul-based conglomerate has continued to expand its presence in the global market.

According to the group, Sunday, it opened America's 52nd Paris Baguette store at Redondo Shores Shopping Center in Redondo Beach, California, on March 2.

Over 500 customers have visited the store daily on average  more than double for 3,400 stores in Korea.

Located southwest of Los Angeles, Redondo Beach is populated by high-income people who annually earn more than $90,000 on average. So the store features premium-quality pastries and snacks to cater to their tastes.

"Croissants, pastries and sandwiches gained huge popularity among customers," an SPC official said. "All customers who visit Redondo Beach store praised the taste and quality of the products."

SPC established a U.S. west coast affiliate in 2002 and opened America's first Paris Baguette bakery in L.A.'s Korea Town three years later. After rapidly expanding its footing in the country, Paris Baguette achieved huge success on the east coast as well.

In October 2013, a three-story Paris Baguette bakery opened near Times Square in Manhattan, attracting 1,000 New Yorkers and selling 700 sandwiches daily on average. SPC additionally opened stores at Midtown 52nd Street in November 2013 and Upper West Side 70th Street in March 2014. As of May 2017, eight Paris Baguette bakeries are in operation in Manhattan.

As Korea's representative bakery chain, Paris Baguette has competed with Au Bon Pain, Panera Bread and Pret A Manger in the U.S. market. SPC currently runs 52 Paris Baguette stores there.

In July 2014, Paris Baguette became Korea's first bakery brand to enter Paris, setting up a business base to expand to other French and European cities. The outfit also opened Paris Baguette stores in Shanghai in 2004 and Ho Chi Minh City and Singapore in 2012.

SPC attributed Paris Baguette's global success to its product diversity, way of shopping and personnel management.

While most local U.S. bakeries sell 100 products on average, Paris Baguette deals with more than 300 products, meeting customer demand in each country. Consumers like to use trays and tongs when they are shopping as well, because they do not have to line up to request products from salesclerks.

In terms of personnel management, Paris Baguette hired local employees who are familiar with the cultures of each country. Then, the Korean headquarters trained their management and supplied products fit for each market.

Chairman Hur's grand vision





SPC Chairman Hur Young-in

Founded in 1945 as a small confectionary outfit named Sangmidang in Hwanghae Province, modern-day North Korea, SPC has led industrialization in Korea's confectionary and bakery business.

Chairman Hur Young-in studied baking at the American Institute of Baking in Kansas City in 1981, because he thinks a chief of a confectionary firm should know not only management but also technical skills.

The chairman actively invested in R&D so the group in April 2016 could become the first Korean confectionary which commercialized natural yeast from a Korean strain of yeast, nuruk.

As of last month, it sold more than 120 million bread products made with the local natural yeast, generating 270 billion won ($240 million) in sales.

When he was in the U.S., Hur also paid attention to restaurant franchises such as Baskin-Robbins, McDonald's and Pizza Hut. He expected a boom in Korea's restaurant business after the 1986 Seoul Asian Games and 1988 Seoul Olympics.

The chairman therefore imported Baskin-Robbins to Korea in 1985 and Dunkin' Donuts in 1993. The former has 1,200 stores here and the latter has 770. Both brands dominate their respective markets.

The success made SPC bring the popular U.S. hamburger chain Shake Shack to Korea.

The country's first Shake Shack store, which opened in Gangnam last July, sells more than 3,000 burgers a day, posting some of the largest sales figures among Shake Shacks around the world. Earlier this year, Shake Shack founder Danny Meyer visited Korea and praised the quality of SPC's bun used for Shake Shack burgers sold here. SPC is running four Shake Shack stores in Korea.

SPC said it posted 5.3 trillion won in sales last year. As well as Paris Baguette, Baskin-Robbins and Dunkin' Donuts, it operates various food affiliates, including flour mill company Mildawon, meat processing company Glucks Schwein and food distribution company SPC GFS.

With a vision of becoming a "Great Food Company," SPC seeks to post 20 trillion won in sales by the end of 2030 and run 12,000 stores worldwide.
By Lee Han-soo





U.S. Pacific Commander

Harry Harris Jr.

China has demanded that U.S. Pacific Commander Harry Harris be removed in exchange for strengthening sanctions against North Korea, according to Kyodo News citing sources familiar with U.S.-China relations.

The Chinese government made the demand during the Mar-a-lago summit with U.S. President Donald Trump on April 7, the report said Saturday.

However, the source said the U.S. government was unlikely to agree to the Chinese request.

Harris  who is responsible for U.S. security of the Pacific region  has emphasized the need to pressure China and North Korea.

He also ordered the aircraft carrier Carl Vinson and its navy strike group to be deployed near the Korean Peninsula in a show of strength when North Korea showed signs of carrying out a nuclear test or a ballistic missile test.

Harris also pushed for a Terminal High Altitude Area Defense system (THAAD) to be deployed in South Korea.

This proposal caused major ripples with the Chinese government, which claims the deployment threatens its national security and regional strategic balances.
DECATUR  Lt. Tony Brown had never been in a sack race before Saturday, but he made the first one count.

Brown was the winner of the celebrity potato sack race at the Children's Museum of Illinois' 26th annual Duck Derby event.

I practiced in my basement this morning, Brown said afterward. I thought, 'I got this. I can do this.'

Brown is always willing to pitch in for community events, and he told the museum's executive director, Amber Kaylor, that she should feel free to call him anytime.

You have to come back next year and defend your title, she said.

He also had to rib Decatur Police Chief Jim Getz a bit, who laughingly said he would never live down the loss.

The annual Duck Derby is the museum's biggest fundraiser, Kaylor said, and is always held on the same day as the Kentucky Derby. Occasionally someone even shows up in a Derby hat.

Activities included touch a truck, with a fire truck, police and military vehicles and a street sweeper on hand for kids to explore, bounce houses, food vendors, soap bubble blowing, and the museum itself, which had free admission for the occasion.

Sponsors included Jerger Pediatric Dentistry, DynaGraphics Fast Impressions, Wood Printing and Neuhoff Media.

This year, 3,624 rubber duckies battled it out, with Jeremy Sherman's duck coming out on top for the $3,000 first prize. Diane Wheeler took the $1,000 second prize, and six other contestants each won $100.

A new twist this year, said Jonathan Downing, a museum board member and principal of Parsons School, was the Decatur schools effort. All the elementary schools held fundraisers to support the museum, and all had ducks in the race. The first school over the finish line, Garfield Montessori School, won a family night event at the museum. Garfield was also the largest fundraiser, contributing $1,000 to the cause.

Carla and Jim Sloan and their granddaughters, Everley and Bellamy Schrock, ages 4 and 2, are regular visitors to the museum. The little girls always find something new that's their favorite, Carla Sloan said, and on Saturday were fascinated with the giant soap bubbles.

They love coming here, she said.

All the museum's outdoor and indoor activities were available, and tucked in a pen out of the way were four live ducks who stuck together and watched the visitors quietly.

Another attraction on Saturday was Decatur Science Investigation, a traveling presentation by retired Decatur teacher Nola Wilkinson and her husband, Harold. The couple had their van and a booth set up prior to the Derby, where kids could make boats and other small projects, and their full presentation was scheduled after the Derby. Nola Wilkinson promised explosions.

Allie Nichols loves science and was drawn to DSI's set-up immediately. A sixth-grader at St. Patrick School, Allie told Nola Wilkinson all about her school's STREAM focus  science, technology, religion, engineering, arts and math  which has led to a lot of hands-on science and building that Allie has thoroughly enjoyed.

Allie, her cousin Ellie Carter, 7, and their grandmother, Connie Carter had been to the Scovill Zoo next door to the museum the day before, but couldn't miss the Derby, Connie Carter said.

Ellie wanted to see the big trucks, Allie said.
DECATUR  A Google search of cursive and schools returns conflicting results.

About half the stories say that cursive is coming back, and the other half say it's been dropped from curricula as old hat.

Cursive is alive and well in Garfield Montessori School in Decatur, because the creator of the method, Maria Montessori, considered it important for several basic skills, said Mary Anderson, principal of Garfield.

When young children start to scribble, they write like cursive, she said, miming the act in the air. It's connected. It's not manuscript (printing).

Because children instinctively connect shapes when scribbling, it makes sense to teach writing from the beginning as cursive, she said. Not only is it useful in developing fine motor skills, it teaches kids to think of words as flowing and cohesive units, rather than separate letters. It reinforces the blending of sounds, and it helps children develop better reading when they have more fluent writing skills. Teaching printing first and then trying to teach cursive later confuses children and can even be a setback in their writing skills, she added.

Cursive teaches formatting and hand placement, and it's calming, said Jordan Rahar, who teaches Elementary I at Garfield, which is first, second and third grades in the Montessori method. In early childhood, they focus on it predominantly. It's the fine motor skills.

Sarah Brice teaches Early Childhood at Garfield, which is prekindergarten and kindergarten students.

In Montessori, children learn to read through writing, Brice said, referring to one of Maria Montessori's tenets. She always believed in teaching cursive rather than print because cursive is really just an extension of print, and there's no reason to learn to do the choppy letters.

Rahar said the cursive skills learned in Early Childhood are the foundation for more in-depth writing and reading learned in Elementary I and beyond.

Children's author and literacy advocate Carew Papritz considers the ability to write in cursive critical.

Keeping cursive alive is more than nostalgia, it's a necessary skill in life, Papritz said. If you can't write in cursive, you can't sign your paycheck or credit card, and these things become less valid.

The focus on typing, or "keyboarding," in the past 20 years as computers and tablets became pervasive in the classroom meant that learning to write by hand, especially in cursive, went by the wayside. But cursive is important to development, according to studies at Indiana University, the University of California-Losa Angeles and Princeton University. Cursive requires a student to use more of the brain than typing does, and when students take notes by hand, as opposed to typing those notes, they retain more information, according to the studies.

Alabama and Louisiana recently adopted policies requiring schools to teach cursive, bringing the total to 14 states with such requirements. Illinois is in the early stages of approving such a requirement.

The Lutheran School Association also continues to teach cursive, said Susan Keane, admissions director for the LSA High School.

When I started teaching third grade in Peoria, cursive was part of our curriculum, said Carrie Sager, who teaches at Stevenson School. Signs in the classroom with the day's plans and assignments are in cursive to help kids practice reading it, and they also learn it. As the years have gone on, they've taken (cursive) out because our time needs to be better spent elsewhere, but for me, it was really sad, because I remember my students being so excited about learning how to write their name that way.

She teaches kids one style of writing, but they develop their own hand, as everyone does, especially when it comes to their signature. It doesn't take very long to teach, she said, and she still thinks it's important.
HOLY FAMILY

Donation to Heritage

DECATUR  Holy Family School students donated $150 toward Heritage Behavioral Health Center's methadone clinic.

Math teacher Mike Wilks talked to the students about methadone's role in helping heroin users, prompted by reading news stories on the topic.

I spoke to them about the epidemic and the overdoses and made them aware of the severity of the problem, Wilks said. I talked about if you're an addict, taking methodone is one way to help you get off and stay off, a program that helps you survive. I just put a jar up on my podium, and kids brought in a quarter, 50 cents. I did it for a month and got $150.

The school emphasizes being kind and giving, Wilks said, and students were anxious to help.

ST. PATRICK

Choir service trip

DECATUR  Each year, St. Patrick School's choir takes a trip to a nearby city to perform for nursing home residents and drop off donations to The Salvation Army or Catholic Charities or another organization that helps the homeless.

Teacher Billie Shay said they rotate cities each year among Cincinnati, Ohio, Nashville, Tenn., and Branson, Mo. It's also a fun trip for kids who might not have been that far from home before, but the focus is on serving others with their talents.

The students also visit nursing homes in the Decatur area, and the students are used to interacting with people who sometimes have oxygen tubes or mobility issues. They don't shy away from such things, and Shay said teaching the little ones compassion for the elderly is one of the reasons for these trips.

St. Pat's is all about service, Shay said. Every Christmas and spring we visit nursing facilities and interact. We do an arts and crafts activity that is very simplified, but if I tell my kids to go and talk to the clients, when they're doing something with them, it sparks conversation.

This year, their 20th, they went to Cincinnati and Louisville, Ky., donating toiletries to City Gospel Mission in Cincinnati. Because it's a men's mission that serves about 100 men, they couldn't take a tour with a mixed group of boys and girls. They were able to provide deodorant, toothbrushes and toothpaste, soap and other such items that the mission directors said were needed.

EISENHOWER, MACARTHUR

ADM STEM challenge

DECATUR  Students from Eisenhower and MacArthur high schools traveled to Chicago on April 27 for a student showcase as the culmination of a semester-long project to develop healthy snack foods based on not-so-healthy favorites.

Using the problem-based learning model, the students began in January with an assessment of their favorite snack. They considered what they like and don't like about it, the ingredients, how those ingredients contribute to the flavor and how to make something healthy while still tasting good.

With help from ADM scientists, students learned about fats, proteins and carbohydrates, ADM's core value chain, the origin of ingredients, processing, and byproducts and marketing and distribution.

ADM spent a lot of time on this, said Zach Shields, executive director of the Decatur Public Schools Foundation. He was one of the taste test judges during the project's Decatur phase and was pleasantly surprised by one product the students developed, the salad bar. It's a snack bar that takes the place of a salad and has the same nutrition. Shields said it even tasted like it had ranch dressing on it. It was a little salty, but not bad, he said.

The judges chose a winning team from each class, and that team went to Chicago for the showcase that included schools from throughout Illinois, hosted by Motorola Mobility in the Merchandize Mart downtown.
PRESS RELEASE

Theresa May To Call Vote for War on Syria After the June 8 Election

May 5, 2017 (EIRNS)The British press is reporting that Prime Minister Theresa May, after her expected big win in the election on June 8, will call on the Parliament to vote on launching a war on Syria. In classic British style, the Daily Mirror headline reads: "Theresa May plots snap vote on bombing Syria ... but is she turning into Trumps poodle?" (recall that the Brits portrayed Tony Blair as Bushs poodle, rather than the other way around).

They write:

"The Daily Mirror can reveal the British Government is now convinced Assads forces were behind the Sarin gas attack which killed 80 men, women and children. May wants the vote approved so Britain can take part in punitive strikes against Russian-backed Syrian forces."

They quote a "senior Whitehall source: "If you want to stop the use of chemical weapons you have to take out the aircraft."

Other reports say May would call for the attack in the case of "another" chemical attack (to be provided by the British-owned White Helmets, of course).

Labour shadow foreign minister Emily Thornberry said "such a move would risk open conflict between our armed forces and those of Russia and Iran and could lead the U.K. to repeat the mistakes of the Iraq war."

In 2013, the parliament voted down Camerons call for war. Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson said last month that the United Kingdom might launch such airstrikes without parliamentary approval. Sources in the United Kingdom told EIR that a newly elected Tory majority would likely vote up a call from May for war.

The likelihood of a big Tory victory was shown Thursday in local elections across the United Kingdom. Conservatives made the biggest gains by a governing party in a local election for more than 40 years, gaining more than 563 seats (to 1,899), while Labour lost 382 (to 1,152). UKIP lost all but one of its 145 seats, and the Liberal Democrats lost 42 (to 441). The Tories are getting all the pro-Brexit vote.
No one makes history with Schuberts early symphonies. Schubert didnt. But Gustavo Dudamel did Friday night at Walt Disney Concert Hall.

He walked on stage with uncharacteristic brusqueness  no smiles. The Venezuelan music director of the Los Angeles Philharmonic looked at the orchestra for a moment and then turned to the audience. He mentioned the killing, two days earlier in an antigovernment protest, of a 17-year-old violist in Venezuelas El Sistema music education program. Dudamel said the violence in Venezuela is unacceptable, and he dedicated the concert to the slain student and to all the victims of violence.

We play for all our children, he concluded, to build a better future for them with peace and love.

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The audience rose to give him a standing ovation. A group in the orchestra benches behind the stage unfurled a large Venezuelan flag, and shouts of viva Venezuela came from the balcony.

Dudamel then proceeded to conduct Schuberts inconsequential first symphony  written when the composer was a 16-year-old student taking his cues (and stealing themes) from Beethoven  as though every measure mattered momentously. With ferocious attention to detail, and with plain ferocity, he revealed a teens potential for greatness.

The message was clear: This is what slaughtering the young means. The L.A. Phil had never played the symphony before. It had no reason to, but Dudamel has just begun the orchestras first Schubert symphony cycle, which will continue over the next two weeks. And with the First, and after intermission the Second (also a work Schubert wrote as a teenager), Dudamel made one of the strongest statements of his career.

That a nobody kid violinist from the nowhere Venezuelan city of Barquisimeto rose through El Sistemas ranks to become one of the worlds most celebrated classical musicians is a well-told story. But Dudamels rise to this occasion, at a time when he is being involuntarily drawn into Venezuelas current turmoil, is a startling new chapter.

After long being constrained by the Venezuelan governments control of El Sistema, Dudamel has begun to speak out. Much of the violence he condemns is being perpetrated by pro-government forces. But many in Venezuela are not placated, calling Dudamels actions too little, too late. Some have gone so far as to accuse the conductor of being complicit in the violence, for not biting the autocratic hand that feeds the hundreds of thousands of El Sistema students for whom Dudamel feels responsibility.

In his brief talk to the audience Friday, Dudamel said, The L.A. Phil is my family; El Sistema is my family. These are his allegiances.

What is even more striking is that, if you take Venezuelas crisis out of the picture, 2017 could seem like a fairy tale for Dudamel. He opened the year the youngest musician ever invited to conduct the fabled Vienna Philharmonic New Years concerts, which he did with gusto, bringing cheer to the world. The concert was broadcast seemingly everywhere there is television and radio, and then it was quickly released on practically every audio and video format known to man and woman.

Just after turning 36 in January, he led the L.A. Phil in a dramatically intense performance of Prokofievs Romeo and Juliet, the lingering impression being the magical atmosphere he brought to young love.

A few days later, Dudamel and the Spanish film star Maria Valverde quietly got married in Las Vegas, something the couple did not announce. (Sorry, Gustavo, but sooner or later, wed find out.) Next, Dudamels and El Sistemas Simon Bolivar Symphony Orchestra gave four sold-out and critically praised cycles of Beethovens nine symphonies in Europe, including in Beethovens Vienna, a top test for any conductor.

Dudamel returned to L.A. to the news that the New York press had heaped unprecedented praise on the L.A. Phil, hailing it as Americas most important orchestra. There was also news that the orchestras celebrated president and chief executive, Deborah Borda, who had brought Dudamel to L.A. and mentored and empowered him, was decamping to run the New York Philharmonic.

But in an interview in Dudamels office at Disney Hall a week ago, he unsentimentally presented this as a challenge he welcomed.

I love Deborah, he said. We changed our lives together. I learned a lot from her, but this transition is not dramatic. It is a natural transition. I will always thank her for bringing me here and fighting for me. But I am an optimist who always sees things as a beginning, and this is a new beginning.

Dudamels rise to this occasion, at a time when he is being involuntarily drawn into Venezuelas current turmoil, is a startling new chapter.

In fact, all the talk about the L.A. Phil having reached its pinnacle seems to slightly exasperate Dudamel, who presents a philosophy that there is always more to do and ways to do it better.

We are not desperate, he contends. We are not worried, but we have expectations, and that is different. New times bring new goals. We cannot go with a copy of Deborah. We will keep the same energy but with new eyes.

Im a leader of this institution, but I dont want a puppet who will do whatever I say. No! I love to work with people of vision.

Dudamel is, in fact, making the same call for the L.A. Phil as he is for Venezuela, namely for everyone to sit down, listen to one another and work things out.

I love to listen, he says. Im never a radical in the things that I say. I love to listen to proposals and then we go create something important.

My goal when I came here was not to be a boring orchestra that just plays regular concerts.

Instead Dudamel describes his vision for the L.A. Phil as paying attention to past  as in the symphony cycles, like the Schubert, following the development of a composer he so loves doing  but also take big risks.

He would not confirm the rumor that the orchestras ambitious plan for its centennial in 2019 includes the commissioning of 50 works from the worlds most notable composers as well as emerging composers. But he will say that when the subject of tradition comes up, the L.A. Phil is about the tradition of the future.

That includes playing an essential role in society, whether creating the Youth Orchestra Los Angeles (YOLA) program modeled on El Sistema, or something like the upcoming CDMX Festival, celebrating the music of Mexico City, in October.

People build borders, Dudamel says. We are building bridges. That is why those who say we are not talking about politics are not listening? Yes, we are talking about the things that we do through the music. Mexicos future and L.A.s future are not disconnected.

Nor were Schubert and Venezuelas future on Friday. For each program, Dudamel has broken up two symphonies with a Mahler orchestral song cycle, and those, too, promise to become part of the narrative.

Between the first and second symphonies came Mahlers early Songs of a Wayfarer, songs of a young wanderers stinging lost love, which are companion to his first symphony. The commandingly Wagnerian mezzo-soprano Michelle DeYoung added portentous poignancy on the line, All singing must now be done. Here Dudamel lingered on every glowing Mahlerian color, seeming reluctant to let anything go. He followed that by conducting Schuberts Second with the fraught passion of trying to bring the dead back to life.

Next Dudamel speaks out with Schuberts Tragic Symphony and Mahlers Kindertotenlieder, which translates as Songs on the Death of Children.

mark.swed@latimes.com

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A couple of free fitness classes, yoga in the desert and dinner with a renowned mindfulness author. Here are some ways to fill up the week:

On Tuesday evening, Yelps Fit Club  a free fitness series offered by the review site  is organizing an hourlong Groov3 cardio dance workout at the new Playground LA dance studio on Melrose Avenue.

People respond especially well to the dance classes, said Katie Burbank, Yelps senior community director in Los Angeles, adding that previous complimentary classes have included synchronized swimming, weightlifting and pole dancing. And yes, the class can be reviewed afterward  but on a separate page that is used by the fitness studio as feedback.

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Info: 8:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. May 9. Free to anyone with a Yelp account, which is also free. Playground LA, 7375 Melrose Ave., Los Angeles. Details, and to RSVP: yelp.com/events/la

::

Fitness apparel maker Rhone is teaming up with Equinox in Beverly Hills on Thursday night to offer a free MetCon3 class, open to non-members. The gyms popular signature workout is known for its highly intensive sequence of movements, which promoters say works all the bodys energy systems to rapidly accelerate fat-burning. Rhone will have a pop-up store on hand.

Info: 8:15 p.m. to 9:15 p.m. May 11. Free. Equinox, 9601 Wilshire Blvd., Beverly Hills. Details, and to RSVP: rhone.com/equinox

::

Those planning to head to yoga and music festival Shakti Fest in Joshua Tree next weekend can choose from 36 yoga classes over three days, said festival founder Sridhar Silberfein. Also new: Attendees can enjoy sound baths  using gongs and singing bowls  every night between 7 p.m. and 2 a.m. And if roughing it isnt your thing, a select number of glamping tents  equipped with lighting, beds and room for lounging  are on offer. The all-vegetarian fest will feature South Indian dosas, quinoa-and-greens bowls, collard-wrapped falafels and tonics and probiotic drinks from La Vie.

Info: The festival runs May 11-15, but the main events take place May 12-14. Starting at $375 per person. Lodging separate. Discounts available for seniors, students, military members and veterans. shaktifest.bhaktifest.com

::

Author and meditation and mindfulness teacher Jack Kornfield will be on hand on Saturday night for an intimate ticketed dinner, including meditation and readings from his upcoming book: No Time Like The Present: Finding Freedom, Love and Joy Right Where You Are. The dinner, at a private home in Brentwood, is also a fund-raiser for InsightLA, which offers various programs to bring mindfulness training to communities throughout Los Angeles.

Info: 6.30 p.m. to 9 p.m., May 13. $1,500 per person. Address to be provided after registration. Tickets and information: insightla.org or (310) 450-1821.

rene.lynch@latimes.com

Twitter: @renelynch

Health@latimes.com

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Arriving at the Tower Bar restaurant at the Sunset Tower Hotel, actress Shiva Rose is in a befitting rose-colored, demure, high-necked blouse and matching lipstick; hair that wafts and waves over her shoulder, and a welcoming smile. Its hard to believe the wellness-and-beauty entrepreneur behind the healthy holistic blog the Local Rose and eponymous skin-care line was diagnosed with lupus and other autoimmune disorders  and told she might have as little as one year left to live. She credits, in part, her decision to embrace a holistic approach to her illness, for her ability to manage her symptoms.

Here, Rose shares with us some of her favorite Los Angeles wellness hot spots, and a prescription for holistic, happy living:

Youve said walks in the forest are really healing for you.

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One of the things Ive found really helpful is walking barefoot on the grass, mud, sand. I use the term Earthing. Its a grounding method to connect with the Earth that way  some believe it can neutralize harmful free radicals and reduces inflammation.

What are your favorite places to hike in and near Los Angeles?

One of my favorite places is Temescal Canyon [not necessarily barefoot!]. There are a lot of beautiful places to hike in Malibu too. I also love Ojai  my phone doesnt get service in a lot of places and I can really unplug. Theres just an energy you feel up there; they say its a spiritual vortex. It has a healing energy. I like hiking Matilija Canyon in Ojai. One of my favorite restaurants in Ojai is Farmer and the Cook. They grow a lot of their own organic food. Im half-Persian and lived in Iran until I was 10. We had lambs, youd walk to get your goats milk, youd walk to get your bread from the oven  it was a more rural, simple life. Now I grow food in my own backyard, I raise honeybees, I have chickens. You go back to your roots.

I was surprised to see Bees Wrap Sandwich Bags on your website marketplace, since so many of the other offerings are beauty products.

I really started using them for my own health. When I was 26 I was told I had a year to live. Ive been diagnosed with lupus, and other autoimmune conditions  scleroderma, rheumatoid arthritis. I made a lot of lifestyle changes, going a more holistic route, and went into remission.

That sounds so empowering  looking for ways to take responsibility for your own health.

Its the catalyst that drove me to create my own beauty and skincare products. Now, so many people have auto-immune issues, struggling with wheat allergies, colitis, Epstein-Barr I think it has to do with the food, the products, the toxins and the chemicals  people are waking up, so its kind of an exciting time too. Ive always had an activist spirit, been a bit of a rebel  so when it came to my own life, thats somewhere I could put my energy  to try to protect myself. Its always good to question things, thats the spirit of being an American almost.

You said stress can flare up your symptoms. How do you handle that?

For me, definitely. But we can alleviate that I also experienced more stress after my divorce. My spiritual practice has been important to me. I started practicing Buddhism in my early 20s and that really got me on the path and from there I started practicing kundalini yoga on a daily basis about seven years ago too [shes taken classes for years with Guru Jagat of the Rama Institute in Venice], connecting to and taking hikes and walks in nature, connecting to the rhythms of the new and full moon, spiritual tea ceremonies  I have a lot of practices! Some people go to alcohol or drugs  for me, this is my drug of choice and it just makes me feel better and more connected. You have to find time for all of this, but when I do make time, my day goes more smoothly.

Where in L.A. do you like to shop for wellness products?

I really like Detox Market, Cap Beauty  theyre in New York but they have a great online presence, and then theres Queen Bee Salon, and Mohawk General Store in Silver Lake, Bazar on Abbot Kinney and General Store in Venice.

To read the article in Spanish, click here

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Health@latimes.com
German Chancellor Angela Merkels reelection hopes in Septembers federal election were unexpectedly bolstered on Sunday when her conservative party came from behind to score a decisive victory in a small, windswept state on the Danish border.

The stunning triumph by her Christian Democrats over the ruling center-left Social Democrats in the largely rural state of Schleswig-Holstein, home to 2.3 million voters and 400,000 dairy cows, gave Merkel an improbable boost four months before the federal election and badly needed momentum ahead of next Sundays more important regional election in the countrys most populous state  North Rhine-Westphalia, with 13 million voters.

Merkel is seeking a fourth four-year term on Sept. 24, and her party allies had shown signs of panic that they could lose power after the conservatives slipped behind the Social Democrats in national opinion polls in January for the first time in 11 years. That was after the long-suffering center-left party had picked a colorful, straight-talking, multilingual challenger to Merkel: Martin Schulz.

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This hurts like hell, said a dejected Schulz after TV network projections showed the Social Democrats picking up less than 27% of the vote in the northernmost state, a drop of nearly 4 percentage points from the last election. Merkels conservatives won 32.5%, up 1.7 percentage points.

Supporters of the German Social Democrats react after the first exit polls of the state elections in Schleswig-Holstein are announced on May 7, 2017 in Berlin. (Axel Schmidt / Getty Images)

Throughout the campaign, Merkel, who has shaken off signs of fatigue over the unrelenting criticism from party allies over her decision to allow in more than a million refugees from Syria and elsewhere in 2015, remained unflappable and stoically confident in her partys chances.

Her steady handling of an awkward first meeting with President Trump at the White House in March and the improvement in their relationship also helped lift Merkels standing, political scientists said. Trump even surprised Merkel by calling to congratulate her after her conservatives held on to power with a win in another regional election in March in the small state of Saarland.

The Social Democrats state premier in Schleswig-Holstein, Torsten Albig, committed a colossal blunder shortly before Sundays election, telling celebrity magazine Bunte that he had left his wife for another woman because their interests had diverged over the years after she became a stay-at-home mom.

Since taking power in 2005, Merkels Christian Democrats have lost control of six of Germanys 16 states and now rule just five.

Her party now will try to form a government with two smaller parties in the state  the Greens, which won about 13% and the Free Democrats, which won just over 11%. If that fails, the Christian Democrats could form a government with the defeated Social Democrats.

Kirschbaum is a special correspondent.

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Its a political gambit that President Trump seems to think will pay off: Let the federal government grind to a halt.

Our country needs a good shutdown in September to fix mess, he tweeted last week.

The unconventional proclamation from the unconventional president raised concern from both sides of the aisle.

His comments came as lawmakers agreed to a $1-trillion bipartisan budget bill that funds the federal government through September, which means another battle and potential government shutdown looms this fall.

Under a shutdown, thousands of federal employees would go without pay and national parks would close, among other things. In short: It will upset a lot of people.

Heres a look at the key players and fallout from recent government shutdowns.

How it happened

Its simple  the battle over healthcare closed the government.

That year, House Republicans, angered by President Obama s Affordable Care Act , repeatedly offered resolutions during budget negotiations that would have defunded the healthcare law. These resolutions were rejected by the Democratic-controlled Senate , which led to a budget impasse.

The government shut down for more than two weeks after Congress was unable to agree on a budget for the new fiscal year, leaving nearly 800,000 federal employees out of work without pay.

On the political front, the ramifications went both ways.

Members of the bipartisan budget conference Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-Ala.), Rep. Paul D. Ryan (R-Wis.), Sen. Patty Murray (D-Wash.) and Rep. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) speak to the media the day after Congress voted to ending a 16-day government shutdown. (Win McNamee / Getty Images) (Win McNamee / Getty Images)

Winners

Sen. Harry Reid (D-Nev.)

(Alex Wong / Getty Images)

The then-Senate majority leader was a vocal Democratic critic of Republican-led efforts to defund President Obamas healthcare bill. He relentlessly castigated Republicans for their tactics to defund Obamacare, which ultimately led to the shutdown.

You know with a bully you cannot let them slap you around, because they slap you around today, they slap you five or six times tomorrow. We are not going to be bullied, Reid told reporters.

In the end, Reid came out of the shutdown with a bolstered reputation as a fighter of Democratic causes and earned plaudits from Obama.

Obamacare

(Gary Friedman/Los Angeles Times)

At the time, the botched rollout of the healthcare law drew daily headlines. Web sites for healthcare exchanges didnt work and the administration had few answers. Still, the healthcare law was able to remain intact and public scorn focused on Republicans as the government remained shuttered for 16 days and federal employees nationwide stayed home. Republicans thought their efforts would prove fruitful.

Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.)

(T.J. Kirkpatrick / Getty Images)

In the months and weeks leading to the shutdown, McCain served as a voice of reason for the Republicans. He insisted that it would be unwise for the party to allow a shutdown over Obamacare.

I campaigned in 2012 all over this country for months: Repeal and replace Obamacare. That was not the mandate of the voters. If they wanted to repeal Obamacare, the 2012 election would have been probably significantly different, he said at the time.

Ultimately, his efforts faltered as Republicans charged ahead with efforts to defund Obamacare and the government shutdown.

Losers

House Speaker John A. Boehner (R-Ohio)

(Alex Wong / Getty Images)

He failed to rein in the most conservative grassroots wing of his party. Boehner was the middle man of sorts in negotiations between Democrats, moderate Republicans and conservative activists. Two years later, he resigned because of the strong opposition he faced from the Republican caucus.

Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas)

(Andrew Burton / Getty Images)

While Cruz raised his national profile as a staunch critic of Obamacare, he also made a lot of enemies. Weeks before the shutdown he delivered a 21-hour talkathon on the Senate floor, assailing the health care law  a move that drew scorn from Democrats and Republicans alike. Cruzs vocal opposition to the law helped establish him as a force within the GOP grassroots and set him up for a presidential run in 2016.

Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-Fla.)

(Carolyn Kaster / Associated Press) (Carolyn Kaster / AP)

Public opinion polls consistently showed that Republicans were blamed for the government shutdown. Even so, the former Democratic National Committee chairwoman was unable to turn that into victory in the 2014 midterm. Many Democrats fault her leadership as a factor in the partys sweeping losses in the midterm election.

How it happened

This battle over funding Medicare , public education and environmental initiatives pitted President Clinton against Republican House Speaker Newt Gingrich . It turned into the longest government shutdown in the countrys history. The shutdown came in two phases, with government services being shuttered from Nov. 14-19, 1995; then from Dec. 16 until Jan. 6, 1996. In total, the government closed for 27 days.

President Clinton and bipartisan leaders meet at the White House on Dec. 30, 1995, for talks on the federal budget. (Greg Gibson / Associated Press) (GREG GIBSON / AP)

Winner

President Clinton

(Marcy Nighswander / Associated Press) (Marcy Nighswander / AP)

He stood firm in his battle with the Republican-controlled Congress. Clinton wanted a budget that increased expenditures on, among other things, Medicare and public education, but Republicans wanted to slow government spending. This led to months of negotiations  the government closing, opening, then closing again  and through it all, Clintons public approval ratings dipped only slightly. He easily won reelection in November 1996.

Loser

House Speaker Newt Gingrich (R-Ga.)

(J. Scott Applewhite / Associated Press) (J.SCOTT APPLEWHITE / AP)

After sweeping gains in the 1994 midterm election, Republicans were emboldened and ready for a showdown.

"He can run the parts of the government that are left, or he can run no government," Gingrich told reporters weeks before the first shutdown. "Which of the two of us do you think worries more about the government not showing up?"

News reports at the time also noted that Gingrich was open to a shutdown after Clinton made him exit the rear of Air Force One after the two attended the funeral of slain Israeli leader Yitzhak Rabin. The comments made the Republican leader appear petty. In the end, after weeks of a shutdown, Republicans ultimately conceded to Clinton and Democrats.

Whats happening now

Last week Congress passed a $1-trillion budget that funds the federal government through September. However, the budget bill does not allocate funds for Trumps much-promised border wall. Its the first bipartisan piece of legislation of the Trump presidency and funding for his signature proposal is nowhere to be found. The bill, however, does have funding for border security and increases to defense spending  both of which were touted as wins by the Trump administration.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), flanked by Sen. Cory Gardner (R-Colo.), Sen. John Barrasso (R-Wyo.) and Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.), speaks to the media about the recent spending bill that averted a government shutdown. (Aaron P. Bernstein / Getty Images) (Aaron P. Bernstein / Getty Images)

Key players

President Trump

Its clear Trump does not like to lose and does not like bad headlines. By all accounts, Trump and his policies did not come out on top in the budget deal.

Trump blamed the Senate rules, which require 60 votes to pass most legislation, for the exclusion of key priorities from the spending bill.

This has in turn led some conservatives to push for Trump to support a government shutdown if Congress does not heed his policies this fall. Trump has always trusted his gut instinct in politics  so far its seemed to benefit him  and his comments will be closely watched this fall.

House Speaker Paul D. Ryan (R-Wis.)

(J. Scott Applewhite / Associated Press)

He's often had to stake out a position when Trump tweets. Indeed, this time was no different. Ryan alluded to Trumps qualms with Senate rules.

Look, weve got a long ways to go between now and September, but I share the presidents frustration, Ryan told reporters. What a lot of people in America dont realize is appropriations bills, they take 60 votes to pass. They can be filibustered. So, all appropriations bills therefore have to be bipartisan because Democrats can always filibuster an appropriations bill. Having said all that, I feel very good about the wins that we got with the administration in this bill.

Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer (D-N.Y.)

(J. Scott Applewhite / Associated Press)

Hes Trumps chief critic in Congress and warned the president that a government shutdown is not wise.

The president's threat to shut down the government in September is just a very, very bad idea because it would hurt so many average folks, Schumer said recently. I strongly urge my colleagues, and they have already ... said they have no desire to shut down the government. That is not the way to govern. That is not the way to come up with bipartisan compromise.

Voters

Public opinion is not on Trumps side when it comes to talk about a government shutdown.

In a Politico/Morning Consult poll released in April, 65% of voters said that Congress should take all necessary steps to avoid a government shutdown.

Other polls show similar disapproval among voters toward a government shutdown.

kurtis.lee@latimes.com

Twitter: @kurtisalee
Pat Havens has lived in Simi Valley since she moved from Arkansas with her family in 1943. Shes 87 now, long retired from her career as an elementary school teacher, and Simi Valleys official historian.

With a nostalgia that can only be described as infectious, Havens can tell you about the walnut groves and barley fields that once covered the valley floor.

She can talk with humor about the literal-minded city planners who built Simis first elementary school on School Street. And put the Methodist church on Church Street.

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She recalls the sense of rural serenity that drew so many people over the Santa Susana Pass from the San Fernando Valley, new California arrivals, many of them, looking for reasonably priced homes and the slightly slower pace that has always been a fact of life in this bedroom community of 126,000.

When we came here, Havens said, it was really idyllic for everybody. The population was growing so fast back then, she said, that the school district was opening three elementary schools a year, many of which are now closed.

Until the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library opened in 1991, which gave the place some cachet, Simi was always a slightly boring but safe suburb where a lot of police officers lived.

And then, due to happenstance more than anything else, a high-profile Los Angeles criminal trial was assigned to an empty courtroom in Simi Valley in 1992.

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An appeals court had ruled that officers could not get a fair hearing in Los Angeles because of excessive publicity and a highly charged political climate, according to The Times, and so the trial was moved. Simi Valley was more convenient geographically than Alameda County, a venue the prosecution preferred.

Four white Los Angeles police officers faced a jury here and were found not guilty of beating a defenseless black motorist with batons.

In the aftermath of the trial, and the explosive violence that destroyed white Los Angeles idealized version of itself as a place of racial harmony, Simi Valley became synonymous with racial injustice.

It was, after all, and still is, home to only a minuscule black population. No African Americans served on the jury; the only minorities were a Filipina and a Latino man.

Havens was horrified by the verdict, and by the riots.

But she, and many others in Simi Valley, was also horrified by the instant tarnishing of their hometown as a racist place, callous to an obvious, racially charged injustice.

Its just too aggravating to think that all this time, we have been blamed for that trial, which was only here because we had a new courthouse and an empty courtroom, Havens told me the other day as we sat at her small kitchen table, leafing through two Simi Valley histories she has authored.

Some months after the trial, Havens husband, Neil, was on a Rotary Club trip in the wilds of Brazil. At one stop, she said, her husband was introduced to a group of Brazilians. No one spoke much English, but the moment they heard he was from Simi Valley, Havens said, a little Brazilian kid piped up: Rodney King!

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They were aware of Simi Valley and it was the only thing they knew about it, Havens said. It was just awful to get labeled. This is such a wonderful, top-notch community.

On the other hand, she added, If I were rebelling, I think I would have been out here doing something to that courthouse.

::

Last week, when The Times was in the throes of 25th anniversary stories about the 92 riots, I wrote that a Simi Valley jury had exonerated the officers who beat King.

The next day, I received an email from Darren Mora, 51, who moved to Simi Valley from Monterey Park in 1970.

Please let me set this fact straight, he wrote. It was not a Simi Valley jury that acquitted the four white officers. It was a Ventura County jury in a Ventura County Courthouse that happens to be located in Simi Valley. Simi Valley has had to endure a stigma because of the trial and the media (like yourself) reporting this inaccuracy. This does get tiresome after 25 years.

I can imagine. Perhaps thats why Simi Valleys mayor did not respond to an email asking about the stain on his citys reputation.

I mean, before the riots, we had the stigma of Slimy Valley, said Mora, who is head sound engineer at Glendales Alex Theatre. I remember going to Westwood with friends when I was 18 in the early 80s. We would meet girls and they would go, Ewww, Simi Valley, and walk away.

(I dont know quite how to break this to Mora, but when I ask Siri for an address in Simi Valley, she always writes: Sorry, I dont know where seamy valley is.)

Mora was one of the few civilians to see Los Angeles from the air the night the riots began. His girlfriends friend was dating a guy who owned a plane, and the foursome flew to Santa Barbara for dinner. When they returned to Whiteman Airport in Pacoima, they could see fires raging all over the city.

Later, when I was working in a recording studio near Griffith Park with some R&B and rap musicians, Mora said, I had to be careful about saying where I was from. One guy said, Oh thats where the John Birch Society was founded. I didnt even know what that was.

(Its an ultra-right wing political group that was not founded in Simi Valley, but had at one time, a large following in Southern California.)

::

As we looked at her 1997 book, Simi Valley: A Journey Through Time, Haven told me about how Simi Valley, first settled by the Chumash, was originally part of one of the great late 18th century Mexican land grants.

Santiago Pico, a Spanish soldier, was given 114,000 acres in 1795. His early 19th century adobe house is a centerpiece of Strathearn Historical Park, which Havens had a major role in creating.

I wondered whether the descendants of Picos family were active in the Historical Society, given their prominence in Simi Valleys story. Havens was forthright.

We have not been able to appeal to our Mexican heritage families, she said. The reason was hard feelings. After Simi Valley Elementary School was opened in 1926, they deliberately built two bungalows so they could segregate the Mexican kids. Any time you are told you are second class, you will have all those feelings. I am afraid our society is as racist today as we were then.

I cannot disagree. Simi Valley should never have been singled out for blame during that awful time 25 years ago. The fault, really, was in all of us.

robin.abcarian@latimes.com

Twitter: @AbcarianLAT

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Bar owner Paul Hennessey says he wanted to get people talking.

To mark Cinco de Mayo, his Dana Point bar set up an inflatable wall for patrons to climb over  and handed out green cards that guaranteed one free drink to those who clambered to the top.

Since then, Hennesseys Tavern has gotten angry phone calls. Yelp reviewers have called the Cinco de Mayo event disgusting, tasteless and racist. Some have called for a boycott.

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Hennessey argues that they are missing the point. It was our way of protesting the fact that Trump wants to spend billions of dollars to build a wall that is pretty useless, Hennessey said Saturday.

I guess the way it was presented, some people took it a different way, he concluded.

His words have failed to convince his critics, who say Hennessey is simply trying to spin an insulting spectacle that trivialized the real struggles surrounding immigration and the border. Laycee Barragato Gibson called it a promotional stunt.

This is a pretty frightening time when families are being broken up, said Barragato Gibson, who is originally from Orange County and now lives in Los Angeles. Some bar thinks that this is funny? Theres nothing funny about this at all.

Barragato Gibson was in town for a work event, heard about the wall from a friend and stopped by to take photos. By Saturday night, her Facebook post about the bar had been shared more than 100 times.

It includes a photo of a Permanent Drinking Card mimicking an ID card, which includes a cartoon drawing of a woman from Mexico named Isabel Orlando. The phrase Green Card is emblazoned over a green fingerprint. Under the word Citizenship the card states In Process.

Like others, Barragato Gibson dismissed the explanation from Hennessey, saying there was nothing at the Friday event to indicate that the wall was meant to foster dialogue about Trump or his immigration policies.

Its easy to say that after the fact, she said Saturday.

By Saturday night, Hennessey had released a statement on Facebook, saying that the event obviously struck a chord with many of you out there and you and a number of you did not understand our intent. He urged his customers to write to lawmakers or the president to express their concerns, encouraging them to stop this wall from being built.

That didnt dampen the furor online. This isnt even an apology, one person replied on Facebook. This (is) just an excuse.

emily.alpert@latimes.com

Twitter: @LATimesEmily
French citizen Alice Tabuchi, 28, sees many parallels between President Trump and the French presidential candidate and far-right National Front leader Marine Le Pen.

Tabuchi, who has lived in Los Angeles since November, cast her ballot against Le Pen Saturday afternoon at a polling station set up for French citizens in Burbank. She voted for front-runner Emmanuel Macron, a former investment banker who is economically liberal, socially progressive, pro-Europe and internationally minded.

He wasnt Tabuchis first choice, but she and her husband, Douglas Lassance, 34, saw him as the safe choice.

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Lassance, who moved to Los Angeles six years ago to work in animation and digital effects, said that if as many people in France abstained from voting as in the U.S. (turnout in the first round of the 2012 election was more than 80% in France), Le Pen would have a chance at winning. But he thinks thats unlikely.

The couple also see similarities between Macron and Hillary Clinton, whom they found unexciting as a candidate.

Its kind of like we either keep eating the same pasta or we  

Tabuchi interjected: get a pile of mush.

Polls closed in Burbank at 7 p.m. Saturday and opened in France at 8 a.m. Sunday. French Consul Christophe Lemoine said about 14,000 French citizens are registered to vote in the greater Los Angeles area. The Burbank station, held at the International School of Los Angeles, was one of 49 across the U.S. Lemoine said about 6,000 people voted in the first round of the election two weeks ago.

Just before a deadline Friday night that required candidates to stop campaigning, Macron was hit with a leak of thousands of campaign documents  some reportedly fake  in what his team called a massive and coordinated attempt to upset the election.

Frances government cybersecurity agency said Saturday that it will investigate the attack, according to a government official, who said it appeared to be a very serious breach.

Some voters Saturday hadnt heard about the leak. Tabuchi said the timing reminded her of the FBIs announcement that it had reopened its investigation into Clinton, 11 days before the election. But unlike with that investigation, she said, there wasnt enough time for the leak to affect French voters.

Dominique Keeler, 57, also voted for Macron. Keeler, a dual citizen, has lived in the U.S. for 33 years and voted for Clinton. She wore a red, white and blue outfit and a scarf with illustrations of the French and American flags.

She sees a parallel between Trumps election and Brexit  because both came as a surprise  but not between the U.S. and French presidential elections.

You cant compare Trump to anyone we know, she said, adding that Le Pen is known as a politician, not a business person.

Keeler is certain Macron will win.

This election is foreseen, she said. Ill eat my hat if its not.

andrea.castillo@latimes.com

@andreamcastillo

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Three people were rescued Saturday afternoon after a catamaran overturned roughly eight miles off the coast near Marina del Rey, according to officials.

A rescue team was dispatched about 4:50 p.m., according to Capt. Brian Jordan of the Los Angeles County Fire Department.

Two people were rescued in a county lifeguard rescue boat and a third got onto a private vessel, Jordan said.

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A county fire department helicopter also sped to the scene, said Lidia Barillas, a public information officer for the departments Lifeguard Division.

Barillas said the three boaters were taken back to Marina del Rey by the lifeguard vessel  Baywatch Malibu  and evaluated by paramedics. Afterward, one person was taken to a nearby hospital to be evaluated.

We do have some high winds right now  and with high winds we get some hazardous ocean conditions, Barillas said.

Barillas urged boaters to check the weather and make sure they have life jackets on board before heading out onto the water.

emily.alpert@latimes.com

Twitter: @LATimesEmily

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San Diego police are investigating after two officers fatally shot a 15-year-old boy Saturday morning as he stood in front of Torrey Pines High School. Police say he was holding a BB gun.

Heres how the shooting went down:

A mysterious caller

Police received a 911 call at 3:27 a.m. asking for a welfare check, said police homicide Lt. Mike Holden. The caller said there was a kid in front of the school who someone should probably check on and stated the person was not armed, the lieutenant said.

Police believe the caller was the boy himself, Holden said.

According to police radio traffic, a dispatcher asked two officers to check the welfare of someone at the school. The person was described as a white male, 15, of medium build, wearing a gray shirt and black pants. Officers said they were there about a minute later.

Shots fired

The two officers arrived at the school on Del Mar Heights Road about the same time and saw the teen. As they got out of their patrol cars to speak with him, he pulled a handgun that was concealed in his waistband and pointed it at one of the officers, Holden said.

Both officers drew their weapons and told the boy to drop the gun, but he continued to point the gun and walk toward the one officer, Holden said.

The teen ignored additional commands, and the officers, fearing for their safety, both fired, the lieutenant said.

The teen was struck several times.

A dispatcher acknowledged shots fired and asked if any officers were injured. One officer answered negative but said paramedics are needed now. He said he and another officer were doing CPR. Another two or three minutes passed and an officer noted that CPR was still in progress.

A mother and daughter pay their respects at a memorial of flowers that is starting to grow in front of Torrey Pines High School near where a 9th-grader at the school was shot and killed by San Diego Police officers. (Howard Lipin / San Diego Union-Tribune) (Howard Lipin / San Diego Union-Tribune)

He was brandishing a BB gun

The officers immediately began life-saving measures, and the boy was taken to Scripps Memorial Hospital in La Jolla, where he died, Holden said.

The boys gun remained at the scene to be processed as evidence. Police later determined that the gun was a semi-automatic BB air pistol, Holden said.

A small memorial of flowers and notes began to grow at the scene by Saturday afternoon.

The teen was a freshman at the Carmel Valley school and lived in the neighborhood. Police officials are declining to name him because he was a juvenile.

A memorial of flowers is starting to grow in front of Torrey Pines High School (Howard Lipin / San Diego Union-Tribune) (Howard Lipin / San Diego Union-Tribune)

Captured on body cameras?

Police are now investigating the shooting, and the community is in mourning.

Both officers had activated their body-worn cameras at some point and there is video of the incident for investigators to review.

The names of the officers involved are expected to be released in the next few days, per department protocol.

The officers have been on the force for 28 years and four years. One of the officers is on the departments Juvenile Services Team, Holden said.

A member of the San Diego Police Department investigates and documents the scene. (Howard Lipin / San Diego Union-Tribune) (Howard Lipin / San Diego Union-Tribune)

Davis and Littlefield write for the San Diego Union-Tribune.
I hitchhiked across the border when I was 4 years old. That was what I told anyone who asked where I was from. It was close enough to the truth.

In 1975, my parents dropped off my five older siblings and me at my grandmothers house in Mexico and then vanished. They were going to the other side and once they saved enough money and acquired the necessary borrowed birth certificates they would send for us. Two years later, they did just that, but the consequences of that early separation will forever stand like a wall between parent and child.

Amid recent raids by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and with the new administrations vow that separating children from their parents is not off the table, I keep thinking back to this story  to my story.

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When the men in uniforms ask what your name is, you have to say Maricela Salazar, or you will never see your parents again. Do you understand? My uncle would ask it again and again on the bus ride north, quizzing me  the youngest  to make sure I would not give the Border Patrol the wrong name and blow our cover. I have no memory of the actual crossing.

Sometimes my mother broke down in tears asking why I couldnt just trust her, why was I so distant?

My father, whom I barely recognized, was waiting for us. He had driven from Illinois to the Arizona border in Yuma. The back of his truck was loaded with pillows and blankets along with a cooler filled with things I had never seen before: Wonder Bread, Oscar Mayer bologna, and bright yellow Kraft American cheese Singles.

A 28-hour drive later, I was reunited with my mother, though she might as well have been a stranger, for all her presence registered on me.

After that homecoming, my sharpest memory is of John Travolta strutting down the streets of Brooklyn in bell bottoms. I must have seen the movie trailer and I remember being mesmerized by the music, the glitz, the cleft chin and the moves. I stood in front of the mirror mimicking him  hip sways to the left, point up, hips sways to right, point down. I imagined that if I could somehow go through the glass, I could cross over and land on that lighted disco floor  I wanted to go there. While the disco inferno raged on in the city I would eventually call home, I got my vaccinations and started kindergarten.

Learning English happened so efficiently and swiftly it was as though I fell asleep dreaming in one language and awoke speaking another. But soon enough, it was obvious that I was struggling with something else.

In elementary school, my teacher stood in front of my desk. What is two plus two? she asked. Maria! She would lean in a bit closer raising her voice a few decibels. What is two plus two? I stared into her blue eyes, and although I knew the answer was four, I could not utter a single word.

She grew convinced I had a hearing problem. She sent me to the nurse, who sent me home with a note. My parents took me to the doctor. He inserted something cold in my ears before concluding that the muscles around my jaw and ears were weak and the best way to strengthen them was by chewing gum.

On Monday morning I returned to school with the doctors note and a full weeks supply of Juicy Fruit, Hubba Bubba and Bazooka Joe. When other kids were made to spit out their gum, they pointed at me: Shes chewing gum too.

She has a medical condition, my teacher always replied.

Years later, when I was in my 20s and had made it to Brooklyn  where the discotheques had been replaced by hip-hop clubs and, ironically, bell bottoms were having a resurgence  I shared the chewing gum story with a friend over dinner.

They prescribe chewing gum to kids with ADD, she said, taking a sip of her wine. It helps them to focus.

Afterward, I did a bit of research and found that attention deficit disorder is often caused by post-traumatic stress disorder. But I had endured no deep trauma, or so I thought. My familys life was complicated, but my parents were loving enough and had always provided for us. My mother worked at a towel factory for more than 10 years, and my father in construction; he even joined the union. But there was this: Sometimes my mother broke down in tears asking why I couldnt just trust her, why was I so distant?

I should have never left you in Mexico, she said. Had I known it would be two years I would have never left you.

Its no big deal, Mom, I said, explaining that I understood how it was for immigrants and refugees  sometimes kids were separated from their parents. She cried harder, and although I wanted to comfort her, I stared at her tear-streaked face and felt numb.

During my last semester at the University of Illinois in Urbana, I returned to Mexico with a freshly printed green card. Ten years earlier, President Reagan had signed a bill that provided amnesty to nearly 3 million undocumented immigrants, myself and my family among them.

To qualify, you had to have been living continuously in the United States since before 1982 and have no criminal record. First, you applied to become a temporary resident. After a trial period, you were eligible to become a permanent resident and acquire a green card. Several years later, assuming you had a clean record, you could apply to become a U.S. citizen.

During my trip to Mexico, I visited my grandmother. She was living in the same house where my parents had dropped us off years before. We were having tea one night and she glanced at me and said, You dont remember, but after your parents left not a day went by that you didnt ask about them.

They were gone for three months and still, first thing in the morning, you were asking me to take you back home. I finally took you back there so you could see for yourself. You stepped inside that empty house, looked everywhere, and once you realized your parents were no longer there, never again did you ask about them  never. After that day you stopped talking. Two weeks passed and you hadnt uttered a single word.

As she spoke, I was aware of something deep within me breaking open, of things adding up.

That was the start of a long journey for my parents and me. It took years for us to reconcile all that had been lost during that two-year separation. Now I fear for the millions of kids who could potentially become separated from their parents under the Trump administrations aggressive approach to deportations. How long might it be before they are reunited? How much longer before they overcome that wall, if at all? Once that bond is broken, it will have repercussions for years.

What is two plus two? A two-year separation is not such a long time, but it is long enough.

Maria Venegas is the author of Bulletproof Vest: The Ballad of an Outlaw and His Daughter.

To read the article in Spanish, click here

Follow the Opinion section on Twitter @latimesopinion and Facebook

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When Jason Schadewald stepped up to the microphone to chime in with support for single-payer healthcare in California, he kept it short, stating his name, hometown and affiliation.

But like scores of others present at the bills first committee hearing last week, the elected California Democratic Party delegate from the 41st Assembly District, which includes Pasadena, couldnt resist going off script. He punctuated his remarks with a pointed warning.

I represent about 200,000 registered Democrats in that district who strongly support this measure, Schadewald said. With a grin, he added, and well primary people who dont.

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The audience hooted approvingly at the threat of electoral consequences.

The 35-year-old technology consultant is emblematic of a surge of activism rippling through Californias political landscape. Not content to rely on the state to be a liberal bastion of resistance against President Trump and Republican-controlled Washington, D.C., Schadewald and his ilk are turning to Sacramento to pressure the ruling Democrats from the left.

And lawmakers are taking notice.

In recent years, there has been this false sense  that it was somehow cool to be a moderate, said Assemblywoman Lorena Gonzalez Fletcher (D-San Diego), of her Democratic colleagues. But now, she said, its suddenly very cool to be the progressive. Theres positive reinforcement now.

What accounts for this magnetic pull leftward? An influx of new activists, energized by the 2016 election, have turned their focus to state-level politics. Advocacy groups, striving to offer a progressive seal of approval, are poring over legislators voting records. And the prospect of single-payer healthcare in the state  the government would cover all residents medical costs  offers a galvanizing rallying cry.

With bills still in early stages in the Capitol  and elections 18 months away  it remains to be seen if this liberal clamor can affect policy outcomes or unseat incumbent legislators. But politicians acknowledge the phenomenon is bound to have an impact.

We listen to our constituents, Assemblyman Matt Dababneh (D-Woodland Hills) said. If our constituents are getting more engaged and moving farther to the left, in this case, I think that will have an effect on how we vote and how we do things.

California single-payer healthcare bill passes first committee test 

Some of these efforts started before the 2016 election. After business-aligned Democrats successfully blocked efforts to slash oil consumption, ban fracking and double workers pay on holidays, the Courage Campaign, an advocacy group, decided to scour legislators voting records to see who, in their eyes, wasnt sufficiently liberal.

It was painfully clear that despite being this deep-blue progressive state with a progressive electorate, we were unable to enact the significant progress we feel is so desperately needed, said Eddie Kurtz, the groups president.

Scorecards, which are common among interest groups, are imperfect tools to capture what is happening in Sacramento, and many legislators are quick to point out errors or lack of nuance in their tallies.

But Assemblyman Mark Stone (D-Scotts Valley) said the Courage Campaigns first report card, released last year, proved to be unusually irritating to Democrats.

For weeks following that report card, [lawmakers] were still complaining about it. It struck a chord, Stone said. I think there were some legislators who werent used to being called out on their votes.

The latest scorecard, released this week, features nine legislators  five of them Democrats  in a Hall of Shame. The group also notes that seven legislators dramatically improved their scores  a sign, its organizers claim, that increased scrutiny is working.

We absolutely are claiming credit for that, Kurtz said. We think our scorecard had a direct impact, on those folks and others.

Some legislators downplay the groups influence.

I havent done anything different. I support the same legislation Ive always supported, said Assemblyman Ian Calderon (D-Whittier), who went from an F to an A.

By compiling the only multi-issue report card  the 2016 scored bills include those dealing with consumer protections, increasing farmworker overtime and criminal justice reforms  the group is trying to position itself as offering a progressive primer to those newly interested in Sacramento.

We definitely see our role, as veterans of California politics, to help give our two cents, Kurtz said.

This year, more political neophytes than ever are turning an eye to the Capitol.

The first signs came in January, after the biennial elections for Assembly district-level delegates to the California Democratic Party. The positions  14 in each district  are the type of low-level posts that help determine endorsements and internal party business, and the elections are typically insider affairs.

But now first-timers had run for the slots, and many had won, beating longtime activists backed by sitting lawmakers. Schadewald was among the newcomers, after heeding Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders call to his supporters to run for local office.

Another new face was Pamela Harris of Oakland, who had decided to channel her grief over the 2016 election outcome into remaking the Democratic Party. To have the biggest impact, she decided to focus her efforts close to home.

You cant really penetrate the national party, said Harris, a 46-year-old filmmaker and mother. You have to go local.

Harris joined an ad-hoc group of hopefuls to run as Groundswell Progressives. They swept the election, prevailing over a slate of candidates backed by the districts assemblyman, Rob Bonta of Alameda.

Harris credited Bonta with swiftly reaching out to the new activists. Their impact already is evident in his bill package: One of his measures, which would streamline Californias public records law, was suggested by another delegate.

You ignore that energy at your own peril, Bonta said of the spiking interest in state politics. Its there. You cant ignore it. Something is clearly happening.

Stone, the Scotts Valley assemblyman, said the next challenge will be getting that energy focused in the right direction.

I worry this is a flash in the pan  that folks will come in, shake things up, and maybe get bored and move on, Stone said.

So far, most of that energy has been concentrated on single-payer healthcare. Hundreds of supporters attended the first committee hearing of the bill, SB 562, which cleared the panel despite the fact that key details  in particular, how it would be financed  are still undetermined.

The California Nurses Assn., which has long pushed single-payer, organized the hearings robust turnout. But RoseAnn DeMoro, the unions leader, said itd be wrong to chalk up the energy just to her groups activism.

This is a spontaneous, grass-roots effort, she said. If the nurses went away, this effort would still be there. And thats the first time in history I could say that.

DeMoro said lawmakers are keenly aware the issue has become a litmus test for this crop of invigorated activists.

Weve got a lot of new legislators. They want a long career, she said. And they know this can be a deal-breaker for their political future.

melanie.mason@latimes.com

Follow @melmason on Twitter for the latest on California politics.

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Updates from Sacramento
Its been almost three years since Gov. Jerry Brown pushed a controversial plan through the Legislature that, under the right conditions, would force some school districts to spend when they would rather save  and district leaders across California howled in protest.

They hope this is the summer when they finally get back some of that control.

The saga began just days before the state budget deadline in 2014. Browns administration added a provision to the final spending plan to place a new cap on the size of local school reserve funds  a policy never vetted in public hearings. But the idea had the support of the politically powerful California Teachers Assn., as it sought to force the hand of districts believed to be hoarding cash.

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More dollars would ostensibly be available for class programs and teacher salaries. And, it should be said, the teachers were a valuable ally in Browns quest that fall to convince voters to strengthen the state budgets reserve fund, Proposition 2.

Ever since that time, though, the criticism over what was perceived as a purely political deal has grown louder. And even some of the governors fellow Democrats say it needs to be reversed.

The longer the current cap is in place, the more it threatens the ability of California schools to maintain their physical solvency and provide their students the best possible education, state Sen. Jerry Hill (D-San Mateo) said at a legislative hearing last month.

Hill tried unsuccessfully to erase the school district reserve cap in the legislative session that ended last year, but found himself up against strong opposition from the teachers union.

This year, in an attempt to lower the political temperature of the discussion, he introduced a more modest bill to simply loosen the cap for most districts while removing it completely for the smallest communities and for those whose school funding relies almost solely on local property taxes. The bill could come up for a vote on the Senate floor this week.

The teachers union remains opposed, citing the fiscal decisions made after the most recent recession.

Political Road Map: A forgotten about cap on state budget spending could be back in play this year 

What we found is many districts not only increased their reserves but also, at the same time, cut teachers and increased class sizes, Michael Egan, the CTAs assistant executive director, said at last months hearing.

But the union has stayed silent on a bill by a former teacher, Assemblyman Patrick ODonnell (D-Long Beach), offering an even more modest loosening of the cap. If both bills keep moving forward, look for some kind of effort to negotiate a compromise this summer. Then the question will become if Brown would approve.

Whats fascinating about the imposing of a statewide system for how school districts manage their reserve funds is how it runs afoul of one of the governors favorite political credos  one he has invoked numerous times since returning to the state Capitol in 2011.

Its what is known as the principle of subsidiarity, a teaching in the Catholic church that decisions should be made at the lowest governing level when possible. Brown, who in his younger years briefly trained to become a Jesuit priest, relied on the idea when it comes to schools. In 2013, he won an effort to give many local schools new control over how they spend taxpayer dollars.

But if inconsistency is a problem for some, its not for Brown. During his news conference to unveil his 2015 budget, I asked the governor how he squared the state-mandated school reserve law with subsidiarity.

That particular provision appears to be an exception, he said. We did what we had to do.

john.myers@latimes.com

Follow @johnmyers on Twitter, sign up for our daily Essential Politics newsletter and listen to the weekly California Politics Podcast

ALSO:

Political Road Map: Even as state school funding goes up, some districts may have to cut their budgets

Californias budget could be $600 million short in tax revenues, say analysts

Updates on California politics and government
Reeling from allegations of financial blunders, nepotism and improper use of civil servants for political benefit, Californias tax collection board agency finds itself temporarily stripped of its power as it awaits the possibility of the biggest overhaul in its 138-year history.

Scathing audits and reports have state officials wondering whether the state Board of Equalization should remain as the only elected tax board in the nation.

The organization is in complete disarray, and California taxpayers deserve better, said Assemblyman Phil Ting, a former assessor-recorder of San Francisco. We have to take a hard look at them and look at serious structural reform.

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The turmoil at the agency reached a boiling point April 13 when Gov. Jerry Brown signaled he had seen enough finger-pointing. Brown took away the boards power to hire and approve contracts, and requested that state Atty. Gen. Xavier Becerra launch an investigation of the many serious problems identified in a recent Department of Finance audit.

The report uncovered issues of inappropriate interference by the board that undermines its ability to carry out its core mission: the collection and administration of sales and use taxes and other revenues, Brown wrote in a letter to Becerra.

Californias tax collection agency is eroding the trust of the public, assemblyman says 

The five-member Board of Equalization oversees 30 tax and fee programs, including sales, use and property taxes that bring the state $60.5 billion annually  about 30% of all state revenue.

Though the agency is supposed to have 4,800 employees, there are 600 vacancies, including important administrative positions such as chief legal counsel, which is being handled by an acting counsel.

The board consists of four members elected by geographical districts  each with nine million residents  and the state controller, currently Betty Yee, who serves in the fifth seat as an ex-officio member.

Even the building the agency was based in has spent years in disrepair. The elected board members once had main offices on the 23rd floor of the Board of Equalization headquarters in Sacramento, but they were moved out in 2007 to make room for repair work amid safety concerns. The high-rise has a history of toxic mold, dodgy elevators, leaky pipes and shedding parts that include a glass panel that fell eight floors onto the sidewalk below. Officials estimate $40 million in repairs are needed.

In one sign of the boards division, the members are now scattered among five buildings in the capital.

The departure of the board members from a building where 1,800 of the agencys workers remain has also been a point of controversy. There are currently nine lawsuits against the Board of Equalization by employees who have remained in the dilapidated headquarters. Those legal challenges and lawsuits settled with 30 other plaintiffs allege the building is making workers sick and is a health and safety risk, according to Anthony M. Perez Jr., an attorney for employees who have sued.

The state says the building is safe. Perez said that claim is wrong and hypocritical.

When the BOE Board members became aware of the mold, they high-tailed it out of the headquarters building to a safe working environment, Perez said in one of the lawsuits.

Perez added that the rank-and-file staff was further angered in 2015 when then-Board Chairman Jerome Horton had his new office fitted with more than $118,000 in designer furniture, as first reported by the Sacramento Bee.

Others who disagree with Hortons decision include fellow board member Yee.

I wouldnt have done it, she said of the furnishings. I would have considered it an inappropriate use of public resources.

The same year, an audit by the state controller found that the board misallocated money  $47.8 million  to the state general fund that shouldve gone to other agencies. The board also failed to collect $1.5 million in debts that year, the audit found.

This months Department of Finance audit was a follow-up to the 2015 report and found the board still had difficulty providing complete and accurate documentation in response to basic financial inquiries and could not consistently explain why money was misdirected.

Horton, a Democrat from Inglewood, and current Board Chairwoman Diane Harkey, a Republican from Dana Point, are facing heat from the report, which questioned conferences held in their districts staffed in part with employees from the other offices.

The report said employees were reassigned from the tax auditing positions to supplement the district staffs of board members in a way that violated state rules requiring notification and approval by managers.

Certain board member practices have intervened in administrative activities and created inconsistencies in operations, the report said.

Although each board member receives dedicated staff and $1.5-million office budgets, the report found some board members routinely supplement their staff, taking employees whose jobs were to collect taxes and transferring them from the main office to help board members reach out to constituents.

For example, a conference last November in Harkeys district called Connecting Women to Power brought in 98 board employees usually assigned to tax audit and compliance work, whose monthly salaries range from $2,384 to $8,450. The employees performed duties including registration, parking lot duty, and break area facilitation, the report said, adding the redirection was requested by someone on Harkeys staff.

Yee and others said the conferences held by other board members are improper because they are promotion tools used to elevate their profiles with constituents.

Harkey denies that she was involved in redirecting staff to promotional activities. A former legislator, she had just taken office with the board when she said she was told by the administration that she could pick from a list of outreach activities done in the past that were aimed at educating the public about taxes and fees.

She said the staging of the conference in Escondido was an issue handled by administration staff.

Im not in charge of those people, she said in an interview with The Times. Once I found out that this was falling in my lap and there was something wrong, I decided were not doing it again.

David Gau, the boards executive director, confirmed to a legislative panel on April 20 that some board members have tried to have staff and resources reassigned without asking for approval from his office, which they are required to do.

It has been a pervasive problem, Gau said during a hearing of a Senate budget subcommittee.

The Department of Finance also questioned Hortons office about spending $124,000 on postage and printing alone for a volunteer income tax assistance event sponsored by the IRS  even though the board does not collect income tax.

Horton said the assistance program helped 14,000 people with their tax filings and registered 5,000 additional businesses with the board.

Updates from Sacramento 

He denied that outreach conferences held in his and other board members districts were done to promote themselves politically. The events, he said in a letter to the governor, were supported by BOE legal department opinions stating that they had a governmental and tax administration purpose.

Among the reports other findings:

Horton was involved in opening a Culver City call center in his district to answer customer questions and requested the expediting of assigning 10 employees there, though board records, according to the audit, do not indicate that the call center had been presented, discussed, or approved by the Board during a public meeting.

A new office with board employees was established in El Segundo  also in Hortons district and adjacent to another board office  but the administration could not explain why it was opened, nor what the staff was doing there.

In a letter to the governor, Horton said that he legally requested the call center opening and that it was properly approved. All of the BOE members were involved and culpable, he wrote. The El Segundo office opening was handled by administration, he said.

Harkey concedes that there has been a perfect storm of controversies, but she maintains that the problems are being addressed, and said she thinks the current structure can be made to work.

There have obviously been some breakdowns in policy. I think there has probably been some board member overreach as well as some laxness on the part of the staff, Harkey said. I think nobody is totally guilty and nobody is totally innocent.

In contrast, Yee and fellow Democratic board member Fiona Ma have called for a massive overhaul of the agency. Yee proposed stripping the panel of its tax administration responsibilities and audit and compliance functions so it can focus on handling taxpayer appeals.

In order to rebuild taxpayer trust, meaningful reform is essential, Yee said on March 31. I urge the Legislature and the governor to strip the board members of all statutory functions and permanently move these duties and assigned staff to a separate new department under the governor.

Ma has asked the governor to appoint a public trustee to oversee the agency, who she said should appoint a new chief legal counsel.

Unfortunately, there is a lack of commitment at the executive management level to address even the smallest problems, Ma wrote to Brown.

The agencys problems have also drawn criticism from a candidate who had been running to join the Board of Equalization. On Thursday, former Assemblyman Richard Gordon dropped out of the 2018 race for a spot on the board, saying his decision was grounded in a belief that setting the agency up as an elected panel has contributed to its problems.

The political process, candidly, interferes with the ability of the board to play its role as a quasi-judicial hearing body, he said.

Ma has also requested an examination by the State Personnel Board into allegations by employees of favoritism in hiring and promotions. That investigation is pending.

Ma said former Executive Director Cynthia Bridges, before she was removed in March 2016, approved raises of up to 20% for selected managers, including David Gau, who later took her place as executive director.

When I investigated, I found that there did not appear to be a consistent process used to award raises [to managers], Ma said.

The pending personnel investigation was recently expanded to look into allegations Ma received in anonymous emails that alleged rampant nepotism in some offices, including employees who are supervising relatives.

Mas high-profile criticism of the agency has drawn backlash. An anonymous note with the warning watch your back was sent through interoffice mail, triggering an upgrade of security at the board, including a screening of employees, Ma told The Times.

Harkey said the agency is already taking steps to address problems identified in audits, but acknowledged fractures in the board, and a rank-and-file staff that she described as pretty demoralized.

The agency has been hampered by an outdated, 40-year-old computer system and turnover among senior staff.

Overall the collecting, the assessing and distribution of taxes and fees is accurate. I think they do a good job, Harkey said to The Times. I think the current structure of the BOE is really very good.

Legislators, who have held two hearings on the boards problems, say they are prepared to force change through the upcoming budget deliberations.

It clearly is something that calls into question the overall management of the agency that some of these things would be allowed to go on that are clearly not best practices, Assemblyman Richard Bloom (D-Santa Monica) said.

Added Ting: California taxpayers should be concerned.

patrick.mcgreevy@latimes.com

Twitter: @mcgreevy99

ALSO

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Gov. Brown calls for an investigation of alleged mismanagement at Californias tax board

Updates from Sacramento
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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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Watch live: Education Secretary Betsy DeVos testifies on Trumps budget Follow live coverage from Times education reporter Joy Resmovits: Facebook

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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
SOUTH AMERICA

Presentation

Former L.A. Times staff writer Hilary MacGregor will discuss how she and her husband pulled their kids out of school and headed to South America for a 10-week odyssey. Learn where they went, what they did and how to do it yourself.

When, where: 7:30 p.m. Monday at Distant Lands, 20 S. Raymond Ave., Pasadena.

Admission, info: Free. RSVP to (626) 449-3220.

HIKING

Workshop

John Drollinger will cover the history and details of the San Antonio (Mt. Baldy), San Gorgonio and San Jacinto peaks as well as share tips on permits, logistics, trail conditions, training and timing.

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When, where: 6:30 p.m. Thursday at the Adventure 16 store in Tarzana, 5425 Reseda Blvd., and 6:30 p.m. Friday at the Los Angeles store, 11161 W. Pico Blvd.

Admission, info: Free. Tarzana, (818) 345-4266; Los Angeles, (310) 473-4574.

EUROPE

Presentation

Cultural anthropologist Leanna Wolfe will discuss her recent trip to Moscow; St. Petersburg, Russia; Berlin; and Amsterdam.

When, where: Noon Saturday at Golden Dragon Restaurant, 960 N. Broadway, Los Angeles.

Admission, info: $21 for lunch and program. Hosted by the Network for Travel Club. RSVP to Odette Ricasa at (323) 578-3601.

Please email announcements at least three weeks before the event to travel@latimes.com.
Regarding Sail Into a Fairy Tale by Rosemary McClure, April 30: We had a marvelous European river tour last summer on Grand Circle Cruise Line, which offered a near-identical trip to the Viking ships we docked next to each night, except our cruise was a lot less expensive.

Plus Grand Circle and its mother company, Overseas Adventure Travel, make a point of giving back to the communities where they travel.

Laura Newman

Santa Barbara

Puerto Vallarta, wheelchair-accessible

I have cruised to the Mexican Riviera annually for several years, and I am increasingly disappointed that the major cruise lines offer no wheelchair-accessible shore excursions.

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I was delighted to find a solution on a recent visit to Puerto Vallarta. Two sisters, originally from Yakima, Wash., offer private excursions in wheelchair-accessible vans.

They also offer accessible transportation in the Puerto Vallarta area as well as rental of mobility equipment to hotel guests and residents.

They can be found at www.beachcrossers.com.

Dave Novitski

Glendale

Dreams of Ischia, Italy

Thanks for writing about Ischia [Creating Their Own Joy, by Joy Y. Wang, April 23]. My Danish aunt moved there as a young single mother somewhere around 1970. She never left. My first European trip was to Italy and included a three-day trip to Ischia to visit her and her son. Her son took me around my first day to introduce me to friends. At each stop, we had an espresso. By the end of the day I mustve consumed 14 espressos, and my hair was tingling and toes and fingers were numb. In my aunts jewelry store, I heard her speaking English, Danish, French, German and Italian, all fluently. My last trip to Italy was two years ago with my sister and her Italian-born husband. Unfortunately, I had work obligations and didnt have time to join them on the leg of their trip to Ischia. Im hoping to go back in September.

Ken R. Nielsen

West Hollywood

Theyre dancing on the river

Regarding Being Charming Is Job One, by Rosemary McClure, April 23: Gentlemen hosts are also available on domestic steamboats cruising our nations rivers. They ride free of charge and earn their keep nightly because a significant number of cruisers are solo women who have perfected the graceful art of ballroom dancing decades prior.

What great fun it is to watch them dance nonstop the entire evening, dressed to the nines.

Riverboats handle the subject of gentlemen hosts mingling too much with the women with humor. According to their onboard handout, any host caught in a guests room will have to dogpaddle to shore the next day.

Kyle Kimbrell

Playa del Rey

travel@latimes.com

@latimestravel
North Korea claimed it detained another U.S. citizen on Sunday, stoking further discord as the two countries face their biggest tensions in years.

The Norths state media said Kim Hak-song, who worked at Pyongyang University of Science and Technology, was arrested on Saturday on charges of hostile acts against the country. This would bring to four the number of U.S. citizens held by the reclusive nation.

The relevant authority is currently carrying out a detailed investigation into the crime of Kim Hak-song, the Korean Central News Agency said. The KCNA report did not specify the nature of the hostile acts or offer any further information about Kim.

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Officials confirmed Wednesday they also were holding an accounting instructor tied to the school, which was founded by evangelical Christians in 2010. They said Kim Sang-duk, who also goes by the name Tony Kim, was arrested at the Pyongyang airport for hostile criminal acts intended to subvert the country.

State media did not say whether the two detentions were connected.

A State Department official said the government was aware of reports about the arrest and considers the security of U.S. citizens one of its highest priorities. The department declined to comment further, citing privacy considerations.

Because the U.S. has no embassy in North Korea, Sweden assists with consular matters involving American citizens.

This file photo taken Feb. 29, 2016, and released by North Koreas official Korean Central News Agency shows U.S. student Otto Frederick Warmbier speaking at a news conference in Pyongyang, North Korea. (STR / AFP/Getty Images)

North Korea last year sentenced University of Virginia student Otto Warmbier to hard labor after officials accused him of trying to steal a propaganda sign from a Pyongyang hotel. It also sentenced Korean American businessman Kim Dong-chul to 10 years of hard labor for espionage charges.

Officials have held Canadian pastor Lim Hyeon-soo since 2015.

The latest arrest came days after American officials pressed the United Nations for stronger sanctions to thwart North Koreas nuclear weapons ambitions. The U.S. also recently directed an aircraft carrier strike group toward the Korean peninsula.

Failing to act now on the most pressing security issue in the world may bring catastrophic consequences, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson told the United Nations Security Council in late April.

North Korea tested two ballistic missiles in recent weeks, both of which were flubs.

The country is trying to build a nuclear-tipped missile that could reach the U.S. and, according to analysts, soon may conduct its sixth nuclear test.

Both countries have heightened their rhetoric in recent weeks.

President Trump last month warned of the potential for a major, major conflict with the isolated nation and has not ruled out military action.

North Korea on Friday accused the CIA of attempting to assassinate leader Kim Jong Un using a biochemical substance. The countrys Ministry of State Security said in a statement that the spy agency bribed a North Korean man named Kim to carry out the deed.

The statement said North Korea recently uncovered and smashed a heinous crime that is a form of terrorism and an act of mangling the future of humankind.

North Koreas media, which enjoy bluster and strongman rhetoric, also have taken a rare swing at China  its main economic benefactor. China suspended coal imports from North Korea this year, and its state media have warned of stronger sanctions should North Korea attempt another nuclear test.

A commentary released last week by KCNA called these reckless remarks and warned such antagonism could trigger grave consequences.

Sundays claim of detention follows the April 22 arrest of Kim Sang-duk, a former accounting instructor at Pyongyang University of Science and Technology, the KCNA report said. It said he was intercepted at Pyongyang International Airport for committing criminal acts to overthrow the Norths government.

The Pyongyang University is the only privately funded university in North Korea and is unique for having a large number of foreign staff.

Washington, Seoul and others often accuse North Korea of using foreign detainees to wrest diplomatic concessions, which in recent years have involved high-profile American missions sent to secure the release of the Americans.

North Koreas announcement of the detentions comes amid tensions over fears that Pyongyang is preparing another round of nuclear or missile tests and comments. Trump has further heightened animosity by saying he isnt ruling out military action against the North, although the president also has said he would be willing to talk with Kim Jong Un under the right circumstances.

Times staff writer Laura King in Washington contributed to this report.

Meyers is a special correspondent.

Twitter: @jessicameyers

ALSO

In a rare direct criticism, North Korea says Chinas reckless remarks are testing its patience

Heres whats driving North Koreas nuclear program  and it might be more than self-defense

Passing 100-day mark, Trump offers mixed signals on healthcare, taxes and North Korea

UPDATES:

10 a.m.: This article has been updated throughout with staff reporting.

This article was originally published at 6:50 a.m.
Most foreign veterans who arrive in this swampy stretch of the Mekong Delta make their way to the Oasis Hotel.

The two-story, pale-yellow building on the Ben Tre River boasts a small pool near the open-air dining area and cold beer. They come looking for solace, something stronger than the support groups and pills. Then they meet Ken Horsfall.

This morning, the scent of roast pork wafted through the hotel. Horsfall, the 71-year-old owner from New Zealand, appeared from the front lawn in his usual attire, a half-buttoned, grease-stained shirt. Hed turned the electricity box into a meat smoker.

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Horsfall never fought in Vietnam, or the American War, as its known here. But in 2008, he and his wife, Nguyen Thi Lieu, settled in one of the towns most devastated by it. She wanted to trace her past; he wanted a new adventure.

They opened the hotel and welcomed veterans, many of whom traveled to Ben Tre with no illusions of heroics and decades of nightmares. Suddenly Horsfall, who loves telling stories so much he self-published a book of them, became part of this one  a gentle facilitator for the aging men who returned to find peace in a place where they once made war.

Theyve got to get over here and confront it, he said. They lost their youth here.

Saigon, now called Ho Chi Minh City, fell to Communist troops 42 years ago April 30, marking the end of the conflict. Its a holiday in Vietnam. Dates like that are not lost on John Foggin, one of the first foreign vets to settle in Ben Tre and try to make sense of his past.

He and his wife, Lan, live down the street from the Oasis. Horsfall popped in the other day on a three-seat bicycle he built from lawn chairs and an electric motor.

Its like you have a big hole in your body and it wont close, said Foggin, 78. When I first came back, I was trying to get closure. I cant explain it. I feel relaxed now.

He and his wife met when he was stationed in the South; they married before the wars conclusion.

As North Vietnamese Communist forces took over, Lan, now 70, fled the country with Foggin. Her brother, a supporter of the South Vietnamese, killed himself.

She did not go back for nearly a decade and a half. Now the couple live with her relatives in the spacious soft-pink house they built in the 1990s.

The Foggins have taken to the river towns pace and feel safer here than in California. They return to San Diego only for insulin and heart medicine.

Surrounded by family and bathed in a river breeze, the Foggins dont see a reason to leave.

Ben Tre lies about 50 miles south of Ho Chi Minh City, amid a tangle of tributaries. This tropical town became a milestone on the path to war in 1959 when a female Vietcong general led an uprising against Saigons American-backed regime.

Nine years later, a battle between U.S. forces and Communist troops leveled half the houses here. The scene forever linked this region to words attributed to an American officer: It became necessary to destroy the town to save it.

About 1,000 residents died; the war claimed 2 million Vietnamese and more than 50,000 American soldiers.

Ben Tre today is a city of more than 200,000. Locals sell coconut husks and cargo boats laden with woven baskets and quail eggs ply the river. The outdoor market smells of fish and flowers.

Ken Horsfall, right, helps move quail eggs onto a cargo boat sailing down the Ben Tre River in Vietnam. (L.R. Meyers / For The Times)

Organizations dont track the number of veterans who return to live in Vietnam. But thousands of American soldiers have visited since the countries normalized relations in 1995. So have vets from countries such as Australia and New Zealand, who fought alongside South Vietnam.

Some satisfy their desire for cheap beer and female companionship amid the neon lights of Ho Chi Minh City. Others, torn by guilt, start charities to combat the debilitating effects of Agent Orange, a toxic defoliant sprayed by American warplanes. Still more, recently retired and unable to shake a nagging curiosity, visit battlefields on air-conditioned bus tours.

Vets are driven by a sense of confusion as to why they were there, said Christina Schwenkel, associate professor of anthropology at UC Riverside. For those who decide to stay, it allows them not only to witness peace but to participate in the process.

Years before he returned to Vietnam, Australian veteran Ken Watkins knew he had a problem.

Memories of the war echoed worst at night. His first marriage ended. His second wife told him it was impossible to share a bed. Someone said a trip back would help. A buddy knew a man with a hotel.

He flew here six years ago  to a country he never actually knew, conflicted about his role shaping its history.

Like many afternoons now, Horsfall and Watkins drank Saigon beer on the Dong Khoi patio, a bar across the river in the town center.

Watkins goes by the nickname Cowboy, which fits the former sheep shearer who wears pointed-toe boots and striped shirts with shiny buttons.

He met Hornsfall at the Oasis, where even the name implies refuge. A section for vets on the hotels website reads, we will do our best to help. Rooms feature a typed history of Vietnam that starts with the French occupation.

Nearly all the blokes I know were staying at Kens at some point, Watkins said.

Only because I have somewhere they can stay, Horsfall said.

Horsfall and Lieu made sure Watkins met a woman named Hanh; they now live in a house with a gazebo. Watkins started paying a share of the school tuition for a local friends son. It felt good to help, he said. The nightmares stopped.

Its transformed me into a certain type of person, he said. I never felt better.

Horsfall doesnt take to all the vets who come through.

He winces when he talks about the veteran who didnt care enough to remember his Vietnamese mother-in-laws name. He more fondly remembers helping reunite a South Vietnamese man and an American soldier who once worked together.

Its the middle of the Caravelle Hotel under the chandeliers, he said. There are three American guys coming down the stairs, a foot high over me. I said, Capt. Larry Rhodes, Id like you to meet your scout. Could you stand up, please? The tears start coming.

He paused.

Thats a good feeling story, he said, as usual, leaving it tantalizingly incomplete.

He tried to help a woman and her grown daughter find the soldier who took off before the girls first birthday. No luck. The mother killed herself, he said, looking away.

Horsfall was born the year after World War II ended, in a small New Zealand town. He had little formal education, but curiosity and restlessness took him to Papua New Guinea and Cambodia. In his book, he recalls doing nearly 30 jobs, including underwater filmmaker, optical glass fitter, bar owner, and in-country mechanic for the Royal New Zealand Air Force.

Ken Horsfall and his wife, Nguyen Thi Lieu, run the Oasis Hotel in Ben Tre, Vietnam. (L.R. Meyers / For The Times)

In 1993, Horsfall was in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. He went for a haircut at the hair salon Nguyen ran that also sold beer. He was working as a mechanic for the United Nations. Both had previous marriages and children.

They married four years later in New Zealand, where the couple settled for 11 years, until Nguyen decided she should return to her mothers hometown and meet her relatives. The couple had owned a bar in Cambodia, so why not a hotel?

This feels like home, said Nguyen, 60. Im financially independent. People look up to me.

She runs the hotel with drill sergeant efficiency. One day, she pitched guests a tour through the canals as Horsfall launched into a tale about a treasure map he possessed that led to 150 buried samurai swords.

Ken the Cowboy says no one smiles at him in Australia, Nguyen said, smiling.

Something less definable anchors these men and their spouses to this Mekong tributary. Their time here grants them reassurance as they age, even acceptance.

We were the bad guys, said Dennis Coe, an American vet and Horsfalls best friend in Ben Tre, who recently returned to Washington state to seek treatment for conditions he attributes to Agent Orange.

But when he returned to his wifes hometown, no one blamed Coe for his part in the war. You see the world from a different perspective, he said.

Hell go back, just as soon as the doctor says he can travel again, he said by phone. I miss my friends.

Especially, he said, his buddy Horsfall.

The hotel owner is quietly proud he can fix almost anything  a cargo boat engine or a power generator using tubing and a plastic bucket. But he never mentions one item on the list of things he has helped patch: broken lives.

Vets are welcome, he said. We have somewhere they can stay.

Meyers is a special correspondent.

Twitter: @jessicameyers

Their parents lives were defined by war. Now Vietnams youth are pushing the country toward a new identity.

Born in America, Sriracha sauce tries its luck in Vietnam

They made it home from Vietnam. Now, these vets battle a rare form of cancer.
The centrist Emmanuel Macron won a landslide victory over his far-right rival, Marine Le Pen, on Sunday, beating back her nationalist, anti-immigrant campaign to become the youngest president-elect in Frances history.

Voters strongly rejected Le Pens populist rhetoric in an election that posed one of the starkest choices the French have faced in a generation. Provisional results showed Macron with 65.1% to Le Pens 34.9%.

Macron said he was grateful for the confidence French voters had shown him and that he had a message for Le Pens supporters: I have heard your anger. He said he wanted to be president of all French people.

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Le Pen quickly conceded defeat and wished Macron the very best.

But as Le Pen expressed gratitude to her voters, she also defiantly called on them to continue to stand up against the French establishment. She said her National Front  with its anti-immigrant, anti-European Union stance  was now the primary opposition party in France.

I call on all patriots to take part in the decisive political battles that are beginning today, she said. Long live the Republic. Long live France.

1 / 15 A crowd waits for President-elect Emmanuel Macron at the Louvre Museum in Paris on Sunday. (Francois Mori / Associated Press) 2 / 15 Supporters of Emmanuel Macron celebrate in front of the Pyramid at the Louvre Museum. (Patrick Kovarik / AFP/Getty Images) 3 / 15 A man waves French national flags as he shakes hands with a driver on the Champs-Elysees in Paris following the announcement of Emmanuel Macrons win on Sunday. (Geoffroy Van Der Hasselt / AFP/Getty Images) 4 / 15 Emmanuel Macron casts his ballot at a polling station in Le Touquet, northern France, on Sunday. Macron won the French presidency in a second-round election. (Christophe Ena / AFP/Getty Images) 5 / 15 Voters at a polling station in Quimper, western France. (Fred Tanneau / AFP/Getty Images) 6 / 15 Benedictine Sisters of the Sainte-Cecile Abbey take ballots before voting at a polling station in Solesmes, northwestern France, on Sunday. (Jean-Francois Monier / AFP/Getty Images) 7 / 15 Brigitte Trogneux, center, wife of French presidential candidate Emmanuel Macron, shakes hands with supporters after voting in Le Touquet, northern France. (Philippe Huguen / AFP/Getty Images) 8 / 15 Soldiers patrol in the courtyard of the Louvre Museum in Paris on election day. (Kamil Zihnioglu / Associated Press) 9 / 15 French far-right candidate Marine Le Pen, left, greets a voter at a polling station in Henin-Beaumont. (Sylvain Lefevre / Getty Images) 10 / 15 Emmanuel Macron waves as he and his wife, Brigitte Trogneux, leave the polling station in Le Touquet, northern France. (Philippe Huguen / AFP/Getty Images) 11 / 15 Police arrest a woman Sunday after the feminist activist group Femen unveiled a banner on a church in Henin-Beaumont, northwestern France, to protest National Front candidate Marine Le Pen. (Joel Saget / AFP/Getty Images) 12 / 15 Voters line up at a polling station in Quimper, western France. (Fred Tanneau / AFP/Getty Images) 13 / 15 Jean-Luc Melenchon, who was a hard-left candidate in the first round of the presidential election, casts his ballot in Paris on Sunday in the second round. (Kamil Zihnioglu / Associated Press) 14 / 15 Former French President Nicolas Sarkozy, left, and his wife, Carla Bruni, center, prepare to cast ballots at a polling station in Paris. (Christophe Archambault / AFP/Getty Images) 15 / 15 Voters line up at a polling station in Marseille, southern France. (Anne-Christine Poujoulat / AFP/Getty Images)

The vote means France will remain one of the driving forces of the European Union.

The pro-EU, world-friendly Macron, 39, seeks closer ties and a deepening of relations across the European bloc. He encouraged French people not to be afraid of the expanding globalized economy and to look outwards.

Le Pen had threatened to close Frances borders, dump the euro currency and organize a Brexit-style referendum to pull France out of the EU. Her inward-looking program called for an end to immigration and for favoring French nationals for housing, healthcare, education and social benefits. Her father, Jean-Marie Le Pen, founded the far-right National Front in the 1970s.

In a speech broadcast to supporters gathered outside the Louvre Museum, Macron said he understood and respected the divisions in the country that had driven people to extremes.

I understand the anger that many of you have expressed, he said. It is my responsibility to hear you. I will fight with all my strength against the divisions that undermine us.

After he spoke, the jubilant crowd sang the French national anthem, the Marseillaise. Waving a flag, Vince Andre, 29, a student, said he was delighted with the result.

Macron is young, and hopefully he will do something for the young in this country. Were fed up with the same old politicians, the same old promises.

Ben Lounis, 39, a health service executive, said he was born in North Africa but has lived in France for 15 years. He was close to tears as he spoke of his hopes for the new president.

My children are the product of multiculturalism, and I want to live in a France that is multicultural, he said.

Over at Le Pens reception, the atmosphere was more subdued, but not what might be expected following her electoral thrashing. There was more a sense of determination than resignation.

Inside a restaurant tucked inside a wooded park, Le Pen delivered her concession speech to a few hundred supporters and the limited number of journalists who were granted access. She mixed through the adoring crowd, hugging and kissing well-wishers, and later danced the night away to disco music.

Although disappointed, her supporters expressed pride that Le Pen had come so far against a system they consider to be stacked against her.

We ran against the countrys political system, said Jean Messiha, an economist at Paris Science Po university and a top campaign advisor. And now the National Front is the primary opposition party in the country.

Anne Lavernier DHavernel walked out of the event carrying a blue flower and wearing a smile. Saying the party had lost the battle, but not the war, she said the press and political establishment had misrepresented people like herself, who had hosted refugees at her home and respected all races and countries.

President Trump tweeted his congratulations to Macron on the big win and said he looked forward to working with the president-elect.

Congratulations to Emmanuel Macron on his big win today as the next President of France. I look very much forward to working with him!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 7, 2017

Macrons victory came despite turnout that was low by French standards, which was expected to benefit Le Pen, and a last-minute dump of hacked Macron campaign documents. It was not clear who was responsible for the hacking, but Le Pen supporters were reported to have quickly spread the documents, none of which was described as especially damaging.

Figures released at midday showed turnout at 28.23%, exactly the same as the first round of voting two weeks ago and down from 30.66% in the last presidential second round vote in 2012.

Some polling stations in Paris were largely deserted through the early hours of voting. In part, this seemed to be because the second round of voting fell over a holiday weekend, and many voters were out of town.

Julien Landel, the first assistant mayor of the 4th Arrondissement, and the director of a voting station near Paris City Hall, said requests for procuration, which allows a voter to designate another person to cast a ballot in their name, were up 40% compared with the first round two weeks ago.

During the first round, he said, People were more mobilized to come out and support their candidate. Now more people are feeling disappointed and that there is not a choice for them.

Speaking about the National Front, Education Minister Najat Vallaud-Belkacem had reminded voters in an interview with Liberation newspaper that not voting against the FN, even with the best intentions in the world, means not voting against the FN.

Anais Hegron, who works in the fashion industry, was feeling slightly optimistic after voting for Macron, whom she also backed in the first round. Still, Hegron in general is a supporter of the Socialist Party, under which Macron served as economics minister for several years before quitting to launch his own independent political movement last year.

Hegron said her first vote for Macron was a strategic one, as it became clear the Socialist Party candidate, Benoit Hamon, had no chance to survive the first round. She said she hoped Macron would win, but also that the Socialist Party could regroup and mount a credible challenge in upcoming legislative elections.

For now, however, she felt the most critical issue was blocking Le Pens path to power.

Never Le Pen, she said. Never.

A child holds his mothers voting card on Sunday in Anthony, outside Paris. (Burhan Ozbilici / Associated Press)

Macron, a former investment banker with Rothschilds, is economically liberal, socially progressive, pro-Europe and internationally minded.

His rise in French politics has been startling. When President Francois Hollande named him finance minister in August 2014, French media headlined articles with a question: Who is Emmanuel Macron?

Macron, who ran as an independent, led a field of 11 candidates with 23.8% in the first round of voting April 23. He was followed by Le Pen with 21.6%.

On Friday the last opinion poll by Ipsos showed Macron winning 63% of votes and Le Pen 37%. But that was before the hacked documents were released, making an already bitter campaign even more acrimonious.

The documents were leaked just before a Friday midnight deadline that requires candidates to stop campaigning. Macrons campaign denounced the leak as a real attempt to disrupt the French presidential election.

During the so-called election pause, candidates were banned from making any statement or comment until voting closed at 8 p.m. Sunday. That left Macron unable to respond Saturday.

But late Friday, just before the pause took effect, Macrons En Marche! (Onward!) movement released a statement saying fake papers had been mixed in with real emails, financial records and other campaign documents to spread doubt and disinformation.

The French newspaper Le Monde said the leaked documents were spread quickly by Le Pen supporters. National Front Vice President Florian Philippot, a close advisor to Le Pen, wrote on Facebook: With MacronLeaks are we learning something investigative journalists have deliberately hushed up?

Security, meanwhile, was a prime concern of authorities, given Frances recent history with terrorism. Thousands of police officers and security personnel were deployed across the country.

There was a brief flurry of police activity early in the day when a police bomb-sniffing dog raised an alarm about a bag near the media tent at the Louvre, where Macrons camp was setting up for the evening. People were temporarily evacuated, including 300 journalists. The Paris police later tweeted that it was part of routine checks being conducted as a precaution.

Willsher and OBrien are special correspondents.

ALSO

French citizens vote in presidential election from Burbank polling station

Authorities vow to investigate hacking attack in French presidential campaign as voting begins Sunday

Frances Macron and Le Pen slug it out in no-holds-barred debate before Sundays presidential election

UPDATES:

8:20 p.m.: This article was updated with reaction from Le Pens camp.

2 p.m.: This article was updated with reaction from President Trump.

12:30 p.m.: This article was updated with comments from Macron, supporters.

11:50 a.m.: This article has been updated with Le Pen concession, other details.

11:05 a.m.: Updates with Macron winning.

8:55 a.m.: This article has been updated with background about turnout, details about voting in Paris.

This article was originally posted at 3:15 a.m.
In life, Lesby Berlin Osorio was a young woman who doted on her dog and was preparing to return to her university studies, her mother told reporters.

In death, however, Lesby, as she is referred to by the Mexican media, has become a vivid symbol of what critics call a reprehensible tendency among Mexican authorities to blame womens personal behavior for violence inflicted on them.

An intense social media backlash here has seen thousands of women and others  using the hashtag, #SiMeMatan (If They Kill Me)  reject prosecutors comments insinuating that the womans lifestyle contributed to her violent death.

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The body of Berlin, 22, was discovered early Thursday next to a telephone booth on the sprawling campus of the National Autonomous University of Mexico, authorities said. She had a telephone cable tied around her neck, according to the city prosecutors office.

A picture of Lesby Berlin Osorio is seen on a wall on May 5, 2017, near where her body was found outside the Faculty of Engineering of the National Autonomous University of Mexico in Mexico City. (Alfredo Estrella / AFP/Getty Images)

Mexican police have yet to publicly disclose the cause of death and whether it was believed to have been a homicide or suicide.

But in the wake of the grisly discovery, prosecutors released a series of messages via Twitter that many objected to as disparaging the woman.

In one message, the Mexico City prosecutors office said that Berlin and her boyfriend had been drinking and [taking] drugs before she died. Another quoted her boyfriend saying she had quit her studies in 2014.

Based on those comments, some initial Mexican media accounts tended to focus on the womans lifestyle rather than her death. She was portrayed as a college dropout with a drinking and substance-abuse problem who lived with her boyfriend and earned a marginal living as a dog walker.

The negative characterizations of the young woman triggered outrage in a nation where many have denounced a pandemic of unsolved killings of women, known as feminicidio, or femicide.

If They Kill Me, hopefully the police (and the media) will focus on my murderer, not on my clothes, my studies, my work and whoever I am sleeping with, said one tweet, signed Paola Villarreal.

Another Twitter user wrote: If They Kill Me, they will say it is because I wore red lipstick, tried to be independent, occasionally drank and have male friends.

Women protest the killing of former student Lesby Berlin Osorio outside the Faculty of Political and Social Sciences of the National Autonomous University of Mexico in Mexico City on May 5, 2017. (Alfredo Estrella / AFP/Getty Images)

An image circulated on social media listed various personal characteristics that might be used to blame women for their violent deaths. Among them: lesbian, strange, drug-addict, poor, indigenous, prostitute, short skirt, had a boyfriend, didnt attend high school.

A number of men posted social media messages in solidarity, noting the divergent treatment of victims depending on their gender.

If They Kill Me, and Im drunk and alone on a dark street, they wont call me guilty of my own murder because I am not a woman, wrote Manuel Iris, a Mexican poet.

On Friday, thousands of protesters marched at the campus where the womans body was found, assailing the prosecutors handling of the case and demanding a thorough investigation.

This wasnt a suicide. It was a feminicidio! chanted a group of protesting women. We are all Lesby!

The Mexico City prosecutor, Rodolfo Rios, said he ordered the inappropriate messages deleted from the offices social media accounts.

The behavior, private life or social status of a victim should never affect an investigation, the prosecutor wrote.

The dead womans mother, Araceli Orozco, said her daughter in no way resembled the troubled young woman portrayed in the prosecutors communications.

My daughter wasnt an alcoholic, nor a drug addict, nor a dog-walker, like they made her out to be, the mother told Proceso magazine.

Her daughter adored her dog, Uncle Michael, was preparing to return to university studies in French literature and international relations and lived near the university with her boyfriend, the mother said.

That shouldnt stigmatize her, she added, referring to the couples living arrangements. That doesnt turn her into a contemptible person, like they would like to make her and other women out to be.

Cecilia Sanchez of The Times Mexico City bureau contributed to this report.

patrick.mcdonnell@latimes.com

twitter: @mcdneville

ALSO

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May 7, 2017, 4:44am ET

Hyundai developing rugged, body-on-frame truck

The pickup isn\'t related to the Santa Cruz concept.

One of the many new models Hyundai has in the pipeline is a brawny, body-on-frame pickup truck aimed at the Toyota Hilux and the Ford Ranger.

The yet-unnamed model is being developed for global markets, though it's too early to tell whether that includes the United States. It'll be an important product in places like Australia and South East Asia where relatively compact pickup trucks are immensely popular.

Hyundai is also turning the Santa Cruz concept (pictured) into a production model developed largely for the United States. However, the brand explained it can't simply move the steering wheel to the right side of the dashboard and put the truck on a freighter to Australia because it's not rugged enough.

"The Santa Cruz is a different proposition. We don't have any interest in it, even if it happens at all, and in right-hand drive. We're focusing on proper 4x4 and 4x2 trucks," Scott Grant, the COO of Hyundai's Australian division, told website CarAdvice.

The Santa Cruz is expected to make its debut before the end of the decade. When it lands, it will occupy the same leisure-oriented niche as the Honda Ridgeline.

The body-on-frame model that Hyundai's Australian division is waiting for won't arrive until after 2020, according to Grant.
Runners gathered Sunday morning at Easton Area High School in memory of a young boy.

The money they contributed in the name of Mason Koch will help grant wishes of sick of dying children. Koch died in 2011 at age 3.

The Monarch 5K was founded in memory of the son of Easton Area School District administrator Michael Koch and his wife, Kelly Koch, a physical education teacher at the school.

Proceeds go to Dream Come True of the Lehigh Valley.

"There was over 300 people who walked/ran today despite the damp, chilly weather," said Kelly Koch in an email. "We are so grateful to each and every person that volunteers and participates in this event year after year."

The race has raised $25,000 over the last five years. Kristin Schummer of the high school class of 2017 helps organize the race with the Kochs.

"It is so humbling to know that (Mason) continues to impact our community and seeing all those people walk and run in his memory helps our hearts heal a little more," Kelly Koch said. "So many of his dreams were tragically cut short but knowing that we can help another child's dream come true is an amazing feeling."

The race got its name from this Irish blessing:

"May the wings of the butterfly kiss the sun and find your shoulder to light on, to bring you luck, happiness and riches today, tomorrow and beyond."

TOP FINISHERS

Men's top finishers:

1. Marco Cardone, age 15

2. Skyler Koch, 16

3. John Griffiths, 17

Women's top finishers:

1. Haley Sasso, age 9

2. Laura Brunner

3. Lani Heitz, 14

Rudy Miller may be reached at rmiller@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow him on Twitter @RudyMillerLV. Find Easton area news on Facebook.
Seven people suffered minors injuries following a multi-vehicle crash Friday afternoon along Interstate 78 in Upper Macungie Township.

Pennsylvania State Police in Belfast said the 3:42 crash occurred when Hosea H. Okongo, 28, of Texas was driving a 2006 Columbia Freightliner west on Interstate 78 near the highway's merger with Route 22.

The tractor trailer then began to swerve along the roadway, Okongo lost control and the rig eventually jackknifed, according to police. Wekesa then struck the back of a 2010 Chevrolet Traverse, being driven by Michael J. Dantona, 24, of New York.

Police said Dantona was traveling in the merge lane along Route 22 when the crash occurred. The impact caused Dantona to strike a 2017 Hyundai Tucson, driven by Anne F. Angelo, 44, of New York, who was traveling in the right lane of Interstate 78. The Hyundai was then struck again by the tractor-trailer from behind and again, on the driver's side, police said.

The rig then came to rest across the right and center lanes of the highway; the Chevrolet came to rest in the right lane; and the Hyundai came to rest in the center lane, according to police. All three vehicles were towed from the scene.

Okongo and 36-year-old Brian K. Wekesa of Texas, a passenger in the tractor-trailer, escaped injuries. Dantona, and passengers Rob Balkam, no age provided, of New York; Adam Parzych, 30, of New York; and Ryan Heiserman, 24, of Nazareth; all were taken to Lehigh Valley Hospital-Cedar Crest in Salisbury Township for treatment of minor injuries.

Angelo and passengers Alicia I. Delgado, 66 of Allentown; and Samantha J. Ramos-Angelo, 25, of New York; were all taken to Lehigh Valley Hospital-Cedar Crest in Salisbury Township for treatment of minor injuries. Brenda Moran, 44, of Allentown, another passenger in the Hyundai, was not injured, police said.

All occupants in all three vehicles were wearing seat-belts at the time of the collision; an air bag deployed in the Hyundai, police said.

The crash was cleared by 5 p.m. Friday after more than an hour of the westbound Interstate 78-Route 22 merge slowing traffic on both highways. Okongo was cited for not operating the tractor-trailer at a safe speed and another traffic violation.

Pamela Sroka-Holzmann may be reached at pholzmann@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow her on Twitter @pamholzmann. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook.
A Maryland man is accused of providing false information to steal a new car.

Javon Antonio Epps (Courtesy photo | For lehighvalleylive.com)

Charged is Javon Antonio Epps, 25, of Baltimore, MD.

A detective with the Lehigh County Auto Task Force began investigating Epps after he bought a 2017 Chevy Sonic from Chevrolet of Dover Delaware on March 28. Representatives of the dealership on May 4 reported documents Epps provided were fraudulent.

Epps was supposed to wire money for the purchase from USAA Bank, as part of the sales agreement. However, there were no funds in the bank account, authorities said.

The dealership then reported the car stolen to Delaware State Police.

At 4 p.m. Thursday, court records indicate the vehicle was found in the 400 block of Harris Court in Allen Township. Investigators kept constant surveillance of the area and watched as Epps at 6:53 p.m. got into the driver's side of the Chevy. He was then arrested.

Police confirmed the documents provided by Epps, including proof of residency and earning statements, were fraudulent.

Epps is charged with theft and receiving stolen property. He was arraigned last week before District Judge Nancy Matos-Gonzalez, who set bail at $40,000. In lieu of bail, Epps was taken to Northampton County Prison, where he remained Sunday.

Pamela Sroka-Holzmann may be reached at pholzmann@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow her on Twitter @pamholzmann. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook.
The clock is ticking down in Harrisburg. Again.

We're not talking about the June 30 budget deadline. That's another worry, as lawmakers attempt to plug a budget deficit pushing $3 billion.

The next urgent call to legislative action is June 6. That's the federal Department of Homeland Security's deadline for Pennsylvania to get up to speed on legislation to update driver's licenses and other IDs to reflect post-9/11 security measures. The changes are designed to make it harder for people to obtain fake IDs and for terrorists to board airplanes.

The state Department of Transportation is ready and willing to begin issuing new driver's licenses, but PennDOT can't move ahead until the Legislature repeals a 2012 measure prohibiting the state from participating in the federal REAL ID Act. The rationale back then then was that REAL ID is an unnecessary federal mandate and would cost the state $140 million to implement.

Missing the deadline will have real-world consequences. Any Pennsylvania resident wanting to board a commercial flight after Jan. 22, 2018, would have to show a passport or other federally sanctioned ID. Pennsylvania driver's licenses and non-driver IDs would no longer be accepted at airport checkpoints. An even earlier deadline will apply to people trying to enter a federal building or nuclear power plant.

At least half of the Legislature is attempting to revoke the 2012 ban and move on. In March the Senate passed a bill to accomplish this; the House version is languishing in two committees. There are only seven session days scheduled before the deadline.

It's not just federal workers and air travelers who are getting antsy. Last week executives from 12 airlines, FedEX and UPS sent a letter to legislative leaders, urging them to act with dispatch. The Aviation Council of Pennsylvania says 5.8 million state residents fly each year and that some smaller airlines -- including Allegiant, which serves Lehigh Valley International Airport -- may consider pulling out of the state if no action is taken.

New Jersey is facing an October deadline to meet the same federal requirement, but its hang-up with the new IDs is technical, not philosophical. State officials said in December they're confident they'll meet the deadline.

Pennsylvania has received deadline extensions before. This is hardly a sneak attack by the feds. If the Legislature gets a bill to Gov. Tom Wolf to sign by next month's deadline, Homeland Security is expected to give Pennsylvania until 2020 to get new IDs in circulation.

For people who expect to fly in 2018 -- and those needing access to federal facilities -- the call to action is fairly clear: Send an urgent message to your state representative. And check the status of your passport.
The long awaited meeting between local GPs and hospital consultants with the Minister for Health, Simon Harris finally took place last week.

Originally scheduled for January and then postponed, the meeting eventually took place in Dublin.

The delay of a few months has seen no further clarity or change as regards the hospital's situation and speculation remains rampant as to its precise future.

Indeed, the backdrop and context of deep concern over the future of the hospital is the one constant here, fuelled by the non-publication of the Dublin Midlands Hospital Group's report and rumours of the scale of the downgrade that document purportedly contains.

Only last week the Chief Executive of the Group, Dr Susan O'Reilly criticised the failure to publish that report and the lack of a plan for Portlaoise, pointing to factors such as its impact on recruitment at the Hospital.

The Department of Health, meanwhile, says the plan is being reviewed in detail, and patient safety and good quality outcomes will come first in any changes made.

The doctors and GPs who met with the Minister last week seemed to be broadly positive as to the hearing they received, noting that Minister Harris acknowledged such factors as population growth and the presence of two major prisons in the town.

If anyone deserves to be heard they do, this group of doctors and consultants do.

Up to this point, however, the lack of consultation with them has been noteworthy and regrettable.

Nevertheless, they have not been fazed, but have been vociferous champions of the hospital and the importance of services there, throughout this long sorry saga.

They have been proactive, coming forward with their own alternative plan which would secure the hospital's future, within a wider network of hospitals, and which is clear in its vehement opposition to the withdrawal of A & E in Portlaoise.

Their plan emphatically proposes the development of services, pointing to the model of the integration of Portlaoise's maternity unit with that of the Coombe as offering atemplate for the way forward.

The matter now rests with the Minister and the Department.

Let's hope he listened well last week.
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The Greens have stepped down in Oxford West and Abingdon, which will help Lib Dem Layla Moran who is in second place in this heavily Remain voting area.

From the Oxford Mail

The Green Party will now be telling supporters that the main aim is to try and prevent a Conservative victory in Oxford West and Abingdon, and Layla Moran of the Liberal Democrats is the candidate who stands most chance of defeating the Conservative candidate Nicola Blackwood.

Ms Briggs said: Im a Green Party member to the core, but we need to be prepared to put the greater good before our own political self-interest here.

As it is a marginal constituency, the party is prepared to support the progressive party that has the best chance of beating the Conservatives.

The decision follows discussions between senior members of the local Liberal Democrats and the Greens.

Oxfordshire Green Party chairwoman Sarah Wood said: As things currently stand, the UK is set to be ravaged by five more years of Tory government.
One of the biggest surprises of this week was Brexiteer Tory commentator Tim Montgmeries criticism of May for her Downing Street statement.

This is irresponsible from Theresa May. Naked electioneering, not based in fact and only likely to make #Brexit negotiations trickier https://t.co/jnSXzrMf4O  Tim Montgomerie  (@montie) May 3, 2017

In the Sunday Times (), today, Skys Adam Boulton says we could be in for a bumpy ride because of the so-called strong and stable leadership:

Her ruthlessness certainly fulfils the first part of her strong and stable mantra. But her ad hoc style, exploiting circumstances over which she has no control, such as the Brexit vote or insults from Brussels, suggests the UK is in for a bumpy ride rather than stability.

On the other side of the political divide, the Observer lays out the challenges for May if she does win her predicted landslide:

Forget strong and stable. May could finally be beginning to grasp how weak her Brexit negotiating position really is. If she is not anxious, she certainly should be. Her government lacks a clear negotiating stance. She lacks experienced, able colleagues. She lacks civil service strength in depth. And given the bumblings of David Davis, her government could soon lack a lead negotiator, too. How much longer can May ignore multiple warnings about the impossibility of cherry-picking? Her Europe a la carte is becoming a Europe prix fixe. How much longer before she heeds Angela Merkels blunt comments about delusional thinking, particularly the fatuous idea that the single market and customs union will be replicated by some improbably generous trade deal? Doubts are certainly creeping in. Boris Johnson, hedging against failure, continues to suggest that crashing out of the EU with no deal at all would not be a disaster. A disaster it most certainly would be. But almost a year on, the hard Brexiters with Mays ear still dont get it. The EU does not need to play dirty. European tails are up, with the eurozone economy expanding and the populist tide apparently receding. The EU already has the upper hand, both in terms of the too-tight article 50 timetable and the opening agenda, which it has dictated. Britain is a supplicant. It is divided. And on crucial issues, it does not seem to know what it wants. In contrast, the 27 remaining members to the EU appear united. They are unimpressed by simplistic Tory and Ukip arguments about how Britains appetite for German car imports and French wine will somehow persuade the EU to abandon fundamental principles of European unity, human rights and treaty law. They want a deal that minimises the damage and protects their interests. This is not bullying  it is the inescapable reality of a deeply unequal power relationship.

Its fairly well in tune with the Liberal Democrat analysis. We have to wait another four weeks for their verdict on who to back in the election.

The Observers commentary is, perhaps, inevitable. What is surprising is that Conservative commentators are starting to stick their heads above the parapet.

* Newshound: bringing you the best Lib Dem commentary in print, on air or online.
Welcome to the Golden Dozen, and our 479th weekly round-up from the Lib Dem blogosphere  Featuring the five most popular stories beyond Lib Dem Voice according to click-throughs from the Aggregator (30 April  6 May, 2017), together with a hand-picked seven you might otherwise have missed.

Dont forget: you can sign up to receive the Golden Dozen direct to your email inbox  just click here  ensuring you never miss out on the best of Lib Dem blogging.

As ever, lets start with the most popular post, and work our way down:

1. This is the critical element that will determine how well the Lib Dems do on June 8th by Nick Tyrone on NickTyrone.com.

How will we do in the local elections?

2. 6 initial thoughts on the Lib Dems local elections performance by Mark Pack on Mark Pack.

An interesting collection of facts.

3. What are the Lib Dems General Election prospects? by Mark Pack on Mark Pack.

How could things go wrong for the Lib Dems?

4. Lessons from local elections; Lib Dems outgunned but not outflanked by Lucy V Salek on in pursuit of nuance.

When our message is heard, we win! Onwards!

5. Business Insider names 9 MPs at risk from an anti brexit Lib Dem revival in the election by Jonathan Calder on Liberal England.

A few omissions in this list  but we could be seeing a return of the Huppmeister.

And now to the seven blog-posts that come highly recommended, regardless of the number of Aggregator click-throughs they attracted. To nominate a Lib Dem blog article published in the past seven days  your own, or someone elses, all you have to do is drop a line to [email protected] You can also contact us via Twitter, where were @libdemvoice

6. Waking up to a Tory landslide is not a fun way to wake up by Jennie Rigg on Its not wrestling unless its in zero gravity  with tentacles.

A depressing thought expressed in an eloquent way.

7. Trans politicians election results: May 2017 by Zoe OConnell on Complicity.

Sadly, nobody was elected.

8. We should go for it by Peter Wrigley on Keynesian Liberal.

Be bold, ambitious and radical, says Peter

9. Mid Suffolk  a quick and dirty review by Mark Valladares on Liberal Bureaucracy .

Interesting  but it doesnt quite live up to its promise in the dirt department.

10. Diane Abbotts troubles show all that is wrong with the British election by Matthew Green on Thinking Liberal.

Labour are raising important issues, however badly, says Matthew.

11. What the locals tell us about the General Election? by Richard Kemp on But what does Richard Kemp think?

The Bird of Liberty is still flying and still fighting.

12. 2017: General Election Day 16: Pause and reflect by Nick Barlow on What you can get away with.

Why do people stand outside polling stations. Oh, and theres added Obama.

And thats it for another week. Happy blogging n reading n nominating.

Featured? Add this to your blog post!



<a href="https://www.libdemvoice.org/top-of-the-blogs-the-lib-dem-golden-dozen-479-54188.html"><img src="https://www.libdemvoice.org/images/golden-dozen.png" width="200" height="57" alt="Featured on Liberal Democrat Voice" title="Featured on Liberal Democrat Voice" /></a>

* Caron Lindsay is Editor of Liberal Democrat Voice and blogs at Caron's Musings
President Trump's plan to reform healthcare took a big step forward last week when the House of Representatives voted to repeal and replace Obamacare with an entirely new health insurance system. This new health insurance program -- the American Health Care Act, or Trumpcare -- is very different from the Affordable Care Act, or Obamacare, so let's learn more about it.

What Trumpcare does

The American Health Care Act (AHCA) does away with requirement that all Americans buy health insurance. It ends the federal subsidies that reduced health insurance premiums for people purchasing plans through the Obamacare health insurance marketplaces, and it gets rid of the federal cost-sharing payments that low-income Americans used to help pay for healthcare that insurance didn't cover, such as co-pays.

Instead, Trumpcare creates a system of tax credits that people can use to lower the cost of health insurance they purchase on the open market. The amount of the Trumpcare tax credit depends on age, but it ranges between $2,000 and $4,000 per person, with a cap of $14,000 per family. These tax credits begin phasing out at $75,000 in modified adjusted gross income for singles and $150,000 in modified adjusted gross income for households.

Trumpcare allows states to waive requirements that insurers cover essential health benefits, such as annual physicals. It also changes the amount that insurers can charge older people for health insurance relative to younger people. Under Obamacare, health insurance premiums can be three times higher for older Americans than younger Americans, and under Trumpcare, premiums can be up to five times more expensive.

It also returns to insurers the right to charge people with pre-existing conditions more than healthy people, as long as states create high-risk insurance pools.

In addition, Trumpcare increases how much money people can contribute to health savings accounts (HSAs) so that they can pay for more of their healthcare costs tax-free. Under Trumpcare, HSA contributions can be used to pay premiums; out-of-pocket costs, including co-pays; and over-the-counter medicines.

Furthermore, it caps enrollment in Medicaid expansion states in 2020 and shifts Medicaid to a block grant-style system thereafter. Currently, 32 states, including D.C., have expanded Medicaid eligibility criteria because of Obamacare.

When will these changes take place?

Trumpcare has passed a big hurdle in the House, but obstacles remain in the Senate that could derail it.

Specifically, Republicans' majority in the Senate is slimmer than it is in the House, and many Republican Senators from states that expanded Medicaid object to changes to Medicaid funding. Also, a lot of lobbying firepower is lining up against specific aspects of Trumpcare, and that could mean changes to its other provisions. For instance, the AARP is lobbying against changes to how insurers price plans that are sold to older Americans.

Overall, since the Senate hasn't weighed in on Trumpcare yet, it's anyone's guess when you might be able to buy a Trumpcare-style health insurance plan.

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A LIMERICK man who faces a retrial over the alleged kidnapping of a post office mistress' son and his friend says hes looking forward to proving his innocence.

Zachary Coughlan-Ryan, aged 39, of South Claughan Road, Garryowen faces two charges of false imprisonment relating to an incident at Caisleann na hAbhainn, Castletroy, on August 19, 2012.

Opposing a bail application, Detective Garda Michael Lambe told Limerick Circuit Court it will be alleged the two victims, who are now aged in their mid-twenties, were confronted at the house by a number of armed men who tied them up with cable ties.

He told John OSullivan BL, prosecuting, it will be alleged the men were taken to a particular location on the outskirts of the city with the objective of extorting money from the post mistress.

Detective Garda Lambe told John OSullivan BL, prosecuting, he had concerns the defendant represents a flight risk and that the alleged injured parties would be intimidated if he was granted bail.

Solicitor John Devane said the presumption of innocence applies and that strict bail conditions could be imposed by the court.

In his evidence, Mr Coughlan-Ryan said he is looking forward to clearing his name. Im looking forward to beating the case, he said claiming the charges against him are ridiculous.

The defendant, who indicated he intends representing himself at his trial, insisted he is going nowhere and is not a flight risk.

If you grant me bail, I will stick to any conditions, he told Judge Tom ODonnell.

However, after refusing bail the judge adjourned the case to next week  saying it must be given some priority.
FIANNA Fail TD for Limerick, Niall Collins, has again intervened in the ongoing controversy over documents from the Glin Industrial School which are now in the possession of abuse survivor, Tom Wall.

In March, Br Edmund Garvey, head of the European Province of the Congregation of Christian Brothers, wrote to Deputy Collins who had raised the issue in the Dail, and told him the Brothers would be satisfied with copies of the documents for their archives.

Now Deputy Collins has, at the request of Tom Wall, again contacted Br Garvey.

I have written to Br Garvey and asked him to confirm what he previously said to me which was that they would be happy with copies of the documents, Deputy Collins told the Limerick Leader.

But I am still waiting on a reply, he added.

Tom Wall has, meanwhile, rejected a proposed agreement sent to him by solicitors acting for the Christian Brothers because he felt it did not include a renunciation of any legal claim to the documents by the Brothers.

Now, however, Tom Hayes, secretary of the Alliance Victims Support Group, has challenged Tom Wall, saying that he and other former residents do not accept the premise that he, Mr Wall, and he alone should determine how these documents should be finally dealt with.

And he made clear his position that the documents should be held by the Christian Brothers.

We are looking for the Christian Brothers, as the custodians of our documents during our time in Glin, to get hold of these documents in our name, Mr Hayes said.

Mr Hayes, a former pupil in Glin, said he and former pupils do not accept as credible the claim by Mr Wall that he was told to burn the documents in 1973.

And he has challenged Mr Wall as to why he kept the documents out of the public domain for over 40 years and has also criticised the media for not challenging Mr Wall on the point.

These missing documents could have had a significant support element for former residents and their families over many years had we but known of their existence, Mr Hayes said.

Their retention by Mr Wall, who does know of their value to survivors, and also of their importance to the Christian Brothers and to the Commission to Inquire into Child Abuse, is the most hurtful and insensitive type of behaviour he could have perpetrated on other survivors.

Tom Wall, rebutting Mr Hayes claims, said he had forgotten about the documents, which were stored in an attic in Glin until 2015, when slates slipped on the roof and he had to get into the attic.

What I have in my possession is only a fraction of the thousands of documents in Glin, he said.

There would have been similar documents, similar contracts of indenture from schools all over the country, yet these could not be found in the Christian Brothers archive, he argued.

The only reason, they havent them is they burned them all. All that remains, he said, are ledgers giving one-page accounts of admissions and discharges.

He also rejected the idea of returning the documents to the Christian Brothers so all past pupils and their families could see them.

The Christian Brothers are not going to show the documents, not to past pupils, not to anybody, he said, as they would incriminate them in any wrongdoing.

The only time they became interested was when I lodged them in UL.

It remains his hope that the Christian Brothers will renounce any claim to ownership and will confirm to him that they would be happy with copies.

Then, an independent place can be found for the documents where they can be made available to former pupils and their families and to historians and researchers.

It could all be sorted out in five minutes between me and Br Garvey, he said.
THE NATIONAL secretary of the Vintners Federation of Ireland  and well-known Limerick publican  has said that action must be taken to avoid a Brexit-induced recession in the hospitality sector.

Jerry ODea said that Limerick must look elsewhere to grow its tourism sector, particularly to Europe and North America, and to countries like China and India to avoid another downturn.

Before the recession, Ireland was one of the worlds wealthiest countries, and now despite it, we are one of the EUs fastest growing. Brexit, however, has the potential to impact our internationally-envied recovery by threatening our most important industries. Tourism is essential to Ireland and particularly Limerick, said Mr ODea.

The publican pointed out that in the last quarter-century, the population of county Limerick has increased by over 33,000.

According to the National Tourism Development Authority, Limerick also hosted over 537,000 overseas tourists, which led to 212m in revenue in 2015.

With more than 30 percent of overseas tourists in Limerick originating from the UK, will the sector be jeopardised by a quick or poorly negotiated Brexit that results in a hard border or more immediately, a weak pound? We are already feeling this effect, warned Mr ODea.

According to new figures from the CSO, Irelands visitor numbers from the UK dropped by over 49,000 from December 2016 to February 2017 compared to the same period in the previous year.

Variation and readiness is essential for any industry, especially in such an uncertain political and economic climate. Ireland and Limerick must look elsewhere to grow its tourism sector, particularly to Europe and North America, and to countries like China and India, said Mr ODea.

Furthermore, investment in tourism and hospitality must be spread around the country. Limerick suffered during the downturn  infrastructurally, economically and socially  and many would argue that it has still yet to feel the full effects of recovery.

The tourism and hospitality sector, on which much of Limerick and rural Ireland depends, was devastated by the crash. Many venues were closed, resulting in job losses and fewer places for people to gather and socialise. Within a short space of time, the main streets of many towns and villages off the main tourist trails became shuttered up and run-down. Brexit could easily duplicate this if we are unprepared.

The Drinks Industry Group of Ireland, the umbrella organisation for the wider drinks industry in Ireland, will soon launch this years Support Your Local campaign, which seeks to highlight the positive contribution the industry makes to the economic, cultural and social fabric of Ireland, while also calling for Government supports.

Pubs, hotels, restaurants and off-licenses currently support 204,000 jobs  10 percent of the entire economy.

The drinks industry alone, including brewers and distillers, supports 92,000 jobs in towns and villages nationwide.

Irelands pub culture and hospitality sector is consistently ranked as one of the top attractions for tourists. This is certainly the case in Limerick, said Mr ODea.

DIGI has put forward a number of policy proposals, including initiatives to regenerate vacant high streets and bring local communities back together.

They have also submitted taxation policy proposals designed to support and the sector to invest in its offering, grow and create jobs in Limerick and across the country.

New revenue streams and ongoing job creation in tourism and hospitality, especially in Limerick, will allow us to see off threats like Brexit and more evenly bring economic recovery and prosperity to all parts of the country.
$779,000,000,000. Three commas. Nine zeroes.

That's the total size of credit card debt Americans hold on their personal balance sheets. Taking it at face value, the assumption behind such a large, increasing number is that credit card debt is spiraling out of control as Americans haphazardly spend themselves into an unescapable hole.

But the truth is, that may not be the case. In the video segment below, The Motley Fool analysts Nathan Hamilton and Michael Douglass talk about a few signs that suggest Americans are actually managing their credit card debts better than any point in the past decade.

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Michael Douglass: Here at The Motley Fool, we love exploding myths, whether they be myths about the stock market, myths about personal finance, things you've heard that are just plain wrong, and as it turns out, things with credit cards are going a lot better than I think many of us, me included, have been led to believe.

Nathan Hamilton: Yeah, you've got to really look under the hood and see what information is there, because if you look at reports, they'll say credit card debt has reached 779 billion, and it's increasing.

Douglass: And that's a big number.

Hamilton: Yeah, huge number.

Douglass: You hear that and you're like, "Oh, bad."

Hamilton: Yeah, and I don't know what the average is per household, but it's obviously a big number, and you see credit card debt increasing. We've also got to put it in context of what's actually happening. Are people managing their debts better? Are they paying off balances monthly? Are they late on their payments? And the research you've come across recently in past quarters suggest that maybe we're actually getting better at managing credit card debt, which would go against what many other people are saying.

Douglass: Mm-hmm (affirmative), yeah, and one of the things that was big for me is credit utilization is down to 23% from high 20 percents during the financial crisis. So what that means is people using less of the debt that's available to them in any given month which is undoubtedly a good sign that they are better managing it in general.

Hamilton: Yeah, because if you think of it, overall debt divided by your credit limit, that's down from high 20s to the 23%, and that's telling me OK people are actually looking at their debt and saying, "What do I have available?" "How do I manage it well?" "How do I stay within my budget?" Perhaps that's what's working better, and actually sticking to it, and maybe our personal financial statements are getting better. No doubt that has happened since the financial crisis, but it is moving in a positive direction.

Douglass: Mm-hmm (affirmative), and also 90 day delinquencies have fallen by about half since the financial crisis, which is a great sign again that the picture is improving. That's not to say that things are necessarily amazing or perfect. They aren't. Anyone being behind on credit card payments is bad for them, right? That's not a good place to be, but the fact is that fewer people are in it than have been in the past, and that is a very positive sign.

Hamilton: Yeah, and you almost have to look at the numbers beyond what we've done here, and say of the people that have credit card debt, what are their delinquencies? What are their credit utilization ratios? Because as we look at it, we're talking broadly, averages for Americans and there may be a different story as you dive into each segment. Subprime borrower versus prime credit card borrower.

Douglass: Or even state by state.

Hamilton: Exactly.

Douglass: There are a lot of different ways, but the fact of the matter is, the picture's a lot more muddled than I think a lot of the financial media would lead us to believe.

Hamilton: Absolutely.

Douglass: And that's an important thing for us to think about, and again that there are some legitimately positive signs out there, and that's something also-

Hamilton: Celebrate it.

Douglass: Yeah. Something to be happy about or at least encouraged by.

We've got a lot of information, particularly if you're in debt, you know a balance transfer card is sometimes, not always, but sometimes a really good option to get a 0% APR for 12 or 15 or even 21 months while you're paying off that debt, so you're not enriching somebody else while you're paying off your debt. We've got a lot of information about balance transfer cards and other credit cards for different types of borrowers at fool.com/creditcards. We've also got a lot of information there about debt and about budgeting, and about how to think about all that, so that if you're in debt and are able to get out of it, how you kind of avoid getting back into it. So again, that's fool.com/creditcards. We'll see you there.

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Today (May 7), marks the 150th anniversary of one of Alfred Nobel's patents for dynamite, which was first patented in 1867.

The explosive forever reshaped the world, revolutionizing warfare and construction, to the lifelong chagrin of its inventor Nobel. From its origins to its use in modern warfare to its eventual fate, here are some facts about the explosive.

Safer explosive

Though Nobel's invention was huge, it wasn't the first explosive created. Gunpowder was invented in China in the ninth century A.D., and had been used in European warfare since the 1200s. And in 1846, an Italian man, Ascanio Sobrero, had invented the highly volatile explosive nitroglycerin, according to the University of Bristol chemistry website. The process of making it was fairly simple: It involved adding glycerin to a mixture of nitric acid and sulfuric acid compounds. But nitroglycerin had a pesky habit: When it was impure it could explode without warning, and the slightest jostle could cause explosions as well, according to the University of Bristol. [Mad Genius: 10 Odd Tales About Famous Scientists]

Nobel's innovation was discovering that this volatile material, when mixed with something called kieselguhr (or diatomaceous Earth), could become stabilized, according to Nobelprize.org. The newer, safer explosive could be kneaded, just like clay, and then shaped into different forms and poured into cardboard tubes. It was much less likely to spontaneously explode, which is why Nobel dubbed it "Dynamite or Nobel's Safety Powder," in a Sept. 19, 1866 patent application, according to "Alfred Nobel, a Biography" (Arcade Publishing, 1991).

Shock wave

One of the keys to making dynamite work is finding a way to make nitroglycerin explode reliably. Nobel got the idea to use a shock wave to detonate the explosive. He figured that nitroglycerin needed rapid heating to explode, and a shock wave could provide that near-instantaneous heating. To accomplish this task, he invented the "blasting cap," or the detonator. The blasting cap initiates a smaller, feeder explosion in another explosive substance, which detonates the larger explosion. In the first prototype, the blasting cap used a wooden plug filled with black gunpowder, which was detonated with the lighting of a fuse. The explosion of gunpowder triggered the larger explosion in the dynamite.

Construction projects

Nobel himself was a builder in Stockholm, and he originally envisioned dynamite as revolutionizing construction  allowing people to blast through rock, carve out tunnels and build railroads more easily, without heavy manual labor.

However, for those types of projects, his later invention, called blasting gelatin (mostly gelatinized gelatin and some nitrocelluse), proved even more useful, though it was more expensive than dynamite and so took a while to catch on, according to "Alfred Nobel: A Biography." Blasting gelatin was as stable as dynamite and as resistant to friction and shock as dynamite; it was also as powerful as nitroglycerin, but could be used underwater, making it useful for underwater tunnel projects, according to "Alfred Nobel: A Biography."

Use in war

However, its use as a tool of war was also obvious. Dynamite was first used in a bomb in 1870, during the Franco-German war and it soon became widespread in canons in the Spanish-American war. Nobel was not ignorant of these uses. However, Nobel continued to develop war technology even after dynamite's invention, including rockets, "smokeless powder" and canons, according to Nobelprize.org. However, he became a pacifist in his later years. Like many military strategists since, Nobel believed the invention of incredibly powerful weapons of mass destruction would serve as a deterrent that would ultimately prevent war.

"My factories may well put an end to war before your congresses. For on the day that two armies are capable of destroying each other in a second, all civilized nations will surely recoil before a war and dismiss their troops," he wrote in a letter to the famous pacifist Bertha von Suttner in 1892.

When he died in 1896, Nobel left an inheritance of 31 million Swedish krone (equivalent to $256 million today) to endow the Nobel Prizes. These prizes would go to people who had made contributions "in a wide field of knowledge and progress," according to NobelPrize.org. One hefty prize would go to a person who had "done the most or best work for the brotherhood of nations and the abolishment or reduction of standing armies, as well as for the establishment and spread of peace congresses." This would eventually become known as the Nobel Peace Prize.

Nobel, a pacifist who built one of the most powerful explosives used in warfare at the time, was a bundle of contradictions.

In his own words, he was a "misanthrope and yet utterly benevolent, have more than one screw loose yet am a super-idealist who digests philosophy more efficiently than food," according to "Alfred Nobel, a Biography."

Originally published on Live Science.
By all accounts, Deer Park is thriving. A quick drive down Center Street reveals booming strip centers with full parking lots along with established businesses.

So, few local merchants were surprised when a recently released study by financial site WalletHub listed Deer Park as one of the best cities to start a small business.

The study took into account several factors: business environment, access to resources and business costs. Cities in the study had populations between 25,000 and 100,000.

Out of 1,261 locations, Deer Park was ranked 17. Big Spring, No. 18, and Deer Park are the only Texas cities in the top 20 on the WalletHub ranking, which scored the best and worst small cities for small business.

Deer Park's recognition was no shock to Tim Culp, president and CEO of the Deer Park Chamber of Commerce.

"The success of our small businesses here in Deer Park is very heavily connected to the support they garner from our residents," Culp said. "The local community as a whole is very supportive of small business here. They like having the opportunity to shop locally."

Culp said that even though, with a population of more than 30,000, Deer Park is considered a mid-sized town, the local community celebrates its small-town feel.

"We're close to one another," he said. "We also experience a lot of openness and willingness from our city government to work with our small business community through the city's economic development liaison. They are very responsive to businesses here."

Deer Park ranked at the top of the WalletHub study when it came to having the best business environment. The city also tied with Fort Hood and Texas City for having the highest average revenue per business.

The city of Holland, Michigan, home to pickle giant the H.J. Heinz Co., took the top overall spot on the list. Norma Moses has owned and operated Norma's Country Dreams on Center Street for 30 years. The store specializes in home goods, clothes and accessories that can't be found at big box stores.

"Years ago when we moved here," Moses said, "we didn't know anything about Houston and even less about the suburbs. When I started scouting for business locations, I was told that no matter what I selected, not to open a business in Deer Park - that the local community wouldn't support it."

Moses said that she looked around outside of the city, but decided to take what was considered by many to be a risk and open her business in the same town she had settled in.

"I thought that if we gave people products they wanted at reasonable prices, there wouldn't be any reason for them not to support the shop. Small shops are supported in other local communities - why wouldn't it work in Deer Park?" she said.

"Because of the strong support of other Deer Parkians, and because of God's blessings, we have been successful from Day 1."

Culp said that another facet of small business success in Deer Park can be attributed to the active, forward-thinking chamber.

He cited the development of their mobile app, which allows residents to see recent deals and events taking place in the local business community, and helping small business owners with issues as part of the care and consideration the chamber puts into helping the local market thrive.

"We recently had a business owner who was having difficulty marketing themselves, and that was addressed very easily with our mobile app," Culp said.

"We also had a business that was having an issue getting some of their utilities connected, and we were able to help them address it within a matter of hours.

"That one-on-one personalized attention can really help a small business."

According to the city of Deer Park and recent census data, the top employers in the city include Shell, Dow, Lubrizol, Universal Plant Services and the Deer Park Independent School District.

"We partnered with Shell Deer Park this past year to offer a business growth and development course," Culp said. "It was essentially a nine-month course that dealt with how to help grow your business."

For Moses, the thrill of giving back to the community that has helped her succeed is what keeps her going.

"I thrive on that," she said.

"Over the time we've been in business, we've built up long-term customers, but most importantly we've made lasting, incredible friendships." Moses said.

"I feel such a strong commitment to my customers. I owe it to them to keep working, shopping and finding the best of the best for them."
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Conservation experts are asking Houston area residents to do more to protect migratory birds, after a flock of 398 birds crashed into a Galveston high rise building on Wednesday night.

Most of the birds were warblers, said Sarah Flournoy, Bird-Friendly Communities Program Manager for Houston Audubon.

Galveston Animal Control Officer Josh Henderson said 395 of the birds died in the window strike, which occurred at the American National Building at 1902 Ave. D. Henderson got the call about the dead birds at 7:20 a.m. Thursday.

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Houston Audubon posted the above photo on Twitter, calling the incident "a tough reminder for bird-friendly lighting and design."

Flournoy said it's migratory season for the warblers, which travel from Central and South America to nesting grounds up north. The Houston area is a good place for migratory flocks to stop and rest.

The birds fly at night, and Flournoy believes lights left on in the building may have disoriented the warblers on Wednesday. The evening's stormy weather meant the birds were also flying lower than normal.

Henderson said typical window strikes in the city involve just a handful of birds, maybe five or a dozen.

"To see numbers fall in the hundreds is abnormal," he said.

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Flournoy said the easiest and most effective thing people can do to stop bird-building collisions is to turn building lights off at night, especially during fall and spring migrations.

Homeowners who notice bird strikes can put materials on windows to help birds avoid a crash.

High-rise buildings can also be designed with birds in mind, using less reflective materials or angling windows to alleviate bird injuries, Flournoy said.

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Henderson and Flournoy said the dead warblers will be sent to Louisiana State University and Texas A&M for study.

"This dark cloud does have a silver lining as the birds collected are a great representation of the migratory birds in our area at this time and they will not be simply disposed of," Henderson said.

"These birds will be assessed and examined through the Audubon society to determine the health of the birds prior to their demise as there are countless streams of data that will help conservation efforts for these species."

Three birds that survived Wednesday's window strike were taken to the Houston SPCA's Wildlife Center of Texas for rehabilitation. Sharon Schmalz, executive director of the wildlife center, said the birds suffered head and wing injuries but will likely recover and be released back into the wild.

Injured wildlife can always be reported through the Galveston Police Department Non-Emergency Dispatch line at 409-765-3702 or your local Animal Control Department.

Information on bird window strikes may be reported to Houston Audubon at 713-932-1639.
BRUSSELS - Ahmed Abu Fouad was vacationing with his children two years ago when he got word that his young wife had run away to Syria. With the family out of town, she quietly packed her bags, flew to Turkey and slipped across the border to join the Islamic State, warning her husband in a text message not to follow her.

Abu Fouad, a 48-year-old hospital orderly, went anyway, bringing his two kids with him. After a months-long ordeal, the reunited family finally returned to Belgium in December, only to be greeted by police bearing handcuffs. Today, both parents are incarcerated, and Abu Fouad sees his children only during prison visits.

"I am a victim," he told prosecutors in March, in a sworn statement rejecting charges that his travel to Syria betrayed a sympathy for terrorist causes. "I'm not connected, in any way whatsoever, with the Islamic State."

Belgian officials can't be certain of that, so Abu Fouad sits in jail, along with scores of his countrymen who have returned to Europe after spending time inside the Islamic State's self-declared caliphate. Their presence in Belgium represents a new phase in the evolution of the terrorist threat, and a fresh dilemma for security services: What to do with hundreds of Europeans who went away to Iraq and Syria and now want to come home again.

In Belgium alone, at least 120 citizens - about a quarter of the 470 Belgians believed to have traveled to the terrorist enclave since 2012 - have come back to a country that now takes a much harsher line on returning Islamist militants in the wake of last year's deadly terrorist attack in Brussels. Other homeward-bound Belgians are waiting in Iraqi and Turkish detention facilities that receive fresh arrivals weekly as conditions inside the caliphate grow increasingly desperate.

"What worries us now are no longer the ones who depart, because Daesh has lost its attractiveness," said Paul van Tigchelt, director of Belgium's Coordination Unit for Threat Analysis, using a common term for the Islamic State. "What worries us now are the returnees."

The reverse migration is straining European governments as police and social workers attempt to assess each case amid real worries that some of the returnees might be terrorist operatives. Complicating matters, many of the new arrivals are children - including some who were born in the Islamic State - as well as adults who claim to have traveled to Iraq or Syria for humanitarian reasons or to be with spouses. Still others are avowed defectors who could potentially provide useful intelligence or aid official efforts to counter the Islamic State's propaganda.

Regardless of their motives for returning, nearly all face prosecution under new rules now in effect across the European Union. But while jailing the returnees may ease public fears, officials acknowledge that a comprehensive solution - one that involves long-term monitoring as well as extensive rehabilitation and de-radicalization programs - isn't yet in place.

"We're adding resources, but it will take a few years for new people to be hired and trained," said Thomas Renard, a Belgian terrorism expert. "We may not have a few years."

- - -

According to his account of events, it was love that prompted Abu Fouad to make his desperate journey to northern Syria two years ago.

The story of his wife's flight and his unlikely attempt to rescue her is recorded in hundreds of pages of sworn statements and depositions generated by Belgian prosecutors and defense attorneys since the family's return to Belgium on Dec. 29. The Washington Post obtained copies of the confidential records, which collectively offer an unusually detailed portrait of a European family that was pulled into the Islamic State's magnetic field and later escaped. Fearing that the couple may be targeted by Islamic State operatives or sympathizers in Belgium, a lawyer for the pair requested that the couple's middle and Arab "kunya," or informal family names, be used instead of first and surnames.

In the documents, Abu Fouad and his wife, Aicha Umm Dounia, both Belgian citizens of North African descent, describe a tumultuous marriage that culminated with the couple's separation in 2014. Umm Dounia, 14 years younger than her husband, had been hospitalized for depression and had a history of abrupt departures from the family home after a "blow of bad temper," in her husband's words.

In the summer of 2015, as Umm Dounia was living with a girlfriend and working in a sandwich shop, she became increasingly drawn to Internet chat rooms devoted to discussions about the Islamic State and the fighting in Iraq and Syria. Though she had never been particularly pious, she yearned to get involved in some way.

"Muslims around the world were called upon to help, in one way or another. I felt called," she told Belgian prosecutors in a sworn statement. "On the Net - social networks - I saw people leaving for Syria and saying that they stayed there for 15 to 20 days to help, and then came back. It seemed so easy to get in and out."

Her chance came when Abu Fouad and her two children left the country in July 2015 for a month-long vacation with relatives in Algeria. Umm Dounia packed her clothes, including beachwear, and told friends she was going on vacation in Turkey.

Three days later, she sent the first of several texts to family members saying she was bound for Syria, and that neither Abu Fouad nor her relatives should try to find her. A month later, she was posing for photographs holding a rifle and wearing a niqab, a veil that covers the hair and face except for the eyes.

Anxious relatives sent word to the vacationing Abu Fouad, who then heard the news directly from his wife in a series of texts. A delegation of family members met with Brussels police to alert them to the possibility that Umm Dounia had joined the Islamic State. "Rachida says without any ambiguity that she has gone jihad," one of her brothers would tell police, according to court records.

In a sworn statement months later, Abu Fouad would describe how shocked he was by his wife's decision, noting that Umm Dounia had never hinted about her plans, wasn't religious and couldn't even speak Arabic. He broke down as he recounted to prosecutors a message from his wife relayed to him by one of her brothers, according to the transcript.

"She says she's sick of life with you. She says that she has to settle in the land of Islam," Abu Fouad said, recalling his brother-in-law's words. "She wants to do jihad to protect her sisters, to live in Islamic State under sharia [Islamic law] until death."

Prosecutors would sharply question Abu Fouad about his decision to pursue his wife. Was it truly a rescue mission, or had he hoped to rekindle the relationship by moving the family to Syria and joining the caliphate?

Abu Fouad explained that his intention had been only to travel to Turkey with his children, hoping that together they could persuade Umm Dounia to come home. But when he arrived in Turkey, he received troubling news: Islamic State officials in Raqqa, apparently suspicious that Umm Dounia was a spy, had confiscated her travel documents and placed her in a detention cell. There she learned that she would soon be assigned a new husband.

"I was told that I absolutely had to marry if my husband did not come . . . that the women who came to Syria were to get married," Umm Dounia told prosecutors.

She was allowed a two-minute phone call to relay this news to Abu Fouad. Days later, he paid money to smugglers who ferried him and his children across the border into Syria.

Arriving in Raqqa, the Islamic State's Syrian capital, Abu Fouad lied to local officials about his intentions, saying he wanted to live with his wife as a resident of the caliphate, but not as a fighter, since he suffered from a bad back. After a long ordeal that Abu Fouad says included beatings and torture, Umm Dounia was allowed to rejoin her family. Eventually the couple was assigned a new home and new jobs at a Raqqa maternity hospital - Umm Dounia as an anesthetist's aide, and her husband as a security guard. For his job, Abu Fouad was given a gun, but never taught how to use it, he told prosecutors.

In the months that followed, Umm Dounia felt increasingly remorseful about putting Abu Fouad and her children in such peril, according to her own account. "My husband came only to look for me. He never has other intentions," she told prosecutors.

Both thought about trying to escape but decided it was too dangerous. They continued at their jobs, Umm Dounia said, animated by the hope that they would eventually find a way to get home.

"We had the will," she said, "to dream of Belgium."

- - -

Nearly 7,000 Europeans have trekked across the Turkish border to join the Islamic State since the terrorist group established its Syria capital four years ago. For most of them, getting into the self-proclaimed caliphate was the easy part.

Intelligence officials believe that up to half of the group's foreign recruits have died on the battlefield or in airstrikes. Some who still survive may eventually choose to stay behind to form an insurgency after the Islamist militants' capital falls, analysts say. But about a third of the total will eventually attempt to flee - a dangerous prospect, since the penalty for desertion is often beheading.

Each week, a few are caught by anti-Islamic State forces as they try to cross into Turkey. Abu Ali al-Sejju, a Free Syrian Army commander whose soldiers patrol a stretch of the border popular with smugglers, said he has captured dozens of the defectors over the past year, including Europeans and even some Americans.

"Many of these guys are defecting now because ISIS is weak and they are afraid of airstrikes," he said in an interview at a cafe in Kilis, a Turkish border town that until recently was a departure hub for Europeans heading in the opposite direction.

In most cases his men refuse to let the defectors pass, fearing that they will be blamed if the escapees carry out terrorist attacks in Turkey or Western Europe, Sejju said. He said some of the defectors are eventually turned over to "legitimate authorities," scoffing at published reports suggesting that the militias trade defectors for cash.

"If we hand them over for money, for sure they will go and blow themselves up somewhere," he said.

Until recently, Sejju's group was holding several French citizens among a group of about a dozen escapees locked inside a three-story house near the Turkish border, he said. Among them was a widow from Toulouse, France, who fled with her two children after her husband died in battle, leaving her vulnerable to being forcibly married to another Islamic State fighter. The woman, called Sara, was sent home after the rebels worked out a deal with French authorities, Sejju said. A German woman was recently repatriated along with her three children in a similar arrangement, he said.

Most of those who manage to get as far as Kilis have endured a perilous journey across battle lines and checkpoints, often with the help of smugglers who typically charge hundreds or even thousands of dollars for the journey. Once in Turkey, some wander into embassy offices seeking help, often to face days of grilling from skeptical consular officials.

European governments have been reluctant to offer assistance, especially to those who lack convincing travel documents or who possess dual citizenship, according to Western and Middle Eastern intelligence officials familiar with the vetting process for returnees. The reluctance has only increased in the of wake of recent terrorist attacks in France, Belgium and Germany, the officials said.

Sejju said most of the defectors he meets seem sincere about wanting to quit the Islamic State, but that some may have had other motivations.

A Ukrainian man in the group's custody raised suspicions when he kept changing his story during questioning, he said. What's more, the man's blond hair and European features instantly marked him as a foreigner. How could such a man pass through Islamic State checkpoints unless the terrorists themselves had dispatched him on a mission?

"Even a smuggler," Sejju said, "wouldn't take this risk."

- - -

The same kinds of suspicions dogged Abu Fouad and his wife through every step of the arduous journey that brought them back to Belgium just before the start of the new year.

With Islamic State officials increasingly preoccupied with the war, the couple seized on a chance to escape in early October. Abu Fouad met with a smuggler in a bombed-out house and paid $2,4oo - savings from the couple's hospital jobs - for the first leg of the journey back to Turkey. After a five-hour, moonlit hike across farm fields and olive groves, the family was turned over to a detachment of Syrian rebels and then to a different team of smugglers who guided them across the border near Kilis. From there, they traveled by taxi and bus to Istanbul, Turkey's largest city, where they went to the Belgian consulate.

The reception they received at the consulate was less than enthusiastic. The family was handed over to Turkish immigration authorities and shuffled through a chain of holding cells and Turkish detention centers for undocumented immigrants.

Finally, on Dec. 29, more than 10 weeks after their flight from Raqqa, the family boarded a Turkish Airlines plane for Brussels. At the airport they were met by police officers who searched their luggage and brought them before a court to be formally charged with aiding a foreign terrorist group. The parents were led away to separate prisons while the children, now ages 10 and eight, were turned over to a government child-welfare agency.

The family's fate now rests with a judge who will decide whether there are sufficient extenuating circumstances to warrant a lesser charge or perhaps a more lenient sentence. Until then, the couple will remain in jail, officials say, under policies adopted to ensure safety and to reassure a population still on edge after last year's Islamic State attack on the Brussels airport.

Belgian officials say they take no pleasure in separating parents from children or putting the spouses of suspects in prison. But they say the ongoing exodus of European citizens from the Islamic State poses new dangers to the country and its neighbors - one that governments are not fully prepared to address. The risks are likely to remain long after the caliphate ceases to exist, said van Tigchelt, the Belgian counterterrorism official.

"Those persons who want to return now - it's not like they want to return with a suicide belt around their waist, so they are not an imminent threat," he said. "But, of course, those women and also the children, they are brainwashed, they saw cruelties and could also be radicalized, so we have to follow them when they come back."

Thus, Belgium's strategy for dealing with families such as Abu Fouad's will be one of strict "criminal justice," he said.

Under questioning from Belgian prosecutors, Umm Dounia, the wife and mother whose decision launched the family's life-altering journey two years ago, said she is painfully aware of her mistake and hopes eventually to have a second chance - "even if it is under strict conditions," she said.

"I want a peaceful life here. I want my children to have a normal life," she said. "I'm sorry. I feel bad for what I did."

She continued in a ramble. "Never again," she said. "I do not know what to say."

- - -

Sly reported from Kilis, Turkey. Julie Tate in Washington contributed to this report.
BEIJING - The Kushner family came to the United States as refugees, worked hard and made it big - and if you invest in Kushner properties, so can you.

That was the message delivered Saturday by White House senior adviser Jared Kushner's sister Nicole Kushner Meyer to a ballroom full of wealthy Chinese investors in Beijing.

Over several hours of slide shows and presentations, representatives from the Kushner family business urged Chinese citizens gathered at a Ritz-Carlton hotel to consider investing hundreds of thousands of dollars in a New Jersey luxury apartment complex that would help them secure what's known as an investor visa.

The potential investors were advised to invest sooner rather than later in case visa rules change under the Trump administration."Invest early, and you will invest under the old rules," one speaker said.

The tagline on a brochure for the event: "Invest $500,000 and immigrate to the United States."

And the highlight of the afternoon was Meyer, a principal for the company, who was introduced in promotional materials as Jared's sister.

The event underscores the extent to which Kushner's private business interests have the potential to collide with his powerful role as a top official in his father-in-law's White House, particularly when it comes to China, where Kushner has become a crucial diplomatic channel between Beijing and the new administration.

While Kushner has reported divesting from elements of the family business, including the specific project that his sister pitched in Beijing, the session Saturday demonstrated that the company is perceived as enjoying close ties to the Trump administration. Ethics laws prohibit government officials from profiting personally from their public-sector work.

Watchdogs and ethics experts on Saturday criticized the Beijing event as an attempt to cash in on Kushner's newfound proximity to power.

"It's incredibly stupid and highly inappropriate," said Richard Painter, the former chief White House ethics lawyer in President George W. Bush's administration, who has become a vocal critic of the Trump administration. "They clearly imply that the Kushners are going to make sure you get your visa. . . . They're [Chinese applicants] not going to take a chance. Of course they're going to want to invest."

Among the wealthy elites in China, family, business and politics are all deeply intertwined. Every branch of the Communist Party, every province and city often operates as a fiefdom for those in power, allowing leaders special, lucrative access to policy, land and government contracts. There is even a name for second-generation sons and daughters of wealthy business executives and government officials - such as Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner - who have access to power through family ties. They are called "fuerdai."

The EB-5 immigrant investor visa program that Meyer discussed Saturday allows rich foreign investors who are willing to plunk down large investments in U.S. projects that create jobs to apply to immigrate to the United States.

Bloomberg reported in March 2016 that the program has been used to the benefit both the Trump and Kushner family businesses. Before joining the White House, as chief executive of his family's real estate company, Jared Kushner raised $50 million from Chinese EB-5 applicants for a Trump-branded apartment building in Jersey City, according to the report.

Blake Roberts, an attorney at the WilmerHale law firm who serves as Kushner's personal counsel, said: "Mr. Kushner divested his interests in the One Journal Square project by selling them to a family trust that he is not a beneficiary of, a mechanism suggested by the Office of Government Ethics. As previously stated, he will recuse from particular matters concerning the EB-5 visa program."

The EB-5 program has been criticized by members of Congress from both parties who have said the program in essence sells visas to the wealthiest foreigners.

The program has been extremely popular among rich Chinese, who call it the "golden visa" and are eager to get their families - and their wealth - out of the country. The fact that some use it to move their money out illegally, however, has made the program unpopular with the Chinese authorities.

The program was launched with the goal of securing investment and creating jobs. But instead, in recent years, many real estate developers have used the program as a source of cheap financing by using foreign investors, especially from China, for flashy projects in Manhattan and other city centers.

A Government Accountability Office report in 2015 found the EB-5 program carried a high risk of fraud, was rife with counterfeit documentation and had "no reliable method to verify the source of the funds of petitioners."

Since Donald Trump became president, rumors have circulated among the wealthy of the world about the future of the EB-5 program, given Trump's repeated vows to crack down on immigration and the increased congressional scrutiny of EB-5s. That has sent many high-rolling foreigners flocking to apply.

The program, however, is especially popular in China, with estimates in recent years showing that more than 80 percent of EB-5 visas were issued to Chinese investors.

Saturday's event in Beijing was hosted by the Chinese company Qiaowai, which connects U.S. companies with Chinese investors. Qiaowai is working with the Kushner company to secure funding for Kushner 1, the New Jersey project presented to investors, also known as One Journal Square. Promotional materials tout the buildings' proximity to Manhattan and note that the project will create more than 6,000 jobs.

"This project has stable funding, creates sufficient jobs and guarantees the safety of investors' money," one description reads.

Although there was no visible reference to Trump, the materials noted the Kushner family's "celebrity" status.

White House officials declined to comment. A spokesman for the Kushner company also declined to comment.

Kushner's personal financial disclosure form reflects that he divested his interest in K One Journal Square LLC. The form described the asset as undeveloped real estate in Jersey City. Because the asset was already divested, Kushner's filing does not reflect its estimated value. But he did report between $1 million and $5 million in income connected to the project.

At Saturday's event, attendee Wang Yun, a Chinese investor, said the Kushner family's ties to Trump were an obvious part of the project's appeal.

"Even though this is the project of the son-in-law's family, of course it is still affiliated," Wang said.

Wang reasoned that the link to Trump would be a boon if the presidency goes well but could be disastrous if it does not: "We heard that there are rumors that he is the most likely to be impeached president in American history. That's why I doubt this project."

Many of the people who attended the event declined to be interviewed, citing privacy concerns, or were blocked by organizers from speaking to the news media.

Although the event was publicly advertised in Beijing, the hosts were exceptionally anxious about the presence of reporters.

Journalists were initially seated at the back of the ballroom, but as the presentations got underway, a public-relations representative asked The Washington Post to leave, saying the presence of foreign reporters threatened the "stability" of the event.

At one point, organizers grabbed a reporter's phone and backpack to try to force that person to leave. Later, as investors started leaving the ballroom, organizers physically surrounded attendees to prevent them from giving interviews.

Asked why reporters were asked to leave, a PR person who declined to identify herself said simply, "This is not the story we want."

- - -

Wan reported from Washington. Amy Brittain and Jonathan O'Connell in Washington and Congcong Zhang in Beijing contributed to this report.
David McGrath: How to tell if it's fake news
Talia Hall and Eri-ife Adepoju, 16-year-old classmates, think they have their lives pretty well figured out. Hall plans to attend Baylor University and then medical school to become a doctor, while Adepoju is aiming for the University of Pennsylvania and a career in business.

But first, they need summer jobs. Ideally, ones that advance their professional goals.

"I have requirements," Hall says, waiting to be interviewed at a hiring event on Saturday. "It needs to pertain to my future."

This year, the city and local workforce development groups are making a much stronger push than usual to help high schoolers like Hall and Adepoju  as well as young people with less certainty about their futures  find paying work, which research has shown can give kids a leg up in future job searches and keep them out of trouble while school is out for the summer.

In all, officials are shooting to line up 5,000 positions for young people 16-24. That's a big jump from the 450 jobs offered two years ago, but a fraction of program's size in years past.

Mike Temple directs Gulf Coast Workforce Solutions, a state-funded organization that helps local residents find employment. He says that decades ago, the federal government sent Houston on the order of $10 million per year to subsidize 10,000 summer jobs.

"And then they didn't," Temple recalls. The stimulus bill in 2009 was the last large chunk of money to come from Washington for summer youth employment programs. After that, youth labor force participation shrank dramatically, as the Obama administration focused on engaging the private sector to help cities keep programs going. "Everyone has had to figure out how to try to do it differently," Temple says.

Job fairs, listings

For many cities, that's meant backfilling the funding with state and local budgets in order to continue employment programs. New York City, for example, spent $79 million in 2015 to subsidize wages for summer work.

Houston hasn't devoted that level of resources and has lately struggled to connect young people to summer opportunities. Last year, according to the city's director of education Juliet Stipeche, only 350 young people were placed out of a total of 700 available positions. "There was a disconnect," Stipeche says. "There's no place for kids to find summer jobs."

To rectify the problem, this year the city appropriated $2.1 million to run several job fairs and stand up an online platform, Hirehoustonyouth.org, where employers can list jobs and internships available to young people. Large local employers like Kroger and HEB have pledged to offer hundreds of jobs through the program with no subsidies from the government, and the city also funds a few hundred positions within local agencies, some of which are reserved for disabled youth.

For employers, participation isn't charity. Liane LaCour, the regional human resources manager for Waffle House, says she can use the help finding grill cooks and servers, short term or not. "For hourly employees, it actually has been a little bit difficult," she said, at a kickoff event for the program at Gulf Coast Workforce Solutions' southeast office.

Participating employers include Domino's Pizza, Walgreen's, McDonalds, TXU Energy, the Houston Zoo, and Houston Museum of Science, among others.

Those who got there early caught a speech by Mayor Sylvester Turner, who delivered a lesson in the importance of work, whether you like it or not. His first job was as an electrician's apprentice, and the first day didn't go well. "I told my mama, 'That's it, I'm not going back,' " Turner recalled. "She said, 'Oh yes you are.' "

Positions offered

Turner, who grew up poor in Acres Homes, also alluded to how young people can turn to less legitimate means of making money if decent jobs aren't available. "I know what it's like for someone to say, 'I know how you can make a quick buck,'" he said.

By the end of the event, 54 young people had locked down their jobs. Among the first was Isaac Vidales, a junior at Eastwood Academy, who was offered a position by a local public relations firm. He thinks he'll be able to use skills he's developed in film and photography, but he wasn't picky.

"A job is a job," he says.
CNN senior White House correspondent Jim Acosta will be in San Antonio July 15 to speak at the 19th annual San Antonio Association of Hispanic Journalists Scholarship & Awards Gala.

The black-tie-optional event begins at 6:30 p.m. at the Grand Hyatt, 600 E. Market St.

SAAHJ will award $40,000 in scholarships. For the first time, eligibility has been expanded to students who live beyond Bexar County in surrounding counties.

Acosta, who has been at the center of pointed exchanges with President Donald Trump over his charges of fake news, is based at CNNs Washington bureau. He has been a familiar sight at presidential press conferences, visits by heads of state and at breaking news events.

He followed Trumps 2016 presidential campaign, was embedded in the Mitt Romney Republican presidential campaign and covered both of President Barack Obamas inaugurations. Acosta continues to serve as a substitute anchor for the cable news network.

While in San Antonio, Acosta will receive SAAHJs Corazon de Oro Award, given to individuals or institutions whose work has been recognized nationally for excellence and whose example serves as an inspiration to others. Previous winners include filmmaker Robert Rodriguez and Grammy winners Vikki Carr and Little Joe Hernandez.

Two other awards will be bestowed July 15.

John W. Gonzalez, retired political reporter for the San Antonio Express-New whose career spanned 45 years, will receive the Henry Guerra Lifetime Achievement Award for Excellence in Journalism.

The Refugee and Immigrant Center for Education and Legal Services, known as RAICES, will receive the SAAHJs Community Service Award for its work in aiding and representing refugees and immigrants.

Tables of eight are available for $1,500, $2,500, $5,000, $7,500 and $10,000; email gala@sahispanicjournalists.com or call (210) 250-3402. Individual tickets are $125 and are available online at saahj.ticketbud.com.

Deadline for scholarship applications has been extended to May 17.

Scholarships of $1,000 to $5,000 are available to full-time college students and college-bound high school seniors who live in Bexar and the surrounding counties of Atascosa, Bandera, Comal, Guadalupe, Kendall, Medina and Wilson.

The scholarship program is open to students of all ethnic and socioeconomic levels pursuing journalism or communications-related degrees, including film. Scholarships are open to students attending universities at home or anywhere else in the United States.
Make no mistake: If state lawmakers leave a number of open government bills hanging this session, the public will be left in the dark.

A number of promising bills to make government more accountable and open to the public have been filed, but they were all, as of this writing, pending in committee. The legislation addresses any number of tricks public officials use to either keep the public in the dark or muddy the official record.

Open government benefits everyone except bad actors, and these bills are worthy of bipartisan support.

HB 2670 from state Rep. Todd Hunter, R-Corpus Christi, would require former and current public officials to release public information held on their private devices. This is a frequent tactic to cloak public information.

HB 2710, another bill from Hunter, would make date of birth a public record. This sounds small, but a date of birth is a key way to distinguish between people with the same name. Its a small but important record that would lead to more accurate reporting.

SB 407 from state Sen. Kirk Watson, D-Austin, and a companion bill, HB 792, from state Rep. Giovanni Capriglione, R-Southlake, would once again require governments to disclose contracts after they have been awarded.

In 2015, the Texas Supreme Court most regrettably ruled that public contracts could be kept secret for so-called competitive reasons. The upshot has been the public is increasingly shut out on how tax dollars are being spent.

While SB 407 has passed the Senate, HB 792 is pending in committee.

SB 408 and HB 793, also from Watson and Capriglione, would ensure taxpayers can see how government funds are spent with outside entities. The legislation is in response to another terrible Texas Supreme Court ruling that said funds the city of Houston paid to an economic development nonprofit were not public record. Taxpayers deserve to know how their money is spent. SB 408 also has passed the Senate.

HB 3581, another bill from Capriglione, would allow the public to receive public records in their original formats. Oftentimes, government entities provide records in a confusing manner. They will take a spreadsheet, for example, and turn it into a PDF that cant be searched or sorted. Or they will provide charts but no headings to those charts.

The Texas Press Association has endorsed these bills because they bring much-needed openness to our government. Each helps address big and small issues in public records, enabling Texans to have a clearer understanding about the decisions public officials make.

That said, there are two bills from state Rep. Ken King, R-Canadian, the Texas Press Association vehemently and correctly opposes.

HB 3387, and its companion, SB 2121, from state Sen. Kel Seliger, R-Amarillo, would make it easier for public officials to sue reporters for libel. The other, HB 3388, also from King, would severely limit journalists ability to keep their sources and notes confidential. These are two bad bills that should be left pending in committee.
Former Westlife star and 2fm presenter Nicky Byrne started the summer in style today with Irelands favourite ice cream as he launched this years HB Hazelbrook Farm Ice Cream Fundays campaign in aid of Down Syndrome Ireland (DSI).

Nicky was joined by Alan Ryan (6) from Stepaside and Sorcha Maguire (5) from Balbriggan to celebrate the first annual Ice Cream Funday of 2017 and to call on people across Ireland to join in the fun and help a worthy cause by organising their own ice cream party this May or June.



To get involved, simply lo-call 1890 37 37 37 or register online at www.downsyndrome.ie and receive your party pack, which includes vouchers for tasty HB Hazelbrook Farm ice cream.

Over the past 16 years, HB Hazelbrook Farm has helped to raise over 3 million for Down Syndrome Ireland. Last year, more than 800 parties across Ireland took place which saw 151,730 people participate in the campaign and enjoy HB Hazelbrook Farm for free!

The HB Hazelbrook Farm Ice Cream Fundays parties are about bringing the family together and creating happy memories for a great cause. Each ice cream party that takes place makes a real and lasting difference to people with Down syndrome and the campaign is an integral source of funding for the development of Down Syndrome Irelands nationwide support services which helps their members, families and organisations.

These in demand support services are currently under resourced, the monies raised from the HB Hazelbrook Farm Ice Cream Fundays parties helps to fund core services in the areas of Early Development, Education, Health, Speech and Language Therapy and Independence to members of DSI and the professional community connected by Down syndrome.

Speaking at launch of the campaign, Nicky Byrne said: Im delighted to be launching the Ice Cream Fundays campaign. This is a brilliant initiative that helps to support thousands of children and adults with Down syndrome across Ireland. I know how much my family love a party so this is the perfect way to bring family and friends together this summer with some delicious ice cream for an important cause.

Mary Doherty, President of Down Syndrome Ireland said: The HB Hazelbrook Farm Ice Cream Fundays Campaign is a fantastic and fun way of raising much needed funds for the organisation. The support from both HB and the public means that we can maintain the quality of essential nationwide services that we provide to our members.

Lynne Andrews, Brand Manager at HB Hazelbrook Farm said:  Down Syndrome Ireland is a worthy charity and the HB Hazelbrook Farm team is proud to have supported DSI with the Ice Cream Fundays campaign for 16 years. HB Hazelbrook Farm is Irelands favourite ice cream, loved by families for generations, so the Ice Cream Fundays campaign is a great way for people to enjoy delicious ice cream with friends and family while supporting the invaluable work of DSI.

For more information on how you can get involved in the campaign you can lo-call 1890 37 37 37 or register online at www.downsyndrome.ie or email sandrab@downsyndrome.ie, for your free HB Hazelbrook Farm Ice Cream Fundays pack.
Laura, sponsored by Ancient Wisdom Clinics, succeeds Caroline Doyle as the Longford Rose after she triumphed in Saturdays Longford Rose of Tralee selection final which took place in the Longford Arms Hotel.

MC for the evening was Benny OBrien and Laura will go forward to represent Longford at the Rose of Tralee International Festival in August.



The eight other Longford Rose finalists were Amy-Leigh Webb, Charlotte McCormick, Rachel Masterson, Claire Campbell, Fiona McGrath, Jordi ORourke, Niamh Kiernan and Symone Donnelly.



Longford Rose Laura Ward is a big music fan and sang with girl group, Celtic Chique. The group released an album, travelled to New York and wowed a large fan base with beautiful music.



Daughter of Deirdre and Gerry Ward, Laura is from Edgeworthstown. Last summer, she travelled to New York by herself, where she worked in an Irish restaurant and bar.

Oprah Winfrey is a big inspiration to Laura: As a young girl, she experienced racial prejudice, rape, a miscarriage to name a few and overcame them all.

She was not expected to do much with her life other than work as a maid like her grandmother. However, she knew deep inside of her from an early age that she would do more with her life.

She has helped so many people throughout her life raising awareness for important issues and spreading love and positivity in the world. She is extremely hard working and inspires people daily.

She defied all odds and did not settle for what life gave her: she made a life for herself, one that she wanted and has spread great things through the world.

Laura feels she will bring a positive attitude and a warm character to the role of Longford Rose.

Lauras short-term goals are to get her Psychology degree from the Dublin Business school and to study Positive Psychology in a Masters programme, so she can learn how to help people live the best lives they can.

Her dream job would be one that allows her to travel to new places while helping others.



See Wednesdays Longford Leader for more coverage of the 2017 Longford Rose of Tralee selection final.
The emir of the Islamic States Wilayah Khorasan (or Khorasan province), Abdul Hasib, was killed during a raid in the eastern Afghan province of Nangarhar on Apr. 27, according to a statement released by US Forces  Afghanistan today. The operation, which was conducted in conjunction with Afghan Special Security Forces (Ktah Khas), also resulted in the deaths of several other high ranking Wilayah Khorasan leaders and 35 of the groups fighters.

Abdul Hasib directed the Mar. 8 assault on the Sardar Mohammad Daud Khan Hospital in Kabul, US-Forces Afghanistan said. In order to sow confusion, the jihadists dressed as hospital employees during that attack, which resulted in more than 100 Afghans being killed or wounded. Hasib also directed fighters to behead local elders in front of their families and ordered the kidnapping of women and girls to force them to marry Wilayah Khorasan fighters.

This successful joint operation is another important step in our relentless campaign to defeat ISIS-K [Islamic State  Khorasan] in 2017, General John Nicholson, the Commander US Forces  Afghanistan, said in a press release. This is the second ISIS-K emir we have killed in nine months, along with dozens of their leaders and hundreds of their fighters. For more than two years, ISIS-K has waged a barbaric campaign of death, torture and violence against the Afghan people, especially those in southern Nangarhar.

Abdul Hasibs predecessor, Hafiz Saeed Khan, was killed in a US airstrike in the Achin district of Nangarhar in July 2016. Khan, a former commander in the Pakistani Taliban (Tehrik-e Taliban, or TTP), announced his allegiance to Abu Bakr al Baghdadi in late 2014. He served as Wilayah Khorasans first emir and now his successor, Abdul Hasib, has fallen in the same area of Nangarhar.

Abdul Hasib was killed during an operation that involved approximately 50 US Army Rangers and 40 Afghan commandos, according to the Department of Defense. The joint American-Afghan team was inserted by helicopter into the Mohmand Valley about 10:30 p.m. local time on Apr. 26 and immediately engaged in an intense, three-hour firefight. Two Americans were killed during the raid. The Pentagon is investigating the possibility that the Americans were struck by friendly fire. The battle involved close-quarters fighting with enemy fire coming at them from 360 degrees.

The battle took place near the location where the US dropped a GBU-43/B Massive Ordnance Air Blast bomb (MOAB, or Mother of All Bombs) on a Wilayah Khorasan tunnel complex earlier in April. Another American also perished in a separate battle against Wilayah Khorasan in Nangarhar in early April.

According to US Forces  Afghanistan, hundreds of Wilayah Khorasan fighters have been killed during a counter offensive that was launched against the group in early March 2017. More than half of the districts in Nangarhar that were once under the groups control have been liberated, allowing local residents to return to their homes for the first time in more than two years.

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.
Lifestyle / Gastronomy

The affluent readers of a luxury magazine thats placed in the seatbacks of private jets have voted Azurmendi in Spain the best restaurant in the world

May 07, 2017 | By AFP Relaxnews

According to the wealthy readers of Elite Traveler, described as ultra high net worth consumers, the worlds best dining destination is found in Larrabetzu, Spain, where chef Eneko Atxa works his culinary sorcery to create inventive, modern Basque cuisine at Azurmendi.

The new title will add to the restaurants decorated garland of achievements, which also includes three Michelin stars.

Overall, the list of the top 100 restaurants is dominated by the US, which takes up a quarter of the ranking, including 10 for New York alone.

After the US, France boasts 18 restaurants in total, including eight Parisian addresses.

Rounding out the culinary capitals are San Francisco with five restaurants, and London, Hong Kong, Chicago and Tokyo, with three addresses each.

The sixth edition of the awards also bestowed a lifetime achievement award on chef Joel Robuchon and named Italys Massimo Bottura chef of the year.

San Francisco-based French chef Dominique Crenn was named rising star chef of the year.

Elite Traveler is the latest ranking aimed at classifying the best dining destinations around the world. Last month the Worlds 50 Best Restaurants pronounced New Yorks Eleven Madison Park the top of its kind, which placed third with readers of Elite Traveler.
Madison-area credit unions are nearly all in tip-top financial shape, according to the grades they have earned from an independent bank research company.

Seventeen of 22 credit unions operating locally received five-star, or superior, rankings from BauerFinancial, while the other five were listed as four-star, or excellent, based on Dec. 31, 2016, financial data submitted to the National Credit Union Administration.

In fact, statewide, only seven of the 132 Wisconsin-based credit unions with assets big enough to be rated by Bauer earned less than four or five stars.

State-chartered credit unions across Wisconsin had a very solid year in 2016, Lon Roberts, the secretary of the Wisconsin Department of Financial Institutions, said in a report earlier this year.

Their assets rose more than 9 percent for the second year in a row, according to DFI. As of Dec. 31, Wisconsin credit union assets  such as loans and investments  totaled $31.5 billion, up $2.6 billion from last year.

Earnings were $329.2 million, up 16.9 percent over the previous year. Loans increased more than $2 billion to a combined $24.2 billion; meanwhile, the percentage of delinquent loans was 0.75 percent, down from 0.81 percent in 2015.

The only local credit union whose rating changed was University of Wisconsin Credit Union, now with five stars, up from four stars nine months ago, and three stars as of Dec. 31, 2014.

UW Credit Unions grades had suffered because the institution was a victim of a scam involving securities that were part of the U.S. Department of Agricultures guaranteed loan program.

Nikesh Patel, the former CEO of Florida-based First Farmers Financial, pleaded guilty in December in U.S. District Court in Chicago to heading a $179 million Ponzi-like scheme by selling loans that he claimed were backed by the USDA.

He told the court he used the money to live a life of luxury, including expensive cars and jewelry, according to the Law360 news service.

UW Credit Union held $53 million in loans through a fund obtained from First Farmers by Pennant Management, a now-closed Milwaukee investment adviser.

The Madison credit union had anticipated a $35 million loss; that has declined to about $29 million, CEO Paul Kundert said.

Patel could be sentenced to up to 100 years in prison plus restitution.

Editors note: This story has been updated to clarify that Lon Roberts was the secretary of the Wisconsin Department of Financial Institutions at the time of DFIs annual report on credit unions. He was succeeded by Jay Risch in March.
The great Gold Rush Music Festival returns to the township of Waihi, with the first nuggets of gold dropping for the highly anticipated return of the 2023 festival.
Bengaluru: Prominent IT company Wipro received an anonymous threat message demanding Rs.500 crore in bit coins. According to the anonymous email, if the payment is not made before May 25, there will be a chemical attack on Wipros office.

Following the threat, the company filed a complaint with the Bengaluru police which registered a case on cyber terrorism. Wipro also beefed up security in its offices.
Thiruvananthapuram: BJP state President Kummanam Rajasekharan said that the Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan must stop lying in the legislature.

According to Kummanam, since the police asserted that whatever tools it confiscated from Maharajas Colleges staff quarters are weapons, the CM must apologise in the legislature. He added that only the CM has the guts to say that these weapons are mere construction tools.

Kummanam also said that the CM lied to the legislature about Joyce George MPs land-grabs.
Thiruvananthapuram: The new state police chief DGP T.P Senkumar said he has no intention to fight with the government on any matter and that he will try to do his best as the police chief. He added that he does not think the government would do anything to hinder him from dispensing his duties as the police chief.

About the recent transfer of several DySP police officers, Senkumar said the government has the responsibility and authority to do that.

Senkumar resigned his post as IMG director and took over the post of state police chief from DGP Lokanath Behera yesterday at around 4:30 p.m at the police headquarters.
My daughter is a high school senior deciding where she will attend college next fall.

One thing that we know about some students who consider UW-Madison is that they are concerned about its size and assume a lack of personal attention. In fact, we offer a growing number of ways for students to get the personal attention they need to succeed.

The College of Letters & Science, which teaches 86 percent of first-year student credits and graduates half the seniors at the university, is big on structuring engaging experiences for students.

Meaningful engagement with extraordinary faculty and diverse peers, with connecting ideas and cutting-edge research, with campus resources and student organizations, is the college experience at its best.

These experiences have been shown to be what higher education researchers call High-Impact Practices  or HIPs.

My daughter and I have logged many miles visiting campuses and listening to presentations by admissions staff. Every school talks about their version of HIPs, but I have come to increasingly appreciate the distinct nature of L&S HIPs and the student pathways they create.

When students select University Housing, they have 10 residential learning communities to choose from  focusing on topics ranging from languages to sustainability to entrepreneurship and more. Beyond theme housing, these communities involve faculty and feature small courses and social activities.

For example, the Chadbourne Residential College offers a first-year seminar, an on-site academic advising office and a common read program  all in support of student success and broadening liberal arts education.

At summer course registration, students have about 60 First-year Interest Groups (FIGs) to explore.

Our FIGs are each individually developed by a faculty member for small groups of students and link three courses together to explore a common theme.

Citizenship, Democracy, and Difference is a FIG that examines the racial disparities right in our back yard in Dane County. That main Political Science course is linked to American History: The Civil War Era to the Present and Leadership and Civic Engagement for Social Change. This FIG also features a service-learning component.

Beyond that, the L&S Honors Program provides a community for high-achieving and highly motivated students.

Honors offers small faculty-led courses and research opportunities. Beyond past performance in high school, Honors seeks students who want to be engaged in L&S.

Students can develop the skills that many employers seek through Honors in the Liberal Arts, which requires a broad distribution of courses in subjects ranging from the humanities to the social and natural sciences. Students can also pursue Honors in the Major, or both.

Pursuing a liberal arts degree at a research university offers opportunities to be engaged in cutting-edge research that spans the spectrum of the sciences and humanities.

The L&S Undergraduate Research Scholars program matches new students with faculty research mentors. Weekly, in small groups, students meet with peer mentors to discuss their research experiences.

Weve worked hard to put L&S students in touch with learning, research and scholars in a personal way, one that will help them reach their goals and thrive in their chosen fields.
Memorials along a roadside arent always adorned with fresh-cut flowers or Mylar balloons that instantaneously catch the eye. Sometimes they are simply a petite wooden cross or a weathered stone tucked away in the grass.

Regardless of their appearances, however, these spots are sacred to those who tend or create them.

Its surprising how pedestrian a memorial looks when you first come up to it, Madison-based artist Thomas Ferrella said. But, if you sit and look youll realize how incredibly rich they are.

Ferrella, who has been photographing Wisconsin roadside memorials for more than 20 years, works to retain the memory of the memorials.

The fascination started with a memorial that cropped up in Ferrellas own neighborhood on the corner of Fourth Street and East Washington Avenue  it was in honor of two East High School girls who were killed while crossing the street.

At the time, Ferrella was working as an emergency room doctor at Meriter Hospital and he treated one of the girls.

The projects website states that Ferrella regrets not photographing that initial memorial which he watched grow over several months.

He said he felt that he had a personal connection to the memorial because he treated one of the victims. He also felt that photographing the memorial sites could be an altruistic endeavor since he would be providing further longevity by photographing the beloved places.

Its sacred for them, he said. Theyre telling you its sacred for them  and maybe for you too  by building this memorial. Its a personal way to express grief and feel like theyre attached to the person at that site because that site gives them a sense of place.

The cemetery is where the body is, but this is where he or she actually took their last breath. There is a deep connection for people at these spots. I love the idea that they have the capacity to do this and declare this piece of land as sacred.

Now, after more than two decades of compiling images, Ferrella is doing his first gallery showcase of the work titled Not Forgotten: Wisconsin Roadside Memorials.

The photographs will be at the Arts and Literature Laboratory through May 27.

Ferrella said hes fortunate that a gallery like ALL exists in the Madison area because he isnt sure other organizations would take on his work.

But Jolynne Roorda, president and visual and performing arts director for ALL, said his work fits right into their mission.

One of the priorities for our exhibition series is to support emerging local artists like Dr. Ferrella, she said in an email. This is the first time he has exhibited this work beyond its website, so our space is providing the first opportunity for him to realize his vision for a project that has been in the works for more than 20 years.

She added that an important aspect of ALLs mission is to encourage and develop collaborations among artists and writers.

That aspect of Not Forgotten will come to fruition on May 25 when the Lake Effects Poets arrive with their poems on the subjects of loss and remembrance.

Similar work, this time focused on deaths in Chicago, done by Ferrella was on display at the Gage Gallery at Roosevelt University last fall sharing the Not Forgotten title. He was asked to collaborate with Roosevelt University journalism professor and former The Progressive editor Anne-Marie Cusac.

The majority of the work dealt with murders, Ferrella said.

It was in the two and a half years he spent photographing scenes in Chicago that he felt the most push back.

A couple of moments were pretty intense, he said. I grew up in Detroit. Im fairly well aware of the urban setting and Ive spent years and years and years taking care of all kinds of people ... except this was completely different. I was on their territory and in their neighborhoods, in their homes and on their streets.

After explaining his cause, however, most individuals usually came around to what he was trying to do, he added.

Having spent so much of his time on the project, particularly after retiring from his work in the ER in 2013, Ferrella has his theories about why the memorials have popped up more throughout the years.

He doesnt recall seeing any memorials in the Midwest during his childhood, but saw plenty in his travels. Memorials have adorned areas Ferrella has visited in Colombia, Mexico, Portugal and all over the American Southwest.

Perhaps the increase in roadside memorial popularity follows the 1997 death of Princess Diana of Wales in which large public memorials were erected or perhaps the rise correlates with the Northern migration of Hispanic populations, Ferrella mused.

Though he isnt entirely sure about what is causing the rising number of memorials in recent years, he has his theories on a larger, more philosophical, level.

Grief used to be more personal, he said. The person passed at home, the body was shown at home, the family cleaned the body, dressed the body, showed the body and eventually had a church service or buried the body at the local cemetery  which was probably down the street. Thats all changed. Somehow, probably in the last 100 years or so, (death) has become a big box sort of thing.

Ferrella sees the act of creating a roadside memorial not only as a means to honor a loved one who died in that location but also as a way to make grieving a personal act again.

Theres that need for grief to be personal, and these memorials are the perfect way to do that, he said.

He often gets text messages or phone calls informing him of an undocumented spot and when he receives enough tips for a given area, or he happens to be passing through anyway, he stops and documents the places.

This is an unending project, but its still exciting, Ferrella said.

The project is not in any way meant to be all inclusive  thats sort of an impossible feat, he added.

Although it may not be possible to document all of the roadside memorials scattered across the state, Ferrella hopes to branch out into regions that are less documented than his home area of Dane County.

The project also appears to be a cathartic one for Ferrella who spent part of his career working as a doctor dealing with tragedy.

But, like in all things, there is a balance.

The good part of the balance for me is that these sites are so beautiful and I can contribute to the memorialization process, he said. For me, its about continuing the memorialization process and trying to make it as beautiful as possible and reflecting the beauty of the sites through the photography.
TODAYS WORD is gimcrack (jim-krak). Example: In the Paul Bowles short story A Distant Episode, a professor travels to Morocco to collect camel udder boxes and other gimcracks, only for his situation to take a dark turn.

FRIDAYS WORD was crabwise. It means sideways movement. Example: When youre at the movie theater, theres nothing more awkward than having to sidle crabwise along a crowded row of seats.

Nutman fundraiser

The Nutman Company will be in the main lobby of Memorial Hospital of Martinsville and Henry County from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Tuesday and Wednesday (May 9 and 10) to sell nuts, candies, chocolates, snack mixes and corn nuts. All proceeds will benefit the nonprofit hospital auxiliary. Credit cards, cash and checks will be accepted.

Fun Day

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers 6th Annual Safety Fun Day is scheduled for Saturday, May 13, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sponsored by Philpott Lake, the event takes place at the Philpott Lake Overlook. Public Safety officials from Henry, Franklin, Patrick and Bedford counties will demonstrate and distribute safety information, along with other exhibitors. Highlights will include music; food by Friends of the Lake; train rides; a cake walk; courtesy boat inspections; a child ID program; a boat simulator; an impaired driving course; life jacket relays; a 50/50 raffle; a Martinsville/Henry County Coalition for Health and Wellness health screening; and other attractions. For more information, call 629-2703.

TODAY IS: National Lemonade Day

Its time to ring in the warm spring weather with a refreshing glass of lemonade on National Lemonade Day. At lemonadeday.org, children can learn what it takes to run their own lemonade stand and become young entrepreneurs. If youre of legal age and not a lemonade fan, good news: Today also happens to be National Homebrew Day.

Revolutionary Women

Revolutionary Women of the Southern Frontier will be the topic of discussion on May 9, over at the Bassett Historical Center. Bob Vogler will lead the talk, starting at 10:30 a.m., highlighting nine women who helped pioneer the settlements of the southern frontier during the American War for Independence. They worked shoulder to shoulder with men, planted crops, tended livestock, ran households themselves and defended themselves from Tories and hostile Indians. This program is free and open to the public. It will be held in the Susan L. Adkins Memorial Meeting Room at the Historical Center.

Swift Creek concert

On Saturday, May 13, Crossroads Ruritan Building will host bluegrass gospel bands Swift Creek and Gone Fishing, along with special guests Garland and Brenda Shively. The concert will take place at 4 p.m., and plate lunches will be available for dine-in or take-out. The lunches will feature barbecue, baked beans and trimmings and cost $8. An offering will be collected for Faith Community Church in Stuart.

TRIVIA QUESTION: What rare, sought-after material used in jewelry making can only be found in Detroit?

FRIDAYS TRIVIA ANSWER: What Olympic sport no longer contains the component that inspired its name? The answer: Figure skating. Prior to the 1990s, the first portion of figure skating competitions involved skaters painstakingly recreating intricate figures and shapes  known as compulsory figures  by carving them into the ice as they skated. While it showed how tightly a skater could control his or her form, it wasnt all that fun to watch. As the public became more interested in figure skating and competitions began to air on television, the figure-creation portion of the event was dropped in favor of the longer dance-inspired routines we now associate with figure skating.
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The First Church of Christ in Longmeadow has been celebrating its 300th anniversary, and the United Church of Christ congregation recently added another historic marker to that timeline - it will have for the first time a settled senior pastor who is a woman - the Rev. Pamela Woodall McGrath.

(Anne-Gerard Flynn photo)

LONGMEADOW - The First Church of Christ here has been celebrating its 300th anniversary, and the United Church of Christ congregation recently added another historic marker to that timeline - it will have for the first time a settled senior pastor who is a woman - the Rev. Pamela Woodall McGrath.

The Rev. Pamela McGrath

The parish's nine-member senior pastor search committee selected McGrath, who is said to be known for her sermons, as its top candidate from among three dozen applicants, and a congregational meeting voted unanimously to call McGrath as its 17th settled pastor after she preached at the 10 a.m. Sunday service April 30.

A video of her delivering that sermon, engagingly preaching on "Where is Jesus?" and seeing his "incredibly diverse" face in the customers of a diner who bought more than 700 boxes of Girl Scout cookies to help a young girl realize her dreams, is posted on the church's website.

Her call to be senior pastor of the congregation, which also has a woman as an associate pastor, will conclude for the parish a several-year period under a transitional senior pastor during which its leadership team helped address such questions as "Who are we? Who are our neighbors? What is God calling us to do and be uniquely in this time and place?"

McGrath, who is currently traveling abroad, has been pastor for eight years at North Community Church in Marshfield. She says her "love for story and metaphor as 'windows into the character of God' is what drew me to ministry" on that church's website.

The Georgia native and mother of three grown daughters earned a master of Divinity from Phillips Theological Seminary in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and was originally ordained in the Disciples of Christ. Her first career was said to be as a speaker and organizational consultant. She has also worked in the area of domestic violence.

McGrath is expected to move to the area with her husband and begin her ministry sometime in August, in partnership with the Rev. Marisa Brown Ludwig, associate pastor who has been with the parish since 2013.

The transitional senior pastor has been the Rev. Jay M. Terbush, who has a doctorate in counseling and has been with the parish since 2012 as it engaged in a process of evaluation. A farewell celebration for Terbush is being planned.

The parish promotes a variety of ministries, including environmental work, faith development and does outreach work in Haiti.

Its history is entwined with that of town and country. Previous pastors include the Rev. Richard Salter Storrs, whose granddaughter gave the land and money for what became the Richard Storrs Library Association, and the church's bell has marked many occasions, including the end of the War of 1812, and, according to its website, was rung "by the townspeople at the close of the Vietnam Conflict and was tolled each day at noon during the Iranian hostage crisis and at the end of the Persian Gulf War."
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Dr. Richard Field and Dr. Lina Bolanos were killed Friday in their 11th-floor penthouse apartment in South Boston. Both were anesthesiologists.

(Provided)

BOSTON Boston police said both victims of a Friday evening murder are local physicians.

Dr. Richard Field, 49, and his fiance Dr. Lina Bolanos, 38, were found in their Dorchester Avenue penthouse. Both had their hands tied and their throats cut.

A suspect, 30-year-old Bampumim Teixeira of Chelsea was wounded several times as he exchanged gunfire with police. He is now recovering at Tufts Medical Center.

Police said they were called to the 141 Dorchester Avenue luxury building just before 9 p.m. Friday. When they arrived at the penthouse apartment, they said Teixeira immediately fired at them. Officers returned fire and Teixeira was wounded in the exchange. He was taken to the Tufts Medical Center where doctors say he is expected to live.

None of the officers were injured in the exchange of gunfire.

Police said both doctors were anesthesiologists and were engaged to be married. Field worked at a pain management practice in Revere, while Bolanos was a pediatric anesthesiologist for the Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary.

Police are convinced Teixeira knew the victims and may have been in the apartment with their knowledge the night of the killings.

Police Commissioner William Evans said the luxury building has elaborate security protocols that mean anyone entering the 11th-floor penthouse area would have to have a special access key just to enter the building and use the elevator to the penthouse floor.

"We gotta believe there was some type of knowledge of each other," he told WBZ-TV.

Meanwhile, Teixeira faces two counts of murder along with lesser charges once he recovers.
southie murder.jpg

Dr. Richard Field and Dr. Lina Bolanos were killed Friday in their 11th-floor penthouse apartment in South Boston. Both were anesthesiologists.

(Provided)

The suspect in the killing of two doctors inside their South Boston penthouse recently got out of prison on bank robberies charges, according to the Boston Herald.

Bampumim Teixeira, 30, of Chelsea was arrested in mid-July for robbing a bank in Boston, according to the newspaper. He allegedly admitted to robbing the same bank in 2014.

The Boston Herald reports Teixeira was sentenced to serve a year in jail with nine months to be served. Records show the sentence would have finished up around April 14.

Police found Dr. Richard Field, 49, and his 38-year-old fiancee Dr. Lina Bolanos in their Dorchester Avenue penthouse dead Friday night. The victims had their hands tied and throats cut.

Teixeira was wounded after he immediately began shooting at police when they opened the door to the apartment around 9 p.m. Friday. Officers shot back at Teixeira and he was injured. He is still recovering.

Investigators believe Teixeira knew the victims and may have been in the apartment with their knowledge the night of the killings.
Braintree Police Officer Donald Delaney, who was shot in the face by a 25-year-old Boston man while serving a restraining order at a motel, has twice received lifesaving awards during his career.

Delaney is recovering at Boston Medical Center in Boston and is in good condition, according to authorities.

WCVB News reports Delaney is a U.S. Marine Corps veteran who twice received lifesaving awards. The officer was among a group of Braintree officers who helped save a 21-year-old woman's life after she was found unresponsive in a hotel room in 2014, the television station reports.

The officer joined in the department in 2010.

The Boston Herald reports the gunman, Tizaya Jordan Robinson, has a long criminal history including weapons charges. He had an open case for domestic assault and kidnapping, the newspaper reported.

Robinson was found dead inside a Motel 6 room after a long standoff with police. Authorities believe the Boston man committed suicide.

WCVB News said Robinson began shooting through the door when officers arrived at the motel around 9:30 p.m. Friday. Delaney, 36, was shot at that time.

A SWAT Team arrived on scene and surrounded the area. Robinson was then found dead inside his room. The incident remains under investigation.
The Lynnway Auto Auction employee, who was driving a Jeep when it struck and killed three people inside the business Wednesday, claims the vehicle was defective.

The 76-year-old man told Boston 25 News that the vehicle just began to accelerate when he was driving it in the building so it could be displayed during a regular auction inside the Billerica business. The television station did not identify the driver by name.

The driver told the television station he was, "A thousand percent sorry that anybody who got hurt...and anybody who got worse than hurt...I wish I could have changed it."

Lynnway Auto Auction President Jim Lamb confirmed on Friday that his employee had a suspended driver's license, but the company was unaware of it until after the accident.

"We were informed by the police on Wednesday that the driver of the Jeep had a suspended license," Lynnway Auto Auction President Jim Lamb said in a statement. "We were unaware of the change in status of the driver's license until the police told us after the accident."

The driver had a valid license in 2010, when he was hired roughly seven years ago.

Leezandra Aponte, a 36-year-old mother of three from Lowell, along with Brenda Lopez, 48, of Rhode Island, and Pantaleon Santos, 49, of Rhode Island were killed when the 2006 Jeep Grand Cherokee struck them.

Eight people were treated and released from nearby hospitals following the crash. A 55-year-old man remained in the hospital with serious injuries as of Friday, the Middlesex County District Attorney's Office said.

The Jeep driver told Boston 25 News that he was driving slowly into the building. The business has several driving lanes for vehicles and safety lanes where people view the cars for sale.

"Then all of a sudden, the car by itself, just took off...somehow it just accelerated," the driver told Boston 25 News.

The driver told NECN he didn't know his license was suspended. He told the television station he didn't check it. The driver broke bones in his arm and leg.

Authorities continue to investigate the crash.
High school junior Andy Paulson heads to New York City this week  where he expects to be surrounded by students from many regions and walks of life, all with one common love: Jazz.

Paulson, a 17-year-old trombonist with the Sun Prairie High School Jazz Ensemble I, is one of 19 Sun Prairie students bound for the Essentially Ellington competition held Thursday through Saturday at Jazz at Lincoln Center.

The experience is life-changing, said Paulson, who went to the competition when Sun Prairie was invited there last year, too.

In fact, this is the fifth straight year  and 11th time overall since 1998  that Sun Prairies premiere high school jazz ensemble has won a spot in the top-flight Essentially Ellington competition.

Thats an extraordinary feat by any measure  but even more amazing because the band is an extracurricular activity, not part of the regular school day. Students have to show up early before school  at 6:45 a.m. Wednesdays and Fridays  and late on Monday evenings to rehearse.

We have kids working hard, and enjoying it, said jazz band director Steve Sveum, a Sun Prairie High School band teacher since 1985.

An opportunity like Essentially Ellington really validates their hard work, he said. And they are working very, very hard. They spend a lot of time with me, but they spend hours and hours outside (of rehearsal) as well  listening (to jazz recordings), transcribing solos, working on their parts and getting extra lessons and tips on the side.

In Essentially Ellington, the Sun Prairie group will compete with 14 other bands, many of them trained in dedicated schools of the arts or academies where jazz is part of the academic day.

Still, competing with those bands doesnt really feel like a contest, Paulson said.

Everybody cheers for everybody. Everybody wants everybody to succeed, he said. Its just so much fun you cant help but smile when you walk away from it.

The events 15 finalists were selected from nearly 100 high school jazz bands across the U.S. who sent in an audition recording. Judges will pick a trio of bands to perform in a concert Saturday night with soloists from the Jazz at Lincoln Center orchestra.

Its like the Super Bowl of jazz for high school students, said Terri Lamprech, the mother of pianist Jennifer Lamprech, a Sun Prairie High School senior heading to Essentially Ellington this week for the third year in a row.

The kids get to meet incredible musicians, like Wynton Marsalis, she said. They get to learn so much from some great, great people. I get goosebumps when I walk into Rose Hall in Lincoln Center. And to see the growth in my daughter  I get tears in my eyes.

Lamprech is co-jazz chair of the Sun Prairie Band Boosters, an active group with its own website that supports the school districts instrumental music program, comprising 750 students in grades 6-12.

The Boosters raise most of the approximately $35,000 needed to send the districts top jazz band on its New York trips, much of it through area restaurants and local businesses that donate raffle prizes.

The raffle concludes at the jazz bands public send-off concert held at the Sun Prairie High School Performing Arts Center at 7 p.m. tonight.

Individual donations are also a huge part of fundraising, Lamprech said.

We just spread the word, and people are very generous and very supportive of the group. Sun Prairie is just known for a great music program. Weve got strong teachers on all levels, and the community just backs us up, year after year. Its amazing.

Sun Prairies top jazz band is indeed one of the best in the area, said Linda Marty Schmitz, president of the Madison Jazz Society.

MJS helps support and promote jazz in all area schools, she said.

It sponsored a visiting guest soloist from its recent Capital City Jazz Festival to do a jazz clinic for Sun Prairies Jazz Ensemble I.

In New York, the band will perform three pieces by Duke Ellington: Bojangles, It Dont Mean a Thing If It Aint Got That Swing and Flaming Sword. The performance will be webcast live at 1:25 p.m. Central Time Friday at www.jazz.org/live.

The band came in eighth place last year, but placed among the top three bands in 1998, 2004 and 2008.

The student musicians credit their director for much of their success.

Sveum is just very passionate about jazz, said drummer Jonathan Alcantara, 18. To come in the morning, and having rehearsals that early in the day  it takes a certain passion to keep doing that. Its just amazing to see him keep bringing that energy to rehearsals. And even though sometimes we might look tired, our teacher just keeps pushing us forward.

Hes very professional in what he does, added Robert Rockman, 18, who plays guitar and vibraphone with the band. Hes not in any way micromanaging what we do. He gives us a set of rules or guidelines, and says now do what you will. Its very much up to us to take what he said and run with it.

Along with performing, the students at Essentially Ellington get to jam with other young musicians and do a Q&A with the Jazz at Lincoln Center orchestra.

Best of all, they get to hear and learn from their peers, they said.

There was actually a tune last year that was played by eight different bands. A cool thing about this competition is that you can interpret the music in so many different ways, Paulson said.

Each of those eight different bands made the tune sound unique, and had their own certain style and sound.

For three days, were surrounded by people who know how much work this is, Rockman said of the competition.

Its one thing when someone goes to a concert and says, It sounds really great. But to know how many hours it took to practice  every single band knows how much it takes. And like everyone says: Its so supportive out there.
"Ive always sort of had this idea in my head of what it is but coming up here, its truly different." Walt Sales

By Michael Wright Chronicle Staff Writer

Full Story: http://www.bozemandailychronicle.com/news/mtleg/freshman-lawmakers-describe-their-first-legislature/article_8631069e-34a0-5a2a-8d65-268988c9a949.html

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City Club Missoula  The 2017 Montana Legislative Session  5/15  Missoula http://www.matr.net/article-76398.html
The Dane County Board has passed an amendment prohibiting county employees from traveling to states that have discriminatory legislation.

Under the amendment, which passed 30-1 Thursday, no elected county officials or county employees will be required to travel to a state or have their expenses reimbursed if they travel to a state that has discriminatory outcomes based on sexual orientation, gender identity or gender expression. Travel the sheriff deems necessary and travel for juvenile residential treatment placements is exempted.

County Executive Joe Parisi issued a similar travel ban in 2016, barring nonessential county travel to North Carolina and Mississippi, which had enacted laws Parisi had said were discriminatory.

The county defined states with discriminatory legislation as states that have enacted laws that void or repeal protections for lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgendered people or authorize discrimination against LGBT people.

Dane County does not support discrimination of any person, and thats always been a value of the county, said Sup. Chuck Erickson, who introduced the amendment.

Erickson said he hopes the amendment will demonstrate that the county will not spend money in states that have discriminatory laws.
As Mayor Paul Soglin begins the final half of his current term with a just-elected City Council, recent gun violence has again elevated public safety as a serious challenge and possible stress point in the next budget.

In the past two weeks, the city has seen multiple incidents involving guns, Soglin and Police Chief Mike Koval sparred over Kovals public plea for more resources, and the council had a special discussion on gun violence.

Soglin, mayor for 14 years in the 1970s, 80s and 90s, and now six years into his current stint leading the city, said his priorities for the next two years will continue to center on city finances, racial equity and poverty.

But priorities also include violence, especially gun violence; the opiate epidemic, substance abuse and mental health; creating starter homes; dealing with crowded buses and supporting entrepreneurship, he said.

On the gunshots, a serious concern especially with summer coming, Soglin said hes working with the police, Dane County, community organizations and others on a rapid response designed to help individuals and families connected to gun violence.

The coming budget, he stressed, should prioritize neighborhood centers, libraries and community services, not police and fire stations and substandard roads.

If we are talking about a healthy and safe city, we have to produce a nurturing environment where kids grow up to be healthy and supported and gangsters cant survive, the mayor said.

The council, which has tangled with the mayor on the budget since his return to office in 2011, has made public safety a priority, pushing forward the timing on a Midtown police station to this year and fire station for the Southeast Side to 2018.

New council President Marsha Rummel said basic security is a priority, not just public safety, but security in housing, food and health.

A come-to-Jesus moment

By most available measures, the city is in pretty good shape, Soglin said, citing a growing and more diverse population, low unemployment, a rising tax base, new housing, business investment, improving academic results, and advances in racial equity.

But challenges are real, with public safety coming into sharp focus April 25 when Koval pleaded for city leaders and community activists to have a come to Jesus moment about crime problems following a night of unprecedented gun violence.

The State Journal asked several community leaders about challenges and priorities. They cited public safety and violence prevention; stabilizing and housing poor and middle class families; reducing racial gaps in education, unemployment and incarceration; resources for young children; retaining businesses; equity in business ownership; making the city more customer-friendly and having an easier development process; transportation; and public access to the lakes.

The city must execute a 15-point plan on violence prevention strategies approved last year, said Michael Johnson, president of the Boys and Girls Club of Dane County. If not, we are going to have a long, deadly summer ahead of us.

Its going to take all of us

After Kovals press conference, Soglin accused the police chief of campaigning for more department funds outside the citys budget process and threatened to take steps to maintain control of Kovals or any agencys budget if that procedure isnt followed.

Koval said he was surprised by Soglins threat but stood by what he called his clarion call alerting the community to disturbing crime trends.

The councils discussion on gun violence Tuesday elicited serious concern but produced no clear signal of what it means for the 2018 budget.

This is a big, big problem, said Ald. Matt Phair, 20th District, who helped produce the 15-point plan. Its far more than about the police. Its going to take all of us.

The 2017 budget delivers $400,000 for the 15-point plan by the Focused Interruption Coalition of community and faith leaders and elected officials that emerged in May 2016 after a series of retaliatory homicides involving young black men.

The initial effort will focus on those engaging in violence or returning to the community from incarceration, but the city will seek public input on concepts before issuing a request for proposals to nonprofits and others to use the funds, officials said.

Its highly, highly unlikely programs related to the plan will be underway before the fall, Community Development director Jim OKeefe said.

Officer staffing

Its still unclear if Koval will seek more officers when the budget process begins in the late summer.

The departments authorized strength rose from 350 commissioned officers in 1997 to 468 in 2017. The city added 32 in six budgets under Mayor Sue Bauman; 62 during eight budgets under Mayor Dave Cieslewicz; and 22 during six budgets under Soglin.

The seven officers needed for the Midtown station will cost $674,712 plus a one-time cost of $295,775 for vehicles in 2018. Adding another 13 officers throughout the city -- recommended in a city study -- would cost $400,660 for part of 2018, with an annualized cost of $1.1 million.

The city, Soglin said, doesnt need to raise police staffing as if recent gun violence is happening 24/7. But, he said, it must promote systems that dont need law enforcement so the kind of violence seen recently doesnt become as regular as it has in some cities.

The Rapid Community and Government Response to violence team, now taking shape, will focus on individuals and families most likely to have or use a firearm and intensively work with them to keep them safe and the people around them safe, Soglin said.

The concept is to use community outreach to engage individuals involved and families impacted by gun violence, Deputy Mayor Gloria Reyes said. It is not a police response. Theres no investigative aspect to this at all, she said. Its really a community response to violence.

The mayors office will bring in community organizations and partners to discuss the initiative at a public meeting at 9:30 a.m. on Friday, at Fountain of Life Covenant Church, 633 W. Badger Rd., Reyes said. The current plan is to begin intervention using existing resources and collaboration by the end of the month, with an 11-member team discussing long-term strategies that will lead to a formal proposal in the summer, she said.

The mayors office is exploring the possibility of a new violence manager position, Reyes said.

This is very satisfying, Soglin said. There are young people at a critical stage in their lives who have either made bad choices or about to make important choices that will affect the rest of their lives. This is an opportunity to provide them with a path to a future.

A very austere

capital budget

Soglin said he hasnt made any final decisions on the 2018 budget but anticipates another difficult bout with the council.

Im going to first propose a very austere capital budget, he said. What I do see in spending is a much greater focus on community services, at the expense of police stations, fire stations and roads.

The backdrop is rising concern about spending and borrowing. In 2017, the citys capital budget hit records for $360 million in spending and $169.9 million in authorized borrowing. Actual borrowing hit a record $87.6 million last year; that figure for 2017 will firm up later in the year.

Debt payments have risen to the citys third-largest cost after the police and fire departments, city finance director David Schmiedicke said.

After years of contention, the most pressing capital initiatives for public safety seem settled. The 30,000-square-foot Midtown police station will be under construction later this year, and a recent resolution  supported by Soglin  seems to cement the Southeast Side fire station in the 2018 budget.

Under the resolution, the city will increase the size of the fire station to 20,000 square feet to add community rooms and testing and training space, bumping the construction budget from $5 million to $6.3 million. But the Fire Department will forgo a separate, $6 million employee development center that had been considered.

The primary new cost drivers for the 2018 budget are the new police and fire stations and scheduled pay increases for city staff, Schmiedicke said.

Although the 2017 capital budget funds a relocated Pinney Library on the East Side, the Park Edge/Park Ridge Neighborhood Center and a new Bridge- Lake Point-Waunona Community Center, there are no further funds envisioned for libraries or neighborhood centers in the nonbinding, five-year capital improvement plan.

If Soglin wants more libraries and neighborhood centers, hell have to propose them. Alders are committed to safety. Were kind of firm, Rummel said. (But) I think theres council support for neighborhood centers, libraries and services.

The mayor and council have tangled over road construction, especially Monroe Street. Roads have been a lower priority under Soglin, and there has been a jump in the percentage of substandard city arterial streets, from 10.2 percent when he took office in 2011 to 23 percent in 2016. The capital improvement plan envisions $14.9 million for Monroe Street in 2018.

Still vulnerable is Soglins prized Madison Public Market. The 2017 budget includes $1.2 million for the project, but the bulk of funding, $11.8 million including $3 million in borrowing and the rest from outside sources, is envisioned for 2018. Im still concerned about finishing the market, he said, adding hell be assured when we break ground.

We have moved

to a new era

The mayor said hes troubled by council actions, including pay increases and imminent first-time hiring of a chief of staff, which signal an evolution from a volunteer to a full-time council. A task force of citizens should underpin any significant change in governance, he said.

The city is growing and becoming more complex with more demands on council members, and a conversation on governance is needed, Rummel said.

Community leaders interviewed voiced hope Soglin and a more diverse council with four African Americans, its first Native American member and an even gender split can work together amid uncertainties about funding and policy at the state and federal levels.

We have moved into a new era and our local officials are more important than ever and we are depending on them to lead us during these uncertain times, said Ruben Anthony, president of the Urban League of Greater Madison.
WHITEWATER  Armed with pasta salads, chips and desserts, a hungry crowd attempted to beat a world record Sunday.

That this city of 14,622 wasnt able in the end to claim the worlds largest potluck party hardly mattered. The event, organized by Downtown Whitewater Inc., succeeded at its main goal, which was to bring families and university students to a lakeside park for a fun afternoon of live music, food and games.

The ultimate goal of the event was to bring the community together, to have an event that everybody felt they could participate in, said Courtney Nelson, executive director of Downtown Whitewater. We succeeded in that.

The Guinness World Record for the largest potluck was set last year in Ahmedabad, India, when 1,855 people showed up with food to share.

Organizers in Whitewater had a goal to get 2,017 people to join in. A respectable, but far smaller crowd of 768, turned out.

Each person signed in, received a wristband and stood in front of a camera to document his or her attendance. For every six people, at least one dish was required. Every 50th event-goer had to certify that people stayed and ate as opposed to just checking in and leaving.

The shelter at Cravath Lakefront Park was filled with an assortment of potato salads, hot dogs, chips and dip, desserts and other easily shareable foods. The oatmeal cookies sat largely untouched.

Several dishes were accompanied by recipes for those who wanted to duplicate them or to warn those with allergies.

The potluck had been in the works for about a year, said Lisa Smith, board president for Downtown Whitewater. The idea, she said, was to hold a potluck to build community, but why not break a world record while were at it.

Chris and Natalie Goetz, of Whitewater, heard about the potluck through their church. She prepared a Hawaiian pork dish, while he came hoping to be part of a new world record, which he said sounded pretty cool.

The potluck featured a standout performance by 12-year-old Ben McCulloch when he trounced seven adults in a pie eating contest to claim $400 for the nonprofit of his choosing.

For eating an entire chocolate cream pie in the utensil-free competition, McCulloch earned money for Studio 84, an art studio in Whitewater serving people with cognitive and physical disabilities.

Lorenzo Backhaus, one of the participants, chose a banana cream pie and decided to forgo breakfast on Sunday to better his odds of winning.

I threw in the towel, Backhaus said, joking after the contest, as his towel lay on top of the remainder of his dessert.

Lawrence Bell, a UW-Whitewater senior, took time off from studying for his upcoming final exams to volunteer with his fellow Phi Beta Sigma fraternity members.

Bell showed up at 8 a.m. to help set up for the event the same week he will be graduating college with a bachelors degree in graphic design.

Others came from out of town to be with family. Cassandra Rodriguez traveled from Waukesha to meet her mother, Crecencia Rodriquez, for the potluck. Crecencias cowboy beans disappeared quickly, she said. But they decided to eat a little bit at a time and wait for new foods to show up through the course of the afternoon.

As more food comes out, were going to continue to eat, Cassandra Rodriguez said.

While Whitewaters attempt didnt break the record, Nelson said she received a lot of positive feedback, adding that the potluck would absolutely be back in 2018.

As is often true in smaller towns, word of mouth helps a lot, she said. Well definitely go after the record again.
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Essay

Photographs :

Blood Bank Services

HIV/AIDS: The IRCS plays a pivotal role in raising awareness on, and prevention of, HIV/AIDS. It actively provides care to the children of HIV positive women, especially among the lower economic sections of society.

Maternal and Child Care: In keeping with their humanitarian principles, mother and child welfare activities have been carried out by the IRCS since 1954.

Family Welfare: The IRCS encourages family planning and promotes the use of contraceptives. The numerous Red Cross centers and welfare clinics across the nation actively engage in welfare activities for the underprivileged sections of the community.

Hospital Services and Home for Disabled Servicemen: The IRCS runs welfare services in military hospitals. It provides recreational and psychological support to the sick and the wounded. Since 1946, it also runs a home for disabled servicemen in Bangalore.

Vocational Training Services: The IRCS trains poor, backward caste women, with the purpose of giving them a vocation in life. These women are then able to take on important responsibilities, earning their own living and supporting their families. Encouraging these otherwise disadvantaged women to make active decisions about their lives, giving them a voice, and providing them with an independent agency, are some of the tasks performed by the IRCS.

Tracing Activities: The IRCS has played a pivotal role in mobilizing help to trace missing persons after some major calamity, bringing together loved ones who had been lost without a trace.

Nursing: The IRCS also provides training in nursing and midwife activities.

The three pillars of the movement are thewhile the red cross, and the red crescent, against a white background, are its emblems in Non-Muslim and Muslim countries respectively.' with the novel perception of bringing to life inspiring stories of humanitarian pursuits across the world, through online essay and photography competitions. The competitions are to be organized by the Indian Red Cross Society, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) and theICRC).The jointly organized online competitions are free and open to all, except for the Red Cross staff members. The goal is to draw motivational stories and photographs from the public at large. They will be judged by a jury who will give the final verdict.: The topic isThe topic isCirculars have been sent out to all government and government aided schools and educational institutions to invite participants for the competition.The history of the ICRC dates back to 1859 when Dunant, a businessman from Geneva, Switzerland, arrived in Solferino, Italy as part of a business trip. His arrival coincided with the Battle of Solferino. Dunant was revolted at the horrific aftermath of the battle which he witnessed first hand. He then took it upon himself to assemble help, bringing together the civilians to aid and assist the wounded.The seeds of what was to become the worldwide Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement were sowed during that fateful moment when Dunant decided to mobilize help for the wartime soldiers and victims. On his return to Geneva, he published a book called(A Memory of Solferino), describing his experiences. It was here that he put forth the proposal for a neutral organization that would provide supplies and care to victims of war. In 1863, a five-member committee was created by the Geneva Society for Public Welfare of which Dunant was one of the members.. Over the next 50 years, national societies were established, and the ICRC's role went through several phases from taking care of war prisoners to running ambulances on battlefields, especially during World War I. During World War II, the ICRC expanded its activities, reaching out to the wounded and civilians across the globe. However, this period is also considered one of its greatest failures, due to its lack of endeavor to aid the victims and survivors of the infamous Holocaust.In 1919 the League of Red Cross Societies was founded, which was to become the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) in 1991. Currently, the IFRC coordinates between 190 National Red Cross Societies across the globe.The Indian Red Cross Society was established way back in 1920. Apart from, the IRCS's activities include:: The IRCS has the largest voluntary blood bank service in the country with over 100 blood banks across India.The Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies along with their collaborative bodies constitute one of the largest humanitarian networks worldwide. In recent times, in the light of the brutalities that the world is witnessing on a daily basis, for instance, in the current Syria crisis, the Red Cross has been working tirelessly to bring relief, and end the suffering of the countless innocents whose lives have been marred by conflict.It is to celebrate this respect for humanity, and the spirit of unconditional humanitarianism, that the World Red Cross Day is observed.Source: Medindia


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Their schools are adjacent to the Tughlaqabad container depot."A total of 475 students from Classes 6-12 from both the schools were affected by the fumes. They were treated at different hospitals," Deputy Commissioner of Police Romil Baaniya told IANS.He said the chemical leaked from four drums containing chloro (methyl) phenylsilane, which was imported from China, and was enroute to Sonepat in Haryana. Each drum contained 220 litres of the chemical, which is used in the manufacture of pesticides.The container, which reached Sonepat later, was being handled by a team of the State Disaster Response Force and a Delhi Police team, Baaniya said.The Delhi government has launched a magisterial probe into the matter.Baaniya said that police has registered a case against "unknown persons" under various sections of the IPC (Indian Penal Code) relating to making the atmosphere noxious to health, endangering life or personal safety of others, causing hurt by act."We are investigating to see how the chemical leaked," Baaniya said.The affected students were rushed to four nearby hospitals -- Batra Hospital, Apollo Hospital, Majeedia Hospital and ESI Hospital."After treatment 406 students were discharged while the rest will be discharged soon," Baaniya said, adding that 12 students were referred to Safdarjung hospital, who were later discharged.Delhi Fire Service said it received a distress call about the gas leak at 7.43 a.m. and rushed three fire tenders to the spot. Seventeen ambulances from the Centralised Accident and Trauma Services (CATS) were also rushed to the schools.Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, accompanied by Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia, visited Majeedia Hospital and interacted with the children admitted there and enquired about their health."The situation is under control. A few students are still complaining of irritation and are being treated. Doctors assured that there was nothing to worry about as they say there is no lasting effect of the gas and all will be fine," Kejriwal told reporters after visiting the hospital.He said the government has already ordered an inquiry and "action" will be taken against the culprits. Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia, who also holds the Education portfolio, separately visited Batra Hospital.Sisodia said he had spoken to the doctors and the condition of the students was "normal". He said the District Magistrate has been ordered to probe the leak.Sisodia announced that schools in the area were ordered shut for the day, and exams postponed. He said the situation would be reviewed on Monday.Sisodia later tweeted, "Maximum students have gone back to home. Few are still under observation in hospitals. AIIMS team working on medical impact study."Earlier in the day BJP leader Vijender Gupta also visited the students in ESI Hospital and accused the authorities of "negligence".Delhi Commission for Women (DCW) Chief Swati Jaihind also met the students at Batra hospital. Union Health Minister J.P. Nadda instructed all Centre-run hospitals to be ready to help the victims.Source: IANS
Baahubali 2 has broken all records and is still running strong. Those who have seen Baahubali are still in awe of the large-scale props and grand sequences. One thing that struck all of us was Rana Daggubati i.e. Bhallala Devas sinister mass-slaughter machine  the chariot that cuts anybody who comes in the way.

 Arka Media Works

Blood thirsty Bhallala Deva goes on a killing spree with his mean machine and we couldnt help but think it was a great invention nevertheless. Covering a huge diameter, its sharp revolving blades were a game changer in the war. We wondered what technology they could have used.

Bhallaladeva's weaponized chariot, fully equipped with this lethal, revolving saw blade. #BaahubaliMemories pic.twitter.com/gDnGHWiDaP  Baahubali (@BaahubaliMovie) December 11, 2015

Turns out the chariot was powered by the engine of a Royal Enfield.

 Facebook/Royal Enfield

Known production designer Sabu Cyril, who has worked for the Baahubali movies, revealed in an interview with Manorama Online, and said, "Bhallala Deva's chariot was built with a Royal Enfield engine as the centre-piece as that would give the chariot the required power and speed. We used this method in the first Baahubali film as well."

"The chariot had a typical car steering plus a driver. We had a lot of fun designing and conceptualizing it, he added.

There are bikes and then there are bikes. Royal Enfield enthusiasts swear by their most cherished possessions. Its not a bike, its family. Guess Bhallala Deva loves bikes too.
JOURNALIST: How do you see Turkey's stance following the referendum and, mainly, of late, Mr. Minister?

N. KOTZIAS: Turkey is a restless and revisionist power. It often expresses itself as wanting to change part of the international agreements or as not accepting international law. Its current leadership, which contributed decisively to shaping the Turkey we see today, seems at this time to have been caught between a sense of insecurity and fear, on the one hand, and an unjustified sense of superiority and arrogance. This contradictory mix always has to be handled carefully so that one doesn't get carried away in the 'easy current' of things. One has to endeavour to find channels of communication, trust, respect for the other side's particularities. And wherever and whenever needed, to be stern.

JOURNALIST: Are you worried about a hot incident in the Aegean?

N. KOTZIAS: I am more worried about some accident caused by the risks taken and provocations made by the other side.

JOURNALIST: And in Cyprus? Ankara is making threats ahead of the tapping of deposits.

N. KOTZIAS: The Cypriot government has taken its measures. The international community is monitoring closely. We are at the disposal of the Republic of Cyprus for any assistance it may need. Ankara is resorting to intimidation on the deposits issue. But one can fall victim to intimidation only if one lacks strength.

JOURNALIST: Turkish officials say Agathonisi isn't Greek, while Erdogan regularly disputes the Treaty of Lausanne. How will this matter be dealt with? Is recourse to The Hague a solution?

N. KOTZIAS: Following the failed coup, the government and opposition in Turkey have entered into a dead-end nationalist bidding war. Meanwhile, we are taking the necessary diplomatic and defensive measures. It would be good if our neighbours stopped questioning international law and international agreements. Greece is neither a 'devastated country' nor 'an easy target'. And it is better for them to accept the realities of the situation and return to a productive dialogue.

JOURNALIST: Does Greece support Turkey's European perspective, and on what terms? And how do you respond to the European powers that are calling for an end to the negotiations?

N. KOTZIAS: The best prospect for Greek-Turkish relations is a European democratic Turkey that respects international law and the principle of good neighbourly relations. A Turkey with which we will develop maximum cooperation in all fields. This is our policy of principles, and it is also the desire of the majority of Turkish citizens.

The powers that want to end the negotiations on Turkey's European perspective are often those who, in all other sectors, make concessions "to the necessary ally". What we say is very clear: We want a European Turkey. It is up to Turkey to decide whether or not it wants to be European.

JOURNALIST: How much can Greece put up with in the Aegean, Mr. Minister? Could we see wind blowing flags away again, like we did in Imia?

N. KOTZIAS: I'm not a meteorologist, Mr. Skouris. I have made clear our positive initiatives regarding our neighbour, as well as our red lines. The wind can't blow away the latter.

JOURNALIST: Do you see resolution of the Cyprus issue? Do you agree with those who believe that the best possible goal right now is simply for the negotiations to continue?

N. KOTZIAS: I want the Cyprus issue to be resolved. What I persist in doing is underscoring  on the basis of the resolutions of the UN General Assembly and Security Council, regarding the international dimension of the Cyprus problem  is that it is a problem of occupation. From this perspective  a perspective on which Greece has a say  resolution of the Cyprus issue means an end to the occupation and the system of guarantees, elimination of any potential for a third country to invade Cyprus, to have rights of intervention in general.

JOURNALIST: Is Eide working as a 'broker' for the other side?

N. KOTZIAS: Eide argues that a kind of four freedoms can also be implemented for the Turks in Cyprus. To prove this, he invoked a number of inapt examples, such as Russia's agreement regarding Kaliningrad. In fact, the agreement concerns Russians' being able to transit between the Russian mainland and Kaliningrad. Cyprus certainly bears no relation to such a case, because it is neither a Turkish transit zone nor Turkish territory. Dissimilar things are being muddled together here in order to justify a misguided demand from the other side. And, in fact, he is trying to rationalize these misguided demands for the EU leadership. But that's not his job. Finally, allow me to express my bewilderment  to put it politely  that there are those who, in order to justify his actions, consciously make the false claim that we had "come close to a solution."

JOURNALIST: Is a rearrangement of the borders in the Balkans considered likely? Must it be avoided? And what foreign powers play a role in this direction?

N. KOTZIAS: Anyone who plays with fire  and lots of people need to be reminded of this  gets burnt in the end. We will not tolerate anyone's raising any issue of borders. Together with our European partners, we condemn anyone who might have such aspirations.

JOURNALIST: Do you foresee and inter-ethnic clash in Skopje? What needs to be done to avert such an eventuality? And how can Greece contribute?

N. KOTZIAS: We are the only country that doesn't interfere in our neighbour's domestic affairs, and yet there are those who want to create an atmosphere of suspicion. We are concerned at the lack of a culture of consensus and compromise in our neighbouring country. We want democracy and the rule of law to function there. We produce a policy of stability in the region, and we are trying to support the stability structures in the region.

JOURNALIST: There are persistent reports that  in order to deal with the tension in Skopje  Berlin and Paris will lower the bar for FYROM's accession to the EU. And that they will exert pressure on Athens.

N. KOTZIAS: I don't know who wants to exert pressure on whom, but everyone knows that we can't be pressured and we won't back down on what we believe to be right for the interests of our people and for European principles and values.

JOURNALIST: Does the possibility of a 'Greater Albania' in the Balkans worry you? In your opinion, what powers are fuelling this possibility?

N. KOTZIAS: There are those who dream of 'pseudo-greatness' ... But we and the EU will not allow it. The borders in Europe are definitive, and anyone who tries to tamper with them will face major and serious consequences.

JOURNALIST: Edi Rama argues that Greece is one of the countries participating in the destabilisation of Albania. How do you respond to that? And what shape are Greek-Albanian relations in?

N. KOTZIAS: I haven't heard anyone in the Albanian government say anything like that, and they couldn't.

Albania joined NATO and embarked on its European course with Greece's support. And in fact we got nothing in exchange, which was a mistake.

Today, Albania knows that the path to Europe runs through judicial reform, combating organized crime and drug trafficking, protection of the rights of the Greek National Minority. This path is a path of stability. The overcoming of any instability within Albania requires further consolidation of democracy and the culture of compromise.

JOURNALIST: The Communist Party of Greece (KKE) warns that there will be a war in the region. Do you see that happening?

N. KOTZIAS: My job is to avert such eventualities and ensure that the country stays out of them. It isn't to passively record them. For two and a half years now, I have been talking about the triangle of instability in which our country is enveloped (Ukraine, Libya, Middle East), and, as the Foreign Ministry, we have oriented ourselves toward creating mechanisms  networks of stability and security (such as the five trilateral cooperation schemes, the three quadrilateral cooperation schemes, the Arab-European conference in Rhodes later this month).

JOURNALIST: By general admission, the situation is difficult. How should Greece react? Does it need to increase its defence spending?

N. KOTZIAS: The more difficult a situation is, the less one should talk  so that one can think more and plan. Be sober and clear-headed. Study the situation and patiently promote the necessary choices. It is also my job, in the most difficult situations, to find channels of communication with the other sides, to steadily and persistently use and capitalize on the means of diplomacy.

JOURNALIST: There are those who accuse you of being 'tough' or, more or less, of being a 'nationalist'. How do you respond to them?

N. KOTZIAS: To those who want to give up without a fight, it seems strange that there are those who don't. Anyone who sees Turkish chauvinism as a just cause recognizes his enemy in Greek patriotism. It is to be expected that anyone who is a quisling or cherry-picker would be irritated by this. What is impressive about some people's amorality is that they justify the occupation of Cyprus in a variety of ways. That they want Cyprus to be a second-class member state of the EU, while they protest because Greece is not voiceless at the UN, is not a second-class member of that organization. Of course, the essence remains the same: over 90% of the Cypriot people agree with the positions I have stated regarding the international aspect of the Cyprus problem.

JOURNALIST: How are your relations with Panos Kammenos? And why do you think the Defence Minister is the target of so many attacks?

N. KOTZIAS: The Foreign Ministry has diplomacy and negotiation as means of action. The Defence Ministry has defence. We are both doing our jobs. Panos comes under attack because he draws a large following from the 'pro-Karamanlis' side of New Democracy, thus stymieing any chance of victory for the latter. That drives some people mad.
The 82 Chibok girls freed this weekend, after being kidnapped three years ago by Boko Haram extremists, arrived Sunday in the nation's capital to meet with the Nigerian president, an official said.

Femi Adesina, special adviser to President Muhammadu Buhari, told the Associated Press the the newly released schoolgirls arrived at the Abuja airport Sunday and were met by Chief of Staff Alhaji Abba Kyari.

The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) acted as a mediator as Nigeria exchanged some detained Boko Haram suspects in return for the girls' release Saturday.

President Buhari said the schoolgirls were freed in exchange for detained suspected extremists in the largest negotiated release so far of the nearly 300 girls, whose mass abduction in 2014 highlighted the threat of Nigeria's homegrown extremist fighters linked to the Islamic State group.

A first group of 21 girls were released in October as Nigeria announced it had begun negotiations with the extremist group. Before Saturday's release, 195 of the girls had been captive. Now 113 of the girls remain unaccounted for.

The ICRC said it had acted as a neutral intermediary to transport the freed girls into Nigerian government custody.

Long-suffering family members said they were eagerly awaiting a list of names and their "hopes and expectations are high."

The April 2014 abduction by Boko Haram brought the extremist group's rampage in northern Nigeria to world attention and began years of heartbreak for the families of the missing schoolgirls.

Some relatives did not live to see their daughters released. Many of the captive girls, most of them Christians, were forced to marry their captors and give birth to children in remote forest hideouts without knowing if they would see their parents again. It is feared that other girls were strapped with explosives and sent on missions as suicide bombers.

A Nigerian military official with direct knowledge of the rescue operation said the freed girls were found near the town of Banki in Borno state near Cameroon.

Boko Haram remains active in that area. On Friday, the United States and Britain issued warnings that the extremist group was actively planning to kidnap foreigners in an area of Borno state "along the Kumshe-Banki axis."

The 276 schoolgirls kidnapped from Chibok in 2014 are among thousands of people abducted by Boko Haram over the years.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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The U.S. chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Joseph Dunford, and Russia's military chief of staff affirmed their commitment to avoid clashes in the crowded airspace over Syria, the Pentagon said Saturday.

Dunford and General Valery Gerasimov chatted on the phone hours after a new Syria ceasefire plan creating "de-escalation" zones went into effect with the backing of Russia, Iran and Turkey.

The two generals agreed to maintain their "commitment to de-conflicting" their respective military operations in the war-ravaged country, Dunford spokesman Capt. Greg Hicks said in a brief statement.

Dunford and Gerazimov also discussed the new ceasefire plan and "both also agreed to maintain regular contact," Hicks said.

Russia scrapped the 2015 airspace safety agreement after the Pentagon conducted a cruise missile strike in response to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's deadly chemical attack in Syria's Idlib province last month.

The establishment of de-escalation zones is the latest international attempt to reduce violence amid a six-year civil war that has left more than 400,000 dead, and is the first to envisage armed foreign monitors on the ground in Syria. The United States is not a party to the Astana agreement and the Syrian rebels have not signed on to the deal.

The U.S. military has conducted air strikes in the past in one of the proposed 'de-escalation' zones in Idlib, home to a group affiliated with the al-Qaida terror group.

The State Department expressed concern over the new ceasefire agreement because of Iran's involvement.

"We continue to have concerns about the Astana agreement, including the involvement of Iran as a so-called 'guarantor'," the State Department said in a statement Thursday. "Iran's activities in Syria have only contributed to the violence, not stopped it."

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Kirtland's Warbler is North America's rarest songbird, summering almost exclusively in Upper Michigan. The endangered species hit a low of around 400 in the early 1970s, but has rebounded to around 2,300 males today. (Dave Kenyon | courtesy Michigan DNR)

By Emily Rose Bennett | MLive.com

The 3,400-round trip migration route of the rarest songbird in North America has been tracked for the first time.

The Kirtland's Warbler breeds almost exclusively in Upper Michigan, traveling 1,700 miles each fall and again in the spring: living and breeding in Michigan during the summer and then wintering on Cat Island in the Bahamas.

To learn for the first time how these tiny birds make the trip, researchers banded more than 60 warblers with lightweight geolocators, according to the lead researcher, Nathan Cooper of the Smithsonian Institution.

It's a scientific first to witness the movements of this tiny bird, which is less than six inches long and weighs half an ounce.

Those flight patterns have been mapped in a video that shows the complete timing and patterns of this incredible migration.

Play this video to watch both the patterns and dates of the spring and fall migrations:

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This study is the first time anyone has tracked the species over an entire year, revealing where, when and how the birds fly back home to Michigan's unique jack pine forests.

Researchers discovered the birds fly for 16 days, arriving back in Michigan throughout the month of May. In autumn the birds get active again in late September and early October.

After flying around Michigan and eastern Ontario, the birds leave Michigan by late October, heading back to the Bahamas.

The birds have long been exclusive to Michigan, once living only in the northern Lower Peninsula, before finally also nesting in the Upper Peninsula in recent decades. And since 2007, a few have also nested in Wisconsin and Ontario.

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Nathan Cooper, lead author of the study, prepares to release a Kirtland's Warbler after fitting it with a miniature archival geolocator. Cooper is a postdoctoral researcher at the Smithsonian's Migratory Bird Center. (Photo courtesy Nathan Cooper).

The researchers recently updated their tracking systems to radio transmitters weighing only .35 grams, and the light weight overcomes the challenge of how to track such a small bird. Transmitters send a unique coded radio signal every half a minute.

A total of 58 males and 5 females were caught and tagged on Cat Island before the birds begin their migration back to Michigan. "The males proved fairly easy to find and catch, but the females were harder to find," Cooper wrote in his blog about the expedition.

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The silver antenna of a miniature archival geolocators peeks out from between the bird's wings. The tracking device, each weighing less than half a gram, records several types of data, including the duration of each migration. On average, the birds travelled 1,700 miles in only 16 days. (Photo courtesy Nathan Cooper)

Cooper said it's critical to understand the full annual cycle of the birds.



"There is a significant amount of mortality for songbirds that happens during migration, indicating that the conditions birds encounter while migrating are major factors in a species' overall success or failure," Cooper, a researcher at the Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center, told the Smithsonian Insider.

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A close-up of a radio tag on a male Kirtland's Warbler. (Photo courtesy Nathan Cooper)

A ground nester, the Kirtlands Warbler exclusively creates its nests in jack pine forests, which can be found in Michigan's northern Lower Peninsula and the Upper Peninsula. In 1976 a Kirtlands Warbler Recovery Plan was established to manage habitat and guide efforts to bring the bird back from threatened status.

About 150,000 acres of jack pine were designated for management of Kirtlands warbler nesting habitat from the 1970s through the 1990s, according to the Michigan Department of Nature Resources.

The jack pine requires fire to open its cones and spread the seeds, so controlled fires are now held to create fertile new trees for the birds to nest. Approximately 38,000 acres are always available as optimal nesting habitat due to the logging, burning, seeding and replanting of jack pines.

By carrying these stands to a 50-year rotational age, nesting habitat can be maintained for the warblers with little sacrifice to the commercial harvest of jack pine, according to Michigan Department of Natural Resources.

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The average life expectancy of a Kirtland's Warbler is two years, although a 9-year-old was discovered by a researcher in 1949, according to the ornithology lab at Cornell University.

The warbler's diet includes many different insect species, as well as ripe blueberries.

The bird was discovered in Michigan in 1903, when Norman A. Wood documented the first nest in Oscoda County in northern lower Michigan. For more than 90 years, all nests were found within 60 miles of this site. In the late 1990s, the birds were first found to have spread to Michigan's Upper Peninsula.

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(DNR Courtesy | Kirkland's warbler)

Male Kirtlands Warblers have bright yellow feathers throughout the summer and a dark mask across the face. The female plumage is a duller yellow. The birds spend the winter in the Bahamas where their feathers fade to a dull into brown.

The Kirtlands Warbler will lay 4 to 6 eggs in a small, cup-shaped nest, and will only breed in large stands of young jack pine trees from 5  25 feet tall.

They feed on small fruits and insects.

This rare and beautiful songbird has recently inspired the Kirtlands Warbler Alliance, established in 2013, as well as a festival that celebrates the golden-bellied bird.

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Listen to the Kirtland's Warbler song

A celebration of the Kirtland's Warbler is held each June in Roscommon, Michigan. The 2017 festival is June 2 and 3. From May 15 through July 4, Kirtland's Warbler tours are held by Michigan Audubon in conjunction with the Michigan DNR.



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A male Kirtland's Warbler photographed just prior to release, April 2017. (Photo courtesy Nathan Cooper, Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center scientist)

The Kirtlands Warbler remains on state and federal endangered species lists, but it has taken significant steps toward recovered after once living on the brink of extinction.

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(MLive.com file photo)

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UPDATE: Man assaulted University of Michigan student's roommates before rape, police say

ANN ARBOR, MI - A 30-year-old Ann Arbor man is in custody on suspicion of breaking into a woman's apartment and sexually assaulting her during the weekend.

A 19-year-old Ann Arbor woman told police she was assaulted by a stranger about 2 a.m. Saturday, May 6 in her apartment in the 1300 block of South University Avenue, Ann Arbor police Detective Lt. Matthew Lige said. The location is east of the University of Michigan.

Police believe the man in custody, who has not yet been identified, entered the woman's apartment, possibly through an unlocked door, and assaulted her while two roommates slept in other rooms, Lige said. The man then fled when confronted by the 19-year-old.

The 19-year-old was treated at the University of Michigan hospital and released. Detectives located and arrested the man suspected in the incident on Saturday afternoon.

He is currently lodged at the Washtenaw County Jail awaiting prosecutor review of the case and arraignment.

Further information was not immediately available and the matter remains under investigation.
ORION TOWNSHIP, MI - Students from Atherton Junior/Senior High School danced the 'knight' away at their secret prom rendezvous.

On Saturday, May 6, Atherton students boarded buses at the high school, unaware of where the night would take them. Arriving at Canterbury Village King's Court Castle in Orion Township, they were surprised with a "Secret Rendezvous: A Medieval Night" theme at the castle.

Click through the slideshow to see The Flint Journal's photos from the night.

The Flint Journal and MLive.com are photographing the special moments for students from proms across Genesee County and the state.

Follow all of our prom coverage and see hundreds of photos of Genesee County proms here.

Anyone who attended the Atherton prom can submit their own photos via email to flphoto@mlive.com.
roadwork.JPG

Construction season is upon us. State police share rules of the road. (MLive file photo)

GRAND RAPIDS, MI - In this week's Ask a Trooper, state police help motorists navigate construction zones, in particular, understanding the speed limit where workers are present. Or not.

Have a traffic question? Email Lt. Rob Davis and the troopers at the Lakeview and Rockford posts at MSP-AskTpr@michigan.gov

Here's Lt. Davis: The construction zone season is upon us again and I thought it a good idea to ask Trooper Benjamin Stadler of the Lakeview Post to go over those speed limit laws. We work in conjunction with MDOT every year to enforce construction zones, so if you happen get stopped, plan on a citation; MSP and MDOT are serious about protecting workers. Next week I'll get into those dreaded construction zones merge lanes; have a safe weekend.

Trooper Benjamin Stadler

Trooper Stadler: Michigan construction zones... I can bet that many readers relate to feelings of frustration and annoyance as soon as they see the "work zone begins" sign when traveling down our state's highways. Not only do we have to reduce our speed in construction zones but many times lanes are closed, traffic shifts and counter flows are implemented, and bottlenecks occur.

Disgruntled as we are, remember this is all done for a purpose: safety. As someone who works in a profession where safety is everything, please hear me out about speed limits in construction zones.

First off, let me start this article with the Michigan compiled law (MCL) that covers what we're talking about. For those of you that won't find the next 163 words entertaining don't worry, I'll summarize it after.

MCL 257.627(9) A person operating a vehicle on a highway, when entering and passing through a work zone described in section 79d(a) where a normal lane or part of the lane of traffic has been closed due to highway construction, maintenance, or surveying activities, shall not exceed a speed of 45 miles per hour unless a different speed limit is determined for that work zone by the state transportation department, a county road commission, or a local authority, based on accepted engineering practice.

The state transportation department, a county road commission, or a local authority shall post speed limit signs in each work zone described in section 79d(a) that indicate the speed limit in that work zone and shall identify that work zone with any other traffic control devices necessary to conform to the Michigan manual of uniform traffic control devices. A person shall not exceed a speed limit established under this section or a speed limit established under section 628 or 629.

To summarize this as best and concise as I can: Work zones are required to have posted speed limit signs. 45mph is the benchmark. If you're driving in a construction zone - drive the speed limit on the sign. If you find yourself asking what exactly constitutes a construction zone, MCL 257.79d(a) states it is a portion of a street or highway that "Is between a 'work zone begins' sign and an 'end road work' sign."

There is more to this however. You may see a sign that says "where workers present 45". This sign means that you must drive 45mph when you see workers, as you pass them.

Specifically this applies to workers standing within one car length of the barrel line of a construction zone. This is referring to workers standing within one car length's distance of the line of construction barrels. (Bear with me here)

You may also be asking what to do if you see a "where workers present 45" sign and there are no workers. In that case you may drive 60mph. I've included the hyperlink to a video created by the Michigan Department of Transportation and Michigan State Police that thoroughly covers this subject. It's only one minute long and I highly encourage you to watch it.

I believe I've comprehensibly covered the law in regards to speed and construction zones. Now let me tell you about the "why" when it comes to these determined speeds. Remember that I previously said this is all done for a purpose and that purpose is safety. I work on highways for a living. It's part of what I do, a big part nonetheless. From traffic stops to policing and investigating accidents I've spent a good chunk of my career standing on a highway. That being said I've never been and never will be 100% comfortable with it. If you are 100% comfortable with it, then you need to remember that cars can kill you.

I've driven through construction zones and noticed that some people never adjust their speed at any point while driving through. Don't be this person. Having to lower your speed to from 70mph to 45mph may make you late or later to wherever it is you are going, but I guarantee your prompt arrival is never worth someone's life.

If that doesn't do it for you then consider the legal consequences.

In 1997 state lawmakers doubled fines for speeding in work zones. Heavier points are assessed for speeding in construction zones. Going 61mph or more when you should be going 45mph? That can land you five points on your license.

Public Act 103, known as "Andy's Law", established penalties of up to one year in prison for injuring and up to 15 years in prison for killing a construction worker. It also created a maximum penalty of $7,500 for these crimes. I should also mention that Andy's Law includes penalties for driving offenses such as careless driving and criminal offenses such as drunk driving and reckless driving.

Lowering your speed is a small ask when it comes to people's safety. Accidents happen. Many accidents are avoidable since speed is often a factor. If you are driving down a highway where you know people will be working a mere six feet away it makes sense to drive 45mph as opposed to 70mph.

Even if you do not see any workers and the signage says to drive a certain speed, it makes sense to go that speed. Driving requires your attention. Driving through construction zones requires more. We're comfortable driving through normal roadways but construction barrels and lane shifts are different. As the old bumper stickers say, "give 'em a brake."
GRAND RAPIDS, MI - In 2009, renowned surgeon Asghar Khaghani agreed to delay his retirement to come to Grand Rapids to start the region's first heart and lung transplant program.

Khaghani, 69, finally began that postponed retirement this month.

Under his leadership, Spectrum Health performed its first heart transplant in 2010 and its first lung transplant as well as its first combined heart and lung transplant in 2013. The program completed 88 heart transplants, 82 lung transplants and two combined heart/lung transplants during his tenure.

Spectrum's program was bankrolled by his former patient, Amway co-founder Rich DeVos, who received a heart and lung transplant in the United Kingdom in 1997. Khaghani assisted his mentor, Sir Magdi Yacoub, with the complex surgery that saved the Michigan billionaire's life.

With more heart transplant surgery experience than any other physician in the world, he founded the organ transplant program at the Fred and Lena Meijer Heart Center. The program and its success have established Spectrum Health as a destination for world-class transplant care.

Khaghani's impact will be felt for generations, said Tina Freese Decker, Spectrum's chief operating officer.

"Dr. Khaghani has played a pivotal role in Spectrum Health's history, I cannot thank him enough for bringing his incredible skill to West Michigan and mentoring other physicians in the complexities of transplant surgery," Decker said in a statement, announcing Khaghani's retirement.

At the hospital, Iranian-born surgeon had a reputation for being kind and modest.

"Most surgeons typically have these giant egos," a colleague told MLive in 2011 for a profile on Khaghani, "But he is so humble. He gets along with everybody."

Dr. Asghar Khaghani, left, will be succeeded by ardiothoracic surgeon Theodore J. Boeve as the director of Spectrum Health's heart and lung transplant program.

Khaghani has been mentoring his replacement, Dr. Theodore J. Boeve, for the past four years. The cardiothoracic surgeon joined Spectrum Health's medical staff in 2005, becoming section chief of cardiac surgery in 2015.

Boeve succeeds Khaghani as the Richard DeVos Endowed Director of heart and lung transplant surgery and mechanical circulatory support with the Spectrum Health Richard DeVos Heart and Lung Transplant Program.

He graduated from the University of Michigan Medical School and completed residencies in general surgery and cardiothoracic surgery at The University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics. Boeve completed a research fellowship at Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School. He has also published and presented widely on cardiology, cardiovascular disease and cardiothoracic surgery.

Khaghani describes Boeve as a "very accomplished and experienced" cardiothoracic surgeon.

"He is also a good mentor to other surgeons, and I am sure he will be an excellent senior colleague to other leaders," Khaghani said in a statement. "I feel happy and confident that I am leaving the program in capable hands."






GRAND RAPIDS, MI -- Students from Thornapple Kellogg High School in Middleville traveled to downtown Grand Rapids Saturday, May 6, to celebrate their 2017 prom.

Thornapple Kellogg's prom at the Grand Rapids Children's Museum brought students out in glitzy gowns and sharp tuxedos to dance and mingle on their special night.

MLive/The Grand Rapids Press was there to was there to capture all the joy and glamour in photographs from laughing and socializing with friends to dancing to popular songs.

Prom season is underway in West Michigan through May, and we will cover as many as possible to highlight the annual rite of passage.

MORE:
GRAND RAPIDS, MI -- A state-contracted underwater study of the Grand River between downtown Grand Rapids and the Bass River inlet says dredging a powerboat traffic channel is feasible and would cost far less than previously estimated, although many questions about the impact of a project remain.

The $100,000 multi-beam sonar survey released Wednesday, May 3 by the Michigan Department of Technology, Management and Budget (DTMB) estimates that dredging 23 miles of river to create a 50-foot wide, 7-foot deep channel large enough to accommodate 26-foot powerboats could cost about $2.1 million, with another $165,000 in annual maintenance costs.

That's far less than a 40-year-old estimate developed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, which technically considers the entire 40 miles downriver of Grand Rapids to be a navigable waterway, although only the 17 miles from Grand Haven to the Bass River Recreation Area are still maintained.

The Army Corps estimated in 1978 it would cost more than $18 million in upfront costs to dredge a channel and remove old pilings and long-abandoned channel "wing walls" left over from bygone days when steamboats chugged the river.

Dan Hibma, a West Michigan developer who has been pushing a dredging study for years, said the updated cost estimate is encouraging.

"It's a great first step," Hibma said.

"This the first time the Grand River has ever had a topographic study done on the river bed for those 23 miles," he said. "It's like an all-time baseline for planners."

Hibma, husband of former Secretary of State Terri Lynn Land and partner at apartment complex owner Land & Co., has been pitching local municipalities for years on a recreational boating link between Grand Rapids and the lakeshore called the Grand River Waterway, which would "complement" the planned downtown rapids restoration project.

Hibma is partnered up with former Republican state senator Cameron S. Brown. Together, the two have been pitching the economic development potential of built-out marinas along the river in Kent and Ottawa counties. The two say a boating link could have a $4.2 million local impact.

On Thursday, a day after the state completed and released the study, SeyferthPR of Grand Rapids began issuing promotional materials touting the benefits of a "minimal impact" shallow draft channel that would "restore the integrity of the Grand River for safe recreation boating" and "make 46 miles of river frontage accessible."

Seyferth issued positive comments about the project from Grandville Mayor Steve Maas, Walker Mayor Mark Huizenga, and Tallmadge Township Supervisor Toby Van Ess that echo Hibma's repeated assertion that the river is a "underutilized asset."

A recent survey of Grandville residents indicated that waterfront access should be a priority when the city updates its master plan, said Maas.

"It certainly would be an enhancement for all of West Michigan and the general perception of what you can do in West Michigan," Hibma said.

In Grand Rapids, it's unclear to what extent a boating link to the lakeshore has been included in downtown planning talks related to the river.

Hibma talked to the Grand Action Committee about the dredging project during the development of a recent Destination Asset Study aimed at planning Grand Rapids future growth needs that Grand Action released in December. The study recommends leveraging the Grand River as a major tourism attraction in conjunction with the Grand Rapids Whitewater rapids restoration project.

Jon Nunn, Grand Action director, confirmed the non-released 90-page master asset report that's undergoing final edits does refer to Hibma's project.

The $35 million rapids restoration ends south of Fulton Street but riverfront improvements are planned south of the U.S. 131 S-Curve, where the city of Grand Rapids is searching for developers to deliver a large mixed-use project on its 16-acre property on the east bank of the river at 201 Market Ave.

Riverfront designs in the GR Forward downtown plan include boat access at 201 Market as well as passing mention of a navigable link to the lakeshore. Grand Rapids city officials and representatives of the Grand Rapids Whitewater project did not return messages seeking comment about the dredging plans.

Tim Mroz, spokesperson for The Right Place economic development program, declined to comment, saying the organization was not involved.

Critics say powerboats could endanger recreational users already on the river. Ottawa County maintains the Grand River Heritage Water Trail for canoers and kayakers, which would presumably be integrated into Michigan Department of Natural Resources plans to develop the state's longest water trail.

Ottawa County commissioners were lukewarm to river dredging in 2015 and decided not to get involved after Hibma and Brown spent considerable time trying to get the county to oversee the survey using the state earmark as a grant.

Elaine Isely with the West Michigan Environmental Action Council said dredging the river for powerboats could increase conflict with paddlers.

"We're having the same conversation on the Kalamazoo River in the Saugatuck-Douglas area," she said.

Paul Sachs, Ottawa County planning director, said there's "a lot of unknowns."

Hibma visited county staff last week to update them the project.

"It's good information," Sachs said. "There's much less dredging material than was initially anticipated. But there's lots of questions still and additional extensive studies that have to be done."

Ron Olson, DNR parks & recreation chief, said actual dredging would be a major challenge. The DNR was heavily involved in the survey, which was paid for with a $100,000 general fund earmark in a 2013 spending bill.

Edgewater Resources of St. Joseph did the survey work.

The Army Corps and the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality would have to approve dredging permits and that would involve extensive public review.

Applying for those permits would require an environmental assessment of the impact to fish and wildlife in and along the river, as well as the implications of disturbing any legacy contaminants in the sediment. The study says testing would need to occur for toxic metals like arsenic, cadmium, copper, lead, mercury, selenium and zinc, as well as polynuclear hydrocarbons (PNAs) and Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs).

Dredging a 7-foot deep channel would remove 97,732 cubic yards of sediment slurry and the study suggested that could go in a former landfill northwest of Grandville. The study recommends a combination of hydraulic dredging, which involves sucking sediment off the bottom with a vacuum, and mechanical dredging with buckets or scoops working off the shoreline or a barge.

The study notes that the "upper portion of the project area," meaning the river closer to Grand Rapids, which once sported furniture factories and a major iron foundry on the river, "would require the majority of the total dredging."

Several natural gas and petroleum pipeline crossings would need to be located as well as other unknown underground utility lines, the study says.

A channel would have to feature navigation signage and floating buoys that would be removed in the winter. The proposed channel design could support a boat up to 49-feet with a four-foot draft, but not deep-keeled vessels or large sailboats. The design analysis was based on a 26-foot boat.

As for the updated cost estimate, the study calls $2.1 million a preliminary number. Project "constructability and associated costs are challenging to estimate at this point due to uncertainty of the submerged objects identified."

Olson called the entire undertaking a "very multi-dimensional project that would have to be carefully reviewed."

Hibma's team is optimistic nonetheless. They hope to fund the project through a public-private partnership and get more stakeholders on board.

Presently, the study says there's as little as one foot of clearance during the May to September boating season in certain parts of the river.

The Grand River is "beautiful and I think it would be nice for others to share in the beauty of it," he said. "When you're on the river now, you're constantly thinking 'am I going to hit a shoal or a piling or break my rudder?'"
CONCORD, MI -- Concord High School's prom returned to the Concord District Library on May 6, 2017, for the first time in nearly 80 years.

The last time prom was held at the library was in the 1940s.

More than 120 students filled the library for a Hollywood-themed prom, including the red carpet.

The event also included a portrait photographer, a photo booth, snacks, and a chocolate fountain.

Forty-five prizes were also given out including a pair of headphones and tickets to Cedar Point.
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Sacked Delhi minister Kapil Mishra today accused Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal of taking Rs 2 crore from his cabinet colleague, a charge refuted by Deputy CM Manish Sisodia.

The allegation by Mishra, who was sacked from the AAP dispensation last night, came amid growing rumblings in the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP).

Mishra, whose surprise sacking came days after he sided with senior party leader Kumar Vishwas who has been at loggerheads with the AAP leadership, said he has given a statement to Lt Governor Anil Baijal regarding various irregularities seen by him during his two-year stint as a Cabinet minister in the Kejriwal government.

"I saw with my own eyes Satyendar Jain giving Rs 2 crore in cash to Arvind Kejriwal at his residence. When I asked Kejriwal, he said such things happen in politics and it will be revealed later," Mishra told reporters after paying homage to Mahatma Gandhi at his memorial at Rajghat here.

He also alleged that Jain, the Health and PWD minister in AAP government, told him "personally" that he had "settled a land deal of Kejriwal's relative".

"Jain personally told me that he had settled a land deal worth Rs 50 crore of Kejriwal's relative. When I told Kejriwal, he said that it was a lie and asked me to have faith in him."

Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia said the allegations of corruption levelled by Mishra did not merit a response.

"His allegations do not merit a response. He has been sacked due to poor performance," Sisodia told reporters.

"The allegations are so absurd and there are no facts," he added.

However, Mishra claimed that he was removed after he put pressure on the party leaders over matters of "corruption" that have been taking rounds for quite some time.

"I want to ask if it was so, why did not Kejriwal and Manish Sisodia say it earlier. If they were fooling people when they were talking about work done by their government in developing water supply in the city," the former Delhi Water minister said.

For a long time, talks about different types of "corruption" involving fundings, Punjab elections and Delhi government have been making rounds, he said.

"I saw some of it with my own eyes but I believed in Kejriwal and felt no one can corrupt him. The cases of money laundering, black money and appointment of daughter of a minister (Jain), luxury bus scheme, CNG fitness test scam, all these were in his knowledge and I always believed he will take action."

He asserted that he will fight "corruption" while remaining in the AAP and no one can throw him out from the party.

"AAP is my party, no one can throw me out of the party. We will sweep corruption away from the party and I have come here (Rajghat) to begin this work," he said.

Mishra asserted his honesty saying he was a minister in the Kejriwal government for two years but faced no corruption charges.

"I am the only minister in Kejriwal government who has no corruption cases against him and who is facing no CBI or ACB probe and who has not appointed his daughter or relative on any post," he said.
"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
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To further protect the integrity of our editorial content, we keep a strict separation between our sales teams and authors to remove any pressure or influence on our analyses and research.

Read our editorial policy to learn more about our process.
Mount Pleasant, SC (29464)

Today

Cloudy skies. High 69F. Winds NNE at 10 to 20 mph. Winds could occasionally gust over 40 mph..

Tonight

Cloudy with occasional light rain late. Low 64F. Winds NE at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 70%.
Seismic interpretation topic for WTGs

Members of the West Texas Geological Society will meet May 9 in the upstairs ballroom at Midland Country Club beginning at 11:30 a.m.

Kurt J. Marfurt of the University of Oklahoma will give a presentation on Pitfalls, Limitations, and Work-Arounds in Seismic Attribute Interpretation  Distinguishing Geology from Artifacts.

Cost is $25 in advance, $35 at the door, including lunch. Reservations can be made by calling 683-1573 or by email at wtgs@wtgs.org. Online registration is also available at www.wtgs.org and clicking on the Events tab.

PetroLegacy Energy acquires Midland Basin acreage from Pioneer

AUSTIN  PetroLegacy Energy II LLC has closed on the acquisition of roughly 20,000 net acres in northeastern Martin County from Pioneer Natural Resources Company for $266 million.

This highly contiguous position in the northern Midland Basin is currently producing approximately 1,500 barrels of oil equivalent per day and will provide PetroLegacy with horizontal drilling locations across the property prospective for the Lower Spraberry, Wolfcamp A and Wolfcamp B formations.

In addition, PetroLegacy believes the asset contains additional horizontal drilling potential in other stacked-pay formations including the Middle Spraberry, Jo Mill and additional Wolfcamp horizons.

PetroLegacy Energy II, LLC, a privately held exploration and production company based in Austin, was formed in September 2016 with an equity commitment from EnCap Investments L.P.

Noble Energy sells off Marcellus gas assets for $1.2 billion

By Collin Eaton

Houston Chronicle

Noble Energy has struck a deal to sell off its assets in the natural gas-rich Marcellus Basin in the northeastern United States for $1.2 billion.

It didnt name the buyer. The Houston company said $100 million of the $1.2 billion price tag will come from three equal contingent payments that depend on regional natural gas prices rising above a certain level over the next few years. The other $1.1 billion is cash.

Noble said its selling assets that produce 415 million cubic feet of natural gas equivalent a day across 385,000 acres in northern West Virginia and southern Pennsylvania. About 88 percent of that production is gas, rather than oil or liquids. It had some proved reserves of 1.5 trillion cubic feet of natural gas equivalent.

The Marcellus Shale is still the biggest shale gas play in the nation, and it soaked up the lions share of the oil industrys early investments in shale gas. When natural gas prices tanked half a decade ago, shale drillers began looking for unconventional oil in places like the Eagle Ford Shale in South Texas, and another boom began.w

Nobles deal is set to close by the end of the second quarter. The company plans to pay off the debt it took on when it bought Clayton Williams Energy, which shifted the companys center of gravity toward the Delaware Basin in West Texas.

In a statement Tuesday, Noble CEO David Stover said the Marcellus has performed well in recent years but that the company has turned its focus to more lucrative oil plays.

Linn Energy to sell Wyoming assets for $581 million.

By Collin Eaton

Houston Chronicle

Linn Energy plans to sell oil and gas properties in western Wyoming for $581.5 million to Colorado producer Jonah Energy.

Its selling off assets that produced about 129 million cubic feet of natural gas equivalent a day across 27,500 net acres, with proved reserves of 384 billion cubic feet of natural gas equivalent. The deal is expected to close in the second quarter.

The Houston company will pay off debt it borrowed under its revolving credit facility, a kind of corporate loan from which companies can borrow, repay and borrow again.

Linn said if it didnt sell off the property, it only would have spent $16 million developing the properties further this year. It said it expected cash flow from the properties to be $60 million this year.

Now, Linn said, it will spend that money on more lucrative assets in Oklahomas SCOOP and STACK play and other plays in the Rockies, North Louisiana and East Texas.;

In a statement, Linn Chairman Evan Lederman said the deal marks the first step toward changing Linn from a conventional production-based Master Limited Partnership  a tax-advantaged corporate structure  to a streamlined growth-oriented enterprise.
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 []
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An off-duty police officer working a downtown Tarpon Springs car show shot and killed a man Saturday whom the officer said came at him with a knife, the department said.

Tarpon Springs Police: Officer fatally shot man armed with knife

Off-duty cop was working a car show in downtown Tarpon Springs

FDLE, Pinellas County Sheriff's Office will investigate incident

Just after 1:30 p.m., the officer was flagged down by citizens and alerted to a "suspicious" man on a bicycle in the area of Tarpon and Safford avenues. They described the man as wearing an orange jacket with the hood pulled over his head, Tarpon Springs Police said in a news release.

The officer made contact with the man, whom the officer said provided a fake name. The man provided another last name, which the officer called in over the police radio. The radio went silent for a moment, then the officer could be heard saying, "Shots fired, shots fired," according to the news release. The officer then said over the radio that the man had come at him with a knife.

The man was taken to Florida Hospital North Pinellas, where he was pronounced dead. The officer was not injured.

There were numerous witnesses to the incident, police said.

The names of the man and the officer have not been released. The Florida Department of Law Enforcement will investigate with help from the Pinellas County Sheriff's Office forensics unit, police said.
In a tweet storm Saturday, attorney John Morgan called on Gov. Rick Scott to open a special session on medical marijuana.

Florida Legislature failed to pass a medical marijuana bill

Attorney John Morgan, who supported Amendment 2, called for a special session

CAPITOL CONNECTION: Latest News | Contact your Florida legislators

He also attacked the head of United for Care, the main organization behind Amendment 2.

.@FLGovScott should call a special session



Can't ignore the will of 71% of the PEOPLE!!



Plus it's smart politics.#PatientsLivesMatter https://t.co/i4leWtG2Vo  John Morgan (@JohnMorganESQ) May 6, 2017

Republican leaders in the Florida House and Senate failed to come up with a bill to implement medical marijuana expansion in Florida during the regular legislative session.

As a result, implementation of Amendment 2, which was approved by 71 percent of Florida voters last November, falls to the Florida Dept. of Health.

But medical marijuana advocates do not trust the department to write adequate rules that follow the spirit of the amendment, especially since the department's leaders are appointed by Gov. Scott, who is not in favor of medical marijuana.

Morgan also attacked Ben Pollara, the head of United for Care, the main group that pushed for Amendment 2.

He betrayed my #ArmyOfAngels for money.



Tell us how much you were paid @bfgpollara?



He is NOT United for Care.



He IS United for BEN!! https://t.co/2rMzem09Ap  John Morgan (@JohnMorganESQ) May 6, 2017

Pollara openly supported the Senate's bill which limited the number of dispensaries each grower could open.

The issue became divisive as Morgan supported no caps on dispensaries, which was the House bill. The issue brought the bill down.

Morgan accused Pollara of selling out and hurting a bill's passage, forcing Pollara to defend himself.

Neither the Dept. of Health, nor Gov. Scott's office have said what will happen next with the bill.
Michael Ciaglo/Houston Chronicle

Houston oil and gas producer Apache Corp. returned to profitability last quarter and, perhaps more importantly, delivered first gas to market and improved oil production results at its new West Texas discovery, Alpine High.

First quarter revenues jumped by almost $800 million or three-quarters to $1.9 billion over the same period last year, Apache reported. Expenses fell by $125 million or 9 percent to $1.3 billion. And income leaped to $200 million in the quarter, a jump of almost $600 million after a $400 million loss in the first quarter of 2016.
New Delhi, May 07 (IBNS) a The global GM crops hectarages surge to a new peak of 185.1 million hectares in 2016 showcasing the 110-fold increase in adoption rate of biotech/GM crops globally in just 21 years of commercialization a growing from 1.7 million hectares in 1996 to 185.1 million hectares in 2016, according to a report by International Service for the Acquisition of Agri-biotech Applications (ISAAA).

ISAAAs report, Global Status of Commercialized Biotech/GM Crops: 2016, continues to demonstrate the long-standing benefits of biotech crops for farmers in developing and industrialized countries, as well as consumer benefits of recently approved and commercialized varieties.



Biotech crops have become a vital agricultural resource for farmers around the world because of the immense benefits for improved productivity and profitability, as well as conservation efforts, said ISAAA Chair of the Board, Paul S. Teng.

With the commercial approvals and plantings of new varieties of biotech potatoes and apples, consumers will begin to enjoy direct benefits of biotechnology with produce that is not likely to spoil or be damaged, which in turn has the potential to substantially reduce food waste and consumer grocery costs.

Examining other benefits of biotechnology, ISAAA reports that the adoption of biotech crops has reduced CO2 emissions equal to removing approximately 12 million cars from the road annually in recent years; conserved biodiversity by removing 19.4 million hectares of land from agriculture in 2015; and decreased the environmental impact with a 19% reduction in herbicide and insecticide use.

Additionally, in developing countries, planting biotech crops has helped alleviate hunger by increasing the incomes for 18 million small farmers and their families, bringing improved financial stability to more than 65 million people, it says.

Biotechnology is one of the tools necessary in helping farmers grow more food on less land, explained ISAAA Global Coordinator Randy Hautea.

However, the promises of biotech crops can only be unlocked if farmers are able to buy and plant these crops, following a scientific approach to regulatory reviews and approvals.

As more varieties of biotech crops are approved and commercialized for use by farmers, ISAAA expects to see adoption rates continue to climb and to benefit farmers in developing countries.

It says that among African nations where regulatory processes have traditionally created barriers to biotech crop adoption rates, advances are being realized.

In 2016, South Africa and Sudan increased the planting of biotech maize, soybean and cotton to 2.66 million hectares from 2.29 million hectares in 2015.

Elsewhere on the continent, a new wave of acceptance is emerging as Kenya, Malawi, Nigeria, Ethiopia, Ghana, Nigeria, Swaziland and Uganda make advances in regulatory review and commercial approvals for a variety of biotech crops, says ISAAA.

Even with a long history of regulatory barriers, African farmers continue to adopt biotech crops because of the value they are realizing from the stability and productivity of biotech varieties, said Hautea. As more countries move forward with regulatory reviews for crops such as bananas, cowpeas and sorghum, we believe biotech crop plantings will continue to grow in Africa and elsewhere.

2016 was the turning point for GM crops in India as it transcended from the shadows of the moratorium on Bt brinjal imposed in 2010 to the ultimate step of commercial release of GM mustard in 2016, it said.

It said India successfully completed the process of inviting public comments on biosafety dossier of GM mustard seeking permission for environmental release of transgenic mustard hybrid DMH-11 and parental lines containing events bn 3.6 and modbs 2.99 expressing barnase, barstar and bar genes developed indigenously by the Centre for Genetic Manipulation of Crop Plants (CGMCP) of the University of Delhi.

The approval of GM mustard is absolutely critical for the moral of scientific & farming community and the overall development of science of biotechnology in India. Critical scientific mass in agriculture in our country is at a verge of collapse if GOI remains indecisive about the application of GM technology in agriculture, said Dr. CD Mayee, the President of the South Asia Biotechnology Centre (SABC).

Also in 2016, Brazil increased biotech area of maize, soybean, cotton and canola by a remarkable 11%  maintaining its ranking as the second largest producer of biotech crops after the United States. In Brazil, biotech soybeans account for 32.7 million hectares of the 91.4 million hectares grown worldwide.

For 2016, ISAAA also reports that there were improvements in the commercialization and plantings of biotech fruits and vegetables with direct consumer benefits. These included the commercial approvals of the Innate Russet Burbank Gen-2 potatoes that were approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for sale in the United States and the Simplot Gen-1 White Russet brand potatoes that were approved by Health Canada for fresh market sale in Canada.

These biotech potato varieties have lower levels of asparagine, which reduces the creation of acrylamide during high-heat cooking. Additionally, the first commercially saleable quantities of Arctic Apples were harvested in 2016, stored over the winter and are projected to be sold in U.S. grocery stores in 2017.



Image: Creative Commons/Wikipedia
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With the sound of three shofars, a couple of hundred supporters from across Liberty County assembled for the annual National Day of Prayer (NDOP) service on the steps of the county courthouse on Thursday, while at the same time, there is a court challenge to the sacred practice to stop it entirely.

The shofar, a ram's horn used in the Jewish tradition typically on high feast days, sounded forth the call for believers across the county to assemble in prayer.

For 22 years, pastors across the county have met with their followers on the south steps of the courthouse to invoke the blessings of God.

The practice began with Pastor James Holt of Cornerstone Church in Cleveland, who relinquished organization of the event eight years ago and now hosts a similar event in Cleveland.

"He asked me to take over the event in Liberty and this is my eighth year," said Rev. Tony Hines of Hardin Baptist Church who led Thursday's gathering.

The shofar, a ram's horn, blasts out a sound that many say resembles crying and acts as a reminder for all to look inward and repent for the sins of the past year.

The shofars were blown by Pastor Philip Missick and Elder Butch Dow of King of Saints Tabernacle and Pastor Kent Brown of Covenant House Church.

After an opening prayer and welcome, County Judge Jay Knight offered a proclamation and in it, reminding worshipers that this practice has been a part of American fiber, even before its founding. It was less than two months after the battles of Lexington and Concord where the shot heard 'round the world' was fired, the Continental Congress, under President John Hancock, first declared to all the inhabitants of the English Colonies on the continent a Day of Public Humiliation, Fasting and Prayer and recommended to Christians of all denominations to assemble for public worship.

The gravity of political divide in the country has leaders of all faiths urging members and non-members of their congregations to return to prayer.

In a case that could have profound impact on religious freedom for dozens of states around the U.S., the state of Texas has joined a Michigan-led 22-state coalition filing an amicus brief urging the 6th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals to uphold a district court's decision on the constitutionality of legislative prayer.

According to a press release from Attorney General Ken Paxton, the case is centered on a tradition in Jackson, Mich., where monthly board meetings begin with a prayer from a county commissioner. In 2013, a self-proclaimed pagan objected to the tradition and filed suit. A district court rejected the constitutional challenge, but a three-judge panel of the 6th Circuit ruled 2-1 in February that the prayers by various commissioners during meetings violated the First Amendment. Last month, the full 6th Circuit asked to rehear the case.

This is a tradition that is done in practice by commissioners courts and city council meetings statewide and the ruling could affect leaders across the community who are under fire for religious freedom.

Montgomery County Justice of the Peace Wayne Mack was sued by the Freedom from Religion Foundation for his guest chaplain program where volunteers offer comfort and counsel at the scene of death investigations and those same volunteers may also give a brief prayer to open the ceremonies of Judge Mack's courtroom proceedings.

"Judge Mack is fully complying with the Constitution by adhering to the model for opening prayers the Supreme Court endorsed just a few years ago," Attorney General Paxton said. "The Freedom from Religion Foundation's quest to expunge any vestige of religion from public life flies in the face of the Supreme Court's holdings. I am confident our courts will follow years of precedents and not indulge a litigious group's plea to rewrite the Constitution."

In the smaller San Jacinto County, just north of Liberty, County Judge John Lovett said they have been doing the same since he was elected to office in 2015.

"For the first six months I was in office, I led the prayer myself," he said. "And then I got the idea to invite all of the local pastors to come and offer the prayer before the meeting."

Lovett took it a step further for his own religious benefit.

"When I knew who was going to say the prayer for the meeting, I would attend their church and meet their congregation the same week," he said.

Being in a small county, Lovett said he went through his list of pastors very quickly, but then opened it up to different department heads in county government and recently to anyone in attendance at the meetings.

"You should invite the blessing of Deity before any working endeavor," he said.

Liberty County Judge Jay Knight said when he took office, he heard the community loud and clear and instituted the practice of prayer and the pledges to the U.S. and Texas flags.

"This wasn't based on just my personal beliefs, but on those in the community who wanted it. It's our way of asking the good Lord to give us wisdom, guidance and direction in the affairs of the county," the Liberty County judge said.

At the National Day of Prayer, Knight quoted his favorite verse, "Pray without ceasing," and throughout every day he says he is faced with some difficult, heart-wrenching decisions that affect the lives of residents.

"I find myself saying prayers throughout the day making sure that the decisions I'm making are the right ones," he said.

Occasionally, he said he might be up late at night seeking wisdom from God. His faith as a practicing Baptist, he says, guides him.

About the challenge to religious freedom to pray, pastor and organizer Hines said "We have the freedom of speech. We are entitled to pray and I appreciate the privilege we have to pray in our commissioner's court meetings, city council, and the National Day of Prayer. Our youth have the right to pray as well," he said, "with their youth-led initiative at See You At The Pole events. It's one of those gifts that our founding fathers gave us to help ensure that we have that freedom."

Hines said the NDOP event is not a one-man show.

"This was a success because we had so many help and participate," he said. "From setting up chairs, to the sound system, to the wonderful choir -- nothing happens by itself. It's because people make it happen. I appreciate everyone participating including the pastors who show up to pray and read scripture."

Their faith was tested the day before when a line of thunder showers dropped more than an inch of rain and left some gusty winds, but it all changed dramatically overnight. By Thursday morning, the blue skies and cooler temps greeted participants.

"We live in a great state and county and I'm thrilled that God has blessed us," Hines said.
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The four police departments in East Montgomery County are banding together to create a special response team to deal with high-risk situations such as warrant service, active shooter scenarios and investigations where suspects are believed to be heavily armed and dangerous.

The creation of the special response team for Splendora, Patton Village, Roman Forest and Woodbranch police departments comes just weeks after a routine police investigation in Splendora uncovered an alleged human trafficking ring believed to be operated by a Mexican drug cartel.

Erring on the side of caution, Splendora police waited until a larger group of officers from neighboring departments in Roman Forest and Patton Village were assembled before descending on the property.

"The special response team will be perfect for these types of scenarios," said Splendora Police Chief Wally Wieghat. "Individually as departments, we are small, but as a collective, we are strong. This special response team will work together, train together and respond together in high-risk scenarios. This will give us an added safety level to respond to situations in any of our cities."

With the cities having so much in common, it makes sense to share resources, the chiefs say.

"One of the things we share are the criminals. My burglars are their burglars. My meth dealers sell drugs in their cities. Our cities border each other. We share the same problems so we've come together to share the solution," Wieghat said.

Montgomery County's SWAT team in Conroe will still be needed for the most dangerous scenarios, the chiefs say.

"We'll still be calling in Montgomery County SWAT for our major incidents. This special response team will be used for smaller incidents," said Roman Forest Police Chief Stephen Carlisle.

Carlisle explained how the team could have assisted his agency in a recent case where officers were attempting to recover stolen merchandise from a drug dealer known for being heavily armed. Montgomery County SWAT assisted in serving the warrant.

His patrol officers likely could have served the warrant without assistance, but why take the risk, he said, when there are better-equipped, better-trained units just a phone call away.

Wieghat, Carlisle and Patton Village Police Chief Shannon Sharp say their city governments have been supportive of their plans, which has led to the acquisition of some of the equipment they will need, including heavy armor vests and helmets.

"Our city doesn't have a lot of money to throw around but the council was generous and bought two kits with heavy armor for our officers to use," Sharp said.

Wieghat said he received a $10,000 donation to his agency from a local citizen.

Wieghat and Sharp say they are counting on the grant-writing skills of Carlisle to help the special response team acquire additional items.

TRAINING UNDER WAY

On Friday, eight officers representing Splendora, Patton Village and Roman Forest PDs wrapped up the next-to-last day of a six-day course, held at Trinity Armory in Cleveland and designed to teach them to work together as a team.

The class was hosted by Houston-based AWATT, a company that specializes in advanced weapons and tactics training.

During the class, team hopefuls were put through rigorous physical exercises and shooting scenarios with simulation weapons to demonstrate how to protect themselves and avoid being a casualty while responding to a crisis. Several of the trainees reported "being killed" during the drills.

The instructors for AWATT all have a background in combat. One is a retired senior chief for the Navy SEALS and another is Army Ranger-qualified. AWATT's founder, Michael Rodriguez, has a background in martial arts, is a reserve police officer and weapons instructor.

In 2010, Rodriguez formed the company in the wake of the Sandy Hooks school shooting that left 26 people dead.

"I have a special skill set that was worthless before that. Now it's valuable," he said.

In addition to training peace officers, AWATT offers a wide range of private classes for individuals and companies.

"I feel that if I can save just one life through training, then it's worth it," Rodriguez said.

After the class, the instructors will give the chiefs a written review of every team hopeful. Then the chiefs will come up with a list of who they feel is best suited to serve. Their approval of team members must be unanimous.

"We had to make sure we had officers in the training who were willing to put themselves up for this. This training is very physical, very demanding. This class might end but it is not the end of their training," Sharp said. "They will still have to go through about 16-18 hours of training every month."
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The City of La Porte is embracing its history - even if that history may be, for some, a bit hard to consider.

A project is underway to reconstruct what was known as the La Porte Colored School.

The one-room schoolhouse, located at 301 Martin Luther King Drive, was used to educate the city's African-American community until the early 1950s.

The school accommodated students through sixth grade; after that anyone wishing to pursue further education attended a parochial school or traveled to nearby Baytown.

The project was initiated by City Councilman Tommy Moser, who grew up on the city's north side, where the schoolhouse is located and where many of the students lived.

Moser died in 2015 and his daughter Kristin Martin now holds his seat.

She said her father was very concerned with telling the story of those students who were educated in the Colored School and bringing their struggles to light.

"This isn't necessarily good history, and a lot of times people want to push this kind of stuff under the rug, but (my dad) wanted to honor those people's lives and what they dealt with," Martin said. "He wanted to make sure people knew what (African Americans) went through."

Plenty of support

City Manager Corby Alexander said since the city initiated the project they've gotten nothing but support.

"I haven't heard a negative word about it," he said. "The project has been well received, and the community is very, very eager to see the work."

Mary Gay isn't surprised.

A La Porte resident, community activist and widowed wife of Deotis Gay, the city's first African American city councilman, Gay said most residents here get along well.

She said when the government was enforcing integration in the schools, La Porte was peaceful.

"There weren't any riots or anything like that (when we were going through integration)," she said. "Not like in other parts of the South."

Now, more than a half century after the La Porte Colored School closed, Gay said she's proud to see the city coming together to remember its past and honor the progress it has made.

The schoolhouse dates back more than 108 years.

The exact age is not known because, even though it was transported to La Porte in 1909 from Morgan's Point, there is no definitive date on when the structure was constructed or what its use was before it came to the city.

"It could have been a farmhouse or something else, but we don't know," said Alexander. "We just know it was donated to the (La Porte) school district, but we don't have any record of when it was built."

What they do know, however, is it was built to last.

"Each of the (school's) corners has X-bracing, which is a very sophisticated building technique," Alexander said. "We know it made the building stronger and it's the only reason it's still standing." It was important for us to keep it here because the vast majority of these types of school houses are long gone."

The building has had many uses, including as a meeting place for the Eastern Star, a Masonic-related fraternity of women and men.

Over time the building it fell into disrepair, and eventually it was donated to the City of La Porte with the understanding it would be reconstructed to its original state and be something for people to learn about and enjoy.

Building was deconstructed

To follow through on its commitment, the City used a $590,000 community development grant from the federal government. The approximately 1,200-square-foot school house was deconstructed, fumigated and salvaged of its usable parts, which will be used in the reconstruction.

"We have some windows and other parts of the original building that we can incorporate into the new structure," Alexander said.

To further authenticate the project, city officials have interviewed former La Porte Colored School students about their experiences there. The videos will be on view when people come to tour the building, which is on track to be completed in about six months on the corner of MLK Drive and Tyler.

The city is also reaching out to residents for any donations of items or artifacts relating to the school that might be displayed.

Alexander said protecting the city's history is important for a variety of reasons, particularly a school which served as a place of formative education for so many.

"We're a very old, well-established community, so we have to hold on to our history," he said. "Any time we can preserve historical artifacts then the community is better off for it."

For more information on the project, call 281-471-5020.

A run of legal defeats over its voting laws means Texas could risk becoming the first state forced back into federal oversight since the U.S. Supreme Court struck down key parts of the Voting Rights Act four years ago.

Meanwhile, Pasadena is the first Texas city to be forced back into requiring federal preclearance regarding election law changes. The city's May 6 municipal election represented a return to all single-member districts on its council after a federal judge ruled this year that Pasadena drop a voter-approved mix of single-member and at-large council seats deemed discriminatory to Latino voters.

The Supreme Court's 2013 ruling on the Voting Rights Act struck down a provision in the 1965 law that required Texas and other states with troubled histories of racial discrimination to "pre-clear" any voting law changes with the federal government before enacting them.

However, it left standing a scarcely used provision in the act that minority groups are now embracing as an emergency brake.

Under the provision, the preclearance mandate can be restored if a state is found to intentionally discriminate against minorities.

On April 20, a federal court reached that conclusion about Texas for the third time in roughly a month - decisions dealing with its voter ID law and Republican-drawn electoral maps.

In 2013, the Supreme Court effectively gutted the part of the Voting Rights Act under which all or parts of 15 mainly Southern states had been required to submit all voting changes for approval from Washington before they could take effect.

That decision, written by Chief Justice John Roberts, said it was no longer fair to subject those jurisdictions to strict federal monitoring based on data that was at least 40 years old.

The possibility of Texas returning to federal oversight is likely still down the road, since more pressing for Democrats now is getting a federal court to order new Texas voting maps for 2018 after racial gerrymandering and voter dilution were found in the ones originally drafted by Republicans in 2011.

A 2-1 decision by a federal panel in San Antonio in April found race was used in statehouse redistricting to intentionally "undermine Latino voting opportunity."

In the case of Pasadena, the city is appealing Chief U.S. District Judge Lee H. Rosenthal's ruling that a voter-approved redistricting plan pushed by Mayor Johnny Isbell that added at-large council positions intentionally diluted Latino voting power.

Rosenthal ordered the city to submit to federal oversight for any changes in its electoral system until 2023 and to base May 6 elections on a single-member district system last used in 2013.

She ruled in January that the court would put Pasadena back under federal oversight until June 30, 2023, to ensure "the city cannot immediately return to a map and plan that thwarts Latinos on the cusp of an electoral majority."

The U.S. Department of Justice monitored Pasadena city elections, in which City Councilman Jeff Wagner, , who is considered an Isbell ally, led a crowded field, apparently headed to a runoff with John Moon Jr. that is tentatively set for June 10.

Opponents of Texas' voting laws say they will press courts to again require the state to fall under federal "preclearance" before changing future voting laws.

"You've had now six court rulings that have found intentional discrimination," said Democratic state Rep. Rafael Anchia, who chairs Texas' Latino legislative caucus.

"If that's not enough to (restore preclearance), I don't know what is."

Republican Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton said he is confident the state will prevail.

His stance is that the recent redistricting rulings are moot because they pertain to maps that were redrawn by courts before ever being used in an election.

The original maps were drawn following the release of 2010 U.S. Census Bureau figures that showed Hispanics accounting for two of every three new Texas residents in the previous decade.

Texas GOP legislators bristle at claims they passed a strict voter ID law - which courts have since weakened - and voting maps with the purpose of undermining the growing electoral power of minorities.

"I disavow that. Did anybody here intend to discriminate against minorities when we voted that?" Republican state Rep. Larry Phillips said on the House floor in April.

"They were saying we intentionally did that.

"I reject that."

Michael Li, an elections expert with the New-York based Brennan Center for Justice that helped sue over Texas' voter ID law, said there have been few preclearance battles like the ones opponents in Texas are now waging.

He said courts could wait until Texas appeals the recent findings of intentional discrimination before weighing whether the state again needs federal supervision.
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The sun came out and shined on treasures -- both past and present -- Saturday at the 18th annual Montgomery Antiques Festival.

The Historic Montgomery Business Association hosted more than 75 vendors in the downtown area that were selling antiques, repurposed, refurbished, vintage or collectible items

The festival continues from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. today near Liberty Street. Parking is available behind Montgomery Elementary School on Clepper Street and behind Living Savior Lutheran Church on Caroline Street.

Liberty Bell Antiques Owner Kelly Cook, of the HMBA, said the festival continues to grow and this year numerous vendors were on a waiting list.

"We never lose a dealer," she said. "Some dealers say this is their best show."

Vendors travel from around the state and nation to the festival, which aims to promote the historic community and its businesses. The proceeds from the event go back toward the HMBA and help with beautification projects, Cook said.

The festival has attracted thousands from the community and beyond throughout the years, offering live music, barbecue, fresh squeezed lemonade and more.

Tomball residents Nathan and Margarita Ball slurped on a free wine slush.

"We rode on the motorcycle and saw it (the festival) -- and the burger for $6 (at Burger Fresh)," Margarita Ball said with a laugh.

Montgomery resident Sharon Hoyt joined her friends at the show.

"We are having a wonderful time," Hoyt said. "I like the iron works; and the people I'm with like the jewelry."

Gulf Coast Silver vendor Greg Pieratt, 51, of Galveston, displayed an estimated 5,000 rings, bracelets, necklaces, flatware, among numerous items, including hurricane lamps with angels from 1860.

"They're straight off my mother's table," said Simmons, whose father David Pieratt established the business 60 years ago and passed away this year. "I hate to sell them, but I'm selling just about everything except the shirt off my back. You've got eat."

Pieratt travels to several festival events, including to Dog Alley in Canton, where he survived the seven deadly tornadoes that touched down in East Texas near Canton last weekend. He took shelter with more than 200 people, including customers and vendors, in a nearby civic center, shortly after the close of the show at 5 p.m., he said.

"This was scary," said Pieratt, who said the people had to remain in the shelter until 10:30 p.m. "There were four ministers in the building. We were all praying. I've never seen people in fear of death like that in my life. ... You hear the hail first, then the quietness, then the train. It was like a movie almost. ... We got very lucky. And at the end, we were all singing religious hymns."

"It was a catastrophe," he said. "This wasn't an average tornado. ... We'll be alright. We're tough. We're Texans."

Pieratt has sold at the Dog Alley show in Canton for about 25 years and to the Montgomery festival since its first show. He said there are several reasons why vendors are attracted to the Montgomery festival.

"It's one of the oldest towns in Texas, there's a lot of old money here, and there's nice people here," Pieratt said. "And they know their roots. They know nice things when they see it. They know a fair price or good deal when they see it. They don't make nothing like they used to -- a good investment are antiques."

For more information about the annual Montgomery Antique Festival, special events in the area or historical information about the area, visit www.experiencemontgomery.com.
TOKYO - North Korea has detained another American who worked at a private university in Pyongyang, taking to four the number of U.S. citizens being held by Kim Jong Un's regime.

Kim Hak-song, who worked for the Pyongyang University of Science and Technology, was detained Saturday, North Korea's state news agency said.

Kim was arrested on suspicion of "hostile acts" against North Korea, the official Korean Central News Agency said. "A relevant institution is now conducting a detailed investigation into his crimes," it said.

No other details about him were available.

The State Department said Sunday that it was "aware of reports that a U.S. citizen was detained in North Korea."

"The security of U.S. citizens is one of the department's highest priorities," a spokeswoman said, adding that the department was working with the Swedish Embassy, which represents the United States in North Korea.

"Due to privacy considerations, we have no further comment," she said.

Two weeks ago, North Korea detained another U.S. national, Kim Sang-dok or Tony Kim, as he waited to board a flight at Pyongyang airport. He had been teaching a class in international finance and management at the same university, known as PUST.

PUST is the only private educational institution in North Korea. It is run by a Korean American professor and funded largely by Christian groups. It began offering classes in English to the North Korean elite in 2010.

PUST has more than 60 foreign faculty members, including from the United States, Canada, Britain and China, its website says.

"The mission of PUST is to pursue excellence in education, with an international outlook, so that its students are diligent in studies, innovative in research and upright in character, bringing illumination to the Korean people and the world," it says.

Suki Kim, a Korean American author who taught at PUST for six months and wrote a book about it, described the faculty members holding private prayer meetings and Bible study sessions.

All religion is banned in North Korea, a totalitarian state that requires all its citizens to worship the three generations of the Kim family who have run the country through a personality cult since the end of World War II.

However, PUST appears to have been tolerated as long as its Christian activities were conducted behind closed doors and the faculty did not try to proselytize to the North Korean students.

Two other U.S. citizens also are being held in North Korea.

One is former Virginia resident Kim Dong-chul, who had been living in the Chinese city of Yanji, near the border with North Korea, and working in a special economic zone in the North as head of a trade and hotel services company.

He is in his early 60s and was born in South Korea but became a U.S. citizen in 1987; he was sentenced to 10 years in prison in April 2016 on charges of spying.

The other is Otto Warmbier, a University of Virginia student who was detained for allegedly trying to steal a propaganda sign from a Pyongyang hotel on New Year's Day last year while on a group tour.

Warmbier was convicted of subversion in March and sentenced to 15 years of hard labor. That is the last time that he was seen and that Swedish diplomats were last allowed to meet with him.

The State Department advises Americans against traveling to North Korea, warning of "the serious risk of arrest and long-term detention under North Korea's system of law enforcement."

The detentions come at a time of heightened tensions between Washington and Pyongyang.

President Trump has been vacillating between calling Kim Jong Un a "smart cookie" and threatening military action against North Korea, while the Kim regime has been warning of a nuclear attack in the face of any U.S. threat.

In the latest development, North Korea accused the United States and South Korean intelligence agencies on Friday of plotting to kill Kim Jong Un using "biochemical substances."

North Korea's Foreign Ministry called the agencies "hotbed of evils in the world" and said in a statement that they had "hatched a vicious plot to hurt the supreme leadership."

The statement said that a citizen, identified only as Kim, had been paid $290,000 for himself and his "terrorist accomplices" as part of the alleged plot. He was supposed to target the "supreme leadership" at a public event or military parade, using "bomb terrorism" that involved "biochemical substances including radioactive substance and nano-poisonous substance," it said.

Kim is the most common surname on the Korean Peninsula, used by about a quarter of all Koreans.

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VIDEO:

Kim Hak-song, who worked for the Pyongyang University of Science and Technology, was detained Saturday, May 6, according to North Korea's state news agency. Kim is one of four U.S. citizens being held by Kim Jon Un's regime. (Jason Aldag/The Washington Post)

URL: http://wapo.st/2phZu4Q

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The prize for the caper was more than a ton of used restaurant grease. Two men busted by police near a strip-mall dumpster in Knoxville, Tennessee, were seen March 2 siphoning the gooey waste into barrels on their truck. In the weeks before then, 44 similar thefts had been reported.

Stealing old vegetable oil that's been used to cook chicken nuggets and french fries sounds a little gross. But a black market for the golden gunk is growing as U.S. refiners process record amounts of grease to comply with government mandates for renewable fuels. Last year, 1.4 billion pounds (635,000 metric tons) were turned into biodiesel -- or 3.84 million pounds a day.

Most restaurants hire waste handlers to get rid of oil after a few days of use. But the National Renderers Association, an industry group, says as much as $75 million is illegally siphoned every year, much of it ending up in refineries. Biofuel prices have been shooting up, boosting the incentive for thieves who are getting bolder and craftier. With the arrival of warmer spring weather, licensed collectors are bracing for even more heists.

"It's like crack money," said Sumit Majumdar, president of Buffalo Biodiesel Inc., a Tonawanda, New York-based collector. "There's an actual market for stolen oil. It's almost like a pawn shop or scrap-metal business."

Finding value in old grease isn't new. For more than a century, the waste product has been processed into ingredients for everything from makeup and paint to pet food and livestock feed, according to the Arlington, Virginia-based National Renderers Association, which represents 51 companies with 205 plants in the U.S. and Canada.

What's different is more cooking oil is being made into fuel. It's now the largest use for old grease, at around 30 percent of demand. A 2007 energy law calls for American cars, trucks and buses to use escalating amounts of biofuels. Most of that is corn-based ethanol used in gasoline, but refiners also are making more biodiesel. Soybean oil is the primary raw material, followed by used grease and corn oil.

This year, oil companies must use 2 billion gallons of biodiesel, the most ever, according to government data. That's up from 1.9 billion in 2016 -- and almost nothing a decade earlier.

All that demand growth has impacted prices. The benchmark for yellow grease this week was around 25 cents a pound, which is more than triple what it was in April 2000, U.S. Department of Agriculture data show. The commodity got as high as 47.75 cents in 2011, when crude oil was over $100 a barrel and the pump price of gasoline was almost $4 a gallon.

The rally in biodiesel is boosting the value of grease. Since Feb. 17, the fuel is up 12 percent to $3 a gallon, as of April 28. Further gains may be likely because of a trade dispute with competitors in Argentina and Indonesia, which may limit imports of biodiesel, Craig Irwin, an analyst at Roth Capital Partners in Newport Beach, California, wrote in an April 17 report.

That's increasing the incentive for thieves from California to New York who already were able to make good money selling filched oil.

"There's a lot of theft in that world," said Daniel Oh, chief executive officer of Ames, Iowa-based Renewable Energy Group Inc., one of the largest U.S. biodiesel producers. "It's a valuable commodity."

Still, old grease poses a disposal headache for restaurants, so they sign contracts with licensed collectors, who get exclusive rights to the oil if they agree to pay a small percentage of what they sell to refiners. It's usually stored in locked dumpsters on restaurant property.

While few police departments track thefts of grease, handlers say the crimes are on the rise.

The Knoxville case was one example. At about 5:26 a.m. on March 2, two men were observed near a Wingstop Inc. restaurant using hoses to drain grease tanks. They were filling big drums in the back of an unmarked white truck, which didn't look like the collection contractor's vehicle, according to police reports.

The two men were arrested with what police said was 2,200 pounds of used grease valued at about $600. Both listed their residences in North Carolina, about 300 miles away. One of the accused was deported to Mexico last month, and the other was released on bond, government records show. Neither man could be reached by Bloomberg for comment.

"Anytime diesel goes up, grease goes up," and then "the thieves come along," said Bob Hart, a driver for DAR-PRO Solutions in Knoxville who has been a licensed collector for more than two decades. The Wingstop was one of his customers. Before the arrests, Hart said there had been 44 loads stolen in the previous few weeks.

At restaurants serviced by Buffalo Biodiesel in eastern New York, Ohio and Pennsylvania, grease thefts have increased. Over the past six months, Majumdar says he had to replace about 1,000 locks on customer tanks. Because the thefts come out of his pocket, Majumdar hired a private investigator two months ago to help track down bad guys. The business probably loses 20 percent of its income to illegal siphoners, and Majumdar says he's posted a $5,000 reward for the arrest and successful conviction of culprits.

Some Midwest-based companies say thefts have involved international crime syndicates and even street gangs.

In the summer of 2015, the Plymouth Minnesota Police Department started surveillance at some local restaurants and tracked some people who were using an old white box truck that had a "Fruit Co." sign on the side as they collected grease illicitly all over the Minneapolis area, Plymouth Police Sergeant Heath Bird said. No one was prosecuted. Authorities couldn't justify the time and resources to pursue a case involving stolen trash, Bird said.

"At the end of the day, no one cares about used grease," Buffalo Biodiesel's Majumdar said, adding that some thefts may be licensed collectors taking from their competitors.

Brandon Foley, vice president of procurement at Sanimax, a grease collector in the Midwest and Canada, says he's expecting an increase in thefts as the weather warms up. He's currently on the lookout for grease grabbers traveling around in an old Pepsi truck in the middle of the night.

"This grease industry is the wild, wild west," said Mike Kostelac, president of Millstadt, Illinois-based Ace Grease Service, which collects from restaurants in 12 states. His company's website has a video of someone stealing their grease.
Talks have been bubbling in recent months about making major route changes to Interstate 14, but the primary organization behind the push says its facing resistance from a West Texas representative and the states senior senator.

Regional transportation lobby group Midland-Odessa Transportation Alliance (MOTRAN) has pushed to change the congressionally approved western route of I-14, also known as the Forts to Ports Highway and the Gulf Coast Strategic Highway System.

Forts to Ports aims to connect Fort Bliss in El Paso with Fort Hood in Central Texas and Fort Polk in Louisiana. The plan also connects to military deployment ports at Corpus Christi and Beaumont through various north-south feeder roads.

The key feature of Forts to Ports is the construction of I-14, which already has been designated with physical signage in Killeen. As it stands now, the western terminus will be at I-10 and U.S. Highway 190, near Iraan, and will stretch northeast to Brady. The eastern terminus is at Natchez, Louisiana.

MOTRAN is pursuing a big change. The group is pushing for I-14 to begin in western Ector County and run in dual-designation with I-20 until State Highway 158, at which point I-14 would run south to Brady along SH 158 and US 87, passing through San Angelo along the way.

The idea is to serve more people while also addressing much needed highway improvements. Roadways in the Permian were badly damaged this decade during the oil boom. Each well requires between 1,100 and 1,300 tractor-trailer trips, according to MOTRAN, much of it for frac sand and saltwater hauling. The hundreds of wells drilled in the Permian during the boom took a toll on roads, and when taking into consideration the increasing shipments of frac sand from Brady today along SH 158/87, MOTRAN sees the northern route as the more sensible choice.

The new designation requires congressional approval. But while MOTRAN has the support of U.S. Reps. Mike Conaway, Brian Babin and Roger Williams, MOTRAN President James Beauchamp has told the Reporter-Telegram he faces resistance from Rep. Will Hurd and Sen. John Cornyn.

Currently, part of that U.S. 190 designation is in (Hurds) district, Beauchamp said. His office told me some of the people down there didnt want to give up that designation. But, again, when you look at the allocation of resources within these two districts, I think this is pretty much common sense.

MOTRAN recently compiled data to make the case for moving the western terminus north to Midland-Odessa and San Angelo. Key items are:

 The US 190 route will cost $1.539 billion, while the SH 158/US 87 route will cost $1.339 billion. Changing the route will yield a savings of nearly $200 million.

 The designated route will serve 33,907 people, according to 2016 Texas Demographic Center data. The new route in the Midland-Odessa and San Angelo regions will serve 463,873 people, nearly 430,000 more people than the current designation.

Beauchamp said that interstate design should achieve two goals: move freight and connect people. If your goal is to connect people and move freight, not only is our route cheaper, but it can connect a lot more people.

MOTRAN also compiled safety data:

 From 2012-16, there were 3,264 crashes on the SH 158/US 87 route versus 245 along the US 190 route, according to TxDOT data.

 During that same period, there were 45 fatalities on the proposed route versus four on the designated route.

 Serious injury crashes tallied 536 along SH 158/US 87; there were 73 on US 190.

Beauchamp said he has shared the data with Hurd and Cornyn but hasnt received a response from either.

Rep. Hurds office did not return the Reporter-Telegrams requests for his position on I-14; however, Gulf Coast Strategic Highway Coalition Executive Director Gary Bushell also told the Reporter-Telegram that Hurd is against the change. Bushell said he has been told Hurd doesnt want the change because the route has already been designated.

A Cornyn spokeswoman told the Reporter-Telegram it wasnt accurate to say the senator opposes the relocation of I-14. Sen. Cornyn is hopeful TxDOT and local stakeholders can quickly identify a solution thats best for all Texans.

Beauchamp responded: The original designation of I-14 did not have the support or backing of TxDOT. We have provided information detailing the cost savings, additional population, and traffic served by the proposed change.

So for Sen. Cornyn to say that he is looking for TxDOT to solve this problem, created by Congress, is a cop-out. They need to solve this problem themselves, and we gave them a more viable option. I hope he understands that based on the safety data we have assembled, their inability to correct their own mistake will put countless lives in danger on our roadways because they prioritized the wrong project. I am sad for the lives that will be lost as officials in Washington, D.C., continue to play politics with our Texas highways.

Beauchamp said the Cornyn office initially encouraged the route redesignation.

As for Hurd, whose district runs from western San Antonio, though the Big Bend region to east El Paso, (He) either needs to step out of the way or make a case for why the route should stay, Beauchamp said.

Bushell said the Gulf Coast Strategic Highway Coalition supports the route change and that the lobby group this year will seek to amend the route itself through either the infrastructure bill or a standalone bill. The coalitions strategy isnt necessarily to remove the US 190 route; rather, it wants to see the SH 158/US 87 route added to the map. Ultimately, TxDOT will determine which route it wants designated for I-14, he said.

Beauchamp said the northern route makes the most sense for TxDOT. Whether you look at the U.S. 190 route or the route were proposing, both are in the Odessa and San Angelo districts. We have a choice: Are we going to continue to support the congressionally designated route that impacts about 4 percent of our population, or are we going to support the one that impacts 80 percent of our population?

At the end of the day, its people in the Odessa and San Angelo districts that are going to pay the freight on this one way or the other. Its going to come out of our allocations, and were going to bear the cost burden. I think for folks out here in the Odessa District, particularly in the way of fatalities and what we see in the way of oilfield freight that doesnt show up on a lot of things because its regionally generated, we can either designate a route that makes sense and saves lives or we can continue to support what was previously designated and, frankly, is a $200 million more-expensive boondoggle.

Like Trevor on Facebook and follow him on Twitter at @HowdyHawes.
At first, Cordell Davis thought his fellow pledge had just had too much to drink, he said. They were new initiates to Beta Theta Pi fraternity at Penn State and had just run the gantlet - a series of stations where they guzzled beer, wine and vodka as fast as they could.

But Tim Piazza had fallen down a flight of stairs on that morning in February and was on a couch in the frat house, unresponsive. Davis said he thought he should be at a hospital instead, and told his new frat brothers so.

"They said 'No you're overreacting. You don't know what you're talking about," Davis recounted in an interview on "Good Morning America that aired Friday. "I said I do know what I'm talking about. He could have a concussion.

"They just wanted to make sure that they themselves were safe rather than Tim truly being safe."

Davis's interview elaborated on what happened in the final hours of Piazza's life. Authorities announced charges against 18 fraternity members on Friday, after a grand jury concluded that "the Penn State Greek community nurtured an environment so permissive of excessive drinking and hazing that it emboldened its members to repeatedly act with reckless disregard to human life."

Eight fraternity members were charged with involuntary manslaughter. Other charges included hazing, aggravated and simple assault, alcohol-related violations and evidence tampering.

The chapter house was celebrating with Piazza, Davis and other students who had just accepted bids to join the fraternity. During the pledging party, Piazza fell down the stairs after drinking excessively, but no one called for help for almost 12 hours, according to police.

Abby Drey/Associated Press

During those hours, things only got worse. Several times, Piazza tried to stand but fell, hitting his head.

At about 1 a.m., fraternity brothers put a backpack full of books on Piazza, who had thrown up and was twitching, in an attempt to keep him from rolling onto his back, according to the grand jurors' findings. After 3 a.m., Piazza tried to stand but fell, hitting his head on the floor. He fell again at 4 a.m. At 5 a.m., he fell, hit his head on an iron railing and landed on a stone floor.

He got up, trying to get to the front door, but fell and hit his head on the door. Fraternity brothers stepped over him, according to the findings. After 7 a.m., Piazza fell down the basement stairs again. When fraternity members found him, unconscious, cold to the touch, and with blood on his face the next morning, it was more than 40 minutes before they called 911.

When police were finally summoned, they rushed Piazza to the hospital, but he died the next morning.

In the wake of Piazza's death, Penn State President Eric J. Barron permanently banned the fraternity. In a statement, he called the details in the indictment "heart-wrenching and incomprehensible" and announced beefed up regulations for fraternities and sororities.

In the statement, he said that the fraternity chapter where Piazza died had been a model for others:

"Both the Beta alumni and the national organization provided strict rules of behavior; and, the brothers had a no alcohol policy which stated that anyone caught drinking would be expelled."
Republican senators plan to write a health-care bill that could be radically different from the one passed last week by the House, including keeping some of the benefits and safeguards currently enshrined within Obamacare.

The Senate's different approach means there's no clear timetable for producing a bill, and it likely ensures that President Donald Trump and House Republicans will eventually have to face legislation that doesn't fully repeal the Affordable Care Act despite their repeated campaign promises to do it.

"The Senate is starting from scratch," Republican Senator Susan Collins of Maine said during an interview on ABC's "This Week" on Sunday. "We're going to draft our own bill, and I'm convinced that we're going to take the time to do it right."

Trump on Sunday jawboned his party's lawmakers, saying on Twitter that "Republican Senators will not let the American people down!"

Collins, who ranks among the most moderate of Republican senators, and Senator Bill Cassidy of Louisiana said one of their top goals is to ensure that people with pre-existing medical conditions continue to have the same or better coverage.

The pair have introduced a bill, the Patient Freedom Act, that keeps some of the consumer protections within Obamacare for people with pre-existing conditions while seeking to solve some of the flaws within the health-care law.

While the House bill that passed by a razor-thin margin on May 4 requires states to provide coverage to people with pre-existing conditions, that coverage might not be affordable, Collins said. "So much discretion is given to the states without any guardrails," she said.

Cassidy said on Fox News Channel's "Sunday Morning Futures" that he hopes a bill could be sent to Trump by the fall.

"This is not a Democratic issue; it's not a Republican issue," said Cassidy, a physician. "Hopefully, patients will take the precedence over party."

Senator Roy Blunt of Missouri, who's part of the Republican leadership team, said on NBC's "Meet the Press" that the goal for the Senate should be a bill that brings people into the health-care system who aren't now in it, "to give people more choices, to create more competition."

Top House Republicans said they look forward to seeing what changes the Senate makes to improve the bill.

House Speaker Paul Ryan said the House added money for tax credits to help people ages 50 and older pay for coverage, and that he expects the Senate will add to those tax credits and "complete the job."

"This is one stage in a multistage legislative process," Ryan said on ABC's "This Week."

Collins, however, said one of the problems with the tax credit in the House bill is that it's not adjusted for variations in income and geographic regions across the U.S. That "really hurts a state like Maine, where we have an older population" living in rural areas where health care is more expensive, she said.

Separately, on CBS's "Face the Nation," Democratic Senator Joe Manchin of West Virginia said his mostly poor and rural state "gets absolutely slammed" by the House health bill.

Asked why 13 men and no women had been picked for a Senate working group on health care, Collins said "the leaders obviously chose the people they want."

Collins said she'd like to see a bipartisan group in the Senate working on a bill, with Democrats acknowledging that Obamacare has problems and Republicans making sure that coverage is not reduced. She also said it would be "not fair" and "a mistake" to defund the women's health clinics Planned Parenthood.

"I don't think that low-income women should be denied their choice of health care providers, for family planning, cancer screenings, for well-women care," Collins said.

Even so, Manchin said Senate Republicans haven't yet asked Democrats to work on a bill.

"No one's asked any Democrat, and I'm the most centrist Democrat willing to work and fix things if people really want to do it," said Manchin, who's up for re-election in 2018 in a state that Trump carried in 2016.

Manchin and Democratic Senator Dianne Feinstein of California, who spoke on "Meet the Press" on Sunday, both acknowledged there are problems with Obamacare that need to be fixed. "Get rid of the word 'repeal' and start talking about repairing," Manchin said.

---

--With assistance from Mark Niquette
Srinagar, May 7 (IBNS): After the terror attack on a police party in Kulgam area of south Kashmir claimed lives of four including policemen and civilians, the security forces also killed a terrorist in retaliatory fire.

"One militant died during firing and we have recovered hand grenade from his possession," said a police official.

The terrorist has been identified as Fayaz Ahmad Aishwar, who supposedly belong to Lashkar.

According to police said he was involved in the Udhampur attack in 2015 and that the National Investigation Agency (NIA) had announced a reward of Rs. 2 lakh on him.

On Saturday, terrorists attacked police vehicle in Mir Bazaar area of Kulgam district in South Kashmir resulting in the death of two policemen and two civilians including a non local labourer.

During exchange of fire, three other policemen were also injured.

They later shifted to a hospital for treatment in a critical condition.

A combing operation was launched immediately to track them down, the police said.

This comes after Pakistani forces killed and mutilated two Indian soldiers in J&K's Udhampur along the Line of Control.



(With inputs from Saleem Iqbal Qadri)
President Donald Trump's revised travel ban faces two major legal tests this month when federal appeals courts on opposite coasts take up challenges to an executive order that the administration says is urgently needed for national security and opponents say discriminates against Muslims.

The first hearing comes Monday in Richmond, Virginia.

Federal immigration law gives the president broad authority to bar foreign travelers from entering the United States. The Trump administration's new policy temporarily suspends the U.S. refugee program and blocks new visas to citizens of six majority Muslim countries.

Before the order could take effect in March, a judge in Maryland and one in Hawaii halted enforcement of critical sections, pointing to comments by Trump and top advisers indicating they wanted to bar Muslims from entry.

On Monday, a panel of more than a dozen judges on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 4th Circuit will consider whether to leave in place the Maryland decision siding with challengers who say the order violates First Amendment prohibitions on government denigration of a particular religion.

Judges are likely to have questions about the administration's national security justification for singling out the six countries - Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen - and about the relevance of Trump's statements before and after he took the oath of office.

In his March ruling, Maryland U.S. District Court Judge Theodore Chuang wrote that the "history of public statements continues to provide a convincing case that the purpose of the Second Executive Order remains the realization of the long-envisioned Muslim ban."

Justice Department lawyers want the Richmond-based appeals court to lift Chuang's injunction that applies only to the part of Trump's order that would temporarily block new visas for 90 days.

How quickly the 4th Circuit will rule is not known. But in an unusual step, the court bypassed the traditional three-judge panel to review the case as a full complement of as many as 14 judges. Judge J. Harvie Wilkinson, a Ronald Reagan nominee, will not participate Monday because his son-in-law, Jeffrey Wall, will argue the government's case as acting solicitor general.

To resurrect the administration's policy in full, the Justice Department would have to win in Richmond and in its upcoming appeal of the Hawaii ruling at the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit - or eventually persuade the Supreme Court to intervene.

A three-judge panel of the 9th Circuit has scheduled oral argument for May 15 in Seattle.

The revised travel order followed widespread confusion and protest in January after a first version caused deportations and detentions of people already aboard flights to the United States as the order was signed. The 9th Circuit in February upheld a court order that suspended the original travel ban, leading to the president's revamped version.

The new order dropped Iraq from the list of excluded countries and did not touch green-card holders and valid visa holders, as the first order had.

In Richmond, government attorneys will ask the court to limit its review to the language of the order. The ban does not mention religion, and the administration says it is designed to give officials time to assess existing screening procedures for entries from countries that Congress and the Obama administration previously identified as areas of "concern."

The Justice Department said in court filings that the lower court's reliance on campaign statements made by then-candidate Trump is "unprecedented": "The court should have focused on official acts, not perceived subjective motivations."

Top law enforcement officials from 13 states, including Texas, Arizona and Florida, backed the administration in court filings, urging the 4th Circuit not to interfere with "an area of strongest executive authority" and arguing that foreign citizens do not have a constitutional right to enter the United States.

The challenge in Maryland was brought by organizations and individuals, including Muslim U.S. citizens and Muslim green-card holders who are trying to reunite with relatives who would be affected by the ban. They are being represented by the National Immigration Law Center and the American Civil Liberties Union.

Allowing the policy to go forward harms the individual plaintiffs by "prolonging their separation from their loved ones, most of whom remain in dangerous conditions abroad," according to their attorneys, led by ACLU lawyer Omar Jadwat.

Opponents argue that the president's travel order specifically violates the establishment clause of the First Amendment that forbids the government from favoring or condemning a particular religion.

"The anti-Muslim message embodied by the order singles them out for particular condemnation and stigma because they are Muslim immigrants," the ACLU filing said.

Diverse organizations representing technology companies in Massachusetts, art museum directors, religious leaders and labor unions filed briefs opposing the administration's policy.

More than 40 former national security, foreign policy and intelligence officials, including former secretaries of state Madeleine Albright and John Kerry, also signed on to a brief saying the blanket ban is misguided and would undermine U.S. security by adding to the narrative that the United States is at war with Islam. The order will "impair relationships with the very Muslim communities that law enforcement professionals rely on to address the threat of terrorism."

National security is not at risk, the former officials said, because travelers are already subjected to vigorous vetting before visas are issued.

A coalition of about 50 constitutional law professors joined a separate brief insisting the president's remarks must be considered. Even if the court defers to the president when it comes to immigration and national security, the professors said, "it is hard to imagine a clearer case of governmental action motived by animus toward a single religion."

Attorneys opposed to the ban drew parallels to the 1944 Supreme Court case Korematsu v. United States and urged caution. In that case, the court deferred to the executive's national security concerns to uphold the internment of Japanese Americans during World War II.

University of Texas law professor Stephen Vladeck, who signed onto a brief challenging the first iteration of the ban, said Korematsu's lesson is that "even - if not especially - when the government claims a discriminatory policy is justified by amorphous national security concerns, courts should treat such claims with great skepticism."
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After an election filled with promises about the Beaumont school district "moving forward," voters in one district chose to return an ousted trustee to the board, alongside six newcomers in the first trustee election since 2011.

Zenobia Randall Bush, 66, beat challengers Kathy Bell-Schexnaider, 61, and La'Toyya Twine Ozane, 40, in the District 2 race.

"The reaffirmation from the community shows that they believe that the board was not as corrupt as people were saying, and that the board was not the one responsible for the theft going on in the district," she said.

The result "showed the support the community had for me, that's always pleasing," she said. "The next journey, now, is to get the board seated."

Bush will join the son of her former colleague, Woodrow Reece, on the board of trustees.

Kevin Reece, 41, won the District 4 seat, beating Shedrick Evans, 52,

Reece currently lives in District 3, and mistakenly filed for District 4 in February. He'll move to comply with state law, and said that is "no problem."

In District 5, retired accountant Nathan Cross, 74, beat Jonathan Owens, 36, in a close race. Cross earned 54 percent of the vote to Owens' 46 percent, despite Owens spending far more throughout the campaign on promotions and signs.

The races for Districts 1 and 3 have been decided since February, with pharmacist Charles Daleo, 67, and collections officer Thomas Sigee Sr., 55, running unopposed.

Saturday's election was the first the board since the board makeup was changed from seven single-member districts to five single-member and two at-large seats.

Mandie Peel, 40, and Denise Wallace Spooner, 59, won the at-large seats. They were leading after early voting, and held the first and second spots, respectively, throughout the race.

Tillie Hickman, longtime principal of BISD's Odom Academy, finished third, followed by Michael Perez, Robert Dunn, Sr., and Natalie Tuck Bonner.

The trustees will be sidelined until Texas Education Commissioner Mike Morath initiates a state-mandated transition period, gradually replacing the appointed board of managers.

The managers agreed in April to stay for an indefinite period of time, at Morath's request. Board President Jimmy Simmons said at the time he expected the managers to be in place another year. Morath has the authority to replace the managers at any time, and could choose to appoint any of the elected trustees to fill the managers' terms.

He has until July 2018 to begin the transition or to further extend the managers' terms.

LTeitz@BeaumontEnterprise.com

Twitter.com/LizTeitz
Image: twitter.com/KapilMishraAAP

New Delhi, May 7 (IBNS): A day after he was removed as the as the tourism and water minister by the Delhi Government, Kapil Mishra on Sunday said he has revealed the identity of the "person" to the Lieutenant Governor, who he has seen "taking illegal cash."

After his meeting with Delhi Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal on Sunday morning, Mishra tweeted: "i have witnessed HIM taking illegal cash.. have shared all details with Lt. Gov.."

He is also scheduled to hold a press conference later.

Arvind Kejriwal led Delhi government on Saturday removed Kapil Mishra as the tourism and water minister.

Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia had told media that: "Kapil Mishra worked hard but water management was not up to the mark. There were complaints about water not reaching people."

Kailash Gahlot, who represents the Najafgarh Assembly constituency, will take over Mishra's portfolio now.

Mishra said he had met Kejriwal earlier on Saturday and handed over documents related to the alleged tanker scam.

He also took it to Twitter and had posted: "Massive expose on tanker scam tomorrow."

"Today shared explosive details with @ArvindKejriwal . tomorrow with public," he wrote on Saturday.

"I am the only minister with no corruption charges. No CBI enquiry against me," he had tweeted.

Reacting to his removal from the post, Mishra had told media: "I was not informed of the decision and as per my knowledge, it was taken unilaterally by Kejriwal. The Cabinet or the Political Affairs Committee (the AAP's top decision- making body) was not involved."


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Incumbent Ivy Taylor is leading in the early vote in her bid for re-election to the mayors office, but challenger Ron Nirenberg appears poised to force a runoff, with Manuel Medina trailing significantly in the 14-way race.

Taylor secured 43.7 percent of the early vote, while Nirenberg, the District 8 councilman seeking to bump the one-term mayor from office, garnered 36.1 percent. Medina, the brash chairman of the local Democratic Party, trailed the two with 14.7 percent of the vote.

Meanwhile, the 11 other mayoral candidates on the ballot combined for about 5.5 percent.

In the historic $850 million bond issue also on the municipal ballot, voters overwhelmingly have supported the six propositions to fix roads, enhance parks, rehab housing and other projects. Though its the largest in San Antonio history, the bond package would not require a property tax increase, officials have said.

At $445.3 million, Proposition 1 is the largest of the six and would fund streets, bridges and sidewalks. It was leading in the early vote with 79.2 percent support.

At $139 million, Proposition 2 secured 80.4 percent of the vote and would fund drainage and flood-control projects.

Proposition 3, a $187.3 million issuance, would fund parks, recreation and open space. Voters who cast early ballots favored the proposition with 70.2 percent of the vote.

At $24 million, Proposition 4 is the second-smallest proposal and would fund libraries and cultural facilities. Early voting leaned in favor with nearly three-quarters of the early vote.

Proposition 5, a $34.4 million issuance, would fund public-safety facilities. In early voting, 71.4 percent of voters favored the proposition.

And Proposition 6, the smallest on the city ballot at $20 million, is the most controversial. Billed as a neighborhood improvements proposition, it would facilitate redevelopment in blighted areas, readying property for affordable and mixed-income housing that would potentially be built by both nonprofit and for-profit developers. Voters favored the proposition with 68.4 percent of the vote.

Voters also were overwhelmingly approving the countywide Alamo Colleges facilities bond, a $450 million proposal that would fund construction of several facilities for the institution, with 67.5 percent of the vote.

Staff Writer Vianna Davila contributed to this report.

jbaugh@express-news.net

Twitter: @jbaugh
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In a year of new faces and uncertainty, all but four of the 10 city council races were headed for runoffs.

For incumbents Rebecca Viagran, Rey Saldana and Shirley Gonzales, the way to outright victory had appeared clear with the release of early voting tallies.

But in District 7, the drama lasted all evening, as challenger Ana Sandoval took just over half the vote to narrowly avoid a runoff with incumbent Cris Medina.

In District 3, Viagran jumped to a big lead, taking almost two-thirds of the early vote in a seven-candidate field. Jessica Guerrero, her nearest challenger, received only 14 percent.

Viagrans huge lead held up well through the evening. With a decisive win of a third term, she put to rest charges that she had lost touch with her constituents.

We are completely humbled and proud of the district community, she said, while celebrating with about 50 supporters.

We all came out in early voting, and today in full force. We spoke with one loud and clear voice. Our new era is here to stay. The South Side is the past, the present and the future, she added.

In District 4, Saldana took almost 80 percent of the early vote. The race in the Southwest Side district drew only three candidates, fewer than any other.

After watching the polls at Abraham Kazen Middle School where he had been a student, Saldana, who cast himself as a champion of the little guy and neglected neighborhoods, expressed mixed emotions about his last run.

I will never be able to run for my city council seat again, but at the end of the day, I'm proud I put in eight solid years, he said, before leaving Kazen to congratulate fellow incumbent Shirley Gonzalez on her win.

Gonzales had likewise dominated the early vote, taking more than two-thirds of the tally in a field of six candidates, each seeking to represent District 5, a low-income urban district that is 97 percent Latino.

As election day results trickled in, she huddled with supporters at the Sabinas Coffee House. Gonzales said she would like to start an initiative to support child abuse prevention by working with nonprofits in her district. She also wants to focus on quality of life issues.

I want to encourage people to stay here in the district once they become successful, Gonzales said.

In District 7, almost every vote counted. Sandoval took just over 50 percent of the early vote, and hung on to the majority to avoid a runoff against Medina, who was seeking a fourth and final term. As her supporters gathered at Deco Pizzeria, Sandoval said she was happy with her early lead.

Were just really proud of the numbers right now that were so close to even the possibility of (winning outright), Sandoval said. I think it goes to show that more than half of the voters are looking for a change.

Sandoval hugged each supporter as she made her way around the room. Former San Antonio mayor and recent U.S. Housing Secretary Julian Castro came out with his toddler son to show his support.

She understands the issues that are the most important to District 7, Castro said, referring to the economy and immigration.

jmaccormack@express-news.net

Staff Writers J.p. Lawrence, Brittney Martin and Scott Huddleston contributed to this report.
A shootout on the North Side sent one man to the hospital Sunday morning and have police searching for a suspect.

San Antonio police say at about 2:45 a.m., Sunday, a person in a green SUV drove along the frontage road of the 4500 block of Loop 1604 near the Ridge Shopping Center and opened fire toward the parking lot.
Image: twitter.com/arunjaitley

Yokohama, May 7 (IBNS): Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley asked the Asian Development Bank (ADB) to set up a regional hub in New Delhi for the South Asia region in order to keep pace with the growing aspirations of the people and to expedite the process of project preparation and delivery for India and other countries in the region.

He also urged the Bank to adopt country system for procurement, social and environmental safeguards expeditiously.

Jaitley was addressing the Board of Governors of the ADB at its 50th Annual Meeting at Yokohama, Japan.

The Finance Minister was accompanied by Shaktikanta Das, Secretary, Department of Economic Affairs, who is also the Alternate Governor of India to ADB.

Jaitley congratulated the Asian Development Bank (ADB) on completing its 50 years and serving the people of Asia-Pacific region.

While lauding the efforts of the Bank in eliminating poverty in the region through development of physical and social infrastructure, Jaitley called for a greater focus on renewable energy keeping in view our commitment to tackle climate change.

In urban development, especially in the sectors of drinking water and sanitation, Jaitley underlined the major challenges faced by many developing countries in making the system work without having to depend much on the budgetary support from the national governments.

He urged the Bank to promote sustainable models that will address these challenges. He called upon ADB to focus on climate resilient agriculture, better farm production technologies, improved value chain management and creation of better marketing infrastructure for farm produce.

Jaitley is on a three-day official visit to Japan to participate in the Annual Meeting of Board of Governors of Asian Development Bank (ADB) among others.


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.
Fix school funding

Re: Funding inequities hurt students, Cassandra Martinez, Another View, April 28:

I could not agree more that funding schools with property taxes creates the inequalities in student achievement.

When we moved to Texas in 1983, we purchased a home in Northeast San Antonio, where our four children enrolled in NEISD schools. I took a job teaching with SAISD on the East Side.

I soon became aware of the glaring differences in the schools my children attended and the school where I taught. While my children were provided with a modern school facility, including a splendid library, the latest textbooks and computers in every classroom, the children I taught were housed in an old building with no AC, old textbooks and a very limited library  this despite the fact that 15 years earlier, in 1968, a parent named Demetrio Rodriguez sued Texas, claiming school funding violated the equal protection clause of the Constitution.

The first case was won in federal court in 1971 and overturned in the Supreme Court in 1973 (Rodriguez vs. San Antonio Independent School District).

It seems little has changed regarding school funding. Lets take Ms. Martinezs advice and appeal to the Texas Legislature to correct this situation, so schools are not dependent on property taxes. Lets stop hurting students!

Theresa Smith

Help hungry kids

Re: Stop shaming hungry students, Helen Giddings, Another View, May 1:

I was thrilled to read this column. Thank you so much, Rep. Giddings!

We have been sending donations to our local elementary school cafeteria in the past few months trying to prevent the cold sandwich lunch.

I have contacted my representative, Speaker Joe Straus, and I have passed the column and a list of state representatives on to all of my contacts on social media.

Rep. Giddings, please keep me informed on the progress of this bill.

Thank you so much for your service!

Barbara Lampkin

Rewriting history

The reimagining of the Alamo cannot enhance the reality of what happened there in 1836  almost 200 brave men sacrificed their lives for the cause of Texas liberty. Attempts to shine more light on the mission-era detracts from the one event that gives the Alamo its enduring significance and preserves its place, not only in Texas history but also in American and world history.

The other San Antonio missions, especially San Jose, more than adequately tell the mission story sweeping Texas and the nation. Only the Alamo preserves the spirit of liberty that burns in the hearts of generations of true Texans.

Walk through the grounds in the evening. The reverence of the area lifts the spirit. The Alamo does not need to be reimagined; that small remaining plot of ground has inspired the imaginations of thousands over many generations. Please do not rewrite history.

The Cenotaph? Since it memorializes the men who chose to remain and die at the Alamo, it should stay where it is. To move it to a documented spot of a funeral pyre would add to the final insult intended when Santa Anna ordered the bodies burned, denying them the expected Christian burial.

Marilyn Stewart, Universal City

Another wall?

As if Donald Trumps big beautiful wall werent enough, now the Alamo Plaza planners are proposing another such wall.

Instead of building a big beautiful glass edifice to delineate the original footprint of the Alamo grounds, how about a big beautiful sidewalk? A sidewalk would serve the same purpose without restricting access or air flow and would not inhibit egress if a rapid evacuation were needed.

The proposed wall might be detrimental to the security of the facility. It would delay emergency personnel if they had to go around the wall.

Paul A. Foerster

Religion for all

Re: Public office not only for religious, Eric Lane, Other Views, May 1:

Thank you for publishing Eric Lanes Another View.

People must understand that we are the government, and we cannot promote one religion unless we allow the promotion of all.
Christus keeps caring

On April 26, Christus opened its first outpatient center in Mid-County. The positive response and support from our community leaders, stakeholders, physicians, associates, clergy and sponsoring congregations affirmed that our strategic plan to place health care resources in the communities we serve was a good decision.

In our first few days of service to the Mid-County and surrounding communities, we welcomed hundreds of patients.

From imaging and laboratory, physical therapy, wound care and emergency care, patients were offered ease of access, convenience and high quality health care.

Our community asked to have their health care close to them, in their communities, with physicians and therapists they know and trust. And, we took it to heart. The sustainability of our health care ministry means we adapt and change with the needs of the people we serve.

The Christus Southeast Texas Health System network of outpatient centers, clinics and hospitals, including Christus Southeast Texas St. Elizabeth and St. Mary, remain steadfast in serving our community.

For over 100 years, we have served this community and its changing health care needs. We plan on helping Southeast Texans be healthy and live well for a long time to come.

Thank you Southeast Texas for your support of the outpatient center in Mid-County. Most importantly, thank you for instilling your trust in Christus to serve your health care needs.

Paul Trevino, Beaumont, CEO, Christus Southeast Texas Health System

---------------------

Back small businesses

Lost amid the coverage of the recent May Day protests is the fact that this week is National Small Business Week, which celebrates the contributions that the country's 28 million small businesses make to the economy.

Roughly 85 million people rely on small businesses for their livelihood. Small businesses account for half of existing jobs and two-thirds of new jobs.

They create many of the products and services we enjoy every day. Unfortunately, small businesses still have not fully recovered from the Great Recession, and neither have the local Main Streets that rely on them.

The business regulations that protesters call for would only increase the hurdles facing small businesses. According to a new Job Creators Network survey of small business owners, most say the existing regulatory environment already prevents them from hiring and thriving.

This negative impact of new regulations should be included in any media coverage of protests. This is especially true during Small Business Week.

Alfredo Ortiz, President, Job Creators Network, Atlanta, Georgia

--------------------

Humane Society helps

The Humane Society of the United States works tirelessly against factory farming, puppy mills, wildlife trafficking and more. Our efforts have protected millions of animals from cruelty. This is the work we were founded to do, and it's because of our effectiveness that groups like the Center for Consumer Freedom attack us (by letter last Sunday).

Having worked at an animal shelter, I know firsthand the collaboration needed to reach a day when no healthy and adoptable animals are euthanized. Shelters play an essential role in their communities as adoption centers and resources. We also need national groups that can provide assistance with large rescues, such as in Georgia where we recently worked with local organizations to save more than 350 animals from neglect. National groups also train law enforcement, raise consumer and corporate awareness, and help pass legislation cracking down on abuse. We partner with other national groups like Maddie's Fund and the Ad Council on campaigns like the Shelter Pet Project, encouraging people to adopt their next pet.

When you look at the big picture of animal protection, you'll see local and national organizations working together to help animals. Supporting them isn't an either/or proposition.

Sarah Barnett, Special Assistant to the Chief Operating Officer, The Humane Society of the United States, Gaithersburg, Maryland

-----------------------------------

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Villagers in Rufaro Resettlement Area under Chief Zimuto were left dumbstruck last Sunday after a 42-year-old woman died soon after being given life predictions at a Madzibaba shrine.

Eustina Mudavanhu was pronounced dead on arrival at Masvingo Provincial Hospital after she had collapsed at Madzibaba Garais shrine in Zimuto.

The man of the cloth had just predicted that Mudavanhu was in good health and that she was going to prosper in life.

Speaking to TellZim, Mudavanhus daughter Lucky Mavenga said her mother was on her way to Masvingo town when she decided to pass through the shrine but collapsed and died after the church service.

My mother was fit and had even insisted that we walk to town but later decided to pass through the shrine.

After we attended the church service she received a prophecy from Madzibaba Garai that she was ok and was going to prosper in life. After the church service she asked for water and I gave her. I then went to fetch food and while I was away, she collapsed and died, Mavenga said.

Mavenga said Mudavanhu was later rushed to hospital where the doctor confirmed that she had died.

 TellZim

Breaking News via Email
By Jerri-Lynn Scofield, who has worked as a securities lawyer and a derivatives trader. She now spends much of her time in Asia and is currently researching a book about textile artisans. She also writes regularly about legal, political economy, and regulatory topics for various consulting clients and publications, as well as scribbles occasional travel pieces for The National.

Last Wednesday, Oklahoma governor Mary Fallin approved HB 1123, a bill aimed at stifling protests against oil and gas pipelines. The measure took effect immediately.

The new Oklahoma statute declares an emergency exists and creates a new category of misdemeanor, as well as two additional felony counts. The statute imposes draconian penalties on protestors convicted of trespassing at a critical infrastructure facility including chemical plants, liquid natural gas terminals, pipelines, ports and other transportation facilities, power plants, railways, and refineries (section 1 D 1 a-p).

As summarized in Oklahoma Trespassing Laws Beefed Up Against Protesters by Okenergytoday.com, the specified penalties are serious:

The misdemeanor level allows for a fine of $1,000 and up to six months in county jail for willfully trespassing onto property containing critical infrastructure (Jerri-Lynn here: See section 1 A of HB 1123). The first felony level allows for a fine of no less than $10,000 and a prison sentence for up to 10 years for individuals that willfully trespass with the intention to damage, destroy, vandalize, deface, tamper with equipment, impede or inhibit operations of the facility. The final felony level is for a fine not less than $100,000 and a prison sentence for up to 10 years for successfully damaging, destroying, vandalizing, defacing or tampering with equipment in a critical infrastructure facility (Jerri-Lynn here: See sections 1 A and B of HB 1123).

The statute targets not only protestors on-the-ground, but organizations such as environmental groups that conspire with them to trespass. Section C of HB 1123 specifies:

If an organization is found to be a conspirator with persons who are found to have committed any of the crimes described in subsection A or B of this section, the conspiring organization shall be punished by a fine that is ten times the amount of said fine authorized by the appropriate provision of this section.

Conspiring Organizations

The Intercept has teased out two of the more serious implications of targeting organizations as conspirators in Oklahoma Governor Signs Anti-Protest Law Imposing Huge Fines On Conspirator Organizations. First is the breadth of activities targeted:

The Oklahoma law signed this week is unique, however, in its broad targeting of groups conspiring with protesters accused of trespassing. It takes aim at environmental organizations Republicans have blamed for anti-pipeline protests that have become costly for local governments.

And second is the formidable level of penalties that may be imposed on these conspiring organizations, with a maximum fine of 1 million dollars for the top felony category.

Further Pending Oklahoma Legislation

Separately, Oklahoma lawmakers also passed HB 2128, a vicarious liability measure, that Governor Fallin has yet to sign. That legislation would make protestors and those who help them say, by hosting protestors liable for the economic damages caused by trespassers, as reported by The Oklahoman in New Oklahoma law could mean heavy fines, jail time for pipeline protesters:

On the same day Fallin signed [HB 1123], lawmakers approved another one that would make trespassers liable for damages to real or personal property. House Bill 2128 also extends civil liability to a person or entity that compensates, provides consideration or remunerates a person for trespassing. The bills author, state Rep. Mark McBride, said the so-called vicarious liability provision would apply to people who give lodging to those who are later arrested for trespassing. He said the idea for the bill came from actions along the Dakota Access Pipeline. Democrats opposed the bill because it would allow lawsuits even if there is no conviction. A person could be hauled into court to pay for damage if they are, at a minimum, arrested on suspicion of trespassing. So at the end of the day, you can be arrested, acquitted, and somebody can be held liable for your completely lawful activity? asked state Rep. Collin Walke, D-Oklahoma City.

I want to note here that the scope of exactly what activity might be sufficient to trigger liability under this provision if Oklahoma indeed enacts it, as seems likely is unsettled, as The Intercept reports:

That would be for the courts to decide, replied Rep. Mark McBride, the bills author. Doug Parr has represented numerous environmental activists in Oklahoma protest cases. In an interview with the Intercept the attorney noted the liability bills loose wording. Say they lock themselves to a piece of construction equipment, and a claim can be made that there were damages from that trespass, Parr said. Does this statute create a civil action for a pipeline company to then go after a person or organization that posted bond or helped pay for a lawyer for that civil disobedience?

Some national environmental organisations such as the Sierra Club already have policies that eschew civil disobedience tactics. The Oklahoma statute would only lead other prudent organizations to embrace this excess of caution. Turning again to The Intercept:

Johnson Bridgwater, head of the Oklahoma chapter of the Sierra Club, which opposes the Diamond pipeline, noted that the Club has an official policy against participation in civil disobedience. (Its board suspended the rule in 2013 before executive director Michael Brune was arrested in a protest calling for then-President Barack Obama to reject the Keystone XL Pipeline). However, he said We dont necessarily know everyone whos attending the events, adding, There is a strong and real fear that this could be used as an attempt to crush a group or a chapter of Sierra Club unfairly.

Additional background information on the Oklahoma legislation including details about corporate support and funding is spelled out in this Steve Horn piece I crossposted in April from DeSmogBlog, Newspaper Owned By Fracking Billionaire Leaks Memo Calling Pipeline Opponents Potential Terrorists.

Republicans Target Protests in State Measures

The Oklahoma measures are part of a national effort by a plethora of Republican lawmakers in several states to crack down on mass protests, as The Washington Post reported in Republican lawmakers introduce bills to curb protesting in at least 18 states in February. Common Dreams in April boosted that count to 19 in UN: Americans Right to Protest is in Grave Danger Under Trump, reporting on a UN investigation into anti-protest laws under consideration since Trumps November electoral victory.

As the Post points out, many of these more general anti-protest laws raise serious Constitutional issues, and are unlikely to survive judicial challenge:

Critics doubt whether many of the laws would pass Constitutional muster. The Supreme Court has gone out of its way on multiple occasions to point out that streets, sidewalks and public parks are places where [First Amendment] protections are at their most robust, said Lee Rowland, a senior attorney with the American Civil Liberties Union.

There are a few problems with that sanguine analysis, however. First, if and when these measures are passed and unless and until the statutes are overturned, they will likely have a chilling effect on political dissent. And secondly, they will almost certainly contribute to promoting aggressive policing responses against protest activity as if local police forces need any more encouragement or incentive to rough up or worse protestors.

States including both North Dakota and South Dakota have also embraced the more subtle Oklahoma approach targeting trespass, rather than dissent per se. If carefully drawn, any measures enacted to dissuade and punish trespass on property not typically regarded as a public sphere whether or not privately owned are not as vulnerable to the elementary constitutional challenges discussed in The Washington Posts account quoted above.
The Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Michael Creed TD, has announced that work on the roll-out of the new locally-led Hen Harrier scheme will begin immediately.

The Minister confirmed his Department had signed contracts with the Hen Harrier Project Ltd, representing a consortium of skilled and experienced conservationists, agricultural advisors and environmental scientists, to lead on the design and delivery of the new scheme.

The winning team was selected on foot of a competitive tender operated by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine as offering the best approach for this critical new scheme which seeks to save one of Irelands most endangered birds.

The Minister said he was delighted that, following a long procurement process, his Department was now in a position to move forward with a strong, innovative proposal from a highly qualified and experienced team.

Minister Creed said I am looking forward to seeing the new scheme in place as soon as possible. This scheme is targeted specifically at farmers with designated land and should provide farmers in those areas with an important additional income stream on top of GLAS and GLAS plus.

The new Hen Harrier team is led by Fergal Monaghan, an experienced farm advisor, working alongside the Golden Eagle Trust, with Brendan OGorman Accountants providing financial management inputs. An extensive team of raptor specialists, fieldworkers and farm advisors will support the roll-out of the scheme on the ground, with a strong local focus in delivery of the new measures.

This new approach is being introduced as a pilot project under the European Innovation Partnership measure which forms part of Irelands Rural Development Programme. It aims to bring farmers, farm advisors, a conservation NGO and researchers together to deliver a targeted landscape level intervention which places the farmer at the heart of the process.

Creating sustainable farming systems that work for both the farmers and the bird, and deliver real socio-economic benefits to the areas concerned, is a key objective.
Ralegan Siddhi, May 7 (IBNS): Anti-Corruption crusader Anna Hazare on Sunday said the corruption charges brought against Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal by Kapil Mishra was saddening.

"Whatever I saw on television made me feel deeply sad," Kejriwal told media.

He said Kejriwal joined his fight against corruption.

"I have fought against corruption for past 40 years.Arvind Kejriwal also joined me in the fight. It was the fight against corruption and the movement which took place in Delhi that raised Kejriwal to the position of Delhi chief minister. Now, as corruptions charges are brought against Kejriwal makes me feel very disappointed," he said.

In a massive 'exposure', sacked Delhi minister Mishra on Sunday told mediapersons that he saw Delhi Health Minister Satyendra Jain handing Rs. 2 crore in cash to Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal at the later's residence.

Mishra said, "I will not keep quiet in matters of corruption even if I lose my portfolio. Even if I die, I will not keep shut."

He alleged: "I have seen Satyendra Jain handing over cash to Kejriwal at his (Delhi CM's) residence."

Mishra said he is not making any "baseless allegations" and have shared all details with Delhi Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal in the morning.

"I have shared all details with the Lieutenant Governor and I am ready to give statement to anybody. I will give my statement to ACB and CBI," said he.

Mishra said, "We all trusted Arvind Kejriwal that he cannot indulge in corruption, but whoever is the person, I will not keep mum when it comes to corruption."

He said the AAP should clearly state where the cash came for and the purpose of the CM accepting the same.


Following a motion by Cllr Andy Moloney to the monthly meeting of Clonmel Borough District, a letter will be sent to Failte Ireland and the OPW to open the Tourist Office and the Swiss Cottage for longer next year.

A new 3 year deal has been signed on the rental of the Tourist Office by Failte Ireland in Cahir but its delayed opening has angered traders and the local councillor.

We need all our facilities and attractions open for business and the tourist office is a pivotal part of the promotion of local sites. We are spending big money on signage for the Butler Trail and Irelands Ancient East but we are not open for business.

The Director of Services replied to the Mayor by saying that she will contact the Minister directly to try keep the Swiss Cottage open until the end of mid term and push for a St Patrick's Day opening in 2018.

Cllr. Moloney said that closing the Swiss Cottage in the middle of mid term last Autumn was ridiculous for the sake of a few days.

Since the motion was passed the office has been restocked but the Minister needs to sign off on staff funding and political pressure is now been lobbied on Minister Ross.
Sunday, May 07, 2017 by: Vicki Batts Tags: Big Pharma , biological warfare , Merck This article may contain statements that reflect the opinion of the author

(Natural News) Merck may as well be a household name; the corporation is one of the worlds largest pharma companies and is known for manufacturing a variety of vaccines. Some of their products have garnered a lot of bad press lately, due to the damage theyve done to people across the world. Their HPV vaccine has been particularly problematic, and has even caused some young women to become paralyzed. The company is also known for producing the MMR vaccine, which we all know has been the subject of many controversies.

To put it simply, Merck is a major pharmaceutical company that has produced products which have had a negative effect on many peoples lives. But is there an even darker secret that Merck is hiding?

A recent report has revealed that the pharmaceutical company we all love to hate may have deep ties to biological warfare. As Cassius Methyl writes for Waking Times, Merck & Co. is not to be confused with the German Merck KGaA, but they both originate from the original German Merck. Merck was founded in 1668, in Germany. A U.S. division was founded in New York by 1887, thanks to George Merck. It was called Merck & Co. In 1891, George Merck had moved to New York as well.

Merck & Co was seized by the U.S. government in 1917 as the country entered WWI  after the federal government announced that companies with ties to Germany would be overtaken. However, George Merck and his partners formed the McKenna Corporation, and managed to buy their company back when it was put up for auction in 1919. From then on, it is thought that the company severed all its ties to Germany, and made great efforts to remain on the American side of the war. In 1925, George Merck passed the company on to his son, George W. Merck. And this is when the company started to take a more sinister turn.

George W. Merck ruled the corporation for 25 years and was president of Merck during the years of WWII  and he was a leader in the United States biological warfare program during the same time frame. Merck was the appointed head of the War Research Service. Reports indicate that the United States biological warfare headquarters, Fort Detrick, was constructed in the small town of Frederick, Maryland. The facility is said to have had top secret plants to engage in open-air testing of biological agents on the unsuspecting American people.

As sources report:

By the the end of World War II, the government had amassed a massive arsenal of biological weapons (using anthrax and other various bacteria)  all under the strictest secrecy. Soon, justification for continuing the research shifted to the need for national defense.

Work in this field cannot be ignored in a time of peace, Merck warned officials. It must be continued on a sufficient scale to provide an adequate defense.

Unsurprisingly, the government was convinced, and so, the research and experimentation continued. George W. Merck was even the recipient of several awards and was featured on the cover of Time Magazine during the summer of 1952. Albeit, readers were totally oblivious to his involvement in the development of biological weapons and the experimentation of such weapons on innocent citizens.

Even after Merck left the War Research Service, Ft. Detrick went on to become the epicenter of experimentation on American civilians, and one the most recognized centers of biological warfare development in U.S. history.

To put it simply, Ft. Detrick  which was essentially Mercks creation  was a place where very bad things happened. And to make matters worse, George W. Merck was running the nations biological warfare efforts at the same time as his pharmaceutical company.

The companys ties to biological warfare are frightening enough even without their terrible track record of harming human beings with their products and lying about the efficacy and safety of their vaccines.



Sources include:

WakingTimes.com

Priceonomics.com
Plant scientist Douglas Shaw spent his career toiling in the fields in California to grow the perfect strawberry, one that was plump and bright red yet remained sweet even after the long trip to grocery stores across the country.

When the professor retired from the University of California at Davis and set up his own strawberry-breeding business, though, he found himself in a legal jam.

In a case set for trial in federal court later this month, the university is suing Shaw and his scientific partner, saying they stole the school's intellectual property by taking some of the fruits of their research with them.

The two scientists claim in a $45 million lawsuit of their own that the university has unfairly kept some of their work locked in a freezer and is depriving the world of a better strawberry.

Some farmers in the No. 1 strawberry-growing state are worried the battle is going to stymie research and cause them to lose their competitive edge. California last year produced 1.6 million tons of strawberries valued at roughly $2 billion, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

"It doesn't do anybody any good for the university to keep these strawberry plants in a box," said Rick McKnight, an attorney for the two former professors. "This is hurting the California strawberry industry in a major way."

Shaw, 63, is a giant in the strawberry world, heading the university's lucrative breeding program for more than two decades alongside fellow plant biologist Kirk Larson. Most of California's strawberry farmers grow plants developed by Shaw and Larson.

The two men developed 24 new varieties, allowing growers to double the amount of strawberries produced while retaining the fruit's succulence. They created strawberries that were more pest- and disease-resistant, more durable during long-distance travel, or capable of growing during the shorter days of spring and fall.

The partners say their work netted the university $100 million in royalties. How much they themselves made at UC Davis is unclear, but they say they contributed more than $9 million of their own royalties toward the university's breeding program.

They retired from the university in 2014 because, they say, the school was winding down the program. Working in partnership with growers and nurseries, they launched a business called California Berry Cultivars, based in Watsonville, to develop new strawberry varieties.

The university accuses the researchers of patent infringement and violating an oath they signed not to enrich themselves by taking or acquiring plants, seeds and other biological material and continuing their research using descendants of plants they developed at UC Davis.

The scientists say they own the intellectual property at issue, and they accuse the university of locking up some of their plants and destroying hundreds of others, wiping out years of research.

Heading into trial, a federal judge recently scolded both the researchers and the university for their behavior and said that each side can expect to be held financially liable at trial.

University spokeswoman Dana Topousis said in a statement that the school's strawberry breeding program remains in full swing.

Strawberry growers are urging a quick resolution to the tangle.

"Costly litigation is such a waste when there are avenues for multi-benefit collaboration," said A.G. Kawamura, a strawberry farmer, former California agriculture secretary and part owner of the California Berry Cultivars. "Our future as California strawberry growers is at stake."
Two men and two women were arrested Friday on suspicion of prostitution and pimping, according to the San Mateo County Sheriff's Office.

Jin Deng, 31, and Jin Zhen, 26, both of San Francisco, are accused of pimping, sheriff's officials said. Wenyan Ma, 33, of San Gabriel, and Liuyng Zhang, 50, of Los Angeles, are suspected of committing acts of prostitution.

San Mateo County Sheriff's Office

Law enforcement officials from the San Mateo County sheriff's office, and Redwood City and San Bruno police departments investigated the suspects for a month, according to a statement.

They then served a search and arrest warrant at a house on the 1100 block of Herman Street in San Bruno around 2 p.m. Friday.

It remains unknown what officials found during their investigation and what led to the arrests. It is also unclear how long the business was in operation.

Neighbor Gloria Mendoza was taken aback to learn about about the month-long investigation and arrests.

"I'm surprised for this neighborhood being pretty quiet," she said.



The suspects have been booked into the Maguire Correctional Facility in Redwood City. An investigation is ongoing.

People with information about this case are asked to call the sheriff's office at 650-363-4911. Anonymous tips can be left at 1-800-547-2700.
The value of Latino residents and the disparities they face in Oakland compared to their white neighbors was a message Mayor Libby Schaaf tried to convey Friday morning at an event hosted at Pandora.

"Oakland will not succeed unless its Latino community succeeds," Schaaf said following her remarks at the "State of Latinos: A Cinco De Mayo Call to Action and Policy Briefing" at 9 a.m. at 2101 Webster St.

Latinos are the fastest growing population and they face insecurities in housing and income and that are"unacceptable," Schaaf said.

The largest demographic in Oakland schools are Latino children, Schaaf said, stressing the need to lift up community members, especially children.

Pandora, a music streaming technology company, hosted the event at its headquarters but not mainly because minorities are underrepresented in technology.

"It's definitely not 'the' reason," Lisa Lee, director of diversity and inclusion strategies, said after her comments to a crowd of about 40 people.

But Lee said her team exists because of that under representation and company officials want to ensure that they take a number of initiatives to increase diversity and promote inclusion.

Lee also said local hiring is important for us as a company and tapping into the power of the local talent is important at Pandora.

John Arriaga, executive director for the League of California Cities-Latino Caucus, stressed the importance of bringing community members together so others know how important Latinos are.

Getting involved can be as simple as Latino mothers making and serving pan dulce at church, Arriaga said.

Like the mayor, Arriaga emphasized the importance of Latino children. He said it's important for children to be involved in the community.

The League of California Cities advocates for Latinos, aims to improve Latinos' quality of life and develop leadership in community members.
The Navy SEAL killed in Somalia during an operation against a terrorist group was identified Saturday as Kyle Milliken, a decorated 15-year veteran, NBC News reported.

Milliken, a 38-year-old senior chief special warfare operator from Falmouth, Maine, was killed Thursday in a remote area of Somalia  about 40 miles west of the capital of Mogadishu  after he and his team came under fire from al-Shabab fighters. The attackers were "neutralized," but Milliken was killed and two others were injured.

Rear Adm. Timothy Syzmanksi, the commander of the Naval Special Warfare Command, said Milliken "embodied the warrior spirit and toughness" that represent the Navy SEALs. Milliken was also a member of SEAL Team Six, the elite unit credited with killing Osama bin Laden in 2011, and he earned four Bronze Stars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Milliken is the first U.S. service member to be killed in action in Somalia since the 1993 Battle of Mogadishu that led to the death of 18 service members and wounded 73 others  an event that inspired the book and later Hollywood film, "Black Hawk Down."
A 24-year-old Providence, Rhode Island, man was killed in a single-vehicle crash on Interstate 495 in Franklin, Massachusetts, on Saturday morning.

State police were called to the scene of the crash around 5:15 a.m. Preliminary investigation indicates that a white, 2011 Toyota was traveling north on I-495 when the driver lost control and struck an arrow board, causing the vehicle to roll over into the median.

The driver was declared dead at the scene. His identity is being withheld pending the notification of family.

The cause of the crash is not yet known. The accident remains under investigation by state police.

No further information was immediately available.
A Massachusetts man who was seriously injured in an all-terrain vehicle crash in New Hampshire has been charged with driving while intoxicated.

The New Hampshire Fish and Game Department says 48-year-old Paul McBride of Yarmouth Port, Massachusetts, rolled over while trying to turn into a driveway in the town of Hill on Saturday night. Authorities say alcohol and speed were contributing factors in the crash.

McBride, who was not wearing a helmet, was taken to Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center. He was charged with driving an off-road vehicle while intoxicated, which carries the same potential penalties as driving a car under the influence of alcohol.

A phone number for McBride could not be found Sunday.
New Hampshire police are searching for the driver that struck a parked police cruiser in Laconia early Sunday morning.

Police said the cruiser was parked outside the Whiskey Barrel on Beacon Street West where the responding officer was responding to a call at 1:02 a.m.

The cruiser had its emergency lights activated when authorities said a black sedan with no headlights on struck the vehicle, causing front end damage. The vehicle then left the scene of the crash.

Police said they have obtained physical evidence from the scene and are looking at surveillance footage.

Anyone with information on the crash or identity of the driver is asked to contact the Laconia Policed Department at 603-524-5252.
Four people were killed and five others injured in a crash involving a car and a CTA bus on Chicago's West Side early Sunday, according to police.

The pin-in crash occurred at about 5:55 a.m. in the 2600 block of W. Madison St. in the city's Garfield Park neighborhood, authorities said. [[421555564, C]]

A CTA bus was traveling eastbound on Madison St. when a white sedan traveling westbound at a high rate of speed collided with a parked car and lost control, hitting the bus head on, according to police.

All four people in the car were killed, police said, with witnesses saying those in the backseat were completely pinned in as the car caught fire.

Two of the victims, 25-year old Ashley Moore and 22-year old Tycika Fairley, were identified by Chicago Police on Sunday night. Both women were passengers in the car, and both were taken to Mount Sinai Hospital, where they were pronounced dead.

"My next door neighbor came and tried to pull the - because the car was burning too - so one, tried to pull the guy out, but he wasn't successful," said Malinda Demery, who lives in the area. "By that time the fire department came up and did what they did." [[421554903, C]]

The four people in the sedan were extracted and taken in critical condition to area hospitals where they were pronounced dead, authorities said. Details on their ages or identities were not immediately available.

The bus driver and four passengers also sustained non-life-threating injuries, according to police. Fire officials said one person was taken in fair condition to Rush University Medical Center, and three were taken to St. Mary's Hospital, two in stable and one in fair condition.

As a result of the crash, the #20 Madison bus was rerouted for several hours in both directions around the scene, the CTA said. The reroute ended just after 11 a.m. [[421555614, C]]

NBC 5 Responds learned via FOIA request that there have been 1,058 reported collisions between CTA buses and other motor vehicles since 2012. The cause of Saturday's crash remains under investigation.

Check back for updates on this developing story.
Kolkata, May 7 (IBNS): At least four persons were injured as a major explosion destroyed a Trinamool Congress (TMC) party office at Pichkuri area under Ausgram Police Station limits in East Burdwan district of West Bengal on Sunday, reports said.

According to reports, the incident took place in the evening when at least four party workers were sleeping inside the office.

The state's ruling TMC's party office were completely ruined due to the explosion and four of its activists were seriously injured.

A heavy police force along with Rapid Action Force (RAF) rushed to the spot and after rescuing the injured, sent them to a nearby hospital.

Though local villagers are claiming that at least one TMC activist was killed in the explosion, but no confirmation regarding the death has been reported officially so far.

A senior official of East Burdwan district police told IBNS that they have begun probe into the matter to know how the explosion occurred at the party office.

However, no reaction from the local TMC leaders has been received yet.

More details awaited.

(Reporting by Deepayan Sinha)
One day after the body of 1-year-old Semaj Crosby was laid to rest, a fire destroyed the home where the young girl was found dead, burning it to the ground.

Emergency crews responded to a fire at the home in the 300 block of Louis Rd in Joliet Township around 3:09 a.m., according to East Joliet Fire Chief Robert Scholtes.

Upon arrival, firefighters witnessed smoke and for safety reasons, decided to let the house burn to the ground, authorities said.

It completely burned down and the fire was struck out around 8 a.m., fire officials said. [[421526604, C]]

The home was at the center of an ongoing investigation after the toddler was found lifeless under a couch last week following a massive manhunt after the girl was reported missing two days prior.

Autopsy results were still "pending further studies," with many questions surrounding Semaj's death.

Investigators with the Department of Child and Family Services said they saw the little girl safe at the home just hours before she went missing on April 25. A spokesperson said the agency had visited the home that day and were investigating Gordon for an allegation of neglect. [[420757513, C]]

Investigators noted that the home was in "very deplorable conditions."

Anywhere from five to 15 people typically lived there at a given time, officials said, adding that the attorney for Semajs mother, Sheri Gordon, 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. [[420628103, C]]

Will County Sheriff's deputies reportedly visited the Joliet home where she was found close to 60 times in a little more than a year - 40 times for probation checks, as well as other disturbances and crisis intervention.

The sheriffs office said it was Gordon's attorney that helped authorities get consent to search the home around 11 p.m. Wednesday, before investigators discovered the body of the girl an hour later.

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 after Semaj was found. [[420587973, C]]

"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."

As of Saturday morning, no one was in custody or had been named a suspect in the case.

The home that burned down Saturday had been condemned, and Semajs brothers were placed in foster care, according to police.

The cause of the blaze remains under investigation, fire officials said.
Two doctors who were engaged to be married were found dead with their throats slashed inside a South Boston luxury condominium Friday night  and a suspect in the slaying was shot multiple times after exchanging gunfire with police officers.

Boston police found Dr. Lina Bolanos, 38, and Dr. Richard Field, 49, dead in their 11th-floor apartment after officers were called to the Macallen Building Friday night for a report of a man with a gun.

While responding to the call, Bampumim Teixeira, 30, of Chelsea, fired on the officers when they confronted him at the door of the penthouse condo and police fired back. Police say Teixeira was shot and hospitalized with non-life-threatening injuries. The officers weren't hurt.

Charges against Teixeira are pending and he will be arraigned on Monday, according to a statement from the Suffolk County District Attorney's office.

He had previously been convicted of two larcenies, both involving passing notes demanding money at the same bank. No weapons were used in these previous incidents.

Authorities believe that the victims and the suspect knew each other.

Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary released a statement addressing the death of Bolanos, who worked there as a doctor. The hospital's CEO John Fernandez said "[she] was an outstanding pediatric anesthesiologist and a wonderful colleague, in the prime of both her career and life."



Additionally, North Shore Pain Management released a statement about Field, who worked at the practice.

"Dr. Field was a guiding vision ... and was instrumental in the creation of this practice," read the statement. "He was a valued member of the medical community and a tremendous advocate for his patients."

Field also worked at Brigham and Women's Hospital.

Multiple charges are expected against Teixeira, according to police.
New London police are warning residents to be on alert after a coyote attacked and killed a dog Saturday morning, not long after residents voiced concerns about other reported coyote attacks on dogs at a meeting in April.

Police said around 11:40 a.m. they were called to 19 Harbor Lane for a coyote attack.

Resident Jacqueline Taitague told NBC Connecticut she let her dog named Poochie outside of their home on Harbor Lane to go to the bathroom.

Shes just like one of my kids. Literally the love we have for her, its huge, Taitague said.

But then two-year-old Bichon disappeared.

After a desperate search, Taitagues daughter spotted the dog down the street.

She says, Mom look theres a coyote right on top of her and the coyote had the dog. And the coyote was right on top of the dog, Taitague said.

Family members rushed to help.

I took a rod and chased. And then she, the coyote scattered away, Miguel Morales of New London, said.

Sadly it was too late and Poochie passed away.

Rob Taitague said they'd heard previous coyote warnings but didn't expect the animals to be an issue during the day.

Weve never seen any. So it was the daytime so we just did the normal routine. We just felt comfortable, safe, never thought it could happen, he said.

Now the Taitagues worry the same thing could happen to someone else.

Authorities searched for the coyote but did not find the animal or a den.

Many New London residents are taking extra precautions to protect their pets after multiple reported coyote sightings and a few attacks.

New London was already on edge from other reported coyote attacks in April, and a wildlife biologist from the state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection recently spoke to residents about their concerns.

Police said they are "evaluating and exploring all available options to deal with the coyote issue.

In the meantime, residents should take precautions. Police and wildlife experts recommend the following:
What to Know Lawsuit claims excessive force, lack of training by Balch Springs, former officer Roy Oliver

Oliver was suspended for 16 hours in 2013 for behavior in a court case

In a 2017 employment evaluation, supervisors noted Oliver was disrespectful to a citizen on a call

The family of 15-year-old Jordan Edwards, the teenager who was shot by a now-former Balch Springs police officer, have filed suit against the city, department and the officer.

The lawsuit by the Edwards family, filed in Dallas on Friday, claims Roy Oliver used excessive and deadly force while on the call and lacked proper training in his job as a police officer for the City of Balch Springs.

Oliver was released on bond late Friday after being arrested on a murder charge of Edwards on April 29.

A fired Balch Springs police officer faces a murder charge in the fatal shooting of 15-year-old Jordan Edwards, the Dallas County Sheriff's Office says.

In the suit, the family's attorney said when the teens heard what sounded like gunshots, they tried to leave the area but said Oliver shot into the vehicle with a rifle. Edwards was shot in the head, according to the lawsuit, and his brother drove away after the shooting and called his father.

Oliver and officers were dispatched to the area after a neighbor called police reporting a party with intoxicated teenagers. When officers arrived in the area, there was a report of shots being fired.

Edwards was in a vehicle with other teens when Oliver fired his weapon, according to an arrest warrant. Oliver was fired from the department after the chief learned the vehicle Edwards was in was moving away from the officer, not toward the officer as initially stated by the chief.

The attorney said as the driver of the car was stepping out of the vehicle for police, he went the wrong direction and an officer said, "this n----- doesn't know his f----- left from his right."

The family also claims Edwards' brother was handcuffed and taken into police custody.

[[375690231, C]]

The lawsuit cites an instance in 2013 where Oliver was suspended by the Balch Springs Police Department for 16 hours for his behavior as a witness in a Dallas County DWI case.

In the personnel files from Balch Springs, obtained under an open records request, the Dallas County District Attorney's Office filed a complaint against Oliver because it was difficult to get him to show up for court and his language used in court.

Oliver admitted he was "angry and aggressive while at court," according to a discipline document from the department.

The documents said Oliver admitted to responding to a prosecutor's question with, "I don't understand the f----- question."



In the disciplinary document prepared by then-chief Ed Morris, prosecutors sent text messages each other saying Oliver was not going to be a cooperative witness in the case and in an e-mail one prosecutor said Oliver was a "scary person to have in our workroom."

Oliver was suspended for 16 hours, but according to his personnel file, he gave up sick time in lieu of being suspended. He also received training in anger management and courtroom demeanor and testimony.

Oliver's most recent employment evaluation in January included an instance where he was "disrespectful to a civilian on a call." The evaluation said, "it was an isolated incident that was documented and not repeated."

The Edwards family is asking for a jury to hear their case in federal court. An attorney for Oliver has not responded to calls for comment since Oliver's arrest on Friday.



On Sunday, Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins released a statement about the deadly shooting.
A California restaurant is under fire for a Cinco de Mayo celebration that featured an inflatable climbing wall and "green card" drink tickets.

On Friday, Hennessey's Tavern in Dana Point set up an inflatable climbing wall outside the restaurant. Patrons who successfully climbed the wall received a "green card" that entitled them to a free drink.

The event came days after President Donald Trump signed a federal budget plan that diverted funds from his proposed wall on the U.S.-Mexico border. During the 2016 presidential campaign, Trump pledged to build a wall to deter immigration along the border.

Some Hennessey's Tavern patrons said they were offended by the activity.

Laycee Barragato Gibson posted photos of the blowup wall on Facebook and described the activity as "disgusting," ending her post with the hashtag "#trumpsamerica."

In a statement posted on Facebook Saturday night, tavern founder Paul Hennessey said the aim was to make a political statement.

"Our intentions were to create a dialogue and show how ridiculous that it is to spend tens of millions of dollars to build a wall and even infer that Mexico foot some or the entire bill and have their citizens build it," Hennessey wrote.

Hennessey said some did not understand the intent of the event, but he said expressing outage on social media was not a constructive use of time.

"I encourage all of you to take the time that you have spent posting on social media to spend an equal or greater amount of time writing your congressman or the President himself to express your concerns just as I have," Hennessey wrote. "Let's stop this wall from being built."
Officers shot and killed a teenager in the parking lot of his high school in San Diego Saturday morning after the teen called police to check on him and then allegedly pulled out a BB gun and pointed it at the officers.

According to San Diego Police Department (SDPD) Acting Homicide Capt. Mike Holden, the 15-year-old boy called police asking officers to conduct a welfare check on a minor -- himself -- near Torrey Pines High School (TPHS) in Carmel Valley just before 3:30 a.m.

"[In] our preliminary investigation, we believe that the subject that was shot is the person who actually called to check the welfare [of the minor]. We believe that he actually called and spoke about himself in the third person," Holden explained. "It was a very general 'check the welfare' call."

"It was a phone call that 'there's a male juvenile in front of the school, it appears someone should check on him,'" Holden added.

The SDPD said the caller stated that the juvenile had no weapons.

Two officers -- including an officer specifically trained to deal with juveniles -- were the first to arrive at the parking lot at the front entrance of the school. There, they spotted the teenager standing in the lot.

Holden said that as the officers got out of their patrol car, the teenager pulled a gun out of his waistband "and pointed it directly at one of the officers."

Both officers drew their service weapons while repeatedly ordering the teenager to drop his weapon. Holden said the teen refused to drop the weapon and, instead, "continued to point the handgun at the one officer and then began walking towards the same officer."

Again, the officers told the teen to drop his weapon.

Holden said the officers feared for their safety and fired their guns at the teen, striking him "a number of times."

The teen was critically wounded and taken to Scripps Memorial Hospital La Jolla where he died a short time later. The officers, a 28-year veteran and 4-year veteran of the police department, were not hurt.

Investigators have now determined that the weapon held by the teen was a semi-automatic BB air pistol, Holden said in a press release Saturday afternoon. The BB gun was recovered by police at the scene.

The investigation is ongoing. Per protocol, SDPD's Homicide Unit investigates any and all officer-involved shootings in San Diego County.

Holden said the teenager killed by police lived in the neighborhood. His family has been notified of his death, police said. His name will not be released by police, since he's a minor.

Torrey Pines High School is part of the San Dieguito Union High School District (SDUHSD). Just before 11 a.m., SDUHSD Superintendent Eric Dill sent an email to parents alerting them of the incident and confirming the teen killed by police was a student at Torrey Pines High School.

Dill's email read, in part:

"I am saddened to report that the 15-year-old boy who was killed was a student at our school. Law enforcement has not released the name of the young man, but our hearts go out to the student, his family, and his friends. The details of the situation are still unfolding, but whatever they are, this event is very traumatic for our students, staff, families, and community."

Dill said a crisis response team will be at TPHS on Monday to help provide support for students, staff and parents as needed.

If you need to talk to someone about this or just need a place to go to mourn and process this tragedy, counseling services will be available at all of our schools on Monday for anyone who feels they need it, Dill added.

He said the SDUHSD believes in communicating openly with our school community about incidents that occur on or near our school campuses.

Holden said the officers involved in the teenager's shooting were wearing department-issued body-worn cameras, so footage of the shooting exists. Those videos were impounded as evidence in the investigation.

Just one day earlier, San Diego County District Attorney Bonnie Dumanis held a news conference to release videos of three prior shootings in San Diego involving local police officers and deputies.

The DAs office is responsible for determining whether a crime was committed in officer or deputy-involved shootings in San Diego County. Video from an officer's body camera may be part of the investigation.

Dumanis said the DA's office was releasing the videos Friday in those prior incidents per the protocol reached with law enforcement agencies. She has held similar news conferences in the past to reveal new details about other law enforcement-involved shootings in San Diego.

It is unclear, at this point, if and when the body camera video of the shooting of this teenager at TPHS will be released.

TPHS is located at 3710 Del Mar Heights Rd. and serves students in grades nine through 12.

As the morning unfolded, investigators remained at the school gathering evidence. Although school was not in session, many students began filing onto campus hours after the shooting to take their SATs.

One mother, who did not want to go on camera, told NBC 7 it is unsettling to know a 15-year-old was shot and killed in the campus parking lot.

Another mother picking up her son after he took the SATs at the high school on Saturday said that her family lives in the neighborhood, so the deadly shooting of the teen hits very close to home.

The mother wondered why officers had to fatally wound the teen and why they didnt use some other less lethal weapon. The mother also said the school district should have moved the testing center to a different school.

As news of the shooting reached TPHS students, the shock of what transpired in their school parking lot set in.

"Everyone's in shock and everyone's surprised," TPHA junior Hayder Alamar told NBC 7. "Right when I woke up I got a lot of text messages from my friends saying 'Did you hear about the shooting at the school?' And at first I didn't believe it."

"I'm really scared if it's someone I know or a friend or a classmate or anything,"the student added.
UPDATE: Police charged Daniel Santucci Jr. with kidnapping and sexually assaulting the girl.

An arrest has been made in the abduction and sexual assault of a 4-year-old girl in Delaware.

New Castle County Police will announce an arrest in the case during a news conference Monday at 1 p.m., according to NBC10's Tim Furlong. They have not yet revealed the identity of the suspect in custody.



The child was kidnapped while playing with friends in the Plum Run neighborhood of Pike Creek on April 6, witnesses said. Witnesses described her abductor as a white man with dark hair and driving a dark sedan with tinted windows. The incident occurred around 7 p.m. on the 4800 block of Sugar Plum Court. She was approached by the suspect and taken to his car. The two then sped off, causing several children to scream. A woman heard the cries and called officials. [[421577893, C]]

"The person approached the little girl and he said he had something for her mommy," neighbor Megan Gardner told police. "She went to get it from him and he grabbed her."

Police found the young girl two hours later in a nearby park wearing little clothing. She was taken to a local hospital where investigators discovered signs of sexual assault. She was treated and released with non-life threatening injuries.

While the community remains on edge, residents say news of an arrest a month later gives them hope that the child and her family will have a chance at justice.

"Oh my gosh you feel it because you have your own kids," Maggie Gonzales, a resident, said. "And I wanted that person to be found."

New Castle County police arrested a man accused of kidnapping and sexually-assaulting a 4-year-old girl back in April. NBC10s Aundrea Cline-Thomas has the details.
Races for appellate court seats, the only statewide contests on the ballot in the Pennsylvania primary this month, are often derided as low-information contests, but it doesn't have to be that way.

Election experts say voters can find themselves making decisions on factors such as the candidates' position on the ballot, the county where they live, their gender or the sound of their surname.

For those looking for a better approach, one place to start is information published by Pennsylvanians for Modern Courts , an advocacy group that describes itself as a nonpartisan organization working to ensure that the state has "qualified, fair and impartial judges."

Many of the 10 men and eight women running in the May 16 primary for four open seats on Superior Court and two on Commonwealth Court were eager to suggest how voters should evaluate the field.

"First of all, the professional merit of the candidate  is the candidate qualified to do the job?" said Philadelphia Common Pleas Court Judge Carolyn Nichols, one of five Democrats running for Superior Court. "You've got to know what you're doing, that's kind of Step 1. Step 2, you want a judge who has integrity and is fair."

Blair County Common Pleas Court Judge Wade Kagarise, one of five Republicans on the Superior Court primary ballot, said bar associations and the political parties are good sources for voters looking for opinions and recommendations about the candidates.

"If somebody has a lousy temperament or bad ethics, that's usually something that's going to come out in an investigation by the bar association or it's going to be raised as an issue, perhaps, in news stories," Kagarise said.

Superior Court candidate Craig Stedman, Lancaster County's elected Republican district attorney, described the state bar association ratings process as rigorous and involving a detailed questionnaire and interviews of people he's worked with.

"They questioned me for an hour and 15 minutes," Stedman said. "I thought it was very fair and very extensive."

Superior Court handles criminal, civil and family court appeals from counties, making for a very busy docket.

"It demands that a judge that sits on Superior Court would have a great level of experience as relates to not only trial work, but also writing opinions," said Philadelphia Common Pleas Court Judge Paula Patrick, a Republican candidate. "You would want a judge who has extensive experience in all types of cases, not just one type of case."

Along with Nichols, the Democratic candidates are Superior Court Judge Geoff Moulton, who was appointed last year and wants to stay on the court; Philadelphia Common Pleas Court Judge Maria McLaughlin; Beaver County Common Pleas Court Judge Deborah Anne Kunselman; and lawyer and former prosecutor Bill Kaye, of Allegheny County.

The other Republicans besides Stedman, Patrick and Kagarise are Northampton County Common Pleas Court Judge Emil Giordano and Mary Murray, a district judge in Allegheny County.

Commonwealth Court fields matters involving governmental bodies and agencies, and can be the trial court for cases in which the state is a party.

Only two Republicans are on the primary docket for the two openings, Delaware County Common Pleas Court Judge Christine Fizzano Cannon and Pittsburgh lawyer Paul Lalley.

For that court, the primary race is on the Democratic side, where six are competing for the party's two spots on the fall ballot.

Commonwealth Court Judge Joe Cosgrove, a Democrat appointed last year to fill a vacancy on the bench who wants to keep the job on a permanent basis, said motivated voters can research his opinions online.

"I know that requires some work, but I do have that record," Cosgrove said. "So I'm doing that job."

Labor attorney Todd Eagen, running for the Democratic nomination, argued a key qualification is experience in the Commonwealth Court itself.

"It's what type of law and what type of experience the candidates have as lawyers," Eagen said.

The candidates' own websites and social media accounts also provide clues about them and their work, said Philadelphia Common Pleas Court Judge Ellen Ceisler, running for Commonwealth Court.

"You end up having some pretty goofy pictures when you end up eating foods in different towns," she said.

Other Democrats seeking Commonwealth Court nominations are state Rep. Bryan Barbin of Cambria County and Pittsburgh lawyers Timothy Barry and Irene McLaughlin Clark.

In the fall, the most high-profile race will be for the state Supreme Court, which has a 5-2 Democratic majority following a three-seat sweep by the Democrats in the 2015 election. This year each party has just one candidate running in the primary. Republican Sallie Mundy is seeking a seat on a permanent basis after being appointed to fill a vacancy last year. She will face off in November against Democrat Dwayne Woodruff, an Allegheny County judge best known as a former Pittsburgh Steelers cornerback.
Mumbai, May 7 (IBNS): Filmmaker Shekhar Kapur on Sunday said he is giving finishing touch to TV series titled aWilla.

"Been absent from twitter for 2 long, busy putting finishing touches to our new series WILL http://bit.ly/2pUlOQ8," Kapur tweeted.

Will is an upcoming American television series about the (fictional) life of William Shakespeare in his early 20s. The series has been ordered for a first season containing 10 episodes, on May 18, 2016 to be broadcast on TNT.

The series is directed by Kapur.

Image: Wikimedia Commons
A 19-year-old man was found stabbed to death outside a Greenbelt, Maryland, apartment complex, police say.

Officers found Jean Marie Acha, of Greenbelt, with multiple stab wounds in the 7200 block of South Ora Court on Friday, police said. Police believe Acha was killed sometime between midnight and 6 a.m. Friday.

Police are asking anyone with information about the homicide to call (301) 474-7200.
Two New Hampshire men are facing charges in connection with a vandalism spree on Friday outside a Salem convenience store.

Police said they responded to the M & N Borderline Beverage on South Broadway at 8:37 p.m. after the owner, Yogesh Patel, 36, reported that multiple vehicles were illegally parked in his lot but not using his business.

When officers arrived to the scene, they noticed 10 vehicles in the parking lot had one or more tires deflated.

After reviewing surveillance video from the store, an investigation revealed that Yogesh Patel and another employee, Deepakkumar Patel, 43, had walked around the parking lot, and drilled holes in over 20 tires.

"Initially the owner tried to tell us they were fake cameras, we knew that was not necessarily true at the time," said Salem Police Sergeant Jason Smith.

He said it was unusual that the men would call police then videotape themselves.

"He [Patel] told us he went out right after the phone call and did this. They didnt have a good reason other than they were angry about the cars," said Smith.

Police said they were able to recover the drill the men used to cause the damage.

Both men were taken into custody and charged with falsifying physical evidence as well as conspiracy to commit criminal mischief. They were released on $5,000 cash bail and are scheduled to be arraigned June 28 in Salem District Court.
A Rhode Island father and son who have volunteered in the Boy Scouts of America in the past have been charged with possessing child pornography.

State police announced 52-year-old Arthur O. Pare and 23-year-old Nicholas M. Pare, both of Woonsocket, were arrested Friday morning after a search warrant was executive at their home on Laurier Street.

Both were arraigned in Sixth District Court on possession of child pornography charges; in addition to the possession charge, Arthur Pare was also charged with transfer of child pornography.

Police say they started learning about a person sharing child pornography over the internet, and traced it to a home on Laurier Street in Woonsocket. When the state police's child pornography task force executed a search warrant Friday morning, investigators found digital media containing child pornography that was owned by both Pares.

Both Arthur and Nicholas Pare have been involved with the Boy Scouts of America in some form from the early 2000s to 2014. While state police say there is no evidence of any inappropriate contact, anyone with information is encouraged to speak with state police at 401-921-1170.

Arthur Pare and Nicholas Pare were released on personal recognizance on Friday, but were ordered to stay off the internet and have no contact with minors.
Now that the rumored cloud version of Windows 10 has been revealed, the facts are starting to come out, one of which may not sit very well with some users. Microsoft is all but locking users of Windows 10 S into its Edge browser.

Windows 10 S is a locked-down version of the operating system that will only run apps from the Windows Store. When Microsoft tried this a few years back with Windows RT on the Surface tablet, it failed miserably due to a lack of apps.

+ Also on Network World: Windows 10 adoption faster than any previous OS +

However, with time and the switch from ARM to x86, there is a much larger app library from which to choose, and that includes third-party browsers. But while you can install Chrome from the Windows Store, there is a big catchyou cannot change the default browser.

When you open an HTML page, the default browser is loaded, and that is something you can control from your PC. Of course, all three major browsersEdge/IE, Firefox and Chromedo a check on startup to see if they are the default browser and ask you to switch if not. But with Windows 10 S, you wont be able to.

You also will be prohibited from changing the default search engine from Bing. Alternatives such as Google or Yahoo (dont laugh) will be blocked. You can always visit the respective websites, you just cant set it as the default search engine in the web browser search box.

The info is buried in the Windows 10 S FAQ: "Are there any defaults that I cannot change on my Windows 10 S PC?" Microsofts answer:

Yes, Microsoft Edge is the default web browser on Microsoft 10 S. 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. Additionally, the default search provider in Microsoft Edge and Internet Explorer cannot be changed.

I wonder how long before the European Commission slaps them with another billion-dollar fine over this one. Of course, Microsoft could simply not release Windows 10 S in Europe and avoid that whole headache.

The good news is if you buy the $999 version of the Surface book with Windows 10 S, you can upgrade to full Windows 10 for just $49if you are not in education. If you are a student or teacher, the upgrade is free, but the offer is good only until the end of this year.
Shruthi H M By

Express News Service

BENGALURU: US-based private investment firm LCR Capital Partners, which is raising $200 million for Surf Club Four Seasons Hotel & Residenceslocated in Miami, Floridais looking to rope in Indian investors for the project through the EB-5 immigrant investor programme.

EB-5 offers green card (permanent residence) to entrepreneurs willing to invest $500,000 in a US firm that will create at least 10 full-time jobs. The programme covers investors immediate family (spouses and unmarried children up to age of 21).

LCR will deploy investors capital as five-year, secured loans, to raise capital for expansion of premier hospitality brands like the Four Seasons Hotels and top restaurant franchise brands like Dunkin Donuts. At the end of five years, investors get back their money in full.

Rogelio Caceres, co-founder and chief marketing officer of LCR Capital Partners, told The Sunday Standard that there is a lack of awareness about the EB-5 programme.

In the past, we have raised capital for the Dunkin Donuts brand. Many of our investors are students, where parents donate the capital. To be eligible for the investment, there is not much of a requirement apart from the $500,000 to be paid upfront.

The investor should not have a criminal background and the money has to be completely white.

It can be money from savings, loan on property or gift from a relative, as long as it is legal. There are no specifications for skills required, language or age requirement, Caceres added.

For the Four Seasons project, LCR aims to raise $100 million through the EB-5 route with 200 investor slots. Of these, 30 slots are reserved for investments from India. Till now, 12 slots have been allocated based on interest expressed from investors in Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai and Bengaluru.

BENGALURU: US-based private investment firm LCR Capital Partners, which is raising $200 million for Surf Club Four Seasons Hotel & Residenceslocated in Miami, Floridais looking to rope in Indian investors for the project through the EB-5 immigrant investor programme. EB-5 offers green card (permanent residence) to entrepreneurs willing to invest $500,000 in a US firm that will create at least 10 full-time jobs. The programme covers investors immediate family (spouses and unmarried children up to age of 21). LCR will deploy investors capital as five-year, secured loans, to raise capital for expansion of premier hospitality brands like the Four Seasons Hotels and top restaurant franchise brands like Dunkin Donuts. At the end of five years, investors get back their money in full. Rogelio Caceres, co-founder and chief marketing officer of LCR Capital Partners, told The Sunday Standard that there is a lack of awareness about the EB-5 programme. In the past, we have raised capital for the Dunkin Donuts brand. Many of our investors are students, where parents donate the capital. To be eligible for the investment, there is not much of a requirement apart from the $500,000 to be paid upfront. The investor should not have a criminal background and the money has to be completely white. It can be money from savings, loan on property or gift from a relative, as long as it is legal. There are no specifications for skills required, language or age requirement, Caceres added. For the Four Seasons project, LCR aims to raise $100 million through the EB-5 route with 200 investor slots. Of these, 30 slots are reserved for investments from India. Till now, 12 slots have been allocated based on interest expressed from investors in Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai and Bengaluru.
By PTI

MUMBAI: On the back of an over 11 per cent growth last year, the largest commercial vehicles maker Tata Motors expects to ship at least 15 per cent more trucks and buses this financial year as it hopes to export at least half of the banned BS-III inventory.

The company also expects domestic sale of commercial vehicles, led by LCVs and buses, to grow 10-15 per cent in fiscal 2018 aided by a favourbale GST rate and the likely normal monsoons.

"We expect our exports to grow 15 per cent this year over last year when we grew over 11 per cent and for the first time crossed the 60,000-mark. This will be partly because we expect to ship at least 8,000 of the banned 15,000 BS-III trucks and buses in the Saarc markets, primarily Nepal, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh where we already have good presence, and also in the West Asian and African markets," executive director for commercial vehicles unit Ravi Pisharody told PTI.

In fiscal 2017, Tata Motors for the first time-crossed the 60,000-mark in CV exports at over 61,200 units, which was a growth over 11 per cent in fiscal 2016, while its cumulative CV sales in the domestic market had slipped 1 per cent to 3,25,211 units. During the year, its bus exports improved marginally to 5,650 units from 5,142 units, while Leyland's declined massively to to 4,877 units from 6,135 units.

Following the March 28 Supreme Court ban on sale, Tata Motors was left with around 15,000 trucks and buses while its dealers are sitting on around 3,000 units. Out of this, it expects to ship at least 8,000 units beginning this month to the Saarc markets, where it already sells over 500 units each every month, Pisharody had said, adding this was worth around Rs 4,000 crore.

Pisharody had said the a portion of the unsold BS-III units would be converted at minimal cost and the remaining would be cannibalised for parts. Parts like gears, steering, seats and tyres, etc, could be used in BS-IV models, he added.

The company began the new fiscal year on a high note in April by bagging an order for 500 buses from Ivory Cost. It can be noted that for the first time in many years, Tata Motors overtook Ashok Leyland in bus market share with a wide margin in fiscal 2017, when its bus volumes (medium and heavy segment) grew 22 per cent to 18,198 units from 14,917 units. On the contrary, the Hinduja group company saw its bus sales decline by 10 per cent to 17,725 units.

Tata Motors now command over 40 per cent of bus market share, which went by 7 percentage points from fiscal 2016."We added almost 7 percentage points to our market share in the year," Pisharody had said adding, "as our volumes clipped 26 per cent in the intermediate, medium & heavy commercial vehicle bus category." Also, Tata Motors led the LCV growth by more than double the industry growth rate in fiscal 2017 clipping at 22 per cent. And it is confident of this trend continuing in fiscal 2018 as well, overall driving the industry vloume by clocking 10-15 per cent growth in domestic sales, Pisharody had told PTI late last month.

The industry lobby Siam has forecast a 4-6 per cent growth in fiscal 2018 for the commercial vehicles segment in fiscal 2018. For fiscal 2017, Tata Motors' cumulative sales stood at 5,42,561 units, up 6 per cent over 5,11,705 vehicles sold in 2015-16.

During the year, its bus market (medium and heavy) grew 8 per cent to 47,262 units. Tata Motors' share in the medium and heavy CV market came down to 49.2 per cent in fiscal 2017 from 52 per cent. In light CVs, it marginally declined to 38 per cent.

MUMBAI: On the back of an over 11 per cent growth last year, the largest commercial vehicles maker Tata Motors expects to ship at least 15 per cent more trucks and buses this financial year as it hopes to export at least half of the banned BS-III inventory. The company also expects domestic sale of commercial vehicles, led by LCVs and buses, to grow 10-15 per cent in fiscal 2018 aided by a favourbale GST rate and the likely normal monsoons. "We expect our exports to grow 15 per cent this year over last year when we grew over 11 per cent and for the first time crossed the 60,000-mark. This will be partly because we expect to ship at least 8,000 of the banned 15,000 BS-III trucks and buses in the Saarc markets, primarily Nepal, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh where we already have good presence, and also in the West Asian and African markets," executive director for commercial vehicles unit Ravi Pisharody told PTI. In fiscal 2017, Tata Motors for the first time-crossed the 60,000-mark in CV exports at over 61,200 units, which was a growth over 11 per cent in fiscal 2016, while its cumulative CV sales in the domestic market had slipped 1 per cent to 3,25,211 units. During the year, its bus exports improved marginally to 5,650 units from 5,142 units, while Leyland's declined massively to to 4,877 units from 6,135 units. Following the March 28 Supreme Court ban on sale, Tata Motors was left with around 15,000 trucks and buses while its dealers are sitting on around 3,000 units. Out of this, it expects to ship at least 8,000 units beginning this month to the Saarc markets, where it already sells over 500 units each every month, Pisharody had said, adding this was worth around Rs 4,000 crore. Pisharody had said the a portion of the unsold BS-III units would be converted at minimal cost and the remaining would be cannibalised for parts. Parts like gears, steering, seats and tyres, etc, could be used in BS-IV models, he added. The company began the new fiscal year on a high note in April by bagging an order for 500 buses from Ivory Cost. It can be noted that for the first time in many years, Tata Motors overtook Ashok Leyland in bus market share with a wide margin in fiscal 2017, when its bus volumes (medium and heavy segment) grew 22 per cent to 18,198 units from 14,917 units. On the contrary, the Hinduja group company saw its bus sales decline by 10 per cent to 17,725 units. Tata Motors now command over 40 per cent of bus market share, which went by 7 percentage points from fiscal 2016."We added almost 7 percentage points to our market share in the year," Pisharody had said adding, "as our volumes clipped 26 per cent in the intermediate, medium & heavy commercial vehicle bus category." Also, Tata Motors led the LCV growth by more than double the industry growth rate in fiscal 2017 clipping at 22 per cent. And it is confident of this trend continuing in fiscal 2018 as well, overall driving the industry vloume by clocking 10-15 per cent growth in domestic sales, Pisharody had told PTI late last month. The industry lobby Siam has forecast a 4-6 per cent growth in fiscal 2018 for the commercial vehicles segment in fiscal 2018. For fiscal 2017, Tata Motors' cumulative sales stood at 5,42,561 units, up 6 per cent over 5,11,705 vehicles sold in 2015-16. During the year, its bus market (medium and heavy) grew 8 per cent to 47,262 units. Tata Motors' share in the medium and heavy CV market came down to 49.2 per cent in fiscal 2017 from 52 per cent. In light CVs, it marginally declined to 38 per cent.
By Express News Service

BENGALURU: IT giant Wipro on Saturday confirmed that it has received a threat email from an anonymous person who demanded a ransom of Rs 500 crore. The mail also threatened to release a bioweapon in the firms campus if the payment was not made. The company has filed a complaint with the police and also increased the security in its campus.



The company issued a statement saying: Wipro confirms that it has filed a complaint with the local law enforcement authorities after receiving a threatening letter from an unidentified source. Wipro has augmented security measures at all its office locations.



According to the complaint registered with the cyber crime police station, Wipro office in Sarjapur received an email on Friday morning demanding a ransom of `500 crore in bitcoins. The sender threatened to release a toxic protein drug called Ricin in the campus if the payment is not made by May 25 through a certain link.



Police sources said that in the email sent by Ramesh2@protonmail.com, the person claimed to have one kg of Ricin and said that he would send two grams in envelopes to one of the Wipro offices in the coming days to prove that this is not a fake threat.



DCP (Crime) Anand Kumar said, We are investigating the case. We have tracked the IP address. We are looking into the possible involvement of insiders or ex-employees of Wipro. This has been done to scare the employees. Cyber police have registered a case.

BENGALURU: IT giant Wipro on Saturday confirmed that it has received a threat email from an anonymous person who demanded a ransom of Rs 500 crore. The mail also threatened to release a bioweapon in the firms campus if the payment was not made. The company has filed a complaint with the police and also increased the security in its campus. The company issued a statement saying: Wipro confirms that it has filed a complaint with the local law enforcement authorities after receiving a threatening letter from an unidentified source. Wipro has augmented security measures at all its office locations. According to the complaint registered with the cyber crime police station, Wipro office in Sarjapur received an email on Friday morning demanding a ransom of `500 crore in bitcoins. The sender threatened to release a toxic protein drug called Ricin in the campus if the payment is not made by May 25 through a certain link. Police sources said that in the email sent by Ramesh2@protonmail.com, the person claimed to have one kg of Ricin and said that he would send two grams in envelopes to one of the Wipro offices in the coming days to prove that this is not a fake threat. DCP (Crime) Anand Kumar said, We are investigating the case. We have tracked the IP address. We are looking into the possible involvement of insiders or ex-employees of Wipro. This has been done to scare the employees. Cyber police have registered a case.
By PTI

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Unidentified people hurled stones at the office of the sole BJP member in the State Assembly, O Rajagopal, at Neeramankara near Karamana in Thiruvananthapuram on early Sunday. However, police suspect that the attack was meant for the inmates on the first floor of the building.



The Karamana police have registered a case and initiated a probe to trace the culprits. The windowpanes of the office and the windshield of a car parked outside were damaged in the attack.



The police said Anilkumar, the building owner who resides on the first floor had some business rivalries which could have led to the attack.



However, the police did not rule out the possibility of a political rivalry as Pappanamcode near Karamana had witnessed a clash between CPM and BJP workers last week.



An examination was conducted by the forensic experts and the police team led by Fort Assistant Commissioner K S Gopakumar is camping in front of the office.

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Unidentified people hurled stones at the office of the sole BJP member in the State Assembly, O Rajagopal, at Neeramankara near Karamana in Thiruvananthapuram on early Sunday. However, police suspect that the attack was meant for the inmates on the first floor of the building. The Karamana police have registered a case and initiated a probe to trace the culprits. The windowpanes of the office and the windshield of a car parked outside were damaged in the attack. The police said Anilkumar, the building owner who resides on the first floor had some business rivalries which could have led to the attack. However, the police did not rule out the possibility of a political rivalry as Pappanamcode near Karamana had witnessed a clash between CPM and BJP workers last week. An examination was conducted by the forensic experts and the police team led by Fort Assistant Commissioner K S Gopakumar is camping in front of the office.
By ANI

NEW DELHI: Warner Bros. has just released a new teaser of the upcoming Blade Runner' sequel and it will surely make the fans excited.

The clip for 'Blade Runner 2049' opens with a mysterious figure walking alone. Then, the clip shows a bleeding Ryan Gosling, holding a gun in his hand.

Then we are introduced to Robin Wright who says, There is an order to things. Thats what we do here, we keep order, with a growl.

Afterwards, we see Gosling walking in a desert landscape and soon we see Harrison Ford approaching with a gun.

The teaser is intense and by looking at the visuals, the movie looks beautiful.

'Blade Runner 2049,' which picks up 30 years after the events of the first film, a new blade runner, LAPD Officer K ( Ryan Gosling), unearths a long-buried secret that has the potential to plunge what's left of society into chaos.

Helmed by Denis Villeneuve, the flick is slated to release in the UK cinemas on October 6.

NEW DELHI: Warner Bros. has just released a new teaser of the upcoming Blade Runner' sequel and it will surely make the fans excited. The clip for 'Blade Runner 2049' opens with a mysterious figure walking alone. Then, the clip shows a bleeding Ryan Gosling, holding a gun in his hand. Then we are introduced to Robin Wright who says, There is an order to things. Thats what we do here, we keep order, with a growl. Afterwards, we see Gosling walking in a desert landscape and soon we see Harrison Ford approaching with a gun. The teaser is intense and by looking at the visuals, the movie looks beautiful. 'Blade Runner 2049,' which picks up 30 years after the events of the first film, a new blade runner, LAPD Officer K ( Ryan Gosling), unearths a long-buried secret that has the potential to plunge what's left of society into chaos. Helmed by Denis Villeneuve, the flick is slated to release in the UK cinemas on October 6.
By IANS

MUMBAI: Actor Harshvardhan Kapoor has put an end to rumours that he might be doing Tigmanshu Dhulia's next film "Milan Talkies".

"I am not doing Tigmanshu's 'Milan Talkies'. I was approached for it, but I am not taking that up now and I am not doing Sriram Raghavan's film either. Right now, I am doing Vikramaditya Motwane's 'Bhavesh Joshi' for which shoot is almost complete and after that, there's another film which I will announce soon," Harshvardhan said here at the opening of a store of Selected Homme, a menswear line.

The actor, who debuted in Bollywood with "Mirzya", says though he takes inspiration from his father, veteran actor Anil Kapoor, and other stars when it comes to fashion, he makes his own choices.

"I feel that being an actor is about observing people. Fashion comes along with acting. Inspiration comes from everywhere, but fashion and acting are very personal. It's a representation of who you are as a person.

"It becomes very important to have your identity and be unique. My sensibilities have always been different for my choice of films and fashion and I get inspired from my father and other film stars, but eventually I make my own choices," he added.

Talking about increasing popularity and focus on celebrity's airport looks in the media, Harshvardhan said: "When I am travelling by air, I generally dress like a homeless person and for that, I receive a lot of flak from my family. I feel the whole 'airport look' thing is just ridiculous.

"It is really about being comfortable. We usually travel abroad on long flights. In that time, we really want to be comfortable and so I prefer something to go easy and also looks nice."

MUMBAI: Actor Harshvardhan Kapoor has put an end to rumours that he might be doing Tigmanshu Dhulia's next film "Milan Talkies". "I am not doing Tigmanshu's 'Milan Talkies'. I was approached for it, but I am not taking that up now and I am not doing Sriram Raghavan's film either. Right now, I am doing Vikramaditya Motwane's 'Bhavesh Joshi' for which shoot is almost complete and after that, there's another film which I will announce soon," Harshvardhan said here at the opening of a store of Selected Homme, a menswear line. The actor, who debuted in Bollywood with "Mirzya", says though he takes inspiration from his father, veteran actor Anil Kapoor, and other stars when it comes to fashion, he makes his own choices. "I feel that being an actor is about observing people. Fashion comes along with acting. Inspiration comes from everywhere, but fashion and acting are very personal. It's a representation of who you are as a person. "It becomes very important to have your identity and be unique. My sensibilities have always been different for my choice of films and fashion and I get inspired from my father and other film stars, but eventually I make my own choices," he added. Talking about increasing popularity and focus on celebrity's airport looks in the media, Harshvardhan said: "When I am travelling by air, I generally dress like a homeless person and for that, I receive a lot of flak from my family. I feel the whole 'airport look' thing is just ridiculous. "It is really about being comfortable. We usually travel abroad on long flights. In that time, we really want to be comfortable and so I prefer something to go easy and also looks nice."
Riaan Jacob George By

Express News Service

Himanshu Sani is a multi-tasker par excellence. The young chef is at the helm of the highly-awarded contemporary Indian restaurant Tresind in Dubai, and travels the world spreading the good word about Indian cuisine. He also indulges in the occasional pop-up in international cities.

Ghewar mille feuille , pistachio mousse and

raspberry rose syrup

On the eve of his pop-up dinner at the World Gourmet Festival in Mumbai, he is on tenterhooks. He is part of a prestigious bevy of international chefs presenting special dinners to some of Mumbais most discerning diners. I am quite excited to represent Indian food at the World Gourmet Festival in Mumbai, but the pressure is intense as I will be alongside great international names like Tim Butler from Bangkok and Dharshan Munidasa from Colombo, says Himanshu.

Tresind is translates from French as tres (very) and Inde (India). It adopts a French fine dining approach to cuisine, with reinterpreted Indian cuisine at the core of the experience. Himanshu is also at the helm of another restaurant in Dubai, Carnival by Tresind, which he describes as a post-modern Indian restaurant. What, then, is the unique selling point of this chef, who was awarded Best Young Chef at Delhi Gourmet Clubs Top Chef Awards in 2014? Tresind is a modern Indian restaurant, he says, Everyone is experimenting with the same dish in different ways. I wanted to break the monotony and do something new with Indian food. I want to go back to history and focus on dishes that got forgotten. I travel to small towns in India to research on food whenever I can. The average diner would never have heard of them. Take, for instance, a Madurai sandwich, which is a mackerel dish with rice bread.

The chef, originally from Delhi, talks about Islamic cuisine. We are soon going to open a restaurant where we will focus on Islamic cuisine from around the world. This has never been done before, explains Himanshu. The kebab and tandoor from the Middle East and India, became a satay when it went to Indonesia. Similarly, there is such a thing as Chinese Islamic cuisine, created by Arabs who went to China on the silk route. Funnily enough, weve also got something from the famous Halal Guys cart on the streets of New York, because the iconic street cart belongs to Muslim community chefs. Its going to be a fabulous concept.

Himanshu, who started off in Manish Mehrotras kitchen when he was 21, likes to take a classic Indian dish and blend it with a foreign ingredient, or vice versa. I recently did a dal dhokla, a Gujarati dish. Dhokli, when it is cooked has the texture of pasta, so we paired it with fresh bocconcini, parmesan, lentils and chilli pickle. So its a classic dish from Italy served with Indian lentils. Another example is the dal phulka, a lentil cappuccino topped with fresh truffles, giving it that Italian connection, but the flavours are very Indian, he says.

Whether it is recreating a dal-egg bhurji dish typical of Meghalaya to reviving the cooking style using a Himalayan salt slab, Himanshu and his team are constantly pushing the envelope of good Indian food. The salt slab is interesting because when we heat it, it retains heat. We can cook prawns and meat on it. The more you cook it, the more natural salt comes from it, he says.

Himanshu Sani is a multi-tasker par excellence. The young chef is at the helm of the highly-awarded contemporary Indian restaurant Tresind in Dubai, and travels the world spreading the good word about Indian cuisine. He also indulges in the occasional pop-up in international cities. Ghewar mille feuille, pistachio mousse and raspberry rose syrupOn the eve of his pop-up dinner at the World Gourmet Festival in Mumbai, he is on tenterhooks. He is part of a prestigious bevy of international chefs presenting special dinners to some of Mumbais most discerning diners. I am quite excited to represent Indian food at the World Gourmet Festival in Mumbai, but the pressure is intense as I will be alongside great international names like Tim Butler from Bangkok and Dharshan Munidasa from Colombo, says Himanshu. Tresind is translates from French as tres (very) and Inde (India). It adopts a French fine dining approach to cuisine, with reinterpreted Indian cuisine at the core of the experience. Himanshu is also at the helm of another restaurant in Dubai, Carnival by Tresind, which he describes as a post-modern Indian restaurant. What, then, is the unique selling point of this chef, who was awarded Best Young Chef at Delhi Gourmet Clubs Top Chef Awards in 2014? Tresind is a modern Indian restaurant, he says, Everyone is experimenting with the same dish in different ways. I wanted to break the monotony and do something new with Indian food. I want to go back to history and focus on dishes that got forgotten. I travel to small towns in India to research on food whenever I can. The average diner would never have heard of them. Take, for instance, a Madurai sandwich, which is a mackerel dish with rice bread. The chef, originally from Delhi, talks about Islamic cuisine. We are soon going to open a restaurant where we will focus on Islamic cuisine from around the world. This has never been done before, explains Himanshu. The kebab and tandoor from the Middle East and India, became a satay when it went to Indonesia. Similarly, there is such a thing as Chinese Islamic cuisine, created by Arabs who went to China on the silk route. Funnily enough, weve also got something from the famous Halal Guys cart on the streets of New York, because the iconic street cart belongs to Muslim community chefs. Its going to be a fabulous concept. Himanshu, who started off in Manish Mehrotras kitchen when he was 21, likes to take a classic Indian dish and blend it with a foreign ingredient, or vice versa. I recently did a dal dhokla, a Gujarati dish. Dhokli, when it is cooked has the texture of pasta, so we paired it with fresh bocconcini, parmesan, lentils and chilli pickle. So its a classic dish from Italy served with Indian lentils. Another example is the dal phulka, a lentil cappuccino topped with fresh truffles, giving it that Italian connection, but the flavours are very Indian, he says. Whether it is recreating a dal-egg bhurji dish typical of Meghalaya to reviving the cooking style using a Himalayan salt slab, Himanshu and his team are constantly pushing the envelope of good Indian food. The salt slab is interesting because when we heat it, it retains heat. We can cook prawns and meat on it. The more you cook it, the more natural salt comes from it, he says.
By PTI

SRINAGAR: The Jammu and Kashmir government has asked all the deputy commissioners of the state to take action against transmission of 34 TV channels, including those from Pakistan and Saudi Arabia, saying they have the potential to incite violence and create law and order situation.

The directive comes after the Centre asked the state government to take immediate steps to stop the unauthorised broadcast of Pakistani and Saudi Arabian channels in the state.

It has been reported that the cable operators in the Valley have been transmitting certain TV channels (which are not permitted by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Government of India).

"It needs being noted that transmission of non-permitted TV channels apart from attracting the violation (of the law), has the potential to encourage or incite violence and create law and order disturbances in the Kashmir Valley, an order issued yesterday by Principal Secretary, Home Department, R K Goyal, to all the deputy magistrates (deputy commissioners) of the state said.

Goyal asked deputy commissioners to clarify as to what action has been taken in regard to media reports that certain cable operators were transmitting such non-permitted channels and also directed them to take urgent necessary action.

"In the circumstances, it is impressed upon you to ensure that urgent necessary action is taken in accordance with provisions of law, the order reads.

He said the transmission of non-permitted TV channels by the cable operators attracts violation of the Cable TV Networks Regulation Rules.

"As per Section 11 of the Cable Television Networks (Regulation) Act, the district magistrate has the power to seize the equipment in case of a violation, the order reads.

On Friday, Union Information and Broadcasting Minister M Venkaiah Naidu spoke with the state chief secretary over the issue and sought a compliance report at the earliest.

He expressed concern over reports that these channels were being broadcast in Jammu and Kashmir without permission.

The State Home Department, which is headed by Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti, has listed 34 such channels belonging to Pakistan and Saudi Arabia including Zakir Naiks banned Peace TV.

The 34 channels are Peace TV Urdu and English, ARY QTV, Madni Channel, Noor TV, Hadi TV, Paigam, Hidayat, Saudi Al- Sunnah Al-Nabawiyah, Saudi-Al-Quran Al-Karim, Sehar, Karbala TV, Ahli-biat TV, Message TV, Hum TV, ARY Digital Asia, Hum Sitaray, ARY Zindagi, PTV Sports, ARY Musik, TV One, ARY Masala, ARY Zauq, A TV, Geo News, ARY News Asia, Abb Takk News, Waseb TV, 92 News, Duniya News, Samna News, Geo Tez, Express News and ARY News.

The principal secretary, Home Department, asked the deputy commissioners to file a compliance report by email by today.

SRINAGAR: The Jammu and Kashmir government has asked all the deputy commissioners of the state to take action against transmission of 34 TV channels, including those from Pakistan and Saudi Arabia, saying they have the potential to incite violence and create law and order situation. The directive comes after the Centre asked the state government to take immediate steps to stop the unauthorised broadcast of Pakistani and Saudi Arabian channels in the state. It has been reported that the cable operators in the Valley have been transmitting certain TV channels (which are not permitted by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Government of India). "It needs being noted that transmission of non-permitted TV channels apart from attracting the violation (of the law), has the potential to encourage or incite violence and create law and order disturbances in the Kashmir Valley, an order issued yesterday by Principal Secretary, Home Department, R K Goyal, to all the deputy magistrates (deputy commissioners) of the state said. Goyal asked deputy commissioners to clarify as to what action has been taken in regard to media reports that certain cable operators were transmitting such non-permitted channels and also directed them to take urgent necessary action. "In the circumstances, it is impressed upon you to ensure that urgent necessary action is taken in accordance with provisions of law, the order reads. He said the transmission of non-permitted TV channels by the cable operators attracts violation of the Cable TV Networks Regulation Rules. "As per Section 11 of the Cable Television Networks (Regulation) Act, the district magistrate has the power to seize the equipment in case of a violation, the order reads. On Friday, Union Information and Broadcasting Minister M Venkaiah Naidu spoke with the state chief secretary over the issue and sought a compliance report at the earliest. He expressed concern over reports that these channels were being broadcast in Jammu and Kashmir without permission. The State Home Department, which is headed by Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti, has listed 34 such channels belonging to Pakistan and Saudi Arabia including Zakir Naiks banned Peace TV. The 34 channels are Peace TV Urdu and English, ARY QTV, Madni Channel, Noor TV, Hadi TV, Paigam, Hidayat, Saudi Al- Sunnah Al-Nabawiyah, Saudi-Al-Quran Al-Karim, Sehar, Karbala TV, Ahli-biat TV, Message TV, Hum TV, ARY Digital Asia, Hum Sitaray, ARY Zindagi, PTV Sports, ARY Musik, TV One, ARY Masala, ARY Zauq, A TV, Geo News, ARY News Asia, Abb Takk News, Waseb TV, 92 News, Duniya News, Samna News, Geo Tez, Express News and ARY News. The principal secretary, Home Department, asked the deputy commissioners to file a compliance report by email by today.
By Express News Service

BHOPAL : One more tiger death has been reported from Madhya Pradesh  home to the second highest population of tigers in India  taking the number of deaths since January 2015 to 53.

According to official sources, a male tiger aged four years was found dead in the core area of Satpura Tiger Reserve (STR) in Hoshangabad disrrict on Saturday.

The injury marks on the tigers body suggested that he died because of infighting with other tigers over territorial dominance, said a senior official of the STR. With this death, the number of tigers (including four tiger cubs) that have died in the State this year has risen to 12.

Eleven tigers died in MP in 2015, 30 tigers died in 2016 and 12 tigers died since January this year. According to 2014 tiger census by national tiger conservation authority (NTCA), MP was home to 308 tigers, which was the highest in the country after Uttarakhand that housed 340 tigers.



BHOPAL : One more tiger death has been reported from Madhya Pradesh  home to the second highest population of tigers in India  taking the number of deaths since January 2015 to 53. According to official sources, a male tiger aged four years was found dead in the core area of Satpura Tiger Reserve (STR) in Hoshangabad disrrict on Saturday. The injury marks on the tigers body suggested that he died because of infighting with other tigers over territorial dominance, said a senior official of the STR. With this death, the number of tigers (including four tiger cubs) that have died in the State this year has risen to 12. Eleven tigers died in MP in 2015, 30 tigers died in 2016 and 12 tigers died since January this year. According to 2014 tiger census by national tiger conservation authority (NTCA), MP was home to 308 tigers, which was the highest in the country after Uttarakhand that housed 340 tigers.
Ritu Sharma By

Express News Service

NEW DELHI: Making its move in the great game to claim the legacy of Buddhism, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be heading to the Buddhist majority country of Sri Lanka next week to celebrate the Vesak Day (Buddha Jayanti) that commemorates birth, enlighten and death of Buddha.

Modi will be in Sri Lanka on May 11 to attend the biggest Buddhist festival. A slew of festivities are planned in Colombo from May 12 to 14, along with an international Buddhist conference that will see participation of over 400 delegates from 100 countries.

Prime Minister Modis participation in Vesak celebration in the Buddhist majority country serves two purposes  it highlights Indias strong Buddhist roots and at the same time assuage the sensitivities of the majority Buddhist community of the country, said a government official.

Modi is expected to visit Buddhist temples in the country during his two-day visit. The Prime Minister will be visiting Kandy that has the Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic that is said to be brought to Sri Lanka after the war in Kalinga. The Sri Lankan newspapers are also abuzz with Prime Minister Modi reaching out to the Buddhist country.

Last year China, taking advantage of strained relation between New Delhi and Kathmandu, had replaced India as a partner of Nepal to celebrate the Vesak celebrations in Lumbini, the birth place of Buddha. It was termed as Chinese Lumbini Coup and it assumed significance as earlier China had pulled out of Bihars Nalanda University Project. Instead, China developed a rival at Lumbini University under a $3 billion project. Conscious of its international image, China has been aggressively seeking to boost its cultural influence and staking claim to the legacy of Buddhism is part of its strategy.

The Buddhist link of India and Sri Lanka dates back to 2nd century BC when Buddhism was the official religion of India during the reign of Emperor Ashoka. His daughter Sanghamitta is believed to have landed in Anuradhapura with a branch of original Bodh tree (under which and planted it there. While Buddhism got wiped out from India, Theravada Buddhism is practiced by a majority of people in Sri Lanka.

India, perceiving Chinas promotion of Gandhara trail of Buddhism in Pakistan, has been actively engaging with the countries in the South East Asian countries like Myanmar, Vietnam, Thailand, Cambodia and Laos to promote Buddhist circuits to showcase its heritage.

NEW DELHI: Making its move in the great game to claim the legacy of Buddhism, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be heading to the Buddhist majority country of Sri Lanka next week to celebrate the Vesak Day (Buddha Jayanti) that commemorates birth, enlighten and death of Buddha. Modi will be in Sri Lanka on May 11 to attend the biggest Buddhist festival. A slew of festivities are planned in Colombo from May 12 to 14, along with an international Buddhist conference that will see participation of over 400 delegates from 100 countries. Prime Minister Modis participation in Vesak celebration in the Buddhist majority country serves two purposes  it highlights Indias strong Buddhist roots and at the same time assuage the sensitivities of the majority Buddhist community of the country, said a government official. Modi is expected to visit Buddhist temples in the country during his two-day visit. The Prime Minister will be visiting Kandy that has the Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic that is said to be brought to Sri Lanka after the war in Kalinga. The Sri Lankan newspapers are also abuzz with Prime Minister Modi reaching out to the Buddhist country. Last year China, taking advantage of strained relation between New Delhi and Kathmandu, had replaced India as a partner of Nepal to celebrate the Vesak celebrations in Lumbini, the birth place of Buddha. It was termed as Chinese Lumbini Coup and it assumed significance as earlier China had pulled out of Bihars Nalanda University Project. Instead, China developed a rival at Lumbini University under a $3 billion project. Conscious of its international image, China has been aggressively seeking to boost its cultural influence and staking claim to the legacy of Buddhism is part of its strategy. The Buddhist link of India and Sri Lanka dates back to 2nd century BC when Buddhism was the official religion of India during the reign of Emperor Ashoka. His daughter Sanghamitta is believed to have landed in Anuradhapura with a branch of original Bodh tree (under which and planted it there. While Buddhism got wiped out from India, Theravada Buddhism is practiced by a majority of people in Sri Lanka. India, perceiving Chinas promotion of Gandhara trail of Buddhism in Pakistan, has been actively engaging with the countries in the South East Asian countries like Myanmar, Vietnam, Thailand, Cambodia and Laos to promote Buddhist circuits to showcase its heritage.
By Express News Service

SRINAGAR : Two civilians and a policeman were killed in a militant attack in Kulgam district of south Kashmir on Saturday, while one militant was killed in retaliatory action, police said.

One of the militants was killed, while another was injured in retaliatory firing by police, director general of police S P Vaid said.



The militants, travelling in a car, opened fire on a police team which had gone to Mir Bazaar area to investigate a road accident, the DGP said.



He said the police also retaliated and even managed to snatch a pistol from one of the militants.

Four bodies were found at the spot. Two of the deceased are civilians and one policeman has been martyred, Vaid said.



He said the fourth deceased was a militant who was carrying a grenade and some ammunition. While one militant managed to escape, we are following the blood trail of another militant who was injured in the police action, the DGP said.



Earlier in the day, Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti asserted that if anybody can solve the Kashmir issue, it is Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the whole country would support his decision.



If anybody can solve the Kashmir issue it is Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Mehbooba said while addressing a gathering of people after inaugurating a flyover in Jammu, the winter capital of the State. She said only Modi can help the people of Jammu and Kashmir in these troubled times. He (PM) has got a strong mandate and whatever decision he takes, people of the country will support it.



PM Modi took the decision and visited Pakistan and met his counterpart. It is a sign of strength and courage and not a sign of weakness, she said.



Indirectly referring to former prime minister Manmohan Singh, Mehbooba said the former PM also wished to visit Pakistan but did not dare to do so.Mehbooba said situation in Kashmir is not good.

SRINAGAR : Two civilians and a policeman were killed in a militant attack in Kulgam district of south Kashmir on Saturday, while one militant was killed in retaliatory action, police said. One of the militants was killed, while another was injured in retaliatory firing by police, director general of police S P Vaid said. The militants, travelling in a car, opened fire on a police team which had gone to Mir Bazaar area to investigate a road accident, the DGP said. He said the police also retaliated and even managed to snatch a pistol from one of the militants. Four bodies were found at the spot. Two of the deceased are civilians and one policeman has been martyred, Vaid said. He said the fourth deceased was a militant who was carrying a grenade and some ammunition. While one militant managed to escape, we are following the blood trail of another militant who was injured in the police action, the DGP said. Earlier in the day, Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti asserted that if anybody can solve the Kashmir issue, it is Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the whole country would support his decision. If anybody can solve the Kashmir issue it is Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Mehbooba said while addressing a gathering of people after inaugurating a flyover in Jammu, the winter capital of the State. She said only Modi can help the people of Jammu and Kashmir in these troubled times. He (PM) has got a strong mandate and whatever decision he takes, people of the country will support it. PM Modi took the decision and visited Pakistan and met his counterpart. It is a sign of strength and courage and not a sign of weakness, she said. Indirectly referring to former prime minister Manmohan Singh, Mehbooba said the former PM also wished to visit Pakistan but did not dare to do so.Mehbooba said situation in Kashmir is not good.
By PTI

BHILAR (MAHARASHTRA): This sleepy village, lying between the picturesque hill stations of Panchagani and Mahabaleshwar in Satara district, was for long known for its strawberry cultivation with no literary pretensions.

But all of a sudden, the hamlet has turned into dear spot for bibliophiles after it was declared India's first 'Pustakanche Gaav'--village of books-- by the Maharashtra government recently.

The project to promote the "culture of reading" and lure visitors, keen to spend hours on end immersed in their picks, is inspired by Britain's Hay-on-Wye, a Welsh town known for its bookstores and literature festivals.

The concept was mooted by the Marathi Bhasha department and Rajya Marathi Vikas Sanstha, a government body.

As many as 25 artistically decorated locations around the village have been turned into reader hot-spots with display of books ranging from literature, poetry, religion, women and children, history, environment, folk literature, biographies and autobiographies to festival specials.

Also, the state government has provided several facilities such as chairs, tables, decorated umbrellas and glass cupboards at these spots to enhance the reading experience of literary connoisseurs.

Balasaheb Bhilare, a villager and one of the 25 hosts, who has turned a portion of his house into a free-library, expressed hope that the initiative would promote reading habit among the youth.

"The objective of the initiative may be to to boost tourism and help the village economically. But we think that the project will transform the village as its young generation will soon be enchanted by the Marathi language and its literature."

Women check out books at Bhilar village in Satara district of Maharashtra. (PTI)

Bhilare, instrumental in convincing the villagers on how the project will benefit them, said that after the fruition of the project this week, the atmosphere of the village is changing and more and more people are coming forward to host free libraries at their homes.

Each of the 25 locations chosen initially is dedicated to a particular genre of literature and the walls of the cottages are depicted with literary themes.

"The libraries are arranged in such a way that a visitor can choose books as per his or her interest. If somebody is interested in novels, there is a dedicated spot where he can walk in and browse through fictions," said Dr Jagatanand Bhatkar, assistant secretary of the Marathi Vishwakosh Centre.

Bhatkar, who is associated with the project, said that though there is no literary legacy or history attached to the village, legendary lyricist Anand Bakshi and top-notch film composer Naushad had briefly stayed at the village.

Talking about the stock, Bhatkar said that of the 15,000 titles available, around 2,000 are children's literature.

"In order to promote reading habit, popular books from Marathi have been kept at these locations," Bhatkar told PTI.

Vinay Mavlankar, in-charge of the project, said currently there are only Marathi books but soon popular English and Hindi books will also be stacked.

"The initiative, led by state Education Minister Vinod Tawde, has received whole-hearted support from the villagers. However, its ultimate success lies with the response it gets from tourists, and we are sure that the project will attract visitors," he said.

He added that in the next phase, the government is planning to build on a 3.5-acre, a state-of-the-art library, litterateurs' corner and place for holding literary workshops. Noted author Sadanand More termed the project as a novel concept.

"Generally every village has a library. However, Bhilar is the first of its kind village, which is called as Pustakanche Gaav, where bibliophiles can come and spend their time reading the books, and even writers can come to fulfil their literary pursuit," he said.

BHILAR (MAHARASHTRA): This sleepy village, lying between the picturesque hill stations of Panchagani and Mahabaleshwar in Satara district, was for long known for its strawberry cultivation with no literary pretensions. But all of a sudden, the hamlet has turned into dear spot for bibliophiles after it was declared India's first 'Pustakanche Gaav'--village of books-- by the Maharashtra government recently. The project to promote the "culture of reading" and lure visitors, keen to spend hours on end immersed in their picks, is inspired by Britain's Hay-on-Wye, a Welsh town known for its bookstores and literature festivals. The concept was mooted by the Marathi Bhasha department and Rajya Marathi Vikas Sanstha, a government body. As many as 25 artistically decorated locations around the village have been turned into reader hot-spots with display of books ranging from literature, poetry, religion, women and children, history, environment, folk literature, biographies and autobiographies to festival specials. Also, the state government has provided several facilities such as chairs, tables, decorated umbrellas and glass cupboards at these spots to enhance the reading experience of literary connoisseurs. Balasaheb Bhilare, a villager and one of the 25 hosts, who has turned a portion of his house into a free-library, expressed hope that the initiative would promote reading habit among the youth. "The objective of the initiative may be to to boost tourism and help the village economically. But we think that the project will transform the village as its young generation will soon be enchanted by the Marathi language and its literature." Women check out books at Bhilar village in Satara district of Maharashtra. (PTI) Bhilare, instrumental in convincing the villagers on how the project will benefit them, said that after the fruition of the project this week, the atmosphere of the village is changing and more and more people are coming forward to host free libraries at their homes. Each of the 25 locations chosen initially is dedicated to a particular genre of literature and the walls of the cottages are depicted with literary themes. "The libraries are arranged in such a way that a visitor can choose books as per his or her interest. If somebody is interested in novels, there is a dedicated spot where he can walk in and browse through fictions," said Dr Jagatanand Bhatkar, assistant secretary of the Marathi Vishwakosh Centre. Bhatkar, who is associated with the project, said that though there is no literary legacy or history attached to the village, legendary lyricist Anand Bakshi and top-notch film composer Naushad had briefly stayed at the village. Talking about the stock, Bhatkar said that of the 15,000 titles available, around 2,000 are children's literature. "In order to promote reading habit, popular books from Marathi have been kept at these locations," Bhatkar told PTI. Vinay Mavlankar, in-charge of the project, said currently there are only Marathi books but soon popular English and Hindi books will also be stacked. "The initiative, led by state Education Minister Vinod Tawde, has received whole-hearted support from the villagers. However, its ultimate success lies with the response it gets from tourists, and we are sure that the project will attract visitors," he said. He added that in the next phase, the government is planning to build on a 3.5-acre, a state-of-the-art library, litterateurs' corner and place for holding literary workshops. Noted author Sadanand More termed the project as a novel concept. "Generally every village has a library. However, Bhilar is the first of its kind village, which is called as Pustakanche Gaav, where bibliophiles can come and spend their time reading the books, and even writers can come to fulfil their literary pursuit," he said.
Soli J Sorabjee By

Death Penalty Conundrum: The debate about abolition or retention of death penalty is unending. Recently, the Law Commission of India recommended its abolition for all crimes other than terrorism-related offences and the offence of waging war against the State.

Whether one likes it or not, death penalty is in our statute book. Its constitutionality has been upheld by our Supreme Court, but in order to soften its rigour, the court ruled that it will be imposed only in the rarest of rare cases. What constitutes the rarest of rare cases? There is no definition nor is there any definitive judicial pronouncement on this issue. Individual judicial mindsets inevitably impart subjectivity.



The recent Supreme Court judgment confirming the death penalty on the rape culprits in the Nirbhaya case is an illustration. Justice Dipak Misra, with whom Justice Ashok Bhushan agreed, referred to the grotesque behaviour of the convicts, described the crime as brutal and demonic, and ruled: If ever a case called for hanging, this was it.



Justice R Banumathi, in her concurring judgment, held that the poor background of the convicts and their good conduct in jail could not be considered as mitigating factors.

She further ruled, Where a crime is committed with extreme brutality and the collective conscience of the society is shocked, courts must award death penalty, irrespective of their personal opinion as regards desirability of the death penalty. By not imposing a death sentence in such cases, the courts may do injustice to the society at large.

She observed, Stringent laws and punishment alone might not be sufficient to fight the increasing crimes against women and an attitudinal change in the mindset was needed to respect women and to ensure gender justice in the country. According to her, Gender equality should be made a part of the school curriculum. These significant observations merit deep and thoughtful consideration.



The Supreme Court judgment is well reasoned and takes all relevant factors into consideration. The convicts may file a review petition, and thereafter a Curative petition which to my mind will be of no avail. The President, in case a mercy petition is filed before him, is unlikely to allow it in view of the categorical observations of the Supreme Court. The culprits must suffer the consequences of their brutal demonic act of rape and murder. The sooner it is done, the better.

Defiant, Unbalanced

Justice Karnan: Some judges make history and carve a niche for themselves in the judicial history of a country by their landmark judgments. Justice C S Karnan has made history by his irrational behaviour, unbecoming of a judge of a high court.

A team of doctors from a state-run mental hospital, accompanied by police officers, arrived at Justice Karnans residence to examine him after the Supreme Court's instructions. Justice Karnan refused to undergo a medical test and told the team that he was absolutely normal and had a stable mind. He further said that the Supreme Court order amounts to an insult to and harassment of a Dalit judge. He could not refrain from the Dalit card.

Within hours of the Supreme Courts order, Justice Karnan issued an order directing the DGP of New Delhi to produce the seven judges of the Supreme Court, hearing his caseincluding Chief Justice of India J S Kheharbefore a psychiatric medical board attached to the AIIMS hospital, New Delhi. Justice Karnan is carrying on a joke too far. Such unstable jokesters must not be allowed to continue on the bench of any high court.

Prince Philips

Retirement: Prince Philip, the 95-year-old husband of Britains Queen Elizabeth II, will from September step down from carrying out royal engagements. Buckingham Palace said in a statement that Prince Philip, who turns 96 in June, will not be accepting any new invitations for visits and engagements.

Prince Philip had accompanied the Queen on her three visits to India. The royal, known for his off-the-cuff remarks and gaffes, said with characteristic humour that he is stepping down because he finds it difficult to stand up. Going by the media reports and statements of politicians of all hues and colours it is apparent that the British love Prince Philip.

solisorabjee@gmail.com

Death Penalty Conundrum: The debate about abolition or retention of death penalty is unending. Recently, the Law Commission of India recommended its abolition for all crimes other than terrorism-related offences and the offence of waging war against the State. Whether one likes it or not, death penalty is in our statute book. Its constitutionality has been upheld by our Supreme Court, but in order to soften its rigour, the court ruled that it will be imposed only in the rarest of rare cases. What constitutes the rarest of rare cases? There is no definition nor is there any definitive judicial pronouncement on this issue. Individual judicial mindsets inevitably impart subjectivity. The recent Supreme Court judgment confirming the death penalty on the rape culprits in the Nirbhaya case is an illustration. Justice Dipak Misra, with whom Justice Ashok Bhushan agreed, referred to the grotesque behaviour of the convicts, described the crime as brutal and demonic, and ruled: If ever a case called for hanging, this was it. Justice R Banumathi, in her concurring judgment, held that the poor background of the convicts and their good conduct in jail could not be considered as mitigating factors. She further ruled, Where a crime is committed with extreme brutality and the collective conscience of the society is shocked, courts must award death penalty, irrespective of their personal opinion as regards desirability of the death penalty. By not imposing a death sentence in such cases, the courts may do injustice to the society at large. She observed, Stringent laws and punishment alone might not be sufficient to fight the increasing crimes against women and an attitudinal change in the mindset was needed to respect women and to ensure gender justice in the country. According to her, Gender equality should be made a part of the school curriculum. These significant observations merit deep and thoughtful consideration. The Supreme Court judgment is well reasoned and takes all relevant factors into consideration. The convicts may file a review petition, and thereafter a Curative petition which to my mind will be of no avail. The President, in case a mercy petition is filed before him, is unlikely to allow it in view of the categorical observations of the Supreme Court. The culprits must suffer the consequences of their brutal demonic act of rape and murder. The sooner it is done, the better. Defiant, Unbalanced Justice Karnan: Some judges make history and carve a niche for themselves in the judicial history of a country by their landmark judgments. Justice C S Karnan has made history by his irrational behaviour, unbecoming of a judge of a high court. A team of doctors from a state-run mental hospital, accompanied by police officers, arrived at Justice Karnans residence to examine him after the Supreme Court's instructions. Justice Karnan refused to undergo a medical test and told the team that he was absolutely normal and had a stable mind. He further said that the Supreme Court order amounts to an insult to and harassment of a Dalit judge. He could not refrain from the Dalit card. Within hours of the Supreme Courts order, Justice Karnan issued an order directing the DGP of New Delhi to produce the seven judges of the Supreme Court, hearing his caseincluding Chief Justice of India J S Kheharbefore a psychiatric medical board attached to the AIIMS hospital, New Delhi. Justice Karnan is carrying on a joke too far. Such unstable jokesters must not be allowed to continue on the bench of any high court. Prince Philips Retirement: Prince Philip, the 95-year-old husband of Britains Queen Elizabeth II, will from September step down from carrying out royal engagements. Buckingham Palace said in a statement that Prince Philip, who turns 96 in June, will not be accepting any new invitations for visits and engagements. Prince Philip had accompanied the Queen on her three visits to India. The royal, known for his off-the-cuff remarks and gaffes, said with characteristic humour that he is stepping down because he finds it difficult to stand up. Going by the media reports and statements of politicians of all hues and colours it is apparent that the British love Prince Philip. solisorabjee@gmail.com
T J S George By

A week from today the biggest diplomatic event of the year will take place in China with many heads of government in attendance (not Indias). This is the first summit of Xi Jinpings prestigious signature projectthe One Belt One Road (OBOR) enterprise to build a network of railways, ports and powergrids linking Asia, Africa and Europe.



The sheer sweep of the conceptshall we say, the daring is a proclamation of Chinas ambitions. We will miss the big message underlying the big idea if we see OBOR in isolation. It is part of an awakening that has transformed China into the worlds second most powerful country, poised to overtake the first. The economic muscle that is being built through projects such as OBOR is but an extension of the military and strategic muscles that are continuously being strengthened.



Consider the South China Sea. Large portions of this expanse constitute the territorial waters of Vietnam, Malaysia, Philippines and Indonesia. Early on, they had protested against Chinas aggressive moves. The Philippines even went to the International Court, which ruled in its favour. China ignored it all and went on strengthening sandbanks, filling up shoals, laying airstrips.

American military sources now say that hundreds of surface-to-air missiles are being set up in the now militarised islands. Australian experts have said it is too late to challenge China. Philippine President advised his fellow Southeast Asian leaders to reconcile to the fait accompli. Without firing a shot, China has taken over an ocean and turned a half-dozen littoral states into virtual satellites.

Chinas second aircraft carrier was launched

last month, built in China at what is described as amazing speed. (Indias second carrier being built at Kochi is eight years behind schedule). China has announced that six more carriers are being built, two to be deployed permanently in the Indian Ocean.

Note, too, that China has taken over Gwadar port in Pakistan and has set up a military base in Djiboutis port in the Gulf of Aden. Its clear that Chinas status as a naval power in the Indian Ocean and Asia-Pacific region is already formidable, and steadily becoming more so.



Add to this the headway China has made in strategic alliances. It has significantly improved its relations with Russia, leading to a China-Russia-Pakistan economic partnership. What is interesting here is that Russia was a close ally of India for a long period during which it had kept Pakistan at a distance. The strategic balance of the whole region changed following Indias decision to cultivate America in preference to Russia.

What has India gained? Pakistan is today an integral part of Southeast Asian geopolitics as shaped by China and Russia, while Americas Asia pivot policy of which India was to be a central component has evaporated. Unpredictable as Trumps America is, the State Department said last week that China would be Americas highest priority in Asia.



Chinas attitude to India has changed, too. It seems to have concluded that India is no longer the serious competitor it once appeared to be. On the OBOR issue, China officially stated that India will have a representative. (Perhaps a middle rank diplomat or businessman). The Chinese media, however, felt no need to be diplomatic. It said Delhi would be isolated and embarrassed by its stand, that Russia and Iran are seeking to join the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor which will put India in a more awkward position.



Iran was initially most interested in building relations with India. Given Shia Irans problems with Baluchistan, close ties with Tehran should have been a strategic (besides economic) priority for India. But our responses were tardy.

Iran has since moved away to the warmer China-Pakistan-Russia partnership. Yet another pointer to the altered situation is Indias apparent loss of interest in the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation. There was a time when India was eager to get full membership. In another month formalisation of full membership, along with Pakistans, is to be processed. Despite the fact that this is part of the profound realignments that are taking place in Eurasia, India is sulking.



Even in Sri Lanka, when a project was drawn up for India to develop Trincomalee, local protests become so powerful that the idea had to be dropped. At the same time, China is building a massive new port in the countrys capital itself, adjacent to the existing Colombo port.

Somewhere weve done something not good. Who will find out? Who will take remedial measures? Who will bell the cat?

A week from today the biggest diplomatic event of the year will take place in China with many heads of government in attendance (not Indias). This is the first summit of Xi Jinpings prestigious signature projectthe One Belt One Road (OBOR) enterprise to build a network of railways, ports and powergrids linking Asia, Africa and Europe. The sheer sweep of the conceptshall we say, the daring is a proclamation of Chinas ambitions. We will miss the big message underlying the big idea if we see OBOR in isolation. It is part of an awakening that has transformed China into the worlds second most powerful country, poised to overtake the first. The economic muscle that is being built through projects such as OBOR is but an extension of the military and strategic muscles that are continuously being strengthened. Consider the South China Sea. Large portions of this expanse constitute the territorial waters of Vietnam, Malaysia, Philippines and Indonesia. Early on, they had protested against Chinas aggressive moves. The Philippines even went to the International Court, which ruled in its favour. China ignored it all and went on strengthening sandbanks, filling up shoals, laying airstrips. American military sources now say that hundreds of surface-to-air missiles are being set up in the now militarised islands. Australian experts have said it is too late to challenge China. Philippine President advised his fellow Southeast Asian leaders to reconcile to the fait accompli. Without firing a shot, China has taken over an ocean and turned a half-dozen littoral states into virtual satellites. Chinas second aircraft carrier was launched last month, built in China at what is described as amazing speed. (Indias second carrier being built at Kochi is eight years behind schedule). China has announced that six more carriers are being built, two to be deployed permanently in the Indian Ocean. Note, too, that China has taken over Gwadar port in Pakistan and has set up a military base in Djiboutis port in the Gulf of Aden. Its clear that Chinas status as a naval power in the Indian Ocean and Asia-Pacific region is already formidable, and steadily becoming more so. Add to this the headway China has made in strategic alliances. It has significantly improved its relations with Russia, leading to a China-Russia-Pakistan economic partnership. What is interesting here is that Russia was a close ally of India for a long period during which it had kept Pakistan at a distance. The strategic balance of the whole region changed following Indias decision to cultivate America in preference to Russia. What has India gained? Pakistan is today an integral part of Southeast Asian geopolitics as shaped by China and Russia, while Americas Asia pivot policy of which India was to be a central component has evaporated. Unpredictable as Trumps America is, the State Department said last week that China would be Americas highest priority in Asia. Chinas attitude to India has changed, too. It seems to have concluded that India is no longer the serious competitor it once appeared to be. On the OBOR issue, China officially stated that India will have a representative. (Perhaps a middle rank diplomat or businessman). The Chinese media, however, felt no need to be diplomatic. It said Delhi would be isolated and embarrassed by its stand, that Russia and Iran are seeking to join the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor which will put India in a more awkward position. Iran was initially most interested in building relations with India. Given Shia Irans problems with Baluchistan, close ties with Tehran should have been a strategic (besides economic) priority for India. But our responses were tardy. Iran has since moved away to the warmer China-Pakistan-Russia partnership. Yet another pointer to the altered situation is Indias apparent loss of interest in the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation. There was a time when India was eager to get full membership. In another month formalisation of full membership, along with Pakistans, is to be processed. Despite the fact that this is part of the profound realignments that are taking place in Eurasia, India is sulking. Even in Sri Lanka, when a project was drawn up for India to develop Trincomalee, local protests become so powerful that the idea had to be dropped. At the same time, China is building a massive new port in the countrys capital itself, adjacent to the existing Colombo port. Somewhere weve done something not good. Who will find out? Who will take remedial measures? Who will bell the cat?
Prabhu Chawla By

Express News Service

Divided they have fallen too often. United they expect to rise again. Battered by three years of the relentless fury of Modicane, demoralised and disconsolate opposition parties are anxious to regain the powermental and physicalto contain the prime ministers power drive. Subsequently, marginalised leaders of minimised political parties have settled on the upcoming presidential election as a common ground to pitch their tent, ready for jousts against the saffron knighthood and its captain.

What better day for sunny dreams than at a birthday party, which promises to be a new D-Day for Opposition unity, however weary the dreamers may be? Last week, Kanimozhi, daughter of DMK founder M Karunanidhi, flew to Patnaperhaps for the first time on an important political missionto invite Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and master puppeteer Lalu Prasad to her fathers 94th birth anniversary celebrations in Chennai on June 3.

With less than 24 months left for the Lok Sabha elections, non-saffron parties are desperately seeking a credible leader and a slogan to take their anaemic ambitions off the ventilator. In the past, it took a combined Opposition to dethrone leaders with power and charisma such as Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi. In 1977, Indira was trounced when a united political voice warned voters of her dictatorial style threatening democracy. But Modi is not she.

He is a leader above reproach so far, resolute yet reverential about democracy, having committed no political sin unlike Indira & Sons. The Opposition is left to digging deep and deeper in the political dung heap for filth to be flung at Swachh Modi, but have only succeeded in dirtying its own hands so far.



Opposition draftsmen are betting on a war machine Made in North, South and East to take on Modis mojo. Kanimozhi is in the turret right now. Satraps of JD(U), CPI(M), NCP and Congress have been holding consultations to forge an anti-Modi front, prompted by former JD(U) chief Sharad Yadav and Nitish Kumar after meeting Congress president Sonia Gandhi over choosing a common candidate for the Rashtrapati Bhawan. Yadav felt that such successful interactions could go a long way in stalling the BJPs nationwide surge.

He admitted disunity in non-BJP ranks as the key reason behind the saffron partys wins in the Uttar Pradesh polls and the Delhi civic elections. Following which, the CPI(M) moved into the Operation-Oppose-Modi-Mode swiftly; its amiable, high-profile general secretary Sitaram Yechury met Sonia in Delhi and Naveen Patnaik in Bhubaneswar to mull a strategy to avoid a breakup of the non-BJP vote in the prez poll. But geography makes history. The Oppositions choice of Chennai as the ground zero for rebirth rings a bell.

Almost two decades ago, Karunanidhi had created political history by bringing ideologically opposed parties together at a rally he organised on March 17, 1988, at Marina Beach. The political velocity it generated led to the formation of a national front led by V P Singh, supported by veterans like N T Rama Rao, Devi Lal, Biju Patnaik, Prafulla Mahanta et al which eventually toppled Rajiv Gandhi a year later.



Following the Chennai Summit, other conclaves organised by non-Congress chief ministers had added to the momentum. On January 9, 1989, the NT Rama Rao-led TDP government held a public rally in Hyderabad to celebrate its seventh anniversaryattended by S S Barnala from SAD, V C Shukla from Jan Morcha, Vijaya Raje Scindia from BJP and Devi Lal from Lok Dal (B). The constellation of non-Congress planets were coming into alignment.

Next, to celebrate five successful years of the Janata government in Karnataka, then chief minister Ramakrishna Hegde organised a public meeting in Bangalore attended by V P Singh, Bahuguna, Jyoti Basu, Mahanta and E K Nayanar. The Comrades inclusion was significant, since it was the first time the Left was corralled into participating in an anti-Congress front. Interestingly, all three initiatives were taken by three chief ministers of three states. History took an ideological U-turn again in 1996 when various regional leaders, the Left and the Congress conjoined to topple Indias first BJP government of Atal Bihari Vajpayee.

Now in 2017, little-known woman politician Kanimozhi, who is better known for her social than political networking, has been chosen to woo the North where Modi magic reigns unchallenged.

Her Patna trip was the tip of a national Opposition iceberg formed to sink the BJPs Titanic by building a consensus for the next president. She connected brother M K Stalin with Lalu and Nitish. The conversation was more about politics than pineapple pastries; and the massive rally after the Kalaignars birthday bash.



Though DMK insiders claim Karunanidhis state of mind is too feeble to think up such a strategy, Kanimozhis sojourn carries his typical stamp of forging impossible alliances, forcing a movement to rise when the moment arose. When Indira was isolated by top Congress leaders in 1969 during the Syndicate split, Karunanidhi asked his 25 MPs to stand by her. In 1971, he followed her cue by dissolving the Assembly when she dissolved the Lok Sabha for simultaneous elections. His strategy paid rich dividends and his party won an unprecedented 184 seats; a state record.

Now, with the ruling AIADMK in disarray, Karunanidhi wants to capitalise on the waning clout of his opponents. With uncanny foresight, the constant centrist in this family party has decided to introduce his political heirsStalin and Kanimozhito national leaders before he is rendered physically inactive.

He has played a major role in choosing prime ministers in the past. He has always aligned with one national party or the other in New Delhi. The DMK has been part of many ruling coalitions at the Centre.

The fact that for the first time it is out of power in both the state and Delhi after many years has vastly eroded its clout.

Birthdays, weddings and anniversaries have acquired new meaning in Modi era politics. Karunanidhi has the rare ability of converting challenges into opportunities.

Now he has found one. Modi bashers and baiters seem confident that the waves of Marina beach will break out in applause lauding their efforts once again. They are looking forward to landing in Chennai to celebrate Karunanidhis birthday, expecting to have the cake and eat it too. But do they have the reach to swat the flies on the walls, wandered in from Modis kitchen where ideas are cooking faster than you can say 2019?

prabhu chawla prabhuchawla@ newindianexpress.com Follow him on Twitter @PrabhuChawla

Divided they have fallen too often. United they expect to rise again. Battered by three years of the relentless fury of Modicane, demoralised and disconsolate opposition parties are anxious to regain the powermental and physicalto contain the prime ministers power drive. Subsequently, marginalised leaders of minimised political parties have settled on the upcoming presidential election as a common ground to pitch their tent, ready for jousts against the saffron knighthood and its captain. What better day for sunny dreams than at a birthday party, which promises to be a new D-Day for Opposition unity, however weary the dreamers may be? Last week, Kanimozhi, daughter of DMK founder M Karunanidhi, flew to Patnaperhaps for the first time on an important political missionto invite Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and master puppeteer Lalu Prasad to her fathers 94th birth anniversary celebrations in Chennai on June 3. With less than 24 months left for the Lok Sabha elections, non-saffron parties are desperately seeking a credible leader and a slogan to take their anaemic ambitions off the ventilator. In the past, it took a combined Opposition to dethrone leaders with power and charisma such as Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi. In 1977, Indira was trounced when a united political voice warned voters of her dictatorial style threatening democracy. But Modi is not she. He is a leader above reproach so far, resolute yet reverential about democracy, having committed no political sin unlike Indira & Sons. The Opposition is left to digging deep and deeper in the political dung heap for filth to be flung at Swachh Modi, but have only succeeded in dirtying its own hands so far. Opposition draftsmen are betting on a war machine Made in North, South and East to take on Modis mojo. Kanimozhi is in the turret right now. Satraps of JD(U), CPI(M), NCP and Congress have been holding consultations to forge an anti-Modi front, prompted by former JD(U) chief Sharad Yadav and Nitish Kumar after meeting Congress president Sonia Gandhi over choosing a common candidate for the Rashtrapati Bhawan. Yadav felt that such successful interactions could go a long way in stalling the BJPs nationwide surge. He admitted disunity in non-BJP ranks as the key reason behind the saffron partys wins in the Uttar Pradesh polls and the Delhi civic elections. Following which, the CPI(M) moved into the Operation-Oppose-Modi-Mode swiftly; its amiable, high-profile general secretary Sitaram Yechury met Sonia in Delhi and Naveen Patnaik in Bhubaneswar to mull a strategy to avoid a breakup of the non-BJP vote in the prez poll. But geography makes history. The Oppositions choice of Chennai as the ground zero for rebirth rings a bell. Almost two decades ago, Karunanidhi had created political history by bringing ideologically opposed parties together at a rally he organised on March 17, 1988, at Marina Beach. The political velocity it generated led to the formation of a national front led by V P Singh, supported by veterans like N T Rama Rao, Devi Lal, Biju Patnaik, Prafulla Mahanta et al which eventually toppled Rajiv Gandhi a year later. Following the Chennai Summit, other conclaves organised by non-Congress chief ministers had added to the momentum. On January 9, 1989, the NT Rama Rao-led TDP government held a public rally in Hyderabad to celebrate its seventh anniversaryattended by S S Barnala from SAD, V C Shukla from Jan Morcha, Vijaya Raje Scindia from BJP and Devi Lal from Lok Dal (B). The constellation of non-Congress planets were coming into alignment. Next, to celebrate five successful years of the Janata government in Karnataka, then chief minister Ramakrishna Hegde organised a public meeting in Bangalore attended by V P Singh, Bahuguna, Jyoti Basu, Mahanta and E K Nayanar. The Comrades inclusion was significant, since it was the first time the Left was corralled into participating in an anti-Congress front. Interestingly, all three initiatives were taken by three chief ministers of three states. History took an ideological U-turn again in 1996 when various regional leaders, the Left and the Congress conjoined to topple Indias first BJP government of Atal Bihari Vajpayee. Now in 2017, little-known woman politician Kanimozhi, who is better known for her social than political networking, has been chosen to woo the North where Modi magic reigns unchallenged. Her Patna trip was the tip of a national Opposition iceberg formed to sink the BJPs Titanic by building a consensus for the next president. She connected brother M K Stalin with Lalu and Nitish. The conversation was more about politics than pineapple pastries; and the massive rally after the Kalaignars birthday bash. Though DMK insiders claim Karunanidhis state of mind is too feeble to think up such a strategy, Kanimozhis sojourn carries his typical stamp of forging impossible alliances, forcing a movement to rise when the moment arose. When Indira was isolated by top Congress leaders in 1969 during the Syndicate split, Karunanidhi asked his 25 MPs to stand by her. In 1971, he followed her cue by dissolving the Assembly when she dissolved the Lok Sabha for simultaneous elections. His strategy paid rich dividends and his party won an unprecedented 184 seats; a state record. Now, with the ruling AIADMK in disarray, Karunanidhi wants to capitalise on the waning clout of his opponents. With uncanny foresight, the constant centrist in this family party has decided to introduce his political heirsStalin and Kanimozhito national leaders before he is rendered physically inactive. He has played a major role in choosing prime ministers in the past. He has always aligned with one national party or the other in New Delhi. The DMK has been part of many ruling coalitions at the Centre. The fact that for the first time it is out of power in both the state and Delhi after many years has vastly eroded its clout. Birthdays, weddings and anniversaries have acquired new meaning in Modi era politics. Karunanidhi has the rare ability of converting challenges into opportunities. Now he has found one. Modi bashers and baiters seem confident that the waves of Marina beach will break out in applause lauding their efforts once again. They are looking forward to landing in Chennai to celebrate Karunanidhis birthday, expecting to have the cake and eat it too. But do they have the reach to swat the flies on the walls, wandered in from Modis kitchen where ideas are cooking faster than you can say 2019? prabhu chawla prabhuchawla@ newindianexpress.com Follow him on Twitter @PrabhuChawla
George Poikayil By

Express News Service

KASARGOD : I hereby declare that I have pronounced, talaq... talaq... talaq to my wife, Shameem Begum (27), signed off 33-year old Javed S in an agreement dated April 4, 2017. It was a day of emancipation for Shameem, a seamstress. (Both names changed.)

For four years, I have been trying and I had to literally fall at his feet to get the talaq, said Shameem.Javed agreed to it after she had signed another agreement foregoing all her rightsto maintenance and giving up the Rs 1.5 lakh she paid as the mahr or dowry to him.

I just wanted to get out of the pit. I didnt care for the money, she said. Hers is but one example of how Muslim men attempt to circumvent the law and deny women their rights.

Born in a poor family and brought up by a single mother, Shameem had to sell 10 cents of her meagre landholding to raise the Rs 1.5 lakh and buy 10 sovereigns (80g) of gold ornaments. But the marriage lasted hardly a week. Javed was addicted to drugs and liquor. He would come home intoxicated and abuseme, she said. The profanities he used to mouth clog my ears, and he beat me for no reason, said Shameem.

What shocked her the most was when she found out her husband was accused of sodomising a boy. His family and my uncles were cheating me. They knew all along what kind of a man Javed was. In my society, women have no voice, she said.

A resident of Nileshwar, Javed worked with an event management group where he helped build tents and shamianas for wedding parties. But he played truant too often. One day, his co-workers came looking for him and he hid in the bathroom. I did not know he was hiding and told them he was in the bathroom, she said. I still shudder when I think of the thrashing I got that night.

She walked out of the marriage after a week. Her mother and younger sister stood by her. But he used to telephone her and abuse her.

Sometimes, he gives the phone to his friends to abuse me, Shameem said.

She filed two cases against him; one seeking maintenance and the second alleging domestic violence and pestering calls. But the calls never stopped. He continued to abuse her with impunity. Sick of him, she asked for a divorce.

But he told me he will never give me talaq and allow me to get married and live happily. Then she approached the president of her mosque committee in Kanhangad. The presidents reply stunned me, she said. He told me the committee cannot get the divorce on a womans word.

When Shameem, a commerce graduate and a diploma holder in fashion technology, got a new marriage proposal, Javed got more belligerent. He became determined not to divorce me. My lawyers had to use the two cases against him to bring him to the negotiation table, she said.

WHY GIVE TALAQ WHEN WE CAN BEAT THE LAW!

In Kasargod and Kannur, no intelligent Muslim man will give talaq to his wife, said senior lawyer C Sukkur, the former public prosecutor and an officer-bearer of the Kerala Lawyers Forum affiliated to the Indian Union Muslim League.

He said the Muslim (Protection of Rights on Divorce) Act, 1986 gave quite a lot of rights to the divorced. At the time of divorce, a Muslim woman is entitled to a reasonable and fair provision and maintenance from her former husband; he should also provide for the children till they are two years old; and to top it, all the properties given to her by anybody should be returned to her.

The Kerala High Court has ruled the maintenance for 15 years should be paid in a lumpsum at the time of divorce, Sukkur said. To circumvent the law and deny women their rights, Muslim men refrain from giving talaq, he said.

It does not affect them in any way. Men will go on to marry and live happily as polygamy is allowed in Muslim society. But because polyandry is illegal, women get stuck in life, he said.

For women to get legally divorced, they have to rely on the Dissolution of Muslim Marriages Act that came into effect in 1939. It will take years for them to get a divorce from court, he said.

Women such as Shameem would rather forego their rights to get a divorce from an abusive marriage, Sukkur said. She is getting married again this month, though. Suhaida Ashraf (name changed), a principal of an international school, is running from pillar to post for maintenance, her right enshrined in section 3 of the Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Divorce) Act, 1986. Her husband of two years refused to give her talaq unless she signed an agreement foregoing maintenance. I did not have a choice but to sign the agreement to exit the marriage, she said.

After the divorce, she moved the Chief Judicial Magistrates Court seeking maintenance from her former husband. But the court rejected my plea because of the agreement, she said.

KASARGOD : I hereby declare that I have pronounced, talaq... talaq... talaq to my wife, Shameem Begum (27), signed off 33-year old Javed S in an agreement dated April 4, 2017. It was a day of emancipation for Shameem, a seamstress. (Both names changed.) For four years, I have been trying and I had to literally fall at his feet to get the talaq, said Shameem.Javed agreed to it after she had signed another agreement foregoing all her rightsto maintenance and giving up the Rs 1.5 lakh she paid as the mahr or dowry to him. I just wanted to get out of the pit. I didnt care for the money, she said. Hers is but one example of how Muslim men attempt to circumvent the law and deny women their rights. Born in a poor family and brought up by a single mother, Shameem had to sell 10 cents of her meagre landholding to raise the Rs 1.5 lakh and buy 10 sovereigns (80g) of gold ornaments. But the marriage lasted hardly a week. Javed was addicted to drugs and liquor. He would come home intoxicated and abuseme, she said. The profanities he used to mouth clog my ears, and he beat me for no reason, said Shameem. What shocked her the most was when she found out her husband was accused of sodomising a boy. His family and my uncles were cheating me. They knew all along what kind of a man Javed was. In my society, women have no voice, she said. A resident of Nileshwar, Javed worked with an event management group where he helped build tents and shamianas for wedding parties. But he played truant too often. One day, his co-workers came looking for him and he hid in the bathroom. I did not know he was hiding and told them he was in the bathroom, she said. I still shudder when I think of the thrashing I got that night. She walked out of the marriage after a week. Her mother and younger sister stood by her. But he used to telephone her and abuse her. Sometimes, he gives the phone to his friends to abuse me, Shameem said. She filed two cases against him; one seeking maintenance and the second alleging domestic violence and pestering calls. But the calls never stopped. He continued to abuse her with impunity. Sick of him, she asked for a divorce. But he told me he will never give me talaq and allow me to get married and live happily. Then she approached the president of her mosque committee in Kanhangad. The presidents reply stunned me, she said. He told me the committee cannot get the divorce on a womans word. When Shameem, a commerce graduate and a diploma holder in fashion technology, got a new marriage proposal, Javed got more belligerent. He became determined not to divorce me. My lawyers had to use the two cases against him to bring him to the negotiation table, she said. WHY GIVE TALAQ WHEN WE CAN BEAT THE LAW! In Kasargod and Kannur, no intelligent Muslim man will give talaq to his wife, said senior lawyer C Sukkur, the former public prosecutor and an officer-bearer of the Kerala Lawyers Forum affiliated to the Indian Union Muslim League. He said the Muslim (Protection of Rights on Divorce) Act, 1986 gave quite a lot of rights to the divorced. At the time of divorce, a Muslim woman is entitled to a reasonable and fair provision and maintenance from her former husband; he should also provide for the children till they are two years old; and to top it, all the properties given to her by anybody should be returned to her. The Kerala High Court has ruled the maintenance for 15 years should be paid in a lumpsum at the time of divorce, Sukkur said. To circumvent the law and deny women their rights, Muslim men refrain from giving talaq, he said. It does not affect them in any way. Men will go on to marry and live happily as polygamy is allowed in Muslim society. But because polyandry is illegal, women get stuck in life, he said. For women to get legally divorced, they have to rely on the Dissolution of Muslim Marriages Act that came into effect in 1939. It will take years for them to get a divorce from court, he said. Women such as Shameem would rather forego their rights to get a divorce from an abusive marriage, Sukkur said. She is getting married again this month, though. Suhaida Ashraf (name changed), a principal of an international school, is running from pillar to post for maintenance, her right enshrined in section 3 of the Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Divorce) Act, 1986. Her husband of two years refused to give her talaq unless she signed an agreement foregoing maintenance. I did not have a choice but to sign the agreement to exit the marriage, she said. After the divorce, she moved the Chief Judicial Magistrates Court seeking maintenance from her former husband. But the court rejected my plea because of the agreement, she said.
By Express News Service

ADILABAD: A 500-strong mob resorted to heavy stone pelting outside the Utnoor police station on Saturday alleging police inaction against blasphemous remarks posted on WhatsApp against a particular religion. Ten people, including the superintendent of police, his deputy and two other police officers, were injured in the incident.



The incident took a communal turn when another group from the other community also turned up at the police station. Clashes broke out between the two groups forcing police personnel to resort to baton charge and lobbing teargas shells to bring the situation under control. The other group Section 144 was imposed in the soon after.

According to police personnel, the trouble began when a resident of Ameenpura Colony in the town uploaded an audio clip with derogatory remarks against another religion on social media and WhatsApp groups on Saturday night. Activists of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) and Bajrang Dal lodged a complaint at the Utnoor police station that night.



Later in the night, people from a particular community started setting afire roadside property, protesting the delay in arresting the accused. By Sunday morning, a mob of around 500 people, led by leaders of both VHP and Bajrang Dal, gathered outside the police station and staged protests.



Adilabad SP M Srinivas, along with DSP A Laxminarayana visited the police station. They were injured in the stone pelting that followed the protests.

Ground report

Special forces from Mancherial, Nirmal and Kumrambheem districts were deployed in the town

15 check-posts have been set up

SP calls for meetings with heads of both the communities to restore peace

5 cases booked against both the groups in connection with damaging shops and pelting stones

Police launches manhunt for the accused, who is at large

Last month, a person from Adilabad was arrested for posting derogatory remarks against the Prime Minister Narendra Modi

Scenes turned ugly when someone pelted stones at the district superintendent and his deputy who visited Utnoor police station in Adilabad . (EPS)

Utnoor unrest: Police resort to lathicharge



Utnoor, known for peace and tranquility because of the large number of tribals living there, for the first time in recent memory witnessed stone pelting and arson. The police had to resort to baton charge to disperse the mob which was still protesting at the police station. During the incident, protesters raised anti-police slogans and also pelted stones at shops in the vicinity.

Then, people belonging to a particular community also gathered in large numbers near the police station and began hurling stones at another group. As mobs from the two communities were in a direct fight against each other, police had to repeatedly resort to baton charge and lobbing of tear gas shells to disperse them.



Police imposed section 144 in order to restore normalcy.



District collector Buddha Prakash M Jyoti visited the place and inquired about the incident. Later, Karimnagar Range Deputy inspector general (DIG) C Ravi Varma visited Utnoor and enquired about the situation.

ADILABAD: A 500-strong mob resorted to heavy stone pelting outside the Utnoor police station on Saturday alleging police inaction against blasphemous remarks posted on WhatsApp against a particular religion. Ten people, including the superintendent of police, his deputy and two other police officers, were injured in the incident. The incident took a communal turn when another group from the other community also turned up at the police station. Clashes broke out between the two groups forcing police personnel to resort to baton charge and lobbing teargas shells to bring the situation under control. The other group Section 144 was imposed in the soon after. According to police personnel, the trouble began when a resident of Ameenpura Colony in the town uploaded an audio clip with derogatory remarks against another religion on social media and WhatsApp groups on Saturday night. Activists of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) and Bajrang Dal lodged a complaint at the Utnoor police station that night. Later in the night, people from a particular community started setting afire roadside property, protesting the delay in arresting the accused. By Sunday morning, a mob of around 500 people, led by leaders of both VHP and Bajrang Dal, gathered outside the police station and staged protests. Adilabad SP M Srinivas, along with DSP A Laxminarayana visited the police station. They were injured in the stone pelting that followed the protests. Ground report Special forces from Mancherial, Nirmal and Kumrambheem districts were deployed in the town 15 check-posts have been set up SP calls for meetings with heads of both the communities to restore peace 5 cases booked against both the groups in connection with damaging shops and pelting stones Police launches manhunt for the accused, who is at large Last month, a person from Adilabad was arrested for posting derogatory remarks against the Prime Minister Narendra Modi Scenes turned ugly when someone pelted stones at the district superintendent and his deputy who visited Utnoor police station in Adilabad . (EPS) Utnoor unrest: Police resort to lathicharge Utnoor, known for peace and tranquility because of the large number of tribals living there, for the first time in recent memory witnessed stone pelting and arson. The police had to resort to baton charge to disperse the mob which was still protesting at the police station. During the incident, protesters raised anti-police slogans and also pelted stones at shops in the vicinity. Then, people belonging to a particular community also gathered in large numbers near the police station and began hurling stones at another group. As mobs from the two communities were in a direct fight against each other, police had to repeatedly resort to baton charge and lobbing of tear gas shells to disperse them. Police imposed section 144 in order to restore normalcy. District collector Buddha Prakash M Jyoti visited the place and inquired about the incident. Later, Karimnagar Range Deputy inspector general (DIG) C Ravi Varma visited Utnoor and enquired about the situation.
Ram M Sundaram By

Express News Service

CHENNAI: The department of school education, in its official communication (a copy of which is available with Express) to the Centre has said the sum deposited in New Delhi branch of Canara bank could not be tracked.



In 2008-09, the Centre launched an educational incentive scheme which proposed to deposit `3,000 in bank accounts of eligible girl students.

Students can withdraw the incentive amount on attainment of 18 years of age and they must have cleared the Class X board exam.



Accordingly, `128 crore was sanctioned for 11.72 lakh students across the country. Of this, `36.38 crore was earmarked for 87,166 students in Tamil Nadu.



Express on February 28 reported that an RTI response to Madurai-based Dalit activist S Karuppaiah revealed that eight years down the line, not a single beneficiary

received a penny.



Earlier, he had written to the National Commission for Scheduled Caste (NCSC) about non-sanction of funds under this scheme.



The Commissions research officer had sought an explanation from the Tamil Nadu school education department on February 10, 2017.



The department in its response has said a proposal was sent to the Ministry of Human Resources Development and the ministry in turn deposited the sum in Canara Bank, New Delhi, as fixed deposit.

Disbursement of the incentive to students is pending due to a technical uploading error between Canara bank and Public Financial Management System (PFMS), said T Udhaychandran, Tamil Nadu school education secretary, in his letter dated April 10 to NCSC.



He added that officials at the bank level and PFMS were unable to show success or rejected data of beneficiaries as there was no specific beneficiary tracking system.



The department also claimed that the States were unable to track the funds under direct benefit transfer scheme, since all the technical processes were laid between the bank and PFMS.

However, the secretary informed NCSC and Centre that the issue was taken up with senior manager, Canara Bank, New Delhi, to expedite the process and disburse the amount.

Express has sent e-mails to get the banks version to the banks Public Information Officers at its head office and Delhi office.

CHENNAI: The department of school education, in its official communication (a copy of which is available with Express) to the Centre has said the sum deposited in New Delhi branch of Canara bank could not be tracked. In 2008-09, the Centre launched an educational incentive scheme which proposed to deposit `3,000 in bank accounts of eligible girl students. Students can withdraw the incentive amount on attainment of 18 years of age and they must have cleared the Class X board exam. Accordingly, `128 crore was sanctioned for 11.72 lakh students across the country. Of this, `36.38 crore was earmarked for 87,166 students in Tamil Nadu. Express on February 28 reported that an RTI response to Madurai-based Dalit activist S Karuppaiah revealed that eight years down the line, not a single beneficiary received a penny. Earlier, he had written to the National Commission for Scheduled Caste (NCSC) about non-sanction of funds under this scheme. The Commissions research officer had sought an explanation from the Tamil Nadu school education department on February 10, 2017. The department in its response has said a proposal was sent to the Ministry of Human Resources Development and the ministry in turn deposited the sum in Canara Bank, New Delhi, as fixed deposit. Disbursement of the incentive to students is pending due to a technical uploading error between Canara bank and Public Financial Management System (PFMS), said T Udhaychandran, Tamil Nadu school education secretary, in his letter dated April 10 to NCSC. He added that officials at the bank level and PFMS were unable to show success or rejected data of beneficiaries as there was no specific beneficiary tracking system. The department also claimed that the States were unable to track the funds under direct benefit transfer scheme, since all the technical processes were laid between the bank and PFMS. However, the secretary informed NCSC and Centre that the issue was taken up with senior manager, Canara Bank, New Delhi, to expedite the process and disburse the amount. Express has sent e-mails to get the banks version to the banks Public Information Officers at its head office and Delhi office.
By Express News Service

CHENNAI: The counselling for post-graduate (PG) medical courses in Tamil Nadu will begin on Monday, at Multi Super Speciality Hospital at Omandurar Estate in Chennai, health department officials told the New Indian Express.



The counselling will begin on May 8 till May 11, and the candidates rank list was released earlier today on the official website. An attached link with other instructions in PDF format was also released.



A total of 562 seat in PG degree courses and 200 diploma seats are available in government colleges.



The health department announced the move after a long legal battle and protests demanding 50 per cent quota for government doctors.



However, the Madras High Court on Saturday ruled that the admissions must be done only as per guidelines of the Medical Council of India, which does not permit 50 per cent quota for government doctors.

CHENNAI: The counselling for post-graduate (PG) medical courses in Tamil Nadu will begin on Monday, at Multi Super Speciality Hospital at Omandurar Estate in Chennai, health department officials told the New Indian Express. The counselling will begin on May 8 till May 11, and the candidates rank list was released earlier today on the official website. An attached link with other instructions in PDF format was also released. A total of 562 seat in PG degree courses and 200 diploma seats are available in government colleges. The health department announced the move after a long legal battle and protests demanding 50 per cent quota for government doctors. However, the Madras High Court on Saturday ruled that the admissions must be done only as per guidelines of the Medical Council of India, which does not permit 50 per cent quota for government doctors.
M Sabari By

Express News Service

NAMAKKAL: Faced with acute year-round water shortage in the rain shadow region of the Western Ghats, agriculture was never really a viable option in Namakkal.

When the first few tentative entrepreneurs struck gold with their small-scale poultry farms, it opened the floodgates to the mushrooming of many such units and, soon, Namakkal became the largest supplier of eggs across the south, earning the sobriquet of Egg City.



The merciless summer sun, following in the footsteps of a miserly monsoon, has not left Egg City unharmed. By a conservative estimate, around 50 lakh poultry has already succumbed to the spike in mercury levels. The production of eggs has already dipped by 50 lakh a day.



Namakkal takes care of the egg requirement of Tamil Nadu and neighbouring States like Kerala, Karnataka and Andhra by supplying around 3.5 crore eggs a day. However, with a slump in production, the supply has taken a hit, say industry sources. Though not a water-intensive industry, the situation is so grim that dairy farmers are knocking at the doors of the district administration for a nod to draw water from village borewells.



While summer is wreaking havoc on the industry, farmers are employing a marketing stratagem to mitigate losses. Tamil Nadu Poultry Farmers Association (TNPFA) president AKP Chinraj told Express that its normal to lose 15 to 20 per cent eggs and birds to summer annually.



Normally, a meat chicken gains weight for sale in 35 days. However, in summer, that takes at least 40 days. It costs us anywhere between `2 to `3 per bird. Usually, eight lakh kg of meat is produced per week, but when dry season arrives, the demand falls down to seven lakh kg. While our input cost hovers around the same figure, the income experiences a fall. When it comes to eggs, 11 paise needs to be invested per egg, he pointed out.



So what is the status this summer? Due to drought, we are hard pressed to save the birds. We need to spray water on them regularly and ensure cool drinking water supply.

This is where the trouble starts. When we draw water from public sources, villagers object. This forces us to travel long distances to fetch water. Even 6,000-litre capacity water carriers cost around `800-`1,000 per trip. This adds to our cost, but there is not much demand for us to break even, added Chinraj.



Tamil Nadu Egg Poultry Farmers Federation (TNEPFF) vice president Vangli Subramaniam backed Chinrajs claim by saying that they are hard pressed to address the water concerns. We do not know where to draw water from. The sector employs four lakh people. Many have lost jobs and if the situation persists, more will be on the streets, Subramaniam felt.



The sector is also grappling with miscreants using social media platforms to trigger panic among customers. Rumours of chickens being injected with steroids to make them gain weight faster are doing the rounds. Similarly, activists are raising objections to our confining birds to battery cages, Subramaniam said.

NAMAKKAL: Faced with acute year-round water shortage in the rain shadow region of the Western Ghats, agriculture was never really a viable option in Namakkal. When the first few tentative entrepreneurs struck gold with their small-scale poultry farms, it opened the floodgates to the mushrooming of many such units and, soon, Namakkal became the largest supplier of eggs across the south, earning the sobriquet of Egg City. The merciless summer sun, following in the footsteps of a miserly monsoon, has not left Egg City unharmed. By a conservative estimate, around 50 lakh poultry has already succumbed to the spike in mercury levels. The production of eggs has already dipped by 50 lakh a day. Namakkal takes care of the egg requirement of Tamil Nadu and neighbouring States like Kerala, Karnataka and Andhra by supplying around 3.5 crore eggs a day. However, with a slump in production, the supply has taken a hit, say industry sources. Though not a water-intensive industry, the situation is so grim that dairy farmers are knocking at the doors of the district administration for a nod to draw water from village borewells. While summer is wreaking havoc on the industry, farmers are employing a marketing stratagem to mitigate losses. Tamil Nadu Poultry Farmers Association (TNPFA) president AKP Chinraj told Express that its normal to lose 15 to 20 per cent eggs and birds to summer annually. Normally, a meat chicken gains weight for sale in 35 days. However, in summer, that takes at least 40 days. It costs us anywhere between `2 to `3 per bird. Usually, eight lakh kg of meat is produced per week, but when dry season arrives, the demand falls down to seven lakh kg. While our input cost hovers around the same figure, the income experiences a fall. When it comes to eggs, 11 paise needs to be invested per egg, he pointed out. So what is the status this summer? Due to drought, we are hard pressed to save the birds. We need to spray water on them regularly and ensure cool drinking water supply. This is where the trouble starts. When we draw water from public sources, villagers object. This forces us to travel long distances to fetch water. Even 6,000-litre capacity water carriers cost around `800-`1,000 per trip. This adds to our cost, but there is not much demand for us to break even, added Chinraj. Tamil Nadu Egg Poultry Farmers Federation (TNEPFF) vice president Vangli Subramaniam backed Chinrajs claim by saying that they are hard pressed to address the water concerns. We do not know where to draw water from. The sector employs four lakh people. Many have lost jobs and if the situation persists, more will be on the streets, Subramaniam felt. The sector is also grappling with miscreants using social media platforms to trigger panic among customers. Rumours of chickens being injected with steroids to make them gain weight faster are doing the rounds. Similarly, activists are raising objections to our confining birds to battery cages, Subramaniam said.
By Express News Service

HYDERABAD: Union labour minister Bandaru Dattatreya said Employees Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) has over 4.30 crore subscribers and a corpus of over Rs 10 lakh crore. The minister said the officials had identified that about Rs 42,000 crore was lying in inoperative accounts across the country. Enforcement Officers from 1999 batch of Employees Provident Fund on Sunday felicitated Dattatreya here.

During the function, the officers said the labour minister was taking steps for undertaking the cadre restructuring of the EPFO, which resulted in promotions for many officers. Dattatreya said thousands of officials working in various cadres in the EPFO had got promotions which had been pending for the past 18 years. While thanking the officials for the felicitation, he said the cadre restructuring of EPFO resulted in promotion opportunities for more officials.

HYDERABAD: Union labour minister Bandaru Dattatreya said Employees Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) has over 4.30 crore subscribers and a corpus of over Rs 10 lakh crore. The minister said the officials had identified that about Rs 42,000 crore was lying in inoperative accounts across the country. Enforcement Officers from 1999 batch of Employees Provident Fund on Sunday felicitated Dattatreya here. During the function, the officers said the labour minister was taking steps for undertaking the cadre restructuring of the EPFO, which resulted in promotions for many officers. Dattatreya said thousands of officials working in various cadres in the EPFO had got promotions which had been pending for the past 18 years. While thanking the officials for the felicitation, he said the cadre restructuring of EPFO resulted in promotion opportunities for more officials.
Yatish Yadav By

NEW DELHI: The Kashmir Valley is witnessing a never-before planning and aggression by separatists and their cohort. Security and Intelligence officials battling to control the fresh web of violence say that they have never seen mobilisation of people with such a strength.

Pakistan is playing the new war politically by fuelling the firepower of separatistsSyed Ali Shah Geelani, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and Mohammad Yasin Malik. Their so-called joint resistance force has thrown its weight behind ISI by giving protest calls against the state machinery.

Several officers agreed that the scale of protest and support to militants is much bigger than they had seen during earlier such agitationsfor example, the incidents immediately after the 2009 Shopian alleged rape and murder case.

Let the violence blow through the streets of the Valley: the message from Pakistans ISI to separatists in Jammu & Kashmir is loud and clear. In fact, the Pakistan army and the nefarious intelligence agency are carefully shaping the bloodied landscape with the help of political elements in Kashmir to make the issue multi-dimensional.

Public mobilisation ability of separatist leaders has suddenly gone up, which is quite surprising for us as they were completely sidelined and subdued in the last couple of years. No doubt, Pakistan always had sort of edge when it comes to exploitation of opportunist elements in the valley, and in turn they are pushing the common populace to fight proxy war. Pakistan Army Chief General Qamar Javed Bajwas visit last week to the LoC and his subsequent statement is just one example of tactical shift. There are many more, a security establishment official said.

What is that More, which is making the situation worse? Among the enhanced weaponry is quiet door-to-door campaigning by the separatist elements in the far-flung villages and towns with disinformation campaign that BJP, a partner in the state and ruling party in the Centre, is going to turn the Valley into a Hindu majority region.

For the first time, issues such as Triple Talaq, surgical strike and beef ban are being discussed behind the walls of the militancy-affected region of South Kashmir. The separatists foot soldiers have been provided with end-to-end encrypted software to communicate with each other, making interception of activities and thus propaganda war absolutely unbreakable.

Pakistan has been hinting that it may not, due to internal factors, help in militancy the way it used to but has adopted a more solid way of expanding the net through political and social proxies. And, this is precisely the reasons the terrorists are drawing unflinching support from the locals, an officer serving in the state said. Another shocking fact that the security establishment has seen is certain agitations on the lines of flash mob.

While searching for proof, they couldnt find the leaders or organisers that are further adding to the mystery. An officer said the proof or evidence comes only when the operation fails or goes haywire. It is like dealing with many-faced terror. You try to neutralise one and several others are just popping up around you, the officer added.

Governors Rule in the Offing?

The Opposition, including the Congress and the National Conference, is clamouring for the dismissal of the PDP-BJP government in the state and imposition of Governors rule. Security officials do not mince words while saying that the present government is one of the major factors contributing to the ongoing protests.

There is desperation or lets call it alienation due to PDPs, once closest to separatists, alliance with BJP and clear-cut polarisation of the populace. Above all, the demography in the Valley comes in handy for Pakistan, said an officer serving in the region.

The security establishment fears that the speculation over Modi-Sharifs possible meeting on the sidelines of Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit in June may trigger another web of violence as the Pakistan Army and ISI are against peace talks. Sharif, gearing up to face the election next year, is already feeling increasingly cornered by the hardliners in his country.

NEW DELHI: The Kashmir Valley is witnessing a never-before planning and aggression by separatists and their cohort. Security and Intelligence officials battling to control the fresh web of violence say that they have never seen mobilisation of people with such a strength. Pakistan is playing the new war politically by fuelling the firepower of separatistsSyed Ali Shah Geelani, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and Mohammad Yasin Malik. Their so-called joint resistance force has thrown its weight behind ISI by giving protest calls against the state machinery. Several officers agreed that the scale of protest and support to militants is much bigger than they had seen during earlier such agitationsfor example, the incidents immediately after the 2009 Shopian alleged rape and murder case. Let the violence blow through the streets of the Valley: the message from Pakistans ISI to separatists in Jammu & Kashmir is loud and clear. In fact, the Pakistan army and the nefarious intelligence agency are carefully shaping the bloodied landscape with the help of political elements in Kashmir to make the issue multi-dimensional. Public mobilisation ability of separatist leaders has suddenly gone up, which is quite surprising for us as they were completely sidelined and subdued in the last couple of years. No doubt, Pakistan always had sort of edge when it comes to exploitation of opportunist elements in the valley, and in turn they are pushing the common populace to fight proxy war. Pakistan Army Chief General Qamar Javed Bajwas visit last week to the LoC and his subsequent statement is just one example of tactical shift. There are many more, a security establishment official said. What is that More, which is making the situation worse? Among the enhanced weaponry is quiet door-to-door campaigning by the separatist elements in the far-flung villages and towns with disinformation campaign that BJP, a partner in the state and ruling party in the Centre, is going to turn the Valley into a Hindu majority region. For the first time, issues such as Triple Talaq, surgical strike and beef ban are being discussed behind the walls of the militancy-affected region of South Kashmir. The separatists foot soldiers have been provided with end-to-end encrypted software to communicate with each other, making interception of activities and thus propaganda war absolutely unbreakable. Pakistan has been hinting that it may not, due to internal factors, help in militancy the way it used to but has adopted a more solid way of expanding the net through political and social proxies. And, this is precisely the reasons the terrorists are drawing unflinching support from the locals, an officer serving in the state said. Another shocking fact that the security establishment has seen is certain agitations on the lines of flash mob. While searching for proof, they couldnt find the leaders or organisers that are further adding to the mystery. An officer said the proof or evidence comes only when the operation fails or goes haywire. It is like dealing with many-faced terror. You try to neutralise one and several others are just popping up around you, the officer added. Governors Rule in the Offing? The Opposition, including the Congress and the National Conference, is clamouring for the dismissal of the PDP-BJP government in the state and imposition of Governors rule. Security officials do not mince words while saying that the present government is one of the major factors contributing to the ongoing protests. There is desperation or lets call it alienation due to PDPs, once closest to separatists, alliance with BJP and clear-cut polarisation of the populace. Above all, the demography in the Valley comes in handy for Pakistan, said an officer serving in the region. The security establishment fears that the speculation over Modi-Sharifs possible meeting on the sidelines of Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit in June may trigger another web of violence as the Pakistan Army and ISI are against peace talks. Sharif, gearing up to face the election next year, is already feeling increasingly cornered by the hardliners in his country.
Kumar Vikram and Ankur Sharma By

NEW DELHI: What began as a revolution of hope at Jantar Mantar in 2011 has come full circle with a revolt brewing against Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and his cohorts. Soon, Jantar Mantar may be the scene of protests by Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) workers against the K-caucus. Rebellious state leaders are pushing for change at the local level, where the party is unable to attract members or workers.

Both domestic and foreign funding has dried up. While once NRIs had taken sabbatical from their careers to join AAP with significant donations, the party has now stopped displaying the details of donations. The Centre is now examining the source of foreign funds, forcing the party to cry wolf.

Last week, Kejriwal had offered the disgruntled Kumar Vishwas responsibility for the partys poll push for Rajasthan in 2018 instead of the Rajya Sabha ticket he had been hoping for, say insiders. However, they feel the CM is up to his usual tricks since the party has little hope of conquering Rajasthan. This may prompt Vishwas to hop across to the BJP, which is waiting in the wings.

AAP leaders feel the crisis-ridden party is heading for a possible split. Local leaders from Punjab, Goa and Maharashtra will meet Kejriwal later this month to push for change, to which the top brass may agree. Major changes in party are in the offing too. The Maharashtra unit that failed to attract volunteers will organise two outreach programmes on May 9 and 10, but so far the applicants are just a few dozen.

Goa leaders oppose Arvind Kejriwals previous decision of making Elvis Gomes the torchbearer for the state election where AAP candidates lost their deposits in 38 seats of 39.

Gomes was facing corruption charges in a land scam. He had joined the party just five months before the election. He couldnt manage to win even his own seat, says a Goa volunteer. They want responsibility for the successive electoral debacles in Punjab, Goa and Delhi to be fixed.

The discussions at almost every meeting make it clear the party needs a repair job, a senior party leader said.

NEW DELHI: What began as a revolution of hope at Jantar Mantar in 2011 has come full circle with a revolt brewing against Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and his cohorts. Soon, Jantar Mantar may be the scene of protests by Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) workers against the K-caucus. Rebellious state leaders are pushing for change at the local level, where the party is unable to attract members or workers. Both domestic and foreign funding has dried up. While once NRIs had taken sabbatical from their careers to join AAP with significant donations, the party has now stopped displaying the details of donations. The Centre is now examining the source of foreign funds, forcing the party to cry wolf. Last week, Kejriwal had offered the disgruntled Kumar Vishwas responsibility for the partys poll push for Rajasthan in 2018 instead of the Rajya Sabha ticket he had been hoping for, say insiders. However, they feel the CM is up to his usual tricks since the party has little hope of conquering Rajasthan. This may prompt Vishwas to hop across to the BJP, which is waiting in the wings. AAP leaders feel the crisis-ridden party is heading for a possible split. Local leaders from Punjab, Goa and Maharashtra will meet Kejriwal later this month to push for change, to which the top brass may agree. Major changes in party are in the offing too. The Maharashtra unit that failed to attract volunteers will organise two outreach programmes on May 9 and 10, but so far the applicants are just a few dozen. Goa leaders oppose Arvind Kejriwals previous decision of making Elvis Gomes the torchbearer for the state election where AAP candidates lost their deposits in 38 seats of 39. Gomes was facing corruption charges in a land scam. He had joined the party just five months before the election. He couldnt manage to win even his own seat, says a Goa volunteer. They want responsibility for the successive electoral debacles in Punjab, Goa and Delhi to be fixed. The discussions at almost every meeting make it clear the party needs a repair job, a senior party leader said.
Zumbish By

HYDERABAD: The first response from Haseena Begum after she was reunited with her family in Hyderabad wasPlease do not head to Saudi for a job.



Speaking further, she said, I appeal to everyone to learn a lesson from my experience. It is painful to suffer atrocities alone in an alien country, away from your loved ones.



She heaved a sigh of relief on meeting her dear and near ones here, after having undergone months of torture at the hands of her employer and a month-long imprisonment in Dammam, Saudi Arabia, on alleged false charges.



The 46-year-old was repatriated with the help of Indian Embassy in Riyadh, a day after she was released from a jail in Dammam. Given the ordeals I underwent in Saudi Arabia, I can say it is a very dangerous country for poor migrants.

There are at least a thousand women like me who had gone there to earn a decent income, but were forced to become bonded labourer and were tortured on protesting. Imagine, I was thrown off a building by Shaman when I tried to escape from captivity and torture.



Referring to what she experienced during her month-long imprisonment in Dammam 91 jail, she said that the approach of Saudi police towards outsiders is appallingly inhumane.



Imagine, I was framed on false charges of theft by my employer despite being severely injured. While I was in prison, the police failed to provide me any security. My Kafeel (sponsor) used to come to the police station and threaten me. He even assaulted me at the police station. I thank the Indian Embassy in Riyadh and its officials and Majlis Bachao Tehreek for helping me out of my situation, she said.



After learning about Haseenas ordeals on Twitter, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj had asked the Indian Embassy in Saudi Arabia to rescue and repatriate her to India at the earliest. Later, she also appreciated the efforts of the embassy for resolving the issue in 72 hours.

HYDERABAD: The first response from Haseena Begum after she was reunited with her family in Hyderabad wasPlease do not head to Saudi for a job. Speaking further, she said, I appeal to everyone to learn a lesson from my experience. It is painful to suffer atrocities alone in an alien country, away from your loved ones. She heaved a sigh of relief on meeting her dear and near ones here, after having undergone months of torture at the hands of her employer and a month-long imprisonment in Dammam, Saudi Arabia, on alleged false charges. The 46-year-old was repatriated with the help of Indian Embassy in Riyadh, a day after she was released from a jail in Dammam. Given the ordeals I underwent in Saudi Arabia, I can say it is a very dangerous country for poor migrants. There are at least a thousand women like me who had gone there to earn a decent income, but were forced to become bonded labourer and were tortured on protesting. Imagine, I was thrown off a building by Shaman when I tried to escape from captivity and torture. Referring to what she experienced during her month-long imprisonment in Dammam 91 jail, she said that the approach of Saudi police towards outsiders is appallingly inhumane. Imagine, I was framed on false charges of theft by my employer despite being severely injured. While I was in prison, the police failed to provide me any security. My Kafeel (sponsor) used to come to the police station and threaten me. He even assaulted me at the police station. I thank the Indian Embassy in Riyadh and its officials and Majlis Bachao Tehreek for helping me out of my situation, she said. After learning about Haseenas ordeals on Twitter, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj had asked the Indian Embassy in Saudi Arabia to rescue and repatriate her to India at the earliest. Later, she also appreciated the efforts of the embassy for resolving the issue in 72 hours.
George Poikayil By

KASARGOD (KERALA): I hereby declare that I have pronounced, talaq... talaq... talaq to my wife, Shameem Begum (27), signed off 33-year-old Javed S in an agreement dated April 4, 2017.

It was a day of emancipation for Shameem, a seamstress. (Both names changed)

For four years, I have been trying and I had to literally fall at his feet to get the talaq, said Shameem.

Javed agreed to it after she had signed another agreement foregoing all her rights to maintenance and giving up the Rs 1.5 lakh she paid as the mahr or dowry to him. I just wanted to get out of the pit. I didnt care for the money, she said.

Hers is but one example of how Muslim men attempt to circumvent the law and deny women their rights.

Born in a poor family and brought up by a single mother, Shameem had to sell 10 cents of her meagre landholding to raise the Rs 1.5 lakh and buy 10 sovereigns (80g) of gold ornaments.

But the marriage lasted hardly a week.



Javed was addicted to drugs and liquor. He would come home intoxicated and abuse me, she said.

The profanities he used to mouth clog my ears, and he beat me for no reason, said Shameem.

What shocked her the most was when she found out her husband was accused of sodomising a boy. His family and my uncles were cheating me. They knew all along what kind of a man Javed was. In my society, women have no voice, she said.

A resident of Nileshwar, Javed worked with an event management group where he helped build tents and shamianas for weddings. But he played truant often. One day, his co-workers came looking for him and he hid in the bathroom. I did not know he was hiding and told them he was in the bathroom, said Shameem.I still shudder when I think of the thrashing I got that night.

She walked out of the marriage after a week. Her mother and younger sister stood by her. But he used to telephone her and abuse her. She filed two cases against him; one seeking maintenance and the second alleging domestic violence and pestering calls. But he continued to abuse her. She asked for a divorce, He said hell never give me talaq and allow me to remarry.

When Shameem got a marriage proposal, Javed became determined not to divorce me. My lawyers had to use the cases against him to bring him to the negotiation table, she said.

In Kasargod and Kannur, no intelligent Muslim man will give talaq to his wife, said senior lawyer C Sukkur, former public prosecutor and officer-bearer of the Kerala Lawyers Forum affiliated to the Indian Union Muslim League.

To circumvent the law and deny women their rights, Muslim men refrain from giving talaq, he said. Men will remarry as polygamy is allowed in Muslim society. But because polyandry is illegal, women get stuck, he said. For women to get legally divorced, they have to rely on the Dissolution of Muslim Marriages Act that came into effect in 1939. It will take years for them to get a divorce from court, he said.

KASARGOD (KERALA): I hereby declare that I have pronounced, talaq... talaq... talaq to my wife, Shameem Begum (27), signed off 33-year-old Javed S in an agreement dated April 4, 2017. It was a day of emancipation for Shameem, a seamstress. (Both names changed) For four years, I have been trying and I had to literally fall at his feet to get the talaq, said Shameem. Javed agreed to it after she had signed another agreement foregoing all her rights to maintenance and giving up the Rs 1.5 lakh she paid as the mahr or dowry to him. I just wanted to get out of the pit. I didnt care for the money, she said. Hers is but one example of how Muslim men attempt to circumvent the law and deny women their rights. Born in a poor family and brought up by a single mother, Shameem had to sell 10 cents of her meagre landholding to raise the Rs 1.5 lakh and buy 10 sovereigns (80g) of gold ornaments. But the marriage lasted hardly a week. Javed was addicted to drugs and liquor. He would come home intoxicated and abuse me, she said. The profanities he used to mouth clog my ears, and he beat me for no reason, said Shameem. What shocked her the most was when she found out her husband was accused of sodomising a boy. His family and my uncles were cheating me. They knew all along what kind of a man Javed was. In my society, women have no voice, she said. A resident of Nileshwar, Javed worked with an event management group where he helped build tents and shamianas for weddings. But he played truant often. One day, his co-workers came looking for him and he hid in the bathroom. I did not know he was hiding and told them he was in the bathroom, said Shameem.I still shudder when I think of the thrashing I got that night. She walked out of the marriage after a week. Her mother and younger sister stood by her. But he used to telephone her and abuse her. She filed two cases against him; one seeking maintenance and the second alleging domestic violence and pestering calls. But he continued to abuse her. She asked for a divorce, He said hell never give me talaq and allow me to remarry. When Shameem got a marriage proposal, Javed became determined not to divorce me. My lawyers had to use the cases against him to bring him to the negotiation table, she said. In Kasargod and Kannur, no intelligent Muslim man will give talaq to his wife, said senior lawyer C Sukkur, former public prosecutor and officer-bearer of the Kerala Lawyers Forum affiliated to the Indian Union Muslim League. To circumvent the law and deny women their rights, Muslim men refrain from giving talaq, he said. Men will remarry as polygamy is allowed in Muslim society. But because polyandry is illegal, women get stuck, he said. For women to get legally divorced, they have to rely on the Dissolution of Muslim Marriages Act that came into effect in 1939. It will take years for them to get a divorce from court, he said.
By PTI

WASHINGTON: A 32-year-old Indian-American doctor has been shot dead under mysterious circumstances in a car in the US state of Michigan.

Rakesh Kumar, who worked in the Urology Department of the Henry Ford Hospital, was found dead on the passenger seat of a car in a rest area, some 90 miles out of Detroit, on late Thursday evening.

Police are investigating the case to ascertain the cause of his death.

The family members of Kumar say they do not suspect anyone and have ruled out the possibility of it being an incident of hate crime.

"We do not know (the reason for his murder). They (The police) are yet to find out," his father Narendra Kumar, a former president of the influential American Association of Physicians of Indian Origin (AAPI), told PTI.

"We do not suspect anything. We do not think, it was a hate crime," said a shocked Kumar.

Rakesh was a medical graduate from the Amrita Institute of Medical Sciences in Kochi.

When he did not show up for his work, a hospital doctor called his father to enquire about him.

"This was quite unusual," the father said.

He said he made several phone calls and sent text messages to his son, but there was no response.

The father went to his son's apartment and called the police when he did not find him there.

After hours of search, police found the dead body of Rakesh in the passenger seat of a car at a rest area. By late night on Thursday, the body was identified as that of Rakesh.

The police have refrained from making any comments about the incident.

There has been a surge in hate crimes against the Hindu and Sikh communities in the US after Donald Trump became the President of the country.

Indian engineer Srinivas Kuchibhotla was killed when a US Navy veteran Adam Purinton opened fire at him and his friend Alok Madasani before yelling "get out of my country" in February.

In Florida, an Indian-American family's store was almost burnt to the ground and many more have been harassed and threatened.

WASHINGTON: A 32-year-old Indian-American doctor has been shot dead under mysterious circumstances in a car in the US state of Michigan. Rakesh Kumar, who worked in the Urology Department of the Henry Ford Hospital, was found dead on the passenger seat of a car in a rest area, some 90 miles out of Detroit, on late Thursday evening. Police are investigating the case to ascertain the cause of his death. The family members of Kumar say they do not suspect anyone and have ruled out the possibility of it being an incident of hate crime. "We do not know (the reason for his murder). They (The police) are yet to find out," his father Narendra Kumar, a former president of the influential American Association of Physicians of Indian Origin (AAPI), told PTI. "We do not suspect anything. We do not think, it was a hate crime," said a shocked Kumar. Rakesh was a medical graduate from the Amrita Institute of Medical Sciences in Kochi. When he did not show up for his work, a hospital doctor called his father to enquire about him. "This was quite unusual," the father said. He said he made several phone calls and sent text messages to his son, but there was no response. The father went to his son's apartment and called the police when he did not find him there. After hours of search, police found the dead body of Rakesh in the passenger seat of a car at a rest area. By late night on Thursday, the body was identified as that of Rakesh. The police have refrained from making any comments about the incident. There has been a surge in hate crimes against the Hindu and Sikh communities in the US after Donald Trump became the President of the country. Indian engineer Srinivas Kuchibhotla was killed when a US Navy veteran Adam Purinton opened fire at him and his friend Alok Madasani before yelling "get out of my country" in February. In Florida, an Indian-American family's store was almost burnt to the ground and many more have been harassed and threatened.
By PTI

BEIRUT: The National Coalition, a leading Syrian opposition body, elected prominent dissident Riad Seif as its new head today, the body's media office said.

Seventy-year-old Seif, who hails from Damascus, won 58 votes from the Istanbul-based National Coalition's 102 members, beating out the younger Khaled Khoja.

Born into a family of modest means in Damascus, he began working in a textiles factory aged 12, before eventually opening his own workshop, which later became a profitable factory.

Seif served as a parliamentarian under both Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and his father Hafez before him, and is one of the few lawmakers to have openly criticised the regime and its economic policies.

He spent a total of eight years in jail for organising weekly roundtables at his home on human rights issues in the 2000s and left Syria in June 2012.

When the National Coalition was formed later on that year, Seif served as its vice president.

In his new role, he will replace current head Anas al- Abdeh, who was elected in March 2016.

National Coalition members also elected Abdulrahman Mustafa and Salwa Ktaw as vice presidents. Syria's war began in 2011 with widespread demonstrations against the Assad government, which responded with a brutal crackdown.

BEIRUT: The National Coalition, a leading Syrian opposition body, elected prominent dissident Riad Seif as its new head today, the body's media office said. Seventy-year-old Seif, who hails from Damascus, won 58 votes from the Istanbul-based National Coalition's 102 members, beating out the younger Khaled Khoja. Born into a family of modest means in Damascus, he began working in a textiles factory aged 12, before eventually opening his own workshop, which later became a profitable factory. Seif served as a parliamentarian under both Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and his father Hafez before him, and is one of the few lawmakers to have openly criticised the regime and its economic policies. He spent a total of eight years in jail for organising weekly roundtables at his home on human rights issues in the 2000s and left Syria in June 2012. When the National Coalition was formed later on that year, Seif served as its vice president. In his new role, he will replace current head Anas al- Abdeh, who was elected in March 2016. National Coalition members also elected Abdulrahman Mustafa and Salwa Ktaw as vice presidents. Syria's war began in 2011 with widespread demonstrations against the Assad government, which responded with a brutal crackdown.
By Reuters

NEW YORK: David Miller, a white collar defence lawyer and former federal prosecutor, has emerged as a candidate to succeed Preet Bharara as the next Manhattan U.S. attorney, according to people familiar with the matter.

Miller, a partner at Morgan, Lewis & Bockius in New York, has in recent weeks spoken with officials in the U.S. Department of Justice and the White House as well as members of Congress about the job, said the people, who spoke on condition of anonymity about the private discussions.

The administration's interest in Miller for the prestigious post has not been previously reported. Edward McNally, a partner at Kasowitz Benson Torres, has been viewed as the leading candidate among at least four people said to have been under consideration, according to sources and media reports.

It is not clear who is now favoured to get the position, which requires the President's nomination and is subject to confirmation by the Senate.

Spokespeople for Morgan Lewis, Kasowitz and the Department of Justice declined to comment. The White House did not respond to questions about Miller as a candidate.

U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York is considered one of the most important posts in the U.S. justice system. It entails overseeing more than 200 prosecutors handling high-profile cases ranging from terrorism to wrongdoing on Wall Street, cyber attacks and corruption.

In addition to Wall Street cases, whoever is chosen will inherit the office's investigation into a scandal at Fox News Channel over payments to settle sexual harassment claims and the prosecution of a Turkish gold trader in a politically charged case that has angered Turkey's president Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

INDEPENDENCE

Miller, 43, was an assistant U.S. attorney under Bharara from 2009 to 2014. During that time he was on a team of prosecutors involved in the office's crackdown on insider trading and was lead counsel in prosecutions of narcotics-related cases, as well as mail fraud and embezzlement schemes.

Bharara's former deputy Joon Kim is currently acting Manhattan U.S. Attorney. Bharara was fired in March after refusing to resign along with 45 other U.S. attorneys from the Obama administration. The dismissal was a surprise because Bharara was asked by Trump in November to stay on.

Bharara had built a strong reputation as Wall Street's top cop and for going after political corruption, regardless of party.

Both Miller's and McNally's law firms have ties to U.S. President Donald Trump. Sheri Dillon, a partner at Morgan Lewis, took part in Trump's January news conference on his plans to avoid conflicts of interest. Kasowitz has handled various cases for Trump for more than a decade and David Friedman, a former name partner at the firm, was confirmed in March as U.S. ambassador to Israel. Miller and McNally are both Republicans.

Before his stint under Bharara, Miller served as a trial attorney in the Justice Department's counter-terrorism section and as assistant general counsel for the Central Intelligence Agency. While at the CIA, he assisted in prosecuting Lewis "Scooter" Libby, who was found guilty of lying and obstructing a probe into who blew the cover of a CIA officer in a case that fueled debate over the Iraq war.

Miller's former and current colleagues described him as a talented, "by-the-book" lawyer who - if chosen - could be expected to protect the office's culture of independence.

"David Miller would be a fine choice," said Carrie Cohen, a partner at Morrison Foerster whose time as a prosecutor in Manhattan overlapped with Miller's. "Appointing someone who previously worked in the office bodes well for bringing the types of cases it has historically brought, without fear or favour."

McNally, 61, has had a wide-ranging career in law and government. He was interim U.S. attorney for the Southern District of Illinois in late 2005 and 2006 and, during the 1980s, he worked as a prosecutor in the U.S. Attorney's office in Manhattan under Rudolph Giuliani.

He also has served as a White House speechwriter under President George H.W. Bush, was general counsel for homeland security and terrorism and spent three years as senior counsel in the criminal division of the U.S. Department of Justice.

Other names that have cropped up in media reports as contenders for the post are Marc Mukasey, a defense lawyer whose father served as attorney general under Republican President George W. Bush and Edward OCallaghan, a partner at Clifford Chance. O'Callaghan and Mukasey did not respond to emailed requests for comment.

Besides Giuliani, who went on to become New York City Mayor and more recently a Trump adviser, past U.S. Attorneys for Manhattan include James Comey, now FBI director, and Robert Morgenthau, who was the inspiration for the first district attorney on the television series, Law & Order.

According to his Linkedin profile, Miller has made a foray into television as a consultant for "Billions," a Showtime TV drama that was reportedly inspired in part by Bhararas investigation into hedge fund manager Steven Cohen.

NEW YORK: David Miller, a white collar defence lawyer and former federal prosecutor, has emerged as a candidate to succeed Preet Bharara as the next Manhattan U.S. attorney, according to people familiar with the matter. Miller, a partner at Morgan, Lewis & Bockius in New York, has in recent weeks spoken with officials in the U.S. Department of Justice and the White House as well as members of Congress about the job, said the people, who spoke on condition of anonymity about the private discussions. The administration's interest in Miller for the prestigious post has not been previously reported. Edward McNally, a partner at Kasowitz Benson Torres, has been viewed as the leading candidate among at least four people said to have been under consideration, according to sources and media reports. It is not clear who is now favoured to get the position, which requires the President's nomination and is subject to confirmation by the Senate. Spokespeople for Morgan Lewis, Kasowitz and the Department of Justice declined to comment. The White House did not respond to questions about Miller as a candidate. U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York is considered one of the most important posts in the U.S. justice system. It entails overseeing more than 200 prosecutors handling high-profile cases ranging from terrorism to wrongdoing on Wall Street, cyber attacks and corruption. In addition to Wall Street cases, whoever is chosen will inherit the office's investigation into a scandal at Fox News Channel over payments to settle sexual harassment claims and the prosecution of a Turkish gold trader in a politically charged case that has angered Turkey's president Recep Tayyip Erdogan. INDEPENDENCE Miller, 43, was an assistant U.S. attorney under Bharara from 2009 to 2014. During that time he was on a team of prosecutors involved in the office's crackdown on insider trading and was lead counsel in prosecutions of narcotics-related cases, as well as mail fraud and embezzlement schemes. Bharara's former deputy Joon Kim is currently acting Manhattan U.S. Attorney. Bharara was fired in March after refusing to resign along with 45 other U.S. attorneys from the Obama administration. The dismissal was a surprise because Bharara was asked by Trump in November to stay on. Bharara had built a strong reputation as Wall Street's top cop and for going after political corruption, regardless of party. Both Miller's and McNally's law firms have ties to U.S. President Donald Trump. Sheri Dillon, a partner at Morgan Lewis, took part in Trump's January news conference on his plans to avoid conflicts of interest. Kasowitz has handled various cases for Trump for more than a decade and David Friedman, a former name partner at the firm, was confirmed in March as U.S. ambassador to Israel. Miller and McNally are both Republicans. Before his stint under Bharara, Miller served as a trial attorney in the Justice Department's counter-terrorism section and as assistant general counsel for the Central Intelligence Agency. While at the CIA, he assisted in prosecuting Lewis "Scooter" Libby, who was found guilty of lying and obstructing a probe into who blew the cover of a CIA officer in a case that fueled debate over the Iraq war. Miller's former and current colleagues described him as a talented, "by-the-book" lawyer who - if chosen - could be expected to protect the office's culture of independence. "David Miller would be a fine choice," said Carrie Cohen, a partner at Morrison Foerster whose time as a prosecutor in Manhattan overlapped with Miller's. "Appointing someone who previously worked in the office bodes well for bringing the types of cases it has historically brought, without fear or favour." McNally, 61, has had a wide-ranging career in law and government. He was interim U.S. attorney for the Southern District of Illinois in late 2005 and 2006 and, during the 1980s, he worked as a prosecutor in the U.S. Attorney's office in Manhattan under Rudolph Giuliani. He also has served as a White House speechwriter under President George H.W. Bush, was general counsel for homeland security and terrorism and spent three years as senior counsel in the criminal division of the U.S. Department of Justice. Other names that have cropped up in media reports as contenders for the post are Marc Mukasey, a defense lawyer whose father served as attorney general under Republican President George W. Bush and Edward OCallaghan, a partner at Clifford Chance. O'Callaghan and Mukasey did not respond to emailed requests for comment. Besides Giuliani, who went on to become New York City Mayor and more recently a Trump adviser, past U.S. Attorneys for Manhattan include James Comey, now FBI director, and Robert Morgenthau, who was the inspiration for the first district attorney on the television series, Law & Order. According to his Linkedin profile, Miller has made a foray into television as a consultant for "Billions," a Showtime TV drama that was reportedly inspired in part by Bhararas investigation into hedge fund manager Steven Cohen.
By AFP

ABUJA: Nigeria has said it had negotiated the release of 82 of the more than 200 schoolgirls kidnapped by Boko Haram Islamists more than three years ago, securing their freedom in a prisoner swap deal.

The presidency announced that months of talks with the jihadists had "yielded results", just over six months after 21 of their classmates were freed with the help of international mediators.

"Today 82 more Chibok girls were released," it said yesterday.

"After lengthy negotiations, our security agencies have taken back these girls, in exchange for some Boko Haram suspects held by the authorities."

No details were given about how many suspects were released or their identities.

The girls were to be taken to Abuja today to meet President Muhammadu Buhari, the presidency said, thanking security agencies, the Swiss government and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC).

"The president has repeatedly expressed his total commitment towards ensuring the safe return of the Chibok girls and all other Boko Haram captives," it added.

A military and a civilian militia source in Banki, near the border with Cameroon, said "at least 80" girls were brought to the town late afternoon yesterday and taken to military barracks.

Shehu Sani, a Nigerian senator who has been involved in previous negotiations with Boko Haram, told AFP the girls were mostly "in good condition".

The talks lasted for "almost three to four months" and had initially discussed the release of 50 girls but the number was later increased, he said.

The government would now look to securing the release of the remaining hostages, he added.

Boko Haram fighters stormed the Government Girls Secondary School in the remote town of Chibok on the evening of April 14, 2014 and kidnapped 276 teenaged girls who were preparing to sit high school exams.

Fifty seven managed to escape in the hours that followed but the remaining 219 were held by the group.

Boko Haram leader Abubakar Shekau, whose fight to create a hardline Islamic state in northeast Nigeria has left at least 20,000 dead since 2009, claimed in a video message that they had converted to Islam.

The audacious kidnapping brought the insurgency to world attention, triggering global outrage that galvanised support from the former US first lady Michelle Obama and Hollywood stars.

Parents and supporters of the missing girls -- who have become a symbol of the conflict -- last month marked the three year anniversary of the abduction, describing the situation as an unending "nightmare".

But they said previous releases had given them strength.

Enoch Mark, a Christian pastor whose two daughters were among those kidnapped, said he was told of the latest release by the #BringBackOurGirls pressure group and an official in Maiduguri.

He added: "This is good news to us. We have been waiting for this day. We hope the remaining girls will soon be released."

Boko Haram has used kidnapping as a weapon of war, seizing thousands of women and children, including the Chibok girls, and forcibly recruiting young men and boys into their ranks.

In a less publicised attack in November 2014, some 300 children were among about 500 people kidnapped from the town of Damasak, on the border with Niger, in the far north of Borno state.

Most are still missing.

The release of the 21 girls in October last year followed talks between Boko Haram and the Nigerian government brokered by the ICRC and the Swiss.

Three other girls have also been found. The first had a baby and was accompanied by a man she said was her husband but the military said was a Boko Haram suspect.

Boko Haram's Shekau has previously said the girls would be released if militant fighters held in Nigerian government custody were freed.

At the time of the release of the 21, Buhari's spokesman Garba Shehu said the government was hoping to secure the release of 83 others being held by a different Boko Haram faction.

Last month he said in a radio interview that there were ongoing negotiations involving "some foreign entities" to release the 195 girls still believed held.

He told BBC Hausa the ICRC and Swiss government "have not withdrawn their support in the negotiations".

Other countries were also involved, he added, without elaborating.

The ICRC has not yet commented on the latest release.

On Friday, Britain and the United States issued a security alert warning of a Boko Haram plot to kidnap foreigners in the Banki area, which led to the suspension of aid flights to the town yesterday.

ABUJA: Nigeria has said it had negotiated the release of 82 of the more than 200 schoolgirls kidnapped by Boko Haram Islamists more than three years ago, securing their freedom in a prisoner swap deal. The presidency announced that months of talks with the jihadists had "yielded results", just over six months after 21 of their classmates were freed with the help of international mediators. "Today 82 more Chibok girls were released," it said yesterday. "After lengthy negotiations, our security agencies have taken back these girls, in exchange for some Boko Haram suspects held by the authorities." No details were given about how many suspects were released or their identities. The girls were to be taken to Abuja today to meet President Muhammadu Buhari, the presidency said, thanking security agencies, the Swiss government and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC). "The president has repeatedly expressed his total commitment towards ensuring the safe return of the Chibok girls and all other Boko Haram captives," it added. A military and a civilian militia source in Banki, near the border with Cameroon, said "at least 80" girls were brought to the town late afternoon yesterday and taken to military barracks. Shehu Sani, a Nigerian senator who has been involved in previous negotiations with Boko Haram, told AFP the girls were mostly "in good condition". The talks lasted for "almost three to four months" and had initially discussed the release of 50 girls but the number was later increased, he said. The government would now look to securing the release of the remaining hostages, he added. Boko Haram fighters stormed the Government Girls Secondary School in the remote town of Chibok on the evening of April 14, 2014 and kidnapped 276 teenaged girls who were preparing to sit high school exams. Fifty seven managed to escape in the hours that followed but the remaining 219 were held by the group. Boko Haram leader Abubakar Shekau, whose fight to create a hardline Islamic state in northeast Nigeria has left at least 20,000 dead since 2009, claimed in a video message that they had converted to Islam. The audacious kidnapping brought the insurgency to world attention, triggering global outrage that galvanised support from the former US first lady Michelle Obama and Hollywood stars. Parents and supporters of the missing girls -- who have become a symbol of the conflict -- last month marked the three year anniversary of the abduction, describing the situation as an unending "nightmare". But they said previous releases had given them strength. Enoch Mark, a Christian pastor whose two daughters were among those kidnapped, said he was told of the latest release by the #BringBackOurGirls pressure group and an official in Maiduguri. He added: "This is good news to us. We have been waiting for this day. We hope the remaining girls will soon be released." Boko Haram has used kidnapping as a weapon of war, seizing thousands of women and children, including the Chibok girls, and forcibly recruiting young men and boys into their ranks. In a less publicised attack in November 2014, some 300 children were among about 500 people kidnapped from the town of Damasak, on the border with Niger, in the far north of Borno state. Most are still missing. The release of the 21 girls in October last year followed talks between Boko Haram and the Nigerian government brokered by the ICRC and the Swiss. Three other girls have also been found. The first had a baby and was accompanied by a man she said was her husband but the military said was a Boko Haram suspect. Boko Haram's Shekau has previously said the girls would be released if militant fighters held in Nigerian government custody were freed. At the time of the release of the 21, Buhari's spokesman Garba Shehu said the government was hoping to secure the release of 83 others being held by a different Boko Haram faction. Last month he said in a radio interview that there were ongoing negotiations involving "some foreign entities" to release the 195 girls still believed held. He told BBC Hausa the ICRC and Swiss government "have not withdrawn their support in the negotiations". Other countries were also involved, he added, without elaborating. The ICRC has not yet commented on the latest release. On Friday, Britain and the United States issued a security alert warning of a Boko Haram plot to kidnap foreigners in the Banki area, which led to the suspension of aid flights to the town yesterday.
By PTI

ISLAMABAD: The Pakistani army said today it has killed over 50 Afghan soldiers near the border between the two countries, as tensions between the two forces escalated after clashes earlier this week killed 10 Pakistani civilians.

Major Gen Nadeem Ahmed said more than 100 Afghan soldiers were also injured in the retaliatory attack by the army to the firing by Afghan forces on Friday in the Balochistan province.

Ahmed, however, told reporters he was "not happy" about the incident as "Afghans are Muslims, our brothers."

Afghan and Pakistani security forces have been fighting since Friday when 10 Pakistani civilians were killed and more than 40 people, including women and children, were injured in in firing by Afghan forces on Pakistani census workers and the troops escorting them at border villages in Balochistan.

The incident marked the latest round of escalation of border tensions between the two countries, which often accuse each other of sheltering terrorists who launch deadly cross- border attacks on each other's soils. Both the countries deny the accusations.

Separately, Commander of the Southern Command Lt Gen Amir Riaz said the Pakistan Army destroyed five Afghan checkposts.

"Anyone who tries to make Pakistan's territory disputed will face similar consequences," Lt Gen Riaz told reporters during a visit to Chaman, where the Friday clashes took place.

To a question on the closure of the border crossing point Bab-e-Dosti, Gen Riaz said it will remain shut unless the situation improves in the area. "The border will remain closed until Afghanistan changes its behaviour," he said.

Yesterday, Pakistan's Defence Minister Khawaja Asif said his country would respond instantly and effectively to cross- border attacks by Afghan forces on the census team.

Major Gen Ahmed said today that Pakistan had informed the Afghan side about the census team in border villages but their border police sneaked into Pakistan area and "used locals as human shields so that they could make a position for attacks."

He said the census had been going on in the border areas for four days until April 29 when the Afghan forces started to hinder the process.

He claimed that Pakistan tried to resolve the issue through talks but the Afghan forces resorted to force first. But the Frontier Corps secured the area Afghan soldiers had infiltrated on Friday.

"I want to make to clear that not even an inch of our land is negotiable. I hope they have learnt the lesson," he said.

ISLAMABAD: The Pakistani army said today it has killed over 50 Afghan soldiers near the border between the two countries, as tensions between the two forces escalated after clashes earlier this week killed 10 Pakistani civilians. Major Gen Nadeem Ahmed said more than 100 Afghan soldiers were also injured in the retaliatory attack by the army to the firing by Afghan forces on Friday in the Balochistan province. Ahmed, however, told reporters he was "not happy" about the incident as "Afghans are Muslims, our brothers." Afghan and Pakistani security forces have been fighting since Friday when 10 Pakistani civilians were killed and more than 40 people, including women and children, were injured in in firing by Afghan forces on Pakistani census workers and the troops escorting them at border villages in Balochistan. The incident marked the latest round of escalation of border tensions between the two countries, which often accuse each other of sheltering terrorists who launch deadly cross- border attacks on each other's soils. Both the countries deny the accusations. Separately, Commander of the Southern Command Lt Gen Amir Riaz said the Pakistan Army destroyed five Afghan checkposts. "Anyone who tries to make Pakistan's territory disputed will face similar consequences," Lt Gen Riaz told reporters during a visit to Chaman, where the Friday clashes took place. To a question on the closure of the border crossing point Bab-e-Dosti, Gen Riaz said it will remain shut unless the situation improves in the area. "The border will remain closed until Afghanistan changes its behaviour," he said. Yesterday, Pakistan's Defence Minister Khawaja Asif said his country would respond instantly and effectively to cross- border attacks by Afghan forces on the census team. Major Gen Ahmed said today that Pakistan had informed the Afghan side about the census team in border villages but their border police sneaked into Pakistan area and "used locals as human shields so that they could make a position for attacks." He said the census had been going on in the border areas for four days until April 29 when the Afghan forces started to hinder the process. He claimed that Pakistan tried to resolve the issue through talks but the Afghan forces resorted to force first. But the Frontier Corps secured the area Afghan soldiers had infiltrated on Friday. "I want to make to clear that not even an inch of our land is negotiable. I hope they have learnt the lesson," he said.
By AFP

DHAKA: A suspected Islamist extremist blew himself up and another was shot dead after Bangladesh's anti-terrorism officers raided their hideout early on Sunday, the police said.

The police cordoned off a one-storey building in a remote village in the western district of Jhenaidah on a tip-off that extremists were holed up there.

"There was an exchange of fire between counter-terrorism police and the extremists. An extremist was killed," district police chief Mizanur Rahman told AFP.

"And when we came closer to the building, another extremist carried out a suicide blast. He died on the spot," he said, adding two police officers were also injured in the blast.

He said the extremists were members of a new faction of the Jamayetul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB), blamed for a a wave of deadly attacks against religious minorities and foreigners in the Muslim-majority country.

These include a major attack on a Dhaka cafe last July in which 22 people were killed, most of them foreigners.

The Islamic State group claimed that attack and several others, but Dhaka insists they were the work of homegrown Islamist groups.

Police have arrested scores of suspected extremists and killed more than 60 people since the cafe attack.

DHAKA: A suspected Islamist extremist blew himself up and another was shot dead after Bangladesh's anti-terrorism officers raided their hideout early on Sunday, the police said. The police cordoned off a one-storey building in a remote village in the western district of Jhenaidah on a tip-off that extremists were holed up there. "There was an exchange of fire between counter-terrorism police and the extremists. An extremist was killed," district police chief Mizanur Rahman told AFP. "And when we came closer to the building, another extremist carried out a suicide blast. He died on the spot," he said, adding two police officers were also injured in the blast. He said the extremists were members of a new faction of the Jamayetul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB), blamed for a a wave of deadly attacks against religious minorities and foreigners in the Muslim-majority country. These include a major attack on a Dhaka cafe last July in which 22 people were killed, most of them foreigners. The Islamic State group claimed that attack and several others, but Dhaka insists they were the work of homegrown Islamist groups. Police have arrested scores of suspected extremists and killed more than 60 people since the cafe attack.
Militants opened fire on policemen in south Kashmir's Kulgam on Saturday, killing one cop and two civilians. One militant was killed in retaliatory fire.

By Press Trust of India: Two civilians and a policeman were killed in a militant attack in Kulgam district of south Kashmir on Saturday night, while one militant was killed in retaliatory action, police said.

One of the militants was killed, while another was injured in retaliatory firing by police, Director General of Police S P Vaid told PTI.

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The militants, travelling in a car, opened fire on a police team which had gone to Mir Bazaar area to investigate a road accident, the DGP said.

He said the police also retaliated and even managed to snatch a pistol from one of the militants.

"Four bodies were found at the spot. Two of the deceased are civilians and one policeman has been martyred," Vaid said.

He said the fourth deceased was a militant who was carrying a grenade and some ammunition.

"while one militant has managed to escape, we are following the blood trail of another militant who was injured in the police action," the DGP said.

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WATCH | Militant attack in South Kashmir's Kulgam: 2 civilians, 1 policeman killed

--- ENDS ---
By PTI

NW YORK: A French-speaking woman flew more than 4,800-km in the wrong direction in the US after the United Airlines failed to notify her of her flight's last- minute gate change, according to media reports.

Lucie Bahetoukilae, who does not speak English, was supposed to go to Paris from Newark on April 24 but was horrified when she landed in San Francisco.

Three thousand miles (4,828 km) later, Bahetoukilae disembarked at San Francisco International Airport, where she waited an additional 11 hours before boarding a flight back to Paris. In total, she claims to have been travelling for 28 hours, WABC TV reported.

The airline called the incident, which it just settled in a confidential lawsuit, "a horrible failure," it said. "Newark to Charles de Gaulle," Bahetoukilae's boarding pass read. She went to the gate stamped on it and said a United representative scanned it. So she boarded the plane and headed for her seat, 22C.

"When she went to sit someone was sitting there already," her niece Diane Miantsoko said.

She said the flight attendant looked at her boarding pass and instead of questioning it, sat her somewhere else.

Bahetoukilae never realised United Airlines made a last- minute gate change. She said United never made the gate announcement in French or notified her by email, the report said.

"If they would have made the announcement in French, she would she have moved gates," Miantsoko said.

More than the inconvenience, the family's main concern is the apparent security lapse by United. "They didn't pay attention. My aunt could have been anyone. She could have been a terrorist and killed people on that flight and they didn't know they didn't catch it," her niece said.

"This is not about money, this is about United getting serious with their employees," Miantsoko said. United Airlines later apologised and also paid for accommodations it had not offered Bahetoukilae, when she was waiting for her return flight in San Francisco.

An airline representative said United is working with their team in Newark to prevent this from happening again.

NW YORK: A French-speaking woman flew more than 4,800-km in the wrong direction in the US after the United Airlines failed to notify her of her flight's last- minute gate change, according to media reports. Lucie Bahetoukilae, who does not speak English, was supposed to go to Paris from Newark on April 24 but was horrified when she landed in San Francisco. Three thousand miles (4,828 km) later, Bahetoukilae disembarked at San Francisco International Airport, where she waited an additional 11 hours before boarding a flight back to Paris. In total, she claims to have been travelling for 28 hours, WABC TV reported. The airline called the incident, which it just settled in a confidential lawsuit, "a horrible failure," it said. "Newark to Charles de Gaulle," Bahetoukilae's boarding pass read. She went to the gate stamped on it and said a United representative scanned it. So she boarded the plane and headed for her seat, 22C. "When she went to sit someone was sitting there already," her niece Diane Miantsoko said. She said the flight attendant looked at her boarding pass and instead of questioning it, sat her somewhere else. Bahetoukilae never realised United Airlines made a last- minute gate change. She said United never made the gate announcement in French or notified her by email, the report said. "If they would have made the announcement in French, she would she have moved gates," Miantsoko said. More than the inconvenience, the family's main concern is the apparent security lapse by United. "They didn't pay attention. My aunt could have been anyone. She could have been a terrorist and killed people on that flight and they didn't know they didn't catch it," her niece said. "This is not about money, this is about United getting serious with their employees," Miantsoko said. United Airlines later apologised and also paid for accommodations it had not offered Bahetoukilae, when she was waiting for her return flight in San Francisco. An airline representative said United is working with their team in Newark to prevent this from happening again.
By AFP

MONTREAL: With heavy rains persisting and waters still rising over much of waterlogged eastern Canada, the nation's military on Sunday tripled the number of troops urgently working to evacuate thousands of residents.

New evacuations were ordered in Pierrefonds, on the northwestern shore of the Island of Montreal, after three temporary dikes ruptured, quickly sending water levels higher.

Montreal Mayor Denis Coderre declared a state of emergency for his city, particularly four western neighborhoods. That measure allows the city to order mandatory evacuations from threatened areas.

"The next 48 hours will be decisive," Coderre told reporters.

A combination of torrential rains and runoff from melting snow has caused rivers to overflow their banks from Ottawa to Montreal, posing critical challenges for people already exhausted by weeks of seemingly unending rainfall.

More than 1,000 people have been evacuated in Quebec province, the largest number coming from Gatineau, near Ottawa, said a statement Sunday from the province's emergency response unit.

More than 2,000 homes have been flooded in 130 towns and cities, with authorities urging residents to evacuate before it is too late.

The worst is yet to come, Quebec Premier Philippe Couillard warned.

"The water will continue rising over the next two or three days," he said Saturday after visiting the town of Rigaud, west of Montreal, which has been flooded for more than a week.

Water levels continued to rise across much of an area of some 500 kilometers (300 miles), from Toronto and Lake Ontario and stretching downstream along the St. Lawrence River.

The Ministry of Public Safety said waters were expected to crest sometime Monday in Quebec province.

Some 450 troops had been dispatched by Saturday to help put sandbags in place and assist with evacuations.

But that number was set to triple by the end of Sunday, including 500 in the immediate Montreal region, 400 in the area between Gatineau and Rigaud to the west, and more than 500 in the Trois-Rivieres region northeast of Montreal, said Lieutenant Colonel Pascal Larose.

"Our troops are responding quickly and professionally and are already beginning to deliver critical support to Canadians affected by the flooding," Defense Minister Harjit Sajjan said.

Emergency services said precipitation Sunday could reach 90 to 125 millimeters (3.5 to 5 inches) in some areas, and Environment Canada warned that "the ground, already near saturation, has little ability to absorb further rainfall."

"Even shallow, fast-moving water across a road can sweep a vehicle or a person away," it said. "Don't approach washouts near rivers, creeks and culverts."

Not seen since 1974

As of Sunday, Robert Robillard, a Pierrefonds resident, had yet to evacuate, despite the 10 to 15 centimeters of water in his basement.

"I haven't seen anything like this since 1974," he said, adding that the area now is much more crowded and thus vulnerable.

In Rigaud, Mayor Hans Gruenwald ordered the mandatory evacuation of some 100 homes. After three weeks of flooding, "our people no longer have the physical capacity or the morale, so I took the initiative to evacuate them," he told the LCN network.

Floodwaters have made some 400 roads impassable, and several schools have announced they will be closed Monday.

School gymnasiums and other public buildings throughout the area have opened their doors to evacuees.

On the Atlantic coast, the New Brunswick Emergency Measures Organization warned residents to remain on alert until Monday, saying water levels are near or above flood stage in many regions and expected to rise.

"I understand people are reluctant to leave their homes," Couillard said, "but if you're asked, do it for your own safety."

Flooding out west, too

Meanwhile, in British Columbia on the opposite side of the country, the same combination of rain and snow melt has caused flooding and mudslides that left at least two people missing, media reports said.

Residents of several dozen homes were ordered to move to safety.

Police with dog teams and swift-water technicians were searching for Clayton Cassidy, 59, the fire chief of the village of Cache Creek, who went missing Friday while checking water levels.

A 76-year-old man was missing after a mudslide Saturday swept away his home in the community of Tappen, CBC reported.

First responders rushed to the scene but were forced to pull back.

"It sounded like a freight train coming down the mountain," Tappen-Sunnybrae Fire Department Chief Kyle Schneider told the broadcaster.

"We heard trees snapping and it got louder and louder, so we got out of there."

MONTREAL: With heavy rains persisting and waters still rising over much of waterlogged eastern Canada, the nation's military on Sunday tripled the number of troops urgently working to evacuate thousands of residents. New evacuations were ordered in Pierrefonds, on the northwestern shore of the Island of Montreal, after three temporary dikes ruptured, quickly sending water levels higher. Montreal Mayor Denis Coderre declared a state of emergency for his city, particularly four western neighborhoods. That measure allows the city to order mandatory evacuations from threatened areas. "The next 48 hours will be decisive," Coderre told reporters. A combination of torrential rains and runoff from melting snow has caused rivers to overflow their banks from Ottawa to Montreal, posing critical challenges for people already exhausted by weeks of seemingly unending rainfall. More than 1,000 people have been evacuated in Quebec province, the largest number coming from Gatineau, near Ottawa, said a statement Sunday from the province's emergency response unit. More than 2,000 homes have been flooded in 130 towns and cities, with authorities urging residents to evacuate before it is too late. The worst is yet to come, Quebec Premier Philippe Couillard warned. "The water will continue rising over the next two or three days," he said Saturday after visiting the town of Rigaud, west of Montreal, which has been flooded for more than a week. Water levels continued to rise across much of an area of some 500 kilometers (300 miles), from Toronto and Lake Ontario and stretching downstream along the St. Lawrence River. The Ministry of Public Safety said waters were expected to crest sometime Monday in Quebec province. Some 450 troops had been dispatched by Saturday to help put sandbags in place and assist with evacuations. But that number was set to triple by the end of Sunday, including 500 in the immediate Montreal region, 400 in the area between Gatineau and Rigaud to the west, and more than 500 in the Trois-Rivieres region northeast of Montreal, said Lieutenant Colonel Pascal Larose. "Our troops are responding quickly and professionally and are already beginning to deliver critical support to Canadians affected by the flooding," Defense Minister Harjit Sajjan said. Emergency services said precipitation Sunday could reach 90 to 125 millimeters (3.5 to 5 inches) in some areas, and Environment Canada warned that "the ground, already near saturation, has little ability to absorb further rainfall." "Even shallow, fast-moving water across a road can sweep a vehicle or a person away," it said. "Don't approach washouts near rivers, creeks and culverts." Not seen since 1974 As of Sunday, Robert Robillard, a Pierrefonds resident, had yet to evacuate, despite the 10 to 15 centimeters of water in his basement. "I haven't seen anything like this since 1974," he said, adding that the area now is much more crowded and thus vulnerable. In Rigaud, Mayor Hans Gruenwald ordered the mandatory evacuation of some 100 homes. After three weeks of flooding, "our people no longer have the physical capacity or the morale, so I took the initiative to evacuate them," he told the LCN network. Floodwaters have made some 400 roads impassable, and several schools have announced they will be closed Monday. School gymnasiums and other public buildings throughout the area have opened their doors to evacuees. On the Atlantic coast, the New Brunswick Emergency Measures Organization warned residents to remain on alert until Monday, saying water levels are near or above flood stage in many regions and expected to rise. "I understand people are reluctant to leave their homes," Couillard said, "but if you're asked, do it for your own safety." Flooding out west, too Meanwhile, in British Columbia on the opposite side of the country, the same combination of rain and snow melt has caused flooding and mudslides that left at least two people missing, media reports said. Residents of several dozen homes were ordered to move to safety. Police with dog teams and swift-water technicians were searching for Clayton Cassidy, 59, the fire chief of the village of Cache Creek, who went missing Friday while checking water levels. A 76-year-old man was missing after a mudslide Saturday swept away his home in the community of Tappen, CBC reported. First responders rushed to the scene but were forced to pull back. "It sounded like a freight train coming down the mountain," Tappen-Sunnybrae Fire Department Chief Kyle Schneider told the broadcaster. "We heard trees snapping and it got louder and louder, so we got out of there."
By AFP

ABUJA: Nigeria's President Muhammadu Buhari on Sunday vowed to help to 82 schoolgirls who have been freed from more than three years of Boko Haram captivity after a prisoner swap.

The girls -- who were among more than 200 kidnapped in 2014 from the Government Girls Secondary School in Chibok, northeast Nigeria -- travelled to the capital Abuja a day after their release to meet Buhari.

"I cannot express in a few words how happy I am to welcome our dear girls back to freedom," Buhari said in a statement, pledging that the presidency would "personally supervise" authorities charged with ensuring the girls' "health, education, security and general well-being".

Presidential aide Bashir Ahmad tweeted a photograph of the girls, most of whom were sitting on the floor of Buhari's official residence, as the president sat in an armchair dressed in white traditional robes.

The meeting came shortly before Buhari was whisked out of the country on Sunday evening after weeks of concern over his health, heading to London for "follow-up medical consultation", according to his spokesman Femi Adesina.

The teenagers, who had been taken to a medical facility for checks after arriving in Abuja by military helicopter, met with the president for about 45 minutes, said an AFP reporter at the scene.

Adesina said they had now been "handed over to those who will supervise their rehabilitation".

He did not comment on how many imprisoned members of Boko Haram -- whose fight to create a hardline Islamic state in northeast Nigeria has left at least 20,000 dead since 2009 -- had been released in the swap.

But AFP understands at least three suspected senior commanders, all of them Chadian nationals, were handed over.

Information Minister Lai Mohammed said he could not confirm claims that as many five militants were released.

'Joyous moment'

The girls arrived from the northeastern town of Banki, on the border with Cameroon, and were met at the airport by Buhari's chief of staff Abba Kyari.

"Welcome our girls, welcome our sisters, we are glad to have you back," Kyari told them, describing it as "a very joyous moment".

A military source said one of the girls was "carrying a baby with her, a boy of less than two years".

The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) said it "facilitated the safe return" of the girls as a "neutral intermediary" and tweeted photographs of girls boarding a military helicopter.

Many of the students wore colourful akara print dresses, visibly tired from their ordeal.

The presidency had announced late Saturday that months of talks with the jihadists had "yielded results" some six months after 21 other Chibok girls were freed with the help of the ICRC and the Swiss government.

Symbol of conflict

Boko Haram fighters stormed the girls' school on the evening of April 14, 2014, and kidnapped 276 teenaged girls who were preparing to sit high school exams.

Fifty-seven managed to escape in the hours that followed but the remaining 219 were held by the group.

Boko Haram's leader Abubakar Shekau claimed in a video message that they had converted to Islam.

The audacious kidnapping brought the insurgency to world attention, triggering global outrage that galvanised support from the former US first lady Michelle Obama and Hollywood stars.

The girls have become a symbol of Nigeria's brutal conflict. Last month, parents and supporters marked the three-year anniversary of the abduction, describing the situation as an unending "nightmare".

Enoch Mark, a Christian pastor whose two daughters were among those kidnapped, said of the latest releases: "This is good news to us. We have been waiting for this day.

"We hope the remaining girls will soon be released."

Accounting for three other girls who have since been found, a total of 113 Chibok girls are now missing, although Shekau claimed last August that some had been killed in military air strikes.

Boko Haram has used kidnapping as a weapon of war, seizing thousands of women and children, and forcibly recruiting young men and boys into their ranks.

In a less publicised attack in November 2014, some 300 children were among about 500 people kidnapped from the town of Damasak, on the border with Niger, in the far north of Borno state.

ABUJA: Nigeria's President Muhammadu Buhari on Sunday vowed to help to 82 schoolgirls who have been freed from more than three years of Boko Haram captivity after a prisoner swap. The girls -- who were among more than 200 kidnapped in 2014 from the Government Girls Secondary School in Chibok, northeast Nigeria -- travelled to the capital Abuja a day after their release to meet Buhari. "I cannot express in a few words how happy I am to welcome our dear girls back to freedom," Buhari said in a statement, pledging that the presidency would "personally supervise" authorities charged with ensuring the girls' "health, education, security and general well-being". Presidential aide Bashir Ahmad tweeted a photograph of the girls, most of whom were sitting on the floor of Buhari's official residence, as the president sat in an armchair dressed in white traditional robes. The meeting came shortly before Buhari was whisked out of the country on Sunday evening after weeks of concern over his health, heading to London for "follow-up medical consultation", according to his spokesman Femi Adesina. The teenagers, who had been taken to a medical facility for checks after arriving in Abuja by military helicopter, met with the president for about 45 minutes, said an AFP reporter at the scene. Adesina said they had now been "handed over to those who will supervise their rehabilitation". He did not comment on how many imprisoned members of Boko Haram -- whose fight to create a hardline Islamic state in northeast Nigeria has left at least 20,000 dead since 2009 -- had been released in the swap. But AFP understands at least three suspected senior commanders, all of them Chadian nationals, were handed over. Information Minister Lai Mohammed said he could not confirm claims that as many five militants were released. 'Joyous moment' The girls arrived from the northeastern town of Banki, on the border with Cameroon, and were met at the airport by Buhari's chief of staff Abba Kyari. "Welcome our girls, welcome our sisters, we are glad to have you back," Kyari told them, describing it as "a very joyous moment". A military source said one of the girls was "carrying a baby with her, a boy of less than two years". The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) said it "facilitated the safe return" of the girls as a "neutral intermediary" and tweeted photographs of girls boarding a military helicopter. Many of the students wore colourful akara print dresses, visibly tired from their ordeal. The presidency had announced late Saturday that months of talks with the jihadists had "yielded results" some six months after 21 other Chibok girls were freed with the help of the ICRC and the Swiss government. Symbol of conflict Boko Haram fighters stormed the girls' school on the evening of April 14, 2014, and kidnapped 276 teenaged girls who were preparing to sit high school exams. Fifty-seven managed to escape in the hours that followed but the remaining 219 were held by the group. Boko Haram's leader Abubakar Shekau claimed in a video message that they had converted to Islam. The audacious kidnapping brought the insurgency to world attention, triggering global outrage that galvanised support from the former US first lady Michelle Obama and Hollywood stars. The girls have become a symbol of Nigeria's brutal conflict. Last month, parents and supporters marked the three-year anniversary of the abduction, describing the situation as an unending "nightmare". Enoch Mark, a Christian pastor whose two daughters were among those kidnapped, said of the latest releases: "This is good news to us. We have been waiting for this day. "We hope the remaining girls will soon be released." Accounting for three other girls who have since been found, a total of 113 Chibok girls are now missing, although Shekau claimed last August that some had been killed in military air strikes. Boko Haram has used kidnapping as a weapon of war, seizing thousands of women and children, and forcibly recruiting young men and boys into their ranks. In a less publicised attack in November 2014, some 300 children were among about 500 people kidnapped from the town of Damasak, on the border with Niger, in the far north of Borno state.
By Press Trust of India: From Anisur Rahman

Dhaka, May 7 (PTI) Two suspected militants today blew themselves up in "suicide blasts" when security forces raided their hideout in Bangladesh, the latest such incident amid an intensified nationwide crackdown on Islamist militants, officials said.

"It is a Neo-JMB den where two militants were killed in the encounter...It (operation) is still underway," a senior police officer told reporters.

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One of the militants detonated his suicide vest when police entered the single-story building at Bazrapur around Jhinaidah district, officer-in-charge of Moheshpur Police Station Ahmed Kabir was quoted as saying by the Daly Star.

The second militant died in another suicide blast inside the building, he added.

The first militant was identified as Tuhun.

The security forces now await arrival of a special bomb disposal unit at the scene to launch the "final assault" to flush out the rest of the militants, the official said.

Media reports earlier said the elite anti-crime rapid Action Battalion (RAB), polices counter-terrorism team and transnational crime unit (CTTC) and district police laid a siege along the hideout since midnight after receiving information that the militants were inside the house.

Bangladesh witnessed an intensified anti-militancy clampdown across the country as the police headquarters recently circulated a list of nearly 5,000 suspected militants to all district police chiefs.

In March, Bangladeshi police conducted series of large- scale operations against militants, in which at least 17 suspected militants were killed.

On March 31, eight militants blew themselves up with a grenade after the security forces raided their hideout north of the Bangladeshi capital.

Bangladesh has been witnessing a spate of attacks on secular activists, foreigners and religious minorities since 2013. The country launched a massive crackdown on militants specially after the Dhaka cafe attack.

The Islamic State has claimed several attacks in Bangladesh, but the government rejects the presence of foreign terrorist groups in the moderate Muslim-majority country, blaming home-grown groups such as the neo-JMB for terrorist attacks. PTI AR ZH CPS

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Champaign, IL (61820)

Today

Some clouds this morning will give way to generally sunny skies for the afternoon. High 74F. Winds SSE at 10 to 15 mph..

Tonight

Clear to partly cloudy. Low around 55F. Winds SSE at 10 to 15 mph.
Aam Aadmi Party leader Kapil Mishra, who was fired yesterday as Delhi's water minister, is expected to make public information about a "tanker scam" at 11.30 am today.

By Ashutosh Mishra, Ankit Tyagi, Pankaj Jain: Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Kapil Mishra was on Saturday sacked as Delhi's Water Minister by chief minister and party convener Arvind Kejriwal.

Najafgarh MLA Kailash Gahlot, who was inducted into the Cabinet yesterday along with Seemapuri MLA Rajendra Pal Gautam, will handle Mishra's portfolio.

Mishra is expected to hold a press conference at 11.30 am today at Rajghat in New Delhi, and share information about a "tanker scam" - a promise he made in a tweet last evening. He has also sought a meeting with Delhi Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal.

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In comments made today, Mishra said that the Aam Aadmi Party is his party and that no one can remove him from the organisation.

"I am a founder member of AAP and will always remain in the party," Mishra added when asked about whether he plans on joining the Bharatiya Janata Party.

On the topic of the 'tanker scam expose', Mishra said, "I will provide the LG (Anil Baijal) with the details of the scam. 11.30 am (when Mishra is scheduled to give a press conference) is the shubhmurat (auspicious time) to clean up corruption."

"I will go to Rajghat and take Bapu's blessings," Mishra added.

WHY WAS MISHRA SACKED?

Kapil Mishra is among the handful of party leaders to have backed their AAP colleague Kumar Vishwas, who left the party red-faced when he indirectly attacked the Delhi government in a video in the run-up to the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) elections.

After the polls - in which AAP was crushed by a rampant Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) - Vishwas said electronic voting machines weren't responsible for the defeat, contradicting the party's official position.

And when the now-suspended Amanatullah Khan accused Vishwas of being a "BJP-RSS agent" and of planning a coup against Kejriwal, Mishra sided with the latter during the infighting that ensued. The AAP chief is believed to have been unhappy with the lobbying of MLAs and ministers within the party.

The decision to fire Mishra was taken after AAP legislators alleged at a meeting with Kejriwal that a major water crisis during the MCD polls caused their candidates to lose.

While Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia on Saturday cited water management during the Delhi municipal elections as the reason for Kapil Mishra's dismissal, AAP's leadership appeared to send a clear message that it wouldn't tolerate any discipline.

'MASSIVE TANKER SCAM EXPOSE'

Just minutes before Sisodia announced Mishra's removal, the former water minister tweeted that he would do "a massive expose on (a) tanker scam" today, and that he would make public the "explosive details" he had shared with Arvind Kejriwal.

He has threatened to level charges against those "close to Kejriwal," and has sought an appointment with the Anti-Corruption Bureau chief to provide more evidence.

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"I was about to reveal big names and perhaps, because of that such a decision has been taken against me", Mishra said on Friday, after his dismissal.

And yet, as of 8.40 on Sunday morning, Mishra - who said he hadn't been officially informed about his sacking - continued to say in his Twitter handle's description that he was a "proud member of (the) Cabinet of Arvind Kejriwal ji."

ALSO READ:

Why Kumar Vishwas truce with Arvind Kejriwal is temporary and he may still quit AAP to join BJP

Kumar Vishwas placated by AAP: Amanatullah Khan suspended, poet-politician given charge of Rajasthan

Arvind Kejriwal on Aam Aadmi Party rift: Will convince Kumar Vishwas

Kumar Vishwas trying to break AAP at BJP's behest: MLA Amanatullah Khan

WATCH VIDEO | Kejriwal removes Delhi Water Minister Kapil Mishra from his AAP government

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Sachin Tendulkar Had an 'Unbelievable Experience' While Fishing in Goa and We are Jealous
New Delhi: Chief ministers of Naxal-affected are to meet top civil and police officers on Monday to devise new ways to tackle the armed rebels.



The meeting, which comes in the wake of 25 CRPF men killed by a band of Maoists in Chhattisgarh, will be chaired by Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh.



The meet will help firm up an anti-Naxal strategy to fight the guerillas in their hideouts in Chhattisgarh and other states in the coming days, a Home Ministry official told PTI.



The chief ministers of Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Odisha, West Bengal, Bihar, Maharashtra, Telangana, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Andhra Pradesh have been invited to take part in the crucial meeting.



The Union home ministry said a holistic review of the situation will be undertaken covering a wide canvas of security and development issues, particularly infrastructure building.



District magistrates and superintendents of police of 35 of the worst-hit Naxalite-affected districts, along with heads of paramilitary forces and intelligence agencies, will attend the meeting.



The stress is likely to be on revamping the intelligence gathering mechanism, meticulous analysis of ongoing operations, identifying problem areas and seeking solutions for better results.



The home minister has told the security officials to look for out-of-the box solutions to the problem of successive attacks by Naxalites when security personnel oversee road repair or development work in the troubled areas.



Road construction and other development activities in the affected areas will also be discussed. The chief ministers may endorse an alternative modern technology which would help with the speedy completion of projects.



Home Ministry officials said currently 90 per cent of Maoist activities were limited to 35 districts, though they have a hold over pockets in 68 districts in 10 states.



The meeting will focus on devising new strategies to maintain the momentum achieved in 2016, notwithstanding a couple of incidents, the home ministry said in a statement.



It will include two sessions to discuss upon operational issues like role of States in Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs) operations, raising and employment of India Reserve (IR) battalions and Special India Reserve Battalion (SIRB), etc, capacity building and intelligence issues like vacancies in state police forces, capacity building of state intelligence units, etc and other ministry-wise related matters.



The statement said the Central government has a multi-pronged strategy centred around security, development and ensuring rights and entitlements of local communities etc.



The Centre has been providing assistance to states in terms of CAPF battalions, intelligence, training and capacity building of state police forces.



It is also assisting the states through schemes that support building of infrastructure, specially road, railways and power etc.



Development issues will also be discussed with a view to ensure quick development of LWE-affected areas, the statement said.



(With PTI inputs)
Bengaluru: A city civil court on Saturday directed Karnataka BJP President B S Yeddyurappa and Union minister Ananth Kumar to appear before the investigation officer in a case of collecting "ill-gotten money" to give voice samples within a week.



"As per the order of this court (Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate, Bengaluru) dated May 6, 2017, you (Yeddyurappa and Ananth Kumar) are hereby directed to appear before the Investigation Officer to give your voice sample within seven days from the date of this order," an official release from the magistrate's office said, quoting the order.



The Congress had on February 14 accused Ananth Kumar and former Karnataka chief minister B S Yeddyurappa of misusing power by collecting "ill-gotten money" and dared Prime Minister Narendra Modi to sack them from the party and lodge an FIR against them.



The party's chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala had released a video clip of a purported conversation between the two leaders on February 12 wherein they admitted having given money when in power.



Playing out the video in which the duo talks about a diary of a Congress leader who allegedly paid Rs 1,000 crore to higher-ups, Surjewala had accused the BJP leaders of hatching a conspiracy ahead of the Assembly polls in state slated for this year.
Thiruvananthapuram: A Kerala resident suspected of having joined the Islamic State terror group, also called ISIS, in Afghanistan has started a WhatsApp group to propagate IS ideolgy and added many individuals from Kasargode district in the southern state.



The admin and creator of the MESSAGE TO KERALA group is allegedly Isa.



Messages in the group have claimed that contrary to reports, not all Indian recruits were killed in a US airstrike last month. Screenshots of the group chat and audio recordings shared on it, which are available with CNN-News18, claim that two to three Indian recruits had attained martyrdom in the strike.



The audio clip is allegedly of Abdul Rasheed, the alleged head of the group of 21 Kerala residents, which headed over to Afghanistan last year.



The messages on the group further claim that there were no problems in Afghanistan and that the mother of all bombs dropped by the US last month had minimal effect as the fighters only felt minimal vibrations and got to know about it the next day.



Several people from Kasargode were added to the group and one of them reached out to the police. The National Investigation Agency (NIA) was informed which confirmed with Rasheeds family that the number belonged to him. Rasheed was the Head of Department at the Peace School in Kerala.
The incident happened on May 3 when the senior citizen was catching a flight from Delhi to Kolkata. Bhatia says his mother was not allowed to board the aircraft despite arriving nearly an hour early and having checked-in through the web.

According to PTI, Bhatia says that nearly an hour after dropping his mother at the airport, he received a call that his mom had fallen unconscious and was bleeding.

Airlines often recommend passengers who check-in online to arrive at least 90 minutes before the scheduled departure if they have check-in baggage.

The son of an elderly passenger has accused Jet Airways of harassing his mother, recounting the "nightmarish" experience in a Facebook post.Kawaljit Singh Bhatia alleged that the "harassment" and "public embarrassment" his mother faced at the hands of the airline staff at the airport led to her losing consciousness and receiving injuries, PTI reported. Jet Airways, in a statement, has refuted the allegations."For a flight scheduled to take off at 10.50, 10.00 am is within the time limit prescribed on the ticket. Moreover, since web check-in was done, if at all she was late, she should have received a call from Jet Airways," Bhatia wrote.She was also made to pay extra for her baggage despite it weighing "within the permissible limit". "They demanded a sum of Rs 5,500 on the pretext of extra baggage. She also told me that after weighing her bag, they threw it back on the floor rudely telling her that the bags are overweight," according to Bhatia, who describes himself as a former Supreme Court lawyer in his Facebook account.Due to the impact of the fall, Bhatia's mother also sustained injuries. The doctor at the airport told that the cut on the chin was so deep that he could not stitch it and that a surgery had to be done, the former lawyer says.Jet Airways, in a statement, has refuted the allegations levelled against the airline staff and has said that the passenger was late for boarding. It also says that the airline has submitted CCTV footage to the local police to corroborate its version."The airline staff accepted the senior guest for boarding, despite the guest reporting late at the check-in counter."The deadline is 60 minutes for passengers arriving without check-in baggage. The airline also indicates that the passenger fell unconscious because of her ill-health."Medical investigations revealed her to be a diabetic with low haemoglobin."But Bhatia wonders, "Is this how private airlines are supposed to operate? Commercial gain and profiting (sic) is fine but can it be allowed at the cost of safety to human life?"(With PTI inputs)
Compared to 220 terror incidents in Jammu and Kashmir in 2012, there were 322 incidents in 2016 in which 82 security personnel and 15 civilians were killed, the RTI reply said.

"There is a new trend these days. Whenever the army surrounds militants in an area, messages are sent on social media platforms and residents from nearby places gather there, slowing down operations," Major Gen (retd) GD Bakshi said.

At least one ceasefire violation was reported daily along the Line of Control in Jammu and Kashmir in 2015 and 2016, the Home Minister has said in its reply to an RTI query, adding that 23 security personnel were killed in two years.The Home Ministry also said that 1,142 terror incidents were reported in J&K between 2012 and 2016 in which 236 security personnel and 90 civilians were killed, PTI reported. In the same period, 507 terrorists were killed in encounters, the ministry said.According to the reply, Pakistan violated the ceasefire across the Line of Control 449 times in 2016, as compared to 405 violations in 2015.It said in 2015, 39 security personnel and 17 civilians were killed in 208 terror incidents while 108 terrorists were killed in encounters. While 47 security personnel and 28 civilians were killed in the state, 110 terrorists were killed in encounters in 2014, the reply said.The Home Ministry said that in 2012, 15 security personnel and as many civilians were killed in 220 terror incidents, and 72 terrorists were killed in encounters. In 2013, 53 security personnel and 15 civilians were killed in 170 terror incidents in J&K with security forces killing 67 terrorists in encounters.On May 1, the bodies of two Indian soldiers were mutilated by Pakistans Border Action Team in Krishna Ghati sector of Poonch district. The team had infiltrated 250 meters into the Indian territory to target a patrol party, while the Pakistan army provided it cover fire from across the border.
Samajwadi patron Mulayam Singh Yadav said though the Congress left no stone unturned to "ruin" his life, his son Akhilesh Yadav forged an alliance with the party in the run up to the Assembly polls.

By Press Trust of India: Samajwadi Party patron Mulayam Singh Yadav today blamed the alliance with the Congress for the "poor" state of the party and said efforts should be made to strengthen the SP.

He said though the Congress left no stone unturned to "ruin" his life, his son Akhilesh Yadav forged an alliance with the party in the run up to the Assembly polls.

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"Alliance with Congress is responsible for the present poor state of the party. I had advised Akhilesh not to go ahead with it but he did so. The SP is itself responsible for its defeat and not the people of the state," he told reporters here.

Mulayam was here to unveil a statue of martyr Dharmendra Yadav in Junesa village in Karhal area here.

Attacking the Congress further, Mulayam said, "Congress left no stone unturned to ruin my life. It (Congress) lodged cases against me and Akhilesh forged alliance with it."

To a question on his brother Shivpal Yadav deciding to form a new front, he said efforts should be made to strengthen the Samajwadi Party.

Shivpal, who retained the Jaswantnagar Assembly seat during the recent elections, has said that a secular front would be formed if Akhilesh Yadav did not hand over the reins of the party back to his father Mulayam in three months.

On Shivpal Yadav's comment terming Ramgopal Yadav as "Shakuni", Mulayam said, "Whatever he (Shivpal) said is true. Attempts were made to ensure his defeat and money was also spent for it".

The SP patron also attacked Prime Minister Narendar Modi and dubbed him as a "liar".

"He (Modi) had lied to the people and promised Rs 15 lakh in every account but even Rs 15,000 was not given," he said.

The Samajwadi Party had witnessed a bitter feud between uncle Shivpal and nephew Akhilesh in the run up to the Uttar Pradesh Assembly polls.

Many in the party blamed the power struggle between Akhilesh and his uncle Shivpal for the Samajwadi Party's dismal performance.

The Samajwadi Party contested the polls under Akhilesh's leadership but suffered a humiliating defeat at the hands of the BJP.

Mulayam had earlier blamed Akhilesh for the Samajwadi Partys poor performance in the Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections and said that his son had insulted him.

The SP tally in the Assembly elections has come down to 47 from 227 in the 403-member House.

Following a bitter feud between the father and the son, Akhilesh had snatched reins of the party from Mulayam and their fight also reached the Election Commission.

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Also read:

Samajwadi feud: Has Shivpal Yadav made Mulayam Singh an opponent of Akhilesh?

Samajwadi Party splits, Shivpal Yadav to form Samajwadi Secular Morcha headed by Mulayam

WATCH THE VIDEO:

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New Delhi: The Supreme Court has termed as "wholly misconceived" a petition seeking a direction to the Centre to build a barrier similar to the Great Wall of China along its borders.



A bench headed by Chief Justice J S Khehar observed that how can India make such a wall when even the United States has not been able to fully construct a wall along the US-Mexico border.



The historic Great Wall of China, measuring around 21,196 km in length, is a series of fortifications built along the northern borders of China to protect the kingdoms against raids and invasions by various nomadic groups.



"You (petitioner) are seeking to make a wall like the Great Wall of China along all the borders. What kind of petition you are filing? Why are you taking so much of our time?" the bench, also comprising Justices D Y Chandrachud and S K Kaul, said.



"Even the US cannot fully construct a wall on the Mexico border and you are saying India should make wall. Where is the money? Will you pay the money for it? Should we tell the government that you will pay the money?" the bench asked while dismissing the petition.



The petitioner, a registered association, has filed the petition seeking a direction to the Centre to construct a wall like the Great Wall of China all along the borders to stop terrorism and drugs smuggling in the country.



The plea has claimed that such a wall along the borders would help in curbing the issue of cross-border terrorism which is a cause of major concern for the country.



However, after a brief hearing, the bench said, "We are of the view that the instant petition is wholly misconceived, and therefore, we are not inclined to entertain this petition."
Major accident averted at Delhi airport, when wings of a Srinagar bound Jet Airways flight touched another aircraft before take off. pic.twitter.com/uyk2vBJYzo  ANI (@ANI_news) May 7, 2017

: In a serious breach of aviation safety precautions, two Jet Airways aircraft on Sunday came so close on the runway at the Delhi airport that their wings brushed against each other, prompting the airline to de-roster the pilots.All passengers and crew of the two aircraft were reported safe, the airline said in a statement.The incident happened when one of the planes was taxiing and the other was getting ready for take off.The Air Traffic Control (ATC) gave permission to Jet Airways 9W 730 from Delhi to Patna for taxiing on runway 29 at 2.48 pm. It then allowed the airlines' 9W 603 flight from Delhi to Srinagar to taxi on the same runway at 2.53 pm.The Patna-bound aircraft had 115 passengers and eight crew members on board, while the Delhi-Srinagar flight had 137 people, including eight crew.At 2.59 pm, the Patna-bound aircraft reported "ground collision" after the Delhi-Srinagar flight brushed against its wing.The airline said regulatory authorities have been informed about the incident and cockpit crew of the two aircraft taken off duty pending investigation. Engineers of the Jet Airways are inspecting the aircraft, an official statement said.All passengers and crew on board the two aircraft were safe and will be accommodated on subsequent flights, the statement added.




Mumbai: Actor Pankaj Tripathi, whose role as a Maths professor in Nil Battey Sannata was very much appreciated, says the Hindi film industry doesn't know how to market films.



His film Newton with actor Rajkummar Rao was honoured with an award at the Berlin Film Festival and Best Film at the Hong Kong Film Festival.



The actor is very happy with the success of getting the film to the International Film Festivals but he has no hope when it comes to the film going to the Academy Awards.



Talking about the possibility of Oscars for Newton, he told IANS: "I don't think it is possible, because it happens in America. Americans know how to market their own products and same holds true for Europeans. Take Cannes, Berlin or any American film festival and see how they have made their status in the world."



"I do not think our International Film Festival of India which happens in Goa is discussed in the US or Europe, just like American and European film festivals, because we don't know how to cherish or market our stuff," he added.



The actor thinks that the hold of a filmmaker should be strong enough for the Oscars.



"If you want Oscar then you need to have a very strong back up. It is my very personal opinion that if any Hollywood studio is involved as a producer in a film then obviously there is a strong lobbying involved. Apart from having a good content, the producer or a studio involved in the project also matters a lot," said Tripathi.



Pankaj also says that it is a struggle for independent filmmakers in India.



"Our commercial filmmaker's target is to complete the cinema at their earliest and earn twice or three times. whereas the independent filmmaker's struggle is to get a release in 200 to 300 screens on any Friday," he said.



In spite of the rat race in the world of commercial cinema, he is happy with the response that independent cinema is getting.



"I am happy that Indian audience is evolving day by day. This generation is enjoying and appreciating films like 'Nil Battey Sannata', 'Newton' and 'Ankhon Dekhi'. These movies are being watched and creating their own space in the market and it's a good sign," said Tripathi who is also known for his role as Sultan in "Gangs of Wasseypur".



Newton starring Rajkummar Rao and Anjali Patel is a political black comedy and revolves around a clerk placed on election duty in a conflict-ridden area of Chhattisgarh.



The film is produced by Manish Mundra of Drishyam Films and directed by Amit Masurkar.



Tripathi will next be seen in upcoming Bollywood films Bareilly ki Barfi, Munna Michael, Fukrey 2 and Julie 2.


In a bombshell allegation, Aam Aadmi Party leader Kapil Mishra says Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal took Rs 2 crore illegal cash from city Health Minister Satyendra Jain. He made the charges at Rajghat a day after being sacked as the citys water minister. Deputy CM Manish Sisodia says these are baseless allegations.

As it happened.

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New Delhi: In a bombshell allegation, Aam Aadmi Party leader Kapil Mishra on Sunday said he had witnessed Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal take Rs 2 crore illegal cash from city Health Minister Satyendra Jain. He made the charges at Rajghat a day after being sacked as the citys water minister.



Mishra said he was removed from the Delhi Cabinet for pointing out corruption and not over water crisis as was being claimed by Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia. He added that he had no plans to quit the AAP of which he is a founding member.



Heres a look at 10 big statements made by Kapil Mishra at Rajghat:



- I saw Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal accept Rs 2 crore cash from Health Minister Satyendra Jain



- Jain told me he had settled land deals worth Rs 50 crore for Arvind Kejriwals relatives



- When I questioned him, Kejriwal told me that such things happen in politics



- I was sacked from the party after speaking out against corruption



- I have submitted all details to Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal



- I want Arvind Kejriwal and his deputy Manish Sisodia to introspect how many times they have lied to the people of Delhi



- When we came across corruption in Punjab election funding, we thought Arvind Kejriwal didnt know about it. We told him and kept waiting for him to react



- I was the only minister of the Delhi cabinet to not have any CBI inquiry against me. I even acted against former CM Sheila Dikshit the moment I took office



- I saw the cash last night and decided to speak out today. I am ready to give evidence to any investigating agency. I will also approach the anti-corruption bureau



- The day Satyendra Jain lands in jail, I will be proven right. Just wait and watch
"It is painful for me to see what is going on in the Delhi government. It is disheartening to see my former colleague in the anti-corruption crusade, Kejriwal, facing charges of accepting money," Hazare told reporters at his village Ralegan Siddhi.

"I would study the matter in-depth and then issue a detailed statement, but whatever I have seen on news channels, it is disheartening for me," he said.

: Social activist Anna Hazare on Sunday said he was pained to see his "former colleague in the anti-corruption crusade" Arvind Kejriwal facing allegations of accepting money."I have been a part of the anti-corruption movement for the last 40 years. Kejriwal joined me later and we did succeed in the state elections. In fact, the Delhi election victory was because of Kejriwal's campaign against serious corruption in Delhi. But today he himself is facing the allegations of accepting money, which is a very painful for me," Hazare said.Earlier today, sacked Delhi minister Kapil Mishra accused Chief Minister Kejriwal of taking Rs two crore from a cabinet colleague, a charge refuted by Deputy CM Manish Sisodia.The allegation by Mishra, who was sacked from the AAP dispensation last night, came amid growing rumblings in the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP).
And he was getting open support from the leaders like Kapil Mishra, Imran Hussain, Rajesh Rishi, Vandana Kumari, Bhavna Gaur and others. Kejriwal had to personally visit Kumar Vishwas to win his confidence.

Of the 67 MLAs, who first won the Assembly election on AAP ticket, at least 60 would have lost their deposit if they did not have Kejriwal's stamp on them.

: A day after the MCD drubbing Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) went back to the drawing board. Punjab and Goa elections were blamed on the EVM, but Delhi was different. The total vote count of AAP and Congress was more than that of BJP and thus EVM blame game was losing credence. The MLAs too realised for themselves that the charm of Arvind Kejriwal and that of the party was on the wane.But even as the deliberations began with the MLAs and the PAC, it was fast becoming clear that unquestionable hold of Arvind Kejriwal was waning on the party. These were early signs, Kumar Vishwas was becoming the other pole of the party.But Kapil Mishra was another case. He wasn't as big a crowd puller as Kumar, but he was clearly at odds with Arvind. Many of those close to the party could sense that the trouble was brewing, but none had imagined it would spiral into him alleging that Satyendra Jain paid Arvind Kejriwal Rs 2 crore in cash.Also Read: Kejriwal Took Rs 2 Cr from Satyendar Jain, Got Rs 50-cr Land Deal Fixed: Kapil Mishra When Arvind Kejriwal had first launched his party at the height of the Lokpal Movement, he went on a 'shoot and scoot' mission against all the top leaders ranging from the Gandhi family to Jaitley to Sheila Dikshit to Gadkari. This did earn him a momentum and a host of defamation suits; today, this is what his own disgruntled team member is doing to him.The fact that Kejriwal was personally handed over cash by Jain is something which is difficult to believe. Not for any reasons of probity or anything such but the very fact that even if such a deal took place it would have happened through other handlers and not between the leaders themselves. But this brings to a larger issue at hand.Also Read: How did Arvind Kejriwal, the champion of Anti-corruption politics, come to be accused of taking money? The answer probably lies more in electoral politics. A dictator leader was accepted and fawned upon till such a time that his name got votes.But the defeat of the AAP in Punjab, Goa and then Delhi made it clear that Arvind's name is not enough to win the election. And thus his unquestioned authority over the party is under pressure.Dissidence is growing, leaders are speaking out and in many cases the personal ambition of other leaders are on open display.This is probably the toughest phase for the AAP since its inception. There is a chance that the party might disintegrate, but if it doesn't, the masks would be off. Arvind Kejriwal would discover who are his real friends in the party.
"CM Manik Sarkar should ask for a CBI probe against his ministers who are involved. Why is he so reluctant? The CPI-M government must be thrown out of power for cheating people in the state," said Shah, addressing a public meet in Kumarghat.

Shah added that Tripura had the potential of becoming a model state, but corruption in the state had made sure that people were still poor and laws were compromised with

: BJP president Amit Shah on Sunday alleged that several CPI-M leaders in Tripura were involved in the Rose Valley chit fund scam, but there was no thorough probe on it.As of now, two Trinamool Congress MPs Sudip Bandyopadhyay and Tapas Pal have been arrested in the Rose Valley Scam, which according to sources amounts to Rs 60,000 crore. The scam is believed to be the biggest ponzi fraud in India and is considered to be at least seven times bigger than Saradha scam."Women are not safe here. In the last 10 months, more than 900 cases of molestation and eve teasing have been reported in this state. Out of the 37 lakh people in Tripura, more than 65% people live below the poverty line. There are around 25% literate people who are unemployed, and another 25% do not have access to safe drinking water. I met a few teachers who told me they had lost their jobs. When I inquired, they told me Maniks government was involved in the teacher recruitment scam. All the corrupt will be brought to books. BJP will form government here," said Shah.
By India Today Web Desk: Rumblings in the Aam Aadmi Party continue today with sacked Delhi Water Minister Kapil Mishra making a dramatic allegation, accusing Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal of corruption.

Speaking to reporters at Rajghat today morning, Mishra claimed to have seen Kejriwal accept Rs 2 crore in cash from Delhi Health Minister Satyendra Kumar Jain.

The allegations come just a day after Mishra was shunted out of the Arvind Kejriwal cabinet. Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia, however, said Mishra was fired because of mismanagement that resulted in a major water crisis during the MCD polls.

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The Bharatiya Janata Party and Congress both responded to Mishra's claim by saying that Kejriwal should step down as Delhi chief minister.

Meanwhile, the Aam Aadmi Party rubbished Mishra's claims, calling the allegations baseless and undeserving of a response.

LATEST UPDATES:

Delhi Youth Congress holds massive protest outside Kejriwal's residence.

Kejriwal became Delhi CM after he fought corruption. Now, it's surprising that he is facing corruption charges: Anna Hazare.

Kiran Bedi seeks independent investigation over allegations of corruption made by Kapil Mishra against Kejriwal.

BJP Delhi chief Manoj Tiwari demanded resignation of Arvind Kejriwal over the bribe charges.

"Youth Congress to demonstrate outside Kejriwal's house at 4 PM seeking his resignation on Kapil Mishra's charges," Delhi Congress chief Ajay Maken tweets.

'Not even his enemy will believe that Kejriwal will accept a bribe or indulge in corruption,' Kumar Vishwas added.

After Manish Sisodia, Kumar Vishwas, who recently reached a truce with Kejriwal, has now come out in support of the Delhi chief minister. Vishwas called the allegations 'baseless.'

'We will make sure a through investigation is done in this matter. Will approach ACB, CBI," Tiwari also said, adding that he will lead a delegation to meet LG Anil Baijal.

I strongly demand that Arvind Kejriwal resign as Delhi chief minister, Manoj Tiwari says. He has no moral or even legal right to continue on the post, the Delhi BJP chief adds.

Watch: AAP chief shouldn't stay CM a minute longer, says BJP

Delhi BJP chief Manoj Tiwari addresses media on Kapil Mishra's allegations. 'I would like to thank Kapil Mishra for bringing these charges to light,' he says.

"I might agree with charges of power greed, arrogance, authoritarianism against Kejriwal, but charge of taking bribe need solid evidence," Swaraj India chief and former AAP leader Yogendra Yadav tweets.

Congress plans to launch a signature campaign seeking Arvind Kejriwal's recall, Maken says, adding that if Mishra's allegations are proven to be false, then that should be probed as well.

"Arvind Kejriwal should resign taking immediate. He has no moral rights to be in the CM. Kapil Mishra is still a minister, so these are serious allegations," Maken added.

"Kapil Mishra is a witness and CBI, anti corruption branch should take action," Congress's Ajay Maken says on Mishra's allegations. A case should be registered under Prevention of Corruption Act, he adds.

This is my party, will never leave AAP, won't join the BJP: Mishra further says.

Have told LG Anil Baijal about Kejriwal accepting Rs 2 crore in cash from Satyendra Jain, Mishra adds.

Watch: Kejriwal not more powerful than God, I believe in God: Kapil Mishra on possibility of his suspension

'My next course of action is to go to the CBI, ACB, give them all the information, come back home sleep peacefully,' Mishra tells India Today.

Satyendra Jain will be in jail in the coming weeks, Mishra goes on to claim.

Will give CBI, ACB all the information: Mishra to India Today.

Speaking to India Today, Mishra says his resignation has not been demanded yet.

'Until recently Kejriwal was telling the entire world that EVMs were the reason for AAP's loss in MCD polls. Now suddenly, water has become the issue. Why is Kejriwal not facing the media?' Mishra says in new tweet.

His allegations are not even worth responding to, they are so absurd and without any facts, Sisodia said.

Sisodia calls the allegations "baseless" and expresses his shock at Mishra's claims in an extremely short rebuttal.

Watch: Mishra's allegations about Arvind Kejriwal are baseless, says Manish Sisodia

Manish Sisodia addresses the press.

Following the press meet, Mishra tweets, "The day Satyendra Jain is sent to jail, my stand will be proved as true. It's a wait of just a few days."

Watch the video of Kapil Mishra levelling corruption allegations at Kejriwal.

Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia to address media on Kapil Mishra's allegations.

Delhi BJP chief Manoj Tiwari reacts to Mishra's allegations, saying that Kejriwal no longer has the moral authority to remain as Delhi's chief minister.

Satyendra Kumar Jain is a minister in Arvind Kejriwal's cabinet and has been accused of money laundering by the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Congress.

Seeing Jain hand over the cash with my own eyes made it impossible for me to stay quiet: Mishra.

Saw Satyendra Jain arrive at Arvind Kejriwal's home with Rs 2 crore in cash just this week: Mishra at Rajghat

I was removed after I vowed to make details of the scam public, Mishra says.

Mishra once again indicates that his removal from the post of Delhi's water minister was a result of his asking to meet the Anti-Corruption Bureau over the tanker scam.

I am the only minister in Kejriwal's cabinet who is clean and has not been tarnished by any allegations or probes: Mishra at Rajghat.

Aam Aadmi Party is my party, is the party of people against corruption. I won't leave this party, nor can anyone expel me from the party: Mishra at Rajghat.

Kapil Mishra gets ready to address reporters at Rajghat in New Delhi.

"I have witnessed HIM taking illegal cash.. have shared all details with Lt. Gov. (Baijal)," Kapil Mishra says in a tweet posted at around 11 am.

Click here to Enlarge

Kapil Mishra departs from LG Anil Baijal's house.

Several Aam Aadmi Party MLAs believe that 'intellectuals' in the party like Sanjay Singh, Atishi Marlena, Dileep Pandey, Deepak Vajpai, Raghav Chaddha, among others, are unning the party arbitrarily with their own agendas, mindset and inclination.

Deputy CM Manish Sisodia and his wife are also at Arvind Kejriwal's home.

Kumar Vishwas, who recently reached a truce with Kejriwal, is at the Delhi chief minister's home.

"I will provide the LG (Anil Baijal) with the details of the scam. 11.30 am (when Mishra is scheduled to give a press conference) is the shubhmurat (auspicious time) to clean up corruption," Mishra said today.

"I am a founder member of AAP and will always remain in the party," Mishra on whether he plans on joining the Bharatiya Janata Party.

Aam Aadmi Party is my party and no one show me the door: Kapil Mishra

(With inputs from Pankaj Jain, Ilma Hasan and Ankit Tyagi)

ALSO READ | Why Kumar Vishwas truce with Arvind Kejriwal is temporary and he may still quit AAP to join BJP

ALSO WATCH | This is AAP's sixth defeat and not because of EVM rigging: Kumar Vishwas slams Kejriwal

--- ENDS ---
The case, brought in Australia's Federal Court, follows a similar lawsuit last year in which an Italian lawyer sued Emirates airline after he was forced to "suffer" a nine-hour flight beside an obese man.

As a result of the fact that American Airlines failed to reseat him or even offer a viable alternative, he suffered bodily injuries by contorting his body within the cramped space caused by the intrusion of the grossly obese passenger sitting next to him," he said.

American Airlines recently announced that they are removing up to two inches of leg room in some passenger seats in the Economy class cabin in their new passenger aircraft.

American Airlines has been hit with a lawsuit seeking over $100,000 by, 67-year-old Michael Anthony Taylor, a passenger who got squashed during his nearly 14-hour flight after being seated next to two grossly obese individuals.Taylor, a New South Wales resident, is claiming he got crushed by his co-passengers during his flight from Sydney to Los Angeles. The crew had apparently refused him permission to move to another seat.According to documents lodged in court, Taylor was seated next to the window in economy class on the December 2015 flight, sharing the row with two passengers described as "grossly obese", news.com.au reported.The body of the passenger next to Taylor "spilt over and encroached" into his seat, forcing him to "contort his body into a series of positions including standing up, crouching, keeling and leaning forward".According to Taylor's lawsuit, the situation caused him to experience pain, injuries and discomfort during the whole flight, which was about 14 hours long.Taylor was quoted as saying that he has since suffered back injuries, neck pain and injuries, ongoing discomfort and the aggravation of pre-existing scoliosis - curvature of the spine.Taylor's lawyer, Thomas Jansen, said his client repeatedly asked the cabin crew if he could move to another seat, but he was not allowed.A spokesperson for American Airlines in a statement said, "We just received the lawsuit and we are reviewing the allegations."Taylor's claim comes amid growing concern over airlines shrinking seats and cutting back on legroom in order to cram more passengers onto flights.The lawsuit also comes amid a growing row about the treatment of passengers by airlines in the United States, including a California family who were removed from their flight and threatened with having their children taken into care if they did not comply.United Airlines reached a settlement last week over a passenger who was dragged down the isle of one of its jets, after refusing to give up his seat.(With inputs from PTI)
Hong Kong/ Moscow: Russia's telecoms watchdog has blocked China's WeChat, the social media app developed by Tencent Holdings.



Access has been restricted since May 4, according to information posted on the Russian regulator's website. Since its launch in 2011, WeChat has become China's most popular mobile social media platform.



Russian media quoted the regulator Roskomnadzor, which was not immediately available for comment on Saturday, as saying the access was restricted after WeChat refused to provide contact information for the regulator's register.



Tencent said it was checking the status of WeChat in Russia and was in talks with the relevant authorities.



Sanctions are stipulated in Russia for "organisers of information distribution on the internet" for failure to comply with the Russian law on information, information technologies and information security.



Social media applications such as Facebook and Twitter are blocked in China, while Chinese President Xi Jinping has been a vocal advocate of so-called cyber sovereignty.



In Russia, Mail.ru's VKontakte, Facebook's WhatsApp and Rakuten's Viber were the most popular mobile messaging applications last year, according to consultants J'son & Partners.
The party says that this meeting is to connect with the AAP representatives and office bearers and to chalk out a cohesive party plan that would enable further expansion and consolidation of AAP in Punjab.

By Ankit Tyagi: Amidst the latest crisis that has hit the Aam Aadmi Party with direct allegations of corruption against Chief Arvind Kejriwal by his own former cabinet colleague Kapil Mishra, Kejriwal is moving swiftly to consolidate his position within the party.

After a series of meetings with Delhi AAP legislators, Arvind Kejriwal will today be meeting 20 party MLAs along with the district Convenors of Punjab.The meeting has been scheduled for 12 pm at the Delhi chief minister's residence in the national capital.

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The party says that the meeting is to connect with the AAP representatives and office bearers and to chalk out a cohesive party plan that would enable further expansion and consolidation of AAP in Punjab. However, many are seeing it as a well timed move by Arvind Kejriwal to ensure total domination over the party.

After poll debacle in Punjab and drubbing in MCD elections in Delhi, senior leaders felt that without a plan in Punjab, party workers were left demoralised and confused which could have given the rival parties a chance to stifle AAP's progress in the state.

AIM OF THE MEETING

With Bhagwant Mann and few other voices of dissent in the state, Kejriwal would also aim at pacifying the disgruntled. Also, recent developments in Delhi have left many workers questioning their loyalties.

With this connect programme, Kejriwal wants to assure the AAP's rank and file in Punjab and that they are very much in agenda of the top leadership.

In this meeting, the party organisation in Punjab may also be restructured. After resignations of state in charges Punjab's Sanjay Singh and Durgesh Pathak, selection of new in charges could also take place.

This meeting will also brain storm about the future road map of the party, especially the role of its legislators in the state assembly.

An over confident AAP was a distant second in the recently held Punjab state elections. This is only the second meeting of Kejriwal with Punjab MLAs after the selection of LOP (H.S Phoolka) and party whip (Sukhpal Khaira).

Also Read:

Kapil Mishra vs Arvind Kejriwal: Exclusive details of what happened behind the doors at CM residence

Kapil Mishra expose: Kumar Vishwas defends Kejriwal but asks Satyendra Jain to explain 'mistake'

Also Watch:

AAP crisis: Saw Arvind Kejriwal accept Rs 2 crore in cash from Satyendra Kumar Jain, says Kapil Mishra

--- ENDS ---
ReThink life

These were just a few initiatives by ReThink, a personal and organisational transformation centre with the aim of making this world a kinder, happier, gentler place through actions rather than just words.

According to founder of ReThink, Ernie Ross, the four-year-old organisation was a manifestation of Ross Advertising. He said the agencys philosophy was intangience (a trademarked word they created), which was about intangible values and the science of human connection that makes it work.

For example, he explained that on Valentines Day, vendors who sell roses are not just selling flowers but a sentiment. Coca Cola too does not just sell carbonated beverages, but the brand satisfies a craving for human connection.

He therefore asks his clients three questions that drives intangience: Who am I? What is my purpose? How would I be remembered? Ross told Sunday Newsday those questions got him to thinking about his own life. As a single father of a 16-year-old daughter, he asked himself whether he was leaving enough for her materially. However, a friend of his told him the important thing was the values he left with her.

That got me to thinking about what my life, my business was measured by. The manifestation of greater ideals, the things that were important to me, that I was going in my life but not in any structured way, gave birth to rethink. It was my moment of epiphany when I asked myself these three questions. We feel we can carry out national, regional, and international transformation by the work we do.

We are part of a massive global movement to shift conscience, and consciousness, he said.

Ross stressed that he was not a guru of happiness but that he was searching, like everyone else. The only difference is that he has set up an organisation to do it and is encouraging others to do it as well.

ReThink is doing this through various programmes in TT and Guyana.

Random acts of kindness and pay it forward are interlinked. They encourage people to be nice to each other and for the receiver to do something nice in turn. It could be a smile, a hug, an encouraging word, giving someone a bottle of water or an umbrella to a mother with a child.

It could be anything that you feel you could afford at that point in time to make someone a little happier.

It could be anything that could break the negative pattern that a person could be experiencing... If you do something unusual and unexpected, a random act of kindness, you shift their consciousness. They cant help but be touched by that.

If you touch a small percentage of people and they touch a small percentage of people, you are beginning the shift. He urged people not to be discouraged if someone reacts negatively or does not react at all because no one knows an individuals personal problems or issues.

ReThink also plans to open a Kindness Caf? at its office on Alcazar St, St Clair, where kindness would be the currency. We feel that we can trade on the idea and ideal that people are going to be touched by compassion and in time, if frequently touched by it, a shift would happen within them. It will eventually become a part of the changes we need here. Kind Soles is a programme already launched in Guyana. So far, ReThink has distributed approximately 7,000 expandable sandals to primary school students in Guyana. The sandals, produced by The Shoe That Grows, a non-profit organisation in the US, is durable and comfortable, and perfect for quickly-growing children. Ross said ReThink plans to expand the programme to TT and other parts of the region, donating the sandals to anyone who needs it.

Feed the Need for Happiness was a one-off project that ReThink hopes to do again, and possibly make into a permanent programme.

In 2016, ReThink collected good, cooked food from restaurants and supermarkets and distributed it to the needy.

Ross said every day supermarkets threw away rotisserie chicken, pastries, sushi, sandwiches and full meals that were good, but would spoil if left for another day. He said Rethink is willing to get food warmers, coolers, and vans to pick up the food and distribute it to those in need, and further, to make it a national programme.

He noted that France banned supermarkets from dumping or destroying unsold food and that ReThink is trying to make TT the second country to do so. There is too much need in this country for them to take good food and dump it, especially if we are providing resources for you to remove it from your place of business. Soon to come will be the Project Happiness programme, which will be part of ReThinks Happiness Initiative that brought us free doubles and bake and shark on International Happiness Day.

Project Happiness is a registered NGO out of the US that runs in over 80 countries around the world that teaches children emotional resilience. The curriculum is being run in numerous schools in Guyana, was available in 12 schools in TT in 2016, and ReThink is trying to activate it in this country once again.

Ross also hopes to bring a global initiative into the region, one designed to create harmony and understanding among people with varying views. He said the world-tested programmes, endorsed and supported by a renowned learning institute, could transform societies including school and business environments and the national community.

Ross has been doing random acts of kindness on a personal level for a long time. Theres nothing that makes you more compassionate than having been there. So when you see someone in a similar or worse situation, it does something to you. He said he came from humble beginnings in Guyana and when he came to Trinidad in the 1980s he didnt know anyone, and went through a difficult financial time.

In addition, he said as a child his mother encouraged him to be selfless and give to others. Growing up my mom always told me, If you are feeling down, find someone who feels worse. If there is a need in your life, fill someone elses need. If there is an absence of love or money, give the love or money. Fill the need that you find in your life and there is a universal, irrefutable law that would bring it back to you providing you are doing it because you genuinely want to help, not so that you can get something in return. Therefore, Ross uses his network of influence to bring the good work being done at ReThink to the notice of people who can encourage the change in communities and nationally. To those who believe a lot of money is necessary to have happiness, Ross said while money brings a certain amount of security and comfort, what is ultimately important is health, your relationship with others, and the sense that you are making a difference and serving a greater purpose in the world.

He stressed that a person can be rich but not be happy if the person does not have love, compassion, understanding, and other intangible things that give ones life meaning.

One of the biggest things for making people happy is gratitude.

We have so much to be grateful for on the island and in our lives but if we dont acknowledge it, we wont feel happy.
Woman, 81, dies

Reports are that Kathleen Harper, 81, died in the one-storey building she owned along the Eastern Main Road.

Investigators are still trying to determine the cause of the fire, which is believed to have erupted at the back of Harpers home.

Fire officials said Harper lived with two relatives on the upper floor while the ground floor was tenanted to the owners of NARS Discount Hardware.

Her relatives, including a niece, were not at home at the time of the blaze.

Sunday Newsday understands the tenants, Andy Assing, had only been occupying the space for six months.

Damages have been put at an estimated $6 million.

Fire officers responded to the report at about 10 pm. They believe the elderly woman fell through the buildings upper floor as her remains were found in a crouched position in the hardware store beneath. Officers said the blaze also consumed an adjacent business, Brownes Furniture Store, a household name in the district.

Manager Sandra Browne, who lives a short distance away at Ninth Street, told Sunday Newsday by the time she got there the furniture store was not yet on fire.

I went up there and my building was not on fire yet. I was told that the building next door was on fire but the wind was blowing so heavy that it looked as though it would catch the roof of my building and within minutes, even though the fire tenders were there, my building caught afire, she said.

Browne said the water supply also was inadequate.

So, because the water supply was inadequate, they were not able to contain the fire and eventually other tenders came and about three water trucks came. But by the time those water trucks were on the scene, my building on the top floor, was destroyed.

Its a warehouse, it contains mattresses, wooden furniture, so, the moment the fire spread across there, within minutes that was a towering inferno and a result of that there was that nothing was saved. Browne praised the work of the fire officers, whom she said, worked fearlessly to prevent other buildings from being destroyed.

Some of the tenders went to the back and wet them so in this way just two buildings were lost in the back, she said.

Browne said she was struggling to come to terms with the disaster.

I dont even know what to think, she said. My grandmother lived on that spot and 60 years ago there was a fire on that spot.

I stood in my grandmothers shoes last night (Friday) because I was told it was before I was born.

She stood there and watched it burn to the ground.

And I watched the property that replaced that house burn to the ground in much the same way. It was a surreal type of situation just standing in my grandmothers shoes. Browne said the business had ten employees.
Jammin still in Point

This set the pace for a day celebrating the boroughs 37th anniversary under the theme New Beginnings.

More than 700 people, wearing mostly coloured T-shirts and shorts, enjoyed a free flow on Main Road.

Vendors were allocated spots near the market to sell and, as a result, there was no congestion on street corners where in past years the set up stalls.

Not surprisingly, the song of choice was the 2017 record-breaking Road March Full Extreme by Ultimate Rejects had revellers jammin still as the sun came up. They also danced to Machel Montanos Your Time Now.

Twenty-five bands, among them Dem Puncheon Boy, Frolic Mania, Country Bookie and Celebrity Kalls, paraded along Main Road to Adventure Road in front of Dock of the Bay bar where they were judged.

Deputy Mayor of Point Fortin Kennedy Richards commended the police for controlling the traffic, and said the street party was incident free and hoped to complete the day the same way.
AC exam to set cooling standards

Launched on April 12, at the Hilton Trinidad, St Anns, it is one of the more recent steps taken by the National Ozone Unit to help the country comply with the Montreal Protocol.

Dr Marissa Gowrie, deputy environmental manager and national ozone officer in the Environmental Policy and Planning Division of the Ministry of Planning and Development, explained, Several countries came together in the 1980s and agreed to phase out ozone depleting gases but the gases affect the ozone differently... Trinidad and Tobago signed on in August 1989. Some of the gases include refrigerants such as chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) and hydro chlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs); the fumigant Methyl bromide; Halon, a fire suppressant; and more.

She noted the industry overlapped with many other sectors including tourism; the storage and transport of fish, meats, fruit and vegetables; the industrial sector; the medical sector with respect to operating theatres, the storing of vaccines, and even the morgue.

Gowrie told Sunday Newsday the Air-conditioning and Refrigeration Industry Association (ARIA) noticed a lack of professionalism and accountability in the industry. The organisation felt it critical to address these issues given the various sectors it services and so approached the ministry.

For many years ARIA has been voicing that they were seeing a lot of practices they would not endorse. Because of the very rapid changes in technology and refrigerants, a technician needs to be kept abreast, must keep themselves current, and, lets face it, as a consumer you assume the technician would give you the best technical advice because you dont know better. Therefore, the Ministry of Planning, ARIA, the National Training Agency (NTA), and other training schools created a professional certification for the Refrigeration and AC Industry.

A Body of Knowledge was developed as a text of basic technical knowledge a technician is required to know and is available on the NTA website and the National Ozone Units ozone blog. It was developed in a manner to appreciate that there are people who may have never gone to a formal school to learn the trade. The Body of Knowledge is aligned to what they should know. When the online exam is written, the technician would get the result immediately.

For people who are not computer literate, the NTA has a system where a proxy would sit with the person and provide assistance. Those who pass are then certified, recognising that they are at a certain level, and do a certain quality of work. They are then issued a license that is valid for three years.

In addition, NTA has developed, and are developing further, something called Skills TNT. If someone comes to you and says, Im an air conditioning technician, you can log on to Skills TNT and see reviews of their work, if it is they are in fact registered, similar to what Ebay has for sellers.

It gives a level of power to the consumer as well as another level of accountability to the sector. In order to renew the license, the technician is expected to present a portfolio of work done over the previous three years to the NTA, a record of how they have kept themselves current, and reviews from customers.

There are things that a technician can do to keep current that may not cost him any money but just shows due diligence on the part of the technician given the fact that this is such a dynamic field and will continue to be a dynamic field. Gowrie said one reason the field was so dynamic was because of the addition of alternative refrigerants, changes in the law, as well as changes in the Montreal Protocol. She noted that in October 2016, Kigali Amendment to the Montreal Protocol stated that one alternative refrigerant, a hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), would be phased out because, while it was not damaging to the ozone, it was a green house gas, causing climate change and global warning.

To assist technicians, she said the National Ozone Unit hosted free webinars (online seminar), which they would try to develop on a more regular basis in order to provide free training, as well as keep technicians up-to-date on what was happening in the air conditioning and refrigeration field.
The anti-corruption sentiment saw people of Delhi voting for Arvind Kejriwal and the Aam Aadmi Party in 2015. A little over two years later, corruption charges threaten to cut short AAP's political flight.

By Kritika Banerjee: As sacked Delhi minister Kapil Mishra accused Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal of corruption, the Aam Aadmi Party and its party chief's anti-corruption image took a hard hit.

The Aam Aadmi Party rose to power in February 2015 on the back of an anti-corruption crusade and promised people of Delhi an honest alternative to the Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

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In his victory speech in 2015, when the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) won 67 of the 70 Assembly seats in Delhi, Arvind Kejriwal had said that "the Congress was decimated due to its arrogance and now the same has happened to the BJP".

Promising people of Delhi corruption-free politics, Arvind Kejriwal said, "I am sure that together with the people we can make Delhi a place which everyone will be proud of".

FACING THE HEAT

More than two years after that victory speech, arrogance and corruption are two words that are now becoming synonymous with the Aam Aadmi Party and its chief Arvind Kejriwal.

Delhi Health Minister Satyendra Jain, who was accused by Kapil Mishra of giving Rs 2 crore in cash to Arvind Kejriwal, is under the Income Tax department scanner for his alleged connection with hawala operators.

According to the Income Tax department, companies controlled by Satyendra Jain have received Rs 16.39 crore from 56 Kolkata-based shell companies run by three hawala operators--Jivendra Mishra, Abhishek Chokhani and Rajendra Bansal.

Recently, the Aam Aadmi Party cried political vendetta when the Union Home Ministry sought details of foreign donations from the AAP based on the suspicion that the party may have violated provisions of the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act, 2010 (FCRA).

Donations to the Arvind Kejriwal-led AAP have been questioned since 2013 when a breakaway volunteer group AVAM (AAP Volunteer Action Manch) accused the party of receiving Rs 2 crore through four "dubious" donor companies ahead of the Assembly election. The AAP called it a conspiracy to tarnish its image.

On a day when AAP leader Kapil Mishra, who was sacked as Delhi water minister on Saturday, accused Arvind Kejriwal of corruption, the Aam Aadmi Party's donation list section on its website was "under construction".

The donor list section on AAP's website

FAULT LINES EXPOSED

Arvind Kejriwal who blamed arrogance for the defeat of the Congress and the BJP in the Delhi Assembly election in 2015 could be staring at a similar fate for his own party.

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Electoral setbacks in Punjab, Goa and in the Municipal Corporation of Delhi along with a growing dissent against the AAP leadership, particularly Arvind Kejriwal and his deputy Manish Sisodia, may end up eroding the party's support in Delhi too.

The party's stand on blaming electronic voting machines (EVMs) for electoral defeats came under sharp criticism from its own workers and leaders, including Kumar Vishwas.

Vishwas, who went public with his fight against the AAP leadership, was finally placated by the party with its chief Arvind Kejriwal reaching out to him.

The fight, even if temporary, exposed the fault lines in the party which portrayed unity among its workers as one of its biggest strengths.

The uneasy calm in the AAP has once again been shattered by the allegations levelled by former water minister Kapil Mishra.

A DEATH KNELL

Arvind Kejriwal was called the giant slayer after defeating Sheila Diskhit in 2013 Delhi Assembly election by a huge margin.

Arvind Kejriwal with Kumar Vishwas and Ashutosh after winning the Delhi Assembly election in 2015.

Sheila Dikshit, a three-time chief minister of Delhi, was stung by allegations of scams, particularly the Commonwealth Games scam. The Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) report on the CWG accused the then Delhi government of gross administrative mismanagement and doling out riches to private companies that executed projects for the 2010 event.

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A defiant Sheila Dikshit had said her government had "not done anything wrong" and everything was done keeping in mind the "national interest and prestige".

Cut to 2017, and Arvind Kejriwal and AAP's defiance on allegations levelled by party workers (leave alone the constant tussle with the Lieutenant Governor's office) mirrors the plot of Sheila Dikshit's downfall.

Arvind Kejriwal, who has always projected himself as an anti-corruption crusader, has been stung by allegations of corruption.

Corruption, an issue which propelled the Aam Aadmi Party and Arvind Kejriwal into national prominence, could turn out to the very reason for the party's downfall.

ALSO READ:

Kapil Mishra drops corruption bomb on Arvind Kejriwal: Saw him taking Rs 2 crore cash from Satyendra Jain

Why Kumar Vishwas truce with Arvind Kejriwal is temporary and he may still quit AAP to join BJP

MCD election results 2017: Why Delhi decided AAP's time was up

ALSO WATCH

--- ENDS ---




Fate of the Senate

Is Being Decided:

4 Big Races Still

Too Close to Call
Always Dreaming has won the 143rd Kentucky Derby, pulling away from Lookin at Lee in the slop. Race officials confirmed the win minutes after Always Dreaming crossed the finish line first at Churchill Downs. The win gives trainer Todd Pletcher his second Derby win. Battle of Midway finished third in the 20-horse field. Always Dreaming covered the 1 1/4-mile track in 2:03.59. It rained on and off Saturday, making for muddy conditions on the track and puddles on the pavement. Always Dreaming was the co-favorite along with Irish War Cry at 9-2 just an hour before the race, reports the AP.

Churchill Downs officials say attendance for the Kentucky Derby was 158,070. That's the seventh-largest crowd in the race's 143-year history. Whenever there's a big crowd, politicians are sure to follow. Prominent politicians spending Saturday at Churchill Downs included members of Congress and the Kentucky General Assembly. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell was back in his hometown of Louisville, attending the Derby with his wife, Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao. (Read more Kentucky Derby stories.)
Nigeria's President Muhammadu Buhari is set to meet Sunday with 82 Chibok schoolgirls freed this weekend after being kidnapped three years ago by Boko Haram extremists, while the International Committee of the Red Cross released an image of the girls boarding a helicopter to safety. The girls have landed in the capital, Abuja, reports the AP. The president said the schoolgirls were freed in exchange for detained suspected extremists in the largest negotiated release so far of the nearly 300 girls whose mass abduction in 2014 highlighted the threat of Nigeria's homegrown extremist fighters who are linked to the Islamic State group. A first group of 21 girls were released in October as Nigeria announced it had begun negotiations with the extremist group. Before Saturday's release, 195 of the girls had been captive. Now 113 of the girls remain unaccounted for.

The ICRC said it had acted as a neutral intermediary to transport the freed girls into Nigerian government custody. Long-suffering family members said they were eagerly awaiting a list of names and their "hopes and expectations are high." A Nigerian military official with knowledge of the rescue said the freed girls were near the town of Banki in Borno state near Cameroon. Boko Haram remains active in that area. On Friday, the United States and Britain issued warnings that the group was actively planning to kidnap foreigners in an area of Borno state "along the Kumshe-Banki axis." "This is a very, very exciting news for us that we have over 80 of our girls coming back again," Bukky Shonibare with the #BringBackOurGirls campaign told Sky TV. "Their life in captivity has been one that depicts suffering, it depicts the fact that they have been starved, abused." (Read more Boko Haram stories.)
American actress Meghan Markle's attendance at a celebrity polo match in which Prince Harry played is increasing British press speculation about their relationship, reports the AP. Photographs from the Saturday's match show Markle on the sidelines, but the appearance is being hailed as her first public event with Harry. The Telegraph published a grainy shot of Markle noting that she watched from the Royal Box. "If ever proof was needed that Miss Markle is here to stay, then her decision to attend the polo, a sport so dear to the heart of Prince Harry, is it," it wrote. "This polo trip might just take a bit of the heat out of Meghans appearance at Pippas wedding," which is in two weeks, says a royal watcher. What it also did: Ramp up speculation that the two might be headed down the aisle themselves in the near future.

The Sunday Mirror, meanwhile, put it thusly: "Meghan Makes her Markle at Harry Polo." Harry's office at Kensington Palace did not comment on the images. The palace said in a statement issued Saturday that Harry and his brother, Prince William, have taken part in polo fixtures since 2007 to raise money for charity, bringing in $12 million to date. (The British royals might need a deeper bench after this fall.)
Emmanuel Macron's campaign press office says a suspicious bag that prompted the evacuation of the courtyard outside the Louvre museum where the centrist French presidential candidate has planned to celebrate election night. Macron's team said a press room had been set up at the downtown Paris location and 300 journalists who were on site have been evacuated as a precaution, reports the AP. The Louvre already was being heavily guarded after an extremist attacker targeted soldiers near the museum during the presidential campaign. The Paris police prefecture tweeted a reassuring message: "#Louvre These are simple verification measures carried out as precautionary measure." The runoff election in which Macron is competing against far-right candidate Marine Le Pen is being conducted under the watch of 50,000 security forces guarding against extremist attacks.

Police and soldiers were earlier working to secure symbolic Paris venues where France's next president will celebrate victory. While Macron opted for the dignified Esplanade du Louvre, Le Pen plans to celebrate at the Chalet du Lac in the Bois de Vincennes, a vast park on Paris' eastern edge. She is notably staying away from the area around the Paris Opera, associated with her father's xenophobic reign over her National Front party. France's Interior Ministry says voter turnout is running slightly lower than 2012, with 28.23% of eligible voters having cast ballots as of midday, compared with 30.66% five years ago. Macron was considered the frontrunner, but commentators think low voter turnout would benefit Le Pen, whose supporters are seen as more committed and more likely to vote. The unusually tense and unpredictable campaign ended with a hacking attack and document leak targeting Macron on Friday night. France's cybersecurity agency is investigating. (Read more French presidency stories.)
North Korea has announced it detained another American citizen over unspecified hostile acts against the country, reports the AP. North Korea's official Korean Central News Agency said Sunday that Kim Hak Song had worked for the Pyongyang University of Science and Technology before he was held on Saturday. KCNA claimed that "a relevant institution" was "conducting [a] detailed investigation" of Kim's alleged crimes, reports the BBC.

North Korea on Wednesday announced the detention of an accounting instructor at the same university, Kim Sang Dok, for "acts of hostility aimed at overthrowing the country." The KCNA didn't say whether the two cases are connected. Kim Hak Song is among at least four Americans being detained in North Korea. The US doesn't have diplomatic relations with Pyongyang, notes the New York Times, so the Swedish embassy is in charge of Americans' consular affairs. The others 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. (Read more North Korea stories.)
A team of Chennai Police today raided several marketplaces and seized over 2,100 pirated DVDs of Baahubali - The Conclusion among other Tamil movies.

Chennai Police today seized as many as 2,100 pirated CDs and DVDs of newly released blockbuster Baahubali - the conclusion along with few other Tamil movies.

The raid was carried out following a complaint to Chennai Police Commissioner Karan Singha by Tamil Nadu Film Producers Council President Vishal.

In the complaint, Vishal said that the Council has been receiving information from Baahubali producers that not just pirated DVDs are doing the rounds but certain websites are also uploading the movie.

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There complaint focuses on the group, that recognizes itself as Tamil Rockers. Tamil Rockers have threatened to upload all new releases.

Police today raided shops at Burma Bazar,Sathya Bazar,Vadapalani,Ratna Bazar and Choolaimedu. As many as 16 people have been arrested.

Apart from Baahubali , pirated DVDs of latest movies like Kavan, power Paandi and Dora were also seized.

Also read: Bengaluru: Part of Bellandur Lake catches fire yet again

Also read: Kashmir: Militants give gun salute to slain associate at funeral in Kulgam

--- ENDS ---
The Air Force owns two X-37B space planes, and one of them is finally back on the ground after a nearly 2-year-long secret mission. While the what is unknown, the how long is clear: 718 days in orbit, reports Space.com, with the unmanned plane landing Sunday morning at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Floridaand flying into the record books. It was the Air Force's fourth such mission since April 2010 and the longest to date. A fifth is planned for 2017, reports Reuters. There's plenty of speculation about what the 29-foot-long plane, which looks like a mini-space shuttle, is up to up there.

Reuters cites one group's belief that the secrecy indicates intelligence-related hardware tests are being conducted. An Air Force fact sheet offers up this much: "The primary objectives of the X-37B are twofold; reusable spacecraft technologies for Americas future in space and operating experiments which can be returned to, and examined, on Earth." One cool fact: Though its mission is classified, its location isn't, thanks to what Space.com refers to as "keen-eyed amateur astronomers." The site offers a satellite tracker when missions are active, and notes the X-37B "usually looks like a star of middling brightness moving across the sky." (Read more X-37B stories.)
Nigeria: 82 abducted school girls freed by Boko Haram

Lagos : At least 82 of the more than 200 Chibok girls that were kidnapped by Boko Haram in 2014 in Nigeria's northeastern Borno State have been released, a government source said. The source told Xinhua news agency late Saturday that the girls were released following a negotiations between the extremist group and the Nigerian government.

"Yes, 82 girls are freed and they are due to fly to Abuja from Banki town in Borno State," Xinhua news agency quoted the source as saying.

The release came barely a month after President Muhammadu Buhari said his administration has engaged local and international intermediaries in reaching out to Boko Haram for the release of the Chibok school girls in captivity.

He said the government was in constant touch through negotiations and local intelligence to secure the release of the remaining girls and other abducted people. He appealed to the parents and all Nigerians not to lose hope on the return of the remaining schoolgirls.

More than 200 schools girls were seized by armed men who stormed their dormitories on the night of April 14, 2014, at the Girls Secondary School in Chibok. Some had managed to escape while others remained unaccounted for.

Boko Haram has been blamed for the deaths of more than 20,000 people and displacing of 2.3 million others in Nigeria since their insurgency started in 2009.
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Two policemen, including one officer of the Counter Terrorism Unit, were also injured during the raid.

By Sahidul Hasan Khokon: At least two militant have been killed in the police raid in Mahespur Upazila of Jhenaidah district in Bangladesh.

District Superintendent of Police Mizanur Rahman said two policemen, including one officer of the Counter Terrorism Unit, were injured when the bomb was hurled from a house on Sunday.

District Police and the Counter Terrorism Unit members surrounded one-storied house in Bazrapur village in SBK Union under the Upazila on Saturday night. Bombs were hurled from inside the house, police super said.

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"Police arrested the owner of the house Jahurul Islam, his son Jasim, Alam and Arif and two more people from that area.

Police Counter Terrorism Unit ADC Nazmul Islam and district police SI Mohsin Ali were injured and sent to Jessore hospital, said Superintendent of Police.

After the inspection of the spot, DIG (Deputy Inspector General of Police) of Khulna range Didar Ahmed said, one of the two killed in the house of Bajrapur was Tuhin. The name of another is not yet known. He said, "One person was killed in the firing. Another was killed in suicidal bomb blast. They are both members of the new JMB."

Meanwhile, another operation at house of a man named Sarafat in Lebutala of Jhenaidah sadar upazila, surrounded by suspected militants, ended in noon on Sunday, DIG said.

DIG Ahmed said eight bombs and a 9mm pistol were recovered and two people were detained from Lebutala.

Also read: Indian worker dies under mysterious circumstances in Bangladesh

Also read: Brexit will not affect UK-Bangladesh ties: David Cameron

--- ENDS ---
New Delhi:

Multiple complex webs involving 339 shell companies have been unearthed by CBI as part of its probe into such cases over the last three years.

These shell companies allegedly were used for diverting funds unscrupulously to the tune of Rs 2,900 crore.

CBI sources said the shell companies were allegedly being used by the suspects to divert loan funds meant for specified purposes, creating fake invoices, and 'round-tripping' of funds to evade taxes and generate black money.

Round-tripping is sending money to tax havens abroad in the guise of payments for fake imports through shell companies and bringing back that money, showing it as "foreign investment".

Read more: CBI and ED officials in London to push Vijay Mallya's extradition

The findings of the CBI are just a tip of the iceberg as these are only those cases where the agency has been able to find 'legally-tenable' evidence of money trail, cheating and diversion of funds to cheat the banks, said the sources not willing to be named.

The murky activities have been exposed during the CBI probe into various loan fraud cases involving 28 public sector banks and a private bank, the sources said.

Besides this, the agency is probing about 200 bank fraud cases involving funds of at least Rs 30,000 crore, they said.

The CBI is prosecuting these companies for corruption and scheduled offences associated with it.

In addition, it will also refer these cases to other investigating agencies for action under various laws like the Companies Act, Prevention of Money Laundering Act, Benami Transactions (Prohibition) Act, Income Tax Act etc, the sources said.

The agency has not only "exposed" these shell companies but also gathered enough material which would "plug" the possibility of them being used for any further operation, they claimed.

The sources said it was likely that the shell companies had been used to abet financial crimes by other offenders too which will be probed by other agencies.

The companies are spread across the country as also the 'tax-haven' countries facilitating transfer of black money, which makes the investigation even more difficult, they said.

Read more: DA case: Himachal CM Virbhadra Singh's wife withdraws plea alleging non-compliance of rules by CBI

Some important cases which have been probed by the CBI include the one against Century Communication Group, which used to run Mahua Channel. According to the figures mentioned in the agency's chargesheets and FIRs, the group allegedly committed fraud to the tune of Rs 3,000 crore.

It used over 98 shell companies to allegedly divert bank loans for setting up digital studios in Noida, Mumbai, Kolkata and other locations, the CBI had said.

These companies were allegedly used to divert funds by showing fake equity infusion to the tune of Rs 802 crore.

The Kolkata-based shell companies named in the case were allegedly controlled by one Muralidhar Lahoti. Three chartered accountants have also been chargesheeted in the case.

Zoom Developers faces 14 cases for allegedly swindling bank funds worth Rs 2,600 crore involving a consortium of 26 banks. It allegedly collateralised foreign bank guarantees issued by Indian banks in favour of foreign aggregators.

The company is accused of increasing its paid-up capital to Rs 500 crore by round-tripping and routing bank funds to the extent of Rs 460 crore through six shell companies.

The CBI had registered two cases against Jignesh Shah and Anjani Sinha of National Stock Exchange Limited, also known as the "NSEL scam", in which funds to the tune of Rs 342 crore were allegedly swindled.

Nine shell companies surfaced during the probe which were trading on the exchange platform allegedly without having actual possession of the commodities.

In a recent case, the agency had found that a dental college existed only on paper, while a bank was told that the construction was completed and loan funds were diverted for purposes other than for which these were issued.

In many cases, the CBI found that the companies had peons, drivers, sanitation workers, personal staff, cooks etc as the directors of the shell companies created by those who divert funds using them, the sources said.

Read more: Rajiv Gandhi assassination case: SC seeks status report over plea of one of convicts alleging CBIs improper probe on conspiracy

Recently, the Centre had expressed concern over the working of shell companies in the country. Revenue Secretary Hasmukh Adhia had said out of 15 lakh companies registered in the country, 9 lakh were not filing any returns and some among them may be acting as shell companies.

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New Delhi:

Baahubali 2 has received amazing response be it in India or overseas, the film has overall collected Rs 1000 crore and has set a benchmark for the film fraternity.

Actor Prabhas is overwhelmed by the acheivements his film has made and he cannot thank director SS Rajamouli enough for giving him a character like Baahubali.

Prabhas took to facebook in order to thank his fans and his director for believing in him, "I am truly overwhelmed with everything. The journey of Baahubali has been a long one but among the few things that I will take away from this, is all of you. Lots of love back to you all.

The actor has acclaimed global fame now with his performance. Currently, the actor is chilling in US.

Prabhas has become the first South Indian actor to have a wax statue at Madam Tussauds in Bangkok, even before Rajinikanth.

Also Read: 'Baahubali 2' BREAKS Box-office records, fastest Hindi movie to enter 300 crore club

'Baahubali 2' is still on it's journey to break several records at the box-office and indeed would enter it's name in the highest-grossers films worldwide.

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New Delhi:

Bollywood-Hollywood star Priyanka Chopra has been involved with United Nations Children's Fund for 10 years now and recently she was named as UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador.

Priyanka is currently on her tour to Zimbabwe to promote UNICEF's initiative 'End Violence Against Children', where she met children from Harare, the capital city and had enjoyed her day spending crucial time with UNICEF's team alongwith the local natives of the area.

Priyanka on Wednesday, shared her pictures and videos of her meetings with young survivors of sexual abuse, the adolscent-led-peer groups that help rehabilitate them on Instagram.

Their had been many crucial memories from her visit which she had delivered in a detailed manner in her Insta posts.

Her visit to the city has had a heavy impact on the citizens and also came out some wonderful stories which shall touch your heart.

Also Read: Priyanka Chopra's stunning trailing trench coat dress at Met Gala 2017: This is how twitterati reacted

This visit had been very special to her heart, she wrote "Its the end of a long day of travel from NYC to Harare but Im not tired. In fact, Im energized, waiting for dawn to break so I can set out on the journey of discovery that these amazing women and men have laid out for me. Meet Team @Unicef. Their passion and compassion is contagious and their hard work and dedication evident in everything I have just seen and heard in our meeting."

She also says, " I want to take you all on this journey with me, real time, and I hope you will join me here on these pages to bring awareness to some very important issues. Like, share, comment, do something. This is so very close to my heart, and know that every action (big or small) counts."

See pictures of the actress's visit here:

Their stories of resilience are so inspiring.. thank u for sharing with me #EndViolence #thistimeforafrica #bindibonding @unicef A post shared by Priyanka Chopra (@priyankachopra) on May 4, 2017 at 2:48am PDT

Amazing women who are champions of change.. they are a peer group that empowers boys and girls of their age to cope with social and economic pressures that leads to violence, unwanted pregnancies and child marriages. This club is adolescent-led, adolescent-driven and adult mentored. So inspiring to see these girls taking charge of their lives and their communities . Thank you.. YY for including me A post shared by Priyanka Chopra (@priyankachopra) on May 4, 2017 at 9:50am PDT

So I gave them all a lesson on how to eat sugarcane(ganna)!! Team #UNICEF in Zimbabwe taking a sugarcane break.. it was sooo good! Took me back to Bareilly! @victorchinyama @mbuckanoff @danasupnick @jenn_din and my Zimbabwean friends A post shared by Priyanka Chopra (@priyankachopra) on May 5, 2017 at 12:50pm PDT

Another amazingly inspiring day of field work comes to end in Zimbabwe. Thank you all for being on this journey with me. Tomorrow, bright and early I'm off to Johannesburg, SA for the @Unicef fundraiser. Keep you posted! #ForEveryChild #ThisTimeForAfrica A post shared by Priyanka Chopra (@priyankachopra) on May 5, 2017 at 1:31pm PDT

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New Delhi:

After sacked Aam Aadmi Party leader Kapil Mishras allegations of graft against Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, the warring factions of the party seen coming together as they voiced support to him in unison.

Along with Kumar Vishwas, the MLAs supporting him also supported AAP chief Kejriwal after the charges of corruption on him.

Vishwas himself defended Kejriwal, saying it was unthinkable that the chief minister would indulge in any act of corruption or accept bribe.

However, Vishwas demanded that Delhi minister Satyendar Jain explain his position on the charge made by Mishra that he had handed over Rs two crore to Kejriwal.

Kejriwals friends-turned-foes, Yogendra Yadav and Prashant Bhushan, also appeared sceptical of the allegations, even as they compared the AAP with a sinking ship.

I have known Kejriwal for 12 years and after all these years together it is unthinkable for me that he would indulge in corruption, Vishwas tweeted.

Also read: AAP 'party of liars and cheats,' says Amarinder on Mishra's graft allegations

Mishra was quick to react: The day Jain goes to jail, even you will believe me brother. Till then ekla chalo re (walk alone).

A day after being shown the door from the Delhi Cabinet, Mishra today sought to put Kejriwal on the dock, claiming that he saw the latter accepting Rs 2 crore from Jain at his official residence.

Several MLAs including Alka Lamba, Adarsh Shastri, Somnath Bharti, Rajesh Rishi, who had echoed the position of Vishwas for the partys need to introspect in the wake of poll defeats, rallied behind Kejriwal on a day someone questioned his financial probity for the first time.

Senior party leader Ashish Khetan pithy tweet was reflective of the partys near unanimity on the situation. Arvind Kejriwal ko kharidne wala abhi tak is duniya me bana nahi hai (The person who can buy out Arvind Kejriwal is yet to be born).

Former Delhi convenor of the party, Dilip Pandey, decried Mishra for losing his mind after losing position. Those who are in the party for power and fame should ponder over this, he said.

I might agree with charges of power greed, arrogance, authoritarianism against Kejriwal, but charge of taking bribe need solid evidence, Yadav tweeted, while Bhushan said: The true test of character comes in adversity. We are now seeing the true faces of AAPs remnants as its ship sinks. What an opportunity lost.

Also read: Even Kejriwals enemies cannot imagine him taking bribe, says Kumar Vishwas

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New Delhi:

Unfortunately India is yet to ratify the 30-year-old United Nations' Convention Against Torture by making a law on it despite signing it way back in 1997.

In this regard the country stands behind 161 nations including Pakistan.

It may sound bizarre, but India is among the only nine countries worldwide which are yet to ratify this crucial convention, an essential condition for a signatory state to ratify the international human rights treaty.

This fact has been taken strong note of by the Supreme Court which has asked the government why it was not making atleast a "good faith commitment" about its intention tolegislate in the matter.

"We do understand that the legislative process can taketime, but tell us why can't you (Centre) make a 'good faithcommitment' on the law before us," a bench headed by ChiefJustice J S Khehar said.

"This is an extremely important issue in the national interest and moreover, there is no conflict," the bench, also comprising Justices D Y Chandrachud and S K Kaul, said.

The remarks were made when Congress leader and former LawMinister Ashwani Kumar pointed out that India was among theonly nine nations left in the world which have not yet ratified the treaty despite signing it.

'The Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, In humanor Degrading Treatment or Punishment', also known as UnitedNations Convention against Torture, is an international humanrights treaty aimed to prevent torture and other acts ofcruel, inhuman or degrading treatment around the world.

Solicitor General Ranjit Kumar, appearing for the Centre,sought some time on the ground that some states are yet to beconsulted before a fresh bid is made to legislate.

The top court said "it is nice to say that we arecommitted to the treaty, but there has to be a law". The Solicitor General had referred to the fact that the Bill on torture was moved in 2010 in Lok Sabha by theerstwhile UPA-II regime, a process in which Kumar, former lawminister and senior advocate, was a part.

But the legislation had lapsed. To this, the bench had said, "it has to be non-partisan.This is an important issue."

The government had earlier told the bench that Kumarcannot seek a direction to the Centre to legislate as theissue fell under the domain of the Executive and theLegislature.

The senior Congress leader, in his PIL, has soughtdirections to frame an effective law on the issue and empower agencies like NHRC with necessary enforcement capabilities and mechanisms to implement its orders and directions.

The convention was adopted by the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) on December 10, 1984 and came into force onJune 26, 1987 after being ratified by 20 nations.

India, which became a signatory on October 14, 1997, is yet to ratify the global human rights treaty, ratified byover 160 nations like Pakistan and Afghanistan, as it has notyet enacted the law on torture.

The Convention needs nations to take effective steps top revent torture in any territory under their jurisdiction andforbids them to send citizens to any country where they believe that the transported persons may be tortured.

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New Delhi:

A major disaster was intercepted at the Delhi airport when the tail of a Patna-bound Jet Airways aircraft hit the wing of another plane on Sunday.

The another Jet Airways flight 9W 603 was scheduled to fly from Delhi to Srinagar and suffered partial damage in the incident.

The collision took place when both the planes were on their way to runway no. 29 at Delhis Indira Gandhi International Airport around 3 pm, as informed by the sources.

Airport officials and airlines sources were not clear whether any passengers were hurt in the accident or not. However, the police and DCP Sanjay Bhatia said nobody was injured in the accident.

Read more: Jet Airways introduces new routes, flights from Chennai to Paris and Bengaluru to Amsterdam shall commence soon

According to the airport officials an inquiry would be ordered to look into the incident.

Both the planes were taken to the parking area after the collision and grounded till further inquiry.

Jet Airways are yet to issue an official statement over the incident.

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New Delhi:

The first Indian woman to become chief justice of a high court Justice Leila Seth, who passed away at the age of 86 on Friday, donated organs before death.



Justice Seths younger son Shantum Seth revealed that there will not funeral as she had pledged to donate her organs. "She died of a cardiac seizure in the night (Friday), at 10:28 pm. My brother Vikram, sister and our other family members are here," he said.



"My mother has donated her eyes and other organs for transplant or medical research purposes. So we will not have a funeral," Shantum said. On May 28, there would be a prayer meeting in her honour, he added.



Prime Minister Narendra Modi condoled her death, tweeting that her "remarkable contribution" to the field of law would be remembered. Vice President Hamid Ansari said she "blazed a trail for women". The eminent jurist, much admired in the field of law and in other professions, championed sharper legislation for women.



Justice Leila Seth: A life of service



In an illustrious legal career spanning over 50 years, Leila Seth donned multiple hats including that of a judge, an author and a loving mother, all with equal aplomb.



She started her career in 1959 in Patna High Court as a young London-trained barrister, and spent 10 years there, seeking a foothold in a field dominated by men.



But, Seth rose through the ranks to become countrys first woman chief justice of a high court, and broke many a glass ceiling in the process while earning respect and admiration, both in the courtroom and outside.



She was the first woman from India to have topped the London Bar exam, and her younger son Shantum Seth was born there while she was studying after her marriage.



The British press had hailed her triumph, describing Seth as: Mother in Law.



Yes, they called me Mother in Law, with a clever wordplay to refer to my role as a mother and my legal career, which was just to begin. I and my husband, still recall that cheeky caption, she had told PTI in an interview in April last year.



A legal luminary, she leaves a huge void behind. But even in her death, her life will inspire others, as her organs were donated, as per her wish, for transplant or medical research purposes.



Vice President Hamid Ansari expressing deep grief, said Seth blazed a trail for women in the legal field and will be long remembered for her commitment to protecting human rights in India.



Seth also held the distinction of being the first woman judge of the Delhi High Court and also the first woman chief justice of a high court (Himachal Pradesh), an achievement that still inspires many women to take up legal career.



Her death last night has triggered a wave of grief and nostalgia, with noted historian and author Ram Guha extolling her as a remarkable human being, an exceptional Indian, a sublime combination of intelligence, grace, and courage.



In the April interview, Seth, the mother of celebrated author Vikram Seth, had also talked about her fondness for Patna, the place where she lived for 10 years, having a very special place in her heart.



It is always a homecoming for us in Patna. When Vikram and I had gone there for a literature festival, he insisted that we went to White Pillars bungalow, our old home. And, like he used to do in his childhood days, he rushed up to the terrace to get a view of the Ganga, she had said.



Even in her autobiography On Balance, she dedicated a special section for her Patna days and the White Pillars bungalow, the residence of the general manager of the Bata Factory in Patnas Digha area.



Her husband Premo Seth worked for the shoe-making major.



Close family friend Tehmina Punwani said, she lived with the courage of her convictions and set an example by her high standard of exemplary living.



While her elder son Vikram made a name for himself as a writer, the eminent jurist was no less an author with a bestseller - On Balance to her credit.



The author of A Suitable Boy in fact wrote a foreward for her mother in the book.



Seth, who was born in October 1930 in Lucknow, also championed women and gender rights.



She was one of the three members of the Justice Verma Committee which was constituted after the December 16 2012 gangrape in Delhi for recommending legal amendments for quicker trials and enhanced punishments for criminals accused of committing sexual assaults against women.



A trailblazer in the legal field and endowed with a compassionate heart, she will be remembered for raising the bar of excellence to a new height.



(With Inputs from PTI)

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New Delhi:

Delhi Water Minister Kapil Mishra was on Saturday sacked by Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal minutes after he tweeted about massive expose in the water tanker scam.



The sacked minister will be holding a press conference at 11:30 am on Sunday wherein he is going to expose big names in the scam. The ground beneath their feet will shake, Mishra said.





aaaa 11:30 am aaaaaaY - aa aaaaa aaaaaa aaaaaaaa aa aa aaaa aa aa aaaa aa aaaa aaa aa aaaaSaaaa  Kapil Mishra (@KapilMishraAAP) May 6, 2017

However, Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia said the reason behind his sacking was that there were several complaints about water crisis in Delhi and water was not reaching to the people.



There were complaints about water crisis, water was not reaching the people. The bills, in spite of a subsidy, were high. Kapil was doing great work, but the problems were still there. Chief Minister Kejriwal decided to bring in Kailash Gahlot in Kapil's place, the Deputy Chief Minister said.





Water management was not up to the mark ,Kapil Mishra made a lot of effort.CM decided to bring in Kailash Gahlot in his place:Manish Sisodia pic.twitter.com/Mt5cBuTDmI  ANI (@ANI_news) May 6, 2017

ALSO READ: AAP crisis: Kapil Mishra to expose corruption in Rs 400 crore water tanker scam today

Know all about the Water Tanker scam



Water Tanker scam came into limelight when the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government in June 2015, formed a five-member fact-finding committee to probe the irregularities in hiring 385 stainless steel water tankers under the Sheila Dixit regime. The tankers were hired by the Delhi Jal Board in 2012.



The committee formed by Kapil Mishra submitted a report to Arvind Kejriwal in August 2015. The report highlighted an alleged corruption of approx. Rs 400 crore in the allotment of tenders for hiring tankers.



The report which was sent to the Prime Minister and Lieutenant Governor of Delhi in June 2016 by the Kapil Mishra-led committee recommended an FIR against former Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dixit by the CBI or the ACB.



In the report, Mishra alleged that corruption was done at the time of Dixit-led Congress government and that she should go behind bars. Mishra also mentioned in the report that BJP wont be taking any action against her.



Thereafter, Najeeb Jung, the then Delhis LG forwarded the report to the ACB to take note of it and do the investigation thereon.



However, Dixit gave a statement the day after report was submitted to the ACB by Jung. Dixit said that the allegation levied by the committee against her was baseless and politically motivated.



The ACB filed the first information report (FIR) in the Water Tanker scam on June 20 against Kejriwal and Dixit. Soon after the FIR, Kejriwal said that he was happy that the Prime Minister Narendra Modi was in direct confrontation with him.

ALSO READ: AAP in fresh crisis: Arvind Kejriwal sacks Kapil Mishra

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New Delhi :

Former union minister and Congress leader Anand Sharma on Sunday affirmed that Kashmir had witnessed tranquillity during UPA regime in compare to present BJP-led NDA ruling.

While talking to media, Sharma said tourism too had witnessed its heydays during the UPA regime. The Congress leader said the Prime Minister Narendra Modi has no road map to engage Pakistan as his policies did not yield any result.

Sharma took on the Prime Minister and held him responsible for drop in tourism, saying that the sector has witnessed massive loss due to unrest in the Valley.

"Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's tenure saw a record arrival of foreign and Indian tourists in the Kashmir Valley. Today there is no tourism," he told ANI.

The grand old party has also demanded a full investigation over reports of ISI funding to separatists leaders to spread violence in the Valley.

Also Read: Rahul Gandhi takes dig at PM Modi, says Congress believe in listening to people's 'Mann Ki Baat'

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New Delhi :

Aam Aadmi Party leader Kapil Mishra levelled serious charges against Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal, saying that Delhi health minister Satyendra Jain gave Rs two crore to Delhi chief minister in front of him. Kapil Mishra alleged that it was necessary to put all facts in public domain against Satyendra Jain. Mishra said that Satyendra Jain had managed a land deal worth Rs 50 crore for Kejriwal's relatives.

While addressing the media persons, Mishra said Satyendra Jain is facing charges of money laundering and what he said would also be proven right when Jain would go to jail.

Mishra was removed by the Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal from the cabinet as Delhi water minister after the announcement of expose by him. Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia announced Kapil Mishras removal citing mismanagement in water distribution. Sisodia further added that total two people have been included in the cabinet, Kailash Gahlot and Rajendra Gautam.

Earlier, he met the Delhi Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal before the press conference.

Here are the updates:

# 02:39 PM

Sanjay singh, Ashutosh leave Arvind Kejriwal's residence

#12:31 PM

The allegations levelled by Kapil Mishra are baseless in nature, and it do not merit a response- Manish Sisodia

Watch Video:









# 12:27 PM

Satyendra Jain will go to jail, and i would be proven right: Kapil Mishra

#12:11 PM

Serious charges levelled by Kapil Mishra against Kejriwal-Ajay Maken

Serious charges levelled by Kapil Mishra against Kejriwal-

Will be addressing a Press Conference at 1PM at DPCC  Ajay Maken (@ajaymaken) May 7, 2017

# 12:11 PM

Kejriwal has no right to remain in power, he should immediately tender his resignation- BJP leader Shyam Jaju

#12:04PM

I have said many times, Arvind Kejriwal is directly involved in corruption and he should immediately resign, says Delhi BJP president Manoj Tiwari

Watch the full video of Kapil Mishra's press conference:







#12:01 PM

It was sleepless night for me after witnessing Kejriwal accepting rs two crore from Satyendra Jain

#11:58 AM

Why had they praised my work, if their was any complaint from public in water distribution and management

#11:55 AM

Satyendra Jain gave Rs 2 crore to Arvind Kejriwal in front of me-Kapil Mishra

#11:54 AM

When I became minister I sent a report against Sheila Dikshit to CM. What happened to that report after that everyone knows: Kapil Mishra-ANI



#11: 50 AM

Not a single charge of corruption against me, i have not given any position to my relatives

#11:49

Will not leave party, AAP is my party, the party belongs to party

#11:44 AM

Kumar Vishwas avoids media, entered CM's residence from another gate

#11:40AM

Kapil Mishra reaches Rajghat

#10:54 AM

Kapil Mishra says he witnessed "HIM" taking illegal cash

i have witnessed HIM taking illegal cash.. have shared all details with Lt. Gov.

asaa aaaa aaaaa aaa aaaaaa aaaa aaaaa aa aaaa aa aaa  Kapil Mishra (@KapilMishraAAP) May 7, 2017

#10:52 AM

Delhi Deputy CM Manish Sisodia reached Kejriwal's residence

#10:42 AM

AAP leader Kapil Mishra meets L-G Anil Baijal

# 10:41 AM

AAP leaders will lose their consious, says Kapil Mishra on expose

# 9:47 AM

I am founder member of AAP and will always remain in the party: AAP leader Kapil Mishra on the question of joining BJP-ANI



I am founder member of AAP and will always remain in the party: AAP leader Kapil Mishra on the question of joining BJP pic.twitter.com/8esiwH7EA2  ANI (@ANI_news) May 7, 2017

#9:45 AM

AAP leader Kumar Vishwas met Kejriwal at latter's residence. Senior leaders Sanjay Singh, Ashutosh were also present at CM's residence.

#8:40 AM

AAP leader Kapil Mishra to meet LG Anil Baijal at 10:30 AM today pic.twitter.com/iPbFycUKuA  ANI (@ANI_news) May 7, 2017

Read | Kapil Mishra expose on AAP involvement in water tanker scam: All you need to know about it

On Saturday night, he claimed that he had submitted the details to the Delhi chief minister, saying that he cannot tolerate delay in the tanker scam report.

Mishra had said that he has named the people who are involved in the delay, and submitted a report to the Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal in this regard.

Will reveal big names, and maybe because of those names such a decision has been made: Kapil Mishra on his removal from Delhi Cabinet pic.twitter.com/5LzHPnA6zM  ANI (@ANI_news) May 6, 2017

I had informed CM that I would submit names of those to Anti-Corruption Bureau, who are involved in the delay, will reveal big names, and maybe because of those names such a decision has been made, said sacked Delhi water minister.

Reacting on the entire episode, Kapil Mishra had said, "This is my party, since 2004, I am part of this revolution and will not quit. Will remove the garbage."

"I was not informed of the decision and as per my knowledge, it was taken unilaterally by Kejriwal. The Cabinet or the Political Affairs Committee (the AAP's top decision- making body) was not involved," Mishra had said.

What is water tanker scam

The water tanker scam came to light when the AAP government took over the reign in 2015 and constituted a fact-finding committee to investigate in hiring of 385 stainless steel water tankers by the Delhi Jal Board in 2012, during Congress regime led by Sheila Dikshit.

Mishra had formed a five-member committee and the report was submitted to the Delhi chief minister in august 2015. The report highlighted alleged corruption of Rs 400 crore in awarding tenders for hiring water tankers.

Also Read | Water tanker scam: PM Modi can't scare me with FIR, says Kejriwal

The report had suggested to conduct a CBI or ACB probe in the matter , and last year th report was sent to the Prime Minister and Lieutenant Governor of Delhi.

Mishra had written a letter to the Prime Minister and the then Lieutenant Governor Najeeb Jung recommending a probe against Sheila Dikshit in connection with the alleged scam.

Later, in June 2016, the Anti-Corruption Bureau received the report forwarded by the Lieutenant Governor for further investigation. The ACB had filed an FIR in the case.

Former Delhi chief minister Sheila Dikshit dubbed the allegations as politically motivated and baseless.

As what happened on Saturday night

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By Press Trust of India: Indore, May 6 (PTI) Around 3,000 kg bhang worth around Rs 18 lakh was seized from Shyam Nagar area here, police said today.

Based on a tip-off, the police team seized the consignment of 3,000-kg bhang, which was stuffed in gunny bags, from a parked truck in Shyam Nagar area late last night, Juni Police station in charge Dilip Gangrade said.

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He said the driver escaped from the place after spotting the police team.

"Further investigation into the case is underway to identify the people involved in the transportation of the bhang," Gangrade said. PTI HWP ADU NP

--- ENDS ---
New Delhi:

The Chief Minister of Punjab, Amarinder Singh has called AAP a party of liars and cheats with no morality or integrity and demanded the resignation of Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal on moral grounds.

Calling Kejriwal a dacoit, Amarinder said that his party had for long been maintaining that he is only interested in filling his own pockets.

Apart from Amrinder Singh, Delhi Congress chief Ajay Maken has also demanded Kejriwals resignation over the graft charges made by ousted AAP minister Kapil Mishra. Maken also said that the party has lost its anti-corruption plank

Maken said CBI and the Anti-corruption Bureau (ACB) should take note of Mishras serious allegations against him.

Suggested Read: Even Kejriwals enemies cannot imagine him taking bribe, says Kumar Vishwas

Earlier in the day, Delhi BJP chief Manoj Tiwari has also demanded Arvind Kejriwals resignation from the post of Delhi CM and thanked Kapil Mishra for being courageous enough to expose him.

Kejriwal has come on the radar of rival political party leaders after sacked Delhi minister Kapil Mishra on Sunday accused him of taking Rs 2 crore from Delhis health minister Satyendar Jain, a charge refuted by Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia.

(With inputs from PTI)

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New Delhi:

Samajwadi Party patriarch Mulayam Singh Yadav on Sunday regretted his decision to make Akhilesh Yadav Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh. Addressing people at Mainpuri, Mulayam said that if he would have assumed position of CM instead of Akhilesh, then the situation would have been better.

SP patriarch said that after making Akhilesh CM, the party has now been reduced to 47 seats in comparison to 224 seats in the earlier election.

Criticising the partys decision to form alliance with Congress, Mulayam said that Congress made all kinds of efforts to destroy him by lodging many cases against him. Mulayam said that Muslims are not going to vote for Congress as the mosque was demolished during Congress regime.

Also read: Mulayam Singh Yadav says he had no idea about Shivpal's Samajwadi Secular Morcha plans

Also read: Split in Samajwadi Party: Shivpal Yadav forms 'Samajwadi Secular Morcha', Mulayam will be new party's national secretary

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Srinagar:

A wanted terrorist of Lashker-e-Taiba terror group was among five persons killed when terrorists made an attempt to ambush a police party in Kulgam in South Kashmir on Saturday evening. A policeman also lost his life in the attack.



Wanted terrorist Fayaz Ahmed Ashwar alias Setha, who had been on the run since August 2015 after his name cropped up in the Udhampur terror strike case, was killed in the attack when he tried to target the police party at Mir Bazar in Kulgam.



Constable Mehmood Ahmed Sheikh, who was part of the police team, risked his life and snatched a pistol from one of the militants before other members of the police party opened fire at them, according to an eyewitness account.

J&K:Two policemen and two civilians killed, three cops injured in terrorist attack in Mir Bazaar (Kulgam): Visuals from the site pic.twitter.com/GiXtjkCfkb  ANI (@ANI_news) May 6, 2017

Read | South Kashmir: Army's biggest combing ops in Shopian in past 15 yrs, 4000 soldiers conduct door-to-door search amid clashes

Three civilians were also killed due to indiscriminate firing by the militants. Director General of Police S P Vaid told PTI that a policeman had been killed. And indiscriminate firing by militants had led to the death of three civilians.



The militants ambushed the police team which had gone to Mir Bazaar area to investigate a road accident case, the DGP said.



The injured militant was taken to a local hospital where he was declared brought dead, police said.



He was later identified to be Ashwar, who carried a cash reward of Rs two lakh on his head. He has been charge-sheeted by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) in the Udhampur terror strike case.



In the terror case, Pakistani national Naved was arrested on the spot when he was firing on a BSF convoy in August 2015 in Udhampur on the Srinagar-Jammu national highway.

Read | Security forces arrest suspected Lashkar-e-Taiba militant in south Kashmir

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New Delhi:

After giving sleepless nights to Arvind Kejriwal, Sacked Delhi Cabinet Minister Kapil Mishra has made another announcement in the water tanker scam and name two other people- Ashish Talwar and Vaibhav Patel.

Mishra said that he will give these two names to the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) on Monday.

I am going to give two person's names to ACB in connection with tanker scam, Ashish Talwar and Vibhav Patel: Kapil Mishra pic.twitter.com/EF4FYrSplK  ANI (@ANI_news) May 7, 2017

Why was no action taken based on the report for a year? Who was responsible? I will share details of the involvement of two people who work in the official capacity with Kejriwal with the ACB, Mishra was quoted as saying by PTI.

Secondly, several party members have told me that Kejriwal has made up his mind to sack Jain in the next two-three days and preparations are on to get his resignation by Wednesday, he told reporters.

Also Read: Saddened by Kapil Mishras graft charges against Arvind Kejriwal: Anna Hazare

Earlier in the day, Mishra accused Arvind Kejriwal- a crusader against corruption, of taking Rs 2 crore from Delhis health minister Satyendar Jain, a charge refuted by Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia.

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Cairo:

Marking the 156th birth anniversary of famous Indian poet Rabindranath Tagore a cultural festival is going to be arranged by India in Egypt.

Tagore Festival which is being organised by the Maulana Azad Centre for Indian Culture (MACIC), the cultural wing ofthe Indian Embassy in Cairo, from May 8-12 will feature a dance show, film screening, a play and painting competition.

On May 8, the movie 'Kabuliwala' directed by Hemen Gupta will be screened at the Hanager Cinema, Opera House Complex.

The movie is based on a novel written by Tagore about animmigrant from Kabul who forms a bond with a young girl in India who reminds him of his daughter in Afghanistan.

A dance drama based on Tagore's work called 'Chitrangada' presented by Dancers' Guild. Chitrangada is the warrior princess in the ancient Indian epic, Mahabharata.

Dancers' Guild is a well-known dance company based in Kolkata in the Indian state of West Bengal. 'Chitrangada' will be performed at the Sayed Darwish Theatre in Alexandria on May 9 and at the Arab Music Institute in Cairo on May 11. The festival will conclude on May 12 with 'Rituranga?

Louiz Banks plans to bring out solo album on Rabindranath Tagore songs Also Read:

Play of Seasons' which will be performed by members of theIndian community at the Hanager Theatre, Opera House Complexat 7:30 pm. The Embassy is also organising a painting/drawing competition to the Indian community children on May 12.

Rabindranath Tagore received the Nobel Prize forLiterature in 1913. He was the first non-European to win thisprestigious award, in recognition for his collection of poems, 'Gitanjali'.

His poetry, novels, plays, short stories andessays are widely read in India and across the world. His songs have been set to music, his plays have been enacted as dance drama and his novels have been filmed.

He isan integral part of India's literary heritage and a toweringfigure in Bengali literature who continues to inspire creativity even in the contemporary world.

Tagore is not unknown to Egypt. He visited Egypt as a young adolescent in 1878 and later as a famous poet-philosopher in 1926, when he met King Fouad and interacted with scholars in Alexandria and Cairo. His friendship with Egyptian poet Ahmed Shawki is well known and he wrote a moving eulogy on his friend's death in 1932.

He was impressed by the strong literary trends and found great resonance in the intellectual movement in Egypt. He also wrote about the beautiful relationship between the noble Nile River and the flourishing civilization of Egyptians.

The Tagore Festival is organised in cooperation with theEgyptian Ministry of Culture, Cairo Opera House, CulturalProduction Sector, Dancers? Guild and the Indian CommunityAssociation in Egypt.
New Delhi:

While seven heads of states from South Asia unanimously applauded Indias Rs 450 crore gift to its neighbours by way of a communications satellite, an unparallelled space bonding was witnessed on Friday.

The incident proves that India posses a much bigger heart than any other country as there is no precedent in the space-faring world of a free regional communications satellite being gifted like this.

Being described as the pet project of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the satellite is now in orbit, so the riskiest, but easy, part is really over and undoubtedly the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has delivered.

The tricky bit starts now when the seven member-states have to start putting in their own hard earned resources to get the ground infrastructure in place and to get the software ready for the content that will be beamed by the satellite. Easier said than done.

Speaking at the live video conference after the successful launch, Modi said Today is a historic day for South Asia.

A day without precedence. Two years ago, India made a promise. A promise to extend the advanced space technology for the cause of growth and prosperity of our brothers and sisters in South Asia.

Being proud the Prime Minister of Narendra Modi said, "The successful launch of the South Asia Satellite marks the fulfilment of that. With this launch we have started a journey to build the most advanced frontier of our partnership"

What was actually left unsaid was that with this single out-of-the-box foreign policy initiative, New Delhi was essentially trying to contain Chinas growing influence in the region. In its cussedness, Pakistan opted out of the project citing its existing space programme which everyone knows is rather primitive in comparison to Indias advanced space-faring capabilities.

While there is no doubt India has end-to-end capabilities in space technology but many of the countrys space assets often turn into so-called "white elephants in space".

In the past, the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) has come down heavily on ISRO for the non-utilisation of space imageries that the countrys vast remote sensing satellites collected but which remained locked up and were not available to the civilian planners.

Some of that has changed but still high-quality satellite images of less than one meter resolution remain out of bounds for civilians.

Similarly, Indias Rs 450 crore Edusata communications satellite launched in 2004 to reach the unreached through interactive teachingdid not live up to its objectives.

The National Institute of Advanced Studies, Bengaluru evaluated the EduSat and concluded that it remained 'under-utilised' as it was a top-driven technology initiative where enough thought was not given to generation of appropriate content.

More recently in 2014, ISRO launched the highly controversial GAST-6, a satellite that provides unprecedented satellite-based multimedia capabilities for Indias armed forces but till date reports suggest that the handsets that would enable satellite telephony and handheld capability are still being developed.

Between 2013 and 2016, India placed in orbit a constellation of seven navigation satellites in space costing about Rs 1,500 crore but while the space-based system is constantly beaming down signals yet it seems chipsets that can effectively tap these GPS-like signals are still under development.

It seems the 16,000 dedicated workforce of ISRO delivers what it is mandated for but on the downstream side the line ministries seem to fail to capitalise on the gains.

It is too early to assess the outcome of South Asia Satellite for that we may need to wait another 12 years which is the nominal mission life of the satellite.

But in daily life when one receives expensive gifts that also need to be serviced with lots of money on a continuous basis, they often turn dust collectors.

Let us hope Afghanistan, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, India and the Maldives will collectively and individually put in the several million dollars a year that may be necessary to effectively tap the benefits of the friendly bird in the sky.

There could be many other reasons why the countries that got the "invaluable gift" may not fully utilise it since several of Indias neighbours already have advanced communication satellites in orbit or are in the process of acquiring them.

The war-torn country of Afghanistan, whose President Ashraf Ghani said "If we cant cooperate on land, we can at least cooperate in the sky", participated at the highest level in the unprecedented video conference but sources have said it is yet to ink the deal and cites technical reasons. Hopefully that will happen soon.

But if one analyses its satellite communications capabilities one finds that Afghanistan already possesses a satellite called AfghanSAT.

This is a communications satellite it has leased from a European country.

Interestingly, the AfghanSAT which was formerly called W2M is an Indian-made satellite.

This satellite was made in the same facility where the South Asia Satellite has been fabricated in the ISRO Satellite Centre in Bengaluru.

In 2014, when Kabul acquired the satellite the then Communication and Information Technology Minister Amirzai Sangin said the satellite "is a new milestone in the development of the ICT [Information and Communications Technologies] in Afghanistan, which in the last 12 years has already seen mobile telephony coverage of 88 per cent and penetration grow from zero to 75 per cent through the licensing of six operators".

One will have to wait and watch how the Afghans finally decide to utilise the services of the South Asia Satellite.

Nepal is a country that felt the need to have a communications satellite in place soon after the devastating 2015 Kathmandu earthquake.

Towards that as recently as December 2016, the Himalayan country has floated a global tender to acquire not one but two of its own communications satellites.

May be the Nepali government will dirty its hands by testing Satcom technology on Indias gift but whether it will set up a duplicate infrastructure in the long run is something one will have to wait and watch.

On Saturday, Nepal already utilises telemedicine facilities using Indias INSAT satellites and hospitals in Kathmandu are often hooked up to hospitals in New Delhi and Chandigarh for medical consultations.

Bangladesh is one country because of its deltaic geography it can benefit greatly by having well established capabilities of Satcom.

Speaking at the video conference, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina said "this is an extremely important step to know nature and natures patterns.On Saturday's auspicious occasion betterment of our people can happen through fruitful engagement".

But at the same time without waiting for the South Asia Satellite to kick in, Bangladesh initiated expanding its capabilities in space and hopes that by the end of this year its very own Bangabandhu-1 satellite will be in orbit as reports suggest that it is being made by the French company Thales Alenia Space.

The total cost of the satellite is USD 248 million. Bangabandhu-1 carries a total of 40 Ku and C-band transponders.

In contrast, India is offering capacity of about one transponder.

Sri Lanka already owns a communication satellite called SupremeSat which it acquired in 2012 and is operated by SupremeSAT (Pvt) Limited, a Sri Lankan satellite operator.

Interestingly, it has partnership with Chinas state-owned satellite manufacturing institution China Great Wall Industry Corporation.

This satellite has a capacity of 56 transponders.

A less than effervescent Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena, joining in from Colombo for the video conference, said "May this initiative support people in all regions, enhance economic conditions and help to eliminate poverty".

But with China already having the first mover advantage will it let India get a toehold on the island nation?

The Maldives and Bhutan are the two countries that have minimal space-faring capabilities and hopefully will be the biggest beneficiaries of the fruits of the South Asia satellite.

No wonder then that Maldives President Abdulla Yameen actually echoed Modis words by saying "this launch is an example of India's 'neighbour first policy'.

We must work for common good, better economic opportunities. Sabka Saath Sabka Vikas".

India on the other hand is the biggest donor and possibly the biggest beneficiary from the project. Over the 12 year nominal life of the satellite India is extending aid which would be worth at least USD 1,500 million, if one extrapolates the total cost of the project over 12 years.

A highly optimistic and visionary space buff that Modi is, he said "the South Asia Satellite tells us that even the sky is not the limit when it comes to regional cooperation among like-minded countries".

Hopefully, the 2,230 kg South Asia Satellite will remain a friendly bird in the sky and not morph into a "white elephant in space".

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New Delhi:

Chinese brand Vivo launches its all new latest model of smartphone V5s in India and has already teamed up with Flipkart for its first online sale.

Earlier, the brand has already created a niche in the Indian Smartphone market for its top-of-the-line-camera and wonderful music experience.

Therefore, tech-savvy people has now reasons to cheer as Vivo has an another camera phone in its store.

Much like its earlier versions the V5s will also draw attention for its high class ability to take christal clear selfies since the phone is having a 20MP front camera along with moonlight flash as its flagship feature.

Another two major attraction which will make you eager to buy the latest version of Vivo are its updated external design and 64GB of base storage rather than a mere simple storage ability of 32GB, 16GB or something less.

V5s which has come in two colour option of Matte Black and Crown Gold is costing an affordable price of Rs 18,990.

While the Matte Balck one is available from the very first day of its launch, the later one will hit the market on May 20.

Moreover, the company is giving an 'Eclusive Super Days' offers on the e-commerce platform with an extra Rs 2,000 off on exchange and no cost EMI at Rs 2,110 per month.

Lets have a look to all other features and specifications of this Vivo latest version.

Specifications

 Display: 5.5-inch IPS, 1280 x 720 pixels

 OS: Android 6.0 Marshmallow-based Funtouch OS 3.0

 Memory: 4GB RAM, 64GB storage (expandable up to 128GB)

 CPU: 1.5GHz octa core MediaTek MT6750 Battery: 3000mAh

 Size: 153.8 x 75.5 x 7.55mm Weight: 154g

 Camera: 13MP rear, 20MP front

 Connectivity: 4G, dual SIM, GPS, Bluetooth, USB OTG, Wi-Fi, microUSB 2.0

 Price: Rs 18990

Apart from its appealing specifications, the model also looks pretty much attractive with a smooth metal back surface which has its antenna lines hidden at the top.

Samsung Galaxy S8 users report of smartphone randomly restarting Also Read:

Hence we can predict having all such wonderfilled features and being the third smart phone of the company this all new latest updated version of Vivo is going to set a buzz in the Indian smartphone market.
Dar Es Salaam:

A bus crash likely to be caused by speeding in Tanzania took lives of 32 primary school pupils, two teachers and the driver, police said.

"Preliminary investigations show that the accident is due to speeding", regional police chief Charles Mkumbo told the state-run Tanzania Broadcasting Corporation late on Saturday.

Some reports said the people on the bus were not wearing seat belts at the time of the crash.

Read more: US: Kerala doctor shot dead in Michigan; body found inside his car

The accident happened early on Saturday when the bus went off the road and into the Marera river gorge in Karatu district near the northern city of Arusha where the children were attending Lucky Vincent Primary School.

The final year primary pupils were on their way to sitmock examinations ahead of seeking places at secondary school.

"It's a huge tragedy", Innocent Mushi, the school's director said.

President John Magufuli sent his condolences to the families of the dead.

Read more: Nigeria releases 82 Chibok girls kidnapped by Boko Haram Islamists about three years back

"This accident extinguishes the dreams of these children who were preparing to serve the nation, it is an immense pain for the families involved and for the whole nation", Magufuli said in a statement.

Speeding is the cause of most road accidents in Tanzania, according to the police statistics that show around 3,000 people killed each year.

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Paris:

French voters will pick a new president on Sunday, choosing between young centrist Emmanuel Macron and far-right leader Marine Le Pen in a watershed election for the country and Europe.



Polling day follows an unprecedented campaign marked by scandal, repeated surprises and a last-minute hacking attack on Macron, a 39-year-old who has never held elected office.



The run-off vote pits the pro-Europe, pro-business Macron against anti-immigration and anti-EU Le Pen, two radically different visions that underline a split in western democracies.



Le Pen, 48, has portrayed the ballot as a contest between the globalists represented by her rivalthose in favour of open trade, immigration and shared sovereigntyversus the nationalists who defend strong borders and national identities.



Voting will begin on the mainland at 11:30 am IST in 66,546 polling stations. Most will close at 10:30 pm IST, except those in big cities which will stay open an hour longer.

Read | French Presidential elections 2017: Candidates Le Pen, Macron exchange blows in ill-tempered televised debate | Top quotes



A first estimate of the results will be published around 11:30 pm IST. The political choice the French people are going to make is clear, Le Pen said in her opening remarks during an often vicious debate between the pair on Wednesday night.



The last polling showed Macronwinner of last months election first roundwith a widening lead of around 62 per cent to 38 per cent before the hacking revelations on Friday evening. A campaigning blackout entered into force shortly after.



Hundreds of thousands of emails and documents stolen from the Macron campaign were dumped online and then spread by anti-secrecy group WikiLeaks, leading the candidate to call it an attempt at democratic destabilisation.



Frances election authority said publishing the documents could be a criminal offence, a warning heeded by traditional media organisations but flouted by Macrons opponents and far-right activists online.



We knew that there were these risks during the presidential campaign because it happened elsewhere. Nothing will go without a response, French President Francois Hollande told AFP on Saturday.



US intelligence agencies believe state-backed Russian operatives were behind a massive hacking attack on Democratic candidate Hillary Clintons campaign ahead of Americas presidential election last November.



There has been no claim of responsibility for the French hack, but the government and Macrons team previously accused the Kremlin of trying to meddle in the electionaccusations denied in Moscow.

Read | French elections: Macron wins first-round, Pen slightly behind



Whoever wins todays vote it is set to cause profound change for France, the worlds sixth-biggest economy, a permanent member of the UN security council and a global military power.



It is the first time neither of the countrys traditional parties has a candidate in the final round of the presidential election under the modern French republic, founded in 1958.



Macron would be Frances youngest-ever leader and was a virtual unknown three years ago when he was named economy minister, the launching pad for his sensational presidential bid.



He left Hollandes Socialist government in August and formed En Marche, a political movement he says in neither of the left or the right and which has attracted 250,000 members.



The ex-investment bankers programme pledges to cut state spending, ease labour laws, boost education in deprived areas and extend new protections to the self-employed.



He is also fervently pro-European and wants to re-energise the 28-member European Union, following Britains referendum vote last summer to leave.



France is not a closed country. We are in Europe and in the world, Macron said during Wednesdays debate.



But Le Pen is hoping to spring a shock that would resonate as widely as Britains decision to withdraw from the EU or the unexpected triumph of US President Donald Trump.



National Front leader Le Pen sees herself as part of the same backlash against globalisation that has emerged as a powerful theme in the US and in recent ballots in Britain, Austria and the Netherlands.



She has pledged to organise a referendum on withdrawing France from the EU and wants to scrap the euro, which she has dubbed a currency of bankers.



She has also vowed to reduce net immigration to 10,000 people a year, crack down on outsourcing by multinationals, lower the retirement age and introduce hardline measures to tackle Islamic extremists.



Many voters still see her party as anti-semitic and racist despite her six-year drive to improve its image.



Macron topped the first round of the presidential election on April 23 with 24.01 per cent, followed by Le Pen on 21.30 per cent, in a crowded field of 11 candidates.



The results revealed Macron was favoured among wealthier, better educated citizens in cities, while Le Pen drew support in the countryside as well as poverty-hit areas in the south and rustbelt northeast.



Voting for the run-off started for French voters in north America and some overseas territories on Saturday.

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Abuja:

A negotiation has been made on the release of 82 of the more than 200 school girls kidnapped by Boko Haram Islamists about three years ago, securing their freedom in a prisoner swap deal.

The presidency announced that months of talks with the jihadists had "yielded results", just over six months after 21 of their classmates were freed with the help of international mediators.

"Today 82 more Chibok girls were released," it said on Saturday.

"After lengthy negotiations, our security agencies have taken back these girls, in exchange for some Boko Haramsuspects held by the authorities."

No details were given about how many suspects were released or their identities. The girls were to be taken to Abuja today to meetPresident Muhammadu Buhari, the presidency said, thanking security agencies, the Swiss government and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC).

"The president has repeatedly expressed his total commitment towards ensuring the safe return of the Chibokgirls and all other Boko Haram captives," it added.

A military and a civilian militia source in Banki, nearthe border with Cameroon, said "at least 80" girls werebrought to the town late afternoon on Saturday and taken to military barracks.

Shehu Sani, a Nigerian senator who has been involved inprevious negotiations with Boko Haram, told AFP the girls weremostly "in good condition".

The talks lasted for "almost three to four months" and had initially discussed the release of 50 girls but the numberwas later increased, he said.

The government would now look to securing the release ofthe remaining hostages, he added. Boko Haram fighters stormed the Government Girls Secondary School in the remote town of Chibok on the eveningof April 14, 2014 and kidnapped 276 teenaged girls who werepreparing to sit high school exams.

Fifty seven managed to escape in the hours that followedbut the remaining 219 were held by the group. Boko Haram leader Abubakar Shekau, whose fight to createa hardline Islamic state in northeast Nigeria has left atleast 20,000 dead since 2009, claimed in a video message thatthey had converted to Islam.

The audacious kidnapping brought the insurgency to world attention, triggering global outrage that galvanised supportfrom the former US first lady Michelle Obama and Hollywoodstars.

Pakistan summons Indian high commissioner for not issuing medical visas Also Read:

Parents and supporters of the missing girls -- who have become a symbol of the conflict -- last month marked the threeyear anniversary of the abduction, describing the situation asan unending "nightmare".

But they said previous releases had given them strength. Enoch Mark, a Christian pastor whose two daughters wereamong those kidnapped, said he was told of the latest release by the #BringBackOurGirls pressure group and an official inMaiduguri.

He added: "This is good news to us. We have been waiting for this day. We hope the remaining girls will soon bereleased." Boko Haram has used kidnapping as a weapon of war,seizing thousands of women and children, including the Chibokgirls, and forcibly recruiting young men and boys into theirranks.

In a less publicised attack in November 2014, some 300children were among about 500 people kidnapped from the townof Damasak, on the border with Niger, in the far north of Borno state. Most are still missing.

The release of the 21 girls in October last year followedtalks between Boko Haram and the Nigerian government brokeredby the ICRC and the Swiss. Three other girls have also been found.

The first had ababy and was accompanied by a man she said was her husband butthe military said was a Boko Haram suspect. Boko Haram's Shekau has previously said the girls wouldbe released if militant fighters held in Nigerian governmentcustody were freed.

At the time of the release of the 21, Buhari's spokesman Garba Shehu said the government was hoping to secure therelease of 83 others being held by a different Boko Haramfaction.

Last month he said in a radio interview that there wereongoing negotiations involving "some foreign entities" torelease the 195 girls still believed held. He told BBC Hausa the ICRC and Swiss government "have not withdrawn their support in the negotiations".

Other countries were also involved, he added, without elaborating. The ICRC has not yet commented on the latest release. On Friday, Britain and the United States issued asecurity alert warning of a Boko Haram plot to kidnap foreigners in the Banki area, which led to the suspension ofaid flights to the town on Saturday.

For all the Latest World News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.
The kidnapping was one of the high-profile incidents of Boko Haram's insurgency in Nigeria's northeast, now in its eighth year and with little sign of ending.

By Reuters: Boko Haram has released 82 girls kidnapped in 2014 in the northern Nigerian town of Chibok in exchange for members of the militant group held by authorities, the Nigerian presidency said on Saturday.

Nigeria thanked Switzerland and the International Committee of the Red Cross for helping to release the girls in "lenghty negotiations", the presidency said on its Twitter account.

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A government minister, asking not to be named, said 82 girls had been released. Unconfirmed reports on social media put the number of freed girls at between 50 and 62.

"The girls were released through negotiations with the government," one official said, asking not to be named, adding that an official statement would follow shortly.

CHIBOK GIRLS CURRENTLY IN BANKI

A military source said the girls were currently in Banki near the Cameroon border for medical checks before being airlifted to Maiduguri, the capital of Borno state.

The kidnapping was one of the high-profile incidents of Boko Haram's insurgency in Nigeria's northeast, now in its eighth year and with little sign of ending. About 220 were abducted from their school in a nighttime attack.

GIRLS RELEASED LAST YEAR

More than 20 girls were released last October in a deal brokered by the International Committee of the Red Cross. Others have escaped or been rescued, but 195 were believed to be still in captivity before this release.

Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari said last month that the government was in talks to secure the release of the remaining captives.

Although the Chibok girls are the most high-profile case, Boko Haram has kidnapped thousands of adults and children, many of whose cases have been neglected.

BOKO HARAM

The militants have killed more than 20,000 people and displaced more than 2 million during their insurgency aimed at creating an Islamic caliphate in northeast Nigeria.

Although the army has retaken much of the territory initially lost to Boko Haram, large parts of the northeast, particularly in Borno state, remain under threat from the militants. Suicide bombings and gun attacks have increased in the region since the end of the rainy season late last year.

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--- ENDS ---
New Delhi:

The Pakistani Army on Sunday claimed that it has killed 50 Afghan security personnel and injured 100 others in retaliatory firing at the border between two countries in the Balochistan province. The tension between two countries escalated after clashes earlier this week which killed 10 Pakistani civilians.

Inspector General (IG) Frontier Corps (FC) Balochistan Maj Gen Nadeem Anjum informed that 50 Afghan security personnel were killed and another 100 injured.

Ahmed, however, told reporters he was not happy about the incident as Afghans are Muslims, our brothers.

The IG FC was addressing the media over a recent cross-border attack in Chaman, in which 12 people were killed and 40 injured when Afghan border forces opened fire on security personnel guarding a census team.

The attack caused residents in Killi Luqman, Killi Jahangir and Badshah Adda Kahol evacuating their homes as Chaman was shut down and security ramped up in Quetta and other parts of Balochistan.

Also read: 8 killed, 22 wounded in suicide attack on NATO convoy in Kabul: Afghanistan government

Both the countries deny the accusations. Separately, Commander of the Southern Command Lt Gen Amir Riaz said the Pakistan Army destroyed five Afghan checkposts.

Anyone who tries to make Pakistans territory disputed will face similar consequences, Lt Gen Riaz told reporters during a visit to Chaman, where the Friday clashes took place.

Also read: Afghan Military based attack: Defence minister and his army chief resign after deadliest ever Taliban attack

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New Delhi:

Flight between Karachi and Mumbai from May 8 will be suspended by Pakistan International Airlines due to commercial considerations, a senior airline official said. PIA operated two flights in a week (Monday and Thursday) between Karachi and Mumbai.



The PIA official said that the PIAs Lahore-Delhi flight operation will continue as traffic volume on this route is satisfactory. The suspension of Karachi-Mumbai route may add traffic to Lahore-Delhi route, he further added.



There will be no PIA flight between Karachi to Mumbai and Mumbai to Karachi from April 8. The PIA has stopped booking for flights on this route, the official said.

ALSO READ: PIA dismissed its German CEO on corruption charges



Due to extremely low traffic on the Karachi-Mumbai route, the PIA management has decided to suspend the flight.



Since we have been bearing financial loss on this route for the last six months or so we have arrived at a decision to suspend this route, the official said. Unless a special subsidy is not given by the government on this route it may not be restored in the near future, he further said.



The move by the PIA is seen in context of the recent beheading of two Indian soldiers by the Pakistan military in Jammu and Kashmir. Karachi-Mumbai operation is not being suspended due to tense relations between India and Pakistan, the PIA said dismissing media reports.



PIA spokesperson Danyal Gillani said, The reasons behind the move are purely commercial.



It is to be noted that since the Pak president Nawaz Sharif-led government formed in 2013, the carrier has suffered a huge loss of over Rs 100 billion, officials said.

ALSO READ: Pakistan summons Indian high commissioner for not issuing medical visas

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Yokohama (Japan):

Frosty Indo-Pak relations after the beheading of Indian soldiers by Pakistani troops were on full display in Japan when Finance Minister Arun Jaitley was on the dais with his Pakistani counterpart, often sharing cold vibes and aggressively countering Islamabad backing of Chinas Belt and Road initiative.



This was the first instance of leaders of the two nations sharing dais in the midst of what is being dubbed as the worst crisis brewing in South Asia since the Mumbai terrorist attacks of 2008.



Jaitley and Pakistans Finance Minister Mohammad Ishaq Dar were among the four speakers on a debate business news channel CNBC organised on Asias Economic Outlook: Talking Trade on sides of Asian Development Banks 50th annual meet.

Read | Pakistan Armys active role led killing and mutilation of Indian soldiers: Jaitley



The Indian minister sat in a position that his head was turned away from the Pakistani leader all through the one-hour debate and left immediately after a customary photo-op with panel members. There were no warm handshakes.



Jaitley smiled just once - On a question on US taxi aggregator Uber facing hard times, he smiled and said, I think they are having a great time in India.



While no question was put to the two ministers either on the recent tensions or the trade between the two nations, Jaitley did not reply when journalists tried to speak to him.



When Dar backed One Belt, One Road (OBOR) initiative to connect China with the rest of Eurasia, Jaitley said India has serious reservations on the proposal because of sovereignty issues.

Read | Pakistans denial of mutilating Indian soldiers has no credibility: Arun Jaitley



I think connectivity in principle is a good idea but the particular proposal which has just been suggested by you, I think there are several other collateral issues and this is not really the forum for me to go into all this, he said.



Stating that the idea is always there for the future as the expansion of connectivity takes place between countries, he said he has no hesitation in saying that we have serious reservations about it (OBOR) because of sovereignty issues. I dont want to get into it at this stage but there are issues.



Dar, on the other hand, stated that Pakistan strongly supports the initiative.



It is one of the very important directions to be connected in the region and beyond... I think OBOR is a very good initiative. Pakistan is a part of it and very much promotes the idea, he said.



Pakistani troops killed two Indian soldiers patrolling the border in Jammu and Kashmir, mutilating their bodies. The incident occurred within weeks of a secret military court in Pakistan sentencing Kulbhushan Jadhav, a former naval officer, to death on charges of espionage.



Dar also said the intra-regional trade should be focused and regional connectivity should be better. He went on to mention of initiative like Central Asia Regional Economic Cooperation (CAREC) and China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) to link Pakistan, central Asian states, India and Iran.



So inter-dependence is the way forward, he said.



Jaitley, however, said India is not part of Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) but there is no force in the world which can prevent trade.



There are going to be movements of natural persons from one part of the world to another because economies need experts, they need technology, he said.

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New Delhi :

In a shocking incident, a Keralite doctor was shot dead in the United States. His body was found from his car in Michigan on Thursday. The motive behind his killing is yet to be ascertained by the cops.

Dr Ramesh Kumar (32) was working as Urologist with Henry Ford hospital, Detroit in Michigan.

Dr Rameshs relatives informed that they had got the information about his death on Friday. The deceaseds father Dr Narendra Kumar is former president of American Association of Physicians of Indian Origin(AAPI) and the Association of Kerala Medical Graduates.

The officials of Henry Ford hospital called up Dr Narendra Kumar and inquired about Dr Ramesh as the latter did not turn up on work on Thursday. Later, Dr Narendra Kumar approached the Detroit police who found Dr Rameshs body from back seat of his car.

Also Read | Kansas shooting: Slain Indian techie Srinivas Kuchibhotla's wife expresses wish to return to US

A post-mortem was conducted and the funeral will be held on Monday.

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By Press Trust of India: Bengaluru, May 7(PTI) Auto component major Bosch, which had temporarily ceased operations at its plant after getting notice from Karnataka State Pollution Control Board, will resume operations at its Adugodi and Koramangala facilities from tomorrow.

"Having received clarification from the KSPCB, Bosch will commence operations at its location in Adugodi and Koramangala," Bosch Group India President Soumitra Bhattacharya said in a statement here today.

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The Group made a representation to Karnataka State Pollution Control Board authorities on May 6, and received clarification that the provisions mentioned in the public notice dated May 5 was not applicable to the Groups facilities, the company said.

The company had taken the decision to close the plant after the KSPCB directed closure of all industrial units within the catchment area of Bellandur lake here.

"The decision to temporarily close operations was taken as the Group has the highest regard for environment protection and legality.

Bosch India has been operating all of its facilities in accordance with the prescribed environmental norms," it said.

"However, as a matter of abundant caution and to be in adherence with the law, the Groups management in India decided to temporarily halt operations on May 6, 2017," it added.

The company further said that the Group highly appreciates the support and quick clarification provided by the state government authorities.

"Throughout its tenure in India, Bosch has been implementing and practicing socially and environmentally friendly practices.. These practices have been adopted and discussed with relevant stakeholders from the state government," it said.

In the past, Bosch locations have been the recipient of recognition and awards pertaining to environmental-friendly best practices, the company said.

Bosch does not foresee any financial impact or turnover loss on account of this temporary closure, it added. PTI BDN ROH

--- ENDS ---
By Press Trust of India: From Aditi Khanna

London, May 7 (PTI) Britains most notorious female terror suspect Sally Jones has become a target of American authorities after new evidence pointed to her involvement in at least a dozen Islamic State plots around the world.

The 49-year-old, a mother-of-two from Kent in southeast England, is regarded by the Pentagon as a "high priority" for assassination in Syria after it emerged that the so-called "jihadi bride" of British terror suspect Junaid Hussain is among the most prolific Western recruiters and attack planners for ISIS, The Sunday Times said.

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One plot involved kidnapping a US Army veteran and beheading him on camera in his home before broadcasting the murder to the world. Another foiled attack was to be carried out by a teenager opening fire on hundreds of people at a concert or nightclub, the newspaper said.

Almost all the plots involving Jones or her husband Hussain have targeted the military ? including Royal Air Force (RAF) bases in Britain ? making the Pentagons desire to eliminate her highly personal.

Jones, however, is believed to be using her 11-year-old son Jojo as a shield to avoid the same fate as her husband.

Hussain, a former computer hacker from Birmingham, was killed by a US drone strike in the ISIS stronghold of Raqqa after he apparently slipped up and left a building without the child at his side.

Jones, a former guitarist in an all-girl punk band, has another son, 19-year-old Jonathan, who stayed in Britain.

Although he died in August 2015, the full extent of Hussains influence and that of his Muslim convert wife ? nicknamed "Mr and Mrs Terror" ? are emerging only now.

US court documents link the couple to numerous attacks and plots, spanning three continents, the newspaper said.

Jones recruited women while Hussain mainly targeted vulnerable men as the leader of an elite group of English- speaking attack planners in Syria known as The Legion or the Raqqa 12. PTI AK CPS

--- ENDS ---
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NEW MILFORD  Mark and Alissa Marabito ate free Ben & Jerrys ice cream cones as they discussed their new home at the official grand opening of Barton Commons, a mixed-income residential development in downtown New Milford.

The Marabitos know how lucky they are. More than 400 applications poured in for Barton Commons 38 units. The waiting list is more than 300 names long.

Mark Marabito, 23, is a software designer and Alissa, 22, is an illustrator. Many of their friends have fled Connecticut because they could not afford to buy a house or pay rent in the Nutmeg State.

We had an apartment, but they raised the rent too high. We looked at other places and the rent was too high and they werent very nice. We wanted to stay in the area because our families are here. We didnt want to have to move away because shed have to find all new clients, Mark Marabito said.

I heard about this place and it seemed too good to be true, said Alissa Marabito. Without this place, we probably would have had to move away like a lot of our friends.

High demand

The mix of residents who attended the event included a certified nursing assistant and single mom, an elderly woman on disability, and a woman who was homeless for a time after her husband died and the bank foreclosed on the family house. The melting pot highlighted the need for more mixed-income housing, also known as workforce or affordable, housing in the state.

Its very rewarding work, said Marc Daigle of Dakota Partners, which built Barton Commons and several other affordable housing complexes in New England. For years we did straight condominium building in high-end towns, and that has its own rewards, but this is really rewarding and serves a need. Not everyone can afford $1,500 in rent. Everyone has a story.

Dakota Partners recently built Village Green in Barnstable, Mass., and Daigle said 400 applications came in for 120 units. He said it demonstrated the need for affordable housing throughout New England.

The demand is consistent everywhere we go, Daigle said.

Workforce housing typically costs the tenant no more than 30 percent of household income. Rates are based on the local area median income, or AMI, and housing is aimed at residents earning less than 80 percent of the AMI. AMI in Litchfield County, which includes New Milford, is $89,900, while affordable housing in neighboring Brookfield, which is part of Fairfield County, is based on an AMI of $108,000.

To encourage the building of affordable housing, several state agencies, including the Connecticut Housing Finance Authority and the Department of Housing, offer financing to developers in the form of low-interest loans or tax credits. State agencies also administer the federal Low-Income Housing Tax Credit to qualifying developments.

Its something thats a debated issue, but workforce housing is greatly needed in Connecticut. It makes dreams come true, Evonne Klein, commissioner of the state Department of Housing, said. The funding that is provided is critical in getting these projects done.

Bank of America also provided financing for Barton Commons.

Klein said the supply does not meet the demand for workforce housing because the state basically ignored the issue for the last 30 years. Since the Department of Housing was created four years ago, it and CHFA have helped to fund 20,000 housing units, 19,000 of which are affordable. DOH has received $107 million in state bonding each year.

This is what happens when you dont build affordable housing for 30 years, she said of the pent-up demand. You cant take a break from building affordable housing, and thats essentially what Connecticut did. In the last four years weve made unprecedented progress.

High cost of living

HallKeen Management manages several affordable housing communities, including Barton Commons and Laurel Hill in Brookfield. It also manages Kimberly Place in Danbury. HallKeen does the vetting for applicants to make sure they are earning steady income. Tenants are recertified each year and, after the initial acceptance, cannot earn more than 140 percent of the local AMI to remain in the complex.

Adam Goldberg, property manager for Barton Commons and Laurel Hill, said applications came in quickly for Barton Commons and people continue to call.

The phone rings off the hook. Theres a huge demand for this type of housing, he said. With the rental market on fire, a lot of people just cant afford it.

New Milford Mayor David Gronbach said Barton Commons is something we can point to as a success story.

Theres a crisis in Connecticut where jobs cant support the cost of living, Gronback said.

Economists say the high cost of living, including housing costs, is a major reason why Connecticut was one of eight states that lost population in 2016, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

The median rent in Connecticut in 2015 was $1,108, compared to the U.S. median rent of $959, according to the Census Bureaus American Community Survey. Rents in southwestern Connecticut are typically higher. Stamford is among the top 10 cities in the country with average rental rates of more than $2,000, according to a CNN Money survey.

Many people have steady, decent jobs, but cant afford that, Daigle said. (Workforce housing) is a good opportunity for them.

Preserving history

Barton Commons was the revitalization of the historic Barton House. Built in 1861, it was the home of Sen. Andrew Mygatt and later Miss Bartons Day Care and Kindergarten and then a bed and breakfast. The original facade of the house has been retained along with other architectural components throughout the first building.

The complex includes studio and two-bedroom units, with some offered at market rate and others at workforce rate.

We put a lot of time, hard work and dedication into this development and we believe our efforts have paid off, said Roberto Arista, of Dakota Partners. Economic, demographic and social diversity strengthen a community and workforce income housing is a vehicle to make that happen.

cbosak@hearstmediact.com; 203-731-3338
TORONTO, May 5, 2017 /CNW/ - Home Capital Group Inc. ("The Company"TSX: HCG) announced that Alan Hibben has been appointed to the Board of Directors effective today, replacing Gerald Soloway, the Founder of the Company, who had previously announced his pending retirement.

"This is the start of our governance renewal," said Kevin Smith, Chairman of the Board. "We are very pleased to welcome Alan to the Board and thank Jerry for his many years of service in building the Company. Alan's broad range of experience will be key in helping Home to navigate the new challenges facing the Company and to rebuild confidence. His skills will be particularly helpful as the Board works closely with management and advisors on solutions to the Company's funding needs."

Mr. Smith added that more changes are pending: "We have made considerable progress in identifying new candidates for the Board and in our search for a new Chief Executive Officer. The new CEO will in turn be involved in the hiring of a new Chief Financial Officer, providing a major refresh in our corporate leadership as part of the the process of rebuilding the Company."

Mr. Hibben is an experienced director and financial executive. During his career, he has served as an independent financial advisor to clients including the Ontario government; as head of strategy at Royal Bank of Canada, the country's largest financial institution; as a managing director of mergers and acquisitions at RBC; and as president of a trust company that faced a difficult restructuring and eventual sale after previous management had been relieved.

Mr. Hibben said: "I am looking forward to working with the team at Home Capital to restore confidence in what is a fundamentally sound business, and one that plays a very important role in the Canadian housing finance system. As the Company moves ahead with the important process of governance and leadership renewal, I will also work to encourage other candidates to join the Board in short order."

Mr. Hibben will be appointed to the Board effective today and will stand for election at the Company's upcoming Annual Meeting, which will be held next month in Toronto.

Mr. Gerald Soloway had indicated last month that he felt it was in the best interest of the Company if he stepped down from the Board upon the appointment of a replacement with recognized expertise in financial services. As a result, Mr. Soloway will resign from the Board effective today and not stand for re-election.

Alan Hibben Biography

Mr. Hibben has had a wide-ranging career in financial services, with specific experience in merger and acquisition advisory services, private equity and venture capital, trust company management, project and leveraged finance, and Eurobond sales and trading.

Mr. Hibben retired as a Managing Director in the Mergers and Acquisitions Group of RBC Capital Markets in December of 2014. Previously, he held the position of Head, Strategy & Development at RBC Financial Group. In this role, he was responsible for corporate strategy as well as merger, acquisition and development activities for the Bank. He was also Chief Executive Officer, RBC Capital Partners, the private equity investment arm of RBC Financial Group.

Prior to RBC, Mr. Hibben worked in senior roles at North American Trust Company, including serving as President from 1991 to 1993. He led this 30-branch, 650-employee national trust company through a restructuring and sale after previous management had been relieved and market conditions had eliminated profitability.

Mr. Hibben currently provides financing and strategic advice and expert witness services through his advisory and investment company, Shakerhill Partners Ltd. Since December 2014, he has been an advisor to the Province of Ontario on a number of files, including the Companies' Creditors Arrangement Act (CCAA) processes for Stelco and Algoma Steel. He is also a director of HudBay Minerals Inc. (TSX and NYSE: HBM), Extendicare Inc. (TSX: EXE) and the Mount Sinai Hospital Foundation.

He earned a B.Com. from the University of Toronto and is qualified as a Canadian CPA. He is also a CFA charter holder and an Institute Certified Director (ICD.D) of the Institute of Corporate Directors.

Caution Regarding Forward-looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking information within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation. Please refer to the Home Capital's 2016 Annual Report, available on Home Capital's website at www.homecapital.com, and on the Canadian Securities Administrators' website at www.sedar.com, for Home Capital's Caution Regarding Forward-looking Statements.

About Home Capital Group Inc.

Home Capital Group Inc. is a public company, traded on the Toronto Stock Exchange (HCG), operating through its principal subsidiary, Home Trust Company. Home Trust is a federally regulated trust company offering residential and non-residential mortgage lending, securitization of insured residential mortgage products, consumer lending and credit card services. In addition, Home Trust offers deposits via brokers and financial planners, and through its direct to consumer deposit brand, Oaken Financial. Home Trust also conducts business through its wholly owned subsidiary, Home Bank. Licensed to conduct business across Canada, Home Trust has offices in Ontario, Alberta, British Columbia, Nova Scotia, Quebec and Manitoba.

SOURCE Home Capital Group Inc.

For further information: Media: Boyd Erman, Longview Communications Inc., (416) 649-8007, [email protected]; or Peter Block, Longview Communications Inc., (416) 649-8008, [email protected]; Investors: Laura Lepore, Assistant Vice President, Investor Relations, (416) 933-5652, [email protected]

Related Links

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OTTAWA, May 7, 2017 /CNW/ - Today, the Honourable Ralph Goodale, Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness, made the following statement about flooding in Eastern Ontario:

"I received a request this afternoon from Ontario's Community Safety and Correctional Services Minister Marie-France Lalonde regarding the ongoing flooding situation. On behalf of the Government of Canada, I have accepted her formal request for federal assistance to provide additional flood mitigation resources to the affected communities. This Ontario request does not involve the deployment of Canadian Armed Forces personnel.

The Government Operations Centre has staff working to coordinate the federal response to the situation in both Ontario and Quebec, and elsewhere in the country. Officials are working closely with federal and provincial partners to coordinate and plan the full details of this assistance.

Canadians can be assured that all levels of government are working seamlessly together to deliver the required help.

I strongly encourage impacted residents to follow the directions and advice of their municipal law enforcement and first responders. On behalf of all Canadians, I thank all of the first responders working tirelessly to support Canadians in need."

Follow Public Safety Canada (@Safety_Canada) on Twitter.

For more information, please visit the website www.publicsafety.gc.ca.

SOURCE Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness Canada

For further information: Scott Bardsley, Office of the Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness, 613-998-5681; Media Relations, Public Safety Canada, (613) 991-0657

Related Links

www.publicsafety.gc.ca


Shell companies were allegedly being used to divert loan funds meant for specified purposes, creating fake invoices, and round-tripping of funds to evade taxes and generate black money.

By Press Trust of India: The central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has unearthed a multiple complex web of 339 shell companies used for allegedly diverting funds unscrupulously to the tune of Rs 2,900 crore as part of its probe into such cases over the last three years.

CBI sources said the shell companies were allegedly being used by the suspects to divert loan funds meant for specified purposes, creating fake invoices, and round-tripping of funds to evade taxes and generate black money.

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Round-tripping is sending money to tax havens abroad in the guise of payments for fake imports through shell companies and bringing back that money, showing it as "foreign investment". The findings of the CBI are just a tip of the iceberg as these are only those cases where the agency has been able to find legally-tenable evidence of money trail, cheating and diversion of funds to cheat the banks, said the sources not willing to be named.

The murky activities have been exposed during the CBI probe into various loan fraud cases involving 28 public sector banks and a private bank, the sources said.

BANK FRAUD CASES

Besides this, the agency is probing about 200 bank fraud cases involving funds of at least Rs 30,000 crore, they said. The CBI is prosecuting these companies for corruption and scheduled offences associated with it. In addition, it will also refer these cases to other investigating agencies for action under various laws like the Companies Act, Prevention of Money Laundering Act, Benami Transactions (Prohibition) Act, Income Tax Act etc, the sources said.

The agency has not only "exposed" these shell companies but also gathered enough material which would "plug" the possibility of them being used for any further operation, they claimed. The sources said it was likely that the shell companies had been used to abet financial crimes by other offenders too which will be probed by other agencies.

The companies are spread across the country as also the tax-haven countries facilitating transfer of black money, which makes the investigation even more difficult, they said.

BANK LOANS USED TO SET UP DIGITAL STUDIOS

Some important cases which have been probed by the CBI include the one against Century Communication Group, which used to run Mahua Channel. According to the figures mentioned in the agency's chargesheets and FIRs, the group allegedly committed fraud to the tune of Rs 3,000 crore. It used over 98 shell companies to allegedly divert bank loans for setting up digital studios in Noida, Mumbai, Kolkata and other locations, the CBI said.

These companies were allegedly used to divert funds by showing fake equity infusion to the tune of Rs 802 crore. The Kolkata-based shell companies named in the case were allegedly controlled by one Muralidhar Lahoti. Three chartered accountants have also been chargesheeted in the case. Zoom Developers faces 14 cases for allegedly swindling bank funds worth Rs 2,600 crore involving a consortium of 26 banks. It allegedly collateralised foreign bank guarantees issued by Indian banks in favour of foreign aggregators.

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The company is accused of increasing its paid-up capital to Rs 500 crore by round-tripping and routing bank funds to the extent of Rs 460 crore through six shell companies.

The CBI had registered two cases against Jignesh Shah and Anjani Sinha of National Stock Exchange Limited, also known as the "NSEL scam", in which funds to the tune of Rs 342 crore were allegedly swindled. Nine shell companies surfaced during the probe which were trading on the exchange platform allegedly without having actual possession of the commodities.

LOAN FUNDS MISUSED

In a recent case, the agency had found that a dental college existed only on paper, while a bank was told that the construction was completed and loan funds were diverted for purposes other than for which these were issued.

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In many cases, the CBI found that the companies had peons, drivers, sanitation workers, personal staff, cooks etc as the directors of the shell companies created by those who divert funds using them, the sources said.

Recently, the Centre had expressed concern over the working of shell companies in the country. Revenue Secretary Hasmukh Adhia had said out of 15 lakh companies registered in the country, 9 lakh were not filing any returns and some among them may be acting as shell companies.

Also read: Mumbai: Drivers, cleaners made bogus directors of SVLL's shell companies, two more banks lodged complaints

Also read: ED crackdown on shell companies begins to prevent money laundering

--- ENDS ---
OTTAWA, May 7, 2017 /CNW/ - The Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, today issued the following statement on the result of France's presidential election:



"On behalf of the Government of Canada, I would like to congratulate Emmanuel Macron on his election as the next President of France.

"Canada and France share a warm and historic relationship, rooted in our common history, deep cultural ties, people-to-people connections, and strong economic partnership. We also closely collaborate on important international issues as strong allies and partners with the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, G7, G20 and La Francophonie.

"I look forward to working closely with President-elect Macron in the years ahead as we work together on a progressive agenda to promote international security, increase collaboration in science and technology, and create good, middle class jobs on both sides of the Atlantic. This also includes implementing the Canada-European Union Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement."

This document is also available at http://pm.gc.ca

SOURCE Prime Minister's Office

For further information: PMO Media Relations: 613-957-5555

Related Links

http://pm.gc.ca/


Eighty-two of the more than 200 schoolgirls kidnapped by Boko Haram in northeast Nigeria in 2014 arrived in Abuja on Sunday to meet President Muhammadu Buhari after a prisoner swap deal secured their release.Presidency spokesman Femi Adesina said the schoolgirls from Chibok, in Borno state, were met at the capitals airport by Buharis chief of staff Abba Kyari.Military and civilian militia sources in the town of Banki, on the border with Cameroon, said the girls had left for Borno state capital Maiduguri on board six military helicopters at 6:10 am (0510 GMT).One of the girls was carrying a baby with her, a boy of less than two years, said a source on condition of anonymity. The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), which said it facilitated the safe return of the girls as a neutral intermediary, tweeted photgraphs of a line of girls boarding a military helicopter.A meeting with Buhari, who was swept to power in 2015 on a promise to defeat Boko Haram, was scheduled for 4:00 pm local time (1500 GMT), officials in Abuja said.The presidency announced late on Saturday that months of talks with the jihadists had yielded results some six months after 21 other Chibok girls were freed with the help of international mediators.Today 82 more Chibok girls were released, a statement said.After lengthy negotiations, our security agencies have taken back these girls, in exchange for some Boko Haram suspects held by the authorities.No details were given about how many suspects were released or their identities.But AFP understands three Chadian nationals, allegedly senior commanders under Boko Haram leader Abubakar Shekau, were handed over.Shehu Sani, a Nigerian senator who has been involved in previous negotiations, said the talks lasted for three to four months.The government would now look to secure the release of the remaining hostages, he added.Boko Haram fighters stormed the Government Girls Secondary School in Chibok on the evening of April 14, 2014, and kidnapped 276 teenaged girls who were preparing to sit high school exams.Fifty-seven managed to escape in the hours that followed but the remaining 219 were held by the group.Boko Harams Shekau claimed in a video message that they had converted to Islam.The audacious kidnapping brought the insurgency to world attention, triggering global outrage that galvanised support from the former US first lady Michelle Obama and Hollywood stars.The girls have become a symbol of the Nigerian conflict. Last month, parents and supporters marked the three-year anniversary of the abduction, describing the situation as an unending nightmare.But they said previous releases had given them strength.Enoch Mark, a Christian pastor whose two daughters were among those kidnapped, said of the latest releases: This is good news to us. We have been waiting for this day.We hope the remaining girls will soon be released.Military and civilian militia sources in Banki said the girls were brought back to the town in ICRC vehicles late on Saturday afternoon and stayed in the military barracks there overnight.Boko Haram has used kidnapping as a weapon of war, seizing thousands of women and children, and forcibly recruiting young men and boys into their ranks.In a less publicised attack in November 2014, some 300 children were among about 500 people kidnapped from the town of Damasak, on the border with Niger, in the far north of Borno state. Most are still missing.The release of the 21 girls in October last year followed talks between Boko Haram and the Nigerian authorities brokered by the ICRC and the Swiss government.Three other girls have also been found. The first had a baby and was accompanied by a man she said was her husband but the military said was a Boko Haram suspect.Shekau has previously said the girls would be released if militant fighters held in government custody were freed.When the 21 were freed, Buharis spokesman Garba Shehu said the government was hoping to secure the release of 83 others being held by a different Boko Haram faction. A total of 113 Chibok girls are now missing, although Shekau claimed last August that some had been killed in military airstrikes.On Friday, Britain and the United States issued a security alert warning of a Boko Haram plot to kidnap foreigners in the Banki area, which led to the suspension of aid flights to the town on Saturday.
Concerned Nigerians, a leading civil rights organisation in Nigeria, has issued a 2-weeks ultimatum to ailing President Muhammadu Buhari saying that he must address Nigerians on the state of his health by May 29, 2017.

In an e-mailed statement to The Trent on Saturday, May 6, 2017, Deji Adeyanju, the groups convener and John Danfulani, the groups secretary, threatened to shut down Nigeria if President Buhari did not conduct a nationally televised media chat in two weeks.

This ultimatum comes as President Buharis ailment appears to have worsened and he missed important official assignments and 4 consecutive cabinet meetings. The presidents disappearance from public functions has sparked concerns and fears among Nigerians.

For several weeks, the health of President Muhammadu Buhari has been the source of speculation. He has not appeared in public for several weeks and has failed to attend several official functions including Federal Executive Cabinet meetings, the statement said.

The handling of the situation relating to President Buharis health has led to a lot of political uncertainty in the country. This economic uncertainty has in turn led to a lot of economic uncertainty due as major economic stakeholders and players are unable to make short, middle and long term economic decisions.

Furthermore, the uncertainty about President Buharis health is stoking ethnic and religious tensions.

Only recently a user of the social networking site  Facebook  threatened to kill 200 innocent Nigerians if President Buhari dies.

This threat may not be unconnected with rumours making rounds in the northern parts of the country that President Buhari was poisoned.

To this end, we call on President Buhari to, as a matter of urgency, publicly address the nation on the state of his health and other national issues. Such an address will go a long way in assuaging the socio-economic and political tensions.

If President Buhari fails or refuses to address the nation within 14 days of this statement, we will commence a series of nationwide peaceful processions calling on President Buhari to resign from office.

The processions will also call on the Federal Executive Council and the National Assembly to set up a committee to assess his health in line with Section 144 of the Constitution if he fails or refuses to do so.

While we recognise that illnesses can afflict anyone, particularly someone of President Buharis age, an occupant of the office of the president has to be more forthcoming with information regarding his health.

It is an obligation that the president bears to conduct himself in a manner that does not affect the peace, order and good governance of the country.

In all this, we wish President Buhari a speedy recovery from the illnesses that plague him. However, we believe that he can no longer recover in a manner that plagues the entire country, the statement ended.

Buhari Diagnosed With Cancer

Buhari has been diagnosed with cancer, according to a source with intimate knowledge of the the presidents health.

In June 2015, The Trent obtained exclusive information that Buhari had been advised by his doctors in London to undergo surgery to remove a cancerous growth in his prostrate.

According to the reliable source, Buhari has, indeed, been diagnosed with cancer and the cancer is growing but not spreading and doctors have recommended immediate surgery to remove the growth. But Buhari is hesitant to undergo the treatment because he would take 6 months to recuperate, during which time, he would be away from the office.

Yes, the president has cancer. The doctors found cancer confined in the tissue mass in his prostrate. Its in the cells. It is growing, but not spreading, the source disclosed to The Trent, on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the matter.

The UK specialists say that considering Babas [Buharis] age, theres a high chance that it will start spreading if it is not removed. But Baba is reluctant because it will mean that he will be away from work for six months, the source revealed. So, the president is waiting and watching and hoping that it doesnt spread. If it begins spreading, he would have no choice but to operate.

The doctors have told him that stress will speed up the growth rate, so Garba and Adesina are working on a strategy to shield the president from citizen criticism and negative news reports. But it is not easy.
North Korea announced on Sunday that it had detained a US citizen, the fourth American in custody there, as tensions rise between Pyongyang and Washington.The North 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.These are the US citizens now being held:Kim Hak-Song had been working for the Pyongyang University of Science and Technology (PUST) before he was arrested on Saturday, according to the official Korean Central News Agency. The university was founded by evangelical Christians from overseas and opened in 2010, and is known to have a number of American faculty members. Pupils are generally children from the Norths elite.No further information has yet been released on Kim.Kim Sang-Duk, or Tony Kim, was arrested last month at the main airport as he tried to leave the country after teaching for several weeks, also at PUST.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 Koreas Yonhap news agency has given Kims age as 55 and said he had been involved in relief activities for children in rural parts of North Korea. It cited a source who described him as a religiously devoted man.Kim Dong-Chul was last year sentenced to 10 years hard labour on charges of subversion and espionage.He was arrested in October 2015 as he received a USB stick containing nuclear-linked data and other military information from a source, according to the the Norths state media.Kim said he had been living in China near the North Korean border for the past 15 years, commuting regularly to a special economic zone in the North.Otto Warmbier, a 22-year-old student from the University of Virginia, was arrested for removing a political banner from a wall in a hotel  a crime that saw him sentenced to 15 years hard labour. Warmbier was detained at the airport as he was leaving the country with a tour group in January 2016.The United States has accused the North of using Warmbier as a political pawn. It condemned the sentence as way out of proportion for what amounted to little more than a misdemeanour.
The European Union High Representative, Federica Mogherini has described the release of 82 Chibok girls as a glimmer of hope that all the...

The European Union High Representative, Federica Mogherini has described the release of 82 Chibok girls as a glimmer of hope that all the Boko Haram abductees would regain their freedom.

Mogherini, in a statement on Sunday, said EUs thoughts are with the released girls as they rebuild their lives.





This news is a glimmer of hope that one day all the kidnapped girls will once again return home, live freely and have a peaceful future. Our thoughts are with them as they have the chance to rebuild their lives and also with those that remain captive, the statement said.

Mogherini said the Nigerian government must ensure that the perpetrators of this heinous act are brought to justice.

The union, Mogherini said, would continue to stand shoulder to shoulder with Nigeria in fighting terrorism and in its tireless work to free the girls.

The EU also continues to be fully committed to supporting humanitarian, development and reconstruction work in Nigeria, it added.
The Delhi Police on Saturday rescued a 17-year-old girl from a house, where she had been allegedly held captive by her mother, who would visit once a day to give food.

By India Today Web Desk: In a shocking incident, the Delhi Police rescued a 17-year-old girl from her east-Delhi residence, where she had been allegedly held captive by her mother in a garbage filled house.

The girl identified as Pihu Ghosh was rescued by the police on Saturday night following complaints by her neighbours. Her neighbours had complained about loud screams and wailing noises coming from the house late at night.

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The girl, however, claimed that she had voluntarily confined herself in the house.

'MOTHER VISITED ONLY TO GIVE FOOD'

"We were told the girl was being confined by her mother who visited her once a day to give her food. We found the girl in poor physical condition. She was unable to walk even," said Joint Commissioner of Police Ravindra Yadav. According to reports, her mother who is estranged from her father stays elsewhere with her elder sister.

Pihu has been admitted in the Lal Bahadur Shastri Hospital and after thorough medical check-up will be taken to the Child Welfare Committee.

'PIHU DROPPED OUT FROM SCHOOL'

Yadav added, "During a preliminary check-up, it was found that she has low blood pressure (78/46), a slightly high pulse rate (100 per minute) apart from some injuries."

Pihu's friends claim that she dropped out of school after 10th standard.

According to police officials, the girl spoke after some counselling and said that she had locked herself up.

The police is now on a lookout for her parents and other family members to register their statements.

With inputs IANS

Also read: NEET shocker: Female candidate says asked to remove innerwear

Also read: Tamil Nadu: School students design urinals out of waste plastic bottles

Also read: Kashmir: Militants give gun salute to slain associate at funeral in Kulgam

--- ENDS ---
The family of Senator Isiaka Adeleke, has rejected the coroner inquest instituted by Osun State Governor, Rauf Aregbesola into the death of...

The family of Senator Isiaka Adeleke, has rejected the coroner inquest instituted by Osun State Governor, Rauf Aregbesola into the death of the first civilian governor of the state.

The immediate younger brother of the deceased, Deji Adeleke, who read the familys address at a press briefing in his residence in Ede on Sunday, said the outcome of the inquest had been predetermined.









The briefing had in attendance Ademola; Dupe Adeleke-Sani and other members of the family. Deji Adeleke said,  The family hereby denounces in its entirety the ill advised and self serving coroners inquest ordered by the Osun State Government purportedly set up to determine the cause of death of our dearly beloved Senator Isiaka Adetunji Adeleke.



We condemn in strictest terms the continuous politicization attempts by the state of this great loss to our family, particularly the ordering of this inquest at a time we are still coming to terms with the harsh reality of his sudden departure and the pain and grief therefrom.

We have been reliably informed by credible sources that the outcome of the kangaroo inquest is already predetermined by the state and designed to serve its own interest with distorted facts and misinformation which will clearly not be in the interest of the good people of Osun in general and the Adeleke family in particular.

Adeleke died in early of Sunday April 23 after he was said to have attended to guests till around 2:am the same day.
The All Progressives Congress (APC) has hailed the release of additional 82 Chibok girls who were abducted in 2014.

The All Progressives Congress (APC) has hailed the release of additional 82 Chibok girls who were abducted in 2014.The party, in a statement issued and signed on Sunday by its National Publicity Secretary, Malam Bolaji Abdullahi, said it received the news of Saturdays release of the kidnapped with great joy.The APC particularly lauded President Muhammadu Buhari for his tenacity and dedication in ensuring the safe return of the Chibok girls.The party, which said it was further proof that Nigeria has a president who is working the talk, recalled that the government secured the release of 20 girls last year.The APC expressed gratitude to all security organisations and international agencies that played various roles to secure the release of the Chibok school girls.The party also congratulated and celebrated the girls who survived the very harrowing experiences of the past three years and their parents and families who endured the nervy and traumatic wait for their children.It assured them of governments resolve to give comprehensive medical attention to the released schoolgirls and ensure their rehabilitation and reintegration into normal society.The party urged the parents and families whose children remained in captivity to take solace with the fact that government was doing everything possible to ensure the safe return of the remaining school girls.It further urged the President to stay steadfast in his commitment to see to the release of all the girls and thousands of others being held captive by the insurgents, and to bring the ugly episode to a closure.
Omega Fire Ministries led by Apostle Suleman says it has received with bewilderment the claim by Miss Stephanie Otobo that she has become b...

Omega Fire Ministries led by Apostle Suleman says it has received with bewilderment the claim by Miss Stephanie Otobo that she has become born again and accordingly forgiven the cleric with whom she previously accused of an amorous relationship.





The church, in a statement signed and made available on Sunday by the Communications Manager, Phrank Shaibu, also expressed doubts about Stephanies new claim of being born again, coming on the heels of the fresh suit instituted by her against Apostle Suleman in Canada, the smear campaign and threat to unveil nude pictures confirming her tryst with the senior pastor.





Shaibu particularly pointed out the several lacunas in the statement announcing Miss Otobos new status as a born again Christian, noting that the Canada based-stripper must provide answers to some salient questions before she could be believed.





Part of the statement read thus: After besmirching the reputation of a man that she has never physically met, Stephanie Otobo, who filed a suit for $5 million against Apostle Johnson Suleiman in a Canadian court in abuse of court process, now claims she is born again and wants to put the whole saga behind her and forget the matter and withdraw the case?

Not so fast. Where is the explosive incontrovertible evidence she, Festus Keyamo and their team of jeer leaders promised Nigerians? Where are the travel documents she promised to reveal? Where are the nude pictures she claimed to have?

The 33 year old officially 23 year old girl, who made history by being the only woman to miscarry a baby from her backside, rather than her front side (as she claimed), now, wants to forgive and forget?

Her father called her a liar, her mother called her a liar, her best friend said she was a blackmailer and when given the chance to prove them all wrong she suddenly becomes born again?

No! We refuse to accept that. He who comes to equity must come with clean hands. He who comes to the Lord must come with contrition.

Psalm 51:17 says a broken and contrite heart you, God, will not despise. Contrition requires remorse and confession. If Stephanie Otobo is indeed born again, we welcome it, but we need to see proof of that and the proof is her confession that she lied or her provision of proof that she did not.

This girl, who has undermined the faith of many through her lies, wants to get acceptance without doing penance for an act of wickedness motivated by finance!

A girl who lied that she had her marriage introduction in the apostles office should be honest enough to do her damage control in the office of the court where she filed her suit by providing supporting proof rather than this suspicious handing it over to the Lord when the time came for her to have her day in court.

Apostle Johnson Suleman has refused to be blackmailed and his refusal has frustrated his accuser and her sponsors who now hope that this issue will die a natural death but you cannot play with The Lords servant and now go to Him without first confessing.

The spokesman asked Nigerians and Christian community worldwide to be weary of the new claim of Stephanie Otobo, warning that she may be up to mischief and seeking new victims to blackmail.
The Bring Back Our Girls Group (BBOG) on Sunday applauded the Federal Government and security agencies on the release of the 82 Chibok girl...

The Bring Back Our Girls Group (BBOG) on Sunday applauded the Federal Government and security agencies on the release of the 82 Chibok girls.

The commendation came in a statement signed by the Convener of the group, Mrs Oby Ezekwesili on Sunday in Abuja.





The Nigerian Presidency has confirmed that 82 of our missing 195 Chibok Girls have been released via a negotiated deal.

 The efforts were through the combined effort of security agencies, the military, the government of Switzerland, the Red Cross, local and international NGOs.

She said the group members were delighted by the good news which followed the release of 21 girls in October 2016.

We commend Mr President, the Federal Government and all the other partners for this heartwarming development.

We are also glad that the statement from the Presidency makes a strong commitment to rescuing the remaining 113 of our Chibok Girls that are still captives of terrorists.

Also in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria the Convener, Nigeria Young Women Political Forum, Hajia Zainab Mohammed, commended the efforts of the federal government in securing the release of the girls.

I am excited that the Nigeria security team are doing all they could to ensure our daughters are brought back from captivity. I am happy for the parents who are being reunited with their loved ones.

Mohammed said the Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development in collaboration with Ministry of Health should work together to provide the girls and their parents adequate psychological counselling.





She said the young girls would need psyco-dynamic counselling sessions before being re-integrated into their various communities.
Terror sect Boko Haram is said to be planning to kidnap foreigners in the northeast.

Terror sect Boko Haram is said to be planning to kidnap foreigners in the northeast.The extremists, according to the United States and Britain, are targeting Western foreign workers in the Bama area of Borno State, close to the Cameroon border.Both countries said in separate travel advice that the affected area was along the Banki-Kumshe axis, which is near the border with Cameroon.The US embassy in Abuja said in a message to its nationals that the report was credible.Boko Haram has kidnapped thousands of women and children, including more than 200 Chibok school girls.At least 20,000 people have been killed since 2009, but abductions of foreigners have been rare.There was a spate of kidnappings of foreign workers in the wider north from 2011 to 2013, claimed by a Boko Haram splinter group, Ansaru, which was more ideologically aligned to Al-Qaeda.The leader of Ansaru, Khalid al-Barnawi, has been charged with the abduction and murder of foreign workers, among them an Italian, a Briton, a German, Greek, Lebanese and Syrians.Most were engineers or construction workers. International aid workers now account for the majority of foreign nationals in the northeast, with most of them based in the Borno State.Hundreds of thousands of people in the Lake Chad region require urgent food aid as a result of the conflict, which has made more than 2.6 million people homeless and ravaged farmland.Boko Haram has been pushed out of strongholds by military efforts but continues to control parts of the northeast.That has challenged aid groups efforts to address a hunger crisis that the United Nations says has left 4.7 million people in urgent need of food aid.Nigeria is part of what the U.N. has called the largest humanitarian crisis since the world body was founded in 1945. The World Food Program has warned of aid cuts if more help doesnt arrive.
We are extremely happy to hear the news on the release of the girls; we are grateful to God for showing us this day. We believe that Buhari deserve great commendation on this.

The President has done so much and he is doing well in piloting the affairs of the nation. We pray to Almighty Allah to grant him good health, so that he can continue the good work he is doing. For the girls we are very happy, we hope they are not traumatised in anyway.

We believe that it is time the abductors release all the people in their custody; I think they have no reason to keep holding them for no just cause. 

These are helpless vulnerable people who are supposed to be in their villages and hamlets waiting for the rainy season to return to farm.

It has taken so long, I think that they should have a change of heart to make sure that they end the insurgency.

There is no reason for us to continue to destroy ourselves, what they are doing is an act of self destruction, destroying themselves and the society at large, Gubio, a former Head of Service said.





He said that the insurgents had succeeded in showing their grievances to the world and it is now time for the insurgency to end even without the military force. The insurgents have expressed their grouses or whatever problem they have with the society, he said.
The Southern Mandate, a forum of the defunct Congress for Progressives Change (CPC) members, has advised President Muhammadu Buhari, to con...

The Southern Mandate, a forum of the defunct Congress for Progressives Change (CPC) members, has advised President Muhammadu Buhari, to consider former national chairman, Chief Tony Momoh or Eng. Buba Galadima as the next Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF).

According to them, any of the duo would be a perfect replacement for the suspended incumbent, Babachir Lawal.





The forum, which has its membership in the 17 southern States, made the call in a statement on Sunday signed by its national coordinator, Comrade Ikonomwan Francis.

While urging Buhari to drop the embattled SGF to face prosecution, they said his replacement with either Momoh or Galadima would serve a thank-you message to those who delivered 12 million votes to him in 2011 on the platform of the defunct CPC.

Part of the statement read, We wish to reiterate our earlier position that the key appointments Mr. President has made so far are occupied by strangers who do not share the same vision and mission of President Buhari for a better Nigeria.
President of the Senate, Bukola Saraki, has commended the efforts of President Muhammadu Buhari-led Federal Government, security operativ...

President of the Senate, Bukola Saraki, has commended the efforts of President Muhammadu Buhari-led Federal Government, security operatives, and the international Red Cross on the release of 82 of the Chibok schoolgirls.

In a statement signed by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Yusuph Olaniyonu, Saraki expressed delight at the development, saying that the prayers and well-wishes of Nigerians and the global community had led to the return of more of our daughters.

As a father, I cant help but feel delighted and excited at the release of the 82 schoolgirls. When they were taken from us, the whole world joined in demanding for their return  now, it is a testament to the tenacity and commitment of the Federal Government, led by Mr. President, that they are back with us, and will soon be reunited with their families

Last year, we managed to secure the release of 21 girls. Today, 82. By this feat, those that are still out there should be rest assured that Nigeria will not forget them, and this government will continue to do everything within its power to bring them back home.

Moving forward, the Security Forces must be commended. However, the work is not yet done, too many families are still anxious today. Too many of our daughters have not returned.

The Senate President reassured that the Senate and by extension, the National Assembly, would continue to do everything within its power to augment the efforts of the executive and our international partners in securing the release of more girls and ending the Book Haram menace once and for all.

My colleagues and I in the 8th Senate will continue to remain committed to the cause of bringing back all our girls, ending the Boko Haram insurgency and ensuring the rehabilitation of the devastated North East zone.

It is clear that we still have a lot to do. But God-willing, we will be up for the challenge.

Similarly, Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Yakubu Dogara, has commended President Buhari for his continued dedication to the safe return of the abducted Chibok Girls.

In a statement issued by his Special Adviser on Media and Public Affairs, Turaki Hassan, Dogara described the development as delightful and heartening, and commended the efforts of the security agencies and all others who were involved in the negotiation process.

Last month, the House of Representatives adopted a motion urging the Executive to expedite negotiation for the release of the schoolgirls who remain in captivity, and the news of the release of 82 Chibok girls is delightful, to say the least.

President Buhari has further proven that he is a man of his words, as he could have used the initial inaction by the previous administration as an excuse to not take action, but he didnt.

It has been said in many quarters that true leadership is defined not by apportioning blame, but by solving challenges irrespective of their genesis, and the President deserves all commendation for this feat.

It is extremely gladdening that these 82 girls will finally be reunited with their families; it is my ardent hope that they get the required medical attention, and that the other girls  and all others  who remain in captivity are released soon, he said.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) is considering pushing for the seizure of apartment 7B at Osborne Towers, Ikoyi, Lag...

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) is considering pushing for the seizure of apartment 7B at Osborne Towers, Ikoyi, Lagos, from where it made the famous haul of $43million cash.That will be in addition to its Friday application to the Federal High Court in Lagos for the final forfeiture of the money to the Federal Government.The commission said that no one has come forward to claim the $43,449,947 (about N13 billion), N23, 218,000 and 27,800 (about N10.6milion) cash found in the apartment.Already, lobbyists are finding their way to the Presidential Villa to plead for soft landing for the suspended Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Babachir Lawal and the Director-General of the National Intelligence Agency (NIA), Amb. Ayo Oke.Some heads of security agencies are said to be canvassing a second opinion on the probe of Oke.Ahead of the submission of the report of the Presidential Investigative Committee headed by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo tomorrow, there was anxiety last night among government officials who were implicated in the $43.4million haul.Lawal is being probed over alleged N200million contract awarded to a company, Global Vision Limited, linked with him by the Presidential Initiative for the North East (PINE) for the clearing of invasive plant species (weeds) in Yobe State.Oke, on the other hand, is being investigated in connection with the $43.4million cash haul.Investigation however revealed that apart from seeking the forfeiture of the $43.4million, EFCC might take over apartment 7B.A reliable source in EFCC said: The anti-graft commission will soon initiate moves to seize the apartment 7B in Osborne Towers in line with its mandate.The circumstances surrounding the purchase of the apartment have been faulted by this commission at a Federal High Court in Lagos.Therefore, we are set to invoke sections 26 and 28 of the EFCC (Establishment) Act 2004.So, we are not only interested in the cash, we want to take over the apartment. But we are awaiting the decision of the committee bring led by the Vice President.Section 26 reads in part: (1) Any property subject to forfeiture under this Act may be seized by the Commission in the following circumstances  (a) the seizure incidental to an arrest or search; or (b) in the case of property liable to forfeiture upon process issued by the Court following an application made by the Commission in accordance with the prescribed rules.(2) Whenever property is seized under any of the provisions of this Act, the Commission may  (a) place the property under seal; or(b) remove the property to a place designed by the Commission.(3) Properties taken or detained under this section shall be deemed to be in the custody of the Commission, subject only to an order of a Court.Section 28 reads: Where a person is arrested for an offence under this Act, the commission shall immediately trace and attach all the assets and properties of the person acquired as a result of such economic or financial crime and shall thereafter cause to be obtained an interim attachment order from the Court.Sections 28 and 34 of the EFCC (Establishment Act) 2004 and Section 13(1) of the Federal High Court Act, 2004.It was also gathered that lobbyists have been mounting pressure on Presidency officials for soft landing for Lawal and Oke.It was also learnt that the ongoing probe of the two officials has divided members of the kitchen cabinet of the President.A source in the presidency said: Even there is a split among the kitchen cabinet members on Lawal and Oke. The sympathy is more for Oke in view of his high rating in the intelligence community. He is considered a first class diplomat.As a matter of fact, Oke was the first to initiate the recovery of Abacha loot during the tenure of ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo as a desk officer at the Nigerian High Commission in London. All attempts to make him compromise on Abacha loot failed.Of all the security chiefs, he was the only one who wrote an accurate report to ex-President Goodluck Jonathan that he would lose the 2015 presidential election to President Muhammadu Buhari at the risk of his job.This is why he was baffled when the $43.4million was linked to the campaign funds for Jonathan.Oke has also travelled with the President with his initiatives making the foreign trips of Buhari attracting investments.What the lobbyists, including some security chiefs, are saying is that Oke should not be humiliated out of office. They said he should either be allowed to go on voluntary retirement or compulsorily retired.Some security chiefs are of the opinion that Okes trial might set a dangerous precedent.Asked to be forthcoming, the presidency source said: The whole thing is messy and complicated.But a source close to the panel said: Oke has not satisfactorily answered three questions:where he got the $43.4m from;why was Apartment 7B bought in the name of his wife instead of NIAhow the cash got to Apartment 7B in Osborne Towers, Ikoyi instead of bankOke actually admitted that NIA got $289million Special Intervention Funds for nine projects. He also said the $43.4million was part of the Special Intervention Funds.The NIA on Friday said it is normal to use proxy for classified actions whether the covert front is a relation or not is immaterial.But it could not be immediately ascertained what will be the fate of the SGF.A third source said:As for the SGF, the Senate report has made his fate more complicated. But these lobbyists are still reading political meanings into the report of the Senate.It is left to Buhari to take a final decision based on the findings of Osinbajos panelAs the committee submits its report tomorrow, there was anxiety among some top government officials implicated in the $43.4m haul and PINE contracts.You seem to focus on the SGF and Oke but some officials were also implicated in all these.There is a system failure and all those involved might be sanctioned in one way or the other.This is why there is disquiet in some parastatals whose officers were implicated, the source added.
A total of 82 Chibok schoolgirls were set free yesterday by their Boko Haram captors following rigorous negotiations, it was reliably gat...

A total of 82 Chibok schoolgirls were set free yesterday by their Boko Haram captors following rigorous negotiations, it was reliably gathered. The girls were handed over to the Nigerian authorities at Banki, a border town between Nigeria and Cameroon.





The release came almost seven months after the terrorist group handed over 21 other abducted girls to the Nigerian government after rounds of secret negotiations.





Nigerian officials have maintained that they were in talks with the group to secure the freedom of the remaining girls who were taken captives in 2014. Boko Haram abducted 276 girls during a night raid on their school hostel in the town of Chibok.





Activities of the group have significantly been curtailed after a series of successful military operations that dislodged it from territories in the North-East and its stronghold in the Sambisa Forest in December last year. Security officials said the group had been further weakened by internal supremacy battle between two factional leaders, Abubakar Shekau and Mamman Nur.





Sources disclosed yesterday that the girls were handed to Nigerian officials by the Shekau-led faction, which operates around the Banki axis. The sources said arrangements were in progress to evacuate the girls to Maiduguri last night and Abuja, subsequently.









The girls, who were brought from undisclosed locations around the border town, would be ferried by military and humanitarian choppers,. Local and international mediators described the process of freeing the captives as hectic and frustrating.

A source within government said the same actors that worked for the release of 21 girls last year secured the freedom of the 82 girls. Local mediators, a top government official, the Swiss Government and the Red Cross secured the release of the 21 girls in December.





The procedure is the same even this time around though it was really tough. It was as if the girls would not be released because of varying conditions, but we thank God they would be home in some hours, he said.

Another source close to the negotiation said: The handover of the girls (to us) was tasking. The Ahlul Sunnah (Boko Haram) that brought the girls was fully prepared for any eventuality, and the intervention of the Red Cross and the Swiss government made it a bit easier.





The girls are not looking bad, but you can see stress and pain in their faces, he said.

A military officer who confirmed the release of the girls said full details would be given by the Federal Government today.

What I can assure you is that 82 girls have been freed today and they are on their way home. From what we gathered, beside all those that have been set free, many of the girls are still alive and healthy, future efforts would lead to their rescue, he said.

A source close to the foreign mediators said they would not give up until all the living girls returned.

The 82 we got today are a product of mutual trust and respect by both parties, he said.

Asked if any ransom was paid or some Boko Haram elements were released in exchange of the girls, he said: You need not to ask such questions. You are aware that no Boko Haram was released the other time, and therefore, why now?





A former secretary of Chibok Local Government, Awomi Nkeki, described the latest release as a glad tiding of immeasurable joy.

He said they never expected something like it.

We held a meeting of Chibok stakeholders today (yesterday) at the State Hotel in Maiduguri. There was no inkling that the girls had been found.

We thank all those who played roles in this unprecedented feat, he said.

Meanwhile spokesperson for the President, Mr. Femi Adeshina took to his twitter to announce that the 82 girls have arrived Abuja
By Press Trust of India: Los Angeles, May 7 (PTI) Leonardo DiCaprio attended an annual gala for Haiti Takes Root ? a 10-year long initiative dedicated to the reforestation and development of the Caribbean country? along with his actor friend Sean Penn.

The Oscar-winning actor turned up to support Penn, who founded J/P Haitian Relief Organisation, the non-profit that put on the event, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

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"Haiti was devastated by Hurricane Matthew. And I watched from another country as news organisations said no one is doing anything for these people," Penn said.

The event witnessed acoustic performances by Damien Rice and Andra Day who in toe with the spirit of evening performed her hit "We Will Rise," bringing everyone to their feet for a standing ovation.

Many of Penns other friends were also in attendance, including Naomi Campbell, Ellie Goulding, Andy Cohen and Donna Karan. PTI SSN SSN

--- ENDS ---
Leader of the Bring Back Our Girls campaign group, Dr Oby Ezekwesili says she is praying hard that reports of the release of 80 Chibok gi...

Leader of the Bring Back Our Girls campaign group, Dr Oby Ezekwesili says she is praying hard that reports of the release of 80 Chibok girls by Boko Haram group is true. You CANT imagine how HARD my heart is beating right now as I furiously PRAY that this news of release of 80 of OUR #ChibokGirls is true., Ezekwesili tweeted Saturday evening on his Twitter handle, Obyezeks.Saharareporters reported on Saturday evening that a top military source has confirmed the release of eighty of the abducted girls.None of us CAN EVER imagine how 80 Parents of OUR #ChibokGirls would feel should that news be TRUE. NO. ONLY THEY CAN KNOW THAT FEELING, she added in another tweet.Meanwhile, the Defence Headquarters said the media should await confirmation when contacted on the reported release.Official sources in Presidential Villa also declined to speak on the matter claiming they have no information on it.A highly dependable military source confirmed the release of some abducted Chibok girls but was not how many were freed.Senator Shehu Sani from Kaduna State in a tweet said The Only authority to confirm the release of the Chibok girls is the Federal government.However,credible negotiations took place.
The wife of the President, Mrs Aisha Buhari, visited the visited eight months old baby Khadija Bashir who was raped when she was just 6 months old by the husband of her mother's close friend and neighbor in Kano.

Government should follow this case to its logical conclusion. You should leave no stone unturned in the course of handling this case, she said.

You should view what happened to your little baby as destiny and accept it in good faith. You should continue to take good care of her. I am sure that God will come to your aid, he said.

Anyone found guilty of this sordid sexual crime will be prosecuted under the relevant provision contained in the Kano State Penal Code Amendment Law, referred to as the Principal Law as amended under Section 283 which states thus: Whoever commits rape, shall be punished with imprisonment for life or for any lesser term not below fourteen years and shall be liable to a fine of two Hundred Thousand Naira (N200,000) and in addition thereto be required by the court to pay compensation to the victims.

The despicable, dastardly and condemnable act which is alien to our religious and cultural values, more so of a baby, is indicative of how brutalised and unfeeling perpetrators of such heinous crimes have become and therefore deserve nothing more than a punishment proportionate to their crimes, he said.

Hajiya Aisha Buhari, who visited the baby at the Malam Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital (AKTH) Kano yesterday, condemned the act and urged the Judiciary to ensure that the perpetrator is punished according to the provisions of the law.Also speaking, the Emir of Kano, Malam Muhammadu Sanusi ll, who was at the hospital shortly before the wife of the president visited, charged the Kano State government to ensure that the man who defiled the baby is punished accordingly.The emir urged parents of the victim to consider the incident as destiny and continue to take good care of the baby.Speaking to newsmen, the Kano State Commissioner for Health, Dr KabiruIbrahim Getso, said, the government would take of the babys medical bills.Meanwhile, Governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje has directed the state Ministry of Justice to immediately commence the prosecution of the suspect.A statement signed by the Commissioner for Information, Youth and Culture, Malam Muhammad Garba, said the governor is deeply saddened by the incident and has directed the state Ministry of Justice to ensure that the matter is pursued to the latter.The statement further added that the state government wants the suspect to be jailed for life if found guilty.The statement advised parents to as part of collective efforts to bring to an end rape cases, particularly against minors, to always look after their wards, monitor their movement and the type of company they keep.The statement also charged religious leaders to use the places of worship to speak on the dangers of doing evil and to pray for respite from this and other illicit activities.
About six military choppers have been dispatched from Maiduguri to Banki to pick up 82 Chibok girls just released by Boko Haram. NE ga...

NE gathered that the choppers left Maiduguri air force base as early as 5am on Sunday, heading to the southeastern town in Borno state.A top military source also confirmed that the choppers would be used to bring the girls to Maiduguri air force base.He said screening and evacuation of the girls is ongoing under the supervision of some non-governmental organisations that have helped in the negotiation process that saw to the release of the girls.The girls are expected to arrive Maiduguri before noon.They are also expected to be received by top Borno state government officials.Thereafter, the girls will be moved to Abuja where they will be received by President Muhammadu Buhari.
Pope Francis has criticized the naming of the U.S. militarys biggest non-nuclear explosive as Mother of All Bombs, saying the word m...

Pope Francis has criticized the naming of the U.S. militarys biggest non-nuclear explosive as Mother of All Bombs, saying the word mother should not be used in reference to any deadly weapon.The Pope said he was ashamed when he heard the name of the U.S. most destructive non- nuclear bomb, reports said.Pope Francis told an audience of students on Saturday that: I was ashamed when I heard the name.A mother gives life and this one gives death, and we call this device a mother. What is happening?The U.S. Air Force dropped one of the bombs, officially designated as the GBU-43 Massive Ordnance Air Blast (MOAB) on suspected Islamic State fighters in eastern Afghanistan in April.The nickname was widely used in briefings and reporting on the attack.Pope Francis is set to meet President Donald Trump on May 24 in a potentially awkward encounter given their opposing positions on immigration, refugees and climate change. (NAN)
Former Minister of State for Defence, Senator Musiliu Obanikoro, may have made up his mind to dump the opposition Peoples Democratic Pa...

Koro, as he is fondly called, according to reliable sources, has been making overtures to leaders of the ruling party as part of efforts towards his joining the APC.It was gathered at the weekend gathered that baring last minute changes, the former governorship candidate of the PDP will join APC in a matter of days. According to sources within the ruling party in Lagos State, leaders of the APC will be discussing the defection plan of Obanikoro this week.The decision to look into his request to join the party followed what some sources described as a positive nod from the national leader of the party, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu.It was however gathered that Tinubu initially showed reluctance to Obanikoros return to his political camp which he deserted over a decade ago to join the then ruling PDP. But the national leader soft pedalled on his stance after the former Minister reached out to some prominent Lagosians to intercede on his behalf before Tinubu.It was gathered that Tinubu eventually agreed to meet with his erstwhile godson after much pleading. It was after the two met that Obanikoro started getting good response from APC leaders in his quest to join the party. Many prominent Lagosians, including monarchs and business moguls, intervened on his behalf.And when he met Asiwaju, he apologized profusely for his past misdeeds and political miscalculations. You know Asiwaju has a large heart. It appears he forgave him and gave a positive nod to his quest to join the APC. Following that, Obanikoro met and discussed with several other party leaders.It is likely that the party leadership will formally discuss his request to join the APC this week. It is most likely that he will be considered positively. On his part, the former Minister is not leaving anybody in doubt that he is ready to join the ruling party. There are even talks that he nurses a return to the senate on the platform of the APC come 2019, our source added.
Nigeria has commenced exports of vegetables to the United Kingdom Coordinating Director, National Agricultural Quarantine Service (NAQS)...

Nigeria has commenced exports of vegetables to the United Kingdom Coordinating Director, National Agricultural Quarantine Service (NAQS), Vincent Isegbe has disclosed.He also stated the country is expected to earn about $100 billion from exportation of pigeon pea to India following an offer received from the Indian government.Speaking with our correspondent yesterday in Abuja, Isegbe said the NAQS is the authorised agency mandated to certify agricultural commodities for exports.Isegbe said: Currently, we have been able to introduce vegetable exports. Initially, it was done in a disorganised manner.Do you know that we currently we have exporters of vegetables to the UK.I know a young man who recently came home from the US, disposed his assets and set up a vegetable farm in Ijebu Ode.He has about four tractors, cool haulage van which he uses to transport the vegetable from Ijebu-Ode to Lagos.You will be surprised. His vegetables are not for direct consumption. He exports directly to the UK.We were at his farm on February 2nd 2017 to update his certification because the farm keeps increasing.?Explaining how to do successful exports, he said interested exporters must first register with the NAQS and indicates the commodity to export.He added the Service will then conduct pest crop survey on the farm to ensure whatever is being exported from the farm is licensed and acceptable abroad.The report of the survey, if successful, will be sent to that country you are exporting to so that they can be rest assured that you are not exporting pest infected crops, he added.Speaking on the pigeon pea offer, he explained that the pea is a perennial legume from the family Fabaceae and a staple in every corner of India.According to him, the NAQS and other federal government agencies made a submission to the Indian government on 25 categories of crop analyses, all of which were based on new innovations.If one commodity like pigeon pea can fetch Nigeria so much and Nigeria is able to make two to three supplies; the country can begin to reap the benefits of agricultural exports,Isegbe added.He noted that the service had partnered with some states and All Farmers Association of Nigeria (AFAN) to meet the pigeon pea demand.We have started interacting with the governors of Kano and Kaduna States as well as AFAN and other relevant groups in order to meet the Indian governments demand for pigeon pea.
The Release Peoples Democratic Party National Caretaker Committee (PDP-NCC) has described the release of 82 Chibok girls held captive by...

The Release Peoples Democratic Party National Caretaker Committee (PDP-NCC) has described the release of 82 Chibok girls held captive by Boko Haram in the past three years as a welcome development.In a press release issued by its National Publicity Secretary, Prince Dayo Adeyeye, the party said the detention of the girls had brought untold pain not only to the families of the girls but the entire Nigerian citizenry. It however condemned the manner in which freedom for the girls was procured by government.The release of 82 chibok girls is a welcome development. The capture and detention of these girls by the Boko Haram terrorists in the last three years had brought extreme pain and suffering not only to their families but to the people of this country and men and women of goodwill all over the world. What is however of great concern is the price paid to secure the release of the girls. According to reports , the girls were released in exchange for the release of suspected Boko Haram terrorists.If that is the case we say its a heavy price to pay and an unusual one at that, the statement reads. The party argued advanced reasons why exchanging innocent girls for a bunch of criminals was a grave error on the part of government. While we welcome the release of the girls, we do not think that exchanging innocent girls for hardened criminals like the terrorists is the right approach for the following reasons: The suspected terrorists by the release have escaped justice. And all the effort made by security agencies to bring them to book has come to nothing.The release of the terrorists is a setback for the war on insurgency. Their release is tantamount to releasing them to resume their war against society. Many of them could find their ways back to the terrorists camps from where they could unleash terror against the country. Others who are allowed to roam freely in society could become veritable recruiting agents and purveyors of suicide bombing and urban terrorism.The Boko Haram terrorists are emboldened to continue with their tactics of kidnapping innocent people with the belief that they can always use it to blackmail the government to release their members and to extract other concessions. The piece meal release of the girls means the terrorists want to extract more concessions from the government which in the end can only prolong the insurgency.The release of the girls will increase the agony and high expectancy of the remaining girls still in custody of the terrorists and their families who will be wondering why they have not been so lucky. It therefore would have been better to ensure the release of all the girls at once.The negotiations are in clear violation and indeed a direct assault on the generally accepted international principle never to negotiate with terrorists.This international principle is sound and logical because negotiation with the terrorists only fuels their urge to continue with their heinous crimes. While acknowledging the concern of President Muhammadu Buhari in ensuring the timely release of the girls, the PDP insists that there are options to explore rather than negotiating with the Boko Haram terrorists.We recognize the concern of President Buhari to ensure the earliest release of the chibok girls for domestic and international considerations.We equally are very concerned about the safe return of the girls to their families at the earliest possible time. But we disagree that negotiating with the terrorists is the right approach to achieving the objective,  it added
A local wing of Austrias Green Party has stirred an uncommon interest online and in neighboring Germany with its agenda for a meeting t...

A local wing of Austrias Green Party has stirred an uncommon interest online and in neighboring Germany with its agenda for a meeting today: teaching women how to urinate standing up. The Green Party in Perchtoldsdorf, Lower Austria, which for the past 12 years has held womens breakfasts to discuss social and political issues, said todays meeting will be everything that concerns the pelvic base.The party said the discussion will include instructions on how to urinate from a standing position at music festivals, sporting events, and other locations where unclean restrooms are likely to be found. The participants at the meeting will be instructed by an expert on how to build simple devices to assist with standing urination, organizers said.Martha Gunzl, a local councillor and Green Party member, said she and other organizers were shocked at how much attention the planned meeting has been gathering online.We always discuss controversial subjects, but because we are just a local group nobody has ever shown any interest up until now, she told Der Westen. Gunzl said a few male members of the local party will be on hand to help with security, because the increased interest has led to many nasty emails.The planned discussion has led to much mockery on Austrian social media, with one user saying doing it at breakfast does make sense  coffee pushes everything through. But women have also come to the defence of the Green Party, with one saying only a man who has never been on a completely piss-covered womens toilet cant see the necessity of such a lesson.
President Muhammadu Buhari is billed to receive the 82 Chibok girls released on Saturday by the Islamic sect, Boko Haram.

A statement on Saturday night by the Senior Special Assistant on media and publicity, Garba Shehu, said that the girls were exchanged for some Boko Haram suspects in custody.It reads The President is pleased announce that negotiations to release more of the Chibok Girls have born fruit with the release of 82 more Girls today.After months of patient negotiations, our security agencies have taken back these abducted girls in exchange for some Boko Haram suspects held by the authorities.The Girls are due tomorrow in Abuja to be received by the President.The President expressed his deep gratitude to security agencies, the military, the government of Switzerland, the Red Cross, local and international NGOs for the success of this operation.It may be recalled that when the first batch of 21 Girls were released in October last year,the President directed the security agencies to continue in earnest until all the Chibok Girls have been released and reunited with their families.The President has been receiving full reports from the Director-General of the State Security Services at each stage, he added
The All Progressives Congress, APC, in Rivers State has told the State governor, Nyesom Wike to resign with immediate effect for constituti...







The All Progressives Congress, APC, in Rivers State has told the State governor, Nyesom Wike to resign with immediate effect for constituting himself into a nuisance.





The APC in a statement released in Port Harcourt, the State capital, berated Wike for failing to keep his vow to sue the Federal Government if it failed to return the $43m found in a luxury apartment in Ikoyi Lagos to the Rivers State Government within one week.





Recall that while claiming ownership of the billions of naira recovered in the Ikoyi house, Wike had threatened to drag the federal government to court if it fails to release the money.





He said the money belonged to the Rivers State Government and was part of the funds allegedly looted by his immediate past predecessor, Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, while he was the state governor.

In the statement signed by the State Chairman, Davies Ibiamu Ikanya, the APC said, It is now over two weeks since Governor Wike issued a seven-day ultimatum to the Federal Government to return the money to the Rivers State Government or be sued accordingly. Governor Wike had claimed that he has records, documents and facts to prove that the contentious $43m was kept by Amaechi.



Apart from Rt. Hon. Amaechi vehemently denying the accusation as one from the pit of hell; it is on record that Mr. Abayomi Oke, the suspended DG of the National Intelligence Agency, has claimed ownership of the money, thereby exonerating Amaechi.

Wikes failure to sue the Federal Government as he vowed to do is the height of his shameful theatrics and repulsive actions that have brought shame and public odium to Rivers State and her people. We, therefore, demand without equivocation, the immediate resignation of Wike as the Governor so as to save the good people of Rivers State further embarrassment.

Here is somebody whose tenure as Governor has brought untold hardship to our people! Worst of all is the uncountable number of Rivers people who have been killed and are still being killed in order to sustain the evil administration of Wike in Rivers State.

He has put the account of the State in the red through barefaced looting and the borrowing of over N100 billion from banks, without investing it in any tangible projects but using it to bribe judges and sponsoring worthless PDP Conventions without paying salaries of our civil servants and pensioners.

What is more, Wike has abandoned our children on scholarship in foreign schools, stopped the free education scheme initiated by the government of Amaechi and committed sundry other atrocities that make him unworthy to be addressed as the Governor of any State in any part of this world.

Wike, for reasons best known to him, did all he could to stop the nomination and screening of Amaechi as a Minister of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. He has threatened both Amaechi and his followers and is now threatening President Muhammadu Buhari and his administration. Such a character surely does not qualify to be a Local Government Chairman, not to talk of being a Governor of a State like Rivers, which he has turned to Rivers of Blood.

Psalm 83, Isaiah 63 and Psalm 10 of the Holy Bible will go a long way to show Wike and his ilk that their fight against Amaechi is a fight against God and God who has protected him this far he will surely consume each one of them. In this regard, we wish to counsel him to leave the Inspector General of Police (IGP) alone as he is not a bloodthirsty fellow. Wike, from all indications, is being pursued by the ghosts of those innocent Rivers State people killed in order to install and sustain him in office.

Finally, we will urge him to emulate his Ekiti counterpart, Governor Ayo Fayose, by visiting the prisons and to advocate the improvement of conditions there as the prison yard awaits him in the future.
Whoever wins will spell a new chapter in French politics after the major left-wing and right-wing parties -- the Socialist Party and The Republicans -- that have ruled France for decades both suffered humiliating defeats in the election's first round.

By Reuters: Voting stations opened in France for the second round of the presidential election, with opinion polls indicating Emmanuel Macron was likely to beat Marine Le Pen.

Macron wants to deregulate the economy and deepen European Union integration, in contrast to the anti-EU and anti-immigration National Front candidate Le Pen.

Forecasts proved to be accurate for the presidential election's first round last month and financial markets have risen in response to Macron's widening lead after a bitter television debate earlier in the week.

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After a tumultuous election campaign filled with scandal and surprises, French voters will decide on Sunday whether a pro-European Union centrist or an anti-EU, anti-immigration far-rightist will lead them for the next five years.

Opinion polls indicate they will pick Macron, a 39-year-old ex-economy minister who wants to bridge the left-right divide, resisting an anti-establishment tide that has seen Britons vote to leave the EU and Americans choose Donald Trump as the US president.

But should an upset occur and National Front candidate Marine Le Pen win, the very future of the EU could be on the line.

Macron, who wants to deregulate the economy and deepen EU integration, has a 23-26 percentage point lead over Le Pen in the opinion polls.

Forecasts proved to be accurate for the presidential election's first round last month and markets have climbed in response to Macron's widening lead over his rival after a bitter debate on Wednesday.

In a campaign that has seen favourites drop out of the race one after the other, Le Pen, who wants to close borders, ditch the euro currency and clamp down on migration, is nevertheless closer to elected power than the far right has ever been in Western Europe since World War Two.

Even if opinion polls prove accurate and France elects its youngest president ever rather than its first female leader, Macron himself has said that he expects no honeymoon period.

Abstention could be high and close to 60 percent of those who plan to vote for Macron say they will do so to stop Le Pen from being elected to lead the euro zone's second-largest economy rather than because they fully agree with the former banker-turned-politician.

"The expected victory...wouldn't be a blank cheque for Emmanuel Macron," Odoxa pollsters said in a note. "A huge majority will not be backing him wholeheartedly."

MORE ELECTIONS TO COME

Sunday's election will in any case far from spell the end of the battle between mainstream and more radical policies in France, with parliamentary elections next month equally crucial.

Once the presidential ballot is over, attention will immediately switch to whether the winner will be able to count on a parliamentary majority. The first poll on the parliamentary election, published this week, showed that was within reach for Macron.

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Much will also depend on both the candidates' score on Sunday. Le Pen's niece, Marion Marechal-Le Pen, on Thursday told L'Opinion daily that a 40 percent score would already be "a huge victory" for the National Front.

Whoever wins will spell a new chapter in French politics after the major left-wing and right-wing parties -- the Socialist Party and The Republicans -- that have ruled France for decades both suffered humiliating defeats in the election's first round.

The campaign was hit by yet another surprise on Friday night just before the quiet period which forbids politicians from commenting started, as Macron's team said a massive hack had dumped emails, documents and campaign financing information online.

Some 67,000 polling stations will open at 8 a.m. and pollsters will publish initial estimates at 8 pm (1800 GMT), once all polling stations are closed.

More than 50,000 police officers will be on duty. Security will be a prime concern in the wake of a series of militant attacks in Paris, Nice and elsewhere in the past few years that have killed more than 230 people in the past two-and-a-half years.

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Also read:

Macron vs Le Pen: Why this French Presidential election is historic

Emmanuel Macron wins televised debate before final round of French presidential election on May 7

Massive email hack hits Emmanuel Macron day before French presidential election

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Macron, whose rise in French politics is described as meteoric is unabashedly pro-European Union and pro-free immigration. He is a staunch believer in globalization and advocates for common Eurozone budget.

By Santosh Chaubey: If Emmanuel Macron(39) is elected as the President, he would be the youngest president in the French electoral history. Before it, Napoleon Bonaparte's 40-year old nephew Louis Bonaparte was elected in 1848.

France is holding its second and final run-off round of presidential elections and the results will be officially declared on May 11. According to pre-poll projections, Macron is set to win the election with several surveys giving him a lead of 20-23 per cent over his rival Marine Le Pen.

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Macron, whose rise in French politics has been described as meteoric is unabashedly pro-European Union and pro-free immigration. He is a staunch believer in globalization and advocates for common Eurozone budget.

He has apologised for the French colonial legacy, especially in Algeria, likening it to "crime against humanity" and believes in integration and assimilation of Muslims to tackle the rising specter of Islamist fundamentalism, and therefore terrorism, in France.

WHAT MACRON STANDS FOR

Macron's rival Marine Le Pen's rise in the election stands stable atop exploiting people's skepticism and fear against the EU, globalization, immigration and xenophobia.

Le Pen sees globalization and Islam as two major threats to France, while Macron quotes in his speeches the disorder that Brexit has brought to Britain and Donald Trump's election to America, attacking the far-right ideology directly.

Le Pen promises taking France out of the EU while Macron talks about France's greater integration in the EU.

The incumbent French president Francois Hollande from the centre-left Socialist Party (PS) is credited for bringing Macron in politics. Macron was a member of the Socialist Party from 2006 to 2009. In 2009, he became an independent politician.

In 2012, when Hollande became the president and the Socialist Party got majority in the National Assembly, he became a member of Hollande's personal staff. In August 2014, he was appointed as a minister to oversee economy, industry and digital affairs in Prime Minister Manuel Valls government.

THE RISE OF MACRON

In an orthodox move, Macron left his political office in April 2016, his formed En March! (EM), that he called a political movement that translates to 'on the move'. His supporters linked the event with 'birth' when Macron had announced to form the EM. In August 2016, Macron resigned from the Valls government to take a plunge in the presidential elections.

And within eight months, he become the presidential candidate with highest ratings who looks poised to win the election. Macron emerged with the largest vote share in the first round of the French presidential polls held on April 23.

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Macron won the first round with a narrow margin. He secured 23.8 per cent votes while his rival, Marine Le Pen of came a close second with 21.5 per cent votes. The polls go to the second and run-off round when no candidate is able to secure 50 per cent of the votes in the first round.

Macron has also won the televised debated with Marine Le Pen, held on May 3, comfortably, with 63 per cent viewers finding him more convincing.

His campaign's emails and documents were hacked and released on Friday, hours before the campaigning ended. But this sabotage is not expected to be a hinder-block in the election process.

MACRON MARRIED HIS TEACHER

He is married to his teacher, Brigitte Trogneux, who is 24-years-older than him.

Born to doctor parents, Macron is a philosophy and public affairs graduate. He is an alumnus of the National School of Administration which has given three French presidents including Hollande.

He was in the French Civil Services from 2004 to 2008 when he joined Rothschild as an investment banker.

Also read: Massive email hack hits Emmanuel Macron day before French presidential election

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Also read: Macron vs Le Pen: Why this French Presidential election is historic

Also read: Emmanuel Macron beats Marine Le Pen in opinion polls as France chooses new president

Watch video 2016 Paris Motor Show: The cars that made heads turn

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The authorities have secured a report that the accused horse Queen Latifa is free of any prohibited substance.

By Nolan Pinto: The Bangalore Turf Club controversy over an alleged doping scandal might just come to a close. The authorities have secured a report that the accused horse is free of any prohibited substance.

Queen Latifa, a three-year-old filly owned by Enthusiasts Racing Syndicate had won the Karnataka Racehorse Owner's Association Million Cup on March 5, clocking a record time of 1 minute, 06.10 seconds in the 1100m race. Soon after, based on a report of the National Dope Testing Laboratory, New Delhi, Queen Latifa's sample collected after the race tested positive for procaine, classified as a local anesthetic. A case was registered in the High Grounds Police station in Bengaluru.

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On April 26, the Animal Welfare Board of India directed the Turf club to send the split sample for complete analyses for all prohibited substances in order to ensure that the welfare of the horse and the integrity of the sport were upheld in the best spirit.

The second sample was sent to Quanti Lab in Mauritius on April 28. The lab in its report on May 5 certified that the sample was free of any prohibited substances. The NDTL has now informed that they will follow the international standards of keeping 10 nanagrams as in-house screening limit for procaine.

"The initial report only said it was positive for procaine and did not quantify it. I found out they gave a 1.22 nanogram level when internationally 10 is the least," co-owner of Queen Latifa, well known theatre person and owner of Sunny's restaurant Arjun Sajnani tells India Today.

He also added that further inspection of the samples was valuable in proving the allegations wrong. He is now a relieved man who is looking forward to the summer season.

With inputs from Kishore Barker

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By Press Trust of India: New Delhi, May 6 (PTI) The governments policy on Jammu and Kashmir is a "disaster" and it lacks a roadmap to engage with Pakistan, Congress leader Anand Sharma said today, targeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi over it.

Sharma drew comparisons between the present NDA government and the previous UPA regime over the issue, saying Modis predecessor Manmohan Singh had handled the issue better, using "wisdom" to ensure "near-normalcy" in the state.

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The Congress leaders fresh attack on the prime minister came after Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti said that only Modi can resolve the Kashmir issue as he has a strong mandate and appealed to him to pull the valley out of morass.

"Modis policy on Jammu and Kashmir has been a failure and disaster. He has no roadmap in engaging with Pakistan," Sharma said.

Recalling how Singh was "insulted" by Modi and the BJP "even when there was one incident" of violence in the state, Sharma lauded the former prime minister for handling the issue, engaging with "wisdom".

"As a result, there was near-normalcy in the valley. Singhs tenure saw a record arrival of tourists...today, there is no tourism," he noted.

Sharma further claimed that "more" Indian soldiers have been killed during the NDA governments tenure than of UPA.

The Congress leader also sought to know what assurances NSA Ajit Doval had received from his Pakistan counterpart during their December 2015 meeting in Bangkok which made Modi visit Lahore in the same month later.

"And if the prime minister is not willing to share, then he has answers to give," Sharma said. PTI ENM AKK

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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.
By Press Trust of India: Sanjeev Kumar

New Delhi, May 7 (PTI) India stands behind 161 nations, including Pakistan, as it is yet to ratify the 30-year-old United Nations Convention Against Torture by making a law on it despite signing it way back in 1997.

It may sound bizarre, but India is among the only nine countries worldwide which are yet to ratify this crucial convention, an essential condition for a signatory state to ratify the international human rights treaty.

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This fact has been taken strong note of by the Supreme Court which has asked the government why it was not making at least a "good faith commitment" about its intention to legislate in the matter.

"We do understand that the legislative process can take time, but tell us why cant you (Centre) make a good faith commitment on the law before us," a bench headed by Chief Justice J S Khehar said.

"This is an extremely important issue in the national interest and moreover, there is no conflict," the bench, also comprising Justices D Y Chandrachud and S K Kaul, said.

The remarks were made when Congress leader and former Law Minister Ashwani Kumar pointed out that India was among the only nine nations left in the world which have not yet ratified the treaty despite signing it.

The Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment, also known as United Nations Convention against Torture, is an international human rights treaty aimed to prevent torture and other acts of cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment around the world.

Solicitor General Ranjit Kumar, appearing for the Centre, sought some time on the ground that some states are yet to be consulted before a fresh bid is made to legislate.

The top court said "it is nice to say that we are committed to the treaty, but there has to be a law".

The Solicitor General had referred to the fact that the Bill on torture was moved in 2010 in Lok Sabha by the erstwhile UPA-II regime, a process in which Kumar, former law minister and senior advocate, was a part. But the legislation had lapsed.

To this, the bench had said, "it has to be non-partisan. This is an important issue."

The government had earlier told the bench that Kumar cannot seek a direction to the Centre to legislate as the issue fell under the domain of the Executive and the Legislature.

The senior Congress leader, in his PIL, has sought directions to frame an effective law on the issue and empower agencies like NHRC with necessary enforcement capabilities and mechanisms to implement its orders and directions.

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The convention was adopted by the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) on December 10, 1984 and came into force on June 26, 1987 after being ratified by 20 nations.

India, which became a signatory on October 14, 1997, is yet to ratify the global human rights treaty, ratified by over 160 nations like Pakistan and Afghanistan, as it has not yet enacted the law on torture.

The Convention needs nations to take effective steps to prevent torture in any territory under their jurisdiction and forbids them to send citizens to any country where they believe that the transported persons may be tortured. PTI SJK RKS ARC

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OMAHA  School nutrition directors want healthy children, not healthy garbage cans.

Loosening federal nutrition rules could help school cafeterias plan more appealing meals to suit picky appetites and cut down on food waste, according to school nutrition officials in Iowa and Nebraska.

Weve got to have some flexibility so kids will eat, because weve got hungry kids, said Tammy Yarmon, the nutrition services director for Omaha Public Schools.

Nearly three-quarters of students in the district qualify for free or reduced-price lunches.

Several school officials said they were still digesting newly announced changes to federal nutrition requirements.

Schools wont have to cut more salt from meals just yet, and some will be able to serve children fewer whole grains under changes to federal nutrition standards announced Monday.

The move by the Trump administration partially rolls back rules championed by then-first lady Michelle Obama as part of her healthy eating initiative.

As his first major action in office, Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue said the department will delay an upcoming requirement to lower the amount of sodium in meals while continuing to allow waivers for regulations that all grains on the lunch line must be 50 percent whole grain.

Easing up or delaying the rules should help schools stay flexible while planning lunch menus, said Sharon Davis, the director of nutrition services for the Nebraska Department of Education.

Schools have sometimes struggled to find high-quality, cost-effective and kid-acceptable products that meet whole-grain requirements, Davis said.

Since the rules took effect in 2012, some kids and school cooks have complained about dry whole-grain pizza crusts or mushy whole-wheat pasta.

Whole-grain biscuits dont rise well, and some kids may not be used to the texture and color of some whole-grain foods, Yarmon said. I dont know of very many households where everything they serve is whole grain, she said.

Students might flock back to pasta day if cafeterias can serve regular pasta with a whole-grain breadstick, said Terry Marlow, the food service director for the Glenwood Community School District.

When the rules were rolled out, food waste at Glenwood schools did increase, Superintendent Devin Embray said. But school cafeterias and student tastes have adapted to some degree.

Our food service department did an outstanding job in introducing new goods to our students, and we have seen more students eat fruits and vegetables over time, Embray said in an email. However, some of the other regulations on salt, whole grain and fats have caused our students to not like some of the main dishes as well as they used to.

Pressing pause on plans to reduce sodium levels in food also could help cafeterias struggling to season food, Davis said. Yarmon said OPS has turned to other spices to impart flavor, including red pepper flakes and hot sauce.

Perdue said he doesnt see the changes as a rollback: Were just slowing down the process. He praised Obamas nutrition efforts as first lady but said he wants the healthier meals to be more palatable.

Perdue said the department will work on long-term solutions to further tweak the rules.

 This report includes material from the Associated Press.
Theres a new engineer at the controls of the model railroad system at RailsWest Railroad Museum.

The sprawling layout behind glass doors on the railroad museums upper level has entertained visitors for decades and has been featured in model railroad magazines, according to volunteer Eric Gonzales.

The Carter Lake Model Railroad Youth Club, a nonprofit organization, took over the model train operation from the Greater Omaha Society of Model Engineers in December, said club president Theo Hudson, whose late father, Lee, also served as president.

The club assumed the societys debts and took ownership of its assets  primarily the rolling stock and equipment at the museum, which is located at South Main Street and 16th Avenue in Council Bluffs.

For me, it is a win-win situation for the club and for the kids, Hudson said. It shows the kids coming in that this is what is possible  and we can still update it, too.

He hopes the opportunity will attract new members to the club. While the Greater Omaha Society of Model Engineers officially disbanded, many of its members continue to be involved in the operation, Hudson said.

None of the members, when we took over, were asked to leave, said John Heidenescher, one of the leaders of the Carter Lake club.

Hudson emphasized that the Carter Lake club would remain first and foremost a youth organization. The group has about eight active youth members, as well as at least as many supportive adults, and currently meets from 7 to 9 p.m. Thursdays at the museum.

Laura Ramirez  whose 15-year-old son Max likes working on scenery for the layout  believes the club is a positive activity for youth.

It not only gives them a chance to be social, they get to learn about engineering, she said.

The kids learn a little bit about wiring and planning, Ramirez said.

The social aspect is important, too, because not only do they get to interact with each other, they get to interact with adults, she said.

Max, who has been attending meetings since January, would like to create scenes with environments from other parts of the world, such as a desert or jungle, he said.

Its nice that theyre open to different things I want to do, he said.

Said Hudson, Whatever theyre interested in, we find something for them to do.

Club leaders also try to teach members responsibility, Heidenescher said. If they get in trouble at school or at home, they arent allowed to come to the meeting that week.

Matthew Neal, 9, attended his second meeting on April 27 and is hoping to join.

Its fun, he said.

Matthew used a remote control to operate a locomotive pulling one of the trains that night.

These engines are controlled by a little computer chip inside, Heidenescher said. We no longer control the track, we control the engine.

Its similar to the way Union Pacific Railroad controls switch engines in its rail yards, he said.

Also like a real railroad, RailsWest engineers are directed by a dispatcher who cannot see the trains.

The dispatcher communicates with operators through walkie-talkies and pinpoints their location on a map based on how close they are to one of the numbered markers along the track, said Les Dome, one of the adult volunteers. That can make things exciting when there are several trains running on the track system.

We can operate up to a dozen, he said.

Interestingly, neither Hudson nor Heidenescher ever worked for a railroad. Though Hudson noted, I grew up in a railroad family.

Hudsons grandfather was a yardmaster for the Milwaukee Road and his uncles were also railroad guys, he said. When times changed for the Milwaukee, his grandfather moved to western Nebraska to work for Burlington Northern.

I grew up probably less than a mile from here, Hudson said.

He moved to the Alliance, Nebraska, area but returned about 20 years ago.

I never worked on the railroad in my life, Heidenescher said. Dad bought me a Lionel train when I was a kid.

However, he grew up in another railroad town in Ohio.

Membership dues for the club are $5 for student members, free for junior student members, $10 for adult active members and $20 for associate adult members. For more information, call Hudson at 402-990-4368. The club is also on Facebook.
CLARINDA  Clarinda Regional Health Center board members and its administration told an audience of about 15 people they have appropriately acted upon accusations and employee-related incidents based on the information they know.

Some residents followed up at a meeting April 24 on the suspicious condition of an ambulance earlier this year and how certain employees feel they are in an uncomfortable work environment.

Every piece of equipment is related to health care, said Gary Alger, a Clarinda City Council member who said he was in attendance as a Clarinda citizen.

During the boards March meeting, a discussion was held how an ambulances electrical system and fuses were discovered to have been tampered with.

CEO Chris Stipe said the condition did not threaten patient care.

It was foolish, Alger said about Stipes comment in March.

Stipe said Alger was taking his words out of context, and he again emphasized the situation did not put patients at risk.

Judy Clark, who said she has worked with the centers auxiliary organization, claimed the health center administration acted on a situation involving how auxiliary handled incoming revenue and compared it to the ambulance.

You jumped on a rumor a year ago, she said about the auxiliary. On the ambulance, she added, I cant believe the board hasnt taken action.

Clark claimed the auxiliary incident eventually resulted in certain employees and volunteers feeling disrespected and threatened.

Board member Ron Richardson told Clark that auxiliary money is still a responsibility for the board.

You are not autonomous, Richardson said.

Since the March meeting, resident Mike Anderson explained how there have been private meetings between certain residents and people representing the center. Those meetings resulted in a list of questions, which were asked to Stipe.

One question was related to knowing who tampered with the ambulance and whether they are still employed at the center.

Stipe said he will not comment about personnel issues to respect the privacy and character of those involved.

Another question was about how emergency medical technicians are not allowed to speak to former health center EMTs. Some EMTs were in the audience, and Stipe let them answer the question. They said that claim was not true.

Board chairman Dale McAllister said he fears the undermining of the boards role.

There was no action from the board, so they go to Bryan (Health). Thats my perception, he said. Its not that we dont care. Everyone has a role.

Stipe said that, under his administration, the center will be managed fairly and ethically.

I assure you, he said.

Board member Heather Herzberg added: We join together as a community or work apart.
By Press Trust of India: New Delhi, May 7 (PTI) Foreign Minister of the Netherlands Bert Koenders will arrive here tomorrow to hold talks with External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj on ways to ramp up bilateral cooperation in a range of areas, including trade and investment, water and education.

Swaraj and Koenders will deliberate on the entire gamut of bilateral issues on Tuesday during which they are likely to identify areas for expanding cooperation.

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"Looking forward to meet Mr.Bert Koenders, Foreign Minister of Netherlands - the land of Tulips. @DutchMFA," Swaraj tweeted.

On his part, the Dutch foreign minister said he was happy to be visiting India and that the Netherlands would like to boost cooperation with the country in several areas, including technology and water.

Relations between India and the Netherlands have largely been shaped by engagement in trade and investment. Dutch ships had come calling to Indian ports around 400 years ago.

The Netherlands is today one of Indias largest trading partner in the European Union.

During his four-day India visit, Koenders first destination will be Bengaluru where he will meet Karnatakas Minister for Large and Medium Scale Industries R V Deshpande.

He will also attend an event of the Confederation of Indian Industry. PTI MPB GVS

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DES MOINES  Scaffolding will soon envelop the Iowa Capitol dome as workers continue a $10 million renovation project that wont be finished for at least a year.

Crews began repairs to the 131-year-old building in April, but their work will become more evident this week as scaffolding goes up around the dome windows, edging up over lower parts of the Capitols gold-plating.

Youll notice it, said facilities manager Mark Willemssen.

The work is needed to fix internal cracks and exterior weathering.

On the inside of the dome, sections of brick and mortar have started to crumble due to humidity. Workers will replace sections of ruined brick and install a permanent fiberglass platform to better monitor deterioration in the future.

Officials hope the external work will be completed by Thanksgiving, but the internal fixes are expected to take at least 12 months.

Exterior repairs include repainting windows and frames, replacing glass in some windows and checking structural joints.

Its a constant maintenance challenge to keep up with, said Sen. Matt McCoy, D-Des Moines.

McCoy served on a committee that authorized the funding, which later was approved by the full Legislature.

Willemssen said the Capitol needs significant repairs about every 20 years.

Its like maintenance to your house, he said.

Workers wont need to regild the dome, a task last completed in 1999 at a cost of about $400,000. The gold leaf is expected to last another 10 to 15 years.

Construction of the Capitol began in 1871 and was completed in 1886 at a cost of about $2.9 million. The dome reaches 275 feet above the buildings ground floor.

When it comes to the Capitol, everyone wants to preserve it, McCoy said. Theres bipartisan support to keep it beautiful because everyones really proud of it.
Rakesh Kumar was found dead on the passenger seat of a car on Thursday evening.

By India Today Web Desk: A 32-year-old Indian-American doctor Rakesh Kumar has been shot dead under mysterious circumstances in a car in Michigan.

He was found dead on the passenger seat of a car on Thursday evening. Rakesh, who was a medical graduate from Kochi's Amrita Institute of Medical Sciences, worked in the Urology Department of the Henry Ford Hospital.

Police are probing the case to ascertain the cause of his death.

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Meanwhile, Rakesh's family members say they do not suspect anyone for it and have also ruled out the possibility of it being an incident of hate crime.

"We do not know (the reason for his murder). They (The police) are yet to find out," his father Narendra Kumar, a former president of the influential American Association of Physicians of Indian Origin (AAPI), told PTI.

"We do not suspect anything. We do not think, it was a hate crime," said a shocked Kumar.

When he did not show up for his work, a hospital doctor called his father to enquire about him.

"This was quite unusual," the father said.

He said he made several phone calls and sent text messages to his son, but there was no response.

The father went to his son's apartment and called the police when he did not find him there.

After hours of search, police found the dead body of Rakesh in the passenger seat of a car at a rest area.

By late night on Thursday, the body was identified as that of Rakesh.

The police have refrained from making any comments about the incident.

There has been a surge in hate crimes against the Hindu and Sikh communities in the US after Donald Trump became the President of the country.

Indian engineer Srinivas Kuchibhotla was killed when a US Navy veteran Adam Purinton opened fire at him and his friend Alok Madasani before yelling "get out of my country" in February.

In Florida, an Indian-American family's store was almost burnt to the ground and many more have been harassed and threatened.

With inputs from PTI

Also read:

Trump admin sets up task force to look into hate crimes

Hate crime in US: Sikh cabbie attacked by passengers in New York, turban snatched

WATCH THE VIDEO:

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SAN FRANCISCO  Apple is getting more aggressive about emphasizing its role in the U.S. economy, apparently hoping to counter recurring criticism over its reliance on overseas factories.

On Wednesday, Apple for the first time released a state-by-state breakdown of where its 80,000 U.S. employees work, showing that more than half of them are located outside Silicon Valley. It also announced a $1 billion fund aimed at creating more U.S. manufacturing jobs, although it provided few details.

The strategy appears aimed at complicating efforts by President Donald Trump and other politicians to vilify Apple for using companies in China and elsewhere to assemble most of its products. Apple had no comment on political ramifications of its announcements.

CEO Tim Cook first described the manufacturing fund in an interview on CNBC, but didn't say how the money will be disbursed or who will be eligible to receive it. Apple will provide more details when it announces its first investment by the end of the month, he said. Apple's initial billion-dollar investment amounts to a tiny fraction of its $257 billion in cash.

Cook also promised that Apple will hire "thousands of employees, thousands more in the future" in the U.S., although he didn't specify how quickly that will happen. Apple's U.S. payroll has grown roughly 40-fold since 1998, when it had 5,000 U.S. workers.

Cook also said Apple is examining ways to help more people learn the programming skills to make apps.

Threats to Apple

Trump has threatened to impose tariffs on products from China, a change that would drive up Apple's costs. That could pressure the company to raise its prices at a time when it is already having trouble increasing its sales of iPhones and iPads.

"They are trying to make the case that they really do have a lot of folks working in the U.S.," said technology industry analyst Rob Enderle. "So if you want to pick on somebody, you might want to pick on somebody else because they won't be a good example."

Cook isn't the only CEO who has been trying to highlight his company's hiring and expansion plans in the U.S.

Trump has attacked many companies, frequently on Twitter, for moving jobs out of the U.S. and lavishly praised those who have announced major hiring initiatives. As a result, many companies, including Exxon Mobil, Intel, Charter Communications and Ford Motor, have unveiled big hiring plans, though in many cases they were already in the works before the presidential campaign.

"There is a lot of political pressure to create jobs in the United States," Diane Swonk, CEO of DS Economics, said. Chief executives "do not want to show up in a tweet."

Apple in the states

Since 2014, Apple has issued a series of reports intended to underscore its contributions to U.S. jobs and economic growth. Its first report came after years of complaints about labor practices and suicides at Foxconn, one of the company's major contractors in China, drew more attention to Apple's reliance on overseas factories. Apple to also issues a separate "supplier responsibility" report reviewing the labor conditions in those facilities.

The Wednesday report on U.S jobs is its fourth update, but the first to include a state-by-state breakdown of Apple employees.

Unsurprisingly, the numbers show its highest concentration of workers (36,786) is located in California, home to the company's Silicon Valley headquarters and 53 stores. Apple's second biggest employment center is in Texas (8,407 jobs), where it has a corporate campus and 18 stores. Its smallest pockets of employment are in North Dakota (four jobs), Vermont (six) and Wyoming (seven).

Indiana has 381 Apple employees; Illinois has 1,422.

Apple's decision to provide detailed information about the locations of its U.S. employees could help the company win support from lawmakers eager to protect jobs in their states, Enderle said. "It gives senators something to push back with, recognizing that Apple is a real risky company to target anyway because its products are so popular with people."

Besides showing how many of its full-time and part-time employees work in each state, Apple also lists where its 9,000 U.S. suppliers are located. The company says it spent more than $50 billion at its U.S. suppliers last year, helping them employ a total of 450,000 workers.

App economy

The company also cited a study by the Progressive Policy Institute that attributes 1.5 million U.S. jobs to Apple's iPhone "ecosystem." That figure not only includes programmers that work on the apps, but also supporting staff and employees working everywhere from banks to restaurants that have jobs because of the spending generated by apps.

Such "spillover" effects are widely recognized, although economists sometimes spar over their magnitude. But for a company to claim credit for all or most of the jobs in a particular industry is a stretch, Swonk said. The vast majority of app developers, for example, also produce apps for Android phones from Samsung and other manufacturers.

The Public Policy Institute only found 1.7 million jobs in the entire "app economy"  and 1.35 million of those were associated with Android apps. Most of those overlap with the jobs linked to Apple.
ATLANTIC CITY, N.J.  New Jersey's thriving internet gambling market is getting another competitor.

MGM Resorts International will have New Jersey's 21st licensed online gambling site later this year when its playMGM site goes live.

The company, which owns Atlantic City's Borgata casino, is partnering with GVC Holdings PLC to create the site.

"This is an historic moment for MGM Resorts to be launching real-money online casino and poker under the MGM brand for the first time," said Corey Sanders, MGM's chief operating officer. "GVC has been a first-rate partner for us, and we are excited about the possibilities of extending that partnership as regulated markets open up in the U.S."

New Jersey is one of only three states that offer internet gambling, along with Nevada and Delaware. Other states are considering legalizing it.

The new playMGM site will be in addition to the existing five sites currently operated under the Borgata's license.

Online gambling has been steadily expanding in New Jersey since it launched in November 2013, and the money won from online gamblers often makes the difference between an up month and a down one for Atlantic City's gambling market.

In 2016, a big boost from internet gambling helped Atlantic City's casino industry to its first annual revenue increase in 10 years. Money won from online gamblers in New Jersey last year rose by more than 32 percent to nearly $197 million.

Since its inception, internet gambling has brought in more than $536 million for New Jersey's five casino licensees and their affiliates: Borgata; Caesars Interactive-NJ; Golden Nugget; Resorts and Tropicana. Those online winnings generated more than $93 million in tax revenue for the state.

"Regulated online gambling is to thank for what appears to be the start of a dramatic  and largely unexpected  turnaround for Atlantic City's long-beleaguered Boardwalk," Chris Grove, an online gambling analyst, wrote in a recent report on the state's internet betting industry.

New Jersey's online gambling market had its best month ever in March, registering an increase of more than 40 percent from a year ago. Figures for April are due out next week.
Merrillville-based White Lodging, one of the largest hotel development and management companies in the country, has rebranded as it seeks to ramp up employment amid a massive national expansion.

The hotel operator, owned by Northwest Indiana business titan Bruce White, plans to open 17 new hotels across the country over the next 18 months. Chris Anderson, senior vice president and chief revenue officer of Full Service Hotels for White Lodging, said the company freshened up its branding to appeal to prospective employees at a time when it needs to hire 4,000 workers across the country.

It plans to open the hotels under various brand names in familiar markets where it has several hotels, including Austin, Texas; Denver, Louisville, Kentucky and Chicago. It already operates more than 165 hotels in 19 states under premium brands like Marriott, Hyatt Place, Sheraton, Renaissance Hotels, Westin, AC Hotels and Aloft.

"We're opening 17 hotels in the next 18 months, and that triggered the thought process," Anderson said. "We've got a lot of people to hire. We've got 12,000 associates to retain, and 4,000 new people to hire."

White Lodging is undergoing a period of significant growth, though it typically has five to 10 new hotels in development at any given time.

"We've never not been growing," Anderson said.

White Lodging redid its website to have a splashier, more contemporary feel with inspirational quotes, including White's statement that "We build hotels that change skylines because we first built a team of leaders who changed an industry."

The company has started using a bold red color in its signature blocks, will change out its signage at its corporate headquarters in Merrillville soon, and has put together videos to recruit employees in which associates talk about what they love about their jobs.

"It's no longer a world where you can do the same job for the Ford Motor Co. for 30 years," Anderson said. "But here you can do 20 different positions from restaurants to leadership and working in 20 different cities. It keeps you challenged so you can try different things. There's plenty of growth and plenty of opportunity."

White Lodging is especially looking to recruit food and beverage operators, such as bartenders. The company typically developed and operated limited-service hotels without restaurants, banquet halls and such amenities, but now is focused on full-service hotels with bars and restaurants to cater to changing travel habits.

"The consumer's driving it," Anderson said. "Millennial travelers want social currency on Instagram and social media. They want to go someplace cool with great restaurants and food. We're looking at cool things that are different. Rooftop bars are coming back. Consumers see traveling as an adventure, and we're trying to offer unexpected treats that (they) can share with the world."

A team spent eight months researching the new brand, which Anderson said much better communicates the opportunity available working at the company.

They were guided by a quote from White: "I want to create a company that will last forever and achieve success that enables everyone to win."
The Jammu and Kashmir Government today directed district magistrates (DMs) to stop the broadcast of all unauthorised channels, including Zakir Naik's Peace TV.

By India Today Web Desk: Days after reports emerged about Pakistan, Saudi channels running on televisions in Kashmir, The Jammu and Kashmir Government today directed all District Magistrates (DMs) to ensure these are stopped with immediate effect.

This succeeds a similar directive by the Centre on May 5 to the state government to stop the unauthorised broadcast of such channels.

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According to reports, as many as 50 unauthorised channels and shows were being broadcasted in the Valley, including Zakir Naik's Peace TV.

A directive issued by the state Home Department said these channels had the potential of inciting violence and creating a law and order problem.

THE DIRECTIVE

The state Home Department directive to all the 22 District Magistrates said that the "transmission of non-permitted TV channels apart from attracting the violation (of the law), has the potential to encourage or incite violence and create law and order disturbances in the Kashmir Valley".

As per Section 11 of the Cable Television Networks (Regulation) Act, the District Magistrate has the power to seize the equipment in case of a violation.

With inputs from IANS

Also read: PM Modi alone can help resolve Kashmir unrest, says CM Mehbooba Mufti

Also read: Kashmir: Students injured after clashing with police near Handwara College

--- ENDS ---
LONDON  For decades, he has stood loyally at the side of Queen Elizabeth II and made thousands of solo appearances as well. He calls himself the world's most experienced unveiler of plaques.

He has been eligible for a government pension since June 10, 1986, yet still soldiered on.

Now, at age 95, Prince Philip says he is retiring from royal duties.

The queen's husband said he will carry out scheduled engagements for the next few months but won't take on new ones starting in the fall.

His retirement announcement followed a night of frenzied speculation caused by news reports about an "emergency" palace meeting Thursday.

Buckingham Palace said Philip, also known as the Duke of Edinburgh, made the decision to retire with the full support of the queen.

Tall, craggy-faced and always elegantly dressed, Philip is as famous for his occasional off-color gaffes and one-liners as he is for his devotion to the monarch, and he joked about his retirement at an Order of Merit reception at St. James's Palace.

"I'm sorry to hear you're standing down," said 88-year-old mathematician Michael Atiyah said, using the British expression for retirement.

"Well, I can't stand up much longer," Philip replied. He walked with his head held high, despite his self-deprecating claim.

Harvey Oyer, a Florida attorney who was invited to a Buckingham Palace lunch reception, told The Associated Press that Philip looked remarkably well.

"The big takeaway is there was no indication that this was a farewell," Oyer said. "He did not look unhealthy in any way. He was as spry and humorous and engaging as he has always been."

Philip has made earlier concessions to age, announcing when he turned 90 in 2011 that he was "winding down" his official duties. He said at the time that he felt he had "done my bit."

Since then, he's had some serious health issues, including a blocked heart artery, and has been hospitalized several times.

There were no indications that Philip suffers from any new health problems. The statement indicated Philip will carry out previously scheduled engagements between now and August.

Few would begrudge him a chance to take it easy after more than 22,000 solo royal engagements since Elizabeth ascended to the throne in 1952.

He quickly discovered he had no defined constitutional role and had to carve his own path, making it his top priority to support his wife in her considerable public endeavors.

While few were surprised that Philip is stepping back, tourists outside the imposing gates of Buckingham Palace expressed unhappiness about the news.

"He's been an icon for so long, and I've really admired him, and it saddens me in a way," said Grace Marie, who nonetheless said she understood his decision.

She said it was time for the younger royals to step into the spotlight.

There was praise for Philip from other parts of the Commonwealth. In Australia, where the queen is recognized as head of state, officials praised Philip's tenacity.

"It says something about an individual that they get to the age of 95 before they decide to officially retire," Australian Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce told reporters. "It's something to aim for."

Philip, a member of the Greek royal family in exile, sacrificed a successful naval career to support Elizabeth when she became queen.

He became the longest-serving consort in British history in 2009  much as Elizabeth has become the country's longest reigning monarch.

Philip is known for having a sometimes-offensive sense of humor  and for gaffes that accompanied his many travels. Among his most infamous was in 1986, while visiting Beijing, where he told a group of British students: "If you stay here much longer you'll all be slitty-eyed."

Officials said the queen, who turned 91 last month, will carry on her royal engagements with the support of the royal family. She has indicated that she does not plan to retire, saying it her duty to serve for life.
CROWN POINT  The city welcomed another new police officer when John R. Hannon was sworn in by Mayor David Uran during a recent the Board of Works meeting.

Hannon, 25, graduated from Crown Point High School in 2010. After high school he attended Ivy Tech Community College in Valparaiso, where he earned an associate's degree in criminal justice.

In 2014 Hannon was hired by the East Chicago Police Department after which he attended and graduated from the Northwest Indiana Law Enforcement Academy in Hobart.

Hannon and his fiance plan to live in Crown Point after they are married.

The Board of Works also granted approval to make conditional offers of employment for two more police officers.
GARY  Three companies have been selected as master developers for different sections of the city, although there is no timeline yet on when actual construction might take place.

The Gary Redevelopment Commission last week approved memorandums of understanding with three firms to serve as master developers in the University Park, Miller area and other sections of the community.

Redevelopment officials will meet with each of the firms before Memorial Day and define what the commission and groups would like to see accomplished in these areas, said Joe Van Dyk, the city's planning and redevelopment executive director. He said they will also go back to neighborhood groups to gather additional input for the plans in these areas.

"We still have a ways to go," Van Dyk said.

Brinshore Development, LLC., out of Northbrook, Illinois, was selected to be the master developer for the University Park area. Located on the south side of Gary, the University park area is bounded by Interstate 65 to the east, Ridge Road to the south, Grant Street to the west, and Interstate 80/94 to the north. It's home to Indiana University Northwest and Ivy Tech Community College.

The company has developed more than 5,000 units of affordable rental housing in several states and is currently working on Gary Manor with the Gary Housing Authority.

A plan has already been developed for the University Park East area thanks to the support of a $500,000 Choice Neighborhood Planning Grant from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. Residents in eight working groups with the aid of consultants, created a plan over a two-year period.

The city has targeted three areas for redevelopment in this section of the city, including the corner of 35th Avenue and Broadway, the Colonial II property across for Ivy Tech Community College, and land around the vacant Benjamin Franklin School at 600 E. 35th Ave.

The city needed to obtain a master developer for the area as part of its application for an implementation grant for HUD. While discussing that process, city officials decided that they would also seek master developers for other areas of the city, according to Van Dyk.

"It led to a larger conversation about why would we confine this to just that one neighborhood because we know there are certain priority projects we put a lot of time and effort and resources in doing," he said.

In addition to Brinshore, the redevelopment commission entered into an agreement with Gary Rising Partners for the Horace Mann neighborhood. That area includes the Methodist Hospitals Northlake Campus and the former Horace Mann High School.

Gary Rising Partners is comprised of African-American owned development and constructions firms, headed by East Lake Management and Development Corp. East Lake has developed thousands of affordable, market rate and mixed-income residential units. Another group member, Gateway Partners, LLC., is the owner of the historic Gary State Bank building.

The third company granted a memorandum of understanding is Meridian Hospitality Corp. They got the Gary Lakefront area, which is located on the southern shore of Lake Michigan adjacent to Marquette Park.

Officials want the master developer and residents to build a 150-room full service hotel with a restaurant and cafe. The firm was also selected as master developer for the Lake Street Junction and Miller Transportation Oriented Development area, which includes various neighborhoods and developments within a half mile radius of the South Shore train station at Lake Street, including the Miller, Aetna, and Glen Ryan neighborhoods.

Meridian, established in Cleveland, Ohio, has already started transitioning principals and key personnel to Gary over the past year. It put together what it called a 10-year vision for the waterfront, which included not only a boutique hotel but other attractions such as a winter ice rink. Van Dyk said the group has experience in dealing with the National Park Service.
LAPORTE  Kim Minich wasn't involved in dairy farming until recently, but the LaPorte County woman is going to be part of the long tradition of presenting a cold bottle of milk in the victory lane at the Indianapolis 500.

Minich, 36, will offer milk to the owner and chief mechanic from the winning team at this year's race on May 28, and she's been chosen to present the customary beverage to the winning driver in 2018.

"It's quite the honor. I'm looking forward to it," she said.

Making the festivities even more special are her memories of attending the time trials at Indianapolis Motor Speedway with her family while growing up in Anderson, 60 miles from the track.

Minich had never tried her hand at dairy farming until 2009, when she and her husband, Luke, moved from Indianapolis to get involved in the operation his family purchased in 1909.

Luke was selling grain. Kim was, and still is, a full-time registered nurse.

Kim said she was chosen to take part in the victory lane celebration after being a two-year member of the board for the Indiana branch of the American Dairy Association.

"We get to take turns and this is my year," she said.

"We're pretty excited about it. It should be a lot of fun," Luke said.

This isn't the first taste of fame for the Minich couple.

They were named Outstanding Young Dairy Producers of the Year for 2015 by the Indiana Dairy Producers.

Triple M Dairy has about 1,000 mostly Holstein cows producing close to 3 million gallons of milk a year for Dean Foods.

The main location is on County Road 500 South, just north of Union Mills, while the remainder of the production happens about 10 miles east, near Stillwell.

Kim said she didn't know anything about farming until she met her future husband at Purdue University. She was studying then to become a nurse, just like her mother and sister.

What she likes most about dairy farming is watching the births of about 15 calves a week and helping their five children, ages 11 to 6, with their annual 4-H projects at the LaPorte County Fair.

On the business side of things, she assists with things like bookkeeping and going after parts and other supplies. Every now and then she runs the milking machines.

Minich said she also enjoys hosting preschool children from the area during their annual visits to the farm.

"It's kind of neat for them to see where their milk actually comes from," said Minich, who also works full time as a nurse and nurse practitioner for Community Health Systems in LaPorte.

Three-time Indianapolis 500 winner Louis Meyer drank buttermilk in victory lane after winning the 1936 race, starting the Indy 500 tradition.
Marc Chase Editor Marc Chase is a veteran investigative reporter, columnist and editor of more than two decades. He currently leads The Times news staff as local news editor. He can be reached at 219-933-3327. Follow Marc Chase Close Get email notifications on {{subject}} daily! Your notification has been saved. There was a problem saving your notification. {{description}} Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. Save Manage followed notifications Close Followed notifications Please log in to use this feature Log In Don't have an account? Sign Up Today

A pattern of public corruption tediously repeats itself in Northwest Indiana, and we're all to blame.

It's not just the old adage of history repeating itself, which it clearly often does. Nothing is more true in the lexicon of Region political corruption than everything old being new again in the 70-plus public corruption felony convictions since the 1980s.

But drilling down into why the same common themes of bribery, fraud, extortion and self-enriching theft rear their ugly heads in our local government offices decade after decade requires some uncomfortable self realization.

Much of it emanates from a culture of acceptance, aided by the patronage notions of continuing to serve the leaders, who hand out jobs to county residents or their families.

We all should be reminded of the putrid cycle of corruption illustrated in the case of former Calumet Township Trustee Mary Elgin, who is expected to formally plead guilty to felony fraud charges Monday in Hammond federal court.

History repeating itself

Elgin and her son Steven Hunter filed the plea agreements in federal court late last month but await a formal acceptance of the pleas by a federal judge.

In those agreements, Elgin admits she extorted campaign contributions from her government employees and required them to work  on the government time clock  to further her re-election bid.

Hunter's plea agreement acknowledges he distributed his mother's campaign fundraising tickets, which township employees were required to sell or buy as conditions of their employment.

If any of these tunes sound familiar, you no doubt remember some of the golden oldies of Region public corruption.

In the 1980s, former Lake County Commissioner and then Sheriff Rudy "Bart" Bartolomei was criminally indicted, in part, for shaking down government employees for campaign contributions. He also was implicated in a scheme to inflate custodian fees at the Lake County Government Center that manifested themselves in bribes paid back to Bartolomei and other public officials.

Bartolomei ultimately pleaded guilty to two felony counts in federal court, was sentenced to 28 months in prison and became a federal witness against other corrupt politicos.

Culture of acceptance

Former congresswoman turned Gary city clerk Katie Hall took her own turn at the government employee shakedown game.

Hall served in the U.S. House between 1981 and 1985, then left Congress and become Gary city clerk.

Hall and her daughter, Junifer, were convicted of public corruption charges in 2003.

Hall has since died, but a culture of acceptance continues to follow her.

Each year, her namesake Katie Hall Education Foundation Inc. sponsors the Katie Hall Public Service Awards Luncheon. Region and national dignitaries regularly accept self-congratulatory awards from the foundation.

The foundation likes to celebrate that Hall was one of the congressional leaders who helped make Martin Luther King Jr.'s birthday a national holiday.

It's difficult to conceive, however, how King, a visionary leader in civil rights, would celebrate a Gary official found guilty of shaking down government employees.

The culture of acceptance doesn't stop with the Hall case.

Most Lake County residents remember former elected county Surveyor George Van Til.

He ultimately pleaded guilty to felony counts of wire fraud in Hammond federal court, and the circumstances harken political deja vu.

Van Til was indicted for compelling government employees to perform campaign work on taxpayer time. He also was accused of directing an employee to remove a government computer's hard drive to conceal his tracks.

The culture of acceptance reared its ugly head in the Van Til case, as well.

Ahead of Van Til's sentencing, his attorney submitted more than 100 pages worth of letters to the court in which dozens of political friends and allies  including sitting elected officials  carried water for Van Til as character witnesses.

In a "there but for the grace of God go I" move, officials including Indiana House Rep. Charlie Brown, D-Gary, and Highland Clerk-Treasurer Michael Griffin, wrote letters asking the court for leniency and essentially vouching for the character of a man who already had admitted to stealing from taxpayers.

Their support didn't stop with letters. A Times file photo shows Brown walking in solidarity with Van Til as the former surveyor exited the Hammond federal courthouse, having just pleaded guilty in the case. Griffin attended the same hearing to publicly show support for his friend.

Continuing cycle

The culture of acceptance also has elevated some public corruption felons to the ranks of sage advisers to sitting Region politicians.

Lake County political observers recognize Bob Cantrell as a longtime political operative, helping push proverbial buttons both behind and in front of the Region's political curtain.

Many also know Cantrell completed a federal prison term last year following a public corruption conviction for steering government contracts, and accepting kickbacks, while an employee of the North Township Trustee's office several years ago.

Cantrell had barely made it out of prison when he re-emerged in Lake County political circles, allying himself with sitting elected officials and even showing his face at the 2016 candidate filing deadline at the Lake County Government Center in Crown Point.

Unfortunately, many of Lake County's elected leaders, including Lake County Commissioner Mike Repay, have embraced Cantrell's political support in spite of the felon status.

Porter County isn't immune from the problem, either.

Last week, an earnest-looking Portage Mayor James Snyder bent over a map in his City Hall office while Portage High School students intently listened to the mayor explain upcoming city projects.

The students were participating in the annual Youth Government Day to learn about the way government is supposed to work. This particular scene, which exudes a veneer of wholesome learning, was captured for posterity in a published Times photo chronicling the event.

However, the image glosses over the very unwholesome reality that Snyder, though innocent unless proven guilty, is under federal indictment for allegedly accepting bribes in the awarding of city towing work.

Who's to blame?

In the end, who's to blame for the seemingly endless cycle?

The media? Public officials who serve as apologists for fellow officials who've been convicted of crimes against the taxpayer? The voters who keep electing people who perpetuate the cycle? The registered voters who may be disgusted with public corruption but don't even bother to vote?

How about apathetic citizens or disorganized parties of political opposition who don't run against the status quo incumbents?

It seems there's plenty of blame to go around in this cycle of political corruption, aided and abetted by a culture of acceptance.

The most important question is when will we all take a long, hard look in the mirror and decide what we can do to break the cycle.
NYCHA residents on Manhattan's Upper West Side are speaking out against the agency because of Friday's rainy weather.

Tenants at the De Hostos houses on West 93rd Street near Amsterdam Avenue say the rain flooded their hallways, apartments and stairwells.

It also caused damage to walls and left one of the building's elevators out of service.

People we spoke with say neglect by housing officials may have caused all the damage.

"This water comes all the way down from the 22nd floor," said one tenant. "The roof needs to be done. I guess there's some sort of pump situation that they're not doing. So there's water in the walls."

"There was a lot of water in the lobby, I can't even take the elevator, "said another." They had to shut one elevator. We have senior people living in this building-- handicapped. This is a big problem we have in this building."

A spokesperson for NYCHA says the agency has not been notified of complaints about damage in specific apartments and is urging tenants to call the housing authority's contact center at (718) 707-7771.
The wing of a Jet Airways flight bound for Srinagar hit another aircraft while preparing for take off at the Delhi airport today.

By Anindya Banerjee, India Today Web Desk: A major accident was averted at Delhi airport when a Jet Airways flight collided with another aircraft before take off today afternoon.

The Jet Airways flight 9W 603 was scheduled to fly from Delhi to Srinagar and suffered partial damage in the incident.

According to information available online the scheduled departure of the flight 9W 603 was 2.50 pm.

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The wings of the Srinagar-bound Jet flight touched another aircraft before take off and there were no initial reports of passengers suffering injuries.

The flight 9W 603 is believed to have touched another Jet Airways flight.

Watch the video here: Delhi: Jet Airways flight collides with another aircraft before takeoff; crisis averted on time

--- ENDS ---
Sacked Water Resource Minister of Delhi Kapil Mishra has alleged that Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal received illegal cash from another Health Minister Satyendar Jain.

By India Today Web Desk: This was the biggest allegation against Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, who built his political capital on his anti-graft credentials.

After paying tribute to the Father of the Nation Mahatma Gandhi at Rajghat in New Delhi, sacked Delhi Minister Kapil Mishra today said that he saw Arvind Kejriwal taking cash from Health Minister Satyendar Jain.

"A day before yesterday I saw with my own eyes. I saw at Arvind Kejriwal's residence. I saw Satyendra Jain giving Rs 2 crore cash to Arvind Kejriwal," Kapil Mishra said.

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"I asked Arvind Kejriwal what is this? Arvind Kejriwal refused to answer. He said there are few things in politics that are meant to be said later," Kapil Mishra said.

Kapil Mishra said, "I could not sleep the whole night. In the morning, I wrote letter to the Anti-Corruption Bureau that I want to meet over the water tanker scam."

Kapil Mishra also alleged that suspicious land deals were done for Arvind Kejriwal's relatives. Kapil Mishra said, "Health Minister Satyendar Jain had told me that he settled land deals worth Rs 50 crore for Arvind Kejriwal's relative."

AAP REJECTS ALLEGATIONS

Kapil Mishra was sacked from the cabinet yesterday. Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia said that he was sacked after complaints about non-availability of water supply in some parts of the city.

The Aam Aadmi Party has refuted the allegations leveled by Kapil Mishra. Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia came out in defence of Arvind Kejriwal.

In his two-minute rebuttal, Sisodia said, "Yesterday evening Kapil Mishra was called and informed that the Chief Minister wants to make some changes in the cabinet. He was informed that he was being removed from the cabinet."

"Yesterday he was removed and today he came out with baseless allegations. The allegations are such that no one would believe in them. These allegations do not even merit a response," Sisodia said.

Kapil Mishra also said that he has briefed Delhi Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal about what he saw at Keijriwal's residence. Mishra further said that he would approach even CBI with the information.

Meanwhile, Swaraj India leader and former party colleague of Arvind Kejriwal, Yogendra Yadav has asked Kapil Mishra to produce evidence to back his allegation.

Taking to Twitter, Yogendra Yadav said, "I might agree with charges of power greed, arrogance, authoritarianism against Kejriwal, but charge of taking bribe need solid evidence."

I might agree with charges of power greed, arrogance, authoritarianism against Kejriwal, but charge of taking bribe need solid evidence.- Yogendra Yadav (@_YogendraYadav) May 7, 2017

ALSO READ |

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Kapil Mishra crisis in AAP: How water tanker scam connects Arvind Kejriwal, Sheila Dikshit and BJP

Watch Video: AAP crisis: Saw Arvind Kejriwal accept Rs 2 crore in cash from Satyendra Kumar Jain, says Kapil Mishra

Also Read:Kapil Mishra crisis in AAP: How water tanker scam connects Arvind Kejriwal, Sheila Dikshit and BJP

Kapil Mishra expose LIVE: Saw Arvind Kejriwal accepting Rs 2 crore in cash from Satyendra Jain

--- ENDS ---
Q: I enjoyed the campy show Devious Maids and knew another season was filmed and should have been on. What happened to it? It was much better than some of the awful shows currently on Lifetime.

A: The series, inspired by telenovelas, ended with its fourth-season finale in August 2016. While the ratings were OK, Deadline.com reported that the series was left over from the old regime at Lifetime, and the new team was changing direction toward shows such as UnREAL, the edgy drama set behind the scenes at a Bachelor-like show. I dont know if UnREAL is what you consider an awful show. I very much liked what I saw of it during the first two seasons  and a third is coming.

*****

Q: I love Celebrity Name Game, but it has been nothing but reruns for the last several months. Has it been canceled or are they just on a game show hiatus?

A: The makers of the syndicated series hosted by Daytime Emmy-winner Craig Ferguson announced in December that the show would not go past its current, third season. Low ratings were reportedly the reason. The shows online auditions and studio-ticket forms are already inactive. But, as with many TV formats, it could return in some fashion; one of the producing partners told the Hollywood Reporter that while we are not renewing in syndication at this time, it is a format we believe in.

*****

Q: Could you tell me if there will be a fifth season of Orange is the New Black and when the fourth season will be on DVD?

A: The fifth season arrives on Netflix on June 9, picking up from the big events in Season 4. I wont spoil anything in case you cant see the fourth season until it arrives on DVD and Blu-ray on May 9.

*****

Q: I need to track down DVDs of two television shows from the early 60s. One is Peter Gunn and the other is T.H.E. Cat. I would appreciate it if you would tell me where to obtain them.

A: Created by Blake Edwards, Peter Gunn starred Craig Stevens as a super-cool private eye and boasted music by Henry Mancini. It originally aired from 1958 to 1961. Timeless Media Group released a complete-series box set on DVD (with a bonus CD of music from the series) in 2012. It is still available, including via Amazon.com. There was also a big-screen Gunn reuniting Edwards and Stevens in 1967, and a 1989 Peter Gunn TV-movie, also with Edwards in charge, but with Peter Strauss as the private eye. The Strauss production is on DVD; the big-screen Gunn is hard to find.

As for T.H.E. Cat, one of the favorites of my youth, it starred Robert Loggia as a cool crimefighter, and ran for a single season in 1966-67. I do not know of an authorized DVD and do not recommend unauthorized ones. You can find some old episodes of so-so viewing quality on YouTube.
COUNCIL BLUFFS  In T-shirts and shorts or church clothes, visitors arrived Sunday to pay their final respects to Pottawattamie County Sheriffs Deputy Mark Burbridge.

The snap of the American flags surrounding the Hoy-Kilnoski Funeral Home and the whoosh of cars rushing past were the only sounds as a steady stream of mourners made the solemn march starting at 8 a.m. Funeral services will be held at 10 a.m. Monday at the Mid-America Center in Council Bluffs.

Im glad to see so many people rallying around the family, said Shea Fiedler of Underwood, Iowa. We have a couple of people in law enforcement in our family, and I know that they do a lot of work that really goes unnoticed.

Burbridge died last Monday after he was shot during a jailbreak at the Pottawattamie County Jail. Burbridge and a fellow deputy, Pat Morgan, had driven a convicted killer, Wesley Correa-Carmenaty, and another inmate back to the jail when Correa-Carmenaty attacked them in the jail garage. Correa-Carmenaty attacked Burbridge with a shank, according to a source with knowledge of the investigation. He then grabbed a gun from the deputies and shot them both. He also shot a civilian a short while later while attempting a carjacking, authorities said. The inmate was eventually captured in Omaha.

Morgan and the civilian, Jerry Brittain, have since been released from the hospital.

The slaying hit close to home for Denise (Smith) Kain of Council Bluffs. She went to school in Missouri Valley with Burbridges father, who died in June in a car crash.

Kain and her husband, Donald, spent more than an hour in the funeral home. She wiped away a few tears talking about the family she respects so much.

We all know that (law enforcement) does an amazing job, and they put their lives on the line every day, she said. But it even amazes me to see the kind of support here. This community has come together.

Several hundred people attended the visitation, according to a representative of the funeral home.

Kim Mitchell and her daughter, Jessie Moore, of Council Bluffs, who dont have a car, walked about 2 miles to pay their respects.

Mitchell said she works at Menards and talks to a lot of the deputies and Council Bluffs police officers there. She and Moore brought three condolence cards, one for the family, one from their church and one for the Pottawattamie County Sheriffs Office personnel.

Im glad so many folks are showing their support because (law enforcement) deserves it, Mitchell said. It was great how people came out for (Omaha Police Officer) Kerrie Orozcos funeral. I know theyll do it again tomorrow.

Jesse Fitch, 78, of Council Bluffs thought it was important to be there because as a deputy, Burbridge was doing Gods work.

Law enforcement officers, are here for our defense, he said. That is of the Lord, you know, because it gives stability to the neighborhood, and all people.

Jeanie and Bill Botos of Missouri Valley have noticed large numbers of American flags with blue lines for law enforcement, banners and signs honoring Burbridge.

Its all anyone is talking about, Bill Botos said. The least we can do is show our respect.

Sundays visitation was for the general public and followed one on Saturday that was for law enforcement. Still, more law officers turned out Sunday, too.

Deputies from multiple agencies attending on Sunday included those from Sioux and Woodbury Counties in Iowa and Hennepin County (Minneapolis) in Minnesota. Officers from the Chicago Police Department were also there.

At the Pottawattamie County Jail, less than a mile from the funeral home, a memorial continued to grow around a Sheriffs Office cruiser. Flowers, American flags, handwritten notes, stuffed animals and balloons testified to an outpouring of community support.

Donna Hutzell of Omaha and her grandson, Austin Hutzell, walked slowly around the tribute to the 43-year-old deputy.

The support is unbelievable, she said in soft voice. There are so many beautiful things that people have left here. Look at that handmade wooden cross, and there are several of them.

Austin used a cellphone to make a video for his grandmother. He stopped at a poster of hand prints placed on the back of the vehicle by Heartland Child Development.

Each hand had the name of a child next to it. On the other side of the vehicle was a poster from Treynor (Iowa) High School, signed by the students.

I got it, Austin told his grandmother as she hugged him close. I got the video for you.

Hutzell said she thinks the show of community support will be appreciated by the Burbridge family  in time.

I dont think anything can help their heartbreak right now, she said. In time it might. I hope so for their sake.

World-Herald staff writer Andrew J. Nelson contributed to this report.
As a young girl bounded up the steps in front of him, noted climate scientist Michael Mann paused in his presentation on global warming at the University of Nebraska at Omaha.

Before the girl entered the auditorium Saturday evening, Mann had been talking about penguins and polar bears.

By making polar bears and penguins the poster child for climate change, we have wrongly conveyed that this is some exotic problem far off, he was saying. And as he watched the girl climb to her seat near the back, he shifted gears.

The best reason is walking up the steps right now, he said.

Mann, who was in Omaha to speak on behalf of a fossil fuel divestiture motion at Saturdays Berkshire Hathaway shareholders meeting, gave a free public lecture at UNO as a guest of Nebraskans for Peace, UNO and the Sierra Club.

(The fossil fuel divestiture motion had been brought by Nebraskans for Peace, which owns Berkshire stock. The motion failed.)

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, which has been analyzing global science on climate change since about 1990, has concluded that theres a 95 percent chance that humans are responsible for most of the warming that has occurred for about 70 years.

We are about as certain of humans role in climate change as we are about anything, said Mann, a professor of atmospheric science and director of the Penn State Earth System Science Center.

If anything, Mann said, the remaining uncertainties about the pace and scale of climate change bode poorly for the future.

Mann said the fingerprint of climate change already can be found in extreme weather, including the recent unusually warm February, the western wildfires and eastern U.S. flooding.

Climate scientists like Mann have been urging quick action to reduce carbon dioxide emissions because the window for effective solutions can be measured in years, not decades, they say. Absent action, he and others say, future generations face greater sacrifices in slowing emissions and adapting to a warmer, wetter world.

Mann said he remains optimistic because renewable energy has matured to the point where it can be a solution.

Something better and cheaper has come along, he said. The era of fossil fuels is over. The rest of the world is moving on. At this point, the only decision is whether we get on board, or whether we get left behind.
TABLE ROCK, Neb.  What is it with Nebraskans and blowing up large, rocky landmarks?

That was a question that gnawed at me after a recent trip to Table Rock, a small farm town in southeast Nebraska. It was named for an unusual rock formation that protruded from a bluff overlooking a branch of the Big Nemaha River.

Today the rock is nowhere to be seen, and an acquaintance from the area said the Table Rock was blown up with dynamite for fear it would fall on livestock wandering beneath it.

But that may not be the real story, and a search for answers by the towns unofficial historian, Sharla Sitzman, unearthed just more questions.

Out in the northwest corner of Nebraskas Panhandle, there is no debate about what happened to a rocky landmark east of Harrison.

Pants Butte was a rock formation that looked like two legs of a mans trousers, rising skyward.

In 1910, a road, aptly named Pants Butte Road, was carved out of the chalky soil that ran below the two-legged promontory, which was featured on local postcards and, more recently, in paintings and drawings.

But around 1960, one of the pant legs gave out, leaving a one-legged Pants Butte. The remaining peg leg began to draw concerns that it, too, would come crashing to earth and crush someone on the nearby road.

So after an inspection by members of the local community club in 1970, the decision was made to plant some dynamite and, in the name of safety, blast the rock down to size.

It just had a double amputation, said former State Sen. Bob Wickersham, who grew up on a ranch just down the road from Pants Butte. Plus, he said, it just didnt look much like pants anymore, with only one leg.

So now back to the tale of Table Rock.

Back in pioneer days, the rock was described as a large, flat rock that extended from the bluff and was supported by three rocky legs. A table.

It was said that one or more people could stand between the legs under the table. Plains Indians liked to gather in the area, its said, and you could easily find beads and other Native American leftovers there along with some interesting carvings in the soft stone.

In 1859, a group that took a horse-drawn wagon ride to the area gave a glowing account. Without doubt, it is the greatest curiosity yet discovered in Nebraska, they said. (Apparently these early Nebraskans had never been far enough west to see Chimney Rock or Scotts Bluff.)

The original Table Rock was long gone by 1933 when an intrepid local resident, Elsie Pepoon Sutton, attempted to solve the mysterious end of Table Rock. She interviewed several people who gave various accounts of its destruction, from a lightning strike to a farmer pushing it over to the soft rock finally collapsing from erosion.

Enter Sitzman, who grew up in Table Rock, went off to become an assistant U.S. attorney in Los Angeles, then returned to Nebraska after retiring.

She is an active member of the Table Rock Historical Society, which maintains nine museums in town. She describes her time back in town as studying Table Rock 101 as a graduate course.

Sitzman said she has doubts about the 1859 account, believing that the group was describing another long-gone rock, called Mushroom Rock.

The dynamite story? Shes skeptical of that one, too. If anything was dynamited it was Mushroom Rock, Sitzman said. There was general agreement that it posed a threat to livestock, and to people, who walked under it. It might have been struck by lightning, too, rendering it unstable, she said.

Upon further review of her research last week, Sitzman switched her position on Table Rock. It either collapsed, she said, or, improbably, was collapsed by someone.

Regardless of what happened, theres still some rocky sights to see east of Table Rock. A formation called Turtle Rock is accessible after a short hike on public property, the Table Rock State Wildlife Management Area.

Another local historian, Kim Vrtiska (son of former State Sen. Floyd Vrtiska), guides tours to rocky indentations known as the Indian caves in the area.

And if that isnt enough to prompt a drive to Table Rock, Sitzman is planning to tell some ghost stories from the communitys past on the night before the solar eclipse that happens on Aug. 21.

They say the night before the eclipse is the darkest possible night, she said. Thats a great time to tell a ghost story.

***

Donations made in late historian's name will finance a historical marker

Jim Potter was a legendary state historian, known for his attention to detail and research  and his love of Nebraska.

Now donations made to the Nebraska State Historical Society in memory of Potter, who died last year, are being used for a fitting tribute.

In memory of state historian James E. Potter, 1945-2016 will be emblazoned on the bottom of a state historical marker to be dedicated two weeks from today at the site of a frontier-era rifle range in Bellevue. Memorials given in Potters memory are financing the marker.

The script for the historical marker was the last written by Potter, who worked 49 years for the historical society. He wrote several books and articles about the states history, and was the wordsmith for dozens of historical markers.

The marker for the Bellevue Rifle Range will be dedicated at 2 p.m. on May 21 just across the road from 704 Kountze Memorial Drive in Bellevue.

Tons of lead was shot by soldiers of the Army of the Platte at the target range from 1886-94. Many of the soldiers were stationed at Fort Omaha, which now hosts a campus of Metropolitan Community College.

Potter, it should be noted, also was among the Nebraskans who liked a good explosion. At his request, he was cremated and his remains were shot out of a cannon.
Election day is Tuesday in the City of Omaha, and registered voters who havent done so already have the opportunity and the obligation to show up and express their views about who should lead the city for the next four years.

The mayors race is hotly contested, and every vote will count. Voters will also decide whether to return incumbents or take a different route in several City Council districts and will choose new council members to fill two open seats.

In editorials last week, we offered our recommendations to voters. Here is a recap:

Omaha mayor

 Jean Stothert: She has managed the city well, imposing budget discipline on city departments and helping turn shortfalls into surpluses. She has increased spending on street repair and resurfacing while cutting the property-tax rate twice. She has been a tough negotiator with city unions, pressing for changes in police, fire and civilian pensions and health care coverage, to the benefit of city taxpayers.

Omaha City Council

 Pete Festersen, District 1: He is an energetic, knowledgeable leader who has promoted fiscal discipline and has demonstrated the ability to work constructively with colleagues, neighborhoods and developers.

 Ben Gray, District 2: He has been a steady hand as council president and a strong proponent of economic development in his district, among other things, pressing to restore the 16th Street link between downtown and north Omaha.

 Chris Jerram, District 3: He has shown a strong command of city issues, has promoted communication between developers and neighborhoods and has been a strong champion of increasing funding for job-training programs.

 Jim Rogers, District 4: His previous public service work has shown his ability to listen to constituents and help find common ground on challenging issues, background that would serve him well on the City Council.

 Rich Pahls, District 5: He is uncontested on the ballot.

 Brinker Harding, District 6: His work as a mayoral chief of staff and head of the City Planning Board would help him hit the ground running. He is articulate and thoughtful about challenges facing the citys economic development.

 Aimee Melton, District 7: She is a focused, well-informed council member who emphasizes sound fiscal management. She recognizes the need to provide property-tax relief while funding essential city services.
UP ATS picks up two more accused in Al-Qaeda radicalisation case

Alliance with Congress responsible for poor state of SP: Mulayam

India

oi-PTI

Uttar Pradesh, May 7: Samajwadi patron Mulayam Singh Yadav on Sunday blamed the alliance with the Congress for the poor state of the party and said efforts should be made to strengthen the SP.

He said that "though the Congress left no stone unturned to ruin his life, his son Akhilesh Yadav forged an alliance with the party in the run up to the assembly polls."

"Alliance with Congress is responsible for the present poor state of the party. I had advised Akhilesh not to go ahead with it but he did so. The SP is itself responsible for its defeat and not the people of the state", he told reporters.

Attacking the Congress further, Mulayam said, "Congress left no stone unturned to ruin my life. It Congress lodged cases against me and Akhilesh forged alliance with it".

To a question on his brother Shivpal Yadav deciding to form a new front, he said efforts should be made to strengthen the Samajwadi Party.

Shivpal, who retained the Jaswantnagar Assembly seat during the recent elections, has said that a secular front would be formed if Akhilesh Yadav did not hand over the reins of the party back to his father Mulayam in three months.

On Shivpal Yadav's comment terming Ramgopal Yadav as Shakuni, Mulayam said, "Whatever Shivpal said is true. Attempts were made to ensure his defeat and money was also spent for it".

The Samajwadi Party had witnessed a bitter feud between uncle Shivpal and nephew Akhilesh in the run up to the Uttar Pradesh Assembly polls.

The Samajwadi Party contested the polls under Akhilesh's leadership but suffered a humiliating defeat at the hands of the BJP. The SP tally in the assembly elections has come down to 47 from 227 in the 403-member House.

Following a bitter feud between the father and the son, Akhilesh had snatched reins of the party from Mulayam and their fight also reached the Election Commission.

PTI

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Story first published: Sunday, May 7, 2017, 15:53 [IST]
Bengaluru: Fire breaks out again in Bellandur Lake for the second time

Should only government worry about state of Bengaluru's Bellandur lake?

Bellandur lake catches fire yet again, nearby residents complain of toxic smoke

India

oi-Vikas

By Vikas

Thick smoke could be seen coming from Bengaluru's Bellandur lake which has caught fire once against on Sunday

The lake first grabbed headlines in May of 2015, when yellowish flames arose from the toxic froth that had accumulated in the lake.

Couple of weeks ago the Karnataka State Pollution Control Board (KSPCB) ordered closure of 30 polluting industries around the Bellandur lake.

The lake has become a dumping ground for illegal debris and is known for its toxic froth. The lake has caught fire earlier too due to flammable toxic waste that is dumped in it.

Thick cloud of toxic fumes around Bellandur lake A thick cloud of toxic fumes emerged after the fire. Smoke billowing from Bellandur lake Earlier, the NGT had lashed out at the Karnataka government and its agencies responsible for maintenance of the Bellandur lake, asking them why they should not be prosecuted for negligence following the recent outbreak of fire in the waterbody. Toxic smoke spreading to nearby localities Toxic fumes from the Bellandur lake choked the surrounding area on Sunday after the lake caught fire. Dumping of toxic industrial waste main reason behind fire Slamming the local civic bodies for inaction, a bench headed by NGT Chairperson Justice Swatanter Kumar had last month banned dumping of any kind of municipal solid waste around the lake. Bellandur lake has a toxic past The Bellandur lake is known for its toxic froth. There have been several incidents of frothing and fire in the past.

Thick cloud of white smoke persisted in the air around Bellandur Lake in Bengaluru after the blaze in a garbage mound around it even on February 16.

OneIndia News

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Story first published: Sunday, May 7, 2017, 19:22 [IST]
The slain terrorist was wanted by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) and a reward of Rs 2 lakh had been announced for his capture.

By India Today Web Desk: With one more civilian succumbing to his injuries on Sunday, the death toll in the Kulgam terror attack has risen to five.

The Saturday attack had also left a policeman, two other civilians and a wanted militant of the terror outfit Lashker-e-Taiba dead in Mir Bazar area of the Jammu-Srinagar highway in Kulgam district.

Fayaz Ahmed Ashwar alias Setha, the slain terrorist, had been eluding cops since August 2015 after his name cropped up in the Udhampur terror strike case, an attack on a Border Security Force convoy, which left two BSF troopers and a militant dead.

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Ahmad was wanted by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) and a reward of Rs 2 lakh had been announced for his capture.

According to an eyewitness account, constable Mehmood Ahmed Sheikh risked his life and snatched a pistol from one of the militants before other members of the police party opened fire at the terror perpetrators.

The earlier reports had mentioned that two policemen and two civilians were killed in the ambush.

KULGAM TERROR ATTACK

The militants opened fire at the police team which had gone to Mir Bazar area to investigate a road accident case. the police retaliated which killed one of the LeT militants while another was injured.

Besides, the indiscriminate firing by militants led to the death of three civilians.

Director General of Police SP Vaid in his statement informed that the injured militant managed to escape and searches were on to trace him.

(With inputs from IANS)

ALSO WATCH: Militant attack in South Kashmir's Kulgam: 2 civilians, 1 policeman killed

ALSO READ:

Kashmir: Policeman among four killed in Kulgam terror attack

Kashmir: Students injured after clashing with police near Handwara College

--- ENDS ---
'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

Delhi: Indian delegation to address conferences of security issues in Israel

India

oi-IANS

By Ians English

New Delhi, May 7: Ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Israel, an Indian delegation, including Congress leader Jaiveer Shergill, will be in Tel Aviv for three days to attend conferences on security issues that begin from May 8.

The delegation has been invited by the Institute for National Security Studies in Tel Aviv, National Nuclear Security Administration and Centre for Global Security Research, according to an official statement from Shergill's office.

The members of the Indian delegation will speak on security and economic issues facing the Middle East and South Asian countries.

The delegation also comprises National Security Advisor Ajit Doval's son Shaurya Doval, the director India Foundation, and other individuals having expertise on security issues, said the statement. Efraim Halevy, a former Head of Mossad, will address the Indian delegation.

IANS

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Story first published: Sunday, May 7, 2017, 16:39 [IST]
Delhi: Plea to make barrier like Great Wall of China misconceived, observes SC

India

oi-PTI

New Delhi, May 7: The Supreme Court has termed as wholly misconceived, a petition seeking a direction to the Centre to build a barrier similar to the Great Wall of China along its borders.

A bench headed by Chief Justice J S Khehar observed that how can India make such a wall when even the United States has not been able to fully construct a wall along the US- Mexico border.

The historic Great Wall of China, measuring around 21,196 km in length, is a series of fortifications built along the northern borders of China to protect the kingdoms against raids and invasions by various nomadic groups.

"Petitioner are seeking to make a wall like the Great Wall of China along all the borders. What kind of petition you are filing? Why are you taking so much of our time?" the bench, also comprising Justices D Y Chandrachud and S K Kaul, said.

"Even the US cannot fully construct a wall on the Mexico border and you are saying India should make wall. Where is the money? Will you pay the money for it? Should we tell the government that you will pay the money?" the bench asked while dismissing the petition.

The petitioner, a registered association, has filed the petition seeking a direction to the Centre to construct a wall like the Great Wall of China all along the borders to stop terrorism and drugs smuggling in the country.

However, after a brief hearing, the bench said, "We are of the view that the instant petition is wholly misconceived, and therefore, we are not inclined to entertain this petition."

PTI

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Story first published: Sunday, May 7, 2017, 12:28 [IST]
India's intellectuals are anti-India, says Australian sociologist who is all praise for PM Modi

Congress can never give stable govt to Himachal; it is guarantee of instability, corruption, scam: PM Modi

Efforts afoot to make Northeast 'a gateway for SE Asia': Modi

India

oi-PTI

New Delhi, May 7: Aiming to make the Northeast a gateway of Southeast Asia, the government has initiated major infrastructure projects in the seven states, including investing Rs 40,000 crore to improve the roads and highways, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Sunday.

However, he lamented that "only Gangtok in the Northeast had found a place in the first 50 clean cities", out of the 12 cities from the region surveyed as part of the recent nationwide cleanliness survey.

"While four Northeastern cities found a place between 100 and 200 clean cities, seven were positioned between 200 and 300, with Shillong being the 276th," he said while stressing that 'Swachhata' or cleanliness was a major challenge for everyone in the region.

"We have to make the Northeast a gateway for Southeast Asia," Modi said, adding if this gateway is dirty, then the dream would not be fulfilled and asked the people and organisations like the Sangha to join hands in the cleanliness campaign.

Observing that there has been no balanced development in the entire Northeastern region since Independence, Modi said his government with all its resources had planned to bring about overall and balanced development of the states.

The Prime Minister said that "the major thrust would be to improve connectivity and develop the entire region for tourism purposes. All these initiatives will help to make the Northeast the gateway of Southeast Asia," he said.

While an investment of Rs 40,000 crore is being made to improve the road infrastructure in the Northeast, 19 big railway projects have also been started in the region, he said.

"We are also improving the electricity situation in the Northeast and trying to bring even more tourists to the region," Modi said.

Announcing that the Northeast would soon be connected with UDAN scheme, he said that "small airports were also being developed in the region, while the extension of the runway at Shillong airport has been approved."

PTI

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Story first published: Sunday, May 7, 2017, 16:32 [IST]
A sense of satisfaction, my journey ends here says outgoing CJI U U Lalit

Big shoes to fill after CJI Lalit; hope to continue his good work: Justice Chandrachud

Justice DY Chandrachud to take oath as next Chief Justice today

Fodder scam: SC to pronounce verdict on dropping of charges against Lalu today

India

oi-Vikas

By Vikas

The Supreme Court will on Monday pronounce its judgement on a Central Bureau of Investigation plea opposing dropping of charges against Rashtriya Janata Dal chief Lalu Prasad Yadav in Rs. 9.4 billion fodder scam.

The top court had last month asked all the parties to give their submissions in a week.

The apex court in April heard the plea filed by Lalu challenging his jail sentence in connection with the case.

The CBI had filed a plea in the apex court against the dropping of a conspiracy charge against Yadav by the Jharkhand High Court in one of the fodder scam cases.

The scam involved fraudulent withdrawal of Rs 950 crore of public money from the treasuries of Chaibasa in undivided Bihar under the head of the animal husbandry department in the early 1990s.

The money was withdrawn on the basis on fake bills and vouchers for buying fodder and medicine for livestock by the animal husbandry officials in connivance with traders and top officials and politicians across the party lines.

Besides Lalu Prasad, former chief minister Jagannath Mishra, former animal husbandry ministers Vidyasagar Nishad and Chandradeo Prasad Verma, JD(U) MP Jagdish Sharma, BJP leader Dhruv Bhagat and former RJD MP RK Rana were also among the accused.

OneIndia News
How Pakistan funded the Kashmir unrest 173 times

India

oi-Vicky

By Vicky

As the security forces try and douse the fire in the Valley investigations have found that there have been over 173 cases of direct hawala funding to fuel the unrest in the state. The statistics provided by the Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir, Mehbooba Mufti states that hawala money was used to fund terror and unrest and since 2001, there have been 173 such cases. She cited the report of the Criminal Investigation Department.

The hawala menace is not new to the valley. In fact, investigations by various agencies including the National Investigation Agency show that hawala money has been the backbone for both terrorists to spread terror and the separatists who create the unrest. In most investigations it has been found that hawala money has reached both terrorists and separatists from abroad. The highest remittances have been from Saudi Arabia, United Kingdom and, of course, Pakistan.

Hawala still a big draw:

Investigators say transfer of money through hawala is still the biggest draw. In November 2011, four businessmen were booked by the Enforcement Directorate for facilitating hawala transactions through the Line of Control. It had become evident that this money was being sent by the Lashkar-e-Tayiba to facilitate its terrorists and separatists. However, investigations had found that the businessmen were only facilitating the transfer for a fee and were not ideologically connected to the LeT.

The terror groups still find hawala to be their best bet since it is safer compared to legal banking. "It is very difficult to crack this trail as the persons involved in the transfer change after every two or three transactions," the officer says. There is a lot of trade along the border that takes place on the barter system. Terrorists, separatists and their agents pose as traders and exchange money along the border.

Agents of terror:

Very often, these persons also pass on money which is in turn brought into India and handed out to separatists and terrorists. Investigations have shown that there were at least 48 agents until 2014 who were using the barter system to fund terrorism in the valley.

The NIA and the ED had found that these persons had moved Rs 7.5 million in 20 different cases. The seizures also led to the NIA finding cheques worth Rs 1 lakh which was meant to reach a terrorist or a separatist. The investigations also revealed that at least 90 persons from different parts of the world were involved in funding terrorists in the valley.

Investigations reveal that between the years 2009 and 2011 an amount of Rs 12 million had been recovered. Fake and foreign currency was recovered from agents who were funding terrorists. In 2011, some agents had also brought in 74,000 Saudi Arabian Riyals into the valley.

NIA sources say that the funding has gone both to terrorist groups and separatists. Money has been pumped into the Hurriyat Conference, Jammu-Kashmir Liberation Front, Islamic Students Front, Hizbul Mujahideen, Jaish-e-Mohammad and Jamiat ul-Mujahideen.

FIR against Geelani:

An 1997 FIR against separatist Syed Ali Shah Geelani an FIR alleges that he had got funding to the tune of Rs 190 million from Saudi Arabia and also another donation of Rs 100 million from the Kashmir American Council. Investigations had revealed that all these funds were routed through a Delhi-based Hawala operative. It was also found that Yasin Malik, another separatist, had received funding of USD 1 lakh and the money was being carried by a woman called Shazia.

We are looking at each case since 1995, and this will help us get a better picture of the entire racket," an NIA officer adds. Intelligence Bureau officials tell OneIndia that the money is being used for various purposes.

There is a considerable amount that goes into funding their own lavish lifestyles. The ISI which orchestrates this racket does not mind these persons living in lavish bungalows as long as they keep the fire going," says the officer. Investigations had found that a considerable amount of the money had been used to fuel the 2010 unrest in Jammu and Kashmir.

The NIA says that funding is the biggest concern and this route and channel needs to be broken. "These troublemakers do anything for money and Pakistan is not hesitant to pump in as much as is possible to keep the fire in the valley burning," the officer says

OneIndia News
Irresponsible, immature and idiotic: Naidu on Digvijay's comment on Telangana cops

India

oi-PTI

Hyderabad, May 7: Describing the comment made by Congress leader Digvijay Singh on Telangana Police as 'idiotic', Union minister M Venkaiah Naidu on Saturday urged the state government to take a case filed against the leader to its logical end.

"The Telangana government should take legal action against him for these comments. I believe they have filed a case. It is good. They should take the case to its logical conclusion," Venkaiah Naidu said.

"We cannot allow this kind of irresponsible, immature and idiotic comments. It would demoralise the police force. Some of the comments made by this kind of leaders are demoralising the security forces in Kashmir," added Venkaiah.

Singh, in-charge of the Congress in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh, kicked up a row recently with his remarks that the Telangana Police had set up a bogus ISIS website to radicalise Muslim youths and encourage them to join the terrorist outfit.

Based on a complaint by TRS MLA M Gopi Nath, the Hyderabad police lodged a case against Singh over his remarks.

"Telangana police have time and again demonstrated courage and sincerity in tackling religious extremism and terrorism. Many personnel lost their lives. They have done exemplary work in curbing Naxalite movement when the state was united. Today also their work is commendable," Naidu said.

Speaking about the BJP, he said that "the NDA is currently ruling in 17 states and 65 per cent of the geographical area of the country has the partys presence. He called on the party cadre to help spread its wings in the remaining area also."

"Narendra Modi has reached every household in the country. Now the party has to reach their doorsteps. This is the target before us," he said.

Meanwhile, Union Labour Minister Bandaru Dattatreya described Modi as "Sardar Patel of 21st century". According to him, the NDA government has targeted to ensure toilet in every school by 2019.

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Story first published: Sunday, May 7, 2017, 9:38 [IST]
Morbi Bridge is not the only Incident - Quality of Bridges, roads and Highways in BJPs government!

Karnataka BJP executive meet: Party aims to win 150 seats in 2018 elections

India

oi-Madhuri

A sense of uneasiness engulfed between BJP state president B S Yeddyurappa and Leader of Opposition in Council K S Eshwarappa during the two-day state BJP executive meet on Saturday.

Though both the leaders shared the stage, they gave each other the cold shoulder throughout the session.

Yeddyurappa also avoided taking the names of Eshwarappa and Jagadish Shettar and referred them as opposition leaders in both the Houses.

In the opening address, Yeddyurappa dismissed talk of disunity and insisted that the party was one. While addressing the gathering, Yeddyurappa said that the law and order situation in the state has completely deteriorated. The state recorded 6521 murders during the Congress rule. He further said that he did not hanker for power and that he will listen to the grievances of people in all districts in the next 45 days.

Meanwhile, the Opposition in the Council K.B. Shanappa criticised Yeddyurappa and Eshwarappa and urged them to bury their differences for the sake of the party. He said,''We can at least win 150 seats (of the 224) in the assembly elections next year, only when we are united.''

The BJP had suffered badly in the 2013 state elections when Yeddyurappa left the party and floated the Karnataka Janata Party.

OneIndia News
Curfew imposed in Kishtwar after rifle is snatched from PSO

94 civilian and 52 deaths of security personnel: Reds were most violent in 2018

X, Y, Z, Z+ and SPG: The whys and hows of security categories in India

Pakistan violated ceasefire daily in 2015, 2016: Home Ministry

India

oi-PTI

New Delhi, May 7: At least one incident of ceasefire violation by Pakistan has been reported daily along the LoC in Jammu and Kashmir in 2015 and 2016, with 23 security personnel being killed in the two years, the Home Ministry has said in an RTI reply.

It also said that 1,142 terror incidents were reported in J&K between 2012 and 2016 in which 236 security personnel and 90 civilians were killed.

In the same period, 507 terrorists were killed in encounters, the ministry said.

Major Gen retired G D Bakshi said Pakistan is running a covert war against India. "Though Pakistan talks about peace, it does not believe in it, and Jammu and Kashmir is an example," he said.

Compared to 220 terror incidents in Jammu and Kashmir in 2012, there were 322 incidents in 2016 in which 82 security personnel and 15 civilians were killed, the RTI reply said.

It said in 2015, 39 security personnel and 17 civilians were killed in 208 terror incidents while 108 terrorists were killed in encounters. While 47 security personnel and 28 civilians were killed in the state, 110 terrorists were killed in encounters in 2014, the reply said.

The RTI reply said in 2012, 15 security personnel and as many civilians were killed in 220 terror incidents, and 72 terrorists were killed in encounters.

In 2013, 53 security personnel and 15 civilians were killed in 170 terror incidents in J&K with security forces killing 67 terrorists in encounters.

"There is a new trend these days. Whenever the army surrounds militants in an area, messages are sent on social media platforms and residents from nearby places gather there, slowing down operations," Bakshi said.

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Story first published: Sunday, May 7, 2017, 12:01 [IST]
Youth Congress protests outside Kejriwal's residence

India

pti-PTI

New Delhi, May 7: Youth Congress workers on Sunday staged a protest outside the residence of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal over the corruption allegations levelled against the AAP supremo by sacked Delhi minister Kapil Mishra.

Delhi: Youth Congress protest outside Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal's residence over Kapil Mishra's allegations, water cannons used pic.twitter.com/CgwLhV1odL  ANI (@ANI_news) May 7, 2017

Demanding a CBI probe into the allegations, the outfit said Kejriwal should resign from the post of chief minister pending the investigation.

"It seems the whole of Delhi has become like a circus. The people are feeling cheated by the chief minister. These allegations have come from an ex-minister and therefore, it is a very serious issue," Amrish Ranjan Pandey, national spokesperson, Indian Youth Congress, said in a statement.

He demanded an inquiry into the allegations by the Central Bureau of Investigation and said Kejriwal should step down from the post of chief minister till the probe was concluded.

A day after being dropped from the Delhi cabinet, Mishra today alleged that he was present in person when Kejriwal took Rs 2 crore in cash from Delhi Health Minister Satyendar Jain, a charge refuted by Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia. Mishra told reporters at Raj Ghat here that he saw Jain handing over the money to Kejriwal at the chief minister's official residence.

PTI
Another US citizen detained in North Korea

International

pti-PTI

Seoul, May 7: North Korea has detained another US citizen for committing "hostile acts", it said on Sunday, its second arrest of an American in a fortnight with tensions high between Pyongyang and Washington.

The arrest of Kim Hak-Song means that the North is holding four US citizens, with the two countries at loggerheads over Pyongyang's nuclear and missile ambitions. Kim was detained on Saturday, the official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported.

"A relevant institution is now conducting detailed investigation into his crimes," it added.

The two-paragraph report gave no further details of the latest arrest. But it said Kim had been working for the Pyongyang University of Science and Technology (PUST) -- an institution founded by evangelical Christians from overseas and opened in 2010, which is known to have a number of American faculty members.

Pupils are generally children from the North's elite. Kim is the second of its personnel to have been detained in as many weeks. Accounting professor Kim Sang-Duk, or Tony Kim, also a US citizen, was held on April 22, the North confirmed last week, for trying to "overturn" the regime.

He was detained at the capital's airport as he tried to leave the country after teaching for several weeks at the university. 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. Using similar phrasing to Sunday's dispatch, it added that Kim was "under detention by a relevant law enforcement body which is conducting detailed investigation into his crimes".

PUST officials could not immediately be reached for comment by AFP in connection with Saturday's arrest. In a statement in late April the university said Tony Kim's arrest was "not connected in any way with the work of PUST". Pyongyang is engaged in a tense standoff with the administration of new US President Donald Trump over its banned missile and nuclear weapons programmes.

The North, which is widely seend as making progress towards building a rocket capable of delivering a nuclear warhead to the US mainland, has carried out a series of missile launches this year. It has also warned that it could carry out a sixth nuclear test at any time. But no blast took place during symbolic anniversaries in April, and its key ally and diplomatic protector China has urged restraint.

Trump has suggested military action could be on the table but has softened his message more recently, saying he would be "honoured" to meet Kim Jong-Un under the right conditions. 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.

Two more 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". Pyongyang last week accused the CIA and the South's intelligence services of conspiring to assassinate leader Kim Jong-Un using a biochemical weapon. The claim came just months after Kim's half-brother was murdered by two female agents at Kuala Lumpur airport using a banned nerve agent, in a killing widely blamed on Pyongyang.

PTI
The incident occurred during the funeral of Fayaz Ahmed, a militant, who was killed yesterday.

People run as suspected militants offer a gun salute to Fayaz Ahmad, a suspected militant, in Kulgam district of Kashmir, during his funeral. Photo: Reuters

By Press Trust of India: A group of militants appeared at the funeral of a slain associate and fired a volley of bullets in the air as a form of gun salute in south Kashmir's Kulgam district today.

The incident occurred during the funeral ceremony of Fayaz Ahmed alias Setha, a resident of Qaimoh area of Kulgam, who was killed in retaliation yesterday after militants had fired upon a police party which had gone to Mir Bazaar area to investigate a road accident.

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Ahmed had been been on the run since August 2015 after his name cropped up in the Udhampur terror strike case.

Three civilians and a cop were also killed in the attack yesterday.

At least four militants appeared in the crowd during the funeral today and offered gun salute to the slain militant by firing in the air from their AK-assault rifles today, police officials said.

The militants raised some slogans and then fled, the officials said.

INCIDENT DAYS AFTER COMBING OPERATION IN SHOPIAN

The incident comes just a couple of days after the security forces carried out a major combing operation in the neighbouring Shopian district to flush out militants.

There have been several instances of militants appearing at the funerals of slain associates in recent times in what appears to have taken the shape of a disturbing trend.

The slain militant, at whose funeral the incident occurred, carried a cash reward of Rs two lakh on his head and had been charge-sheeted by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) in the Udhampur terror strike case.

Also read: Kashmir: Kulgam terror attack death toll rises to five, LeT militant among those dead

Also read: Army probe points to inside job in last month's Kupwara attack in Jammu and Kashmir that killed 3 soldiers

Watch the video here

--- ENDS ---
PIA to suspend Karachi-Mumbai flight from Monday

International

oi-PTI

Lahore, May 7: Pakistan International Airlines will suspend its flight between Karachi and Mumbai from Monday due to commercial considerations, a senior airline official has said.

PIA operated two flights in a week, Monday and Thursday between Karachi and Mumbai.

However, the PIA's Lahore-Delhi flight operation will continue as traffic volume on this route is satisfactory, the PIA official told PTI.

The suspension of Karachi-Mumbai route may add traffic to Lahore-Delhi route, he said.

"There will be no PIA flight between Karachi to Mumbai and Mumbai to Karachi from April 8. The PIA has stopped booking for flights on this route," the official said.

The PIA management has decided to suspend the flight on the Karachi-Mumbai route because of extremely low traffic on the route.

"Since we have been bearing financial loss on this route for the last six months or so we have arrived at a decision to suspend this route," the official said, adding that unless a special subsidy is not given by the government on this route it may not be restored in the near future.

The PIA administration, however, dismissed media reports that the Karachi-Mumbai operation is being suspended due to tense relations between India and Pakistan.

"The reasons behind the move are purely commercial," PIA spokesperson Danyal Gillani said.

The proposal to suspend the Karachi-Mumbai flight may have been made for commercial purposes, but deteriorating ties indirectly have affected traffic on the route.

PIA was a profit making entity and earned more than Rs 2 billion in 2004 but after that it went into deficit and could not recover.

Since 2013, when the current Nawaz Sharif government took over, the carrier has suffered more than Rs 100 billion in losses, according to officials.

PTI

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Expert feels that property rates are at the lower side in Mumbai and it may not go further down.

By Mayuresh Ganapatye: Maharashtra is one of the 13 states who have implemented Real Estate Regulator Act. It has come in force from 1st May 2017 in Maharashtra. After demonetization it was real estate sector which got hit hard. As most of the transaction in this industry used to take place in cash. But, now after RERA got implemented this sector will get regularised now, which is a very good news for buyers.

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Owning a home in maximum city is every Mumbaikar's dream. But, prices here are touching sky. The average cost of a compact 1bhk in the city is between Rs 55 lakh to Rs 60 lakh. But, expert in this filed feels that property rates are at the lower side and it may not go further down.

Two city-based builders who had registered under Maha-RERA first, Rajan Bandelkar's Raunak Group is one of them.

" In RERA now builders will not be able to cheat the buyers anymore. As they have to submit all relevant documents related to project to the govt and there will be complete transparency in it. RERA will certainly assured house to buyers in stipulated time." said Rajan Bandelkar, MD Raunak Group.

He further added that rates of houses may not come down unless govt gives any subsidy on raw material which are used and as the costs of land are also high in Mumbai city and nearby towns.

Raunak Group has registered their Thane - Ghodbandar Road Unnathi Woods project under RERA, which comprises of approximately 234 units. Bandelkar told India Today that there were no problem at all to upload the documents on website as it's very much user-friendly.

As mandated, the developers have to upload details about their experience over the past five years, estimated project cost, money incurred and flats sold so far and Escrow bank account number, among other things. The law also says a builder has to submit an affidavit that the project information furnished by him while applying for registration is correct and RERA-compliant.

Also read:

What is RERA or Real Estate Regulatory Act? How will it impact your home buying?

--- ENDS ---
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Social Security Reform

Social Security benefits are progressive, which means they're designed to replace a higher percentage of a lower-earner's income than that of a higher earner.

(William Thomas Cain/Getty Images)

Q: I am a public school teacher and plan to retire with 25 years of service. I had previously worked and paid into Social Security for about 20 years. My spouse has paid into Social Security for over 30 years. Will I be penalized because I have not paid Social Security taxes while I've been teaching? Should my wife die before me, will I get survivor benefits, or will the windfall elimination act take that away? It's so confusing!

A: It is confusing, but you should understand that the rules about windfall elimination (along with a related provision, the government pension offset) are not designed to take away from you a benefit that others get. Rather, the rules are set up so that people who get government pensions  which are typically more generous than Social Security  don't wind up with significantly more money from Social Security than those who paid into the system their entire working lives.

Here's how that can happen. Social Security benefits are progressive, which means they're designed to replace a higher percentage of a lower-earner's income than that of a higher earner. If you don't pay into the system for many years  because you're in a job that provides a government pension instead  your annual earnings for Social Security would be reported as zeros in those years.

Social Security is based on your 35 highest-earning years, so all those zeros would make it look like you earned a lower (often much lower) lifetime income than you actually did. Without any adjustments, you would wind up with a bigger check from Social Security than someone who earned the same income in the private sector and paid much more in Social Security taxes. It was that inequity that caused Congress to create the windfall elimination provision several decades ago.

People who earn government pensions also could wind up with significantly more money when a spouse dies. If a couple receives two Social Security checks, the survivor gets the larger of the two when a spouse dies. The household doesn't continue to receive both checks. Without the government pension offset, someone like you would get both a pension and a full survivor's check. Again, that could leave you significantly better off than someone who had paid more into the system.

Q: You should tell people that they can help their credit score more by not paying their credit card bills in full each month. By not paying in full, but paying the minimum or more each month, it shows the card issuer that you can handle credit wisely and encourages them to raise the limit. This pushes the utilization down.

A: There's nothing wise about carrying credit card debt. The idea that you need to carry a balance to have good scores is a stupid, expensive myth that needs to die.

People who spread this myth don't understand how balances are reported to the credit bureaus and subsequently used in credit scores. Credit card issuers typically don't report your balance on the day after you pay your bill. They may report your last statement balance, or the balance on a certain day each month. That's the balance that credit score formulas have long used to calculate your scores. The scoring formulas traditionally couldn't see whether or not you carried a balance from month to month, so there was no reason to do so and incur expensive interest.

Recent credit reporting changes will make carrying a balance an even worse idea. Some card issuers have started reporting payment patterns  essentially telling the bureaus which people consistently pay their balances in full and which don't. That's because research has shown that people who pay off their credit card bills are significantly less likely to default than those who carry a balance. Mortgage lenders already are considering this information when making loans, even though it's not something that factors into the credit scores most of them currently use.

Although there's no advantage to carrying a balance, there is a huge advantage to lightly but regularly using the credit cards you have. That's what actually shows scoring formulas and lenders that you can responsibly manage credit.

Liz Weston, certified financial planner, is a personal finance columnist for NerdWallet. Questions may be sent to her at 3940 Laurel Canyon, No. 238, Studio City, CA 91604, or by using the "Contact" form at asklizweston.com.
Help wanted sign

U.S. health care, hospitality and professional service job openings have remained strong while those in retail have slowed.

(Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

American companies are still hiring, or at least looking to hire. But companies are increasingly not finding people to fill the jobs. Call it the help-wanted gap.

When it comes to measuring employment, new job creation is important. But ask someone out of work if it matters if a job opportunity is a brand new position or just a vacant one. To those looking for work or looking for better pay, a newly created job versus an empty job is a distinction without a difference.

There are thousands more job openings than people being hired. This comes from the same agency that produces the monthly jobs report with its headline unemployment rate and new job creation figures. Instead of examining how many new jobs were created, the Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey, or JOLTS, focuses on how many job openings there are in the economy.

And there are a lot  5.7 million in February  near a record higher. There were about a half-million more openings than people hired that month. The March data is due to be released on Tuesday. For more than two years now there have been more job openings each month than job hires.

The imbalance of having more job openings than hires should argue for wage growth. With companies struggling to fill jobs, they may be forced to increase wages and benefits to attract candidates.

This is a job-hunters market but not for everyone. Health care, hospitality and professional service job openings have remained strong while retail job opportunities have slowed. These trends highlight massive forces playing out in the U.S. economy such as aging and internet commerce. A widening and persistent help-wanted gap threatens future economic growth if jobseekers aren't prepared to fill it.

 Tribune News Service
Kate Brown

Oregon Gov. Kate Brown signs an executive order in the Capitol ceremonial office in Salem, Ore., as part of her work to address the state's $1.6 billion budget shortfall.

(Kristena Hansen/AP Photo)

If Oregonians had hoped Gov. Kate Brown could deliver a grand plan this legislative session that would help lift the state budget out of its deep deficit and define a path toward sustained financial stability, they're likely as disappointed as we are.

More than halfway through this session, the governor unveiled a few ideas recently in a plan feebly entitled "Governor Kate Brown, Responsible Steward of Taxpayer Dollars." If the adage is true that a governor proposes and the legislature disposes, as Brown herself asserted in a recent meeting with The Oregonian/OregonLive Editorial board, one thing is clear:

State lawmakers are on the hook for both jobs this session if there's any hope to make substantial and lasting change to Oregon's broken budget.

To her credit, Brown finally acknowledged the state's pension crisis - that she once categorized as simply "concerning" -- and accepted some blame for it on behalf of past legislature and PERS Board decisions. That's a reassuring stance after publicly downplaying the $22 billion gap between what Oregon is obligated to distribute through its pension and what money the fund has available.

Brown went on to outline her first substantial and public plan to chip away at the staggering figure, at least to a point that might provide the fund with more stability. She aims to raise $5 billion toward that plan by selling or leveraging state assets.

But the vision stops there.

Despite the fact the governor is surrounded by smart people and oversees the agencies managing state assets, she'll hand off the duty of identifying potential targets to a task force. She's also asked someone else - the state's chief operating officer, Katy Coba -- to pick the task force members, who'll deliver their recommendation in November. That's four months after the session will have ended.

Editorial Agenda 2017

Boost student success

Get Oregon's financial house in order

Help our homeless

Honor our diverse values

Make Portland a city that works

Expand access to public records

________________________

The governor called for using "best practices" to negotiate contracts and collect unpaid taxes - management strategies many Oregonians might rightly assume were already in place. Brown plans to target individuals who haven't paid state taxes, both through improved collections practices and by creating a Website of Shame listing scofflaws.

Creative, yes. But Brown first identified this pot of uncollected money, worth as much as $800 million for the general fund, back in 2009 when she was Secretary of State. Recall, she's been in charge of the Department of Revenue for the past two years, a period in which lawmakers knew big bills were soon coming due from PERS and from reduced federal reimbursements for health care.

"She directs the agency she oversees to crack down on those who haven't paid taxes and then says, 'I'm going to do an executive order on collective bargaining.' She didn't need executive orders, she could have just written herself a memo," Republican Minority Leader Rep. Mike McLane told The Oregonian/OregonLive Editorial Board. "None of this is engaged legislative leadership to solve our problems before sine die."

Democrats are more sanguine. They're looking for wins on a raft of budget cuts they're trying to make in the midst of record revenues. They're also working to win over business leaders who are increasingly resistant to offer support as they see proposed tax rates increase. Ultimately, Democratic leaders say, they just need Brown's support and signature.

Indeed, it's Oregonians who need to hear more from the governor.

Oregonian editorials

Editorials reflect the collective opinion of The Oregonian/OregonLive editorial board, which operates independently of the newsroom.

Members of the editorial board are Laura Gunderson, John Maher, Helen Jung, Mark Katches and Len Reed.

To respond to this editorial:

Post your comment below, submit

, or

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If you have questions about the opinion section, contact Laura Gunderson, editorial and commentary editor, at 503-221-8378 or lgunderson@oregonian.com.

Brown should translate her nuanced executive orders to share the larger visions that may stand behind them. Addressing Oregon's unfunded liability and scrutinizing the cost of public employee pay and health care are solid steps in the right direction.

Between the troubles in Salem and Washington, D.C., Oregonians are paying more attention than in years past. And they understand what's at stake.

Instead of walking a careful line to the 2018 gubernatorial election, the governor should help her constituents understand why it's necessary to control what pensions are paid to future public employees. And it wouldn't hurt to communicate why she must do a better job tracking what Oregon can afford to pay state workers in salary and health care in years to come.

It's not too late. She may have stalled for months in sharing her stance on Measure 97, but she could step up now to voice support for a new tax that's crafted thoughtfully and fairly and in a way that limits harm to consumers. And the governor could help spread the word about more strategic spending plans to keep Oregon's finances more stable through good times and bad.

That's the inspired leadership Oregonians need.

-- The Oregonian/OregonLive Editorial Board
1rally.JPG

Labor unions from AFSCME 75 and Oregon AFL-CIO rally at the Oregon State Capitol on Friday, April 28, 2017, in Salem, Ore., to protest potential changes to the compensation and benefits of public-sector employees to address the state's upcoming budget shortfall.

(AP Photo/Andrew Selsky)

In Marc Thielman's op-ed on school funding he falls over himself trying to convince us that healthcare plans are hurting the state's budget ("Help Oregon's students by changing public employee healthcare," May 3). I guess healthcare is the new PERS. What's next?

The truth is that Republicans will say anything to keep us from focusing on the real issue: low corporate taxes. Corporations contribute just 6 percent of the general-fund taxes collected by the state of Oregon. The rest comes out of our pockets. The share of taxes paid by corporations has fallen by two-thirds since the 1970s. Our families are picking up the slack. So if we have a revenue shortfall, let's ask Comcast and Walmart to pay their fair share instead of cutting people's healthcare plans.

People who work for the state earn less than private sector workers. Pay is 88% of what comparable private sector jobs make because we have prioritized benefits like healthcare. Most public employees make far less than school superintendents like Mr. Thielman, and their healthcare is a significant component of their compensation, unlike in his case.

Rob Fullmer, Northwest Portland

Jim Mignano, Southeast Portland

Emily Gothard, Aloha
A candidate, who was wearing a pair of jeans, was asked to remove a pocket as well as metal buttons from the clothing.

By Pramod Madhav: In a shocking incident, Tamil Nadu students appearing for the NEET exam were not allowed inside the examination hall wearing full sleeve shirts. Also, a female candidate who appeared at a NEET centre here on Sunday claimed that she had to remove her innerwear before sitting for the entrance test. Other women candidates too faced a harrowing experience due to a strict dress code in force.

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"My daughter went inside the centre, only to return later and hand me her top innerwear," said her mother.

Each student was even checked with the help of a torch near the gate and even the earholes were not spared. Metal objects, huge buttons, high heels, heavy ornaments were not allowed inside the examination hall either.

A candidate, who was wearing a pair of jeans, was asked to remove a pocket as well as metal buttons from the clothing.

Her father told IANS, "She was wearing jeans. Since it had pockets and metal buttons, they needed to be removed. I went to a shop about three km away from the exam centre and bought a new dress for her after getting the shop opened."

As it was getting late to write the exam, some parents asked their kids to remove their shirts, cut off the sleeves with a scissor and made them wear the uneven looking shirt to write the paper.

The NEET exam was conducted for admission to undergraduate medical courses in government and private medical colleges in the country with nominal success and more embarrassment across Tamil Nadu.

Close to 89,000 students participated in the test which was conducted in Chennai, Vellore, Coimbatore, Madurai, Salem, Trichy, Namakkal and Thirunelveli.

"The whole purpose to take this exam is to calculate our eligibility but they are looking for some gadgets which might help us to cheat. They are acting as if affected by extreme paranoia", said a student who wrote NEET.

MEDICAL COLLEGE STUDENTS' PROTEST

Apart from this, Tamil Nadu medical college students continued their protest for the 18th day. To acquire the attention of the state government, they conducted face painting and wrote letters with their blood.

Back in 2016, Jayalalithaa wrote a letter to Modi, got exemption from NEET and thanked him for his quick action. Her argument was that NEET would not be fair for students from rural Tamil Nadu.

(With inputs from IANS)

Also read: 12-year-old Indian-origin girl scores 162 in Mensa IQ test, beats Einstein, Stephen Hawking

Also read: Supreme Court seeks Kerala Chief Secretary's reply on Senkumar's contempt plea

WATCH | NEET shocker: Female medical aspirant asked to remove bra, metal button from jeans before writing exam

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In his first Portland-area town hall meeting since the American Health Care Act passed the House of Representatives, U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., told a crowd gathered at Liberty High School in Hillsboro that they shouldn't be too worried about the Senate rubber stamping the legislation.

"I'm not going to minimize how tough this is going to be, but we've got a lot to work with," he said. "I don't even think they're going to have hearings on this."

Not only did the GOP's Obamacare replacement narrowly make it through the House on a 213-217 vote, but Senate Republicans have been reticent to back the legislation.

Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-La., told CNN he'd only back a healthcare bill if it passes "the Jimmy Kimmel test," a notion Wyden repeatedly brought up as he spoke to the crowd of a few hundred.

Senator @BillCassidy on insurance firms capping customer payouts: "Does it pass the Jimmy Kimmel test?" https://t.co/8fr65KMoFS  CNN Newsroom (@CNNnewsroom) May 5, 2017

Kimmel recently had a son whose heart defect required several surgeries days after he was born. In a 12-minute monologue on his late-night show, the comedian detailed the process, thanking the doctors and nurses who treated the boy and asking Congress to reconsider legislation that would allow insurers to deny coverage based on pre-existing conditions.

Although Wyden was confident the AHCA wouldn't advance in the upper chamber, he still dedicated plenty of time to slamming House Republicans' bill.

"This is an age tax, plain and simple," he said of an AHCA provision that would allow insurers to charge higher premiums for the sick and elderly. "Getting older in America is not cheap."

Another Oregonian on Capitol Hill, Rep. Greg Walden of the state's 2nd Congressional District, was a chief architect of the House bill. Wyden's role in the Senate process, he told reporters after the meeting, will be slightly different.

"As the ranking Democrat on the finance committee, I will be with Sen. (Patty) Murray  she's the ranking member on the health committee  and we're going to be the go-to people with respect to pointing out the flaws in what the House has done and suggesting there's a better way to go," he said. "We have ideas for holding down the cost of prescription drugs and fixing the marketplace."

The senator said he planned to spend "night and day" working on the legislation.

Sen. Ron Wyden is holding a town hall meeting at Liberty High School in Hillsboro, his first since House Republicans passed their healthcare bill. Posted by The Oregonian on Saturday, May 6, 2017

Healthcare was the only topic Wyden was insistent in tackling during the 90-minute meeting  aside from that, he solicited the crowd for questions.

The first person to speak up asked Wyden about the appointment of a special prosecutor to investigate President Trump's alleged ties to the Russian government. The senator said he'd keep pushing for the Senate intelligence committee to pursue an investigation.

As in the past, he also advocated for the president to release his tax returns.

"That is the lowest ethical bar in respect to the president," he said. "I want the investigation sped up."

On what he wants to do in order to reform the criminal justice system: "I think we need to end tax breaks for private prisons, period."

He also urged folks in attendance to reach out to friends and relatives who live in red states after one attendee asked how they can avoid preaching to the choir politically and push for change across the country.

"That senator would not want to hear from a person in Washington County, Oregon because they don't represent you," he said.

Instead, Wyden suggested Oregonians state their case to friends and family in other districts and have them call those representatives and senators.

At the event's outset, Wyden honored author Alter Wiener, a Holocaust survivor who's lived in the state since 2000.

--Eder Campuzano | 503.221.4344

@edercampuzano

ecampuzano@oregonian.com
Paul Hanneman, a former Oregon lawmaker best known for sponsoring the nations first law requiring beer and soda bottles to carry a deposit, died May 3.He was 81.

Hanneman served 26 years in the Oregon House of Representatives. The 1971 bottle bill he sponsored helped establish then-Gov. Tom McCalls national reputation as an environmentalist, but in 1990 Hanneman told former The Oregonian political reporter Jeff Mapes that the maverick governor had been slow to become a supporter of the concept.

I was always miffed at McCall for not being there earlier,'' Hanneman told Mapes.

Last year, Hanneman wrote a book, The Inside Story: Oregons Beach and Bottle Bills.

He also helped draft the state's first Forest Practices Act, which regulates logging activities, in 1969 and also worked on laws to protect tidelands.

Born July 20, 1936, in Portland, Hanneman and his family moved to Pacific City in 1945 and built a home and fishing resort on the Nestucca River. He is survived by his wife, Sandra, and their son, Kurt.

-- The Oregonian
Expo Center Remembrance.jpg

Hundreds gathered in the Portland Expo Center on May 6, 2017, to remember Japanese Americans who were forced to live there before they were relocated to internment camps during World War II.

Seventy-five years ago, George Nakata was met by the stench of animal manure and urine when he entered what would be his Portland home for four months. Black flies hovered and pigeons darted overhead.

The Pacific International Livestock Exposition Center, as it was known at the time, was used to house livestock. But it was hastily repurposed into living quarters for Nakata, his family and close to 3,700 other Japanese Americans, and renamed the Portland Assembly Center.

Nakata returned there Saturday. This time, there were no black flies, no odious small. Instead, the hundreds gathered in what is now the Portland Expo Center were there to remember the Japanese Americans who were forced from their homes after President Franklin Delano Roosevelt signed an executive order that permitted regional Army commanders to remove all people of Japanese ancestry from the West Coast.

They were relocated on May 6, 1942, and stayed until they were dispersed to remote federal camps across multiple states.

Saturday's pilgrimage, organized by the Oregon Nikkei Endowment, was meant to honor Japanese Americans who were incarcerated during the war. Nakata and other speakers praised their resilience.

"Today we entered this building once again," Nakata said. "We are stronger for the injustices endured. We are scarred but not broken."

But the incarceration affected subsequent generations of Japanese Americans, said Weston Koyama, a law student at the University of Oregon whose great-grandparents and grandparents were detained in the camps.

To avoid the racism faced by their relatives, later generations felt pressure to assimilate, losing ties to their culture, Koyama said. But they were often perceived as "other" by many Americans, he said, as evidenced by the persistent question, "Where are you from?"

"The legacy of struggle to define our identity in the context of American society continues to this day," Koyama said.

Speakers also urged the crowd to stand up against prejudice so as not to repeat the country's past mistakes.

Dale Minami, a San Francisco-based lawyer who helped get the conviction of Fred Korematsu overturned in the 1980s, spoke of Korematsu's courage in protesting Roosevelt's executive order. Korematsu, along with Gordon Hirabayashi and Minoru Yasui, evaded incarceration and challenged the treatment of Japanese Americans in the U.S. Supreme Court.

Their actions, Minami said, are an example for Americans today. He urged the crowd to stand up for American Muslims and others facing discrimination.

"Let that be a lesson for us that dissent is not the enemy of patriotism," Minami said. "In 1942, America was silent. Very few people dissented, and we had a civil rights disaster. We can't afford to let that happen again today."

 Samantha Matsumoto

503-294-4001; @SMatsumoto55
Students from Hillsboro's Liberty High School celebrated prom Saturday night at the Victorian Belle in Portland.

This is the fifth year The Oregonian has covered Portland-area proms, photographing all of the excitement and glamour the annual rite of passage brings. From April through May, our photographers are fanning out across the metro area as students don evening gowns and tuxedos and step out for the special night. Follow along all season at oregonlive.com/prom.

Students, staff and parents can add their photos to our mix, too. Use the hashtag #PDXprom on your Twitter and Instagram photos.

Liberty High School has been in on the fun for years. Check out photos from proms past.

Liberty High School 2016 prom photos

Liberty High School prom 2015 photos

Liberty High School prom 2014

Liberty High School prom 2013

Thanks to the Liberty Falcons for inviting us to the party. Look for more prom coverage this weekend with Sunset and Rex Putnam high schools. Next weekend, you'll find our photographers at Cleveland, Aloha, Franklin and Tualatin high schools' proms.

-- Dave Killen
The Silicon Forest is in a slump.

Tech was Oregon's hottest sector coming out of the Great Recession, handily outpacing other industries in job and wage growth. By 2013 tech accounted for nearly 12 percent of all Oregon wages, as big a share as wood products in its heyday.

Something's changed. The industry didn't add any jobs the last 10 months of 2016 amid a sell-off of the state's biggest technology companies and a sharp decline in startup funding.

In recent years, tech wage growth has fallen behind the Oregon average.

It's a puzzling development, given that tech remains a robust field nationally and the rest of Oregon's economy is sizzling. Statewide unemployment is at its lowest point on record, at 3.8 percent.

So what's going on?

There's no clear answer, but Oregon tech may be suffering an innovation deficit, contributing to a broader malaise.

"People move to Oregon to settle down and get out of it," lamented Josh Hartung, chief executive of Portland autonomous driving startup PolySync. "The net effect is we don't shoot as high as some of the other cities on the West Coast, and also frown on those that do."

That's not a new complaint - Portland has been fighting its tag as a "lifestyle" city, devoid of ambition, for decades. A half-dozen tech startups that emerged from the 2007-09 recession - among them data center manager Puppet and online banker Simple - appeared to have the city on its way to changing its image.

With job growth slowing, though, and a dearth of bright prospects, that old narrative seems to be back. Stagnation has hit both Oregon's aging hardware ecosystem and its emerging software sector, according to Josh Lehner, with the Oregon Office of Economic Analysis.

"Within the broader tech sector it seems to have slowed down in the last six to nine to 12 months," Lehner said. His calculations show that Oregon tech employment leveled off even as the sector continued its rapid ascent nationally: at the end of March, the four most valuable companies in the world (Apple, Google, Microsoft and Amazon) were all U.S. technology businesses.

Tech jobs pay an average of $106,000 annually, according to government data, more than double the state's median wage. That underscores just how vital the industry is to Oregon.

Yet the falloff in job growth is being reflected in the sector's wages: Over the past two years, pay across Oregon industries has outpaced gains in tech.

Oregon's slowdown coincided with massive job cuts at Intel that began last spring. The company is the state's largest private employer, and last year's restructuring was the biggest in its history.

Though those cuts took a wrenching personal toll on 15,000 individual employees across the company - Intel hasn't said how many of those were in Oregon - the net effect was relatively muted at its Washington County campuses. Intel said recently it employs 19,300 in Oregon, just 200 below its all-time high in 2015. That indicates Intel hired almost as many new workers as it shed with the cutbacks.

More than Intel, then, Oregon's high-tech slowdown may reflect some longstanding issues:

Oregon's Silicon Forest sprouted around a single hardware company, Tektronix, which became a freewheeling idea factory that attracted engineers from around the country.

The state's largest technology companies were growing slowly, if at all, even before a multibillion-dollar selloff that began in 2014. They hadn't expanded beyond their niches in years, so when the tech industry began consolidating they were prey for larger businesses. Mentor Graphics, for example, was the only billion-dollar company to emerge from Tektronix - but under investor pressure last year, it agreed to become a small part of the portfolio of German engineering giant Siemens.

The spate of takeovers only exacerbated Oregon's dubious status as a tech outpost, far from the corporate innovation hubs in Silicon Valley and elsewhere. Microsoft, Google and Salesforce, for example, have had outposts in the Portland area for years - but none has grown into a major research site for those companies.

Intel continues doing cutting-edge work in Hillsboro, but few other Oregon outposts are leading their companies' research or adding jobs. Take the data centers popping up across central and eastern Oregon - they carry such brand names as Facebook, Google, Apple and Amazon, but nearly all the work is done by faceless computers, not by inventive engineers.

Those outposts do pay well, and are major contributors to Oregon's economy. But comfortable, six-figure salaries reduce the incentive for entrepreneurs to set out on their own - the way they did a decade ago, when the tech economy was in the tank.

And while some members of the latest class of Oregon startups have developed promising businesses, they're in narrow sectors such as social media marketing. Portland is still a bargain compared with Seattle or Silicon Valley, but it's still not a compelling draw for ambitious young companies that want to do more than save money.

In the past two years, nearly all of the state's large tech companies - including TriQuint Semiconductor, FEI Co., Cascade Microtech, Planar Systems and Mentor - found out-of-state buyers.

Those companies date to another era, aging businesses that hadn't expanded beyond their core markets. And though the change in ownership hasn't produced large-scale job cuts, the new owners have given no indication they intend to expand their Oregon outposts.

And as the old guard leaves the scene, Oregon has yet to produce a new generation of high-tech stalwart to take their place.

Oregon upstarts have delivered uneven returns for investors. There have been a handful of prominent deals - such as Elemental Technologies' $296 million sale to Amazon in 2015 - but also plenty of disappointments. It took Webtrends' owners 12 years to find a way out of that company, and Jive Software sold this past week for less than half its 2011 IPO price.

"What I would like to see more from Oregon entrepreneurs generally is shooting higher and talking louder," said PolySync's Hartung.

PolySync moved to Southeast Portland last year from northern Idaho, in search of a broader talent pool to help the company grow. It now employs 30, and Hartung said he's been very satisfied with the skills he's found in the city.

Yet he also said the city's culture favors those who choose to be practical and sensible over those who would risk falling on their face for the chance of accomplishing something profound.

"That's reflected in our tech sector, as well, which tends to be enablement technology. We build the solid back-end which enables other people's hype," Hartung said. "The question we have to ask is, 'How do we get a little bit of that hype?'"

Rick Turoczy, an evangelist for Portland startups and general manager of the Portland Incubator Experiment, agrees that Oregon has traditionally played a supporting role in building up new technologies. And that may be part of why the local tech scene is in a lull.

"Oregon does a really good job once the market has been established," Turoczy said. "We don't ever seem to be the ones establishing the market."

At the moment, technologies such as autonomous vehicles, virtual reality, artificial intelligence and a class of connected devices called the Internet of Things all seem to have the potential to dramatically remake our relationship with the world. But none of those technologies has found mainstream acceptance - and so aren't yet ready for the kind of complementary role Oregon tech has historically played.

As those new technologies ripen, though, Turoczy said he expects to see a rebound among Portland startups. He said technologists working at larger businesses have been nurturing new ideas on the side, quietly harboring some entrepreneurial instincts as well.

"There is an ebb and flow to it," Turoczy said. "People who have been at those companies four to five years are starting to get the itch to want to do something new."

Though Oregon tech hasn't been growing lately, it hasn't contracted, either. That's something of an accomplishment, given the scale of disruption at Intel and all the big companies that have been sold.

And while Portland lacks some assets other tech hubs enjoy, namely a major research university and an established investment community to help new companies grow, the city remains an attractive destination for educated professionals and continues to draw from other parts of the country.

So maybe a pause isn't such a bad thing, especially considering the economic burdens rapid tech growth has created in Seattle and San Francisco. Turoczy said Portland's tech culture has always been different, and if it isn't producing headline-grabbing startups, the city may be achieving something meaningful in its own way.

"People here, they've always been more motivated by curiosity and craft than financial reward," he said. "We're not so focused on the business being the be-all and end-all of our existence. I don't think that's necessarily a bad thing."

-- Mike Rogoway; twitter: @rogoway; 503-294-7699
By Press Trust of India: instead of Telugu ones

Warangal (Tel), May 7 (PTI) The students appearing for NEET at an exam centre in the city today were allegedly given English and Hindi question papers instead of Telugu ones.

The mix-up took place at the exam centre at St Peters Central Public School in Hanamkonda area, said Assistant Commissioner of Police P Murali.

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Some 120 students who appeared for National Eligibility cum Entrance Test at the centre were from Telugu medium schools, he said.

The students later said when they pointed out that they should be given Telugu question papers, the exam coordinator allegedly refused and asked them to carry on with English or Hindi question papers which had been distributed.

Parents of some of the students and some student organisations protested the mix-up, demanding registration of police case against the concerned officials.

District collector K Amrapali couldnt be contacted for further information. PTI Cor KRK KRK

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Photoshopped or not?

"Kirby Jenner," the self-proclaimed twin of Kendall Jenner, has been photoshopping himself into the reality TV star's Instagram photos for the past year or so, and internet users can't get enough of him.

Known for his bushy mustache and his Kendall-esque captions, Kirby Jenner has built a following of over 600,000 users on Instagram.

In an interview with Teen Vogue, Kirby shared some insight on his relationship with Kendall.

"Kendall and I are as freakin close as...um, what's an example of two REALLY close things? Like, two rocks sitting on top of each other?" Kirby said. "Or no, like we're as close as two people stuffed into the same phone booth. Or like, two pieces of ham slapped onto a sandwich."

He went on to describe how he and Kendall spend their time together.

"I guess our fav thing is singing karaoke to songs in different languages (so so funny not knowing how to pronounce the words) or building pillow forts with Kanye or doing spin-art together. Just lots of regular twin stuff, you know?"

Related Video: Kendall Jenner facing more controversy because of Vogue Magazine cover

Kendall has yet to publicly acknowledge the existence of her twin, but Kirby blames a member of her fashion team for that.

"I think it's mostly this guy Mario on her fashion team. I accidentally flew my drone into his face and I don't think he's forgiven me," Kirby said.

Kirby's full account can be found here.
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President Trump has completed his first 100 days in office.

While questions about the wall, trade deals, and Russia are buzzing, we thought we'd give Melania Trump a moment to shine.

Although not much can be said about the FLOTUS' performance in her first 100 days, (until she moves into the White House) Mrs. Trump has easily become a style icon.

FLOTUS: People are notice one big thing about Melania Trump's official portrait

Much like Jackie Kennedy, Betty Ford, and Michelle Obama, Melania Trump knows what is most flattering on her and what will make an impression.

Being no stranger to high end fashion, Mrs. Trump wears skirt suits, pantsuits, and flowing coats with ease. She could very well end up being the most fashionable First Lady since Jackie O.

The former model has also showed up to important government events wearing probably, the tallest heels of any first lady. The 47-year-old already stands at 5 feet 11 inches.

Mrs. Trump's early days of government life were ridden with criticism and refusal's from designers to dress her, however, it doesn't appears that she'll ever have a problem finding the right thing to wear.

ICYMI: The best memes from the White House Correspondents Dinner

In case your wondering how Mrs. Trump obtains all of these high-end threads... Hello! Being married to Donald J. Trump has its perks. According to the Hollywood Reporter, Melania Trump buys all of her clothes. And as tradition goes, clothes that are gifted to the FLOTUS for events of public or historical significance must be accepted on behalf of the U.S. Government and are then stored by the National Archives.

We may not be looking forward to 100 more days of this political climate, but we are looking forward to seeing FLOTUS' winning fashion choices.

Take a look in the gallery above for every outfit worn by Melania Trump during President Trump's first 100 days in office.
EUREKA  Janelle Reents encouraged Eureka College graduates on Saturday to meet the challenges ahead of them, lead with conviction, serve others and never stop learning.

Reents has served as the president of Monicals Pizza since May 2008, the fifth president in company history and the first female president. Her current role is a culmination of nearly three decades with the company.

As commencement speaker for the 2017 graduating class at the Christine Bonati Bollwinkle Arena and Convocation Center, Reents reflected on her own career that started when she got a job in college making pizzas at Monical's Pizza. As she rose through the ranks to her current position as president of the corporation, she held many jobs along the way. She encouraged students to always keep moving forward after graduation to achieve their goals.

You have a dream; now is the time to do it, Reents said.

Reents equated the graduation ceremony with her own in 1992 as she sat waiting to walk across the stage to receive her diploma.

I will always remember the speaker at my graduation saying, 'Everything that has been good in my life began here,' Reents said.

That speaker was fellow Eureka College graduate Ronald Reagan, who became the 40th president of the United States.

Reents said she and Reagan and the graduating students all share a common experience at Eureka College. That experience included learning new things, learning to serve others and learning to lead, she said.

Never stop learning, Reents said. Embrace learning. Your experience in life will serve you in later years.

Reents said she started from the bottom working at Monical's Pizza. She learned everything from how to make and assemble pizzas, to cleaning toilets, to learning how to manage others. Meeting new challenges led her to new opportunities, she said.

Look at every job along the way as an opportunity to grow, Reents said.

Learning to serve others and remembering the Golden Rule, Do unto others as you would have them do unto you, should become a way of life, Reents said. While in college and later, she had the opportunity to participate in community service projects and continues to encourage others to do the same.

Make service a part of your life, Reents said. When you decide to make a difference even in the smallest way, you have taken a step to change the world.

Reents said she was very proud of her employees who worked hard to help their communities after the devastating tornadoes in 2013. Giving back helped bring communities together during a devastating natural disaster that included massive damage to her Illinois hometown of Washington.

Reents also encouraged students to step outside their comfort zones and take on leadership roles.

Dont let doubts and insecurities keep you from achieving your dream, Reents said. Failure is greatness waiting to happen. Facing adversity is meaningful; take the risk. She also told students to lead with conviction so their leadership skills can evolve as they grow.

Using the skills they have learned and making good choices will help students achieve their potential, she said.

If Ronald Reagan can become the 40th president of the United States; if I can become president of a $60 million corporation, imagine what you can do, Reents said.
In an effort to normalize breastfeeding in the capital city of Colombia, retail shops in Bogota installed mannequins holding a baby doll being breastfed. Non-profit organization Amigos de la Lactancia spearheaded the initiative that ran throughout the month of April.

Several retail stores like in Centro Mayor Mall in the Colombian capital participated in the campaign, Ruptly TV (via MSN) reported. The report said the organization's goal is to help breastfeeding mothers feel safe in public while feeding their children.

In the stores, PlayGround reported that signages were placed apart from the breastfeeding dummies. The sign read "100 percent amigable con la lactancia," which read "100 percent breastfeeding-friendly" in English.

Retail store customer Luisa Fernanda Prieto, meanwhile, told Ruptly TV that the campaign "does not generate anything at all" and that it could be done better. Breastfeeding in public remained a taboo in the country despite arduous campaigns to promote its normalization.

Why we need to normalize breastfeeding -- even if it offends you https://t.co/5770N99yUw pic.twitter.com/PPDyBOHCTo  HuffPost Blog (@HuffPostBlog) August 2, 2016

Scientific consensus already stated that breastmilk is the best nutrition for infants, yet more than half of the Colombians were found not to be engaged in early initiation of breastfeeding, a document from International Baby Food Action Network said. Moreover, the document said that the country lacked an independent National Breastfeeding Committee that can educate women regarding the importance of breastfeeding.

Nevertheless, organizations like Amigos de la Lactancia doubly worked hard to promote breastfeeding as a primary source of nutrition among infants. Some Colombian mothers also took their part in educating fellow mothers of its normalization.

Last year, one Colombian cop publicly nursed an abandoned newborn baby without hesitation and saved her life. Metro reported that Luisa Fernanda Urrea breastfed the severely starving baby while waiting for the ambulance.

The baby, who was found at a remote forest settlement, was at risk of hypothermia. "I'm a new mother and I have milk and I recognized the needs that this poor little creature had." Urrea said.
By Press Trust of India: Sumir Kaul

Srinagar, May 7 (PTI) Security agencies are not ruling out the possibility of the banned ISIS trying to create a base in the Kashmir Valley, noting that internet chats and establishing of contacts with possible handlers in Syria and Iraq by some youths have grown in the last six months.

Officials in the security establishment, who are not authorised to speak to the media, said on condition of anonymity that there have been small pockets in the Valley from where some youths are trying to get in touch with one or more handlers in Syria and Iraq.

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Last month, two masked gunmen appeared at the grave of a Hizbul Mujahideen terrorist in Pulwama during which they asked the gathering to follow the rules laid down by Taliban and ISIS and not support or raise slogans in favour of Pakistan.

They gave fiery speeches for over three minutes in which they spoke about pan-Islamisation and the importance of having Shariat as a law, the officials said.

While militant outfits including United Jehad Council, a conglomerate of terror outfits based out of Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, as well as the local unit of Hizbul Mujahideen were quick to downplay the incident, security officials viewed it with more seriousness.

The agencies felt if the growing influence of ISIS was not checked, it could be detrimental to the situation in the Valley.

The officials said that the activities on the internet from the Valley to some accounts in Syria and Iraq have been tracked during last one year.

In 2014, 2015 and early 2016, there were few stray cases whichi had been noticed. But beginning this year, after a comprehensie monitoring system was placed to track such chats, over a 100 users were found to be conversing with possible handlers in the two foreign countries.

There was no pinpointed information about the users other than the general areas of some villages in South Kashmir, Sopore in North Kashmir, Prang and Lar in Central Kashmir as well as Reasi, Kishtawar and Doda areas of Jammu region, they said.

During the recent protests across the Valley, ISIS flags were waived in certain areas and even walls in some were splattered with slogans supporting the banned terror outfit.

Army has also been worried about the growing influence of the ISIS ideology on the youth of the Valley and a study done last year showed that six out of 10 youths were watching videos of controversial Islamic preacher Zaki Naik or other jehadi videos. PTI SKL ARC

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The country's renowned midwife, Ina May Gaskin, sparked controversy after she implicitly said that more black women suffer during pregnancy and post-partum due to their own bad behaviors. Gaskin, known as the mother of authentic midwifery, said the gaffe during a birth seminar in Fort Worth, Texas.

High infant and maternal death rates long plagued the United States healthcare. Numerous research already proved that the primary cause of this cannot be fully blamed to black women.

Yet, Gaskin said that more black women and infants die during childbirth due to maternal drug use, whether it's prescription or illegal drugs. During the seminar, Gaskin failed to acknowledge that the research-proven cause of these deaths is racial prejudice, similar to hers, which stressed pregnant women of color.

The controversy stirred resentment from the Black community, Yes Magazine reported. The report also said that black birth workers revolted more against Gaskin as they pushed to boycott the veteran on all of her events.

For the longest time until the 1920s, black women gave birth to both white and children of color. Known as the "granny midwives," these women were historically significant among Southern families until The Sheppard-Towner Act of 1921 took the credibility away from these midwives.

The law inhibited the granny midwives from their profession as it labeled them uneducated and unclean. In exchange, they promoted mainstream birthing care, which in the modern times developed to be more likely against black women than white.

A post shared by Beyonce (@beyonce) on May 4, 2017 at 11:06am PDT

As previously reported, studies confirmed that black mothers faced higher chances of death because of deprived access to education and adequate healthcare. Black babies, too, were more likely to die compared to their white counterparts due to preterm labor normally caused by maternal stress.

When she mentioned her solution to the problem, Rewire reported that Gaskin advised the importance of hard work, particularly, growing their own food that can make their eating habits better. She also said these women should be responsible, knowing the risks they carry as pregnant women.

Gaskin also discussed the effects of drug use and doing a prayer as a way of destressing. The midwife might not outspokenly blasted black pregnant women but her "solutions" gave an idea of how she viewed people of color.

What do you think of Gaskin's opinion about black maternal pregnancy? Share to us your thoughts by commenting below!
Anti-vaccine groups disseminated false information regarding vaccinations causing autism after a concerted effort that targeted a Somali community in Minnesota. Now, health officials blamed such information dissemination in the increase of measles cases in the area since the 1990 outbreak.

Health officials said they recorded 41 cases and nearly all of them are from the Somali immigrant community in Hennepin County. Most of them were kids who did not get their regular vaccination against the disease.

One of the affected kids' parents, Suaado Salah, shared her three-year-old son and her 18-month-old daughter contracted the disease. She came to Minnesota more than 10 years ago and she revealed that the anti-vaccine groups urged them not to get vaccinations for measles, mumps and rubella because they believed it caused autism.

After these anti-vaccine groups targeted the Somali community in Minnesota, the rate of immunization decreased drastically. Health experts then related the increase in the number of measles cases since last month in the area to the plummeting immunization rates.

A former physician named Andrew Wakefield, who is considered as the founder of the modern anti-vaccination movement, became the face of the anti-vaccine groups. Back in 2000 and the early years after that, the Somali community had high numbers of vaccination but in 2008, the information about autism and vaccination instilled fear in them. In 2004, the vaccination rate was at 92 percent while in 2014, the vaccination rate was at 42 percent.

Wakefield remained not credible to many as he became stripped of his British medical license due to a false 1998 study, which was about the relation of measles, mumps and rubella vaccine with autism. Wakefield said last week regarding the measles outbreak in the Somali community, "The Somalis had decided themselves that they were particularly concerned. I was responding to that."

Federal health officials recommend getting the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine at 12- to 15-months-old. A second shot is recommended at four- to six-years-old, The Washington Post shared.

Healthline said Measles is highly contagious and is a viral infection. The common symptoms are fever, coughing, runny nose and rashes. In severe cases, the infection causes ear infection, bronchitis, blindness, pneumonia, diarrhea and inflammation of the brain. It could also lead to death.
A federal appeals court on Friday upheld a ruling that invalidated a patent owned by Affinity Labs of Texas LLC, a serial plaintiff in patent infringement cases against Apple and other tech companies. Reuters further noted that the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit affirmed a determination by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office that an Affinity patent relating to file downloading was invalid as obvious.

One of the patent lawsuits filed by Affinity against Apple was filed back in 2009. Reuters didn't list the specific patent that was invalidated on Friday.

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Patna: Stung by the embarrassing show in the list of most clean cities in India following the announcement of the result of the recent cleanliness survey conducted by the Central government, Patna Mayor Afzal Imam, refusing to accept the damning result, fired off a letter to the office of Swachchha Bharat Mission demanding an explanation on the criteria used to determine the level of cleanliness of a city.

Threatening to pull out of the survey in the coming years if he did not receive a satisfactory answer, Imam essentially said that the inspection team of the Swachchha Bharat Mission did not give adequate time to the city to prepare for the survey.

"The team was initially scheduled to visit Patna between February 6 and 8. However, this was changed in the last minute and the team instead arrived on February 4 after informing us on February 3," the Mayor said adding the Patna Municipal Corporation (PMC) had been working round-the-clock to keep the city clean for Prakash Mahotsav to celebrate the 350th birth anniversary of Guru Govind Singh and kept its efforts up even after the conclusion of the week-long festival.

"It just does not make any sense to be listed at the 262nd place in a list of 434 cities. This is very demoralizing and a setback to our intent to turn Patna into one of the cleanest cities in the country," Imam said.

The Mayor also ridiculed Patna getting zero points for failing to encourage people to download the so-called 'Cleanliness' app.

"Nearly 2000 apps were downloaded and at least 636 problems out of 668 complaints lodged on the app were resolved by the PMC. Yet, Patna was given zero point in app download category," Imam lamented.
Patna: In a stark reminder of the infamous Jungle Raj during the Lalu-Rabri regime, a private television channel on Saturday released a damning audio tape of a conversation between notorious gangster-turned-politician Mohammed Shahabuddin and Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) chief Lalu Prasad Yadav revealing the two still relied on each other for reasons politically beneficial to each other.

The alleged Shahabuddin-Lalu audio tape released by the fledgling television channel 'The Republic TV' started by Arnab Goswani, a senior journalist, has kicked off a political sandstorm in Bihar as opposition leaders led by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) demanded ouster of Shahabuddin from the RJD of which he continues to remain a functionary while also asking Chief Minister Nitish Kumar to break his ties with the RJD in Bihar.

In the tape that was said to be recorded on April 15, 2016, former Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) MP from Siwan, who is currently lodged in the maximum-security prison in Tihar in Delhi, gives a call to Yadav to seek ouster of a Superintendent of Police (SP) of Siwan in the backdrop of Ramnavami celebration at the time.

The phone call ends with Yadav assuring Shahabuddin that he was going to call the said SP personally.

"This tape has once again proved that the nexus between Lalu's party and criminal is alive and well. If this will not force Nitish Kumar to re-examine his relationship with Lalu then perhaps nothing will. However, the people of Bihar will come to know that the Chief Minister is only concerned with remaining in power and does not care who he allies with to attain this goal," former Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Kumar Modi said.

The BJP leader also demanded cancellation of Yadav's bail in the fodder scam saying as a convicted criminal, he had been successful in shaping Bihar government and its policies despite Nitish Kumar's claim of good governance in the state.

While there was no word from the Lalu clan on the latest controversy to hit it, party leader Jagadanand Singh said that Shahabuddin was a senior leader of the party and will continue to remain so.

Unconfirmed reports also said that the Chief Minister called a meeting of the senior police officials and directed the Director General of Police (DGP) P K Thakur to verify the authenticity of the audio tape.

It may be recalled that Shahabuddin was shifted from Siwan Jail to the Bhagalpur Jail last year in May. He managed to get a bail in a case and was released from the jail Sept. 10. His freedom, however, remained short-lived as he was ordered by the Supreme Court to surrender. Earlier this year in February, he was shifted to Tihar Jail in Delhi where he continues to remain behind bars.

Meanwhile, a delegation of the BJP met with Governor Ram Nath Kovind on Saturday and asked him to interfere in the matter saying the entire Bihar government was being run by criminals lodged in various jails in Bihar.

"With the revelation of the nexus between Lalu Prasad Yadav, whose party is a part of the current government in Bihar, and Siwan criminal Shahabuddin, it is clear that no one is safe in Bihar. The Governor should summon the DGP and direct him to file an FIR against the RJD chief and order the cancellation of his bail in the fodder scam," the BJP memo read.

The memo also included legal action against a number of RJD and Janata Dal  U leaders who were allegedly renting their government bungalows for wedding purpose for a hefty price.

The delegation was led by Sushil Kumar Modi, Nand Kishore Yadav, Mangal Pandey, Arun Kumar Sinha and others.
News and commentary on organized crime, street crime, white collar crime, cyber crime, sex crime, crime fiction, crime prevention, espionage and terrorism.
Islamist militants of the Boko Haram group have released at least 80 schoolgirls from a group of 276 they abducted in north-eastern Nigeria three years ago, officials say.



The release reportedly came after talks with the government, though few details are confirmed.



The abduction of the so-called "Chibok girls" triggered a global outcry and sparked a huge social media campaign.



Before the latest release, about 195 of the girls were still missing.



Sources told the BBC that the young women were now in the custody of the Nigerian army.



They were brought by road convoy from a remote area to an army base in Banki near the Cameroon border.



The BBC's Stephanie Hegarty in Lagos says that many families in Chibok will be rejoicing at this latest news, but more than 100 of the girls taken have yet to be returned.



Christian pastor Enoch Mark, whose two daughters were among those kidnapped, told Agence France-Presse: "This is good news to us. We have been waiting for this day. We hope the remaining girls will soon be released." It was unclear whether his daughters had been freed.



A military source told the agency the freed girls would be flown to Borno's state capital of Maiduguri on Sunday.

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.

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The Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA) will on Tuesday, May 9, 2017 convene a special Stakeholders forum on the theme: Ensuring Inclusive Governance in Ghana. The event will be held at the Catholic Guest House in Tamale at 9am prompt.



The MFWA recognises that inclusive, accountable, and democratic governance is critical for building peaceful, just and inclusive societies that respond to the needs of all people by securing their equal participation and engagement in national processes.



At the forum, stakeholders will discuss the crucial nature of inclusive governance as a prerequisite for building strong institutions and how the government can demonstrate its commitment to creating an enabling governance environment that is responsive to the needs and interests of the most disadvantaged and marginalized in society.



The forum will be chaired by Professor Agnes Apusigah, Dean of the Faculty of Education at the University of Development Studies and will feature presentations from key stakeholders such as Persons With Disabilities (PWDs), women's groups, youth groups, and the media.



The forum is being organised with funding support from Ford Foundation.

Source: MFWA









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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The Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources has temporarily suspended the operations of Shaanxi Mining Ghana Limited at Gbane in the Talensi District in the Upper East Region.



This followed reports received by the ministry to the effect that the operations of the company had allegedly caused the death of some residents in the area.



Consequently, the company has asked its 500 workers to go home.



Shaanxi Mining Ghana Limited is into prospecting and mining, drilling and blasting and also provides support services to companies.



The directive by the ministry to the mining company was contained in a letter dated April 24, 2017, signed by the sector Minister, Mr John Peter Amewu, and copied to the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Minerals Commission.



The letter, addressed to the Shaanxi Mining Ghana Limited, said the minister has received reports that your mining operations at Gbane in the Talensi District in the Upper East Region have allegedly caused the death of some people in that area.



It has been reported that this is not the first time such an incident has occurred in your mine and this cannot be allowed to continue.



The letter explained that the action by the ministry was also to enable "thorough investigations to be conducted into the matter and that the suspension shall remain in force until investigations are completed and the appropriate decisions taken by me."



Angry workers



Meanwhile, workers of the company are not happy with the ministrys decision, describing it as "unfair and giving undue advantage to illegal miners to continue their illegal mining activities."



Some of the workers wondered why the company, which was licensed to operate, would be given such a directive.



They said the development would have a rippling effect on their immediate families and other dependants.



They also noted that if the issue was not handled properly, it would result in increased crime and other social vices in the area, aside from giving those engaged in galamsey much more opportunity to carry out the illegality.



The aggrieved workers alleged that it was rather those engaged in galamsey who had been straying onto the concessions of Shaanxi and had been blasting unprofessionally, thereby causing their own deaths.



Management



That allegation was corroborated by the Human Resource Manager of the company, Mr Joseph Anokye, at a news conference, where he said it was not the operations of the company that resulted in the recent deaths of seven people in the area, but rather the activities of the illegal miners.



He said some illegal miners usually strayed onto the mining concessions of the company without the knowledge of management.



According to him, the management of the company had written several letters to the various regulatory bodies, including the Minerals Commission and the police, to help stop the illegal mining in the area but to no avail.



The Underground Mine Manager, Mr Thomas Yenzanya, said the company had successfully carried out its blasting without any problems only to learn that seven people had died elsewhere.



"We have 18 professional and experienced blastmen who know the blasting procedures. These blastmen had worked in places like AngloGold Ghana before they joined the Shaanxi Mining Company," he said.



Mr Yenzanya said it would, therefore, be unfair for anyone to suggest that the company was responsible for the deaths that had been occurring in the area.



In any case, he contended that those who died had strayed into the operational areas of Shaanxi and that was not known to the company.

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.

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There is seeming tension in the governing New Patriotic Party in the Upper East region, after the Regional Minister allegedly caused the arrest of former Upper East regional chairman of the party, late Adams Mahamas brother.



Nuhu Mahama Akalbila was arrested by the police in the early hours of Saturday, TV3s Upper East regional correspondent Rabiu Tanko reports.



Though the reason behind his arrest is sketchy, he suspects the minister, Rockson Ayine Bukari, is only interested in abusing his office.



Rabiu overhead the suspect, who was in the CID office at the Bolgatanga District Police Headquarters, claiming the Regional Minister had accused him of underrating him whilst the party was in opposition, and therefore it was time the minister showed him and others where power lies.



Nuhu Mahama, while narrating the incident to his wife at the CID office, said he sent his contract certificates to the Regional Minister to be signed.



He added that without any provocation, the minister just got angry by his mere presence and started calling him all kinds of names, as he wondered what he did to warrant the arrest and humiliation from minister.



Meanwhile, the Constituency Womens organizer for Bolgatanga East of the NPP, Gifty Ntaaga who appeared incensed by the ministers action joined hundreds of NPP sympathizers to storm the police station.



She was furious about the leadership style of the regional minister, accusing him of disrespecting them and adopting divide and rule tactics in the region.



As at 4:00pm Saturday, Nuhu Mahama Akalbila was still in police custody and was being interrogated by the CID.

Source: 3news









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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By Press Trust of India: (Eds: Updating with Foreign Office spokespersons remarks)

From Sajjad Hussain

Islamabad, May 7 (PTI) A Pakistani man accused the Indian High Commission here of detaining his newly-wed Indian wife after they went there to apply for his visa, media reports said today.

Uzma, who belongs to New Delhi, and Tahir met in Malaysia and and fell in love with each other after which she travelled to Pakistan on May 1 via the Wagah border. The two contracted nikkah (marriage) on May 3.

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According to Tahir, they visited the High Commission building and submitted visa forms as well as their phones to the officials. Uzma then went inside on being called by the officials while he stayed back, reports said.

When his wife did not return after several hours, Tahir enquired about her from officials, who claimed she was not there. Tahir alleged that the officials also refused to give their three mobile phones back to him.

Tahir said he has filed a First Information Report (FIR) in the Secretariat Police Station.

According to Dawn newspaper, Pakistan Foreign Office (FO) Spokesperson Nafees Zakaria said that the woman is stranded inside the building.

Zakaria said the Indian High Commission confirmed to police and the media that the woman is present inside the building but would only be let go after the matter is discussed with the FO, the paper said.

He said that the FO is in contact with the Indian High Commission and the issue would be resolved soon.

On the other hand, the Indian High Commission said that Uzma has been staying there out of her own will, Geo News said.

They said that they have told her husband to visit the High Commission tomorrow to meet his wife and get the visa as well, it said.

Earlier an Indian High Commission official when enquired about the alleged detention told PTI, "Plz check with JSXP (External Affairs Ministry Spokesman) in Delhi."

The matter has also been taken up at the diplomatic level by Pakistan, the reports said. PTI SH NSA AKJ NSA

--- ENDS ---
Alhaji Labaran Yakubu Barry, the New Patriotic Party (NPP) 2016 Parliamentary candidate for Ashaiman has denied organising a demonstration against Mr Albert Okyere, the Presidents nominee for Municipal Chief Executive (MCE) for Ashaiman.



He said peace is prevailing in Ashaiman after the 2016 elections and that he would be the last person to create confusion among the people when President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo had selected his MCE for the area.



Alhaji Barry made the denial in an interview with the Ghana News Agency and said the rumour going round that he had organised a demonstration against the nominee was an attempt to create bad blood between him and party members in the constituency.



He called for unity among the rank and file of the NPP to support the administration of President Nana Akufo-Addo to meet the aspiration of the people of Ashaiman.



Alhaji Barry called on all supporters and sympathizers to ignore the allegation being leveled against him to forge ahead in unity for the progress of Ashaiman.

Source: GNA









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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The National Democratic Congress legislator for the Wa Central Constituency, Rashid Pelpuo has described as mysterious results of the 2016 polls.



According to him, the NDC did everything possible to fulfill the needs in the country yet the people of Ghana kicked them out from power.



He made the comment on Citi FMs News analysis programme The Big Issue, on Saturday in defence of former President John Mahamas recent remark on the cause of the NDCs defeat.



Mr. Mahama while speaking at the World Economic Forum in Durban, South Africa on Thursday, noted that he had an incumbency disadvantage hence his abysmal performance in the poll.



He also accused Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo of promising Ghanaians heaven.

I knew what the economy could give the people and I told the people the truth that we need more hard work to be able to get out of where we are; my opponent promised heaven and you have the constraints of not being able to promise all the rosy things he was doing, he added.



Meanwhile, Mr. Pelpuo noted that this is one of the elections that have been very difficult and mysterious to understand.



You have a government that is responsive to the needs of the people, you have a government that built schools, they [Ghana] wanted roads, we built roads, they wanted hospital, we built hospitals, they wanted water, we supplied water, we did everything that was possible to ensure that the people of Ghana know that this is a government that is responsive and responding to their basic need and creating conditions for them to be able to develop themselves individually and creatively.



In the end the same people voted against us as if we didnt do anything at all. We built and international airport harbours. It has never happened in the history of this country for a single government to even build about 50 secondary schools at a go within a space of four years After doing all these things we thought we had touched the mind, the thinking and we are striking a chord with Ghanaians. In the end we got the worst votes that had ever been recorded since 1992, he lamented.



Mahama loss by about a million votes to Akufo-Addo in the polls.

The NDC also lost hold of a number of Parliamentary seats to the New Patriotic Party.

Source: Citifmonline.com









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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Former Attorney General and Minister of Justice Betty Mould Iddrisu has described comments by Deputy Attorney General and Minister of Justice as childishness.



Godfred Yeboah Dame during Starr Chart last Wednesday claimed lead Counsel for the New Patriotic Party (NPP) during the 2012 election Philip Addison is a better lawyer than his colleague Tsatsu Tsikata from the National Democratic Congress (NDC).



But the comment seem not to have gone down well with the Vice Chairman of the NDC who observed that the comment was distasteful, amateurish and childish



I find the comments by the deputy Attorney General Godfred Odame in a recent interview he granted Starr Fm to the effect that Philip Addison is a better lawyer than Tsatsu Tsikata very distasteful, amateurish and childish. Maybe Godfred should be reminded that By convention the AG is the official leader of bar and presumably the deputy hence the need to exercise caution and maturity when making comments about members of the Bar



That is why the attorney generals cases are given priority over others in court. In any case what was the basis for the comparison, she asked.



Madam Betty Mould reminded the Deputy Minister that he was too young in the late 70s to know that Tsatsu Tsikata was a highly sought after lawyer in the country indicating that more than 80% of Supreme Court Judges of present day passed under his tutelage.



Someone should remind Godfred who perhaps was either not born or too young in the late 70s that Tsatsu Tsikata was one of the highly sought after lawyers in his days. Is Godfred also aware that more than 80%of judges of todays Supreme Court passed through Tsatsus tutorship. Or does the fact that Godfred trained under Phillip Addison mean hes a better lawyer than Tsatsu Tsikata? I can appreciate his crass and pathetic ignorance because in the late 70s when his boss Nana Akuffo, lawyer Adae Mensah and Tsatsu Tsikata formed the Human Rights Committee of the Ghana Bar Association where was he? Remember Lawyer Adae Mensah subsequently moved on to become the solicitor General for the rivers state in Nigeria. I expect better from our deputy Attorney General.



Godfred should rise above this pettiness. There is so much work to do for mother Ghana. Away with the politicking and childishness while we hold sensitive public offices which come with enormous responsibility. I am curious though



She appealed to the president to immediately call the Deputy Minister to order in view of the fact he is the official leader of bar and presumably the deputy hence the need to exercise caution and maturity when making comments.



Will the president, his boss, who is also member of the Bar call him to order, she quizzed

Source: mynewsgh.com









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A Pennsylvania State Police trooper was taken to the hospital with minor injuries after his cruiser was struck by another driver.

The trooper was parked, monitoring northbound traffic, on Interstate 83 about two and a half miles north of the state line when his cruiser was struck by a second vehicle Saturday morning, the York Daily Record is reporting.

The driver of the striking vehicle was taken to the hospital with injuries, as well. Officials were not sure of the extent of his injuries, but they say the trooper's injuries were not serious, according to reports.
Two area house fires have displaced eight people, but no injuries have been reported in either Saturday blaze.

The American Red Cross of Central Pennsylvania is assisting four adults after a fire on the 600 block of S. 2nd St. in Steelton.

The organization is also assisting two adults and two children after a house fire on the 300 block of Newcomer Road in Lower Windsor Township in York County.

The Steelton fire broke out around 1 p.m., and smoke could be seen coming from the home, ABC 27 is reporting.

Residents displaced after Steelton fire https://t.co/USy4e8pj07  abc27 WHTM (@abc27News) May 6, 2017

And in the York County fire, crews battled the blaze, which started in a first-floor laundry room and spread to the attic, for more than an hour, WGAL is reporting.

York County home heavily damaged by fire https://t.co/UUUUa8cNb2 pic.twitter.com/QUZwng8tzs  WGAL (@WGAL) May 7, 2017

The cause of this fire was electrical, according to reports.
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The warm winter might lead to an increase in tick populations, which in turn could lead to more cases of tick-borne infections. (Shutterstock)

Tick-borne diseases, including the rare but life-threatening virus Powassan, could infect more people as summer gets closer.

Warmer winters usually lead to more ticks, leading experts to believe that the blood suckers could cause more infections, according to CNN. Powassan, a virus that causes inflammation of the brain and the membranes surrounding it and the spinal cord, is one of those diseases.

There are three types of ticks that carry the virus, including the deer tick. Most of the 75 cases of Powassan in the last decade happened during late spring, early summer and mid-Fall -- when the ticks are most active -- in northeastern states and the region surrounding the Great Lakes.

About 15 percent of those who are infected and have symptoms will die, Dr. Jennifer Lyons, chief of the Division of Neurological Infections and Inflammatory Diseases at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston, told CNN. At least half of those who survive will have long-term neurological damage.

Most people won't show any symptoms, but those that do might experience "fever, headache, vomiting, weakness, confusion, loss of coordination, speech difficulties and seizures," according to the CDC. There aren't any vaccines to prevent infection or treatments to cure Powassan, according to CNN. Those infected might need intravenous fluids and respiratory support.

People who spend a lot of time in brushy or wooded areas have the highest risk of being infected, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). It's suggested that those who do go out into the woods wear long sleeves and pants, use insect repellent and perform tick checks after being outdoors, according to CNN.

Experts also believe that we might see more cases of Powassan and Lyme Disease because of studies that show an increasing number of deer that have been infected by those viruses, according to CNN.
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By David H. Zimmerman

On Monday, the nation once again faced headlines and stories about emergency services personnel being attacked and shot at in the line of duty.

State Rep. David Zimmerman, R-Lancaster (Pa. House photo)

A Texas firefighter was in critical but stable condition at Baylor University Medical Center after he was shot while on call and treating a victim with a gunshot wound.

Paramedics were called to the scene in East Dallas regarding a dispute between neighbors. When the first officers arrived, the suspect approached and opened fire.

Officers returned fire and the suspect ran into the home where he was later found dead with an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound.

The shooter, who is alleged by police to have opened fire on Dallas Fire-Rescue firefighter-paramedics, was a 36-year-old with a long criminal history, including an assault charge, several DWIs and gun offenses.

This latest episode of violence against our emergency services workers in Texas comes on the heels of a sniper in Dallas gunning down five police officers in the street just last year. Unfortunately, this has been going on for far too long and it is getting worse.

In March 2006, former Peoria (AZ) Fire Department Fire Inspector Howard M. Munding produced a thesis titled "Violence Against Firefighters: Angels of Mercy Under Attack." In the thesis, he quotes the stunning statistic that an estimated 700,000 assaults occur on paramedics and emergency medical technicians (EMTs) annually.

According to a 2008 National Fire Protection Association Firefighter Fatality Report, 32 firefighters died from assaults while on duty in the report's 32-year history. At the end of 2010, that number grew to 34 - one firefighter per year.

My son-in-law was an EMT in a town near Dallas who had just completed his police officer training when those five officers were gunned down in 2016. He, along with many other EMTs and police officers from the surrounding areas all came to the funerals of those officers. At that time, he told me that violence against firefighters and EMTs is just as anticipated when they go on call as it is for police.

That is when I decided enough was enough, and I drafted legislation to make violence against emergency service workers a hate crime in Pennsylvania.

A very few members expressed concern about how my 2016 bill was drafted. Their issue was that current Pennsylvania hate crimes laws only protect "race" and/or "gender," and no one gets to choose their race or gender. Since folks "choose" to be police or an EMT, these folks asserted that protection for these professions does not fit within Pennsylvania's hate crimes statutes.

While I find this "reasoning" quite a stretch, I took it to heart and redrafted my legislation to be a stand-alone hate crimes bill that works in concert with our current hate crimes laws.

This change was welcomed by my colleagues in the Capitol, and the House Judiciary Committee two weeks ago attempted to move my bill. Unfortunately, a few partisan Democrats on the committee attached a LGBT amendment onto the legislation. This is what we call a "poison pill." An amendment that seeks to blur the distinction they and LNP claimed was the problem with the last bill.

This is the exact type of thing that has Pennsylvanians and most Americans fed up with politics-as-usual.

I believe the majority of the public is in favor of this legislation and I intend to move it through the committee process and bring it before the House for an up or down vote. The lives of our firefighters, EMTs and police officers and the families they leave at home every day are deserving of this added protection.

State Rep. David H. Zimmerman, a Republican, represents the Lancaster County-based 99th House District.
shutterstock_Chambersburg.jpg

(Shutterstock photo.)

By Jeffrey Stonehill

There are 36 boroughs in Pennsylvania who operate non-profit community electric systems managed by their local elected officials. Chambersburg is the largest and Ephrata and Lansdale are the second and third largest. Some have been operating their systems since installed by Thomas Edison. There are 2,000 similar electric systems throughout the United States including big cities like Cleveland, Los Angeles and Seattle.

In all cases, the elected officials set rates, set policies, approve wholesale power purchases, and approve budgets. The same elected officials selected during elections by their communities' voters. In most cases (83 percent nationwide), municipal electric systems make payments in lieu of taxes to their cities' general funds. The American Public Power Association recommends a best practice of how to regulate and measure the general fund transfer. Such transfers are commonplace.

If these systems were for-profit investor-owned systems (called IOUs) they would make payments to the State of Pennsylvania called Gross Receipts Tax. As municipal systems, they are exempt from Gross Receipts Taxes so most instead pay their tax burden to their general fund of their town.

In deregulated electric marketplaces (like Pennsylvania) the cost of electricity changes every month based of transmission, congestion, and seasonal issues. Even IOUs are allowed under state tariffs to adjust their retail rates by what they call "Fuel Adjustments" or "Purchase Price Adjustments." Borough electric rates are decided by elected borough councils. Councils must be responsive to their customers' concerns. They can change them as often or as infrequently as needed to pay the cost of power. This is local control through the political process. Harrisburg should not usurp local control of these systems.

There is choice and deregulation in Pennsylvania municipal electrics. Each Borough Council shops for the best electricity and the cheapest rates for the entire town. This is a buying pool run by borough council. A non-profit pool is just like a farming co-op. And it works all over the Commonwealth.

Borough electric systems have better rates, much better reliability, are managed by local elected officials, are responsive to local concerns, employ local employees, buy local services, do not send tax money to Harrisburg, and operate far superior and much more reliable electric systems than our for-profit competitors. Any legislative action to change this century old system is unneeded.

Jeffrey Stonehill is the borough manager of Chambersburg.
By Susan Stamper Brown

Few things pollute the earth more than when leftists gather to protest.

Susan Stamper Brown (Cagle Syndicate photo)

Let's reminisce for old time's sake.



Leftists described the 2011 Occupy Movement as a breath of fresh air, although movement trash rats deposited their bowel movements on police cars and Zuccotti Park doorsteps. They also left tons of foul rubbish on streets. Democrats are all about handouts, so maybe they should have handed out doggie doo bags.



How about Earth Day 2014? Leftists worried about global warming trashed the protest grounds, then left others to worry about the mess. It should have been called a "garbage march." Did the tree huggers ever contemplate how many trees were sacrificed to create their protest signs on unrecyclable colored paper?



It was same game by a different name in 2016, when Dakota Access Pipeline protesters gathered in the name of clean land and water. Six months later, protesters left behind mountains of garbage which quickly turned into frozen iceberg-sized chunks of junk.

Sanitation crews scurried to remove the approximately 250 truckloads of garbage before the spring thaw so it would not turn to toxic waste. Law enforcement officials reported protesters had also set multiple fires in the area.



After these environmental hypocrites vacated the site, two abandoned dogs and six puppies were found roaming the area in the extreme cold. In addition, West Dakota news station KFYR-TV reports a fisherman found the body of a confirmed protester in a river located near a protest camp site.



How any of that helps land and drinking water is beyond comprehension.



Leftists' words and actions rarely align. They protest simply for the sake of protesting. Lately, all their protests have the same anti-Trump theme cloaked under the pretense of one benign cause or another. Talk about accomplishments, in his first 100 days President Trump motivated more people to get off their couch than Michelle Obama did in 8 years!





Leftist women turned off the Hallmark Channel and got moving on Jan. 21 for the anti-Trump Women's March.

Although the environment was one of the issues they protested, they lived up to their self-proclaimed "nastiness" with a nasty trail of trash left behind. Obviously, their love for the Earth was trumped by their hate for Trump. They yak about equality then expect others to clean up their mess.



Same march, different Saturday, leftists usurped Earth Day 2017, theming it as an anti-Trump march for science, obviously intended to polarize the man-caused global warming skeptics among us, which are many.

Frankly, Earth Day should be renamed as "Trash Bash" given these science slobs' history of leaving litter in their wake as they foot stomp in fascist fashion, demanding a cleaner Earth.



As I write, the Twitter-verse comes to life over the April 29 "People's Climate Change" protests where a man with a bullhorn reminded marchers to take their trash with them. Why on Earth was that necessary at a save the Earth march is beyond me.



Social media pictures display marchers -- who demand policies to combat climate change and harp about corporate greed -- sipping from environmentally-unfriendly plastic-coated coffee cups at Starbucks while staring at their iPhones. Oh, the irony...



Meanwhile, celebrities like carbon billionaire Al Gore who predicted the ice caps would melt by 2014, and Leonardo DiCaprio, who rents super yachts that burn a ridiculous amount of diesel fuel per hour, did their part to save the planet...by showing up.



Apparently, their almighty presence neutralizes the exorbitant carbon footprint they create from owning multiple homes and traveling on private jets. It's the thought that counts. Or something.



Because marching seems to be the latest trend, why not schedule a mandatory march following every march to clean up the litter leftists leave behind? After all, this is about saving the planet.

Right?

Susan Stamper Brown is a regular contributor to Townhall, The Christian Post and Right Wing News. Her work appears on Sundays on PennLive. Readers may email her at writestamper@gmail.com.
Gov. Tom Wolf meets with PennLive editorial board

Gov. Tom Wolf has his first meeting with the PennLive Editorial Board since he ran for office in 2014. March 7, 2017. Dan Gleiter | dgleiter@pennlive.com

(Dan Gleiter | dgleiter@pennlive)

By Charlie Gerow

It's hard to imagine that the 2018 campaign has already kicked off, especially since we're not yet six months past the bruising 2016 election.

Republican strategist Charlie Gerow (PennLive file)

But Democratic Gov. Tom Wolf and U.S. Sen. Bob Casey, D-Pa., both of whom are up for re-election next year, are now in full campaign mode. And a host of Republicans looking to unseat them have either announced their candidacies or they're waiting in the wings.

If you though thought the media and the pollsters wouldn't be far behind, you'd be right.

last week, respondents to an early Morning Call/Muhlenberg poll gave both incumbents mixed reviews.

In fact, the approval ratings of all the major office holders were tightly bunched together.

Wolf led the pack with a 40 percent approval rating. President Donald Trump was a point behind at 39 percent. Republican U.S. Sen. Pat Toomey clocked in at 36 percent, and Casey got 34 percent.

For Casey that represents a drop of 4 percentage points from a similar poll taken a year ago.

After nearly a dozen years in the Senate, Casey gets, at best, lukewarm ratings.

While roughly a third of the electorate approves of the job he's doing, a quarter disapproves, with the remainder expressing no opinion.

That's not good news for Casey.

No doubt, he's an honorable man who entered public service for the right reasons.

But as a senator, he doesn't have much of a record. After more than a decade, what's the signature piece of legislation of Bob Casey? That's a question bound to be asked repeatedly over the next year.

The other problem for Casey, further accounting for the growing dissatisfaction with the job he's doing, is that he has strayed far from the moderate image he worked hard to cultivate as a state official.

While Casey touted his "independence" in each of his previous Senate campaigns, once in Washington he was an acolyte for President Barack Obama. Casey voted with Obama more than 95 percent of the time.

Casey's recent vote against confirming new U.S. Supreme Court Justice Neil Gorsuch (an eminently qualified jurist who was supported by Casey's Democratic "leadership" when he was confirmed for the circuit court of appeals) is further evidence of how far into left field he has strayed.

Now he's frequently launching ad hominem attacks against Trump, perhaps overlooking the fact that he's in a state that Trump carried just a few months ago.

He's one of 10 Democrats in that category. Most of them are not moving ever leftward, but are searching for ground in the middle.

Meanwhile Republicans increasingly view Casey as vulnerable.

Already state Reps. Rick Saccone, of Allegheny County, and Jim Christiana, of Beaver County, have announced their candidacies against Casey.

Southeastern Pennsylvania businessman Jeff Bartos has also jumped into the race. And another candidate, Paul Addis, is ready to join the fray.

Last week Congressman Lou Barletta's name was floated as a possible candidate. And Congressman Mike Kelly, a popular Republican from the northwest part of the state, is also said to be considering a run. Ditto for state House Majority Leader Dave Reed.

Republicans always face uphill battles in a state where they are often outnumbered by Democrats by 1 million votes.

But as Toomey has proven recently and other Republicans, from Rick Santorum to Arlen Specter, have through the years, Republicans can win Senate seats in Pennsylvania with the right candidate and issues. Next year looks like that kind of year.

Meanwhile, Wolf quietly gears up for his re-election bid with four in 10 voters approving of his performance - higher than it has been in the past.

While Casey has been consistently moving to the left, Wolf has tried to move closer to the middle.

In Wolf's case it was the only direction he could go. There wasn't any more room to the left.

Eighteen months ago the Huffington Post highlighted a survey proclaiming Wolf "the most liberal governor in America."

That took some work considering that the "competition" consisted of Governors Brown of California and Cuomo of New York, among others.

More recently the Cato Institute did a "Fiscal Policy Report Card on America's Governors."

Guess where Wolf ended up? If you picked "dead last," you are correct. By comparison, Andrew Cuomo got a "B," finishing in the top 25 on that report card.

Ten Democrats scored above 40 percent, while Wolf finished with a dismal 24 percent.

Wolf's repeated attempts to raise the taxes of hard-working Pennsylvanians isn't something he can easily run away from.

Nor is the 2015 budget debacle prompted by his stubborn refusal to acknowledge that the people of Pennsylvania simply aren't with him on his grandiose tax and spend proposals.

There are also a host of high-quality Republicans ready to vie for the right to take on Wolf in the general election.

State Sen. Scott Wagner, R-York County, has announced his candidacy. Businessman Paul Mango is set to join the race in a few days.

House Speaker Mike Turzai, R-Allegheny County,i is a likely top-tier candidate.

Pittsburgh attorney Laura Ellsworth is also eyeing a potential run. Some GOP leaders have talked about urging Kelly to run for governor should he turn down a Senate run.

It may be 18 months away, but the 2018 race is already on--and the gate has only cracked open.
By Press Trust of India: sought help

(Eds: Updating with fresh inputs)

From Sajjad Hussain

Islamabad/New Delhi, May 7 (PTI) Pakistan today said an Indian woman married to a Pakistani man is "stranded" at Indias High Commission in Islamabad, prompting India to assert that its national has "sought help" from the mission which is providing necessary consular assistance.

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Pakistan Foreign Office (FO) spokesperson Nafees Zakaria said the Indian woman, identified as Uzma, who "went missing" from the Indian High Commission in Islamabad last week is "stranded" inside the building.

Zakarias remarks came following a Pakistani mans allegations that the Indian High Commission detained his newly-wed Indian wife when they went there to apply for his visa.

The government sources in New Delhi, however, said the Indian woman sought the help of the Indian High Commission in Islamabad on May 5.

The High Commission is providing necessary consular assistance to her and is in touch with the Pakistan Foreign Office on the matter and the girls family in India, they said.

Uzma, from New Delhi, and the Pakistani man, Tahir, reportedly met in Malaysia and fell in love after which she travelled to Pakistan on May 1 via the Wagah border. The two contracted nikkah (marriage) on May 3.

According to Tahir, they visited the High Commission building and submitted visa forms as well as their phones to the officials. Uzma then went inside on being called by the officials while he stayed back, her husband said.

When his wife did not return after several hours, Tahir enquired about her from officials, who claimed she was not there. Tahir alleged that the officials also refused to give their three mobile phones back to him.

Tahir said he has filed a First Information Report (FIR) in the Secretariat Police Station.

Zakaria said the Indian High Commission confirmed to police and the media that the woman is present inside the building but would only be let go after the matter is discussed with the FO, the Dawn said.

He said that the FO is in contact with the Indian High Commission and the issue would be resolved soon. PTI SH/PYK NSA AKJ PMS

--- ENDS ---
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For the past several months, PennLive and The Patriot-News have been urging our elected representatives to host town halls in an effort to improve transparency in government.

So now it's our turn.

We're hosting "Town Hall on the Media," at 7 p.m. Monday at the Rose Lehrman Arts Center on HACC's Harrisburg Campus. Admission is free, but we do ask that you register to attend at MediaTownHall@eventbrite.com.

We promise an engaging evening of conversation on a wide range of topics involving the media:

Threats to the First Amendment and freedom of information.

The impact of Facebook, Twitter and other social platforms.

Perceived biases and how to spot them.

Economic forces disrupting the industry.

The importance of fact checking in reporting.

The growing impact of live online video.

The rise of the "fake news" phenomenon.

Linda Beck of Harrisburg Area Community College will open the evening with a consumer's guide to navigating the news in the digital age.

Teri Henning, president of the PA NewsMedia Association, will moderate a free-wheeling discussion by local journalists from PennLive/The Patriot-News, WGAL-TV Channel 8 and The Middletown Press & Journal.

Messiah College communications professor Ed Arke, a former news director at WITF, will join the panel and offer analysis on the state of journalism and today's media climate.

The group will talk about their work, the challenges and opportunities in this era of disruption, and take questions from the audience at HACC and online.

We invite you to register today for a real conversation about real journalism.
A female staff member chats with a man as Chinese visitors seeking information of the U.S. government's EB-5 visa program at the exhibitor booths in a Invest in America Summit, a day after an event promoting EB-5 investment in a Kushner Companies development held at a hotel in Beijing, Sunday, May 7, 2017. The sister of President Donald Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner has been in China courting individual investors with a much-criticized federal visa program that provides a path toward obtaining U.S. green cards. (AP Photo/Andy Wong)
Central Presbyterian Church Pastor Wallace Bubar stands for a photo in his church in Des Moines, Iowa, on Friday, May 5, 2017. Bubar described President Donald TrumpAos Thursday, May 4, 2017 executive order as Aupandering to the religious right.Au He does not foresee any effect on his church or any other. AuFor whatever reason, the religious right evangelicals have developed a persecution complex here in the last few years, and I think this is intended to address that,Au Bubar said. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall)




Demerara Weaves



President Granger (R) attending a Caribbean Council reception in London

during an oil and so much more tour to attract investment for Guyana.



We really are passionate about the environment.

We really are passionate about the environment.

Not the words you'd immediately expect in a speech to investors from the leader of a soon-to-be-oil-rich state.

But that was the pitch from Guyana's President David Granger and his delegation during a visit to London in early spring 2017. Their mission was to promote their country against the backdrop of Guyana about to become what the New York Times labelled in January as the next big oil producer in the Western hemisphere.

President Granger had a series of investors' meetings in London in late April. The highest-profile venue was a reception organised by the Caribbean Council at the House of Lords' banquet room which brought together business people, diplomats and politicians.

There has been mounting foreign interest in Guyana since the announcements in late 2016 and early 2017 of major oil finds which are scheduled for production in 2020.

The figures are big. Exxon Mobil and Hess said in January 2017 that Guyana had one of the richest oil and natural gas finds in decades. By March, Exxon Mobil announced a third discovery in an area it called part of the significant exploration province offshore Guyana.

In an April article entitled Could Guyana become the next oil hot spot?, energy specialist magazine Oil & Energy Insider estimated that the three finds by Exxon Mobil alone hold between 1.4 billion and two billion barrels of oil equivalent. The magazine said that, after the oil starts to flow in 2020, daily output from these blocks alone could reach 450,000 barrels a day by the mid 2020s.

Oil and environment do mix

The Guyanese are staying calm. There was no oil boom talk when President Granger and his team visited London shortly after the Guyana oil global headlines.

The Guyanese leader's message was clear at meetings with investors: while the oil discoveries are projecting Guyana into foreign investor attention, his country had so much more to offer.

He told his audience at the House of Lords that Guyana could look after its new oil potential while also being conscious of its powerful environmental product.

President Granger urged potential investors to look at the added value that Guyana wants to bring to its traditional bauxite, manganese, timber industries and the potential to add value to its rice and sugar products.

Sharing the oil wealth

Guyana's Foreign Minister Carl Greenidge is pressing home the country's message on both managing the oil wealth and on a strategy to use the opportunity to reel in investment for non-oil production and capacity.

The government has been trying for quite a while to attract investment in areas in which Guyana has quite a special advantage, Mr Greenidge told Caribbean Intelligence.

He mentioned his country's natural resources and minerals. From gold to timber, Guyana has had a long history of rich natural resources available for extraction with the right investment.

At the moment, manganese, the mineral in your mobile phone battery, is understandably an important resource. Mr Greenidge says that manganese mining will recommence in Guyana within the next 18 months.

Chinese investors have already spotted the opportunity and signed up to manganese mining and production in Guyana late in 2017.

Mr Greenidge outlined for Caribbean Intelligence his nation's plans for investment in forestry, telecommunications, agro-processing, port infrastructure, marine and transport infrastructure, not just in Guyana, but also making links through to one of its neighbours, Brazil.

Neighbour's house on fire

These positive notes from the Guyanese delegation naturally also draw attention to the country's other neighbour, Venezuela, whose decades-long territorial claim on nearly two-thirds of Guyana is now reaching the final negotiation furlong.

When Venezuela queried the original 1899 border agreement, a 1966 agreement was reached to agree to resolve the border dispute. The two countries have been in arbitration ever since, with Caracas raising the issue on a regular basis.

The 1966 Treaty of Geneva was supposed to settle a framework, followed by an accord in 1970 and subsequent claims and counter claims from 2011 to today. The Venezuelan claims grew more forceful, however, after Guyana's initial oil finds in 2015 .

While Venezuela is facing its most high-profile internal civil strife in decades, things will come to a head externally at the end of 2017. That is the United Nations deadline for the long-running negotiations before the whole issue is kicked into the courts. A UN mediator was appointed in February 2017 for the final attempt at negotiation.

Venezuela has suffered more than a month of protests, for and against the Maduro administration, which have claimed lives on the streets of Caracas. Caribbean Intelligence asked Mr Greenidge what Guyana can do when his neighbour's house appears to be burning down.

Let me put it to you somewhat differently, he responded, Our major preoccupation, our major concern at this point in time is to deal with Venezuela's claim to our territory.

He pointed out that 30 years of dialogue without fruit has left Guyana using the last available peaceful option of negotiations. If this last round of negotiations does not bear a solution by the end of 2017, the UN and Guyana are agreed that the issue will go to court.

We have no problem going to court, Mr Greenidge told Caribbean Intelligence.

You cannot go to arbitration, be awarded territory that you didn't have before, and then suddenly decide that you want some more and not even give up what you received before.

The UN and Guyanese solution is to take the border dispute to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) at year-end if an agreement is not reached by then. There is just one glitch: Venezuela doesn't recognise the ICJ .

On the continuing Caracas protests highlighted every day in the hemisphere's media, Carl Greenidge said that the problems in Venezuela were having an impact on the entire region, with Colombia at the forefront, while Guyana and Trinidad were also feeling the spillover repercussions.

Oil strategy

Guyanese diplomat Sir Shridath Ramphal had told the national Guyana Chronicle that it would be a wise move for the country to prepare properly for the oil, secure it and also get rid of the Venezuela issue.

The diplomat, whose previous posts have ranged from Guyana's Attorney General to Commonwealth Secretary General, currently serves as an adviser to the Guyanese government on the border issue with Venezuela.

Mr Greenidge separates the oil issue from the territorial dispute with Venezuela.

We try to be careful in relation to our sovereignty. Our first concern is our sovereignty and we are working on that. The oil is a sideshow. Venezuela's claim on Guyana preceded this, he told Caribbean Intelligence .

Guyana's officials are keen to manage their future oil wealth sensibly. Having seen other formerly oil-rich countries now struggling with diversification and with falling oil prices, Guyana is determined to put in place a strategy to use the proceeds efficiently and store some away for future prosperity.

Key to this is the proposed sovereign wealth fund. The Minister of Foreign Affairs describes it as allocating a portion of the overall revenues in a manner so that it can be shared with succeeding generations.

Secondly, says Mr Greenidge, the strategy will ensure that there is a transparency of contracts as part of the oil regulation process.

The third main pillar of the strategy is to make sure that managers are appointed on the basis of competence, avoiding the labels of nepotism and oil corruption attached to so many countries which became oil rich in the 1970s and 80s.

Potential challenges

One of Guyana's partners in exploring and now producing one of the areas seems to indicate Guyana's determination to get this right.

Tullow Oil, which started with African oil finds, now bills itself on its website as Africa's leading independent oil company. Following its production partnerships in Kenya, Uganda and Ghana, Tullow is now conducting surveys in Jamaica and Suriname and is the partner for a third area in shallower waters than the Exxon Mobil Guyanese's two fields.

Tullow's Exploration Director, Angus McCoss, described the area in Guyana as one of the most attractive unexplored areas of oil in the world when he addressed the Caribbean Council reception.

Tullow has been emphasising how it fits the partnership profile being sought by Guyana.

Dr McCoss outlined the Guyana/ Surinamese exploration hot spots and also explained how the company's partnership strategy will be to share the prosperity through contracting global suppliers who sub-contract locally and target the development of local people development through on-the-job experience.

Tullow's Dr McCoss described himself at the House of Lords reception as a geologist interested in the oil industry with respect for the environment.

A country rich with natural resources is both a great opportunity and a great responsibility we must be careful to produce oil in the most responsible way, he told the business reception.

Strong on and off shore

The message on sustainability, spreading the wealth and investing in the green economy side of Guyana received top billing during the Guyanese promotion mission to the UK .

The UK Foreign Office Minister responsible for the Caribbean, Baroness Anelay, praised Guyana's pragmatism in sorting out its oil and the strong development of the economy, including its eco-tourism aims, when she spoke at the House of Lords reception.

President Granger spoke of what he called a powerful environmental product, adding that Guyana can be environmentally conscious while also seeing to new oil potential.

We are taking our time, he told the business people and politicians.

We are not in a mad rush to spend.

We are looking around the world for best practice. We are making sure that, when the oil comes on shore, it will be for the benefit of our Guyanese people.

We know that we have a tremendous amount of petroleum offshore, but at the same time as we have a full environmental product onshore.
By Press Trust of India: sought help

(Eds: Updating with Foreign Office reax)

From Sajjad Hussain

Islamabad/New Delhi, May 7 (PTI) Pakistan said today that the Indian High Commission has informed it that an Indian woman approached them with a request for repatriation to India, even as a Pakistani man with whom she was married to alleged that his wife had been detained by the mission.

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Pakistan Foreign Office spokesman Nafees Zakaria said in a statement that "the Indian High Commission informed the Ministry of Foreign Affairs that an Indian national, Ms Uzma, 20, had approached them with the request to be repatriated to India."

"According to the Indian High Commission, she claimed to have married Mr Tahir and alleged that she later came to know that Mr Tahir was already married and had four children," Zakaria said.

Zakarias remarks came following the Pakistani mans allegations that the Indian High Commission detained his newly-wed Indian wife when they went there to apply for his visa.

The government sources in New Delhi, however, said the Indian woman sought help of the Indian High Commission in Islamabad on May 5.

The High Commission is providing necessary consular assistance to her and is in touch with the Pakistan Foreign Office on the matter and the girls family in India, they said.

Uzma, from New Delhi, and the Pakistani man, Tahir, reportedly met in Malaysia and fell in love after which she travelled to Pakistan on May 1 via the Wagah border. The two contracted nikkah (marriage) on May 3.

According to Tahir, they visited the High Commission building and submitted visa forms as well as their phones to the officials. Uzma then went inside on being called by the officials while he stayed back, her husband said.

When his wife did not return after several hours, Tahir enquired about her from officials, who claimed she was not there. Tahir alleged that the officials also refused to give their three mobile phones back to him.

Tahir said he has filed a First Information Report (FIR) in the Secretariat Police Station.

Earlier, reports had quoted Zakaria as saying that Uzma was "stranded" inside the Indian missions building. PTI SH/PYK NSA PMS ASK AKJ ASK

--- ENDS ---
Eight years ago, a federal judge heard testimony in the case of Terrance Lewis, who was a 17-year-old kid on the sticky-hot night in August 1996 when Hulon Bernard Howard was shot dead in his own home in West Philadelphia.

The judge heard from a woman who had been out on the street that evening, who said that she saw the three men who went into Howard's house just before he was killed, and that Lewis wasn't one of them. The judge also heard Lewis' codefendant insist that Lewis was not there.

"The court found the testimony of these witnesses to be credible, hence, the court believes that Petitioner is innocent," U.S. Magistrate Judge Carol Moore Wells wrote in her report.

Then she continued, saying there was nothing she could do. For procedural reasons, Lewis' petition was denied.

Lewis, serving a life sentence for second-degree murder, read the opinion in his prison cell in central Pennsylvania with a riot of conflicting emotions.

"The great part was, somebody finally believed me," he said. "The sad part was, I still got to die in jail."

But Lewis is -- depending on your perspective -- either an incredibly unlucky man or an extraordinarily lucky one. Unlucky to be charged with a crime he says he did not commit, to be tried as an adult in a state where life means life, to be appointed a lawyer who apparently never investigated his case. Lucky, because he keeps encountering more people who were out on the block that evening and are willing to testify that he wasn't there. And lucky, because he is on the right side of a U.S. Supreme Court decision that found sentences like his to be illegal.

Lewis is one of more than 300 juvenile lifers from Philadelphia -- the largest such population in the country -- being resentenced after the court banned automatic life-without-parole sentences for juveniles in 2012, and then in 2016 ordered that the rule be applied retroactively.

So far, the Philadelphia District Attorney's Office has taken a conservative approach to these cases, often making offers of 35 years to life.

But after 19 years in prison for a crime he says he did not commit, Lewis is hoping for a different sentence: time served.

A year ago, his pro bono legal team, David Laigaie, Kevin Harden, and Joshua Hill of Eckert Seamans, wrote to the District Attorney's Office. They asked prosecutors to review his case -- the weak evidence that got him locked up, the witnesses who say he's innocent, his shining record in prison -- and consider a deal that would let Lewis walk free.

They received no response.

The law is arguably not on their side. Kathryn Streeter-Lewis, the Philadelphia Common Pleas Court judge overseeing juvenile-lifer resentencings, said those hearings are not the appropriate venue to argue innocence claims.

Prosecutors and the court both say those claims should be argued separately, before resentencing.

"Sentencing is premised on the defendant having been found guilty of the offense," said Cameron Kline, a spokesman for the district attorney.

Still, Lewis remains hopeful. When the city's next district attorney is elected in November, he figures there's a chance that person could take a close look at his case and act on conscience. Instead of taking a hard line on resentencing, they could cut him a deal that would set him free.



Lewis is not the only juvenile lifer claiming innocence. There are at least half a dozen in Philadelphia alone who have made such claims. Now, they will have to choose between seeking a new sentence, which could get them released immediately but keep them on parole for life, or pursuing exoneration, which could take years and is far from certain.

One is Shaurn Thomas, who has been serving a life sentence since 1994 for his part in a 1990 murder in North Philadelphia that took place while Thomas was at juvenile court in Center City, according to his lawyers. His resentencing is on hold while his case is being appealed to Superior Court.

On the other hand, there's Kevin Brinkley, who has been in prison four decades for a murder his family has always insisted his younger brother, Ronald, committed. In June, Brinkley is scheduled to accept a deal that will make him immediately eligible for release from prison -- but will keep him on parole for life.

Likewise, Giovanni Reid, convicted of participating in the 1991 robbery and shooting of a Penn student, Robert Janke, has accepted an offer of 25 years to life. Reid had always envisioned he would walk out of jail exonerated; he has long claimed he was merely present the night Janke was killed, but not involved in the crime. His appeals were unsuccessful.

At his resentencing in April, he avoided the topic of his innocence. Instead he expressed remorse for even being present that night and for the senseless loss of life that occurred.

Reid is now eligible for parole.

Still, going before a parole board is no guarantee of release -- and it feels particularly uncertain for those who refuse to express remorse for their crimes.

"Remorse is a factor that we don't know how it's weighed," said Hayes Hunt, a lawyer with Cozen O'Connor. "We don't know the math of how the parole board makes decisions."

Hunt represented Tyrone Jones, who served 43 years for a gang-related execution in North Philadelphia in which he always denied participating. In June 2016, Jones accepted a new sentence of 35 years to life and was released on parole. But maintaining his innocence before the parole board "felt like a risk" at the time, Hunt said.

Now, Brinkley's family -- a tight-knit group that holds regular meetings to brainstorm how to support him -- worry that any minor incident could tip the scales of the parole board.

Greg Brinkley, his uncle, said though Brinkley hadn't had a write-up in 25 years, he recently spent time in solitary confinement. Brinkley had previously had a single cell, a privilege earned over decades. Then, they gave him a roommate. "He refused to go into a double cell with somebody, so they put him in the hole," Greg Brinkley said.

Kevin Brinkley's nephew, James Cade, worries for his uncle.

"He's depressed. He lost a lot of faith," he said. "1977 and 2017 is two different worlds. I worry about how he'll handle himself out here."

Even if Brinkley does get out, Cade said, that isn't the same as being exonerated.

"We're appreciative he's coming home, but that don't help the fact that he's still looked at as a murderer."

That's the problem Lewis has long grappled with.

He had trouble presenting a defense in the first place -- in part because he was arrested more than a year after Howard was killed. By then, he couldn't remember where he was the night of the crime.

He didn't get much help from his lawyer, who met with him just twice before the trial, and apparently never investigated the case. (He retired from practice with a disability a few years later. Eventually, he would sign an affidavit saying his work was substandard.)

Lewis said he didn't know Howard, an addict who let drug dealers conduct business from his home on the 6100 block of Sansom Street. He was identified at trial by a single witness, who also named the gunman, Jimel Lawson, and another teen, Jehmar Gladden, who had been a friend of Lewis' from childhood. The witness admitted using crack just before the murder. Yet all three were convicted on her testimony.

Lewis filed a series of appeals -- and caught his first lucky break.

His sister was at a bar when she got to talking with a woman, Kizzi Baker, who happened to be standing on the corner, about 10 houses down, the night Howard was shot. She knew Lewis from the neighborhood (by his nickname, "Stink"), and could confirm he was not one of the perpetrators.

In 2009, his case landed in federal court. That's when the judge concluded he was probably innocent -- but couldn't release him.

Then, a childhood friend, Danielle Johnson, reappeared in his life. She ran a prison van service, and was going through her own difficult time. She wanted to reconnect with Lewis, who'd been her first love.

The social call had an unexpected side-effect: After Johnson posted a photo of her and Lewis together on Facebook, a former classmate, Horace Timmons, contacted her.

Timmons, now 37 and a tax preparer, had been shooting dice that night, on the corner of 61st and Sansom.

"When I started reading on Facebook about what he was locked up for, I realized: Wow, he's actually in there for that?" Timmons said. "He wasn't even around there."

Timmons also knew two more witnesses who would come forward to say the same thing.

Lewis' lawyers have filed updated post-conviction relief petitions based on those new witnesses.

"But there is no particular established timeline for those petitions [to move forward]. They just take forever," Laigaie said. "We believe at the end of a long and tortured legal process, we could ultimately get him exonerated. But Terrance's life is passing by, and who knows how many years it could take."

That's why he wrote that long-shot letter to the district attorney in April 2016.

"The District Attorney's Office could show a good-faith application of the law, as well as a progressive view to fixing this problem of juveniles who just got warehoused for life."



Lewis knows one thing: If the DA offers him a standard deal -- 30 years to life, since his is a second-degree-murder case -- he's not taking it.

"I'm immune to this now. I'm desperate, but I'm stubborn," he said.

He has plans for what's next -- to get a job as a long-distance trucker, to care for his mother, who has cancer, and for the five kids who were left behind when his sister died of a drug overdose.

He also wants to spend time with his son, Zahaire Lewis, 19, a freshman at Bloomsburg University studying business management.

They're already close, Zahaire said. "Although he's been incarcerated for my entire life, there's never been a time he wasn't around."

Photos from their biannual visits, though, serve as time-lapse image of lost years: Lewis unchanging in his prison garb, as Zahaire transforms from toddler to child, to awkward teenager, to grown man.

Zahaire only recently learned the details of his father's case. "I'm disappointed in the system," he said. "He couldn't be there for my graduation, my other great accomplishments. There's so much they took from me."

Zahaire's about as old now as Lewis was when he was convicted. Lewis said he used to worry that his son might somehow meet the same fate as him.

I have recently stopped having that fear, because of me believing in God, Lewis said. I experienced all the trials and suffering and pain, so perhaps my son wont be subject to them.
In the Uri and Nagrota attacks, it was believed that locals who worked either as porters or assistants had provided to the attackers inputs and ways of breaching the fence as well as the inside layout of the camp.

Army personnel outside the Panzgam camp in Kupwara where terrorists killed three soldiers, including a captain, on April 27.

By Ajit Kumar Dubey: An Army probe has raised suspicions of a local porter's complicity in last month's terrorist strike on a military camp in Jammu and Kashmir's Panzgam area, the third likely instance of insider involvement in such an attack in less than eight months.

Three soldiers including a captain were killed when a group of attackers stormed the garrison in Kupwara district on April 27. Two terrorists were also killed following a nearly four-hour-long gun battle.

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In the Uri and Nagrota suicide attacks on military camps last year, the Army probes had pointed to the role of locals working at the facilities in bringing the terrorists inside and helping them target soldiers.

PANZGAM ATTACK

"The third terrorist who escaped from the Panzgam encounter site seems to be an insider as he knew the complete layout of the camp and used his knowledge to not only attack the camp but also to escape from there," a top Army source told Mail Today.

The attack came four days after Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Mehbooba Mufti met Prime Minister Narendra Modi and home minister Rajnath Singh in New Delhi to assess the security situation in the violence-racked state.

As per the initial reports, three terrorists breached the fence and launched attacks on the camp, which was housing nine Army units and acting as their administrative support base. The third militant managed to escape.

"The weapons recovered from the terrorists also indicate that the two killed had come afresh from across the border as they were carrying new AK-47s while the third weapon left behind by the escaped terrorist is an old one," sources said.

They said the old weapon suggests that he has been here for a long time with his weapon and had complete knowledge about our base.

The sources said efforts are still on to locate the insider and identification process is going on there at the camp, they said.

URI, NAGROTA ATTACKS

In the Uri and Nagrota attacks, it was believed that locals who worked either as porters or assistants had provided to the attackers inputs and ways of breaching the fence as well as the inside layout of the camp. But this time in Panzgam, it is emerging that the insider had even carried weapons to help the terrorists, they said.

After the Uri attack, the Army has tried to scrutinise the porters it hires in its camps and is likely to further strengthen the process to employ onlyhighly reliable candidates.

The terrorists were able to cause heavy damage to Army troops during the Uri strike as they managed to kill 20 of them with most of them asleep, while in Nagrota, nine soldiers died.

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TERRORISTS IN PANZGAM CONTAINED

However, due to heightened security measures, the terrorists in Panzgam were contained close to the perimeter fence as one Naik Rishi Singh killed two attackers soon after combat began between the forces and militants.

After two terrorists were killed and the firing stopped, soldiers launched a combing operation in and around the Army camp. Seven jawans, who were injured in the attack, were airlifted to Srinagar for treatment.

In the past two years, Army and Air Force camps have been attacked with a similar tactic where terrorists in small groups launch pre-dawn raids to catch the troops off guard.

Also Read:

Terrorists involved in Panzgam attack escape: Intelligence report

Kupwara: 3 soldiers martyred, 2 terrorists killed in fidayeen attack on Army camp near LoC

Also Watch:

Kupwara attack: Army strengthens vigil in Jammu-Kashmir to curb infiltration

--- ENDS ---
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It is not unusual for one specific government action to signify an important shift in a nations agenda, but on Thursday there were two acts that portend danger for all Americans. However, one demographic in particular is going to impact more than all others combined.

Of course, when the House Republicans narrowly passed an alleged healthcare bill to replace the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare), it was a sign that government by Republican means the nation no longer cares about the health or the lives of its population. In fact, what House Republicans demonstrated is that they are the polar opposite of pro-life.

The other act, one that was certainly announced in concert with the draconian House healthcare legislation, was Trumps gift to the religious right targeting the same demographic as the Republican healthcare bill. One thing many Americans fail to remember about the Affordable Care Act was that it protected women from inequity in the healthcare insurance industry; it is likely one driving reason pro-life Republican patriarchs lusted to repeal it.

While Trump and House Republicans were holding a victory celebration at taking away healthcare from tens-of-millions of Americans, Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price was beside himself with excitement at the prospect of denying women access to contraception coverage. When Trump signed the theocratic edict on religious freedom, he not only gave Republicans another dark money outlet and the clergy free money to preach Republican policies from the pulpit, he granted a religious exemption to the persecuted faithful to deny contraceptive coverage for their employees.

Immediately after godless Trump signed the Catholic-evangelical edict fundamentally dismantling what was left of the religious clauses of the First Amendment, HHS Secretary Tom Price rushed to issue a statement saying he was pleased to have the opportunity to rethink the [contraception coverage] mandate. Price knows that with the mandate omitted from the Republican healthcare bill, and coupled with Trumps gift of religious domination to evangelicals, the chance to force millions of women into perpetual pregnancy grew an order of magnitude.

Price likely heard, and agreed with, Trumps statement that poor depraved evangelicals long ordeal will soon be over. Evangelicals and Catholics closely tied to the Vatican feel persecuted because they cannot control every woman in Americas reproductive choices; what Trump described as their long ordeal. Chief among their complaints was the inability to deny women access to contraceptives that was the impetus of the Hobby Lobby case.

Price, a raging evangelical fanatic said in his press release:

We welcome todays executive order directing the Department of Health and Human Services to reexamine the previous administrations interpretation of the Affordable Care Acts preventive services mandate, and commend President Trump for taking a strong stand for religious liberty.

We will be taking action in short order to follow the Presidents instruction to safeguard the deeply held religious beliefs of Americans who provide health insurance to their employees.

In 2012, Price regarded the Affordable Care Acts mandate to provide contraception coverage in health plans a trampling on religious freedom and religious liberty in this country. One reminds preacher Price that regardless his bastardized version of Christianity, the contraception mandate doesnt require or force him or his fanatical Republican brethren to use IUDs, diaphragms, birth control pills or a stinking condom; those are all personal choices.

Add to that theocratic abomination granting evangelicals the right to deny contraception coverage, the Republican healthcare bill allows individual states to eliminate coverage for essential health benefits like hospitalization as well as revoke protections for people with pre-existing conditions.

Those two actions will, as Laurel Raymond at ThinkProgress noted, be particularly devastating for women. Women likely recall that prior to Obamacares implementation and the requirement that insurance plans cover essential health benefits, it was more common than not for healthcare insurance not to cover maternity and neonatal care. That care is often extremely expensive and a crushing expense for individuals or families without healthcare insurance. If Trump-Republicans are successful with their atrocious healthcare debacle, and there is no reason to believe they wont be, even with healthcare insurance maternity and neonatal care will likely not be covered.

As noted in the ThinkProgress piece, between the Trump religious order and Republican healthcare bill, many women are not going to be able to afford birth control at all. According to a study last month by researchers at the polling firm PerryUndem:

One in seven women said that if they had to pay any money for their birth control at all, they wouldnt be able to afford it. One in three said that they could afford to pay only $10 or less.

That cost restriction is precisely what the control-freaks in the religious right and the Vatican are counting on to deny women access to birth control and force a significant percentage of over half the population to become perpetual birth machines or be celibate. It is worth noting that during the religious Republican attack on the contraception mandate a few years ago, the mindset among the religious Republicans was that women were forbidden to have consequence free sexual relations.

All Americans will feel the deleterious effects of a Republican- rushed healthcare bill and few Americans would disagree, but women are in for a world of medical and economic hurt and will likely be worse off than before the Affordable Care Acts implementation. But combined with Trumps religious order, particular the theocratic directive to HHS to safeguard the deeply held religious beliefs of business owners in regard to birth control, women are being assaulted from all directions as is the normal course of action for conservatives.

Many Americans were aware that a Trump administration with a Republican-controlled Congress and Supreme Court was going to be devastatingly bad news for women on many counts. However, the fact that HHS Secretary Price was giddy about a religious edict giving him and his kind purview over womens reproductive choices, and the authority to impose their religious will on women, means there is a lot more at stake than just a ban on contraceptives, By the time religious Republicans have installed the evangelical theocracy, contraceptives will be the least of womens worries.
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Donald Trump spoke words of support the far right candidate, and Russia tried their email hacking tricks, but centrist candidate Emmanuel Macron has won the French presidential election with 65% of the vote and a 30 point victory over Marine Le Pen.

Macron defeated Le Pen 65.1%-34.9% to become the youngest president in French history.

In an April interview with the AP, Trump claimed that the recent terrorist attack in Paris would help Le Pen, I think that itll probably help her because she is the strongest on borders and she is the strongest on whats been going on in France.

Le Pen underperformed what many polls had her at before the election, as the idea of a right-wing movement sweeping through the West was dealt a crushing blow. The Russians tried to interfere, but the French media wouldnt play along and allow them to disrupt the election.

The Trump election is looking more like a fluke that happened because Trump and Russia were able to exploit the US media than a sign of any right-wing wave.

There will be no French Brexit, as the French election has shown the limits of right-wing nationalism.
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Dr. Atul Gawande a surgeon, Harvard professor, and author of more than 40 New York Times bestsellers explained why the American Health Care Act (Trumpcare) was a bad replacement for Obamacare. Dr. Gawande described Trumpcare as an Obamacare replacement that is not sane or credible.

Video:

Transcript via ABCs This Week:

GAWANDE: Right, it cuts the 70 million people on Medicaid by about a quarter. And for the rest of the people, theres a cap, whether its the elderly in nursing homes, people who are working poor, the cap would mean that the coverage becomes limited.

STEPHANOPUOLOS: And then, finally, because of the way they affect the subsidies, some older and sicker Americans will be paying more.

GAWANDE: Yes. People who are over 50 can be charged under this new bill up to five times more than younger people.

STEPHANOPOULOS: But how about if you take the flip side, right, its very clear right now for a lot of younger and healthier Americans, their premiums have gone up under Obamacare. We have also seen insurance companies facing losses. A lot of insurance companies facing losses in states most recently like Virginia and Iowa, big insurance companies pulling out of those states. That fuels the presidents argument, the speakers argument that Obamacare is collapsing.

GAWANDE: So, of course whats happening is that theres uncertainty in the market about will there be subsidies, will there be mandates? And so the insurers dont know how to price and are pulling out.

Heres the thing to understand is that this is not  this is a bill that makes each measure of health and health care worse, rather than better than under Obamacare. Its not a proposal that anybody would put forward as a credible or sane proposal for solving the problems in Obamacare.

STEPHANOPOULOS; Why not?

GAWANDE: Well, the core reasons are, number one, it doesnt have the  the subsidies. So, by cutting the subsidies substantially, were taking $1 trillion away from support for peoples health care in the bottom 40 percent, and returning it as a tax cut to the top 2 percent. So, you take $1 trillion of support out of health care where its ending income-based subsidies, turning them into age-based subsidies. And hat ends up hurting people across the board, especially in that bottom 40 percent.

The reason why Trumpcare is not a sane or credible replacement for the ACA is that it isnt a healthcare bill. The American Health Care Act (Trumpcare0 is a tax cut for the top two percent of earners disguised as a healthcare bill.

Trumpcare harms patients by taking away their health insurance and making coverage more expensive. There is no replacing done in the Republican Obamacare replacement. The bill is a rollback of health insurance coverage and benefits. The legislation will be very bad for patients, especially patients who need the most medical care.

There is a reason why the health care sector is speaking out against this legislation. From a treatment point of view what Republicans are proposing is insane. It will make the system worse, not better, and it makes health care more expensive and available to fewer Americans.

Trumpcare is a bad deal that must be rejected by the American people.
Captain Amir Akhtar Hashmi had taken a two-and-a-half- hour nap in the business class passenger cabin on April 26 soon after flight PK-785 took off from Islamabad for London, the Dawn reported.

By Press Trust of India: Pakistan International Airlines has taken its senior pilot off-duty for allegedly sleeping on a London-bound flight, risking the lives of over 300 passengers on board by handing over the aircraft to a trainee.

Captain Amir Akhtar Hashmi had taken a two-and-a-half- hour nap in the business class passenger cabin on April 26 soon after flight PK-785 took off from Islamabad for London, the Dawn reported.

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The airline was initially reluctant to take action against Hashmi, a former president of the highly influential Pakistan Air Lines Pilots Association (PALPA), but later caved in to "pressure from above".

PIA spokesperson Danyal Gilani said that Hashmi was off from flying duty due to the investigation under way, but refused to share any further details.

Another first officer, Mohammad Asad Ali, who was under training, was also in the cockpit.

Hashmi, an instructor, gets paid over Rs 100,000 each month to train pilots, and was supposed to train Ali Hassan Yazdani during the flight. However, instead of performing his duty, Hashmi went for a quick lie-down, the report said.

The flight was carrying over 305 passengers -- 293 in the economy class and 12 in the club class.

The development has surfaced at a time when a top PIA official, facing serious allegations of corruption, left the country yesterday after he was given a special exemption by the Interior Ministry to fly abroad for a month even though his name is still on the country's no-fly list.

Bernd Hildenbrand, the suspended CEO of the national flag carrier is under investigation on charges of corruption amounting to billions of rupees. The Federal Investigation Agency is probing the corruption charges against him.

Also read:

Female pilot rants about divorce and Donald Trump over intercom, removed from the flight

WATCH THE VIDEO:

--- ENDS ---
Ross Douthats recent New York Times columns on French politics here (April 29) and here (May 3) are both not only good, but also full of interesting reading in the links accessible online. Referring to the French presidential candidate who is predicted to lose the election being held today, Douthat asserts in the first of these two columns:

[T]he 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.

Douthat embeds a link to a March 1959 quote from de Gaulle addressing Algerian independence that I had never seen before (pointed out to me by my friend Bruce Sanborn), given in French and translated by Daniel Pipes as follows:

It is very good that there are yellow French, black French, brown French. They show that France is open to all races and has a universal vocation. But [it is good] on condition that they remain a small minority. Otherwise, France would no longer be France. We are still primarily a European people of the white race, Greek and Latin culture, and the Christian religion. Dont tell me stories! Muslims, have you gone to see them? Have you watched them with their turbans and jellabiyas? You can see that they are not French! Those who advocate integration have the brain of a hummingbird. Try to mix oil and vinegar. Shake the bottle. After a second, they will separate again. Arabs are Arabs, the French are French. Do you think the French body politic can absorb ten million Muslims, who tomorrow will be twenty million, after tomorrow forty? If we integrated, if all the Arabs and Berbers of Algeria were considered French, would you prevent them to settle in France, where the standard of living is so much higher? My village would no longer be called Colombey-The-Two-Churches but Colombey-The-Two-Mosques.

We are all familiar with Winston Churchills observations on the curses of Mohammedanism in The River War, but de Gaulles observations are not so well known, if also equally in need of context and explication to be understood fully.
Politico reports that the House oversight committee has launched an investigation into whether the Obama administration, in trying to win support for a nuclear deal and prisoner swap with Tehran last year, undermined an ambitious U.S. counter-proliferation effort to thwart Iranian weapons trafficking networks. In addition, 13 Republican senators have demanded answers about whether the Obama administration jeopardized U.S. national security as a result of its protracted top-secret negotiations with Tehran, and then misled the American public when disclosing the terms of the two deals in January 2016.

There is good reason for these inquiries. A recent Politico report by Josh Meyer, cited by House and Senate lawmakers, found that the Obama administration, through actions in some cases and inaction in others, significantly hampered a federal law enforcement effort known as the National Counterproliferation Initiative at a time when that effort was making major headway in thwarting Irans illicit weapons proliferation activities.

The same Politico report found that during their public rollout of its deals with Iran, President Obama and other key administration officials downplayed the threat posed by the Iranian traffickers they were freeing as part of the swap that also freed five Americans held by Iran. The Obama administration officials focused their public comments only on seven Iranian-born men in the U.S. whose convictions or prosecutions were being dropped as part of the swap, and described them as civilians involved in mere sanctions-related offenses but not charged with terrorism or any violent offenses.

In reality, Politico reported, many of the men  and 14 other Iranian fugitives not named publicly by the top Obama officials  had been accused or convicted of charges stemming from their alleged involvement in clandestine networks supplying Iran with parts and technology for its weapons, ballistic missile and nuclear programs. Indeed, the Obama Justice Department had characterized many of them as threats to national security.

Pursuant to its investigation, the House oversight committee has asked Attorney General Jeff Sessions to produce an exhaustive volume of Justice Department documents would help the Committee in better understanding these issues. It sent a nearly identical letter to Secretary of State Rex Tillerson demanding all related documents in the State Departments possession.

The Trump administration has no interest in covering for the Obama administration. Thus, it is reasonable to expect that, although some at Justice and State wont want to produce these documents, the Attorney General and Secretary of State will see that they are produced. Presumably, they will also agree to the committees requests to make staff available for a briefing these issues.

The letter from the 13 GOP Senators reportedly was spearheaded by Sen. David Perdue. The other signatories are: Sens. Thom Tillis, James Inhofe, John Boozman, Ben Sasse, Roger Wicker, Johnny Isakson, Marco Rubio. Ted Cruz, Mike Lee, Mike Rounds, Tim Scott, and Luther Strange.

Their letter asks whether the 21 men whose cases were dropped were still engaging in illicit activities on behalf of the Iranian government. It also asks for additional information about whether any investigations and prosecutions were derailed by the Obama administration, and it inquires about counter-proliferation activities. . .we currently pursuing in order to combat Irans attempts to illicitly procure sanctioned goods.

The House investigation and the inquiry of the 13 Senators has the potential to embarrass the Obama administration and, perhaps, to further undermine public support for the Iran deal. Even so, the question remains what, if anything, the Trump administration is prepared do about that deal, beyond bad-mouthing it.
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The Edo State Governor, Godwin Obaseki, has introduced a reward system for immunisation exercise in the state.

A statement by the chief press secretary to the governor, John Mayaki, said Mr. Obaseki disclosed this on Friday when he flagged off the second round of National Immunisation Plus Day in Benin, the state capital.

The governor said the local council that recorded the highest number of immunised children in the second phase of the exercise will get an instant reward of N5 million. There are 18 local government areas in Edo State.

He said the idea would help encourage local government administrators to intensify immunisation efforts in their localities.

Mr. Obaseki advised parents and caregivers to immunise their wards for up to five years in order to free them from debilitating diseases.

We will continue to strengthen immunisation as it provides a holistic approach to controlling of vaccine-preventable diseases and reducing infant and child mortality, Mr. Obaseki said. We will make immunisation service an integral part of our healthcare delivery.

The governor, who was in company of his deputy, Philip Shaibu and other administration officials, also unveiled plans to rehabilitate the Oba Market in downtown Benin.

I have seen and inspected a space designed for a clinic in Oba Market, I will clean up space and put a primary health care clinic to cater for the health needs of the traders children and a creche to look after them, the governor said.

Mr. Obaseki decried growing rates of street trading around the marking, saying traders often obstruct free flow of human and vehicular movements with their wares.

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President Muhammadu Buhari has confirmed the latest release of 82 Chibok girls that were held captive by Boko Haram.

The presidents spokesperson, Garba Shehu, said in a statement in the early hours of Sunday that the girls were exchanged for some Boko Haram suspects held by the government.

He did not provide number or names of the Boko Haram suspects swapped for the girls.

The girls were released on Saturday, Mr. Shehu said, adding that they are to arrive Abuja today, Sunday, where they will be received by President Buhari.

He said the president was kept abreast of every negotiation and operation that led to the girls release.

President Muhammadu Buhari expresses his deep gratitude to all who played a part in ensuring the success of this operation, as follows: Security agencies, the military, the Government of Switzerland, the International Committee of the Red Cross, and local and international NGOs, Mr. Shehu said.

The statement said Mr. Buhari was committed to ensuring the safe return of the Chibok girls, and all other Boko Haram captives.

The released girls are among the over 270 abducted from their dormitories in a government secondary school in Chibok, Borno State in April 2014 as they prepared to write their final exams.

Twenty one of them were earlier released last October after negotiations between Boko Haram and the Nigerian government.

Two other girls were found separately, in addition to those who escaped on the night of their abduction.

With the latest release, about 80 Chibok girls are now being held by the Boko Haram.

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A Supreme Court justice, Kumai Bayang Akaahs, has urged the Nigerian government to make greater use of the plea bargain concept in the ongoing war against corruption.

Mr. Akaahs stated this at a lecture and dinner night organised by the International Dispute Resolution Institute (IDRI) in Abuja on Saturday.

The program seeks to address growing challenges of safeguarding the justice system in a democratic setting like Nigeria.

Speaking on the prevalence of court cases, following the ongoing war on corruption, Mr. Akaahs said Nigerian government should focus more on ensuring that monies embezzled by public officials are returned.

I think in the long run instead of having so many people behind bars, it will help our economy if they return what they have stolen. We can tell them to go and sin no more. Then if they repeat, they will be sanctioned.

Most of those who steal these funds do so because they want to run for governorship or such other positions. If they know that they will be bared for some time, they will be deterred. I think we need a wider understanding of the concept of plea bargaining, said Mr. Akaahs.

The organiser of the IDRI, Landsay Jones, called on stakeholders within the judiciary to take proactive measure towards evaluating the degree of offences committed in a bid to ensure that commensurate punishments are awarded.

Mr. Jones, a professor of Law at the Emroy University, Atlanta, Georgia, said the Nigerian judiciary system should detect motives behind crimes so that persons who for example were compelled by circumstances to commit an offense do not suffer the same fate as those who had criminal motives for engaging in similar wrongdoings.

He said the aim of the programme is to bring about a knowledge base that relates to traditional African cultural values and best practices in resolution of disputes and/or conflicts.

We believe that African societies have rich dispute resolution traditions and techniques which should be harnessed and employed in the settlement of disputes and conflicts, he said.

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By Press Trust of India: Srinagar, May 6 (PTI) Four persons, including a policeman and militant, were killed in a terror attack in Kulgam district of Kashmir tonight, police said.

The policemen retaliated and there was an exchange of fire, police said.

The gunfight left dead a policeman and three others, including a militant, the police said. PTI MIJ SKL AKK AKK

--- ENDS ---

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Nigerias main opposition party, the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, has been enmeshed in a leadership crisis since May 21 last year when at a national convention in Port Harcourt, it sacked its acting National Chairman, Ali Sheriff, and announced a National Caretaker Committee led by Ahmed Makarfi, a former governor of Kaduna State.

Mr. Sheriff, a former senator and ex-governor of Borno State, however challenged his removal in court. This set the stage for more litigation, some of which were won by the embattled national chairman and others by the Makarfi-led NCC.

In February, the Court of Appeal affirmed the former Borno governor as the national chairman of the party. That judgement is being challenged by the Makarfi faction at the Supreme Court.

Ehiozywa Agbonayinma, a PDP member in the House of Representatives from Edo State, in this interview with PREMIUM TIMES Nasir Ayitogo and Mohammed Lere at the National Assembly complex, called on the Makarfi faction to lay down its arms and obey the court judgement.

PT: The PDP is in crisis, what we see now are two factions. Which side do you belong?

Agbonayinma: There is only one PDP and there is only one leader and that leader is Senator Ali Modu Sheriff, the national chairman of the greatest party in Africa, PDP. He is the Chairman, the authentic chairman, there is no other chairman.

Caretaker committee chairman doesnt exist in law; that is why he (Ali Sheriff) won at the Court of Appeal. You cant give what you dont have, we are not in a lawless society or a banana republic, this is Nigeria. For Gods sake, are we now saying we wont obey the rule of law?

By court pronouncement and even before court pronouncement, he was chairman and they were challenging his leadership because they couldnt manipulate or remote control him. They thought they could remote control or push him around but they found out that they were having a dead end. You cant push Senator Ali Modu Sheriff around, he is a man of principle, he said lets give the party back to the people and that is why it is PDP  Power to the People.

If they knew that he was a bad man, he was wicked like they have been blackmailing him that he was part of Boko Haram, why did they go to plead and appeal to him to come and redeem PDP back to its old glory if they knew all these?

They went to him and begged, all of a sudden, he accepted, he got the highest votes to beat three other contenders when the NEC voted.

By law, since then he became the National Chairman of our party. So, they were hoping that this man that has been three times and a two-term governor, that when he was leaving he left about N67billion in the state treasury, no governor did that in the whole federation.

A man that has built his political career, his business empire for over the years, then all of a sudden you want to dent his image because of politics. For me, I am a lawmaker and not a lawbreaker; I am on the side of the law and let it be that I am the only one standing by him. He is my chairman, the chairman of our great party whether the devil likes it or not.

Sheriff is not the one on trial, those on trial are the ones who are perpetrating themselves as mini gods. Nobody is above the law, you cant play God, and he is the one who gives power.

PT: The Makarfi caretaker committee has approached the Supreme Court, what if the result turns out in its favour?

Agbonayinma: To them, they said if Sheriff happens to win at the Supreme Court, they will not have anything to do with him, to us if it happens to be that Makarfi wins, well obey and stand on the side of the law.

But look at this, it is crystal clear, if you read the constitution of the PDP, there is no such thing as caretaker committee. But you can find it in the state or local government level. The national body can set up a caretaker committee in the state or local government but in the national level, there is no such thing.

The Barrister, Dayo Adeyeye, parading himself as the spokesman of PDP, if we happen to have been in a country that always believes in the rule of law, hell be apprehended and jailed for contempt. He is a lawyer, he should know better.

He is trying to tell the judiciary that whatever judgement they have given does not hold water, for him to still parade himself as the spokesman of PDP. It is unheard of.

They can say whatsoever they want to say, we had several meetings of reconciliations. I, Senator Sheriff, Professor Jerry Gana, Sule Lamido and many other leaders from Makarfis group were in that meeting, sometimes these meetings lasted till 2 to 3 a.m. in the morning. Whatever recommendations they brought, we said no problem, as we are agreeing to support what they want, the following day they are countering the same recommendations they brought themselves.

They were the ones who brought Professor Jerry Gana to head the committee. I have great respect for Professor Jerry Gana but unfortunately, he is dealing with people that do not understand that we are all created equal. A tree that is standing alone by itself cannot be called a forest. One person cannot govern himself, he needs people. As a leader, you need followers. You cant be the leader and follower at the same time.

In that meeting, they brought seven recommendations, we agreed to numbers 1-6, but I asked the chairman of the committee why the seventh recommendation had a question mark. He said they would get back to us, only for us to wake up the following day to hear Governor Fayose spitting fire.

They set up another committee headed by Governor Seriake Dickson of Bayelsa, Ali Modu Sheriff didnt set up that committee, Makarfi faction set up the committee to liaise with us. The committee came up with their recommendation and final report which they came and submitted at the national secretariat (Wadata Plaza). Senator Sheriff together with other NEC members received them and accepted the recommendations and reports. Immediately Sheriff accepted, the following day Fayose said no, no! So, you see, we take one step forward and the want to take us ten steps backwards. Lets call a spade a spade, there is no perfection in humanity, I am not perfect, I am not saying Senator Sheriff is perfect, I am not saying Fayose is perfect but you must respect others.

I dont know where Fayose was when Senator Ali Modu Sheriff was already a governor and senator. He just started yesterday, he should respect elders. I was brought up to respect elders. We can disagree to agree and agree to disagree, politics is about dialoguing, and it is not about using weapons of mass destruction or trying to be negative or abusive. Communicate if you have a superior argument. I have told my honourable colleagues who asked me why I follow Sheriff to explain to me why I shouldnt follow Sheriff, convince me.

I am with him (Sheriff), I am for him, I am by him and we stand with him.

PT: Senator Sheriff has appointed people into the National Working Committee of the PDP such as Cairo Ojuogboh. Is it in the PDP constitution that the National Chairman can singlehandedly appoint a member into the NWC?

Agbonayinma: Dont forget Dr. Cairo Ojuogboh was a vice chairman (south south) of PDP and he is deputy national chairman on acting capacity.

When a seat is vacant, somebody has to fill that position. He is acting since the former Acting National Chairman, Uche Secondus, happens to come from the South-south and Secondus was vice chairman from the south-South, there is nothing wrong for Cairo to act as the National Vice Chairman.

PT: Does the National Chairman have the power to appoint any member to the NWC?

Agbonayinma: Dont forget we have a national working committee. Even the General Secretary of our party is still with Sheriff, a lot of the members of the NWC are still with Sheriff.

For your information, not everybody left. But as at today, more governors are now with Sheriff, are you aware? Only few governors are now on the side of Makarfi, about three governors, the rest of them have keyed in to Sheriff.

PT: Can you tell us the names of these governors that have aligned with Sheriff?

Agbonayinma: Ill tell you the three governors who are not with Sheriff, then you do the remaining calculations yourself.

They are Nyesom Wike of Rivers State, Ayodele Fayose of Ekiti State and Ibrahim Dankwambo of Gombe State. Apart from these three, the rest are with Sheriff. You know why? Elections are going on everywhere and by law, INEC only recognizes Sheriff. INEC only accepts names submitted by Sheriff.

PT: How many members of the House of Representatives are with Sheriff?

EJ: As at today, we can no longer count. Before, we were few but as at today, all these governors that have keyed in have instructed their members to also key in. So, they (Makarfi faction) are now confused because that is not the best way to settle issues, they should still come together as one family.

A house divided can never stand, politics is not a do or die affair. Nobody is an island, we need each other to succeed.

PT: President Buhari has been very sick. As a PDP member and a member of the House of Representatives, do you think Buhari should resign?

Agbonayinma: Let me be sincere with you. Yes, I am a PDP member but first I am a Nigerian. I dont want to be partisan in making any statement that has to do with the President of our country.

If you dont value what you have, somebody else will help you devalue it. What we should be talking about and be preaching is love, being our brothers keeper. When your leader is sick, what you should do is to pray for that leader. Anybody can be sick.

Once upon a time, my enemy was sick and I was taken to America for treatment, nobody came and said EJ must resign from being a member of the House of Representatives.

Until proven beyond reasonable doubt that he (Buhari) can no longer function as president, it is a topic for another day.

But as at this time, of course age is no longer on his side, we shouldnt be castigating, using derogatory statements, making negative statements to compound the issue. Rather, we should be our brothers keeper.

We should pray for our leaders, pray for the president, Vice President, Senate President, Speaker of the House of Representatives, Senators and Honorable members of the National Assembly and those that are part of the governance of this country so that this country can move forward.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NNvLfiruyKM&w=560&h=315]

If president Buhari succeeds, guess what? Nigeria succeeds; Nigerians will benefit from the enormous good things that will come out of this government.

Unfortunately, we are not together, we are fighting amongst ourselves. APC is fighting amongst themselves, PDP is fighting amongst themselves, and Nigerians are quarrelling amongst themselves. Where do we go from here?

Mr. President is ill, anybody can be ill, the best we can do for him is to pray.

Somebody was telling me the other day that now that the president is not functioning, we should impeach him and the Vice President but I said look, this is where we always get it wrong. Is that the right thing to do now? A man that is sick, cant you pray for him to get well?

None of us will live here forever, everybody, once upon a time will go and meet the almighty creator, we should be our brothers keeper. This is not the best for our nation.

I understand we are not where we used to be, but we are not where we ought to be. Even though we are progressing, that progression should be that which all Nigerians will feel the impact of governance. Please lets call a spade a spade, let us live together as brothers and sisters.

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A popular Nollywood actor, Samuel Adesanya, popularly called Pastor Ajidara, is dead.

Mr. Ajidara, 62, died of kidney failure in the early hours of Sunday.

His wife, Atinuke Adesanya, who confirmed the death to PREMIUM TIMES said the actor died at Mercy Hospital, Onikolobo, Abeokuta, where he was receiving dialysis treatment.

Mr. Adesanyas family had two days ago called for financial support of N12million from the public, following his doctors recommendation that he would need a kidney transplant to survive.

Ironically, Mr. Adesanya was owed about N4 million by the Ogun State government as a retiree of Ogun State Judiciary. He retired from the service on July 2, 2015 but was yet to get his retirement benefit till he died.

Mrs. Adesanya told PREMIUM TIMES that her husbands illness started shortly after an auto crash in 2012. 

Until his death, Mr. Adesanya was the Governor of Ogun State Chapter of Theatre Art and Movie Producers Association of Nigeria, TAMPAN.

Sympathisers on Sunday morning besieged the Abeokuta home of Mr. Adesanya to commiserate with his family while arrangements were ongoing to deposit his corpse in the morgue, in preparation for final burial.

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Nigerias National Security Adviser, Babagana Monguno, has said he informed President Muhammadu Buhari about the National Intelligence Agencys covert operation that went awry with the discovery of over N13 billion at an apartment in Lagos last month, PREMIUM TIMES can report.

This newspaper can also confirm that Mr. Monguno knew about the covert operation, took part in its gradual advancement and expressed the satisfaction of not only himself but that of the president over the diligence and professionalism of the NIA personnel executing the intelligence projects.

Detailed brief of this exercise was rendered to the President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces who expressed satisfaction on your agencys foresighted disposition on development of its critical infrastructure, Mr. Monguno said in a letter to the Director-General of the NIA, Ayodele Oke.

The May 17, 2016 correspondence with reference number: NSA/332/S was written to Mr. Oke as part of the of NSAs oversight activities concerning the NIA covert operations which was already underway at the time.

Three months earlier, Mr. Monguno had raised a three-member panel to inspect the projects the NIA was undertaking as part of the clandestine operations approved by former President Goodluck Jonathan.

In its report to the NSA on February 29, the team expressed satisfaction with the level of progress on the overt and covert projects, which has a budget of $289 million.

The panel, which Mr. Monguno described in a document as having conducted a comprehensive inspection of the NIA projects both in Lagos and Abuja, was led by Adeyinka Famadewa, a brigadier-general in the Nigerian Army with specialities in military intelligence.

The new details now before the presidential committee probing the #IkoyiMoney controversy appear to have clarified the controversy surrounding the source of the recovered funds. They also seem to have rubbished insinuations that Mr. Oke did not brief Mr. Buhari and Mr. Monguno about the projects.

Although Mr. Monguno did not openly deny knowledge of the operations and projects, several presidency sources have suggested that neither the NSA nor the president was briefed about the $289million released to the NIA or the projects being executed with it.

President Buhari also indicated that he did not know about the operation when he suspended Mr. Oke from office and set up a panel to investigate the circumstances in which the NIA came into possession of the funds, how and by whose or which authority the funds were made available to the NIA, and to establish whether or not there has been a breach of the law or security procedure in obtaining custody and use of the funds.

Incidentally, the three-man panel, led by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, also included Mr. Monguno. Attorney-General Abubakar Malami is the third member of the panel, which was set up on April 19.

The panel has since concluded its sitting and announced that its report would be presented to the president on Monday, May 8.

During his first visit to the NIA Headquarters on May 5, 2016, Mr. Monguno expressed delight at the activities of the external intelligence service and made particular reference to the $289 million operation.

On the occasion of my maiden visit to the NIA since assumption of official duties as NSA, I am extremely delighted by the warm reception and hospitality shown to me by H.E. Ambassador Ayo Oke, DG, NIA, the quality of works in progress is notably breathtaking but very inspiring also.

All the facilities being constructed have demonstrated that the NIA is far ahead of its sister agencies in terms of foresight and dealing with 21st Century intelligence issues.

It is my fervent prayer that the NIA achieve all the goals it has set for itself so that all other institutions of government, particularly the intelligence community, will bring about the desired change for this great country, Mr. Monguno wrote in the NIA visitors book on May 5, 2016.

Mr. Monguno became the National Security Adviser on July 3, 2015.

After conveying the commendations of the president in his May 17, 2016 letter to Mr. Oke, Mr. Monguno informed the NIA DG that the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) shall, henceforth, take on the task of verifying the current state of the projects and associated records.

In the content of these oversight functions, the NIA is hereby required to avail the NSA bi-annual updates on these projects until their completion.

Presidency sources had earlier told PREMIUM TIMES that Mr. Buhari learnt of the NIA projects during the work of the presidential committee that audited equipment procurement in the military which was led by John Odey, an air vice marshal.

The source said Mr. Oke approached Mr. Monguno and intimated him of the $289 million approved by Mr. Jonathan in 2015 for the development of critical security infrastructure and covert operations.

He said the NSA requested a report about the money and what it was meant for.

When the NIA submitted his report to the NSA, he (NSA) set up a three-man panel to investigate the claims made by Mr. Oke, he said.

He also said Mr. Oke listed about nine projects that were being carried out by the NIA across the country.

In the report he presented, the DG said he has already authorised a payment of $98,891.067.57 out of the money as at January 20, 2016, leaving a balance of $190, 311,314.02

Out of that balance, the DG said the sum of $89,298,792 was cash at hand while the sum of $101,015.55 was in the bank, he said.

Our source said Mr. Oke provided a detailed breakdown indicating all payments made and outstanding sums, adding, the calculations based on the tabulation gave an exact balance of the $289 million that was approved by the former president.

The source said Mr. Famadewas panel also submitted its report to the NSA for onward disclosure to the president.

Upon receiving the report, Mr. President said it is normal and directed the NSA to take responsibility and to also have oversight over the projects, the source said.

However, another source involved in the investigation told PREMIUM TIMES the N13 billion is part of the $89,298,792 Mr. Oke had reported to President Buhari as cash at hand.

The source, who asked not to be named as he was not authorised to discuss the matter with journalists, said the NIA moved the money from one of its Lagos safe houses to the Ikoyi apartment when the safe house was being renovated.

The movement (of the money) is a standard procedure in clandestine security operations. It was necessitated by the renovation in the safe house, he said.

Unfortunately, inter-agency rivalry made the EFCC ignore the early warning the NIA gave it to abandon the search after it started, the source said.

A former External Affairs Minister, Bolaji Akinyemi, recently cautioned the federal government on its handling of the current probe.

External Intelligence operations do not belong into the same security genre as domestic security forces such as the SSS, EFCC and the Police, Mr. Akinyemi, who was in office from 1985 to 1987 and supervised the NIAs operations, said in a statement last week.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission had on April 12 recovered of $43,449,947, 27,800 and N23,218,000 from an apartment at Osborne Towers in Ikoyi, Lagos.

The anti-graft agency said it acted on information provided by a whistleblower.

A day after news of the recovery dribbled around the country, the EFCC approached the Federal High Court in Lagos for a forfeiture order.

Muslim Hassan, a judge at the Lagos Division of the FHC, granted the anti-graft agencys request and gave any potential claimant until May 5, else the entire N13 billion would be permanently forfeited to the Nigerian government.

On April 14, according to presidency and security sources, the NIA admitted owning the money, saying it warehoused it in the Lagos apartment for an operation it was conducting.

Our sources said Mr. Oke, the NIA director general, had approached Mr. Magu to request EFCC operatives who broke into the apartment to back down while the operation was still underway, but the EFCC boss refused his request.

Mr. Oke confirmed to PREMIUM TIMES that the money belonged to the NIA in an April 14 interview, but declined requests to disclose what it was meant for, saying You dont expect me to tell you that.

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The Amnesty International has described as big relief, the news of the release of 82 Chibok girls who were held captive by Boko Haram.

The group, however, called on the Nigerian government to respect the privacy of the girls.

The government should respect their privacy and ensure that the released girls are reunited with their families and not kept in lengthy detention and security screening which can only add to their suffering and plight, said Osai Ojigho, Nigerias Director of Amnesty International.

Mr. Ojigho said, in a statement issued on Saturday, that after their years in captivity, it was vital now for the girls to receive physical and psychosocial counselling and support that could help them reintegrate in their communities.

The official said Boko Haram executed and tortured thousands of civilians, indoctrinated and forced people to fight for the terrorist group, as well as raped girls and forced them into marriage.

It asked the Nigerian authorities to ensure the safe return of thousands of people, including boys, abducted by the group.

Nigerias President Muhammadu Buhari confirmed in the early hours of Sunday that the girls were exchanged for some Boko Haram suspects that were held by the government.

The released girls are among the over 270 abducted from their dormitories in a government secondary school in Chibok, Borno State in April 2014 as they prepared to write their final exams.

Twenty-one of them were earlier released last October after negotiations between Boko Haram and the Nigerian government.

Two other girls were found separately, in addition to those who escaped on the night of their abduction.

With the latest release, about 80 Chibok girls are now being held by the Boko Haram.

Other groups, as well as individuals, have been reacting to the news of the release of the Chibok girls.

#BringBackOurGirls, a not-for-profit organization famous for its advocacy for the release of the abducted girls, said it was exceedingly delighted by this good news.

In a statement issued on Sunday by its leaders, Aisha Yesufu and Oby Ezekwesili, the #BringBackOurGirls group commended President Buhari, the federal government, and all the partners who worked for the release of the girls.

We are eagerly looking forward to the official release of the names of the 82 girls in order to enable us as usual verify them against the #ChibokGirls list generated by the Presidential Fact-Finding Committee on the Abduction of the Chibok Schoolgirls (General Ibrahim Sabo Committee) report of 20 June 2014, the group said.

Once we are able to do so, we shall communicate our findings to the public.

The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara, in his reaction to the release of the girls, praised President Buhari for being a man of his words.

President Buhari has further proven that he is a man of his words, as he could have used the initial inaction by the previous administration as an excuse to not take action, but he didnt, the News Agency of Nigeria, NAN, quoted Mr. Dogara as saying in a statement he issued.

It has been said in many quarters that true leadership is defined not by apportioning blame, but by solving challenges irrespective of their genesis, and the President deserves all commendation for this feat.

It is extremely gladdening that these 82 girls will finally be reunited with their families.

It is my ardent hope that they get the required medical attention and that the other girls and all others who remained in captivity are released soon, Mr. Dogara said.

The president and the federal government have also received commendation from the Nigerian community in South Africa.

Ikechukwu Anyene, President of Nigeria Union, South Africa, said that the release of the girls was a welcome development and a sign of good things to come, NAN reported.

Mr. Anyene said that Nigerians living in South Africa and citizens of other countries were happy over the news.

He urged the government to ensure the release of the remaining girls, so as to end the trauma faced by their parents and guardians.

He also appealed to Nigerians not to stigmatize the girls.

We should assist in giving them a sense of belonging. They were part of us before their abduction and it is equally right that we treat them well, he said.

Meanwhile, a university lecturer has called on the international community to complement the federal governments effort towards the rehabilitation of the 82 Chibok girls

Mustapha Hussaini, a criminologist and Head of the Department of Sociology, Federal University Dutse, Jigawa State, said the girls must have been affected psychologically because of their years in captivity.

They must have been used to the life in the jungle for three years, NAN quoted Mr. Hussaini as saying.

The girls are now in a state of confusion; coming to be exposed to normal life after they were used to another life with insurgents for three years.

Being detached from their parents for three years, their mode of life and thinking must have changed by now, he said.

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The 82 abducted school girls released by Boko Haram have arrived the State House, Presidential Villa, Abuja to meet with President Muhammadu Buhari.

The girls arrived the Villa at about 7:04 p.m. and are currently meeting with Mr. Buhari inside his official residence behind closed doors.

They were driven to the Villa in a military convoy amidst tight security.

The girls were earlier airlifted from Maiduguri, the Borno State capital to Abuja on Sunday afternoon.

They were then taken to a medical facility ran by the Department of State Services, SSS, along Airport road in the Federal capital city.

The 82 girls were released on Saturday after a successful negotiation with a team representing the Nigerian government.

The spokesperson of Mr. Buhari, Garba Shehu in a statement confirming the release of the girls said the feat was achieved after months of patient negotiations adding  our security agencies have taken back these abducted girls in exchange for some Boko Haram suspects held by the authorities.

Mr. Shehu also said the president has expressed his deep gratitude to security agencies, the military, the government of Switzerland, the Red Cross, local and international NGOs for the success of this operation.

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President Muhammadu Buhari will travel to London on Sunday night (tonight) for medical follow-up,his spokesperson has said.

Femi Adesina, on his twitter handle, said the length of the presidents stay away is to be determined by his London doctors.

Govt to function normally under VP, Mr. Adesina said.

The recent trip occurs less than two months after the president also spent over 50 days in London on medical vacation.

In a later statement, Mr. Adesina said the president has already written to the leadership of the National Assembly intimating them of the trip.

He said the president had planned to leave Sunday afternoon, but decided to tarry a bit, due to the arrival of 82 Chibok girls who arrived Abuja earlier in the day.

The girls, kidnapped in April 2014, were released by the Boko Haram in a swap deal that also saw the release of some terror suspects.

The President wishes to assure all Nigerians that there is no cause for worry. He is very grateful for the prayers and good wishes of the people, and hopes they would continue to pray for the peace and unity of the nation, Mr. Adesina said.

The length of the Presidents stay in London will be determined by the doctors. Government will continue to function normally under the able leadership of the Vice President.

President Buhari has transmitted letters about the trip to the Senate and the House of Representatives, in compliance with Section 145 (1) of the 1999 Constitution, the statement said.

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Contrary to reports, the Permanent Secretary of the State House, Jalal Arabi, remains in office to carry out his official functions, the presidency said on Friday.

A statement by the State House Deputy Director of Media, Abiodun Oladunjoye, said Mr. Arabi did not commit any offences in the course of his duty and could not have been suspended.

Mr Arabi is at his desk dutifully attending to important state matters and is not under any probe, the presidency said.

Claims that Mr. Arabi had been dismissed by President Buhari for alleged misconduct circulated on the Internet this week.

Allegations of corruption were also levelled against Mr. Arabi, including how he allegedly connived with Mr. Buharis Chief of Staff, Abba Kyari, to perpetrate financial crimes.

But the State House statement quoted Mr. Arabi as stating that he remained in office while urging Nigerians to disregard the reports.

I remain committed and dedicated to the professional discharge of my duties and I refuse to be distracted by adversarial forces, Mr Arabi said.

The Permanent Secretary and other Muslim faithful joined Mr. Buhari for Jumaat prayer at the State House mosque, the presidency said.

The disclaimer came a week after the presidency refuted reports that Mr. Kyari and the Director-General of the State Security Service, Lawal Daura, had resigned.

.

A year ago, the administration denied reports about purported dismissal of the Minister of State for Petroleum, Ibeh Kachikwu.

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The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority, NCAA, on Sunday warned passengers it described as irate and belligerent, carrying out attacks on airline officials, to desist forthwith or face criminal charges.

The NCAA issued the warning in a statement signed by its General Manager, Public Relations, Sam Adurogboye, in Lagos.

Mr. Adurogboye said the warning became necessary due to preponderance of reports from some of the nations airports detailing brutal attacks on officials of airlines.

According to him, these attacks are embarrassing and discourteous to such affected officials.

The NCAA undoubtedly recognises that the operating airlines must at all times uphold the conditions of carriage and contract on each passengers ticket.

This means that all passengers are conferred with inalienable rights when they are travelling by air, according to the Nigerian Civil Aviation Regulations (Nig.CARs 2015 Part 19).

It prescribes minimum rights for air travellers on the occurrence of any of the following no show and overbooking of flight, denied boarding, delay and cancellation of flights.

These rights shall apply without prejudice to a passengers right under any applicable law or contract, he said.

Mr. Adurogboye, however, said passengers were not expected to take laws into their hands, if and when there were operational hiccups capable of truncating air services.

He noted that all over the world, overbooking, denied boarding, delay and cancellations similarly occur in extraneous circumstances.

As contained in Part 19.7.2, airlines have the obligation to inform passengers on cancellation, an explanation shall be given concerning possible alternative transport.

Also in Part 19.7.3, an operating airline shall not be obliged to pay compensation for cancellation, if it can prove that the cancellation was caused by extraordinary circumstances.

He further cited the part by saying that such extraordinary circumstances must be such that could not have been avoided, even if all reasonable measures had been taken.

Part 19.7.4, says the burden of proof concerning any question as to whether and when the passenger has been informed of the cancellation of the flight shall rest with the operating airline.

The NCAA spokesperson said it therefore meant that passengers should be guided that cancellations and any aforementioned scenarios could occur beyond the control of the airline in certain situations.

He said when passengers were aggrieved; Part 19.20 states that a passenger may lodge a complaint with the Consumer Protection Directorate, or any other competent person designated by the authority for an alleged infringement.

It is on record that the Consumer Protection Directorate (CPD) has handled and resolved several cases from aggrieved passengers to their satisfaction.

Therefore, the authority expects aggrieved passengers to recourse to the platform provided by NCAA to file their complaints and seek redress or compensation as the case may be.

Subsequently, any passenger found carrying out attacks on airline officials will face criminal prosecution.

The NCAA is statutorily empowered to provide an enabling environment for safe and secure air transportation.

It will, however, not allow any airline officials life to be ridiculed publicly or endangered. (NAN)

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Members of the Chibok community in Borno on Sunday lauded the federal government for securing the release of 82 girls out of those abducted on April 14, 2014 by suspected Boko Haram insurgents.

Across section of those interviewed by the News Agency of Nigeria in Chibok, specifically commended President Muhammadu Buhari for the gesture.

Sincerely speaking I am overwhelmed, this is the kind of information that we have long waited for.

We appreciate God first and appreciate the government especially the presidency which championed the negotiations, Ayuba Alamson, a community leader said.

He expressed the hope that every other person in captivity of the insurgents will also be set free.

We pray that this will lead to the release of the remaining girls and all the people that have been captured by the insurgents.

Our prayer is all of them will be released, Mr. Alamson said.

Zanna Modu, the District Head of Chibok corroborated the feeling,

We want to commend all those individuals, organizations the Federal and the Borno State Governments for their role in ensuring the release of the girls.

Our prayer is for God to give them more wisdom to intervene, so that this thing will come to an end completely.

I also pray for the president for God to grant him good health, so he can fulfill all the promises he made to Nigeria like the release of all the Chibok girls and ending Boko Haram insurgency.

Also speaking, Solomon Samuel, also a community leader, described the latest release of the girls as a big surprise.

Most people did not sleep yesterday in Chibok, they were praying, praising God and some were even shedding tears of joy because of the news.

I did not sleep until 1 a.m. because of the report on the release of the girls, Mr. Samuel said.

He added: Sincerely speaking we cannot quantify the level of joy in the community.

We pray that the next information we will get is that the remaining girls have been released.

I want to call on all Boko Haram members that violent campaign will not help them.

It is high time for them to embrace dialogue let them surrender and embrace dialogue so that peace will return.

(NAN)

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The Ahmed Makarfi faction of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, has condemned the decision by the Nigerian government to swap Boko Haram prisoners with some of the abducted Chibok School girls.

About 82 of the girls, who were abducted from their school in April 2014, were released on Saturday as part of a prisoner swap that saw the release of some Boko Haram suspects.

While local and international rights groups like Amnesty International and BringBackOurGirls have commended the move, the opposition party said though the release of the girls was good, freeing the terror suspects was bad.

The Makarfi faction of PDP in a statement by its spokesperson, Dayo Adeyeye said the suspected terrorists by this release have escaped justice; and all the efforts made by security agencies to bring them to book has come to nothing.

The party also said the negotiations are in clear violation and indeed a direct assault on the generally accepted international principle never to negotiate with terrorists.

Read the full statement below:

The Release of 82 Chibok Girls: Our Position  PDP.

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) led by Senator Ahmed Makarfi, CON, has described the recent release of 82 Chibok girls as a welcome development. The capture and detention of these girls by the Boko Haram terrorists in the last three years had brought extreme pain and suffering not only to their families but to the people of this Country and men and women of goodwill all over the world. What is however of great concern is the price paid to secure the release of the girls. According to reports, the girls were released in exchange for the release of suspected Boko Haram terrorists. If that is the case, we say its a heavy price to pay and an unusual one at that.

While we welcome the release of the girls, we do not think that exchanging innocent girls for hardened criminals like the terrorists is the right approach for the following reasons:

1). The suspected terrorists by this release have escaped justice; and all the effort made by security agencies to bring them to book has come to nothing.

2). The release of the terrorists is a setback for the War on insurgency. Their release is tantamount to releasing them to resume their war against society. Many of them could find their ways back to the terrorists camps from where they could unleash terror against the country. Others who are allowed to roam freely in society could become veritable recruiting agents and purveyors of suicide bombing and urban terrorism.

3). The Boko Haram terrorists are emboldened to continue with their tactics of kidnapping innocent people with the belief that they can always use it to blackmail the Government to release their members and to extract other concessions.

4). The piece meal release of the girls means the terrorists want to extract more concessions from the Government which in the end can only prolong the insurgency.

5). The release of the girls will increase the agony and high expectancy of the remaining girls still in custody of the terrorists and their families who will be wondering why they have not been so lucky. It therefore would have been better to ensure the release of all the girls at once.

6). The negotiations are in clear violation and indeed a direct assault on the generally accepted international principle never to negotiate with terrorists. This international principle is sound and logical because negotiation with the terrorists only fuels their urge to continue with their heinous crimes.

7). However, we recognize the concern of President Buhari to ensure the earliest release of the Chibok girls for domestic and international considerations. Equally, we are very concerned about the safe return of the girls to their families at the earliest possible time. But we disagree that negotiating with the terrorists is the right approach to achieving the objective.

8). Meanwhile, we rejoice with the girls and their families and hope that their remaining colleagues will join them in freedom in no distant future.

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By Press Trust of India: Srinagar, May 7 (PTI) Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti today expressed anguish over the killing of three civilians and a cop in a militant attack in Kulgam district yesterday and said political goals cannot be achieved through violence.

The chief minister said the futility of violence to achieve political goals had been established beyond doubt.

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"It is unfortunate for the state that human blood is being spilt here when elsewhere in the world, the futility of violence to achieve political goals has been established beyond doubt," she said. PTI SSB ADS

--- ENDS ---
Ahead of the legislative week commencing last Tuesday, expectations were high that the 2017 Appropriations Bill would be laid for third reading and passed in the Senate, as well as the House of Representatives, for transmission to the President. It was just days before the expiration of the 2016 budget, which, based on provision of the 2016 Appropriations Act, became invalid on Friday. But the expectations were not met on Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday  the three days National Assembly have plenary sessions in a week. The report on the 2017 budget expected from the joint committee on appropriations and finance chaired by Danjuma Goje and John Enoh respectively was not laid.

Although, the presentation of the report was listed as the first item on the Senates Order Paper for Thursday, the Senate Leader, Ahmed Lawan, successfully moved that it be stepped down and taken by the Grace of God on Tuesday in the coming week. Reason: Mr. Goje (APC-Gombe) and Mr. Enoh (PDP-Cross River) and their members, were currently meeting with their counterparts in the House of Representatives on the last-minute harmonisation of the budget proposal.

In any case, even if the Senate, nay the National Assembly, had passed the budget by Thursday, it would not have been possible, realistically speaking, to make it operational by presidential assent before Friday, expiration of the 2016 budget. A passed budget bill will be transmitted to the president who, reasonably will spend days to consider and review it, with his team, including the vice president, who heads the countrys economic team, before assenting to it. The lawmakers have now spent five months to review the budget proposal presented by President Muhammadu Buhari in December last year.

With the expiration of the 2016 budget without one for 2017, what next? There has been confusion. There has been fear of government shut down. But no. Despite the non-passage of the budget before expiration of the 2016 last one, the development would not result in a government shutdown. This is because Section 82 of the constitution allows the president to authorise withdrawal from the Consolidated Revenue Fund for the purpose of meeting expenditure necessary to carry on services of the government until the coming into operation of the new budget.

Speaking on this, Eze Onyekpere, a fiscal policy expert and Lead Director of the Centre for Social Justice said the government is empowered by law to continue to spend after expiration of the current budget, until a new budget is approved. The Director of Information at the Ministry of Finance, Salisu Danbatta, also expressed a similar view.

Having failed on budget, what else did the Senate do in the previous week?

First, on Tuesday Nigerian Peace Corps bill suffered set back in the Senate, after both chambers of the National Assembly had passed endorsed the bill. It was just for the Senate to endorse the conference report on the bill; but, alas, some lawmakers, including James Manager (PDP-Delta) and Godswill Akpabio (PDP-Akwa Ibom) rose against the bill, causing the Senate to step it down; thereby sending shock to thousands of youth who saw hope of employment in the effective taking off of the Peace Corps as a statutory body.

Jocularly, Mr. Akpabio likened passage of the NPC bill to legitimization of MMM, Ponzi scheme.

The Senate also referred the screening of 27 nominees for the positions of Resident Electoral Commissioners to its committee on INEC now chaired by Nazif Suleiman, following the suspension of Ali Ndume. The consideration of the nominations had been suspended in April after the lawmakers asked the president to act against Ibrahim Magu, acting chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, and Babachir Lawal, eventually suspended federal cabinet secretary.

The report of the Shehu Sani-led ad hoc committee on the humanitarian crisis in north east was presented on Wednesday. The report detailed damning cases of procurement fraud, diversion of grains and negligence of duty by agencies of government. The big victim of the report is Mr. Lawal, who is atcentre of scandalous bribery and contract fraud allegations. The Senate insisted on his prosecution.

Most importantly, before the report on the north east was presented, the Senate screened Suleiman Hassan and Stephen Ocheni for ministerial jobs. They were confirmed after displaying impressive performances, while responding to questions posed by lawmakers on their respective areas of competence and backgrounds.

Equally important was the passage of the James Manager-sponsored bill for the establishment of the Nigerian Maritime University at Okerenkoko in Warri South-West Local Government Area of Delta State, following the report of the committee on tertiary education and TETFUND, chaired by Jibrin Barau. The university, now ordered for immediate operation by President Muhammadu Buhari as part of Niger Delta peace-building efforts, is to be funded with 15 per cent of the annual budgetary allocation of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, NIMASA.

But before it becomes a statutory body, it still has two hurdles to scale: transmission of its establishment bill to the House of Representatives for concurrence and, ultimately, to the president for assent.

Then, in what might be shaping up to be a means of exploiting institution to reach private end, Hope Uzodinma raised a Point of Order on alleged mismanagement in import and export procedures as well as the operations of the Nigerian Ports Authority. He wanted the Senate Committee on Marine Transport to join the Customs Committee to unravel the continued defrauding of the nation.

Actually, PREMIUM TIMES can authoritatively report, Mr. Uzodinma and the new NPA management under Hadiza Usman, have been at loggerheads over the latters decision to terminate a $19 million Calabar port dredging contract with the formers alleged company, Niger Global Engineering, which had already been paid over $12 million under the previous administration. NPA told the minister the contract was never executed, despite payment of over $12 million to the company, and also alleged fraudulent procurement procedure.

And Good News After all  Anti-Corruption Bill Came up

On Thursday, the report of the joint committee on Judiciary, Foreign Affairs and Anti-Corruption on the Mutual Assistance in Criminal Matters between Nigeria and other Foreign States Bill 2017 SB. 224 was laid by David Umaru (APC-Niger). The bill was sent by the executive in January 2016, seeking to elicit international assistance in criminal investigations, recovery, forfeiture or confiscation of property in respect of offences.

There is no report yet on the second one, Money Laundering Prevention and Prohibition Bill, sent same day as the one on mutual legal assistance.

The way the Senate dilly-dallied, and still does, on the consideration of the anti-corruption bills has fuelled anti-legislature criticisms.

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Despite repeated complaints by Abuja motorists of cheating and extortion by officials of the Vehicle Inspection Office, VIO, the head of the organisation has absolved his agency of any wrongdoing.

On different occasions, the News Agency of Nigeria, NAN, encountered some of the complainants at the Mabushi headquarters of the agency.

One of them, Abraham Oyekan, said he gave a VIO official N12,000 to help him renew his vehicle papers since January without result.

Mr. Oyekan identified the official as Bodinga, who apparently bears the same surname with the acting director of the agency, Wadata Bodinga.

To be honest, Bodinga has been helping me to renew my particulars; I dont know what went wrong this time around.

I gave him N12,000 for renewal in January, but he gave me only the vehicle insurance paper without the others.

He has been giving me all sorts of excuses since then, thats why I am here to complain, Mr. Oyekan said.

Another complainant, Solomon Vongbut, said he gave an official N15,000 also for renewal of his vehicle papers after he was booked by the official at AYA Roundabout in December.

He said, The officer collected the originals of the expired particulars and asked me to meet him here at Mabushi the next day for the new papers.

Ive been coming here since then, but I dont see him and when I call him on phone he tells me he is either in the field or out of town.

Neither Mr. Vongbut nor the VIO officials in one of the offices where he lodged the verbal complaint was willing to identify the officer involved.

In its reaction, the FCT Directorate of Road Traffic Services, DRTS, denied knowledge of money exchanging hands between members of the public and its officials as payment for services.

Wadata Bodinga, the Acting Director of DRTS, popularly known as VIO, told NAN in Abuja that cash payment through its officials had been stopped.

Mr. Bodinga explained that all payments, including vehicle registration, renewal of papers and traffic offences, were now done through the banks.

He said: The issue of money exchanging hands between our officers and members of the public is what is actually new to me because we have completely eliminated hand payment.

Our services are now computerised; there is no way an officer can collect money from anybody because every payment is now done through the banks.

If someone is paying for traffic offence, the offence too is computerised. So, he has to go through the bank and make the payment.

Mr. Bodinga was responding to a NAN enquiry about public complaints against some VIO officials, who allegedly collect money from motorists for traffic offences or services not rendered.

The VIO director, who said no such report had been brought to his attention, called on victims to file formal complaints to the agency.

He, however, noted that members of the public accessing the agencys services through proxies including VIO officials were the ones encouraging illegality in the system.

People always want to do shortcut, I mean the client themselves. They dont like waiting in queues for just a few minutes to undergo the procedures.

They prefer assigning responsibilities and they are the ones encouraging the illegality, because most of their proxies might not even be our staff; they might be touts.

This is why we are telling people to do it themselves. All our services and relevant charges are pasted everywhere in our premises.

The banks are also here to attend to you, and I am calling on members of the public to come and do their registration or pay their fines themselves, he said.

Mr. Bodinga stated that the agency was working on an online application portal to bring its services closer to the people.

We believe that people can start the registration process online at home before coming here to complete it and pick their papers.

This will not only reduce the human elements in the process but also make things easier for our clients. So, we are trying to commission our website, he said.

(NAN)

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The Commander of the Joint Task Force, JTF, in the Niger Delta, Suleman Apochi, on Sunday commended the gallantry of soldiers who recently repelled an attack by militants on the JTFs troops in Ondo State.

The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the JTF troops had killed a suspected militant leader in a shoot-out with militants in Ondo State, and one soldier was also killed during the incident that occurred on April 30.

Mr. Apochi, a rear admiral, told NAN in an interview in Yenagoa that the JTF under his command remained committed to protecting innocent citizens residing in the Niger Delta region.

He said it was regrettable that troops deployed on routine patrols to secure oil infrastructure were targeted in unprovoked attacks.

He explained that the soldiers were ambushed but they quickly recovered and repelled the attack, while the militants took to their heels when they realised that their leader was killed.

The commander said the hoodlums fled with gunshot wounds.

According to the Commander, the military has reopened the Ono-Lagos waterways and made it navigable after the militants group led by late Ossy Ibori had blocked the route for four months.

He said the relative peace and reduced incidents of attacks on oil facilities were a result of the tireless efforts of the Joint Military Force deployed to the region and called for the support and understanding of the people of the area.

Our people need to understand the sacrifices of the military as patriotic citizens who have volunteered to protect them and give them the support they need in the line of duty, we are trained to defend people.

In the ongoing operation to fish out those responsible for the attack, we are very careful not to harm innocent people and we shall make no mistake about it, but anyone who habours or protects criminals will lose that immunity.

We shall go after anyone or community that shields the criminals, Mr. Apohi warned.

(NAN)

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The family of Isiaka Adeleke, a senator who died on April 23, has rejected the coroner inquest instituted by Governor Rauf Aregbesola of Osun.

While addressing a press conference on Sunday in Ede, the immediate younger brother of the deceased, Deji, alleged that the outcome of the inquest was predetermined.

The News Agency of Nigeria reports that Mr. Aregbesola had on May 2 signed an executive order setting up a coroner inquest into the death of the senator.

The order was according to the Coroner Law Cap 32 Vol I Law of Osun, 2002.

The family, according to Mr. Adeleke, however, rejected the coroner inquest in its entirety.

The family, hereby, denounce in its entirety the ill-advised and self-serving coroner inquest ordered by the Osun State Government, purportedly set up to determine the cause of death of our dearly beloved Senator Isiaka Adetunji Adeleke.

We condemn, in strictest terms, the continuous politicisation attempts by the state of this great loss to our family, particularly the ordering of this inquest at a time we are still coming to terms with the harsh reality of his sudden departure and the pain and grief therefrom.

We have been reliably informed by credible sources that the outcome of the kangaroo inquest is already predetermined by the state.

It is also designed to serve its own interest with distorted facts and misinformation which will clearly not be in the interest of the good people of Osun in general and the Adeleke family in particular, Mr. Adeleke said.

NAN recalls that the Adeleke family had at a press conference on April 26 said that the autopsy result conducted on the deceased was yet to be out.

The late senator, who was buried on April 24, represented Osun West Senatorial District on the platform of the APC.

Mr. Adeleke, who died at 62 years, was also the first civilian governor of Osun between January 1992 and November 1993 on the platform of defunct Social Democratic Party.

In a prompt response, the Osun governemnt said the coroner inquest was the best action to take in such circumstances.

The attention of the State Government of Osun has been drawn to a press conference purportedly held by the family of the first civilian governor of our state, Senator Isiaka Adeleke where they rejected the Coroners Inquest instituted by the Government into the unfortunate and sudden death of our beloved former Governor. This is rather unfortunate, the state government said in a statement sent to PREMIUM TIMES.

As a government, the step that has been taken is the most responsible and the most acceptable standard in any civilized society and in line with the extant law inherited from the colonial days. Therefore, the decision to institute an inquest into this sudden death was not to please or satisfy anyone at all but for the good of our society.

We are all bereaved and mourning the unfortunate death of one of our illustrious sons and most importantly a former Governor of our dear state. It would not be in the best interest and honour of the departed soul for the government to engage the family on a matter of this nature. It is however apposite to state that the Adeleke Family has right to all the choices open to them just as we are sure this is a matter that is already in the court of public opinion.

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Mike Raiker wants to know why, after 42 years, he is now suffering from seasonal allergies.

The science behind how, when and why people develop seasonal and other types of allergies has eluded experts for decades, and some adults are learning the hard way that they are not immune to allergies later in life, even with no previous history of symptoms.

About 20 million people in the United States were diagnosed with pollen allergies, or hay fever, in 2015, according to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. While many experience the classic itchy eyes, runny nose and fatigue starting as children, others live for years without problems.

Until they do.

Two weeks ago, it just started during the work day, Raiker said. Im not sick, because I have no other symptoms. So Im thinking, OK, really, I just woke up and developed allergies. Whats up with this?

Dr. Lawrence Schwartz, of Atlantic Allergy and Asthma Center in Somers Point and Galloway Township, gets that question a lot, especially among older patients. But he doesnt have a concrete answer for them.

Almost everyone in the world is exposed to tree pollen, but only certain people exposed have a reaction to it, Schwartz said. Landscapers not allergic their whole lives all of a sudden become allergic. You grow up with a family dog, go away to college, come home on break, and youre now allergic.

Schwartz said people are sometimes surprised to learn they can develop allergies to pollen, weather conditions, pets and foods for the first time at any age. Schwartz said one of the most common age groups that comes to him with new allergies are people in their mid 40s.

While scientists have gotten good at identifying who has allergies and what may be causing their hay fever, also known as allergic rhinitis, the timing of when someone develops or outgrows those allergies is unknown.

What researches do know is that allergies are the sixth-leading cause of chronic illness in the United States, with an annual cost in excess of $18 billion, according to the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology.

Most adults deal with seasonal allergies on their own either by avoiding the allergen as much as possible or taking over-the-counter medications. But it can become overwhelming for someone like Raiker, who said he wouldnt know where to begin with those options.

Schwartz said while there may be several allergy medication brands on the shelves, such as Claritin, Benadryl, Allegra, Allavert and Zyrtec, not much research has gone into developing new treatments.

The amount of research and development into allergies is very little compared to other things, he said. Thats why you see the same drugs. Whens the last time you saw a new medication for allergies come out?

Atlantic City to host HIV/AIDS walk in statewide collaboration Atlantic City will be among five New Jersey towns hosting a walk Sunday to raise awareness o

Dr. Robert Coifman, of Allergy and Asthma of South Jersey in Millville and Galloway Township, said he usually recommends people try drugstore medications, but for those with more chronic, severe reactions to pollen, allergen immunotherapy may be an option.

The shots are safe and effective, but you have to have a lot to get the job done, he said. Shots start weekly and then get spaced as far apart as every two weeks. You then gradually space the shots out even more, and after about five years, many people no longer have allergy symptoms.

Allergen immunotherapy often leads to decreased symptoms and long-lasting relief. The shots work similarly to how vaccines work in that increased amounts of the allergen are given to the body gradually, leading to immunity.

These solutions to managing and treating allergies work for most, but Coifman said it doesnt explain why one family member develops allergies and another doesnt. He said research into genetics may reveal more answers in the future.

And as people get older and develop or treat allergies, the process becomes more complicated.

As youre getting older, youre more likely to have other health conditions, he said. The issues youre having as a 70-year-old are probably more major compared to a healthy 30-year-old. We have to look closer at medical histories and medications to make sure they dont affect those other issues.

So if youve developed allergies for the first time, take a deep breath, do your research, buy some tissues and take a trip to your local drug store or allergist. Youre in good company.
When Susan Polk got a call in 1993 from the partner of her brother, Arthur Speck Jr., she learned her brother had AIDS.

He, along with almost 271,000 others in the United States, died of the disease the following year.

The HIV/AIDS epidemic hasnt gone away, but the virus and syndrome have disappeared from headlines over the years as more people are living with the condition. Advocates and health experts say that while treatment has advanced, more awareness is needed to battle the existing stigma around the disease.

Even today, I think part of the reason it does get hard to get people on board with donations is because of the stigma that goes along with it, Polk said.

The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention put a name to the disease, which was a mystery at first, nearly 35 years ago. Before, scientists were unsure what was killing primarily gay men in New York and California cities.

The New York Times in 1981 ran the headline, Rare Cancer Seen in 41 Homosexuals, less than one year before experts announced people where dying from AIDS, a disease of deficient cell immunity.

So little was understood about AIDS at the beginning that when Denise Pocoroba, of Galloway Township, went to see her brother Edward Ski Wolinski soon after he was diagnosed in 1986, she had to wear protective coverings to be in the same hospital room as him.

He was put in isolation the first time I went to see him, and I didnt understand why I had to put on mask and gloves, Pocoroba said. When he came to live with me after, I still didnt know much about it. My hands became raw from bleaching and washing everything all the time. We even used separate utensils.

Over the years, medical researchers have found that HIV, the virus that can develop into AIDs, can be transmitted from person to person through infected blood, breast milk and sexual activity. It cannot be spread through casual contact with utensils or toilet seats, hand shaking or other actions.

Health experts say the virus manifests itself differently in people, and once the virus progresses to AIDS, people are more likely to die of an infection or illness because the body is unable to fight it due to a lack of immune cells.

When this happened, our family fell to our knees, Polk said of her brothers diagnosis. He quickly went downhill. I still have a vision of lying with him on the sofa and rubbing his legs. They were just skin and bones.

Members of the South Jersey AIDS Alliance focus heavily on HIV education and prevention programs and services, especially for at-risk groups like men who have sex with men and injection drug users. They also aim to tackle the existing stigma that surrounds the disease.

There are people out there who dont fully understand what it is and treat people differently, said Georgett Watson, alliance COO. It amazes me still. And HIV is not going away. Some dont see it as important because it can be managed now.

Better management has been the result of research and new treatments, such as medications that help maintain the disease in HIV status. A newer prevention treatment called PrEP is a birth control-like medication regimen followed by people who think they are at risk of contracting HIV.

Taking PrEP as instructed reduces the risk of getting HIV from sex by 90 percent, CDC experts say. AtlantiCare started a PrEP center in Atlantic City last year as part of a state pilot program for areas with high rates of the virus.

The number of people living with HIV and AIDS today in New Jersey is at record lows, but Atlantic County still has the fourth-highest prevalence in the state, according to 2015 data from the state Department of Health.

Watson said shes hopeful treatment for HIV and AIDS will get even better with time. Polk and Pocoroba said they want to see a cure someday so that people living with HIV/AIDS and their families do not have to go through what they did.

Every year, they participate in HIV/AIDS awareness walks and events in memory of their brothers and others they know who have succumb to the disease. They also do it to make sure people know the disease still affects thousands of people each year.

Theres still stigma attached, but people are more comfortable talking about it. Its not so much a gay mans disease anymore, Pocoroba said. Ill proudly talk about it. Its affected my life to this day. Ski was everything to me. He was my hero, my role model.
CAPE MAY  Cape May-Lewes Ferry officials decided to commemorate National Tourism Day in a way that benefited neighbors and the ferry.

With a reservation, adult residents with photo identification from ZIP codes in Cape May or Sussex County, Delaware, received one free round-trip foot journey Sunday.

We wanted to get people here, let them see what we do, and hopefully, they will come back in the summer, said Heath Gehrke, the ferrys director of operations.

A typical Sunday this time of year sees 150 to 200 passengers for each of its 14 crossings in seven round-trips.

Gehrke estimated 300 to 400 people would ride each crossing Sunday, double the usual number of passengers.

The ferry has not offered a free ride in 12 years, though it has charged the fare in 1964, the year it opened, Gehrke said. The free promotion saved foot passengers an $18 fare.

Along with the free rides, the Cape May County Coast Guard Community Festival was in its second day Sunday with a juried classic-car show, a joint concert by the Coast Guard Recruit Band and children from local schools, Irish dancers and a magician.

Ed Haskins, and his wife, Nancy Haskins, of Cape May Court House, usually dont take the ferry into Delaware. It is cheaper to drive, they said, but they took advantage of the free tickets for the 17-mile, 85-minute cruise.

Its an enjoyable ride, said Ed Haskins, who added the couple made their reservations Saturday morning. I do wish it was warmer.

It was partly sunny with a high of 63, but it felt colder because of wind and periods of rain.

Cinnamon Kelly, 44, and and her daughter, Mahogany Kelly, 11, of Villas, were looking to see what restaurant they wanted to eat at in Lewes, Delaware.

They were deciding between Stripes Bites seafood restaurant or Cabanas, a Salvadoran restaurant in Lewes.

We live in Cape May (County), but because we live here, we dont visit the other coastal towns, so we got the ticket, bought the shuttle, and were going to check out Lewes together for the first time. We thought it would be a fun day trip, Cinnamon Kelly said.
MAYS LANDING  Members of the Gold Wings Road Riders Association, motorcyclists and classic-car enthusiasts showed off their rides for a good cause Sunday.

Chapter Director Eddie Grossman said the group is more than a social group for area bike riders. Its a charitable nonprofit with a safety-education mission.

Weve been doing this for over 30 years, Grossman said. Every year, we raise money for Make-A-Wish.

The event raised $2,400 last year, he said.

The association had a table of auction baskets, as well as custom pin-striping, vest embroidery and a 50/50 raffle to raise funds.

Trophies were awarded to top cars and motorcycles in categories including engine power, classic models and fan favorite.

At noon, an association member whos a minister performed a blessing of the bikes.

The car and bike show had been held in the Shore Mall but moved in recent years to the parking lot at Cousin Marios on Harding Highway.

Grossman said the nonprofits passion is motorcycle safety.

I was in an accident a few years ago, Grossman said. I was driving back from Maine, I got cut off, and the bike was totaled.

He recalled the injuries he and his wife suffered in the accident. People wonder how I still ride, but I say, It wasnt the bike that hurt me.

I just want people to know to be safe, he said.
VINELAND  City police arrested a 51-year-old Egg Harbor Township man for stealing a number of blank prescription forms from a Northfield doctors office, police said.

Police said those blanks were ultimately used to illegally obtain drugs in Vineland.

Jeffrey Nathanson was charged with three counts each of fraudulently obtaining narcotics, possession of a controlled dangerous substance and possession with intent to distribute, Vineland police said.

In April, Vineland police Detective Charles Capelli of the Street Crimes Unit investigated stolen prescription forms and found Nathanson then gave them to Jacquelyn Cortez, 39, of Landisville, and Krystal Rosado, of South Eighth Street in Vineland, police said.

Police said another woman, Lissette Rosado, also of South Eighth Street, was determined to have conspired with her daughter, Krystal, to have the prescriptions filled.

Authorities gathered information that Nathanson was trying to pass the prescription blanks in Somers Point, Vineland police said. Capelli contacted Somers Point police, who arrested Nathanson, police said.

He was released on a summons.

Cortez and both Rosados were each charged with forgery, fraudulently obtaining drugs, possession of CDS and other offenses, police said. They were released on summonses.
By India Today Web Desk: If you were completely taken by Priyanka Chopra's recent Met Gala gown, wait till you see what the Bollywood actress wore to a UNICEF fundraiser! No, it was not something pushing the envelope when it comes to fashion, but something that might just make you feel a tad more proud of this lady.

Yes, we're talking about the dotted black saree and hand-printed tiger blouse she wore to UNICEF's fundraising event in Zimbabwe.

Priyanka Chopra, with Rolene Strauss, Miss World 2014, at the event. Picture courtesy: Instagram/officialglobalbeauties

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Also Read: Priyanka Chopra's attire is depicting her current state of mind perfectly

The Quantico star looked stunning in the ensemble designed by Sabyasachi Mukherjee, which clearly celebrates India's national animal--the tiger. Sabyasachi called the ensemble 'Sunderban Sari' in his recent Instagram post, indicating that the hand-printed tiger on PeeCee's blouse represents the Royal Bengal Tiger species.

Picture courtesy: Instagram/priyankachopra

While Priyanka also gave a powerful speech to raise awareness for the UNICEF's 'End Violence Against Children' initiative, it was her very Indian saree--especially the unique blouse--that caught the world's eyes. The actress not only represented her nation as a UN Goodwill Ambassador, but also brought some focus on the beauty and power represented by India's national animal.

Really Priyanka, you made us so proud with this powerful fashion statement.

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CAPE MAY  The line of civilians to board the newly commissioned Coast Guard Cutter Lawrence Lawson was long Saturday morning.

Perhaps it was the lure of a 154-foot-long ship that can exceed 28 knots, or its capabilities to fight drug smugglers, rescue fishermen and secure the coast.

Or maybe it was the massive firepower that includes a huge computer-controlled machine gun and .50-caliber guns on the deck peering over Cape May Harbor.

The U.S. Coast Guard base and training center here hosted its third Cape May County Coast Guard Community Festival, in which people can walk the base, tour the ships, watch rescue demonstrations and partake in other events.

The Lawrence Lawson, commissioned in March as one of two new fast-response cutters at the base, was among the most popular attractions.

Erik Chapman waited in line with his wife, Alison, and children, Miles, 1, and Alex, 5.

Its really nice. I just cant imagine going out on the open ocean for days on end, said Chapman, of Bear, Delaware.

The community festival began when the county received a designation from Congress meant to highlight the importance of the Coast Guard to the region and its relationship to the community.

Nearly 1,000 people, military and civilian, work there, and more than 3,200 recruits graduated there last year at the only Coast Guard training center in the country.

The main purpose of it is to get the public onto the base, said Nina Ranalli, executive director of the nonprofit Cape May County Coast Guard Community Foundation. As many people who live here, they dont always know how big it is, how important it is, how cool it is.

Among the people touring the ships was 17-year-old Emma Simpson, who was walking around the pilot house of the Coast Guard cutter Mako.

She had walked on it before with her father. Her father is in the Coast Guard and is currently aboard Cape Mays other new cutter, the Rollin Fritch, she said.

Its something they dont usually get to see, so I think theyll like it, she said of the bases visitors.
Holy moly, we cant remember a clamored-for report ever producing so little reaction upon finally arriving.

The Christie administration released an updated New Jersey Water Supply Plan on Monday, and as of Thursday, the only significant media reaction has been an article in the reliable NJ Spotlight online.

This report was due, under state law, in 2001. The administrations of four prior governors failed to get it done.

In 2005, the Legislature passed an additional law requiring the state Department of Environmental Protection to finish the update by a date certain, Dec. 21, 2006.

In January of this year, the Senate Environment and Energy Committee urged the DEP to release it within 30 days.

During 16 years of waiting for the water-supply plan, various alarmists have warned that allocation and development decisions, infrastructure upgrades and improved conservation might be impossible without it. Some also speculated the report must have bad news for either the business or environmental communities to be held up for so long.

The DEP in January told everyone to chill, saying it already has the tools and authorities to manage water supply in the state.

Well, now the water-supply plan is here and, surprise! The status of water in New Jersey is generally better than imagined or feared, probably good news for both business and environmental interests.

During the period from 1990 to 2015, water use in the state peaked at just over a trillion gallons a year before falling by a quarter to 750 billion gallons.

Per capita daily use of potable water in the same period decreased from 155 gallons per day to 125 gallons, largely due to effective water-saving fixtures in homes and businesses.

There are an estimated 1.52 billion gallons available on any given day to meet peak demand for water, which so far tops out at 1.31 billion gallons.

On the downside, four of the states 20 watershed management areas are considered stressed and 11 would become stressed if all the water permits in them were fully used.

The plan says New Jersey has sufficient water available to meet needs into the foreseeable future providing it continues sensible management of the resource  including increasing conservation and reuse, addressing deteriorating infrastructure, optimizing system interconnections and networks and maintaining monitoring.

The draft plan is 92 pages, and as interested parties analyze details such as the findings and recommendations for each watershed, there are sure to be disputes over aspects of it.

Three public hearings are planned, including one at 1 p.m. July 13 at Stockton University. Comments may also be emailed to watersupply@dep.nj.gov.

On the face of it, though, New Jersey Water Supply Plan 2017-2022 seems to bring this message: The water resource has been relatively well-managed and will continue to be manageable, and residents and businesses should keep up and even improve their conservation efforts.
Forgetting, not believing

Regarding the recent Thought for the Day from Oscar Wilde, The old believe everything, the middle-aged suspect everything, and the young know everything.

Wilde got it wrong.

The young know everything, the middle-aged suspect everything, and the old forget everything.

Am there, doing that.

Steve Block

North Cape May

The karma of blame

Regarding the April 15 letter, Obama didnt blame Bush:

The writer states he does not remember the former president blaming President Bush for inherited problems. The gentlemans memory is clearly faulty.

I must respectfully point out that President Obama did in fact blame President Bush for everything, starting with his very first press conference on Feb. 9, 2009. One need only enter the phrase Obama blames Bush into any internet search engine to find dozens of examples of this practice. So, when President Trump lays the blame for current troubles at the feet of Obama, it is not a classless act as suggested by the previously mentioned letter writer. It is karma.

John W. Grunow

Devonshire

Cut fewer, higher up among A.C. police, fire

The Atlantic City Police and Fire Departments are a cut above the rest. Lets start with the Fire Department, since the state and city want to cut 100 jobs. Give them a promotion or five years credited toward retirement. For every officer that does retire, it deducts two off the roles.

Then cut in half the officers from lieutenant on up to chief. Cutting one deputy chief allows four firefighters to keep their jobs. If half the replacements of those who retire are cut, every firefighter probably could be saved without cutting starting pay.

Now the police. This only involves 19 jobs, offering same deal to sergeant and above with 15 years. Some may retire by taking the five years credit to reach 20 and be gone. With every lieutenant and above who retires, replace with one promotion for each two who retire.

What the city has is a room full of generals, but its the corporal and sergeant who win the war.

Michael K. Dale

Linwood

National GOP paralyzed

For seven years House Republicans voted many times to repeal or defund portions of the Affordable Care Act. During the 2016 campaign, Donald Trump vowed to repeal Obamacare and replace it with insurance for everybody. Despite their shared commitments, the Affordable Care Act remains. I am reminded of the adage: Any mule can kick down a barn. It takes a carpenter to build one.

The self-promoting, divided Trump White House has contradicted almost all of its campaign promises, including on NATO, Russia, Syrian refugees and paying for the border wall.

After 100 days of total Republican control of the federal government, the divided Republican Congress is paralyzed by its own factionalism.

This dismal record affirms columnist P.J. ORourkes assertion: The Democrats are the party that says government will make you smarter, taller, richer and remove the crabgrass on your lawn. The Republicans are the party that says government doesnt work and then they get elected and prove it.

Jim Schroeder

Port Republic
WHAT:

The top two youth volunteers of 2017 from each state and Washington, D.C. will gather for the 22nd annual Prudential Spirit of Community State Awards Ceremony. From 6-7 p.m., they will hear from Prudential Financial Chairman and CEO John Strangfeld, Olympic gold medalist Michael Phelps and four past honorees who have remained involved in service. Later, each 2017 honoree will be presented with a $1,000 award. Youth volunteers from Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, Ireland, India, China and Brazil will also be honored.
SAN ANTONIO, May 7, 2017 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Today, American Trucking Associations announced the beginning of its search to find and honor trucking's greatest industry advocates with this year's Mike Russell Trucking Image Award.

"The trucking industry has seen increasing respect in Washington in recent months, but we still have work to do on improving the image of our industry throughout North America," said ATA President and CEO Chris Spear. "The Mike Russell Trucking Image Award recognizes the time and energy put into shaping a stronger image of trucking by the men and women who work tirelessly to spread our industry's message of safety, essentiality and professionalism."

Sponsored by HireRight for the third consecutive year, the award is given to an individual, motor carrier, trucking organization and industry supplier who exhibits a commitment to helping all trucking industry stakeholders by showcasing the industry's essentiality, safety-first mentality, and professionalism.

"ATA believes that the image of our industry can only improve when trucking professionals and drivers go out and tell our story," said ATA Executive Vice President of Industry Affairs and COO Elisabeth Barna. "Studies have shown time and again that when members of the general motoring public meet a trucking professional they are significantly more likely to have a positive view of our industry."

"Any attempt to move the needle in the right direction for our industry's perception is honorable and HireRight is excited to have the opportunity to sponsor the Mike Russell Trucking Image Award for the third year in a row," said Steven Spencer, managing director of transportation, HireRight. "We look forward to seeing creative, effective campaigns nominated for this award."

The Mike Russell Trucking Image Award celebrates companies, organizations and individuals who imaginatively generate positive awareness of the trucking industry. Image and outreach efforts, like Trucking Moves America Forward, help ATA counter a seemingly endless chain of anti-truck messages played out in the national media. Without the support of these leaders, the benefits of an improved image of the trucking industry would not be possible.

ATA's March trip to the White House went viral, receiving more than 1 billion global impressions and providing a forum for trucking stakeholders to share our story with a worldwide audience. Building off of that successful event, increased attention was given to truck drivers and industry professionals. ATA expects awareness and respect for the trucking industry to continue to grow through outreach campaigns undertaken by Mike Russell Trucking Image Award nominees.

Submissions for this award are evaluated by an expert, impartial panel of judges based on creativity, frequency, impact, and execution. Visit the official nomination page to find out more about the award and how to submit a nomination.

Completed applications should be submitted by August 18 to ATA's Industry Affairs Department. The winners of the Mike Russell Trucking Image Award will be announced October 21-24 during the American Trucking Associations' Management Conference and Exhibition in Orlando.

American Trucking Associations is the largest national trade association for the trucking industry. Through a federation of 50 affiliated state trucking associations and industry-related conferences and councils, ATA is the voice of the industry America depends on most to move our nation's freight. Follow ATA on Twitter or on Facebook. Trucking Moves America Forward.

SOURCE American Trucking Associations

Related Links

http://www.trucking.org


The three accused in the much talked about 2009 gang-rape and murder case of 28-year-old software engineer Nayana Pujari are most likely to be convicted.

By Pankaj P. Khelkar: PUNE: A sessions court will pronounce its judgment in the Nayana Pujari kidnapping, gangrape and murder case on May 8.

The three accused in the much talked about 2009 gang-rape and murder case of 28-year-old software engineer Nayana Pujari are most likely to be convicted.

Yogesh Raut, co-accused Mahesh Thakur, Vishwas Kadam and Rajesh Chaudhary were the four youths involved in the gang rape and murder of Nayana Pujari. Rajesh Chaudhary, the fourth accused, turned an approver as he was involved in rape, but did not have any role in murder.

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Talking to India Today, the special public prosecutor advocate Harshad Nimbalkar shared that the state prosecution concluded its final arguments exactly two months ago.

The hearings took more than 5 years to conclude this case. The prosecution has tried its best to prove the guilt of the three accused. The fourth accused had turned approver in this case.

Pujari was gang-raped and murdered while on her way to her home in the evening hours. She was kidnapped by the security guard of the same company on pretext of giving her lift in his car.

As per the information shared by the public prosecutor, the first three accused kidnapped Nayana in the car, while the four accused later joined them and followed the car on a bike. The three accused threatened her with dire consequence hurting her with a sharp weapon.

The accused first stripped the victim and hid her clothes in the dash board of the car. The three then gang-raped her in the moving car. They even robbed her of Rs 61000 using her ATM card. The fourth accused later raped the victim.

Nayana Pujari was driven in the car for more than six hours and later she was murdered in Zarewadi forest on Pune-Nasik highway and her body was dumped in the Zarewadi forests in Khed Taluka. The three accused even smashed her face using a huge boulder with an intention to destroy the evidence.

--- ENDS ---
AMMAN, Jordan, May 7, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --

Ghana-based AgroCenta has become the winner of the first Fincluders Startup Challenge Amman competition for innovative fintech startups with products that can expand financial inclusion in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA).

Organized by the Technical Assistance Facility of the MENA impact investor SANAD Fund for MSMEs and Oasis500, the competition attracted around 50 entrants from 18 countries. AgroCenta, which provides an online trade hub connecting farmers and buyers, real-time payments with mobile money technologies, and an on-demand logistics service, ultimately won over the competition's jury of industry experts, who awarded first place and the corresponding cash prize of USD 20,000 to this promising fintech.

AgroCenta CEO and Co-Founder Francis Obirikorang said: "The Fincluders Startup Challenge has been an eye opener for us, helping startups accelerate by giving them the opportunity to network and meet potential investors and partners."

Second place and a cash award of USD 10,000 went to liwwa, the first marketplace lender to SMEs in Jordan, which makes it a business truly aligned with the mission of the SANAD Fund.

Third place and its cash award of USD 5,000 went to United Arab Emirates-based Democrance, a micro-insurance provider for low-income populations. The cash award was sponsored by Zain, the leading mobile and data services operator in MENA. Honorable mention went to Ghanaian fintech BenBen for its innovative solution to provide fast, easy access to blockchain-secured land transactions.

The Amman event followed the highly successful first installment of The Fincluders Startup Challenge held in Berlin last year. To be fully anchored in MENA, SANAD entered into a strategic partnership with Jordan-based Oasis500, the leading regional seed investment company and business accelerator in the tech sector.

Estimates say some 2 billion adults in the world remain outside the formal finance system and lack services as basic as a bank account, and MENA officials have been drawing attention to the issue with a range of national and international events. The Fincluders event in Amman closely followed the Arab Day of Financial Inclusion in late April, a day designated by the Council of Arab Central Bank Governors to increase focus on expanding access to finance in the Arab region. Since its inception, SANAD and its technical assistance facility have helped spread financial inclusion in MENA through investments of nearly USD 300 million and a wide-ranging program of training seminars and workshops for local financial institutions and businesses.

The SANAD Technical Assistance Facility provided finalists flights to Jordan and accommodations for the competition. The first day featured mentoring sessions conducted by fintech industry experts; on the second day, the finalists presented their products and services to a hand-picked jury of top finance industry managers and an audience of investors, regulators, and development finance specialists in a format similar to the television shows Dragon's Den in the United Kingdom and Shark Tank in the United States.

SANAD Board Chair Dr. Daniela Beckmann said, "We are both elated and humbled by the interest in the Fincluders Startup Challenge here in Amman. The finalists proved their skills and determination during the pitching round of the competition, and we are confident these fledgling businesses can contribute to spreading access to finance in the region, which is also a main goal of our fund."

SANAD Technical Assistance Facility Committee Chair Ines Ebrecht said, "The Fincluders Startup Challenge highlights our technical assistance activities. Sponsoring training and mentoring for our partners is part of our core mission, and we also work to increase access to much-needed capital for companies in their infancy. We want startups to be well-capitalized during the critical phases of their product and business development."

About SANAD

Established in 2011, the SANAD Fund for MSME finances micro, small and medium enterprises and low-income households in the Middle East and North Africa via qualified local lenders. SANAD thereby fosters economic development and job creation - including youth employment - agriculture, affordable housing, and innovations in finance and financial technologies. SANAD strives to meet these goals by providing debt and equity financing to its local partners. The SANAD Technical Assistance Facility multiplies the fund's development impact and outreach through capacity-building at partner institutions, developing financial infrastructures according to the principles of responsible finance and conducting much required R&D. SANAD's investors include the KfW Development Bank, which initiated the fund; the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ); the European Union; Switzerland's State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO); OeEB, the Development Bank of Austria; Germany's GLS Bank; and the Dutch development bank FMO. A public-private partnership, the fund is advised by Finance in Motion GmbH, Frankfurt am Main, Germany. For more information, please visit: http://www.sanad.lu.





Media contact - SANAD

Eric Culp

Press Officer

Phone: +49-(0)-69-271-035-307

E-mail: [email protected]







SOURCE SANAD Fund for MSME
In his homily, Archbishop Pierre remarked to the 1,200 attendees and 25 priests concelebrating the Mass that "you know all too well the darkness of our world and of this great city  the tremendous poverty, hunger, and violence. You know the fear and loneliness in which many immigrants, many of whom are poor, are forced to live. It is your love  our love- Catholic Charities  that will illuminate this city."

"It is impressive that every 30 seconds someone turns to Catholic Charities for help," said Cardinal Blase J. Cupich, Archbishop of the Archdiocese of Chicago. "Catholic Charities is precisely where Pope Francis calls us to be, a church out of itself and present at the margins of society, where those who suffer are. We are blessed in Chicago to have a vigorous and vibrant Catholic Charities."

"Catholic Charities is the Church's field hospital in our most desperate and under-resourced communities; a shining light in areas that can feel covered in darkness," said Monsignor Michael Boland, President of Catholic Charities. "Today 3,000 staff, 15,000 volunteers and more than 400 community partners, including parishes, help us fulfill our mission of providing compassionate care to anyone in need. Where Catholic Charities is, we know there is hope."

From April 2017  April 2018 Catholic Charities will celebrate the 100th anniversary milestone with a variety of special events. On June 12, Cardinal Cupich and Monsignor Boland will host a Civic Dinner at the Hilton Chicago, with special guest Catholic Charities USA President & CEO Sister Donna Markham, OP, Ph.D. Other events will be held throughout the year, including a fall symposium, "Building Peaceful Communities," and a spring volunteer week. For details on 100th Anniversary celebrations, visit www.ccofchicago100.net.

Catholic Charities was founded just days after the country entered World War I, at a time when women were left caring for their families alone and children were left orphaned following the flu epidemic. Cardinal Mundelein called together a group of prominent businessmen to be the fundraising arm of the Church. This initiative quickly evolved to provide direct social services to those most in need.

The agency that began at the once gritty intersection of Des Plaines and Randolph has grown to have more than 150 locations across the Archdiocese, in the most vulnerable and under-served communities.

Catholic Charities services span a wide range, including housing, food, emergency assistance, counseling, veterans' needs, senior services and support, child development, immigration and refugee support, youth mentoring, and more.

The agency was a pioneer in social services, leading the way in providing a holistic approach to both individuals and families in need. It led the way in many innovative social service programs and partnerships. It was the first to partner with Cook County to treat a DUI offense as a medical condition; with the VA and HUD to open the first permanent supportive housing for veterans, the St. Leo Campus; and with the federal government to develop the Women, Infant and Children (WIC) food centers in food desert communities, the first of its kind in the nation.

Commenting on the agency's future, Monsignor Boland added, "There is a tremendous need for agencies such as Catholic Charities, who are nimble and efficient, and also provide compassionate care. At all times our staff treats each person who comes to us with respect and dignity, with an ultimate goal of helping them become as self-sufficient as possible. This year we celebrate 'A Century of Hope' and reaffirm our commitment to the next century of providing help and hope to all of those need us most."

Watch the 100th Anniversary Mass of Thanksgiving here: https://ccofchicago100.net/100thmass

Read Apostolic Papal Nuncio to the United States, Archbishop Christophe Pierre's homily: http://bit.ly/2pR2Qf7

About Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Chicago

Helping anyone in need since 1917, Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Chicago is one of the largest private, not-for-profit social service agencies in the Midwest and the largest Catholic Charities in the country. Every 30 seconds someone counts on Catholic Charities for help. Catholic Charities fulfills the Church's role in the mission of charity by providing compassionate, competent, professional services that strengthen and support individuals, families and communities. Each year Catholic Charities assists more than 1 million people in Cook and Lake Counties without regard to religious, ethnic or economic background as they journey on their paths to self-sufficiency.

SOURCE Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Chicago

Related Links

https://ccofchicago100.net


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Seoul, May 3 : 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.
Jerusalem, May 3 : Israel has condemned a Unesco resolution that criticises the country's excavations in the Old City of Jerusalem, a flashpoint area holy to Jews, Muslims and Christians alike.

The Unesco resolution sponsored by Arab countries on Tuesday addressed Israel as the "occupying power" and urges it to stop "persistent excavations, tunnelling, works and projects in East Jerusalem", Xinhua news agency reported.

Israel seized East Jerusalem in the 1967 Middle East war and later annexed it in a move that has never been internationally recognised.

"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 was "trying to deny this simple truth".

The Palestinian Foreign Ministry welcomed the resolution, saying the decision pointed to "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 archaeological 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 organisation in response.
Agartala, May 5 : A dearth of investments, poor infrastructure and lopsided planning affect higher education in the Northeast, though the region has enough potential, meritorious students and teachers, experts and academicians say.

However, compared to last year when the exercise was first begun, universities and technical institutions in the northeastern states have slightly improved their positions this year in rankings released recently by the Union Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD).

Nine universities, four engineering colleges, two management institutions and two institutes of pharmaceutical sciences and a college in northeast India featured in the best institutions named in the National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF).

Former Gauhati University Dean Usharanjan Bhattacharjee said: "The northeastern states have huge potentiality in all respects. Students of this region are doing excellently when they pursue studies and research in other parts of India and abroad."

"Lack of proper infrastructure and poor investment are badly impacting the higher education sector in the northeastern region," Bhattacharjee told IANS.

Citing an example, the renowned academician said that three decades ago, a study-cum-training centre was set up in Gauhati University for potential candidates for the Indian civil services examinations, but it is almost inactive and unproductive while some retired teachers have been engaged by it.

"To demonstrate artificial credit, often without any proper planning, various courses have been started in the universities and technical institutions, but after a few years, these become non-existent," Bhattacharjee said.

The observation was echoed by the Tripura government-run Maharaja Birbikram University Vice Chancellor Gautam Kumar Basu.

"Investment for the development of infrastructure of higher education institutions in the region is far below expectations. Meritorious students are not properly taken care of by the appropriate authorities," Basu told IANS.

"After completion of higher education, there is a huge gap before proper placement or engagement of the youth. During this transitional period there is no suitable scope for study and research, leaving the energetic youth dejected."

"Due to the huge development of information technology, knowledge is now accessible at your fingertips -- (but) after completion of higher education, there must be scope for further studies and research -- either in the country or abroad," Basu added.

He suggested concerted efforts for improving academic standards, filling of vacancies of teachers and giving enough time to top university functionaries for teaching.

Union Minister of State for Human Resource Development Ram Shankar Katheria had said here earlier that the government will try to bring in foreign faculty to improve the quality of higher education in the northeastern region.

"The government will do everything, including bringing of foreign faculty and development of infrastructure, to improve the quality of higher education in the northeastern states," Katheria had told IANS.

"The northeast region is a priority area for the central government. We will make all-out efforts for the development of higher educational institutions in the region," he had added.

Indian Institute of Technology-Guwahati (8th), Gauhati University (43rd) and Tezpur University (48th) in Assam, Meghalaya's North Eastern Hill University (77th) and Rajiv Gandhi Indian Institute of Management (99th) and Mizoram University (94th) have figured among the top 100 universities across the country in rankings released recently by the MHRD.

Silchar's Assam University, Dibrugarh University and Arunachal Pradesh's Rajiv Gandhi University have also found a place.

Besides, three National Institutes of Technology in Silchar (Assam), Manipur and Meghalaya also find a place.

Among 100 best colleges in India, J.B. College in Jorhat (Assam) is the only college in the northeastern region to feature at 64.

Of the eight northeastern states, higher educational institutions of Tripura, Nagaland and Sikkim failed to feature in the rankings.

(Sujit Chakraborty can be reached at sujit.c@ians.in)
Paris, May 5 : Independent centrist Emmanuel Macron and far-right nationalist Marine Le Pen are making a final push for votes on Friday, the last day of campaigning ahead of the French presidential runoff on Sunday, the media reported.

Macron - who has a substantial lead in opinion polls - is set to visit the southern city of Rodez to campaign later in the day, the BBC reported.

They started their day with separate interviews on France's RTL radio station where Le Pen said with European Union rules in place, banks can tap into people's savings accounts to bail themselves out.

Macron, on the other hand, told the radio station that Le Pen "exploits fear and hate", Efe news reported An opinion poll, carried out by Elabe for BFMTV and L'Express magazine, found support for Macron has risen to 62 per cent, compared to 38 per cent for his far-right rival.

An separate poll by the Odoxa Institute for France Info predicted Sunday's election would have the lowest turnout of any second-round presidential vote in France since 1969.

The institute reported that far-left voters were particularly unlikely to vote.

Meanwhile Macron has filed a lawsuit over online rumours that he had a secret bank account in the Caribbean, reports the BBC.

He has strongly denied the allegations, which were mentioned by Le Pen during Wednesday evening's final TV debate between the two contenders that saw both trading insults.

While Macron branded Le Pen ill-informed, corrupt, dangerously nationalistic and a "hate-filled" liar who "fed off France's misery" and would bring "civil war" to France, The Guardian reported.

She in turn called the former Economy Minister an arrogant, spoilt, cold-eyed, "smirking banker" who was colluding with Islamists, complacent on terrorism and intent on "butchering France" in favour of "big economic interests".

Also on Thursday, former US President Barack Obama endorsed Macron in a video message, praising his "liberal values" and saying he "appeals to people's hopes and not their fears", the BBC added.

However, many supporters of Jean-Luc Melenchon's far-left 'France Insoumise' (Unbowed France) movement have vowed to abstain in the vote and have demonstrated under the slogan "ni Macron, ni Le Pen", neither Macron nor Le Pen.

If Macron comes to power, he will be the youngest French leader since Napoleon while Le Pen would be the first female head.
Washington, May 6 : An Indian-origin couple was shot dead here by their daughter's former boyfriend in an apparent revenge attack before he was killed by the police in a two-hour standoff.

Naren Prabhu, a Silicon Valley tech executive, and his wife were shot dead at their home in San Jose, California, by 24-year-old Mirza Tatlic, CBS News reported on Friday.

Prabhu's daughter Rachel, who lives in another state, was not there at the time of the shooting, which began around 9 p.m. on Wednesday, officials said.

Tatlic also used Rachel's 13-year-old brother as a human shield during an ensuing two-hour standoff with the police before he was killed.

"The suspect had been in a dating relationship with the victims' adult daughter (Rachel) who was not home," San Jose Police Chief Eddie Garcia told reporters.

Tatlic and Rachel ended their relationship last year, but the mentally ill man used to post images on Instagram likening her to the "devil", according to the report.

"The relationship ended last year. The suspect had a history of domestic violence and there was an active criminal restraining order. We were dealing with someone who was mentally ill," said Garcia.

Police officers said the incident was reported to them by the couple's 20-year-old son.

"When officers arrived at the home on Laura Valle Lane they saw an adult man deceased in the front doorway suffering from at least one gunshot wound," the police chief said.

"Officers learned from the adult son that his mother and 13-year-old brother along with the suspect were still inside the house," he said. "In addition, the adult son thought his mom had been shot," the chief added.

A standoff quickly developed with the suspect and a SWAT team was called in, CBS reported.

"As officers were setting up contain and arrest teams, the suspect released the 13-year-old boy," Garcia said.

"Unfortunately, the suspect refused to surrender," the police chief said.

"The suspect appeared at (a window at) one point and pointed a handgun at officers. In fear for the lives of fellow officers and victims that still may have been in the house, at least one round was fired by an officer striking the suspect."

Officers then went into the house and found the two deceased victims and the dead suspect, Garcia said. The mother has not been identified so far.

No other injuries were reported.
New Delhi, May 7 : The Congress on Sunday demanded a probe against Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal after sacked minister Kapil Mishra alleged the AAP convener was paid Rs 2 crore in cash by a colleague.

A day after being sacked as the Delhi Water Minister, the AAP legislator claimed that he saw Health Minister Satyendar Jain hand over Rs 2 crore in cash to Kejriwal at his residence.

"These are serious allegations against a Chief Minister. We will reach out to the people of Delhi on this issue. There must be a thorough probe into the matter," Congress leader Sharmistha Mukherjee said.
On the 156th birth anniversary of the great Rabindranath Tagore, here are seven must-watch films inspired by Tagore's works.

(Clockwise from Left) Still from Chokher Bali, a picture of Rabindranath Tagore, stills from Chaturanga, Tasher Desh and Noukadubi

By Devarsi Ghosh: Today is May 7th and it marks the 156th birth anniversary of Indian poet, author, songwriter, composer, philosopher and all-round polymath Rabindranath Tagore. Winner of the Nobel Prize in Literature for his book of poems, Gitanjali, Rabindranath Tagore and his works were considered ahead of their time.

Tagore's stories, poems, songs, novels and plays wove the personal and the political into then-contemporary narratives to produce timeless works of art. He has written the national anthems of not one but two countries and today, his influence over public consciousness, our culture, literature, music and of course, cinema is unparalleled.

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Some of India's best filmmakers have time and again been inspired by Rabindranath Tagore's work. On the bard's birthday, here are seven films adapted from the works of Rabindranath Tagore that you simply must watch.

Kabuliwala (English title: The Man from Kabul) - 1957

Director: Tapan Sinha

Based on: Kabuliwala

Chhabi Biswas in a still from Kabuliwalla Chhabi Biswas in a still from Kabuliwalla

Kabuliwala is the story of Rahmat (Chhabi Biswas), a middle-aged fruit seller who comes to Kolkata from Afghanistan to sale his wares. In Kolkata, He befriends a small girl Mini who reminds him of his daughter. When a business transaction goes awry, Rahmant stabs a person and is taken to the court which gives him 10 years' imprisonment. Upon release, when Rahmat goes to meet Mini, the latter cannot recognise him.

Charulata (English title: The Lonely Wife) - 1964

Director: Satyajit Ray

Based on: Nastanirh or The Broken Nest

Soumitra Chatterjee (L) and Madhabi Mukherjee (R) in a still from Charulata

Charulata is director Satyajit Ray's second adaptation of a Rabindranath Tagore text and is considered as one of his best films. Charulata deals with a lonely housewife Charu (Madhabi Mukherjee) who feels neglected by his husband, a newspaper editor. When Charu's brother-in-law, the lively Amal, (Soumitra Chatterjee) arrives to their abode, Charu begin to get close to him and after a point starts to crave for his love.

Ghare Baire (English title: The Home and the World) - 1984

Director: Satyajit Ray

Based on: Ghare Baire

A still from Ghare Baire

Ghare Baire is a beautiful film that is at the same time intensely personal and overwhelmingly political. Set in the Partition-era, the story revolves around a royal couple Nikhilesh and Bimala. Nikhilesh is a passive man who enjoys the simple pleasures of life. When Nikhilesh's revolutionary friend Sandip (Soumitra Chatterjee) arrives to his home, Bimala falls for Sandip. However, Nikhilesh being a mature man lets Bimala decide what is true love for herself.

Chokher Bali (English title: Sand in the Eye) - 2003

Director: Rituparno Ghosh

Based on: Chokher Bali

Tota Roy Chowdhury (L) and Aishwarya Rai (R) in a still from Chokher Bali Tota Roy Chowdhury (L) and Aishwarya Rai (R) in a still from Chokher Bali

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Chokher Bali marked the Bengali film debut of Aishwarya Rai. It is an emotionally volatile film that deals with the themes of adultery, distrust, narcissism and treachery. Widow Binodini (Aishwarya Rai) begins an affair with the self-obsessed Mahendra (Prosenjit Chatterjee) who is married to Ashalata (Raima Sen). Meanwhile, there is a fourth person in the equation Behari (Tota Roy Chowdhury) who genuinely loves Binodini. The clashes between these four characters creates the stuff of high-voltage drama in this modern-day classic.

Chaturanga (English title: Four Chapters) - 2008

Director: Suman Mukhopadhyay

Based on: Chaturanga

Subrat Datta and Rituparna Chatterjee in a still from Chaturanga

Chaturanga is again an emotional psychodrama where the central character tries to negotiate with his desires that are often in conflict with his ideals. Here the hero, Sachish (Subrat Datta), who has suddenly found religion, finds himself caught between two women, an abandoned mistress and a widow. The film deals with themes of religon, chastity, 20th century morality, renaissance, misogyny and female sexuality.

Noukadubi (English title: Boat Wreck) - 2011

Director: Rituparno Ghosh

Based on: Noukadubi

Prosenjit Chatterjee (L) and Raima Sen (R) in a still from Noukadubi

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Noukadubi is a film about mistaken identities and serendipity. Starring Prosenjit Chatterjee and Jisshu Sengupta in lead roles, Noukadubi was critically acclaimed upon release and was also released in Hindi by producer Subhash Ghai with the title Kashmakash. The core of the story is about a man who brings home a woman who he thinks is his newly-wed wife but soon realises that the woman he has brought along with him is not his wife but a lookalike.

Tasher Desh (English title: The Land of Cards) - 2012

Director: Q

Based on: Tasher Desh

A still from Tasher Desh

Q's Tasher Desh moves away from the traditional representation of Tasher Desh and is instead a trippy, energetic film replete with expletives, rap music, anime-inspired production design and overall mayhem. Upon release, the film received polarised reviews. While traditionalists hated the film, a new generation of critics and audiences found the adaptation revolutionary.

(The writer tweets as @devarsighosh)

ALSO READ: The most famous quotes ever by Rabindranath Tagore

ALSO READ: How Rabindranath Tagore disappointed the women in his life

WATCH: Rabindranath Tagore's 'Where The Mind Is Without Fear' recited by Shashi Tharoor

--- ENDS ---
Washington, May 7 : US President Donald Trump is looking to unload his luxurious $28 million French St Martin beachfront estate, a media reported on Sunday.

Trump bought Le Chateau des Palmiers for a reported $19.3 million in 2013 and has rented it out for up to $28,000 a night, MansionGlobal.com reported.

"Greetings from Donald J. Trump. Escape to a place no other," reads a brochure for the property.

The 4.8-acre estate on St Martin's Plum Bay includes two villas with a total of 11 bedrooms and 12 baths.

The smaller villa has themed bedrooms, including a "jungle room". Fittingly for Trump, the property is enclosed by an 8-foot boundary wall.

Rental packages for the President's tropical refuge start at $6,000 per night in the low season for the smaller of two villas and top off at $28,000 during the winter holidays, according to Sotheby's St Martin office.

Disclosures sent to the federal Office of Government Ethics indicate that Trump owns the St Martin property under two limited liability companies, Excel Venture I LLC and Excel Venture Corp II, for which he owns a 100 per cent share.
Islamabad, May 7 : A Pakistani man says his newly wed Indian wife has gone missing after they visited the Indian High Commission here, media reports said on Sunday.

Tahir Ali told the police that he went to the Indian mission with wife Uzma to apply for Indian visa.

The two met and fell in love in Malaysia. Uzma then travelled to Pakistan on May 1 via the Wagah-Attari border and the two contracted Nikah on May 3.

The News International quoted Ali as saying that the two visited the High Commission and submitted their forms as well as phones to officials.

Dawn said Uzma had earlier telephoned her brother in New Delhi to relay the news of her wedding.

Her brother reportedly asked her to visit India on her honeymoon and told her she could find a man named Adnan at the Indian High Commission who would be able to sort out the visa for the trip.

Uzma then went inside the building on being called by officials while he stayed back, the report said.

When his wife did not return even after several hours, Ali asked Indian High Commission officials who claimed Uzma was not there. He alleged that they also refused to give their three mobile phones back to him.

Pakistani media said the matter had been taken up at the diplomatic level by Islamabad.

The Dawn quoted the Pakistani Foreign Office as saying it was in contact with the Indian mission "and the issue would be resolved soon".
New Delhi, May 7 : Nearly a fortnight after Maoists killed 25 CRPF troopers in Chhattisgarh, the Centre will hold a ministerial-level review meeting on Monday to discuss security issues in Maoist-affected states.

Home Minister Rajnath Singh will chair the meeting at the Vigyan Bhavan here, to be attended by Chief Ministers of 10 Maoist-hit states and other union ministers, a Home Ministry official said.

"Operational issues, infrastructure and logistics requirement to combat the Maoists will also be taken up at the meeting," the official added.

At least 106 districts of Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Odisha, Bihar, West Bengal, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh are affected by Maoist violence.

Officials of the ministry's Left Wing Extremism Division -- which monitors the situation in Maoist-hit states -- will also participate.

On April 24, 25 Central Reserve Police Force men were killed in Sukma area of Chhattisgarh. Twelve CRPF men were killed in Maoist attack in Sukma earlier on March 11.

The Minister had convened a meeting of Chief Ministers of Chhattisgarh, Telangana, Odisha, Maharashtra and Jharkhand in February 2015 to review security in the three worst affected districts of Sukma, Bijapur and Dantewada in Chhattisgarh.
Bengaluru, May 7 : A wild elephant trampled to death two Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel at their camp near here, said police on Sunday.

"The incident occurred in the early hours when the elephant strayed into the CRPF camp at Taralu village from the adjacent Savandurga forest and attacked the victims," Kaggalipura Police Inspector Krishna Kumar told IANS on phone.

The victims were identified as CRPF Assistant Sub-Inspector Dakshina Murthy, 52, and Constable Puttappa Lamani, 35.

The camp on the Kanakapura road is 35km from the city.

"The rogue elephant escaped into the forest after the gruesome incident," Deputy Conservator of Forests Javen Mumtaz told reporters.

Murthy hailed from Tamil Nadu while Lamani was from Haveri district in the state's central region.

"A case has been registered under Section 174 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) as the victims were on guard duty," said CRPF Inspector Ajith Kumar.
Thiruvananthapuram, May 7 : Congress leader A.K. Antony on Sunday said his party will bounce back strongly after the defeats in the February-March assembly elections in five states.

"Setbacks are only a temporary phenomenon as the Congress will bounce back very strongly. The need of the hour is to strengthen the Congress at the grass-roots level," Antony said at a party function here.

"What one sees in Kerala are only 'leaders', while the party strength at the lower levels is weak. That has to change."

He also said the Left government in Kerala, which will complete a year this month, had been an "abject failure on all fronts".

"Every sector in the state has gone haywire and gone down badly," the former Kerala Chief Minister said.

The Congress leader said the time was not far when Kerala's ruling Communist Party of India-Marxist will itself hail Congress President Sonia Gandhi.

"Those in West Bengal, Tripura and other places have already started asking Sonia to come forward (to lead the opposition). If not today, definitely tomorrow the CPI-M in Kerala too will say the same thing."

He said the first step in opposition unity will surface during the July polls to elect the President.
Melbourne, May 7 : Popular MasterChef Australia judge Gary Mehigan, a fan of Indian food, is set to visit India again.

Mehigan posted a video in which one can see a dish being prepared.

He captioned the video which he shared on social media on Sunday: "Heading back to India very soon for World on a Plate. Got me thinking about all that delicious food! Can't wait. India, love India, Indian food, delicious, curry, Bangalore, Mumbai, Delhi."

World on a Plate India is an international food festival which will take place in Bengaluru and Mumbai soon.

He also shared a photo of Mumbai Dabbawalas, who deliver home-cooked food to office-goers -- all with the help of some coding they scribble on the boxes.

The chef, who has been to India a couple of times, had earlier told IANS that he grew up "in the UK, so grew up eating lots of Indian food. But going to India, I realised how one-dimensional the Indian food being offered in the UK was".
New Delhi, May 7 : Air passenger carrier Jet Airways on Sunday grounded two of its aircraft after they were involved in a minor collision at the IGI airport here.

An airport official said the incident occurred in the afternoon when the two aircraft, belonging to Jet Airways, brushed against each other while "taxiing out" to runway 29.

The official said the passengers and crew on-board both the flights numbered over 200.

According to a Jet Airways spokesperson, the two Jet Airways aircraft -- operating flight 9W 603 from Delhi-Srinagar and 9W 730 from Delhi-Patna -- were involved in a ground incident during taxi, while preparing for departure from IGI Airport.

"All guests and crew on-board both aircraft are safe and are being taken to the terminal for re-accommodation in subsequent flights," the spokesperson said.

"The aircraft are currently being inspected by the Jet Airways engineering team. The airline has reported the event to the regulatory authorities. Both sets of crew have been de-rostered pending investigation."

The aviation regulator, Directorate General of Civil Aviation, has ordered an enquiry into the incident.
Agartala, May 7 : BJP President Amit Shah on Sunday had lunch at a tribal's house in Tripura's capital Agartala before he left for Delhi at the end of a two-day tour of the Left-ruled state.

Shah, accompanied by Assam Finance Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma and state Bharatiya Janata Party President Biplab Kumar Deb, ate food at the house of party activist Chirasundar Debbarma at Bagaban Thakur Chowmuhani on the city outskirts.

Debbarma's wife Budhulekha was a BJP candidate in the Agartala Municipal Corporation polls in 2015.

"We arranged for both traditional tribal and Bengali food for Amit-ji and other party leaders," Debbarma told the media, as a visibly happy Budhulekha said Amit Shah was welcomed into the house as per the traditional Hindu rituals.

Shah told the media on Saturday that the tribal couple with whom he had lunch in West Bengal last month was "forcibly" made to join the ruling Trinamool Congress.

"The tribal couple did not join the Trinamool on their own; they were forced to join the ruling party."

Raju Mahali and his wife Geeta had hogged media limelight when Shah ate food at the tribal couple's village home at Naxalbari in West Bengal on April 25. On May 3, the couple reportedly joined the Trinamool.

During his two-day stay in Tripura, the BJP chief held a series of meetings with leaders of the BJP and its frontal organisations, intellectuals, and select media persons to finalise the party's strategy for the Tripura assembly polls, likely to be held in February 2018.

The BJP chief also addressed a public meeting at Kumarghat in northern Tripura.
Mohali, May 7 : A century from Hashim Amla and a half-century by Shaun Marsh helped Kings XI Punjab post 189/3 against Gujarat Lions in their Indian Premier League (IPL) match here on Sunday evening.

Amla plundered 104 runs off 60 balls with eight boundaries and five sixes before being trapped lbw by an accurate yorker from Gujarat pacer Basil Thampi on the penultimate ball of the innings.

This was his second hundred in the IPL.

Amla was also involved two crucial partnerships with Marsh and Glenn Maxwell.

Marsh made 58 runs with six boundaries studding his 43-ball knock.

Gujarat pacers Thampi, Pradeep Sangwan and Dhawal Kulkarni picked up a wicket each.

Asked to bat first, Punjab were off to a slow start as Gujarat pacers Sangwan and Kulkarni maintained a tight line.

Sangwan struck in the very first over with a chest high-short ball to Gujarat opener Martin Guptill on the off stump line. The Kiwi star tried to hook the ball but only managed to offer a top edge to Thampi at long leg.

However, Amla and Marsh helped the hosts shake off the early jitters and steadied the innings with a 125-run partnership in 89-balls.

Amla batted well, showcasing his impeccable technique to find the gaps at regular intervals.

Kulkarni finally brought the stand to an end, dismissing Marsh with a slower delivery. The Australian was outfoxed by the change of pace and miscued his shot with Aaron Finch doing the honours at long on.

Marsh's departure prompted Amla to go on the offensive and the South African star hit two sixes off consecutive overs.

Known for his classical technical batting, Amla also showcased his ability to improvise.

Thanks to big hitting Amla and excellent support from the other end by Maxwell, the Punjab run rate showed no signs of slowing down.

The duo added 50 runs between them off 25 balls with Amla doing most of the scoring.

The 34-year-old reached his century in style, smashing Thampi for a six over the cover boundary.

However, Thampi made a superb comeback, pitching an accurate yorker right in the block hole to trap Amla leg before.

Maxwell remained unbeaten on 20 runs off 11 deliveries which included two sixes.

Brief scores:

Kings XI Punjab: 189/3 in 20 overs (Hashim Amla 104, Shaun Marsh 58) vs Gujarat Lions.

Latest updates on IPL 2020
CHG Office

A certified and skilled facial plastic surgeon based in New York, Dr. Dilip D. Madnani, just launched his new and improved website for the Cosmetic Healthcare Group. Incredible Marketing, a digital medical marketing company from Irvine, California, partnered with Dr. Madnani to create a complete website rebuild for the purpose of re-branding and responsiveness. Patients will now have an easily accessible space that accurately highlights treatments on a dynamic platform that adjusts to every digital medium.

Additionally, aesthetics of the website further support the elegance and sophistication displayed by the doctor and his staff. Soft, classic colors welcome each visit, and precise fonts mirror the surgical, boutique and high-end experience patients receive in person.

Tailored points of the CHG website include:



A collapsing menu that will adjust as visitors move through the site to focus on important information

Uniquely displayed content highlighting important patient solutions

A new expanding series of service menus that are tailored to key search phrases

An active video gallery of Dr. Madnanis latest videos and related videos that patients can play directly on the website

Downloadable patient forms featured in an easy to locate

Fresh and well-researched blog section that answers every patient question throughout their discovery process

Facetime activated call buttons for a quick chat with the medical team at CHG

CHGs innovative site displays versatile design elements all backed by a proven and results-driven SEO campaign, crafted to attract patients and rank on page one for natural facial plastic surgery and aesthetic treatments. Impressed with this web facelift, Dr. Madnani is happy to show patients and colleagues his accessible, functional and polished professional site. The doctor encourages anyone looking to refresh their appearance with natural results and a variety of options surgical and nonsurgical to call Cosmetic Healthcare Group to schedule a complimentary consultation in Long Island and Manhattan.

About Dilip Madnani, MD

Dr. Madnani is a board certified facial plastic and reconstructive surgeonspecializing in the head and neckdedicated to his patients by providing custom nonsurgical plans that speak to their lifestyle and needs. Treatments include SculpSure, HydraFacial, laser skin rejuvenation, PRP, microneedling, injectables, facial fat transfer and more.

Visit Dr. Madnanis new site at https://www.cosmetichg.com and call the office to schedule an interview.
By Vidya S.: If you have seen an urban millennial step out of an apartment with swanky furnishing, attend weddings in expensive designer outfits and document every detail of their exotic holidays on state of the art gadgets, chances are he or she is a savvy subscriber to rental e-commerce services.

As the aspirational group increasingly places experience high above ownership, numerous e-commerce startups are catering to their practical sensibilities by lending expensive items at a fraction of the selling price. "Renting is the new buying because people want to own experiences and rent everything else," says Ajith Karimpana of furniture renting site Furlenco.

Flyrobe's best-selling gown by designer Mahima Mahajan. Photo: Mail Today

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There are 268 startups in the space, according to data tracking firm Tracxn. PricewaterhouseCoopers has projected that the global sharing economy would be worth $335 billion by 2025 (Rs 21.5 lakh crore). Of this, within Indian e-commerce, the size of the fashion and apparel market is estimated to be $1 billion (Rs 6,500 crore) at present. Furniture and appliances account for $1 billion-$2 billion (Rs 6,500-13,000 crore).

Also Read: This American designer brand just made a grand entry in India

And the startups are all vying for the attention of the urban and mobile 24-35-yearolds who are in the early stages of their career. The business model is based on the observation urban millennials may not have enough savings or stick around at one place for too long, but would love to indulge in luxuries, especially if they could pay only for the duration of its use. "Customers love the practicality of not having to spend a bomb on someone else's wedding on an outfit that they'll wear once," says Flyrobe co-founder Shreya Mishra, who calls her venture a butler service for designer wear.

Youngsters are also clued into global trends, she says. "It's common in the US to say, 'Hey I'm renting a tuxedo'. The same will happen in India. Earlier, mom-and-pop stores were renting out clothes. But we've brought another level of class to it by allowing high-quality designer product for one-time wear." Even brides and grooms are leaving behind notions about rented clothes as Mishra says they have had several of them come to Flyrobe for outfits for their own wedding. Mishra is trying to win over her audience with custom fitting at home, door delivery, aesthetic packaging and even physical stores where they can touch and feel the garments.

Shreya Mishra and Pranay Surana of Flyrobe that rents designer wear. Photo: Mail Today Shreya Mishra and Pranay Surana of Flyrobe that rents designer wear. Photo: Mail Today

Travel and adventure are becoming more and more important to this work-hardparty harder group. And Mumbai-based gadget renting portal Eazy Leazy knows this, and has made holiday, camping and party gear a large part of its product portfolio. However, the bootstrapped company, which has handled 1,900 orders so far, eventually wants to be the Amazon of renting. "We are not trying to replace ownership. We want to offer things you will not use in the long term, but will greatly improve your life," says founder Meheryar D Tata.

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Relocation is the norm these days, especially among the younger crowd, driven by the large IT employee population in the country. "The idea is to help them out with their basic needs so that they can enjoy a certain lifestyle, but the cost and hassles are negligible," says Rentickle CEO and founder director Amit Sodhi.

Also Read: Rajesh Pratap Singh to Masaba Gupta: Top Indian designers talk about what drives their creativity

When Karimpana started Furlenco in 2011, everybody, including his mother, asked him who rents furniture. "It is meant to be owned," they said. However, he feels the earlier generation worked all their lives to buy that one car or build a house, says Furlenco's Karimpana.

"That's why they attach so much value to those things. But this generation is born with the confidence that life will keep changing." The company has furnished 18,000 homes across India and is expanding to more cities. It recently opened a warehouse in Gurugram.

Gurugram resident Alishaan Tungekar, 28, sees sense in renting things he knows he'll need for a year at most. "If I were to buy something, I have to worry about selling it later. Also, the value depreciates considerably in resale. Plus, the rented pieces are as good as new. Pickup and delivery are also free." He has rented a dining table, a microwave and a dressing table.

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And the companies say they really invest in keeping the products looking new - be it shampoo washes for mattresses, wood polishing for furniture or specialised drycleaning for garments. That's when their business works, they say: When the rented product doesn't look like it's been rented.

However, TechnoPak associate director Shubham Anand says rentals are largely a metro phenomenon, at least for the next few years. "Only metros offer the necessary market for business scalability, viability and acceptability...The market size may go up marginally over time." Also, he says, credit options are getting easier to buy appliances and furniture. "Will customers pay Rs 3,000 in EMI to eventually own the product or pay Rs 2,000 as rent?" But the startups are confident about their pricing and say stigma about renting items exists only among the older population. "Younger people are really cool about it. It's also a culture shift. After all, it is a practical solution," says Mishra.

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Peter Recchia Founder, 4Wealth Financial Group, LLC Work with fiduciaries, those investment advisors who focus on your best interests rather than profitable fees that benefit them or their firms

May 5, 2017. Peter Recchia, founder and president of 4Wealth Financial Group, advises investors to consult fiduciaries when making decisions about their retirement accounts. Work with fiduciaries, those investment advisors who focus on your best interests rather than profitable fees that benefit them or their firms, said Recchia.

Investors should not wait until the Conflict of Interest -Fiduciary Rule becomes law, which protects retirement savers from conflicts of interest in retirement advice.

Recchia suggests that investors ask their financial advisor or broker a simple question: Are you a fiduciary? Registered Investment Advisors (RIA) are fiduciaries and have been registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) or state securities authorities. RIAs are held to a fiduciary duty to their clients, which means they have a fundamental obligation to provide suitable investment advice and always act in their clients best interest, said Recchia.

According to Recchia, millions of Americans are counting on their 401(k)s and IRAs for their retirement. Many depend on investment professionals for advice about managing these accounts. The advice they get makes a difference in the success of their retirement savings outcome, and whether they will have a financially secure retirement. If they are steered into investments that are not in their best interest, but pay unreasonably high commissions or fees to non-fiduciaries, they may not be able to retire securely  or even at all.

Further, Recchia says: Retirement savers need to be confident that when they engage an advisor, they will receive competent, objective advice, not a sales pitch disguised as advice. Americans who've worked hard to save for retirement need and deserve these basic, common sense protections.

4Wealth Advisors, Inc. only transacts business in states where it is properly registered, or is excluded or exempted from registration requirements. Registration as an investment advisor does not constitute an endorsement of the firm by securities regulators nor does it indicate that the advisor has attained a particular level of skill or ability. The firm is not engaged in the practice of law.

Media Alert: Peter Recchia is available to discuss the benefits of consulting a RIA or other fiduciary.

Peter Recchia bio:

As an Accredited Investment Fiduciary, Peter Recchia, a Certified Public Accountant, has focused on putting his clients needs first when offering investment advice and solutions.

Having gone through the rigorous training and course requirements to earn the Accredited Investment Fiduciary designation, Recchia regards his fiduciary role as critical in providing investment and solutions that are in the best interests of his clients.

With over 25 years of experience, Recchia has brought his clients expertise that is hard to find in a single advisor, drawing on his knowledge of accounting, investment and pension-planning to help clients. As a fiduciary, he has endeavored to create optimal structures for his clients businesses including tax-favored pension plans.

Using his knowledge and experience with pension plans, Recchia has worked diligently to reduce or limit fiduciary liability for owners of pension plans. He takes pride in developing custom solutions for every client, whether it involves tax planning, creating large or small pension programs, or simply offering sage advice that is always in the clients best interest.
Lucy Buffett Brings Gumbo Love to Big Apple

Lucy Buffetts gumbo love is literally rolling via food truck into New York City May 9th to coincide with and celebrate the release of her new book, GUMBO LOVE  Recipes for Gulf Coast Cooking, Entertaining, and Savoring the Good Life.

Buffett, known for her unconventional business approach and her wildly successful Gulf Coast restaurants, has obtained rarely granted permission to park her GUMBO LOVE -themed food truck in the financial district on the corner of South End St and Liberty Ave, near the 9/11 Memorial in Manhattan. From 11 am to 2 pm, she will be serving tastings of her family seafood gumbo recipe and other southern fare featured in the book.

I had to be in New York when the book dropped and thought, why dont we just cook up some gumbo and let folks taste a little of what the book is all about? remarked Buffett. GUMBO LOVE is her second cookbook describing it as her homage to the vibrant Southern Coastal food culture and lifestyle of where she grew upand it picks up the conversation from her first book, LuLus Kitchen, both published by Grand Central Life & Style.

Filled with anecdotal narrativeas well as the classic Gulf Coast recipes inspired by both of her Southern grandmothersBuffett muses, the character-building traits one must employ to make a really good gumbo are also the same traits she has relied upon to become a self-reflective, empowered, happy woman. Along the way, gumbo love became both a personal and business philosophy based on love and respect with the intention of putting something positive out in the world.

Buffett is self-taught and has cooked and lived on all three coasts, including a position as the Executive Chef on the vintage motor yacht Mariner III at Pier 62 in Manhattan. Buffetts restaurants, named LuLus after her childhood nickname given to her by her brother, Jimmy Buffett, are in Gulf Shores, Alabama and Destin, Florida and serve more than one million customers each year. She is scheduled to open another of the 400-seat festive eateries in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina in 2018. Buffett now spends her time between Perdido Key, Florida and Key West, Florida.

LUCY LULU BUFFETT cooked her way from coast to coast before returning home to Alabama to open a modest bayside gumbo and burger joint that also doubled as a bait shop. Now, she is the successful restaurateur of two locations of LuLus, where she serves more than one million guests a year. Lucys adventuresculinary and otherwiseinspired her to write LuLus Kitchen, formerly Crazy Sista Cooking, and now GUMBO LOVE. Visit Lucy at http://www.lucybuffett.com
Welcome aboard airberlin flight #AB7007 with service to Dusseldorf from Orlando

Today May 6th airberlin launched its new service from Orlando International nonstop to Dusseldorf, one of its main hubs in Germany. The flight with numeric code 7007 took off from Orlando at 17:00 scheduled to arrive in Dusseldorf at 07:45 am next day. The service operates five times a week, every day except Tuesdays and Thursday increasing to daily service as of October of this year. Passengers are offered two classes of service, FullFlat business class or economy class featuring 46 XL seats with the most legroom for transatlantic service on its modern fleet of A330-200 aircraft.

Orlando is airberlins third Florida gateway making it the German airline with the most nonstop service this summer with 21 weekly flights to Miami, Fort Myers and now Orlando. airberlin passengers can also conveniently connect via Dusseldorf to numerous cities throughout Europe such as Berlin, Munich, Copenhagen, Florence, Milan, Rome, Venice and Zurich in addition to many more.

airberlins CEO Thomas Winkelmann stated, Our new route from Orlando to Dusseldorf is an important pillar of our strategic growth in capacity by more than 76 percent in Florida and about 53 percent overall in the US within the last twelve months. We are looking forward to welcome business and leisure travelers alike on board airberlin and connect them through Dusseldorf into our wide European network.

With airberlins reputation for quality is a very good fit with Orlando International Airport and our focus on exceeding the customers expectations, says Phil Brown, Executive Director of the Greater Orlando Aviation Authority. We look forward to building on the Orlando Experience as we grow beyond 42 million annual passengers and gain access to the 21 million passengers that airberlin serves at Dusseldorfs airport.

Passengers were treated to a photo wall with a cityscape of Dusseldorf in addition to the citys renowned symbol, the cart wheeler which can be seen all over Dusseldorf. Representing airberlin at this momentous occasion was airberlins Vice President of Sales for the Americas Roberto Cuesta who extended a warm welcome and distributed a commemorative gift to the passengers.

airberlin offers service from eight U.S. cities this summer which include Boston, Chicago, Fort Myers, New York, Miami, Los Angeles, Orlando and San Francisco operating 84 nonstop flights from its hubs in Berlin and Dusseldorf and connecting passengers to over 100 destinations worldwide. As a member of the oneworld alliance passengers will also be able to accrue and redeem mileage on any oneworld partner.

About airberlin

As one of Europe's largest network airlines, airberlin focuses on extremely frequent domestic flights and on services between a number of major European cities and its Berlin-Tegel and Dusseldorf hubs, from where the airline also operates long-haul flights to the US, Caribbean and Middle East. airberlin carried more than 30.2 million passengers in 2015 and its fleet is among the most modern and eco-efficient in Europe. airberlin is a member of the oneworld airline alliance, co-founder of Etihad Airways Partners and a strategic partner of Etihad Airways, which has a 29.21 per cent share in airberlin. topbonus, the frequent flyer programme of airberlin, has more than 4 million members.

Press contact:

Media Relations

Tel.: +49 30 3434 1500

Fax: +49 30 3434 1509

Email: Mediarelations(at)airberlin(dot)com

http://www.airberlin.com

http://www.facebook.com/airberlin

On behalf of airberlin

Madeleine Vogelsang

Media Relations Representative USA & Canada

Phone: 1-917-971-6213

Email: mvogelsang(at)zcomgroup(dot)org
Welcome Guest! You Are Here:
As of today, 13 states have implemented RERA Act, but the Karnataka government has not yet specified any timeline regarding its implementation.

By Nolan Pinto: On Sunday, Fight for RERA along with Namma Bengaluru Foundation staged a protest outside the Town Hall demanding the state government implement the Real Estate (Regulation and Development) Act, 2016 immediately. As of today, 13 states have implemented RERA Act, but the Karnataka government has not yet specified any timeline regarding its implementation.

Sridhar Pabbisetty, CEO, Namma Bengaluru Foundation tells India Today that in spite of repeated assurances from the state government that they would abide by the May 1 deadline and that RERA rules will not be diluted, nothing has been notified till today.

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"Two weeks ago we met Kapil Mohan, Principal Secretary for housing, Government of Karnataka, to safeguard the interest of the home buyers, but on May 1 nothing happened," he says adding, "Reality of the government has been exposed and they are not pushing forward for homebuyers interest but are continuing to be captured by the real estate lobby."

Many homebuyers who have been cheated by builders and those who are yet to get possession of their apartments also took part in the protest.

MS Shankar, Convener, Fight for RERA, Karnataka Chapter, says they are baffled by the delay since Karnataka was the first state to come out with the draft RERA rules way back in October.

"We want the government to bring in the Act without any changes," he says. Their primary aim is to make sure that the RERA rules also cover on-going projects in the state.

With inputs from Kishore Barker

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

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The allure of the Northern Lights led me to Iceland.

Little did I know how elusive they are.

Checking the weather one last time before departure on my WOW air flight, things weren't looking promising. Precipitation appeared in the forecast for the entire week, and clear skies are required to see the aurora borealis.

When my three travel buddies and I landed at Keflavik International Airport, we were greeted by rain, not snow. Turns out the country isn't as icy as it sounds -- at least not all the time, even in mid-February.

It was 4 a.m., another 5 1/2 hours to go before sunrise, so we got the rental car and drove around trying to see Keflavik. The town was asleep.

Arriving in Reykjavik, Iceland's capital and its largest city, we were enticed by an illuminated glass dome structure on a hill and drove up a side road to see it. It was the Perlan, a hot water tower perched over the city. In town, we were lucky to be accommodated at our guesthouse hours before check-in and took a much-needed nap before sunrise.

Outside, the air was fresh and chilly. We drove back west to the Blue Lagoon, which we had tickets for, but on our last night. A geothermal spa, the large lagoon was a bright turquoise color during the day, its warm water creating steam that rose into the frigid, 30-degree air.

Further southwest, we reached the noisy Gunnuhver steam vents, spewing heat from the ground nonstop, they're named after a female ghost who supposedly haunts the place. Close by, the Hafnaberg Cliffs showed off Iceland's rugged coastline. Waves crashed against protruding rocks as relentless wind pounded us, forcing us to retreat to the car.

Iceland was cold, but could've been worse. Snow boots -- waterproof -- with thick socks, a thermal long sleeve shirt, leggings under pants, a light down jacket and a waterproof North Face jacket got me through just fine. I only wore snow pants on a couple of occasions.

Leaving the Blue Lagoon at night, we saw a pastel smear across the dark sky and I thought maybe those were the Northern Lights. Earlier, I had checked the forecast and was excited to see the western part of the country would clear up.

We drove to an area where some cars had parked on the side of the road.

One of us had a pro camera, set it up on a tripod and snapped a shot and, sure enough, captured the eerie green light. Soon, the aurora activity intensified and revealed its colors to the naked eye.

With my iPhone incapable of capturing even a faint dash of the phenomenon, I learned to simply enjoy the moment. Many times in life, things aren't what they seem, and sometimes, well, there they are.
PEORIA, Ill. (AP)  Attorneys for former U.S. Rep. Aaron Schock have asked a judge to drop a charge against him, saying it's too broad.

Schock's attorneys in a motion filed Friday say a charge alleging theft of government funds contains too many allegations, makes it too difficult to prepare for trial, and is therefore improper. They say prosecutors have bundled "five years' worth of alleged thefts into a single count."

The (Peoria) Journal Star (http://bit.ly/2qCqZqU ) reports U.S. District Judge Colin Bruce gave prosecutors until May 29 to respond to the motion. Schock's trial is set to begin July 10.

Schock's indictment last year alleges he sought reimbursement in government funds for lavish spending. He has pleaded not guilty to the charges, which also include wire fraud and falsification of election commission filings.

___

Information from: Journal Star, http://pjstar.com
By Press Trust of India: white elephant in space?

By Pallava Bagla

New Delhi, May 7 (PTI) Unparallelled space bonding was witnessed on Friday when seven heads of states from South Asia unanimously applauded Indias Rs 450 crore gift to its neighbours by way of a communications satellite.

There is no precedent in the space-faring world of a free regional communications satellite being gifted like this, and it shows India has a large heart.

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Touted as Prime Minister Narendra Modis pet project, the South Asia Satellite is now in orbit, so the riskiest, but easy, part is really over and undoubtedly the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has delivered.

The tricky bit starts now when the seven member-states have to start putting in their own hard earned resources to get the ground infrastructure in place and to get the software ready for the content that will be beamed by the satellite. Easier said than done.

Speaking at the live video conference after the successful launch, Modi said "Today is a historic day for South Asia. A day without precedence. Two years ago, India made a promise. A promise to extend the advanced space technology for the cause of growth and prosperity of our brothers and sisters in South Asia.

"The successful launch of the South Asia Satellite marks the fulfilment of that. With this launch we have started a journey to build the most advanced frontier of our partnership," Modi said.

What was actually left unsaid was that with this single out-of-the-box foreign policy initiative, New Delhi was essentially trying to contain Chinas growing influence in the region. In its cussedness, Pakistan opted out of the project citing its existing space programme which everyone knows is rather primitive in comparison to Indias advanced space- faring capabilities.

While there is no doubt India has end-to-end capabilities in space technology but many of the countrys space assets often turn into so-called "white elephants in space".

In the past, the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) has come down heavily on ISRO for the non-utilisation of space imageries that the countrys vast remote sensing satellites collected but which remained locked up and were not available to the civilian planners.

Some of that has changed but still high-quality satellite images of less than one meter resolution remain out of bounds for civilians. Similarly, Indias Rs 450 crore Edusat--a communications satellite launched in 2004 to "reach the unreached" through interactive teaching--did not live up to its objectives.

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The National Institute of Advanced Studies, Bengaluru evaluated the EduSat and concluded that it remained "under- utilised as it was a top-driven technology initiative where enough thought was not given to generation of appropriate content.

More recently in 2014, ISRO launched the highly controversial GAST-6, a satellite that provides unprecedented satellite-based multimedia capabilities for Indias armed forces but till date reports suggest that the handsets that would enable satellite telephony and handheld capability are still being developed.

Between 2013 and 2016, India placed in orbit a constellation of seven navigation satellites in space costing about Rs 1,500 crore but while the space-based system is constantly beaming down signals yet it seems chipsets that can effectively tap these GPS-like signals are still under development.

It seems the 16,000 dedicated workforce of ISRO delivers what it is mandated for but on the downstream side the line ministries seem to fail to capitalise on the gains.

It is too early to assess the outcome of South Asia Satellite for that we may need to wait another 12 years which is the nominal mission life of the satellite. But in daily life when one receives expensive gifts that also need to be serviced with lots of money on a continuous basis, they often turn dust collectors.

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Let us hope Afghanistan, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, India and the Maldives will collectively and individually put in the several million dollars a year that may be necessary to effectively tap the benefits of the friendly bird in the sky.

There could be many other reasons why the countries that got the "invaluable gift" may not fully utilise it since several of Indias neighbours already have advanced communication satellites in orbit or are in the process of acquiring them.

The war-torn country of Afghanistan, whose President Ashraf Ghani said "If we cant cooperate on land, we can at least cooperate in the sky", participated at the highest level in the unprecedented video conference but sources have said it is yet to ink the deal and cites technical reasons. Hopefully that will happen soon.

But if one analyses its satellite communications capabilities one finds that Afghanistan already possesses a satellite called AfghanSAT. This is a communications satellite it has leased from a European country.

Interestingly, the AfghanSAT which was formerly called W2M is an Indian-made satellite. This satellite was made in the same facility where the South Asia Satellite has been fabricated in the ISRO Satellite Centre in Bengaluru.

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In 2014, when Kabul acquired the satellite the then Communication and Information Technology Minister Amirzai Sangin said the satellite "is a new milestone in the development of the ICT [Information and Communications Technologies] in Afghanistan, which in the last 12 years has already seen mobile telephony coverage of 88 per cent and penetration grow from zero to 75 per cent through the licensing of six operators".

One will have to wait and watch how the Afghans finally decide to utilise the services of the South Asia Satellite.

Nepal is a country that felt the need to have a communications satellite in place soon after the devastating 2015 Kathmandu earthquake.

Towards that as recently as December 2016, the Himalayan country has floated a global tender to acquire not one but two of its own communications satellites. May be the Nepali government will dirty its hands by testing Satcom technology on Indias gift but whether it will set up a duplicate infrastructure in the long run is something one will have to wait and watch.

Today Nepal already utilises telemedicine facilities using Indias INSAT satellites and hospitals in Kathmandu are often hooked up to hospitals in New Delhi and Chandigarh for medical consultations.

Bangladesh is one country because of its deltaic geography it can benefit greatly by having well established capabilities of Satcom.

Speaking at the video conference, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina said "this is an extremely important step to know nature and natures patterns. On todays auspicious occasion betterment of our people can happen through fruitful engagement".

But at the same time without waiting for the South Asia Satellite to kick in, Bangladesh initiated expanding its capabilities in space and hopes that by the end of this year its very own Bangabandhu-1 satellite will be in orbit as reports suggest that it is being made by the French company Thales Alenia Space. The total cost of the satellite is USD 248 million. Bangabandhu-1 carries a total of 40 Ku and C-band transponders. In contrast, India is offering capacity of about one transponder.

Sri Lanka already owns a communication satellite called SupremeSat which it acquired in 2012 and is operated by SupremeSAT (Pvt) Limited, a Sri Lankan satellite operator.

Interestingly, it has partnership with Chinas state- owned satellite manufacturing institution China Great Wall Industry Corporation. This satellite has a capacity of 56 transponders.

A less than effervescent Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena, joining in from Colombo for the video conference, said "May this initiative support people in all regions, enhance economic conditions and help to eliminate poverty".

But with China already having the first mover advantage will it let India get a toehold on the island nation?

The Maldives and Bhutan are the two countries that have minimal space-faring capabilities and hopefully will be the biggest beneficiaries of the fruits of the South Asia satellite.

No wonder then that Maldives President Abdulla Yameen actually echoed Modis words by saying "this launch is an example of Indias neighbour first policy. We must work for common good, better economic opportunities. Sabka Saath Sabka Vikas".

India on the other hand is the biggest donor and possibly the biggest beneficiary from the project. Over the 12 year nominal life of the satellite India is extending aid which would be worth at least USD 1,500 million, if one extrapolates the total cost of the project over 12 years.

A highly optimistic and visionary space buff that Modi is, he said "The South Asia Satellite tells us that even the sky is not the limit when it comes to regional cooperation among like-minded countries".

Hopefully, the 2,230 kg South Asia Satellite will remain a friendly bird in the sky and not morph into a "white elephant in space". PTI CORR KUN AAR

--- ENDS ---
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Surrender at Reims

Hours before dawn on the morning of 7 May 1945, a cluster of correspondents and press and newsreel photographers waited at one end of the G-3 war room at SHAEF forward headquarters in Reims. In the center of the room stood a large, empty table. At 0230, ten Allied officers entered and took seats around three sides of the table. Generals Smith and Morgan headed three-officer U.S. and British delegations; Gen. Francois Sevez represented France; and Maj. Gen. Ivan Souslaparov, a colonel, and a lieutenant were the Soviet contingent. When all were seated, Morgan called in the Germans, Generaloberst Alfred Jodl and two others. They entered, clicked their heels, and gave small military lows. At the table nobody moved except Smith, who waved the Germans to seats on the unoccupied side of the table where they sat facing a large wall snap showing the Allied forces' latest dispositions. Maj. Gen. Kenneth W. D. Strong, SHAEF-2, acting as interpreter, stood behind the Germans and read out the surrender terms, more for the benefit of the press than for the Germans, who were familiar enough with them already. After Strong finished, Jodl rose and declared, in the name of the German Army, Navy, and Air Force, that he surrendered unconditionally. The document was then signed, and Jodl and his party left the room.1

SHAEF's wartime mission was completed, but with a last-minute twist. What the Germans signed at Reims was the "Act of Military Surrender," written three days before in the SHAEF G-3, not the painstakingly negotiated EAC surrender instrument. The chief author of the surrender document signed at Reims was a British colonel, John Counsell, an actor and theatrical manager in civilian life, who had cheerfully "cribbed" much of it from the terms for the German surrender in Italy (2 May) published in Stars and Stripes. 2 Its six short paragraphs -none more than two sentences long- simply affirmed the German High Command's unconditional surrender, to take effect fifty-nine minutes before midnight on 8 May.3

SHAEF had included the EAC surrender instrument in the ECLIPSE plans and had assumed it was the document the Germans would sign if they signed one at all, which by the time jodl arrived had begun to seem unlikely. The EAC was by then at work on an Allied proclamation of the German defeat, and nothing had been done to clear up several deficiencies in the surrender instrument that had developed since it was approved by the governments.
The newly appointed CRPF Director General Rajeev Rai Bhatnagar has been asked to ensure that the command begins functioning from Raipur before the high-level meeting of LWE hit states here tomorrow.

By Press Trust of India: The strategic anti-Naxal operations command headquarters of the CRPF has been shifted from Kolkata to right into the heart of the Naxal violence hit state of Chhattisgarh by the Centre in the wake of 37 men of the paramilitary being massacred by Naxals in a span of less than two months.

The CRPF issued an order on May 4 directing the "immediate" transfer of the command headquarters of the central zone of the paramilitary, roughly seven years after it was shifted from Raipur to Kolkata owing to "logistical and connectivity issues" that gave the West Bengal capital an upper hand over its Chhattisgarh counterpart.

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The newly appointed CRPF Director General Rajeev Rai Bhatnagar has been asked to ensure that the command begins functioning from Raipur before the high-level meeting of LWE hit states here tomorrow.

Additional Director General of the central zone of the CRPF Kuldiep Singh was immediately air dashed to Raipur from Kolkata along with the headquarter transfer orders and the IPS officer has taken charge of the command in Raipur on Friday, the sources said.

The central zone, an operational field formation, was raised on August 7, 2009 and was tasked to oversee the CRPF troops deployment across the entire 'red belt' of the Left Wing Extremism hit states from West Bengal to Jharkhand, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Odisha, Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh.

It was moved to Kolkata in July 2010 for want of better connectivity through rail and air transport for the command office, days after the Dantewada ambush where Naxals had carried out their biggest attack against security forces and brutally killed 75 CRPF men and a Chhattisgarh police jawan on April 6.

TRANSFER ORDERS CAME AFTER SUKMA ATTACKS

Top sources in the security establishment said the Union Home Ministry, after reviewing the April 24 Naxal ambush in the Sukma district that killed 25 CRPF men, ordered the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) to immediately shift the central zone command of the force to Raipur, without even bothering for the basic logistics to be put in place.

"The idea is to base the Naxal command headquarter where the exact fight and the LWE challenge is.

"The ministry felt that having this strategic office, headed by an ADG rank officer, in far off Kolkata was not serving the purpose of strategising quick, intelligence-based and coordinated offensives against Naxals right where the guerrillas are posing the biggest threat to the internal security of the country," a senior officer said.

The command office has been tasked to convene meetings and strategies joint operations with the Indian Air Force, the Border Security Force, the Indo-Tibetan Border Police force and various state police forces to carry out special anti- Naxal offensives along the southern border tip of Bastar where Sukmas border meet four neighbouring states that too suffer from the LWE menace.

They said DG Bhatnagar himself oversaw the quick activation of the command from the ground in Raipur after he attended a meeting of the Unified Command on LWE on May 5 that was chaired by Chief Minister Raman Singh.

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He later moved to Sukma to take an on-spot assessment of the ambush site near Burkapal and held a sainik sammelan (troops meeting) to boost the morale of his men at a CRPF camp in the jungles of the district in south Bastar, few kilometres from the states border with Odisha, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana.

"Over the last two days, the new CRPF DG has travelled to the interiors of Sukma and Dantewada, the two worst LWE- violence districts in the state. He also visited the ambush site in Bheji in Sukma where Naxals had killed 12 jawans on March 11," a senior officer said.

COMMAND TO BE FUNCTIONAL BY TOMORROW IN RAIPUR

The urgency of shifting the CRPF command office in a matter of few days after the deadly Naxal attacks can be gauged from the fact that the transfer orders of the headquarter stated that it should be activated quickly by deploying "necessary support staff" and bare minimum facilities in the office of the sector Inspector General of the CRPF in Raipur.

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The full facilities for this largest field formation of the paramilitary could be created over the next few weeks time, the order said.

The central zone has jurisdiction and deployment of troops over about 42 per cent of the geographical area of the country from the Bay of Bengal in the east to Madhya Pradesh in the west and from the international border with Nepal in the north to Odisha in the south.

It comprises eight sectors, 13 ranges, 17 group centres, 83 battalions, eight composite hospitals, 2 central weapons store, two central training colleges, three recruit training centres, a counter-insurgency and anti-terrorism school, 6 ANTS (Anti Naxal Training School) of the CRPF, the countrys largest paramilitary with about 3-lakh personnel in its ranks.

Also read:

Sukma Maoist attack: Two Naxal commanders were killed by CRPF jawans

9 Naxalites involved in Sukma attack among 19 held in Chhattisgarh

Also watch:

CRPF nabs 4 Maoists involved in Sukma attack that killed 25 jawans

--- ENDS ---
France is electing a new president who will have to bring together a country that is heavily divided. And that challenge is unlikely to be easily met. Lisa Louis reports.

The French are choosing their next president this Sunday after an election campaign that has emphasized a deep rift in society. The new leader will face the Herculean task of reuniting the country.

Former economics minister and independent centrist Emmanuel Macron is facing the far-right National Front's (FN) Marine Le Pen in the decisive final ballot.

They came first and second in the first round of voting after what was perceived by many as the country's most surprising and unpredictable election campaign in history.

French voters in the US and Canada cast their ballots on Saturday.

The candidates of the two established mainstream parties were eliminated in the first ballot. The center-right Republican Party's Francois Fillon, initially the clear front-runner, stumbled over financial scandals involving his wife and children. Benoit Hamon, the center-left Socialists' candidate, seemed unwilling to reunite the left wing of his party with its centrist block. His almost far-left project convinced only a small fraction of his party's electoral base. Hamon captured a mere 6 percent of the vote and was even overtaken by far-left candidate Jean-Luc Melenchon, who achieved a record 19.3 percent.

'Finalists epitomize two parts of French society'

Instead, two outsiders are now facing each other in the runoff vote. That's unheard-of in recent French history, but not a coincidence, thinks Bruno Cautres of the Center for Political Research at Sciences Po University in Paris.

For him, the two finalists epitomize two parts of French society opposed to each other.

"Our society is split, but no longer along the lines of the left and the right," he says. "Instead, the divide is between those who embrace globalization and those who feel left behind."

Cautres feels that the outcome of the first ballot is the culmination of something that has been in the making since the mid-1990s. That's when the effects of globalization started to make themselves felt in France. Ever since, unemployment has been hovering around 10 percent.

Many of the better educated who are well-equipped to capitalize on globalization are now supporting the pro-European and business-friendly 39-year-old Macron. He intends to reduce public debt and implement market-orientated economic reforms.

Le Pen supporters see globalization as a threat

But those who feel left behind and see globalization first and foremost as a threat tend to vote for the EU-sceptic Le Pen. She promotes economic protectionism and wants to levy import taxes. The far-right candidate brandishes anti-immigrant rhetoric and promises to reintroduce a national currency, while maintaining the euro as a common European currency to protect against unfair competition by companies in other EU member states.

Nicolas Lebourg, a historian at the University of Montpellier and specialist in far-right politics, says the FN's supporters don't include just the needy or those who live in the countryside.

"A lot of their voters live in wealthy areas that are next to underprivileged zones. That proximity confronts these people with the possibility of losing out to globalization. One example is the well-off Paris suburb Neuilly-sur-Seine," he explained.

Le Pen's voters seem to be in the minority though - at least according to current polls. Macron is the clear front-runner with about 60 percent of the vote, whereas the FN is set to capture only around 40 percent.

Is a surprise still possible?

But Macron supporters worry the predictions might be getting it wrong - as in the UK and the US, where polls didn't predict the Brexit vote or the election of Donald Trump.

Adding to that worry is the possibility of a high rate of abstention. The French seem less shocked by the FN's result than in 2002. At the time, Marine Le Pen's father Jean-Marie was the first FN candidate to reach the second ballot in a presidential election. Millions of voters took to the streets to demonstrate against the rise of the far right, and Le Pen was defeated with a record score of 80 percent by conservative Jacques Chirac.

This year's May Day demonstration in Paris, by contrast, gathered only tens of thousands of people. Some of the protesters were campaigning for a "Ni ni" - a "neither nor." They feel Macron is too much of a free marketeer and not an acceptable alternative to Le Pen.

That point of view was put forward by far-left candidate Melenchon, one of the few politicians who have refused to clearly support a second-round vote for Macron to prevent the far right from coming to power.

But Jerome Fourquet from French polling institute Ifop doubts non-voters will be able to sway the election results.

"For Le Pen to win at this stage, the rate of abstention would have to reach almost 40 percent and only take away votes from Macron - that's not something we are detecting in the polls," he said at a recent conference at the Paris-based Jean-Jaures foundation.

"And I don't think the polls can get it that wrong - the gap between the two candidates is just too large and not something like 52-48 such as in the UK referendum."

TV debate has widened gap

The gap between Macron and Le Pen widened even further after the recent TV debate. The far-right leader came across as overly aggressive and badly informed - especially regarding the economic program that she proposes to get the country back on track. Macron, meanwhile, took apart Le Pen's proposals, underlining their inconsistencies. Even Le Pen's supporters criticised her poor performance and lack of presidential stature.

The publication of hacked emails from the Macron campaign team on Friday night is unlikely to be much of a game-changer. Hackers believed to be linked to a Russian group known as APT 28 and to the American far-right posted nine gigabytes of data online.

But French media have refrained from reporting on the documents' content ahead of the second round of voting after officials warned that publishing the data could represent a breach of the law. It seems the leak came too late to have an impact on the outcome of the elections.

But even if a Macron victory seems highly likely at this stage, it will not by any means spell an end to the challenges confronting the leader of the En Marche! (On the Way!) movement.

"Macron will have to face the Herculean task of bringing the country back together," says researcher Cautres.

"It's almost impossible to achieve that: Whatever he does will alienate one large part of our deeply divided country. And five years are just not long enough to tackle France's problems - especially when it comes to unemployment, growth and our failing education system."

A strong leader for the Gallic village

His colleague Lebourg is a little more optimistic.

"Macron just needs some economic success stories so that people get the impression that things are getting better and don't constantly fear slipping into poverty."

The historian thinks that Macron could even bring the different parts of society back together.

"France is like a Gallic village: We constantly hit each other until a strong leader comes along and takes everybody with him."

"So if he does come along, things can get better, as we can finally feel like one proud nation again."
The poll in Schleswig-Holstein is one of two state elections ahead of federal elections in September. DW explains why it could have an impact way beyond Germany's northernmost state. Here's everything you need to know about this Sunday's state election in Schleswig-Holstein - and why it matters.

Why does this state election have a national impact?

Both Chancellor Angela Merkel's conservative Christian Democratic Union (CDU) and main rival and junior coalition partner at the federal level, the center-left Social Democratic Party (SPD), are hoping that a win in Schleswig-Holstein will add momentum to their campaigns for the upcoming federal election, as well as the state parliament election in North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW), Germany's most populous state, next weekend. Meanwhile, smaller parties, such as the Greens and the right-wing populist Alternative for Germany (AfD,) are desperate to prove that they are not stuck in a rut ahead of the NRW and federal election.

On top of that, state elections have a major impact at the federal level because of Germany's political structure.

The German lower house of parliament ("Bundesrat") is made up of representatives of the state governments. This chamber of parliament has the right to propose new federal laws and to block federal laws passed by the elected upper house of parliament, the "Bundestag."

Who's currently running the state?

For the past five years, Schleswig-Holstein has been run by a coalition made up of the SPD, the Greens and the Sudschleswigscher Wahlerverband (SSW). Torsten Albig of the SPD, a 52-year-old lawyer and former press secretary, is the incumbent state premier.

The center-right CDU, libertarian Free Democratic Party (FDP) and the Pirate Party have been in opposition for the past five years.

Unlike all other parties, the SSW is a regional party only on the ballots in Schleswig-Holstein. The party represents the interests of the Danish minority living in Schleswig-Holstein and is exempt from the threshold that requires parties to gather at least five percent of the vote to gain a seat in the state parliament.

Who's eligible to vote  and who's on the ballot?

In Sunday's election, 2.3 million voters are eligible to vote. For the first time in the state's history, this includes 16 and 17-year-olds. For federal and most state elections, Germans have to be at least 18 years old to vote.

A total of 13 parties are on the ballot. Between five and seven of them are expected to make it into the state parliament, including all parties currently represented with the exception of the Pirates, who are polling well below the five percent threshold.

What is at stake for the parties?

The CDU is hoping to take over control of the state and secure its dominance at the national level.

In Schleswig-Holstein, for a long time the CDU lagged behind the SPD in opinion polls. While SPD premier Torsten Albig is well-known and popular in the state, the CDU's candidate, Daniel Gunther, a 43-year-old former small-town mayor, who was almost unknown until recently. But following an aggressive campaign, the conservatives are now polling ahead, scoring 32 to 33 percent in the polls, three to four points ahead of the SPD.

For Chancellor Angela Merkel, this state election could be a turning point. She is hoping to repeat the success of the Saarland state election in March to prove that she and her party have survived an emerging threat from the far-right AfD amid the refugee crisis and can gain momentumafter losing some of her popularity in the past two years.

Athough Merkel and her CDU have led coalitions for 12 years, they have been less successful at a state level. They are currently involved in seven of Germany's 16 state governments. The Schleswig-Holstein and NRW elections could mark the first time that the CDU recaptures a state lost during Merkel's time as chancellor.

The SPD is desperate to stay in power and prove the 'Schulz effect' is still going strong

Not just Chancellor Merkel, but also Martin Schulz, the SPD's chancellor candidate and her main rival in the September national election, went to Schleswig-Holstein in the hope of boosting their party's candidates.

The SPD is worried that what media have dubbed the "Schulz effect"  record poll numbers for the long-struggling party following the announcement that the former president of the European Parliament would serve as their top candidate  could be dubbed a fluke. The party's poll numbers have recently dropped significantly and it performed below expectations in the Saarland state election in March.

So keeping state premier Torsten Albig - who last made headlines when he refused to implement a policy of federal Interior Minister Thomas de Maziere to deport Afghan asylum seekers - in power is of crucial importance to the national campaign.

"If the SPD does not manage to defend Schleswig-Holstein, that will have consequences  first, in the upcoming state election in North Rhine-Westphalia, and then in national politics," Wilhelm Knelangen, a political scientist from the University of Kiel, in the state's capital, told DW. "It would enhance the downward trend the SPD currently seems to be on. On the other hand, if the SPD scores a clear victory, people will assume the SPD is in a good position. The same is true for the CDU and all other parties, of course."

The Greens want to prove that they are not in a rut

While the Greens have plummeted in federal polls, they are expected to do quite well in Schleswig-Holstein. Over the past month, opinion polls have consistently shown them at 12 percent in the northern state (as opposed to six to eight percent across Germany).

Outperforming expectations  or even performing within expectations based on recent polls  could help the Greens shift the dialogue away from speculation over whether they are "victims of their own success" and lack relevant policy proposals. If they were to succeed in Schleswig-Holstein "people could interpret the election as a comeback. They will try to use that momentum in the next state election," Knelangen told DW.

Many experts attribute their popularity up north in part to incumbent environmental minister, Robert Habeck. The charismatic 47-year-old writer is viewed as one of the brightest newcomers within the party. When the Greens asked their members who should lead them in the federal election, Habeck lost to well-known party chair Cem Ozdemir by a mere 75 votes out of some 36.000 ballots. But Habeck is not on the ballot in the state or federal elections. So failing to be appointed as a minister in Schleswig-Holstein again would leave him without an official political position  and his political future in limbo.

For the struggling AfD, not making it past five percent would be a major blow

The right-wing populist AfD founded in 2013 has been on a line of progress for the past three years in state elections: it won seats in all eleven states that held elections, surging on anti-refugee and anti-immigration sentiments. But in Schleswig-Holstein, the party is polling only narrowly above the five percent threshold.

Failing to make it into the state parliament would be seen as a major defeat for the party, which has recently been plagued by infighting.

The FDP is keen on making a comeback

One of the most recognizable faces on the campaign trail in Schleswig-Holstein is the FDP's Wolfgang Kubicki. The 65-year-old lawyer became the national co-chair of the libertarian, pro-business party in 2013, following a purge of all its leaders after the party lost its seats in the federal parliament in a historic defeat. Kubicki is not just his party's top candidate in Schleswig-Holstein - he will also be his party's top candidate in the upcoming federal elections.

The FDP is hoping that a strong showing for the party in Schleswig-Holstein can give them - and their top candidate - the momentum necessary to re-enter the federal parliament. They are currently polling at 10 to 11 percent up north, and at six to seven percent across the country.

The Left Party is hoping to surprise everyone

The election race in Schleswig-Holstein is expected to be especially tight for the Left Party, currently polling near the threshold necessary to make it into parliament.

Entering the state parliament would be a major victory for a party that scored only 2.2 percent in the last state election and that tends to perform poorly in western rural areas like Schleswig-Holstein.
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By Press Trust of India: New Delhi, May 7 (PTI) External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj has spoken to India ambassador in the US Navtej S Sarna in the wake reports of killing of a Sikh man in a suspected hate crime in that country.

"I have spoken to our Ambassador Mr.Navtej S.Sarna @IndianEmbassyUS. We are committed to help and protect all Indian citizens abroad," she tweeted tonight.

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Her response came hours after Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh brought the incident of the killing of the Sikh man to Swarajs notice.

"@SushmaSwaraj Another Sikh youth killed in suspected hate crime in US, seek your help to protect Sikhs living abroad (sic)," Singh tweeted.

As per reports, a 32-year-old Sikh man, Jagjeet Singh, was stabbed to death outside a grocery store in California on Friday. PTI MPB SMN

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Former Tamil Nadu chief minister O Panneerselvam has now claimed that the Assembly election in Tamil Nadu may take place even before the local body elections, which are expected to take place anytime soon.

Talks between O Palaniswami and E Palaniswami seem to have reached a dead end.

By India Today Web Desk: Talks of a merger between the factions led by O Panneerselvam and E Palaniswami seem to be going nowhere, with both camps unable to iron out their differences.

Former Tamil Nadu chief minister O Panneerselvam has now claimed that the Assembly election in Tamil Nadu may take place even before the local body elections, which are expected to take place anytime soon.

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O Panneerselvam said this while addressing a gathering in Kanchipuram on Saturday.

EPS CAMP COUNTERS OPS

Tamil Nadu Finance Minister D Jayakumar, who is a member of the E Palanaswami (EPS) camp, called Panneerselvam's statements "mischievous".

Nobody will believe 'OPS', who has only 2 per cent of party workers with him, D Jayakumar said, adding that Assembly election will be held only in 2021.

Earlier, O Panneerselvam had accused Tamil Nadu Chief Minister E Palaniswami of being an ally of Sasikala Natarajan's nephew TTV Dinakaran.

The OPS camp had set ouster of Sasikala Natarajan, AIADMK deputy general secretary TTV Dinakaran and their family members from the party as one of the key demands for the merger with the EPS camp.

TALKS HIT A DEAD END?

Team EPS, it seems, has lost interest in merger talks with O Panneerselvam's camp.

Sources in the EPS camp had said that OPS camp was given enough time for the merger, but it does not seem interested. E Palaniswami camp feels it has the numbers in the Assembly and there is nothing to worry about.

With the talks of merger between the OPS and EPS camps on a standby mode, O Pannerselvam on May 5 kicked off his statewide contact programme from Kanchipuram. As part of the outreach programme, O Panneerselvam will be meeting party cadre and people across the state ahead of the local body elections.

ALSO READ:

Tamil Nadu: Acceptable leadership, not merger of Sasikala-OPS factions, solution to AIADMK's problem

Team EPS loses interest in AIADMK merger: Don't need OPS, we have the numbers

Panneerselvam camp may suspend AIADMK merger talks if Sasikala, Dinakaran not sacked from party

ALSO WATCH

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A group of terrorists appeared at the funeral of a slain associate and fired a volley of bullets in the air as a form of gun salute in south Kashmirs Kulgam district on Sunday.

The alarming incident occurred during the funeral of Fayaz Ahmed alias Setha, a resident of Qaimoh area of Kulgam, who was killed in retaliation on Saturday after terrorists had fired upon a police party which had gone to Mir Bazaar area to investigate a road accident.

Two civilians and a cop were also killed in the attack on Saturday.

At least four terrorists appeared in the crowd during the funeral and offered gun salute to the slain by firing in the air from their AK-assault rifles on Sunday, police officials said.

The incident comes just a couple of days after the security forces carried out a major combing operation in the neighbouring Shopian district to flush out terrorists.

According to police officials, there have been quite some instances of terrorists appearing at the funerals of slain associates in recent times in what appears to have taken the shape of a disturbing trend.

Image: Terrorists fire a volley of bullets in the air as a form of gun salute in tribute to Fayaz Ahmed alias Setha. Photograph: Umar Ganie
The shutdown will affect the power supply to Tamil Nadu during the peak of summer, reports Gireesh Babu

The second unit of Kudankulam Nuclear Power Project has been shut down as there was a water and steam leakage identified during operation, which may impact the power supply in states such as Tamil Nadu during this summer.



The power plant was shut down due to water and steam leakage and it is expected to restart operations in a weeks time, said H N Sahu, site director, KNPP. He said that the plant, with a capacity to produce 1,000 MW was operating at 94 per cent power.



A major share of the production has been allocated to Tamil Nadu and the shut down may impact the power supply in the state during the peak of summer, which consumes lot of power, according to sources.



The first unit of 1,000 MW has been shut down from April 13 for annual maintenance, which is expected to restart operations by middle of June.



The non-government organisations protesting on the project alleged that there have been several instances of shut down of these units, especially the first unit and this points towards the issues related to the plant.

They alleged that the government is moving ahead with the third and fourth unit even though the first two plants commissioned are facing technical issues.
Relatives of United States presidents son-in-law Jared Kushner are touring major mainland cities to woo wealthy Chinese investors for luxury projects in New Jersey while offering an American green card in return, according to a media report.

Kushners sister, Nicole Kushner Meyer, and her husband Joseph Meyer, took to the stage at Beijings Ritz-Carlton hotel on Saturday, and Shanghais Four Seasons Hotel on Sunday to promote their new project One Journal Square, the Hong Kong-based South China Morning Post reported.

The Beijing leg ignited controversy in the United States over whether Kushner, who is a senior White House adviser and US President Donald Trump, is involved in the project and the immigrant investor visa programme.

About 100 people attended the Shanghai event where they were told they could become US residents under a EB-5 visa programme if they put $500,000 (Rs 3.21 crore) into the project.

The events are jointly organised by Kushner Companies, which Jared Kushner was associated with until he joined the US administration this year, and mainland migration agency -- Qiaowai, the report said.

Similar events will be held at the InterContinental in Shenzhen on May 13 and the Four Seasons in Guangzhou on May 14, it said.

During her seven-minute speech in Shanghai, Nicole did not mention Jared Kushner or Trump but instead talked about her familys history since her grandparents went to the US as refugees in the 1940s, the report said.

The US has become a major point for Chinese rich to acquire real estate for migration.

Image: White House senior adviser Jared Kushner along with wife and daughter of Donald Trump, Ivanka Trump. Photograph: Carlos Barria/Reuters
Mulayam Singh Yadav on Sunday indicated that he was strongly opposed to a split in the Samajwadi Party, while berating son Akhilesh Yadavs move to ally with Congress, which he claimed had left no stone unturned to ruin him.

Efforts should be made to strengthen the Samajwadi Party, he said, when asked about Shivpals comments about forming a new front if party chief Akhilesh Yadav does not hand over the reins to Mulayam in three months.

A feud between uncle Shivpal and nephew Akhilesh has been plaguing the Samajwadi party for the past several months and even affected its performance in the UP assembly polls.

Mulayam on Sunday however blamed the defeat on son Akhileshs decision to ally with a Congress, which he said had tried its best to ruin him.

Alliance with the Congress is responsible for the present poor state of the party. I had advised Akhilesh not to go ahead with it, but he did. The SP is itself responsible for its defeat and not the people of the state, he said.

Congress left no stone unturned to ruin my life. It (Congress) lodged cases against me and Akhilesh forged alliance with it, Mulayam told reporters.

He made the remarks during a visit to Junesa village in Karhalhere in party bastion Mainpuri, where he was to unveil a statue of martyr Dharmendra Yadav.

On Shivpals comment terming SP MP Ramgopal Yadav as Shakuni, Mulayam said, Whatever he (Shivpal) said is true. Attempts were made to ensure his defeat and money was also spent for it.

What he (Ramgopal) has done, only Shakuni-Mama did, so, its my request to him to first read the Gita, Shivpal had said, likening him to Shakuni, the Mahabharat character who masterminded the feud between Kauravs and the Pandavas.

However, senior SP leader Shivpal Yadav on Sunday lauded the SP patriarch, as he took to a movie dialogue to eulogise Mulayam, his elder brother.

Jahan netaji (Mulayam) khade ho jaate hain, wahi se Samajwadi Party ki shuruwat hoti hai (Samajwadi Party starts from where netaji stands), Shivpal said on Sunday, two days after announcing that he would constitute a Samajwadi secular front.

The SP MLAs efforts to form a morcha is being widely seen as another attempt by the Shivpal-led faction of Mulayams family to gain clout in the party headed by Akhilesh Yadav.

Mulayam was SP president till the post was snatched away from him by his son Akhilesh prior to the assembly polls.

Ever since the SP lost the assembly elections, Shivpal has been demanding that Akhilesh hand over the partys reins to Mulayam.

Unhone secularism ke liye zindgi aur kai sarkarein daawn par laga di, isliye hum netaji ke saath khade hain aur khade rahenge (Mulayam put his life and position as head of government at stake for secularism, and that is why I stand with him and will always do so), Shivpal tweeted.

Mulayam has in the past also attacked Akhilesh, saying the voters had realised that one who is not loyal to his father, cannot be loyal to anyone.

I was insulted, something which I had never faced in my life. Nevertheless, I had tolerated it. No leader of any party in India had made his son a chief minister during his lifetime, but I made Akhilesh the chief minister of Uttar Pradesh, he had said.

SP national president Akhilesh did not lag behind in hitting back at his feuding uncle Shivpal, saying that as a politician he has a knack for identifying asteen ke saanp (deceitful people).

His comments, made recently, were against the backdrop of Shivpals announcement to soon launch a secular front, which political observers see as a trial balloon to corner Akhilesh within the party.

The SP had witnessed a bitter feud between uncle Shivpal and nephew Akhilesh in the run up to the UP assembly polls.

Many in the party blamed the power struggle between the two for the SPs dismal performance.

The party had contested the polls under Akhileshs leadership but suffered a humiliating defeat at the hands of the Bharatiya Janata Party.

The SP tally in the assembly elections has come down to 47 from 227 in the 403-member House.

Following a bitter feud between the father and the son, Akhilesh had snatched reins of the party from Mulayam and their fight also reached the Election Commission.

Shivpal had earlier replaced Akhilesh as the SPs Uttar Pradesh unit chief following which, the then chief minister Akhilesh had removed Shivpal from his cabinet.

After finding himself sidelined within the party, Shivpal has been mulling launching a campaign to bring the samajwadis (socialists) on a single platform.

After filing his nomination for the state polls in January, Shivpal had said he would float a new party after the election results were declared.

But, subsequently he had said there was no such plan.

Shivpal strongly believes that the Yadav family can unite if Akhilesh resigns from the SP national presidents post accepting moral responsibility for the partys poll debacle.

But, Ram Gopal, a confidant of the former chief minister, had said a few days back that Shivpal should read the SPs constitution before seeking Akhileshs resignation.

He had also said that Akhilesh would not resign under any circumstances and there was no question of handing over the reins of the SP to Mulayam.
Bharatiya Janata Party national president Amit Shah on Sunday accused the ruling Communist Party of India-Marxist in Tripura of corruption and malpractices, saying the state did not witness development despite sufficient funds released by the Centre.

While Tripura received Rs 10,000 crore during the United Progressive Alliance-II regime, the Narendra Modi government has released over Rs 25,000 crore during the past three years, he said at a rally in Kumarghat in Unakoti district.

Shah is on a two-day visit to Marxist-ruled Tripura to strengthen the party base in the north eastern state.

Tripura remained deprived during Congress-led UPA regime as the Communists had an understanding with the Congress, the BJP leader said.

Attacking the ruling party leaders for their alleged involvement in the Rose Valley chit fund scam, Shah said, If a CBI probe is ordered into it, money will be found from the homes of these leaders. Chief Minister Manik Sarkar must order a CBI probe on moral grounds.

Shah also promised that the BJP would implement recommendations of the seventh central pay commission for state government employees if voted to power.

The first cabinet meeting will pass the decision for the welfare of the employees and pensioners, he said.

Talking about the availability of electricity and ambulance at peoples door step in the BJP ruled states -- Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra -- he asked if every hamlet in the state has electricity.

Do you have ambulance facility at your doorstep? This facility will be available if BJP comes to power, Shah said.

Pledging that BJP would ensure Tripuras development if it wins the 2018 state assembly elections, he urged the people to vote for the party.

I have been touring the entire nation and witnessing development but Tripura despite being blessed with natural beauty is still lagging. Corruption and nepotism are seen everywhere, he alleged.

Earlier, Shah visited Udaipur in Gomati district and offered prayers at Tripureswari temple.

BJP president Biplab Deb, state prabhari (observer) Sunil Deodhar and Union Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare Faggan Singh Kulaste also addressed the rally.

Photographs: PTI Photos
By Press Trust of India: New Delhi, May 5 (PTI) The sector regulator Trai today said it will soon roll-out an app that enables subscribers to rate the service quality of a phone call.

The mycall app would be available by the end of this month, Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai) chairman RS Sharma said at Digital Broadcasting in India ? Way Forward, a seminar to commemorate the completion of 20 years of the regulators formation.

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"We would like the consumers to assess the quality of calls, through mycall app, which will be rolled out by this month end," he said.

Put simply, once downloaded, the new app would give the subscribers the choice of assessing the quality of all or a portion of calls. When the call is completed, the users will be able to rate it, and the data will thereafter be analysed by the regulator.

"The application will pop up a window and enquire about the quality of the call. The subscriber can give it one star to five stars. There will also be assessment parameters like whether the call was indoors or outside or while travelling," he said.

The government and the regulator have refused to lower their guard on the issue of call drops, and have kept a close watch on call quality through initiatives like drive tests and automated call system.

Last year, when instances of call drops spiked, the government and the regulator made a co-ordinated effort tackle the issue through deliberations with the industry.

The DoT has set up an IVRS or automated call system, which makes random calls to subscribers to check status of call drops. The system is helping the government in identifying blind spots in areas that do not receive mobile signals or get weak ones.

Trai through its analytics portal has also rolled out initiatives that measure data speeds and maps call drops in India, which is the worlds second largest telecom market with 1.12 billion mobile subscribers.

Sharma today said that Trai also plans to "strengthen" the Do Not Disturb or DND service aimed at blocking pesky calls by telemarketers.

"We have already done a lot of work in this," Sharma said, but refused to elaborate on the upcoming plans.

At present, there is a framework for DND registry that allows telecom subscribers to block unwanted communication from telemarketers. Reaching out to such subscribers can result in a heavy fine for telemarketers.

A source familiar with the initiative said that the regulator may look at building specific intelligence features into the system such that pesky messages with certain key words could automatically generate a prompt on whether the users wishes to report the message as a spam.

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Speaking on the occasion, Communications Minister Manoj Sinha said TRAIs regulatory framework has provided a conducive environment for the sectors growth.

It has made the sector more competitive and enhanced accessibility of services at affordable tariffs, he added.

"Awareness of the some of the main challenges faced by the sector and regulatory framework of today - ranging from convergence to the persisting issue of the digital divide - is therefore necessary to be better equipped to handle these challenges in future," Sinha said. PTI MBI BAL

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Trilok's father BR Saini told the Delhi State Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission that the hospital lacked basic equipment and this caused delay in treatment.

By Sneha Agrawal: On November 19, 2001, Delhi resident Trilok Saini was hospitalised with symptoms of vomiting, chronic headache and involuntary urination. Doctors said he needed a brain surgery.

Following the operation, the 37-year-old went into a coma. He then suffered a heart attack, and died. Fourteen years later, a consumer court last month ordered Lions Hospital in south Delhi's New Friends Colony to pay his family Rs 24 lakh as compensation for botching the surgery.

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Trilok's father BR Saini, who fought the lengthy legal battle, told the Delhi State Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission that the hospital, despite being a neurosurgical centre, lacked basic equipment and this caused delay in treatment.

He said when his son's condition started deteriorating, there was an urgent need for a CT scan to avoid further decline, but the test could only happen the next day.

NEGLIGENCE

Negligence is a major problem not only in India's overburdened public health system but also in the burgeoning private sector, according to health activists. Trilok Saini left behind two children and a wife.

The court ordered that the compensation amount of Rs 24.56 lakh, along with interest at the rate of 8% a year from the date of filing of the complaint (24.11.2003), be divided equally among the family members within 60 days.

BR Saini said the first instance of negligence came before him when he went to the hospital to deliver blood and was informed that the institute did not have a facility of storing it.

He alleged that the doctor also reached late and the surgery was delayed by 45 minutes. "The doctor mentioned that there was excessive bleedingduring the surgery but did not mention whether the operation was successful or not," he told the court.

COMPLICATIONS POST SURGERY

After the surgery, Trilok became drowsy, his condition deteriorated and he went into coma. He then developed complications of respiratory depression and succumbed to cardiac arrest.

Outlining the deficiencies and unavailability of equipment, Saini told the court that CT scan facility was not available at the hospital though it is mandatory for a neurosurgical centre for diagnosis as well as follow-up.

The patient was taken to Aashlok Hospital at Safdarjung Enclave, far away from Lion Hospital, for a CT scan, while he was unconscious and on ventilator. The bumpy ride worsened his son's condition, Saini said.

HOSPITAL'S ARGUMENT

The counsel for the hospital argued that the opinion given by medical experts on the incident pertained to a period much after the surgery.

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Kaushik observed: "Nothing compelled the hospital to conduct surgery when it did not have the essential equipment. It is admitted in the present case that the hospital did not possess the facility of CT scan. Clearly the hospital should not have conducted the surgery on the head of Trilok Singh and is thus liable for negligence and deficiency in service."

Saini demanded a compensation of Rs 24.56 lakh, stating that he expected his son to live at least till 60 years. The court agreed to the amount, saying that it was not on the higher side.

Also Read:

Delhi: 475 schoolgirls from Tughalakabad hospitalised after inhaling poisonous fumes following chemical leak

Karnataka: Denied ambulance, man forced to take son's body in a scooter

Also Watch:

Delhi: Gas leak from container leaves several school children unconscious

--- ENDS ---
From 2-7 to sectional champs, Monrovia has one question: 'Why not us?'
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A 16-year-old student in a Tibetan region of Gansu staged a self-immolation protest on May 2 against Chinese rule, RFA's Tibetan service has learned.

A source inside Tibet said Chagdor Kyab from Bora Township, in Gannan Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, Amdo, set himself on fire near Bora monastery, a branch of Labrang Tashikyil monastery.

The source, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Chagdor Kyab, a student from a farming family, shouted Tibet wants freedom and "Let His Holiness the Dalai Lama come back to Tibet while he burned.

While his body was on fire the teenager tried to run towards the Chinese government offices of Bora Township but he fell down before reaching the offices. Chinese police and military swiftly arrived at the scene and extinguished the flames and took away the body, the source told RFA.

It was not clear on Saturday whether Chagdor Kyab was alive or dead. The source in Tibet identified his mother as Dolma Tso and his father as Zoepa, farmers from Dardo in Bora Township.

Following the self-immolation, the local Chinese authorities imposed tight restrictions in the area which made it difficult to obtain further information.

Since 2009 four Tibetans from Bora have self-immolated, and the May 2 protest brought to 149 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.

Reported by Lhuboom and edited and translated by Kalden Lodoe. Written in English by Paul Eckert.
By Press Trust of India: From Aditi Khanna

London, May 7 (PTI) Britain will deploy attack dogs which may respond only to particular acts or commands at the gates of its Parliament as part of the latest anti-terror security drive in the country.

The dogs will be stationed with police handlers at the weakest point, the gates through which Khalid Masood tried to gain entry into the Palace of Westminster during the March 22 attack in which four people, including an unarmed policeman guarding Parliament, were killed.

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Sir Paul Beresford, former chairman of the House of Commons administration committee, said the dogs were being "seriously considered" in a review of perimeter security.

Other steps, including stronger vehicle barriers, are likely to form part of the review, which was due to report last week but has now been delayed by the general election next month, The Sunday Times reports.

"The gates have to be open when MPs are coming into vote, but we recognise it is a chink in the armour," Beresford was quoted as saying by the paper.

"If some idiot who is not a terrorist runs in, and there are a few of those out there, the dog will drop them and they wont be shot," he said.

A second inquiry is examining security inside the building in central London.

Dogs, typically Alsatians, are already used on gate duties at British military bases during times of threat, although they are a rare sight outside the worlds democratic parliaments.

The dogs can be trained to respond only to particular acts or commands.

A spokesperson for the Commons authorities declined to comment on the two reviews contents before publication, but said that members views were being considered in detail. PTI AK MRJ

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The time during the evening assembly had arrived for Henrico County Public Schools officials to approach the stage inside St. Pauls Baptist Church.

Are they here? Is the School Board here? Do they care? pressed Ralph Hodge, the pastor of Second Baptist Church of South Richmond and co-president of Richmonders Involved to Strengthen Our Communities.

RISC, an interfaith group consisting of 17 congregations in the Richmond region has, for two years, pushed Henrico County Public Schools to pilot a teaching strategy called direct instruction at an elementary school struggling with Standards of Learning reading scores. That call was renewed last Monday during the groups annual Great Nehemiah Action Assembly. Henrico schools officials were invited to attend and commit to the groups request, but, to the disappointment of the several hundred people gathered in the sanctuary, none of them attended.

Honestly, were just a community group thats trying to see all of our kids succeed regardless of their race or background, said Brenita Younger, who co-chairs the groups education committee.

The group vowed persistence and intends to flood the School Boards next meeting, as it did last year.

Individual requests for comment last week from all School Board members were not returned. Instead, spokesman Andy Jenks responded to emailed questions on behalf of the school division and board members.

Jenks noted that school district officials attended RISCs annual gathering in each of the last two years, and that three School Board members accompanied RISC on visits to a Baltimore school that incorporates direct instruction, a method of teaching that introduces skills through scripted lectures and groups students by their level of learning.

The school division, he said, doesnt intend to implement the program in the way RISC has suggested.

We believe our current efforts already include elements of that program as well as many other research-based practices. Were not convinced that spending money on another program is the answer, he said. Having more trained support in classrooms is key.

Nineteen Henrico schools, largely in the eastern part of the county, lack full state accreditation from the Virginia Department of Education. Seven of those are entirely unaccredited.

Last year, 78 percent of students in Henrico were at least proficient in reading, according to the most recent Virginia Department of Education data. But that figure was 62 percent for students considered economically disadvantaged.

RISC holds house meetings each year where they gather input from residents about pressing community concerns. Elementary school literacy in Henrico arose as one cause from these meetings.

The group researches practices to address issues it has identified and formulates plans that it ultimately pushes decision makers to adopt.

Last year, the group spearheaded a successful effort to create a pipeline into health care jobs at HCA Virginia and VCU Health.

This year, RISC has also turned its efforts to childhood mental health in Chesterfield County. On Monday, Donna Dalton, Chesterfields schools chief academic officer, pointed to initiatives the division has undertaken to assist students who experience trauma and agreed to meet with RISC for an update in September.

RISC is pushing Henrico to pilot direct instruction for K-2 students at Glen Lea Elementary. In the 2015-16 academic year, 53 percent of students were at least proficient in reading, according to education department data.

Laura Bornfreund, director of early and elementary education policy at nonpartisan Washington think tank New America, said the instruction is most effective in high schools where students are older and have longer attention spans.

The worst thing that could happen would be that a teacher would just be talking at children, particularly young children, for 30, 40 minutes, she said.

Jenks noted that the School Board has spotlighted literacy efforts during presentations in monthly meetings including a teaching model thats being piloted in three eastern Henrico elementary schools where teachers, Title 1 instructors and specialists, among others, work on reading with small student groups.

No extra money, no extra staff at this stage. It takes some innovative scheduling to make everyone available at the proper times, but its been worth the effort. We hope to expand it, he said.
The Virginia Beach-based Navy SEAL who was killed in combat in Somalia on Friday was also a College of William & Mary student.

According to W&M President Taylor Reveley, Senior Chief Special Warfare Operator Kyle Milliken was in his second semester in the online MBA program at the colleges Raymond A. Mason School of Business.

Milliken, 38, of Falmouth, Maine, was the first American to die in combat in Somalia since 1993.

He served his country with great distinction. We extend our deep sympathies to Kyles family and all those who had the pleasure of knowing him, Reveley said in a statement.

Milliken was killed during an operation against the al-Shabab extremist group in a remote area about 40 miles west of Mogadishu, the African countrys capital, according to the U.S. Department of Defense.

Senior Chief Kyle Milliken embodied the warrior spirit and toughness infused in our very best Navy SEALs, said Rear Adm. Timothy Szymanski, commander of the Naval Special Warfare Command. We grieve his death, but we celebrate his life and many accomplishments. He is irreplaceable as a husband, father, son, friend and teammate  and our thoughts and prayers go out to his family and teammates.

A Pentagon spokesman said Friday that U.S. special operations troops had come under fire after U.S. aircraft delivered Somali forces to the target area.

The U.S. had said last month that it was sending dozens of regular troops to Somalia in the largest such deployment there in about two decades.

In recent years, the U.S. has sent a small number of special operations forces and counterterrorism advisers to Somalia and conducted airstrikes.
Rob Krupicka served nine years on the city council in Alexandria and three years in the House of Delegates before he was diagnosed with bipolar II disorder in 2016.

I handled not being treated modestly well, Krupicka said. Im handling being treated really well. Its a dramatic difference in my life. Im more productive. Im a better father. Lots of things are better about my general day-to-day life.

The small-business owner, a Democrat who did not seek re-election to the House in 2016, doggedly manages his mental illness with medicine, semiannual checkups with a psychiatrist and appointments with a therapist  all with the help of his health insurance coverage.

But Krupickas future health coverage  and that of millions of other Americans with pre-existing conditions  hangs in the balance as the Senate prepares to consider a bill the House of Representatives passed last week. It would scrap elements of the Affordable Care Act championed by then-President Barack Obama and replace them with the Republican-drafted American Health Care Act.

Fear, or hype?

Its designed to take health care from a lot of people in order to reduce premiums for some Americans and give tax breaks to some other Americans, Krupicka said, echoing the outpouring of criticism from Democrats and advocates who say the legislation could hurt those already struggling with health issues. It puts a large number of Americans on the health care chopping block.

Republicans defended the vote as an initial step toward keeping their oft-repeated campaign promise to replace Obamacare and reduce governments role in health insurance markets. Rep. Dave Brat, R-7th, one of six Virginia Republicans who voted for the House bill, said the anxiety about coverage for those with pre-existing conditions is a product of political hype.

It explicitly says in there states may not opt out of the pre-existing condition regulations, Brat said in an interview Friday. Truth is a casualty of D.C. politics.

The four Democrats in Virginias U.S. House delegation and one Republican  Rep. Barbara J. Comstock, R-10th  voted against the bill.

Though the bill is expected to face significant revisions in the coming weeks as it heads to the Senate, the version that passed the House would limit Medicaid spending and allow states to seek federal waivers to shape insurance coverage requirements within their borders.

The apparent loosening of requirements forcing insurers to cover people with pre-existing illnesses has stoked fears that some states will let insurers charge those patients more if their coverage has lapsed. States would have to set up high-risk pools to help those people afford coverage, though those arrangements have not proved reliable in the past. In some cases, high-risk pools have become too expensive to run because patients who are already sick typically require more expensive care, and in others, it took years for patients to get into the pools in the first place.

Sounding the alarm in drastic terms, Gov. Terry McAuliffe, a Democrat, said in a CNN interview Thursday morning that people will die if the bill passes the Senate and President Donald Trump signs it into law.

Brat said the Democratic focus on coverage obscures the problems of rising costs and insurers abandoning Obamacare markets, including Aetnas announcement Wednesday that it will stop selling such plans in Virginia next year over projected losses.

I can see why the governor would rather jump up and down and do drama rather than have to face those facts, Brat said. Because they slap you upside the face.

Trump himself has pointed to Aetnas Virginia decision while making the case for the bill. Death spiral! he said in a Thursday morning tweet that linked to news coverage of Aetnas move.

Physicians, advocates

Concerns about the bill were broad and blunt, coming from physicians, advocates for people with mental illness and disabilities, Virginias influential hospital association, and Democratic candidates running to succeed McAuliffe in Virginias gubernatorial race.

In terms of morality and humanity, I think its a thoughtless, inhumane act, said Dr. Martin Buxton, chief of psychiatry at CJW Medical Center and medical director at Tucker Pavilion. The people who need the most help and the most access will not get it, and its going to drive up costs because those who pay for insurance and pay for care are going to have to pay more to cover those who dont.

In its current form, the bill likely would harm people in poverty and those with mental illness the most, Buxton said.

In a prepared statement, a spokesman for the Virginia Hospital & Healthcare Association said the group is extremely concerned about the potential negative impact the just-passed (AHCA) will have on Virginias hospitals, our patients, and the communities we serve.

Many health policy experts and analysts believe hospital costs would soar with the passage of the AHCA, largely because it does not roll back the cuts the Affordable Care Act made to Medicare reimbursement rates, but it is expected to increase the number of uninsured people in the country.

Hospitals are required to care for anyone who comes into their emergency departments, regardless of whether they can pay for it.

Uncertainty about cuts

When the Congressional Budget Office weighed in on the first iteration of the AHCA in March, it estimated that the bill, if passed, would increase the number of uninsured people in the U.S. by 14 million in 2018, rising to 21 million in 2020 and 24 million in 2026.

People with disabilities also stand to lose access to necessary services because of the bill, advocates said last week. The Arc of Virginia said that nationwide the bill would result in more than $880 billion of Medicaid funding cuts over the next decade.

Many of the individuals receiving Medicaid-funded community services require assistance with bathing, feeding, toileting and dressing, Kim Goodloe, president of the Arc of Virginia, wrote in a letter to Virginias congressional delegation. If these Virginians were unable to access services that are currently provided through the Medicaid program, they would likely face homelessness or costly and unnecessary institutionalization. Thanks to Medicaid, they can remain with their families and in the community instead.

The Virginia Department of Health could stand to lose millions in federal grants, as the AHCA includes severe cuts to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Some of those grants have existed for more than a decade, but were wrapped up in the CDCs Prevention and Public Health Fund following the passage of the Affordable Care Act.

The grants pay for a slew of public health programs, from immunizations to heart disease and stroke prevention.

But whether the states public health infrastructure would sustain such cuts is up in the air, as the AHCA is still expected to undergo changes and the Congressional Budget Office has yet to weigh in on its cost.

We dont know all the details yet since the process is still unfolding, said Dr. Marissa J. Levine, Virginias health commissioner.

U.S. Sens. Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine, both Democrats, have said they will not support a bill that would cause some to lose health coverage.

Candidates for governor

With the governors race in full swing and the growing possibility that the states next chief executive could face important decisions on coverage policies, Democratic candidates seized the opportunity to blast their GOP rivals.

Former congressman Tom Perriello went viral Thursday with a health care-themed ad showing an ambulance being flattened by a junkyard crusher, a visual Perriello said represents what Republican leaders want to do to affordable health care. The ad, shot in one take with an engineless ambulance, had more than 340,000 views on YouTube as of Saturday afternoon, more than 15 times the views of Perriellos first TV ad spotlighting his alliance with Obama.

Perriello and his opponent in the June 13 Democratic primary, Lt. Gov. Ralph S. Northam, scheduled campaign events Friday focused on health care. Both men denounced the GOP bills passage during a debate Thursday night in Roanoke.

This is the most spineless, unprincipled cruelty that I have ever seen come from a legislative body, Northam said in a statement after the House vote.

Ed Gillespie, the Republican front-runner in the Virginia governors race, voiced measured support for the bill, but said he would review it to assess its potential impact on Virginia and watch as the Senate makes changes.

The House today took an important first step toward repealing the disastrous Obamacare bill, which Ralph Northam and Tom Perriello want to keep, that has driven up premiums, caused us to lose our choice in doctors, and driven insurers like Aetna out of the Virginia market, Gillespie, a former Republican National Committee chairman and political consultant, said in a statement.

State Sen. Frank W. Wagner, a Virginia Beach Republican also seeking the GOP nomination for governor June 13, struck a similar note, saying the existing law was falling apart under its own weight and something had to be done.

Some of the things Ive heard about sound great, Wagner said. Some of them Ive got a few questions about.

Corey Stewart, the Prince William Board of County Supervisors chairman and the third Republican gubernatorial candidate, said in a written statement: As long as the federal government has its hands all over our health care system it will never work, which is why Ive always supported the full repeal of Obamacare and returning control of health care to the local level by block granting Medicaid to the states.

Virginia is among the 19 states that chose not to expand Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act. For years, McAuliffe has pleaded the case with Republican General Assembly leaders, saying expansion would allow the state to cover more low-income people with more federal dollars. Arguing expansion could be fiscally ruinous, Republican leaders havent budged, but theyve raised concerns that the Republican bills per-capita cap on Medicaid funding could hurt states that chose not to expand the program.

Ultimately, I would like to see Congress pass a bill that gives flexibility to the states to lower premiums provide better quality coverage, House of Delegates Speaker William J. Howell, R-Stafford, said in a statement. Most importantly, we need to make sure this legislation does not punish Virginia for being a fiscally responsible state and for not expanding Medicaid.

Krupicka, the former Alexandria delegate, said he has had a hard enough time trying to find mental health professionals who can treat his bipolar disorder and meet his insurance companys requirements.

I think a lot of this comes down to the basic question for our country, Krupicka said. Whether we think all Americans deserve access to health care and insurance or we think only people we choose should have access to health care and insurance. Those are very different views of this country.
By Manjeet Sehgal: After the neighbouring Uttar Pradesh, now Haryana is also gearing up for a crackdown on the illegal slaughter houses and meat shops being run in various cities, towns and villages.

The Urban Local Bodies Department has banned illegal sale of flesh and killing of animals outside the meat shops after Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar approved the move to shut down illegal slaughterhouses and meat shops.

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"We were getting complaints about the meat shops killing animals and indulging in illegal activities. A meeting was held under the chairmanship of the chief minister in which it was decided that the act (Mans Bikri Adhiniyam) banning illegal sale and killing of animals will be enforced in letter and spirit. Orders have been issued to shut down illegal shops before May 15. The action will not only be taken against illegal meat shops and butcheries but also against the meat shops killing animals in their own shops," Urban Local Bodies Minister Kavita Jain said.

The Haryana government has also made it compulsory for the meat sellers to provide information about the source of meat and slaughter house from where the meat was procured.

CRACKDOWN AGAINST ILLEGAL MEAT SHOPS

Interestingly, the state government has not only planned a crackdown against illegal meat shops and butcheries in cities but also villages. The orders will be enforced through municipal bodies and panchayats. The state government will now allow killing of animals at shops but will permit the sellers to keep flesh in freezers. The shops will not be allowed near religious places and educational institutions.

Government sources said there is no legal slaughterhouse in Haryana but illegal slaughter points have mushroomed over the years where animals and birds are being killed everyday, without following any norms. Sources said more than 1350 illegal meat shops have been identified in the state which are being run from residential areas besides markets and bus stands.

There are over 2000 meat shops in Haryana and most of them are being run without obtaining any NOC. Gurgaon has the highest number of illegal slaughter points i.e. 530 followed by Faridabad (146) and Karnal (134). Faridabad has 416 meat shops followed by Gurgaon which has 262 meat shops.

Also read: Yogi Adityanath's popularity soars over crackdown on illegal slaughterhouses, anti-Romeo squads, claims survey

Also read: Haryana beef biryani row: Lab report unearthed, all seven samples tested beef-positive

--- ENDS ---
A Place for All Conservatives to Speak Their Mind.
CONSTRUCTION

The Branch Group Inc. announced that Melanie Wheeler will assume the role of senior vice president and board member and will focus on corporate and contract administration, risk management and IT systems and development, and Bob Willis has been hired as chief financial officer.

EDUCATION

Pat Huber has been selected as president of New River Community College.

Marya Barlow has been named director of communications for the College of Architecture and Urban Studies at Virginia Tech.

Jennifer Case has been appointed head of Virginia Techs Department of Engineering Education in the College of Engineering.

Ben Grove was named assistant director for strategic partnerships and engagement for Virginia Tech College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Global Programs and Virginia Cooperative Extension.

Liza Morris has been named associate director of architectural planning within the Facilities Departments Office of University Planning at Virginia Tech.

Mary Leigh Wolfe, head of the Department of Biological Systems Engineering at Virginia Tech, is 2017-18 president-elect of ABET, which accredits college and university programs in the disciplines of applied and natural sciences, computing, engineering and engineering technology.

The Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine announced two new faculty members in the Department of Biomedical Science: Renee LeClair, chair of the department and associate professor, and Andrew Binks, associate professor and director of faculty development.

The Virginia Western Community College Educational Foundation announced its 2017 board of directors. Officers: Charles Steger, chairman; Neil Wilkin Jr., vice chairman; William Farrell II, treasurer; Tammy Moss Finley, secretary; and Kenneth Randolph, immediate past chairman. New at-large members: Russ Ellett, William Lemon, Mark Dempsey and Deborah Petrine.

FINANCIAL

John Keller has joined American Financial Planning Inc. as a financial planning associate.

Blue Haven Strategic Financial Group and Nash Insurance Services and Advisement have joined teams with the following as partners: Marc Hirshorn, senior financial planner; Chris Mason, financial planner; and Clay Nash, associate advisor.

LAW

Roy Creasy has been named to the 2017 Virginia Super Lawyers list in the area of bankruptcy and creditors rights.

Whiteford, Taylor & Preston announced that Michael Hastings has been named to the 2017 Virginia Super Lawyers list and Brandy Rapp has been named to the Rising Stars list.

MEDICAL

Dr. Michael Nussbaum has joined Carilion Clinic and the Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine as chair of surgery and Dr. Robert Trestman has joined Carilion Clinic and Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine as chair of psychiatry.

Carilion Clinic has announced the following promotions: Keith Perry, senior vice president, chief information officer, and Rhonda Shannon, vice president of finance.

The following Carilion Clinic employees were recently honored: Nancy Howell Agee, president and CEO, has been named to Modern Healthcare magazines Top 25 Women in Healthcare. Dr. Tracey Criss was named to the inaugural class of the Carol Emmott Fellowship for Women Leaders in Health. Dr. Hetzal Hartley, medical director for occupational medicine, was appointed to the medical advisory board for the Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles. Dr. Joseph Moskal, chair of the department of orthopaedics, was recognized with an Achievement Award by the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons.

ORGANIZATIONS

Brain Injury Services of Southwest Virginia announced two new members to the board of trustees: Brooke Miles and Hilary Mariano.

REAL ESTATE

Amber Rakes, leasing consultant for CMG Leasing Inc. in Blacksburg, received her NALP designation from the National Apartment Association.

Missy Rowan and Erica McKee have joined Lichtenstein Rowan, Realtors, as sales associates.
A new eatery specializing in breakfast dishes is coming to Roanoke County.

Famous Toastery recently signed a long-term lease to go into a 3,800-square-foot space at Keagy Village Shopping Center off Virginia 419, according to Jessica Gauldin, a broker for Thalhimer real estate, which handles leasing for the building. It's going in the empty spot where Scottrade used to be.

Famous Toastery is a franchise based out of North Carolina. Franchisees Dave and Becky Arnold live in the Roanoke area. Dave Arnold is a former nuclear pharmacist who said he had been looking into franchising a restaurant. Famous Toastery is relatively new to franchising and has about 20 locations, mostly in North Carolina.

It features a variety of breakfast options, such as omelets, flapjacks and breakfast sandwiches. It also serves traditional sandwiches, wraps, burgers and salads. Dave Arnold said it will offer a brunch menu on Saturdays and Sundays. The restaurant will be open daily from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. and will have a full bar to cater to the weekend brunch crowd.

Arnold said the restaurant is a little more upscale than the average breakfast spot and should have a cozy atmosphere for people to sit and have a meal. It will also have outdoor seating. Famous Toastery is expected to open this fall.

The restaurant will join All Day Pizza Cafe, which opened last spring, Firehouse Subs and Dunkin' Donuts at Keagy Village. The shopping center had some troubles in the past with keeping retailers after opening just before the Great Recession, even going into foreclosure in 2012. However, a new owner has since purchased the property. The former Allstate building across the street was purchased earlier this month, which could contribute to more activity at Keagy. Gauldin said she has seen interest in some of the other spaces at the property, but nothing concrete to announce yet.
AAP leader Kumar Vishwas has come out in defence of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal after sacked minister Kapil Mishra accused him of taking Rs 2 crore in cash from Health Minister Satyendar Jain.

By Press Trust of India: Senior AAP leader Kumar Vishwas today came out in support of Arvind Kejriwal, saying he has known him for 12 years and even his enemies cannot imagine him taking a bribe.

His remarks came hours after Kapil Mishra, who was yesterday sacked as Delhi water minister, alleged that he saw Delhi Health Minister Satyendar Jain giving Kejriwal Rs 2 crore.

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"We can disagree, fight or be disappointed with each other ... I know Arvind for 12 years and I can say that I cannot imagine him taking a bribe or being corrupt ... even his enemies cannot imagine this," he told reporters.

TWIST IN VISHWAS' DEFENCE

"Kejriwal has said this 100 times that he should be removed if he is corrupt. I have called Satyendar Jain and asked him to explain his position in the PAC ... whether he is being framed or has there been a mistake, we are ready for an investigation ... be it a ED or a CBI probe," Vishwas said.

He told reporters that the AAPs Political Affairs Committee will meet either in the evening or tomorrow.

"I feel sad about the allegations. Be it about the party's internal talks, discrepancies in ticket distribution, loopholes in political agenda but it is wrong to level such allegations publicly," he said.

Mishra is considered close to Vishwas, who had recently threatened to quit the party. The former Delhi water minister had extended support to Vishwas when he had clashed with the party leadership.

Earlier in the day, Mishra said he gave a statement to Lt Governor Anil Baijal on "various irregularities he witnessed during his two-year stint as a minister in the Kejriwal government".

ALSO READ |

Kapil Mishra crisis in AAP: How water tanker scam connects Arvind Kejriwal, Sheila Dikshit and BJP

Kapil Mishra alleges, AAP refutes, Congress, BJP gun for Arvind Kejriwal's head: All that happened

Irony of being Arvind Kejriwal: From anti-graft crusader to facing corruption charges

Kapil Mishra drops corruption bomb on Arvind Kejriwal: Saw him taking Rs 2 crore cash from Satyendar Jain

ALSO WATCH |

AAP crisis: Saw Arvind Kejriwal accept Rs 2 crore in cash from Satyendra Kumar Jain, says Kapil Mishra

--- ENDS ---
If you are a poor kid in Roanoke, you would be better off almost anywhere else.

Thats not hyperbole, according to recent research.

The level of poverty in this city has not budged for years, creating generations who have never experienced life beyond its margins.

The very structure of Roanoke, despite the best efforts of many, has ensured that, say those who work closest with the poor.

We are handing poverty down in this community like an inheritance, said Afira DeVries, the president and CEO of United Way of Roanoke Valley.

Neighborhoods here are about as racially and economically segregated as it gets, census and other data show. The gap between the citys richest and poorest is large. What makes families strong  two-parent homes, access to living-wage jobs, child care and reliable transportation  are in short supply.

If more than a fifth of the citys residents and a third of its children are trapped in poverty, the community cant be at its best and the city cant reach its economic potential, DeVries and other leaders of nonprofits that serve the poor say. Even the well-off have a stake in eliminating poverty.

Less segregation, more equality, more family stability: Research and the experience of social service providers say these things make a difference.

They make a community better for all its residents but matter especially to those who are poor, nonprofit leaders say.

They correlate with upward mobility, the ability of people to move beyond the circumstances of their birth.

Without them, poverty erects barriers around many. The ability to see oneself as anything other than poor dims.

But local nonprofit leaders such as Annette Lewis, the president and CEO of Total Action for Progress, think its taken too long to make even that incremental progress.

You can see across in other communities where things tend to happen a lot quicker than they happen in Roanoke, Lewis said.

The data on Roanoke

Research affirms just how unyielding generational poverty is here and shows how unfavorably the city compares to the rest of the nation in the ability of its poor to move up in the world.

This data, primarily a massive study released in 2015 by Harvard University researchers on the economic mobility of millions of American children over a 20-year span, gives evidence of how social factors on the ground correlate to the intransigence of poverty.

Using anonymous tax returns for households that included millions of children born between 1980 and 1992, researchers tracked children through 2012 and worked to identify factors that correlated to the ability of those born in poverty to improve their economic fortunes  including how simply moving to another community made a difference.

The New York Times used the data to rank all 2,478 localities included in it, and ranked Roanoke in the bottom 10 in the nation in economic mobility among all localities.

Said another way, a child born poor in Roanoke could move to almost any other place in the United States and expect to end up better off economically.

Local data analysts, including at the Roanoke Valley-Alleghany Regional Commission, note that in the ranking, Roanoke seems to be penalized because Virginia cities are independent of counties. So data on poverty in the city isnt diluted by prosperity in the suburbs in surrounding counties as it is for other cities in the data.

Even so, factors correlating to Roanokes poverty identified by the Harvard study would still stand.

The study identified eight factors nationally that showed a strong correlation with economic mobility among poor children. A handful of those seem most at work in Roanoke.

Roanoke, for example, ranked in the 98th percentile for racial segregation in the Harvard data, meaning that only 2 percent of localities are more segregated. According to Ben Scudderi, one of the researchers on the study, that level of segregation is among the key drivers of why generational poverty is so stubborn in Roanoke.

Similarly, Roanoke ranked in the 91st percentile for economic segregation, indicating the separation of the poor from the rest of the society is a major contributor to the problem.

And Roanoke landed in the 98th percentile nationally for homes with children and single mothers  a less obvious but important facet of the poverty picture.

The price of segregation

For those experiencing it, the trauma of poverty has the effect of rewiring the brain. It creates a mindset where immediate needs overwhelm any ability to think about the future.

It messes with everything, said Monica Seiler, who was homeless as a child growing up in Philadelphia and now serves as the Salvation Army of Roanokes captain.

The longest-lasting influences are on children who experience poverty. Economic segregation cuts off children from having meaningful interactions with people who arent in poverty, normalizing the environment they see at home.

Schools mitigate that only slightly; in Roanoke, almost 40 percent of minority students attend schools where two-thirds of students or more are in poverty just like themselves, according to free lunch eligibility data.

Surroundings matter greatly to kids, DeVries said.

If they see people who have done what theyre capable of doing, they may believe that they have opportunities ahead of them, she said.

Lewis said a conversation she had with a young, single mother years ago still sticks in her mind. The womans son declared he wanted to be a doctor, but his mom told him that wasnt possible.

She said You cant be a doctor,  Lewis recalled. And I thought, why cant he be a doctor? It was something she hadnt seen, and now shes feeding him this idea  You cant achieve that, be realistic. 

Theres another effect of the segregation: It makes it easy for those who arent experiencing poverty to overlook it, underestimate it or misunderstand it.

Lewis says she doubts most in Roanoke who arent in poverty fully understand the depth of the problem here or the challenges it presents. Some problems, like homelessness, are very visible, but the day-to-day struggles of others arent as obvious.

Because its so concentrated, there are areas that people dont go in to see, she said.

People in Roanoke are well-intentioned and want to help, Seiler said, but many dont know how. Its often easier to address someones immediate needs than the root of the problem, so short-term solutions abound, sometimes at the expense of long-term solutions.

The places that could have been supportive and empowering to them have said heres a bag of groceries, God bless you, Seiler said. And thats where we as a community have failed.

Beyond sound bites

Theres more talk about the problem of poverty in Roanoke than many recall hearing previously, and thats encouraging to those who are trying to solve it.

At the outset of his first State of the City address in September, Mayor Sherman Lea acknowledge a wave of economic good news in the city and nearby, but reminded the room packed mostly with business and industry leaders to remember those yet to feel the strengthening economic breeze.

Its part of our responsibility  to do what we can to reverse that, he said. Its vital for us to provide opportunities for all of our citizens to lift themselves out of poverty.

Lea and the Roanoke City Council are right to put so much of a spotlight on poverty, DeVries said.

Were celebrating our business sector, but what were not paying attention to is the fact that a business sector cannot thrive in a socially unstable community, she said. If we invest all of our energy, effort and resources in the expansion of our economic opportunities and we dont invest in social programs, we are setting ourselves up for failure that has human implications.

There arent overnight fixes to Roanokes problems, DeVries said. Ted Edlich, the retired CEO of Total Action for Progress, puts it this way: Theres not a sound bite solution.

Edlich, who led TAP for 40 years before retiring in 2015, said real change will require frank conversations. Residents need to move past blaming one another and work together.

Everybodys got to be in this game, Edlich said. Weve all got to be working to get equality.

Contact Matt Chittum at matt.chittum@roanoke.com or 981-3331. Contact Sara Gregory at sara.gregory@roanoke.com or 981-3227.
New River Community Action has received a $5,000 grant from Bank of America to purchase food for its food pantries in Floyd and Giles counties and Radford City. The grant will be used to supplement support from local faith-based organizations, businesses, individuals and other private sources.

According to Glenda Vest, NRCA community services programs director, 10 percent of the population of Floyd County, 11.3 percent of the population of Giles County and 39 percent of the population of Radford City lived in poverty in 2015.

Many residents in poverty lack sufficient funds each month to meet their basic needs, Vest stated. When very low-income families have money to purchase food, they are often forced to buy low-cost food that is filling but not healthy.

Combined NRCA food pantries usage in Floyd and Giles counties and Radford City increased from 2,033 individuals during July 1, 2014, to June 30, 2015, to 2,319 individuals during July 1, 2015, to June 30, 2016.

Bank of America funds will help us meet increasing requests for food and keep our food pantries shelves stocked during times when donations are low, said Vest. We are very grateful for this generous gift.

NRCAs emergency assistance and food pantries programs provide temporary assistance to low-income families experiencing financial crises. Services address a variety of basic needs including food, rent, utilities, prescriptions and gasoline to travel to doctors appointments.

NRCA offers additional programs that support family well-being and promote self-reliance, including the Childrens Health Improvement Partnership (CHIP), Head Start, Homelessness and Housing Programs (homelessness prevention, rapid re-housing, housing counseling, renter education), VA CARES (helping ex-offenders transition successfully back to society), Volunteer Income Tax Assistance and the To Our House partnership with local churches offering winter shelter for homeless men.

NRCA is a private, nonprofit organization. More information and tax-deductible donation opportunities are available at www.newrivercommunityaction.org.

 Submitted by Sheila West
The last weekend in April, two of Blacksburg Transits top operators traveled to Lynchburg to compete in the State Paratransit Roadeo. Drivers from across the state competed against each other in a series of events including a written test, appearance test, assisting and securing a wheelchair user, and a timed obstacle course. In order to succeed at the event an operator must excel in all aspects of the competition.

Jon Barnes took first place in the Body-on-Chassis division and will represent the state of Virginia in the National Community Transit Roadeo in June. Scott Tmay took second place in the Body-on-Chassis division.

Were incredibly proud of these two operators, said Transit Director Tom Fox. This makes a clean sweep for Blacksburg Transit, winning both the State Paratransit and State Bus Roadeos in the same year. We look forward to seeing how they fare at the national level.

For more information please visit www.btransit.org or call 443-1592.

For more information please visit www.btransit.org or call 443-1592.

Submitted by Fiona Rhodes
May 3, 2017 Charles (Richard) Keith, 59, of Christiansburg, went to be with the Lord on Wednesday, May 3, 2017. He was preceded in death by his companion, Nancy Kinder Keith; children, Michael and Tia Keith; father, Charles Ray (Razor) Keith; brothers, Ronnie and Robert Keith. Richard is survived by his son, Richie Keith (Karen); mother, Joyce Keith; sisters and brothers, Patricia Duncan (Kent), Debra Stover (Ray), Doug Keith (Debbie), Kenneth Keith, and Mae Keith (Mike); grandchildren, Salena, Hailey, T.J., and Brianna; as well as many loving aunts, uncles, cousins, nieces and nephews. The family will receive friends on Tuesday, May 9, 2017 from noon to 2 p.m. at Horne Funeral Home. The Funeral Service will follow at 2 p.m. in the funeral home chapel with Pastor T. Michael Bond officiating. Graveside services will be private.
Heres one way to think about GO Virginia, the new state initiative that seeks to have the business community help plot ways to create higher-paying jobs across the state: This is the 21st century equivalent of the New Century Council.

If you were in the Roanoke and New River valleys in the 1990s, you know what that means. If you werent, heres a refresher  along with some insights that might make critics feel better about the process. Or not.

First, lets rewind to the early 1980s, when Roanoke went through a series of economic shocks. The railroad that had been responsible for the citys founding merged  and moved its headquarters out of town. Then came other changes that seem all-too-familiar today but seemed new back then: Mergers. Acquisitions. Downsizing. Foreign competition. By the early 1990s, it was estimated that about 8,000 jobs within an 80-mile radius of Roanoke had disappeared.

Clearly, the region needed a new economy. The response  which bubbled up out of the business community much the same way GO Virginia has  was the New Century Council.

The group spent two years studying the regional economy and in 1995 issued a final report that recommended about 150 projects. Most never happened, but some important ones did. As GO Virginia gets started, its instructive to look at why many of those projects didnt happen  but also at why others did succeed.

First, the similarities and the differences between the two initiatives. The New Century Council was a purely business-run operation, although it did receive some state and local funding. GO Virginia was proposed by business leaders across the state, but its apparatus is a creature of the state, with a state board appointed by the governor and the General Assembly, and $39 million in state funding.

The New Century Council marked the first real recognition that there was such a thing as a regional economy that unites the Roanoke and New River valleys. GO Virginia likewise recognizes that theres really no such thing as a state economy, but a collection of different regional economies. Toward that end, GO Virginia subdivides the state into nine different regions  the one for our part of the state brings in Lynchburg, further enlarging our notion of what the regional economy is.

In some ways, though, all those are just details. The big picture is the same: Both were business-led efforts to create a blueprint for a new economy in a time of economic change. The New Century Council enlisted about 1,200 people to take part in a community-wide visioning process. The GO Virginia council for Region 2  i.e, Appomattox County to Giles County  likewise decided at its last meeting to organize four different policy groups and to enlist people outside its immediate ranks to take part. GO Virginia isnt thinking of something as public as the New Century Councils effort, although perhaps it should, for reasons well get to shortly.

GO Virginias mission is a very specific one: How to create higher-paying jobs. Accordingly, its four policy groups deal with talent, technology innovations for targeted industry clusters, development of unique sites and buildings, and access to capital and business mentorship. The New Century Councils view was more wide-ranging and took in topics such as health, public safety and the environment. Directly or indirectly, the council laid the groundwork for:

n The Western Virginia Water Authority. No longer do local governments argue over water. Instead, theres a regional water and sewer system whose increased capacity helped attract both the Deschutes Brewery to Roanoke and the Ballast Point brewery to Botetourt County.

n The Roanoke-Blacksburg Technology Council, which has promoted a technology sector in the region.

n The Smart Road in Montgomery County, which has helped make Virginia Tech a center for transportation research (which feeds back to the tech sector.)

n The SmartWay bus that connects Blacksburg to Roanoke.

If nothing else, the New Century Council raised public consciousness about how the Roanoke and New River valleys are connected. In part, a lot of the councils recommendations never got acted on because there wasnt a mechanism to make them happen  and also because local governments felt excluded from the process (just as some do now with GO Virginia). Many of the ideas remain good ones  such as local governments banding together to buy supplies in bulk as a way to save money.

Interestingly, one of the recommendations was the creation of a regional council with 34 members  a mix of business and government representatives  that would meet regularly to identify problems that could be solved on a regional basis. In some ways, that sounds a lot like GO Virginia (whose Region 2 council is now up to 29 members).

Now for the cautionary part: At its second meeting on April 21, the Region 2 council barely mustered a quorum. Ray Smoot, who heads the council, several times warned there would need a quorum at future meetings. These are all busy people, so its understandable that they have actual businesses to run. On the other hand, if GO Virginia is to work, its going to take a sustained commitment. This cant just be a resume item; this has to be treated as the most significant community undertaking since, well, the New Century Council.

Drawing up an economic blueprint is going to require some work. The business leaders appointed havent joined a board of directors; whether they realize it or not, theyve signed up for a sort of miniature legislature.

Thats why GO Virginia might be wise to seek broad public participation in those four policy groups  to build support for whatever recommendations come out of them. Thats because the council cant carry out all its recommendations on its own. It has about $1 million to spend  $1 million more than the New Century Council ever had for implementation  but that wont go far. For any lasting changes, GO Virginia will have to leverage support from local governments or other private entities. Participation is a good way to get buy-in.

Finally, heres a reading assignment for GO Virginia members: Find the New Century Councils final report. They may find a lot of their work has already been done, 22 years ago.
Not forgetting Christiansburg schools

Last month Montgomery County Board of Supervisors Chairman Chris Tuck spoke to the Christiansburg Town Council, concerning the status of Christiansburg schools. He stated that with the exception of Christiansburg Middle School all the other schools in the town need major renovations or replacement.

Tuck first discussed Falling Branch Elementary. For a number of years Falling Branch has not had enough space for its student population. Currently the school has a number of mobile units. These units have safety, educational and security concerns. Tuck stated that it will cost between $9 million and $11 million to enlarge the school. The county has funds for the enlargement and theres a plan to begin construction in the near future .

He also mentioned the other schools in Christiansburg. All of the schools have problems and need to be replaced or updated. Tuck stated Christiansburg High School would cost around $110 million to replace. If the existing school is updated, the cost would be around $55 million.

The school board and board of supervisors are currently considering upgrading all the Christiansburg schools. He used the new Auburn Middle School as an example. That school was renovated. The results of AMS were outstanding. He feels the board of supervisors and school board are considering following the same procedure with other schools.

He concluded by stating whatever route the school board and the board of supervisors decide to take it is estimated, with the exception of Falling Branch, it would be 2023 before any action is taken on the schools.

It is important to know that even though the Christiansburg Town Council is not financially involved with schools, the council is aware of the situation, and is continually working to make sure that Christiansburg students are not forgotten.

STEVE HUPPERT

Christiansburg Town Council
Wells Fargo was among many topics discussed at Berkshire's annual meeting in Omaha, where Buffett, 86, and Vice Chairman Charlie Munger, 93, fielded dozens of questions from shareholders, journalists and analysts.

By Reuters: Warren Buffett, the chairman of Berkshire Hathaway Inc, on Saturday criticized Wells Fargo & Co for failing to stop employees from signing up customers for bogus accounts even after learning it was happening, causing a scandal.

Wells Fargo, whose largest shareholder is Berkshire with a 10 percent stake worth roughly $27 billion, gave employees too much autonomy to engage in "cross-selling" multiple products to meet sales goals, Buffett said.

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This "incentivized the wrong type of behavior," and former Chief Executive John Stumpf, who lost his job over the scandal, was too slow to fix the problem, Buffett said.

Wells Fargo was among many topics discussed at Berkshire's annual meeting in Omaha, where Buffett, 86, and Vice Chairman Charlie Munger, 93, fielded dozens of questions from shareholders, journalists and analysts.

"If there's a major problem, the CEO will get wind of it. At that moment, that's the key to everything. The CEO has to act," Buffett said. "The main problem was they didn't act when they learned about it."

Still, Buffett's support of current management and board was key to ensuring the re-election of the entire board last month.

Wells Fargo spokesman Mark Folk said "we agree" with Buffett's comments, and have taken "decisive actions" to fix the problems and "make things right for customers."

Buffett likened the situation to Salomon Brothers Inc, where in 1991 he was installed as chairman to clean up a mess after the former chief executive failed to tell regulators a trader was submitting fake bids at Treasury auctions.

Asked whether Berkshire's decentralized structure could lead to a similar scandal, Buffett said "as we sit here, somebody is doing something wrong at Berkshire," whose units employ 367,000 people. But he said Berkshire has an internal "hotline" to flag possible misbehavior, which gets 4,000 calls a year.

SUCCESSION, DIVIDENDS

The meeting also included discussions about Berkshire's succession plans, its controversial partnership with Brazilian firm 3G Capital, and whether it will start paying dividends or make a monster acquisition.

Buffett has said Berkshire could have a new chief executive within 24 hours if he died or could not continue, and that nothing had changed just because he praised fewer managers than usual in his February shareholder letter.

He said it may have been harder to single people out because "we have never had more good managers."

But he also said it would be a "terrible mistake" if capital allocation were not the "main talent" of his successor.

Buffett did lavish much praise on top insurance executive Ajit Jain, who some investors believe could be that successor, saying "nobody could possibly replace Ajit. You can't come close."

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On 3G, with which Berkshire controls Kraft Heinz Co and tried to merge it with Unilever NV, Buffett acknowledged a dislike for the cost-cutting for which the Brazilian firm is known.

But, he said, "it is absolutely essential to America that we become more productive, and 3G was "very good at making a business productive with fewer people."

Buffett also raised the possibility Berkshire could pay its first dividend since 1967, if "reasonably soon, even while I'm around," the company had too much cash it could not reasonably deploy.

"It could be repurchases, it could be dividends," he said.

Berkshire ended March with more than $96 billion of cash and cash-like instruments, and Munger said it could do a "$150 billion" acquisition now if it wanted.

AIRLINES, IBM

Buffett defended Berkshire's foray into airlines, where it is a top investor in American Airlines Group Inc, Delta Air Lines Inc, Southwest Airlines Co and United Continental Holdings Inc.

He had long disdained the industry, which had gone through many bankruptcies, but said he is confident it will not resort to "suicidally competitive" pricing strategies that could spell doom.

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Munger added: "You've got to remember railroads were a terrible business for decades and decades and decades, and then they got good." Berkshire bought the BNSF railroad in 2010.

Buffett also admitted he was wrong to think International Business Machines Corp "would do better" when he started amassing 81 million shares six years ago.

Berkshire recently sold about one-third of those shares even as it built a huge stake in Apple Inc, which Buffett said is more as a "consumer" company than a technology company.

He also addressed criticism that Berkshire discloses too little about businesses such as aircraft parts maker Precision Castparts Corp, which it bought last year for $32.1 billion.

"We want you to understand what you own," he said, and "there are just a million things that are of minor importance" at Berkshire, whose market value is about $411 billion.

Buffett also noted that Berkshire reported far fewer investment gains in the first quarter, which dragged on results, but said the company now has a slight preference for taking tax losses, which could lose value if Washington lawmakers reduce the 35 percent corporate tax rate.

Shareholders overwhelmingly rejected a proposal that would have required Berkshire to disclose its political contributions twice a year.

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The annual meeting, expected to draw more than last year's estimated 37,000 shareholders, is the main event of a weekend of events that Buffett calls "Woodstock for Capitalists."

Buffett and Munger took questions after the traditional shareholder movie, and after Buffett had roamed a nearby exhibit hall featuring products from Berkshire companies.

He was joined at the traditional newspaper tossing contest by friends including Microsoft Corp co-founder and Berkshire director Bill Gates and Miami Dolphins defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh.

Hundreds of shareholders lined up early outside downtown Omaha's CenturyLink Center for the meeting. Several said they got there nearly five hours before doors opened around 6:45 a.m.

"Every year it seems I have to come earlier," said Chris Tesari, a retired businessman from Pacific Palisades, California who said he arrived at 3:20 a.m. for his 21st meeting. "It's a pilgrimage."

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When San Francisco came to a standstill because of power outage

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The blast took place at the Pichkudi Dhaal TMC office in Ausgram at around 6 pm on Sunday.

By Press Trust of India: A Trinamool Congress office in West Bengal's Burdwan district was today destroyed in a huge blast suspected to have been caused by explosives stored inside the structure.

The blast took place at the Pichkudi Dhaal TMC office in Ausgram at around 6 pm, Superintendent of Police Kunal Agarwal confirmed.

"There was an explosion inside a building and we have send requisition to the CID bomb disposal squad to find out the exact cause of the blast. We are investigating the matter," he said.

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The single-storeyed building is located in a sparsely-populated area, Agarwal said, adding that there was no confirmation whether anybody was injured in the explosion.

"We have not found any body or anyone injured in the blast but we are still checking the entire place. It's hearsay that some persons suffered injuries in it. We have initiated an investigation into the matter," the SP said.

Earlier reports had claimed that three people suffered injuries in the blast.

Meanwhile, the Trinamool Congress sources alleged that some miscreants hurled bombs at the party office at Pichkudi Dhaal in Ausgram.

On October 2, 2014, a blast had occurred in a house at Khagragarh in Burdwan town which claimed two lives. The National Investigation Agency had later found that the two were Jamiat-ul-Mujahideen operatives from Bangladesh.

The investigation agency took into custody five alleged members of the banned terror outfit in October last year in connection with it.

Also read: West Bengal: 2 dead in mishap at IISCO plant after molten steel falls on labourers

Also read: US combat photographer captures her own death in mortar explosion on camera

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The United States and South Korea have decided to extend military exercises in response to a recent spate of missile launches from North Korea, offering stern warnings for North Korean leader Kim ... Read More South Korea ... U.S. territory of Guam and beyond. Some foreign experts say North Korean leader Kim Jong Un would eventually aim to use his expanded weapons arsenal to pressure the United States ... Read More Some experts say North Korea would eventually want the United States and others ... President Moon Jae-ins engagement efforts with Kim. Moon also helped set up Kims first summit with former ... Read More The North Korean launches, part of its record-breaking run of weapons tests this year, were seen as an attempt by leader Kim ... South Koreas defense in partnership with the United States ... Read More North Korea early Friday launched a short-range ballistic missile toward its eastern waters and flew warplanes near ... United States. The Japanese Defense Ministry and prime ministers office ... Read More
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I was incredibly grateful the president called this morning to let us know that he is ... recommendations compiled by Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke, who undertook a comprehensive review of more than ... Read More SALT LAKE CITY (AP)  A Utah-based Native American tribe that frequently has sparred with President Joe Biden criticized the White House again for not adequately consulting its leaders ahead of ... Read More Owens Pulls Out of Utah Debate Hours Before Scheduled Start By SAM METZ, Associated Press SALT LAKE CITY (AP)  Hours before he and his opponent were scheduled to appear on stage for their only ... Read More Country music group Old Dominion has just reserved two dates at Red Rocks Amphitheatre on its 2023 ... Just come and hangout with us, and escape for a couple hours. Then hopefully they walk ... Read More Are Utah public school teachers effectively trained ... Of greater concern for us was the lack of structures in place that could have helped mitigate this or vet the material ahead of time ... Read More After making his Red Rocks headlining debut earlier this year ... 9NEWS+ is where you can watch live breaking news, weather updates, and press conferences. You can also replay recent newscasts ... Read More Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin spoke with ... Paul Best is a breaking news reporter for Fox News Digital and Fox Business. Story tips and ideas can be sent to Paul.Best@fox.com and on Twitter ... Read More A major US recession at this point is still avoidable, and this is not a "gloom and doom scenario," according to Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo. She acknowledged that the economies of China ... Read More U.S. News & World Report  known for its healthcare rankings, including those that compare hospitals and physicians  has formulated a way to measure hospitals' health equity. And it may ... Read More One Piece Film: Red debuts in North American theaters on Nov. 4, 2022. Review by Just Lunning. One Piece Film: Red breaks the mold of the typical anime shonen film, capturing the magic of the series. Read More As weve said before, states should not take over public lands held in trust by the government for all of us. The Utah ... of a 27-monument review conducted by the Department of the Interior ... Read More
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'It would be a very pre-mature decision to introduce this vaccine in India" said Dr Soumya Swaminathan, director general of the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR).

In the 1,11,000 cases of dengue reported in India last year, 227 people lost their lives.

By Priyanka Sharma: Even though the World Health Organisation (WHO) has lit green signal for dengue vaccine - developed globally for the first time - the government of India is still not sure about how effective this would be.

A French-based pharma company Sanofi Pasture has manufactured "Dengvaixa". Several countries such as Mexico, El Salvador, Philippines and Brazil, unlike India, have shown a 'thumbs-up' to it. Health experts and the central health ministry of India have several doubts on the contrary.

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Dr Soumya Swaminathan, director general of the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) told Mail Today, "It would be a very pre-mature decision to introduce this vaccine in India. We are still not convinced about the data on the baseline sero-type immunity for dengue in India. Data says when a person,with pre-existing immunity is vaccinated, he develops anti-bodies against the disease. Our expert committee has suggested that at first we should again conduct a base-line sero-survey to generate a data. Even if we approve of this vaccine in the country, we will not be sure if the population's baseline immunity would be 50 per cent or above."

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA ON 'DENGVAIXA'

Government of India is awaiting post-marketing surveillance data from other countries now. Health experts have opined that at least 50 per cent sero-type immunity in the population is required to get the vaccine introduced and the data available with ICMR and National Vector Borne Disease Control Programme (NVBDCP) is insufficient.

Another, senior official of ICMR said Dengvaixa has a lot of discrepanices too. "Also, the effectiveness of the vaccine on type-2 dengue strain is onlyaround 35 per cent and chances of a relapse of the disease remains."

According to the ICMR official, it is best effective in case of Type-4 dengue strain and less in case of type-2 and hardly effective when it is type 1 or 3.

MORE ABOUT THE VACCINE

The vaccine will be made three times a year. In some countries it is for people aged between 9 and 45 and in some for ones belonging to the age group of 18 to 45 years.

"People not immune to the disease, particularly children aged less than five, were hospitalised more often with and severe diseases. So it is recommended for the ones aged 9 years or above," the official said. Sanofi did its phase-2 clinical trials on patients in India, belonging to the age group of 18-45 years.

The Union health ministry has recently rejected Sanofi's request to waive off phase-3 clinical trials and did not grant permission for marketing too.

Recently, WHO via its global group - Strategic Advisory Group of Experts on Immunisation (SAGE) - has also suggested all countries to be very careful before they approving of this vaccine and bringing it into their programme.

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DENGUE STATS

According to the National Vector Born Disease Control Program (NVBDCP) data, 111,880 cases of dengue in India were reported 2016, while 227 people lost their lives suffering from the disease.

The national Capital had registered over 3,000 cases of dengue in 2016. However, this figure can not be considered completely accurate because of the fact that patients all over the country have not been registered. Thus the figures remain half complete.

In addition to the South-East Asian countries, over 120 countries all over the world, including Latin America and Africa are where cases of dengue have been recorded.

Also Read:

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AIIMS organises symposium on vector borne disease, doctors searching for vaccine, emphasise on prevention

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Australia will on Monday release March figures for building approvals, highlighting a light day for Asia-Pacific economic activity.

Approvals are expected to slip 4.0 percent on month and 10.0 percent on year after rising 8.3 percent on month and falling 4.9 percent on year in February.

Australia also will see April results for the confidence and conditions survey from NAB, as well as job ads data from ANZ.

In March, the business confidence index had a score of +6 and conditions were at +14, while job advertisements gained 0.3 percent on month.

Japan will provide April results for its consumer confidence index; in March, the index score was 43.9.

For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com

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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/
After defending integrity of Kansas elections, Scott Schwab wins reelection

Kansas Republican Secretary of State Scott Schwab won the 2022 election campaigning on defending the integrity and security of elections.
Its a never-ending road.

Or is it a never-ending punishment, were not sure.

Still, over the last 30 years or so, weve been publishing the Samoa Observer starting as a weekly, and now that weve been a daily for the last 26 years or so, we are still persecuted by our government for doing the only thing we know how; and that is telling the truth and nothing but the truth, the only way we know how.

In other words, without fear or favor, so help me God!

And in doing so weve been hounded and frowned upon, and what was our crime? For trying to remain just the way we are until the end of time comes around.

Oh yes, weve been physically attacked, torched to the ground, and now that the Gestapo Police, armed with their search warrants are breathing down our necks, lets hope theyll just give up, and walk quietly away.

On 18 April 2017, two Police Officers arrived at the office of the Samoa Observer, armed with a search warrant.

Signed by the Registrar of the District Court and Police Constable, Kurisi Kurisi, the warrant said: Police are currently investigating a harassment utilizing means of electronic communication case against the Samoa Observer, Vaitele.

The warrant went on to say: We request information on the Article named Stop this madness the paper published on Wednesday 29 March 2017.

And it then demanded that the name of the articles author and contacts be handed over.

As it turned out though, the article in question was an online comment that did not include the authors name, and instead only the initials M.R. were given.

And as if that was not confusing enough, the online comment was in response to another front-page article titled Church stigmata row deepens, that had been published previously on 26 March 2017, and right away the discussion shot out of control.

It did when the claims that the woman in the article, Toa Patrick, was carrying Jesus Christs suffering and that, apparently, was when the Police stepped in.

That was when the search warrant came. And yet by that time we had not been informed that it was possible wed committed crimes  or suspected to have committed crimes - for which we would be charged accordingly.

All we knew was that one day officers armed with a search warrant turned up, and explained they were tracking down those who were making defamatory statements against Toa Patrick and her family.

They also said they were targeting the Samoa Observer as one of the culprits.

Later when we were shown the documents, we found that the search warrant was dated 18/04/17, it was lodged by the Ministry of Police for approval by a Supreme, or District Court Judge/Registrar.

We were also shown the affidavit by a constable Kurisi Kurisi, which alleged that police were investigating a harassment utilizing means of electronic communication case at the Samoa Observer, Vaitele.

The document further requested all information on an article entitled Stop this madness published in the paper on Wednesday 29/03/17, and that the information being sought included name, village, date of birth, any contact numbers and date of publication.

In addition, the search warrant permitted all constables of Samoa, within one month from the date of the warrant to:

i) enter and search the Samoa Observer building, vehicle premises with such assistance as necessary and if necessary to use such force for making entry whether by breaking open doors windows or otherwise;

ii) to break open and search any box or receptacle for items referred to in 5 above for seizure.

In addition, the search warrant and application spelled out that the law relied on is s.83 of the Criminal Procedure Act 1972.

However, according to our research, this law has been repealed, and it is now replaced by the Criminal Procedure Act 2016.

And that to me, simply means the law relied upon, is wrong, and therefore the search warrant should have never been approved in the first place.

Which follows that since the search warrant was the legal tool that would allow them to search the Samoa Observer premises was indeed a dud - and if the law is to remain the pillar of truth as it should always be  then we suggest that they be shown the way out, with no questions asked.

And as for the newspapers role as the watchdog of its government in the publics interest, the idea that the Police are allowed to periodically issue search warrants against crusading newspapers, is a demoralizing impediment that serves only to retard the thrill of striving still for press freedom and the publics right to know.

The point is that when a search warrant is issued without any legal basis, and yet in the full knowledge that no crime has been committed, such a move is an abuse of process which undermines the newspapers right to do what it does best which is helping to promote freedom of speech, and just as important if not more so, is the freedom to communicate, and the freedom to assimilate.

Now finally, lets discuss briefly the report that Toa Patricks father, Reverend Opapo Soanai Oeti, the former Reverend of the E.F.K.S, has lodged a complaint against the Samoa Observer in relation to the article titled, Stop this madness.

What weve been told is that the search warrant weve been talking about back there, had actually been triggered by another search warrant, launched by Mr. Oeti.

And as that search warrant was still in effect, itd apparently triggered a Police hunt for an online blogger known as, Ole Palemia.

So who is Ole Palemia?

Well, as we all know, the words Ole Palemia  when they are translated into English - read The Prime Minister.

And according to the Police, this little scuffle has somehow triggered a Police hunt for an online blogger known as, Ole Palemia.

And so, for those who are visiting this country so that they do not know what the words Ole Palemia mean, were happy to tell you.

They mean The Prime Minister.

And why the Police is hunting that online blogger, known as the The Prime Minister?

Well, we honestly dont know.

And so, perhaps you should ask the Police; they should know.

Indeed, they should know that as a member of the Fourth Estate, the newspapers freedom to report without fear or favor, is protected.

And yes, they should know its hard to fathom that in this day and age, a search warrant is allowed to be issued against a media outlet, without firstly ascertaining that the application had been properly made in the first place.

They should know.

Have a peaceful Sunday Samoa, God bless!
Men in particular may be more vulnerable to HIV exposure than women, due to their lower age of first sexual intercourse, and higher rates of having first intercourse before the age of 15, both of which are risk factors for H.I.V.

This is according to the Ministry of Healths sixth annual report to UNAIDS.

Obtained by the Samoa Observer, this report is evidence of Samoas commitment to the global response to HIV, AIDS, and Sexual Transmitted Infections.

The report says, the first case of HIV recorded in Samoa was in 1990. Since that time, the recorded prevalence of the virus has remained low in prevalence (0.005%) with no new cases being captured between 2012-2015".

However, testing rates are low with around only 4 to 5% of the population being tested each year according to quarterly surveillance reports (see Table 2).

Other STIs, particularly Chlamydia, are high in prevalence (26%) with low testing rates.

The report points out that most of those tests come from routine antenatal blood panels in mothers having their first antenatal care visit. Voluntary testing, and testing in males are low.

For these reasons, the full impact of HIV/AIDS on Samoa remains relatively unknown, the report said.

The report pointed out that a quarter of the documented HIV cases are mother to child transmissions, which suggests that HIV may be more prevalent than what current surveillance systems are detecting.

All documented living cases are currently receiving ARV treatment, which is free at all health sector partners of the Ministry of Health.

According to the Health report as of 2016 there were 24 cumulative cases of HIV in Samoa and 11 of these cases are currently living. All are recorded as adhering to ARV regimens. The primary mode of transmission of HIV in Samoa is heterosexual sex.

Results from the 2008 Second Generation Surveillance Survey reveal that HIV in Samoa occurs at a rate of 10.4 cases per 100,000 with a male to female ratio of Surveillance data is currently gathered from hospital records on Upolu and Savaii, Private provider offices, health clinics, Immigration, various NGOs, Samoa Family Health Association, and from blood donors.

However funding and staffing shortages at all of these organizations has limited the amount and frequency of data that can be collected for HIV and other STIs.

Regarding HIV prevention and knowledge of HIV and AIDS, the Demographic Health Survey 2014 found that condom use (of male condoms) is low, although higher in males. Though increasing, the percent of individuals that have comprehensive knowledge of HIV and AIDS transmission/prevention is still low.

Regarding the acceptance of persons living with HIV or AIDS only 2.6% of women and 3.3% of men express acceptance of PLWHA on all 4 indicators.

This has remained roughly the same since 2009.

This illustrates the stigma that is still associated with HIV and AIDS and previous programming, has not been effectively addressed.

Though Samoa has a low prevalence of HIV and good case management of the identified cases of PLWHIV, there are multiple findings that suggest HIV in particular could potentially be a bigger problem for Samoa.

In 2015 there was a low testing rate of 4.6% of the population being tested in hospitals and clinics.

Of women who have given birth in the past two years, only 23.9% have received HIV counselling in prenatal care visits, and only 4.1% percent received counselling, testing, and testing results, suggesting high risk for mother-to-child infections, said the Healths report.
The problems are obvious.

Hardly a week goes by without an incident where someone is killed in Samoa as a result of alcohol abuse  or abuse of other sorts.

Two weeks ago Police Spokesperson Sua Muliaga Tiumalu told the media that they are working together with the Liquor Board on the abuse of alcohol by members of the public.

It seems that many of the incidents happening are all caused by alcohol, he said.

So we are looking at the amount of alcohol put into drinks by the local companies and if we see that its too much then we will raise the issue with the Liquor board to look into this.

Maybe advice the local manufacturers of vodka and beer to put down the amount of alcohol they put into these drinks.

For Pastor Gary Webster, he believes the answer is in the Bible. And it is about love.

If you look at Jesus life, He did three things, He loved His Father, He healed people and He preached, he told the Sunday Samoan.

Pastor Webster is the President of the Tasmanian Mission of the Seventh Day Adventist Church.

He loved His Father. When we connect with God then we going to treat human being differently arent we? I cant say I love God and yet the seventh commandment says dont commit adultery and yet Im sleeping around with other women but I say I love God thats not how it works.

But since I love God I then start loving people the right way and thats what happens when I follow this book (Bible).

So the role of the church is to do what Jesus did? What did Jesus believe? So lets do the same thing.

Moreover, he said the role of the church is to help all the people.

When you looked at Jesus life, He loved his Father, He healed people, he said.

He healed lots of people not only he healed them but He fed the hungry twice and He just went about helping people.

So thats what the church needs to do all of us Christians.

Not just about preaching and speaking we need to be doing because Jesus was big into doing.

The third thing Jesus did was preaching. He did a lot of preaching.

But not to preach publicly but he taught people one on one for instance He had time for the woman at the well, He had time for the prostitute and all people one on one and so this tells us that He was interested in people.

So thats what the church needs to do and if we are going to make a difference in our world and we need to be saying how can I help people? especially in the area of health and physical.

For example thats why our church has an emphasis on helping people because thats what Jesus did and we need to help people always.
The recent ban by the Ministry of Health on U.S. imported eggs has had many consumers concerned.

However, the folks at Tanumapua Sun Choice eggs want to assure the public that locally-produced eggs are safe to consume.

And as an added plus, they are definitely fresher than those that are imported and there are ample supplies.

Yesterday, local media were taken on a tour of the Tanumapua Farm to witness the process from laying to packaging all within the same vicinity whilst providing quality assurance.

Company Representative, Elvis Amitesh Prasad said, This is in regards to the press release last week from the Ministry of Health about the ban on U.S. eggs, he began.

We are here to assure you that the producers, the local production, is sufficient to supply the local market and our eggs are as good as imported eggs are.

We want to ensure that whatever is produced in Samoa is safe to eat and the supply of eggs is sufficient to satisfy the market.

Mr. Prasad also thoroughly explained the sophisticated process by which chicks are imported from New Zealand and go through several process before they reach the laying stage.

We have a very sophisticated intake plan. We have a very consistent production here.

Mr. Prasad said that they take extensive preventative measure so that the eggs are safe to consume.

We test the eggs and our birds as well. We send blood samples to New Zealand for testing of our birds. We test our eggs for e.coli, listiria, and salmonella, we test against those microbes."

We vaccinate our birds because as a preventative measure just in case of any outbreaks in the Samoan market. These are all preventive measures.

We definitely ensure that all the eggs produced here at Tanumapua Farm are all safe to consume.

Also, since the eggs are local, the timeframe from laying to reaching the store shelf is cut by more than half ensuring freshness.

Fresher eggs are always better, Mr. Prasad said.

The reason being, when eggs are in storage, we dont know how they have been handled overseas.

Over here, its all transparent. People can come in here and see whats being produced, and how the eggs have been handled.

Secondly they are always fresh. Whatever is produced here, the second they get graded they are in the market. The eggs are only three days old basically unlike imported eggs, which have been through a lot of travelling and you dont know how they have been handled.

Also because of our humid conditions, eggs have to be very properly handed.

With this ban intact, Mr. Prasad is confident that local egg farmers can supply the entire nation.

Im sure we can supply 100% of the market. In fact at times, when the market is slow we have ample eggs. Definitely we have the capacity to produce and together with the other farmers, well be able to supply the whole of Samoa without any problem, he concluded.
Fifty seven year old Elita Afiti from Maasina and Vaimoso believes in the beauty of the Fagaloa village.

This is why he has made a request to the Land Transport Authority and the government of Samoa to do some maintenance work on their roads .

All the small villages within Fagaloa are beautiful to me.

People come here, tourists come here to see what our lands are like and we dont want to be seen with crooked, narrow roads like these.

Let me assure you that this is a village built on a mountain and its roads are really dangerous to drive on and the condition of the roads add to the danger.

When natural disasters occur, it can cause rock slides and it blocks the roads and mind you the roads are already really narrow.

So it takes us a long time to clean up before we can get to the other side.

We dont want accidents to happen here and thats why were trying to avoid situations like that.

We dont want people to stop visiting our villages because of how bad the roads are.

As you can see, we have beaches that we want to show off as well but not if this is how the condition of our roads.

This is what the L.T.A. and the government should look out for because this is one of the places that people from overseas come to visit and do sightseeing.

We also need better roads because some of us work and we need transportation but the bus doesnt come here often.

Good roads will make our lives a whole lot better, it will make transportation easier and it will bring a whole lot of people to see our beautiful villages and help the tourism industry.
Three hours snorkeling and diving by Master Divers, Talauati Tolovae Leau and his older brother, Iosia Mailata Leau at Tosua Trench last Sunday led to nothing.

The certified divers were contracted by the Police Ministry, on Sunday afternoon to assist in the search for the missing Royal New Zealand Navy sailor, Kiligo Joseph Lemafoe Tua who was last seen at Tosua, last Saturday.

Meanwhile the Police suspect that either Tua slipped and fell into the ocean, or was struck by a wave.

On the day of the incident, the sea was very rough, it was reported.

Based at the Devonport Naval Base, the 24-year-old from Otahuhu, New Zealand and Leauvaa, came to Samoa for a short vacation and visited the famous Tosua Trench.

The spokesperson for Tosua said Mr. Tuas belongings were found at a lava pool not far from the popular trench. She said they suspect he was there enjoying the view and the scenery when he got in trouble.

Master Diver Talauati told Samoa Observer, they arrived at the scene around noon with Police Commissioner Fuiavailiili Egon Keil, and were taken directly to where his belongings were found. He agreed with the police theory that he may have slipped and fallen into the ocean or been struck by a wave.

According to Talauati, they were taken to the blowholes.

The current was strong when we arrived so my brother Iosia dived and I assisted. Iosia dived about 8-10 feet below while I snorkeled nearby.

We covered every possible angle we could, given the high waves and we didnt find anything.

He further stated that Iosia then dived farther out into the open water and did not come across any signs of the missing man.

The problem is, we were contacted for assistance six to seven days after the person had gone missing. If we were contacted right when the matter was reported to the police, maybe we would have come across something.

We searched high and low, between the rocks  and nothing.

As a fisherman, for more than 30 years and a diver for more than 10 years, a person cannot stay down in the water for longer than four to five hours. When someone drowns, the water goes into their lungs, fills up and then diverts to other organs until the body is filled with water. Then the body eventually comes up and floats.

Meanwhile the Police will continue the search and while theyll probably have to scale down the numbers of officers involved, the search will continue.

The Police have also confirmed that Mr. Tuas parents and several relatives have arrived in Samoa to help with the search and a request for assistance has also been made to the Office of the New Zealand High Commissioner.
Because the law says no, prostitution is not allowed, its prohibited in Samoa, its against our laws, says Police Spokesperson, Sua LeMamea Tiumalu who issued a stern warning for sex workers.

He was responding to Samoa Observer questions regarding a recent report by the Ministry of Health which indicates that there are an estimate of more than 40o sex workers in Samoa.

Following the weekly press conference, Sua told Samoa Observer they are working on getting a copy of the report as they want to look at where these sex workers are based and to try and find out who they are.

I came to the press conference ready to answer your (Samoa Observer) questions regarding this... I also inquired with our office if we had received a copy of the report.

The law is clear its under Laws of Western Samoa Act 1961 that prostitution is illegal.

According to Sua, previous complaints of prostitutes who were seen in the past, haven't been ignored by the police

The police are still patrolling the areas, like the fale ale pulenuu (guest house-Matagi Alalua), but Im sure when these women see the police car, they run off. I heard this has been happening here.

Sua reiterated that prostitution is not allowed in Samoa. He quoted the law that anyone living on earnings of prostitution, is liable to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 10 years.

Furthermore, the law points out that anyone who lives wholly or in part on the earnings of the prostitution of another person is also subject under this law.

That too is illegal. Anyone who solicits for any prostitute, whether or not he receives any payment, reward or valuable consideration for so doing, is also illegal.

Further, anyone who procures or agrees or offers to procure any woman or girl to have sexual intercourse with any male who is not her husband, is also subjected under this law, said Sua.

The Police spokesperson emphasized that anyone who is earning a living from prostitution, if found and convicted, will serve 10 years in jail.

Sua also advised sex workers, Don't do it, because the law says no.
When Julie Hernandez first enrolled with the Boys & Girls Club of Oceanside as a sixth-grader in 2011, things got off to a bad start.

Suffering from extreme shyness and social anxiety, Hernandez felt overwhelmed by the roomful of strangers and longed to escape to the quiet little shell of her bedroom. Through the club, however, she eventually found her voice, her confidence and the direction for her future.

With those words in a speech last month, the now-17-year-old college student was named the Boys & Girls Clubs of Americas 2017 California State Youth of the Year.

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Hernandez, who overcame some childhood challenges to graduate from high school a year early with a 4.6 grade point average, said that without the Boys & Girls Club she could never be where she is now.

They helped me find my personality and realize that I have a purpose in this world, she said. I can grow up and do something amazing and they were the ones who helped me find out who I am and who I want to be.

What she wants to be is a biomedical researcher developing medications and vaccines for future generations. Mike Hollins, senior program director at the Boys & Girls Club of Oceanside, said if thats what Hernandez wants to be, then it will happen.

All the goals she set for herself in school, she achieved, Hollins said. So I believe that whatever she puts her mind to in the future, she can accomplish. So far, so good.

Hernandez was born in Houston and moved with her parents to Oceanside when she was 4. Around the time her brother, Marcos, was born nine years ago, her parents split up and her father moved back to Texas. To support her children, Hernandezs mother, Kimberly, worked three jobs. Julie, then still in grade school, spent her afternoons and evenings taking care of her little brother and, often, her grandmother.

It was tough to even see my mom at all during those days and I felt like I was co-parenting my brother, she said.

The more time she spent at home, the more anxiety she felt at school. Her stress level and self-consciousness peaked when she entered sixth grade at Martin Luther King Jr. Middle School in Oceanside in fall 2011.

I had social anxiety and intense stage fright and I couldnt make eye contact with people. When I would talk to older people Id get all clammy and break into a really bad sweat, she said.

That was the same time she started attending the after-school program at King Middle School, which was run by the Boys & Girls Club. She was so uncomfortable in the program during the first few months she felt like she was in shock.

Right away, Hollins recognized Hernandez. Their families had lived in the same neighborhood and Julie had played with his son when she was little. He could see that Hernandez was struggling so he pushed her into several programs that forced her to interact with other kids and adults.

Hernandez joined the Keystone Club teen program, became a manager for the clubs snack shack and took part in the Optimists oratorical contest, which involved writing and presenting a short speech for an audience. Before long she also joined clubs for performing arts, yoga and STEM (science, technology, engineering and math).

We brought out her competitive nature and it helped her come out of her bubble. She made a lot of friends and everyone looked up to her because she was a leader, Hollins said. Shes very driven. Sometimes she pushed herself too hard and I had to encourage her to slow down a bit and relax.

Hernandez said Hollins, who she calls Mr. Mike, is more than a mentor to her. Hes also been her father figure for many years: Hes someone I can go to for advice or help and hes always been one of my strongest support systems.

After three years enrolled in the Boys & Girls Club program as a student, Hernandez came back in 10th grade as a volunteer tutor, something shes continued to do ever since.

Hernandez  a straight-A student since seventh grade  didnt feel challenged by public school classes so while at El Camino High School she started taking summer courses at MiraCosta College, where she liked the rigor of coursework and seriousness of the students. She graduated from El Camino in June 2016 and is now finishing her first full year at MiraCosta. Her goal is to transfer next year to either Stanford University or UC Berkeley to finish her upper division work in chemistry.

She pays for her schooling with grants and numerous scholarships that she won in high school, and works as a paid tutor to make extra money for books. Because she doesnt have her drivers license yet, Hernandez gets rides to and from school from her mom and friends. But when she cant get a lift, she often walks the nearly 4 miles to and from campus.

Hollins said he began encouraging Hernandez about four years ago to compete for the Boys & Girls Clubs youth awards. The process involves writing and presenting a speech about how club programs have influenced her life, and taking part in a group interview. In May 2016, Hernandez was named the Oceanside sites Youth of the Year and in March she was named San Diego County Youth of the Year.

That honor took her to the state competition in Sacramento on April 25, where she beat out eight other contestants for the California title and a $5,000 scholarship. Now she will move on to the Pacific Region finals on June 8. If she wins there, she will compete at the national competition, which comes with a $25,000 scholarship, renewable over four years.

While her life is very busy these days, Herndandez said she loves to go back to the Boys & Girls Club as often as she can to volunteer her time and tutor. Whenever she visits, she looks for children who are as shy as she was when she started.

I see these quiet kids who are off to the side, trying not to be noticed, and I go up to them and say hello, she said. I want to show them that theres someone else who has noticed them, who sees them and wants them to feel welcome. I tell them youll be fine here. This is where you belong. 

Julie Hernandez, photographed at MiraCosta College, hopes to study chemistry at Stanford University or UC Berkeley. (Bill Wechter /San Diego Union-Tribune)

pam.kragen@sduniontribune.com
CITY COUNCILS

DEL MAR

The Del Mar City Council met Monday and approved a resolution, 4-1, confirming that short-term rentals are not allowed within the residential zones, except for residential-commercial. The council then discussed how to determine what types of short-term rental uses, if any, could be allowed within the residential zones, including whether conditional use permits would be required, or complete zoning changes. Their discussion was continued to a special meeting on Saturday after a scheduled budget workshop. The council postponed interviews of applicants to the Design Review Board, and gave general approval to the design proposal for the citywide landscaping project, requesting use of native species when possible. The council reviewed three designs for Shores Park, and authorized the city manager to proceed with getting cost estimates on those designs plus three others, moving toward another community meeting on the designs and shared use with The Winston School.

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ESCONDIDO

The Escondido City Council met in closed session Wednesday to discuss the job evaluations of the city attorney and city manager. In open session, the council approved authorizing the director of community development to use no more than $450,000 in federal funds to Interfaith Community Services to buy and rehabilitate four affordable multi-family rental units at 557-563 Aster Place. The council also extended a public hearing regarding its Community Development Block Grants, Home Investment Partnership Funds and Emergency Solutions Grants to the June 7 meeting for further discussion. A motion to allow senior or disabled residents to object to a short-form rent increase by submitting a signed affidavit instead of personally appearing at a hearing was also continued to a future meeting to allow more discussion between staff and mobilehome park owners.

OCEANSIDE

The Oceanside City Council met in closed session Wednesday to discuss labor negotiations and litigation. In open session, the council held a hearings on permits for a 13-lot subdivision with 10 houses on Loma Alta Drive between Walsh Street and Mesa Drive, which was approved 3-2 after a failed motion to deny the permit, 2-3. The council also agreed, 3-2, to start the process to move to by-district elections. A resolution establishing a No Parking Zone between 6 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday on the south side of Center Avenue along part of the centerline of Division Street was adopted.

POWAY

The Poway City Council met Tuesday and approved a contract totaling $847,270 with Tyler Technologies Inc. for a new finances, human resources and payroll system, and with NexLevel Information Technology Inc. for project management services. The council also passed a resolution opposing sections of Assembly Bill 805 changing the voting structure of the San Diego Association of Governments to weighted voting, and making the mayors of San Diego and Chula Vista the chair and vice chair of SANDAG in perpetuity. The council then met in closed session to discuss labor negotiations.

SCHOOL DISTRICTS

CARLSBAD

The Carlsbad Unified School District board met Wednesday for a special budget study session at the district office. The board did not go into closed session as had been scheduled.

ENCINITAS

The Encinitas Union School District met in special session Tuesdayat El Camino Creek Elementary in Carlsbad to hear presentations from students in the Storm Water Pollution Prevention Program Internship program, and accepted the pollution prevention plans for El Camino Creek, Flora Vista, La Costa Heights, Mission Estancia, Ocean Knoll, Olivenhain Pioneer, Capri, Paul Ecke Central and Park Dale Lane elementary schools. The board also met in special session Thursday for information and training related to a new board agenda management system.

FALLBROOK

The Fallbrook Union Elementary School District board met Monday for a celebration honoring its employees of the year and teachers of the year. In regular session, the board approved a Safe Schools resolution, which means that the district will do all it legally can to protect students confidential information and ensure that their classrooms are not disrupted by immigration enforcement. The board also heard a report on the 2017-18 budget, and a presentation from the GEAR UP program at Palomar College.

laura.groch@sduniontribune.com
After being diagnosed with an invasive, aggressive, triple-positive Stage I breast cancer in the fall of 2012, Patti McCarthy wasnt sure shed be able to continue her beloved hiking. And shed had plans: She and her husband spent the previous months preparing to hike the whole Pacific Crest Trail, all 2,650 miles of it from Mexico to Canada.

After the diagnosis, I had a lot of concerns about being able to continue. I knew, as a nurse, what chemo could do, she says. Initially convinced my hiking days were over, we took a last hike before surgery. I literally kissed the ground, and with tears in my eyes, said goodbye.

But she found that she didnt have to give it up, she just had to make adjustments and relearn what her body could handle. The process of hiking helped her heal emotionally and mentally, too. She found herself writing in a journal again and turned her journal into a book, Hiking Cancer, to inspire others with her illness and those who are just considering hiking.

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McCarthy, 55, lives in Encinitas with her husband, Lynn, and they have three children. She works as a transition nurse and transition care manager for Scripps Health. She took some time to talk about her experience with cancer, hiking and the support shes received during this process.

Q: Once you learned of your diagnosis and treatment, how did hiking factor in for you?

A: The oncologist couldnt give me prognostic odds, but felt confident I would be cancer-free after treatment. I had my fears, but knew I would be OK. The trick really is to stay that way. In the end, its just numbers. Sometimes its random bad luck.

Hiking became my sanity, my saving grace. I had wanted to hike the Pacific Crest Trail for years. Wed started the May before and had I not finally convinced my husband we could do this, I certainly would not have started after being diagnosed. From May to September, we started with baby steps, 5- to 11-mile daytime hikes until we felt comfortable doing overnights. We ended the summer with a five-day trip to celebrate our 25th anniversary. By this time, we had hiked 122.5 miles over six trips.

Q: What is it about hiking that you enjoy?

A: Going on a hike resets me. I enjoy nature: the mountains, open fields, wildlife, the alpine lakes are all amazingly beautiful.  I feel connected to the hiking culture. Its truly a small community. Midway through radiation, near Julian, I met a thru-hiker (someone who hikes a long-distance trail from end to end during one hiking season) and was commenting that I felt like a mini-Chernobyl. I was given the trail name, Glow in the Dark. He blogged about meeting me. Later, he set up a Glow Hike with 20 hikers. They covered themselves with glow sticks and hiked the Los Angeles Aqueduct at night, glowing in my honor. It was incredible. Though I could only experience it through his video, it lifted my spirits.

Q: What have you done to prepare for your Pacific Crest Trail journey?

A: I was certainly more mentally ready to hike than physically. I pushed myself, refusing to let cancer win. It took baby steps to get back on the trail. It was a realization, after my first round, that Hey, I dont feel so bad. So we did a day hike. Between chemo rounds, if I felt good on a weekend, we would day hike. Before radiation was to start, we attempted an overnight. We were in the Tehachapi Mountains, but I didnt know I was extremely anemic. We had to turn around. I couldnt hike through those winds. About mid-radiation and on, we managed overnight trips. We did 262 miles during my cancer treatments. (More if you count all the miles we hiked while lost.)

What I love about Encinitas ...

I love the small-town feel. Neighbors care about each other. I like seeing people I know when Im out and about. This town cares about the community, humanity, the environment. I drive a Prius and whenever family or friends come to visit, they ask if its a requirement in Encinitas to drive one. I laugh and tell them, Yes, but weve grandfathered in all the others.

Q: Walk us through what you needed to do in order to hike portions of the trail between chemo treatments. That sounds like it would be incredibly difficult.

A: It was. When I hike now, and am on a difficult section, I reflect back to hiking through cancer and I think, How could I have possibly done that? This is hard! My husband said he had never seen such Irish stubbornness in me when it came to the trail. Basically it would start with, I want to go on a hike this weekend. Hed say, Are you sure youre up to it? And Id say, Yes. Whether I should have been or not, I was up for it.

Q: How has hiking helped you during this process?

A: The healing was mental and emotional mostly. It obviously kept me as physically fit as I could be. It probably reduced complications and side effects, including depression and anxiety.

Our celebration hike was a five-day hike from Wrightwood to Lake Arrowhead. With the sun shining, I was listening to some great Led Zeppelin on my iPod. Suddenly I felt like singing  (and) there I was, singing loudly. And it hit me then, how truly healing the trail was. I felt happy, something that had been long missing. The trail brought me joy. Cancer is such a relentless beast. Its 24/7. You go to bed and cant sleep because you think about cancer. You wake up and its the first thought in your head. Your day is wrapped around what medical appointment you have. Being on the trail let me get away from all of that. It let me live my life instead of living cancer.

Q: You kept a journal of your experience with cancer and have turned it into a book, Hiking Cancer. What did you want to say in this book?

A: The book is my cancer story and how hiking became part of it. I thought it would be easy to write. It would include our hiking blog posts and added essays about what it was like to go through cancer; getting chemo, losing your hair, stuff like that. More as a resource guide. Someone suggested I include my journal to make it more personal. Thats when it got very hard. How much of me do I want to put out there?  It was cathartic. I wanted to inspire wanna-be hikers to get up and do it. I wanted to inspire anyone dealing with a chronic condition to find a passion, whatever it is, to live life, not the disease.

Q: How has your experience with cancer affected your work as a nurse?

A: Before I returned to work, human resources suggested I consider office work. That was probably the wiser choice given my health status at the time, but I felt that whatever I did, it had to include direct patient contact. Its the connections I make with patients that brings me satisfaction. I am more empathetic of how consuming an illness can be. I take more time to listen. I put myself in their shoes and try to do what I can to help. I am able to help people in ways I couldnt have imagined before.

Q: Next month is National Cancer Survivors Month. What does that mean to you, personally?

A: Surviving requires a focus on something outside of cancer, a supportive network of friends and family, and a good medical team on your side. I was grateful for all the terrific care I received at Scripps. The aftermath of having cancer is hard, in a different way. When the intense care is over, its a new stage of recovery. For me, it was then that depression, lingering side effects like fatigue and low immunity, came forward. I was too busy to deal with it before and it hit me hard. Just because treatments are over, doesnt mean dealing with cancer is done. Attention to survivorship is important to improve quality of life.

Q: What has the process of continuing to hike and starting a journal that turned into a book taught you about yourself?

A: Im much stronger than I thought I was. Im also different now. How could I not be? I desperately clung to the idea I would return to my old normal self. I had high expectations it would occur in no time. That didnt happen.  There was clarity in understanding I cant change what has happened to me. It was a roller coaster of events and emotions. I have changed, in good ways and not so good. I now accept that. I will never be one to say this was a journey I am grateful for. It sucked. (Can I say that?)

Q: What is the best advice youve ever received?

A: Find something to be passionate about to keep your focus on you. (That, and get a notebook to keep track of information. Its a busy disease).

Q: What is one thing people would be surprised to find out about you?

A: I never dated my husband. We went from being close friends to engaged. Although that did not surprise any of our circle of friends, it surprised us. People do seem surprised, however, to learn Im a terrible cook. I know nothing about cooking meat.

Q: Describe your ideal San Diego weekend.

A: Having all of my kids and their significant others home. We would go for a beach walk and then out to a Mexican restaurant.

Email: lisa.deaderick@sduniontribune.com

Twitter: @lisadeaderick
Eight siblings were squabbling over millions of dollars  a great fortune back in 1951. All agreed that one brother has ensured the entire clans prosperity. Yet some insisted he owed them more of the family fortune.

One sibling disagreed. She was Rose Rady.

Sixty years later, seven cousins and their uncle squabble over hundreds of millions of dollars  a great fortune, even by 21st century standards. All agree that the uncle has ensured the entire clans prosperity. Yet they insist he owes them more of the family fortune.

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The uncle disagrees. Hes Roses son, Ernest Rady.

For generations, the Rady family has made money, shared money, fought over money. The latest battle culminated in San Diego Superior Court last month, with seven of Ernest Radys nieces and nephews accusing him of reneging on a deal that would have netted each cousin tens of millions. Rady blasted them as ingrates, noting they were all wealthy thanks to his guidance of the familys company, American Assets.

On March 21, a jury unanimously ruled that Rady owed nothing to his disgruntled relatives. On March 26, Rady and a larger family group  the original seven plaintiffs, plus three others  privately settled a separate action over American Assets $500 million balance.

In San Diego, these courtroom dramas ran counter to Radys image as a generous civic leader. The 74-year-old La Jolla investor and his wife, Evelyn, have made eight-figure donations to Rady Childrens Hospital and UC San Diegos Rady School of Management. Why was he in the midst of this family implosion?

Whenever people say its not about money, said Steven Strauss, one of Radys lawyers, its about money.

Dollars, though, dont tell the entire story. These lawsuits opened a window onto one of North Americas wealthiest clans. This family tree includes Canadian horse-traders, whiskey-peddlers who thrived in Prohibition-era America and Rady himself, a go-getter who made a fortune in real estate, car loans and banking, before losing more than $1 billion in the recession.

My Uncle Ernest, Linda Blankstein said, is  in our family  a bit of a legend.

Horses or drinks?

Most weeknights, Ernest Rady leaves his office and arrives home around 6 p.m., where he is met by Evelyn.

On Feb. 6, 2007, he was met by a gunman.

The intruder already had bound Evelyn and a housekeeper with duct tape. The thief trussed Rady, then ransacked the couples La Jolla mansion. He finally left around 10 p.m. with only $43 in cash, having rejected the contents of Radys wallet: Canadian dollars.

These foreign bills were mementos of a sad journey. Two days before the robbery, Rady had been in Winnipeg to bury a brother-in-law.

Winnipeg, the capital city of Manitoba, the Canadian province bordering North Dakota, is Radys hometown. This is where his late parents are memorialized by the Rose and Max Rady Jewish Community Centre. This is where his sisters  Mindel Olenick and Marjorie Blankstein, both in their 80s  live.

The familys Canadian roots extend to 1891, when Radys grandparents moved from Russia. Ekiel Bronfman supported his large family by peddling fuel, frozen fish and horses. One of Bronfmans eight children, Sam, noted that horse sales were often celebrated at a nearby tavern.

The bar makes more profits than we do, father, the boy noted, according to Samuel Bronfman, a 1991 biography by Michael R. Marrus. Instead of selling horses we should be selling the drinks.

In 1928, Sam Bronfman bought Joseph E. Seagram & Sons. During Prohibition, the companys whiskeys  Dewars, Calvert, Seven Crown  were popular in U.S. speak-easies. Bronfman always denied smuggling booze into the States. Not everyone is convinced. In Last Call, a 2010 history of Prohibition, Daniel Okrent dryly noted that the spirits didnt appear through transubstantiation.

Charismatic and fiercely competitive, Sam looked out for his siblings  to a point. Proposing to divide the familys spoils in 1951, Sam gave himself the largest amount of cash and Seagrams stock.

Several siblings protested, but sister Rose came to Sams defense: Sam is being modest about his own share, and generous to all of us.

Unequal shares were something of a family tradition. In 1948, Rose used $1 million in Seagrams shares to establish a company to hold and invest her childrens money. She gave each daughter 30 percent of the company; her son, Ernest, 40 percent.

After a stroke felled Roses husband, Max, management of this company fell to 16-year-old Ernest. Through college, law school and years as a Manitoba barrister, Rady acted as the familys chief financial officer. He enjoyed spectacular results  especially after leaving the law and Canada for San Diego. His first local investment, in an El Cajon apartment complex, quickly earned a profit. So did investments in office buildings and malls. Later, he prospered in automobile finance and banking.

Early in 2008, Forbes magazine named Rady the worlds 743rd richest person. American Assets was worth $1.8 billion.

Big mistakes

Sam Bronfman, the Seagrams tycoon, died in 1971. Some of his progeny would squander fortunes on high living, messy divorces, misguided business ventures. Perhaps the low point came in 1976 when a grandson allegedly plotted his own kidnapping to pocket a $2.3 million ransom.

Rose Radys offspring, though, lived quietly  although a dearth of scandals did not mean a shortage of money. On frequent trips to Canada, Rady huddled with family members to discuss American Assets and other investment opportunities.

Although wealthy thanks to American Assets, niece Carol McArton declined one of those other offers. Soon afterward, Rady cornered her at a family party to inform her that she had made a mistake.

I opened my mouth to tell him what went into my decision. McArton recalled. He turned on his heel and walked away. He felt I should have invested that money and I didnt do it and I was stupid.

But another niece enjoyed a playful relationship with Rady. I called him Uncle Furnace, because he was full of hot air, said Dr. Gail Wagner, now a hematologist/oncologist in the Bay Area. And I was Gail the Pail because I was all wet.

In September 2007, Rady informed Wagner and her cousins that he was thinking about buying out American Assetss shareholders. He wouldnt live forever, he noted, just seven months after his brother-in-laws death and his harrowing encounter with an armed burglar. He laid out what each person would receive.

At then-current market values, the amounts ranged from $21.5 million to $36 million each.

From Kenya, where Wagner runs a clinic, she emailed: Thanks for the generous offer.

But as Radys lawyers successfully argued in court, this was no offer, just something Rady was considering. Something that became impossible as the recession struck.

By mid-2008, American Assets had lost more than $1 billion. As the largest shareholder, Rady took the biggest hit. I remember going to an ATM that rejected my card, he said. I was struggling to survive  it was the most difficult time of my life.

He appeared in another Forbes article. The headline: Americas Biggest Billionaire Losers of 2008.

Despite these losses, Rady was still wealthy. But he was soon besieged from another quarter. In October 2009, Wagner and a nephew, Dan Blankstein, sued Uncle Ernest. By late 2011, five more relatives joined in; their lawyers included Gails husband, Arne Wagner.

In court, family ties seemed to have totally unraveled.

Your sister Mindel, said Arne Wagner, cross-examining Rady, is about 86?

Well, shes your mother-in-law, Rady shot back. I think youd know shes 87.

What do you think?

Share your thoughts in the comments below.

When the trials first phase ended, nieces and nephews flew home to Winnipeg, Vancouver, Oakland.

Its still incredibly painful to me, Gail Wagner said. To lose him, to lose that branch of the family, has been horrible.

Her Uncle Furnace had similar thoughts: Even though I won the case, I feel like I lost. I lost my family.
People concerned about reports that the San Diego Unified School District plans to teach students about Islam but not Christianity might be surprised if they saw some world history textbooks in classrooms.

Students in San Diego and throughout the state already are learning about Islam, as well as Christianity and other religions, and they have been for some time.

A school district in the Central Valley city of Modesto teaches Islam as part of a required world religion class that the California Legislature recognized as a model that should be followed.

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The subject triggered an uproar in San Diego Unified after district Executive Director of Family and Community Engagement Stan Anjan discussed lessons about Islam as part of an anti-bullying campaign to protect Muslim students at a school board meeting in April.

Anjan said the plan is part of a district-wide campaign to address bullying of all students; other steps already have been taken to help students who are LGBTQ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, questioning), Native American, Latinos and immigrants.

Our school district really is about ensuring that our schools are a safe space for learning, Anjan said Friday. This particular one is for Muslim students, but we have many other initiatives for a variety of other students and varying needs of their communities.

In his April presentation, Anjan said a statewide survey found 55 percent of Muslim students had reported being bullied. San Diego Unified had seven cases, but Anjan said many more have come forward since his presentation last month.

Religions are studied as part of world history classes in several grades, but a state framework introduced in 2016 opens the door to expand on those lessons.

Its not just trying to teach from the textbook but also to use our resources, Anjan said about the new framework. It could be textbooks, media, current events or a variety of tools at our disposal to meet the outcome of the framework.

All the lessons, he stressed, would be secular and not about the teaching of a faith.

District history-social science curriculum specialist Juliana Liebke said the new framework can teach more about how different cultures and religions interacted with one another over history rather than merely studying a timeline of each one.

This is a huge opportunity for people to be taught in California, she said about the value of getting a deeper understanding of other cultures and religions. This is all about protecting our First Amendment rights, and if were going to protect our right to freedom of religion, then we have to have a tolerant society, and the only way to have a tolerant society is to learn about everybody.

Apparently lost on many people who complained about the proposed expanded lessons was the fact that religion already is studied in California public schools as part of state standards in place since 1998.

One person protesting at a recent board member, for instance, yelled at trustees during a recent meeting, At what point did you decide it was OK to teach my children about Islam?

Among religion lessons already taught, students in the sixth grade learn about the ancient Hebrews and Judaism and the origins of Christianity, including the life and teachings of Jesus and the Bible.

In the seventh grade, students learn about the spread of Christianity and the rise of Islam.

Liebke was a seventh-grade teacher in Pacific Beach for 11 years, and she said she heard from many parents, particularly ones in the military, who had concerns when they heard their children would be learning about Islam.

When those concerns came up, Liebke said she talked to the parents about the context of the curriculum, which included the spread of Christianity, and the importance of learning about other cultures. Not one family opted out of the lessons in 11 years, she said.

In what might seem a surprising argument, Liebke said lessons about Islam also are important for national security.

If Islam is taught correctly, then we dont just talk about who Muhammad was and what Muslim believe, she said. Were teaching about different ethnic groups and conflicts that have gone into Islam and how its important to our national security today.

Liebke and Anjan see an opportunity for more in-depth lessons on religion as part of a world religion elective class in ninth grade, which the district has not adopted.

World religion could be really powerful, Liebke said, adding that students who take the class as high school freshmen are more likely to retain the lessons better than when they learned about different religions as part of history class in earlier grades.

Modesto City Schools is the only district in the country where world religion is a required ninth grade class.

Johansen High School teacher Sherry McIntyre helped write the curriculum 17 years ago and estimates she has taught it to 7,000 students. Shes never heard a complaint.

The program is rooted in the districts response to a report of a gay student who was bullied at school, she said. After creating an anti-bullying program in the district, the superintendent looked at what else could be done to protect students, and the world religion course was created.

A world religion class as a graduation requirement in a public school had never been attempted before, and McIntyre said the school turned to community members to help create the curriculum.

Parents, teachers, faith leaders  everybody participated, she recalled. And that brought a lot of buy-in from everybody.

The course focuses on six major religions but can go up to 10, and begins with lessons on being respectful.

We go deep in how important freedom of religion is and how the only way were going to keep that freedom is respecting each other and listening to each other, she said.

By the time students get to Islam, she said it is accepted as just another religion.

The course is featured in full chapter in Linda Wertheimers 2015 book Faith Ed. State legislators recognized it as a model in an Assembly resolution in 2014, and its influence was shown in parts of the new state history framework, which suggests a world religion class as a ninth grade elective.

Alice Chan, a doctoral student at McGill University in Montreal, studied the Modesto class for her Ph.D.

I definitely say for Modesto, many students have explicitly stated that theyve had a change in attitude, Chan said about the class. When people are able to foster respect and understanding, theres a greater chance bullying will not happen.

Chan said her study was limited to a relatively small survey of students, but McIntyre said she has heard from many people in the community that studying other religions has had a positive effect on how people treat one another. Some of her students today are children of her past students, she said.

gary.warth@sduniontribune.com

Twitter: @GaryWarthUT

760-529-4939
Theyve been hiding in storage for 90 years: rare, never-before-published photographic images of Charles Lindbergh on his way to becoming Charles Lindbergh.

Its April 28, 1927. In three weeks, Lindbergh would make the first-ever nonstop solo airplane flight across the Atlantic Ocean from New York to Paris, 3,610 miles in 33 hours. The feat won a $25,000 prize and turned him into one of the most famous and admired people on Earth.

But on this day he was in San Diego, a little-known mail pilot with an experimental plane he called the Spirit of St. Louis. It had been custom-built here by Ryan Airlines in just 60 days. Lindbergh, 25, climbed into the tiny cockpit and prepared to fly the wood, cloth and metal contraption for the very first time.

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What a beautiful machine it is, resting there on the field in front of the hangar, trim and slender, gleaming in its silver coat, Lindbergh would later write. All our ideas, all our calculations, all our hopes lie there before me, waiting to undergo the acid test of flight. For me, it seems to contain the whole future of aviation.

He was at a dirt airfield called Dutch Flats, where the Midway Post Office would one day be built. Some Ryan employees were there to watch. And so was Harry Bishop, chief photographer for the San Diego Union and Evening Tribune.

One of Bishops images  the plane coming in for a landing, Mission Hills in the background  ran on the front page of the next days Union. The accompanying story said the monoplane flew with the speed and grace of a sparrow and that Lindbergh was pleased with the 30-minute tryout.

Bishop took at least eight other photos that day, and it appears that only one of them  of the plane at rest  may have been published later. Among the unseen others, one picture shows a crew member grabbing for the propeller to start the engine. One shows the plane in a steep climb. Two show people running toward the plane after it lands.

What a beautiful machine it is, resting there on the field in front of the hangar, trim and slender, gleaming in its silver coat.  Charles Lindbergh on his San Diego-built Spirit of St. Louis

Theyre terrific photos, said Robert van der Linden, a curator at the Smithsonians Air and Space Museum in Washington, D.C., where Lindberghs plane is one of the main attractions. Ive only seen one or two others taken at Dutch Flats (during the first test flight), so these help bring what happened there to life. Its exciting to see them.

Mark Aldrich, a longtime volunteer archivist at the San Diego Air & Space Museum in Balboa Park, said the pictures are a before-view of magic about to happen, likening them to the instant before Armstrong steps on the moon, the second before the flag was raised by U.S. Marines on Mount Suribachi, the calm in the field as Lincoln ascended the stage to read the Gettysburg Address.

After the test flight, Lindbergh stayed in San Diego, working with Ryan designer Donald Hall on modifications to the plane. He flew it almost two dozen more times, checking the speed, the handling, the weight of heavy fuel loads. On May 10, 1927, shortly before 4 p.m., he took off from North Island and flew overnight to St. Louis. A day later, he flew on to New York.

And then into history.

1 / 32 04.28.1927  Charles A. Lindberghs initial test flight of the Spirit of St. Louis, which Ryan Aircraft built in San Diego. The dirt airfield is Dutch Flats, where the Midway post office once stood.(Photo by Harry T. Bishop / San Diego Union-Tribune) (Harry T. Bishop / San Diego Union-Tribune) 2 / 32 March 1, 1927  Charles A. Lindbergh in front of a Ryan Aircraft monoplane in San Diego. (Photo by Stanley Andrews Jr. / San Diego Union-Tribune) (Stanley Andrews Jr. / The San Diego Union-Tribune) 3 / 32 04.28.1927  Charles A. Lindberghs test flight of the Spirit of St. Louis, which Ryan Aircraft built in San Diego. (Photo by Harry T. Bishop / San Diego Union-Tribune) (Harry T. Bishop / San Diego Union-Tribune) 4 / 32 04.28.1927  Charles A. Lindberghs test flight of the Spirit of St. Louis, which Ryan Aircraft built in San Diego. (Photo by Harry T. Bishop / San Diego Union-Tribune) (Harry T. Bishop / San Diego Union-Tribune) 5 / 32 04.28.1927  John van der Linde, chief mechanic at Ryan Aircraft, turns the propeller over for the first engine run during Charles A. Lindberghs initial test flight of the Spirit of St. Louis. Ryan Aircraft built the plane in San Diego. The dirt airfield is Dutch Flats, where the Midway post office once stood. (Photo by Harry T. Bishop / San Diego Union-Tribune) (Harry T. Bishop / San Diego Union-Tribune) 6 / 32 04.28.1927  Charles A. Lindberghs test flight of the Spirit of St. Louis, which Ryan Aircraft built in San Diego. The dirt airfield is Dutch Flats, where the Midway post office once stood. (Photo by Harry T. Bishop / San Diego Union-Tribune) (Harry T. Bishop / San Diego Union-Tribune) 7 / 32 04.28.1927  Charles A. Lindberghs test flight of the Spirit of St. Louis, which Ryan Aircraft built in San Diego. The dirt airfield is Dutch Flats, where the Midway post office once stood. (Photo by Harry T. Bishop / San Diego Union-Tribune) (Harry T. Bishop / San Diego Union-Tribune) 8 / 32 04.28.1927  Charles A. Lindbergh taking off on his initial test flight of the Spirit of St. Louis in San Diego. The New York-to-Paris monoplane was built by Ryan Aircraft in San Diego and was completed in just two months. (Photo by Harry T. Bishop / San Diego Union-Tribune) (Harry T. Bishop / San Diego Union-Tribune) 9 / 32 04.28.1927  Charles A. Lindberghs initial test flight of the Spirit of St. Louis, which Ryan Aircraft built in San Diego. The dirt airfield is Dutch Flats, where the Midway post office once stood. Mission Hills can be seen in the background. (Photo by Harry T. Bishop / San Diego Union-Tribune) (Harry T. Bishop / San Diego Union-Tribune) 10 / 32 04.28.1927  Charles A. Lindberghs initial test flight of the Spirit of St. Louis, which Ryan Aircraft built in San Diego. (Photo by Harry T. Bishop / San Diego Union-Tribune) (Harry T. Bishop / San Diego Union-Tribune) 11 / 32 09.21.1927  Charles A. Lindbergh rides with San Diego Mayor Harry C. Clark during a parade to welcome him back to San Diego after his New York-to-Paris flight. Photo by Harry T. Bishop / San Diego Union-Tribune (Harry T. Bishop / San Diego Union-Tribune) 12 / 32 09.21.1927  Charles A. Lindbergh during his welcome back to San Diego celebration. Sitting next to him is humorist Will Rogers. (Photo by Harry T. Bishop / San Diego Union-Tribune) (Harry T. Bishop / San Diego Union-Tribune) 13 / 32 09.21.1927  R.D. Workman, chaplain of the 11th Naval District, delivered the invocation at ceremonies in Balboa Stadium to welcome Charles Lindbergh back to San Diego. Seated, from left, are Mayor Harry C. Clark, Lindbergh, Will Rogers and Jack Lyman. (Photo by Harry T. Bishop / San Diego Union-Tribune) (Harry T. Bishop / San Diego Union-Tribune) 14 / 32 09.21.1927  Charles A. Lindbergh addressed the crowd during his welcome back to San Diego celebration at Balboa Stadium. (Photo by Harry T. Bishop / San Diego Union-Tribune) (Harry T. Bishop / San Diego Union-Tribune) 15 / 32 09.22.1927  The Spirit of St. Louis, which Ryan Aircraft built in San Diego. (Photo by Harry T. Bishop / San Diego Union-Tribune) (Harry T. Bishop / San Diego Union-Tribune) 16 / 32 09.22.1927  Unidentified men pose with the Spirit of St. Louis, which Ryan Aircraft built in San Diego (Photo by Harry T. Bishop / San Diego Union-Tribune) (Harry T. Bishop / San Diego Union-Tribune) 17 / 32 09.22.1927  Three Boy Scouts stand in front of the Spirit of St. Louis. From left to right are F. Novelo, A. Ondarza and E. Lopez. (Photo by Harry T. Bishop / San Diego Union-Tribune) (Harry T. Bishop / San Diego Union-Tribune) 18 / 32 09.21.1927  From left, R.D. Workman, chaplain of the 11th Naval District, Mayor Harry C. Clark, and seated, Charles A. Lindbergh, humorist Will Rogers and Jack Lyman, during ceremonies at Balboa Stadium to welcome Lindbergh back to San Diego. (Photo by Harry T. Bishop / San Diego Union-Tribune) (Harry T. Bishop / San Diego Union-Tribune) 19 / 32 09.21.1927  Charles A. Lindbergh, in front of the microphone, addresses the crowd at Balboa Stadium when he returned to San Diego after his historic New York-to-Paris flight. (Photo by Harry T. Bishop / San Diego Union-Tribune) (Harry T. Bishop / San Diego Union-Tribune) 20 / 32 09.21.1927  Charles A. Lindbergh addresses the crowd at Balboa Stadium when he returned to San Diego after his historic New York-to-Paris flight. (Photo by Harry T. Bishop / San Diego Union-Tribune) (Harry T. Bishop / San Diego Union-Tribune) 21 / 32 09.21.1927  Charles A. Lindbergh is seated next to humorist Will Rogers during ceremonies at Balboa Stadium to welcome him back to San Diego after his historic New York-to-Paris flight. (Photo by Harry T. Bishop / San Diego Union-Tribune) (Harry T. Bishop / San Diego Union-Tribune) 22 / 32 09.21.1927  A crowd of 60,000 people jammed Balboa Stadium to welcome Charles A. Lindbergh back to San Diego after his historic New York-to-Paris flight. (Photo by Harry T. Bishop / San Diego Union-Tribune) (Harry T. Bishop / San Diego Union-Tribune) 23 / 32 09.21.1927  Charles A. Lindbergh rides with San Diego Mayor Harry C. Clark in a car during a celebration welcoming him back to the city after his historic New York-to-Paris flight. (Photo by Harry T. Bishop / San Diego Union-Tribune) (Harry T. Bishop / San Diego Union-Tribune) 24 / 32 09.21.1927  Charles A. Lindbergh rides in a car during a celebration to welcome him back to San Diego after his historic New York-to-Paris flight. (Photo by Harry T. Bishop / San Diego Union-Tribune) (Harry T. Bishop / San Diego Union-Tribune) 25 / 32 09.22.1927  A crowd of 60,000 people jammed into Balboa Stadium to welcome Charles A. Lindbergh back to San Diego four months after his historic solo nonstop flight across the Atlantic. (Photo by Harry T. Bishop / San Diego Union-Tribune) (Harry T. Bishop / San Diego Union-Tribune) 26 / 32 09.21.1927  The Spirit of St. Louis was built by Ryan Aircraft in San Diego. (Photo by Harry T. Bishop / San Diego Union-Tribune) (Harry T. Bishop / San Diego Union-Tribune) 27 / 32 09.21.1927  B.F. Franklin Mahoney of Ryan Aircraft was the first to greet Charles A. Lindbergh when the Spirit of St. Louis rolled to a stop at the Ryan Airfield in San Diego. Ryan Aircraft built the plane. (Photo by Harry T. Bishop / San Diego Union-Tribune) (Harry T. Bishop / San Diego Union-Tribune) 28 / 32 09.21.1927  Charles A. Lindbergh rides with San Diego Mayor Harry C. Clark in a flower-bedecked car during a celebration to welcome him back to San Diego after his historic New York-to-Paris flight. (Photo by Harry T. Bishop / San Diego Union-Tribune) (Harry T. Bishop / San Diego Union-Tribune) 29 / 32 09.21.1927  A crowd that included some of the men who built the Spirit of St. Louis gathered to greet Charles A. Lindbergh when he landed at the Ryan Airfield in San Diego four months after his historic New York-to-Paris flight. (Photo by Harry T. Bishop / San Diego Union-Tribune) (Harry T. Bishop / San Diego Union-Tribune) 30 / 32 09.22.1927  Charles A. Lindbergh inspects the Prudden all-metal monoplane with G.K. Prudden in the cockpit with him. (Photo by Harry T. Bishop / San Diego Union-Tribune) (Harry T. Bishop / San Diego Union-Tribune) 31 / 32 09.22.1927  Luncheon at the Mahoney plant in San Diego to celebrate Charles A. Lindberghs historic New York-to-Paris flight. To the left of Lindbergh are B.F. Mahoney and A.J. Edwards. (Photo by Harry T. Bishop / San Diego Union-Tribune) (Harry T. Bishop / San Diego Union-Tribune) 32 / 32 09.21.1927  Alonzo Jessop holds a silver replica of the Spirit of St. Louis, built to scale, which was presented to Charles A. Lindbergh at Balboa Stadium as a reminder of his ship and San Diego, the city where it was built. (Photo by Harry T. Bishop / San Diego Union-Tribune) (Harry T. Bishop / San Diego Union-Tribune)

An unusual discovery

A year ago, as the Union-Tribune was moving from its longtime offices in Mission Valley to downtown San Diego, researcher Merrie Monteagudo boxed up the files of photographs, some 90,000 images that date to the late 1890s.

She found one labeled Lindbergh negatives. That struck her as unusual, because most of the newspaper companys negatives had been donated years ago to the San Diego History Center.

Inside the file, there were four images, portraits of Lindbergh and B.F. Mahoney, owner of Ryan Airlines, shot by Union photographer Stanley Andrews Jr. in March 1927. The other 4- by 5-inch pictures were in an envelope that had Lindbergh, Charles A. and Spirit of St. Louis monoplane typewritten on it. It also was marked 4-28-27, the day of the first test flight.

Looking through the photos, Monteagudo said she was struck by how they dovetailed with the descriptions of the first flight that Lindbergh included in The Spirit of St. Louis, his 1953 memoir.

He talks about how gleaming the machine is, and theres a picture of it, she said. He talks about how he accelerated, and theres a picture of that, too. Its almost like hes narrating a slideshow.

Theyre terrific photos. ... Its exciting to see them.  Robert van der Linden, a curator at the Smithsonians Air and Space Museum

The envelope holding the negatives also has the typewritten initials HTB on it, for photographer Harry T. Bishop.

Born in Mississippi in 1895, Bishop got his first newspaper job as a printers devil in Boulder, Colo., at a publication that in hindsight seems especially appropriate for him: The Daily Camera.

He came to San Diego with his parents in 1912 and started working as a reporter for the San Diego Sun. He carried a camera with him, too, and soon was more likely to be taking pictures than writing stories.

In 1915, he took some of the first aerial photographs of the city, sitting on a wooden platform hanging below a tethered balloon lifted 1,000 feet off the ground. Later, he talked the balloon owner into setting it loose, and for several hours he floated over San Diego, taking pictures, before landing in an Otay cactus patch.

That experience fueled a fascination with aviation that he brought with him when he joined the Union-Tribune in 1921. It wasnt surprising he wound up taking the pictures of Lindberghs first test flight six years later.

But during his lifetime  he died in September 1963 at age 68  he was better known for other aviation photos. One taken May 11, 1932, recorded the dirigible Akron breaking loose while landing on Kearny Mesa. Several sailors holding onto a cable were yanked into the air. One fell to his death. Bishops shot was named the top news picture of the year by the wire services.

On May 15, 1941, he snapped a photo of a Marine paratrooper dangling in midair behind a transport plane, parachute entangled in the aircraft. A day later, in another award-winning moment, he captured a Navy fighter plane plunging into San Diego Bay.

In 1948, the National Press Photographers Association held a contest called The Best Picture of My Life. There were 900 entries. Of the 100 selected by the judges, three were photos by Harry Bishop.

Its gorgeous

Lindbergh returned to San Diego in September 1927, a hero for the ages. Everything was different now  for him, for the future of aviation, for the world.

Bishop again was on hand to take photos. Lindbergh circled the Ryan plant a couple of times in his plane. He rode in a parade to Balboa Stadium, where 60,000 people  the largest crowd in city history to that point  waited to see him. Schools were closed.

Lindberghs blossoming celebrity meant that the newspaper captions the next day didnt have to explain who he was or what the Spirit of St. Louis was, a sharp contrast to his earlier time in San Diego. To the Lindbergh scholars, thats part of what makes the newly found images from the test flight so interesting.

Its really nice to see the airplane when it was brand new, said van der Linden, the Smithsonian curator. I see it every day at the museum, and it has all the nicks and bruises you would expect. In the pictures, its pristine, literally right off the factory floor. Its gorgeous, just the way Lindbergh and (designer) Donald Hall wanted it to be.

Aldrich, from the San Diego Air & Space Museum, was intrigued by how few people are in the test flight photos. Most were Ryan factory workers. After Lindbergh made the transatlantic flight, he couldnt land anywhere without a police escort to protect the plane and pilot from the public and the souvenir hunters, Aldrich said.

Joaquin Ortiz, director of innovation at the Museum of Photographic Arts in Balboa Park, said he was drawn to the sense of urgency in the photos. They tell us a story we wouldnt otherwise see, he said.

Part of that story is San Diego. You can see Mission Hills in the background, see the factories, Ortiz said. Its a chance for us to reflect on who we were, and who we are today.

He added, People know about Lindberghs famous flight, but many of us dont realize the plane was built in San Diego. These images bring that to life in a way that text doesnt.

By the end of 1927, voters in San Diego had passed a bond issue to pay for construction of an airport. It would be called Lindbergh Field.

john.wilkens@sduniontribune.com
Leaders of San Diegos marijuana industry praised long-awaited state regulations unveiled last week as strict and comprehensive enough to sharply boost consumer confidence in dispensaries, cultivators and testing labs.

But they also expressed concern that the relatively high costs to comply with the proposed regulations could put legal operators at a disadvantage compared to illegal ones who can flout regulations.

And they said some of the regulations, which state officials plan to amend and finalize after a 45-day comment period that ends in June, badly need to be tweaked or eliminated.

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RELATED: Regulating marijuana in California will be turbulent, state official says

One such rule would require all dispensaries to choose whether they will sell marijuana to medical patients or recreational patients, but prohibit them from serving both types of customers.

Many fear that would sharply shrink the availability of medical marijuana, which will cost less because it will be exempt from new state and local taxes. Faced with a choice, industry leaders said they expect most dispensaries would choose to serve recreational patients.

A lot of dispensaries will choose recreational because the burden of going to a doctors office and the county Department of Health is going to inhibit a lot of people, said Alex Sherer, president of San Diegos United Medical Marijuana Coalition and operator of a legal dispensary in San Ysidro.

Other rules that have raised concerns include exacting new accounting and inventory standards called track and trace, outlawing free samples at dispensaries and requiring all products be pre-packaged instead of allowing sales from smell jars.

Sherer said the rules, at least in the short term, could encourage more people to buy marijuana on the black market because illegal dispensaries can continue to offer free samples and sell from smell jars. Further, he said, illegal dispensaries can avoid the costs of compliance.

There are a ton of new regulations and a lot of them will have significant costs, require more personnel and require more infrastructure, he said. And those are things that will put us at a disadvantage compared to the black market, where they will be focused on making as much money as they can in the little time they have left.

But in the long term, strict and comprehensive regulations make sense, Sherer said.

This will reassure the general public and politicians and hopefully show the federal government that everything is being regulated well, he said. A regulated market is a lot more competitive and prices should come down for consumers as the black market struggles and you have fine-tuned machines that people feel comfortable going to.

Scott Chipman, a marijuana legalization opponent and leader of the group San Diegans for Safe Neighborhoods, said strict state rules wont matter much if no one enforces them.

This is an observably lawless industry and regulations without enforcement are just suggestions, he said. The burden of enforcement has always been placed on local jurisdictions.

Lori Ajax, chief of the state marijuana bureau that unveiled the proposed regulations, told a group of industry leaders in San Diego this spring that the state may crack down on illegal marijuana operations once new state regulations are in place in January.

Chipman also complained that 45 days is not long enough for cities to analyze the 211 pages of regulations the state unveiled and then discuss possibly requesting changes during a City Council meeting before the state makes the rules final.

Jessica McElfresh, a San Diego attorney who represents many local marijuana businesses, said her clients have generally been OK with the proposed rules.

No one loves change, she said. But I havent heard anybody jump up and down and say that any one part of this was unworkable. I dont think there are any big surprises.

She said the regulations causing the most concern are the track and trace system, which require businesses to keep seven years of records and report to the state every transaction each day.

They want to keep very strict track of this and they want everything to be thoroughly documented, she said. The timelines are tighter than I would have thought.

But McElfresh said the rules are essentially requiring the marijuana industry to implement sound business practices, something that hasnt always been the case.

For people who are more used to handshake deals and not writing everything down, that may be a surprise, she said.

The rules also do a lot of clarifying and filling in gaps found in prior regulations, McElfresh said.

For example, on deliveries the proposed state rules say a delivery must originate from a brick-and-mortar dispensary, must be handled by an employee of that dispensary and must be done by cars with GPS tracking to ensure deliveries take the most direct route possible.

In addition, a delivery vehicle cant have more than $3,000 worth of marijuana or related products aboard at any time.

But McElfresh said the rules are a bit more liberal than expected in some areas, such as requiring background checks of marijuana business owners only if they own at least 20 percent of the business.

Greg Magdoff, owner of marijuana testing facility PharmLabs in Ocean Beach, said another area where the restrictions are relatively loose is requiring cultivators to get all 10-pound batches tested, double the five-pound maximum many expected the state to require.

That will lower testing costs by requiring them less often, which will help legal dispensaries stay competitive with illegal operations, Magdoff said.

But he stressed that the testing rules are far from soft.

A lab would have to either pick up samples at the supplier to make sure its representative of the larger batch, or they could bring the entire sample to the lab. And either way, the process would need to be videotaped and the recording saved for 60 days.

The proposed rules apply specifically to medical marijuana, with separate rules for recreational marijuana expected to be unveiled this fall.

But McElfresh said she expects the recreational rules to be nearly identical in most areas as state officials strive to have a unified system of regulations.

david.garrick@sduniontribune.com (619) 269-8906 Twitter:@UTDavidGarrick
San Diego Police Chief Shelley Zimmerman has had a rough run lately.

Citizens of her city were victims of a mass shooting, including one person who died. Officers on her force, performing admirably and with courage, had to literally jump into the line of fire to take out the shooter, Peter Selis, before he could do more damage at a poolside birthday party in University City.

The April 30 incident came just days after a report that the shorthanded police departments efforts to bolster its ranks have failed. SDPD has more vacant officer positions now than when it launched a plan to boost staffing five years ago.

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In both cases, Zimmermans own comments didnt make things any easier for her.

(Update: This notebook was written before the Saturday police shooting that resulted in the death of a 15-year-old at Torrey Pines High School.)

Less than 24 hours after the University City shooting, she seemed to conclude that there was no racial motivation behind the shooting, addressing the fact that Selis was white and most of the victims were black and Latino.

The victims just happened to be present at the moment in time when Selis decided to carry out this spontaneous act of violence, Zimmerman said at a news conference. There is zero information to indicate that race played a factor in this terrible and horrific crime. The victims were targeted for no other reason than their mere presence in the vicinity of the suspect.

She didnt give a cautionary addendum that this was the information law enforcement had at the time and that authorities were continuing to investigate the incident  including the shooters motivations.

Local African-American leaders immediately questioned how the police chief so quickly came to her conclusion, especially when Selis targeted a largely minority gathering while intentionally sparing at least one white person.

Some of those at the party flatly said they believed Selis, who had financial and relationship problems, was at least partly motivated by race.

Subsequent information may have shed more light the situation: The police department belatedly put out word that one of the shooting victims was a white woman, when earlier it said all were people of color. Also, police said the departments investigation showed that Selis could have easily shot other African Americans but didnt.

The department has since said the investigation is ongoing. Still, nothing so far indicates that Selis was motivated by race, police were saying as of Friday.

For the time being, concerns about a shortage of police officer seem to pale in comparison to the mass shooting. Regardless, this serious issue has been going on for years and to some officials, decades.

The city embarked on its five-year plan and came up with some creative contract provisions to give officers greater compensation but stay within pay-raise rules.

The strategy just hasnt worked out. Not only is the city not making any headway in filling 213 open positions, which would bring the force up to 2,039 budgeted slots, but applications are down by more than a third during the past two years.

It could get worse. Some 600 officers will be eligible for retirement in the next five years.

Despite these staffing shortfalls and pressures, its always important to note that San Diegos crime rate, while ticking up in certain categories, is still lower overall than it has been in decades.

Zimmerman told a City Council committee late last month that there were several likely reasons for the difficulty in attracting and retaining officers, with the key ones being the pay and benefits. Despite the enhancements in those areas, San Diego remains in the middle of the pack of comparable California cities, at best. Some officers have transferred to other law-enforcement agencies in recent years.

Zimmerman said its actually a nationwide problem, in part because of intense scrutiny of police actions, negative media coverage and the constant watching eye of cellphone cameras. Local disputes over police shootings and use of force have blown into national stories.

Critics, including some on the council, questioned whether there was evidence that backed up this blaming of outside forces. Further, the department has had its own disputed, video-captured officer-involved shootings, faced questions about racial profiling and confronted serious officer-discipline issues in years past  and theres no evidence that those issues suppressed interest in possible SDPD jobs.

Some officials have expressed exasperation not just at the problem, but the process aimed at fixing it.

The frustrating thing from a policymaking perspective is despite the attention over the last few budgets, we still dont have an explanation for why police officers are leaving San Diego, Councilman David Alvarez said on Wednesday. We havent rigorously analyzed the data we have to generate possible solutions. Without an evidence based approach to the problem, we dont really know what the best solutions at this point might be, or even whether the solutions we might pursue going forward will work.

Issa: Hard answers to tough questions

Rep. Darrell Issa and one of his aides have had issues with questions about the congressmans vote on the GOP health care bill.

When reporters asked Issa on Tuesday how he was going to vote on the bill, he told them none of your business rather than that he was undecided, which is what he said later.

After the bill was narrowly approved on Thursday, attention was drawn to the fact that Issa and a couple other Republicans waited until the end of the voting before casting theirs.

Matthew T. Hall, Union-Tribune editorial and opinion director, asked Issas spokesman Calvin Moore if he could confirm that the Vista Republican was the deciding 216th vote. (The bill received 217.)

Moore: There is no way to verify that. But even if so, it wouldnt make him the deciding vote since he could have voted yes or no, and the bill would have passed.

He derided the ridiculousness of the idea that Issa was a deciding vote.

Hall: Why do you see it as ridiculous? And why wait until the closing seconds to vote?

Moore: Other than being a 5-alarm-pants-on-fire-lie? How can someone be the deciding vote for something when the result would have been the same regardless of how they voted? In order to be the deciding vote, you must actually decide the outcome of something, which clearly the congressman did not. In order for him to have been the deciding vote, the outcome must have been incumbent upon his particular vote  which is was not  since he could have voted yes, or no and it still would have passed.The order is completely irrelevant to any outcome.

Tweet of the Week

Goes to NBC7 (@nbcsandiego)

By the grace of God shes alive. Doctor reads statement from family of shark attack survivor.
A high-neck blouse could just be a fashion choice, but it also could be hiding signs of something serious, speakers at the second annual San Diego County Commission on the Status of Women and Girls symposium said Saturday morning.

Such clothing could be covering signs of attempted strangulation, said District Attorney Bonnie Dumanis, who encouraged co-workers or friends to dig deeper if they suspect domestic violence.

All we have is each other, and law enforcement is not the answer to all our problems, she said.

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Recognizing the signs of domestic violence was among the topics discussed during the four-hour event Saturday, along with the effects of homelessness and human trafficking on women and children in the county. About 50 people attended the symposium at the County Office of Education, which began with a performance by the homeless choir Voices of Our City.

Strangulation occurred in 15 percent of domestic violence homicides from 2008 to 2015, said Deputy District Attorney Jessica Lees. The crime is not always fatal, but can cause brain damage, and its signs include red spots on eyes and voice changes, she said.

Senate Bill 40, which Lees said was introduced last year, would create a separate category for strangulation in domestic violence cases.

Chief Deputy District Attorney Summer Stephan and Victim Services supervisor Lisa Nugent of the District Attorneys Office talked about the effects of human trafficking, which is estimated to generate more than $800 million annually in San Diego.

They have complex trauma, Nugent said about human-trafficking victims. A person doesnt just wake up one day and say, Im going to do this.

Nugent said there is a need in the county for more emergency shelters for human-trafficking victims. There is only one, and it has five beds, she said.

The District Attorneys Office helps in other ways, however, including providing rent for hotel rooms with case workers.

Senate Bill 270, introduced by California Sen. Toni Atkins, who also attended the symposium, would require hotel and motel employees to be trained to recognize signs of human trafficking in their businesses. The San Diego Democrat also has introduced Senate Bill 230, which would allow prosecutors to use prior criminal activities in cases against human traffickers.

Homelessness is another problem that overwhelmingly affects women and children.

San Diego County has 23,000 homeless students, said Katherine Field, senior director of external relations for the Monarch School for homeless children. The school, in downtown San Diego, serves 166 families, with many of those headed by single mothers who were victims of domestic violence.

Citing successes at Monarch School, Field said attendance is almost 90 percent, and of 86 alumni who have graduated in the past 10 years, 42 percent are enrolled in a two-year college or trade school, 12 percent are at a four-year school and 19 percent are employed. Another 19 percent are disconnected from work or school, she said.

The San Diego Housing Commission has been working to improve housing options for low-income families, said Melissa Peterman, vice president of the commissions Homeless Housing Innovations Department. Some $64.4 million had been invested in supportive housing in the city, and 523 units were created while 1,853 housing vouchers were awarded, she said.

The commission also has been working with the city to house 1,000 homeless veterans, and Peterman said they have helped 680 and were working with the remainder.

Atkins said one bill she has proposed, Senate Bill 2, would provide $300 million toward affordable and low-income housing. Atkins said this was her fourth attempt at such a bill, but she was more confident about it because combating homelessness has become a greater priority in the state.

gary.warth@sduniontribune.com

Twitter: @GaryWarthUT

760-529-4939
Like many veterans returning from World War II, my father, David Shepardson, who had grown up in suburban South Pasadena, decided he wanted to be a farmer.

Mary Shepardson

After a few years on a lemon grove in Fallbrook, he, my mother (Marion), my younger brother (Philip) and I relocated to a promising, but largely undeveloped, agricultural area in eastern Poway known as High Valley. Entrepreneur and avocado expert Jack Sparkman, who had bought hundreds of acres there, was the man who enabled the move.

In May of 1949, we settled into an old house in the valley and began our new lives. There were no phones and access was by a poorly maintained dirt road that was impassible when it rained. Life was definitely an adventure.

Before Facebook, before the internet, before copy machines and faxes, before inexpensive long-distance calling, keeping in touch with friends and family far and wide could be a challenge. Moms solution: carbon copies of her letters. They were composed by typing laboriously on a manual typewriter, striking the keys hard enough to create multiple copies of her missives on thin onionskin paper.

This is severely condensed from a letter she wrote about seven months after we arrived in Poway. (Mom, like her daughter, was not a woman of few words.)

* * * * * *

Poway California, December 26, 1949, a warm and sunny day after Christmas.

This is the letter Id promised myself Id write before the year ends.

First a report on developments in our valley. We have sold 10 acres of our piece. This leaves us 35 acres, and plenty to put in the 10 or 15 more acres (of avocados, not lemons), to complete our planting plans. Although we have had a couple of fairly good rains, (about an inch apiece), irrigating has taken a majority of Davids time until recently. Hes hoping for enough from now on that the other jobs can be done on schedule...

The two freezes this month that have done considerable damage to California citrus and avocados, (and hit Fallbrook and Sparkmans ranch in San Luis Rey Heights again) did no damage up in our valley, although down in the Poway Valley the few citrus groves have smudged, and peoples flowers and vegetables are all frozen. My tomato vines are still alive and producing, though lower fruit and leaves got nipped. We think we have a real gem in this valley as far as missing cold is concerned.

One thing that helps with the cold, but is irritating otherwise, is wind. We had little but pleasant breezes until November, but since have had a good bit of hot (and cold) east and northeast winds [Santa Anas], which are very dry. The trees have not suffered much from the winds, but they seem to be annoying to humans.

As to the fauna hereabouts: Junior [our collie-shepherd dog] has taken to spending altogether too much time over the hill at the Warren ranch, where there are two other dogs. [The Warren ranch is now part of Lake Poway.] Guess were to blame, for we are gone every Sunday, and have no second dog now  The goldfish are thriving and the two cats are tremendous and sleek, despite getting only milk from the house. Guess I mentioned before that they get lots of gophers and mice, and hope they will develop a taste for rabbits. We consider them a fine investment if for no other reason than they annoyed a three-foot rattler into singing his fearful song as he lay coiled in the violets by the front porch.

David killed the snake with a hoe and we all had a fine chance to see and hear it at close range. Both sprouts have been on guard for snakes, and we took them to see them at the San Diego Zoo, but this really impressed them. The mother of our kittens killed rattlers and fed the meat to her kittens, so we hope Tooker and Pawny will get the taste, too. About 5 snakes in all were killed in the valley all year, and we have yet to meet anyone who has been bitten or had anyone in his family bitten...

I could go on for five more pages, must stop now, and as Daddy always did, say, GB and much love from all of us to all of you.

Shepardson is vice-president of the Poway Historial and Memorial Society.
Valery Seisky Saifudinov took the stage in Riga, Latvia, with a plywood electric guitar on New Years Eve 1962, burst into a set of Chuck Berry and Little Richard songs, and within months, people in Moscow and other major Soviet cities couldnt use phone booths.

The (word) spread so fast after we played the first time, said Saifudinov, a native of Latvia and an Escondido resident since 1993. The whole city was talking about rock n roll.

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The correlation between guitars and phone booths was a result of the sudden demand for parts, with kids dismantling public phones to build electric guitars as rock bands began forming in the Soviet Union during the early 1960s, he said.

Almost 50 years since forming what is considered by rock historians the first rock n roll band in the Soviet Union, Saifudinov still wears his hair in a shaggy black mane, still dresses like a rocker and still performs.

His most recent gig was Wednesday night at the Belly Up Tavern in Solana Beach, when his bandGo Go Boom Boomplayed a benefit forSan Diego Coastkeepers. They play again Saturday at theCoyote Bar and Grillin Carlsbad.

Saifudinov also will be featured in a documentary, scheduled for release later this year, about the effects of rock music on the Soviet Union.

Performing under the nameValery Seisky---- a nickname born from the way Russian youths mispronounced the words saints go in When the Saints Go Marching In as they sang along with him ---- Saifudinov sometimes is billed as the Father of Soviet Rock n Roll.

In the 1988 book Back in the USSR: The True Story of Rock in Russia, journalistArtemy Troitskywrote that after extensive research, he determined that Saifudinovs band, The Revengers, indeed was the first rock group in the Soviet Union.

Saifudinov shrugs off the distinction.

I dont care that I was the first, he said from his Escondido studio, Flight 19. I did it because I love the music.

Saifudinov grew up in Riga, the capital of Latvia, formerly part of the USSR. The country is on the Baltic Sea and had better radio reception than many Soviet states.

When I was 6 years old, my mother bought me a shortwave radio, and thats how I discovered the world, he said. We could hear Voice of America, the BBC, the pirate radio stations. I grew up listening to Little Richard, Chuck Berry, Elvis Presley and then later, Ray Charles.

At 13, Saifudinov and some friends decided to play the music themselves. A friend had a catalog of Fender guitars, and Saifudinov fell in love with the shape of the Stratocaster. He built the guitars body from plywood and dismantled a seven-string acoustic guitar for a neck while some friends worked on the electronics.

The tiny magnets needed to build pickups, the electronic device that amplifies the guitar strings, could only be found in telephone receivers.

Saifudinov said six public phones were destroyed to make one pickup.

There was one time in Moscow and certain areas that there were no working public telephones, he said about the number of underground bands that began forming in the USSR.

The Revengers rehearsed in a factory workers club, surrounded by Soviet slogans and posters of Stalin and Lenin. The friend who allowed them to use the room said they should play there Dec. 31, 1962.

The music at the New Years Eve dance took the adults by surprise, but the kids loved what they heard, Saifudinov said.

Teenagers began inviting the band to play at their schools, and the Revengers had two or three shows a month.

They usually ended with someone shutting them down.

Wed play, and then a teacher or director would check to see how its going, he said. Theyd see someone on stage screaming American rock n roll and theyd say, Turn it down. Of course, we wouldnt.

Shows often ended with the electricity shut off and the band finishing their set outside, unplugged.

Playing rock n roll wasnt the greatest offense in the USSR during the Cold War, but authorities did put pressure on musicians.

There was a big file on me from the KGB, he said. I was arrested many times. Cops would come in the morning, take me to the central police station, keep me there all day and say, Get out of here.

Saifudinov said a police sweep in 1970 resulted in the arrest of hundreds of youths, as authorities targeted anyone with long hair or a short skirt.

Conditions heated up more for him when fans started writing the name of his new band, Natural Product, on walls.

"(The authorities) thought it was an underground, anti-communist organization, Saifudinov said. When they found out it was a rock n roll band, thats when we got a lot of problems.

Saifudinov said he was threatened with exile from Riga, so he decided to leave the country. He moved to Rome before immigrating to the United States in 1975.

Joining forces with fellow musicians from the USSR, Saifudinov performed as part of Sasha and Yuri, a group that gained national attention as the first Soviet band to play in the United States.

Walter Cronkite reported on Sasha and Yugi, who performed on the television show Midnight Special and opened for The Band and other national acts on tour. The group didnt catch on, however, and disbanded.

Saifudinov opened his first recording studio in 1977 in San Francisco. In 1982, he became an American citizen. He followed his friend and studio co-owner Nick Binkley to San Diego County in 1986, and has been in Escondido since 1993.

Saifudinov last performed in Latvia in 2007, and his band is planning an Eastern European summer tour that includes a performance at the White Nights Festival in St. Petersburg.

He also will be featured in filmmaker Jim Browns next documentary, Rockin the Kremlin, which the director said examines how rock music helped end the Cold War and bring down the Soviet Union.

The film, funded by the National Endowment for the Humanities, also features an interview with former Soviet Union President Mikhail Gorbachev.The Grammy Museumin Los Angeles is planning to launch the film by holding a premiere and concert later this year.

I was lucky I wasnt tortured, Saifudinov said, looking back on the crackdown on rock music in the USSR. But I got a lot of grief for playing music. I wasnt a criminal. I wasnt killing anybody. I was just playing music I loved.
Isaac Densu lives in Broadwater Farm, a large, concrete public housing project in Tottenham, the gritty district where last years British riots began. Unemployment is high and young people face many temptations to get into trouble.

But Densu thinks he knows what might help: A good movie.

The film-loving 26-year-old says watching movies can help his neighbors expand their horizons and embrace creativity rather than violence.

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The idea was tested Wednesday, when hundreds of Broadwater Farm residents attended a free screening of La Haine (Hate), a powerful 1995 film about alienated youth on the impoverished high-rise fringes of Paris.

Some questioned the wisdom of showing a movie about brutality and gun violence in an area scarred by both. Not Densu, who helped organize the event.

"(I hope itll be) a springboard for people to redirect the hate they feel for the establishment, he said.

The main problem with disadvantaged areas is that they are little pockets that are disengaged from society, he added. Its about breaking them out of that shell.

To most people in Britain, Broadwater Farm is a byword for urban deprivation. In 1985, it saw riots in which a policeman was stabbed to death. The clashes became an emblem of tensions between London police and the capitals black community.

It also was the home of Mark Duggan, the man whose fatal police shooting last August was the spark for riots that began a mile away in Tottenham and raged for four nights - Britains worst civil unrest in a generation.

Residents say despite the August riots, the area has improved immensely since 1985, its high levels of poverty accompanied by a strong sense of community.

Still, there was some trepidation about showing a film that - while vivid, punchy and at times funny - offers a beak view of urban deprivation.

The films director, Mathieu Kassovitz, said the concerns were misplaced. He said the film was being shown not to raise chaos but to raise consciousness.

Kassovitz, who was in his 20s when he made La Haine, said he understood the anger of the young rioters who looted and set fire to shops in London and other cities, and felt they should not simply be called criminals.

There is a political meaning behind it, Kassovitz told The Associated Press from Los Angeles. You dont do that (riot) just to get a flatscreen TV. You break the windows of the shops that represent the windows of the society we are living in.

In the end, a festive atmosphere prevailed at the screening. Residents packed the community center for the movie, preceded by beat poets, break dancers, BMX bikers and graffiti artists spray-painting canvasses near the screen.

The audience watched intently as the black-and-white film unspooled, to a thundering live accompaniment by the band Asian Dub Foundation.

Resident Gary Williams said any event that involved local people should be welcomed.

A lot of people say they are going to do stuff and get people involved from the community, but they never do, he said.

Over the next few days, organizers are holding screenings of La Haine around Britain. In France, it will play Friday in the Paris suburb of Saint-Ouen before a downtown screening on Saturday, the eve of the countrys presidential runoff vote.

At Broadwater Farm, Densu plans to hold regular movie screenings, including ones different in tone from the hard-hitting La Haine. He mentioned the musical 42nd Street and the wartime romance Casablanca.

Its a film about love, he said of the Humphrey Bogart classic. We love here also.

-----

Jill Lawless can be reached at https://twitter.com/JillLawless
CHARLESTON -- When it came down to splashing color on the page, Waylon Schultz only saw shades of the same color.

Nevertheless, Waylon, a color blind Mattoon Middle School student, loved incorporating varying colors, mainly mixing them, into creating Blind Eye, his abstract art piece that became one of 100 finalists in a multi-state contest organized by the St. Louis Symphony.

The contest tasked kindergarten through sixth-grade students in public, private, parochial and special education schools systems as well as home schools in Missouri and Illinois with painting a piece of art based solely on one musical composition.

This year, the students created art to Dvoraks masterpiece, Symphony No. 9, From the New World, a slow piece.

For Waylon, that music called for color as a major component of the art. His oil pastel piece is bathed in a rainbow-like assortment of colors that all blended with one another. Waylon said he had the oils at his disposal organized by the warmth of color, e.g., red is warm and blue is cold.

He then called on the assistance of friends to identify specific colors he had in mind for the project, which spawned a complete accident in the bottom right corner of the piece.

My friend gave me what you guys call pink he said, which was not the intended color.

After making the mistake, he decided just to work it into the piece.

It turned out just fine, he said. It looked awesome.

He said he intended for the colors to get lighter as the color went up the paper continually.

Outside of wanting color across the page, Waylon said he does not remember much about creating Blind Eye.

It was weird how it happened, he said. I liked how my arms flew with the music.

Julia Colombo, MMS art teacher, called on her students to only draw what came to mind when they heard the music composition.

For Waylon, it was initially a starfish, but that idea was later scrapped. During his process, he then adopted a more abstract vision. So, he just drew, letting his arms move where they may. He described sketching out his piece as an out-of-body experience.

Colombo noted that when her student was either drawing or painting, he was so enthusiastic and into it.

While he was proud of his work, Waylon said that it came as a surprise that his work was chosen for such a contest.

The only thing I could draw was stick people, Waylon said when he was young. I used to draw ninja stick people.

Colombo said she could only nominate seven from her class each year and this is the first year that a Mattoon student placed as one of 100 finalists.

I think it is a huge deal, she said.

Waylon said the contest sparked a greater interest in him in being an artist.

It made me feel good about the way I do art, he said.

Blind Eye, along with 100 other pieces, traveled as an exhibit in April in locations across St. Louis including St. Peters Cultural Arts Centre, the Magic House, St. Louis Public Library, Schlafly Branch and Plaza Frontenac.

Now, the piece is back at home where Waylon said the 12 by 18 oil pastel painting will hang for some time.
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If you can collect it, a museum probably exists for it  from the quirky and quaint to the macabre and mysterious.

1. The Vacuum Cleaner Museum

The small town of St. James, Missouri is host to a museum of more than 800 vacuum cleaners, and the admission is free. Several of the first vacuum models, from the early 1900s, are still in working condition too.

http://vacuummuseum.com/

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2. Lizzie Borden Bed & Breakfast

If you have ever wanted to stay overnight in a bedroom where an axe murder took place, the Lizzie Borden Bed & Breakfast Museum is for you. The house is decorated as it would have been in 1892 at the time of the murders, and tours are given seven days a week. There are even psychic readings and ghost hunting events for the supernaturally inclined.

https://lizzie-borden.com/

3. Treasures in the Trash Museum

New York City sanitation worker Nelson Molina has saved thousands of items from the trash in his more than 30 years on the job. The massive collection includes typewriters, toys, instruments, art, glassware, and several artificial Christmas trees. Molinas museum of treasures doesnt have hours of operation, but visits can be arranged with the NYC Department of Sanitation at [email protected].

4. The Hammer Museum

Mans first tool is celebrated at this small museum in Haines, Alaska. The Hammer Museums collection has grown to include ancient instruments, medical mallets, and a Tlingit warriors pick unearthed during the erection of the building itself.

http://www.hammermuseum.org/

5. National Mustard Museum

This shrine to the versatile condiment has set out to celebrate the illustrious history of mustard since opening in 1992. The founder and curator, Barry Levenson, served as Assistant Attorney General of Wisconsin until the call of the stone ground sauce prompted him to turn over a new leaf. If you visit the Middleton, Wisconsin location, keep your love of ketchup to yourself.

http://mustardmuseum.com/

6. Dialysis Museum

Looking for a weird medical museum? Urine luck! You can find a museum for practically anything, as proven by Seattles Dialysis Museum. Less of a gift shop tourist attraction and more of a timeline and testament to the life-saving machine, the small gallery features models from the 1960s that were manufactured by the makers of ice cream machines.

https://www.nwkidney.org/about-us/dialysis-museum/

7. Museum of Death

The morbidly curious will have a hell of a time at the Museum of Death. Locations in both Hollywood and New Orleans display crime scene photos, replicas of execution devices, and the worlds largest collection of serial murderer artwork. Minors are technically allowed into the grisly gallery, but only mature audiences are recommended.

http://www.museumofdeath.net/

8. Museum of Broken Relationships

The original Zagreb, Croatia museum was, fittingly, started by a pair of artists who had broken up and who wished to display the remnants of their relationship. The Los Angeles location opened in 2016 and hosts a collection of sappy memorabilia donated by exes from around the world. The accompanying stories depict grief, revenge, healing, and (presumably) resilience. Theres even a gift shop.

http://www.brokenships.la

9. The Hobo Museum

According to Oxford University Press, a hobo is a migrant worker. According to the Hobo Code of the Britt, Iowa Hobo Museum, When no employment is available, make your own work by using your added talents at crafts. The museum displays such crafts as well as many other artifacts from the free-spirited American tradition of hoboing. There is even a hobo convention in which attendees vote on a hobo king and hobo queen.

http://hobo.com/museum.html

10. Ventriloquist Museum

More than 800 dummies await visitors to give blank stares and maybe a wisecrack or two at Vent Haven Museum in Kentucky. The collection, sprung from ventriloquism enthusiast William Shakespeare Bergers obsession, has grown to include Edgar Bergen dummies as well as a stunt double dummy for Farfel the Nestle dog.

http://venthaven.org/

See more weird museums in our 2011 article.
Cupertino-based corporate giants Apple will be releasing a new successor to their currently popular iPad pro tablets. The company will also be celebrating the opening of their new corporate headquarters alongside their tenth year anniversary of marketing their iPhones. Reports from the internet hint that Apple will be bringing out the new iPad Pro 2 in not two but three variants.

Internet leaks seem to suggest that Apple for the iPad Pro 2, will also offer a third 10.5-inch model part of their new lineup. The software giant will be holding their annual developer conference in California where they are expected to announce new operating systems for all their devices. Reports from Expert Reviews seems to suggest that Apple might not reveal their new iPad models in June but however, will unveil the new 10.5-inch variant part of the existing iPad Pro line-up itself.

There's no concrete reason for Apple to release any new products during their developer since it's mainly concentrating on their software side rather than the hardware primarily. Apple usually unveils all their products in September where they hold a dedicated product launch event in San Francisco every year. The new iPad Pro 2 tablets will be equipped with a better version of the existing A10 processor chips developed by Apple.

Meanwhile, other details from Inquisitr explains as to why Apple might not really improve any hardware on the upcoming tablets due to their usual upgrade period which is once in every two years. There is no precise information about their new iPad Pro 2 product whatsoever since the manufacturer decides to maintain all confidentiality behind closed doors.

That said, the iPad Pro 2 is an imminent update whatsoever, be it in its product size or the device, in general, itself due to rapid advancements in technology day by day. Alongside the iPad Pro 2, their other small device lineup like the iPad Mini products will also likely witness an upgrade very soon.
CHARLESTON -- Graduating Eastern Illinois University students were told Saturday they should find ways to reach their goals and help others along the way.

Commencement speaker Candace Smith-Tucker urged the students to think about the "impression you've left on the world" and find a purpose in their achievements.

"It doesn't much matter the path you take to the outcome but you do have to have a plan," she said.

An EIU alumnus who's now a director with the District of Columbia Bar Association, Smith-Tucker also told the students they might find some unexpected honors from their work and ties to the university.

"You guys could be here in like 20 years," Smith-Tucker said, referring to her place at the speaker's podium.

She also told of how she graduated with a political science degree in 1991 after 2 1/2 years at EIU, partly because of her family's financial situation but also because of her own drive.

Smith-Tucker also earned graduate degrees and a law degree but said she judges herself based on how she spends her life now.

"What makes me a successful person is not the degrees I hold but my desire to be a better person," she said. "At the end of the day, we're all striving to be productive."

She also praised EIU for helping a first-generation college student who knew only that she wanted to be an attorney.

"I just didn't know how I was going to get there," she said. "EIU turned out to be the best place I could build my foundation."

Also while at Eastern, Smith-Tucker said, she met people and made connections that she "didn't even realize" could affect her later on in life.

"I was being built daily without my even knowing it," she said. "I do not believe I could have done that anywhere else."

Smith-Tucker was the featured speaker at two of EIU's four commencement ceremonies Saturday, during which about 1,700 students were expected to receive diplomas.

The ceremonies also featured addresses by graduating students who composed essays and were nominated by faculty sponsors.

They included Hailey Tellier, an Oakwood native who received a degree in communication and disorders sciences.

She used an analogy from a video she once saw that illustrated the average number of days in a person's life with nearly 29,000 jelly beans. Some were then removed to show the time for sleep, work and recreation to reveal what's left for other tasks, Tellier said.

Time spent on community service will improve the quality of a life and EIU showed there are abundant opportunities to contribute in that way, she said.

"I can guarantee that you can tell how EIU changed you for the better, regardless of how many jelly beans you have," Tellier said. "How do you plan on spending this time?"

Also during one of Saturday's ceremonies, economics professor Linda Ghent received the university's Distinguished Faculty Award. The award is presented each year by the Faculty Senate to a full-time faculty member who has excelled in teaching, professional research, creative activities and service.
As'ad's Bio

As'ad AbuKhalil, born March 16, 1960. From Tyre, Lebanon, grew up in Beirut. Received his BA and MA from American University of Beirut in pol sc. Came to US in 1983 and received his PhD in comparative government from Georgetown University. Taught at Tufts University, Georgetown University, George Washington University, Colorado College, and Randolph-Macon Woman's College. Served as a Scholar-in-Residence at Middle East Institute in Washington DC. He served as free-lance Middle East consultant for NBC News and ABC News, an experience that only served to increase his disdain for maintream US media. He is now professor of political science at California State University, Stanislaus. His favorite food is fried eggplants.
Orofacial pain is a common complaint, with reported occurrence estimates of more than 39 million, or 22% of patients older than age 18 years in the United States.1 Orofacial pain occurs in the area above the neck, in front of the ears, and below the orbitomeatal line, as well as in the oral cavity (Figure 1).2,3 This type of pain also includes dental pain and temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disorders, making it widely prevalent with significant effect on daily life, including eating, drinking, and speaking.4

FIGURE 1.: Area affected by orofacial pain

Risk factors for chronic orofacial pain include chronic widespread pain with increasing age, psychologic factors, and female sex.5,6 Many orofacial conditions have overlapping presentations, leading to diagnostic uncertainty, significant morbidity, and high healthcare costs.7 Recognition and understanding of orofacial pain using an evidence-based approach is important for proper evaluation and management, often beginning with a dentist or primary care provider, with referral to specialists as needed.

ANATOMY

The main sensory supply to the orofacial region is from the trigeminal nerve.8 However, orofacial pain may originate from anatomical structures that are in the oral cavity or distant from it. Structures of the head and neck such as the meninges, cornea, oral/nasal/sinus mucosa, teeth, musculature, salivary glands, and TMJ may be involved. The orofacial region is highly innervated with sensory fibers, and the sensory supply is from both spinal (C2 and C3) and cranial nerves (CNs III, V, VII, IX, and X), with the cranial nerves also providing motor and autonomic supply (Table 1).2

PAIN

Orofacial pain can be episodic or continuous. It can be somatic or neuropathic in nature. Somatic orofacial pain is triggered by inflammation or direct injury and may be accompanied by symptoms of hyperalgesia and allodynia.9-11 Many types of orofacial pain are neuropathic in nature and can be triggered by local trauma or systemic diseases. Episodic neuropathic pain is characterized by short, electrical-type pain, or continuous pain with a burning sensation. The development of an inflammatory soup of bradykinin, histamine, prostaglandins, neurotrophins (nerve growth factors), and interleukins plays an important role in this process. These substances introduce peripheral vasodilation, increased vascular permeability, plasma extravasation, and migration of leukocytes to the injury site. Nerve growth factors encourage the release of neuropeptides, substance P, and calcitonin gene-related peptide.12,13 Therapies may be directed toward these processes with the aim of management. A cure may not be attainable.

PATIENT ASSESSMENT

History taking is of utmost importance in the diagnostic process. Obtain the patient's comprehensive medical, dental, and psychosocial history. Patients with orofacial pain may describe the pain as burning, lancinating, sharp, dull, episodic, or unremitting. The patient may experience paresthesias, dyesthesias, hyperesthesia, allodynia, or atypical odontalgia such as phantom tooth pain (chronic pain with no identifiable cause in a tooth or site of tooth extraction).14 Patients may complain of headache, tinnitus, vertigo, photophobia, phonophobia, distortion in the sense of taste, or bruxism.15 Determine the site of origin and radiation of pain and, if possible, distinguish dental from nondental origins of pain.

Often, patients with orofacial pain also have a significant level of psychologic distress and social dysfunction. Psychologic conditions may be present before pain onset or as a result of experiencing pain. Obtain a detailed social history including major life events, psychosocial stressors, and the patient's ability to participate in activities of daily living with existing pain. The patient may expect a pain cure although a cure may not be possible if the condition is chronic. However, recognizing psychologic comorbidities is essential for diagnosis and successful pain management. This requires a multidisciplinary team approach to support the patient's psychologic and physical needs.16

During the physical examination, focus on tenderness during palpation; trigger points of pain; changes in sensation; weakness; asymmetry; and examination of the head and neck muscles, TMJ, cervical spine, cranial nerves, ears, nose, throat, and mouth.17

Laboratory studies and imaging studies are helpful in some instances, particularly in differentiating local versus systemic causes of orofacial pain (Table 2).

DIAGNOSIS AND CLASSIFICATION

The complex relationship of physical and psychologic factors makes it difficult to correctly diagnose orofacial pain. An incorrect or omitted diagnosis is one of the most frequent causes of inappropriate treatment or treatment failure. Providers must identify the site of pain and whether it coincides with the source of pain. When these coincide, as in the case of acute injury or infection, the diagnosis is more easily identified; when they do not, the diagnosis can be elusive.2

Early in the diagnostic process, rule out serious, life-threatening intracranial or extracranial disorders or diseases that may require immediate care (Table 3). Remember that many intracranial structures are insensitive to pain, so a diagnosis may rely on concomitant symptoms and signs. Extracranial pathologic signs correspond better to the location of the pain and a cause may be easier to determine (Table 4).18,19

ODONTOGENIC OROFACIAL PAIN

Dental decay is a major cause of swelling and orofacial pain, and is the most common chronic disease of children ages 6 to 11 years and adolescents ages 12 to 19 years.20 Nine out of 10 adults in the United States have some degree of tooth-root decay.21 Initially, dental decay is asymptomatic but once decay is beneath the enamel, patients may have pain when their teeth contact hot, cold, or sweet substances. Similar symptoms may result from gingival recession and periodontal disease. If decay progresses through the dentin and enters the pulp, inflammation and infection may occur, with symptoms of deep, throbbing pain on exposure to hot foods or drinks that are relieved with ice or cold water.22 The cause of acute dental pain includes dental caries, irritation of the root surface, periodontal disease, dental abscess, cracked tooth syndrome, trauma, fracture, impaction, and eruption pain. Tooth decay, inflammation of dental pulp, periodontal infection, and abscess may lead to facial abscess and cellulitis. Prompt recognition and referral to a dentist is essential.

NONODONTOGENIC OROFACIAL PAIN

Dental symptoms may be referred from nondental structures. Referring structures may include aphthous ulcers, herpetic infection of the gums, and the oral mucosa. Orofacial pain also can be caused by pathology in the skin, sinuses, the TMJ, ears, and vasculature. Acute swelling of the parotid, submandibular, and sublingual salivary glands may be due to inflammation or obstruction of salivary flow. Salivary obstruction may be caused by dehydration, anticholinergic medications, or previous radiation therapy.22 Ductal obstruction may lead to decreased salivary flow and consequent bacterial or viral infection.

Cancer

Oral and pharyngeal cancers are among the most common cancers internationally, mainly due to the widespread use of tobacco and alcohol.23 In the United States, cancers of the oral cavity account for nearly 2.3% of cancers and patients with metastatic disease have a relatively low 5-year survival rate.24 The most common cause of cancer pain is local tumor invasion (primary or metastatic), involving inflammatory and neuropathic mechanisms.25 Early signs include nonpainful lesions such as leukoplakia and erythroplakia. Lesions present for more than 2 weeks warrant a thorough investigation, as early detection and treatment can reduce deaths from disease.

TMJ disorders

Problems involving the masticatory muscles, the TMJ, or both, and are the most prevalent orofacial pain conditions for which patients seek treatment.26,27 The TMJ is complex and its components include bones, ligaments, synovial fluid, disk, capsule, and the muscles of mastication (temporalis, masseter, medial, and lateral pterygoid muscles).

TMJ disorders are considered the major causes of nonodontogenic orofacial pain, are more common in young and middle-aged adults, and are twice as common in women than men.28-30 Pain typically is localized in the muscles of mastication and/or the preauricular area. Pain is described as dull, aching, and occasionally sharp aggravated by function such as chewing or yawning. Patients may show limited range of mandibular opening, deviation of the mandible on the affected side upon opening, and/or closing and TMJ sounds described as clicking, popping, or crepitus. TMJ disorders may be concurrent with headaches, muscle soreness, and other body pains.31,32 As these are common findings in the general population, often pain-free, and not progressive, do not overmanage these patients in the absence of pain and/or impaired function.33

Causes of TMJ disorders include direct trauma (mandibular fracture), indirect trauma (acceleration or deceleration injurywhiplash), microtrauma (grinding and clenching), anatomical factors including severe skeletal malformations, and systemic pathophysiologic conditions such as arthritis and fibromyalgia.

The goals of patient management include decreasing pain, decreasing TMJ load, restoring function, and improving patient quality of life. A management program should be conservative and include patient education, diet modification (a soft diet instead of hard food), use of orthotic appliances (occlusal mouth guards), physical therapy, and prescription muscle relaxants.

Episodic neuropathic pain disorders

Trigeminal neuralgia is a chronic paroxysmal pain condition resulting from segmental demyelination of trigeminal sensory fibers in the nerve root or brainstem.34 Demyelination can be a result of vascular compression of CN V nonvascular compression of the cerebellopontine angle, or myelin loss due to multiple sclerosis.27 The pain is described as severe, electric-like shocks, occurring unilaterally most often in the regions of the second and third divisions of CN V. When present, episodes of pain last seconds to minutes, with numerous episodes occurring daily; however, pain may remit for months at a time. The pain can be triggered by talking, eating, touching the face, and other sensory stimuli. Initial evaluation includes a complete neurologic examination that reveals no cranial nerve deficit, along with CT or MRI. Treatment options include medical therapy with anticonvulsants, the antispasmodic agent baclofen, or gabapentin. Surgical treatments include microvascular decompression, open trigeminal rhizotomy, and minimally invasive procedures such as percutaneous balloon compression, radiofrequency rhizotomy, glycerol rhizolysis, and radiosurgery.27

Glossopharyngeal neuralgia is a rare facial pain syndrome characterized by severe paroxysms of pain in the sensory distribution of the auricular and pharyngeal branches of the glossopharyngeal (CN IX) and vagus (CN X) nerves. The pain is unilateral, located at one side of the throat, ear, base of the tongue or beneath the angle of the jaw, and is of a deep, stabbing, agonizing quality.35 Due to the overlap of symptoms with other cranial neuralgias, glossopharyngeal neuralgia often is misdiagnosed. Clinicians should rule out this syndrome, as it is associated with life-threatening cardiac dysrhythmias. First-line management is identical for trigeminal and glossopharyngeal neuralgias but surgical treatment differs.36 Patients with either type of neuralgia should be referred to a neurologist or neurosurgeon for management.

Continuous neuropathic pain disorders

Atypical odontalgia is pain in a tooth or surrounding area in the absence of dentoalveolar disease, without the characteristics of cranial neuralgias, and with no known cause or mechanism. Frequently misdiagnosed, atypical odontalgia can lead to unnecessary treatments in an attempt to relieve pain. A patient presents with unilateral pain that may refer to other sites, occurs daily, and can be throbbing and burning in nature. The pain is not associated with sensory loss or other physical signs, and diagnostic findings are absent.37 The diagnosis remains controversial, but a neurovascular mechanism may be at play. Patients may respond to tricyclic antidepressants, calcium channel blockers, and antiepileptics, as well as topical medications such as capsaicin and lidocaine.27

Burning mouth syndrome is an idiopathic condition characterized by a distinctive bilateral burning or tingling sensation in the lips, palate, gingiva, or tongue. This syndrome is associated with taste disturbance and xerostomia. Patients have a normal intraoral examination and no known pathology in the orofacial region. The syndrome is described as diurnal but frequently is accompanied by sleep disturbance. Pain may become more intense upon application of topical anesthetic. The condition is commonly seen in perimenopausal and postmenopausal women and may include insomnia and psychiatric disorders, such as depression and anxiety.38 Burning mouth syndrome remains a puzzling condition and the pathophysiology is not understood. Therapy with low doses of anxiolytics, antidepressants, or anticonvulsants may be effective. Psychologic support also may be beneficial.39

Vascular and nonvascular cranial pain disorders

Vascular and nonvascular cranial causes of orofacial pain are numerous and may lead to disability or death. Diagnosis can be difficult, as these disorders have no pathognomonic features. Identifying worrisome signs and symptoms and taking a careful history are essential.26 The American Headache Society's mnemonic SNOOP can be used for screening and suggests the presence of a life-threatening disorder: Systemic symptoms or disease, Neurologic signs or symptoms, sudden Onset, Onset after age 40 years, and Pattern change.40 Vascular disorders that may present with orofacial pain include ischemic cerebrovascular disease, intracranial hemorrhage, vascular malformations, arteritis, carotid or vertebral artery pain, and venous thrombosis. Nonvascular disorders include high or low cerebrospinal fluid pressure and intracranial inflammation, neoplasm, or infection.26 Clinicians must pay close attention and facilitate a quick referral for patients with neurologic signs and symptoms.

Giant cell arteritis, also referred to as temporal arteritis, is the most common form of vasculitis. The cause is unknown. For the most part, giant cell arteritis presents in patients over age 50 years with moderate-to-severe headache, pain in one or both temporal or preauricular regions, polymyalgia, claudication of the masticatory muscles, and pain in the jaw and tongue. Superficial temporal arteries may be swollen and tender upon examination.41 An elevated erythrocyte sedimentation rate, C-reactive protein level, and temporal artery biopsy may confirm the diagnosis. Prompt treatment with corticosteroids is important to prevent permanent visual loss or stroke.42

Primary headache disorders

Migraine and trigeminal autonomic cephalagias (cluster headache, chronic paroxysmal hemicranias, SUNCT, and hemicranias continua) can mimic odontogenic pain and musculoskeletal pain.

Facial migraine may follow the diagnostic criteria of migraine without an aura, and is a typical migraine headache localized to the face.27,35 These unilateral headaches can be recurrent, and manifest in attacks lasting 4 to 72 hours. The pain is of pulsating quality, with moderate or severe intensity, aggravated by routine physical activity, and accompanied by at least by one of the following: nausea and/or vomiting, photophobia, and phonophobia.35

Cluster headache, most common in men, presents with attacks of severe, unilateral orbital, supraorbital, or temporal pain, or any combination of pain at these sites. Headaches last 15 to 180 minutes and frequency ranges from once every other day to eight times a day. The pain is associated with ipsilateral conjunctival injection, lacrimation, nasal congestion, rhinorrhea, forehead and facial sweating, miosis, ptosis, eyelid edema, restlessness, or agitation.35

Chronic paroxysmal hemicrania is more common in women, and is characterized by attacks of severe, strictly unilateral pain similar to the autonomic symptoms of cluster headache. These attacks present primarily with tooth pain that radiates to the maxillotemporal regions of the face, and are frequently relieved by indomethacin, thereby differentiating it from a cluster headache.35,37 Treatment includes initial oral doses of at least 150 mg of indomethacin daily, up to 225 mg daily.35

Short-lasting, unilateral, neuralgiform headache with conjunctival injection and tearing (SUNCT)/short-lasting unilateral neuralgiform (SUNA) syndrome are headaches with cranial autonomic features are rare types of trigeminal autonomic cephalagias, and may be episodic or chronic.35 Treatment has largely been based on case reports and series in the literature, and these syndromes are not responsive to treatments for cluster headache or paroxysmal hemicrania. Pharmacologic treatment with lamotrigine, topiramate, carbamazepine, or gabapentin has been used with some success. Botulinum toxin injections, nerve blocks, trigeminal decompression, deep brain stimulation, and greater occipital nerve stimulators have had varying success treating these syndromes.43

Hemicrania continua is a rare condition, more common in women, and characterized by continuous, fluctuating unilateral head pain present for more than 3 months. This type of headache has exacerbations of moderate or greater intensity, accompanied by a variable combination of autonomic features ipsilateral to the headache. A hallmark of this condition is the absolute positive response when treated with indomethacin with an initial oral dose of at least 150 mg daily and up to 225 mg daily as needed.35,44 Successful treatment of the underlying primary headache disorder may afford relief of pain in the orofacial region and patients may benefit from evaluation and management by a headache specialist.

Cervical pain disorders

Disorders of the cervical spine can contribute to orofacial pain and headaches due to biomechanical connection of head and neck structures.17 Some conditions associated with orofacial pain referred from the cervical spine include sprain and strain of the cervical spine, cervical radiculopathy, cervicogenic headache, and occipital neuralgia.

Eagle syndrome This rare condition is characterized by recurrent pain in the oropharynx and face triggered by swallowing, yawning, or turning the head due to an elongated styloid process or calcified stylohyoid ligament. Obtain a complete history and perform a cervical spine examination that includes inspection, palpation, range of motion, symptom reproduction, and dynamic and static resistance tests of the head and neck. Follow with an appropriate referral for further management. Individualized management goals are reducing pain, restoring function, and preventing recurrence. Postural correction, therapeutic maneuvers, manual therapy, and pharmacologic management involving analgesics, anticonvulsants, antidepressants, steroids, muscle relaxants, or local injections of local anesthetics or botulinum toxin may be considered.26

Sleep disorders

Patients' sleep can be significantly affected by orofacial pain and comorbidities.45 The interrelationship between chronic pain and sleep is complex and may be overlooked by clinicians treating orofacial pain syndromes and sleep disorders separately.38 Advise patients to follow a regular sleep-wake cycle, and optimize their sleep environment (a dark and quiet room with a moderate temperature and free of TVs and electronic devices).46 Patients should avoid intense exercise, caffeinated beverages, smoking, and alcohol in the 3 to 6 hours before retiring. Encourage the use of cognitive behavioral treatments or medications to improve sleep quality and refer patients to a sleep laboratory for evaluation, as appropriate.26

OVERALL MANAGEMENT

Orofacial pain disorders arise from conditions involving the head, face, and neck, and may require multidisciplinary pain management along with pharmacologic and nonpharmacologic treatments.47 Acute pain is often of dental origin and can be managed by dentists.48 Less distinct or nondental pain requires a careful history and physical examination, which guides the next steps; diagnostic tests, refinement of diagnosis, management, and referrals to neurologists, orofacial pain specialists, psychologists, and specialized health providers. Orofacial pain is associated with high morbidity, negative social effects, and prohibitive healthcare costs if not accurately diagnosed and managed.
Press Release

May 6, 2017 Cayetano presents facts on GPH's anti-drug war

Cites its gains during UPR pre-event Senator Alan Peter Cayetano on Friday (May 5) cited the gains of the Duterte administration's intensified campaign against illegal drugs before state representatives to the United Nations in Geneva, Switzerland. The senator is part of the Philippine delegation team attending the Universal Periodic Review to present the country's human rights-based development programs and measures adopted to fulfill its obligations to the eight international treaties ratified in the past years. In a side event three days prior to the UPR review on May 8, the senator spoke in defense of the Duterte administration's campaign against crime, illegal drugs, and corruption, which he said is being portrayed wrongfully in the international community. "If only there was a less political, more unbiased, and fair way of describing what is happening in the Philippines, we will be having a more constructive discussion rather than groups throwing alternative facts and fake news," Cayetano said, stressing that the government's main goal is actually to uphold the human dignity of every Filipino. Cayetano then refuted critics' claims that there had been a spate of extrajudicial killings (EJKs) in the country since the war on drugs started. He said that in the previous administration, there was a "low of 11,000 and a high of 16,000" cases of EJKs. Further, he noted that the definition of EJKs he is using is the definition provided by Administrative Order No. 35 under the Aquino administration, which defines extrajudicial killings as "killings wherein the victim was a member of, or affiliated with an organization, to include political, environmental, agrarian, labor, or similar causes; or an advocate of above-named causes; or a media practitioner or person(s) apparently mistaken or identified to be so." "Suddenly, during the Duterte administration, all killings are extrajudicial killings," lamented Cayetano. Cayetano noted that, of the 9,432 reported cases of murder and homicide during the Duterte administration, only 1,847 cases are considered drug-related. He added that since the administration's anti-drug war started, there was a 408% increase in the police's anti-illegal drug operations per day. Deaths under these legitimate operations were usually caused by suspects fighting back. For every 100 legitimate operations conducted by the PNP, only five are killed, he cited, stressing that the numbers are not as alarming as how critics are trying to portray.
Press Release

May 6, 2017 Sen. De Lima in defense of Callamard's visit

Dispatch from Crame No. 78 5 / 6 / 17 True to form, the Duterte Administration chose to react to the arrival of Ms. Agnes Callamard in an out-of-proportion and suspiciously defensive manner. She is here in the Philippines as a guest of FLAG, as an academic resource person, not in her capacity as UN Special Rapporteur on Summary Killings and, therefore, not in order to conduct a fact-finding mission into the EJKs. But, apparently, it does not matter whether a person actually did what the Duterte Administration is accusing her of--all it matters is that the President feels he has been offended and undermined, so they will take unnecessary steps to make life difficult for her anyway. Here is a woman who wants to help our nation and our people by sharing her knowledge and insights with members of our community, including legal professionals and students, and this is how the Duterte Administration responds--like they have something to hide. Like 9,000 victims of summary killings perhaps? This is the attitude of a guilty conscience. A truly upstanding and brave leader would have officially invited her a long time ago, without all the absurdly onerous and unnecessary conditions. But, of course, such a reasonable and just stance would be too much to ask from this Administration, which is too busy killing its own people to ever have the courage to look seekers of Truth in the face.
Press Release

May 6, 2017 GORDON PRESSES NEED TO BOOST RP'S MILITARY CAPABILITY Senator Richard J. Gordon pressed the need to strengthen the country's military capability to more effectively address the decades-long insurgency problem and terrorism, as well as defend the country from foreign threats. Gordon said the government must allocate the funding for the purchase of equipment, supplies and other logistical requirements to fortify the capability of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, including the Philippine Navy and the Philippine Air Force. "We have two major insurgencies in the country - NPA at sa Mindanao, dati may MNLF, naging MILF, tapos nagkaroon ng Abu Sayyaf or ASG. Ngayon meron pang BIFF, lahat na yata ng letters sa alphabet. Because our military's capability is lacking in terms of type and number of equipment including enhanced training, the manner we are addressing the problems have to be improved," the senator pointed out. "There is kidnapping by the Abu Sayyaf. We must go after them more swiftly and effectively! How can we defend our territory from foreign threats when we apparently cannot completely stop the insurgents? Kung magkagulo tayo doon sa tinatawag nating Spratlys, makakalaban ba tayo? So, importante na palakasin natin ang ating military," he added Gordon warned of the possibility that countries like Indonesia and Malaysia, among others, would enter Philippine territory to rescue their abducted citizens should the Philippine government's intelligence gathering capability not improve to end the ASG's banditry. "Baka mangyari dito yung gaya sa Operation Entebbe, na isang successful counter-terrorist hostage-rescue mission carried out by commandos of the Israel Defense Forces at Entebbe Airport in Uganda on July 4, 1976. They flew from Israel to Uganda in Africa and liberated the Israeli hostages. Nag-mukhang tanga iyong Uganda. Baka mamaya kapag di pa rin napatigil ang pag-abduct at pag-behead ng Abu Sayyaf, gawin din sa atin iyon." he said. Gordon again stressed that beefing up the country's intelligence efforts and conducting more advanced training for its personnel should be part of the building up of the country's military assets. "Even if people see hundreds of soldiers roaming the cities and the provinces, they still would not feel safe if they do not believe that the military has the capability to defend them and their communities. Tapos tinangal pa ang ROTC kaya ni hindi na tayo marunong mag-martsa. Noong araw, noong World War II, lahat ng mga ROTC sa UP, sa Ateneo lumaban sa Bataan kasma ng mga sundalo," he stressed.
Press Release

May 6, 2017 Koko backs Duterte's plan; seeks Ok of bill akin to ROTC Senate President Aquilino "Koko" Pimentel III today said it has become indispensable for the government to mobilize the youth in the service of the country due to growing calamities and security threats that have confronted the people. Pimentel said he fully supports the plan of President Rodrigo Duterte to reintroduce the defunct Reserve Officers' Training Corps (ROTC) through a similar training program in the school curriculum for the youth. He said he has filed Senate Bill No. 1322 recently to institute a Citizen Service Training Course (CSTC), establishing a Citizen Service Corps (CSC) and creating a Citizen Service Mobilization Commission (CSMC). The legislation gained urgency, he said, because of various emergencies and contingencies, both natural and man-made calamities, plus national and internal security threats that have confronted the people in recent years. The Constitution, he said, recognizes "the vital role of the youth in nation-building and encourages the State to inculcate in them patriotism and nationalism and to encourage their involvement in public and civic affairs." The proposed measure is designed to establish a comprehensive framework for the training and mobilization of the youth in order to instil a sense of patriotism and develop their love for country. When approved, he said, the law would draw the youth into the mainstream of national life by providing avenues for their participation in public and civic affairs through the establishment of the CSTC. The CSTC mandates a Basic Citizen Training Course for all tertiary-level students enrolled in baccalaureate degree courses or technical vocational courses in all public and private colleges, universities and similar learning institutions, said Pimentel. It would also retain external and territorial defense training as a foundational component, akin to envisioned goal on the creation of the ROTC under Republic Act 7077, as amended, he added. Pimentel said the course would be expanded to include trainings in internal security, law and order and disaster risk reduction and management similar to the NSTP under RA 9163. The controversies involving abuse and corrupt practices that have marred the ROTC and NSTP programs in the past, Pimentel said, are also addressed in his bill through the institution of safeguards. These are the creation of the CSMC to audit the utilization of fees collected for the CSTC, and to investigate cases of corruption, graft, hazing, sexual harassment, and other abuses in the program.
In the biggest donation of its kind ever made to San Francisco, the Tipping Point Community charitable organization is pledging $100 million to try to cut the chronically homeless population in half over five years  an ambitious goal for a city that has long wrestled with a street population teeming with people with seemingly intractable problems.

The money will be used to create permanent housing for street campers, improve aid for people with mental illness and other causes of homelessness, and help the city haul in more state and federal funding, according to the charity and city program directors.

The last one-night homeless count released by the city, in 2015, found that 1,745 of San Franciscos 6,686 indigent people were chronically homeless. Generally, that means theyd lived outside for at least a year and suffered from mental, substance-abuse problems or other difficulties.

Its this chronic population  the most visible and toughest homeless people to treat  that San Francisco nonprofit Tipping Point is trying to help.

Michael Macor/The Chronicle

The money is being raised privately and will be doled out to city agencies including the recently created Department of Homelessness and Supportive Housing, as well as to some nonprofits, said Daniel Lurie, Tipping Points founder and chief executive officer.

San Francisco now spends up to $265 million a year to address homelessness through police, housing, street-cleaning, counseling and other programs. Nearly half of that money goes toward supportive housing  rooms or apartments for indigent people, with counseling and other services on-site to help them conquer the troubles that put them on the street. The city has far fewer such places to live than people who need them.

Chronically homeless people cost San Francisco taxpayers about $80,000 apiece every year in ambulance rides, hospital stays, jail stints and other services  about four times what it costs to give them supportive housing.

Given the imprecise nature of biennial, one-night street counts, Lurie says the actual number of chronically homeless people in San Francisco may be closer to 2,000 than the 1,745 tallied in 2015. He hopes to have that down to around 1,000 by 2022.

Were seeing too many people on the street suffering. ... Its time we draw a line in the sand, Lurie said. Things have to change. Its no secret what needs to be done. We want to build on the great work that has happened at the city level and expand on innovative solutions.

The challenge is daunting. Project planners said they are still determining how much supportive housing to aim for, but any new project is likely to be greeted with mixed reactions and loud arguments.

The latest community meeting over a temporary shelter being proposed on South Van Ness Avenue is a fresh example. Several hundred people turned out Thursday night, many supporting the idea but a hefty contingent angrily denouncing it.

However, with the citys economy humming and Mayor Ed Lees new homeless department ramping up its efforts, Lurie said the timing is as good as any.

We wanted to do something that was a really big goal, he said. We do think if we dont take advantage of this moment, itll pass by very quickly.

Lurie said his 12-year-old organization, which raises millions of dollars annually to fight poverty, was nudged toward assembling the money when an anonymous donor came to its leaders and said, If you do this, you put the team into place, Ill kick-start it.

In six months, Lurie said, Tipping Point has raised $60 million toward the $100 million commitment. It was not as hard as I thought it might be, he said. At least one individual donation totaled $15 million, he said.

Lee has been exhorting philanthropists to help with the citys homeless problem ever since a donor gave the city $3 million in 2015 to open its inaugural Navigation Center, the first shelter of its kind in the nation to let occupants bring in partners, all their belongings and their pets around the clock while counselors direct them toward long-term housing.

Since then, Salesforce head Marc Benioff and others have donated a total of $30 million to try to end family homelessness by 2019. But nothing in the citys history, for homelessness, has been as big as Tipping Points promised contribution.

Daniel has stepped up in a big, big way, Lee said. This is going to be huge. I do believe well be able to cut chronic homelessness in half with this help. Im pretty excited about this.

Jeff Kositsky, head of the Department of Homelessness and Supportive Housing, called the funding pledge an act of love and compassion and a real game changer.

We need more tools, Kositsky said. We cant just build our way out of this problem.

The official launch date of the $100 million initiative is July 1, but Tipping Point has already dished out nearly $2 million.

In December, the charity gave $1.2 million to the Brilliant Corners nonprofit in San Francisco to start a program to help formerly homeless people living in supportive housing move out into less-intensive, more independent apartments.

That program, called Moving On, is similar to efforts in Los Angeles, New York and a few other cities that select residents who have recovered enough from their days on the street to live on their own without on-site counseling. The potential savings for cities are huge, considering that providing services in supportive housing costs about $20,000 per person.

Lurie and Kositsky said they hope to help at least 200 people annually leave the citys supportive housing network of 7,100 units  a sizable addition to the 800 or so who usually move out in a year.

Tipping Point also gave $612,000 to the Department of Public Health to add 34 beds to its Medical Respite and Sobering Center by July. The center houses former homeless addicts or people with acute medical problems for three to six months after they get out of a hospital.

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.

Next up for Tipping Point is determining how, where and when to construct new supportive housing. Such units typically cost about $450,000 apiece and take five years to build, but the charity and city managers will look into trimming that through such techniques as using stackable modular housing units that cost half as much and take a fraction of the time to assemble.

Los Angeles and Orange County are already moving forward with modulars. But Kositsky cautioned that the more densely packed real estate landscape of San Francisco makes finding space for that  or any other supportive housing  a thorny challenge.

Were looking at everything, but we dont have a site in mind right now, Lurie said. Its pretty early.

Tipping Points money will also be pointed at improving foster care, mental health, criminal justice release and other programs designed to keep people from skidding to the streets. The charity will pay for two outside specialists to help Kositskys department assemble a data system to track which services homeless people use. Thats a key step in making sure people get counseling and housing without being ping-ponged between programs.

Also at the top of the charitys to-do list will be helping the citys homeless-oriented departments attract more state and federal funding. Rachel Metz, who as policy director for Tipping Point has a key role in shaping the $100 million effort, said the city could soon pull in an extra $2 million a year for street counseling and supportive housing with more focused Medicaid applications.

And we think thats just a start, Metz said.

The city has focused on chronic homelessness before  most notably when then-Mayor Gavin Newsom created a 10-year plan in 2004 to eliminate a chronically homeless population of 3,000. The official count has since dropped by nearly half, but it has proved impossible to reduce it to zero.

Since succeeding Newsom, Lee has increased the number of shelter beds by 25 percent and the number of permanent supportive housing units by 38 percent. Between the two mayors, 25,000 homeless people have been housed since 2003, according to city figures.

But in the past decade, for every homeless person who has moved inside, another has taken his or her place. The record of frustration doesnt appear to daunt Lurie.

Especially in this time where we cannot necessarily count on whats going on in Washington, we need local action, Lurie said. We need to set an example, and what better city to do that in than San Francisco?

Kevin Fagan is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: kfagan@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @KevinChron
Jean Michel sat at the helm of his 47-foot sailboat, Aweigh, and gestured toward the calm blue waters of Richardson Bay off the Sausalito shore as he rhapsodized about life as the master of his domain.

For more than two decades, the nomadic native Frenchman has lived alone on an 83-year-old wreck he bought from a fisherman for pocket change and restored, only to later learn it had been designed by famed sailboat architect Olin Stephens.

Michel is part of a group of hearty sea salts known as anchor-outs whose futures are in question as Sausalito embarks on its latest peregrination in a half-century effort to rein in boating scofflaws, starting with an ill-fated attempt in the 1970s to get rid of hippie houseboats.

Michel and about 100 of his briny brethren live free from the tethers of society  and, in many cases, free of charge  on as many as 177 boats anchored illegally in the waters that lap against the picturesque Marin County city.

Michael Macor/The Chronicle

When you are at sea, you can be whatever you want to be, said Michel, 57, his long gray-blond hair blowing gently in the breeze coming in from the Golden Gate. You are connected to the energy of the universe, unconstrained by society.

That freestyle life has become a growing civic concern in Sausalito, where anchor-outs have been blamed for an uptick in drug use and crime, the clogging of the harbor with derelict vessels, damage to eel grass from dragging keels and the dumping of sewage.

The debate over the boats escalated last month when the City Council passed rules limiting the time a vessel can remain in city waters to 72 hours before it can be impounded. The rules, effective May 18, allow beached vessels to be removed, along with those carrying people deemed by law enforcement to be a danger to themselves or others.

Whether a big clampdown could follow is a matter of perspective. After all, Sausalito has for decades barred sailors from setting their anchors for more than 10 hours without a permit from the police chief. But that ordinance has rarely been enforced.

Councilwoman Jill Hoffman said the new law is not an attempt to clear the anchor-outs but to get rid of abandoned boats, which make up about 40 percent of the vessels anchored in city waters. As many as 70 decrepit crafts are removed from Richardson Bay every year.

Its an environmental disaster, Hoffman said. I dont think anybody in Sausalito has animosity toward the anchor-outs, but we would like to have better management of our waterfront.

Sausalito needs a clear set of local rules, Hoffman said, in part because the city is thinking about severing ties with the Richardsons Bay Regional Agency, which regulates county waters using fees collected from Sausalito, Mill Valley, Tiburon and Belvedere.

What could be seen as a simple fight over nautical rights is a deeper dilemma here because the crusty sailors, eccentric artists and roustabouts who live on the boats bring a certain diversity and distinction to swanky Sausalito. The wharf-rat element may not be appreciated in the hillside mansions and waterfront restaurants, but many residents would like to preserve it.

Yet the problems have been getting worse, said Lt. William Fraass of the Sausalito Police Department.

While there have been people living on the waterfront of Sausalito since the Gold Rush, weve noticed within the last six years more and more vessels and more boats coming into Sausalito waters, Fraass said.

He said the department had fielded complaints from a wide cross section of the community about crime, theft, drunkenness, trash, garbage, navigational hazards, boats being used as trash, boats being abandoned, and boats dragging anchor during storms and getting beached.

According to Fraass, the number of boats anchored illegally in Richardson Bay has nearly tripled, from an average of about 90 in the early 2000s to as many as 240 last year. While the figures include vessels floating off Mill Valley, Tiburon and Belvedere, he said the majority of illegal parkers are in Sausalito.

The aberrant bunch includes artists, musicians, ex-convicts, professors, fishermen, disabled people and drifters who live on yachts, aging sloops and junky schooners, some of which are seaworthy.

They use generators, solar and wind power to charge their batteries and board dinghies and skiffs to get to shore, where they stock up on supplies and eat at the local coffee shop. Many pay to have their bathroom holding tanks pumped, and some of those who cant afford the fee use a free mobile sewer service funded by the Richardsons Bay Regional Agency.

One of the more unique anchor-outs is Liberty Darling, a bubbly 11-year-old who steers a dinghy to shore to get to school at Willow Creek Academy and, when shes bored, climbs the rope ladder to the top of the mast and waves to passersby.

I love it here, said Liberty, who lives on a sailboat with Greg Baker, the 78-year-old former tug and fireboat operator who is raising her. Its really quiet and pretty.

Some of the anchor-outs would prefer to live in a real home, if they could afford it. Whats annoying, they say, is that nobody seems to get as charged up about the sneak-aboards who live full-time in fancy cruisers moored in Sausalito marinas, where owners are not supposed to sleep more than three nights a week.

City and community leaders have discussed building a mooring field for the anchor-outs where they could be better managed. There has also been talk of providing housing and services, but most proposals to force their removal have been met with anger.

The people who live here have nowhere else to go, said Darcy Chatoian, 53, who moved onto a 27-foot boat four years ago after a car accident left her disabled. I can understand cleaning up the meth heads, but there are good people here. You cant throw them out.

Another of the anchor-outs, a 68-year-old resident of a 40-foot cutter who asked to be identified by the nom de plume Christian Jones, said authorities are going after the boaters now that theyve tamed the houseboat community, a one-time bastion of revolutionary thought now dominated by homeowners associations and people who get pedicures.

In fact, the current brouhaha has its roots in waterfront high jinks that started after World War II when floating barges and ferries were recommissioned by beatniks, bohemians and, finally, hippies, who created a counterculture free-for-all.

The houseboat party scene got wild enough in the 1970s that the Sausalito City Council and the Marin County Board of Supervisors sought to crack down, prompting a battle memorialized as the Houseboat Wars. The trouble raged for the better part of a decade and featured fighting, sabotage, the bulldozing of houseboats and police raids.

The houseboaters eventually formed the low-income Gates and Galilee communities, accepting the condition that the former party sites comply with city regulations. Years later, the renewed focus on anchor-outs has been driven to a large extent by environmental worries.

The primary concern is the eel grass, said Barbara Salzman, the board president for the Marin Audubon Society, referring to the underwater plant on which herring lay their eggs, providing food for water birds. They drop their anchors and the tides make the boats go in circles and you can see the damage to the eel grass.

Moored vessels have been shown in aerial photos to create crop circles in the eel grass as they swing around. However, a study by the San Francisco Bay Subtidal Habitat Goals Project showed eel grass coverage in Richardson Bay increased from 13 acres in 1987 to 670 acres in 2009.

Critics have also accused the boat people of dumping sewage in the bay. But county testing has shown no significant contamination in the anchor-out areas.

The real problem is that this city has no garbage service, water, bathrooms or showers (for boaters), so the anchor-outs look scruffy and unwashed, said Chad Carvey, 53, who pays $150 a month for the mooring ball that secures the sailboat he lives on with his wife, Carolyn. If the city could take the noose from around our necks and meet us halfway by providing some services it would be huge.

Michel, who adopted the live-aboard life in Sausalito after 12 years climbing the corporate ladder at Club Med, said he might sail to Mexico or French Polynesia one of these days if he gets around to making some needed fixes to his boat. Still, he said, he hopes to be able to return, always, to his life drifting along the Sausalito waterfront.

Its a way of life, not a lifestyle, Michel said, lighting a pipe of tobacco in his cluttered yacht cabin as he brewed yerba mate tea. When I die, I want to be burned the Viking way, on my boat.

Peter Fimrite is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: pfimrite@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @pfimrite
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The French voters trickled into a bilingual school in Berkeley on Saturday, their relative order and calm belying the titanic presidential election slated to take place Sunday a world away.

Some of the early voters were international college students, recently relocated from France and voting in their first election. Others were longtime Bay Area residents and dual citizens, familiar with weighing in from afar.

All, however, felt it necessary to turn out for what many see as the most pivotal political match in a generation, rivaling Brexit and the American presidential elections in the potential to define Frances identity and international relationships.

More than ever, given recent events, I dont think people can afford to be indifferent, said Hannah Broido, 22, a UC Berkeley graduate. You have to choose a side.

Between the hacking attack on centrist Emmanuel Macrons campaign, and the recent bruising debate with far-right candidate Marine Le Pen, many said they had resorted to late nights and scouring French news websites to try to stay on top of the drama.

Helene Mialet, 49, a university professor in Toronto who also lives part time in Berkeley, said she stayed up until 1 a.m. to watch Macron and Le Pen face off live.

I thought it was important to stay in touch with my country, said Mialet, who also brought her 18-year-old son to vote for the first time Saturday. France is totally polarized right now.

Nowhere has that division been more apparent than on the prime-time debate stage where 39-year-old Macron recently called Le Pen a parasite who would lead the country into civil war, while Le Pen, 48, branded the former banker as a servant of big business who is soft on Islamic extremism.

Le Pen, whom President Trump has praised, would like to pull France from the European Union and has advocated for protectionist trade policies, cracking down on immigration and making the country militarily independent by leaving NATOs command to avoid being drawn into others wars.

Macron, whom former President Obama recently endorsed, has doubled down on Frances role in the European Union in the face of Britains decision to leave. He has pledged to keep up French operations against extremists in Iraq and Syria and to increase the defense budget in line with NATO targets.

I witnessed the Second World War, and I saw a lot, said Jacqueline Gallo, 92, who regularly votes in U.S. and French elections. Its a very important election  its important more than ever to come out against the far right.

For Khadija Bartlow, the most critical issue at stake in the election is immigration and keeping the country open to people from all different backgrounds. Bartlow, 45, was born in Morocco and immigrated to France as a child. The country was welcoming to her and her family at the time, she said, but as the economy has declined she has been troubled to see people becoming more hostile to foreigners, particularly those who arent white.

At the same time, Bartlow said she has friends, who also immigrated to France years ago, who support Le Pen and now favor restricting immigration in hopes of improving their job prospects.

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In some ways, I understand, said Bartlow, who is an elementary school French teacher in the Bay Area. Its like a cake we used to have for six people and now we have to divide it between 20  your piece is just going to be smaller.

As she left the polls and opened her car door for her 10-year-old daughter, Bartlow said that despite the campaigns vitriol and deep divisions between voters, she thought it was important for her daughter to come along.

I wanted her to see how important it is to give your voice, no matter your choice, she said.

The Associated Press

contributed to this report.

Cynthia Dizikes is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: cdizikes@sfchronicle.com Twitter: cdizikes
A Sonoma State University police officer shot and wounded a 22-year-old man Friday about two miles west of the schools campus in Cotati in an incident thats now under investigation by the Sonoma County Sheriffs Office, officials said.

The wounded man, whose name was not released, was listed in critical condition Saturday at a local hospital.

The incident happened in downtown Cotati about 2:00 a.m. as bars in the area were closing and police were dealing with multiple disturbances, said Sgt. Spencer Crum, a spokesman for the Sonoma County Sheriffs Office.

Cotati police asked Sonoma State officers to help them deal with the upheaval, Crum said.

Officers were approached by four women who told them they had tried to break up a fight between a man and a woman, only to have the man put a gun to the head of one of the women and threaten to kill her if she did not leave, according to the Sheriffs Office.

A short time later, officers heard gunfire in the area, but when they followed the sound of the shots, they could not find a victim or suspect, though they did discover four shell casings from a handgun, Crum reported.

A few hours later, about 4:45 a.m., a Sonoma State officer saw a 22-year-old man walk out of a creek bed near the 100 block of East Cotati Avenue and tried to contact him, suspecting he was the suspect from the earlier incident, Crum said.

The man ran and the officer gave chase, Crum said. The officer unsuccessfully attempted to use a stun gun to subdue the man before shooting him twice with his handgun, Crum said. It was not immediately clear if the man was armed.

The man was taken to a hospital, where he underwent surgery, Crum said. He was listed in critical condition and was undergoing a further surgery, on Saturday, according to police.

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The Sonoma State University Police Department declined to comment and directed questions to the Sheriffs Office. A university spokesman did not return a request for comment.

The officer has been placed on paid administrative leave, police said.

Last month, Sonoma State University quietly announced the impending retirement of Police Chief Nathan Jackson, who has been on paid leave since last June, shortly after he was accused of firing a handgun into a wall and repeatedly stabbing his stepson with a power drill.

Filipa Ioannou is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: fioannou@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @obioannoukenobi
Former state Sen. Mark Lenos jump into the San Francisco mayors race 2 years before the election is designed to raise big money out of the gate and give potential challengers pause before entering the contest.

If anyone can testify to the strategys effectiveness, its Leno  its the same tactic Mayor Ed Lee used to scare him away from the 2015 race when Leno was pondering a challenge.

Whether the get in early, get in big strategy works for Leno remains to be seen  but thats not the only thing he has going for him.

First up is the timing of the election.

Under San Franciscos new consolidated election calendar, City Attorney Dennis Herrera and District Attorney George Gascon come up for re-election in 2019  meaning they would have to give up their jobs to run for mayor.

Assemblymen David Chiu and Phil Ting dont have to worry about losing their jobs  they come up for re-election next year and probably will win. They could also use their Capitol clout to match Lenos early money. However, running for mayor in 2019 would mean theyd have to turn right around after one campaign and launch the next one.

Supervisor Mark Farrell is a different story  hes termed out in 2018, so, like Leno, hell be able to run for mayor full-time should he so choose.

Lenos early-in strategy is being overseen by the San Francisco consulting firm SCN Strategies, whose other clients include Lee, Sen. Kamala Harris, Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom and Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf.

We want to show that we have substantial resources and support, Leno said after announcing Thursday morning.

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His goal will be to raise at least $1 million by the end of the year and file an impressive first finance report by June  not an easy task, considering the citys $500 cap on individual donations.

Still, given Lenos long connections with nightlife business, the arts community, labor, progressives, LGBT groups and the Democratic establishment, raising money fast is eminently doable.

But perhaps the biggest boost for Leno so far is that Supervisor Aaron Peskin  the Napoleon of North Beach, who many thought was getting ready for a mayoral run  has decided not to enter the race, and will probably endorse Leno.

He is a very competent and compelling candidate, Peskin said.

On fire: Score a big victory for the politically potent San Francisco Bicycle Coalition, which won approval the other day for protected bike lanes along several blocks of upper Market Street  despite a Fire Department protest that the reconfiguration will interfere with ladder trucks in an emergency.

The design materially compromises the safety of firefighters and local residents, Fire Chief Joanne Hayes-White warned in a letter to the Municipal Transportation Agency commission.

At issue is a nearly mile-long strip of Market between Octavia and Castro streets. Under the plan, the city will install protected bike lanes in both directions.

The redo includes a bike lane on two blocks near Octavia that will be located next to the curb and be buffered from traffic by a lane for parked cars.

And therein lies the rub  because, as Hayes-White tells us, the parking lane will be right in the spot where a ladder truck would normally pull up to an emergency scene.

With the parking lane in the way, ladder trucks will have to stop under or next to Munis overhead wires, Hayes-White said. That will make it harder to lift the ladder to rescue people trapped in burning buildings, she warned, and will also create an electrical shock hazard for firefighters.

The chief also noted that Market is a major east-west artery, and the redo means it will be shut down virtually every time a group of fire trucks pulls up to an emergency.

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Muni, however, thinks the fire chiefs concern is overblown  particularly when it comes to her fears about truck ladders hitting the overhead wires. Were told Muni tested some ladder trucks and concluded they had plenty of room to maneuver around the wires.

Transit agency spokesman Paul Rose declined to discuss the tests, but said that overall, we believe the proposal is responsive to the Fire Departments concerns and ... doesnt substantially alter existing fire access.

The bike coalition lobbied hard for the the $9.7 million redo, which also includes curb bulb-outs and improved pedestrian crossings. The group showered MTA chief Ed Reiskin and the commission with 300 emails supporting the project and turned out a standing-room-only crowd for Tuesdays vote.

It was impressive by my book, said bike coalition spokesman Chris Cassidy.

The MTA commission agreed and voted unanimously to approve the new lanes, despite the Fire Departments concerns.

This is a whole new wrinkle with them not listening to us, said Tom OConnor, head of the firefighters union.

Mayor Ed Lee himself signaled his support for the biking crowd last year when he issued a directive pledging support for protective bike lanes in the city, and calling for at least 13 miles of additional bike lanes and related infrastructure annually.

Safe for bikes, perhaps, but maybe less so for anyone needing help in an emergency.

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
Democrats are guilty of excessive optimism if they think theyre going to wipe the floor in next years elections with the California House Republicans who voted to repeal and replace Obamacare.

Oh, the Republicans will catch grief in their districts over the next few days while the House is in recess, from constituents worried about losing their health insurance under the GOP bill that passed Thursday. But theres a good chance that the worst parts of the House bill  and boy, is there a lot to choose from  wont ever make their way to the White House for President Trumps signature, because they wont get through the Senate.

If thats what happens, the House vote will be just a memory by November 2018  and a very distant memory at that.

And even if Senate Republicans prove just as cruel as their House colleagues and kick millions of Medicaid recipients and other lower-income people off their coverage plans, the brutal political truth is that those folks voting rate is low  a lot lower than among older people, for example, most of whom have some form of coverage.

Those people will still have coverage even if the GOP plan passes. Some of them might be mad at the Republicans now  but if theyre not the ones who get hurt by repeal-and-replace, their anger will recede.

Great event for outgoing state Democratic Party Chair John Burton the other night in Chinatown. Everyone who is anyone is local politics was there  City Attorney Dennis Herrera, District Attorney George Gascon, state Sen. Scott Wiener, former state Sen. Mark Leno and Supervisor Mark Farrell.

In other words, just about everyone thinking of running for mayor in 2019.

But the most interesting thing I heard was a whispered conversation among some heavyweights about the possibility that Priscilla Chan could be persuaded to run.

Now that would be interesting.

Scott Strazzante/The Chronicle

The complaints about traffic get louder every day. The one consistent gripe: Ride-hailing outfits and those personal Chariot shuttle buses are clogging the streets.

Its not hard to spot an Uber or Lyft driver, even without a logo on the car. Hes the guy creeping along because he doesnt know the town, checking his cell phone GPS tracker to find his way.

Whatever public benefit we supposedly once got from ride-hailing services taking other peoples cars off the road has evaporated. We need to figure out how to strike a balance  otherwise, the citys whole transit-first policy is in danger of going into reverse.

Why is it that President Trump always needs to see himself as the winner in every dealing he has with any other human being?

Case in point: The agreement that congressional Republicans and Democrats reached to fund the government through September. Initially, the White House condemned it as no good. An hour later, the same complainers took credit for having achieved the compromise.

Too bad for Trump that he couldnt be seen as having decreed the deal by executive fiat. That practice, of which hes grown so fond, is reminiscent of how dictators secure their triumphs.

Movie time: Jeremiah Tower: The Last Magnificent. Finally, someone has made a film featuring two of my favorite subjects: food and celebrity.

We have here the story of how cooks became star chefs and how California cuisine turned food into a movement.

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At the center is the ever-engaging Tower, serving up food, style and controversy. From his early days with Alice Waters at Chez Panisse to his own creation, Stars restaurant in an alley near San Francisco City Hall, his pioneering efforts to use locally grown food helped create a worldwide phenomenon.

His is a true San Francisco story that should be seen and fully appreciated.

Board of Supervisors President London Breed invited me out to City College the other day to celebrate the success of its culinary school. I found out that most restaurants in San Francisco include among their employees graduates of City College.

Its a great source of employment from a tuition-free, quality program. Another hidden gem of the city that Herb Caen always said equals heaven.

Great line from a cabbie the other day as a guy crossed against the light, his eyes glued to his phone.

We used to have pedestrians. Now we have pe-text-rians.

Want to sound off? Email: wbrown@sfchronicle.com
The euro may open higher after Marine Le Pen conceded victory to centrist Emmanuel Macron in France's presidential elections.

Macron is set to beat the anti-euro candidate Le Pen by about 65 percent to 35 percent, according to the estimates of four separate pollsters -- a bigger lead than predicted by surveys before the election -- and one which removes the risk of France being led out of the currency bloc. Macron's victory in the first round sparked a rally in the nation's assets, with the euro gaining as much as 2 percent in its immediate aftermath.

With polls consistently giving a Macron lead of about 20 points, markets had largely priced in a victory for the centrist, meaning the scope for a relief rally may be more limited this time. Still, Le Pen's defeat removes a cloud that has been hanging over the shared currency for most of 2017, and will strengthen its longer-term outlook, according to analysts. Thin liquidity in early Asian trading could also lead to exaggerated moves when currency markets open at 7 a.m. local time in New Zealand.

"The euro is likely to gap higher by less than a cent as traders in New Zealand run stop losses," Sebastien Galy, a macro strategist at Deutsche Bank AG in New York, said in emailed comments. "In the weeks to come, inflows into euro zone equities should give the euro some support, but so will other factors."

The shared currency closed at $1.0998 on Friday, up 2.5 percent since the first round of voting on April 23.

UniCredit SpA, which currently expects the shared currency to finish the year at $1.10, is likely to revise higher the forecast if the second round passes without any surprise, strategists including Vasileios Gkionakis said in a note to clients before the vote. Nomura Holdings Inc., and Bank of America Merrill Lynch both expect more gains for the euro, with the Japanese bank looking for a rebound to at least $1.15 in the next three to four months.

The euro touched a six-month high of $1.10 last week, while French bonds and stocks have jumped since the first round of voting. The spread between French and German 10-year yields, seen as a key metric of investors' concern before the vote, narrowed to the lowest since January on Friday, down from a four-year high in February.

French, Italian and Spanish stocks have been the big winners from the drop in perceived political risk since the first round. The CAC 40 has gained more than 7 percent, while the FTSE MIB is up almost 9 percent and the IBEX is up more than 7 percent. This compares with a gain of 2 percent for the S&P 500 and of 3 percent for the MSCI World index over the same period.

"It seems that political risks have subsided considerably already ahead of the vote," Valentin Marinov, head of G-10 FX research at Credit Agricole, said on Friday. "This much could keep any gains fairly muted."

---

--With assistance from Blaise Robinson
Last month, one of the signature programs of Mayor Ed Lees administration was on the line at a stormy public meeting in the Mission District. Some 200 impassioned citizens showed up on a Monday evening at the Mission Cultural Center for Latino Arts to hotly debate a temporary Navigation Center planned for the neighborhood, with at least as many people unable to enter the packed theater. The air was rife with angry tension  some residents fear the center will reinforce the Missions status as a dumping ground for the homeless, while others support it to alleviate the misery on the streets.

Supervisor Hillary Ronen was in the hot seat that night, as an outspoken advocate for the Navigation Center in her district. With catcalls and cheers ringing out, she stood her ground, calmly explaining her position. She was joined onstage by several city officials, including Police Chief Bill Scott, Public Works Director Mohammed Nuru, and homeless program chief Jeff Kositsky. But there was a glaring absence. As Ronen spoke, somebody in the rowdy audience yelled out, Wheres the mayor?

Its a question that many San Franciscans are asking themselves these days, more than six years into Lees tenure as mayor. To many, the city seems rudderless as it undergoes convulsive changes. Lee lacks the dynamic and visionary leadership that it takes to manage the explosive growth thats been rocking San Francisco in recent years. As a result, the city seems less affordable and more difficult to live in than ever, with housing prices and evictions soaring, street congestion doubling and even tripling crosstown travel times, and class and social tensions rising. Many longtime San Francisco residents complain that the city doesnt feel like itself any longer  its become more callous and crass and less creative and diverse. And it no longer even looks like itself as generic, Lego-like office and apartment buildings spring up all over town.

Lee was missing in action again last week when city officials held a news conference to declare victory in their long battle to impose reasonable regulations on the out-of-control short-term rental market, with Airbnb and HomeAway finally agreeing to require their hosts to register with the city. The Airbnb settlement is a game changer, City Attorney Dennis Herrera told me, giving officials the tools they need to crack down on outlaw landlords whove taken thousands of long-term rental units off the local housing market.

Herrera, whose office outfought the massive legal power of Airbnb, was joined at the press event by Supervisor Aaron Peskin and former Supervisor David Campos, who took the lead in the political battle with the tech giant, as well as by Board of Supervisors President London Breed. But no Mayor Lee, even though he was notified about the event and had announced his support for the settlement.

Its no secret that Mayor Lee is very, very close to Airbnb investors like Ron Conway, said Dale Carlson of the Share Better SF Coalition, an anti-Airbnb business-labor alliance. He opposed all efforts to regulate the short-term rental market.

The mayors office explained his absence from the news conference at City Hall by saying he was attending the May Day immigration march: Standing with our immigrants was a top priority for the mayor.

Lee has come out strongly in defense of San Francisco as a sanctuary city, but on other burning issues, like the housing and homeless crisis and the exploding wealth gap, the mayor often is invisible.

Gabrielle Lurie/The Chronicle

Lee still has nearly three years left in office. But when Mark Leno announced his campaign for mayor last week at City Hall, surrounded by eager supporters and TV news cameras, it only seemed to reinforce Lees lame-duck status. Leno told the press that he stood for a new direction. He pledged to fight the real estate speculators who are forcing people out of their homes and to take on the deep-pocketed special interests that have made San Francisco unlivable for thousands of people. Though Leno dodged the question, it sounded like he was campaigning against Lee, who will be termed out of office in January 2020. Lees low poll numbers will undoubtedly make his legacy an easy target in the next mayoral race.

What is Ed Lees legacy as mayor? Peskin, who has clashed often with Lee, told me its hard to define because he lacks a commanding presence at City Hall. I was talking to somebody about a hot issue one day outside the Board of Supervisors room, and he asked me, Whats the mayor think about this? And I said, Why dont you ask him  hes standing over there. And I pointed to Steve Kawa. The mayors chief of staff is the true power in Room 200, according to many City Hall observers, with Lee often disengaged from major decision-making.

I get the mayors schedule of events mailed to me each day, and theres often nothing on it, said Peskin. At least with mayors like Willie Brown and Gavin Newsom, with whom I often disagreed, you had colorful characters  they both fit the picture of what a big-city mayor should be. But thats just not Eds style. I dont know what his vision is.

Newsom, who helped install Lee as mayor in 2011 when he stepped down to become lieutenant governor, stands by him. His leadership style is different than mine  but I thought it was a healthy change, Newsom told me. It was a welcome reset. Anybody can woulda, shoulda, coulda from the sidelines. But Ed had some major challenges. He had to drink out of the fire hose of rapid economic growth. And hes advanced some extremely progressive policies, including a higher minimum wage, affordable housing and the Navigation Centers.

As for the mayor himself, his office sent me this statement: Mayor Lee, while not as flashy as some of our previous mayors, is a nose to the grindstone guy with a vision to match his tenacity. His office pointed to the rehabilitation of the citys long-neglected public housing stock as one of Lees signature accomplishments, with nearly 3,500 public housing units and 29 buildings across the city being renovated and placed under the management of nonprofit organizations that specialize in this work.

Supervisor Katy Tang, a supporter, gave credit to Lee for devoting more resources to the homeless crisis but said shed like to see him play a more visible role in the life of the city. I would like to see him go out to the neighborhoods more often, even if he gets heckled sometimes. Hey, I get heckled, too, especially on housing and development issues. But thats the way it goes  you need to listen.

If Lee did show up to more community events, he would indeed get an earful  and for good reason. His hands-off, laissez-faire, let-the-market-decide approach to everything, as community activist Calvin Welch puts it, is out of step with a growing multitude of San Franciscans who feel scorched by the overheated housing market.

This mayor is pedal to the metal on market-rate housing, but hes presided over a shrinking percentage of affordable housing, Welch said. Ed Lee is more concerned about the six-figure tech worker than he is with the cafeteria worker in the tech office building who makes $35,000 a year. But its the service workers who make up the largest percentage of the tech industry. His priorities are exactly backwards.

Once upon a time, young Ed Lee stood for something else, fighting against the greedy landlords who were preying on the people of Chinatown. He was even called a communist troublemaker in those days.

Its sad Rose Pak is dead, Peskin said of the power broker who drove the rise of San Franciscos Chinese American community. Shed be screaming at Ed, reminding him of where he came from.

San Francisco Chronicle Columnist David Talbot appears Sundays, Tuesdays and Thursdays. Email: dtalbot@sfchronicle.com
Dig deep enough into Californias biggest problems, and youll hit upon a common villain: our court system.

Californias housing shortage, its poverty, its poor business climate, and its failing infrastructure all are explained in part by the failure of our underfunded, delay-prone courts. But in public narratives of whats wrong with the state, we have mostly let the courts dodge responsibility for their many crimes against Californias future.

Why? Our courts have been broken for so long that weve stopped expecting them to work. And so weve become too accustomed to blaming others  regulators, politicians, unions, businesses or even President Trump  for our failure to build a state that meets its populations needs.

But the biggest reason why weve allowed the courts to skate responsibility involves a public underestimation of their importance. While the courts account for a small fraction of the state workforce and budget, they have a huge impact, serving as a faulty foundation for our states economy and government.

Too often, Californians blame laws  like the California Environmental Quality Act  for costly delays in building housing or infrastructure, when more of the blame should go to the courts, Emile Haddad, the chairman and CEO of FivePoint, the largest developer of mixed-use communities in coastal California, argued at a recent conference at Chapman University in Orange.

Im one of those probably odd developers who say they love CEQA, he said, because it protects open space and adds to the quality of life. The real problem, he said, is the entire legal system. He recounted a project that got local government approval in 2003 and permits a decade ago, but still hasnt happened, as his company is now litigating its 30th lawsuit.

Such legal delays bear a heavy responsibility for our historic housing shortage and add to housing costs that are more than twice the national average. In turn, expensive housing is a huge factor in Californias highest-in-the-nation poverty rate and its persistent homelessness. Poverty is now highest in coastal areas with the most development restrictions, which produce more litigation and costlier housing.

The same court-related delays and resulting costs also plague transportation and water projects, and new businesses. The state courts so utterly failed to resolve Californias prison problems that the U.S. Supreme Court had to step in. And while Californians love to mock our years-behind-schedule high-speed-rail project, most of the projects delays involve the courts.

The delays are likely to get worse, as courts are being asked to do more with less. New state policies on sentencing and marijuana have created new questions and petitions that increase court workloads. And the courts still havent recovered from cuts during the recession that shuttered more than 50 courthouses and 200 courtrooms. Court officers in 49 of 58 counties warned in a February letter to Gov. Jerry Brown that without more money in this years budget, theyll need to cut existing levels of service.

The pressure on the courts would be even worse if the total number of court filings hadnt declined by 25 percent over the past decade. But that may be bad news. Almost all the decline has been in small claims, challenges to infractions and minor civil cases. Regular Californians have simply given up on seeking justice in our courts.

Inadequate funding and chronic underfunding of the courts is just one way a justice system can become unjust, warned California Supreme Court Chief Justice Tani Cantil-Sakauye in a March speech, noting that since 2011 the state has added 6,408 laws while the judiciary budget has stagnated.

I recently walked three blocks from my office to the Stanley Mosk Courthouse in downtown Los Angeles. Amid the glitter of new urban development, the court building is an eyesore, with visible scars on its walls and roof. Inside, nothing  from bathrooms to Wi-Fi  works particularly well. Lawyers receive trial dates more than two years in the future, court reporters are scarce, and overworked clerks scramble to keep things from breaking down. A lawyer acquaintance who took me around quoted Charles Dickens Bleak House, a 19th century novel about the delays and injustice of Englands Court of Chancery.

Broken courts, Dickens wrote, promote a crippling fatalism in society, a loose belief that if the world go wrong, it was, in some off-hand manner, never meant to go right.

Its way past time for California to pull itself out of this Dickensian muck. Yes, fixing our court system  making it the fastest and most efficient in the country  would be challenging politically. But it also would be relatively cheap, just a couple billion more dollars a year in a state with a $150 billion budget and a $2.5 trillion economy.

This budget season, lets return timely justice to the courts, and stop this crime against Californias future.

Joe Mathews writes the weekly Connecting California column for Zocalo Public Square. To comment, submit your letter to the editor at http://bit.ly/SFChronicleletters.
Carolyn Silacci is worried.

The Salinas resident has an 11-year-old son, Evan, with multiple sclerosis, an autoimmune disease that has landed him in the hospital dozens of times since he was diagnosed several years ago, including a 22-day stay at Lucile Packard Childrens Hospital at Stanford. The treatments run into the tens of thousands of dollars.

Silacci and her husband, Kevin, both get health insurance through their jobs  hers at a tractor dealership and his at an agricultural firm  and the bulk of Evans care is covered by their health plans. But Silacci is concerned that the changes proposed in the health care bill passed by the House of Representatives last week could lead to higher out-of-pocket costs for Evans doctors visits, MRI tests and infusion treatments.

That could happen if the bill  which must still be approved by the Senate  becomes law, health policy experts say. The GOP measure would allow states to opt out of requirements for insurance companies that were put in place by the 2010 Affordable Care Act, including the prohibition on annual and lifetime caps for essential benefits like hospitalizations, and the ban on charging sick people more than healthy people.

If a state were to seek such a waiver, insurance companies selling plans in that state would no longer have to comply with those rules. Although California is unlikely to seek such a waiver, employers here could adhere to the laxer requirements in states that did choose the waiver  potentially leading to millions of Americans seeing their work-sponsored health plans scaled back.

In 2009, 59 percent of U.S. workers with employer-provided health insurance were in a plan with a lifetime cap on how much it would cover, according to a Kaiser Family Foundation health benefits survey.

If insurance companies put caps on care, (Evan) would be capped out in one or two years if he had a relapse, Silacci said. Thats a huge problem for anyone with a chronic illness. Youll cap out quickly. ... Its a very scary thing for a lot of us who have children with a condition.

The bills passage in the House is prompting worry and anxiety for many Californians. Some are concerned they may face higher insurance premiums and out-of-pocket costs, or pared-back benefits. Both are very real possibilities under the GOP plan, according to health policy analysts.

The core function of health insurance is supposed to make sure when people get seriously ill, theyre financially protected, said Matt Fiedler, a health policy expert at the Brookings Institution. With these types of limits in place, thats not possible.

In addition to the bills proposed changes to lifetime limits, the measure would cut federal dollars to the states Medicaid insurance program, Medi-Cal, by up to $24 billion over the next decade, likely leading to millions of poor residents getting reduced benefits.

For me, that would be disastrous because Medi-Cal pays most of my medication costs and my doctors visits, said Paul Haskins, a retired aquatic biologist in San Bruno whose benefits are jointly covered by Medicare and Medi-Cal. Haskins, 66, has struggled to manage diabetes for four decades, and recently needed foot surgery to relieve persistent foot ulcers linked to his condition.

The GOP proposal would also restructure federal subsidies to the 1.2 million residents who buy their plans on Covered California, the state exchange. Moving from an income-based subsidy to a flat age-based subsidy, as the bill mandates, would benefit people in their 20s, who typically pay lower premiums, but hurt people in their 50s and 60s, whose insurance typically costs more. And the bill would allow insurance companies in the individual market to charge older people five times more than what they charge younger people; under the existing health law, insurers cannot charge older people more than three times what they charge younger people.

Thats the change thats the scariest because I dont know what insurance companies will choose to do, said Rich Jepsen, 61, who receives a federal subsidy to buy health insurance from Blue Shield through Covered California. When insurance companies are released from their obligations to provide affordable care, I dont know what that means.

Jepsen, a retired sailing club operator in Alameda, hopes that any potential changes in the law will not occur until after he and his wife Cecilia Trost, 62, a retired engineer, qualify for Medicare in a few years.

The opportunity for things to get super expensive from year to year are there, Jepsen said. With Obamacare, there were some protections. Now it sounds like all of that protection goes away.

An analysis by the Kaiser Family Foundation found that people in their 60s who buy on the insurance exchange, like Jepsen and Trost, would take the largest financial hit by the bills changes to the subsidies. That is because their premiums would go up more dramatically, while the proposed flat subsidy would not go as far.

While California officials embraced the Affordable Care Act more quickly and aggressively than many other states, the law is not without its problems. Many people who buy insurance on the individual market, as well as small business owners, are paying higher premiums for skimpier plans  with higher co-pays and deductibles  than they were before the law passed.

Following the implementation of the act, Paul Holton, a retired financial analyst in San Francisco, had to cancel his previous insurance plan because it did not meet the requirements under the new law. His new plan is significantly more expensive, but Holton said he does not need coverage for benefits like maternity care.

I had always picked and chosen what coverage I needed, he said. They told us wed be able to keep our old health insurance, but they didnt tell anyone that you can only keep it if it qualifies under the new rules.

Holton said the House bill is a start to fixing a flawed health care law.

There are a lot of problems with Obamacare and I think we have to deal with the issues and get the ball rolling, he said. The House did the easy part. Now its up to the Senate to do the hard part.

Catherine Ho is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: cho@sfchronicle.com Twitter: Cat__Ho
Soon after the House passed legislation to dump former President Barack Obamas signature insurance plan last week, a Democratic challenger in Orange County sent an email blast calling it Donald Trump and Mimi Walters Health Care Bill.

Swap the name of the Republican Irvine congresswoman for Reps. David Valadao or Jeff Denham in the Central Valley, Darrell Issa in San Diego County or Steve Knight in the rural reaches of Los Angeles County, and its clear what Democrats plan for the 18-month run-up to Californias 2018 congressional elections.

The Democrats will do everything they can to exploit the health care issue, and why shouldnt they, said Tony Quinn, a former GOP consultant who now works on the California Target Book, which follows elections in the deep-blue state, where the president has few friends.

San Francisco Rep. Nancy Pelosi, the House Democratic leader, made it even clearer in a news conference after the vote.

This vote will be tattooed to them. ... They will glow in the dark, she said. And well make sure that the public is aware of that.

Every one of Californias 14 Republican House members backed the new American Health Care Act, including seven who already have been targeted by the Democratic Party in 2018. While a number said they were undecided to the day of the vote, in the end they all succumbed to the nonstop lobbying by Trump and House Speaker Paul Ryan, giving the president the victory he craved by a mere two votes.

That doesnt mean it was an easy call. Issa, a nine-term congressman who barely hung on to his Vista (San Diego County) seat in an achingly close 50.3 percent to 49.7 percent contest last November, shouted, None of your business! when a Washington reporter asked Tuesday if he supported the health plan.

In a statement Thursday, Issa put the GOP spin on his vote, which is guaranteed to be draped around his neck by Democrats.

Today we made good on our promise to repeal and replace Obamacare, he said. Obamacare was a failure. Now is the time to make it right.

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The plan passed Thursday still must go through the Senate, but whatever changes are made there, GOP House candidates in California and elsewhere will be forced to run on the measure they approved. The plan would trim Medicaid funding and boost the cap on what insurance companies can charge older customers, while trimming costs for healthy young people.

It also allows states to seek waivers that would allow them to scale back benefits such as mental health and maternity care. A waiver also could allow insurers to opt out of covering people with pre-existing conditions like diabetes, heart disease and AIDS/HIV.

But the problem for Issa and other state Republicans is that Obamas health care plan hasnt been a failure in California, said Anthony Wright, executive director of Health Access California, a consumer advocacy coalition that opposes the new measure.

Republicans keep talking about places like Iowa, Tennessee or other places with legitimate questions and where the market is messy or only a small number of insurance companies want to do business, he said. But Covered California has 11 insurance companies participating.

Thats led some Republicans to talk around the effects in California and their districts. Knight, a Democratic target in Lancaster (Los Angeles County), said in a statement that the Affordable Care Act is failing across the country by making care more expensive and, in many places, severely limiting choices, but could only add that it will eventually fail in California too, without saying how, why or when.

Thats likely small consolation to the estimated 77,000 people in Knights congressional district who now receive federal help with their medical bills under Obamacare and could see those subsidies drop or disappear under the GOP plan.

The number of people who could be directly affected rises to 84,000 in Rep. Ed Royces Orange County district, 111,000 for Denham in Stanislaus County and 115,000 for Valadao in Kings County.

Add to that the hundreds of thousands of people with pre-existing conditions who could see their insurance coverage disappear or become far more expensive under the GOP bill and thats a lot of potentially unhappy people in districts where a small number of votes could have flipped the outcome. For Issa that was 1,770 votes, for Denham 8,000, for Knight 16,000 and for Vladao 18,000.

GOP House members in California already had targets on their back, said Thad Kousser, a political science professor at UC San Diego. This hands Democrats the biggest possible piece of ammunition.

Democrats already have a template for their campaign, which ironically was developed by Republicans for the 2010 midterms after Obama pushed his health care plan through Congress.

Attacking Obamacare and forcing Democrats to defend their votes on what already was a surprisingly unpopular program, Republicans grabbed 63 new seats and took control of the House.

In many ways this is like 2009, when the original Obamacare was something nobody really understood, said Quinn, the former GOP consultant. Republicans could talk about death panels and whatever ... its so easy to find something to frighten people with.

Pelosi and other Democrats already are claiming that if the GOP plan becomes law in its current form, it will end insurance for 24 million Americans, put a crushing age tax on people ages 50 to 64 and give a tax break to the richest people in the country by eliminating the taxes that supported Obamacare.

And since more than two-thirds of the people in California nursing homes rely on Medi-Cal to pay their bills, the proposed cut in the federal Medicaid program very easily could be spun as kicking granny out on the street.

The California Republicans who voted for what Democrats already are dubbing Trumpcare are likely going to get an earful this week during the coming congressional recess.

Theyre going to go home and their offices are going to be surrounded, Quinn predicted.

Republicans will be making arguments of their own.

The American Health Care Act, as amended, is a good first step toward putting control over personal health care choices back into the hands of individuals  not the federal government, Denham said in a statement.

But the question is whether that explanation is enough to persuade voters to keep him  and other Republicans in similar situations  in office in a district where Democrats hold a registration edge and Trump lost 48 percent to 45 percent to Democrat Hillary Clinton in November.

With their health care votes, House Republicans in California, said Kousser of UC San Diego, are taking a lot of political pain with no political gain.

John Wildermuth is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: jwildermuth@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @jfwildermuth
Oaklands difficult disabled list situation could be lightening up soon, as several injured players are progressing well in their rehab.

Starter Sean Manaea threw a 38-pitch bullpen session Saturday and said it was pain-free. I was really happy with everything, the pitches were there, the mechanics were good, he said.

Manager Bob Melvin said Manaea, who has missed one start so far while on the 10-day DL with shoulder tightness, was throwing 90 mph, which is good for a bullpen session, which is typically 3-4 miles per hour less than game velocity.

General manager David Forst said that Manaea will make a rehab appearance Tuesday at Triple-A Nashville, piggybacking with Chris Bassitt (Tommy John surgery), who also will be pitching on a rehab assignment that day with the Sounds.

With the back end of the rotation starters pitching well lately, there is no urgency to rush Manaea back if the team does not need to. Kind of buys some time for everyone else, too, and allows us to be conservative, with what weve seen from him here recently - drop in velocity and soreness. We need to be careful with it, Melvin said.

Whatever the case, Manaea will be back sometime in the next week or two, and catcher Josh Phegley is likely to come off the DL soon, too, possibly when eligible Thursday. Phegley, who is on the seven-day concussion DL, caught two bullpen sessions Saturday, so he is doing very well. The As are not likely to keep three catchers when he comes back, Melvin made clear Saturday. If we have a three-man bench, that would be tough to do, Melvin said, an indication Bruce Maxwell will be sent back to Triple-A Nashville.

Daniel Mengden (foot surgery) will throw 60 pitches in a rehab start at Nashville on Monday and hes fairly close to coming off the DL, but hes likely to be optioned to Nashville when that happens, rather than joining the big-league team.

Reliever John Axford (shoulder) is throwing a bullpen session Sunday.

Melvin noted that there are still some key players who not close to returning, including shortstop Marcus Semien (wrist) and reliever Sean Doolittle (shoulder).

Semien has been fielding grounders with his left hand but not throwing, his right wrist still in a cast. My legs feel great and my left hand is still available to catch the ball, he said. Whatever I can work on, Im going to work on. Im not going to sit around and wait. Im going to be smart and work on cardio, legs, upper body.

Semien said he will get his wrist checked the middle of this month to make sure its healing and he might be allowed to begin moving it after that if things are looking good. Semien had a hairline fracture of the scaphoid bone repaired April 18; a screw was put in to help the healing process.

Susan Slusser is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: sslusser@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @susanslusser
Patrick Calhoun had been preparing for days.

When it became clear that the streetcar drivers of San Francisco were indeed going to strike on May 5, 1907, the president of United Railroads, the company that operated the citys streetcars, called in a professional strikebreaker. On May 4, Calhoun and the strikebreaker hired 400 men to operate the cars. And then they waited.

The strike began on May 5 with hundreds of union workers walking off the job. Strikers flooded the streets, demanding an eight-hour work day at $3 per day. San Francisco, which was built around its streetcar system, ground to a halt.

Tensions were simmering on the morning of Tuesday, May 7. The strikers had found the building where the strikebreakers were staying, a car barn on Turk Street. They surrounded it, behind fences in vacant lots and nestled in the abandoned buildings in the area  places the earthquake had turned into perfect hiding spots the year before. Armed with guns, bricks and whatever else they could throw, the strikers waited.

The car barn opened, and six cars rolled out. As soon as they hit the street, the strikers attacked. Bricks and iron girders were thrown from the roofs of half-finished buildings. Some shot pistols. But the men brought in to break the strike were armed too, and they fired back, fearful their cars were about to be stormed.

Blood flowed in the streets of San Francisco yesterday as the result of the attempt of the United Railroads Company to operate its cars, the Chronicle wrote of what became known as Bloody Tuesday. Never since the lawless days of the 50s have such scenes been witnessed in San Francisco.

When the police finally regained control of Turk Street, two strikers were dead. One, 19-year-old James Walsh, was shot in the head. Another, John Buchanan, 23, perished from a shot through the stomach. Dozens more were injured.

If strikers hoped a display of force would shake United Railroads and San Francisco police, they were to be disappointed.

Policemen armed with riot guns will shoot down any strikebreakers on the companys cars we catch firing a shot to-day, the police chief warned in the Chronicle.

Public sentiment toward the strikers was split along class lines. Working class people  women in particular  were supportive. The Chronicle reports that women living at the Richmond District earthquake refugee camp attacked streetcars with missiles and occupied the tracks with babies in their arms. Middle and upper class women, who were more likely to use streetcars to get from their Western Addition homes to the commercial downtown districts, treated the strikebreakers like conquering heroes.

On May 9, two days after Bloody Tuesday, women came in droves to greet the strikebreakers. They showered the drivers in flowers, and one woman made headlines in every local paper for the most romantic episode of the great strike. The pretty young lady jumped onto a car, embraced a driver and allowed him to plant a kiss on her lips. The women went wild with excitement, the Chronicle wrote breathlessly.

For months, the strike dragged on. Along Mission Street and in Ocean Beach, strikers felled trees and power lines to block the rails. Calhoun and United Railroads kept bringing in more strikebreakers. Unfortunately for the people of San Francisco, those men werent ready for the steep hills they encountered on the job. Hundreds were injured  and 25 killed  in streetcar accidents.

The union strikers had one last big protest on Labor Day 1907. Five thousands strikers attacked the streetcar fleet. When the smoke cleared, one was dead from a gunshot wound. On Nov. 6, the striking United Railroads workers returned to the job. Thirty-one people were dead and another 1,100 injured (900 of whom were passengers), and the nations bloodiest streetcar strike was finally over.

The strike had long-lasting repercussions for the citys transit system. In the short-term, it destroyed the streetcar union, which had gone through $300,000 in strike funds during the action. It was officially dissolved in Feb. 1908. In the long-term, the strike displayed the problem with one private company monopolizing transit.

Determined to change the system, San Francisco voters took to the ballot box. In 1909, they passed a series of bond measures to pay for a municipal streetcar line  today known as SFMTA.
Jacom Stephens/Getty Images

A Stockton man has been charged with the December torture and murder of a Castro Valley woman, whose body was discovered when firefighters responded to a predawn fire at her home.

Luckie Dacany, 36, allegedly used a knife to kill Andrea St. John, 59, during the course of a robbery and burglary on December 12, 2016, according to a warrant filed Friday by the Alameda County District Attorneys Office. He then set her body and house on fire to conceal the crime, law enforcement authorities said.
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Winchester Mystery House, long a destination for tourists and school field trips, is now a movie set.

The bizarre 161-room mansion in San Jose is the star of upcoming supernatural thriller Winchester. Its human co-star? Dame Helen Mirren.

Mirren and the crew of Winchester began filming in one room of the San Jose mansion on Friday, reports CBS, and shooting is set to wrap on Saturday. According to People, most of production took place in a more spacious model of the mansion constructed in Australia.

When CBS asked Mirren what it was like shooting inside the real San Jose house, she replied, Far out as we used to say in the olden days.

Mirren plays Sarah Winchester, a rifle heiress who spent 38 years building and re-building her Victorian abode. The widower believed her home to be haunted by the ghosts of those killed by the Winchester repeating rifles produced by her deceased husbands company.

See also: 'Winchester' film starring Helen Mirren reveals plot details, second character

I dont believe in ghosts, but I do believe people can be haunted, and Sarah Winchester is a haunted person, Mirren told People in an interview.

According to a press release from CBS, the film also stars Jason Clarke, playing San Francisco psychiatrist Eric Price. Upon evaluating Winchester, the psychiatrist discovers that her obsession may not be so insane after all.

Winchester is set to premiere in early 2018.

Read Michelle Robertsons latest stories and send her news tips at mrobertson@sfchronicle.com.
WASHINGTON  President Trumps choice for Army secretary has withdrawn his nomination in the face of growing criticism over his remarks about Muslims, and gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender Americans.

Mark Green, a Republican state senator from Tennessee, said in a statement Friday that false and misleading attacks against him had turned his nomination into a distraction.

Tragically, my life of public service and my Christian beliefs have been mischaracterized and attacked by a few on the other side of the aisle for political gain, Green said, expressing deep regret over the decision.

Green is the second Trump nominee for Army secretary to withdraw.

The move to step aside comes after a video began circulating of remarks Green gave in September to a Tea Party group in Chattanooga. Green, who is opposed to same-sex marriage, said being transgender is a disease. He urged that a stand be taken against the indoctrination of Islam in public schools and also referred to the Muslim horde that invaded Constantinople hundreds of years ago.

Several Senate Democrats, including Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, declared they would oppose Greens nomination over what they said were intolerant and disturbing views. Democrat Tammy Duckworth of Illinois, a combat veteran who lost her legs during the Iraq war, said in a statement Friday that Green wasnt fit to lead the service.

Schumer welcomed Greens move to step aside.

Mark Greens decision to withdraw his name from consideration as Army secretary is good news for all Americans, especially those who were personally vilified by his disparaging comments directed toward the LGBTQ community, Muslim community, Latino community and more, he said in a statement.

Also Friday, a coalition of 41 organizations led by the Human Rights Campaign called on the leaders of the Senate Armed Services Committee to reject Greens nomination. The letter to Sens. John McCain of Arizona and Jack Reed of Rhode Island said Greens shameful rhetoric is at odds with the Armys core values and will affect recruiting.

Greens withdrawal underscores the challenges Trump has faced in filling two of the service secretary posts. The presidents first pick to be the Armys top civilian, Vincent Viola, dropped out in early February because of financial entanglements, and about three weeks later Philip Bilden, the Navy secretary nominee, withdrew for similar reasons.

Trumps decision to tap Green in early April represented a stark contrast to President Barack Obamas choice of Eric Fanning for the post. Fanning, whod been a senior Pentagon official, was the first openly gay leader of one of the military branches.

Richard Lardner is an Associated Press writer.
1 American casualty: The Pentagon on Saturday identified the Navy SEAL who was killed in a military operation in Somalia as Senior Chief Special Warfare Operator Kyle Milliken, 38, of Falmouth, Maine. He was killed during an operation Thursday against the extremist group al-Shabab. Milliken is the first American to die in combat in Somalia since 1993. Last month, the U.S. said it was sending dozens of regular troops to Somalia in the largest such deployment there in about two decades.

2 Teen shot: Two San Diego police officers shot and killed a 15-year-old boy who police said pointed a handgun at them as he stood in front of a high school early Saturday. Police received a call at 3:27 a.m. asking for a welfare check on a juvenile at Torrey Pines High School, said police Lt. Mike Holden. The caller said there was a youth in front of the school who someone should check on, the lieutenant said. Police believe the caller was the boy himself. The two officers arrived and saw the boy. He pulled out a handgun from his waistband and pointed it at the officers, Holden said. Both officers fired, striking the boy several times. The teen was taken to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead, Holden said. The boys gun was found to be a BB air pistol. Neither the boy nor the officers were immediately identified.
Twitter co-founder Ev Williams stood before an excited crowd Saturday at Pinnacle Bank Arena. Despite being more than 1,600 miles from his San Francisco house, Williams felt at home.

"I don't feel like a Silicon Valley guy," he told graduates at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln's undergraduate commencement ceremony. "Because at heart, I'm a Cornhusker."

The Clarks native spoke proudly about the curiosity that was instilled in him during his childhood on a rural farm and his brief time at UNL.

The crowd laughed along with Williams as he joked about his plan to have his children start calling him "Doctor," since he was awarded an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degree.

Williams' return to the Great Plains was especially meaningful, as the honorary degree makes him the seventh in his immediate family to receive a diploma from the university.

Although he said he had doubts about attending college after high school, he was positive that UNL was the only university he would want to attend.

"I knew I wanted to go out and be part of something big," he said. "I just didn't know what that was."

He attended UNL for a year and a half, but grew impatient and left school, deciding to keep searching for his life's purpose.

He was struck by inspiration in an unlikely place  Conestoga Mall in Grand Island. He picked up a copy of Wired Magazine and was moved by an article that encouraged him to think about technology's role in communication.

Suddenly, he knew what he was meant to do  he needed to create a way for people to easily share ideas.

Williams moved to San Francisco, where he began making contacts in Silicon Valley.

His first creation was Blogger, which offers an easy way for people to create online blogs and has more than 540 million users. He formed the company with friend and UNL alumna Meg Hourihan.

"We didn't invent blogging and we certainly didn't perfect it," he said. "But, driven by our own hunch that others would find it useful, we made it easier to do."

Blogger was sold to Google, where Williams continued to work as Blogger's CEO. He left in 2004, and several years later, Twitter was born.

Williams co-founded Twitter as a way for people to share ideas and knowledge through short, 140-character posts on the social media network. A company report showed it had 320 million members in 2016.

"I thought this was the key to making the world better: free idea exchange and more good ideas eradicating the dumb ideas that bring society down," he said.

While Williams hoped his creation would help spread knowledgeable information, he said the internet is a reflection of humanity, "it is just as good or as bad as we are."

Most recently, Williams launched Medium, an online publishing platform that a CNN report shows receives 30 million page views monthly.

He left Saturday's graduates with several pieces of advice: follow their hunches and be open to new ideas, believe in themselves, work hard and persevere, and always remain optimistic.

Nebraska, he said, is more than just a fly-over state. It's also a land of opportunity.

"You don't have to set out to change the world," Williams said. "Just set out to make something worthwhile easier for other people, and you just might change the world along the way."
WASHINGTON -- This is what laissez faire looks like.

Washington, in its wisdom, deregulated the airline industry and later looked the other way as it underwent a series of mega-mergers leaving a four-carrier oligopoly controlling 85 percent of the market.

And what do we have to show for it? Reduced competition; packed cabins; tiny seats; proliferating fees for food, bags and flight changes; outsourcing of maintenance; boarding delays; higher fares in many cases; labyrinthine contracts that protect airlines rather than consumers; and routine overbooking.

While airlines invest millions in perks for those who fly in premium classes, recent weeks have found United Airlines "re-accommodating" a paying passenger, a doctor, by hauling him off a plane, bleeding, to make room for United employees and American Airlines suspending a flight attendant who allegedly hit a mother with a baby stroller.

Congress summoned airline executives to testify Tuesday before the House Transportation Committee, and, while they offered the requisite apologies for the highly publicized abuses of the doctor and the mom, they offered Orwellian rejoinders when confronted with the ordinary abuses they routinely inflict on millions of travelers.

The overbooking that causes thousands to be bumped from flights they paid for?

"We view overbooking as something that actually helps us accommodate and take care of thousands more customers than we would otherwise be able to," said United Airlines President Scott Kirby.

The imposition of steep ticket-change fees?

"They're mostly about our way of offering low fares to consumers," Kirby maintained.

And will those checked-bag fees, imposed because of high fuel costs, go away now that fuel prices are low?

Kerry Philipovitch, American Airlines' senior vice president of customer experience, said that "we put our fees in place to give customers more options and more choices."

How considerate.

Bob Jordan of low-cost Southwest Airlines explained why his airline, unlike the big boys, doesn't charge such fees: "If you're going to travel, it makes sense that you can bring your clothes along with you."

The executives even used their appearance to request that Congress deregulate the industry further, asking for the government to privatize the Federal Aviation Administration -- there is legislation pending to put the air-traffic control system under the airlines' control -- and to relax regulations on how airlines advertise fares. "Y'all place a lot of stuff on us," complained United chief executive Oscar Munoz.

Such chutzpah at one time would have led legislators to re-accommodate the executives, United-style. But this GOP-controlled Congress, and the Trump administration, are all about relaxing business rules.

"I don't believe in overburdening our businesses," Transportation Committee Chairman Bill Shuster (R-Pa.) told the executives, saying only that Congress would act "the next time" if they don't police themselves this time.

Rep. Brian Babin (R-Tex.) assured the executives that "I don't like regulation if I can get away with it," while John J. Duncan Jr. (R-Tenn.) embraced the industry view that "more people are able to fly at lower prices because of overbooking."

With the prospect of legislative action off the table, committee members took turns complaining about their own aviation experiences.

Duncan complained about a maintenance delay this week in Knoxville. "It caused me to miss votes last night, and I hate to miss votes," he said.

Rep. Blake Farenthold (R-Tex.) let it be known that he has "elite status on every airline up there except for Alaska."

Rep. Jason Lewis (R-Minn.) said he just spent "30 hours getting from Washington, D.C., to Minneapolis."

Rep. Barbara Comstock (R-Va.) complained that an airline recently failed to notify her of a flight cancellation, and "I could have changed flights." And Rep. Steve Cohen (D-Tenn.) complained about the "teeny tiny, awful seats" on his flight Monday.

"I apologize that you had an uncomfortable flight," Philipovitch replied.

Here's what's more uncomfortable: The abuses of the unfettered airline industry, and Washington's refusal to do anything about them, are typical.

Nearly a decade after the financial crisis, corporate chieftains are again astride the country like a colossus, while workers and customers languish. President Trump promised to help the forgotten man, but his solutions do the opposite: repealing banking reforms, granting large tax cuts to the wealthy, and cutting government efforts to protect workers and consumers.

And passengers. At Tuesday's hearing, the chairman, Shuster, offered the perverse suggestion that Congress help airlines and other industries by enacting tort reform so that they wouldn't face so many "damn lawsuits" from pesky customers.

It was a revealing proposal. Airlines are caught abusing passengers in graphic ways, and the top House lawmaker overseeing the industry responds by proposing a crackdown -- on passengers.
San Jose police exchanged gunfire with a man in one of the citys eastern neighborhoods Sunday morning before chasing and arresting him, officials say.

No one was injured in the tense exchange that startled neighbors in a nearby mobile home park. The incident unfolded around 8 a.m. when police responded to a report of a suspicious person armed with a handgun. The man, whose name has not been released, was believed to be casing the Big 5 Sporting Goods store on Tully Road, San Jose Police Chief Eddie Garcia said Sunday night.

Police said that when officers got to the scene, the man opened fire on them with a stolen .45-caliber pistol, prompting one of the officers to return fire. The pistol had been reported stolen in a 2013 burglary, Garcia said.

The gunman then took off running and jumped a fence into a nearby mobile home park, police said. Officers found the man and arrested him without incident moments later. The pistol was found near the fence.

The actions of this suspect were appalling, and the continued violence toward law enforcement officers is equally appalling, Garcia said. We are very lucky we didnt lose an officer today.

The man was booked in the Santa Clara County Jail on three counts of attempted murder of a police officer and one count of having a stolen handgun, police said.

The man has previously been charged for narcotics, assault and robbery, and he has a history of mental illness, police said. He is believed to have been homeless and living in the neighborhood, Garcia said.

The officer who returned fire, a 16-year department veteran, was placed on routine paid administrative leave. The Santa Clara County district attorney and San Jose police detectives plan to look into the circumstances of the incident.

The shooting comes after two deadly officer-involved shootings in San Jose last week. On Tuesday, San Jose police shot and killed 28-year-old Joseph Tourino, who they said charged them with kitchen knives as they were responding to a domestic dispute.

Then on Thursday, San Jose police shot and killed a 24-year-old armed man who they said had shot and killed his ex-girlfriends parents inside a home in the citys upscale Willow Glen neighborhood.

Lizzie Johnson and Evan Sernoffsky are San Francisco Chronicle staff writers. Emails: ljohnson@sfchronicle.com, esernoffsky@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @LizzieJohnsonnn, @EvanSernoffsky
Health and Human Services Committee Chairman Merv Riepe announced to state senators last week that child welfare services in the Omaha and Sarpy County area could be in jeopardy.

The state withdrew its intention to award a five-year, $70 million-a-year contract to Nebraska Families Collaborative on Thursday and rejected all bids after an opposing bidder filed a challenge to the bid award.

The lack of a contract could lead to a gap in services for vulnerable children and families beginning in July, Riepe said. The department is attempting to negotiate a one-year emergency contract with Nebraska Families Collaborative, and then to restart the bidding process, he said.

HHS spokesman Russ Reno said Friday the department will seek an exception to competitive bidding to pursue a short-term emergency written agreement for the child welfare services in Douglas and Sarpy counties. There's not enough time to resolve the protest from Magellan Choices for Families and negotiate a new contract, Reno said.

In the challenge, Magellan protested that the state's calculation of the bids was incorrect, and didn't consider all the pricing information. And Magellan contended NFC did not meet bid requirements.

In the evaluation of NFC and Magellan, less than one point separated the two. And Magellan officials believe proper application of scoring criteria would result in it being the top bidder.

Children and Family Services Director Doug Weinberg told Riepe an emergency contract should be in place almost immediately.

But it appears it is not a done deal.

Dave Newell, president and CEO of Nebraska Families Collaborative said he was "extremely" disappointed with the state's decision to withdraw its intent to award the contract. Awarding the contract to NFC is in the best interest of children and families in the child welfare system in the eastern area, he said.

Further delay causes uncertainty and anxiety for those children and families, and for employees and service providers, Newell said.

One of those providers, Karen Authier, executive director at Nebraska Children's Home Society in Omaha, is concerned about the impact the decision will have.

The providers in the area that she had talked to were pleased when NFC was awarded the contract.

"There are some programs in place. We have working relationships with case workers, supervisors, everyone in that system," she said. "And to play market basket upset as of July 1 would throw the whole system into disarray."

Case management and payment processes would be disrupted, she said.

NFC is doing beneficial innovative projects with providers that are keeping kids out of the system or moving them to reunification or adoption, she said.

Reno said if the state is able to negotiate a short-term contract, it will then develop a new request for proposals, and evaluate the best way to move forward to provide services and ensure stability in the eastern service area.

The Omaha area is the last one to continue with a private lead contractor for child welfare. That concept failed in the rest of the state and HHS took over case management in all other areas.

A consultant that evaluated privatization in 2014 concluded the reform effort was not "experiencing any measurable benefits."

Hornby Zeller Associates' evaluation focused on Nebraska Families Collaborative.

Privatization started in earnest in 2009 with five lead contractors, and lasted only a couple of years in all but the Omaha area, where NFC continues to contract for child welfare services and case management.

The price of the NFC contract has gone up substantially in the past four years. The state paid the collaborative $53.8 million for the 2012-13 fiscal year.

The five-year contract with two, one-year renewal options, was to be a cost reimbursement-based agreement not exceeding $71.5 million a year.

NFC began providing services in 2009, when founding partners Boys Town, Child Saving Institute, OMNI Behavioral Health, Heartland Family Services and Nebraska Family Support Network formed Nebraska Families Collaborative.
MOUNT PLEASANT  At the Racine County Economic Development Corp.s annual event held Thursday at the Racine Architect Hotel & Conference Center, 7111 Washington Ave., RCEDC presented four annual awards related to economic development.

Those awards presented in recognition of accomplishments in 2016 were:

The Sam Johnson Volunteer of the Year Award was presented by Connor Leipold of SC Johnson, grandson of the late Sam Johnson, to John Kis, a lender with Tri City National Bank. Kis was selected for years of volunteer service with RCEDC on the RCEDC Loan Committee, RCEDC Advisory Committee and Racine Development Loan Committee. Kis has also given many other types of volunteer service to various parts of the community.

The Lender of the Year Award went to Thomas Moore of Johnson Bank as a result of the number of RCEDC loans that were approved in partnership with Johnson Bank in 2016.

The Workforce Solutions Project of the Year Award went to Steve and Lisa Novak of The Grind Cafe for the establishment of The Training Grounds. Training Grounds is a partnership between Racine County Workforce Solutions and The Grind and included the creation of a coffee shop in the Racine County Workforce Solutions building, 1717 Taylor Ave.

DeBack Farms Business Park, located near Interstate 94 and Highway K in Caledonia, was named Business Development Project of the Year.
MANILA  A bomb explosion that killed two people in a Muslim community in Manila was sparked by a personal feud, Philippine police officials said Sunday. But the Islamic State group said its fighters were responsible.

Police said a package being delivered by a man exploded late Saturday in Manilas Quiapo district, killing him and the recipient at a Shiite center. Police said four others were wounded.

Another explosive, either a homemade bomb or a grenade, detonated two hours later near the scene of the first blast and wounded two officers deployed to help secure the area and investigate the bombing, according to authorities.

Manila police Chief Oscar Albayalde said the bombing apparently was set off by a personal feud, adding the package that contained the explosive was intended for a specific person who may have been the target of the attack.

Albayalde called for public vigilance following the assault, the second in more than a week in Quiapo, a popular transportation, shopping and religious hub.

The Islamic State group, through its Aamaq media arm, claimed responsibility for the explosion, saying in a statement that five Shiites have been killed and six others injured by detonating an explosive device by the Islamic State fighters in central Manila.

The death toll differed from details released by the police and other officials in Manila.

There have been fears of the Sunni-Shiite violence spreading to the largely Roman Catholic Philippines, home to minority Muslims who are mostly Sunnis in the countrys south. A Shiite center was bombed in the south in 2015 and two local Shiites were killed in an attack near Manila that same year.

A pipe bomb also exploded in Quiapo on April 28 while President Rodrigo Dutertes administration was hosting an annual ministerial meeting of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations in a nearby convention center.

The bombings come amid ongoing military offensives against the Abu Sayyaf and other groups, which have pledged allegiance to Islamic State.

Jim Gomez is an Associated Press writer.
BANARAS KHAN/AFP/Getty Images

QUETTA, Pakistan  Pakistan said Sunday its forces killed at least 50 Afghan troops and destroyed five checkpoints in clashes along the disputed border two days earlier, while Afghanistan dismissed the account, saying only two border officers and a civilian were killed.

The two armies traded fire Friday around the Chaman border crossing, which has been closed by Pakistan, stranding people on both sides. The clashes, which ended after a few hours when local commanders contacted each other via an emergency hotline, marked a dangerous escalation between the two U.S. allies.
ABUJA, Nigeria  Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari expressed joy at meeting Sunday with the 82 Chibok schoolgirls newly freed after being held captive for three years by Boko Haram Islamic extremists.

Weve always made it clear that we will do everything in our power to ensure the freedom & safe return of our daughters & of all BH (Boko Haram) captives, Buhari said on his Twitter account.

Photos tweeted by the president showed the girls at Buharis official residence. The young women will be reunited with their families soon, said the International Committee of the Red Cross, which helped negotiate their release.

They will face a long and difficult process to rebuild their lives after the indescribable horror and trauma they have suffered at the hands of Boko Haram, said Pernille Ironside, acting representative of UNICEF Nigeria.

Five Boko Haram commanders were released in exchange for the freedom of the 82 girls, a government official said.

Other Nigerians including some parents of the kidnapped girls gathered in Abuja at the Unity Fountain to celebrate the weekend release. Parents of the missing girls expressed anxiety over the fate of their daughters.

The Rev. Enoch Mark, whose two daughters have been among the missing, was still waiting word if they were among those freed. He emphasized though that he considered all 82 of the girls to be his daughters because most of them worship in my church.

Some parents did not live long enough to see their daughters released, underscoring the tragedy of the three-year-long saga. And the recovery process is expected to be a long one for the girls, many of whom endured sexual assault during their time in captivity.

Authorities say 113 girls remain missing from the group of 276 abducted from their boarding school in April 2014. Girls who escaped early on said some of their classmates had died from illness. Others did not want to come home because theyd been radicalized by their captors, they said.

Though Boko Haram has abducted thousands of people during its eight-year insurgency, the Chibok mass kidnapping in 2014 horrified the world and brought the extremist group global attention.

Shortly after meeting the freed schoolgirls Buhari announced that he will be returning to London for medical treatment. Buhari was in Britain earlier this year for more than seven weeks for medical care.

Bashir Adigun is an Associated Press writer.
MAIDUGURI, Nigeria  Eighty-two Chibok schoolgirls seized three years ago by Boko Haram militants have been freed in exchange for detained suspects with the extremist group, Nigerias government announced early Sunday, in the largest release negotiated yet in the battle to save nearly 300 girls whose mass abduction exposed the mounting threat posed by the Islamic State-linked fighters.

The statement from the office of President Muhammadu Buhari was the first confirmation that his government had made a swap for the girls. After an initial release of 21 Chibok girls in October, the government denied making an exchange or paying ransom.

The April 2014 abduction by Boko Haram brought the extremist groups rampage in northern Nigeria to world attention and, for families of the schoolgirls, began years of heartbreak.

Many of the girls, most of them Christians, were forced to marry their captors and give birth to children in remote forest hideouts without ever knowing if they would see their parents again. It is feared that other girls were strapped with explosives and sent on bombing missions.

As word of the latest release emerged, long-suffering family members said they were eagerly awaiting a list of names and our hopes and expectations are high.

Before Saturdays release, 195 of the girls had remained captive. Now 113 of the girls remain unaccounted for.

A Nigerian military official said the freed girls were found near the town of Banki in Borno state near Cameroon.

The location of the girls kept changing since yesterday when the operation to rescue them commenced, said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity.

The 276 schoolgirls kidnapped from Chibok in 2014 are among thousands of people abducted by Boko Haram over the years.

The mass abduction shocked the world, sparking a global #Bringbackourgirls campaign supported by former U.S. first lady Michelle Obama and other celebrities. It has put tremendous pressure on Nigerias government to counter the extremist group.

The latest negotiations were again mediated by the Swiss government and the International Committee of the Red Cross.

Haruna Umar and Hilary Uguru are Associated Press writers.
BEIJING  Jared Kushner has said that he has stepped away from the day-to-day business of his familys real estate company while he serves as a senior adviser to his father-in-law, President Trump.

But Kushners relatives are working feverishly to solicit overseas money for development projects in the United States, and they are highlighting their ties to Kushner as they court investors.

On Saturday, Kushners sister Nicole Meyer made a pitch to attract $150 million in financing for a Jersey City, N.J., housing development, known as One Journal Square, to more than 100 Chinese investors gathered at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel in Beijing.

The money would be provided through a much-criticized government program known as EB-5 that awards foreign investors a path to citizenship in exchange for investments of at least $500,000 in U.S. development projects.

Speaking in a ballroom, Meyer said the project means a lot to me and my entire family. She mentioned her brothers service as chief executive of Kushner Cos., the family business from which he resigned in January, saying he had left to serve in the Trump administration.

The project was advertised to Chinese investors as the latest offering from the star Kushner real estate family. The project includes two towers, 1,476 luxury apartments and even a medical center for pets.

Kushner, who is married to Trumps daughter Ivanka, has become a central voice on China, serving as a conduit between Beijing and Washington. Even as he seeks to keep a distance from the family business in his new role, his persistent ties to the company have come under scrutiny.

He remains the beneficiary of a series of trusts that own his stakes in Kushner Cos. properties and other investments, worth as much as $600 million and probably more.

Government ethics experts have criticized Kushner for retaining an interest in his family business, given his broad White House portfolio, which could affect his financial position. The company has declined to make public a complete list of its equity partners and lenders.

Noah Bookbinder, executive director of Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, said the sales pitch by Kushner Cos. in China was highly problematic.

Javier C. Hernandez, Cao Li and Jesse Drucker are New York Times writers.
A group of diverse but like-minded individuals, the members of ARC have come together in their common desire to fight hatred, bigotry, intolerance and violence because of the harm these antisocial behaviors cause to our society. In that effort, we will not use or sanction the use of illegal actions (such as violence or intimidation) in pursuit of our desired aims and if we learn of anyone who does use these unethical methods we will report those individuals to the authorities. Instead, we will use the guarantees found in the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms that ensure freedom of legal speech and expression.
RACINE  A Milwaukee tour bus became a box of Racine trivia on Saturday morning during Open House Racine County.

More than 60 area businesses, museums, churches, organizations and other attractions opened their doors for the second annual event, and the bus tour offered a relaxing 45-minute voyage past those attractions, as well as other hidden gems.

Offered by Milwaukee Food & City Tours, the tour was new this year and dozens of people took advantage of the chance to rest their feet. On the 11 a.m. tour, nary a seat could be found, as close to 30 people  including people from out town  packed into the bus.

Safe from the whipping winds, they rocked along comfortably in the sunlight as their guide, Racine resident Karen Fetherston, offered up a bit of Racine history as well as some charming personal stories about her familys Belle City experiences.

From Knapp to Danes

Rolling over the Main Street Bridge, Fetherston gave passengers a quick primer on the settling of the city, pointing to the spot where the Root River meets Lake Michigan.

That is where Capt. Gilbert Knapp set up his post in (1834). He wanted to name this area Port Gilbert, Fetherston said, noting the Wisconsin fever that was drawing people to the territory at that time.

(The area) was already being named Chippecotten, which is a Potawatomi word for Root River and it was being called Racine  the French word for root  by French settlers  Port Gilbert never caught on, she added.

The bus headed down North Main Street to Wind Point, where tour-goers got a glimpse of the Wind Point Lighthouse, then back down Main Street, through the citys historical district, and past the SC Johnson headquarters and the DeKoven Center.

Passengers learned about Racines famous snake oil salesman Dr. Shoop, industrialist J.I. Case, kringle, and the reason Racine was once dubbed Little Denmark.

From 1860 to 1930 we had a steady stream of Danish immigrants, Featherston said. Why did they settle here? We had booming industries that needed people  so companies, like Johnson and Case and Mitchell Wagon Works, would send pamphlets back to Europe saying hey, we need workers. We will pay for you to come here. 

Everybody has a story

North Beach was highlighted during the tour, as was the Racine Zoo, which Fetherston noted used to be a low-barrier zoo without high fences around the animal habitats.

It was great for seeing animals, probably not so great for safety, she said, telling a story of how her now-70-year-old aunt was kicked out of the zoo as a little girl for rescuing duck eggs from the alligator enclosure.

To this day she has never been back. She is convinced they have some age progression photo of her, Fetherston joked.

Later, Fetherston, who grew up on Racines north side and still lives there today, told passengers how a nondescript house in her old neighborhood  the former home of Titanic survivor Jenny Hanson  never fails to capture her imagination.

I walked past that house almost every single day, and I would have never thought it had a historical connection, she said. Im telling you: Everybody has a story. Every building as a story.
RACINE COUNTY  The county hasnt seen a large-scale, catastrophic-type event in recent memory.

The potential is always there, of course. And the response to such an event  a terrorism act, for instance, or a natural disaster  would also have to be on a large scale.

More than 70 people  representing a cross-section of local entities, including police, fire, public works, administration, hospitals, health, nonprofits and media  are heading to Emmitsburg, Md., this week to participate in emergency management training.

The Federal Emergency Management Associations four-day course includes simulated crisis situations replicating disaster events. Scenarios are developed based on the risks Racine County faces, said David Maack, coordinator of the countys Office of Emergency Management.

(FEMA) is going to develop a scenario that they will put us through the paces with, Maack said. It could be a natural disaster, it could be a technological disaster, it could be terrorism-related, or it could be all three.

The goal is to help officials refine their policies and plans to make sure the county is prepared to respond to major emergencies.

Back again

A few people traveling to the FEMAs Emergency Management Institute this week, such as Burlington Mayor Jeannie Hefty, also were on board when county personnel did the training in 1998.

Participating in the course gives officials far better preparation than reading a book or seeing slides, Hefty said.

They just really focus on training you at the highest level you can be trained, she said. And everybodys focused. Thats what were there for.

The 1998 training was eye-opening and gave participants things to think about, including, in some cases, developing or updating plans on how they would support operations in a large-scale event, Maack said.

The Racine County Office of Emergency Management has overseen 10 major disaster declarations since 1990, Maack said. Most of them have related to flooding, in addition to three snow events that were eligible for federal assistance.

In those cases, Maacks office coordinates damage assessments to help bring money for recovery into the area.

Really, what we are is a resource, Maack said of the Emergency Management Office. If somethings bad enough, we would activate whats called an emergency operations center. In that, we would bring key decision-makers together to look at the big picture, to deal with policy issues, and also resource coordination.

Potential always there

Officials are keenly aware of the potential for a bigger, catastrophic event.

In Burlington, for example, officials have prepared for the possibility of a train derailment spilling toxic materials into the air, Hefty said. The training includes creating detailed plans about incident command posts, who would be involved in responding, where to send those evacuated and more.

The City of Burlington needs this structure, Hefty said. The structure we can use for incidents that are not as bad, but also were ready for whatever were faced with.

Oklahoma City officials attended the FEMA training eight months before the 1995 bombing of a federal building that killed 168 people. They later credited the course with helping them handle the disaster.

Racine County went through an extensive and competitive application process before it was selected to attend this year, Maack said.

For the majority of people going out, this will be their first time, he said. The timing was just right to bring the group back out there.

A Journal Times reporter is among those traveling to Maryland. FEMA pays participants travel expenses and provides lodging.
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y.-- The death of a 2-year-old boy in Mariners Harbor on Friday apparently was unintentional, amid theories the boy choked on food or suffered an allergic reaction.

Xavier Battiste was found unconscious when EMTs arrived at about 4:30 p.m. to an apartment at 195 Continental Place, according to a NYPD spokesman.

The boy was rushed to Richmond University Medical Center where he was pronounced dead, police said.

One theory among investigators is that the boy suffered from an allergic reaction, according to a source with knowledge of the investigation.

Another scenario laid out by police was that he choked on a piece of food, according to a New York Daily News report.

An autopsy from the city's Medical Examiner's office is pending, police said.
RACINE  Employees for the Racine Unified School District might have to be careful when posting about their job online or when interacting with the public.

A new employee ethics statement and code of conduct is up for review on the district website until June 2.

While much of the code is pretty standard  no sleeping on the job, no coming to work drunk or on drugs, etc.  a few of the proposed regulations address comments posted on social media and made in public.

Under Prohibited Conduct, one of the 18 points states: Engaging in activity or public commentary (including social media) that significantly detracts from the districts image or reputation.

Another prohibited point reads: Failure to support the Districts mission, vision, goals, policies, and procedures.

Julie Landry, chief of human resources for Unified, informed the School Board of the proposed policy at a May 1 work session.

This just provides the language that if, in the event that an employee would put something that was inappropriate out on social media, it provides an opportunity for us to call them in and have the conversation with them about it, Landry said. It doesnt necessarily mean the result would be discipline or punitive, but it absolutely gives the district the right to call employees in when theres been something that has been brought to our attention that was very inappropriate or distracts from the school districts image or reputation.

Landry said the new policy has been reviewed and approved by the districts legal counsel.

Policies too vague

Angelina Cruz, president of the Racine Education Association, said some of the prohibited behavior as described by the district is problematic.

Our problem is theyre written really broadly and they dont provide any concrete examples about what is barred, Cruz said. Theyre written in a vague way that is open to interpretation and we dont know how (the district is) going to interpret things.

The policy could also punish teachers for failing to speak to students, employees, parents/guardians and members of the public in an appropriate and respectful manner.

We dont oppose respectful communication, especially when it comes to students and parents, Cruz said. We just dont want employees put into a position that their free-speech rights are interfered with.

The proposed change also would also affect how district employees are notified if they are in violation of the code of conduct.

Currently, Landry said, employees are notified by a vague letter that states the employee is being brought in for a personnel matter.

But, with this document, we would be able to cite the specific conduct they violated right in their discipline letter, Landry said, adding the district would then bring any evidence it had pertaining to the alleged violation.

Landry said the consequences for violation could include a written or verbal warning, suspension or termination.

Ultimately, they could get fired, or nothing could happen because (the employee) could be able to refute the information, Landry said.

After June 2, district officials will gather any feedback to see if any changes are needed. The School Board will likely vote on the policy at its June 19 meeting.

Cruz said the REA will try to work with the district and the School Board on the parts where they have disagreements.

Its a two-way street; if people are going to work together, everyone has to be willing to work together, Cruz said. We need to define what they are talking about  Its left open to a lot of interpretation.
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y.-- Staten Island cyclist Chris Calimano was barely out of breath Sunday when he arrived at Fort Wadsworth, after what he described as a "wild ride" across New York City.

Calimano surprised organizers of the 40th anniversary Five Boro Bike Tour when he arrived a half hour before the first cyclists were expected.

"I don't think anyone's ever come in this quickly ever," said Bike New York president Ken Podziba, who ran to the finish line to greet Calimano. "Did you take the subway?" he joked.

The event accommodated 32,000 riders, who rode 40-miles through neighborhoods across the five boroughs, said Podziba.

For the first half of the ride Calimano took in the view and met riders from all over the world. Then, decided he might as well break a sweat.

"To actually ride the BQE, it's a little bit hillier than I though," he said.

At one point, he said, the police car at the front of the race veered off the route and waved him ahead. Then things got interesting at the Verrazano.

"But when I came off the bridge, (police) almost tackled me," Calimano said. "They said 'you're not a part of the race.'"

Calimano, 35, is no stranger to endurance challenges.

Waiting for Calimano and all of the riders at Fort Wadsworth was, of course, medical aid and bike repair. But also food trucks, live music and merchandise.

"Staten Island is important; it's where we all come to party," Calimano said.
CHICAGO -- Aaron Hicks tied a career high with four hits, Starlin Castro homered and drove in three runs against his former team, and the New York Yankees pounded Brett Anderson and the Chicago Cubs 11-6 on Saturday night.

Hicks connected for a three-run homer in the eighth inning as the AL East leaders (19-9) earned their fourth straight win, extending their surprising start. Jordan Montgomery (2-1) pitched into the seventh for his first road win in his fifth major league start.

Castro, a three-time All-Star with the Cubs before he was traded to the Yankees in December 2015, hit an RBI double in New York's five-run first. He drove a 3-1 pitch from reliever Felix Pena deep into the bleachers in left for a two-run shot in the fourth, giving the Yankees an 8-0 lead.

Castro finished with three hits in his fifth straight multihit game, running his AL-best batting average to .381. Hicks has 10 hits in his last 20 at-bats.
The 82 Chibok schoolgirls released in a swap between terrorist group Boko Haram and the Nigerian government have arrived in the capital city of Abuja, the government said Sunday.

The released girls were received at the airport on behalf of President Muhammadu Buhari by Alhaji Abba Kyari, his chief of staff.

"Welcome our girls, welcome our sisters," Kyari said to the girls, who sat quietly in chairs. "We are very glad that you are back, and every Nigerian today must be forgetting every other hardship and suffering, because this is a very joyous moment. Welcome, welcome, welcome."

They generally appeared to be in good physical condition. One has a broken arm and another has a leg injury, Nigeria's information minister, Lai Mohammed, told CNN.

More than 100 girls remain in Boko Haram custody and negotiations with the terror group continue, the government said.

Some Boko Haram suspects being held by the government were released as part of the negotiations, Buhari's office said Saturday.

276 girls were kidnapped three years ago

The girls, ages 16 to 18, are believed to be among 276 forced from their beds by Boko Haram militants in the middle of the night in April 2014. The kidnapping from a boarding school in the town of Chibok sparked global outrage and the social media movement #BringBackOurGirls.

"I am very, very excited with this development. I cannot even sleep tonight," said Yana Galang, whose daughter, Rifkatu, was among the girls kidnapped.

Galang said they don't yet know who has been released, "but we're very happy that many have been freed."

"I hope and pray that my daughter is among these released girls," she added.

President to meet with girls

Buhari will meet with the girls in Abuja on Sunday, his office said.

"The President has repeatedly expressed his total commitment towards ensuring the safe return of the #ChibokGirls, and all other Boko Haram captives," Buhari's office said in a statement.

The International Committee of the Red Cross tweeted, "Acting as a neutral intermediary, we @ICRC transported 82 #ChibokGirls to the government of #Nigeria" and included a photo of six Red Cross SUVs on a dirt road.

The Red Cross also tweeted a photo of some of the girls walking onto a helicopter departing Borno State.

"(Given) our long historical independent neutral stance, it's common for us to be the middle man in hostage releases," said Jason Straziuso, spokesman for ICRC for East Africa. "We provide transportation from Boko Haram to the Nigerian government."

"We will continue to meet with the girls and monitor their health," Straziuso said. "Our concern for the girls' well-being will continue in the coming months."

Some had escaped earlier

As many as 57 girls escaped almost immediately after the mass abduction.

The next kidnapped girl wasn't found until May 2016, when she wandered out of a Nigerian forest asking for help, according to witnesses.

Another 21 of the Chibok schoolgirls were handed over to authorities in October 2016. The release was the result of a series of negotiations, the government said at the time.

CNN's Stephanie Busari reported and wrote from Lagos, and CNN's Kelly McCleary wrote from Atlanta. Journalist Ibrahim Sawab in Maiduguri, Nigeria, contributed to this report.
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He said one censored segment showed supporters chanting for opposition leader Mir Hossein Mousavi, who has been under house arrest since 2011 and whose Green Movement hard-liners oppose. Also omitted was a picture of former President Mohammad Khatami, whose name and image have been banned in Iranian media since 2015. He said state TV also cut out a remark by a student in which he said Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenea supported the 2015 landmark nuclear deal between Iran and world powers. The official spoke on the condition of anonymity.
Parents of Canberra's Catholic primary school students will fork out up to $5000 a year more in fees under the government's planned funding changes, new modelling shows.

But Education Minister Simon Birmingham has rejected the estimate, saying it was based on "fundamentally flawed" models.

Sydney's northern and harbour suburbs are the most advantaged when it comes to education, a new report says.

Catholic Education Office Archdiocese of Canberra and Goulburn released the figures on Sunday showing the ACT's 21 Catholic primary schools would have to increase fees by at least $1000 for each child per year if the government's school funding reshuffle proceeds.

Fee hikes would reach more than $5000 for two schools, St Thomas More's Primary School, in Campbell, and St Bede's Primary School, Red Hill, under estimates that compare expected fees under the Coalition's proposed needs-based model with net recurrent fees that exclude money raised for capital costs.
The Canberra Liberals will call on the ACT government to explain why it made a technical amendment to allow public housing to be built on land zoned for community facilities.

Deputy leader Nicole Lawder will move a motion when the assembly sits this week asking the government to spell out why it made the amendment and point to community-zoned land where public housing has already been built.

ACT LIberal party leader Alistair Coe and deputy leader Nicole Lawder: Ms Lawder will call on the government to explain why it is building public housing on land zoned for community use. Credit:Karleen Minney

Ms Lawder said the "covert and questionable amendment" allowed the territory government to build public housing in places that would have otherwise been barred in the territory plan, like the blocks in Chapman and Holder earmarked for public housing.

She said the notifiable instrument in 2015 changed the wording, and therefore the meaning of the development code, from supportive housing - taken to mean housing for the elderly and for people with disabilities - to social housing, which broadened the use of the land.
The Assembly Republican proposal to raise net taxes on gasoline and lower a decades-old price floor hasnt won over a key critic  Gov. Scott Walker.

In an interview Friday, Walker panned the proposal to apply the 5 percent state sales tax to gas. He noted the net effect of the sales tax plus a proposed 4.8-cent reduction in the per-gallon gas tax would still raise taxes on consumers about $430 million over the next two years.

I look at that and think that really goes at odds with what were talking about, Walker said. This is a sizable tax increase on fuel.

Rep. Dale Kooyenga, R-Brookfield, the architect of the proposal to be considered for the 2017-19 budget, has offered a reduction in the states 9.18 percent minimum markup on gasoline to 3 percent as a way to mitigate the cost to consumers. But Walker said theres no guarantee that gas retailers will lower prices as a result of the provision.

Kooyengas proposal would authorize tolling on interstate highways and direct the Walker administration to seek changes in federal law to make that happen. Walker said he would support tolling as a long-term fix, but only if accompanied with a substantial reduction in what people pay in gasoline taxes in Wisconsin.

Walker also panned a provision that would allow a local referendum the ability to raise a half-cent sales tax for transportation, saying, Im trying to keep the cost burden down in terms of how much they pay in taxes.

Walker said he would consider a proposal to impose an annual fee of $30 on hybrid vehicles and $125 on electric vehicles  something Walker has proposed in the past and a bipartisan transportation commission recommended. The move would generate about $4.8 million over the biennium.

Walker said he will continue to press the case for moving more revenue from the general fund, which pays for K-12 education, higher education and other state services, to help pay for more road projects.

Kooyengas proposal is aimed at lowering the amount of borrowing in Walkers budget proposal from $500 million to $200 million, rather than funding more road projects.

Walker said he has heard more concern from the public about roads not being funded than about borrowing being too high.

For all the talk about needing to put more money into transportation projects, this plan fails to do that, Walker said.

Walker declined to comment on other parts of the plan, including a massive overhaul of the states tax system, saying he wants more time to review it. The proposal calls for moving toward a flat 3.95 percent income tax by 2030 and eliminating several tax credits and deductions to partly offset the loss in state revenue.

Political risk

In an interview Friday before the governor spoke, Kooyenga acknowledged the proposal was a substantial political risk because many Republicans and business leaders are uncomfortable with repealing the minimum markup law and eliminating the exemption on taxes.

I tried to come up with a package that I thought represented what the majority of the caucus could support, Kooyenga said. I think the final plan pulls Republicans together.

Sen. Tom Tiffany, R-Hazelhurst, said Kooyengas plan addresses long-term goals he finds laudable, such as moving toward a flat income tax.

Whether its something we can adopt this budget or not, I think thats a whole other question, Tiffany said.

Like Walker, Tiffany is skeptical scaling back the states minimum markup requirement of 9.18 percent on fuel sales will lower gas prices the way Kooyenga envisions.

Free-market groups long have clamored to abolish the Depression-era minimum markup requirement, describing it as outdated and anti-competitive. Brett Healy, president of the conservative MacIver Institute, said the requirement artificially inflates the cost of fuel in Wisconsin.

Common sense would suggest if you cut the price floor by six percent, that you will see a significant decrease in the price of gas, Healy said.

Whether that decrease would be enough to offset Kooyengas proposed fuel-tax increase is a question the institute is researching, Healy added.

The Wisconsin Petroleum Marketers and Convenience Store Association, a staunch defender of the requirement, pushes back against the notion that it inflates fuel prices. The group issued a statement Thursday predicting Kooyengas plan actually would increase what motorists pay at the pump through higher taxes.

There is no conclusive evidence that modifying Wisconsins Unfair Sales Act will offset this significant tax increase, the associations president, Matt Hauser, said in a statement.

Hauser added in a separate interview that the required markup isnt simply profit for fuel retailers. Its divvied up between wholesalers and retailers, and most of it pays for costs of doing business, he said.

Sen. Alberta Darling, R-River Hills, co-chairwoman of the Legislatures budget-writing committee, which will have the first chance to add some or all of Kooyengas proposal, was circumspect on Kooyengas plan, saying she needs time to study it.

I give him credit for putting a proposal on the table, Darling said.

Rep. John Nygren, R-Marinette, co-chairman of the Joint Finance Committee, said in a statement Friday: Assembly Republicans have put forward our transportation plan. We look forward to seeing what the Senate has to offer.

Democrats reject plan

Democrats and liberal groups roundly rejected Kooyengas transportation plan as being overly complicated, and his tax-cutting proposal as benefiting the wealthy at the expense of middle- and lower-income taxpayers.

The overhaul of the tax code would cost the state about a half-billion dollars in annual revenue by 2021, according to the Legislative Fiscal Bureau. But that figure obscures the size of the income tax cut in relation to the tax credits that are eliminated.

The income tax rate reduction itself would cost the state about $1.2 billion a year. Repealing various tax credits would raise an additional $735 million in revenue, according to an LFB memo provided to the State Journal by Rep. Gordon Hintz, D-Oshkosh.

Repealing a tax credit for renters, for example, would increase tax revenues by $104.1 million a year. Repealing the marriage tax credit would generate $263.6 million a year. And repealing a tax exclusion on 30 percent of capital gains would yield $177.8 million more in taxes.

Jon Peacock, research director for the liberal Wisconsin Council on Children and Families, said the degree to which theres a doubling down on the regressivity of this is pretty amazing.

The flat income tax is the biggest thing, Peacock said. The problem is compounded by increasing the tax on motor fuels and by some of the other income tax changes such as eliminating the property tax rent credit for renters. That astonishes me.

One provision would eliminate the so-called first dollar credit, which lowers the average property tax bill by about $67 and costs the state $150 million a year. Democrats created the credit a decade ago to provide an equal dollar amount of tax relief to property owners. In that regard it is unlike the school levy credit, which provides a bigger benefit to owners of more expensive property.

Kooyenga said eliminating the credit isnt meant to benefit the wealthy because those who own multiple properties stand to lose more from the repeal than those who own only one property.

Were not reaching a utopia, Kooyenga said. We wont have a transportation utopia, but were definitely in a place thats better than where we are today.
No pants were the new pants as a cloudless sky shone on Canberra's Groovin The Moo on Sunday.

The regional music festival rocked the University of Canberra fields to a sold out crowd, returning to Canberra for the eighth time.

Tamara Jane and Claudia McLaren at Groovin the Moo on Sunday. Credit:Sitthixay Ditthavong

Tickets sold out quickly in early February thanks to a lineup that included Amy Shark, The Wombats, Dillon Francis, Pnau, Milky Chance, The Darkness, Snakehips, Tash Sultana and Violent Soho.

Huge crowds meant lengthy queues to enter in the early afternoon. A Sydney woman, who gave her name only as Michelle, said they were frustrated by delays to get in.
The payroll company that has left Canberra IT contractors unpaid for a week will take legal action, blaming a Tax Office dispute for the debacle.

Plutus Payroll told clients in an email on Friday the Australian Taxation Office had frozen its bank accounts without warning on April 27, alleging it owed money, and stopping it from paying contractors.

Canberra IT contractors are chasing payments from Plutus Payroll. Credit:Getty Images

"We received no notice of intention to audit, no complaint and no other advance warning of non-compliance from the ATO," it said.

Plutus said it filed a case with the Federal Court, expecting a hearing on Monday, after the ATO would not let it pay contractors from the frozen accounts.
Warren Buffett likened unemployed workers to animals that are helpless to avoid car crashes, and said the U.S. must do more to help those displaced by competition from overseas and technology.

"Nobody should be roadkill," Buffett said on Saturday at the annual meeting of his Berkshire Hathaway in Omaha, Nebraska.

Berkshire Hathaway Chairman and CEO Warren Buffett, holds an ice cream as he poses for a selfie with Liz Claman of the Fox Business Network during the annual Berkshire Hathaway shareholders meeting in Omaha, Nebraska. Credit:Nati Hamik

The billionaire faced several questions at the gathering about declining employment in the manufacturing sector  a key theme in the recent presidential race  and about job cuts at Kraft Heinz, the food maker backed by Buffett and 3G Capital. He reiterated his view that society at large benefits from both economic efficiency and free trade, often at the expense of individual workers who struggle to find new jobs.

He spoke of the plight of former employees at a Berkshire textile operation in New Bedford, Massachusetts, who lost their work to competition from cheaper locations decades ago. Buffett said such shifts help millions of people by providing necessities at a lower cost.
Many Australians were furious about Donald Trump's election last November. To put it mildly and politely, he is incapable of understatement. He is strikingly ignorant of the world. He is also an impulsive and unpredictable character. Not surprisingly, critics warned his strident anti-China rhetoric could drag us into an unnecessary war with our largest trade partner.

However, although it is still very early days, these doubters have been proved wrong about the new president's ability to deal with Beijing. Having once fumed about Xi Jinping, Trump now calls the Chinese leader a "very good man". Having once promised a 45 per cent tariff hike on Chinese imports, he is rapidly abandoning talk that Beijing is a currency manipulator.

The power of Trump's U-turn and reverse gear is up to best international standards. But it's his volte face on the South China Sea that really surprises. And it has received no coverage in the Australian media.

During last year's campaign, Trump slammed Beijing for building in the South China Sea "a military fortress, the likes of which perhaps the world has not seen". He said: "Amazing, actually. They do that at will because they have no respect for our president and they have no respect for our country."
Australia may soon be sucked into a new war. Possibly more than one war. And Australians will again have no say in the matter.

In two months, United States President Donald Trump has launched military actions in Syria, Afghanistan and Yemen, turned up the heat on North Korea and risked a confrontation with Russia. He is displaying all the signs of an uncontrolled aggression that has only one endpoint: new conflict.

A digger in Iraq's Al Muthanna provide. Australians have been in the wartorn country since they took part in the US invasion in 2003. Credit:Robert Nyffenegger

At the same time, the rhetoric from the Australian government has been supportive of US action, even when it may have been illegal. Of our eight overseas conflicts since World War II, Australian governments have followed the American lead into six. Under that lead, our country has been continuously at war since 2001  more than 16 years  by far the longest period of sustained conflict in our history.

Of these six wars, Australia was committed to fight on five occasions by Coalition governments and once by a Labor government. Under the present system, support for war is generally bipartisan. The evidence is overwhelming that, no matter who is in power, Australia will obediently follow the US into a war that, very often, doesn't concern us directly, whose grounds may be illegal (as in the cases of Vietnam, Iraq and Syria), is based on confected "evidence" (Iraq) or which was probably unnecessary (Afghanistan  as Osama Bin Laden was ultimately removed by a small covert action, not by a war).
The former president of East Timor says Australia is arguing for an "unsustainable" maritime border as it would include sovereignty of his country if it was strictly followed.

The ongoing conciliation over a maritime border between Australia and East Timor should give a result based on a halfway point rather than a continental shelf boundary, former East Timor president Jose Ramos-Horta told an event in Sydney on Sunday.

Former East Timorese president Jose Ramos-Horta is calling for a fair maritime border between East Timor and Australia. Credit:Bradley Kanaris

East Timor notified Australia in January that it wished to tear up a 2006 treaty that split 50-50 future revenue of the Greater Sunrise oil and gas reserves in the Timor Sea.

The reserve contains gas and oil worth an estimated $50 billion but how the share of the spoils will be divided up must now be revisited.
The federal government's efforts to drive down the near half billion dollar public service travel bill comes as the Defence Department spent more than $155 million on domestic and international flights last financial year.

New Finance Department figures show Defence topped the whole of government travel bill in 2015-16, with the massive department's 58,000 public servants and serving Australian Defence Force personnel spending a combined $155.4 million on travel, more than the next four highest spending departments combined.

Public service travel cost $423 million in 2015-16.

The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, home to more than 6200 public servants and Australia's overseas diplomatic corps, spent $37.51 million in the period, just ahead of Immigration and Border Protection with $36.52 million.

Fairfax Media reported last month the calendar year bill for 2016 topped out at $427 million, up by as much as $50 million since the Coalition came to government in the 2013-14 financial year.
Students in NSW have to meet minimum standards of literacy and numeracy to attain a Higher School Certificate from 2020.

The state government announced in 2016 that students would be required to achieve a band eight standard in the year 9 NAPLAN reading, writing and maths to guarantee eligibility for the HSC.

Why has this measure been introduced?

Former NSW education minister Adrian Piccoli said the measure would ensure students awarded the HSC met minimum literacy and numeracy standards.
Fresh from filming with the Godfather of modern cooking, Brisbane-born actor Lincoln Lewis has been announced as an ambassador for the City2South next month.

Just a few weeks ago, Lewis wrapped up filming Hell's Kitchen Australia with Marco Pierre White, but said he was pleased to be back in his hometown promoting a local event.

"It's wicked to be on board as a City2South ambassador," he said.

"I mean to be involved in something that gets people outdoors, exercising and also raising a lot of money for charity, you couldn't ask for something better to be a part of."
The view from Royal Park's 181 hectares of gum trees and native grasses is supposed to evoke the landscape before Europeans arrived.

But Melbourne's 21st-century skyline could soon dominate the sight lines if a plan to double height limits in the old Commonwealth Games village is approved by Victoria's Planning Minister Richard Wynne.

The proposed Freeway Apartment complex.

The state's own newly minted Development Victoria agency wants the minister to allow one of the towers on the village's western edge to be built up to 79 metres, or about 23 to 25 storeys, up from the 40 metres originally planned.

The new tower would be an acoustic barrier and a "visual link" between the park and the village, according to the agency's amendment proposal.
Melbourne is the first museum to host the exhibition after its premiere last year in Wellington.

Bug Lab: Little Bugs, Super Power is a collaboration between the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa and Weta Workshop, better known for costumes and effects in The Lord of The Rings and The Hobbit trilogies.

Visitors to Melbourne Museum get a sneak peek at a Japanese honeybee model, part of the upcoming Bug Lab exhibition. Credit:Luis Ascui

Melbourne Museum's newest exhibition uses ultra-detailed, large-scale models to lead visitors to explore the amazing world of insects.

They may be tiny, but they're hiding super powers.

A "bug ambassador" amuses a visitor to Melbourne Museum on Sunday. Credit:Luis Ascui

The exhibition features six large-scale models and uncovers the adaptive genius of bugs, which over millions of years have evolved to have superpower abilities including camouflage, mind control, super speed, swarm intelligence and deadly venom.

Museum visitors will explore through four immersive chambers, with experiences to test their reflexes and practise bug "brain surgery".

Bug Lab also highlights how insects have inspired technologies like fly-like collision-tolerant drones, nanotechnology based on butterfly wings, and 3D-printed objects created from silk.

Visitors to Melbourne Museum had a taste of the exhibition on Sunday with a preview of a Japanese honeybee model and wandering human-sized bug "ambassadors", which will wander the city to promote the show.
WA Police have charged a Peeping Tom with recording a woman without her knowledge over the course of four months in Perth's northern suburbs.

Joondalup Detectives charged a 50-year-old man of no fixed address after investigating a series of incidents in Woodvale between December 12 last year and April 19, 2017.

The man committed the crimes over four months. Credit:Louise Kennerley

Police interviewed the man on May 5, and detectives allegedly found several incriminating images on his phone.
Seoul: North Korea said on Sunday it has detained another American citizen on suspicion of acts against the state, which if confirmed would make him the fourth US citizen to be held by the isolated country amid diplomatic tensions.

Kim Hak Song, who was detained on Saturday, worked for the Pyongyang University of Science and Technology, the North's KCNA news agency said.

"A relevant institution of the DPRK detained American citizen Kim Hak Song on May 6 under a law of the DPRK on suspension of his hostile acts against it," KCNA said. DPRK is short for the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, North Korea's official name.

A third US citizen, Kim Sang Dok, who was associated with the same school, was detained in late April for hostile acts, according to the North's official media.
Accused drug mule Cassandra Sainsbury has reportedly asked the Australian government to help cover her legal costs as she fights drug smuggling charges in Colombia.

Ms Sainsbury was detained at Bogota's El Dorado International Airport on April 12 after 5.8 kilograms of cocaine was allegedly found hidden inside 18 headphone boxes in her suitcase.

Colombian police released this photo of Cassandra Sainsbury with the drugs she is said to have smuggled. Credit:Colombian National Police

Her Bogota lawyer Orlando Herran has told News Corp that the 22-year-old South Australian applied for financial assistance last week.

"They are looking for state funds in Australia for the legal costs, so she was signing a form for that, to put before the government there," Mr Herran said.
"We are so happy," said housewife Ruwayda Abdul Rahman Ibrahim, arriving at a muddy muster point on the Syria highway where authorities expect to receive thousands of civilians in the coming days. "There were too many air strikes."

The civilians came with tales of starvation and terror, and carried with them traumatised children, wounded relatives and in one case, a severely ill 15-day-old baby. They said they were the lucky ones.

Children stare at a baker baking fresh cookies at a food distribution point in western Mosul, Iraq. Thousands of people still live in the western part of the city where food is getting scarce due to fighting between Iraqi forces and the Islamic State group. Credit:AP

Mosul: In a cemetery in west Mosul, fleeing civilians walked past shattered headstones and the bodies of Islamic State fighters killed in fighting the day before.

Abdul Aziz, 15, smokes a cigarette while waiting for customers to buy the mud from a sulphur well near the Hamam Alil spa south of Mosul, Iraq on Thursday, April 27, 2017. The mud is supposedly healthy for the skin. Credit:AP

The Iraqi military opened a new front in west Mosul last week in the hope of speeding progress of an operation which has slowed to a crawl since troops began fighting their way into the western half of the city in March.

With up to 400,000 civilians still living under the control of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL, or IS) in siege-like conditions, there is a pressing urgency.

Iraqi officials say they hope to liberate the city completely within three weeks. But civilians fleeing on Friday report that the renewed push has been accompanied by mounting civilian deaths. "My uncle died yesterday," said Mrs Ibrahim. "His house collapsed in a strike." The housewife had fled her own home earlier that day with her husband and their two young children and new-born baby.

Life under Isil had grown increasingly difficult in recent months, she said, but it was only when soldiers approached that they deemed it safe enough to flee. When she gave birth at home two weeks ago, there was no doctor available to assist the delivery or prescribe medicine when her baby became ill. "Look, my baby's face is blue," she said.
PARIS: France has started voting to choose a president amid continuing fallout from a massive hack of sensitive documents from the campaign of frontrunner Emmanuel Macron.

In the face of an online campaign by far-right activists to spread the hacked data, dubbed #MacronLeaks, on Saturday the country's electoral commission warned they might be "exposing themselves to the commission of criminal offences".

French independent centrist presidential candidate Emmanuel Macron campaigning in Rodez, southern France late last week. Credit:AP

It pleaded for all French citizens  and "foremost the media"  not to pass on or report the contents of the hacked dossier: tens of thousands of emails, accounts, photos and contracts stolen from several email accounts of Macron campaign leaders.

"The free expression of the suffrage of voters and the integrity of the vote are at stake," the commission president said.
Kabul: Pakistan claimed Sunday to have killed 50 Afghan border troops and destroyed five of their posts in sporadic clashes since Friday near a major border crossing. Afghan officials called the high death toll "baseless" but said that several days of cross-border fighting had left two Afghan forces dead.

The fighting in Afghanistan's southern Kandahar province erupted after Pakistan claimed that Afghan border police had fired without provocation at armed guards providing security for Pakistani census teams in the border community of Chaman, killing nine people and injuring 40. Afghan officials said the Pakistani team including uniformed Frontier Corps guards had crossed into Afghan territory.

Pakistani paramilitary soldiers stand guard while people wait for the opening of the border crossing in Chaman, Pakistan. Credit:Matiullah Achakzai

A Pakistani army official, Major General Nadeem Ahmad, told journalists at the border crossing that two Pakistani soldiers were killed and 9 wounded in the fighting, which began Friday. He also said 100 Afghan security forces were wounded.

But Sediq Siddiqi, a senior spokesman for the Kabul government, on Sunday "totally rejected" the Pakistani claim of killing 50 Afghan forces as "very false." A spokesman for the Interior Ministry, which oversees the Afghan border police, also said the claim was "totally baseless."
Prabowo Subianto with his horse. Credit:JEFRI TARIGAN In the 27th sura or chapter of the Koran, Solomon hears an ant warn her people to enter their homes so they will not be crushed by the king's soldiers. Solomon is reminded of the bounty Allah has bestowed upon him and asks for inspiration to do a good deed of which Allah would approve. Prabowo Subianto cautioned President Joko Widodo against the execution of Myuran Sukumaran and Andrew Chan in 2015. Credit:Glenn Campbell "Come on, I am not King Solomon," Prabowo laughs.

But it was Prabowo who cautioned President Jokowi, as he is widely known, against the April 2015 executions of Bali nine heroin smugglers Andrew Chan and Myuran Sukumaran. The Australian government had begged Indonesia to save their lives. Prabowo Subianto interviewed by Fairfax Media Indonesia correspondent Jewel Topsfield at his home in Hambalang. Credit:JEFRI TARIGAN "I said, my opinion is that if the head of a friendly government requests something of Indonesia, I think it will be in our national interest to respect that request. That was my argument, basically. We need friendship, we need good relations. But my advice was not listened to at that time." Prabowo worries about the death penalty. He has read too many cases of miscarriages of justice in the US, where advances in DNA testing have found, too late, that the executed person was innocent. Prabowo Subianto meets with the West Java chapter of his party, Gerindra, at his home in Hambalang. Credit:JEFRI TARIGAN

In 2013 he hired a top lawyer to fight for Wilfrida Soik, an Indonesian maid said to be a victim of human trafficking, who was facing a death sentence in Malaysia. One of Prabowo's staff tells me he wept when her life was spared. "So yes, I think ... the death penalty must be given in very very rare [occasions] and let's say  cases that you are really convinced, maybe mass murder." Jakarta's next governor Anies Baswedan (right) and vice governor Sandiaga Uno. Credit:Oktaviano So would he abolish the death penalty if he became president? "Maybe it should still be in the books as a sanction  but the mechanism to give the sentence should be very stringent, a lot of review boards. And the power of the president to commute the sentence I think should be really strengthened."

Prabowo is a member of one of Java's most aristocratic families and was once married to the daughter of president Suharto. A former three-star general, Prabowo served in the military for more than 20 years, rising through the ranks to become one of the nation's most powerful men. However in 1998 he was discharged after troops under his command kidnapped and tortured anti-Suharto activists. Two years later he was banned from entering the US over alleged human rights abuses. But after a stint in Jordan, Prabowo  who says he has always wanted to serve the people of Indonesia  staged a remarkable comeback. God has given him wealth, he tells us. His business interests have included oil and gas, palm oil, forestry and mining.

Prabowo says he could have simply enjoyed his life. His tranquil mountain retreat with its horses, helipad, purple bougainvillea and breathtaking views of shadowy blue mountains is 50 kilometres and a world away from the slums and chaos of Jakarta. But in 2008 he founded his own party, Gerindra, which positions itself as the champion of the orang kecil  the little people  who, like the ants, are usually overlooked in society. In 2014, Prabowo ran for president. He was defeated by Jokowi  a political cleanskin  in the closest presidential election in Indonesia's history. Now the top job seems within striking distance again. On the day of Fairfax Media's breakfast with Prabowo and the ants, it is announced that Gerindra's candidates in the Jakarta gubernatorial election  Anies Baswedan and Sandiaga Uno  have officially won with 57.96 per cent of the vote.

It was a hardscrabble victory after a bitter and protracted election campaign that polarised Jakarta along religious and ethnic lines. The party hopes its win will pave the way for "The General", whose popularity and grassroots campaign helped Anies and Sandiaga. A triumphant banner erected at a Gerindra meeting in Semarang proclaimed: "We have seized Jakarta, Prabowo for president 2019." So will Prabowo run? "I'm philosophical, there must be a decision in a year or so. I want to serve my country, I want to do good for my people. If I have support, if there is opportunity, yeah, I could run." But is it something he is seriously considering? "I think so, yeah. I mean, Donald Trump becomes president at what, 70 years old? [Philippine President Rodrigo] Duterte at 71. But again, I will keep my options open. Politics is the art of the possible."

The General himself is 66 this year. "I don't feel old," he says. His energy and military bearing belie his years. He later jests with West Javan cadres, "Don't you dare, even once call me eyang. ["Grandpa" in the Sundanese language.] Bung [brother] Bowo is fine. Eyang?? Are you out of your mind? Do you think I am an old man? I'm still capable of fighting." Prabowo has invited Fairfax Media to Hambalang for a rare interview. His disillusionment with the Western press goes back 20 years. Prabowo was a major in East Timor when he says he gave an interview to an American journalist who asked to interview five or six prisoners held by his battalion. "Although they were guerrilla soldiers of opposing forces, they had military etiquette, so of course they stood up to attention when I came into the room," Prabowo says. "I was a bit shocked  the final article was very slanted. In the article he [the journalist] said: 'They stood up very stiff and Prabowo showed off his military trophies'."

Prabowo says he got on with his life without giving access to foreign journalists or even countries that traditionally had negative views about Indonesia or the Indonesian military. "I'm a proud alumnus of the Indonesian military," he says. "A Western  army can be patriotic and do their duty for their country, but if a Third World army is doing their duty for their country it's different. We are always accused of being fascists, power hungry ... human rights violators." But despite Prabowo's misgivings, here we are, to discuss  amongst other things  the Jakarta election campaign, the most divisive in the history of Indonesia. "I do realise that sometimes we need to open up and give our side of the story," Prabowo says. Post-election surveys have indicated religion was the number one issue that influenced voters when deciding between Anies, a former education minister who is a Muslim, and the Christian and ethnically Chinese incumbent, Basuki "Ahok" Tjahaja Purnama.

Religion only became a major factor after Ahok told fishermen his opponents were deceiving them into not voting for him using a verse from the Koran, which some interpret to mean Muslims cannot be led by a non-Muslim. "He practically self-destructed," Prabowo says. "In a country like Indonesia, usually political leaders will avoid using verses from other people's religion. Even I don't dare use verses from Islam. I'm a Muslim, I don't dare because I'm not an expert. That's why we have the ulema [religious scholars]." Ahok's comments were seized upon by his opponents, including longtime provocateurs the Islam Defenders Front (FPI), who spearheaded several massive protests. Ahok was brazenly religiously and racially vilified at the rallies, which repeatedly brought the capital to a standstill. The embattled governor was ultimately put on trial for blasphemy and will be sentenced next Tuesday. Prabowo will not be drawn on whether Ahok should be jailed: "It's not my decision." He says blasphemy is the realm of the clerics. "I'm not an expert but our Majelis Ulama, the official clerics' council of Indonesia, recognised by the ... Indonesian government, I think their finding was blasphemy." Ironically, it was Prabowo who nominated Ahok to become the vice-governor of Jakarta, which he won in 2012. At the time Ahok was a member of Gerindra. "[Former president] Megawati (Sukarnoputri) didn't want him. I convinced Megawati. Many Muslim clerics were angry at me. I wanted to show our commitment to inclusiveness."

Prabowo's own family embodies the national motto of Bhinneka Tunggal Ika (Unity in Diversity). "I have two sisters; one is Catholic, my younger brother is Protestant, my elder sister is, what do you call it, like kejawen. Kejawen is the Javanese religion even before the all the others came she's into that, a lot of meditating. So we are pretty laid back about religion." Prabowo puts the blame for Ahok's demise squarely on what he says is the flaw in Ahok's own character. "I have to say I was the most disappointed because I was the one who pushed his career." "I think his leadership actually caused a dent in the effort to create a really inclusive and harmonious  society. Had he been a bit more  let's say cool, calming, maybe the situation would be very different."

The international media has largely portrayed the election result as a win for conservative Islamism in Indonesia and a setback for religious pluralism. Headlines such as "Hard-Line Islamism Gains Ground with Vote in Jakarta" have irritated not just Gerindra but also Indonesian Vice-President Jusuf Kalla and religious peace activist Yenny Wahid, whose father, the late president Abdurrahman Wahid, was considered a paragon of moderation in Islam. "I oppose the foreign media's use of headlines saying that radical Islamic groups have won," Yenny, whose husband is a Gerindra member, was quoted as saying in the Jakarta Globe. "There is much diversity behind Anies  his success team comprises not only of Muslims." However many argue that Anies, who had cultivated a reputation as a moderate, ran a dog-whistle campaign by reaching out to groups such as the FPI. A former fringe vigilante group, the FPI gained notoriety for raids on bars during Ramadan or "enforcing" fatwas banning Muslim shop assistants wearing Santa hats. It has a newfound mainstream status in the wake of the anti-Ahok rallies.

Prabowo is visibly riled about being asked about the FPI. "You, as a foreigner, you come here and ask Indonesians, why do you visit a hardliner?" His voice rises: "You see, this is exactly the Western press, you come here and you only ask me about the FPI. You don't ask me: 'Is there corruption in Indonesia?' ... You don't ask me: 'Are the people eating enough?'. "As if you guys want to frame that Anies and Sandi won because of the FPI. The Western media didn't cover the election, only one frame. It's always hardline, hardline [Islam]." On the night of the election, FPI leader Rizieq Shihab was among those whom Prabowo thanked at Istiqlal Mosque. "Indonesia is a large country, we have all spectrums, the FPI is a fact of life," he says. "They have many members. Some people consider them hardline. Who is the judge to say hardline or moderate or extreme or radical? I think people can evolve, organisations can evolve. I am not an apologist but ... I believe in engagement. If you don't bring them into the political process, what are you doing? You want to drive them into what? Extrajudicial measures?"

Anies and Sandiaga campaigned on poverty and inequality. They opposed Ahok's forced evictions, promised a zero down-payment housing scheme and vowed to stop the Jakarta Bay reclamation, saying it was harming those who lived around the bay. "Because if we have inequality, economic injustice, mass poverty, who do you think will prevail?" Prabowo asks. "It's going to be the extremists, the radicals, the demagogues." Prabowo has two hobbies in life: books and horses. Horses are a motif throughout his grandiose home. White stallions rear at the edge of cliffs in moody oil paintings, delicate metal figurines prance on tables, black and white photographs of Indonesia's founding father Sukarno on horseback stare down from the walls. Books are everywhere too. Prabowo's taste is eclectic. The Robb Report, an American luxury-lifestyle magazine, is in the bathroom. Among the tomes on his coffee table are Why Nations Fail by Turkish-American economist Daron Acemoglu, Altruism, which explores the power of compassion to change the world, and Prabowo's own book, Paradoks Indonesia. The paradox of Indonesia, according to Prabowo, is that it is a country rich in natural resources while so many of its people live below the poverty line.

Prabowo has developed a personal philosophy late in life: "One thousand friends too few, one enemy too many." "I wished I had learned it as a young officer, I made a lot of enemies I think, among my seniors," he says, laughing. Despite losing to Jokowi in 2014, he has met with him on a couple of occasions, including, famously, on horseback at Hambalang. (This was the president's people's idea, Prabowo tells us, and he worried the horses would be spooked by photographers' flashes: "Inside me, I'm saying 'My God, if anything happens, they would say I did it on purpose'.") It is rumoured that Prabowo advised Jokowi to join prayers at the December 2 mass rally, where protesters demanded Ahok be jailed. Jokowi, who briefly addressed the crowd, was praised for defusing tensions in the capital, although some argued he had thrown Ahok under a bus.
Shanghai: Organisers barred journalists on Sunday from a publicly advertised event in Shanghai that offered Chinese investors the chance to get US immigrant visas if they put money in a real estate project linked to the family of President Donald Trump's son-in-law.

The two-tower luxury apartment complex in New Jersey, One Journal Square, is being developed by KABR Group and the Kushner Companies, which until recently was headed by senior White House advisor Jared Kushner, the husband of Trump's daughter Ivanka.

Staff wait for investors at a reception desk during an event promoting investment in a Kushner Companies development in China. Credit:AP

The developers are seeking to raise $150 million, or 15.4 percent of funding for the project, from investors through the EB-5 visa programme, according to marketing materials posted by the event's organiser, immigration agency Qiaowai.

The controversial EB-5 programme allows wealthy foreigners to, in effect, buy US immigration visas for themselves and families by investing at least $500,000 in certain development projects.
PARIS:--- President-Elect Emmanuel Macron says the task facing France is immense and he will start tomorrow((Monday). It involves reinforcing Frances economy, building new defenses, ensuring the safety of all French citizens. It is a huge job and it will require more of the same audacity that has brought us this far.

This task will require the involvement and commitment of everyone, he says. It will require the courage of truth. It will require the building of a real and strong majority, a majority for change that the country needs and deserves.

We have the strength and the energy. We will not give in to fear, to division, to lies, to a love of decline or defeat. I know what I owe you, to my companions, my family, my friends. It will not be easy. The job will be difficult.

I will tell you the truth but your favor and your courage will carry me forward. I want the unity of our people and of our country. And finally, I will serve you with humility, with force, and in the name of our motto: Liberty, equality, and fraternity.

I will serve you with love, he says. Vive la Republique, vive la France.

His wife Brigitte joins him on stage, on the verge of tears, with her children and grandchildren.

Thank you, my friends, he says. Thank you for being here this evening. Thank you for having fought with such courage for so many months because this evening you have won, France has won.

What has been accomplished has no precedent or equivalent, he says. People said it was impossible. Thank you for the efforts, and the risks some people took. I take full measure of the honour.

He says he is aware he has not been given a blank cheque by those who voted for him simply to keep out the extremist parties. He says he will stand by his engagement to protect France.

He says of those who voted for Le Pen that he understands their fear and their anger and will do all he can to ensure during the next five years that they have no further reason to vote for the extremists.

This evening, he says, it is Europe and the world who are watching us.

About 43% of Macrons voters cast their ballot for him to keep out Le Pen; only 39% of voters would like the new president to have an absolute majority in the new parliament after legislative elections next month; taking into account abstentions and spoiled ballots, roughly 44% of people on the electoral roll voted for Macron  similar to De Gaulle in 1965 (45%), Mitterrand in 1981 (43%) and 1988 (44%) and Sarkozy in 2007 (43%).

The parliamentary majority figure shows how hard the new president is going to have to work to get his programme implemented.

His primary task over the coming five years, he said, was to calm peoples fears, restore Frances confidence, and gather all its people together to face the immense challenges that face us in the future.

Macron, 39, a former economy minister who ran as a neither left nor right independent promising to shake up the French political system, took 65.1% to Le Pens 34.9%, according to initial projections from early counts.

A new chapter in our long history has opened this evening, Macron said in a statement. I would like it to be one of hope and of confidence rediscovered.

But Le Pens score nonetheless marked a historic high for the French far right. Despite a lacklustre campaign that ended with a calamitous performance in the final TV debate, she was projected to have taken 11 million votes, double that of her father, Jean-Marie Le Pen, when he reached the presidential run-off in 2002. The anti-immigration, anti-EU Front Nationals supporters asserted that the party has a central place as an opposition force in France.

Macron, who has never held elected office and was unknown until three years ago, is Frances youngest president. He will next Sunday take over a country under a state of emergency, still facing a major terrorism threat and struggling with a stagnant economy after decades of mass unemployment. France is also divided after an election campaign in which anti-establishment anger saw the traditional left and right ruling parties ejected from the race in the first round for the first time since the period after the second world war.

Francois Bayrou, an ex-minister and Macrons centrist ally said: He is the youngest head of state on the planet which sends an incredible message of hope. He added: Macron is giving hope to people who had no hope. Hope that maybe we can do something, go beyond the [left-right] divide that no longer makes sense.

Le Pen swiftly conceded defeat. She said she had won a historic and massive score which made her leader of the biggest opposition force in France and vowed to radically overhaul her Front National party. Her promise to transform her far-right movement, left open the possibility that the party could be expanded and renamed in an attempt to boost its electoral chances. It was a major step in the political normalisation of her movement.

The Socialist president Francois Hollande, who was once Macrons mentor and had appointed him economy minister, said: His large victory confirms that a very great majority of our citizens wanted to unite around the values of the Republic and show their attachment to the European Union and show France is open to the world.

Macrons supporters gathered waving French flags in the grand courtyard of the Louvre, the vast Paris palace-turned-museum.

Turnout was projected to have been the lowest in more than 40 years. Macrons victory came not only because voters supported his policy platform for free market, pro-business reform, and his promises to energise the EU coupled with a leftwing approach to social issues. Some of his voters came from other parties across the political spectrum and turned out not in complete support of his programme, but to stop the Front National.

In a political landscape with a strong hard left and far right, Macron faces the challenge of trying to win a parliamentary majority for his fledgling political movement En Marche! (On the Move) in legislative elections next month. Without a majority, he will not be able to carry out his manifesto promises.

After the Brexit vote and the election of Donald Trump as US president, the race for the Elysee was the latest election to shake up establishment politics by kicking out the figures that stood for the status quo, ejecting the mainstream parties that have dominated French politics for 50 years and leaving the political novice Macron to do battle with the far right.

His victory comes after a bitter campaign with Le Pen in which she accused him of being part of an elite that did not understand ordinary people, and he said Le Pen represented the party of hatred that wanted a civil war in France. The run-off pitted Frances most Europhile candidate against its most Europhobe.

In Brussels and Berlin, there was relief that Le Pens anti-EU, anti-globalisation programme has been defeated.

German Chancellor Angela Merkels spokesman said it was a victory for a strong and united Europe, while EU Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker said French voters had chosen a European future.

The British prime minister Theresa Mays office said she warmly congratulates Emmanuel Macron on his victory in the French presidential race and we look forward to working with the new president on a wide range of shared priorities.

Hours before the end of campaigning on Friday night, Macrons campaign was hacked, which Paris prosecutors are investigating. Hundreds of thousands of emails and documents were dumped online and spread by WikiLeaks in what his campaign called an attempt at democratic destabilization.

Macron, a former investment banker and senior civil servant who grew up in a bourgeois family in Amiens, served as deputy chief of staff to the Socialist president, Francois Hollande, but was not part of the Socialist party.

In 2014, Hollande appointed him economy minister, but he left government in 2016, complaining that pro-business reforms were not going far enough. A year ago, he formed En Marche!, promising to shake up Frances vacuous and discredited political class.

Macron campaigned on pledges to ease labour laws, improve education in deprived areas and extend protections for self-employed people.

The election race was full of extraordinary twists and turns. Hollande became the first president since the war to decide not to run again for office after slumping to record unpopularity with a satisfaction rating of 4%.

His troubled five-year term left France still struggling with a sluggish economy and a mood of disillusionment with the political class. The country is more divided than ever before. More than 230 people have been killed in terrorist attacks in little more than two years, the political class is questioning Islams place in French society, and more than 3 million people are unemployed.

The rightwing candidate Francois Fillon, one seen as a favourite, was badly damaged by a judicial investigation into a string of corruption allegations, including that he had paid his wife and children generous salaries from public funds for fake parliamentary assistant jobs.

The ruling Socialist party, under its candidate Benoit Hamon, saw its score plunge to 6%, while the hard-left Jean-Luc Melenchon finished fourth.

The final round marks a redrawing of the political landscape, away from the old left-right divide towards a contest between a liberal, pro-globalisation stance, and close the borders nationalism. Le Pen has styled the election as being between her partys patriots and the globalists she says Macron represents.

Credits: The Guardian
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Cul de Sac:--- Residents from Dutch side including Prime Minister William Marlin, Minister Silveria Jacobs and several others joined the newly elected government headed by President Daniel Gibbs to remember the fishermen on St. Martin.

President Gibbs said that the occasion is one that was put together to give the people the opportunity to socialize but at the same time remember and cherish the islands culture.

President Gibbs called on the young people to take up the task to continue what the older generation left behind and to also open their own businesses he works on reconstructing the economy on the French side.

After the official speech given by the President of the COM Prime Minister William Marlin joined President Gibbes on a boat to lay a wreath in the sea in memory of all the fishermen that has passed on.
China will deny the DPRK a successful missile launch, until it returns to the bargaining table.

The Chinese possess the technology and the will to destroy DPRK missiles upon launch, which has in fact happened in 90% of their recent launches.

It is one of the biggest non-mysteries of Asia: Why do DPRK (North Korea) ballistic missiles keep blowing up? The DPRK Rocket Force has a recent failure rate of 90%. The answer is, because the Chinese are blowing them to bits shortly after take off.

Expert say that every ICBM or missile, contains an explosive safety charge to self-destruct an errant rocket before it hurts people on the ground. We don't know the radio frequencies that those components respond to, but the Chinese do.

Chinese President Xi Jinping has apparently ordered the People's Liberation Army, the world's largest army incidentally, to deny the DPRK a successful missile launch until it returns to the bargaining table.

The Chinese manufacture most of the components for the DPRK Rocket Force. These advanced guidance systems and other parts were purchased ostensibly as part of civilian programs. The Chinese have recently realized that the DPRK is more of a liability than an asset, given that the US, Japan and South Korea each trade far more with the People's Republic of China (PRC), than they do with the North.

The Chinese have for the first time been enforcing UN sanctions against DPRK, affecting the latter's exports of coal, crabs and other raw materials.

Donald Trump knows all of this, which is why he has expressed gratitude to President Jinping recently. Trump has accused North Korea of "disrespecting the wishes of China" following its latest ballistic missile test. China is the North's main trading partner and the US president has been urging Beijing to try to rein in the reclusive state's military activities.

South Korea said Kim Jong-Un's regime had fired the rocket from around Pukchang, which is near the North's capital, Pyongyang. Seoul and Washington said it had apparently failed shortly after its launch.

China's semi-official Global Times newspaper criticized an ongoing "game of chicken" between North Korea and Washington but also knocked Pyongyang's tech talents.

Early Saturday, the reclusive communist nation launched yet another missile, presumably in a new display of force amid a verbal war of words with President Donald Trump. However, the missile exploded seconds after liftoff, and officials said the failed test involved a short-range, non-nuclear missile able to hit Seoul but not Japan.

"The test's failure shows that the country's missile technology is not mature, and that the missile-launching vehicle paraded on the Day of the Sun not long ago may have only been a mock-up," the English-language Chinese publication said in a commentary.

Moreover, it contends North Korea's missile tests are not just for research and development purposes but part of "an outdated confrontational mentality" demonstrated by the hermit regime.

"Missile tests are North Korea's way of expressing its dissatisfaction, and the most recent test is a typical example," the paper said. "Pyongyang also attempts to use missile tests to boost North Korean public morale, and they're often held during the country's key anniversaries."

North Korea launched a ballistic missile early Saturday local time in the vicinity of Pukchang airfield, the U.S. Pacific Command said in a statement. South Korea's Yonhap news agency reported the missile apparently exploded soon after liftoff.

DPRK Twitter North Korea Launches Ballistic Missiles in an official government photo.

The Chinese paper noted Pyongyang attempted missile tests that had failed previously, and suggested the North's intercontinental ballistic missile threat to the U.S. was not immediate.

"If North Korea's test continue to fail, this will not enhance its deterrence, and may instead cause contempt from the U.S., Japan and South Korea. Washington would think Pyongyang is far from possessing missiles that could reach U.S. soil."

At the same time, the paper said "both Washington and Pyongyang are playing a game of chicken, and their moves and messages are difficult to interpret."

The publication also called on Beijing to "require the U.S. to ease its military threat against Pyongyang and show that it's willing to peacefully resolve the Korean Peninsula issue, and not threaten the survival of Pyongyang's regime."
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A former Somerset councillor is to be sentenced on Monday (May 8) after he was found guilty of being involved in a sophisticated drug gang.

Donal Hassett, formerly a Conservative councillor in Bath and North East Somerset Council, was found guilty of conspiring to produce cannabis between January 2015 and March 2016 earlier this year.

The 56-year-old is set to be sentenced on Monday after a two-week trial, in which the court heard how the councillor had been a "rogue estate agent" for a sophisticated drugs gang which grew more than a million pounds worth of cannabis.

Hassett used cover stories, and false references and names, to rent homes which were found to be cannabis factories.

Over 1,200 plants, with a street value of over 1 million were found by police at seven properties, of which four belonged to Hassett, and the politician admitted fraudulently renting the houses in Bristol, Somerset and Wiltshire but claims he had no idea they were being used to grow drugs.

Lee Bembridge, defending for Hassett, told Judge Picton on Friday afternoon that his client had played a "limited role" in the operation.

He told the court Hassett had pursued educational opportunities, and also became a volunteer while in prison.

He works with fellow prisoners who have problems, helping them to write letters, make applications and mentoring them.

Mr Bembridge added: "He has gained not only the trust and confidence of fellow prisoners but of staff and officers that work alongside him."

Hassett will be sentenced with five others on Monday.

His co-conspirators - all Vietnamese - were all involved in the same cannabis-growing operation between January 2015 and March 2016.
'Common Sense' slate wins 2 of 3 seats over 'SOS' in PHM; 2 new in SB
2 forces to answer EC over motorcycle rally

The Election Commission has sought clarification from the Sanghiya Samajbadi Forum Nepal and the Naya Shakti Party Nepal for organising a motorcycle rally in Mahalaxmi Municipality, Lalitpur in violation of the election code of conduct.
Big Joe

NASA

On September 9, 1959, the Big Joe launch vehicle took off for a suborbital test of the Mercury capsule. After a successful launch from Cape Canaveral, Florida, the capsule was recovered after an equally successfully reentry test.

Little Joe-2

NASA

A November 4, 1959 suborbital test flight of the Mercury capsule test article launched atop Little Joe-2. While the vehicle, which was launched from Wallops Island, functioned as hoped, the escape rocked was several seconds late in firing.

Miss Sam

NASA

A rhesus monkey known as Miss Sam rides in a model of the fiberglass contour couch. Inside this container she will launch in the Little Joe 1B suborbital test flight of the mercury Capsule.

Failed Launch

NASA

The unmanned Mercury-Redstone 1 launch test on November 21, 1960, began and ended when the engine cut off prematurely after the rocket rose a few inches from the pad. The escape tower was jettisoned, but the spacecraft did not separate from the booster. The Mercury capsule was refurbished and later launched as with a new launch vehicle as Mercury Redstone 1A.

Test Launch

NASA

Before launching from Wallops Island, the Little Joe-5 was photographed for a view of the prelaunch fittings. During the suborbital test flight was a failure when the capsule did not separate from the booster.

Test Success

NASA

On December 19, 1960, the unmanned Mercury Redstone 1A launched from Cape Canaveral for a successful flight to the peak altitude of 135 miles and a horizontal distance of 235 miles.

Learning from Failures

NASA

Debris from the Mercury-Atlas 1 spacecraft, which exploded one minute after launch, was gathered and reassembled for study.

Directions

NASA

A diagram depicts how the G2498 Little Joe 5A looks for launch and the systems used.

Not a Complete Loss

NASA

During the March 18, 1961 launch of the Little Joe-5A, the escape rocket motor fired prematurely and before the capsule was released. After the unsuccessful launch, the Mercury capsule was recovered with the parachute floating, still attached to the capsule

First Steps

NASA

On April 23, 1961, Little Joe-5B launch vehicle is connected to Mercury capsule #14.

Ham

NASA

During preflight activities for a January 31, 1961 test flight of the Mercury-Redstone 2, Chimpanzee "Ham" worked with a handler.
On the internet you can find many myths about space, so you need to be a skeptical reader these days. Claims of aliens and UFOs, Mars being abnormally big, or the moon turning green are the kinds of things you should check out carefully.

Here are some of the biggest space myths that just won't go away.

1. The Apollo moon landings were faked

A total of 12 astronauts walked on the moon during NASA's Apollo missions in the 1960s and 1970s. (Credit: NASA) (Image credit: NASA)

Twelve NASA astronauts walked on the moon between 1969 and 1972, and the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter has since released photos of the landing sites. In the decades since Apollo 11 astronauts first set foot on the moon, many theories have been put forward claiming that the whole Apollo program was staged. Why are there no stars in the sky in the moonwalkers' photos? Why are the U.S. flags fluttering on the surface? Why do you see footprints in the pictures, but no marks from the lunar modules that landed there?



The answers to those questions are simpler than you may think. There are no stars in the sky for the same reason you don't see stars during the day on Earth, according to NASA (opens in new tab): The bright glow of daylight on the surface washes them out.

U.S. flags planted into the lunar soil had metal rods sewn in them to appear as though they were moving, according to NASA (opens in new tab). Without these wires, the flag would have hung straight down, making for a pretty lackluster photo prop. And the lunar modules, though heavier, didn't put prominent marks in the surface in some places because their mass was more evenly distributed than the astronauts' weight was in their boots.

2. NASA is a lie

NASA's massive Vehicle Assembly Building at Kennedy Space Center. (Credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett)

Some people actually believe NASA's whole function is not to explore space, but to generate space-related hoaxes. (The Apollo moon landing is a famous example that we'll explore in the next slide.) People who believe this conspiracy, sometimes flagged with the hashtag "#NASAhoax" on social media, will say that amazing space pictures of Mars, Pluto and even Earth are fake, computer-generated imagery (CGI).





In reality, NASA was formed in 1958 "to provide for research into problems of flight within and outside the Earth's atmosphere, and for other purposes," according to the National Aeronautics and Space Act of 1958 (opens in new tab), which then-president Dwight D. Eisenhower signed into law shortly after the start of the space race against the Soviet Union.

Since then, NASA has launched hundreds of satellites into orbit around Earth, the moon and several other worlds. In fact, NASA spacecraft have orbited, flown by or landed on every planet in the solar system. NASA also sends astronauts into orbit, where they conduct research at the International Space Station (ISS).



Not convinced? Try watching a rocket launch for yourself, or see the space station and other satellites with your own eyes with the help of a satellite tracker.

3. The Earth is flat

Earth is roughly spherical. (Image credit: NASA)

This myth is so popular that there is even a group named after it: the Flat Earth Society. Members of the organization argue that the horizon is always at eye level, which they say would not be possible if the Earth were round. They also say there is no full movie of the Earth rotating from space  which is not true, as NASA has published multiple videos taken from satellites, including a live video of Earth (opens in new tab) from the ISS, which orbits our planet 16 times per day.



One way of demonstrating to yourself that the Earth is round is to consider how orbits of satellites work. Satellites constantly "fall" around the Earth as they are pulled around by our planet's gravity; they just need to be traveling fast enough at a high enough altitude to not slam into the atmosphere. Or, you can look at the amazing pictures taken by astronauts at the ISS.

4. Planet Nine will kill us

An artist's illustration of Planet Nine. (Credit: Caltech/R. Hurt (IPAC))

In April 2016, the New York Post tweeted (opens in new tab), "A newly discovered planet could destroy Earth as soon as this month." The newspaper was referring to Planet Nine, a theoretical planet at the edge of the solar system. An accompanying video (opens in new tab) also claimed that the new planet would be throwing all sorts of asteroids and comets at Earth, which would supposedly end up pummeling our planet.



Although the planet's existence has not been confirmed, astronomers are actively looking for it to explain motions of some objects in the icy Kuiper Belt, a vast region of icy objects beyond Neptune. If the planet is actually found, the planet will pose no threat to us, according to the California Institute of Technology's Mike Brown (who is one of the original backers of the Planet Nine theory).

5. Alien research is happening at Area 51

A gate to Homey Airport/ Area 51. (Image credit: David James Henry)

The 1996 movie "Independence Day" is one of the sources of the Area 51 hoax, which claims that aliens and their technology  recovered from crashed flying saucers  are being studied secretly at a classified military base about 80 miles (130 kilometers) northwest of Las Vegas in the Nevada desert. Some people in the area around the base claim that they have seen strange flights out of this area.



While Area 51's true focus is classified, the U.S. government has acknowledged its existence (although the CIA officially calls it "Homey Airport" or "Groom Lake"). A part of Edwards Air Force Base, the area was a known location for high-technology airplane flights in the 1960s and 1970s. It first served as a proving ground for Lockheed U-2 and A-12 OXCART spy planes as early as 1955. UFO sightings reported in the area were indeed unidentified objects, but only because the planes were top-secret  not because they were flown by aliens.

6. There is a killer planet known as "Nibiru"

No, Niburu won't kill us all. (Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech) (Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech)

Conspiracy theorists say another dangerous planet is Nibiru, which was first mentioned in the 1976 book "The Twelfth Planet (opens in new tab)," by Zecharia Sitchin. In the book, Sitchin translated ancient Sumerian cuneiform and claimed that the text is proof of a planet beyond Neptune called Nibiru that orbits the sun every 3,600 years.



Years later, self-proclaimed psychic Nancy Lieder claimed to have communicated with extraterrestrials who said Nibiru would collide with Earth in 2003. When that didn't happen, the date was moved to 2012 (and linked, of course, with the 2012 doomsday predictions). Of course, the collision never occurred, the world didn't end in 2012 and no astronomer has ever found a planet on a collision course with Earth.

7. There is a face on Mars

The original 'Face on Mars' image taken by NASA's Viking 1 orbiter, in grey scale, on July, 25 1976. Image shows a remnant massif located in the Cydonia region. (Image credit: NASA)

In 1976, NASA's Viking 1 spacecraft took a picture of what appeared to be a face on Mars. Immediately, some people said there must have been aliens on the Red Planet that left that face behind as evidence of their existence. NASA (opens in new tab), however, pointed out that the suspected face is really just a pile of rocks casting shadows that resemble face-like features.



NASA followed up with better-resolution pictures (opens in new tab) taken from the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter and the Mars Global Surveyor in 1998 and 2001, respectively. These new images made it quite clear that the "face on Mars" is nothing more than a trick of light and shadows on a completely normal Martian mound.

8. The moon Iapetus is an alien Death Star

Saturn's moon Iapetus. (Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/Space Science Institute)

Iapetus is a moon of Saturn that looks somewhat like the infamous Death Star in the "Star Wars" franchise, with a large crater that resembles the fictional weapon's superlaser focus lens. The Death Star is a planet-killing machine that destroys entire worlds with its outrageously powerful laser. It was prominently featured in the 2016 movie "Rogue One: A Star Wars Story," as well as in 1977's "Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope."



A Daily Mail article published in May 2016 claimed Iapetus is an artificial object crafted by aliens (opens in new tab). As "evidence," the article cited a photo taken by NASA's Cassini spacecraft in 2004. In the photo, there's a line around the moon's equator that resembles the equatorial trench around the Death Star. But this line isn't nearly as interesting as the Death Star's trench, which houses the battle station's engines, thrusters and docking bays. That line is nothing more than a mountain ridge, and Iapetus is actually just made up of boring old rock and ice. Cassini has flown by the moon to take pictures several times without being blasted by deadly alien lasers.

Saturn's moon Mimas (opens in new tab), with it's giant crater Herschel, also looks surprisingly like the Death Star (opens in new tab).

9. Saturn's hexagon is alien technology

Saturn's hexagon is visible on the planet's north pole. (Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/Space Science Institute)

Saturn's hexagon was first spotted when NASA's Voyager spacecraft flew by the giant, ringed planet in 1980. The bizarre, six-sided structure on the round planet's north pole caused quite the stir, because straight lines and polygons are not so common in nature.



Immediately after the Voyager returned its first images of Saturn's strange feature, even stranger theories arose to explain it, including that it was somehow related to alien technology, or perhaps even was a gateway to hell. The hexagon is not artificial, but rather a weird-looking hurricane at Saturn's pole (opens in new tab).

NASA has done several flybys of this region with the Cassini spacecraft, studying the haze particles and other features of the storm, to try to learn more about its unusual properties.

10. Mars is as big as the moon

Mars will never look as large as the full moon in the night sky. (Image credit: Space.com; NASA; ESA/Hubble Heritage Team/NASA)

Originating in 2003, the infamous Mars hoax asserts that Mars was closer to Earth than it had been in the 60,000 years prior, and that the planet will appear as large as the full moon. What started out as a misconstrued email turned into a recurring rumor that gets reshared every August and, naturally, has spread to social media as it became more popular.



Although Mars is indeed relatively close to Earth in a cosmic sense, it will never be as large as the full moon. It will appear as a red dot in the sky, just as the ancient astronomers saw it. If you'd like to see Mars magnified, take out a telescope or look at one of NASA's spectacular Mars pictures.
NCP Janakpur Bureau chief among 4 held with bomb making paraphernalia

Police have arrested four persons including Janakpur Zonal Bureau Chief of the Nepal Communist Party from Bardibas in Mahottari district on Sunday for possession of paraphernalia used in making Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs).
Honour poll alliance: NC, Maoist leaders

Nepali Congress (NC) and CPN (Maoist Centre) organised a joint press meet in Bharatpur on Saturday to announce their mayoral and deputy mayoral candidates decided as per the election alliance between the two ruling parties.
Pentagon to request thousands more troops for Afghanistan next week







Washington (AFP) May 4, 2017





The Pentagon will ask the White House next week to send thousands more troops to Afghanistan to break a deadlocked fight with the Taliban, a senior official said Thursday. After a steady downsizing of US troop numbers since 2011, US military commanders say they need to strengthen the numbers on the ground to better support Afghan forces and help retake territory lost to the Taliban. According to US media, the Pentagon will ask for 3,000 to 5,000 more soldiers, mainly to be assigned to advise and ... read more
Bir Lahlou (Liberated Zones), May 7, 2017 (SPS) The President of the Republic, Secretary-General of the Frente POLISARIO, Brahim Ghali, has addressed a message of condolences to the President of the Islamic Republic of Mauritania, Mohamed Ould Abdelaziz, in which he expressed deep grief and sorrow of the government and people of the Saharawi Republic following the tragic death of former Mauritanian President Ali Ould Mohamed Fal.

"On this sad occasion, allow me, on my own behalf and on behalf of the people and Government of the Saharawi Republic, to transmit to Your Excellency and through you, to the brotherly people of Mauritania and to the bereaved family, our condolences and sincere sympathy ", wrote the President of the Republic in his message to Mohamed Ould Abdelaziz, President of the Islamic Republic of Mauritania.

"With passing away of former President Ali Ould Mohamed Fal, brotherly Mauritania has lost one of its sons, who sacrificed themselves for the service of their people through the various stages and experiences of transformation that the country witnessed" he added. (SPS)

062/090/TRA




Our struggle is to bring social, political, and economic justice to our nation. This is an effort of the Chicano/Mexican American Digital History Project. https://sites.google.com/site/chicanodigital/
Hospital classification to be based on services

The government has decided to classify health facilities based on basis of services they offer instead of the number of beds they have.
The lunch crowd is just beginning to pile into Super Duper Weenie in Fairfield when Jane Stern arrives and is greeted by owner Gary Zemola as, if not an old friend, then the longtime customer she is.

In the hubbub  Zemola is already busy at the grill  their exact words are lost, but they are appropriately casual, for the place and for Stern. The exchange is a mutual, Hey, how are you? Good to see you again, spoken quickly across the counter, before Zemola turns back to his cooking and she moves to the register to order french fries.

These, though, are not just any fries, and Stern is not just any Super Duper fan. She is the Jane of Jane and Michael Stern, the now-divorced but still inseparable writing duo, who helped put Super Duper Weenie and places like it on the national map they created with their Roadfood guidebooks.

When the first Roadfood was published in 1978, it contained about 450 assorted entries, the result of years of travel and ordering, if not consuming, as many as 12 meals a day. In the newly published 10th edition, there are 1,000 entries and Super Duper Weenie (which was a food truck before gaining its permanent location in 2000) has been elevated to the Roadfood honor roll of 100.

Weve been on the Super Duper Weenie bandwagon since it was a food truck, the entry begins. It ends with the command to order the fries, beautiful golden twigs  made extra special by a perfect sprinkle of salt AND pepper.

Stern carries her order of fries and a Boylan soda into the Super Duper dining room, which consists of two banks of picnic tables. Asked if Super Duper Weenie was on the honor roll in the previous edition, Stern says she doesnt think so. It probably was promoted because, she says, It stood the test of time, like the other two Connecticut places on the honor roll: Frank Pepe Pizzeria in New Haven and Zuppardis Apizza in West Haven.

Over decades, the Sterns have stood their own test of time, their guidebooks (and complementing website, roadfood.com) acquiring a greater significance with each edition. Stern reaches across the table for a copy of the 10th. People may not notice this, she says, flipping to the dedication page that names as guiding lights James Beard and M.F.K. Fisher.

They told us go for it. Do it. Its the right thing, she says, recalling the early days when the Sterns had trouble persuading food editors America had authentic regional foods worth writing about. What may be the ultimate vindication came just in the past year. The Jane and Michael Stern Collection is now part of the permanent holdings of the Smithsonian National Museum of American History.

They sent three curators up and they went through everything weve collected or written  ephemera, postcards, menus. Physically, it took five trucks to bring it back to Washington (D.C.), Stern says. The material was in a storage unit near Ridgefield, where Jane Stern lives. She says the search over two days was almost embarrassingly thorough, since the curators also uncovered some lost underwear.

The origin story of the Sterns and Roadfood is they met as graduate students at Yale University, where Michael, who was from Illinois, was pursuing a doctorate in art history and Jane, from Manhattan, was pursuing a master in fine arts degree in painting. They had their first date at Frank Pepe Pizzeria Napoletana in New Haven, married in 1970 and moved to a converted chicken coop in Guilford, where they undertook their first joint project: Janes book about long-haul truckers, for which Michael took the photos.

It was their travels with truckers that gave them the idea for Roadfood. But Stern says she and Michael are vagabonds by nature, averse to making plans, who nevertheless mile-by-mile, meal-by-meal created a body of work worthy of a museum.

We just do what we want to do, and its lovely now that this book has hit its 40th anniversary and that it is really getting recognized for what it is. And what it is is the first food book that recognized regional American food and made a point that food in the South is not the same as food in Vermont; that food in Montana is not the same as food in Texas.

Their work began so long ago Stern says she and Michael worried the unique mom-and-pop places they were discovering would be swept away by the tidal wave of fast-food franchises. Instead, many survived into a new era, their ranks in what she calls Americas culinary heritage added to by ethnic restaurants of all sorts.

I could spend the next three years just doing the Peruvian restaurants in Danbury, she says to make the point. She believes the Roadfood books, which she says begat the Food Network, are at least partly responsible for the present popularity of regional food.

While Im not as much a narcissist as I may like to be, I dont claim credit for (Roadfood) saving every restaurant in America. But it didnt hurt, she says.

Stern recently achieved another more personal kind of vindication for a choice made long ago. She had gone to Yale to study painting, and did her thesis on Philip Guston, an abstract expressionist. But she came to realize, having grown up in Manhattan, that she could never do the New York gallery scene. So she took steps to assure she wouldnt.

I burned all my paintings the night of graduation, she says. It was very dramatic. I did it as a statement of dont go back from me to me.

With painting eliminated, she turned to writing. Over the years she has written several books of her own. But the long-term reward came when the very literary magazine, Paris Review, featured the Sterns in a 2015 Art of Nonfiction issue and subsequently invited Jane to be a contributor.

I thought I was being punked, she says. Oh, the Paris Review is interested in doing a 45-page article on me writing about hot dogs? I thought it was a joke. But it wasnt a joke. It really is the jewel in the crown, if I have any literary pretensions.

So far she has written nearly a dozen articles for the Review. Its the most fun Ive had in my entire life because I dont write about food. I write about anything other than food. And my interests are very broad, to say the least.

Even so, she says she has no thought of abandoning Roadfood, or even has the choice. What am I going to do? Its my life, she says.

Stern says she expects to continue doing the series with Michael. They still collaborate, even though he recently left Connecticut and lives in Aikens, S.C.

Its complicated. Each of us does reviews in our own area. And pr obably for three months out of the year we get together and plan routes and travel together like in the old days and find restaurants, she says. But now we also do a lot of events together. So well meet a week before (to scout the area). Were still doing it absolutely together, when w ere together.

Joel Lang is an award-winning Connecticut journalist and frequent contributor to Sunday Arts & Style.
T he shocking number of mobile phone thefts by muggers speeding around central London on mopeds has been mapped by police.

Officers in Bloomsbury  where police last year warned was a hotbed for phone snatching from criminals on two wheels  recorded a spate of 20 moped thefts in one square mile of London in just one week.

Todays figures follow a string of reports of terrifying attempted robberies around London from scooter-riders.

Last weekend a terrified tourist was surrounded by a gang of four moped thieves in Park Lane before one of the mopeds smashes him into the pavement.

In a separate incident a moped gang were filmed tearing through the streets of London spraying strangers with a fire extinguisher.

Bloomsbury: 20 moped thefts in one square mile in just one week. / MPS Bloomsbury

Earlier this week hammer-wielding muggers on mopeds were also photographed targeting passers-by in the West End.

On Sunday, police in Bloomsbury released a map showing the 20 locations within one square mile where moped thieves have targeted victims in the first week of May.

Thefts have been reported near to University College London buildings as well as along Tottenham Court Road and Goodge Street. Crimes were also reported near to Great Ormond Street Hospital and towards the West End.

The phone-snatchers often mount the pavement and prey on people who are unaware they are near or perhaps using their mobile phone.

The Met have drawn up a list of around 200 people who they believe may be responsible for the majority of the moped-related crimes. But crimes such as these are often hard to prosecuted because of difficulty of securing evidence.

Rise in moped based mobile phone thefts in Islington

Last year the Met and City of London police launched a joint campaign, Operation Attrition, to combat criminals who use mopeds, motorbikes and bikes to snatch phones from victims in Camden and Islington.

They put out a warning to students at University College London, where many of the thefts were happening.

On Sunday, police in Westminster revealed they had arrested an 18-year-old man after foiling a broad daylight moped robbery in Oxford Street, at the junction with Orchard Street. Officers seized two mobile phones.
T ens of thousands of French expats living in the UK are casting their votes in the countrys presidential election.

Frances ambassador to Britain thanked the Met Police force as crowds of French voters headed to the Lycee Charles de Gaulle in Kensington to cast their ballots.

Diplomat Sylvie Bermann said French officials had worked closely with the Met as several armed police patrolled outside the school.

Around two million French people live abroad and around 350,000 of them live in the UK.

As soon as the polls close at 8pm on Sunday, exit results will be announced on French TV. / REUTERS

Of the 250,000 French people living in London, around 100,000 are registered voters.

Ms Bermann said: "I hope the turnout will be good, it's two million people, so it counts, I think it's important.

"We've worked closely with the Met and thank them for what they did to ensure our security for the first round and this time also."

France's next president will be either centrist Emmanuel Macron or former National Front leader Marine Le Pen. / REUTERS

As of midday (11am BST), turnout was 28.2 per cent, which is about two points lower than at the same time in 2012.

The French Interior Ministry will update turnout figures at 5pm (4pm BST).

By the end of the day, France will know its next president - centrist Emmanuel Macron or former National Front leader Marine Le Pen.

Voter Thibaud Marec told the Press Association: "Voting is the most important tool we have as a citizen in a democratic country to express what we feel.

"It's important not to miss this opportunity despite all the frustrations in the country at the moment.

"It's very tense ... two parts of the country are definitely split apart in different directions. I hope the outcome of the election tonight won't be too much of a trouble-generator."

Polls close at 7pm (6pm BST) in the UK, though remain open until 8pm (7pm BST) in some large cities.

As soon as polls close at 8pm (7pm BST), exit results will be announced on French television.

The results should give a fairly accurate idea of who has won - two weeks ago they predicted Ms Le Pen and Mr Macron would get to the second round.

Additional reporting by Press Association.


A poor work-life balance and an increasing number of over achievers has sparked a huge rise in the number of young Londoners facing mental illness, experts have said.

Harley Street psychologist and cognitive behavioural expert Dr Becky Spelman told the Standard that anxiety, depression and relationship difficulties are the most common issues facing people across the city.

Workers in their late 20s and early 30s are the most likely to seek help despite many struggling after leaving university.

She said: The reasons people seem to seek treatment later in life is both financial and due to maturity. People realise it gets in the way of their careers and no longer want to tolerate an issue that wont go away on its own.

Speaking ahead of Mental Health Awareness Week, Dr Spelman, who has worked in the capital for eight years, said many City workers compare themselves to high-flying colleagues and create unreasonable expectations for themselves.

She said: I think the pressures of living in high cost cities contribute to an unhealthy work life balance that causes great amounts of stress for people.

Also cities attract more high achievers which has a domino effect, there is a lot of compare and dispute going on and people having unreasonable expectations for themselves.

In a bid to tackle mental illness, Dr Spelman urged people to speak to professionals, friends and colleagues about their emotions.

Tackle it head on rather that suppressing it, don't ignore any emotions or sweep them under the carpet, practice problem solving and learn that you can find practical solutions to every problem, she added.

Those suffering with anxiety have a habit of worrying about hypothetical situations which havent become a real problem yet.

Dr Spelman, who works as a clinical director at the Private Therapy Clinic, encouraged Londoners to learn to desensitise and sit with difficult emotions in a bid to stop avoiding anything that causes anxiety.

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and Prince Harry have been campaigning for people across the country to speak out about mental illness.

Prince Harry was praised after opening up about the grief surrounding his mothers death while Prince William interviewed Lady Gaga about her struggles with post-traumatic stress disorder as part of the Heads Together campaign.

Mental Health Awareness week runs from May 8 to May 14.
T heresa May has promised to scrap Britains current policy on mental health and replace it with a new bill if she is elected as PM in June.

The Prime Minister vowed to bring in sweeping reforms to the countrys mental health legislation in a bid to cut the numbers of vulnerable people being detained in cells.

If elected in the General Election on June 8, the new Government would produce a fresh Mental Health Treatment Bill to replace the 1983 Mental Health Act which many criticise as flawed.

The latest pledge accompanies promises to employ 10,000 more staff in NHS mental health services by 2020.

She also said the Tories would introduce "sweeping" reforms to the Equalities Act to prevent discrimination at work, by ensuring sufferers from intermittent conditions like depression, anxiety and bipolar disorder are given the same protection currently granted to those with problems which have lasted over 12 months.

Shortfalls in mental health services were one of the "burning injustices" identified by Mrs May in her first speech as Prime Minister, outside the door of 10 Downing Street last July.

Many young Londoners are at risk of depression, anxiety or other mental health issues. / Shutterstock

Numbers of people detained under the current act have increased by 43 per cent over the past decade, with black people significantly more likely to be held in secure mental health wards.

A recent report by the Care Quality Commission said the Act contained "failings that may disempower patients, prevent people from exercising legal rights, and ultimately impede recovery or even amount to unlawful and unethical practice".

Mrs May said: "Today I am pledging to rip up the 1983 Act and introduce in its place a new law which finally confronts the discrimination and unnecessary detention that takes place too often."

She promised: "We are going to roll out mental health support to every school in the country, ensure that mental health is taken far more seriously in the workplace, and raise standards of care with 10,000 more mental health professionals working in the NHS by 2020.

Under Mrs May's plans, children in schools in England and Wales will be taught more about mental well-being, especially in relation to keeping safe online and cyber-bullying.

Conservatives also committed to funding the Samaritans helpline through the next parliament, due to end in 2022, and to end charges for forms used by people in debt to prove their mental ill-health to creditors.

Liberal Democrat former health minister Norman Lamb dismissed the promises as "empty rhetoric".

"I'm sick and tired of great rhetoric from this Government about their commitment to mental health but the reality for families across our country is just so very different," Mr Lamb told the Press Association.

"How can we believe anything they say when they have made it clear today that they won't invest any more from extra taxation.

"It's meaningless rhetoric. Let's just make them make the investment that they committed to in 2015 in our children's mental health services."

The general secretary of the Royal College of Nursing, Janet Davies, said: "Meaningful improvement to mental health care is always welcome but they will need to work hard just to get back to the number of specialist staff working in this area in 2010.

"Under this Government, there are 4,800 fewer mental health nurses and that goes some way to explaining why patients are being failed.

"For as long as parity of esteem between physical and mental health services remains rhetoric, this will not change.

"The NHS needs to see hard cash to deliver any plans."

Additional reporting by Press Association.
B anksy has claimed responsibility for a Brexit-themed mural on the side of a building in Dover.

A large piece of artwork by the notorious street artist showed a workman chipping away at one of the 12 stars on the European flag.

The mural close to the Kent port town's ferry terminal features the character on a ladder removing one of the bright yellow stars.

Representatives for the elusive guerrilla artist from Bristol confirmed that the piece was by him.

New mural: A section of Banksy's new artwork in Dover / REUTERS

Banksy also posted images on his verified Instagram account.

The artwork in a town that acts as one of Britain's main gateways to the Continent comes as the UK is in the middle of a General Election campaign and Brexit.

The piece is also just a short crossing from Calais where Banksy sent most of his exhibitions from his Dismaland art project in Weston-super-Mare, Somerset, to be used as shelter for migrants.
A mother-of-two from Kent who became a jihadi bride has reportedly risen up the Pentagons "kill list" with claims she was responsible for planning a dozen terror attacks.

Sally Jones is considered to be a high priority for assassination in Syria, the Sunday Times reported.

It is claimed that the 49-year-old, who once played guitar in a punk girlband, helped orchestrate an Isis plot to kidnap a US army veteran and then filmed his beheading.

Another planned attack was to involve a teenager shooting at hundreds of people at a nightclub or concert.

Jones has been accused of organising terror plots across three continents  including one against the Queen in London in 2015.

Her involvement in the plots has now made her a target for US authorities.

However, she is believed to be using her 11-year-old son

Jones became known as Mrs Terror after marrying extremist Junaid Hussain, a computer hacker from Birmingham.

Hussain was killed in an American drone strike in Raqqa in 2015.

It is believed that Jones has recruited dozens of women to ISIS via social media before her accounts were shut down.
T he head of ISIS in Afghanistan, Abdul Hasib, has been killed, President Ashraf Ghani confirmed.

Hasib is believed to have ordered a series of high profile attacks including one in March on the main military hospital in Kabul by a group of militants disguised as doctors, a statement said.

Last month, a Pentagon spokesman gave unconfirmed reports that Hasib had been killed during a raid by US and Afghan special forces in Nangarhar.

The Afghan affiliate of ISIS has been active since 2015, fighting both the Taliban as well as Afghan and U.S. forces.

It is believed to maintain links with the main ISIS movement in Iraq and Syria but has considerable operational independence.

U.S. and Afghan special forces, backed by drone strikes and other air support, have waged a series of operations against IS-K this year, killing dozens of their fighters, mainly in Nangarhar, on the border with Pakistan.

Defeating the group remains one of the top U.S. priorities in Afghanistan and last month the United States dropped its largest non-nuclear device on a network of caves and tunnels used by ISIS in Nangarhar, killing 94 fighters, including four commanders.


E mmanuel Macron has been elected as the new president of France.

The 39-year-old Centrist defeated former National Front leader Marine Le Pen with 65.5 per cent of votes to just 35.5 per cent.

Presidential election polls hailed Macron as the victor in Sunday's vote shortly after polling stations closed at 8pm.

Le Pen called Macron to congratulate him on his victory and concede defeat shortly after voting closed and the projected results were announced.

Supporters of Emmanuel Macron celebrate after the second round of 2017 French presidential election / REUTERS

In a speech immediately after the results were announced, Le Pen added that she would call for a new political force as legislative elections loom in June.

She also hinted her party may rename itself from the National Front, which has been dogged by allegations of racism and anti-Semitism since it was founded by her father.

A turn-out of 63 per cent was recorded at 5pm (4pm BST) following a turbulent campaign battle that divided the country.

Supporters celebrate Emmanuel Macron's victory / REUTERS

In a speech at his campaign headquarters he said a "new page of our history" had opened for France and vowed to "defend France and Europe".

Macron will address supporters in the courtyard at the Louvre, Paris, to celebrate his victory.

The area was evacuated earlier on Sunday following reports of a suspicious package.

Theresa May was quick to congratulate Macron on his victory.

Macron gained 65 per cent of the vote, polls suggest / AFP/Getty Images

A Downing Street spokesman said: "The Prime Minister warmly congratulates President-elect Macron on his election success.

"France is one of our closest allies and we look forward to working with the new President on a wide range of shared priorities."

A spokesman for German Chancellor Angela Merkel tweeted: Congratulations Emmanuel Macron. Your victory is a victory for a strong united Europe and for the Franco-German friendship.

The European council president, Donald Tusk, has also tweeted his congratulations.

Outgoing president Francois Hollande congratulated Mr Macron and said his victory shows the overwhelming majority of voters rallied behind the European Union and openness to the world.

In a tweet, Donald Trump said: "Congratulations to Emmanuel Macron on his big win today as the next President of France. I look very much forward to working with him."

A White House statement praised Mr Macron and the French people for "their successful presidential election" and said the United States looks forward to "continuing our close relationship with the French government".

Emmanuel Macron explainer

Jubilant supporters of Macron in London hugged each other as the banker's figure beamed on to a screen, confirming him as the next French president.

Campaigners and voters for his En Marche movement, gathered at a central London pub, were tense with anticipation in the minutes running up to the result.

Emmanuel Macron explainer

Within seconds of the exit poll being revealed, many were tweeting their joy at the victory of France's youngest candidate to win the presidency.

Student Arjun Alim, 20, said: "I'm absolutely thrilled, I think it's brilliant for France and Britain.

"It's finally time for someone other than a right-wing populist to take the stand."
Ideally budget should be announced on May 29

Going by the constitutional provision, the government has less than a month to present the next fiscal years budget in Parliament. But it appears the Ministry of Finance has not made adequate preparations to launch the fiscal policy on time largely because of confusing statements from political parties.
F rance has taken to the polls to cast their votes in the countrys presidential election.

Voters will choose either centrist Emmanuel Macron or former National Front leader Marine Le Pen as the next French president  but when will the results be announced?

Hundreds of thousands of people flocked to ballot stations across the country as they opened at 8am (7am BST) on Sunday.

Polls close at 8pm (7pm BST) with exit polls announced almost immediately offering what is widely thought to be an accurate view of the result.

UK polling stations close at 7pm BST.

The winner looks set to be confirmed before midnight (11pm BST).

Leadership race: Marine Le Pen and Emmanuel Macron / REUTERS

As of midday (11am BST), turnout was 28.2 per cent, which is about two points lower than at the same time in 2012.

If Macron wins, and becomes the youngest French president at 39 years old, he will celebrate with a reception at the Louvre in Paris.

The museums courtyard was evacuated earlier on Sunday over reports that a suspicious bag had been discovered.

Security clear The Louvre following a scare. / Getty Images

If Le Pen is elected the countrys first female leader, her victory will be celebrated at the Chalet du Lac in the Bois de Vincennes, on the eastern edge of the capital.

Following the result outgoing president Francois Hollande will welcome his successor to the Elysee Palace within two weeks.

After a private meeting in which he hands over the nuclear launch codes, Mr Hollande will depart.

En Marche's Emmanuel Macron will go head-to-head with far right Front National party Marine Le Pen / AFP/Getty Images

The new head of state then takes centre stage with ceremonies culminating in a ride up the Champs Elysees in an open-top limousine escorted by Republican Guards on horseback.
F rench police have been called to the Louvre in Paris over a security threat after a suspicious bag was found.

Video footage from the scene shows police cordoning off an area as people are cleared from outside the world-famous museum.

The courtyard in front of the landmark was where presidential candidate Emmanuel Macron tonight planned to celebrate a possible victory with his team.

According to his campaign spokeswoman, the Esplanade du Louvre was evacuated on Sunday "as a precaution".

Police clear the area where Emmanuel Macron will celebrate later should he win the French election. / Getty Images

The security alert comes as voters across France cast their ballots in the final round of the countrys election.

Centrist Emmanuel Macron is up against far-right National Front candidate Marine Le Pen. The results are expected to be announced tonight.

Campaign spokeswoman Pauline Calmes confirmed the reports. She did not specify the nature of the threat but says police ordered the evacuation.

Later Macron's team said a press room had been set up at the downtown Paris location and 300 journalists who were on site have been evacuated as a precaution.

Paris' police tweeted that the area had been evacuated as a "precautionary measure".

The Louvre already was being heavily guarded after an extremist attacker targeted soldiers near the museum during the presidential campaign.

The courtyard which has been evacuated at the Louvre is outside a building where Mr Macron and his team planned to celebrate his possible victory post-election.
Nepali asylum seekers in Europe

Poverty, natural disasters and a political impasse are not grounds for refugee status
ALLIANCE  The Box Butte County 4-H Public Speaking Contest was held March 20. Participating were Shelbee Burke, Jonah Amill, Brenna Schumacher and Katrina Karell. Also sharing their favorite story were Clover Kid speakers Ainslee Woltman, Raelee Woltman, Dallas Woltman, Eden Foster and Ayla Foster.

Burke, Amill and Karell advanced on to the Regional Speech Contest which was held April 22. Participants gave their speeches via distance learning at one of three locations in the Panhandle with the judges located at the ESU 13 in Scottsbluff.

The top two placing senior participants advance to the state contest during the Nebraska State Fair in Grand Island. Box Butte County speakers placed as follows: Shelbee Burke received a purple ribbon and third place intermediate. Jonah Amill received a purple ribbon and was the champion junior medal winner. Katrina Karell received a red ribbon.

Public speaking is a traditional program of 4-H which helps 4-H members develop skills for communicating about real issues to real audiences, learn how to organize and prepare a speech, develop speech delivery skills, learn to present themselves to others and develop self- confidence.
Kelvin Schanaman covered a lot of territory on his way back to his familys Nebraska homeland.

The great-grandson of a Conrad (Schaneman) Schanaman arrived in Scotts Bluff County last fall as the county executive director in the Scottsbluff Farm Service Agency office.

Were the face of government, and I like to do what I can to help farmers, Schanaman said Tuesday afternoon while sitting in his office where the walls are decorated with the art work of his daughters, Audrey, 3, and Autumn, 6.

He encourages producers to keep their Farm FSA offices updated on the various changes to their farm operations, and the sooner the better, Schanaman emphasized. He especially stressed that producers contact the office as soon as they were finished planting to report their acreage.

Schanamans ancestor left the North Platte Valley and settled in the Hardin, Montana, area, where the family name spelling was changed to Schanaman.

Raised on a farm/ranch operation, with two brothers, Schanaman had lamb projects in 4-H, which he said with a smile, didnt especially please the cattle ranchers in his family.

The area is similar to western Nebraska, with a lot of ranching, and where the farmers mainly grow grain crops and sugar beets. His familys place was on the Crow Indian Reservation south of Hardin.

Young Schanaman earned a degree in English from Montana State University in Billings. After spending some time in Liberty County, Montana, just 40 miles south of Canada, as an FSA program technician, he learned of the USDA FSA county executive director training program in Nebraska. He was accepted and did his training stationed out of Norfolk, Nebraska. Upon completion, county executive director positions were open in West Point and Scottsbluff, and the rest is history.

Shanaman, his wife, Jessica, and their daughters, are outdoor enthusiasts. They spend a lot of time in the Wildcat Hills and have explored Scotts Bluff National Monument and Toadstool Park.
PAC asks NTA about Ncell 4G licence

Public Accounts Committee (PAC) of the Legislature-Parliament has sought information from Nepal Telecommunications Authority (NTA) in relation to 4G licence issuance to Ncell.
HOLDREGE  The Central Nebraska Public Power and Irrigation Districts board of directors was briefed during Mondays monthly meeting on a boundary review process being conducted to comply with Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) requirements, as well as data from groundwater observation wells.

Gothenburg Division Manager Devin Brundage reported that Central needs to begin work in the near future on the FERC requirement to control its project boundaries around each of Centrals many reservoirs, lakes and canals for project-related operations and maintenance.

Brundage said language in Centrals FERC license requires licensees to  acquire title in fee or the right to use in perpetuity all lands, other than lands of the United States, necessary or appropriate for the construction, maintenance, and operation of the project.

Also at Mondays meeting:

 Irrigation Division Manager Dave Ford presented information from Centrals semi-annual data collection from its network of groundwater observation wells.

Analysis of the data indicates that within Centrals service area (Gosper, Phelps and Kearney counties) there were relatively minimal changes in groundwater levels since last spring, except for slightly more declines in Kearney County. Over the past 10 years, about half of the 132 wells within Centrals network showed increases and half showed declines, with more pronounced declines in the eastern part of the service area.

Ford said Central also analyzes data from the average groundwater levels from 1981 to 85 and compares that data to the present readings. Sixty percent of the wells, most of them east of Holdrege show declines between one and 20 feet, although about half of the wells showing declines were in the 1 to 5 feet range. Declines over the longer period are likely due to increased irrigation efficiency by irrigators (which reduces the amount of water that goes to recharge) and a lower volume of water being diverted into the canal systems as a result of the higher efficiencies.

Ford added that wells showing increases tend to cluster around Elwood Reservoir where recent efforts to intentionally provide groundwater recharge are showing good results. The recharge efforts benefit return flows back to the river in both the Platte and Republican basins.

 The directors approved a land use permit for the Platte River Recovery Implementation Program to facilitate a sediment augmentation project along the south channel of the Platte River upstream from the Overton bridge.

 Civil engineer Cory Steinke reported that Lake McConaughy has been steadily rising with increasing inflows and is at elevation 3254.9 feet, about ten feet below capacity. The reservoir is currently about 83 percent full with about 1.4 million acre-feet in storage. Given current projections, he said, it is looking less likely that excess water will have to be released from the reservoir unless there are significant changes in inflows. Given current conditions and trends, he said, the reservoir is likely to reach a peak near full capacity.

Steinke said the snowpack in the Rocky Mountains, which had fallen below average, has returned to normal levels as a result of recent snowfall. He is projecting that inflows to Lake McConaughy will be relatively high into June.
ALLIANCE  Nathaniel Jensen will travel to Atlanta, Ga., with other Nebraska 4-Hers to participate in the 2017 National 4-H Congress Nov. 24 - 28.

Jensen is the son of Ed and Amy Jensen and is finishing his junior year at Alliance High School. He is a member of the Box Butte Blasters 4-H Trap Shooting Club and the Box Butte County Jr. Leaders.

National 4-H Congress is the flagship event of the 4-H program. For over 80 years, youth from the United States and its territories have participated in the youth leadership development conference. Congress provides youth, ages 15-19, a quality educational and cross-cultural experience. It is designed to address the needs and issues of youth while helping to develop capable, competent and caring citizens.

Nebraska youth are selected for this honor based on their leadership, community service and educational activities through 4-H.

Congress delegates experience an awesome educational program including a variety of fun and exciting recreational and networking opportunities. The workshop presenters and speakers motivate as well as share the most current information in their area of expertise. A cultural evening exposes the youth to a variety of forms of fine arts. The conference emphasizes leadership, youth empowerment, and cultural diversity. Delegates visit venues in the city including the Centennial Olympic Park, The World of Coca-Cola, CNN Center, the Carter Presidential Center, and the Martin Luther King Center.
Nurses Week is celebrated each year from May 6 (National Nurses Day) to May 12 (Florence Nightingales birthday). The theme for this years celebration is Nursing: The Balance of Mind, Body & Spirit. How appropriate it is that we recognize our nurses that lead change in health and wellness for our patients and community.
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Sherchans body airlifted to Capital (In photos)

The body of deceased octogenarian mountaineer Min Bahadur Sherchan, who died on in his bid to reclaim his title as the worlds oldest person to scale Mt Everest, has been brought to Kathmandu Sunday for postmortem.
Ken Ilgunas paid off $32,000 in student loans two and a half years after graduation  starting with a $9-an-hour job.

With zero job offers in his chosen field of journalism, he instead moved from Wheatfield, N.Y., to Coldfoot, Alaska, a truck stop and tourist camp north of the Arctic Circle, so he could put every possible dollar toward his debt.

Every possible dollar meant virtually every dollar. His job as cook, maintenance worker and tour guide provided room and board. What Coldfoot (population 10) didnt provide was places to spend what little he was making.

I had literally no bills other than my student loan payments, Ilgunas says. I was able to send $18,000 toward my debt that first year.

People who are passionate about paying off debt find plenty of ways to do it that go well beyond clipping coupons, turning down the air conditioner and consolidating their debts. Some free up money by tackling most households biggest expense: the cost of shelter.

After the tourist camp job, Ilgunas lived in a tent for a while as a ranger for the Gates of the Arctic National Park. He paid off his debt two and half years after his 2006 graduation.

I wanted a really free and adventurous life, and I knew I couldnt have that life with debt, says Ilgunas, 33.

His experiments in rent-free living went so well that he moved into a van so he could attend graduate school without taking out more loans and then wrote a book about it, Walden on Wheels.

Ilgunas, now a seasonal park ranger, lives in a house in Stokes County, N.C., with electricity and Wi-Fi and everything.

Moving outside the comfort zone

You cant get cheaper than free. But when a relative offered Chicago residents Aja and Kelvin McClanahan a home he had inherited and didnt want, they turned it down initially because it was in one of the citys most dangerous neighborhoods, Englewood.

If you looked at the statistics, Englewood was at the top. Extreme poverty, urban blight, homicides, teen pregnancy, tuberculosis, all of it, says Aja McClanahan, 37.

The McClanahans had made progress in paying off $120,000 in student loans, medical bills, credit card debt and a car loan  mostly while living rent-free in Ajas mothers home. They longed for their own place and hoped to avoid a mortgage.

And Aja wanted to be a stay-at-home mom and home-school their two small children.

So they kept talking about the Englewood house. We could be so much far ahead with retirement savings, with college savings by moving into the house, Aja says. We didnt see another way to get as firm a financial footing.

Plus, they had friends in the neighborhood: hipster types who had moved there for the cheap housing.

People live here. They didnt die, Aja says she reassured herself.

In 2010, the family moved from the suburbs into the house with bullet holes in the back door. They spent the first night listening to sirens, barking dogs and their own doubts about their decision.

Seven years later, theyre still there and debt-free. The area hasnt gentrified, but it has improved, Aja says. Kelvins job as a postal carrier supports the family comfortably, giving them time to travel and volunteer at local schools and nonprofits.

I feel like we have a high quality of life, Aja says.

Moving to another country

The McClanahans may have felt like they moved to a different country, but Frank Thomae and his wife, Lissette, actually did  and dramatically reduced their housing expenses.

In 2013, Frank was planning to travel full time after he lost his job as the chief financial officer for a Canadian importer. Lissette planned to work remotely as a marketing director. But then the couple was saddled with $46,000 in unexpected bills for expensive dental work, a bad business investment and remodeling overruns on their Montreal condo.

Rather than putting off their travels, they relocated overseas. They rented out their condo for $1,850 a month while paying $500 monthly rent in Prague, Czech Republic, and then $300 in Nong Khai, Thailand.

We saved more money than when we were at home, Thomae said.

Two years after leaving Montreal, they were debt-free.

They recently signed a one-year lease in Croatia. Eventually, they plan to find a more permanent home: It will be abroad.

Weve both just turned 50 and neither of us wants to go back to Canada or the U.S., Thomae says. We always want to travel.
Impeachment motion against CJ: SC ruling puts House on horns of dilemma

Speaker Onasari Gharti is on the horns of a dilemma after the Supreme Courts interim order on Friday to put an impeachment motion against Chief Justice Sushila Karki on hold.
Four days before Gov. Eric Greitens consented to a finding by the Missouri Ethics Commission that probable cause exists that he violated state campaign laws, Khalil Abdul-Mumin put his name on a similar document.

In 2015, as Greitens was gearing up his race for governor, Abdul-Mumin was seeking a seat on the board of the Spanish Lake Fire Protection District. A more modest pursuit, perhaps, but still an important one. In two separate failed elections, in 2015 and again this April, Abdul-Mumin paid for and distributed door hangers that purported to come from a campaign committee that didnt actually exist.

For this, he was fined $100.

Thats the same fine Greitens received for failing to disclose that in his campaign, he used a contact list from the nonprofit he used to direct, The Mission Continues, to raise millions of dollars. Greitens fee can grow to $1,000 if he violates ethics laws again in the next two years.

Because Greitens is the governor, and because he campaigned on a platform of cleaning up the culture of corruption in Jefferson City, his ethics fine earned big headlines. Few people outside of Spanish Lake have ever heard of Abdul-Mumin.

But an important thread connects the two men.

Voters remember the big ethics flaps in politics that lead to jail terms. We remember former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich. We remember the ABSCAM sting in the 1970s and 80s that took down East Coast congressmen and inspired the movie American Hustle.

And we remember state Sen. Jeff Smith, who served a year in federal prison for his role in a negative mailing in the August 2004 congressional primary won by Democrat Russ Carnahan. Smith was convicted of lying to the FBI, but the root of his crime was not much different than the one admitted to by Abdul-Mumin. He and his campaign conspired to hide their connection to a postcard criticizing Carnahan that was sent to voters. Had Smith not lied about it, he might have gotten away with a $100 fine or so. The FBI said as much after his conviction.

Instead of initially admitting their mistake which would have likely led to a fine, FBI special agent in charge Roland Corvington said at the time, they are now convicted felons for lying to the FBI.

The lesson about ethics in politics is that it nearly always starts with the little things.

Its the free lunch, or tickets to the ballgame, which Greitens seeks to ban (at least for lawmakers). It is the campaign mailer or donation from a questionable source, which political operatives seek to hide. It is the cutting of one corner that leads to another, and then another, such as accepting millions of dollars in secret donations that give voters no opportunity to judge who is trying to buy influence.

The gears of the Missouri Senate came grinding to a halt in the past couple of weeks primarily because a couple of Republican senators  namely Sen. Rob Schaaf of St. Joseph and Sen. Ryan Silvey of Kansas City  want to connect the small things to the big things.

They accuse Greitens and the president pro tem of the Senate, Ron Richard of Joplin, of hiding the influence big donors are having on specific pieces of legislation. This is the crux of what the ethics debate is about.

The transaction  in a door hanger worth a few bucks, in a free lunch, or in the $1 million hidden donation  is the same. Somebody wants influence. Somebody else wants to hide it.

In the days since the Honorable Gov. Greitens signed his name to a document admitting to a dishonorable act, he and his spokespeople have continued to refuse to come clean on the details about the mysterious donor database obtained from a nonprofit that exists to help veterans returning from war.

The Mission Continues said it never authorized selling or giving away its database.

Greitens signed a document that admits to having used it, but he wont say where he got it. In 2015, the Associated Press found that about 85 percent of more than $500,000 Greitens raised in the early months of his campaign came from donors who had previously given to The Mission Continues.

At the time, Greitens told the AP his campaign wasnt using such a donor list.

No, we were not working off a Mission Continues donor list, he said in 2016.

In 2017, Greitens and his attorney both signed a Missouri Ethics Commission document that says the opposite is true.

It is not against the law to lie to the press. But it puts the governor in a difficult position if the FBI ever comes knocking at his door.
Shady business

Fraudulent cooperatives put the savings of thousands of depositors in danger
Spectators take photos as they watch the COMAC C919, China's first large passenger jet, coming in for a landing on its maiden flight at Shanghai's Pudong airport.

China took a step toward the aviation big leagues Friday with the long-delayed, but successful, maiden flight of its first modern passenger jet.

China hopes its aircraft industry can someday challenge the Western duopoly of Boeing and Airbus, especially for its large and fast-growing domestic market.

But the flight of the single-aisle, twin-engine C-919 is also a symbol of the countrys ambitions to develop an advanced high-tech economy over the next decade.

State media burst with pride and patriotism as the planes debut flight from Pudong International Airport in Shanghai was broadcast live, reporting that about 3,000 officials, executives and other onlookers clapped ecstatically as the plane landed, carrying a skeleton crew of five pilots and engineers.

But the reaction on social media was a little more muted, with some pointing out that the flight was a reminder of how far China lags behind the West.

The government says the ability to build and fly a modern passenger plane would be the pearl and flower of modern manufacturing, a centerpiece of the governments Made in China 2025 industrial plan that includes ambitions to develop world-class robotics, advanced information technology, medicines and high-tech transport industries.

There is, however, still a long road to a globally competitive aerospace industry.

The planes development was beset by production problems and delays  it had initially been slated to fly in 2014  and it still relies on a wide range of foreign technology. General Electric and the French firm Safran supply the engines through a joint venture.

The plane is designed to hold 155 to 175 seats and fly 2,530 miles.

It is expected to enter commercial service with China Eastern Airlines in 2019, and its maker, state-owned Commercial Aircraft Corp. of China, says it has 570 orders from 23 customers.

Most of the demand is coming from state-owned Chinese airlines, and the plane will initially target the domestic market, which is set to displace the United States as the worlds biggest by around 2024, the International Air Transport Association predicts.



It says that 1.3 billion passengers will fly to, from and within China every year by 2035. To meet that demand, Boeing predicts that China will need 6,800 new airplanes, valued at $1 trillion, over that period, as its economy and middle class continue to grow.

Most of the flights will be on single-aisle jets like the C-919. Chinese media said the plane will cost about $50 million, significantly less than a Boeing 737 or Airbus 320, its closest equivalents.

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The Commercial Aircraft Corp. is seeking certification from Europes aviation safety regulator.

But Richard Aboulafia, an aerospace analyst at the Teal Group, told Bloomberg News that China may have to wait until its next aircraft to break the duopoly for jets that can carry more than 100 passengers.

At the moment, they are in a real replication mode, which is not where you want to be, he said. First off, they need to privatize and open their supply chain up to a global network, rather than just people who will transfer yesterdays technology.

Chinas ambitions to build a passenger jet of its own date back to the time of Mao Zedong.

In the 1970s, China developed the Shanghai Y-10 airliner, but the plane was beset by problems, including its weight, high fuel consumption, limited range and safety concerns. Only two prototypes were built.
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) will stage a public meeting in Sialkot Today.

PTI Chairman Imran Khan is expected to address the gathering at Jinnah Stadium at 05.00 pm Pakistan Standard Time (PST).

Khan had posted a video on social media inviting the masses to the public meeting in Sialkot.



The party has claimed to have set up 25,000 chairs at the rally venue.

It is pertinent to mention that the Tehreek-e-Insaf had staged public meeting in Nowshehra, Islamabad and Karachi.
Despite the recent border clash, National Assembly Speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq said on Sunday that Afghan President Ashraf Ghani was likely to visit Pakistan.

He [Ashraf Ghani] has told me that he will come to Islamabad once Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif visits Kabul, Sadiq told reporters.

Former president Hamid Karzai and Chief Executive Abdullah Abdullah have also assured me they would arrive here, he added.

On Friday, at least 10 people, including women, children and a Frontier Corps (FC) man, were killed and 47 others injured after Afghan border forces resorted to unprovoked firing at Pakistani troops guarding a census team.

In response, Inspector General FC Major General Nadeem Ahmed told the media on Sunday, Pakistani forces had targeted Afghan security check-posts, killing 50 people and injuring 100.

On May 4, the presidents deputy spokesperson Dawa Khan Mina Pal said the Afghan president had declined an invitation by Director General Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) Lt Gen Naveed Mukhtar and parliamentarians to visit the Pakistan.

I will not go to Pakistan until the perpetrators behind the attacks on Mazar-e-Sharif, the American University in Kabul and Kandahar, are handed over to Afghanistan, Mina Pal had quoted Ghani as saying.

Sadiq had led an unprecedented 17-member delegation of top leaders from both houses of the parliament to Afghanistan on the invitation of the Afghan president with an aim to lower tensions between the two neighbouring countries.

Once the Afghan parliamentary delegation comes, we will talk about why our forces were attacked in Chaman [despite the earlier meeting], Sadiq remarked.

The National Assembly speaker said Ghani had told him during a meeting in Afghanistan that his government had no control over 50 per cent of the country and the Taliban and Islamic State militants were only few kilometres away from them.

Pakistan will respond instantly, effectively to border violations: Khawaja Asif

We have to move forward and improve bilateral ties as there can be no peace in Pakistan without peace in Afghanistan, Sadiq maintained. We have also asked the Afghan side to cooperate with us in border fencing to stop cross-border movement once and for all, he added.
In occupied Kashmir, dozens of students including girls were injured, today, when Indian police used brute force on protesting students in Handwara town, today.

The students of Degree College Handwara and Higher Secondary School Handwara staged protests against the April 15 crackdown on a college in Pulwama and the arrests of students in subsequent protests. The students of Degree College also unfurled Pakistans National Flag on the administrative block of the college.

Indian police fired teargas shells to disperse the students who were trying to march in the streets, triggering clashes between the protesters and the police personnel. Over two dozen students including girls were injured in the police actions. Many of the students sustained critical injuries.

The shopkeepers downed their shutters following the clashes which were going on outside the Degree College and the main chowk areas till reports last came in.

The students also staged protests in Newa and Ratnipora areas of Pulwama district against the brutalities of Indian forces on the student community.

It is to mention here that occupied Kashmir is in the grip of student protests after Indian forces entered in the Government Degree College Pulwama on April 15. The action triggered massive demonstrations in the college and over 60 students were injured in the subsequent use of force by Indian police and troops on the protesting students. Since April 15, more than 150 students have been injured across the Kashmir Valley in forces actions.

Meanwhile, the spokesman of Jamaat-e-Islami of Kashmir (JI) in a statement expressed its concern and resentment over the injuring of students by Indian forces brutal actions in Handwara. He said that the occupational forces had also started arrest spree in Valley and had arrested dozens of students from different areas.

Once students are detained, forces violating all human rights by subject them to the worst treatment in police lockups. These shameful attempts depict government of India has started a well thought plan to terrify local population which includes the siege of villages and towns wherein these forces mercilessly thrash locals, damage properties and also try to break the resolve of determined Kashmiris, he said. He also expressed solidarity with media personnel who were beaten by the forces in Sopore yesterday.
Sherchan, 85, dies on Everest during world record bid

Min Bahadur Sherchan, 85, who was in his bid to reclaim his title as the worlds oldest person to scale Mt Everest, died at the base camp on Saturday.
The election effect

Local level polls, if held successfully, will ensure a more vibrant exercise of democracy than ever before
Two vehicles vandalised

The vehicles used by election candidates were torched in Nuwakot and Dhading districts on Friday night.
Bias is a growing concern for New Zealand businesses trying to increase diversity and inclusion in their workplace, according to new research.

The latest New Zealand Diversity Survey reveals that 48 per cent of organisations identify bias to be a key issue, up 18 per cent from the previous survey six months ago.

Bias is now ranked as the third most important diversity issue in the workplace, behind wellbeing and flexibility.

Diversity Works chief executive Bev Cassidy-Mackenzie is pleased to see there is a growing awareness around the impact bias can have.

Bias, particularly unconscious bias, can subtly undermine the many hours organisations invest in creating a culture that embraces diversity and inclusion. But awareness is the first step in mitigating its effects.

Public sector organisations are even more cognisant of bias, with 51 per cent of those respondents ranking it as a concern, making it the second most important diversity issue, behind wellbeing, for the public sector.

Thats not surprising. Many of New Zealands public sector organisations have made a real commitment to reducing the impact of bias, working with Diversity Works New Zealand on training and other strategies, says Bev.

Bias was identified as one of the factors impacting the gender pay gap in New Zealand in research released recently by the Ministry for Women.

Publicity around the gender pay gap and research into its causes may have impacted the Diversity Survey results. Gender was identified as an important issue by 45 per cent of respondents, up from 29 per cent in our previous survey.

We think its great the message around bias and the gender pay gap is spreading, and that organisations are gaining a better understanding around these important issues, and how they impact their workforce and ultimately, business performance, she says.

The NZ Diversity Survey, which was initiated in 2013 to create a better understanding of the key diversity challenges facing New Zealand organisations, is carried out twice a year by Diversity Works New Zealand in partnership with the New Zealand Chambers of Commerce and has been supported by AUT, and now Massey University.

Tauranga Chamber of Commerce chief executive Stan Gregec welcomes the chance to discuss the findings of the survey with local businesses, and to hear ways in which some companies are overcoming the barriers identified in the report.

The chamber will be hosting a special Diversity in the Workplace event on May 18 to share ways that business owners and organisations can create a more inclusive culture and reap rewards such as better staff recruitment and retention, and improved products and services.

Visit http://www.tauranga.org.nz for more details and to register.
Tauranga teachers will have the chance to learn a thing or two themselves, as New Zealand prepares for next years digital technology curriculum change.

The OMGTech! TrailBlazers Tech Week Tour is taking hands-on fun coding workshops to cities and towns across the country and organisers are encouraging primary and intermediate school teachers to attend for an intense two-hour session.

OMGTech! co-founder and general manager Zoe Timbrell says the workshops are designed to help educators gain confidence in digital technology and in teaching computer science for the Hour of Code.

Digital technology is so critical to every aspect of life in the future that the government has made in part of the curriculum in schools starting next year.

She says turning that into a reality now rests with teachers.

Teachers are the key to ensuring all children learn digital technology basics and our free workshops aim to support them as they prepare to teach children in 2018.

Microsoft Schools manager Anne Taylor encourages teachers to attend the workshops.

Its a great opportunity to start the learning process for teachers which ultimately will deliver for the countrys youth.

The TrailBlazers workshops run with the support of Microsoft, are targeted at teachers teaching years 3 to 8. They will learn how to run an Hour of Code, how to develop what children learn during the hour as well as the basic use of computer programming language Scratch.

The free session will run from 3.30pm to 5.30pm at Te Akau Ki Primary School in Papamoa on Tuesday May 9. Register at eventbrite.co.nz
Meh see, all you dames and hoodlums chasing the big score better get your crews together and head downtown for Aquinas Colleges latest production next week.

Following three months of rehearsals, the 83 cast and crew are proud to present Bugsy Malone at Baycourts Addison Theatre which opens May 11.

Based on the 1970s musical starring Scott Biao and Jodie Foster, Bugsy Malone stars Year 11 student Michael Graham as Bugsy, head girl Millie Elliott as Blousy and Jessica Robinson as Tallulah.

The show is based on the hugely popular 1970s musical gangster film that featured only child actors. It is set in 1920s New York, in the Prohibition era.

Director Toni Henderson says this show is an all-singing, all-dancing, all-acting extravaganza that features high-quality production and some stunning costumes.

Its a big show costume-wise, with many of the cast having up to four costume changes, all 1920s style. The audience is in for a few surprises too  splurge guns and pedal cars add to the glamour and energy of this classic gangster tale.

Several trained dancers showcase their skills, but for many like Isaac Jarden who plays Fizzy and dons a pair of tap shoes for his very first dance solo  Bugsy Malone has brought its challenges.

After months of hard work, we are really pleased with what our boys in particular have achieved, says choreographer Laura Mansell. So You Wanna Be a Boxer is a scene set inside a gym that features 18 of the boys showcasing the skills they have learnt so far.

Aquinas College presents Bugsy Malone at Baycourts Addison Theatre from May 11-13. Tickets are available from Baycourt or online via Ticketek.

For more information and show times, visit www.aquinas.school.nz/event/bugsy-malone/
The cruise industrys largest ships are returning to Australasia for the 2018/19 summer cruise season with Royal Caribbeans three megaliners.

Ovation of the Seas, Radiance of the Seas and Explorer of the Seas scheduled to make Tauranga port calls.

Australasias newest, largest and most modern cruise ship, Ovation of the Seas, will return for her third and longest season yet based down under.

Culinary favourite, Radiance of the Seas, will offer Royal Caribbeans very first departure from Melbourne, as well as three cruises departing from Auckland.

Meanwhile, Explorer of the Seas  the South Pacific family favourite  returns down under for her fourth season.

Sister ship Voyager of the Seas will not return to Australasia for the 2018/19 summer cruise season, instead remaining in Singapore and China for a year-round season.

Melbourne as a new turnaround-port for Radiance of the Seas was an easy choice for us to make. Victorians are known the world over for their love of great food so our culinary ship is the perfect fit. And in Auckland, our style of cruising is continuously growing in popularity so were thrilled to offer cruises from our Kiwi neighbours doorstep, says managing director, Royal Caribbean Australia & New Zealand, Adam Armstrong.

"After six seasons pioneering BIG ship cruising in Australasia and carrying more than 300,000 guests, we will say farewell to our beloved Voyager of the Seas for the 2018/19 cruise season, as she will instead sail from Singapore and Asia year-round.

This deployment change makes possible the early return of Ovation of the Seas to her summer home in Sydney, where she will operate her longest ever Australasian season. Our most popular local cruise ship, Ovation of the Seas is the flagship for modern Australian and New Zealand cruising, delivering a whole new way to holiday, known as SuperCruising.

The 2018/19 season will kick off with the arrival of Radiance of the Seas to Sydney on October 6 2018. Explorer of the Seas will return down under on October 27 2018, and Ovation of the Seas on November 2 2018. Together, the three ships will offer 61 sailings, ranging from three to 23-nights, sailing to nine different countries including Australia, New Zealand, Fiji, French Polynesia, Malaysia, New Caledonia, Singapore, the USA and Vanuatu.

Bookings for the 2018/19 summer season open May 16, 2017.
PHIL FITZPATRICK

IVE BEEN a bit reluctant to release the final and free version of the Crocodile Prize Anthology 2016 because it does not fully incorporate all the material submitted to the competition, most notably some of the prizewinning entries.

This came about because 2016 was a transition year when the competition came under sole Papua New Guinean control and there were hiccups.

Although I had volunteered to edit and publish the anthology, several breakdowns in communication meant I didnt receive all the entries worth including in the book.

But its already May and I thought it would be worthwhile offering the usual free PFD, which you can find here, and if more suitable material arrives Im happy to update the book so it is more reflective of the true merit of what was submitted to the competition.
Vehicle used by candidate torched

A vehicle used by Nepali Congress candidate for ward chief from Machhapuchchhre rural municipality-2, Gunjaman Gurung, for the election purpose was set on fire on Saturday night.
Students of Fulton's G. Ray Bodley High School celebrated Saturday evening at their junior prom. The event was held at Bayshore Grove in Oswego.

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Students of Hamilton Central School celebrated at their prom Saturday evening at the Palace Theater in Hamilton.

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Youth hacked to death in khukuri attack at Kaushaltar

A person was hacked to death with a khukuri at Kaushaltar of Madhyapur Thimi Municipality  3 on Sunday.
Students of Sandy Creek High School celebrated at their junior/senior prom Saturday evening at Manor House in Pierrepont Manor. The event's theme was "A Night in Disguise."

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Students of Stockbridge Valley Central School celebrated at their junior prom Saturday evening. The event, which had a "50s Hollywood" theme, was held at the Kallet Civic Center in Oneida.

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Baxter Reid says his only offense was being an hour and a half late.

By the Australian's estimates, that's the amount of time he overstayed his visa and why he's now in custody at the Federal Detention Center in Batavia.

Reid, 26, in jail since his arrest at the Peace Bridge two weeks ago, is at the center of a story attracting headlines here and in Australia and casting yet another spotlight on U.S. immigration practices his family and girlfriend suggest are heavy-handed.

"We were trying to do the right thing," said Heather Kancso, Reid's American girlfriend. "At this point, our goal is to get him out of detention. He did nothing wrong."

Reid, who has no criminal record, is accused of overstaying a visa that allowed him to be in the United States for six months at a time and for a total of five years.

Kancso says the couple was heading to Canada from New York City to see a friend of hers and, at the same time, fulfill the six-month requirement on Reid's visa by leaving the country and then returning.

On the way there, their car broke down and it was close to 10 p.m. on the day of his visa deadline before they finally reached the Peace Bridge. Kancso said Canadian Customs officials were pleasant but kept them for hours.

In the end, the couple was turned away by Canadian officials, which left them in the position of re-entering the United States about 90 minutes after Reid's visa deadline expired.

A few hours later, Reid was in shackles and on his way to the detention center in Batavia, according to Kancso.

"That's when I finally lost it and broke down," she said. "Granted, it doesn't look good that we waited so long, but to put shackles around his ankles and detain him?"

U.S. Customs and Border Protection officials would not comment on Reid's immigration case but indicated he may have violated the procedure on requesting a visa stay extension.

"CBP's primary responsibility is to uphold the laws of the U.S. and protect its borders," the agency said in a written statement. "The proper procedure for requesting an extension of stay while in the U.S. is to file an application with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services before the individual's authorized stay expires."

Julie Kruger, Reid's lawyer, acknowledges he was technically late in meeting his six-month deadline, but says his legal problems stem almost entirely from Canada's decision not to admit him that night two weeks ago.

Reid's brother, Alexander, told ABC News in Australia that Canadian officials were reluctant to welcome Reid because of his visa deadline.

Kancso told the Sydney Morning Herald that Canada didn't want Reid to be its "problem."

Kruger says Reid, at the time of his arrest, had a plane ticket to return to Australia in September, and she wonders why U.S. Customs officials wouldn't allow him to stay until then under his current visa.

"He basically left U.S. soil and they decided not to readmit him," she said of U.S. Customs officials. "I think they could have readmitted him on his visa."

Kruger said her client, who will appear in immigration court on May 10, is now faced with two options -- deportation or challenging the allegations against him, a process that could take months and keep him detained at Batavia.

"He's very frustrated by what's happening to him," she said."He's upset and thinks he's being treated unfairly."

Kancso says her boyfriend has been buoyed by the support he's getting from people across the world, including those who have contributed to his GoFundMe effort.

So far, the campaign has raised over $9,800 to help cover Reid's legal expenses.
CUSU has revealed a twist in the tale of its funding deficit. In a document circulated last night, the Student Union gave further details about its reliance on career publications as a source of revenue, and the role that external contracts have played in its funding shortfall.

In a Council meeting held last week, CUSU President Amatey Doku detailed the executive committees historically rocky relationship with external publishers.

In the past, publications have constituted a significant chunk of CUSUs income. Yet when a contract with St James House failed to deliver publications on time, CUSU was left facing anticipated losses of 74,454.

At the meeting last week, Doku described how loose terms in the contract with SJH had led to a situation of slippage, but maintained that more publications would be arriving in the future. He added that he could not, however, be certain when they would arrive.

However, in a document circulated to council members last night, CUSU explained that its contract with SJH had lapsed in 2015, and that the final publication of the contract had been published in March 2016. The document blamed this delayed publication date of March 2016 as a reason for CUSUs shortfall in its anticipated budget.

The delay, CUSU claims, meant that neither a new contract nor new publication cycle was ready in time for the forecast financial budget of 2016-17. This revelation is likely to raise questions amongst council members, who may ask why, if the publishing contract with SJH ended in 2015, a future source of revenue had not already been identified.

The document provided further explanation of CUSUs precarious reliance upon external publishing contracts as a source of revenue. It said how it had become relatively dependent upon these as an income source, in part due to the Union loosing its footing in Cambridges nightclub scene in 2008.

It details how CUSU has repeatedly asked the University for support to end its reliance on this external commercial area, but such requests have largely not been accepted. While the University had gifted CUSU funds until the end of the 2016 year, it has since not renewed this funding, meaning that CUSU will have to develop a longer-term strategy to generate revenue.

CUSU also explained that, while budget figures show that its staffing costs have risen by almost 50,000, overall personnel costs (referring to the total cost of all employees) have decreased by 3%.

In addition, it revealed that no cuts to TCS were to be expected as part of a new financial strategy.

CUSU adds that it may still enter into future publications contracts, as these have generated more direct funding between 2008 and 2017 than what has been received from the University over the same period.
The first reviews of the new KEYone BlackBerry handset appeared this week, and the early consensus is that this device will appeal to BlackBerry fans who want its familiar physical QWERTY keyboard coupled with the functionality of Googles Android operating system.

This handset technically is not a true BlackBerry  it is the first device from TCL since it entered a licensing agreement with BlackBerry Limited, formerly Research In Motion, the maker of the original BlackBerry handsets. TCLs license agreement covers the name and hardware patents, including the QWERTY keyboard. BlackBerry still provides the back-end software, but the KEYone runs the Android OS under its BlackBerry skin.

The KEYone has the appearance of a classic BlackBerry. It features a 4.5-inch scratch-resistant display, an 8-MP front camera with flash, a 12-MP autofocus large-pixel rear camera, a fingerprint scanner and BlackBerry security software.

It is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 625 Octa-Core 2.0 GHz CPU with a 64-bit Adreno 506, 650-MHz GPU. It has 3 GB of RAM and 32 GB of flash memory.

The KEYone is preloaded with BlackBerry applications, as well as standard Android apps including Google Chrome, Google Maps and Gmail. It can run on LTE and CDMA networks. It supports Bluetooth 4.2, NFC, WiFi and even FM radio.

The BlackBerry KEYone became available earlier this year in Canada. It will hit the shelves next month in the United States for US$549 unlocked. It will become available from Sprint this summer.

Key Thoughts

The KEYones greatest strength may be the inclusion of the physical keyboard, based on early reviews.

The BlackBerry KeyOne feels like it was built by BlackBerry, which means TCL did a good job keeping things familiar, Todd Haselton wrote in his review for CNBC.

The highlight of the device is its hardware backlit keyboard, which some people apparently still want in a smartphone, he added.

A BlackBerry without a keyboard is like a ThinkPad without the pointing stick, wrote Brian Heater for TechCrunch.

However, going from a virtual keyboard to a physical keyboard posed a challenge.

Its actually hard to move back to typing on a QWERTY keyboard, explained CNBCs Haselton. And unlike the BlackBerry Priv, which offered a software keyboard option, you have to stick to the hardware here.

The phones $549 price point could make that keyboard an expensive feature, but it should align well with anyone who misses the feel of a physical keyboard, noted Jeff Dunn for Business Insider. Whats more, its the only good phone for that group. For everyone else, though, its probably overpriced.

Key Market

Even though it might excite long-time BlackBerry users who desire the tactile experience of a physical keyboard, it is unlikely that the KEYone will shake up the market.

Its a niche product, said Steve Blum, founder and principal analyst at Tellus Venture Associates.

The KEYone has a screen size and physical keyboard thats optimized for email. Its not exactly a nostalgia phone, like the Nokia 3310, but it is a retro product, he told TechNewsWorld.

Sending email using a physical keyboard was the entry point into the mobile tech world for many Gen-Xers and baby boomers, and many of them might find comfort in the KEYone, suggested Blum.

That could help sustain the product line  but only to a point.

Whether itll sell well enough to keep BlackBerry in the smartphone game is a different question, Blum said. The answer depends on whether BlackBerrys shareholders will be satisfied with a niche role in the mobile market.

Key Differences

The KEYone likely will have no appeal for iPhone users, or for Android users who want the functionality of a large touchscreen.

Clearly, it is for the loyalists out there, said Ramon T. Llamas, research manager for wearables and mobile phones at IDC.

Were not expecting it to light the world on fire, even as some people said this is the device that should have come out years ago. We cant rewind time, he told TechNewsWorld, but we can see that there are those business users who are typing hounds and will want the device for its physical keyboard.

This isnt the first Android device running BlackBerry software, noted Ian Fogg, senior director for mobile and telecoms at IHS Markit.

However, this is really the first non-sliding classical BlackBerry with a keyboard under the screen, he told TechNewsWorld.

Price is the biggest issue, as $550 is a lot to swallow, noted IDCs Llamas. Yes, it is cheaper than Samsung Galaxy S8, but arguably that is a different kind of customer. However, BlackBerry used the same blueprint to target business users with a different choice years ago.

Key Strategy

The KEYone is the first licensed BlackBerry device, and as such it is a gamble both for BlackBerry Limited and for handset maker TCL.

This matters more to TCL than BlackBerry, said IDCs Llamas, but no matter how the sales are, BlackBerry (the company) will reap the license revenue.

However, it also will allow TCL, which historically has been producing phones for the consumer market, to pivot toward business users, he pointed out.

TCL will not bear all of the risk, though.

If this was a traditional licensing agreement, then that would be true, explained IHS Markits Fogg.

While we dont know the terms of the agreement, beyond the costs there is the brand risk. If this handset does badly, or there are issues, it could damage the brand; so brand risk is there, even if there isnt an actual monetary risk, he explained.

The Priv and the DTEK60 didnt do all that well, and there isnt any sign to the carrier that this will do much better either, Fogg added. Simply getting adequate distribution and persuading carriers to offer the KEYone with a contract plan is going to be the big challenge. Without that distribution, it is going to be just a niche device.
22 years. 3 developers. Only 2 games. The fascinating history of the Prey series Prey is out now on PS4, Xbox One and PC. That may sound like a simple, matter-of-fact statement, but it isn't. This is only the second entry in a series that has spanned three decades, multiple developers and publishers, and many generations of gaming technology. The Prey franchise - originally conceived in 1995 - has managed to attract attention throughout its various development cycles, but in 22 years it has only managed to produce two, wildly different entries. Games Radar

Google was warned about this week's mass phishing email attack six years ago For almost six years, Google knew about the exact technique that someone used to trick around one million people into giving away access to their Google accounts to hackers on Wednesday. Even more worrisome: other hackers might have known about this technique as well. On October 4, 2011, a researcher speculated in a mailing list that hackers could trick users into giving them access to their accounts by simply posing as a trustworthy app. Motherboard

Digital Economy Act: Illegal Kodi streams could now land users in prison for 10 years The Digital Economy Act has passed into law, meaning people could now face ten-year prison sentences for illegally streaming copyrighted content. It covers a wide number of areas, including broadband speeds, access to online pornography and government data-sharing. However, amid the rising popularity of Kodi, an increase to the maximum prison term - from two years to ten - for people guilty of copyright infringement is particularly interesting. The Independent

Cory Doctorow dreams of a DRM-free utopia - so he's suing the US government to get it Cory Doctorow fears for the future. Rising inequality, political instability and technological surveillance are merging to create a world, he says, in which "there are disasters - and those disasters are human-made". Most sci-fi writers might use this insight to create a dystopia, but Doctorow, 45, has been creating something more optimistic. His new novel Walkaway shows how catastrophes can create "the first days of a better nation". Wired

32 products put to the test: How good is antivirus software at protecting itself? For the third time now, the experts at AV-TEST examined a large number of the security software applications on the market in terms of their self-protection. The focus was on file protection with ASLR & DEP, which programmers can easily use - or foolhardily forget. Moreover, it was examined whether the distribution of test versions use secure channels so that attackers cannot distribute any manipulated software packages. AV-Test.org

Disks back from the dead In 2012, William Parker and his colleagues went hunting for a data set that tracked the growth of more than 50,000 carefully planted white spruce trees over a decade and a 1,500-kilometre range. They found a reel of computer tape, a relatively modern 3.5-inch diskette and a box of older 5.25-inch diskettes. These contained data from field trials in the late 1970s, which were set up to improve yields of commercial timber. Nature.com

Instant recall Inside Facebook's Menlo Park headquarters, the arrival of Instant Articles in the spring of 2015 was presented as a cause for celebration. Talking with reporters, executives described the fast-loading, natively hosted articles as a promising new creative format. A suite of publishing tools incubated in Facebook's now-defunct newsreading app Paper would find their way to Instant Articles, executives said, evolving the news posts shared on Facebook into immersive multimedia experiences. The Verge

Making 3-D printing as simple as printing on paper If you haven't used a 3-D printer yet, you may be surprised to learn that it isn't fully automated the way your office's inkjet is. With paper printers, users queue documents from a computer, and each finished sheet drops neatly into a tray, waiting to be collected. With commercial 3-D printers, however, designs are manually programmed into the printer, and each finished part is manually removed before starting a new print, which is very time-consuming. MIT

How multiplayer games sync their state? Part 2 Let's start by defining what a server should do, typically a server should serve as a connection point for players. In a multiplayer game, players need to access a common endpoint to reach each other, this is one of the roles of a server program, even in the P2P communication model, there will be a connection point for players to exchange their network information before a P2P connection can be established... Cake Solutions (Part 1)

The end of Steam: imagining the future of how we buy games Over the past few years, Steam has added refunds, tried paid mods (and failed), integrated virtual reality tracking technology, and soon will let anyone publish games for a fee. Meanwhile, GOG shed the original meaning of its name, Good Old Games, and built a client while staying DRM-free. Itch.io appeared on the scene and let anyone sell games for free, only taking a cut if the seller offers one. PC Gamer

234 Android applications are currently using ultrasonic beacons to track users A team of researchers from the Brunswick Technical University in Germany has discovered an alarming number of Android applications that employ ultrasonic tracking beacons to track users and their nearby environment. Their research paper focused on the technology of ultrasound cross-device tracking (uXDT) that became very popular in the last three years. Bleeping Computer

Modern "Hackintoshes" show that Apple should probably just build a Mac tower Apple is working on new desktop Macs, including a ground-up redesign of the tiny-but-controversial 2013 Mac Pro. We're also due for some new iMacs, which Apple says will include some features that will make less-demanding pro users happy. But we don't know when they're coming, and the Mac Pro in particular is going to take at least a year to get here. Ars Technica

Researchers develop 'seeing' bionic hand with 99p camera Scientists in Newcastle have developed a cheap way of helping amputees with prosthetic limbs reach out and grasp objects - a bionic "hand that sees". The hand was developed by bioengineers at Newcastle University who modified a standard NHS myoelectric hand with a cheap camera to provide upper-limb amputees with a more functional prosthetic. Sky News

Cities seek deliverance from the e-commerce boom Just before 3 in the afternoon on a rainy spring day, Keith Greenleaf busts out his "bricklaying" skills. That's delivery-driver parlance for balancing an inordinate amount of cardboard boxes on a metal handcart. As high as his collarbone he stacks them, packages labeled HP, J. Crew, Amazon Prime. "This is probably one of the first days I don't have Pampers or dog food," he says. CityLab

Blockbuster has survived in the most curious of places --- Alaska For families across the United States, driving to the local Blockbuster Video was a Friday night ritual. The kids fought over which movies to rent, parents had to pay off the late fees and all succumbed to the popcorn and candy buckets at the register. The Washington Post

It looks like Amazon's Video app is finally coming to Apple TV this summer Amazon and Apple may have reached a truce. The tech giants, who are increasingly competing for customers' time, eyeballs and money, are close to an agreement to bring an Amazon video app to Apple's Apple TV set-top box, according to people familiar with the two companies. Recode
YouTube is making a major push to come up with more original shows, signing heavyweight celebrities for ad-supported original programming slated to start this year.

The company announced its plans at the NewFronts conference in New York, highlighting that the upcoming original shows will be free for all, not part of the paid YouTube Red subscription service.

YouTube Original Programming

YouTube will pour millions into this project, aiming to establish itself as a popular venue for premium programming alongside Netflix, Amazon, and Hulu. While YouTube is already immensely popular worldwide, it hosts a slew of unpolished videos created and uploaded by amateurs.

In some cases, offensive or inappropriate content makes its way to YouTube as well, which prompted various companies such as AT&T, Verizon, and others to pull their ads off YouTube.

Since the upcoming original programming will be free, it will be ad supported, and YouTube hopes that somewhere down the line, it will also attract some premium advertising as well. Should it manage to do so, it also could help regain some of its lost advertisers.

YouTube Signs Ellen DeGeneres And More High-Profile Entertainers

As part of its efforts toward more premium, original programming, YouTube struck a deal with popular TV host Ellen DeGeneres, comedian Kevin Hart, Ryan Seacrest, and other celebrities.

"We're working with YouTube stars and big celebrities that we know have global appeal, advertiser appeal and are largely established on the platform," YouTube head of original content, Susanne Daniels, tells Blomberg.

YouTube will spend millions of dollars to finance more than 40 original movies and shows in the next year, Bloomberg learned from a source familiar with the matter. The company hopes that popular celebrities will attract more premium advertisers such as Johnson & Johnson, which is currently sponsoring Ryan Seacrest's Best.Cover.Ever music competition slated for later this year. Best.Cover.Ever comes from Ryan Seacrest Productions and Endemol Shine North America.

Kevin Hart and Ellen DeGeneres are the first two high-profile stars to join YouTube's push for more original content. Hart said at the conference that he's teaming up with YouTube to connect more with his fans, noting that he got his international fan base though YouTube.

Hart's show will focus on workout and will be called Kevin Hart: What the Fit?, distributed through his own YouTube channel called Laugh Out Loud Network. Meanwhile, DeGeneres will offer a show offering fans backstage looks at the making of her famous talk show.

Ryan Seacrest's Best.Cover.Ever will launch on YouTube later this year, while Demi Lovato and Katy Perry announced their own behind-the-scenes shows at the conference.

Aside from high-profile celebrities, YouTube will also rely on its existing talent for two shows. One will be from The Slow Mo Guys, who specialize in high-speed camera effects, while the other will be from online comedy duo Rhett & Link.

Original programming was front and center at the Newfront conference, as online companies announced their latest projects to convince marketers to pour more ad money into the web rather than TV. YouTube's premium show pitch sounds exciting, but we'll see whether it will manage to convince sponsors to make hefty commitments.

 2022 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
iPhone unit sales took a plunge in Q2, and people are continuously waiting to see which iPhone 8 rumors are true. Now Apple's battle with Qualcomm is looking like it is taking a nasty turn, as the latter is reportedly seeking to ban the import of iPhones to the United States.

Qualcomm's Beef With Apple

The battle is looking messy for Apple and Qualcomm, and it could not come at a worse time. It all began in January, when Apple sued Qualcomm over reportedly outrageous fees to license its cellular technology.

Earlier in April, Qualcomm retaliated by filing a countersuit against Apple, stating that Apple's legal claim is only a way to lessen its licensing fees and that Apple should not belittle Qualcomm's role in its domination of mainstream mobile technology market.

Now, to take the battle just that much further, Qualcomm decides to hit Apple where it hurts, as they are reportedly preparing to request the International Trade Commission to ban the importation of iPhones in the United States.

This possibly major threat to Apple is according to the report of an unidentified source.

What's The Threat?

If reports are true, then the threat is actually pretty big for Apple. For one thing, it is right in the middle of iPhone rumor season when people are excitedly buzzing about what the new iPhone lines could possibly feature or look like. Apple hasn't yet set an actual date for the release of the new units or even just a preview of its features, but that still doesn't stop the rumor mill from going.

News like this, though unlikely to derail the plans of a company as big as Apple, is not particularly welcoming especially when it is prepping for the release of a new line of products possibly this fall.

Another reason why this report comes at such bad timing for Apple is that its iPhone unit sales for Q2 did not quite come as planned. Its latest earnings results showed that 50.8 million iPhone units sold in Q2 did not match the expected sales of 52.2 million units.

That still isn't bad for a company such as Apple, but then again, it's not excellent for them either.

The ITC, where Qualcomm supposedly plans to request for the importation ban, has the advantage of speed when it comes to processing cases quicker than federal courts. As iPhones are usually built in Asia, the threat for Apple comes in the form of losing 40 percent of its sales that come in from the United States.

Still, even if the report is true and Qualcomm truly is trying to go for an iPhone ban, there's still no assurance that the request will be fulfilled. It is, however, beginning to look unlikely for the two companies to agree on a settlement, as both aren't just refusing to back down but are instead sinking their teeth in further.

 2022 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced on May 5 that the intravenous drug Radicava, developed by Japan-based Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharmaceuticals, has been approved for the treatment of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) or Lou Gehrig's disease.

Radicava, with the generic name edaravone, is the first and only ALS treatment drug approved by FDA since Rilutek, which was approved in 1995.

What Is Radicava?

Radicava is an intravenous drug that is clinically tested and manufactured in Japan for the treatment of stroke. However, medical practitioners have seen the drug's effectiveness in slowing down the symptoms of ALS and have been prescribing it to ALS patients, as well.

The drug went through multiple Phase 3 trials, including a six-month clinical trial wherein 137 ALS patients participated. According to the results, the 69 ALS patients who received Radicava experienced 33 percent less decline in physical functions. This translates to 2.49 points in the ALS Functional Rating Scale-Revised (ALSFRS-R).

The results of the clinical trials in Japan led the FDA to approve Radicava without requiring the pharmaceutical company to launch clinical trials in the United States.

"After learning about the use of edaravone to treat ALS in Japan, we rapidly engaged with the drug developer about filing a marketing application in the United States," Dr. Eric Bastings said. Dr. Bastings is the deputy director of the Division of Neurology Products in FDA's Center for Drug Evaluation and Research.

Radicava Treatment And Price

Treatment is given in 28-day cycles wherein a patient would receive Radicava daily or near daily for 14 days, followed by a 14 day break from the drug. Of course, Radicava works best on patients who are still in the early stages of ALS.

While this is good news for families of ALS patients, it comes at a steep price because the MT Pharma America, the company's arm in the United States, projects the annual cost for patients at $145,524 before government discounts. This is a pretty steep price considering Radicava's launch price in Japan was at $35,000.

The good news is that the company is offering to help ALS patients with the financial obligation.

"We will offer co-pay assistance for commercially insured patients to help reduce their out-of-pocket costs," the company expressed.

Possible Side Effects

The more serious side effects of Radicava include hypersensitivity reactions, especially with allergies, and sulfite allergic reactions, shortness of breath, swelling, and hives. More common side effects include headaches, bruising, and gait disturbance.

Important Reminders

Radicava will be manufactured in Japan so MT Pharma America estimates that the first batch of treatments will only arrive in the United States by August 2017, but patients and healthcare providers can stay updated on its status by signing up for updates in the Radicava website.

Just to emphasize, Radicava is not a cure. It will not extend the life of the patients the drug is administered to but it will slow down the progression of the disease. ALS remains incurable and is always fatal  at least until science finds a way.

 2022 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
Johnson & Johnson recently lost in a lawsuit filed by a woman who claims to have contracted ovarian cancer after using the company's Baby Powder and Shower To Shower powder for 40 years.

The company seems to have been the target of similar lawsuits claiming is talc-based products cause ovarian cancer, especially after some studies showed that talcum powder can increase the risk of ovarian cancer when applied to the genital area.

However, more studies seem to dispute this claim so one has to ask whether it is really time to stop using talc-based cosmetic products.

Johnson & Johnson Lawsuits

As mentioned earlier, J&J has been the target of thousands of lawsuits claiming its baby powders cause ovarian cancer, but the company has maintained that its products are safe and follows the strict regulations of government authorities.

J&J has issued a statement following its loss, saying the company will dispute the verdict of the Missouri trial.

"We deeply sympathize with the women and families impacted by ovarian cancer. We will appeal today's verdict because we are guided by the science, which supports the safety of Johnson's Baby Powder," J&J spokeswoman Carol Goodrich says.

She adds that two similar lawsuits have been dismissed in New Jersey because the plaintiff's scientific experts could not provide strong evidence of their claim.

Even Imery's Talc, J&J's talc supplier that was also held accountable, says that it is confident with its product's safety.

The Dangers Of Talcum Powder

Talcum powder is a finely ground powder from talc minerals, which are mined all over the globe. Some talc naturally contain asbestos, which is a known carcinogen. However, asbestos has been removed from talc used for cosmetic products since the 1970s and studies that link asbestos-free talc to ovarian cancer are inconclusive.

The International Agency for Research on Cancer, a part of the World Health Organization, has released the following statements on talc:

 Talc that contains asbestos is carcinogenic to humans.

 Inhaled talk not containing asbestos is "not classifiable as to carcinogenicity in humans."

 Based on limited evidence, genital use of talc-based body powder is "possibly carcinogenic to humans."

The limited evidence supporting the idea that asbestos-free talc is carcinogenic sprouts from very subjective studies.

According to Cancer Research UK, most studies linking talc usage to ovarian cancer show bias or lack consistency with results.

"Most of the evidence linking using talc with ovarian cancer is based on asking women with and without ovarian cancer if they have used talc ... There are uncertainties around these results. There was no consistent evidence to prove that the more you use talc, the greater your risk of ovarian cancer," the organization explains [PDF].

Should You Stop Using Talcum Powder?

Based on the results of several studies, even if talcum powder increases the risk of ovarian cancer, it will only increase the risk by a third and since ovarian cancer is a rare disease, it will affect even fewer women.

The American Cancer Society suggests that women who are really concerned about the carcinogenic effects of talc should limit or avoid using consumer products that contain it.

However, one must also remember that the main cause of ovarian cancer is still unknown and experts doubt talc's role in the development of the disease since there is too little convincing evidence to prove it.

One woman's body is very different from another, not only physically but pathologically as well. What causes disease for one does not necessarily cause the same disease for another, even when both are exposed to the same things.

In the end, continued usage of talc-based cosmetic products is still a personal choice and how it will affect your body, if at all, does not make it a confirmation for all.

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United Airlines has some serious competition when it comes to the lousy treatment of passengers, as Delta Air kicked an entire family off a flight and threatened them with jail and foster care.

Airlines recently came under heavy scrutiny after United Airlines dragged and bloodied a passenger off an overbooked flight. The whole thing was caught on camera and went viral, drawing more attention to how passengers are sometimes mistreated even when they've done nothing wrong.

Delta Air Kicks Family Off Flight

The latest airline to put on a show in terms of sleazy passenger treatment is Delta Air, which kicked a family off a flight because they wouldn't give up their toddler's seat - a seat they had paid for.

Brittany and Brian Schear from Huntington Beach, California, boarded a Delta Air Lines flight traveling from Maui to Los Angeles with two of their children, a 1-year-old and a 2-year-old.

Delta Air kicked them off the flight when they refused to give up the 2-year-old's seat, which they had already paid for. The couple had originally bought the ticket for their teenage son, but ultimately decided to send him home early so they could have the seat for their toddler.

The Schears told NBC News that they notified the ticket agent of this situation at the gate, and the agent agreed and accommodated them to sit together. They boarded the flight without any issue, but the airline had other passengers on the wait list for the flight and asked the family to give up their 2-year-old kid's seat.

When they refused to do so, Delta staff kicked them all off the flight and threatened to throw the couple in jail and the kids in foster care. The family had to find their own accommodation and transport for the night, as it was already after midnight, and buy new tickets for another flight the next day.

The incident occurred on April 23, but went under the radar until Thursday, May 4 after the family shared a video of the ordeal online. The video went down in the meantime, but it showed the argument before the family got kicked off the flight.

Federal Offense

Brittany Schear filmed how an airport employee told Brian that if they did not give up the toddler's seat, they would all be removed from the flight. When Brian said they can't kick him off the plane, the employee said that the matter was a federal offense and both he and his wife could end up in jail and their kids would go into foster care.

Stunned by the employee's threats, Brian tried to reason and explain that they paid for that seat and it's not right to force them to give up a seat they paid for so they could give it to someone else.

The employee, in turn, explained that they had purchased the ticket for their teenage son and it was in his name, and the toddler could not take his seat. Later on, the video showed another employee stating that Federal Aviation Administration rules dictate that a 2-year-old can't be placed in a seat or a car seat, as it needs to sit on an adult's lap. Schear said that on their way to Maui, the 2-year-old sat in a car seat placed on his own seat on the plane and there were no issues.

Can Delta Air Legally Do That?

On its website, the FAA stipulates that it "strongly urges" parents to secure small kids in a car seat or an approved child safety device throughout the flight. Delta's own guidelines stipulate the same.

How Delta Air treated this family is undoubtedly nasty, but the airline could have the law on its side. Washington Post talked to an attorney for the Aviation Law Firm in Annapolis, who has also worked for both the FAA and the Justice Department, to inquire about this situation.

The attorney, Gregory Winton, says that under U.S. law, airline passengers who interfere with a flight attendant or crew member's duties by "assaulting or intimidating" them can face fines and up to 20 years in prison (or life in jail if a "dangerous weapon" is also in the mix).

In this case, however, the issue is open for interpretation, as it comes down to weather a heated argument would qualify as interfering with the duties of a crew member. Winton says that it could be interpreted in this manner, but the airline lacks the necessary authority to make such decisions.

The Department of Justice is in charge of criminal matters, so it would be its call. The FAA can only issue fines and other civil penalties. Winton further explains that in case of a threat to crew members, flight attendants could request assistance from local law enforcement to handle troublesome passengers. Then, if officers consider that the crime was serious enough, they could detain the passenger(s), but that's not really the case in Delta's situation.

If law enforcement detains passengers, the DoJ would then file criminal charges, and Winton says the DoJ is typically not interested in cases like this.

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A coffee shop in New York has filed a $10 million trademark infringement lawsuit against Starbucks claiming that the latter copied its idea for the "Unicorn Frappuccino."

Starbucks's Unicorn Frappuccino

Starbucks's blended beverage, which was offered in stores in the United States, Mexico, and Canada for a limited time last month was a hit, as suggested by the posts and images of the drink that many people posted on social media.

The beverage was the first new Frappuccino flavor that Starbucks offered this year.

What made the drink special is it changes both its colors and flavors as it is stirred up.

"Like its mythical namesake, the Unicorn Frappuccino blended creme comes with a bit of magic, starting as a purple beverage with swirls of blue and a first taste that is sweet and fruity," Starbucks described it.

Available For Limited Time Period

The beverage being offered for a limited period also made it a drink-to-try for many Starbucks patrons as the coffee shop chain offered it to consumers "while supplies last" from April 19 to April 23 only.

Beverage Loaded With Sugar

Despite the drink's popularity and the buzz it generated on social media, not everyone has a favorable take on the beverage. For one, the drink is loaded with too much sugar. A Grande Unicorn Frappuccino has more than double the amount of acceptable sugar intake per day

The frappe is no longer available but Starbucks appears to be in trouble over this colorful drink.

The End Brooklyn's Unicorn Latte

The End Brooklyn cafe, owned by Montauk Juice Factory, is now suing the coffee shop chain claiming that the Frappuccino overshadowed its "Unicorn Latte," which it started selling in December, months before Starbucks offered its drink. The End claimed it applied for a trademark on the drink last January.

The coffee shop and its owner filed a federal suit in the U.S. States District Court for the Eastern District of New York on Wednesday, May 4, over claims that Starbucks's colorful drink infringed its Unicorn Latte drink.

The End said that Starbuck's drink stirred misperception that the small cafe copied the product of the widely known coffee chain. Both beverages have similar names and similar appearance.

The End Wants Compensation And An Apology From Starbucks

The End and its owner ask the court to order Starbucks to hand to them all profits made by Starbucks from the unicorn drink and pay them for the losses they incurred. The cafe also asks for an apology.

"The Unicorn Latte has been the most popular product we've created to date, so we were shocked and disappointed when Starbucks came out with the Unicorn Frappuccino, which is similar to our product in name and appearance, but has none of its healthy ingredients," said The End co-owner Bret Caretsky.

Inspired By Unicorn-Themed Food And Drinks

Starbucks said that the claims of the lawsuit do not have merit citing that its blended beverage was inspired by unicorn-themed food and drinks that are popular in social media.

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An Australian man is suing American airlines after spending 14 hours on a flight seated next to two obese passengers, which allegedly caused him permanent neck and back injuries.

Michael Anthony Taylor, 67 years old, spent most of the 14-hour flight from Sydney to Los Angeles, "crouching, kneeling, bracing or standing" because he was seated next to large passengers and the airline didn't allow him to move seats.

Taylor already had scoliosis and claims that spending such a long flight in an uncomfortable position made everything worse, bruising his neck and causing upper and lower back injuries.

The man says he doesn't hold anything against the obese passengers seated next to him since they paid for their seats as well, but American Airlines should have done something.

"The airline could have put me in a crew seat or moved people around but they did nothing," Taylor told Sydney's Daily Telegraph [subscription], as cited by the UK's Telegraph.

Taylor had the window seat but says the two obese passengers occupied some of his space as well. The Boeing 777 flight Taylor was on had 310 seats, but apparently, they were all taken.

More Comfort In Economy Class?

According to Taylor's attorney, Thomas Janson from Shine Lawyers, the lawsuit could prompt airlines to make their economy class or equivalent more comfortable in order to avoid such ordeals.

Janson notes that if Taylor wins the lawsuit, it could pave the way to many more cases against airlines over how they seat passengers and design seating.

"There will be a huge outcry against the way airlines furnish their cabins, particularly in economy," says Janson.

News of this lawsuit comes shortly after American Airlines announced plans to shrink legroom in economy class so it could add more seats.

An American Airlines spokesperson told The Telegraph that the airline is currently reviewing the lawsuit's allegations, but offered no additional comment at this point.

Taylor brought the lawsuit against American Airlines in Australia's Federal Court. The lawsuit follows a similar case last year when an Italian lawyer filed a case against Emirates after going through a nine-hour ordeal seated next to an obese man on a flight. Other cases made similar allegations in the past, yet airlines have yet to take adequate measures to handle such situations.

Your Move, Airlines: Something's Got To Give

Obviously, airlines can't accept or reject passengers based on their weight, but they could design their seating to be more spacious so that obese passengers can fit into their seat without encroaching on the next one as well.

At the same time, this lawsuit comes amid brewing frustration over airline's treatment of passengers in the United States. Recent cases of lousy passenger treatment include United Airlines dragging and bloodying a passenger to remove him off an overbooked flight, and Delta Airlines kicking an entire family off a flight because they refused to give up their toddler's seat. In both cases, the passengers had paid for their tickets and boarded their respective flight accordingly.

In fact, airlines' treatment of passengers has even angered U.S. members of Congress, who threatened to take measures if things don't dramatically improve.

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To many, voting isn't just a right, but it's also a responsibility. That is even more so for European Space Agency's astronaut Thomas Pesquet, who did not let being in space stop him from exercising his rights.

Exercising His Rights From Space

Even though he is aboard the International Space Station, Thomas Pesquet, the youngest ESA astronaut, did not let the distance stop him from voting for who will be the next leader of France. To make matters more complicated, Pesquet's place of residence on Earth at the time of the election was in Frankfurt, Germany.

With the help of a colleague of his who was in France at the time of the election, Pesquet was able to vote on the first round of French elections on April 23. By using a power of attorney, Pesquet arranged for his French colleague to vote on his behalf, and the matter of his residence on Earth did not become a hindrance to his ability to vote from afar.

Perhaps it was due to the more turbulent nature of the current French elections that Pesquet really did everything he could to be able to vote even if he was about 400 km (249 miles) above the Earth's surface.

Pesquet, who admitted to following the current elections even from space through news bits from his girlfriend, spoke openly about his views on the current elections, saying "we must not judge candidates on the color of their tie but really on what they propose and what they will do."

Though he did not give any specific political opinions, Pesquet did comment on the matter of the divisive and turbulent state of France as of the moment.

"I think it's important to open up and understand that the world is done with others, not against others, that we need more bridges than walls," he said in an interview with Franceinfo.

Even if France's space program was not much of a topic of conversation during the campaign period, Pesquet weighed in on the matter of voting by stating how important it is for people to vote, and that it would be difficult for anyone to complain about political results if they do not exercise their duty.

ISS Mission

For now, Pesquet is the ESA's space envoy to the ISS where he is on a six-month mission that began in November 2016. At the ISS, Pesquet is working closely with astronauts Oleg Novitsky, and NASA's Peggy Whitson.

France is currently preparing for the final leg of its presidential elections where Emmanuel Macron and Marine Le Pen will face off for France's presidential seat.

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A woman in Colombia went to a hospital after complaining of severe stomach pains. There, she admitted to swallowing over $7,000 dollars' worth of bills during a heated argument with her husband.

A Heated Argument

What do you do when you and your husband are having a heated argument? Marriage counselors would probably have a lot of answers to that question, but a woman in Colombia had a different albeit extreme reaction to the marital tussle  eat over $7,000 worth of cash savings.

Sandra Milena Almeida of Colombia went to the Hospital Universitario de Santander in Bucaramanga complaining of severe stomach pains. However, it was only after X-rays showed a blockage between her intestine and stomach that she surprised doctors by saying that perhaps the cause of the severe discomfort was due to the fact that she had previously swallowed between $7,000 and $9,000 worth of cash, or over 20 million pesos.

It all began when Almeida found out that her husband was reportedly cheating on her. As it happens, Almeida has been saving some cash for a little while by selling household electronics in order to go on a vacation to Panama.

After she found out about her husband's infidelity, she was secretly planning to leave him. He, however, found out about the savings and the couple had a heated argument where her husband reportedly demanded for half of the saved cash. It was in the middle of this argument that Almeida supposedly swallowed thousands of dollars' worth of cash.

An unnamed housemate of the couple confirmed her version of the events, stating that while the couple was yelling and hitting each other, Almeida swallowed the money when her husband was claiming half of the cash.

Legal Dispute

Almeida required two operations in order for the doctors to thoroughly clean the blockage in her intestine, where they found the cylindrical rolls of cash that she had evidently swallowed.

Doctors recovered 57 100-dollar bills, and were able to save approximately $5,700 of her savings. They said that the other bills had unfortunately been destroyed by gastric acids, and that while most of the cash passed through her system normally, one of the rolls caused the blockage, which could only be removed through surgery.

Due to the unusual circumstances of the situation, the incident was reported to the authorities who will now decide who will get to keep the cash.

Almeida has since been released from the hospital and has made a full recovery.

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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

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Amid talks of more space travel, California has drafted a plan that would tax the state's thriving rocket industry. The tax plan is still just a proposal, and the public can still have their say on the matter until June.

Taxing By Mileage

In an attempt to solidify California's rocket industry, the state's Franchise Tax Board has released a draft of their proposed tax plan for private space transportation companies based in the state.

The plan isn't quite as complicated as one would think rocket taxing would be, as it runs similar to how commercial terrestrial vehicles are taxed. The difference is that rockets would be taxed based on how far and how often they would travel to space instead of from one state to another.

Though quite unusual especially since other states actually provide incentives for space programs run in their territories, companies such as California-based SpaceX and United Launch Alliance, which is Colorado-based but uses California launch pads quite often, are actually in support of the tax plan because it would solidify their tax status.

In fact, a letter obtained by Quartz written by SpaceX CFO Bret Johnsen to the California Franchise Tax Board states his support for the plan and how it may help the industry as a whole.

"The proposed regulation provides certainty for us, as well as other taxpayers in the industry, for our California franchise tax filings going forward," said Johnsen in the letter.

What's The Plan?

Basically, the two main commercial space transportation companies that will possibly be affected by the proposed tax plan will have to compute their tax contributions based on two factors: Mileage and Departure.

In the drafted plan, the mileage factor will be determined by computing the mileage incurred for each launch contract that generates revenue in the taxable year.

Should the Internal Revenue Service or the Franchise Tax Board be hindered from making the computations by secrecy or confidentiality impositions by government authorities, then the mileage ratio denominator of those contracts will be presumed to be 310 statutory miles, multiplied by the number of launches.

The departure factor in a specific contract, on the other hand, will be computed using the number of launches in the state as specified in the contract as the numerator, and the company's total number of launches everywhere at the time of the contract's execution.

It's still too early to tell whether the tax plan will push through, but for now, the Franchise Tax Board is open to public comment and input until June 16 when they will be voting on the proposal.

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During the military dictatorship, she kept the light of hope with presentations loaded with the sounds of the people's strength. | Read More
Antarctic ice rift spreads







Swansea UK (SPX) May 04, 2017





The rift in the Larsen C ice shelf in Antarctica now has a second branch, which is moving in the direction of the ice front, Swansea University researchers revealed after studying the latest satellite data. The main rift in Larsen C, which is likely to lead to one of the largest icebergs ever recorded, is currently 180 km long. The new branch of the rift is 15 km long. Last year, researchers from the UK's Project Midas, led by Swansea University, reported that the rift was growing fast. Now, ... read more
With his handgun drawn, Baton Rouge policeman Blane Salamoni first approached Alton Sterling outside the Triple S Food Mart on July 5 and pointed the weapon at Sterling, yelling at the burly 37-year-old man he'd shoot him in the head if he didn't stick his hands on a nearby car hood.

The gunpoint threat, quickly seized on by activists and protesters demanding state charges against Salamoni and a second officer involved in the encounter, was not included in the U.S. Justice Department's official statements on the close of its 10-month investigation into the shooting without federal criminal charges, which noted Salamoni aimed his gun at Sterling's head but didn't quote the officer.

But in two closed-door meetings with Sterling's family and a group of six leaders of the local black community on Wednesday that each spanned nearly two hours, federal officials laid out the confrontation in specific and sometimes graphic terms.

The details provided by FBI agents and federal prosecutors filtered out across Baton Rouge in the hours and days since, as attorneys for Sterling's family and activists passed on the details offered.

The Advocate further sharpened the chronicle of the brief but deadly encounter by speaking with three law enforcement sources, who provided their accounts of the evidence on the condition they not be identified.

What's emerged is a far clearer picture of Sterling's violent death, which ignited weeks of protests after cellphone videos of part of the incident between two white officers and a black man went viral, and of the series of events that brought the policemen to the North Foster Drive convenience store.

Can't see video below? Click here. Warning: Video contains graphic footage and explicit language.

The brief confrontation  less than 90 seconds elapse between Officer Howie Lake II's first commands and Salamoni's sixth and final gunshot  escalates rapidly after Salamoni points his weapon at Sterling, who up until that point is described by several people as noncompliant but seemingly confused and displaying no overt signs of physical aggression toward the cops.

The two policemen arrive separately at the convenience store after receiving a 911 call that a black man wearing a red t-shirt and selling CDs outside the Triple S  a description that clearly matches Sterling, who was known as "CD Man" for peddling bootleg music and films  threatened the anonymous caller with a gun.

Surveillance video confirms that did indeed happen: Sterling, during some sort of verbal exchange with the man, pats or reaches into his right pants pocket, where he'd tucked a .38 caliber revolver. The movement communicates to the other man that he's carrying the weapon, though Sterling doesn't draw it or take aim, according to a law enforcement source with direct knowledge of the evidence, as well as two attorneys for Sterling's family present in those meetings.

The man, who was interviewed by federal investigators but whose identity hasn't been publicly described, called 911 around 12:30 a.m. He also told the dispatcher that Sterling had a gun in his pocket, information relayed to Lake and Salamoni.

Lake, a three-year BRPD officer, is the first to arrive at the store and orders Sterling, who's talking to a pair of women when Lake pulls up, to place his hands on the hood of a nearby car. Sterling ignores the order and begins walking toward Lake, his hands at his side. Lake repeats the order, which Sterling also doesn't respond to.

Lake places his hands on Sterling as Salamoni, who'd just arrived, sticks his gun to Sterling's head and yells his profanity-filled threat to kill Sterling if he doesn't immediately follow orders. Several sources described Salamoni's arrival, but slightly different versions of the officer's statement in that moment have surfaced. A law enforcement source confirmed that Salamoni calls Sterling both a "bitch" and a "motherf*****" while threatening to "shoot" him in the head if he doesn't comply.

Sterling does, placing his hands on the hood.

In the initial stages of interaction, which lasted less than 45 seconds, Sterling can be heard repeatedly asking the cops what they want or why they've approached him on audio recorded by the officers' body cameras.

The juxtaposition between Sterling's seemingly confused questions and Salamoni's aggressive actions on the video is shocking, sources said, with the officer's decision to pull the gun and threaten Sterling dramatically escalating what had been a tricky but not yet confrontational encounter.

What's next for BR officers after federal Alton Sterling investigation closed Two Baton Rouge policemen received the long-awaited word this week that they will not face c

Yet law enforcement sources, and the Justice Department in its public release, also noted that both officers already believed Sterling to be carrying a weapon and, though the gun wasn't visible or drawn, Sterling's hands remained near his pockets as Lake's commands went unheeded.

Abdullah Muflahi, the owner of the Triple S who witnessed all but the beginning of the incident and used his cellphone to capture graphic video of the shooting, also has said in multiple interviews with The Advocate that Sterling repeatedly asked the officers what they wanted.

Because of prior felony convictions, Sterling was legally prohibited from carrying a weapon.

Sterling's imposing physical size  at 6 foot 3 inches and over 300 pounds, he's far larger than either officer  plays a significant role in the encounter. The officers struggle to handcuff him, in part because his girth makes pulling his hands behind his back difficult, several sources said.

When Sterling briefly tries to move his hands from the hood, Salamoni, whose gun is still drawn, tells Lake to use his Taser. Lake does, and Sterling falls to his knees. Sterling begins to stand back up, prompting Lake to attempt  unsuccessfully  to tase Sterling a second time.

After Lake's second attempt to stun Sterling fails, Salamoni holsters his gun and tackles Sterling to the ground, beginning a 27-second scuffle on the ground during which Salamoni at least twice yells that Sterling  pinned on his back by the two officers but whose right arm appears to still be free  is "going for the gun."

The tasings can both be heard but not seen in a cellphone video taken by a woman sitting in a car in the store's parking lot and publicly released hours after the shooting. Muflahi's video, which he released the next day, begins just after Lake attempts to use his Taser for the second time.

Salamoni, on top of Sterling, attempts to wrestle control of Sterling's right arm while Lake kneels on Sterling's left arm to pin it to the ground. Salamoni yells, "Going for his pocket. He's got a gun. Gun," which prompts Lake to draw his gun and point it at Sterling's head. One of the officers  it appears to be Lake  can be heard in the cellphone videos yelling, "Hey bro, you f*****g move, I swear to God."

A split-second later, Salamoni again yells that Sterling is "going for a gun" and fires three shots into Sterling's chest. A wounded Sterling begins to sit up and roll to his left as Lake yells at Sterling to "get on the ground."

Salamoni then fires three more rounds into Sterling's back. Both officers told police detectives shortly after the shooting that they believed Sterling was again reaching for his gun when Salamoni shot him in the back.

The officers noted in statements hours after the shooting to Baton Rouge Police Department detectives that they saw a gun in Sterling's pocket and Lake can be seen in videos recovering the loaded .38-caliber revolver moments after the shooting.

+3 End of federal Alton Sterling investigation puts spotlight back on body cameras New details in the investigation into Alton Sterling's death have put the spotlight back on 

Two witnesses to the shooting disputed the officer's claim Sterling was reaching for a gun during their struggle in interviews with the FBI. But the Justice Department report says other inconsistencies in those witnesses' statements and contradictions with the video evidence meant federal investigators couldn't rely on those witness accounts to refute the officers' statements.

As federal prosecutors weighed whether to bring civil rights charges in the case, two facts proved essential: That Sterling had a loaded weapon in his right pocket, and that every piece of video evidence  both public and not  doesn't show the position of Sterling's right arm in the split-second before Salamoni opens fire.

In announcing the Justice Department's decision not to bring federal charges, acting U.S. Attorney Corey Amundson said prosecutors couldn't prove Salamoni didn't have a genuine and reasonable fear for his life when he pulled the trigger on his service weapon.

Although both officers  and Salamoni in particular  can be heard using vulgar and offensive language throughout the encounter, at no point did either officer utter any racial slurs, said attorneys for the Sterling family and law enforcement sources who spoke with The Advocate.

Scant information about the fatal encounter beyond the video that captures the final, deadly struggle emerged during the federal government's lengthy investigation.

Federal investigators lifted that veil of secrecy Wednesday, beginning with an emotional meeting late that morning with Sterling's family and a group of their attorneys, just before Amundson announced the conclusion of their case publicly.

Can't see video below? Click here.

In the private meeting, Justice Department officials  including Amundson; Jeffery Sallet, special agent in charge of the FBI's New Orleans field office; Tamara Kessler, the chief of the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division; and Robert Moossy, the Civil Rights Division's senior career official  explained their decision not to press charges and answered detailed questions about nearly every aspect of the case.

Like in Amundson's public announcement, federal officials repeatedly stressed in the private meetings that they are all career prosecutors or FBI agents and not political appointees. The federal agents and prosecutors working on the case unanimously agreed that the evidence in the Sterling case couldn't support federal civil rights charges against either officer.

Amundson, who became acting U.S. attorney after Walt Green resigned, has asked not to be considered for the fulltime job.

At least a half-dozen videos of the incident  including unreleased surveillance footage from the Triple S which provides a key running view of the entire night  were enhanced and analyzed by experts at the FBI Laboratory in Quantico, Va.

Agents and prosecutors told members of Sterling's family the videos were synchronized so they could be viewed at once, providing multiple perspectives on key parts of the encounter, with investigators viewing them frame by frame hundreds of times.

Amundson called the video "disturbing" during his public address Wednesday, and those included in the private meetings said the federal prosecutors and seasoned FBI agents told them they lost sleep over the images.

"The (Justice Department) officials told us they had 100 years of policing and prosecuting and they were all surprised, shocked, offended, outraged, upset over the conduct of Salamoni when he approached Mr. Sterling," said Michael Adams, an attorney for the three youngest of Sterling's five children.

John McLindon, a lawyer for Salamoni, didn't respond to a message seeking comment for this story. But on Wednesday, McLindon said that federal officials clearly determined that whatever the evidence shows happened during the incident, "the government didn't feel like it warranted a prosecution."

He also noted that two use-of-force experts consulted during the investigation concluded that Sterling appeared to pose a threat at the moment Salamoni opened fire and, despite criticizing some of the officers' actions, said the use of lethal force was not unreasonable.

Lake's attorney said Wednesday his client was "relieved" by the federal finding but declined to comment further on the case.

But several items remained off-limits for discussion in the private meetings. Those involved said federal officials wouldn't provide any information about the identity of witnesses, which meant little was revealed about the 911 caller and his dispute with Sterling.

Because Sterling's autopsy report  including the results of toxicology tests  remains under federal seal, the Justice Department officials wouldn't discuss its contents with anyone other than Sterling's relatives.

In the second private meeting, Justice Department officials summoned a group of six community members  including Gary Chambers, activist Walter McLaughlin, Rene Singleton with the faith-based group Together Baton Rouge, Catholic priest Joshua Johnson and Ethan Ashley of the Urban League  to the federal courthouse at 3:30 p.m., shortly after Amundson announced the Sterling decision to the press.

Federal officials disclosed most of the same details in that second meeting, fielding questions from the group and reading from transcripts of the encounter, Singleton, Chambers and McLaughlin told The Advocate on Friday.

Chambers, an outspoken activist who publishes The Rouge Collection blog and sounds off in frequent videos posted to Facebook, said federal officials made clear he was free to pass on details of the shooting, allowing him to take notes and at points rereading portions of the transcripts for him to copy down.

When asked why they'd arranged the meeting, the federal officials said they wanted to be fully transparent with the community. Sallet, the FBI special agent, added that the video showing Salamoni sticking his gun to Sterling's head is disturbing and would likely stoke outrage when publicly released, according to Chambers. The video is unlikely to be released while state Attorney General Jeff Landry's office considers possible state charges in the incident.

The federal officials made clear they found Salamoni's actions at the beginning of the encounter unacceptable, people in both meetings said.

But the officials involved in the Sterling investigation also made clear that they saw Lake's actions differently and generally within the bounds of acceptable action by a policeman. When the group of activists brought up calls for both officers to be fired, the FBI agents in the room told them to be careful about using the plural.

"They were anxious that we separate Lake and Salamoni," said Singleton.

The government's decision to offer a detailed reasoning for declining to prosecute the officers is becoming "the new normal," especially in high-profile cases that generate a high level of community interest, said Jonathan M. Smith, a former chief of the special litigation section in the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division.

The Justice Department in 2015 released an 86-page investigative report when it announced that it would not pursue civil rights charges against Darren Wilson, the former police officer who fatally shot Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri.

"Up until the last few years, cases would be closed with no announcement at all, or the announcement would be terse," Smith said. "I think you should expect to see this now in other officer-involved shootings, particularly when you've got video and a community that's been demonstrating."

Advocate staff writer Jim Mustian contributed to this report.
As the city continues to cope with the fallout of the July 2016 police shooting death of Alton Sterling, people gathered at a Baton Rouge church Saturday to share their ideas on how to heal Baton Rouges racial and other divisions.

Hosted by Broadmoor United Methodist Church, the Community Conversations event came just days after U.S. Department of Justice officials announced the two city police officers involved in the Sterling incident wont face federal civil rights charges.

People have not been connecting together humanely online, not acknowledging the very real hurts, fears, frustrations that some people have, said the Rev. Donnie Wilkinson, pastor of the church.

Too many people, he said, are hurling digital bombs on social media rather than having serious, productive discussions.

The event, billed as a safe place for dialogue, drew a diverse audience of about two dozen people. Wilkinson said making an effort to understand others feelings about the Sterling decision and broader issues of race and justice are an important step forward.

Those relationships are a necessary start, but they are by no means the end, Wilkinson said. They are a means of working toward the systemic changes that need to happen in our community and in our country in general.

His church held a similar event in January that featured a pastor from Ferguson, Missouri, where the police shooting of a black teenager set off violent protests in 2014. Broadmoor also currently plays host to a Dialogue on Race Louisiana class, of which Wilkinson is a member.

Attendees of the event told of their desire for a unified community that is respectful of peoples differences. Several suggestions emerged for how to accomplish that, with many vowing to spend more time with people of backgrounds different from their own.

Everybody is not down protesting today, said Elmo Winters, a minister who works with The Church of Baton Rouge. We decided were going to come together and unify, to get to know one another.

For Tiffany Dunn, who attends Broadmoor Methodist, Saturdays meeting was a chance to hear different viewpoints on current issues in Baton Rouge.

Across the board, regardless of how you feel about the present situation, nobodys happy.  I think the only way any of us can heal is discussion and just talking it out, Dunn said.

She added: Its all about getting to know the individual person and who they are and what makes them happy or sad. This is kind of like a beginning, a stepping stone.
When the war on crime started, the term gateway drug was used to describe why we arrested and incarcerated people for possession of small am
A popular brand of tinned cat food has been recalled from pet stores after widespread concerns that the "gourmet" meals were making cats ill.

The Best Feline Friend (BFF) range made for the Australian market has been recalled for testing by its American manufacturer, Weruva, after online pet forums were flooded with complaints from owners who said their cats became ill after eating it.

Cats that ate the food have reportedly become ill, though no link has been established. Credit:Lyn Osborn

In some cases, owners claimed their pets had vomited, refused water and became lethargic.

While there is as yet no evidence that BFF's "natural" and "grain-free" food has made any cats sick, the manufacturer and distributor have recalled all the product and testing has begun to see if there are any links.
Battery makers worldwide are watching to see whether Australia's most wind power-dependent state can keep the lights on by installing grid-scale batteries by December, which could help drive the growth of renewable energy across Australia and Asia.

A decade-long political stalemate in Australia over energy and climate policy has effectively led to power and gas shortages and soaring energy prices threatening industry and households.

If batteries help solve Australia's problems by storing surplus electricity generated by wind and solar power, countries like Indonesia, the Philippines and Chile, could follow suit.

"I call South Australia the 'perfect storm' opportunity for energy storage," said Ismario Gonzalez, global sales director for AES Energy Storage, an arm of U.S. firm AES Corp, which has installed or is working on battery projects in seven countries, including Australia.
The relief high-income earners gain from the debt levy being axed may be very short-lived as the Turnbull government considers higher health taxes.

There is speculation the government will lift the Medicare levy or extend the Medicare levy surcharge in Treasurer Scott Morrison's second federal budget on Tuesday.

Scott Morrison in his Treasury office building ahead of the 2017 budget. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen

The rise would pay for an expected winding back of the four-year freeze on Medicare rebates for GP visits, which health advocates and Labor have described as a co-payment by another name.

Australians on incomes of over $180,000 a year are due to get relief from the cutting of the two per cent temporary budget repair levy.
While it is a given Federal public servants and defence personnel will sometimes need to travel by air in order to perform their duties, the public is entitled to expect serious efforts will be made to keep the costs as low as possible.

With Finance Department figures indicating tax payers coughed up $427 million in 2015-2016 to shuttle legions of bureaucrats both around the country and off to foreign climes, often in the comfy seats at the pointy end of the plane, it would be fair to say this does not appear to be happening.

It is noteworthy that while the public service travel budget continues to blow out, up by as much as $50 million since the Coalition came to power, the current Government is clawing back often specious "overpayments" from some of the poorest people in the community.

It's a good bet that few, if any, of the people caught up in the ongoing "Robodebt" Centrelink debacle have ever had the pleasure of flying into Paris's Orly Airport in a business class seat on board an international jet liner.

That was one of the perks of the job enjoyed by more than 20 Canberra based Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade staff in September last year.
Ten months after Karl Stefanovic left his wife of 21 years, the Today show host has reportedly settled his divorce for $6 million.

News Corp reported on Sunday that Stefanovic's ex-wife, Cassandra Thorburn, has received $6 million in assets and cash. The couple has three children, Jackson, 17, Ava, 12 and River, 10.

Stefanovic - who earns nearly $3 million a year - "put up very little resistance during the negotiations", according to the report.

The Channel 9 star ended his two-decade long marriage in July last year, informing Thorburn when she returned from doing the weekly grocery run. Her then husband had packed his bags and told her he would not be returning, the Sydney Morning Herald reported.
The Australian health system is failing people struggling with obesity, a conference of physicians will hear this week.

Research shows just 1 in 60 overweight or obese children are offered help in weight management from their doctor and "highly effective" bariatric surgery isn't easily accessible to those who need it most, says childhood obesity expert Professor Louise Baur from the University of Sydney and The Children's Hospital at Westmead.

Obesity in adults will reach 35 per cent by 2025. Credit:Steve Cassell

In an appeal to her colleagues at The Royal Australasian College of Physicians (RACP) 2017 Conference in Adelaide this week, the pediatrician will argue that medical professionals need to be more "mindful" when they next encounter a severe weight problem.

"People with obesity quite commonly go to their doctor for a variety of reasons but they're treated for that main issue and often the underlying health issue to do with obesity isn't really addressed during the consultation," she said.
A Queensland family has been torn apart, after two young brothers were killed and another was left in a serious condition in hospital after a shocking crash near Dubbo in the early hours of Saturday.

The crash, on the Newell Highway, about 12 kilometres north of Dubbo, happened about 3.30am when a 4WD and a B-double truck collided.

The B-double truck rests in scrub next to the Newell Highway. Credit:Webcam Video

A couple was travelling with their three children in the four-wheel drive when the collision occurred. Two boys, a nine-year-old and a 12-year-old, were found dead at the scene. A third child, a four-year-old boy with internal injuries, was flown to Westmead Children's Hospital in a serious condition.

The parents of the boys suffered minor injuries, including shock, and were taken to Dubbo Base Hospital. They were released about midday on Saturday.
Paul Drum, head of policy at CPA Australia, says the government is likely to extend the instant asset write-off beyond this date with Small Business Minister Michael McCormack making "some overtures" over recent months about this. "Unless something has happened over the last couple of weeks it looks likely to happen," he says. "CPA Australia says it should be rolled into the tax system as a permanent feature but I would be inclined to think because of other budget pressures it might only be [extended] for a couple of years." CPA Australia's Paul Drum says an extension of tax write-offs is likely. Credit:Josh Robenstone Ombudsman Kate Carnell wants to see the instant asset write-off offered to businesses with a turnover of up to $10 million. The increase in turnover was in the 2016 budget but still has not passed Parliament. "It's in the lap of the gods a bit but would be great now that the Australian Tax Office's definition of small business is under $10 million [turnover]," she says.

Kate Carnell, the Small Business and Family Enterprise Ombudsman, would like to see write-offs extended. Credit:Louie Douvis Increase the instant asset write-off Carnell would also like to see an increase in the instant asset write-off for selected industries. "It would also be good for the government to look at increasing the $20,000, particularly in certain industries, farming and manufacturing being the two," she says. "You don't get much of a tractor for $20,000." Encourage paying on time

Strong wants to see government backing in the budget for the Australian Small Business and Family Enterprise Ombudsman's pay on time campaign. "Having the government lead the way on that, if it contracts with big business it requires business to pay suppliers within 30 days," Strong says. Carnell says the government could fund a national payment transparency register where big companies register their payment times and terms on the public record. "We would like them to put some money aside and it wouldn't be much to set up a register," she says. "Payment times is a huge issue for small business". Banking action

Following the Australian Small Business and Family Enterprise Ombudsman banking inquiry Carnell says she is hoping for "strong comments" from the government in the budget on banking regulation. "The current industry-based code should be mandatory and regulated with ASIC [the Australian Securities and Investments Commission] and there should be an ASIC small business commissioner," Carnell says. "A mandatory code for ASIC would include a range of things including getting rid of non-financial default for small business loans of up to $5 million. Both of those come with some level of cost but not a lot." Start-up support The Council of Small Business of Australia wants to see more support for start-ups in the form of assistance programs and encouraging the development of low-cost seed capital opportunities for innovators and entrepreneurs.

"Additional tax concessions in the first three to five years of operation must also be considered," Strong says. A simplified business entity CPA Australia's pre-budget submission pushes for a simplified business entity for small businesses and particularly for start-ups. "It would cut a swath through the complexity for start-ups," Drum says. "It would have limited liability like a company but it would allow income streaming for the shareholders and you could retain income in the entity. If small business goes into a company it doesn't have the flexibility of streaming income to family members."
Angela Merkel's party convincingly defeated the Social Democratic incumbent in a state vote in northern Germany, in a disastrous result for her SPD challenger that provides further evidence the chancellor is regaining momentum ahead of the federal election in September.

The victory gives Merkel's Christian Democrats a boost heading into elections next weekend in Germany's most populous state, North Rhine-Westphalia, an SPD-run region with almost 18 million people and the main bellwether before the national vote. It's also the home state of Martin Schulz, the SPD's candidate for chancellor who's out to deny Merkel a fourth term in office.

Major world leaders including Germany's Angela Merkel are staying away. Credit:AP

"This is a disaster for the SPD," Carsten Nickel, a Brussels-based analyst for Teneo Intelligence, said by phone. "The SPD doesn't know whether it wants to move toward the center or move its base on the left. Merkel is doing very well in using this situation to her advantage."

Sunday's voting in Schleswig-Holstein, a region of 2.8 million between the Baltic and North seas, underscored that the SPD surge sparked by Schulz's nomination in January has petered out for now. The CDU took more than 33 per cent, a gain of 2.5 percentage points over the last state election in 2011, while the SPD slumped about 4 points to 26.5 per cent, according to ARD television projections based on partial returns.
ABUJA, Nigeria - Boko Haram militants have released 82 schoolgirls out of a group of more than 200 who they kidnapped from the northeastern town of Chibok in April 2014, officials said on Saturday.

The girls were released through negotiations with the government, one official said, asking not to be named.

These Chibok school girls were among 21 released by Boko Haram in October 2016. Another 82 have reportedly been released. Credit:Sunday Aghaeze

A military source said the girls were currently in Banki near the Cameroon border for medical checks before being airlifted to Maiduguri, the capital of Borno state.

The kidnapping was one of the high-profile incidents of Boko Haram's insurgency, now in its eighth year and with little sign of ending. About 220 were abducted from their school in a night-time attack.
PARIS - Political novice Emmanuel Macron has crushed his right-wing populist opponent to claim the French presidency.

The result has been greeted as a rejection of the recent wave of nationalist politics that has swept through Western democracies.

In the end the 39-year-old centrist won almost twice the number of votes as his opponent Marine Le Pen, former head of the Front National.

However the result was a new high-water mark for the FN in French politics, with some predicting it set the party up for an even stronger showing  and perhaps victory - in five years' time.
if the people of Biafra want Republic of Biafra, it will be a reality during my administration. ----Donald Trump Donald Trump I wi...
An atheist group is suing President Donald Trump over his religious liberty executive order , which loosens restrictions on political activity by religious groups.

The Freedom From Religion Foundation filed suit Thursday in federal court against Trump and the Internal Revenue Service, claiming the order is unconstitutional because it makes government favor religion over nonreligion. Although the executive order applies to all nonprofits, FFRF believes it will be selectively enforced so as to only benefit churches and religious organizations.

We will not allow people of faith to be targeted, bullied, or silenced anymore, Trump said while announcing the order on Thursday. And we will never, ever stand for religious discrimination, never ever.

FFRF calls that and the order a message to Christians, and particularly evangelicals that the government will no longer bar them from endorsing candidates, donating to campaigns, or otherwise engaging in politics.

President Trumps EO creates the appearance of government endorsement of churches and religious organizations and a preference for these religious organizations above similarly situated nonreligious organizations, the suit reads.

Andrew Seidel, staff attorney at the FFRF, told The Daily Beast the orders language is vague enough to benefit religious organizations at the expense of non-religious groups. Its very poorly worded. Trump and the White House have made it very clear that they intend for this order to ease restrictions on churches, especially on Evangelical churches, Seidel said.

Meanwhile, the lawsuit claims secular nonprofits will still be prohibited from endorsing candidates or otherwise participating in the upcoming 2018 elections if they want to keep their tax-exempt status. Those groups are classified as 501(c)(3).

FFRF, for its part, would be seriously harmed by enforcement of the electioneering restrictions if it violated  501(c)(3), including by loss of tax-exempt status, which harm to FFRF would be devastating and irreparable, the suit reads.

FFRF cites Trumps campaign pledge to overturn the Johnson Amendment, which his executive order prohibits religious leaders from speaking about politics and candidates from the pulpit, as evidence the government will favor religion over nonreligion.

When Trump announced Mike Pence as his vice presidential candidate in July, he once again spoke directly to Evangelicals .

I said for the Evangelicals, that were going to do something that nobodys even tried to do, Trump said in July when he announced Mike Pence as his running mate. We put into the platform, were going to get rid of the horrible Johnson Amendment. And were going to let Evangelicalswere going to let Christians and Jews and people of religiontalk without being afraid to talk.

At the Values Voter Summit later, Trump said repealing the Johnson Amendment would boost Christianity and other religions like a rocket ship.

Tony Perkins, head of the conservative Family Research Council, told The Daily Beast he thinks Trump is going out of his way to repeal the Johnson Amendment so Evangelical conservatives help him on issues where they otherwise wouldnt want to get involved.

He pays attention to issues that are important to them, to Evangelicals, because he wants them to be helpful on issues that are important to him, Perkins said.

But the IRS rarely enforces the Johnson Amendment. The Alliance Defending Freedom, a Christian nonprofit, has been endorsing Pulpit Freedom Sundays for years. In 2014, the FFRF sued the IRS over its lax Johnson Amendment enforcement.

They didnt even have an individual to do the investigations necessary, Seidel said. The FFRF dismissed its suit against the IRS after they hired an investigator, but only one pastor has been audited for violating the Johnson Amendment since 2008.

If Trumps lawyers want to march into that courtroom and tell the world and President Trump that this order doesnt do anything, we would consider that a win, Seidel said. But given his statements and the very clear message he communicated to churches, we dont think thats whats going to happen.
El Chapos lawyers asked a federal judge on Friday to be locked in the same room with him.

Joaquin Guzman Loera is housed in 10 South, a notorious Manhattan housing unit for high-risk detainees, once described as worse than Guantanamo Bay by a man whod stayed at both. Lawyers at a court hearing for the ex-cartel leader complained that they have to show him each piece of evidence individually through a plexiglass window, one sheet at a time, to review it with him They asked a judge to find other accommodations that would allow them to be in the same physical space with their client.

Its simply not feasible that we can review that volume of discovery with Mr. Guzman on one side of a plexiglass wall, said attorney Michelle Gelernt, raising the specter of potential constitutional rights violations for Guzman. Were saying just lock us on the same side.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrea Goldfarb countered that, while it would be more convenient to be in the same room, Guzman has a laptop with all the discovery material, and is able to review it at any time as well as with his lawyers. Judge Brian M. Cogan said he sympathized with the governments claims that El Chapo, who has escaped from prison several times, posed a unique risk in federal detention.

Im not unsympathetic to the governments position, that that any movement of him out of the [Special Housing Unit] [...] raises the sort of security issues weve [discussed], Cogan said. On the other hand, it is cumbersome, very cumbersome.

Its just not feasible to sit there and try to hear, Gelernt argued. We still have to, if were showing him documents, hold them up one at a time when hes reading them.

A judge will go to the Metropolitan Correctional Center to review the conditions under which El Chapo meets with lawyers, a federal judge said Friday.

One of Guzman's former attorneys from Mexico said outside the courtroom he was being treated worse than a Nazi.

In the Nuremberg trials, the nazis had lawyers they could speak with, Jose Luis Gonzalez Meza told The Daily Beast. "Criminals of war!"

Gonzales Meza lamented Guzmans difficulties in reviewing evidence with his lawyers.

This, in the land of democracy," he said. "Incredible!

The case against Guzman, the alleged leader of the Sinaloa drug cartel, has voluminous evidence for defense attorneys to review. He faces up to life in prison, and the case in the Brooklyn federal court is being jointly prosecuted by attorneys from New York and Florida.

Cogan ultimately decided to send a magistrate judge to the detention facility in downtown Manhattan to review the conditions under which Guzman meets with lawyers.

Guzman raised his eyebrows and looked at his wife when he entered the courtroom on Friday morning. Judge Cogan had recently ruled that while the wife, former beauty queen Emma Coronel Aispuro, is not allowed to visit El Chapo in federal lockup, the two can exchange messages about personal things, or hiring and paying for private lawyers. Cogan also denied Chapos motion to be allowed into the general prison population, and that there is good reason to keep him confined to a cell where the lights are on for 23 hours each day.

Guzmans lawyers said they still plan to file a motion to dismiss after receiving more evidence from prosecutors in discovery. And at the Friday hearing, Chapo also acknowledged and waived potential conflicts of interest for his attorneys at the Federal Defenders of New York, as other Federal Defenders have represented some of the cooperating witnesses against him.

Cogan also sought to set a trial date for Guzman, and Michael Schneider, one of Guzmans federal defenders, burst out laughing at the proposed trial date of April 16, 2018. Prosecutors said they expect the trial to take between two and three months.

I recognize it is somewhat aspirational, Cogan said of the trial date, which is unlikely to be met because of the volume of evidence and expected pre-trial motions. But lets give it the old college try.
Doctor Who is famous for its obsessive fans.

And they arent quite sure yet what to make of Pearl Mackie, the mouthy Londoner who has landed the role of Bill Potts, the Doctors trusty human companion in the new series.

Bill is the first openly gay companion on Doctor Who, a fact which was established in the opening moments of the first episode, and has inevitably become something of a talking point in U.K. fan circles.

Mackie says that she hasnt been asked in any media interviews whether she is actually gay, but she had prepared a line ready to deal with any such enquiries: I would have said, Its pretty irrelevant isnt it really? she says with a chuckle, then adds, Im an actor, you know. And I havent ever traveled through space or time either so, you know, I dont think it really matters whether or not Ive had experiences in different sexualities.

Playing the companion of the Doctor always comes with massive attention from the series obsessive fans.

It was pretty insane, says Mackie, Right after the trailer went out, my Twitter went to 16,000 followers in a couple of hours. People are cosplaying me, drawing me on Instagram and stuff like that so it has been amazing.

Ive kind of got a bit used to it now, she adds. People are starting to recognize me a little bit now on the street so I imagine that will sort of escalate as more and more episodes come out. But its not happening as much as I thought it would, which is quite cool, so I still get to walk around and have coffee in my local coffee shop and that kind of thing.

And how does she feel about the attention on her characters sexuality?

Its the 21st century, its about time that there was an openly gay companion, she says. I dont think its something that the show handles in a big obvious way. Theres no big reveal or anything like that. Its very much part of Bill, its part of who she is, something thats she very happy and comfortable with.

So, there has been a lot of attention on that in the media, but then I guess, you know, something that I forget is that the show is broadcast in a lot of different countries.

Im very privileged to be from London which is very multicultural. And Im from a very liberal family who are very accepting of people from all kind of walks of life so for me, I think it shouldnt be that much of a big deal, but I forget that there are places where being gay, being openly gay, isnt so accepted.

I feel that kids watching the program in those countriesor parts of those countriesI think that its a great thing to see someone who is very comfortably a lesbian on a mainstream family show, she says. I think thats very positive. If people can identify with that and feel less isolated then thats fantastic.

When Mackie was growing up, I ask, were there many people with skin other-than-white on TV to identify with (No, there wasnt, she interjects), and does she hope her character will provide a reference point for gay kids?

Yeah. I hope so, she says. I mean, just as I hope for children of ethnic minority backgrounds [to find] a positive identification with Bill as well. So yeah, essentially the thing is, you know, Im here to play one person. Im not here to represent the entire lesbian and gay community, and Im not here to represent the entire ethnic minority community.

I think that kind of thing can be quite dangerous as well because essentially, lumping everyone together is something that we should stay away from anyway. I just play one individual who is a lesbian and if people identify with that positively then thats great.

Theres been a couple of articles published about why its a positive thing to have a young gay woman on TV on a mainstream show, she adds. So I would say the response has been mainly positive.

Mackie was not a Doctor Who fan herself growing up (her inability to correctly identify the fuel which the TARDIS (the acronym stands for Time and Relative Dimension In Space) runs on in one interview infuriated obsessive fans) but shes been praised by some critics who say that has enabled her to bring a refreshingly new take of wide-eyed wonder to the long-running series.

Youd have to be sort of living under a rock to not know about Doctor Who and the world of it and the TARDIS but yeah, I didnt know the ins and outs, she says. Theres so many specifics, its even hard for fans to know all the details. But learning how the TARDIS works and that kind of stuff was pretty new to me.

If Mackie had a TARDIS in real life, where would she want to go?

I would want to go to 1970s New York, she says. Maybe the late-70s, kind of between when the disco was still going but hip-hop was kind of coming up as well. I think that would be a really interesting time to experience musically.

And if she got lost along the wayas the Doctor often doesand diverted to some other times and places, what are some other times and eras shed like to check out?

Id quite like to go see a play at Shakespeares Globe in Elizabethan times because apparently people were only given their cue line and then their line, so Id quite like to see if that affected the performance in any way, she says. And maybe ancient Egypt; that looks pretty sick.
A congressman who voted in favor of the American Health Care Act, the partys best hope for repealing Obamacare, infuriated constituents and audience members at a town hall event Friday night after declaring that nobody dies because they dont have access to health care.

Rep. Raul Labrador, a four-term Idaho Republican who is considered a potential candidate for the governors mansion next year, made the comment roughly 24 hours after the House of Representatives passed the bill with only a single vote to spare, in response to a question from a constituent concerned that the bill would harm recipients of Medicaid.

You are mandating people on Medicaid to accept dying, the audience member said at a town hall meeting at Lewis-Clark State College in Lewiston, Idaho. You are making a mandate that will kill people.

Labrador interrupted the woman, calling her allegations indefensible.

No one wants anybody to die," Labrador said. You know, that line is so indefensible. Nobody dies because they dont have access to health care.

Labrador, a member of the conservative House Freedom Caucus, was immediately met with a chorus of boos.

Although the relationship between insurance coverage and overall health is more complicated than one might thinkaspects of class, lifestyle, age, genetics, and ZIP code represent major confounding variablesa 2009 study published in the American Journal of Public Health found that working-age uninsured Americans face a 40 percent higher risk of dying than those with insurance. The study linked roughly 45,000 deaths annually to a lack of access to health care.

Under the terms of the proposed bill, states would be allowed to apply for waivers from coverage of a wide range of essential health benefitsincluding pre-existing conditionsin order to offer lower-cost plans.

Until the Congressional Budget Office releases an analysis of the AHCAs potential impactheretofore considered a customary, if not necessary requirement before voting on major legislationits difficult to say how many people would lose their insurance coverage under the Republican plan. When the first iteration of the bill was scored in March, the CBO found that 24 million would become uninsured within a decade of that bills passage.

In a statement to The Daily Beast, Labrador admitted that his answer wasn't very elegant.

During ten hours of town halls, one of my answers about health care wasnt very elegant, Labrador said. I was responding to a false notion that the Republican health care plan will cause people to die in the streets, which I completely reject. In a lengthy exchange with a constituent, I explained to her that Obamacare has failed the vast majority of Americans. In the five-second clip that the media is focusing on, I was trying to explain that all hospitals are required by law to treat patients in need of emergency care regardless of their ability to pay and that the Republican plan does not change that.

Labrador also posted on Facebook that it was a privilege to attend the town hall.

It was my privilege to spend two hours today in Lewiston fielding questions from my constituents, many of them about our efforts to provide quality health care to all Americans at an affordable and sustainable cost.
If President Donald Trumps administration may be called a farce, then in the Marxist equation its tragic progenitor is surely the presidency of Richard Nixon.

Thats the conclusion I came to reading John A. Farrells absorbing new biography of Richard Nixon. In it, the Nixon White House models precisely what can go wrong when a man consumed by paranoia and with an ax to grind reaches the Oval Office. Which is pretty much where we are right now.

Although Richard Nixon: The Life doesnt dwell on the similarities between the two men, the timing of the books publication makes it impossible to ignore the elephant in the Situation Room. You may not be able to blame Forty-five squarely on Thirty-seven, but its to be hoped that the past can teach us something of use.

The origins of the two presidents couldnt be more different. Farrell shows us the Nixons on their farm in 1913 on a naked plain amid ranks of skeletal saplings. Coyotes, buzzards, and rattlesnakes kept them company. Richard went barefoot to school; an infant brother was struck down by a sudden illness, an elder by tuberculosis; the future president gave up a chance for Harvard to work in the family store and go to college in Whittier. Its a far cry from suburban Queens, an Ivy League education, and a million-dollar career loan from your father.

But even in his early political career, Nixon, like Trump, fought hard and dirty, and his campaigning style revealed a tendency towards political expediency (compare Sidney Blumenthal on Trump). Running for Congress for the first time in 1946, Nixon was content to suggest, disingenuously but to great effect, that his Democratic opponent was a Communist stooge. He was unconcerned by the provenance of his campaign funds (Californian oil men). His first instinct was always to attack.

All this, Farrell believes, boded ill: even in Nixons first campaign there could be found a great, haunting need, and chronic insecurity In the crucible of the presidency, he writes, such cracks could give way, and such a man could shatter.

Great, haunting need... chronic insecurity... Sound familiar?

The Red Scare schtick Nixon used in 46, and for much of the next decade, was little more than absurdist political theater: a vote-winner, sure, but not grounded in any clear and present danger.

Jump-cut fifty years and one might identify a similar absence of due cause in Trumps crimewave routine, the birther nonsense, or the immigration bans. The evidence of moral turpitude in his targets, as in Nixons, is scant (or nonexistent); nevertheless, to a certain tranche of the electorate, the rhetoric remains irresistible.

The parallels between Nixon and Trump really become meme-worthy around Nixons election in 1968. His apocalyptic vision of cities enveloped in smoke and flame is a clear precedent for Trumps inner-city fixation, while the racially coded language used by Trump on crime is surely descended from Nixons Southern Strategy, which nudged white Southern voters to the right with subtle appeals to their racism.

Both men, in their campaigns, claimed to champion a silent majority that opposed the social movements of their day. And neither was (or has been) consistent in office: where Nixon governed, in Pat Buchanans phrase, as neither fish nor fowl, like the bubble in the carpenters level, so Trumps ideological positions often appear as if in superposition, quite literally in two places at the same time.

In 1977, during the filming of the famous Frost/Nixon interviews, one of David Frosts crew nicknamed the president Proteus, after the shape-shifting Greek sea-godits a name that could apply just as easily to Trump.

Perhaps most famously, both are prone to unpresidential eruptions: Nixon, savagely but secretly, over thousands of hours of White House tapes; Trump, publicly, provocatively, on Twitter. These outbursts often target the media, and here the echoes become truly uncanny. The press is the enemy, Nixon tells his White House aides in 1972. The FAKE NEWS media is the enemy of the American people! Trump tweets in February this year.

In both cases, a fixation on the perceived injustices meted out by the press proves counterproductive and time-consuming. Take the publication of the Pentagon Papers in 1971, which symbolized for Nixon everything that was arrogant and spiteful and damaging about the national press (especially, ho ho,The New York Times).

Despite being vastly more damaging to Nixon's Democratic predecessors, the Papers were a trigger for the presidents instinct to suppress; suppression led to a series of restraining orders that were ultimately struck down by the Supreme Court. Nixon became, in Farrell's analogy, the scorpion who stings the frog hes riding to cross a river: His actions were reflexive, heedless of the peril in which he himself would drown. One need only watch Sean Spicer on the defensive to see history repeating itself ad absurdum.

Trust was Nixon's inherent vice. His suspicion of others led him down dangerous paths, while those he did trust enabled his darkest side. Trump is less straightforwardhis advisors pull him every which way, and the consequence is typically chaos rather than outright deviousness. (Hes a rebel mercifully sans cause.)

Nevertheless, in both cases all the presidents men have a lot to answer for. They are the first check on the presidential id, the filter through which his commands are passed down, his representatives on earth. If their boss is prone to paranoid outbursts or rash behavior, and their moral character is insufficient to the task, the results may be catastrophic. Perhaps its too soon to pass comprehensive judgment on Trump and co, but we would all do well to heed Nixons example. His tragic flaw lay in assembling a team who couldnt say no, who transformed speech unquestioningly into act.

In Farrells telling, the Nixon White House was more Sparta than Athens. The president's trust extended to a very small number, and thus, rather than a true council, the executive became a function of Nixon's psyche, his impulses cours[ing] along the White House synapses.

One day in 1971, still livid about the Pentagon Papers, Nixon told chief of staff H.R. Haldeman, counsel John Ehrlichman, and special counsel Charles Colson, I need a mana commanderan officer in charge here at the White House that I can call when I wake up, as I did last night, at 2 o'clock in the morning [!!, right?] and I can say I want to do this, this and this A guy, also, who will have the initiative to go out and do a few of these things. And so the Special Investigations Unit, the motor in the tragic machinery that would bring him down, was born.

It had been a fatal error to allow Colson, who went on to run the Unit, such access to the president. Hired to sit and listen to all that BS from the president (Haldeman), he soon became the enabler of much that went wrong thereafter, as he sought to plug leaks and guarantee the president's electoral success in 72. The Watergate break-in wasn't the first botched operation his team ran, but it would become the most famous.

It was a terrific storyfive bumbling burglars in business suits caught bugging a party headquarters, but an epochal fuck-up too: Watergate catalyzed a vertiginous decline in public trust and respect for government that has poisoned the well to this day. Distaste for the elected was, fittingly, a major feature of the 2016 election narrative.

The aim of this elaborate comparison is to attempt to illuminate the present by way of the past. In fact its somewhat intellectually insincere to harp too much on the similarities between the two men. Nixon, after all, had numerous redeeming features that Trump doesnt share, including but not limited to actual experience in public office.

Vietnam notwithstanding, he had something of a gift for foreign policyhis farsighted rapprochement with China, for instance. Hes rightly celebrated for governmental measures taken to protect the environment, including establishing the EPA.

He even had a quietly substantial record on civil rights. Indeed, far from being the unremitting racist of popular memory, Nixon did sturdy work as vice president dismantling segregation in the South, and continued to move stealthily towards a more perfect union in the White House. (Farrell rightly echoes the words of then-attorney general John Mitchell to civil rights activists: You will be better advised to watch what we do instead of what we say.)

One might find some tragic grandeur in his paranoid anti-elitism. Here, after all, was a man who worked himself physically sick to overcome what he perceived as the deficiencies in his personal history: no silver spoon, no Ivy League, no luck.

Even if one attempted to defend some of Nixons greater excesses, one could easily paint him at the thin end of a long historical wedge. Prior administrations, in collusion with the FBI and CIA, had behaved just as badly as his, wiretapping opponents, commissioning assassinations, spying on American citizens... For Nixon, it was merely bad timing that he should get the keys to the joke shop just as faith in the moral authority of the government reached an all-time nadir.

And yes, even the famous tapes, one of the most damning pieces of the puzzle, barnacled as they are with anti-Semitic rants, racial slurs, and megalomania, are occasionally qualified by the tinkle of ice in glass. Its more than you can say for our current leader. As Hasan Minhaj observed at the White House Correspondents Dinner last weekend: Who is tweeting at 3am sober?

Nevertheless, in his refusal to acknowledge his errors, Nixon is an unwitting but clear precursor to Trump. The two men, in some of their more outlandish locutions, even start to sound like one another, as when Nixon, in the famous interview with David Frost, claimed, when the president does it, that means that it is not illegal (compare that with Trumps response to the judges who struck down his immigration bans).

It can be difficult, in the firestorm of our current presidents lies and half-truths, to keep sight of the real danger. But its one weve seen before: if your commander-in-chief believes that saying it makes it so, youre in a very bad place indeed.

John A. Farrell will appear at the House of SpeakEasys #SeriouslyEntertaining show All Together Now! at Joe's Pub at The Public Theater on May 10, 2017, alongside Jason Reynolds, Annabelle Gurwitch, and Elif Batuman. Buy tickets here.
This week marks six years since the death of Osama bin Laden, an event that, for me, sparks bittersweet memories. On the one hand, I felt that justice had finally caught up with a vicious terrorist who killed thousands of Americans, including my friend and mentor John ONeill, who died in the act of rescuing dozens of people from the crumbling Twin Towers.

On the other hand, I worried that al Qaeda without bin Laden might prove even more dangerous. As I wrote in The New York Times on the night of bin Ladens death, With al Qaeda on the decline, regional groups that had aligned themselves with the network may return to operating independently, making them harder to monitor and hence deadlier.

To judge by the preoccupations of U.S. media coverage, one might think this assessment overly pessimistic. Different geopolitical villains, from the Islamic State (ISIS) to the despotic regime of Kim Jong-Un, now fill our broadsheets and broadcasts. By comparison, al Qaeda seems like yesterdays news.

But in reality, the situation is even worse than I predicted.

Al Qaeda has not, in fact, declined. The group remains in control of all its major global factions, with the exception of the Islamic State (which spun off in 2014). Away from the glare of American attention, those factions have been marshaling their forces.

The membership rosters of these franchises make for sobering reading. Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula is thought to have more than 4,000 fighters under its command. In Somalia, al Shabaab has more than 7,000. In Syria, al Nusra boasts more than 20,000. Each of these numbers represents a vast increase from six years ago. Meanwhile, al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb has made millions of dollars from ransom payments, the Taliban is back in control of several Afghan provinces, and al Qaedas Southeast Asian affiliate, Jemaah Islamiyah, which had 31 extremist madrassas when it carried out the Bali nightclub bombing in 2002, now has 66. Overseeing this vast empire, al Qaedas central commandknown within the group as Khorasancontinues to operate from its holdfasts in Waziristan.

Whereas on 9/11 al Qaeda had a few hundred members, almost all of them based in a single country, today it enjoys multiple safe havens across the world. In Syria, Yemen, and other theaters, it has grown its power still further by inserting itself into local civil wars and wider geopolitical conflicts. Compared to the brutality of Islamic State and its allies, there is a temptation to view al Qaeda franchises as moderate factions in these conflicts, or even potential alliesespecially when they work to distance themselves from the al Qaeda brand, as many have tried to do over the past few years.

This temptation must be overcome. These groups are neither moderate nor our friends, and we must avoid treating them as such. Unfortunately, various Middle East powers have made this problem worse by stoking sectarianism across the region. By so doing, they had hoped to gain the upper hand over their regional rivals; but in reality, the only beneficiaries have been extremists like al Qaeda. These countries must stop fueling conflicts and instead use every means at their disposal to end them. The West should stand ready to assist in this process.

Above all, we must avoid the trap of regarding al Qaeda as a spent force simply because we have more pressing immediate problems. I vividly remember the years prior to 9/11, when I and a handful of my colleagues in the law enforcement and intelligence communities tried in vain to alert the Clinton and Bush Administrations to the danger. Even after the USS Cole bombing of 2000, an outrageous attack that killed 17 U.S. sailors, America took no effective action against al Qaeda. The result of this failure to act was the far worse carnage of 9/11. We must not make the same mistake again.
PARIS  Emmanuel Macron has been elected the next president of France, defeating far-right candidate Marine Le Pen and ending, for now, what had seemed a tidal wave of populism and nativism sweeping the West. Macron won by a landslide according to official counts, with 65.68 percent of the valid ballots versus 34.32 percent for Le Pen.

In some respects, this critical election had come to appear a proxy battle between current U.S. President Donald Trump and his predecessor Barack Obama, both of whom weighed in during the campaign.

Trump favored Le Pens anti-immigrant, anti-Muslim, closed-border protectionist positions, which would have gone a long way toward destroying the European Union and NATO as we know them. He called Le Pen the strongest candidate on security issues, as he sees them. (Trump tweeted his congratulations to Macron in unusually stiff language, and the White House offered formal felicitations, while Germany's Angela Merkel, Canada's Justin Trudeau and Britain's Theresa May spoke with Macron directly within minutes of the announced results.)

Le Pen had enjoyed conspicuous support from Russian President Vladimir Putin, who received her at the Kremlin during the campaign, and who is suspected of links to the hackers who tried, at the last minute, to bring down Macron. According to a Macron spokesperson, Putin sent a congratulatory "message" to Macron on Monday morning.

Obama, meanwhile, actually taped an endorsement of Macron, who is much more moderate and pragmatic than Le Pen, and shares many of Obama's core beliefs. Among them: the need to act to slow climate change. A video that Macron released in February, speaking in English to American researchers and scientists, telling them they should come to France rather than suffer the hostility of the Trump administration, has gone viral since the Macron election.

The president-elect supports reforms on immigration issues, including much stronger European borders, and he takes a tough stand on terrorism, of course, but it is untainted by the thinly disguised racism integral to the history of Le Pens National Front party. Macron supports reforms to the European Union, not its dissolution and destruction, and is also a firm believer in the North Atlantic Alliance, which Trump used to call "obsolete," then decided it was no longer so.

As French political scientist and author Dominique Moisi says, succinctly, Le Pen (and many other populists) represent anger, fear, and nostalgia. Macron has presented himself as a man with a vision for the future, one built on reform, not upheaval, focused on the economic and security imperatives of the 21st century.

But one might well ask, where did this 39-year-old wunderkindthe youngest leader of France since Napoleonactually come from? In an era of what seems relentless polarization, how did he pull together the forces of centrism and pragmatism to win such a convincing victory?

It was barely more than a year ago that Macron announced the formation of his political movement, En Marche! (Onward!), which not only was not a traditional political party, but hoped to siphon support from both the traditional Socialists and the traditional conservatives, now known as Les Republicains. He was neither one, nor the other, he said, and when he started his march toward the French presidential palace, the Elysee, it seemed at best quixotic.

But, Macron was never really an outsider, and his bitter opponents on both left and right often potrayed him as nothing more than a front man for the stagnant status quo. They claimed Macron benefitted from the quietsome said nefarious and conspiratorialbacking of the wildly unpopular outgoing Socialist president, Francois Hollande. Because Macron also worked for a few years as an investment banker with Rothschild, he was portrayed as well as a tool of global financial interests. Were there hints of anti-Semitism in the Rothschild references when Macron (a Roman Cahtolic) was attacked? Of course there were.

Where might one begin with the story of Macrons rise?

Possibly with his upbringing in the provincial northern French city of Amiens, where according to his own campaign autobiography he was a child whose parents, both doctors, were rarely at home; who was raised by his beloved grandmother. He buried himself in books, reading and rereading French classics, and seems to have had few friends his age.

Indeed, when he was about 15 he fell in love withand some years later marriedhis drama teacher, who was 24 years his elder.

Or, one might start with Macrons stellar academic career: he always seemed to be the smartest kid in the class, even at the prestigious Ecole Nationale dAdministration (ENA), which traditionally produces many of the top civil servants, business leaders, and indeed presidents of France. He was spotted by Jacques Attali, once an eminence grise advising French President Francois Mitterrand in the 1980s, who gave him a choice assignment working with a commission looking for ways to increase economic growth in France. That helped lead to the job at Rothschild, and then to a position advising President Hollande, who made Macron minister of the economy in 2014.

If one is to look at when and how the Macron movement began, that ministry at Bercy on the edge of Paris probably is the place to start. Because surrounding Macron there were some of the best and brightest minds in French administration and politics. Many of them had been part of the team of another presidential hopeful a few years earlier: Dominique Strauss-Kahn.

DSK, as he was known, had gone on from the economy ministry to serve as head of the International Monetary Fund in Washington, but was widely touted as the man sure to win the top job in France in the 2012 elections. By the spring of 2011, his path to the Elysee had seemed bright and open. Then, while on a visit to New York City, he was arrested, accused of assaulting and raping a hotel maid. The charges eventually were dropped, and he settled a civil suit out of court, but the flood of revelations about his private lifesordid even by the tolerant standards of Franceended his career.

When members of DSK's old team crossed the path of Macron at Bercy, they knew they had another chance. And by the time Macron resigned from the economy ministry in 2016, he knew he had the core of his movement. The march of En Marche! had begun. Many who were there at the beginning describe it as a sort of a political start-up.

In the months that followed, Macron proved an attractive candidate for the French mainstream media (which loathed Le Pen), and his strongest opponent, Les Republicains candidate Francois Fillon, fell prey to a scandal: after Fillon announced he would do away with 500,000 public sector jobs in the name of much-needed reforms, he was put under formal investigation for putting his wife and children on the public payroll for work they either did not do, or were not qualified to do, to the tune of $1 million.

To this day, some Fillon supporters are among the most bitter opponents of Macron, sure that President Hollandes "black cabinet must have leaked the scandalous information about their candidate.

The level of discontent with this election was evident. Some 25 percent of registered voters did not cast ballots (although their motives on a rainy three-day weekend might have been as slothful as political), and almost 12 percent of those who did drop their ballots in the boxes either left them blank or spoiled them in one fashion or another. As a result, when counting the numbers of votes for the candidates against the total number of registered voters, as the Macron camp is well aware, the figures suggest troubles ahead: Macron got the support of only 43.75 percent of the total number of registered voters, while Le Pen got 22.86 percent. And many on the left and the right who voted against Le Pen say they are committed to fighting against Macron's movement in the legislative elections coming up next month.

But for the moment, among many in France, Europe, the United States and the world (including the financial markets) there is a huge collective sigh of relief. The outsider with all the inside connections has won. Now what he has to do is govern an angry, fearful, nostalgic country, and prove things really can be better than they were before.

This article was last updated at 6:20 a.m. EDT, Monday, May 8, 2017
American diplomat George F. Kennans containment doctrine, which provided the strategic foundation for the Wests victory over Soviet Communism in the Cold War, turns 70 this year. That, I suppose, is reason enough to take a look back at what surely must be counted among the most successful geopolitical concepts in modern history.

But there are at least two other good reasons for revisiting the remarkable cluster of ideas that made their first public appearance in the journal Foreign Affairs in July 1947, triggering a spirited public debate over U.S. relations with our wartime ally, the Soviet Union, and the shape of the postwar international order, that was to last for many months.

The first is that the Cold War is a completely foreign country to most Americans, especially those younger than 40. Even those of us considerably older than 40, who lived through a significant portion of that mammoth, all-consuming conflict, seem to have consigned the struggle to the deep backwaters of memory.
At school when I was 11, I told my teachers Dad was a spy. They didnt believe me, so I took in the yellowing 1945 Indian newspaper cuttings which described my unorthodox father, Tom Carew, thrillingly, as Lawrence of Burma and The Mad Irishman. They described dangerous and secret guerrilla missions raising Resistance in Burma behind enemy lines. But of course we didnt know a fraction of it. He rarely talked about his time during the war, and we his children, at the center of our own universes, rarely asked. As a child, I had a very close relationship with Dad. We were the mischief makersDad much worse than I. He was a maverick, rule-breaking, razzle-dazzle dad who was constantly testing and teasing us. But by the time I was old enough to ask more searching questions, Dads past was under a different ownership, and there were laws of trespass, for Dad had remarried and my stepmother governed these things.

When my stepmother died in 2003, Dads door was swung wide open once again. But, just as we began to reconnect again, the Dad I knew began to slip away with increasingly worrying memory lapses. His first instinct was to outwit them. I found a note in his jacket pocket which read, My name is Tom Carew but I have forgotten yours. I discovered he was showing this note to everyone. As Dads past began to ebb away I began the race to retrieve it. The questor odyssey as it turned outwas a way to recover not only his story but our familys, too. I needed to make some sense of it all. It was not just Dad I wanted to stick back together again. It was an exorcism and a ghost hunt. Rebuild him. Rebuild us. Rebuild me.

The new-found freedom to reconnect with Dad meant I could also rummage around in his attic. In the attic were two metal trunks, and in the trunks was another world. Letters, maps, photographs, my grandfathers pocket diaries starting in 1923; cassette tapes; bound manuscripts; the 1945 Indian newspaper cuttings I hadnt seen since I was a child. Then, in 2004 an invitation arrived for Dad to attend a weekend-long reunion: The 60th Jedburgh Anniversary. I knew Dad was a Jed. And that the Jedburghs were an elite unit of S.O.E (Special Operations Executive), and the first direct collaboration between the American and British intelligence agencies. And that Dad had parachuted at night behind enemy lines to sabotage the Germans in occupied France in World War II in 1944, and then later in Burma where he fought with Burmese guerrillas against the Japanesewhere his exploits made him something of a legendary figure. But that was about it.

The Jedburgh reunion was a revelation. From the outside it might have looked an old age pensioners dono outward sign that I was in a room of octogenarian firebrands, mischief-makers, and mavericks. But it didnt take long. In the first welcome speech they heckled and muttered irreverently, then someone shouted Forty-eight, and half the room responded, Forty-nine, then everyone bellowed, SOME SHIT! and dissolved into laughter. This, I discovered, was the Jedburgh tradition (originating from an American recruit when finishing his fiftieth push-up) reserved for any speaker who dared to go on too long.

Jeds, as they liked to be called, operated in discreet teams of three, consisting of two officers and one radio operator. One hundred teams, three hundred men: British, American, and French. They were a wild, exuberant bunch. Their job was to arm, train, and organize the local partisans into a viable Resistance: ambush convoys; blow up trains, bridges, railway lines, factories, roads, dams, pylons; collect intelligence, code messages; destroy petrol dumps, cut communication lines, do everything and anything to be a thorn in the enemy side. First, to stop German troops getting to Normandy after D-Day; then to slow down their retreat. Each man had passed the strict (and rather bizarre) screening process, and was then trained at the requisitioned stately home and country estate, Milton Hall, near Peterborough. Once deployed, the Jedburghs would be under Eisenhowers jurisdiction.

The intensive selection process was designed to find out how each man might react in extreme situations in enemy territory and quite quickly I got an idea what the recruiters had been looking for: the unconventional, unsubmissive typesor as the Jeds put it, the troublemakers. For once, high-flyers accustomed to whistling past the finishing line got stuck, while those used to being disciplined for some minor offense or passed over, found themselves going on to the next stage. Dad told me that in 1939 hed come in at the bottom of his class of officer cadets, with more punishments built up by half term than they had punishing parades to attend. I didnt cause any trouble, he tried to explain, I just questioned everything. When I was given an order to polish boots, I asked why? TO SEE IF YOU CAN DO IT! Dad roared, mimicking the officer, then began to laugh, So I polished one. Oh, they could get a lot of distaste into the word, CAREW! I discovered he didnt change much during his Jedburgh training. One weekly report read, Is not a fool, but gives a good impression of one.

That reunion weekend was the first time Dad and I had spent on our own for years, and it was from this point that I began my research in earnest. Astonishing how quickly, once you begin to rub the lamp a little, propitious coincidences begin to occur. The release of classified files at The National Archives inundated me with code-names, reports, letters, and telegrams on thin oniony paper stamped Top Secret in red. In Dads first mission report I learned he was parachuted into the forested uplands of eastern France and spent his first night with the Maquis (French partisans) in the chateau at Granges Maillot where he suffered excessive hospitality and I can guess what he meant by that. I googled Granges Maillot, and that summer made a pilgrimage with my husband, Jonathan. Near the chateau, a tiny sign pointed the way to a memorial to the French Resistance fighters who had died here. Up a track, across a field, into a wood  and deep in the wood, weeding the memorial, was the grandson of the woman and owner of the chateau who had given shelter to Dad and his fellow Jeds all those years ago. It was astonishing to me that anyone would still know where the original Drop Zone was located, yet half an hour later, with our new French friend as our guide through the forest, we stood silently in a large clearing: the very spot where Dad landed in the middle of the night, at 24 years old.

Dad cut his teeth in France, but it was in Burma, a few months later, that he made a real name for himself. Burma was far more dangerous and complicated. First, he was twice the size of both the local inhabitants and the enemy (with footprints twice as big!), so no chance of blending in. The other complication was that once the Japanese had been got rid of, the same Burmese who would be Dads guerrillas would be setting their sights on the next job in hand: removing their colonial masters, the British. As an independent 25 year old with Irish roots, Dad was in total sympathy and found himself embroiled in a very awkward political situation. He laughed darkly when he told me that he was almost court martialed at the same time he was awarded the DSO (Distinguished Service Orderone of the highest medals for bravery).

The more I learned, the more Dads anecdotes began to attach themselves to history for the first time. The time when he was hiding in a French schoolteachers house and the BBC sent a coded message to him which he heard on the radio; the time he hid in the rafters of a Burmese hut as the Japanese combed through a village looking for him; the time he was picked up off a river in the jungle by a flying boat, like James Bond. I unearthed sound archives of interviews, 1945 film footage of him walking out of the jungle in sarong with a dagger on his hip, a Burmese bestseller in which he had an extraordinary walk-on part, a Christmas card from the head of the CIA, a letter in which he reveals his friendship with Patricia Highsmith. It was an exciting time, but full of pathos, too, when Dads dementia progressed to the point where I could not share my finds with him.

It was my husbands idea to take Dad to see The Lion King, for the razzamatazz and to take his mind off his memory lapses. The three of us walked up the red-carpet steps in the theater foyer when Dad, one step from the top, tripped on something. And fell, and started rolling down the steps. The usherettes froze, the doormen froze, the other theatregoers froze, we all froze. And stared. As an 85-year-old man rolled over and over, bump, bump, bump, all the way down to the bottom. And then sat straight up. Unscathed, unbruised, and perfectly fine. There was a loud sigh of relief from the usherettes. What we had just witnessed was Dad going straight into a parachute rollarms tucked in and totally relaxed. His Jedburgh training was still second nature to himit just clicked in. He stood up, dusted down his trousers, enjoying every second of our incredulity.

There is an impulse to bear witness. I knew I had a far bigger story in my lap and I wanted to tell all of it. Not just the guerrilla warfare and secret stuff, but what it was like living in Dadland with all its contrails. The good and bad, happy and sad, the successes and disasters, and all the jaw-droppingly-mad episodes in between. My discoveries, with more twists and turns and surprises than I could ever have bargained for, followed a trajectory that paralleled the restoration of our own father-daughter relationship. My fathers life was a 90-year journey through the 20th century into secret and shady corners of history in war and peace. The war he handled spectacularly, the peace was far more challenging for him, but it was never dull. I had a front-row seat for quite a bit of it. Which is why I describe bringing all the threads together like plaiting the limbs of a wild octopus. It has also been a way of preserving that precious window of liberty we enjoyed in those last years before his death: when Dad and I were able to rediscover our closeness, the joshing, and that shared mischievousness that had never gone away.

Keggie Carew is the author of Dadland. She has lived in London, West Cork, Barcelona, Texas, and New Zealand. Before she began writing, her career was in contemporary art. She has studied English literature at Goldsmiths University of London, run an alternative art space called JAGO, and opened a pop-up shop in London called theworldthewayiwantit. She lives near Salisbury, in the UK.
CALABAR, NigeriaWhen the Nigerian government announced last October that it had secured the release of 21 out of 216 Chibok schoolgirls held by Boko Haram since 2014, it followed up with a promise that it was working to get over 80 more out of captivity.

These 21 released girls are supposed to be tale bearers to tell the Nigerian government that this faction of Boko Haram has 83 more Chibok girls, the spokesman for President Muhammadu Buhari told Reuters at the time. The faction said it is ready to negotiate if the government is willing to sit down with them.

After months trying to reach a deal with Boko Haram, the government announced on Twitter this weekend that 82 of the girls will return home to their families after Switzerland and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) helped secure their release in "lengthy negotiations."

Our security agencies have taken back these girls, in exchange for some Boko Haram suspects held by the authorities, a tweet from presidential spokesman Garba Shehu stated. The released #ChibokGirls are due to arrive in Abuja today Sunday May 7, and will be received by the President.

The ICRC confirmed on Sunday that it played a major role in the release of the girls who will soon meet their families and loved ones.

Since yesterday, we @ICRC facilitated the safe return of 82 #Chibok girls in #Nigeria, Patrick Youssef, Deputy Regional Director for Africa said in a series of tweets. With the agreement of all the parties involved, we @ICRC acted as a neutral intermediary to facilitate their transport back.

The government, just as it did when it announced the release of the 21 girls in October, was silent on the details of the negotiations. But a highly placed security official told The Daily Beast that the Nigerian government had to release two top Boko Haram commanders held for months by the Department of State Services (DSS), the countrys intelligence agency, in exchange for the girls.

The prisoners were flown from Nigerias capital, Abuja, to Banki town near the Cameroon border where they were handed over to representatives of Boko Haram. In the same location, the militants handed over the 82 girls to a large contingent of Nigerian soldiers.

The exchange took place without any ugly incident, said the official, who did not want his name mentioned. We believe weve gotten all the girls this Boko Haram faction has been keeping.

Online newspaper Sahara Reporters which first broke the news of the release late on Saturday, was informed by military officials that Boko Haram was paid a significant amount of money in foreign currencies in addition to securing two of its fighters.

That of course is no surprise. John Paden, an American scholar who is close to President Buhari, writes in his biography, Muhammadu Buhari: The Challenges of Leadership in Nigeria, unveiled last October that Boko Haram originally demanded 5 billion (about $5.6 billion) in exchange for the release of the schoolgirls. The governments refusal to pay that much was the reason the deal broke down at the time.

The release of the 82 girls is good news for everyone, especially the families of the returnees who have waited three years for the return of their daughters. But it does raise a lot of questions as to how much strength this gives to Boko Haram, which may now have gotten back its deadly militants.

Although the released prisoners have not been named, and are not likely to be, a senior official told The Daily Beast last October that the jihadists had asked for the release of terrorists linked to the al Qaeda-backed group, Ansaru, that masterminded the bombing of a United Nations building++ [[]] in Abuja in 2011, and which has murdered a number of foreign nationals.

The government wasnt willing to negotiate the release of these persons, the official said at the time. Freeing them will put the country greatly at risk.

But pressure from the families of the abducted girls and civil society groups, particularly the #BringBackOurGirls movement, forced the government to reconsider its stance. Last month, Buhari said his administration was willing to bend over backwards to secure the release of the girls.

Ansarus leaders now work hand-in-hand with the Boko Haram faction allied to the so-called Islamic State, an indication that discussion for the release of the girls involved Abu Musab al-Barnawi, the leader of the Islamic State West Africa Province (as Boko Haram wants to be known) who has vowed to make war on the West. His men have targeted the Nigerian military in recent spate of attacks in the northeast, and are accused by the DSS of plotting to bomb the U.S. and U.K. embassies in Abuja.

But for those who have labored and waited many years for this news, it doesnt matter how this deal was reached, all they wanted to hear about was the return of the girls.

It is real, Oby Ezekwesili, an organizers of the #BringBackOurGirls movement, tweeted. We rejoice and praise God with their parents.
A 15-year-old boy called 911 to ask San Diego police to check on his well being early Saturday morning. When officers arrived on the scene to find him holding a BB gun, they shot the teen dead.

The boy, whose name has not been released, was shot and killed by police outside San Diegos Torrey Pines High School around 3:30 a.m. on Saturday, police say. Officers said he aimed a gun at them. But the weapon was later discovered to be a BB gun, and the 911 call had been placed by the boy, himself.

At 3:27 Saturday morning, police received a call about a boy loitering outside Torrey Pines High School in northern San Diego. The caller, who spoke in the third person, asked police to check on the boy, Mike Holden, the San Diego Police Departments acting homicide captain said in a Saturday statement to press. The caller described the boy as unarmed, Holden said.

Two officers, one of whom was a Juvenile Services officer, responded to the call and found the boy standing in the high school parking lot. But when they approached him, he reportedly drew a BB gun.

As the officers exited the patrol car, the subject pulled a handgun from his waistband and pointed it directly at one of the officers, Holden said. Believing the gun to be a lethal weapon, both officers opened fire on the boy, striking him multiple times.

According to police scanner transcripts reviewed by the San Diego Union-Tribune, a police dispatcher put out a shots fired radio call six or seven minutes after the officers arrived on scene. No police had been injured, but the two responding officers requested paramedics now, adding that they were performing CPR on the victim. He died shortly after being transported to a nearby hospital.

Both officers were wearing body cameras, and activated them at some point before the shooting, Holden said Saturday. The shooting evidently had no witnesses besides the officers, making their body camera footage crucial for review. Just last week, body camera footage from an officer in a Dallas, Texas suburb contradicted his report on the shooting death of Jordan Edwards, another 15-year-old boy. The Texas officer originally claimed to have opened fire on a car when it reversed aggressively toward him last Saturday. But his body camera footage revealed that the car  full of unarmed teenagers  had been driving away from him. The officer, Roy Oliver II was charged with murder on Friday.

Like Edwards, the unnamed boy killed outside Torrey Pines High School was also a high school freshman. His school district superintendent issued a statement confirming that the boy had been a Torrey Pines student.

You may have heard that there was an officer-involved shooting in a parking lot at Torrey Pines High School in the early hours of this morning. I am saddened to report that the 15-year-old boy

who was killed was a student at our school. Law enforcement has not released the name of the young man, but our hearts go out to the student, his family, and his friends, superintendent Eric Dill wrote, adding that counseling would be made available to students when classes resumed Monday.

As a community, we have a shared responsibility to care for one another, Dill wrote. Please rest assured that we will do everything possible to maintain our daily routine while supporting each other as we deal with this sad event.
Where in the world is Kellyanne Conway? Saturday Night Live explored the question many of us have been thinking during an all-too-brief sketch parodying the popular 90s PBS childrens game show Where in the World Is Carmen Sandiego? Conway, a once-ubiquitous cable news presence on behalf of team Trump, has been missing in action since her string of on-air blunders, including coining the infamous phrase alternative facts, making numerous references to the fictitious Bowling Green massacre, claiming that former National Security Advisor Michael Flynn had the full confidence of POTUS mere hours before he was fired, and flouting ethics rules by hawking first daughter Ivanka Trumps products during a news hit. Where the Counselor to President Trump has been is anyones guess.

The SNL bit starred the criminally underutilized Sasheer Zamata as Carmen Sandiego host The Chiefin a role made famous by actress Lynne Thigpenalong with host Chris Pine leading the shows signature a capella group Rockapella. SNL featured player Mikey Day rounded out the cast as Greg Lee, the programs ACME Special Agent. Oh, and of course a cameo by the inimitable Kate McKinnon as Conway herself.

Hey gumshoes! Hope youre excited! Todays winner gets a trip for you and your mom to Sacramento! announced Lee. Now, are you guys ready to help us find Kellyanne Conway? Their answer may surprise you.
This week, the rumors were confirmed: Morning Joe co-hosts Joe Scarborough and Mika Brzezinski are engaged. The two had long been though to be dating, and back in August, then-candidate Donald Trump threatened to expose their relationship in a snarky tweet:

Trump had by then soured on the co-hosts of his favorite morning show program not named Fox & Friends, who had in the final months of the campaign turned on their longtime paland this after providing months and months of fawning coverage of candidate Trump, including being caught acting all-too-cozy with him on a hot mic during a town hall.

So, this weeks Saturday Night Live cold open skewered the palpable sexual tension between Morning Joe co-hosts Scarborough and Brzezinski, played by Alex Moffat and Kate McKinnon respectively.

Well, guys, they did it, ok. The House has passed their health care plan which might take health insurance away from 24 million Americans. Many of them are swing voters in 2018. If morality doesnt matter to them, I mean, maybe just pure politics should? announced Scarborough.

Its crazy! Im up it, Im over it, Im past it, Im in the driveway, the car is running, added McKinnons panicky, hilariously spot-on Brzezinski. She then turned to Joe: This partyyour party, the Republican Partyis completely morally bankrupt at this point.

Oh, Mika! Thats enough, ok? he fired back, before turning to her and gazing at her seductively. Youre being snickety because you know it pushes my buttons.

Does it? Push your buttons? Brzezinski replied, moving closer to Scarborough and caressing his hair.

It does, he offered, gazing deeply into her eyes.

The camera turns to Morning Joes panelistsMike Barnicle, Mark Halperin, and Willie Geistwho all look equal part stunned and disgusted.

What am I seeing here? says Geist. I dont know I have so many unanswered questions.

Later on, the Morning Joe co-hosts receive a call from a man named John Miller, who claims to be a White House employee and sounds exactly like Alec Baldwins Trump (hint: it is). John Miller, of course, was the name Trump would use in the 80s and 90s while posing as his own publicist, phoning the tabloids to boast about his imaginary conquests with famous women.

Hello Joe, Mika. This is John Miller. Im sort of new here, says Baldwins Trump. Mika, Im just celebrating the fantastic success we had in Congress yesterday with the new health care law. After Congress voted, we had a party. There was beer. The disaster that was Obamacare has finally been repealed.

Then, Scarborough breaks the news: Uh, hold on sir, the bill still has to pass the Senate.

What now? asks a befuddled Trump.

The bill goes through the Senate, explains Scarborough. They might even rewrite the entire thingif they pass it at all.

But there was beer says a mopey Trump, before signing off.
A Texas bill would give state-funded adoption agencies the right to discriminate against LGBT parents and religious minorities.

The bill, HB 3859, would allow Texas adoption and foster care agencies to claim religious objection to certain groups, without fear of losing state funding. The bill, touted by supporters as a victory for religious freedom, could restrict adoption and fostering opportunity for LGBT, single, or non-Christian parents, and could allow child welfare services to send foster children to anti-gay conversion therapy.

The bill was scheduled for a Saturday vote in Texass House, but an overfull schedule postponed the decision until a yet-to-be-determined date.

Most Texas adoptions are conducted through the states Child Protective Services department, the bills author, State Rep. James Frank told CBS. The bill would not allow CPS to discriminate based on religious beliefs of its employees.

But Texas also partners with hundreds of private adoption and foster agencies, some of which receive state funding. The bill would allow these agencies to claim religious exemption to working with LGBT parents or parents of another religion, without fear of losing their funding.

Under Franks bill, Texas would not be able to discriminate or take any adverse action against a private adoption provider who denies adoptions to certain groups that conflict with the providers sincerely held religious beliefs. If the law passes, a Christian adoption agency could refuse to match children with LGBT, Jewish, Muslim, or single parents. (The bill prohibits discrimination on the basis of that persons race, ethnicity, or national origin.)

Frank described the bill as providing "reasonable accommodations so everyone can participate in the system."

"My guess is if you have an LGBT agency they're going to pick an LGBT family, and if you have a Baptist agency they may be more likely to pick a Baptist family," Frank told CBS. "They're free to do that and should be free to do that."

Finding a Baptist adoption agency in Texas is easy. On its website, Texass Department of Family and Protective Services recommends two Baptist adoption centers in-state, and dozens of other explicitly Christian agencies. But none of the agencies listed on that database advertise in specializing in LGBT adoptions, or in adoptions for any non-Christian faith.

And while the department advertises its faith-based program for fostering and adoption on its website, Christianity appears to be the only faith alluded to in any of the programs literature. The site offers tips on 28 ways churches can help orphans, but makes no mention of synagogues, mosques, or Buddhist temples. All nine of the faith community leaders who attended the the states 2013 summit on faith-based child welfare were from Christian organizations, according to DFPS literature.

The bills critics question its constitutionality.

The bill would allow discrimination on the basis of religious belief, Catherine Oakley, senior legislative counsel for the Human Rights Campaign, told The Daily Beast. An organization that receives taxpayer funds and provides services on behalf of taxpayers of Texas can turn potential parents away because those parents have religious disagreement with them.

The bill wouldnt only sanction discrimination against prospective parents; it would also allow child welfare organizations to administer foster care in accordance with their religious beliefs. For sexually active teens in foster care, care providers could decline to provide, facilitate, or refer a person for abortions, contraceptives, or drugs, devices, or services that are potentially abortion-inducing. In other words, a care provider could claim religious exemption to providing condoms or birth control.

Foster care organizations could also require children to follow their religious requirements, which, in some religious organizations could mean sending LGBT youth to so-called conversion therapy, a dangerous treatment that claims to change a persons sexual orientation. Conversion therapy has been broadly condemned as psychologically damaging, particularly for youth, and has been outlawed in a number of states.

Were talking about a trans kid thats in crisis and they need counseling. The agency can refuse to provide that. They could even to force that child to undergo conversion therapy, Oakley said. If they want to subject that child to abuse practices because it's their religious beliefs, the state would have no ability to take action against them.

The bill is expected to go to a vote in Texass House this week.
Dear Britain: Please stop sending us your failed media celebrities.

Louise Mensch is a former chick-lit novelist, politician, and founding editor of the conservative website Heat Street. In recent months, she has also emerged as unofficial leader of the citizen-detective internet army investigating Russia-gate, the ever-evolving web of shady connections linking President Donald Trump and the Kremlin. To follow her hyperactive Twitter feed is to believe Mensch is perpetually on the cusp of exposing a massive conspiracy on the part of Russia, dating back decades, to make Donald Trump president of the United States.

So intricate and far-reaching is this scheme, according to Mensch, that Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered the assassination of right-wing internet provocateur Andrew Breitbart in 2012  three years before Trump even announced his presidential campaign. This well-plotted murder allowed a then-little known documentary filmmaker (and Russian agent?) named Steve Bannon to take over the dead mans eponymous right-wing media empire and pave the way for Trumps Manchurian candidacy. Last month, The New York Times granted Mensch precious space on its op-ed page where she provided a list of supposed Russian collaborators for the House Intelligence Committee to subpoena. The Times published this piece well after Mensch had established herself as an unhinged conspiracy theorist. Since publishing her piece in Americas paper of record alleging a conspiracy so immense, Mensch has gone from fairly paranoid to full-blown McCarthyite. According to Buzzfeed News , Mensch has accused at least 210 people and organizations of being under Russian government influence.

Mensch is also British, a trait not incidental to her self-appointed role as vigilant protector of American democracy from its enemies, foreign and especially domestic. Her provenance is significant not least because she was a vociferous supporter of Brexit, which, by Menschs own Manichean logic, should make her Moscows mole given how blatantly Russian propaganda favored Britains leaving the European Union.

A more relevant aspect of Menschs nationality, pertains to the way in which her career has followed a trajectory not unlike that of many other media-hungry Brits who wash upon American shores. Having either failed in their native land or found it not big enough to contain their massive egos, these chancers (as they are known in British slang) invariably come to America where they find a ready audience among the sort of people who think an English accent automatically confers sophistication.

Englishmen and women on the make have been afflicting Americans since not long after we won our independence, and are Great Britains worst export after One Direction. The Brits believe that they have a birth-given sincerity and that its not what you say but how you say it that matters, the late A.A. Gill wrote in Brits Behaving Badly, a 2007 piece for Vanity Fair. And that all silly, gullible Yanks, from policemen to society hostesses, will wave us ahead on life's road when we open our euphonious mouth. Gill even came up with an acronym, D.A.S. (Designated American Sucker) to describe the former colonials who inevitably fall for this shtick.

After Mensch, the other high profile, recent purveyor of what might be termed Brit grift is Milo Yiannopolous , the luridly gay right-wing internet troll who finally got his comeuppance this year after an interview surfaced in which he seemed to condone pedophilia. Back in Blighty, Yiannopoulous was a vocally anti-gay marriage Catholic and failed internet journalism entrepreneur. He was also a bit of a killjoy when it came to the matter of online discourse, an interesting biographical morsel in light of his recent reputation for inciting racial hatred on Twitter. Internet access, he once suggested , ought be revoked from psychologically fragile individuals who use the anonymity of the web to write unspeakable things to other human beings that we would never dream of saying in person.

When his fellow Brits grew tired of him, Yiannopoulos set sail for the United States, leaving behind a string of unpaid employees at his abortive tech industry news website. America is all about reinvention, however, and Yiannopoulos, cleverly sniffing an opportunity, reinvented himself here as an obnoxious antagonist of equally obnoxious, left-wing college campus Social Justice Warriors. Gone was the virtuous Catholic lamenting the coarsening of discourse on the internet. Taking his place was a self-proclaimed half-Jewish apologist for the alt-right. Just as he would opportunistically boast about his love for black dick each and every time presented with the racist Twitter musings of his newfound fans on the extreme right, Yiannopoulos (ne Milo Hanrahan, aka Milo Andreas Wagner) trotted out the factually suspect claim of Jewish ancestry whenever asked about their anti-Semitic trolling. That it took a months-old, publically available discussion about pederasty to sink this charlatans career is more an indictment of Yank credulity than it is of Yiannopolous, who at least deserves some credit for successfully dining out on this con-job for so long.

With his sensationalism, factual inexactitude, and desperate hunger for attention, the modern, peripatetic English hustler is in many ways a product of British tabloid newspaper culture. Robin Leach was Great Britains youngest Page One reporter when he joined the Daily Mail at 18. He brought the papers leering sensibility and penchant for overstatement to Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous, that homage to 80s excess, along with his comically exaggerated British mannerisms, which Americans automatically associate with the upper class.

The Brit grifter par excellence, though, is Piers Morgan, who trod a similar professional path. In 2004, after a long career in the U.K. tabloid press, Morgan was fired as editor of the Daily Mirror when he published faked photographs of British soldiers abusing Iraqi inmates. A frequent target for ridicule in the pages of the satirical Private Eye, where he is known as Piers Moron, Morgan made his way to the United States and became a judge on Americas Got Talent.

When Larry King left CNN to produce a show for Russia Today, the cable network announced Morgan as his replacement. Befitting the tabloid sensibilities of its namesake, Piers Morgan Live was, in the words of David Weigel, a marriage of checkout-line hype with complete pointlessness. When not mimicking the suspender-clad geriatric he replaced with fawning celebrity interviews, Morgan used the program to hammer away at his hobbyhorse of gun control. Amazingly, American viewers did not cotton to a citizen of the nation from which their ancestors rebelled advocating the confiscation of their weapons, and Morgans ratings tanked. He has since returned to the Mother Country, where he exchanged the guise of liberal gun control advocate for defender of Donald Trump and seems to spend most of his time getting into Twitter battles with better-known celebrities like J.K. Rowling .

Brits in America are not like the other immigrants, who made it here as the cleverest, most adventurous in the village, Gill observed a decade ago. What you get are our failures and fantasists. The freshly redundant. The exposed and embittered. That description certainly fits Sebastian Gorka, the sort of person who insists on being called Dr. despite not having a medical degree. The British-born son of Hungarian exiles, Gorka is serving a tumultuous spell as deputy assistant to President Donald Trump advising him on RADICAL ISLAMIC TERRORISM, as Gorka is wont to write . Gorkas trajectory from reservist in the U.K. Territorial Army (equivalent of the U.S. Army Reserve) to counseling the leader of the free world may be the most impressive example yet of Brit grift, not least because of the unsuccessful detour he made in Hungary along the way.

Part of an influx of ethnic Hungarians who came to the country after the collapse of communism, Gorka spent years trying to enter the fields of national security and politics. It was a largely fruitless effort, as Gorka was unable to obtain a security clearance. This was likely due to his reputation as a self-promoter, who exaggerated claims about his past, including his work for the British intelligence services, according to a Buzzfeed News investigation into his Hungarian sojourn, which involved some clumsy dalliances with the countrys far-right fringe. We understood that Gorka and many like him didnt return to Hungary because of patriotism or skills but rather because they couldnt be successful in the West, where they were born or raised, a Hungarian intelligence officer recalled. That assessment was premature. Embodying the maxim only in America, Gorka ventured to the United States, joining the glut of post-9/11 counterterrorism experts,, landing a job at Breitbart, and then getting a gig in the Trump administration. .

So prevalent is the British mountebank in America that it has long been a literary trope. Perhaps the earliest specimens of the genre were the King and Duke from Mark Twains Huckleberry Finn. Claiming to be disinherited British royalty, these two rapscallions swindle their way across the Midwest, conning gullible, small-town Americans with their schemes. A century later, F. Scott Fitzgerald described the type in The Great Gatsby. I was immediately struck by the number of young Englishmen dotted about, Nick Carraway observes while in attendance at one of Jay Gatsbys magnificent parties. All well-dressed, all looking a little hungry, and all talking in low, earnest voices to solid and prosperous Americans. I was sure that they were selling somethingThey were at least agonizingly aware of the easy money in the vicinity and convinced that it was theirs for a few words in the right key.

Evelyn Waughs comedic novella The Loved One, a devilish satire of English expatriates in Hollywood, featured the character Dennis Barlow, a poet and failed screenwriter who winds up working at a pet cemetery. In his attempts to court a young cosmetician, Barlow frequently peppers his speech with quotations from Tennyson and Poe while pretending that the verse is his own. Films ranging from Arthur (featuring a dissolute English playboy,played by Dudley Moore, romping around New York ) to Dirty Rotten Scoundrels (in which Michael Caine portrays a suave con man who swindles American heiresses on the French Riviera) fill out the genre.

In fiction as in real life, however, the con inevitably gets exposed. The King and the Duke were tarred and feathered by angry townspeople. After video emerged of him approving man-boy love, Milo was kicked off the program at the Conservative Political Action Committee and Simon & Schuster cancelled his book deal. Piers Morgan lost his CNN show and now spends his days fending off detractors on social media. Mensch is increasingly recognized as an erratic, attention-starved crank. Sebastian Gorka may be leaving the White House after just months on the job.

You can always count on Americans to do the right thing  after theyve tried everything else, Winston Churchill famously said of Americas late entry into World War II. The great British Prime Ministers observation is one that also applies to our tendency for belatedly detecting the cons, hustles and rackets of his more shameless countrymen.
After the death of Jesus, his core group of followers went on to spread the good news about the life, death, and resurrection of their leader. Known as the Disciples or the Apostles, this cluster of trusted followers essentially founded Christianityan astonishing feat, given that most of them were poorly educated fishermen. But even if these unremarkable men were made remarkable through their encounter with Jesus, much of what we think we know about them comes to us from later tradition or efforts to smooth out the historical record. Here are some of the greatest myths about their stories.

1. There were twelve clearly identified Apostles.

In the Gospels the Apostles are collectively known as the Twelve. The fact that there were twelve disciples suggests that they are representatives of the twelve tribes of Israel. But even if it is symbolic, that symbolism translates to practical action: after Judas betrays Jesus and commits suicide, Peter persuades the assembly of Jesus followers to elect a new member of the Twelve by drawing lots. Its important to have twelve.
Jimmy Kimmels intensely personal tale of his newborn sons emergency -- and successful -- heart surgery came with a potent policy message. After thanking the people who pulled his son back from the brink, he defended the Affordable Care Act against Republican efforts to do away with it.

"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?"

The Affordable Care Act struck a core deal with insurance companies. It required pretty much everyone to have insurance, but in exchange, it forbid insurance companies from denying policies to people with health problem. Republican leaders have said their new bill protects people with pre-existing conditions, but some GOP lawmakers challenge that.

Kimmels story raises several policy questions and well unpack them.

Crisis care for newborns before and after the ACA

The health policy experts we reached told us that no matter what, a newborn who needed emergency surgery would get it.

Under the 1986 Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act, hospitals must treat and stabilize anyone in a health crisis, regardless of ability to pay.

The first issue is, who would pay the bill?

As with many health care issues, the answer depends on a number of factors.

Both today and before the ACA, if the familys income is low enough, the child could be enrolled in Medicaid. The federal Childrens Health Insurance Program provided coverage for families making above the poverty line (how much more would vary from state to state), and importantly, as Medicaid analyst MaryBeth Musumeci at the Kaiser Family Foundation told us, "coverage goes retroactive to the month of application plus three months prior."

Musumeci added that if the child had severe, long-term care needs, Medicaid coverage would protect the family from high bills, regardless of income.

But what if the family had no insurance and made too much for Medicaid?

"The hospital and medical providers would bill them directly for their newborn's care," said Georgetown University health policy researcher Sabrina Corlette. "Most people would not be able to afford those bills, which helps explain why medical debt was one of the leading causes of personal bankruptcy, pre-ACA."

The medical bills for the sort of care Kimmels baby received would be staggering, and in some cases, the hospital would write off the charges as uncompensated care. Hospitals would fold those costs into their fees to private insurance companies, leading to higher premiums for everyone.

With millions more people insured through the Affordable Care Act, the uncompensated care problem has fallen to its lowest level in decades.

Gerald Kominski, professor of health policy and management at UCLA, said even if the parents had insurance, they might still be caught short.

"The parents might have annual or lifetime limits on benefits, and might exceed those limits rapidly with a seriously ill child, so theyd run out of benefits legally," Kominski said. "That cannot happen under the ACA."

Obamacare prohibited those limits.

The impact on future coverage

Kimmel said with someone like his son, before Obamacare, "there was a good chance youd never be able to get health insurance because you had a pre-existing condition."

There are a few wrinkles here, but the experts we reached told us that is largely accurate.

When the child turned 18 or whatever age made him a legal adult, insurance companies could deny him coverage.

"The only protection would be if the person lived in a state that prohibited pre-existing condition exclusions," said Kominski.

Another possibility was that someone with a pre-existing condition could get insurance through a high-risk pool, where states would underwrite the cost of insurance for people with significant health issues. But the availability and cost varied from state to state.

So what might happen to the newborn and the familys coverage while the child was young?

Before the Affordable Care Act, even having insurance was not foolproof. We found two cases where parents saw their newborns claims denied because their insurance companies treated the babys problems as a pre-existing condition. One took place in Arizona in 2005 and the other in Texas in 2010.

Kimmel said his son would need another surgery before his next birthday and then one more after that. Karen Pollitz, a senior fellow at the Kaiser Family Foundation who specializes in private insurance, told us that unlike the initial crisis surgery, if the parents lacked insurance, the hospital would have no obligation to provide service.

"The hospital is only required to provide care if the baby comes into the emergency room in cardiac arrest," Pollitz said. "Otherwise, it would be considered a scheduled surgery and they would have no obligation to provide treatment."

Pollitz said parents in the non-group market -- the slice of the market now included in the ACA exchanges -- faced another threat.

"They would tend to find that their rates would climb dramatically at renewals," Pollitz said. "The insurance companies werent supposed to do it, but they had ways. If you were a parent of a child with a pre-existing condition, it was hard to stay covered. The premiums would become unaffordable."

Under the Affordable Care Act, Pollitz said while rates might rise more broadly, families with an ill child are no longer singled out.

Near the end of his monologue, Kimmel made the point that no child should die because they were born with a dangerous but treatable condition but didnt have insurance. The facts are that in the moment of crisis, they would be saved.

But without insurance, and sometimes even with insurance, before the Affordable Care Act, the path ahead could be rocky indeed.
In 1612, a literary sensation swept through Londons cultural class. For the first time, part one of Miguel Cervantess 1605 novel Don Quixote was available in English, and it quickly gripped the imagination of the British public.

The great Bard himself, William Shakespeare, was not immune to the charms of the errant Knight of la Mancha and his sidekick Sancho Panza. One can imagine him diving into the book, his eyes lighting up at the kindred feeling he must have felt as he read the tale that exhibited the same themes he was interested inromantic comedy, historical satire, and human folly.

What Shakespeare read inspired him so much that healong with his frequent collaborator John Fletcherpicked up his quill and got to work on a new play. He would call this one Cardenio after the character by the same name in Cervantes masterpiece.
Dr. Oz Calls Fetterman to Concede Pennsylvania Senate Race

OUT FOR THE COUNT

The communications director of the senator-elect confirmed the call on Wednesday morning.
When Robert Ellison first learned to read through the Bryan Adult Learning Center, it opened up a new world and made a long-held aspiration suddenly seem possible.

"I always wanted to be somebody. I always wanted to be a nurse, to tell the truth," he said. "So my drive is to get reading down, get my GED and possibly go to nursing school. That's my real dream, to really help people."

In hopes of helping empower more residents like Ellison in the area, the center is asking for volunteers to read with students.

Center Principal Becky Collet said there are no shortcuts in learning to read; it requires a lot of practice, which makes having volunteers available to help read with students all the more important.

"This is something these adults have dreamed about -- learning how to read and finding someone to teach them how to read," she said. "Because it's difficult. ... There is no magic recipe to learning how to read; it's hard work."

She said the process of learning to read comes with additional difficulties as an adult.

"For adults, it's more of a commitment, because they leave jobs, and they probably feel one step behind the whole time," Collet said.

Ellison said he had a rough childhood, and school was not a priority for him growing up in Houston.

"I've seen kids get shot down," he said. "A lot of heartache, not having food, not having clothes, eating out of the trash can, whatever it took just to survive."

As he grew into adulthood, he said his prospects of learning to read became dimmer. Uncomfortable telling anyone around him about his illiteracy, he said he didn't know where to start to learn.

"You get discouraged, because you feel there is nowhere to go," he said.

Classmate Ruben Mora grew up in San Antonio and said he had a similar upbringing. What pushed him to learn to read was his grandchildren.

"I'm doing this for my grandkids -- my grandkids are smarter than me as far as this goes. That means a lot to me," Mora said, later adding, "I know I'm already getting old, but I guess it's better late than never."

Josephine Walls said she was motivated by her children, who would come home from kindergarten and ask her to help them read. She said it's still shocking to her to be able to help her younger children get through books.

"I cannot believe my eyes. I can teach them how to read now," she said. "Sometimes when my first-grader is reading big words, I can catch myself pronouncing them for her."

Walls came to the U.S. in 2005 as a refugee, fleeing Liberia during a civil war. Now she works at Princess African Hair Braiding in Bryan and attends the center's classes alongside her employer, Marie Bangura.

Bangura said she also came to the U.S. as a refugee of the Liberian civil war. Before starting her own braiding practice in the area four years ago, she braided hair in Houston. The entrepreneur was fluent in four languages -- English, French and the African languages of Mandingo and Krahn -- but she was unable to read or write in any language.

"I was 24 when I came to America," she said. "When I went to apply for a job, they would give me paper and tell me to fill it out. I'm telling you right now, I used to cry on that paper. ... I didn't even know one word out of that paper."

She has distinct memories of having to rely on her daughter -- whose name graces the front of her business -- to interpret messages and help her with a few mute clients she had in Houston.

In addition to wanting to open a book and understand what's in it, she said she's learning to read so that she doesn't have to rely on her daughter and so that she can run her shop better.

"I want to improve my reading, improve my business and get my GED," she said.

Regardless of their motivation, everyone in the class said taking that initial step and coming to the class was difficult. Having made the leap, Ellison encourages those who can't read or don't have their GED to "go for it."

Above all else, he encourages anyone with children to pass along the skill.

"If you have kids, sit down with them," he said. "Teach them how to read."

Volunteers can sign up at www.bryanalc.org .
May 12,1923 - May 6, 2017

Mary Sue Owen Avery, "Sue," passed away on May 6, 2017. She was born May 12,1923, in Stamford, Texas, to the Reverend Joseph Archibald Owen and Mrs. Mary Julia Owen. Sue and her three siblings, Doris, Jo Ann, and Bob, were raised in the church where Rev. Owen served as minister-Matthews Memorial Presbyterian Church in Albany, Texas, the county seat of Shackelford County.

The year she graduated high school, Sue performed in the very first Fort Griffin Fandango and had planned to return this year to see the production once again. During her time as a student at Trinity University in Waxahachie, Texas, the campus moved to San Antonio. Being a small-town girl, Sue was not crazy about a move to the big city, but it turned out to be the first step in a life of exploration. Sue joked that she set out on her own because finding a husband was the only goal she failed to accomplish in college (a time when so many young men enlisted to serve in World War II).

Sue's wanderlust and career as an elementary school teacher led her to several school districts in Texas and New Mexico. Taking advantage of a U.S. State Department program, Sue moved to Bad Kreuznach, Germany, in 1954 to teach children of U. S. military members. Her world adventure continued as she traveled extensively during this time.

After returning to the States, Sue met the Reverend Richard "Dick" Day Avery, a Presbyterian minister. They married on July 13, 1957, thus continuing a family tradition for Sue, whose father and uncles were also Presbyterian ministers. Sue was always an active part of the Presbyterian Church and served in many roles, including elder and long-time choir member. She and Dick had two boys and settled in Needville, where Sue taught for many years and earned a master's degree in education. Dick served in the pulpit of St. Paul's Presbyterian Church for 28 years.

Sue was also an avid reader and library volunteer. She was a good friend, loving wife, and wonderful mother. She even enjoyed an occasional pina colada. After Dick's passing in 1997, Sue moved to Bryan, Texas, where she enjoyed meeting new people, continuing her travels, and being close to family. In addition to her beloved extended family, Sue is survived by her sons David, and his fiancee Mykela Greenwood, and Richard and his wife Marcie. Sue will be missed dearly and remembered lovingly.

A visitation will take place Monday evening, May 8, from 57 p.m. at Hillier Funeral Home in Bryan, Texas. A funeral service will be held at First Presbyterian Church in Bryan on Tuesday, May 9, at 10 a.m., followed by a graveside service at 3 p.m. at Davis-Greenlawn Cemetery in Rosenberg, Texas. Memorial gifts may be made to First Presbyterian Church, Bryan.

Please visit Sue's tribute page at www.hillierfuneralhome.com to share memories and stories.
It is disheartening to read the constant barrage of state and national headlines echoing what had been the proposed massive funding cuts for the arts. Although federal arts funding agencies now are safe through the end of the current fiscal year, they no doubt will be under attack in the fall for the 2018 fiscal year.

The federal budget for the remainder of this fiscal year that originally was put forward eliminated four of Americans most well-known agencies: the National Endowment for the Arts, the National Endowment for the Humanities, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, and the Institute of Museum and Library Services.

This is not intended to be a piece about which politician or political party you should or should not support. Instead it is important to explore why it is in our best interest to support public budgets and policies favorable to the arts at the local, state, and federal levels and how it impacts us locally.

There is not one single arts, culture or heritage entity in the Brazos Valley that has not in some way benefited from or received much-needed support via federal, state or local governmental funding sources. On the local level, the impact of these funds is tremendous in assisting area arts groups in achieving their missions and better serving their community.

Since 2014, the Texas Commission on the Arts has provided more than $250,000 in direct funding support to Brazos Valley arts organizations. Over the past seven years the cities of College Station, Bryan and Navasota and Brazos County have invested well more than $3 million in public funding for the arts. This is impressive for a population of our size and a testament to the commitment that our local elected officials have made to support the arts.

Unfortunately, over this same time-period, the local demand for arts funding from public sources alone greatly exceeded $4 million and is growing. These local organizations, many of which are all-volunteer managed, make an amazing impact on our communities on a shoestring budget. Their economic impact is significant and the lasting impressions they leave on Brazos Valley youth is immeasurable.

There is not a single person living in the Brazos Valley who is not impacted by one of The Arts Council of Brazos Valleys approximately 60 arts- and culture-focused affiliate organizations on a regular basis. From museums to music, from theater to childrens programs, the arts touch our hearts and our souls.

More than that, the arts touch our wallets. In Texas, the arts generated $5.5 billion in 2016, up from $5.1 billion in 2015, and accounts for $343.7 million in state sales tax revenue generated annually. The creative sector employs one in 15 Texans  nearly 800,000 innovation workers. Texas creative sector employment is projected to increase by 20 percent or 160,000 net new jobs by 2024.

Through surveys conducted locally by a small portion of Arts Council affiliates over the past year, more than 26,000 restaurant visits, more than 9,000 hotel stays and more than 200,000 arts and culture visits were recorded.

The Arts Council is embarking on a comprehensive arts economic impact study in the coming year to better quantify the cumulative impact of arts and culture activities in our region. The arts are not fluff and it is time that we change this perception.

Federal and state support does not carry our local arts and cultural organizations by any means, but if this funding is eliminated, the responsibility ultimately falls back on our residents, local governments, and The Arts Council to fill the gap. While we have a wealth of nonprofits doing great work in the Brazos Valley, there is a particularly large number of these organizations in our relatively small community. Private foundations are strained to meet this growing demand, as are the business community and Brazos Valley residents. Local resources are limited and with potential large-scale funding cuts for the arts at the state and national level on the horizon, private individuals in our community will be called upon more than ever before to answer the call and help the arts continue to thrive.

The good news is that our Brazos Valley community is generous and growing rapidly.

The call to action is simple: Contact your local elected officials and thank them for their continuing support of the arts in the Brazos Valley and ask that they work to grow that support. Contact your state representatives and encourage their support of funding for the Texas Commission on the Arts and let them know that investing in the arts yields sizable economic returns. Contact your congressional representatives and urge support for the National Endowment for the Arts, the National Endowment for the Humanities, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, and the Institute of Museum and Library Services and encourage them to endorse policies that protects the tax benefits given to those making charitable contributions to nonprofit organizations.

If you are against public funding for the arts, supporting tax policy that is beneficial to those making charitable contributions remains a no-brainer. If you fall into this camp, we ask that you consider growing your charitable contribution levels and focusing those dollars locally to make a direct and meaningful impact on your community.

Making the quality of life in the Brazos Valley the best that the state offers is the primary focus of The Arts Council. To do this, we are committed to encouraging the continued investment of public dollars at the local, state, and federal levels to nonprofit arts and culture organizations doing amazing work in the Brazos Valley.

We encourage you to join us in this endeavor by voicing your support for continued public investment in the arts at all levels.

 Chris Dyer is executive director of The Arts Council of Brazos Valley and a champion of the arts locally.
Race between Cohoon and Rinker heading for recount

An issue with the absentee votes will require a recount to determine the winner of the House District 99 race between Dennis Cohoon and Matt Rinker.
After two major tax increases, obviously thats not working. Whats left? Pain and suffering.

Yes, we did raise taxes, and maybe it didnt necessarily have the effect that we were hoping for. Were still in this situation.

Both quotes are blunt. Both quotes are brutally honest. So, who said them last week?

The answers might surprise you.

The first quote is from Gov. Dannel P. Malloys tax commissioner Kevin Sullivan.

The second quote is from another Democrat: Connecticuts Speaker of the House of Representatives.

They are stark admissions from state Democrats that the tax more-spend more strategy has failed. In fact, those policies have brought Connecticut to a tipping point. Uncertainty reigns, even more crushing tax hikes loom, and the exodus of state taxpayers continues to occur.

So, what now? How do we escape the quicksand of debt and tax hikes that is stifling economic growth and opportunity? How do we bring sustainability and confidence back to Connecticut?

Republicans have put forth a plan which seeks to break the vicious cycle.

It makes structural changes to the way state government spends your money.

It enacts a cap on state spending and bonding.

It requires the legislature to vote on union contracts.

It streamlines the state bureaucracy.

It begins a transition of critical social services to nonprofit community partners.

The Republican plan seeks to end Connecticuts addiction to spending. At the same time, it does not raise taxes. Connecticut does not have a revenue problem, it has a spending discipline problem. Nutmeg State taxpayers pay enough in taxes as it is.

Our plan restores education funding for cities and towns, preserves vital services for our most vulnerable and at-risk residents, and protects state non-profit hospitals.

Breaking free of the quicksand wont be easy. It will take discipline, courage and a willingness to confront state governments systemic problems. It will require state lawmakers to take to heart the warning from Connecticut Business and Industry Association CEO Joseph Brennan, who said, If this isnt the wake-up call, I dont know what is. If we cant get this right now, Im afraid were going to lose a generation.

My conscientious colleague in the legislature, Sen. Toni Boucher, has sounded alarm bells. Those bells are finally being heard at the State Capitol.

You sent me to Hartford to make tough decisions and fix our chronic budget problems. You did not send me to Hartford to raise your taxes and cut school funding. As your state senator, I remind myself of that every day.

For our children and grandchildren, we can  and we must  drag Connecticut out of the quicksand.

State Sen. Tony Hwang represents Easton, Fairfield, Newtown, Weston and Westport. Contact him at 800-842-1421 or Tony.Hwang@cga.ct.gov .
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Jaclyn Frey of the Boone Central FFA chapter placed third and Abigail Kleager of the Aurora High School FFA chapter placed fourth for their speaking skills and knowledge of cooperatives during the 89th annual Nebraska FFA Convention on April 6 and 7. They received gold medals and Frey received a $25 prize. Sarah Adam of the Ravenna High School FFA chapter received a bronze medal.

Sydney Williams and Sydnie Reeves, both of Central City High School, and Abby Klammer and Sophia Conant of Adams Central High School in Hastings were among the high school students with the top 10 senior projects in the annual state science and engineering fair hosted recently by the Nebraska Junior Academy of Sciences. Their projects will advance to the American Junior Academy of Sciences Conference next February in Austin, Texas. While there, students will present their research to scientists and peers from across the country, tour Austin-area STEM-related businesses and academic facilities, attend sessions at the AAAS Annual Conference, and have their research published by AAAS.

Ruth Mencia, a junior at Grand Island Senior High, is one of the winners of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln Poetry of Place contest. As a representative Nebraska student poet, she participated in the Poetry of Place Event sponsored by the Nebraska Writing Project. She read her poem May 5 at the ceremony at the State Capitol honoring student writers. Mencias poem will appear on the Nebraska Writing Project website in June.
Gateway Toastmasters met April 19. Members heard a speech from Ralph Brown on the difference between a dream and a goal. Ted Buck practiced interpretive reading with some passages from a book, The Biography of Red Cloud. Katie Dickey lead the meeting as toastmaster with a fun birthday theme. Mary Ingram made members think on their feet with muffins, candles and wishes.

On April 26 , Ed Kryfka gave a humorous talk on fatherhood, Ingram gave an endearing talk on her children and Brown encouraged members to search for the divine, not on the outside or in the world but within.

Jamie Watch hosted topics, where she started a story about a boat on the sea that went to Harry Potters castle and then back to the sea where the fisherman was eaten by a shark and reincarnated.

Gateway Toastmasters meets at 7 p.m. every Wednesday inside the Nebraska Truck Center, 4747 Juergen Road, off Highway 281 just south of Grand Island. Guests are welcome to attend to have fun and improve their skills.

For more information, contact Vice President of Membership Yazmine Metteer at (308) 380-7705 or Anita Lewandowski Brown at (308) 850-1480, or by email at gatewaytm1101@gmail.com or the website at www.toastmasters.org.
In May of 2016, the voters placed their trust in the City of Grand Islands leadership and passed an extension of the Food and Beverage Occupation Tax. Mayor Jeremy Jensen said the tax was a true investment in Grand Island. We can insure the current and all future administrations utilize the funds for their intended purpose.

The original tax ceased on June 30 and the new 1.5 percent occupation tax began on July 1. The new tax is charged on all served food and beverage in the city, including alcohol. The original tax did not apply to alcohol.

A community Oversight Committee is responsible for ensuring that the Food and Beverage Occupation Tax is being imposed and collected appropriately from Grand Island retailers and restaurateurs, and that the money collected is being spent appropriately. The five-member committee meets quarterly. Grand Island attorney Ron Depue serves as the chairman.

Today, the revenue is on track to generate over $2 million for FY2016-17  we have collected 52 percent of budget. A detailed report is available online at www.grand-island.com/foodbevtax

About $500,000 of the revenue is to be used annually to make Grand Islands Nebraska Lottery matching contribution to the Nebraska State Fair. Another $500,000 is earmarked for Grow Grand Island (GGI) projects, and the remaining $1 million will be used for quality-of-life projects approved by City Council.

Potential City projects could include:

-- Veterans Athletic Field Complex, Phase 2.

-- Island Oasis Wet Childrens Play Area.

-- New 100-meter range at the Heartland Public Shooting Park.

-- Completion of Sterling Park.

-- Hike/bike trail system upgrades.

Park and Recreation Director Todd McCoy presented a list of possible projects totaling more than $23.5 million during a special City Council meeting in August 2016.

Grow Grand Island projects financially supported to date include:

-- Imagination Takes Flight (public art near College Park).

-- Workforce analytic software.

-- Downtown bicycle racks.

-- Olympic bunker trap at the Heartland Public Shooting Park.

-- Horse stalls at Nebraska State Fair/Fonner Park.

The Grow Grand Island Implementation Plan can be found at www.growgrandisland.com.
For 60-year-old Allan Osburn, Saturdays commencement ceremony for Central Community Colleges Grand Island campus was a special event  and the beginning of a new life journey for him.

Osburn received his associate of arts degree as CCC graduated the Class of 2017 at its 31st annual commencement ceremonies at the Heartland Events Center.

Osburns wife is an advisor for Phi Beta Kappa. He graduated from high school in 1975.

I went to a function with her and it was hard to distinguish who the advisors were and who the students were, so I felt that I would not be so out of place going back to school and so I decided to go back and finish my degrees, he said.

Osburns education ambitions arent finished yet: He has been accepted to the University of Nebraska Kearney and will start the path toward his bachelors degree in education, with a social science enforcement.

I eventually would like to teach high school social sciences, Osburn said.

When it comes to pursuing your dreams, Osburn said: It is never too late, especially in a community college because there is such a diversity of students. It is amazing.

Osburn, who lives in Cairo, said Saturdays graduation was the fulfillment of a longtime wish. I would like to teach and eventually get my masters degree, he said.

He called his experience going to CCC energizing.

It is amazing how much you can get from younger people when you are my age, Osburn said.

Greg Smith, Central Community College area president, was the keynote speaker at the CCC-Grand Island ceremony. Smith, who became CCCs fourth president in 2008, will retire at the end of this year.

He spoke to Osburn and the other graduates, saying Saturdays ceremony is a special moment in a persons life.

Smith urged the students to be passionate in their lives. He said life goes by quickly, and you cant afford to spend time doing things that you dont like or not passionate about.

You need to find the intersection between your talent and your passion, Smith said. Do something that you are good at and that you like and also allows you to make a good living.

And, he added, make it consistent with your values.

Pursuing what youre passionate about is what fuels greatness, Smith said. Have a clear idea of what you want and a sense of purpose. If you do that, I guarantee you can make it happen.

Smith also told the students to embrace failure.

We all make mistakes, he said. The one common characteristic of successful people is that they work from their failures and push on.

Failure, he said, is just a dress rehearsal for success.

Smith told the students to be confident and charitable.

Even for the most fortunate amongst us, life is hard, he said. Show kindness, give of your time and most importantly give with your heart.

Forty years Osburns junior, 20-year-old Teresa Hassler of Grand Island was another graduate at Saturdays CCC commencement.

Hassler, who graduated from Grand Island Senior High School, earned her degree as a human service generalist. She currently works in the crisis stabilization unit at Mid-Plains Center in Grand Island.

Hassler said its a great opportunity to have a community college in her hometown.

It was amazing, she said about her education experience at CCC. Everybody was willing to help you out.

Angela Arentsen of Kearney, who is legally blind, was another CCC graduate Saturday.

Arentsen was born with a condition limiting her depth perception. She graduated from high school in 2000, but said she did not receive a lot of encouragement to go on to college.

In 2014 I decided to go back to college and do something for me, Arentsen said. The reason why a lot of people didnt support me or believe in me is because I was legally blind. I was born without irises in both of my eyes.

She said she plans to attend the University of Nebraska in Kearney and earn a degree in elementary education, with an endorsement in special education, disability and visual disability.

I dealt with a lot of people who said I couldnt do this because I was blind throughout my life, Arentsen said.

Going to CCC, she said, has given her the confidence she needed to speak out more and encourage people that you can do this. It is OK. You just have to figure out what works for you and then do it.

Arentsens message was echoed in Smiths commencement address.

You have to persevere, he said. Keep your head up and keep moving forward.

Smith told the students to reflect on this moment, and how much heart and effort went into getting them to where they were Saturday morning  getting their diplomas.

Know that for any dream, with hard work, there is no limit of where you can go, Smith said.
Consensus, a plan to combine the city of Syracuse and Onondaga County into one metropolitan government, is generating a lot of discussion within central New York's largest city and county.

But Onondaga County Executive Joanie Mahoney, in a recent interview with The Citizen, said Auburn and Cayuga County residents should pay attention, too.

One of the main arguments for merging Syracuse and Onondaga County is the city's financial outlook. In Syracuse Mayor Stephanie Miner's final budget proposal, she projected an $18.5 million deficit  a significant shortfall for any government.

There are questions about what would happen if Syracuse becomes insolvent. One option is bankruptcy. Another would be a control board similar to the one established to help Erie County rebound from its fiscal woes.

None of the options for what could happen, Mahoney said, are good. That's why she's a proponent of the Consensus plan.

"Before we get to that situation and our options become more limited, let's have the conversation now," she said.

That conversation is important because of the city's status in the region. It's true that residents of Syracuse suburbs  Baldwinsville, Dewitt and Manlius, to name a few  work in the city. But that also applies to residents outside of the county.

Mahoney believes if Syracuse were to become insolvent, it would affect places as far away as Auburn. There are several Cayuga County residents who work in Syracuse.

"It anchors a lot of the region," she said. "We're not going to have thriving suburbs or thriving rural areas if the city is failing."

There are concerns about how a metropolitan government would affect the efficiency of operations and, perhaps most importantly, existing city residents.

When the Consensus report was released in February, Miner said the formation of one metropolitan government would "dilute and disenfranchise people of color and other underrepresented groups at a time when greater participation in our civic process must be encouraged rather than diminished."

Other Onondaga County officials have expressed opposition to the plan, including Comptroller Bob Antonacci. There's also uncertainty about what the consolidation would mean for the Syracuse City School District.

But Mahoney thinks the concept of a merged Onondaga County-Syracuse government should be considered or, at least, more sharing of services between the two entities. That could help reduce overall costs and get the municipalities on a more firm financial footing, she said.

"I've told people I sincerely believe that we could form a metropolitan government that no one would notice in their everyday lives after we did it," she said. "I don't think it's the topic to be feared to the extent that we're stoking fear in this conversation."

Katko interview coming soon

U.S. Rep. John Katko will join The Citizen for another Facebook Live interview later this month.

Katko, R-Camillus, will take questions at 10 a.m. Monday, May 22. The interview will be streamed live on The Citizen's Facebook page, facebook.com/auburncitizen.

Questions may be submitted in advance. Send your questions to robert.harding@lee.net.

The congressman will not see the questions before the interview.
For Hall County Supervisor Gary Quandt, being perched on the roof of the Hall County Courthouse for 150 hours is not easy. However, it is a piece of cake and nothing compared to what veterans have done.

Quandt ascended to the courthouse roof at 6 a.m. Wednesday and will be there until noon Tuesday. He is on the roof for six days as part of Gov. Pete Ricketts Nebraska 150 Challenge and to raise funds for the Hall County Vietnam Veterans Hero Flight program.

When Gov. Ricketts came up with the Nebraska 150 Challenge, he challenged Nebraskans to do something for their communities, something physical or whatever, Quandt said. I felt honoring veterans was important to this community, so I chose to do the courthouse challenge for 150 hours.

Quandt said he is on the courthouse roof for 150 hours for two reasons: to honor veterans and to raise awareness for the need to honor veterans.

Many of these veterans that were trying to honor left their communities, their families and their husbands or wives to go serve their country, and they served them well, he said. We owe it to our veterans to make sure that they know their country is proud of what they did.

Quandt has a banner hanging from the courthouse cupola that reads, Honoring Our Veterans, which he said is what his work is all about. He hopes community members will donate to Hall County Hero Flight by dropping money into the donation receptacle at the front of the courthouse or by donating at any Five Points Bank or The Grand Island Independent.

Whether people can afford $1, $50, $15 or $150, it is their way of helping the Hall County Hero Flight honor the veterans. Quandt said.

Quandt has set a goal of raising $15,000 in 150 hours. If the community donates $15,000 to Hall County Hero Flight by 5 p.m. Tuesday, he will donate $1,500 of his own money.

The cost to send a veteran to Washington, D.C., through Hall County Hero Flight is $1,500. If the public is able to raise $15,000 and he makes his donation, Quandt said, 11 veterans will be able to go to Washington, D.C.

Quandt has already donated $150 to Hall County Hero Flight on behalf of Ricketts and the Nebraska 150 Challenge.

Don Shuda, chairman of Hall County Vietnam Veterans Hero Flight, said he appreciates the efforts of everyone  including Quandt  in making the program successful.

Hopefully, it generates some awareness to what weve been doing, Shuda said. Gary has done a lot for the cause and trying to get our veterans to Washington, D.C. Its a sacrifice on his part because he has continued to stay on the perch out there many different times. We appreciate that.

When asked about why he was so passionate about the Hall County Hero Flight and supporting veterans, Quandt said the question is answered every time he sees the veterans get off the plane at the Central Nebraska Regional Airport when they return home from a Hero Flight.

When those veterans walked off the plane the other day (Tuesday) from their three-day visit to Washington, D.C., you watched them and saw the tears running down their faces, he said. Thats a thank-you theyve been waiting for for 50 years. The Vietnam veterans came back (from the Vietnam War) and didnt even get a thank-you. They were treated badly. Thats what we are trying to fix.

Quandt added he hopes people will see what he is doing for 150 hours to honor veterans and thank veterans for their service and the sacrifices they made.

When you see a veteran walking in public, dont be afraid to say thank you, he said. It doesnt take that much to say thank you.
The tax reform envisioned by Gov. Pete Ricketts went down to defeat in the Nebraska Legislature this past week, and its unlikely to be addressed again before the current session ends. Opposition to the governors proposals focused on inadequate agricultural property tax relief, tax reductions for the wealthy and automatic adjustments to future tax rates.

If property taxes on farmers and ranchers continue to be a main driver of Nebraskas tax laws, the state will need to address the fundamental tensions between state sales and income tax laws and local property tax policies. School districts are primarily funded by property taxes. Until the state comes up with an acceptable formula to permit major increases in state aid to education, major property tax relief is unattainable.

This means that school funding via property taxes must not only be substantially reduced, but also replaced by increased state tax revenues. To do this, there needs to be more income from income taxes, or sales taxes, or some combination of both.

It is reasonable to assume that the governor would oppose any suggestion of higher income tax rates. So, if income taxes are to be a part of property tax reform, reformers will want to examine changes in exemptions and deductions as the way to get higher income without changing rates.

This would also be true for changes that seek more revenue from state sales taxes. Higher rates would probably be a non-starter. Instead, reformers would be forced to look for sales tax exemptions that could be eliminated.

Changing the exemptions and deductions now permitted under existing tax law would be a huge project. All have supporters who would vigorously fight to defend them. Many, if not most, exclusions from sales and income taxes can be justified. The problem is that many cannot be afforded if property taxes are to be reduced.

We suggest that the state begin the process to solve Nebraskas agricultural property tax problem. Adequate school funding will continue to be an issue in a world where prosperity requires more from our education institutions, not less.
It might take a few days to see unofficial results in Pa. Here's why

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Linkedin Ati Nurbaiti (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Sun, May 7, 2017 08:00 2012 a291276806121264c0bd211cdec7da6c 1 Opinion commentary,#commentary Free

Were still in the post-Jakarta gubernatorial election fever, particularly ahead of May 9, when outgoing Jakarta Governor Basuki Ahok Tjahaja Purnama is to hear the sentence of his blasphemy trial.

Ahok has received a considerable morale boost with the thousands of flower boards arriving at City Hall, in what has become the first wave of the nations flower revolution. The revolution surely doesnt lie in the courage to stand up against a dictator, but in a revolutionary safe way to make a statement; depending on diverse views, its a more timid/cowardly/ strategic/creative/peaceful/laidback and fun way than the massive  also largely peaceful  rallies against Ahok, where participants were also enjoying themselves.

People simply call and pay florists to send the flower boards with serious or humorous messages, on behalf of individuals, groups or alumni; they have no intention of joining any sweaty protests, let alone a risky revolution.

The message of the first flower wave was a farewell to Ahok and his deputy Djarot Saiful Hidayat, and a show of gratitude for their services.

Then, as the latest rally demanding the jailing of Ahok was held Friday, flower boards of the second wave were still being deployed to the headquarters of the National Police and the Indonesian Military (TNI)  partly in defiance of the burning of the boards around City Hall during May Day rallies.

Before Friday, the viral message around social media said, Prove your love to NKRI, the unitary state of the republic, by contributing cash and ideas for the flower boards and also trees, seedlings or flower pots, as the State Palace, to which people had also wanted to send flower boards, had reportedly announced it was not accepting them, perhaps following criticisms of waste.

Protesters on Friday claimed they had sought to remind law enforcers of their independence in determining the fate of Ahok sang penista (the blasphemer), whom they feared would walk free thanks to his ex-boss, President Joko Jokowi Widodo and his allies.

Meanwhile, the latest senders of flower boards were expressing support for the President, police and military to safeguard the nation against what they see as threats worse than terrorist acts; the dominance of far right Islamists who would go beyond successfully bringing down a rude Chinese Christian governor, to eventually lord over the daily life of Indonesias diverse citizens.

Amid such distress, one recalls the repeated exuberant welcome, with or without flowers, when the troops come marching in: In 1942, when our elders thought the Japanese would liberate us from the Dutch; in the mid-1960s, when the military was seen as the savior against the communists; and in foreign lands near and far, where people welcomed security forces who eventually forgot to leave.

I told friends early Friday, its enough to send flowers just to the police ahead of likely orderly demonstrations.

Its been settled, one replied. Pak Jokowi, National Police chief Gen. Tito Karnavian and TNI commander Gen. Gatot Nurmantyo would get the flowers and trees with the message One heart, one resolve, one struggle for NKRI.

My other appeal was similarly ignored: that the NKRI jargon is often abused for human rights violations in Papua. Indeed Papua, where Gen. Tito earlier served, is too far for most of the medias audience because its beyond the coverage of most media, too.

So, generals, even with such support for you, those flowers are no carte blanche. Civilians indeed turn to their state protectors in times of need.

But today the support comes with many limitations.

Despite calls to disband the Hizbuth Thahrir Islamic group, which has long called for an Islamic state (khilafah), that doesnt mean were giving a blank check to authorities to revoke New Order powers and disband this and that group at a whim.

Neither does expressing support to safeguard the NKRI mean that the police and the military are given free rein to trample around remote places for separatists or arrest anyone in white who has joined a peaceful rally.

This reminder is needed time and again as todays politicians, including Jokowi, in election periods and beyond, keep reaching out to military and police officers for their support amid unpredictable fellow civilian politicians.

Reminders are also needed as these state protectors are not always clear about which citizens they are protecting. Under Gen. Titos previous term as Jakarta police chief, Islamist vigilantes disrupted a workshop for sexual minorities and talks on the 1965 anti-communist pogrom.

With such support or passiveness of either the police, military and local governments, until today the vigilantes continue to be a menace; this week they tried to cancel a painting exhibition on the missing activist Wiji Thukul in Semarang, Central Java.

But never mind those details; what my friends of the Class of 1979 Tarakanita private girls high school cherish is the lasting camaraderie of diverse Indonesians that they fear their grandchildren might not experience.

So enjoy the flowers, generals, and be consistent with your public mandate.
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Linkedin Inforial (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta, Indonesia  Mon, May 8, 2017

An important factor in the success of PT Riau Andalan Pulp and Paper (PT RAPP), the operational unit of the APRIL Group (Asia Pacific Resources International Holdings Ltd.), one of Indonesias largest pulp and paper manufacturer, is the companys community development program. The program provides support to local entrepreneurs to enable the growth of their businesses in partnership with the company.



Zamhur is one example of a local entrepreneur who has benefited from this kind of partnership. His company, PT Mitra Pallet Consortium Jaya, specializes in manufacturing wooden pallets that are purchased by PT RAPP.



Once a civil servant, the 72-year-old Zamhur established the company in 2001 following his retirement. Through PT RAPPs community development program, Zamhur was able to obtain a bank loan to start his company as well as advice on how to manage his new business.

A member of staff of PT Mitra Pallet Consortium Jaya makes wooden pallets. (JP/Arief Suhardiman)

With this support, I can afford to get all the production tools I need. And I dont have to find the market. All the wooden pallets we produce are specially ordered by PT RAPP, said Zamhur. Most of the pallets come from acacia and some from sengon wood supply.

The profit generated from producing wooden pallets has earned him a good living, enabling him to undertake a haj pilgrimage and finance his children all the way through higher education level.

Alhamdulillah, I have visited the holy land several times, and my eldest son has graduated from college, said the father-of-nine.

Sulaiman is another success story. From his workshop in Pangkalan Kerinci, he manages the production of cocopeat, to be used as seedlings for acacia and eucalyptus trees.

Sulaiman and his staff in his coco peat production field. (JP/Arief Suhardiman)

I joined PT RAPPs community development program in 2013. My first order was 30 tons of cocopeat within the first month of my companys operation. Now I can supply as many as 600 tons to PT RAPP, said the 38-year old who says the company returns a strong monthly profit.

His company, PT Rifky Pratama Sanjaya, now employs 30 staff and supplies the cocopeat to six nurseries owned by PT RAPP.

Local entrepreneur Husni Thamrin offers another inspiring story. He started out driving a truck owned by his father, which provided a waste transportation service. Today, his business has grown with assets totalling around Rp100 billion (USD7.5 million).



Husni joined PT RAPPs community development program in 2001 and established his first company, PT Taro Putra Pesisir. I didnt have any business background. My first venture was driving my fathers truck to transport garbage from one point to another. As I gradually became more business savvy, I realized there was an opportunity to scale up. I am thankful for PT RAPPs program that has nurtured many local entrepreneurs, including myself.

In 2004, Husni changed the name of his company to PT Nilo Engineering. The word Nilo is taken from his birthplace, also in Riau. With a high level of confidence, honesty and persistence, Husni is developing a new venture in heavy equipment rental. His wife, Rohani also helps him runs the company.

PT Nilo has grown along with PT RAPPs high demand for heavy equipment rental units, the 37-year-old said. Currently, PT Nilos assets are valued at around Rp 100 billion, which includes the companys 30 heavy equipment units and 25 trucks, all of which are rented to PT RAPP.

In Lubuk Bungo village, Pelalawan regency, 47-year-old Tengku Effendi shares his success story. Once an illegal logger, he joined PT RAPPs community development program in 2006.

It wasnt easy to shift gear from being an illegal logger to running a transportation company, but PT RAPPs program has taught me a lot about being an entrepreneur, the father of three said.

His company, PT Idlal Bersaudara regularly transports fertilizers to PT RAPP, using a diesel truck that can accommodate 12 tons of fertilizer for each journey.

In 2014, Tengku received an award from PT RAPP for implementing workplace safety and health principles and was recognized as a contractor that exercises the best practice of legal compliance.

A local batik maker hand draws the batik motifs in Rumah Batik Andalan.(JP/Arief Suhardiman)

PT RAPPs community development program also reaches out to housewives in Pangkalan Kerinci. In a production house called Rumah Batik Andalan (RBA), as many as 10 women are actively taking a role in the making of Bono batik.

Here, batik is not as popular as on Java Island, especially when compared to Pekalongan and Solo. But we have realized our potential of creating batik patterns that represent Riau, said Hari Fitri Ramdhani, RBAs coordinator and one of the batik makers.

The Bono batik is one of the most popular here. Its pattern is derived from a rare tidal surge in the mouth of the Kampar River. Other patterns include eucalyptus leaves and acacia leaves.

Through the Andalan Cooperative, Fitri said that local women were empowered to become batik makers to earn extra income. To hone our skills, we were sent to Pekalongan for batik training.

Most batik producers are still concentrated on Java Island. Yet, Fitri says that with more practice and support from PT RAPPs community development program, she and other batik makers in Pangkalan Kerinci are aiming to take Riaus batik to the next level.

Pangkalan Kerinci is the local capital and the hub of economic activities in Pelalawan. It is the newest regency in Riau, coming into existence following the enlargement of the Kampar regency in 1999.

Pangkalan Kerinci was a small village when PT RAPP commenced its operations in 1993, with the growth of the company supporting the development of the surrounding areas infrastructure since then. Currently, around 30 percent of PT RAPPs pulp and paper production supports the Indonesian market, while the other 70 percent is exported markets including Singapore, Australia, South Korea, Japan and the US.
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Linkedin Travel (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta, Indonesia  Mon, May 8, 2017

The New Year feels like yesterday, but soon enough we will be welcoming the holy month of Ramadhan and Idul Fitri.

By the end of the fasting month, people will be busy preparing themselves for mudik, the annual migration back to their hometowns to celebrate with family members.

Did you know that last year the number of Indonesians traveling for mudik reached over 18 million people, of which 4 million used the train as their transportation of choice?

How about you? Have you booked your mudik trip yet? Any traveler knows that it is advisable to plan your trip and book your tickets in advance to reserve your seat. The good thing is that train tickets for mudik are now available for advance booking up to 90 days prior to the date of travel.

Not only is traveling by train probably the cheapest option, but going by train is also a good option for anyone traveling closer distances who don't want to drive a car or be stuck in traffic. For example, the mudik from Jakarta to Bandung, Sukabumi or Purwakarta can be done in three hours by train.

Trains are also considered family-friendly means of transportation. As Indonesian people usually mudik with the whole family, going by train will allow your kids to move around freely inside the car and slightly decrease the risk of your kids getting bored.

Buying your mudik train tickets has also become easier today with online travel services. There are a lot of online travel agencies selling train tickets now. But specifically it is better if you buy the tickets from the official partners of state-owned railway operator PT KAI, such as Traveloka, which always offers special promos every day. Traveloka is the leading travel site that offers plane, train tickets and hotel rooms.

Now that your tickets are booked and your clothes are packed, please ensure that you follow some of these tips below on essentials to ensure an enjoyable journey home:

Bring your own water and food for breaking fast

During Ramadhan, you can easily find food sellers on the street in the afternoon to help you break the fast. But, when you are en route, you will not have another choice but to buy meals from the trains food service. Now, this is not a bad idea, but breaking the fast with food you like and are familiar with surely is better.

Bring hand sanitizers/wipes

Public places (including stations and trains), where you see and meet people and have to use common facilities are prone to bacteria and germs. So keeping yourself clean and germ-free by having your own hand sanitizer is always a good idea. By bringing this, you do not need to go to the toilet in a fully-occupied train car just to wash your hands.

Take medication

Some people easily get travel sickness like headaches, stomach aches or simply cannot relax and sleep. When you have a long journey taking an overnight sleeper train, you might want to have your medication ready because you do not know when the sickness will hit, and traveling by train means that you cannot just stop wherever you like to buy medicine. People who find it difficult to sleep on public transportation may consider taking a prescribed sleeping pill.

Do not forget your travel charger

In a digital world when personal gadgets become a part of you, a travel charger or battery pack is good to have on hand just in case your phone or gadget batteries start dying. You never know when you may need to make important phone calls or face emergency situations.

Pack your entertainment source

This part applies differently to everyone. You can bring your books, e-readers, mp3 players, tablets packed with your favorite movies or full of online games to play. Anything that will take your mind off of your journey is good, especially games for kids.

Scarf/sarong for better resting inside the train

Some people find it easier to sleep with blankets. And while blankets might be too thick to carry around, a big scarf might be a good idea for when you feel the need to cover up

Mind your belongings

During the mudik season, the stakes are high, because everyone wants to go everywhere and get everything. Be sure to watch out for your belongings (especially in the station and on the train, which are very crowded in mudik season).

Not only is criminal activity high during this time, but simple things like taking someone else's bags can cause big problems. You would not want to make your niece back home cry when her presents are lost because your bags were swapped, would you?
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Linkedin Jessicha Valentina (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Sun, May 7, 2017 12:16 2012 a291276806121264c0bd211cdec8371c 1 Food liwetan,#liwetan,bancakan,#bancakan,food,#food,trend,Instagram,#Instagram Free

Lately, a new local food trend has arisen on Instagram. Called liwetan or bancakan, the newly founded dining style features rice and an assortment of dishes, including fried chicken, fried salted fish, hard-boiled salted eggs and vegetables, served on top of a banana leaf spread.

Though the name implies that the dining style must have come from the Sundanese tradition, the assumption is not entirely correct.

Kaum restaurant brand director Lisa Virgiano said the liwetan culture could be traced back to the kenduri tradition.

Meanwhile, Indonesian culinary expert William Wongso told The Jakarta Post via telephone that the word liwet means a traditional way of cooking rice with a mix of spices.

Nasi liwet is originally from Solo [Central Java], said William, adding that each area in Indonesia had its own term for the cooking method.

William explained that a tradition of sharing food never existed in the island of Java. There is kenduri or the tumpengan ritual for blessings [or remembrance], but the food is served by portion.

Read also: Traditional beverage-inspired mixology classes: The new urbanite trend

As for the new food trend, William said that it must have been inspired by the ethnic Arab dining style.

Apparently, William is right.

Suap Sedap Catering owner Shintya Pranawati, the pioneer of the trend, admitted to the Post that she was inspired by the communal dining style of Middle Eastern restaurants.

I made liwetan during the fasting month last year, said Shintya, explaining that the banana leaves were chosen as she wanted to avoid using a lot of plates.

"I chose Sundanese food because my mother and I love it," she said.

Read also: Fall in love with these traditional snacks

A post shared by suapsedap homecooking catering (@suapsedap) on May 2, 2017 at 4:13pm PDT

The new liwetan came up on social media and started to attract public attention due to its unique way of serving. Since then, Shintya began to receive orders for the communal dining.

While in the beginning Shintya only served Sundanese dishes, now the catering service has added more dishes, including nasi daun jeruk (rice cooked with lime leaves), nasi tutug oncom (rice cooked with fermented soybean) and more. However, the serving style remains the same.

The trend is currently becoming more popular as people tend to look for new ways to host guests at home or celebrate an occasion at the office. However, William said the serving style caused food waste.

Lisa shared a different opinion though, believing the trend was a way to revive local traditions.

Instagram makes the food look more attractive. I have to say that it makes liwetan or kenduri look more appealing, said Lisa. (kes)
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Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Sun, May 7, 2017 18:23 2012 a291276806121264c0bd211cdec8b92b 4 Health research,#research,swearing,health,exercise,#exercise,study Free

Good news for those who just cant seem to censor themselves: swearing might actually make you stronger.

Originally presented at the British Psychological Society meeting in Brighton, the study had 29 people ride an exercise bike and 52 people do a hand grip test. For those on bikes, it was found that when they swore throughout the 30-second ride, their peak power rose by 24 watts on average.

Each participant involved in both trials were told to pick one curse word and one neutral word to repeat throughout the tests.

Read also: Five signs you may suffer from an eating disorder

A psychologist at Keele University and presenter of the study, Richard Stephens, told The Guardian, We asked them to repeat the word throughout each test. They dont scream and shout it. They repeat it in an even tone.

It was also found that while cursing, peoples heart rates did not rise significantly, likely meaning that their fight-or-flight response was not being triggered.

Were not telling people something they dont already know, but were verifying that in a systematic and objective way, said Stephens. I think people instinctively reach for swear words when they hurt themselves and when theyre looking for an extra boost in performance. (sul/kes)
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Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Sun, May 7, 2017 08:08 2012 a291276806121264c0bd211cdec7dc55 1 Food Santika-Indonesia-Hotels-and-Resorts,Hotel-Santika-Premiere-Slipi,Indonesian-cuisine,culinary,Indonesian-food Free

The Harmony Restaurant, an establishment in Hotel Santika Premiere Slipi held an Indonesian culinary event entitled Selera Nusantara on April 28, celebrating the rich variety of authentic Indonesian traditional dishes.

Staff members dressed in traditional Indonesian costumes welcomed about 270 loyal guests of Hotel Santika Premiere Slipi and invitees, most of whom are also regular patrons of The Harmony Restaurant. Live music performances entertained guests throughout the event.

Dishes served at the event represented a number of Indonesian provinces, including West Sumatra with its delectable Soto Padang, North Sumatra represented by its famed Soto Medan, Palembang with Tekwan (fishball soup), Bali with its Sate Lilit (fish satay) and many others.

Read also: Samaya Ubud offers luxurious blend of Balinese culture and environment

Aside from main dishes, the event also featured a collection of jajan pasar (traditional Indonesian desserts) including ongol-ongol (mung bean cake), klepon (glutinous rice balls filled with melted brown sugar), pisang kremes (banana fritters) and dadar gulung (rolled pancakes).

Normally serving a buffet of 150 dishes, encompassing Western, Asian and European cuisine, The Harmony Restaurant puts Indonesian cuisine as its main attraction. Indonesian food lovers will enjoy the restaurants wide variety of local traditional sambal (chilli sauces) and authentic Javanese gudeg. (asw)
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Linkedin (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Sat, May 6 2017

Four days before the North Jakarta District Court is scheduled to deliver a verdict in the trial of Jakarta Governor Basuki Ahok Tjahaja Purnama on blasphemy charges, thousands of people staged a rally near the Supreme Court in Central Jakarta to demand Ahok be found guilty and given the maximum sentence.

The rally was held by the National Movement to Safeguard the Indonesian Ulema Councils Fatwa (GNPF-MUI), which was also behind a series of other anti-Ahok rallies late last year and this year.

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Linkedin (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Sat, May 6 2017

The Jakarta administration has ensured there will be sufficient stocks of staple foods to meet the expected surge in demand during the upcoming Ramadhan fasting month and Idul Fitri holiday this year.

We have taken measures to maintain the staple food supply. For example, the rice stocks at the Cipinang wholesale rice market in East Jakarta reaches 36,190 tons, enough to meet the demand of Jakarta residents, Jakarta Economic Affairs bureau head Sri Haryati said on Friday as quoted by beritajakarta.com.

She added that the supply of chili and shallot from other regions had also improved, which helped push the price of chili and shallot down.

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Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Sun, May 7, 2017 17:43 2012 a291276806121264c0bd211cdec8a736 2 Business Garuda-Indonesia,Idul-Fitri,Idul-Fitri-2017,travel,mudik Free

National flag carrier Garuda Indonesia will prepare 45,000 additional seats for the upcoming Idul Fitri holiday season to anticipate soaring demand during the countrys most-celebrated festivity.

Garuda Indonesia president director Pahala N. Mansury said the additional seats would be spread over eight days before and eight after the Islamic holiday, which is expected to fall on June 25.

The additional seats will be spread from June 18 to July 3, he said over the weekend in Bali, as reported by Kontan.

Pahala said the number of the additional seats represented a 39 percent increase compared to last year.

Indonesia, the worlds largest Muslim-majority nation, every year sees millions of people traveling to their hometowns to celebrate Idul Fitri.

Last year, nearly 5 million people took part in the exodus, using various modes of transportation, including private vehicles, train, ships and planes. (ecn/hwa)
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Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Sun, May 7, 2017 15:20 2012 a291276806121264c0bd211cdec86f39 4 City Jakarta-administration,Tokopedia,SME Free

The Jakarta administration has launched an online platform for small and micro enterprises (SMEs), allowing them to market their products to various regions in Indonesia through the city's official website.

Jakarta Governor Basuki "Ahok" Tjahaja Purnama said the platform was the follow-up of a training program held by the administration for the SMEs.

"We have given the training and now they are ready. Today's the launch [of the webpage]," Ahok said as quoted by beritajakarta.com.

The platform will feature around 150 selected SMEs across the city for now, an official said.

(Read also: Industry Ministry aims to see 20,000 new SMEs set up by 2019)

"The selected ones should be ready in terms of the product's quantity, so they could fulfill the customer's order immediately," said Irwandi, the head of the city's Cooperation, SMEs and Trading Agency.

The administration worked with online marketplace Tokopedia, one of the biggest e-commerce players in Indonesia, to create the platform. (kuk/dmr)
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Linkedin Fadli (The Jakarta Post) Batam, Riau Islands  Sun, May 7, 2017 16:54 2012 a291276806121264c0bd211cdec893c3 1 National RiauIslands,Riau-Islands,Riau-Islands-Police,hardliner,Islamic-extremism,terrorism,counterterrorism Free

The Riau Islands Police are increasing security measures to monitor hard-line Islamic groups whose members tend to give religious sermons to local communities across Riau Islands province.

Such measures were taken to prevent the spread of religious teachings that could lead to radical behavior, a police officer has said.

Riau Islands Police spokesperson Sr. Comr. Saptono Erlangga said the police had obtained a list of names of people who were registered as members of hard-line Islamic groups that often led religious sermons in Muslim communities in the province, especially Batam.

We have the records and we are monitoring them routinely. As long as their activities do not harm the people, we will only monitor their activities, said Saptono.

He refused to mention the names and number of radical preachers included in the list. As long as the content of their sermons is fine, we will let it happen, said Saptono.

He was speaking in response to a circular issued by the Bangka Belitung Islands Police in Pangkal Pinang on April 28. Signed by Pangkalpinang Police security intelligence director Adj. Comr. M. Adi Putra, the circular regulates the activities of mass organizations or community groups that carry out their activities in mosques.

In the letter, the police asked all mosque administrators to report individuals or groups that had used their mosques to hold religious activities or deliver sermons to Muslim communities in the areas. The letter spread among Muslim communities in Batam via WhatsApp. (ebf)
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Linkedin Yuji Vincent Gonzales (Philippine Daily Inquirer/ANN) Manila  Sun, May 7, 2017 17:08 2012 a291276806121264c0bd211cdec8962b 2 SE Asia #Philippine,Philippine-blast,#bomb-blast,bomb-blast Free

Malacanang on Sunday urged the public to be vigilant following the twin explosions in Quiapo, Manila, Saturday evening, which killed two people and injured six others.

We are saddened by the loss of lives brought by yesterdays night explosions in Quiapo. We likewise wish for the immediate recovery of those who were wounded. While investigation is now ongoing, we ask the public to remain alert and immediately report to authorities any suspicious activity or movement, presidential spokesperson Ernesto Abella said in a statement.

Also, we urge our people to refrain from forwarding news from unverified sources that may cause undue alarm and panic, Abella added.

Two explosion occurring less than three hours apart in Quiapo on Saturday evening  the first happened at the office of lawyer and Imamate Islamic Center president Nasser Abinal and killed two people and injured four others, while the second at Norzagaray and Elizondo Streets injured two police officers.

Police said the first explosion originated from a package delivered to the lawyers office. Authorities are still investigating the motive for the attack.

Last week, during the ASEAN summit in Manila, a homemade pipe bomb also exploded near the Tower Lodging House on Quezon Boulevard in Quiapo, injuring at least 14 people. Police have ruled out terrorism for the blast.

This article appeared on Philippine Daily Inquirer newspaper website, which is a member of Asia News Network and a media partner of The Jakarta Post
Are you stressing for exams? Panicking now that you've graduated and have to get a real job? Or simply looking for a little relax after a stressful university term?

As one of the quietest destinations in Europe, Scotland is the perfect place to enjoy some peace and calm.

In fact, the recent Scotland Visitor Survey, commissioned by VisitScotland, has revealed that almost a quarter of visitors holiday in Scotland to 'get away from it all.'

Scotland's stunning vistas, wild open mountains and hushed hideaways make it the ideal location to unwind in a warm, welcoming atmosphere. Here are just a few suggestions for de-streessing destinations...

1. Galloway Forest Park

Britain's largest forest park might regularly attract lots of visitors during the day but it is well worth a visiting at night too, as Gallloway Forest Park is the UK's first Dark Sky Park and one of the best places to stargaze in Europe. With over 7,000 stars and planets visible each night, every visit is a different experience.

2. Kinloch Rannoch

Nestled in the shadow of Schiehallion, on the banks of the River Tummel, lies the pretty village of Kinloch Rannoch. This idyllic getaway may be just a few hours away from the central belt but it's a world away from the hurly burly of Scotland's cities. As well as a great base for exploring the Perthshire countryside, the area is fantastic for walks and even has its own Clan Trail. A short distance from the village, you'll find the lovely Rannoch Station Tearoom, situated on the platform of one of Britain's most remote train stations.

3. Glen Coe

The deep valley and towering mountains of Glen Coe were carved out centuries ago by icy glaciers and volcanic explosions. Glencoe village is picturesquely located between the banks of Loch Leven and the mouth of the famous glen. Glen Coe is one of the most beautiful and other-worldly places in Scotland, even featuring in films such as James Bond's Skyfall and several Harry Potter movies.

4. Sandwood Bay

Dubbed one of the most unspoilt beaches in Great Britain, the pink sands of Sandwood Bay in Kinlochbervie are a secluded paradise. Facing straight into the teeth of the North Atlantic, the beach is flanked by cliffs and to the south stands the impressive sea stack of Am Buachaille. The peaceful bay can only be accessed by a four-mile path, but the journey is more than worth it.

5. Scott's View

The beauty of the Scottish Borders has long cast a spell on not just visitors but also those who live there. As one of Scotland's most celebrated writers, Sir Walter Scott often enjoyed escaping into the Borders countryside to reflect. You can follow in his footsteps to his reputed favourite place, known now as Scott's View, the stunning vantage point near Melrose overlooks the River Tweed and Eildon Hills.

6. Small Isles (Eigg, Rum, Muck, Canna)

Full of wonderful wildlife and stunning scenery, Scotland's Small Isles in the Inner Hebrides provide a peaceful escape from the mainland. With little to no traffic and few people it's a unique chance to get back to nature. The largest island, Rum, is home to formidable volcanic peaks, the incredible Kinloch Castle, the Kilmory Bay Red Deer and the UK's biggest bird of prey, sea eagles, while the nearby Isle of Eigg is this year celebrating 20 years of being fully sustainable.

The smaller isles of Muck and Canna each possess their own special treasures. Whether it's the sandy beaches, rocky shores and breathtaking panoramic views on Muck or the high basalt cliffs of Canna, this tiny corner of the country is ideal for walks, watching birds and simply basking in the beauty of your surroundings.

7. Holy Isle

Just off the Isle of Arran in the Firth of Clyde lies Holy Isle, an ancient spiritual heritage dating back to the 6th Century. This sacred site is dedicated to peace and wellbeing, its unspoiled beauty is also a haven for wildlife. On the north of the island visitors are welcome to stay at the Centre of World Peace and Health, which regularly hosts courses and retreat programmes, whilst the south is a closed Buddhist retreat.

8. Shetland

With its pristine beaches, crystal clear waters, heather-clad moorlands and fascinating rock formations, the Shetland isles are unlike anywhere else in the world. Made up of more than 100 islands, 15 of which are inhabited, the archipelago has its own unique culture, rich history and breath-taking beauty. From Iron Age brochs and Pictish wheelhouses to the spectacular Up Helly Aa Festival, which takes place each January, and distinct culinary delights, the Shetland Isles offers a winning blend of Scottish and Scandinavian delights.

9. Clackmannanshire

Scotland's smallest county has a big offering to make to those looking to get away from it all. What it lacks in size it makes up for in stunning landscapes, medieval castles, historic tower houses and a growing art scene. Found between the majestic Ochil Hills and the banks of the River Forth, and just a short journey from the central belt, Clackmannanshire is perfectly located for those looking to unwind for the day. Enjoy a scenic walk or cycle in the striking Ochil Hills and discover Clackmannanshire's exciting tourism treasures

For more inspiration on how to get away from it all visit www.visitscotland.com
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Somebody threw the cudgel at her. And she picked it up. Audrey Truschke, who teaches South Asian history at Rutgers University in New Jersey, was promoting her first and forthcoming bookCulture of Encounters: Sanskrit at the Mughal Court. It was almost two years ago, in the latter half of 2015. It was the same time when former President, APJ Abdul Kalam passed away. His death led to loud demands for renaming New Delhis Aurangzeb Road in his honour. These demands also reignited the debate on Aurangzeb and other Mughal kings of India. When somebody asked Truschke  an expert on imperial, cultural and intellectual history of early modern and modern India to write a biography of one of the many Mughal rulers, she chose Aurangzeb  the most controversial one.

Aurangzeb: the Man and the Myth, which was published in February, is a quick and readable take on the life, rule and legacy of the sixth Mughal emperor. Composed in eight chapters and close to 200 pages, this book can be read from lunch till dinner. Moreover, it is written in a very breezy language. However, the treatment of the subject matter is as serious as it can get. For starters, the author states that there is a need to reclaim a fuller picture of him (Aurangzeb) as a prince and an emperor (page 15) who cannot be reduced to his faith (ibid) as has been done in popular imagination in South Asia.

In Indian collective memory, Aurangzeb is one of the cruellest kings ever. He is thought to have either converted or killed millions of Hindus while destroying or desecrating thousands of temples. He imposed jizya and tried to curb celebration of Holi and Diwali. He did away with syncretic royal practices like daily display of the king at balcony (jharokha darshan) and yearly weighing of the king in gold and silver to be distributed among the poor. He executed the ninth Sikh guru, Tegh Bahadur. The list of Aurangzebs atrocities, real or perceived, is long.

Truschke, in her account of Aurangzeb, tries to set the record straight and contextualise the emperors actions. She writes that the popular belief in mass conversion or killing of Hindus during Aurangzebs reign lacks historical evidence. The number of temples razed is in dozens, not in thousands.

Moreover, temples were targeted mainly when they became the hub of anti-state activities. For example, Vishwanath temple at Kashi and Keshavdev temple at Mathura were destroyed in 1669 and 1670 respectively, more for political than religious reasons. Jizya was reinstated only after two decades of Aurangzebs rule. Grand celebration of Holi, Diwali, or Eid, Muharram and Nowruz were discouraged for reasons of public safety, order or morality. Religion, again, played little role in such considerations. The end of jharokha darshan had more to do with imperial strategy and less with puritanical obsession. And Guru Tegh Bahadur was decapitated because he was causing political unrest in Punjab.

Aurangzeb was brutal with his brothers too. He drove Shah Shuja out of India into Myanmar. Murad Baksh, Aurangzebs ally in the war of succession against Dara Shikoh, was imprisoned and executed on cooked-up charges. Delhis citizens were shocked at the public humiliation of Dara Shikoh, the crown prince, and his younger son before their beheading. Truschke counsels us against futile comparisons of contemporary liberal norms on treatment of political enemies and prisoners of war with those in the pre-modern period.

That is because everyone behaved the same way, either in India or France. Louis XIV  almost an exact contemporary of Aurangzeb  excelled his Indian counterpart manifold in his persecution of Huguenots. Back in India, Shah Jahan got one of his brothers and many cousins and nephews killed and imprisoned to stave off any challenge to his rule. Dara Shikoh is reported to have said that, had he won the battle at Samugarh (1658), he would have quartered Aurangzeb and have the four pieces hung on the four main gates of Delhi. The same Aurangzeb who put his father under house arrest chased one of his sons into Iran. The Thackerays and Yadavs of now are lucky to have been born in democratic India. The Mughals operated in a despotic world.

As despotism has little to do with familial relations and religious faith. The allusion that Marathas and Mughals were in a civilisational clash is pure fiction. Marathas under father and son, Shivaji and Sambhaji, employed many Muslim soldiers, generals and judges. They allied with Muslim dynasties of Bijapur and Golconda against Mughals. Sambhaji even gave refuge to Prince Akbar, the rebellious son of Aurangzeb, when the latter was shunned by Rajputs. Similarly, the number of Hindu courtiers and generals increased in the imperial state as hostility between Marathas and Mughals spiralled. In fact, as Truschke writes, Hindus during the Mughal period often did not even label themselves as such (Hindus) and rather prioritised a medley of regional, sectarian, and caste identities (page 17). The term Hindu is Persian, not Sanskrit, and only became commonly used self-referentially during British colonialism (ibid).

Aurangzeb was an expansionist. He was stamping imperial control and spreading his empire in all possible nooks and corners of the Indian subcontinent. While he was subduing Rajputs in Rajasthan, he was constantly harassing Ismaili Bohras of Gujarat. Likewise, while he was struggling to overpower the Maratha, Abdulshahi and Qutubshahi rulers in the Deccan, he was trying to quell the revolt by Afridi Pathans near Khyber Pass. Referring to a remark by Bhimsen Saxena, a chronicler of the period, Truschke informs that Aurangzeb was always on the run for some heaps of stone, which means one fort or another (page 115). In effect, Aurangzeb indulged in a classic case of imperial overstretch  a harbinger of disintegration of the empire. No wonder, the Mughal territory soon shrunk against Marathas and the British.

After having read the whole book, one is left with the feeling that Aurangzeb was not such a bad king as he has come to be considered. But then, why does he stoke such revulsion? It should be noted that public perception of Aurangzeb is little better in Pakistan. Writer Nadeem Shahid who wrote the popular play, Dara thinks that the seeds of Partition were sown when Aurangzeb won over Dara. Truschke obviously disagrees with such facile conclusions. Misrepresentation of Aurangzeb, she thinks, is due to various reasons. For example, a good number of contemporary historians are not well trained in Persian to read primary sources on Aurangzeb. It has become fashionable to work with British records, which were twisted for political reasons. According to Truschke, even Indian historians like Jadunath Sarkar, who has written multiple tomes on Aurangzeb, lacked historical rigour. Dipesh Chakrabarty, the postcolonial historian, makes similar complaints about Sarkars scholarship.

However, how should one judge Aurangzeb? There is little benefit raising the counter-factual question, What if Dara had won? Raison detat can cause changes of 180 degrees. Donald Trump is the latest evolving example of this aphorism. The comparison of Aurangzeb with Akbar is apt, though it should be remembered that while Akbar was consolidating a fragile kingdom, Aurangzeb was expanding a well entrenched empire. The compulsions, which the two longest reigning Mughals faced, were different.

But Truschkes suggestion that Aurangzebs conduct should be not judged on modern values like secularism, human rights and egalitarianism is problematic. Otherwise, slavery in the US or sati in India can equally be condoned. Aurangzeb, like any other king who ruled for as long as 50 years, had many shades to his reign. The problem lies in acts of omission and commission along with the spin and exaggeration imparted to them. Therefore, Aurangzeb, the man, lies buried in the distant past whereas Aurangzeb, the myth, keeps cropping up.

The reviewer is a doctoral student, Department of International Relations, South Asian University, New Delhi
The very mention of the name of Salman Rushdie brings with it a lot of academic discussion about not only his merit as one of the most powerful post-colonial writers of our times but also as someone who seems to be always mired in controversies. The editors of the present volume perceive him as a writer of extraordinary magnitude and breadth, and as one of the finest practitioners in recent times of the craft of fiction.

Rushdies works cut across geographical and cultural frontiers and overspill the borders that have been erected over the ages between various academic disciplines. They recognise his exceptional virtuosity as a keen observer, and a credible chronicler, of contemporary world history, his enviable projects of cultural translation and the globalised novel, his exploration of the world of permeable frontiers in which we all live, his bold defiance of different kinds of thought police men and perversions of faith that have tried to strangle intellectual and creative freedom down the ages, his representation of the mundane/real through the magical and, last but not the least, his exemplary skill as a superb stylist of the English language.

This anthology brings together articles by both national and international scholars on different perspectives of Rushdies works (both fiction and nonfiction) and as such gives a comprehensive and updated introduction to are appraisal of Salman Rushdie as a creative writer. In fact such a lot of critical material is already available on Rushdie, the first question that comes to the readers mind before beginning to read this book is So what is new about him and his works?

Divided into three sections that include 26 articles, the anthology begins with an interview with a prominent Rushdie scholar, Timothy Brennan, undertaken by Tapan Kumar Ghosh and Sisir Kumar Chatterjee in December 2014 when Brennan was in Europe on a lecture tour. The first section entitled Rushdie Worldview: Macro Analyses comprises five articles that deal with some major thematic, theoretical and stylistic aspects of Rushdies works. Whereas Bill Ashcroft focuses on Rushdie and the Nation, Tariq Rahaman deals with politics in Rushdies novels. On the other hand, Anjali Gera Roy focuses on the magic realistic mode and Tapan Kumar Ghosh on secular Salman and Religious Controversy. The fifth article by Prathim-Maya Dora-Laskey highlights the post-colonial challenge of Rushdies post-modern linguistic game.

The long second section of the book aptly titled Salman Rushdie: Readings of His Fiction contains 15 essays. These try to map out the authors literary journey, beginning with his unique mixture of science fiction, fable and adventure story in the debut novel Grimus (1975) to project an alternative vision of human society, and his novel attempts to reclaim his imaginary homelands in Midnights Children and Shame, through his transition from the East to the West in The Satanic Verses, The Moors Last Sigh and The Ground Beneath Her Feet and delineation of mass migration from the third to the first world and its aftermath in Fury and Shalimar the Clown to his exquisite snapshot of globalisation in The Enchantress of Florence and Two Years Eight Months and Twenty Eight Days. The editors have tried to include at least one article on each of his novels and collection of short stories. The scholars who have contributed in this section are Rakesh Sarkar, Taj-ddin Ahmed, Anasuya Bhar, Nalini Natarajan, Neil Ten Kortenaar, Arindam Ghosh, Abhijit Gupta, Nishi Pulugurtha, Chidananda Bhattacharya, Sisir Kumar Chatterjee, Sajal Kumar Bhattacharya, Pier Paolo Piciucco, Samrat Laskar and Adam Perchard.

Rushdies non-fiction writings are incisive, committed and often very funny. They offer a unique vision of politics, literature and culture in the last decades of the 20th century and the beginning of the 21st. The six articles that comprise the third section are on Rushdies nonfictional prose writing including his memoir Joseph Anton, his plays/screenplay and edited volumes of American short stories and post-1947 Indian writings in English, which have either been ignored or marginally touched by the available titles on the author. Siddhatha Biswas tries to locate The Jaguar Smile as a moment in history, Subir Dhar writes on Homelands and the Imaginary, Sandip Ain tries to read Step Across this Line as collective non-fiction, Debashis Lahiri on the choices of Rushdie as editor, and Anindita Mitra attempts to reimagine the magic by perusing the audio-visual representations of Midnights Children and Haroun and the Sea of Stories.

Mapping out the Rushdie Republic differs from the existing studies on the work of Salman Rushdie by dint of its seriousness of intent and profundity of content. Every major work of the writer is paid due attention as separate articles are devoted to every aspect of his literary persona. Thus this book attempts an objective and updated survey of Rushdie as a creative writer, through a balanced evaluation of his entire literary oeuvre (that the editors euphemistically call Rushdie Republic).

The editors need to be congratulated for undertaking a Herculean task of trying to accumulate all sorts of writings on Salman Rushdie within two covers. The only lacunae that this reviewer found is that all the articles do not adhere to the same stylistic method; whereas some include a Notes section at the end, others opt for the more accurate Works Cited pattern. A uniform style would have made the volume more attractive.

The reviewer is professor of English at visva-bharati university
Finance Minister Arun Jaitley on Sunday asked Asian Development Bank (ADB) to ensure primacy is accorded to views of developing countries in operations of the multilateral lending agency.

The Finance Minister expressed the views in his meeting with ADB President Takehiko Nakao here. He also held bilateral discussions with Japanese Finance Minister Taro Aso.

During the meeting with his Japanese counterpart, he highlighted the initiatives under Make in India and called upon Japanese companies to set up facilities in India for manufacture of rolling stock for metro rail projects.

Both the ministers noted the growing synergy between India and Japan and committed themselves towards working closely to further expand India-Japan bilateral economic cooperation, an official statement said.

In his meeting with Nakao, Jaitley discussed India-ADB bilateral engagements.

While noting with satisfaction that India today is the largest client of ADB, Jaitley urged the President to ensure that since ADB provides services to Developing Member Countries, the Bank should ensure that primacy is accorded to the views of developing countries in ADBs operations and resource planning, it said.

Jaitley is on a three-day official visit to Japan to participate in the Annual Meeting of Board of Governors of Asian Development Bank (ADB), among other engagements.

The Finance Minister is being accompanied by Economic Affairs Secretary Shaktikanta Das and other senior officials of the Ministry of Finance.
Despite very low trade between India and Mauritania, New Delhi has approved letters of credit worth $65.68 million for a solar-diesel hybrid rural electrification project in the north African country, the Embassy of Mali, which is also accredited to the country, has said.

The aid, which is in line with India's policy of assisting African countries, has also another two lines of credit  $15 million for developing agro-industries and $6.8 million to support a drinking water project.

"Both projects are progressing satisfactorily. The savings from the total project cost are proposed to be used for acquisition of harvesters and agricultural machinery by the government of Mauritania," the embassy said.

Mauritania is one of the few African countries to develop full-blown trade with India. Statistics show that from a very low figure of $32.24 million in 2009-2010, it rose to $102.30 million in 2014-2015 but dropped to $76.90 million in 2015-2016.

Total exports from India were $30.62 million with imports of $1.60 million.

These figures improved in 2014-2015 when exports from India rose to $58.94 million whilst imports from Mauritania increased to $43.36 million.

"There is tremendous potential for growth, especially when Mauritania is a resource-rich country with extractive natural resources, including oil that awaits exploration and exploitation," the embassy said, adding: "The Mauritanian government has, on numerous occasions, conveyed its eagerness to increase bilateral economic cooperation with India.

The Mauritanian government wants to improve trade relationship with India in ports development, oil exploration, mining, power, agricultural, pharmaceuticals, engineering and educational sectors, the embassy.

"The government of Mauritania has recently embarked on a programme for the large scale integrated development of Nouadhibou Free Zone for development of Nouadhibou Bay and is offering huge incentives," it said.

It said Mauritania can also make immense use of India's expertise in various sectors.

In the area of education, the country has been allocated 15 slots for the Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation (ITEC) programme to enable Mauritanians train in India.
Finance Minister Arun Jaitley has invited Japanese companies to set up manufacturing facilities in India to produce 'rolling stock' for Metro rail projects.

The invitation to set up the manufacturing facilities was extended by Jaitley during a bilateral meeting with Japanese Finance Minister Taro Aso in Yokohama. The minister is on a three-day visit to Japan to attend the 50th Annual Meeting of the Board of Governors' of the Asian Development Bank (ADB).

Jaitley also highlighted various initiatives under the "Make in India" programme which is a flagship scheme of the central government to spur domestic manufacturing, it was officially stated in New Delhi on Sunday.

Besides taking part in the 50th Annual Meeting of the Board of Governors of the Asian Development Bank (ADB) on Sunday and the Annual General Meeting of ADB on May 4-7, Jaitley was scheduled to attend other engagements also.
Japan and China have agreed to increase financial cooperation and reopen a bilateral dialogue on economic and policy issues.

The two countries' finance ministers met in Yokohama on May 6 on the sidelines of the 50th annual meeting of the Asian Development Bank, which concludes on Sunday, Efe news reported.

Taro Aso and his Chinese counterpart Xiao Jie, as well as representatives of both countries' central banks, agreed on the need to strengthen cooperation in areas of mutual economic, financial and investment interest.

"Both sides recognised the necessity of economic restructuring", according to a joint statement.

The meeting on May 6 was the first since 2015, with another planned for 2018.

Japan and China had been holding meetings on the sidelines of the annual ADB gathering since 2006, but they were suspended last year over tensions surrounding disputed islands in the East China Sea.

In 2012, Japan nationalised the uninhabited Senkaku Islands, known as the Diaoyu Islands in China, leading to widespread protests in China, who a year later introduced new air traffic restrictions over the East China Sea.
Mutual fund managers net purchased stocks worth close to Rs.10,000 crore in April, making it the highest investment in five months, on sustained participation by retail investors.

This comes on the top of over Rs.51,000 crore investment in stocks in the entire 2016-17 financial year.

Fund houses are upbeat over the industry's performance in the ongoing fiscal while expecting investment from new investors to fuel the growth of the sector.

As per data released by the Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi), mutual fund managers invested a net sum of Rs.9,918 crore in stock markets last month, much higher than the Rs.4,191 crore infused in March.

This was the highest infusion by fund managers since November 2016, when they had invested a net sum of Rs.13,775 crore in stock markets.

Apart from equities, fund managers invested a staggering Rs.58,000 crore in debt markets in April.

According to market experts, the mutual fund industry is at a take-off stage in terms of growth and Indian investors are warming up to investments in equity as an asset class.

The positive net inflow in equities can be credited to maturity of retail investors, Bajaj Capital Chief Executive Rahul Parikh said.

Indian investors have now eventually assimilated mutual funds and the credit goes to awareness programs and endeavours by regulators and Asset Management Companies (AMCs), he added.

Kaustubh Belapurkar, Director Fund Research at Morningstar, said that flows into equity and balanced funds have been phenomenal since the market correction post demonetisation in November 2016.

Fund managers over the last few months are effectively deploying these fresh inflows and also looking to reduce their cash levels by investing greater amounts into the equity markets, he added.

A mutual fund pools the assets of its investors and invests the money on their behalf. It provides diverse investment instruments like stocks and bonds without requiring investors to make separate purchases and trades.
Ten ministers including six new faces from the Biju Janta Dal (BJD) party were inducted into the cabinet of Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik-led Odisha government on Sunday.

Governor S C Jamir administered the oath to the new ministers in the presence of Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik and others leaders of the BJD at the Raj Bhavan here.

While Niranjan Pujari, Surya Naryan Patro, Prafulla Samal, Pratap Jena, Sashi Bhusan Behera and Maheswar Mohanty were given the cabinet rank, four took oath as ministers of state.

Except Behera, other five were ministers in the Patnaik government, which has been ruling the state from the past 17 years.

"I thank Patnaik for reposing faith in me. I will perform to best of my abilities for the betterment of the state," said Niranjan Pujari, who became minister after quitting the Speaker post in the state assembly.

Steel and Mines Minister Prafulla Mallick as well as Commerce and Transport Minister Ramesh Chandra Majhi have been elevated to the status of cabinet rank.

The ministers of state are Sushant Singh, Nrushingha Sahu, Chandra Sarathi Behera and Ananta Narayan Das.

"I thank the Chief Minister and the people of Odisha for reposing faith in me. I will work with the guidance of Naveen Patnaik," said Chandra Sarathi Behera.

"I will work for strengthening the party and ensure Odisha government's schemes reach people," said Sushant Singh.

The distribution of portfolios would be declared later in the day, said sources.

The name of Karanjia MLA Bijay Nayak, who was supposed to take oath as minister of state, was dropped at the last minute, sources said.
The Congress on Sunday demanded a probe against Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal after sacked minister Kapil Mishra alleged the AAP convener was paid Rs.2 crore in cash by a colleague.

A day after being sacked as the Delhi Water Minister, the AAP legislator claimed that he saw Health Minister Satyendar Jain hand over Rs.2 crore in cash to Kejriwal at his residence.

"These are serious allegations against a chief minister. We will reach out to the people of Delhi on this issue. There must be a thorough probe into the matter," Congress leader Sharmistha Mukherjee said.
Social activist Anna Hazare on Sunday said he was deeply saddened by the latest controversy surrounding his former protege and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal.

"I am deeply saddened by whatever I saw on television," Hazare told media persons here after sacked Delhi Water Minister Kapil Mishra said he saw Delhi Health Minister Satyendar Jain hand over Rs.2 crore to Kejriwal at his Delhi residence.

He said he had been fighting corruption for the last 40 years and Kejriwal had joined in his fight against the menace.

Hazare had led the 2011 anti-corruption campaign in Delhi to seek introduction of the Jan Lokpal Bill.

"It was because of the anti-corruption fight in Delhi that Kejriwal became the Chief Minister. And today, when he (Kejriwal) is accused of corruption, I cannot tell how deeply sad that makes me," Hazare said.

The social activist said he will talk in detail after studying the accusation made by Mishra.

Mishra, who was sacked on Saturday as minister, said: "Day before yesterday (Friday), I saw Jain hand over Rs.2 crore in cash to Kejriwal. When I asked about the money, Kejriwal refused to answer."


Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia on Sunday rejected the corruption charge hurled by sacked minister Kapil Mishra against Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, calling it "unbelievable".

"The kind of allegations that have been made against Kejriwal are unsubstantiated. No one will believe them," Sisodia told the media. "There is no substance in this allegation."

Sisodia said the allegations came just after Mishra was told he was being removed as minister.

Mishra on Sunday claimed he saw Kejriwal accept Rs 2 crore in cash from Delhi Health Minister Satyendra Jain on Friday. Mishra was sacked on Saturday.
The BJP on Sunday demanded Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's resignation after sacked minister Kapil Mishra alleged he took Rs.2 crore in cash from Health Minister Satyendar Jain.

"Kejriwal has no moral right to hold the post of Chief Minister. He must resign immediately," Bharatiya Janata Party Delhi unit chief Manoj Tiwari said.

"I have said a number of times that Kejriwal is directly involved in corruption. Mishra's allegations have proved our point," Tiwari said.

The BJP leader said a case must be filed on the basis of the allegations made by Mishra, who was sacked from the Delhi government on Saturday night.

Mishra on Sunday alleged that he saw Kejriwal take Rs.2 crore from Jain at his residence.
The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) on Sunday demanded the resignation of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and also his immediate arrest after he was accused by AAP MLA and sacked minister Kapil Mishra of taking Rs.2 crore cash illegally.

Terming the "bribery scandal" as an "epoch event" which has "finally uncovered Kejriwal's real face", SAD general secretary Bikram Singh Majithia said the AAP was being accused of being involved in corruption since long.

"Now, we have a person who was a cabinet minister in the Delhi government till a few hours back claiming that he has witnessed the Delhi CM accepting Rs.2 crore from a tainted colleague with his own eyes," he said.

"Kejriwal has always maintained that he will take action against anyone accused of wrongdoing What will you do now when you yourself are in the dock?" Majithia asked.

"People expect you to do the honourable thing and resign immediately rather than trying to discredit Kapil Mishra," the SAD leader said.

Terming Mishra's disclosure as "the biggest expose in independent India, in which a cabinet minister had unmasked his chief minister before the public", he claimed, "The revelation has affirmed what was common knowledge that AAP is enmeshed in a cesspool of corruption and immorality."

"Mishra was found worthy of becoming a legislator and even be included in your (Kejriwal's) ministry. Now, the same person cannot be termed as insane by you and your cronies within hours of him exposing you," Majithia said.

He claimed that Kejriwal has based his politics on "deceit, defame others and ridicule" and now he is caught in his own web with his own persons exposing him.

"The people of Delhi suspected this and handed out a humiliating defeat to the AAP in the MCD elections. Now, they expect Kejriwal to resign immediately without any further delay," Majithia said, adding that the AAP national convener should be arrested immediately.

Alleging that earlier too Kejriwal had "encouraged corruption and immorality", the Akali leader said the founding members of the AAP were shown the door for "demanding propriety" in party functioning.

In 2015, Yogendra Yadav and Prashant Bhushan were removed from the political affairs committee (PAC) of the AAP after the duo had raised red flag against continuation of Kejriwal as the national convener as also had questioned his working style.

Majithia claimed the same thing happened in Punjab with AAP MPs Dharamvira Gandhi and Harinder Khalsa being isolated.

"Kejriwal has the dubious record of defending his tainted colleagues till they remain indefensible. He first defended his law minister Jitender Tomar in the fake degree case. He even stood by Somnath Bharti who was accused of domestic violence. He did not take action against his minister Sandeep Kumar despite being in possession of an objectionable CD of the minister," he said.

The wheel had turned full cycle for AAP and it has lost the trust and faith of the people of Delhi and the nation.

Now, it is for the AAP's Punjab leadership to clarify where they stand, Majithia said.

"Will they stand with Kejriwal, whose true character has been exposed by his own colleague, or will they stand with Kapil Mishra and all those who have stood up against corruption and nepotism in the party? This stand will decide the future of the AAP in Punjab," he said.

During campaigning for the Punjab Assembly polls, Kejriwal had vowed to put then state minister Majithia behind the bars if the AAP comes to power in the state.
The three-part Five Came Back is a fascinating mini-series involving five of today's great directors  Steven Spielberg, Francis Ford Coppola, Guillermo del Toro, Paul Greengrass and Lawrence Kasdan. It relays the impacts of five heavyweight directors of the past  Frank Capra, John Ford, George Stevens, William Wyler and John Huston  when they left Hollywood and headed to document the action on battlefields during the Second World War.

The series, narrated by Meryl Streep, provides fascinating insights and is receiving rave reviews. It's even had a run in US cinemas to qualify for the Oscars. Yet, few are talking about the man in the director's chair, Laurent Bouzereau, whose story is equally fascinating. He's made more than 300 films on classic movies from Ben-Hur to Jaws, and has collaborated with everyone from Stephen King and Michael Crichton to George Lucas and Roman Polanski. Bouzereau has been literally living out his  and everyone else's  dreams for the past 35 years. He gets to see how the magic happens in Hollywood, with full access to the sets, directors, cast and crew. You would understand if someone in this privileged position was arrogant and boastful, but not Bouzereau. He remains like a kid in a sweet shop, in awe of those around him. His excitement when talking about watching Alisters in action is palpable. Indeed his story gives hope to the ideal of living the Hollywood Dream.

As a young boy growing up in Paris in the 1960s and 1970s, he was very shy, but obsessed with movies in every aspect of film making, down to the minutiae of spotting similar techniques and sound effects in movies. I remember the first time I sat in a movie theatre, I spent more time staring back at where the image was coming from than at the film itself, Bouzereau says with excitement. So my dad arranged for me to go into the projection room after it was over. I was fascinated with the projector and the circle at the top that meant you had to change reels. That started my love of looking behind the scenes.

Bouzereau recalls one incredible chance encounter a few years later in 1981 with his film hero. I used to go to this small movie store in Paris every Saturday at 11 a.m. One time, I was chatting to the owner  this creepy guy who gave me a good deal on posters  telling him how great Francois Truffaut was when in walked the famous director himself! This was a few days before The Last Metro came out. He bought two books, one by Andre Bazin, the famous critic. He was slight with an old-fashioned tie and suit on. I was surprised as I imagined him as being tall, big and super hip. I approached and said I was such a big fan and couldn't wait for The Last Metro. But he responded that he was really scared because all his recent films were flops and that it would be a disaster. I was so floored that someone who I idolised had zero confidence. Interestingly, that movie that put him back on the map.

Not too long after this encounter, and after finishing his baccalaureate in France, Bouzereau decided to pack his bags and head for the US determined to get into the film world somehow. With no connections or film qualifications, little money, and only hope, his chances looked slim. His first port of call was the Big Apple.

Bizarrely his dad, who had nothing to do with the film world, had met a producer from New York on a plane a short while before, and had told her that his son was an obsessive film fan desperate to move to the US. She had said Bouzereau could get in touch, probably not expecting him to do so. He did. Her name was Sally Faile. She had produced this pretty terrible horror film called The Returning (1983). I worked with her for a few months, which was great, explains Bouzereau. But he had his sights set a little higher. Fortunately the omens were good.

At a film screening, two new actor friends, Rutanya Alda (The Deer Hunter) and her husband, Richard Bright (Looking for Mr.Goodbar) introduced Bouzereau to Scarface director, Brian De Palma. As a huge fan, Bouzereau found it hard to contain his excitement. We talked at length about his movies, and although nothing happened then, I would go on to do 'making-of' documentaries for pretty much all of his movies, says Bouzereau excitedly. However, this was the 1980s and the independent film sector was dying in New York. So after six years, Bouzereau decided to move to the home of Hollywood, Los Angeles. He managed to get a job working with another Hollywood great, Bette Midler for her company All Girl Productions, based in the Walt Disney Studios on Dopey Drive.

Bouzereau's first encounter with the Close Encounters director was an amusing one. He couldn't believe I knew so much about1941, one of his smaller and obscure films, which was not a box-office success. I had a huge number of memorabilia from the film. That started us geeking out and we just clicked.

This was the start of a beautiful friendship. Soon after, he was asked to do a retrospective of Jaws. Bouzereau recalls one particularly enlightening conversation with Spielberg about the famous shark. At the end of Jaws, the shark explodes and you have a shot of it falling to the bottom of the ocean and you hear a strange sound. I said to him that in his movie Duel when the truck goes over the hill at the end, it has the same sound. He said, Oh my god! You're the first person to notice this. It was a dinosaur sound from an old movie that I really liked, so I put it in both movies.

This interest in film techniques is what drives Bouzereau when directing his making-of movies. Whether he's doing retrospectives of films like Jaws, The Exorcist or Lawrence of Arabia, which require lengthy research of archives, or actually being on the sets of movies and uncovering behind the scenes little gems for the DVD or Blu-ray extras.

I have a good relationship with all the heads of departments on the movies I work on, so I know exactly what went into creating every aspect of the films, explains Bouzereau. If it's a big movie with large sets, I'm usually there early on to witness everything. If it's a more modest movie or doesn't require much pre-production, then I'll join a little later. But the important thing is I have to be invisible. Everyone is working hard and so I don't want to intrude. Fortunately, Steven has pretty much the same crews for all his films, and they know and trust me, telling me 'you should come and see this'.

Another highlight was filming Spielberg talking to renowned composer John Williams in a sound stage. John recalled how when he met Steven for the first time he was surprised that this young filmmaker knew so much about the music he'd done on Westerns, especially a film called The Reivers, and that he could hum the tunes, recalls Bouzereau, adding that a trust soon built up between the Hollywood giants. He is equally complementary about George Lucas, with whom he has produced several behind the scenes documentaries and books, including Star Wars: The Annotated Screenplays, about the first trilogy movies, which Lucas produced. He is very funny and incredibly helpful. He gave me access to every piece of paper handwritten by him for those movies. It was like being handed the Holy Grail. My book has since become a bit of a reference for Star Wars fanatics.

Another heavyweight he's worked with, and calls him a close friend, is controversial director Roman Polanski. Roman's friend Andrew Braunsberg was interviewing him about his life during his house arrest in 2009 and he wanted me to direct it as a movie. Since then, every morning we put the film together over croissant. It was called Roman Polanski: A Film Memoir, which screened at the Cannes Film Festival.

When delving behind the scenes, Bouzereau also likes to talk to the screenwriters and writers. He formed a particularly strong relationship with Michael Crichton, author of Jurassic Park. So much so that he now works with the writer's widow Sherri Crichton through her production company to introduce Michael's work to a new generation. They've already helped develop a couple of film and TV adaptation projects. One is to be a thriller feature film set up at DreamWorks Studios, based on Crichton's last novel Micro. The other is to be a TV series called Dragon Teeth, based on a soon to be published Crichton manuscript about the rivalry between reallife paleontologists Edward Drinker Cope and Othniel Charles Marsh.

Bouzereau has also optioned a short story written by his friend Stephen King called Bad Little Kid. So he's keeping as busy as ever. He knows he's lucky. The hardest thing in this business is not boxoffice success or winning an Oscar, it's longevity. Who is going to be remembered 30 years from now? I interviewed the legendary producer Herbert Coleman, whose credits included North by Northwest and Vertigo, but he lived in a trailer park and slept on a cot. These are tough lessons to face.

The independent
Mimicry, by changing form, shape and colour on the spot, is unique to animals. Imagine if you went into a Chinese, or African, neighbourhood and had to defend yourself by looking Chinese or African. Or if you had to change your colour to black or white or polka dotted? Or become shorter, fatter, change the shape of your nose, increase the number of arms. We can't do a single thing at will even if our lives depend on it.

But animals and insects do it easily. They change their forms to look like species that predators avoid. They smell differently, they change their shapes and colours to blend in with the background, or with their prey, or look like blobs of inanimate matter. They have learnt to eat without being eaten. The mock viper (P. pulverulentus) of Asia is a mild harmless snake. It looks like a viperwith a triangular head, but the viper is a dangerous snake. The only difference is that the mock viper has round pupils. True vipers' pupils are vertical slits.

The Mock Viper knows it is harmless but is so clever that, when threatened, it squeezes the shape of its pupils to look like the slits of a true pit viper and then, in the panic this causes, it flees.

Appearing dangerous is the first defence. Another snake in this region, the Malayan bridle snake, mimics a venomous snake, called the Malayan krait, not just in its coloration, but by hiding its head under its coils when threatened.

The Milk snake (L. triangulum) is harmless but changes itself gradually to develop bands like the venomous Coral snake. Is this mimicry or a coincidence? Definitely deliberate mimicry, because it happens only in those regions where the milk snake and coral snake are found together. In other regions, the milk snake doesn't look anything like the coral snake. Likewise, the harmless Scarlet King Snake is born with white bands. But young snakes start developing the colouring of the coral snakes with the yellow, apricot, or tangerine coloured banding.

The hognosed snake pretends to be dead and gives off a rotting smell. But before that it mimics a rattlesnake, raising its head as if about to strike and making a rattling sound.

It's not just defence, animals that hunt need to be clever too. Either they adopt amazing disguises or they fool their prey into believing they are harmless while they get close to them.

The Green Lacewing larva feeds on woolly alder aphids who are protected by ants. So it plucks the white waxy wool from an aphid's back, attaches it to its own and fools the ants into believing it is part of their flock. Once inside the circle, it eats the aphids.

The Zone tailed Hawk feeds on live animals, but it mimics the flight of a vulture who is a carrion eater. Small animals are deceived by the gliding flight, and vulture like outline, and are then snatched up.

The Cleaner Wrasse fish is harmless and its function is to eat the parasites on larger fish. They stand in line to be attended to. The Sabre Tooth Blennnyhas black and blue markings like the Cleaner and loiters at cleaning stations, imitating the Wrasse's swimming pattern. It comes close to large fish and bites a chunk out of them before darting away.

The Dusky Dottyback is a small 3 inch harmless looking fish which lives in our Indo pacific coral reefs. It ranges in colour from pink to grey,but can change into any colour  green, yellow brown  to match its prey. It tricks baby fish of larger species into thinking it is one of them. Then it eats them. Its favourite prey are baby damselfish. This unique talent allows the dottyback to easily approach juvenile damselfish without detection and, by the time one group has alerted itself, it moves to new groups of fish and new colours.

The Cheilinus wrasse is a carnivorous fish of the coral reef. It changes its colour to mimic harmless plant eating fish, like goatfish or parrotfish, and swims in their schools until it gets close to its prey. But different wrasses use the power of mimicry to do different things. The Potters wrasse mimics the Potters Angel?-?a larger, more spiny, harder to catch fish.

The slender Trumpet fish swims vertically in the soft coral branches and changes its colour to match its background. It is almost invisible to the small animals that it hunts.

The Marine flatworm increases its size to look like a sea slug, which is avoided by aquatic predators because it emits a poisonous and malodorous substance.

The Bushveld Lizard (E. lugubris) in Southern Africa mimics notorious and noxious 'oogpister' beetles when young. While the adults blend with the red-tan colours of the Kalahari semi-desert, the lizard juveniles are jet-black and white and move with stiff, jerky movements and arched backs. Predators avoid the threat of the pungent, acidic fluid sprayed by these beetles when threatened.

Metalmark moths (Brenthia) are hunted by jumping spiders. So they make themselves look like the spiders that hunt them. How does a moth with wings mimic an arachnid with eight legs? When a metalmark is confronted by the spider, it arranges its wings to mimic the spider's pose, looking like a bigger, meaner, spider.

Capturing other insects becomes easier for ant-mimicking spiders who align six of their legs to look like ant legs and the extra pair to look like the antennae of a six-legged insect. Passing for a non-threatening ant allows them to get within easy striking distance of their prey.

Before butterflies rise to dazzle the world with their beauty they have to spend days as defenceless caterpillars waiting to be eaten. Many masquerade as something that's actually dangerous. Some, when faced with a predator, retract their heads backward into themselves, causing a bulge that looks like the head of a snake. The snake "eyes" are just spots on the caterpillar's sides. Some even extend appendages from the top of their head to mimic a forked snake tongue.

The Oscar goes to the king of all mimics: the mimic Octopus, Thaumoctopus mimicus, an eight tentacled creature that can look like anything it wants to: a seasnake, a foul tasting flatfish, a shrimp, a seahorse, stingray, anemone, starfish, lionfish, crab. Inhabiting the coast of Indonesia, this creature is so good at not being an octopus that it eluded human discovery until 1998. In any other civilization it would be preserved as a being of magic. In this world it is killed in the millions and eaten.

Pl. add: To join the animal welfare movement contact [email protected], www.peopleforanimalsindia.org
As one of Shakespeares characters feels, life is a twice-told tale vexing the dull ear of a drowsy man. We use countless hazy and humdrum words to carry on and carry out this tiresome phenomenon called life, and we sometimes become so sick of them that we prefer silence for avoiding deadly monotony of speech. It is therefore a pleasure to turn sometimes from the fuzzy, furry, monotonous and foggy words of everyday speech to the vocabulary of science, academics and professions.

The terminology of these fields is, for the most part, definite precise, and sharply delimited and an exploration through this kingdom of professional words provides ample pleasure and surprise.When in surgery, for example, one doctor says to another, I have just performed an appendectomy, there is no doubt as to what has happened. His doctor friend knows that -ectomy is a Greek form that means a cutting out, so an appendix operation has been done. That is quite clear and no doubt is left.

But let us pretend someone has just said, I am against capitalism and in favour of labour. Now we are leaving the exact language of science and are entering the vague and sometimes almost meaningless language that the rest of us speak. A doctor knows what an appendectomy is, and a professor knows who an anthropologist is. But, as we have asked before, what may a capitalist be?

Exactly how much money must one have to be a capitalist? And who is a labourer? Is he one who works with his hands? Not all labourers do that these days. Would a person who wrote a famous book be called a labourer? The so-called labourers often call a strike against their capitalistic bosses, just as though their employers were a different breed of men from another world. And yet the word labour comes from the Latin laborare, which meant to be tired, and with such a derivation this world could often apply to the boss. He gets tired, too. As a side comment it is only since the Formation that labour has been regarded as a duty. Before that folks worked because they had to.

The tragedy of English language is that there are no satisfactory answers to these questions. Words such as capital and labour make artificial boundaries between people that dont actually exist and this situation causes trouble no end in our world. Truly the language of daily use is an inadequate and a most imperfect means of communication. We speak but except in the field of science these words have no specific meanings. No wonder, at one time a famous mathematician said that English language should be retailored and reduced to a series of algebraic formulas. No wonder that in a science such as medicine, where words can mean life and death, it has been necessary to create a special dictionary of some 70,000 medical terms so that the doctors would know what they were talking about.

The words we use to speak to each other are not accurate enough for medicine, surgery, or for any of the sciences. If no other words had been invented, the scientists would be as vague in their understanding of each other as non-specialist laymen are. It is for this reason that astronomy, mathematics, archaeology and all the rest have had to invent their own vocabularies. It is because of these special vocabularies that little confusion regarding words exists in the realm of academic disciplines, science and professional fields.

But the study of etymology of scientific, academic and professional words too is quite interesting and brings to light many unknown or little known facts or anecdotes. Besides, we can also see the changes that have taken place in the meanings of the words in course of time.

There is a pleasant story regarding the word academy. A Spartan maiden, named Helen, was kidnapped by the legendary hero Theseus. Her twin brothers, Castor and Pollux, who are now in the heavens as two bright stars, searched for their sister without success until they met the farmer, Akademos, who seems to have given them some hint as to the whereabouts of the kidnapper and his victim. As a reward for his alertness, the grove of Akademos was eternally watched over by the gods. It was in this grove that the great philosopher Plato held his classes. The grove was called Academia, and for many years after his death his pupils and followers met in the same spot for their discussions. Plato never verified the story of the farmer, but he gave us the word academy that now means a place of learning.

The roots of many medical terms can also be traced back to antiquity. Before undergoing an operation, a patient is to be put to anaesthesia, which originally meant no feeling. Sir Humphry Davy first accomplished artificial anaesthesia in 1800 and in that period medical men would have had enough Greek to know that Plato used the word anaisthesia to mean insensibility from an (not) and aisthesis (feeling).

Modern civilisation can be paralysed if electricity is discontinued even for an hour. The word electricity originally meant the beaming sun. The Greeks knew that when you rubbed amber, it would become magnetic and begin to draw feathers and strings and other light objects to it. Little more than this was known about electricity until comparatively recent times. The ancients used to make amulets out of amber, and guaranteed that the wearing of one would attract a lover. Since friction can make amber give off sparks, the Greeks named it elektron from elektor (the beaming sun). This word passed into Latin as electrum and was turned into the adjective electricus, whence our electric and electricity.

Entomology is the branch of zoology that treats insects. The word is based on the Greek entomos which means cut up. If we examine an ant or a wasp or a similar insect, we shall see that their bodies are indented and appear to be cut up into sections. The word insect from the Latin insectum (cut up) is simply a Roman rendering of the Greek idea.

Anyone who suffers from agoraphobia has a morbid fear of open spaces. Joseph Conrad, the novelist, suffered from this, and always placed his chair in the corner of a room with the angle of the walls behind him so that there would be no open space to the rear. The Greek language gave us this word from agora (market place) and phobia (fear). People with this fear would be afraid of the open market place or of open fields.

A doctor is perhaps the nearest to us of all professional men. Literally, a doctor is a teacher, for his name, which is pure Latin, comes from doceo and doctus meaning teach. It was originally applied to any learned man, and we have a certain survival of this when we speak of a Doctor of Letters, Philosophy, or Law. It was not until the late middle ages that a doctor became more particularly a medical man. A word that was very close to the original meaning of doctor was pundit. It is from Sanskrit pandita or learned man. It came to mean a Hindu who was versed in Sanskrit and in the philosophy, law and religion of India. Now, it is usually used in a somewhat humorous and familiar way about a stuffy, intellectual snob! There are many words in the academic field, which make interesting etymological study. The word pedagogue is a case in point. An instructor of young people is a schoolmaster, and the history of the word pedagogue demands that he should be such, for this terms comes from the identical Greek word pedagogue, which divides into pais, paidos (child) and ago (lead). Originally, and quite literally, it was the slave who led the child to school and home again by the hand. Little attention was paid to the education of girls in ancient Greek days, but the sons were taught by the pedagogues who were slaves in the families of the rich.

A demagogue, by the way, leads people (demos) in other directions. When we see a group of young pupils sitting in a classroom, they look a bit like dolls, and that is why the word pupil came from the Latin term pupilla meaning a little doll.The elective subjects that boys and girls pick out in college are those that they choose themselves. The Latin language contributes this word from electus, which is made up of e, from, and lego, meaning choose. The word college itself means chosen together. The source is the Latin collegium from col (with) and lego (choose), that is, in a college one is chosen along with another.

And as to the word seminary, we discover that it is a close cousin to semen. The Latin semen meant seed and seminarium, a seed plot. So the seminaries for young girls and for young theologians are nurseries where the seeds of knowledge are sown and cultivated. Streptococcus bacteria have an interesting etymological origin.

A brilliant surgeon and bacteriologist, Dr ACT Billroth by name, lived in Vienna at the time of Brahms, and, incidentally, was an intimate friend of the great composer. It was this doctor who coined the name streptococcus. He formed it from Latin terminology, but the elements are pure Greek as streptos means a twisted necklace, and kokkos stands for a seed. The idea is that under the microscope, these bacteria are seen to form long necklaces or chains. The diseases we humans are heir to are many. The etymological study of these diseases is also intriguing. To early physicians any epidemic was a blow and this ultimately was the sense of the word plague, which goes back through French to the Latin plaga, meaning blow. The ancient Romans came close to our modern germ theory. They suspected that there were things that flew around in the air and brought disease. It was for this reason that they learned not to pitch their camps by swamps for they had noted that marshes seemed to produce chills and fever.

We took our term malaria, which describes this kind of a fever from the Italian words mala aria or bad air.They guessed shrewdly that the air carried trouble with it. One of the characteristics of diphtheria is the leathery appearance of the false membrane of the throat that forms during the illness, so this affliction was called after the Greek word diphtheria, which meant skin or hide.

A tumour is certainly a swelling, and that is precisely what tumor means in Latin. The same source gave us tumult as in the tumult of the crowd, and that is, the swell of agitation and noise in the crowd. With some of the diseases there can be delirium. At such a time, when the patient has slightly crazy ideas we say that he is off his track. The same idea is concealed in the word delirium. The Latin parts are de, meaning off and lira or track or furrow, like the plow is off the furrow and wandering around.

There are innumerable such words in English the study of whose etymology gives us real intellectual pleasure as well as fodder for serious scholarly discussions, and it reminds us that the land of words is truly a wonderland.
The Prime Minister's Office (PMO) has said it cannot divulge information on who has sought permission to use Narendra Modi's photographs in advertisements, saying that such an exercise needs a "thorough search".

In reply to a Right to Information (RTI) query filed by a PTI correspondent, it said the exercise would also "disproportionately" divert its resources because the information was not available in a "consolidated" form.

"Collection of information, if any, will require the undertaking of a thorough search of every receipt or communication kept in all the files related to the matter," the PMO said.

Such an extensive exercise, it said, would "disproportionately divert the resources of this office from the normal discharge of its functions and attract the provision of Section 7 (9) of the RTI Act, 2005."

Under the Section, "information shall ordinarily be provided in the form in which it is sought unless it would disproportionately divert the resources of the public authority or would be detrimental to the safety or preservation of the record in question."

The PMO was asked to give details of permissions sought by companies, trusts and individuals for using the prime minister's photographs with copies of communications accepting or denying such requests.

In response to another query, the PMO said it had no record of permission sought by Reliance Jio and Paytm for the use of Modi's pictures in advertisements.

"The information sought does not form part of the records held by this office," it said.

In September 2016, Reliance Jio had in full-page newspaper advertisements dedicated the Reliance Jio 4G service to the Modi government's flagship Digital India project.

The advertisements were published with a photograph of the prime minister, triggering a political controversy. Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal had tweeted: PM of India openly endorses Reliance product.

After the government announced demonetisation of currency notes on November 8, Paytm, an Indian digital wallet, issued an advertisement, with the PM's photograph, welcoming the move as it boosted the use of online payments.

The Department of Consumer Affairs had sent notices to both the companies under the Emblems and Names (Prevention of Improper Use) Act of 1950, which bars the commercial use of the prime minister's name and picture.

In March, the government informed Parliament that Reliance Jio and Paytm had apologised for their "inadvertent mistake" in using Modi's photograph in their advertisements without permission.

Section 3 of the Emblems and Names (Prevention of Improper Use) Act of 1950 stipulates that "no person shall use or continue to use" any name or emblem for the purpose of any trade, business, calling or profession without the permission of the central government.

The law provides that "any person who contravenes the provisions of the Section shall be punishable with a fine, which may exceed to Rs 500".
Congress leader A K Antony on Sunday said his party will bounce back strongly after the defeats in the February-March assembly elections in five states.

"Setbacks are only a temporary phenomenon as the Congress will bounce back very strongly. The need of the hour is to strengthen the Congress at the grass-roots level," Antony said at a party function here.

"What one sees in Kerala are only 'leaders', while the party strength at the lower levels is weak. That has to change."

He also said the Left government in Kerala, which will complete a year this month, had been an "abject failure on all fronts".

"Every sector in the state has gone haywire and gone down badly," the former Kerala chief minister said.

The Congress leader said the time was not far when Kerala's ruling Communist Party of India-Marxist will itself hail Congress President Sonia Gandhi.

"Those in West Bengal, Tripura and other places have already started asking Sonia to come forward (to lead the opposition). If not today, definitely tomorrow the CPI-M in Kerala too will say the same thing."

He said the first step in opposition unity will surface during the July polls to elect the President.
Its been several days since Left Wing Extremists ambushed CRPF personnel in Sukma, Chattisgarh resulting in the martyrdom of 25 jawans. Much is being written and debated on air on the tragedy and the countrys biggest paramilitary force has been put under the scanner to explain how it lost so many lives.

Security experts, retired Generals and many self-styled specialists on anti-Naxalite terror, are seizing this opportunity to remain in focus by highlighting CRPFs failures and seem to be on a fault-finding spree in order to blame almost all concerned for the tragedy.

The inquisitors have focused on the delay in posting of a regular Director-General; lack of adequate equipment; failure to adhere Standard Operating Procedures ( SOPs) and not appropriating the experience and services of CRPF cadre officers etc. Such scathing and sweeping criticisms are mostly unfounded, barring some operational issues that require detailed analysis.

The sad incident is now a fait accompli and CRPF, currently in mourning, is not in a position to defend itself. There have been repeated attacks and casualties, almost in the same vicinity, so any explanation or justification from the force is unlikely to seem plausible or allay apprehensions.

What is needed perhaps is professional introspection and putting in place a fool-proof anti-Naxalite plan to prevent recurrence. One should move forward with the positive frame of mind with constructive thoughts instead of hitting out at the force.

What comes to mind as an immediate focus area is to tone up intelligence to deal with the nonstop menace. We are not sure if intelligence within the CRPF is at all playing any role though the top brass often talks about this.

Its hard to imagine a huge force like the CRPF, with a strength of nearly 300,000, and principally engaged in anti-Naxal operations in a particular region, is without a formidable intelligence set up that is Naxalite-centric.

In contrast, lets take the case of BSF. It has a separate Intelligence branch to provide actionable intelligence to deal with threats on the long Indo-Pak and IndoBangladesh borders. This must be paying dividends. It needs to be borne in mind that BSF was founded in 1965 and today has an exclusive intelligence wing under a senior IPS officer. On the other hand, CRPF came into being way back in 1939 and yet it is without a full fledged intelligence set-up. If at all it has one, it looks to be functionally tentative.

In view of the reverses suffered recently, it would be advisable for the CRPF leadership to create an earmarked Intelligence wing devoted only to Naxalite-related information for obtaining actionable inputs to counter and neutralise the extremists. CRPF may be constrained by a shortage of officers and men to form the proposed entity. To overcome this, the Ministry of Home Affairs that oversees para-military forces must ensure that any manpower deficit is quickly made up. The force should have a well oiled machine geared with its intelligence machinery to start delivering favourable results.

There are any number of retired and experienced intelligence officers available who had in the past dealt with numerous complex problems. A team of retired officers and personnel from Intelligence Bureau ( IB), R&AW and Chattisgarh State Police (Intelligence ) can be drawn up to assist CRPF in forming the Intelligence wing. These retired personnel are proficient in tradecraft and their experience should come in handy. Pooling in all this talent and experience can be the first pragmatic step towards containing the menace.

Importantly, there must be CRPF cadre officers too in the team to benefit from the available experience. CRPF has very competent officers on its rolls. Their bravery is unquestionable. Time and again, they have fearlessly borne the brunt of the worst kind of violence in Kashmir and Naxal-infested regions. Hence involvement of retired CRPF personnel is a must. This move would seek to instil confidence in the force. to lift its morale and increase its operational efficacy.

Taking the morale of this force to an all time high is the need of the hour. The government has just appointed a DG to head the force. Let him have a free hand to steer its rank and file to new heights as a vigorous, anti-Naxal force that restores the confidence of jawans and of the local populace.

Under no circumstances should sacrifices of the valiant CRPF men be allowed to go in vain. That is the first challenge for the new DG.

K Vijay Kumar, ex DG, CRPF, and now Advisor to the MHA on Left Wing Extremism, in his address to retired and serving CRPF officers last year had stressed the need for reinforced intelligence. This point merits being carried forward. The nation cannot afford to lose brave and committed policemen every now and then. The extremists must be dealt a devastating blow. These are the operational facets requiring priority.

As regards calls by human rights groups and NGOs to integrate extremists into the mainstream and offering them packages, such goodies can wait . First, the menace should be addressed by the CRPF and then the welfare measures can follow. Pro-extremist activists, in the meanwhile, should call upon the perpetrators of terror to shun violence.

The writer, a retired IPS officer, is a security analyst and writes on security issues. He is a Senior Fellow with the India Police Foundation. Views are personal.
Residents of a village near Bangladesh border have lodged an FIR against the BSF claiming that Friday's firing by its personnel to stop "cattle smugglers" was actually a fake encounter.

BSF had said in a statement that their men posted at Kachu Adokgre in West Garo Hills district apprehended cattle smugglers, who attacked them along with local people, and they had to fire injuring two persons.

Villagers of Belabor, however, contested this version and lodged an FIR demanding action against the BSF personnel involved, Superintendent of Police Dr MGR Kumar said on Sunday.

BSF personnel were trying to pass ordinary villagers as cattle smugglers to impress their superiors, said the FIR lodged on Saturday.

The district SP said, "We are looking into all aspects of the case and an investigation into what really happened is currently on."

The villagers asked how cattle smuggle could take place during daytime in presence of security personnel along the border.

The FIR claimed that BSF men came in two vehicles at a spot away from their jurisdiction, questioned one resident of Belabor about cattle smuggle and let him go at around 9 AM.

Then they moved to Kochu Adokgre and found Namseng Ch Sangma, a resident of Belabor village, tending six cattle.

They accused him of smuggling the animals to Bangladesh, the FIR said.

Villagers reached the spot and an argument ensued as BSF personnel refused to listen to the plea of the local people that the cattle belong to them, it said adding BSF men then fired injuring two persons including Namseng.

District police officers later reached the village and talked to the villagers.

The injured men, who were shot in the leg and were hospitalised, and two others were arrested.
In wake of lowest rise in daily wages of MNREGA workers in some states, the Centre is looking to rework the baseline on basis of which the remuneration is paid to beneficiaries under the employment guarantee scheme.

According to the Union rural development ministry data, the daily wage under the MNREGA has risen by just Re 1 in Assam, Bihar, Jharkhand, Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh, by Rs.2 in Odisha and by Rs.4 in Bengal.

MNREGA wages have been increased by 2.7 per cent this year compared to 5.7 per cent rise in the last financial year.

The revised wages applied from April 1.

There is huge variation between MGNREGA wages notified by the Centre and the minimum wage of some states, and MGNREGA wages are way below the state's minimum wages, a source said.

To end this variation, the Centre is looking to rework or change the baseline for paying MNREGA wages, and a committee under Nagesh Singh, Additional Secretary in Department of Rural Development, has been constituted for the same, the source added.

As of now, under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Scheme (MNREGS) wages are paid on the basis of consumer price index (CPI) for agricultural labourers, which is based on the consumption pattern of 1983.

But an expert committee constituted by the Centre had recommended baseline for MGNREGA indexation should be the current minimum wage fixed by the state for unskilled agricultural workers.

The committee had also suggested that the Consumer Price Index for Rural (CPI-Rural), which reflects the current consumption pattern of rural households, should be the basis for revising MGNREGA wage rates.

The job guarantee scheme provides for up to 100 days' unskilled employment for every rural household every year.

10 crore families are beneficiaries.

The highest rise of Rs.18 in MNREGA is reported by Kerala and Haryana.

Haryana has highest wage rate in the country at Rs.277 per day, while Bihar and Jharkhand have lowest wage rate at Rs.168.
The government aims to make the Northeast a gateway to Southeast Asia and was making huge investments for the overall development of the region, but lack of cleanliness could hamper this dream, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Sunday.

"If such a beautiful gateway is unclean, diseased, illiterate or disbalanced, then it will fail to cross the gateway of the country's development. There is no reason why, with all our resources, we should remain backward or poor," the Prime Minister said.

Addressing the centenary celebrations of the prominent voluntary organisation, Bharat Sevashram Sangha, in Shillong through video conferencing, he lamented that "only Gangtok had found a place among the first 50 clean cities", out of the 12 cities from the Northeast surveyed as part of the recent nationwide cleanliness survey.

While four Northeastern cities found a place between 100 and 200 clean cities, seven were positioned between 200 and 300, with Shillong being the 276th, he said while stressing that 'Swachhata' or cleanliness was a major challenge for everyone in the region.

"We have to make the Northeast a gateway for Southeast Asia," Modi said, adding if this gateway is dirty, then the dream would not be fulfilled and asked the people and organisations like the Sangha to join hands with the state governments and their agencies in the cleanliness campaign.

Observing that there has been no balanced development in the entire Northeast so many years after Independence, Modi said his government, "with all its resources", had planned to bring about balanced development of the states here.

He said the major thrust was to improve connectivity and develop the entire region for tourism purposes.

"All these initiatives will help to make the Northeast the gateway of Southeast Asia," he said.

While an investment of Rs.40,000 crore is being made to improve the road infrastructure in the entire Northeast, 19 big railway projects have also been started in the region, he said.

"We are also improving the electricity situation in the Northeast and trying to bring even more tourists to the region," Modi said.

Announcing that the Northeast would soon be connected with UDAN (Ude Desh ka Aam Nagarik) scheme, he said small airports were also being developed in the region, while the extension of the runway at Shillong airport has been approved.

The Bharat Sevashram Sangha is a network of volunteers across the globe engaged in helping people in distress.

The Sangha's social welfare activities include disaster relief, spreading education, providing healthcare facilities, vocational training and upliftment of the tribals.

Lauding the role of the Sangha in playing a critical role during natural calamities, the Prime Minister said a myth was sought to be created that spirituality and service cannot go together.

"The Bharat Sevashram Sangha has been able to dispel this myth, through its work," he said, saying that societal development through 'Bhakti', 'Shakti' and 'Jan Shakti' was achieved by Swami Pranavananda, the Sangha's founder.

He said Sangha, with more than 100 branches and over 500 units, had rendered services during various calamities, starting from the Bengal famine in 1923 and Noakhali riots in 1946 to Bhogal gas leakage in 1980, the Tsunami in 2004 and 2013 Uttarakhand tragedy.
An agreement has been signed between the road transport and the skill development ministries to set up 100 driver training institutes in order to meet the rising demand for certified commercial drivers in the automotive, construction and logistics sectors.

Under the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), the Ministry of Road Transport & Highways will allocate as the grant component Rs 1 crore for each of the 100 driver training institutes to be set up across the country.

The Ministry of Skill Development & Entrepreneurship will also allocate a budget for stipend to trainees to compensate the wage loss during the training period. The stipend will be limited to Rs 15,000 per trainee for the entire duration of the course. The stipend will be transferred to the accounts of the trainees on Aadhaar-linked Direct Benefit Transfer basis.

The pact was signed in the presence of Union Road Transport & Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari and Union Skill Development & Entrepreneurship Minister Rajiv Pratap Rudy here on Friday.

"We will set up 100 driver training institutes to skill drivers and make them ready for huge opportunity," Rudy said.

The partnership entails training the youth for various skills like driving heavy commercial vehicles and in different trades connected to highways.

The Ministry of Skill Development & Entrepreneurship through the National Skills Development Corporation will also train highway construction workers, technicians, supervisors, and operators to make them industry ready.

It will also upgrade the skills and certify existing workers in the road and highways construction sector.
Ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Israel, an Indian delegation, including Congress leader Manish Tewari, will be in Tel Aviv for three days to attend conferences on security issues beginning on Monday, a statement said.

The delegation has been invited by the Institute for National Security Studies (INSS) in Tel Aviv, National Nuclear Security Administration and Centre for Global Security Research, according to the statement from the office of Congress leader Jaiveer Shergill, who is also part of the delegation.

The members of the Indian delegation will speak on security and economic issues facing the Middle East and South Asian countries.

The delegation also comprises National Security Advisor Ajit Doval's son and Indian Foundation Director Shaurya Doval, and other individuals having expertise on security issues, said the statement.

Efraim Halevy, a former head of Mossad, will address the Indian delegation.

The Indian delegation is also expected to visit the Golan Heights and the Lebanese border, the statement said.

Modi is expected to visit Israel while returning from G-20 Summit in Hamburg (Germany) to be held July 7-8.


The death toll in an attack in the Kashmir Valley by militants rose to five after an injured civilian succumbed to his injuries on Sunday, a police official said.

The Saturday attack had also left a policeman, two other civilians and a wanted LeT militant dead in Mir Bazar area of the Jammu-Srinagar highway in Kulgam district.

Earlier, reports said two policemen and two civilians were killed in the attack.

"A police party had gone to investigate a road accident when militants travelling in a car opened fire at them," a police official said.

"The police retaliated in which LeT militant Fayaz Ahmad was killed and another was injured."

According to the official, Ahmad was involved in the Udhampur highway attack on a Border Security Forces convoy in August 2015 that left two BSF troopers and a militant dead.

He said the injured militant managed to escape and searches were on to trace him.

Ahmad was wanted by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) and a reward of Rs 2 lakh had been announced for his capture.
Minister of State in the PMO, Jitendra Singh on Sunday said that the Kashmir issue is settled beyond any debate and peace would soon return to the Valley.

"Kashmir issue is settled beyond any debate and those seeking to rake it up as an issue are doing so either out of a vested political interest because they have been thrown out of power or they belong to so-called separatist camp and have a vested interest in keeping the Kashmir pot boiling to sustain their relevance," he said while addressing a public gathering in Reasi district.

"What is now left of the Kashmir issue is a war of perceptions and we are ready to fight it out conclusively.

"Kashmir is a closed chapter for 125 crore people of India and we shall not allow a handful of self-seeking activists or self-styled intellectuals to open this chapter, thus holding to ransom the future of the youth of Kashmir," he added.

Speaking to media on the sidelines of the public gathering, Jitendra Singh reiterated that the youth of Kashmir wished to be a part of the development journey led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and expressed confidence that situation in Kashmir will come back to normal very soon.
The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has begun a probe into pro-Islamic State (IS) messages being circulated on WhatsApp in Kerala, an intelligence officer said here on Sunday.

The investigation follows a complaint by a local resident who allegedly received a WhatsApp message in Malayalam promoting IS.

"The message is in Malayalam and it has come from Afghanistan. We came to know of this yesterday (Saturday) and the person who received the message has registered a complaint with the NIA and it has commenced a probe into it," the official told IANS on the condition of anonymity.

The group administrator of the WhatsApp group is believed to be a youth from Palakkad who has been reported missing for some time.

Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan had last year informed the state assembly that 21 people  17 from Kasargode district and four from Palakkad district  were missing. The youth were suspected to have joined the terror organisation in Syria.

In the last two months, three youths from Kasargode district were believed to have been killed in the US-led strikes against the IS. Their relatives received social media messages about their deaths.
Calling Tripura backward on all fronts, BJP President Amit Shah on Sunday asked the people to bring his party to power in the 2018 assembly polls as only the Modi model can develop the state and eliminate corruption.

"In the 24-year rule of the Left government, Tripura has remained backward on all fronts. Only (Prime Minister Narendra) Modi model can develop the state and remove corruption if the party comes to power in next year's assembly elections.

"Rate of development in Tripura is a big zero as the Left government did nothing and central funds were siphoned off. CPI-M (Communist Party of India-Marxist) cadres ate the funds meant for development," he said at a public meeting in this northern Tripura town.

In his 19-minute speech in Hindi, the BJP chief said a large number of tribals live in Bharatiya Janata Party-ruled Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra where "every basic facility like water, electricity, and health services have been provided in each tribal and remote village".

Highlighting the Modi government's efforts for development of Tripura and elaborating various projects that it had sanctioned, he said the first measure of a BJP government would be to implement recommendations of the 7th Pay Commission for state government employees.

Amit Shah noted that during the regime of Congress-led United Progressive Alliance, the 13th Finance Commission gave Rs 7,283 crore to Tripura for five years while the 14th Finance Commission under the National Democratic Alliance government gave Rs 25,396 crore. "This money would not reach the people, it would go to the CPI-M cadres' pocket," he alleged.

He said around 25 per cent of Tripura's educated population was jobless, crime against women was the highest while corruption was mounting as Chief Minister Manik Sarkar remained inactive.

"Due to the misdeeds of the Left Front government 10,323 government teachers recently lost their jobs following the Supreme Court verdict," he said.

He also alleged that during the Left regime, activities of the illegal chit funds mushroomed in Tripura and CPI-M members benefited from these unlawful deposits. He dared Sarkar to hand over the cases to the Central Bureau of Investigation.

Assam Finance Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, West Bengal's former state unit chief Rahul Sinha, Union Minister Faggan Singh Kulaste, party General Secretary Bhupendra Yadav, and state BJP President Biplab Kumar Deb also addressed the meeting.

Shah is on a two-day visit to the state to finalise the party's strategy for next year's assembly polls.
At least one incident of ceasefire violation by Pakistan has been reported daily along the LoC in Jammu and Kashmir in 2015 and 2016, with 23 security personnel being killed in the two years, the Home Ministry has said in an RTI reply.

It also said that 1,142 terror incidents were reported in J-K between 2012 and 2016 in which 236 security personnel and 90 civilians were killed.

In the same period, 507 terrorists were killed in encounters, the ministry said.

According to the reply, Pakistan violated the ceasefire across the Line of Control 449 times in 2016, as compared to 405 violations in 2015. Twenty-three security personnel were killed in the two-year period, it said.

Major Gen (retd) G D Bakshi said Pakistan is running a "covert" war against India.

"Though Pakistan talks about peace, it does not believe in it, and Jammu and Kashmir is an example," he said.

Compared to 220 terror incidents in Jammu and Kashmir in 2012, there were 322 incidents in 2016 in which 82 security personnel and 15 civilians were killed, the RTI reply said.

It said in 2015, 39 security personnel and 17 civilians were killed in 208 terror incidents while 108 terrorists were killed in encounters. While 47 security personnel and 28 civilians were killed in the state, 110 terrorists were killed in encounters in 2014, the reply said.

The RTI reply said in 2012, 15 security personnel and as many civilians were killed in 220 terror incidents, and 72 terrorists were killed in encounters.

In 2013, 53 security personnel and 15 civilians were killed in 170 terror incidents in J&K with security forces killing 67 terrorists in encounters.

"There is a new trend these days. Whenever the army surrounds militants in an area, messages are sent on social media platforms and residents from nearby places gather there, slowing down operations," Bakshi said.
The Centre has allowed emergency vehicles on duty for maintaining law and order, including those of the police, defence and paramilitary forces, to use multi-coloured beacon lights having red, blue and white colours.

Seeking to end the VIP culture, the Union Cabinet last month had decided that beacon lights will be removed from all vehicles from May 1, except emergency vehicles, like ambulances and fire brigade.

"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 lights," the road transport and highways ministry said in a notification.

Elaborating such vehicles, the notification said these pertain to the duties relating to control of fire and the duties by police, defence forces or paramilitary forces for maintenance of law and order.

Also the duties relating to management of natural disasters including earthquake, flood, land slide, cyclone, tsunami and man-made disasters including nuclear disaster, chemical disaster and biological disaster can use such lights.

"The multi-coloured light shall not be put to use when the vehicle is not on the designated duty," the notification issued in pursuance of powers conferred on the Central government under sub-rule 4 of rule 108 of the Central Motor Vehicles Rules, 1989 said.

The notification mentioned that every year, the transport department of the state or union territory administration, as the case may be, shall issue a public notice bringing to the notice of the general public the list of authorities to whom the permission to use the vehicles specified.

It said such vehicles shall display on their windscreen the sticker issued by the transport department of the concerned state or union territory which shall include details like the state government or union territory, designation of the officer and vehicle number.

"Only one sticker shall be issued to the designated officer for one vehicle at one point of time," the notification said, adding the sticker shall be on security printed water mark paper and shall carry hologram as specified by the transport department of the concerned state government or union territory administration.

The government after the Cabinet meeting on April 19 had said that the vehicles with beacon lights, which are seen as a symbol of VIP culture, "have no place in a democratic country".

A rule that empowered the Centre or state governments to allow the use of red beacon lights to dignitaries will be altogether removed from the statute books.

Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari had said, "The government is of the considered opinion that beacons on vehicles are perceived symbols of VIP culture and have no place in a democratic country. They have no relevance whatsoever."
Ousted Delhi Water Minister Kapil Mishra on Sunday alleged that he saw AAP leader Satyendra Jain pay Rs. 2 crore to Arvind Kejriwal. In a press conference at Raj Ghat, Mishra also claimed that Jain had settled land deals worth Rs 50 crore for Kejriwals relative.

The press conference came after Mishras meeting with Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal over the water tanker scam. Raising questions over the timing of his outster, Mishra claimed that he was sacked after he spoke out against the corruption within the AAP party. I could have been sacked before too. I was being praised initially by every AAP leader. There were no talks of me being sacked. Now the timing of the sacking raises questions, he said. The former minister said that he was ready to give evidence to the Central Bureau of Investigation and Enforcement Directorate regarding his claims.
On the occasion of World Press Freedom Day on 3 May, UNESCO, in association with Digital Empowerment Foundation (DEF), along with media partners The Statesman and Go News, organised Critical Minds for Critical Times: Medias Role in Advancing Peaceful, Just and Inclusive Societies.

The report New Fronts, Brave Voices: Press Freedom in South Asia 2016-17, produced jointly by UNESCO and the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) was launched on the occasion.

The Press Freedom Report for South Asia (PFRSA) is the definitive annual review of the media environment and issues related to media freedom and the safety of journalists in eight South Asian countries.

The welcome address was presented by Shigeru Aoyagi, Director and Unesco Representative to Bhutan, India, Maldives and Sri Lanka, followed by the launch of the report and an overview presented by Ujjwal Acharya, South Asia Coordinator, IFJ. There was then an interactive Q & A round.

In the second section, the report Anatomy of Virtual Curfews: Human Rights vs National Security was launched. It was produced by DEF under the Impact project, supported by the European Union and the Association of Progressive Communication under the European Instrument for Democracy and Human Rights (EIDHR). The report highlights issues related to the infringement of fundamental and human rights on account of arbitrary shutdowns of the internet and networks.

There was a discussion by an eminent panel comprising Apar Gupta, CoFounder, Internet Freedom Foundation, Geeta Seshu, Member, Media Freedom Committee and Consulting Editor, The Hoot, V ikram Tiwathia, Deputy Director General, Cellular Operators Association of India and Osama Manzar, Founder and Director, DEF. The session was moderated by Pankaj Pachauri, Founder, Go News. The event concluded with the screening of the film Velvet Revolution.
Hodgkin lymphoma patients who receive high dose irradiation as part of their treatment at an early age suffer from severe coronary artery disease (CAD) decades later, a research said on Sunday.

Hodgkin's lymphoma is a type of lymphoma  cancer of a part of the immune system called the lymph system  which is generally believed to result from white blood cells of the lymphocyte kind with symptoms like fever, night sweats and weight loss.

"Patients with Hodgkin lymphoma receive high dose mediastinal irradiation at a young age as part of their treatment," said Alexander van Rosendael, a medical doctor at Leiden University Medical Centre in the Netherlands.

Irradiation of the chest can cause inflammation of the coronary arteries, making patients more vulnerable to developing CAD.

"There is an on-going debate about whether to screen patients who get chest irradiation for CAD," Rosendael added.

The study involved 79 patients who had received irradiation 20 years ago for Hodgkin lymphoma and were free from it for at least 10 years.

The findings showed that Hodgkin patients who had chest irradiation had much more CAD than people of the same age who did not have irradiation.

"The CAD occurred at a young age  patients were 45 years old on average  and was probably caused by the irradiation. The computed tomography angiography (CTA) was done about 20 years after chest irradiation so there was time for CAD to develop," noted Rosendael.

The study that was presented at International Conference on Nuclear Cardiology and Cardiac (ICNC) in Vienna further stated that irradiated patients had all the features of high risk CAD.

Researchers suggested that patients who receive chest irradiation should be screened at regular intervals.

"When you see CAD in patients who received chest irradiation it is high risk CAD. Such patients should be screened at regular intervals after irradiation so that CAD can be spotted early and early treatment can be initiated," noted Rosendael.
In some good news for bookworms, scientists have found that people who regularly read fiction novels are more likely to be friendly, well-behaved and sympathetic towards others.

Those who prefer watching television over reading are less sociable, according to the study.

Those who like reading of drama and romance novels were best able to understand other people, while those who prefered experimental books showed more positive social behaviour and ability to see things from different perspectives.

"The findings support previous evidence that exposure to fiction relates to a range of empathetic abilities," said Rose Turner, from Kingston University in the UK.

Researchers at Kingston University questioned 123 people on their preferences for books, TV and plays.

The volunteers were then tested on their interpersonal skills and prosocial behaviour  such as whether they considered other's feelings, whether they could see things from different points of view and whether they acted to help others.

Researchers found people who preferred reading novels were more likely to show positive social behaviour and be able to empathise with others.

However, those who preferred watching TV did not have the same ability to empathise and were more likely to show antisocial behaviour.

Comedy fans scored the highest for being able to relate to others, 'The Sun' reported.

Researchers suggest that this could be because reading books allows people to see things from other's points of view, which makes them better able to understand others.

"All forms of fiction are not equal. Associations between empathetic skills, media and genre diverge," said Turner.

"Engaging with fictional prose and comedy in particular could be key to enhancing people's empathetic abilities," she said.
My wife was an orchestral musician for 40 years. She is also very interested in how things work and are made. So, as a bagpiper, I was keen on taking her to visit a bagpipe maker during a recent visit to Edinburgh, Scotland. In the first shop, we met an elderly man who has been fighting lung cancer. He shared his frustration of feeling too weak to work, particularly making chanters, the part of the bagpipe that creates the melody. (Scottish bagpipes are distinguished by the three drones  one bass and two tenors  that rest on the shoulder, creating a steady background or droning sound underneath the melody of the chanter.) I had bought a practice chanter from him 33 years ago, and was considering purchasing a new pipe chanter from him on this visit.

Since we were unsuccessful at that first shop, we visited another bagpipe maker. This man was somewhat younger, probably in his 50s. After taking quite a bit of time trying out chanters, I decided on one and made the purchase. Wisely, my wife excused herself to do some shopping and then enjoy a cup of tea while I was sampling chanters and reeds. Knowing her interest in musical instruments, I asked the bagpipe maker if he could show her his workshop, which was in the next room.

It was a trip back in time, reminding me of the wood shop class that boys in my junior high school were required to take. Lathes and woodworking tools filled the room. Slices of cut wood were still on a machine, where he had been working before I arrived that morning. He told us that most of the machines were built during the 1950s and '60s, and had been in continuous use since that time.

During our conversation, the bagpipe maker told me about changes in the industry. In addition to changes in materials, some of the larger manufacturers are using computer-guided machines to cut the wood. This is a considerable difference from the bagpipe world of 40 years ago, when I started learning to play and he started his four-year apprenticeship. Back then, most bagpipes were African blackwood, and all of the reeds were cane. Synthetic reeds have largely replaced the cane ones in the drones, because they are much less fickle in changing weather conditions. Most pipers continue to use cane reeds in their chanters because the tone is more visceral, gutsy or powerful. Another change has been the use of synthetic materials to replace the African blackwood, as well as Gore-Tex to replace the animal hide bags. While I was in the shop, I tried a synthetic chanter. To be honest, it just didnt feel as authentic as the African blackwood.

As I walked around that day, I began thinking about meeting the bagpipe makers with their sawdust-covered tools, and the feeling of a real wood instrument in my hands. I also play the guitar, so I am well aware of the fact that economics have led many musical instrument manufacturers to synthetic materials. I should add: The only reason that I was even looking at a new chanter was that I have heard positive things about the new tones and playability.

Around the time that I first picked up the bagpipes, in 1975, Robert Pirsigs book Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance was a popular read. Perhaps some of you have also read it? Pirsig died recently. Reading his obituary brought back memories that I expect some of you may also share. Perhaps you remember Pirsigs jousts with qualitas, and the pursuit of a personally meaningful life. You may also remember the ego-battering that Pirsig received at the University of Chicago by the Aristotelian professor Richard McKeon, who ruled the philosophy department at the time.

For me, the connection between Pirsigs motorcycle and my bagpipes was the pursuit of authenticity. One could easily extend this desire for authenticity to our choice of politicians and friends. Who wants a hypocritical politician or a phony friend? Pirsig found this authenticity in his relationship with his motorcycle; I found it in my passion for the bagpipes, the acoustic guitar and, at the same time, my discovery of Unitarian Universalism. Over the years, the two disparate passions have interacted in forming my self-identity.

In short, I realized that the bagpipes summon and speak to my love for musical authenticity, while Unitarian Universalism, with its absence of a creed or formal dogma, calls forth my love for religious self-honesty.

What are the passions that animate or move your soul? How does your religious perspective or set of beliefs speak to your own quest for self-honesty?
For workaholics who do not like getting disturbed by their colleagues, scientists have invented a desk light that automatically switches from green to red, putting them in a Do Not Disturb zone.

A scientist from the University of British Columbia (UBC) got the idea for the FlowLight from working with an international engineering company where employees were resorting to putting road safety cones on their desk when they were coding and didn't want to be interrupted.

"The light is like displaying your Skype status  it tells your colleagues whether you're busy or open for a chat," said Thomas Fritz, Assistant Professor at the UBC who started work on the invention at the University of Zurich.

The light shifts between green and red depending on the keyboard and mouse activity.

According to Fritz, it is cumbersome to turn on the light manually or close the door or put a cone on your desk once you are engrossed in your work.

"When you're interrupted, it can take a long time to get back into your work and it's more likely you'll make mistakes," Fritz said in a news release published on the UBC's website.

The light showed positive results when tested with 450 employees who reported lesser interruptions.

The test results also showed a change in the office culture with people being more respectful towards each other's time and work.

"FlowLight is designed to only turn red for a maximum amount of time each day despite how hard someone works. That feature is key to preventing employees from feeling guilty for not working hard or getting competitive with one another," Fritz noted.
Fifty Afghan security personnel were killed and 100 others injured as Pakistani forces retaliated to unprovoked firing in Balochistan's Chaman area last week, a top official claimed here on Sunday.

Major General Nadeem Anjum, Inspector General (IG) of Frontier Corps (FC)  Balochistan, however, said that "we are not happy over their losses since they are our Muslim brothers", Dawn online reported.

The Frontier Corps IG was briefing media persons here over a cross-border attack in Chaman on May 5, in which 12 Pakistani civilians were killed and 40 injured when Afghan border forces opened fire at security personnel guarding a census team, although Kabul was informed of the exercise in advance.

The attack caused residents in Killi Luqman, Killi Jahangir and Badshah Adda Kahol to evacuate their homes as Chaman was shut down and security ramped up in Quetta and other parts of Balochistan.

The FC Balochistan chief said four or five check posts were also destroyed when Pakistani border guards retaliated to the cross-border attack.

Maj. Gen. Anjum said that on May 5, Afghanistan pleaded for ceasefire, which Pakistan accepted.

He said Afghan border forces targeted civilians even though they had been informed about the on-going census exercise.

Earlier, Pakistan Army's Southern Command chief Lt General Aamir Riaz termed the cross-border attack as "shameful", reports Dawn online.

"This was a shameful act to target civilians at the border villages of Pakistan," Riaz had said earlier when he visited Chaman.

In response to the attack, Pakistan had closed its borders with Afghanistan at Chaman and Torkham on February 18 after a series of terrorist attacks in the country killed over 100 people.

After over a month of closure, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif ordered reopening of the borders as a goodwill gesture.
At least 82 of the more than 200 Chibok girls that were kidnapped by Boko Haram in 2014 in Nigeria's northeastern Borno State have been released, a government source said.

The source told Xinhua news agency late on May 6 that the girls were released following a negotiations between the extremist group and the Nigerian government.

"Yes, 82 girls are freed and they are due to fly to Abuja from Banki town in Borno State," Xinhua news agency quoted the source as saying.

The release came barely a month after President Muhammadu Buhari said his administration has engaged local and international intermediaries in reaching out to Boko Haram for the release of the Chibok school girls in captivity.

He said the government was in constant touch through negotiations and local intelligence to secure the release of the remaining girls and other abducted people.

He appealed to the parents and all Nigerians not to lose hope on the return of the remaining schoolgirls.

More than 200 schools girls were seized by armed men who stormed their dormitories on the night of April 14, 2014, at the Girls Secondary School in Chibok. Some had managed to escape while others remained unaccounted for.

Boko Haram has been blamed for the deaths of more than 20,000 people and displacing of 2.3 million others in Nigeria since their insurgency started in 2009.
China's top insurance watchdog on Sunday decided to toughen supervision of the industry to guard against financial risks.

Insurance regulators at all levels should shore up weak parts to build a strict and effective supervision framework, Xinhua news agency cited a China Insurance Regulatory Commission statement as saying.

According to the statement, there are some loopholes in the current insurance regulation which have given rise to risky practices in recent years such as disorderly buying of stakes and unchecked growth of risky business.

Chinese insurers grabbed headlines for using leveraged money to buy shares in listed companies, triggering sharp volatility in the market at the end of last year.

Insurance funds should not invest in risky products and there will be tougher supervision over equity changes of insurers.

Companies with risky business expansion will be targeted and regulators will blacklist senior management for practices that violate regulations and laws, said the statement.

In February, China's insurance regulator barred Yao Zhenhua, chairman of Foresea Life Insurance, from the insurance sector for 10 years for irregular market operations.
French voters on Sunday will choose their next president after an unpredictable campaign that has divided the country, the media reported.

The second round contest pits centrist Emmanuel Macron, a 39-year-old former investment banker, against the far-right nationalist Marine Le Pen, 48, the BBC reported.

Citizens in some overseas territories and many French expats abroad have begun voting.

The polls open in metropolitan France at 8 a.m. and will close at 7 p.m.

Polling stations will remain open in some big cities until 8 p.m., with early estimates of the result due to be reported immediately after they close.

The two candidates, who topped a field of 11 presidential hopefuls in the first round election on April 23, have offered voters starkly different visions of France, reports the BBC.

Macron, a liberal centrist, is pro-business and a strong supporter of the European Union (EU), while Le Pen campaigned on a France-first, anti-immigration programme.

She wants France to abandon the euro in the domestic economy, and hold a referendum on France's EU membership.

Macron is widely expected to win the vote, but analysts have said high abstention rates could damage his chances.
A family member of US President Donald Trump's senior advisor and son-in-law Jared Kushner, is hoping to lure investments from wealthy business owners in China with the promise of American visas, the media reported.

Nicole Kushner Meyer, Jared Kushner's sister, spoke at an event in Beijing on May 6 where she urged to invest in the development of the 1 Journal Square, a $976.4 million residential and commercial project in New Jersey owned by the family and come to the US on a so-called EB-5 visa, reports CNN.

The EB-5 visa allows immigrants a path to a green card if they invest more than $500,000 in a project that creates jobs in the US.

An ad for the event, held at a Ritz-Carlton hotel, said "Invest $500,000 and immigrate to the United States".

The EB-5 visa has been used by the Trump and Kushner family businesses in the past.

On Saturday, potential investors in the Kushner project were told they should act quickly because possible policy changes to the EB-5 programme might raise the required minimum investment.

Nicole Kushner Meyer also told the crowd how her grandfather immigrated to the US and built a business from the ground up, reported CNN.

In her address, she also mentioned Jared Kushner's position in the White House.

"In 2008, my brother Jared Kushner joined the family company as CEO, and recently moved to Washington to join the administration," she said.

Jared Kushner, who is married to the President's eldest daughter Ivanka, has stepped away from the business since taking office at the White House.

The Beijing event, which was organised by Chinese immigration agency Qiaowai, was open to the public.
Sacked Delhi water minister and AAP leader Kapil Mishra on Sunday claimed that he saw Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal accept Rs 2 crore in cash from Health Minister Satyendar Jain.

"Day before yesterday (Friday) I saw Jain handing over Rs 2 crore in cash to Kejriwal at his residence. I asked about the money but Kejriwal refused to answer," Mishra told the media, a day after being sacked on Saturday.

Mishra said he has informed Lt Governor Anil Baijal about this and said he will provide details to investigating agencies.

"I asked Kejriwal to call all party leaders, ministers and members to explain about the money. I urged him to seek an apology. And now, I have been sacked," said Mishra, and vowed to end corruption in the party.

He insisted he won't quit the Aam Aadmi Party. "I will neither quit the party nor anyone can ask me to go."

Mishra's charge against Kejriwal unbelievable: AAP

Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia rejected the corruption charge hurled by Mishra against Kejriwal, calling it "unbelievable".

"The kind of allegations that have been made against Kejriwal are unsubstantiated. No one will believe them," Sisodia told the media. "There is no substance in this allegation."

Sisodia said the allegations came just after Mishra was told he was being removed as minister.
The BJP on Sunday demanded Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's resignation after sacked minister Kapil Mishra alleged he took Rs 2 crore in cash from Health Minister Satyendar Jain.

"Kejriwal has no moral right to hold the post of chief minister. He must resign immediately," BJP Delhi unit chief Manoj Tiwari said.

"I have said a number of times that Kejriwal is directly involved in corruption. Mishra's allegations have proved our point," Tiwari said.

The BJP leader said a case must be filed on the basis of the allegations made by Mishra, who was sacked from the Delhi government on Saturday night.

Mishra on Sunday alleged that he saw Kejriwal take Rs 2 crore from Jain at his residence.

The Congress demanded a probe against Kejriwal. "These are serious allegations against a chief minister. We will reach out to the people of Delhi on this issue. There must be a thorough probe into the matter," Congress leader Sharmistha Mukherjee said.
Hours after a sacked Aam Admi Party minister levelled stunning allegations of corruption against Arvind Kejriwal, both the Congress and the BJP trained their guns on the Delhi chief minister and demanded his immediate resignation on moral grounds.

Kejriwal was on Sunday accused by AAP MLA Kapil Mishra of taking Rs 2 crore illegal cash. Mishra, who was sacked as minister on Saturday, told reporters at Raj Ghat that he "saw" Health Minister Satyendar Jain "handing over Rs 2 crore to Kejriwal" at his official residence. He also alleged that Jain told him about a Rs 50 crore land deal that the latter had settled for a relative of Kejriwal.

Manoj Tiwari, the city unit chief of the BJP, said Kejriwal should step down if he has any morality left with him.

Tiwari said he would meet Lt Governor Anil Baijal later in the day and urge for his intervention in the matter.

"In case Kejriwal doesn't resign, the Lt Governor should examine the possibility of recommending 'dismissal' of the AAP-led Delhi government to the President," Tiwari said in a press conference.

"Kejriwal should resign if has any morality left with him because Kapil Mishra, who was a minister in the government, has accused him of corruption. I am going to meet the Lt Governor in this regard," he added.

Delhi Congress chief Ajay Maken also demanded resignation of Kejriwal and said the party had "lost its anti- corruption plank."

Terming Mishra's allegations against Kejriwal as "very serious" in nature, he said the CBI and the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) should take cognisance of the charges.

"Kejriwal has no moral right to continue as chief minister in the wake of the allegations by Mishra. He should step down," he said.

"CBI should register cases regarding Mishra's allegation that he saw Kejriwal receiving Rs 2 crore from his Health Minister Satyendar Jain, and also with regard to the findings of Shungulu Committee report," Maken said.

"The Aam Admi Party which was formed on anti-corruption plank has lost it in the wake of Mishra's allegations against the chief minister, and the Shungulu Committee report that has put his government under the dock for various irregularities," he said.

The six ministers of the AAP government, out of a total of seven, who had taken oath to fight against corruption on February 14, 2015 (when the government was formed) have been removed so far. It explains that the party has lost its basic premise of being against corruption, he said.

"AAP was formed on three basic premises of fight against corruption, internal democracy and Lokpal. They have lost all these premises," he said.

Maken added that the Delhi Congress will launch a campaign to collect 10 lakh signatures from people supporting the demand for Kejriwal's resignation.

(With inputs from PTI)
Justice C.S. Karnan stands in contrast with Justice Katju. As judges who were active in the higher judiciary in the country and faced contempt proceedings for different reasons at different stages, a comparison is quite curious. The former, a dalit, though gone berserk in some of his opinions, never compromised nor apologised. The latter, who pretended to be an intellectual superman on superannuation, readily withdrew his views and tendered apology when faced with action for contempt. Karnan in Mahabharata, after all, is a tragic character. The modern episode of Justice Karnan also is a judicial tragedy. The case of Katju, on the other hand, is clearly one of a comedy.

Justice Karnans allegations of corruption against the judges were wide and wild enough. Those nebulous charges were not substantiated. Nor he could place materials in support of his contentions in the public domain.

The immediate question, however, is whether the Supreme Court ought to have taken him so seriously. Yet another question would be whether the apex court had the authority to order a medical test while exercising the contempt jurisdiction? Still further, the nation will anxiously look forward to the way in which the Supreme Court will deal with the belligerent judge who refused to submit himself to a medical examination as ordered by the court. I have been in the Chief Justices court at least twice while the case against Karnan was taken up and heard. I have also seen Karnan who appeared in court arguing his case himself with clarity and conviction, without any quirky gestures.

On an earlier occasion, senior lawyer K.K.Venugopal suggested the court that it is desirable to wait till justice Karnan retires in June, just after a few weeks, and no immediate action needs to be taken. Attorney General Mukul Rohatgi however, insisted for stringent action against the judge. The Bench, as of now, has chosen something in between. Seeing the events that followed, one would think that Venugopals opinion has been realistic and sensible.

The debates on Karnan may vanish sooner or later. But the system will have to seriously introspect on the issues of judicial appointments and the need for a disciplinary mechanism in the higher judiciary. Those are the larger questions which are more serious and fundamental. Though the earlier UPA government at the Centre attempted a legislation called Judicial Standards and Accountability Bill, it got aborted due to multiple reasons, prominent among them being the protest from judiciary. The present government has simply ignored the issue. It is time to assert that judicial independence or primacy cannot mean total lack of accountability. Only the lawmakers can provide a solution.

Equally important is the issue relating to the quality of judges who are inducted to the constitutional courts. One may find it difficult to accept the feeling that Karnan alone is an aberration and all is otherwise well with the system. Reports show that justice Karnan is chosen as a judge of the High Court by the Collegium headed by K.G. Balakrishnan, the erstwhile Chief Justice of India as per the recommendations from the then Chief Justice of Madras High Court, Justice A.K. Ganguly. It is an irony that by way of the judgment of 16 October, 2015, the Supreme Court has resurrected the Collegium system by quashing the Centres legislative move for a Judicial Commission for selection of judges to the higher judiciary. This is perhaps an area where an informed discourse in the parliament and a consequential legislative activism is legitimately due. The country badly needs an independent Commission, free from both judicial and executive predominance, for judicial appointments in constitutional courts.

Recent discourses in the US and the UK indicate that there is public concern over the emotional and intellectual well being of the umpires of democracy. The topic is no more naive and there is nothing shameful in addressing this issue as well. Interestingly again, Justice Karnan has put forward an unconventional topic for discussion!

(Kaleeswaram Raj is a lawyer at the Supreme Court and Kerala High Court. He has authored the book Rethinking Judicial Reforms: Reflections on Indian legal system published by Lexis Nexis-Universal [2017] Email: kaleeswaramraj@gmail.com. The opinions expressed are solely the writer's own and do not express the views or opinions of the magazine).
A policeman and a wanted militant of Lashker-e-Taiba terror group were among five persons killed when terrorists made an attempt to ambush a police party in Kulgam in South Kashmir on Saturday.

Wanted militant Fayaz Ahmed Ashwar alias Setha, who had been been on the run since August 2015 after his name cropped up in the Udhampur terror strike case, was killed in the attack when he tried to target the police party at Mir Bazar in Kulgam.

Constable Mehmood Ahmed Sheikh, who was part of the police team, risked his life and snatched a pistol from one of the militants before other members of the police party opened fire at them, according to an eyewitness account.

Three civilians were also killed due to indiscriminate firing by the militants.

Director General of Police S.P. Vaid told PTI that a policeman had been killed.

And indiscriminate firing by militants had led to the death of three civilians.

The militants ambushed the police team which had gone to Mir Bazaar area to investigate a road accident case, the DGP said.

The injured militant was taken to a local hospital where he was declared brought dead, police said.

He was later identified to be Ashwar, who carried a cash reward of Rs 2 lakh on his head. He has been charge-sheeted by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) in the Udhampur terror strike case.

In the terror case, Pakistani national Naved was arrested on the spot when he was firing on a BSF convoy in August 2015 in Udhampur on the Srinagar-Jammu national highway.
Special to Yeshiva World News

Last August, the Obama administration admitted that it had secretly arranged a plane delivery of $400 million in cash to Iran. The money was flown into Iran on wooden pallets stacked with Swiss francs, euros and other currencies.

What did Iran do with the money?

According to a Saudi Arabian newspaper report on April 25th, Hezbollah had received $600 million worth of Iranian aid. The Al-Youm newspaper reported that the aid was transferred almost completely in hard cash, and is being used for the terror groups institutions and salaries paid to its terrorists and their families.

Hezbollah is a terrorist organization that is headed by Hassan Nasrallah, its Secretary general. It was conceived by Muslim clerics and funded by Iran primarily to harass the Israelis who had entered Lebanon to increase stability in the north. Its leaders were followers of Ayatollah Khomeini, and its forces were trained and organized by a contingent of 1,500 Revolutionary Guards that arrived from Iran with permission from the Syrian government, which was in occupation of Lebanon at the time.

Hezbollah receives money from several sources including monies received from Shiite businessmen abroad, charity taxes, profit from Shiite websites in Iraq; and money received from Shiite imams in Iraq and abroad.

Last summer, candidate Trump remarked, We paid $400 million for the hostages. Such a bad precedent was set by Obama. We have two more hostages there right? Whats are we going to pay for them? What were doing is insane.

So far President Trump has not commented on the fact that most of this money ended up in the hands of Hezbollah.
By Rabbi Yair Hoffman for the Five Towns Jewish Times

At any given time in the United States alone there are more than 100,000 people awaiting a kidney transplant. There are also a number of available kidneys which for legal reasons may not be used. Why may they not be used? Because they are infected with Hepatitis C.

But two separate trials run by the University of Pennsylvania and by Johns Hopkins University could change all that. They now have a cure regimen for this Hep C which they can give patients after the transplant surgery. It may be risky, but it could offer hope to hundreds of thousands of patients awaiting transplants across the world.

HALACHIC TRANSFORMATION

The issue of kidney transplants have undergone a transformation in the halachic literature since the inception of kidney transplants. The first kidney transplant took place on June 17th, 1950. Ruth Tucker, the 44 year old recipient lived an extra five years. The next transplant took place in 1952 in Paris and then in 1954 in Boston.

Initially, Rav Eliezer Yehudah Waldenberg ztl, author of the Tzitz Eliezer (Vol. VIII #15) and Dayan Yitzchok Weiss ztl (Minchas Yitzchok Vol. VI #103) both forbade kidney transplant on account of the perception of danger to both the donor and the recipient. So did, Rav Ovadiah Yoseph ztl originally, although he later changed (Dinei Yisroel p.25).

The problem, of course, was with the recipients immune system. It would immediately and or chronically reject the transplanted kidney. Although medications could suppress the immune system, there was great risk of both infection and cancers such as skin cancer and lymphoma.

Eventually, however, as the safety of the procedure developed and became clear, the overwhelming number of Poskim permitted kidney transplants. The consensus of opinion until recently was that, while it is certainly meritorious to donate  there is no full-fledged obligation to do so.

THREE NEW DEVELOPMENTS

Aside from the development of curing Hep C, two other changes in kidney transplants have developed. The first was a protocol developed by Cedars Sinai in Los Angeles that reduced the need for blood type compatibility and tissue compatibility. It was approved by the FDA in 2004.

The second development can be called transplant chains where one person in Oregon can donate a kidney to another person in Oklahoma, which triggers a third person to donate to the first persons spouse back in Oregon. This new system was made possible through the confluence of kidney matching computer algorithms, cooperation between transplant centers, and advances in kidney shipping techniques. Understandably, these two new developments will cause live kidney donations to skyrocket.

GENERAL OBLIGATION OF RESCUE

All this brings us back to the general obligation of rescue. The Pasuk in Vayikra (19:16) states, lo saamod al dam rayacha  do not stand idly by your brothers blood. Rav Yoseph Karo, in his Bais Yoseph commentary (CM 426) on the Tur quotes the Talmud Yerushalmi (Trumos 8:4) that requires us to endanger our lives to save others. Shockingly, as the SMA points out, Rav Karo does not cite this view in his actual Shulchan Aruch. The SMA explains that Rav Karo changed his mind and did not cite the Yerushalmi because the three major Rishonic codifiers (Rif, Rambam, and Rosh) do not cite the Yerushalmi.

Rav Eliezer Yehudah Waldenburg (Tzitz Eliezer Vol. IX #45) explains that the Bavli seems to have rejected the Yerushalmi (See also Pischei Teshuvah 426:2). Many Achronim (see for example Maharam Shick YD #155) seem to learn that the Gemorah in Bava Metziah (62a) regarding the debate between Ben Petura and Rabbi Akiva about two people in the desert where one has enough water only for one of the them to survive shows that the Bavli argues with the Yerushalmi. Rabbi Akiva states that vchai bahem teaches us that ones own life has precedence over the others. The Maharam Shick explains that Ben Peturas opinion is that of the rejected Yerushalmi. The Mishnah Brurah (329:19), the font of normative halachic practice, rules that, although meritorious, one is not required to risk ones own life to save that of another.

THE RADBAZ

The idea is generally predicated upon the responsa of the Radbaz (# 627) regarding a tragic case. A finance minister in a foreign country fled to Egypt because he was falsely accused of financial impropriety by others. The king was about to close in on him, when he fled. The king issued a proclamation that he will only cut off the finance ministers hand if he turns himself in, but he will kill the ministers brother if he does not show up. The Radbaz ruled that, although meritorious, the minister was not obligated to return.

Most Achronim and Poskim of the past generation accepted the ruling of the Radbaz (See Shach YD 157:3; Pischei Teshuvah 157:3, Igros Moshe YD Vol. II 174; Tzitz Eliezer Vol. IX #45).

THE NEWER POSKIM

Of late, however, a few Poskim have issued rulings that it is, in fact, an obligation to donate a kidney. It is not that they disagree with the Radbaz, but it is that they believe that the situation is no longer congruous to that of the Radbaz.

These Poskim raise a number of questions concerning the contemporary kidney transplant.

1] In light of the advances in Living Donor Kidney Transplantation (LDKT) is a person obligated to enter into a possible danger in order to save the life of a friend? Is a kidney donation considered dangerous at all?

2] Is one obligated to endure pain and suffering in order to save another?

3] Is there an obligation to speed up the kidney donation process?

4] What if it is unclear whether the operation will succeed?

5] Upon whom is it the greatest Mitzvah to donate?

6] Is there an obligation to donate when the organ is available from another or if there will be a possibility of an organ available at additional expense?

7] Can one harvest a kidney from a child who is unable to consent to the procedure?

Rav Chaim Yoseph Dovid Weiss, the Satmar Dayan in Antwerp and author of the Responsa series Vayaan Dovid writes (Vol. IV p. 196) that there is no danger involved in the operation and that it is a full-fledged halachic obligation. The same ruling was issued in a British based Torah journal entitled Kol HaTorah (#59 p. 175) in an article by Rabbi Eliezer Sternbuch of New York. As far as the issue of whether there is an obligation to perform it as soon as possible, Rabbi Weiss cites the Shulchan Aruch (YD 252:3) that when time is of the essence there is certainly such an obligation.

Regarding the issue of who should do it, Rabbi Weiss quotes the Shulchan Aruch (YD 251) regarding Hilchos Tzedaka that the obligation lies first and foremost among family members. He also cites the Gemorah in Bava Metziah (71a) that the obligation to perform chessed to another is incumbent upon the family members first.

When it is possible to receive the kidney in another manner albeit through expenses and the sick person has the resources to do so, Rav Weiss writes that there is no obligation incumbent upon the family member. It is crucial to note that this author had once researched the availability of kidneys and came upon a remarkable discovery. It seems that there are different ratings of kidneys- an A level kidney could last twenty years or more, while a B level kidney, generally from an older person or from someone who had compromised health can last five or ten years. In the state of Nevada there are B level kidneys readily available for transplant and there is generally very little waiting involved. The cost of transplantation there is often initially refused by insurance companies.

THE ORIGINAL POSKIM ARE STILL CORRECT

This author would like to respectfully suggest that, at the current state of affairs in medicine, the position of the Poskim who rule that it is meritorious but not obligatory is still the correct halachic conclusion.

There are two issues when discussing the concept of danger or non-danger to the kidney donor. There is the issue of the danger or non-danger involved in the operation itself and that of the repercussions or non-repercussions to the donor afterward.

Lets discuss the first issue. There are certainly many medical centers in the United States that certainly have 100.00 percent success rates, where there are zero deaths associated donating a kidney. However, although the fatality rate has been decreased to almost zero in other hospitals  is it so clear that this is considered no danger? The British based organization Giveakidney.org reports that in England the fatality rate is 1 in 3000. In the United States it has been estimated to be 1 in 5000 (Matas AJ, Bartlett ST, Leichtman AB, et al. Morbidity and mortality after living donor kidney donation, 19992001: a survey of the United States transplant centres. Am J Transplant 2003;3:830834).

THE SDEI CHEMED

What percentage of risk is considered negligible in halacha? The term Karov lvadai  close to certain is one that is employed by the author of the Sdei Chemed. The Sdei Chemed (Samech Klal 11 vSham and Klal 92 letter 6) seems to indicate that the criterion for Karov lvadai is 1 in 10,000. here the danger is 1 in 5000, and according to another study 1 in 3300.

As far as the second issue is concerned, in an article entitled Is Living Kidney Donation Really Safe printed in the May 2007 edition of Transplant Proceedings (39(4):822-3), authors Azar SA, Nakhjavani MR, Tarzamni MK, Faragi A, Bahloli A, Badroghli N, reported that serious complications occurred 5.8% of the time. In 6.9% of the cases they studied, the patients serum creatinine was >or=1.4 mg/dL. Microalbuminuria was found in 10.4%; hematuria in 13.9%; pyuria in 8.1%; and renal stone in 6.9%. Varicocele was found in 24.1% of male patients (23.3% of patients who had left nephrectomised). Persistent pain was reported by 44.1%. Antidepressants were prescribed to 9.3% of donors because of severe depression. Other studies, however, showed less problems (Lam N, Huang A, Feldman LS, et al. Acute dialysis risk in living kidney donors. Nephrol Dial Transplant 2012;27:32913295.).

Another aspect of the second issue is the shockingly high rate of obesity and diabetes in this country. Some thirty to 40 percent of diabetics develop kidney problems. Indeed, even if a diabetic has low blood pressure many doctors recommend that he or she should still take high blood pressure meds to protect future kidney function.

Although these issues are certainly minimal, it would seem to this author that if these numbers are accurate, they would change the status of this type of obligation from obligatory to voluntary  at least according to one

reading of the Sdei Chemed.

It is theoretically possible that LDKT will have advanced so far that this halacha may change, but at this point these complications still exist.

OTHER HALACHIC ISSUES

There are also a few parenthetic issues as well. One of the Ten Commandments is Lo sachmod  not to Covet. This is defined as being desirous of a friends item and repeatedly requesting of him to sell it to you. The first time one asks  there is no prohibition. As an example, one may ask a neighbor one time to sell you his 67 Mustang. Asking a second time is a violation of this prohibition.

Is there a prohibition of Lo Sachmod in asking someone else who has a second, extra kidney two times to donate? Generally speaking there is a Torah requirement to spend all of ones money in order to avoid violating a negative commandment in the Torah. Does this idea mean that the prohibition of Lo Sachmod still exists regarding a kidney? Dayan Yaakov Yisroel Fisher ztl in his Even Yisroel (Vol. VIII #105) rules that since the issue of Pikuach Nefesh applies here, the prohibition may be violated. The person may be more successful, however, in seeking other options, such as the Nevada one mentioned earlier.

ONE LAST THOUGHT

AT this past Yarchei Kallah, Rav Yitzchok Zilberstein gave a shiur on the Choshen Mishpat aspects of kidney donations. After the shiur he announced that in the room was a father of woman who had donated a kidney, and he stated that there is an obligation to stand up for such a person. May the Holy One grant the sick a refuah shleimah and continue blessing the work of those who both donate kidneys and save life in the field of medicine. May the donors be granted continued health, long life and nachas from all they do.

The author can be reached at [email protected]
Its now official, that US President Donald Trump will be arriving in Israel for his first visit since taking office. Mr. Trump will meet with leaders of Arab nations in Saudi Arabia, after which he will be visiting in Jerusalem, scheduled to arrive on Monday, May 22.

First Lady Melania Trump, his senior advisers, daughter Ivanka Trump and son-in-law Jared Kushner will be among those travelling with the President.

As is customary for visiting US leaders, he will also travel to Ramallah where he will meet with PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas (Abu Mazen). Abu Mazen was just in Washington for his first visit with the US leader. During that visit, Mr. Trump explained the PA must stop incitement against Israel and halt payments to terrorists and their families.

Needless to say, Jerusalem will be an armed fortress during Mr. Trumps stay in the King David Hotel. Thousands of police and specialized forces will be involved in providing security in addition to the US Secret Service.

The President is reportedly going to be visiting the Kosel too, which will in itself pose a unique security challenge for all involved.

(YWN  Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
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Purple Carrot vs Sun Basket Skipping meal prep and filling your family with healthy nutrition sounds like something that you have to search high and  Read more

Freshly vs Trifecta Find out which is your best option for convenient meals that give you nourishing fuel whilst making your life easier, and tastier.

Vegan Options At Pizza Hut Pizza Hut isnt very vegan-friendly. However, you still have some options if you need to go there in a pinch.

Vegan Options At Noodles And Company Pasta is a favorite dish of many vegans, so it comes as no surprise that many vegetable lovers believe Noodles and Company to be a vegan-friendly place. But, is this really the case?

Is Kashi Cereal Vegan? As a brand that keeps appearing on lists for plant-based breakfast options, it begs the question  is Kashi cereal vegan?

Is Fiber One Cereal Vegan? A fiber-filled breakfast is a great way for anyone to start the day, but as a vegan, how easy is it to find?

Is Special K Cereal Vegan? When it comes to supermarket breakfast cereal, expect to be disappointed on the regular if you are vegan. But is Special K cereal vegan?

Is Honeycomb Cereal Vegan? Popular since the 1960s, this product from Post Consumer Brands has been a sweet staple on the breakfast table for many families, but is Honeycomb cereal vegan?

Is Captain Crunch Vegan? It is one of the most widely known breakfast cereals that has been flying off of supermarket shelves since 1963, but is Captain Crunch vegan?

Is Trix Cereal Vegan? As with many breakfast kinds of cereal, Trix is tricky. There are several questionable ingredients, but is Trix cereal vegan?

Are Rice Krispies Vegan? Because the bright blue puffed rice boxes are so common, a lot of people ask the question  are Rice Krispies cereal vegan?

Vegan Options At Jack In The Box Jack In The Box is a fast-food favorite among people in the West and South. The restaurant chain is notorious for its savory tacos, tasty nuggets, and tons of BBQ sauce options.

Is Pumpkin Pie Vegan? To make the ultimate thanksgiving dessert yourself, you will need around 10 ingredients, but is traditional pumpkin pie vegan?

Is Life Cereal Vegan? Fortified breakfast cereals have their benefits, but with the sweet, buttery taste of some of the different flavors of this option, it does beg the question, is Life Cereal vegan?

Is Chex Cereal Vegan? The criss-cross patterns of this cereal are a familiar sight, but the ingredients in most fortified breakfast options can be concerning for plant-based diets.

Vegan Options At Cheesecake Factory The Cheesecake Factory is famous for having an extensive menu filled with over 10 pages of treats to eat. But, is it a vegan-friendly place?

Vegan Options at Red Robin Though its a burger joint gaining popularity, vegans still struggle here. Are there any vegan options available?

Is Red 40 Vegan? Red 40 is an artificial flavor that frequently finds its way onto the label of many confectionary items, as well as beverages. As a vegan, this is likely to make you curious to know more.

Is Sriracha Vegan? Sriracha is a popular spice hit that anyone can enjoy, right? Well, we have to ask  is Sriracha vegan?

Are Twizzlers Vegan? Most chewy candies are made non-vegan in some form, usually by gelatin, but are Twizzlers vegan?

Are Smarties Vegan? They are one of the most iconic candies that have delighted kids for decades, but are smarties vegan?

Are Jelly Beans Vegan? As with most chewy candies, a plant-based diet will always be on the lookout for gelatin. This begs the question, are jelly beans vegan?

Are Jolly Ranchers Vegan? With a keen eye on plant-based candies, we all want to know, are Jolly Ranchers vegan? The answer is they can be to some!

Are Pop-Tarts Vegan? If you have recently become vegan, these may have been your favorite breakfast growing up. But the question remains, are Pop-Tarts vegan?

Is Monster Energy Drink Vegan? Known for a quick burst of energy, they are all the rage now, but are Monster Energy Drinks vegan?

Is Red Bull Vegan? Whilst it might claim to be the original energy drink on the market, it appears that Red Bull still uses a lot of old methods that are not acceptable to a vegan.

Are Fruity Pebbles Vegan? Questionable ingredients tend to make a lot of cereal unsuitable for a plant-based diet. But today, we want to know if Fruity Pebbles is vegan?
A plague of moths is invading Britain causing millions of pounds of damage by eating its way through clothes and carpets.

Even households not yet under attack are being advised to draw up a battle plan, taking advantage of combat techniques that include everything from freezing to microwaving garments.

The population of the common clothes moth is up a third this year due to a mild winter and an early start to spring. Rentokil Pest Control says the number of call-outs it has received to destroy them is 103 per cent up on the same time last year.

Invasion: The population of the common clothes moth is up a third this year

Brian Roberts is one of the countrys leading moth control experts. He warns that unless you tackle the problem early, ideally before your wardrobes contents are rendered unwearable, you could find yourself spending more than 300 getting professional help.

Roberts, from Porth in Glamorgan, is owner of ServiceCare MothSolutions and specialises in tackling moth problems in stately homes.

He says: The common clothes moth has expensive tastes. It feeds off proteins found in natural materials such as wool, silk and fur. You might find it nibbling your favourite cashmere jumper, designer silk garments, a top quality bespoke suit or an heirloom such as a Persian rug.

Roberts adds: It is the tiny caterpillar larvae that is destructive  the mature moth does not eat clothes. You may not notice you have moths until it is too late because it is hard to spot the tiny amounts they eat individually.

Advice: Doctor Zoe Randle says only a fraction of moth and butterfly species are a nuisance

They start life as eggs laid in dark corners. The spring weather sees many hatch and they later evolve into moths which are keen to breed.

A female moth can lay up to 200 eggs in a wardrobe. These develop into hungry caterpillar larvae that are smaller than a grain of rice so almost impossible to spot.

Of the 2,500 species in Britain there are only five  thankfully  that can do your wardrobe and carpets serious damage. The common clothes moth (Tineola bisselliella) and the brown house moth (Hofmannophila pseudospretella) are the worst offenders.

The most wanted list is completed by the case-baring clothes moth (Tinea pellionella), the white-shouldered house moth (Endrosis sarcitrella), and the new kid on the block, the pale-backed clothes moth (Monopis crocicapitella).

The Butterfly Conservation charity offers an online identify service where you can tap in key details about your discovery  such as its size, colour and markings. It will then come up with a shortlist of possibilities.

Roberts says traditional methods for tackling moths, such as mothballs and lavender bags, are no longer as effective because moths have become immune to them.

He says: It may sound odd but one of the most cost-effective ways to get rid of moths is to put your clothes into a deep freeze for 24 hours. You can buy a zip-up plastic bag for a few pounds and no damage is done to the clothes. I would also recommend this as a precautionary measure for new clothes just in case larvae eggs are hidden inside.

A trip to the dry cleaners can do the same job as your clothes will be exposed to heat of up to 60 degrees centigrade. Moth larvae can only survive to a temperature of 49C. Another option is to pop your garments into a microwave for three minutes.

Roberts warns against experimenting with chemicals, especially if treating carpets and you have pets living at home  it could cause skin irritation and be fatal for some pets.

One of the modern ways to tackle moths is to use a pheromone trap that gives off the scent of a female moth. It attracts the male moth but once it comes into contact with the trap, it confuses other males who think it is female and try to mate with it. Female moths are left frustrated and alone.

Solutions: An option is to pop your garments into a microwave for three minutes

Although traps can be purchased from shops from as little as 10, it is often better to use a professional.

Doctor Zoe Randle, of Butterfly Conservation, says only a fraction of moth and butterfly species are a nuisance.

She says: Before calling pest controllers or reaching for a can of harmful pesticide spray or moth balls make sure you are doing the right thing. Remember, it is humans who have been stockpiling clothes that are to blame  the insect is just trying to survive. Often a big clean-out and vacuum is enough.

Scientists group both butterflies and moths in the Lepidoptera order of insects. A way to spot the difference is that almost all butterflies have thin antennae with a bulb at the end while moth antennae are often furry and bulbless.

Moths also tend to tuck their wings in behind them while butterflies usually fold them vertically on their back. Randle adds: Moths play a vital role, pollinating plants and providing food for bats and small birds. They are fascinating insects.
Although we have yet to see concrete evidence of what the main political parties want to do with our pensions, there are plenty of experts with strong views on how a future Government can get us saving again.

Some of the proposals for reform are sound, others barking mad. What unites these disparate voices is a call for urgent change. It is hard to argue against such sentiment.

The Centre for Policy Studies and the Association of Consulting Actuaries are the latest to throw their two pennyworth of advice into the mix ahead of publication of the party manifestos. Both have launched savings and pension wish lists and they make for interesting reading.

Pension hand: Chancellor Philip Hammond, left, and shadow Chancellor John McDonnell

Those at the Centre are a free-thinking bunch and were one of the catalysts for Thatcherism in the 1980s. In contrast, the Association is deeply conservative with a small c, but it brings to the table a depth of pension knowledge unrivalled elsewhere  just dont invite one of their members to your next dinner party because guests will be asleep before you have served the hors doeuvres.

As you would expect, the Centres recommendations are as radical and left-field as you will find. Most controversially, it proposes a scrapping of pension tax relief in favour of a bonus system that would be more egalitarian (hardly free-thinking).

It is an idea that was mooted when George Osborne was Chancellor of the Exchequer  long before he transmogrified into a journalist. But the impending Brexit vote meant it was put back in the drawer.

Pension contributions, the Centre suggests, should be paid from after tax income (not gross pay) in the same way we currently fund an Individual Savings Account.

Annual contributions (both employee and employer) would then attract a 25 per cent Government bonus up to a maximum 2,500. Any unused bonus could be carried forward and utilised in a future tax year (the Centre suggests a ten-year window).

The implications of this proposal are massive. Not only would it end higher rate tax relief on pension contributions but it would drastically reduce the annual allowance  the amount we and our employers can put into our pension each year  from 40,000 to 10,000.

Its suggested scrapping of the 1million lifetime allowance  the maximum value your pension fund can become before tax is charged on any surplus  becomes an irrelevance because nobody under its new bonus scheme would ever get the chance to build a 1million pension fund.

The Centre also proposes that workers should be allowed to divert work pension contributions (plus the new style bonuses) into a Lifetime Isa and a new Workplace Isa. Until age 50, employee contributions would go into the Lifetime Isa. They would then be diverted into the Workplace Isa which would already be funded by the employer element of the contribution.

The rationale behind this, says the Centre, is that it would build a stronger sense of personal ownership which in turn would encourage people to get more involved in building long-term wealth.

The Associations manifesto is less radical. On reform of tax relief, it is as woolly as an unsheared Merino ram. All it says is that the parties should spell out precisely in their manifestos what reforms they intend to bring in and simplify the pension tax regime.

Reform: The most ambitious proposal by the Association of Consulting Actuaries is its call for people to have early access to their pension pot (before age 55)

There is no mention of abolishing tax relief or the introduction of a Government bonus system. But like the Centre, it does call for a scrapping of the lifetime allowance (hurrah) and the tapered annual allowance that means additional rate taxpayers are now severely restricted in how much they can funnel into a pension.

The most ambitious proposal is its call for people to have early access to their pension pot (before age 55) so they can use the proceeds to fund a home deposit for a child. I also like its recommendation for a simplification of the Isa product  a proposal at odds with the Centre and its new style Workplace Isa.

What is blindingly obvious to all  bar politicians  is that pensions are now ripe for reform. Governments past and present have meddled away, turning a simple savings vehicle into a hydra that now deters most and is understood only by actuaries.

It is time for political boldness. Lets shake up pensions once and for all, make them simpler, and get people saving again.

Mr Hammond, Mr McDonnell, declare your pension hand.
It could be a bruising election for Jezza  and I dont mean Corbyn. I am referring to Jes Staley, chief executive at Barclays, who has been embroiled in a whistleblower scandal and who is facing re-election by shareholders at the banks annual meeting this week.

There is almost zero chance that Staley will lose his post, but votes against the chief executive and even more abstentions are still likely to lead to an embarrassing result.

A less than convincing victory for Staley will weaken any claim he may hope to have to be a strong and stable leader for Barclays. Staleys mistake was in his handling of an anonymous whistleblower who alleged poor conduct somewhere in the bank (details remain private).

Staley set out to find the whistleblowers identity, using Barclays security department

Staley set out to find the whistleblowers identity, using Barclays security department. This is contrary to all decent boardroom practice and to any common sense reading of Barclays own code of conduct.

It bears repeating that a facility for whistleblowing is an essential feature of even a half-well run company. Responsible bosses know that whistleblowers may be their best chance of being alerted to a problem. Whistleblowers themselves must feel confident they can report their concerns without fear of a witch-hunt.

The apparent merits or otherwise of a particular whistle-blowers claim are not relevant. What matters is a system that is abided by to the letter, so that if genuine misconduct does occur, whistleblowers can come forward.

Following the litany of horrors that emerged from the world of finance during and since the crisis bankers above all should understand this logic.

Staley admitted his errors last month. The Barclays board docked his bonus but said it believed he had made an honest mistake. But even an honest mistake in this field is a very ill omen.

Staley has been punished internally and he may yet face censure from City watchdogs. Shareholders, who may have hoped Barclays was getting closer to shaking off its tarnished reputation, have also suffered. They also have a duty.

After the financial crisis it was said, loudly, and quite correctly, that professional investors  notably the City institutions with the appropriate skills and resources  should have been taking a more active and responsible role in the bank they owned. Institutional shareholders have a duty to be responsible stewards of the companies in which they invest.

Shareholders in Barclays have an opportunity this week to show they remember that lesson in the way they cast their votes and the questions they ask.

It is an opportunity they must seize with both hands.
Tony Hetherington is Financial Mail on Sunday's ace investigator, fighting readers corners, revealing the truth that lies behind closed doors and winning victories for those who have been left out-of-pocket. Find out how to contact him below.

A.W. writes: We planned to emigrate to Australia, but because of problems selling our house we were unable to go. But we kept bank accounts there to use when visiting family. We asked Christina Pease, of TaxAssist in Maldon, Essex, to deal with our tax affairs. She told us she would charge 250 each and would deal with Revenue & Customs on our behalf.

When she produced some accounts, she wanted 600 each, which we paid, but she did not respond to letters or calls. We wrote to TaxAssist head office and contacted the Financial and Legal Ombudsmen, Citizens Advice and Trading Standards, all to no avail.

We had excellent help from the Revenue, whose staff visited us and sorted out our affairs, telling us Pease had not contacted them. We handed over 1,200 to Pease but then we ended up having to deal with Revenue & Customs ourselves.

Christina Pease works for TaxAssists Maldon franchise in Essex

TaxAssist is a franchise organisation with its headquarters in Norwich, but its local offices are run by self-employed people like Christina Pease responsible for their own businesses. In promotional material, she says she offers a personalised service. So, what went wrong? I invited comments from her and from TaxAssist.

Pease did not respond, but the head of TaxAssist, Karl Sandall, told me on her behalf that the price she charged for calculating the tax position on six years of interest on your Australian savings was reasonable. I do not disagree. He also gave me a copy of a letter he said had been sent to you by Pease on February 26. She said her work was complete when she sent figures to the tax office, without waiting for the Revenue to agree how much was due.

This was odd because you later told me the letter was actually delivered by hand more than a fortnight later  on March 15. Pease told TaxAssist she posted the letter in February but it must have gone astray. But how then would she know to deliver a copy by hand? This is not the only thing that does not add up.

If Pease believed she had completed her work when she sent off her calculations to the tax office, why then months later did she tell TaxAssists head office  in response to your complaint about her silence  that she was waiting for a response from Revenue & Customs and would write to you very shortly, which she did not.

The bottom line is that Sandall has been helpfully investigating and has also been in direct contact with you. He told me: I have to assist Christina to ensure she is OK and her practice is efficient, and this is not a symptom of other issues.

If this has not already happened, the Maldon branch will be getting a visit from head office. Urged by Sandall, Pease has now sent you a partial refund of 700, which I think is reasonable and you have accepted.

This is not quite the end of the story though. You complained to the Institute of Financial Accountants that Pease failed to reply when you asked what was happening about your tax affairs.

The Institute wrote to her but it says she failed to reply. Its own enquiries have since been bumped up a notch. Perhaps a hand-delivered response is on its way.

Sorry... there is no pension

Blow: The scheme was funded by Glaxo

Mrs C.H. writes: I recently moved home and found my certificate of membership for the pension scheme run by my former employer Glaxo and a letter confirming this. I contacted the pension administrator  only to be told it could find no trace of me.

You worked for Glaxo (now known as GlaxoSmithKline) from June 1966 until February 1970, so I asked the company and its scheme administrator, Aon Hewitt, to investigate.

Both came back with the same details. Under the schemes rules, and UK law at the time, you would have had to complete at least five years in the job to earn a pension. You completed less than four years and I am afraid this was not long enough to benefit. It explains why the scheme has no record of you.

What about your pension contributions? The scheme was non-contributory and was entirely funded by Glaxo, so you have nothing due.

If you believe you are the victim of financial wrongdoing, write to Tony Hetherington at Financial Mail, 2 Derry Street, London W8 5TS or email tony.hetherington@mailonsunday.co.uk. Because of the high volume of enquiries, personal replies cannot be given. Please send only copies of original documents, which we regret cannot be returned.
Boost: Mark Whitehead has bought into brick firm Ibstock

Global income fund Securities Trust of Scotland is in transition mode. It has a new manager, a renewed focus on increasing income for investors and there is a burning ambition to grow the trust by issuing new shares.

This is positive news for investors, but it is still early days for a 200million trust that is overshadowed by bigger rivals with records of dividend growth going back 20 years and more.

The funds dividend history  much shorter in light of it being launched in 2005  just does not stand up against investment trust giants Bankers, The City of London and Foreign & Colonial.

Securities Trust has cut its annual dividend once and has frozen it twice. In the financial year just ended, it managed to maintain quarterly dividends on a par with the previous year only by raiding income reserves, leaving just a quarters worth in the tank for the future.

In the previous financial year, an 18 per cent annual dividend rise was in part fuelled by dipping into capital reserves  a controversial move. The trust did this to enhance its appeal among income seekers.

The individual entrusted with the trusts renaissance is Mark Whitehead, head of global income at Edinburgh-based Martin Currie. He has run the fund for the past year and has already started to galvanise its fortunes, resulting in the trusts one-year performance being better than its three-year record.

Whitehead has not hung around in refocusing the trust. He has cut the holdings to 46, providing exposure to 16 countries. We want to back our convictions, he says. These direct holdings are complemented with six positions in investment funds.

Portfolio: The fund invests in smaller stocks as well as international brands like Apple

He has also shifted the portfolio towards slightly smaller stocks in the hope he can find more dividend friendly companies to boost income reserves and shareholder income. The move has resulted in the trust taking stakes in UK brick maker Ibstock and Netherlands-based global science firm Koninklijke DSM.

Ibstock is producing more bricks than ever, he says. A new plant is due to come on stream this year that will help it meet the growing demand for bricks, fuelled by the Governments drive to build more homes. It should help boost the companys earnings and trigger a high single-digit dividend increase.

Meanwhile, DSM is benefiting from the strong demand for nutrients. Like Ibstock, it is enjoying good organic growth, generating strong cash flow and paying a healthy dividend.

These stocks sit alongside key holdings in international brands, such as Apple  a 3.5 per cent portfolio position  and tobacco giant Philip Morris.

Key holding: The fund invests in tobacco giant Philip Morris, which makes Marlboro cigarettes

The trust has also borrowed 25million of cheap money, enabling Whitehead to invest in a spread of income-friendly assets, such as infrastructure, social housing, private equity and real estate investment trusts.

The income from these assets, he says, should more than cover the 2 per cent cost of the loans, allowing any surplus to replenish the trusts income reserves and potentially boost payouts to shareholders.

In addition, he has not been afraid to use options  complex financial instruments  to enhance the trusts income. The trust is making headway, he says. We are doing all we can to grow the dividend.

Martin Currie is part of global financial group Legg Mason, which owns a number of investment brands including ClearBridge and Western Asset Management.
Once, youth culture ruled in the West. Now, times are changing. The over-40s are in the majority in the UK and ageing populations are becoming the norm around much of the globe.

However, todays older people are different from their counterparts in previous generations. Fitter and healthier than ever before, they are keen to preserve their looks, stretch their minds and retain as many of the advantages of youth as they can.

Venture Life Group makes products for this new wave of discerning, well-heeled older consumer, from pills designed to promote mental agility to cholesterol-lowering capsules to creams that remove age spots from the face and hands.

Star quality: Venture Lifes skincare range is associated with products created for Hollywoods Ava Gardner

The shares are 58p and should move considerably higher as the company expands both here and overseas.

Venture Life was founded in 2010 by Jerry Randall and Sharon Collins, now chief executive and commercial director respectively. A financier by background, Randall spent nine years as finance director of Sinclair Pharma before moving to his current position. Collins has spent her career in the healthcare industry, including a five-year spell at Sinclair.

The beauty and drug markets are highly competitive, dominated by huge international players with deep pockets. Venture Life is a small firm with limited resources and it has been listed on AIM for little more than three years.

However, the company is carefully targeting areas of the market and of the world where its products can stand out from the crowd. Most of its goods are in the fast-growing wellness market  they have been medically approved, but are available over the counter to help people feel generally healthier.

Venture Life makes all its products from a factory outside Milan in Italy, so it has complete control of the manufacturing process. But most of the goods are sold via distributors, who take on the cost of selling and marketing the brands and pay a fee in return.

Over the past seven years, Venture Life has grown by creating its own products and by acquiring formulations, which it then develops so they can be sold to a wider range of consumers.

It owns a luxury skincare range, Lubatti, for example, which was originally devised by Madame Lubatti, a well-known London homeopath from the late 1920s onwards, who is thought to have created bespoke face creams for film stars such as Ava Gardner and Vivien Leigh.

Venture Life acquired the secret recipes, created a commercial range and launched it in China, where wealthy consumers are keen to buy skincare goods made in Europe, rather than on their home turf.

It has also developed capsules and sachets containing cholesterol-lowering ingredients that are available in Benecol-branded food products such as yogurt and spreads.

With products designed to reduce cholesterol levels when they are just a little too high, Benecol has been successful in the UK and elsewhere. Venture Life has taken the active ingredients under licence and developed them for people who want their benefits in an easy-to-take format.

The firm has begun selling the capsules and sachets in Turkey and Eastern Europe and expect to roll out sales across the Continent over the next few years.

Key name: Its biggest UK brand is UltraDex, a mouthwash and toothpaste range

While some of Venture Lifes products have been developed following acquisitions of brands or licences, others have been created from scratch, such as NeuroAge, a range of memory and brain supplements that have been clinically proven to improve cognitive function. Now on sale in Canada, Germany and other parts of Europe, the product should be available in the UK in the near future.

As a small business, Venture Life has adopted a practical approach to expansion. Its wares are sold primarily through pharmacies and it works with large partners, such as FTSE 100 group Hikma Pharmaceuticals and Canadian drugs giant Valeant, to distribute them abroad.

However, the group works differently in the UK because the pharmacy market here is much more concentrated. So it sells directly to Boots, Superdrug and supermarkets as they dominate sales.

Its biggest UK brand is UltraDex, a mouthwash and toothpaste range, which has undergone clinical studies to prove that it can remove bad breath for 12 hours. Unlike other products, UltraDex is medicated and designed to treat the causes of bad breath, not just the symptoms.

Despite being more costly than most mouthwashes, it is a top seller at Boots and is being rolled out on the Continent and in Asia. Bought by people of all ages, it is particularly appealing to older consumers as halitosis tends to rise with age.

Venture Life reported a 56 per cent increase in sales to 14.3million last year and, even stripping out acquisitions made during the year, revenues rose 23 per cent. The company delivered a pre-tax loss of 1.1million, as it invested in the future. This year, however, a 500,000 profit is forecast, more than tripling to 1.6million in 2018.

Midas verdict: Venture Life had a shaky start on AIM and the shares have fallen from 109p to 58p. At this level, they are worth a punt. The firm has amassed a portfolio of products that appeal to the young-at-heart, older consumer  a fast-growing swathe of the population, often with money to spend. The products are being rolled out selectively, but the pace of growth should pick up as the firm expands and becomes better known. Buy now.
The kitten heel queen is believed to be heading back to help the business she sold nearly a decade ago for 70m.

Entrepreneur Linda Bennett is understood to have been hired as a consultant by fashion chain LK Bennett in a bid to revamp the brand.

She established the company in 1990 using her savings of 13,000 to try to bring a bit of Bond Street luxury to the High Street.

Kitten heel queen: Linda Bennett

LK Bennett became known for its signature kitten heels and is a firm favourite of the Duchess of Cambridge among other celebrities.

Bennett, 54, sold her stake in 2008 to private equity firms.

Yet the company has been struggling financially in recent years.

Sales fell 2 per cent to 93.6m in the year to August 2015 when it failed to make a profit for a second year in a row. It has also closed underperforming shops and concessions at department stores.

Bennett has reportedly been drafted in by former BHS boss Darren Topp, who took on the chief executive role in September.

LK Bennett has about 130 shops around the world. It did not respond to a request for comment.
The business rates system was facing meltdown last night as a new multi-million pound super computer blocked thousands of complaints against rocketing charges.

Many companies have been facing collapse after receiving soaring business rates bills. Thousands of firms have been trying to appeal against the charges but the computer crisis means they have been unable to even register their complaints.

In the first month of the new system being in operation, fewer than 100 companies were able to lodge appeals. In the first three months after the last revaluation in 2010, appeals averaged 4,500 per week.

Business rates complaints: Thousands of firms have been trying to appeal against the charges

Business owners are having to pay sky high bills with experts warning the first complaints may not be resolved until the end of next year or even much later.

Rates bills have to paid even when they are being appealed. Those business owners who have been assured by experts that their appeals are highly likely to be successful are having to pay now and then wait to be reimbursed at some point in the future.

The computer fiasco is set to reignite the political row over business rates which engulfed the Government earlier this year amid warnings that thousands of companies could be driven to insolvency by higher bills.

After initially dismissing concerns over soaring rates bills earlier this year, Business Secretary Sajid Javid announced an emergency package worth 300million to help the worst hit firms.

Sources last night said about 4,000 business had got as far as registering their name and address but were blocked from logging their appeal. Mark Rigby, chief executive at business rates advisory group CVS, branded the computer problems a scandal. He said the owners of many businesses have been left in limbo by the fiasco.

Emergency package: Business Secretary Sajid Javid

If deterring appeals was the ultimate goal, a better platform could not have been devised, he said. Alternative arrangements must now be made so all businesses who have registered their properties can move to challenge their new assessment rather than simply waiting for IT issues to be resolved.

A spokesman for the Valuation Office Agency this weekend insisted that the 3.1million computer system had been working normally.

However, the computer system is reported to crash frequently and there have been further delays because there is now a limit on the number of appeals that can be brought by any one advisory firm to just 12.

Most appeals are handled by a handful of large agencies which lodge appeals on behalf of companies. Each advisory agency typically handles hundreds or even thousands of appeals, which means the 12 case cap has created a severe bottleneck.

A source at one advisory firm said: Businesses are calling us every day saying the system is crashing at the point where you verify your property because of high volumes of visitors.

Another senior business rates expert described the new appeals system as a car crash. Sources close to the Valuation Office insisted the new system would eventually make the process better.

Rates bills are based on property values, meaning the recent review saw bills rocket in areas where property values have jumped.
Theresa May will be hoping to garner cheers from cash-strapped householders this week when she unveils plans for a price cap on gas and electricity bills.

However, the news will be unlikely to please everyone. Energy companies and their investors fear the move will slash hundreds of millions of pounds from their profits.

The Government has already mooted a cap that would cut average household bills by 100.

U-turn: The Tories are now set to adopt Labours policy on capping power bills

A senior executive at one of the Big Six energy groups told The Mail on Sunday: A 100 price cap would wipe out profits.

Prices have gone up because wholesale energy costs and taxes have gone up. We dont want to put prices up. We know well get hammered by politicians. But economics beats politics and were doing it because we have to.

The warning was echoed by investment bank Jefferies, which claimed a 100 cut would eradicate profits at the energy giants. The Big Six firms are British Gas, SSE, Eon, Npower, EDF Energy and ScottishPower.

The Prime Minister has repeatedly said the energy market is not working, noting that prices have gone up by 158 per cent over the past 15 years.

Work and Pensions Secretary Damian Green has said the market regulator Ofgem will be allowed to impose a price ceiling on standard variable tariffs, which account for more than two-thirds of customers. The policy should save households about 100 a year.

The fine details of the energy cap are expected to be announced when the Tories unveil their General Election manifesto  which could happen as early as tomorrow.

It is not the first time in recent years that a party leader has wanted to intervene in the energy market.

Labours Ed Miliband stirred up controversy with his own plan to cap energy bills, which became a manifesto commitment for Labour in 2015. Mays predecessor David Cameron described the proposal as evidence that Miliband wanted to live in a Marxist universe and said it proved the Labour leader needed a basic lesson in economics.

But just two years later it is set to become official Tory party policy.

The Coalition argued in 2015 that intervening in the market would damage competition and reduce investment.

That view is still supported by the Liberal Democrats former Business Secretary Sir Vince Cable, who has told The Mail on Sunday his personal view is that a price cap was a misguided move.

The City has been crunching the numbers on the Tory plans and predicts British Gas owner Centrica, with 11million customers, and the other Stock Exchange-listed Big Six energy firm, SSE, which has eight million customers, would lose hundreds of millions of pounds in profits if energy bills were slashed by Government edict.

Labours Ed Miliband's plan to cap energy bills has now been adopted by Theresa May

Analysts at Jefferies said: With the average UK bill being about 1,100 and Centrica making a around 50 per customer post-tax profit, the Government introducing a policy that would reduce bills by say 100, would eradicate profits in the industry.

Jefferies said its experts expect May to propose a cut in bills of less than 100, but warned that the plan could still result in unintended consequences. The bank suggested the Government could instead introduce a 50 cut, but this would still be a huge hit to profits.

We would expect up to a 300million reduction in earnings [before interest and tax] ... and a reduction in profit per customer from 50 to 18, said the bank.

British Gas owner Centrica is set to make 1.4billion profits in its annual results.

The consequences for SSE would be similar, said the bank, except SSE has an extremely high proportion of its customers on standard variable tariffs  about 90 per cent  which puts it at the top end of the Big Six. The bank looked at the likely outcome if the Government introduces a cap on standard variable tariffs similar to the one introduced earlier this year for customers on pre-payment meters.

British Gas owner Centrica is set to make 1.4billion profits in its annual results

Jefferies said: We estimate that it would reduce SSEs earnings [before interest and tax] by 139 million.

SSEs earnings are likely to be 1.8billion when it unveils annual results next week.

The bank expects that a plan to cap bills will result in firms taking swift action to raise fixed-price tariffs while at the same time introducing cost efficiencies to try to restore profits.

Perhaps unexpectedly, customers worries over energy bills have remained constant over the past two years, with about 30 per cent of customers expressing concern, while four years ago the figure was 59 per cent, according to the Governments own survey.

I dont think the Government has ever got over the way Milibands pledge took the wind out of its sails, said one leading energy executive. I think the Prime Minister wants to claim that kudos for herself.

Since Milibands promise, the Big Sixs domination of the market has fallen to about 85 per cent and there are now more than 40 suppliers to choose from.

But that is clearly not enough of a difference for an interventionist Prime Minister.
Andreya and Matt Townsend met on a beach in Fiji in 1999. Two years of travelling the world meeting artisans and a wedding later, they went into business together selling accessories from a market stall in Portobello Road in Londons fashionable Notting Hill area.

Now they have a 1million turnover business, Vida Vida  which sells handmade leather satchels, laptop bags and travel bags  and two small children.

Andreya has spent her working life in fashion, from her Saturday job in River Island at 16 to working for brands such as Diesel, Helen Storey and Ghost after she had finished university. Prior to setting up Vida Vida, which means Life Life, she was a marketing manager at Replay Jeans.

'Wonderful relationship': Adreya in India, where she works close with local artisans to produce handmade leather satchels, laptop bags and travel bags

Matt studied geography at university and dreamed of a running a business that involved travel, was fun, fair and based on friendship.

After initially selling handmade products made by people they met in South America, the business expanded and other market stalls followed, and eventually their own workshop in India.

Wholesale and retail outlets and a website were developed, with the help of a family loan of a few thousand pounds.

Andreya says: We have a wonderful relationship with all of our suppliers, which are family-run firms and expert artisans. We develop our ranges over months, working closely alongside each other. What we have learnt from these gifted craftsmen is priceless in terms of technique and experience.
Sir,



I wish to applaud the police commissioner for coming out in the open by reassuring and updating the concerned public about the status of the investigation into the alleged kidnapping of the Matsapha business mogul Mr. Oliviera. We earnestly pray that he will be rescued alive and be reunited with his worried family.



That some suspects are currently in police custody and helping the police with their investigations, goes a long way in reassuring and restoring the publics confidence in the long arm of the law. I also wish to applaud the commissioner for appointing a high level and elite team of investigators to lead investigations and bring the perpetrators to book. I noticed also that in the pictures of the team, there were also female detectives. This is commendable and shows that our women can hold their own in many male dominated professions.



By all means, the case deserves high priority profile because it involves a highly successful businessman and investor confidence is at stake here. The sooner the culprits are brought to book, the better for the country in restoring investor confidence. As far as I am concerned, kidnappers, murderers, rapists, child molesters and ritual murders all fall in the same vein  they are the scum of the earth and deserve to be locked behind bars with the key thrown away..

I have said it numerous times in many of my past articles that policing is one of the most thankless and dangerous professions in the world. The police walk on a very thin and perilous line as they try bring to book dangerous and callous criminals and at the same time doing their best to satisfy the insatiable and at times thankless you and me that they are capable of achieving an above average arrest and conviction rate of dangerous criminals.



In spite of their sometimes over-zealous overuse of maximum force in their quest to bring criminals to book, we need to be fully behind them and give them all the necessary and helpful support. Consequently, I also urge the police to accept and take criticism in their stride, not be defensive in some glaring cases where they employed unorthodox means in the course of their investigations. We do concede we are all human and prone to erring. There is talk doing rounds among some sections of the populace that police have given high status profile and priority to the Oliviera kidnapping case because he is someone of high status and that had it been a small Joe like you and me, would it be handled the same?



I view such criticism as negative and watering down the zeal shown by our men  in blue in solving many difficult cases in the past. The problem with human nature is that we tend to quickly turn to heaping blame on negative achievements and forget all the positives in human behavior.



Now coming to an as yet unsolved case which has been nagging and troubling my conscience ever since it was committed- the alleged murder of the late, young and vivacious former SPTC employee Funekile Gule. It was treated as a high profile case especially by the media and sadly to date no breakthrough in solving the mystery is still forthcoming. Its been over three years now if my memory serves me well. A young life was fluffed out, at its prime and the deafening silence on the progress of the investigation is a course for concern.



I remember vividly at the height of the hype surrounding the case that there were theories, accusations and counter accusations from a cross-section of the public which smelt a rat that there was more to the death of such a young woman than met the eye and conspiracy theories were the order of the day. Her alleged murder has faded away from the publics eye and the pain of her death is left to be carried by the still grieving family.



Those few of us concerned still ask searching questions like: Will the alleged murderers ever be found? Is it now a closed, forgotten and cold case? Mr. Commissioner, with due respect to you and your tirelessly working team of police officers, can you please reassure the public you are not resting on your laurels but are still actively pursuing the case with the final intention of bringing whoever is alleged to be behind Funekiles demise?

Human nature is very complex. Where the police are involved, the forever skeptical public demands instant results in the police solving cases. The public needs to be fair to the police and appreciate the fact that basically the police investigate to arrest and gathering evidence against perpetrators of crime is a painstaking process.



The police need to be careful in effecting an arrest with credible evidence that will stand in the court. Where the evidence is scanty, it is not always possible to arrest without solid evidence, so lets always, where necessary give our police the benefit of the doubt.



To the family of Funekile, I say a few of us are still haunted by your beautiful daughters death. I implore you to never give up, Lift up your hearts to the one and only God who knows What, Who and Why your daughter was allegedly killed. The alleged killers are safe- for now. The blood of your daughter, like that of Biblical Abel who was slain by Cain, is crying to the lofty God of the Heavens for closure and justice.



To the police, we urge you, if police procedures and protocol permits, please update the public on the status of Funekiles alleged murder. The family as well as the public needs closure.

We appreciate the fact that you cannot always update the public on your at times sensitive, confidential and classified information on cases because that might tip your hand and alert alleged perpetrators of crime. At the same time, if no information is forthcoming we the forever skeptical public will sometimes draw wrong conclusions and blame the police on giving low profile status to some cases  something I detest personally because I know the police are doing their best to solve all crimes without discrimination, fear or favor.



We hope you will crack wide open the Oliviera kidnapping saga. I have the fullest confidence in the police. You have solved successfully many complex cases in the past.

The long arm of the law will finally catch up with these vile kidnappers. I also have the fullest confidence that Funekiles case is not as yet treated as a cold case and unsolved murder, a statistic of the past.



Finally, nip the scary trend of kidnap cases that are threatening investor confidence. To the criminals, you can run but cannot hide. This is not Columbia where kidnapping is rife among drug cartels because of business rivalry.

We need our peace. To the suspected kidnap syndicate, please go practice your vile activities somewhere else. We have enough internal problems in the country and dont need you here!



Alex Lucky Nxumalo,

Manzini, 76058449.
MBABANE - Mystery surrounds the awarding of a E330 million tender to a joint venture company that had initially been disqualified from the bidding process.



The tender is for the construction of a Referral and Emergency Complex at the Mbabane Government Hospital.

A joint venture initiative consisting of Roots Civils (PTY) LTD, Duvan and Pots Construction has been given the job yet it was found not to qualify for the tender because one partner in the joint venture failed to meet all the administrative compliance requirements.



Five companies were vying for the multi-million tender but four of them, including the joint venture, were, for different reasons, found not fit to do the work.

One of these companies was disqualified because it obtained a score below the minimum qualifying score on technical capacity.

Another company was found not fit because it failed to provide a tender guarantee in the required format.



The last tenderer failed to meet the criteria because of insufficient financial resources and inadequate track-record in Swaziland.

The only qualifying company was Stefanutti Stocks Construction Swaziland, hence an intention to award a contract was issued to this corporation.

It should be noted though that according to the Public Procurement Act No. 7 of 2011, the letter of intention to award a contract does not constitute a contract.



Further, the Act provides that after the letter has been issued, all tenderers who submitted bids have a 10 working days period within which to submit applications for a review if they have any grievances.

Stefanutti was awarded the tender at a price of E329 884 708.38 while the joint venture had submitted its bid at a cost of E323 940 156.07 and the highest bid price was for E339 843 367.80.



However, in a correspondence dated December 29, 2016 and signed by Bertram Stewart, the Principal Secretary in the Ministry of Economic Planning and Development, Stefanutti was informed that the intention to award a contract, to the corporation was being withdrawn.

The tender Notice as published December 21, 2016, intending to award the contract to Stefanutti Stocks Construction Swaziland in the arithmetically corrected amount of E331 931 134.88 is hereby receded with immediate effect, the PS wrote.
MBABANE  As allegations that there are prominent individuals who posed as Swazilands Cabinet Ministers so as to con the head of state of Principality Monte De Agrella  a newly established Sovereign State  unravel, three members of the royal family and a CEO have come out of the shell to repel their involvement in the high-profile rip off.



The Head of State who was allegedly conned by the bogus cabinet ministers and princes, who comprise prominent figures at the higher echelons in some of the three arms of government, is His Serene Highness Immanuel Sovereign.

A Times SUNDAY investigation reveals how three individuals that have met the allegedly conned Prince in the bogus Cabinet saga have different and contradicting versions of one story.



These are Prince Thumbumuzi, Prince Cedza Dlamini, Prince Senzangakhona (Judge Phesheya Dlamini) and Biotechnology Parks Chief Executive Officer Vumile Dlamini. The Biotechnology Park falls under The Royal Science and Technology Park (RSTP), which is situated at Nokwane.Prince Thumbumuzi and his son Cedza are based in South Africa. In total, the Times SUNDAY has 10 individuals still being investigated.



About four weeks ago, the Times SUNDAY published a story which highlighted that a head of state was swindled an undisclosed amount of money with the false promise to offer him approval through a vote.

According to the Times SUNDAY investigations, as published a fortnight ago, the people who posed as cabinet ministers allegedly extorted money from the head of state because he needed governments vote or support so that his country could be recognised or be accepted as an official member of the United Nations (UN).



The Principality Monte De Agrella, an independent Sovereign State was established within the framework and founded on general principles of international law. After taking the Oath of Office on March 21, 2014, Immanuel was crowned and enthroned as the first Sovereign Prince and Head of State of the Principality.



The Biotechnology Park CEO, in his remarks, said he saw the article which broke the story. He also confirmed that he met the head of state although it was not by appointment.

He said the head of state came to the park alongside his ambassador in South Africa who was only identified as Andre. The CEO mentioned that the Head of State was brought by Prince Thumbumuzi.

The head of state came here with Prince Thumbumuzi and the former said he was interested in investing in the country, and he mentioned that he was also on his way to the Indian Business Summit a few months later where he was to engage other African states to try and forge relations.
lubuli  Two people died on the spot while two others were rushed to the RFM Hospital in a critical condition after this Honda Fit they were travelling in overturned and burst into flames on Saturday night. They were coming from a party at Nisela Safaris

LUBULI  What was supposed to be a night of fun ended in tragedy when two people were killed after the car they were travelling in overturned and caught fire after leaving a birthday party celebration.



This was DJ Mfundos birthday party which was hosted at Nisela Safaris in Big Bend and featured South Africas DJ Tira on Friday night.



The duo reportedly died when the driver of the vehicle lost control at about 4:30am on Saturday after leaving the place.

The car, a Honda Fit, which was driving towards Big Bend, from Nisela Safaris, on the MR8 Public Road, apparently veered off the road and overturned killing two people instantly.



A further two passengers were seriously injured when the vehicle flipped over and became engulfed in flames in the early morning hours of Saturday.

The car had four occupants when it overturned.

The surviving duo was rushed to the Raleigh Fitkin Memorial Hospital in a critical condition.



Police were called to the scene of the accident and found that two people had already died. A spot-check by this publication discovered that the quartet had been seen having fun at the party before the accident.



One of the victims was identified as a civil servant based at the Births, Marriages and Deaths department in Big Bend, while the other was identified as a 19-year-old boy from Nsoko area.
MANZINI  The police have appealed to members of the public to refrain from unsolicited visits to the Oliveira family where they inform them about powerful tinyanga.



Information gathered is that various members of the public have been contacting the family, while some would pay them visits and offer assistance through the use of powerful traditional healers in neighbouring countries, who would locate the whereabouts of the kidnapped businessman Almor Oliveira.



This publication also reliably gathered that some of these people were ordered to leave the homestead by the family, after their offers to consult different traditional healers were not considered.



Apart from the Oliveira family, some of the phone calls were directed to the Royal Swaziland Police (RSP).

Chief Police Information and Communications Officer Superintendent Khulani Mamba confirmed that they were currently receiving phone calls to that effect from members of the public.



The National Commissioner of Police, Isaac Magagula, yesterday, during an ordination ceremony of one Sergeant Zakhele Ginindza, at the Kwaluseni Swedish Free Church, said such unsolicited visits and phone calls to the Oliveira family were not welcome at all.

The congregation comprising of police officers and members of the public had a lengthy prayer on the businessmans kidnapping.



While everyones input and contributions are welcome in this case, which is of public interest, we must point out that the antics which may be construed as self-marketing and grandstanding are not the way to go and should be avoided at all costs, Magagula said.
Dressed in white and chanting "Liberty!", tens of thousands of women opposed to Venezuela\s socialist President Nicolas Maduro marched on Saturday, proffering roses to security forces who blocked their way.

The women\s marches, which took place in most major cities around the South American oil producer, were the latest in five weeks of sustained protests against Maduro whom opponents decry as a dictator who has ruined the economy.

In Caracas, marchers sang the national anthem and shouted "We want elections!" They were halted at various points by lines of policewomen and National Guard troops with armored cars.

The opposition, which has majority support in Venezuela after years of being in the shadow of the ruling Socialist Party, is demanding that delayed state elections be held and the 2018 presidential vote be brought forward.

They also want the government to free scores of jailed activists, allow humanitarian aid from abroad to offset a brutal economic crisis, and respect the independence of the legislature where the opposition won a majority in 2015.

Highlighting vandalism and violence by young masked protesters, Maduro says opponents are seeking a coup with U.S. support and harbor "terrorists" and "murderers" in their ranks.

In response to the crisis, the 54-year-old successor to Hugo Chavez is setting up a super body known as a "constituent assembly" with powers to rewrite the constitution, shake up public powers, and potentially replace the legislature.

"This march is against opposition terrorism, they are destroying everything," said cook Fredesvilda Paulino, 54, at a pro-government rally also in Caracas on Saturday where red-shirted women waved pro-Maduro flags and banners.

The women\s marches were organized as part of an opposition attempt to vary tactics and keep momentum against Maduro.

Women have often been feeling the brunt of Venezuela\s economic crisis due to widespread food and medicine shortages, huge lines at shops, soaring prices, and increasing hunger in the nation of 30 million people.

Since the anti-Maduro protests began in early April, at least 37 people have died, with victims including supporters of both sides, bystanders and members of the security forces.

Opposition leaders say the constituent assembly is a biased mechanism designed to keep an unpopular leader in power.

They say the government is to blame for violence by young protesters as authorities are refusing a free vote to resolve the crisis and are needlessly blocking and repressing marches.

"Just let us vote, and this will all end," said teacher Anlerisky Rosales, 22, in the opposition women\s march in Caracas. "There is too much suffering in Venezuela. If we have to, we will give our lives in the street until Maduro goes."

Various female protesters marched topless with black face masks in mourning for the fatalities.

At one point, a female government official emerged from the security lines to receive a petition and talk with the demonstration leaders.

With Maduro\s approval ratings at around 24 percent  less than half the level at the time of his narrow election victory in 2013  and Venezuela suffering a fourth year of harrowing recession, the opposition\s challenge is to keep up street pressure and draw in support from poor former "Chavista" sectors.

Officials are hoping they become exhausted and disillusioned, while highlighting the violence of young opposition hotheads to try to discredit the whole opposition.

Many Venezuelans are closely watching the armed forces, who have the potential to tip the balance if they disobey government instructions or give Maduro a nudge behind the scenes.

Top armed forces officials have been pledging loyalty in public, though opposition leader Henrique Capriles said on Friday that 85 military officials had been arrested for dissent.

SOURCE: REUTERS
Colonie

The socialists and solar panel salesmen joined forces Saturday in the name of human rights.

At Colonie's historic Pruyn House, a late Cinco de Mayo celebration brought together a diverse array of business, environmental and human rights groups to celebrate - and more importantly to stand up for, they said  Mexican-American culture.

Representatives from Amnesty International, the Socialist Workers Party, the city of Albany and various Capital Region-based Hispanic groups were on hand to promote causes that they said have taken on new import in the face of growing scrutiny of Latino communities across the state and nation by federal immigration agencies.

Albany Mayor Kathy Sheehan said she was there to remind the community that they "understand that elected officials are ensuring that everyone feels welcome in our community," she said after speaking to the roughly 200 people attending. "No immigrant in the city of Albany is going to be denied services simply because of their immigration status. We think that's very important."

Fidel Moreno organized the event, which was among the largest gatherings of Triqui-speaking Mexican-Americans in the Capital Region, despite members of the ethnic group having been here for more than two decades. He said he hoped the event would help bring attention to that particular subset of Mexican heritage, which has roots in the Mexican state of Oaxaca.

He noted the growing prominence of Hispanic-owned businesses in the Capital Region, and said others would be wise to tap into the Mexican-American customer base, which he said has been largely ignored despite rapidly growing each year.

"Hispanic people have three priorities," he said. "Family, home and education," noting the Saturday event's potential for bringing together all three of those facets.

"Hispanics are loyal consumers," he said. "When you sell to them, you're not selling just to one person. You're selling to their families and communities. ... Just at (the Saturday event) alone, there are 200 to 300 customers."

rdownen@timesunion.com  518-454-5018  @RobertDownenTU
Albany

John Raffiani's retirement didn't last long. Facing a steep cut in his Teamsters trucking pension, the 70-year-old Greene County man went back to work more than a year ago after a short time away from full-time labor.

While he was a semi-truck driver for 35 years, Raffiani now spends five or six days a week at the wheel of a Trailways bus, shuttling between Albany, New York City, Long Island and Montreal.

As it turned out, Raffiani hasn't yet seen a cut in his Central States Teamsters pension, although the bad buzz that circulated two years ago prompted him to rejoin the workforce.

More Information Pensions in peril The Printers League GCIU Local 119B pension fund is five years away from insolvency. This is a list of New York multiemployer pension funds on the verge of failure, and the number of years before they become insolvent, according to the U.S. Department of Labor. The agency's list represents the longest time horizon, meaning some funds could become insolvent sooner. There are also variations based on the interest rates and actuarial assumptions made in the different plans. Generally, those with the short time horizons haven't done much, or anything, to address potential shortfalls. Participants are both retirees and those still working. Union Time horizon in years to possible insolvencyParticipants Printers League GCIU Local 119B New York 5 1,700 Local 805 IBT72,092 Moving Picture Machine Operators Union Local 306 7 673 Local 138 71,962 Production Workers11441 Milk Industry Office Employees14 78 Local 1814 Riggers1492 Local 1922181,333 International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Eastern States19 559 Bricklayers and Allied Craftworkers Local 5 New York 19 949 Laborers Local 186 19 435 Road Carriers - Local 707 19 4,664 New York State Teamsters Conference 1934,639 Communications Workers Local 110920 942 Three other pension plans - from the Amalgamated, Industrial and Toy & Novelty Workers of America, Local 223 (2,279 participants), Radio, Television and Recording Arts (587 participants) and Local 305 CIO (1,382) - are also on the list, though no time horizons for those were provided by the Department of Labor. See More Collapse

But according to a notice he received just days ago in the mail, his pension plan will likely become insolvent in eight years, which means there will be a cut after all.

"Every time I go to the mailbox, I cringe,'' Raffiani said.

On the other hand, Willie Pando's retirement is turning out to be longer than he envisioned.

The Queens resident left the trucking industry in 2004, and quit working altogether in 2008 after his second heart attack.

But his Teamsters pension, from Local 707, has already become insolvent and his monthly payment has plummeted from about $2,900 to $910.

"That's a big cut,'' said Pando, 62, who said the union also halted its health coverage.

While he and his wife used to take vacations in Bermuda or at a timeshare they had in the Catskills, that's come to a halt. Like other Local 707 members he knows, he's pondering a move out of New York state to escape the high property taxes and other costs that are difficult to meet on a modest fixed income.

"The trucking companies got their way with the union,'' said Pando.

Raffiani and Pando are just two faces of an emerging pension crisis.

Another crisis is facing the Upstate Teamsters, also known as Local 294, with more than 34,000 active and retired members.

With predictions that its $1 billion-plus pension fund will be insolvent in less than a decade, the union is seeking permission from the U.S. Treasury Department to make a cut of almost 30 percent in order to shore up funding.

All three pensions  Local 707, Central States and Upstate Teamsters  are "multi-employer" plans. That means they are union-run pensions for people like truckers who typically work for a number of different companies during their career.

These multiemployer plans are emerging as the tip of what could be a pension-peril iceberg facing private sector employees whose unions, battered by federal policies such as deregulation as well as the vagaries of the stock market, are in danger of eventually going broke.

In New York state alone, 17 multiemployer union pensions are listed with the U.S. Department of Labor as being in "critical and declining" status.

As well as truckers and freight handlers who are Teamsters, union representing printers, radio and television workers, bricklayers and electrical workers are on the watch list.

That translates into almost 53,000 New Yorkers who are either retired or covered by those 17 pension plans at risk of steep cuts in future years.

Nationally, more than 1 million people are in "critical and declining" plans.

A few years ago, the Central States fund was in the news as they planned to make a benefit cut.

As it turned out, the federal Treasury Department didn't approve their request and they say they are now headed toward insolvency.

Central States is based in the Midwest, but has members such as Raffiani in upstate New York who worked as car haulers, delivering new vehicles from train depots to dealerships.

The Treasury Department also denied Local 707's request to make cuts.

That union pension became insolvent earlier in the year, at which point the federal Pension Benefit Guaranty Corp. stepped in. But while that federal agency backstops pensions, it does so at a much lower level.

Now upstate Teamsters, or Local 294, is looking at a cut to pensions for its members who live in the Capital Region and across much of upstate.

That would make it the second multiemployer pension, behind an Ohio ironworkers union, to actually institute a cut since Congress passed a law allowing such reductions in 2014.

Union officials say they need to do that to avoid what has already happened to Local 707.

"There are a lot of ifs," said Tom Baum, the volunteer retiree representative for Local 294 who has been keeping members apprised of the latest proposals for cuts.

As it stands, the pension may cut payments by 29 percent this fall. Members would have to vote on it, but abstentions are automatically counted as "yes" votes. The federal government can also step in and order the cuts, although that has yet to happen.

The change in administrations may have an impact as well. Under President Barack Obama, some union members believed the Treasury Department was reluctant to allow cuts since it might have reflected badly on the administration.

Indeed, unions have been reluctant to discuss their projected shortfalls. Other than Local 294, at least a half dozen on the ''critical and declining'' list for New York either didn't return calls or flatly declined to discuss finances with a reporter.

The projected insolvencies in some cases are years away, and few members may even be aware that they are lurking  unless they assiduously read the mail that comes from their pension plans.

"The notification that retirees receive isn't all that clear," said Joellen Leavelle, communications and outreach director for the Pension Rights Center, which advocates for pensioners and employees who are in pension plans.

So far, the biggest shortfalls are in union pensions representing specific industries, such as truckers, or bricklayers and electrical workers who work in different locations.

The proposed cuts have provoked anger among employees  including some who believe their union leaders failed them. A group of Local 294 members, for example, believes the plan put too much money in high-cost and risky vehicles such as hedge funds and private equity investments.

"It's the classic Wall Street-Main Street thing,'' said Scott Dickinson, a Local 294 member.

"Who knows what's going to happen six or seven years down the road," added Bernie Collatz, another retired upstate Teamster from Cairo.

Lawmakers have proposed solutions in the form of higher tax revenue to shore up the plans.

Democrat U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont has called for the closure of tax loopholes for investments like real estate and art and large IRA contributions, said Leavelle.

While it may not get far in the Republican-held Congress and Senate, Leavelle said the proposals are spurring awareness of the problem.

"It crosses party lines. It affects Democrats. It affects Republicans,'' she said.

rkarlin@timesunion.com  518-454-5758  @RickKarlinTU
Thousands of people throughout eastern New York were still without power Saturday after high winds downed power lines Friday.

More than 1,300 National Grid customers in Rensselaer County started the day without power, but by 7 p.m. that number had shrunk to 951. The National Grid power outage map estimated power would be restored by 11 p.m.

Energy company NYSEG said it was still working Saturday to assist 4,000 customers who were without power in Columbia, Rensselaer and Washington counties. By 7 p.m., that number had shrunk to 469. Power is expected to be restored to a majority of customers by 11 p.m. Saturday, but some customers may not see power back on until Sunday, according to a NYSEG news release. There were more than 6,200 people affected by the outages at one point, the company said.

Outages in Rensselaer County alone left more than 1,600 people without power as of late Saturday morning, according to the company's website.

The weather front brought with it winds up to 50 mph and caught even the National Weather Service by surprise.

"It was unusual," said NWS meteorologist Neil Stuart said of the wind storm. "You had high pressure that was anchored over Canada and New England while a warm front was moving north."

"When the rain ended the atmosphere dried out and allowed some of the heavier dry air to work its way to the surface from just above the ground. The fact that the warm front was there and that the warm front was kind of battling the high pressure to the north and east."

Stuart said the Capital Region will likely see sporadic rain throughout the next few days, with a drop in temperature expected late next week.

That could mean snow in high-elevation parts of eastern New York like the Catskills and Adirondack mountains.

"That'd be unusual too," he said.

Here's the upcoming forecast for Albany:

Sunday: High of 54, low of 39 with a 40 percent chance of rain.

Monday: High of 48, low of 37. Overcast.

Tuesday: High of 53, low of 38. Overcast.

Wednesday: High of 59, low of 43. Mostly cloudy.
Washington

An Obama administration Justice Department official will testify to Congress Monday about the most explosive contacts to emerge so far between President Donald Trump's former top aides and senior Russian officials.

Sally Yates, deputy attorney general under President Barack Obama, is expected to disclose details to a Senate Judiciary Committee panel about her warnings to White House officials in January that Trump's national security adviser, retired Army Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn, had misled Vice President Mike Pence and others about his conversations with Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak.

Flynn was fired 18 days after Yates went to the White House, and only after news stories revealed the existence of a transcript of Flynn's telephone conversation with Kislyak, which was recorded as part of routine U.S. intelligence monitoring of foreign officials' communications.

Yates, a former U.S. attorney who became deputy attorney general in 2015, took over the Justice Department as acting attorney general after Trump was inaugurated Jan. 20 while he prepared his own team.

She was fired 10 days later after she announced that the Justice Department would not defend Trump's executive order seeking to bar travel to the U.S. from select Muslim-majority nations.

James R. Clapper, director of national intelligence during the Obama administration, is also scheduled to testify at the hearing.

FBI Director James Comey recently told a judiciary subcommittee that Yates had spoken to him about her "concerns that Gen. Flynn had been compromised."

Flynn and Kislyak exchanged phone calls and text messages during the White House transition, and were in touch on Dec. 29, the day the Obama administration levied a range of sanctions against Moscow for meddling in the 2016 election.

After leaks revealed those contacts, Flynn and other Trump administration officials, including Pence, denied that Flynn and Kislyak had discussed easing the sanctions. Doing so might violate the Logan Act, a 1799 law prohibiting private citizens from negotiating with foreign governments.

Those denials unraveled in mid-February after news stories revealed the existence of a transcript of Flynn's conversations with Kislyak, and Flynn was forced to resign.

Yates was supposed to testify last month to the House Intelligence Committee, but the appearance was canceled by Rep. Devin Nunes, R-Calif., the chairman. Nunes later recused himself from the panel's Russia inquiry after the House Ethics Committee announced it was investigating whether he had wrongly disclosed classified information as he claimed that U.S. surveillance under Obama had deliberately targeted Trump's aides.

The Senate Intelligence Committee sent a letter to several members of Trump's former campaign team last month seeking details of their contacts and financial ties with Russian authorities.

In addition to Flynn, those who received the letters are Roger Stone, an informal adviser to Trump; Paul Manafort, the former Trump campaign chairman; and Carter Page, an energy trader and former foreign policy adviser to the campaign.
Washington

Twenty-seven national monuments, mostly in the West, face the curtailing or elimination of protections put in place over the past two decades by presidents from both parties, the Interior Department said.

President Donald Trump ordered the review last month, saying protections imposed by his three immediate predecessors amounted to "a massive federal land grab" that "should never have happened."

A list released Friday includes 22 monuments on federal land in 11, mostly Western states, including Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante in Utah, Nevada's Basin and Range and Katahdin Woods and Waters in Maine.

The review also targets five marine monuments in the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, including a huge reserve in Hawaii established in 2006 by President George W. Bush and expanded last year by President Barack Obama.

Bush, Obama and Bill Clinton were among a host of presidents who protected hundreds of millions of acres under a 1906 law that authorizes the president to declare federal lands and waters as monuments and restrict their use.

Trump said the protections "unilaterally put millions of acres of land and water under strict federal control, eliminating the ability of the people who actually live in those states to decide how best to use that land."

The land controls have "gotten worse and worse and worse, and now we're going to free it up, which is what should have happened in the first place," Trump said at a signing ceremony marking the executive order.

Trump accused Obama in particular of exploiting the 1906 Antiquities Act in an "egregious abuse of federal power."

In December, shortly before leaving office, Obama infuriated Utah Republicans by creating the Bears Ears National Monument on more than 1 million acres of land that's sacred to Native Americans and home to tens of thousands of archaeological sites.

Republicans in the state asked Trump to reverse Obama's decision. They said the monument designation will stymie growth by closing the area to new commercial and energy development. The Antiquities Act does not give the president explicit power to undo a designation and no president has ever taken such a step.

Trump's order also targets the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument in Utah, created by Clinton in 1996, and Katahdin Woods and Waters in Maine, created last year by Obama.

At 87,500 acres, Katahdin is the only one of the 22 monuments under review that is smaller than 100,000 acres, the minimum size designated by the order.

The Interior Department said Katahdin will be reviewed under a provision that singles out whether a monument was created or expanded without adequate public outreach and coordination with relevant stakeholders.

Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke has been directed to produce an interim report next month and make a recommendation on Bears Ears, and then issue a final report within 120 days.

Zinke, who will visit Bears Ears and Grand Staircase early this coming week, said the department, for the first time, is seeking public comments on national monument designations.

Public comment is not required when presidents create monuments under the Antiquities Act.

The request for comments "finally gives a voice to local communities and states when it comes to Antiquities Act monument designations," Zinke said in a statement." There is no predetermined outcome on any monument."

But environmental groups said the Trump administration appears intent on lifting protections for federal lands.

"Trump wants to carve up this beautiful country into as many corporate giveaways for the oil and gas industry as possible," Travis Nichols of Greenpeace USA said.

He urged the public to "resist the latest in a trend of senseless rollbacks by the Trump White House and demand the Interior Department protect the land and water for people in their states and across the country."

Members of a coalition of five Western tribes that pushed for the Bears Ears designation have said they're outraged the administration will review a decision they say was already scrutinized by the Obama administration, including a multiple day visit last year by then-Interior Secretary Sally Jewell.

"Once it's designated, it's designated," said Davis Filfred of the Navajo Nation. Trump "should just honor our past leaders and those who were before him. He's disregarding the Native Americans, the first people of this nation. This is sacred land."
ALBANY  "Some People Hear Thunder" is an overambitious mess.

There was a moment during Friday's opening of this would-be epic musical, set during the Armenian Genocide in the Ottoman Empire in 1915, when I was so flabbergasted by what was happening on stage that I looked around to see if audience members were laughing at what seemed to me surely a "Forbidden Broadway"-style parody. Somehow  and I am at a loss to explain this precisely  the Greek god Atlas becomes part of the story and bellows the song "The Sky Is Falling" from upstage while cast members flutter wide swaths of fabric to evoke waves or, perhaps, clouds. I felt slightly less than sane during that moment.

More Information Theater review "Some People Hear Thunder" When: 8 p.m. Friday, May 5 Where: Capital Repertory Theatre, 111 N. Pearl St., Albany Continues: 7:30 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday, 8 p.m. Friday, 3 and 8 p.m. Saturday, 2 p.m. Sunday, through May 21. Running time: 135 minutes; one intermission Tickets: $25 to $55 Info: 445-7469; capitalrep.org See More Collapse

Given the problems evident throughout "Some People Hear Thunder," an independent production that is renting Capital Repertory Theatre for the musical's world-premiere run, it's hard to believe that the show has been in development for more than a decade, or that it was workshopped two years ago by director and co-star Kevin McGuire. Did no one in all that time tell the creative team of Gerson Smoger and Jeffrey Sorkin, who are co-credited with the book, music and lyrics, that the business with Atlas really doesn't belong, and that the second-act tap number feels as cliched as the ballets that used to get stuffed into 19th-century operas?

This is all unfortunate, because the show is receiving a thorough, accomplished production from McGuire, his creative team and cast. They give us a fully realized, believable world in which the story of one of the worst but least-acknowledged atrocities of the 20th century is told through the eyes of a young American reporter and the Armenians he meets in what is present-day Turkey. The show has compelling characters, a few affecting songs and dynamic performances, but the overall result feels dissatisfying and unfinished. And the lyrics' rhymes are often so obvious that you could make a game of predicting them.

Alex Prakken brings a fresh-faced vitality and bright, strong tenor voice to the young journalist, Jason Karras, who is dispatched by his Manhattan-based newspaper to cover Europe at the beginning of World War I. He leaves behind a disconsolate girlfriend (Rachel Rhodes-Devey) whom he updates via letter, and eventually makes his way to southwest Turkey. There he is welcomed by the family of Zoravar del Kaloustian (McGuire), an Armenian recently returned from Paris with his French wife, Angelique (Joan Hess), to settle matters of his estate.

Sign up for The Knick  Get the latest news and features with our afternoon newsletter.

McGuire and his mighty baritone are as reliable as ever, but Hess is the real revelation, and she capitalizes on the fact that Angelique gets the three best songs in the show. Freddy Ramirez does excellent work as the choreographer and as a busy member of the nine-member ensemble, and the eight-piece offstage band, under music director and keyboardist Josh D. Smith, provide full musical support. (Special kudos to trumpet player Cathy Sheridan for her expert handling of difficult passages.)

I wanted to like "Some People Hear Thunder." It seemed to holds the promise of a big, dramatic musical in the style of "Les Miserables," setting personal stories against the backdrop of momentous events, and at times that goal is realized in touching and tuneful ways. It is unfailingly well produced and performed. I even waited a day to write this review, hoping some of my initial annoyance and disappointment would fade. Instead, thinking about it more only amplified them. But the problems, and their solutions, seem so obvious that "Some People Hear Thunder" may yet have a future.

sbarnes@timesunion.com  518-454-5489  @Tablehopping http://facebook.com/SteveBarnesFoodCritic
With their BEAT Ovarian Cancer Campaign Breakthrough Cancer Research, OvaCare, the Emer Casey Foundation, SOCK and the Marie Keating Foundation are asking women not to ignore the warning signs of ovarian cancer, a disease commonly known as a silent killer.

Breakthrough Cancer Research, OvaCare, Emer Casey Foundation, SOCK and the Marie Keating Foundation, today launched the BEAT Ovarian Cancer Campaign to highlight the key signs of the disease in the run up to World Ovarian Cancer Day on Monday, 8th May. Ovarian cancer is the 4th most common female cancer in Ireland. Approximately 361 women are diagnosed each year with 266 women losing their lives due to the disease.

The BEAT Ovarian Cancer Campaign is advising women across Ireland that they can BEAT Ovarian Cancer by knowing their bodies, knowing the signs and getting help at an early stage if they have any of the following signs for three weeks or more:

Bloating that is persistent and doesnt come and go

Eating less and feeling full more quickly

Abdominal and pelvic pain you feel most days

Then talk to your GP about your symptoms

The symptoms of ovarian cancer can be confused with other illnesses. However, the key difference is that these symptoms are persistent and do not come and go. The BEAT campaign is encouraging women to be aware of changes in their stomach, pelvis and abdomen and to speak to a GP where they are concerned.

June Feeney, co-founder of OvaCare, an Irish charity established to improve diagnosis and education of ovarian cancer within Ireland, states It is vital that every woman should know the BEAT symptoms. At OvaCare, the women we support are among the greatest advocates you will find for this disease. Living with ovarian cancer themselves, they want their voices and experiences to be heard so that other women will learn the symptoms. We are thankful to be celebrating WOCD and wish for anyone feeling alone on this journey to know that our support is always here for them.

Professor Seamus OReilly, consultant medical oncologist at the Cork Mercy, South Infirmary Victoria University and Cork University Hospitals, echoes Junes sentiment, Local GPs, armed with referral guidelines, are best placed to help patients determine if their symptoms are of concern and warrant referral for further investigation. Early diagnosis is the key for successful ovarian cancer treatment. Therefore, it is important that you listen to your body and pay attention to any signs or symptoms you might be aware of.

Symptoms can be similar to other conditions, which can lead to late stage diagnosis and has led to the disease being known as the silent killer. While there have been many advances in the diagnosis and treatment of many other cancers, ovarian cancer has had little improvement in its prognosis over the last 20 years.

Principal Investigator at Cork Cancer Research Centre, Dr Sharon McKenna, states, It is only through increased awareness for earlier diagnosis and research for new treatment options that changes in the prognosis of ovarian cancer will take place. We hope that through our research into ovarian cancer we can impact on the lives of women who are diagnosed with this form of cancer.

To raise awareness on World Ovarian Cancer Day free public events will be held in Dublin and Cork on Monday, 8th May:

 Dublin: Lunchtime Free Seminar on Ovarian Cancer in the Science Gallery, Dublin between 1  2 pm. RSVP shotoole@tcd.ie

 Cork Event: Evening Free Seminar on Ovarian Cancer in the Western Gateway Building on Western Road, between 6-7.30pm. Tours of Cork Cancer Research Centre available after the seminar. RSVP jill@breakthroughcancerresearch.ie

World Ovarian Cancer Day is being promoted in Ireland by three Ovarian Cancer charities Supporting Ovarian Cancer Knowledge (SOCK), OvaCare, the Emer Casey Foundation along with Breakthrough Cancer Research and the Marie Keating Foundation. These charities are being joined by national organizations, INNOVATION, the National Cancer Registry, the National Cancer Control Programme, the Irish Society of Gynaecological Oncology, Trinity College Dublin and the Irish Cancer Society.

A short video voiced by Miriam OCallaghan highlighting the signs and symptoms for women to look out for can be viewed at https://www.youtube.com/watchttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Zr_3Bop-aAh?v=8Zr_3Bop-aA
Proposed Kentucky constitutional amendment to end right to an abortion defeated in vote
U.S. Rep. John Katko repeatedly claimed during his victorious re-election campaign that, in an age of hyper-partisanship in Washington, he was a moderate voice who wasn't afraid to stand up to his party when needed.

One could argue that's precisely what he did with his no vote on the Republican leadership's repeal and replacement of the Affordable Care Act.

With all of the major flaws that were evident with this rushed GOP effort to get something jammed through the House of Representatives, Katko's vote against the measure was the correct choice. This bill, which has remarkably little public support, would devastate millions of Americans who currently have and need access to health care. At the same time, despite some blatantly misleading GOP claims to the contrary, there is little in this legislation that would actually provide relief to the people suffering financially under the escalating costs of insurance under the current system.

Nevertheless, the measure barely made it through the House, and now it's with the U.S. Senate. Here's what Katko said about that prospect: "I will remain a constructive part of that process and urge my colleagues in the Senate to continue working towards viable, market-based solutions to Obamacare."

That sounds good ... but it has a similarly optimistic tone to what the congressman was saying when the House's first attempt at repeal and replace failed a little more than a month ago: "It signals that there's still another opportunity. That's my fervent hope is that we continue on with this. Anything that's a colossal undertaking like this is going to be tough and I think we gotta recognize that and realize that we gotta dust ourselves off and get back at the table and try and figure out how to do it."

Again, it sounds good. But here's the problem: Katko and his like-minded colleagues failed at trying to get the fixes they wanted  and the American people needed. Instead, the more stridently conservative block got most of the major changes in the version that passed the House.

Katko may believe he's made the right decision from a political perspective. Representing a moderate district, he cast the moderate vote. But central New Yorkers didn't send Katko to Washington to come up on the losing side of key issues such as health care, especially when he's a member of the controlling party.

As the Senate begins to look at this legislation, we urge Katko to be highly vocal about his concerns. He must rally behind the handful of GOP senators and, yes, the members of the Senate Democratic conference, who believe the House bill is horribly flawed and must never become law.
"Everything's up to date in Kansas City," the musical Oklahoma once told us, and if Oscar Hammerstein said it, it must be true. They had a building "seven stories tall, about as high as one should go," after all. Kansas City, and its flagship daily newspaper have received
GRANDVIEW, Mo. - Police are investigating after a shots fired incident near The View Community Center at 135th and Byars. Rd. The Truman Heritage Festival was wrapping up near the area when police were called to the area on reports of a large disturbance and possible shots fired.
Decided to leave the basement for just a few moments tonight in order to take a quick peek at life away from the keyboard.This brief journey into the world was somewhat hopeful despite ongoing hype about the Kansas City "creative class" that always stifles any talk of local creative expression.A fun fact of local life . . . Organizers desperately attempt to reinforce high-class branding with this event by calling it an "annual" but it's really just an art fair . . . And high dollar sales of expensive artifacts to the 1% aren't nearly as commonplace as local biz peddling tater tots and beer to the masses.It was so nice that I'd even like to share some food porn . . . Both of these are for me:And so, tonight's lesson for our most dedicated readers is that Kansas City "creative class" hype shouldn't ruin a season of some of the genuinely fun and far more organic offerings on display in this cowtown.As always, thanks for reading this week and have a safe and fun Saturday night . . .
Star Wars fanatics gathered Saturday night at Berkley Riverfront Park in an attempt to set a Guinness World Record for "Biggest Lightsaber Battle." Proceeds for the event will support the Children's Mercy Cystic Fibrosis Endocrine Clinic for clinical care, education and clinical research, one of the foremost cystic fibrosis clinics for treatment in the country.
THE 2017 TRUMAN GALA IS COMING UP AND THIS YEAR JACKSON COUNTY DEMOCRATS HONOR GEORGIA SANDERS WITH THE DUTCH NEWS DEMOCRATIC WOMAN OF THE HEAR PRIZE!!!

For the most dedicated political denizens of Kansas City, our blog community offers a glimpse of rough political life for local ladies attempting to live up to the legacy of a founder of local Democracy.To wit . . .It's the biggestand a bit of a surprise considering that, in fairness, Jackson County Legislator Crystal Williams has done a great deal of work and talk in honoring the late Dutch Newman and attempting to preserve her legacy.That's not to say that Georgia Sanders isn't deserving of the honor. She's back in the fray at the courthouse and seems to be taking a more active behind the scenes role in local politics as her hubby Mike Sanders stepped down from the County Exec job but still remains one of the top lawyers and political pundits in the metro. Additionally, Mike's new boss Indy UBER-lawyerAnd we post all of this intrigue on Sunday afternoon because we want our blog community to consider being nice to these Democratic activists who now rank among ain Missouri as their party struggles to remain relevant while the debate betwixtthan this crew that struggles totheir bid to win back voters amid a tidal wave of support for Prez Trump and corporate influence on statewide politics.Fact is all of these Truman Award winning politicos struggle to fulfill to the longstanding power broker legacy of Dutch Newman (R.I.P.) who helped to shape voting in Kansas City for both better and worse.You decide . . .
In Greek mythology, Astypalaea and Europe were the daughters of Phoenix and Perimede

Europe will welcome in Brussels on May 6 her mythological sister Astypalaea during a series of events that will be held in the Belgian capital for the Day of Europe.

The municipality of the island of Astypalaia announced that a delegation from the island headed by Astypalaia vice mayor Maria Kambouri will attend the celebration events to take place at the offices of the permanent Greek representation to the European Union.

In Greek mythology, Astypalaea and Europe were the daughters of Phoenix and Perimede. Poseidon fell in love with Astypalaea abducted her and placed her in the middle of the Aegean Sea. Since then Astypalaea or Astypalaia is washed in the blue water of the Aegean Sea with picturesque white stone houses on her back and a Venetian castle for crown.

The two sisters will rejoin on May 6 to welcome the European citizens at the information pavilion of the Greek representation at the Justus Lipsius building in Brussels.

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

Source: ANA-MPA
Greeces tax regime for businesses cannot be compared with that of countries such as Bulgaria and FYROM and no government could promise such favourable taxation, Economy and Development Minister Dimitri Papadimitriou told representatives of Kozanis business sector during a meeting at the local Chamber of Commerce on Friday.

Greece cannot be compared with the tax regime in Bulgaria and FYROM and no government will be able to promise such a low tax rate, comparable to that of these two countries, he said.

Responding to persistent questions about businesses that move to neighbouring countries with low tax rates, Papadimitriou said these countries do not offer any protection in terms of monetary policy, an element that businesses take very seriously into account when they decide to make large investments.

He then announced his ministry is preparing a draft bill on startups, saying the current tax regime does not favor their development. He then added that the ministrys immediate aim is to stop scientists from fleeing the country.

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
In a meeting with Chios mayor Manolis Vournous they discussed the management of the refugees and migrants issue

US ambassador to Greece Geoffrey Pyatt is visiting the island of Chios.

In a meeting with Chios mayor Manolis Vournous they discussed the management of the refugees and migrants issue as well as the repercussions on the local society and economy. There was a special reference to the timely relations between Chios and the US through the active presence of the Greeks from Chios in US cities.

The schedule of the US envoy visit to Chios was not announced for reasons of security but according to information Pyatt is going to visit in the afternoon the children of Kivotos Non-Profit Organisation.

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
Moscovici said that being friend of Greece means, on the one hand, encouraging it to accept the responsibilities and follow the efforts for reforms

French presidential candidate Emmanuel Macron will support Greece and be Athens ally if he is elected, European Commissioner for Economic and Financial Affairs, Pierre Moscovici told the Athens-Macedonian News Agency in an exclusive statement, one day before the second round of the election in France.

I have no doubt that that with Emmanuel Macron as President, yes, Greece will continue to have a friend in France, a president friend and a government friend, and this is why these elections are also important for the Greeks, Moscovici said, adding he has worked with Macron in the past for the Greek program.

I know Emmanuel Macron very well. We worked together when I was finance minister, when he was deputy secretary-general next to Francois Hollande, to find positive positions concerning Greece, for Greece. France is a country whos a friend of Greece. It will remain [a friend] he continued.

Moscovici said that being friend of Greece means, on the one hand, encouraging it to accept the responsibilities and follow the efforts for reforms until the end but it also means solidarity from its partners.

Commenting on the second round of the presidential elections, the French Commissioner noted they are important for Greece, but also for all Europeans, because in the second round you have an opposition which is almost a caricature, between a candidate who wants to destroy Europe, who wants to take France out of the euro and a candidate who is pro-European and pro-Euro.

Therefore all the republicans, all the French democrats, whatever their political sympathies, must rally against the National Front and this is why Im here, he added.

On Friday night, Moscovici participated in an event which gathered representatives from all political parties except Jean-Luc Melenchon, to declare their opposition towards abstention, which would be in favour of Marine Le Pen.

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
Pavlopoulos reference to Piraeus, Greeces biggest and busiest port, comes months after Chinese shipping giant Cosco assumed the management of the Piraeus Port Authority (OLP)

President Prokopis Pavlopoulos over the weekend expressed his wholehearted support for Chinese President Xi Jinpings high profile One Belt, One Road transnational development and commercial initiative, in statements ahead of this months Belt and Road Forum, which is being organized in Beijing.

Greece, as a European Union member-state, is encouraging a greater cooperation between the EU and China. Its towards this direction that it [Greece] is promoting every initiative that brings Europe closer to Asia, Pavlopoulos said.

Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras will visit Beijing to participate in the forum on May 14-15, part of Chinas ambitious efforts, within a framework of international cooperation, to revive the ancient Silk Road trade route over land and sea.

At the same time, the Greek head of state emphasized that for Greece, the maritime route [on the revived Silk Road] is of particular importance, given that the port of Piraeus is the first European point of entry via the new Suez Canal.

Pavlopoulos reference to Piraeus, Greeces biggest and busiest port, comes months after Chinese shipping giant Cosco assumed the management of the Piraeus Port Authority (OLP) after purchasing a 67 percent stake in the latter, and following the Shanghai-based multinationals successful bid in an international tender.

Coscos investment at the port of Piraeus is an example of the amicable and mutually beneficial cooperation between Greece and China, and showcases Piraeus as one of the most significant hubs in the geostrategic connection between China, and all of Asia, with Europe, he said, adding:

We wholeheartedly support this initiative, within the framework of our strategic cooperation with China; and we are ready to work together, resourcefully, towards this direction. This is also underlined by the presence of the Greek Prime Minister, Alexis Tsipras, at the Beijing forum. For Greece, the One Belt, One Road initiative demonstrates a strong resolve for even closer relationships of all involved parties As countries that are inheritors of two of the most ancient civilizations, Greece and China have always appreciated and supported each other, developing cooperation on multiple levels.

Pavlopoulos expressed his best wishes for the Forums success, in statements just two weeks after the first ministerial conference of the Ancient Civilizations Forum initiative, which was co-launched by Greece and China, was concluded in Athens in late April 2017.

The president inaugurated the forum in Athens, which included the participation of Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi.

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

Source: ANA-MPA
Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) announces that Andreas Chrysostomou has joined the organization as Vice President, Public and Government Affairs for Europe. Chrysostomou will be responsible for managing the department of European Affairs covering these areas, including liaising with European institutions and other bodies or agencies. He will play a key part in leading CLIA Europes strategic advocacy vision and managing regulatory matters, legislative affairs, lobbying and public affairs. His work coordinated with a team of four experts will be shared with the global management.

Chrysostomou is a seasoned professional in the shipping industry. He holds an MBA (Masters in business administration) and he graduated from the University of Newcastle upon Tyne, UK, with a Bachelor of Engineering in naval architecture and shipbuilding. Before joining CLIA, Chrysostomou was Director of the Department of Merchant Shipping, the competent Authority for Maritime Affairs of the Government of the Republic Cyprus, and General Manager of Transmed Shipping Co., Ltd.

He held senior management roles in fields such as safety and security, protection of the marine environment and administration. He also served as the elected Chairman of the Design and Equipment Subcommittee of the IMO and of the Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC), one of the main Committees at IMO. He was twice elected and re-elected Chairman of the International Mobile Satellite Organization (a UN agency) and served as member of the Board of Governors of the World Maritime University (WMU). He also served as President of the Institute of Marine Engineering, Science & Technology (IMAREST).

Andreas received the 2011 Award for Outstanding Contribution to Sustainable Shipping and the Distinguished Public Service Award by the United States Department of Homeland Security, United States Coast Guard. He received the Green Shipping Technology Award - Leading Shipping Personality of the Decade 2003  2013 and in 2015, he was honored with the Lloyds List Greek Shipping Award - International Personality of the Year.

Andreas extensive experience in shipping will be valuable to our European industry, said Tom Fecke, Secretary General, CLIA Europe. The European cruise market has seen impressive growth over the past few years and I look forward to working with Andreas to ensure the sustainability of the cruise market throughout Europe.

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
Folegandros and Kardamili in Greece are among 25 top secret European villages according to Travel and Leisure which notes the following:

Folegandros

Theres no mistaking it, this tranquil spot in the Cyclades has nothing in common with neighboring Santorini: no building stands above two stories, no cruise ships pull into port, and there are no boutiques or fancy restaurants. Instead, on this remote island in the Aegean, waves crash on pebbled beaches, goats scurry up the hills, and an old wooden windmill twists in the salty breeze. Its a delightfully quiet escape for those who have grown tired of Greeces more trammeled getaways.

How to Get There: Fly to Santorini or take a ferry or a hydrofoil from Piraeus, just outside Athens.

Where to Stay: Great Value Theres a nautical theme at Anemomilos Apartments (studios from $131), on a cliff with easy access to the village of Hora. Anemi Hotel is a modern newcomer with cube-shaped rooms near Karavostasi port.

Where to Eat: Irinis, a grocery that turns into a restaurant at night, is the place for a home-cooked meal.

Kardamili

If youve heard murmurs that the jagged mountains and white-sand beaches of the Mani region are worth the trip from Athens, youre not alone. Insiders head there for a traditional experience: authentic Greek salads and moussaka at Lelas Taverna before spending the evening at the Elies Hotels outdoor patio, which overlooks the Gulf of Messenia. About three hours away on the Ionian Sea is the 765-room Costa Navarino resort with an observatory and tourism office dedicated to sustaining the villages community and seafront.

How to Get There: Fly to Athens, then drive three hours south through the Peloponnese to the Mani.

Where to Stay: Elies Hotel (doubles from $155) has 10 rooms and maisonettes set within olive groves. On the hillside, Notos Hotel (doubles from $129) has 14 simple apartments with views of Ritsa Beach.

Where to Eat: Lelas Taverna for Greek home-cooking.

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 number of inbound tourists from China to Greece in the summer season of 2017 is expected to rise significantly, according to data. The projection is confirmed by a notable increase in tax free sales in Greece in the first 3-month period of 2017 compared to 2016. A mere 150,000 Chinese tourists visited Greece last year, a number that is estimated to be much higher this year.

Data released by Premiere Tax Free Greece show that visitors from China are choosing Greece as a destination, reoccupying first spot among the nationalities, as 31% of all Tax Free transactions was covered by Chinese in the first 3 months of 2017. Chinese national spend an average of 330 euros with a preference to jewellery and clothing. Russia, FYROM and the US choose our country with great fervour and contribute to a 60% rise in profits via Tax Free transactions in Athens, Rhodes and Thessaloniki, said Aggeliki Kalogiannidou, marketing manager of Premiere Tax Free Greece.

She went on to add that purchases were up by 109% for Chinese, 65% by Russians, 87% by Americans and 37% by FYROM and Israel, a 200% rise compared to the first 3-month term of 2016. Athens Tax Free is on top accounting for 52% of Tax Free transactions, while Thessaloniki came in second.

It should be noted that two Chinese cultural exhibitions are scheduled to officially open on Thursday, April 27 in the framework of Sino-Hellenic cultural exchange year at the Byzantine and Christian Museum.

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 arrivals from Russia soared 15.5 times during the period

The number of tourists visiting the Mediterranean resort of Antalya saw a sharp rise in April with a 40 percent increase since the same month in 2016.

The arrivals from Russia soared 15.5 times during the period, data from the Antalya Governors Office showed, Dogan News Agency reported on May 2.

While a total of 348,072 people visited the city via the Antalya Airport and the Gazipasa-Alanya Airport in April 2016, this figure rose to 526,349 in the same month of 2017, data showed.

The number of arrivals in Antalya also reached 864,028 in the first four months of the year with a 12.5 percent year-on-year increase.

In April, a total of 188,194 Russians visited Antalya by air after normalization in the two countries ties. This figure was 12,144 in the same period of 2016.

Antalya also saw significant rises in the number of arrivals from Poland, Ukraine and Israel in April.

The number of tourists visiting the city from Middle Eastern and Central Asian markets also surged in the first four months of the year. Arrivals from Qatar and Kyrgyzstan rose by 320 percent and 223 percent, respectively, compared to the same period of 2016.

Around 7.5 to 8 million foreign tourists are expected to visit Antalya over this year, following a daunting year for Turkey.

The number of foreigners visiting Turkey, mainly Istanbul and Antalya, declined to 25.3 million in 2016, a 30 percent drop compared to 2015, after a series of bomb attacks, a diplomatic crisis with Russia, and the failed July 15, 2016, coup attempt.

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
Amsterdam



(TRAVPR.COM) NEDERLAND - May 7th, 2017 - The Quietroom foundation  creator of the Quietroom label, the only objective standard for quiet hotel rooms  is setting up the first worldwide certification process for manufacturers of soundproofing products used in the hotel industry.

Using certified products will help architects and developers meet objective standards for sound insulation, says Lucas Keizer, president of the foundation, and hotels can demand the use of certified products as a guarantee that their rooms will be properly insulated.

A wide range of products from manufacturers around the globe are being examined, and so far 36 have received the Quietroom Product Certificate. The certificate is available in various categories such as Floors, Walls & Ceilings, Doors & Windows, Acoustics, Ventilation and Water & Discharge Pipes.

According to the Architect Institute: "Industry professionals have already called the certification an excellent initiative and an important step to achieve better quality control for soundproof products.

The Quietroom foundation has also created the Design & Build Certificate which is aimed at (acoustic) consultants, designers and constructors involved with projects in the hotel industry. Certification of their building systems, construction processes, and services will make them more attractive to clients in the hotel industry.

The aim of the foundation is to create a worldwide database of certified products, systems, processes, and services, which will be freely accessible through the foundation's website, www.quiethotelroom.org. Certificates will be annually revised to ensure that they reflect the latest standards.

For more information about the Quietroom Product Certificate and Design & Build Certificate, please contact:

Alice@quiethotelroom.org

Keizersgracht 241

1016 EA Amsterdam, The Netherlands

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Tribune News Service

Amritsar, May 6

Five jail inmates were booked for allegedly possessing a mobile phone. They were identified as Major Singh of Vero Nangal, Gurdaspur, Rashpal Singh of Khuda Ali Sher Singh, Chandigarh, Gurwinder Singh and Jaspal Singh, both from Khadoor Sahib, and Harjit Singh of Baba Bakala.

According to information, the jail authorities received a tip-off that these jail inmates were using a mobile phone inside the jail premises. Yesterday, at 6 am, Chakki Number 8 (isolation ward) was checked and a mobile phone was recovered from a hidden place. The mobile phone had a SIM card also.

The jail authorities submitted a complaint to the Gate Hakima police, which registered a case under Section 420, IPC, and Sections 42 and 52-A of the Prisoners Act.
Rajinder Nagarkoti

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, May 6

This time, the UT Registering and Licensing Authority (RLA) will not auction vanity number 0001 as it has already been allotted to the UT Transport Secretary.

The number 0001 of the CH01BM series was allotted to UT Transport Secretary K K Jindal, who is also the in-charge of the RLA. According to information, the number was booked by Jindal for his wifes Innova.

Recently, the UT Administration had the Chandigarh Motor Vehicles Rules, 1990, amended. According to amended rules, dignitaries/officials are eligible for the registration number for the vehicle to be registered in their own (or spouses) name without paying an additional fee. However, this is limited to only two registration numbers during their service tenure.

With the implementation of the amended rules, the number was allotted to Jindal for a reserved price of Rs 50,000.

The remaining numbers of the CH01BM series, from 0002 to 9999, will be auctioned through the regular process by the RLA. The registration process for the auction will start from May 11 and continue till May 17. The e-auction will start from May 18 and continue till May 20.

10-day affair

The process of e-auctioning is a 10-day affair  seven days for registration and three days for bidding. The successful bidders will be required to get their vehicles registered as well as to deposit the balance bid amount within one month from the date of auction, failing which a penalty of 10 per cent as well as interest at the rate of 10 per cent on the balance will be charged till the date of payment. The result of the auction will be out on the website and the successful bidders will also be informed of the same via an SMS and e-mail.

Register on national transport website

Vehicle owners can register on the national transport website,https:parivahan.gov .infancy , and obtain a unique acknowledgement number (UAN). In the e-auction, the vehicle purchased only at a Chandigarh address is eligible. The sale letter (Form No. 21), Aadhaar card and an address proof of Chandigarh are mandatory to participate in the e-auction.
Ramkrishan Upadhyay

Tribune news service

Chandigarh, May 6

While the Joint Regulatory Electricity Commission (JERC) has rejected the proposal for enhancing the rates of power, the Department of Electricity has burdened the consumers in another way.

The bills of March and April being delivered at the doors of residents are giving shock to them. The Department of Electricity has once again levied fuel and power purchase cost adjustment (FPPCA) charges on the consumers.The JERC has authorised the Chandigarh Electricity Department to compute fuel and power procurement cost variations on quarterly basis and charge from the consumers.

The department bought power at higher rates and charged from the consumers. This has increased the bills by 20 to 50 per cent depending upon the category of consumers. The charges have been levied for all types of consumers i.e. domestic, commercial and the industrial. The charges have been levied from Rs 80 paisa to Rs 3.15 maximum per unit over and above the existing rates charged from the consumers. This is the third hike within the year.

Naveen Manglani, president of the Chamber of Chandigarh Industries, has condemned the unprecedented hike by way of FPPCA charges. In a representation to the Superintending Engineer of the Department he, said the FPCCA charges enhanced rates, which should be reviewed.

He said the whole system of charging the FPPCA charges should be made transparent and the public should be told why they were being charged so much. He said with the FPPCA charges, the charges for power in the industrial sector had touched Rs 9 per unit, which was the highest in the region. Manglani said they were ready to pay the genuine cost, but did not want to pay for the inefficiencies of the department or any transmission loses. Baljinder Singh Bittu, president, FOSWAC, also said the FPPCA charges are unjustified and why should the residents pay for the theft and losses.
Sandeep Rana

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, May 6

The UT police today filed a 443-page charge sheet against Harmehtab Singh, alias Farid, co-accused in the sensational Akansh Sen murder case, under Sections 302 (murder) and 34 (common intention) of the IPC in the court of Civil Judge Nisha.

The police have a total of four eyewitnesses, the victims cousin and complainant Adamaya Rathore, his friends Shera, Karan and Rajan Pupneja in the challan. Besides, the police have mentioned 41 witnesses, including policemen and doctors involved in the case.

The exact cause of Akanshs death is not known yet as viscera report is still pending with the CFSL. Prime accused Balraj Singh Randhawa was earlier declared a proclaimed offender, thus challan against him could not be submitted in the court.

According to the police, Randhawa, a resident of Sector 77, Sohana, and Harmehtab Singh of Radewala Farm, Landra, Mohali, entered into an altercation with Akansh Sen on February 9. After the altercation, the former sat in a BMW car and ran Akansh over thrice.

It has been further stated that Randhawa was behind the wheel while co-accused Farid was sitting on the front passengers seat. They downed the windowpanes of the luxury car and Farid instigated Balraj to run Akansh over. After the first hit, he told Balraj that Akansh had not died yet and asked him to reverse the car and run him over again.

As per the prosecution, 13 injuries on the body have been mentioned in the post-mortem report.

Akansh Sen was the co-owner of Boom Box Cafe in Sector 9 here.

High-profile case

In this high-profile case, the deceased is the nephew of Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh while co-accused Farid is the grandson of Gian Singh Rarewala, former chief minister of erstwhile Pepsu state.

Cops fail to nab prime accused

Despite it being such a high-profile case, the UT police have failed to nab main accused Randhawa. In another high-profile case, the police could not arrest the killers of former national-level shooter and lawyer Sukhmanpreet Singh, alias Sippy.

Timeline
Ishrat S Banwait

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, May 6

The National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET) for medical entrance is to be held tomorrow across the country. Around 18,000 students are to appear in Chandigarh alone but candidates are fretting over the dress code and other regulations for the exam.

The CBSE has issued a list of items and clothing that candidates can not wear or carry in the exam. While girls are worried about handling their hair as no rubber bands or hair clips are allowed, the boys are not sure whether they can wear lowers or trousers with pockets.

Parents are another worried lot who say that instead of revising their syllabus, the children are calling each other to know what the other will wear. Not only this, there is confusion over the photograph that is to be used on the admit card. Candidates are not sure whether the photo should be coloured or black and white and whether they should contain the date and candidate's name or not.

The Regional Director of the CBSE, Joseph Emannuel, said: "We assure that candidates will not face any problems. The rules are not hard and fast. We will adjust at the local-level as we want the students to appear for the exam tension free. Sikh candidates will be allowed to wear their articles of faith although we advise everyone to follow the instructions regarding the dress code."

Studentspeak

Girls are going to face a major issue as no rubber bands or hair clips are allowed. It is very hot and our time will be wasted in managing our hair, especially as fans will be on.  Shreya

I am not sure what to wear tomorrow. We fear it may cause problems for us. The confusion is weighing on our minds and hindering our revision and last minute preparation.  Aryan Wadhera

I have long hair which will cause a problem as rubber bands and pins are not allowed. I understand that it is being done to prevent cheating but it is also an inconvenience to us.  Riya Sethi
Lt Gen Syed Ata Hasnain (retd)

IT is not often that you will find analyses of individual operations of the security forces in the media. However, when you witness a revisit to tactics of the past, those done away 17 years ago, perhaps such a review may be pertinent. Technology has enabled the spread of diverse information in the intervening period that the degree of interest in the public on such issues has multiplied manifold. In the backdrop of the heinous act by the Pak Army-terrorist combine in Poonch on April 30, 2017 military operations on the LoC also occupy greater space.

When the Army moved two brigades from Udhampur into Kashmir in August-September 2016 in the wake of large-scale disturbances which had paralysed governance, one knew it was a dire requirement. No military institution ever teaches how such large forces are to be employed in classic hybrid situations to restore order. All that was needed with these forces was the occupation of the space in South Kashmir which had been vacated over time to plug infiltration at the LoC. It was important to back up the JK Police to reoccupy the vacated police stations, bolster the confidence of the force which had been targeted in a much focused way and regain/re-establish the "moral ascendancy" of the Army which may have diluted. The Army did it that way, ensuring it sent a "strong message" of its presence and that it would not resort to any wrong means to control the situation, even in the face of serious provocation which was underway.

Those brigades have probably withdrawn and the situation in South Kashmir has worsened in many ways in 2017. In my years with Victor Force of the Rashtriya Rifles (RR), I always considered the quadrilateral formed by Bijbehara, Kulgam, Shopian and Pulwama (see map) as the citadel which needed to be breached. That is the very area causing much concern today although Central Kashmir has also witnessed the same. The recent incidents of bank robberies and the ambush on the cash van of the J&K Bank, leading to the killing of five JK policemen (all from Kashmir) and two local bank security men cannot be glossed over. The message is there is no remorse in the killing of locals if they stand in the way. No doubt, Kashmiris have lost their lives at the altar of local terrorist actions in the past and even targeted killings have taken place but a lack of condemnation and an expression of happiness by locals is disturbing. This is a reversal of much that had been gained. It signifies the stronger entry of Pakistani terror groups and influences without which such a trend would seldom be witnessed. In the past, Pakistani terror groups have announced their domination through some heinous acts such as minority killings and massacres of innocents. It is something the security set-up in Kashmir should be wary of.

Thus Operation Clean Up launched on 4 May hasn't come anytime too soon. It's a joint operation of the Army's RR, CRPF and the JK Police. In purely military operational terms, it is aimed at regaining control that may be perceived to be in contention, not necessarily lost. The last time large formation sized search and destroy operations (SADO) or cordon-and-search operations (CASO) were conducted was in 1999-2000. In the Hafruda forest belt jungle searches have been a norm even in recent years. The Army's strategic reserve was in the Valley as a follow-up to Kargil and was employed both for jungle bashing and search of semi-urban areas. It had its effect, sending home the resolve of the state. While many recoveries of logistics material of terror groups were made, the ensuing effect was the killing of terrorists who did not have the sustenance to survive in their hideouts. More importantly, the psychological message was sent that the Army would always resort to any type of operations to ensure its operational and tactical domination. Since then the Army has calibrated its concept of operations restricting these to intelligence-based ones or small CASOs so as not to cause unnecessary inconvenience to the public. This was progressive revision of concepts. Conflict progression moved towards conflict stabilisation and was in sync with the political initiatives of Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee and Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed. Hybrid war situations like all military situations are always dynamic; no use of bemoaning lost opportunities. They will always return and perhaps one may be better prepared for them then.

What should be expected from Operation Clean Up? Is the return to tactics of yore worth it, especially since not much seems to have been achieved in terms of apprehensions, neutralised terrorists or recovery of warlike stores?

General Bipin Rawat, the Army Chief has invested a lot in the current operation, having personally visited HQ 15 Corps to take stock of plans and give last-minute directions. These operations usually commence late at night, with cordons being established. The population is asked to vacate houses early morning and then search is carried out. The difference from the crackdowns of the 1990s is the large-scale presence of the media in all these villages and townships. Clearly, the operation was not pushed to limits as stone-throwing emanated and the security forces did not use coercive power, their intent being focused on the terrorist element.

The operation appears only a demonstration of intent and not more.There will be difference of opinion on whether more coercion should have been used against stone-throwers and their leaders. Obviously, this is being carefully calibrated. Two things are important if the messaging has to be correct. The information domain needs as much domination as the physical space of South Kashmir. The negativism against India at the recent UN Human Rights Review Meet proves how far we are from effectively projecting India's stance.

Second, return to old tactics in a calibrated way for a necessary reason is fully justifiable as street and terrorist violence was spiralling out of control. What must accompany this is an engagement not of separatists or their cohorts but a set of people who believe in India. As stabilisation of the security situation begins, the India supporters can be strengthened.

It must also be continuously demonstrated that Kashmir has distinct advantages by being part of India. Soft power can never be divorced from hard power in workable strategies; only one has to know where and in what quantum soft power must be applied.

Demonstration of intent must be as focused as much as the hinterland. The best psychological message at the LoC is always evident when commanders on the ground have the freedom to act. Under the circumstances there should be complete empowerment, subject to fitment into overall strategy.

The writer, a former GOC of the Srinagar-based 15 Corps, is now associated with the Vivekanand International Foundation.
THE draft guidelines released to check disruptive and unruly behaviour on flights seem to have been hurriedly prepared, probably without any kind of vetting by legal experts. What constitutes an offence  unruly behaviour, a physical gesture or life-threatening behaviour  is not clearly defined. Even the punishment prescribed is vague  two or more years for life-threatening behaviour. The duration of the ban on a passenger found guilty is left to the discretion of each airline. Technicalities apart, airlines cannot ensure staff and passenger safety or curb acts of misdemeanour without back-up support from the police and the civil aviation authorities.

In the Ravindra Gaikwad incident, which has led to the proposal for a no-fly list for all airlines, the government and the legislature let down Air India. A message has gone across that rules are for the disciplined air travellers, not for the likes of Ravindra Gaikwad. Rules are normally not obeyed unless punishment follows every violation. Gaikwad, a Shiv Sena MP, proudly confessed on TV channels that he beat up the 62-year-old Air India staffer with a chappal. Under media pressure possibly, the Delhi Police did register an FIR but there the matter rests. That the assault happened is not in doubt, nor is the identity of the criminal. Evidence is available in the form of self-confession; witnesses too are there. And yet the MP is not in jail. Rules will not help if a crime goes unpunished.

This is the same Delhi Police which does not let go an opportunity to put in jail AAP MLAs, whatever the accusation and whoever makes it. The Government of India, which has built a reputation of sorts by sending out muscular responses whenever and wherever necessary, has buckled under pressure from its ally in Maharashtra. The Shiv Sena has stood behind its errant MP. That was expected of a party which uses goons to run its politics. What was not expected was Parliament letting off the MP with an apology. The legislature missed a chance to tell the VIPs across the country that no one is above the law. The removal of red beacons alone cannot dismantle the VIP mindset.
Our Correspondent

Kaithal, May 7

Himachal Pradesh Governor Acharya Devvrat has urged the farmers to adopt organic farming, rear local (desi) breed of cows, reduce input costs on agriculture and make it a profitable profession.

Addressing farmers, farm labourers and representatives of panchayats during a convention on organic farming, water conservation and cleanliness at Balu village of the district today, the Governor said: We will get rid of chronic diseases, which are caused by injudicious use of chemical fertilisers, if we adopt organic farming and rear desi cows.

He said: Now, we should say goodbye to conventional farming, break the prevailing crop circle and shift to diversification of crops. He gave an example of organic farming being practiced in about 175-acre farm of Gurukul in Kurukshetra, where cow dung and cow urine were being used to increase crop yield. Crops grown with this method needed less water for irrigation and the quality of crop was excellent, nutritious and free from ill effects of chemical fertiliser and pesticides, he said.

Agriculture Minister Om Prakash Dhankar, who was also present on the occasion, released a book on organic farming written by Governor Devvrat.

He highlighted various steps taken by the present government for welfare of the farmers. The recently introduced crop insurance scheme would prove to be a boon for farmers and insurance companies would pay Rs 210 crore to 80,000 beneficiaries under this scheme. Not only this, the government had increased the budget of panchayats for development works from Rs 2,000 crore to Rs 5,000 crore.

He said the government had taken a decision to grant Mahagram status to villages having population above 10,000. Steps were being taken to make villages free from open defecation and make arrangements for waste management at the village level. Dhankar also threw light on incentives and subsidies given by the government to promote dairy farming and raising local breeds of cow and pisciculture so that people in the rural areas could increase their income. He also agreed to send farmers for training to the Gurukul farm to learn techniques for organic farming. The minister announced to sanction 52 demands made by three panchayats of Balu village. The Governor and the minister were honoured by the panchayats. Guhla MLA Kulwant Bajigar and district BJP president Subhash Hajwana were among others present on the occasion.
Vishal Joshi

Tribune News Service

Cheeka (Kaithal), May 7

Jagdish Singh Jhinda proved his mettle in panthic politics on Sunday when he was unanimously accepted by a rebel group as president of the Haryana Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (ad hoc HSGMC).

At a five-hour meeting of the executive board at the historic Gurdwara Chhevin-Nauvin Patshahi here, it was decided that the fight for a regular body to manage Haryana gurdwaras would continue under Jhinda.

The meeting was convened by HSGMCs nominated member Baljit Singh Daduwal. Out of total 38 members, 32 were reportedly present in the meeting.

The warring group led by Nalvi, senior vice-president, and his confidant Chandeep Singh Khurana, was adamant to hold elections to elect new executive board.

At a meeting held at Gurdwara Neem Sahib at Kaithal on April 9, Daduwal and Khurana, HSGMC member from Rohtak, had revolted by electing Nalvi as acting president, replacing Jhinda.

Though election of HSGMC office-bearers was not on agenda today, Nalvi and Khurana had been saying till this morning nothing short of election was acceptable as Jhinda had lost confidence of the House.

Claiming full support of the House, Jhinda has been saying he could not be removed as HSGMC president as he nominated by the Haryana government.

Moreover, the Jhinda group claims as the case regarding HSGMC constitution was pending in the Supreme Court, there cannot be any change in the panels formation till an order is passed.

Meanwhile, Daduwal, who had convened todays meeting, said in the presence of Jhinda and Nalvi that misunderstandings between members were sorted out amicably.

He said both factions had shown solidarity in the leadership of Jhinda.

Daduwal, however, refused to share details on how the consensus was built.

The meeting started on a stormy note when Jhinda read out a letter written by Nalvi last year to HSGMC president.

It was purportedly written by Nalvi that Daduwal and two others should cease to remain members for not attending HSGMC meetings.

Embarrassed over the development at the meeting, Daduwal asked the mediapersons to vacate the meeting hall.

Journalists were earlier invited to witness the proceeding of the general house.

Later, Nalvi told Tribune that Jhinda and HSGMC general secretary Joga Singh would not be allowed to continue in office after July 14, when apex court will hear the HSGMC case.

Three new members

HSGMC executive board today nominated Karnail Singh Nimnabad, Baldev Singh Balli and Jasbir Singh Bhati as gurdwara panel members. As per HSGMC Act, the ad hoc body can have 41 members.

New members have been replaced with earlier nominated members-Bhupinder Singh Assandh, Baba Gurmeet Singh Tilokewala and Harpal Singh Pali.
Geetanjali Gayatri

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, May 7

The Congress in Haryana is a house divided but the silence of the top brass on the demand for a change in the leadership of the state unit seems baffling for senior leaders, especially after a change of guard in the Punjab Congress.

While the state unit, divided between the factions led by state unit chief Ashok Tanwar-CLP leader Kiran Choudhry and former Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda, cant see eye-to-eye, the Congress general secretary in charge of Haryana, Kamal Nath, is conspicuous by his absence.

Nath will complete one year in Haryana as the party affairs in charge in June during which he visited Haryana only once for a programme. While he has stayed away from the HPCC programmes, sources claimed that he preferred meeting senior leaders in Delhi rather than coming to Haryana.

A party leader said as Nath had his fingers in too many pies, he was unable to devote time to the state. Haryana, with its 10 parliamentary seats, is low on priority not only for the Congress but also the BJP. Since Nath belongs to Madhya Pradesh which goes to the polls next year, that state becomes his priority, a leader stated.

In the last one year, factionalism within the party has deepened but there has been no concerted effort by the leadership to bring the warring leaders on a common platform. Contrary to that, the infighting has led to leaders washing their dirty linen in public.

Internal bickering in the party touched a new low when Hooda and his son, Deepender, were booked by the Delhi Police for an assault on Tanwar during Congress Vice-President Rahul Gandhis rally last year. With the legislators owing allegiance to Hooda, a demand for a change in the state leadership was raised by them. Not only did the legislators meet the party top brass jointly but also individually, besides writing letters.

However, the top leadership has been sitting on the matter without asking either faction to fall in line though some of these leaders have met Kamal Nath in Delhi to apprise him of the goings-on.

Tanwar said that Nath was well aware of the situation.
Kuldeep Chauhan

Tribune News Service

Shimla, May 7

Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh is likely to meet key Congressmen, including some councillors, who dont want the MC elections to be postponed and clash with the Assembly poll in November. The meeting is scheduled for tomorrow.

While Congress remains a divided house over the election schedule, the CPM and the BJP have raised questions on the final voter list and the reservation roster released by the district electoral registration officer for the MC elections.

We are meeting the Chief Minister tomorrow and will apprise him of the situation as the government has carried out a lot of works in the city in the last four years, said Harish Janartha, vice-chairman, HPTDC, and a former Deputy Mayor. We will chalk out a strategy for the MC poll on the direction of the Chief Minister and approach voters highlighting our works. We will thrash out all issues related to MC elections, he asserted.

Shimla Mayor Sanjay Chauhan said they had raised several issues with the Election Commission regarding the voter list and the reservation roster. Earlier, there were 66,000 voters, now the final list says there are about 88,000 voters. Upper Dhalli ward has 800 voters whereas Krishna Nagar has 3,600 voters, which proves that the delimitation exercise is faulty, he added.

BJP Shimla MLA Suresh Bhardwaj said both CPM and a divided Congress were trying to postpone the MC elections. We are not challenging the Census 2011 figure, but the state election department has not done a proper exercise to prepare the voter list properly. The elections should be held as per schedule and the BJP state leadership has to take a call whether to release the list of party candidates or not, he added.

Even the reservation roster based on the Census of 2011 has turned out to be controversial as it has wiped out six Congress concillors. We have met the Chief Minister and told him that the reservation roster for the wards should be done through a draw of lots, but the Urban Development Department paid no heed and issued the roster on the basis of population, which is faulty as the exact population of nine new wards is not known, they revealed.

As many as four contiguous wards  Kagnadhar, Pateog, Vikasnagar (created by delimiting Pateog and Chhota Shimla) and Chhota Shimla  have been reserved for women. Similarly, newly created Sangti, Engine Ghar and Malyana are contiguous and these wards have no exact figure of voters as these were delimited in 2016-17 and the Census cannot be made a basis to establish as to which ward has a greater number of women voters, said Deputy Mayor Tikender Panwar, who had shot off a letter to the State Election Commission yesterday.
Lalit Mohan

Tribune News Service

Dharamsala, May 7

Hoteliers summoned by Municipal Commissioner Lalit Jain for raising illegal constructions have filed their reply. Sources said 15 persons had been summoned. In the notices, for the first time, the corporation had threatened to raze the illegal constructions in McLeodganj.

Jain said he had received the replies and would pronounce orders in each case after going through those. The sources said only 15 persons had been summoned, but the fact was that hundreds of people had raised illegal structures following the governments retention policy.

Residents who had raised such structures after June 2016 are not entitled to get relaxation under the retention policy of the state government under which it has proposed to regularise 100 per cent deviation from approved maps. The fact has come to the fore in the notices issued by the Dharamsala Municipal Corporation to 15 owners of hotels and commercial buildings.

It is learnt that the former Municipal Commissioner had got a survey conducted on the illegal constructions in February this year. A list was prepared and on its basis notices were issued.

When the state government announced the retention policy last year allowing regularisation of 100 per cent deviation from approved maps, a large number of people, especially from Dharamsala, raised illegal structures hoping to get those regularised. Though maximum height of buildings allowed in an

earthquake-prone zone was just four storey, seven-storey buildings have come up in McLeodganj. These were built with an idea that the government would regularise anything that the people would construct. The lax attitude of the authorities further encouraged the culprits.

The geological experts have already warned against the high-rise buildings in McLeodganj. They have alleged that in case of an earthquake, disaster management might become difficult due to such buildings. Illegal constructions have become so blatant that complaints from the Union Ministry for External Affairs that has liaison office for the Dalai Lama in McLeodganj have gone unheard. The liaison officer to the Dalai Lama from the Union ministry had written to the Municipal Corporation and district authorities regarding a high-rise building coming up adjacent to their office. The liaison officer in the letter had alleged that an illegal building had come around their office which had blocked even the sunlight to their building. However, no action was taken against the accused.

Complaints fell on deaf ears
Our Correspondent

Una, May 7

The survey of the 70-km-long Bankhandi to Bhota via Una, Basoli national highway, which has got the approval of the Union Ministry for Road Transport and Highways in March 2015, can finally see the light of day with a private consultancy company having expressed interest in undertaking the work.

The ministry had notified the upgrade of the existing state road to the status of the NH in 2015. However, two previous attempts to invite tenders for conducting the survey work had been unsuccessful, said Harbans Lal Sharma, Executive Engineer of the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), Hamirpur.

Sharma said the third tender process was completed on April 25 and this time too only one Noida-based private consultancy firm had applied for undertaking the job. He said in the third tender process, even a single tender applicant was eligible to be considered for the allocation of job, provided it passed the laid down technical evaluation criteria.

Since the road route sanctioned by the ministry includes Basoli village, a bridge over a stretch of Gobind Sagar reservoir of the Bhakra dam lying in Una district will have to be constructed. The bridge is a long-standing demand of the people from Bangana subdivision since vehicles from Una have to travel an extra 18 km along the banks of the reservoir for their journey to Hamirpur and Mandi districts besides other villages of Una district located across the reservoir.

The Executive Engineer said the proposed 1-km-long bridge over the Gobind Sagar reservoir between Mandli and Lathiani villages besides a 250 to 300-m-long tunnel between Pir Nigaha and Bihru villages would be covered under the survey for the formulation of the detailed project report, adding that the final report on road design, route and cost estimates would be forwarded to the ministry for final approval.
Tribune News Service

Jammu, May 6

Calling for a concerted dialogue process, Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti today said Prime Minister Narendra Modi alone could pull the Valley out of the prevailing morass.

Kashmir is not problem of a year or two, it is a 70-year-long issue which needs to be solved by addressing all related aspects, she said at a public function here. I know some people will criticise my stand, but I am of the firm opinion that the Prime Minister alone can permanently solve this vexed problem because he has the mandate of the entire nation, she said.

(Follow The Tribune on Facebook; and Twitter @thetribunechd)

Claiming that Modi had the moral authority as well as the courage to take bold decisions, she recalled his unscheduled visit to Lahore on December 25, 2015, to normalise ties with Pakistan.

Without naming a political or separatist group, she said some vested interests were hell-bent on fomenting trouble in the Valley. I am hopeful that the PM, who has the mandate of the people, will take effective steps to restore peace. Invoking the Vajpayee doctrine, she recalled, Vajpayeeji and Mufti Saheb had initiated sincere efforts which yielded encouraging results.

Facing immense pressure from within her party (PDP) to convince the Centre to hold parleys, Mehbooba has reason to invoke Vajpayee. It was during the latters tenure as PM that several pro-peace measures, including talks with the Hurriyat Conference and a ceasefire along the 720-km-long international border with Pakistan, were initiated. Also, LK Advani, then Deputy PM, had on January 22, 2004, held talks with separatists.

Thereafter, no efforts were made to carry forward the agenda of peace and reconciliation. It was owing to the causal approach of the UPA government and successive dispensations in Jammu and Kashmir that the state saw unprecedented violence in 2008-2010, she claimed.

There was pent-up lava. It started to pour out in 2008 and then in 2009-2010. This lava has now spread to the streets and we are forced to face this situation, she said.

As the CM was speaking, senior Congress leader Gulchain Singh Charak interrupted her, demanding two civil secretariats, one in Jammu and another in Srinagar. Charak, who later walked out in protest, was heckled by some workers.
Srinagar, May 7

A group of militants appeared at the funeral of a slain associate and fired a volley of bullets in the air as a form of gun salute in south Kashmirs Kulgam district on Sunday.

The alarming incident occurred during the funeral of Fayaz Ahmed, alias Setha, a resident of Qaimoh area of Kulgam, who was killed in retaliation on Saturday after militants had fired upon a police party which had gone to Mir Bazaar area to investigate a road accident.

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Three civilians and a cop were also killed in the attack yesterday.

At least four militants appeared in the crowd during the funeral and offered gun salute to the deceased by firing in the air from their AK-assault rifles today, police officials said.

The incident comes just a couple of days after the security forces carried out a major combing operation in the neighbouring Shopian district to flush out militants.

According to police officials there have been quite some instances of militants appearing at the funerals of slain associates in recent times in what appears to have taken the shape of a disturbing trend.  PTI
Azhar Qadri

Tribune News Service

Srinagar, May 7

In south Kashmirs Pulwama, a semi-urban district that borders Srinagars south-west edge, a new generation of militants backed by sympathetic locals is quickly eroding the long-held influence of the ruling party and engaging security forces in a gruelling fight.

The district has emerged as the epicentre of Kashmirs new war which is spearheaded by groups of young militants, who have overshadowed the traditional separatists and are backed by the never-ending crowds of stone-throwing protesters.

The new generation of militants has flourished in this district mainly because of the unprecedented support offered by the local population, which has provided them sympathy with thousands turning up at their funerals and also throwing a shield around them in times of need: when militants are trapped by security forces.

The district has witnessed the highest number of clashes between civilians and security forces whenever the latter attempted to cordon off a village or neighbourhood in search of militants. The topography of the district, with its vast orchards and fields ringed by dense forests, also provide a perfect operating space for the militants.

Pulwama, the milk belt of Kashmir, emerged as the ground zero of the new militancy from the shadows of obscurity in recent years. The district was home to Burhan Wani, a symbol of the new militant generation of Kashmir and whose killing in a gunfight last year sparked a deadly wave of protests and unrest.

It is also the base of Abu Dujana, commander of Lashkar-e-Toiba militants in the Kashmir valley and the mastermind of some of the deadly attacks on security forces. The district is also home to nearly 40 militants, most of them locals, who know the geography, the sensibilities and the population.

At least in the electoral arithmetic, Pulwama districts four Assembly segments were the stronghold of the Peoples Democratic Party, which rode to power on a semi-separatist agenda and painted itself as a moderator between the anti-Delhi and the pro-Delhi politics.

The three out of the four Assembly constituencies are represented by PDP candidates since 2002 and the remaining one  Tral  is represented by the PDP since 2008. In the last Assembly election, all four constituencies of Pulwama were won by the PDP, which had contested the poll with a promise to stop the BJP from coming into power.

A police official in Pulwama said people of Pulwama felt betrayed when the PDP allied with the BJP. People suddenly felt that they had been wronged when the PDP formed the government with the BJP. It created an absolute vacuum and there was no political alternative around, a police official said, requesting anonymity.

The militants, treated as local heroes and glorified as martyrs after their killing in gunfights, fitted into the vacuum in the political landscape of Pulwama as locals gradually risked their own lives and rushed to save them during gunfights.

Sajid Ahmad, a resident of Pulwama town, has a simplistic understanding of the growing support for militants in Pulwama that is echoed by many others in the district who see Kashmirs conflict as an increasingly religious affair. They are our heroes and people want freedom, the 22-year-old with a postgraduate degree said.

The unprecedented psychological space and reverence gained by militants  which reached a pinnacle in the past two years  has made it difficult for mainstream politics to survive in Pulwama as hundreds of political workers made an exodus from the district during the past fortnight after the most senior district official of the ruling party was shot dead in a brazen day-time attack by militants.

Abdul Gani Dar, PDP district president in Pulwama was shot dead last month. He was the most high-profile politician to be killed in recent years, making the mainstream politics retreat in the district. There is no security at the ground level  this is going back to the early years of militancy, said Omar Jan, Congress leader in Pulwama.

The police said the militants had been able to create fear in the district by capturing their actions on video and sharing it on social media sites. Not only political workers, even we are feeling the pressure. By the use of social media and videos, they are creating a perception that everyone can be targeted, which is not true but they have succeeded in creating that perception, the police official said.

Nursery of insurgency
Anantnag, May 7

A group of militants appeared at the funeral of a slain associate and fired a volley of bullets in the air as a form of gun salute in south Kashmirs Kulgam district today.

The incident occurred during the funeral of Fayaz Ahmed, alias Setha, a resident of Qaimoh in Kulgam, who was killed in retaliatory fire yesterday after militants fired at a police party which had gone to Mir Bazaar area to investigate a road accident.

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Ahmed had been on the run since August 2015 after his name cropped up in the Udhampur terror strike case.

Three civilians and a cop were also killed yesterday.

At least four militants, their faces not concealed, appeared in the crowd during the funeral today and offered a gun salute to the slain militant. They raised some slogans and then fled.

The incident comes just a couple of days after the security forces carried out a major combing operation in the neighbouring Shopian district to flush out militants.

There have been several instances of militants appearing at funerals of slain associates in recent times in what appears to have taken the shape of a disturbing trend.

The slain militant carried a cash reward of Rs 2 lakh on his head and had been chargesheeted by the NIA.

The three civilians who got killed were working for Hyderabad-based company RAMKY, entrusted with NH widening in Kashmir.  TNS/PTI
New Delhi, May 7

Chief ministers of Naxal-affected states will meet top civil and police officers here on Monday to devise new ways to tackle the armed rebels.

The meeting, to be held two weeks after 25 paramilitary personnel were killed by a band of Maoists in Chhattisgarh, will be chaired by Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh.

It is expected that the meet will help firm up an anti-Naxal strategy to fight the guerillas in their hideouts in Chhattisgarh and other states in the coming days, a Home Ministry official said.

The chief ministers of Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Odisha, West Bengal, Bihar, Maharashtra, Telangana, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Andhra Pradesh have been invited to take part in the crucial meeting.

The Union home ministry said a holistic review of the situation will be undertaken covering a wide canvas of security and development issues, particularly infrastructure building.

READ: Sukma attack: Strategic CRPF command shifted to Chhattisgarh

District magistrates and superintendents of police of 35 of the worst-hit Naxalite-affected districts, along with heads of paramilitary forces and intelligence agencies, will attend the meeting.

It is expected to stress on revamping the intelligence gathering mechanism, meticulous analysis of ongoing operations, identifying problem areas and seeking solutions for better results.

On top of the agenda will be the issue of re-calibrating the anti-Naxal strategy to make it more effective and to minimise casualties, the official said.

The home minister has told the security officials to look for out-of-the box solutions to the problem of successive attacks by Naxalites when security personnel oversee road repair or development work in the troubled areas.

Road construction and other development activities in the affected areas will also be discussed. The chief ministers may endorse an alternative modern technology which would help with the speedy completion of projects.

Home Ministry officials said currently 90 per cent of Maoist activities were limited to 35 districts, though they have a hold over pockets in 68 districts in 10 states.

The meeting will focus on devising new strategies to maintain the momentum achieved in 2016, notwithstanding a couple of incidents, the home ministry said in a statement.

It will include two sessions to discuss upon operational issues like role of States in Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs) operations, raising and employment of India Reserve (IR) battalions and Special India Reserve Battalion (SIRB), etc, capacity building and intelligence issues like vacancies in state police forces, capacity building of state intelligence units, etc and other ministry-wise related matters.

The statement said the Central government has a multi-pronged strategy centred around security, development and ensuring rights and entitlements of local communities etc.

The Centre has been providing assistance to states in terms of CAPF battalions, intelligence, training and capacity building of state police forces.

It is also assisting the states through schemes that support building of infrastructure, specially road, railways and power, etc.

Development issues will also be discussed with a view to ensure rapid development of LWE-affected areas, the statement said.  PTI
New Delhi, May 7

Over 11 lakh MBBS and BDS aspirants today appeared for the National Eligibility-cum- Entrance Test (NEET) at over 1,900 centres across the country. Many were caught unawares of the dos and donts, with some even forced to resize the sleeves of their shirts and abandon their footwear to meet the norms.

The CBSE had deployed 490 officials at centres spread across 103 cities. Earlier, it used to conduct NEET for only 15 per cent all-India quota seats. While last year it was conducted in two phases, this year the test was held only today. After declaration of results, the data will be passed on to Health Ministry, which will coordinate the counselling with respective states.

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In some parts of Tamil Nadu, several candidates wearing full sleeve shirts were told that only half-sleeve shirts were allowed in the examination hall. Left with no choice, they had to customise it by cutting it to size by using a scissor. Also, some who had come wearing shoes had to dump these and hastily opt for the sandals of their parents.

Women candidates had to hurriedly remove hair pins, bands, earrings and nose-pins as these accessories were not allowed. In Kerala, a candidate alleged she was asked to remove her innerwear.

In some cases, those living in the vicinity of NEET centres came forward to help candidates by giving them suitable clothes.  PTI
Mukesh Ranjan

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, May 7

Redeployment of forces, reworking standard operating procedures (SOPs) and periodic combat training for security personnel will be high on agenda at tomorrows meeting of chief ministers of the Left wing extremism (LWE)-affected states. The meeting, convened by Home Minister Rajnath Singh, comes after the recent Naxal attack in Chhattisgarh that left 25 CRPF men dead.

Sources in the MHA said the Centre would make an effort to build consensus on deployment and distribution of central forces in Naxal-hit states. The aim would be to divert central forces from now peaceful and zero-violence areas to LWE-infested areas.

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For this, the Home Minister wants to take West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banergee on board, as several parts of the state have not been witnessing much violence. Once withdrawn from the state, the forces can be redeployed in sensitive areas such as Abujhmaad in Chhattisgarh, a senior MHA official said.

The idea of redeploying forces emanated from the fact that of the 106 LWE-affected districts in the country only 68 reported Maoist violence last year, and even among those, 35 witnessed around 90 per cent of the incidents.

Improving SOPs for the personnel in combat role would be the next important item on the agenda. Further details will be discussed at the meeting and the Centre will issue new SOPs based on fresh ideas, the official said. Discussion was also expected on how to improve technical support for intelligence-based operations, chocking fund flow to Maoists and on-field training, he added.

Key CRPF command moved to Chhattisgarh
New Delhi, May 7

The strategic anti-Naxal operations command headquarters of the CRPF has been shifted from Kolkata to right into the heart of the Naxal violence-hit state of Chhattisgarh by the Centre in the wake of 37 men of the paramilitary being massacred by Naxals in a span of less than two months.

The CRPF issued an order on May 4 directing the immediate transfer of the command headquarters of the central zone of the paramilitary, roughly seven years after it was shifted from Raipur to Kolkata owing to logistical and connectivity issues that gave the West Bengal capital an upper hand over its Chhattisgarh counterpart.

Newly appointed CRPF Director-General Rajeev Rai Bhatnagar has been asked to ensure that the command begins functioning from Raipur before the high-level meeting of LWE hit states here tomorrow.

Additional Director-General of the central zone of CRPF Kuldiep Singh was immediately air dashed to Raipur from Kolkata, along with the headquarter transfer orders, and the IPS officer has taken charge of the command in Raipur on Friday, the sources said.

The central zone, an operational field formation, was raised on August 7, 2009, and was tasked to oversee the CRPF troops deployment across the entire red belt of the Left-Wing Extremism (LWE) hit states from West Bengal to Jharkhand, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Odisha, Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh.

It was moved to Kolkata in July 2010 for want of better connectivity through rail and air transport for the command office, days after the Dantewada ambush where Naxals had carried out their biggest attack against security forces and brutally killed 75 CRPF men and a Chhattisgarh police jawan on April 6.

Top sources in the security establishment said the Union Home Ministry, after reviewing the April 24 Naxal ambush in the Sukma district that killed 25 CRPF men, ordered the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) to immediately shift the central zone command of the force to Raipur, without even bothering for the basic logistics to be put in place.

The idea is to base the Naxal command headquarter, where the exact fight and the LWE challenge is.

The ministry felt that having this strategic office, headed by an ADG-rank officer, in far off Kolkata was not serving the purpose of strategising quick, intelligence-based and coordinated offensives against Naxals right where the guerrillas are posing the biggest threat to the internal security of the country, a senior officer said.

The command office has been tasked to convene meetings and strategies joint operations with the Indian Air Force, the Border Security Force, the Indo-Tibetan Border Police force and various state police forces to carry out special anti- Naxal offensives along the southern border tip of Bastar where Sukmas border meet four neighbouring states that too suffer from the LWE menace.

They said DG Bhatnagar himself oversaw the quick activation of the command from the ground in Raipur after he attended a meeting of the Unified Command on LWE on May 5 that was chaired by Chief Minister Raman Singh.

He later moved to Sukma to take an on-spot assessment of the ambush site near Burkapal and held a sainik sammelan (troops meeting) to boost the morale of his men at a CRPF camp in the jungles of the district in south Bastar, few kilometres from the states border with Odisha, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana.

Over the last two days, the new CRPF DG has travelled to the interiors of Sukma and Dantewada, the two worst LWE- violence districts in the state. He also visited the ambush site in Bheji in Sukma where Naxals had killed 12 jawans on March 11, a senior officer said.

The urgency of shifting the CRPF command office in a matter of few days after the deadly Naxal attacks can be gauged from the fact that the transfer orders of the headquarter stated that it should be activated quickly by deploying necessary support staff and bare minimum facilities in the office of the sector Inspector General of the CRPF in Raipur.

The full facilities for this largest field formation of the paramilitary could be created over the next few weeks time, the order said.

The central zone has jurisdiction and deployment of troops over about 42 per cent of the geographical area of the country from the Bay of Bengal in the east to Madhya Pradesh in the west and from the international border with Nepal in the north to Odisha in the south.

It comprises eight sectors, 13 ranges, 17 group centres, 83 battalions, eight composite hospitals, 2 central weapons store, two central training colleges, three recruit training centres, a counter-insurgency and anti-terrorism school, 6 ANTS (Anti Naxal Training School) of the CRPF, the countrys largest paramilitary with about 3-lakh personnel in its ranks.

It is also designated as the lead security force for conducting anti-Naxal operations.  PTI
New Delhi, May 7

Youth Congress workers on Sunday staged a protest outside the residence of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal over the corruption allegations levelled against the AAP supremo by sacked Delhi minister Kapil Mishra.

Demanding a CBI probe into the allegations, the outfit said Kejriwal should resign from the post of chief minister pending the investigation.

"It seems the whole of Delhi has become like a circus.

The people are feeling cheated by the chief minister. These allegations have come from an ex-minister and therefore, it is a very serious issue," Amrish Ranjan Pandey, national spokesperson, Indian Youth Congress, said in a statement.

He demanded an inquiry into the allegations by the Central Bureau of Investigation and said Kejriwal should step down from the post of chief minister till the probe was concluded.

A day after being dropped from the Delhi cabinet, Mishra today alleged that he was present in person when Kejriwal took Rs 2 crore in cash from Delhi Health Minister Satyendra Jain, a charge refuted by Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia.  PTI
SC Vasudeva

Kindly clarify the following points with regard to income tax for financial year 2017-18 (assessment year 2018-19):

(i) What is the income up to which there is no tax for a senior citizen? Is it Rs 2.5 lakh or Rs 3 lakh?

(ii) Is the rebate of Rs 5,000 up to an income of Rs 5 lakh still applicable for senior citizens or it is Rs 2,500 up to income of Rs 3.5 lakh like others.

(iii) Is it gross income or taxable income of Rs 5 lakh up to which there is no need to file tax return online.

(iv) I am a senior citizen. Please compute my income tax for the financial year 2017-18. My details are as follows:

Gross income (pension + interest): Rs 5.30 lakh

Deduction under 80C:Rs 1.50 lakh

Income rebate (simple interest): Rs 10,000

 Baldev Raj

(a) The maximum limit up to which tax is not chargeable in case of a senior citizen is Rs 3,00,000.

(b) A rebate to the extent of Rs 2,500 is allowable under Section 87A of the Income-tax Act 1961 (The Act) for the assessment year 2018-19 in case of an individual whose total income does not exceed Rs 3,50,000.

(c) It is taxable income which is to be considered for the purposes of filing an income-tax return.

(d) Your total income on the basis of the figures given in the query works out at Rs 3,70,000 on which total tax of Rs 7,210 (income tax Rs 7,000 + education cess Rs 140 + Secondary and Higher Education cess Rs 70) is payable.

My query is whether interest income of Rs 10,000 is exempt from tax from PO savings account as in case of banks like SBI, PNB etc. where there is no tax on interest income up to Rs 10,000. My second query is whether from assessment year 2018-19 the benefit u/s 87A will be given to those with a total income up to Rs 3,50,000 or income of Rs 3,50,000 after deductions? Suppose my gross income is Rs 5,00,000 and I deposit Rs 1,50,000 in PPF A/c, what will be my tax liability? I am a senior citizen aged 74.

 Soham Lal Arora

A deduction to the extent of Rs 10,000 is allowable in respect of interest on deposits in savings account with a bank or cooperative bank or post office. Rebate under Section 87A of the Act is allowable to the extent of Rs 2,500 up to the income of Rs 3,50,000 after deducting the benefit allowable under Section 80C of the Act. Your tax liability after allowing you a rebate under Section 87A of the Act would be Rs 2,575.
Jupinderjit Singh

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, May 7

Declared as a respectable member of the society in police inquiries despite drugs smuggling cases against all her family members in the last five years, law has finally caught up with an alleged notorious woman smuggler from Jagraon.

The Enforcement Directorate, early this week, froze properties worth Rs 2.5 crore besides seven vehicles  three cars, a truck, two motorcycles and a scooter  of Mohinder Pal Kaurs family.

With a well-known politician of the area, who had reportedly saved her from police action several times, out of power now, the police have reopened an inquiry against her and arrested her a few days ago.

Mohinder Pal Kaur and her sister Malkeet Kaur alias Malkeeto allegedly ran a drug racket in connivance of politicians and policemen. However, the change of government led to the action against the family.

In one such case, the police had recovered 12 sacks of poppy husk from her house in 2007, but a probe report said someone had planted the intoxicant in her house and locked the door from outside. Several social organisaitons had staged dharnas and protests in Jagraon seeking action against her, but the police records maintained that she was a respectable person.

During elections, pictures of an Akali leader freeing her from police detention after illegal liquor was seized from her house appeared in several newspapers.

The ED notice said all movable and immovable assets of Mohinder Pal Kaur, her son Gurnek Singh, daughter-in-law Lakhvir Kaur (a Health Department employee), sister Malkeet Kaur and her husband Chhota Singh and their son Boota Singh. Dozens of drug smuggling cases were registered against all family members, except Mohinder Pal Kaur.

Surjeet Singh, SSP, Jagraon, said Mohinder Pal had recently kidnapped her former driver Daatar Singh, whose help she wanted in smuggling of drugs. The SSP said Daatar Singh was thrashed. He reported the matter to the police and gave an affidavit regarding the activities of Mohinder Pal Kaur. We booked her and she is in judicial custody now, he added.

Freeze on property
Jupinderjit Singh

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, May 7

The Punjab unit of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) will meet the top brass in New Delhi tomorrow to decide whether to choose a new state convener or continue with the incumbent, Gurpreet Singh Waraich, till the partys organisational elections are held.

A group of MLAs has suggested that the party should opt for a democratic process to pick the new state chief. Party sources said these legislators may propose organisational elections, starting from the booth level.

The 20 MLAs, MPs Bhagwant Mann and Sadhu Singh and the heads of various party organisations and wings are expected to attend the meeting.

Party sources said there was a demand to set up a five-member committee of prominent leaders to recommend names for the state chiefs post.

Sources said Mann was a frontrunner, but he was facing opposition, especially from several NRI founder members. There is a demand that AAP should opt for a Hindu face as the party had been accused of hobnobbing with Sikh hardliners in the run-up to the elections. Sunam MLA Aman Arora may be considered on this ground.

Bholath MLA Sukhpal Khaira, who has been single-handedly taking on rival parties, is also a strong candidate for the top state post.

SAD demands Kejriwals arrest

Chandigarh: The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) on Sunday demanded the immediate suspension and arrest of AAP convener and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal following the bribery charges levelled by sacked AAP minister Kapil Mishra. It also asked the partys Punjab unit to reveal its stance on the allegation. Alleging that the minister had finally uncovered Kejriwals real face, former minister and SAD general secretary Bikram Singh Majithia said AAP was being accused of corruption for long. However, now we have a person who was a Cabinet minister in the Delhi government till a few hours ago, claiming he had seen the Delhi CM accepting Rs 2 crore as bribe from a tainted colleague. He said the people of Delhi now expected Kejriwal to resign immediately. Meanwhile, Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh said, Kejriwals corrupt face has been exposed and he has no moral right to continue in office. He urged the Delhi Lieutenant Governor to initiate action against Kejriwal and the AAP government. TNS
Chandigarh, May 7

Punjab Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh, suspended AAP MP Dharamvira Gandhi and SAD general secretary Bikram Singh Majithia on Sunday sought the resignation of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal.

Delhi minister Kapil Mishra today accused Kejriwal of taking Rs 2 crore from his Cabinet colleague Satyendar Jain, a charge refuted by Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia.

Amarinder said the AAP supremo had no moral right to continue in office as his corrupt face had been totally exposed.

The Congress leader said his party had for long been maintaining that Kejriwal was a dacoit, who was only interested in filling his pockets.

Gandhi, an MP from Patiala, said: It is a serious allegation levelled by Kejriwals former minister...he should step down immediately on moral grounds.

Gandhi was suspended from AAP for alleged anti-party activities in 2015, following which he joined Apna Punjab Party (APP).

Majithia termed the bribery scandal as an epoch event which has finally uncovered Kejriwals real face and said the AAP was being accused of being involved in corruption since long.

Now, we have a person who was a Cabinet minister in the Delhi government till a few hours back claiming that he has witnessed the Delhi CM accepting Rs two crore from a tainted colleague with his own eyes, he said.

Kejriwal has always maintained that he will take action against anyone accused of wrongdoing... What will you do now when you yourself are in the dock? Majithia asked.  PTI
Tribune News Service

Tarn Taran, May 7

Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh on Sunday announced a police job for the elder daughter and a reserved a job for the elder son of Naib Subedar Paramjit Singh, who was recently killed during a ceasefire violation by the Pakistani army at LoC in Jammu and Kashmir.

The Chief Minister, who visited Paramjit Singhs family at Vein Poin village here, said his government would soon table before the Cabinet a comprehensive policy standardising compensation for any Punjabi of any force who lays down his life in fighting for the nation.

Condoling the death of Paramjit Singh, Captain Amarinder said the jobs for the two elder children, which the family had sought from the government, would be in addition to the compensation already announced for the deceaseds next of kin.

The Captain Amarinder Singh-led government had earlier announced a total compensation of Rs 12 lakh, including Rs 5 lakh for the wife and children of the deceased, Rs 2 lakh for his parents and a plot worth Rs 5 lakhs. In addition, another Rs 1 lakh was announced for renaming the local rest house in the soldiers name.

The Chief Minister on Sunday also announced a school and a stadium in the area in the name of the jawan.

Amritsar MP Gurjit Singh Aujla had also announced that he would adopt the second daughter of the deceased soldier, whose elder daughter, 16-year-old Simrandeep Kaur, has been adopted by a bureaucrat couple from Himachal Pradesh.

Both Simranjit Kaur and son Sahildeep Singh, 12, will be provided government jobs by the state government on completion of their education, the Chief Minister told mediapersons.

Asked if the government was not discriminating against the third child of the deceased, he said it was not possible to provide individual compensation to every family member, but he made it clear that all promises made to the family would be fulfilled by his government, which would extent more help to them if needed.

Responding to questions, the Chief Minister said the central government was not doing enough to protect the men manning the countrys borders. Tough steps need to be taken to prevent the recurrence of such brutal killings at the border, he stressed, adding that India should retaliate with thrice the force to any incursions into our territory.

The Chief Minister was accompanied by his cabinet colleagues Rana Gurjit Singh and Navjot Singh Sidhu, as well as Punjab Congress president Sunil Jakhar.
Ruchika M Khanna

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, May 6

To be expanded in the first week of June, the Punjab Cabinet will be a heady cocktail of caste, religion and region. Besides the inclusion of eight more ministers, the post of Deputy Speaker too fill be filled.

Other than the CM, the Punjab Cabinet can have 17 ministers. The Capt Amarinder Singh-led Congress government already has nine ministers, two of them Ministers of State.

At least two MLAs from the Dalit community, two from upper caste Hindus and one representing OBCs will join the Cabinet. The rest of the slots will go to Jat Sikhs. An MLA each from Ludhiana and Doaba and two from Amritsar will be allotted a berth.

Of these new entrants, at least two will be young faces. The Congress high command in Delhi, during the swearing-in in March, had asked Amarinder Singh to "consider having younger faces in his team." Having taken senior MLAs and women legislators in the ministry already, the CM is now expected to give representation to the youth brigade in the first Cabinet expansion. There is little doubt that the only person whose word will count in this exercise will be the CM himself. That is why most berth hopefuls are flocking to the CM rather than rushing to Delhi.

Sources in the Punjab Government say the caste, religion and region dynamics have been worked out and the candidates are expected to be selected by the month-end. Among the hopefuls are Raj Kumar Verka, Surjit Singh Dhiman, OP Soni, Rakesh Panday, Vijay Inder Singla, Amarinder Singh Raja Warring, Randeep Singh Nabha, Sukhbinder Singh Sarkaria, Darshan Singh Brar, Rana Gurmeet Singh Sodhi, Sangat Singh Gilzian and Ajaib Singh Bhatti.

The Cabinet expansion is to be done within a month, well before the Budget session. The government has decided to keep the appointment of 20 parliamentary secretaries and one chief parliamentary secretary on hold till then. The Punjab Chief Parliamentary Secretary and Parliamentary Secretary (Appointment, Salaries, Allowance Power, Privileges and Amenities) Bill is ready. But the government, wary of such appointments being challenged, is in no rush.
Gurbaxpuri

Tarn Taran, May 7

Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh today announced a naib tehsildars job for Simrandeep Kaur (15), elder daughter of martyred soldier Paramjeet Singh, and an ASIs job for his son, Sahildeep Singh (10).

The Chief Minister was here to express condolences with Paramjeets family at Vein Poin village in the district.

He said the Congress government would soon table before the Cabinet a comprehensive policy for standardising compensation for any Punjabi soldier who laid down his life in the line of duty.

Capt Amarinder said the government jobs for the two children would be in addition to the compensation already announced for the deceaseds kin. The Chief Minister handed over a cheque for Rs 5 lakh to the family.

The state government had earlier announced a total compensation of Rs 12 lakh, including Rs 5 lakh for Paramjeets wife and children, Rs 2 lakh for his parents and a plot worth Rs 5 lakh.

Also, Rs 1 lakh was announced for naming the local rest house after the soldier. The Chief Minister today also announced that a local school and a stadium would be named after the martyr.

Simrandeep and Sahildeep will be provided government jobs on the completion of their education, the CM told mediapersons.

An IAS-IPS couple from Himachal Pradesh has already offered to bear the expenditure of education and marriage of Paramjeets younger daughter Khushdeep Kaur (10), while Amritsar MP Gurjit Singh Aujla has made a commitment regarding Simrandeeps adoption.

Replying to questions, the CM said the Central Government was not doing enough to protect the men manning the international borders.

Tough steps needed to be taken to prevent the recurrence of such brutal instances, Capt Amarinder stressed, adding that India should retaliate with thrice the force to incursions into its territory.

The Chief Minister was accompanied by Cabinet colleagues Rana Gurjit Singh and Navjot Singh Sidhu, newly appointed PPCC president Sunil Jakhar and party MLAs Dr Dharambir Agnihotri, Ramanjit Singh Sikki, Harminder Singh Gill and Sukhpal Singh Bhullar.

Cong MPs, MLAs at Golden Temple today

All Congress MPs and MLAs from Punjab will join Capt Amarinder Singh in paying obeisance at Harmandar Sahib, Amritsar, on Monday morning. The CM is scheduled to visit the Golden Temple from

8 to 9 am, before going to Jallianwala Bagh to pay homage to the martyrs. A visit to Durgiana Mandir and Sri Ram Tirath Sthal is also part of his itinerary. A government spokesperson said the CM had been planning

to visit the Golden Temple ever since he took over the reins of the government, but had been constrained by work and the relapse of his foot injury. From Amritsar, Capt Amarinder is scheduled to travel to Hoshiarpur on Monday evening to visit the Citrus Estate at Chowni Kalan village and a Sonalika tractor manufacturing facility on the Jalandhar-Hoshiarpur road.
Fazilka, May 7

Equipped with modern facilities, an AC ambulance that had been serving Fazilka residents since August 15, 2016, has reportedly been sent to Punjab Bhawan, Delhi, on VIP duty, leaving patients of this border belt in lurch.

The then Health Minister, Surjit Kumar Jyani, had provided the ambulance for the local district hospital to shift the patients to higher institutions for special treatment.

Sources said the ambulance was purchased at a cost of Rs 22 lakh from the Border Area Development Funds (BADF) for the Fazilka hospital and was offering services at subsidised rates. The BJP had flayed the decision of the Congress government for pressing the ambulance into the service of VIPs at the cost of health of poor patients.

The ambulance which was purchased from BADF is supposed to be used in the border area only hence the government has violated the norms, alleged BJP state unit media co-convener Subodh Verma and BJP mandal president Jagdish Setia.

Civil Surgeon Surinder Kumar admitted that on the instructions of the authorities, the ambulance had been sent for two months.

Govt flouting norms, says BJP

Fazilka Civil Surgeon Surinder Kumar admitted that on the instructions of the authorities the ambulance had been sent for two months. The BJP said the ambulance was from the Border Area Development Funds is supposed to be used in the border area only hence the Cong government had violated norms.

 OC
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, May 6

Speculation over the appointment of new state convener of the Aam Aadmi Party has triggered the race among senior AAP leaders.

Partys chief whip and Bholath MLA Sukhpal Singh Khaira today came out openly against the criteria being adopted to appoint the convener. A meeting of party MLAs will be chaired by AAP national convener Arvind Kejriwal in Delhi on Monday to select the convener.

Sangrur MP Bhagwant Mann is being considered one of the frontrunners for the post, which is being currently held by Gurpreet Singh Waraich. Khaira said the convener should be elected by party volunteers rather than the high command. At a press conference, he said had the leadership adopted this policy for candidate selection in the Assembly elections, the party wouldnt have suffered the defeat.

He said the convener must assert his right to get a free hand to restructure the state unit. He said how the incumbent convener could work as he did not have any working committee. He also said instead of convener in Punjab, the party should rename the post as state president.

Asked if he is one of the contenders, Khaira said though he was not in the race, if given the chance, he would not run away. He said he would support Bhagwant Mann for the post as he had worked hard during the elections. He said the state would witness a byelection and several corporation elections and panchayat elections in near future.

NRIs term sangrur mp a liability

Jalandhar: Overseas AAP conveners of the US, Canada, Europe, Australia and New Zealand units have urged Kejriwal not to appoint Bhagwant Mann as Punjab convener. They termed him a narcissist and a liability for the party, alleging that he had constantly campaigned against party leaders, including HS Phoolka. They said senior leaders such as Phoolka, Kanwar Sandhu, Sukhpal Khaira and Aman Arora should be considered for the post. In all, 26 overseas office-bearers have written to Kejriwal. They include Satbeer S Brar (US), Amritpal S Dhillon (Canada), Davinder S Ghaloti (Germany), Faljinder Singh (Italy) Khushmeet K Sidhu (New Zealand) and Bhavjit Singh (Australia). TNS
PK Jaiswar

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, May 6

The Vigilance Bureau today nabbed Dr BS Bal, principal of Government Medical College, for allegedly indulging in private practice at his home in Amritsar.

According to information, a vigilance team raided his residential complex at around 8.30 am. Navjot Singh, DSP (Vigilance), said it had received an anonymous complaint that Dr Bal was indulging in private practice. A trap was laid and he was caught. At the time, around 8-10 patients were at his residential clinic, he added. The vigilance took prescriptions slips from all patients as evidence.

The DSP said a report would be sent to the Secretary, Medical Education, for necessary departmental action against him. However, no case had been registered by the vigilance against him, he added.

A teacher said as per a Supreme Court order, the vigilance could not arrest a government doctor indulging in private practice. It can only write to the government and department concerned for action. Dr Bal termed the incident as politically motivated to remove him. Saying all patients were planted by the vigilance, he said he was leaving for the college when some people insisted that he check the patients and forcibly handed over money as fees. He said he had informed the higher authorities in this connection.
Vishav Bharti

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, May 7

Acting in a hurry on a demand by the SGPC to name three Port Blair roads after Bhagat Singh, Dr Diwan Singh Kalepani and Madan Lal Dhingra, the administration of Andaman and Nicobar Islands seems to have forgotten its own history.

The demand was based on the argument that these martyrs were once lodged at Cellular Jail, commonly known as Kalapani. But it is a fact that only Diwan Singh Kalepani was working as a doctor at the island.

Acting on the demand, Andaman and Nicobar Lt Governor Prof Jagdish Mukhi has announced that three roads in Port Blair would be named after these martyrs.

The delegation, during a meeting with Prof Mukhi, had also sought due space to the Punjabis in the narrative of Kalapani at least in proportion to their contribution who suffered brutalities and torture at the hands of the British.

But it is common knowledge that Bhagat Singh and Dhingra were never imprisoned in the Cellular Jail. Bhagat Singh was hanged in Lahore and Dhingra in London.

Prof Malwinderjit Singh Waraich, Chandigarh-based historian, said only Kalepanis name was relevant to Cellular Jail, the other had nothing to do with it. There are statues of three martyrs from Punjab in Port Blair. Bhan Singh from Ludhiana, Ram Rakha and Shaheed Mahavir Singh, Bhagat Singhs comrade. They had died during a hunger strike against the British oppression. So the local administration can name roads after them, he said.

London-based writer and historian of Punjabi peoples movements Amarjit Chandan welcomed the development, but said: Only those freedom fighters should have been considered who had direct link with that place.

It is rather insulting to all parties  Ghadris, who suffered at Kalapani, and Dhingra and Bhagat Singh as well, he said. But naming a road after Diwan Singh, a physician and poet, killed by Japanese fascists in the Andmans, makes perfect sense. The administration should be asked to reconsider its ill-conceived decision, he said.

The issue was raised in the Lok Sabha by Akali Dal MP from Anandpur Sahib Prof Prem Singh Chandumajra as a follow-up to a media report that highlighted that presentation of the Cellular Jail narrative undermined the role of Punjabis. Attempts to contact Andaman and Nicobar Islands administration proved futile. Ajay Kumar Rai, ADC of Lt Governor, said he would be able to comment after going through the issue.
Our Correspondent

Ferozepur, May 6

In yet another incident of sacrilege, torn pages of a gutka were found scattered near the cemetery in Mallanwala village today morning.

The incident came to fore when some people had gone to cremation ground today morning to collect the ashes of a family member cremated yesterday. As the word spread, Zira MLA Kulbir Singh along with Sikh preachers including reached the spot. SSP Gaurav Garg, SP Rajbir Singh and a police party too reached the spot and started a probe.

The torn pages were collected in the presence of Sikh preachers and brought to the Singh Sabha Gurdwara.

Kulbir said that though it seems to be the handiwork of some miscreants to foment trouble in this area, a six member committee including Baba Chatar Singh, Jathedar Sant Singh, Nachhatar Singh Sandhu, Balwinder Singh, Satwant Singh and Lakhvir Singh has been constituted to investigate the incident.

Since the cremation ground is on the outskirts of the village, there was no CCTV footage available. Even the guard deployed at the cemetery is very old and unwell and was not in position to keep an eye on such incidents.

A case against unidentified people has been registered under Section 295-A.

Ex-granthi booked

Tarn Taran: The police arrested Varinder Singh, a former granthi of Gurdwara Hesuanna Sahib, for the sacrilege of Sri Guru Granth Sahib in Naushera Pannun village on Saturday. Patti DSP Sohan Singh said a case had been registered against the accused who is a resident of Wadala Jauhal village near Amritsar. Varinder was sacked some time ago and he had gone back to his village. Boota Singh of the nearby Nandpur village succeeded Varinder at the gurdwara. The accused met Gurnam Singh, president of the gurdwara committee, and complained that Boota Singh was disrespecting Sri Guru Granth Sahib. The committee members went through the CCTV footage and saw Varinder disrespecting Sri Guru Granth Sahib. OC
Geetu Vaid

A 22-year-old man slashes his 18-year-old girlfriends throat on a busy road in Vakola in Mumbai.

Reason: The victim refused to show her assailant her mobile phone.

A 24-year-old Indian Infosys employee murdered at the Nungambakkam railway station in Chennai, while on her way to her office.

Reason: The victim had spurned the advances of her assailant.

A 34-year-old lawyer shot dead in a park in Chandigarh.

Reason: Alleged revenge from an ex-flame after the victim got engaged to someone else.

Move over Heer-Ranjha, Laila-Majnu and Shirin-Farhad. Now is the time for love in the fast lane of WhatsApp, Instagram, Facebook et al where reading the lovers eyes and expressions to feel love has given way to emoticons and phone hacking to know how sincere your partner really is. Little surprise then that kill is the new four-letter word in the lexicon of love.

The snapshots of news headlines represent just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to crimes and deaths reported around us as a result of a love story gone awry. It is unnerving to realise that love kills more people in India than terror attacks. With over 1,17,774 deaths ascribed to love-related violence in the 14-year period between 2001 and 2015, as against 20,000 in terror incidents in the same period, the metaphor dying for love has a more sinister ring to it now. Top this with 2,00,600 cases of kidnapping/abduction of women where marriage has been the motive, and the reality becomes grimmer. And we are yet to add post-marriage violence and domestic violence cases besides a large number of cases that remain unreported.

The tender thread that binds two persons in a beautiful, life-giving and lasting bond seems to have become a choking noose. Violence, whether towards oneself in the form of suicide, or towards ones partner as physical assault, is widely prevalent all around us. Though the link between love and aggression cant be denied as both are intense emotions and expression of one can trigger the other in an equal proportion, it is the increase in such incidents and their wider social impact that is a matter of concern. Anger and aggression are linked with relationships, typically seen to be rising from a sense of perceived disappointments within interpersonal relationships. However, there has been an increase in the prevalence of aggression being exhibited especially in the younger relationships, as in such cases the ability to understand and seek the right guidance is still developing. says Dr Samir Parikh, Director, Department of Mental Health and Behavioural Sciences at Fortis Hospitals. Getting into relationships at a young age with little emotional maturity opens the doors for dysfunctional behaviour as one is ill equipped to handle either the rejection or the complexities involved, says Dr Sachin Kaushik, Consultant Psychiatrist with Max Hospital, Mohali and Mind Peace Clinic, Panchkula. It is like stepping into a minefield.

Growing impatience and giving more importance ones own needs have also given a blood-tinged hue to relationships. The nature of interpersonal relationships has clearly witnessed a transition as people are more accustomed to opting for quickest solutions. Ending relationships has become easier, with a greater freedom of choice the need to adjust or accommodate to the demands of the situations has also decreased, adds Dr Parikh. With little patience and no one ready to compromise or understand the other persons perspective, no wonder that things go out of hand often.

But the question here is whether the most threatened group is really aware of the danger, and more so, are there any systems in place to check the occurrence of such incidents?

While the homicides and suicides remain the gory realities, what is more upsetting is the nonchalance with which the young accept these incidents. Nineteen-year-old Shimona, who is from Jalandhar and is currently studying in Chandigarh, is dismayed but not surprised by such news. I have seen many of my friends in abusive relationships. It is very common in the 'youngosphere'. Some are unlucky to lose their lives. It is destiny, she says. Everyone is looking for permanence and sincerity in a relationship and yet there is no way of ensuring it. So boys and girls resort to control and possessiveness and many use force to keep their partner in the right lane, adds her friend Divya.

So, if you get a whiff of naivety in their remarks, then our true-blue Punjabi Rajinder Kahlon offers the full blast of patriarchal mindset, Actually the girls who get into relationships at a young age are asking for bad things to happen to them. This student from Ludhiana who admits to having been there done that goes on, In any case a man has to be in control and anyone would blow his top if his love interest does not agree with him, blatantly unmindful of the difference it makes when this attitude leads to blowing someone elses top, literally so.

Even the Supreme Court recently reiterated a womans right to reject someones love and not be compelled against her choice. But the reality is that in our country the affaires de coeur are caught between the two extremes of naivety and well-entrenched mindsets in a social system where the choice to select ones partner is still very limited and so is the choice to say No. Add to this the glorification of aggression, possessiveness in popular songs and movies and the pressing need for acceptance triggered by social media channels, and the pitch is all rolled and ready for a violent innings of a game that can be called anything but love.

Well, if the impression is that here an argument is being built in favour of anti-Romeo squads, then that is not the case at all. Being suppressive in nature such drives are not an answer and neither are these a way to deal with the problem of violence and homicide. Actually, the irony of the situation is that while everyone knows that their children, siblings. friends, colleagues may be in relationships, no one is ready to accept it. The refusal to accept existence of love and physical attraction and relationships between young people as well as the unwillingness to talk about it openly is making the matters worse. Everyone knows that youngsters these days move in a more permissive environment and have relationships at different stages but they are kind of left on their own to deal with the complexities that come with these, says Dr Kaushik.

A victim of abuse or violence, in fact, has zilch support. The first reaction of people in such cases is to stigmatise the victim, This is what will happen when you become over-friendly with boys, is the obvious reaction. The official system, too, is not very sensitised about dealing with cases that have the potential of turning violent. As a result, the victim is left to carry the cross all by himself /herself till things go real bad. I kept on dealing with abuse and violent behaviour of my boyfriend for years as I didn't know whom to tell, says Arushi, a 24-year-old MBA student from Shimla. He would not let me interact with anyone and made me delete my WhatsApp and FB accounts and checked my phone bills as well. Any resistance on my part would result in either him threatening to kill me or slitting his own wrist. Approaching the police or women cell was out of the question because then my familys name would have been involved. Friends were of little help as they were scared for their own safety. Her attempt to kill herself finally brought some help and her tormentor was kept at bay.

If innocent lives are to be saved then it is time to put a system in place. Educational institutions have to come forward and have counselling cells and counsellors to help youngsters deal with relationship issues and have a liason with psychiatrists and law-enforcement agencies. This way youngsters can work on emotional maturity as well as get a platform to share any sort of trauma that they are facing, suggests Dr Kaushik.

The key point to be considered from the victims' perspective is to help them develop adaptive coping mechanisms and enhance their resilience. Often identifying the problem can become the most essential step, as gaining an objective evaluation of the situation can be difficult. Skills training for assertiveness, emotional regulation and interpersonal effectiveness are important, coupled with psychotherapeutic support to work on both physical as well as emotional healing, and restoring the individuals sense of self, says Dr Parikh.

Psyched for violence?

The fault lies not always in the nature of a relationship as a persons psychological makeup and perceptions can make him/her prone to acts of violence. "A sense of perceived threat to ones bond or attachment is one of the most typical factors that give rise to a pathological or dysfunctional relationship, breeding insecurities and impacting the individuals sense of self. A false sense of justification, coupled with a lack of empathy and difficulties in regulation of one's emotions, which can also be contributing to an increasing prevalence of such incidents, says Dr Parikh.

Red flags

Are there any warning signals that can make one aware of the fact that a particular relationship has the tendency to turn into a violent one? "Yes", says Dr Sachin, "there are a number of ways in which one can determine that his/her partner can get violent in the future.

Be careful if the person is prone to anxiety attacks. For example if he/she cant wait if the partner gets delayed for a date or start making calls repeatedly on being told that the other person is busy or occupied otherwise.

Tendency to get aggressive on trivial matters.

If your partner is into substance abuse then you should not ignore it at any cost.

Any signs of possessiveness are not to be taken lightly. So if your partner stops you from interacting with others or asks you to cut off ties with friends and family and delete social media accounts, then it is not a sign of a healthy relationship.

The growing footprint of obsessive syndrome can be gauged if your partner loses interest in his studies, job and hobbies and isolates himself socially. This can be dangerous in the long run.

Lack of sleep is also an important signal that shows that the person is having anxiety issues that have the potential of taking a serious twist.

In the name of love
Pushpa Girimaji

Whenever I read about thefts of bank lockers, I get worried. On my query, the bank in which I have a locker told me that in case of a robbery, banks are not expected to compensate the consumer for any loss of valuables inside the locker. The bank also told me that the terms and conditions governing the hiring of lockers make it clear that banks are not responsible for any loss of valuables in the locker. Is this correct?

Banks that provide safety deposit lockers (and charge a fee for it) are supposed to ensure that the lockers are safe in all respects. Failure to do so constitutes negligence and banks are liable for the consequences. In such cases, terms and conditions limiting the liability of the bank will not give the bank any protection. Nor will it prevent consumers from getting compensation.

In Punjab National Bank, Bombay, Vs K.V. Shetty (FA No 7 of 1991), the apex consumer court dismissed a similar argument put up by the bank and awarded the consumer, who found the contents of the locker missing, a compensation of Rs 1,26,017 along with interest calculated at the rate of 18 per cent.

Similarly, in Union Bank of India Vs Smt Kanak Choudhary (RP no 889 of 2000), the National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission reiterated that the bank was bound to ensure that the locker remained safe in all respects and awarded compensation for the loss of currency notes and important papers eaten up by termites in the locker.

To all those who are worried about the safety of their lockers, I would suggest three steps: First, question your bank on the security arrangements in place for the safety of your lockers. If you are dissatisfied with the banks answer, complain to the Reserve Bank and get the bank to spruce up its security.

Second, make an inventory of all the goods that you have kept in the locker. If you have kept property papers and share certificates, get copies made. As for jewellery, make a list, take their pictures and get their valuation. Keep a record of your visits to the locker and make a note of what is taken out and put back.

Third, always ensure that you have complete privacy when you operate the locker. As you know, a locker can only be opened with your key as well as the key with the bank. Wait for the bank employee who opens the locker using the banks key to exit before you open the door. You must also ensure that other customers of the bank are not present while you open the locker. Remember, you are paying for the service provided by the bank.

What are the causes behind locker thefts?

Well, its a combination of factors. The negligent attitude of banks, lack of adequate security, failure to comply with the banking regulators directions and, in some cases, failure to check the track record of the employees before hiring them.

Two years ago, for example, a bank employee of Punjab National Bank was taken into custody by the Kozhikode (Kerala) crime branch, on charges of stealing valuables from the safe deposit vault of a customer. But in most cases, police investigations reveal that poor security systems are an open invitation to thieves. So, almost every year, there are reports of locker thefts. In 2015, four lockers of PNBs Lalpur branch were emptied out by thieves in Ranchi. A year before that, the daring robbery at the Gohana branch of Punjab National Bank, Sonepat  wherein miscreants dug a 125-feet tunnel from an abandoned neighbouring house to the strong room and looted the contents of 89 lockers  showed total apathy of the bank towards lockers. Initial reports said that the flooring of the strong room was not as per required standards.

In January 2013, 38 lockers of Punjab and Sind bank (Reru Chowk branch) in Jalandhar were broken into! A year before that, robbers cleaned out six lockers of Punjab and Sindh bank in Yamunanagar (Haryana). In November 2010, 45 lockers in the Chirgaon branch of Central Bank of India (Jhansi district, Uttar Pradesh) were looted. The bank did not even have a security guard!

So consumers need to question banks on the security of the lockers and put pressure on them to act.
Jupinderjit Singh in Ludhiana

The drug story of Punjab is not just about addicts and smugglers. It is also about those who have fought against the evil. They have braved threats from smugglers and peddlers, sat on dharnas for their arrest and have borne the brunt of the police-politician nexus.

So blatant was the sale in some of the villages that youths would wait for vehicles (cars, tractors or even bikes) by which the smugglers brought the stuff. It was common to hear Jahaaj uttar gaya (the plane has landed). From poppy husk to opium, to hooch, and to Chitta  the plane load of such stuff carried everything to the doorstep of the villagers.

The jahaaj doesnt land now. Instead youngsters sell drugs on bikes and some even claim to deliver at home of the trusted customers.

In the changed political scenario in the state, those fighting the smugglers are back with renewed energy. Their efforts have landed several powerful smugglers behind bars. Je milu ga, taan hi khan ge (if the drug is available only then youths will consume), says Sukhdev Singh, former sarpanch of Chak Kalan village. His friend Sikander Singh Dhanoa, incumbent sarpanch of Mullanpur village agrees. Both have been struggling to fight the evil of drugs with limited success. In the process, Dhanoa suffered a murderous attack by an addict while Sukhdev was falsely booked in a murder case. Their children failed to get admission in a school.

They say they are up against very powerful smugglers, who are on the run. Five smugglers, including those directly linked to an Akali politician, have been arrested while about 10 others are on the run, said Sukhdev Singh. About 50 youths in our village with a population of about 2,500 are hooked to drugs. Three youths died of drugs overdose in the recent past.

Where you stand (Chak Kalan) is in an area known as the capital of drug smuggling in the Malwa region, he said. There has been a change after the drive against drugs launched by the Congress government. The open sale has ended. Many local peddlers and addicts have run away leaving their family members. Nearly 100 youths from the two villages are under treatment. But the question is: will the movement against drugs sustain for long? Will the de-addicted youths stay away from drugs? asks Sukhdev.

Sukhdev and Sikander say as many as 132 youths of 108 villages in the Dakha Assembly segment have died since 2012 owing to drug-related causes. The affected families passed those deaths off as caused by natural causes, but we all know the reason, says Sukhdev.

The two point out the new situation. One critical difference is that no politician has so far tried to save a smuggler since the new government took over. Earlier the smugglers boasted of their connections. Now they are on the run, says Karamjit Singh, a social worker from Mullanpur. The village of about 6,000 residents has witnessed several drug-related deaths.
THOSE who think that the people of India are so backward as not to understand what they want and should therefore accept what bureaucratic officials will be pleased to grant them will find an effective reply from Sir William Wedderburn whose article in the current number of the Contemporary Review is worth reading. The title of the article is An Indian Catechism for the British Elector, and it is written in the hope that the British elector will think about India independently and find out what she wants. Excellent facts and arguments are placed before him to show that India wants self-government and a unanimous appeal is made by her people to that effect. Of course, Sir William knows that the bureaucracy denies that India wants self-government and interprets the demand as being confined to a small body of educated revolutionaries who have no connection with the great masses.
Girja Shankar Kaura

TRIBUNE NEWS SERVICE

NEW DELHI, May 7

Even as Prime Minister Narendra Modi had the luxury of visiting the Kedarnath Temple in Uttarakhand last week on board an Indian Army helicopter, the chopper services for pilgrims to the revered shrine, part of the Chardham Yatra, have been suspended by the DGCA on orders from the NGT.

Acting on a plea raising concern over the looming threat to the flora and fauna in the eco-sensitive zone in the state due to regular operation of helicopters, the National Green Tribunal (NGT) had issued orders for the suspension of the chopper services to Kedarnath Temple till further orders.

Reports emerging from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) said that the chopper services to the shrine would start only after the clearance from the NGT.

Although the Chardham Yatra and the Kedarnath shrine has opened up pilgrims, all the 14 private helicopters, who are overbooked for the ride to the temple, cannot operate till the matter again comes up for hearing at the NGT and the latter gives its clearance following assurances from the DGCA and the operators.

Reports suggested that the DGCA is likely to assure the NGT of proper action to be taken for the reduction of noise of the choppers that is apparently affecting the flora and fauna of the region.

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.

In the order, the NGT had asked the Uttarakhand government to issue directions in consonance with its aviation policy with reference to the eco-sensitive zones at the Kedarnath Wildlife Sanctuary in relation to the height and level of noise that helicopters should be permitted to generate.

The wildlife preserve is known for trees such as oak, chir, pine, birch and alpine. It is also home to endangered and rare species like the musk deer and the Himalayan tahr (a type of wild goat).

The operators, however, say that the restrictions were unreasonable as 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.

Apparently, the DGCA has now also issued orders to the chopper operators to install GPS on the helicopters for it to be tracked for the height it was flying at. This is being done in a bid to reduce the noise levels. Some of the operators have already installed the GPS devices.

The operators charge between Rs 6,500 and Rs 7,500 for the ride to the temple from three different places in Uttarakhand.

The helicopter operators affected by this order had met officials of the DGCA last week and the authority has also 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.
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, May 7

Mussoorie BJP MLA Ganesh Joshi yesterday said he had got assurance from the Union Defence Minister that the number of seats at the prestigious Rashtriya Indian Military College (RIMC), Dehradun, would be increased from the existing 250 to 350 seats in the near future.

Ganesh Joshi, while addressing a press conference in Mussoorie yesterday, said the overall increase in the number of seats in RIMC would also benefit Uttarakhand as the quota of seats for the state would also increase in the process. He said Uttarakhand had a big population of both serving and retired defence personnel.

I myself had meet the Union Defence Minister on several occasions in the past seeking an increase in the quota of seats for in RIMC. Now, I am happy that I have received a letter from the Union Defence Minister informing me that the overall increase in seats at RIMC is in the offing and that will also benefit Uttarakhand, Ganesh Joshi pointed out.

The BJP MLA held that as part of his commitment to work for the betterment of ex-servicemen, he also talked to the Chief Minister regarding providing a concession on house tax in houses that were not registered in the names of ex-servicemen but where ex-servicemen had been residing for long.

In many cases, the houses where ex-servicemen have been residing for long are registered in the names of their children or wife, who are treated as civilians and thus denied house tax concessions, Joshi pointed out. He said the government was already providing house tax concession on houses owned by ex-servicemen.
Beijing, May 7

The Chinese military has developed a smartphone surveillance software that automatically alerts authorities if soldiers leak sensitive information or use their handset devices during blackouts.

The Peoples Liberation Army (PLA) Daily, the official newspaper of the Chinese military, reported on Sunday that the PLA Rocket (Missile) Force introduced the mobile phone security platform to better regulate smartphone use in the military.

The newspaper said the software can be installed or uninstalled remotely, ban access to specified websites, set restrictions on communication hours and screen for sensitive words.

The platform will automatically alert authorities if it detects any violations of Internet use, the report said.

The new software is capable of tracking each users telephone number and cell phone model, it said.

The software is still in its test phases.

According to the newspaper, the software aims to better enforce management of mobile phone use among soldiers, as well as address fears of confidential information leaks.

Restrictions on smartphones have been a source of complaints among Chinese soldiers in the past.

The software aims to create a safe space for soldiers to surf the Internet, the PLA Daily report said.  PTI
Islamabad, May 7

The Pakistani Army said on Sunday it has killed over 50 Afghan soldiers near the border between the two countries, as tensions between the two forces escalated after clashes earlier this week killed 10 Pakistani civilians.

Major Gen Nadeem Ahmed said more than 100 Afghan soldiers were also injured in the retaliatory attack by the army to the firing by Afghan forces on Friday in the Balochistan province.

Ahmed, however, told reporters he was "not happy" about the incident as "Afghans are Muslims, our brothers."

Afghan and Pakistani security forces have been fighting since Friday when 10 Pakistani civilians were killed and more than 40 people, including women and children, were injured in firing by Afghan forces on Pakistani census workers and the troops escorting them at border villages in Balochistan.

The incident marked the latest round of escalation of border tensions between the two countries, which often accuse each other of sheltering terrorists who launch deadly cross-border attacks on each other's soils.

Both the countries deny the accusations.

Separately, Commander of the Southern Command Lt Gen Amir Riaz said the Pakistan Army destroyed five Afghan checkposts.

"Anyone who tries to make Pakistan's territory disputed will face similar consequences," Lt Gen Riaz told reporters during a visit to Chaman, where the Friday clashes took place.

To a question on the closure of the border crossing point Bab-e-Dosti, Gen Riaz said it will remain shut unless the situation improves in the area.

"The border will remain closed until Afghanistan changes its behaviour," he said.

Yesterday, Pakistan's Defence Minister Khawaja Asif said his country would respond instantly and effectively to cross-border attacks by Afghan forces on the census team.

Major Gen Ahmed said today that Pakistan had informed the Afghan side about the census team in border villages but their border police sneaked into Pakistan area and "used locals as human shields so that they could make a position for attacks."

He said the census had been going on in the border areas for four days until April 29 when the Afghan forces started to hinder the process.

He claimed that Pakistan tried to resolve the issue through talks but the Afghan forces resorted to force first.

But the Frontier Corps secured the area Afghan soldiers had infiltrated on Friday.

"I want to make to clear that not even an inch of our land is negotiable. I hope they have learnt the lesson," he said.  PTI
Why are questions about defending the First Amendment so difficult for Congressman John Katko and his staff?

Several weeks ago, I called repeatedly to find out if Katko agreed with Trump that the free press were enemies of the American people. His office was unable to answer the question, and no attempt was ever made to get back to me with an answer.

Now the White House chief of staff says that the administration is looking into opening up libel laws, and the first example for why this was justified was Russian election interference stories in the press.

Once again, I called with a simple question: Mr. Katko, do you have any reaction to the threats the president has leveled against our Constitutionally protected free press?

This is a softball question, with an easy answer: The congressman supports, and will defend the First Amendment.

However, once again, his staff did not have an answer.

Why is this so difficult?

There are only three alternatives:

 Katko agrees with the president that freedom of the press needs to be limited.

 Katko disagrees, but lacks the courage to say so.

 Katkos staff is unsure what his position is on the Constitution, so they dont want to say the wrong thing.

All three of these alternatives are disgraceful.

Collin Sullivan

Auburn
A recent U.S. Geological Survey study strongly suggests the magnitude-5.8 earthquake last September near Pawnee may have been triggered by short-term variations in well injection volumes, triggering a fault primed to slip after years of saltwater disposal loaded it to the point of failure.

The study, published last week in Seismological Research Letters, focused on two types of deep injection wells in Osage County near the epicenter  ones with relatively steady volumes and others whose injection rates drastically changed in recent years. Both types had similar overall volumes. The model simulations of the variable-rate injection wells exhibits remarkable agreement with the Pawnee areas seismicity.

Research geophysicist Andrew Barbour, lead author of the study, explained in a telephone interview that the research is highly suggestive that changing injection rates can have a profound effect on quakes occurring.

Its not that the variable rate injectors are the predominant source of the seismicity; their effect is more pronounced in terms of fault destabilizing effects, Barbour said.

Scientists pin the cause of Oklahomas induced seismicity on the vast volume of saltwater from oil and gas production injected into the states deepest geologic formation  the Arbuckle  in a 15,000-square-mile region in central and northwestern Oklahoma.

Barbour described the short-term variations in disposal volumes as a pulse or kick to the system that likely acted as a tipping point to Oklahomas record 5.8 quake.

Oklahoma experienced a notable version of a similar situation playing out in January 2016. About 30 earthquakes of at least magnitude-2.5 struck near Fairview in a 24-hour period, including a 4.7  tied for ninth-largest in state history.

State regulators wrote a letter to well operators stating that the seismicity appeared to have a very close correlation to storms in the area that led to widespread power outages. Regulators noted that many disposal wells simultaneously turned back on when power was restored, creating a scenario in which a tremendous volume of saltwater went underground at once.

Barbour said the USGS study of the Pawnee quake is indicative that details are critically important in trying to assess causation and mitigation as scientists obtain a more nuanced view of induced seismicity.

It certainly does point to the situation being a little more complex than just reducing volumes, for an example, Barbour said.

The study also is notable because data on injection volumes in Osage County hasnt been as well publicized. Osage County is regulated by the EPA, whereas the rest of the states counties are regulated by the Oklahoma Corporation Commission.

Seismological Research Letters also published another study researching the Pawnee quake. Jake Walter, Oklahomas state seismologist, is the lead author of it.

The study notes that there is nothing to distinguish the aftershock rate from that of a natural earthquakes rate except for a lack of large aftershocks.

Walter said the expectations based on scaling would indicate about 10 quakes of 4.0 or larger. However, there has been none that size.

We dont necessarily have an answer, Walter said.

Aftershocks are still occurring, with 20 that have been at least magnitude-3.0, he said.

Walter said the concentration of quakes in that area has tapered off significantly and isnt the most seismically active part of the state. However, he cautioned, the seismic hazard remains elevated there and in other areas of the state.

Its still across a broad reach of north-central Oklahoma, Walter said.

corey.jones @tulsaworld.com

Twitter: @JonesingToWrite
Three oil producers operating near a small creek with a big saltwater leak in Osage County may be asked to temporarily shut down operations as investigators look for the source of the problem, according to an EPA administrator who visited the site last week.

Local ranchers and inspectors toured the Bird Creek contamination site on the Chapman Ranch on Thursday and discussed possible sources, solutions and lasting impacts of the ongoing pollution issue with Sam Coleman, Environmental Protection Agency Region 6 administrator, and Kenneth Wagner, senior advisor to U.S. EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt.

The EPA will ask producers for daily production reports and may temporarily shut down operations, Coleman said. The EPA is planning dye tests and also is bringing in remote samplers to closely monitor the stream, he said.

It is now approaching nine months since an oily sheen and dead fish and turtles were reported in the small northern arm of Bird Creek in August 2016. The exact source of apparent oil field injection well water in the creek remains a mystery, is unusual and is of high interest to the agency, Coleman said in a phone interview, in which he reviewed actions taken thus far and announced plans for the future.

This site is important because its our responsibility, but also environmentally because everything we do relative to underground injection is that anything we inject underground is supposed to stay underground, Coleman said. Its not supposed to find its way back to the surface.

Chapman Ranch manager R.D. Farr said he was pleased with the meeting.

Sam Coleman was like a breath of fresh air, he said. Hed look you in the face, and he wanted to know what we thought. I think he did his homework, too. The other guy, Wagner, seemed pretty good, too.

Farr said the regional administrator seemed sensitive to ranchers concerns about lasting impact to grazing land and seemed to appreciate the importance of the site being a part of the small remaining portion of native prairie lands that remain in the Osage and Flint Hills region. The leak is about 5 miles west of the Tallgrass Prairie Preserve headquarters but is not on the preserve itself.

The contamination source apparently seeps up in the base of the creek, which is in the middle of a Chapman Ranch pasture not far from a bridge over a road and two ranch homes.

Although the creek was at flood stage and flowing over the bridge early in the week and still had a steady flow Thursday, monitors dropped into the creek showed elevated salinity near the ranch house and about a half-mile downstream, Farr said.

I was worried they would come and wouldnt see anything because you look at it now and you dont see anything dramatic, Farr said. After that big of a wash, to have those readings I think it shows something, and it sure felt like from Sam that they know its not a blip and theyre going to put more resources into it.

The EPA and Bureau of Indian Affairs have primary responsibility over oil field pollution issues in Osage County. The state of Oklahoma has no jurisdiction in the area where mineral rights belong to the Osage Nation.

The regulatory agency structure over the site is not the only thing that is unusual.

The Bird Creek issue is relatively unique, Coleman said, noting he knows of only one other case that was somewhat similar, in Pennsylvania a few years ago. That incident is being reviewed for information that could be useful, he said.

Seismic activity in the region and possible natural causes were discussed as well, but the agency is taking a step-by-step approach, he said.

At this point, every avenue should be investigated, Coleman said.

On Thursday, the out-of-town visitors learned more about the location and the nature of the creek. They spoke with ranchers to learn the landowners specific concerns as well as their ideas about where some of the issues may be originating. Ranchers also learned about the next steps planned by the EPA, he said.

We wanted to spend as much time as we could on-site, Coleman said. We spent a lot of time looking at the site and talking to some of the local ranchers and their team that was up there.

Dumping of wastewater was a factor in the early investigation months ago because it took place in a region where there are consistent complaints of dumping activity, he said.

Ranchers in the area objected to that idea early in the process given the remote location and limited access to the creek, but it had to be thoroughly investigated, Coleman said.

Essentially we ran that issue to the ground and eliminated it from the thought process, he said.

The focus now is finding the subsurface source, learning the cause for the leak and figuring out how to mitigate the issue, Coleman said.

Field agents collected samples from the creek and from local injection wells and fingerprinted the waters, he said.

Injection water is a natural byproduct of the oil extraction process. The oil is separated for production and the water is pumped back down into the rock formations.

What we found is there are some very strong similarities in the formation and what is coming out of this spring or seep, Coleman said. There is clearly some communication with the formation.

Coleman outlined the next steps the EPA plans to take.

Pressure and volume reports: Producers currently collect well pressure and volume readings monthly and report annually. They will be asked to provide daily readings and monthly reports. We will move forward with those permit operations and letters in the next week, Coleman said.

Production shutdowns: Individual wells may be shut down for short periods to test whether the change in operations has a measurable effect on salinity or total dissolved solids in the water.

Dye testing: Experts will be called in to assist in dye testing wells one at a time, a process that can be complicated by weather and flow in the creek. You have to have the right weather, Coleman said. You have to have a prediction from the hydrogeologists where you put it here under this much pressure and know if its likely to show up in this many hours so you know where to look and when to look. Its not a simple process.

Remote stream samplers: Ten remote stream samplers will be placed in key areas to provide hourly data on the salinity, conductivity, temperature and flow of the water in key areas, plus others, which may include tiny tributaries. Staff will be back up there late next week to talk with ranchers about a couple of the locations, he said.

Agriculture study: Ranchers are concerned about the impact on livestock grazed in areas near the creek, he said. We are in contact with the state (Department of Agriculture, Food and Forestry) and will work closely with them to help get their advice... just to make sure that weve got that issue thoroughly addressed and those concerns addressed as we go forward, he said.
What is the key question?

The question is whether Officer Betty Shelbys decision to use deadly force against Terence Crutcher on Sept. 16 was reasonable or unreasonable, according to state and federal laws that govern police use of force. Shelby is charged with first-degree manslaughter under two theories. One: She acted in the heat of passion, or overreacted, when she shot Crutcher. Two: Her choice to shoot him was a disproportionate response to her belief that Crutcher was committing a misdemeanor, obstruction of justice.

The most commonly cited legal precedent on the issue is Graham v. Connor, a 1989 U.S. Supreme Court case.

What laws govern police use of force?

The Supreme Court, in Graham v. Connor, held that a decision on the reasonableness of use of force should be evaluated from the perspective of a reasonable officer at the scene of any given incident. It also provided a series of circumstances for law enforcement to consider when deciding whether to use force, including whether there is cause to believe the individual committed a serious crime, whether the subject is an immediate threat to the officer or others, and whether the person is actively resisting arrest through flight, a struggle or otherwise.

The jury in Shelbys trial will receive an instruction about use of force that includes language from the Graham v. Connor case.

What is the states case?

District Attorney Steve Kunzweiler and Assistant District Attorney Kevin Gray have argued that Shelby used excessive force against Crutcher, even with her belief Crutcher was disobeying her commands and that he was on PCP. They have pointed to her statements to police on Sept. 19, in which she said she was reliving the incident, as proof she was over-emotional. They also note evidence shows Crutcher did not have a weapon and did not engage in a physical struggle with officers.

A probable cause affidavit from District Attorneys Office investigator Doug Campbell states his belief that Shelby reacted unreasonably by escalating the situation from a verbal confrontation to a shooting, as Crutcher  while not responsive to verbal commands  was walking away from her with his hands up. Campbell added that though Crutcher was wearing baggy clothes, Shelby wasnt able to see anything indicating he had a weapon.

Gray has said in court that Crutchers drug use the day of the shooting isnt reason enough for Shelby, or any other officer, to resort to deadly force.

What is the defenses case?

Defense attorneys Shannon McMurray and Scott Wood say Shelbys use of force was within her constitutional rights, citing, in part, studies that show the risks involved in interacting with people under the influence of PCP. Crutchers autopsy report indicates he had acute PCP intoxication at the time he died; it isnt listed as a contributing factor to his death.

Shelbys attorneys have also argued Crutcher was repeatedly noncompliant and made Shelby fear for her life when he moved to put his left arm through the window of his vehicle. She said she thought he was reaching for a gun.

The attorneys also say that prosecutors rushed to judgment when using Campbells affidavit as their basis to charge Shelby with manslaughter before the Tulsa Police Departments investigation into the shooting was complete. They have cited statements about the scene from Shelbys backing officer on Sept. 16, Tyler Turnbough, as proof it was a situation where use of force was necessary.

Turnbough deployed a Taser against Crutcher at almost the same moment he was shot by Shelby. Turnbough said he would have drawn his gun if Shelby had decided to pull out her Taser.

Who is the judge?

District Judge Doug Drummond served as First Assistant District Attorney under former Tulsa County DA Tim Harris. He was elected in November 2014. Before becoming a legal professional, Drummond worked in the 1980s as a reporter at the Tulsa Tribune and taught journalism courses at Oklahoma State University.

Drummond has made a series of notable rulings and statements since being assigned the Shelby case on Sept. 22, including publishing an April 6 order cautioning attorneys for both sides from sharing too much information about the case. He wrote the order four days after 60 Minutes nationally aired an interview with Shelby about the shooting.

The judge also has told Shelbys attorneys that the following evidence is inadmissible in trial: claims Crutcher habitually used PCP, information about his past legal history, unproven reports that Crutcher had a gun the day before he died and statements from a homicide sergeant about whether the shooting was justified.

How long is the trial expected to last?

The trial officially begins at 1:30 p.m. Monday, though prospective jurors are expected to complete two questionnaires in a sixth-floor courtroom throughout the morning. Drummond has projected jury selection to last at least until Wednesday, which Gray said could give the state the chance to rest its case by May 15. Shelbys attorneys havent said how long it will take to present their case, but they anticipate calling at least three expert witnesses (on Tasers, PCP and police training), Turnbough and at least one officer who observed the scene from a police helicopter.

It is not clear yet whether Shelby will testify. The decision on whether a defendant will take the stand is typically announced after the state rests its case.

Can the public attend the trial?

Drummond has announced that the families of Shelby and Crutcher will each receive a designated row in his courtroom, while media representatives will get one, possibly two smaller rows in the back. The remaining seats will be first come, first served.

What punishment can Shelby receive if convicted?

First-degree manslaughter carries a punishment between four years to life in prison, but a sentence can be imposed in the form of a suspended sentence or probation, a split term of incarceration and suspension, or full incarceration.

If Shelby is convicted, her attorneys can ask for a judicial review of her sentence after she has spent a year in prison, which could result in a sentence modification.

She also has the option of requesting a pre-sentence investigation before Drummond hands down a sentence, which would include a recommendation of whether probation is appropriate.
Tonight Australian Story returns to a farm first featured in 2012, battling our harsh climate.

Five years on, WA farmer David Pollock has built a tourist ecology haven, but the neighbours are not happy, and the law may rule his dingoes are not here to stay.



In 2012 Australian Story featured one of its most popular rural programs  an epic story of droughts and flooding rains, and a young pastoralists dream to restore his beloved land north-east of Perth back to nature after a century of over-use for predominantly sheep farming.



David Pollocks radical project to remove income-earning livestock from his historic property, Wooleen, shocked his neighbours. And it might have failed, but for the unexpected arrival of a young woman on a gap year from Melbourne.

Together, they concentrated on creating a tourist ecology haven and finding a non-destructive way to run cattle.

Five years on, Frances Jones and David Pollock now showcase their remarkable efforts. The grass on the semi-arid mulga country, traversed by the Murchison River, is now greener and the river gums are growing for the first time in a century.

You only have to see a few little plants coming up and you think well, why arent they growing everywhere? And you look back to the early explorers records and they were everywhere. And they could be again.  David Pollock

The Wooleen country made a stunning setting for family and friends who came to celebrate their wedding last month.

However, some of the couples regeneration methods are not without controversy. Their latest strategy risks pitting the newlyweds against their neighbours and ostracising them from the community where David grew up.

Across Australia, pastoralists view dingoes and wild dogs as a savage pest that destroys their livelihood.

But David Pollock and Frances Jones claim that the native or hybrid canines can be used to control explosions of kangaroo and non-native animals, such as goats, that are decimating their efforts to recover land degraded after so many decades of overstocking.

Hes excluded everything else but his one tunnel view. Something needs to be done to pacify his neighbours.  Sandy McTaggart, neighbour and dogger

Maybe theres people that wont talk to us again. Were prepared to stand up for what we believe in.  Frances Jones

Legally, they are obligated to control the dogs.

But the couple say they are committed to doing whatever it takes to return the landscape to its former glory, even if it means defying the law by not discouraging dingoes on their property.

It is a pretty serious stand. And he risks being taken to court for his actions. But hes obviously prepared to risk that.  Greg Brennan, WA Dept of Agriculture, 1993-2015

For David Pollock and Frances Jones, its all about creating an environmentally and economically sustainable environment.

What were doing is for future generations.  David Pollock

8pm tonight on ABC.
Syrian refugees are rescued in the Mediterranean Sea by crew of the Italian ship, Grecale, March 2014.  UNHCR/Alfredo D'Amato

Since Friday, weve seen over 6,000 people crossing the Mediterranean to reach Italy  bringing the total this year to over 43,000. These massive arrivals and the fact that more than 1,150 people have either disappeared or lost their lives while trying to reach Europe since the beginning of the year show that rescue at sea is as crucial as ever.

The Central Mediterranean route from North Africa to Italy, which is by far the one currently most frequently used by asylum seekers and migrants to cross into Europe, has proven to be particularly deadly. Since the beginning of 2017, one person out of 35 has died on the sea journey from Libya to Italy. And over the past four days alone, 75 people have lost their lives.

Saving lives must be the top priority for all and, in light of the recent increase in arrivals, I urge further efforts to rescue people along this dangerous route. This is a matter of life or death which appeals to our most basic sense of humanity and should not be called into question.

The tireless efforts of the Italian Coast Guard, in coordination with Frontex, the European Border and Coast Guard Agency, and of NGOs are truly remarkable. Together, they have saved tens of thousands of lives. In 2016, NGOs rescued more than 46,000 people in the central Mediterranean, representing over 26 per cent of all rescue operations. This trend continues, reaching 33 per cent since the beginning of the year.

I am profoundly shocked by the violence used by some smugglers, including the merciless killing of young man a few days ago which was reported to my teams by survivors.

The increasing numbers of passengers on board vessels used by traffickers, with an average of 100 to 150 people, are also alarming and the main cause of shipwrecks, and risks are increased by the worsening quality of vessels and the increasing use of rubber boats instead of wooden ones.

And, more and more often, we find out that there are no satellite phones on these vessels, making rescue efforts even more difficult, as migrants and asylum seekers are unable to call for help and more difficult to locate.

This cannot continue. There is an urgent need to address the root causes which lead people to move, as well as to offer credible alternatives to these dangerous crossings for people in need of international protection, including accessible and safe ways to reach Europe such as family reunification, relocation and resettlement.

Action is needed before people are caught and exposed to horrendous abuses at the hands of smugglers in Libya and other transit countries, and before they board unsafe boats to cross the Mediterranean. This also means redoubling efforts to solve conflicts, especially in Africa; and using development resources much more strategically - to reduce poverty, to mitigate the effects of climate change, and to support countries hosting large numbers of refugees, as well as transit countries. This requires coordinated policies and action by European and other donor countries."

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India's National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) prepares for a clean-up operation at a container depot in New Delhi where a gas leak occurred on May 6, 2017 AFP/Chandan KHANNA

Classes were underway when gas leaked from a container truck parked at a depot close to the school and filled with chemical meant for industrial use, police said. The children complained of irritation in their eyes and throat following the incident.

"Around 200 children were admitted to four hospitals for treatment. No one is seriously injured. The situation is normal now," police deputy commissioner Romil Baaniya told reporters.

Police will initiate legal action against the handlers for negligence, Baaniya added.

Images showed scores of disaster response personnel closely inspecting the premises of the government-run girls' school.

Gas leaks are not uncommon in India, with most caused by a failure to comply with safety standards.

In 2014, a poisonous gas leak at one of India's largest steel plants in central Chhattisgarh state killed six people.

And a toxic gas leak in Bhopal city in 1984 killed at least 25,000 people and remains to this day the world's worst industrial disaster.
Citi supporting Vietnam in connecting the global dots Vietnam is considered by US group Citi as an attractive market. Ramachandran A.S., Citi country officer, talked to VIRs Linh Le about the groups efforts to utilise its global experience in the Southeast Asian nation, and its priorities moving forward.

Radisson Hotel Group spearheading hospitality growth in Asia-Pacific With travel restrictions easing, air traffic increasing, and leisure and business travel bookings on the rise, Radisson Hotel Group is optimistic about the outlook for the hospitality industry in Asia-Pacific.

Secrets of the most special securities company in Vietnam Techcom Securities (TCBS) leadership, with cutting-edge vision and execution muscle, has changed the course of the company over the last nine years since Nguyen Xuan Minh became chairman of the Board of Directors. VIRs Tuan Khanh sat together with Minh and talked about his path, vision, and success story.

Promoting gender equality & enhancing women's economic empowerment Vietnarn's national strategy on gender equality for the 2021-2030 period sets a target that by 2025, 60 per cent of state management ageneies and local governments at all levels will have female key leaders.
1. Objectives: Promoting national image, Vietnamese businesses and trademarks; boosting export of products in which Vietnam has advantages to Laos and Thai north-eastern areas; establishing distribution network and increasing the number of investment projects in Laos;

2. Scope: 300 booths measuring nine square meters each in which 150 booths will be for Vietnamese companies (around 100 businesses) and the remainder for the Lao counterparts;

3. Time: November 25-29, 2010;

4. Venue: Lao International Exhibition and Convention Center (Lao ITECC), Vientiane City, Laos;

5. Content: Agro-forestry-fisheries products and processed food; garment and fashion; electrical-electronic industries; industrial machinery and equipment, construction and building materials; wooden furniture and fine handicrafts; consumer goods; pharmaceutical products; medical equipment; investment, tourism and trade services; 6. Participants: Businesses from assorted economic sectors operating under the law and trade promotion organizations (trade promotion centers in provinces, municipalities, under ministries/departments, and business associations);

7. Selection criteria: Businesses producing competitive items that are compatible to the Lao market requirements; the people taking part in the trip must have the ability to take part in an international trade fair;

8. Expenses:

a) The State will finance the booth lease fee, the fee for decorating the Vietnamese pavilion area and all related expenses for export promotion;

b) Based on the production sector, the State will pay the lease fee for at most four booths/each business;

c) Businesses must incur the following expenses: The fee for making entrance/exist formalities, food, drink, travel and accommodations; goods related expenses. Besides, if they impinge on the organizing committee regulations, they must pay additional charges;

d) Each business must pay a deposit of VND4 million/one booth right after sending a registration record The account for deposit transfer: The Vietnam Trade Promotion Agency, account number: 001.1.00.028621.2 at the Transaction Bureau of the Bank for Foreign Trade of Vietnam; If a business was chosen to take part in the trade fair, however, it later sends a document to Vietrade to cancel the participation after October 22, 2010 it will loose the deposit. This money will be used by Vietrade to cover relevant state expenses;

9. Obligations: Businesses taking part in the trade fair must:

- Completing registration records, financial obligations and seriously observing the regulations of the Vietnamese group's organizing committee;

- Businesses must send a summary report to Vietrade within a month after the fair ending;

10. Registration records:

- A business registration certificate;

- An application form;

- A company profile;

- A list of staff who will take part in the fair;

- An application for information disclosure in the fair catalogue;

- An explanation why it wants a special booth;

- Any product presentation or promotion programs;

Note: Businesses must send one floppy disc to ngokhacbao@vietrade.gov.vn (including one enterprise logo and two product photos to be shown in the fair's catalogue).

11. Deadline for registration:

October 15, 2010. As the booths are limited in number, not all registered businesses will be selected. Vietrade will later inform the name of chosen businesses.

Interested businesses must send records to:

Export Promotion Center, Vietnam Trade Promotion Agency Floor 5, 20 Ly Thuong Kiet, Hanoi

Tel: 0439364792 +84439364792 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting +84439364792 end_of_the_skype_highlighting fax: 04 39369491

Contact: Mr. Ho Ngoc Quan; Mobile: 098 306 9998 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting

Mr. Ngo Khac Bao; Mobile: 091 555 4177 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting Email: ngokhacbao@vietrade.gov.vn
The Government wants public colleges to become autonomous in order to be competitive, but many of them are worried about such a move, especially the financial aspect.-Photo nld.com.vn

They are worried autonomy would cause them to lose Government funding forcing them to hike fees.

At a workshop on autonomy and solutions for public colleges held yesterday by HCM City Technical and Economic College, Dr Pham Xuan Thu, head of the business administration faculty at the College Of Foreign Economic Relations in the citys Phu Nhuan District, said such a hike could lose them students.

Current enrolment policies make it easier than ever for students to get into universities, he said.

This is on top of an existing preference for universities over colleges, he said.

At least one million students pass out of high school every year, but this year the countrys 142 out of 234 colleges have only received 1,000 applications each on average. About 100 colleges each has received only between 38 and 42 applications, said Nguyen Manh Hung, director of the Nguyen Tat Thanh University.

Tran Nguyen Minh Nhut of the HCM City College of Economics quality assurance division said the number of students studying in colleges was not consistent.

Many of them stop studying in colleges and move instead to universities, he said.

With such a small student population, it is not an option for colleges to fund themselves from fees, he added.

Nguyen Thi Hang, rector of the HCM City Vocational College of Technology, said hers was one of three colleges to pilot an autonomy programme last year.

We have autonomy in finances, training programmes, lecturer recruitment and others. We are allowed to hike tuition fees.

After doubling the fees to VN16 million (US$711) this year the college only managed to get half the number of students as last year, she said.

However, I still advocate the governments policies on autonomy for public colleges. This policy is right.

Luu uc Tien, rector of the Van Xuan Technology and Technical College in the citys Go Vap, said public colleges should not be too worried because the Government has promised that with autonomy it would find a way to fund them.

Pham Ngoc Thanh, deputy head of the city Department of Education and Training, said public colleges in the city should soon set up a road map to become autonomous.

The General Directorate of Vocational Training should set up training courses for managers and staff of public colleges for the purpose, he said.
Conveniently located at 97 Nguyen Thi Minh Khai, District 1, SVCC is set up to offer treatments and services for all cancer types as its core operation in Vietnam. Bringing together a team of renowned cancer specialists from Vietnam and Singapore, it is a comprehensive cancer centre providing services ranging from preventive cancer programs, screening for early detection, cancer treatments to post-cancer treatment care.

SVCC is privileged to partner top cancer specialists from Singapore and Vietnam who have years of experience in treating cancer patients and, are recognised in its respective areas of sub-specialisation. With the sub-specialisations of partnering cancer specialists, SVCC treats all cancer types with complete treatment services including medical oncology, oncologic imaging, palliative medicine, surgical oncology and radiation oncology.

Besides, treatments for cancer patients, SVCC is an advocate of cancer prevention and early detection to keep the community in good health and increase the patients chance for successful treatments. The community can expect the centre to roll out a year of calendar of events which will include cancer prevention educational talks and forums as well as cancer screening.

SVCC will be the first in Vietnam to offer post-cancer treatment services through Can-Care, a leading provider in post treatments services and related products to aid patients through their recovery process. Located within SVCC itself, Can-Care will also offer a range of products which patients can buy from conveniently.

SVCC strives to provide the best service to the community in Vietnam by offering them a one-stop comprehensive cancer centre where they can turn to for all cancer-related issues from preventive to treatments for all cancer types. It is a centre that is committed to deliver medical excellence and personalized care to patients.
In accordance with the directions of Deputy PM Trinh Dinh Dung, the Ministry of Industry and Trade will cooperate with the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Planning and Investment, and other local authorities to inspect the aluminium stockpile of Global Vietnam Aluminium Co., Ltd. (GVA) in Ba Ria-Vung Tau. This inspection is aimed at verifying the information that the company imports Chinese aluminium into Vietnam.

GVA is the developer of an aluminium shaping plant. Jacky Cheung and Wang Tong, two Chinese-Australian businessmen, had invested VND5 trillion (about $250 million) into this plant which has the annual capacity of 200,000 tonnes, producing purely for export. According to its investment certificate issued by the Ba Ria-Vung Tau Industrial Park Management Authority, this project will last for 37 years, starting from 2011.

However, according to Wall Street Journal (WSJ), the real developer of the project is China Zhongwang Holdings Limited, a big Chinese aluminium firm managed by billionaire Liu Zhongtian, who has total assets of $3 billion, according to Forbes.

At the end of 2016, WSJ published an article saying it had found a wide range of abnormal import-export activities among China, the US, Mexico, and Vietnam involving Liu Zhongtian.

WSJ alleged that in order to deal with US anti-dumping tariffs, Liu and many other Chinese aluminium manufacturers have established secret entities in Mexico or Vietnam to export their products to the US. Compared to the 374 per cent on Chinese aluminium exports, the anti-dumping tariff on Vietnamese aluminium is 5 per cent only.

In Vung Tau, WSJ also discovered massive stockpiles fully covered by black canvas and watched over by numerous security guards on motorbikes with batons. The newspaper alleged that these abnormally huge aluminium stocks were to be transported to Vietnam from Mexico.
Two new markets in the cross-hairs

After experiencing various successes in its investment markets around the world, Viettel is welcomed by a large number of markets, especially in Africa, for its investment in telecommunications. Thanks to various favourable conditions for development, Viettel is now eying Nigeria and Indonesia.

Le Dang Dung, deputy general director of Viettel, shared with VIR, Investments into sizeable markets like Nigeria may have to get the approval of the National Assemly. For such large projects, Viettel may invest directly, instead of having Viettel International Investment Corporation (Viettel Global) do so.

Previously, Viettel Global submitted the investment plans in Nigeria and Indonesia to its annual general shareholders meeting by the end of April 2017 for approval.

As of May 6 this year, according to the US Census Bureau, Indonesia and Nigeria were among the top ten most populous countries of the world. Indonesia ranked the fourth with more than 260 million people (just behind China, India, and the United States), while Nigeria ranked seventh with nearly 190 million people.

According to Viettels analysis, Indonesia is the largest economy in Southeast Asia, with a strong growth potential in the long run.

Currently, Indonesian 3G and 4G subscribers only account for 58 per cent of the population, lower than in neighbouring countries in the region (60 per cent in the Philippines and 126 per cent in Thailand), so the potential for Viettel is very large. In fact, Viettel has been interested in the Indonesian market for many years.

Nigeria is a West African nation with a GDP per capita higher than Vietnam and has the largest population on the continent. It is the economic bright spot in Africa, a regional leader in oil production, with up to 90 per cent of its foreign exchange earnings coming from oil. This is a market with high consumption capability, income, level of education, and great demand for 3G and 4G services.

Meanwhile, Nigerias telecommunications network is underdeveloped, with a relatively modest number of 3G subscribers. Therefore, this is an opportunity for Viettel to take advantage of its telecommunications network infrastructure.

As planned, Viettel will penetrate these two markets by bidding for an operation licence and entering joint ventures or striking acquisition deals.

Overcoming currency fluctuation

The year 2016 was a difficult period for Viettel Global, fraught with political and economic instability in some of its markets. Viettel Globals projects were in the initial stage of investment and showing improvements, but the sudden devaluation of African currencies resulted in a paper loss of VND3 trillion ($142 million) for the company.

The main reason of losses and the decreasing revenue in 2016 were the exchange rate fluctuations. For instance, the currency of Mozambique depreciated 58 per cent against the USD, and that ofBurundi depreciated 28 per cent.

Actually, Viettels revenue in its African markets still increased where it traded in the domestic currency. For instance, the companys revenue increased in Tanzania (1.343 per cent), Cameroon (43 per cent), Burundi (42 per cent), and Mozambique (7 per cent).The loss of VND3 trillion ($142 million) is recorded on paper and is unrealised, the money still remains unchanged and we do not lose anything here, cash is kept in domestic currency. Therefore, the so-called loss is either exchange rate paper loss or unrealised loss, Dung said.

In order to cope with unforeseen fluctuation, Viettels leaders said that Viettel Global will use domestic currency for the purchase of equipment, new investments, and loans instead of converting funds into USD.

Viettel is investing and doing business in Laos, Cambodia, East Timor, Cameroon, Haiti, Mozambique, Burundi, Peru, Tanzania, and Myanmar (expected to be officially launched in the first quarter of 2018), with a total investment of $2.4 billion. In 2017, the total investment in Myanmar was about $1.3 billion.
Music Time in Africa is VOAs longest running English language program. Since 1965, this award-winning program has featured pan African music that spans all genres and generations. Ethnomusicologist and Host Heather Maxwell keeps you up to date on whats happening in African music with exclusive interviews, cultural information, and of course, great music -- including rare recordings from the Leo Sarkisian Library of African Music.
Berkshire Hathaway Inc Chairman Warren Buffett fumed Saturday that health care costs are eating away at the U.S. economy like tapeworm and said the Republican approach to overhaul Obamacare is a tax cut for the rich.

The U.S. House of Representatives on Thursday narrowly approved a bill to repeal and replace Obamacare, a victory for Republican President Donald Trump who has called the 2010 law a disaster.

Speaking at Berkshires annual shareholders meeting in Omaha, Buffett said his federal income taxes last year would have gone down 17 percent had the new law been in effect.

So it is a huge tax cut for guys like me, he said. And when theres a tax cut, either the deficit goes up or they get the taxes from somebody else.

The Republican bill would repeal most of the taxes that paid for the law formally known as the Affordable Care Act. The partys leadership has promised that the new American Health Care Act, which faces a likely overhaul and uncertain passage in the Senate, would address growing health care costs.

Buffett said rising health care costs are crippling the competitiveness of U.S. companies abroad.

Unlike in many other countries where much of health care spending is publicly financed, employers provide health insurance coverage for nearly half of Americans and often face skyrocketing rates.

Buffett said health care costs have risen much faster in the United States than in the rest of the world and will go up a lot more.

Medical costs are the tapeworm of American economic competitiveness, he said. That is a problem this society is having trouble with and is going to have more trouble with.

Buffett is a Democrat who vocally supported Hillary Clintons unsuccessful bid for the presidency against Trump. The fourth richest man in the world with a net worth totaling $74.3 billion, according to Forbes magazine, Buffett has vowed to donate nearly his entire fortune to charity.

Berkshire Vice Chairman Charlie Munger added that he thinks neither political party can think rationally about health care because they hate each other so much.
Warren Buffett, the chairman of Berkshire Hathaway Inc., Saturday faulted Wells Fargo & Co for failing to stop employees from signing up customers for bogus accounts even after learning it was happening.

Wells Fargo, whose largest shareholder is Berkshire, with a 10 percent stake worth roughly $27 billion, gave employees too much autonomy to engage in cross-selling multiple products to meet sales goals, Buffett said.

This incentivized the wrong type of behavior, and former Chief Executive John Stumpf, who lost his job over the scandal, was too slow to fix the problem, Buffett said.

Wells Fargo was among many topics discussed at Berkshires annual meeting in Omaha, where Buffett, 86, and Vice Chairman Charlie Munger, 93, fielded dozens of questions from shareholders, journalists and analysts.

If theres a major problem, the CEO will get wind of it. At that moment, thats the key to everything. The CEO has to act, Buffett said. The main problem was they didnt act when they learned about it.

Still, Buffetts support of current management and board was key to ensuring the re-election of the entire board last month.

Wells Fargo spokesman Mark Folk said we agree with Buffetts comments, and have taken decisive actions to fix the problems and make things right for customers.

Asked whether Berkshires decentralized structure could lead to a similar scandal, Buffett said as we sit here, somebody is doing something wrong at Berkshire, whose units employ 367,000 people. But he said Berkshire has an internal hotline to flag possible misbehavior, which gets 4,000 calls a year.

Succession and dividends

The meeting also included discussions about Berkshires succession plans, its controversial partnership with Brazilian firm 3G Capital, and whether it will start paying dividends or make an acquisition.

Buffett has said Berkshire could have a new chief executive within 24 hours if he died or could not continue, and that nothing had changed just because he praised fewer managers than usual in his February shareholder letter.

He said it may have been harder to single people out because we have never had more good managers.

But he also said it would be a terrible mistake if capital allocation were not the main talent of his successor.

Buffett did lavish much praise on top insurance executive Ajit Jain, who some investors believe could be that successor, saying nobody could possibly replace Ajit. You cant come close.

On 3G, with which Berkshire controls Kraft Heinz Co and tried to merge it with Unilever NV, Buffett acknowledged a dislike for the cost-cutting for which the Brazilian firm is known.

But, he said, it is absolutely essential to America that we become more productive, and 3G was very good at making a business productive with fewer people.

Buffett also raised the possibility Berkshire could pay its first dividend since 1967, if reasonably soon, even while Im around, the company had too much cash it could not reasonably deploy.

It could be repurchases, it could be dividends, he said.

Berkshire ended March with more than $96 billion of cash and cashlike instruments, and Munger said it could do a $150 billion acquisition now if it wanted.

Airlines and IBM

Buffett defended Berkshires foray into airlines, where it is a top investor in American Airlines Group Inc., Delta Air Lines Inc., Southwest Airlines Co. and United Continental Holdings Inc.

He had long disdained the industry, which had gone through many bankruptcies, but said he is confident it will not resort to suicidally competitive pricing strategies that could spell doom.

Munger added: Youve got to remember railroads were a terrible business for decades and decades and decades, and then they got good. Berkshire bought the BNSF railroad in 2010.

Buffett also admitted he was wrong to think International Business Machines Corp. would do better when he started amassing 81 million shares six years ago.

Berkshire recently sold about one-third of those shares even as it built a huge stake in Apple Inc., which Buffett said is more as a consumer company that a technology company.

He also addressed criticism that Berkshire discloses too little about businesses such as aircraft parts maker Precision Castparts Corp, which it bought last year for $32.1 billion.

We want you to understand what you own, he said, and there are just a million things that are of minor importance at Berkshire, whose market value is about $411 billion.

Buffett also noted that Berkshire reported far fewer investment gains in the first quarter, which dragged on results, but said the company now has a slight preference for taking tax losses, which could lose value if Washington lawmakers reduce the 35 percent corporate tax rate.

The annual meeting, expected to draw more than last years estimated 37,000 shareholders, is the main event of a weekend of events that Buffett calls Woodstock for Capitalists.

Buffett and Munger took questions after the traditional shareholder movie, and after Buffett had roamed a nearby exhibit hall featuring products from Berkshire companies.

He was joined at the traditional newspaper tossing contest by friends including Microsoft Corp co-founder and Berkshire director Bill Gates, and Miami Dolphins defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh.

Hundreds of shareholders lined up early outside downtown Omahas CenturyLink Center for the meeting. Several said they got there nearly five hours before doors opened around 6:45 a.m.

Every year it seems I have to come earlier, said Chris Tesari, a retired businessman from Pacific Palisades, California who said he arrived at 3:20 a.m. for his 21st meeting. Its a pilgrimage.
1 Dozens of members of the 'Bring Back Our Girls' Campaign hold a rally at Unity Fountain in Abuja to celebrate the release of 82 Chibok school girls in exchange for a number of Boko Haram militants and a reported cash payment.
Police in the Indian-controlled portion of Kashmir say rebels have attacked a police squad, killing three civilians and a police officer. An assailant was also killed when officers returned fire.

The unit came under fire Saturday night as it reached a road accident site on a key highway connecting Kashmir Valley with the rest of India, said senior police officer S.P. Pani.



He said the dead civilians were road construction officials of a private company.

Various insurgent groups have been fighting for decades for Kashmir's independence from India or merger with Pakistan. Both countries claim all of Kashmir.

The nuclear-armed neighbors have fought two wars for control of the region.
Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari met Sunday with the 82 Chibok schoolgirls kidnapped three years ago by Boko Haram extremists and released Saturday in Nigeria's troubled northeast.

Video of the meeting in the capital, Abuja, showed Buhari addressing his subdued guests, telling them that "no human being should go through this kind of ordeal." He also promised that his office will "personally supervise...those entrusted with your welfare."

Details of the girls' path to freedom were not clear Sunday. But their release Saturday came after protracted negotiations with Boko Haram envoys that included provisions to free the girls in exchange for the release of captured Boko Haram commanders. The Associated Press reported earlier Sunday that five Boko Haram commanders were set free in the exchange.

WATCH: Released Chibok Girls at Medical Center

Sunday's meeting between the girls and the president capped an intense 24 hours that saw the young women taken under military protection near the border with Cameroon, and later brought to the capital in military helicopters.

On arrival in Abuja, they underwent medical screening and were united with family members ahead of the presidential greeting.

An earlier presidential statement said Buhari is optimistic about gaining the release of 113 Chibok girls still thought to be held by Boko Haram. The statement also praised security and military agencies for their roles in bringing the girls to safety, and it thanked the Swiss government, which sponsored negotiations leading to the releases.

Kidnapping sparked international uproar

Authorities say 276 girls were kidnapped from a government-run girls' secondary school in Chibok on April 14, 2014. Nearly 60 girls who escaped during the first hours said their abductors forced them from dormitories into trucks that headed into the bush.

Days later, a widely distributed video purported to show about 100 of the missing girls. Boko Haram claimed the captives had converted to Islam, and said they would only be released in exchange for militants held by the Nigerian government.

At the time, Boko Haram leader Abubakar Shekau vowed to sell the girls as slave brides.

The abductions triggered an international outcry, including condemnation from the United Nations Security Council. Then-U.S. first lady Michelle Obama co-launched a media campaign to gain the girls' release.

First girls released last year

There was no sign of the Chibok schoolgirls for more than two years, until one girl -- by then a mother with an infant -- turned up last May. Two other girls made their way to government controlled areas later in the year, and a group of 21 captives was released in October.

Nigerian Defense Minister Manir Dan Ali told VOA's Hausa service last month it might take years to find all of the Chibok girls. He spoke as grieving families marked the third anniversary of the girls' disappearance, and as government troops searched known Boko Haram hideouts in the Sambisa forest -- a vast area extending into three states in Nigeria's northeast.



Boko Haram, whose declared aim is to create an Islamic state in northern Nigeria, has killed thousands of people and displaced more than 2 million during its 8-year insurgency.

Boko Haram's other victims

U.N. officials have stressed that the Chibok girls are not Boko Haram's only victims.

The militants have seized at least 2,000 other girls and boys since 2014. Many of those captives were used as cooks, sex slaves, fighters and even suicide bombers, according to Amnesty International.

Boko Haram has increased its use of children as suicide bombers in the Lake Chad region, where 27 such attacks were recorded during the first three months of this year, three times as many as during the same period in 2016, according to the U.N. children's agency UNICEF.
More than 50,000 residents of the northern German city of Hannover have been asked to leave their homes, as authorities prepare to mount a large-scale operation to defuse World War II-era bombs.

City officials say two bombs were found at a construction site and three more nearby.

The city prepared a series of events for the evacuees, including free museum visits and discounted film screenings.

More than 70 years after the end of the war, unexploded bombs are regularly found buried on German land, legacies of the intense bombing campaigns by Allied forces against Nazi Germany.

German broadcaster Deutsche Welle newspaper noted that on October 9, 1943, alone, some 261,000 bombs were dropped on the city, and many of them remain unexploded. Authorities worry the bombs are getting more dangerous with the passage of time as the material disintegrates.

The biggest such evacuation took place last Christmas, when an unexploded British bomb forced 54,000 people out of their homes in the southern city of Augsburg.
The leader of Islamic State in Afghanistan has been killed in a joint raid in eastern Nangarhar province, Afghan and U.S. military officials confirmed Sunday.



Sheikh Abdul Hasib, the Emir of Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant  Khorasan Province (ISIS-K) in Afghanistan, was killed in a combined Afghan/U.S. raid, the U.S. military said.



Dozens of Afghan and American special forces killed Sheikh Abdul Hasib along with his 35 fighters in a combined operation against an IS cave and tunnel complex in the Achin district, the statement added.



Other high-ranking IS leaders also are said to have been killed in the April 27 operation.



Hasib was appointed last year following the death of his predecessor, Hafiz Saeed Khan  a former Pakistani Taliban commander - in a U.S. drone strike in the same Afghan province.



Branching out from Iraq and Syria  and fueled by a growing militancy in Central Asia  Islamic State launched its operations in the Afghanistan-Pakistan region two years ago, naming it ISs Khorasan province (IS-K) to cover Afghanistan, Pakistan and other nearby lands.



The U.S. military often refers to the terror group as ISIS-K.



Commander of U.S. Forces in Afghanistan General John Nicholson praised the successful joint operation as another important step in the relentless campaign to defeat IS in the country in 2017.



This is the second ISIS-K emir [leader] we have killed in nine months, along with dozens of their leaders and hundreds of their fighters, Nicholson noted.

Mastermind of Kabul hospital attack

Hasib was the mastermind behind a deadly attack against a military hospital in Kabul on March 8 that killed more than 30 people and injured 80 others, the Afghan Presidential Palace said in a statement.



The ISIS leader directed the attack on the Sardar Mohammad Daoud Khan hospital which resulted in the death and injury of several of our fellow citizens, the palace statement said.



U.S. officials said the slain IS chief also directed fighters to behead local elders in front of their families and ordered the kidnapping of women and girls to forcibly marry them off to his fighters.



For more than two years, ISIS-K has waged a barbaric campaign of death, torture and violence against the Afghan people, especially those in eastern Nangarhar, noted General Nicholson.



Any ISIS member that comes to Afghanistan will meet the same fate," he vowed.



U.S. and Afghan troops had been involved in an intense 3-hour firefight that also killed two American forces, said a joint statement released after the operation.



"Within a few minutes of landing, our combined force came under intense fire from multiple directions and well-prepared fighting positions. Nevertheless, our forces successfully closed on the enemy, killed several high-level ISIS leaders and upwards of 35 fighters.



A counter-IS operation has been under way in Nangarhar since early March, and Afghan forces, with the help of their U.S. counterparts, have killed or captured hundreds of fighters and liberated over half of the districts the terror group controlled in the province, according to the U.S. military.



Last month, the U.S. Air Force dropped "the mother of all bombs" on IS-Ks stronghold in Achin district, killing at least 95 IS militants, mostly foreign fighters.
North Korea says it has detained another U.S. citizen, accusing him of committing "hostile acts."

The North's official news agency KCNA said Kim Hak Song was detained on Saturday. The report said he had worked for the Pyongyang University of Science and Technology, the only privately funded university in North Korea and a school that is also unusual for the large size of its foreign staff.



In a statement, the U.S. State Department said, "The security of U.S. citizens is one of the department's highest priorities. When a U.S. citizen is reported to be detained in North Korea, we work with the Swedish embassy in Pyongyang" to try to secure their freedom.

Kim Hak Song is the fourth American citizen in North Korean custody and his detention comes as tensions increase between Pyongyang and Washington over North Korea's nuclear weapons development program. U.S. President Donald Trump has dispatched an aircraft carrier strike group to the waters off the Korean peninsula as a warning against the communist nation's military ambitions.

Other detainees



Last month, Pyongyang detained Kim Sang Dok, a Pyongyang University accounting professor in his 50s it accused of "acts of hostility aimed to overturn" the regime of the North Korean leader, Kim Jong Un. North Korea said Kim Sang Dok was arrested "for committing criminal acts," but did not elaborate.

In the case of Kim Hak Song, authorities said, "A relevant institution is now conducting detailed investigation into his crimes."

In a 2015 message on the website of a Korean-Brazilian church in Sao Paulo, Kim Hak Song said he was a Christian missionary planning to start an experimental farm at the Pyongyang school and was trying to help the North Korean people learn to become self-sufficient.

North Korea has in the past detained U.S. citizens to use as bargaining chips in its negotiations with Washington.

Last year, Otto Warmbier, a University of Virginia student, was sentenced to 15 years of hard labor in prison after he confessed to trying to steal a propaganda banner.

Kim Dong Chul, born a South Korean but believed to have U.S. citizenship, is serving 10 years of hard labor for subversion.
Pakistan claims last weeks border clashes with Afghanistan left more than 50 Afghan security troops dead and scores of others wounded while five of their outposts were destroyed.

Major-General Nadeem Anjum, commander of the provincial paramilitary Frontier Corps (FC) shared the details Sunday in Quetta, the capital of the southwestern border province of Baluchistan where Thursdays skirmishes occurred.

The Afghan government swiftly rejected the claims, saying the fighting left four people, including two security personnel, dead on its side with more than 30 wounded.

Pakistani General Anjum blamed Afghan forces for initiating the conflict by staging an unprovoked attack on a government team conducting a census on the Pakistani side of two divided villages at the Chaman border.

He reiterated that Afghan authorities had been alerted through military and diplomatic channels about the planned census activity. The cross-border Afghan fire killed at least 12 Pakistanis and wounded more than 40 others, including civilians and security forces, provoking Pakistans retaliation, Anjum noted.

Pakistan has since closed the busy Chaman border crossing with landlocked Afghanistan.

Speaking separately to reporters in Quetta, regional military commander Lt. General Aamir Riaz would not say whether Pakistan plans to reopen the crossing as it has stranded hundreds of transit and trade convoys.

It will remain closed as long as Afghanistan does not mend its unwise way. This unwise way is not good for Afghanistan , the general asserted.

But Afghan provincial police chief General Abdul Raziq maintains the villages are located in a disputed part of the border between the two countries, and his forces had warned Pakistani officials against conducting census or any other activity.

Afghanistan disputes portions of its nearly 2,600-kilometer border with Pakistan, which is known as the Durand Line. The frontier was established in 1896 when Britain was ruling the Indian subcontinent.

Islamabad dismisses Kabul's objections over the demarcation and maintains Pakistan inherited the international frontier when it gained independence from Britain in 1947.
Voters in France have elected centrist Emmanuel Macron president, rejecting the anti-EU, anti-immigrant policies of rival Marine Le Pen.

With nearly all votes counted, France's Interior Ministry put Macron's lead at 66.06 percent, with Le Pen coming in at 33.94 percent.



A new page of our long history is turning tonight, Macron told supporters Sunday following a bruising campaign in an election driven by anti-establishment sentiments  the first in modern history in which mainstream parties were shut out of a French presidential race.



I want it to be a page of hope and renewed trust. The renewal of our political life will begin as early as tomorrow. The moralization of our political life, acknowledging its plurality and our democratic vitality will be at the heart of my action from day one, Macron said.





Contentious campaign

Sunday culminated a presidential election campaign that many French considered the country's most acrimonious and contentious in recent memory.

Concession by Marine Le Pen came quickly on Sunday, but she vowed to fight on with efforts to mobilize voters in her crusade against globalism and a liberal immigration policy that has allowed for Frances Muslim minority to grow.

I have called Macron because I have the best interests of France in mind and I wanted to wish him the very best, she told supporters on Sunday. I call on all patriots to join us to take part in the decisive political fight that is starting tonight. More than ever in the forthcoming months, France will need you.





U.S. President Donald Trump reacted on Twitter to the results of the French presidential election, congratulating Macron on a "big win" and saying he very much looks forward to working with him.



Surveys heading into Sunday predicted that Macron would win the election with a solid lead over Le Pen.

There was little surprise, but much relief among his supporters, who filled the main courtyard of the Louvre Museum for a celebration.

I feared Marine Le Pen because she sowed division in this country, said Frank Kamandoko, a reveler waving a large French flag at the Louvre Sunday night. That is why I had no choice but to support Emmanuel Macron, said Kamandoko, a French citizen originally from the Central African Republic.

At 39, Macron a former banker and economy minister, becomes Frances youngest president. He is pro-EU but wants reforms to make the grouping more democratic, and has warned that continuing business as usual with the European Union will trigger a Frexit, or a French exit similar to Britains.

Frances deep divisions were clear in a final, vicious debate in which the anger, bitterness and personal dislike between the two candidates were on display when the two traded insults last week, something observers say hurt Le Pens numbers.





What is his plan?

I am sick of this campaign, said voter Jasmine Youssi after being among the first to cast ballots at a polling station in the 12th district of Paris. It is the first time there has been such an aggressive campaign. It was repetitive. I stopped watching TV because it would make me sick. I am so glad it is over, she told VOA.

Turnout was less than expected, with voter disgust and anger causing many to abstain or submit blank ballots. French officials say 4 million abstained.

Still, many braved the rain in Paris and turned out steadily throughout the day.

On Paris streets, posters of Macron and Le Pen were pasted side by side, both often defaced with Macrons nose cut out and Le Pens eyes scribbled over.



It says that the people are for neither one nor the other. The French are in distress, said voter Brigitte Levoir as she glanced at posters outside a polling station in the Paris suburb of Drancy. We could perhaps be afraid of Le Pen, but we should be afraid of Macron as well. What is his plan? He has none. We should be afraid of them both. I want De Gaulle to come back to the world and establish some order, she told VOA.

In the end, it was fear of Le Pen that apparently weighed more on voters than anything else in a society that is proud of its long tradition of openness.

The majority of French people are afraid of Marine Le Pen, are afraid of the far right, said Eric Dupin, a political analyst in Paris. If they get to power, they will grow divisions in French society in a very dangerous way with the risk of violence. So, in a reasonable way, the French voted Macron against Marine Le Pen, he told VOA.

The vote was historic, and seen by many as a turning point in French politics.

France voted for change, but not revolution.
The Somali government says the leader of al-Shabab in the Lower Shabelle region and three of his associates have been killed in a raid in the village of Barire.



The Somali government identified the man as Moalin Osman Abdi Badil. In a statement by the Information Ministry the government says the operation on May 5 was conducted by the Somali national security forces.

The Somali government says the death the al-Shabab leader Badil significantly disrupts the groups ability to operate in the Lower Shabelle region.

The operation marks a turning point in our fight for security, the statement read.



The Somali statement did not mention if U.S. were involved in the operation in Barire. Last Friday, the U.S. said a Navy SEAL was killed an operation to advice and assist the Somali national army in the same area.

US Navy SEAL killed

The U.S. Navy SEAL killed was identified as Senior Chief Special Warfare Operator Kyle Milliken. The 38-year-old is the first American service member killed in combat in the war-torn country since a deadly battle in 1993  the clash that inspired the movie Black Hawk Down. At least two other Navy SEALs and an interpreter were wounded in the recent attack in the village of Barire, west of Mogadishu.

"This was a Somali mission," Navy Captain Jeff Davis, a Pentagon spokesman, told reporters Friday. American forces were "operating in support of" the Somali units, in an attack targeting a compound associated with attacks on nearby facilities used by both U.S. and Somali forces, he added.

A former Somali army commander who is familiar with U.S. operations told VOA Somali he believes there was a small number of special U.S. forces and helicopters that accompanied Somali special forces to a targeted location.

Meanwhile, al-Shabab has published purported photos of items they said were left behind by the U.S. forces at the scene including a small-sized American flag, military clothes, a glove and electronic kits marked Fort Lauderdale. One of the photos also showed blood stains on the ground.

Security sources and officials in the Lower Shabelle region say Friday's attack was led by Somalia's Danab commando team, accompanied by U.S. special forces. Danab or lightening in English are Somali commandos trained by the US forces.

Last month, dozens of American soldiers deployed to Mogadishu for a separate mission to train and equip Somali and AMISOM (African Union Mission in Somalia) forces fighting extremism in Somalia, U.S. military officials told VOA.

Somali officials say more than 500 Somalia commandos have been trained by the U.S., and the Somali government has said it wants to increase the number of trained commandos to 4,000.

Carla Babb contributed to this report.
The sister of U.S. President Donald Trump's son-in-law is in China courting wealthy people to invest $500,000 in luxury apartment towers outside New York City as part of a program that would grant them permanent U.S. residency.

Nicole Kushner Meyer, the sister of Trump son-in-law Jared Kushner, one of the president's top White House advisers, spoke Sunday to potential investors in Shanghai after making the same pitch the day before in Beijing. Meyer told more than 100 people at a Beijing hotel that the $976 million project  twin 66-story towers with nearly 1,500 apartments  "means a lot to me and my entire family."

She mentioned that her brother formerly was chief executive of the Kushner Companies, a position he resigned as he and his wife, Trump's oldest daughter Ivanka, moved to Washington and joined Trump's staff.

Jared Kushner, to avoid business conflicts with his White House role, divested himself of parts of his family business as he assumed his White House role, including a connection with One Journal Square project in Jersey City, New Jersey that his sister was promoting.

There was no visible mention of Jared Kushner's link to Trump at the Beijing event, but promotional posters bore the slogan, "Government supports it; Celebrity property developer builds it."

Meyer was looking for investors under the U.S. EB-5 visa program, which gives wealthy foreign investors permanent American residency if they invest at least a half million dollars in a U.S. business that creates 10 jobs.

One brochure promoting the apartment towers said, "Invest $500,000 and immigrate to the United States."

Trump has called for a sharp overhaul of U.S. immigration laws, but his focus has been aimed at thwarting illegal migrants from crossing its southern border with Mexico with construction of a wall. In a funding measure Trump signed last week to keep the U.S. government running through the end of September, there is money for additional border security, but not the wall.

Funding for the investor visa program remains intact but congressional critics have attacked it in the past as rife with fraud, with investment money supposedly targeted at improving life in impoverished communities ending up instead being used to build projects in affluent neighborhoods.

One speaker at Saturday's event urged would-be investors to "invest early, and you will invest under the old rules," in case U.S. lawmakers change regulations with the visas.

The EB-5 visas have proved particularly popular among wealthy Chinese, who in 2014 accounted for nearly 90 percent of the 10,000 of the visas the U.S. approved that year, although its share dropped to about 75 percent last year. Some Chinese refer to the residency authorization as a "golden visa."

It was not immediately known whether any of the wealthy people who listened to the Kushner company pitch in Beijing decided to invest. Kushner officials are also making more presentations next weekend in the southern cities of Shenzhen and Guangzhou.
On Guadalahara Island, the inhabitants mine precious minerals to trade with other countries and travel using an ultra-fast and environmentally friendly solar-powered hyperloop.

Founded by Coulee Montessori adolescent students Brenner von Seht, Cater Peterson, Zander Thomas and Samuel Matty, the island is part of a months-long project where students create their own fictional island, develop a system of government, laws and foreign policy, and explore the connections between the islands natural resources such as minerals, atmosphere, water and plants and animals.

Guadalahara Island features powerful wastewater treatment facilities, imports its food from neighboring Mexico and exports tools made from the islands rich wealth of minerals. The students even designed a flag for the island and envisioned how the mines would allow the islands residents to create an underground colony to escape from things such as nasty tropical weather.

The project is a fun way and a good way to learn how people around you think and how to work together, Brenner said. We had to learn how to work in a group to make the island work.

The island project started in April and involves 35 students broken up into nine groups in Coulee Montessori teacher Nine Dodges classroom. Students in each group took on different roles in plotting their islands civic structure and environment, fulfilling goals in the students social sciences and science curriculum.

The project is content rich and lets the kids make a lot of the choices, Nine Dodge said. It also helps them build group-work skills and solve problems as the groups also had to tackle challenges such as their response to other nations attempts to annex their island or specific threats such as a mining incident or a volcanic eruption on their island.

I wanted them to be able to come up with creative solutions and ideas, Dodge said. We want their islands to be realistic but also unique.

Natalie Schroeder, a Coulee Montessori sixth-grade student, was working on gluing together the wire frame model of her groups Cocomo Island on Tuesday. Her spheres of expertise were the biosphere and the justice system of the island, which has a large coconut forest on its southern side, with prairies and field crops to the north.

Located in the middle of the Bermuda Triangle, the islands inhabitants are the survivors and their descendants of all the shipwrecks and planes lost in the cursed area of the Caribbean. Populated with parrots and wild boars and pigs, Natalie said she also had to come up with natural predators for the wildlife such as wolves.

She patterned the legal system of the island off of the U.S. she said, with common laws such as not to steal or to attack others. Because the group was randomly assigned, she said she had to learn how to work together with different viewpoints and meld them together to make the island work.

I really like the artistic aspect, she said as she wielded a hot glue gun on the model. I like to get my hands on these sorts of things.
In February 2016, Yoo Chang-geun and about 120 other South Korean businessmen frantically pulled their staff out of the Kaesong Industrial Zone, jointly run with North Korea. Seoul had ordered it closed after Pyongyang defied international warnings and tested a long-range rocket.

Now, with South Koreans in next weeks presidential election almost certain to elect liberal Moon Jae-in, they have reason for hope. Moon has promised to reopen the complex, the signature project of the so-called Sunshine Policy of engagement with North Korea pursued earlier this century.

We are more hopeful than ever, Yoo said. Moon might not be able to reopen Kaesong right away but he will follow steps toward it in the course of improving South-North Korean relations.

Trading sunshine for concessions

But reopening Kaesong could go against the spirit of U.N. sanctions to prevent money from going into North Koreas banned weapons programs, government officials and experts say.

And for Moon to justify a return to engagement, North Korea would first need to at least signal a concession, said Lim Eul-chul, a professor at Kyungnam University in South Korea.

Most importantly, not to make further provocation, like no more nuclear and missile tests. It can come out and show some kind of forward-looking stance, even if it is just words, Lim said.

North Korea hinted at further nuclear tests as recently as this week, saying it will bolster its nuclear force to the maximum and in a consecutive and successive way.

The isolated country has carried out five nuclear tests and a series of missile tests despite ever-tightening U.N. and other international sanctions. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has vowed to launch an intercontinental ballistic missile at any time that can strike the mainland United States with a nuclear weapon.

Wages to weapons

Born out of the first of only two summits between leaders of the two Koreas in 2000, the Kaesong project opened to much fanfare in 2004 as a model of commercial cooperation: capital would come from South Korea and cheap labor from the North.

But critics say hundreds of millions of dollars paid to North Korea over the years as wages for workers at Kaesong were used to fund the development of nuclear weapons and missiles.

North Korea had demanded that the wages be paid to the state and not directly to the workers.

Best path to peace

Jong Kun Choi, who advises the 64-year-old Moon on foreign policy, said the candidate believes better inter-Korean relations is the best way to provide security on the Korean peninsula.

Moon, the son of North Korean refugees who came to the South during the 1950-53 Korean War, would end nine years of conservative rule in Seoul if elected, a time when Pyongyang stepped up its nuclear and missile tests.

We want to be in the drivers seat. Driving would mean doing so very actively with the United States, and Pyongyang.

But he acknowledged the next administration would inherit some very bad circumstances that would make it difficult to simply revert to the engagement policies of previous liberal presidents Kim Dae-jung and Roh Moo-hyun, who served from 1998 to 2008.

How can we inject so-called Sunshine Policy into a situation that is so different to 10 years ago? Choi told Reuters.

Moon, a human rights lawyer who was a top aide to the late president Roh, has Washington worried his more moderate approach could undercut efforts to increase pressure and sanctions on Pyongyang, senior South Korean government officials said.

Moons election would also complicate the deployment of the Terminal High Altitude Area Defence (THAAD) system. He has repeatedly said the incoming administration should decide whether to deploy the anti-missile system and it should be ratified by parliament.

Wild card factor

A conservative president in Washington and a liberal president in Seoul may not necessarily be an incompatible mix, said John Delury at Seouls Yonsei University. Both Moon and Trump, for instance, have indicated they would be willing to meet with Kim Jong Un.

Theres the wild card factor, said Delury. It takes us back to one of Trumps first statements about North Korea where he said why dont we talk to the guy. He shares a premise there with South Korean liberals. Are these two guys really so out of joint?

North Koreas state media has been quiet about the candidacy of Moon, shielding him from the harsh invective usually reserved for conservative leaders in Seoul.

Rhetoric aside, Moon has said it will be practically impossible to renew dialogue with Pyongyang if it conducts another nuclear test.

Yoo, who employed 430 North Korean workers at a semiconductor parts manufacturing plant in Kaesong, said his revenue has halved since he was forced to leave the industrial zone last year.

A February survey conducted by the association of South Korean companies that operated in Kaesong showed that two-thirds were willing to go back to Kaesong.

We dont want to see our companies leaving for China and Vietnam. We want to go back to Kaesong, a symbol of South-North economic cooperation, Yoo said.

Yoo likened the two Koreas to a divorced couple, saying talks for resumption of the Kaesong project can be beginning for the divorced couple to get back together.
Heavy fighting is raging in northern Afghanistan where the Taliban insurgency has overrun several districts since launching its so-called yearly spring offensive more than a week ago.

The battlefield advances have again brought insurgents close enough to threaten Kunduz, the strategically important city the Taliban had briefly captured in 2015.

Officials told local media Sunday that Afghan forces were battling the insurgents in Charkhab area on the outskirts of the provincial capital.

The fighting has effectively blocked the main highway linking Kunduz to the conflict-hit Khan Abad district and to the northern Takhar province. Afghan security officials say army operations to reopen the highway are underway and have killed dozens of Taliban fighters.

On Saturday, the Taliban captured nearby Qala-e-Zal district after staging a multi-prong offensive on the area that borders the former Soviet Central Asian state of Tajikistan.

Afghan Defense Ministry spokesman Dawlat Waziri, however, insisted government forces staged a tactical withdrawal to protect civilians and surrounding areas. He claimed a counteroffensive to retake Qala-e-Zal is underway.

But a Taliban spokesman dismissed official claims Sunday, saying there was no fighting in the district, the insurgent group was in full control, and life is returning to normalcy there.

There are no casualty details available from either side.

US drone attack



Meanwhile, a U.S. drone attack in the eastern province of Nangarhar has killed at least 27 Islamic State militants and wounded 13 others. A provincial government spokesman, Attaullah Khogyani, told VOA on Sunday the strike occurred in the mountainous Achin district.

Fighting has also been raging for days in the northeastern Badkhashan province where Taliban insurgents are said to be consolidating their hold on the recently captured Zebak district and staging attacks on nearby districts.

Possible spillover effects of the Afghan conflict has been a cause of concern for neighboring Central Asian states because some of them are already struggling to tackle domestic Islamist extremists.

In a bid to allay those fears, the Taliban reiterated Sunday its combat mission is solely directed against Afghanistans foreign occupiers and their internal allies, an apparent reference to the U.S.-led NATO military mission and the Afghan government.

We have no intention of meddling in others affairs and nor will we allow others to interfere in our internal affairs, a statement quoted Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid as reassuring Afghanistans neighboring countries.

However, the liberation of our land from foreign occupation and the establishment of an Afghan-inclusive government is our natural right and we will continue our struggle until we have achieved this goal, Mujahid added.

Afghan authorities maintain militants from Central Asian states have been spotted in Taliban ranks in recent months while U.S. military commanders allege Russia is also arming the insurgents.

Moscow denies the charges as groundless and as an attempt by the U.S.-led military mission to place blame for failing to stabilize the war-shattered country.

Afghan Defense Ministry spokesman Waziri has also accused neighboring Pakistan of helping the Taliban, charges Islamabad rejects.

In its report for the first quarter of 2017, the U.S. Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction, or SIGAR noted the government controlled nearly 60 percent of 407 Afghan districts, but 11.1 percent or 45 districts were under insurgent control on influence.

The rest of the area is contested, the government watch dog said, quoting the U.S. military assessment prior to the Taliban spring offensive on April 28.
The medical charity Doctors Without Borders (MSF) is warning of a burgeoning cholera epidemic in Yemen.

"Two years into the war, the health care system has collapsed, hospitals are destroyed ... and government employees' salaries have not been paid," MSF spokesman Abou Chaar said Sunday.

Chaar said MSF doctors have treated more than 570 suspected cholera cases in the last three weeks.

A Yemeni nurse told the Al Jazeera News Agency her hospital in Sana'a has treated more than 200 cases.

The World Health Organization said in March the Yemeni health ministry reported more than 23,000 suspected cholera cases since October with 108 deaths.

A cholera epidemic would be another level of misery for Yemeni civilians who already are suffering from the effects of war, airstrikes, severe food shortages and a long strike by civil servants that has paralyzed government functions.

Cholera is caused by fecal-contaminated water and food. It is easily treatable but can be fatal if not treated quickly.

Iran-backed Houthi rebels control the capital, Sana'a, and other parts of the country.

A Saudi-led coalition is trying to push them out with ground forces and airstrikes that have obliterated entire civilian neighborhoods.
In this weeks episode of Doctor Who, Bill and her college peeps  Harry (Colin Ryan), Paul (Ben Presley, Galavant), Felicity (Alice Hewkin), Shireen (Mandeep Dhillon), and Pavel (Bart Suavek)  hunt for a place to live. The digs they check out are too pricey or too noisy or too cramped. Out of nowhere appears a strange old man (the always reliable David Suchet) offering them a place beyond their wildest dreams. If nothing else, Knock Knock might teach youngsters that if it looks too good to be true, it probably is. After the sextet sign a contract, Pavel moves in first and it doesnt take long for him to disappear into his room (damn near literally) after spinning a tune on his turntable.

In perhaps the episodes only smart gag, Bill enlists the Doctors help with moving. He materializes the TARDIS around her stack of boxes and rematerializes outside the creaky old house. Even the Doctor is impressed by its size, but he senses something in those creaks. Bill introduces the Doctor to her friends as her grandfather. (He begs, Father, at least. Please!) As the scenario progresses, Bill becomes more and more embarrassed by the Doctors presence, ultimately ushering him off the premises, and it was here where Knock Knock started losing me.

Its still early days for Bill as a TARDIS companion (at one point she mentions the creatures shes recently encountered), so its absurd that shed be embarrassed by him at this stage. Hes a time-traveling alien whos taken her to the far future and the distant past in a dimensionally transcendental police box! Hes given her a whole new life she never could have foreseen. How is he not the coolest guy shes ever met?! If shed been traveling with him for some years I might buy it, but not now, not yet.

The kids explore the house and move into their rooms. Paul has a crush on Bill, and after a couple of awkward encounters, she finally tells him shes into girls. In Pavels room, the LP continues to skip, but nobody ever knocks on his door to say hi or see whats up. Theres also a tower that they can see through the windows, but can find no way into. At night, as theyre all gathered in a common area they hear loud noises coming from a nearby cupboard. They move closer and closer and Bill opens it and  the Doctors inside, checking things out. Hes not going anywhere until he gets to the bottom of, well, what? Beyond his vested interest in looking out for Bill, its never made clear why the Doctor is so suspicious. He just is.

The house is horribly out-of-date, without many of the amenities that might be taken for granted elsewhere. Even the outlets dont fit modern devices. The Landlord unexpectedly shows up and promises to soon take care of the issues plaguing the house. With this second appearance, hes clearly not to be trusted, but only the Doctor senses it. As difficult as it can be for young folks to find housing, it is understandable that they want to believe in their new living situation, which seems almost ideal. (Minus the outlets.)

Once everyone retires for the night, all manner of weirdness begins. Screams come from jokester Pauls room. At first, Bill and Shireen think hes pranking, but then the howls become alarmingly horrific. The door is locked and they cant get in. Then knocks and creaks start coming from everywhere, and the pair find they cant even leave that area of the house. Doors are sealed, windows are gone. Downstairs, the Doctor, Felicity, and Harry discover the same: Exit doors are sealed shut, as are the shutters on the windows. Felicity just escapes through a window, but something involving a tree happens to her outside.

Bill and Shireen finally go into Pavels room, and what they find is horrific beyond thought: The young man has been grafted into the wall. Part of his face and hand stick out a la Han Solo frozen in carbonite. His eyes are glazed over white, and yet they somehow continue to move. This imagery is easily the high point of the episode. The Landlord shows up, lifts the needle off the skipping record, and Pavel melts entirely into the wall until hes no more.

The Doctor and Harry get their first look at a wood louse  and then hundreds swarm. In the cellar, the gents discover six boxes of peoples belongings and a contract identical to the one they all signed, dated 1997. A stack of Polaroids tells a story similar to the one Bill and her friends have endured this terrible night. More boxes off in the corner and yet another contract dated 1977 (along with a Bowie 45 of Heroes), and then yet another contract from 1957.

The Landlord appears again and tells the Doctor his story: His daughter Eliza (Mariah Gale) was seriously ill, then the creatures saved her and wed do anything to protect them. Harry runs, but the Landlord dings his little tuning fork and the woodlice rise up from the staircase and devour him in seconds. High-pitched sounds activate the creatures! Bill and Shireen make their way into the tower, where the daughter reveals herself  shes a woman seemingly made of wood, similar in appearance to a dryad of folklore and myth. (Its odd that the Doctor used that term before when talking about the lice, because heres the real deal.) The Doctor and the Landlord arrive, the former presumably having convinced the latter he can do something to help the daughter. The tuning fork is dinged again and Shireen is devoured.

Its a believable touch that the Doctor might forget how short the human lifespan is. Bill deduces that theres no way the Landlord can be this womans father, given how long this has been going on. He is her son. He tamed the lice who could keep his mother alive. After glimpsing the real world outside the window via a fireworks display, Eliza sacrifices herself and her son to the lice. In her death, she somehow also releases all five of Bills friends from their wooden tombs.

Heres a partial list of questions that account for the two stars I gave this episode: If Eliza could release Bills friends, why didnt she release the other 18 people whod succumbed to the witchery? Why was it always six at a time? How did the 20-year interval enter into the agreement with the lice? Why didnt the lice devour Eliza as they did everyone else they encountered? What exactly did they do to keep her alive? Why did the Landlord fess up to the Doctor in the cellar? Was he going senile? Why was the Landlord so hung up on the contracts? Why did the kids all sadly gawk at the collapsing house, seemingly unfazed that theyd been saved from this horrible fate? Were there no police investigations into each of these groups of people going missing simultaneously time and again? Even with the 20-year cycle, surely thered have been a dogged constable clued into these disappearances.

So far, this season has been light on explanations for alien menaces, but its all come to something of a head with Knock Knock. Is this all deliberate? Theres effective mood created here but little else, and this episode had a special sound mix created specifically for headphone listening. (Hopefully well get that here in the States on the Blu-ray.) That could conceivably help further the tension and atmosphere, but it will never overcome the glaring plot holes and weird inconsistencies in the script. Folks, we hit our first truly duff episode of the year. Theres at least one every season, but lets hope there arent too many more 

Odds and Ends

 Postscript with Nardole and the Doctor and the vault: Whoevers inside plays Fur Elise on the piano. Nardole is aghast that the Doctor has put a piano in the vault (You dont learn!). The Doctor talks through the door with a promise of Mexican food and a new story (the adventure hes just had) and once he says, Lots of young people get eaten, the piano inside happily plays Pop Goes the Weasel.

 The two pop tunes heard are Weird People and Black Magic by Little Mix.

 Bill has seen the Doctors bedroom, he tells her hes a Time Lord (which she finds terribly amusing), and he brings up regeneration, but just as quickly skirts the issue.

 The line sleep is for tortoises was first uttered by Tom Baker in The Talons of Weng-Chiang.

 Harry was supposed to be the grandson of 70s companion Harry Sullivan, but it was removed from the final cut.



 When the Doctor quizzes the Landlord about the current prime minister, he mentions Harriet Jones.

 The Doctor played bass on a Quincy Jones recording.
Theres been some debate over whether The Handmaids Tale is specifically feminist or if its intentions lie more broadly as a human story, and thanks to Saturday Night Lives take on the Hulu original, we finally have our answer: The dudes are afflicted too. Like, sure, women becoming the property of men had slipped their minds for a sec (works been crazy), but once they remember whats up, theyre bummed! After all, the girl squads in their lives have become total flakes, and, what, are they gonna play tipsy Putt-Putt without them? Wellllll, since they already missed that protest several years back, couldnt hurt.
Stephen Fry. Photo: Eamonn M. McCormack/Getty Images for National Geographic

Stephen Fry is being investigated for allegedly committing blasphemy, according to a report by the Irish Independent. The allegations stem from comments Fry made about the concept of gods on The Meaning of Life, a show airing on Irelands state broadcaster, RTE, in 2015. Answering a question about what he would say upon meeting God in heaven, Fry said, The god who created this universe, if it was created by god, is quite clearly a maniac, an utter maniac, totally selfish. We have to spend our lives on our knees thanking him. What kind of god would do that? Per the Irish Independent, an unidentified member of the public made a complaint at the time, arguing that Frys speech constituted criminal blasphemy. I told the Garda that I did not want to include this as I had not personally been offended by Frys comments  I added that I simply believed that the comments made by Fry on RTE were criminal blasphemy and that I was doing my civic duty by reporting a crime, he explained. After hearing nothing about his complaint, the man followed up with the police, who then took his statement and now say they have launched an investigation.

Frys prosecution is unlikely, given that there have been no cases of blasphemy brought to the courts since the laws enactment in 2010. If eventually convicted, Fry would at maximum face a 25,000 fine.
The Humane Society of Central Texas will have its annual Bag Lady Luncheon from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Thursday in the Brazos Room at the Waco Convention Center, 100 Washington Ave.

Attendees will have the opportunity to browse and bid on more than one hundred donated designer handbags in silent and verbal auctions.

The fundraiser will include a lunch catered by Sironia, with drinks being served by members of the Waco Fire Department.

Cost is $50, or $400 for a table for eight people. All proceeds benefit the dogs and cats of the Humane Society of Central Texas.

Tickets must be purchased by Monday. To purchase, visit http://bit.ly/2pb35Oj.

For more information, call 754-1454.

Youth job training

Mission Waco is conducting registration for its youth job training and experience program for lower-income teens and young adults, ages 16-24.

The program is available to in-school and out-of-school participants.

Classes will be held in late May, June and early July. There is no fee for the program. Applicants can register from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays at the Mission Waco office, 1315 N. 15th St.

For more information, call 753-4900 or email aestelle@missionwaco.org or cwillis@missionwaco.org.

CTX Choral Society

Central Texas Choral Society will present music by Beethoven at 7:30 p.m. Monday at Woodway First United Methodist Church, 21000 Woodway Drive.

The choir will perform Beethovens Mass in C Major and Choral Fantasy.

Tickets cost $10 and can be purchased at the door or at www.centraltexaschoral society.org.

Free legal clinic

Greater Waco Legal Services will have a free legal advice clinic for low-income residents from 6 to 8 p.m. Monday at Dewey Community Center, 925 N. Ninth St.

Participants receive a free 20- to 30-minute consultation with a lawyer.

Appointments are not required but are strongly recommended.

To schedule an appointment, call 733-2828 or email greaterwacolegalservices@gmail.com.

Rotary Club meeting

The Rotary Club of Waco will meet at noon Monday at the Lions Den, 1716 N. 42nd St.

Matthew Polk, director of Prosper Waco, will provide an update about the organization and its efforts.

Cost is $10 for a catered lunch.

For more information, call 776-2115.

Jefferson-Moore reunion

The Jefferson-Moore class of 1976 will have a class reunion June 16-17.

The deadline to register for the reunion is June 2.

For more information, interested alumni, friends and teachers can email JMHS.Lions.Class.of.76@gmail.com.
Waco investment banker Jim Holmes won election to his District 5 seat, besting challenger Deanna Leach, a craniosacral therapist, 913 votes to 439.

The Waco City Council appointed Holmes to fill the District 5 seat last summer after its previous holder, Kyle Deaver, became Waco mayor.

Holmes, 60, said he was encouraged with voter turnout in the election, his first, and praised the work of his advisory team.

I want to thank all the voters of District 5 who turned out, and I want to thank my advisory team, which had people from across the political spectrum, he said Saturday night.

The returning city council member said he feels that his business background and experience were key factors in his election, particularly given the outlook of the present mayor and city council.

I think we have a business-minded, progressive council right now, he said, pointing out the councils focus on basic concerns, including infrastructure, development and police and fire protection.

The proposed replacement of the citys regional landfill adjacent to the existing landfill proved one of the contentious issues in District 5, which includes parts of West Waco, China Spring and the Highway 84 corridor. Both candidates found themselves on the same side of that issue  namely, that the city needs to consider alternatives to the proposed location. They also agreed on other subjects that came up during the election.

Holmes, in fact, encouraged his opponent to keep active in city issues.

She ran a great campaign, and I hope she stays involved with the city, he said. She has some cool ideas.

Leach, a first-time candidate like Holmes, agreed and found plenty of encouragement in the election results.

One of the reasons I got into this race is I feel we need contested races in this city, Leach said. More women need to be running. Thirty-three percent is a good showing. . . . Im humbled and pleased by the people who voted for me.

Leach said she and Holmes had shared the opinion that no matter who won the council seat, the other person should become involved in city committees or boards. That, she said, she plans to do.

Holmes noted that voters on Saturday also approved a $34 million expansion and improvement of the Extraco Events Center, which happens to be located in his district.

Its been a big day in District 5, he said.
Cadet Company Cmdr. Adriana Medina of La Vega High School (right) was presented with a medal, ribbon and $100 stipend for leadership and military achievement at the Navy Junior ROTC annual awards ceremony. She is receiving the awards from retired Air Force Col. Bobby Sammon, a Vietnam War veteran from Waco, who is on the board of directors of the Military Officers Association  Heart of Texas.
When Darmesha Hamilton-Walker, a Waco High School ninth-grader, stepped off her school bus and into Parkdale Elementary School for the first time, she was almost too nervous to go in.

With new friends and a new school, she said she didnt know if she would fit in. It wasnt because she was the new student on campus, but the side of town where she lived, she said.

As a fifth-grader, she was switching from J.H. Hines Elementary, an under-performing school that is also one of the most-segregated schools in the district, to Parkdale, which has a stronger reputation for academic success and a racial makeup closer to the district as a whole. The experience kept her on her toes, but it has also changed her future, Darmesha said.

I made a lot of friends, and I enjoyed myself at Parkdale, she said. I even learned how to multiply better. At J.H. Hines, I wasnt getting what they were saying and I couldnt understand it. When my momma put me in Parkdale, they actually broke it down and showed me better ways and quicker ways to solve the problems.

In 2012, Waco Independent School District trustees voted to start a busing program that would allow parents who live in the Estella Maxey public housing complex in East Waco to send their kids to higher-performing schools to better meet their academic needs. The complex is in the J.H. Hines attendance zone. The district added the program as it was redrawing attendance zones, and Darmesha and her sister Marianna Hamilton-Walker were some of the first students to join.

But interest in the program has since been on the decline, possibly because of a lack of communication and awareness, Estella Maxey residents said.

The neighborhood schools near Estella Maxey, one of Wacos lowest-income areas, have been on the states improvement required list for multiple years. J.H. Hines has failed state standards five years in a row and could be facing closure if it doesnt pass ratings this year.

It feeds into G.W. Carver Middle School, which has failed ratings four years in a row, and then to Waco High School, which was on the list for one year but came off last year, Texas Education Agency records show.

More than half of students at all three schools receive free or reduced-price lunches. J.H. Hines student population is almost 78 percent black, compared to 30 percent district wide, and G.W. Carvers student population is 56 percent black, according to district records.

The bus program started with more than 100 students going to more academically successful elementary schools, including Mountainview, Crestview, Parkdale, Kendrick, Hillcrest, Provident Heights and Lake Waco Montessori School, at no cost to the families. Students who participate also stick with their peers at the chosen school when they move up to the junior high and high school levels.

But each year since it started, students have stopped opting into the program, said Rick Hartley, an area superintendent who oversees the program. Students typically hear about the option through word-of-mouth, Hartley said.

Participation was down to about 70 elementary students in 2014-15 and about 50 elementary students this year. The estimated cost is about $71,286 per year, or $260 per day, down from more than $100,000 before the district changed vendors two years ago, Hartley said.

Not close to home

One of the reasons weve seen a decrease in numbers is because its still not close to home. Some parents, they dont want to have to drive across town if the child gets ill or they might have difficulties getting across town if the child gets ill, Hartley said. Parent nights, parent meetings, its more of a challenge to attend if they dont have available transportation. Weve had some parents choose to stay at their home school.

Another reason could be optimism for J.H. Hines and the schools it feeds into, he said. School and community leaders have started doing a lot to support the schools, and all three schools in the feeder pattern have shown improvement in some areas of state assessments within the last year.

But the issue isnt that parents may think its too difficult to send their children across town, Restoration Haven board president Shirley Langston said. Its the fact that, up until last week, she didnt even know the Estella Maxey program still existed, she said.

Langston started Restoration Haven to help at-risk communities, including Estella Maxey, grow into places of refuge and safety instead. Because her organization supports students, offers an after-school program and operates out of an apartment in the complex, Langston became an advocate to help spread the word about the program when it first started, she said.

But Langston said it has been a few years since she has even heard from the district. She also acknowledged her own lack of effort on the topic to pick up the phone or ask someone with the district whether it was still offered.

Its like communication is always a problem, Langston said. I dont know why, but its just like we dont get things communicated well in Waco. . . . To wait for parents to hear by word of mouth?

Im going to be honest with you, parents in this community dont talk about education. Im sorry, but they talk about, How am I going to pay my rent? How am I going to get my kids something to eat? How am I going to get them some shoes? Im being realistic.

However, Hartley said he communicates with Langston and Estella Maxey complex managers two or three times a year about the program, including this school year. He wasnt sure why Langston thought the program had ended, but he reached out to Langston on Wednesday to resolve the issue. Officials with J.H. Hines wanted to wait to comment about the bus service because state testing was about to be underway, Waco ISD spokesperson Bruce Gietzen said.

Langston said itll take more than a phone call though, and felt like Estella Maxey made headway when the district first approached her with the idea. At the time, Estella Maxey and two other complexes were feeding students into J.H. Hines, she said. But there were more discipline referrals occurring than actual lessons in the classrooms, she said.

Langston said some of her work with school officials has slowed over the years, possibly because of negative perceptions of East Waco residents.

The stigma most of the time is low income, people who live in poverty, people who are lazy and people who dont want anything out of life, Langston said. But everybody in this community is not like that. Thats why Im here. . . . To break that stigma, going to another school of choice, by performing and doing well so other people can say, They came from East Waco, but look at them, theyre doing well. . . . Thats very important.

That stigma reared its ugly head when residents and board members initially debated whether the program would unintentionally label students as less than they are worth, Langston and Hartley both recalled.

But integration is a proven method to raise students who are academically successful, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. Achievement gaps for black students were at their narrowest in 1988, when schools were most integrated, according to the website.

While Waco ISD hasnt analyzed overall academic success of a core group of students who have been part of bus service, state test scores for a group of the students improved between their third- and fourth-grade years. Fourth grade is the first critical benchmark exam for state testing in Texas.

And Marianna and Darmesha have learned more than they thought they ever would, from the moment their mother, Tomechia Hamilton, chose to put them on the bus, they said.

My grades improved

On my first day at Parkdale, I was kind of nervous, but Im a person thats not shy, said Marianna, now a Tennyson Middle School eighth-grader. And my grades improved a lot. I used to have Bs and Cs, now Im A-B honor roll and I havent made one C this year.

The environmental difference between the two elementary schools was drastic, the girls said. Since transferring, they have been able to get more one-on-one teaching, and for Marianna, who said she had some behavioral issues of her own, the change allowed her to settle down and focus. Both have been part of Langstons after-school program for several years, they said.

Marianna and Darmesha have always had the potential, but Darmesha kind of said it. When youre in an environment where theres a lot going on, with teachers constantly working with disciplinary problems, you dont get to learn, Langston said. The teachers are focused more on the kids who are not trying to learn than the kids who are trying to learn. When they went to Parkdale and Tennyson, I noticed Marianna really try to start being a better student and reaching way deep on the inside of her to make the better choices and make the better grades.

Both girls said even their higher-education dreams have changed because of the Estella Maxey bus program. Marianna found her talent in theater arts at one of her new schools and now wants to be an actor and attend Howard University in Washington, D.C., she said.

And Darmesha, who joined a JROTC program, wants to become part of the U.S. Air Force or go to Tarleton State University or Texas A&M University, she said.

The girls wont stop riding anytime soon, they said. And though the number of students who ride with them has trickled off, they said they want more Estella Maxey residents to know what kind of change can happen if they ride the bus.

And more importantly, they wanted to thank district officials for the opportunity to overcome their circumstances, the girls said.

You have benefited us. You have brought joy to my life because now I can better my education, Darmesha said.

Thank you

Thank you for coming over here, Marianna added. They dont have to do that. I realized this year that in sixth or seventh grade I wasnt really worried about (school), but this year I was like, Wow, Im really doing good. If I would have stayed in a community and went to Carver or something, I wouldnt act the way I act today.

Since Wednesday, Hartley and Langston have been pulling together marketing materials for the Estella Maxey community to set a date for an informational community meeting about the program, including a new map that highlights the districts feeder system and shows the programs bus route, they said. Theyre hoping to do something before next school year, Langston said.

In the meantime, Langston hopes the sisters will serve as role models of what can happen when people push for change, she said. Estella Maxey has about 200 children who are 5 years old right now, and the power of community change is more important than ever as new parents consider what educational options they have in front of them, she said.

What do we do if our kids are not learning? We dont leave them in a system thats not learning, Langston said. We try to get them out where they can learn, but you cant do that if you dont know about it. People have to come to this community. These people are so isolated, and I dont know if its this fear factor of (whether) something bad is going to happen to me, or whatever, but thats not true.
What started as a simple act of volunteerism last summer to help J.H. Hines Elementary School students with reading has turned into an unexpected, year-long partnership between Waco ISDs struggling elementary campus and one of the citys Christian-based private schools.

Since about November, Live Oak Classical School high school students have spent an hour nearly every Tuesday afternoon helping about 30 J.H. Hines students develop math and science skills to pass the State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness.

The help has been invaluable, considering the school is one of two Waco ISD campuses that has been on the states improvement-required list for five years in a row when it comes to academic accountability, said Robin Newman, a family and campus social worker at J.H. Hines. State law could force the school to close by 2018-19 if ratings dont improve.

The campus has a student population thats 78 percent black, compared to 30 percent districtwide, and more than half of J.H. Hines 500-plus students receive free or reduced-price lunch.

The excitement of learning has increased overall this year, especially with that one-on-one attention, Newman said. I just think skill level overall, especially in math, seems to have improved. . . . When they see their buddy or their tutor, they get excited, even the older ones you wouldnt expect, and it works both ways.

The tutors know the same music the children know, can speak the same language and just connect with the kids on a level adults on campus struggle to, she said.

And the efforts seem to be working, Newman said. Shes not only seen students take to the high-schoolers like a sponge, but she said students already have improved STAAR scores in the first round of tests this spring. She hopes the trend will continue as they prepare for more tests next week, but overall preliminary ratings wont be released until late this summer.

One of the best things to come out of this partnership is making a connection between our two communities, Live Oak senior Amber Rhodes said. Normally, I wouldnt see the people in this area and I wouldnt talk to them, but through this experience Ive been able to make connections with the kids and Ive really enjoyed that.

Live Oaks efforts started in February 2016 through a mentoring program when Live Oak parent Debbie Wallace was paired with a fifth-grade student, saw further needs and began discussing ways to connect Live Oak and J.H. Hines in other ways.

By May and April 2016, several Live Oak eighth- through 11th-grade students were reading and playing with about 20 J.H. Hines students as they waited to be walked home from school. That interaction evolved into a weekly event led by Newman.

As school ended that year, Newman and another social worker mentioned they were looking for students willing to spend time one day a week during the summer with students in the Estella Maxey public housing complex. Waco ISD provides a daily lunch for children in the community, and Wallace said she, Newman, Live Oak students and parents would rest under trees at a nearby spray park to read.

We corresponded it with WISDs Meals on the Bus. They would stop, the kids would go eat on the bus and then come out to play, Wallace said. We would spread out blankets, clean up all the trash and just read these books. One bag was hardcover books, and another was softcover books the kids could take home if they wanted to, and the kids were thrilled. They were absolutely thrilled to just sit in our laps, sit beside us and just hang out. They loved the attention, just reading, reading and reading.

When school started again in August, Newman mentioned J.H. Hines students were in need of school supplies and uniforms, and Live Oak students rose to the occasion by holding a school supply drive and eventually used a homecoming contest to raise $400 for uniforms.

In October, the campus hosted a Spooky Math and Science night, where teachers operated activity stations for J.H. Hines students with the help of Live Oak high school students. And the partnership has been rolling ever since.

Math is probably my most natural subject in school, and I just really like explaining it to people, Rhodes said. I felt the need to help the kids see things more clearly. Some of my favorite parts of doing this is seeing the kids understand something they didnt before, even if its something really simple. Its nice to see youre making a difference.

The first few times the high school students came to tutor, the elementary students ran up to Rhodes and others eager to please and eager to learn what they knew, Live Oak math teacher Meg Bierwirth said. Tuesdays are also chapel days for Live Oak, so the tutors arrive in coats and ties and formal school attire, often leading to questions about what life is like at a private school compared to J.H. Hines, Bierwirth said.

Bonds have formed

Ive been pleasantly surprised at how quick our bonds have formed when weve showed up and the kids pick somebody out, and they remember and go, Wheres my girl?  Wallace said. Or Id go sometimes, and theyd ask, Wheres that girl who has hair like this? I cant remember her name, but I want her back. I thought it would take a little longer, but it was almost immediate.

Community outreach isnt unfamiliar to the campus, and its something J.H. Hines and other struggling campuses need more of, Newman said.

In the past year alone, J.H. Hines has received community support through transformational committees, churches, retired teachers and other volunteers. Students also come from Rapoport Academy, a local public charter school, to help kindergarten students, too, Newman said. That same kind of community support is what helped South Waco Elementary, a campus facing similar issues, get off the improvement required list last year for the first time in three years.

Its pretty amazing to get some of our characters to do math for an hour, especially the ones that dont like math. Thats huge, Newman said. An hour of math, one-on-one is pretty amazing. That one-on-one and the fact that theyre not with a teacher, and somebody who is closer to their peer group, makes all the difference in the world.

Wallace said the new partnership wont stop this year. Shes pushing to grow the summer reading times at the park to twice a week this year and hopefully continue helping next school year as well, she said.

Even as we start to act out as servants and go over to tutor, to help or whatever, I see so much blessing that we get, said Wallace, who has four children at the school. I know my kids have been impacted. They see the fighting spirit in the students at Hines. Maybe they had preconceived notions of what it would be like, but they see theres a lot of similarities in the humanity for all of us. I think thats encouraging to them to not be afraid to try new things and build bridges.
AUSTIN  Texas landowners opposed to a high-speed train line between Dallas and Houston took to the Capitol on Thursday and early Friday to warn lawmakers that the project would ruin rural lifestyles and prevent growth in the counties between the two cities.

The specter of high-speed rail is like a dark cloud over us, Becky Scasta, who has a farmhouse in Ellis County, testified at a Texas House Transportation Committee hearing on four bullet train bills. It makes us think twice about doing something to our land or home.

The dark cloud is the multibillion-dollar project Texas Central has been developing for several years  a 240-mile bullet train line that promises to shuttle passengers between between downtown Dallas and northwest Houston in 90 minutes on train cars that travel 205 mph.

The company promises to get the $12 billion project done without taking public dollars other than through loans. Though the company has drawn support from investors, federal officials and officials representing the cities at each end of its route, the project has drawn intense opposition from some of the communities in between.

During the last legislative session in 2015, lawmakers opposed to the project tried unsuccessfully to strip the company of its eminent domain authority or block state agencies from helping developers of the project, either of which would have killed the project, firm officials said at the time.

The four bills before the House Transportation Committee represented some of opponents latest efforts to stop the project in its track. But project supporters and Texas Central Partners executives told the committee that some of the bills were unusually anti-free market for Republican-backed legislation in Texas.

 A better business environment than Texas is not a phrase that Im used to saying, but thats what this bill contemplates, and its not how we do things here, Texas Rail Advocates executive director Chris Lippincott said about House Bill 2104.

That legislation would require any private companies building high-speed rail lines to file a bond that would cover the cost of reverting all land bought for the project back to its previous use if train service ever stops. Texas Central leaders said such a requirement would be so costly that it would deter potential investors from putting money into the rail line.

The project would never get built, Texas Central president Tim Keith said.

The bills debated last week were left pending in the House transportation committee. They are among more than 20 pieces of legislation filed by 10 lawmakers in both chambers aimed at the project.

But with just a few weeks left in the session, no bill that could fatally disrupt ongoing development of the rail line has passed either chamber. And legislators so far have had little traction with bills or maneuvers that would prohibit the company from using eminent domain to acquire land needed for the project.

Texas Central executives and elected officials say that connecting two of the regions fueling Texas jobs and population growth with a landmark transportation project will spur more economic development and activity. But between those two cities are thousands of parcels of Texas land, much of which is owned by ranchers and farmers who believe a rail line will only bisect their properties and ruin their rural way of life. Bullet train supporters and opponents have argued for months over whether Texas Central has such a right to force landowners to sell it the land needed to place train tracks.

The company also vows that its project will help increase tax revenue for scores of cities, counties and school districts along the route. But the libertarian Reason Foundation predicted earlier this year that Texas Central would leave taxpayers on the hook for billions of dollars because the project wont be profitable. Opponents and some lawmakers have pointed to that study as a warning sign about how the project will turn out.

The company has argued that the foundation used flawed methodology, calling the TxDOT data it relied upon outdated. Texas Central officials say they have spent millions on research that shows there is future passenger demand not reflected in the Reason study.

Backstop or obstacle?

House Bill 2167 would prevent the state from spending any money on a privately owned high-speed rail project until it secured an interest in or lien on the operating companys property or other assets.

I call this the Put Texas First bill, said state Rep. Leighton Schubert, R-Brenham, who wrote the legislation.

Project supporters said that bill would also dissuade potential investors from contributing to the project. Theresa Rodriguez, president of the Bay Area Houston Transportation Partnership, said the bill makes it sound like the state intends to eventually take over the project.

Which makes it seem like more of an obstacle to investment than an invitation to investment, she testified.

That didnt sway opponents like Ronnie Caldwell, an Ellis County landowner who said the project would run right through property he owns.

If its not going to fail in their eyes, I dont see why they would object to this bill, he said.

Another bill before the House committee, House Bill 2163, would require that the bullet train tracks running through Dallas, Ellis, Waller and Harris counties be built on columns that are 40 feet high. Much of the rural opposition is rooted in fears that the train tracks will divide existing properties and form a barrier restricting the movements of people, livestock and other animals. They also say it will restrict development spilling over from the states major metro areas.

The best way to protect growth and development in that area is for this train to be elevated on pylons on a viaduct, said the bills author, state Rep. John Wray, R-Waxahachie.

Company officials said they cant yet commit to building the track at 40 feet for such long distances because the project is still going through environmental review. But Keith said 60 percent of the tracks will be on viaducts. And he told Wray that expected population growth is a factor when the company considers where to raise the tracks on viaducts instead of earthen berms.

One tweak to state law pushed by opponents of the project is not currently drawing Texas Centrals opposition. House Bill 2172 would prevent legislators from spending state funds to plan, build, maintain or operate a privately owned high-speed rail line. That is the companion legislation to Senate Bill 977, which the upper chamber passed last month. Both bills have wording similar to a provision in the Senates proposed budget.

As weve repeatedly stated, this is being built without state money, Keith said. The bill is consistent with our plan of finance.
Tehuacanas Claude Monk was 20 years old when he arrived in England with the U.S. Army Air Corps during World War II, ready for missions as part of the 445th Bomb Group, 700th Squadron. Serving as the radio operator, Monks team as he calls it, became tight-knit during its time together. The 700th spent the winter of 1943 and spring of 1944 in the UK.

The crew shared a quonset hut, a temporary housing unit, with another crew. The building was heated by a potbelly stove, and the bathroom was outside. At first, almost everything seemed tough.

Youre dealing with moving to different parts of the world, Monk said. Its like leaving home again. You learn to adjust to situations. And, as he had all his life, he persevered through it all.

The teams objective was to make bombing runs over France and Germany. Monk interpreted messages sent in Morse code and transmitted information to the team. There were tactical targets, such as oil tanks, railcars, and anything having to do with munitions  anything that could benefit the German war effort.

Flying in formation with other planes of the 700th Squadron  and sometimes other squadrons as well  they would travel together, almost wing tip to wing tip. The entire group would move back and forth to avoid enemies targeting them. Sometimes the flights could be long; leaving at 5 or 6 in the morning, they would take off and sometimes fly for as long as 12 hours.

I was scared every time, said Monk. We were probably praying more than we let on.

Operating from lofty heights

The B-24 Liberator plane they flew could cruise at 20,000 feet. From that vantage point, there wasnt much to see when they dropped bombs. But they could certainly see the incoming anti-aircraft fire. Monk, whose job it was to open the bomb-bay doors, once had a scare due to a miscommunication. During the course, some bombs had become loose. The engineer had to get up on the catwalk to manually release the pins.

They took their share of flak from enemy guns, but other than some holes in the plane  and a case of frostbite for two crew members  those in the 700th Squadron always made it back unscathed. There would be quick repairs made, then they were back in action.

Brush with Hollywood

Besides coming back safely, one of Monks memories is among his favorites. He met Jimmy Stewart, who was

the leader of Squadron 703. As such, Monk and the crew flew eight missions alongside Stewarts group.

Another interesting time was observing barrage balloons hoisted in the air by a winch used by the Americans and other allies to ward off low-level attacks and sometimes bring a plane down with steel cables. There were hundreds of them, Monk said.

His worst memories are of waiting for those who never came back. Many times, men he knew didnt return.

Many were shot down. Crews would die or become prisoners of war, Monk said. His brother-in-law was a POW. Some would parachute out, where the French underground would try to reach them before the Axis did. You had close calls for all your people, he said.

In all, Monk flew 30 missions and served about seven months in the skies over Europe, earning several medals, including the Distinguished Flying Cross awarded to those who distinguished themselves in support of operations  by heroism or extraordinary achievement while participating in an aerial flight.

Discharged in 1945 as a technical sergeant, he returned to Mexia and eventually enrolled in Southwest Texas State Teachers College in San Marcos, where he earned a bachelors degree in agriculture. He had planned to teach, but got a call from the USDA Soil & Conservation District. He was sent around the state to advise farmers and ranchers. When he retired in 1979, he moved to Tehuacana.

Monk and his wife, Mildred, have been together for 18 years. They will celebrate their anniversary this month, as well as his 94th birthday.

Monk is the last surviving member of his crew. In addition to his many volunteer activities over the years, he serves with the local Limestone-Falls County Soil & Water Conservation District and attends reunions of the orphanage where he grew up.

Even though life has handed him some tough blows, Monk has made it through still smiling. His secret to staying strong is simple: he follows the Golden Rule. Giving back is what made the difference, he said. I think Gods in control. I get strength from God.
New French president Emmanuel Macron. Credit:MICHEL SPINGLER That Macron should be elected would have seemed barely plausible a year earlier when he launched his independent political movement, En Marche! Though clearly talented and ambitious, Macron had been in the public eye for less than two years at that point and had never sought elected office. Former Prime Minister Alain Juppe was favourite to replace Francois Hollande as head of state. Former President Nicolas Sarkozy was also targeting a return to the Elysee Palace. If they failed, Hollande himself might manage to retain the job. And if not, Prime Minister Manuel Valls was next in line. Macron's name was a long way down the list. "It's easy to forget how it was," said Sylvie Goulard, a European lawmaker who got to know Macron when he visited Brussels as economy minister. "Macron's candidacy seemed far from obvious to most people."

Turning those perceptions around over the past year has involved relentless campaigning, high-risk manoeuvres that raised eyebrows among many political insiders and at least one large slice of luck. Going it alone Macron's run to the Elysee Palace started just over a year ago when he founded his political movement, refusing the traditional definitions of left and right. Though its name gave no clue to its political colour, it was a statement of intent all the same: "On The Move!" He was still economy minister in the Socialist Hollande administration then, though he was increasingly out of step with the rest of the government, pushing for more reforms to free up the French economy and action to help the isolated communities on the outskirts of major cities that had become a breeding ground for terrorists. The initial foray was cautious. Macron said only that he aimed to bridge the partisan divides that have stymied reform as he set out across the country speaking to voters.

The gossip in Paris speculated on what, exactly, he was up to. Hollande in the meantime indulged his younger friend, whose campaign was increasingly at odds with his position as minister. His resignation from the government in late August confirmed suspicions that he was indeed planning a long-shot bid for the presidency, though he held off from a formal announcement. Meanwhile France's establishment parties proposed candidates that appealed to their bases during primary season. Centre ground Instead of the moderate Juppe, the Republicans picked former Prime Minister Francois Fillon and his promise of a Thatcherite revolution. The Socialists nominated Benoit Hamon, a left wing dissident who was fired from the Hollande government. A political space was opening up in the centre.

"I've seen the vacuity of our political system from the inside, with its obsolete rules and its clannish rites," Macron said as he announced his candidacy on November 16. "The challenge for me is not to unite the left or the right but to unite the French." He was polling around 10 percent at that point, barely a third of the support of the front-runners. Then Fillon ran into trouble. A newspaper reported in late January that he'd funnelled roughly 1 million euros ($AU1.48 million) of public money into his family's coffers through a series of fake jobs. Fillon denies wrongdoing, though prosecutors opened an inquiry. Though Fillon's campaign staggered on, Macron was now the front-runner.

While everyone around Macron acknowledges his good fortune, they also insist that his analysis of France's sclerotic politics was what made his bid both necessary and successful. "Emmanuel Macron's diagnosis was clear," his campaign chief Richard Ferrrand said. "He saw the need for a new political choice, a re-composition and renewal of the scene. People said to us it couldn't happen but it could, and this analysis is the reason." Remembering the wars But it wasn't just analysis. After confronting Le Pen's supporters in Amiens, his hometown, he then had to face their candidate in a head-to-head television debate four days before the runoff. Seeking to turn around a 20-point deficit in the polls, the animosity of Le Pen's broadsides was unprecedented in French presidential politics. She portrayed him as a capitalist elitist and a friend to terrorists, who would shut down factories, schools and hospitals.
My dad arguably had as much experience and knowledge of bulls as anyone. He was a veterinarian with a Ph.D. in bull reproductive physiology. Employed by an artificial insemination company, together with colleagues, he was responsible for the health care of more than 800 bulls.

It was a Sunday morning years ago, and my dad was on call. He was examining a yearling bull with a case of pneumonia The bull was a new arrival at the bull stud and was housed with five or six others in an isolation barn for a period of time before joining the general bull population. The yearlings were 900 to 1,000 pounds each. My dad was there alone.

Dad was proceeding with a physical exam of the sick bull. He noticed a head posture and eye contact from one of the other young bulls that made him uncomfortable. He had decided to get out of the pen when that other bull abruptly came after him and knocked him down. My dad said the next thing he can remember was the bull had him down in the corner of the pen. When he was still, the bull left him alone. When he tried to get up, the bull would pin him down in the corner again. Dad said it was a few minutes that seemed like an eternity.

Finally, my dad was able to get over the fence to safety. Bruised ribs and a sore shoulder, but he had survived what could have easily been a fatal encounter with a bull.

A farm with a bull is a much more dangerous place than a bull stud. At the bull stud, everything is made with handler safety in mind. On the farm, little if anything is designed with farmer safety in mind. On a farm, the bull is often in a pen at the back of the barn or out in the cow yard with a couple 14-gauge strands of electric fence wire separating him from the farmer. In other words, a catastrophe is often waiting to happen.

Nobody knows for sure why a bull is friendly for three years and the next day attacks and kills the person who has cared for him. Instinct, protection of his cow, or lack of a fear of humans probably all play a part. Whatever turns the attack switch on in the bulls head allows the farmer virtually no time to react.

I notice in reviewing bull attack stories that the victims are often older than 60, like me. Perhaps diminishing physical ability of a farmer to react may be part of the victim profile. Perhaps many years of experience without a bull incident allows one to drop his or her guard.

Since 2000, bulls have killed 19 farmers in Wisconsin, according to UW-Madison ag safety experts. I dont know of any record of close calls between farmers and bulls. On our dairy, at startup, we had two life-threatening incidents with different bulls. One was resolved by the quick actions of our border collie. The other was resolved with a bullet. There are no mature bulls working on our farm anymore.

Still, in 2017, with all the economic advantages of artificial insemination, roughly one third of all beef and dairy calvings are from natural service. Thats a lot of bulls. Dairy bulls account for more of the attacks, but much of that might be attributed to more daily farmer/bull interaction.

What bothered my dad the most werent the injuries or the dangerous experience; it was that he allowed himself to be in a situation at such risk. When I was 10 years old, my father instilled in me, You need to always be smarter than the bull. He had given the bull a window of opportunity and the bull took advantage of it.

Never, ever trust a bull.
President Donald Trump has the lowest poll standing of any new president at the 100-day mark, while his core supporters are holding firm.

Is this cause for optimism for Trump and his fans? Or for concern? Obviously it'll depend on how the next 100 and 1,000 days play out. But after talking to some of the best pollsters and analysing the surveys, I think the White House should be worried.

At this juncture in a presidency, public support is usually high. Presidents get honeymoons, tend to score some policy victories and get the chance to show off an appealing family or a good sense of humour to win over a few sceptics. Wit won't work for Trump; he's incapable of the self-deprecating humour deployed by presidents from John F. Kennedy to Ronald Reagan to Barack Obama.

Many voters don't like Trump personally or favour his policies. And the opposition may be more passionate than his base supporters.
By Bill Hughes May. 06, 2017 | 05:12 PM | PADUCAH, KY

Major media outlets have been publishing articles over the last 48 hours indicating that all Gander Mountain stores will close, but their new owner is disputing that on social media.To be clear, on their website, Gander Mountain says all 126 locations are closing and inventory liquidation sales have begun. They also say gift cards will be accepted through May 18. Paducah's store certainly reflects that statement with the banner above their entrance.In March, Gander Mountain filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, and just this week, Gander Mountain and Overtons were acquired by Camping World Holdings, Inc., and that's where the story starts to change.Marcus Lemonis, the CNBC host who now controls the fate of Gander Mountain, has been tweeting about the future of stores in many cities, as each location's situation is discussed by leadership. He has Tweeted photos of marker boards with store locations that he says are staying open, and has been answering questions on Twitter about other locations.So far, according to Lemonis, locations in Marion, Illinois and Evansville, Indiana are going to continue to be Gander Mountain. Lemonis has indicated that new and better inventory will be in the stores, along with a better business model.His comments on Twitter indicate that Lemonis and his staff are negotiating rent with landlords at every store location. The outcome of those negotiations and each store's performance appear to be weighing heavily in the decision-making process.The local store manager in Paducah said Saturday that he and his employees, along with anyone in Gander Mountain's upper management are finding out at the same time as the rest of the public - by Twitter. He said he didn't want to ask the new boss on Twitter, since he was an employee, but this reporter asked yesterday. There has been no response so far to my tweet, and requests for more information from Camping World headquarters have not been answered.Lemonis has also been referring all Gander Mountain employees to Camping World's employment website. If their local store does close, he is prepared to consider them for a job at another location, or at a Camping World store.In a video released Sunday, Lemonis repeated that his company bought the intellectual property (brands, assets and rights to property leases) of Gander Mountain, while a liquidator bought the inventory in stores and the distribution center, and they have the right to sell it in the stores. Lemonis said he expects to keep at least 70 stores operating, and potentially add a Camping World or Overton's inside them, but this will only happen where there is a clear path to profitability. (see link)

On the Net:
By West Kentucky Star Staff May. 05, 2017 | 05:46 PM | MAYFIELD, KY

A special guest speaker, Richard Holl, will be at the Graves County Public library on Saturday, May 13th at 2 pm. His talk is about German prisoners of war held in Kentucky POW camps during World War II. Fort Knox, Camp Campbell and Camp Breckinridge all set up facilities to hold POWs, who were captured in Europe and North Africa and sent to the Commonwealth. Refreshments will be served.



On Monday, May 15th from 5 to 7 pm, the library will have an adult coloring night. Refreshments will be served. Everyone is welcome.



The library will host family game night on Tuesday, May 16th from 5 to 7 pm. Spend some time as a family playing games such as Uno, Monopoly, Blink, Apples to Apples Jr. and Clue. Organizers will have a Wii set up to play console games. There are also chances to win prizes. Kids under the age of 10 should be with an adult.



Family movie night on Tuesday, May 23rd at 5 pm, watch the Rebel Alliance make a risky move to steal the plans for the Death Star. Free drinks and popcorn will be served, plus a special competition for a few prizes. Children under the age of 10 should be with someone over the age of 15.



On Saturday, May 27th at 10:30 am, the library will have a do-it-yourself picture frame workshop. All supplies will be provided and you will be able make your very own personalized picture frame. Space is limited. Sign up at the library in advance if you would like to participate.



The library is proud to announce that sign up for their summer reading program will start May 30th. You can come to the library anytime from May 30th through June 9th to get geared up for special programming this summer.



For more information or if you have questions, contact the Graves County Public Library at 270-247-2911.


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By West Kentucky Star Staff

May. 06, 2017 | MAYFIELD, KY

By West Kentucky Star Staff May. 06, 2017 | 04:49 PM | MAYFIELD, KY

A Graves County man was arrested Saturday following an investigation into an assault on a transit bus.



The Kentucky State Police say they were called about 5:30 pm from a Fulton Transit bus driver who reported an assault while the bus was on Silver Court in Graves County.



Troopers found the victim at the scene, and Larry West of Mayfield was taken to Jackson Purchase Medical Center by Mayfield Ambulance Service. He was later airlifted to Vanderbilt Medical Center in Nashville for treatment of what was called life-threatening injuries



The police investigation led them to determine that 44-year-old Daniel L. Dulin of Mayfield hit West multiple times with his fists while on the bus.



Detectives found Dulin at a home on Tom Drive in Graves County about 12:30 pm Saturday, and he was arrested. He was taken to Graves County Jail and faces charges of first degree assault.
The 28-year-old mother of two was raped by a stranger in her home in rural Stoughton. Before the attack, the woman was followed around town and received menacing, sexually charged phone calls from an unknown man, whom she suspected lived nearby.

Nearly two years after the 1987 rape, Richard Beranek  who was living 130 miles away and had no known ties to the community  surfaced as a possible suspect. Chippewa County law enforcement officials thought Beranek, facing sexual assault charges there, resembled a composite sketch of the suspect in the Stoughton rape.

The woman picked Beranek out of a group of photos, telling police that she was almost certain he was the attacker. She then picked Beranek out of a live lineup.

Sealing Beraneks fate, FBI analyst Wayne Oakes concluded that a hair found in underwear left by the rapist in the womans bed was a match to Beraneks hair.

At the time, however, the FBI knew microscopic hair comparison had limitations. Hair that looks identical, even under a high-powered microscope, could come from an unknown number of individuals. That did not stop Oakes.

Even though multiple witnesses testified in the 1990 trial that Beranek was hundreds of miles away at the time of the crime, the jury found him guilty on nine felony counts. Dane County Circuit Judge Daniel Moeser sentenced him as a repeat offender to 243 years in prison.

DNA excludes Beranek

While Beranek remains imprisoned, the way the FBI used microscopic hair comparison has been discredited in hundreds of cases nationwide, including Beraneks.

DNA testing has now excluded Beranek, 58, as the source of the hairs found in the perpetrators underwear and of sperm from the victims underwear, according to a motion for a new trial filed in 2016 by attorneys with the New York-based Innocence Project and the Wisconsin Innocence Project.

The Beranek case is among an estimated 3,000 slated for re-examination in which FBI hair or fiber analysis was used before 2000 when DNA testing became widely available. So far, 1,600 have been reviewed, according to Vanessa Antoun, an attorney with the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, who is participating in the effort.

The review has found problems in more than 90 percent of the cases, including 13 in Wisconsin, Antoun said.

The agencys misuse of hair evidence to convict people is a national tragedy, said Frederic Whitehurst, the whistleblower who revealed scientific misconduct including flawed hair analysis at the FBI laboratory in the 1990s.

We go into court with unvalidated science, Whitehurst said. We know its unvalidated science  and we actually use this pseudo science against citizens of this nation.

Testimony powerful  and wrong

Oakes had told jurors that rarely, extremely rarely was he unable to tell two hairs apart and that the suspects hair and Beraneks were microscopically the same.

Six witnesses, however, placed Beranek 600 miles away at the time of the rape, at a relatives home in North Dakota. But Dane County Assistant District Attorney Robert Kaiser had the powerful FBI testimony on his side.

What an incredible coincidence, Kaiser told the jurors. Somehow (the victim) managed to pick out of a photo array someone in 10,000 people who had a hair that matched a hair that happened to be in her house from some unknown place.

In 2015, the FBI acknowledged that the Oakes testimony in Beraneks case included erroneous statements in which he said or implied that the hair found at the scene could be associated with a specific individual to the exclusion of all others. Those statements exceeded the limits of science, the FBI now says.

Skip Palenik, founder of Microtrace LLC of Elgin, Illinois, testified at a February evidentiary hearing that Oakes statements violated professional standards in place even back then. Palenik has more than 40 years experience examining materials under a microscope.

Absent DNA testing, hair is not unique enough to be tied to one person, he said. Two strands of hair that appear identical could be from the same person or two people with the same type of hair, he said.

You cant individualize to a certain person by microscopy, Palenik said. We thought you could, but we cant.

Hair cases under review

The Wisconsin Center for Investigative Journalism has learned that among the reviewed cases are the 1995 prosecution of Patrick W. Greer in La Crosse County in which numerous errors were identified; and the 1985 case brought against Glenn Lale in Walworth County, in which no errors were identified.

In addition to the FBI cases, there are 15 cases in which Wisconsin State Crime Laboratory analysts trained by the now-discredited FBI hairs and fibers unit performed microscopic hair comparisons, the DOJ told the Wisconsin Innocence Project. Those cases are not part of the FBI review, which is being handled by the agency, the New York-based Innocence Project and the criminal defense lawyers group.

Not all defendants whose cases included flawed hair analysis are innocent. But it is a significant factor in wrongful convictions nationwide. Defendants in about one-fifth of exonerations by DNA evidence were convicted at least in part on hair analysis that turned out to be wrong, according to the NACDL.

Oakes  the analyst who testified in the Beranek case  also gave scientifically invalid testimony in the case of George Perrot, the FBI found. Perrots conviction for burglary and rape in Springfield, Massachusetts was overturned in 2016, and he was released after serving nearly 30 years in prison. Prosecutors have not announced whether they will retry him.

Prosecutors mum on cases

Last year, FBI Director James Comey implored governors to prod reluctant prosecutors in their states to notify defendants of the bad FBI hair analysis, warning it could have misled a jury or judge.

The Center has been unable to identify most of the Wisconsin cases reviewed or whether defendants or their attorneys were notified. Under terms of the review, prosecutors are the only ones authorized to handle notification to the defense, said Antoun, who declined to identify the cases.

A public records request sent by the Center in mid-February to the state Department of Justice asking for all documents related to the ongoing review yielded just a handful of pages naming three cases, including Greers. The Lale case was deemed to have no errors, the Center found, and the third case remains unnamed.

DOJ spokesman Johnny Koremenos said records related to the other cases would have gone back to the offices that prosecuted them, not the DOJ.

The Center also requested records from the U.S. attorneys offices in Madison and Milwaukee in March. Those requests are pending.

Greer received a 25-year sentence for a 1994 masked bank robbery in La Crosse County. The La Crosse Tribune reported at the time that Greer denied involvement in the crime.

The FBI now admits that analyst Chris Allens testimony identifying Greer as the likely source of hair found on the bag carrying the money was filled with errors. For example, Allen likened hair analysis to a persons ability to recognize a spouse in a crowded room. Everybody has a unique, finite number of features on their face, Allen told the jury.

Greer  who was imprisoned for about 13 years before being paroled in 2009  was notified of the FBI review and is discussing options with his probation agent, La Crosse County District Attorney Tim Gruenke said. Efforts to reach him were unsuccessful.

State also got it wrong

In addition to FBI cases, director Comey has urged state and local authorities to expand upon his agencys review by examining the work of their own crime lab analysts, some of whom were trained by the FBIs now-discredited hairs and fibers unit.

The Wisconsin Innocence Project has sought to team up with the DOJ to examine those cases, but the agency has not responded to messages seeking a meeting, attorney Cristina Borde said.

The DOJ recently told the Innocence Project that there had been four FBI-trained analysts and 15 cases involving microscopic hair comparison by the state crime lab. The DOJ declined to identify the cases, citing a state law that allows it to block access to forensic reports to anyone outside of law enforcement.

States including Iowa, Massachusetts and Texas are conducting reviews of their own analysts cases.

DOJ spokesman Koremenos said the state crime lab stopped using microscopic hair comparison about 20 years ago because of the subjective problems of hair analysis and the advent of DNA.

But the technique played a role in at least two wrongful convictions in Wisconsin. One of them involved Ralph Armstrong, convicted in 1981 for a horrific rape and murder in Madison.

In that case, state crime lab analyst Coila Wegner used qualifying language, saying hairs found at the scene and on the victim were similar or consistent with Armstrongs but that she could not definitively say they belonged to him. Dane County Assistant District Attorney John Norsetter brushed away those caveats, however, telling jurors that Armstrongs hair had been found on the victims robe.

DNA testing later excluded Armstrong as the source of those hairs.

Armstrong served 29 years for a crime that likely was committed by his now-deceased brother, who had confessed to the crime. In February, the state, Dane County and the city of Madison agreed to pay him $1.75 million.

Decision pending

Kaiser, who represented the state in the Armstrong appeal, now works for the state Department of Justice as an assistant attorney general. He is leading the prosecutions effort to block a new trial for Beranek. Moeser, the judge who sentenced Beranek 27 years ago, is retired and is hearing the appeal as a reserve judge.

At Februarys evidentiary hearing, Wisconsin Innocence Project co-director Keith Findley said the defense was a little puzzled by the states opposition, given the strength of the new DNA evidence. Moeser will hear final arguments about whether Beraneks conviction should be overturned on May 9.

During the hearing, Kaiser questioned DNA analysts in minute detail about their handling of the hairs, zeroing in on the fact that one lab had placed them on Post-it notes before mailing them.

Kaiser and Dane County Assistant District Attorney Erin Hanson argued in their objection to a new trial filed in April that the defense cannot prove the strand of hair Oakes linked to Beranek is among the hairs that now exclude him. The objection noted that labs handling the hairs reported either five or six strands of hair.

The prosecution also contradicted the FBIs characterization of its own agents testimony, arguing that Oakes statements at trial were not erroneous and that Oakes admitted that he cannot say with absolute scientific certainty that the questioned hair came from the defendant.

In a closing statement during the February hearing, Findley rejected the notion that a hair had been lost or that an errant hair had made its way into the evidence. And he argued that everyone, including prosecutors, the jury and the judge, was misled by Oakes testimony.

We now know that the FBI hair analysis  whether in good faith or not  was simply wrong, Findley said. We now know that the hair that so powerfully tied Mr. Beranek to this crime actually wasnt his.

Beraneks daughter, Desiree Burke, 36, attended the February hearing. She said the flawed FBI analysis ripped her family apart.

Its not his hair. He didnt do it, Burke said. I missed my whole childhood with him, my whole adult life. Hes lost so many people (while) inside, all because of this evidence.
Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 07/05/2017 (2012 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

It may have raised eyebrows last year when Winnipeg Jewish Theatre announced that the end of its 2016-17 season would be a drama set at the end of the American Civil War about a long overdue reckoning between a returning Confederate soldier and two of his former slaves, now freed.

But playwright Matthew Lopezs 2011 drama The Whipping Man is rooted very much in the Jewish experience, albeit in ways that havent been examined much in literature or drama.

The rebel officer Caleb DeLeon (Jesse Nerenberg), returning to the blasted ruin of his familys former estate (Brian Perchaluks set design suggests, not inappropriately, a haunted house), is in fact Jewish.

Keith Levit / Winnipeg Jewish Theatre Jesse Nerenberg and Christopher Allen

His collapsed body is discovered by Simon (Ray Strachan), once a family retainer, now watching over whats left of the manor in anticipation of a reward from his former master, Calebs father. Another former slave, John (Christopher Allen) isnt as conscientious: He has been quietly looting other estates of their remaining valuables. His cache of whiskey proves valuable as both disinfectant and sedative when Simon determines Calebs wounded leg is gangrenous and will have to come off.

Tensions manifest between the three men. Some are self-explanatory: Caleb, out of habit, shouts orders at Simon expecting the same level of obedience that existed before the war.

But other conflicts speak of a painful history within this fractious family. John more readily challenges Calebs dissolving claim to authority, nursing a grudge over a past wrong.

But at Simons insistence, the three men decide to observe an improvised Passover feast. Yes, indeed, the end of the Civil War really did coincide with Passover. The fittingness of a celebration of triumph over slavery is not lost on Simon, who was raised in the Jewish faith and is actually the truest believer of the three, since Calebs faith suffered a mortal lapse enduring the daily horror of trench warfare for months on end. Simon pointedly interpolates the traditional recitations of the feast with the spiritual Go Down Moses (Let My People Go) before a revelation  or one of several revelations  puts the relationships of these three men in stark perspective.

Director Ari Weinberg has fashioned a powerful production of a potent play that addresses the religious hypocrisy attending the institution of slavery, never less than fascinating over a running time of two hours and 10 minutes (including a 20-minute intermission).

Keith Levit / Winnipeg Jewish Theatre Jesse Nerenberg, Christopher Allen and Ray Strachan

The cast is rock solid. Nerenberg finds a redemptive humanity in Caleb, while acknowledging the weaknesses, moral and otherwise, of a character who is less than admirable. Christopher Allen mitigates the prickly Johns rage with a caustic charisma that marks the 23-year-old performer as one to watch. At the apex of these three, Winnipeg actor Strachan has the most difficult role, an intermediary whose hope and patience hits its limits in the face of treachery.

randall.king@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @FreepKing

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Keith Levit / Winnipeg Jewish Theatre Ray Strachan and Jesse Nerenberg
Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 06/05/2017 (2013 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Winnipeg-born Michael Kaans The Water Beetles, a first novel in the form of a memoir, tells the story of Chung-Man during the occupation of Hong Kong by the Japanese in the Second World War  and after, as an old man facing death remembering it all.

The work is a paradox of lucid, restrained classic storytelling and almost stream-of-consciousness reflection, where old and recent memories become fused as the author reflects on a childhood of brutal events in the occupation of Hong Kong and his own death as an aged survivor of the those terrible events.

Chung-Man is the youngest scion of a rich Hong Kong family when the war starts, with its occupation and displacement of the local population. At first the family believes it can avoid the war consuming the world outside their home, but soon the house is beseiged by friends and relatives hoping to escape the chaos. Finally, banished by the occupying army to the outside horrors, Chung-Man faces escape, capture, and prison camps; in short, a descent into the cruellest of worlds.

Kaans detail of this world and the people Chung cares for in it  above all his brother, Leuk  is dramatic yet restrained. The horror of the events he witnesses  children starving, the innocent shot, the destruction of the only world he knew or can imagine  is remembered by the adult Chung without bitterness.

Memory is a burden but, like life, is inescapable, unlike a camp. His later life as a successful surgeon in Chicago, with wife and children, is a model of quiet middle-class achievement; his memories of that life, as he edges to the end of his own, however, are informed  perhaps clouded  by what he and the dwindling survivors of the occupation share.

Chung-Man notes that the end of a life is the end of memory and that the young know only pictures of what happened. The closing of the book, a memory of his leaving Hong Kong a few years after the war, leads us round to the fusion of his life as a child traumatized by horror and his future life in work and comfort until death arrives.

He notes that body, heart, and memory fought each other once again. History books tell us what happened, but we cant know our own history until memory takes hold.

It is an understatement to say Kaans novel is an impressive debut, as critics will undoubtedly write. It immediately enters into the canon of coming-of-age stories, as powerful as any you can name.

Rory Runnells is the artistic director of the Manitoba Association of Playwrights.
Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 06/05/2017 (2013 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

When legendary ballerina Evelyn Hart takes the stage next week during the Royal Winnipeg Ballets world premiere of James Kudelkas Vespers, the former principal dancer will be home. And Hart has never felt freer, with her deeply expressive artistry honed over decades of experience still burning as brightly as ever.

There no need anymore to prove anything, the dancer, 61, says during an interview at the RWB studios. Of course, theres a desire to do well, but I dont feel that same kind of pressure that I did before. Im really going onstage because I want to feel that conduit, and be that conduit for artistic expression. And to be given that opportunity is huge. Its a soul gift.

RUTH BONNEVILLE / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS Evelyn Hart, the former principal dancer of the Royal Winnipeg Ballet, teams up with Liam Caines, who plays Horse in Vespers, which opens Wednesday

Hart, who retired from the RWB in 2005 and has since nurtured an independent dance career from her new home in Toronto, last appeared with the RWB as a guest artist in the 2015 production of Giselle. She also performed as Winter Woman during the companys 2014 staging of Kudelkas 1997 masterpiece, The Four Seasons.

This time around, Hart, who officially hung up her pointe shoes in August 2006, and will be wearing soft ballet slippers for the five-show Vespers run, is notably stepping into a brand-new role created especially for her  portraying an all-knowing everywoman able to communicate with the mythological-infused ballets animals portrayed by 10 company members, with its five-week creative process having begun in earnest last August.

Its truly a gift for our dancers to be able to work with her, says RWB artistic director Andre Lewis, who originally commissioned Kudelka, the former artistic director of the National Ballet of Canada, to create the full-length work after the success of The Four Seasons.

Lewis also partnered with Hart himself as a principal dancer for more than 10 years.

Evelyn commands an audience, and always has, with her talent combined with a beautiful instrument, great musicality, technique and an expressive artistry. Having her in our midst has been tremendous, as she brings a richness and a depth of understanding of the art form that has absolutely inspired our dancers.

One of those is corps de ballet member Liam Caines, who performs as the proud Horse in the ballet set to Monteverdis Vespers, where humans happily co-exist in nature with animals, until the Fall, in which they lose their innate connection with each other. During one scene in the second act, Caines, wearing an imaginative animal mask designed by Karen Rodd, lifts the willowy dancer while standing atop a large banquet table. One might assume that Caines, who also performed the lead role as the Man in The Four Seasons, has experienced more than few jitters partnering one of the greatest ballet dancers ever produced in this country.

Working with Evelyn is indeed an honour, the New Brunswick-born artist says, adding that his first year at the RWB School was Harts final one with the company.

I used to hear all these wonderful stories about this amazing woman, and what she had done for the company, and how much recognition she had brought to it. Working beside her has been awe-inspiring, he states. She has also been very kind to work with, and very quick to share her wealth of knowledge from her very successful career.

RUTH BONNEVILLE / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS Caines, Dmitri Dovgosolets and Hart rehearse a scene

Hart immediately joined the RWB after graduating from its School Professional Division in 1976, and was promoted to soloist in 1978, and then to principal dancer in 1979. She received critical acclaim for her willowy physique, dramatic intensity and sublimely lyrical sensibility, mentored by the RWBs artistic director Arnold Spohr, who cast her in lead roles in such classical story ballets as: Swan Lake, The Sleeping Beauty and Romeo and Juliet, as well as more contemporary fare, including Jiri Kylians Nuages.

She notably became the first Canadian to win a prestigious gold medal at the Varna International Ballet Competition in 1980  the Bulgarian competition is hailed as the Olympics of ballet  for her searing performance of Norbert Vesaks Belong with David Peregrine, which skyrocketed her to worldwide fame and put the Prairie fresh ballet troupe squarely on the international map. Hart still speaks with love and devotion for Spohr, who died in 2010, and credits him for the pivotal role he played in nurturing her career.

Who I am as an artist is completely attributed to Arnold, Hart says. He saw my soul, because I think there was deeply spiritual side about him, and his belief in the art form was such that the power of dance was worth everything, she adds. And that was also my belief. Thats why you work to do everything you can, because its not about you in the end, its about what you give to others.

She muses about returning once more to the company where she first found her footing as an internationally acclaimed prima ballerina, which also led to her being designated an Office of the Order of Canada in 1983, and a Companion in 1994. Shes eager to perform for her legions of fans, including her 90-year mother travelling from Stratford, Ont., for her opening-night performance.

Im so happy. Ive never been happier, Hart says, her enthusiasm palpable.

Being here is like being in a little womb. The dancers have been incredibly hard-working, respectful, open-minded and have made me feel such a part of everything. I couldnt ask for anything more wonderful than to be immersed in an experience with beautiful people, and humble people, and people that are open and joyful. The essence and the heart of the company that I first joined in 1976 is still here, and it always feels like coming home.

holly.harris@shaw.ca
Ken Weinberg isnt the type to shine a light on himself, so the Mental Health Coalition of the Greater La Crosse Area is doing it for the Viroqua man, naming him its 2017 Shining Star.

The coalition will present Weinberg with its 10th annual award, which honors people who exhibit courage in mental health recovery, during a celebration from 4:30 to 6 p.m. Tuesday in the Cargill Room of The Waterfront Restaurant and Tavern at 328 S. Front St. in La Crosse.

Weinberg deflects the recognition, saying, The award, as far as Im concerned, should go to The Other Door, the Family and Childrens Centers drop-in center in Viroqua that he co-founded, along with his friend John Cox and the FCCs Suzie Howe.

The Other Door, on the lower level of the La Crosse-based FCCs Viroqua building, is open 20 hours a week to provide peer-to-peer support for people in mental health and substance use recovery, as well as education for those people and their families and simply a place to hang out without feeling judged.

Most people dont understand that addiction is a brain disease, said the 67-year-old Weinberg, a retired office manager who said he has been in recovery from addiction to crack cocaine for 18 years. They think there is choice involved, and because of that, some classify me in the eyes of the public as some kind of loser.

Also afflicted with dystonia, a malady in which muscles contract uncontrollably and can result in jerky body movements, Weinberg said it sometimes affects one of his eyes, as it did his mother.

If my left eye shuts, dont think Im winking at you, he said, grinning. When I was in my 20s, I would go to the beach and girls would think I was winking  and some would wink back.

A volunteer peer counselor at The Other Door, Weinberg said people dont question a persons character when other illnesses are involved like they do with addiction.

No one in their right mind would ever choose the hell of addiction, said Weinberg, a Viroqua native who lived in the Milwaukee area for four decades before returning to his hometown when he retired.

While I was successful at work, I was good with denial and was living out of a shell, Weinberg said. I didnt have a healthy adult life, was miserable and lonely and barely coping. I finally got help and went into recovery.

Before The Other Door opened in 2012, Weinberg said he frequently went to the Coulee Council on Addictions in La Crosse, which he described as an outstanding drop-in center, with no judging.

Coulee Council is a very safe place and is a model, said Weinberg, who said he also has mental health issues that he preferred not to discuss.

Weinberg and Cox, who was a peer specialist with the FCC, had such a model in mind as they formulated plans for The Other Door, which tallies 5,000 visits a year. Weinberg figures that breaks down to about 500 people who routinely use The Other Door, including other community groups that use the facility for meetings and recreation.

It doesnt have a membership list to maintain confidentiality. One of the organizers stipulations is that the facility have a back door so people could enter without fear of being seen.

In a small town, everybody knows everybody or is related, he said.

The facilitys operative mantra, Weinberg said, is You are welcome here if you show up, and a member if you stay.

It includes a library, several meeting rooms to accommodate several groups, a library, as well as a pool table that Weinberg pressed for from Day One and finally was obtained a year and a half later with donations.

The pool table provides a non-threatening entry point for people hesitant to drop in and provides an opportunity to get to know each other, he said.

The facility also has an art room where those who drop in are free to use supplies for whatever projects they desire to stir their creative juices or for therapeutic value, he said.

We dont see it as professional art, but we all know the value of art, Weinberg said. Men are macho and do not want to go into the art room initially but enjoy it once they take that step.

The Other Door hosts Friday meals during the winter, usually switching to cookouts during the summer.

Many of those who use the facility often come just to talk, when Weinberg said, I try to make my face peaceful so they can say what they want and feel confident.

One of Weinbergs award nominators underscored his determination, saying, He inspires me to remember that anything is possible with passionate people. He is a very strong example of lived mental health and addictions recovery, and he is eager to help others grow in their own recovery.

I continue to be amazed at how he continues to work at his own wellness while not judging where others are on their journey, the nominator said.

Another wrote, Ken is able to meet people where they are and immediately moves to a place of deep listening. He is empathic, clear and honest. Recovery is his passion. Hes honest about himself and warm and engaging.

Aaron Rasch, the 2014 Shining Star winner who is with Independent Living Resources in La Crosse and Project Recovery at Western Technical College in La Crosse, helped train Weinberg before The Other Door started up.

He is a teacher who listens, Rasch said. You can empower others, and thats what he does. He has a humble approach that is accessible.
Thumbs up to the continued, collaborative efforts to find homes for people staying in La Crosse without a roof over their heads. The La Crosse Collaborative to End Homelessness, city staffers, police and others worked last Christmas to find homes for 16 veterans who were homeless.

Kim Cable, the housing and community services director at Couleecap who leads the collaborative, says: We want to ensure that every person who is homeless and living in tents has shelter available and future housing opportunities in La Crosse. Thats why we are opening up beds and sending out outreach workers to start working with people now. Our message is that we want anyone who is staying outside to have access to housing.

The collaborative passion  dating to the successful efforts to create a warming shelter and a daytime hospitality center  says volumes about the people of our community.

Thumbs up to the ambitious plans to develop a new home and a new name for the Coulee Council on Addictions. The council is on its way to raising $2.9 million for a new building that will house The Coulee Recovery Center  a new name designed to remove the stigma attached to substance abuse.

The councils old building along West Avenue in La Crosse  which hosts up to 50 community groups for meeting space  recently had to close for a few days because of plumbing problems, inconveniencing both clients and groups alike. The agency focuses on intervention, recovery support, education and prevention, and collaboration and advocacy.

Last year, the council helped almost 700 people in crisis situations while responding to 491 crisis calls. It provided 186 assessments for alcohol and other drug abuse and facilitated more than a dozen teen intervention sessions.

Thumbs up to the Family & Childrens Centers Host Home program for providing help to youngsters who need a home.

Thanks to a grant from the La Crosse Community Foundation, a social worker connects homeless youngsters with families who are willing to be hosts. Estimates suggest there are nearly 200 homeless youngsters in La Crosse.

Jamie Korn, development director for Family & Childrens Center, says: We know there are kids out there that need help. We just need to reach them.

The program already has made positive connections with strong role models, who are subject to extensive background search and home visits to assure the safety of the youngsters placed.

Thumbs up to the La Crosse County Historical Society for facilitating the preservation and donation of a historic flag that predates the Civil War.

Thanks to the society and to American Legion Post 52 in La Crosse, the fragile flag of the La Crosse Light Guard will end up being housed at the Wisconsin Veterans Museum in Madison. The Ladies of La Crosse presented the flag to the private militia that eventually became Company B of the 2nd Wisconsin Regiment of Infantry Volunteers when President Lincoln called for volunteers.

Thumbs up to a move to provide more competition and more relief for homeowners who get stuck paying high prices for flood insurance.

U.S. Rep. Ron Kind, D-La Crosse, has signed onto the Flood Insurance Market Parity and Modernization Act, which would allow private insurance companies to enter the market, currently limited to the National Flood Insurance Program. Kind said that could lead to a 15 to 20 percent reduction in premiums  a big deal for the people who own the 1,200 homes and 600 additional structures in La Crosse that now sit in the 100-year floodplain.
Suburban Propane Partners, L.P., through its subsidiaries, engages in the retail marketing and distribution of propane, fuel oil, and refined fuels. The company operates in four segments: Propane, Fuel Oil and Refined Fuels, Natural Gas and Electricity, and All Other. The Propane segment is involved in the retail distribution of propane to residential, commercial, industrial, and agricultural customers, as well as in the wholesale distribution to industrial end users. It offers propane primarily for space heating, water heating, cooking, and clothes drying in the residential and commercial markets; for use as a motor fuel in internal combustion engines to power over-the-road vehicles, forklifts, and stationary engines, as well as to fire furnaces, as a cutting gas to the industrial customers, and in other process applications; and for tobacco curing, crop drying, poultry brooding, and weed control in the agricultural markets. The Fuel Oil and Refined Fuels segment engages in the retail distribution of fuel oil, diesel, kerosene, and gasoline to residential and commercial customers for use primarily as a source of heat in homes and buildings. The Natural Gas and Electricity segment markets natural gas and electricity to residential and commercial customers in the deregulated energy markets in New York and Pennsylvania. The All Other segment sells, installs, and services a range of home comfort equipment, including whole-house heating products, air cleaners, humidifiers, and space heaters. As of September 25, 2021, the company served approximately 1.0 million residential, commercial, industrial, and agricultural customers through 700 locations in 41 states primarily in the east and west coast regions of the United States, as well as portions of the Midwest region of the United States and Alaska. Suburban Energy Services Group LLC serves as a general partner of Suburban Propane Partners, L.P. The company was founded in 1945 and is headquartered in Whippany, New Jersey.
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.
Sanofi, together with its subsidiaries, engages in the research, development, manufacture, and marketing of therapeutic solutions in the United States, Europe, and internationally. It operates through three segments: Pharmaceuticals, Vaccines, and Consumer Healthcare. The company provides specialty care products, including human monoclonal antibodies; products for multiple sclerosis, neurology, other inflammatory diseases, immunology, rare diseases, oncology, and rare blood disorders; medicines for diabetes; and cardiovascular and established prescription products. It also supplies poliomyelitis, pertussis, and hib pediatric vaccines; and influenza, adult booster, meningitis, and travel and endemic vaccines. In addition, the company offers allergy, cough and cold, pain, liver care, physical and mental wellness, probiotics, digestive, and nutritional products; and other products, such as daily body lotions, anti-itch products, moisturizing and soothing lotions, and body and foot creams, as well as powders for eczema. Further, it has various pharmaceutical products and vaccines in development stage. Sanofi has collaboration agreement with GlaxoSmithKline to develop a recombinant Covid-19 vaccine; and a research collaboration with Stanford University School of Medicine to advance the understanding of immunology and inflammation through open scientific exchange. It also has a collaboration and license option agreement with Prellis Biologics, Inc. The company was formerly known as Sanofi-Aventis and changed its name to Sanofi in May 2011. Sanofi was founded in 1973 and is headquartered in Paris, France.
The following companies are subsidiares of Marsh & McLennan Companies: 8WORKS INC., 8WORKS LTD, A. Constantinidi & CIA. S.C., A.C.N. 000 951 146 Pty Limited, A.C.N. 001 572 961 Pty Limited, A.C.N. 076 935 683 Pty Limited, A.C.N. 102 322 574 Pty Limited, ACE Insurance Agents Limited, ACE Insurance Consultants Limited, ACE Insurance and Reinsurance Brokers Limited, AD Corretora de Seguros, AFCO Premium Acceptance Inc., AFCO Premium Credit LLC, Access Equity Enhanced Fund GP LLC, Admiral Holdings Limited, Agnew Higgins Pickering & Co. (Bermuda) Ltd, Aldgate Investments Limited, Aldgate Trustees Ltd, Alexander Forbes Group Holdings Limited, Alpha Consultants Limited, Alta SA, Altius Real Assets (GP) LLC, Amal Insurance Brokers Limited (in liquidation), Anda Insurance Agencies Pte Ltd, AssetVal Pty Ltd, Assur Conseils Marsh S.A., Assurance Capital Corporation, Assurance Services Corporation, Australian Insurance Brokers Pty Ltd, Australian World Underwriters Pty Ltd., BBPS Limited, Barney & Barney Orange County LLC, Beaumonts (Leeds) Limited (in liquidation), Beaumonts Insurance Brokers Limited (in liquidation), Beaumonts Insurance Services Limited, Beneficios Integrales Oportunos SA, Benefitfocus Inc., Blue Marble Micro Limited, Blue Marble Microinsurance Inc., Bluefin, Bluefin Insurance Group Limited, Bluefin Insurance Services Limited, Boulder Claims LLC, Bowring (Bermuda) Investments Ltd., Bowring Marine Limited, Bowring Marsh (Bermuda) Ltd., Bowring Marsh (Hong Kong) Limited, Bowring Marsh Asia Pte. Ltd., Bowring Marsh Corretora de Resseguros Ltda., Bowring Marsh Limited, Broderick Piller Pty Ltd, Broker 2 Broker Limited, BuildPay LLC, Burke Ford Trustees (Leicester) Limited, C.T. Bowring Limited, CMC-Belgibo NV, CPRM Limited, CPSG Partners LLC, Carpenter Marsh Fac Chile Corredores de Reaseguros Limitada, Carpenter Marsh Fac Colombia Corredores de Reaseguros S.A., Carpenter Marsh Fac Peru Corredores de Reaseguros S.A.C., Carpenter Marsh Fac Re LLC, Carpenter Turner Cyprus Ltd, Carpenter Turner S.A., Cascade International Holdings C.V., Cascade Regional Holdings Limited, Central Insurance Services Limited, Charter Risk Management Services LLC, Chartwell Healthcare Limited, Chronos Insurance Brokers Pty Limited, Claims and Recovery Management (Australia) Pty Limited, Clark Thomson Insurance Brokers Limited, Client Provide Limited, Colombian Insurance Broking Wholesale Limited, Consultores 2020 C.A., Cronin & Co Insurance Services Limited, DVA - Deutsche Verkehrs-Assekuranz-Vermittlungs GmbH, Dawson Insurance, DeLima Marsh S.A. - Los Corredores de Seguros S.A., Dovetail Insurance Corp., Dovetail Insurance Corp., Dovetail Managing General Agency Corporation, Dovetail Technology Service India Private Limited, Draw Connect Limited, Draw Create Limited, Draw Group London Limited, Eagle & Crown Limited, Echelon Australia Pty Limited, Echelon Claims Consultants Sdn Bhd, Echelon New Zealand Limited, EnBW Versicherungs Vermittlung GmbH, Encompass Insurance Agency Pty Ltd., English Pension Trustees Limited, Epsilon (US) Insurance Company, Epsilon Insurance Company Ltd., Eustis Insurance & Benefits, Evolution Management Ltd, Exchange Insurance Services Limited (in liquidation), Exmoor Management Company Limited, Faulkner & Flynn LLC, Freedom Trust Services Limited, GC Genesis LLC, GCube Insurance Services Inc, GCube Underwriting Limited, Gama Consultores Associados Ltda., Gem Insurance Company Limited, Global Premium Finance Company, GrECo International Holding AG, Gracechurch Trustees Limited, Gresham Pension Trustees Limited, Group Promoters Pty Limited, Guy Carpenter & Cia (Mexico) S.A. de C.V., Guy Carpenter & Cia. S.A., Guy Carpenter & Co. Labuan Ltd., Guy Carpenter & Company AB, Guy Carpenter & Company Corredores de Reaseguros Limitada, Guy Carpenter & Company Corretora de Resseguros Ltda., Guy Carpenter & Company GmbH, Guy Carpenter & Company LLC, Guy Carpenter & Company Limited, Guy Carpenter & Company Limited, Guy Carpenter & Company Ltd./Guy Carpenter & Compagnie Ltee, Guy Carpenter & Company Participacoes Ltda., Guy Carpenter & Company Peru Corredores de Reaseguros S.A., Guy Carpenter & Company Private Limited, Guy Carpenter & Company Proprietary Limited, Guy Carpenter & Company Pty. Ltd., Guy Carpenter & Company S.A., Guy Carpenter & Company S.A. (Uruguay), Guy Carpenter & Company S.A.S., Guy Carpenter & Company S.r.l., Guy Carpenter (Middle East) Limited, Guy Carpenter Bermuda Ltd., Guy Carpenter Broking Inc., Guy Carpenter Colombia Corredores de Reaseguros Ltda., Guy Carpenter Insurance Brokers (Beijing) Co. Ltd., Guy Carpenter Japan Inc., Guy Carpenter Mexico Intermediario de Reaseguro S.A. de C.V., Guy Carpenter Reasurans Brokerligi Anonim Sirketi, HAPIP GP 2009 LLC, HAPIP GP LLC, HSBC Insurance Brokers International (Abu Dhabi) LLC (in liquidation), Hamilton Bond Limited, Hansen International Limited, Hayward Aviation Limited, INSIA Europe SE, INSIA SK s.r.o., INSIA a.s., INSURANCE BROKERS OF NIGERIA LIMITED, IRC Asia Insurance Brokers Limited, InSolutions Limited, Industrial Risks Protection Consultants, Ingeseg S. A., Ingeseg S.A., Insbrokers Ltda., InsurTech Alliance LLC, Insure Direct (Brokers) LLC, Insure Direct (Brokers) LLC [BAHRAIN BRANCH], Insure Direct - Jardine Lloyd Thompson Limited, International Catastrophe Insurance Managers LLC, International Loss Control Services Limited, International Risk Consultants (Asia) Limited, Invercol Limited, Irish Pensions Trust Limited, Isosceles Insurance (Barbados) Limited, Isosceles Insurance Company Limited, Isosceles Insurance Ltd, Isosceles PCC Limited, J&H Marsh & McLennan Limited, J.W. Terrill Benefit Administrators Inc., JI Holdings Limited, JIB Group Holdings Limited, JIB Group Limited, JIB Holdings (Pacific) Limited, JIB Overseas Holdings Limited, JIB UK Holdings Limited, JL Marine Insurance-Brokers GmbH & Co. KG, JLM Verwaltungs GmbH, JLT (Insurance Brokers) Limited, JLT Actuaries and Consultants Limited, JLT Advisory Limited, JLT Affinity Colombia Solutions SAS, JLT Agencies Limited, JLT Asesorias Ltda, JLT Asia Holdings BV, JLT Asia Shared Services Sdn Bhd, JLT Belgibo, JLT Benefit Consultants Limited, JLT Benefit Solutions Limited, JLT Benefit Solutions SA (Pty) Ltd, JLT Bermuda Ltd, JLT Brasil Holdings Participacoes Ltd, JLT Chile Holdings SpA, JLT Colombia Retail Limited, JLT Colombia Wholesale Limited, JLT Consultants & Actuaries Limited, JLT EB Holdings Limited, JLT EB Services Limited, JLT Employee Benefits Holding Company (PTY) LTD, JLT Employee Benefits SA (Pty) Ltd, JLT Financial Planning Limited, JLT France Holdings, JLT Group Services Pty Limited, JLT Holdings (Barbados) Ltd, JLT Holdings (NZ) Limited, JLT Independent Insurance Brokers Private Limited, JLT Insurance Agencies Limited, JLT Insurance Brokers Co. Limited, JLT Insurance Brokers Co. Limited ( Shanghai Branch), JLT Insurance Brokers Co. Limited (Beijing Branch), JLT Insurance Brokers Co. Limited (Guangzhou Branch), JLT Insurance Brokers Ireland Limited, JLT Insurance Brokers SA, JLT Insurance Group Holdings Ltd, JLT Insurance Management Malta Limited, JLT Intellectual Property Limited, JLT Intellectual Property [UK Branch], JLT Interactive Pte. Ltd., JLT Investment Management Limited, JLT LATAM (Southern Cone) Wholesale Limited, JLT Latin American Holdings Limited, JLT Life Assurance Brokers Limited, JLT Management Services Limited, JLT Marine (Pty) Ltd, JLT Mexico Holdings Limited, JLT Mexico Intermediario de Reaseguro S.A. de C.V., JLT Netherlands BV, JLT Norway AS, JLT PLA, JLT Pension Trustees Limited, JLT Pensions Administration Holdings Limited, JLT Pensions Administration Limited, JLT Peru Reinsurance Solutions Limited, JLT Peru Retail Limited, JLT Peru Wholesale Limited, JLT QFM Services Limited, JLT RE Brasil Administracao e Corretagem de Resseguros Ltda, JLT Re (French Branch), JLT Re (Northern Europe) AB, JLT Re Argentina Corredores de Reaseguros S.A.U., JLT Re Labuan Limited, JLT Re Limited, JLT Re Pty Ltd, JLT Reinsurance Brokers GmbH, JLT Reinsurance Brokers Limited, JLT Reinsurance Brokers Limited [French Branch], JLT Risk Management Limited, JLT Risk Solutions AB, JLT Risk Solutions AB Branch - Germany, JLT SA IB Holdings Company (Pty) Limited, JLT SCK Affinity Administracao e Corretora de Seguros Ltda., JLT SCK Corretora e Administradora de Seguros, JLT Secretaries Limited, JLT Sigorta ve Reasurans Brokerlii A.., JLT Singapore Holdings Pte. Ltd., JLT Specialty France, JLT Specialty Insurance Broker A/S, JLT Specialty Limited, JLT Specialty Limited [DUBAI BRANCH], JLT Specialty Pte. Ltd., JLT Towner Insurance Management (Anguilla) Limited, JLT Trust Services (Barbados) Ltd, JLT Trustees (Southern) Limited, JLT Trustees Limited, JLT UK Investment Holdings Limited, JLT Vantage Risk and Benefit Consulting Private Limited, JLT Wealth Management Limited, JLT do Brasil Corretagem de Seguros Ltda, JLTPCS Holdings Pte. Ltd., JMIB Holdings BV, JSL Securities Inc., Japan Affinity Marketing Inc., Jardine IBR Limited, Jardine Lloyd Thompson (Proprietary) Limited, Jardine Lloyd Thompson Asia Pte Ltd, Jardine Lloyd Thompson Australia Pty Limited, Jardine Lloyd Thompson Canada Inc, Jardine Lloyd Thompson Group Ltd, Jardine Lloyd Thompson Group plc, Jardine Lloyd Thompson India Private Limited, Jardine Lloyd Thompson India Private Limited (UK Branch Office), Jardine Lloyd Thompson Insurance Consultants Limited, Jardine Lloyd Thompson Insurance and Reinsurance Brokers Inc., Jardine Lloyd Thompson Ireland Holdings Limited, Jardine Lloyd Thompson Ireland Unlimited Company, Jardine Lloyd Thompson Korea Limited, Jardine Lloyd Thompson Limited, Jardine Lloyd Thompson Limited [Macao Branch], Jardine Lloyd Thompson PCS (Dubai) Limited, Jardine Lloyd Thompson PCS Limited, Jardine Lloyd Thompson PCS Pte Ltd, Jardine Lloyd Thompson PCS SA, Jardine Lloyd Thompson Private Limited, Jardine Lloyd Thompson Pty Limited, Jardine Lloyd Thompson Sdn Bhd, Jardine Lloyd Thompson Valencia y Iragorri Corredores de Seguros SA, Jardine Pension Trustees Ireland Limited, Jardine Risk Consulting Co. Limited, Jardine ShunTak Insurance Brokers Limited, Jardine ShunTak Insurance Brokers Limited [Macao Branch], Jardines PF- Consultoria Em Gestao De Risco Limitada, Jelf, Jelf Commercial Finance Limited, Jelf Financial Planning Limited, Jelf Insurance Brokers Limited, Jelf Limited, Jelf Risk Management Limited, Jelf Wellbeing Limited, John Lampier & Son Ltd, Johnson & Higgins (Bermuda) Limited, Johnson & Higgins Limited, KESSLER & CO AG, Kepler Associates Limited, Kessler & Co Inc., Kessler Consulting Inc., Kessler Prevoyance Inc., Key Underwriting Pty Limited, Kroll, Lambert Brothers Holdings Limited, Lambert Brothers Insurance Brokers (Employee Benefits) Limited, Lambert Brothers Insurance Brokers (Hong Kong) Ltd, Laterlife.com Limited (in liquidation), Lavaretus Underwriting AB, Lavaretus Underwriting AB (BRANCH - Denmark), Libra Insurance Services Limited (in liquidation), Lloyd & Partners Limited, Local Government Insurance Brokers Pty Limited, Lomond Macdonald Limited, Lynch Insurance Brokers Limited, M&M Vehicle L.P., M.P. Bolshaw and Company Limited, MAG JLT SpA, MERCER ALTERNATIVES LIMITED, MM Risk Services Pty Ltd (for dissolution), MMA Mid-Atlantic Employee LLC, MMA Securities LLC, MMB Consultores S.A., MMC (Singapore) Holdings Pte. Ltd., MMC 28 State Street Holdings Inc., MMC Borrower LLC, MMC Brazilian Holdings B.V., MMC Capital Inc., MMC Cascade Regional Holdings LLC, MMC FINANCE (EUROPE) LIMITED, MMC FINANCE HOLDINGS LTD, MMC Finance (Australia) Limited, MMC Finance (Singapore) Limited, MMC France Holdings (Luxembourg) S.a.r.l., MMC GP III Inc., MMC Group Services sp. z o.o., MMC Holdings (Australia) Pty Ltd, MMC Holdings (New Zealand) ULC, MMC Holdings (UK) Limited, MMC International Finance (Barbados) SRL, MMC International Holdings LLC, MMC International Limited, MMC International Treasury Centre Limited, MMC Middle East Holdings Limited, MMC Poland Holdings B.V., MMC Realty Inc., MMC Regional Asia Holdings B.V., MMC Regional Caribbean Holdings Ltd., MMC Regional Europe Holdings B.V., MMC Regional LATAM Holdings B.V., MMC Securities (Europe) Limited, MMC Securities LLC, MMC Treasury Holdings (UK) Limited, MMC UK Group Limited, MMC UK Pension Fund Trustee Limited, MMOW Limited, MMRC LLC, MOW Holding LLC, MPIP III GP LLC, MPIP IV GP LLC, MPIP V GP LLC, MPIP VI GP LLC, Mangrove Insurance Europe PCC Limited, Mangrove Insurance Solutions PCC, Mangrove Insurance Solutions PCC Limited, Manoel Management Services Ltd, Marchant McKechnie Insurance Brokers Limited, Marine Aviation & General (London) Limited, Marsh & McLennan (PNG) Limited, Marsh & McLennan Agencies AS, Marsh & McLennan Agencies Limited, Marsh & McLennan Agency A/S, Marsh & McLennan Agency LLC, Marsh & McLennan Agency Limited, Marsh & McLennan Agency Pty Ltd., Marsh & McLennan Argentina SA Corredores de Reaseguros, Marsh & McLennan Colombia S.A., Marsh & McLennan Companies Acquisition Funding Limited, Marsh & McLennan Companies Acquisition Limited, Marsh & McLennan Companies Asia Pacific Treasury Center Limited, Marsh & McLennan Companies BVBA/SPRL, Marsh & McLennan Companies Finance Center (Luxembourg) S.a.r.l., Marsh & McLennan Companies France S.A.S., Marsh & McLennan Companies Holdings (Luxembourg) S.a.r.l., Marsh & McLennan Companies Inc., Marsh & McLennan Companies Regional Holdings S.a.r.l., Marsh & McLennan Companies Services B.V., Marsh & McLennan Companies UK Limited, Marsh & McLennan Europe S.a.r.l., Marsh & McLennan GP I Inc., Marsh & McLennan Global Broking (Bermuda) Ltd., Marsh & McLennan Holding GmbH, Marsh & McLennan Holdings (Canada) ULC, Marsh & McLennan Holdings Inc., Marsh & McLennan Incorporated (for dissolution), Marsh & McLennan Innovation Centre Holdings II, Marsh & McLennan Innovation Centre Holdings S.a.r.l., Marsh & McLennan Innovation Centre Limited, Marsh & McLennan Insurance Services Limited, Marsh & McLennan Ireland Limited, Marsh & McLennan Management Services (Bermuda) Limited, Marsh & McLennan Risk Capital Holdings Ltd., Marsh & McLennan Servicios S.A. De C.V., Marsh & McLennan Shared Services Canada Limited, Marsh & McLennan Shared Services Corporation, Marsh (Bahrain) Company SPC, Marsh (Beijing) Risk Management Consulting Co. Ltd., Marsh (China) Insurance Brokers Co. Ltd., Marsh (Hong Kong) Limited, Marsh (Insurance Brokers) LLP, Marsh (Insurance Services) Limited, Marsh (Malawi) Limited, Marsh (Middle East) Limited, Marsh (Namibia) (Proprietary) Limited, Marsh (Pty) Ltd, Marsh (Risk Consulting) LLP, Marsh (Singapore) Pte. Ltd., Marsh A/S, Marsh AB, Marsh AG, Marsh AS, Marsh Advantage Insurance Holdings Pty Ltd, Marsh Advantage Insurance Pty Ltd., Marsh Africa (Pty) Ltd, Marsh Argentina S.R.L., Marsh Associates (Pty) Ltd, Marsh Austria G.m.b.H., Marsh Aviation Insurance Broking Pty Ltd (for dissolution), Marsh B.V., Marsh Botswana (Proprietary) Limited, Marsh Brockman y Schuh Agente de Seguros y de Fianzas S.A. de C.V., Marsh Broker Japan Inc., Marsh Broker de Asigurare-Reasigurare S.R.L., Marsh Brokers (Hong Kong) Limited, Marsh Brokers Limited, Marsh Canada Limited/Marsh Canada Limitee, Marsh Company Management Services Cayman Ltd., Marsh Compensation Technologies Administration (Pty) Ltd, Marsh Corporate Services (Barbados) Limited, Marsh Corporate Services Isle of Man Ltd, Marsh Corporate Services Limited, Marsh Corporate Services Malta Limited, Marsh Corretora de Seguros Ltda., Marsh EOOD, Marsh Egypt LLC, Marsh Emirates Consultancy LLC, Marsh Emirates Insurance Brokerage LLC, Marsh Employee Benefits Limited, Marsh Employee Benefits Zimbabwe (Private) Ltd, Marsh Eurofinance B.V., Marsh Europe S.A., Marsh FJC International Insurance Brokers Limited, Marsh For Insurance Services S.A.E., Marsh Franco Acra S.A., Marsh GSC Servicos e Administracao de Seguros Ltda., Marsh GmbH, Marsh Holding AB, Marsh Holdings (Pty) Ltd, Marsh India Insurance Brokers Private Limited, Marsh Insurance & Investments LLC, Marsh Insurance Brokers, Marsh Insurance Brokers (Macao) Limited, Marsh Insurance Brokers (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd, Marsh Insurance Brokers (Private) Limited, Marsh Insurance Brokers AO, Marsh Insurance Brokers Limited, Marsh Insurance Consulting Saudi Arabia (in liquidation), Marsh Insurance and Reinsurance Brokers LLC, Marsh Intermediaries Inc., Marsh International Broking Holdings Limited, Marsh International Holdings II Inc., Marsh International Holdings Inc., Marsh Investment B.V., Marsh Ireland Brokers Limited, Marsh Ireland Brokers Limited (UK Branch), Marsh Ireland Holdings Limited, Marsh Israel (1999) Ltd., Marsh Israel (Holdings) Ltd., Marsh Israel Consultants Ltd., Marsh Israel Insurance Agency Ltd., Marsh Israel International Brokers Ltd. (in liquidation), Marsh JCS Inc., Marsh Japan Inc., Marsh Kft., Marsh Kindlustusmaakler AS, Marsh Korea Inc., Marsh LLC, Marsh LLC Insurance Brokers, Marsh LLC [Ukraine], Marsh Lda., Marsh Limited, Marsh Limited [Fiji], Marsh Limited [New Zealand], Marsh Limited [PNG], Marsh Ltd. [Wisconsin], Marsh Management Services (Bahamas) Ltd., Marsh Management Services (Barbados) Limited, Marsh Management Services (Bermuda) Ltd., Marsh Management Services (Dublin) Limited, Marsh Management Services (Labuan) Limited, Marsh Management Services (MENA) Limited, Marsh Management Services (USVI) Ltd., Marsh Management Services Cayman Ltd., Marsh Management Services Guernsey Limited, Marsh Management Services Inc., Marsh Management Services Isle of Man Limited, Marsh Management Services Luxembourg S.a.r.l., Marsh Management Services Malta Limited, Marsh Management Services Singapore Pte. Ltd., Marsh Management Services Sweden AB, Marsh Marine & Energy AB, Marsh Marine Nederland B.V., Marsh Medical Consulting GmbH, Marsh Mercer Holdings (Australia) Pty Ltd, Marsh Nest Inc., Marsh Oman LLC, Marsh Oy, Marsh PB Co. Ltd., Marsh Philippines Inc., Marsh Privat A.I.E., Marsh Private Client Life Insurance Services, Marsh Pty. Ltd., Marsh Qatar LLC, Marsh RE S.A.C. Corredores de Reaseguros, Marsh Rehder Consultoria S.A. (MRC), Marsh Rehder S.A. Corredores de Seguros, Marsh Resolutions Pty Limited, Marsh Risk Consulting B.V., Marsh Risk Consulting Limitada, Marsh Risk Consulting Ltda., Marsh Risk Consulting S.L., Marsh Risk Consulting Services S.r.L., Marsh Risk and Consulting Services (Pty) Ltd, Marsh S.A. Corredores De Seguros, Marsh S.A. Mediadores de Seguros, Marsh S.A.S., Marsh S.p.A., Marsh SA [Argentina], Marsh SA [Belgium], Marsh SA [Luxembourg], Marsh SA [Uruguay], Marsh SIA, Marsh Saldana Inc., Marsh Saudi Arabia Insurance & Reinsurance Brokers, Marsh Secretarial Services Limited, Marsh Semusa S.A., Marsh Services Limited, Marsh Services Spolka z.o.o., Marsh Sigorta ve Reasurans Brokerligi Anonim Sirketi, Marsh Spolka z.o.o., Marsh Szolgaltato Kft., Marsh Takaful Brokers (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd, Marsh Treasury Services (Dublin) Limited (in liquidation), Marsh Treasury Services Limited, Marsh Tunisia S.a.r.l., Marsh UK Limited, Marsh USA (India) Inc., Marsh USA Borrower LLC, Marsh USA Inc., Marsh Uganda Limited, Marsh Venezuela C.A. Sociedad de Corretaje de Seguros, Marsh Vietnam Insurance Broking Company Ltd, Marsh Zambia Limited, Marsh Zimbabwe Holdings (Private) Limited, Marsh d.o.o. Beograd, Marsh d.o.o. za posredovanje u osiguranju, Marsh for Insurance Services - Jordan, Marsh i-Connect (Pty) Ltd, Marsh s.r.o., Matthiessen Assurans AB, Mercer (Argentina) S.A., Mercer (Australia) Pty Ltd, Mercer (Austria) GmbH, Mercer (Belgium) SA-NV, Mercer (Canada) Limited/Mercer (Canada) Limitee, Mercer (China) Limited, Mercer (Colombia) Ltda., Mercer (Danmark) A/S, Mercer (Finland) OY, Mercer (France) SAS, Mercer (Hong Kong) Limited, Mercer (Ireland) Limited, Mercer (Malaysia) Sdn. Bhd., Mercer (N.Z.) Limited, Mercer (Nederland) B.V., Mercer (Norge) AS, Mercer (Polska) Sp.z o.o., Mercer (Portugal) Lda, Mercer (Singapore) Pte. Ltd., Mercer (Sweden) AB, Mercer (Taiwan) Ltd., Mercer (Thailand) Ltd., Mercer (US) Inc., Mercer Administration Services (Australia) Pty Limited, Mercer Africa Limited, Mercer Agente de Seguros S.A. de C.V., Mercer Asesores de Seguros S.A., Mercer Asesores es Inversion Independientes S.A. de C.V., Mercer Broking Ltd., Mercer Career Unipessoal Lda, Mercer Consultation (Quebec) Ltee., Mercer Consulting (Australia) Pty Ltd, Mercer Consulting (Chile) Limitada, Mercer Consulting (France) SAS, Mercer Consulting (India) Private Limited, Mercer Consulting B.V., Mercer Consulting Group Inc., Mercer Consulting Holdings Sdn. Bhd., Mercer Consulting Limited, Mercer Consulting Middle East Limited, Mercer Consulting S.L.U., Mercer Consulting Venezuela C.A., Mercer Corredores de Seguros Limitada, Mercer Corretora de Seguros Ltda, Mercer Danismanlik Anonim Sirketi, Mercer Deutschland GmbH, Mercer Employee Benefits - Medicacao de Seguros Unipessoal Lda., Mercer Employee Benefits Limited, Mercer Financial Advice (Australia) Pty Ltd, Mercer Financial Services Limited, Mercer Financial Services Limited liability company, Mercer Financial Services Middle East Limited, Mercer Global Investments Europe Limited, Mercer Global Investments Management Limited, Mercer HR Consulting Borrower LLC, Mercer HR Services LLC, Mercer Health & Benefits (Singapore) Pte. Ltd., Mercer Health & Benefits Administration LLC, Mercer Health & Benefits LLC, Mercer Holdings Inc., Mercer Holdings Inc. [Philippines], Mercer Human Resource Consulting Ltda, Mercer Human Resource Consulting S.A. de C.V., Mercer ICC Limited, Mercer Investment Consulting Limited, Mercer Investment Management (Shanghai) Co. Ltd, Mercer Investment Solutions (Singapore) Pte. Ltd., Mercer Investments (Australia) Limited, Mercer Investments (Hong Kong) Limited, Mercer Investments (Japan) Ltd, Mercer Investments (New Zealand) Limited, Mercer Investments LLC, Mercer Ireland Holdings Limited, Mercer Italia Srl Socio Unico, Mercer Japan Ltd., Mercer Korea Co. Ltd., Mercer LLC, Mercer Limited, Mercer MC Consulting Borrower LLC, Mercer Master Trustees Limited, Mercer Mauritius Ltd., Mercer Oliver Wyman Holding B.V., Mercer Outsourcing (Australia) Pty Ltd, Mercer Outsourcing S.L.U., Mercer Pensionsfonds AG, Mercer Pensionsraadgivning A/S, Mercer Philippines Inc., Mercer Private Investment Partners IV General Partner S.a.r.l., Mercer Private Markets AG, Mercer Private Markets Advisers (US) AG, Mercer Services Poland Sp. z.o.o., Mercer Sigorta Brokerligi Anonim Sirketi, Mercer South Africa (Pty) Limited, Mercer Superannuation (Australia) Limited, Mercer Switzerland Inc., Mercer System Services LLC, Mercer Technology Acquisitions Limited, Mercer Treuhand GmbH, Mercer Trust Company LLC, Mercer Trustees Limited, Mercer WorkforcePro LLC, Mercury Insurance Services Pty Ltd, Moola Systems Limited, Mountlodge Limited, Muir Beddal (Zimbabwe) Limited, NERA Australia Pty. Ltd., NERA Economic Consulting GmbH, NERA Economic Consulting Limited, NERA S.R.L., NERA SAS, NERA UK Limited, NERA do Brasil Ltda. (for dissolution), National Economic Research Associates Inc., NetComp Insurance Corp., Neuburger Noble Lowndes GmbH, Normandy Reinsurance Company Limited, Northern Alliance Brokers Limited (in liquidation), OWL Marine Insurance-Brokers GmbH & Co.KG, OWL Marine Verwaltungs GmbH, Oliver Wyman (Bermuda) Limited, Oliver Wyman (Hong Kong) Limited, Oliver Wyman AB, Oliver Wyman AG, Oliver Wyman Actuarial Consulting Inc., Oliver Wyman B.V., Oliver Wyman Consulting (Shanghai) Ltd, Oliver Wyman Consultoria em Estrategia de Negocios Ltda., Oliver Wyman Energy Consulting Limited, Oliver Wyman FZ-LLC, Oliver Wyman Group KK, Oliver Wyman Inc., Oliver Wyman LLC, Oliver Wyman Limited, Oliver Wyman Limited Liability Company, Oliver Wyman Limited/Oliver Wyman limitee, Oliver Wyman Ltd., Oliver Wyman Pte. Ltd., Oliver Wyman Pty. Ltd., Oliver Wyman S. de R.L. de C.V., Oliver Wyman S.A.S., Oliver Wyman S.L., Oliver Wyman S.r.l., Oliver Wyman SNC, Oliver Wyman SPRL/BVBA, Oliver Wyman Sdn. Bhd., Oliver Wyman Services Limited, Oliver Wyman Servicios S. de R.L. de C.V., Oliver Wyman sp. z o.o., Omega Indemnity (Bermuda) Limited, Organizacion Brockman y Schuh S.A. de C.V., Osbornes Insurances Oxford Limited (in liquidation), PFT Limited, PI Indemnity Company Designated Activity Company, PT JLT Reinsurance Brokers, PT Jardine Lloyd Thompson, PT Marsh Indonesia, PT Marsh Reinsurance Brokers Indonesia, PT Mercer Indonesia, PT Nexus Asia Pacific, PT Oliver Wyman Indonesia, PT Quantum Computing Services, PT Quantum Investments, PT Quantum Support Services, Pallas Marsh Servicos Ltda., Pavilion Alternatives Group (Singapore) PTE. Ltd, Pavilion Financial Corporation Holdings UK Limited, Pavilion U.S. Investments Holdco LLC, Pension Trustees Limited, Pensionsservice Benefit Network Sverige AB, Perils AG, Personal Pension Trustees Limited, Pet Animal Welfare Scheme Limited, Portsoken Trustees (No. 2) Limited, Portsoken Trustees Limited, Potomac Insurance Managers Inc., Premier Pension Trustees Limited, Premium Services Australia Pty Limited, Professional Claims Handling Limited (in liquidation), Profund Solutions Limited, Promerit AG, Promerit Hungary Kft, Promerit Schweiz AG, Pymetrics Inc., R G Ford Brokers Limited, R R B Beratungsgesellschaft fuer Altersversorgung mbh, R. Mees & Zoonen Holdings B.V., Renewable Energy Loss Adjusters LLC, Renewable Energy Loss Adjusters Limited, Resource Benefit Associates, Rightpath Reinsurance SPC Ltd., Risk Management Australia Pty Limited, Rivers Group Limited, Rockefeller Risk Advisors Inc., Rutherfoord International Inc., SAFCAR-Marsh, SBJ Holdings Limited, SCIB (Bermuda) Limited, SCM Global Real Estate Select GP LLC, SCM Infrastructure General Partner S.a r.l., SCM International Private Equity Select III GP LLC, SCM LT General Partner S.a.r.l., SCM PE General Partner S.a.r.l., SCM PE II GP Ltd., SCM PE II Scotland GP Ltd, SCM Strategic Capital Management (Luxembourg) S.a.r.l., SICAR Marsh S.a.r.l., SME Insurance Services Limited, Sail Insurance Company Limited, Scalene Re Ltd, Seabury & Smith Borrower LLC, Seabury & Smith LLC, Secure Limited, Sedgwick (Holdings) Pty. Limited, Sedgwick Consulting Group Limited, Sedgwick Dineen Group Limited, Sedgwick Financial Services Limited, Sedgwick Forbes Middle East Limited, Sedgwick Group, Sedgwick Group (Australia) Pty. Limited, Sedgwick Group (Bermuda) Limited, Sedgwick Group (Zimbabwe) Limited, Sedgwick Group Limited, Sedgwick Internationaal B.V., Sedgwick Limited, Sedgwick Management Services (Barbados) Limited, Sedgwick Management Services (Singapore) Pte Limited, Sedgwick Noble Lowndes (UK) Limited, Sedgwick Noble Lowndes Group Limited, Sedgwick Noble Lowndes Limited, Sedgwick Overseas Investments Limited, Sedgwick Private Limited, Sedgwick Re Asia Pacific (Consultants) Pte Ltd (for dissolution), Sedgwick Trustees Limited, Sedgwick UK Risk Services Limited, Sedgwick Ulster Pension Trustees Limited, Settlement Trustees Limited, Shanghai Mercer Insurance Brokers Company Ltd., Shorewest Insurance Associates LLC, Sirota Asia Pacific Pte. Ltd., Sirota Consulting UK Limited, Smith Long Term Disability Management Group Inc., Societe d'Assurances et de Participation Guian SA, Software Underwriting Systems Limited (in liquidation), Southern Marine & Aviation Inc., Southern Marine & Aviation Underwriters Inc., Sudzucker Versicherungs-Vermittlungs GmbH, Sumitomo Life Insurance Agency America Inc., Sylvite Financial Services, TBX Solutions Limited, Talent Tech Labs LLC, The Benefit Express Holdings Limited, The Benefit Express Limited, The Carpenter Management Corporation, The Insurance Partnership Holdings Limited, The Insurance Partnership Services Limited, The Positive Ageing Company Limited, The Purple Partnership Limited, The Recovre Group Pty Ltd, Thomsons Online Benefits (HK) Ltd., Thomsons Online Benefits Inc., Thomsons Online Benefits Limited, Thomsons Online Benefits Pte Ltd., Thomsons Online Benefits S.R.L, Torrent Government Contracting Services LLC, Torrent Insurance Services LLC, Torrent Technologies, Torrent Technologies Inc., Tower Hill Limited, Tower Place Developments (West) Limited, Tower Place Developments Limited, U.T.E. AMG, U.T.E. Marsh - Caja Castilla La Mancha Junta de Comunidades, U.T.E. Marsh - Salvado Reus (in liquidation), U.T.E. Marsh - Salvado Reus 2012, U.T.E. Marsh - Salvado Vila-Seca 2010, UAD BB Marsh Lietuva, Vezina & Associes Inc., Vezina Assurances Inc., Victor Insurance Europe B.V., Victor Insurance Holdings Inc., Victor Insurance Italia S.r.l., Victor Insurance Managers Inc., Victor Insurance Managers Inc./Gestionnaires d'assurance Victor inc., Victor O. Schinnerer & Co. (Bermuda) Ltd., Victor O. Schinnerer & Company Limited, Victoria Hall Company Limited, Wellnz Limited, William M. Mercer (Canada) Limited/William M. Mercer (Canada) Limitee, William M. Mercer AB, William M. Mercer Comercio Consultoria e Servicos Ltda., Wortham Insurance & Risk Management, everBe SAS, and realright GmbH.

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The following companies are subsidiares of Hyatt Hotels: CHANCELLOR STREET CONDOMINIUM ASSOCIATION INC., GLENDALE HOTEL PROPERTIES L.L.C., HT-SEATTLE HOLDINGS LLC, 1379919 ALBERTA INC., 319168 ONTARIO LIMITED, 3385434 CANADA INC., ADMINISTRACION DE PERSONAL ANDARES S. DE R.L. DE C.V., AIC HOLDING CO., AIRPORT PLAZA ASSOCIATES LIMITED PARTNERSHIP, AIRPORT PLAZA HOTEL LLC, AIRPORT PLAZA OFFICE BUILDING LIMITED PARTNERSHIP, AMERISUITES FRANCHISING L.L.C., ARANCIA LIMITED, ARUBA BEACHFRONT RESORTS LIMITED PARTNERSHIP, ARUBA BEACHFRONT RESORTS N.V., ASIA HOSPITALITY INC., ASIA HOSPITALITY INVESTORS B.V., ASIAN HOTEL N.V., ATRIUM HOTEL L.L.C., AUSTIN RESORT BEVERAGE LLC, AmeriSuites Hotel, BAKU HOTEL COMPANY - AZERI, BAKU HOTEL COMPANY - CAYMAN, BASTROP MARKETING L.L.C., BAY II INVESTOR INC., BELLEVUE ASSOCIATES, BH PLAZA LLC, BRE/AMERISUITES PROPERTIES L.L.C., BRE/AMERISUITES TXNC GP L.L.C., BRE/AMERISUITES TXNC PROPERTIES L.P., BURVAN HOTEL ASSOCIATES, CAL-HARBOR SO. PIER URBAN RENEWAL ASSOCIATES L.P., CELAYA RESORTS S. DE R.L. DE C.V., CHESAPEAKE COMMUNITIES LLC, CHESAPEAKE RESORT LLC, CIUDAD DEL CARMEN DIAMANTE RESORT S. DE R.L. DE C.V, COAST BEACH L.L.C., COMPAGNIE HOTELIERE DE LAGON BLEU, CPM SEATTLE HOTELS L.L.C., CRW INVESTMENT LLC, CTR INTEREST HOLDCO INC., DALLAS REGENCY LLC, DENVER DOWNTOWN HOTEL PARTNERS LLC, DESARROLLADORA HOTELERA ACUEDUCTO S. DE R.L. DE C.V., DH BEVERAGE LLC, DIAMANTE RESORT LA PAZ S. DE R.L. DE C.V., DISTRICT HOTEL PARTNERS LLC, EXHALE ENTERPRISES GIFT SERVICES COMPANY, EXHALE ENTERPRISES II L.L.C., EXHALE ENTERPRISES III INC., EXHALE ENTERPRISES IV L.L.C., EXHALE ENTERPRISES L.L.C., EXHALE ENTERPRISES V L.L.C., EXHALE ENTERPRISES VIII INC., EXHALE ENTERPRISES X INC., EXHALE ENTERPRISES XII L.L.C., EXHALE ENTERPRISES XIV L.L.C., EXHALE ENTERPRISES XIX L.L.C., EXHALE ENTERPRISES XV L.L.C., EXHALE ENTERPRISES XV TCI LTD., EXHALE ENTERPRISES XVI L.L.C., EXHALE ENTERPRISES XVII L.L.C., EXHALE ENTERPRISES XVIII L.L.C., EXHALE ENTERPRISES XX L.L.C., EXHALE ENTERPRISES XXI INC., EXHALE ENTERPRISES XXIV L.L.C., EXHALE ENTERPRISES XXV L.L.C., EXHALE ENTERPRISES XXVI L.L.C., EXHALE ENTERPRISES XXVII L.L.C., EXHALE ENTERPRISES XXVIII L.L.C., EXHALE ENTERPRISES XXXI L.L.C., EXHALE ENTERPRISES XXXII L.L.C., EXHALE ENTERPRISES XXXIII INC., FAN PIER L.L.C., FAR EAST HOTELS INC., G.E.H. PROPERTIES LIMITED, GAINEY DRIVE ASSOCIATES, GALAXY AEROSPACE COMPANY LLC, GHE HOLDINGS LIMITED, GRAND HYATT BERLIN GMBH, GRAND HYATT DFW BEVERAGE LLC, GRAND HYATT SAN ANTONIO L.L.C., GRAND HYATT SF L.L.C., GRAND RIVERWALK BEVERAGE LLC, GRAND TORONTO CORP., GRAND TORONTO VENTURE L.P., GREENWICH HOTEL LIMITED PARTNERSHIP, H.E. ATLANTA CENTENNIAL PARK HOLDINGS L.L.C., H.E. AUSTIN L.L.C., H.E. BERMUDA L.L.C., H.E. CAP CANA L.L.C., H.E. DRISKILL LLC, H.E. GRAND CYPRESS L.L.C., H.E. IRVINE L.L.C., H.E. KANSAS CITY L.L.C., H.E. LENOX L.L.C., H.E. NASHVILLE L.L.C., H.E. NEWPORT L.L.C., H.E. ORLANDO L.L.C., H.E. PHILADELPHIA HC HOLDINGS L.L.C., H.E. PHILADELPHIA HC HOTEL L.L.C., H.E. PHILADELPHIA HC PARKING L.L.C., H.E. PHILADELPHIA HC RETAIL L.L.C., H.E. PHILADELPHIA SANSOM L.L.C., H.E. PORTLAND HC L.L.C., H.E. PORTLAND L.L.C., H.E. PROPERTIES HOLDING L.L.C., H.E. PROPERTIES L.L.C., H.E. SAN ANTONIO I L.L.C., H.E. SAN ANTONIO L.L.C., H.E. TUCSON HOLDINGS L.L.C., H.E. TUCSON JV HOLDINGS L.L.C., H.E. TUCSON JV L.L.C., H.E. TUCSON OWNER L.L.C., HAPP INVESTOR LTD., HARBORSIDE HOTEL LLC, HARBORSIDE LAND LLC, HC PORTLAND JV HOLDINGS L.L.C., HC ROYAL PALMS L.L.C., HCV CINCINNATI HOTEL L.L.C., HE ORLANDO HOTEL LLC, HGP (TRAVEL) LIMITED, HH NASHVILLE HOLDINGS L.L.C., HH NASHVILLE JV HOLDINGS L.L.C., HH PORTLAND L.L.C., HHMA BURLINGTON BEVERAGE L.L.C., HI HOLDINGS (SWITZERLAND) GMBH, HI HOLDINGS BAJA B.V., HI HOLDINGS BRAZIL S.A.R.L., HI HOLDINGS CELAYA B.V., HI HOLDINGS CIUDAD DEL CARMEN B.V., HI HOLDINGS CYPRUS LIMITED, HI HOLDINGS CYPRUS-INDIA LIMITED, HI HOLDINGS GUADALAJARA B.V., HI HOLDINGS HP CABO B.V., HI HOLDINGS HP TIJUANA HOTEL B.V., HI HOLDINGS KYOTO CO., HI HOLDINGS LA PAZ B.V., HI HOLDINGS LATIN AMERICA B.V., HI HOLDINGS NETHERLANDS B.V., HI HOLDINGS PLAYA B.V., HI HOLDINGS RIO S.A.R.L., HI HOLDINGS RIVIERA MAYA B.V., HI HOLDINGS VIENNA S.A.R.L., HI HOLDINGS ZURICH S.A.R.L., HI HOTEL ADVISORY SERVICES GMBH, HI HOTEL INVESTORS CYPRUS LIMITED, HIHCL AMSTERDAM B.V., HIHCL HP AMSTERDAM AIRPORT B.V., HIHCL HR AMSTERDAM B.V., HILP HOTEL SERVICE PROVIDER LLC, HOTEL AM BELVEDERE HOLDING GMBH, HOTEL AM BELVEDERE HOLDING GMBH & CO KG, HOTEL INVESTMENTS HOLDING CO LLC, HOTEL INVESTMENTS L.L.C., HOTEL INVESTORS I INC., HOTEL INVESTORS II INC., HOTEL PROJECT SYSTEMS PTE LTD, HOTEL SERVICES CIUDAD DEL CARMEN S. DE R.L. DE C.V., HOTELS CS CELAYA S. DE R.L. DE C.V., HP ATLANTA CENTENNIAL PARK JV LLC, HP AUSTIN L.L.C., HP BEVERAGE DALLAS DFW AIRPORT LLC, HP BEVERAGE SUGAR LAND LLC, HP BOSTON HOLDINGS L.L.C., HP GLENDALE JV HOLDINGS L.L.C., HP GLENDALE L.L.C., HP INDIA HOLDINGS LIMITED, HP LAS VEGAS BEVERAGE L.L.C., HP M STREET L.L.C., HP ROUTE 46 TEXAS LLC, HP SAN FRANCISCO L.L.C., HP SAN JUAN L.L.C., HP TEN TEXAS LLC, HPHH ATLANTA L.L.C., HPHH DENVER L.L.C., HPHH SAN JOSE JV HOLDINGS L.L.C., HPHH SAN JOSE L.L.C., HQ CHESAPEAKE LLC, HR LOST PINES RESORT LLC, HR MC HOTEL COMPANY S. DE R.L. DE C.V., HR MC SERVICES II S. DE R.L. DE C.V., HR MC SERVICES S. DE R.L. DE C.V., HRHC LLC, HT- WAILEA LLC, HT-AVENDRA GROUP HOLDINGS L.L.C., HT-AVENDRA L.L.C., HT-CHESAPEAKE COMMUNITIES INC., HT-CHESAPEAKE RESORT INC., HT-HOTEL EQUITIES INC., HT-HUNTINGTON BEACH INC., HT-JERSEY PIER INC., HT-JERSEY PIER L.P., HT-JERSEY PIER LLC, HT-LONG BEACH L.L.C., HT-MIAMI BEACH L.L.C., HT-PARK 57 INC., HT-SEATTLE LLC, HT-SIERRA L.L.C., HT-VANCOUVER INC., HTLB L.L.C., HTS - NS L.L.C., HTS - NY L.L.C., HTS-ASPEN L.L.C., HTS-BC INC., HTS-INVESTMENT L L.C., HTSF L.L.C., HTW BEVERAGE LLC, HY LONG BEACH HOTEL LLC, HYATT (BARBADOS) CORPORATION, HYATT (JAPAN) CO. LTD., HYATT (THAILAND) LIMITED, HYATT ARUBA N.V., HYATT ASIA PACIFIC HOLDINGS LIMITED, HYATT AUSTRALIA HOTEL MANAGEMENT PTY LIMITED, HYATT AUSTRIA GMBH, HYATT BEACH FRONT N.V., HYATT BORNEO MANAGEMENT SERVICES LIMITED, HYATT BRITANNIA CORPORATION LTD., HYATT CC OFFICE CORP., HYATT CHAIN SERVICES LIMITED, HYATT CRYSTAL CITY LLC., HYATT CURACAO N.V., HYATT DISASTER RELIEF FUND, HYATT DO BRASIL PARTICIPACOES LTDA, HYATT EQUITIES L.L.C., HYATT FOREIGN EMPLOYMENT SERVICES INC., HYATT FRANCHISING CANADA CORP., HYATT FRANCHISING L.L.C., HYATT FRANCHISING LATIN AMERICA L.L.C., HYATT FULFILLMENT OF MARYLAND INC., HYATT GLOBAL SERVICES INC., HYATT GTLD L.L.C., HYATT HOC INC., HYATT HOLDINGS (UK) LIMITED, HYATT HOSPITALITY SERVICES L.L.C., HYATT HOTEL MANAGEMENT LIMITED, HYATT HOTELS CONSULTANCY SERVICES ASIA PACIFIC LIMITED, HYATT HOTELS CORPORATION OF KANSAS, HYATT HOTELS CORPORATION OF MARYLAND, HYATT HOTELS FOUNDATION, HYATT HOTELS MANAGEMENT CORPORATION, HYATT HOTELS OF CANADA INC., HYATT HOTELS OF FLORIDA INC., HYATT HOTELS OF PUERTO RICO INC., HYATT HOUSE CANADA INC., HYATT HOUSE FRANCHISING L.L.C., HYATT HOUSE HOTEL HOLDING COMPANY L.L.C., HYATT INDIA CONSULTANCY PRIVATE LIMITED, HYATT INTERNATIONAL (ASIA) LIMITED, HYATT INTERNATIONAL (EUROPE AFRICA MIDDLE EAST) LLC, HYATT INTERNATIONAL - JAPAN LIMITED, HYATT INTERNATIONAL - SOUTHWEST ASIA LIMITED, HYATT INTERNATIONAL -ASIA PACIFIC LIMITED, HYATT INTERNATIONAL -SEA (PTE) LIMITED, HYATT INTERNATIONAL CORPORATION, HYATT INTERNATIONAL HOLDINGS CO., HYATT INTERNATIONAL HOTEL MANAGEMENT (BEIJING) CO. LTD., HYATT INTERNATIONAL MILAN L.L.C., HYATT INTERNATIONAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT (BEIJING) CO. LTD., HYATT INTERNATIONAL TECHNICAL SERVICES INC., HYATT JV HOLDINGS L.L.C., HYATT LACSA SERVICES INC., HYATT LOUISIANA L.L.C., HYATT MAINZ GMBH, HYATT MARKETING SERVICES INC., HYATT MARKETING SERVICES NIGERIA COMPANY LIMITED, HYATT MINNEAPOLIS LLC, HYATT MINORITY INVESTMENTS INC., HYATT MSS L.L.C., HYATT NORTH AMERICA MANAGEMENT SERVICES INC., HYATT OF AUSTRALIA LIMITED, HYATT OF BAJA S. DE R.L. DE C.V., HYATT OF CHINA LIMITED, HYATT OF FRANCE S.A.R.L., HYATT OF GUAM LIMITED, HYATT OF ITALY S.R.L., HYATT OF LATIN AMERICA AND CARIBBEAN L.L.C., HYATT OF LATIN AMERICA S.A. DE C.V., HYATT OF MACAU LIMITED, HYATT OF MEXICO S.A. DE C.V., HYATT OF PHILIPPINES LIMITED, HYATT PARTNERSHIP INTERESTS L.L.C., HYATT PLACE ANNE ARUNDEL BEVERAGE INC., HYATT PLACE CANADA CORPORATION, HYATT PLACE FRANCHISING L.L.C., HYATT PLACE OF MARYLAND INC., HYATT REGENCY COLOGNE GMBH, HYATT REGENCY CORPORATION PTY. LIMITED, HYATT SERVICES AUSTRALIA PTY LIMITED, HYATT SERVICES CANADA INC., HYATT SERVICES CARIBBEAN L.L.C., HYATT SERVICES GMBH, HYATT SERVICES INDIA PRIVATE LIMITED, HYATT SHARED SERVICE CENTER L.L.C., HYATT TRINIDAD LIMITED, HYCANADA INC., HYCARD INC., HYSTAR L.L.C., Hyatt Corporation, INFORMATION SERVICES LIMITED, INTERNATIONAL RESERVATIONS LIMITED, JOINT VENTURE ITALKYR CLOSED JOINT STOCK COMPANY, JUNIPER HOTELS PRIVATE LIMITED, KSA MANAGEMENT INC., KYOTO HOLDING CO., LHR-PARTNERS LTD., LORING PARK ASSOCIATES LIMITED PARTNERSHIP, LOST PINES BEVERAGE LLC, MACAE PARTNERS S.A.R.L., MAHIMA HOLDINGS PRIVATE LIMITED, MARION RESERVATION CENTER L.L.C., MEXICO CITY HOTEL INVESTMENTS B.V., MILAN HOTEL INVESTMENTS B.V., MIRAVAL ARIZONA GUARANTOR LLC, MIRAVAL GROUP LLC, MIRAVAL RESORT ARIZONA HOLDINGS LLC, MIRAVAL RESORT ARIZONA LLC, MIRAVAL RESORT ARIZONA OPERATING CO. INC., MIRAVAL RESORT TUCSON LLC, MONROE MR HOLDINGS I LLC, MONROE MR HOLDINGS II LLC, MONROE MR HOLDINGS III LLC, MONROE MR HOLDINGS LLC, MONROE MR HOLDINGS TRUST, MRG ATX BEVERAGE HOLDINGS LLC, MRG ATX HOLDINGS II LLC, MRG ATX HOLDINGS LLC, MRG ATX INVESTMENT LLC, MRG ATX MANAGEMENT I LLC, MRG ATX MANAGEMENT II LLC, MRG ATX OPERATIONS LLC, MRG CRW HOLDINGS LLC, MRG CRW MANAGEMENT I LLC, MRG CRW MANAGEMENT II LLC, MRG CRW OPERATIONS LLC, MUNICH OPCO GMBH, Miraval Resort, OASIS LUXURY RENTALS INCORPORATED, PARIS HOTEL COMPANY B.V., PARK HYATT HAMBURG GMBH, PARK HYATT HOTEL GMBH, PARK HYATT WATER TOWER ASSOCIATES L.L.C., PH NEW YORK L.L.C., PHMC RESIDENCIAS S. DE R.L. DE C.V., POLK SMITH REGENCY LLC, PT HYATT INDONESIA, PVD INVESTMENT COMPANY S.A.R.L., Peabody Hotels & Resort, RCG PROPERTIES LLC, REGENCY BEVERAGE COMPANY LLC, REGENCY RIVERWALK BEVERAGE LLC, RESERVATIONS CENTER L.L.C., RIO JV PARTNERS PARTICIPACOES LTDA., RIO PRETO PARTNERS HOTEIS LTDA., RIO PRETO PARTNERS S.A.R.L., ROSEMONT PROJECT MANAGEMENT L.L.C., ROUTE 46 MANAGEMENT ASSOCIATES CORP., RUNWAY HOLDING L.L.C., RUNWAY L.L.C., SAO PAULO INVESTMENT COMPANY INC., SAO PAULO INVESTORS LIMITED, SASIH, SDI EQUITIES INVESTOR L.L.C., SDI INC., SDI SECURITIES 11 LLC, SDI SECURITIES 6 LLC, SELECT HOTELS GROUP L.L.C., SELECT JV HOLDINGS L.L.C., SEOUL MIRAMAR CORPORATION, SERVICIOS DE HOTELERIA SAN JOSE S. DE R.L. DE C.V., SERVICIOS HOTELEROS LA PAZ S. DE R.L. DE C.V., SETTLEMENT INVESTORS INC., SHG PUERTO RICO INC., SIERRA HEALTHSTYLES LLC, SJC DESARROLLOS S. DE R.L. DE C.V., SKS CORP. N.V., SMC HOTELS B.V., SOROCABA PARTNERS HOTEIS LTDA, SOROCABA PARTNERS S.A.R.L., STANHOPE L.L.C., STARHILL LORING PARK L.L.C., SUGAR LAND/HP LLC, THE GREAT EASTERN HOTEL COMPANY LIMITED, THE GREAT EASTERN HOTEL HOLDING COMPANY LIMITED, TIJUANA PARTNERS S. DE R.L. DE C.V., TR MANAGEMENT INVESTMENT LLC, TUCSON VILLAS HOLDINGS LLC, TUCSON VILLAS LLC, TWO SEAS HOLDINGS LIMITED, Two Roads Hospitality, WAILEA HOTEL & BEACH RESORT L.L.C., WAILEA HOTEL HOLDINGS L.L.C., WAILEA MANAGEMENT ASSOCIATION L.L.C., WAILEA RESORT VILLAS HOLDINGS L.L.C., WAILEA RESORT VILLAS L.L.C., WEST END RESIDENCES L.L.C., XENIA ASSURANCE COMPANY INC., XENIA ASSURANCE COMPANY OF ILLINOIS, ZURICH ESCHERWIESE HOTEL GMBH, and ZURICH HOTEL INVESTMENTS B.V..

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Illegal immigrants trapped inside cold trailer

By: Tanya Clark WorldWideWeirdNews.com

(Scroll down for video) A group of illegal immigrants are lucky to be alive after police rescued them from a locked refrigerated tractor trailer, according to police in Texas.

U.S. Border Patrol agents rescued 18 people from the locked tractor trailer at the Falfurrias Checkpoint early on Wednesday morning.

The rescue occurred when the refrigerated tractor trailer was referred for secondary inspection after a K9 alerted agents to suspicious activity.

During inspection, Falfurrias agents discovered the immigrants concealed within produce with the temperature set at 51 degrees in the trailer.

The immigrants had no means of escape from the trailer since it was locked on the outside. Agents had to use bolt cutters to remove the lock as the driver did not have the key.

The driver, a Mexican national, was arrested and referred for prosecution. The immigrants came from various countries, including Mexico, Colombia, Honduras, El Salvador, Guatemala and Kosovo.

Officials urged immigrants not to jeopardize their lives by illegally entering the United States or by attempting to circumvent a checkpoint.
FOLKSTON, Ga. (AP) - A sparsely populated area of Georgia's southernmost county is under a mandatory evacuation after a wildfire in the Okefenokee Swamp on the Georgia-Florida line began encroaching onto private property.

Charlton County officials say Saturday's evacuation order affects the area from Jim Crawford Loop road south to St. George on the west side of Highway 121.

County Administrator Shawn Boatright describes the area as "very rural" but noted there are some homes that could be affected. He couldn't immediately say how many residents might be affected but says a temporary shelter has been opened in the gymnasium at the Folkston Elementary School. He says it will stay open indefinitely.

The wildfire started by lightning April 6 and has since burned more than 150 square miles (389 sq. kilometers) on public lands.
ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) - Independent liquor store owners in central Florida are asking customers to support their efforts urging the governor to veto a bill allowing the sale of spirits in grocery stores.

A proposal nicknamed the "Whiskey and Wheaties Bill" (SB 106) would allow grocery stores and big box retailers to sell liquor alongside other products. Gov. Rick Scott could sign the bill into law. It passed the Florida Legislature last month with a one-vote margin in the House.

Florida currently requires retailers to sell liquor in separate stores.

Independent liquor store owners opposed the bill, saying they'll be driven out of business.

The Orlando Sentinel reports (http://bit.ly/2qbhaAj ) that at Bully's Liquor stores in Orlando last week, employees asked customers to sign a petition asking Scott to veto the bill.
CARROLL COUNTY, Ga. (CNN) - America's growing opioid crisis just got a little worse.

Authorities in Georgia are now warning officers about two new street drugs that are popping up across the state. They are so dangerous that even touching them can be deadly.

"Eventually, we want to be able to have it readily available to our citizens," said Bud Benefield, Deputy Chief, Caroll County Fire Rescue.

In Carroll County, just outside Atlanta, Deputy Chief Bud Benefield is on a mission. He wants every first responder to carry Narcan, a nasal spray that reverses the effects of an opioid overdose.

"Sometimes they are revived in as little as 2 to 3 minutes," said Benefield.

Sounds like a miracle drug... "It does. It sounds like a miracle drug," said Benefield.

But the miracle drug, may have not be so miraculous when it comes to the street drugs Furanyl, Fentanyl and U-47700, both on the rise in Georgia, and both so strong, investigators say a single dose of Narcan may not be enough.

"That's very, very scary," said Nelly Miles. Miles speaks for the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, which she says has seen some combination of the drugs 50 times this year, causing 17 deaths, the same number as in all of 2016.

"This crop of synthetic opioids is for us, unheard of. It is unprecedented to see these types of concoctions coming into the crime labs here in Georgia," said Miles.

The drugs have all the trappings of Fentanyl, an opioid that's often linked to overdoses and deaths. But, these next generation drugs are so potent, Miles says even touching them can be deadly.

"They are transdermals, that means that it can be absorbed through the skin. So if you're not wearing your personal protective gear, you can be exposed and at risk," said Miles.

What makes the drugs even scarier is they're sometimes pressed into pills meant to look like more common street drugs. Even for drug users, every high is Russian roulette.

"These days you have no idea what you're getting. So the moral to the story is just stay away from it all. It's just really out of control," said Miles.

Miles says the drugs are made in China, and often come through Mexico before reaching the United States. These drugs are so new that it was just last month that Georgia officially outlawed them. Other states are still catching up.

"It's becoming a nationwide epidemic," said Benefield.
A former member of the FSU track team is found guilty of theft of government funds, aggravated identity theft and false claims.

According to the Department of Justice, Teona Rodgers was on the track and field team at Florida State when she took part in a scheme to file fraudulent tax returns. Numerous false returns were filed during the 2011 and 2012 tax seasons.

The scheme was uncovered in November of 2013 when 12 debit cards in other people's names were discovered in Rodgers' apartment.

Investigators from a Financial Crimes Taskforce also found notebooks with names, dates of birth, social security numbers and tax information for more than 150 people.

Rodgers' sentencing hearing is scheduled for August. She faces a maximum of 10 years in prison for the government theft charges alone.
One day, we will be exposed to the talks held between so-called unofficial Israeli emissaries and key figures in Hamas. I am familiar with at least two cases, in which the parties had no problem engaging in long conversations behind the scenes. Naturally, until further notice, no one will confirm or reveal anything.

Its important to admit that these talks yielded very little on the ground. Their advantage is in deepening the understandings of what bothers Israel and what annoys (but who cares?) the other side.

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One cannot ignore the cynical timing in which Hamas presented its document of principles and general policies. It hit us (although unsurprisingly) in the transition between Memorial Day and Independence Day. It hit Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas (who had prior knowledge of it) on his way to a meeting with US President Donald Trump at the White House. And lets not forget the Palestinian prisoners hunger strike led by Marwan Barghouti, who is seeking to replace 83-year-old Abbas as Palestinian Authority president, when the latter decides to step down or no longer exists. It is also the last political movebarring any surprisesof Hamas secretary-general, Khaled Mashal, who is supposed to retire.

Hamas is a stubborn ideological movement that has vowed to never recognize Israel, to continue the violence and not to give up an inch (Photo: EPA)

Hamas worked on this document for at least three years, consulting jurists, the military wing in Gaza, Hamas veterans abroad (Moussa Abu Marzouk) and the movements philosopher (Azzam Tamimi in London, who is unhappy with the end result). The top Hamas prisoners in our jails offered their two cents as well from behind the bars. Delving into the 42 sections of the document, one can detect quite easily the power struggles and serious differences of opinion between the Hamas in Gaza and the Hamas outside the strip, which is even more radical.

No matter how we look at it, the original Hamas Charter has undergone a mini facelift: Hamas is finally erasing the call to destroy Israel, but is vowing at the same time to never give up the armed struggle against the occupation, in all ways and means. This means we are not rid of suicide bombers, stabbings, explosive devices, tunnels, rockets and abductions. Only a week ago, I received an email with a repulsive Hamas propaganda videoa sort of punch in the stomachabout the Israeli MIAs, which our media chose to ignore, and rightfully so.

The updated document has two new aspects: For the first time, Hamas is calling for the establishment of a Palestinian state within the 1967 borders. This means that the dreams about the great Palestine have disappearedthe document demands an independent Palestinian state, led by Hamas, in all the West Bank and the Gaza Strip with east Jerusalem as its capital. This also means, without mentioning the explicit name, that Hamas is coming to terms with the idea of another state, Israel, as its close neighbor. Unlike Abbas PA, however, Hamas is first of all demanding the liberation of all occupied territories, through its own methods, without giving up an inch and without agreeing to a land swap.

The Hamas leadership is using the new document as part of its effort to rid itself of the label of a terror organization. They are shaking off their ties to the mother movement, the Muslim Brotherhood, and promising Egypt and Jordan not to intervene in the matters of other countries. For this reason, they are also announcing that Hamas has nothing against the Jews and Judaism, but only against the Zionist occupation.

Moreover, Mashal and his group are slyly indicating to Trump and the European Union: Take us. You and we know that Abbas is done and that Hamas is more popular among Palestinians more than the corrupt Fatah. Give us the opportunity we deserve, because we are the national movement for liberation, while Abbas is cutting salaries and has stopped funding Gaza electricity because he has lost power.

If we could address the document of principles as a starting point, continue the discreet dialogue and put changes into it, we would be able to blur the long accounts waiting to be settled with Hamas and march together toward the dawn of a new day. But Hamas is a stubborn ideological movement, which has vowed to never recognize Israel, to continue the violence and not to give up an inch. I take their word for it.
For years, Ismail Haniyeh led Hamas in Gaza, but starting Saturdayhe will lead the entire organization.

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Haniyeh succeeds Hamas' longtime exiled leader Khaled Mashaal, who acted as the head of Hamas for the last 21 years.

Ismail Haniyeh (Photo: AP)

Over the last few years, Haniyeh confronted Palestinian Authority (PA) President Mahmoud Abbas on several different occasions, encouraged acts of terrorism even in times of ceasefire and announced victory after every battle against Israel.

Haniyeh, 52, also known as Abu al-Abed, was born in 1963 to a family of refugees in Al-Shati Camp near Gaza beach, where he lives to this day. In 1987, he graduated from the Islamic University of Gaza with a degree in Arabic literature.

This is where his political career began, joining Hamas while he was still a university student. From 1985 to 1986, he was head of the student council representing the Muslim Brotherhooda movement which slowly became the ideological patron of Hamas.

Arrested three times by Israel in the late eighties, he became one of more than 400 expelled to southern Lebanon in December 1992. By then, he was already one of the leaders of Hamas' new generation, known for his charisma and excellent rhetoric skills.

After Israel was forced to release Hamas leader Ahmed Yassin from prison in 1997 following a failed assassination attempt on Khaled Mashaal in Jordan, Haniyeh was appointed to head his office.

Ismail Haniyeh (R) and Khaled Mashaal (L) (Photo: AP)

Due to his relationship with Yassin, Haniyeh's prominence within Hamas grew and he was appointed as representative to the Palestinian Authority.

Following a suicide bombing in Jerusalem in 2003, his hand was lightly injured during an IAF attack attempting to eliminate Hamas leadership.

In December 2006, Haniyeh was elected to head the Hamas list, which won the Legislative Council elections the following month. As a result, Haniyeh was sworn in as the PA prime minister, but on June 2007, Abbas dismissed Haniyeh and appointed Salam Fayyad in his place after Hamas orchestrated a coup in Gaza.

The appointment of Fayyad to replace Haniyeh has been challenged as illegal because under Palestinian law, the president of the Palestinian Authority may dismiss a sitting prime minister, but may not appoint a replacement without the approval of the Palestinian Legislative Council.

According to the law, until a new prime minister is thus appointed, the outgoing prime minister heads a caretaker government.

Mahmoud Abbas (R) and Salam Fayyad (Photo: EPA)

Fayyad's appointment was never approved by the Legislative Council. For this reason, Haniyeh has continued to operate in Gaza, serving as leader of Hamas in Gaza and deputy to Khaled Mashaal, recognized by a large number of Palestinians as the legitimate acting prime minister.

Anis al-Qasem, the Palestinian constitutional lawyer who drafted the Basic Law, is among those who publicly declared the appointment of Fayyad to be illegal.

In 2009, Haniyeh congratulated Barack Obama on his victory in the US presidency elections, saying that victory was a "triumph of equality over discrimination."

He then called on Obama to support the Palestinians' right to freedom, saying, "We are on our way to liberation, like the people of South Africa and America. We can't be satisfied living under a terroristic and barbaric occupation."

A year later, Haniyeh named his grandson Erdogan after Turkey's president, who remains in power to this day. He did so after the Turkish president expressed his support for the Palestinian people and objection to Israel.

Photo: AFP

In 2012, in commemoration of the third anniversary of Operation Cast Lead, Haniyeh gave an interview to British online newspaper The Independent, claiming that the Gaza blockade enacted in September 2007after Hamas won the brief but brutal civil war against Fatahwas "the biggest crime that modern history ever witnessed."

"We want to live like the rest of the world. To have rights. To have a state," Haniyeh insisted.

Then, when asked about Hamas' use of suicide bombers, Haniyeh said that they were not "suicide operations," but "martyrdom operations," claiming, "We only did this because there's bloodshed committed by the Israelis. It is a reaction to F16s bombarding people, killing men, women and children. They continued targeting Palestinian civilians, and that's what pushed the Islamic fighters to carry out this kind of operation."

He even claimed that Hamas is not a terror organization, saying, "The Europeans and Americans have said the martyrdom operations are why Hamas has been put on the terrorist list. But now these operations have stopped. Did they then remove Hamas from the list of terrorist organizations?

"We do not launch wars. We are people resisting occupation."

Forever the populist, that same yearjust one day after Operation Pillar of DefenseHaniyeh said, "Victory is a fact. The Middle East has changed." Two years later, after the end of Operation Protective Edge, Haniyeh made similar claims, saying, "We amazed the world; we surprised Israel."

Ismail Haniyeh victory dance after Operation Protective Edge

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After coming out of his 50-day stay in an underground bunker, Haniyeh stated that "those whose blood was spilled and the martyrs were the fuel of this victory. It's is a victory twice the size of the one in Operation Pillar of Defense."

The new leader of Hamas has made ties with the other factions in Gaza, including Islamic Jihad. He is a welcomed figure in Qatar (the main donor for the rehabilitation of Gaza), Turkey (whom he supported and even visited after the Gaza flotilla raid) and is even highly regarded in Iran.

But, there may be hope after all. Despite his venomous rhetoric against Israel and the fact that he served as the leader of a group responsible for many terrorist attacks against Israeli citizens, Haniyeh was not deterred from seeking aid in Israel, admitting two of his daughters to an Israeli hospital in 2013 and 2014 when they needed medical treatment.

(Translated & edited by Lior Mor)
After a tumultuous election campaign filled with scandal and surprises, French voters will decide on Sunday whether a pro-European Union centrist or an anti-EU, anti-immigration far-rightist will lead them for the next five years, with early figures indicating turnout could be low, but above most recent forecasts.

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Opinion polls indicate they will pick Emmanuel Macron, a 39-year-old ex-economy minister who wants to bridge the left-right divide, resisting an anti-establishment tide that has seen Britons vote to leave the EU and Americans choose Donald Trump as US president.

But should an upset occur and National Front candidate Marine Le Pen win, the very future of the EU could be on the line given her desire to close borders, dump the euro currency, and tear up trade treaties.

Marine Le Pen vs. Emmanuel Macron (Photo: EPA)

Macron, who wants to deregulate the economy and deepen EU integration, is set to win the head-to-head with between 61.5 and 63 percent of the vote, according to the last opinion polls on Friday.

Voting stations opened across mainland France at 8am under the watch of 50,000 security forces guarding against extremist attacks. A security scare caused by a suspicious bag prompted the brief evacuation of the Louvre museum courtyard where Macron plans to celebrate election night.

By midday, both candidates had voted, he in Le Touquet on the north coast, and she in the northern town of Henin-Beaumont.

Midday turnout figures from the Interior Ministry said 28.23 percent of voters had turned out so far, the lowest at this stage of the day since the 2002 presidential poll, when it was 26.19 percent. Turnouts at midday in 2012 and 2007 were 30.66 percent and 34.11 percent respectively.

A poll on Friday had predicted a final turnout of 75 percent this time. The eventual turnouts in 2002, 2007 and 2012 were all above 80 percent.

Pollsters see likely abstentions as highest among left-wing voters who feel disenfranchised by Sunday's choice after nine other candidates were eliminated in first round, but it is unclear what a high or low turnout could mean for the outcome.

Nevertheless, voter surveys forecasting the result itself proved accurate for the tight first round race last month.

Markets have risen in response to Macron's widening lead over his rival after a bitter debate on Wednesday.

In a campaign that has seen favorites drop out of the race one after the other, Le Pen, who wants to close borders, ditch the euro currency and clamp down on migration, is nevertheless closer to elected power than the far right has ever been in Western Europe since World War Two.

Marine Le Pen (Photo: AP)

Even if opinion polls prove accurate and France elects its youngest president ever rather than its first female leader, Macron himself has said he expects no honeymoon period.

Abstention could be high and close to 60 percent of those who plan to vote for Macron say they will do so to stop Le Pen from being elected to lead the euro zone's second-largest economy rather than because they fully agree with the former banker-turned-politician.

"The expected victory...wouldn't be a blank check for Emmanuel Macron," Odoxa pollsters said in a note. "A huge majority will not be backing him wholeheartedly."

Data breach

The campaign was hit by yet another surprise on Friday night just before the quiet period which forbids politicians from commenting started, as Macron's team said a massive hack had dumped emails, documents and campaign financing information online.

As much as 9 gigabytes of data were posted on a profile called EMLEAKS to Pastebin, a site that allows anonymous document sharing. It was not immediately clear who was responsible for posting the data or if any of it was genuine.

In a statement, Macron's political movement En Marche! (Onwards!) confirmed that it had been hacked.

Emmanuel Macron (Photo: AP)

"The En Marche! Movement has been the victim of a massive and co-ordinated hack this evening which has given rise to the diffusion on social media of various internal information," the statement said.

Macron's campaign has previously complained about attempts to hack its emails, blaming Russian interests in part for the cyber attacks.

On April 26, the team said it had been the target of a attempts to steal email credentials dating back to January, but that the perpetrators had failed to compromise any campaign data.

The Kremlin has denied it was behind any such attacks, even though Macron's camp renewed complaints against Russian media and a hackers' group operating in Ukraine.

More elections to come

Sunday's election will in any case far from spell the end of the battle between mainstream and more radical policies in France, with parliamentary elections next month equally crucial.

Once the presidential ballot is over, attention will immediately switch to whether the winner will be able to count on a parliamentary majority. The first poll on the parliamentary election, published this week, showed that was within reach for Macron.

Polls ready for the second round (Photo: AP)

Much will also depend on both the candidates' score on Sunday. Le Pen's niece, Marion Marechal-Le Pen, on Thursday told L'Opinion daily that a 40 percent score would already be "a huge victory" for the National Front.

Whoever wins will spell a new chapter in French politics after the major left-wing and right-wing partiesthe Socialist Party and The Republicansthat have ruled France for decades both suffered humiliating defeats in the election's first round.

French-Israelis line up at the polls in Tel Aviv (Photo: Motti Kimchi)

Some 67,000 polling stations will open at 8am and pollsters will publish initial estimates at 8pm, once all polling stations are closed.

More than 50,000 police officers will be on duty. Security will be a prime concern in the wake of a series of militant attacks in Paris, Nice and elsewhere in the past few years that have killed more than 230 people in the past two-and-a-half years.
SEDONA  Mayor Sandy Moriarty is used to getting these messages: frustrated emails from residents blaming Sedonas traffic problems on tourists, asking the city to stop marketing to them. Occasionally, shell pick up an angry call with similar exasperated rants.

This small town of 10,000 people attracts 2.8 million annual visitors, according to Arizona Department of Transportation data. The number of visitors to the Red Rock Ranger District, which includes Sedona, tripled during the past 10 years, according to a U.S. Forest Service study. Congestion through the towns main artery, State Route 89A, presents a problem. During holiday weekends and rolling spring breaks, cars are sometimes backed up outside of city limits into Oak Creek Canyon, coming back from a day in the Canyon or at Slide Rock State Park.

Its really a number one problem for the residents, Moriarty said.

Sedonas tourism growth parallels population growth in Phoenix, the states largest metro area. Maricopa County was the fastest growing county in the U.S., according to U.S. Census data. Both areas face limits in infrastructure expansion. Officials agree: there is no catch-all solution to fix mounting traffic, just millions  and sometimes billions  of dollars and years of planning.

Phoenix commuters spent an average of 51 hours stuck in traffic per year, ranking 13th nationally, just ahead of Philadelphia, according to the 2015 Urban Mobility Scorecard from researchers at Texas A&M University. That number is calculated by examining delays during peak times in urban areas  those 51 hours are extra hours, on top of normal commute time. The good news: that number has hovered around 51 hours for the past several years. Phoenix compares favorably to other cities of similar metropolitan populations, such as San Francisco, where the yearly delay averages 78 hours, or Seattle, with an average of 63 hours. Still, ADOT data shows that roads are getting busier. The question: can Arizonas infrastructure matchup?

With population growth, were projected to be over 6 million people by 2040, and so any time you add 30, 40, 50 percent more people in the region, youre going to have more traffic, said Eric Anderson, the transportation director at Maricopa Association of Governments. Thats always going to be an issue for us.

Average Traffic

Ram Pendyala, a professor of transportation systems at Arizona State University, studies how to better predict traffic issues. He theorizes that increasing traffic is partly due to what he calls the millennial catch-up effect. The nations 19-35 year olds were hampered by a recession, but recently, because of economic improvement, they have started getting jobs and hitting the road.

Their travel patterns are beginning to mimic some of the travel patterns of generations prior to them, he said.

MAG is working with ADOT and other highway officials on a $1.4 billion plan to improve the congested parts of Interstate 10 and Interstate 17. The plan recommends new HOV ramps, improvements for bicycle commuters and upgrades to modernize interstate highways to current design standards.

But many of Arizonas roads dont need widening or improving: they are simply aging and in need of maintenance. The states roads earned a D+ grade on the American Society of Civil Engineers 2017 Infrastructure Report Card. The report cited a $24 billion road maintenance cost from ADOT, writing, Fewer than 50 percent of Arizonas roadway needs can be addressed with expected baseline revenues. Nationally, the countrys roads earned a D grade.

Providing adequate infrastructure is a challenge because we never have quite enough money to do everything that needs to be done out there, Anderson said. So were always picking and choosing, making sure we have the right projects out there

Arizona has gone from 3,098 registered vehicles in 1912 to 1.3 million in 1970 to nearly 7.7 million in 2015, according to numbers from ADOT. Planners have been considering population growth for decades, especially in the population boom years of 1946-1973, according to a report put together by ADOT in celebration of the 2012 state centennial. The states highways went through crucial changes after World War II, with more than 170 miles of historic Route 66 rebuilt and the building of the first direct highway connection between Flagstaff and Phoenix. As the population ticked up, State Loop 101, which coils around Metro Phoenix, was finished in 2001 to the tune of $2.3 billion and about 13 years of construction, data from planning firm EconWorks reports.

According to Pendyala, technology is the solution to the worlds traffic woes.

What were seeing in the Valley is the future, he said. If you have a fleet of connected and autonomous vehicles, you could see a very different future where we have essentially tripled the capacity of our roadways.

Using self-driving vehicles  such as what Uber is testing in Metro Phoenix  could cut down on congestion by spacing cars closely together. These cars would move in platoons, and would be in constant communication, Pendyala said.

Suddenly you can have a utopian future of really no traffic congestion.

This may not be realistic in the near future. A report from AAA out this year found that a majority of Americans are afraid of autonomous vehicles and three-quarters feared riding in a self-driving car. Yet, there was more trepidation among older generations: where 41 percent of millennials felt less safe sharing the road with autonomous vehicles, that number jumped up to 60 percent of baby boomers.

In Sedona, options for improvement are limited. Most of the two main highways  State Route 89A and State Route 179  are owned by ADOT, not the city of Sedona, Moriarty said. Driving south through Oak Creek Canyon from the Flagstaff area is narrow but picturesque and the least likely to be able to change much.

The Sedona City Council has spent years confronting area congestion. In April 2016, the council approved a contract with design consulting firm Kimley-Horn to study traffic patterns and come up with suggestions to ease congestion. The study found an average of 16,000 to 19,000 vehicles per day coming through State Route 179 in Sedona. Drivers also faced an average commute of seven minutes to make it through a stretch spanning three-quarters of a mile going southbound on State Route 89A, the firm found.

If you look at what has been happening over the past say five years or so theres no question that the traffic has been getting worse, John Currivan, a Sedona city councilor said.

AnnaLee Hammons family has been in Sedona since the 1950s, when the city was made up of a brothel and a few ranches. Hammon owns Made in Arizona, a wine and gift shop in the heart of the uptown district. Shes watched the town change and grow into a tourist destination. And shes watched the lines of brake lights snake further and further through uptown Sedona.

Traffic at some times is a frustration not only for the locals but for our tourism as well, she said. Theyre so excited about getting here and then theyre in this line that takes 45 minutes to an hour sometimes to get into town.

Theres a wide range of ideas for fixing the issue. Currivan supports better signage explaining delays. Hammon is opposed to putting a road through Cathedral Rock, an idea she said some have posed. Moriarty hasnt made up her mind yet. Shes waiting until she has all the information.

I have no opinions at this point because I havent heard all the options, she said. Were hearing them bit by bit as they go and frankly they change from day-to-day.

Marc Spector, a Sedona resident of 40 years, believes it might be too late for improvements. His idea to fix road congestion is more radical: bar non-residents from driving through Sedona at all. Instead, he proposes building a ten-story parking garage and running shuttles every several minutes for tourists.

Until then, though, his advice to the frustrated residents is simple:

It comes with the territory. You live in a tourist town, youre going to have to live with traffic. And you just plan your day around to where youre not in it.
Hamas in Gaza has entered the era of Ismail Haniyeh , with old-new leadership and a significant boost to the military wing's power at the decision-making table after two decades of overseas leadership.

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The combination of Haniyeh and Yahya Sinwar, who was elected as Hamas leader in Gaza three months ago, is expected to strengthen the weight given to Hamas military chief Mohammed Deif and other senior members of the military wing.

After filtering out the belligerent rhetoric, Haniyeh is considered a pragmatic leader who won't rush to launch an open armed conflict against Israel. The fact that he is a resident of the Gaza Strip means he is familiar with the implications of any significant round of fighting in the Palestinian enclave. After all, it is much easier to give the green light to fight from the pampered hotels of Doha than from the Shati refugee camp.

Ismail Haniyeh, new-old leader of Hamas (Photo: Reuters)

However, at the same time, Haniyeh will not be able to ignore the pressure that the military wing might exert on him through the aggressive Sinwar, who does not hesitate to use force and does not usually ask his superiors for their opinion.

Former Hamas leader Khaled Mashaal became acquainted with this fact when Sinwar decided to kill Mahmoud Shatiwi, who was the commander of the Zeitoun Brigade of Hamas' military wing, without Mashaal's opinion or approval.

Yahya Sinwar, head of Hamas in Gaza (Photo: AP, EPA)

Sinwar himself founded the al-Majid apparatus, which later became part of Hamas' military wing and is responsible for exposing "collaborators" with Israel and executing them. Sinwar himself is believed to have killed 10 collaborators.

In addition to Sinwar, Haniyeh will also need to contend with Mohammed Arman, who was elected the leader of Hamas in Israeli prisons.

Arman, 42, was born in Kharbatha Bani Harith near Ramallah. He joined Hamas' military wing in 2001 during the al-Aqsa intifada, serving as liaison between the organization and the Silwan Cell, which carried out attacks in Cafe Moment in Jerusalem, the Mount Scopus campus of the Hebrew University and the Sheffield Club in Rishon Letzion.

Mohammed Arman, head of Hamas in Israeli prisons

Arman was arrested in 2002 and sentenced to 36 life sentences. During his sentencing, Arman said, "This is not murder, and we are not sorry. This is our struggle against the occupation." Israel refused to release him during the Gilad Shalit prisoner swap.

In addition to Sinwar and Arman, Haniyeh will also work with the head of Hamas in the West Bank and an overseas leader, both of whose identities are kept secret for fear of their lives.

(Translated and edited by Fred Goldberg)
Twelve athletes, including one from Israel, swam across the border from the United States to Mexico on Friday in a show of solidarity with immigrants amid a charged political climate.

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Swimmers from the United States, Mexico, Israel, New Zealand and South Africa were escorted by a Mexican navy ship as they reached a beach in Tijuana, a short distance from a border fence that juts into the Pacific Ocean.

More than 100 school-children cheered them on, and Mexicos top immigration official in the region applauded them at a public celebration of the 6.2-mile swim from Imperial Beach in San Diego County.

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We came all this way to show our solidarity with immigrants all over the world, said Israeli swimmer Oded Rahav. Its happening in Mexico, but also in the Middle East, Africa and Europe. We came here to show that we care about human beings. Its up to us to take care of one another.

Photo: AP

Organizer Kim Chambers of New Zealand, who is living in San Francisco as a legal permanent resident of the US, was overwhelmed by the jubilant reception.

Photo: AP

Chambers, 39, came up with the idea shortly after a group swim across the Red Sea from Jordan to Israel to raise environmental awareness. She said it wasnt a protest, but that the negative atmosphere following US President Donald Trumps election was the catalyst.

Photo: AP

The swim raised money for the Colibri Center for Human Rights, a Tucson, Arizona group that helps families identify immigrants who die on the perilous trek across the border.

Rodulfo Figueroa, Mexicos top immigration official in Baja California State, told the swimmers that their exercise was a very nice gesture. Mexican authorities examined their passports before they launched from California.

Photo: AP

We are closer than it seems at times, said Figueroa, regional delegate of Mexicos National Immigration Institute, who was joined by Tijuana city officials.

At the end of the day, water connects all of us, she said. It doesnt matter which way youre going.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Sunday that while Israel wants peace, the Palestinians were still paying terrorists who murdered Israelis.

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US President Donald Trump is scheduled to visit Israel on May 22 as part of his efforts to negotiate a peace agreement between Israel and the Palestinians.

"The President wants to examine ways to renew the peace process with the Palestinians," Netanyahu told his cabinet on Sunday morning. "I share this desire and the citizens of Israel share this desire. We want peace. We educate our children for peace."

Netanyahu during cabinet meeting (Photo: Alex Kolomoisky)

Despite his comments, however, Netanyahu attacked Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, saying, "I hear Abbas praising terrorists and paying them according to the severity of the murders they committed against Israelis. I also heard Abbas say they're educating their children for peace too. Unfortunately, it is just not true."

According to US officials, during their meeting in Washington last week, Trump pressed Abbas on the issue of PA payments to terrorists and families of terrorists, as well as called on the Palestinian leader to put an end to anti-Israel rhetoric and incitement of violence.

But it wasn't all stick and no carrot. Trump reportedly recommitted the United States to helping the Palestinians improve their economic conditions. US officials said before the meeting that Trump was also going to reiterate his belief that Israeli settlement construction on land claimed by the Palestinians does not advance peace prospects.

Trump and Abbas at the White House (Photo: AFP)

The peace process has been stalled since 2014 when former Secretary of State John Kerry's 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."
PARIS -- The French president's office confirmed on Sunday that a French national who had been kidnapped in Chad's Abeche region in March, and taken to the restive Sudanese region of Darfur, has been released.

"The President of the Republic has learned with great satisfaction about the release of our compatriot who was abducted in eastern Chad and then taken by his captors to Sudan," it said in a statement.

Sudan's national security service said earlier that the man had been freed and was on his way to the capital Khartoum.
When there's a Falafel stand on every street corner, when even the Shawarma doesn't contain meat, and when more and more restaurants take the non-vegan food off the menuit was only natural that Tel Aviv will be ranked among the ten most vegan-friendly cities in the world.

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In a list published last week by British daily newspaper The Independent, ten cities are listed in as recommended for vegan travelersamong them Tel Aviv.

Falafel, in all its delicious glory (Photo: Zvika Tishler)

The other cities on the list were Turin (Italy), Berlin (Germany), Helsinki (Finland), Chennai (India), Melbourne (Australia), London (Britain), Vancouver (Canada) and two cities in the US: San Francisco (California) and Austin (Texas).

This isn't much of a surprisenearly five percent of Israelis are vegan, meaning that Israel has the most vegans in the world per capita.

Tel Aviv itself has about 200 vegan restaurants, and ten percent of the restaurants in the city are vegan-friendly, so that at least a quarter of their menu is vegan.

"Veganism has been on the rise for some time in Israel, but things came to a head in December 2014 when protesting Israeli soldiers threatened to revolt if the army didnt start giving vegan options on the cafeteria menu," wrote The Independent.

"With over 400 vegan and vegan friendly establishments, cosmopolitan Tel Aviv has become such a hotspot that even Dominos serves animal-free pizza, and theres the first veganand koshercooking school in the country, the Vegan Experience," it continued. "Every September the city hosts Vegan-Fest, one of the worlds largest vegan festivals.

It later details several restaurants known for their vegan food, recommended trying a few different vegan cuisines, andof coursementioned that Falafel can be found practically everywhere.

(Translated & edited by Lior Mor)
Muhammad Ahmad al-Hadiyeh, a 30-year-old member of Islamic Jihad from Bethlehem, was arrested after stabbing a Jewish man, lightly wounding him near Beit Jala in March 2017.

An investigation by the Shin Bet revealed that Hadiyeh stabbed the man in retaliation for the death of the terrorist Osama Asas, who was killed while being arrested in 2003 by the Palestinian security forces.

He was arrested and released by Palestinian security forces before being detained by the Shin Bet and IDF.
The Ministerial Committee for Legislation unanimously approved the 'Nationality Law' on Sunday, four years after the controversial legislation to officially define Israel as a Jewish state was first proposed.

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The Nationality Law would enshrine as a Basic Law the concept that Israel is the nation-state of the Jewish people. The legislation determines that all Israeli law must be interpreted according to this principle.

The legislation, which is considered by its opponents as discriminatory towards Arab Israelis, specifies some of the practical aspects of the State of Israel being the nation-state of the Jewish people. The bill addresses state symbols (national anthem, flag, icons), Jerusalem as the capital, Hebrew as the official language, the right of return for Jews, the ingathering of the exiles, Jewish settlement, relations with the Jewish Diaspora, the Hebrew calendar, and holy sites.

Yariv Levin (Photo: Gil Yohanan)

After the legislation will be raised to a vote in a preliminary reading in the Knesset, it will return to the committee for further discussion.

"I decided today to put an end to the foot-dragging and approve the Nationality Law at the Ministerial Committee for Legislation," said acting-committee chairman Yariv Levin (Likud).

"We've been waiting to discuss and make a decision on this legislation for too long. This is a basic law, which has the simple objective of safeguarding Israel's status as the nation-state of the Jewish People. I don't understand why it hasn't been made into law so far," Levin added.

He said the legislation will be promoted by the government in the current Knesset session.

The proposal could, however, encounter an obstacle in the form of Finance Minister Moshe Kahlon (Kulanu), who is expected to raise objections to some of the legislation's articles.

The legislation was written with the help of legal experts and representatives from the different coalition parties.

"The Nationality Law is critical in a time like this, when elements from within and without are trying to reject the Jewish people's right to a national home in its country and the recognition of the State of Israel as the nation-state of the Jewish people," said MK Avi Dicther (Likud), who first proposed the legislation.

"The Palestinian aspiration to eliminate the Jewish people's nation-state is no longer secret," Dichter added. "The State of Israel, which demands of its enemies to recognize it as the nation-state of the Jewish people and justifiably asks its supporters in the world to back this demand, needs to be able to declare in its highest legislative level that it proudly maintains this identify."

Eleven other members of Knesset are signatories to the proposal from the Likud, Bayit Yehudi, Kulanu and Yisrael Beytenu parties.
Heres an unpleasant truth: US President Donald Trump did not plan his visit to Saudi Arabia, Israel and the Vatican this month to create a bridge between the three religions or finalize an Israeli-Palestinian deal, but because the places he plans to visit are likely the only places where he will not be greeted with protests.

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Thus, Trump made sure that his first presidential visit outside the United States would not be interrupted by angry protestors and that the television channels he hates would nor air embarrassing images. For him, after all, appearance is everything.

A sea of commentaries have been written in Israel and in America about Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbass visit to the White House and about the exceptional atmosphere during the meeting. Indeed, it was an exceptional meeting: Trump arrived tired and unhappy with its actual existence. He was unfocused most of the time, and woke up from his indifference only when he managed to glance at the television screen from the corner of his eye. He is addicted to television. He had no interest in the Palestinian guest and his complaints.

As far as Trump is concerned, he is still in the middle of a heated populist election campaign (Photo: AP)

Thats Trump. As far as he is concerned, he is still in the middle of a heated populist election campaign against the candidate of the treacherous Left. Thats the most important thing. All the rest just buzzes near his ears like a nagging mosquito.

Moreover, Trump knows very little about international issues in general and about Middle Eastern issues in particular. His assistants and advisors attempts to explain the depths of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict to him have so far failed. He listened impatiently, showing no interest in the historical background. In general, history bores him, including American history, which is why almost every public reference he makes to events in US history is factually incorrect.

The ignorance and arrogance are joined by another lovely quality: Fickleness (Trump prefers the world flexibility). About half a year ago, he lauded Syrian President Bashar al-Assad as a brave fighter against terror; last month, he sent cruise missiles in his direction. Tomorrow, he will praise him again. In the afternoon, he called North Korean leader Kim Jong-un a bloodthirsty dictator; in the evening, he expressed his willingness to meet with that smart cookie face-to-face.

Trumps behavior in the first 100 years of his presidency has been well described by journalist Thomas Friedman: Every few hours, the president comes up with a different immature, untested and inconsistent idea and places it at the top of the agenda. We have no idea why he declares whatever he declares, Friedman writes, and we shouldnt care, because the following day Trump will pull out a different idea, sometimes an opposite one, and toss it into the air as well. Friedman advises his friends in the media not to go to the effort of interpreting the presidents intentions, as these are not intentions but rather passing whims.

Trump is characterized by irresponsibility not just in the foreign policy area. Here, following pressure from his advisors, he is sometimes convinced to do the right things, but has trouble persisting. There was no continuation, for example, to the missiles fired at the military airport in Syria, althoughaccording to Western intelligence reportsthe Assad regime is still producing chemical weapons. In his domestic policy, Trump is not even trying to give an appearance of discretion.

In response to his demonstrated impatience, the Department of Treasury in Washington published a tax reform plan, which is supposed to be (as Trump promised) revolutionary. Its different components are indeed revolutionary, but the entire plan was presented to the public in an unprofessional manner, with very short outlines on a single page. No details, no calculations, no financial estimate of cost and benefit. A collection of thoughts.

Last Thursday, the US House of Representatives narrowly passed legislation repealing the principles of former President Barack Obamas healthcare reform. The repeal is a disaster for American healthcare, a disaster for weak populations, a disaster for chronic patients, a disaster for the hospital system and a disaster for small employers in the industry. It will likely not be approved by the Senate in its current wording. Its only purpose is to satisfy Trumps political ego.

Expecting this man to broker an Israeli-Palestinian peace agreement is like expecting a compulsive gambler to serve as a guide for level-headed behavior. It would be better if he just stayed home.
With summer just around the corner, swimming season has officially kicked off across the country. Here is a brief breakdown of some of Israel's most beautiful beaches.

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144 beaches that offer rescue services will be open to the public, the majority of which (96) are on the coast of the Mediterranean Sea. 28 are on the Kinneret, 16 on the Dead Sea and 4 on the shores of the Red Sea.

Photo: Motti Kimchi

According to a decision by the Ministry of the Interior, entry to all public beaches offering rescue services will be free of charge.

Some of the most beautiful beaches in Israel are not declared, official beaches and therefore, do not offer rescue services. As such, swimming is not recommended and oftentimes forbidden.

Achziv Beach (Photo: Doron Nissim)

Achziv Beach is part of a wild and beautiful 5km stretch of coast that is a national park. It stretches up to Rosh HaNikra and its waters are home to octopuses, sea urchins and crabs, with the beach serving as a nesting site for sea turtles.

Habonim Beach is a nature reserve located in the Hof Hacarmel Regional Council. The picturesque coastline is lined with numerous bays and the beaches are full of shells that cover the sand.

Habonim Beach (Photo: Rinat Russo)

The reserve has many isolated corners along the coast and the Blue Grotto and the ruins of the Canaanite port city of Dor are also in its territory. The beach itself is not a declared beach for bathing and there are no rescue services. Additionally, entrance to the beach comes with a fee.

South of the Habonim beach reserve is Nahsholim Dor (Tantura), which is considered by many to be the most beautiful beach in the country.

As is the case with Habonim Beach, here too are many bays protected by natural breakwaters, as well as a golden strip of sand surrounded by lawns near the resort village. In front of the beach there are small islands to swim to and on the east side of the beach there are sand dunes.

Dor Beach

Just north of the hustle and bustle of Caesarea's beaches lies a quiet and beautiful beach with natural, clear pools. Fishermen boats on the coast contribute to a pastoral and picturesque atmosphere.

The Student Beach is the southernmost beach of Haifa. For many years, the beach was known as a "resting place" for the young people of Haifa and the students studying there. Last year it finally became a declared beach and rescue services are now being provided.

The water is turquoise, the sand is pleasant, and the atmosphere on the beach is young and cool.

Student Beach in Haifa

Tel Aviv has no shortage of beaches, but Aviv Beach is undoubtedly one of the most popular. The beach is located in the southern section of the promenade, near the Carmel Market and Charles Clore Park.

The rocky breakwater at the foot of the Dolphinarium creates an intimate bay that is safe to bathe in, while the southern part of the beach is for water sports. The beach was dubbed "The Drum Beach" due to drumming bands that gather there on Fridays.

No shortage of beaches in Tel Aviv (Photo: Shutterstock)

Like its neighbor to the north, Bat Yam also has plenty of beaches. The northern-most beach, Sea Palace Beach, is also the most beautiful, but it is forbidden to bathe in it.

The three rocky beaches in the center are nice, but the highlight of Bat Yam is the southern Tayo beach. The once wild beach is now regulated, clean and tidy. A pedestrian promenade and a bicycle trail connecting the city to nearby Rishon Lezion will soon be built.

One of Bat Yam's beaches (Photo: Bat Yam Municipality)

The southern city of Ashdod is home to several popular beaches including Tel Hai Beach and Be'er Sheva Beach, named after the southern Israeli city.

Zikim Beach was once the ultimate substitute for the Sinai. Today, the coast is no longer as remote and isolated as it used to be, but its wild character is still preserved to a certain extent. The sandy beach strip is wide and also includes a few soft white sand dunes.

Zikim Beach (Photo: Roi Idan)

One of Eilat's most beautiful beaches, the Princess Beach, lies far from the beaches of the tourist center of the city and closer to the border crossing with the Egyptian Sinai.

Because it is a nature reserve and a continuation of the coral beach, entrance to the beach is only accessible by ropes with buoys or by two wooden bridges leading directly to deep water.

Princess Beach

Many go to the beach to dive and snorkel, but it is an undeclared beach and does not provide rescue services.

Here's to a wet, hot (and safe) Israeli summer!
The Jerusalem District Police have opened a new police station for the first time in one of the most difficult Arab neighborhoods in east Jerusalemthe Shuafat refugee camp.

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The compound, which is referred to as the "Integrated Service Center," will provide residents of the camp policing services such as filing complaints of theft and violence, while also having offices with which to provide municipal services.

The opening of the police station is part of an initiative put forth by Jerusalem District Police Commander Yoram Halevy.

Commissioner Alsheikh speaking during the ceremony (Photo: Gil Yohanan)

Halevy noted that while the goal of the center is to make services accessible to the residents, the most important thing, in his opinion, is that the residents of east Jerusalem receive a different police force than they are used toone that will provide services to the ordinary citizen to deal with the daily problems he or she encounters.

After Shuafat, the next Arab neighborhood to get a police station will be Sur Baher.

Minister of Public Security Gilad Erdan, Police Commissioner Roni Alsheikh, Jerusalem District Commander Yoram Halevy and Mayor of Jerusalem Nir Barkat all attended the ceremony marking the opening of the center.

In addition to Israeli public officials, a small number of local officials from Shuafat also attended.

Minister of Public Security Gilad Erdan (Photo: Gil Yohanan)

"The Police are working hard to show the ordinary citizen that they should see the police officer as someone who protects and serves them," said Alsheikh. "A resident that receives quality, culturally-oriented police services on issues that bother him, feels that the police are there for him or her when it comes to the small things."

Minister Erdan said that the police station and its location can possibly "bring about a deep and historic change here."

While there are some residents of the camp who are supportive of the police station thanks to access to services previously unavailable to residents, others claim that it only tightens Israeli hold on Palestinian neighborhoods in the city.

Daoud Abu Ashab, head of the Neighborhood Development Committee in the Dahiyat al-Salam section of the camp, welcomed the move.

"For many years we have lived in oppression, but now we are happy that the police decided to provide services to the residents in coordination with the camp representatives, and we hope that this project will improve the standard of living of the residents," said Ashab.
US Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff of the US Army General Joseph Dunford is set to arrive in Israel on Monday as part of a trip in which he will be hosted by his Israeli counterpart Lt. Gen. Gadi Eisenkot.

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The meeting with the IDF chief will be fourth to have taken place between the two military heads.

Dunford bestows the Legion of Merit on Eisenkot (Photo: IDF Spokesperson's Unit)

During his visit, Dunford will also meet with Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman.

Despite the meeting being planned in advance, officials in the security apparatus said that the Israelis and American managed to maintain secrecy around its happening.

The main topics of discussions that are expected to take place between the American chief of staff, Eisenkot and Lieberman include Russia, with particular emphasis on chemical weapons that remain in the arsenal of Syrian President Bashar al-Assads army.

In addition, the three will likely discuss other matters including developments in the Sinai and the attempts to transfer advanced weapons to Hezbollah.

Joseph Dunford (Photo: AFP)

The visit marks Dunford's first to Israel since the Trump administration entered the White House, and is expected to take place over the course of two days.

Last August, Eisenkot met with Dunford in the US, where he bestowed upon the IDF head the Legion of Merit during the honor guard ceremony at the Pentagon in Washington.

Dunford praised Eisenkot for the widescale changes he is spearheading in the IDF. Lt. Gen. Eisenkot played a significant and vital role in expanding cooperation between the IDF and the US armed forces, Dunford said.

He went on during the ceremony to say that Eisenkot had changed the IDF with dynamic structural changes and organizational changes to create a force capable of confronting the entire spectrum of military challengesfrom terrorism to coordinated operations.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told German President Dr. Frank-Walter Steinmeier during their meeting on Sunday that the alliance between the two countries is special.

What we would have wanted to see is a change, and that change will come an international demand from the Palestinian Authority to accept accountability, to support its declarations made (to outside audiences) with those (made for domestic consumption) and to teach Palestinian children peace. We want peace and hope to achieve it with your help, Netanyahu said.

His friendly comments come during a three-day work visit by Steinmeier to israel, and set aside the recent diplomatic spat over Netanyahu's refusal to meet with German Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel after the latter met with the far-left organizations Breaking the Silence and B'Tselem.
A female terrorist was shot dead by Israeli security forces on Sunday evening after she attempted to stab Israel policemen at the Damascus Gate in the Old City of Jerusalem.

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The terrorist was identified by the Palestinian health ministry as 16-year-old Fatima Hjeiji from a town near Ramallah. Though she was treated at the scene by Zaka paramedics, she died from her injuries. No other people were injured in the incident.

Knife used in the attempted attack (Photo: Police Spokesperson's Unit)

According to police, while charging at the security personnel, she was shouting, Allahu akbar. Police spokeswoman Luba Samri said a knife was recovered from the scene together with a farewell letter from the teenager to her family quoting a verse from the Koran that signed off with the word shahidaArabic for martyr.

On April 26, soldiers for the Golani Brigade's 51st Battalion thwarted a second attack in two days carried by cousins outside the Samaria Territorial Brigade's base on Wednesday.

Damascus Gate (Photo: Hillel Meir/TPS)

The two cousins from the Balata camp near Nablus ran towards IDF troops stationed in the square outside the base while wielding a knife in the early afternoon of Wednesday and Tuesday.

Earlier the same day, IDF soldiers arrested a 24-year-old Palestinian woman at the Gilbert Junction in Hebron who approached them while brandishing a knife. She confessed in her questioning to planning to carry out a stabbing attack.
Over the past month, Israel has increased the number of military orders requiring certain Jewish Israelis from entering the West Bank, aiming to reduce terrorist attacks carried out by Jews there. One settler who received such an order has become the focus of a campaign calling the order against him to be lifted.

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Elkana Picard, a 32-year-old resident of the settlement of Yitzhar, on Sunday received a summons to a hearing. He was informed that that the GOC Central Commandthe ex officio sovereign in the West Bankintended to issue an order removing Picard from the West Bank for a period of four months.

Jewish settlers attack left-wing activists and IDF soldiers in the West Bank.

Posters have been plastered throughout Yitzhar with a photo of the married father of six and with the caption: We are all Elkana Picard.

According to the Shin Bets assessment, Picard, like others who have received similar orders, may inflame tensions in the West Bank.

In total, 17 orders have been issued in the past month. The number of those who have been removed from the disputed territory is 37 since the beginning of the year. The Shin Bet and the Israel Police have asserted that that these orders are effective and point to data that support this.

Posters supporting Picard (Photo: We are all Elkana Picard campaign)

In 2015, there were 16 attacks defined as Jewish terrorism. In 2016, there were only two. This year there were also two incidents defined as Jewish terrorist attacks, including a group from Beer Sheva who was arrested on suspicion of attacking Arabs and setting fire to a vehicle in Huwara

The reason for the order issued to Picard, who works as a contractor, was investigated in the past on suspicion of attacking Palestinians. The Shin Bet claims that Picard has been involved in and directed violent activity in the Yitzhar area against Palestinians and security forces.

Picard filed an objection to an order in which he claimed that it would harm his source of income and his family.

Picard also denied any complicity in acts of violence. He added that hosting members of the Hilltop Youth, whom he regularly employs, is not a reason to issue an administrative order against him. He claimed that there was nothing wrong with hosting the young men and providing them with a warm bed, support and Torah lessons.
German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier addressed the dispute regarding Breaking the Silence at a speech in German at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem.

He said diverse voices are the oxygen of democracy and said he believes those who raise their voice, who criticize, but also respect the voices of othersthey are not traitors of the people, but guardians of the people.
Marwan Barghouti, a Palestinian security prisoner leading a mass hunger strike among fellow inmates, was recorded on security cameras in his cell eating, among other things, cookies and salted snacks, according to Minister Public Security, Strategic Affairs and Minister of Information Gilad Erdan.

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Presenting the footage during a press conference, Erdan said that prisoners conditions, over which they allegedly launched their hunger strike, were not the real reasons behind it.

Barghouti eating snacks (Credit: IPS)

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"The Palestinian prisoners' hunger strike has nothing to do with their prison conditions, and everything to do with the political interests of Marwan Barghouti," said Erdan during the press conference on Sunday, as the strike reached its 21st day. "Barghouti is a murderer and hypocrite who urged his fellow prisoners to strike and suffer while he ate behind their back."

Barghouti recorded eating snacks (Photo: Prison Services)

"Just like he lied to the world when he wrote in the New York Times that he decided to strike in order to protest ill-treatment, he lied to the Palestinian public when he claimed to be striking. Israel will not give in to extortion and pressure from terrorists," he added.

Qadoura Fares, who heads an advocacy group for Palestinian prisoners, cast doubt on the footage, saying Barghouti is being held in solitary confinement and has no access to food.

Barghouti's wife, Fadwa, also expressed her belief that the footage was fake.

Erdan speaks in English about the affair

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Fares said earlier Sunday that hundreds of Palestinians participating in the hunger strike began taking vitamin supplements on day 15. He said guards had punished the strikers by seizing all personal items and leaving prisoners "with nothing except their beds." He says the information comes from lawyers who recently visited the strikers.

It is not the first time Barghouti has been caught red-handed sneaking a snack in the midst of a hunger strike.

(Photo: Prison Services)

In 2004, Barghouti was filmed secretly breaking his strike, which was also launched by security prisoners.

In the the footage which was filmed on April 27 in Barghoutis prison cell after he was moved to solitary confinement upon the launching of the strike, he can be seen eating two cookies.

Last Friday, May 5, he was filmed for a second time, this time eating a wafer, before attempting to hide traces of his political transgression by flushing the wrapping paper down the toilet.

The same day, Barghouti was recorded opening up a sachet of salt and quickly pouring it into his mouth. Salt is used by the strikers to help them through their self-inflicted ordeal.
Emmanuel Macron was elected president of France on Sunday with a business-friendly vision of European integration, defeating Marine Le Pen, a far-right nationalist who threatened to take France out of the European Union, early projections showed.

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In his victory speech, Macron acknowledged divisions in society he says drove people to "vote to the extreme" and says he will work for all of France.





Macron votes earlier Sunday with his wife, Brigitte (Photo: AP)

Macron, whose far-right opponent Marine Le Pen had called for leaving the European Union and returning France to the franc currency, says that he will defend both France and Europe as president.

Macron projected to be the winner

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The 39-year-old former banker, who served as finance minister under the unpopular President Francois Hollande, briefly acknowledged his onetime mentor.

But not once cracking a smile in the short speech, Macron says that he needed to look forward for the sake all of France.

The centrist's emphatic victory, which also smashed the dominance of France's mainstream parties, will bring huge relief to European allies who had feared another populist upheaval to follow Britain's vote to quit the EU and Donald Trump's election as US president.

Five projections, issued within minutes of polling stations closing at 8 pm (1800 GMT), showed Macron beating Le Pen by around 65 percent to 35a gap wider than the 20 or so percentage points that pre-election surveys had pointed to.

Macron projected as the winner (Photo: AFP)

Even so, it was a record performance for the National Front, a party whose anti-immigrant policies until recently made it a pariah in French politics, and underlined the scale of the divisions that Macron must now try to heal.

Le Pen's high-spending, anti-globalization 'France-first' policies may have unnerved financial markets but they appealed to many poorer members of society against a background of high unemployment, social tensions and security concerns.

Macron's immediate challenge will be to secure a majority in next month's parliamentary election for En Marche! (Onwards!), his political movement that is barely a year old, in order to implement his program.

Photo: AFP

The 39-year-old former investment banker, who served for two years as economy minister but has never previously held elected office, will become France's youngest leader since Napoleon with a promise to transcend outdated left-right divisions.

At least one opinion poll published in the run-up to the second round has indicated that the majority he needs could be within reach.

Despite having served briefly as economy minister in President Francois Hollande's deeply unpopular Socialist government, Macron managed to portray himself as the man to recast a political landscape molded by the left-right divisions of the last century.

Le Pen concedes. (Photo: AP)

While Macron sees France's way forward in boosting the competitiveness of an open economy, Le Pen wanted to shield French workers by closing borders, quitting the EU's common currency the euro, radically loosening the bloc and scrapping trade deals.

Socialist Prime Minister Bernard Cazeneuze said France had chosen to retain its place at the heart of Europe.

Shortly after the first projections were published, Le Pen, 48, said she had congratulated Macron. But she defiantly claimed the mantle of France's main opposition in calling on "all patriots to join us" in constituting a "new political force."

Macron supporters erupting in cheer at news of his projected win (Photo: AP)

Her deputy said this new force would not be called "National Front."

When he moves into the Elysee Palace after his inauguration next weekend, Macron will become the eighth - and youngestpresident of France's Fifth Republic.

He plans to blend a big reduction in public spending and a relaxation of labor laws with greater investment in training.

Photo: Reuters

World leaders have already begun to wish Macron luck in his new position, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu among them.

Netanyahu released a statement Sunday evening congratulating Macron on his resounding victory.

I congratulate Emmanuel Macron on his election as French president. I expect to work with President Macron and to deal with shared challenges, together with him, for our democracies," Netanyahu said.

Photo: AP

"One of the biggest threats that stands before the world today is extremist Islamic terror that has hit Paris, Jerusalem and many cities in the world. France and Israel are old allies and I am sure that we will continue to deepen our relations.

British Prime Minister Theresa May also expressed her best wishes for the French president-elect. According to an emailed statement from May's office, she had already congratulated Macron on his success.

Photo: AFP

"The Prime Minister warmly congratulates President-elect Macron on his election success. France is one of our closest allies, and we look forward to working with the new president on a wide range of shared priorities," said the statement.

A European integrationist and pro-NATO, Macron is conservative in foreign and defense policies and shows no sign of wishing to change France's traditional alliances or re-shape its military and peace-keeping roles in the Middle East and Africa.

Photo: AP

His election also represents a long-awaited generational change in French politics that have been dominated by the same faces for years.

He will be the youngest leader in the current Group of Seven (G7) major nations and has elicited comparisons with youthful leaders past and present, from Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to British ex-premier Tony Blair and even President John F. Kennedy in the United States.
Legendary WCCW retired wrestling star Kevin Von Erich is planning to fight his final match in Israel, he told Ynet in a special exclusive interview on Sunday.

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The wrestler, whose real name is Kevin Ross Adkisson, explained his reasons for choosing Israel for his final arena, despite retiring in 1995.

Kevin Von Erich in a special interview with Ynet

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I first came in 1985...and I just loved it here. The people were so warm. I just lost a brother a few months before that and maybe it was that that had an impact on me, he said. I wanted my sons to see it so much that I...I think I just decide to do what I can to have one more match.

Kevin Von Erich and his sons

Testifying to his proclaimed love for Israel, Von Erich added, Ive turned down New York, Ive turned down Tokyo and Im not going to wrestle again.

Asked why he had chosen Israel rather than any other prestigious wrestling rings in the world, Von Eric pointed to his faith in Christianity.

Von Erich in an interview with Ynet (Photo: Yaron Brener)

I love Israel. Im a Christian. I love Jesus and my sons are the same way and this is the holy land, he replied.

Despite officially quitting the ring, Von Erich made special wrestling appearances on a number of occasions.

He is the last surviving son of wrestler Fritz Von Erich and had four brothers who wrestled, David, Kerry, Mike and Chris, as well as an older brother, Jack, who died in 1959.
A cornerstone was laid on Sunday for a memorial to the fallen soldiers of the South Lebanon Army (SLA), which cooperated with the IDF until its withdrawal from the republic in 2000.

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The monument will be erected next to a gate in "the Good Fence" through which IDF soldiers entered Lebanon. The SLAs fallen will be memorialized there both with a monument and a heritage site with information about it and the cooperation between its members and the State of Israel.

The ceremony (Photo: Avihu Shapira)

The man who pushed for the monument was the commander of the SLA reconnaissance unit, Victor Nader, who initiated the project in 2011.

A memorial previously erected in memory of SLA casualties near Marjayoun was blown up by Hezbollah after the IDF withdrew from Lebanon and the organization left. "650 soldiers fell to protect the two armies: the IDF and the SLA," commented the Ministry of Defense Director General, Udi Adam.

He commented that the two armies were born of a strong and shared desire for a better future between the nations, for peace, for a just war against the terrorism of Hezbollah, and for a shared dream of living together without wars."

(Photo: Avihu Shapira)

Deputy IDF Chief of Staff Yair Golan pointed for three reasons to establishing this monument at the ceremony. They were: "The first is to thank them. To say in the name of the State of Israel: 'Thank you for everything you sacrificed for our security and security.'

"The second reason is to instruct, because the security zone is getting blurred from day to day. The knowledge that we once sat across the border and that we had a good relationship with the residents of southern Lebanon cannot be taken for granted.

"The third reason is to learn that Jews and Arabs, out of a relationship of equality and dignity, can live together, participate in each other's family events, and do it with friendship, fraternity and great love."

(Translated and edited by J. Herzog)
French Chief Rabbi Haim Korsia congratulated Emmanuel Macron on his electoral victory Sunday.

In a message given to a French news agency, Korsia said that he was grateful to the French who enlisted in large numbers to block the extreme right.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday symbolically tossed into a bin a Hamas policy paper published last week that set out an apparent softening of the Palestinian Islamist group's stance towards Israel.

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In a document issued last Monday, Hamas said it was dropping its longstanding call for Israel's destruction, but said it still rejected the Jewish state's right to exist and continued to back "armed struggle" against it.

Netanyahu posts video to his Twitter page

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Israel has said Hamas was trying to delude the world by issuing a new policy document that softens the Palestinian terrorist group turned political party's policy towards Israel.

"Hamas is attempting to fool the world but it will not succeed," said David Keyes, a spokesman for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Netanyahu

Netanyahu, in a 97-second video clip aired on his Twitter page on Sunday, said that news outlets had been taken in by "fake news." Sitting behind his desk, he said that in its "hateful document," Hamas "lies to the world." He then pulled up a waste paper bin, crumpled the document into a ball and tossed it away.

"The new Hamas document says that Israel has no right to exist, it says every inch of our land belongs to the Palestinians, it says there is no acceptable solution other than to remove Israel... they want to use their state to destroy our state," Netanyahu said.

Founded in 1987 as an offshoot of the Muslim Brotherhood, the banned Egyptian Islamist movement, Hamas has fought three wars with Israel since 2007 and has carried out hundreds of armed attacks in Israel and in Israeli-occupied territories.

Many Western countries classify Hamas as a terrorist group over its failure to renounce violence, recognise Israel's right to exist and accept existing interim Israeli-Palestinian peace agreements.

Outgoing Hamas leader Khaled Mashal said Hamas's fight was not against Judaism as a religion but against what he called "aggressor Zionists." Ismail Haniyeh, Hamas's leader in the Gaza Strip, was named on Saturday to succeed Meshaal.

Netanyahu concluded his clip by saying that "Hamas murders women and children, it's launched tens of thousands of missiles at our homes, it brainwashes Palestinian kids in suicide kindergarten camps," before throwing the document into the trash.


A newborn endangered Amur Tiger cub has been reunited with her mother thanks to the work of keepers at the Minnesota Zoo.

The female cub was born on April 26 and removed for hand-raising when Sundari, a first-time mom, wasnt showing the necessary level of care for her baby. Although the tiny cub needed immediate feeding by zoo staff, they did not give up on their goal of keeping mom and baby together. Sundari just needed a little encouragement.



Photo Credit: Minnesota Zoo





Keepers repeatedly showed the cub to Sundari through a protective barrier over several days. When Sundari showed no signs of aggression toward her cub, keepers successfully reunited the pair.

So far, mom and cub appear to be bonding, and the staff closely monitors the cub to make sure she is getting enough milk. Keepers still provide supplemental feedings to ensure the babys health.

Mom and baby will remain behind the scenes while the keeper staff monitors their health. The zoo has set up a special webpage that will soon include a live web cam to view the new Tiger cub.

This is the first offspring for mother, Sundari, who was born at the Minnesota Zoo in June of 2012. Father, 7-year-old Putin has sired two other litters in Denmark, where he lived before coming to the Minnesota Zoo in 2015. Putin was brought to the Minnesota Zoo as a recommendation of the Amur Tiger Global Species Management Plan, which is co-coordinated by Minnesota Zoo staff. He is the most genetically valuable Amur Tiger in the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) Tiger Species Survival Plan (SSP), underscoring the zoos groundbreaking efforts to reunite this cub with her mother. Coordinated by Minnesota Zoo staff for more than three decades, the Tiger SSP recommended Sundari and Putin as a breeding pair.
Washington: US President Donald Trump is looking to unload his luxurious $28 million French St Martin beachfront estate, a media reported on Sunday.

Trump bought Le Chateau des Palmiers for a reported $19.3 million in 2013 and has rented it out for up to $28,000 a night, MansionGlobal.com reported.

"Greetings from Donald J. Trump. Escape to a place no other," reads a brochure for the property.

The 4.8-acre estate on St Martin`s Plum Bay includes two villas with a total of 11 bedrooms and 12 baths.

The smaller villa has themed bedrooms, including a "jungle room". Fittingly for Trump, the property is enclosed by an 8-foot boundary wall.

Rental packages for the President`s tropical refuge start at $6,000 per night in the low season for the smaller of two villas and top off at $28,000 during the winter holidays, according to Sotheby`s St Martin office.

Disclosures sent to the federal Office of Government Ethics indicate that Trump owns the St Martin property under two limited liability companies, Excel Venture I LLC and Excel Venture Corp II, for which he owns a 100 per cent share.
New York: U.S. President Donald Trump's transition team had warned former national security adviser Michael Flynn about the risks involved in communicating with Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak.

Trump's transition team members had alerted Flynn in November that any conversations with Kislayk were being monitored, a warning issued weeks before the two discussed US sanctions on Russia by phone.

"The head of Trump's national security transition team, Marshal Billingslea ,requested Obama administration officials to provide a classified CIA profile on Kislyak to show to Flynn out of concern that he didn't completely appreciate the Russian ambassador's motives," sources close to Billingslea confirmed to CNN.

Former national security adviser Flynn was forced to resign after reports surfaced that he misled Vice President Mike Pence ,the FBI, about his phone calls with the Russian envoy on December 19,2016

Transcripts of intercepted calls between Flynn and Russian Ambassador to the U.S., Sergey, showed the two had discussed sanctions ahead of Trump's inauguration, when Flynn was part of the transition team.

Flynn conceded in his resignation letter that he had misled the vice-president, who had previously publicly denied that Flynn had discussed sanctions with Envoy.(ANI)
A 49-year-old Tomah man was referred to the Monroe County District Attorney on multiple charges after an April 26 incident at Tomah Memorial Hospital.

Police were called to the emergency room after staff reported that Frederick Allen Stockwell, who was being treated for a cut on his foot, was extremely intoxicated and agitated. Staff told police that Stockwell attempted to kick a nurse who was trying to apply treatment. When police arrived, Stockwell reportedly apologized for his behavior and said he wouldnt cause any more problems.

After police made their initial contact with Stockwell, a nurse told police that Stockwell had threatened to bash her head and kill her but said she didnt want to press charges. The report said Stockwell left the ER shirtless and barefoot in the cold and rain with another woman to a vehicle across the street. Police followed the two, and an officer reportedly heard the woman say, Dont threaten me.

Police approached the vehicle and asked Stockwell if he was threatening the woman. He said he wasnt. He said he couldnt recall if he threatened the nurse. The woman told police that Stockwell put his hands around her neck the night before, and the report said there were marks on the womans neck consistent with the claim.

Police moved to arrest Stockwell, who reportedly tensed his body and told police, I will explode. The report says Frederick threatened to commit domestic violence against the woman once he was released from jail.

The woman was later interviewed by police. She said the previous day that Stockwell had consumed a full bottle of Jack Daniels whiskey and nearly a half bottle of Jim Beam, which she said triggered an abusive tirade that became physical. She said Stockwell told her if she ever called police, he would kill both her and her father.

Stockwell was referred for disorderly conduct, battery, false imprisonment, intimidating a victim, strangulation/suffocation and threatening battery to an officer.

In other Tomah Police Department news:

Mitchell Aaron Keller, 25, and Dawn Marie Green, 29, both of Valdosta, Georgia, were referred to the district attorney for an April 25 incident at the Microtel motel.

Police responded to a report of loud noises coming from one of the rooms. According to the report, Green said she became upset with Keller over Facebook messages she found on his phone and went to confront him while he was asleep. She said Keller threw her off the bed and that she struck her head while falling to the ground. She told police she grabbed Kellers neck in an attempt to stop her fall.

Keller reportedly acknowledged the two were engaged in a loud argument but denied it got physical but later admitted physical contact after police asked about the scratches on his neck.

Both were referred for disorderly conduct and battery. Green was also referred for strangulation/suffocation.

Seth Vinson Boncouri, 21, Tomah, was referred to the district attorney for bail jumping. He is accused of violating a bond condition that prohibits him from consuming alcohol.

Debra D. Raabe, 62, Tomah, was referred to the district attorney for violating a restraining order. She is accused of driving to the residence of a man with whom she has a no-contact order.

Julio C. Alicea, 45, Warrens, was referred to the district attorney for operating after revocation/alcohol-related. Police observed Alicea get into a parked vehicle at Kwik Trip North and head south on Superior Avenue. He was pulled over a short time later. He was also referred for bail jumping.

Katie Patricia Faulkner, 30, Tomah, was referred to the district attorney for theft of a prescription medication.

According to the report, Faulkner approached a Woodard Avenue residence March 17. She told he occupants she was locked out of her residence and asked if she could come inside and warm up. The residents said that Faulkner used the bathroom several times while in the residence, and when one of them later entered the bathroom, he noticed the medicine cabinet ajar. The resident noticed pills missing and called police.

Ashley Dawn Virnig, 28, Mauston, and Jospeh Kent Holzberger, 36, New Lisbon, were referred to the district attorney on multiple charges after police responded to a May 1 traffic complaint.

A witness told police a vehicle was all over the roadway and almost struck another vehicle while heading north on Highway 131. The vehicle entered the city limits, and police conducted a traffic stop at the corner of Superior Ave. and Schaller St.

Police observed the driver, identified as Holzberger, quickly consume multiple peanut butter cups and the passenger, identified as Virnig, laying across the back seat with her face covered. Holzberger reportedly gave police a voided drivers license. Police asked him to identify the passenger. He said her name was Ashley but didnt know her last name. The report says police later confirmed that the two were in a romantic relationship.

Dispatch said Virnig had an outstanding Juneau County warrant. She was arrested and handcuffed. She reportedly told police she had a Xanax pill and three syringes in her bra. A search of her purse reportedly found a syringe, a tourniquet and a bottle of Narcan.

A search of the trunk allegedly found a box with syringes and needles, and Holzberger was placed under arrest. Both Holzberger and Virnig reportedly had track marks on their arms. The report says audio from the squad car recorded Holzberger telling Virnig to claim all the syringes were hers since he was on bond.

Holzberger was referred for bail jumping, possession of drug paraphernalia and obstructing an officer. Virnig was referred for possession of drug paraphernalia and possession of a Schedule IV drug.

Chad Denman Stornetta, 50, and Terry R. Marks, 43, Tomah, were referred to the district attorney for an alleged theft at Caseys Spirit Shop. According to the report, video surveillance shows Stornetta and Marks entering the store April 19 and standing very close together against a shelf of bottles while attempting to conceal a theft.

Police found both Stornetta and Marks at a Franklin Street residence May 1. The report says Stornetta admitted placing a bottle in his pocket. Marks reportedly denied he was at the scene and said he wasnt aware of the stores location.

Stornetta was referred for shoplifting, and Marks was referred for being a party to a crime. Marks also has a bond condition that prohibits him from entering liquor stores, which triggered a bail jumping referral.

William Walter Taylor 51, Tomah, was referred to the district attorney for operating after revocation/alcohol-related and tampering with an ignition interlock device. Taylor was stopped on Townline Road May 2 by an officer who recognized Taylor from previous contacts.
Dhaka: Two suspected militants on Sunday blew themselves up in "suicide blasts" when security forces raided their hideout in western Bangladesh, officials said.

"It is a Neo-JMB den where two militants were killed in the encounter...It (operation) is still underway," a senior police officer told reporters.

One of the militants detonated his suicide vest when police entered the single-story building at Bazrapur around Jhinaidah district, officer-in-charge of Moheshpur Police Station Ahmed Kabir was quoted as saying by the Daly Star.

The second militant died in another suicide blast inside the building, he added.

The first militant was identified as Tuhun.

The security forces now await arrival of a special bomb disposal unit at the scene to launch the "final assault" to flush out the rest of the militants, the official said.

Media reports earlier said the elite anti-crime rapid Action Battalion (RAB), police's counter-terrorism team and transnational crime unit (CTTC) and district police laid a siege along the hideout since midnight after receiving information that the militants were inside the house.

Bangladesh witnessed an intensified anti-militancy clampdown across the country as the police headquarters recently circulated a list of nearly 5,000 suspected militants to all district police chiefs.
New Delhi: The Supreme Court is expected to give its verdict on the CBI plea opposing the dropping of charges against former law minister Lalu Prasad Yadav in the infamous fodder scam case on Monday.

The Jharkhand High Court had earlier dropped the charges against Yadav, prompting the CBI to petition the apex court against the verdict.

Yadav has been embroiled in a fresh political storm after a TV channel on Saturday released an audio tape of an alleged conversation between him and jailed don-turned-politician Mohammad Shahabuddin, wherein he was heard taking instructions from the later.

The Opposition has demanded the resignation of Chief Minister Nitish Kumar over the startling discloser, which has now snowballed into a major controversy.

However, the ruling grand alliance, comprising the Janata Dal-United (JD-U), RJD and the Congress in the state, has sought to distance itself from the row.

The Republic TV on Saturday aired the audio clip wherein the former don was heard saying that "your SP (Superintendent of Police) is of no use".

Lalu was also heard taking instructions from him over riots.
New Delhi: Nearly a fortnight after Maoists claimed lives of at least 25 CRPF troopers in Chhattisgarh, the central government is all set to hold a ministerial-level review meeting on Monday to discuss security issues in Maoist-affected states.

Home Minister Rajnath Singh will chair the meeting at the Vigyan Bhavan here, to be attended by Chief Ministers of 10 Maoist-hit states and other union ministers, a Home Ministry official said.

"Operational issues, infrastructure and logistics requirement to combat the Maoists will also be taken up at the meeting," the official added.

At least 106 districts of Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Odisha, Bihar, West Bengal, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh are affected by Maoist violence.

Officials of the ministry's Left Wing Extremism Division -- which monitors the situation in Maoist-hit states -- will also participate.

On April 24, 25 Central Reserve Police Force men were killed in Sukma area of Chhattisgarh. Twelve CRPF men were killed in Maoist attack in Sukma earlier on March 11.

The Minister had convened a meeting of Chief Ministers of Chhattisgarh, Telangana, Odisha, Maharashtra and Jharkhand in February 2015 to review security in the three worst affected districts of Sukma, Bijapur and Dantewada in Chhattisgarh.
New Delhi: A major disaster was averted at the Delhi airport on Sunday after the tail of a Patna-bound Jet Airways aircraft hit the wings of another plane that was heading to Srinagar.

According to sources, the collision took place when both the planes were on their way to runway no. 29 at Delhi's Indira Gandhi International Airport around 3:00 pm.

However, it is not yet confirmed if any passenger was hurt in the incident.

DCP airport Sanjay Bhatia said there were no injuries. Airport officials said an inquiry would be ordered to look into the incident.
New Delhi: The government is looking to "refine" the present norms for regional air connectivity scheme as it prepares for the second round of bidding in three months, according to a senior official.

While the scheme became operational after the first flight from Shimla to the national capital, the authorities have started the groundwork to comprehensively review its framework, including those relating to the number of seats and exclusivity period for an airline.

The ambitious scheme -- UDAN (Ude Desh ka Aam Naagrik) -- seeks to connect un-served and under-served airports as well as make flying more affordable for the masses.

The Airports Authority of India (AAI) Chairman Guruprasad Mohapatra said efforts are on to refine the norms for bidding under the scheme.

The national airport operator is the nodal agency for UDAN.

"(Before) the second round of bidding, we will further refine (the scheme) after extensive stakeholder consultations," Mohapatra told PTI in an interview.

Noting that draft guidelines will be prepared before the next round of bidding, he said, "It is not necessary that terms and conditions in the first round of bidding would remain the same."

The number of seats reserved for subsidised rates, exclusivity period given for an airline on a particular route, frequency of a particular flight and other aspects of UDAN will be looked into.

"...All these questions are open for discussions," Mohapatra said.

After gathering views from the stakeholders, including states and airlines, the draft guidelines will be put up for public comments before finalising the changes.

Asked whether there could be changes to the basic structure of UDAN itself, Mohapatra said there "could be", depending on the suggestions and how realistic these are.

The next round of bidding under UDAN is expected in three months.

A senior civil aviation ministry official said the ministry is likely to come out with "simplified modalities" shortly.

Some airline operators have expressed their willingness to induct aircraft with four to six or more seats and have requested subsidy to be provided for them also. So, the ministry might revise the number of subsidised seats on an UDAN flight, the official noted.

The official also said a separate round of bidding is likely for helicopters as the ministry is looking at ways to make the scheme "more feasible and attractive for helicopter operators".

The focus is on hilly terrain in the North-East in order to improve air connectivity in that region, she added.

Apart from fare cap of Rs 2,500 for one-hour flights, airlines are required to offer 50 percent of the total seats on an UDAN flight at discounted fares. The number of such seats should be at least nine and should not exceed 40.

Besides, a carrier would have exclusivity on a particular UDAN route for three years.

Among various other incentives, the participating airlines will be provided viability gap funding.

Five airlines, including an Air India subsidiary and SpiceJet, won bids to operate on 128 routes connecting 70 airports, of which 31 are unserved under UDAN.

Air Odisha Aviation got maximum number of 50 routes followed by Air Deccan (34) and Turbo Megha Airways (18). The AI subsidiary Airline Allied Services will operate on 15 routes while SpiceJet won bids for 11.
New Delhi: Amid the escalating infighting within the AAP, ousted Delhi minister Kapil Mishra has 'exposed' AAP by revealing that Kejriwal took Rs 2 crore cash bribe from Satyender Jain. Here are all the LIVE updates:-

- Kejriwal became CM due to the fight against corruption in Delhi, and the news of allegations on him today is saddening: Anna Hazare

- Even Kejriwal's greatest enemies won't believe in Mishra's allegation: Kumar Vishwas

- Youth Congress activists protest outside Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's residence, police use water cannons to disburse protesters.

Delhi: Youth Congress protest outside Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal's residence over Kapil Mishra's allegations, water cannons used pic.twitter.com/CgwLhV1odL  ANI (@ANI_news) May 7, 2017

- AAP leader Kumar Vishwas defended Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal over alleged corruption charges and said even Kejriwal's worst enemies can't imagine him to be corrupt.

- Soon after ousted Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Kapil Mishra made the startling revelation of being witness to Delhi Health Minister Satyendra Jain offering a Rs. 2 crore to Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) asserted that it is time for the latter to be arrested and brought down from power.

- Speaking to ANI, Union Sports Minister and BJP leader Vijay Goel lashed out at the 'honest' AAP, alleging the party during its tenure has looted the people of Delhi.

- "They fought for corruption, initially. Now corruption charges are being levied against their party leaders. This should be taken into account and Kejriwal should be arrested immediately," Vijay Goel said.

- The Congress on Sunday demanded a probe against Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal after sacked minister Kapil Mishra alleged the AAP convener was paid Rs 2 crore in cash by Satyender Jain

- The BJP on Sunday demanded Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's resignation after sacked minister Kapil Mishra alleged he took Rs 2 crore in cash from Health Minister Satyendar Jain.

- Kapil Mishra tweets after 'exposing' big corruption in AAP

         EVM                   @ArvindKejriwal  Kapil Mishra (@KapilMishraAAP) May 7, 2017

     ,            

     Kapil Mishra (@KapilMishraAAP) May 7, 2017

                 Kapil Mishra (@KapilMishraAAP) May 7, 2017

- Sacked Delhi Water Minister Kapil Mishra on Sunday alleged that Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal accepted bribe of Rs 2 crore at his residence here.

-Mishra said the cash was handed over to Kejriwal by AAP leader Satyendra Jain.

- "I have informed about this to Lt Governor Anil Baijal and will also inform all investigation agencies," Mishra told the media here.

- AAP leader and Delhi deputy CM Manish Sisodia rejects all the allegations levelled by Kapil Mishra

His allegations are not even worth responding to, they are so absurd and without any facts: Manish Sisodia,Delhi Dy CM on Kapil Mishra pic.twitter.com/FoJLcHZetB  ANI (@ANI_news) May 7, 2017

- Kapil Mishra says he has given the proof of Kejriwal-Jain corruption to Delhi LG and will give it to CBI and anti-corruption wing as well

- The land deal was of Rs 50 crore for a relative of Arvind Kejriwal, alleges Kapil Mishra

- Satyender got the land deal done, alleges Kapil Mishra

- Kapil Mishra alleges that Kejriwal took Rs 2 crore cash bribe from Satyender Jain

- Kapil Mishra alleges that Kejriwal has taken bribes from Satyender Jain: Kapil Mishra

- I've seen Arvind Kejriwal accepting Rs 2 crore cash from Satyender Jain, alleges Kapil Mishra

Parson maine Satyendra Jain ji ko Rs 2 crore Arvind Kejriwal ji ko dete huye dekha tha. Main poori raat so nahi paaya: Kapil Mishra  ANI (@ANI_news) May 7, 2017

- I've prepared report against Sheila Dikshit within a month after I was made minister: Kapil Mishra

When I became minister I sent a report against Sheila Dikshit to CM. What happened to that report after that everyone knows:Kapil Mishra pic.twitter.com/Zb8wr2SK6v  ANI (@ANI_news) May 7, 2017

- Kapil Mishra is speaking from Rajghat on water scam

- Will start eradicating corruption, says Kapil Mishra

- Kapil Mishra is speaking now - "Get energy from Gandhi ji."

- Kapil Mishra reaches Rajghat to do BIG EXPOSE on AAP and corruption

- I've witnessed HIM taking illegal cash, tweets Kapil Mishra after meeting Delhi LG

i have witnessed HIM taking illegal cash.. have shared all details with Lt. Gov.

            Kapil Mishra (@KapilMishraAAP) May 7, 2017

- Kapil Mishra says he will expose corruption in AAP at 11:30 AM

- Kapil Mishra meets Delhi LG Anil Baijal

- Kumar Vishwas reaches Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal's residence

- I am founder member of AAP and will always remain in the party: AAP leader Kapil Mishra on the question of joining BJP

- Kapil Mishra says he will do a BIG EXPOSE at 11:30 AM on Sunday

- On being asked on the possibility of him willing to join the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), he said, "I am one of the founding members of AAP and will always be in the party, those who are corrupt will be sacked from the party" Mishra told the reporters here ahead of his meeting, adding that he will unveil his expose at 11:30 a.m.

- Earlier on Saturday, Shortly after being removed from the Delhi Cabinet, Mishra said he may have been axed for saying he would submit the names of those people involved in the tanker scam to the Anti Corruption Bureau (ACB).

- "It has nothing to do with the MCD polls, and till now, I have not received any official confirmation so far. But I met Arvind Kejriwal this morning, and I said that it has been a year since the report on the tanker scam was tabled and no action has been taken," Mishra told ANI.

- "I had told him that I will submit the names of the responsible persons to the Anti Corruption Bureau (ACB)," Mishra added.

- He said he would expose the names involved in the tanker scam on Sunday.

- However, sources close to Kejriwal claim that Mishra did not meet the Chief Minister and neither had he submitted any papers related to the tanker scam.

- "I have also written a letter to the ACB and have sought appointment from them. I will expose everyone involved in the scam and will apprise the ACB," he added.

- He also denied that he was ousted for supporting AAP leader Kumar Vishwas.

- Mishra tweeted that he was the only minister who has not come under the CBI scanner and has not been charged with corruption.

- "I am the only minister with no corruption charges. No CBI enquiry against me," he said.

- This decision came soon after the AAP suffered a humiliating defeat at the hands of the BJP in the recently concluded MCD polls.

- Recently, a rift developed within the party after Amanatulla Khan had alleged that Vishwas was planning a coup against Kejirwal. Vishwas had threatened to quit the party before Kejriwal and other senior AAP leaders managed to assuage his hurt feelings and appointed him in charge of the AAP's affairs in Rajasthan.

- Meanwhile, Rajendra Gautam and Kailash Gahlot have been included in the Delhi Cabinet.

- Mishra was believed to be close to Vishwas. Earlier, Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia said, "Water management was not up to the mark. Kapil Mishra made a lot of effort. The Chief Minister decided to bring in Kailash Gahlot in his place."

- He added that two persons have been included in the Cabinet now-- Kailash Gahlot and Rajendra Gautam for a post which was vacant.

- Speculation and rumours, however, are afloat that axing of Mishra from the Delhi Cabinet was an attempt by Chief Minister Kejriwal and Deputy Chief Minister Sisodia to send a veiled message across to the Vishwas camp that to quell any sort of dissent.

- Rumors are abound that the AAP is currently bifurcated into two camps, one led by Kejriwal and the other by Kumar Vishwas. The political impact of today's axing of a key associate and minister is yet to unravel.
New Delhi: Chief ministers of Naxalite- affected states will meet top civil and police officers here tomorrow to devise new ways to tackle the armed rebels.

The meeting, to be held two weeks after 25 paramilitary personnel were killed by a band of Maoists in Chhattisgarh, will be chaired by Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh.

It is expected that the meet will help firm up an anti- Naxal strategy to fight the guerillas in their hideouts in Chhattisgarh and other states in the coming days, a Home Ministry official said.

The chief ministers of Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Odisha, West Bengal, Bihar, Maharashtra, Telangana, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Andhra Pradesh have been invited to take part in the crucial meeting.

District magistrates and superintendents of police of 35 of the worst-hit Naxalite-affected districts, along with heads of paramilitary forces and intelligence agencies, will attend the meeting.

It is expected to stress on revamping the intelligence gathering mechanism, meticulous analysis of ongoing operations, identifying problem areas and seeking solutions for better results.

On top of the agenda will be the issue of re-calibrating the anti-Naxal strategy to make it more effective and to minimise casualties, the official said.

The home minister has told the security officials to look for out-of-the box solutions to the problem of successive attacks by Naxalites when security personnel oversee road repair or development work in the troubled areas.

Road construction and other development activities in the affected areas will also be discussed. The chief ministers may endorse an alternative modern technology which would help with the speedy completion of projects.

Home Ministry officials said currently 90 per cent of Maoist activities were limited to 35 districts, though they have a hold over pockets in 68 districts in 10 states.
New Delhi: At least one incident of ceasefire violation by Pakistan has been reported daily along the LoC in Jammu and Kashmir in 2015 and 2016, with 23 security personnel being killed in the two years, the Home Ministry has said in an RTI reply.

It also said that 1,142 terror incidents were reported in J&K between 2012 and 2016 in which 236 security personnel and 90 civilians were killed.

In the same period, 507 terrorists were killed in encounters, the ministry said.

According to the reply, Pakistan violated the ceasefire across the Line of Control 449 times in 2016, as compared to 405 violations in 2015. Twenty-three security personnel were killed in the two-year period, it said.

Major Gen (retd) G D Bakshi said Pakistan is running a "covert" war against India.

"Though Pakistan talks about peace, it does not believe in it, and Jammu and Kashmir is an example," he said.

Compared to 220 terror incidents in Jammu and Kashmir in 2012, there were 322 incidents in 2016 in which 82 security personnel and 15 civilians were killed, the RTI reply said.

It said in 2015, 39 security personnel and 17 civilians were killed in 208 terror incidents while 108 terrorists were killed in encounters. While 47 security personnel and 28 civilians were killed in the state, 110 terrorists were killed in encounters in 2014, the reply said.

The RTI reply said in 2012, 15 security personnel and as many civilians were killed in 220 terror incidents, and 72 terrorists were killed in encounters.

In 2013, 53 security personnel and 15 civilians were killed in 170 terror incidents in J&K with security forces killing 67 terrorists in encounters.

"There is a new trend these days. Whenever the army surrounds militants in an area, messages are sent on social media platforms and residents from nearby places gather there, slowing down operations," Bakshi said.
New Delhi: Pakistan's national carrier PIA will stop flight services between Karachi and Mumbai from Monday, the airlines announced.

Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) operated two weekly flights (Monday and Thursday) between Karachi and Mumbai.

A senior official of the airline told PTI that the decision was taken due to "extremely low" traffic volume on the route.

However, the airline would continue to operate on the Lahore-Delhi sector as traffic volume on this route is satisfactory, the PIA official said.

The flight suspension may add traffic to Lahore-Delhi route, he added.

"There will be no PIA flight between Karachi to Mumbai and Mumbai to Karachi from April 8. The PIA has stopped booking for flights on this route, PTI quoted the official as saying.

"Since we have been bearing financial loss on this route for the last six months or so we have arrived at a decision to suspend this route," the official said, adding that unless a special subsidy is not given by the government on this route it may not be restored in the near future.

The decision comes amid fresh tensions between India and Pakistan following the beheading of two Indian soldiers by the Pakistan military in Jammu and Kashmir and the capital punishment awarded to Indian national Kulbhushan Jadhav on charges of spying.

However, the PIA has dismissed the speculative media reports that the flight suspention was due to tense bilateral relations.

"The reasons behind the move are purely commercial," PTI quoted PIA spokesperson Danyal Gillani as saying.
Mumbai: Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray on Sunday said in order to transform India into a Hindu nation, RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat should become the next President of the country.

"For the first time, we (BJP-led NDA) have received such a strong political mandate. The formation of a Hindu Rashtra is the primary objective and hence, Bhagwat should contest the presidential election," Uddhav said while speaking to reporters at Aurangabad.

The Shiv Sena, an ally of the BJP in Maharashtra as well as at the Centre, had proposed Bhagwat's name as the National Democratic Alliance's candidate for the country's top constitutional post earlier too, but the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh chief had said he was not interested in contesting the presidential poll.

In the party's mouthpiece 'Saamna', Uddhav said that Bhagwat was best placed to implement the concept of Hindu Rashtra.

"After a long time, some party has got one-handed power at the Centre. Who doesn't want a strong president for the country? That's why we have proposed Mohan Bhagwat's name for presidential election," said Uddhav Thackeray.

On being asked whether Bhagwat was a suitable candidate to implement the concept of 'Hindu Rashtra', Uddhav Thackeray said, "Why not? At other places RSS candidates get appointed to important positions, then why not appoint him as President of India?"

Shiv Sena mouthpiece Saamana in its editorial had earlier called RSS Headquarters as second seat of power.
Srinagar: The National Conference on Sunday expressed serious concern over the deteriorating situation in the Kashmir Valley, saying the Centre's "unwillingness" to recognise the political nature of the problem was "compounding the situation" in the state.

The opposition party stated this after a meeting of its core group - its highest decision-making body - which was chaired by NC president and Member of Parliament Farooq Abdullah.

Former chief minister and the party's working president Omar Abdullah also attended the meeting.

"The NC core group while expressing serious concern over the deteriorating situation also expressed disappointment at the complete failure of the state government both in terms of governance and to create a suitable peaceful environment, as evidenced by the cancellation of the Anantnag by-poll, as also (by) rising incidents of violence and turmoil in the state," a party spokesman said.

He said the core group also expressed disappointment over the "unwillingness of the Government of India" to recognise the political nature of the problem which has "compounded the situation in the Valley and added to the already serious level of alienation".

The NC core group expressed profound grief and sorrow over the loss of lives in the recent incidents of violence in the valley and expressed solidarity with bereaved families and extended the party's condolences to them, he said.

Gas leak may be due to improperly sealed containers: police

New Delhi, May 7 (PTI) The chemical gas leak from the Tughlakabad container depot that affected over 450 girl students might have happened due to the containers not being sealed properly.

Police, however, said they are yet to ascertain the point where the carelessness occurred that led to the incident.

It is suspected that yesterday's leakage might have happened due to the containers not being properly sealed after being checked.

Meanwhile, some students are still undergoing treatment at the hospitals. A few teachers and locals were also affected.

As many as 16 girls are still admitted in Humdard Institute, 11 are admitted in ESIC, two are in Batra Hospital while one is in Apollo Hospital. Three have been referred to Safdarjang Hospital, doctors said.

Police said a team of National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and other agencies reached Sonipat in Haryana today to check the container and the initial cause of the leakage.

Police are in the process of collecting documents from the various parties involved to identify the point at which the lapse occurred.

The NDRF had said a truck carrying 80 cans of chloromethyl pyridine had left the Tughlakabad Depot on its way to Sonepat at 3.30 am yesterday.

The Delhi government, which ordered a magisterial probe into the incident, has issued a show cause notice to the depot authorities.

Police had registered an FIR in the matter under various sections of IPC and the Environment (Protection) Act against unidentified persons.

The southeast district administration also issued a show cause notice to the Customs department and the Container Corporation Of India Ltd (CONCOR), the custodian of the depot.
New Delhi: The Congress Party on Sunday asked for a thorough investigation into the reports of Pakistan's intelligence agency ISI funding separatist leaders in Kashmir to spread violence.

Congress leader Tom Vadakkan said that such issues are serious and needs enquiry.

"Whatever the information we have must be investigated because these are serious matters who are funding the separatists and who are the recipients of these kinds of funds. All this should be enquired immediately," Vadakkan told ANI.

Meanwhile, another Congress leader P.L. Punia asserted that now evidence that available in the regard, Pakistan must be unmasked.

"Now we have evidences that ISI funds Hurriyat. Now there is a need to unmask Pakistan and isolate it internationally so that a pressure is built on Islamabad which would stop it from carrying out anti-India activities," said Punia.

According to reports, post the recent arrest of two ISI operatives in India, it has come to light that separatists in Jammu and Kashmir area have been getting a constant flow of funds - to the tune of Rs 70 lakh - from the Pakistan ISI over the past few months.

Slew of documents that have been accessed cite that the nexus between Pakistan and the separatist leaders is responsible for instigating the youth to conduct violent acts in the conflict-ridden state of Jammu and Kashmir.
Kulgam (Jammu and Kashmir): A policeman, a terrorist and two civilians were killed in a shootout at Malpora area in south Kashmir's Kulgam district on Saturday evening.

A police party at Malpora on Qazigund- Kulgam road was clearing the traffic when the terrorist group comprising three members opened indiscriminate fire upon them.

The cops retaliated resulting into the killing of a terrorist.

In the attack, four policemen and two civilians sustained serious bullet wounds.

All the injured were immediately evacuated to the nearby hospital where a policeman and two civilians succumbed to injuries.

A massive hunt has been launched to find out the other terrorists involved in the attack.

Yesterday, Pakistani troops violated the ceasefire along the Line of Control (LoC) in Balakote Sector of Jammu and Kashmir's Poonch District, prompting the Indian Army to retaliate.

Later in the day, the Indian Army's 62 Rashtriya Rifles unit and police authorities busted the module of the militant organisation Hizb-ul-Mujahideen.

The forces busted modules of three Over Ground Workers (OGW) of the HuM.

Earlier on Thursday, two Army soldiers and a civilian were injured after terrorists attacked an Army patrol party in the district.

Following this incident, a search operation was carried out in the area on Friday by the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF).

"South Kashmir is a bit hot, lots of local militants are joining various outfits and we are trying to bring the situation under control. The operation was important, was carried out successfully," CRPF IG Ravideep Sahi told ANI.
Srinagar: The Jammu and Kashmir government has asked all the deputy commissioners of the state to take action against transmission of 34 TV channels, including those from Pakistan and Saudi Arabia, saying they have the potential to incite violence and create law and order situation.

The directive comes after the Centre asked the state government to take immediate steps to stop the unauthorised broadcast of Pakistani and Saudi Arabian channels in the state.

It has been reported that the cable operators in the Valley have been transmitting certain TV channels (which are not permitted by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Government of India).

"It needs being noted that transmission of non-permitted TV channels apart from attracting the violation (of the law), has the potential to encourage or incite violence and create law and order disturbances in the Kashmir Valley, an order issued yesterday by Principal Secretary, Home Department, R K Goyal, to all the deputy magistrates (deputy commissioners) of the state said.

Goyal asked deputy commissioners to clarify as to what action has been taken in regard to media reports that certain cable operators were transmitting such non-permitted channels and also directed them to take urgent necessary action.

"In the circumstances, it is impressed upon you to ensure that urgent necessary action is taken in accordance with provisions of law, the order reads.

He said the transmission of non-permitted TV channels by the cable operators attracts violation of the Cable TV Networks Regulation Rules.

"As per Section 11 of the Cable Television Networks (Regulation) Act, the district magistrate has the power to seize the equipment in case of a violation, the order reads.

On Friday, Union Information and Broadcasting Minister M Venkaiah Naidu spoke with the state chief secretary over the issue and sought a compliance report at the earliest.

He expressed concern over reports that these channels were being broadcast in Jammu and Kashmir without permission.

The State Home Department, which is headed by Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti, has listed 34 such channels belonging to Pakistan and Saudi Arabia including Zakir Naik's banned Peace TV.

The 34 channels are Peace TV Urdu and English, ARY QTV, Madni Channel, Noor TV, Hadi TV, Paigam, Hidayat, Saudi Al- Sunnah Al-Nabawiyah, Saudi-Al-Quran Al-Karim, Sehar, Karbala TV, Ahli-biat TV, Message TV, Hum TV, ARY Digital Asia, Hum Sitaray, ARY Zindagi, PTV Sports, ARY Musik, TV One, ARY Masala, ARY Zauq, A TV, Geo News, ARY News Asia, Abb Takk News, Waseb TV, 92 News, Duniya News, Samna News, Geo Tez, Express News and ARY News.

The principal secretary, Home Department, asked the deputy commissioners to file a compliance report by email by Sunday.
Srinagar: The death toll in an attack in the Kashmir Valley by militants rose to five after an injured civilian succumbed to his injuries on Sunday, a police official said.

The Saturday attack had also left a policeman, two other civilians and a wanted LeT militant dead in Mir Bazar area of the Jammu-Srinagar highway in Kulgam district.

Earlier, reports said two policemen and two civilians were killed in the attack.

"A police party had gone to investigate a road accident when militants travelling in a car opened fire at them," a police official said.

"The police retaliated in which LeT militant Fayaz Ahmad was killed and another was injured."

According to the official, Ahmad was involved in the Udhampur highway attack on a Border Security Forces convoy in August 2015 that left two BSF troopers and a militant dead.

He said the injured militant managed to escape and searches were on to trace him.

Ahmad was wanted by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) and a reward of Rs 2 lakh had been announced for his capture.
Jammu: Jammu and Kashmir will be back on track soon as the security forces are now acting more professionally with a larger degree of freedom, Union minister Jitendra Singh said on Sunday.

Tension prevailed in the Valley as six policemen died in terror attack in South Kashmir in the first week of May. Six civilians also lost their lives during the same period amid stone pelting by students.

"By the next couple of weeks, Jammu and Kashmir would be back on track. There has been such (disturbing) incidents in the past one or two days. But there are noticeable differences ...The para military forces are now acting more professionally with larger degree of freedom," Singh told reporters here.

The MoS, who is on a two-day visit to Jammu region, said "I am sure that sooner than later, things will return to normalcy and J&K will start moving ahead like the rest of the country."

The BJP leader also hit out at Pakistan for unleashing a reign of terror on the people of Gilgit-Baltistan region.

"It is condemnable that the government of Pakistan has unleashed the most inhuman oppression on the people of Gilgit-Baltistan," he said.

"The manner in which Pakistan is seeking to suppress its own subjects is also an eye opener for the entire world, and clearly establishes that Pakistan has emerged as the gravest form of human rights violator in this part of the world, particularly in Indian sub-continent.

"Not jut in Gilgit Baltistan and PoK, which are under its (Pakistan) illegal control, but under its legally occupied territories like Baluchistan also, Pakistan has been suppressing people," he said.

The Union minister further added, "India's concerns emanate not only from the human point of view, but also when the neighbourhood is on fire, it is the responsibility and duty of the Government of India and its security agencies to ensure that all these developments do not have a negative ramification in the region."
Bengaluru: A wild elephant trampled to death two CRPF personnel, who were on duty at their camp near here, police said on Sunday.

"The incident took place in the early hours today after the elephant strayed into the CRPF camp at Taralu village from the adjacent Savandurga forest and attacked the duo," Kaggalipura Police Inspector Krishna Kumar told PTI here.

After trampling CRPF Assistant Sub-Inspector Dakshina Murthy (52) and Constable Puttappa Lamani (35), the elephant ran into the forest, Deputy Conservator of Forests Javen Mumtaz said.

Murthy was a native of Tamil Nadu, while Lamani was from Haveri district of Karnataka.
Kasargode: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Sunday begins its probe into pro-Islamic State (IS) messages being circulated on WhatsApp in Kerala, an intelligence officer said here.

The investigation follows a complaint by a local resident who allegedly received a WhatsApp message in Malayalam promoting Islamic State.

"The message is in Malayalam and it has come from Afghanistan. We came to know of this yesterday (Saturday) and the person who received the message has registered a complaint with the NIA and it has commenced a probe into it," the official told IANS on the condition of anonymity.

The group administrator of the WhatsApp group is believed to be a youth from Palakkad who has been reported missing for some time.

Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan had last year informed the state assembly that 21 people -- 17 from Kasargode district and four from Palakkad district -- were missing. The youth were suspected to have joined the terror organisation in Syria.

In the last two months, three youths from Kasargode district were believed to have been killed in the US-led strikes against the IS. Their relatives received social media messages about their deaths.
New Delhi/Shillong: The government aims to make the Northeast a gateway to Southeast Asia and was making huge investments for the overall development of the region, but lack of cleanliness could hamper this dream, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Sunday.

"If such a beautiful gateway is unclean, diseased, illiterate or disbalanced, then it will fail to cross the gateway of the country's development. There is no reason why, with all our resources, we should remain backward or poor," the Prime Minister said.

Addressing the centenary celebrations of the prominent voluntary organisation, Bharat Sevashram Sangha, in Shillong through video conferencing, he lamented that "only Gangtok had found a place among the first 50 clean cities", out of the 12 cities from the Northeast surveyed as part of the recent nationwide cleanliness survey.

While four Northeastern cities found a place between 100 and 200 clean cities, seven were positioned between 200 and 300, with Shillong being the 276th, he said while stressing that 'Swachhata' or cleanliness was a major challenge for everyone in the region.

"We have to make the Northeast a gateway for Southeast Asia," Modi said, adding if this gateway is dirty, then the dream would not be fulfilled and asked the people and organisations like the Sangha to join hands with the state governments and their agencies in the cleanliness campaign.

Observing that there has been no balanced development in the entire Northeast so many years after Independence, Modi said his government, "with all its resources", had planned to bring about balanced development of the states here.

He said the major thrust was to improve connectivity and develop the entire region for tourism purposes.

"All these initiatives will help to make the Northeast the gateway of Southeast Asia," he said.

While an investment of Rs 40,000 crore is being made to improve the road infrastructure in the entire Northeast, 19 big railway projects have also been started in the region, he said.

"We are also improving the electricity situation in the Northeast and trying to bring even more tourists to the region," Modi said.

Announcing that the Northeast would soon be connected with UDAN (Ude Desh ka Aam Nagarik) scheme, he said small airports were also being developed in the region, while the extension of the runway at Shillong airport has been approved.

The Bharat Sevashram Sangha is a network of volunteers across the globe engaged in helping people in distress.

The Sangha's social welfare activities include disaster relief, spreading education, providing healthcare facilities, vocational training and upliftment of the tribals.

Lauding the role of the Sangha in playing a critical role during natural calamities, the Prime Minister said a myth was sought to be created that spirituality and service cannot go together.

"The Bharat Sevashram Sangha has been able to dispel this myth, through its work," he said, saying that societal development through 'Bhakti', 'Shakti' and 'Jan Shakti' was achieved by Swami Pranavananda, the Sangha's founder.

He said Sangha, with more than 100 branches and over 500 units, had rendered services during various calamities, starting from the Bengal famine in 1923 and Noakhali riots in 1946 to Bhogal gas leakage in 1980, the Tsunami in 2004 and 2013 Uttarakhand tragedy.
A late-night house fire in the Juneau County town of Plymouth completely destroyed a home and claimed the lives of two residents.

According to a press release from the Juneau County Sheriffs Office, the fire was reported just after 11:30 p.m. on April 30. The two deceased are believed to be the homeowners. The house is located at W8856 off Highway 82, east of Elroy. The sheriffs department said the names of the deceased will not be released at this time pending positive identification and notification of next of kin.

Based on the report, a family member of the two residents inside the house attempted to get the residents out but was unsuccessful. The family member received multiple burns and was taken to a local medical facility.

The fire remains under investigation by the the Division of Criminal Investigation, State Fire Marshal, Elroy Fire Department, along with the county coroner and the sheriffs office.

The Elroy Fire Department and the citys ambulance service were the first to respond. After responding, the department requested aid from fire departments in Mauston, New Lisbon, Union Center, Wonewoc, La Valle, Hillsboro and Kendall. A Mauston Police Officer also was on scene to assist with traffic direction.

Fire personnel remained at the scene throughout the night and were still present into the afternoon May 1.
New Delhi: Telugu actor Prabhas has now entered the list of biggest names of the Indian cinema, all thanks to filmmaker SS Rajamouli's 'Baahubali'. Keeping in mind, the success of 'Baahubali 2: The Conclusion', the 37-year-old star recently posted a heartfelt message for his fans online.

In the short note, he can be seen thanking his followers with a special mention to the 'Magadheera' director. "The journey of Baahubali has been a long one but among the few things that I will take away from this, is all of you," he posted on Facebook.

Check out his complete message:

On the cinema front, 'Baahubali 2' has now successfully become the biggest blockbuster in the history of Indian cinema.
New Delhi: Cinema lovers just can not get enough of Indian filmmaker SS Rajamouli's 'Baahubali'. After the success of 'Baahubali 2: The Conclusion', moviegoers are now expecting 'Baahubali 3'. But, a third instalment doesn't seem likely at this moment. The same was reportedly confirmed by K Vijayendra Prasad.

"No, we finished the story to Baahubali already. There cannot be a third part. My son and I haven't planned anything and I am not writing it at this point as well," he told DNA.

At the same time, Prasad also stated that the viewers will get to witness a lot of other stuff from the world of 'Baahubali'. He further said, "There are comic series, and now a TV series will be made around the whole film. They will be shooting on the same sets. So that way, the world of Baahubali won't end."

However, in some old tweets, Rajamouli hinted at a sequel to 'Baahubali 2'. But, it doesn't seem to be on the cards anymore.

'Baahubali' also features Prabhas, Rana Daggubati, Anushka Shetty, Tamannaah Bhatia, Sathyaraj, Nasser and Ramya Krishnan in pivotal roles. The film, about the battle between two warring brothers for an ancient kingdom, has released in Telugu, Hindi, Tamil and Malayalam respectively.
New Delhi: Unparallelled space bonding was witnessed on Friday when seven heads of states from South Asia unanimously applauded India's Rs 450 crore gift to its neighbours by way of a communications satellite.

There is no precedent in the space-faring world of a free regional communications satellite being gifted like this, and it shows India has a large heart.

Touted as Prime Minister Narendra Modi's pet project, the South Asia Satellite is now in orbit, so the riskiest, but easy, part is really over and undoubtedly the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has delivered.

The tricky bit starts now when the seven member-states have to start putting in their own hard earned resources to get the ground infrastructure in place and to get the software ready for the content that will be beamed by the satellite. Easier said than done.

Speaking at the live video conference after the successful launch, Modi said "Today is a historic day for South Asia. A day without precedence. Two years ago, India made a promise. A promise to extend the advanced space technology for the cause of growth and prosperity of our brothers and sisters in South Asia.

"The successful launch of the South Asia Satellite marks the fulfilment of that. With this launch we have started a journey to build the most advanced frontier of our partnership," Modi said.

What was actually left unsaid was that with this single out-of-the-box foreign policy initiative, New Delhi was essentially trying to contain China's growing influence in the region. In its cussedness, Pakistan opted out of the project citing its existing space programme which everyone knows is rather primitive in comparison to India's advanced space- faring capabilities.

While there is no doubt India has end-to-end capabilities in space technology but many of the country's space assets often turn into so-called "white elephants in space".

In the past, the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) has come down heavily on ISRO for the non-utilisation of space imageries that the country's vast remote sensing satellites collected but which remained locked up and were not available to the civilian planners.

Some of that has changed but still high-quality satellite images of less than one meter resolution remain out of bounds for civilians. Similarly, India's Rs 450 crore Edusat--a communications satellite launched in 2004 to "reach the unreached" through interactive teaching--did not live up to its objectives.

The National Institute of Advanced Studies, Bengaluru evaluated the EduSat and concluded that it remained "under- utilised' as it was a top-driven technology initiative where enough thought was not given to generation of appropriate content.

More recently in 2014, ISRO launched the highly controversial GAST-6, a satellite that provides unprecedented satellite-based multimedia capabilities for India's armed forces but till date reports suggest that the handsets that would enable satellite telephony and handheld capability are still being developed.

Between 2013 and 2016, India placed in orbit a constellation of seven navigation satellites in space costing about Rs 1,500 crore but while the space-based system is constantly beaming down signals yet it seems chipsets that can effectively tap these GPS-like signals are still under development.

It seems the 16,000 dedicated workforce of ISRO delivers what it is mandated for but on the downstream side the line ministries seem to fail to capitalise on the gains.

It is too early to assess the outcome of South Asia Satellite for that we may need to wait another 12 years which is the nominal mission life of the satellite. But in daily life when one receives expensive gifts that also need to be serviced with lots of money on a continuous basis, they often turn dust collectors.

Let us hope Afghanistan, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, India and the Maldives will collectively and individually put in the several million dollars a year that may be necessary to effectively tap the benefits of the friendly bird in the sky.

There could be many other reasons why the countries that got the "invaluable gift" may not fully utilise it since several of India's neighbours already have advanced communication satellites in orbit or are in the process of acquiring them.

The war-torn country of Afghanistan, whose President Ashraf Ghani said "If we can't cooperate on land, we can at least cooperate in the sky", participated at the highest level in the unprecedented video conference but sources have said it is yet to ink the deal and cites technical reasons. Hopefully that will happen soon.

But if one analyses its satellite communications capabilities one finds that Afghanistan already possesses a satellite called AfghanSAT. This is a communications satellite it has leased from a European country.

Interestingly, the AfghanSAT which was formerly called W2M is an Indian-made satellite. This satellite was made in the same facility where the South Asia Satellite has been fabricated in the ISRO Satellite Centre in Bengaluru.

In 2014, when Kabul acquired the satellite the then Communication and Information Technology Minister Amirzai Sangin said the satellite "is a new milestone in the development of the ICT [Information and Communications Technologies] in Afghanistan, which in the last 12 years has already seen mobile telephony coverage of 88 per cent and penetration grow from zero to 75 per cent through the licensing of six operators".

One will have to wait and watch how the Afghans finally decide to utilise the services of the South Asia Satellite.

Nepal is a country that felt the need to have a communications satellite in place soon after the devastating 2015 Kathmandu earthquake.

Towards that as recently as December 2016, the Himalayan country has floated a global tender to acquire not one but two of its own communications satellites. May be the Nepali government will dirty its hands by testing Satcom technology on India's gift but whether it will set up a duplicate infrastructure in the long run is something one will have to wait and watch.

Today Nepal already utilises telemedicine facilities using India's INSAT satellites and hospitals in Kathmandu are often hooked up to hospitals in New Delhi and Chandigarh for medical consultations.

Bangladesh is one country because of its deltaic geography it can benefit greatly by having well established capabilities of Satcom.

Speaking at the video conference, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina said "this is an extremely important step to know nature and nature's patterns. On today's auspicious occasion betterment of our people can happen through fruitful engagement".

But at the same time without waiting for the South Asia Satellite to kick in, Bangladesh initiated expanding its capabilities in space and hopes that by the end of this year its very own Bangabandhu-1 satellite will be in orbit as reports suggest that it is being made by the French company Thales Alenia Space. The total cost of the satellite is USD 248 million. Bangabandhu-1 carries a total of 40 Ku and C-band transponders. In contrast, India is offering capacity of about one transponder.

Sri Lanka already owns a communication satellite called SupremeSat which it acquired in 2012 and is operated by SupremeSAT (Pvt) Limited, a Sri Lankan satellite operator.

Interestingly, it has partnership with China's state- owned satellite manufacturing institution China Great Wall Industry Corporation. This satellite has a capacity of 56 transponders.

A less than effervescent Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena, joining in from Colombo for the video conference, said "May this initiative support people in all regions, enhance economic conditions and help to eliminate poverty".

But with China already having the first mover advantage will it let India get a toehold on the island nation?

The Maldives and Bhutan are the two countries that have minimal space-faring capabilities and hopefully will be the biggest beneficiaries of the fruits of the South Asia satellite.

No wonder then that Maldives President Abdulla Yameen actually echoed Modi's words by saying "this launch is an example of India's 'neighbour first policy'. We must work for common good, better economic opportunities. Sabka Saath Sabka Vikas".

India on the other hand is the biggest donor and possibly the biggest beneficiary from the project. Over the 12 year nominal life of the satellite India is extending aid which would be worth at least USD 1,500 million, if one extrapolates the total cost of the project over 12 years.

A highly optimistic and visionary space buff that Modi is, he said "The South Asia Satellite tells us that even the sky is not the limit when it comes to regional cooperation among like-minded countries".

Hopefully, the 2,230 kg South Asia Satellite will remain a friendly bird in the sky and not morph into a "white elephant in space".
Chennai: The Tamil Nadu Government Doctors' Association on Sunday informed the Madras High Court of its decision to call off its over two-week stir demanding restoration of 50 per cent reservation for them in admission to postgraduate medical courses in the state.

The TNGDA had yesterday announced withdrawal of the strike after the high court took a serious view of it and hoped they would call it off and return to duty to continue their service.

A vacation bench of Justices N Kirubakaran and V Parthiban had expressed its displeasure and hoped the strike would be called off and doctors would return to duty to continue their service "while hearing a lawyer's plea, seeking a direction to the TNGDA to roll it back".

It had also directed the association to file an affidavit.

The government doctors in Tamil Nadu had boycotted work demanding 50 per cent reservation for them in admission to postgraduate medical courses in the state.

It had said that if at all they were aggrieved, they could very well resort to the machinery provided under different statutory provisions to redress their grievances.

The issue came to the fore after a single judge had on April 17 ruled that incentive marks to in-service candidates in PG admissions would have to be based on the Medical Council of India (MCI) regulation and not as per state government prospectus.

A division bench had on Wednesday delivered a split verdict on appeals challenging the single judge order and arguments are now on before a third judge on the matter.

As per MCI rules, 50 per cent of the medical seats should be allocated to all-India quota while the rest can be retained by the state. Of this, 25 per cent of seats should be for the in-service candidates.

The government had submitted that award of the incentive marks to 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.

When the matter came up today, the association in its affidavit said they had called off the strike and those who are protesting would be participating only after duty hours.

The bench asked the TNGDA's counsel if there was any proposal to revive the strike after the judgement (referring to the PG courses admission which has been referred to a third judge).

It then questioned the special government pleader about the decision of other doctors' associations to the strike.

"If they have not withdrawn the strike, what is the action you are going to take?" it asked, to which the SGP said they were sincerely trying to settle the issue amicably.

After hearing the arguments, the bench said, "The affidavit filed by the Tamil Nadu Government Doctors Association is taken on record. They are stating they are striking only after duty hours without affecting the treatment to patients."

"This court hopes that patient treatment will be taken care of by the doctors without any problem in future.As far as the doctors who are not reporting to duty, it is for the state to take action against them in accordance with law.
Lucknow: A 32-year-old woman was shot at by unidentified assailants outside a posh hotel in Lucknow in Uttar Pradesh on Saturday night, police said.

The incident took place at 9:00 pm at the parking area of the Sky Hilton hotel at Krishna Nagar when four motorcycle-borne assailants opened fire at the woman who was coming out of the hotel after the dinner.

The victim has been identified as Monica, who is wife of a local businessman and lives separately from her husband.

In the one-minute long clip, a security guard of the hotel, who tried to rescue the woman, is also seen sustaining bullet injuries.

Monica suffered bullet wounds on her neck while guard Shailendra Tiwari was hit in his right hand.

According to a media report, Monica reportedly said in her statement before the police that her estranged husband could possibly be behind the attack.

In her statement she claimed her estranged husband could be behind the attack, senior superintendent of police (SSP) Deepak Kumar said.

WATCH video:
Mainpuri: Samajwadi patron Mulayam Singh Yadav on Sunday acucsed the Congress party for the poor state of Samajwadi Party in Uttar Pradesh and urged the partymen to put in efforts to strengthen the SP.

Training his guns on son and former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav, Singh said, "Alliance with Congress is responsible for the present poor state of the party. I had advised Akhilesh not to go ahead with it but he did so. The SP is itself responsible for its defeat and not the people of the state."

The SP patriarch added further that the Congress party left no stone unturned to ruin his life, yet his son Akhilesh Yadav forged an alliance with the party in the run up to the assembly polls.

Mulayam was speaking at Mainpuri where he unveiled a statue of martyr Dharmendra Yadav in Junesa village in Karhal area here.

Attacking the Congress further, Mulayam said, "Congress left no stone unturned to ruin my life. It (Congress) lodged cases against me and Akhilesh forged alliance with it".

To a question on his brother Shivpal Yadav deciding to form a new front, he said efforts should be made to strengthen the Samajwadi Party.

Shivpal, who retained the Jaswantnagar Assembly seat during the recent elections, has said that a secular front would be formed if Akhilesh Yadav did not hand over the reins of the party back to his father Mulayam in three months.

On Shivpal Yadav's comment terming Ramgopal Yadav as "Shakuni", Mulayam said, "Whatever he (Shivpal) said is true. Attempts were made to ensure his defeat and money was also spent for it".

The SP patron also attacked Prime Minister Narendar Modi and dubbed him as a "liar".

"He (Modi) had lied to the people and promised Rs 15 lakh in every account but even Rs 15,000 was not given," he said.

The Samajwadi Party had witnessed a bitter feud between uncle Shivpal and nephew Akhilesh in the run up to the Uttar Pradesh Assembly polls.

Many in the party blamed the power struggle between Akhilesh and his uncle Shivpal for the Samajwadi Party's dismal performance.

The Samajwadi Party contested the polls under Akhilesh's leadership but suffered a humiliating defeat at the hands of the BJP.

Mulayam had earlier blamed Akhilesh for the Samajwadi Party's poor performance in the Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections and said that his son had insulted him.

The SP tally in the assembly elections has come down to 47 from 227 in the 403-member House.

Following a bitter feud between the father and the son, Akhilesh had snatched reins of the party from Mulayam and their fight also reached the Election Commission.
Abuja: Nigeria's president says he will meet Sunday with 82 Chibok schoolgirls freed this weekend after being kidnapped three years ago by Boko Haram.

President Muhammadu Buhari said in a statement that he will receive the released schoolgirls in Nigeria's capital, Abuja.

The president said the schoolgirls were freed in exchange for detained suspected extremists in the largest negotiated release so far of the nearly 300 girls whose mass abduction in 2014 highlighted the threat of Nigeria's homegrown extremist fighters who are linked to the Islamic State group.

Before Saturday's release, 195 of the girls had been captive. Now 113 of the girls remain unaccounted for. As news of the latest release broke, long-suffering family members said they are eagerly awaiting a list of names and their "hopes and expectations are high."

The April 2014 abduction by Boko Haram brought the extremist group's rampage in northern Nigeria to world attention and began years of worry and heartbreak for the families of the missing schoolgirls.

Some relatives did not live long enough to see their daughters released. Many of the captive girls, most of them Christians, were forced to marry their captors and give birth to children in remote forest hideouts without knowing if they would see their parents again. It is feared that other girls were strapped with explosives and sent on missions as suicide bombers.

A Nigerian military official with direct knowledge of the rescue operation said the freed girls were found near the town of Banki in Borno state near Cameroon.

Boko Haram remains active in that area. On Friday, the United States and Britain issued warnings that the extremist group was actively planning to kidnap foreigners in an area of Borno state "along the Kumshe-Banki axis."

The 276 schoolgirls kidnapped from Chibok in 2014 are among thousands of people abducted by Boko Haram over the years.


London: Britain's most notorious female terror suspect Sally Jones has become a target of American authorities after new evidence pointed to her involvement in at least a dozen Islamic State plots around the world.

The 49-year-old, a mother-of-two from Kent in southeast England, is regarded by the Pentagon as a "high priority" for assassination in Syria after it emerged that the so-called "jihadi bride" of British terror suspect Junaid Hussain is among the most prolific Western recruiters and attack planners for ISIS, The Sunday Times said.

One plot involved kidnapping a US Army veteran and beheading him on camera in his home before broadcasting the murder to the world. Another foiled attack was to be carried out by a teenager opening fire on hundreds of people at a concert or nightclub, the newspaper said.

Almost all the plots involving Jones or her husband Hussain have targeted the military including Royal Air Force (RAF) bases in Britain ? making the Pentagon's desire to eliminate her highly personal.

Jones, however, is believed to be using her 11-year-old son Jojo as a shield to avoid the same fate as her husband.

Hussain, a former computer hacker from Birmingham, was killed by a US drone strike in the ISIS stronghold of Raqqa after he apparently slipped up and left a building without the child at his side.

Jones, a former guitarist in an all-girl punk band, has another son, 19-year-old Jonathan, who stayed in Britain.

Although he died in August 2015, the full extent of Hussain's influence and that of his Muslim convert wife nicknamed "Mr and Mrs Terror" are emerging only now.

US court documents link the couple to numerous attacks and plots, spanning three continents, the newspaper said.

Jones recruited women while Hussain mainly targeted vulnerable men as the leader of an elite group of English- speaking attack planners in Syria known as 'The Legion' or the 'Raqqa 12'.
Brussels: European Commission chief Jean-Claude Juncker on Sunday hailed French voters for electing pro-EU candidate Emmanuel Macron on Sunday as their nation`s new president.

"Happy that the French chose a European future," Juncker said on Twitter, after Macron defeated far right candidate Marine Le Pen who favoured withdrawing from the European Union.
Viroqua Public Works Committee members voted to possibly consider receiving wastewater from the Premium Iowa Pork property (formerly Driftless Meats) between Viroqua and Westby, at its meeting, Tuesday, April 25.

Dan Paquin, president of PIP, and Scott Johnson, plant engineer, spoke at the meeting. PIP, based in Hospers, Iowa, is a subsidiary of Lynch Livestock, which is owned by Gary Lynch.

Paquin said PIP purchased the Driftless Meats plant and plans to spend a few million dollars to renovate the facility and slaughter hogs there by the end of the year. He said the company is the No. 1 producer of antibiotic- and hormone-free meat in the country. "We deal with high-end restaurants and have an integrated supply chain." He added the company owns an organic farm in Darlington and will close on one in Viola.

Paquin said ultimately the plant would slaughter 700 head a day, with a 3,500 per week capacity. "It will be clean, modern and state of the art. There's no way to treat the water. It will generate four to five tanker trunks to the wastewater plant per day." The tankers would hold 6,000 gallons each, with 30,000 gallons delivered per day.

Paquin said wastewater treatment facilities in La Crosse and Sparta would serve as backups to accept the waste. "Westby doesn't have any capacity left."

Marc Polsean, committee chairman, asked if finished product would be sold at the plant.

Paquin said there will not be a retail store. "Down the road we may make processed meat. Currently it's fresh pork."

Committee member Steve Bekkedal asked what is in the water. Paquin said the water primarily contains fat.

"We would send you raw waste -- the water used to wash the carcasses and the water used at the end of the day to wash the conveyors and floors," Johnson, the plant engineer, said. Johnson added that the blood is recaptured because it has value to the company.

Johnson told the committee the wastewater would be an advantage for the treatment facility because there would be a constant supply of the same type of water "to feed the 'bugs' in your plant." He said there would be no Saturday or Sunday shifts at this time. Paquin said rendering of such things as bones would not be done onsite, but would be hauled away.

Sarah Grainger, city engineer/public works director, said the treatment plant has the capacity to accept PIP's wastewater.

"It does help the system to have a stronger stream of waste," she said. "We now add molasses to balance out the flow. We add it at night and weekends to keep it even as possible. The 'bugs' like consistency."

Grainger said income from hauled waste would increase and the operational impact would be minimal. She added there is a separate entrance with a punch code for hauled waste, a tank with a level sensor and a box for samples.

"The DNR wants centralized treatment; we have improved that," Grainger said. "I appreciate the hormone- and antibiotic-free meat. I feel better about that."

The committee voted to allow Grainger to look into what an agreement with PIP might look like.

In other business, the committee:

* Voted to accept the 2016 Consumer Confidence Report. Grainger said the nitrates are down "dramatically," because Well No. 3 has been decommissioned. She said the report is available at City Hall's front desk and on the city's website.

* Voted to consider the sale of utility land at Well No. 6 and Well House No. 3. Grainger said the city is looking to sell utility land at Well No. 6, which is by the VFW. It's a 9-acre parcel; the city is looking to keep 2.5 acres. The remaining portion of land south and east of the well house would be available for purchase. Grainger said an adjacent property owner had expressed interest in purchasing the land.

Grainger said the hospital had approached the city regarding the purchase of Well House No. 3, which is on Oak Street, behind Jenkins Law Office. She said real estate agent Kerry Hall looked at the utility land at Well No. 6 and gave the price quote of $10,000 per acre, and gave the price quote for Well No. 3 property as $24,900.

The committee voted to allow Grainger to contact the interested parties.

* Voted to pay Chosen Valley Testing, Inc., of Rochester, Minn., $2,700 for two soil borings for the Highway 14 North lift station. The station is being rebuilt on the property but at a different location. Grainger said the city will get an analysis of the soil and how to the build the structure.

* Voted to allow Grainger to apply for a lead service lateral grant through the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources. The grant would help homeowners pay for the replacement of to replace their entire water line from the curb stop to their home, if lead is found. Grainger said the city can test for lead at a person's tap but is only allowed to use utility money on the city's end of the system. She said there are two situations the grant money could be used by homeowners, during the city's next road project or if there are breaks. Homeowners would be told there is grant money available for replacement of their water line, given a list of approved plumbers and told to come to the city with the bill.
Paris: A French mineworker who was kidnapped in Chad and taken to neighbouring Sudan has been freed after more than six weeks in captivity, the French president's office said on Sunday.

President Francois Hollande feels "great pleasure" over the release, his office said in a statement.

Sudanese security agents launched a search for the man, whose identity has not been revealed, in late March after a Chadian minister said he was being held there.

The man was kidnapped near Goz Beida, in southeastern Chad, on March 23.

Several French and other Western nationals have been kidnapped by jihadist groups in west and central Africa in recent years.

The last such case in Chad - a former French colony - was in 2009, when a Frenchman working for the International Committee of the Red Cross was abducted by a shadowy armed group called the Freedom Eagles of Africa, based in Sudan's war-torn Darfur province.

He was freed after 89 days.

Chad is one of France's key African allies in the counter-terror fight, with the capital N'Djamena serving as headquarters for France's Operation Barkhane anti-jihadist force.

Set up in 2014, the force, which counts 4,000 troops, works in five Sahel countries - Chad, Mali, Niger, Mauritania and Burkina Faso - to flush out Al-Qaeda-linked extremists.
Baghdad: Iraqi forces faced stiff resistance from Islamic State in northwest Mosul on Sunday after opening a new front against the militants there in a push to rout them from the city after seven months of fighting.

Trapped in a steadily shrinking area of the city, the militants are fighting back with a barrage of suicide car bombs and snipers concealed amongst hundreds of thousands of civilians they are effectively holding hostage.

Having gained a foothold in the northern Musherfa district last week, Iraqi forces are trying to push down into the handful of remaining districts held by Islamic State in Mosul, including the Old City.

The Iraqi military said on Saturday the Musherfa district had been fully retaken, but officers told Reuters on Sunday there was still fighting there and smoke could be seen rising over the area by a Reuters reporter in east Mosul.

"Fighting Daesh in Musherfa with a large number of families still locked in their houses is making the battle more complicated," said a colonel from the ninth armoured division, which is taking part in the offensive, referring to Islamic State by its Arab acronym.

The new push from the northwest began last week after other fronts in the city`s southern districts stalled around the Old City where the iconic mosque from which Islamic State leader proclaimed a modern-day caliphate is located.

Iraqi forces are backed by a US-led coalition which is carrying out airstrikes and advising them on the ground.

Iraqi officers said additional reinforcements from the Rapid Response Division had arrived in northwest Mosul on Sunday to help clear areas on the banks of the River Tigris that bisects the city.

"The brigade will participate in the battle to retake Hawi al-Kanisa and also help the ninth army division step up pressure on Daesh fighters," said a Rapid Response officer on condition of anonymity.
New York: Gaza based Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas on Saturday elected Ismail Haniya as its new political chief, replacing Qatar based veteran Khaled Meshaal.

"The Hamas Shura Council on Saturday elected Ismail Haniya as head of the movement's political bureau," said a statement on the group's official website.

This change of leadership comes just days after Hamas released its new policy document last week accepting the establishment of a Palestinian state based on 1967 lines.

The 42-point document reaffirms the group's belief that 'no part of the lines and no part of Palestine shall be compromised or conceded'.

Haniya served as Palestinian prime minister after Hamas won a 2006 parliamentary election but was sacked by Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.

Recently, United States President Donald Trump has vowed to revive the stalled Israel-Palestine peace process by acting as a "mediator, an arbitrator or a facilitator". During his meeting with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas at the White House, Trump had said he is committed to working with Israel and the Palestinians to reach an agreement.

Trump said the Palestinians and Israelis must work together to reach an agreement that allows both peoples to live, worship, thrive and prosper in peace.

President Abbas said that their strategic option and choice is to bring about peace based on the vision of the two-state, a Palestinian state with its capital of East Jerusalem that lives in peace and stability with the state of Israel based on the borders of 1967.

Palestinian militant outfit Hamas chief Khaled Meshaal has said that 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 civilized world 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.(ANI)
Washington: The scandal over Russian meddling in last year's presidential election returns to the forefront of Washington politics after weeks of quiet tomorrow, when two top officials from the Obama administration are set to testify in Congress.

Sally Yates -- acting attorney general in the Trump administration for 10 days before being fired -- could bring new pressure on the White House over what it knew about former national security advisor Michael Flynn's communications with Russian officials.

Obama's director of national intelligence James Clapper is also set to testify, after repeatedly warning of the need to get to the bottom of how the Russians interfered in the election, and whether anyone on President Donald Trump's team colluded with Moscow.

The case has simmered for weeks as attention focused elsewhere on what keynote legislation the president could push through in his first 100 days, reached on Sunday.

Congressional investigations into the matter have also been held up by infighting between Democrats and Republicans over how aggressively to pursue a matter that continues to cast a cloud over Trump's election win.

Trump this week repeated his dismissal of US intelligence chiefs' conclusion that Moscow had sought to boost his campaign over his Democratic rival Hillary Clinton's in an effort overseen by Russian President Vladimir Putin.

In an interview with CBS's "Face the Nation" program marking his 100 days, Trump again rejected the official view that Russians hacked Democratic Party computers and communications.

"(It) could have been China, could have been a lot of different groups," he said.

On Tuesday, he again branded the whole story as fake.

"The phony Trump/Russia story was an excuse used by the Democrats as justification for losing the election," he said on Twitter.

Trump's dismissals notwithstanding, the Senate Judiciary Committee -- where Yates and Clapper appear tomorrow -- and the House and Senate Intelligence Committees are stepping up their probes, calling numerous current and former government witnesses to testify, mostly behind closed doors.

And the FBI continues its own active investigation into possible collusion.

The country's top intelligence officials have no doubt Moscow tried to swing the election against Clinton last year through hacking and disinformation.

Nor is there any doubt that people closely associated with the Trump campaign -- including Flynn, onetime foreign affairs advisor Carter Page and campaign chairman Paul Manafort -- all had ongoing contacts with Russians.

But whether those contacts resulted in any collusion with Moscow remains unproved.

Asked on CNN this week if she had yet seen any evidence of collusion in private intelligence briefings, Senator Diane Feinstein, the top Democrat on the Senate Intelligence Committee, responded: "Not at this time."

In tomorrow's hearing, Yates -- an Obama deputy attorney general who was fired by Trump for refusing to support his immigration ban -- reportedly could testify that she warned the incoming administration in January that Flynn's discussions with Russia's US ambassador left him vulnerable to blackmail.

A former military intelligence chief, Flynn was Trump's national security advisor for 24 days before he was fired for lying about the substance of the calls.

Clapper, still bound by secrecy requirements of his former job, might not add more than what the intelligence community has already said publicly about the scandal.
YEREVAN, MAY 6, ARMENPRESS. Armenia is not threatened by war in the near future. Azerbaijan is sitting on an oil pit, and the probable war will first of all be crucial for Baku, Hero of Artsakh Liberation War, Major General Arkadi Ter-Tadevosyan told reporters.

According to him, in case of war significant human losses are unavoidable.

Speaking on the liberation of Shushi, the Major General said this victory isnt only his victory, but rather the victory of everyone.

Every time the successes are attributed to me, but first of all this is the work of our paramilitary soldiers, he added.

Arkadi Ter-Tadevosyan was happy to state that the April War showed that the spirit of our youth is quite strong.

Although the adversary was rather prepared, our men were able to overcome everything, he said.
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 so called "Democracy" does exists.
Copies of insurance papers and identification sealed in a watertight plastic bag

First-aid kit

Weather radio and batteries

Prescription medicines

Sleeping bag or blankets

Changes of clothes

Hygiene items such as toothbrush, toothpaste, soap and deodorant

Cash

Pet supplies including food, water, leashes, bedding, muzzle and vaccination records.

Contact: Ford Porter

Ford Porter govpress@nc.gov

Raleigh: With many communities still recovering from Hurricane Matthew, Governor Roy Cooper today reminded North Carolinians to get ready for another hurricane season.Hurricane season runs from June 1 through November 30 and to encourage residents to prepare, Governor Roy Cooper has proclaimed May 7-13 as Hurricane Preparedness Week said Gov. Cooper.Hurricane Matthew hit North Carolina October 8-9, 2016 as a Category I storm. The deadly storm caused an estimated $4.8 billion in damage and displaced tens of thousands of families and businesses.Governor Cooper said work began earlier this year to develop resiliency plans for each of the 50 counties that received a federal disaster declaration following Matthew. The plans will develop strategies and actions to reduce future impacts from flooding events.Gov. Cooper said.History indicates that families and communities who are better prepared for hurricanes and other disasters recover more quickly than those who are not. Cooper urged families to use this week to discuss their emergency plans, review their homeowners and renters insurance policies, and update their emergency supplies.An emergency supply kit should contain enough supplies not just to get through the storm, but for the potentially lengthy aftermath. Make sure to have enough non-perishable food and water to last each family member three to seven days. Other essential items include:During storms, people should stay tuned into a trusted local news source and keep a battery-powered radio nearby for weather and evacuation information. They also need to heed the warnings of state and local officials and evacuate quickly when told to do so.said Public Safety Secretary Erik A. Hooks.Hooks reiterated that the most dangerous threat from hurricanes and tropical storms is flooding and storm surge. The storm doesn't even have to be classified as a tropical system to cause serious damage, he said.More information on hurricanes and overall emergency preparedness can be found on ReadyNC mobile app and online at www.ReadyNC.org
Many Americans will be surprised to hear that Britain is once again going to the polls, for what will be the third time in as many years. But while the June 8 election is unlikely to generate any shocks on the magnitude of the 2016 votes that delivered Brexit on one side of the Atlantic Ocean and President Donald Trump on the other, the result will still be hugely significant in shaping the course of the next few years for Britain, the United States, and the wider world.It would take a brave man to bet on anything other than Prime Minister Theresa May's being returned with a large majority in the House of Commons. May's Conservatives are riding around 20 points higher in the polls than their Labour rivals, and her net favorability rating is a staggering 52 percent higher than Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn's. But while the result may be in little doubt, the mandate May is seeking from voters will have a profound effect on the country's exit negotiations with the European Union. And ensuring a smooth Brexit that prioritizes free trade is important not only for the British economy, but also for the Eurozone, the United States, and indeed the global economy.By and large, May's negotiations with Brussels have proceeded smoothly thus far, despite the constant sniping of anti-Brexit politicians and campaigners who are determined to obstruct the process. And if the polls are correct, the general election will put an end to this political guerrilla warfare, further strengthening the government's hand.This is not a zero-sum game: The European Union does not want to look across the negotiating table and see a country riven by internal divisions and disputes over its own negotiating position. European leaders have welcomed the British election for the stability and clarity it seems set to inject into the negotiations.Across the English Channel, the likely election of centrist Emmanuel Macron as the next French president will also bring a welcome dose of stability to continental European politics. European leaders will be more self-confident and prepared to negotiate a mutually beneficial agreement with the U.K. once they feel they have successfully ridden the populist wave and the risk of perceived "Brexit contagion" has subsided.Most importantly, the twin elections will encourage a Brexit that ensures the continued stability of the global economy. May will now have a five-year window up to 2022 in which to complete the negotiations and implement a new agreement with the E.U. The alternative was the constraint of a looming general election in 2020, which could have given the E.U. the opportunity to back Britain into a corner.A large Tory majority in the House of Commons also opens the door to at least another decade of stable rule by the pro-free-market, pro-free-trade Conservatives if they are able to pull off a successful Brexit and win another national election in five years. This should be welcomed by businesses, even if they previously questioned the merits of the Leave campaign.Some people outside the U.K. still interpret the Brexit result as a vote for Britain to turn inward and pull up the drawbridge to the world. There was always a danger that Britain would venture down the path of a "closed Brexit," but it is not the path May has pursued, nor was it the vision put forward by Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson during the referendum campaign.North Carolina, where one of us is based, already has seen the signs of a U.K. continuing to look outward. Last July, little more than one month after the Brexit referendum, the U.K.'s international trade secretary announced plans to open a new trade office in Raleigh, along with others in Minneapolis and San Diego. (British-based firms such as BAE Systems, Compass Group, GSK, and Dunlop Aircraft Tyres already support more than 27,000 jobs in North Carolina.)The only way for Brexit to succeed is for the U.K. to engage fully with the entire world. It must remain the closest possible friend and partner to countries in the European Union, but also look farther afield, too, not least to the United States.The general election will greatly increase the chance of this kind of "open Brexit," with the U.K. stepping forward to take a leading role in global trade and foreign affairs. Brexit can put the U.K.-U.S. axis at the heart of global affairs once again, on the basis of our shared values and ever-deepening economic cooperation.The two economies are already deeply intertwined: The U.K. is the biggest foreign investor in the U.S. and vice versa. If a British citizen works for a foreign company, it is most likely to be for an American firm. Similarly, an American working for a foreign firm is most likely to be working for a British one.This close economic relationship exists despite the lack of any formal trade partnership between our two countries. President Trump and House speaker Paul Ryan have made clear their commitment to securing a trade agreement with the U.K. as soon as possible after Brexit. Such an agreement has the potential to turbocharge our two economies, and with Trump due to make a state visit to the U.K. in October, now is the time for both governments to lay the groundwork, hammering out its terms so that it's ready to be signed the minute Brexit is finalized.As the biggest single trading partner of both the U.K. and the E.U., the United States has another important role to play: By applying the right pressure to Brussels, Paris, Berlin, and, indeed, London, it can ensure that Brexit negotiations proceed as smoothly as possible, in a way that continues to promote trade and prosperity for all our nations by securing a full U.K.-E.U. free-trade agreement with minimal disruption.Now is a time of great change, but also great opportunity. The British general election will be a major step toward achieving the kind of open Brexit that provides maximum benefits to the U.K., U.S., and the E.U. itself. If Britain and America can set the new standard for international trade after Brexit, the rest of the world will follow.
Premier urges safety as Canadian troops deployed to help with Quebec flooding

More than 400 military personnel have been deployed to help the flood relief effort in Quebec.

Canadian Forces troops from CFB Valcartier headed to Gatineau, Laval, Rigaud and the Mauricie region of Quebec and aother unit will be set up as a command post in Montreal.

Lt. Delphine Bonnardot (Navy) told CBC News that the army is currently in talks with the province on how resources can be best deployed.

Water levels have risen across Quebec as rain continues to fall. Between Friday and Saturday night, more rain fell than during the entire month of May 2016.

Speaking to reporters Saturday, Quebec Premier Philippe Couillard said his thoughts are with those in the province who are affected by the flooding. Flanked by his senior ministers, he said safety is the number one priority.

"Everybody wants to help," he said. "All Quebecers want our fellow Quebecers to feel safe. That's the first priority."

Rehab centre evacuated

A Montreal rehabilitation centre has been evacuated as a precaution as water levels in the adjacent Riviere des Prairies continue to rise.

Forty-eight residents of the Pavillon Pierrefonds of the CIUSSS du Centre-Sud-de-l'Ile-de-Montreal have been moved. Gaetan Barrette, the province's health minister, said all of the residents have severe mental or physical disabilities.

"They are not in a situation to understand what's happening," he said.

Residents have been taken to other health-care centres, where they'll stay for the next three weeks.

State of emergency in Oka, Que.

Water levels also drastically rose overnight in Oka, a small village bordering the Ottawa River about 60 kilometres northwest of Montreal. The municipality has declared a state of emergency and local authorities officially asked for assistance from the Canadian Armed Forces on Saturday.

Several streets are closed to traffic and residents are scrambling to protect their homes from water damage.

Steven Gabriel is using three separate pumps and a slew of sandbags in hopes of saving his house from flooding.

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"It's just relentless," he said. "It's been about 20 years since it's been like this."

While his backyard is sinking due to accumulated water, Gabriel said he's taken comfort in the community banding together to help one another out.

"Everyone is working together," said Gabriel. "At least there's that  we're not alone."

More rain coming

According to Environment Canada, between Friday and Saturday evening, up to 80 millimetres of rain will have fallen in the Ottawa River and that water is headed downstream toward Montreal.

"It usually takes a few days for all of that precipitation to increase the water level of those rivers," said Bruno Marquis, Environment Canada meteorologist.

As of Saturday evening, 126 municipalities across the province are dealing with flooding, in the regions of Montreal, Laval, the Monteregie, Mauricie, Lanaudiere and the Laurentians.

"We think it's very appropriate to ask for additional resources, additional efforts from the armed forces and I'm very happy that we had the entire collaboration of the federal government in this respect," said Quebec Public Security Minister Martin Coiteux.

He said even when the waters recede, some areas will continue to be affected for weeks to come.

Federal Public Safety Minister Ralph Goodale says the army will work with local authorities to co-ordinate relief efforts.

Islands under water

Authorities in Laval have recommended that residents leave their homes on the low-lying Ile Verte and Ile-Roussin. They, along with Ile Mercier in Montreal, have seen heavy flooding over the past few days.

The bridge connecting the Ile Mercier to Montreal is completely closed to all vehicles, including emergency vehicles. On Friday, Montreal's mayor said there was a possibility of a mandatory evacuation order being authorized to remaining residents.

Ile Mercier is home to about 50 properties and around 20 homes are still occupied.

According to Quebec authorities:

- 126 cities and municipalities have been affected.

- 1,867 residences are flooded.

- 1,065 people have left their homes.

- 409 roads have been affected by the floods.
FILE PHOTO - A North Korean flag flies on a mast at the Permanent Mission of North Korea in Geneva October 2, 2014. REUTERS/Denis Balibouse/File Photo (Reuters)

By Ju-min Park

SEOUL (Reuters) - North Korea said on Sunday it has detained another U.S. citizen on suspicion of "hostile acts" against the state, which would make him the fourth American to be held by the isolated country amid heightened diplomatic tensions with Washington.

Kim Hak Song, who worked for the Pyongyang University of Science and Technology, was detained on Saturday, the North's KCNA news agency said.

"A relevant institution of the DPRK detained American citizen Kim Hak Song on May 6 under a law of the DPRK on suspension of his hostile acts against it," KCNA said. DPRK is short for the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, North Korea's official name.

A third U.S. citizen, Kim Sang Dok, who was associated with the same school, was detained in late April for hostile acts, according to the North's official media.

The U.S. State Department said it is aware of the latest reported detention.

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"The security of U.S. citizens is one of the department's highest priorities. When a U.S. citizen is reported to be detained in North Korea, we work with the Swedish embassy in Pyongyang," a State Department official said in an emailed statement, declining to provide further details for privacy reasons.

The reported detention comes as tensions on the Korean peninsula run high, driven by harsh rhetoric from Pyongyang and Washington over the North's pursuit of nuclear weapons in response to what it says is a threat of U.S.-instigated war.

The Pyongyang University of Science and Technology (PUST) was founded by evangelical Christians and opened in 2010. Its students are generally children of the country's elite.

The volunteer faculty of PUST, many of whom are evangelical Christians, has a curriculum that includes subjects once considered taboo in North Korea, such as capitalism. The college is an unlikely fit in a country that has been condemned by the United States for cracking down on freedom of religion.

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A message by Kim Hak Song dated February 2015 on the website of a Korean-Brazilian church in Sao Paulo said he was a Christian missionary planning to start an experimental farm at PUST and was trying to help the North Korean people learn to become self-sufficient.

No further details were available about the circumstances related to the arrests of the two men associated with the college. A spokesman for PUST was not immediately available for comment.

North Korea, which has been criticized 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.

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 labor for attempting to steal a propaganda banner.

Two months later, Kim Dong Chul was sentenced to 10 years hard labor for subversion. Neither has appeared in public since being sentenced.

(Additional reporting by Sarah N. Lynch in Washington; Writing by Jack Kim; Editing by Ros Russell and Paul Simao)
- Many still condemn Nollywood and its practitioners mainly because of the dearth of quality in their movies

- But according to one filmmaker, that has begun to change

- Maryam Charles even thinks Nollywood will soon surpass the American film industry aka Hollywood

Nollywood, Nigerias film industry has received a lot of knocks and kudos in recent times with many commending the quality of the movies.

READ ALSO: Here are the official photos from Adesua and Banky Ws introduction

This is not saying there arent any films that leave much to be desired in terms of quality and other things, but with each day, the number of such movies is reducing Legit.ng has noticed.

Speaking about this actress and filmmaker Maryam Charles said there remains a lot of work to be done but in due time, Nollywood will be known worldwide.

Maryam Charles

Nollywood can only get better at this point because everyone is stepping up their game. Im a practitioner in this industry so I know what I am saying. No one wants to entertain mediocrity anymore and that is the only thing that can stop the industry from moving forward, she said.

Maryam who was speaking on the set of her soon to be released film On Time also added that Now that everyone is adopting a higher standard in their works, Nollywood will soon surpass Hollywood.

Do you agree with Maryam?

READ ALSO: Nollywood stars speak on Pastor Ajidaras death

Legit.ng recently spoke to Iyanya about quality in the Nigerian music industry. He shared his thoughts in the interview below:

Source: Legit.ng
Motley Fool

While the number of stocks on "sale" seems to be growing exponentially in 2022, the three businesses we'll look at today have dipped to valuations that buy-and-hold investors should consider. First, with Alphabet (NASDAQ: GOOGL) (NASDAQ: GOOG) and Adobe (NASDAQ: ADBE), we have two of the biggest names in technology, trading with price-to-free-cash-flow ratios they haven't seen since 2013. Meanwhile, SoFi Technologies (NASDAQ: SOFI) now trades at around $5 per share, despite having over $3 worth of tangible book value per share on its balance sheet, and rapidly growing revenue.
Each year at Berkshire Hathaways shareholder meeting, CEO Warren Buffett and vice chairman Charlie Munger sit down for 8 hours in front of 40,000 live spectators  and many more online  and wax philosophical on all topics imaginable.

Here are some of the highlights:

Self-driving cars and trucks may be years off, but when they come, they will hurt Berkshire Hathaway, according to Buffett. Autonomous vehicles, widespread, would hurt us if they spread to trucks and theyd hurt our auto-insurance business, Buffett said.

Warren Buffett plans to run Berkshire until hes buried in the ground. The question of his successor has come up in recent years as he has gotten older. On the subject, Buffett says theres one thing that he would like to see from his replacement, and thats a willingness to accept modest compensation. Ideally, that person would be already very rich.

Warren Buffett spoke about Wells Fargo (WFC) and its 2016 scandal, in which up to 2 million credit card and bank accounts were created without customers permission. At Wells Fargo, there were three very significant mistakes, but there was one that dwarfs all the others, said Buffett. At some point if theres major problem, the CEO gets wind of it. And the CEO has to act.

Berkshire Hathaway has historically shied away from investing in technology stocks, though it has invested in IBM (IBM) and Apple (AAPL). Berkshires vice chairman Charlie Munger added that they avoided tech stocks in the past because they felt they had no advantage where other people did. He added that he thought they were probably smart enough to figure out Google (GOOGL, GOOG), though.

President Donald Trumps plan to cut corporate tax rates to 15% would almost certainly be a boost to Warren Buffett and Berkshire Hathaway. The deferred taxes that are applicable to unrealized gains on securities would all be applicable to us, Buffett said. We have $90 or $95 billion in gains, and our owners, dollar for dollar, will participate in that  If the rate were to drop 10%, that $9.5 billion is real. Buffett added that the impact of lower corporate taxes, however, would be uneven across its holdings.

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Charlie Munger thinks stock market investors might find better investment opportunities overseas right now. Munger said, I do think the Chinese stock market is cheaper than the American stock market. And I do think China has a bright future. There will be growing pains of course.

A value investor from China asked how to spread the value investing philosophy in a market system where so many are speculating. Theres always some speculations, always some value investors in the market, Buffett said. The problem arises when people start to see others benefitting from playing the market.

In typical fashion, Warren Buffett railed against the hedge fund industry and its notorious fees. In all the professions, there is value added by the professionals, as a group, compared to doing it yourself. In the investment world, that isnt true, Buffett said. He added that the active managers cannot do better than the aggregate of the people who just sit tight.

The godfather of index investing knows there is a limit to the strategys usefulness. If everybody indexed, the only word you could use is chaos, catastrophe, said Jack Bogle, founder of Vanguard. There would be no trading. There would be no way to turn a stream of income into a pile of capital or a pile of capital into a stream of income.

Artificial intelligence will kill some jobs, but on the whole, help improve society. Thats essentially the insight Warren Buffett had to offer on the subject. I would certainly think they [artificial intelligence developments] would result in significantly less employment in certain areas, but thats good for society, Buffett said. It may not be good for a given business.

Warren Buffett said that rising health care costs, not the tax system, is the number one problem that American businesses face. If you go back to 1960, or thereabouts, corporate taxes were about 4% of GDP, I mean they bounced around some. And now, theyre about 2% of GDP, Buffett said. At that time, health care was 5% of GDP, and now its about 17% of GDP. In Buffetts view, this says a lot of whats playing a bigger role in hindering business activity in the economy.

Over the last several decades in America, our economic prosperity has not been shared equally, and the impacts of globalization have taken a large portion of the blame. Asked about this trend, Warren Buffett said that in America, Nobody should be roadkill. He added, Youve got an enormously prosperous country. Youve got $60,000 in GDP per capita. So weve got prosperity, and that prosperity is enhanced by trade.

Follow our Yahoo Finances coverage of Berkshire Hathaways annual meeting at Finance.Yahoo.com/BRKLiveStream.

More on Warren Buffett and Berkshire Hathaway:
Crunching profit numbers and evaluating surprises may be a preferred method for scooping up big gains this earnings season. However, what is far more rewarding is an assessment of a companys cash position because that indicates its true financial health.



Even a profit making company can face a dearth of cash flow and end up being bankrupt if its profits are not channelized in the right direction. But a company with adequate cash flow can withstand any market mayhem and still be on the growth track.



This is because, cash gives a company the vitality and strength. It offers flexibility to make decisions, the means to make potential investments and the fuel to run the growth engine. It is the key for its existence, development and success and can indeed be referred to as the lifeblood of the company.



Obviously, cash flows in and out, but net cash flow indicates how much money the company is actually generating or burning. Positive cash flow indicates enhanced liquidity, giving the company more means for debt repayment, expenses, dividend payouts, stock buyback and finally reinvestment in business. On the other hand, a negative cash flow implies that a companys liquid assets are decreasing, resulting in reduced flexibility to support these moves.



However, positive cash flow alone is not adequate to predict a companys future growth. If cash flow is increasing over time, it indicates that a companys competency is growing with managements efficiency in regulating its cash movements, reaping more money from its business, depending less on outside financing and finally improving fundamentals.



Therefore, ahead of the Q1 earnings season, keep yourself abreast with the following screen to bet on stocks with rising cash flows.



Screening Parameters:



To find stocks that have seen increasing cash flow over time, we ran the screen for those whose cash flow in the latest reported quarter was at least equal to or greater than the 5-year average cash flow per common share. This implies a positive trend and increasing cash over a period of time.



In addition to this we chose:



Zacks Rank 1: No matter whether market conditions are good or bad, stocks with a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) have a proven history of outperformance. You can see the complete list of todays Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.



Average Broker Rating 1: This indicates that brokers are also highly hopeful about the companys future performance.



Current Price greater than or equal to $5: This sieves out low-priced stocks.



VGM Score of B or better: This score is also of great assistance in selecting stocks. Importantly, this scoring system helps in picking winning stocks in their individual industry categories.



Here are four out of the nine stocks that qualified the screening:



Aegean Marine Petroleum Network Inc. ANW, based in Athens, Greece, is a marine fuel logistics company that physically supplies and markets refined marine fuel and lubricants to ships in port and at sea. The company has a VGM Score of A.



The Zacks Consensus Estimate for 2017 earnings increased 6.5% over the past 60 days to $1.64. Moreover, over the past one year, Aegean Marine Petroleum shares outperformed the Zacks categorized Transportation - Shipping industry, registering a return of 60.3% against the industrys decline of 3.0%.



Lundin Mining Corporation LUNMF, headquartered in Toronto, Canada, is a rapidly growing, diversified base metals mining company with operations in Chile, the USA, Portugal, and Sweden, mainly producing copper, nickel and zinc. The company has a VGM Score of A. Moreover, it has an expected long-term growth rate of 34.1%.



Lundin Mining logged in a return of 72.4% over the past one year, which is way better than the 18.9% gain witnessed by the Zacks categorized Mining - Non Ferrous industry.



PCTEL, Inc. PCTI, headquartered in Bloomingdale, IL, designs, develops and delivers wireless solutions. Specifically, the company delivers Performance Critical TELecom technology solutions to the wireless industry and is a leading supplier of antennas and wireless network testing solutions. The company has a VGM Score of B.



The Zacks Consensus Estimate for 2017 earnings increased 25% over the past 60 days to $0.10. Also, over the past one year, PCTEL shares outperformed the Zacks categorized Wireless Equipment industry, registering a return of 52.8% against the industrys decline of 1.6%.



SP Plus Corporation SP, based in Chicago, provides professional parking, ground transportation, facility maintenance, security and event logistics services to property owners and managers in all markets of the real estate industry. The company has a VGM score of A. Moreover, it has an expected long-term growth rate of 11.5%.



Also, SP Plus logged a return of 50.1% over the past one year, which is way better than the 4.9% loss incurred by the Zacks categorized Consumer Services - Miscellaneous industry.



Get the rest of the stocks on the list and start putting this and other ideas to the test. It can all be done with the Research Wizard stock picking and backtesting software.



The Research Wizard is a great place to begin. It's easy to use. Everything is in plain language. And it's very intuitive. Start your Research Wizard trial today. And the next time you read an economic report, open up the Research Wizard, plug your finds in, and see what gems come out.



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Disclosure: Officers, directors and/or employees of Zacks Investment Research may own or have sold short securities and/or hold long and/or short positions in options that are mentioned in this material. An affiliated investment advisory firm may own or have sold short securities and/or hold long and/or short positions in options that are mentioned in this material.



Disclosure: Performance information for Zacks portfolios and strategies are available at: https://www.zacks.com/performance.



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Aegean Marine Petroleum Network Inc. (ANW): Free Stock Analysis Report



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To read this article on Zacks.com click here.
In typical fashion, Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.A) (BRK.B) CEO Warren Buffett railed against the hedge fund industry and its notorious fees.

In all the professions there is value added by the professionals, as a group, compared to doing it yourself. In the investment world, that isnt true, Buffett said during Berkshire Hathaways annual shareholders meeting.

Buffett added that the active managers cannot do better than the aggregate of the people who just sit tight.

The 86-year-old multi-billionaire has been a critic of the hedge fund industry and its exorbitant fees. Hedge funds are known to charge investors fees known as 2-and-20, meaning 2% of assets and 20% of profits. Those fees can vary with some being lower and others being as high as 3% and 30%.

Buffett pointed out that if you have $1 billion in assets under management, you get paid $20 million just for terrible performance. A $10 billion fund would generate $200 million in fees for lousy performance.

In any other field, that would just blow your mind, he said. People get so used to it in the field of investment.

Berkshire Hathaway CEO Warren Buffett talks with a reporter before the Berkshire Hathaway annual meeting in Omaha, Nebraska, U.S. May 6, 2017. REUTERS/Rick Wilking

Buffett told the crowd that he pays Berkshires young investment managers, Ted Weschler and Todd Combs, $1 million per year, plus a bonus for beating the S&P 500. Weschler and Combs each manage about $11 billion. Its a far cry from 2-and-20.

To prove his point, Buffett made a famous bet with a fund-of-funds manager nine years ago that active investment managers, in aggregate, could not outperform a low-cost index fund over a period of time.

Buffett is currently winning that wager.

Instead of hedge funds, Buffett recommends that both large and small investors put their money in low-cost index funds, like those offered by Jack Bogles Vanguard.

At the annual meeting, Buffett opened the meeting by praising Bogle. He estimated that hes put tens-of-billions into the pockets of American investors.

Jack has probably done more for the American investor than any man in the country, Buffett said.

Story continues

Stay with Yahoo Finance for the best ongoing coverage of Warren Buffett and Berkshire Hathaway.



Julia La Roche is a finance reporter at Yahoo Finance. Follow her on Twitter.
Legendary investor Warren Buffett said that rising health care costs, not the tax system, is the number one problem that American businesses face.

If you go back to 1960, or thereabouts, corporate taxes were about 4% of GDP, I mean they bounced around some. And now, theyre about 2% of GDP, Buffett said during Berkshire Hathaways (BRK.A) (BRK.B) annual shareholders meeting. At that time, health care was 5% of GDP, and now its about 17% of GDP.

In Buffetts view, this says a lot of whats playing a bigger role in hindering business activity in the economy.

When American business talks about taxes strangling our competitiveness, or that sort of thing, theyre talking about something that as a percentage of GDP has gone down from 4% to 2%, while medical costs, which are borne to a great extent by business, have gone from 5% to 17%, he said.

So, medical costs are the tapeworm of American economic competitiveness.

He added that health care will be problem that society will face, regardless of what political party is in power.

Republicans are pushing for a tax cut for people like Buffett

In terms of the American Health Care Act, the Republicans plan to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act, Buffett said that the net effect if it should pass that it would be a big windfall for wealthier Americans.

The one thing I can tell you, if it goes through the White House  anybody with a $250,000 adjusted gross income and a lot of investment income, is going to have a huge tax cut, Buffett said. When theres a tax cut, either the deficit goes up or they get the taxes from somebody else.

Warren Buffett

Charlie Munger, Berkshires vice chair, agreed with the medical care costs are going wild. He noted that sometimes theres too much medicine and too much chemotherapy for people who are all but dead.

Munger added that U.S. manufacturers are at a big disadvantage compared to countries where the government is paying the health care costs.

Story continues

On this issue, both parties hate each other so much that neither one can think rationally, and I dont think that helps either, Munger said.

Buffett agreed that its going to be very tough for the political parties to take on this issue.

If you talk about about world competitiveness of American industry, its the single biggest variable where we keep getting more and more out of whack with the rest of the world, Buffett said. Its very tough for political parties to attack it, but its basically a political subject.

Stay with Yahoo Finance for the best ongoing coverage of Warren Buffett and Berkshire Hathaway.



Julia La Roche is a finance reporter at Yahoo Finance. Follow her on Twitter.
Iconic investor Warren Buffett says Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.A) (BRK.B) thinks that investors will do reasonably well when speculators in the market get fearful.

During the Berkshire Hathaways annual shareholders meeting, a value investor from China asked Buffett and his right-hand man Charlie Munger for advice on how to spread the value investing philosophy in a market system where so many are speculating.

Theres always some speculations, always some value investors in the market, Buffett said.

The problem arises when people start to see others benefitting from playing the market.

When speculation gets rampant and when youre getting what I guess Charlie [Munger] would call social proof that its worked recently, people can get very excited about speculating in markets. And, we will have it from time-to-time in the market, Buffett said, adding, Theres nothing more agonizing than to see your neighbor, who you think has an IQ 30 points below you, getting richer than you are by buying stocks, whether its internet stocks or whatever. And people succumb to it. Theyll succumb to it in this economy and elsewhere.

Buffett noted that in developing markets, theres probably a tendency to be more speculative than already established markets.

Markets have a casino characteristic that has a lot of appeal to people, particularly when they see people getting rich around them, Buffett said. And those who havent been through cycles before are probably a little more prone to speculate than people who have experienced the outcome of wild speculations.

Munger added that China will probably have more trouble.

Theyre very bright people. They have a lot of action. Sure, they are going to be more speculative, but its a dumb idea. And to the extent that youre working on it, why youre on the side of angels. Lots of luck.

Berkshire Hathaway CEO Warren Buffett visits the BNSF booth before the Berkshire Hathaway annual meeting in Omaha, Nebraska, U.S. May 6, 2017. REUTERS/Rick Wilking

Buffett noted that there will be more opportunities for investors if they can keep their wits about them.

Story continues

Fear spreads like you cannot believe until youve seen a few examples of it, Buffett said, pointing to the panic in U.S. money market funds in 2008 as an example.

The way the public can react is really extreme in markets and that actually offers opportunities for investors, he added. People like action and they like to gamble.

The lesson here: the market rewards patience.

Follow our Yahoo Finances coverage of Berkshire Hathaways annual meeting at Finance.Yahoo.com/BRKLiveStream.



Julia La Roche is a finance reporter at Yahoo Finance. Follow her on Twitter.
wells fargo protest anarchy

Warren Buffett said that the biggest failure of the Wells Fargo fake accounts scandal should be laid at former CEO John Stumpf's feet.

Wells Fargo settled with regulators in September after it was revealed that employees had opened as many as 2 million accounts in the names of customers without their knowledge. This launched a massive investigation, two congressional hearings, and eventually led to former CEO John Stumpf stepping down.

During the Berkshire Hathaway annual meeting, Buffett addressed the scandal by breaking down three big problems.

"There were three very significant mistakes, but there was one that dwarfs all the others." said Buffett

The first mistake was creating an incentive structure that rewarded bad behavior.

Wells Fargo advocated cross-selling, in which employees were judged based on how many extra financial products they could sell to each customer.

"Clearly at Wells Fargo there was an incentive system built around cross selling and services per customer," Buffett said "Undoubtedly people got paid, graded, and rewarded based on that system... it turns out that was incentivizing the wrong behavior."

The second, and biggest mistake, according to Buffett was when executives found out about the scandal, former CEO John Stumpf did not do enough about the issue. According to an internal investigation, Stumpf knew about the systemic issue as far back as 2012, but did not take substantial action.

"The biggest mistake was, obviously I don't know all the facts, but at some point if there is a major problem will get to the CEO and at that point the CEO has to act," Buffett said.

"It had to stop when the CEO learns about it," Buffett continued.

Buffett compared it to the Salomon Brothers scandal which led to the near downfall of that investment institution.

Story continues

The third mistake, Buffett said, was that the bank underestimated the fall out and public backlash. "They totally underestimated the impact of what they had done," Buffett said.

In the end, however, Buffett said the issue came down to not doing enough about the scandal when they found out about it.

"The main problem was they didn't act when they learned about it," the legendary investor concluded.

Wells Fargo is one of the largest holdings of Berkshire Hathaway. In fact, Berkshire applied to the Federal Reserve in order to own more than 10% of the bank, but eventually dropped the request after determining the additional regulation associated with owning more of the bank was too burdensome.

UPDATE: Wells Fargo sent Business Insider the following statement on Buffett's comments:

We agree with Mr. Buffetts comments and value Berkshire Hathaway as a long-term shareholder and customer. We have taken decisive actions to fix the problems, make things right for customers, and build a better Wells Fargo. Our top priority is rebuilding the trust of our customers, team members, community partners, and shareholders.

Our actions include:

Eliminating product sales goals for Retail Bank team members and implementing a new performance management and rewards program that emphasizes customer experience and team goals.

Centralizing key enterprise control functions, such as risk management and human resources, which had been reporting to the lines of business.

Strengthening ethics and risk management throughout the company, including creating the new Office of Ethics, Oversight and Integrity to centralize the handling of internal investigations, complaints oversight, and sales practices oversight

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Berkshire Hathaway vice chairman Charlie Munger thinks stock market investors might find better investment opportunities overseas right now.

Speaking at the Berkshire Hathaway annual meeting on Saturday, Munger said, I do think the Chinese stock market is cheaper than the American stock market. And I do think China has a bright future.

There will be growing pains of course, Munger added.

Berkshire Hathaway CEO Warren Buffett quipped after Mungers comments, Charlie has created a headline.

The S&P 500, the benchmark U.S. stock market index, currently trades at 25 times trailing earnings, according to data from Yale professor Robert Shiller. This is among the most expensive valuations in the markets history. Stocks in China were trading closer to 8 times earnings as of the end of March.

Mungers comments followed a question asked by a shareholder on whether he thought it was possible for someone investing in Chinese stocks to re-create the success Buffett, Munger, and the Berkshire team have enjoyed over the last several decades.

Munger did not address that specific part of the question. One imagines the answer is No, but simply on the basis of there being no reason to expect Berkshires performance to be replicable. Since 1965, Berkshire Hathaways compounded annual gain is 20.8% annually. Over that same period, the S&P 500 has gained 9.7% including dividends.

Berkshire Hathaway vice chairman Charlie Munger visits the shareholder shopping day in a golf cart as part of the Berkshire Hathaway annual meeting weekend in Omaha, Nebraska, May 5, 2017. REUTERS/Rick Wilking

Just before Buffett and Munger were asked about the Chinese stock market, Buffett opined at some length on the value of investing in a low-cost index fund rather than trying to find a hedge fund or other manager who charges more fees but beats the market over time.

In his comments, Buffett largely echoed what he wrote in his most recent letter to Berkshire shareholders.

There are no doubt many hundreds of people  perhaps thousands  whom I have never met and whose abilities would equal those of the people Ive identified, Buffett wrote.

The job [of investing], after all, is not impossible. The problem simply is that the great majority of managers who attempt to over-perform will fail. The probability is also very high that the person soliciting your funds will not be the exception who does well.

Story continues

At the outset of the meeting, Buffett said Vanguard founder Jack Bogle  considered the godfather of low-cost index fund investing  would save investors hundreds of billions in the future.

Follow our Yahoo Finances coverage of Berkshire Hathaways annual meeting at Finance.Yahoo.com/BRKLiveStream.



Myles Udland is a writer at Yahoo Finance. Follow him on Twitter @MylesUdland

More on Warren Buffett and Berkshire Hathaway:
GNC Holdings Inc (NYSE: GNC) investors cant help but be excited about the companys surprisingly solid Q1 earnings report and the stocks impressive 28 percent two-day rally. However, Deutsche Bank analyst Shane Higgins says GNC bulls shouldnt get too far ahead of themselves. According to Higgins, GNC still has a lot of questions that need to be answered.

The companys One New GNC strategy appears to be gaining traction among customers, as Q1 traffic trends in pilot stores were positive. In addition, the companys guidance for $250 million in fiscal 2017 free cash flow far exceeded Deutsche Banks estimate of $140 million.

While we are encouraged by the early progress on the new strategy, we continue to have concerns around where a re-based GNCs margins are EBITDA shake-out, Higgins explains.

Related Link: GNC Shorts Get Squeezed

He points out that GNC has a $1.17 billion term loan maturing in less than two years time, and GNC needs to make major progress for its leverage not to end up a problem.

Deutsche Bank also anticipates that competition in the vitamin and supplement space will remain heated in coming years, providing headwinds to any turnaround efforts.

Despite the strong quarter, Deutsche Bank still sees too many uncertainties to recommend GNC stock. The firm maintains a Hold rating and $9 price target.

A large part of GNC's huge move this week has likely been driven by a flood of short sellers exiting their positions. As GNCs stock has plummeted 74.0 percent in the past year, short interest has skyrocketed more than 574 percent.

Image Credit: By Miosotis jade - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Latest Ratings for GNC

Jan 2017 Goldman Sachs Downgrades Neutral Sell Dec 2016 Barclays Downgrades Equal-Weight Underweight Oct 2016 Bank of America Downgrades Neutral Underperform

View More Analyst Ratings for GNC

View the Latest Analyst Ratings

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 2017 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.
(Updates with pricing of new issues in paragraphs 3, 13)

By Tatiana Bautzer

NEW YORK, March 30 (Reuters) - Latin American governments and companies could soon step up bond sales, seizing on increased deal appetite as a regional economic recovery gains steam and concerns about potential aggressive U.S. policy changes ease, bankers and investors said this week.

Attractive returns on Latin American debt and demand for less traditional structures have allowed the Brazilian government to sell debt at record low yields. Suzano Papel & Celulose SA subsequently placed a 30-year junk bond, the first of its kind for a Brazilian firm, this month.

Arcos Dorados Holdings Inc, the world's largest McDonald's restaurant franchisee, and Chile's Empresas CMPC SA raised a total $765 million through the sale of 10-year bonds in separate deals. Brazilian logistics firm JSL SA could be next in line soon, two people familiar with the plans said.

Concerns that U.S. President Donald Trump's policies would lure capital away from Latin America have subsided, bankers and executives said. Inflows are also being fueled by market stability after the U.S. Federal Reserve's single rate hike so far this year.

Emerging market funds had $6.5 billion in net inflows in the week ended March 22, their most in nearly four years, Institute of International Finance data showed, with about $4.5 billion going to bonds.

"We'll still see a lot of debt refinancing deals, but there are a few first-time issuers tapping the market," said Felipe Wilberg, global head of fixed income for Itau BBA SA, which is hosting an annual Latin American debt capital markets conference in New York.

According to other bankers, who asked for anonymity to speak freely about market trends, cheaper funding for the region's borrowers largely hinges on the ability of several governments, like Brazil's, to get congressional approval for key fiscal reforms ahead of a busy Latin America election calendar.

Story continues

Investors initially expected Trump-related turmoil to slam the brakes on access to capital markets in Latin America, which has struggled with the end of a decade-long commodities boom.

The premium that investors demand for Latin American bonds over U.S. Treasuries stands at about 7.59 percentage points, compared with about 7.14 points at the start of the year, according to JPMorgan's EMBI Diversified Latin America bond index.

'DIFFERENT REACTION'

However, the pushback has been minor compared with prior U.S. tightening cycles that triggered violent swings in Latin American issuers' borrowing costs.

Spreads have tightened somewhat across the region, said Baruc Saez, Itau BBA's managing director of international fixed income.

"Although conventional wisdom states that U.S. rate hikes lead to pressure on asset prices in emerging markets, we are seeing a different reaction from investors," said Marc Nachmann, head of Latin America for Goldman Sachs Group Inc.

Earlier in the day, pulpmaker CMPC sold $500 million of so-called Green bonds at a lower-than-targeted yield of 4.42 percent. Arcos Dorados sold $265 million in global notes at 5.85 percent interest, below initial guidance of 6 percent.

JSL, the logistics firm, is discussing a potential $300 million global bond deal with banks that will have to be fully hedged against currency fluctuations because the company's revenues are all denominated in Brazilian reais, a person with direct knowledge of the transaction said.

Western Asset Management Co has raised the Latin American share of its emerging markets debt positions to 47 percent from 40 percent over the past year, as prices turned attractive and the outlook improved, said Mark Hughes, who helps oversee $40 billion in emerging market bonds for the firm.

The ramp-up has been gradual though, Hughes said, noting that bonds from Brazilian exporters now offer a better entry point than those of domestic-oriented companies.

Latin American sovereign and corporate borrowers have raised $34 billion from bond sales this year, according to Itau BBA data. Last year, bond borrowing in the region reached $102 billion.

Bankers are raising their estimates for new Latin American bond supply this year to $80 billion from as low as $60 billion in November as the initial negative sentiment on Mexico has recovered.

In the case of Brazil, President Michel Temer's progress in pushing reforms has fueled demand for bonds like Suzano's.

"When the deal hit the road, we sensed that investors were in general more optimistic about fiscal consolidation than they were a year earlier," Marcelo Bacci, Suzano's chief financial officer, said in an interview. (Additional reporting by Paul Kilby in New York; Editing by Guillermo Parra-Bernal, Christian Plumb and Tom Brown)




Jared Kushner

Representatives for the Kushner family reportedly asked journalists to leave the room during a presentation they were making to wealthy Chinese investors in Beijing, The Washington Post reported on Saturday.

Reporters were initially seated in the back of the ballroom at the Ritz-Carlton, but as the presentation began, The Post said that a PR representative for the family asked its reporter to leave, saying that the presence of "foreign reporters threatened the 'stability' of the event."

In one instance, event organizers grabbed a reporter's belongings, including a phone and backpack, to try to force that person out, the report said. When the event's attendees began leaving the ballroom after the presentation was over, organizers reportedly surrounded the event-goers to prevent them from talking to reporters.

When a PR rep was asked why reporters were told to leave the event, she said, "This is not the story we want."

The presentation itself was aimed at convincing Chinese investors to put their money into Kushner 1, a real estate project in New Jersey, in order to secure investor visas, the report said.

The visas are part of the EB-5 immigrant investor visa program, which allows foreign investors to put money into job-creating projects in the US, and then apply to immigrate into the country. The future of the program, however, is uncertain given the president's campaign promise  and subsequent actions after taking office  to curb immigration into the US.

Jared Kushner Ivanka Trump

Story continues

The event was organized by Chinese company Qiaowei, which connects American companies with Chinese investors. Qiaowei is working with the Kushners to secure funding for their project. The presentation was spearheaded by a woman who's believed to be Nicole Kushner  she was introduced only as "Jared's sister," and reporters could not see her face clearly from the back of the ballroom, where they were seated.

Nicole and her brother Josh, are also the named trustees of first-daughter Ivanka Trump's business empire after she took on an official role in Donald Trump's administration, according to The New York Times.

Though this event was not attended by Jared Kushner, who serves as a senior adviser to President Trump, attendees were not unaware of potential benefits and concerns that may arise due to his ties to the White House.

"Even though this is the project of the son-in-laws family, of course it is still affiliated," Wang Yun, who attended the event, told The Post.

Wang expressed concerns that an investment in Kushner 1 could go downhill if Trump is unsuccessful.

"We heard that there are rumors that he is the most likely to be impeached president in American history. Thats why I doubt this project," Wang said.

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A sharp drop the number of oil barrels Saudi Arabia loaded onto tankers in April appears to deliver what the market has been awaiting: a big decline not just in crude output, but exports.

Data from transportation tracking firm ClipperData indicate that the number of barrels the kingdom put on tankers for shipment around the world fell by more than 670,000 per day in April from October, the reference level for OPEC's deal to cut output. That would mark the sharpest decline this year and a reversal of March's increase.

Members of the OPEC have achieved historically high compliance with a deal to cut their combined production by 1.2 million barrels a day. But the oil cartel hasn't really taken that crude off the market because exports remain high, said Matt Smith, director of commodity research at ClipperData.

OPEC's combined water-borne shipments of nearly 24 million barrels a day in March were up slightly from October levels, before OPEC hammered out the deal to cut output. They jumped to about 24.3 million barrels a day in January, the month the deal was implemented.

According to Smith, consistently high exports have prevented the output cuts from achieving their goal: shrinking huge stockpiles of crude oil around the world.

Crude in storage at U.S. facilities has fallen in recent weeks, but stockpiles remain near all-time highs. In its latest monthly report, the International Energy Agency estimated inventories in developed countries were 336 million barrels a day above the five-year average in February.

Those elevated inventory levels have weighed on sentiment in recent weeks, contributing to a sell-off in the oil market that shaved about $8 off the price of benchmark U.S. crude in the last three weeks.

Prices are now below $50 for both international benchmark Brent (Intercontinental Exchange Europe: @LCO.1) and U.S. crude (New York Mercantile Exchange: @CL.1) less than three weeks before OPEC meets to weigh extending the cuts for another six months.

Story continues

Iranian export loadings appear to be dropping in April, as well, but this appears to be a Saudi story for the moment. Saudi Arabia's cut to outward shipments gives them leverage heading into this month's OPEC meeting, according to Smith.

"It's all about this meeting on May 25, and so they'll be going into that meeting knowing that they have cut exports by far more than they said they would. [They'll] go in there and bang the table and try to get everyone else in line," he said.

Watch: Slowing crude demand in Asia

Clarification: This story has been updated to reflect the 670,000 barrel per day decline in April was from OPEC's October reference level.





More From CNBC


trump

The Trump administration plans to cut 96% of the budget of the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP), effectively eliminating the federal agency that has traditionally been used to spearhead the war on drugs, according to multiple media reports.

The White House Office of Management and Budget's proposed fiscal year 2018 budget reduces the funding request for ONDCP from $388 million in 2017 to $24 million, according to a leaked memo first reported by CBS News.

The cuts would eliminate approximately half ONDCP's staff, around 33 employees, as well as "intelligence, research and budget functions at the agency, as well as the Model State Drug Laws and Drug Court grant programs," CBS reported Friday.

"These cuts are frankly heartbreaking and, if carried out, cause us to lose many good people who contribute greatly to ONDCP's mission and core activities," Acting Director Richard Baum wrote in an email to ONDCP staff obtained by CBS.

Baum added that news is "discouraging," but told staff "not to panic" and that "events are unfolding."

In addition, the budget proposes to eliminate multiple grant programs administered by ONDCP, including the High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas (HIDTA) program and the Drug-Free Communities Support program, which the memo called "duplicative of other efforts across the Federal government and supplant State and local responsibilities."

OMB FY18 proposed budget cuts to @ONDCP44: pic.twitter.com/RYrML0tNFq  Jacqueline Alemany (@JaxAlemany) May 5, 2017

Staff was notified of the budget cuts on Friday. Baum, who was aware of the impending cuts last week, had reportedly been lobbying Jared Kushner, Trump's senior adviser and son-in-law, to keep the agency's budget intact.

Story continues

In February, when rumors first began circulating that Trump might cut ONDCP's budget, a coalition of medical and drug policy organizations sent a letter to Mick Mulvaney, the director of the Office of Management and Budget, urging for ONDCP to remain at the center of efforts to fight drug use.

"At a time when drugs now kill more people than firearms or car crashes, it is more important than ever for ONDCP to remain a strong voice in the White House and a visible presence nationally," the letter read.

But some drug policy experts are cautiously optimistic at the agency's elimination.

"Unfortunately, the ONDCP has a history of advancing predominatively counter-productive policies," Grant Smith, deputy director of national affairs at the Drug Policy Alliance, told Business Insider, noting that DPA has supported the "dismantling" of the agency.

Smith noted that elimination of the agency could actually accelerate efforts to treat drug use as a public health, rather than criminal issue, if it means less funding for programs like HIDTA.

But that depends, Smith said, on if the nation's drug policy is in the hands of Attorney General Jeff Sessions, who has called for cracking down on drug offenders, or someone else.

The ONDCP was first created in 1988 by the Anti-Drug Abuse Act at the height of the crack epidemic and the so-called War on Drugs.

Tom Angell, the founder of pro- marijuana legalization group Marijuana Majority, told Business Insider that it was only during the last years of the Obama Administration, under the direction of then-ONDCP director Michael Botticelli, that the agency made positive efforts towards harm reduction and treatment policies. Traditionally, according to Smith, the agency has been at the forefront of efforts to prosecute and stigmatize drug use.

ONDCP's proposed elimination comes after Trump signed an executive order in March to establish a national commission to address the opioid crisis, headed by New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie. The commission, which was due to receive "administrative support" from ONDCP, was tasked with coming up with strategies to address the crisis.

Many experts said the president's action is "underwhelming."

The reports come one day after Rep. Tom Marino announced that he was withdrawing from consideration for the appointment of ONDCP director, the position more informally known as the Drug Czar, after more than a month of speculation that he would serve. The Pennsylvania Republican was one of Trumps earliest supporters in Congress.

The White House didn't immediately respond to a request for comment.

NOW WATCH: 'Just a loose hunch': Watch Alec Baldwin impersonate Trump and Bill O'Reilly on 'SNL'





More From Business Insider


Donald Trump

President Donald Trump issued his first statement on medical marijuana since he took office.

Trump on Friday signed a $1.1 trillion omnibus spending bill that will keep the federal government funded through September 30.

The congressionally approved bill includes a rider  the Rohrabacher - Blumenauer Amendment  that disallows the Department of Justice and the Drug Enforcement Agency from using federal funds to prosecute medical marijuana businesses in states where medical marijuana is legal.

Marijuana is illegal at the federal level, though 29 states have varying degrees of medical marijuana legalization on the books. The amendment doesn't extend to recreational marijuana, which is legal in eight states.

Trump, who has stayed mum on the topic of marijuana since the election, finally gave an indication as to where he stands on the issue in his statement after he signed the bill:

"Division B, section 537 provides that the Department of Justice may not use any funds to prevent implementation of medical marijuana laws by various States and territories. I will treat this provision consistently with my constitutional responsibility to take care that the laws be faithfully executed."

Tom Angell, the founder of Marijuana Majority, an advocacy group, told Business Insider he thinks that Trump's statement is the federal government's way of "asserting their right" to go after certain medical marijuana businesses if they choose to at a later date.

"[M]y read is it's basically saying they reserve the right to do whatever they want and enforce prohibition regardless of the statutory prohibition on doing so," Angell said, though he doesn't think it necessarily indicates a federal crackdown on medical marijuana is coming.

A variety of medicinal marijuana buds in jars are pictured at Los Angeles Patients & Caregivers Group dispensary in West Hollywood, California U.S., October 18, 2016. REUTERS/Mario Anzuoni

A federal court  the 9th circuit, which has blocked two of Trump's high-profile executive actions  ruled last year that the amendment protects patients and providers acting in accordance with state medical marijuana laws, despite the Justice Department insisting the opposite, notes Angell.

Story continues

Michael Collins, the deputy director of the Drug Policy Alliance, said in an email that Trump continues to send "mixed messages" on marijuana.

"After stating during the campaign that he was '100%' in support of medical marijuana, he now issues a signing statement casting doubt on whether his Administration will adhere to a congressional rider that stops DOJ from going after medical marijuana programs," Collins said.

"The uncertainty is deeply disconcerting for patients and providers, and we urge the Administration to clarify their intentions immediately," Collins added.

Robert Capecchi, the director of federal policies for the Marijuana Policy Project, said in an email that Congress is growing "increasingly comfortable" with states adopting medical and recreational marijuana policies.

"Unfortunately, spending prohibitions like these expire at the end of the fiscal year, so there is still a need for a long-term solution," Capecchi added.

Jeff Sessions, the attorney general, told Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper during a private meeting in April that prosecuting state-legal marijuana businesses wouldn't be a priority for the Justice Department.

NOW WATCH: Yale history professor: Heres why it's useful to compare Trump's actions to Hitler's





More From Business Insider


Over the last several decades in America, our economic prosperity has not been shared equally and the impacts of globalization have taken a large portion of the blame.

Asked about this trend at the Berkshire Hathaway annual shareholders meeting on Saturday, Warren Buffett said that in America, nobody should be roadkill.

Youve got an enormously prosperous country, Buffett said. Youve got $60,000 in GDP per capita. So weve got prosperity, and that prosperity is enhanced by trade.

Following the election of President Donald Trump, who ran on an economic platform of bring back manufacturing jobs that had been sent from the U.S. to points overseas and pledged to Make America Great Again, more attention has been paid to the offshoring trends that have permeated the economy for a generation. Since taking office, President Trump has either pulled the U.S. from existing trade agreements or pledged to renegotiate existing ones.

Buffett, however, thinks the public needs to both understand better the benefits accrued from free trade and also be assured that we will take care of those left behind by these developments.

We have to have policies that take care of the people who become roadkill [because of free trade], Buffett said. Because it doesnt make any difference to me if my life is miserable because Ive been put out of business by something thats good for 320-some million people in some sort of infinitesimal way and its messed up my life.

Buffett added that, weve got a rich society that can do that and a society that will benefit from free trade, and I think we oughta try to hit both objectives of making sure that there is no roadkill and, at the same time, that 320 million people get the benefits of free trade.

Charlie Munger, Berkshire Hathaways vice chairman, added that, Im afraid that a capitalist system is always going to hurt some people as it modifies and improves. Theres no way to avoid it.

Buffett agreed that capitalism is brutal to capital, but said that, a rich society can actuallytake care of [those left behind by the economy].

Story continues

The luckiest crop in history

In recent annual letters, Buffett has repeatedly emphasized his belief in the strength of the U.S. economy and his view that economic prosperity will continue to increase through the years.

One word sums up our countrys achievements: miraculous, Buffett wrote in his latest letter to shareholders published in February.

From a standing start 240 years ago  a span of time less than triple my days on earth  Americans have combined human ingenuity, a market system, a tide of talented and ambitious immigrants, and the rule of law to deliver abundance beyond any dreams of our forefathers []

This economic creation will deliver increasing wealth to our progeny far into the future. Yes, the build-up of wealth will be interrupted for short periods from time to time. It will not, however, be stopped. Ill repeat what Ive both said in the past and expect to say in future years: Babies born in America today are the luckiest crop in history.

It takes hard work and hard choices, however, for Buffetts prophecy to eventually ring true.



Myles Udland is a writer at Yahoo Finance. Follow him on Twitter @MylesUdland

More on Warren Buffett and Berkshire Hathaway:
Afghanistan has disputed a claim by the Pakistani Army that it had killed some 50 security personnel and destroyed at least five Afghan checkpoints near the border between the two countries, saying only two border police were killed.

Pakistani Major General Nadeem Ahmad told reporters on May 7 at the Chaman border crossing that two of his soldiers were also killed and another nine were wounded.

Siddiq Siddiqi, the head of Afghanistan's government center for media and information told RFE/RL's Radio Free Afghanistan in an interview on May 7 that the claim "baseless" and the Afghan government "strongly dismissed" it.

The Pakistani and Afghan armies have been clashing near the crossing in southwestern Pakistan and southern Afghanistan since May 5.

Pakistan said the fighting began after the Afghan Border Police opened fire on soldiers accompanying a census team, killing nine civilians. Siddiqi blamed the Pakistani side for starting the fighting.

Afghanistan accuses Pakistan of providing sanctuaries for Afghan Taliban and the militant Haqqani network on its soil, while Pakistan accuses Afghanistan of sheltering Pakistani Taliban.

With reporting by AP and Geo.TV
crypto wrote:

thats very interesting. thanks for sharing. Are you going full time? what does your wife say? will you be soley using financial aid? are you relocating to a new city? I am looking at college of charleston, and i live in Colorado now. i dont want to do an executive program. I want the real college experience for the MBA. im 27 so we are close in age.

Sure! And yes, we plan on moving to attend a full-time program. There are no attractive full-time programs in Kansas City, so I feel your pain with the Colorado situation. At first, I started looking at online and part-time programs with the thought of evolving with my current employer, but the more I introspected, the more a different passion emerged.Wife is very supportive. She's also born and raised in KC, so this will be her first opportunity to live in a different metro, and as she aspires to be a writer I think that's exciting for her. We'll be evaluating a variety of options for financing. I'm headed into education management, so I will qualify for loan forgiveness from several schools and also the government. I'm also likely to qualify as a Consortium applicant since I currently tutor minority students with college aspirations, and there is a fellowship that usually factors in with one school. We're saving up a nice chunk of cash as well, but we own a home and will probably continue making payments on it while we're gone. And we also know that we won't be able to make a fully informed decision on financing until the dust settles and, hopefully, a few offers are on the table.We plan on coming right back, so part of me wishes I could do the Olin Executive MBA in KC, because it could be a fantastic chance to network with executives in the city. But I'm also a double jumper (new industry and new function), and the executive MBA isn't going to open as many doors. At 27, I imagine the same will hold true for you as well.If you want the full-time experience, you should go full-time, no question. Be careful to research the school, however, and take visits if you get it boiled down to a few schools. I currently attend UMKC to qualify for the CPA exam, and our MBA program would not present the same experience or culture as a more ranked program.
Chinese Students Arrested In TOEFL Fraud

Between 2015 and 2016, three aspiring graduate students paid a current student to take the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) exam to help them get into grad school. All four were Chinese nationals, and their scam worked. The test-taker  at the time a student at Hult International Business School in Cambridge, Massachusetts  scored so well, the three were admitted to premier U.S. universities.



But the law caught up to them Thursday (May 4), with federal authorities arresting all four and charging them with conspiracy to defraud the United States, because the students who paid for test scores received student visas after being admitted to their respective universities. All four face up to five years in prison, up to three years of supervised release, and fines of $250,000  as well as deportation after conviction and serving of sentence.



Illegal schemes to circumvent the TOEFL exam jeopardize both academic integrity and our countrys student visa program, William Weinreb, acting U.S. Attorney for the District of Massachusetts, said in a statement. By effectively purchasing passing scores, (the students) violated the rules and regulations of the exam, taking spots at U.S. colleges and universities that could have gone to others. 



The Department of Justice identified the alleged test-taker as Yue Wang, a 25-year-old graduate of the Hult School outside Boston, and the three cheaters as Xiaomeng Cheng, 21, of Arizona State University; Leyi Huang, 21, of Penn State University; and Shikun Zhang, 24, of Northeastern University. Wang was arrested in New Jersey, where she has been employed by Princeton-based DoubleBridge Technologies Inc., and the others were arrested at their respective universities.



According to Wangs LinkedIn profile, she has been working for DoubleBridge, a small software developer and IT solutions provider, as a project manager for the past seven months since November of 2016. She graduated from Hult in August of last year. Before going to Hult, she had worked in Shanghai for two years and two months as an account coordinator for the MCI Group, an events company. She is originally from Sichuan, China, and went to Mianyang High School and studied at Shanghai Business School. Wangs Facebook posts portray an upbeat, diminutive and well-assimilated young woman who has used her time in the U.S. to travel to New York, Washington, D.C., Las Vegas and San Francisco as well as to explore Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming and Horseshoe Bend in Arizona. Her Facebook page even includes a photo of the Statue of Liberty.



The case has some twists. According to the charging documents and reports, Zhang, Huang, and Cheng paid Wang about $7,000 take the TOEFL test after they had failed to meet their universities minimum scores. Federal agents investigating fraud involving Chinese nationals and admissions exams in the Boston area last year received a tip that a Chinese student was planning to impersonate another Chinese student and sit for the TOEFL test.



The test-taker, identified as YY in a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement affidavit, was identified and removed from the testing room by an investigator with Educational Testing Service, the nonprofit that administers the TOEFL. YY later told federal agents that fellow Hult International Business School student Wang had paid her $100 upfront and promised $800 later to take the TOEFL in place of another student in China, according to a Voice of America report.



COLD FEET AND UNUSUALLY HIGH SCORES



Wang, according to the affidavit, had been hired to take the test but got cold feet after reading about test-takers being arrested, and instead hired YY.



Wang later admitted to receiving $7,000 for taking the TOEFL on three separate occasions in 2015 and 2016, according to the VOA report. Cheng had taken the test three times in 2014, but each time failed to score the minimum of 61 required by Arizona State University. When Wang took the test for her two years later, however, Wang scored 97, according to the affidavit. That would have put Cheng in the 75th percentile of test takers on the exam which has a maximum score of 120.



Cheng has not admitted to the conspiracy, the affidavit said, but Zhang and Huang have. The four students are due in U.S. District Court in Boston on May 18.



CHEATING BY CHINESE NATIONALS  NOT A NEW STORY



Its not the first time Chinese students have been caught cheating on exams to get into top U.S. schools. In 2015, 15 Chinese nationals were indicted on charges of conspiring to defraud the nonprofit Educational Testing Service and the College Board by having impostors take the TOEFL, the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT), and the Graduate Record Examination (GRE). At least 30  and reports suggested many more  Chinese nationals were accused of cheating last year at the University of Iowa through the use of essay writers and test takers.



An estimated 8,000 Chinese nationals were expelled from U.S. schools for cheating or extremely poor academic performance, according to a survey by WholeRen Education, a company catering to Chinese students.



Yet U.S. schools, especially business schools, need Chinese students more than ever. According to the Institute of International Education, the number of Chinese students in the U.S. grew by 9% in the 2015-2016 school year, to 135,629 students.





Personal comments ->This is DISHEARTENING...

Also I feel the use of the sentence "CHEATING BY CHINESE NATIONALS  NOT A NEW STORY" was totally uncalled for.

It kind of puts the entire Chinese applicant pool in a bad space.





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fpinterrupted wrote:

How do Sloan and Wharton compare when it comes to the international brand? Unsure which might carry more weight if I wind up working in an international role



I can comment on this specific point.When you compare universities and the general awareness, MIT is in general a much stronger brand compared to UPenn primarily because of MIT's tech dominance. However, within the MBA crowd, Wharton sure is a better known brand compared to Sloan (when comparing business schools). Not to say Sloan is lesser known or you'll be at a significant disadvantage, it might just be a marginal difference and I think this shouldn't be a factor you should base your decision on.I would also suggest to consider the kind of roles that you are looking for post-MBA. You want to do MBB consulting but consulting in what? If you're inclined towards innovation and operations, MIT will be a better choice while for finance, Wharton is a clear winner. May be ask yourself which stream excites you more...If I were you I would also talk to people who went to both these schools and who had a similar profile like yours. Your career choices may change drastically once you're inside a school hence it'll be good to ask them how there experience was and what all careers/resources can you explore in each school.Hope that helps.
- A Nigerian guy has employed the services of the social media as a way of advertising his brand

- The young barber posted pictures of himself and the amazing haircuts he can give guys

A Nigerian guy identified as Hakasas on twitter has shown the world what he can do and how good he is at it. The young guy is a barber who used his social media page to advertise his brand and call the attention of the people to his job.

Hakasas made an humble plea to users of the social media page to retweet his post until it gets to those who might be needing his services.

In his exact words he wrote, Guys please am a Barber available 4home services it's my only source of income all I ask for is a RT till it get to who need my service

The talented barber doing what he knows how to do best.

Legit.ng stumbled upon his tweet and discovered he has gotten about 47k retweets already. It is truly inspiring when people stand as one and lend out support to those who need it.

READ ALSO: Nigerian woman settles brawl by doing THIS, embarrasses the country (photo, video)

The kind of people who replied his tweet made him feel good as people from all over fought for his attention. The young man is presently in Nigeria even though he has people asking him to visit Cape Town and the US as they could make use of such a talented person.

Check out more pictures of the various styles he has given guys in the past:

1. Smart

READ ALSO: Check out the water running out of a tap in Zamfara state (photo)

2. Cute

3. Neat

See the initial tweet below:

Nigerians, what are you waiting for? Hit him up and post a picture after getting a nice haircut.

While still on talents, check out the Nigerian man who designed the tallest drum in the world:

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
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau wasnt there to greet them at the airport, as he did with other Syrian refugees. But the couple felt they had to give their thanks to him in some way  so have named their newborn son after him, according to the BBC.

Justin Trudeau Adam Bilan was born on Thursday in his parents new city of Calgary. (His first name is Justin Trudeau, not Justin, by the way.)

In Damascus, Muhammad, now 29, worked as a barber. But he had once been targeted by the Syrian army and detained.

After he was freed, his family learned the authorities were looking for him again, and that he could face further detention  a fate from which many have not emerged.

Their chance to leave came when they found out Canada was starting to take in Syrian refugees after Mr Trudeau took office. Five years into Syrias war, they jumped at the chance.

After spending some time in Montreal, in the eastern province of Quebec, the family was eventually moved to Calgary, in the western province of Alberta.

Canada is much more safe  theres no war, nothing, Afraa Bilan told the BBC by telephone. Everything is different, everything is good  nothing like Syria.

Afraa admitted to having been a little bit distressed on arriving in Canada, and to have found it difficult to adapt  especially to the winter weather.

But she now speaks fluent English and Muhammad works part-time in a grocery shop.

They hope baby Justin Trudeau will one day meet his rather more famous namesake.

He is a really nice man, Afraa said. He helped us a lot. This was a small thank you for bringing us to Canada. We want to thank him and all the Canadian people.

Between November 2015, when Mr Trudeau became prime minister, and January this year, more than 40,000 Syrian refugees have been resettled in Canada. About 1,000 of them moved to Calgary.

In late January, after US President Donald Trump imposed a ban on immigration from seven Muslim-majority countries, Mr Trudeau took to social media to confirm his governments commitment to helping those fleeing persecution, terror & war.

In Ontario in February, another Syrian couple named their newborn Justin in tribute to the prime minister, but Justin Trudeau Adam Bilan is thought to be the first baby Justin Trudeau (not counting the original Justin Trudeau, of course).


Welcome back to Words to the Wise. I'm Caty Weaver. Bryan Lynn is in the studio with me. Hi Bryan!

Hi Caty!

Last month, Zerrouq from Morocco sent us a suggestion for a topic. He said he would like to learn terms connected to emotional and mental health.

So today, we will explore the vocabulary of the human psyche.

But before that, we had another question from website visitor Kufre Etuk. Kufre wants to know the difference between toward and towards.

Easy answer --- nothing! The words are interchangeable and an issue of personal choice. I always use toward, and that is the more common usage, I think, among US and Canadian speakers of English. Towards is heard more in countries that speak British English.

That's a good question, Kufre. Now you do not have to feel any stress about which word to use.

Stress

I see you used the word stress there, Bryan! That is one of the terms Zerrouq asked us about. Stress is a state of mental tension. It is the opposite of calm or peaceful.

Mental stress might happen when a person is being judged or measured  like with school or work.

Or if you're on trial! Talk about being judged!

Yes, if you have to go to court you would probably be stressed about it.

Sometimes people use the phrase stressed out. That means they feel more stress than they can deal with. They are overstressed.

If you are a parent of a teenager you might hear this expression pretty often: Mom, youre stressing me out. That is especially common after you tell the teen to clean her roomor study for his testor just get out of bed!

But stress can lead to -- or be a sign of -- more serious mental disorders, like depression.

Depression: a mood disorder

Yes, that is true. Merriam Webster defines depression as low in spirits. Other dictionaries describe it as a feeling of sadness.

Depression can be a short-term reaction to something bad that happens. But it can also be long term condition.

U.S. mental health officials define it as a serious mood disorder that affects how you feel, think, and handle daily activities, like sleeping, eating, or working.

Mood. That is a good word for us to talk about. Your mood is an emotional state. If you are enjoying a walk in a pretty park on a warm, sunny day, you are probably in a good mood.

If you are watching a sad movie, it might bring your mood down. If you are stuck in traffic, you might get in a really bad mood.

Anxiety and phobias

Yes, bad traffic can cause anxiety, especially if you are trying to get somewhere at a certain time. Anxiety is a state of worry and unease. The adjectival form is anxious. For example, "I am anxious I will be late for the wedding."

Do you get anxious when you are flying on a plane?

Oh yes, flying can cause stress for a lot of people, including me. Some suffer from a fear of flying. The medical term for that is aviophobia.

A phobia is an extreme or unreasonable fear or dislike of something. A couple common conditions are acrophobia, which is a fear of heights; and claustrophobia, a fear of small spaces.

And a few years back there was a horror movie called Arachnophobia.

That was about an invasion of deadly spiders. That is my phobia! I am terrified of spiders! I actually had a panic attack watching that movie.

Ive never had one before. What is it like? What does it mean?

Panic attack

Well, panic is sudden, uncontrollable fear or anxiety. It can cause wild, sort of, unthinking behavior. A panic attack is a period of extreme anxiety. It might even become hard for a person to breathe. Which is what happened when I watched Arachnophobia.

People who have phobias or other disorders often seek mental health therapy. Therapy is a term that can be used for any kind of continuous medical treatment. People might go to physical therapy after a knee operation, for example.

But when people just say therapy alone, they often mean mental health or psychotherapy. Another word for such therapy is counseling.

Counseling or therapy can come in all kinds of settings. You can meet with a group of people that share a common problem, or you can have private visits with a doctor called a psychiatrist. You might also have a longer-term stay at a medical center.

Rehab

Yeah, like when movie stars check themselves into rehab. Rehab stands for rehabilitation. To rehabilitate means to restore to a healthy condition. There are many rehab centers in the U.S. that treat drug addiction, for example.

That's another term worth explaining, Bryan, drug addiction. This means a dangerous, unhealthy dependence on a drug or drugs. This can include alcohol. Although, a dependence on alcohol is often called alcoholism.

I think I might be addicted to caffeine. I cannot do much of anything before I have my morning coffee. This addiction does not seem to cause me real problems, though. But, I do get a bad mood if I dont have coffee!

Yes, Caty, I definitely do not want to work with you on a day you missed your morning coffee.

OK...very funny. Please comment on our webpage and let us know what you thought of this show. And, tell us what youd like us to talk about in a future Words to the Wise.

Im Caty Weaver

And Im Bryan Lynn.

Caty Weaver wrote this story. Ashley Thompson was the editor.

What puts you in a good mood? Do you have any phobias? Tell us in the comment section. And let us know where you are from!

_____________________________________________________________

Words in This Story

psyche - n. the soul, mind, or personality of a person or group

stress - n. a state of mental tension and worry caused by problems in your life, work, etc.

depression - n. a state of feeling sad; also a serious medical condition in which a person feels very sad, hopeless, and unimportant and often is unable to live in a normal way

mood - n. the way someone feels : a person's emotional state

anxiety - n. fear or nervousness about what might happen

phobia - n. an extremely strong dislike or fear of someone or something

panic attack - n. a sudden state or feeling of extreme fear that makes someone unable to act or think normally

therapy - n. the treatment of physical or mental illnesses

counseling - n. advice and support that is given to people to help them deal with problems, make important decisions, etc.

rehab - n. a program for helping people who have problems with drugs, alcohol, etc.  often used after in or into

addiction - n. a strong and harmful need to regularly have something (such as a drug) or do something (such as gamble)

caffeine - n. a substance that is found especially in coffee and tea and that makes you feel more awake
Armed groups in the Central African Republic have killed at least 45 people and burned villages in the last few months.

Several years ago, a civil war in the C.A.R. left thousands of people dead and displaced hundreds of thousands more. Now, aid workers warn that the country may be returning to conflict.

Since September, more than 100,000 people have fled their homes.

The conflict is between the mainly Christian anti-balaka rebels, and the mostly Muslim former Seleka rebels.

In northern C.A.R., anti-balaka rebels used the village of Bambara as a base. However, the soldiers stole cows from nearby nomadic people. A militia of former Seleka rebels reacted by attacking the village. They killed about 25 people and burned more than 600 houses.

The militia killed the older brother of Alexi Finicule, a member of the village, and burned his house down.

"My father died of old age," Finicule said, "but when my big brother was killed, I was very shocked by that. I will always remember what happened here."

The former Seleka also shot and wounded Finicule. He fled to the nearby forest and hid.

Finicule later returned to Bambara and received supplies from the U.N.'s International Organization of Migration to rebuild his house. However, his family does not want to live in it because of the killing there.

In the hands of God

The new violence has been a major setback for aid workers.

According to I.O.M. operations assistant Fabrice Tiro, the villagers have no food nor seeds to grow some. They also lack clean water. "Everything was destroyed in these events. They are starting from zero."

Even the towns school was burned to the ground.

"We don't have anything," said village member Apaulinere Horouro.

At a displaced persons camp in nearby Ndim is a group of ethnic Puehl. They have been displaced twice due to fighting over the past few months.

Alazi Makouri is the village chief. "The future for us is truly in the hands of God," he said, "because the population of the nearby village are the ones protecting us. We don't have any say in the matter."

Makouri said the anti-balaka attacked his village not the former Seleka. The attackers also stole about 150 of their cows. After the attack, the villagers moved a short distance and started to regrow crops. But, they were attacked again. Finally, they went to the camp.

Homeless in their own home

More than 400,000 people are displaced in the Central African Republic about a fifth of the country's population.

The medical aid group Doctors without Borders said that civilians in the Central African Republic are being attacked in the country at levels not seen in years.

The group supports a hospital in Paoua in the northwest of the country. The project coordinator at the hospital said it is difficult for the organization to get distant rural areas in need.

"Central African [Republic] is one of the poorest countries in the world and needs to be supported but the people are focusing on the conflict," said Abdel Kader Tlidjane of MSF. "But it takes time for people to solve it. During this time we should be able to carry on with normal activities to give this access and it's not easy."

Currently, the biggest problem at the Paoua hospital is malaria. Medical workers are also seeing and treating war-wounds.

Since the crisis of 2013-2014, more than half of the population depends on humanitarian aid. However, officials say aid levels for the year for the Central African Republic are at only 10 percent what they should be. UN officials told VOA the "disastrous" lack of support hurts the chance of peace.

Im Phil Dierking

This story was originally written for VOA News by Zack Baddorf. Phil Dierking adapted it for VOA Learning English. Caty Weaver was the editor.

How do you think the Central African Republic can find peace? We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section or on our Facebook page.

_____________________________________________________________

Words in This Story

graze  v. to eat grass or other plants that are growing in a field, pasture, etc.

humanitarian  adj. a person who works to make other people's lives better

nomadic  adj. to move from place to place instead of living in one place all the time

scar  n. a mark that is left on your skin after a wound heals
Researchers comparing leading treatment approaches for patients with severe uveitis have discovered that systemic therapy with oral corticosteroids and immunosuppression can preserve or improve vision in the long term better than regional implant therapy can. The results, published in the May 6, 2017 issue of JAMA, should reassure physicians about the relative safety of this approach, and may lead ophthalmologists to change their treatment protocol for better and safer outcomes.

Douglas Jabs, MD, MBA, Director of the Eye and Vision Research Institute, New York Eye and Ear Infirmary of Mount Sinai, and Professor of Ophthalmology and Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, chaired an international team of researchers as they examined the long-term effects of two treatment approaches for patients with vision-threatening uveitis. Uveitis, the fifth leading cause of vision loss in the United States, is a collection of more than 30 diseases characterized by inflammation inside the eye that damages the tissues; without appropriate treatment, it will often lead to visual impairment or blindness. For more severe cases, treatment generally calls for taking oral corticosteroid and immunosuppressive medications. The alternative is regional therapy, either with repetitive corticosteroid injections or with a surgically placed fluocinolone acetonide implant that releases corticosteroid medication over three years. Since most of the more severe uveitis cases are chronic, long-term therapy is typically needed.

The Multicenter Uveitis Steroid Treatment (MUST) Trial Follow-up Study followed 215 patients from the original MUST Trial for seven years. The MUST Trial and Follow-up Study were conducted at 21 medical centers across the United States, along with two sites in the United Kingdom and Australia. Patients in the Trial had been randomized to receive either systemic treatment with oral corticosteroids and immunosuppression or regional therapy with the fluocinolone acetonide implant. At the seven-year mark, the findings showed that patients taking oral medications had better vision on average, compared to those in the implant group. The results differ from the initial MUST Trial findings and from the earlier five-year results of the MUST Follow-up Study, in which the same patients had similar visual outcomes at both time points.

The MUST Trial and Follow-up Study also showed that there was no significant increase in the risks of systemic side effects for the systemic therapy group compared to implant therapy, with one exception: patients in the systemic group were more likely to receive antibiotics for infections. These outcomes suggest that systemic treatment, if used properly, may be given relatively safely for up to seven years.

"The implication of these data is that oral corticosteroids and immunosuppression may be a preferable initial choice for therapy of the more severe uveitides," explained Dr. Jabs. "They have better visual outcomes long-term, fewer ocular side effects, and no apparent significant increase in the risk of systemic side effects, except for the greater use of antibiotics."

While the large majority of both groups maintained good vision at the end of seven years, some patients with the fluocinolone acetonide implant did worse in terms of visual acuity. Results of the follow-up study show vision loss occurred more often in the implant group due to damage from inflammatory lesions in the back of the eye, which occurred at the time of relapse of the uveitis. Even though the implant is designed to release corticosteroid medication for three years, the study found that the benefit lasted approximately five years, with relapses beginning at that time. Relapses can be treated with an implant exchange or by switching to systemic therapy.

"Although both treatment approaches control the inflammation in the large majority of patients, for the first five years the implant was better than systemic therapy at controlling inflammation. Hence it has value for those patients where systemic therapy cannot control the inflammation or for those patients who cannot tolerate the oral medications," said Dr. Jabs. He notes the implant has an important role to play in the management of these diseases. "The visual loss that occurred in the implant group with relapse of the uveitis emphasizes the need of sustained control of inflammation in order to optimize visual outcomes in patients. These patients need close follow-up for reactivation of the inflammation, so that appropriate adjustments to treatment can be made."
Doctors have found that treating prostate cancer with a single, high dose of radiation delivered precisely to the site of the tumour results in good quality of life and fewer trips to the hospital, with adverse side effects that are no worse than if the radiation treatment had been given in several lower doses.

Dr Alfonso Gomez-Iturriaga, from the Hospital de Cruces, Baracaldo, Spain, told the ESTRO 36 conference that results were encouraging from the phase II trial of high-dose rate (HDR) brachytherapy, delivered in a single fraction of 19Gy, to 45 patients with prostate cancer that was at low or intermediate risk of spreading elsewhere in the body.

"Our study demonstrates that patients do not suffer higher toxicity or a worse quality of life than might be expected with other methods of delivering radiation treatment. In fact, patients are very satisfied with this single outpatient treatment, which they find convenient and which allows them to return rapidly to normal activities.

"It is too early to say that this strategy can be used outside the trial setting, but it seems quite clear that the toxicity and impact on quality of live are very low. Longer follow-up for at least five years is needed to demonstrate definite cancer control."

HDR brachytherapy involves the very precise positioning of catheters, with the aid of ultrasound, at the site of the tumour while the patient is under spinal or general anaesthetic. A radioactive source (iridium-192) is delivered via the catheters to the target, avoiding other structures such as the bladder and the bowel, so that they deliver the maximum dose precisely to the target. The treatment usually takes about 30 minutes.

"The combination of a short lapse of time, real-time 3D visualisation of the target and needles positioning using ultrasound, and the ability to optimise the dose (high doses to target and low doses to surrounding organs at risk), allows for an extraordinary control over the dose administration. To the patient the main advantage is to get the radiotherapy in just one day. Although the brachytherapy is done in an operating room, it is an outpatient procedure and the patient avoids daily radiation treatment," said Dr Gomez-Iturriaga.

Although it has been thought that HDR brachytherapy could be used for treating prostate cancer, until now there has been limited evidence of its safety and efficacy. In this study, 45 consecutive patients received HDR brachytherapy at the Hospital de Cruces between January 2014 and July 2016. The patients had low- or intermediate-risk prostate cancer, mild to moderate symptoms, a tumour volume that was 60cc or less, and had not yet had surgery or androgen deprivation therapy.

After a follow-up time that ranged from three to 31 months (median average was 16 months), there were no serious (grade 3) adverse side effects from the treatment; six patients had moderate (grade 2) bowel or bladder problems (diarrhoea or needing to pass urine frequently or urgently).

In terms of quality of life, the need to pass urine urgently declined significantly between the first and sixth month after treatment and had returned to normal after a year. There were no significant changes in bowel movements, sexual or hormonal functioning. Sixty percent of patients who had normal sexual functioning before the treatment continued to function normally afterwards. Six months after the radiation therapy, 77% of patients said they were "extremely satisfied" with their treatment and quality of life and 23% were "very satisfied".

Dr Gomez-Iturriaga said these were excellent results in terms of patient satisfaction, quality of life, toxicity and tolerability, as well as safety.

"The precise control over dose delivery inherent in HDR brachytherapy is not readily achievable with low-dose rate (LDR) brachytherapy because of several factors: movement of the radioactive seeds away from the target site, swelling of the prostate after the implant and uncertain dose delivery outside the prostate, which can all contribute to less than optimal dose distributions," he said. "With LDR brachytherapy the actual dose distribution achieved is not known until the post plan quality assurance is completed, several weeks after the treatment. In contrast, with HDR brachytherapy, what you plan to treat is exactly what is actually administered."

President of ESTRO, Professor Yolande Lievens, head of the department of radiation oncology at Ghent University Hospital, Belgium, said: "As radiation oncologists we are working constantly to try to reduce the impact of radiation therapy on patients' lives while maintaining and improving the efficacy of the treatment. Although these results are preliminary in that it is too early to affirm the actual control of the tumour, they suggest that it may be possible to reduce the number of trips to hospital for patients and, at, the same time, to target the treatment more precisely, thereby avoiding adverse side effects. However, we need to follow these patients for longer to ensure the cancer continues to be controlled successfully."

More information: Abstract no: OC-0270, "Prostate 2" proffered papers session, 10.30-11.30 hrs (CEST) on Sunday, 9 May, Room Stolz 1-2.
A new study finds that individuals struggling with obesity who are not candidates for weight-loss surgery can benefit substantially from non-surgical endoscopic sleeve gastroplasty, according to research presented at Digestive Disease Week (DDW) 2017, the largest international gathering of physicians, researchers and academics in the fields of gastroenterology, hepatology, endoscopy and gastrointestinal surgery.

Patients who underwent ESGa procedure performed through the mouth with an endoscope to "accordion" the stomach by suturing pleats to reduce its sizeachieved greater weight loss than laparoscopic banding, but less weight loss than laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy surgery. Patients who received treatment endoscopically had shorter hospital stays and lower costs than those who had laparoscopic surgery.

"Obesity continues to be a problem in America and it is an epidemic rapidly spreading around the world," said Reem Z. Sharaiha, MD, MSc, assistant professor of medicine at Weill Cornell Medicine and attending physician at New York-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center, the study's lead author. "Our researchthe first to compare these treatmentsdemonstrates that endoscopic sleeve gastroplasty is safe and effective in helping patients lead healthier lives. It should be considered as another tool available to clinicians and patients in the fight against obesity."

Dr. Sharaiha followed 278 patients who underwent ESG (91 patients), laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy (120 patients) or laparoscopic banding (67). During the one-year follow-up period, patients went to an academic bariatric center of excellence as part of their treatment.

At one-year follow-up, patients who chose laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy surgery achieved the greatest percent total body weight loss at 29.28 percent, compared to 17.57 percent for endoscopic sleeve gastroplasty patients and 14.46 percent for laparoscopic banding patients. Researchers found that patients who received endoscopic treatment had lower complications (1 percent) than those who received surgical treatment (10 percent for laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy and 11 percent for laparoscopic banding).

Dr. Sharaiha noted that these findings do not suggest that endoscopic sleeve gastroplasty will replace the two surgical treatments as weight-loss interventions. Instead, these results show that endoscopic sleeve gastroplasty is another possibility that patients and health-care providers should consider when discussing options.

While endoscopic sleeve gastroplasty is performed with an endoscopic device through the mouth, laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy involves a small surgical incision in the belly to place a tube in the abdomen, allowing doctors to reduce the stomach's volume. With laparoscopic banding, doctors insert a tube through an incision in the belly to place a band around the stomach, restricting food intake.

The team also reported that endoscopic sleeve gastroplasty patients customarily left the hospital on the same day of treatment, while laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy patients stayed for about three days and laparoscopic banding patients for a day and a half.

When examining cost, researchers reported endoscopic sleeve gastroplasty resulted in the lowest-cost, with an average institutional procedure cost of $12,000, compared to $22,000 for laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy and $15,000 for laparoscopic banding.

"For years, patients seeking weight-loss interventions had limited options because they could not tolerate or did not want surgery, or it was not even an option for them," added Dr. Sharaiha. "Our research shows that endoscopic sleeve gastroplasty can be the treatment they've been looking for. It's less invasive than surgery and helps them reach their health goals."

Obesity is associated with heart disease, stroke, diabetes and some cancers, and researchers estimate that it is the second-leading cause of preventable death, after tobacco use. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that more than one in three U.S. adults is obese, having a body mass index of 30 or more. The CDC estimated the medical cost of obesity in the U.S. at approximately $147 billion in 2008. Globally, the World Health Organization estimates that more than 600 million people were obese in 2014.

More information: Dr. Reem Z. Sharaiha will present data from the study, "Endoscopic Sleeve Gastroplasty, Laparoscopic Sleeve Gastrectomy, and Laparoscopic Band for Weight Loss: How Do They Compare?" abstract 334, on Saturday, May 7, at 11:54 a.m. CT, in S504 of McCormick Place.

Provided by Digestive Disease Week
A new initiative launched by the government and the private sector in Durban will aim to connect millions of South Africans to the Internet over the next two years.

Dubbed Internet for All, the initiative was launched at the World Economic Forum in 2015  but has only come to South Africa now.

It aims to accelerate Internet access and adoption to the worlds four billion unconnected people through new models of public-private collaboration.

In South Africa, the initiative will help the country speed up its target of connecting more than 22 million unconnected people.

Telecommunications and Postal Services Minister Siyabonga Cwele said the government was excited about the programme, adding that it will meet the goal of connecting all South Africans by 2020.

It is an enormous target but I think it is achievable if we work together to spread the infrastructure where it is not available, said Cwele.

The costs of the roll-out are currently estimated at around $64 (R860) per person, but could go down if other factors such as infrastructure sharing are factored in.

But some argue that in South Africa, the issue of access is not the main concern  and that the real debate is about high data prices.

Cwele said legislators were working on the issue of data prices and that they will eventually come down.

The Minister believes that if more people get connected to the Internet, prices will decrease.

If we work together to make sure that the Internet is more affordable in the poorest segment of our society, I think it will help us a lot, he said.

His sentiments were echoed by Telkom Chairperson Jabu Mabuza, who believes data prices will come down if more people are connected.

In Africa, the Internet for All initiative has been launched in countries such as Kenya, Rwanda, South Sudan, and Uganda.
Swedish parliament will vote to change constitution for NATO membership on November 16

Reactor at nuclear power plant in southern Sweden stops unexpectedly due to turbine malfunction

Margaret Thatcher's dressing table case sells for $145

Zakharova comments on Azerbaijani attacks on Russian peacekeepers in Artsakh

Israel may reconsider its position on military aid to Ukraine because of threat from Iran

Tehran expresses readiness to play role in resolving conflict between Russia and Ukraine

Zakharova: Russia closely coordinates with Armenia and Azerbaijan on preparation of peace treaty

U.S. cut its oil production forecast in 2023

Gen. of Justice: Armenia is already going to abyss

MFA says Russia promotes comprehensive settlement of Armenian-Azerbaijani relations

Australia to ban former military pilots from working in China

Ministry: 1,034 participants of 44-day Karabakh war declared disabled

Russian Security Council Secretary accuses Western intelligence services of organizing unrest in Iran

Niagara Falls is illuminated in colors of Azerbaijani flag through efforts of Azerbaijani Embassy to U.S.

'Armenia' bloc: Authorities going to peace at any cost legitimize change of power

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

Karabakh state ministers advisor: Aliyev statement was once again filled with confessions of use of force

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
Auto Insulation Manufacturer Faces Penalties Following Worker's Injury

The Ohio company has been cited for willful violations of machine safety procedures.

OSHA announced that Autoneum North America faces $569,463 in proposed penalties after an investigation confirmed a report that a machine amputated a worker's hand.

The agency determined the incident happened at the auto insulation manufacturer's site after the worker was guiding waste materials into a shredding machine. The company has been cited for three willful and two repeated violations of machine safety procedures, including no lockout equipment and exposing workers to struck-by hazards.

"This incident illustrates why companies must evaluate machine safety procedures to ensure they are adequate and effective in protecting workers from injuries on the job," said Dorothy Dougherty, deputy assistant secretary of labor for occupational safety and health. "In addition to being the law and the right thing to do, safe workplaces are an important component in supporting and sustaining job growth in America."




Bowls, the new Walkers Point restaurant specializing in healthful fast casual fare, is slated to open later this month at 207 W. Freshwater Way, just around the corner from Purple Door Ice Cream.

Owned by Chef Nell Benton of The National and Andy Larson of Float Milwaukee, the restaurant aims to offer an alternative for area diners who want quick meals that are also filled with nourishing ingredients.

"Ive always lamented the fact that we dont have much healthy fast casual food in Milwaukee," notes Benton, executive chef and co-owner of Bowls. "And for busy people, thats just hard."

Benton says the idea for the restaurant was prompted by Larson, who had taken note of the bowl trend which was sweeping the nation. The bowls, featuring colorful, flavorful ingredients served together in healthful bowl-style meals, made trend reports for 2017 including the annual report from New York-based Baum + Whiteman, who pointed to poke bowls as a prime example of the healthy trend.

"If you hold a bowl Buddha-like while eating," they report, "you are psychologically more prone to mindfulness about your meal. You'll also stand a better chance of catching all the flavors and textures with every bite ... and think you're full a lot faster, even if you chuck the white carbs."

Benton and Larson set off this fall on research and development trips to both New York and Toronto this past fall, where they took note of the set-up for "bowl" restaurants in both cities.

"We found really fresh, healthy food that was simple and delicious," says Benton. "But, there were no places that were exclusively bowls, or that served both smoothie and savory lunch or dinner bowls."

However, the Milwaukee location for Bowls will do both, she notes. It will also cater to vegan, vegetarian and gluten-free diners with a variety of vegetable and grain-free options. Bowls will be priced between $8-14.

Menu

Among the bowls slated for the menu are breakfast smoothie bowls, featuring frozen fruit combined with a liquid like coconut milk, almond milk or Greek yogurt.

Examples include a berry acai bowl with blended acai, blueberries, raspberries, strawberries, almond milk and honey topped with toasted coconut, fresh fruit and granola (pictured below); a chocolate peanut butter smoothie bowl with blended almond milk, chia seeds, cocoa, dates, peanut butter and bananas topped with banana, toasted coconut, peanuts, and granola; and a super green bowl with blended spinach, kale, matcha powder, banana, cucumber, almond milk dates and lime topped with raspberries, blueberries, almonds and coconut.

Savory lunch and dinner bowls will include a soba salmon bowl with soba noodles, salmon, broccolini, carrots, tomatoes, cabbage, pineapple, crispy shallots and ginger miso dressing (pictured); a steak and rice bowl with brown rice, marinated rare beef, carrot, daikon, mushroom, bean sprouts, bibimbap sauce and an over-easy egg; and a fungi bowl with farro, kale, oyster mushrooms, pistachios and ginger-miso dressing.

There will also be salads including a roasted beet salad with arugula, kale, feta, almonds, and pickled peppers, and bean sprouts, lightly tossed with olive oil; and a Southeast Asian salad with greens, hardboiled egg, cucumber, tomatoes, crispy shallots, and peanuts, in a light vinaigrette.

Meanwhile, beverages will include freshly pressed juices from Juiced!, a variety of teas, Anodyne coffee and cold brew, along with two Nessalla kombucha taps.

Atmosphere

The Bowls space, which is currently in its final stages of renovation, will be a counter-service restaurant featuring a small number of tables where diners can enjoy breakfast, lunch or dinner.

The color scheme for the restaurant pulls in a number of modern, bright elements including lime green and aubergine tile, along with modern lighting and an open prep space where diners will be able to see their bowls being constructed.

The eastern wall will feature a living wall planted with herbs, succelents and a variety of other plantings, notes Benton. Meanwhile, the western wall will be hung with bowls from local ceramics artists, all of which will be for sale.

The restaurant, which will be run by Chef Manager Kate Southcott, will also see involvement from Larson, who plays an active role in business operations for Bowls and will also be a regular presence in the restaurant itself.

Once open, Bowls will maintain regular hours Monday through Saturday from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
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 loved the idea of an island vacation where the island is split between two countries, France and The Netherlands, which meant twice as much culture for our family to experience. We chose to stay on the French side which is less crowded, not as built up and because I have retained some college French like, "Qu sont les toilettes?" which is very important when traveling with kids (Where are the bathrooms?). However, you can easily get by in St. Martin without speaking French.

Lodging: We chose to rent instead of staying at a resort. This way we could spread out a lot more, we didnt have to share a pool with anyone else, we could eat breakfast and lunch at the house which saved a lot of money and the kids had other areas to explore around the property which gave them more freedom. We found the house on Airbnb. It had a pool and resident iguanas, who kept the kids entertained. Who knew iguanas can swim in a pool?

We spent one week in Oyster Pond, a small neighborhood right across the border between the two sides. There wasnt a beach we could walk to, but there were a couple small grocery stores and a few restaurants, including our favorite one, that was a five-minute walk or less. Our second week we stayed in Cul du Sac. Our house here was also rented off Airbnb and had an infinity pool as well as the most beautiful view I have ever experienced from a house. We could see across to St. Barts and we were a five-minute drive to the boat for Pinel Island.

Here are our St. Martin tips and favorites, keeping in mind we traveled with kids ages 8, 5 and 2.

Tips:

Rent a car. You can rent a car at the airport. Although the roads are not always marked clearly, with one person driving and another person navigating, you can figure it out. There is a rush hour on the island around 5 p.m. and with only one major road that wraps around the island be aware you might be stuck in traffic for some time. The roads are hilly, but not as steep as some of the other islands like St. Lucia or St. Thomas. We all had a laugh the couple of times we had to stop to let goats or donkeys pass by.

Look up the cruise ship schedule. You can do this online. This way you can plan your activities around when they are docked and its a great way to avoid the crowds.

Make advance dinner reservations in more popular areas like Orient Bay and Grand Case  especially if you have a larger group  unless you dont mind waiting. Or more like if the kids dont mind waiting.

Favorites:

BZH Creperie in Oyster Pond, https://bzhsxm.com is a SUPER family friendly restaurant, but we didnt sacrifice quality of food for ease with kids. Plus, its moderately priced. BZH is a local hangout where Fiona the dog welcomes you along with great pizza and other dishes. Be sure to stay for dessert and have a homemade crepe. St. Martin is known for its food as a lot of French chefs visit and end up never leaving the island.

Seraphina Bakery in Marigot was another of our favorites. This is where the French nationals go for breakfast, lunch or a snack like the delicious macaroons.



Pinel Island (French side) is a great spot to spend an entire day. The shuttle boat (around $12 per person) leaves every 15 minutes starting at 9 a.m. The last boat back to the main land is at 5 p.m. Its about a 5-minute ride across the bay to the island. You can pay to rent a beach chair ($25) or just plop yourself on the sand. We like Yellow Beach better for beach chairs, the view back to St. Martin and  very important  its closer to the toilets. We found the best restaurant to be Karibuni. Be sure to say "hi" to the resident iguanas, but keep an eye on the kiddos. One of them bit my oldest while he was trying to feed it lettuce. Nothing serious, but nobody wants to be bit by a reptile while on vacay.

Le Galion (French side). This is an extremely kid friendly beach featuring coral reefs that keep the water very calm. If you wander over to the north side there are wonderful tide pools with tons of crabs peeking in and out, gorgeous conch shells and colorful fish. This is our favorite beach!

Friars Bay Beach (French side). This is a quiet beach where the kids enjoyed body surfing the waves and building forts and sand castles. It has many sea shells and smooth rocks for stacking, skipping or slipping into pockets as souvenirs.

Baie Longue/Long Bay (Dutch side). This is one of the longest beaches on the island and its pretty vacant. However, its not easy to get there  so approach this excursion as an adventure. You have to pass through a security gate where you promise not to take any photos of the houses that you will pass by because, apparently, there are a lot of celebrities (not sure who exactly, but personally I was hoping for Hugh Jackman or Brad Pitt) that have homes here. Note: there are no public bathrooms here. But, despite the minor technicalities, its worth a visit because its so BEAUTIFUL!



Fun with the fam:



Calvin the Sea Urchin Man. Located on Rotary Look Out-Baie de L'Embouchure on Rue de Coralita, Calvin is an entertaining local with great knowledge on sea creatures like the sea urchin and star fish that you are welcome to touch and hold. My kids each got to pick out something to take home as well. (Nothing that was still alive, promise.)

Note: Bring a few dollars (US is fine) to tip Calvin, and if you have water shoes, depending on the tides, you can walk out to a tiny island across the bay  just watch out for sea urchins on your walk over.



Horseback riding at sunset at Seaside Nature Park in Caybay. This was as magical as it sounds. We did it on a day when there were no cruise ships docked so we had an intimate family experience. Marshmallow roasting for the kids and champagne for the adults was included. The best part  besides the amazing views  is that the horses actually swam in the ocean while you are riding them at the very end of the ride. This was truly an unforgettable experience.

Harmony night in Grand Case. Listen to the steel drums, watch a mini parade go by with Carnival dancers, purchase a beautiful handmade item and eat some great food at this Caribbean-style street fair. This takes place Tuesday nights from 6 to 10 p.m. January 12 to March or April (depends on their funding).

The market in Marigot. Every day, except Sundays, this market offers local produce, fish, spices, hand-made items and  I am not going to lie  the usual tourist junk. Be sure to try the homemade ice cream  my boys still talk about it.



Fort Louis. This old fort is located on a hill above Marigot and even though little of the fort remains the stunning views are worth a visit. Fort Louis is nothing like the fort in Old San Juan, Puerto Rico, however, its still a great place to visit  especially with imaginative kids who like pirates. Arrr.



Rent paddle boards. We rented paddle boats from Caribbean Paddling, near the shuttle for Pinel Island. I would call or email in advance to reserve here. Sometimes, like at Le Galion, you can rent them right on the beach.

Watch the planes come in and eat lunch at Sunset Beach Bar in Maho Beach. We opted for this instead of the beach with sand spraying everywhere from the jets. On their website are the flight schedules so you know the best time to go.

Drive around the island and explore other beaches. There are 37 beaches in St.Martin, discover your favorite and please let me know which one you and your family choose!

The Butterfly Farm. If you dont have something like this back at home its worthwhile. If you do, unless you have some huge butterfly fans, you could probably skip it. That said, its a very peaceful and calming place and if you go early in the morning you can see the butterflies emerging.

Wheels up!

What does "wheels up" mean? Go here.
In this Oct. 30, 2013 photo, the solid gold mask of King Tutankhamun is seen in its glass case, in the Egyptian Museum near Tahrir Square in Cairo, Egypt. Archaeologists and conservation experts met in Cairo on Sunday, May 7, 2017, to discuss the safe transportation of King Tutankhamun's throne, chests and bed from the Egyptian Museum in central Cairo to a new one being built on the other side of the city. Sunday's gathering brought together experts from Egypt, France, Spain, Germany, Switzerland, Denmark and Japan and is being organized by the Egyptian Ministry of Antiquities. (AP Photo/Nariman El-Mofty)

Archaeologists and conservation experts met in Cairo on Sunday to discuss the safe transportation of King Tutankhamun's throne, chests and bed from the Egyptian Museum in central Cairo to a new one being built on the other side of the Egyptian capital.

The meeting, organized by the Egyptian Ministry of Antiquities, brought together experts from Egypt, France, Spain, Germany, Switzerland, Denmark and Japan.

Tareq Tawfiq, a senior ministry official in charge of the new museum, told The Associated Press that the meeting's primary objective was to reach a "global consensus" on how to safely transport and display King Tut's items in the new museum being built close to the famed Giza Pyramids.

The meeting also discussed methods to display the human remains discovered in King Tut's tomb, particularly those belonging to his two daughters, both stillborn, according to a document distributed to participants.

"It's a very big challenge to move a collection, particularly of such importance," one of the participants, German Egyptologist Gabrielle Pieke, told the AP.

Moving items belonging to King Tut has become a particularly sensitive issue since 2014, when the beard attached to the ancient Egyptian monarch's golden mask was accidentally knocked off during work on the relic's lighting. Workers later hastily tried to reattach it with an epoxy compound, causing damage to the priceless artifact and causing an uproar among archaeologists across the world.

A German-Egyptian team worked on the restoration of the mask, which was placed back on a year later.

Pieke urged Egypt not rush the transfer or display of the ancient artifacts related to King Tut.

"It's a delicate issue... we have to be very careful," she cautioned.

No date has yet been set for the complete transfer of the priceless items, which would be displayed at two halls in the new facility, formally called the Grand Egyptian Museum. The halls, covering 7,000 square meters, are scheduled to open at the end of 2017.

The tomb of King Tut, who ruled Egypt more than 3,000 years ago, was discovered in 1922 in the southern city of Luxor.

 2017 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
A dolphin performs on August 11, 2013 at the Marineland animal exhibition park in the French Riviera city of Antibes, southeastern France

France on Saturday banned the breeding in captivity of dolphins and killer whales under tighter rules that campaigners hope will eventually herald the end of shows involving the animals.

Environment Minister Segolene Royal had on Wednesday signed a version of the legislation introducing "tight controls on the reproduction of dolphins", her ministry said in a statement.

But she has since decided the rules need to be "more radical", her ministry told AFP on Saturday, particularly after learning that "some animals were drugged" in aquariums.

The new rules ban the captivity of all whales, dolphins and porpoises, except for orcas and bottlenose dolphins already held in authorised aquariums.

Animal rights activists hailed the ban as a "historic French advance".

"In plain terms, this means the end of breeding, exchange and import programmes," five conservation groups including One Voice and Sea Shepherd said in a joint statement.

"Without possible replenishment, this quite simply means the scheduled end of marine circuses on our territory."

But the move sparked anger from Jon Kershaw, head of the Marineland Antibes dolphin show park in southern France, who told the Var-Matin newspaper it was a "bombshell" for establishments like his.

The new rules notably also require "an increase of at least 150 percent of pools to allow the animals to live in less proximity from visitors and other animals", the ministry said, as well as banning chlorine in treating the water.

Direct contact between the animals and the public is also now forbidden.

Water parks and aquariums have six months to conform to the new rules, and a three-year deadline for expanding their pools.

Parks such as Marineland Antibesthe biggest attraction of its kind in Europehave faced growing criticism in recent years over their animals' living conditions.

 2017 AFP
The Volcano of Fire is seen from Alotenango municipality, Sacatepequez department, about 30 km southwest of Guatemala City, as it erupts on May 5, 2017

Activity at a volcano near Guatemala's capital went back to normal on Saturday, officials said, a day after 300 people were evacuated as it spat hot ash high into the air.

The so-called Volcano of Fire lies 35 kilometers (22 miles) from Guatemala City. Authorities closely monitor its activity.

On Friday, 300 people in the nearby village of Panimache were evacuated as a precaution as the volcano erupted. The community is located near the foot of the 3,763-meter (12,345-foot) volcano.

Ten schools in the southern Escuintla district had suspended classes due to the falling ash.

But on Saturday, the volcano was "in conditions within normal parameters," David de Leon of the National Disaster Reduction Coordinator body told reporters.

He said dozens of people had returned to their homes, and no property damage had been reported.

A September 2012 eruption of the Volcano of Fire saw a bigger evacuation ordered, of 10,000 people.

In February 2015 another eruption forced the closure of the capital's main airport.

Apart from the Volcano of Fire there are two other active volcanos in Guatemala. One of them, Pacaya, is just 20 kilometers from Guatemala City.

 2017 AFP
New York's American Museum of Natural History has an intriguing proposition: Bring in anything you have and don't know what it is, and scientists will try to identify it.

Saturday is what the museum calls its annual "Identification Day" devoted to helping people break the mystery of their specimens such as shells, rocks, insects, feathers and bones and more.

The explorations will take place in the Theodore Roosevelt Memorial Hall, named after the U.S. president with a passion for natural history.

Items identified in previous years have included a whale jawbone, a fossilized giraffe vertebra and a 5,000-year-old stone spear-point from Morocco.

Visitors are also invited to explore rarely seen objects from the museum's collections.

 2017 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
The California coast is teeming with young sharks, as warming waters and abundant food have created the ideal conditions for feeding, according to experts.

In Southern California, great white sharks have begun to arrive after spending the winter off Baja California. Recently, one of the sharks bit a chunk out of a mother's leg as she swam off San Onofre State Beach.

The woman, 35-year-old Leanne Ericson of Vista, remains in critical condition and has undergone two of several surgeries scheduled for her injuries, The San Diego Union-Tribune reported.

She lost a lot of blood and was temporarily in an induced coma.

"We are grateful for all of the concern, prayers and good wishes we have received in recent days from the many friends and strangers who have reached out to us from across the country, and indeed, the world," read a statement from Ericson's family, released to the Union-Tribune through Scripps Memorial Hospital La Jolla. "The situation could have been far graver had it not been for the number of emergency response personnel and others who provided the care she needed and saved her life."

Chris Lowe, a biology professor and director of the Shark Lab at California State, Long Beach, said the shark that attacked Ericson on Saturday was likely not a full-grown adult and mistook her for food. Typically, young great whites will feed on fish and rays.

"They have to learn to feed on their own and they're naive," Lowe said. "They don't know how to chase down big prey."

Adult great whites feed on sea lions and other marine life off islands such as Catalina and San Nicholas, Lowe said. Although it's not exactly known where the mothers give birth, their babies immediately head toward the shore once they're born. The sharks are normally off Southern California's shores between May and October.

But last year, warm waters triggered by El Nino conditions kept the sharks here longer into the winter and drew them back earlier in the spring. Some of the 2- and 3-year-old sharks are here again earlier this year, Lowe said, though he's not sure why.

"Maybe it just wasn't cold enough to move those migrations. We just don't know what's going on this year," Lowe said.

But that's not the only shark mystery this year.

In San Francisco Bay, a huge die-off of leopard sharks and bat rays has sparked concerns among marine life experts.

For weeks now, dead leopard sharks - newborns and mature adults - have been washing up on beaches from San Mateo to Bolinas. Officials with the Pelagic Shark Research Foundation in Monterey believe years of debris, trash and chemical waste pent up in Bay Area storm drains and waterways have finally been washed into the bay because of this winter's epic storms and are killing the creatures that live there.

Tide gates inside the bay that close during high tide to prevent flooding during a storm can also trap sharks and bat rays in the bay, where they're then exposed to, and unable to escape, toxic runoff.

"This is an issue of San Francisco Bay sharks and associated wildlife being exposed to toxic watershed ... due to Tide Gate entrapment and subsequent discharges into the San Francisco Bay," the center wrote on Facebook last week.

At the peak of the die-off, dozens of dead sharks were found daily along the coastline, the foundation said. The number of dead sharks has begun to drop in the last week.

In Southern California, however, the shark population is thriving.

On Thursday, Orange County Sheriff's Sgt. Steve Marble said deputies with the harbor patrol in Dana Point spotted a group of four 6- to 8-foot great whites at the surf line.

Other popular areas for sharks this year include Ventura, Santa Monica and Belmont Shores, Lowe said.

"We've learned that these baby white sharks are temperature-sensitive and they don't like temperatures above 80 degrees. They have this sweet spot, and Southern California is the perfect place from late spring to mid-fall," Lowe said. "Then Baja becomes the sweet spot."

Lowe's researchers recently tracked a 1-year-old shark that stayed around Huntington Beach for 30 days, then moved up to Santa Monica in a matter of hours. It stayed there for a month.

Despite the public panic a shark attack can create, Lowe says the coastline is safe if you look at statistics.

"It's horribly unfortunate these things happen, but the reality is people are going to go out surfing and it's not something that happens every day," he said. "Accidents do happen and that's what we think these are. There's no indication these sharks have any penchant for eating people.

"Otherwise, Huntington Beach would be a one-stop shop for sharks in the Pacific," he joked.

When young sharks have attacked, it has typically been when swimmers have been alone, farther out in the water and along remote stretches of beach not crowded with hundreds or thousands of other people.

2017 Los Angeles Times

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
***

Raised by a single mother, Washington said he was kicked out of Milwaukee Public Schools and sent to Learning Enterprise of Wisconsin, an alternative high school on the city's north side. That only made matters worse, he said, because some of the students brought weapons and drugs to school. The school was shut down in 2006.

Washington's mother worked third shift, so she wasn't home late at night to keep him from making friends with the wrong crowd. By the time he was 18, at least five of his friends had lost their lives to gun violence and more than a dozen had been incarcerated.

Several events changed his life, he said.

When he was 17 and getting into constant trouble, his mother kicked him out of the house. Although he was upset, Washington said it gave him an opportunity to get away from the violence of Milwaukee by moving to Glendale with his girlfriend.

Later, his daughter was born with cerebral palsy.

I knew I had to change for her, so I could be in her life because she needed me more than ever, he said.

At one point, he got into a fight with his daughters mother, which put him in jail.

His own mother was at her limit with him. She refused to post his bail.

When he contacted friends, including some who were dealing drugs, all said they didn't have the $1,000 that was needed. He knew then he had to make a change. He pleaded no contest to the misdemeanor charge and received probation.

Washington went to work at Lenas Food Store and used that experience to get a job at Master Lock. He was making $11 an hour.

That wasn't bad for a 20-year-old, but he wanted more so he could provide for his disabled daughter.

He heard that there was money in real estate so he bought a book on the trade. He learned he could save money if he knew how to keep up a property himself and got a job as a painter, working for a family friend who owned several properties.

"I didn't know about painting, but I knew if I got in that, they could teach me," he said.

He quickly went from painting to managing and instructing others.

When he asked his boss for a raise and was turned down, he quit and started his own painting operation, Pro Painter MKE.

"I used the knowledge I learned to work for me," he said.

***

Many of the painters Washington hired would not consistently show up to work on time. Some talked back. Others didn't know what to say during a job interview.

"The skill sets that their fathers or uncles should have taught them growing up were lacking," Washington said. "Some of the men needed to start from the basics."

Washington started Pro Trade Job Development to serve that need. So far, 187 people have gone through the program.

On the first day of class, they worked in groups and were asked to describe the barriers that prevent them from being successful.

Some of the men mentioned their violent environment, where they heard gunshots and sirens all the time. Others talked about how they were constantly surrounded by people who wanted to pull them into negative activity, such as drinking and smoking weed.

"People want to see you fail," said one. "It's like the crabs in the barrel mentality."

In the second week, participants receive tools, a tool belt and hard hat. They learn how to paint, install drywall and carpet in a room at the facility.

All that we ask is that they show up every day on time and give it their best, Washington said. We all have problems, but this is a place where you leave that at the door and not let the things outside of your control become a distraction.

***

To create a positive environment, every floor of the Pro-Trade building is lined with words of wisdom.

On the stairway, a sign reads No Excuses. On the door before the participants enter their first class, a handwritten sign says Please know your why. Before entering it will almost guarantee your success. Now you just have to work hard!

There are quotes from famous people, such as Vince Lombardi: Perfection is not attainable, but if we chase perfection we can catch excellence.

Graduates of past classes have written their own messages on the office wall.

"I have the power of choice and free will. Today I commit to a positive change. I will give 100% of myself 100% of the time," wrote Antwan McGregor.

Washington said the words of encouragement are a salve on a wound to all of the negative words that black men hear on a regular basis.

"Most of these men are told every day that they won't ever amount to anything," he said. "I know, because people said the same thing about me."

***

Rick Wood/Milwaukee Journal Sentinel Program director Thomas McCreary leads an opening workshop, challenging men to work hard and not make excuses.

Upon completing the program, students receive a pre-apprentice certificate approved by the Wisconsin Bureau of Apprenticeships. Graduation is held at Manpower Group headquarters in downtown Milwaukee.

The $4,500 per-student cost of the program is covered by donations from community partners and social service agencies.

There is never enough funding to meet demand. The program can serve up to 50 students in its carpentry and painting programs but typically gets about 15.

After a first week of personal development, participants spend four days a week on job skills training and return to the classroom setting on Fridays for feedback.

The final two weeks of the 10-week program are spent off-site doing job readiness skill training. Students must be able to read and do math at a sixth grade level; be able to take constructive criticism; arrive 15 minutes before the start of class and make all of their commitments. No exceptions.

***

On the first day, when McCreary asked for a volunteer to read aloud the requirements, Bridges looked around and said "I'll do it."

He struggled with some words, but his classmates helped him out.

McCreary told them they will need to help each other throughout the courses. Bridges quickly asked who was good in math.

One man raised his hand.

"I'll be by your house for some help when it comes to that part," he said.

Bridges learned about the program from a flyer. He always had an interest in carpentry and helped build porches and stairs for people in his neighborhood but never had found training or certification.

He was sold on the program when he called and they asked him to leave a description of why he should be selected.

It was the first time anyone had asked him why he wanted to be a part of something positive before, he said.

I told them that I wanted to change my life and do positive things and build a future, because what I had been doing wasnt working, and I saw that it wasnt working for most of the people I was around, he said.

While McCreary was leading the men in a group assignment, Reginald Reed  who finds job placement sites for participants  called McCreary into the hallway.

Reed, who is CEO of Mindful Staffing Solutions LLC, a company that works with Pro Trade and offers continuing education and instruction to students, was not pleased.

McCreary stopped the class and showed them a joint.

Who does this belong to, McCreary asked. "It was found in the doorway of the building."

When nobody fessed up, Reed raised his voice.

I will not tolerate drugs or cigarettes in this building, and I will not have you ruin what I worked so hard to build," he said. "I put my 14 years on the line for you, and Im not going to have you take that away from me.

He offered $20 to the class if the person came forward.

No one took the bait.

"One incident, no matter how minor, especially if you are black, can send you all the way to ground zero," he said.

The room was quiet.

Im just going to say this, and I hope I dont have to say it again: You have a great opportunity here to learn something and become what you want to become. Dont mess it up," Reed said. "I will go to bat for you, but I will not do that if you will not try.

That was the end of the first day.

***

Washington said the certificate doesn't erase all the barriers students face. For instance, many don't have driver's licenses, because of overdue tickets and fines, but they need a car to get to work sites. Some first take other jobs to pay down the fines before they can join painting and construction crews.

Six of the eight who started the program had completed it 10 weeks later. Four were working. One had already started his own home-improvement business, and soon hoped to hire his own employees.

Bridges got off to a strong start, even showing up one day that first week after he was in a car accident.

"He was very committed," McCreary said. "After the accident, he showed up to class with his mom and a bloody face."

But he faced other challenges, including a baby at home and difficulty finding child-care.

He was dropped from the program in week eight after he missed two days. The officials treat the classes like a work site and insist on attendance. Bridges, who recently lost a friend to gun violence, had put in enough time to earn a certificate in carpentry. He missed out on graduation and a higher accreditation.

"He felt that he failed and let everyone down," McCreary said. "He's a good kid. He's only 23. He's going to be a good carpenter."


Britain wants to improve trade relations with African nations after it leaves the European Union.

Some people have called the planned project Empire 2.0 because many African countries are former British colonies.

However, some experts believe Britains attempt to build on past links with those African nations could meet resistance. They say exporters face years of uncertainty over future trading relations with Britain.

British officials say leaving the EU will permit Britain to "go global" and freely trade with the rest of the world. Britain claims the EU has prevented many of its trading goals.

Kwasi Kwarteng is a British lawmaker whose family is from a country that once was a British colony. He says that many people in former colonies have both good and bad memories of British rule.

"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."

Britains history on the African continent includes many conflicts. One example was the Mau Mau uprising, a rebellion that took place in Kenya in the 1950s. But Kwarteng believes the old links established during British rule will aid new trade deals.

"There's 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."

Critics, however, note that almost half of British exports go to the European Union. Less than 10 percent of British exports go to Africa.

To increase trade, Britain wants quick trade deals with developing countries. But Matt Grady with the fair trade organization Traidcraft says African nations should negotiate carefully with Britain, or the UK (United Kingdom).

He says that "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.

Grady adds that decisions are being made now for two years down the line on uncertain conditions."

This week, the head of the African, Caribbean and Pacific Group of States called for a delay in talks. Patrick Gomes said that a free trade deal with Britain should be delayed until at least six years after Britain's exit from the EU.

Im Jonathan Evans.

Henry Ridgwell reported this story for VOA News. Jonathan Evans adapted it for Learning English. Mario Ritter was the editor.

________________________________________________________________

Words in this Story

forlorn  adj. not having much chance of success : nearly hopeless

vast  adj. very great in size, amount, or extent

indicated  v. to show or suggest that (something) is needed

priorities  n. the things that someone cares about and thinks are important

integration  n. to make a person or group part of a larger group or organization
There are growing calls to redesignate North Korea a State Sponsor of Terrorism in the wake of the missile launch and Kim Jong-nam assassination.

Having removed North Korea from the list of State Sponsors of Terrorism in 2008, we understand the US is now considering whether to revoke this decision. A top South Korean government official reveals that the US communicated this to the Japanese and South Koreans at a trilateral meeting in Washington on February 27, and that both governments will be closely involved in the investigative process.

Meanwhile, Kanji Kanasugi, Director General of the Asian and Oceanian Affairs Bureau of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, believes the three countries need to increase international pressure on North Korea by coordinating their individual responses.

North Korea was on the State Sponsors of Terrorism list since 1987



On November 29 1987, a Korean Air Lines flight was blown up over the Indian Ocean by North Korean agents, killing all 115 people on board. Initially, the loss of the flight was thought to have been caused by a mid-air break-up, but it later became apparent that it was a deliberate terrorist act, prompting the US to add North Korea to its list of State Sponsors of Terrorism. North Korean agent Kim Hyon-hui was apprehended following the bombing, although the second male bomber evaded capture by taking a cyanide capsule. Kim Hyon-hui was handed over to South Korea, where she was eventually pardoned and still resides.

The Bush administration subsequently removed North Korea from the list of State Sponsors in October 2008, after it agreed to allow inspections to verify it had halted its nuclear development programme, and the country has since remained off the list, despite the sinking of the South Korean navy ship Cheonan in 2010 and the cyberattack against a Sony subsidiary in 2014. So all eyes are on how the Trump administration will respond this time.

The US system for designating State Sponsors of Terrorism







Source: Shutterstock

Story continues

The US Department of State instituted the State Sponsors of Terrorism list in 1979, with the designation applied to countries it regards as supporting terrorist organisations. The first countries on the list were Libya, Iraq, South Yemen and Syria, with North Korea, Iran, Cuba and Sudan added later.

Countries on the list are subject to a ban on arms exports, and in addition there are controls on the exports of other items that could potentially enhance their military capability or ability to support terrorism, it is prohibited to provide them with economic assistance, and a variety of financial restrictions are imposed. Libya, South Yemen, Iraq, North Korea and Cuba are not currently on the list.

Iran, Syria and Sudan currently designated as State Sponsors



Syria, Iran and Sudan were respectively added to the list on December 29 1979, January 19 1984 and August 12 1993. Having both been included on the list in 1979, South Yemen was removed when it merged with the Yemen Arab Republic (North Yemen) to become Yemen, while Iraq was dropped in 1982. Iraq was subsequently returned to the list following its 1990 invasion of Kuwait, and then removed again in 2004 as a result of the Iraq war. Libya, another of the first countries on the list in 1979, was also removed in 2006. Cuba was only officially removed in 2015. North Korea was added to the list in 1988, but removed on October 11 2008 after agreement at the six-party talks aimed at resolving security concerns relating to North Koreas nuclear programme, on February 13 2007.

Calls for relisting from government and the media



A bill was introduced in the US House of Representatives in February to reinstate North Korea on the terrorism list, and six senators sent a letter to President Trump urging him to do so following North Koreas ballistic missile launch. An editorial in the Wall Street Journal called for North Koreas reinstatement in response to the assassination of Kim Jong-nam in Malaysia.

Kim Jong-un is beset from all sides, with China declaring the suspension of coal imports from North Korea for the remainder of this year  a harsh blow, as coal exports to China were worth over a hundred billion yen. Malaysia is also considering severing diplomatic ties following the assassination, and the joint US-South Korean military exercises planned for this March are set to be on the same scale to last years, themselves the largest ever staged.

North Korea is thus simultaneously coming under economic, diplomatic and military pressure, but the US seems to be favouring the application of economic sanctions which come into force when a country is designated as a State Sponsor of Terrorism.

Whilst it is the US Secretary of State who determines whether a country should be designated a State Sponsor and it is ultimately a decision taken by America, such designation results in restrictions on the export and import of arms and other items, and the cessation of loans from financial institutions worldwide prompted by American hostility.

US, Japan and ROK united on threat to security from North Korean missiles



The US, Japan and the ROK are in complete agreement that North Koreas nuclear and ballistic missiles threaten global security, highlighting that its refusal to abide by numerous United Nations Security Council Resolutions necessitates a forceful international response. Military journalist Mitsuhiro Sera believes that the Kim government would be unable to withstand full-blown sanctions including a naval blockade resulting from redesignation.

There are fears that this might provoke a further nuclear test or ballistic missile launch. US military spy satellite images reveal an increase in traffic in the vicinity of North Koreas nuclear installations in the last few days. Japan will not be immune if President Trump reads in this that US-North Korean military confrontation is a real possibility.

(By ZUU)

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2017 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming Digest #18

Posted on 7 May 2017 by John Hartz

Story of the Week... Video of the Week... Quote of the Week... Graphic of the Week... SkS in the News... Photo of the Week... SkS Spotlights... Toon of the Week... Coming Soon on SkS... Poster of the Week... Climate Feedback Reviews... SkS Week in Review... 97 Hours of Consensus...

Story of the Week...

The great climate silence: we are on the edge of the abyss but we ignore it

How can we understand the miserable failure of contemporary thinking to come to grips with what now confronts us? Photograph: Piyal Adhikary/EPA

After 200,000 years of modern humans on a 4.5 billion-year-old Earth, we have arrived at new point in history: the Anthropocene. The change has come upon us with disorienting speed. It is the kind of shift that typically takes two or three or four generations to sink in.

Our best scientists tell us insistently that a calamity is unfolding, that the life-support systems of the Earth are being damaged in ways that threaten our survival. Yet in the face of these facts we carry on as usual.

Most citizens ignore or downplay the warnings; many of our intellectuals indulge in wishful thinking; and some influential voices declare that nothing at all is happening, that the scientists are deceiving us. Yet the evidence tells us that so powerful have humans become that we have entered this new and dangerous geological epoch, which is defined by the fact that the human imprint on the global environment has now become so large and active that it rivals some of the great forces of nature in its impact on the functioning of the Earth system.

The great climate silence: we are on the edge of the abyss but we ignore it by Clive Hamilton, Guardian, May 4, 2017

Video of the Week...

The Reality of Climate Change is a global warming documentary about many of the problems and the solutions to the climate crisis.



Material was sourced from various sources, ranging from Carl Sagan outlining climate change back in 1990, to Roland Emmerich's 2004 pre-production of The Day After Tomorrow, the 2006 documentary Global Warming: What You Need to Know, and content from more recent times.



This is a pre release, if you have suggestions for improvements, feel free to post it in the comments.



A revised version will add more content about extreme weather, Ocean environments, on agriculture and wildfires.

The Reality of Climate Change (pre release) by Climate State (CS), YouTube Video, April 26, 2017

Quote of the Week...

Adam White, a research fellow at the libertarian Hoover Institution, said in an interview that just as the Obama administration created websites that advanced its agenda, Trumps aides are trying to place their digital stamp on the government.

I dont blame the Trump administration in many ways for rebooting the websites, White said.

But he added that federal officials should be careful in how they make changes since, unlike shelving a library book, updating a website can lead to the loss of factual information.

We need, as a society and a government, to find a way where old facts stay accessible and transparent, White said. I think it would be a mistake for any new administration, not just this administration, to come in and wipe the slate clean.

The EPA just buried its climate change website for kids by Juliet Eilperin, Energy & Environment, Washington Post, May 6, 2017

Graphic of the Week...

Arctic sea ice extent has trended in record low territory for months. Credit: Zack Labe

Arctic Sea Ice Keeps Scraping the Bottom of the Barrel by Brian Kahn, Cimate Central. May 3, 2017

SkS in the News...

In her New Republic article, The Rise of Kinder, Gentler Climate-Change Deniers, Emily Atkin wrote:

This is a form of climate-change denial: It denies the need for action, which is, like climate science, based on overwhelming evidence. Slates Susan Matthews takes it a step further: Stephens is not denying climate science per se; hes denying the reliability of the whole scientific process. Stephens does not call a single fact into question throughout his piece, she writes. Instead, hes telling his readers that their decision not to trust the entire institution of science that supports the theory of climate change might actually be reasonable.... Trust nothing, he urges, for nothing deserves trust. John Cook, a professor at George Mason Universitys Center for Climate Change Communication who has studied public perception of climate change extensively, believes this type of denial is especially dangerous because it pretends to be balancedthereby confusing people into apathy. When you throw conflicting pieces of information at people, they dont know what to believe, so they stop believing in anything, he told me.

Photo of the Week...

The Waggonwaybreen glacier in Svalbard. Photo: Andreas Weith

The Glaciers are Going by Renee Cho, State of the Planet, Earth Institute, Columbia University, May 5, 2017

SkS Spotlights...

The Center for Public Integrity, founded in 1989 by Charles Lewis, is one of the United States' oldest and largest nonpartisan, nonprofit investigative news organizations. It is also the winner of the 2014 Pulitzer Prize for investigative reporting and the 2017 Pulitzer Prize for explanatory reporting.

Toon of the Week...

Coming Soon on SkS...

Study: to beat science denial, inoculate against misinformers' tricks (Dana)

(Dana) SkS Analogy 03 - Greenhouse Effect is like a Cloudy Night (Evan)

(Evan) What does statistical significance actually mean? (Dikran Marsupial)

(Dikran Marsupial) Guest Post (John Abraham)

(John Abraham) Citizens Climate Lobby - Pushing for a price on carbon globally (Baerbel)

(Baerbel) 2017 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #19 (John Hartz)

(John Hartz) 2017 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Waming Digest #19 (John Hartz)

Poster of the Week...

SkS Week in Review...

97 Hours of Consensus...

Paul Shepson's bio page and Quote source

High resolution JPEG (1024 pixels wide)
UAEs education sector is entering a crucial phase enabling it to reach its potential, an industry expert said, adding that opportunities to invest are plentiful in the sector.



Emad Mansour, CEO of Audacia Capital was speaking at the recent London Business Schools first Catalyzers Series forum, which brought together leading industry figures in Dubai.



The event, held at Jumeirah Emirates Towers Hotel, featured two panel discussions on the future of investments and private equity in education and healthcare. Leading healthcare magnate Dr B R Shetty discussed his revolutionary work within the nations healthcare industry and London Business School Term Professor of Accounting Florin Vasvari delivered a keynote speech about current market scenarios.



The panel collectively agreed that the education space in the country has had many new entrants in recent years as Dubai becomes more visible on the global map as a world-class destination for prospective students.



Dr Pablo Fetter, education investment expert and former CEO of Kings Education added that Dubai is second to Singapore in the schools market internationally, highlighting the level of investments into the sector, which he described has seen a shift in the school landscape locally.



The UAE has invested $2.72 billion into the education sector, marking a 22 per cent increase in government spending on education. The UAE Vision 2021 National Agenda emphasises the development of a first-rate education system, which will require a complete transformation of the current education system and teaching methods.



Founder and executive director of Learning Curve Holdings and LBS alumnus, Basem Abu Dagga, said there are still some fantastic opportunities to make money with some very ambitious and solid operators. He also touched on the future of education and the amount of reform that will be necessary to reinvent outdated systems and curriculums.



The panel shed light on the supply of skilled teachers to the education market in Dubai, which must be kept in line with growth in student numbers to ensure the welfare of the industry. Dr. Fetter also spoke about technology and innovation - pillars of Dubais advancements - having an impact on education.



The discussion then centred on public-private partnerships (PPP) in the UAE, which the experts agreed is yet to realise its full potential in the healthcare space. Nasser Massoud, LBS alumnus and Managing Director at Concept Realisation, highlighted examples from the UKs NHS of successful partnerships around orthopaedic care.



The Catalyzers Series, a new collection of forums organised by London Business Schools Gulf Association and The Learning Curve Holdings, will focus on a range of sectors that are at the heart of the UAE and the Gulf Regions future.- TradeArabia News Service


Dubais Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) has awarded a Dh375-million ($102 million) contract for the construction of tunnels and roads leading to the Jewel of the Creek project.

The awarding of the contract was co-ordinated with the Dubai International Real Estate Company, DIRE, said a statement from RTA.



The Jewel of the Creek iconic project, which sits between Al Maktoum and the Floating Bridges, has been designed as a landmark tourist destination adding further prominence to the city and the tourist profile of the area.



Mattar Al Tayer, director-general of RTA and Khalil Al Sayegh, Director-General of DIRE, signed the memorandum of understanding for funding the construction of tunnels and roads leading to the project, which is set for completion during the first half of 2019.



"The project construction works have recently been started, and primarily aimed to provide entry and exit points linking with the ground and basement access points of the project. Specifically, it provides roads, subways and slipways linking the ground level and the basement parking of the project with the roads and transport network of Baniyas Road to the north, and Al Ittihad Road to the East," said Al Tayer.

The project also includes the construction of a footbridge crossing over Baniyas Road and lighting works along with the protection and shifting of the existing utility lines," he stated.



The northern access points comprise entry points to the basement parking for traffic bound to the west of Baniyas Road and the traffic inbound from Al Maktoum Bridge slipway.

It also includes exit points for the basement parking through a tunnel heading eastward to Baniyas Road and westward to Baniyas Road, in addition to exit points to the north-east leading to the eastern slipway from Al Maktoum Bridge to Baniyas Road, said the RTA statement.



It includes surface entry points from and to the eastern basement parking, and single-lane tunnels for the basement parking stretching from the Floating Bridge and Baniyas Road to the East, it stated.

According to Al Tayer, the project also includes the construction of roads for the surface entry points for the traffic inbound from Al Ittihad Road to the south, and single-lane tunnels to the north for the parking to provide exit in the direction of Abu Dhabi and Al Ittihad Road to the north.



"The entry and exit points leading to the Jewel of the Creek have been designed to meet the needs of this futuristic architectural masterpiece enhancing the Dubai skyline and posing as a majestic urban development on the shores of the Dubai Creek," added Al Tayer.-TradeArabia News Service
Etihad Airways has announced new roles and responsibilities for four of its most senior UAE nationals.



Ahmed Al Qubaisi, who currently holds the position of vice president Aero Political and Industry Affairs, will be promoted to senior vice president and take on responsibility for International Affairs and for Environmental Affairs. Al Qubaisi joined Etihad Airways in 2015 as vice president Alliances and Partnerships, before being promoted to his current role in 2016.



Hareb Al Muhairy is to become senior vice president, UAE and GCC Sales, responsible for driving sales revenues in the airlines priority markets. He moves from his current position in corporate and international affairs.

Al Muhairy joined Etihad Airways in 2004 having studied political science and management at the UAE University in Al Ain. He also holds a Master Degree in Strategic and Security Studies gained in 2015 from the National Defense College.



Amina Taher has been promoted to vice president, corporate affairs, and will be responsible for leading corporate communications strategy for Etihad Aviation Group (EAG). Taher has hosted a number of Etihad Airways global media conferences and more recently has been focused on providing corporate communications strategic and campaign support to the Etihad Airways executive leadership. With this promotion, she becomes one of the groups most senior female executives.



Taher holds both a Masters of Business Administration (MBA) from the London Business School and a Masters in Public Administration from Harvard University gained in 2015. She achieved a Bachelors degree in Applied Media Studies with honours from the Higher Colleges of Technology, Dubai.



Finally, responsibility for the airlines corporate social responsibility strategy will be moved under Dr. Nadia Bastaki, vice president Medical Services. She was the first female aviation medicine specialist in the UAE appointed by the Abu Dhabi health authority and was also the first GCAA instructor and Medical Review Officer (MRO) for the region appointed by the GCAA. Dr. Bastaki joined the Medical Centre at Etihad Airways in 2007 and is a leading Aviation Medical specialist in the region. Under her leadership the Etihad Medical Centre has become adopted by the industry as best-in-class and the addition of corporate social responsibility is a natural extension of her Medical and Wellbeing portfolio.



Mohamed Mubarak Fadhel Al Mazrouei, chairman of the Board of the Etihad Aviation Group, said: Our business is committed to developing career opportunities for advancing UAE nationals. These four highly-talented leaders have all seized those opportunities to develop careers as senior executives within one of the UAEs largest businesses.



These new executive roles come two weeks after Etihad Airways team at Abu Dhabi International Airport welcomed 157 talented Emirati nationals from across the UAE, after they graduated from the Etihad UAE National Development Foundation Programme.



Etihad Aviation Group employs more than 3,000 Emiratis and runs more than 20 programmes to attract, train and develop UAE nationals in areas such as engineering, flight operations, management and at the all-female Al Ain Contact Centre. - TradeArabia News Service


DUBAI (Reuters) - Iran will hit back at most of Saudi Arabia with the exception of Islam's holiest places if the kingdom does anything "ignorant", Tehran's defence minister was quoted as saying on Sunday after a Saudi prince threatened to move the "battle" to Iran. "If the Saudis do anything ignorant, we will leave no area untouched except Mecca and Medina," Iranian Defence Minister Hossein Dehghan was quoted by the semi-official Tasnim news agency as saying. "They think they can do something because they have an air force," he added in an apparent reference to Yemen, where Saudi warplanes regularly attack Iran-aligned Houthi forces in control of the capital Sanaa. Dehghan, speaking to Arabic-language Al-Manar TV, was commenting on remarks by Saudi Deputy Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, who said on Tuesday any contest for influence between the Sunni Muslim kingdom and the revolutionary Shi'ite theocracy ought to take place "inside Iran, not in Saudi Arabia". Saudi Arabia and Iran compete for influence in the Middle East and support rival groups in Syria's civil war. Iran denies Saudi accusations that it sends financial and sometimes armed support to groups hostile to Riyadh around the Arab world. In unusually blunt comments in a nationally-televised interview on Tuesday, Prince Mohammed ruled out any dialogue with Iran and pledged to protect his conservative kingdom from what he called Tehran's efforts to dominate the Muslim world. "We know that we are a main goal for the Iranian regime," he said. "We will not wait until the battle becomes in Saudi Arabia but we will work to have the battle in Iran rather than in Saudi Arabia." (Reporting by Dubai Newsroom, Editing by William Maclean and Angus MacSwan)
When House Republicans first tried to replace Obamacare in March, Rep. Steve Pearce  a member of the conservative House Freedom Caucus  didnt support the legislation. But on Thursday, after weeks of additional negotiating, the House approved the American Health Care Act with Pearces support. The new bill, which now heads to the Senate, passed by a very narrow 217-213 vote  so Pearces support was crucial.

Democrats  including those representing New Mexico  characterized the bill as a heartless proposal that gives tax breaks to the wealthy while stripping poor people of health care options. The headline on a scathing Washington Post editorial Friday summed up the legislation in three words: Betrayal, carelessness and hypocrisy. The editorial said the legislation was hastily concocted without the benefit of a Congressional Budget Office analysis of its costs or how many Americans would lose their coverage under Obamacare. The bill also offered no iron-clad protections for those with pre-existing conditions, the editorial noted, and would allow states to choose whether their insurers can opt out of coverage for pre-existing conditions.

In an interview with the Journal editorial board Friday, Pearce called characterizations of the Republican bill as draconian or heartless totally misplaced.

We got a much better bill, Pearce said in comparing the previous House GOP bill to that passed Thursday. It still has deep flaws  you could find a dozen reasons to vote against it. But with Obamacare, we are in an absolute free-fall. Im here representing a group of people on the lower end of the economic spectrum, and they are just struggling to make ends meet.

If the Senate passed the bill today I think people in New Mexico would see a significant reduction in their rates, Pearce added. At the end of the day, I think thats what people care about.

Throughout the debate, the Republican congressman has fixated on something called essential health benefits under the Affordable Care Act. The 10 such essential health benefits, which include vaccines, maternity and mental health care, were mandated as part of insurance coverage under the Affordable Care Act. But Pearce argues that a young man without a family shouldnt be expected to help underwrite maternity care and the requirement he do so drives up costs. Under the version the House passed Thursday, states would be able to create their own list of essential health benefits that could result in less required coverage.

The treatment of the essential health benefits gives me deep pause  essential health benefits are (currently) required in every plan in the country, he said. The young healthy people are opting out because the costs are going up.

Pearce also said he hoped the Senate would implement more stringent work requirements for those who receive Medicaid. House Speaker Paul Ryan put into the bill that passed Thursday a provision letting states impose work requirements on people who enroll in Medicaid. Critics contend such a requirement would punish people already struggling financially. Pearce said those who cant take care of themselves would still be protected, but increasingly, there are people who are able to work who just dont, he said. We should have some modest work requirement.

The Congressional Budget Office estimates the bill would cut federal spending on Medicaid by 25 percent by 2026 compared to current law, shifting the burden to cash-strapped states and potentially leaving fewer poor people covered.

The Republican congressman also discussed Trumps proposed border wall. He said while he wants to secure the border he still opposes a wall along the U.S.-Mexican border. But he stopped short of a vow to vote against any money to pay for it.

I dont think I ever steadfastly said Id vote against anything with (the money) in there, Pearce said. I want to secure the border, but this isnt going to be very effective. He also said he sensed Trump may be softening his resolve to build an actual wall and may eventually settle for some other compromise on enhanced border security, which could include fencing, drones, additional manpower, etc. I hear his language evolving and that of the people hes got working for him, Pearce said.

As for the presidents job performance after 100 days and a week in office, Pearce gave Trump a thumbs up.

I think hes grown in that capacity  grown in stature, Pearce said. Overall hes done almost exactly what he said he would do, whether you agree with him or disagree with him, but finding someone who will actually do that is stunning.

With Bush and Obama I never saw this level of engagement. This is what I think we need  a strong, steady hand, Pearce added.  Id rate him pretty high.

E-mail: mcoleman@abqjournal.com. Go to www.abqjournal.com/letters/new to submit a letter to the editor.
The Chatter String Trio is heading north to perform Mozart in Santa Fes historic San Miguel Chapel on Friday, May 12.

Violinist David Felberg, cellist James Holland and violist Shanti Randall will play the composers Divertimento for String Trio, considered a jewel of classic chamber music repertoire.

Mozarts only completed string trio, the Divertimento is a lighthearted, entertaining piece of music.

Many critics say its (Mozarts) finest piece of chamber music, Felberg said. Its a little more like party music back in the day in Vienna.

The title is a bit ironic, he added.

The piece is quite intricate and detailed. Its not a piece of fluff. Its got one of the most sublime slow movements he ever wrote. Its a wonder.

The musicians have programmed two contemporary works for the programs second half.

The Brazilian-born Marcos Balter wrote Vision Mantra for the high-ceilinged acoustics of the Chicago Cultural Center. Balter was inspired by the mosaic patterns of the buildings dome.

The music is like mosaics with repeated patterns, Felberg said.

Andrew Norman penned his string trio, the Companion Guide to Rome, during a year in the city. Its nine movements are portraits of the composers favorite churches. The piece was a finalist for the 2012 Pulitzer Prize in composition.

The American classical magazine Musical America named Norman its composer of the year in 2016.

It seemed like the perfect thing to put in (San Miguel), Felberg said.

Heavily damaged during the 1680 Pueblo Revolt, San Miguel Chapel is known as the oldest church in the country. The present building dates to 1710.

If you go

WHAT: Chatter String Trio

WHEN: 7:30 p.m. Friday, May 12

WHERE: San Miguel Chapel, 401 Old Santa Fe Trail, Santa Fe

HOW MUCH: $20 general; $10 students and under 30 at the door
Johnny Cash charmed a generation with songs about the mighty locomotive steam engines that rumbled and roared across the country.

Though those puffing steel leviathans have long disappeared from the landscape, nostalgia for the great age of steam is still alive and well. The precision of each engine part, the valves, pipes, pumps and gauges in those old train engines are a source of fascination for folks with a mechanical bent like Jack Harris.

I just like doing little things, little complicated things, said Harris.

Those little complicated things include working model steam engines. In the basement workshop of his house on the outskirts of Santa Fe, sits a 500-pound scale model of an F-4 Mogul 2-6-0 steam locomotive. Its the kind of engine that pulled trains on the Wabash lines through the Midwest until the early 1950s.

Harris is one of more than a thousand enthusiasts throughout the country who build these live-steam trains. They are big enough for a grown man to drive, seated on the tender behind the engine, and enough to pull passenger-carrying cars on tracks that measure 7 inches between the rails.

Its a challenging hobby demanding hundreds of hours of patient labor, poring over complex blueprints, machining tiny parts to within a hairs breadth tolerance, understanding the mechanics of steam.

Harris has a workshop fit for the task. One wall bristles with screwdrivers, a half dozen drills sit on the counter beneath it. A lathe, drill press and other machining tools stand nearby.

The Mogul is a model Harris bought from another builder and refurbished with a new boiler and paint job. Hes built numerous cars and three engines from scratch. One was a near replica of the Jupiter, one of two engines present at the Golden Spike Ceremony in 1869 that marked the meeting of rail lines from the east and west coasts. A model of a 1915 Case Traction engine he built has pride of place near the living room of his house.

Learning the mechanics of steam engines just came naturally, Harris said.

Mechanical roots

He was adopted into a family that owned a string of papers in Kansas and Iowa.

My father wanted me to write the editorials, said Harris. But in school I was taught to spell phonetically. I was never a speller.

He found his niche in the pressroom. Although he was the bosss son, he started as a teenager in the mid-1950s earning 75 cents an hour cleaning the presses. In 1957, he helped install a used press purchased for the one of his familys papers, the Hutchinson News.

So I got to scrape bearings and put things together on it. Thats how I knew how it came apart, he said.

Taking the press apart happened a few years later when he convinced his father they could speed up the switch from letterpress to offset printing technology.

Albuquerque Journal Vice President Rod Arnold, who started his career in the early 1980s as a journeyman pressman, vouched for the skills involved.

You have to be very mechanically inclined to be a pressman. Some of the settings we deal with have to be within a thousandth of an inch, Arnold said.

Harris has never belonged to any of the live steam clubs active around the country but he used to travel to rallies in Florida, Michigan and other states. Rally organizers set up tracks with switches and sidings where dozens of enthusiasts could show off their trains. Driving them can be a dirty business.

When youre riding on the tender behind a coal-fired engine, smoke gets in your eyes. Dust gets on your glasses. Your eyes start to tear and it mixes with the coal dust and you get black streaks down your face, Harris explained.

At one rally in Florida he returned to his hotel covered in coal streaks and ran into the housekeeping staff.

They took one look at me with the coal dust all over me and I know they were saying I hope its not the bathtub I have to clean.

Harris also had steam meets at the property he owned in Hutchinson, Kan., where he built a mile-long circular track complete with a 100-foot-long tunnel and a 7-foot-tall bridge that spanned two sand hills.

Expensive hobby

Steve Alley, who owns Allen Models of Gardnerville, Nev., one of only a handful of companies that specialize in the parts and supplies for live steam model builders, estimates there are round 1,500 hobbyists currently active in the United States. Alley said he ships to customers all over Europe, Australia and Japan.

Alley said his basic kits run up to $5,000, add on the necessary parts for the boiler and plumbing and youre talking upward of $15,000. Plus, builders need to invest in thousands of dollars worth of tools and equipment. A finished model could fetch up to $33,000.

So what is the attraction?

It gets under your blood, Alley said. Its so relaxing. The one beautiful thing with the hobby is how everybody shares how they do things and where to get parts.

And theres the incomparable thrill of seeing it run, Alley said.

Once you see the thing start up for the first time, you realize that thing is coming alive. Thats why its called live steam.

If you go

WHAT: 22nd Annual Albuquerque Railroad Fair: railroad collectibles & model train show and sale

WHEN: 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday, May 20

WHERE: Expo New Mexico/NM State Fairgrounds, School Arts Building, Albuquerque

ADMISSION: $7, children under 12 free
Albuquerques Tim Prythero makes neighborhood miniatures veiled in the ghosts of a fleeting past.

The artist recreates the illusions of decrepit gas stations, taco wagons and abandoned trucks with a microscopic reverence for detail.

Ancient dust powders an old storefront in a patina of memory. Bare wires dangle from the ghosts of wire fixtures. A wooden Coke box leans against cracking plaster. The bleached rib bones of a long-deceased cow rest beneath a windmill. Prythero usually works a half-inch to 1 inch per foot. If a gas pump stands 5 feet tall; hell make it 5 inches. His passion for detail is so strong that he even reproduces the trash in a rusted oil can.

The artists Lilliputian worlds are on display at Weems Galleries & Framing through May 29. The show also includes works by Andrew Rodriguez and Miguel Grave de Peralta. Prythero fashions his fantasies using cast resin, wood, plastic and metal, painstakingly painted using a fine brush or an airbrush. The result is a melange of model railroad scale-storefronts and dollhouses. Twigs stand in for trees.

Prythero says he lifts his images from his own photographs, as well as from books and antique signs and gas pumps gleaned from fire sales and eBay.

I like people to imagine putting themselves in it, he said.I like the old patinas and the weathering effects.

A decaying Conoco gas station features dust-caked mullioned windows, crooked Venetian blinds, a rusted oil can and an old tire leaning against a fading wall. Prythero says he might add a minuscule Valvoline or Penzoil sign to the diminutive diorama.

I remember going out on the old 66 highway and seeing these old gas stations, he said. I just thought they had a lot more character than a modern gas station.

A windmill turns above an old tractor missing a tire standing sentinel over the desert. A bovine skeleton rests in the dirt. A tiny concrete block straddles a windmill beam behind a discarded rag. A Barbie-sized pair of pliers rests on another.

What could become a masterpiece is still in progress. Prythero is working on a miniature of the 90-year-old pueblo deco KiMo Theatre. A friend designed its ornate architectural embellishments, and the artist painted them. Navajo swastikas, parrots and rain clouds ornament terra cotta shields. Two-inch movie posters proclaim choices from the era, including Casablanca and the Marx Brothers Coconuts. Strings of miniature LED lights await hanging.

Ive been out to the KiMo three times to take pictures, Prythero said. Its almost an architectural model.

The artists studio is a concrete rectangle behind his modest home. Remnants of his passions perch on shelves and hang from the walls. The model cars he made as a kid sit next to advertising mascots like a doll-sized Big Boy from the old hamburger chain. An original Chevron gas pump rescued from Downtown demolition leans against a tool shed. Old Texaco and Chief signs repurposed as drawer bases.

Prythero grew up in Albuquerque, where he tinkered with model railroads and watched his father paint and create his own miniatures sans the intricate detail of his son. He says he took just one art class in public school and a few at the University of New Mexico. It proved a bad match at the dwindling of abstract expressionism.

They said I put too much detail in, he said. I said, Thats what I do. 

Hes been a professional artist since high school, aside from occasional remodeling jobs during downtimes. His mind is a font of ideas. He wants to go to Mexico to photograph and re-create old mom and pop storefronts. Hes working on a Top Dog hot dog stand. He wants to do a series of A&W root beer stands. A sketch of the Breaking Bad Winnebago hangs from his bulletin board. He dreams of reproducing the old wharfs and scuffed boats in Maine.

A friend once asked Prythero to make a model of his all-too-modern home.

It was tough to do, he said. I wouldnt say it was fun.

Four of Prytheros pieces hang in the New Mexico Museum of Art. A fourth  a miniature trading post  is in the Albuquerque Museum. His public art collections include the Albuquerque Sunport, Bernalillo County, Santa Fe Community College, Sacramentos Crocker Art Museum, Chase Manhattan Bank and the Roswell Museum.

He is represented by Weems and Manitou Galleries in Santa Fe.
CORRALES  Splat! Splat! Splat-splat!

Michael Hulett, 12, and several other youngsters are hurling adobe mud at the low wall that hunches along three sides of the small courtyard in front of the Historic Old San Ysidro Church.

Hulett, a member of Corrales Boy Scout Troop 703, and his companions are not up to mischief. In this case, splattering a wall with mud is a matter of community service, not vandalism.

If you trowel the adobe onto the wall, it leaves air pockets, Francisco Uvina said. If you throw it on, it sticks better. Then we can go back with a trowel and make it look pretty.

Uvina knows mud. He is the interim director of the historic preservation and regionalism program in the University of New Mexicos Department of Architecture and Planning.

I teach historic preservation classes, adobe classes, anything to do with earthen architecture, he said.

Uvinas work has taken him around the world  Mexico, Peru, Iran, Mali. But on this cool, sunny morning a week ago, he was lending his expertise to the Corrales Historical Societys mudding day at the Old Church.

I like to work a lot on community projects, he said. With a little money and a lot of volunteers you can go a long way.

On this day, there are about 40 volunteers. In addition to members of the historical society and Boy Scout Troop 703, there are retirees and moms and dads with their children. The old, the not-so-old and the very young work side by side.

Some are raking up leaves, or pruning limbs, or picking up litter. Others, following Uvinas directions, are knocking old, crumbling adobe from the courtyard wall.

We dont want to apply (fresh) adobe to loose plaster, he explains.

Some volunteers are digging up dirt from the ground at the base of the wall, dirt that has been washing from the wall for years. They clean the trash and debris out of that dirt and take it to the automatic mixer where it will be churned into new adobe mud.

And some are throwing that mud at the wall.

Heart of the village

Construction on the Old San Ysidro Church started in 1868 after a flood demolished an earlier church. It served the Corrales Catholic community until the new San Ysidro Church was built in the 1960s at 5015 Corrales Road. Now owned by the village of Corrales, the Historic Old Church is maintained and managed by the Corrales Historical Society and used for community functions and cultural events.

Dating back to the 1970s when the historical society took charge of the Old Church, there has been a tradition of an annual church mudding. In past years, it would start on a Saturday morning, last most of that day and then continue on Sunday for as long as it took to finish the work. A highlight of the weekend was the potluck lunches that provided a break from the mudding, raking, trimming and picking up.

That tradition was rudely interrupted in July 2013 when a wicked rain and hail storm came in from the north and ruthlessly pummeled the church. The damage done was too severe to be fixed by good-hearted, hard-working volunteers with limited skills. More than $60,000 in Federal Emergency Management Agency funds and another $40,000 raised by a historical society fundraising drive was used to hire an expert in historic preservation and adobe construction to oversee the repairs.

But the use of federal grant money for repairs and insurance provisions resulted in restrictions. Unskilled volunteers are no longer permitted to do adobe patchwork on the church building itself or on the annex building south of the church.

As a result, the annual mudding tradition came to an end. Until now.

Mary Davis, who heads up the historical societys archives committee, said there has been a push to bring back the tradition because members of the Corrales community realized that the annual mudding tradition was about more than slapping adobe on the church. Its about roots and purpose and identity.

Its a community spirit kind of thing, said John Derr, chairman of the historical societys maintenance and preservation committee.

So, a week ago the tradition  including the potluck lunch  was back.

Suanne Derr, Johns wife and historical society treasurer, said the mudding project satisfies the need to pitch in for the common good.

The historical society is all volunteers, she said. No one is ever paid. We must have 50 docents who are not paid. They do the potlucks and the coffee (for church muddings), they work at the (Corrales) Harvest Festival and (Corrales) Heritage Day. They give tours of the church.

It all comes back to the Historic Old Church.

We like to see the church as the heart of the village, Davis said. But if there is no one there caring for it, that gets lost. We need this.

Besides, no federal money was used on that low wall around the courtyard. There are no rules against mudding it.

Splat!

A muddy good time

Im learning how to throw adobe on the wall and how to flatten the adobe, Boy Scout Hulett said. Then we will do a second layer to make it pretty.

Hulett is a Life Scout, just one level shy of the top Scout rank of Eagle. He said he doesnt know if there is a Boy Scout merit badge for doing adobe work, but he is going to look into it.

Boy Scout Troop 703 often participates in community events such as helping the Friends of the Corrales Library set up tables for book sales and cleaning up litter along Corrales and Loma Larga roads. The mudding day project is special because it is different.

It is very fun, Hulett said. It feels like you are playing in the mud. And its good for the heart  and the hearts  of Corrales.
The work of Sandia National Laboratories at the intersection of biology and national security, including lifesaving efforts during the 2014 Ebola epidemic, has been recognized by the Department of Energy.

Last month, Dmitri Kusnezov, chief scientist and senior adviser to the secretary of energy, visited Sandia to honor nearly 60 Sandians for their work to mitigate the effects of the Ebola epidemic and the efforts of the Technology Convergence Working Group.

DOE established the working group in 2015 to provide technical insight and assess the nations emerging biological technologies. The group is comprised of representatives from DOE headquarters and Sandia, Lawrence Livermore and Los Alamos national laboratories, including Jim Carney and Duane Lindner of Sandia.

Reducing the amount of time Liberians who suspected they had Ebola spent in large, open waiting rooms, called Ebola treatment units, was critical to controlling the outbreak. Sandia modeled and analyzed the West Africa nations blood-sample transport system from the treatment units to diagnostic labs and made recommendations to improve turnaround time.

Sandias solution minimized the amount of time that people were together in these open units, so somebody with a less serious illness wasnt infected by an Ebola victim, said Sandia infectious disease epidemiologist Monear Makvandi, who traveled to Liberia in 2014 to gather information for the models and was recognized during the ceremony.

Sandia also was involved in modeling the potential need for quarantine, the effects of various changes to the global air transportation network, even the resilience of the U.S. hospital system to Ebola cases. In addition, Sandia continues scientific research to understand how Ebola was transmitted in West African clinics.

It is a great honor for Sandias wide-ranging biological work to be recognized by the secretary of energy. I personally appreciate this recognition of our contributions to the nation, said Lindner, director for the Homeland Security program.

For the initial Liberia project, Sandia developed performance requirements for a new nationwide sample-delivery system. The Liberian Ministry of Health and a nonprofit organization that transported samples by motorcycle adopted the requirements, said Jen Gaudioso, senior manager of Sandias International Biological and Chemical Threat Reduction.

The Defense Threat Reduction Agency and U.S. Command Center for Combating Weapons of Mass Destruction sponsored the project.

Sandias work was important to help control the epidemic because patients received care faster. The sooner public health professionals identified Ebola carriers, the sooner they located people outside the clinic who had contact with a carrier and might have been infected, said Pat Finley, who led Sandias modeling effort.

Operations research analyst Jared Gearhart and his team developed algorithms to determine the optimal locations for labs and the best transportation routes, while accounting for such obstacles as a national curfew, poor infrastructure and lack of lab capacity.

Finley and his team created a computer model of Ebola treatment in Liberia.

Leo Bynum, the geospatial analytics lead, and his team collected data and transformed it into maps, a task made more difficult by incomplete, anecdotal and, at times, incorrect data.

Gaudioso and Makvandi travelled to Liberia in November 2014 to interview health care workers in the field, international agencies working in the country and Ministry of Health representatives to get the latest data for Sandias model.

In Liberia, Sandias contingent reached back to the rest of the team in New Mexico to provide updated analyses, Gaudioso said.

While the travelers slept, their colleagues at Sandia answered the questions and incorporated changes into the model before work started in Liberia the next day.

With so many organizations involved in the response, its difficult to say how Sandias sample transport system affected wait times, but the team had anecdotal evidence that the project reduced the travel time from two days to a same-day or overnight diagnosis, Gaudioso said.

Though the World Health Organization declared the most recent epidemic over in 2016, Gaudioso said Ebola and other diseases could always re-emerge.

The epidemic brought a lot of aid and attention to the public health systems in West Africa. Sandia hopes to help build on that momentum to provide a sustainable and resilient health infrastructure that is ready for future infectious disease outbreaks, she said.
Copyright  2017 Albuquerque Journal

SANTA FE  Massage? Satellite TV? Nike sportswear? A new pickup truck?

Over the last decade or so, a handful of New Mexico politicians thought it was OK to spend campaign donations on all of those items  and openly report it.

Now, Secretary of State Maggie Toulouse Oliver aims to bring more clarity to New Mexicos hazy guidelines for political spending.

She is planning to move ahead with new campaign finance rules that could be implemented in October  in time for the states 2018 election cycle.

Its been very high on my agenda to make sure we have some of those clarifications in place, she said in a recent interview. You do feel sometimes (under the current system) youre navigating in the fog.

Toulouse Oliver, a first-term Democrat who was elected to office last year, said some of the proposed rules would be based on legislation vetoed last month by Gov. Susana Martinez that would have changed state law to require more disclosure of political spending.

While the changes wont be rolled out for several more weeks, theyre also likely to include more specifics on what are allowable campaign expenditures  and what are not  and more precise definitions of campaign loans and other terms, Toulouse Oliver said.

There are currently no rules in place governing New Mexico campaign reporting practices and expenditures, which has led to thorny questions in recent years about whether candidates may spend money donated to them on medical co-pays, massages and more.

With no rules in place, candidates and political committees must rely on broad wording in state law, along with previous rulings from the secretary of state and the attorney general.

Viki Harrison, the executive director of Common Cause New Mexico, a group that has pushed for enhanced disclosure laws, said the greatest need for clearer enforcement policies from the secretary of state is in the area of campaign reporting requirements for non-candidates  including political committees and other independent groups who pay for political advertising.

She said much of the states current campaign laws have been essentially nullified by court rulings, making them difficult to navigate and enforce.

The bill vetoed last month by Martinez would have required more disclosure  including donor names  for spending by political committees, nonprofits and independent expenditure groups on most types of political advertising in excess of $1,000.

While some groups already provide that information, independent groups that spend on elections  but for whom electioneering isnt a primary purpose  dont currently have to disclose where theyre getting their money and what theyre using it for. Such groups can include nonprofits, unions and business associations.

In her veto message, the governor said the increased disclosure requirements could have unintended consequences, such as discouraging charities from advocating for their causes.

With the governor striking down the Legislatures latest attempt at changing the states campaign finance laws, Harrison said the time is right to pursue changes via rule, which can more easily be altered in the future.

This is the perfect time to do it, said Harrison, whose group is working with the Secretary of States Office on the new rules.

The Secretary of States Office will, per state law, hold at least one public hearing on the proposed campaign finance rules once theyre unveiled.

Toulouse Oliver said her office is considering holding multiple hearings around the state on the subject.

Its good for the citizens of the state, because theyll have clearer information about whos spending money on campaigns, she told the Journal.

She also said that having new rules in place will make it easier for candidates to know whats allowable in New Mexico campaigns, while also potentially making it easier for Secretary of States Office staffers to provide guidance.

In a way, its going to make our jobs somewhat easier, Toulouse Oliver said.

This wont be the first time campaign finance rules have been proposed. Former Secretary of State Dianna Duran also came up with a package of proposed guidelines.

However, those rules were not implemented before Duran resigned from office in October 2015 and pleaded guilty to violating state law by using campaign funds to cover her gambling habit.
Copyright  2017 Albuquerque Journal

The conservator in a controversial court case involving the matriarch of a well-known Albuquerque family is defending his actions, challenging complaints made by family members and others in a Journal series late last year on adult guardianships involving private professionals.

Among his claims, attorney Darryl W. Millet, of Albuquerque Advocates, says the estate of Blair Darnell wasnt worth anywhere close to $5 million when he was put in charge of finances  as family members allege, and as reported by guardianship industry professionals to the judge in the case. Those filings were filed under seal but obtained by the Journal.

The Darnell guardian/conservator case was prominently featured in the Journal series by journalist Diane Dimond, who reported family complaints that the estate dissipated from about $5 million to about $750,000.

In addition to challenging the initial value, Millet also cited expensive costs to the estate of $14,000-$16,000 a month to provide professional care for Blair Darnell during her six-year guardianship. Some family members attribute the high costs to the courts appointment of for-profit professionals rather than allowing them to care for Blair Darnell, who remained in her own home.

Millet wouldnt comment last year about specifics of the case in which he served as conservator/trustee for Blair Darnell, who died in November 2015 at the age of 85. He cited New Mexico law that seals most records involving court-appointed conservators and guardians from public view.

But Millet wrote an eight-page letter to the Journal, dated April 9, 2017, in which he said he was now able to offer previously confidential information for two reasons:

First, he said members of the Darnell family and the Journal have destroyed any privacy a sequestration order in the case might have provided to the late Blair Darnell. And, he wrote, he could now speak because the rules of professional conduct governing lawyers allow attorneys to reveal confidential information to the extent necessary to refute allegations against themselves.

Millet was appointed to administer Darnells finances after she was deemed by an Albuquerque state district judge in 2010 to be mentally incapacitated.

In addressing the Journal series, Millet took issue with several statements. Among them:

Estate value

Millet challenged the statement that the Darnell estate dissipated from $5 million to $750,000 during the six-year court-ordered guardianship.

He cited a funding schedule prepared in August 2001 by a lawyer who drafted the Darnell Trust. The schedule listed a total value of $1.7 million for the Darnell trust, including real estate, stocks, bank accounts and an LLC that was defunct by 2010, Millet stated.

The stock holdings and bank accounts were nearly depleted by the time the guardianship began, Millet wrote in his letter to the Journal. During the guardianship, care for Blair Darnell helped to diminish the value of the trust assets to approximately $750,000, Millet stated.

Millet wrote that the farm property  a 16-plus acre horse ranch with buildings  wasnt worth $5.1 million, as reported by the Journal. He wrote in his letter that the farm property was never appraised at anywhere near that value.

He furnished a one-page summary appraisal report that put the as is market value as $1.315 million as of October 2012. The summary page didnt offer a financial breakdown nor say how many acres were included in the appraisal.

Darnell and her husband, Casey, who died in 2001, started Alamo Farm, a quarter horse and thoroughbred breeding & training facility, in the 1950s on the west bank of the Rio Grande, south of Corrales.

Millet said in his recent letter to the Journal that Mary Darnell, one of Blair Darnells daughters, once proposed developing the property into large lots for homes, and estimated the value of the land at around $3 million after roads, utilities and other major costs of development were expended. But that development never occurred.

The value of the estate is addressed in two documents provided in 2010 to state District Judge Beatrice Brickhouse, who ultimately appointed Millet and a professional guardianship company to administer Darnells affairs. Both were filed under seal but obtained by the Journal.

One of them was a January 2010 petition for guardianship/conservatorship filed by Kristin Darnell-Kreger, another of Blair Darnells four children, which stated Blair Darnell was the beneficiary of a trust that held 16 acres of Albuquerque real estate, including a house and building.

The value of this land is believed to exceed $300,000 per acre, stated Darnell-Kregers attorney, Gregory W. MacKenzie, in the petition. At $300,000 per acre, the value of the 16 acres alone would be $4.8 million. Millet sold the property in 2013 for about $80,000 an acre in a transaction harshly criticized by some family members.

The second document was a follow-up interim report filed in February 2010 by Decades LLC, the temporary conservator appointed by the judge, which provided another estimate of the value. The estimated value ranges from $4-$5 million, but there has been no recent appraisal, the report stated.

Decades LLC stated the Darnells Alamo Farm was comprised of 22.6471 acres.

Realtor

Millet disagreed with any implication that he didnt have a Realtor when he put the Darnell property up for sale in 2013. He furnished two agreements with Signature Southwest Properties.

The agreements show he engaged a Realtor beginning in March 2013. Millet soon had a buyer for the property, but some of the Darnell family believed that proposed sale price of $1.54 million was too low and they became concerned the property  which fronted the bosque  hadnt been widely advertised to the public.

In July 2013, an Albuquerque attorney with whom Mary Darnell consulted, raised questions about the prospective purchase. An email from the attorney, John Lieuwen, to Mary Darnell noted, It is blackletter law that a trustee owes a fiduciary duty to both the present income beneficiary and the remaindermen (Darnells children)  .

Also, the trustee is legally obligated to choose the beneficiarys interest over his own. For that reason, the sale of the land seems suspect. Ideally, Mr. Millet should have engaged a realtor who was clearly an independent 3rd party.

Lieuwen died in July 2016.

CPA

Millet said that, contrary to information in the Journal series, a certified public accountant hired by the Darnell family backtracked on criticism of Millets accounting of how Darnells money was being spent.

In an affidavit filed in court on March 11, 2014, the longtime CPA concluded that Millet, as the conservator, had submitted insufficient documentation of Blair Darnells expenses. The documents submitted by Mr. Millet, if they are to be a financial accounting, are inaccurate and substantively deficient, the affidavit said. These pages are nothing more than the printout of a register, similar to a checkbook register, his affidavit stated.

Millet countered in his letter to the Journal that the same CPA testified at a hearing in the case and admitted he hadnt been given substantial supporting documentation previously made available to the family, and that his opinion would likely have been different had he seen all the documentation  .

In a recent Journal interview, the CPA said he stands by his affidavit, adding that Millets characterization of his court testimony is incorrect. He said he never backpedaled on his conclusion and added that a proper financial accounting by Millet should have included more information, such as the beginning assets on hand. He reiterated that Millets accounting records should have been consistent with national accounting standards and formats.

Eviction

Millet elaborated on the circumstances surrounding his termination letter ordering Mary Darnell, her partner and her young son to leave the guesthouse on her mothers property. Mary Darnell and her partner were originally appointed by Millet and the guardian company as daily caregivers for her mother.

Millet said in his letter to the Journal that it was obvious to the guardian that Mary wasnt providing proper care, was defying instructions from the guardian, and was upsetting her mother.

Mary Darnell, in a recent Journal interview, denied Millets assertions. She said Millet was merely trying to get her off the property so he could sell it.

In the March 2011 caregiver agreement, the couple was assigned 35 separate caregiving tasks and was prohibited from criticizing the guardian or conservator in front of Blair Darnell. Millet sent her a termination letter in April 2011, ordering her to leave the property. She appealed in court and lost, Millet said.

Millet in his letter to the Journal also stated that when she was evicted, Mary removed a washer and dryer from the guesthouse that was paid for by her mother. A large quantity of wire fencing material also disappeared, he stated.

Mary Darnell told the Journal she bought the washer and dryer herself, while her mother had another set purchased from a different company. Mary Darnell said the fencing was used and was donated to a 4H group.

Neighbor

Millet disputed the account in the Journal series from Darnell neighbor Denny Gentry, who said he saw Millet loading Blair Darnells inoperable Jeep onto a trailer to have it hauled away. Gentry reported seeing Millet push away an upset Blair Darnell as she was kicking him in the shins.

Millet acknowledged that Blair Darnell was upset when she saw the vehicle being loaded. And he acknowledged that she flailed at him but calmed down when he told her the old Jeep was going to charity.

But Millet contended he didnt help load the Jeep, and stated that Gentry wasnt present when the incident occurred.

In a recent interview with the Journal, Gentry said he saw what happened while driving by the property that day.

The conflict was occurring as I drove by very slowly. Obviously I was not going to stop, Gentry said.

Guess it is possible that he (Millet) did not see me doing the slow drive-by. He did have his hands full about that time, Gentry added.

In another incident, Millet challenged the statement in the Journal series that he gave Gentry one minute to get off the Darnell property. Gentry, who has identified himself as a longtime family friend, told the Journal he stopped to check on Blair Darnell after he noticed a security guard at the property. Millet denied he ever told Gentry that hed call the law, if Gentry didnt leave immediately, as reported by the Journal. Gentry recently told the Journal he didnt recall the exact wording, but he (Millet) was pretty direct that I needed to leave immediately or he would have me removed.

Property offer

Millet challenged the statement in the Journal series that the neighbor, Gentry, was prepared to offer $1.7 million for the Darnell property on Alamo Farm road in 2013. Millet contends Gentry didnt provide a formal offer, only an affidavit of his interest in the property dated April 8, 2013. That came after Gentry learned that Millet had put the property up for sale.

Millet contends the property was already under contract for $1.54 million to another buyer at the time. A month earlier, the Realtor agreement Millet signed stated the listing price as $1.82 million.

Millet provided the Journal a copy of a mutual termination agreement signed by the prospective buyer, Jay Rembe, on Sept. 17, 2013. The termination agreement cited continual interference by family members with the sale.

Millet contends Gentry later refused to make a formal offer and he believed Gentry was a straw buyer put forward by Mary Darnell in a successful effort to kill the pending sale.

Gentry stated in his April 2013 affidavit filed with the court that I am confident I can provide the simplest and best offer for the property.

Without knowing what the listing agreement describes I can only make an offer to buy the property on the normal conditions 

Gentry acknowledged to the Journal he was acting on behalf of another potential buyer, but said it was not at the request of Mary Darnell. In fact, he said Mary Darnell scuttled his potential deal by gossiping.

Millets letter to the Journal stated that he had not met either Rembe or the eventual buyer, Tom Stromei, prior to the listings of the property.

Settling the estate

Millet elaborated on why he dropped the listed purchase price to $1.55 million in September 2013 after the first deal fell through and sold the property to Stromei for $1.4 million a month later, in October 2013. Millet described it as a desperation sale.

The Journal reported that Stromei resold the property less than two years later for $2.8 million to the New Mexico Department of Game and Fish.

Millet told the Journal that Stromei spent hundreds of thousands of dollars demolishing old corrals and structures, and cleaning up and fixing up the property. He noted that Stromei resold the property in a stronger real estate market.

At that time, Blair Darnell was virtually out of money for her care, and the Stromei cash purchase saved her from insolvency and Medicaid ineligibility, Millets letter stated.

One of the reasons there was about $750,000 left in the Darnell trust, Millet wrote, was that he sued Mary Darnell and recovered more than $186,000 from her that she had taken from her mother prior to the guardianship case being filed. Mary Darnell told the Journal recently that money represented a partnership investment involving her mother.

Millet also stated the Darnell family was given every opportunity to put forth any complaints about the actions I took as conservator or trustee, decided not to pursue any claims, and signed a settlement agreement. That agreement included a nondisparagement clause that the family has since repeatedly violated, Millet contends.

Other matters of dispute

Millet took issue with the Journals characterization  based on accounts from family members  that Blair Darnells house during the guardianship was surrounded by a 6-foot chain link fence that trapped and isolated her. Millet acknowledged he had the fence installed but said it was for her own safety and to prevent her from walking away and becoming lost, as is common with Alzheimers patients.

He said family members had an access code for the electric gate  and added that ironically Blair Darnell later scaled the fence but was quickly found and returned home.

Millet also complained that the Journal incorrectly blamed hired caregivers for instigating the switch to TV satellite at Blair Darnells residence. Millet said he made that decision for the benefit of Blair Darnell, and said it wasnt to enhance the caregivers viewing experience, nor at their request.

Millet also elaborated on two unrelated cases mentioned in the Journal guardianship series.

He said he emailed the daughter of a deceased mother in one trust case that she was prohibited from coming to his office. He told the Journal he did so because the daughter had inundated me with increasingly argumentative and demanding emails and he knew that any direct contact with her would lead to a confrontation  .

Millet also disputed a report in the Journal series that he denied a different woman access to her father after she demanded a forensic accounting. Millet said the accounting in question wasnt ordered until two years after her fathers death, and the guardian earlier had imposed supervised visits because the daughter had outbursts and subjected the father to continuing emotional abuse during her visits.

Millet also challenged a comment in the Journal series by Mary Darnell, who said her mother told her to get these laws changed so this doesnt happen to another family. Millet stated in his letter that Blair Darnell did not have the ability to make complex statements like that  .

Reporter Diane Dimond contributed to this story
Copyright  2017 Albuquerque Journal

Inez Martinezs five daughters knew something was wrong with their mother as they prepared to pick her up from a Las Cruces nursing home, where she had been for 20 days recovering from pacemaker surgery. The surgical incision from the implant was oozing, red.

The 82-year-old matriarch told her kids  and nurses at the nursing home  that pain was radiating down her arm from the wound. Her throat and blistered lips hurt.

Yet Dr. Guadencio Pavia, one of the Village of Northrise nursing homes contract doctors, never visited Martinez in the nursing home, court records show. And even when she visited his office two days before her discharge, he never looked at her incision.

One day after the visit with Pavia, Martinez told Northrise nurses that her incision was sending pain down her arm and chest. So they faxed that information to Pavia. He signed the fax but never followed up.

Martinez was discharged May 5, 2010.

She died 11 days later of a blood infection, kidney failure, a heart attack and more triggered by MRSA, or methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, an infection she acquired during her stay at Northrise.

Dr. Pavia never examined Martinezs incision during her stay at (Northrise), and it was later revealed at trial that attending physicians were not required to come to the facility to see their patients, the states Court of Appeals judges wrote in a September 2016 opinion upholding the daughters multimillion-dollar wrongful death lawsuit verdict against the nursing home.

Experts for both sides agreed that this conduct fell below the standard of care, Judge Linda Vanzi wrote in the opinion with Judges M. Monica Zamora an J. Miles Hanisee.

No one would listen

The daughters sued.

Their attorney, Lisa Curtis, said the lawsuit represented an attempt to bring some humanity to their mother.

She was this very sweet woman, Curtis said. She and her best friend would go get ice cream in TorC, and that was the height of their day. She took meticulous care of their home. She was the grand marshal of the TorC parade. She was just really loved.

Curtis said the daughters sat by their mothers side every day of her stay in the nursing home and hospital.

They knew something was wrong, but no one would listen to them, Curtis said.

A jury awarded the family $2.5 million, plus interest, from the for-profit nursing home company.

That award was in addition to settlements the family received from the urgent care company and its doctor and a physician assistant, and from Pavia, the contract doctor with Northrise who was responsible for Martinezs care while in the nursing home.

But the nursing home company and its parent companies fought that judgment  and partly won.

Peak Medical Assisted Living was the primary parent company to the Northrise nursing home. But that parent company had several of its own parents, including Sun HealthCare Group, which has since been purchased by Genesis HealthCare. The company owns several facilities across the state, including in Albuquerque.

In its opinion, the Court of Appeals released the additional parent companies from having to pay a share of the damages to the family.

The nursing home company and Northrise nursing home Executive Director Donald Wilson refused to comment on the litigation or whether any changes in policy resulted from the judgment.

Pavia, an internal medicine doctor with a private practice in Las Cruces, has no sustained complaints against him at the state Medical Board, though the existence of complaints under investigation are not public. He is not nationally board-certified. Pavia did not return a call for comment.
Eight months of Jan Greens life, 24 hours a day, was spent in a cell the size of a closet. Amenities included a concrete floor with open drain, toilet, and perpetually leaking ceiling.

I should have been in a hospital, she said, citing her mental illness. But they threw me behind bars.

Greens story was one of those told to a room of about 75 people as part of the Stop Solitary Confinement Panel on Thursday in Albuquerque.

Hosted by The American Civil Liberties Union of New Mexico and the NM Criminal Defense Lawyers Association, the panel addressed issues of solitary confinement using testimony of experts and former detainees.

Green, a former solitary confinement inmate, was housed in Valencia County jail for two and a half years, for hitting her husband with a frying pan during an episode.

Green, who said she has PTSD from her ordeal, said she did not understand why she was in jail and nobody tried to help her.

They would taunt me, they would forget to feed me, she said, describing the guards as very cruel.

After her release, Green filed a lawsuit in 2012 against the Valencia County jail with the help of Matthew Coyte, an attorney and current president of the New Mexico Criminal Defense Lawyers Association board.

You have to make it financially unacceptable to leave people in these holes, Coyte said, adding that the lawsuit was settled for $1.6 million.

Now living with her daughter in Minnesota, Green said she struggles to this day; she doesnt like crowds, has extreme anxiety and a lack of confidence.

I was rather strong, Green said, thinking back on the years before incarceration. Its difficult for me to be alone now.

Coyte said a bill presented in Santa Fe this year sought to limit the use of solitary confinement against the seriously mentally ill, children and pregnant women. It passed the Legislature but was vetoed by Gov. Susana Martinez.

We will get to this stage in New Mexico, he said. Its just a matter of time.

Martinez vetoed the legislation last month, saying it could endanger corrections officers and inmates by limiting the options of prison officials.

(The bill) oversimplifies and misconstrues isolated confinement in such a way so as to eliminate flexibility and endanger the lives of inmates and staff alike, Martinez wrote in her April 6 veto message.

Vince Ward, attorney for Chelsea Manning and panel member, said his client was confined in a Marine Corps facility for nine months, in a cell for 23 hours without any meaningful human contact.

Ward said there was no doubt Manning  convicted of espionage  suffered from the confinement and mistreatment, leading her to attempt suicide  her punishment being more solitary confinement.

I wasnt sure that Chelsea would make it, he said.

Due to be released in a few weeks, Manning is at Fort Leavenworth and no longer in solitary confinement, thanks to help from the ACLU and Amnesty International.

Chelsea still to this day suffers, mentally and emotionally, he said. The toll this has taken on her has been quite immense.

Amy Fettig, deputy director for the ACLUs National Prison Project, said one of the problems is that so few people in the public know about solitary confinement.

There are up to 100,000 people, on any given day, subjected to solitary confinement, Fettig said. Every year 20 percent of the prison population, over two million people, go through solitary confinement at some point in time.

That comes at an enormous human cost, she said, referencing Greens and Mannings cases. These were literally prisons within prisons.

Fettig said the way solitary confinement is practiced in America is a product of mass incarceration, adding that Fettig said prisons are being used as default mental health hospitals.

We should not be treating all our mentally ill people behind bars, she said. Its the absolute worst place to do it

Fettig said jails and prisons are overwhelmed and dont have the appropriate resources or training for mentally ill, but the blame is not fully theirs.

That is a problem with our society that we accept that, she said. Every one of us is implicated in it.

At 10 percent, New Mexico is one of the highest users of solitary confinement across the board Fettig said.

Colorado, which has drastically decreased use of solitary confinement, is an example of change, she said. The state has seen a decrease in use of force and violence against officers as an effect.

She advised to keep working at the state level, the community level and the national level toward change.

We can do it, she said. The problem is not knowing how, the problem is not having the willpower.
The states tax collectors are again this year contacting some people for more information before sending out tax refunds.

Theyre basically seeking to verify identity and income as part of a nationwide effort to cut down on identity theft and refund fraud.

So if you get this kind of request from the state Taxation and Revenue Department, how do you know whether its legitimate or yet another scam?

For starters, the request for more information will come by mail only and not by phone.

If you receive a phone call where you are threatened or where information is requested, it is a scam, the agency said in a news release. DO NOT provide any information to the caller.

The department might seek to verify your income by asking for copies of W-2s, 1099s and/or other income source documents that show New Mexico withholding.

As for confirming your identity, you might be asked to provide a copy of your drivers license or identification card or your Social Security card. If you asked for direct deposit of your refund, you might be asked for a voided check or bank product summary to verify your bank account.

To keep yourself safe, know that the state tax department, in seeking this additional information, will never:

 Call about taxes owed without first having mailed you a bill.

 Demand that you pay taxes without providing the opportunity to question or appeal the amount it says you owe.

 Threaten to have you arrested for not paying.

 Threaten to cancel your drivers license.

If you are uncertain, you can always deliver the requested documents to the nearest state tax office. If you receive a suspicious call from someone claiming to be with the agency, report it at 1-866-457-6789 or Tax.Fraud@state.nm.us.>href=http://Tax.Fra>Tax.Fraud@state.nm.us.

n n n

I recently mentioned a credit freeze as an option if you think your identity has been stolen or if you just want an extra measure of protection. Taking this step

lets you restrict access to your credit report, which in turn makes it more difficult for identity thieves to open new accounts in your name. Thats because most creditors need to see your credit report before they approve a new account. If they cant see your file, they may not extend the credit.

However, a friend pointed out what I failed to mention: a freeze for New Mexico residents is free if youre 65 or older or if youve been a victim of identity theft. For everyone else, it costs $10. It might cost an additional $5 to release a credit report to a specific person or for a specific period of time, or to lift the freeze.

To be effective, a freeze should be placed with all three major credit reporting companies  Equifax, Experian and TransUnion.

n n n

Google says it has put a stop to a widespread email spam campaign that spoofed its online file service, Google Docs.

Users were reporting getting an email that looked like it was from someone they know, informing them a Google Doc had been sent. They were directed to a fake page that asked for access to their Google account. Once access was granted, the scammers were able to get into the users contact list in a classic phishing scam.

However, Google now says it has shut down the scam, removed the fake pages and updated its Safe Browsing feature, which warns users when they visit dangerous sites. It says no further action is needed but says those who want to be extra safe can run Googles security check feature.

Ellen Marks is assistant business editor at the Albuquerque Journal. Contact her at emarks@abqjournal.com or 505-823-3842 if you are aware of what sounds like a scam. To report a scam to law enforcement, contact the New Mexico Consumer Protection Division toll-free at 1-844-255-9210a.
NORTHPORT, Mich. (AP)  An elected official in a small Michigan town is serving a 90-day jail sentence after he was accused of forging documents to impress an overseas mistress.

Charles Rogers is a member of the village council in Northport, north of Traverse City. Authorities say he created divorce documents with forged signatures of court officials and sent them to a woman in London.

The Traverse City Record-Eagle (http://bit.ly/2qMwBvG ) says the woman contacted Rogers' wife, who reached out to police. Rogers pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor and began a jail sentence in February in Leelanau County.

Northport Village President Phil Mikesell says Rogers plans to be released in time for the board's June meeting.

Information from: Traverse City Record-Eagle, http://www.record-eagle.com

 2017 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Learn more about our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.
North Korea has arrested a U.S. citizen for his hostile acts, taking the number of Americans detained in the country to four, South Koreas Yonhap news agency said Sunday.

Kim Hak Song, who was working for the Pyongyang University of Science and Technology, was detained Saturday, Yonhap said, citing the North Korea state-run Korean Central News Agency.

Another U.S. citizen was arrested at Pyongyang airport about two weeks ago for allegedly attempting to overthrow the North Korean regime.

Kim Sang Dok, a professor, was visiting the Pyongyang school on invitation. He was intercepted at the airport before he could leave the country.

At least 14 U.S. citizens have been detained in North Korea over the past decade.



2017 Deutsche Presse-Agentur GmbH (Hamburg, Germany)

Visit Deutsche Presse-Agentur GmbH (Hamburg, Germany) at www.dpa.de/English.82.0.html

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

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COLSTRIP, Mont.  Authorities say a worker at a southeastern Montana coal mine died after a truck he was driving fell 100 feet into a pit.

The Billings Gazette reports (http://bit.ly/2pokBzE ) the man was killed Saturday at the Rosebud Mine outside Colstrip.

The mans name wasnt immediately released. Federal officials are investigating.

No one else was in the vehicle, described as a large dump truck.

The man was pronounced dead at the scene. A mine rescue crew rappelled into the pit to recover the body.

The mine owner, Westmoreland Coal Co. of Englewood, Colorado, says operations have been suspended in that part of the mine.

___

Information from: The Billings Gazette, http://www.billingsgazette.com
A surge of activism is rippling through California's political landscape, the L.A. Times's Melanie Mason writes in "Activist groundswell may sweep lawmakers leftward":

In a nutshell: In recent years, it was cool to be moderate in Sacramento. Now, it's cool to be progressive.

In recent years, it was cool to be moderate in Sacramento. Now, it's cool to be progressive. "What accounts for this magnetic pull leftward? An influx of new activists, energized by the 2016 election, have turned their focus to state-level politics. Advocacy groups, striving to offer a progressive seal of approval, are poring over legislators' voting records. And the prospect of single-payer healthcare in the state  the government would cover all residents' medical costs  offers a galvanizing rallying cry."

An influx of new activists, energized by the 2016 election, have turned their focus to state-level politics. Advocacy groups, striving to offer a progressive seal of approval, are poring over legislators' voting records. And the prospect of single-payer healthcare in the state  the government would cover all residents' medical costs  offers a galvanizing rallying cry." Why it matters: California is so massive (world's 6th largest economy, with 11 million more people than Texas) that its fashions are vital, and for decades (including the taxpayer revolt of 1978 that foreshadowed Reagan), it has started trends that marched east.
The French are decidedly upset with their establishment politicians. But, given a chance to go the way of the British and Americans and utterly change the system, they have resolutely decided to let the establishment work things out the traditional way.

Driving the narrative: In five weeks, the French will be asked in parliamentary elections whether to give their new president, Emmanuel Macron, a working majority to lead the country out of its economic malaise and ambivalence toward open borders. But Macron's 65% to 35% trouncing of far-right nationalist Marine Le Pen categorically disrupted what had seemed an inexorable Western rejection of seven decades of trans-Atlantic, work-together politics.

There is reason for pause. Macron did shave 10% from the 45% of voters who supported radical candidates in the first round (including those who backed the hard left's Jean-Luc Melenchon). But 35% were sufficiently disaffected to vote for transformational change, and many who supported Macron probably feel the same way. As president, then, Macron will have to enact serious legislation or face a new tide of discontent.

For the time being, though, Macron's landslide surprised observers who expected a sizable victory, but not the two-thirds majority that he received. "The French people are behind him," said Philippe Le Corre of the Brookings Institution. Le Corre told me the vote repudiated international opinion that said the gravitational pull of authoritarianism was "already making France a fascist country." The election is proof that "every country has its own political culture," Le Corre said.

On Twitter, Matt Yglesias observed that anti-establishment nationalist candidates "only win with the support of the establishment right."

Winner: Pro-EU Europeans.

Loser: Russia. Cyber experts have tracked last Friday's massive hack of Macron's political party to the Russia-linked APT28. Unlike in the US, though, the hack did not appear to have hurt Macron. "It may have tilted the people to Macron," said Jeff Rathke of the Center for Strategic and International Studies.
7 May 2017 15:43 (UTC+04:00)

A group of servicemen and civilians, passing on secret military information to intelligence and special bodies of the Armenian armed forces, was revealed in Azerbaijan.

This is stated in a joint statement of the Azerbaijani Prosecutor General's Office, Defense Ministry, Ministry of Internal Affairs and State Security Service.

Based on the collected material, the Military Prosecutors Office of the Republic of Azerbaijan launched a criminal case on treason and other facts under Article 274 of the Criminal Code. An investigative-operative group consisting of employees of the Prosecutor Office, Ministry of Defense, Ministry of Internal Affairs and State Security Service has been set up, and an initial investigation is underway, the joint statement said.

The statement said that immediate investigative measures allowed to prevent provocative and terrorist acts that the Armenian intelligence and special services were planning to commit in public places in Baku.

A group of servicemen and civilians, who were engaged in conspiracy with the enemys intelligence services, were arrested, according to the statement.

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7 May 2017 17:32 (UTC+04:00)

Azerbaijan and the Asian Development Bank (ADB) signed a loan agreement of $ 500 million to support the second stage of the Shah Deniz development project on Sunday, the Finance Ministry told Trend.

The agreement was signed by the Azerbaijani Minister of Finance Samir Sharifov and the head of ADB Takehiko Nakao on the margins of the annual meeting of the Bank's Board of Governors in Yokohama, Japan.

The strategic importance of the Southern Gas Corridor (SGC) project was noted at the signing ceremony. The aim of the project is to ensure the energy security of Europe and diversify the sources of gas supplies. In addition to ADB, the World Bank, the Asian Bank for Infrastructure Investments and a number of other international financial institutions will also participate in the project financing.

ADB President Takehiko Nakao said that Azerbaijan is a valuable partner and an important member of the bank, and expressed interest in further expanding of cooperation in the future.

The Southern Gas Corridor is one of the priority energy projects for the EU. It envisages the transportation of gas from the Caspian region to the European countries through Georgia and Turkey.

At the initial stage, the gas to be produced as part of the Stage 2 of development of Azerbaijan's Shah Deniz field is considered as the main source for the Southern Gas Corridor projects. Other sources can also connect to this project at a later stage.

As part of the Stage 2 of the Shah Deniz development, the gas will be exported to Turkey and European markets by expanding the South Caucasus Pipeline and the construction of Trans Anatolian Natural Gas Pipeline and Trans Adriatic Pipeline.

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"We have to speak to the millions; we must draw fresh forces from among the masses, we must call for more developed class-conscious workers who would popularise our theses in a way the masses would understand."

Comrades, we are assembled here as the first conference of the proletarian party, in conditions of the Russian revolution and a developing world revolution as well. The time is approaching when the assertion of the founders of scientific socialism, and the unanimous forecast of the socialists who gathered at the Basle Congress, that world war would inevitably lead to revolution, is being everywhere proved correct.

In the nineteenth century Marx and Engels, following the proletarian movements in various countries and analysing the possible prospects for a social revolution, repeatedly stated that the roles would, in general, be distributed among these countries in proportion to, and in accordance with, their historically conditioned national features. They expressed their idea briefly as: The French worker will begin, the German will finish it.

The great honour of beginning the revolution has fallen to the Russian proletariat. But the Russian proletariat must not forget that its movement and revolution are only part of a world revolutionary proletarian movement, which in Germany, for example, is gaining momentum with every passing day. Only from this angle can we define our tasks.

I declare the All-Russia Conference open. Please nominate your candidates for election to the Presiding Committee.
5 warning signs of depression

Feeling down and blue from time to time is a normal part of life. However, when emotions like despair and hopelessness threaten to overwhelm you, then you may be depressed. It is vital that one recognizes the symptoms of depression to prevent suffering from the bad effects of this silent oppressor.

According to Mayo Clinic, there are many signs and symptoms to determine if you are depressed, and it varies from person to person. One person may experience a symptom or two while others have many. However, the result is the same, with a person feeling miserable and unable to function in life properly.

1. Feeling of hopelessness resulting in loss of interest in daily normal activities

A person may be depressed if he has lost all hope and can not find enjoyment in daily activities. Hobbies, events, and past times that used to take up their time may be neglected or forgotten. Someone who is depressed does not enjoy the pleasures life offers.

2. Appetite, weight, and sleep changes

A depressed person will usually have significant changes in their appetite. The person will either lose or gain weight drastically because of these changes, said HelpGuide.org.

Not only will depression affect a person's appetite, it also causes some changes in a person's sleeping habits. Someone who is depressed moves from both ends of the spectrum  either oversleeping or suffering from insomnia.

3. Self-denigration or loss of energy

Depressed people will always find negative things about themselves and often feel worthless and useless. Due to these emotions, those who suffer from depression tend to lose all energy in whatever they do  work, family, and life in general. They may feel weak, frail and have difficulty in concentrating.

4. Easily irritated and prone to angry outbursts

People who are depressed struggle to control their emotions and often get agitated even over little things. In worst cases, some are predisposed to violent outbursts, which can be harmful to people around them.

5. Having thoughts of suicide and being vulnerable to self-harm

Because of feelings of hopelessness and worthlessness, those who suffer from depression sometimes administer harm to themselves. Some have constant thoughts of suicide.

In worse cases, actual suicide attempts are made because of the overwhelming emotions that threaten the depressed person.

No matter what type of depression a person may have, it should never be taken lightly.

There is help for each type of depression and people should not be afraid to seek help especially when thoughts are turning to suicide.

A lot of countries also offer suicide prevention hotlines available 24 hours a day for people who need immediate help and counsel.

In the USA, further help can be sought by calling the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, available 24 hours a day, on 1-800-273-8255 or by visiting their website.

If you are in the UK, the NHS website has a page offering information on how you can get help and advice.
Antisemitism is 'the root of all racism' says Archbishop of Canterbury in Jerusalem

The Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, prayed with the Chief Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis at the Western Wall in Jerusalem today, before visiting the Yad Vashem Holocaust memorial museum where he praised the Jewish people and lamented centuries of hatred against them.

Welby prayed for peace at the iconic holy Jewish site and spoke out against antisemitism as 'the root of all racism' at the world-renowned and haunting museum.

Calling for reconciliation between the Christian and Jewish peoples, Welby said: 'Within European culture, the root of all racism, I think, is found in antisemitism. It goes back more than 1,000 years in Europe. Within our Christian tradition, there has been century upon century of these terrible, terrible hatreds in which one people, who at the same time have contributed more to our culture as a people than almost any other that one can identify, that one people are also hated more specifically, more violently, more determinedly, more systematically than any other people.'

The Chief Rabbi said: 'The Archbishop of Canterbury's presence here in Jerusalem and his prayers for peace and reconciliation, particularly at Yad Vashem and the Western Wall, are indicative of historic, positive developments in the Anglican Jewish relationship.

'I would so love to send a message of hope back through the annals of history  to Clifford's Tower in York, to the medieval communities who endured the scourge of the blood libel and to those whose lives were devastated by the Crusades  to let them know that a Chief Rabbi and an Archbishop of Canterbury would one day pray alongside one another, as close friends, in the holy City of Jerusalem.'

Clifford's Tower was the site of a horrific massacre of York's Jewish population by a violent mob in 1190.

Mirvis joined Welby on the trip at the invitation of Lambeth Palace after the two leaders became close friends.

'That the Archbishop would make time, in what is an exceptionally busy schedule, to see the State of Israel as I see it  a priceless Divine gift, which brought deliverance to the Jewish world after centuries of prayer and yearning, is a testament to the high regard in which he holds the Jewish community,' Mervis said.

The Archbishop and the Chief Rabbi gave short speeches following their time at Yad Vashem which were posted on Facebook.

Next week, Welby is set to visit Bethlehem, where he will meet with the Palestinian Christian community and the city's Christian Mayor, Vera Baboun. He is expected to comment on the plight of Palestinian Christians.

Welby, who is on a 12-day tour of the Holy Land, will this evening attend an interfaith reception in Jerusalem.
Of course, most conservatives are well aware of the damage liberals do to minorities with their supposed compassion. Liberal compassion toward minorities consists of treating them like incompetents who cant do anything for themselves, fish-hooking them through the jaw with government assistance, and encouraging them to nurse grievances and feel like victims.

That is not compassionate and, as I note in my new book, 101 Things All Young Adults Should Know, it doesnt make anyones life better over the long haul.

Oh, but what about the government? Do you really want its help? Do you want to feel all those eyes burning into your back when you whip out those food stamps? Do you want to live in crummy government housing?

Do you want to jump through whatever hoops some dead-eyed bureaucrat comes up with so you can get just enough help to stay poor and miserable? Is that the sort of person you admire? Is that the one you grew up wanting to be? You should want more out of life than what the government is willing to give to you in return for your pride.

Whats more compassionate? Encouraging and helping people to pull themselves up by their own bootstraps, or trapping them in poverty, anger and misery long-term?

However, there is a much more insidious way liberals use compassion to hurt others that slips past many people.

If you pay attention, what youll notice is that the liberals who assure you that they are endlessly compassionate, sensitive, and tolerant only feel those emotions toward certain groups. In other words, their supposed compassion is incredibly selective.

So, the death of Harambe the Gorilla? Its a terrible tragedy. A baby whose continued existence would cut into Planned Parenthoods profit margins? They feel nothing.

A black thug who attacks a cop and gets shot to death? No justice, no peace! A police officer who gets murdered in the line of duty? They feel nothing.

Rioting students who disrupt a speaker and smash windows? Poor dears! They were triggered and their response was understandable. The conservative who was invited to campus to speak and the audience that was stopped from hearing him? They feel nothing.

Attacking the children of a Democrat? Scandalous! Outrageous! Whatever happened to decency in politics? Attacking the children of a Republican? Hahaha! Those late night comedians are so funny!

This is the ultimate liberal lie: weaponized compassion.

Once you choose which groups matter and which groups dont, then you control the conversation, the culture, and politics. Woe be unto you if youre in a group that liberals have no compassion for, because your problems will be treated as absolutely irrelevant by the school system, mainstream media, and Hollywood.

This is why liberals get so upset when someone says All lives matter instead of Black lives matter. Its because they desperately need to control whom we have compassion for and whom we dont. Since black Americans vote monolithically for the Democrat Party and falsely convincing them that theyre in grave danger of being shot by a cop at any moment might spur them to vote, liberals feel compassion over the issue. Do they care about police officers getting killed? Black on black violence? The victims of violent crime? No, because that doesnt benefit them.

Is compassion really compassion if its based almost entirely on political gain and virtue signaling? Apparently liberals think so.

Dont underestimate the impact of this tactic. Deciding which people in society we are supposed to all empathize with and which we are indifferent to is a powerful tool.

Take Jimmy Kimmels recent speech about his baby nearly dying shortly after he was born. Its certainly a sad situation, and no one wants to see someones child become seriously ill. However, here we have a man worth 35 million dollars who wants other people to pay for his childs health care. Thats obnoxious. Worse yet, Kimmel falsely indicated that babies like his son that were born ill werent covered before Obamacare. Thats simply not true. Sure, anybody can understand Kimmels emotional reaction to his sons illness, but that doesnt mean its okay for him to lie or exploit his childs illness to push his grubby political agenda.

Furthermore, the coverage of Kimmels comments were fawning because were all supposed to feel infinite compassion for his situation and thus must do whatever liberals want us to do -- which in this case is to continue to support Obamacare despite the fact that its falling apart and hurting a lot of people.

As my friend Mary Katharine Ham noted (edited slightly), "To many, it only matters when people are potentially hurt by changes to Obamacare, not actually hurt by Obamacare."

Why does a celebrity like Jimmy Kimmel deserve our compassion for his admittedly difficult situation while tens of millions of ordinary Americans who have lost plans, lost doctors and have seen their deductibles and premiums skyrocket into the stratosphere arent given the same courtesy? The number of people hurt by Obamacare vastly outnumber the people who have been helped, so why dont they deserve some compassion? Why dont their struggles matter too?

Its because liberals only feel compassion when they think it benefits them and in their minds; no one else deserves an ounce of sympathy, compassion or even human decency. Thats not real compassion. Thats a sickness masquerading as compassion.
Archbishop of Canterbury in Jerusalem laments 'suffering and persecution,' says Christians can help heal the region

Justin Welby, the Archbishop of Canterbury, has preached a powerful sermon in Jerusalem declaring that the presence of Christians is 'essential to the life and hope of this whole area'.

Addressing the Anglican faithful at a packed St George's Cathedral in east Jerusalem, the Archbishop lamented the 'all consuming' suffering felt by the church in the region, where 'Christians especially are experiencing persecution' and 'are especially threatened'.

But in an ultimately uplifting ten minute sermon based on the theme of 'abundant life' promised by Jesus and delivered hours before he was to be installed as an Episcopal Canon at the Anglican Cathedral, Archbishop Welby said: 'The life of Christ changes everything, every aspect of our lives. It is not only in the areas of prayer and worship, not for the internal life of the church only'.

He went on: 'Here in this region is a deep need for healing, for hope, for righteousness of life, and for human dignity in security and without fear. The presence of Christians here both needs...abundant life if the church is to remain, but also is essential to the life and hope of this whole area. We pray for you, grieve for you, hope with you, and will seek in the best ways we can, to support you so that we all share the abundant life of Christ.'

Welby outlined some of the experiences that have most touched him so far during his comprehensive 12-day visit to the Holy Land, a trip that he emphasised was first and foremost pastoral.

'You know the fury of being treated wrongly,' he said. 'Even on a brief visit here, with very little understanding of probably the most complicated region of conflicts in the world, one sees the passions raised by suffering and injustice. Whether it is the utterly disrupted lives of the refugees we met in Zatari refugee camp [in Jordan] last week, or the tears of the Iraqi Christians later that day, seemingly forgotten by the world, one sees endless heart-break.

'In Gaza there is heroism from the doctors at the hospitals, from patients and above all groups of women, but also the ever looming fears. In Nazareth, across Galilee you hear the voices of anger, or of fear and insecurity, of division and of the impact of almost a century of struggle and conflict, that affect every inhabitant of the region, all of who tell their stories of fear, of struggle.'

Welby jointly presided over the Eastertide Communion service at St. George's, which has the appearance of a quiet corner of Kent in the midst of the divided Holy City, with the Anglican Bishop of Jerusalem, Suheil Dawani, assisted by the Dean Hosam Naoum.

To the sound of the anthem 'Jesus Remember Me When You Come Into Your Kingdom,' the Archbishop of Canterbury administered Communion wafers to dozens of Anglicans including Palestinian Christians at the end of the service which was held jointly in Arabic and English.

Before his sermon, he thanked the Bishop and the Dean for allowing him to preach. 'I've been a dean,' he joked. 'I know what a nuisance it is.'

Later, to laughter from the congregation of several hundred Welby presented gifts to Bishop Dawani and Dean Naoum, telling those gathered as he approached the lecturn: 'Don't look so worried  I'm not going to preach another sermon.'

Speaking to the BBC Radio 4 Sunday programme after the service, Welby said that his visit to Gaza was 'genuinely breathtaking - something I'll never forget'.

In what appears to be a meticulously balanced trip, the Archbishop has so far visited the refugee camp in Jordan, received a warm welcome at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem's Old City, visited the Dome of the Rock, prayed at the Western Wall with the UK's Chief Rabbi Ephraim Mervis before speaking out against anti-Semitism at the Yad Vashem Holocaust memorial museum, and made his surprise visit to Gaza.

This evening Welby will be given the honour of being installed as Episcopal Canon at St. George's, in a move aimed at building on Anglican unity, during an Evensong service before attending an ecumenical gathering of church leaders from across Jerusalem.

Tomorrow the Archbishop will travel to Bethlehem and meet with Palestinian Christians including the city's Christian Mayor Vera Baboun who is expected to brief him on the plight of Christians there, whose lives are affected by the imposing separation barrier which cuts through the West Bank and surrounding Israeli settlements. Later this week, he will also visit the West Bank city of Hebron.

In a series of political meetings, Welby is also set to meet the Israeli Prime Minister Banjamin Netanyahu and President Reuven Rivlin, and is hoping to meet the Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.
Justin Welby given rare church honour in Jerusalem as he is made Episcopal Canon

Justin Welby, the Archbishop of Canterbury, was given a rare church honour in Jerusalem tonight as he was installed as Episcopal Canon at St. George's Anglican Cathedral in the holy city.

At a joyous Evensong service at the Cathedral, Archbishop Welby was received into the Episcopal Canonry of Mount Carmel at the church, which Welby described as being situated 'in the centre of the world'.

After being installed, Welby joked that, 'The wonderful thing about this new job is that it doesn't involve much work,' adding: 'Except a good deal of prayer, which I undertake to do.'

The service, which featured the hymn 'Guide me, O Thou Great Redeemer' as well as Psalm 29, Canticles and traditional renditions of the Magnificat and Nunc Dimitis, was presided over by the Archbishop of Jerusalem, Suheil Dawani and the Cathedral's Dean, Hosam Naoum.

Archbishop Dawani welcomed the chance to 'celebrate the company' of Welby, to whom he said: 'Your grace, it is our profound privilege to welcome you to this holy city.'

In a short homily, Dawani also highlighted the plight of Christians in the Holy Land, saying that just as Jesus wept over Jerusalem, so too, today, Christians there weep.

But, he said: 'This is a city that speaks of peace... we Christians have a central role to play in this land.' Describing Christians in the region as 'living stones,' he pointed out that they were a 'precious few,' with only around 1,000 Christians left in Gaza and Christians making up around 2 per cent of the Palestinian population.

'The Christian presence in this land is small but it is strong,' he added. 'The fellowship that we enjoy this evening speaks profoundly of the presence of Christ... We are his people because we follow his way of love and peace in the world... We rejoice in this commonality that we find.'

The Archbishop also referred to the renovation of the Edicule at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, where a queue of hundreds this afternoon wound around the church built on the site where Jesus is held by the faithful to have been crucified, buried and resurrected.

Welby's wife, Caroline, read from the Book of Ruth during the service.

The St George's ceremony was conducted in both English and Arabic, as was the Communion service this morning at the Cathedral, during which Welby lamented during his sermon about the 'suffering and persecution' among Christians and others in the region.

At a reception for cross-denominational leaders after the service, Welby spoke of the need for reconciliation as 'something that begins... in the gift and the work and the presence of God'.

He added that 'reconcilation among human beings is not unanimity... in which we all agree with each other on everything. It is where the vigour and life of the spirit of God wells up in so many ways and yet there is no jealousy, no anger, no bitterness, but only a common life seeking the will of God'.

Welby said that he was praying for 'the miracle of reconciliation' in the region, adding: 'What we have seen in the last week, a place of such complexity, in many places of such darkness, of such difficulty, of such entrenched hatreds, that it requires the work of God to change it.'
'Star Wars Rebels' season 4 release date news: 'Star Wars Rebels' final season premieres this fall

LucasFilm has announced that "Star Wars Rebels" will be back for an all-new season later this year.

"The team behind Star Wars Rebels delivers epic storytelling that has captivated fans of all ages across the globe," Marc Buhaj, programming and general manager senior vice president of Disney XD said in a statement. "We're excited to continue sharing the journey of these fan-favorite rebels with our audience in the fall," he added.

The fourth season of "Star Wars Rebels" will be the series' final installment. The announcement was made at the "Star Wars" Celebration in Orlando last April.

According to producer Dave Filoni, the final season will feature Saw Gerrera (voiced by Forest Whitaker) and Mon Mothma (Genevieve O'Reilly). Fans will also be able to explore Mandalore, Sabine's (Tiya Sircar) home planet. More importantly, the series' last run will be significant to the franchise, as it will conclude several unfinished storylines from "Clone Wars."

"It's going to give us an ending for so many things that I didn't get to finish," Filoni revealed.

For the uninitiated, "Star Wars Rebels" takes place between the events of "Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith" and "Star Wars: A New Hope." It features new heroes and familiar characters from the original franchise, including Darth Vader, Yoda, and Princess Leia.

Aside from Whitaker and O'Reilly, "Star Wars Rebels" also stars Freddie Prinze Jr. as Kanan, Vanessa Marshall as Hera, Steve Blum as Zeb, Tiya Sircar as Sabine, Taylor Gray as Ezra, Dee Bradley Baker as Captain Rex, David Oyelowo as Agent Kallus, Sam Witwer as Maul, Tom Baker as Bendu, and Lars Mikkelsen as Grand Admiral Thrawn.

Again, Disney or LucasFilm has yet to reveal a specific launch date for "Star Wars Rebels" season 4, but viewers can expect the final installment to premiere sometime in the fall.

More updates should arrive in the weeks to come.
Royal Caribbean International has announced its return to New Orleans with a seasonal home-based cruise ship in late 2018.

The Vision of the Seas will sail seven-night itineraries to culture-rich destinations across the Bahamas and Yucatan Peninsula from the Port of New Orleans Julia Street Cruise Terminal. The ship will sail on Saturdays.

The Port of New Orleans is thrilled to welcome back Royal Caribbean. We look forward to working productively together for many years to come, said Brandy Christian, Port President and CEO. Our Citys energy and music, culinary and cultural attractions perfectly compliment the Caribbean cruise experience. Our cruise business continues to grow, as does the variety of itineraries offered, as most cruise passengers spend an average of two nights in the region, either before or after their cruise.

The Port handled 1,070,695 cruise passengers in 2016 and ranks as the sixth-largest cruise port in the United States, with direct industry expenditures in Louisiana of $406 million.

New Orleans is becoming a more accessible city for international visitors now that we have direct air service to Panama, Frankfurt and London on Copa, Condor and British Airways, respectively, said Christian, who also serves as chair of the Cruise Committee for the American Association of Port Authorities. We have always enjoyed a sizeable drive-in market from Louisiana and nearby states, as well.

Mark Romig, President and CEO of the New Orleans Tourism Marketing Corporation, the citys official leisure travel promotion agency added: We welcome Royal Caribbean back to New Orleans and look forward to a successful partnership. We know RCCL as a trusted brand name in the cruise industry and we look forward to their guests spending time exploring all that our city has to offer before and after their cruise.

The return of Royal Caribbean to New Orleans with the Vision of the Seas is excellent news, said Kim Priez, Senior Vice President of Tourism, New Orleans Convention & Visitors Bureau. In 2016, New Orleans broke all previous visitation records by attracting 10.45 million visitors from around the world. New Orleans unique and authentic culture combined with these cruise offerings makes the Crescent City a world-class destination that is increasing in popularity year after year.

Before repositioning to New Orleans on Dec. 15, 2018, Vision of the Seas will offer two 16-night sailings through the Panama Canal from Miami to Los Angeles and from Los Angeles to New Orleans  marking the first time in three years a Royal Caribbean cruise ship will traverse the Panama Canal.
The Credit Union InfoSecurity Conference is the credit union movements top infosecurity event taking place June 14-16 in San Diego, CA.

Only here can you connect with the brightest, most engaged security-oriented professionals in the credit union community, experts that will help you protect what matters most.

Over the years, over one thousand credit union professionals have attended the exciting event to network with peers, learn about new approaches to ever-evolving security issues, discover the movements latest technologies, and interact with top security leaders.

Here are the top six reasons to attend the Credit Union InfoSecurity Conference:

Meet regulatory training requirements

The conference is the perfect opportunity to show regulators that your credit union is serious about Information Security. Additionally, at the event, your staff will receive proper training on how it can protect itself against ever-changing techniques and threats.

Stay current on security and compliance trends

The Credit Union InfoSecurity Conference provides credit union professionals the opportunity to stay up-to-date on the latest and greatest security tools, technologies, and information, helping your credit union meet the increasingly-demanding compliance requirements.

Understand the threat vector introduced by human resources, marketing, finance and operations teams

Humans are often the weakest link in security, and bad actors recognize this. If they can access information via malicious PDFs or by clicking on a marketing campaign, why bother wasting resources trying to break through a firewall or deceive a security management system?

Save valuable time and money

Budgets are always tight and need to be carefully considered. The conference will provide your staff innovative solutions and an in-depth educational experience for only $495.

Share valuable information and lessons learned with your colleagues

After the conference, you will have the opportunity to share invaluable information gained with your colleagues, including product descriptions, whitepapers, session PowerPoints and a cyber-security book.

Enjoy a fun event outside the office

The Credit Union InfoSecurity Conference is an intimate gathering that gives you the chance to meet interesting and intelligent people within the industry from across the country. Trade notes and insights, go out dinner with old and new friends, meet in the lobby for drinks, take part in our annual tour, and attend the post-conference pool party.
Vienna, Austria: Children with cancer could be spared dozens of doses of general anaesthesia by projecting a video directly on to the inside of a radiotherapy machine during treatment, according to research presented at the ESTRO 36 conference.

Although cancer is rare in children, worldwide there are approximately 215,000 new cases in the under 15s each year. Around a sixth of these children require treatment with radiotherapy, including those with brain tumours, and bone and soft tissue sarcomas such as Ewing sarcoma and rhabdomyosarcoma.

Catia Aguas, a radiation therapist and dosimetrist at the Cliniques Universitaires Saint Luc, Brussels, Belgium, told the conference that using video instead of general anaesthesia is less traumatic for children and their families, as well as making each treatment quicker and more cost effective.

She explained: "Being treated with radiotherapy means coming in for a treatment every weekday for four to six weeks. The children need to remain motionless during treatment and, on the whole, that means a general anaesthesia. That in turn means they have to keep their stomach empty for six hours before the treatment.

"We wanted to see if installing a projector and letting children watch a video of their choice would allow them to keep still enough that we would not need to give them anaesthesia."

The study included 12 children aged between one and a half and six years old who were treated with radiotherapy using a Tomotherapy treatment unit at the university hospital. Six were treated before a video projector was installed in 2014 and six were treated after.

Before the video was available, general anaesthesia was needed for 83% of children's treatments. Once the projector was installed, anaesthesia was only needed in 33% of treatments.

Aguas continued: "Radiotherapy can be very scary for children. It's a huge room full of machines and strange noises, and the worst part is that they're in the room alone during their treatment. Before their radiotherapy treatment, they have already been through a series of tests and treatments, some of them painful, so when they arrive for radiotherapy they don't really feel very safe or confident.

"Since we started using videos, children are a lot less anxious. Now they know that they're going to watch a movie of their choice, they're more relaxed and once the movie starts it's as though they travel to another world.

"Sponge Bob, Cars and Barbie have been popular movie choices with our patients."

As well as avoiding some of the risks inherent to general anaesthesia, the research also showed that treatments that used to take one hour or more, now take around 15 to 20 minutes. This is partly because of the time saved by not having to prepare and administer anaesthesia, but also because the children who know they are going to watch videos are more cooperative.

Aguas said: "Now in our clinic, video has almost completely replaced anaesthesia, resulting in reduced treatment times and reduction of stress for the young patients and their families."

She also told the conference that the projector was inexpensive and simple to install: "In radiotherapy, everything is usually very expensive but in this case it was not. We bought a projector and, with the help of college students, we created a support to fix the device to the patient couch. Using video is saving money and resources by reducing the need for anaesthesia."

Aguas and her colleagues continue to study children who have been treated since the projector was installed and they are extending the project to include adult patients who are claustrophobic or anxious.

President of ESTRO, Professor Yolande Lievens, head of the department of radiation oncology at Ghent University Hospital, Belgium, said: "The success of this project is good news for young patients, their families and their medical teams. Simply by installing a projector and showing videos, the team have reduced the need for anaesthesia and reduced anxiety for these children. For parents this means they no longer have to watch their child going under a general anaesthetic and then in to the recovery room after treatment every day for weeks on end. In addition, the use of videos had a positive impact on the workflow in paediatric radiotherapy, which further increased the positive effect observed by the caregivers as well."

###
Vienna, Austria - 7 May 2017: A large nuclear cardiology laboratory has slashed its average radiation dose by 60% in eight years, according to new research presented today at ICNC 2017 and published in JACC: Cardiovascular Imaging.1,2 The study in over 18 000 patients shows dose reductions were achieved despite a large number of obese patients.

"There has been concern amongst the medical community and the public that the radiation from medical diagnostic tests could increase the risk of cancer," said Professor Randall Thompson, a cardiologist at the Mid America Heart Institute, Kansas City, Missouri, US.

He continued: "Although the risk of harm from an individual nuclear cardiology test is very low - even very conservative estimates suggest only one in 1 000 extra patients would develop cancer 20 years later - the cumulative dose from multiple medical diagnostic tests may be a concern."

Medical societies advocate getting radiation doses as low as is reasonably achievable. There are ways to do this but surveys show that adoption of new technologies, which cost money, and new testing algorithms, which take more physician time, has been slow.

This study assessed the impact on radiation dose of modifying protocols and introducing new hardware (cameras) and post processing software in a large nuclear cardiology laboratory network in Kansas City.

The study included the 18 162 single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) myocardial perfusion imaging (MPI) studies performed at all four of the Saint Luke's Mid America Heart Institute nuclear cardiology laboratories from 1 January 2009 to 30 September 2016. SPECT MPI shows how well blood flows through the muscle of the heart and is primarily performed to diagnose the cause of chest pain or to help manage patients with known coronary artery disease..

Protocols were modified by performing stress-only tests where possible, which saves the radiotracer dose from the rest scan. Stress and rest scans are still required in some patients since shadowing from body parts can look like a lack of blood flow and two scans can clarify the findings. Technetium tracers are now used instead of thallium 100% of the time at one-third of the radiation dose.

Small field of view cameras which have advanced post processing, and a new generation of camera systems which are more sensitive and need less radiotracer injected into the body, have both been introduced. These camera systems are equipped with advanced processing which enhances the nuclear pictures and need less radiation or shorter image acquisition times. Professor Thompson's laboratory focussed primarily on reducing the radiation dose.

The average radiation dose fell from 17.9 mSv in 2009 to 7.2 mSv in 2016 and the median dose (the 50th percentile) dropped from 10.2 mSv to 2.5 mSv. Professor Thompson said: "There was a dramatic lowering of the radiation dose with all of these concerted efforts. The average dose fell by 60% and the median dropped by 75%."

"The average dose had fallen to 5.4 mSv in 2012 but crept up as we've had more obese patients referred in whom we have to use the higher dose protocols," he added. "But more than half of patients now are tested with a low-dose, stress-only test using the new technology, which is why the median dose of radiation has fallen so dramatically."

The average background dose for people living in Europe and North America from radon underground and cosmic background sources is about 3 mSv a year. Medical societies consider higher and lower dose tests to be above 10 mSv and below 3 mSv, respectively. In 2010 the American Society of Nuclear Cardiology set a target of 9 mSv or less for the majority of tests.3

Professor Thompson said: "The majority of studies were in the high dose range back in 2009 and now most tests have a radiation dose that is about a third of the target. This is despite being referred a larger number of obese patients. In the last 2.5 years, 17% of patients have needed the large field of view camera as their average body mass index was 46 kg/m2 and they were simply too big for the small cameras."

He concluded: "By adopting contemporary protocols and technologies it is feasible to substantially lower radiation doses in nuclear cardiology in very large numbers of patients in real world clinical practice."

###
The AICs Agribusiness Conference returns to an in-person format for 2022 and provides the agri-supply industry with a day of insight, networking, and influencing opportunities.



Attracting industry business leaders and stakeholders, the conference will focus on the key issues facing the agri-supply industry around the theme of Managing disruptive shocks in the agri-food supply chain.



Speakers from the business, scientific, and political communities will prompt thought and debate throughout the day.

FarmingUK assumes no responsibility or liability for any errors or omissions in the content of this page.

The information contained in this site is provided on an "as is" basis, and should be independently verified before travel.
Arla urges government to tap into energy potential of manure and slurry
Much has been said, and much ink spilled, over President Donald Trump's proposed $54 billion increase in defense spending for 2018. But what would you say if I told you there's hidden spending in the defense budget already that's much bigger than the president's well-publicized increase?

Like... five times bigger.

Pulling the curtain on accounting quirks

Last month, IAC/InterActiveCorp website TheBalance.com published a report explaining how what most people think of as "defense spending" really reflects only a portion of what the U.S. actually spends on defense and security.

Ordinarily, when we talk about defense spending, we mean the Pentagon's base budget, which Trump wants to increase to $574 billion in fiscal 2018. To keep that number as low as possible, though, the Pentagon carves out spending on foreign wars into a separate category called "overseas contingency operations." This is because, in theory at least, wars are supposed to end at some point, and won't need to be funded year to year.

What you don't know can cost you

Theory notwithstanding, supplemental "OCO" spending has been funded to the tune of tens, and even hundreds of millions of dollars every year since 9/11. Although accounted for separately, the OCO budget constitutes a second integral part of how Congress funds our military -- and next year OCO are budgeted to consume another $64.6 billion worth of U.S. tax dollars.

Nor do we spend OCO funds only through the Pentagon. Turns out, $12 billion in additional overseas contingency operations funding is channeled through the State Department and Department of Homeland Security to finance their own anti-ISIS operations.

And even then we're not done. We find tens of billions more in "hidden military spending" buried on the balance sheets of other government agencies. Other sources of funds include:

FBI and Cybersecurity activities within the Department of Justice: Funded to the tune of $9.5 billion

The National Nuclear Security Administration within the Department of Energy: $13.9 billion

The State Department: $27.1 billion

The Department of Homeland Security: $44.1 billion

The Department of Veterans Affairs: $78.9 billion

Add it up, and we spend more than $250 billion on defense and security programs, on top of the Pentagon's $574 billion base budget -- about 44% more than you may have thought we were spending.

What it means for investors

If you're like many investors, you may have been at least vaguely aware that the U.S. spends money on the VA, on nuclear weapons, and so on. But perhaps you assumed this spending was included in the base defense budget? That would be the logical place to account for these expenditures -- but it turns out that this is not what the government does.

Instead, many of the less visible aspects of the military-security-industrial complex have carved out their own individual channels of funding, which are found in the categories described above. And it's a bit surprising just how much money these corollary-to-defense activities consume: $250 billion! That's enough money to buy 20 brand-new Ford-class aircraft carriers every year -- a shockingly large sum.

But here's the thing: Just because Congress doesn't go out of its way to advertise how much America's wars are costing the taxpayer doesn't mean it's hiding the information, either.

The fact is, every day of the work week, the U.S. Department of Defense lists -- for public review -- every single contract of material size that it awards to its contractors, and how much those contracts are worth. Just last month, for example:

All of this is part and parcel of what The Balance calls the $250 billion in "hidden military spending" within the federal budget. But it never really was a secret. You just needed to know that it was out there to be found, and where to look for it.

And now you do.
Whether they realize it or not, most retired workers are going to wind up leaning quite heavily on Social Security income during retirement. Data from the Social Security Administration (SSA) shows that 61% of seniors rely on their benefits to account for at least half of their monthly income during their golden years.

Yet Social Security isn't in great shape, at least based on the latest report from the Social Security Board of Trustees. The 2016 report suggested that Social Security will exhaust its more than $2.8 trillion in spare cash by 2034, leading to as much as a 21% across-the-board cut in benefits to retired workers. It's a scary prediction for the estimated 25 million retired workers who are currently counting on Social Security for at least half of their monthly income.

You control three key factors that determine your Social Security payout

However, what most working Americans may not understand is that they have more control over what they'll eventually be paid by Social Security than they realize. Even with the program likely facing a pretty substantial overhaul within the next 17 years, three external factors that you control help determine your monthly Social Security benefit.

Two of these factors are interconnected: your average annual earnings and the length of your work history. The SSA factors in your 35 highest-earning years when calculating your monthly benefit. For each year less than 35 that you worked, a $0 is averaged into your payout. Thus, the more you earn annually, and the longer you work (at least 35 years), the better chance you have of maximizing what you'll be paid from Social Security.

The third component is a biggie: the age you decide to claim Social Security benefits.

You can begin collecting benefits at age 62, or at any point thereafter. But the SSA dangles a pretty big carrot out there to entice seniors to hold off with their claim. For each year you hold off and don't claim Social Security after turning 62, your Social Security benefits grow by approximately 8% a year until age 70. This means that a person claiming at age 70 could have a monthly payment that's as much as 76% higher than someone else who claimed at age 62, assuming an identical earnings history.

The really important figure that working Americans and seniors need to know with relation to their claiming age is their full retirement age, or FRA. Your FRA is the age at which the SSA deems you eligible to receive 100% of your monthly benefit, and it's determined by your birth year. If you claim benefits at any point between age 62 and one month prior to your FRA, you'll be taking a permanent reduction in your monthly payout of up to 25% to 30%. Conversely, if you claim benefits at any point after reaching your FRA, you'll see your payout increase above and beyond the 100% mark by as much as 24% to 32%.

Today's newest eligible retirees, who were born in 1955, have a full retirement age of 66 years and two months.

An illustration of what the average American would be paid by claiming at age 70

The simple explanation above would suggest that if seniors want more bountiful payouts in retirement, they should simply wait longer. However, the data suggests that's not what typically happens. The Center for Retirement Research at Boston College found that around 60% of retirees claim benefits between ages 62 and 64, with another 30% claiming at their FRA (either age 65 or 66). Just a meager 3% of retired workers waited until age 70 to maximize their monthly payout.

But for those who do wait, there's a pretty substantial reward. For those born in 1955, waiting to claim until age 70 means netting a 30.7% monthly increase in benefits over what they would have received at their full retirement age.

What might this look like over time? Let's take a look at what the average American claiming at age 70 and born in 1955 would receive in lifetime benefits. For our example, we'll use the average retired worker's monthly benefit, $1,365.35 as of the SSA's March 2017 snapshot, as our full retirement age baseline. Additionally, we're going to assume a cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) of 2% annually, which is pretty much in-line with what COLAs have averaged over the past two decades.

As you can see, the clear disadvantage of claiming Social Security at age 70 is that you have to wait to receive income, which is probably why most seniors claim before or at their FRA. Of course, the advantage of waiting is that you'll be paid a heck of a lot more over the long run!

By age 79, which is really close to the average life expectancy in the U.S., you'll have received nearly $234,500 in cumulative income from Social Security by claiming at age 70. But, should you make it to age 90, you'll walk away with more than $552,000 in lifetime income. This is about $80,000 more in lifetime benefits at age 90 than someone who claims at age 62 and begins receiving benefits eight years earlier.

When claiming at age 70 makes sense

Although only 3% of seniors waits until age 70 to begin collecting Social Security, there are a few clear instances where it makes sense to wait as long as possible to sign up for benefits.

One great example are persons who have very little or nothing saved for retirement. While enrolling as early as possible in order to generate extra income might seem appealing, it's actually a really bad idea. If you don't have much saved for retirement, or perhaps nothing at all, it means you're going to be heavily reliant on Social Security income. If that's going to be the case, you'll want your payout to be maximized, which means waiting as long as possible to sign up. If you enroll early, your payment will be permanently reduced throughout the remainder of your life, which isn't optimal if that's your primary income source.

If you're in great health and/or have a family history of longevity, waiting to claim benefits might make sense. Though we have absolutely no way of knowing when our expiration date is, we can certainly use our family and personal health history to our favor. If you believe you'll live past age 80, waiting might be an appealing option to maximize your lifetime benefits.

Higher-income spouses also usually benefit from waiting as long as possible to claim Social Security. Having a significantly higher-income spouse hold off on filing for benefits allows their eventual payout to grow, which will provide a more sizable income impact for a couple later in life.

Deciding when to claim Social Security is a personal decision, but hopefully this should make it a little bit easier.
Australian dairy co-op, Murray Goulburn (MG) is being taken to federal court by the countrys competition watchdog over retrospective milk price cuts.

The co-op, which represents approximately 2,000 producers forced farmers to repay AU$200m (114.3m) they had already received, last April.

As a result of the claw-back, officially called the Milk Supply Support Package (MSSP), some dairy farmers were left with bills of up to $100,000 (57,160).

[Warning: This article contains a photograph including a profanity, which some readers might find offensive]

See also: Hundreds of Aussie farmers speak out at dairy enquiry

The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) have alleged MG engaged in unconscionable conduct and made false or misleading representations in contravention of Australian consumer law.

The watchdog also claimed MG provided farmers with false and misleading information in the months leading up to the retrospective milk price cut, leaving them unable to re-adjust budgets and sparking a crisis in the Australian dairy sector.

MG has since rescinded the MSSP and promised to repay any contributions already made, instead choosing to axe 360 jobs and close three processing plants in Victoria and Tasmania.

The processor has a turnover of $2.5bn (1.43bn) but posted losses of $31.9m (18.2m) in the six months to February 2017.

Despite the investigation, the ACCC stated it would not be seeking financial penalties for Murray Goulburn as they could filter down to the co-ops members  however, fines would be sought for the two staff members in charge at the time.

The scandal saw the resignation of the co-ops managing director, Gary Helou and chief financial officer, Bradley Hingle, who could face individual fines of up to $220,000 (125,800) if found guilty.

In a statement on the MG website, the processor acknowledged proceedings had been opened.

Fonterra investigation

The nations second biggest processor, Fonterra, who are supplied by 1,100 producers, was cleared by the ACCC after it also slashed its milk price last year.

However, due to the MG milk price U-turn, a Fonterra contract which guarantees its producers will be paid equal to above the price paid by its rival processor means it may have to pay back $63.4 (36.25m) to producers or face legal action.




Haiti - FLASH TPS : 2 Senators and 8 Members of Congress write to John Kelly





Following the recommendation of US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), to end the Temporary Protected Status (TPS) in January 2018 https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-20727-haiti-flash-us-immigration-service-recommends-the-end-of-tps.html pressures are increasing on the Government Trump.



In a letter addressed to John F. Kelly, Secretary of the US Department of Homeland Security, who must decide whether to extend the TPS, two Senators Elizabeth Warren, Edward J. Markey and 8 members of the Congress : Michael E. Capuano, Richard E. Neal, James P. McGovern, Stephen F. Lynch, Niki Tsongas, William R. Keating, Joseph P. Kennedy III et Katherine Clark, urge the Secretary to extend the TPS by 18 months.



Lettre a John F. Kelly :



"[...]



[...]



Dear Secretary Kelly,



We write to urge you to exted Temporary Protected Status (TPS) to Haitians nationals who have been residing in the United States in light of the extraordinary conditions incessantly affecting Haiti. Despite international efforts, Haiti continues to be a a nation plagued by economic, health and political inslabilit, and it cannot safely assimilate the more than 50,000 Haitian participants of the TPS program. We strongly encourage you to exercise your authority Under Section 224 of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1254a) to extend TPS designation before the current expires on July 22, 2017.



Haiti has suffered from a devastating earthquake, a cholera epidemi , and a destructive Hurricane Matthew. Its devasted infrastructure cannot possibly accommodate the return of its American Diaspora. The TPS designation was specifically created for foreign states undergoing such difficulties. The 2010 earthquake destroyed 50 healthcare centers aroudd the country, as well as the Ministry of Health building, worsening a heaIthcare system not capable of meeting the population's basic needs even before the seismic event. In March 2017, the United Nations reported a total of 2.1 million people affected by Hurricane Matthew and 1.5 million people still food-insecure in the affected areas. Exacerbed by the recents three years of severe drought, more than 50% of Haiti's food supply continues to be imported, including 10% of the country's main staple. These numbers demonstrate a continued substentantial disruption of living conditions in the country.



We know that the United States is not onIy committed to provide aid to our close neighbor but also to ensure stability in the region. We have a responsability to ensure that our actions do not exacerbate this palpable humanitarian crisis in the Western Hemisphere. Through your authority provided under the law, the United States can continue supporting the recovery efforts in Haiti and underpin the emmergence of a strong partner in the Caribbean.



We urge you to review the present conditions and to immediately extend the grant of TPS designation, within applicable regulation, for at least another 18-month period.



Sincerely [...]"



See also :

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-20832-haiti-flash-black-caucus-supports-tps-extension.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-20853-haiti-diaspora-tps-position-of-president-jovenel-moise.html

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

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-20488-haiti-usa-us-elected-officials-are-asking-to-extend-the-tps-for-haitians.html



HL/ SL/ HaitiLibre


















People of African ancestry provided the financial venture capital, cooks , barrel making and much, much more. Our hidden figures await legal statutory authority to facilitate sharing the story daily as part of an inclusive content of the authentic California Gold Rush Experience. The legacy of Honorable William Alexander Leidesdorff, Jr. will open the archives of "hidden figures" of Black Agriculture along the American River Parkway, ( 1840 -1875 ) to stimulate a new conversation of valuing inclusion and equity throughout the 100 billion dollar plus, California Agriculture industries.

Sutters Fort State Historic Park fun and interactive Hands on History continues to explore including California African American Heritage to regular daily activities. Black Agriculture at Sutters Fort will showcase our regional contributions during early California History (1840  1875)On Saturday, May 20, 2017, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Fort visitors will be amazed to appreciate the important role Black Agriculture played in Californias early development. Sacramento shares an amazing historical regional "Farm-to-Fork Capitol of America" legacy part of the California Grown experience. .Today, Sutters Fort guests will learn a growing focus on seasonal and locally sourced production agriculture was an essential part of our African American Heritage along the American River Parkway in Gold Rush California.When John Sutter first arrived in California in 1839, his dream to build an agricultural empire was supported in so many ways by people of Hawaiian, Native American and African ancestry.People of African ancestry provided the financial venture capital, cooks , barrel making and much, much more. Our hidden figures await legal statutory authority to facilitate sharing the story daily as part of an inclusive content of the authentic California Gold Rush Experience.Todays Californias agricultural industry is poised to consider farmer equity utilizing leadership by people of African ancestry to help expand the reach of our breadbasket to the world, mirroring the actual scene on our California State Seal, sharing a tradition of excellence and inclusion.At this special Hands on History event, visitors will learn about how and where early wheat production occurred. Wheat was threshed and winnowed at the Sutters Fort and help lead to the creation of the first global wheat market in the California Central Valley.The California Gold Rush Era sparked todays global farm to fork movement, a local regional agriculture production model that was seasonal, creating expanded international market opportunities first explored by the African Founding Father of California at his 35,500 acre Rancho Rio De Los Americanos cattle and wheat agribusiness operation.Hands on History activities are included in the cost of admission. Sutters Fort SHP admission: $7 per adult (18 and older), $5 per youth (ages 6 to 17) and free for children 5 and under. For more information about Black Agriculture at Sutters Fort, call 916-997-2451 or visit http://www.suttersfort.org California State Parks MissionTo provide for the health, inspiration and education of the people of California by helping to preserve the states extraordinary biological diversity, protecting its most valued natural and cultural resources, and creating opportunities for high quality outdoor recreation.
Illinois Wesleyan Celebrates Class of 2017

May 7, 2017

BLOOMINGTON, Ill. Illinois Wesleyan University celebrated the Class of 2017 during Commencement exercises May 7.

Standing on the Glenn 22 and Rozanne Parker Kemp 27 Commencement Plaza in front of State Farm Hall, Board of Trustees member David Wilkins 74 congratulated the more than 400 graduates and reminded the audience that Illinois Wesleyan strives to help students develop the intellectual and moral capacity to think deeply about the important things in life and to live in a manner that is consistent with the values reflected in the Universitys motto  Scientia et Sapientia, generally translated as knowledge and wisdom.

Wilkins quoted the late John Glenn, astronaut and U.S. Senator: If there is one thing Ive learned in my years on this planet, its that the happiest and most fulfilled people...are those who devoted themselves to something bigger and more profound than merely their own self-interest.

Wilkins said he hoped the graduates would strive to live with care and commitment to things larger than their own self-interests and create a future of greater knowledge, wisdom and fulfillment.

Representing the faculty, Student Senate Professor of the Year Carolyn Jarvis also congratulated the graduates and encouraged them to take a long view in pursing a career. A first job is important and exciting, she said, but it may not be a career.

A nursing student, Jarvis said she had secured a position at Northwestern Hospital in the fall after her own graduation. While she was still a student, however, a recruiter from Lake Tahoe, Nevada, visited her college and she found herself signing up to learn to deal blackjack in a casino.

Associate Professor of Theatre Arts Scott Susong shared this photo of happy graduates on Facebook.

That summer job taught me a number of valuable things, Jarvis recalled. She found she loved nature, the San Francisco art scene and that she could travel alone and make new friends. The third thing she learned, she said, is that the odds are with the house and as a result, I have never gambled as a customer.

In addition to a career as a nurse practitioner and nurse educator, Jarvis said she has also spent most of her career writing textbooks and articles. She owed her first article, she said, to an office colleague who passed an opportunity to write an article on physical examination to Jarvis. When opportunities come up, take the risk and grab them, said Jarvis, who is the author of North Americas most widely used health assessment textbook. Remember, you have 45 years in your career. Relax and enjoy each one.

Class President Marissa Cozzi 17 spoke on behalf of the graduates. She said throughout their time at IWU, her classmates were given the opportunities not just to find themselves, but to actually create themselves.

Over the last four years, we have made connections that will last a lifetime, shared endless laughs, memories, and a lot of stress, Cozzi said.

But after all this, we learned that if something is important to you, you will find a way; if not, you will find an excuse, she said. As Provost Green reminded us earlier this week, this ceremony is called commencement for a reason. The fundamental definition of commencement is a beginning or start. This is the beginning of the rest of our lives and no matter where life takes us, we are always welcome home to Illinois Wesleyan.

Wilkins, President Eric Jensen and Provost and Dean of the Faculty Jonathan Green conferred an honorary doctor of humane letters upon Samuel Porritt III 84. He is founder of the Falling Forward Foundation, the only nonprofit organization in the country that funds the continued rehabilitation of patients recovering from catastrophic medical issues after insurance stops paying. Porritt started Falling Forward after spending two years in extensive rehabilitation after suffering a spinal cord injury resulting from an accident. Thus far the organization has supported the recovery of 69 people in four states.

Caroline F. Rupert Nursing Award winner Keith Carter was among 14 graduates receiving Commencement Honors.

Kathleen M. Murray, the president of Whitman College in Washington, also received an honorary doctorate before giving the Commencement address. A 1979 graduate of Illinois Wesleyan with a bachelor of music degree, Murray spent 19 years at Lawrence University as piano faculty member and administrator. She served as provost and dean at Macalester College for seven years before becoming president of Whitman in 2015. Murray based her Commencement remarks on a quote from Eleanor Roosevelt: The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.

Murray noted that as she was sitting in the same place as the graduates 38 years ago, I didnt allow myself many opportunities to dream in those days. I was a first-generation college student, from a totally blue-collar family in Davenport, Iowaand had absolutely no idea what I might do next.

Murray said she may not have been a big dreamer as a young adult, but she was a big believer. She said her parents had instilled a belief in their five children they could do anything they wanted as long as they were willing to work really hard.

She said she hoped the graduates all shared the belief that hard work would open the door to great opportunities. Those dreams are especially important, she said, in moments of uncertainty and challenge.

You are graduating from college at a time of significant uncertainty and challenge around the globe, said Murray. Turning inward to just take care of yourself, she said, will close you off from all of the possibilities that are not apparent, except in your dreams.

She told those assembled that two ideas are important for all college graduates at this particular moment in time. One she hoped the Class of 2017 would continue to pursue, she said, and the other she hoped the graduates would avoid.

President Eric Jensen told the class of 2017 they would hold a prominent place in his memory as the first he's had a full year as president to get to know.

I urge you to continue to develop your capacity for empathy, for the ability to understand, even to share the feelings of others, to experience life as if you were standing in someone elses shoes, she said. The Illinois Wesleyan experience helps build this capacity, she said, as students live and learn with people from different parts of the country and the world, different racial and ethnic groups, different socioeconomic backgrounds, different political and religious views, she said. Our ability collectively to make the world a better place depends, at least in part, on having the courage to combat evil by displaying imaginative empathy.

Murray urged the graduates to avoid cynicism, which derives from a belief that people are generally dishonest and motivated solely by self-interest. I work hard, even if I am not always successful, to base my work on the assumption that people are looking out for the best interests of others, and I hope people will give me the same benefit, said Murray. The distrust and disillusionment that results from cynicism squashes creativity of thought, and creativity is essential if we are to make the world a better place.

Also observing the word commencement means beginning or start, Murray noted the graduates are beginning the next phases of their lives and figuring out what that means and what the future might hold. The educational privilege you have experienced these last four years carries with it enormous responsibility, she said Responsibility to give back  to your family, to your college, your community, the world.

She said she loved her time at IWU, and she told the audience she has loved nearly all of the last 38 years because she has learned to believe in the beauty of her dreams. I wish the same for you as you commence today, she said.

In closing the ceremony, Jensen called the Class of 2017 a spectacular group and said his parting words to them would be simple: Remember who you are, remember how you got there, and remember Illinois Wesleyan.
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Richard Fogarty | (The Conversation) |  

On April 24, the day after her second-place finish in the first round of the French presidential elections, Marine Le Pen thundered against her opponent, Emmanuel Macron, declaring, Nothing in Monsieur Macrons plan, nor anything in his behavior indicates the least evidence of love for France.

(Update by IC ed.):

TRT World: French Presidential Election: Hacked Macron documents released on Friday TRT World

She went on to invoke his supposed advocacy of savage globalization and massive immigration.

All of these charges were tied to a theme she used the previous evening, not even an hour after the first-round results were announced. She proclaimed, It is time to free the French people from an arrogant elite.

In the days since, Le Pen has used the charge of elitism to bind together the various strands of her appeal to French voters.

In her telling, an aloof and callous French political establishment has sold the nations fortunes and soul to global economic forces, the European Union and immigrants. Patriotism and la patrie (the fatherland) is in danger. She presents the election as an existential struggle, in which the victory of her opponent would place our civilization in danger, and asks the French to choose France.

As a historian of France, I cannot help but note that these themes remind me of political struggles during the last two centuries, not just over the direction of the country, but over its soul. Whats at stake is what kind of nation France is, and who is really French.

Outsider looking in

Marine Le Pen and her party, the Front National, have long used xenophobia and anti-immigrant rhetoric to discuss who does and does not belong to the national community. But of late, Le Pen has taken a different approach, one that identifies the un-French, the foreigners, as the arrogant elite. Enter Emmanuel Macron.

Le Pens strategy is to paint Macron as an outsider. She claims his experiences and attitudes are alien to the mass of French people.

This is ironic. Its true that Macron has presented himself as an outsider, yet this is supposed to be a strength. At 39, he has never held elected office, but is the head of En Marche!, the Association for the renewal of political life. He pointedly refuses to call it a political party, but instead refers to it as a movement. Formed scarcely a year ago, it seeks to provide a focus for widespread discontent with establishment politicians and parties, what Americans would call politics as usual.

Macrons stated policy agenda includes sticking with the European Union and the euro currency, reducing the size of government bureaucracy, cutting government spending, lowering corporate taxes, easing strict labor laws and strengthening national security by expanding police forces. Above all, he promises to transform the failed political system.

He seeks this transformation by governing above and outside party personnel and interests, making use of new faces, new talents, not the usual political insiders. Macron has said he will not ask where supporters come from, [only] if they are for the renewal of political life, for the security of the French people, for the freedom of labor, for the reform of schools, for the right of everyone, wherever they come from, to advance in society, and for reviving the building of [a united] Europe.

Yet Macrons positions are tinged with numerous ironies, and Le Pen has pounced on these. If the En Marche! movements emphasis on new blood and new ideas in the political system represents an attempt to break up and renew a stagnant society, some of the policies do not appear all that revolutionary. Cutting business taxes and eroding robust protections for workers, maintaining close integration with an aloof and arrogant EU bureaucracy and hiring more police could also be seen as moves to preserve the status quo.

A home unfit for elites

More personally, Macron himself is vulnerable to charges that he is an unlikely vessel for radical change. A wealthy investment banker, until very recently he was a member of the deeply unpopular Socialist Party. He was also economy minister under the even more deeply unpopular current president Francois Hollande.

Macron is, in fact, a pedigreed member of the governing elite. He is a graduate of one of the most prestigious lycees (high schools) in France, Henri-IV in Paris, and of the Ecole nationale dadministration. Graduates of this institution are known as enarques. They serve throughout the French civil service and government, and often also dominate business and corporate life. Few countries have an equivalent of this network of highly trained administrators, and in France enarque is synonymous with elite.

Never mind that entrance into the elite schools that Macron has attended is based on merit. Though complicated by class, gender and race, social mobility through personal achievement is an important principle in French history. French revolutionaries declared in 1789 that social distinctions would no longer be based on birth but on usefulness to society and the nation. Napoleon later affirmed that France was a place where careers open to talent, not birth, was the rule. The nation has worked ever since to embrace an egalitarian vision where anyone from anywhere can succeed. From some points of view, Macron embodies this ethos. Restoring social mobility is a central plank in his electoral platform.

Yet the vision that Le Pen offers the French electorate is one in which she opposes an out-of-touch representative of the discredited political class currently failing France. Her project is to restore the nation to its rightful owners. And who might these be? Eschewing past Front National slogans with anti-Semitic overtones, such as France for the French, Le Pen has instead opted for, This is our home! and France first!

These watchwords articulate a fear of foreigners, in the nations midst or poised on its borders. Far right movements have done this since the late 19th century in France, but here Le Pen and the Front National make foreigners of Frances own elites.

Le Pen portrays Macron as alien to the French national body. When she says he is a hysterical, radical Europeanist who is weak on radical Islamic terrorism, she associates him further with alien threats. And when she says, There is not one area where he shows one ounce of patriotism, she questions not just his love of country, but his very Frenchness. When she asks voters to choose France, she makes him and his policies not-France. She places him outside the nation and hostile to it, a foreigner because of his elitism and allegiances. He cannot love France as she does.

Whether or not the French electorate responds to Marine Le Pens professions of love, she has quite consciously made the battle for French hearts and souls the central issue of the campaign.

Richard Fogarty, Professor of History, University at Albany, State University of New York

This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the original article.
By Margaret Ransom

China Horse Club and Clearsky Farms Abel Tasman on Friday unleashed an impressive last-to-first performance over a main Churchill Downs track that can be best described as a quagmire to win the $1 million Kentucky Oaks (GI). The daughter of Quality Road defeated a field of 13 of the best in her crop and won by 1  lengths on a surface that was officially listed as sloppy after a weeks worth of heavy rain.

The bay daughter of Quality Road gave her Hall of Fame trainer, Bob Baffert, his third winner in the Run for the Lillies and a second for her similarly enshrined jockey Mike Smith. At odds of more than 9-1, Abel Tasman was good for $20.40, $9.40 and $6.40. Daddys Lil Darling, who also closed strongly in the lane from way back early, crossed the wire in second and paid $11 and $6.60, capping off the $203 exacta. Near 37-1 chance Lockdown completed the $5,727 trifecta and was good for $18.40. The superfecta, which included 40-1 outsider Vexatious, paid $85,555.10.

As expected, Santa Anita Oaks (GI) heroine Paradise Woods sped right to the lead after the break and was joined to her outside by Gazelle Stakes (GI) winner Miss Sky Warrior and with (more)
AGT Food and Ingredients Inc. produces and exports pulses, staple foods, and food ingredients worldwide. It operates through three segments: Pulse and Grain Processing; Bulk Handling and Distribution; and Food Ingredients and Packaged Foods. The company offers lentils, peas, chickpeas, beans, popcorn, canary seed, flax, and other specialty seeds. The company also produces pulse proteins, fibers, starches, and flours for food ingredient and industrial uses; milled durum wheat products, such as semolina and pasta under the Arbella brand; and bulgur wheat, as well as medium grain and long grain milled rice. In addition, it offers retail and foodservice dry packaged and canned foods under the CLIC, Pouyoukas, and Freshpop brands; and distributes durum, sorghum, popcorn, coffee, canola, sugar, spices, and various seeds. The company was formerly known as Alliance Grain Traders Inc. and changed its name to AGT Food and Ingredients Inc. in October 2014. AGT Food and Ingredients Inc. was incorporated in 2009 and is headquartered in Regina, Canada.
Duck Creek Technologies, Inc. provides software-as-a-service core systems to the property and casualty insurance industry in the United States and internationally. The company provides Duck Creek Policy, a solution that enables insurers to develop and launch new insurance products and manage various aspects of policy administration ranging from product definition to quoting, binding, and servicing; Duck Creek Billing that provides payment and invoicing capabilities, such as billing and collections, commission processing, disbursement management, and general ledger capabilities for insurance lines and bill types; and Duck Creek Claims that supports entire claims lifecycle from first notice of loss through investigation, payments, negotiations, reporting, and closure. It also offers Duck Creek Rating that allows carriers to develop new rates and models and deliver quotes in real-time based on the complex rating algorithms; Duck Creek Insights, an insurance analytics solution that allows carriers to gather and analyze data from internal and external sources and facilitate analysis and reporting on a single system; Duck Creek Digital Engagement that offer digital interactions between property and casualty insurers and their agents, brokers, and policyholders; and Duck Creek Distribution Management that automates sales channel activities for agents and brokers, including producer onboarding, compliance, and compensation management. In addition, the company provides Duck Creek Reinsurance Management that automates financial and administrative functions; and Duck Creek Industry Content that provides pre-built content, including base business rules, product designs, rating algorithms, data capture screens, and workflows for insurance lines of business, such as commercial auto, inland marine, and workers compensation. It has a partnership with Shift Technologies, Inc. to implement AI fraud detection. The company was founded in 2016 and is based in Boston, Massachusetts.
Baxter International Inc., through its subsidiaries, develops and provides a portfolio of healthcare products worldwide. The company offers peritoneal dialysis and hemodialysis, and additional dialysis therapies and services; intravenous therapies, infusion pumps, administration sets, and drug reconstitution devices; remixed and oncology drug platforms, inhaled anesthesia and critical care products and pharmacy compounding services; parenteral nutrition therapies and related products; biological products and medical devices used in surgical procedures for hemostasis, tissue sealing and adhesion prevention; and continuous renal replacement therapies and other organ support therapies focused in the intensive care unit. It also provides connected care solutions, including devices, software, communications, and integration technologies; integrated patient monitoring and diagnostic technologies to help diagnose, treat, and manage a various illness and diseases, including respiratory therapy, cardiology, vision screening, and physical assessment; surgical video technologies, tables, lights, pendants, precision positioning devices and other accessories. In addition, the company offers contracted services to various pharmaceutical and biopharmaceutical companies. Its products are used in hospitals, kidney dialysis centers, nursing homes, rehabilitation centers, doctors' offices, and patients at home under physician supervision. The company sells its products through direct sales force, as well as through independent distributors, drug wholesalers, and specialty pharmacy or other alternate site providers in approximately 100 countries. It has an agreement with Celerity Pharmaceutical, LLC to develop acute care generic injectable premix and oncolytic molecules. Baxter International Inc. was incorporated in 1931 and is headquartered in Deerfield, Illinois.
Hawaiian Electric Industries, Inc., together with its subsidiaries, engages in the electric utility, banking, and renewable/sustainable infrastructure investment businesses in the state of Hawaii. It operates in three segments: Electric Utility, Bank, and Other. The Electric Utility segment engages in the production, purchase, transmission, distribution, and sale of electricity in the islands of Oahu, Hawaii, Maui, Lanai, and Molokai. Its renewable energy sources and potential sources include wind, solar, photovoltaic, geothermal, wave, hydroelectric, municipal waste, and other biofuels. This segment serves suburban communities, resorts, the United States armed forces installations, and agricultural operations. The Bank segment operates a community bank that offers banking and other financial services to consumers and businesses, including savings and checking accounts; and loans comprising residential and commercial real estate, residential mortgage, construction and development, multifamily residential and commercial real estate, consumer, and commercial loans. This segment operates 42 branches, including 29 branches in Oahu, 6 branches in Maui, 4 branches in Hawaii, 2 branches in Kauai, and 1 branch in Molokai. The Other segment invests in non-regulated renewable energy and sustainable infrastructure in the State of Hawaii. Hawaiian Electric Industries Inc. was incorporated in 1891 and is headquartered in Honolulu, Hawaii.
Nabors Industries Ltd. provides drilling and drilling-related services for land-based and offshore oil and natural gas wells. The company operates through five segments: U.S. Drilling, Canada Drilling, International Drilling, Drilling Solutions, and Rig Technologies. It provides tubular running, wellbore placement, directional drilling, measurement-while-drilling (MWD), equipment manufacturing, and rig instrumentation services; and logging-while-drilling systems and services, as well as drilling optimization software. The company also offers REVit, an automated real time stick-slip mitigation system; ROCKit, a directional steering control system; SmartNAV, a collaborative guidance and advisory platform; SmartSLIDE, an advanced directional steering control system; and RigCLOUD, which provides the tools and infrastructure to integrate applications to deliver real-time insight into operations across the rig fleet. In addition, it manufactures and sells top drives, catwalks, wrenches, drawworks, and other drilling related equipment, such as robotic systems and downhole tools; and provides aftermarket sales and services for the installed base of its equipment. As of December 31, 2021, the company marketed approximately 301 rigs for land-based drilling operations in the United States, Canada, and in 20 other countries worldwide; and 29 rigs for offshore platform drilling operations in the United States and internationally. Nabors Industries Ltd. was founded in 1952 and is based in Hamilton, Bermuda.
Eli Lilly and Company discovers, develops, and markets human pharmaceuticals worldwide. It offers Basaglar, Humalog, Humalog Mix 75/25, Humalog U-100, Humalog U-200, Humalog Mix 50/50, insulin lispro, insulin lispro protamine, insulin lispro mix 75/25, Humulin, Humulin 70/30, Humulin N, Humulin R, and Humulin U-500 for diabetes; and Jardiance, Trajenta, and Trulicity for type 2 diabetes. The company provides Alimta for non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and malignant pleural mesothelioma; Cyramza for metastatic gastric cancer, gastro-esophageal junction adenocarcinoma, metastatic NSCLC, metastatic colorectal cancer, and hepatocellular carcinoma; Erbitux for colorectal cancers, and various head and neck cancers; Retevmo for metastatic NSCLC, medullary thyroid cancer, and thyroid cancer; Tyvyt for relapsed or refractory classic Hodgkin's lymph and non-squamous NSCLC; and Verzenio for HR+, HER2- metastatic breast cancer, node positive, and early breast cancer. It offers Olumiant for rheumatoid arthritis; and Taltz for plaque psoriasis, psoriatic arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, and non-radiographic axial spondylarthritis. The company offers Cymbalta for depressive disorder, diabetic peripheral neuropathic pain, generalized anxiety disorder, fibromyalgia, and chronic musculoskeletal pain; Emgality for migraine prevention and episodic cluster headache; and Zyprexa for schizophrenia, bipolar I disorder, and bipolar maintenance. Its Bamlanivimab and etesevimab, and Bebtelovimab for COVID-19; Cialis for erectile dysfunction and benign prostatic hyperplasia; and Forteo for osteoporosis. The company has collaborations with Incyte Corporation; Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Inc.; AbCellera Biologics Inc.; Junshi Biosciences; Regor Therapeutics Group; Lycia Therapeutics, Inc.; Kumquat Biosciences Inc.; Entos Pharmaceuticals Inc.; and Foghorn Therapeutics Inc. Eli Lilly and Company was founded in 1876 and is headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana.
Southern Copper Corporation engages in mining, exploring, smelting, and refining copper and other minerals in Peru, Mexico, Argentina, Ecuador, and Chile. The company is involved in the mining, milling, and flotation of copper ore to produce copper and molybdenum concentrates; smelting of copper concentrates to produce blister and anode copper; refining of anode copper to produce copper cathodes; production of molybdenum concentrate and sulfuric acid; production of refined silver, gold, and other materials; and mining and processing of zinc and lead. It operates the Toquepala and Cuajone open-pit mines, and a smelter and refinery in Peru; and La Caridad, an open-pit copper mine, as well as a copper ore concentrator, a SX-EW plant, a smelter, refinery, and a rod plant in Mexico. The company also operates Buenavista, an open-pit copper mine, as well as two copper concentrators and two operating SX-EW plants in Mexico. In addition, it operates five underground mines that produce zinc, lead, copper, silver, and gold; a coal mine that produces coal and coke; and a zinc refinery. The company has interests in 82,134 hectares of exploration concessions in Peru; 493,533 hectares of exploration concessions in Mexico; 246,346 hectares of exploration concessions in Argentina; 29,888 hectares of exploration concessions in Chile; and 7,299 hectares of exploration concessions in Ecuador. Southern Copper Corporation was incorporated in 1952 and is based in Phoenix, Arizona. Southern Copper Corporation operates as a subsidiary of Americas Mining Corporation.
Telefonica Brasil S.A., together with its subsidiaries, provides mobile and fixed telecommunications services to residential and corporate customers in Brazil. Its fixed line services portfolio includes local, domestic long-distance, and international long-distance calls; and mobile portfolio comprises voice and broadband internet access through 3G, 4G, 4.5G, and 5G as well as mobile value-added services and wireless roaming services. The company also offers data services, including broadband and mobile data services. In addition, it provides pay TV services through direct to home satellite technology, IPTV, and cable, as well as pay-per-view and video on demand services; network services, such as rental of facilities; other services comprising internet access, private network connectivity, computer equipment leasing, extended service, caller identification, voice mail, cellular blocker, and others; wholesale services, including interconnection services to users of other network providers; and digital services, such as entertainment, cloud, and security and financial services. Further, the company offers multimedia communication services, which include audio, data, voice and other sounds, images, texts, and other information, as well as sells devices, such as smartphones, broadband USB modems, and other devices. Additionally, it provides telecommunications solutions and IT support to various industries, such as retail, manufacturing, services, financial institutions, government, etc. It markets and sells its solutions through own stores, dealers, retail and distribution channels, door-to-door sales, and outbound tele sales. The company was formerly known as Telecomunicacoes de Sao Paulo S.A. - TELESP and changed its name to Telefonica Brasil S.A. in October 2011. The company was incorporated in 1998 and is headquartered in Sao Paulo, Brazil.
The owners of a popular Billings lunch spot are expanding into Bozeman.

Mike and Antonia Craighill will open next month a third Soup and Such restaurant at a 3,000-square-foot store in Gallatin Mall at 2825 Main St.

It will be in a prominent spot: 30,000 square feet, off the food court, with an outside entrance next to Barnes & Noble and the 11-screen Regal Cinemas movie theater.

We really pair well with the movie theater, said Mike Craighill, noting how his Shiloh Crossing store in Billings is popular with movie patrons.

Soup and Such serves a buffet of soup, salad and breadsticks.

Soup and Such first opened in 2006 in Billings Heights, then expanded into downtown at 2716 Second Ave. N. two years later.

The Craighills then closed their original Heights location in 2012 so Antonia Craighill could open a bakery, Velvet Cupcakes, downtown. The Shiloh Crossing store opened in the fall of 2014.

Mike Craighill said the couple had explored returning to their roots and opening another Heights store, but the opportunity never worked out.

Bozeman is a good fit for the brand, with a growing culture for healthy eating and the Montana State University population, Craighill said.

He added that he will likely float among all three locations as a district manager, and he has a short-term lease on a Bozeman cabin. The Billings West End and Bozeman stores will have their own manager, he said.

Soup and Such will hire about 15 to 20 new employees in Gallatin County. Little will be different for customers, but workers will have a walk-in cooler and freezer in the back of the Bozeman store, Craighill said.

The Bozeman store will have the same hours as the one at Shiloh Crossing: 10:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Saturday, and 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Sunday.

Light store owner buys out partner

Lauri Patterson of One Source Lighting in Billings announced last week she bought out her partner for an undisclosed price and is now the sole owner of the business.

Patterson said last week the move gives her more control of the store, where she sells lighting products for residential and commercial construction and retail customers. She said she remains on good terms with her former partner, Matt Thesing of North Dakota, and can lean on him for ideas and tips.

This has kind of been my baby, and I wanted to be able to have that flexibility to run it as I saw, Patterson said.

Patterson worked for Thesing at the first One Source in Bismarck, N.D., while in college. A Billings native, she moved back home and managed the new store in 2003, she said. Four years later, she and Thesing became partners in the business.

Patterson is a certified lighting specialist and has a full showroom in the Central Avenue Plaza at 100 24th St. W. suite 3.

Dental franchise opens

Comfort Dental, a large franchise dentist, recently opened its first Billings practice at 918 Grand Ave., the former home of Lets Party.

The owners are Drs. Katerina Robinson, Andrew Johnson and Josh Erekson.

The practice is advertising $19 for new patients, including an exam and X-rays. Comfort Dental also accepts Medicaid patients.

Hours are 7:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. Monday through Friday and 7:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Saturday.

Comfort Dental was founded by Dr. Rick A. Kushner in 1977. He launched the first practice at the Marquette University School of Dentistry in Milwaukee, Wisc., and more than 150 franchises have since opened in 13 states.

Chamber forming new advocacy committee

The Billings Chamber of Commerce is seeking applications for two new committees aimed at boosting its business advocacy.

One group is aimed at local government, and the other is for state and federal government. Nine members will comprise each committee.

The business advocacy committees are designed to build upon the chambers former government program, chamber officials said.

Applications should be sent to daniel@billingschamber.com or dropped off at the chambers main office at 815 S. 27th St.

Haikus from the valley

Heres what Ive gleaned from casual viewings of the (mostly negative) campaign ads Im seeing now.

Quist, Gianforte

One cant pay his bills and one
Teleflex Incorporated designs, develops, manufactures, and supplies single-use medical devices for common diagnostic and therapeutic procedures in critical care and surgical applications worldwide. It provides vascular access products that comprise Arrow branded catheters, catheter navigation and tip positioning systems, and intraosseous access systems for the administration of intravenous therapies, the measurement of blood pressure, and the withdrawal of blood samples through a single puncture site. The company also offers interventional products, which consists of various coronary catheters, structural heart therapies, and peripheral intervention and cardiac assist products that are used by interventional cardiologists and radiologists, and vascular surgeons; and Arrow branded catheters, Guideline and Trapliner catheters, the Manta Vascular Closure, and Arrow Oncontrol devices. It provides anesthesia products, such as airway and pain management products to support hospital, emergency medicine, and military channels; and surgical products, including metal and polymer ligation clips, and fascial closure surgical systems that are used in laparoscopic surgical procedures, percutaneous surgical systems, and other surgical instruments. The company also offers interventional urology products comprising the UroLift System, an invasive technology for treating lower urinary tract symptoms due to benign prostatic hyperplasia; and respiratory products, including oxygen and aerosol therapies, spirometry, and ventilation management products for use in various care settings. It provides urology products, such as catheters, urine collectors, and catheterization accessories and products for operative endourology; and bladder management services. The company serves hospitals and healthcare providers, medical device manufacturers, and home care markets. The company was incorporated in 1943 and is headquartered in Wayne, Pennsylvania.
The Twins and free agent right-hander Doug Fister had discussions many, many, many weeks ago, but there hasnt been any recent talk between the two sides, reports Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN (Twitter link). Minnesota has played surprisingly well this year (15-13, plus-3 run differential), but it will probably have to add to its rotation in order to have any chance to hang around the playoff race. While its possible the 33-year-old Fister could provide a back-of-the-rotation upgrade over the likes of Adalberto Mejia, Nick Tepesch and the just-optioned Kyle Gibson, he hasnt exactly been stellar lately. After effectively using his pitch-to-contact style to serve as a quality starter in Seattle, Detroit and Washington from 2010-14, Fister came back to earth with the Astros and Nationals over the past two years. In 283 1/3 innings, he logged a 4.48 ERA and a 4.68 FIP.

More from the American League:
The Mets, continuing an eventful Sunday, have claimed left-hander Tommy Milone off waivers from the Brewers, reports Marc Carig of Newsday (Twitter link). Milone had been in limbo since the Brewers designated him for assignment on Monday.

The 30-year-old Milone could step into the Mets injury-laden rotation immediately, replacing Rafael Montero, a source told Anthony DiComo of MLB.com (on Twitter). Ace Noah Syndergaard went down with a partially torn right lat last week and wont return until after the All-Star break, while Steven Matz and Seth Lugo have dealt with elbow injuries, and Matt Harvey, Robert Gsellman and Zack Wheeler have produced back-of-the-rotation-caliber results this year. Moreover, quality depth has been lacking behind the Mets healthy starters, evidenced by the miserable spot starts Montero and Adam Wilk have turned in this week.

With a 4.21 ERA, 6.46 K/9 and a 2.23 BB/9 over 709 1/3 major league innings (135 appearances, 121 starts), Milones resume suggests hell serve as an upgrade over the likes of Montero and Wilk. However, Milone has struggled mightily to prevent runs dating back to last season, having combined for a 5.88 ERA across 90 1/3 frames with the Twins and Brewers. Nevertheless, with just over $1MM in salary remaining on the $1.25MM he signed with Milwaukee in the offseason, Milone comes at a low price for the Mets. Hes also controllable via arbitration through 2018.
On Wednesday, 26th of April, 2017, news broke that Former President John Agyekum Kufuor had been appointed Senior Grand Warden of the United Grand Lodge of England (UGLE). The report said he was appointed by Prince Edward, the Duke of Kent, the longest serving Grand Master. Eventually the lodge announced on its Facebook page that "Congratulations to Right Worshipful Brother, His Excellency John Kofi Agyekum Kufuor, PGSwdB, former President of the Republic of Ghana, who has been appointed Senior Grand Warden by the Grand Master, His Royal Highness, The Duke of Kent.

The debate therefore became very topical on social media about free masonry and the church with President Kuffour a well-known Catholic in view.

Pulse.com.gh later on Friday named some prominent Ghanaians alleged to be members of the masonry. Popular names such as Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, the Asantehene; Dr Alex Tweneboah, the ex-President of the Ghana Real Estate Developers Association (GREDA); Otwasuom Osei Nyampong VI, Kamenahene of the Akwamu; Prof. Christopher Ameyaw-Ekumfi, the current Board Chairman of the Ghana Infrastructural Investment Fund as well as John Henry Martey Newman, a Ghanaian Historian, Administrator, Lawyer and also the Chief of Staff of Ghana under President John Atta Mills are all names linked to the 'cult'.

Though there have been attempt to make the cult look good in the eyes of many, it appears many also have a different view of their activities. For instance the 'Masonic Lodge of Education' reported on its website that " Freemasonry is a voluntary, fraternal organization, composed of men of good will, good character and good reputation, whom in most jurisdictions around the world, believe in an Almighty Creator and practice the spirit of universal brotherhood to man. They are loyal to their country and devote their time to the principles of friendship and fellowship. Their focus is to be of service to all mankind. Freemasonry fulfills a part of themselves that they intrinsically felt was missing. Whether it be the social, the philosophical, the spiritual, the historical or simply a sense of community with others; you will find within Freemasonry that part of you which you seek."

Indeed the motto of Free Masonry as has been embossed on their logo is "Making Good Men feel Better, Since Time Immemorial".

Though citifmonline.com reports that "The United Grand Lodge of England claims to be the oldest Grand Lodge in the world, by descent from the first Grand Lodge formed in London in 1717," Wikipedia on the other hand says "Freemasonry or Masonry consists of fraternal organisations that trace their origins to the local fraternities of stonemasons, which is from the end of the fourteenth century." Wikipedia however adds that "the basic, local organisational unit of Freemasonry is the Lodge."

So I tried to find out what the church's position on Free Masonry is? According to my brother at the Pedu Catholic Seminary who will soon be ordained Catholic priest, "Free Masonry is a RELIGION. Just as you cannot be a faithful Christian and a faithful Muslim at the same time, so in the same way you can't be a Catholic Christian and a Masonry. Both have different set of principles. You can't even compare.

"Remember that NO ONE can serve two masters equally. You either CHOOSE to be a Christian or a Muslim. In like manner you either CHOOSE to be a Catholic or a Masonry. You can't be both. Its simple, yet very difficult for some people." This is a corroboration of the most recent condemnation of Freemasonry as it is contained in the Declaration on Masonic Associations issued by the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith on 26 November 1983. This document, which was written by Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger (the future Pope Benedict XVI) and approved by Pope John Paul II, declared that Masonic principles are irreconcilable with the doctrine of Church, and that Catholic membership in Freemasonry remains forbidden

It is important to note that as early as 1738, the Catholic church had condemned Masonry and had ordered excommunication as a means of punishment to its members who join the (Free Masonry) cult.

This constitution was the first public written attack by the papacy against Masonry. In 'In Eminenti' the principal objections to Freemasonry given were: that it was open to men of all religions; that there were oaths taken; that Masons denied clerical authority, and that Masons met in secret. Pope Clement forbade Masonic membership by Catholics and directed the "Inquisitors of Heretical Depravity" to take action against Catholics who became Masons or assisted Freemasonry in any way. He ordered excommunication as punishment for those who defied his ban (Pope Clement XII, In Eminenti , 28 April 1738).

According to Most Rev. Joseph Osei-Bonsu, "Many people regard Freemasonry as a benevolent and charitable organization, somehow similar to the Rotary and Lions Clubs, the Knights of Marshall, the Knights of St. John International or the Knights of Columbus. Undoubtedly, it is for this reason that some Catholics join this fraternity. Nevertheless, Catholics are forbidden to become Freemasons."

Most Rev. Osei Bonsu concluded his talk on "Can a Catholic be a Freemason? delivered at the Forum of Catholic Knights in Ghana on March 6, 2013 at Christ the King Parish in Accra by saying, "It is clear from the foregoing that Freemasonry is a religion in its own right, with doctrines that are irreconcilable with Christian doctrines. What it teaches about the following cannot be reconciled with Christian beliefs, i.e., God, Christ, the denial of the role of grace and Christ in salvation, morality, its attitude towards the Bible, eschatology, the masonic oaths and the notion of rebirth and enlightenment. For this reason, one cannot simultaneously be a Catholic and a Freemason. One will have to make a choice between Catholicism and Freemasonry" (Published by Marshall, 31st December, 2014).

My brother the seminarian therefore concluded his chat with me on this note: "As Pope Clement XIII recommended in his "In Eminenti", the punishment is total excommunication. And what is important to note is that the position of the Church remains unchanged as was stated by by Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger (the future Pope Benedict XVI) in the CONGREGATION FOR THE DOCTRINE OF THE FAITH DECLARATION ON MASONIC ASSOCIATIONS that The Churchs position is that Freemasonry is a religion in its own right with its own doctrines, which are not compatible with Christian beliefs. For this reason one cannot simultaneously be a Christian and be a Freemason, just as one cannot be a Christian and at the same time be a Muslim, or a Hindu, a Shintoist or a practitioner of African Traditional Religion.

The Writer is a Student Leader, Youth/Political Activist and a Journalist.

KWasi Frimpong SayItRight

+233201833775

[email protected] / [email protected]

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I try to shy away from discussing faiths of any kind because more often than not, people react as adherents rather than objective discussant and end up blurring and confusing things.

This is the first time I am hearing or being told that Christianity is not a religion by anyone until a fellow discussant posited such. Tuntun ni yen o! (That is new).

There is the contention that those of us who believe in Ifa do not understand the Christian Scripture. I do, even though it is not a necessity for me to believe in the faith of my forefathers.

The fist flaw of assuming that those of us who don't share the Christian or Islamic faiths don't understand their Scriptures is that they are also guilty of the same accusation. Will it not be correct if I contend that the Christian and Islamic evangelists echoing this view do not understand Ifa Scripture? This is something they had NEVER studied, something they have no idea about but just parroting a debauchery?

The second flaw in their position is their failure to answer the question as to why would I put my faith in a book like Bible or Quran that some purveyors of the Christian and Islamic faiths have put together over the scriptures of Ifa Oracle that my forefathers put together, though not in a single book?

The information in the books called the Bible, and the Quran are results of the handiwork of those who believe in those faiths and it doesn't make them superior to what Ifa originators and believers had put together.

With all the mistakes, contradictions and confusions in the Bible and Quran, it is only FAITH that make people take them hook, line and sinker. In matters of religion, "BELIEVING IS SEEING" and not "SEEING IS BELIEVING". Otherwise, the Christian Bible or the Islamic Quran would not be able to stand the rigours of serious religious, intellectual and moral scrutiny.

It is FAITH that has helped the adherents of Christianity and Islam to stick to their beliefs despite all the contradictions in their Scriptures. It is the same FAITH that makes us believe in the efficacy, efficiency and effectiveness of Ifa Oracle over and above the Christian Bible and the Islamic Quran.

The glee with which ignorant Christian and Islamic evangelists attack my Yoruba Culture and religions has HYPOCRISY painted all over it. The cultural milieu from whence their Christian and Islamic faiths sprouted had a lot of moral debasement. It has to be so, because they are milieus populated by imperfect human beings. Why the hypocritical purveyors of Christianity and Islam would not be willing to concede to the Yoruba or any other African Traditional society that luxury only underscores and underlines their debauchery.

Whatever anyone quotes from the Bible or the Quran has no relevance over and above what is in Ifa Scriptures or any other Scriptures of any other faith for that matter be it Hindu or Bhuda.

In my opinion, Christian Gospels is one genre of faith. Ifa Oracle is a genre in its own class.Just as there are several others. The claim of SUPERIORITY by Christianity or Islam over others has no basis except probably in the volume of its adherents which in itself is a product of Centuries of killing, maiming and destruction in Crusades and JIHADS respectively.

No religion or faith is superior to another. Every faith or religion is an expression of spiritual experience sprouted from cultural farms.

This is why you will NEVER find a reference to Yoruba, Igbo, Asante, Akan, Tuareg, Mumuye or Kataf in the Bible. It is also the same reason you will not find reference to the Jews, the Saxons or the Anglos in Ifa Scriptures.

But because faith is a universal experience, it is possible for Yoruba, Kataf or Asante people to relate to the Christian Bible or Islamic Quran just as it has been possible for Germans, British, Italians, Americans, Brazilians, Argentines, Peruvians, and several others to relate without any inhibition to Ifa Scriptures and faith.

I really don't want to go into negatives of Christianity or Islam as faiths and why I am more in tune with Ifa. It is why I am advising that each should stick to his own faith without denigrating another man's faith and belief.

The usual practice of Christians and Muslims attacking my Yoruba Culture and religions has economic and political undertones. It has to stop otherwise some of us will also be forced to defend our faith and continue to expose the lies embedded in the Christian and Islamic faiths in the deceit of human race.

But we want harmony amongst all, the best thing is to live and let live. Practice your Christianity and Islam and let me follow my Ifa Oracle. ORUN NIKAN LO MO ENITI YIO LA, so posited by my forefathers. And they are ABSOLUTELY CORRECT.

In the long history of the world, only a few generations have been granted the role of defending freedom in its hour of maximum danger. I do not shrink from this responsibility  I welcome it.

- John F. Kennedy, in his Inaugural Address January 20, 1961

Follow me on Twitter @OyeyemiRemi.
Rome (AFP) - Some 6,000 migrants hoping to head to Europe were rescued in the Mediterranean on Friday and Saturday in dozens of frantic operations coordinated by the Italian coastguard.

Some 3,000 were picked up Saturday by the navy, coastguard, EU border agency Frontex and several NGOs, the coastguard said in a statement.

Some of them have already been taken to shore in Italy while others, including 730 onboard a ship operated by Doctors Without Borders (MSF), were on their way.

The Libyan coastguard told AFP it had picked up around 170 migrants off Tripoli on Saturday, but had failed to rescue others "due to a lack of means".

The rescues came a day after around 3,000 others were found floating in rubber boats and on makeshift rafts after having left Libya, heading towards Italy.

The International Organization for Migration meanwhile said fishermen had rescued 371 migrants Friday off the coast of the Libyan town of Zuwara.

Italy and Libya have moved to boost cooperation in recent months in order to cut the number of people risking their lives by attempting the dangerous Mediterranean crossing.

The Italian government said in a deal signed with Libya in February that it would offer manpower as well as technical assistance to the Libyan coastguard.

Rome said this week that it had delivered two speedboats to Libya at the end of last month, with eight more due by the end of June.

Some 37,000 people, many of them sub-Saharan Africans, have arrived in Italy from Libya since the start of the year -- a figure some thirty percent higher than a year earlier, according to the Italian interior ministry.

More than 4,500 migrants died or were missing and feared drowned in 2016, and another 1,000 have met the same fate this year.
Jordan Ayew provided a key assist for Swansea as they beat Everton to leapfrog Hull City and move out of the relegation drop zone,

Fernando Llorente netted shortly before the half hour, heading in Jordan Ayew's brilliant cross at the back post, as the hosts capitalised on Hull Citys shock defeat at home to Sunderland earlier on Saturday.

The Swans were the better team throughout but could not add to the lead, with Ayew coming closest when he hit the post to set up a nervy finish.

However the visitors did not create any meaningful chances all match and Lukasz Fabianski was not forced into a difficult save.

Swansea, on 35 points, are now one point clear of Hull with two games remaining in the battle for survival.
Abuja (AFP) - Nigeria on Saturday said it had negotiated the release of 82 of the more than 200 schoolgirls kidnapped by Boko Haram Islamists more than three years ago, securing their freedom in a prisoner swap deal.

The presidency announced that months of talks with the jihadists had "yielded results", just over six months after 21 of their classmates were freed with the help of international mediators.

"Today 82 more Chibok girls were released," it said.

"After lengthy negotiations, our security agencies have taken back these girls, in exchange for some Boko Haram suspects held by the authorities."

No details were given about how many suspects were released or their identities.

The girls were to be taken to Abuja on Sunday to meet President Muhammadu Buhari, the presidency said, thanking security agencies, the Swiss government and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC).

"The president has repeatedly expressed his total commitment towards ensuring the safe return of the Chibok girls and all other Boko Haram captives," it added.

A military and a civilian militia source in Banki, near the border with Cameroon, said "at least 80" girls were brought to the town late afternoon on Saturday and taken to military barracks.

Shehu Sani, a Nigerian senator who has been involved in previous negotiations with Boko Haram, told AFP the girls were mostly "in good condition".

The talks lasted for "almost three to four months" and had initially discussed the release of 50 girls but the number was later increased, he said.

The government would now look to securing the release of the remaining hostages, he added.

Symbol of the conflict

Nigerian troops patrol Banki where "at least 80" girls were brought after the government negotiated the release of 82 of over 200 schoolgirls kidnapped by Boko Haram

Boko Haram fighters stormed the Government Girls Secondary School in the remote town of Chibok on the evening of April 14, 2014 and kidnapped 276 teenaged girls who were preparing to sit high school exams.

Fifty seven managed to escape in the hours that followed but the remaining 219 were held by the group.

Boko Haram leader Abubakar Shekau, whose fight to create a hardline Islamic state in northeast Nigeria has left at least 20,000 dead since 2009, claimed in a video message that they had converted to Islam.

The audacious kidnapping brought the insurgency to world attention, triggering global outrage that galvanised support from the former US first lady Michelle Obama and Hollywood stars.

Parents and supporters of the missing girls -- who have become a symbol of the conflict -- last month marked the three year anniversary of the abduction, describing the situation as an unending "nightmare".

But they said previous releases had given them strength.

Enoch Mark, a Christian pastor whose two daughters were among those kidnapped, said he was told of the latest release by the #BringBackOurGirls pressure group and an official in Maiduguri.

He added: "This is good news to us. We have been waiting for this day. We hope the remaining girls will soon be released."

Boko Haram has used kidnapping as a weapon of war, seizing thousands of women and children, including the Chibok girls, and forcibly recruiting young men and boys into their ranks.

In a less publicised attack in November 2014, some 300 children were among about 500 people kidnapped from the town of Damasak, on the border with Niger, in the far north of Borno state.

Most are still missing.

Ongoing talks

The release of the 21 girls in October last year followed talks between Boko Haram and the Nigerian government brokered by the ICRC and the Swiss.

Three other girls have also been found. The first had a baby and was accompanied by a man she said was her husband but the military said was a Boko Haram suspect.

Boko Haram's Shekau has previously said the girls would be released if militant fighters held in Nigerian government custody were freed.

At the time of the release of the 21, Buhari's spokesman Garba Shehu said the government was hoping to secure the release of 83 others being held by a different Boko Haram faction.

Last month he said in a radio interview that there were ongoing negotiations involving "some foreign entities" to release the 195 girls still believed held.

He told BBC Hausa the ICRC and Swiss government "have not withdrawn their support in the negotiations".

Other countries were also involved, he added, without elaborating.

The ICRC has not yet commented on the latest release.

On Friday, Britain and the United States issued a security alert warning of a Boko Haram plot to kidnap foreigners in the Banki area, which led to the suspension of aid flights to the town Saturday.
A seven member Ghana government delegation is attending the 12Th session of the United Nations Forum on Forests (UNFF12) at United Nations Headquarters in New York.

Led by Professor Bruce Banoeng-Yakubu, Chief Director of the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources (MLNR), it includes Mr. Kwadwo Owusu-Afriyie, Chief Executive Officer of the Forestry Commission, (FC) Mr.Musah Abu-Juam, Technical Director of Forestry, Mr. Joseph Osiakwan, UN Forest Forum Focal Point, Mr. Oppon Sasu, Director of Donor Relations, Forestry Commission, Mr. David Kpelle, Director of Operations, Wildlife Division and Mr. Emmanuel Okrang, Communications Officer, MNNR.

The five-day meeting is focusing on technical issues related to sustainable forest management and strategies to promote the implementation of the Strategic Plan. It is also is looking at the contribution of forests to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, including the strengthening of cooperation and political commitment at all levels.

Presenting Ghanas case at the forum, Prof. Banoeng-Yakubu said that the global relevance of forests can only be appreciated if member countries implement strategies and actions that will enhance the viability of the contribution of forests to national socio-economic development and global environmental sustainability.

To promote sustainable forest management, he mentioned that Ghana has reviewed and launched a new Forest and Wildlife Policy (2012) that outlines measures to promote sustainable forest management.

In addition, he said that the country had launched the Ghana Forestry Development Master Plan 2016- 2036 as the national framework to promote sustainable forests management.

As part of the efforts to combat forestation and forest degradation and to implement measures towards mitigation the impact of climate change, the Chief Director, said We have successfully prepared and initiated the implementation of the Ghana Reducing Deforestation and Forest Degradation, the Ghana REDD+Strategy 20216, with funding from the Forest Carbon Partnership Facility of the World Bank.

Additionally, Prof. Professor Bruce Banoeng-Yakubu said that the country had launched the Ghana Forestry Plantation Strategy, 2016-2040, which seeks to promote the regeneration and restoration of degraded forests, other forest landscapes and provide alternatives to the supply of wood from the natural forests.

To create awareness on the importance of forests, he noted that the celebration of the International Day of the Forests has been instituted as an annual five month long programme that includes community durbars, television and radio discussions throughout the country.

Furthermore, the Chief Director mentioned that trees are planted throughout the country between May and June each year taking into consideration the International Biodiversity Day and the World Environment Day respectively.

Opening the forum, Mr. Peter Thompson, president of the UN General Assembly reminded the member states that despite forests being essential to balancing the global ecosystem, to maintaining human well-being decades of unsustainable use and management practices have destroyed degraded and depleted enormous quantities of the planets natural forests.

To this day, 13 million hectares of forests continue to be lost each year. The reasons for this deforestation are multitudinous, but they are all largely driven by human activity. They include population growth and resulting consumption pressures increasing the demand for agricultural land, while at the same time expanding urban centres onto forest lands. They include the impacts of mining activities and the unsustainable harvesting of forest resources, such as native timber and palm oil, he noted

Stressing that the meeting has come at a critical time in global efforts to protect the health of our forests, he said that Forests are home to more than 80 percent of all land-based species of animals, plants and insects.

To buttress his point, Mr. Thompson said that an estimated 1.6 billion people  or 25 percent of the global population  depended on the forest for food security and nutrition, for income and livelihoods, and as a source of energy, fuel and other natural resources.
Anane Institute in collaboration with the Techiman Times newspaper has organized a one- day training workshop for 21 Unit Committee members at Techiman in the Brong Ahafo region.

The workshop was aimed at enhancing the knowledge of the members of the Unit Committees on their duties as enshrined in the local government regulation. The workshop was also used to discuss the solutions to the many challenges the members face in the performance of their duties.

The resource person for the training was Mr. Mensah Gyasi, the Techiman Municipal Director of the NCCE. The representatives of the Presiding Member of the Municipal Assembly, the Member of Parliament for Techiman South Constituency also graced the occasion.

The Anane Institute is private research and training company which specializes in local governance, sports, culture and creative industries.

Mr. Edward Twum Anane, Chairman of the program and also a lecturer at Catholic University Sunyani commended the Anane Institute for building the capacity of the members. He urged the honourable members to apply the knowledge acquired in the performance of their duties.
Research and education think tank Africa Centre for International Law and Accountability (ACILA) has said it supports the formation of an African criminal court if only it will deliver justice to victims.

South Africa, Kenya, Burundi, and some other African countries have all threatened to quit the ICC because its obligations are inconsistent with laws that grant sitting leaders diplomatic immunity.

Additionally, some analysts have argued that the ICC is targeting only Africans while persons accused of similar crimes on other continents walk free, hence it is time for all African states to consider an alternative.

The Executive Director of ACILA, William Nyarko, who was a guest on Class FMs World Affairs programme, said justice for victims is important and that is the basis of domestic or international law so that it is not a focus on perpetrators who commit the crime, so any avenues including the ICC or the proposed African Criminal Court should be welcomed.

He stated: We must not have immunity provisions which will ensure that if heads of state are directing the commission of these crimes they should not be held to account.

For him, crimes against humanity must be stopped when such leaders are in office and not when they are out of government and the acts have been committed.

Citing Article 46a of the Malabo Protocol, he explained that the immunity provision for African heads of state and government and senior government officials in the Malabo Protocol goes against the object and purpose of the Malabo Protocol, impunity, and international justice and must be removed to prevent impunity for international crimes in Africa.

Article 46A states: No charges shall be commenced or continued before the court against any serving AU Head of State or Government, or anybody acting or entitled to act in such capacity, or other senior state officials based on their functions, during their tenure of office."

Meanwhile, Amnesty International (AI) and other human rights bodies in Africa have kicked against proposals for the exit of African countries from the International Criminal Court (ICC).

Netsanet Belay, Amnesty Internationals Research and Advocacy Director for Africa, has argued that even though the ICC can perform better, allegations of targeting Africa are misguided.

He told the host Dr Etse Sikanku on Friday May 5: It is a deliberate propaganda against the legitimacy of the ICC.

He was quick to add that one cannot evade the uncomfortable truth that the ICC could do better because it has so many flaws and so many challenges particularly ensuring that other pressing situations outside Africa like Afghanistan, Palestine, Georgia is advanced like the ones in Africa.

Nonetheless, he held the view that the ICC had been able to address a myriad of issues and brought culprits who have committed serious crimes against vulnerable people.

Dr Gassan Abess, as Advisor on Human Rights, Research and Criminal Justice at the Centre for Accountability and the Rule of Law in Sierra Leone, held the view that the ICC had done more good in addressing issues of abuse and injustice.

I will not recommend withdrawal from the ICC, Dr Abess said on the same radio programme.

For him, there are many countries in Africa, with some states having a weak criminal justice system and poorly equipped military for whom law enforcement in some situations is a challenge.

He said he was not against an African answer to African problems but the current proposals by African leaders seeking an exit from the ICC are not solutions.
Amnesty International (AI) and other human rights bodies in Africa have kicked against proposals for the exit of African countries from the International Criminal Court (ICC).

South Africa, Kenya, Burundi, and some other African countries have all threatened to quit the ICC because its obligations are inconsistent with laws that grant sitting leaders diplomatic immunity.

Additionally, some analysts have argued that the ICC is targeting only Africans while letting culprits of similar crimes on other continents go without prosecution.

But Netsanet Belay, Amnesty Internationals Research and Advocacy Director for Africa, has argued that even though the ICC can perform better, allegations of targeting Africa are misguided.

He told Dr Etse Sikanku on Class FMs World Affairs programme on Friday May 5: It is a deliberate propaganda against the legitimacy of the ICC.

He was quick to add that one cannot evade the uncomfortable truth that the ICC could do better because it has so many flaws and so many challenges particularly ensuring that other pressing situations outside Africa like Afghanistan, Palestine, Georgia is advanced like the ones in Africa.

Nonetheless, he held the view that the ICC had been able to address a myriad of issues and brought culprits who have committed serious crimes against vulnerable people.

Dr Gassan Abess, as Advisor on Human Rights, Research and Criminal Justice at the Centre for Accountability and the Rule of Law in Sierra Leone, held the view that the ICC had done more good in addressing issues of abuse and injustice.

I will not recommend withdrawal from the ICC, Dr Abess said on the same radio programme.

For him, there are many countries in Africa, with some states having a weak criminal justice system and poorly equipped military for whom law enforcement in some situations is a challenge.

He said he was not against an African answer to African problems but the current proposals by African leaders seeking an exit from the ICC are not solutions.
07.05.2017 LISTEN

A SPECIAL NOTE: In New York, this author sat in a class with a Guinean/Senegalese/Sierra Leonean young lady who vigorously and unabashedly defended female genital mutilation. She later confided in this author that she had one herself and will defend it until her last breath. She even said she will approve it for her daughters any day, any time. Obviously she was strongly in favor of the practice while this author opposed it unconditionally).

Here we go:

MADAM EFUA DORKENOO, AN UNCOMPROMISING GENIUS BEHIND THE INTERNATIONAL CAMPAIGN AGAINST FEMALE GENITAL MUTILATION (FGM)

First, we dedicate two-part series (Female Genital Mutilation In Ghana?) to the late Madam Efua Dorkenoo, perhaps the fearless leading voice against female genital mutilation and an unwavering campaigner for womens rights and gender equality. The Cape Coast-born Madam Dorkenoo founded the Foundation for Womens Health, Research and Development (Forward) (website: forwarduk.org.uk), an activist organization whose institutional purpose The Guardian describes as follows:

It aimed to safeguard the sexual and reproductive health and rights of African women and girls, with a focus on the abolition of FGM. Within two years of the organisations arrival, and with Efuas work acting as a catalyst, FGM was made illegal in Britain, with the passing of the Prohibition of Female Circumcision Act in 1985.

Second, we shall ask our readers to take a look at Madama Dorkenoos books Cutting the Rose: Female Genital Mutilation: The Practice & Its Prevention and Female Genital Mutilation: Politics and Prevention. Both books will surely educate those who have limited or no in-depth knowledge of the practice (Note: Weve mentioned Madam Dorkenoo in some of our articles. For instance, in our 2013 article Leave Tsatsu Tsikata Alone (11) and our 2016 The Gandhi Statue Removal Petition Has Nothing to Do With J.B. Danquah (1)).

The first book made it to Africas 100 Best Books of the 20th Century. Readers should also note that weve already discussed Africas 100 Best Books of the 20th Century in some of our articles. (Note: A report Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting: Data and Trends (Update 2017) appearing in Population Reference Bureau (PRB) declares: In Cameroon, Ghana, and Tanzania, PREVELANCE IS MORE THAN TWICE AS HIGH IN RURAL AREAS (emphasis added).

However, a report by the Gender, Children and Social Protection Ministry in 2017 says:

The practice is around two percent, one quarter of what it was 30 years ago. This means that it is not down to zero yet. The report states further: there are strong regional differencesThere are much higher prevalence rates in the Upper west and Upper East RegionsThough FGM is not allowed, some people still hide it and do it and many girls are still suffering it because they are not reported, nobody hears of them and action is not taken.

The Gender, Children and Social Protection Ministry, however, is optimistic that it will virtually eliminate the practice by 2030! How, we dont know! Why by 2030? How did they arrive at a ballpark estimate of 2%? What does this amount to in terms of regional breakdown? What is the margin of error, if any?

Which statistical methods were used, who collected the data and how was the data collected? Which age group(s) was involved in this study? What is the sample size, and how was this determined?

Unfortunately before we submitted this article for publication we visited the website of the Gender, Children and Social Protection Ministry on a number of occasions, lest no discerning reader should come after us questioning the validity of our statistical claims, for an original copy of the said report but found nothing.

Therefore we call upon the Gender, Children and Social Protection Ministry to make the report and data available to the public for a constructive, discursive examination and balanced criticism. After all, basic though important documents such as this report should be accessible to the public.

Well, lets not make Madam Dorkenoos memorable activism, work, and tireless efforts go to waste. In that regard, we can memorialize her legacy and we must honor her by bringing this shameful chapter in our national life to an absolute end. She deserves a place in the pantheon of Ghanaian and African heroines and heroes.

Then, finally, influential women leaders such as Madam Rebecca Akufo-Addo, the current presidents wife and Madam Otiko Afisa Djaba, Minister for Gender, Children, and Social Protection, should closely read Madam Dorkenoos written works and also study her lifetime work of activism well, that is intimately without political blinders on, if they have not in fact done this already, for teachable insights into what humanism, self-sacrifice, social justice, gender inequality are all about, as well as into the complicated issues of maternal/infant mortality and morbidity, sexism, rape, workplace discrimination against women in particular, and all forms of violence against women in general.

At this point we will dedicated Rachel Pattens to Madam Dorkenoos memory:

Like a small boat on the ocean

Sending big waves into motion

Like how a single word can make a heart open

I might only have one match

But I can make an explosion

And all those things I didn't say

Wrecking balls inside my brain

I will scream them loud tonight

Can you hear my voice this time?

And yes, even as Madam Dorkenoo is screaming loud tonight against the shameful practices of female genital mutilation and gender inequality and trokosi and child marriage, can we still hear her roaring moral voice from the great beyond? With that said, here is more about her:

Efua Dorkenoo, who has died aged 65 after undergoing treatment for cancer, was a tireless campaigner against female genital mutilation. She was widely regarded as the mother of the worldwide movement to end FGM. Efua fought for more than 30 years to ensure the protection of girls and women from a practice that violates their human rights.

She was born in Cape Coast, Ghana, daughter of John and Marian Elliot-Yorke. One of 11 children, she grew up on the campus of Adisadel college, Cape Coast, where her father was the school nurse, and went on to attend Wesley girls high school, where she eventually became a house prefect. At the age of 17, Efua moved to London, where she became a staff nurse at various hospitals including the Royal Free.

She was first exposed to FGM in the 1970s when she witnessed the agonies of a woman who had undergone infibulation, as she struggled to give birth. To Efua, FGM was the most inhumane practice she had ever seen, and the failure of doctors to help women who had undergone it, or even to acknowledge it, made them complicit in the suffering.

She began campaigning against the practice in the early 80s, while working for the charity Minority Rights Group. She went on to research FGM at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine and gained a masters degree in 1982.

Under the auspices of the MRG, Efua published the first report on the subject in Britain. This helped her secure the necessary funds to set up the Foundation for Womens Health, Research and Development (Forward), in 1983. It aimed to safeguard the sexual and reproductive health and rights of African women and girls, with a focus on the abolition of FGM. Within two years of the organisations arrival, and with Efuas work acting as a catalyst, FGM was made illegal in Britain, with the passing of the Prohibition of Female Circumcision Act in 1985.

Her struggle was not without personal consequences. By taking on an age-old custom, she often provoked the wrath of traditionalists. Efuas determination to end FGM, however, did not allow her to slow down. She often remarked that there is no time to rest while children are being abused.

For her work with Forward, Efua was appointed OBE in 1994. That was also the year in which her Cutting the Rose: Female Genital Mutilation: The Practice and Its Prevention was published. It was the first time any publication had explored FGM in such depth and the book is still considered an essential read. In 2002, it was selected by an international jury as one of Africas 100 best books of the 20th century.

Efuas expertise in the field was sought by the World Health Organisation, where from 1995 until 2001 she was acting director of the department of womens health. In that capacity, she coordinated regional action plans against FGM in six African countries (Burkina Faso, Ghana, Cameroon, Kenya, Somalia and Sudan), helping to move the issue of FGM on to the agenda of ministries of health.

Throughout her work at the WHO, Efua struggled to ensure all member states banned FGM. Efua felt that misguided cultural sensitivities were delaying progress in its abolition, and so she promoted the framing of the practice as a human rights violation. At the WHO she succeeded, but the United Nations did not follow suit until 2012.

Efua grew impatient with the pace of progress, knowing that each year millions of girls around the world were subjected to the practice. She left the WHO for Equality Now, a pioneering womens rights organisation that in 2000 awarded her a joint lifetime achievement award with Gloria Steinem for their contributions to international human rights.

There, as the advocacy director of their global programme on FGM, Efua made sure that the voices of survivors were brought to the fore. She knew that no argument about cultural sensitivity would hold against the stories and determination of women who had undergone such terrible ordeals. She made sure that survivors came with her to every policy meeting and consultation event, and this, combined with strategic media advocacy work, resulted in a rapid build-up of political will.

In 2013, the British government announced funding to help end FGM in Africa and beyond within a generation. Efua became the programme director of what would become The Girl Generation: Together to End FGM, linking up the various organisations working to end the practice. The programme was launched a week before her death.

In 2012 Efua was made honorary senior research fellow in the School of Health Sciences at City University, London. In 2013, she was named one of BBCs 100 Women.

She is survived by her husband, Freddie Green, by two sons, Kobina and Ebow, two stepsons, Galvin and Yanik, and a stepdaughter, Fummi, and by her grandson, Cassius.

Efua Dorkenoo, campaigner, born 6 September 1949; died 18 October 2014.

REFERENCES

Population Reference Bureau (PRB) (2017). Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting: Data and Trends (Update 2017). Retrieved from http://www.prb.org/pdf17/FGMC%20Poster%202017.pdf

Leyla Hussein. (2014, October 22). Efua Dorkenoo Obituary. Retrieved from https://www.theguardian.com/society/2014/oct/22/efua-dorkenoo

Josephine Nyarkoh. Ghana Receives International Applause For Reducing FGM Practice. Ghana News Agency. January 30, 2017.
Posted By: kingdemic March 13, 2017

There has been claims that traditional medicines are capable of curing all diseases. This claims have been disputed by many medical experts saying that scientifically some diseases such as HIV AIDS and other diseases cannot be cured by any medicines including traditional medicines. However, it has come to light that the potency of traditional medicines cannot be questioned. In an article on line through wayofhealthylife.com via Afuwa Kasule in Uganda has said it all.

Recent studies have confirmed that black cumin seed oil (nigella sativa) can inhibit cancer cell activity and is an effective cancer treatment, at least in animal studies. The black cumin seed oil and its extract (thymoquinone) are a powerful weapon against liver cancer, melanoma, pancreatic cancer, cervical cancer, breast cancer, bone cancer, stomach cancer, lymphoma, prostate cancer, colon cancer and brain cancer.

Besides decades of black cumin oil research, scientists have not yet made any advances in human clinical tests, even with almost no risk of side effects.

As we can conclude from some studies, black seed oil is an efficient way of treatment for many types of cancer. However, it is still doesnt get enough recognition from modern medicine. This article will try to examine the political pressures that might be holding back tests on humans, and will also try to learn why the drug industry wishes to subdue the use of black seed oil.

This oil has been used as cancer treatment for millennia

Two separate studies in 2011 (Chinese and Saudi Arabian), were reviewing the literature on the use of black cumin seed oil as cancer treatment. They found out that the oil has been used for centuries as a traditional cancer remedy, and confirmed its anti-cancer properties. The oil and its extract are effective in the treatment of many diseases, including various types of cancer, cardiovascular issues, diabetes, asthma, kidney disease and many more.

The scientist also noted that the exact mechanism behind its anti-cancer properties is still not completely understood. Some studies suggest that the thymoquinone has an antioxidant role and reinforces the immune system. What we know for sure is that the black cumin seed oil induces apoptosis in cancer cells, without compromising the immunity. It controls the Akt pathway as well, meaning that it has control over the cell survival of all cells in the body, healthy and cancerous. Although nigella sativas power is known for thousands of years, modern medicine has recognized it only recently, in the last two to three decades.

Traditional medicine is right  black cumin seed and honey work together

Egyptian scientists have been studying the effect of honey and black cumin seed oil on oxidative stress and cancer by exposing rats to a strong carcinogen. Four groups in total were exposed to the carcinogen  some groups were then fed black seeds or honey, and only one group was fed with both ingredients combined. After 6 months, the rats were evaluated  the ones that ate only black cumin seeds had 80% protection against oxidative stress and cancer formation, but the group that was fed black cumin seeds and honey had 100% protection against oxidative stress, cancer formation and inflammatory responses.

Black seeds oil is great for radiation treatment

A 2014 Turkish study researched how the oil can help to people on radiation treatment for cancer. They learned that many of these patients experience severe side effects during and after the treatment. The study explored the effects of the oil on irradiated rats. The rats were first exposed to a single dose of gamma radiation. One group was given a gram of the oil an hour before radiation and received a 10 gr. dose for the next 10 days. The other group was given a saline solution. The control group was not irradiated. When the data was analyzed, it showed that black cumin seed oil reduces the oxidative stress markers and has potent antioxidant effects, augmenting the antioxidant capacity in the liver tissues of rats. So, administering the oil before radiation and for 10 days afterwards protected the rodents from the harmful radiation effects.

In 2012, an Indian study explored the effects of the oil on mice exposed to gamma radiation. For the test, a group of normal and a group of tumor bearing mice were researched. The mice were given black seed extract before the radiation (100 mg. per 1 kg. of body weight). The black seed oil protected the spleen, liver, brain and intestines from the harmful effects of the radiation in both groups. This confirmed the protective effects of black cumin seed oil against radiation damage and biochemical alterations. The effect was due to the antioxidant properties of the seeds and their ability to hunt free radicals. This way, the black cumin seed extract can be used on human cancer patients who are receiving cancer radiation therapy, to subdue the harmful side effects, protect against oxidative stress in the normal issues, and essentially improve the life of the patients.

The Black seeds interfere with uncontrolled cell growth and kill liver cancer cells

In 2013, a study in India explored the effects of thymoquinone in two groups of rats. One group was given 0.01% thymoquinone water to drink, while the other was given plain water. After 16 weeks, the liver cancer nodules, injury markers and tumor markers were measured  they showed significant decrease in the size of the tumor markers in the group that drank water with thymoquinone. They did not develop new cancer nodules as well. This confirmed the thymoquinones beneficial role in treatment of liver cancer, and its strong ability to prevent proliferation of cancer cells.

A 2012 Egyptian study explored the anti-tumor effects of the combination of bee honey and black cumin seed oil on human liver cancer cells in laboratory experiments. The antioxidant capacity of both the honey and oil was examined, as well as their abilities to eliminate cancerous cells. The results showed that both ingredients were efficient in reducing the viability of cancer cells, and improved the antioxidant status of cells besides inducing apoptosis.

The black seed oil kills lung cells

Saudi Arabian scientists stated in 2014 that black seeds have been used in traditional medicine to treat various diseases for a long time. Their antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and antibacterial properties are well-known. They conducted a study which investigated the anti-cancer activity of the oil and black seed extract used against human lung cancer cells in a laboratory. The cancer cells were exposed to 0.01 mg/ml of the oil and 1mg/ml of the extract, with the cells viability evaluated afterwards. The results showed that both the extract and the oil considerably reduced the population of the living cancer cells and changed their cellular morphology. They also concluded that the level of cell death increased with the greater concentration of the oil or extract. The cells lost their typical appearance and became smaller in size as well.

Black Seed Components Kill Malignant Brain Cancer Cells

In 2013, scientists at the Ohio State University published a study that suggested that glioblastoma is the most aggressive and most common type of malignant brain tumor in humans. They concluded that there was a need for additional therapies for treatment of this type of brain tumor. As natural phytochemicals possess strong tumor killing abilities, the study focused on thymoquinone. It has selective cytotoxic properties for human cells, meaning that it kills the cancer cells and leaves the normal ones untouched.

The study also explored thymoquinones ability to selectively inhibit the cancer cells of the brain and spinal cord to make clones of themselves, while not hampering the normal cell activity in the brain and spinal cord. The black seed extract can also inhibit autophagy genes in cancer cells. Autophagy in cancer cells enables the continued growth in cancer cells by keeping the cellular energy production. When inhibited, the energy production will suffer too, resulting in tumor regression and extending the survival of the tumor affected organs. This means that thymoquinone provides a new exciting strategy for cancer treatment.

Source:
In choosing our Presidential candidates,we must have in mind that we are choosing a leader who is going to be a representative of the country on all critical international occasions and must provide a leadership which,besides being of one political character, has a broader national aspect and must be a candidate who runs ahead of his party in all opinion polls in that a larger percentage of people approve of his conduct than say they would vote for his party at an immediate election.Our intraparty dynamics shouldn't be the only factor to be considered when electing a candidate to represent the party in elections.We have enough stock of examples to guide us in our intraparty contests and must utilize fully these examples to ensure smooth running of our intraparty issues.

A candidates influence in the party and his capacity to add to the party's electoral appeal.When a party is in acute internal difficulties,there is the tendency to place more emphasis on the capacity to comfort the party faithful,to epitomize the values or outlook of the party.When such matters are less important and electoral victory is a primary consideration, some executives and parties bigwigs think more of the external image that appeal,a factor which aided the current President.In opposition, the target must be having a candidate who appeals to the public,who either occupies more of the ground between the parties or who,in some sense,seems to rise above the purely party level in his appeal.

The behaviour pattern of the electorates must also be considered seriously when settling on who leads a party.The public takes stands on current issues,though whether this affects their voting depends on the depth of their feeling and the degree of which one party is regarded as for one solution and the other party as against and I pointed out this analogy in one of my earlier write-ups.Social media is gradually changing our intraparty communication dynamics, increase in awareness and activists coming closer to internal party issues also changing the general outlook of parties.

The NPP in opposition benefited and at the same time suffered serious internal clashes because of social media proliferation and the NDC has started experiencing same.Social media political activism is strengthening parties communication dynamics but at the same time exposing the parties to certain dangers alien to our politics. The era where few political big hands will sit somewhere to decide the fate of our parties is dead and buried but if this open type of party activism is not regulated, parties will suffer serious hitches which could affect their image and electoral fortunes.

In our part of the world, it takes time for voters or the masses in general to become familiar with candidates and their ideals,selling a candidate to the electors takes time and demands a lot of sacrifice and strategies. This is because of how our politics is structured and the common dynamics we know such as,the tribal dynamics, religious considerations, etc.This notwithstanding, performance of the incumbent is another core issue worth considering. The persona of Candidate Kufour and the Rawlings fatigue contributed to the Npp's success in the 2000 elections. His ability to pull some of the political forces into the middle line through his calm demeanor and convincing pronouncements contributed to his success. He had his huge political record supporting him and enjoyed the needed support from his party folks who were united solidly against the Rawlings factor.

Prof Mills enjoyed certain aspects of the factors enumerated above.Consistency contributed to his victory.His partnership with John Mahama also contributed significantly to his victory.John came in as a compromise candidate whose chief characteristics in the public eye was his embodiment of the traditional NDC outlook and virtues.

Candidate after losing his first attempt came back to take the mantle because of the image he carried. Others would argue that he wasn't the incumbent and I expect those who may be arguing against the return of John Mahama but that analogy is debatable. It is debatable because the Npp after losing to 1992 Presidential election,boycotted the parliamentary elections and went on to write the Stolen verdict and insisted that Adu Boahene won that election meaning the went into the 1996 elections as "Shadow" incumbent. In the 1996 election Rawlings got 4,095,758 of the popular votes representing 57.45% against 2,834,878 representing 39.7% for Kufour so averagely it wrong for anyone to describe the recent defeat of the NDC as the worst of all defeats in our fourth republic presidential elections.

Nurturing a candidate is not as easy as others perceive,it takes time and needs huge resources,sacrifice and commitment.Ghanaians are still used to the traditional way of making choices when it comes to elections especially at the Presidential level hence the need to thread carefully when making such calculations.Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo ventured the political arena with huge political and professional image and added spirit of endurance to his personal attributes and traits these attributes were too huge for his internal opponents to outwit.

His party once again rallied around him to fight the Mahama factors and did that with dexterity.He strategically worked on the conscience of Ghanaians through the petition and how he accepted the ruling by the supreme Court. The usual sympathy game was cleverly played and usual of Ghanaians, the "let's try him" phenomenon was applied fully.

There were other moderates and non partisan voters who wanted to see how the man who has been around for all these while, will perform when given the nod.Apart from the platitudes and the usual propaganda, these factors also contributed to the success of the NPP in the last elections.In a country where a voter will openly tell you I will surely vote against a particular party no matter how excellent it performs, where a whole family resolves to vote a particular direction, where a particular tribe settles on a particular party, where radio stations position themselves against a particular party,where chunk of the voters in the rural enclave survive on stipends sent them by city dwellers etc,you don't base your election projections on sophisticated theories, you must always do your projections based on realities around.

INTERNATIONAL CONNECTIONS AND THEIR SUCCESSION PLANS

We turn to focus more on our local political enclave and many still operate using the utopian approach.The international connection used to be the East and West connection depending on the ideological dispositions of the parties but the dynamics are changing with time.It is no more about the UP enjoying perfect relationship with the Republicans or conservatives neither is it the centre-left enjoying cordial relationship with other Western Socialist organisations or the Soviet Union ( Russia) the international link is now within West Africa and the truth is that all the political godfathers of our political leaders are in Nigeria.It began from Jerry Rawlings's time but has taken different shape this time.

Kufour at a point shifted allegiance from his Japanese friends to the Nigerians and has become the new convention. The current President also received same support from his Nigerian godfathers on and on.All the parties needs candidates who command huge image in the subregion and other international platforms.

The issue about succession is another important one we must factor into all permutations.Some of the people we describe as potential candidates are not as potent as we assume they may appeal to hardliners in our parties but cannot make any meaningful impact when brought for trial at the public court.Some of them have the wherewithal but need to go through the mill to attract the needed attention and this what I see in the NDC now.

The opportunity to groom a successor or,get into its pool some new potential leaders is now and must use the Vice Presidential candidate slot to execute this operation instead of the emerging struggle.

Per the dynamics enumerated, it is going to difficult for anybody to defeat John Mahama that is the reality the target must be on who partner him for the next election that is,if he decides to contest for the slot.Strategically some may use their attempt to push for recognition to partner him but the party must still look beyond such common tricks and look at the bigger picture. Its must consider increasing its votes at areas it considers its no go area and can do that easily because of its record in terms of infrastructure which is visible.
07.05.2017 LISTEN

In 2015, the United Nations together with its strategic partners held high level consultations,research and came up with the Sustainable Development Goals. The Sustainable Development Goals, SDGs as called by many, were set to build on the strengths and address the loopholes of the Millennium Development Goals(the MDGs). The MDGs, generally considered successful in addressing poverty, opening doors of education to millions and, most notably, tackling the plague of HIV/AIDS, had its loopholes. In its initiation and implementation, the youth were largely sidelined and, in many instances, completely left out of the picture.

The Sustainable Development Goals was, therefore, crafted and launched to be more inclusive and robust enough to ensure constant, measurable collaborative effort between various sectors,leadersof various sectors; government, youth,private sector, etc. Quite tacitly, goal number 17 addresses the various partnerships needed across sectors in achieving the SDGs by 2030. And since its launch, government, private sector,the youth have taken laudable steps in the nature of partnerships at all level to ensure sustainable development for Ghana and the world at large.

The Youth, the custodians of the future, have taken some of the most laudable steps in this context. Shortly after the launch of the SDGs, several youth organizations met in new york under the umbrella of the Youth action summit, spearheaded by the UN and AIESEC, to outline ways through which millenials can be better engaged in the promotion of the SDGsin various countries. This summit gave birth to the YouthSpeak campaign, an advocacy campaign byYALN GHANA and AIESEC globally to promote youth awareness and participation on the SDG .

AIESEC, the international network of youth leaders, has partnered with various organizations in addressing these questions. From building bridges among various youth organizations to adocacy programs with the media, AIESEC has,over the years, striven to create platforms through which young people can be more self-aware, better equipped with the knowledge and skills to create value in their communities.

The aim is to build a network of young people who are very ready and inspired to take actions that lead to sustainable development. And on May 26th at the Ghana Academy Of Art and science, AIESEC,with the support of the UNDP will be hosting 500 young people drawn from different corners of the country for the Ghana YouthSpeak forum, the single, largest youth gathering on the SDGs. Anchored aroud insightful keynote speeches to inspiring panel discussions, skill-building workshops and opportunity fair for future professionals, the forum aims to create an army of change makers. If the youth are the custodians of the future, we must prepare them adequately to steer the country to its deserved place among nations. And that begins with equating the way forward with the youth!
07.05.2017 LISTEN

If for nothing at all, we have two important case studies to rely on for effective policy initiatives when it comes to the fight against illegal mining, aka Galamsey. These two important cases are the fight against narcotics and alcohol usage. Studies upon studies have revealed that banning human activities often lead to unintended consequences including black marketerism, smuggling, and rent seeking profits among others.

It is in the light of these that I find it very amazing that policy makers within the rank and file of the ruling NPP think that banning galamsey will eliminate the menace of surface mining that is destroying the very fabric of our existence as agrarian economy. To quote but one popular comedian and artist, those policy advisers dont think far and they think madness.

In the U.S. for example, the decades old fight against drugs has led to a huge underground trade in narcotics with huge profits for those who engage in it. It has also led to huge prison population with its disastrous effect on states finances and families. There are untold numbers of fatherless families within the black and Hispanic populations because the fathers are serving jail sentences due to drug offences. Compared to a nation like Holland where the drug issue is liberalized to some extent, very few people are in jail for drug related offences and the government is able to use policy initiatives to regulate the industry.

In Ghana where cannabis or weed as it is popularly called, is completely banned for years, have we been able to stop the cultivation or smoking of weed? What about cocaine? Have we been able to stop people from smuggling cocaine into the country? If not, then what the heck informs the judgment of those who think that banning galamsey will stop it ouright?

It is unrealistic to think that banning any human activity will cause people to stop it. It will instead create an underground trade in the banned activity and those who would succeed in it will do so with huge rent/profit

When alcohol was a banned substance in the US some decades ago, people never stopped the production and consumption of it, instead, the price shot up and those who traded in it secretly made very huge returns whiles the states spent enormous resources to hunt for distributors and manufacturers until the policy was changed and alcohol was no longer a banned substance. That allowed the government to put a huge tax on it and also regulate consumption to some extent. Alcohol tax alone in the US is very substantial revenue indeed.

THE GALAMSEY ISSUE

Outright banning of galamsey in Ghana will definitely not work. It will rather cause a lot of disaffection for the government whiles in the end, the cost of policing the ban may out-run the perceived benefits. I am equally against the damage being done to our rivers and forest reserves, however, I do not subscribe to the idea of outright ban for the following reasons:

1. There is no major difference between small scale mining and galamsey in their disastrous effects on the environment. To me, the only difference is that, one group has a permit to destroy the environment, whilst the other group has no permit but destroy the environment anyway. They both have the same effect on the environment so it does not make sense to ban one and allow the other to operate.

2. To the extent that we continue to issue license for small scale mining, we shall forever have illegal small scale mining called galamsey, because locals perceive that, they equally have the right to the resources in their own communities and will not stand idle by for strangers to come from afar to plunder those resources whiles they stand and stare.

3. Foreign companies have mined these precious minerals for years and there is very little benefit, if any at all, to show forth in the lives of indigenes who own the land that these minerals are taken from. The people have realized this and are taking the steps to let the minerals benefit them and their communities. Just look at Obuasi, Tarkwa, Konongo and a host of the old mining towns and you will be amazed at the level of poverty and social decadence in those towns.

4. There is huge unemployment among the youth so, to the extent that people find galamsey a useful employment, they will never stop unless there is an alternative means of livelihood.

THE BEST WAY FORWARD

1. The best way in solving this problem is to allow all individuals who want to engage in small scale mining to register and obtain license to operate.

2. Such registrants must be oriented on the effects of the chemicals they use on their own health and on the health of society when they silt into our rivers and lakes.

3. They must also be schooled on the effects of deforestation and the need to protect our forest reserves.

4. The parliament must also come out with strong laws and punitive measures to punish people who will operate within 500 feet of any river bank. Any miner whose activity would pollute a river must be punished severely with long jail sentences. It would be very easy when residents see pollution in a river to trace it to the source of the pollution and bring the perpetrators to book.

5. Any miner found to operate in any forest reserve must be harshly punished including possibly life sentence without the possibility of parole.

6. Individual miners must be made to obtain license from the local assembly and pay taxes to both the state and the locality. This would accord the assemblies the right to monitor and control the activities of the miners since they can issue and withdraw license to the miners

By and large, though I share the opinion that galamsey, is bad and is causing serious damage to our country, a proper regulation is the better option and not outright ban.
File Photo

07.05.2017 LISTEN

From Femi Fani Kayode to Felix Hyatt to Babatunde Omotoba to Stella Odua to former Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC) Corps Marshal Osita Chidoka, Nigerians had not had it better in the aviation sector. Under the incumbent administration, Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi as Minister of Transportation and Senator Hadi Sirika as Minister of State Aviation are turning around the nations transportation system, delivering projects on schedule to easy movements for the citizens and boost the nations economy. It is sorrowful to recall the messes the aviation sector witnessed from 1999 to 2015 in terms of air mishaps, contract mismanagement and series of corruption allegations.

Recall that Fani-Kayode was accused of misappropriating over N100million during his tenure as minister for aviation. He was dragged to court and was, however, acquitted by a federal high court judge in Lagos presided over by Justice Rita Ofili-Ajumogobia. The judge praised the Economic and Financial Crimes Commissions prosecutor in the case, Mr. Festus Keyamo claiming that he carried out a diligent prosecution of the case.

Stella Oduah was accused of procurement of two bullet-proof BMW cars at US$800,000 each during her tenure in office. She instituted a lawsuit before Justice Mohammed Yunusa of the Federal High Court in Lagos seeking to stop EFCC from arresting her over the shady deal. Oduah was forced to resign she was allegedly found guilty by two panels. The House of Representatives Committee on Aviation, headed by Nkiru Onyejiocha noted in its report that the money used in purchasing the vehicles was not covered by the 2013 budget. It also said Ms. Oduah breached Nigerian laws by exceeding her approval limit and signing off over N634 million for the agency to buy 54 vehicles.

Also a President panel set up by the Federal Government on the matter equally found Mrs. Oduah guilty. Headed by then Head of Service of the Federation, Bello Isa with members as then National Security Adviser (NSA) Sambo Dasuki and Dick Iruenebere, she was faulty for breaching the laws of the land. Furthermore she was alleged to have, alongside Mr. Orubebe and others floated the Neigbhbour 2 Neigbhour organization which campaigned for Mr. Jonathan during the 2011 presidential election, but which was later discovered to be involved in illegal activities. Notwithstanding, she has claimed to be the best aviation minister in Nigeria.

Howbeit, the rehabilitation project was overdue but successive past governments had no political will to do it. It was a project due30 years ago but was left to deteriorate to the worst level. Yet, the decision triggered controversies and was opposed vehemently by some segments of the nation. The Buhari government promised to deliver it within six weeks and kept the promise. The airport was shut from March 8 to April 18, 2017 when Julius Berger Plc carried out the total repair works on the runway. Kaduna International Airport was effectively used during the period.

Nigerians are thrilled by the timely completion of the airport; many said it showed the ability of the Buhari government to rise up to any challenge facing the nation. The security agencies and the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) lived up to expectations by providing safety for passengers who travelled along the ever-busy Abuja-Kaduna highway while the closure of the Abuja airport lasted. It will be recalled that the Port Harcourt International Airport was closed for almost two years by the previous government, yet not much was achieved.

The first flight, an Ethiopian Airline aircraft to touch down the rehabilitated runway was received with smiles by the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) and staff of the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport. The Airbus took off from Addis Ababa to Abuja. The Ethiopian Airline that operated its scheduled Abuja flights to Kaduna when other international carriers turned their backs. Senator Sirika who reopened the airport thanked God for his guidance, the president for his support and the Nigerian people for standing by the government. On his part, the elated Ethiopian Group CEO, Mr. Tewolde GebreMariam, proclaimed that the airline has always given its best to Nigeria both at good and challenging times. According to him, the airline has been part of Nigerias historic growth and always considered itself as vital partners in the history and growth of Nigeria as a country.

However, President Buhari through his special adviser on media, Femi Adesina praised the ministries of transport, power, works and housing, security agencies, Kaduna state government, Julius Berger, Ethiopian Airlines and others, for their commitment and cooperation which led to the successful completion of the project and its eventual re-opening 24 hours ahead of the scheduled time.

Muhammad Ajah is an advocate of humanity, peace and good governance in Abuja. E-mail [email protected]
Abuja (AFP) - Eighty-two of the more than 200 schoolgirls kidnapped in northeast Nigeria in 2014 on Sunday headed to meet President Muhammadu Buhari after a prisoner swap deal with Boko Haram secured their release.

The presidency announced late on Saturday that months of talks with the jihadists had "yielded results" some six months after 21 of their classmates were freed with the help of international mediators.

"Today 82 more Chibok girls were released," a statement said.

"After lengthy negotiations, our security agencies have taken back these girls, in exchange for some Boko Haram suspects held by the authorities."

No details were given about how many suspects were released or their identities.

But AFP understands three Chadian nationals, allegedly senior commanders under Boko Haram leader Abubakar Shekau, were handed over.

Military and civilian militia sources in the town of Banki, on the border with Cameroon, said the girls left for Borno state capital Maiduguri on board six military helicopters at 6:10 am (0510 GMT).

"One of the girls was carrying a baby with her, a boy of less than two years," said the source on condition of anonymity.

The presidency said the teenagers would be brought to Abuja to meet Buhari, who was swept to power on a promise to defeat Boko Haram, whose insurgency has killed at least 20,000 people in Nigeria since 2009.

Shehu Sani, a Nigerian senator who has been involved in previous negotiations, said the talks lasted for "three to four months".

The government would now look to secure the release of the remaining hostages, he added.

Symbol of the conflict

Boko Haram fighters stormed the Government Girls Secondary School in the remote town of Chibok on the evening of April 14, 2014 and kidnapped 276 teenaged girls who were preparing to sit high school exams.

Nigerian troops patrol Banki where "at least 80" girls were brought after the government negotiated the release of 82 of over 200 schoolgirls kidnapped by Boko Haram

Fifty-seven managed to escape in the hours that followed but the remaining 219 were held by the group.

Boko Haram's Shekau claimed in a video message that they had converted to Islam.

The audacious kidnapping brought the insurgency to world attention, triggering global outrage that galvanised support from the former US first lady Michelle Obama and Hollywood stars.

The girls have become a symbol of the conflict. Last month, parents and supporters marked the three-year anniversary of the abduction, describing the situation as an unending "nightmare".

But they said previous releases had given them strength.

Enoch Mark, a Christian pastor whose two daughters were among those kidnapped, said of the latest releases: "This is good news to us. We have been waiting for this day.

"We hope the remaining girls will soon be released."

Patrick Yousef, the deputy regional director for Africa at the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), confirmed the group "facilitated the safe return" of the girls as a "neutral intermediary".

The Swiss government was also involved, Nigeria said.

Military and civilian militia sources in Banki said the girls were brought back to the town in ICRC vehicles late on Saturday afternoon and stayed in the military barracks there overnight.

Boko Haram has used kidnapping as a weapon of war, seizing thousands of women and children, and forcibly recruiting young men and boys into their ranks.

In a less publicised attack in November 2014, some 300 children were among about 500 people kidnapped from the town of Damasak, on the border with Niger, in the far north of Borno state.

Most are still missing.

Ongoing talks

The release of the 21 girls in October last year followed talks between Boko Haram and the Nigerian government brokered by the ICRC and the Swiss.

Three other girls have also been found. The first had a baby and was accompanied by a man she said was her husband but the military said was a Boko Haram suspect.

Shekau has previously said the girls would be released if militant fighters held in government custody were freed.

When the 21 were freed, Buhari's spokesman Garba Shehu said the government was hoping to secure the release of 83 others being held by a different Boko Haram faction.

A total of 113 Chibok girls are now missing, although Shekau claimed last August that some had been killed in military air strikes.

On Friday, Britain and the United States issued a security alert warning of a Boko Haram plot to kidnap foreigners in the Banki area, which led to the suspension of aid flights to the town Saturday.
The Police have taken control over Kwahu-Abene in the Eastern region following tensions arising from the enstoolment of the renowned pathologist, Professor Agyeman Badu Akosa as the chief of the area.

Some Chiefs and heads of families have questioned the enstoolment of Prof. Akosa alleging that the practice was uncustomary.

The Chief of Abetifi and Acting Paramount chief of Kwahuman, Nana Asiedu Agyemang III who is contending Prof. Akosas enstoolment has urged his fellow chiefs to back his stance.

Reports indicate that the enstoolment ceremony took place last week at the blindside of some of the concerned chiefs.

Speaking to Citi News on the latest development, the Eastern Regional Minister, Eric Kwakye Darfour stated that security has been detailed to ensure peace and order.

The Police are in charge, we are looking at Abene that is the trouble spot, that's the paramountcy. That is where the Omanhene was enstooled. And as to who did it, we don't have much information but we are told that the real kingmakers, those who should be there before someone could be enstooled were not in the know, they were not there hence the thing was done clandestinely.

I don't want to spew or inflame any passion. So as for security, I'm telling you that because of the tense nature the issue has generated there is security presence under the command of the Regional Police commander, he added

Meanwhile, Professor Agyeman Badu Akosa, when contacted declined any comments on the matter.



By: Pius Blay Amihere/citifmonline.com/Ghana
A former Deputy Agriculture Minister is calling for an end to the bastardisation of Genetically Modified Organism (GMO) technology as a bad science for food production.

Dr. Ahmed Alhassan Yakubu says GMO technology (broadly referred to as biotechnology) is the latest scientific innovation that is driving food production across the world and Ghana should not sit on the fence as the technology advances.

It is a science for the present and the future and Ghana cannot afford to miss the boatWe want Ghana to become a great country and the only way it can happen is through science and technology, Dr. Yakubu stated.

The peculiarities of Africa and therefore Ghana should let us have a re-think about the negative dirt that we throw at biotechnology as a science. It is extremely important we do so, he added.

Dr. Yakubu who is also former Member of Parliament for Mion was speaking to Joy News at a training for science reporters from across the West African sub-region on biotechnology organised by the African Agricultural Technology Foundation (AATF) in Accra.

The Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) is currently undertaking trials for GMO cowpea and rice as part of regulatory procedures before they are allowed onto the market, most likely in 2018.

But some civil society groups have raised red flags claiming the adoption of GMO crops will bring devastating health, environmental and economic consequences to the country.

But Project Manager in charge of the Open Forum on Agric Biotechnology at AATF Daniel Otunge says that is inaccurate. He insists there is no scientific evidence to back the claims that GMOs are unsafe.

The European Union conducted 25 years of research on GMOs before commercialisation and another 10 years after they were commercialized and published a report which concluded that there is no effect of this technology on the environment, human beings and live stock.

"Based on that assurance, we say, why shouldnt Africa also benefit from this beneficial technology, he stated.

Assistant Director of the National Biotechnology Development Agency in Nigeria Dr. Rose Gidado who spoke at the training noted that increasing yield is the ultimate role of modern agricultural production and scientific innovation is the only way to achieve this, hence the need to adopt biotechnology.

Dr. Emmanuel Chambas who works with the Savannah Agric Research Institute of the CSIR in Tamale noted that with the adoption of GMO technology, it will be possible for farmers to increase yield whilst using even fewer resources.

Resource poor farmers can still have good yields without fertilizer, he said.

Story by Ghana | Myjoyonline.com | Joseph Opoku-Gakpo |Joy News
Emmanuel Macron has comfortably won the French presidential election, projections show.

The centrist candidate has won more than 60% of the vote, according to numerous estimates, comfortably beating far-right candidate Marine Le Pen, who swiftly conceded defeat.

Addressing supporters in the east of Paris, she said she had already called Mr Macron to congratulate him, adding the French people had voted for continuity.

Mr Macrons supporters, meanwhile, are pouring into the courtyard outside the Louvre museum in the French capital, where the 39-year-old will deliver a victory speech later.

Speaking to the French news agency AFP, Mr Macron said a new hopeful and confident chapter for the nation had begun.

His triumph marks a stunning rise for the banker turned politician, who only set up his En Marche! (On the move) party last year and becomes the countrys youngest ever leader.

The election has seen a shift in French politics, with the traditional centre-right and centre-left parties falling at the first round, leaving Mr Macron and Ms Le Pen to fight to the finish.

The presidential contest usually attracts a high turnout, but the projections say there will be a record number of blank and spoiled ballots.

Figures from the countrys Interior Ministry said 65.30% of voters had cast ballots by 5pm local time, a drop on the level seen at the same stage in 2012 and 2007.

A poll on Friday predicted a final turnout of 75%, down from over 80% in 2002, 2007 and 2012.

Many who plan to vote said they were choosing between the lesser of two evils because they didnt find either remaining candidate acceptable after their party was ejected from the race.

The final day before voting was overshadowed by revelations that Mr Macrons party had suffered a massive and coordinated hacking attack.

Mr Macrons victory has been been welcomed in European capitals in the wake of a populist tide that has seen Britain vote for Brexit and the US elect Donald Trump.

He wants deeper EU integration, while Ms Le Pens policies included France leaving the bloc, quitting the euro and cracking down on immigration.

Mr Macrons victory marks the third time in six months  following elections in Austria and the Netherlands  that European voters rejected far-right populists.

He is unlikely to have much of a honeymoon period however, given close to 60% of those who planned to vote for him said they would do so to stop Mrs Le Pen, rather than out of any enthusiasm for Mr Macron.


Cairo (AFP) - Egypt's parliament on Sunday adopted a law whose aim is to attract foreign investors to the country as authorities seek to redress its struggling economy.

Political instability and jihadist attacks in Egypt have put off tourists and foreign investors since the 2011 uprising that toppled longtime president Hosni Mubarak.

The law, which still has to be approved by the president, seeks to boost foreign direct investment, which totalled $6.8 billion in the year to June 2016 compared with $13.2 billion before the uprising.

Lawmaker Medhat al-Sherif, a member of the parliamentary commission on economic affairs, said the new legislation provides for tax exemptions of up to 50 percent for investors in the country's poorest regions and other incentives in sectors such as electricity and renewable energy.

It provides for "a service centre for investors", which will be "a one-stop-shop to allow them to deal with one body," Sherif said.

Under the new law, authorities will have a 60-day deadline to provide investors with all requested authorisations, the lawmaker said.

Investment Minister Sahar Nasr said the new service centre aimed to "eliminate bureaucracy", including through services online.

In November, the International Monetary Fund approved a $12-billion loan to Egypt, conditional on its adoption of ambitious economic reforms including reducing state subsidies on energy.

Egypt received a first tranche of the loan worth $2.75 billion that month, and Finance Minister Amro al-Garhi has said a second tranche of $1.2 billion could be delivered next month.
Abuja (AFP) - Nigeria's President Muhammadu Buhari headed to London on Sunday for what his office said was a "follow-up medical consultation" with his doctors, after weeks of mounting concern about his health.

Presidency spokesman Femi Adesina said the 74-year-old doctors would determine how long he stayed in the British capital, where he spent nearly two months undergoing treatment from mid-January.

"The president wishes to assure all Nigerians that there is no cause for worry," Adesina said in a statement posted on the presidency's Facebook page and Twitter feed.

"He is very grateful for the prayers and good wishes of the people, and hopes they would continue to pray for the peace and unity of the nation."

Buhari's previous trip to London in January was billed by his office as a 10-day holiday combining "routine medical check-ups" but it was extended from early February and he only returned in early March.

Missed cabinet meetings

The former military ruler then contradicted his aides insistence that he was "hale and hearty", telling his senior ministers he had undergone blood transfusions and had never been as sick in his life.

This time, no timeframe was given for his absence.

"The length of the president's stay in London will be determined by the doctors. Government will continue to function normally under the able leadership of the Vice-President (Yemi Osinbajo)," Adesina said.

Parliament had been informed, as required by the constitution, he added.

Buhari had not been seen in public for several weeks until last Friday, when he attended weekly prayers at the presidential villa, after missing the last three cabinet meetings and other engagements.

Aides have said he was working from home and had undergone a "long period of treatment" in London.

Buhari has been under pressure to disclose the nature of his illness but has said he would have to have follow-up treatment in London.

Earlier on Sunday, he was pictured sitting in an armchair at his residence, dressed in white traditional robes, looking painfully gaunt, surrounded by 82 recently released Chibok schoolgirls.

Adesina said Buhari would have left earlier on Sunday but wanted to meet the students, who were kidnapped by Boko Haram Islamists in northeast Nigeria in April 2014, causing worldwide outrage.

The health of Nigeria's president has been a sensitive issue after Umaru Musa Yar'Adua fell ill and died in office in 2010 from a long-standing, but undisclosed, kidney complaint.

His long absence abroad and death triggered months of political turmoil.
Mr President,you made this call during your inaugural speech at the Independence Square - "I urge you to be citizens, not spectators; citizens, not subjects. Responsible citizens building our communities and our nation. Let us work until the work is done," unquote!!

I have sworn to abide by this call to help make Ghana the Mecca we all envisage. I have been following discussions on corruption and other negative activities by public officials and how they affect our nation's progress and one person who comes to mind when discussing corruption issues is your own Ace Ankomah one of the fine legal minds we have in the country.Let me use this opportunity to remind you of some of the crusader's ( Ace Ankomah) messages 

"the country does not need any new laws to fight corruption because there are existing laws when applied to the latter, can rid the nation of corruption. The issue of corruption has become a topical issue in recent years following some high profile cases of corruption scandals which have rocked the nation."

Mr Ace Ankomah and other anti- corruption crusaders constantly chastised the Mahama administration over corruption allegations and inveighed against allegations which were under independent investigation.This was what Mr Ace Ankomah said during of one his lectures on corruption 

"The Mahama-led government has come under fire for its seeming unresponsiveness to numerous calls from citizens for persons indicted in corruption cases to be prosecuted."

President Kufour was chastised by many Ghanaians for saying that he wasn't going investigate corruption allegations in his government.This statement generated different interpretations and condemnation but listening to Mr Ace and his crusaders,I understood the logic in President Kufour's assertion.This was what Ace said in response to attempts President Mahama made to fight corruption in his own administration

Looking at some of the attitudes of some of the government people, I dont think they are ready to listen"

Mr President Ghana has laws guiding conduct of public officers captured in chapter twenty four of our constitution.Apart from what is enshrined in our constitution, we have other promulgated laws and regulations guiding conduct of our public officers and I know a lawyer of your calibre shall surely abide strictly these provisions and laws to ensure discipline in your government.

Mr President, the position of DCE or MMDC is one of the respected and important positions ( appointment) in our governance structure hence the need to attach seriousness and circumspection when making appointments to these offices.I don't think the appointment of our MMDCES must be based on who pays the "fattest" bribe to the appointing authorities or,must be based on cronyism and family links.Madam Otiko Djaba's allegation against the Npp Regional Chairman Mr Bugri Naabu is a serious allegation which must be investigated fully to protect the image of the administration and the local government concept.

To offer or receive a bribe is a serious criminal offence.Bribery is of importance not only to the criminal law but also to the law of contract.Acceptance of a bribe is sufficient ground to justify the immediate dismissal without notice of any officer or agent.We must know those nominees who offered animals to the Regional Chairman.All appointments per Otiko's revelation must be reviewed immediately and those found culpable, fired immediately.

Mr President you have the Victoria Hammah's case and how your predecessor acted on it, as precedent to guide your decision on this matter. Mr Bugri Naabu is not a public officer but the matter involves appointment of public officers and was made by an appointee in your government. You don't need any new laws to act on this matter as Mr Ace Ankomah said,we expect you to act swiftly on this shameful revelation.

Thanks.
The first hundred days of the Nana led NPP government took the center stage of political discourses across the country. Of course, the NPP held on to their usual 'fault-zero' game plan through their numerous 'talking drums'.

In what Dr. Bawumia dubbed "Nanas 103 achievements in 100 days", the NPP somehow cunningly, though in their old style, described their embryonic stage in government as largely positive. Clearly, this is a case of willful amnesia.

Arguably, however, the organic state of the first 100 days of the Hitler-styled NPP government was nothing but a well calibrated apparatus of state character decimation, coupled with a homemade wasstate properties, mysterious deaths, job for the boys appointments and shambolic acts unmatched by any other government in our political lore. And this is not figurative.

Record thuggery and fascism

Precursed by mass vandalism of NDC billboards by irate NPP faithfuls, the early days of HE Nana Addo Danquah Akuffo -Addo in the highest office of the state were persistently dotted with unequivocal displays of barbaric acts that border only on muddying the image of this country in the eyes of the whole world.

In fact, never in Ghanas history has thuggery been so customized and state sponsored like we witnessed in the 100 days of Nanas presidency.

Indeed, not even the mushed records of the FARC rebels in Columbia, can come close to the incalculable pains, abuses and humiliations exacted on innocent Ghanaians by the actions of the array of rowdy vigilante groups such as the delta forces, bull dogs, invincible forces et al of the Owusu Bempah -backed NPP government.

On the very night of the declaration of the result by the independent EC chairperson Charlotte Osei, the NPPs unrestrained and South African trained red helmets launched their maiden offensive on state properties across the country including the monumental Kwame Nkrumah interchange of the erstwhile John Mahama government by cutting most of its electrical circuitry.

In mere days after the investiture of the President, the chains of these uncouth invasions have virulently spread throughout the country despite the series of local and international condemnations. From Tamale through to Kumasi to Boodi to Accra to Tema, the NPPs accredited forces continue to chant their war songs ultimately curfewing everyone including the security personnel.

With the sickening silence and secret endorsement of the president and other herds of the NPP, the endemic chaos and human rights abuses steadily heightened with daily seizures and destruction of toll booths, toilets (KVIPs), school feeding programs, NHIS offices, YEA offices in a determined fashion to eulogize our vouched peace, laws, and integrity. This ostensibly plunged us into a 21st century Banana republic.

To some NPP bigwigs like Kenedy Agyapong, Chairman Wontumi, and Nana Obiri -Boahene and others, that was revenge in different style on the NDC. Nana Obiri -Boahene (the deputy secretary) doses the irritations of Ghanaians by his crude what the youth did was a sweet revenge on the opposition NDC for doing same in 2009 endorsement commentary to the Joy News.

Unrestrainedly yet, a section of these thugs set the Fiapre toll booth ablaze in the full glare of cameras and on- lookers. In Sagnerigu in Tamale, the NHIS, YEA and NADMO offices were invaded and locked. What happened in Agbogbloshie in Accra was the Siamese twin of the Tamale one. Talk of the unfettered display of thuggery in Atebubu, Boodi, Kumasi, Tema etc. The list could run into miles.

Nonetheless, the Delta forces put all the impunities in one basket by vandalizing the Kumasi high court and almost assaulting the presiding judge Mary Senkyire for remanding their colleagues after a few days of ruling the news headlines for their alleged ill-handling and ransacking of the REGSEC boss in Kumasi. A blow definitely below the belt and still the numbness of the NPP was manifest.

It took steely condemnations from various ribbons of local and international bodies like the NDC, occupyGhana, religious bodies and the UN to finally smoke out the NPP herds to deliver a pretentious, not -contrite apology and condemnation. We are still witnessing traces of the actions of this "green- eyed demon" in some parts of the country.

Theatrical ministerial appointments

The NPP in opposition was the main nemesis to the 86 ministerial muscle of the Mahama led-NDC government. They had always insisted that such number of ministers was oversized and complete machinery to milk dry the coffers of the state. As such, every Ghanaian believed that, once they have their turn to hold the string to our public purse, and with the 'competent men', a record thin government will be formed. Shamefacedly, however, a polar opposite record size of 110 ministers of state and deputies was sculpted just to provide jobs for the boys including the creation of non- essential ministries. What could possibly cause this sudden whirl in a government that says they want to cut down spending?

Plagiarism of speech

As if the daily troubles were not enough, the NPP further carried our collective national plight down the drain. This time in a varied Mosaic design.

The NPP upon persistent pestering of the NDC as incompetent and corrupt and that they have the best of brains in the realms of academia and erudite, one would have expected at least a home cooked speech for their herd during such an essential time of the delivery of his inaugural speech. But alas, the team led by the self- acclaimed adopted children of Lily Bet -Eugene Arhin and Elizabeth Ohene (at least that is what was rumoured) could not but to make the entire country an object of mockery.

They almost verbatim plagiarized a speech by a former Americas president ultimately unzipping an avalanche of both local and international condemnations.

Increased Transportation Fares

For a party that so noised about the cost of transport and utility bills, one would have thought that the NPP is allergic to increasing these prices. But sadly, they are not as they mercilessly hit Ghanaians with a 15% transport increment. Consequently, the prices of goods have also hit the stratosphere under the NPP's watch. Or have they so suddenly altered their manifesto?

In sum, the only true testament of the Nana led NPP government by far is metered only in the incalculable pains and abuses on innocent Ghanaians and premeditated affront to rule of law. It is obvious that the hope Ghanaians reposed in the NPP is throttled at the very beginning of the NPP government. No amount of campaign style lie -peddling or self- plausivity can inverse this true picture.

In any case, inasmuch as, the NPP might have chalked some pea-sized achievements in their first 100 days, the true portrait can never be alchemized or inversed by the strings of concocted falsities they are marketing now. In the end, the very discerning Ghanaians they deceived and posterity will surely strip their true colours and proportionately put them where they belong-opposition.

We shall be back with the sequel (Part two) Insha Allah!

By: The Leadership of TEIN -UEW- main campus

Paul Abrokwah Agyeman (President) 0241550199

Mohammed Abdul-Haqq

Imoro Zakari Sham-Deen (General Secretary) 0546524726
Abuja (AFP) - Nigeria's President Muhammadu Buhari on Sunday vowed to help to 82 schoolgirls who have been freed from more than three years of Boko Haram captivity after a prisoner swap.

The girls -- who were among more than 200 kidnapped in 2014 from the Government Girls Secondary School in Chibok, northeast Nigeria -- travelled to the capital Abuja a day after their release to meet Buhari.

"I cannot express in a few words how happy I am to welcome our dear girls back to freedom," Buhari said in a statement, pledging that the presidency would "personally supervise" authorities charged with ensuring the girls' "health, education, security and general well-being".

Presidential aide Bashir Ahmad tweeted a photograph of the girls, most of whom were sitting on the floor of Buhari's official residence, as the president sat in an armchair dressed in white traditional robes.

The meeting came shortly before Buhari was whisked out of the country on Sunday evening after weeks of concern over his health, heading to London for "follow-up medical consultation", according to his spokesman Femi Adesina.

Nigeria schoolgirls released

The teenagers, who had been taken to a medical facility for checks after arriving in Abuja by military helicopter, met with the president for about 45 minutes, said an AFP reporter at the scene.

Adesina said they had now been "handed over to those who will supervise their rehabilitation".

He did not comment on how many imprisoned members of Boko Haram -- whose fight to create a hardline Islamic state in northeast Nigeria has left at least 20,000 dead since 2009 -- had been released in the swap.

But AFP understands at least three suspected senior commanders, all of them Chadian nationals, were handed over.

Information Minister Lai Mohammed said he could not confirm claims that as many five militants were released.

'Joyous moment'

The girls arrived from the northeastern town of Banki, on the border with Cameroon, and were met at the airport by Buhari's chief of staff Abba Kyari.

This image provided by the International Committee of the Red Cross on May 7, 2017 at a military base in Borno State shows some of the 82 rescued Chibok girls heading towards a Nigerian Army helicopter

"Welcome our girls, welcome our sisters, we are glad to have you back," Kyari told them, describing it as "a very joyous moment".

A military source said one of the girls was "carrying a baby with her, a boy of less than two years".

The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) said it "facilitated the safe return" of the girls as a "neutral intermediary" and tweeted photographs of girls boarding a military helicopter.

Many of the students wore colourful akara print dresses, visibly tired from their ordeal.

The presidency had announced late Saturday that months of talks with the jihadists had "yielded results" some six months after 21 other Chibok girls were freed with the help of the ICRC and the Swiss government.

Symbol of conflict

Boko Haram fighters stormed the girls' school on the evening of April 14, 2014, and kidnapped 276 teenaged girls who were preparing to sit high school exams.

Fifty-seven managed to escape in the hours that followed but the remaining 219 were held by the group.

Boko Haram's leader Abubakar Shekau claimed in a video message that they had converted to Islam.

The audacious kidnapping brought the insurgency to world attention, triggering global outrage that galvanised support from the former US first lady Michelle Obama and Hollywood stars.

The girls have become a symbol of Nigeria's brutal conflict. Last month, parents and supporters marked the three-year anniversary of the abduction, describing the situation as an unending "nightmare".

Enoch Mark, a Christian pastor whose two daughters were among those kidnapped, said of the latest releases: "This is good news to us. We have been waiting for this day.

"We hope the remaining girls will soon be released."

Accounting for three other girls who have since been found, a total of 113 Chibok girls are now missing, although Shekau claimed last August that some had been killed in military air strikes.

Boko Haram has used kidnapping as a weapon of war, seizing thousands of women and children, and forcibly recruiting young men and boys into their ranks.

In a less publicised attack in November 2014, some 300 children were among about 500 people kidnapped from the town of Damasak, on the border with Niger, in the far north of Borno state.

Most are still missing.
Accra, May 7, GNA - Two herdsmen, were on Friday remanded by an Accra Circuit Court for conspiring and robbing one Nokia mobile phone worth GHC 350.00 and an amount of GHC 200.00.

Iddrisa Jallo Suleman and Nuhu Bukari were said to have conspired with one other person now at large and robbed one Asana Salifu of her mobile phone, and Ali Salamu of an amount of GH200.00 at Tumu in the Upper East Region.

The two pleaded not guilty to the charges but were remanded by the court presided over by Mr Aboagye Tandoh to reappear on May 16.

Prosecuting, Superintendent Kweku Bempah told the court that Asana one of the victims of their act, is a trader while Ali is a Driver residing at Tumu.

The accused persons are herdsmen residing at Saobe-Funsi in the Upper East Region.

He said on February 25, at about 1740 hours, the two were travelling on a Kia Rhino truck driven by Ali from Bewiesibelle to Tumu.

On reaching a bridge at Duu village, three men including the accused persons, armed with guns blocked the road with logs and ordered the vehicle to stop.

The prosecution said when the vehicle stopped; the two robbed the victims of the above listed items and fled the scene before the arrival of the Police patrol team.

Superintendent Bempah said the victims lodged a complainant at the Tumu police station for investigation.

He said on February 26, at about 1210 hours, the two were arrested upon a tip off and were subsequently identified by the two victims as part of the three armed men who robbed them on the fateful day.

He told the court that on February 27, the case was transferred to the CID Headquarters for further investigations.

GNA

By Hafsa Obeng, GNA
Ko (U/W), May 7, GNA - Some farmers in the Nandom and Lawra Districts of the Upper West Region have adopted very indigenous but innovative farming practices and technologies to increase crop yield whilst safeguarding the environment.

The innovations introduced to the farmers by the Center for Indigenous and Organisational Development (CIKOD) include soil water management technology and the systematic compost application and rotation of crops among others.

Both Agro-ecological and Farmer Managed Natural Regeneration (FMNR) practices avoided the use of chemical fertilizer and the cutting down of trees on fields.

CIKOD exposed journalists to these technologies during a field day visit to two farm sites in Ko community in the Nandom District.

The visit was to deepen their understanding of Agro-ecology and FMNR as well as solicit media support to help promote the technologies.

Mr Francis Gantie, one of the farmers practicing the soil water management technology, said the new practice helped in trapping water on the land for plant use and also prevented the water from washing away the top soil on the field.

He said the technology which allowed stocks and other biomass to stay on the field and decompose also ensured that soil on the field remained moisturized at all times for easy tilling.

Mr Gregory Kelle, one of the farmers practicing the systematic compost application and rotation of crops, said he often prepared his compost fertilizer at home and with the help of his family, the compost was carried to the farm for application.

He said with the application of the compost fertilizer coupled with the rotation of crops, he often benefited from each composted piece of land for a minimum period of four years before applying the compost again on that same piece of land.

Mr Kelle said the preparation of the compost though a bit demanding in terms of labour was still far cheaper than the use of chemical fertilizer.

Both farmers who had all trees on their fields well pruned without cutting down a single one, dismissed the notion that allowing trees on one's farm land would affect his/her crop yield.

They both appealed to their colleague farmers to adopt these indigenous practices and technologies to improve their farm yields while protecting the environment from any harm.

Mr Daniel Banuoku, Deputy Director of CIKOD, said the negative effect of chemical fertilizers on farm land was enormous, hence the need for farmers to turn to the Agro-ecology and FMNR practices to improve crop yield and save the environment.

He said this could not be done without the help of the media and appealed to the journalists to help promote agro-ecological issues in the country.

The field day trip was part of a two-day Regional Workshop for Media on Agro-ecology and FMNR which was under the theme: 'The Role of Agro-ecological Farming and Agro-Pastoralist systems for Resilience in Northern Ghana.

GNA

By Prosper K. Kuorsoh, GNA
Accra, May 7, GNA - Divine Group International Foundation (DGI) has marked the Global Hand Hygiene Day in Tamale to raise awareness of the importance of hand washing with soap in reducing child mortality.

A statement signed by Mr Ebenezer Kofi Adu-Lartey, the Chief Executive Officer of the Divine Group International Foundation, and copied to the Ghana News Agency, said hand hygiene is a social health campaign marked globally.

Madam Hilda Ayamsegna, Northern Zone supervisor of DGI foundation, also urged all school pupils to take part in its 21 days behaviour change programme.

The programme aims at encouraging pupils to adopt handwashing behaviour on five critical occasions - before breakfast, lunch, and dinner, after visiting the toilet, and during the daily bath - and spread the message to their family and friends.

The programme was able to reach a total of 567 school pupils of Faith Hill Community School of Tamale and a handwashing water tank was donated to the school.

Madam Ayamsegna said: 'At DGI foundation, our commitment is to change the handwashing behaviours of 10 million Ghanaians by 2022 through educating and empowering underprivileged communities.'

'Every year, preventable diseases like diarrhoea and pneumonia claim the lives of 2.8 million children across the globe before they reach the age of five.

'Such deaths can be significantly reduced if children, mothers and caregivers alike are taught to embrace the simple, yet often neglected act of handwashing with soap' she said.

GNA
07.05.2017 LISTEN

Accra, May 7, GNA - President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo on Saturday reiterated his government's commitment to establishing the Infrastructure for Poverty Eradication Programme (IPEP) - the vehicle which will ensure that each of the 275 constituencies receives the equivalent of $1 million per year for infrastructural development.

He said the Fund would be administered by three (3) development authorities, namely, the Coastal Belt Development Authority, the Middle Belt Development Authority and the Northern Development Authority, disclosing that the Bill for the establishment of these Authorities would be laid before Parliament when the House reconvenes later this month.

President Akufo-Addo said this at a meeting with the Ghanaian community resident in Cote d'Ivoire, as part of the activities he undertook during his 3-day official visit to that country.

'This year's budget contains the money for the 1 million per year per constituency policy, the financial provision has been made. However, because my government and I are accountable to the Ghanaian people, we want to be diligent in everything we do. I do not want a repetition of the scandals that rocked SADA (Savannah Accelerated Development Authority) to befall my government and the three development authorities we want to establish,' the President said.

'So, I will plead with you and the Ghanaian people, who are eagerly awaiting the commencement of this policy, to exercise a little patience as we seek to do the correct thing. It might even be the case that, once the bill is laid before Parliament, some may even suggest improvements to the bill. But, at least, we have made provision in this year's budget for this policy to begin.'

Touching on his broad vision for the country, he told the audience gathered at the packed theatre in Treichville, a suburb of Abidjan, that his vision was hinged on modernising Ghanaian agriculture to enhance its productivity; a clear industrial policy, and rationalising the financial sector so that it supports growth in agriculture, and growth in manufacturing and industry.

He told the gathering that it was for this reason, that on April 19, 2017, he launched the programme for 'Planting for Food and Jobs', at Goaso, in the Brong Ahafo Region.

He said the programme was the basis of the answer to the twin-problem of the migration of youth to city centres in search of non-existent jobs, as well as an end to the disgraceful spectacle of Ghana importing food stuffs from neighbouring countries.

With a looming shortage of agricultural extension officers in Ghana in the next two to three years, largely as a result of the then Mahama administration's decision not to employ any of the 3,200 graduates from the country's 5 Colleges of Agriculture between 2011 and 2015, President Akufo-Addo told the gathering that that his government has, in the last 3 months, employed 1,200 of these graduates.

He said 'in 2018, we will employ 2,000 more extension officers, with the solemn pledge of employing more graduates from our Colleges of Agriculture in the subsequent years.'

On the economic front, President Akufo-Addo said his government has introduced measures to stimulate growth of the private sector. Amongst others, a monetary policy that would stabilise the currency and reduce significantly the cost of borrowing, in addition to a raft of tax cuts, he said, have been put in place to bring relief to businesses, with the aim of lowering the cost of doing business and shifting the focus of our economy from taxation to production.

This process of economic transformation, the President stressed, has to go along with ensuring that the most basic elements of social justice are met.

'To this end, we want to make quality basic education, i.e. education from kindergarten through to secondary school, accessible to all of Ghana's children. Beginning with the intake from the 2017/2018 academic year, parents will no longer bear the cost of taking their children to secondary school. Free SHS is coming from September 2017,' he added, to a rapturous response from the packed auditorium.

President Akufo-Addo also assured the Ghanaian community in Cote d'Ivoire of his government's commitment of engaging with the Electoral Commission to ensuring the full implementation of the Representation of the People's Amendment Law (ROPAL), to enable them exercise their franchise in local elections.

'There are many countries in West Africa and around the world that do allow their citizens overseas to vote. I cannot understand why, in Ghana, we do not allow that to happen,' he said.

GNA

By Ken Sackey, GNA
07.05.2017 LISTEN

Kumasi, May 7, GNA - A three-day retreat for Directors of the Office of the Head of the Local Government Service (OHLGS) and Regional Coordinating Directors (RCDs) has opened in Kumasi, the Ashanti Regional capital.

The retreat was to afford participants the opportunity to deliberate issues of local governance and review previous performances.

It was also held to share ideas and experiences and chart a new course for the advancement of the Local Government Service (LGS) and more so create an opportunity for the new Head of Service, Dr Nana Ato Arthur, to officially brief the RCDs on his vision for the Service.

Hajia Alima Mahama, Minister for Local Government and Rural Development, commended the Service for instituting a Performance Management System that enables managers and staff to plan towards the achievement of organizational goals for the Service.

She called on them to identify skill gaps and model capacity-building programmes to ensure the success of the Performance Management System.

Hajia Mahama urged the RCDs and Directors of the OHLGS to give the Head of Service the support and cooperation needed to enable him succeed.

Dr Arthur thanked the participants for their support in bringing the LGS to its current state.

He charged the RCDs them to exhibit a change of attitude and work with utmost dedication and commitment for other staff to emulate.

Dr Arthur also advised them to live up to the Services' motto of Decentralisation, Democracy and Development.

He said there is no need for excessive bureaucracy in the discharge of their duties.

The Head of Service said the Capacity Building Framework (CPF) designed by the LGS has been developed and when implemented will be adhered to take care of the capacity building needs of staff at the national, regional and district levels.

He echoed his plan to ensure that Digital Mapping Systems are embraced by Metropolitan Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs) to improve on revenue mobilisation and management.

Dr Arthur promised to frequently engage RCDs on the developments within the Service and assured them that the OHLGS will continue to provide the necessary technical support to facilitate the monitoring and coordinating of roles.

The retreat will take participants through presentations on the District Assemblies Enabled Programme for Accelerated Economic and Social Development, Part-two of the Local Governance Act, (936), which spells out mandates, functions and roles of the LGS and new reforms accompanying it.

Other presentations touched on the use of the Information and Communication Technology in income generation in MMDAs as well as Capacity Building Framework for the Service.

Participants will also be taken through the LGS Communication Strategy, Progress, successes and challenges confronting the Service and Development of performance indicators for performance contract.

GNA
After capping a 20-year-long career as lecturer of Mathematics at the University of Ghana, Legon, Dr Margaret McIntyre bows out and prepares to leave Ghana in September this year.

Dr McIntyre arrived in Ghana in 1997 to teach Mathematics at the University of Ghana upon the advice of her late Ghanaian husband Professor Agbedazi, who she met in Australia during their PhD studies.

Although Dr McIntyre retired in 2015, she continues to teach till date. She brings her two (2) decades of dedicated and selfless service to Ghana to an end, at the end of 2016/2017 academic year.

Dr McIntyre, 62, who served as Head of Department of Mathematics from 2009 till date announced her decision to go back to Australia after years of service to Ghana.

Dr McIntyre has served the department of Mathematics in many ways. She served as departmental examination officer and in August 2009 she was appointed as the Head of the department.

In 2004, Dr McIntyre together with Dr Douglas Adu-Gyamfi began running MPhil programme in Mathematics at the University of which most of the graduates have gone ahead to study their PhDs and are currently lecturing at the department.

She is also instrumental in the reintroduction of PhD programme at the department which begins next academic year.

You also served the department in many ways. First as departmental examination officer until August 2009, when you continue to serve now as the Head of the department till present. In order to deal with the severe shortage of lecturers in the department, YOU and Dr Douglas Adu-Gyamfi began running MPhil Programmes in Mathematics in September 2004, recruiting other lecturers from outside of the University to teach some of the courses. Most of the graduates from that programme are currently lecturers in the department. You are also instrument in recruiting other people to join the staff of the department. You have also help to revive the PhD programme in Mathematics which begins in the 2017/2018 academic year, excerpts of the citation presented by the department of Mathematics reads.

You leave a great vacuum in the department, both as an academic and as an effective administrator that will be challenging to fill, it added.

Watch video of citation in honour of Dr. McIntyre presented by the department of Mathematics

In recognition and appreciation of her dedicated and selfless services to the University and Ghana at large, the Department of Mathematics held a surprise and memorable party for her and two other retired lecturers of the department on Tuesday, 2nd May, 2017. The other two lecturers are Dr Douglas Adu-Gyamfi and Mr J.S.G Jackson.

Friends, colleagues, past and present students who made it to the party praised Dr McIntyre's contributions as a teacher and researcher as probably unmatched by anyonenot only at University of Ghana, but throughout the world.

Head of Department of Statistics, Dr Amponsah Doku, a former student and a mentee, in his citation praised Dr McIntyre's contributions to him as a teacher and a fellow researcher.

"You have dedicated your time to my personal development. You have served as my referee for both my applications to study for my MSC degree in Germany and PhD degree in UK. Margaret, I sincerely owe you a depth of gratitude because of the genuine and sincere references you wrote for me. As a fellow researcher, you have directly contributed to the quality of my research publications," excerpts of Dr Doku's citation reads.

Watch video of citation in honour of Dr. McIntyre presented by Dr Doku Amponsah, Head of Department of Statistics

The Mathematics Society of University of Ghana, former students and others presented their citations to Dr Margaret McIntyre.

In a related development, Dr Adu-Gyamfi and Mr J.S.G Jackson were also honoured for their dedication and efforts in helping in the growth of the department of Mathematics.

The farewell party was attended by prominent Mathematical Physicists Professor Francis Allotey, Professor Clement Lutterodt from Howard University, USA, some retired lecturers of the University, Provost of College of Basic and Applied Sciences, Prof. Daniel K. Asiedu, Dean of School of Physical and Mathematical Sciences, Prof. Richard Kingsford Adaboh, Director of Academic Programme at AIMS Ghana, Prof. Emmanuel K. Essel, lecturers from other universities, current lecturers of University of Ghana, past and present students of the Mathematics department.
07.05.2017 LISTEN

I seem get a lot of messages via LinkedIn from folks, who essentially are looking for employment opportunities. I am usually gracious and empathetic in my response because I know how tough it is out there being without income. But this one particular request I had the other day from a young man (Lets call him Kofi for now) was both funny and sad at the same time. "I need a job oo, sir pls help me!" he said. It gave me a good laugh because coming from the same cultural perspective, I sort of understood the depth of frustration that produces exclamatory expressions such as "oo".

But it was also sad on two levels. First, the state of joblessness is alarming, no doubt. I have written many of articles about public policy questions that bother on program effectiveness and its impact on reducing unemployment. I have written about cultural barriers that discourages young people from taking the entrepreneurial path. Addressing supply-side constraints is all well and good. But I have also observed a worrying trend where people who cry out I need a job are really saying something different. What they really mean is...

Lets face it, there are jobs out there! I encourage you to take a cursory tour of at least 3 recruitment sites right now and I guarantee you that jobs related to sales and marketing far outweigh all other functional categories. In fact, as at 5.47pm on May 7, 2015 Ghanacurrentjobs.com had 1,733 sales/marketing jobs recorded since its inception. The second highest is accounting/auditing (1,344). This trend is consistent on most recruitment sites. Just check. The problem is a lot of fresh graduates dont like sales! Lets be blunt. So yes, there may some unethical predator companies out there who have some stringent commission policies, but by and large, the problem is the unemployed person. Lets not fudge the issue. I know this is not a popular position to take (thank God am not running for political office) but the conversation about unemployment must have some candor to it. There are too many with a sense of entitlement running around.

Here is the response I gave to the young man:



I know full well my advice my fall on deaf ears. It wont be the first time. I have sent a lot of CVs to places on peoples behalf for sales vacancies. Some of them passed the interview but declined the job offer. I dont like what they were offering, they would say. They dont like the fact that the hiring company wont pay them regular monthly income but commissions, after they bring in revenue. They dont like the fact that sometimes they may have to find money to fund their own sales activities and hopefully receive commissions if they succeed. Well, all the best then -because guess what, life is all about selling. I have started and exited 4 companies since 2007. Two were nonprofits and the other two were in real estate and consulting respectively. In between I was engaged in regular employment. Without romanticizing it, I will say I failed at them. Why? It took me a while to figure this out. If we are to boil it down to one thing, I would say that I sucked at sales. I couldnt sell my vision to investors for capital. I couldnt sell my ideas to donors for grant. I couldnt sell my services to companies that clearly had need of it. Heck, I couldnt even sell my dream of becoming an entrepreneur to my family for support. But now I know better. What am I saying? Young people, particularly fresh graduates, should be thankful there are sales jobs. Its a training ground for leadership in the corporate sector and indeed for anyone with entrepreneurial ambitions. If you dont have a job now, get into sales. You will thank me later.

The second thing I found sad about Kofis request was borne out of curiosity. Let it frame it in a question form. What quality of education would one have to get to appreciate the difference between LinkedIn and Facebook? Dont get me wrong, this is not a trick question nor a rhetoric one. It seem pretty intuitive to me that when you want something as important as a job, the least you could do is to approach the situation with some formality and aura of gravitas that gives a good first impression. This is the tragedy of a social media generation. The boundary between formality and informality is not sacred anymore. To use LinkedIn as though it is Facebook when searching for a job, is to confuse accessibility for social chumminess. If you want to use LinkedIn contacts as part of your job search strategy, be sure at least to pay attention to message construction.

Rule number 1; dont use social media short hand.

Rule number 2: Dont say I need a job. It makes you sound desperate. No one is attracted to desperation. Its better to summarily mention your background and skillset and then ask for leads about vacancies. Thats more professional.

Rule number 3: Dont forget rule 1&2.

The Ghanaian labor market is fraught with many problems; discrimination, unethical recruitment practices, saucy HR people with god complex, etc. Dont make it worse by polluting the atmosphere with your sense of entitlement. Take that sales job and learn on the job. Become the best sales person and see what happens to your career. You will thank me later, I guarantee you.

There, truth in its unadulterated form. Now you are free to vote against me.

By Nkunimdini Asante-Antwi
- Nnamdi Kanu's father says his son will actualise Biafra.

- He also insisted that the south east governors have failed their people by not intervening on the issue of his child's detention

- He however call on Namdi Kanu to be guarded in his utterances

Egwukwu 11 of Afaraukwu Ibeku, HRM (Eze) Israel Okwu Kanu, father of the leader of Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) says his son will actualize Biafra.

The Monarch said this while reacting to a question from The Sun.

According to the respected father of the IPOB agitator, south east governors have failed their people by not intervening on the issue of his child's detention.

READ ALSO: Stephanie Otobo gives her life to Christ  Says Jesus died for my humiliation, pain, ugliness

The monarch also said he would not tell his son to back down from his struggle for Biafra.

"I have been to London and to Germany also. In these countries, what I found out was that immediately your child is up to 18 years, he was man enough to stay on his own and decide for himself what he wanted.

According to the respected father of the IPOB agitator, south east governors have failed their people by not intervening on the issue of his child's detention

"So, what Im trying to say is that since Nnamdi, my son is above 18 years, it is left for him to decide what to do and I always support whatever decision he takes. It is natural; it is Igbo custom for a child to listen to the advice of his parents.

"But to tell you one thing, since Nnamdi was born, he has never for once disobeyed me, but for this issue of Biafra, I am solidly behind him till I die. I am urging him to go ahead with what he is doing, so far he has the support of his people and God will be with him, because he has told me on several occasions that even if he dies in the Biafran cause he will be happy.

Going further, he said he believes Biafra will be actualized under the leadership of his son, Nnamdi Kanu.

"Why I am so optimistic that Biafra will be actualised under my sons leadership is that what he is doing, many people are supporting him, not only here in Igbo land, but outside this country.

"For instance, when I went to Germany and saw the crowd that came in support of Nnamdis cause, I became afraid. I started wondering why the agitation was so hot in a place like Germany, but when you come to this part of the world, it will appear as if nothing was happening.

"German reporters and photojournalists queued up to take photographs of his wife and I and were interviewing us and the police had to be invited before we were given breathing space.

While praising the likes of Governor Fayose of Ekiti state and former Aviation minister, Femi Fani Kayode, Nnamdi Kanu's father lambasted governors from the region.

"I pray God to bless those who in one way or the other contributed to the release of my son, Nnamdi.

"Having said that, I must also say that I am not happy the way governors from South East kept quiet over my sons case since. Could it be they were afraid, afraid of what and who? This type of attitude is condemnable, I am not happy about that. I had hoped that they would have been together and made move for his release, but they stayed aloof.

READ ALSO: Revealed! How prominent Nigerians are plotting civil coup against Buhari

"It was rather the Ekiti state governor, Ayodele Fayose and the former Minister of Aviation, Chief Femi Fani-Kayode who showed interest, God will bless them. I will not in anyway forget the former governor of Abia State, Dr. Orji Uzor Kalu, who when other Igbo leaders were afraid to talk about Nnmadis problem, visited my son in prison and also came to my palace here in Umuahia to see me, God will also bless him."

Going father, the monarch encouraged the IPOB leader to take things easy and by guarded in his utterances.

"Yes, my advice to my son is that he should take things easy; he should be careful on the things he will say. I am saying this, because there are people who are experts in distorting facts and what someone says, for selfish reasons. One will say something and they will turn it to another thing to curry favour.

Speaking on President buhari, he said: I wouldnt say enemy of the family, but that of the Igbo race because I have never seen this type of hatred of a people before. Court will rule to set a person free and the president who is supposed to be the father of all will say no, making a mockery of the judiciary in the process.

However, watch this Legit.ng video of the Jewish Rabbi who stood surety for Nnamdi Kanu speak:

Source: Legit.ng
- General Ipoola Alani Akinrinade said the current Nigeria structure makes the attempt the country united futile

- He insisted the country needs to be restructured

- The Biafra war veteran said the fight against corruption was following the wrong direction

General Ipoola Alani Akinrinade has said that the fight to keep Nigeria as a single country is futile and that the Igbos agitating for Biafra should be allowed to go.

In an interview with Vanguard, the Biafra war veteran said although he still believe a true federal system is good for the country, the current structure made the war to keep the country as one looked futile.

READ ALSO: Details of negotiation for released 82 Chibok girls revealed

He said: Good, you allow people to make choices. And you also said it is good to allow people decide their fate. This present agitation by the Igbos, garbed in the Biafra movement, in retrospect, wouldnt we now begin to admit that the fight to keep Nigeria one, based on contemporary realities, was futile, a fools errand, that was not worth it? Those ideals that people had, in keeping the nation one, appear to have been thrown out of the window.

Well, I think as far back as the early 1980s, Id alluded to the fact that it is still possible to keep a country like Nigeria one. I still have that belief.

Maybe because some of us have served everywhere and we have friends everywhere and we talk and discuss and share views. As far back as 1983 when I went to Ife to deliver a lecture, I suggested that we would do much better with a confederation. There were quite a number of things I also said there. Because, there, I made it clear that the way free education was being continued, it was not going to survive or give quality education, that it needed remodelling. Those who had made good and were expected to pay back to society were still hinging their hopes on free education. That was not fair. When you have benefitted and can afford to offer at least 20 scholarships, you still want to keep your wealth made through free education and you want your children to also participate? On top of that, you add bursary. Are you going to give bursary to children of people in my social category? It would be unfair on the farmers and those in dire need of the bursary. So, because my father married five women, I should now marry six because I appear to be a bit more comfortable? The society will not grow like that. Somebody has to apply the brakes and fine tune things.

"I believe a confederal system is more manageable.

When the people are pushed and there is no other way, we would become reasonable because what is going on now, the governance structure, cannot continue forever.

On the issue of corruption and its fight, general Akinrinade said the current method would not work as the structure of the country breed corruption.

"It is simply because we are poorly organised. That is not the fault of Buhari. But it will be his fault if he did nothing about it. So, this idea of shying away from a wholesale look at how we are organised for these tasks ahead, simply because it is tedious and difficult, then we are not serious.

Let me tell you what breeds corruption: You cannot, for instance, as minister of agriculture, sit in Abuja, and ask people to apply for or show interest in a scheme like ranching. Do you know how big Nigeria is? Are you going to start driving round Nigeria to inspect? This is just one of the things open to abuse. Just this week (last week), a young man came to meet me in the farm and asked to be assisted with a tractor to work on a farm land; that he had just gotten approval for a N30,000 per month allocation  a Federal Government scheme. He said his wife too applied and got. So, if they had a grown up child, that, too, will benefit. I tried assisting him but I told him it would be better if I helped him negotiate with the owner of the tractor that was being used on my farm. I was interested in helping him; so I took him in my car to the owners place. When we got to the owners place, that one requested to see the farm; and I was still prepared to help drive him to that farm so he could show it to us. It was then he said we should give him some few more days so that the farmland he wants to use would be made available  by the original owners.

READ ALSO: Nnamdi Kanu's wife storms Nigeria (photos)

Now, the point Im trying to make about corruption and the way we are organised is that you say you want to give people money to farm for a year or two  N30,000 per month  yet you sit in Abuja. How many people like him do we have in the country? How many more peoples names would be added who are not even existing. That is how government allows the system to become corrupt. The remoteness of government to the people breeds things like this and it fits into the issue of restructuring. Beautiful idea no doubt. But the system you are using has failed from the beginning. You have an outfit called SUBEB; it is based in Abuja. So they say they must have branches in every state. What are they doing? They are supposed to be building schools, primary schools-o, in every state. Why should that be? This is money coming from the purse of all of us.

Let the local people have the money and do the thing the best way that suits them. That is the nexus between restructuring and corruption  not that corruption will disappear when we restructure, but these avenues of muddling things up would be reduced. Why must the Federal Government come and build primary school in my village? Why? There is a local government and a state government, yet you want to come and do it from Abuja. Or, that state should bring some money and then Federal Government will bring some money. We do not have an effective mechanism to monitor such. It will be and it is open to abuse.

Source: Legit.ng
In November, Stephen Hawking and his bulging computer brain gave humanity what we thought was an intimidating deadline for finding a new planet to call home: 1,000 years.

Ten centuries is a blip in the grand arc of the universe, but in human terms it was the apocalyptic equivalent of getting a few weeks notice before our collective landlord (Mother Earth) kicks us to the curb.

Even so, we took a collective breathe and steeled our nerves.

So what if theres no interplanetary Craigslist for new astronomical sublets, we told ourselves, were humanthe Bear Grylls of the natural order. Weve already survived the ice age, the plague, a bunch of scary volcanoes and earthquakes, and the 2016 election cycle.

We got this, right? Not so fast.

Now Hawking, the renowned theoretical physicist turned apocalypse warning system, is back with a revised deadline. In Expedition New Eartha documentary that debuts this summer as part of the BBCs Tomorrows World science seasonHawking claims that Mother Earth would greatly appreciate it if we could gather our belongings and get outnot in 1,000 years, but in the next century or so.

You heard the mana single human lifetime. Is this nerd serious?

Thanks, Steve.

Professor Stephen Hawking thinks the human species will have to populate a new planet within 100 years if it is to survive, the BBC said with a notable absence of punctuation marks in a statement posted online. With climate change, overdue asteroid strikes, epidemics and population growth, our own planet is increasingly precarious.

In this landmark series, Expedition New Earth, he enlists engineering expert Danielle George and his own former student, Christophe Galfard, to find out if and how humans can reach for the stars and move to different planets.

The BBC program gives Hawking a chance to wade into the evolving science and technology that may become crucial if humans hatch a plan to escape Earth and find a way to survive on another planetfrom questions about biology and astronomy to rocket technology and human hibernation, the BBC notes.

The cosmologist lives with the motor neuron disease amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), or Lou Gehrigs Disease. As the disease has progressed, he has become almost entirely paralyzed. And in 1985, after contracting pneumonia, Hawking underwent a tracheotomy that left him unable to speak. He communicates using the assistance of a voice-producing computer.

In recent months, Hawking has been explicit about humanitys need to find a Planet B. In the past, he has also called for humans to colonize the moon and find a way to settle Marsa locale he referred to as the obvious next target in 2008, according to New Scientist.

Remaining on Earth any longer, Hawking claims, places humanity at great risk of encountering another mass extinction.

We must . . . continue to go into space for the future of humanity, the 74-year-old Cambridge professor said during a November speech at Oxford University Union, according to the Daily Express.

I dont think we will survive another 1,000 years without escaping beyond our fragile planet, he added.

During the hour-long speech, Hawking told the audience that Earths cataclysmic end may be hastened by humankind, which will continue to devour the planets resources at unsustainable rates, the Express reported.

His wide-ranging talk touched upon the origins of the universe and Einsteins theory of relativity, as well as humanitys creation myths and God. Hawking also discussed M-theory, which Leron Borsten of PhysicsWorld.com explains as proposal for a unified quantum theory of the fundamental constituents and forces of nature.

Though the challenges ahead are immense, Hawking said, it is a glorious time to be alive and doing research into theoretical physics.

Our picture of the universe has changed a great deal in the last 50 years, and I am happy if I have made a small contribution, he added.

Some of Hawkings most explicit warnings have revolved around the potential threat posed by artificial intelligence. That meansin Hawkings analysishumanitys daunting challenge is twofold: develop the technology that will enable us to leave the planet and start a colony elsewhere, while avoiding the frightening perils that may be unleashed by said technology.

When it comes to discussing that threat, Hawking is unmistakably blunt.

I think the development of full artificial intelligence could spell the end of the human race, Hawking told the BBC in a 2014 interview that touched upon everything from online privacy to his affinity for his robotic-sounding voice.

Despite its current usefulness, he cautioned, further developing A.I. could prove a fatal mistake.

Once humans develop artificial intelligence, it will take off on its own and redesign itself at an ever-increasing rate, Hawking warned in recent months. Humans, who are limited by slow biological evolution, couldnt compete and would be superseded.

Thanks again, Steve.
- Oyegun urges the people of the South-East to embrace APC

- He says that the APC would guarantee their quest for an Igbo president

- The APC national chairman says the party will finally bury the PDP in the eastern states

Ahead of the 2019 election, the All Progressives Congress (APC) on Saturday, May 6, vowed to bury the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the South-East, The Punch reports.

This was disclosed by Chief John Odigie Oyegun, national chairman of the ruling party, at a rally held in Udi-Abia, Udi local government area of Enugu state to welcome former Enugu state Governor, Sullivan Chime to APC.

Oyegun urged the people of the South-East to embrace the party, noting that the APC would guarantee their quest for an Igbo president.

The event attracted several chieftains of the APC, including Sokoto state Governor, Aminu Tambuwal.

Chief Odigie-Oyegun says APC can guarantee Igbo presidency

READ ALSO: Buhari knew about the $289m NIA project - NSA Monguno reveals Ikoyi apartment scandal details

Addressing the crowd at the rally, Odigie-Oyegun spoke on the need for the South-East, which is seen as a PDP stronghold, to be part of the APC.

He said: We are going to finally bury the PDP in the eastern states. In the next election, who is going to be the governor of Enugu state? Which party can best ensure Igbo presidency? Is it not APC? No other party can ensure that. The people of the South-East are entitled to full participation in this country, and APC is committed and ready to provide the platform.

For long, you (South-East) have been prevented from reaping the fruits of your labour. The time has come for you to reap the fruits of your labour. When I get back to Abuja now, I have a message for the national headquarters of our party  Enugu state is ready, the people of the South-East are ready. From the moment we won the last election, and seeing how skewed the country is, part of the plan was to ensure that the South-East returns to the mainstream of politics in this country."

The APC national chairman dismissed a report that Chimes move to APC was prompted by fears of possible prosecution by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.

Also speaking at the event, Tambuwal stressed that APC was ready to do business with the people of the South-East.

Tambuwal noted that Enugu state was the gateway to the South-East.

He pointed out that an accord between the then Eastern Region and the North led to the emergence of Alhaji Shehu Shagari as president in 1979.

READ ALSO: Details of negotiation for released 82 Chibok girls revealed

Stressing the need for unity in the country, he said: Chime is joining APC at a time when we are working hard to ensure that Nigeria remains a united country.

Chime, in his address, thanked God for the opportunity to finally leave PDP.

He said: I thank God that I have finally left that wreckage of a once upon great party, PDP. We are postponing the burial date but the party is dead. You cannot be talking about politics and be taken seriously when you are in PDP.

Earlier, Legit.ng had reported that Chime, who served as the governor of Enugu state on the platform of the PDP, from 2007 to 2015, defected to the APC.

It was gathered that his reported defection is seen to be a preparatory ground for a looming political war between him and the Deputy Senate President, Senator Ike Ekweremadu.

Watch Nigerians respond to a question if looters should get the death penalty.

Source: Legit.ng
- JAMB has broken a new record after 39 years with 1.7 million students registered for the UTME in 2017

- Although the registration process has been fraught with problems, the spokesperson said they were please with the number

- 1.7 million candidates were registered at the close of the website by 12 midnight on Friday, May 5, 2017

The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) spokesperson has announced that a new record has been set by the body. A record 1.7 million people have registered for this years Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME).

The spokesperson said: We registered a number that has never been done in the entire 39 years of the existence of JAMB within a time frame Nigerians were sceptical about."

Below is the statement:

Candidates protesting the irregularities

The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board, JAMB, has concluded the sale of 2017 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination, UTME, application document in grand style recording over 1.7 million candidates at the close of the site by 12 midnight on Friday May 5 2017.

The Board urges Nigerians to have trust in its processes as they are meant to enhance productivity, eliminate examination malpractice and promote transparency to an unprecedented level.

We registered a number that has never been done in the entire 39 years of the existence of JAMB within a time frame Nigerians were sceptical about. The highest we have ever had was 1.5 million, this is record breaking.

We will look at the system so far and make adjustments where necessary to ensure a full proof process of registration and examination. We are always sure of our systems and will continue to expand our frontiers of thinking to transform the Board to an agency that Nigerians will be proud of.

READ ALSO: JAMB releases candidates 2017 mock exam results

JAMB wishes to state clearly that it will continue to be very open in all its activities and ensure inclusiveness even in the areas of its finances.

The disclosure of the actual number of candidates registered is a clear invitation for the public to know what the Board has realised from the sale for this year and we are not perturbed because we have nothing to hide in our dealings. We are determined to make Nigerians proud of us.

Examination is all about transparency and an agency that conducts such a competitive examination must be above board in all its life cycle.

As we conduct the 2017 examination beginning from Saturday May 13, we call on all Nigerians to give us the needed support. We will do our very best and where they notice challenges, we will work without hesitation to ensure that it is corrected immediately for candidates to have a smooth examination.

Nigerians should note that there could be one or two challenges in some centres; but the most important thing is our ability to urgently address such when they rear their face. We use this opportunity to call for patriotism. Let us learn to always support our agencies, they are not as bad as we are always quick to want them to be.

Nations are grown through innovation and there is no innovation if there is no trial. Please dont be quick to condemn, rather look at the end result and see how all of us can contribute to the Nigerian education of our dream. We have resolved to bell the cat in order for other public examination agencies to thrive.

We will also not be distracted by some highly placed Nigerians who, for selfish personal interest of what they were making but which they are no longer making through corrupt practices and others for sheer envy and personal grudges against actors in JAMB, resolved to do everything to paint all our processes even at infancy level in bad light.

READ ALSO: 4 signs JAMB may not be ready for 2017 UTME

Thank God, the number of registration and short period as against the six months in the past has vindicated us.

Meanwhile, following the close of registration for the 2017 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) today Friday, May 5, JAMB has raked in N8.5bn from the sale of forms.

Watch this Legit.ng video on the JAMB registration:

Source: Legit.ng
- France president-elect and winner of the 2017 election is Emmanuel Macron

- He is the youngest president in the history of France at only 39 years old

- There are some other interesting facts about the new president

Emmanuel Macron beat Marine Le Pen at the presidential polls by a decisive margin to become the youngest president-elect of France.

What are some facts to know about him?

1. Age

Emmanuel Macron will become the youngest president in the history of France when sworn in, as he is only 39 years old. He has a background in investment banking, and his policies are a mix of the right and the left.

39-year-old Emmanuel Macron

2. Socialist movement

From 2006 through 2009, Emmanuel Macron was a member of the Socialist party. In France, the two major political parties are the center-right Republican party and the center-left Socialist party; the current president of France, Francois Hollande, is a member of the Socialist party.

However, from 2009 to 2016, Macron did not associate himself with the Socialist party anymore, saying that he is an independent.

READ ALSO: BREAKING: 39-year-old Emmanuel Macron elected French president

3. Formed his own party

When he announced his bid for presidency, Macron formed his own political movement called En Marche! In English, this translates as Forward! Macron has described this organization as being post-partisan, combining elements both of the left and the right.

4. Obama ties

Macron would align more closely with Hillary Clinton or Barack Obama, and indeed, Macron recently spoke with Barack Obama over the phone.

A spokesperson for Obama later said that this should not be considered an official endorsement and that Macron had requested the call. Macron subsequently released footage of him speaking with Obama.

5. European union stance

Marine Le Pen has promised to withdraw France from the European union just as Britain did in 2016.

However, Emmanuel Macron, is pro European Union. He has, however, said he wants to make some changes so that the EU can be made stronger.

I propose to restore the credibility of France in the eyes of Germany, to convince Berlin in the next six months to adopt an active investment policy and move towards greater solidarity in Europe, Macron said.

Macron during the campaign started a new political party

6. Immigration policies

On the topic of immigration, Emmanuel Macron is for strengthening the European Unions external borders and pushing for additional resources at the European Border, according to Politico.

However, he also says that security would not be better served by closing national borders, and he says that controls on migration should not be handled on a national level.

In addition, Macron has said that Frances security policies have unfairly targeted Muslims.

At a rally in October 2016, he said: No religion is a problem in France today, if the state should be neutral, which is at the heart of secularism, we have a duty to let everybody practice their religion with dignity.

7. Business policy

Emmanuel Macron, who is a former businessman himself, says he will make France more business friendly and lower corporate taxes.

Specifically, Macron has promised to lower the corporate tax rate from 33 percent to 25 percent. He also wants to keep the legal work week at 35 hours but leave negotiation of real work hours to companies.

Legit.ng recently ran a presidential poll. Watch the video below:

Source: Legit.ng
Following the meeting of federal government and the 82 abducted school girls released by Boko Haram at about 7.04pm on Sunday, May 7, names of the rescued girls have been released.

Legit.ng had earlier reported that the girls arrived the Presidential Villa in Abuja to meet with President Muhammadu Buhari.

A closed door meeting was held between the girls and the president.

The presidency has released the full list of the Chibok schoolgirls who regained freedom from Boko Haram captive, over three years after they were abducted.

A list containing the names of the 82 girls released by the terrorists was made available to Channels Television on Sunday, May 7.

Below are the names in no particular order.

READ ALSO: Buhari's men list names of those to replace SGF (See who they chose)

Kwana simon

Grace dauda

Jummai paul

Tobita pogo

Yanke shetima

Jumai miutah

Juliana yakubu

Mary yakubu

Ruth kolo

Mairawa yahaya

Racheal nkeke

Fibi haruna

Asaba manu

Esther usman

Filo dauda

Awa abga

Lydia Joshua

Naomi bitrus

Martha james

Falmata musa

Aisha Ezekiel

Awa yerima

Mwada baba

Hannatu ishaku

Mwa Daniel

Rifkatu soloman

Maryamu yakubu

Rebecca joshep

Laid audu

Amina pogu

READ ALSO: Exchanging terrorists for Chibok girls: 4 things Nigeria must prepare for

Meanwhile, one of the Chibok schoolgirls released by Boko Haram on Saturday returned with a leg amputated, according to report.

The unnamed girl was among the 82 girls taken from Banki, a town on the border with Cameroon, to Abuja, where they were taken to a Department of State Services clinic.

Two [of the girls] have injuries, said, the chief of staff to President Muhammadu Buhari, Abba Kyari, who received the girls at the Abuja airport.

One has hand injury, the other has a leg injury. He was quick to point out that the amputation had nothing to do with the rescue operation, which he said was carried out professionally, without any hitch.

The director of medicals, DSS Clinic, Anne Okoroafor, assured that the girls would be given adequate medical care.

The 82 girls were among the 276 female students kidnapped by Boko Haram from the Government Girls Secondary School on April 14, 2014. Fifty-seven of the girls escaped while being taken away and three others were found or rescued by the military.

On October 13, 2016, 21 girls were freed after the Swiss government and international Committee of Red Cross brokered a deal between Boko Haram and the Nigerian government.

The Nigerian government said in April it was collaborating with foreign entities to negotiate for the release of the remaining girls.

Source: Legit.ng
- The PDP has released it position as regards the release of 82 Chibok Girls

- PDP says though the news is delightful, still there are flaws on the process

- The opposition party has listed ways in which the present government goofed on the deal for releasing the girls

The Senator Ahmed Makarfi faction of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), has described the recent release of 82 Chibok girls as a welcome development.

According to an official statement by its spokesman, Prince Dayo Adeyeye, the PDP said the capture and detention of the girls by the Boko Haram terrorists in the last three years had brought extreme pain and suffering not only to their families but to the people of this Country and men and women of goodwill all over the world.

The PDP however, stressed that is of great concern is the price paid to secure the release of the girls.

"According to reports, the girls were released in exchange for the release of suspected Boko Haram terrorists. If that is the Case, we say it's a heavy price to pay and an unusual one at that." opined the PDP.

The opposition party further stressed its position saying: "While we welcome the release of the girls, we do not think that exchanging innocent girls for hardened criminals like the terrorists is the right approach for the following reasons:

1). The suspected terrorists by this release have escaped justice; and all the effort made by security agencies to bring them to book has come to nothing.

PDP says the price paid for the release of the 82 Chibok girls, is a heavy and unusual price

2). The release of the terrorists is a setback for the War on insurgency. Their release is tantamount to releasing them to resume their war against society. Many of them could find their ways back to the terrorists camps from where they could unleash terror against the Country. Others who are allowed to roam freely in society could become veritable recruiting agents and purveyors of suic*de bombing and urban terrorism.

3). The Boko Haram terrorists are emboldened to continue with their tactics of kidnapping innocent people with the belief that they can always use it to blackmail the Government to release their members and to extract other concessions.

4). The piece meal release of the girls means the terrorists want to extract more concessions from the Government which in the end can only prolong the insurgency.

5). The release of the girls will increase the agony and high expectancy of the remaining girls still in custody of the terrorists and their families who will be wondering why they have not been so lucky. It therefore would have been better to ensure the release of all the girls at once.

6). The negotiations are in clear violation and indeed a direct assault on the generally accepted international principle never to negotiate with terrorists. This international principle is sound and logical because negotiation with the terrorists only fuels their urge to continue with their heinous crimes.

7). However, we recognize the concern of President Buhari to ensure the earliest release of the Chibok girls for domestic and international considerations. Equally, we are very concerned about the safe return of the girls to their families at the earliest possible time. But we disagree that negotiating with the terrorists is the right approach to achieving the objective.

8). Meanwhile, we rejoice with the girls and their families and hope that their remaining colleagues will join them in freedom in no distant future."

"Long live PDP! Long live Nigeria!!" the statement concludes.

Source: Legit.ng
President Muhammadu Buhari on Sunday night, May 7, received Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, Senate president Bukola Saraki and the Speaker House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara ahead of his medical trip to London.

The president shared the photos of his meeting on his Twitter page and wrote: "This evening at home I received Vice President Professor Yemi Osinbajo, Senate President Abubakar Bukola Saraki and Speaker House of Representatives Rt. Hon. Yakubu Dogara, ahead of my Trip to London tonight."

He added: "I have absolute confidence that Government will continue to function smoothly and normally while I'm away. God bless the Federal Republic of Nigeria."

READ ALSO: Release of 82 Chibok girls is a diversionary tactic to divert attention away from Buhari's health - Fayose

Buhari meets Osinbajo ahead of his medical trip to London

Buhari all smiles after a meeting with Osinbajo, Saraki, Dogara ahead of his medical trip to London

Buhari meet Osinbajo, Saraki, Dogara, others ahead of his medical trip to London

Buhari meet Osinbajo, Saraki, Dogara, others ahead of his medical trip to London

Earlier, Legit.ng reported that President Buhari will be traveling to London tonight, May 7 for a medical check-up.

READ ALSO: Prove to court that seized $43m Ikoyi cash belongs to Rivers state - Amaechi to Wike

The presidency disclosed that Vice President Osinbajo will be Acting President as the duration of Buhari's medical trip is yet to be known.

Buhari's long absence generated a lot of controversy and Nigerians clamored for him to be replaced as shown in this Legit.ng video below:

Source: Legit.ng
Every year, tens of thousands of investors descend on Omaha to attend the annual meeting of Berkshire Hathaway, the conglomerate controlled by Warren E. Buffett, and hear directly from the billionaire.

And this year, those who made the trek heard Mr. Buffett on Saturday criticize the Trump administrations health care overhaul as a giveaway to wealthy individuals like himself, and heard him rebuke the previous management of Wells Fargo, of which Berkshire is one of the biggest shareholders.

Berkshires annual shareholder meeting has long been known as the Woodstock of capitalism for the fervor of the investors  some owning only a single share  who travel to Omaha just for the chance to listen to Mr. Buffett and his longtime business partner, Charles Munger.

Over the course of six and a half hours, Mr. Buffett, 86, and Mr. Munger, 93, touched upon a wide range of topics, as they sipped Coca-Cola and munched on Sees candies (from two of Berkshires holdings). The two executives spoke about the arcana of insurance, one of Berkshires biggest businesses. They criticized the work of private equity firms that load enormous piles of debt onto companies they acquire. And, responding to individual shareholder queries, they also spoke about their dreams and regrets.
The only requirement for enrollment? Students must be 55 or older  which sometimes plays a role in determining which classes attract the most students.

We quite literally lose students to bridge, said Mr. Last, 26, referring to the fact that the crossword and bridge classes are scheduled at overlapping times. Its a tough choice for some people.

The goal of the crossword class, which Mr. Last is teaching this year alongside Finn Vigeland  both of whom, over the years, have published several puzzles in The New York Times  is for students to learn the principles of crossword construction, from devising a theme and designing a usable grid to creating the nonthematic fill and writing the clues.

By the end of each semester, the class, which consists of about half a dozen students, aims to construct a single puzzle, which is then submitted to Will Shortz, The Timess crossword editor, to be considered for publication. (The class was first offered in 2009 and, to date, 12 JASA puzzles have been accepted and published, including the one in todays Sunday magazine.)
China Mieville is one of those fiction writers whose multivalent imagination  with its monsters, cityscapes of the future, and battles between good and evil  is capable of making readers heads explode. In The New York Times, Sarah Lyall once wrote that his novels skitter among genres, magpie-ing elements from science fiction, fantasy, urban fantasy, traditional fairy tales, steampunk, horror. So perhaps the weirdest thing Mieville could do at this point is write about the real world, which is what he does in October, his new nonfiction book about the Russian Revolution in 1917. Below, he tells us about his interest in the subject, why he chose to write about it a century after the events he describes, and more.

When did you first get the idea to write this book?

It was in discussion with a friend who is also the editor of the book, Sebastian Budgen. Although theres a huge literature on the Russian Revolution, its actually quite difficult to find a nonintimidating text for the interested lay reader. Sebastian was talking about the potential for writing it in a novelistic way. Basically the idea was to tell the revolution as a story, because it was an extraordinary one, without blurring the politics, or pretending the politics arent there, or dumbing them down.

Sebastian knew that Ive been active on the left for a long time. Socialist politics and culture is something thats been important to me. So he knew I had a political relationship with the revolution as well. Its not just an astonishing story on an abstract level; its a very relevant story as well.

There are certain rules I followed. Theres no event, no person, no reported speech that isnt in the literature somewhere. Theres no invention like that. Its a book with a relatively new reader in mind, but I want the specialists to realize Ive taken the subject very seriously.
The tree stood near the towns railway station, and legend has it that it served as their meeting place.

Soldiers eventually crushed the strike, and key organizers were jailed, but the sheep shearers defiance inspired a labor movement that persists to this day.

And that tree grew to become a national heritage site, known as the Tree of Knowledge. In 2006, however, it was declared dead after it was poisoned by herbicide.

The tree was artificially preserved and has since been encased in a multimillion-dollar monument. An annual festival on May Day celebrates its legacy. And the tree lives on, in young clones grown from cuttings.

Patrick Boehler contributed reporting.

_____

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2. House Republicans celebrated a major victory last week with the passage of their health care bill, but it may be short-lived.

The legislation, which would roll back the Obama-era Affordable Care Act, now moves to the Senate. Its future there is uncertain.

House Republicans who voted for the bill could face a backlash in next years elections, especially if the measures potential to hurt the economy is realized. Above, protesters in Washington.
Chadbourne ripped off the Band-Aid that a lot of firms put on pay disparities, said David W. Sanford of Sanford Heisler Sharp, who represents Ms. Ribeiro as well as the plaintiffs in the Chadbourne case, and is counseling other practicing lawyers over challenging pay disparities.

Barely 20 percent of women have reached firm partnership status despite the high number of women who are entry-level associates at many major firms. When they graduate from law school  where women are now just over half of students  women are paid in lock step with male colleagues, but once they make partner, their compensation can be widely divergent from that of their male counterparts.

Female law partners on average earn about one-third, or about $300,000, less annually than their male colleagues, according to a survey of 2,100 partners at law firms nationwide released last fall by a legal search firm, Major, Lindsey & Africa. Over several years, that adds up quickly to a million dollars or more in lost compensation for a female lawyer.

Lawsuits and studies that aggregate results on firm pay leave female lawyers at the midpoint in their careers wondering if they should contest the edge they see men having in receiving promotions, leadership positions and compensation.

If there is no one to turn to, and no hope of being treated fairly, said Rebecca L. Torrey, an employment and labor law lawyer with the California firm Elkins Kalt Weintraub Reuben Gartside, why wait for decades to be paid the same?

To be sure, there have been women who have risen to the top of their firms, including Faiza J. Saeed, who became the first woman to lead the elite law firm Cravath, Swaine & Moore.

But several female lawyers said in interviews that they were essentially stuck as service partners. They churn out the legal work, but do not have opportunities to mingle with clients in ways that can generate the kind of high-value business that wins the big paychecks, they said. The women spoke on the condition that they not be identified, fearing reprisals from their firms.
The Sinclair Broadcast Group may not have much name recognition outside its home base near Baltimore, but the company is poised to cover most of the countrys television households.

Sinclair is near a deal to buy Tribune Media, people briefed on the matter said on Sunday, as it seeks to expand its empire of local television stations after rule changes by the Federal Communications Commission.

A deal between the companies, expected to be announced as soon as Monday morning, would cement Sinclairs status as a growing power in the broadcast industry. The company, whose 173 properties already make it the largest owner of local stations in the United States, emerged from a field of potential bidders that included 21st Century Fox and the Nexstar Media Group.

Sinclair was expected to pay just under $44 a share, some of those briefed on the matter said, valuing Tribune at about $3.8 billion. Details were being ironed out as of Sunday afternoon, and the talks could still collapse.
While the Trump connection piqued the interest of many people in attendance, such events soliciting investors for projects in the United States are not unusual in China. The so-called EB-5 visa program awards foreign investors the right to live in the United States for two years and a path to permanent residency, in exchange for investments of at least $500,000 in American development projects. A bright red line near the top of the posters in the Four Seasons lobby prominently mentioned EB-5 visas.

About three-quarters of the roughly 10,000 investor visas issued last year went to Chinese nationals.

Although the program was created as a way to finance projects in economically troubled neighborhoods, it has instead turned into a form of cheap financing for luxury real estate developers. Applicants are primarily seeking the visa, so they typically do not seek a significant return on their investment.

The United States Government Accountability Office, the investigative branch of Congress, has criticized the visa program for its lax safeguards against illicit sources of money.

Kushner Companies has tapped the program before: The firm raised about $50 million from Chinese investors in EB-5 funding for another project in Jersey City, a Trump-branded luxury apartment tower that opened in late 2016.

As part of the marketing effort to finance that building, a firm used by Kushner Companies distributed a Chinese-subtitled video leading viewers behind the wheel of a car in New Jersey accompanied by Woke Up This Morning, the theme song from the television show The Sopranos.

Kushner Companies has declined to identify the investors it found for that building.

Mr. Kushner was a manager or president at several entities associated with the Jersey City project that is now seeking Chinese investors. He divested his interests in that project by selling them to a family trust of which he is not a beneficiary, said Blake Roberts, a lawyer at WilmerHale who is advising Mr. Kushner on ethics issues.

Mr. Kushner has divested his stakes in dozens of entities used to hold family company investments, although he remains the beneficiary of trusts that hold stakes in hundreds of others.
Aisha Imani Muharrar and Benjamin Marc Epstein were married May 6 at the Sunstone Villa in Santa Ynez, Calif. Josh Halloway, a friend of the couple who became a Universal Life minister for the event, officiated.

The bride, 33, is an author and television writer and producer in Los Angeles. She was a co-executive producer on The Good Place, a comedy on NBC. She also worked from 2009 to 2015 on the NBC show Parks & Recreation (Seasons 2 through 7), serving as a co-executive producer during the final season. She is also the author of More Than a Label: Why What You Wear or Who Youre With Doesnt Define Who You Are. She graduated from Harvard.

She is the daughter of Barbara A. Bryant and Mikal A. Muharrar of Bay Shore, N.Y. The brides father, a historian, worked until 2007 at the New-York Historical Society, where he ran the Enlivening American History program as well as the Teaching American History initiative. Her mother is an auditor employed by the Department of Treasury in Bethpage, N.Y.

Mr. Epstein, 35, is a writer, director and producer in Los Angeles. He wrote the script for You Get Me, a Netflix original film that will debut next month. He also created Happyland, which aired on MTV in 2014. He graduated from New York University.
Safe Selfie policy adopted at Yellowstone

CODY, Wyo. (AP)  Yellowstone National Park officials have asked 2017 visitors to adopt its Safe Selfie policy.

The Cody Enterprise reported earlier this week that Yellowstone officials have issued the policy in response to a rash of irresponsible and illegal behavior the past two years.

Yellowstone broke records by topping 4 million tourists for the first time in 2015 and then topped that with 4.2 million visitors last year. Mixed in the millions, a number of visitors have made bad decisions.

Two summers ago, five people taking selfie photographs provoked bison into attacking them. No one was killed, but medical treatment had been needed.

Last year, a tourist had died after walking off a pedestrian boardwalk into a thermal area.

The Yellowstone East Gate will open at 8 a.m. Friday.

Judges rule in Ore. poaching cases

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP)  Two Oregon judges have ruled that three men caught with the heads of bighorn sheep wont have to each pay thousands of dollars in penalties.

The Oregonian/OregonLive reports two men were convicted of illegally taking or possessing wildlife in Gilliam County and the other defendant was in an unrelated case in Wasco County.

Gilliam County Judge John Olson wrote that the states anti-poaching law explicitly allows the State Fish and Wildlife Commission to file a lawsuit for $25,000 per sheep from the men. He said it doesnt say a judge can order the defendants to pay.

Meanwhile, Wasco County Judge Janet Stauffer said the prosecution hadnt proven that the crime directly resulted in the loss of $25,000 in tangible economic damages to the state.

3 dead following apparent boating accident

IDAHO FALLS (AP)  A man from Washington state and a man and woman from Wyoming have died in an eastern Idaho reservoir.

Officials on Saturday identified the three as 69-year-old Leo S. Britt of Grapeview, Washington, 64-year-old Niel Hines of Jeffrey City, Wyoming, and 44-year-old Sydney Hines of Jeffrey City, Wyoming.

The Bonneville County Sheriffs Office says the three were apparently trying to cross Palisades Reservoir on Thursday on a camping trip when their small motor boat capsized.

Investigators say their bodies were recovered Friday and all three wore lifejackets. Officials say they appear to have died of hypothermia in the cold water before being able to reach shore.

Nev. officer shoots mother bear

INCLINE VILLAGE, Nev. (AP)  Authorities say a Nevada sheriffs deputy accidentally shot a mother bear who was found with her three cubs in a neighborhood near Lake Tahoe.

The Washoe County Sheriffs office said the deputy intended to shoot a rubber round to scare the bear away but fired off a live round instead.

The wounded adult bear has been taken to a veterinarian for evaluation and treatment.

Authorities said the bears were spotted near homes in Incline Village in Nevada about 10:45 a.m. Saturday.

This bear family has previously been identified as food aggressive and theyve been reported multiple times in recent weeks.

The Nevada Department of Wildlife said the cubs are old enough to be on their own but that officials will devise a plan to help manage them.

Nevada raises speed limit on I-80

CARSON CITY, Nev. (AP)  Nevada transportation officials are raising the speed limit from 75 mph to 80 mph on a rural stretch of Interstate 80.

Department of Transportation spokeswoman Meg Ragonese says the states new top legal speed will take effect as soon as signs are posted. That could be as early as mid-May.

The 130-mile section will span Fernley to Winnemucca and exclude the portion of I-80 running through the town of Lovelock.

Highways and the eastern half of I-80 in Nevada will not be affected by the change.

Republican Sen. Don Gustavson of Sparks sponsored legislation in 2015 allowing the department to establish speed limits as high as 80 mph.

Ragonese says the department conducted a study on 24 segments of I-80 in 2016 and may decide to raise the limit in other areas in the future.

LDS missionary from Utah dies while serving

PAYSON, Utah (AP)  A Mormon missionary from Utah has died in Wisconsin.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints said Saturday that 19-year-old Jeremy McCauley died Friday night of unknown causes.

McCauley is from Payson, Utah but has been serving in the Wisconsin Milwaukee Mission since November.

The church said its mourning the tragic loss of one of its young missionaries.

Woman in Utah given deportation reprieve

SALT LAKE CITY (AP)  Immigration officials have granted a temporary reprieve from deportation to a Mexican woman in Utah whose family and supporters protested after she was detained while shopping with her daughter.

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement spokesman Carl Rusnok said Friday that Silvia Avelar-Flores of West Valley City, Utah, has been given 90 days to leave the country. He didnt say why the agency made the decision. Agents picked her up last week.

The 31-year-old woman came to the U.S. in 1993 with her family as a child on a temporary visitor visa.

Community groups and her family called the pending deportation of the mother of three unethical at a rally Wednesday outside government offices.

They say they are overjoyed she been reunited with her family. Avelar-Flores has a pending request for legal residency through her husband, who has a green card.

Comments sought on Wyo. horse roundup

CHEYENNE, Wyo. (AP)  The U.S. government is taking new comments from the public on plans to round up more than 2,000 wild horses in central Wyoming.

In March, a federal judge in Cheyenne ordered the U.S. Bureau of Land Management to re-evaluate the roundup. U.S. District Judge Nancy Freudenthal told the BLM to consider how the roundup would affect wild horses with traits inherited from horses used by Spanish explorers and settlers.

The group Friends of Animals said the scale of the roundup required more analysis including how the roundup would affect the herds genetics. Freudenthal agreed.

A revised government analysis says the wild horses have traits of Spanish horses but also several other types and the Spanish traits dont predominate.

The BLM is taking new comments on the roundup until June 5.
Courtney Erin Brein and Eugene Braude were married May 6 at the Down Town Club, an events space in Philadelphia. Rabbi Jeffrey R. Astrachan officiated.

The couple met at the University of Pennsylvania, from which he graduated magna cum laude and they both received M.B.A.s, he with honors.

Ms. Brein, 31, is an associate vice president at Aramark, the food-service provider based in Philadelphia, where she oversees operational reporting focusing on food and labor productivity. She graduated summa cum laude from Princeton.

She is the daughter of Jessica L. Brein and Dr. Kenneth R. Brein of York, Pa. The brides father, an ophthalmologist, is the senior partner of Ophthalmology Associates of York. Her mother, who is retired, was the parenting consultant and the elder care specialist at Jewish Family Services of York. She is a trustee of Temple Beth Israel, also in York.
Deprina Lashana Godboldo and Khristopher Jajwuan Brooks are to be married May 7 at Clearwater Beach in Clearwater, Fla. Gayle Liteheart, a minister of Heartlight Ministries, is to officiate.

The bride, 32, is a lifestyle blogger for Open Mic Rochester, an online publication in Rochester. She graduated from the University of South Florida in Tampa.

She is a daughter of Zinnia L. Patcas and Guy V. Godboldo of Detroit.

The groom, 32, is a local government reporter for Newsday in Melville, N.Y. He graduated from Central Michigan University in Mount Pleasant, and received a masters degree in literary reportage from N.Y.U.

He is the son of Colissar A. Bailey and James A. McKinney of Detroit.

The couple met in 1996 in seventh grade at Frank Murphy Middle School in Detroit. They reconnected via Facebook and began dating in January 2010.
Evelin Margaret Chabot, a daughter of Elizabeth A. Chabot and Kelly G. Chabot of Saratoga Springs, N.Y., was married there May 6 to John Gordon Griffin, a son of Mary A. Griffin and John P. Griffin of Menands, N.Y. The Rev. Kate S. Forer, a minister of the United Church of Christ, performed the ceremony at the Presbyterian-New England Congregational Church, where she is the senior pastor.

The bride, 30, will continue to use her name professionally. She is a fund-raising officer, specializing in foundation and government giving, at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. She graduated from St. Lawrence University. Her father is a clinical social worker in private practice in Saratoga Springs. Her mother is a social worker at William C. Keane Elementary in Schenectady, N.Y.

The groom, 33, is an executive vice president, managing public affairs accounts, at DKC, a public relations and public affairs agency in New York. He graduated from Siena College in Loudonville, N.Y., and received a law degree from Albany Law School. His mother is the president and chief executive of the Life Insurance Council of New York, a trade association in Albany. His father is a lobbyist, also in Albany.

The couple met in 2009 through a mutual friend at a bar in Saratoga Springs, where both were spending their winter breaks.
Jasmine Hay Man Chan and Graham William Jenkins were married May 6 at the Arts Club of Washington. Mike Naple, a friend of the couple who was designated a civil marriage officiant for the event by the District of Columbia Marriage Bureau, officiated.

The couple met in 2009 while they were graduate students at the London School of Economics and Political Science, from which they received masters degrees. The brides degree is in media and communications, the grooms in theory and history of international relations.

Ms. Chan, 29, is an assistant director in the Washington office of EY, formerly known as Ernst & Young, where she manages communications for the companys consultants in the Americas. She graduated from N.Y.U.

She is the daughter of Mimi Ho and Hing Yim Chan of San Marino, Calif.

Mr. Jenkins, 30, is a program analyst with Novetta, a government contractor in McLean, Va.; he works on policy and strategic planning initiatives for the Defense Department. He graduated from Sarah Lawrence College.
Kasie Sue Hunt and Matthew Mario Rivera were married May 6 at Shenandoah Woods, a lodge and retreat in Stanley, Va. Marian Sieke, a Baptist minister and a friend of the brides family, officiated a nondenominational ceremony.

The couple met at NBC News in Washington, where the bride is the networks Capitol Hill correspondent and the groom is the senior digital producer of Meet the Press.

Ms. Hunt, 31, graduated magna cum laude from George Washington University and received a masters degree in sociology from St Johns College in Cambridge, England. She is a daughter of Krista K. Hunt and Bruce C. Hunt of Easton, Pa. The brides father manages real estate design and construction for Penn Medicine, University of Pennsylvania Health System in Philadelphia. Her mother is a yoga teacher in Easton.

Mr. Rivera, 35, graduated cum laude from N.Y.U. He is the son of Loraine V. Vetter of Smithtown, N.Y., and of Daniel O. Rivera of Sunny Isles Beach, Fla., and the stepson of Larry Vetter. The grooms mother, a registered nurse, works at St. Catherine of Siena Medical Center in Smithtown. His father retired as a lieutenant in the New York City Sheriffs Office. The grooms stepfather owns Vetter Environmental Sciences, a consulting company in Lindenhurst, N.Y.
Samantha Elena Griffith, a daughter of Jean DeCicco of New York and Jerome S. Griffith of East Hampton, N.Y., and Dodgeville, Wis., was married May 6 to Robert Samuel Shoobs, the son of Diane S. Shoobs and Dr. Michael J. Shoobs of Woodland Park, N.J. The Rev. R. John Nelson, a Roman Catholic priest, officiated, with Joni Brenner, a rabbinical chaplain, taking part in the ceremony at the Lotte New York Palace Hotel in New York.

The couple met in 2009 through mutual friends at Union College in Schenectady, N.Y., from which they both graduated.

The bride, 27, is a school psychologist at the Robert F. Kennedy School, Public School 169, in New York, and is pursuing a doctorate in school psychology at Fairleigh Dickinson University. She received a master's and education specialist degree in the subject from Seton Hall University.

The brides father is the chief executive of Lands End, the e-commerce apparel retailer in Dodgeville, and is on the board of governors of the Parsons School of Design. Until 2016, he was the chief executive at Tumi, a maker of luggage, bags and accessories in South Plainfield, N.J., and New York, of which her mother is the senior vice president in New York for corporate merchandising and product management.
Samantha Kirsten Ronda and Jake Davis Skinner were married May 6 at Riverside Church in New York. The Rev. Luisa Porrata, who was ordained by One Spirit Interfaith Seminary, officiated.

The couple met at Pace University, from which they graduated.

Mrs. Ronda Skinner, 28, works in New York as an administrative assistant at the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women, an agency that works to further rights and opportunities for women. She received a masters degree in global development and social justice from St. Johns University.

She is the daughter of Silvia Ronda of New City, N.Y., and Samuel Ronda of Spring Valley, N.Y. The brides father is a park ranger in Ramapo, N.Y. Her mother owns a medical billing consulting firm in New City.

Mr. Skinner, 30, is a direct-support professional in New York with YAI/National Institute for People With Disabilities. He helps adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities gain independent living skills. He received a master of science degree from Sacred Heart University in Fairfield, Conn.
Todd Michael Hill and Venton Carlos Jones Jr. were married May 6 at the Black Walnut Point Inn in Tilghman Island, Md. Representative Joaquin Castro of Texas, a friend of the couple who became a Universal Life minister for the event, officiated.

Mr. Hill, 37, is the policy and research program manager at the Urban Institutes Housing Finance Policy Center in Washington. He graduated from the University of Texas at Arlington, where he was a Bill Archer Fellow.

He is a son of Tammy L. Hill and Thomas J. Hill of Euless, Tex. His father, a brick mason, owns a construction firm in Euless that bears his name.

Mr. Jones, 33, is the program officer for L.G.B.T. Health and Wellness Initiatives at the National Black Justice Coalition, a civil rights organization in Washington dedicated to the empowerment of black lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people.
Don Gordon, an Emmy-nominated character actor who often starred alongside his close friend Steve McQueen, died on April 24 in Los Angeles. He was 90.

His death was confirmed by his wife, Denise.

Mr. Gordon found steady work in the 1960s, 70s and 80s as a supporting actor on television and in the movies, often playing tough guys. In 1962, he was nominated for an Emmy for his role as Joey Tassili, a troubled young man, on The Defenders, a CBS courtroom drama that starred E. G. Marshall and Robert Reed.

Early on, Mr. Gordon appeared on shows like Space Patrol, in the 1950s, and on McQueens CBS Western, Wanted: Dead or Alive, in 1959 and 1960. He was also cast as Lt. Hank Bertelli on the short-lived 1960s show The Blue Angels.

His most memorable film roles were alongside McQueen in Bullitt (1968); Papillon (1973), which also starred Dustin Hoffman; and The Towering Inferno (1974), a disaster film with Paul Newman and Faye Dunaway.
Within 48 hours, I received myself about 75 death threats, via text messages and Facebook, said Imam Ismaeel Chartier, the mosques spiritual leader. The declaration in January, and accompanying fear, caused an internal conflict and soon led to the election of a more conservative, older board.

The Shaanti Bhavan Mandir is a surprisingly humble temple to take such a public role in the movement. The small storefront congregation is on Jamaica Avenue in the Richmond Hill neighborhood, under the elevated tracks of the J train. Its small banner is draped over the sign of a former real estate agents office whose space the temple is renting. It was founded five years ago by Pandit Manoj Jadubans, 44, a Guyana native, who, with a group of supporters, wanted to broaden what modern Hindu practice could look like.

One of hundreds of small Indo-Caribbean temples in that corner of Queens, it has sought to distinguish itself by focusing on the younger generation, acts of service and the environment. Its youth groups motto is the hands that serve are holier than the lips that pray. Among other actions, it participates in regular beach cleanups though Sadhana, a coalition of progressive Hindus that also played a key role in encouraging the temple to become a sanctuary.

We are a community largely comprised of immigrants and undocumented immigrants, and we were worried that this step would bring attention to our congregants who are undocumented, said Ms. Singhroy, 22, a temple and Sadhana member. But in the end we decided those are the very people we were going to help by taking this step.

Pandit Manoj announced the temples decision on March 19 in front of a packed sanctuary, a glittering array of idols and a photograph of his late guru, Shree Prakash Gossai. Let the mandirs, the temples, be a place where people can come to feel comforted, protected and feel some sense of worth within their life, he said.
WASHINGTON  The Interior Department welcomed a new breed of visitor to its Washington headquarters on Friday, one on four legs, covered with fur and on a mission to boost morale at the agency in charge of public lands.

The first federal agency to go dog-friendly opened its doors at 7 a.m. to 85 dogsdachshunds, Labradors, spaniels, Yorkies, border collies, Portuguese water dogs, beagles and many others, purebred and muttin a test run of perhaps the most nonpartisan policy change of the Trump administration.

Weve become so polar on political issues, Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke, a Republican former congressman from Montana, acknowledged as his energetic Havanese, Ragnar, raced around his office sniffing both reporters and an English Lab named Daisy owned by acting deputy chief of staff Megan Bloomgren.

This should not be a political issue, Zinke said.

Zinke, who brings Ragnar to the office most days, hopes Fridays pilot and another Doggy Day scheduled for September will catch on across the government and become a regular fixture at the Interior Department and its sprawling offices across the United States.

Im competitive, Zinke said. You may have heard the president is very competitive, too. We want to win.

Zinke was referring to a race to be the first to have dogs in federal officesa race he has won. President Donald Trump, with no dog or other pet in the White House at the moment, could not compete in the Doggy Days sweepstakes. Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue is considering a similar policy, Zinke said proudly.

The Interior Department dogscarefully vetted for vaccinations, behavioral problems and assurances that they were housebrokenspent the morning lying under their owners desks, sleeping, attending meetings (quietly) and walking along C Street NW when they needed to relieve themselves. They became new fixtures in the budget office, the office of congressional and legislative affairs, the cultural-resources office, legal offices and the inspector generals quarters, too.

The dogson leashes and the small ones in armsformed a line with their owners to enter Zinkes carpeted suite, where the secretary shook hands and posed with them for the cameras. It was, for many employees, their first opportunity to meet the new secretary.

This is pretty cool, said Steve Farrell, an analyst in the budget office, after posing for a photo with his black Portuguese water dog, Annie. Lately, Farrell has been working long hours crunching numbers for Trumps first budget, which proposed spending cuts of 12 percent at the Interior Department. Its been quite intense, he said.

Tavish, a rust-colored Hungarian pointer standing patiently next to Annie, had already had a busy morning, standing by while her owner, museum curator Tracy Baetz, reviewed an introductory film under production for the Interior Department museum and accompanying her to pay the parking meter. Then, a nap.

Baetz said she was pleasantly surprised by how many fellow employees she spoke with for the first time because they brought their dogs to work.

Like Baetz, who drove in, many employees organized the day around their dogs, who cant take Metro to the office. Caesar and Olive, two Yorkies owned by Carrie Soave from human resources, were getting ready to Uber home to NoMa with Soaves husband after lunch.

The first pilot day was scheduled for a Friday when many people work from home, to allow employees who would rather not be around dogs to stay away. As with any federal function, an after-action report will be done on the dogs for lessons learned. Doggy Days will probably extend to Interior Department offices throughout the country, giving managers flexibility to decide when and whether to allow them.

Members of Congress have been bringing their dogs to the Capitol since the 19th century, but few other taxpayer-funded workplaces have allowed them. Private companies, on the other hand, are increasingly touting their dog-friendliness as an employee perk.

Zinke, a retired Navy SEAL, said his dog policys primary goal is to boost morale at the far-flung Interior Department, which comprises the National Park Service, the Fish and Wildlife Service, the Bureau of Land Management and six other departments. The agency ranked 11th in employee morale of the 18 largest federal agencies in last years Best Places to Work in the Federal Government survey, with just 61 percent of its 70,000 employees saying they were happy in their jobs.

Several of the policies Zinke has pursued since taking office have rankled some of the more liberal career employees at his agency, including his support for reversing restrictions on oil and gas drilling in national parks and wildlife refuges, as well as a sweeping review of any national monument designated in the past 21 years thats 100,000 acres or larger. Employees also are anxious about possible budget cuts and what they would mean for their jobs.

Asked whether Doggy Days are an antidote to these problems, Zinke said he wants his agency to be the happy department. Inattention by headquarters to the staff on the front lines is largely to blame for morale problems, he said, pledging to be more attentive to those employees. Our front lines have gotten too thin, Zinke said.

He also expressed confidence that despite impending budget cuts, employees can take heart that his department is working hard to increase revenue from oil and gas drilling that he said fell precipitously under the Obama administration. Revenuethat helps morale, too, Zinke said.

The celebration of Doggy Days against a backdrop of shifting environmental policies was not lost on critics of the new administration. Greenpeace, the environmental group, took the opportunity to poke fun at Zinke in a blog post, noting that hes a dog lover like most Americans. It continued, Unlike most Americans though, hes also super into denying climate change, increasing carbon emissions, and selling off public lands to the oil and gas industry.
Adam LeGrant answered the phone and said that, contrary to the arrangements that had been made, his mother was not going to come on the line to talk.

So it fell to him to deliver the news: She has retired. He said this in the past tense  not she is going to retire, but she has retired.

His mother is Barbara Cook, of the magical voice.

She has retired  three words that a fan feared were coming but did not want to hear, because they foreclose on the promise of more. Her fans long to marvel yet again at how she always manages to discover something different and arresting in a song they thought they knew, something unexpected and raw and authentic.

Ms. Cook is 89 now. She defied so much for so long: depression, alcoholism, age. Mr. LeGrant said, on the phone and over lunch a couple of days later, that she had decided to put out the word about retirement. The public hasnt seen her in months, he said, and somebody would go Oh, my God, and it would be on Page Six.
New Jersey Transit, one of the nations busiest commuter railroads, has been flogged by riders who have suffered through a brutal stretch of travel upheavals. The railroads safety record is under scrutiny after a fatal derailment last year.

Now, questions are being raised about how it handles a basic task: ensuring riders pay their fares.

More than 240,000 fares were not collected on New Jersey Transit last year because trains were crowded and understaffed, according to a letter sent in March to the railroads executive director from the union representing conductors. The letter, a copy of which was obtained by The New York Times, said uncollected fares could represent more than $5.5 million in lost revenue.

At the same time, New Jersey Transit is piling up steep bills for providing alternative options for commuters during recent disruptions at Pennsylvania Station in New York. After two train derailments, the agency expects to be charged nearly $1 million for commuters who used their tickets on other transit providers, a practice known as cross-honoring.

Gov. Chris Christie has blamed Amtrak for the recent problems. It owns Penn Station and took responsibility for the derailments. But transit advocates say New Jersey Transit faces steep challenges after years of underinvestment and mismanagement under Mr. Christie.
The decisive election of Emmanuel Macron, a 39-year-old political neophyte committed to the European Union, economic reform and traditional liberalism, as president of France offered powerful relief to everyone who had feared that France could become the next country to succumb to the wave of populism, nationalism and anti-globalism sweeping through Western democracies.

A mysterious, 11th-hour email hack of the Macron campaign appears to have made little or no difference to the eventual outcome. With projections showing Mr. Macron with more than 65 percent of the vote to 35 percent for the far-right, nationalist Marine Le Pen, his was a victory of hope and optimism over fear and reaction; of a future in Europe rather than in resentful isolation.

The victory was remarkable in many ways. When he enters the Elysee Palace to start his five-year term next weekend, Mr. Macron will be the youngest president in French republican history. He will be the first president in decades not to come from one of the traditional parties of the left or right; he formed his own centrist political party, En Marche! (loosely translated as Forward!) barely a year ago. A student of philosophy, accomplished pianist, former investment banker and most recently minister of economy under President Francois Hollande, he had never before run for office.

But dramatic and impressive as his victory is, Mr. Macron faces formidable challenges. He is taking charge of a nation deeply divided, much like the United States, Britain and other major democracies, with many people feeling marginalized by globalization, economic stagnation, an unresponsive government, unemployment, faceless terrorism and a tide of immigrants.
For over seven years, the people of northeastern Nigeria have suffered unspeakable horrors at the hands of the deadly Islamist group Boko Haram. The group grabbed the worlds attention in 2014 after it kidnapped more than 270 schoolgirls, and over the weekend there were reports that dozens of the girls were freed in exchange for suspected extremists who had been detained. Thousands of people have been abducted, raped or slaughtered by the group.

The extremists have now been routed from much of their former stronghold, but where they once held sway, another horror has been revealed: More than five million people face acute food shortages, and nearly 44,000 face famine, which is declared when, among other criteria, two or more people out of 10,000 die every day. The groups campaign of terror made it impossible for people in the territory they controlled to farm, fish or trade. Many will die without immediate food assistance.

Yet, help has been delayed. One reason is Nigerias perennial problem with corruption. President Muhammadu Buhari has worked in the northeast to address the famine, but last December a Nigerian Senate committee was unable to account for some $7.9 million allocated to the effort. Mr. Buharis cabinet secretary, David Babachir Lawal, was suspended on allegations he awarded contracts that were, in fact, a means to divert funds and an investigation was begun.
This years Yale Drama Series Prize has been awarded to Jacqueline Goldfinger for her play Bottle Fly. She will receive $10,000, and her play will receive a staged reading in London.

Bottle Fly is a multigenerational family drama set in the Florida Everglades. Its voice is passionate and straight-from-the-heart; the world it shows us is earthy, cruel and hilarious, Nicholas Wright, the playwright who selected the winner, wrote in a statement.

This is the awards 11th year, and it is sponsored by the David Charles Horn Foundation. Bottle Fly will be published by the Yale University Press, and a staged reading will take place in November, at the National Theater Studio.

The runners-up were Andrew Rosendorf, for Cottontail, and Carla Grauls, for Natives. One of last years runners-up, The Wolves by Sarah DeLappe, went on to become a finalist for the 2017 Pulitzer Prize for Drama.
Senator Susan Collins, a moderate Republican from Maine, said her colleagues were starting from scratch.

Were going to draft our own bill, Ms. Collins said on This Week. And Im convinced that were going to take the time to do it right.

She and three other Senate Republicans introduced in January their own alternative to the Affordable Care Act that would preserve certain protections, including for those for people with pre-existing conditions. The House bill would allow states to seek waivers for many such provisions, and although it would set aside billions for high-risk pools, critics say care could still be unaffordable for those with pre-existing conditions.

Senator Roy Blunt, a Missouri Republican and the chairman of the Senate subcommittee on health and human services, said on NBCs Meet the Press that the Senate would work on its own version of the bill and examine a budget office analysis of it before moving toward a vote.

This is the way legislation used to be passed, he said.

Amid the volleys between the House and the Senate, White House officials said on Sunday that the legislative process was moving along as it should. Reince Priebus, the White House chief of staff, who pushed hard to get a revised version of the health care bill through the House, said he had already spoken to six Republicans who are part of a group tasked with writing the Senates version of the bill.
Here in Texas, we take the concept of private property very seriously, said Representative Henry Cuellar, a Democrat whose district includes nearly 300 miles of the border with Mexico. We take pride in our land, which has often been passed down for generations. And Texans stand up for ourselves when the federal government tries to take what is ours.

Ms. Garcias case shows how difficult seizing private land can be. Nearly a decade ago, officials from the Department of Homeland Security tried to take parts of her land in order to build a border wall. Ms. Garcia fought back in court, and this year the government decided that it didnt need her property after all.

But now, she thinks, Mr. Trumps plans could again imperil her land. Were just waiting and watching as they start talking again about building a wall, she said.

Mr. Trumps proposed wall would run through a vast swath of the Rio Grande Valley. In March, the Homeland Security Department issued a request for proposals to build a physically imposing wall on the border with Mexico. More than 100 vendors have submitted proposals, and department officials say they may notify winning contractors as early as next week. The construction of several wall prototypes is supposed to begin in San Diego this summer.

In addition, Mr. Trump wants to hire 20 lawyers to obtain land in the Southwest on which a wall or other security facilities can be built.

The Rio Grande Valley is among the busiest smuggling routes on the Mexican border. Last year, Border Patrol agents seized 326,393 pounds of marijuana, second only to the agencys Tucson sector. It also seized about 1,460 pounds of cocaine, the most of any sector. Nearly 187,000 illegal border crossers were apprehended here in 2016, the most of any Border Patrol sector.
Tipped off by her Washington sources that an executive order blocking refugees was coming, Becca Heller fired off messages to her vast network of law students and pro bono lawyers:

Tell any clients who already have visas to board a plane for the United States. Get ready for the possibility that they will be detained upon landing.

URGENT-Protect refugees arriving at airports, she wrote in an email blast on Jan. 25.

So when President Trump signed the order two days later, and thousands of lawyers flocked to airports in New York, Chicago, Los Angeles and elsewhere, the public saw not so much a spontaneous reaction as the meticulous preparation of a loud, pugnacious 35-year-old lawyer who is now in the middle of one of Mr. Trumps biggest policy fights.

On Monday, the nonprofit that Ms. Heller began eight years ago as a student organization at Yale Law School, and that has helped more than 3,000 refugees resettle in the United States, will try to continue its winning streak against the Trump administration in a federal appellate courtroom in Virginia. The government is trying to overturn a lower-court victory by the organization that blocked the second version of Mr. Trumps travel ban, calling it an unconstitutional discrimination against Muslims.

After Mr. Trumps election, she said, I started thinking increasingly in military terms, so I was like: What does it mean that we have an army of 2,000 lawyers who want to do stuff for refugees? What can we do with that?
KABUL, Afghanistan  The leader of the Islamic State affiliate in Afghanistan who orchestrated audacious attacks that further upended the countrys deteriorating security situation was killed in a special forces raid last month, the president of Afghanistan said in a statement on Sunday.

The militant leader, Abdul Hasib, had overseen a number of bloody attacks that directly challenged the authority of President Ashraf Ghani, including a massacre at the main Afghan Army hospital in Kabul that killed at least 50 people.

Mr. Hasib was killed in an operation on April 27 in eastern Nangarhar Province, along the border with Pakistan, according to the statement by Mr. Ghanis office. The statement said the government had waited for verification that Mr. Hasib had been killed in the raid before announcing his death. It did not say how his death had been confirmed.

The United States military command in Afghanistan said in a statement on Sunday that American forces had participated in the raid that killed Mr. Hasib and up to 35 other militants.
SEOUL, South Korea  North Korea has detained another American citizen on charges of committing hostile acts against the country, the Norths official news agency reported on Sunday.

The man, identified as Kim Hak-song, was arrested on Saturday and was under investigation by the countrys related government agencies, the state-run Korean Central News Agency, or K.C.N.A., said.

It said that Mr. Kim worked at Pyongyang University of Science and Technology, a privately funded institution in the capital that was opened in 2010 with donations from Evangelical Christian movements outside the country.

K.C.N.A. provided no further detail about Mr. Kim or the circumstance of his detention.

The detention would raise to four the number of Americans known to be held in the secretive North.
A statement made by U.S. Rep. Raul Labrador during a town hall meeting Friday morning has drawn criticism by those challenging his stance on health care.

After a woman suggested that the lack of health care was essentially asking people to die, Labrador had a controversial answer at Lewis-Clark State College in Lewiston.

That line is so indefensible, Labrador said. Nobody dies because they dont have access to health care.

A video of the statement, posted on YouTube by Tom Hansen, drew attention from national news outlets, including CNN.

An email to Labradors press secretary late Friday for comment did not receive an immediate response.

Labrador on Thursday voted in favor of the American Health Care Act, pushed by the GOP through the House.

All across Idaho, families and small-business owners are struggling to keep up with skyrocketing health care costs caused by Obamacare, Labrador said in a statement after the Thursday vote. The people of Idaho know Obamacare is a disaster and want it fully repealed. Since I was first elected to Congress, Ive been working to repeal Obamacare and that includes opposing the first version of the American Health Care Act.

Over the last few months, I have been working to improve the AHCA, joining with my colleagues in the House Freedom Caucus. We have negotiated legislation that keeps our promise to the American people to lower health care costs while also protecting those with per-existing conditions. Furthermore, unlike the first version of AHCA, our bill showed it had enough support to actually pass the House.

The AHCA does set up a high-risk pool that was meant to offset the cost for those with pre-existing conditions, something that has brought heavy criticism from Democrats and sick people.

The bill we passed today strikes down Obamacares prohibition on less expensive health care plans and the knot of insurance regulations and mandates that are making health coverage so unaffordable, Labrador said Friday. Meanwhile, it sets up a national $130 billion invisible high-risk pool to help offset the cost for those with pre-existing conditions.

At a town hall in Meridian in April, about 800 people attended, many of whom had questions about health care. Criticism came when when a woman asked Labrador whether he believed that health care is a right. Labrador said no.

Fact check: Has anyone died?

The ongoing dispute over whether to fill the so-called Medicaid gap in Idaho has brought forward stories of people who actually died because of the lack of access to health care.

The story of Jenny Steinke, a woman from Idaho Falls, has been frequently cited in Idaho. Steinke died at age 36 from an asthma attack after her condition had gone untreated for years because she couldnt afford health insurance, according to the (Idaho Falls) Post Register.

But how often does lack of health insurance, or access to health care, cause people to die?

That has been a subject of debate, with two fact-checking organizations  FactCheck.org and Politifact  looking into it. Some question whether its possible to find a definite cause-and-effect relationship between insurance and death.

Researchers have found links for years between insurance and health outcomes. And several high-profile studies have drawn connections between lack of insurance and higher mortality rates.

Because people without health coverage are less likely than those with insurance to have regular outpatient care, they are more likely to be hospitalized for avoidable health problems and to experience declines in their overall health, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation, a nonpartisan health care information nonprofit. When they are hospitalized, uninsured people receive fewer diagnostic and therapeutic services and also have higher mortality rates than those with insurance.

Some studies cited by the foundation looked at what happened to patients once they were hospitalized:

 A 2009 study published in the Journal of Public Health found a 60 percent higher mortality rate among uninsured American children in the hospital.

 A study published in 2011 in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine concluded that the uninsured have a higher mortality and receive fewer procedures when compared with privately insured patients treated at the same hospitals.

 A 2010 study in The American Journal of Surgery hypothesized that insurance coverage wouldnt affect the outcomes of patients with blunt and penetrating traumas, such as car crash injuries and gunshot wounds. But the researchers concluded that insurance coverage was actually a potent predictor of how well a patient would do. They found a higher death rate among uninsured patients.

A frequently cited study published in 2009 in the American Journal of Public Health found a 25 percent higher risk of death among uninsured compared with privately insured adults. The researchers calculated 44,789 deaths among Americans age 18 to 64 in a single year that they said were tied to lack of health insurance.

The uninsured have a higher risk of death when compared to the privately insured, even after taking into account socioeconomics, health behaviors and baseline health, the studys lead author, Dr. Andrew Wilper, said at the time. We doctors have many new ways to prevent deaths from hypertension, diabetes, and heart disease  but only if patients can get into our offices and afford their medications.
SEOUL, South Korea  Just a few months ago, Park Geun-hye was the president of South Korea. Now she is Inmate No. 503.

The daughter of a president who spent her youth in the presidential residence, Ms. Park ascended to the presidency herself four years ago. She now lives in a 114-square-foot jail cell as she awaits her trial on corruption charges.

Ms. Park, whose privileged upbringing and fastidiousness earned her the nickname Princess, once had the city of Incheon install a new toilet for her use during a presidential visit, according to the citys former mayor. Now she eats $1.30 meals (paid for by the government), washes her own tray and sleeps on a mattress on the floor.

She can watch the television in her cell for up to six and a half hours a day. Its only channel plays programs approved by the government, including news, documentaries and soap operas, the plots of which could hardly be as unlikely as Ms. Parks tumble from power.
PARIS  Emmanuel Macron, a youthful former investment banker, handily won Frances presidential election on Sunday, defeating the staunch nationalist Marine Le Pen after voters firmly rejected her far-right message and backed his call for centrist change.

Mr. Macron, 39, who has never held elected office, will be the youngest president in the 59-year history of Frances Fifth Republic after leading an improbable campaign that swept aside Frances establishment political parties.

The election was watched around the world for magnifying many of the broader tensions rippling through Western democracies, including the United States: populist anger at the political mainstream, economic insecurity among middle-class voters and rising resentment toward immigrants.

Mr. Macrons victory offered significant relief to the European Union, which Ms. Le Pen had threatened to leave. His platform to loosen labor rules, make France more competitive globally and deepen ties with the European Union is also likely to reassure a global financial market that was jittery at the prospect of a Le Pen victory.
 The independent centrist Emmanuel Macron defeated Marine Le Pen and will become the next president of France, according to preliminary results on Sunday, ending a bitter campaign to determine the countrys future participation in a united Europe.

 With almost all of the ballots counted, Mr. Macron had about 65 percent of the vote and a decisive lead over Ms. Le Pen, who was at about 35 percent.

 Nearly a quarter of eligible voters did not cast a ballot, according to the Interior Ministry, and turnout was lower than in the past three presidential elections. This suggests that voters anger remains strong in France, and the new government will have to contend with this disaffection.

 The result suggests that the populist wave may have crested in Europe, for now. And while French voters wanted change, they may have been turned off by the angry tone of Ms. Le Pens far-right National Front.
BERLIN  Voters in Germanys northernmost state, Schleswig-Holstein, handed Chancellor Angela Merkels party an unexpected victory in a state election on Sunday, suggesting that Germans were willing to back the center-right in a year when the chancellor is seeking a fourth term.

Local issues like education, traffic and security dominated the race, in which the largely unknown Daniel Gunther, 43, led Ms. Merkels Christian Democratic Union to victory. The loss was the second in a row for the incumbent Social Democrats, after another state, Saarland, voted the conservatives into power in March.

Nobody will argue that the Christian Democrats are the clear winners tonight, said Mr. Gunther, the partys top candidate in Schleswig-Holstein, who will now face the task of forming a government. We won with clear points that spoke to voters.
PARIS  The French presidential runoff transcended national politics. It was globalization against nationalism. It was the future versus the past. Open versus closed.

But in his resounding victory on Sunday night, Emmanuel Macron, the centrist who has never held elected office, won because he was the beneficiary of a uniquely French historic and cultural legacy, where many voters wanted change but were appalled at the type of populist anger that had upturned politics in Britain and the United States. He trounced the far-right candidate Marine Le Pen, keeping her well under 40 percent, even as her aides said before the vote that anything below that figure would be considered a failure.

His victory quickly brought joy from Europes political establishment, especially since a Le Pen victory would have plunged the European Union into crisis. But in the end, Mr. Macron, only 39, a former investment banker and an uninspired campaigner, won because of luck, an unexpected demonstration of political skill, and the ingrained fears and contempt that a majority of French still feel toward Ms. Le Pen and her party, the National Front.
Emmanuel Macron won the French presidency over the right-wing nationalist Marine Le Pen in a sweeping victory that resounded across the country. The result bolstered the European Union and showed the limits of Ms. Le Pens far-right message.

% of communes reporting

Source: Interior Ministry of France 1 Ms. Le Pens anti-globalization platform was popular in places where deindustrialization has driven high poverty and unemployment. 2 Ms. Le Pen did well in parts of the southeastern coast, historically a stronghold of the National Front. 3 Mr. Macron racked up large margins in Brittany, where socialist voters were willing to support his centrist platform. 4 Mr. Macron won by a landslide in Paris and its affluent suburbs, where voters supported his pro-European Union, pro-business platform. 5 Mr. Macron did well in Ariege, wresting voters who had favored the defeated Jean-Luc Melenchon in the first vote away from Ms. Le Pen.

Ms. Le Pen was strongest in areas with high unemployment and low wages, where she campaigned on pledges to stop immigration and renegotiate Frances relationship with the European Union.

Support for Ms. Le Pen Unemployment rate, 2016

But Mr. Macron, a political newcomer who campaigned on a centrist, pro-Europe platform, gained widespread support from voters who rejected him in the first round. The vote preserved a French political tradition of mainstream parties working together to bar candidates from the far right, known as the Republican Front. Many voters said they saw him as the lesser of two evils.

Ms. Le Pens only strong results were in areas in the north and south that she had won decisively in the first round. But Mr. Macron won most demographic groups over all: urban, rural, places with high unemployment and low unemployment. He won nearly 90 percent of the vote in Paris.

Voters Macron Le Pen Total 33.7 million 66.1% 35.4% Sparsely populated 12.9 59.6% 40.4% Densely populated 17.8 70.3% 29.7% Unemployment less than 10% 19.8 70.0% 30.1% Unemployment more than 10% 10.2 57.6% 42.4% Source: INSEE and Interior Ministry of France

The Rise of the Right

The issues that Ms. Le Pen raised are not going away. She gained twice the support that her father did when he ran for president in 2002, cementing the far rights hold on the French political landscape.

Second-Round Presidential Election Results Republicans 46% En Marche! 66 53 82 53 48 Socialists 54 52 47 47 National Front 34 National Front 18 1988 1995 2002 2007 2012 2017 Second-Round Presidential Election Results En Marche! 66 53 82 53 48 Republicans 46% Socialists 54 52 47 47 National Front 34 National Front 18 1988 1995 2002 2007 2012 2017 Note: The Republicans party was named Rally for the Republic until 2002, Union for a Popular Movement until 2015, and the Republicans after that. Source: European Election Database and Interior Ministry of France
A coal miner died Saturday afternoon in an incident that involved a large dump truck at the Rosebud Mine outside of Colstrip.

The miner was identified Sunday night as Michael Ramsey, 62, of Colstrip, said Rosebud County Sheriff Allen Fulton

Emergency crews were contacted at about 5:20 p.m. on Saturday. Ramsey was driving the truck and for some reason fell more than 100 feet into a pit, Fulton said.

He said a mine rescue crew rappelled into the pit and retrieved Ramsey's body. He was pronounced dead at the scene. Ramsey was the only person involved in the wreck.

Westmoreland Coal Company owns the Rosebud Mine and is based in Englewood, Colorado. The company issued the following statement on Sunday.

"On Saturday, May 6th, 2017, one of Westmoreland Coal Company's miners died in a tragic truck accident at the Rosebud Mine in Colstrip, MT. The cause of the accident is currently under investigation and MSHA is onsite. Operations in the vicinity of the incident have been suspended pending investigation. Westmoreland expresses its deepest sympathies to the friends and families of our fallen team member. The safety and well-being of our team members continues to be Westmorelands top priority. We will provide updates as information becomes available."

Gary Kohn, Westmoreland's chief financial officer, said the United States Department of Labor Mining Safety and Health Administration is investigating the death. He declined to comment on the circumstances of the crash.

"At this point the investigation is underway with MSHA and our internal investigation," Kohn said. "I dont want to speculate or comment until we have a full understanding of what happened."
FILER  The morning after Twin Falls County Sheriffs Sgt. Rick Beem fired his gun at a Jeep as it drove toward him Feb. 12 during a pursuit, county officials said nobody was injured by gunfire.

Now, the family of Dennis Leroy Barnes II is disputing that claim, and his lawyer is questioning it, amid questions of whether a bullet that hit his hat also injured his head, and what it means to be shot.

The mark on his head is from a bullet, Barnes fiance, Bonnie Larsen, told the Times-News last week, referencing a wound between his eyebrows. If he wasnt wearing his hat, hed be dead.

Barnes attorney, Daniel Taylor, said evidence shows a bullet did hit the brim of Barnes hat, but hes waiting on medical records to determine if that caused the injury. The 37-year-old Barnes was flown to St. Alphonsus Medical Center in Boise to be treated for the injury, which deputies originally believed was a gunshot wound, Twin Falls County Prosecutor Grant Loebs said.

But when he arrived at the hospital, doctors said Barnes had not suffered a gunshot wound, Loebs said. Thats why the sheriffs office announced nobody was injured by gunfire.

Further investigation determined a bullet hit Barnes hat, Loebs said. But did it injure him? And if the hat stopped the bullet but still caused the forehead injury, does that qualify as injury by gunfire?

The state is arguing it was a ricochet, it hit the flap of his hat, it was a one-in-a-million shot, Taylor told the Times-News. He was treated for injuries to his forehead. We have to see what the medical records say.

The sheriffs office referred all questions about the incident to Loebs, who said Thursday the sheriffs offices announcement that nobody was injured was technically correct.

If a police officer is shot in his bullet proof vest, for example, hes not shot, Loebs said. The vest stopped the bullet.

The same logic applies to Barnes, according to the prosecutor. Even if a bullet was stopped by his hat, that doesnt constitute being shot.

But no matter how one defines being shot, that is now a question for Ada County Chief Deputy Prosecutor Shawna Dunn, who is reviewing the shooting to determine if Beem acted lawfully or not. The shooting was investigated by Cassia County sheriffs detectives as part of a Critical Incident Task Force and is being reviewed by Dunn to ensure an outside, independent investigation.

In an interview Monday, Dunn initially said that, Since Mr. Barnes didnt get hit, we are reviewing to see if the officers conduct qualifies for some type of crime.

But Dunn walked back that statement later, saying It was my understanding he was not hit, but its still something shell evaluate.

Of course, thats why its still under review, she said.

Dunn had factual questions about the case after receiving the report from the Critical Incident Task Force and asked for additional documents. She has no timetable for when her review will be complete.

It depends on whether my factual questions are satisfied by the additional documents, Dunn said.

As for the criminal case, Taylor argues his client was slowing and had no intention of harming Beem when the sheriffs sergeant fired on him. Beem testified that based upon his location in a narrow private driveway, his only option to keep from being struck was to shoot at Barnes, forcing him to veer off the road.

You cant argue with a straight face he intended to hurt him with the Jeep, Taylor told the Times-News on Thursday after making a similar argument Monday in court while seeking a bond reduction for his client.

Barnes was booked into the county jail the evening of Feb. 14  less than 48 hours after being taken to Boise following the shooting  and is currently being held without bond for a probation violation. He faces several non-violent criminal cases, including for forgery and falsifying documents in a court case.

Hes next due in court May 22 for a hearing on the aggravated assault charge, though Taylor remains confident he can fight that charge based on testimony presented at the preliminary hearing and other evidence in the case.

One thing I did find interesting is that any time theres a case similar to this, theres always a pretty substantial investigation into what led to the shooting.

The defense attorney said in this case, theres been no accident reconstruction, no checking of distances, no checking skid marks.

Theres been no investigation into anything that could substantiate Barnes intent to hit Beem, Taylor said. To me, thats quite telling.
Hi, Mark. I think you are right that there are still a lot of shared values and beliefs that people could agree upon. But I think the lesson of these recent elections in France, the UK, the US, and elsewhere, is that those things just arent the most salient to peoples political decisions right now.

Instead, people are voting based on identity  mostly national identity, racial identity, and religious identity  often out of a sense that they are losing status and looking for a way to regain it.

But I dont think we can dismiss that as mere prejudice. I read a lot of political psychology literature, and there is a huge body of work that basically comes down to if people feel like they are losing status, they will turn to group identity as a way to regain it.

Right now were in a period of massive economic and demographic change, and a lot of people do feel like they are losing status and stability they once thought they could count on. So in a lot of ways were seeing exactly the strengthening of identity politics we would expect to see. And we probably shouldnt expect it to go away soon, either.
Needing a job, I applied at The White House,

And when my turn came, confabbed with a white blouse,

Who asked if I had political ambitions,

And I said 'twas more financial conditions

That I needed to meet in order to pay

One Netflix a month and the rough day-to-day.



She asked my stand on the Affordable CAct:

I replied history would be glad it got whacked.

"Don't say you like history?" she squawked with eyes wide.

"Pure bunk, like Ford said," I quoth with some pride.

Which sparked her suspicion: "From where comes that ace?"

"A factoid on Twitter," said my poker face.



She asked my opinion 'bout Vladimir P:

I replied it's gone down to the level of sea,

From way up high in the far stratosphere,

Shot down by facts and wide blogosphere.

"You don't mean hard facts? 'Cause we've no room for those!"

"I meant just the right ones the prez does propose."



This calmed her down and she said I'd fit fine,

In an admin that knew to draw fast a red line

Between this old world and reality Trump,

Between Fox reports and an MSM chump,

"What's obsolete yesterday's just fine today,

That folks can't see that causes me much dismay."



She showed me a list of top jobs open still,

And said I could pretty much choose what I will,

Though "those creeps on the Hill" must give their okay,

And for most gov. posts there's no need anyway,

Like why pick Assistant SecState for Mideast,

To just sit around unless Rex gets deceased?



But I took it and at Fog Bottom sit now,

My shoes on the desk and my job a cash cow.

Jared checks in to inquire if I'm moving

The Pals and Israelis toward an improving,

High-fives me when I tell him it's a slam-dunk:

What you read in the Times, J? Nothing but junk.






Ministry of Truth

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Reprinted from www.paulcraigroberts.org

Dear Readers: I very much appreciate the support you show for me in your emails. I seldom receive a rude email from you, and when I do it is usually something off subject, such as a reader angry with Israel and unloading on me with an accusation that I am a coward and a "Jew-lover" because I don't do enough to expose the crimes of the Jews.

This accusation always amuses me as the ADL lists me as an anti-Semite because I occasionally make an entirely justified criticism of Israel's mistreatment of Palestinians and excessive influence over US foreign policy, as have many outstanding scholars, such as John Mearsheimer and Stephen Walt, and many Jews themselves.

My friends find my designation by the ADL as an anti-Semite hilarious. The person whom I selected as my principal deputy in the US Treasury is a Jew. David Meiselman, my friend and co-author with me of an important study of the Congressional Budget Office, is a Jew (deceased). I went to Oxford for the express purpose of studying under Michael Polanyi, a Jew who had to leave his scientific post in Germany to escape the Nazis. Milton Friedman, an early supporter of the Institute for Political Economy, is a Jew (deceased). When my book (1971) on the Soviet economy was republished in 1990 without a word changed, it was a Jew who wrote the Introduction. He asked, "Why did only Roberts get it right?"

I have had Israelis as house guests.

And the ADL labels me an anti-Semite. Clearly, the term no longer means anything.

I hold Israel and the Israel Lobby accountable, just as I held accountable the Reagan administration, the George H.W. Bush administration, the Clinton regime, the George W. Bush regime, the Obama regime, and the Trump regime. (I differentiate between administration and regime on the basis of whether the president actually had meaningful control over the government. If the president has some control, he has an administration.)

According to the ADL's logic, I am both anti-Reagan and anti-American. But readers see me as a true patriot, and Reagan-haters see me as a Reagan-apologist. Clearly, something is wrong with the ADL's logic.

Obviously, the Israel Lobby has destroyed the meaning of anti-Semite. In its effort to control the explanation of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, the Israel Lobby has made "anti-Semite" into a badge of honor.

Control over explanations is important to Zionist Israel. If Americans can be convinced, as many have been, that Palestinians are terrorists out to kill all Jews, Israel's theft of Palestine and mistreatment of Palestinians is not the issue that it would otherwise be. The Israel Lobby also works hard to control which voices are acceptable and which are not. For example, no one is permitted to investigate the Holocaust. Some European countries have a law against Holocaust investigation, and historians have been sent to prison for challenging the official explanation, which it is mandatory to believe.

In the US the Israel Lobby can even overturn decisions on academic tenure. For example, the outstanding scholar, Norman Finkelstein, a Jew and a critic of Israel, was denied tenure at a Catholic University solely on the basis of objection from the Israel Lobby. I find it extraordinary that not even Catholic Universities can stand up to the power of the Israel Lobby. The tenure committee and the faculty voted Finkelstein's tenure, and the Israel Lobby interceded with the university president and blocked it.

Similarly, Steven Salaita was offered a tenure appointment at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, accepted it, resigned his tenure at Virginia Tech, sold his house and moved his family to Illinois only to have the president of the University of Illinois illegally cancel his appointment, apparently on orders from the Israel Lobby. Salaita's attitude toward Israel was not acceptable to Israel.

The Israel Lobby succeeded in eliminating two outstanding scholars from American academic life, thereby extending Zionist control of the Israeli/Palestinian explanation by eliminating alternative explanations. As far as I can ascertain, neither scholar has been able to overcome the slander and obtain an academic appointment, a great loss to students and scholarship.

If a writer so much as reports these factual events, the writer is branded an anti-Semite by the Israel Lobby. In former times, an anti-Semite meant a person who hated Jews. But today it means anyone who makes even a mild criticism of Israel's policy toward the Palestinians whose lands Israel occupies and is stealing. Indeed, practically nothing is left of Palestine except the Gaza ghetto that is totally controlled by Israel. All movements of supplies and people in and out are controlled by Israel. Essentially, Gaza is the Warsaw Ghetto.

These are simple irrefutable facts. Every aware person knows this, but if you say it or write it, you are a "Jew-hater."

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Happy Earth Day, Big Blue Marble!

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here.

Secularization and Its Disconnections

I claimed, in the first entry of this series, that a meaningful "story" about our kind (about the human saga) is largely missing in contemporary society--"at least in its secular components." That phrase about "secular components" was an acknowledgment that our traditional religions do continue to offer "stories" that, if believed, provide an account of what we are as human beings and, at least in some respects, the meaning of the human saga.

But over recent generations, in the Western world, much of the world of serious thought has split off from the world of traditional religion. For people who feel that intellectual integrity requires that conclusions be based on applying reason and logic to the totality of the evidence -- and for whom beliefs based on received authoritative texts fail to meet that test -- the stories told by the religions of our civilization no longer provide convincing answers.

This process of secularization has left some important empty spaces. An important aspect of such "empty space" is that, to many, the requirements of intellectual responsibility have seemed to block the way toward firm moral beliefs and spiritual conviction.

But I maintain that there is a secular and intellectually responsible way to fill those empty spaces, or at least some of those that matter most.

Most of secular thought, for example, operates from the conclusion that judgments of value are lacking in a solid basis in reality. (You can't get "ought" from "is.") Statements about value, many have felt compelled to conclude, are just matters of opinion, and thus cannot be taken fully seriously as saying things that are "true."

Additionally, according to much of the rational-secular world, there is no meaningful and valid way of speaking of "the sacred."

It has seemed to many that one can EITHER be intellectually responsible (meaning believing only what evidence and reason lead one to believe) OR one can feel hold moral and spiritual truths with full conviction. But not both.

That way of thinking, I maintain, is both dangerous and invalid.

Those "empty spaces"-- left empty by the way secular thought has developed -- have contributed to the peril of our times by interfering with the ability of many good people to connect fully with their moral and spiritual core.

That is a significant loss, as that core is a place from which comes much of the passion required to contain the forces of destruction at work in the world.

(Here's a dangerous combination that might serve as a very approximate description of the heart of the current crisis in the American body politic: while a large component of the church-going part of America, which does believe in such things as "good and evil," has been deceived and manipulated into giving support to a force of destruction; and meanwhile, a large portion of the secular-minded, liberal part of America has proved incapable -- due to its blindness and weakness -- of seeing and combating that force.)

If it is true that the disconnection, among many with a secular worldview, from a moral and spiritual core is part of the reason that destructive forces have gained so much power in our times, it would be hard to over-estimate the importance of this issue.

And if a different and valid path for secular thought were available -- one that demonstrates that there is no need to choose between maintaining intellectual integrity (in rational, scientific terms) and having full commitment to some fundamental moral and spiritual truths-- then that different way of thinking could have an important and beneficial effect on the quality of our civilization.

It is the belief in that different and valid path, and its potentially beneficial effects, that is the motivating force behind this series on "A Better Human Story."

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Name: Jacob S. Higley

Age: 36

Occupation: Certified residential appraiser, State of Idaho

Hometown: Buhl

Political experience: None

Whats the No. 1 challenge facing your district, and how do you plan to address it?

School districts around the Magic Valley face more than one large problem, often it is the combination of multiple problems that create the larger. Thus, addressing these issues requires taking the time to listen to the people, gain an understanding of the situation, and make appropriate decisions to remedy the issue through teamwork.

How will you work to improve transparency and relationships with the public?

I will improve transparency by being proactive, being willing to listen, and engage in open conversations where questions can be asked and answered in a direct and honest way. I will work to remove barriers, whether actual or perceived, in hopes that community members can bring their concerns with confidence to the school board. This I believe will create a synergy that would dissolve any cynical view of this school district.

Tell us your goals you hope to accomplish as a member of the school board.

The goal is to create the finest public education system for our children and allowing this school district to strengthen our community. Lofty, yes, but this can be accomplished through researching the issues that arise, asking the tough questions that challenge current/future policies, and assuring that those policies align with the vision, mission, and goal of this district.

Why are you the best candidate for the seat?

I feel the best answer to the question, is that Im a parent who has children that are a part of our school system. I care for their future, and through that I have seen my awareness grow to the children in the community. Thus, I have been brought to this point, with a desire to bring optimism and not be a cynic on the sideline. As a new board member, I can review policies and routines with new eyes, challenge old assumptions, and share my perspective with fellow board members.
While Democrats are jubilant that the GOP passed a terrible healthcare/tax-cut bill through the House, which they think will cause voters to reject the GOP in 2018, it's a very, very premature celebration.

The Republicans are playing a longer game here, one based on a time-tested strategy first explicated by Machiavelli and fully put into place by Goebbels in the early 1930s, then fine-tuned by Reagan through the 1980s.

Sound like hyperbole (or a violation of Godwin's Law)? Check out this short clip of FDR's famous "Fala" speech in September of 1944:

That strategy is not only one the GOP has successfully used many times in the more recent past, from Nixon's "secret plan to end the Vietnam war" to Reagan's "reforms" of tax law, but one that they're clearly betting will continue to work for them (particularly with the help of Fox and right-wing hate radio).

Step one is to use the classic Goebbels "Big Lie" technique. That was on full display in the White House PR stunt after the House vote -- lie about lowering premiums, lie about expanding availability, lie about preexisting conditions, lie about how Obamacare is "failing." (Think Bush with Iraq, or the "Clear Skies Initiative," etc.)

And, to make sure it sticks, Trump had Republican after Republican step up to the microphone and explicitly and clearly repeat the Big Lies.

Step two then becomes clear. The bill goes to the Senate and no matter what happens there, complain that it's being "watered down."

This sets up the perfect next part of the Goebbels/Machiavelli strategy -- claim victimhood, and place blame on those awful (and often racially different from all those white people at the White House ceremony) Democrats.

Because the Senate prevents some of the true horrors of the House GOP's plan from going into law, GOP voters don't realize (and Fox will never tell them) that it was really all just a hustle to satisfy the GOP billionaire donor class.

And, because of the Big Lie, every good thing that's still in Obamacare is thought, by Republican voters, to be the result of GOP efforts, as they now "own" health care. At the same time, they'll claim that Democratic obstruction is why whatever "bad" things happen happened. (And Drudge, et al, will be sure to find some horror stories in the fall of 2018.)

Step three happens in 2018 -- go after every Democrat running for the House or Senate for "obstructing Republican improvements and progress" on healthcare. It's another Big Lie, but, like Reagan's Big Lies about the evils of unions, the benefits of trickle-down economics, the urgency of exploding privatization of the military, not raising the SS retirement age, etc., it'll be believed by enough people to hold onto the House and Senate.

The proof that this strategy could work in this case is that it's already being used -- with success -- to obscure the true reason Republicans are trying so hard to "repeal and replace" Obamacare.

Here's what's really driving the GOP: The subsidies for middle class workers in Obamacare are largely funded by an almost 3 percent tax increase on capital gains income (and a small increase on the ordinary incomes of people in the top 1 percent).

This special 20 percent maximum capital gains tax rate is available only to people who "earn" their money with money/investments (rather than working and drawing a paycheck), and, thus, is almost exclusively paid at the full 20 percent rate only by the very, very, very rich. And that 3.8 percent top-end rate addition was a functional almost-15 percent tax increase on most billionaires.

They are not happy and they fund the GOP and its various corporate media propaganda arms.

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"Trump proposes an overall increase of $1.4 billion for school voucher and charter programs, with the goal of ramping it up to $20 billion."

The nation's only federally funded private school voucher program, foisted on the overwhelming Black student population of Washington, DC by the George Bush administration in 2004, inflicts negative effects on student achievement levels, according to a new study conducted by the U.S. Department of Education. Low-income students who were selected by lottery to receive the taxpayer-funded "scholarships" performed 7.3 percent worse on math and 4.9 percent lower in reading than students from similar backgrounds who remained in public schools because they did not make the lottery pick. Parents of voucher kids seemed oblivious to their children's relative underachievement, but believed the private schools they attended were "very safe, compared with the parents of students not selected for the scholarship offer" -- confirming ample anecdotal evidence that safety concerns are at the root of much pro "school choice" sentiment in the Black community.

If President Trump gets his budget passed, Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos, the billionaire school privatizer who was rescued from rejection by the Senate by only one vote, will have an additional $250 million to fund private school voucher programs in Washington and, she hopes, the 13 states that currently finance their own voucher schemes. Trump proposes an overall increase of $1.4 billion for school voucher and charter programs, with the goal of ramping it up to $20 billion -- while immediately cutting the total federal education budget by $9 billion, or 13 percent.

"Never in history have Black Americans marched, rallied or petitioned for private school vouchers."

Neither facts nor democracy have been allowed to stand in the way of the school privatizers. Polls showed 85 percent of Black residents and three-quarters of DC voters of all ethnicities opposed vouchers in late 2002, as did most local elected officials. The exception was Mayor Anthony Williams, whose avowed mission was to draw more "middle class" residents to the nation's capital through "quality education." (When Williams declared that Washington could easily accommodate 200,000 new residents, everyone knew he wasn't talking about additional Black people. By the 2010 Census, DC had lost its Black majority.) In 2004, Williams endorsed the Republican plan to impose an "experimental," five-year private school vouchers program on Washington, using Congress's unique powers over the District to make it the only federally-funded vouchers scheme in the nation. "We had never had a locally elected black official, a Democrat from a city like D.C., asking for something like this before," said Shokraii Rees, an operative for George Bush's Department of Education. "That's the single strongest factor that got people's attention."

"Cory Booker is a true believer in privatized education."

Most of the nation's Black Democrats opposed vouchers, as did large majorities of the Black rank-and-file, because of the scheme's roots in Jim Crow-era white "segregation academies." Never in history have Black Americans marched, rallied or petitioned for private school vouchers. Therefore, the corporate privatizers had to create a Black pro-voucher "movement" out of thin air -- or rather, through the political "astro-turfing" power of their checkbooks. In 1999, some of the most right-wing foundations and fat cats in the nation spent millions to found the Black Alliance for Educational Options (BAEO), which then tapped into additional millions in direct federal funding once George Bush won the presidency. Among the BAEO's founders was the first-term Newark, New Jersey, city councilman, Cory Booker, a true believer in privatized education who helped operate two private schools and evangelized about forming a national movement to spread the "choice" gospel. (See "Fruit of the Poisoned Tree," The Black Commentator, April 5, 2002.)

While rising steadily in Black Democratic politics, Cory Booker was also a star in the rightwing corporate political firmament, serving for ten years with the American Federation for Children, a leading school voucher and charter advocacy outfit founded by Betsy DeVos, and chaired by her until last year.

"Vouchers have long been eclipsed by charters as the most effective means of wholesale privatization of public education."

Booker joined all of the Senate's Democrats in voting against Devos' confirmation, claiming he had problems with her positions on school safety issues. It is surely true that Booker's efforts to distance himself from his private school voucher roots have a lot do with his presidential ambitions. But, much more importantly, vouchers have long been eclipsed by charters as the most effective means of wholesale privatization of public education. As two-term mayor of Newark, Cory Booker was largely responsible for boosting charters to one-third of total school enrollment. Charters now account for 44 percent of Washington, DC public school enrollment, while voucher schools serve only a small fraction of the city's students.

Corporate America, the real force behind school privatization, found its education champion in Barack Obama, whose "Race to the Top" program coerced states across the nation to create a "market" for charter schools, which tap directly into the public school funding money-stream.

A true troglodyte from the "segregation academy" school of politics, Donald Trump wants to throw billions of dollars at private voucher schools. He and DeVos will doubtless do a lot of damage with their voucher schemes, but the main thrust of privatization will continue to be the methodical construction of an alternative -- and, in much of Black America, dominant -- charter school system that is accountable only to its managers and corporate service providers.

Voucher schools are small-scale privatization. Charters are the corporate Mother Lode.
In this essay, based on hearing the word narcissist used as a replacement for words such as "commie," "fascist," and other derogatory kill the messenger terms, I examine the original meaning of the term and seek to understand why it has replaced political discourse as the means of invalidating, through an ancient logical fallacy of guilt by association, as well as what it reveals about the arc of history and our chances to survive.

This does not make invalid the correct historical use of such terms as communist and fascist but suggests that personal smears, based on individual psychopathology, have replaced traditional ideological smears, as well as descriptions. The question I raise is: why has this transition from the realm of the idea to the realm of the psyche taken place? What are the underlying reasons and what are the effects?

Let us begin by understanding the origins of the term and its original application. In Greek mythology, the figure of Narcissus was a hunter famous for his great beauty. He was filled with hubris in disdaining them who loved him. He could love only himself.

Nemesis was a goddess who punished those who suffered from pride viewed as arrogance before the gods. She attracted Narcissus to a pool where he fell in love with his own image. Karma is a b*tch!

Nemesis, in origin, refers to getting what is due. The goddess is often depicted with a weapon of retribution, a dagger or whip. She is associated with Aphrodite, the goddess of love. In a word, nemesis means justice, which combines punishment with mercy, retribution with love.

To connect the dots, it seems likely that the term narcissist caught fire when Donald Trump took the public stage to announced his candidacy for President based on the claim that he, and only he, could be trusted (because he said he was self-funded, a claim refuted by the fact that 90% of the financing for his run against Clinton was outside money) and only he could fix things. This arrogance, amplified by his frequent flights of self-promotion (I am very rich, I have a good memory, I know more than the generals, I am the only one who can clean the swamp, etc), naturally led many people to begin seeing him as a blatant narcissist, a man in love with his own image, which itself was a manufactured product of branding. His motto is: I alone. He is not only the man in the mirror; he is the man in the bubble of his own self-intoxication.

This excessive sense of pride in his own superiority led him to many outrageous claims, including earlier in his career when he bragged about grabbing p*ssy because he was a rock star and even saying if he daughter Ivanka were a little older, he would be dating her. At this point, the story of Narcissus and Nemesis gets juicy and reveals something about the overreach of those who fall in love with themselves.

Nemisis and Echo

An early Greek writer wrote of the background of Nemesis:

""Rich-haired Nemesis gave birth to her [Helene (Helen)] when she had been joined in love with Zeus the king of the gods by harsh violence. For Nemesis tried to escape him and liked not to lie in love with her father Zeus the son of Kronos (Cronus); for shame and indignation vexed her heart: therefore she fled him over the land and fruitless dark sea. But Zeus ever pursued and longed in his heart to catch her. Now she took the form of a fish and sped over the waves of the loud-roaring sea, and now over Okeanos' (Oceanus') stream and the furthest bounds of Earth, and now she sped over the furrowed land, always turning into such dread creatures as the dry land nurtures, that she might escape him."





It is not unfair to recall the obvious lust that Trump, the modern Narcissus, has expressed for his daughter. But the story gets more sordid. In the words of a later Greek author, "Nemesis, as she fled from Zeus' embrace, took the form of a goose; whereupon Zeus as a swan had intercourse with her. From this union, she laid an egg, which some herdsman found among the trees and handed over to Lede (Leda). She kept it in a box, and when Helene was hatched after the proper length of time, she reared her as her own."





Helene, of course, was the famous Helen of Troy whose beauty "launched a thousand ships" in the attack on Troy. Thus beauty and war are connected, and we are reminded of the report that Trump launched not a thousand but 49 Tomahawk missiles on Syria at the behest of his daughter, the beautiful Ivanka,who urged him to respond to the "beautiful babies" who had been killed by nerve gas by attacking Syria.

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As of this writing, 7,269 people in the United States, and rising steadily, have posted messages of friendship to the people of Russia. They can be read, and more can be added at RootsAction.org.

People's individual messages are added as comments endorsing this statement:

To the people of Russia:

We residents of the United States wish you, our brothers and sisters in Russia, nothing but well. We oppose the hostility and militarism of our government. We favor disarmament and peaceful cooperation. We desire greater friendship and cultural exchange between us. You should not believe everything you hear from the American corporate media. It is not a true representation of Americans. While we do not control any major media outlets, we are numerous. We oppose wars, sanctions, threats, and insults. We send you greetings of solidarity, trust, love, and hope for collaboration on building a better world safe from the dangers of nuclear, military, and environmental destruction.



graphic

(Image by WorldBeyondWar.org) Details DMCA



Here is a sampling, but I encourage you to go and read more:

Robert Wist, AZ: A world of friends is far better than a world of enemies. -- I wish for us to be friends.

Arthur Daniels, FL: Americans and Russians = friends forever!

Peter Bergel, OR: After meeting many different kinds of Russians on my trip to your beautiful country last year, I am especially motivated to wish you well and to resist the efforts of my government to create enmity between our countries. Together our countries should lead the world toward peace, not further conflict.

Charles Schultz, UT: All of my friends and I have nothing but love, and the utmost respect, for the Russian people! We are not your enemies! We want to be your friends. We do not agree with our government, the members of congress, the president, any of the agencies of government that are constantly accusing Russia of every problem, not only here in the US, but also throughout the entire world!

James & Tamara Amon, PA: As someone that visits Russia (Borovichi, Koyegoscha and Saint Petersburg) every year, I can assure you that most Americans only want peace. I married a beautiful Russian lady, and can honestly say that I love Russia, her people, food, and life style. I trust the people of both USA and Russia, it is the politicians that I don't trust.

Carol Howell, ME: As someone with acquaintances in Russia, and having much respect for your efforts to clean up and preserve the environment, I extend a hand in friendship.

Marvin Cohen, CA: Both of my grandfathers immigrated to the US from Russia--I wish you well.

Noah Levin, CA: Dear citizens of Russia, -- I send you all my best wishes and friendship, hoping that you achieve a satisfying life in these difficult times.

Deborah Allen, MA: Dear Friends in Russia, I look forward to the day when we will hold hands circling the earth. We breathe the same air and enjoy the same sunshine. Love is the answer.

Ellen E Taylor, CA: Dear Russian People, -- We love you and admire you! -- We will do everything we can to control our imperialistic government policies"..

Amido Rapkin, CA: Having grown up in Germany and now living in the US -- I am asking for forgiveness to any injustice done to your country by our countries.

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Hitler and a Jewish bible salesman share an apartment in Vienna. Rather than being the opening line of a joke, this is the premise for (the sadly deceased) George Tabori's play: Mein Kampf. This offbeat, surreal comedy, produced at Theatre for the New City, is a sideways look at Hitler's formative years applying for art school in Vienna, and a fictionalized account of the company he kept. Taking place over an indeterminate amount of time, we see the formation of his worldview, and his evolution into the dictator the world came to know and fear.

Daring to make Hitler the subject of humor in a human way is an interesting take. This seems to be, at least initially, Tabori's goal. Adolf is portrayed as an overly-serious, entitled young man with a mother complex and an inability to take a joke. He is puppyishly naive, and emotionally fragile. It's funny to see him as a petulant, ineffectual child. His darkly prophetic lines are spoken earnestly to his roommate Shlomo. "I will give you an oven" he says as a token of thanks. However, as the play progresses, instead of seeing his development gradually into dictator, it's as if the switch is suddenly flipped in the second act, and he goes directly from art student to fuhrer. A disappointing use of the concept.

John Freda as Shlomo, Omri Kadim as Hitler (Photo by Michael E. Mason)

That said, Omri Kadim is a fantastic Hitler. He masters the nuances of his behavior, and gives him a rich humanity that makes him all the more disturbing to watch. He plays the straight man to Jon Freda's Shlomo. Freda performs his character like a harried, down on his luck, Borscht-belt comedian. He's a charming stage presence, and a welcome watch, but it's not clear what the character's function is in the story. As the man who jokingly says to Hitler "You should go into politics", you would assume he would be part of a double-act. But he ends up being the main character.



Shlomo spends much of the play eulogizing, and talking about the book he is writing, which he calls 'Mein Kampf'. It is not clear whether Tabori is implying that a Jewish man wrote Hitler's infamous meisterwork, or if he just came up with the title. He talks to his other roommate (Jeff Burchfield), who claims to be god and discusses philosophy. He talks with his young virginal consort Gretchen (Andrea Lynn Green) who brings him a pet chicken and Shlomo puzzles over why she loves him. A woman called Death (Cordis Heard) visits, she seems very interested in Hitler. All of this adds up to well, it's not clear.

John Freda as Shlomo, Andrea Lynn Green as Gretchen (Photo by Michael E. Mason)

Tabori doesn't seem to have a distinct thesis. A play about Hitler living with a Jewish man is so ripe with possibility that the product we are presented with leaves us wanting more. Director Manfred Bormann interprets Tabori to create a piece of theatre that, tonally, fits no distinct mode. The play is obviously a comedy with dramatic flair, with moments of bona fide hilarity and tragedy, but its infusions of the surreal are so down-played that it is difficult to know how to feel about the action. What here is inspired by historical fact? What is fabrication? What is the purpose of the surreal discourse? What does this information educate us to in reference to Hitler, the holocaust and the Jewish experience? The best plays present no easy answers, it's true, but they also lead you through a clear line of thought to more specific questions.

Mein Kampf is worth seeing for the performances, and for its frequent moments of exquisite dark comedy. However as a play to encourage greater social understanding or educate an audience on a grander theme, it skims past the mark. Recommended to fans of the Theatre for the New City, and the more curious and eccentric theatre-goer.
"Jason was finally reconnected with his biological Mother Elsie ... she too still live[s] in Guam ... a world away."  Kary Ness, wife of Jason Jay Clark, on their GoFundMe page

A 31-year-old Wisconsin man estranged from his biological parents and siblings about two decades ago finally reconnected with his mother after The Guam Daily Post shared his journey on Saturday.

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Jason Jay Clark was 5 years old when he and his siblings were removed from their parents, placed in foster care and eventually placed for adoption, according to his wife, Kary Ness.

Jason's father, Dwight Clark, was a U.S. Marine, and his mother, Elsie Natividad, is a Filipina who emigrated to Guam as a child.

Ness told the Post how her husband's parents, both of whom still live in Guam, had trouble raising their children. But Clark's desire to find out what became of his parents and siblings never ceased.

'Finally reconnected'

An update posted to the Clarks' GoFundMe campaign recently shared a heartwarming surprise.

"Jason was finally reconnected with his biological Mother Elsie ... she too still live[s] in Guam ... a world away," Ness stated.

Ness also posted a Facebook message about her husband's search for his Guam connections, which was shared by almost 1,000 people, including Guam residents and former Guam residents living stateside.

Ness' post said Clark's siblings are each a year apart, and are in their late 20s. The siblings are Dwight Jr., Robert, Geraldine and Roxanne Clark, according to her post.

What comes next

Ness' goal is still to fly their family to Guam from Wisconsin to physically reunite with Clark's biological parents.

The cost of airfare for a family of six? Nearly $12,000.

You can help the Clark family reconnect by visiting their GoFundMe campaign at http://bit.ly/2qP8Fr4.
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.




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-- Announcing the 200 & 500 hour Yoga Teacher Certification Course on Pacific Coast of Mexico from Jan 20 to Feb 10, 2018. Immerse deeply in the Ashtanga Yoga practice in this teacher training intensive with Caroline Klebl. Her yoga teacher training program meets the 200 & 500 hour international Certification standards of the Yoga Alliance.Caroline Klebl offers a comprehensive Yoga Teacher Training program to yoga teachers, aspiring teachers and yoga practitioners. Her teacher training combines the high standards of practice, required by the Ashtanga Vinyasa System with the development of teaching skills, which are necessary to introduce students to Yoga practice safely and effectively.An Ashtanga Yoga Teacher Training Manual will be supplied to each participant. To those who attend all scheduled classes, a 200 hour Yoga Teacher Training Certificate will be issued, at the end of the course. Returning students and those who have already completed a 200 hour Yoga Teacher Training will receive a 200 hour Advanced Training Certificate, towards 500 hour Certification. For detailed information about the curriculum and to register for the course visit http://www.sourceofyoga.com Each week throughout the retreat there will be one day off. You will have time relax on the beach, receive spa treatments, go hiking, snorkeling, paragliding, horseback riding, kayaking, whale watching and go on guided excursions to secluded waterfalls or offshore islands.Teacher Training Schedule:Ashtanga Yoga (Mysore Style or Led): 6:30am-9amAdjustments/Teaching Techniques: 10:00am-12:30pmAnatomy, Ayurveda & Philosophy: 3pm-5:30pmThis course will take place at Hotel Lagunita, on a pristine beach surrounded by a lush jungle on the south shore of Banderas Bay, near Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. The hotel includes a restaurant, which specializes in vegetarian cuisine, accommodation in spacious cottages and a beautiful Yoga hall, which overlooks the ocean.Yoga Teacher Training: Jan 20- Feb 10, 2018Double Occupancy: $4,500 USSingle Occupancy: $5,200 USAccommodation will be provided in spacious ocean view cottages with private bathrooms.The 200 hour Yoga Teacher Training Course, three gourmet vegetarian meals per day and accommodation at Hotel Lagunita.For additional information and to register for this course, please visit http://www.sourceofyoga.com/ registration The closest International Airport is the Puerto Vallarta International Airport (LIR), which is a 35 minute drive and 30 minute boat ride to Hotel Lagunita. Hotel Lagunita will arrange for airport transfers from the Puerto Vallarta International Airport. A passport with at least 30 days validity is required to travel to Mexico. A visa is not required and one can stay up to 180 days.Source of Yoga offers 200 and 500 hour Yoga Teacher Training Programs throughout the year in various beautiful tropical settings. For additional information and a schedule of upcoming courses please visit http://www.sourceofyoga.comContact:Source of Yoga1052 N Crescent Heights BlvdLos Angeles, CA 90046415-200-6794info@sourceofyoga.comhttp://www.sourceofyoga.com
TWIN FALLS  For schools, springtime means standardized testing.

Its something that often makes students groan, as they face about eight hours of Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium tests.

But there are helpful outcomes, educators say: a better sense of where students are doing well and struggling, and an opportunity to adjust whats taught in classrooms.

Its a good measure for us as far as how were doing as a school, said Keelie Campbell, principal at Vera C. OLeary Middle School in Twin Falls.

Across Idaho, public schools were allowed to start testing students March 20. They must wrap up by May 26.

Its the third year scores count on the new tests, which replaced the old Idaho Standards Achievement Tests.

Tests are created by the Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium, an agency supported by about 15 states, including Idaho.

They align with Common Core Standards, which Idaho adopted in 2011 for kindergarten through 12th grades.

Third through eighth-graders, plus 10th graders, take English/language arts and math tests. Its optional for schools to test ninth-graders.

Students arent just answering multiple choice questions. Theyre required to use critical thinking skills and complete performance tasks.

Plus, tests are adaptive, meaning the difficulty of questions changes depending on a students responses.

Standardized tests are just one piece of data, said Janet Avery, curriculum director for the Jerome School District.

With testing, its like taking someones temperature when they go to a doctor, she said. It really gives us a gauge of where that student is at that moment.

Here are more details about how testing works:

When are students testing?

Across the Magic Valley, many individual schools set their own testing schedule.

In Twin Falls, OLeary Middle School is in its fourth and final week. Each grade level takes one test per week.

The schedule helps to reduce student fatigue and maintain instructional time, Campbell said.

In Cassia County, the testing schedule is particularly challenging at White Pine Elementary School in Burley, which has more than 900 fourth through sixth-graders.

The school plans to use the entire testing window.

Students are using a computer lab, as well as four sets of Chromebook laptops in their classrooms.

In Jerome, schools typically aim for students to take one or two tests per week.

Testing season can always get tiring just because of the length of the test, Avery said. Most of the students are able to test within two hours, but some take longer.

When will results come back?

Campbell expects to see results within 10 days after testing is done. Some Magic Valley schools, though, including OLeary, are already seeing unofficial results start to trickle in.

In past years, educators across Idaho were concerned with how long it took to get test results, said Debbie Critchfield, spokeswoman for the Cassia County School District and a member of the Idaho Board of Education.

Especially because some teachers were already frustrated by the tests, I think the lateness of getting the data muddied the conversation in general, she said.

Idaho has a contract with vendor American Institutes for Research, which handles disseminating the results.

Critchfield said she and other state education officials had a conversation a couple of years ago with the vendor to ask for a faster turnaround and to ensure data is in an easy-to-understand format.

Last year, she said, results came back much more quickly.

How are results used?

Its really beneficial to get results back before schools out for the summer, Twin Falls School District spokeswoman Eva Craner said.

That allows educators have a chance to review test scores and for the information to be distributed to students and parents while schools still in session.

Scores help educators gauge which students may need accelerated instruction or extra help.

Plus, it helps teachers figure out, Is our curriculum doing what we need it to do? Campbell said, and to refine instructional strategies.

But that doesnt happen overnight.

The statewide summative test isnt specifically designed to provide the information that would help a teacher the very next day change her instruction, Critchfield said.

Marion Johnston, a sixth-grade math teacher at OLeary, said she uses test results to determine which concepts  such as one-step equations  she needs to spend more time on with students.

In Jerome, Horizon Elementary School is already done with testing and is starting to get results back.

Beyond the school level, data for the entire Jerome School District will be analyzed to see where students have grown  or where they havent.

That involves looking at specific areas within the English/language arts tests, for example, such as reading comprehension and vocabulary.

We start to try to find where the holes are, Avery said.

How do schools prepare students?

Beyond regular classroom instruction, Critchfield said she has noticed at elementary schools where the lead up to the test is presented in a non-stressful way to help students avoid anxiety.

Some schools even have theme days.

I think those are the soft, non-academic strategies that our schools use to ease the pressure that students and families might feel about testing, Critchfield said.

But beyond elementary school, students are used to taking more serious tests, she said.

OLeary offered a twice-a-week SBAC preparation class for students from January until testing began in April.

It was targeted at students identified as being close to moving up to the next proficiency level, Campbell said, but any student could participate.

OLeary teachers also gave interim assessments to their students starting in January.

What about technology glitches?

With computer-based tests and so many students relying on Internet access all at once, technology challenges sometimes arise.

But this year, the general consensus is that things are running fairly smoothly for Magic Valley schools.

We were concerned we might tax our Wi-Fi a little too much, Campbell said, with one entire grade level testing at once on computers. But it hasnt been much of a challenge for us.

In Cassia County, there havent been any significant technology issues, Critchfield said, beyond normal things that pop up.

In Jerome, schools have better Internet bandwidth than past years. But even so, during this testing season, our bandwidth is at 100 percent capacity all of the time, Avery said.

The only issue was Internet access going down one day at the providers location, she said. About 300 students were testing at the time, but the Internet was back up-and-running within 30 minutes.
By: LED WORLD LLC

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-- Althaf Ali, Group Executive Office opines that chandeliers have been a long time enthralling symbol of opulence and luxury since medieval times. With intricate modern designs, they are quite a style statement refracting light to create splendid dispersal patterns. An elite brand Sheraton, deserved the most intricate and sophisticated light designs and hence our production department customized the chandeliers to suit their traditional themed interiors. Be it grandiose allure of hotel lobbies or the striking stairway foyer, the royalty, richness and personality of exquisitely crafted chandeliers have always created a dash of sparkle, enchanting the ambience of luxury hotels."We were advanced by the famous Twenty 14 holdings that was associated with Sheraton renovation, to source shimmering crystal chandeliers for the Hotel. Holding group Project Manager Dhanesh Panicker pressed for urgent requirements, and the delicate luminosities had to be shipped to Oman. With various propositions and options, the team zeroed in few designs to suit the Omani decor theme for their conference room, board rooms, dining arena and various other locations. We supplied collections of two-tier original triedrie crystal chandeliers embedded in a gold finish cast for a yellowish hospitable warm light, with individual tier dimmer options. Another, remarkable customized piece was surface mounted gold finish metallic lamps suspended for an adorable mesmerizing vintage appeal." says Fazil K, Technical Manager, LED World LLC.Sheraton Oman Hotel, soaring 14-storey iconic tower located at the top of Ruwithe business hub of Muscat, dominates the skyline renowned for its world- class hospitality since inception. Under the umbrella of the Al Hashar Group, and in association with Twenty14 Holdings, the hotel has been a landmark in Muscat assuring guests great experience in the heart of the city.The Hotel features spacious room & suites with panoramic views of the Al Hajar mountain range. Showcasing interiors with distinctive touches of Omani culture, all rooms are outfitted with the brand's signature services .The Club rooms, offer exclusive access to lounge's complimentary wi-fi, breakfast and a premium selection F&B. The Hotel features Al Deyafa, a lounge dedicated to guests with early check-in's and late check-outsthe only hotel in the country to offer such a facility.Range of leisure facilities, include the state-of-the-art Fitness and Spa with Technogym equipment, outdoor/indoor pool, jacuzzis & spa treatment rooms. Fitness aficionados can look forward to a Kinesis Studio for Zumba classes. For business travelers, magnificent meeting rooms, boardrooms and Ballroom, are designed to pay tribute to the splendor and generosity of Omani Culture. With a capacity of over 1,000 guests it is a perfect choice for both private celebrations and business functions. Restoring the tradition of refined cuisine, the hotel opens with Courtyardthe where guests can relish finest steaks and grills expertly paired with an international selection of beverages.
Azerbaijan said on May 7 that it has arrested a group of soldiers and civilians it alleges passed on classified military information to Armenia.

A joint statement from the country's Prosecutor-General, Ministry of Defense, and Interior Ministry said "an initial investigation" into a criminal treason case against the group had been launched.

"A group of servicemen and civilians, who were engaged in conspiracy with the enemy's intelligence services, were arrested," the statement added. It did not say how many people were in the group.

The suspects were identified through an investigation into provocations allegedly planned by Armenian forces in Azerbaijan's Terter region, according to the statement.

Based on reporting by APA 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.
President-elect Emmanuel Macron pledged on May 7 to strengthen Frances relationship with Europe after easily defeating nationalist Marine Le Pen to become the nation's youngest president ever following a divisive runoff vote that pitted two diametrically opposed visions for the country's future.

With nearly all the ballots counted, officials said on May 8 that Macron had received 66.06 percent of the 47 million votes cast. All major exit polls had earlier projected Macrons total at about 65 percent or slightly above

The centrist Macron, a former economy minister and banker who has never held an elected post, received further good news as two opinion polls published after his victory indicated that his year-old political movement, En Marche! (Forward!), would come first in legislative elections set for June 11 and June 18.

The polls show En Marche! taking 24-26 percent in the first round, with the right-wing Les Republicains at 22 percent and Le Pen's far-right National Front at 21-22 percent.

Macrons presidential victory comes after a bruising race marked by negative campaigning and a last-minute hacking attack targeting his campaign.

The victory -- by the second-largest margin in French recent history -- comes as a relief to much of Europe, which had feared another shock result at the ballot box on the heels of Britain's decision to leave the European Union and U.S. President Donald Trumps surprising win in November.

WATCH: Macron Wins French Presidency

Amid a sea of red, white, and blue tricolor flags at a victory party outside the iconic Louvre Museum in Paris, Macron said the country was turning a page in its history and pledged to the thousands in attendance to defend France and Europe and "rebuild links between Europe and its citizens."

"We will not give into fear, divisions," he said after arriving while the EU anthem "Ode to Joy" blared through the museums courtyard.

"I will fight the divisions that undermine France," he added in a nod to the 11 million votes Le Pen received, a record for the far-right leader.

The 39-year-old Macron, who topped the first round of the election on April 23, campaigned on a pro-EU, pro-business platform, while anti-immigration Marine Le Pen, 48, wanted France to leave the 28-nation bloc and abandon the euro currency.

The euro rose in value after Macrons emphatic win, edging up to $1.10 in early Asian trading, the highest in six months. Stocks in Tokyo rose 1.35 percent at the open, and U.S. stock futures were also higher, but many European markets are closed for a holiday on May 8.

The euro and world stocks had rallied sharply after Macrons strong showing in the first round.

"Happy that the French chose a European future," European Commission head Jean-Claude Juncker said on Twitter.

A 'Victory' For Europe

German Chancellor Angela Merkel called Macron's win "a victory for a strong and united Europe" and in a sign of Macron's pledge to put Europe high on his agenda, the president-elect told the German leader during a 10-minute phone call that he would travel to Berlin "very quickly."

WATCH: Merkel 'Delighted' By Macron's Electoral Victory

Trump was among world leaders sending congratulations to Macron.

"Congratulations to Emmanuel Macron on his big win today as the next President of France. I look very much forward to working with him," he wrote on Twitter.

Many people said that Trump had supported Le Pen after comments he made in April in apparent praise of the far-right candidate.

"She's the strongest on borders, and she's the strongest on what's been going on in France," he said. "Whoever is the toughest on radical Islamic terrorism, and whoever is the toughest at the borders will do well in the election."

Russian President Vladimir Putin told Macron that Russia was ready for constructive work on bilateral and global issues, the Kremlin said on May 8.

"The citizens of France have trusted you with leading the country at a difficult time for Europe and the whole world community. The growth in threats of terrorism and militant extremism is accompanied by an escalation of local conflicts and the destabilization of whole regions," Putin said in a congratulatory telegram released by the Kremlin.

"In these conditions it is especially important to overcome mutual mistrust and unite efforts to ensure international stability and security," Putin told Macron.

Since the first round of the election, Macron has accused Russia of meddling in his campaign with cyberattacks and has refused to accredit Russian media outlets RT and Sputnik, accusing them of issuing fake news stories.

Moscow has rejected accusations of interfering in the election campaign, as it has rejected similar charges out of Berlin and Washington.

On May 5, Macrons campaign said it had been the victim of a massive computer hack that dumped its campaign emails.It was not immediately clear who was responsible for the hack.

Le Pen, who met with Putin in Moscow in March, has called for the lifting of EU sanctions against Russia, imposed over its illegal annexation of Crimea from Ukraine.

Polarizing Campaign

The election was the culmination of a polarizing campaign in which Le Pen portrayed Macron as an elitist who is soft on Islamic fundamentalism and other potential threats to her vision of the French state.

During the campaigning Macron called Le Pen "the high priestess of fear" who "speaks for no one" and "exploits anger and hatred." But after the vote, he also noted that divisions in French society drove people to "vote to the extreme."

Le Pen, the head of the National Front party founded by her father, pushed for abandoning the euro for the French franc, saying the euro is "the currency of bankers, it's not the people's currency."

"The French have chosen a new President of the Republic and have voted for continuity," Le Pen told her supporters after conceding to Macron.

In her concession speech, she also announced plans to establish a new political association that will take part in the parliamentary elections in June saying she will "lead this struggle" to protect France's "independence, freedom, prosperity, security, identity, and social model."

The CGT, one of Frances more militant unions, called for a demonstration in Paris on May 8 to kick off Macron's presidency in a protest against "liberal" economic policies.

Macron's foreign policy is expected to largely follow the course set by current President Francois Hollande, a Socialist in whose government Macron served as economy minister from 2014 to 2016.

"Macron is a politician who has never in his career dealt with [foreign policy] issues...so you can expect lots of predictability on the Macron team," Martin Michelot, deputy director of the EUROPEUM Institute for European Policy, told RFE/RL.

Michelot ticked off a list of EU points of emphasis vis-a-vis security and Russia, whose invasion of Ukraine and continuing support of separatists there prompted Western sanctions: "the same strong position on Russia, the importance of respecting the Minsk agreements, on not recognizing the illegal annexation of Crimea," and a strong commitment to NATO.

Macron was endorsed by the overwhelming majority of French politicians, many European leaders, and by former U.S. President Barack Obama.

The French president is elected to a five-year term. He is expected to be sworn in on May 14.

With reporting by Current Times Yevhenia Rudenko, Reuters, AFP, AP, and the BBC.

With reporting by Current Times Yevhenia Rudenk, Reuters, AFP, AP, and the BBC
Iraqi forces have advanced to the northern edge of west Mosul, freeing and evacuating dozens of civilians who had been under the control of Islamic State (IS) extremists, military commanders say.

Raed Chaker, chief of the militarized federal police, on May 6 said his forces had pushed into the IS-controlled district of Al-Haramat in northwestern Mosul, taking about 500 meters of territory from the extremists since a new offensive began on May 3.

"The forces evacuated tens of civilians after liberating them in the battlefield of Al-Haramat," he said, adding that about 15 militants had been killed during the day.

The report of the advance comes a day after officials said U.S.-backed Iraqi forces drove IS out of the Musherfa district of western Mosul, sending dozens of civilians fleeing for safer territory in east Mosul.

"So many of my neighbors and friends died, a man fleeing Musherfa told Reuters. "We were freed, but we are not happy because we lost the people closest to us."

Humanitarian groups report that food supplies are running low for civilians trapped inside areas still held by the militants and in areas recently taken back by Iraqi forces.

The United Nations has said 300,000 to 500,000 people remain trapped in IS-held Mosul districts, with some areas cut off from food supplies for up to six months.

U.S.-backed Iraqi forces are battling to free Mosul from IS fighters, their last stronghold in Iraq.

East Mosul has been declared liberated. Iraqi forces are gaining ground in bloody fighting in heavily populated west Mosul, but they still are facing fierce resistance from an estimated 1,000 IS extremists in the offensive that began on February 19.

The May 3 offensive started in the northwestern side of Mosul. Previous drives have begun from the east and south.

The offensive is aimed at capturing the crowded Old City of Mosul, which is still controlled by IS fighters, who are believed to be using civilians as human shields.

IS captured wide swaths of territory in 2014 and declared a so-called caliphate in parts of Iraq and Syria.

They are now seeing those gains reversed and are being pressured in their final two strongholds -- Mosul and Raqqa in Syria.

With reporting by dpa, AP, and Reuters
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
Some 200 people protested on May 7 before the parliament in Chisinau against changes to the country's electoral system. Demonstrators called for the withdrawal of proposals from Moldova's Democratic and Socialist parties' that were voted on May 5 in parliament. One proposal seeks to introduce a uninominal system while the other calls for a mixed electoral system. Protesters chanted slogans such as "Down with the government!" and "We don't want to replace the voting system, we want to replace you!" (RFE/RL's Moldovan Service)
ARCO  Craters of the Moon is one of 27 national monuments whose status will be reviewed by the Department of the Interior, raising concerns the beloved Idaho park could lose federal protections.

The department will start accepting public comment on the status of 22 land monuments and five ocean monuments after notice is published in the Federal Register. It will do so for 60 days for most of the monuments, including Craters, and 15 days for Bears Ears, a controversial 1.35 million-acre monument in Utah President Barack Obama created last year. Comments can also be submitted online starting May 12 at regulations.gov.

President Calvin Coolidge designated the lava fields and formations a national monument in 1924, but in 2000 President Bill Clinton vastly expanded the size of it, to 753,000 acres. Craters is the only national monument in Idaho on the list. The others are in Nevada, Utah, California, Colorado, Oregon, Arizona, Washington, Montana and New Mexico. All of the monuments on the list were either created or greatly expanded by former Democratic presidents Clinton or Obama. The Interior Departments announcement implements an executive order President Donald Trump issued in late April calling for such a review.

Under the Antiquities Act of 1906 the president has the authority to create a national monument. In the West, such designations are frequently used for conservation and they are often controversial, with people on the political right in particular often opposed to restrictions on land uses that can come with the designations. Some Western politicians have called for restrictions on the presidents power to designate monuments  on May 2 U.S. Rep. Raul Labrador, R-Idaho, introduced a bill to require approval from Congress and the affected state before the president can designate a monument. He and U.S. Sen. Mike Crapo, also R-Idaho, introduced similar legislation in 2015.

The Department of the Interior is the steward of Americas greatest treasures and the manager of one-fifth of our land, Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke said in a statement. Part of being a good steward is being a good neighbor and listening to the American people who we represent. Todays action, initiating a formal public comment process finally gives a voice to local communities and states when it comes to Antiquities Act monument designations. There is no pre-determined outcome on any monument. I look forward to hearing from and engaging with local communities and stakeholders as this process continues.

As well as taking public comment, Zinke will review the monuments based on criteria such as economic impacts, impacts on different uses of the land, the concerns of state and local governments, and the Antiquities Acts requirements, with the news release highlighting lines in the Act saying a monument should not exceed the smallest area compatible with the proper care and management of the objects to be protected and should be classified as historic landmarks, historic and prehistoric structures (or) other objects of historic or scientific interest.

Clintons expansion of the Craters monument came after attempts to create a national park there in the late 1980s and early 1990s stalled. Some local officials in Butte County are pushing for the original 54,000-acre lava field section to be turned into a national park, an idea the countys voters signed off on in a non-binding referendum last year. The Idaho Farm Bureau has been worried this could negatively impact agriculture.
Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif says a delayed new airport in the capital of Islamabad will operational on August 14.

The prime minister on May 6 told state-run PTV that the Islamabad International Airport is being completed on a fast pace.

Some initial operations will begin at the airport by July, officials said.

The airport will replace the cramped and much-maligned Benazir Bhutto International Airport, which is in the nearby city of Rawalpindi and is attached to a military base.

In 2014, the Bhutto airport was voted the worst in the world by the Guide to Sleeping in Airports website.

The new airport project is part of the Sharif governments plan to spend billions of dollars on upgrading the countrys transport infrastructure.

Based on reporting by Reuters and SAMAA TV
The media situation in Central Asia, generally, has been bad for many years now.

But, according to recent reports by the Paris-based organization Reporters Without Borders (RSF), and New York-based group Freedom House, the situation with media in Central Asia actually got even worse in 2016.

It was not only the "usual" Central Asian countries -- Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan -- that received low marks in the two groups' annual reports. The lowered ratings for Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, and even Kyrgyzstan indicated that all three were increasing pressure on nonstate sources of information.

What just happened and why? Is this a new trend in Central Asia -- policies that strangle independent media?

To try to answer these questions and look at other aspects of government moves against the news organizations and the Internet, RFE/RL assembled a Majlis, or panel, to discuss events concerning the media in Central Asia in recent months.

Moderating the discussion was RFE/RL's Media Relations Manager Muhammad Tahir. We were fortunate to have people who played key roles in preparing the two reports mentioned above. From Paris, the Majlis was joined by Johann Bihr, the head of RSF's Eastern Europe and Central Asia desk. And the project director of Freedom House's annual rights report Nations In Transit, Nate Schenkkan took part from New York (Nate also hosts the Central Asianist podcast, which we at the Majlis highly recommend to everyone]. I have a connection to media in Central Asia, so I participated also.

Bihr started the discussion out by noting that "the situation with press freedom across all Central Asia in general has further deteriorated."

Control Habit

The situation for media in Kazakhstan and Tajikistan has worsened significantly.

The Majlis session came the day after it was reported that 20 journalists had fled Tajikistan recently to escape the government's tightening grip on media.

Bihr spoke about the "increasing habit of trying to control the Internet across Central Asia" and recalled, "In May last year, when Kazakhstan was marked by huge protests, the authorities were quick to make Facebook, Twitter, VKontakte, WhatsApp, etc. unavailable, which obviously prevented the free flow of information."

"Such kind of 'progress' also has been made in Tajikistan," he added.

Schenkkan said, "We actually see kind of a mixed strategy in [Central Asian] countries, particularly in Kazakhstan I would say, where defamation and libel suits have had a role for quite a while, in addition to some of those more aggressive tactics like imprisonment."

Bihr saw a key similarity in Kazakhstan and Tajikistan that might partially explain why those two countries have recently been putting so much pressure on nonstate media. "Both in Kazakhstan and Tajikistan we can say that aging leaders are in power and succession wars have already started behind the curtains, this is clearly a factor of stress for the political life and press freedom in these countries."

Libel, Defamation Suits

Using the court system to shut down media that is critical of the authorities is nothing new. Schenkkan spoke about some of the independent media outlets in Kazakhstan that are "constantly subject to different kinds of libel and defamation suits."

And Schenkkan said, "I think [Kyrgyzstan's president Almazbek] Atambaev is picking up on that."

More than a dozen lawsuits have been initiated against independent media outlets in Kyrgyzstan recently.

According to Bihr, "the increasingly defiant speech of President Atambaev in Kyrgyzstan has been very worrying with very harsh words being pronounced [against journalists and media outlets]."

Both Bihr and Schenkkan pointed out the leadership change in Uzbekistan offers some small hope for an improvement in that country.

"The replacement of President [Islam] Karimov by President [Shavkat] Mirziyaev in Uzbekistan indeed raises hopes due to what appears to be increased pragmatism of the regime," Bihr explained.

Schenkkan agreed "there's been this wave of expectations after Karimov's death in August and a lot of attention to whether there could be some kind of thaw in Uzbekistan."

But they said Uzbekistan remained near the bottom of these most recent rankings by both their organizations, because their recent reports dealt with events during 2016.

Encouraging signs such as the release from prison of Uzbek independent journalist Muhammad Bekjonov, one of the longest imprisoned journalists in the world, in late February this year were not factored into the RSF and Freedom House reports that have just been issued.

Lack Of Leverage

Turkmenistan also stayed near the bottom of both lists, but there was no room for optimism from any of the panelists that the media situation could improve there.

Schenkkan said the very sparse information that can be gleaned from Turkmenistan kept that country from being at the very bottom of the Freedom House rankings. "You have a hundred-point scale," Schenkkan said, and added "we're at 98 on Turkmenistan right now."

The possibilities for convincing governments in Central Asia to ease their media policies are limited. "There are not so many powers that have some leverage on Central Asian countries," Bihr said.

Bihr noted, "The European Union is continuing talks with Kazakhstan, for instance, about enhanced partnership agreements despite the fact the previous partnership agreement included some clear human rights conditions that were never fulfilled by Kazakhstan."

In the United States, President Donald Trump's administration has so far not sent any strong signals that it would press Central Asian governments on rights issues.

Schenkkan said, "I think there's no question but that the leaders in the [Central Asian] region have decided that they can go after the press pretty much as hard as they want and that there's practically no consequences, and that includes internationally."

Schenkkan added that Central Asian governments should be cautious in their treatment of independent media. Having only state media carries inherent risks for governments such as those in Central Asia.

"They [the Central Asian governments] still can't hide what's happening in terms of economics, in terms of politics," Schenkkan explained, and warned "it's dangerous for there to grow too large a gap between what you tell people [is] happening and what's actually happening."

The Majlis panelists had much more to say on these topics and other matters concerning the plight of the media in Central Asia.

An audio recording of the session can be heard here:

Listen to or download the Majlis podcast above or subscribe to the Majlis on iTunes.
WASHINGTON -- Two top officials from the Obama administration are scheduled to testify before a U.S. Senate committee on May 8 as part of the investigation into Russian meddling in the 2016 U.S. presidential campaign.

Testifying before the Senate Judiciary Committee will be Sally Yates, a former U.S. deputy attorney general who stayed on with the administration of President Donald Trump before being fired after 10 days; and James Clapper, President Barack Obama's director of national intelligence.

The Senate and House Intelligence Committees are also probing Russian interference in the campaign and any links between Moscow and the Trump team.

Yates is expected to testify about what the Trump White House knew about former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn's communications with Russian officials before and after the election.

Flynn was fired by Trump on February 13 after only 24 days on the job.

Trump said the firing was because Flynn lied about his talks with the Russian ambassador to the United States during the transition period.

Clapper will likely testify as to whether there was any evidence that members of the Trump transition team colluded with Moscow to influence the election.

Trump has consistently dismissed conclusions by U.S. intelligence services that Moscow attempted to boost his presidential campaign over Democratic rival Hillary Clinton.

With on reporting by AFP and AP


Chemists designed a nickel catalyst that easily transforms petroleum feedstocks into valuable compounds like fatty acids. The process is environmentally friendly: not only it works at room temperature and atmospheric pressure, but also recycles carbon dioxide, contributing to the fight against climate change.

Fatty acids are key in several industrial processes like the manufacture of soaps, plastics -such as nylon- and dyes. Experts estimate that the global market for these compounds could reach $20 billion in the next few years. Classical synthetic methods to obtain fatty acids often require toxic and hazardous reagents like carbon monoxide and extreme conditions of pressures and temperatures. Alternative methods like the derivatization of natural products are less dangerous, but lead to complicated mixtures of products that require tedious purifications. Now, a team led by Prof. Ruben Martin at the Institute of Chemical Research of Catalonia (ICIQ) synthesized a sustainable nickel catalyst that solves both problems. It leads to pure fatty acids from raw hydrocarbons and CO 2 , which is less toxic than carbon monoxide.

Unrefined mixtures of hydrocarbons, olefins, and other petroleum-derived feedstocks can now be easily transformed into fatty acids. Moreover, researchers discovered the selectivity of the reaction can be regulated with subtle temperature variations. Tuning temperature, nickel slides along the hydrocarbon chain, incorporating CO 2 closer to the end of the chain when the conditions are colder, and vice-versa.

"This chemistry allows us to repurpose simple hydrocarbons and endless-available CO 2 to prepare a wide range of pure fatty acids under exceptionally mild conditions," explains Martin. "This method enables the selective incorporation of CO 2 at specific sites while preserving the chiral integrity within the organic molecule," he adds.

"The combination of an earth abundant nickel catalyst and CO 2 with the hydrocarbon feedstocks is a breakthrough in the production of fatty acids," explains Francisco Julia, first author of the Nature paper. "Current methods rely on hazardous carbon monoxide and precious metal catalysts in high risk of supply disruption. This is a greener and more sustainable methodology that could have significant implications for the environment whilst alleviating economical concerns," he concludes.

Martin's team prepared several added value products of interest like nylon precursors and cholesterol derivatives. This innovative field of research was awarded a Proof of Concept Grant from the European Research Council in 2015. Also, ICIQ recently filed a European patent to protect the process and to be able to license it to chemical industries in the near future.
A basin in the Falkland Islands exhibits traits of a large impact crater, according to a new analysis by a team of scientists. The structure measures approximately 250 kilometers, or more than 150 miles, in diameter and is described in the latest issue of the journal Terra Nova.

"If the Falklands basin is really an impact crater, and it has some of the most telling features, then it is one of the largest known," observes Michael Rampino, a professor in New York University's Department of Biology and one of the paper's co-authors.

The researchers, who also include Max C.L. Rocca of Argentina's Planetary Society and Paraguay-based geologist Jaime Baez Presser, acknowledge that samples from the site are necessary to confirm the conclusions of the analysis.

The basin is situated on the Falkland (Malvinas) Plateau to the northwest of West Falkland (Gran Malvina) Island. Seen in seismic-reflection profiles, and in gravity and magnetic surveys, it has traits that are consistent with impact craters, which are caused by collisions with asteroids and comets. Approximately 200 such craters have been discovered on Earth.

The scientists estimate the age of the basin to be from the late Paleozoic Era -- approximately 270 to 250 million years ago.

"If the proposed crater turns out to be 250 million years old, it could correlate with the largest mass extinction ever -- the Permian extinctions, which wiped out more than 90 percent of all species," observes Rampino.

He and his colleagues also point to specific features that indicate the basin is an impact crater.

They note that it is completely buried by sediments from more recent eras, which indicates it was formed long before its surroundings, and that it has no topographic expression on the present sea floor.

Key to the basin's identification as a potential impact crater are the decrease in the strength of Earth's gravity over the site, indicating a large basin filled with younger low-density sediments, and a strong increase in the strength of Earth's magnetism at the site. The latter is characteristic of large impact structures -- notably, the 66-million-year-old, 200-kilometer diameter Chicxulub impact crater discovered in the Yucatan in the late 1970s.
Less affluent countries are more committed to conservation of their large animals than richer ones, a new Oxford University research collaboration has found.

Researchers from Oxford's Wildlife Conservation Research Unit (WildCRU) have assessed how much, or little, individual countries contribute to protecting the world's wildlife. Working in partnership with Panthera, the only organisation dedicated to protecting wild cats, they found that in comparison to the more affluent, developed world, biodiversity is a higher priority in poorer areas such as the African nations, which contribute more to conservation than any other region.

Led by Panthera Research Associate Dr Peter Lindsey, the team created a Mega-Fauna Conservation Index (MCI) of 152 nations, to evaluate their conservation footprint. Since a high proportion of mega-fauna species, such as tigers, leopards and gorillas face extinction, the team focused their research on the protection of large mammals. The benchmarking system evaluated three key measures: a) the proportion of the country occupied by each mega-fauna species that survives in the country (countries with more species covering a higher proportion of the country scoring higher); b) the proportion of mega-fauna species range that is protected (higher proportions score higher); c) and the amount of money spent on conservation -- either domestically or internationally, relative to GDP.

The findings show that poorer countries tend to take a more active approach to biodiversity protection than richer nations. Ninety per cent of countries in North and Central America and 70 per cent of countries in Africa were classified as major or above-average in their mega-fauna conservation efforts.

Despite facing a number of domestic challenges, such as poverty and political instability in many parts of the continent, Africa was found to prioritise wildlife preservation, and contribute more to conservation than any other region of the world. African countries made up four of the five top-performing mega-fauna conservation nations, with Botswana, Namibia, Tanzania and Zimbabwe topping the list. By contrast, the United States ranked nineteenth out of the twenty performing countries. Approximately one-quarter of countries in Asia and Europe were identified as significantly underperforming in their commitment to mega-fauna conservation.

Dr.Lindsey said: 'Scores of species across the globe, including tigers, lions and rhinos, are at risk of extinction due to a plethora of threats imposed by humankind. We cannot ignore the possibility that we will lose many of these incredible species unless swift, decisive and collective action is taken by the global community.'

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Human impact continues to have a devastating effect on the natural world, with wildlife species across the globe under threat from poaching, hunting and the consequences of climate change. Recent studies indicate that 59 per cent of the world's largest carnivores and sixty per cent of the largest herbivores are currently threatened with extinction.

Professor David Macdonald, Director of WildCRU and co-author of the paper, said: 'Every country should strive to do more to protect its wildlife. Our index provides a measure of how well each country is doing, and sets a benchmark for nations that are performing below the average level, to understand the kind of contributions they need to make as a minimum. There is a strong case for countries where mega-fauna species have been historically persecuted, to assist their recovery.'

The study also goes some way to explaining why the regional disparities occur. Mega-fauna species are associated with strong 'existence values', where just knowing that large wild animals exist, makes people feel happier. In some cases, such as the African nations, this link explains why some countries are more concerned with conservation than others. Larger mammal species like wild cats, gorillas and elephants play a key role in ecological processes as well as tourism industries, which are an economic lifeline in poorer regions.

The conservation index is intended as a call to action for the world to acknowledge its responsibility to wildlife protection. By highlighting the disparity in each nations' contributions to conservation the team hopes to see increased efforts and renewed commitment to biodiversity preservation.

Addressing how countries can improve their MCI scores, Dr Peter Lindsey said: "There are three ways; Firstly, they can 're-wild' their landscapes by reintroducing mega-fauna and/or by allowing the distribution of such species to increase. They can also set aside more land as strictly protected areas. And they can invest more in conservation, either at home or abroad."

At the 1992 Rio Earth Summit, developed nations promised to allocate at least $2 billion (USD) per annum towards conservation in developing nations. However, current conservation contributions from developed nations sit at just half of the proposed amount, $1.1 billion (USD) per year.

Discussing how the scores were tallied, Professor Macdonald added: "These countries have achieved high scores in a variety of ways -- some by setting aside vast protected area networks, others by allowing mega-fauna species to occupy high proportions of their landscape, and others by investing significant funding in conservation either domestically or internationally. Our hope is that this will be produced annually to provide a public benchmark for commitment to protecting nature's largest, and, some would say, most charismatic wildlife. The way the index has been structured means that as countries of the world do more, the average benchmark will increase encouraging underperformers to try harder."

Professor William Ripple, Co-author and Oregon State University Professor concluded: "The Megafauna Conservation Index is an important first step to transparency -- some of the poorest countries in the world are making the biggest investments in a global asset and should be congratulated, whereas some of the richest nations just aren't doing enough."
Researchers have used genetic analysis to model the much-debated migration paths, and mingling patterns, of Bantu-speaking people as they disseminated across Africa. Their results reveal how Bantu-speaking peoples (BSPs), which today account for one-third of sub-Saharan Africans, attained gene variations associated with resistance to malaria and lactose digestion.

They also shed light on the genetic diversity of modern African-Americans. Many aspects of BSP genetic history, including how they dispersed from western central Africa throughout the continent and whether they acquired advantageous genes in the process, remain unknown.

To gain more insights, Etienne Patin et al. analyzed a total of 548,055 high-quality single nucleotide polymorphisms of 2,055 modern individuals from 57 populations across Africa. Using modelling software, the researchers found that BSPs first moved southward through the rainforest before migrating further south and east, which has been debated.

As they dispersed through the rainforest, BSPs encountered local populations of rainforest hunter-gatherers (RHGs), resulting in an admixture event roughly 800 years ago. Analyses of data allowed the authors to identify adaptive genes that BSPs likely acquired from other African populations, including specific immune-related genes.

Lastly, to better understand the genetic contribution of BSPs to present-day African Americans of North America, the team estimated the African ancestry of 5,244 African Americans from various locations on the North American continent.

Among other findings, the authors report that African Americans in these locations retain approximately 16% western RHG ancestry, suggesting that African Americans are more genetically diverse than previously suggested.
A late breaking subanalysis of the phase III CONVERT trial presented at the European Lung Cancer Conference (ELCC) shows that white blood cell boosting drugs are safe during concurrent chemo-radiotherapy of small cell lung cancer (SCLC).

"The optimal treatment for limited-stage SCLC is concurrent chemo-radiotherapy," said lead author Dr Fabio Gomes, a medical oncologist at the Christie NHS Foundation Trust, Manchester, UK. "The efficacy of this intensive treatment is balanced by more toxicity, mainly haematological but also esophageal and pulmonary. Meaning this is not a treatment to be considered for every patient and many more will struggle to stay on track with the planned treatment."

Granulocyte colony-stimulating factors (G-CSFs) are commonly used as a supportive measure to boost the survival, proliferation and differentiation of neutrophils. The expected neutropenia is less severe and patients recover more quickly, reducing their risk for infectious complications. However, its use during concurrent chemo-radiotherapy in SCLC is controversial and the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) recommends against its routine use. This is due to a randomised trial with 215 eligible patients performed between 1989 and 1991, which showed a significant increase in severe thrombocytopenia, severe anemia, pulmonary complications and toxic deaths when granulocyte-macrophage CSFs (GM-CSFs) were used during concurrent chemo-radiotherapy.

Gomes said: "There have been two major changes since this trial was published in 1995 which may affect the safety of CSF in this context. First, the trial tested GM-CSFs which act on more than one blood cell lineage and are not commonly used nowadays. Instead we use G-CSFs, which are more specific and aim for the neutrophil lineage only. Second, modern radiotherapy techniques have evolved significantly since then and are more precise, which reduces the risks of toxicity."

The phase III CONVERT trial enrolled 547 patients with limited-stage SCLC for concurrent chemo-radiotherapy who were randomised to once-daily or twice-daily radiotherapy. There was no difference in overall survival between the two groups.

The trial protocol allowed the use of G-CSF, and around 40% of patients received it at some point during the treatment. For the analysis presented today, the researchers compared the toxicities and outcomes between patients who received G-CSF during concurrent chemo-radiotherapy and those who did not.

They confirmed that the chance of severe thrombocytopenia or anemia during treatment almost doubled in patients given G-CSF to around 30% and 20%, respectively, however these were lower than previously reported. That was followed by a significantly higher use of further supportive measures such as platelets and blood transfusions. However, there was no difference in the incidence of pulmonary complications or in survival.

Gomes said: "G-CSF had no significant negative impact on the outcomes of these patients, which is a very comforting result. The higher haematological toxicity was balanced by an appropriate supportive care throughout treatment."

He continued: "We can conclude from this analysis that the use of G-CSF during thoracic radiotherapy is safe and should support patients to receive the full planned course of concurrent chemo-radiotherapy and achieve the best possible benefit. These findings should give clinicians the confidence to use G-CSF when needed in this context. We aim to publish a complete analysis later this year which may hopefully help change the current guidelines."

Commenting on the findings, Dr Stefan Zimmermann, Senior Consultant, Medical Oncology Department, HFR -- Hopital Cantonal, Fribourg, Switzerland, said: "Oncologists do need G-CSF to mitigate neutropenia and increase chemotherapy delivery and compliance, but want the beneficial effect of timely concurrent therapy to outweigh the toxic risks."

"In this analysis, the use of G-CSF did not result in an increased risk of pneumonitis, but the incidence of severe thrombocytopenia is a concern," he continued. "The use of G-CSF was not detrimental to progression-free survival or overall survival. We can conclude that primary or secondary prophylaxis of febrile neutropenia with G-CSF is justified, but patients at higher risk for thrombocytopenia should be treated with caution."
Researchers in dermatology at Lund University in Sweden believe they have cracked the mystery of why we are able to quickly prevent an infection from spreading uncontrollably in the body during wounding. They believe this knowledge may be of clinical significance for developing new ways to counteract bacteria.

"Perhaps we don't need to kill them with antibiotics but simply gather them so that the body can better take care of the infection," say researchers Jitka Petrlova (lead author of the article) and Artur Schmidtchen, Professor in Dermatology and Venereology, Lund University. The study was conducted in close collaboration with their colleagues in Lund, Copenhagen and Singapore, and has been published in the scientific journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS).

The researchers have discovered that fragments of thrombin -- a common blood protein which can be found in wounds -- can aggregate both bacteria and their toxins; something they did not see in normal blood plasma. The aggregation takes place quickly in the wound and causes bacteria and endotoxins not only to gather but also to be "eaten" by the body's inflammatory cells.

"This way, the body avoids a spread of the infection. We believe this to be a fundamental mechanism for taking care of both bacteria and their toxins during wound healing," says Jitka Petrlova and continues;

"Our discovery links aggregation and amyloid formation to our primary defence against infections -- our innate immunity. It is well known that various aggregating proteins can cause amyloid disease, in skin or internal organs, such as the brain. Therefore, a mechanism that is supposed to protect us from infections, can sometimes be over-activated and lead to degenerative diseases."

Artur Schmidtchen, who has conducted research in the field of innate immunity for over 20 years, is pleased with the results of the study.

"I have always been fascinated by how nature has effectively created different defence mechanisms, and wound healing provides a rich source of new discoveries. The ability to effectively heal wounds is of evolutionary significance to our survival. Compared to antibiotics, innate immunity has been around for millions of years -- and I think we should consider the application of these concepts in an era of increasing antibiotic resistance."
Dr. Florian Weinberg, from Prof. Dr. Tilman Brummer's research group at the Institute of Molecular Medicine and Cell Research (IMMZ) of the University of Freiburg, joined forces with scientists from the Departments of Clinical Pathology and Medicine I of the University Medical Centre Freiburg and the Kinghorn Cancer Centre/Garvan Insitute in Australia in an international team that has identified a new target for cancer therapy. The researchers discovered that the enzyme RIOK1 collaborates with the RAS protein, which is often mutated in tumors and therefore promotes tumor growth and the development of metastases. These secondary tumors are spread by the primary tumor, if it is not removed in time, and are the cause of death in most cancer patients. The researchers believe it may be possible to use so-called inhibitors to block the enzymatic activity of RIOK1, thereby slowing down the disease's progression. The team has recently published its findings in the translational journal EBioMedicine.

Cancer diseases are characterized by gene mutations that cause the uncontrolled growth of the body's own cells. This, in turn, results in the development of tumors. Most treatments combine surgery to remove the tumor with chemotherapy or radiation therapy, both of which are used to inhibit the fast growth of cells. Specific inhibitors can also be used as an additional or alternative therapy. These drugs inhibit the activity of the harmful proteins and enzymes produced by the mutated genes in tumors. However, there are currently only very few ways to specifically treat RAS-driven tumors. Because roughly 30 percent of all cancer patients carry a Ras mutation in their tumors, there is a very strong need to find new ways to target RAS.

The team of scientists studied the growth behavior of human RAS-mutated lung-, breast-, and colorectal cancer cells in cell culture and animal models. In each case, they were able to genetically modify the cells, so that they were no longer able to produce RIOK1, a method that mimics the effects of a still to be developed RIOK1 inhibitor. By this approach, the authors were able to reduce the growth and aggressiveness of the cancer cells. Especially in the animal models, the researchers observed that the modified cells were no longer able to form metastases. RIOK1 belongs to the enzyme family of protein kinases for which inhibitors are already successfully used in cancer therapy. Therefore, the scientists believe that similar substances inhibiting the enzymatic activity of RIOK1 could be developed in the near future. In addition, RIOK1 could be used to predict the progression of lung and breast cancer more accurately, as the researchers observed an increased production of RIOK1 in the tumor tissue of patients who had a poorer prognosis.

The researchers stated that more studies are needed to confirm RIOK1 as a target for cancer therapy, however. It would be important, for example, to understand the exact mechanism through which the enzyme supports cancer growth and metastasis. It is also essential that inhibitors be tested first on model organisms before the drugs can be tested in clinical studies. The researchers' initial studies on roundworms and human cells have demonstrated that healthy body cells are either only partially affected or not affected at all by the loss of RIOK1, because they do not depend on the enzyme. This would mean that, at the same time, cancer cells would be inhibited from growing and from spreading new tumors.
Scientists have discovered the genetic mutation that causes the rare skin disease, keratolytic winter erythema (KWE), or 'Oudtshoorn skin', in Afrikaners.

Researchers at the Sydney Brenner Institute for Molecular Bioscience and the Division of Human Genetics at Wits, in collaboration with peers in Europe, the US and Canada published this research in the May issue of the American Journal of Human Genetics.

KWE causes a redness of the palms and soles with consecutive cycles of peeling of large sections of thick skin, often exacerbated during winter months. Oudtshoorn is a town in the Western Cape province of South Africa where the disorder was present in large families.

KWE causes a redness of the palms and soles with consecutive cycles of peeling of large sections of thick skin, often exacerbated during winter months. Oudtshoorn is a town in the Western Cape province of South Africa where the disorder was present in large families.

Afrikaners are Afrikaans-language speakers descended from predominantly Dutch, German and French settlers, who arrived in South Africa in the 17th and 18th centuries. Afrikaners have a high risk for several genetic disorders, the best known being familial hypercholesterolaemia (inherited high cholesterol leading to heart attacks early in life) and porphyria (sensitivity of the skin to ultra-violet exposure and adverse reactions to specific drugs).

These disorders are common because of founder mutations brought to South Africa by small groups of immigrants who settled in the Cape of Good Hope and whose descendants are now spread throughout the country. KWE is one of these less well-known founder genetic disorders.

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KWE was first described as a unique and discrete skin disorder in 1977 by Wits dermatologist, Professor George Findlay. He noticed that it occurred in families and had a dominant mode of inheritance -- i.e., on average, if a parent has the condition about half the children inherit it in every generation.

In addition to identifying the genetic mutation for scientific purposes, this research now enables dermatologists to make a definitive diagnosis of KWE in patients. It further enables researchers to understand similar skin disorders and is a starting point for developing possible treatments.

Gene Mutations

Since the late 1980s, three MSc and three PhD students at Wits University researched the disorder, firstly under the supervision of Professor Trefor Jenkins and from about 1990 guided by Professor Michele Ramsay, Director and Research Chair in the Sydney Brenner Institute for Molecular Bioscience.

In 1997, Wits MSc student Michelle Starfield and a group in Germany mapped the KWE trait to a region on the short arm of chromosome 8. The researchers showed that it was likely that the South African families all had the same mutation, but that the German family had a different mutation.

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This research preceded the sequencing of the human genome and subsequent research focused on characterising this region of the genome and examining good candidate genes. The KWE mutation remained elusive.

In 2012 Thandiswa Ngcungcu, then a Wits MSc student in Human Genetics whom Ramsay supervised, chose KWE as a topic for her PhD. Ngcungu's research involved large-scale DNA sequencing during an internship on the Next Generation Scientist Programme in Novartis, Basel. The mutation was not detected by conventional data analysis so copy number variants (genetic changes) -- where regions of the genome are duplicated or deleted -- were investigated. Ngcungcu and the researchers then discovered a mutation in a region between genes that was present in all South African KWE-affected individuals studied.

During this time Dr Torunn Fiskerstrand, University of Bergen, Norway, independently discovered the genetic cause of KWE in Norwegians. Ramsay and Fiskerstrand collaborated. The different DNA duplications in the South African and Norwegian families overlapped at a critical genomic region called an enhancer (which 'switches on' the gene) -- providing strong evidence that this was, in fact, the KWE mutation.

For over a year the scientists researched how this duplicated enhancer caused KWE. They demonstrated that the mutation causes a nearby gene to produce more protein than normal and that this abnormal expression was the likely cause of the skin peeling. Exactly twenty years after determining that the KWE mutation lies on chromosome 8, the mutation that causes KWE was identified and published.

Solving the mystery of KWE was a journey of data analysis, ancestry mapping, genomic comparison and global collaboration. Ngcungcu continues her work as a postdoctoral fellow examining the genetics of another skin disorder, albinism, and as a lecturer in the Division of Human Genetics at Wits from July 2017.
The U.S. Navy has not yet selected the design of its new carrier based UAV (the MQ-25A) but it is already testing new software developed so carrier capable UAVs can be communicated with using the same software used for manned carrier aircraft. Called UMCS (Unmanned Carrier Aviation Mission Control System) this uses existing software modified to communicate with UAVs on the carrier deck as well as the air. The navy has already tested UAVs equipped with software for landing and taking off from a carrier as well as refueling other naval aircraft in flight. There is a growing library of combat tested UAV software for just about every aspect of aircraft operation. But operating from a carrier has always been the most difficult environment to work in.

While the navy has not selected the design of the new carrier UAV it did decide, in July 2016 that its first carrier-based unmanned combat aircraft would be called the MQ-25A Stingray and it would enter service in the early 2020s. This UCAS (unmanned combat air system) decision comes after a decade of design, development and test flights.

The UAV that made the MQ-25A possible rolled out as the X-47B in 2008. This was the first carrier-based combat UAV, with a wingspan of 20 meters (62 feet, and the outer 25 percent folds up to save space on the carrier) and could stay in the air for up to twelve hours. The 20 ton X-47B weighs a little less than the 24 ton F-18A and has two internal bays holding two tons of smart bombs and missiles. It is a stealthy aircraft. As built the X-47B could be used for a lot of bombing missions, sort of a super-Reaper. The navy has been impressed with the U.S. Air Force success with the Predator and Reaper. But the propeller driven Reaper weighs only 4.7 tons. The much larger X-47B uses a F100-PW-220 engine, which is currently used in the F-16 and F-15 and is built to operate more like a manned jet warplane.

Development moved ahead pretty quickly with the X-47B, which made its first catapult launch from an aircraft carrier on May 14th 2013 (and landed at a shore based facility). That was followed by several touch and go landings on a carrier. The first carrier landing, as expected, followed soon after. This was not a surprise because in 2011 the navy successfully tested its UCAV landing software using a manned F-18 that landed on a carrier completely under software control. This version of the software has been further expanded into a system that makes it a lot easier (and safer) for manned aircraft to land on carriers.

Meanwhile by the end of 2013 more flight tests further stressed the capabilities of the X-47B automatic landing system, especially in high speed and complex (different directions) winds. The autolanding software passed all these tests. The X-47B was also the first UAV to land and be off the carrier deck in less than 90 seconds, just like manned aircraft. There were a lot of other tests to see how effectively and reliably the X-47B could operate on the carrier and hanger deck and do it alongside manned aircraft. An X-47B carried out the first fully autonomous aerial refueling (with a manned with a KC-707 tanker) in April 2015. All this was part of a long-term navy plan to introduce an UCAS replacement for the F-35 (which is now replacing F-18s) in the 2030s. But if the UCAS progress continues to be swift and the costs low (compared to manned aircraft), the F-35 could find its production run reduced to make room for a cheaper and more capable UCAS.

While software controlled landing systems have been around for decades, landing on a moving air field (an aircraft carrier) is considerably more complex than landing on a stationary airfield. Dealing with carrier landings required more powerful hardware and software aboard the aircraft. The navy expected some glitches and bugs but managed to rapidly match the reliability of commercial landing software within months rather than decades. The U.S. Army pioneered the use of automated landing (and take off) software for its larger UAVs and eventually the air force adopted that approach as well which has been used very successfully on UAVs)

Rather than begin development on the slightly larger X-47C, which was originally the first naval UCAV to enter service, the navy decided to conduct a competition to find the most effective design for the MQ-25A UCLASS (unmanned carrier-launched airborne surveillance and strike) aircraft. As expected the X-47B was successful enough to be the one of the competing prototypes for the MQ-25A. It was always believed that the X-47C would be closer to 30 tons and have a payload of over four tons. The X-47B was never mean to be the definitive carrier UCAV, but the navy hoped it would be good enough to show that unmanned aircraft could do the job. Normally, "X" class aircraft are just used as technology demonstrators. As successful as it was in February 2015 the navy stated that the X-47B was too costly and insufficiently stealthy to become its carrier UCAV, and the two X-47Bs will be turned into museum exhibits upon completion of all flight testing in late 2015. Meanwhile at least four firms (Boeing, X-47B builder Northrop Grumman, Lockheed Martin and General Atomics) are expected to submit MQ-25A design proposals by the end of 2016 and there will be competitive flight testing for two or more proposals and a decision of a winner by the end of the decade.

The U.S. Navy has done the math and realized that they need UCASs on their carriers as soon as possible. The current plan is to get these aircraft into service by the 2020s. What drives this urgency is the realization that American carriers had to get within 800 kilometers of their target before launching bomber aircraft. Potential enemies increasingly have aircraft and missiles with a range greater than 800 kilometers. The MQ-25A UCAS has a range of at least 2,500 kilometers and is seen as the solution. But the MQ-25A can also refuel manned aircraft in the air and many carrier admirals see that as the solution to the range problem with manned warplanes.

There is one serious competitor to an X-47B design and that is the jet powered Avenger UAV. This aircraft was developed by the same firm that created the Predator and Reaper. In 2012 the second prototype Sea Avenger made its first flight. This UAV is 14.2 meters (44 feet) long with a payload of 1.6 tons and 16 hours endurance. The U.S. Air Force is still planning to use Avenger for reconnaissance and strike missions. The navy was impressed and particularly interested in using Avenger to replace the soon-to-be-retired EA-6Bs in their most dangerous attack missions. The air force likes the ability to arm Avenger with a smart bomb, including the 900 kg (2,000 pound) GBU-34 penetrator version. Avenger also has two hard points on each wing, each one able to carry up over 200 kg (440 pounds). The U.S. Navy has been interested in Avenger since the beginning of development. Thus the Avenger wings were originally designed so they can be built to fold for use on carriers and have a tail hook needed for carrier landings. The Avenger, unlike the larger Global Hawk, can operate from carriers. The Avenger uses landing gear from the F-5, an aircraft of the same weight class. The naval version is now called the Sea Avenger. The navy, and several air forces, are also looking at the Avenger as an ELINT (electronic intelligence) aircraft. The ability to carry a ton of sensors and stay in the air for twenty hours per sortie has a lot of appeal for an aircraft that is already stealthy and doesn't carry a pilot. Moreover, the Avenger can perform ELINT missions entirely autonomously, making it more difficult to detect.

The navy leadership is still divided on how fast to proceed with carrier UAVs, as can be seen as several changes already made to the MQ-25A design requirements. That will slow things down but the fear that China will get a carrier UAV into service first has proved to be a powerful motivator.
PACIFIC OCEAN (April 22, 2017) The Independence-variant littoral combat ship USS Jackson (LCS 6) fires a SeaRAM missile at an aerial drone during a test off the coast of Southern Calif. The drone was simulating an anti-ship missile as part of a combat system ship qualification trials event to demonstrate the self-defense capability of the ship against an aerial target. Paired with advanced sonar and mine hunting capabilities, LCS provides a major contribution, as well a more diverse set of options to commanders across the spectrum of operations. (U.S. Navy photo by Senior Chief Fire Controlman Larry Fulinara)

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Rensource Starts Lighting Up Nigeria with its New Approach to Solar Power Distribution

Using an innovative business model designed specifically for the Nigerian market, Rensource intends to provide Nigerians with a cleaner, less expensive solution to meet their power needs

In the last year, Africa has been on a steady startup rise. As the world starts to turn its eye to the innovation and the tech of the continent, it is more apparent than ever that Africas potential is insurmountable. However, there is sometimes criticism that people look at Africa as a dichotomy, meaning that while Africa is growing and thriving, it is, in fact, thanks to the influence of other tech regions, and not necessarily the ability of its own people.

With this in mind, Rensource, a distribution solar company, is coming from the heart of Nigeria itself with the goal of proving that Nigerians themselves know the best way to solve one of the countrys biggest issues  power. Instead of just focusing on how to bring solar power to Nigeria, Rensource has crafted a business model that directly correlates to the Nigerian market, in order to combat the underdeveloped and dilapidated power generation and transmission structure.

According to Rensource, Nigeria provides grid generation equating to less than 35 watts per head. This is comparison to South Africa, which enjoys a grid capacity of 755 watts. Due to these terrible grid power numbers, Nigerians must rely on over 60 million inefficient, expensive, and polluting fossil-fueled generators to generate 70% of their power needs.

Rensource aims to lead the Nigerian solar revolution with its Power-as-a-Service (PaaS) solar-power system. Consumers and enterprises can subscribe to a level of membership that is compatible with their power needs for an agreed amount. Rensource provides its customers with an appropriately sized solar hybrid system. The equipment is then installed at the customers premises, where it is maintained and serviced by Rensource. The customer never needs to incur the cost of buying solar-hybrid equipment, nor do they have to worry about how to benefit from falling technology costs in the future.

Rensource products have been developed with the Nigerian consumer and small business in mind. They feature advanced lithium-based battery technology combined with robust battery management systems to ensure long service lives. In addition, Rensource uses advanced monitoring and connectivity technology to provide the customer with an unprecedented level of information and control over their power usage.

However, the biggest issue facing Rensource is the competition. They are not the first, nor the last company, that is attempting to re-invent solar power, nor change up the power structure that is happening throughout the world. The main takeaway that Rensource has is that since the company is coming from Nigerias own people, it has the ability to completely revolutionize the power structure in Africa.
The following companies are subsidiares of Ecolab: AO Ecolab, Abednego Environmental Services, Abednego Environmental Services LLC, Abednego Mexico Holdings LLC, Abednego de Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., Alcide Corp., Anios America S.A., Anios Diffusion SAS, Anios Manufacturing SAS, Aqua Environmental Limited, Bioquell, Bioquell Asia Pacific Pte. Ltd., Bioquell Global Logistics (Ireland) Ltd., Bioquell Holding SAS, Bioquell Inc., Bioquell Limited, Bioquell SAS, Bioquell Technology (Shenzhen) Ltd., Bioquell Technology Canada Ltd., Bioquell UK Limited, Bro-Tech Limited, CALGON LLC, CID LINES NV, CID Lines, CID Lines Beijing Animal Hygiene Co Ltd., CID Lines France Sarl, CID Lines Iberica SL, CID Lines LLC, CID Lines Mexico S.A. DE C.V., CID Lines R&D NV, CID Lines Sp. z o. o., CORPAK MedSystems, Cascade Water Services, Champion Technologies, Chamtech L.L.C., Chemlawn, Chemstar Corporation, Cirlam BVBA, Copal Holding NV, Copal Invest NV, Cymru Holdings Limited, DERYPOL SA, DMD, E&M Bio-Chemicals LLC, ECOLAB NL 10 B.V., ECOLAB PEST FRANCE SAS, EPN Water Col Ltd., Ecolab (Antigua) Ltd., Ecolab (Aruba) N.V., Ecolab (Barbados) Limited, Ecolab (China) Investment Co. Ltd, Ecolab (Fiji) Pty Limited, Ecolab (GZ) Chemicals Limited, Ecolab (Guam) LLC, Ecolab (Proprietary) Limited, Ecolab (Schweiz) GmbH, Ecolab (St. Lucia) Limited, Ecolab (Taicang) Technology Co. Ltd., Ecolab (Trinidad and Tobago) Unlimited, Ecolab (U.K.) Holdings Limited, Ecolab A.E.B.E., Ecolab AB, Ecolab AU2 Pty Ltd, Ecolab Acquisition LLC, Ecolab ApS, Ecolab Argentina S.R.L., Ecolab Asia Pacific Pte. Ltd., Ecolab B.V., Ecolab Bahrain S.P.C., Ecolab CDN 2 Co., Ecolab CDN 4 ULC, Ecolab CH 1 GmbH, Ecolab CH 2 GmbH, Ecolab CH 3 GmbH in Liquidation, Ecolab CH 6 GmbH, Ecolab Chemicals Limited, Ecolab Co. Compagnie Ecolab, Ecolab Colombia S. A., Ecolab DE 1 GmbH, Ecolab Deutschland GmbH, Ecolab Digital Center Private Limited, Ecolab EOOD, Ecolab East Africa (Kenya) Limited, Ecolab East Africa (Tanzania) Limited, Ecolab East Africa (Uganda) Limited, Ecolab Ecuador Cia. Ltda., Ecolab Engineering GmbH, Ecolab Europe GmbH, Ecolab Export GmbH, Ecolab FR 1 SAS, Ecolab FR 4 SAS, Ecolab Finance Company Designated Activity Company, Ecolab Food Safety & Hygiene Solutions Private Limited, Ecolab G.K., Ecolab Global Business Services LLC, Ecolab GmbH, Ecolab Gulf FZE, Ecolab HK 1 Limited, Ecolab HK 2 Limited, Ecolab Hispano-Portuguesa S.L., Ecolab Holding Italy S.r.l., Ecolab Holdings (Europe) LLC, Ecolab Holdings Inc., Ecolab Holdings Mexico S. de R. L. de C. V., Ecolab Hygiene Kft., Ecolab Hygiene d.o.o., Ecolab International SDN BHD, Ecolab Israel Holdings LLC, Ecolab JVZ Limited, Ecolab Korea Ltd., Ecolab LLC, Ecolab LUX & Co Holdings S.C.A., Ecolab LUX 1 Sarl, Ecolab LUX 2 Sarl, Ecolab LUX 4 Sarl, Ecolab LUX 7 Sarl, Ecolab LUX Sarl, Ecolab Limited, Ecolab Ltd., Ecolab Lux 10 Sarl, Ecolab Lux 12 SCA, Ecolab Lux 13 Sarl, Ecolab Lux 14 Sarl, Ecolab Lux 15 Sarl, Ecolab Lux 16 Sarl, Ecolab Lux 17 Sarl, Ecolab Lux 9 Sarl, Ecolab Lux Partner LLC, Ecolab MT Holdings LLC, Ecolab MT Limited, Ecolab Malta 1 Limited, Ecolab Malta 2 Limited, Ecolab Malta GPS, Ecolab Manufacturing IE Limited, Ecolab Manufacturing Inc., Ecolab Manufacturing UK Limited, Ecolab Maroc Societe a Responsabilite Limitee, Ecolab NL 11 B.V., Ecolab NL 15 BV, Ecolab NL 16 B.V., Ecolab NL 23 B.V., Ecolab NL 3 BV, Ecolab Name Holding Limited, Ecolab New Zealand, Ecolab Peru Holdings S.R.L., Ecolab Pest Deutschland GmbH, Ecolab Philippines Inc., Ecolab Production Belgium B.V., Ecolab Production France SAS, Ecolab Production Italy Srl, Ecolab Production LLC, Ecolab Production Netherlands B.V., Ecolab Production Poland sp. z o.o., Ecolab Pte. Ltd., Ecolab Pty Ltd., Ecolab Quimica Ltda., Ecolab S. de R.L. de C.V., Ecolab S.A., Ecolab S.A. de C.V., Ecolab SAS, Ecolab SIA, Ecolab SNC, Ecolab SRL, Ecolab Sdn Bhd, Ecolab Services Argentina S.R.L., Ecolab Services Malaysia SDN. BHD., Ecolab Services Poland Sp. z o, Ecolab Sociedad Anonima, Ecolab Sp. z o, Ecolab Spain Services S.L.U., Ecolab Temizleme Sistemleri Limited Sirketi, Ecolab U.S. 2 Inc., Ecolab U.S. 6 LLC, Ecolab U.S. 7 LLC, Ecolab US 1 GP, Ecolab USA Inc., Ecolab Viet Nam Company Limited, Ecolab Water Holding LImited, Ecolab a.s., Ecolab d.o.o., Ecolab s.r.l., Ecolab s.r.o., Ecolab y Compania Colectiva de Responsabilidad Limitada, Ecolab-Importacao E. Exportacao Limitada, Ecolabone B.V., Ecolabtwo B.V., Endoclear Equipamentos Medicos Hospitalares Ltda., Enviroflo Engineering Limited, Food Protection Services, GCS Service, Gallay Medical & Scientific Pty Ltd, Gallay Medical & Scientific Pty Ltd., GallayTrac Pty. Ltd., Georgia-Pacific - Paper Chemicals Business, Gibson Chemical Industries, Green Harbour Mainland Holdings Ltd, Henkel-Ecolab, Hicopla SL, Holchem Laboratories, Huntington Laboratories, Hydenet SAS, INTERNATIONAL WATER CONSULTANT B.V., Immobiliare R.E.O.P.A. SRL, Instrunet Hospital SLU, Jianghai Environmental Protection Co., Jianghai Environmental Protection Co. Ltd., KATAYAMA NALCO INC., Kay BV, Kay Chemical Company, LHS (UK) Limited, Laboratoires Anios, Laboratoires Anios S.A.S., Laboratoires Anios-Distribution SAS, Les Produits Chimiques ERPAC Inc., Lobster Ink, Lobster Ink Africa (Pty.) Ltd., Lobster International S.A., MOBOTEC AB LLC, Master Chemicals OOO, Meratech Rus Group LLC, Microtek Dominicana S.A., Microtek Italy S.R.L., Microtek Medical B.V., Microtek Medical Holdings, Microtek Medical Holdings Inc., Microtek Medical Inc., Microtek Medical Malta Holding Limited, Microtek Medical Malta Limited, Midland Research Laboratories, NALCO (SHANGHAI) TRADING CO. LTD., NALCO AB, NALCO ACQUISITION ONE, NALCO ACQUISITION TWO LIMITED, NALCO AFRICA (PTY.) LTD., NALCO ASIA HOLDING COMPANY PTE. LTD., NALCO BELGIUM B.V., NALCO CHINA HOLDINGS LLC, NALCO COMPANY OOO, NALCO DANMARK APS, NALCO DE MEXICO S. de R. L. de C.V., NALCO DELAWARE COMPANY, NALCO DEUTSCHLAND GMBH, NALCO DUTCH HOLDINGS B.V., NALCO EGYPT LTD., NALCO EGYPT TRADING, NALCO ESPANOLA MANUFACTURING S.L.U., NALCO ESPANOLA S.L., NALCO EUROPE B.V., NALCO FINLAND MANUFACTURING OY, NALCO FINLAND OY, NALCO FRANCE SAS, NALCO FRANCE SNC, NALCO GLOBAL HOLDINGS B.V., NALCO GLOBAL HOLDINGS LLC, NALCO HOLDING B.V., NALCO HOLDING COMPANY, NALCO HOLDINGS G.m.b.H., NALCO HOLDINGS UK LIMITED, NALCO HONG KONG LIMITED, NALCO INDUSTRIAL OUTSOURCING COMPANY, NALCO INDUSTRIAL SERVICES (NANJING) CO. LTD., NALCO INDUSTRIAL SERVICES (SUZHOU) CO. LTD., NALCO INDUSTRIAL SERVICES (THAILAND) CO. LTD., NALCO INDUSTRIAL SERVICES CHILE LIMITADA, NALCO INTERNATIONAL HOLDINGS B.V., NALCO INTERNATIONAL HOLDINGS LLC, NALCO INVESTMENTS U.K. LIMITED, NALCO ISRAEL INDUSTRIAL SERVICES LTD, NALCO ITALIANA HOLDINGS S.R.L., NALCO ITALIANA MANUFACTURING S.R.L., NALCO ITALIANA SrL, NALCO KOREA LIMITED, NALCO LIMITED, NALCO MANUFACTURING BETEILIGUNGS GMBH, NALCO MANUFACTURING LTD., NALCO NETHERLANDS B.V., NALCO OSTERREICH Ges m.b.H., NALCO OVERSEAS HOLDING B.V., NALCO PAKISTAN (PRIVATE) LIMITED, NALCO PHILIPPINES INC., NALCO PORTUGUESA (QUIMICA INDUSTRIAL) UNIPESSOAL LDA, NALCO PWS INC., NALCO SAUDI CO. LTD., NALCO TAIWAN CO. LTD., NALCO TWO INC., NALCO U.S. HOLDINGS LLC, NALCO UNIVERSAL HOLDINGS BV, NALCO WORLDWIDE HOLDINGS LLC, NALTECH INC., NANOSPECIALTIES LLC, NLC PROCESS AND WATER SERVICES SARL, Nalco (BN) SDN BHD, Nalco (China) Environmental Solution Co. Ltd., Nalco Anadolu Kimya Sanayi ve Ticaret Limited Sirketi, Nalco Canada ULC, Nalco Company LLC (1), Nalco Contract Operations LLC, Nalco Deutschland Manufacturing GmbH, Nalco Japan G.K., Nalco Libya, Nalco Middle East FZE, Nalco Polska Sp. z o. o., Nalco Production LLC, Nalco Real Estate GmbH, Nalco Schweiz GmbH, Nalco US 1 LLC, Nalco Wastewater Contract Operations Inc., Nalco Water India Private Limited, Nalco Water Pretreatment Solutions LLC, Nalco Worldwide Holdings S.a.r.l./B.V., National Wiper Alliance Inc., Nigiko, Nuova Farmec S.r.l., Oksa Kimya Sanayi A.S., Oy Ecolab AB, PT Ecolab International Indonesia, PT Ecolab Technologies and Services, Purate business - AkzoNobel, Purolite, Purolite (China) Co. Ltd., Purolite (Int.) Ltd, Purolite (Pty) Ltd, Purolite AG, Purolite GmbH, Purolite Ileri Kimyasal Ticaret Ltd, Purolite KK, Purolite LLC, Purolite Ltd, Purolite NZ Limited, Purolite Private Limited, Purolite Pte. Ltd., Purolite Pty Ltd, Purolite S. de R.L. de C.V., Purolite SAS, Purolite SRL, Purolite do Brasil Ltda, Purolite s.r.o., Purolite sp. z o.o., Purolite C Corporation, QazSorbent LLP, Quantum Technical Services LLC, Quimicas Ecolab S.A. de C.V., Quimiproductos S.A. de C.V, RP Adam Ltd, Research Fumigation Co., Royal Pest Solutions, Shield Holdings Limited, Shield Medicare Limited, Soluscope International Trading (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Soluscope SAS, Swisher Hygiene, TechTex Holdings Limited, Technical Textile Services Limited, Terminix, Ultrafab, VanBaele Hygiene AG, Wabasha Leasing LLC, Zhe Jiang Purosoft Home Appliances Sale Co Ltd, and vanBaerle Hygiene AG.

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LVMH Moet Hennessy - Louis Vuitton, Societe Europeenne operates as a luxury goods company worldwide. The company offers champagnes, wines, and spirits under the Clos des Lambrays, Chateau d'Yquem, Dom Perignon, Ruinart, Moet & Chandon, Hennessy, Veuve Clicquot, Ardbeg, Chateau Cheval Blanc, Glenmorangie, Krug, Mercier, Chandon, Cape Mentelle, Newton Vineyard, Cloudy Bay, Belvedere, Terrazas de los Andes, Bodega Numanthia, Cheval des Andes, Woodinville, Ao Yun, Clos19, and Volcan de mi Tierra brands. It also provides fashion and leather products under the Berluti, Celine, Christian Dior, Emilio Pucci, FENDI, Givenchy, Kenzo, Loewe, Loro Piana, Louis Vuitton, Marc Jacobs, Moynat, Patou, and RIMOWA brands. In addition, the company offers perfumes and cosmetics under the Acqua di Parma, Benefit Cosmetics, Cha Ling, Fenty Beauty by Rihanna, Fresh, Givenchy Parfums, Guerlain, KVD Beauty, Kenzo Parfums, Maison Francis Kurkdjian, Make Up For Ever, Marc Jacobs Beauty, Officine Universelle Buly, Parfums Christian Dior, and Perfumes Loewe brands; watches and jewelry under the Bulgari, Chaumet, Fred, Hublot, Repossi, TAG Heuer, Tiffany & Co., and Zenith brands; and custom-designed yachts under the Feadship brand name, as well as designs and builds luxury yachts under the Royal Van Lent brand. Further, it provides daily newspapers under the Les Echos brand; Belmond, a luxury tourism service; home other activities under the Belmond, Cheval Blanc, Connaissance des Arts, Cova, Investir, Jardin d'Acclimatation, La Samaritaine, Le Parisien, and Radio Classique brands; and selective retailing products under the DFS, La Grande Epicerie de Paris, Le Bon Marche Rive Gauche, Sephora, and Starboard Cruise Services brands, as well as operates Jardin d'Acclimatation, a leisure and amusement park. The company operates 5,556 stores. LVMH Moet Hennessy - Louis Vuitton, Societe Europeenne was incorporated in 1923 and is headquartered in Paris, France.
The Toronto-Dominion Bank, together with its subsidiaries, provides various financial products and services in Canada, the United States, and internationally. It operates through three segments: Canadian Retail, U.S. Retail, and Wholesale Banking. The company offers personal deposits, such as chequing, savings, and investment products; financing, investment, cash management, international trade, and day-to-day banking services to businesses; and financing options to customers at point of sale for automotive and recreational vehicle purchases. It also provides credit cards and payments; real estate secured lending, auto finance, and consumer lending services; point-of-sale payment solutions for large and small businesses; wealth and asset management products, and advice to retail and institutional clients through direct investing, advice-based, and asset management businesses; and property and casualty insurance, as well as life and health insurance products. The company also provides capital markets, and corporate and investment banking products and services, including underwriting and distribution of new debt and equity issues; advice on strategic acquisitions and divestitures; and trading, funding, and investment services to corporations, governments, and institutions. It offers its products and services under the TD Bank and America's Most Convenient Bank brand names. The company operates through a network of 1,061 branches and 3,381 automated teller machines (ATMs) in Canada, and 1,148 stores and 2,701 ATMs in the United States, as well as offers telephone, digital, and mobile banking services. It has a strategic alliance with Canada Post Corporation. The Toronto-Dominion Bank was founded in 1855 and is headquartered in Toronto, Canada.
There is nervous laughter among the gulps of wine, tentatively proffered handshakes and exchanged numbers. But the personalized name tags at this speed-dating event in a Yorkville pub are a clue that this isnt a romantic quest.

I have a big down payment, reads the badge of a woman in a stylish grey business suit.

I love dogs, says one mans name tag.

They are among roughly two dozen people, mostly millennials, who have come in search of someone who might be willing to share a roof, but not necessarily a life.

This is speed dating for house hunters. Many people here already have personal partners, and some have already owned homes.

Discouraged by the Toronto regions high home prices and cut-throat bidding wars, they have turned up on a soggy Thursday evening in pursuit of a step up on the citys increasingly unaffordable property ladder.

For some, co-ownership may be their best hope of purchasing a home. But finding the right partner is a complicated legal and financial decision that can also be emotionally fraught.

Software product manager Nadia Abuseif came early with the expectation only of potentially meeting interesting people.

Abuseifs marriage ended amicably about six months ago. She expects to walk away with about $500,000 from the home she and her husband bought 10 years ago near Dufferin St. and St. Clair Ave. W.

Her half of the homes value wont be enough to buy an equivalent house in the city, and Abuseif isnt keen on a condo.

Her agent has told her that divorce is generally a real estate disaster and many estranged couples continue to live together just to keep their home.

Were both going with half the (homes) value. It limits us as to what we can do, so its time to get creative, Abuseif says.

The event is the brainchild of realtor Lesli Gaynor, who is building a company called GoCo, which she hopes will be a hub for co-ownership housing arrangements.

A mother of three, Gaynor worries about the financial risks of housing for young adults. She also sees a looming crisis for seniors who want to remain independent but are often isolated in their homes.

As a city, Gaynor said, Toronto should be talking about taking properties we are over-housed in and being able to turn them into (shared homes)  not changing anything about the inherent nature of a neighbourhood. Were in fact enhancing (it).

Although some at the GoCo event say they could probably afford to buy outside the city, most want a downtown home. Few are ready to start looking, though. They are searching for more information and new connections.

I wont be in a financial position to purchase by myself for a couple more years and Im afraid I wont be able to keep up with the market, Andrea Campbell says.

Her money is tied up in an income property she owns in Ottawa. I have $400,000 in equity, but I still cant afford to buy a place here, she says.

Her dream is a Toronto triplex where she and her boyfriend could live in one unit and a co-owner could control or reside in another. Ideally, a basement suite would provide income for maintenance.

Campbell, who rents near Broadview station, says she has paid her dues by previously owning a home in the suburbs.

To buy again, she says, I would have to sell or refinance my investment and then what if I dont win the bidding war?

Campbell listens to a short panel discussion on co-ownership that Gaynor has organized with a lawyer, a mortgage broker and a financial expert. But she heads for the door as the speed-dating part of the evening commences.

The remaining participants sit at tables in spots numbered either 1 or 2. They have been given a list of conversation starter questions. The idea is to have an introductory chat before the bell signals that its time to move to the next chair and get to know another person.

The first bell goes and the declarations begin. One woman, who already owns an income property, is interested in finding a partner for another; someone else wants help buying a commercial space for music and art; many here are just beginning to explore the idea of co-ownership.

My boyfriend and I want to get a place, but its so expensive, one woman tells her date.

Three minutes later, Gaynor rings the bell for participants to move, but they ignore her. She tries again, saying there will be food and time to mingle after two more date rotations.

When its time for nachos and drinks, Matt Michels, 35, says the speed dating has helped him clarify his requirements for space and privacy and what the deal-breakers are.

A marketing manager with a real estate startup, Michels is a renter with a roommate. He would like to buy a home in the Roncesvalles area and hes happy to share the laundry and the yard, but wants his own kitchen.

I think it would be fun to own a house with someone who would walk my dog once in a while and Ill even babysit their kid once in a while, he says.

Caledon realtor Dorothy Mazeau wants to start a home-matching site for seniors similar to the Golden Girls Network in the U.S.

She has been part of various home-sharing arrangements for 30 years and says the growing interest in co-ownership reflects a financial reality but also a search for human connections.

People need community. Theyre looking for community. The financial aspect is a catalyst, Mazeau says.

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When is an architect not an architect?

That question, which spurred many a conversation this week on Parliament Hill, was far from funny to Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan, who sought forgiveness from veterans and MPs for falsely claiming to have filled such a role in a major military operation.

Sajjan admitted he overstepped  the opposition says he lied  when he boasted recently that he was the mastermind of Operation Medusa, a controversial and bloody Canadian-led military mission in Afghanistan in 2006.

Justin Trudeau strenuously defended his defence minister in the House of Commons, then left it to Sajjan to weather the storm.

If Trudeau was upset by the controversy, he didnt show it on May 4, also known as Star Wars Day (May the 4th, get it?), when the notoriously nerdy PM showed up to meet his Irish counterpart wearing colourful chaussettes featuring C3PO and R2D2.

But the week wasnt all military bickering and mismatched sock banter  substantive discussions took place on defence spending, controlling greenhouse gas emissions and the destabilizing effects of the Toronto housing market.

Here are three ways federal politics touched us this week:

Defence spending

When pressure to resign has a cabinet minister squirming in his seat every day during question period, its time for a government to change the channel and distract the media and the public by making big, unrelated news.

Sajjan did so Wednesday by offering a sneak peek at a forthcoming blueprint for overhauling the countrys defence policy. Months of analysis found previous governments had starved many core defence programs of basic funding, leaving the Forces unable to carry out their daily jobs with confidence, he told a defence-industry gathering.

Sajjan has not said yet how the government plans to fill this funding hole. The needs, in some cases, appear to be immediate. But his funding rhetoric suggests the government is looking at long-term funding that wont put a dent in the fiscal framework.

The policy review, expected later this month, will likely provide some answers  and also discuss how the government plans to deal with the perennial problems of crumbling ships and fighter jets, and the election promise to bolster peacekeeping efforts.

Cars on the road to Paris

Number crunching this week shows that even if Canadians took every car they own off the road, the country would still not be anywhere close to reaching the emissions targets the Trudeau government agreed to in Paris last year.

The feds committed to cutting emissions to 523 million tonnes a year by 2030. In 2015, however, the level was 722 million tonnes  down just 0.7 per cent from a year earlier.

Getting to 523 would require dramatic change. Environment Minister Catherine McKenna points to Ottawas climate change accord with the provinces as a catalyst for meaningful reductions. Boosts for public transit, clean technology and carbon sinks, along with getting rid of coal-fired electricity, could provide the rest.

Others say meeting Canadas targets will be next to impossible as long as new pipelines are encouraging oil production, some provinces cling to coal, and the cross-country effort remains too feeble to reach 200 million extra tonnes a year.

Homes and instability

The Bank of Canada and successive finance ministers have warned for years about overheated housing markets in Canadas largest cities. A bursting bubble, they warned, would destroy wealth in Canadas key urban economies, spook investors and destabilize financial institutions.

Now, Home Capital, a Toronto-based alternative mortgage lender, has run into substantial trouble and has had to arrange for a high-priced, $2-billion lifeline from a pension fund in order to maintain liquidity.

The jitters around that institution and the housing market in general are taking a toll on the Canadian dollar. Many questions are swirling about whether Home Capitals problems could spread. Bank shares are down and Equitable Group Inc., a Home Capital competitor, is bracing for trouble.

Finance Minister Bill Morneau, for his part, doesnt seem worried.

Morneau, who oversees regulators of the financial services sector, told the Commons that the system is working as it should and that he sees no link between Home Capitals problems and overheating in the housing market.

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Thousands of Canadians across the country spent the weekend in a desperate struggle with rising floodwaters caused by unusually persistent rainfall.

Quebec has been hardest hit, with nearly 1,900 flooded homes in roughly 130 municipalities, from the Ontario border in the west to the Gaspe Peninsula.

National Defence said in a release that approximately 800 additional troops were deployed in Quebec on Sunday, joining more than 400 Canadian Armed Forces members already assisting with the flood effort in the province.

The troops, along with aircraft and 12 boats from the Naval Reserve, were being positioned to aid communities across Quebec, several of which are under a state of emergency, it said in a release.

On Sunday, Montreal became the latest Quebec city to declare a state of emergency after three dikes gave way in the Pierrefonds-Roxboro borough, in the north end of the city by the Rivieres des Prairies.

Canadian Forces Capt. Frederick Lavoie was overseeing 35 army reservists bagging sand and helping to save houses along the river in Pierrefonds.

His men, all from the Montreal area, took over from a regular forces unit Sunday morning and couldnt wait to get their hands dirty and feet wet, Lavoie said.

There should be up to 100 reservists helping in the borough by Tuesday, he added.

We are here to serve the civilian power, Lavoie said. The main thing we can do is save houses from being flooded. And its always good to have people on the ground to reassure the population.

Montreal Mayor Denis Coderre said about 220 people in the city had been evacuated from their homes.

He said officials were prepared to remove people if they refused to comply with evacuation orders.

I understand that morally or psychologically, physically, mentally, people are very, very tired. Were talking 24 hours in a row of people helping each other, Coderre told reporters. But sometimes we need to protect people from themselves.

Coderre said officials are warning water levels could rise another 20 centimetres in the next 24 hours.

West of Montreal, the small town of Rigaud issued a mandatory evacuation order Sunday and a state of emergency has been in place for several days.

Mayor Hans Gruenwald Jr. told reporters at a town hall that firefighters will be going door to door to make sure people in the affected areas leave their homes.

We will follow the fire department and actually remove the people if need be, Gruenwald said.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau visited a flood-affected area in Terrasse-Vaudreuil, just west of Montreal.

Friends & neighbours, civilians & soldiers coming together to help those affected by floods. Inspiring to see it, Trudeau tweeted Sunday night along with pictures showing him talking to residents and helping fill a bag with sand.

Lt.-Col. Pascal Larose said about 400 members of the Canadian Forces were deployed between Gatineau and Rigaud, and another 550 in the Montreal area including its northern suburb of Laval.

About 75 members were deployed around Trois-Rivieres, located about halfway up the St. Lawrence River between Montreal and Quebec City, and roughly 200 members were aiding relief efforts south of Montreal.

In Gatineau, Que., near the border with Ontario, 380 residences were evacuated and officials want to evacuate another 900 homes Sunday.

Some federal employees were being advised not to go to work on Monday because of the flooding.

Officials said federal buildings in Gatineau would be closed, and employees who normally get to their offices via the interprovincial bridges in the National Capital Region were being asked not to go to their offices.

Public Safety Minister Ralph Goodale said no other province had so far requested military help, but forces personnel, including reserves, are on standby across the country.

The situation in Ontario seems to be generally stabilizing, although there are many unstable local circumstances, he said.

Goodale said the Ontario government had requested additional flood mitigation resources to help in its battle against the flooding and that support would be provided.

This Ontario request does not involve the deployment of Canadian Armed Forces personnel, he said.

Rob Kuhn, an Environment Canada meteorologist based in Toronto, said Sunday that eastern Ontario saw the most rainfall in the province. He added that upward of 80 millimetres of rain fell between Friday and Sunday morning in the Trenton area.

In Atlantic Canada, some parts of New Brunswick recorded more than 150 millimetres of rain after a nearly 36 hour non-stop downpour.

A weather station northeast of Saint John, N.B., measured 155 millimetres of precipitation from late Friday to early Sunday.

While the deluge tapered off in the province early Sunday, New Brunswicks St. John River has spilled its banks, prompting several road closures.

In British Columbia, searchers looked for two men missing as flooding continued to plague the provinces interior, and the possibility of further rain and snowmelt had residents bracing for more.

RCMP spokesperson Dan Moskaluk said Cassidy Clayton, a fire chief in Cache Creek, remained unaccounted for two days after he was believed to have been swept away by a swollen waterway west of Kamloops. Clayton is presumed dead and the search had turned into a recovery effort, the Mounties said.

And a statement from the Columbia Shuswap Regional District said an urban search and rescue team from Vancouver was searching for a 76-year-old man whose home north of Salmon Arm was completely enveloped in a mudslide Saturday.

Read more:

The islands are soaked and Woodbine Beach is flooded, but Toronto has dodged the worst of the rain

400 soldiers helping with Quebec floods as rain continues

 With files by Nicole Thompson in Toronto, Brett Bundale in Halifax and Geordon Omand in Vancouver

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A Canadian initiative that helps reintegrate convicted sexual offenders back into society  an approach that cuts recidivism rates by anywhere from 67 to 92 per cent  has been granted $7.48 million in funding by the federal government.

Circles of Support and Accountability, which has 14 sites across the country, will received the money over five years to fund its National Capacity Project, Public Safety Canada said in a press release Friday.

The previous Conservative government had scrapped funding for all but one CoSA site in 2015, leaving the rest to scramble for other sources of income.

Re-establishing funding for this important Canadian-made program demonstrates our commitment to evidence-based criminal justice policy, Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness Minister Ralph Goodale said in the release.

This project will help reduce victimization and keep our communities safe by holding ex-offenders accountable for their actions and giving them the support they need to become responsible and productive members of society.

CoSA co-founder Harry Nigh said the announcement was wonderful news. A recently retired community chaplain, Nigh helped lay the foundations for what would become CoSA back in 1994 when, as a Mennonite minster in Hamilton, he built a community support network around serial child molester Charlie Taylor after Taylor was released from jail for the fourth time.

Taylor, who died 12 years later, never hurt another child again.

(The announcement is) gratifying, because 23 years ago when Charlie came out, I thought we were going to be run out of town, and now we have . . . become an international model of how the community, with the support of the authorities, can really have an impact, Nigh said in a phone interview Sunday. So Im very, very grateful.

The bottom line for the circles has been, No more victims . . . how do you put a dollar value on that? he added.

Whats the benefit of that, except that when we compare groups of men who have come out of prison without a circle versus the groups who have had, their recidivism rate is cut by 75 per cent, roughly.

Although CoSA sites get quite a few clients whose victims were children, CoSA Canada Chair David Byrne said the sites work with all sex offenders, which can trigger a knee-jerk reaction amongst the public when the issue of government funding is brought up.

Theres probably a sense that maybe were advocating for the release of these types of people, but at the end of the day, were only working with people that are going to come out into the community whether we like it or not, Byrne said.

Theres nothing any arm of the justice system can do; theyre going to be among us, and so CoSAs focus is going to say, Well, if theyre going to be here, what can we do to make it most likely that they wont reoffend again?

CoSAs model is based on having two circles of support in place for newly-released  and often repeat  offenders who often find themselves ostracized due to the nature of their crimes. In the inner circle, several volunteers work with the person to address practical needs  housing and employment, for example  while also serving as an emotional support network that celebrates successes but also challenges problematic behaviours. The outer circle is made of professionals who can offer training and advice to volunteers as needed.

The approach has proven effective: according to a 2014 report by the Church Council on Justice and Corrections, 2 per cent of CoSA-involved offenders sexually reoffended again within three years of leaving jail, compared to almost 28 per cent of offenders who did not have CoSA  a reduction of more than 92.8 per cent. That rated dropped to 74.5 per cent over five years and 67 per cent over a decade.

Eileen Henderson, manager of CoSA for Toronto, Hamilton and southwest Ontario, said she was very relieved, very excited, very encouraged by Fridays news. Henderson, who also sits on the board of CoSA Canada, said the funding will go toward supporting existing sites, but also research into CoSAs model as well as setting up a national infrastructure so sites can communicate and share resources effectively.

She remained cautiously optimistic for the future.

Certainly it breathes life into most of us, but we know that five years comes and goes pretty quickly, so well always be looking at, Whats next, after fives years?  she said.

But were excited about the present funding, excited for another opportunity for more research to be done on a model that were pretty passionate about.

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COLLINGWOOD, ONT.Steve Grasby turned a red plastic lighter over and over in his fingers and took a deep breath. A Chicago Blackhawks clock on a shelf in his living room ticked quietly.

In 15 minutes, Grasby would meet, for the first time, the 28-year-old daughter he never knew he had.

Wed better go, he said Saturday, running a hand over his thinning hair and letting out his breath. Theyre probably there by now.

In 1989, Grasby was himself 28 years old, a machinist working in Georgetown. His girlfriend at the time was pregnant and the couple were engaged to be married.

But for reasons not entirely clear, his fiancee broke off the engagement. Grasby said he called repeatedly, trying to understand why. Eventually her father called Grasby.

Dont worry, he said, the babys gone. The wedding is off. You dont need to come around anymore, Grasby recalled through tears.

Almost 30 years passed.

Then, on May 2, Grasby opened his Facebook inbox to see a message from a stranger asking if hed ever had a relationship with a woman in Georgetown.

Cautiously, he wrote back that he had, that theyd been set to marry but the pregnancy was terminated.

The reply was almost instant. A phone number, and a plea to call.

Waiting on the other end of the line was 28-year-old Melissa Lewis.

My mom told me when I was about 5 that my dad wasnt my biological father, but she wouldnt offer any more details, Lewis recalled.

For most of her life, Lewis said, she couldnt get any information about her biological father from anyone in her family, and her mother kept discouraging her from trying to find him.

I must have asked like 20 different people who he was, she said. They all just kept saying, Oh, I dont remember his name.

When her mother died two years ago, Lewis starting thinking seriously about trying to find her biological father. Finally, she pieced together that his first name was Steve, his last name started with the letter G and hed lived in Georgetown in the late 1980s.

Three weeks ago she began digging in earnest, scouring social media and high school yearbooks and grilling relatives like an investigative reporter. To her file of notes she added that at one point Steve G drove a 98 Ford Probe, and that hed hung around a lot with her uncles when he lived in Georgetown. She even tracked down photos of her mother with her biological father.

Eventually, the trail led to Grasby. He said the moment he saw the message asking him to call, despite all the years, he knew who it was.

Thats when I lost it, Grasby said. I cried. I just bawled. My son Kyle found me and thought that my mom had died. I was so messed up.

And then the phone call. Lewis and Grasby talked for the first time, and they exchanged photos over Facebook. When Grasby saw the first picture of Lewis, he said he saw the spitting image of his own mother.

Grasby said the amount of work Lewis put into finding him is incredible. She even knew about the Chicago stuff, the longtime Blackhawks fan said Saturday, surrounded by team memorabilia in his living room.

After being told his wedding was off and the pregnancy terminated, Grasby eventually went on with his life. He now has two other children: Kyle, who is 20, and Stephanie, 22. He became a grandfather.

Meanwhile, Lewis grew up. She had a daughter, Gabryela, with her common-law husband, Matthew Goode, an electrician. They live in Oshawa.

As they chatted back and forth, Grasby and Lewis decided to meet for the first time in Collingwood, at Stephanies house.

When Grasby arrived, Lewis, Goode and Gabryela, 10, were already inside.

With a deep breath, Grasby pulled open the front door and stepped in. He paused for a moment in the middle of the living room, then wrapped Lewis in a tight embrace.

If Id known, he said, I would have fought for you.

Its not your fault, Lewis whispered, tears streaming down both their faces.

After a momentary awkwardness, Lewis hugged her new siblings as well, and Grasby shook his new son-in-laws hand. Soon everyone was chatting and laughing, and occasionally dashing away tears.

Grasby said there hasnt been time for a paternity test, but both he and Lewis said theres no need for one. To them, the family resemblance is obvious.

Even so, learning they have a bunch of new family members hasnt been easy for anyone involved.

Stephanie said she cried for days when she first found out, but she and Kyle are quickly adjusting to having a new, older sibling. Theyre planning shopping trips to Oshawas outlet mall together.

All of us have so much lost time to make up for, Stephanie said.

Lewis said her stepfather, Mike, who raised her, holds no grudge and supported her finding her biological father.

Sunday is Mike Lewiss birthday. Grasby plans to call him.

I want to say thank you for raising my daughter, he said.

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The FBI is in Belize investigating the deaths of a Canadian-American couple found dead last week.

Its a development that is very much bringing great comfort to the mother of one of the victims.

I just think that (the FBI) can do more than what the (local) police are doing, said Char DeVoursney in a telephone interview from her home in Atlanta. Its another step in the right direction in terms of finding out what happened.

Her son Drew DeVoursney, 36, and Francesca Matus, 52, of Keswick, Ont., disappeared after leaving a bar in the northern town of Corozal on April 25. Local police say they were found strangled, with their wrists duct-taped, last Monday, a day after Matuss abandoned car was found.

Earlier this week a Canadian man was charged with theft in an unrelated robbery, said Raphael Martinez, a spokesperson for police in Corozal. Local reports identify the man as a tenant living on Matuss seaside property.

He remains a person of interest in the deaths, Martinez said.

The Star has chosen not to name the man because he has not been charged in connection with the death. He was remanded in custody on Friday following a court appearance on the theft charges.

At that appearance, a local television reporter asked the man if he was involved in Matuss death. Not at all. She is a very good friend of mine. Absolutely not, he said.

On Saturday, a spokesperson for Global Affairs Canada said the department is providing consular assistance to a Canadian citizen in police custody in Belize, and their family.

To protect the privacy of the individual, no further information can be released, said Jocelyn Sweet. Canadian consular officials continue to liaise with local authorities to gather additional information.

Martinez said local police would be more than willing to liaise with Canadian police, in addition to the FBI agents already on the ground.

We appreciate any assistance that we can get, to get to the bottom of this, he said. And if we have some Canadian officials who want to be part of this (investigation), we have absolutely no problem with that.

Martinez said he had no knowledge of the American investigation.

They havent shared anything so far, but its still pretty early, said Martinez.

Spokespersons for the FBI and RCMP could not be reached on Saturday.

DeVoursney said a member of the FBI contacted her on Friday to offer assistance and let her know that American agents were in Belize.

The FBI contact said sometimes these things drag on for a long time, recalled DeVoursney. She confirmed what I was feeling: this (investigation) could take a while.

In the meantime, DeVoursney said she is in regular contact with her son David, who travelled to Belize to retrieve Drews belongings and bring home his ashes. She said David is waiting to see if the FBI wants to speak with him before he returns to the United States.

She said Drew had been dating Francesca Matus for about three months and that neither she nor David had met her.

Meanwhile, in Canada, consular services are also being provided to the Matus family.

Our thoughts are with the loved ones of the Canadian citizen who passed away in Belize, said Sweet.

MORE ON THESTAR.COM

Toronto woman and American boyfriend missing in Belize, friends say

Belize police arrest two in connection with deaths of Toronto woman and boyfriend

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A rebellious raccoon showed up to greet new arrivals at Toronto Pearson International Airport Friday, delighting travelers and inspiring jokes about Torontos unofficial mascot.

A video of the critter, posted to Twitter by Cameron Graham, shows the raccoon peeking out from the ceiling to look at the passengers below. Graham said he was waiting to greet his wife, who was coming home from a trip to Edmonton, when the little head popped out of a gap in tiles in the ceiling.

There he was, having a good gander at everyone, Graham said.

In the video, people can be heard cooing at the raccoon as they excitedly took photos and video.

Aw, look at his face, one woman exclaims.

Pearson spokesperson Natalie Moncur told the Star the raccoon was at the baggage claim Saturday morning, and wildlife staff were attempting to safely trap the raccoon.

We also have a safety officer on site, Moncur said via email.

By Saturday morning, Torontonians were already taking to Twitter to joke about the raccoons trip to the airport, with some calling it an undercover agent and others calling it part of the citys welcoming committee.

Hillary Marshall, vice-president of the Greater Toronto Airports Authority, also chimed in.

He might need to be deported, she said via Twitter.

Others took the chance to remember other times raccoons infiltrated Torontos transit system. It wouldnt be the first time. In February, one of the creatures hopped on the subway during the morning rush hour.

All jokes aside, however, raccoons behaving oddly might actually be sick. Instead of taking out your phone if you see one, the Toronto Wildlife Centre recommends calling their staff or Toronto Animal Services for help.

With files from Metro Toronto

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Only one word came to David Bootess mind when he was asked what it was like to finally hold the 101-year-old bugle that belonged to his grandfather, a Canadian soldier whod fought in the First World War.

Wow.

The Thiepval Visitor Centre, a museum dedicated to the Battle of the Somme in France, was contacted last month by a man, a resident of Le Havre, in Normandy, who found the bugle in his parents home.

The bugle belonged to Sgt. Albert George Bootes with the 156 Battalion.

With a British colleague, centre employee Celine Jasiak was able to link the battalion number and name  misspelled Boots  stamped on the bugle to records for a Canadian soldier who returned home after the war, died in 1944 and was buried in Prospect Cemetery, near St. Clair Ave. W. and Caledonia Rd.

Jasiak reached out to the Star asking for help locating relatives so the bugle could be returned to the soldiers family. The Star found Bootes, 68, in Scarborough; the package from France arrived at his home Thursday.

Reached by phone shortly after, Bootes struggled to find words to describe how he was feeling.

I dont know how to explain it, to be honest with you, he said, laughing. Its a piece of history . . . I didnt know existed, and wow . . . to see it and even touch it.

Until he found out about the bugle, Bootes knew very little about his paternal family history; he was born after his grandfather died, doesnt have any photos of him, and didnt even know he was buried in Toronto.

The bugle is Bootess first concrete connection to him.

Its in very good condition and was very well-treated, Bootes said of the instrument. Its given me an insight into my family that I didnt know existed.

Along with the bugle, the museum included several souvenirs from Thiepval, including a fold-out postcard, pins, a crank-up music box and a badge commemorating the Battle of the Somme.

Jasiak also had a friend take photos at the Lijssenthoek Military Cemetery in Belgium, where Bootess uncle is buried. The uncle, who has the same name as Bootess grandfather, also fought in the First World War but was killed in the Battle of Passchendaele.

Id never heard that, in fact, hed been buried in Belgium, Bootes said.

Although Bootes had originally planned to display the bugle on his mantle, he said hell now likely put it in his office after he has a custom display case built for it; hes also planning on sending the Thiepval Visitor Centre a package in return as a way to say thanks.

I suspect it will be something in the form of an Inuit soapstone carving. Somebody quipped about maybe sending some maple syrup, but my thought is the soapstone carving would probably foot the bill, he said.

Suddenly discovering so much about his family after a lifetime of only knowing their names has been an emotional rollercoaster, Bootes added.

A week and a half, and boy, it sort of turned me upside down.

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A man is in life-threatening condition after a three-vehicle collision near King and River Sts. on Sunday morning, Toronto police report.

The roads in the area have been reopened, but the investigation is ongoing.

Traffic services received a call about a collision at 6:20 a.m. The man, believed to be in his 20s, was rushed to a nearby hospital with serious injuries, police say.

The occupants of the vehicles were not injured, police say.

According to a media spokesperson for the police, a car collided with a second and ricocheted into a third. They called the investigation perplexing. It is not clear if the man in hospital was a pedestrian or in one of the three cars.

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This appeared in Saturdays Washington Post.

By now it is clear that no big new stretch of physical wall will rise anytime soon along the Southwest border. Owing to President Donald Trump, however, a towering wall of hostility directed at Mexico is already surely in place. And its effects, while impermanent, are nonetheless real.

Those effects are already imposing stiff costs on the United States in prestige, goodwill and moral authority, as well as more tangible expenses: International travel associations, as well as U.S. hotel executives, warn that rising nationalism, stoked by Trump, is likely to constrain the flow of tourists into the United States this year. Given that travel and tourism contribute more than 8 percent of Americas gross domestic product, amounting to some $1.5 trillion annually, the unintended business losses could be stiff.

The more direct, and intended, impact of Trumps fiery rhetoric has been a dramatic drop in illegal border crossings, as measured by apprehensions by Border Patrol officers along the frontier with Mexico. While crossings and apprehensions during the Obama administrations second term were already at their lowest level in four decades, the level since Trump took office has plummeted further. In March, the number of illegal crossers apprehendedjust under 12,200fell 64 percent from the same month last year.

The likely main cause of that precipitous drop is the rhetoric Trump has aimed at undocumented immigrants, reinforced by media coverage of actual and threatened deportation sweeps, and expectations that the administration will assemble the bigger and more aggressive deportation force that the president promised in his campaign. For Central Americans who would enter the United States illegally, the perceived heightened risk of detention and removal has shifted their cost-benefit calculusespecially given that smugglers demand rates as high as $10,000.

Stanching the flow of illegal immigration at the border is a good thing, as long as it lasts, notwithstanding the irony that it undercuts Trumps own argument for a big wall. There is little dispute that the United States, like any country, is entitled to control its borders and demand that those who enter do so legally. How to treat unauthorized immigrants who have lived here for years, and now form part of the United States fabric, is a different question.

Trumps success in jawboning down the flow of illegal border crossings relies on the fear he has inspired, which is likely to dissipate unless his words are backed up by sustained action, including expanded capacity in detention centers and immigration courts. The danger is that the collateral damage stemming from that fearin ill will from the United States neighbors and the wider world, in addition to divided, distrustful communities at homemay outlast the temporary benefits derived from Mr. Trumps bombast.
Ottawa is being accused of preventing Roma travellers from boarding Canada-bound flights and denying them the possibility of seeking asylum here.

Since the end of last year, advocates and lawyers say a slew of Roma passengers from Hungary, the Czech Republic and Slovakia  all currently visa-exempted countries  have reported being stopped from boarding flights to Canada via transit points in England, Poland, Belgium and Germany.

The federal government denies that it is to blame. Ottawa says that while it provides assistance and advice to airlines, its ultimately up to the airlines themselves to decide who boards flights to Canada, and that all travellers coming to the country are subjected to scrutiny and can be denied entry.

Airlines found to have carried an improperly documented foreign national to Canada will be fined up to $3,200 per passenger and are liable for additional removal and medical costs, according to the governments manual on the obligations of transporters.

Ninety per cent of these travellers have valid plane tickets, the electronic travel authorization (eTA) issued by Canada and an invitation letter from their friends and relatives in Canada, said Toronto settlement worker Paul St. Clair, who has helped many in the community write up their invitations.

The interdiction is happening everywhere. I have had 50 Roma families in Toronto coming to us in the last six months, asking me what to do about it, how they can help their relatives come to visit.

While advocates including St. Clair agree that many Roma, who were once known as Gypsies, may intend to come to Canada for asylum, they say Canada cannot stop legitimate refugees from travelling and accessing its asylum system if they have the proper documentation to visit the country and solid grounds to support their need for Canadas protection.

Last year, asylum-seekers from three major source countries of Roma refugees in Canada all had acceptance rates over 50 per cent  Slovakia, 74.6 per cent; Hungary, 66.9 per cent; and the Czech Republic, 56.5 per cent, according to data from the Immigration and Refugee Board. The overall acceptance rate for refugees to Canada was 63 per cent.

We had people already on the plane being taken off the plane and some were stopped at checkpoints. They are told Canada doesnt want them, said Toronto immigration lawyer George Kubes, who said he is aware of some 30 such cases in the past month from his former Roma clients in Toronto.

They may end up filing a refugee claim here, but if they are real refugees, they have every right to make the claim when they get here.

The accusation against Canadian border officials is not new. The Canadian Romani Alliance has complained about Roma travellers being denied since Canada lifted visa requirements against Hungary, Czech Republic and Slovakia, after which asylum claims soared.

Last week, Ottawa took its first step to ease the travel requirements for Romanians and Bulgarians. Both countries have large Roma populations.

Visitors from those two countries are now only required to obtain an electronic travel authorization online, instead of a visa, if they have held a Canadian visitor visa in the past decade or currently hold a valid United States visa. The visa requirement against them will be fully removed Dec. 1.

Gina Csanyi-Robah of the Canadian Romani Alliance said the problem of Roma travellers being prevented from coming to Canada seemed to have improved after media reports in 2015 highlighted the issue.

She wondered if the renewed reports from Roma travellers have anything to do with the planned removal of the visa requirement for Bulgaria and Romania.

Screening passengers is one big way to stop refugees from coming, said Csanyi-Roba. If they wont need a visa to come to Canada, I wont be surprised many Roma will try to find safety here given the persecution they face in those countries. It is going to be a challenge in terms of how the Canadian government is going to address the situation.

Canada Border Services Agency spokesperson Nicholas Dorion said the agency does not have statistics on travellers denied boarding to Canada from Hungary, the Czech Republic and Slovakia.

CBSA liaison officers provide training and advice to airlines and local authorities on the documentation that passengers require when travelling to Canada by air and assist with the interception of those who are improperly documented, he said.

While the CBSA provides guidance and support to commercial transportation companies to help them meet their legal obligations, it is ultimately the decision of the transportation company to either allow the passenger to board or to deny them boarding based on the documentation provided by the passenger.

All travellers to Canada, he added, are subject to scrutiny and may still be denied boarding should their travel documentation be deemed insufficient, including those in possession of an electronic travel authorization.

William Bila, president of La Voix des Rroms, a group fighting for Roma rights in France, said he is disappointed in Prime Minister Justin Trudeaus government.

This is a risk we all have to take every time we buy a ticket. If you travel in sizable group, if you are noticeably Romani in your appearance, depending on your accent, the language you speak. Any combination of these elements makes you a potential target for racial profiling, said Bila.

It is anti-gyspysism. There is no other logical explanation for this behaviour. When rule of law applies to others but not to you, sometimes you get used to being abused by the authorities. Other times, you decide to fight to prevent this from happening again. It is not fair. It is a long and arduous fight.

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Sometimes I ask myself if its worth it. But we have a commitment to our readers. And if youre paralyzed by fear, you cant do anything. Isai Lara Bermudez a reporter for Semanario Zeta, a weekly investigative publication

TIJUANA, MEXICOIsai Lara Bermudez had just started lunch at a Tijuana barbecue joint when a stranger approached his table.

Watch out, she warned him. Hes after you.

Lara, an investigative reporter, had written a series of stories in February showing evidence that the police chief of a neighbouring city had tortured detainees. Now it appeared he was paying the price.

For weeks, Lara didnt leave the house without a private bodyguard. He worried about his young daughters safety and whether the cars pulling up alongside him in traffic carried gunmen out to kill him.

This is what its like practising journalism in Mexico.

Journalists bold enough to report on the misdeeds of drug cartels or the government often face threats and retaliation  and increasingly pay for their work with their lives. Mexico has become the third-deadliest country in the world for journalists, leading many publications across the nation to avoid controversial topics, or to shut down entirely.

But Lara keeps reporting, along with the rest of the small, tight-knit staff at Zeta, one of Mexicos most respected newspapers. Zeta is also one of the countrys most frequently targeted publications: Over the last three decades, as the Tijuana weekly documented government corruption and Mexicos exploding drug war, two of its editors were killed and a third gravely wounded because of the stories they produced.

The Knight Center for Journalism in the Americas once said Zetas reporters and editors practise suicide journalism. The newspapers motto, printed on the front page amid murder counts and corruption allegations, is Free like the wind.

Luckily for Lara, the threat communicated at the restaurant by an associate of the police chief never materialized. But that doesnt mean he can relax now. In April, U.S. and Mexican law enforcement intercepted a threat from a drug boss who planned to bomb Zetas headquarters. Now, when Lara goes to work each morning, he nods hello to a team of state police officers guarding the front door with machine guns.

Sometimes I ask myself if its worth it, said Lara, 34. But we have a commitment to our readers. And if youre paralyzed by fear, you cant do anything.

Since 2000, 124 journalists have been killed in Mexico, according to the National Human Rights Commission, the governments independent watchdog. Article 19, a nonprofit that advocates for media protections in Mexico, recorded 426 threats or attacks against the press last year, including beatings and torture.

Only Syria and Afghanistan surpassed Mexico in the number of journalists killed in 2016, according to Reporters Without Borders. Since the beginning of March, four reporters have been killed and three others wounded by gunshots in attacks across the country.

The recent victims include Miroslava Breach, a veteran investigative reporter who died after being sprayed with bullets while driving her child in Chihuahua on March 23. Her death prompted the publisher of El Norte, the Juarez newspaper where she worked, to close down. In a letter to readers, the publisher said he could no longer guarantee the safety of his staff.

There are many places across the country where naming people convicted of drug trafficking or reporting on organized crime is off-limits, where shootouts are not reported, where human rights violations are not reported, said Carlos Lauria, program director at the Committee to Protect Journalists.

In a country where journalists are being silenced, Zeta stands out for its bravery, said Alejandro Hope, a security expert in Mexico City.

They have made it their mission to make narco violence and corruption visible, Hope said. They have gone through hell and back  and somehow have survived.

Along with exposing corruption, Zeta has chronicled a recent dramatic increase in violence in Mexico, which this year is on track to log more homicides than any year previously recorded.

The bloodshed has been particularly bad in Tijuana and the state of Baja California, where, according to federal statistics, 181 people were killed in March, twice as many as in March of last year.

While many Mexicans have grown weary of coverage of the 10-year drug war, Lara said he believes change will only occur if journalists continue to shine a light on the problem.

We cant ignore it, he said. My city is hurting, my country is hurting. Thats why Im here.

On a recent windy afternoon, photographer Margarito Martinez heard a cackle over the police scanner he keeps attached to his hip.

A man had been killed in Camino Verde, a poor hillside neighbourhood criss-crossed with dirt roads and dense with concrete-block shacks. Martinez, a freelancer who frequently contributes to Zeta, sped to the scene in his battered white minivan, his bulletproof vest rattling in the truck.

Martinez started taking photos as soon as he spotted the body of a man face down on the ground, blood seeping from a gaping gunshot wound in the back of his head.

Next to the body was a handwritten sign: The new ones dont pardon. It was signed Tijuana New Generation Cartel.

In recent months, Martinez and his colleagues at Zeta have been documenting the rise of Tijuanas newest criminal group  an alliance formed between members of the Arellano Felix organization, which once held sway in Baja California, and the Jalisco New Generation Cartel, which is quickly becoming one of Mexicos most powerful drug gangs.

Last fall, the newspaper published the names and photos of several alleged drug lords under the headline The Jalisco Cartels Most Wanted, contradicting police claims that the Jalisco cartel didnt operate in Tijuana. That triggered yet another threat against the paper, this one from a Jalisco member known as Goofy who said he was going to shoot up Zetas headquarters. Once again, the state police were sent to stand guard outside the office.

To protect reporters, hard-hitting stories are often published under the byline Zeta investigations, rather than the writers name. The windows in the newspapers headquarters, in an elegant home in one of Tijuanas nicest residential neighbourhoods, are made of bulletproof glass.

When the newspaper receives a threat, it immediately publishes the details, the idea being that the more people who are aware a crime may be committed, the less likely it is to happen. Then they alert the Mechanism to Protect Human Rights Defenders and Journalists, a government program established in 2012 that provides emergency evacuations, police protection and in some cases even a panic button that summons authorities.

There are 174 journalists protected under the program, the majority of whom have been threatened by government authorities.

But funding for the program is due to run out in a few months and Mexicos federal legislators have not earmarked more money to continue it.

Human rights advocates complain that public officials dont want to strengthen protections for journalists because a free and transparent press often isnt in their best interest.

There is no political will to tackle this problem because what journalists investigate and report on is uncomfortable for many public functionaries, said Luis Knapp, an attorney at Article 19. Less than 1 per cent of crimes against journalists are ever solved, Knapp said. And a federal office formed to prosecute crimes against free speech has convicted suspects in just two cases over the last six years.

It is outrage over that impunity that fuels Adela Navarro, Zetas general director, who on a recent afternoon smoked a cigarette while waiting for her reporters to finish writing ahead of that nights deadline.

Each week, Zeta publishes a full-page editorial featuring a photo of Hector El Gato Felix, a Zeta editor known for his biting criticism of members of Mexicos elites, including Jorge Hank Rhon, the owner of a Tijuana racetrack.

In 1988, a man pulled up next to Felix while he was driving and opened fire, killing him. Two of Rhons bodyguards were convicted of the attack, but Rhon was never prosecuted.

The editorial addresses Rhon, as well as the current and former governors of Baja California: Will your government capture the one who ordered this crime? it asks.

In 1997, Zetas legendary founder, Jesus Blancornelas, was badly wounded and his bodyguard killed in a botched assassination attempt.

Afterward, Blancornelas had a brick wall built in front of his home and employed 14 bodyguards.

Eight years later, Francisco Ortiz Franco, who frequently wrote about drug trafficking for Zeta, was shot and killed while driving his children. In both cases, the culprits were never brought to justice.

This means that one can silence, kill or extort a journalist and never see justice, said Navarro, who won the Committee to Protect Journalists International Press Freedom Award in 2007, like Blancornelas before her.

Navarro is sometimes frustrated that Zetas stories dont have a bigger impact. Corrupt public officials hold on to power. Drug cartels continue their bloody wars.

But she knows her work is doing something. When Zeta publishes the names and faces of cartel members, many flee Tijuana.

Navarro says she runs her newsroom with a mantra coined by Blancornelas, who died in 2006 of complications from stomach cancer.

Be far from the government, he used to say, and close to the people.

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In Unbuttoned, Christopher Dummitt examines how personal secrets (slowly) came out after the 1950 death of long-serving Liberal prime minister Mackenzie King, and how the media and society struggled to deal with them. In this excerpt, Kings official biographer, Robert MacGregor Dawson, treads on delicate ground.

Dawson also needed to make sense of Kings relationship with his mother. This would always have played some role in the biography, since King had made no secret of his devotion. The revelations about King conversing with her dead spirit, and the pseudo-shrine he established to her in his upper-floor library at Laurier House, made the issue pressing. But it mattered even more because psychiatrists and their popularizers were radically changing what to make of some mens relations with their mothers. This had to do, of course, with the Oedipus Complex.

In the late 1950s and early 1960s, Canadians were learning (or at least beginning to believe) that the mother-son relationship could be sinister. Freud and his popularizers warned of the dangers of excessive mother-devotion. What did it mean when young men did not learn to transfer their affections to other women? What happened when men were dominated by their mothers? At a time when psychiatry was dominated by psychoanalysis, which argued that the roots of mental illness were to be found in childhood, it wasnt surprising that motherhood became such a fascinating topic. Philip Wylie had warned of momism back in his popular 1942 book, A Generation of Vipers. These ideas, and the therapeutic techniques that flowed from them, spread throughout the culture.

To appreciate how pervasive they were, one need only look at some of the most important films of the era, Nicholas Rays Rebel Without a Cause (1955), Alfred Hitchcocks Psycho (1960), and John Frankenheimers The Manchurian Candidate (1962). Each film played on the idea of sons who become psychologically warped after being dominated by their mothers  and always with an uncomfortable sexual connotation.

It must have seemed to Dawson that Kings life was made for the age: there can rarely have been a man who was so devoted to his mother. His closest friend, Violet Markham, considered his mother-fixation a tragedy. In her memoirs she wrote of how she hesitated to hold Mrs. King responsible for the cult into which her sons love developed  But in the jargon of the psychiatrists, it is undeniable that the mother-complex was a misfortune for Mackenzie King.

Like others, Markham blamed Kings mother-love for the fact that he did not marry and have children. Markham herself was sympathetic but others could take the analysis further, wondering how his mother-devotion was a kind of neurosis and fitted into the Freudian idea of the Oedipus Complex.

Dawson took notes on Karl Menningers book Love and Hate. So popular were Freuds ideas about the Oedipus Complex that Menninger claimed, Nearly every individual of this type who comes to a psychiatrist announces that he has a mother fixation or a mother complex.

But Menninger insisted that most people misunderstood this complex to mean it involved some kind of sexual attraction. Instead, he said, it really is a combination of dependence on the mother, and, at the same time, hostility toward her for this dependence.

Then Menninger went on to describe a kind of person who looked a great deal like Mackenzie King. Such men have no sexual attraction, in the adult sense of the word, to their mothers or to any other woman; if they consort with women at all, it is with women who are much older or much younger than themselves, and these are treated either as protecting mothers or as inconsequential childish amusements.

This image echoed strongly with MacGregor Dawson, as it would to anyone who knew of Kings intimate relations. Not only did King never marry, but his closest relationships in his adult life were with two older married women. In his various attempts to find a wife, King rarely revealed any kind of sexual attraction to them. In fact, in his relations with Mathilde Grossert that Dawson wrote about in Volume One, King clearly became disturbed when she showed physical affection toward him.

In other words, Kings life matched up all too well with the mother-fixated neurotic. In an earlier age, even his critics could regard his devotion to his mother as something that was at least honourable. But by the time of Dawsons biography in the late 1950s, the spread of psychoanalytic ideas was transforming how people understood intimate relations, especially between sons and mothers.

Yet Dawson held back. Even though the psychiatrists clearly informed his own thinking on King, his would not be a psychobiography.

Certainly, when one now reads Menningers ideas about the mother-fixated man, the way they so closely match Kings own life is eerily familiar. But in the late 1950s, for a serious scholar like Robert MacGregor Dawson who was writing an official biography, it was still safer not to probe too deeply. He himself, and the reviewers of his book, found the private Mackenzie King fascinating. But they werent yet ready to dive fully into all of his oddities.

Volume One gave readers an intimate portrait of Kings youth, yet it was still very much in the tradition of other biographies of statesmen. Readers might have been fascinated by the private King, but the book would soon move on to the real business: Kings political career. A misprint on the dust jacket, though, raised anew the whole question of what kinds of secrets King might have and which ones the literary executors were going to allow the public to see.

The University of Toronto Press screwed up. Someone at the press no doubt thought it would make the book seem all the more exciting if the public learned that the only way they would ever see Mackenzie Kings diary was in the form of excerpts in this biography. The dust jacket alerted readers that Kings diary has never been opened to the public, and, indeed, Mr. King directed that it be destroyed on completion of the biography. In other words, if you wanted the real inside story of Mackenzie King, this book was the only place to get it.

The dust jacket wasnt entirely wrong  Kings will did dictate that the diary was to be destroyed, and although there was some wiggle room in this declaration, the literary executors hadnt decided yet exactly what to do. But they also didnt want untoward publicity.

The note about the diarys destruction blew up a flutter of articles in publications across the country about the rights of public men to guard their private secrets. There was no settled opinion, but the issue clearly spoke to growing concerns of the age. The values of openness and authenticity, of the need for transparency, and the question of whether one could trust those in authority not to hide their dirty secrets: these had become issues in themselves.

Macleans took the old common-sense approach. If King had ordered that his diary be destroyed, then, the answer is painful, maddening, contrary to the public interest  and, alas! beyond dispute. Mr. Kings wishes must be obeyed. Even Macleans, though, questioned the right of politicians to destroy their public documents  those documents they created in the midst of conducting their public affairs.

What right has a politician, a statesman or a military leader, the magazine asked, to keep his official and semi-official documents under lock and key while hes in office, pack them up when he leaves office, burn such of them as hed like to have forgotten, and then turn the rest over to a chosen biographer or use them as the material for a book or books of his own? Macleans had a very simple answer: none.

Some took this logic and applied it to the diary itself. Diaries could be private, true. But the Ottawa Journal made the point that Kings privacy could be respected only so long as he didnt make the diary public himself. By allowing his private diary to be used for the official biography, King (or his literary executors) had made it a public document. Once certain parts of the diary were used in the official biography, the public could only ask the reasonable question: What else had been left out?

The literary executors were no doubt professional men but, no matter what their intellectual integrity or their impartiality or objectivity was, wouldnt it be reasonable to place them under suspicion of selecting or interpreting what Mr. King wrote to create a favourable public image of him? Kings diary now simply had to be preserved and eventually made open to serious researchers. If not, it would only create cynicism. This kind of history would prove Napoleon right  that history was a lie agreed to. 

It certainly gave the literary executors something to consider. Francess Halpenny of the University of Toronto Press wrote to apologize for her part in generating the controversy. Still, the literary executor W. Kaye Lamb reassured her that at least it has perhaps served a useful purpose, as it has prompted quite a lively discussion on the question as to whether or not prime ministers have any right to have their diaries considered private, and to have them destroyed!

By the end of the 1950s, with the publication of the official biography and with the need to decide the ultimate fate of Kings papers, those with the control over Kings secrets found themselves facing the arguments of those who wanted to tear down older boundaries between public and private. The literary executors had their own opinions, differing from each other on matters of principle and pragmatic interest. But the rising tide of curiosity about what had been private could not be denied. What wasnt yet clear was whether the literary executors could hold out against it  or whether they would even want to.

Christopher Dummitt. Official Secrets. http://www.mqup.ca/unbuttoned-products-9780773548763.php Unbuttoned. END Montreal, MQUP, 2017. Print

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When the state of Arkansas announced plans to carry out eight executions in an 11-day period in April, it drew intense international scrutiny that flared until well after the final lethal injection in the series at the end of the month.

In part, this attention was fuelled by the explanation, offered by state officials, that the timetable was necessary because the supply of one of the states lethal drugs was about to expire and authorities had to carry out death penalties for eight men convicted of murder before then.

The schedule also stood out for being a modern rarity. Capital punishment in the United States is slowly and steadily declining, a fact most visible in the plummeting number of death penalties carried out each year. In 1999, the country executed 98 inmates, a modern record for a single year. In 2016, there were 20 executions across the U.S., the lowest annual total in a quarter-century.

Death sentences also sharply declined. Fewer states that have the death penalty as a sentencing option are carrying out executions, a trend that has continued despite two U.S. Supreme Court rulings in the past decade upholding lethal injection practices. States that would otherwise carry out executions have found themselves stymied by court orders, other legal uncertainty, logistical issues or an ongoing shortage of deadly drugs. Fewer states have the death penalty on the books than did a decade ago, and some that retain the practice have declared moratoriums or otherwise stopped executions without formally declaring an outright ban.

More at thestar.com

Arkansas governor dismisses calls for probe after fourth inmate executed in eight days

Arkansas carries out first execution in nearly 12 years despite legal challenges

Judges anti-death-penalty protest sparks outrage

Public opinion also has shifted. A Pew Research Center survey last year found that for the first time in almost half a century, public support for the death penalty dipped below 50 per cent; other polls found slightly higher support, but the overall numbers remained considerably down from the mid-1990s, when four out of five Americans backed capital punishment.

Another way to see the changing nature of the American death penalty: the gradual decline of death row populations. At the death penaltys modern peak around the turn of the century, death rows housed more than 3,500 inmates. That number is falling, and it has been falling for some time. New U.S. Justice Department data shows that death row populations shrank in 2015, marking the 15th consecutive year of decline.

There were 2,881 inmates on state and federal death rows in 2015, the last year for which the Justice Department has nationwide data available. That was down 61 from the year before.

States carried out 28 death penalties in 2015, but nearly three times as many inmates  82  were removed from death rows by means other than execution, the Justice Departments report states. (A further 49 inmates arrived on death row in 2015.)

In some cases, inmates left death row after being cleared of the crimes for which they were sentenced. Five people sentenced to death were exonerated in 2015, according to the National Registry of Exonerations, a project of the University of Michigan Law School and the Northwestern University School of Law.

Other inmates died of other causes before their executions could occur. In Alabama, three inmates died of natural causes in 2015 and a fourth hanged himself that year inside a prison infirmary, according to corrections officials and local media reports. North Carolina officials say one death row inmate died of natural causes that year, another was resentenced to life without parole and a third had his death sentence vacated and a new trial ordered.

Death sentences were thrown out in some cases. Four death row inmates in Maryland had their sentences commuted to life in prison without parole in 2015, a decision made by then governor Martin OMalley after that state formally abolished the death penalty.

As death row populations have been shrinking for years, state and federal prisons overall have seen a more recent decline. According to the Justice Department, 1.53 million people were held in such facilities at the end of 2015, a decrease of 35,500 people from the year before.

Another shift has occurred: the number of people sentenced to life in prison has ballooned, reaching an all-time high last year, according to a report released this week from the Sentencing Project. The report states that more than 161,000 people were serving life sentences last year, with 44,000 more people serving what are called virtual life sentences, defined as long-term imprisonment effectively extending through the end of a persons life. Similar to overall prison populations, people of colour are disproportionately represented; black people account for nearly half of the life or virtual-life sentences tallied in the report.

The declining use of the death penalty also leaves unanswered how many of the men and women facing the death penalty will ever enter an execution chamber. The time between a death sentence being handed down and carried out has grown significantly.

In 2001, when the American death penalty was at its apex with 3,500 prisoners on death row, they were spending an average of 8.6 years there after receiving their sentence, according to federal data. By 2013, the last year for which full Justice Department data is available, the death row population fell below 3,000 while their time there ballooned to an average of 14.6 years.

When the U.S. Supreme Court upheld Oklahomas lethal injection procedure in 2015, Justice Stephen Breyer, joined by Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, dissented and questioned whether the death penalty is constitutional. In that dissent, Breyer noted the extended periods that elapse before death row inmates are executed, adding that the time can be even longer for those death penalties actually carried out; for inmates executed in 2014, an average of almost 18 years elapsed between sentence and punishment, he wrote.

A death penalty system that seeks procedural fairness and reliability brings with it delays that severely aggravate the cruelty of capital punishment and significantly undermine the rationale for imposing a sentence of death in the first place, Breyer wrote.

In response, the late justice Antonin Scalia blamed the extended delays on the proliferation of labyrinthine restrictions on capital punishment that he said stemmed from the Supreme Courts own rulings. Scalia wrote that Breyers invocation of the resultant delay as grounds for abolishing the death penalty calls to mind the man sentenced to death for killing his parents, who pleads for mercy on the ground that he is an orphan.

Breyer revisited his dissent last month while Arkansas was seeking to carry out its first execution since 2005. An inmate named Ledell Lee, 51, was sentenced to die for the killing of Debra Reese, who was beaten to death in her home in 1993. Lee, who had long denied any involvement in her death, sought DNA testing to prove his innocence. His attorneys appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court for a stay, but in a 5-4 decision, the justices sided with the state and denied the request.

Dissenting from that decision, Breyer questioned Arkansas and its schedule of executions.

Why now? he wrote. The apparent reason has nothing to do with the heinousness of their crimes or with the presence (or absence) of mitigating behaviour. It has nothing to do with their mental state. It has nothing to do with the need for speedy punishment. Four have been on death row for over 20 years. All have been housed in solitary confinement for at least 10 years. Apparently the reason the state decided to proceed with these eight executions is that the use by date of the states execution drug is about to expire.

Lee was executed that night, becoming the first of four inmates put to death in Arkansas in a span of eight days. Courts blocked the four other executions that had been planned. According to the state, one of the three drugs used in lethal injections there expired on Sunday, and due to the ongoing shortage, officials have said they are unclear when more can be obtained. Arkansas currently has no other executions scheduled.

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PARISThe months of grueling campaigning have polished her image. The driving ambition has been softened to widen her appeal to French voters.

But Marine Le Pen has not lost the gritty, populist edge that speaks to the common man and the passion for her far-right cause as she heads into Sundays presidential runoff election against centrist Emmanuel Macron.

Im the candidate of the people, Le Pen said at a heated debate Wednesday night.

Im the candidate of France as we love it, she added. I am the candidate of the nation that protects  that protects our jobs, that protects the security of our fellow citizens, our borders, protects us against unfair international competition and the rise of Islamic fundamentalism.

Read more:Emmanuel Macron becomes France's youngest president

Le Pens authoritarian bent and propensity for sarcasm mostly have been hidden under layers of practiced composure. She contends her bold ambition is guided only by her love of eternal France.

I was never fascinated by power, she said in a recent interview on state-run television. Power, she said, is a tool ... not an end in itself.

If elected, it is the people who will have power, Le Pen said, adding that she would be their proxy.

At her final rally Thursday night in a Picardy village, she sought to embody those suffering in France, saying she was the widow of the farmer who killed himself because he couldnt take it anymore, and the taxi driver losing money to uberization.

The 48-year-old mother of three portrays herself as the guardian of a disabused France, where citizens are losing their culture to an encroaching Islam, their identity to massive immigration and their sovereignty to the European Union.

As president, she said she plans to open the way to referendums initiated by citizens, to quickly regain control of the countrys borders and bring back the French franc, and to create a battle plan against Islamic terrorism.

At rallies or in interviews, Le Pen evokes only victory, saying, When I am president ...

Her far-right values were forged at home. Born Marion Anne Perrine Le Pen in 1968 in a western Paris suburb, the far-right leader was weaned on family dramas.

She is the youngest of three daughters of Jean-Marie Le Pen, the firebrand politician who co-founded the National Front party.

She says she was raised on honey and the acid of politics, a reference to her privileged life and the weight of her larger-than-life father and his populism.

To be the daughter of Jean-Marie Le Pen was not always easy, she said in a recent interview on the BFM TV station. But to be his daughter was to follow in his footsteps, she suggested, calling politics the virus one has within.

The French media relished recounting the divorce of her parents in her teen years. In a reflection of that bitter separation, her mother, Pierrette Lalanne, posed for Playboy in 1987, partly dressed in a maids costume. The magazine quoted her as saying she was responding to her husbands Playboy interview in which he said she could become a housekeeper if she needed money.

For years, Marine Le Pen had no relations with her mother, but today there is lots of love between Mama and me, she said.

Le Pen has led her fathers party since 2011, and four years later expelled him when he refused to halt the anti-Semitic provocations that were undermining her bid to make the National Front an acceptable political alternative  and hurting her dream of becoming president.

The anti-establishment Le Pen used local, regional and European elections to build a party machine to serve her ambitions.

The lawyer-turned politician ran unsuccessfully for president in 2012. Two years later, the National Front won 11 towns in municipal elections, and her party performed better than any in France in elections for the European Parliament, where she co-presides over a far-right group. She has been a European lawmaker since 2004.

Since 2010, she has served as a regional councillor for northern France, a hardscrabble land where she feels at home.

Twice divorced, Marine Le Pen shuns public appearances with her long-time companion, Louis Aliot, a National Front vice-president who lives in far-away Perpignan and has said he would not become first man if she wins.

Le Pen is nothing if not loyal. Old friends from her Parisian law school days  members of a radical student group known for violence and anti-Semitism  hold key roles in her inner circle and are at the centre of an alleged party financing scheme. The case raises questions about Le Pen as she balances radical forces in the party with people she has won over from the mainstream left and right.

Le Pen has a soft touch that appeals to voters once too timid to vote for the extreme right  but her steely resolve and sharp tongue can be just as cutting as her fathers.

At Wednesdays debate, Le Pen portrayed Macron, a former investment banker and economy minister, as an elitist candidate of the system she rejects.

She said his meeting with Angela Merkel was to seek the benediction of the German chancellor.

Either way, she said, France will be led by a woman; either me or Madame Merkel.

But there were times in the insult-filled debate that the usually unflappable Le Pen appeared vulnerable.

Macron said Le Pen stirred up the hatred and the anger of voters the way her father did, calling her the high priestess of fear.

Thats what sustains you. Thats what sustained your father for decades. Thats what nourished the extreme right and that is what created you, Macron said. You are its parasite.

Le Pen retorted: What class!

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TEHRAN, IRANAngry coal miners besieged a car carrying Iranian President Hassan Rouhani on Sunday after he visited the site of a deadly mine explosion, a rare protest targeting the nations top elected official as he campaigns for re-election.

Soot-covered miners, enraged over the disaster that reportedly killed at least 35 miners Wednesday in Irans northern Golestan province, kicked and beat the armoured SUV carrying Rouhani.

The incident offered an extraordinary sign of very public dissent ahead of Irans May 19 presidential poll, a contest largely viewed as a referendum on Rouhani and his nuclear deal with world powers.

Read more:

21 killed, dozens trapped in Iran coal mine explosion, officials say

Iranian presidential candidate says nuclear agreement has failed

Former Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad disqualified as candidate in May election

Official state media did not immediately report on the incident, first brought to light by videos posted online by the semi-official Fars and Tasnim news agencies. Both are believed to have links to Irans hard-line Revolutionary Guard, a paramilitary force that Rouhani criticized during a televised presidential debate on Friday.

Fars went so far as to say on Twitter that state media had censored pictures of the protests, without elaborating.

Videos showed one miner atop the SUV carrying Rouhani, a banner in his hand, as another miner jumped up and down and kicked its hood. Others beat the hood and body of the SUV.

Dear brothers! I beg you wait for a couple of minutes! someone shouts.

Rouhanis SUV eventually nudges its way through the crowd amid the shouting. Another miner rushes up to kick the back of it as it sped away down a hill.

Another Tasnim video shows a woman in a black chador rush into the path of the SUV, shouting: Please God, help me! Presidential bodyguards hang off the sides of the SUV, but largely dont interact with the crowds as police in dress uniforms are unable to keep the crowd from swarming it and throwing stones.

The SUV appeared largely undamaged from the incident.

Hamid Aboutalebi, a political adviser to Rouhani, later tweeted that the provincial governor of Golestan had told him not to let the president travel to the mine as those there were still greatly upset over the disaster.

President Rouhani told me I am the president in the time of their pain and fervour, if their shouts at me could lead to national peace, I have to go, Aboutalebi wrote.

Rouhani had travelled to the Zemestanyourt mine to give a speech to miners and their families gathered there. He acknowledged that as the government, we are responsible for their lives and is it our duty.

Be sure that we will pursue this issue and also your demands, Rouhani said. Those who are guilty in this incident should be prosecuted by a court.

The explosion Wednesday happened after the coal mine filled with methane gas, sickening dozens who later rushed into the mine to try to rescue those trapped. Three semi-official news agencies have said at least 35 people were killed in the disaster. Iranian officials say theyve recovered 22 bodies and their search continues.

Rouhani himself had said before being besieged that it was his vice-president who was set to visit the site, but I decided to visit you myself. His stop by came amid his campaigning for another four-year term as Irans elected president, serving under the countrys Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who has final say over all state matters.

Rouhani remains the favourite in the election as every Iranian president since Khamenei himself took the presidency in 1981 has won re-election. However, many in the country remain discontent as the benefits of the nuclear deal have yet to trickle down to the average Iranian.

Hard-liners opposed to Rouhani and the deal have detained and convicted dual nationals on secret spying charges and ordered tense encounters with U.S. Navy vessels in the Persian Gulf.

Rouhani, who typically shies away from direct criticism of the Guard, openly accused them during Fridays debate of trying to scuttle the accord. He pointed to a March 2016 ballistic missile launch by the Guard that saw the weapon marked with Hebrew writing reading Israel must be wiped out as one instance of them trying to sabotage it.

The mine explosion also marks the second major disaster to strike Iran in recent months. In January, a high-rise tower in Tehran that caught fire collapsed and killed 26 people, including 16 firefighters, leading to mourning nationwide.

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MINNEAPOLISThe young mother started getting advice early on from friends in the close-knit Somali immigrant community here. Dont let your children get the vaccine for measles, mumps and rubella  it causes autism, they said.

Suaado Salah listened. And this spring, her 3-year-old boy and 18-month-old girl contracted measles in Minnesotas largest outbreak of the highly infectious and potentially deadly disease in nearly three decades. Her daughter, who had a rash, high fever and a cough, was hospitalized for four nights and needed intravenous fluids and oxygen.

I thought: Im in America. I thought Im in a safe place and my kids will never get sick in that disease,  said Salah, 26, who has lived in Minnesota for more than a decade. Growing up in Somalia, shed had measles as a child. A sister died of the disease at age 3.

Salah no longer believes that the MMR vaccine triggers autism, a discredited theory that spread rapidly through the local Somali community, fanned by meetings organized by anti-vaccine groups. The advocates repeatedly invited Andrew Wakefield, the founder of the modern anti-vaccine movement, to talk to worried parents.

Immunization rates plummeted and, last month, the first cases of measles appeared. Soon, there was a full-blown outbreak, one of the starkest consequences of an intensifying anti-vaccine movement in the United States and around the world that has gained traction in part by targeting specific communities.

Its remarkable to come in and talk to a population thats vulnerable and marginalized and who doesnt necessarily have the capacity for advocacy for themselves, and to take advantage of that, said Siman Nuurali, a Somali-American clinician who co-ordinates the care of medically complex patients at Childrens Hospitals and Clinics of Minnesota. Its abhorrent.

Although extensive research has disproved any relationship between vaccines and autism, the fear has become entrenched in the community. I dont know if we will be able to dig out on our own, Nuurali said.

Anti-vaccine advocates defend their position and their role, saying they merely provided information to parents.

The Somalis had decided themselves that they were particularly concerned, Wakefield said last week. I was responding to that.

He maintained that he bears no fault for what is now happening within the community: I dont feel responsible at all.

MMR vaccination rates among U.S.-born children of Somali descent used to be higher than among other children in Minnesota. But the rates plummeted from 92 per cent in 2004 to 42 per cent in 2014, state health department data shows, well below the 92-94 per cent threshold needed to protect a community against measles.

Wakefield, a British activist who now lives in Texas, visited Minneapolis at least three times, in 2010 and 2011, to meet privately with Somali parents of autistic children, according to local anti-vaccine advocates. Wakefields prominence stems from a 1998 study he authored, which claimed to show a link between the vaccine and autism. The study was later identified as fraudulent and was retracted by the medical journal that published it, and his medical license was revoked.

The current outbreak was identified in early April. As of Thursday, there were 41 cases, all but two occurring in people who were not vaccinated, and all but one in children 10 and younger. Nearly all have been from the Somali-American community in Hennepin County. A fourth of the patients have been hospitalized. Because of the dangerously low vaccination rates and the diseases extreme infectiousness, more cases are expected in the weeks ahead.

Measles, which remains endemic in many parts of the world, was eliminated in the United States at the start of this century. It reappeared several years ago as more people  many wealthier, more educated and white  began refusing to vaccinate their children or delaying those shots.

The ramifications already have been significant. A 2014-2015 measles outbreak infected 147 people in seven states and spread to Mexico and Canada. In California, high school students were sent home because of infected classmates. One patient, who was unknowingly infectious, visited a hospital and exposed dozens of pregnant women and babies, including those in the neonatal intensive care unit. Another adult patient was hospitalized and on a breathing machine for three weeks.

Federal guidelines typically recommend that children get the first vaccine dose at 12 to 15 months of age and the second when they are 4 to 6 years old. The combination is 97 per cent effective in preventing the viral disease, which can cause pneumonia, brain swelling, deafness and, in rare instances, death.

Minnesotas Somali community is the largest in the country. The roots of the outbreak there date to 2008, when parents raised concerns that their children were disproportionately affected by autism spectrum disorder. A limited survey by the state health department the following year found an unexpectedly high number of Somali children in a preschool autism program. But a University of Minnesota study found that Somali children were about as likely as white children to be identified with autism, although they were more likely to have intellectual disabilities.

Around that time, health-care providers began receiving reports of parents refusing the MMR vaccine.

As parents sought to learn more about the disorder, they came across websites of anti-vaccine groups. And activists from those groups started showing up at community health meetings and distributing pamphlets, recalled Lynn Bahta, a longtime state health department nurse who has worked with Somali nurses to counter MMR vaccine resistance within the community.

At one 2011 gathering featuring Wakefield, Bahta recalled, an armed guard barred her, other public health officials and reporters from attending.

Fear of autism runs so deep in the Somali community that parents whose children have recently come down with measles insist that measles is preferable to risking autism. One father, who did not want his family identified to protect their privacy, sat helplessly by his daughters bed at Childrens Minnesota hospital last week as she struggled to breathe during coughing fits.

The 23-month-old was on an IV for fluids and had repeatedly pulled out the oxygen tube in her nose. Her older brother, almost 4, endured a milder bout. Neither had received the MMR vaccine.

The children now have antibodies to protect against measles, but they still need the vaccine to prevent mumps and rubella. Their father, who is 33 and studying mechanical engineering while working as a mechanic, wants to wait. His worry: autism. A colleague has a son who is mute.

I would hold off until shes 3 . . . or until she fluently starts talking, he explained.

His wife no longer harbours doubts, however. As soon as both children are well, she said, they are going to get the shot.

The pervasive mistrust was evident Sunday night during a meeting, sponsored by several anti-vaccine groups, that drew a mostly Somali crowd of 90 to a Somali-owned restaurant here. Patti Carroll, a board member of the Vaccine Safety Council of Minnesota, described its goal as giving parents more information, including their right to refuse to vaccinate. People have been bullied big time by doctors and public health officials, she said.

The presentation by anti-vaccine activist Mark Blaxill drew cheers and applause. Blaxill, a Boston businessman whose adult daughter has autism, played down the threat of measles and played up local autism rates.

When you hear people from the state public health department saying there is no risk, that (vaccines) are safe, this is the sort of thing that should cause you to be skeptical, Blaxill said.

Two pediatricians in the audience stepped up to a microphone to denounce the claims.

I am very concerned, especially in the midst of a measles outbreak, to have folks come into a community impacted by this disease and start talking about links between MMR and autism, said Andrew Kiragu, interim chief of pediatrics at Hennepin County Medical Center in Minneapolis. This is a travesty.

He and the other doctors were interrupted by boos and yelling.

For Gods sake, I want to know if vaccines are safe, Sahra Osman shouted. She has a nearly adult son who received an autism diagnosis when he was 3. My people are suffering! Were not ignorant. I read a lot. I know a lot. I educate myself . . . You dont know what you are talking about.

While scores of studies from around the world have shown conclusively that vaccines do not cause autism, that is often not a satisfactory answer for Somali-American parents. They say that if science can explain that vaccines dont cause autism, science should be able to say what does.

But researchers dont really know. A growing body of evidence suggests that brain differences associated with autism may be found early in infancy  well before children receive most vaccines. Other studies have found that alterations in brain-cell development related to autism may occur before birth. There are some genetic risk factors for autism, and advanced parental age has been associated with the condition.

Meanwhile, the ongoing spread of the anti-vaccine message is making it harder to control the burgeoning number of measles cases.

The groups continue advising parents, in the middle of their crisis, on how to opt out of vaccines, said pediatric nurse practitioner Patsy Stinchfield, an infection-control expert leading the outbreak response at Childrens Minnesota. That message is exactly the opposite of what clinicians and public health officials are urging, which is to get vaccinated as soon as possible.

Staffers at her hospital have been working around the clock to vaccinate hundreds of people who may have been exposed; an MMR dose given within 72 hours of exposure can prevent measles.

When their two sick children are well, Suaado Salah and her husband, Tahlil Wehlie, plan to talk to friends and acquaintances to spread the word that the anti-vaccine groups are wrong and that all youngsters should get immunized.

Because when the kids get sick, its going to affect everybody. Its not going to affect only the family who have the sick kid, she said. They make sick for everybody. Thats when you wake up and say, OK, what happened? 

But she understands the apprehension that fed the outbreak. With a parent whose child has autism, she said, Its something that youre looking for an answer for how it happened and what happened to your kid.

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PARISFrance on Sunday shrugged off the siren call of right-wing populism that enchanted voters in the United States and United Kingdom, choosing as its next president Emmanuel Macron, a centrist political neophyte who has pledged to revive both his struggling country and the flailing continent.

The result brought to a close a tumultuous and polarized campaign that defied prediction at nearly every turn, though not at the end. Macron won some 65 per cent of the vote to 35 per cent for anti-EU firebrand Marine Le Pen.

The landslide was just the latest blow in 2017 for far-right movements that had seemed to be on the march last year, but have suffered a series of setbacks in recent months across continental Europe.

In a pointed endorsement of European unity, Macron strode to the stage at his raucous victory party in the grand central courtyard of the Louvre Museum in Paris Sunday night to the strains of Beethovens Ode to Joy, the European Unions anthem.

The task that awaits us, my fellow citizens, is immense and it starts tomorrow, Macron said as thousands of supporters cheered and waved French flags.

Read more:

Justin Trudeau congratulates Emmanuel Macron on French election victory

New French president Emmanuel Macron has work cut out for him: Burman END

Alluding to the deep divisions laid bare by the campaign, he said Le Pen backers had expressed an anger, a dismay, and I respect that. I will do everything possible in the five years to come so that they have no reason to vote for the extremes.

At her own gathering at a Paris restaurant and events centre, a downcast Le Pen conceded defeat, telling her demoralized supporters that the country had chosen continuity and that the election had drawn clear lines between the patriots and the globalists.

She also vowed to make her National Front the primary force of opposition to Macrons government.

The repudiation of Le Pen by French voters will soothe Europes anxious political establishment. Across the continent, mainstream politicians had feared that a victory would throw in reverse decades of efforts to forge continental integration.

But the outcome instantly puts pressure on Macron to deliver on promises made to an unhappy French electorate, including reform of two institutions notoriously resistant to change: the EU and the French bureaucracy.

At 39, Macron will become Frances youngest leader since Napoleon when he is inaugurated on Sunday, and his election caps an astonishing rise.

With a background in investment banking and a turn as economy minister under a historically unpopular president, he may have seemed an ill fit for the anti-establishment anger coursing through Western politics.

But by bucking Frances traditional parties and launching his own movement  En Marche (Onward)  Macron managed to cast himself as the outsider the country needs. And by unapologetically embracing the European Union, immigration and the multicultural tableau of modern France, he positioned himself as the optimistic and progressive antidote to the dark and reactionary vision of Le Pens National Front.

Le Pen, 48, has long sought to become the first far-right leader elected in Western Europes postwar history. Sundays vote frustrated those ambitions, but is unlikely to end them.

By winning around 35 per cent of the vote, she nearly doubled the share claimed by her father, Jean-Marie Le Pen, in the 2002 election, the only other time the National Fronts candidate has made it to the second round. The result seemed to cement the partys long march from the political fringe to the centre of the nations discontented political discourse, if not the pinnacle of its power.

Marine Le Pen thanked her supporters after pollsters projected that her rival Emmanuel Macron will be France's next president. Le Pen quickly called the 39-year-old Macron to concede defeat.

Despite the dark clouds and chilly spring rains that blanketed much of the country, the public voted at a rate that would be the envy of many Western democracies: From the chic neighbourhoods of Paris to the struggling post-industrial towns of the French countryside, turnout nationwide was about 75 per cent, down slightly from previous votes.

The outcome of Sundays vote will have profound implications not only for Frances 67 million citizens, but also for the future of Europe and for the political trajectory across the Western world.

After a pair of dramatic triumphs for the populist right in 2016  with Brexit in the U.K., and Donald Trump in the U.S.  Frances vote was viewed as a test of whether the political mainstream could beat back a rising tide.

Many of Europes mainstream leaders  both centre-right and centre-left  lined up to cheer on Macron after he punched his ticket to the second round in a vote last month. The endorsements were a break from protocol for leaders who normally stay out of each others domestic elections.

Trump was cagey about his choice, saying before the first round that Le Pen was the strongest on borders and shes the strongest on whats been going on in France. He predicted that she would do well, but stopped short of endorsing her.

After Macrons victory, Trump tweeted congratulations shortly after 3 p.m. Washington time on his big win today as the next President of France. I look very much forward to working with him!

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau spoke with Macron Sunday to congratulate him on his election victory.

The Prime Ministers Office says the two leaders reaffirmed the rich and diverse bilateral relationship that exists between Canada and France.

Macron now faces the immediate challenge of getting En Marche allies elected to the National Assembly.

That vote, due next month, will determine whether Macron has the parliamentary support he needs to enact an agenda of sweeping economic reforms, many of which are likely to unsettle the countrys deeply entrenched labour unions.

Despite his victory, pre-election polls showed that most of Macrons supporters saw themselves voting against Le Pen rather than for him.

That was reflected on the streets Sunday, with voters even in heavily pro-Macron neighbourhoods of Paris saying they felt more resigned than excited.

On the one hand you have a far-right party that will take us straight to disaster, said Gilbert Cohen, a retired 82-year-old engineer. On the other, you have the candidate whos the only reasonable choice we have.

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It was described as perhaps the most important European election in a generation, and it didnt disappoint. France dodged a bullet at least for the time being by rejecting the angry voices of the far right and overwhelmingly electing Emmanuel Macron, a relative political novice, as its next president.

But the clock is still ticking, for France and for the rest of Europe. The threat of the nationalist far-right in Europe remains powerful, general economic stagnation is still widely felt and, unless Macron himself turns out to be a miracle man, most realists see his victory as, at best, a temporary reprieve.

In addition, and never to be forgotten, is the fact that the results still placed Marine Le Pen, the far-right National Front leader, in a strong position to compete for power in the next presidential election.

However, it was a stunning personal victory for Macron. At 39 years of age, exuding all charm and sunny ways as a campaigner, he will soon be the youngest head of state in France since 1848.

Read more:Justin Trudeau congratulates Emmanuel Macron on French election victory

The former investment banker had formed his own political movement a year ago, knowing that France had never elected a president from outside the traditional parties. Macron ran as an independent centrist.

Spurred on by the British Brexit vote last June, European unity has been under unprecedented assault in recent months, including from U.S. President Donald Trump. Political leaders throughout Europe quickly expressed relief at the French results.

The battle for France had assumed enormous importance even though voters in Austria and the Netherlands had turned against extremist parties in earlier elections. The glow of Macrons victory may well extend to Germany in September when Chancellor Angela Merkel goes up for re-election.

At issue there, as well as in France and elsewhere in Europe, is the overriding choice in front of voters: Can Europes current leaders solve the serious economic and social problems confronting the continent? Or is it time to try out the more extremist, nationalist political options?

Europes leaders particularly welcomed the presence in France of a passionate pro-European leader such as Macron. But their enthusiasm will extend only as long as Macrons popularity does, and that may be short-lived.

There is a dismal track record in France of presidents starting off with wonderfully high approval ratings  Mitterand, Chirac, Sarkozy, Hollande  and then falling dramatically out of favour.

Macron will face his first obstacle in a month when France again goes to the polls for its parliamentary elections. It is a long shot to expect that Macrons new party can win enough seats for a majority. Without a majority, his effectiveness as president will be compromised.

The other challenge for Macron is the extent of Frances economic problems. They have stymied many a French politician. Macron has promised to make France more competitive worldwide and to strengthen its ties with the European Union in an effort to assure establishment voices anxious about the prospect of a National Front victory.

Given his lack of political experience, Macron is almost as much of a mystery in France as he is abroad. The campaigns only TV debate between the two candidates, held last week, ended in a clear victory for Macron, according to polls. He accused Le Pen of lying to the French public, snapping: France deserves better than you.

It will be intriguing when Macron, as president of France for the next five years, visits Donald Trumps Washington for the first time. Trump, after all, expressed support during the French campaign for Le Pen.

But these two presidents have at least one thing in common: There is a 24-year age gap between each of them and their respective wives.

Melania Trump is 24 years younger than Donald Trump. Macrons wife, Brigitte Trogneux, is 24 years older than he is.

In spite of his supporters euphoria after the victory, the road ahead for Macron will not be smooth. As a former banker and, briefly, a minister in the government, his policies are in line with the current government. But these past policies have not worked, and that government is now deeply unpopular. Why should Macron, his charm aside, not eventually meet the same fate?

If that happens, Le Pen, who is only 48, will still be a formidable presence in French politics. She received about 38 per cent of the vote  more than double her partys previous best.

Even more significant, and incredible as this sounds, the party also seemed to further distance itself among many young French voters from the racist, anti-Semitic past of the National Front under its founder, Jean-Marie Le Pen, Marines father. The party will inevitably benefit from this amnesia in the years ahead.

For those who believe in a united, progressive and tolerant Europe, that alarming prospect should focus the mind.

Tony Burman is former head of Al Jazeera English and CBC News. Reach him @TonyBurman or at tony.burman@gmail.com .

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ABUJA, NIGERIANigerian President Muhammadu Buhari expressed joy at meeting Sunday with the 82 Chibok schoolgirls newly freed after being held captive for three years by Boko Haram Islamic extremists.

Weve always made it clear that we will do everything in our power to ensure the freedom & safe return of our daughters and all captives of Boko Haram, Buhari said on his Twitter account.

But the president then announced he was leaving Sunday night for more medical checkups in London, renewing fears about the 74-year-olds health after he spent a month and a half on medical leave earlier this year and said hed never been as sick in his life. The exact nature of his illness remained unclear. He has missed three straight weekly Cabinet meetings.

Read more:

Dozens of Nigerian girls freed three years after Boko Haram kidnapped 300

Chibok girl kidnapped by Boko Haram in Nigeria found with her baby

Nigerian government must negotiate release of 195 Chibok girls: advocacy group

The news shook Africas most populous country even as it rejoiced in the Chibok schoolgirls return.

Photos tweeted by the president showed dozens of the girls at Buharis official residence Sunday evening, a day after their release.

The president was delighted to receive them and he promised that all that is needed to be done to reintegrate them into the society will be done, adviser Femi Adesina said. He promised that the presidency will personally supervise their rehabilitation.

The young women have been handed over to government officials who will supervise their re-entry into society, Adesina said. The International Committee of the Red Cross, which helped negotiate the girls release along with the Swiss government, said they would be reunited with their families soon.

Five Boko Haram commanders were released in exchange for the girls freedom, a Nigerian government official said Sunday. The official spoke on condition of anonymity as he was not authorized to speak to reporters on the matter. Neither Nigerias government nor Boko Haram, which has links to Daesh, also known as ISIS and ISIL, gave details about the exchange.

Parents of the schoolgirls were waiting for a government list of names of those who had been freed.

Some parents of the kidnapped girls gathered in the capital, Abuja, to celebrate the release, while others expressed anxiety over the fate of the 113 girls who remain missing after the mass abduction from a Chibok boarding school in 2014.

The Rev. Enoch Mark, whose two daughters have been among the missing, was still awaiting word if they were among those freed. He emphasized that he considered all 82 of the girls to be his daughters because most of them worship in my church.

Some parents did not live long enough to see their daughters released, underscoring the tragedy of the three-year saga. And the recovery process is expected to be a long one for the girls, many of whom endured sexual assault during their captivity.

They will face a long and difficult process to rebuild their lives after the indescribable horror and trauma they have suffered at the hands of Boko Haram, said Pernille Ironside, acting representative of UNICEF Nigeria.

Boko Haram seized a total of 276 girls in the 2014 abduction. Girls who escaped early on said some of their classmates had died from illness. Others did not want to come home because theyd been radicalized by their captors, they said.

Human rights advocates also fear some of the girls have been used by Boko Haram to carry out suicide bombings.

Last year, a first group of 21 Chibok girls was freed in October, and they have been in government care for medical attention, trauma counselling and rehabilitation. Human rights groups have criticized the decision to keep the girls in custody in Abuja, nearly 900 kilometres from Chibok.

It was not immediately clear whether the newly freed girls would join them.

They should be quickly released to their families and not be subjected to lengthy government detention, Amnesty Internationals Nigeria office said, adding that the girls dont deserve to be put through a publicity stunt and deserve privacy.

Though Boko Haram has abducted thousands of people during its eight-year insurgency that has spilled across Nigerias borders, the Chibok mass kidnapping horrified the world and brought the extremist group international attention.

The failure of Nigerias former government to act quickly to free the girls sparked a global Bring Back Our Girls movement; U.S. first lady Michelle Obama posted a photo with its logo on social media.

The Bring Back Our Girls campaign said Sunday it was happy that Nigerias government had committed to rescuing the 113 remaining schoolgirls, and it urged the president to earnestly pursue the release of everyone held by Boko Haram.

Buhari late last year announced Boko Haram had been crushed, but the group continues to carry out attacks in northern Nigeria and neighbouring countries. Its insurgency has killed more than 20,000 people and driven 2.6 million from their homes, with millions facing starvation.

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The 2017 Montana Legislature fell short of its potential to shift more control to the local level. Partisan divides and political payback, stymied good legislation.

Frustration with those outcomes was evident Friday when the Billings Chamber of Commerce hosted a legislative wrap-up forum at the Pub Station downtown. To their credit, several Democratic and Republican lawmakers attended and answered constituent questions.

The Chambers No. 1 priority this session was local-option authority: Permission from the state for citizens of larger cities to vote on a limited luxury sales tax to fund specific infrastructure projects while reducing property taxes. Small communities already have a resort tax option, and those who use it have voted overwhelmingly to renew it. Lawmakers from Bozeman and Whitefish introduced local-option bills; neither made it out of committee. Neither received the support of all Yellowstone County lawmakers.

The city also sought a statute to deal with the longstanding problem with individuals who are habitually drunk in public. Rep. Kathy Kelker, D-Billings, introduced a bill that died in committee.

Local infrastructure wasnt a priority for several Billings area Republicans, who voted down Senate Bill 367 and other infrastructure bonding legislation. SB367 would have provided $80 million for projects statewide, including $5 million for the Yellowstone Science Building at Montana State University, along with $1.5 million to upgrade heat, ventilation and lighting at Billings Senior High, $632,000 for heating and ventilation at Laurel schools and $542,000 for roofing at Lockwood schools, and $2.5 million to reimburse the city of Laurel for work it had to do because of flooding at its drinking water intake on the Yellowstone River.

Incredibly, Rep. Dennis Lenz, R-Billings, who sponsored a bill to authorize the Laurel water intake reimbursement, voted against actually funding it on the last legislative day. Rep. Vince Ricci, R-Laurel, also voted against $2.5 million for his hometown on the last day.

Once again, the Legislature did not approve any bonding bill, leaving school and university buildings to deteriorate for at least two more years.

Dan Brooks, chamber advocacy coordinator, noted that the Legislature did pass House Bills 5, 6, 7, 9 and 11 that will fund $200 million in infrastructure projects through ongoing state programs. Most of that money goes for rural water projects. Rep. Kelly McCarthy, D-Billings, said he tallied the Yellowstone County projects in those bills and came up with less than $1 million out of the $200 million.

We dont question that these long-range building, reclamation and Treasure State Endowment projects are needed. But why does the states most populous county and city get so little return for the millions we send to Helena?

The failure to move a local option bill out of committee was a total cop-out, Chamber President John Brewer said after the Friday forum. He said Gov. Steve Bullock had agreed to consider a local option bill if the Legislature sent him one.

Brewer also is frustrated with the infrastructure bonding bill failure, especially after 25 local lawmakers sent a letter saying they supported $5 million for the MSU Billings science building.

If the Billings delegation had held together, they could have gotten this done, Brewer said.

There were successes, such as:

Rep. Jeff Essmann, R-Billings, sponsored House Bill 44 to add two District Court judges in Yellowstone County where each of our six district judges already have double the caseloads considered full by national standards. The new judges will be elected in November 2018 to take office in January 2019.

The state will increase its support for medical residencies by $400,000 per year, recognizing that new doctor training programs started at Billings Clinic and in Missoula, joining the highly successful family practice residency based at RiverStone Health. have started. Rep. Don Jones, R-Billings, chairman of the education appropriations subcommittee, helped steer that request through. The state support also will help establish a psychiatric residency at Billings Clinic in collaboration with the VA and other partners.

Voters must hold lawmakers accountable. All House seats and half the Senate will be up for election next year. Want to know how well you senator and representative did in standing up for your interests? Visit leg.mt.gov. Search for bills your legislators sponsored, look up bills in subject areas important to you, and make up your own mind.

Legislative Services maintains a great website. The work of those state Capitol employees allows their fellow Montanans to be informed during and after the session.
The 1995 Nuclear Waste Settlement Agreement put an end to Idahos 40 years as a default nuclear waste dump. That may change soon.

Since at least 2010, nuclear proponents have pushed the governor and other receptive politicians to weaken the agreement. Increasingly, they seem to want to toss out the whole thing. That would be a mistake.

The value of the Settlement Agreement is enormous. It protects Idaho from the ever-growing piles of spent fuel at nuclear power plants across the country. It requires that the DOE move nuclear waste out of the state (and/or store it more safely) and clean up pollution threatening the Snake River Aquifer. It regulates when and for how long nuclear waste can come into the state and includes an outright ban on commercial spent fuel.

Idaho needs those protections. For decades, the Idaho National Laboratory operated without any kind of outside control. The result was that accidental and intentional activities at the Site caused serious harm to Idahos land and water. People who worked there were sickened and killed.

But since 1995  through seven secretaries of energy and ever-changing contractors, plans, and promises  the Settlement Agreement has provided Idaho accountability and responsiveness from the DOE.

The Settlement Agreement doesnt make the waste at INL any less dangerous or difficult to manage. INL missed the 2012 deadline for getting liquid high-level waste out of buried tanks because the facility to do so hasnt worked. The deadline to ship plutonium-contaminated weapons waste will be missed because of accidents at WIPP in New Mexico. More than 3,700 cubic meters of waste is ready for shipment to a facility that will take a long time to accept that much.

The Settlement Agreement does allow nuclear waste to come from other places to be treated here. But it doesnt allow that waste to accumulate. Waste must be treated within six months and shipped back out within six months so that Idaho does not become a default dump again.

Idaho should never allow INL to become a permanent transit facility for nuclear waste simply because there is nowhere else to send it. But the pressure to do just that is growing. DOEs Hanford facility in Washington State has 27,000 cubic meters of plutonium-contaminated waste that needs treatment before it can go to WIPP.

Some in eastern Idaho want the Hanford waste to come to Idaho, sit here until its treated and then sit here again for the years it would take to get it to WIPP. A lot can go wrong in that scenario.

Many INL supporters in eastern Idaho seem to regard the 1995 Settlement Agreement as a burden if not a bludgeon. They seem to think the Site is being unfairly punished if additional nuclear material isnt allowed into the state.

Its more accurate to see the Settlement Agreement as a shield and a tool the State can use to help balance and regulate the risk INL will always pose. The 1995 Settlement Agreement helps protect us all.
Agribusiness Archer Daniels Midland (ADM) - Get Free Report is looking to bolster profits by scaling back its European operations amid the impact of a global grain glut, sources told Reuters. On Tuesday the Chicago-based company warned that worsening market conditions were making it difficult to profit from trading grain internationally.

The sources said that Archer Daniels is looking to cut operations in the U.K., Spain, Ireland, and back-office operations in Germany. This could mean merging or cutting operations relating to former German trading house Alfred C. Toepfer International.

"There are moves for more rationalization in Europe to cut costs. The final overlaps between Toepfer and ADM will be ironed out," one source told

Reuters

. "Streamlining is being prepared in some operations in Britain, Spain and elsewhere. Transport is also being looked at for more savings."
International Consolidated Airlines Group (IAG) - Get Free Report , the parent of British Airways, saw its shares rise to a 52-week high Friday after it posted stronger-than-expected first quarter operating profit even as passenger unit revenues slowed.

IAG said first EBIT for the three months ending in March rose 9.6% to 170 million, firmly ahead of the FactSet consensus of 131 million. Total revenues for the period, however, slipped 4.2% to 4.934 billion from the same period last year while passenger revenues fell 2.8% to 4.279 billion.

IAG shares gained 6.25% in early London trading to change hands at 606.5 pence each, the highest since January 2016, before paring that advance to around 4.9% by 11:15 BST. The stock has rallied nearly 10% in the past two days as investors reacted to both the stronger earnings profie and news that IAG plans to cancel up to 190 million in shares, or around 8.9% of its outstanding equity capital. For the year-to-date, IAG shares have gained a staggering 37.2%.

"We're reporting an operating profit of 170 million before exceptional items which is up from 155 million compared to last year," said CEO Willie Walsh. "This is a record performance in Q1, traditionally our weakest quarter, with the improving trend in passenger unit revenue continuing."

"In March we launched LEVEL, our new longhaul low cost airline brand, which starts flights from Barcelona to Los Angeles, San Francisco, Punta Cana and Buenos Aires in June," Walsh said. "It's already been extremely successful with sales running well ahead of expectations".

Passenger unit revenues, a key metric for the industry, slowed 7.2%, the company said, while non-fuel unit costs were 3.9% lower than the same period last year.

The company said it expects to see operating profit for 2017 to show "an improvement year-on-year" afor for second quarter passenger unit revenue to show an increase on a constant currency basis.
The following companies are subsidiares of TransDigm Group: 17111 Waterview Pkwy LLC, ARA Deutschland GmbH, ARA Holding GmbH, Acme Aerospace, Acme Aerospace Inc., Adams Rite Aerospace GmbH, Adams Rite Aerospace Inc., Advanced Inflatable Products Limited, Aero-Instruments, AeroControlex Group Inc., Aerosonic, Aerosonic LLC, Air-Sea Survival Equipment Trustee Limited, Airborne Acquisition Inc., Airborne Global Inc., Airborne Holdings Inc., Airborne Systems, Airborne Systems Canada Ltd., Airborne Systems Group Limited, Airborne Systems Holdings Limited, Airborne Systems Limited, Airborne Systems NA Inc., Airborne Systems North America Inc., Airborne Systems North America of CA Inc., Airborne Systems North America of NJ Inc., Airborne Systems Pension Trust Limited, Airborne UK Acquisition Limited, Airborne UK Parent Limited, Aircraft Materials Limited, AmSafe, AmSafe Aviation (Chongqing) Ltd., AmSafe Bridport (Kunshan) Co. Ltd., AmSafe Bridport (Private) Ltd., AmSafe Bridport Ltd., AmSafe Global Holdings Inc., AmSafe Global Services (Private) Limited, AmSafe Inc., Angus Electronics Co., Arkwin Industries, Arkwin Industries Inc., Armtec Countermeasures Co., Armtec Countermeasures TNO Co., Armtec Defense Products Co., Auxitrol SAS, Auxitrol Weston Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., Auxitrol Weston Services China Ltd., Auxitrol Weston Singapore Pte. Ltd., Auxitrol Weston USA Inc., Aviation Technologies, Aviation Technologies Inc., Avionic Instruments LLC, Avionics Instruments, Avionics Specialties Inc., AvtechTyee Inc., Beta Transformer Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., Beta Transformer Technology Corporation, Beta Transformer Technology LLC, Breeze-Eastern Corporation, Breeze-Eastern LLC, Bridport Erie Aviation Inc., Bridport Holdings Inc., Bridport Ltd., Bridport-Air Carrier Inc., Bruce Aerospace Inc., Bruce Industries, CDA InterCorp LLC, CEF Industries LLC, CMC Electronics Aurora LLC, CMC Electronics Inc., CMC Electronics ME Inc., Champion Aerospace LLC, Chelton Avionics Holdings Inc., Chelton Avionics Inc., Chelton Limited, Cobham Aero Connectivity, Cobham CTS Limited, Cobham Defence Communications Limited, Cobham Defense Products Inc., DART Aerospace, DDC Electronics K.K., DDC Electronics Ltd., DDC Electronics Private Limited, DDC Electronique S.A.R.L., DDC Elektronik GmbH, Darchem Engineering Limited, Darchem Holdings Limited, Data Device Corp., Data Device Corporation, Dukes Aerospace Inc., EST Defence Company UK Limited, Edlaw Limited, Electromech Technologies LLC, Elektro-Metall Export GmbH, Elektro-Metall Paks KFT, Esterline, Esterline Acquisition Ltd, Esterline Europe Company LLC, Esterline Foreign Sales Corporation, Esterline International Company, Esterline Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., Esterline Technologies Corporation, Esterline Technologies Corporation, Esterline Technologies Europe Limited, Esterline Technologies France Holding SAS, Esterline Technologies French Acquisition Limited, Esterline Technologies Global Limited, Esterline Technologies Holdings Limited, Esterline Technologies SGIP LLC, Esterline Technologies Unlimited, Esterline do Brasil Assessoria e Intermediacao Ltda, European Antennas Limited, Extant Components Group Holdings Inc., Extant Components Group Intermediate Inc., GQ Parachutes Limited, Guizhou Leach-Tianyi Aviation Electrical Company Ltd, Harco, HarcoSemco LLC, Hartwell Corporation, Hytek Finishes Co., ILC Holdings Inc., IRVIN AEROSPACE LIMITED, IrvinGQ France SAS, IrvinGQ Limited, Janco Corporation, Johnson Liverpool LLC, Kirkhill Elastomers, Kirkhill Inc., Korry Electronics Co., Kunshan Shield Restraint Systems Ltd., Leach Holding Corporation, Leach International Asia-Pacific Ltd, Leach International Corporation, Leach International Europe S.A.S., Leach International Germany GmbH, Leach International Mexico S. de R. L. de C. V., Leach International UK Ltd, Leach Mexico Holding LLC, Leach Technology Group Inc., MarathonNorco Aerospace Inc., Mason Electric Co., Mastsystem Int'l Oy, McKechnie Aerospace, McKechnie Aerospace (Europe) Ltd., McKechnie Aerospace DE Inc., McKechnie Aerospace DE LP, McKechnie Aerospace Holdings Inc., McKechnie Aerospace US LLC, Mecanismos de Matamoros S. de R.L. de C.V., NAT Seattle Inc., NMC Group Inc., Norco, Nordisk Asia Pacific Limited, Nordisk Asia Pacific Pte Ltd, Nordisk Aviation Products (Kunshan) Ltd., Nordisk Aviation Products AS, Nordisk Aviation Products LLC, North Hills Signal Processing Corp., North Hills Signal Processing Overseas LLC, Norwich Aero Products Inc., Palomar Products Inc., Pexco Aerospace, Pexco Aerospace Inc., PneuDraulics, PneuDraulics Inc., Pressure Systems International Ltd, Schneller, Schneller Asia Pte. Ltd., Schneller LLC, Schneller S.A.R.L., Schroth Safety Products, Semco Instruments, Semco Instruments Inc., Shield Restraint Systems Inc., Shield Restraint Systems Ltd., Signal Processing Matamoros S.A. de C.V., Skandia, Skandia Inc., Skurka Aerospace, Skurka Aerospace Inc., Symetrics Industries, Symetrics Industries LLC, Symetrics Technology Group LLC, TA Aerospace Co., TA Mfg Limited, TDG Bavaria GmbH, TDG ESL Holdings Inc., TDG France Ultimate Parent SAS, TDG Germany GmbH, TEAC Aerospace Holdings Inc., TEAC Aerospace Technologies Inc., Tactair Fluid Controls Inc., Takata Protection Systems, Telair International, Telair International GmbH, Telair International Services PTE Ltd, Telair US LLC, TransDigm (Barbados) SRL, TransDigm Canada ULC, TransDigm European Holdings Limited, TransDigm Ireland Ltd., TransDigm Receivables LLC, TransDigm Technologies India Private Limited, TransDigm UK Holdings plc, Transicoil (Malaysia) Sendirian Berhad, Transicoil LLC, Wallop Defence UK Limited, Weston Aerospace Ltd, Whippany Actuation Systems, Whippany Actuation Systems LLC, XCEL Power Systems Ltd., Young & Franklin, Young & Franklin Inc., and exas Rotronics Inc..

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President Trump has called for massive infrastructure investments with proposals ranging from $500 billion to $1.1 trillion. The administrations infrastructure plan expresses their intent to use American-made materials to rebuild or expand roads, airports, railroads and pipelines. They have taken an unwavering buy American; hire American stance in relation to rebuilding the United States aging infrastructure and increasing defense capabilities.

The U.S. has the engineering expertise, a highly-skilled workforce, and the technology to undertake this expansive improvement initiative. However, the country is faced with an inadequate supply of domestic steel, especially high-grade molybdenum steel. This shortage presents an exceptional opportunity for Idahos molybdenum deposits, particularly the developing CuMo Project in Boise County.

Idaho is rich in molybdenum, a strategic metal used primarily as an alloying agent in steel, cast iron, and super alloys to enhance hardening ability, strength, toughness, wear, and corrosion resistance. Many of the projects proposed by the Trump administration will require molybdenum-enhanced steel to assure that it will endure for decades to come. It has been shown that pipelines constructed with molybdenum steel last two to three times longer than other types of steel.

The worlds demand for molybdenum continues to rise, with the International Molybdenum Association estimating that the world will need an additional 200 million pounds annually over the next decade. While the demand for domestic steel increases, the U.S. imports 100 percent of 20 strategic metals and minerals and 50 percent of 30 more.

The CuMo Project, under the management of Idaho CuMo Mining Corp., is positioned perfectly to lead the nation in closing the gap between the supply and demand necessary to meet the administrations infrastructure plans. CuMo has the potential to produce 70 million pounds of molybdenum per year for decades, while providing thousands of well-paying jobs in one of the States poorest counties. Decades of strategic exploration and environmental studies have demonstrated the CuMo Project to be environmentally safe, an extremely low-cost producer, and a sustainable job source for up to 100 years.

However, despite its enormous promise and potential, the permitting process continues to delay this much-needed project and others throughout the U.S. To date, ICMC has spent over $3.3 million and 10 years in complying with NEPA regulations and processes; some of which are standard and some of which are considered extraordinary and duplicative measures for a project of this type. Clearly, the NEPA process is not working as it was intended. Both the U.S. House and Senate have introduced bills (H.R. 520, S. 145) that, should they pass and be signed into law, will require federal agencies to stick to the 30-month statutory permitting timeline for strategic and critical minerals mining projects on federal land.

Other countries have already reconciled their high environmental standards and the need to produce sustainable, domestic sources of strategic minerals and metals. Australia and Canada

adhere to similarly stringent, environmental platforms and permitting processes for mines, yet it takes only two to three years to navigate.

The U.S. must learn to maintain strict regulatory oversight while simultaneously streamlining the permitting process for critical, strategic mineral projects, thus loosening our national dependency on foreign sources. Our closest environmental allies are successfully doing it. With the resolve of Congress and the presidents administration, the U.S. is positioned to follow suit. By doing so, our national security and economy will improve immensely with secure and sustainable domestic sources of strategic minerals and metals. The time is now for Congress to act.
Cardinal Health, Inc. operates as an integrated healthcare services and products company in the United States, Canada, Europe, Asia, and internationally. It provides customized solutions for hospitals, healthcare systems, pharmacies, ambulatory surgery centers, clinical laboratories, physician offices, and patients in the home. The company operates in two segments, Pharmaceutical and Medical. The Pharmaceutical segment distributes branded and generic pharmaceutical, specialty pharmaceutical, and over-the-counter healthcare and consumer products. The segment also provides services to pharmaceutical manufacturers and healthcare providers for specialty pharmaceutical products; operates nuclear pharmacies and radiopharmaceutical manufacturing facilities; repackages generic pharmaceuticals and over-the-counter healthcare products; and offers medication therapy management and patient outcomes services to hospitals, other healthcare providers, and payers, as well as provides pharmacy management services to hospitals. The Medical segment manufactures, sources, and distributes Cardinal Health branded medical, surgical, and laboratory products and devices that include exam and surgical gloves; needles, syringe, and sharps disposals; compressions; incontinences; nutritional delivery products; wound care products; single-use surgical drapes, gowns, and apparels; fluid suction and collection systems; urology products; operating room supply products; and electrode product lines. The segment also distributes a range of national brand products, including medical, surgical, and laboratory products; provides supply chain services and solutions to hospitals, ambulatory surgery centers, clinical laboratories, and other healthcare providers; and assembles and sells sterile, and non-sterile procedure kits. The company was incorporated in 1979 and is headquartered in Dublin, Ohio.
EPAM Systems, Inc. provides digital platform engineering and software development services worldwide. The company offers engineering services, including requirements analysis and platform selection, customization, cross-platform migration, implementation, and integration; infrastructure management services, such as software development, testing, and maintenance with private, public, and mobile infrastructures for application, database, network, server, storage, and systems operations management, as well as monitoring, incident notification, and resolution services; and maintenance and support services. It also provides operation solutions comprising integrated engineering practices and smart automation; and optimization solutions that include software application testing, test management, automation, and consulting services to enable customers enhance their existing software testing and quality assurance practices, as well as other testing services that identify threats and close loopholes to protect its customers' business systems from information loss. In addition, the company offers business, experience, technology, data, and technical advisory consulting services; and digital and service design solutions, which comprise strategy, design, creative, and program management services, as well as physical product development, such as artificial intelligence, robotics, and virtual reality. It serves the financial services, travel and consumer, software and hi-tech, business information and media, life sciences and healthcare, and other industries. The company was founded in 1993 and is headquartered in Newtown, Pennsylvania.
Oman Investment Fund (OIF) has closed the syndication of $600 million of conventional and Islamic facilities for its wholly owned subsidiary United Telecommunication Limited (UTL).



The proceeds of the transaction were used towards the acquisition of a 51 per cent stake in Oman Telecommunications Company SAOG (Omantel) from the Ministry of Finance of the Sultanate of Oman. The transfer of the 51 per cent stake in Omantel was disclosed on the Muscat Stock Exchange.



The facilities raised by UTL have a 5.25 year tenor, split between a conventional facility of $450 million and an Islamic facility of $150 million.



The financing was initially provided to UTL on a sole basis by Citi as initial Underwriter to meet the timeline to close and fund the acquisition of the 51 per cent stake in Omantel. Subsequent to this, Banca IMI/ Intesa Sanpaolo, Kuwait Finance House and National Bank of Abu Dhabi joined the transaction as Underwriters and Bookrunners.



General syndication was launched in February and received an overwhelming response from the market despite tight pricing. The transaction ultimately was more than 2x oversubscribed as it received significant interest from banks in Asia in addition to Middle Eastern and International banks.



Hassan Al-Nabhani, CEO of the Oman Investment Fund, said: We are extremely pleased to have received such overwhelming support initially from Citi and subsequently from the incoming syndicate bank group. The fact that the transaction had such strong demand and was ultimately oversubscribed is a testament to the continued demand for Omani credit in the bank market and reflects the high creditworthiness of OIF and Omantel.



Nigel Govett, CFO of Oman Investment Fund, said: OIF is proud of the new relationships it has managed to build with strong partners in the Far East and to continue the trusting relationship with existing banks. Our attractive final pricing reflects the strength of the transaction structure, the exceptional credit of Omantel and Oman Investment Fund and the attractiveness of the broader Omani market.



Naveed Kamal, Citis head of Banking for Oman and UAE and Public Sector Head for the Middle East, said We are delighted to have been given the opportunity to be part of this landmark transaction for a key client and to continue to support the Government of the Sultanate of Oman and its related entities.



Despite a significant re-pricing of Middle East bank market liquidity in 2016, OIF was able to achieve extremely attractive terms by approaching new investors from China, Korea and Taiwan in addition to Middle East banks. The strong transaction structure and OIF support allowed for a hugely successful deal. With 25 lenders in the deal, this is one of the most successful GCC syndicated loan deals in the recent past, he added.  TradeArabia News Service
Dubai Municipality has signed agreements with two major real estate developers Emaar and Dubai Properties Group (DPG) to boost co-operation in the field of energy conservation, said a report.



As per the memoranda of understanding (MoUs), the duo will install the energy-efficient LED Dubai Lamp - that saves 90 per cent of electricity bill compared to the conventional lamps due to its life span of 25,000 hours - in all of their upcoming projects, according to state news agency Wam.



The first MoU was signed by Hussain Nasser Lootah, the director-general of Dubai Municipality and Ahmed Al Matrooshi, member of the board of directors at Emaar, while the second one was signed by Khalid Sharif Al Awadhi, the assistant director-general of Dubai Municipality for Environment, Health and Safety Control Sector and Abdulla Mohammed Lahej, the chief executive of DPG.



As per the four-year deal, Dubai Municipality will coordinate with the other parties in installing Dubai Lamp in their buildings and facilities as well as in conducting studies to evaluate the savings achieved through the installation of Dubai lamps in their projects, said the report.



These agreements can be renewed before the end of the term on the basis of official communication between the parties, it stated.



The municipality's Applied Sustainability and Renewable Energy Department has worked on this unique initiative through a partnership between Dubai Municipality and Philips, which is the largest manufacturer of LED lamps, according to Wam.



Paolo Cervini, the president of Philips Lighting, Middle East and Turkey, lauded Emaar and DPG for its collaboration with Dubai Municipality on the Dubai Lamp Initiative.



Philips Lighting will be working with Dubai Municipality to supply two million Dubai Lamps for residential and professional use across the city this year, which is expected to be increased to 10 million lamps by 2021.
Recently Russia agreed that it would be a good idea if America and Russia teamed up to deal with North Korea, but with this in mind you may be thinking this is great I can't wait to see peace restored, but you would be wrong. I only say this because you can send in the military and kill them but this is a man who would feed his own son to his science advisers. So, what makes you think he wouldn't put his own people in front of his armies as canon fodder and if he doesn't do that they are already brainwashed to think he is a god. So, if America does go in there guns a blazing it will result in almost genocidal level of death. Now this isn't to say we can't do anything, try other tactics first like assassination before preforming a major act of war and death that will devastate the region.
UNICEF/UN062522/Prinsloo

For photos and b-roll visit: http://uni.cf/2qcBcug

HARARE, Zimbabwe/JOHANNESBURG/NEW YORK, 7 May 2017 - UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador Priyanka Chopra has called for increased awareness and support for child victims of sexual violence. The actress made an emotional visit to Zimbabwe this week, where she met child survivors of sexual violence and heard their harrowing stories.

When I met these survivors, young brave women and children, and listened to their experiences, it just broke my heart, said Chopra. I will never forget their stories.

Chopras first stop was in Chitungwiza, south of Harare, Zimbabwe, where she met 13-year-old Alice* who was repeatedly raped by an uncle and threatened if she revealed the abuse.

Alice told me how she had regular abdominal pains, she was 11 at the time, but her mother was unaware there was something wrong, said Chopra. It was only when a relative saw condoms in her bedroom, and realized she was sexually active, that the truth came out and by then she was pregnant. Alice disclosed that her uncle had raped her several times between January and February this year.

At first, she could not believe that her own relative, who she trusted so much, could do this to her. She felt powerless and betrayed.

With the help of her mother and neighbours, the incident was reported to the police. Alice was referred to Family Support Trust, supported by UNICEF, which runs a one stop child-friendly clinic providing medical and psychosocial support for sexually abused children. She also attended a peer support group for teens, and received regular home visits from social workers to provide the help and support she needed.

The uncle was arrested, tried, and jailed for 10 years.

Sadly, Alices story was just one of too many stories I heard from brave young girls during my visit to Zimbabwe. No woman, and most definitely no child, should ever have to experience sexual violence  especially from someone they trust for protection, such as a family member, said Chopra, who has been a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador since December 2016 and a UNICEF India Ambassador for 10 years.

Poverty and a lack of opportunity are huge drivers of violence and leave young women and children in a position of vulnerability to predators. Additionally, most abuse occurs in situations when a child knows and trusts the adult who abuses him or her.

As a society, it is on us to provide and take care of our children as citizens of the world, to educate children at a young age that its not OK to be inappropriately touched and that under-age sex can lead to unwanted teen pregnancy or HIV, said Chopra.

On the second day of her visit, Chopra visited Childline Zimbabwe, the countrys 24-hour service for children who have been abused, violated or exploited. As well as providing free, confidential, multilingual counselling to children aged 18 years and under, Childline also offers 25 community based drop in centers throughout the country.

Her first stop was a Childline drop-in center in Epworth, where she met survivors of sexual violence who shared their stories. Chopra then visited the Childline call-in center to meet the Helpline counsellors and listen to some of the calls being fielded in real-time.

I was astonished by the number of calls that were coming in during the brief time I was there, said Chopra. The counsellors, all volunteers, told me that many calls come from children in hysterics because they had been raped or abused. They were so scared. Without Childline, they would have nowhere to turn. This is a model that many countries with high rates of violence against children can adopt, because it is a safe place for children to turn to and know that their call will be answered by a compassionate person who will take their complaints seriously and respond.

In 2016, 3,690 reports of sexual abuse were received by Childline. The children were assisted to receive counselling, medical assistance, and justice through prosecution of the offenders.

Sexual violence against children is widespread in Zimbabwe. Latest available data shows that close to 1 in 10 girls aged 15-17 years old has been a victim of forced sexual intercourse or a forced sexual act. Approximately 2 in 3 victims were first abused by an intimate partner and approximately 1 in 10 by a stranger.

Too often, sexual violence occurs in homes and is often committed by an individual known to or trusted by the child. Sexual violence against children is therefore mostly invisible and goes largely undocumented. Fear of getting into trouble or not wanting to land the offender in trouble, as well as shame and stigma all contribute to children not reporting the abuse. Additionally, many victims are too young or too vulnerable to know what happened to them.

One survey carried out in Zimbabwe found that 30 per cent of girls aged between 15-17 years who experienced sexual violence never sought help or told anyone.

###

Notes to Editors:

*Names have been changed to protect identities.

On Saturday 6 May, Chopra hosted UNICEF South Africas first Gala event at the Hyatt Regency, Rosebank, Johannesburg, to raise funds for UNICEFs work for children in South Africa.
Several hundred people rallied Saturday outside an office of Hungary's governing Fidesz party after a journalist said she had been assaulted at a party meeting by a government official.

Julia Halasz, a reporter with the 444.hu news site, said a meeting organizer took away her cellphone and dragged her down several flights of steps and out of a school by the arm while she was covering a Fidesz public forum.

Economy Minister Mihaly Varga and Defense Minister Istvan Simicsko spoke at Thursday's forum promoting the government's "Let's Stop Brussels" campaign, which claims the European Union wants Hungary to raise taxes and energy prices and take in large numbers of migrants.

Halasz said Laszlo Szabo, who is also in charge of the government office arranging celebrations and remembrances, accused her of making a video during the forum, which she denied, and erased several photographs she took with her mobile phone.

Halasz reported the alleged assault to police, while Fidesz said it would file its own report, claiming libel.

Assertions by Fidesz

Fidesz denied her claims, saying she failed to follow press rules at the meeting, disrupted the forum and argued loudly with audience members.

"It's very frightening that they attack me just because I work for a medium which the government can't influence," Halasz told The Associated Press. "I have witnesses who can corroborate that none of their accusations are true."

Participants at Saturday's rally in Budapest shouted slogans in support of press freedom.

Since Prime Minister Viktor Orban's return to power in 2010, his allies have greatly increased their ownership of newspapers, broadcasters and online media, turning the outlets into unquestioning supporters of the government. Hungary's state media is also under strict political control.

The government has "clearly turned public service media into a tool of government propaganda," media analyst Agnes Urban said at the rally.
Boko Haram extremists in northern Nigeria have released more than 80 schoolgirls kidnapped in 2014 by the militant group in the town of Chibok, near Nigeria's borders with Chad and Niger.

Nigerian government officials confirmed the releases early Sunday. CNN quoted a government official close to the situation as saying 82 girls were under military protection in the northeastern town of Banki, near the border with Cameroon.

The girls were set to be transferred to the Nigerian capital, Abuja, where they will undergo medical testing before being reunited with their families.

Nigerias President Muhammadu Buhari says he will meet with the girls Sunday in Abuja.

The girls gained their freedom following protracted negotiations between Boko Haram and government envoys. Buhari said the schoolgirls were freed in exchange for detained suspected extremists. Scores of other girls seized in the Chibok raid are still missing, however.

Authorities say 276 girls were kidnapped from a government-run girls secondary school in Chibok on April 14, 2014. Nearly 60 girls who escaped during the first hours said their abductors forced them from dormitories into trucks that headed toward the bush.

Days later, a widely distributed video purported to show about 100 of the missing girls. Boko Haram claimed the captives had converted to Islam and said they would be released only in exchange for militants held by the Nigerian government.

At the time, Boko Haram leader Abubakar Shekau vowed to sell the girls as slave brides.

The abductions triggered an international outcry, including condemnation from the U.N. Security Council. Michelle Obama, who was then the U.S. first lady, co-launched a media campaign to try to gain the girls' release.

There was no sign of the Chibok schoolgirls for more than two years, until one girl  by then a mother with a young infant  turned up last May. Two other girls made their way to government-controlled areas later in the year, and a group of 21 captives was released in October.

However, Nigerian Defense Minister Manir Dan Ali told VOA's Hausa service last month that it might take years to find all of the Chibok girls. He spoke as grieving families marked the third anniversary of the girls' disappearance, and as government troops searched known Boko Haram hideouts in the Sambisa forest  a vast area extending into three states in Nigeria's northeast.

Boko Haram, whose declared aim is to create an Islamic state, has killed thousands of people and displaced more than 2 million during its insurgency, now in its eighth year.

U.N. officials have stressed that the Chibok girls are not Boko Haram's only victims.

The militants have seized at least 2,000 other girls and boys since 2014. Many of those captives were used as cooks, sex slaves, fighters and even suicide bombers, according to Amnesty International.

Boko Haram has increased its use of children as suicide bombers in the Lake Chad region, where 27 such attacks were recorded during the first three months of this year, three times as many as during the same period in 2016, according to the U.N. children's agency, UNICEF.
Top U.S. and Russian military officials say they have agreed to revive a previous agreement intended to prevent midair incidents by warplanes from the two countries flying over Syria.

Statements in Washington and Moscow on Saturday said General Joseph Dunford, chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff, had spoken by telephone with his Russian counterpart, General Valery Gerasimov, and that they had agreed to fully restore the agreement on using Syrian airspace that had been in force from late 2015 through most of last year.

The two senior generals also discussed the recent Astana agreement, in which Russia, Turkey and Iran agreed on a Kremlin-proposed plan to reduce the violence in Syria through "de-escalation zones"  areas of the war-torn country where clashes between Syrian rebels and forces of the Damascus government have been particularly intense.

No U.S. participation

The United States had a representative at the talks in Kazakhstan but did not participate in the negotiations, largely because of Iran's involvement.

A Pentagon spokesman in Washington said Gerasimov and Dunford "affirmed their commitment to de-conflicting operations in Syria," and that they also agreed to remain in contact.

Russian authorities said the de-escalation zones in Syria went into effect at midnight Friday (2100 UTC), and that those zones were now closed to aircraft from the U.S.-led coalition. No details of how the zones will operate or how aircraft exclusions will be enforced have been announced, and other reports quoted Russian officials as saying full details of the plan would not be available for at least a month.

Syrian, Russian, Turkish and U.S.-led coalition aircraft sometimes operate in the same area in Syria, and it is uncertain whether American aviators will agree to abide by the airspace restrictions Russia has declared.

Pentagon officials told The Washington Post the de-escalation measures would not affect the U.S.-led campaign against militants from the Islamic State group.

Separately, U.S. officials reported multiple airstrikes targeting Islamic State positions in Syria and Iraq on Friday. A news release on the air assault said 18 strikes, consisting of 59 sorties by warplanes, were carried out. The strikes destroyed IS oil storage tanks, weapons systems, supply caches and a "factory" that assembled car bombs and truck bombs.

Russia, Turkey and Iran said they signed their Astana agreement on Thursday. It's aimed at reducing bloodshed in Syria, where a six-year civil war has killed hundreds of thousands of people.

The four areas set for de-escalation are parts of Syria where rebels not associated with IS terrorists control significant territory. Representatives of the Syrian rebels who attended the Astana talks said in a statement early Saturday that truce efforts should be extended throughout all of Syria.

The rebels said they would not be bound by the Russian-Turkish-Iranian declaration, since they had no part in negotiating it. However, reports from Syria itself on Saturday  gathered from activist groups, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights and news reporters  indicated there was relative calm in many areas, with fewer airstrikes and less shelling than in recent days.

U.S. cautious

The U.S. State Department said this week that "the United States supports any effort that can genuinely de-escalate the violence in Syria, ensure unhindered humanitarian access, focus energies on the defeat of [Islamic State] and other terrorists, and create conditions for a credible political resolution of the conflict."

However, a statement issued Thursday in Washington said U.S. diplomats would be cautious in assessing whether the Astana agreement could offer such hopes, "in light of the failures of past agreements."

"We expect the [Damascus] regime to stop all attacks on civilians and opposition forces, something they have never done," the U.S. statement said, adding that Washington expects Russia to ensure compliance by Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and his government.

Iran's involvement in the de-escalation effort together with Russia and Turkey is a particular concern, the U.S. statement noted: "Iran's activities in Syria have only contributed to the violence, not stopped it, and Iran's unquestioning support for the Assad regime has perpetuated the misery of ordinary Syrians."
Hundreds of women dressed in all white marched in Venezuela's capital Saturday, continuing more than a month of demonstrations against President Nicolas Maduro.

Saturday's protesters, led by opposition leaders and lawmakers, marched to the Interior Ministry to denounce "repression" over the past month as demonstrators have been hit with tear gas by security forces.

Police in riot gear prevented the protesters from reaching the ministry. Isolated clashes between protesters and police took place in Caracas, media reports said.

Protesters were demanding that delayed state elections be held and that the 2018 presidential election be moved up. Maduro has accused the opposition of trying to stage a coup and is working to rewrite the constitution.

Similar rallies were also held in several other cities.

The march came one day after a young man was shot in the head during clashes between demonstrators and security forces, bringing the death toll from such clashes over the past five weeks to 37. More than 700 others have been injured.

Also on Friday, a group of young men in Venezuela's Zulia state destroyed a statue of the late leader Hugo Chavez.

U.S. President Donald Trump's national security adviser, H.R. McMaster, met with Venezuelan National Assembly President Julio Borges in Washington on Friday to discuss the ongoing crisis and need for the government to adhere to its constitution.

"They agreed that there is a strong need to bring the crisis to a quick and peaceful conclusion," a readout of the meeting released Saturday by the White House said.

U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley also released a statement on the protests, calling on Maduro's "regime" to respect the constitution.

"We are deeply concerned about the Maduro government's violent crackdown on protesters in Venezuela," the statement said. "President Maduro's disregard for the fundamental rights of his own people has heightened the political and economic crisis in the country."

In a call with the president of Peru, U.S. President Donald Trump addressed the deteriorating situation in Venezuela.



A statement from the White Houses Office of the Press Secretary said Trump underscored to President Pedro Pablo Kuczynski that the United States will work together with Peru in seeking to improve democratic institutions and help the people of Venezuela.

The demonstrations started after the Venezuelan Supreme Court's March 30 announcement that it would strip the opposition-controlled National Assembly of its legislative powers. The court reversed its position in the wake of domestic and international outcries about an attempted power grab.
Not far from neighborhood streets lined with million-dollar homes here lies an open-air mall where people go to eat, shop and  when needed  get emergency medical treatment. People pull up to the front door, park next to a gleaming antique ambulance and enter a waiting room that feels more like a graceful hotel lobby than a holding area for sick people.

It isnt a clinic or an urgent care  its an emergency room, without the hospital.

When lawyer Richard Yount opened the facility, called Elite Care Emergency Center, in 2009, the idea was simple: Emergency rooms were crowded, with miserable waits and rushed doctors. He could fix that  and make a lot of money  by carving the department out of the hospital, putting it in a neighborhood where people without insurance were unlikely to show up and charging hospital-level prices.

There was just one problem: People assumed it would be cheap, especially at first. No matter how many times you tell people youre an emergency room, they have a tendency to think: If youre in that kind of an environment, youre an urgent care, said Yount, who now operates four free-standing ERs.

HOUSTON, TX -- Elite Care Emergency Center in Houston Friday, April 28, 2017. (MICHAEL STRAVATO/For The Washington Post)

Free-standing ERs, stand-alone facilities where people can receive acute care any time of day, have increased in Texas in recent years as a result of a 2009 law that permitted the establishment of emergency rooms independent of hospitals. They join a host of other on-demand facilities  including hospital ERs, hospital-owned satellite ERs, microhospitals and urgent-care facilities  where people can receive care, especially if they have robust health insurance.

Texass wild west of competition, with lit-up signs advertising SHORT WAIT TIME FOR LACERATIONS and highways punctuated by warring billboards, is a leading example of how an emerging wave of convenient medical-care options for Americans can also create confusion and lead people to seek expensive treatment for conditions that might not merit it, pushing up costs across the health-care system.

Across 32 states, more than 400 free-standing ERs provide quick and easy access to care. But they also are prompting complaints from a growing number of people who feel burned by hospital-size bills, like $6,856 for a cut that didnt require a stitch or $4,025 for an antibiotic for a sinus infection.

Emergency care requires costly imaging and laboratory equipment and facilities that are open 24 hours a day and staffed round the clock by a physician  and the costs reflect that. Prices for an average free-standing ER visit have grown and are now similar to hospital ERs, but patients with the same diagnosis rack up bills 10 times higher than at an urgent care, according to an analysis of one insurers Texas data by Rice University economist Vivian Ho. She found use of the facilities in Texas more than tripled between 2012 and 2015.

The high cost raises the question of whether people are seeking out more expensive care only because its convenient, not because its necessary.

If there had not been a close, convenient emergency department, would that person have gone to an emergency department, or sought care somewhere else? said Jeremiah Schuur, an emergency medicine physician at Bostons Brigham and Womens Hospital who studies the industry.

Texass flowering of free-standing ERs leads a debate about whether convenience makes people healthier or needlessly drives costs up  a central dilemma in health-care innovation. Health-care specialists want people to seek care thats necessary. But with U.S. health-care spending surpassing $3 trillion this year, new attention is focused on how making health care a better consumer product might simply increase its use. Research shows, for example, that walk-in retail health clinics and telephone medicine, which might seem to replace more expensive options, actually tend to slightly drive up health-care spending.

HOUSTON, TX -- Board Certified Staff physician David Chen, left, going into one of three examinations rooms to see a patient at Elite Care Emergency Center in Houston Friday, April 28, 2017. (MICHAEL STRAVATO/For The Washington Post)

The vast majority of people who get sick on a monthly basis dont go get care, dont even think about getting care  and among those who do think, I should go get care, only two-thirds of them end up getting a visit of some type, said Ateev Mehrotra, a physician and researcher at Harvard Medical School who did that research. There is an enormous market of people out there who . . . choose to get care when its convenient.

Texass crowded landscape of ERs and clinics may seem like a consumer paradise, in which people are able to shop around. But it lays bare a simple truth: Its hard to shop when no one knows what anything costs.

Bryan Piccola of Frisco, Tex., sliced his left pointer finger on July 4 when his knife slipped cutting tightly wound zip ties off a toy for his year-old daughter. He debated cleaning the wound up and sticking a bandage on it, but he went to a free-standing First Choice Emergency Room a few miles from his house. He asked beforehand how much it would cost, since he is a veteran and didnt have separate insurance, and says he was assured it wouldnt be too bad. He received five stitches and, later on, the bill: more than $5,000. The company discounted it to $2,888.

You drive by them all the time. Theres a bunch of these little pop-up clinics, Piccola said. If they would have told me [how much it would cost], I wouldnt have gone  Id have gone home and wrapped it up and waited for the scar.

Adeptus Health, the company that owns First Choice Emergency Room, declared bankruptcy in April. It declined a request for an interview.

Money just fell in your lap

Richard Yount embarked on his career as an emergency room entrepreneur as Texass access to emergency care was hitting rock bottom, given a failing grade by the American College of Emergency Physicians. He had watched other hospital services, such as imaging centers, being spun into separate, lucrative businesses.

You had not a lot of competitors and you had all the patients youd ever want, and they paid a lot. Money just fell in your lap, Yount said. I watched this train go by for 30 different services, and I only caught onto the caboose.

Younts insight was simple: In addition to the physicians bill, hospitals were paid a facility fee to cover X-rays, CT scanners, laboratories, and round-the-clock staffing by physicians and nurses. Free-standing emergency rooms shared many of these costs, since they strive to deliver the same care available in a hospital ER, and the facility fee made the business viable.

By situating in well-off neighborhoods, they could largely avoid patients who couldnt pay. Without a hospital affiliation, they cannot bill Medicare or Medicaid for emergency care, and many carry warnings on the front door that they do not accept those less-lucrative plans. And as a start-up, the free-standing ERs werent encumbered with the high administrative costs of a hospital.

Complicated cases, such as surgeries or trauma, could be sent by ambulance to a hospital, but stand-alone emergency room operators argue they can see people faster, keep them out of the hospital altogether and save money.

Yount, 68, is a jumble of contradictions. He is an unapologetic capitalist who operates four free-standing emergency rooms in Texas and is in the process of finding a site in Las Vegas to build a microhospital  an ER with some inpatient beds.

He is also a supporter of Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont and a strong believer in universal health care whose office is still decorated with light-blue signs from Sanderss presidential campaign.

I can believe in one thing on a macro level, as to what this country needs to do. But if I want to operate, Im operating within the current system that we have. So I make the economic decisions based on the current system we have, Yount said. Doesnt mean I have to like the current system  and I dont.

Yount says the start-up costs are about $5 million. In the early days, the business could break even with just seven or eight patients a day. The break-even point today is up to eight or nine, and Yount expects the number to rise as pressure from insurers increase.

The model appeals to many physicians and nurses.

The mind-set is totally different here, said Aaron Schwartz, an emergency physician at Elite Care. In the hospital, its driven by surveys and scores, efficiency and throughput times and volume. . . . We can spend as long as the patients want us to spend with them.

Some patients appreciate the convenience. Miguel Balli, 24, of Houston had spent a miserable night, vomiting and ill, when he showed up at Elite Care one Monday morning. Within an hour, he was getting an IV drip and beginning to feel better.

These setups are a lot more beneficial for the patient as far as time concern and quickness and availability, Balli said. If youre not the most serious person at the ER, if youre not the one bleeding out or having a heart attack, youre probably going to get last on the totem pole.

A misleading factor on costs

The problem is the flip side of the success: People who would have thought twice before navigating down to Houstons crowded medical hub, the worlds largest medical center, have a surfeit of options right in the neighborhood.

In Sugar Land, an affluent suburban city south of Houston, there is St. Michaels Emergency Center, right next to Emerus 24HR Emergency Hospital, a former free-standing ER thats been converted into a small hospital. In the driveway, two identical signs look like mirror images, each directing people with an EMERGENCY in a different direction. A mile away, in both directions, are two hospitals.

The ease of access is a good thing if it is moving people to seek care for symptoms that would be dangerous to ignore.

Many free-standing emergency room operators say they do their utmost to stress to people that they are in an emergency room, with emergency room prices, and they refer patients with minor conditions to urgent-care facilities. The buildings have emergency signs on them and are required by state law to carry written warnings that they will charge a facility fee  although the amount is not disclosed.

But Ho of Rice University has found a big overlap in the types of conditions for which people seek care: Three-quarters of the 20 most common diagnoses at free-standing ERs were the same as at urgent-care centers. A slightly smaller overlap existed for hospital-based emergency rooms.

Its fine if it generates the value of the price that is paid, but if its not generating that value, then all it does is raise costs for everybody, Ho said. There needs to be more transparency in terms of the cost. Why should it be comparable to what a hospital ER is charging?

But even as free-standing emergency rooms defend themselves, the model appears to be evolving, in part in response to the confusion. Yount provided a tour of what he says is the future: a large free-standing ER that stands apart from shopping malls and wouldnt easily be mistaken for an urgent-care clinic. One of his competitors, Emerus, switched to building microhospitals.

Free-standing ERs blame insurers for big bills, arguing they deny claims or underpay them. Insurers, in turn, blame the facilities for charging high prices.

Theres this misleading factor, or Id go so far as to say deception, said Shara McClure, a vice president at Blue Cross Blue Shield of Texas. A member whos having an incident, having an acute condition, they go into these free-standing ERs thinking theyre a cost-effective solution.

The Texas legislature is considering bills that would help protect consumers from surprise bills and regulate the industry.

That points to the biggest lesson emerging from Texass experiment.

We need to do more to make prices extremely visible to patients, said Schuur, of Brigham and Womens Hospital. But it also calls into question the ability of patients to be smart consumers, particularly in the time when they have what they perceive as an acute health-care need.
When we talk about alcoholic beverages made with honey, the subject is almost always mead, the fermented-honey beverage beloved by vikings thats currently undergoing an artisan revival across America. But French and Belgian farmhouse breweries have been producing biere de miel  literally honey beer  for centuries.

Oxbow Catalyst is a farmhouse Biere de Miel, or beer brewed with honey. (Courtesy of Oxbow Brewing Co.)

In January, Maines Oxbow Brewing released Catalyst, a farmhouse ale brewed with a mix of Belgian saison yeast, lactobacillus and brettanomyces, then aged in barrels for eight months before being bottle fermented with honey. The catalyst for this beer, you might say, was three years ago, when the farm brewery added two beehives to its property. The bees and the wild pasture thrived, and the brewery added three more hives. It hopes to have a total of 10 hives this summer.

Two seasons worth of Oxbows wildflower honey goes into a batch of Catalyst, apparent in the floral aroma. Its a bright and complex beer, with tart lemon and sweet orange, and some barnyard notes of straw and oak, all bound together by a strong, but not overwhelming, sweetness from the honey. It has a pleasingly dry finish, reminiscent of white wine.

Around 3,000 bottles of Catalyst were released this year, according to Oxbow. With plans to expand the apiary operation, that number should rise in the future. For now, look for it in better beer shops and at specialty beer bars, such as the Sovereign in Georgetown, where it was recently on tap.

[Make room, hoppy IPA. Pilsener is the buzzy new craft beer.]

Oxbow Catalyst farmhouse ale. oxbowbeer.com. Around $20 for a 500-milliliter bottle, or $12 on tap in bars.

If you like this, try these other beers made with honey:

Brasserie Dupont Biere de Miel biologique : The Belgian brewery, famed for its saisons, makes an organic re-creation of a honey beer produced in the 19th century.

Burial the Keepers Veil : Wildflower honey from North Carolina is mixed with seven herbs and flowers, including hibiscus and elderflower, in this saison, which is available in 16-ounce cans.

Dogfish Head Midas Touch : The original entry in the brewerys Ancient Ales series, this beer was inspired by the remains of beverages found in bronze vessels in King Midass tomb. It combines qualities of mead (honey), wine (grapes) and malt (beer) into one intriguing package.
I noticed the bird the day after My Lovely Wife left on a two-week business trip to Fiji and Australia: a female cardinal at the front of our house.

I started talking to the bird a few days later.

By then the bird had decided that the yew bush outside the dining room window was a good place for her nest and she was using her beak to weave sticks and bits of straw and grass into a tight bowl. I marveled at the engineering and construction. I dont think I could build anything with my mouth, let alone an incubator-cum-crib.

How are things today? Id say as I pulled apart the curtains and peered outside.

I said it in my head at first, but then I said it aloud. I was alone, after all, a state that induces  or at least allows  a descent into madness.

I could never be sure what time it was where my wife, Ruth, was  or even what day. When she was in Australia, she always seemed to be asleep. When she was in Fiji, she always seemed to be awake, at least going by when she emailed or texted me. (Hey  I could use these, if you are home, and they are still there, she emailed me minutes after someone had posted on our neighborhood message group that there was astilbe free for the taking out at the curb. The email was a honey do command from 8,000 miles away.)

My business trips involve places like Hyattsville and Oakton. Ruths involve places like Luxembourg and Brazil. Im used to her jetting off  on TDY, as my father the Air Force pilot used to call it  but this one seemed different. An entire planet separated us. It was surely the farthest we had ever been apart, aside from the two years Ruth spent on Earth before I was born.

I decided to consider the two weeks a form of Widower Training.

It took the bird a few days to finish the nest. When the nest was done, she tried it on for size: a perfect fit.

I know the bird wasnt thinking of me, but at just five feet from the window the nest was in the perfect location for my viewing pleasure. I set up a tripod and mounted a camera with a telephoto lens, then pulled the sheer white curtains together so only the lens was exposed. I felt like a National Geographic photographer.

A few days after the nest was finished, an egg appeared: pale blue and mottled with brown spots. Two days later, another.

I looked at the nest when I got up in the morning. I looked at it when I got home from work. If I was working from home, I looked at it hourly. The bird wasnt always there but she usually was. While at first she occasionally seemed annoyed by me  indignantly raising the little tuft of feathers atop her head  she came to tolerate me.

The second week of Ruths business trip, I returned to the nest myself, so to speak. I visited my parents, both of whom ended up moving to North Carolina after Id fledged.

It was nice to see them, but I couldnt help worrying about the bird Id left behind. Early on  before the eggs, when she was still building the nest  Id seen a dark shadow pass across the window. When I peered out, a crow was at the edge of the bush.

The crow didnt stay long, perhaps irritated that the nest was empty, but I worried that hed be back. Or that a cat would pounce. Or that the eggs would hatch and the chicks would have flown off by the time I returned home and before Id had a chance to see them.

It was dark when I got back from North Carolina, too dark to see the nest. I didnt want to shine a flashlight at the bird, so I turned in.

It stormed all night and in the morning I wasnt sure what Id find. I nervously pulled the curtains apart and there she was, like a sentry at her post. The bird was a little worse for wear  soaked, her feathers embarrassingly askew  but shed survived the deluge.

Ruths not back yet. The eggs havent hatched yet.

Ruth posted photos on Facebook of the Sydney Opera House. I posted photos of the cardinal and her nest.

All of us are waiting, waiting, waiting.

Twitter: @johnkelly

For previous columns, visit washingtonpost.com/johnkelly.
Prince Georges County Public Schools chief Kevin Maxwell speaks at a news conference on a child sex abuse case in 2016. Behind him is Prince Georges County Executive Rushern L. Baker III, left, and school board Chairman Segun Eubanks. (Mark Gail/For The Washington Post)

More than 500 school employees in Prince Georges County have been placed on administrative leave at some point during this school year in response to alleged child abuse or neglect  a sharp spike over previous years amid a push to report suspicious conduct.

The jump in investigations follows a string of child abuse scandals that have rocked the Maryland school system. Cases of administrative leave have risen more than 600 percent since 2014-15, the school year before the scandals came to light, according to data obtained by The Washington Post.

Some see the rise in reports as evidence of a cultural shift in a school system where many were not accustomed to reporting potential problems. But others view the phenomenon as an overcorrection that has left many educators demoralized and taken a toll in classrooms. Parents wait for weeks or months to hear whether their childrens teachers will return.

Sixty-nine county school employees were placed on leave in 2014-15. The total rose to 194 last year as child abuse issues drew increased attention and soared to more than 500 by April of this school year. Most of those off the job are teachers.

Its been absolutely detrimental to student learning, said David Murray, a school board member who co-authored a petition calling for a review and revamping of policies. Imagine not having your math teacher or science teacher for two to three months. Thats happened frequently.

Employee conduct has been a flash point since February 2016, when Deonte Carraway, then an elementary school volunteer, was accused of video-recording students as he directed them to perform sex acts. Carraway, formerly a paid classroom aide, has pleaded guilty to federal child pornography charges and awaits trial on state charges.

Prince Georges was also roiled by abuses in its Head Start early education program, which led to the loss of a $6.4 million federal grant, then again following charges against a bus aide alleged to have abused two children with special needs.

[For years, Pr. Georges didnt strengthen school sex-abuse policies]

Efforts to retrain employees started last year, and the school board revised policies last summer. With a greater emphasis on the need to report inappropriate behavior, school officials have logged 650 reports as of April this year, said Lewis Robinson, the districts director of employee and labor relations.

About 65 reports have been investigated by Child Protective Services. But school officials also investigate and have found some employees in violation of school system rules even if their actions  shoving or grabbing a student, for example  fall short of CPS involvement.

Most employees have been cleared, but Robinson estimated that 30 percent of the more than 500 employees placed on leave have been disciplined, and about 5 to 10 percent have been recommended for termination.

It just kind of runs all over the place in terms of what is reported, he said. Are all of them the kinds of things that elevate themselves to actual abuse or neglect or sexual abuse? No.

School board Chairman Segun Eubanks said the school district  the second-largest in Maryland, with more than 132,000 students and about 20,000 employees  is on the right track, moving toward more positive relationships in schools, with no tolerance for abuse or neglect of students.

The culture of nonreporting is what got us here, he said.

Although the number of employees on leave is a concern, he said, the district is working to strengthen its investigative processes, help employees better understand whats reportable, and improve its use of substitute teachers.

He said the caseload has declined recently and that he hopes next years numbers are significantly lower. A tally done in April showed about 210 employees on leave for alleged abuse and neglect, including 153 teachers, according to Robinson.

If the numbers that we see now are a temporary recalibration process, were okay with it, Eubanks said. If this was to be the way the system worked in perpetuity, it would be destined to fail.

[Pr. Georges school bus aide charged with sexual abuse of two special-needs children]

In neighboring Montgomery County, with a larger school system, 71 employees have been placed on leave at some point this school year for alleged abuse or neglect, schools officials said. They said Child Protective Services has screened out, ruled out or not been able to substantiate allegations in about 90 percent of the cases.

In Prince Georges, school staff have worried that the slightest misstep or false accusation could mean they are off the job. As teachers on leave wait out investigations at home, substitute teachers have filled in for weeks or months.

Parents say they get little or no information because such issues are considered private personnel matters.

Llew Brown, a father of three in Bowie, says his ninth-grade daughter, Madeleine, started at Bowie High School this year without her assigned science teacher, so substitute teachers have filled in for nearly eight months.

Then in March, the teenagers Spanish teacher was suddenly gone.

Brown says he thinks principals have a hard task and probably lack the resources to replace teachers quickly. But he says schools need to communicate more in those situations and assure parents that student needs will be met.

Madeleine said that while she has managed well in science, her substitute teacher in Spanish doesnt speak the language. She worries that she wont be prepared for a year-end test, or for the next course.

It means I wont be ready for Spanish 4 next year, which is supposed to be pretty hard, she said.

[Oct. 2016: More than 250 employees are on paid administrative leave in Prince Georges schools]

Four school board members, including Murray and the student member, posted a petition this month calling for change to practices that have done more harm than good.

I hope we can take action and fix it before next school year starts because theres no way we can afford to have this many employees out for another year, Murray said.

Robinson said the district is improving its efficiency and has started a quick review process  taking just a few days  for certain types of cases. Turning around other cases takes 35 to 45 days on average, he said, down from 60 days or more.

There are not signs of widespread false or vengeful reporting against employees, he said.

Employee morale is an issue, he said, but our concern first has to be about the safety of kids in the building, and if were going to err, were going to err on the side of kids.

Kevin Maxwell, chief executive of county schools, has not spoken extensively in public on the issue in recent months, officials said. Last fall he cited the spike in reporting as a sign of progress.

In schools, no one disputes the need for safety but many question how changes are being implemented and voice concern about the toll of employee absences.

School officials did not have estimates about the cost of using so many substitute teachers to cover for employees out on administrative leave, who are also paid.

[Child-porn investigation widens at Prince Georges school]

Kathy Cavanaugh, a mother who lives in Bowie, said her daughters orchestra teacher at Benjamin Tasker Middle School has been out for a year. Mostly her daughter has had substitute teachers, she said, but for one stretch  lasting about a quarter  there was no assigned instructor and no grades. Students were supervised but not taught, she said.

Shes lost a tremendous amount of ground, Cavanaugh said. Shes still playing the same music she was playing a year ago.

Doris Reed, executive director of the Association of Supervisory and Administrative School Personnel, said the school environment is the worst she has seen in 26 years in her position. Its a culture of fear, she said. Theyre scared to say anything to the students, let alone touch them.

The school system needs to rethink its practices, she said. They need to use common sense, she said. Instead of knee-jerk reactions, they need to see if something even happened.

[School system adopts new policies after sexual abuse case roils community]

Theresa Mitchell Dudley, president of the county teachers union, said the importance of keeping children safe cannot be overstated, but employees have grown fearful that the smallest thing might lead to an abuse investigation or loss of a job.

A teacher who works in a county elementary school but did not want her name used for fear of reprisal said she and fellow teachers are so stressed that they talk in the lunch room every day about pursuing other occupations or moving to other school districts.

The teacher said she worries every time her young students reach out to hug her, which she thinks could get her suspended.

We have been told not to touch the children, she said, adding that she cannot bear to refuse them. Were there to nurture them, and we should not be asked to spurn a childs affection.

[How a Maryland school system lost its Head Start grant]

From a safety viewpoint, the rise in employees on leave could very well be a logical byproduct of changing rules and expectations, said Jennifer Alvaro, a clinician and activist on school sexual abuse issues.

Its a large number but it could be necessary, she said, adding: Anytime you get an entire community talking and acting on safety and prevention, its a positive step forward.

The jump in employees off the job because of abuse allegations adds to those on leave for other reasons. At one point in March, 299 were on leave for abuse and neglect allegations; 191 for family leave; 134 for sick leave; and 81 others in workers compensation cases, officials said.

The total: more than 700 employees off the job, or 3.5 percent of the school system workforce.

Justine Christianson of Hyattsville said that one of her sons fifth-grade teachers was out for a month on administrative leave  while her other childs teacher was out on family leave. Her younger son saw a sort of revolving door of educators filling in for fourth-grade math.

[High-poverty schools often staffed by rotating cast of substitutes]

They did not have good math instruction for probably six weeks, she said, voicing concern for children who struggle in the subject.

She would like to see school officials develop more data on the outcome of employee leave cases. What concerns me most is they dont seem to have a way to know if this has been effective, she said.

At Dora Kennedy French Immersion School, in Greenbelt, Tikeetha Thomas said her 8-year-old sons teacher was on leave from October to late March  a disappointment for a child who was new to the school and had become attached to the educator.

Thomas, of Beltsville, said she is glad her sons class got a long-term substitute teacher fluent in French, but it still took a toll.

I totally support them doing investigations, but it should not be six months, she said. I just hope the county gets a hold on this. I cant go through this again in fourth grade.

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Rafael Rodriguez puts the finishing touches on a painting at one of his aunts homes in Prince Georges County. (Marvin Joseph/The Washington Post)

The still life of rotting fruit captured the attention of Jon Rudnicki, an admissions counselor for the Maine College of Art who came to Washington last fall to review the portfolios of prospective students. So did the dark self-portrait titled Slave With Agreement, which shows artist Rafael Rodriguez, his hands tied with rope.

Before Rudnicki realized it, he had spent more than 20 minutes listening to the skinny young man from Prince Georges County talk about isolation, frustration and optimism  far longer than the five minutes he typically allows for student meetings.

The intentionality behind the work was profound. He has a story to tell, Rudnicki said of Rodriguez, a senior at Northwestern High School who is set to graduate next month. I literally see thousands of kids and thousands of pieces of art, and it says something when a students face and artwork sticks out. I wanted to help him find his voice.

Rudnicki lobbied for his college to admit Rodriguez, 21, who fled violence in his native El Salvador four years ago and entered the United States illegally, eventually coming to live with an aunt in Maryland.

The school offered him a scholarship that would pay nearly half of the annual $35,000 cost for four years.

And unlike thousands of other undocumented immigrants of college age, Rodriguez has a chance of being able to seek federal student loans to cover the rest, thanks to a little-known but increasingly in-demand program that will give him legal residency  and is easier for young people to access in Maryland than in most of the rest of the country.

When I make art, I feel free, said Rodriguez, who never painted before coming to the United States. I want to get my education to be an art teacher, have my own art studio and teach people from my country the importance of getting an education. Thats the only way things will change there.



Rodriguez, 21, talks about his work with Northwestern High School art teacher Harolyn Andrews during his senior exhibition on Thursday. (Arelis R. Hernandez/The Washington Post)

Rodriguez said goodbye to his parents in El Salvador in 2013, when the violence between rival gangs reached his doorstep. He was 17. A cousin had been murdered, people were looking for him and it was unsafe to go to school.

I needed to leave, he said.

After weeks of moving between safe houses in northern Mexico, enduring hunger and threats from smugglers, the teen was caught by U.S. Border Patrol agents near a crossing close to Hidalgo, Tex.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Refugee Resettlement released him after several days to his aunt Sandra Molina, who lives in Hyattsville. Rodriguez was required to appear in court when requested, while living with Molina and attending high school.

At Northwestern in Hyattsville, he joined scores of other newly arrived, undocumented students. The school was poorly prepared for the influx, with no Spanish-speaking counselors and few other resources to address the newcomers needs.

Before taking an introductory art class his sophomore year, Rodriguez said his only plan for the future was to find an hourly wage job.

Picking up a paint brush for the first time changed that.

He dabbled in pencil, charcoal, watercolor and graphics. And his art teacher, Michelle Amaya, took notice. She encouraged Rodriguez to audition for the schools competitive visual and performing arts program, which is named after puppeteer Jim Henson, a Northwestern graduate.

Some people are born with it, said Jamea Richmond-Edwards, another teacher in the art program. Given the opportunity and a little direction, the sky was literally the limit for him.

A photograph of Rodriguezs self-portrait. (Arelis R. Hernandez/The Washington Post)

Rodriguez crafted colorful landscapes and portraits of animals vivid with color and light. His interest in environmental issues drove him to depict disasters both natural and man-made. In one, imagining how an animal suffers in an oil spill, he painted himself with black oil oozing over his head and bare shoulders.

There was the ominous drawing of a moonlit night in the Mexican desert near the border fence. And a pastel of himself caught between walls. That, and the self-portrait with his hands wrapped in a hangmans knot, illustrate the frustration and uncertainty that Rodriguez said define his life as he waits for his immigration status to be resolved.

I feel tied down, he explained. I know I have the ability and capacity to do what I want and continue my education. But I cant move forward because my papers come first.

In 2015, Rodriguez missed a court date  the relatives he was staying with had gone on vacation, he said, and he had no one to take him to court.

Weeks later, a deportation order arrived at his aunts house.

Thats when they came to see me, said Diane McHugh-Martinez, an immigration attorney who helped Rodriguez apply for a federal relief program called Special Immigrant Juveniles Status.

The program offers unmarried individuals younger than 21 a chance to obtain a visa and legal status if they are victims of abuse or neglect or were abandoned and cannot be returned to their parents.

Applicants need an order from the family or juvenile division of a state court that says it would not be in their best interest to return home. They also need a legal guardian in the United States, either court-appointed or privately arranged.

In 2013, fewer than 4,000 petitions for special immigrant juvenile status were filed, and the majority were approved. Then the number of young people fleeing El Salvador, Honduras and Guatemala exploded. In 2016, nearly 20,000 individuals applied for the special status. More than 8,600 petitions are pending, and a growing number have been denied, in some cases because of country-specific quotas.

In many states, immigrants age out of family court at 18 and cannot apply for special immigrant juvenile status once they reach that threshold. But Maryland passed a law in 2014 allowing immigrants to apply until they are 21.

That is what helped Rodriguez, who petitioned for special status when he was 18. He was approved this fall but has not received the visa he needs to apply for permanent residency, a delay that McHugh-

Martinez said stems from the backlog of similar cases and could last another year or more.



Rafael Rodriguez painting at one of his aunts homes in Prince Georges County, where he has lived since crossing the border and being detained by the U.S. government in 2013. (Marvin Joseph/The Washington Post)

Once Rodriguez gets his green card, he can apply for student loans to cover the rest of his art school tuition. He said he will probably defer admission for a year. Maine College of Art has indicated that it will hold his scholarship until he is ready to come.

Meanwhile, Rodriguez has completed a workforce training program at Joes Movement Emporium in Mount Rainier, where he studied art while practicing life skills, such as interviewing and public speaking.

He unveiled his senior exhibition at Northwestern on Thursday, and he will participate in an art show at the Emporium next month. He is also looking to apprentice for a working artist in the area.

I think with Gods help everything will work out, Rodriguez said. Its no small matter for an undocumented student to finish high school. I am optimistic my papers will come in soon.
Marylands Republican Party is trying to win enough state senate seats to end the Democrats ability to block Gov. Larry Hogans vetos. (Patrick Semansky/AP)

Marylands Republican Party is trying to break the veto-proof majority Democrats have held in the state legislature for nearly a century, hoping to use the popularity and fundraising prowess of Gov. Larry Hogan to oust a handful of Senate incumbents and increase the governors ability to block legislation he opposes.

Republicans are targeting six seats representing Anne Arundel, Baltimore and Frederick counties and the Eastern Shore, all areas Hogan (R) won by wide margins in 2014.

An increase of five GOP seats in the 47-person chamber would mean Democrats would lack the 29 votes needed to override vetoes, which are one of the main ways a Republican can influence lawmaking in a deep-blue state with strong Democratic majorities in both legislative chambers.

Party leaders have dubbed the effort Drive for Five and are recruiting candidates, raising money and counting on Hogan, who plans to seek a second term, to campaign in down-ballot races as well.

If the Republicans can prevent vetoes from being overridden, it gives Hogan considerably more power than he has now, said Donald F. Norris, director of the School of Public Policy at University of Maryland Baltimore County.

Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan, center, sits between Senate President Thomas V. Mike Miller Jr., left, and House Speaker Michael E. Busch, who each preside over Democratic supermajorities in their chambers. (Patrick Semansky/AP)

Administration officials say removing the threat of overrides would force Democratic leaders to compromise more on issues like paid sick leave, which was proposed by Hogan and Democratic legislative leaders this year.

Hogans measure, which required sick leave for businesses with at least 50 employees and offered tax incentives for smaller companies to provide the benefit, died in committee.

The legislature instead approved a bill that forces businesses with at least 15 employees to offer sick leave. Hogan has until the end of the month to decide whether to veto it. If he does, Democrats would probably override the veto and enact the law once the legislature reconvenes.

Democratic lawmakers have reversed numerous Hogan vetoes in the past two years, including his attempts to block a renewable-energy bill that he said would increase electricity prices, a bill that sets up a system to rank transportation projects to determine which should get funding priority and legislation to restore voting rights for felons on parole or probation.

Party leaders say that opposition to President Trump should translate into high Democratic turnout in 2018 that will enable them to protect the veto-proof margins they have held in both chambers since 1922.

But Republicans point to splintering within the Democratic Party as a sign that the GOP can build on its 2014 successes, which included picking up nine additional legislative seats  seven in the House of Delegates and two in the Senate  and capturing the governorship in an upset victory over then-Lt. Gov. Anthony G. Brown (D).

The state GOPs last concerted push to end the veto-proof majority came in 2006, during the administrations of former governor Robert L. Ehrlich (R) and former president George W. Bush (R). It ended with the GOP losing six House seats and the governorship.

Republican officials say they will focus this time on the Senate because the party picked off most of the low-hanging fruit in the House during the last election, and because the GOP would need to win seven House seats to end the supermajority in that chamber.

They are targeting seats held by Sens. John C. Astle and James E. DeGrange Sr., both of Anne Arundel; James Brochin and Katherine A. Klausmeier, of Baltimore County; Ronald N. Young, of Frederick; and James N. Mathias Jr., of Worcester.

Those Democrats won in 2014 by an average of 8.6 points, while voters in their districts backed Hogan by an average of 30.4 points.

Young, who said he hasnt decided whether to run for reelection, won by the slimmest margin, defeating Republican Corey Stottlemyer by 1.8 points even as Hogan won the district by more than 15 points.

Restaurant franchise owner Craig Giangrande is seeking the Republican nomination this time. He says his profile is similar to Hogans in 2014, noting that both are businessmen and neither previously held elected office.

The state GOP has run radio, billboard and social-media ads suggesting Young is too liberal for the district he represents. But the 76-year-old former Frederick mayor stands firmly behind his record, which includes votes to override the governors veto of the renewable-energy bill and support for same-sex marriage, stricter gun-control laws and protections for undocumented immigrants.

I feel I can vote the way I feel is right and win, Young said. If that makes me more vulnerable, I can handle that.

Klausmeier, 67, won reelection by 22.6 points in 2014, the widest margin among the six Democrats. But Hogan won that district by 36.8 points.

Del. Christian Miele (R-Baltimore County), a first-term lawmaker, is considering a run for Klausmeiers seat. He plans to hold a fundraiser with Hogan in June.

State party chairman Dick Haire said the governor will be far more actively engaged in legislative races than he was during the 2016 election cycle, when his campaigning for congressional candidates was limited.

The governors interests and our targeted seats are 100 percent aligned, Haire said.

Mathias, a former Ocean City mayor who has served in the legislature since 2006, said he is absolutely running for reelection. He defeated Republican Mike McDermott by 3.4 points in 2014, but Hogan won the district by 41 points.

The 65-year-old lawmaker stood with the governor when he issued a controversial executive order requiring schools to start after Labor Day. He also voted to override Hogans veto of the renewable-energy bill, a move that drew attacks from the state GOP.

First-term Del. Mary Beth Carozza (Worcester) said she might seek the Republican nomination to challenge Mathias.

I believe real and lasting change only comes with two terms for the governor and reinforcement from the House and Senate, she said.

During the state GOPs spring convention in late April, Haire played part of a radio interview in which Senate President Thomas V. Mike Miller Jr. (D-Calvert) said he thinks Republicans are going to pick up a couple of seats in his chamber next year and that Brochin appeared to be especially vulnerable.

Itll be hard for a Democrat to hold onto that seat, Miller said in the interview.

Millers office did not respond to a request for comment for this article.

Democrats say the narrow Senate victories in 2014 proved that incumbents can withstand a challenge even in a down year for the party, which at the time lacked a strong ground game and a gubernatorial candidate who generated widespread voter enthusiasm.

Party chairwoman Kathleen Matthews said grass-roots activists will be united and focused this cycle on challenging the Trump-Hogan agenda.

But GOP officials are convinced that they can win the targeted seats with strong turnout among Republicans and independents. They hope to energize those voters with issue-related advertising during and around the next legislative session, a practice that is allowed under language added to state regulations in 2013.

The Republicans didnt have enough money for such efforts during the 2014 election cycle. This year, thanks to a burst of fundraising that began after Hogans election, the party was able to do things like sponsor billboards encouraging residents to tell Astle and Klausmeier to stop opposing Governor Hogan and his priorities.

The GOP says it is organizing rapid-response teams to hold rallies and counter-demonstrations throughout the state and is aggressively growing its social-media presence.

More than 16,600 people shared, liked or commented on the state partys Facebook page during the last week of the legislative session, giving it 17 times the level of engagement as the state Democrats page and making it the most successful state-party page in the country during that span, according to Facebook analytics data provided by party officials.

Howard Ernst, a political-science professor at the U.S. Naval Academy, said the success of the GOP effort will hinge largely on the size of Governor Hogans coattails.

The wild card in the race is the anti-Trump backlash, he said. Governor Hogan has successfully insulated himself from Trump so far, but time will tell if he can continue.
Richard S. Madaleno Jr. has been in the Maryland Senate since 2007; before that, he served two terms in the House. (Evelyn Hockstein/For The Washington Post)

Maryland state Sen. Richard S. Madaleno Jr. (D-Montgomery) told a crowd of activists rallying around dedicated Metro funding Sunday that he will seek the Democratic nomination to challenge Gov. Larry Hogan (R) in 2018.

In a soaring speech appealing to the pro-worker crowd, Madaleno said that he supported prioritizing public transit in the D.C. region and that the region must unite to find bold solutions to solve our problems with the Metro system.

Im committed to giving you a new, bold vision for our area  one that focuses on collaboration, he said. It is time for a change, which is exactly why Im running for governor.

The crowd erupted in applause.

Madaleno, a member of the Senate since 2007, has been a leading liberal critic of Hogan in Annapolis and is vice chair of the powerful Senate Budget and Taxation Committee. He was the first openly gay lawmaker elected to the Senate.

With more than 13 months until the June 26, 2018 primary, he is one of eight Democrats who have expressed interest in the race.

All eight participated in a Western Maryland straw poll of potential Democratic gubernatorial candidates last month. U.S. Rep. John Delaney (Md.), whose district includes Western Maryland, finished first in the poll with 66 votes. Baltimore County Executive Kevin Kamenetz received 41 votes; former NAACP executive director Benjamin Jealous received 22; Baltimore attorney James L. Shea garnered 16; former state attorney general Douglas F. Gansler won 13; and Madaleno and Prince Georges County Executive Rushern Baker III each received 12.

Entrepreneur Alec Ross, the only Democrat who has officially launched his campaign, did not get any votes in the straw poll.

Madaleno served four years in the House of Delegates before joining the Senate. Before that, he was a budget analyst with what is now the state Department of Legislative Services.

He and several of the other hopefuls have been busy in recent weeks, appearing at Democratic gatherings around the state. He told The Washington Post he will make a formal announcement of his candidacy at a later date.

Hogan has said he will seek a second term, but he has not formally launched his campaign.

The governor has recorded record-high approval ratings during his first two years in office, although Marylands heavily Democratic electorate expressed some doubts in a recent Washington Post-University of Maryland poll about leaving the governors office in GOP hands in 2018.

At Sundays event, Madaleno said Maryland has had misplaced priorities when it comes to transportation funding. He accused the state of spending too much on road projects at the expense of mass transit. We can fix [Metro] he said. We have the money in the state of Maryland. Its a question of priorities.
Protesters rally in front of the Trump Building on Wall Street during a March 2017 demonstration against the Trump administration's travel ban. (Drew Angerer/Getty Images)

President Trumps revised travel ban faces two major legal tests this month when federal appeals courts on opposite coasts take up challenges to an executive order that the administration says is urgently needed for national security and that opponents say discriminates against Muslims.

The first hearing comes Monday in Richmond.

Federal immigration law gives the president broad authority to bar foreign travelers from entering the United States. The Trump administrations new policy temporarily suspends the U.S. refugee program and blocks new visas to citizens of six majority Muslim countries.

Before the order could take effect in March, a judge in Maryland and one in Hawaii halted enforcement of critical sections, pointing to comments by Trump and top advisers indicating that they wanted to bar Muslims from entry.

On Monday, a panel of more than a dozen judges on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 4th Circuit will consider whether to leave in place the Maryland decision siding with challengers who say the order violates First Amendment prohibitions on government denigration of a particular religion.

Acting Solicitor General Jeffrey B. Wall is set to defend President Trumps entry ban at the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 4th Circuit on May 8. (Department of Justice)

Judges are likely to have questions about the administrations national security justification for targeting the six countries  Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen  and about the relevance of Trumps statements before and after he took the oath of office.

[Judges take Trump at his word  and thats not been good for the president]

In his March ruling, Maryland U.S. District Court Judge Theodore D. Chuang wrote that the history of public statements continues to provide a convincing case that the purpose of the Second Executive Order remains the realization of the long-envisioned Muslim ban.

Justice Department lawyers want the Richmond-based appeals court to lift Chuangs injunction that applies only to the part of Trumps order that would temporarily block new visas for 90 days.

How quickly the 4th Circuit will rule is not known. But in an unusual step, the court bypassed the traditional three-judge panel and will review the case as a full complement of as many as 14 judges. Judge J. Harvie Wilkinson III, a Ronald Reagan nominee, will not participate Monday because his son-in-law, Jeffrey B. Wall, will argue the governments case as acting solicitor general.

To resurrect the administrations policy in full, the Justice Department would have to win in Richmond and in its upcoming appeal of the Hawaii ruling at the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit  or eventually persuade the Supreme Court to intervene.

A three-judge panel of the 9th Circuit has scheduled oral arguments for May 15 in Seattle.

Omar Jadwat, senior staff attorney with the American Civil Liberties Union, is set to argue against the Trump travel ban on May 8 in Richmond. (ACLU)

[Second federal judge blocks revised Trump travel ban]

The revised travel order followed widespread confusion and protest in January after a first executive order led to deportations along with the detentions of people already aboard flights to the United States as the order was signed. The 9th Circuit in February upheld a court order that suspended the original travel ban, leading to the presidents revamped version.

The new order dropped Iraq from the list of affected countries and did not touch those with permanent residency status and valid visa holders, as the first order had.

In Richmond, government attorneys will ask the court to limit its review to the language of the order. The ban does not mention religion, and the administration says it is designed to give officials time to assess existing screening procedures for entries from countries that Congress and the Obama administration previously identified as areas of concern.

The Justice Department said in court filings that the lower courts reliance on campaign statements made by then-candidate Trump is unprecedented: The court should have focused on official acts, not perceived subjective motivations.

Top law enforcement officials from 13 states, including Texas, Arizona and Florida, backed the administration in court filings, urging the 4th Circuit not to interfere with an area of strongest executive authority and arguing that foreign citizens do not have a constitutional right to enter the United States.

[Federal appeals court maintains suspension of Trump's immigration order]

The challenge in Maryland was brought by organizations and individuals, including Muslim U.S. citizens and Muslim permanent residents who are trying to reunite with relatives who would be affected by the ban. They are being represented by the National Immigration Law Center and the American Civil Liberties Union.

Allowing the policy to go forward harms the individual plaintiffs by prolonging their separation from their loved ones, most of whom remain in dangerous conditions abroad, according to their attorneys, led by ACLU lawyer Omar Jadwat.

Opponents argue that the presidents travel order specifically violates the establishment clause of the First Amendment, which forbids the government from favoring or condemning a particular religion.

The anti-Muslim message embodied by the order singles them out for particular condemnation and stigma because they are Muslim immigrants, the ACLU filing said.

Diverse organizations representing technology companies in Massachusetts, art museum directors, religious leaders and labor unions filed briefs opposing the administrations policy.

More than 40 former national security, foreign policy and intelligence officials, including former secretaries of state Madeleine K. Albright and John F. Kerry, also signed on to a brief saying the blanket ban is misguided and would undermine U.S. security by adding to the narrative that the United States is at war with Islam. The order will impair relationships with the very Muslim communities that law enforcement professionals rely on to address the threat of terrorism.

National security is not at risk, the former officials said, because travelers are already subjected to vigorous vetting before visas are issued.

A coalition of about 50 constitutional law professors joined a separate brief insisting the presidents remarks must be considered. Even if the court defers to the president when it comes to immigration and national security, the professors said, it is hard to imagine a clearer case of governmental action motived by animus toward a single religion.

Attorneys opposed to the ban drew parallels to the 1944 Supreme Court case Korematsu v. United States and urged caution. In that case, the court deferred to the executives national security concerns to uphold the internment of Japanese Americans during World War II.

University of Texas law professor Stephen Vladeck, who signed on to a brief challenging the first iteration of the ban, said Korematsus lesson is that even  if not especially  when the government claims a discriminatory policy is justified by amorphous national security concerns, courts should treat such claims with great skepticism.

Matt Zapotosky contributed to this report.
Virginia transportation officials have scrapped plans to build a flyover ramp near the Dunn Loring-Merrifield Metro station and instead will find another way to deal with a Metro power substation that sits in the path of its planned expansion of Interstate 66.

The announcement by Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe (D) drew cheers from area residents, who were fearful that the concrete structure would disrupt their quiet neighborhood and hurt their property values.

But for many residents of the community in northeastern Fairfax County, the victory is just one win in a protracted fight over the project.

The ramp was part of a $2.3 billion project to add two toll lanes and three regular lanes in each direction on I-66, from Gainesville, in Prince William County, to the Capital Beltway in an effort to ease congestion on the perennially gridlocked highway.

Were very encouraged by it, resident Mary Hagopian said. But I dont think the fight is over.

Virginia transportation officials have scrapped plans to build a flyover ramp near the Dunn Loring-Merrifield Metro station in Fairfax County. (Matt McClain/The Washington Post)

Added state Del. Mark L. Keam (D-Fairfax), who represents the area, Just because we resolved this one issue with the flyover doesnt mean the rest of the issues have gone away.

Even so, McAuliffes announcement on WTOPs Ask the Governor show gives those who have watched the project with growing anxiety some hope that they might win concessions on other concerns, including a plan to allow large trucks to use the toll lanes and the inclusion of storm-water ponds near a play area for children in the neighborhood.

Susan Shaw, director of Mega Projects for the Virginia Department of Transportation, said the proposal for a flyover ramp surfaced only after VDOT officials began to reconsider an earlier plan to move the substation to land north of I-66, which the department was already acquiring for the project. Shaw said that plan was doable but not without risks. Among them: The power station would be rebuilt in a residential neighborhood, she said. There also was the possibility that moving it could delay the project, because relocating Metro-owned buildings and utilities can be complicated and expensive.

[Virginia picks new partner to build I-66 HOT lanes]

In the meantime, Shaw said, VDOT had begun the process for selecting a partner to build and operate the toll lanes that will be part of the I-66 expansion. The contract was awarded last year to I-66 Express Mobility Partners. Aware of VDOTs concerns about relocating the power station, the group proposed an alternative: Instead of moving the power substation, a ramp would be built over it.

Revisions to the early plan werent immediately shared with residents, who said they learned about it only after seeing it mentioned on Twitter. Part of that, Shaw said, was because of confidentiality requirements around the selection of a private partner that would build the project.

The result was that some residents felt blindsided because the new plans included elements  such as the storm-water ponds  that were not part of an agreement they reached with VDOT officials in 2015.

And then there was the flyover.

We understood there was this black period when we werent going to hear anything, said Deana Heier, one of the residents who has helped organize the neighborhood. But once they picked the private partner, these designs could have come out.

Now the flyover is no more.

We are back to the drawing board, Shaw said.

Shaw said its possible that the substation could be moved to another location on Metro property. Express Mobility Partners will be responsible for the cost as long as it is equal to or less than its original proposal to build a flyover ramp. If it is more expensive, it would be up to the state to make up the difference. If, however, the plan saves money, the state would share in the savings, she said.

In recent days, both VDOT and representatives of Express Mobility Partners have met with residents, raising hopes that a compromise can be worked out.

[Virginia transportation chief makes a pitch for I-66 HOT lanes]

The overarching goal is to limit or reduce the horizontal and vertical footprint of the project while still moving more people safely and efficiently, Shaw said in an email. Every effort will be made to maintain the horizontal and vertical footprints that were presented previously to the public.

Construction on the project is expected to begin this year and be completed in 2022. VDOT officials said the expansion will add 22.5 miles of roadway and will mean that, by 2040, about 150,000 more people each day will be able to move through the corridor. Drivers will have the option of traveling in regular lanes or paying a toll to use express lanes. The toll, like those on the 495 Express Lanes, will vary depending on traffic.

Neighbors say they understand the need to expand I-66 but add that they just want to ensure that its done in a way that keeps their concerns in mind.

Were not trying to stop this project, Heier said. Were trying to make sure it doesnt forget about us, run over us. Im still hopeful [we] can get back to a place where theres more of a discussion. In a way, its easy we all agree on one thing: Everyone wants traffic to get better here.
When my friends Katy and Nathan moved to Boston in 2014, they joined November Project, whose members gather for free early-morning workouts in cities around the country. It didnt take long before they were hooked  on the workouts and the community.

Like an organized religion without the religion, Nathan says, November Project offered a network of people with shared values, including interests in good health and friendships as well as a willingness to embrace such rituals as hugs and chants. For me, he says, its essentially the Church of Playing Outside and Working Out.

It may sound almost cultlike  a description that some November Project devotees embrace. And theyre not alone. Options for group exercise with ritualistic twists and devoted followers include CrossFit, SoulCycle, Bikram Yoga and Fit4Mom (along with plenty of gyms and studios that sell fitness alongside promises of fun and friends).

For some, a tribe-like atmosphere keeps them coming back for more. But others fail to get hooked, and then drift away.

Its not clear what separates these joiners from those whod rather not, and that mystery echoes a bigger question facing both fitness studios and public health experts: Why do so few people stick with exercise?

Despite national guidelines that recommend 150 minutes of moderate activity each week for major health benefits plus strength work such as weights or push-ups, only about half of American adults get enough aerobic exercise, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Nearly 30 percent get no physical activity in their spare time.

Even when intentions are good, about half of people who start exercise programs drop out within the first six months, says Rodney Dishman, an exercise scientist at the University of Georgia in Athens. After two years, Dishman says, 80 percent have given up. Those numbers havent budged over three decades of research, he adds.

Researchers have found plenty of reasons for quitting, including waning motivation, lack of easy access to exercise facilities or walkable neighborhoods, and false expectations about how quickly results will appear. Injury and discomfort are other common excuses, says Jack Raglin, an exercise psychologist at Indiana University in Bloomington.

To get folks to keep coming back, many fitness studios work to create an enticing environment, often with an emphasis on community, even peer pressure, and competition.

SoulCycles website promises empowerment to clients, claiming it doesnt just change bodies, it changes lives. November Project has a page on its website for teasing people who said theyd come but then skipped a morning workout. And in Minneapolis, a studio called The Firm boasts: We make working out an event, driven by pride, passion and love, building community one name at a time.

Theres no publicly available data to show whether the community-building  or the guilt  works. But social support can be a powerful motivational tool, some research suggests.

Raglins research, for example, has found that, when people enrolled in an exercise program with a spouse, more than 90 percent stuck with it for a year  compared with slightly more than half of those who enrolled alone. When one member of a couple drops out, though, the other usually does, too, Raglin says. That echoes other research showing that friends and family can enhance or sabotage exercise rates.

And not everyone responds the same way to social pressure. In a 2016 study, British researchers found that CrossFit members reported a greater sense of community belongingness than did people who went to traditional gyms. But overall, the two groups exercised the same amount, suggesting that people who like to exercise with others may simply seek out more-social gyms.

It either works, Raglin says, or it backfires.

I have heard both positive and negative stories about group exercise experiences from friends, including plenty of CrossFit fans and some who tried it but eventually moved on. One thought shed love the workouts but found that she was comparing herself to a mostly younger clientele who spent lots of time together outside the gym  without her.

It felt, she says, like grade-school gym again, frankly.

And while injury rates are not tracked, risks can rise when people jump into new exercise routines, Raglin says, especially for high-intensity workouts. Even elite athletes are careful to plan recovery and rest days.

If your goal is partly recreational and partly stress relief and partly enjoying yourself, he says, then focusing exclusively on high-intensity stuff may not be the right recipe.

Relying too much on a group for motivation can also set people up for failure if an injury, busy schedule or social situation distances them from the group, Dishman says.

The same goes for other motivators, he adds, such as the desire to lose weight, live longer or improve heart health. Exercise for far-off goals takes too much time to keep many people going.

Instead, Dishman argues, physical activity is most likely to become a lifelong habit when the desire to do it becomes part of a persons identity  when motivation comes not from guilt but from a feeling that Im exercising because I see myself as an active person.

A social group or studio membership may provide a pathway to that identity, Dishman says. Eventually, though, satisfaction should come just from moving your body.
Sometimes it feels like the great unspoken secret between doctors and nurses. The words that we dare not utter to patients and families. Perhaps it is our hope that were wrong. Perhaps we dread providing unwanted news. Perhaps we dont want to face reality or extinguish our patients hope.

As a daughter, I felt that sense of sadness and dread, waiting to hear the news that would not be told. It was September 1989, and I was only 20 years old and just beginning my first year of medical school. It was less than a week from my first exam when my mother developed intractable nausea and vomiting. After several days of suffering at home, she decided it was time to go to the hospital.

I distinctly remember her sitting at the dining room table and saying goodbye to each of her seven children, starting with the youngest daughter, who had just started kindergarten, and finishing with me, the eldest, who had just started medical school.

I became angry with her that evening. I told her that it wasnt time for goodbyes; she would spend only a couple of days in the hospital, and shed be better, and shed come home. But she knew. She knew it would be her last true goodbye.

Initially, with intravenous fluids and anti-emetics for nausea, she improved. Then during one of my visits with her, she pulled out her IV and tried to rush into the hallway. I called out to the staff to assist me. When she got back into bed, she looked at me wide-eyed. At that moment, she did not know who I was. By that fifth day at a great Boston hospital, she had become acutely confused. I had yet to know her diagnosis, but at that moment I knew that she was dying.

I told my six siblings what was happening. They were tearful, each one of them, except my youngest brother. At 9 years of age, he stood there stunned, showing no emotion.

A few days later, we were given the diagnosis: carcinomatous meningitis, a spread of cancer cells to the spinal fluid. That evening, I sat with my medical books and read. With or without chemotherapy, the prognosis was no more than six months. I told my dad that things didnt look good. I didnt want to put my mother through more treatments. In the preceding two years, she had already undergone multiple rounds of chemotherapy for breast cancer, which left her tired, and radiation, which had burned her skin. Despite her situation, she began spinal infusions of methotrexate.

After a few weeks, she was discharged home, with hospice. She lay in a hospital bed in my sisters bedroom. Then there was a seizure. The ambulance was called, and she was taken back to the hospital.

There was no more chemotherapy, and her oncologist no longer saw her at the hospital.

Each Sunday after church in Natick, Id drive my siblings and sometimes a priest to the hospital in Boston to visit her. I was so emotional, unable to focus, and beyond that, nervous having a priest sitting next to me. Hed grip the handle above the passenger-side door as I drove the city streets. Id slam on the brakes, and hed make the sign of the cross. Im sure he feared each ride would be his last.

I dreaded walking the long hallway to Baker 5. By this time, my mother had become increasingly lethargic. She was no longer arousable. She was no longer my mother; her failing body was still there, but she was already gone. My visits became less frequent. I could not bear to see her that way.

After my mother had been in the hospital for several weeks, one December Sunday morning as my dad sat by her side, an unsuspecting phlebotomist came to draw blood for her daily labs. My father yelled at him. Whats the point? Cant you see shes dying? Soon after, a doctor appeared; intravenous fluids were stopped and lab draws discontinued.

Late the following night, we received the call at home. As I picked up the extension, I heard the doctor tell my father the news. Mr. Youssef, Im sorry to tell you that Angel passed away this evening. I accompanied my father on that last drive to Boston.

I saw my mother for the last time. Her face and eyelids were swollen, her skin was gray and her body emaciated.

It was nearly 12 weeks from her last goodbye to us at the dining room table.

I wondered: Did it need to be this way? Was there a better way? I was a mere few weeks into medical school and there was no Google then, but it had been clear to me that she was dying. Perhaps those maintenance fluids could have been stopped sooner.

I wonder what was said during the physicians rounds each day: This is an unfortunate 47-year-old female with metastatic breast cancer, diagnosed with carcinomatous meningitis and seizures; shes been unresponsive for six weeks; she has seven children, and cant be sent home because her husband works and the family is unable to care for her. Plan is to continue IV fluids.

Im 47 years old, with two teenagers of my own, living in that very same home. As both a hospitalist and a mother, I reflect on her life, her illness and her death. I hope that when I round on my patients I have the courage, patience and empathy to speak the honest words that need to be spoken.

Perhaps the great unspoken secret is not really a secret.

This article is reprinted from Kevinmd.com.
VENEZUELA

Thousands of women protest across country

Women banged on pans and some stripped off their white shirts Saturday as they protested Venezuelas socialist government in an event the opposition billed as a womens march against repression.

Local media carried a video showing people toppling a statue of the late president, Hugo Chavez, the day before in the western state of Zulia.

Thousands of women took over streets in major cities. Wearing the white shirts of opponents of the countrys increasingly embattled government, the women sang the national anthem and chanted, Who are we? Venezuela! What do we want? Freedom!

Some sported makeshift gear to protect against tear gas and rubber bullets. Others marched topless. One woman came in her wedding dress.

As they have almost daily for five weeks, police in riot gear again took control of major roads in the capital. Clashes between police and protesters have killed about three dozen people in the past month.

Local news media carried a video circulating on Twitter of the Chavez statue being pulled down. Media outlets reported that students destroyed the statue as they vented their anger over food shortages, inflation and increasing crime.

Several young men could be seen bashing the statue, which depicted Chavez standing in a saluting pose, as onlookers hurled insults at the socialist hero.

Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino on Friday denounced the protest movement and said opposition terrorists were attempting a kind of nonconventional warfare.

 Associated Press

GAZA STRIP

Hamas picks new political chief

Hamas, the Palestinian group that controls the Gaza Strip, said Saturday that it chose Ismail Haniyeh, a charismatic politician, as its new political chief, the latest move in an effort to refresh the militant Islamist groups leadership and manifesto.

Thousands of women dressed in white marched in Venezuela's capital on Saturday to keep pressure on President Nicolas Maduro, whose authority is being increasingly challenged by protests and deadly unrest. (Gustavo Granado/AFP/Getty Images)

Haniyeh, seen as a relative moderate with close ties to Hamass military wing, will move from Gaza City to Hamas headquarters in Doha, Qatar, to take over from Khaled Meshal, who has been responsible for the organizations foreign relations and financing for the past 12 years.

The announcement caps several months of voting among the groups far-flung members in Gaza, the West Bank, Israeli jails and abroad to select a replacement for Meshal, who sought to step down.

A few days earlier, Hamas announced a revised charter that eased its position on Israel and distanced it from Islamist groups in the region, in what was seen as an attempt to reverse years of growing isolation in the region.

 Associated Press

At least 58 die in two bus accidents in Africa: Thirty-two schoolchildren, two teachers and a minibus driver were killed in Tanzania when their vehicle plunged into a roadside ravine in the northern tourist region of Arusha on Saturday, a senior police official said. Tanzania, the second-largest economy in East Africa, has a poor road-safety network, but buses remain the main form of public transport between towns. Meanwhile, at least 26 people were killed after two buses collided and caught fire on a busy highway in western Nigeria. Police said the two buses were trying to overtake other vehicles on the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway and ended up striking each other.

Irans state TV censors campaign documentary: Irans semiofficial news agency ILNA says state TV has censored a documentary released by President Hassan Rouhanis campaign, ahead of the upcoming presidential election. A Rouhani campaign official confirmed that one cut segment showed supporters chanting for opposition leader Mir Hossein Mousavi, who has been under house arrest since 2011. Also omitted was a picture of former president Mohammad Khatami, whose name and image have been banned in Iranian media since 2015. Both Mousavi and Khatami support Rouhani, who is running in the May 19 election.

Pope Francis says mother should not describe weapons: Pope Francis criticized the naming of the U.S. militarys biggest nonnuclear explosive as the Mother of All Bombs, saying the word mother should not be used in reference to a deadly weapon. The U.S. Air Force dropped a GBU-43 Massive Ordnance Air Blast (MOAB) on suspected Islamic State fighters in eastern Afghanistan last month. The nickname was widely used in briefings and reporting on the attack. I was ashamed when I heard the name, Francis told an audience of students Saturday. A mother gives life and this one gives death, and we call this device a mother. What is happening?

 From news services
Emmanuel Macron gestures from a car en route to Paris after voting during the second round of the French presidential election in Le Touquet, France, on May 7. (Christophe Morin/Bloomberg)

The voters of France acted responsibly and decently on Sunday. But they also sent a warning.

Frances new president-elect is Emmanuel Macron, a 39-year-old centrist whose 2-to-1 victory over the National Fronts Marine Le Pen offered yet another sign that the rise of President Trump is not the harbinger of a new and unhinged form of nationalism. For now, the center is holding, pluralism is hanging on, and the far right is being held in check. As they had in recent elections in Austria and the Netherlands, the friends of liberal democracy prevailed while Trump, who publicly tilted toward Le Pen, suffered another rebuke.

The fact that hackers went after Macrons campaign and dumped emails publicly just before the vote underscored the elections international stakes. Russia strongly favored Le Pen and subsidized her party while ultra-right groups across the West saw a Le Pen victory as a chance to break up an alliance system that includes the European Union and NATO. The latest cyberattack increases the urgency of understanding Russias role in the 2016 election in the United States.

Macron ran as a confident and unflinching advocate of pluralism and openness, and he will become, instantly, a major global voice for those values. But he will have to govern a deeply torn nation in a surly mood. Le Pens share of the vote, while not as high as her supporters had hoped and her detractors had feared, was still a major breakthrough for what had once been a pariah party long dismissed as a neofascist movement rooted in unsavory aspects of French history. Like Trump, Le Pen rallied voters in once prosperous but now ailing industrial towns. Macron swept Frances prospering and cosmopolitan big cities.

The creator of a political party that is only a year old, Macron faces significant challenges reflected in an unusually large number of blank protest ballots. He will have to take on or work around the countrys established parties in Junes legislative elections. He will also have to square the many circles of his neither-left-nor-right campaign platform. He promised both a more flexible regulatory climate for business and solid social protections for a 21st-century economy. Macron is both a former investment banker and a moderate social democrat. Demonstrating how these two sides of him fit together will define the drama of his presidency.

A particular test will be whether he is willing and able to nudge Germany toward a less austere and constraining economic approach to southern Europe. Macrons election could signal a renewed Franco-German alliance. This would be a tonic for the E.U., but only if it becomes the engine for both reform and more widely shared growth. German Chancellor Angela Merkel quickly expressed her pleasure over Macrons victory.

None of this will be easy, and if Macron is unsuccessful and the mainstream French right fails to revive itself, many in France fear that Le Pen (who is only 48 years old) could win the next election five years from now.

Macron was endorsed by former president Barack Obama, and their similarities are striking: youth, a hopeful attitude toward the future, a vaguely progressive spirit of moderation and a well-advertised desire to overcome traditional divides.

Less remarked upon is their shared political luck. When Obama ran for the U.S. Senate in Illinois in 2004  the job that, along with his Democratic National Convention speech that year, propelled him to the national stage  two of his strongest rivals were forced out of the running by sex and marital scandals.

Macron would likely not even have made it to Sundays runoff but for the troubles of two key competitors: Francois Fillon, the candidate of the mainstream right, was caught in a scandal involving paid no-show jobs for his family. The more moderate Socialist alternative, former prime minister Manuel Valls, lost his partys primary, opening new room in the political center.

But it took more than luck for the new French president to accomplish something most students of French politics thought impossible: From scratch, he built his own political party of the center, En Marche! Its name can be roughly translated as Onward, though it might best be seen as a compact Gallic version of John F. Kennedys Lets get this country moving again.

Macron grasped that the old left/right divide is an increasingly imperfect construct for the new fissures in a Western politics organized around openness, pluralism and a transnational approach on the one side, and nationalism, more closed economies and a rejection of pluralism on the other.

In the 1990s, President Bill Clinton and British Prime Minister Tony Blair spoke of creating a Third Way in politics between an old left and a new right. Under far more trying circumstances, Emmanuel Macrons victory gives the Third Way a second chance  and liberal democracy a much-needed reprieve.

Read more from E.J. Dionnes archive, follow him on Twitter or subscribe to his updates on Facebook.
Eighty-two Chibok schoolgirls were released from Boko Haram insurgents on Saturday, according to Nigerian officials, a major development in the case of the Islamist groups most famous victims, the teenagers whose kidnapping inspired the #BringBackOurGirls movement.

After months of negotiations, the girls were exchanged for some Boko Haram suspects held by the authorities, according to a government statement. They are expected to be sent to Nigerias capital on Sunday to meet the president.

In April 2014, Boko Haram kidnapped 276 girls from a secondary school in the town of Chibok. That mass abduction turned the insurgent group, operating mostly in the country's northeast, into a household name across much of the world. Then-first lady Michelle Obama tweeted a picture of herself holding a placard with the #BringBackOurGirls appeal.

A few dozen of the schoolgirls escaped, but more than 200 remained in Boko Haram custody until last October, when 21 were released as part of a negotiation with the militants. Many wondered what had happened to the rest of the girls  whether they had been killed in a military operation, or forcibly married to fighters who would refuse to release them.

Saturdays release of another 82 girls was joyous news for the town of Chibok, and also a victory for Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari, who had pledged repeatedly that he would find and free the girls.

Despite the focus on the Chibok schoolgirls, the group makes up only a tiny fraction of the thousands of people abducted by Boko Haram. In Damasak, on the Nigeria-Niger border, about 500 children are still missing, but they have received almost no attention within Nigeria or internationally. In many other towns and cities, hundreds more are still missing. Some 1.8 million people are now displaced across northeastern Nigeria because of the conflict, many of them living in near-famine conditions.

[The growing horror in a city where 500 children were kidnapped by Boko Haram]

The Nigerian government has declared victory in the fight against Boko Haram, but the group continues to operate in many rural parts of the countrys northeast. Borno state, where the bulk of the fight has occurred, is the size of Belgium, and includes vast tracts of forest, making it difficult to locate fighters  or their hostages  by air. The group has split into factions, with one of them maintaining ties to the Islamic State.

It is not clear which Boko Haram suspects were released in exchange for the girls. Insurgents have for more than a year been trying to use the girls as leverage for a prisoner exchange. In a video released last year, some of the kidnapped girls were shown pleading with the government to begin negotiations.

The governments statement thanked the government of Switzerland and the International Committee of the Red Cross for their role in the operation.

Read more

[The growing horror in a city where 500 children were kidnapped by Boko Haram]

Todays coverage from Post correspondents around the world

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North Korea has detained another American who worked at a private university in Pyongyang, taking to four the number of U.S. citizens being held by Kim Jong Uns regime.

Kim Hak-song, who worked for the Pyongyang University of Science and Technology, was detained Saturday, North Koreas state news agency said.

Kim was arrested on suspicion of hostile acts against North Korea, the official Korean Central News Agency said. A relevant institution is now conducting a detailed investigation into his crimes, it said.

No other details about him were available.

The State Department said Sunday that it was aware of reports that a U.S. citizen was detained in North Korea.

The security of U.S. citizens is one of the departments highest priorities, a spokeswoman said, adding that the department was working with the Swedish Embassy, which represents the United States in North Korea.

Due to privacy considerations, we have no further comment, she said.

Two weeks ago, North Korea detained another U.S. national, Kim Sang-dok or Tony Kim, as he waited to board a flight at Pyongyang airport. He had been teaching a class in international finance and management at the same university, known as PUST.

PUST is the only private educational institution in North Korea. It is run by a Korean American professor and funded largely by Christian groups. It began offering classes in English to the North Korean elite in 2010.

PUST has more than 60 foreign faculty members, including from the United States, Canada, Britain and China, its website says.

The mission of PUST is to pursue excellence in education, with an international outlook, so that its students are diligent in studies, innovative in research and upright in character, bringing illumination to the Korean people and the world, it says.

Suki Kim, a Korean American author who taught at PUST for six months and wrote a book about it, described the faculty members holding private prayer meetings and Bible study sessions.

All religion is banned in North Korea, a totalitarian state that requires all its citizens to worship the three generations of the Kim family who have run the country through a personality cult since the end of World War II.

However, PUST appears to have been tolerated as long as its Christian activities were conducted behind closed doors and the faculty did not try to proselytize to the North Korean students.

Two other U.S. citizens also are being held in North Korea.

One is former Virginia resident Kim Dong-chul, who had been living in the Chinese city of Yanji, near the border with North Korea, and working in a special economic zone in the North as head of a trade and hotel services company.

He is in his early 60s and was born in South Korea but became a U.S. citizen in 1987; he was sentenced to 10 years in prison in April 2016 on charges of spying.

The other is Otto Warmbier, a University of Virginia student who was detained for allegedly trying to steal a propaganda sign from a Pyongyang hotel on New Years Day last year while on a group tour.

Warmbier was convicted of subversion in March and sentenced to 15 years of hard labor. That was the last time that he was seen and that Swedish diplomats were allowed to meet with him.

The State Department advises Americans against traveling to North Korea, warning of the serious risk of arrest and long-term detention under North Koreas system of law enforcement.

The detentions come at a time of heightened tensions between Washington and Pyongyang.

President Trump has been vacillating between calling Kim Jong Un a smart cookie and threatening military action against North Korea, while the Kim regime has been warning of a nuclear attack in the face of any U.S. threat.

In the latest development, North Korea accused the United States and South Korean intelligence agencies on Friday of plotting to kill Kim Jong Un using biochemical substances.

North Koreas Foreign Ministry called the agencies hotbed of evils in the world and said in a statement that they had hatched a vicious plot to hurt the supreme leadership.

The statement said that a citizen, identified only as Kim, had been paid $290,000 for himself and his terrorist accomplices as part of the alleged plot. He was supposed to target the supreme leadership at a public event or military parade, using bomb terrorism that involved biochemical substances including radioactive substance and nano-poisonous substance, it said.

Kim is the most common surname on the Korean Peninsula, used by about a quarter of all Koreans.

Read more:

Worried about North Korea? Spare a thought for Otto Warmbiers family.

North Korea accuses CIA and South Korea of plotting to assassinate Kim Jong Un

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Personnel from the Pakistani border security force prepare to deploy to the Afghan border on May 5, 2017. (Banaras Khan/AFP via Getty Images)

Pakistan claimed Sunday to have killed 50 Afghan border troops, wounded 100 and destroyed five of their posts in sporadic clashes since Friday near a major border crossing. Afghan officials called the high death toll baseless but said that several days of cross-border skirmishes had left two Afghan troops dead.

The fighting in Afghanistans southern Kandahar province, and the conflicting accounts of what happened, highlighted the hair-trigger state of relations that persist between the two Muslim-majority countries, despite recent diplomatic overtures by Pakistan aimed at repairing ties strained by years of mistrust and finger-pointing over terrorist and insurgent activities in the region.

Pakistan claimed that Afghan border police had fired first, without provocation, at armed guards escorting Pakistani census teams in the border community of Chaman, killing nine people and injuring 40.

Afghan officials said the Pakistani team and its uniformed Frontier Corps guards had crossed into Afghan territory, but they did not provide a detailed account of the incidents.

A Pakistani Frontier Corps official, Maj. Gen. Nadeem Ahmad Anjum, told journalists at the border crossing that two Pakistani soldiers were killed and nine wounded in the fighting, which began Friday. He said Pakistan had fired in retaliation but was not happy over the Afghan casualties, as they are our Muslim brothers.

Afghan Border Police personnel keep watch during an ongoing battle between Pakistani and Afghan Border forces near the Durand line at Spin Boldak, in southern Kandahar province. Pakistani and Afghan officials have accused each other of killing civilians after gunfire erupted near a major border crossing where Pakistani census officials were carrying out a count, exacerbating tensions between the neighbours. (Javed Tanveer/AFP via Getty Images)

[Pakistan targets Afghan Pashtuns and refugees in anti-terrorism crackdown]

But Sediq Siddiqi, a senior spokesman for the Kabul government, said Sunday he totally rejected as very false the Pakistani claim of 50 Afghan dead. A spokesman for the Interior Ministry, which oversees the Afghan border police, also said the claim was totally baseless.

The eruption of violence came even as Pakistan has been trying to patch up relations. Last week a high-ranking military delegation and a group of legislators visited Kabul, and the chief of Pakistans military-run intelligence agency  long accused by Afghan officials of sponsoring violent Islamic militants and orchestrating terrorist attacks on Afghanistan  also made an unannounced, highly unusual visit.

But Afghan President Ashraf Ghani turned down their invitation to visit Pakistan, bluntly telling the Pakistanis that he would not come until Pakistan arrested and turned over the perpetrators of several high-profile attacks, including a bombing and an armed assault on an elite university in Kabul last August, which Afghanistan blamed on Taliban militants based in Pakistan.

The atmosphere is especially tense along the conflicted, 1,400-mile border, where both countries have accused each other of staging attacks. Chaman, the densely populated Pakistani town that abuts the community of Spin Boldak in Afghanistan, is often cited by Afghan officials as a launching pad for suicide bombers and for other insurgent activities. The border line itself has been historically disputed, making confrontations more likely.

Hundreds of miles north, near the other major crossing, at Torkham, both governments have recently traded attacks and accusations of harboring cross-border terrorists. In February, after a series of deadly terrorist bombings across Pakistan, the Islamabad government charged that the assailants had been based on the Afghan side. Pakistan shelled the area for days and shut the border down. It also accused its rival India of collaborating with Afghan intelligence forces in the area.

Both the recent flurry of goodwill gestures and the outbreak of fighting came as Pakistan and Afghanistan are waiting uneasily for the Trump administration to define its policies in the volatile region. So far, it seems likely that the United States will send more troops to Afghanistan as top U.S. military leaders have urged, but Washingtons treatment of Pakistan may depend on how far it goes to rein in Islamist militants based there.

In the past several days, analysts in both countries reflected the frustrations of their respective leaders. In Pakistan, an editorial in the News International newspaper Saturday declared, Peace needs to be a two-way street and right now Afghanistan is not cooperating. . . . Refusing to visit the country or firing on civilians and security forces destroys whatever little hope there is for progress.

In Afghanistan, some observers expressed disappointment that Ghani had rebuffed Pakistans invitation. They noted that he had just cemented a peace deal with Gulbuddin Hekmatyar, the fugitive Afghan warlord who returned to Kabul last week, and said Ghani should also take the opportunity to see if Pakistan is now more willing to play a role in bringing peace.

But Rahmatullah Nabil, a former head of Afghanistans intelligence service, said in a Facebook post that Pakistans diplomatic outreach had a hidden agenda and that its security establishment wants to soften the new U.S. policy, while continuing to support the Taliban, by pretending to show that they are willing to work with Afghan government.

This is a time-honored Pakistani tactic, he wrote.

Read more:

Pakistan shells border with Afghanistan as tensions rise over terrorist attacks

There is nothing here but dust: What Afghan deportees face after years as refugees in Pakistan

Todays coverage from Post correspondents around the world

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Muslim protesters take to the streets after Friday prayers in Jakarta on April 28 to demonstrate against outgoing Jakarta governor Basuki Tjahaja Purnama, who is on trial for blasphemy. (Goh Chai Hin/AFP via Getty Images)

In mid-February, Muhammad al-Khaththath, leader of the hard-line Muslim Community Forum, held court on the top floor of a Jakarta fast-food joint. With key deputies gathered around, he explained the direction in which he hoped to push relatively secular, democratic Indonesia.

Sharia would become the law of the land, non-Muslims would lose their leadership posts and thieves, in accordance with Islamic law, would have their hands lopped off, he said. He also criticized Joko Widodo, Indonesias pluralist president.

Widodo isnt a liberal Muslim, Khaththath said. Hes a Muslim who doesnt get it.

Six weeks later, Khaththath was detained on treason charges, accused of plotting a coup. But in an April 19 runoff election for governor of Jakarta, his preferred candidate, fellow Muslim Anies Baswedan, defeated the Christian incumbent, Basuki Tjahaja Purnama, after a campaign laden with religious overtones.

Since then, hard-line Islamist groups have gained stature; their ability to mobilize huge crowds was considered crucial to securing Baswedans lopsided victory. But a strong backlash also has emerged, led by moderate Muslims who worry that conservative Islamists are wrecking Indonesias tradition of religious tolerance.

Basuki Tjahaja Purnama, center, attends his ongoing trial for blasphemy April 25. (Miftahul Hayat/AFP via Getty Images)

[Indonesian voters oust Christian governor in show of Islamist power]

Khaththath had taken over as the leader of a powerful protest movement against Purnama, a Widodo ally, in the months leading up to the gubernatorial election, after the previous leader was summoned by police on pornography charges.

But police came for Khaththath in late March, escorting him from his hotel room to the detention facility where he remains. A few weeks later, on the eve of the election, Khaththath managed to send a letter to his supporters.

From my detention room, I tap on the sky door, Khaththath wrote. He hoped the tap would be felt by every Muslim heart and would persuade the faithful to choose a Muslim governor.

Not every Muslim heart felt the tap, but enough did to secure a clean victory for Baswedan. The high-stakes election campaign was marked by the largest conservative Islamist rallies in generations, as well as by intensifying  and controversial  legal efforts by the Indonesian government to rein in the hard-line groups leadership.

[Ethnic Chinese still grapple with discrimination in Indonesia]

Now that the election is over, many moderate Muslim leaders say they are treating it as a wake-up call about the growing power of Indonesian hard-line organizations and the need to take stern action to stop them.

I am not worried about the candidates who won, said Sidarto Danusobroto, a former speaker of the Senate and key adviser to the president. I am worried about the groups that supported them  the Islamic Defenders Front and Hizbut Tahrir.

Islam is different from how the Islamic Defenders Front portrays it, said Mohammad Nuruzzaman, head of strategic research for Ansor, a moderate Muslim youth movement that has been working with the police to break up hard-line Muslim gatherings.

In one of a number of efforts in the past few weeks to curb extremists, police officials and nationalist groups in the central Javanese town of Semarang prevented the Islamic Defenders Front from opening a branch.

We have a tolerant city, said Iwan Santoso, a representative from the Red and White, a group that takes its name from the colors of the Indonesian flag. We dont want students to be instigated.

This past week, police in East Java, apparently acting at the urging of moderate Muslims or nationalists, shut down a planned university event featuring Felix Siauw, a Chinese Indonesian convert to Islam who has become a major hard-line preacher. In a Web video subsequently uploaded to his Facebook page, Siauw said, We should have a nation of laws, and the laws should apply to all.

But moderate Muslim and civil society groups increasingly are calling for bans on Muslim organizations that push for the creation of a caliphate. Nuruzzaman, of Ansor, compared such organizations to the Indonesian Communist Party, a boogeyman from Indonesias past.

The goal of Communists and those who support the caliphate are similar  both want all countries in the world to be run under one system, he said.

[Islamists claim new Indonesia currency has communist symbols]

Last Tuesday, police announced that they were reviewing the legality of Hizbut Tahrir because of the international Islamist groups embrace of a global caliphate. Muhammad Ismail Yusanto, a spokesman for Hizbut Tahrir here, protested that its goal of establishing a caliphate does not violate the Indonesian constitution.

All we do is convey Islams teachings, he said in an interview. Besides, he argued, the constitution can be amended.

Hizbut Tahrir is banned in many countries around the world, including Germany, China, Egypt and numerous other Arab states. But it has operated for nearly 20 years in democratic Indonesia.

Some rights activists oppose banning the group. Andreas Harsono, Indonesia representative of Human Rights Watch, said that although Hizbut Tahrirs ideology is deeply discriminatory  toward women, LGBT people and minority faiths  that does not mean the organization should be shut down.

It is not illegal to say, I want to discriminate against women,  he argued, acknowledging that the case is complicated.

More worrying to Harsono are the Indonesian governments efforts to pursue radical religious leaders for alleged offenses unrelated to their Islamist activism, or on exaggerated charges. Habib Rizieq, perhaps the nations most powerful hard-line figure, was brought in for questioning by police over pornographic images he is alleged to have exchanged with a woman who is not his wife, while Khaththath, the detained Islamist leader, was charged with trying to organize a coup.

Its very concerning, said Harsono, who said he knows of no evidence that Khaththath was plotting the violent overthrow of the government.

[Indonesias top Muslim cleric issues fatwa against fake news]

Marcus Mietzner, an associate professor at Australian National University, expressed concern that heavy-handed charges would harm Indonesias democracy.

What they should not do is arbitrarily throw criminal charges at individual leaders that are either excessive, like the treason accusation, or unrelated, as the pornography case, he wrote in an email. This, in turn, will only increase the sense of victimization among conservative Muslims.

That already appears to be happening. Achmad Sofyan, a Khaththath deputy who was also investigated by police, said: It isnt fair. The case was engineered.

Mietzner suggested that the government has legal ways to handle hard-line groups but has opted for different tactics in part to avoid a messy public debate. If the state prosecuted these groups, it would have to argue in front of the courts why Islam should not be Indonesias primary legal-political foundation, he wrote.

For Nuruzzaman, the moderate Muslim leader, it is crucial to oppose the hard-liners, whatever the difficulties.

We dont want the government to take repressive measures, he said. Nonetheless, we have to confront them.

Read more

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French President-elect Emmanuel Macron holds hands with his wife, Brigitte, during a victory celebration outside the Louvre Museum in Paris. (Thibault Camus/AP)

Three years ago, hardly anyone knew his name.

But in a once-unimaginable scenario, Emmanuel Macron  at 39, the boy wonder of an aging political establishment  won the French presidency Sunday with a tidal wave of popular support. He will soon be Frances youngest head of state since Napoleon Bonaparte as well as its first modern president who does not belong to either of the center-left or center-right parties that have run this country for 60 years.

After the Brexit campaigns success in Britain and Donald Trumps upset victory in the U.S. presidential election, Macrons triumph was billed as having slowed the global tide of anti-establishment populism. In the votes second and final round, he defeated Marine Le Pen, the leader of the far-right National Front, an anti-immigrant party tainted by the perception that it is tolerant of anti-Semitism and Nazi nostalgia.

I will fight with all my strength against the division that is undermining and defeating us, Macron said just after the results were announced. For the next five years, I will serve on your behalf with humility, devotion and determination.

Macrons story is of a highly improbable ascent in a system that typically rewards entrenched political dynasties.

(Adam Taylor,Jason Aldag/The Washington Post)

Its entirely unprecedented in the Fifth Republic, said Francois Heisbourg, a well-known French defense expert who has advised Macron on security and terrorism issues. Its extraordinarily unusual, the way he has broken through the system  coming from nowhere.

[Macron campaign says its emails have been subjected to massive hacking]

Macron, who has never held elected office, has now been elected to one of the most powerful executive positions in the Western world and will be the leader of Europes second-largest economy. He did it, analysts say, through a combination of luck and a campaign message attuned to a new political moment.

In France, 2017 proved an ideal year to run as an independent candidate. A rare political vacuum emerged, and Macron  a former Socialist economy minister who stepped down from his post in July  was able to take full advantage.

With the public frightened by a slew of terrorist attacks by Islamist extremists, and with the unemployment rate in double digits, Frances Socialist Party, under President Francois Hollande, sank to historic levels of unpopularity. Hollande promised in December not to seek reelection, but his Socialist stand-in, Benoit Hamon, was eliminated in the elections first round, winning a meager 6.35 percent of the vote.

Frances mainstream conservative party, Les Republicains (the Republicans), was undermined by a spending scandal involving Francois Fillon, its contender. Once the undisputed favorite, Fillon suffered a fatal blow after Le Canard Enchaine, a French satirical newspaper, accused him of funneling about 900,000 euros ($990,000) of public funds to his wife and children for work they never did.

French President-elect Emmanuel Macron and his wife, Brigitte, celebrate on the stage at his victory rally near the Louvre. (Philippe Wojazer/European Pressphoto Agency)

Macron perceived that the new divide among French voters was not between left and right but rather between an open and closed society, Heisbourg said.

Defending an open, multicultural society was a central component of En Marche (Onward), the movement Macron launched in 2016. Globalization can be a great opportunity, he said at one point on the campaign trail. There is no such thing as French culture, he said at another. There is culture in France, and it is diverse.

The great French novels are often stories of ambitious young men from the provinces who come to Paris to seek their fortunes. For many, Macron is no exception. The literary son of doctors from provincial Amiens, he graduated from Frances elite Ecole Nationale dAdministration, the traditional breeding ground of presidents.

Some in the French news media have placed the first sign of Macrons formidable ambitions in, of all places, his love life  namely, in his dogged pursuit of his wife, Brigitte, his former high school teacher and a woman 24 years his senior. As Brigitte Macron told a French documentary maker last year, Bit by bit, he defeated all my resistance, in an amazing way, with patience. The candidate showed the same persistence in capturing the Elysee Palace.

[Macron is 39 and his wife is 64. French women say its about time]

I have known failures, sometimes bitter, but I have never allowed myself to turn away, Macron wrote in his 2016 book Revolution.

That doggedness  along with a calculating eye for useful associations, critics say  brought him into contact with many prominent French thinkers and government officials, who then helped him advance.

In the late 1990s, while still a graduate student, Macron worked as an assistant to Paul Ricoeur, a prominent French intellectual and writer; by the mid-2000s, he was working for the Finance Ministry, on a commission dedicated to stimulating economic growth. It was there that he met Jacques Attali, a prominent economist and Parisian power broker who many say later ushered Macron along a speedy path to the highest echelons of the Hollande administration.

In an interview, Attali, who has also served as an adviser to the Macron campaign, rejected out of hand the idea that the candidate was mainly a gifted networker.

He would be where he is today with or without my help, Attali said.

If Macrons ambition has led him to considerable success, it has also earned him enemies  including, some say, Hollande, whom he served as economy minister but then abandoned to launch his party.

Emmanuel Macron betrayed me methodically, Hollande said last year, according to the daily newspaper Le Monde.

Jean Pisani-Ferry, another Macron adviser and the author of much of the candidates platform, brushed off the comment.

He launched another politics, created a new movement. Political life wouldnt exist otherwise, Pisani-Ferry said in an interview.

Despite the improbable nature of Macrons victory, Frances new president will face a considerable challenge as he attempts to form a government. Given that he has no party structure behind him, he will be deeply affected by the results of the parliamentary elections, scheduled for June.

There is huge uncertainty regarding the parliamentary elections to come, because Frances main political forces were largely absent in the second round  the traditional right wing, the Socialists and the far left, said Patrick Weil, a leading French legal scholar and historian. Now they are frustrated, and they are ready to take their revenge in the legislative elections.

In the past, when the National Front made it to the final round of the presidential election, the rest of the political spectrum united in opposition to the extreme right. But this year, certain politicians hesitated to back Macron in the final round  notably the far-left Jean-Luc Melenchon. Many voters also opted to abstain or to cast blank ballots.

You might have higher mobilization for the parliamentary elections than usual, which, given turnout in the presidential election, could mean a higher legitimacy for the parliament than for the presidency, Weil said.

Read more:

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The dark history at the heart of the French election

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Marine Le Pen, the 48-year-old heir to a far-right party once considered beyond the pale in French political life, failed to capture the presidency Sunday night. But she has undeniably broadened the appeal of the National Front and is poised to capitalize on the partys growing power and play a more authoritative role in opposing the new government.

Le Pen was thwarted by Emmanuel Macron, who won about 66 percent of the vote. He is a former investment banker and Socialist finance minister who, at 39, led an insurgent bid under the banner of a new party to the presidential palace. Together they broke the French political establishment, banishing from the final round the two parties  the Socialists and the Republicans  that have ruled France since 1958.

Le Pen, in brief remarks conceding defeat, claimed the countrys political reorganization as a victory for her and for the populist protest roiling the West.

The first round led to a major reconfiguration of the French political landscape, she said. The second round led to a reconfiguration between patriots and globalists.

She promised that the National Front would be the first force of opposition, although she also acknowledged that her party would have to renew itself to live up to this moment.

A supporter of French presidential candidate Marine Le Pen reacts after she was defeated in Sundays second round of voting. (Ian Langsdon/European Pressphoto Agency )

[The dark history at the heart of the French election ]

This years contest marked only the second time that Le Pens party, from which she formally distanced herself in a last-ditch effort to win over skeptics, made it to the runoff. In 2002, her father, Jean-Marie Le Pen, who is one of the National Fronts founders and still embodies its roots in anti-Semitism, shocked France by advancing to the second round, only to win just 18 percent of the vote. Fifteen years later, Marine Le Pen  who dates her political consciousness to 1976, when dynamite intended for the family patriarch tore through their Paris apartment  nearly doubled that figure.

Still, the outcome was a stinging setback for Le Pen, who was hoping to ride an apparent populist, anti-establishment wave  beginning in Britain last summer with Brexit and coursing through the United States in the fall with the election of Donald Trump  into power.

Le Pen, who grew up in one of Frances richest districts, proved an imperfect vessel of anti-elite protest, just as the National Front, which has been a fixture of French politics for decades, failed to inoculate itself against its own anti-establishment invective. Looking for alternatives to politics as usual, many voters remained skeptical that Le Pen offered anything but a retreat into the darkest chapters of Frances past, or a leap into a perilous unknown.

Its a danger for our democracy, said Celine Denain, a 32-year-old artist, who pointed to her pregnant belly to explain why a Le Pen presidency was unthinkable to her.

[Macrons strong finish in the French election shows populist wave may be ebbing]

National Front supporters carried plastic blue roses signaling party loyalty to the restaurant and event space on the east side of Paris where Le Pen spoke. They were not surprised by the outcome, they said, and found cause for optimism.

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.

We are disappointed that shes not president, but its an important score, said Maurice Blanc, 59, a longtime friend of the Le Pen family. Its a score that places the National Front at the forefront of French politics.

Now, the National Front turns to the June legislative elections, analysts and party leaders said, the aim being to make it impossible for Macron to govern. Le Pens party boasts a meager two deputies in the National Assembly but could easily gain the requisite seats, 15, to form an official parliamentary group. This would grant it the capacity to form part of the official opposition to the ruling party, to gain additional speaking time in parliament and to hold more sway in powerful government commissions.

Then there is the question of 2022.

Too soon to say for now, said Nonna Mayer, a political scientist at Sciences Po in Paris and an expert on the far right, when asked whether Le Pen would run a third time for president. Mayer enumerated several hurdles, including the June elections, and other regional and local contests, as well as divisions within the movement. Party unity, she said, is threatened by a disagreement between newer followers of the National Front attracted to its doctrine of economic nationalism, a message honed by top aide and party vice president Florian Philippot, and those who crave a harder line on religious and social issues. The latter group sees its views represented by Le Pens niece, Marion Marechal-Le Pen, who may come to pose a leadership challenge to her aunt, Mayer said.

But Christophe Boutin, a political scientist at the University of Caen, said these divisions are overstated. He expects Marine Le Pen to run again in 2022.

I hope, I hope, said Marie-Christine Arnautu, a National Front member of the European Parliament and a longtime associate of the Le Pen family, when asked whether the unsuccessful candidate would stand again.

But Arnautu also exemplifies the partys internal tensions. Sanctioned last year for participating in a rally organized by the exiled Jean-Marie Le Pen, in which he questioned his daughters leadership, she represents a wing of the party still wedded to a stricter stance on social issues, such as opposition to same-sex marriage. Marine Le Pens promise was economic revival  notably by yanking France from the euro and holding a referendum on an exit from the European Union  not a new offensive in the countrys culture wars.

Arnautu played down these disagreements. She called for unity around the partys central pledge  saving the heart of France from Europe  and predicted that it would gain many seats in the June parliamentary elections, as it welcomed voters fleeing the humbled parties that did not make it past the first round of presidential elections last month.

[In French election, voters face a choice that mirrors the Wests new divide]

Growing support for the National Front owes to Le Pens efforts, since she took its helm in 2011, to de-demonize the party and discipline its message, analysts said. She has sought to present a movement shorn of its ugliest strains, such as denial of the Holocaust; she formally banished her father in 2015. But French media  as recently as last week  have continued to expose Holocaust denial in the highest ranks of the partys leadership, and despite the purported estrangement between father and daughter, Le Pen ultimately accepted a 6 million euro loan from her father late last year to finance her struggling campaign.

Party members said her electoral gains are the result of years spent cultivating economically dislocated regions of the country, remote from its cosmopolitan urban centers. Dividends came, for instance, in 2014, when the National Front finished first in elections to the European Parliament.

Under Le Pen, the party has made major inroads in once left-leaning parts of the countrys postindustrial northeast, parts of which are now governed by a peculiar patchwork of Socialist and National Front officials. Its traditional base of support has been in the south, where anti-immigrant sentiment is most powerfully felt. But many voters in once-prosperous, midsize towns who have not reaped the rewards of globalized markets have gravitated to the far right, whose leaders promise tightened borders, a new industrial push and protections for workers whose jobs are threatened by globalization.

The phenomenon finds a parallel in Trumps triumph in the hardest-hit parts of the U.S. Rust Belt.

For too long, French elites have not resembled the country and its voters, Bernard Monot, an economist and delegate to the European Parliament representing the National Front, wrote in an email.

With this message, a claim that her movement represents the interests of the underserved majority, Le Pen has steadily sought to move the party into the mainstream. Despite her loss, modest success was evident not just in the percentage of the vote she captured but in the endorsement after the first round of voting of Nicolas Dupont-Aignan, the leader of a rival right-wing, Euroskeptic party.

She is much more elevated than her father was in 2002, said Bruno Cautres, a political scientist at Sciences Po. Dupont-Aignan presents himself as a Gaullist, and even if its a small party, its a relationship for the National Front. It shows the party is no longer isolated.

Yet Sundays decisive defeat also suggested that Le Pens support may have hit a hard ceiling and that, despite her effort to brush up the partys image and distance herself from some of her fathers most incendiary rhetoric, the familys politics remain unacceptable to much of the country. Le Pen gave fresh cause for doubt about the distance between her views and those of her father, a convicted Holocaust denier, when she said last month that France was not responsible for a massive, wartime roundup of Jews in Paris.

This is not a democratic party; it is a family party, said Philippe Blacher, a professor of constitutional law at the University of Lyon. It doesnt truly evolve. The same lies and insults just come from a new member of the family.

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Turkish soldiers patrol along the Syrian border March 2 in Kilis, Turkey. The city has been a popular crossing point for Europeans seeking to join the Islamic State in Syria. (Chris McGrath/Getty Images)

Ahmed Abu Fouad was vacationing with his children two years ago when he got word that his young wife had run away to Syria. With the family out of town, she quietly packed her bags, flew to Turkey and slipped across the border to join the Islamic State, warning her husband in a text message not to follow her.

Abu Fouad, a 48-year-old hospital orderly, went anyway, taking his two kids with him. After a months-long ordeal, the reunited family finally returned to Belgium in December, only to be greeted by police bearing handcuffs. Today, both parents are incarcerated, and Abu Fouad sees his children only during prison visits.

I am a victim, he told prosecutors in March, in a sworn statement rejecting charges that his travel to Syria betrayed a sympathy for terrorist causes. Im not connected, in any way whatsoever, with the Islamic State.

Belgian officials cant be certain of that, so Abu Fouad sits in jail, along with scores of his countrymen who have returned to Europe after spending time inside the Islamic States self-declared caliphate. Their presence in Belgium represents a new phase in the evolution of the terrorist threat and a fresh dilemma for security services: what to do with hundreds of Europeans who went away to Iraq and Syria and now want to come home.

In Belgium alone, at least 120 citizens  about a quarter of the 470 Belgians believed to have traveled to the terrorist enclave since 2012  have come back to a country that now takes a much harsher line on returning Islamist militants in the wake of last years deadly terrorist attack in Brussels. Other homeward-bound Belgians are waiting in Iraqi and Turkish detention facilities that receive fresh arrivals weekly as conditions inside the caliphate grow increasingly desperate.





What worries us now are no longer the ones who depart, because Daesh has lost its attractiveness, said Paul van Tigchelt, director of Belgiums Coordination Unit for Threat Analysis, using a common term for the Islamic State. What worries us now are the returnees.

[For children of ISIS, weapons training starts at age 6]

The reverse migration is straining European governments as police and social workers attempt to assess each case amid real worries that some of the returnees might be terrorist operatives. Complicating matters, many of the new arrivals are children  including some who were born in Islamic State territories  as well as adults who claim to have traveled to Iraq or Syria for humanitarian reasons or to be with spouses. Still others are avowed defectors who could provide useful intelligence or aid official efforts to counter the Islamic States propaganda.

Regardless of their motives for returning, nearly all face prosecution under new rules in effect across the European Union. But while jailing the returnees may ease public fears, officials acknowledge that a comprehensive solution  one that involves long-term monitoring as well as extensive rehabilitation and de-radicalization programs  isnt yet in place.

Were adding resources, but it will take a few years for new people to be hired and trained, said Thomas Renard, a Belgian terrorism expert. We may not have a few years.



Fighters from the Islamic State march in Raqqa, Syria, in this image posted online in 2014. (Militant website/Associated Press)

She has gone jihad

According to his account of events, it was love that prompted Abu Fouad to make his desperate journey to northern Syria two years ago.

The story of his wifes flight and his unlikely attempt to rescue her is recorded in hundreds of pages of sworn statements and depositions generated by Belgian prosecutors and defense attorneys since the familys return to Belgium on Dec. 29. The Washington Post obtained copies of the confidential records, which collectively offer an unusually detailed portrait of a European family who was pulled into the Islamic States magnetic field and later escaped. Fearing that the couple may be targeted by Islamic State operatives or sympathizers in Belgium, a lawyer for the pair requested that their middle names and Arabic kunya, or informal family names, be used instead of first and surnames.

In the documents, Abu Fouad and his wife, Aicha Umm Dounia, both Belgian citizens of North African descent, describe a tumultuous marriage that culminated with the couples separation in 2014. Umm Dounia, 14 years younger than her husband, had been hospitalized for depression and had a history of abrupt departures from the family home after a blow of bad temper, in her husbands words.

In the summer of 2015, as Umm Dounia was living with a girlfriend and working in a sandwich shop, she became increasingly drawn to Internet chat rooms devoted to discussions about the Islamic State and the fighting in Iraq and Syria. Though she had never been particularly pious, she yearned to get involved in some way.

Muslims around the world were called upon to help, in one way or another. I felt called, she told Belgian prosecutors in a sworn statement. On the Net  social networks  I saw people leaving for Syria and saying that they stayed there for 15 to 20 days to help, and then came back. It seemed so easy to get in and out.

[How ISIS recruits from prisons, criminal gangs]

Her chance came when Abu Fouad and her two children left the country in July 2015 for a month-long vacation with relatives in Algeria. Umm Dounia packed her clothes, including beachwear, and told friends she was going on vacation in Turkey.

Three days later, she sent the first of several texts to family members saying that she was bound for Syria and that neither Abu Fouad nor her relatives should try to find her. A month later, she was posing for photographs holding a rifle and wearing a niqab, a veil that covers the hair and face except for the eyes.

Anxious relatives sent word to the vacationing Abu Fouad, who then heard the news directly from his wife in a series of texts. A delegation of family members met with Brussels police to alert them to the possibility that Umm Dounia had joined the Islamic State. She says without any ambiguity that she has gone jihad, one of her brothers told police, according to court records.

In a sworn statement months later, Abu Fouad would describe how shocked he was by his wifes decision, noting that Umm Dounia had never hinted about her plans, wasnt religious and couldnt even speak Arabic. He broke down as he recounted to prosecutors a message from his wife relayed to him by one of her brothers, according to the transcript.

She says shes sick of life with you. She says that she has to settle in the land of Islam, Abu Fouad said, recalling his brother-in-laws words. She wants to do jihad to protect her sisters, to live in Islamic State under sharia [Islamic law] until death.

Prosecutors would sharply question Abu Fouad about his decision to pursue his wife. Was it truly a rescue mission, or had he hoped to rekindle the relationship by moving the family to Syria and joining the caliphate?

Abu Fouad explained that his intention had been only to travel to Turkey with his children, hoping that together they could persuade Umm Dounia to come home. But when he arrived in Turkey, he received troubling news: Islamic State officials in Raqqa, Syria, apparently suspicious that Umm Dounia was a spy, had confiscated her travel documents and placed her in a detention cell. There she learned that she would soon be assigned a new husband.

I was told that I absolutely had to marry if my husband did not come . . . that the women who came to Syria were to get married, Umm Dounia told prosecutors.

She was allowed a two-minute phone call to relay this news to Abu Fouad. Days later, he paid money to smugglers who ferried him and his children across the border into Syria.

[From hip-hop to jihad: How ISIS became a magnet for European youths]

Arriving in Raqqa, the Islamic States Syrian capital, Abu Fouad says he lied to local officials about his intentions, telling them he wanted to live with his wife as a resident of the caliphate but not as a fighter, since he suffered from a bad back. After a long ordeal that Abu Fouad says included beatings and torture, Umm Dounia was allowed to rejoin her family. Eventually the couple were assigned a new home and new jobs at a Raqqa maternity hospital  Umm Dounia as an anesthetists aide and her husband as a security guard. For his job, Abu Fouad was given a gun but was never taught how to use it, he told prosecutors.

In the months that followed, Umm Dounia felt increasingly remorseful about putting Abu Fouad and her children in such peril, according to her account. My husband came only to look for me. He never had other intentions, she told prosecutors.

Both thought about trying to escape but decided it was too dangerous. They continued at their jobs, Umm Dounia said, animated by the hope that they would eventually find a way to get home.

We had the will, she said, to dream of Belgium.



A Turkish soldier looks out over Syria during drills March 2 at a military outpost in Kilis, on the Syrian border. The exercises were held to display a wall and other new security measures intended to tighten Turkey's border. (Chris McGrath/Getty Images)

Difficult journeys home

Nearly 7,000 Europeans have trekked across the Turkish border to join the Islamic State since the militant group established its Syrian capital four years ago. For most of them, getting into the self-proclaimed caliphate was the easy part.

Intelligence officials believe that up to half of the groups foreign recruits have died on the battlefield or in airstrikes. Some who survive may eventually choose to stay behind to form an insurgency after the militants capital falls, analysts say. But about a third of the total will attempt to flee  a dangerous prospect, since the penalty for desertion is often beheading.

Each week, a few are caught by anti-Islamic State forces as they try to cross into Turkey. Abu Ali al-Sejju, a Free Syrian Army commander whose soldiers patrol a stretch of the border popular with smugglers, said he has captured dozens of the defectors over the past year, including Europeans and even some Americans.

Many of these guys are defecting now because ISIS is weak and they are afraid of airstrikes, he said in an interview at a cafe in Kilis, a Turkish border town that until recently was a departure hub for Europeans heading in the opposite direction.





In most cases his men refuse to let the defectors pass, fearing that they will be blamed if the escapees carry out terrorist attacks in Turkey or Western Europe, Sejju said. He said some of the defectors are eventually turned over to legitimate authorities, scoffing at published reports suggesting that the militias trade defectors for cash.

If we hand them over for money, for sure they will go and blow themselves up somewhere, he said.

[German-born soccer star had to choose between faith, career]

Until recently, Sejjus group was holding several French citizens among about a dozen escapees locked inside a three-story house near the Turkish border, he said. Among them was a widow from Toulouse, France, who fled with her two children after her husband died in battle, leaving her vulnerable to being forcibly married to another Islamic State fighter. The woman, called Sara, was sent home after the rebels worked out a deal with French authorities, Sejju said. A German woman was recently repatriated along with her three children in a similar arrangement, he said.

Most of those who manage to get as far as Kilis have endured a perilous journey across battle lines and checkpoints, often with the help of smugglers who typically charge hundreds or thousands of dollars for the trip. Once in Turkey, some wander into embassy offices seeking help, often to face days of grilling from skeptical consular officials.

European governments have been reluctant to offer assistance, especially to those who lack convincing travel documents or who possess dual citizenship, according to Western and Middle Eastern intelligence officials familiar with the vetting process for returnees. The wariness has only increased after recent terrorist attacks in France, Belgium and Germany, the officials said.

Sejju said most of the defectors he meets seem sincere about wanting to quit the Islamic State, but he acknowledged that some may have other motivations.

A Ukrainian man in the groups custody raised suspicions when he kept changing his story during questioning, he said. Whats more, the mans blond hair and European features instantly marked him as a foreigner. How could such a man pass through Islamic State checkpoints unless the terrorists themselves had dispatched him on a mission?

Even a smuggler, Sejju said, wouldnt take this risk.



Belgian troops block a street in the eastern city of Verviers on Jan. 15, 2015, when counterterrorism units foiled what authorities said was a jihadist plot in that city. (Francois Lenoir/Reuters)

Suspicion and scrutiny

The same kinds of suspicions dogged Abu Fouad and his wife through every step of the arduous journey that brought them back to Belgium just before the start of the new year.

With Islamic State officials increasingly preoccupied with the war, the couple seized on a chance to escape in early October. Abu Fouad met with a smuggler in a bombed-out house and paid $2,400  savings from the couples hospital jobs  for the first leg of the trip back to Turkey. After a five-hour, moonlit hike across farm fields and olive groves, the family was turned over to a detachment of Syrian rebels and then to a different team of smugglers who guided them across the border near Kilis. From there, they traveled by taxi and bus to Istanbul, Turkeys largest city, where they went to the Belgian consulate.

The reception they received at the consulate was less than enthusiastic. The family was handed over to Turkish immigration authorities and shuffled through a chain of holding cells and detention centers for undocumented immigrants.

[Pentagon plan to seize Raqqa calls for increase in U.S. participation]

Finally, on Dec. 29, more than 10 weeks after their flight from Raqqa, the family boarded a Turkish Airlines plane for Brussels. At the airport, they were met by police officers who searched their luggage and brought them before a court to be formally charged with aiding a foreign terrorist group. The parents were led away to separate prisons while the children, now ages 10 and 8, were turned over to a government child-welfare agency.

The familys fate now rests with a judge who will decide whether there are sufficient extenuating circumstances to warrant a lesser charge or perhaps a more lenient sentence. Until then, the couple will remain in jail, officials say, under policies adopted to ensure safety and to reassure a population still on edge after last years Islamic State attack on the Brussels airport.

Belgian officials say they take no pleasure in separating parents from children or putting the spouses of suspects in prison. But they say the exodus of European citizens from the Islamic State poses new dangers to the country and its neighbors that governments are not fully prepared to address. The risks are likely to remain long after the caliphate ceases to exist, said van Tigchelt, the Belgian counterterrorism official.

Those persons who want to return now  its not like they want to return with a suicide belt around their waist, so they are not an imminent threat, he said. But, of course, those women and also the children, they are brainwashed, they saw cruelties and could also be radicalized, so we have to follow them when they come back.

Thus, Belgiums strategy for dealing with families such as Abu Fouads will be one of strict criminal justice, he said.

Under questioning from Belgian prosecutors, Umm Dounia, the wife and mother whose decision launched the familys life-altering journey two years ago, said she is painfully aware of her mistake and hopes eventually to have a second chance  even if it is under strict conditions, she said.

I want a peaceful life here. I want my children to have a normal life, she said. Im sorry. I feel bad for what I did.

She continued in a ramble. Never again, she said. I do not know what to say.

Sly reported from Kilis, Turkey. Julie Tate in Washington contributed to this report.

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Sally Yates was the attorney general for only 10 days  an Obama administration holdover whose role was to quietly manage the Justice Department until the Trump administration could quickly replace her. Instead, her brief time in the job has fueled months of fierce political debate about the White House and Russia.

On Monday, Yates is to testify before a Senate subcommittee about her discussions with the White House, testimony that was delayed for more than a month after a previously scheduled appearance before a House committee was canceled amid a legal dispute over whether she would even be allowed to discuss the subject.

Lawmakers want to question Yates about her conversation in January with White House counsel Donald McGahn regarding then-national security adviser Michael Flynn. People familiar with that conversation say she went to the White House days after the inauguration to tell officials that statements made by Vice President Pence and others about Flynns discussions with Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak were incorrect, and to warn them that those contradictions could expose Flynn or others to potential manipulation by the Russians.

[Heres what we know so far about Team Trumps ties to Russian interests]

Yatess testimony Monday is expected to contradict public statements made by White House press secretary Sean Spicer and White House Chief of Staff Reince Priebus, who described the Yates-McGahn meeting as less of a warning and more of a heads up about an issue involving Flynn.

In February, Spicer told reporters that Yates had informed the White House counsel that they wanted to give a heads up to us on some comments that may have seemed in conflict. . . . The White House counsel informed the president immediately. The president asked him to conduct a review of whether there was a legal situation there. That was immediately determined that there wasnt.

The same month, Priebus described the Yates conversation in similar terms, telling CBSs Face the Nation that our legal counsel got a heads up from Sally Yates that something wasnt adding up with his story. And then so our legal department went into a review of the situation. . . . The legal department came back and said they didnt see anything wrong with what was actually said.

On Monday, President Trump took aim at Yates in a possible attempt to divert the focus of her testimony by urging the subcommittee to raise questions over alleged classified leaks.

Ask Sally Yates, under oath, if she knows how classified information got into the newspapers soon after she explained it to W.H. Council, wrote Trump in a Twitter post early Monday, apparently misspelling the word counsel.

But Trump offered no further details to back up his claims, and there has no independent evidence produced to support Trumps claims of links between Yates and classified leaks.

Trump and congressional Republicans have repeatedly sought to shift the focus of hearings about Russian election year meddling to questions about who in the U.S. government may have leaked details about the FBIs probe into possible coordination between Trump associates and Russian officials.

People familiar with the matter say both statements understate the seriousness of what Yates told McGahn and that she went to the White House to warn that Flynn could be compromised  or blackmailed  by the Russians at some point if they threatened to reveal the true nature of his conversations with the ambassador.

Former U.S. deputy attorney general Sally Yates is expected to testify before Congress on Monday. (J. David Ake/AP)

[Flynn was warned by Trump transition officials about contacts with Russian ambassador]

Those people said that although Yatess testimony may contradict Spicer and Priebus, her appearance Monday is unlikely to reveal new details about the FBIs investigation into whether any Trump associates coordinated with Russian officials to meddle with last years presidential election, in part because many of the details of that probe remain classified.

Former director of national intelligence James R. Clapper Jr. is also scheduled to testify at Mondays hearing. Lawmakers had invited another Obama administration official, Susan E. Rice, to testify, but she declined.

Rice, who served as Obamas national security adviser, has been under scrutiny from Republicans who have suggested that she mishandled intelligence information involving Americans. Trump said she might have committed a crime when she asked intelligence analysts to disclose the name of a Trump associate mentioned in an intelligence report, a practice known inside the government as unmasking, though he has offered no evidence to back up that accusation. Rice has said she did nothing improper.

[Susan Rice may have committed a crime, Trump says without providing evidence]

Before she became acting attorney general, Yates was the No. 2 official at the Justice Department in the final years of the Obama administration. Yates had spent decades in the Justice Department as a prosecutor in both Republican and Democratic administrations. Her brief tenure in the top Justice Department job ended days after her meeting with McGahn, when she was fired by Trump over an unrelated issue. She had instructed government lawyers not to defend the presidents first executive order on immigration, which temporarily barred entry to the United States for citizens of seven Muslim-majority countries and refugees from around the world.

Flynn was asked to resign in February, after White House officials said he had misled Pence about the nature of his conversation with the Russian ambassador.

Anticipation of Yatess testimony has been building since March, when she was scheduled to testify before the House Intelligence Committee  a hearing that was canceled by the chairman, Rep Devin Nunes (R-Calif.). In the days before the originally scheduled hearing, Yatess attorney, David ONeil, had been locked in an argument with Trump administration officials about whether she would be barred by executive privilege from testifying about her conversation with McGahn.

A week before the planned House hearing, ONeil went to the Justice Department to discuss the issue of her testimony. That day, he wrote a letter to the department in which he said those officials had advised him that Yatess official communications on issues of interest to the House panel are client confidences that cannot be disclosed without written consent. In his letter, ONeil challenged that interpretation as overbroad.

In response, a Justice Department lawyer wrote back that Yatess conversations with the White House were probably covered by presidential communications privilege, and referred him to the White House. As ONeil awaited a response from the White House, Nunes canceled the hearing, making the legal issue moot.

After The Washington Post reported on the letters, Spicer said it was 100 percent false that the administration had sought to block Yatess testimony, and said he welcomed it.

Brian Murphy contributed to this report.

Read more:

Who is Sally Yates? Meet the acting attorney general Trump fired for betraying the Justice Department.

Flynns swift downfall: From a phone call to a forced resignation
By Felix Onuah ABUJA (Reuters) - Boko Haram militants have released dozens of schoolgirls out of a group of more than 200 whom they kidnapped from the northeastern town of Chibok in April 2014, officials said on Saturday. A government minister, asking not to be named, said 82 girls had been released. Unconfirmed reports on social media put the number of freed girls at between 50 and 62. "The girls were released through negotiations with the government," one official said, asking not to be named, adding that an official statement would follow shortly. A military source said the girls were currently in Banki near the Cameroon border for medical checks before being airlifted to Maiduguri, the capital of Borno state. The kidnapping was one of the high-profile incidents of Boko Haram's insurgency in Nigeria's northeast, now in its eighth year and with little sign of ending. About 220 were abducted from their school in a nighttime attack. More than 20 girls were released last October in a deal brokered by the International Committee of the Red Cross. Others have escaped or been rescued, but 195 were believed to be still in captivity before this release. Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari said last month that the government was in talks to secure the release of the remaining captives. Although the Chibok girls are the most high-profile case, Boko Haram has kidnapped thousands of adults and children, many of whose cases have been neglected. The militants have killed more than 20,000 people and displaced more than 2 million during their insurgency aimed at creating an Islamic caliphate in northeast Nigeria. Although the army has retaken much of the territory initially lost to Boko Haram, large parts of the northeast, particularly in Borno state, remain under threat from the militants. Suicide bombings and gun attacks have increased in the region since the end of the rainy season late last year. (Reporting by Felix Onuah, Tife Owolabi, Ahmed Kingimi and Ulf Laessing; Editing by Angus MacSwan, Hugh Lawson and Jonathan Oatis)
Lagos (AFP) - Britain and the United States on Friday said Boko Haram was preparing to kidnap foreigners in remote northeast Nigeria, which is in the grip of a food crisis caused by the conflict.

The Foreign Office in London said it had received reports the Islamist militants were "actively planning" to seize foreign workers in the Bama local government area of Borno state.

Both said in travel advice that the affected area was "along the Banki-Kumshe axis", which is near the border with Cameroon.

The US embassy in Abuja said in a message to its nationals that the report was "credible".

Boko Haram has kidnapped thousands of women and children, including more than 200 schoolgirls from the Borno town of Chibok in 2014, which brought the conflict to world attention.

At least 20,000 people have been killed since 2009. But abductions of foreigners have been rare.

There was a spate of kidnappings of foreign workers in the wider north from 2011 to 2013, claimed by a Boko Haram splinter group, Ansaru, which was more ideologically aligned to Al-Qaeda.

The leader of Ansaru, Khalid al-Barnawi, has been charged with the abduction and murder of foreign workers, among them an Italian, a Briton, a German, Greek, Lebanese and Syrians.

Most were engineers or construction workers.

International aid workers now account for the majority of foreign nationals in northeast Nigeria. Most are based in the Borno state capital, Maiduguri.

Hundreds of thousands of people in the Lake Chad region require urgent food aid as a result of the conflict, which has made more than 2.6 million people homeless and ravaged farmland.

AFP visited Banki with other international media two weeks ago.

Humanitarian agencies operating in the town include the World Food Programme, International Organization for Migration and other UN bodies.

Banki was liberated from Boko Haram in September 2015 and is currently home to some 32,000 displaced people in a sprawling, overcrowded camp.

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The surrounding area still suffers from frequent Boko Haram attacks on military convoys, as well as suicide bombings.

Fighters loyal to Boko Haram leader Abubakar Shekau, who were pushed out of their camps in the Sambisa Forest area last December, are believed to be responsible.

The kidnap warning and the threat to humanitarian operations underlines the fragility of security in northeast Nigeria, despite claims from the government and military that Boko Haram is a spent force.
Washington (AFP) - Warnings from Canada it might ban US thermal coal imports in retaliation over US tariffs slapped on its lumber are "inappropriate," US Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross said Saturday.

"Threats of retaliatory action are inappropriate and will not influence any final determinations," Ross said in a statement.

He was reacting to reports that Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was "seriously" considering prohibiting US thermal coal imports in response to a surprise US move last month to impose tariffs of up to 24 percent on Canadian softwood lumber.

US President Donald Trump has accused Canada of being "very rough" on the United States for years when it came to trade.

Trump, who promotes an "America First" stance, also said his government was looking at tackling Canada over developments he said had hurt US dairy farmers.

The dispute comes against a backdrop of Trump wanting to renegotiate the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) -- although the lumber and dairy issues do not fall under its purview.

According to the Canadian Press agency, Trudeau was also looking at other retaliatory measures, such as duties on plywood, flooring, wood chips, packaging material and wine from the US state of Oregon.

"We hope we don't have to act," it quoted one Canadian government source saying. "We hope this dispute can be resolved."

Trudeau has called the US tariffs "baseless" and "unfair."

In his statement, Ross argued the US tariffs on lumber was "based on the facts... not political considerations."

He said "we continue to believe that a negotiated settlement is in the best interests of all parties."

Trump has said he had planned late last month to formally give notice to withdraw from NAFTA, but had been persuaded not to by phone calls from Trudeau and Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto.

However, he told supporters that "if we can't make a fair deal for our companies and our workers we will terminate NAFTA."
Bogota (AFP) - Colombia's government and the country's last active rebel force, the ELN, will resume peace talks in just over a week, the lead state negotiator confirmed Saturday.

The return to the table was meant to have happened last Wednesday but was put off because of an information-sharing meeting in Cuba between the ELN and the bigger leftist rebel group, the FARC, which has already struck an accord with the government.

"Ecuador has generously hosted the peace talks between the Colombian government and the ELN, which will resume on May 16," Juan Camilo Restrepo said on Twitter.

A visit to Colombia by Ecuador's president-elect, Lenin Moreno, to take place Monday also pushed back the resumption of talks.

Restrepo said Moreno "will keep supporting the talks looking for peace in Colombia" as his outgoing predecessor Rafael Correa did.

The Colombian conflict erupted in 1964 and drew in various rebel and paramilitary groups and gangs as well as state forces.

In November, the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), signed their peace deal with the government after four years of talks.

The National Liberation Army (ELN), launched its peace negotiations in February.

It has an estimated 1,500 fighters, compared with the FARC's 7,000.
Its been a tough few months for opponents of the Dakota Access Pipeline (DAPL). First Donald Trump officially approved the $3.8 billion project. Then indigenous people were forced to clear out of the Oceti Sakowin and Sacred Stone protest camps. And with construction done, oil has now begun flowing from North Dakota to Illinois.

But the opposition has not faded away.

In fact, it's entering a new phase by moving from the plains of North Dakota into city councils and corporate boardrooms. And its indigenous leaders are scoring big victories. Theyve convinced cities to divest billions of dollars in their portfolios from Wells Fargo, which is financing about 5 percent of Dakota Access. Several major European banks have also dropped investments in the project.

SEE ALSO: 9-year-old girl seeks clean air for her generation, sues Indian government over pollution

The protest camps at the Standing Rock Indian Reservation planted seeds in thousands upon thousands of peoples moral sensibilities, said Jackie Fielder, a 22-year-old indigenous activist.

Shes now fighting to get San Francisco to divest: I dont think [the DAPL opposition] is nearly over. Its multiplying.

The DAPL divestment movement may foreshadow similar protests to come against the Keystone XL Pipeline project, which President Trump also green-lit, and other infrastructure that would increase planet-warming greenhouse gas emissions.

Fielder was born and raised in Long Beach, California. But she has deep ancestral ties to the land and water Standing Rock protesters are fighting to protect. Shes an enrolled member of North Dakotas Three Affiliated Tribes  and is also descended from the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe, a key leader in the Dakota Access opposition.

Dakota Access Pipeline demonstrators outside the White House on March 10, 2017.

Image: AP/REX/Shutterstock

Fielder traveled to the Sacred Stone camp last December. When I left I decided I wanted to do something, she said. It wasnt clear what that was going to be.

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The answer came to her in early February. That was when Seattles City Council decided to cut its $3 billion worth of financial ties to Wells Fargo. We are taking a bold policy step today, said Councilmember Lorena Gonzalez. It was the result of a campaign led by Matt Remle, a member of the Standing Rock Sioux tribe, along with other activists.

Seattle was then followed by the cities of Davis and Santa Monica, California, which together pledged to withdraw more than $1.1 billion from Wells Fargo.

Fielder was watching all this unfold in San Francisco, where she had recently graduated from Stanford University. I was like, we gotta do this, she said.

Fielder made inquiries among local indigenous groups. Were any of them running divestment campaigns? Did they have any interest in starting one? But many of the groups seemed too busy to take it on. So she decided to create her own.

With the energy and time I have as a young person, she said, it seemed like I could actually take this up. With the blessing of older activists, Fielder contacted people across the Bay Area on social media. And in late February, several dozen activists made the case for divestment at a San Francisco Board of Supervisors meeting. On March 14 Fielders Defund DAPL coalition won its first victory. The Board passed a resolution pledging to explore the feasibility of divesting from companies with ties to Dakota Access.

It was a promising start. Fielder and her fellow activists are now pushing the city to officially drop its $1.2 billion in pipeline-related investments. One way San Francisco might do that is by forming its own municipal bank.

In the meantime, other activists are pressuring city councils in Los Angeles, Raleigh, New York, Chicago, Bellingham, Albuquerque, and Portland to take action. The Dutch financial giant ING and the Norwegian pension fund KLP have sold off their investments in Dakota Access, and were followed earlier this month by the French bank BNP Paribas SA.

City Council member Kshama Sawant, center, speaks in favor of Wells Fargo divestment during a committee meeting on Feb. 1, 2017.

Image: AP/REX/Shutterstock

A coalition of investors worth $653 billion is standing in solidarity with the Standing Rock protesters. And a social media campaign to get individuals to pull their savings from banks financing the pipeline has so far added $79 million to divestment efforts.

In late April, Fielder and other indigenous activists took their case directly to Wells Fargos annual shareholders meeting in Florida. Im the product of what happens when you protect the water, she said, before being escorted out by security.

Yet none of the activities has had a discernible financial impact on Dakota Access or the banks still funding the project. The company building it, Energy Transfer Partners, expects the pipeline to eventually be transporting up to 570,000 barrels of oil per day.

With the Trump administration doing all it can to support the pipeline, and the courts seemingly

reluctant to stand in favor of indigenous rights, Fielder acknowledges that the odds are stacked against the Dakota Access divestment movement. Yet she sees it as a way for regular people across the U.S. and the world to communicate a wider message of protest.

Divestment is a people-powered intervention in the market, Fielder said. Its actually willing into existence a new world where we dont depend on fossil fuels. She sees this as her way of fighting back against the centuries of repression that indigenous peoples have suffered from the U.S. government.

This is not just a financial stance but also moral stance. Its hard to put a dollar price on living up to your morals."
Delta Air Lines issued an apology Thursday after they kicked off a family from an overbooked flight, threatening them with jail time. The incident happened after Delta agents told a couple traveling with their two children that their 2-year-old had to give up his seat to make room for another passenger.

"Delta's goal is to always work with customers in an attempt to find solutions to their travel issues. That did not happen in this case and we apologize," said the airline in a Thursday statement, adding that Delta had reached out to the couple to compensate them.

Read: United Airlines Dragging Passenger Off Plane Was Illegal, Says Lawyer

The April 23 incident occurred on a flight from Maui, Hawaii to Los Angeles. Brian Schear of Huntington Beach, California, told NBC News he and his wife, Brittany, arranged for their 2-year-old son to use their teenage sons ticket. The couple, who were also traveling with a 1-year-old, had already boarded the flight with the purchased ticket when Delta officials asked them to hold the child and forfeit the seat to another passenger. At least one agent can be heard in the video threatening to jail the couple and place their children in foster care when they refused.

While the incident occurred late April, it went viral Wednesday after the couple posted the video on YouTube. By press time, it amassed more than 3 million views.

According to Schear, the couple was traveling with their teen son as well. They arranged for the teen to go home on a separate flight so their 2-year-old son could have a seat of his own and sleep through the overnight flight. Schear told NBC News the couple spoke to a ticket agent before boarding the plane, and the agent arranged for the family to sit together. However, after they boarded, airline agents told the family that the 2-year-old had to give up the seat for another passenger because the ticket was not in his name.

Schear told airline officials that because the flight was a red-eye, the only way the 2-year-old child would sleep was if he was in his car seat, which the Federal Aviation Administration encourages. Its a red-eye, Shear can be heard saying in the video. He wont sleep unless hes in his car seat. So, otherwise, hed be sitting in my wifes lap, crawling all over the place, and its not safe.

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In the video, an airline agent can be heard telling Shear, This is a federal offense. You and your wife could be in jail and your kids will be in foster care.

The couple wrote in the video's caption that after being forced to leave the plane, they had to pay for a hotel and buy new tickets to get home.

747-400 Delta

Photo: Alberto Riva

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France is set to elect a new president Sunday, and with it, a new first spouse. And if that new president is Emmanuel Macron, the countrys first couple will be a rather unconventional one. Macron, 39, is married to his former high school teacher Brigitte Auziere, a woman 24 years his senior.

The two met when Brigitte, now 64, was Macrons high school drama teacher. Macron was only 15 at the time, while Brigitte was a married mother of three children, one of whom was Macrons classmate. The couple initially formed a relationship by working together on a rewrite of a play.

We wrote together every Friday, Brigitte said in the recent documentary, Emmanuel Macron The Strategy of a Star. Little by little, I became complete subjugated by the intelligence of this young man. His mind is so full and perfect. His capacities are completely beyond any normal human beings.

Macrons stunned parents requested that Brigitte not have any contact with their son again until he turned 18, though the two continued to keep in touch.

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Photo: REuters

They spoke for hours on the phone every day, said Anne Fulda, a French journalist who recently wrote a biography about Macron. And Emmanuel told Brigitte, I will be back for you. Whatever you do, I will marry you.

True to his word, Macron married Brigitte in 2007.

We were not exactly a normal couple, Macron said in a speech at his wedding reception. But you have accepted us and stood by us  and we exist, thanks to you.

Now married for a decade, Brigitte has reportedly remained indispensable to the presidential candidate, re-reading his speeches and critiquing his performances as well as attending important meetings with him. Their relationship has been high profile, with the two often posing for photos kissing and holding hands at public appearances.

And despite the pairs unconventional start and large age gap, French voters seem to have little problem with the couple. French tradition looks kindly upon older women dating or marrying younger men, the Telegraph reported. Many have said they found it refreshing to see an older woman with a younger man rather than the other way around.

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Did men ask anybody when they started marrying younger women? Karen Lewin, a French artist and potential voter, told the Washington Post. Who sets the rules?

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Photo: Reuters

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Sao Paulo (AFP) - Former Brazilian president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva was "fully aware" of a vast bribery network at Petrobras and even directed the corruption scheme, a former director at the state oil company said.

Lula, a leftwing leader who was in office from 2003 to 2010, and his lawyer denied the accusation Friday by Renato Duque, a former director of services at Petrobras.

Duque told judge Sergio Moro that he met Lula at least three times in 2012, 2013 and 2014, in a statement broadcast by major media outlets.

"On these three occasions, it was clear, very clear to me, that he (Lula) was fully aware of everything and that he was in charge" of the bribery network at Petrobras, said Duque, who is serving a prison term of more than 50 years for bribery and money laundering.

A lawyer for the former president, Cristiano Zanin Martins, called it an attempt to "negotiate future benefits in exchange for frivolous accusations."

Lula is scheduled to appear Wednesday in front of Moro, who is carrying out the "Car Wash" investigation into embezzlement and bribery at the highest levels of Brazilian politics.

For years, contractors like the Odebrecht construction conglomerate paid bribes to top politicians and parties to get business deals. At the center of the scheme, the politicians and Odebrecht conspired in a pay-to-play scheme at state oil company Petrobras.

Lula's upcoming court appearance centers around a luxury apartment that he allegedly received from construction company OAS in exchange for illegal favors.

Prosecutors have previously called Lula the "top commander" in the corruption scandal, which is also being investigated by the Supreme Court. In total, he is facing five separate trials linked to Car Wash allegations.

Despite his mounting legal problems, and speculation over whether he will end up being convicted and jailed, polls show that Lula remains Brazil's most popular politician. He is the frontrunner in polls for the 2018 presidential elections.

He said in a speech to his Workers' Party on Friday that "if they do not arrest me soon, who knows if one day I can make them stop telling lies."
By Adrian Croft and Geert De Clercq PARIS (Reuters) - France sought to keep a computer hack of frontrunner Emmanuel Macron's campaign emails from influencing the outcome of the presidential election, with the electoral commission warning on Saturday that it may be a criminal offence to republish the data. Macron's team said a "massive" hack had dumped emails, documents and campaign financing information online just before campaigning ended on Friday and France entered a quiet period, effectively forbidding politicians from commenting on the leak. Polls have been predicting that Macron, a former investment banker and economy minister, is on course for a comfortable win over far-right leader Marine Le Pen in Sunday's election, with the last surveys showing his lead widening to around 62 percent to 38. "We knew that this kind of risk would be present during the presidential campaign, because it has happened elsewhere. Nothing will be left without a response," French President Francois Hollande told French news agency AFP. The election commission, which supervises the electoral process, warned social and traditional media not to publish the hacked emails lest they influence the vote outcome, but may find it difficult to enforce its rules in an era where people get much of their news online, information flows freely across borders and many users are anonymous. "On the eve of the most important election for our institutions, the commission calls on everyone present on internet sites and social networks, primarily the media, but also all citizens, to show responsibility and not to pass on this content, so as not to distort the sincerity of the ballot," the commission said in a statement on Saturday. "The commission stresses that publication or republication of these data...could be a criminal offence," it said. French media covered the hack in various ways, with left-leading Liberation giving it prominence on its website but television news channels opting not to mention it. Le Monde newspaper said on its website it would not publish the content of any of the leaked documents before the election, partly because the huge amount of data meant there was not enough time to report on it properly, but also because the dossiers had been published on purpose 48 hours before the election with the clear aim of affecting the vote. "If these documents contain revelations, Le Monde will of course publish them after having investigated them, respecting our journalistic and ethical rules, and without allowing ourselves to be exploited by the publishing calendar of anonymous actors," it said. As the #Macronleaks hashtag buzzed around social media on Friday night, Florian Philippot, deputy leader of Le Pen's National Front party, tweeted "Will Macronleaks teach us something that investigative journalism has deliberately kept silent?" DESTABILISATION As much as 9 gigabytes of data purporting to be documents from the Macron campaign were posted on a profile called EMLEAKS to Pastebin, a site that allows anonymous document sharing. It was not immediately clear who was responsible, but Macron's political movement said in a statement the hack was an attempt to destabilise democracy and to damage the party. En Marche! said the leaked documents dealt with the normal operations of a campaign and included some information on campaign accounts. It said the hackers had mixed false documents with authentic ones to "sow doubt and disinformation." Sunday's election is seen as the most important in France for decades, with two diametrically opposed views of Europe and the country's place in the world at stake. Le Pen would close borders and quit the euro currency, while Macron wants closer European cooperation and an open economy. Voters in some French overseas territories and the Americas were due to cast their ballots on Saturday, a day before voting in France itself. The first polling stations to open at 1000 GMT were in Saint Pierre and Miquelon, islands off Canada. In France, police union Alternative Police warned in a statement that there was a risk of violence on election day by activists of the far-right or far-left. Extreme-right student activists burst into the office of Macron's political movement in the southeastern city of Lyon on Friday evening, setting off smoke grenades and scattering false bank notes bearing Macron's picture, police said. More than 50,000 police and some 7,000 soldiers will provide security during voting on Sunday, with more than 12,000 security personnel covering the Paris region alone. France is the latest nation to see a major election overshadowed by allegations of manipulation through cyber hacking after U.S. intelligence agencies said in January that Russian President Vladimir Putin had ordered hacking of parties tied to Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton to influence the election on behalf of Republican Donald Trump. Vitali Kremez, director of research with New York-based cyber intelligence firm Flashpoint, said his review indicated that APT 28, a group tied to the GRU, the Russian military intelligence directorate, was behind the leak. Macron's campaign has previously complained about attempts to hack its emails, blaming Russian interests in part for the cyber attacks. The Kremlin has denied it was behind any such attacks, although Macron's camp renewed complaints against Russian media and a hackers' group operating in Ukraine. (Additional reporting by Bate Felix, Andrew Callus, Myriam Rivet and Michel Rose in Paris, Catherine Lagrange in Lyon, Jim Finkle in Toronto and Eric Auchard in Frankfurt; Editing by Alexander Smith and Hugh Lawson)
Mohammad Hijazi fled Syrias civil war for France and now says the French election results will decide whether his mother can join him. (Photo by Shawn Carrie)

PARIS  Its been four years since Mohammad Hijazi said goodbye to his mother and fled Syria. From a Damascus suburb where clashes still flare between government and rebel militias, she is able to call him every few days on Skype  whenever a diesel-powered generator or car battery is available to power up the Internet modem.

We always hear explosions in the background, and sometimes they sound very close, Mohammad, told Yahoo News. Its not safe in Syria.

Now living in Paris, 28-year-old Mohammad spends his time at Le Daily Syrien, a trendy, turquoise-tiled restaurant in the 10th arrondissement, an Arab and North African immigrant neighborhood dotted with bars, cafes, halal butchers and grocery stores. He gets a familiar welcome from the owner and regulars, but still he is pensive and uneasy.

I feel like a tourist here. Of course its a beautiful city, but its not beautiful when youre forced to be here, Mohammad said.

On Sunday, he watched tensely as French citizens headed to the polls to cast votes for either the independent centrist and political novice Emmanuel Macron or Marine Le Pen of the far-right National Front party in the political face-off that will determine his familys future and whether his mother will be able to escape Syria to join him in Paris.

Le Pens pledge to end all immigration to France  both legal and illegal  places Mohammad among many thousands of Syrians whose families futures are at stake as French voters head to the polls Sunday to select their next president.

Before leaving his home country for France, Mohammad spent three months imprisoned by Syrias brutal secret police, who exercise wide powers to jail anyone suspected of opposing the regime. He hesitates to talk about what happened there. In 2013, he managed to smuggle himself out and spent the next few years shuttling between Lebanon, Qatar, Jordan and Turkey, before finally being granted an asylum visa to join his sister in France earlier this year. Soft-spoken, introverted and still rattled from his experience, Mohammad is adjusting to Parisian life and exploring his talents as a graphic artist and filmmaker.

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I was so glad to have my brother back with me, Anmar Hijazi, 32, told Yahoo News. Its a chance for him to do something, to express himself and create new opportunities for himself and for the world, not just be forgotten in war.

Anmar Hijazi Skypes with her mother, who is in Syria hoping for a visa that will allow her to join her children in France. (Photo by Shawn Carrie)

Now reunited, the siblings say their only worry is finding a way for their mother (whose name they preferred withheld over concerns for her safety) to join them in France, but depending on the election results, that window of opportunity could soon close.

The current legal system allows two avenues: Anmar has been living in France since before Syrias civil war began in 2011 and could be eligible to become a citizen in the next year, which would allow her to sponsor a visa for her mother. If Mohammads final asylum status is approved sooner, he will be able to apply for family reunification  a right recognized by the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union.

More than 14,000 Syrians have received asylum in France since the war started in 2011, leading to the displacement of over 5 million people  or a quarter of the countrys population. Another 90,000 have been granted legal residency under EU regulations providing for family reunification.

The populist Le Pen whipped up campaign support with promises of dramatic tightening of the countrys refugee and immigrant policies. The National Fronts campaign platform, charged with nationalism and anti-EU rhetoric, promises to radically curb immigration and restore France to the French. If elected president, Le Pen has vowed to force the EU to reverse its open immigration policy, or otherwise call a Brexit-like referendum to pull France out.

Siblings Mohammad and Anmar Hijazi at a cafe in Paris on the morning of the French presidential election. (Photo: Shawn Carrie)

After France was rocked by ISIS terror attacks that came at the height of Europes refugee influx in November 2015, the National Front surged in early polling in regional elections on a wave of anger over EU immigration policies and campaigned to protect the country by halting immigration completely. Le Pen has since likened the rise in refugees to a barbarian invasion and vowed to cheering crowds to send them home.

Macron, for his part, has praised Germanys response to the refugee crisis as having saved Europes dignity. In a fiery debate days before the election, Macron blasted Le Pen for giving the jihadists exactly what they want: a world of black and white where Muslims cannot coexist with the West.

Confusing terrorists with asylum seekers and refugees is a profound moral, historical and political error, Macrons campaign wrote in an email this week.

Macron led Le Pen 24 percent to 21 percent after the first wave of voting two weeks ago. While a surprise victory akin to the U.K.s Brexit vote or the stunning rise of Donald Trump in the U.S. is unlikely for Le Pen, Mohammads concern is less about her than the lingering sentiment among people with whom her anti-immigrant message is resonating.

We are all afraid of Le Pen. As someone who suffers from all of the violence happening in Syria, I hate this kind of speech, Mohammad says. Anmar jumps in with a laugh: Were Syrians, were not used to voting!

Legislative elections to follow in June remain an important factor in determining how much power the new president will have to advance their agenda in Parliament, where a coalition government is a near certainty.

Until then, Mohammad and Anmar hold out hope that the system will work long enough for their mother to be granted a visa.

We dont know what [Le Pen] can do, but what Im afraid of is peoples reactions in the streets, Mohammad says, sipping a French espresso. If she wins, the propaganda against immigrants wont stop.

Read more from Yahoo News:
Two people were found dead at an apartment complex at 141 Dorchester Avenue in South Boston on Friday night, police said. A possible suspect was involved in a gun fight with the authorities and was injured in the process.

Police arrived at the scene after reports of a man with a gun. The man allegedly began firing shots after which the police returned fire, injuring the possible suspect a number of times. According to reports, the suspect was taken to Bostons Tufts Medical Center and was alive.

Read: Gunman Killed In Mass Shooting At Apartment Complex In San Diego, Police Investigating Possible Hate Crime

It looks like you have a double homicide in this apartment here, Boston Police Commissioner William Evans was reported saying by the Boston Globe. We also have an officer shooting with one individual shot, non-life-threatening. Were just trying to piece it together.

Sources told CBS that the victims were a man and woman who were found bound and had their throats slashed. The network was also told that the three people involved in the incident knew each other.

Police officials, however, reportedly said that they were still attempting to determine whether the victims at the Macallen Building were shot or stabbed.

A resident of the building, who lives on the second floor, told the Globe he reached home a little before 9 p.m. EDT and found around six or seven police vehicles arriving at the scene.

As I was coming out of the T across the street, they were literally just coming up in front of the building, Peter Dziedzic told the publication. He added that he saw police presence increase as he watched from his house.

Dziedzic added that parts of Dorchester Avenue, Broadway, and West 4th Street were closed to traffic. He also said he saw police dressed in tactical gear accompanied by K-9 units but no violence was seen or heard, adding that he believed the focus of law enforcement was on a higher floor. Dziedzic said: Its a pretty soundproof building. I dont even hear my neighbors.

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As it was building up there were more and more police cars.  At the height of this there must have been easily 40 or 50 police vehicles, he said.

In another unrelated incident Friday night, a police officer was shot while responding to an incident at Motel 6 in Braintree, Massachusetts. The motel is located off Route 3 on Union Street.

According to reports, one person was barricaded inside the motel, while the officer involved in the shooting was taken to Massachusetts General Hospital and is undergoing surgery.

Braintree police Chief Paul Shastany said officers responded the motel around 9:30 p.m. to check the warrant status of an individual, NBC Boston reported. Soon after, the suspect opened fire on the officers and also hit one of the law enforcement officers in the face. The injuries sustained by the officer were not life-threatening and according to the NBC report, he was alert and talked to paramedics as he left the scene.

At a press conference, Shastany announced the suspect was found dead in the motel room and that the death was being investigated.

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Gaza City (Palestinian Territories) (AFP) - Ismail Haniya, named Saturday as head of Hamas, is a charismatic leader from the Gaza streets who represents the more pragmatic wing of the Islamist movement.

The 54-year-old with a salt-and-pepper beard takes charge as it seeks to ease its international isolation while not marginalising hardliners within the movement.

Labelled a terrorist group by the United States and the European Union, Hamas on Monday revised its charter to reflect a slightly more moderate stance, without however recognising Israel.

Haniya replaces Khaled Meshaal, who lives in Doha in exile and has completed the maximum two terms in office.

Unlike Meshaal, Haniya will remain in the Gaza Strip, the small Palestinian enclave run by Hamas, hit by three wars with Israel since 2008 and under an Israeli blockade for 10 years.

His modest home in the narrow alleys of Gaza City's Shati refugee camp next to the Mediterranean Sea is under constant guard.

Also known as Abu Abed, he was born in the same camp in 1963 to parents who fled when Israel was created in 1948.

They had previously lived in Ashkelon (or Asqalan in Arabic), which is today part of Israel and just next to the border with the Gaza Strip.

Haniya, a father of 13, was educated at a UN-run refugee school, later earning an education degree from the Islamic University and becoming a university administrator.

Hamas has frequently highlighted his modest background as a counterpoint to officials within president Mahmud Abbas's Palestinian Authority who have been accused of being corrupt and too easily compliant with Israel or the United States.

Haniya was jailed several times by Israel during the first intifada, or uprising, which erupted in 1987, and was deported to southern Lebanon in December 1992 along with hundreds of Hamas and Islamic Jihad militants.

- Shock election win -

He first rose to prominence as bureau chief under Hamas's spiritual father Sheikh Ahmed Yassin, the quadriplegic assassinated by Israel in 2004.

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He escaped assassination in September 2003 when an Israeli aircraft bombed a house where he and Yassin were meeting, yet Haniya was instrumental in securing a halt to Hamas attacks inside Israel since early 2005.

The following year, he led Hamas to a shock legislative election victory over Abbas's Fatah and became prime minister.

The international community however refused to deal with any government in which Hamas participated until it renounced violence and recognised Israel and past peace agreements.

The resulting deadlock led to mounting friction between Hamas and Fatah which culminated in Hamas's seizure of Gaza.

In July 2006, Israel bombed Haniya's office during a massive but unsuccessful operation to free a soldier held by gunmen including Hamas militants.

Always dressed impeccably in Western-style suits and a sharp orator, Haniya has exemplified Hamas's internal struggle between the traditional and the modern, between resistance against Israeli occupation and mainstream politics.

An eloquent advocate of the right to resistance, his strongly held beliefs that a future Palestinian state should be governed by laws "inspired by sharia" Islamic law have provoked concern in the West.
Gaza City (Palestinian Territories) (AFP) - The radical Palestinian group Islamic Jihad has rejected Hamas's new policy of easing its stand on Israel and accepting the establishment of a Palestinian state limited to the 1967 borders.

"As partners with our Hamas brothers in the struggle for liberation, we feel concern over the document" which the main Islamist movement that rules Gaza adopted on Monday, said Islamic Jihad's deputy leader, Ziad al-Nakhala.

"We are opposed to Hamas's acceptance of a state within the 1967 borders and we think this is a concession which damages our aims," he said on Islamic Jihad's website.

Nakhala said the new Hamas policy formally accepting the idea of a state in the territories occupied by Israel in the 1967 Six-Day War would "lead to deadlock and can only produce half-solutions".

Hamas has eased its stance on the Jewish state after having called for decades for its destruction, as the movement seeks to improve its international standing.

Founded in 1979 in the wake of the Islamic revolution in Iran, a close ally and source of its ideology, Islamic Jihad is the second force in the Gaza Strip and focused entirely on the armed struggle.
Jerusalem (AFP) - Israeli ministers approved a controversial bill on Sunday that would define the country as the "national home of the Jewish people" while downgrading Arabic as an official language, officials and reports said.

If the bill eventually becomes law, Arabic would be defined as having special status, while "its speakers have the right to language-accessible state services," though it would not be an official language, Haaretz newspaper reported.

Hebrew is defined as the "national language" in the bill, which would become part of the country's so-called basic law, which is similar to a constitution, it said.

Ministers confirmed the proposed legislation had been approved by a cabinet committee, allowing it to move on to parliament.

Some 17.5 percent of Israel's population are Arab. Public signs and government services are typically in Hebrew as well as Arabic and it was unclear whether the new bill would change that.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government is seen as the most right-wing in the country's history, and Arab Israelis allege widespread discrimination.

Defining Israel as the "national home of the Jewish people" has also raised concerns among rights activists and others worried over discrimination and attempts to further mix religion and state.

However, Haaretz said the most recent version of the bill would not subordinate democracy to Israel's Jewish character, unlike previous versions.

Parliament member Ayman Odeh, who heads the mainly Arab Joint List alliance, said approving the bill would mean trampling on minority rights, adding it would "legally transform us into second-class citizens".

The bill was sponsored by Avi Dichter, a member of Netanyahu's Likud party who said it was necessary to "set in law our national identity while remaining a democratic state".
YOKOHAMA, Japan (Reuters) - Japan will provide $40 million to the Asian Development Bank to promote high-level technology as part of efforts to boost quality infrastructure in Asia, Finance Minister Taro Aso said on Saturday. "Japan has been promoting quality infrastructure in Asia in close collaboration with the bank," Aso told the ADB's annual gathering in Yokohama. "Enhancing quality of infrastructure in terms of lifecycle cost and environmental and social considerations is important." The money will be provided over a two-year period to a newly created fund of the ADB, he said. Aso's remarks came as China's increasing presence in infrastructure finance has alarmed some Japanese policymakers, who worry that Beijing-led Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) may overshadow the Japan-U.S.-led ADB. The AIIB is viewed by some as a challenger to both the Western-dominated World Bank and the ADB, which is primarily funded by Japan and the United States. Partly to differentiate itself, the ADB has broadened its activities beyond infrastructure such as financing of steps for poverty reduction, healthcare and education. ADB President Takehiko Nakao told the annual gathering that investment in infrastructure would remain a priority. "Asia will need $1.7 trillion per year in investments in power, transport, telecommunications and water through 2030," he said on Saturday. On Thursday, Nakao said the ADB would cooperate with China's development finance and infrastructure plans under its "One Belt, One Road" initiative, shrugging off the view Japan and China are competing for influence through development finance. (Reporting by Tetsushi Kajimoto; Editing by Nick Macfie)
Update: July 13, 2018



A Missouri jury has just released the largest verdict to date against Johnson & Johnson over allegations that its talc-based products cause cancer. The court has ordered J&J to pay a record $4.69 billion to the 22 women who claim the companys products contain asbestos and caused them to develop ovarian cancer.

J&J denies these allegations and called the trial fundamentally unfair, adding that it will appeal the decision, Reuters reports. The company has overturned verdicts related to its talc products in the past and is hoping to add this newest one to its past legal successes.

J&J is battling 9,000 lawsuits nationwide related to its talc products, so there's sure to be a long road of court processing ahead. We'll be sure to update once more information is released.

Update: May 5, 2017

A St. Louis court has ruled in favor of another woman who has sued Johnson & Johnson, claiming that use of its baby powder resulted in ovarian cancer. Lois Slemp of Virginia, 62, has been awarded $110.5 million in damages. According to the Associated Press, this is the largest settlement in a string of Johnson & Johnson baby powder cases. There are about 2,000 lawsuits nationwide related to women using Johnson & Johnson's talcum-based baby powder for feminine hygiene and then developing adverse effects. Slemp used the product for 40 years and developed ovarian cancer in 2012. Unfortunately, according to her lawyers, Slemp is currently "too sick" to make a statement after this week's verdict.





Update: April 4 2016

Following the verdict below, now more than 1,000 women are suing the company, as well as its supplier Imerys Talc America, over covering up the risks of ovarian cancer linked to use of its baby powder. The next trial is set to begin on April 11 in St. Louis. According to Bloomberg, Johnson & Johnson has spent more than $5 billion since 2013 to resolve legal claims against its products.

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Original Story:

Last year, the family of Jacqueline Fox sued Johnson & Johnson after the Alabama woman died of ovarian cancer that she developed from using the companys baby powder and body powder products. On Monday, a jury in St. Louis awarded the family $72 million in damages. This is the first verdict in more than 1,000 national cases linked to these products.



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According to the suit, Fox developed terminal ovarian cancer after 35 years of using the companys talc-based products for feminine hygiene. According to the case, a pathologist found that the talc had inflamed Fox's ovaries, which then developed into cancer. Jere Beasley, a lawyer for Foxs family, says that Johnson & Johnson has known for decades, since the 1980s, about the risk of talc-based products causing cancer, yet had lied to the public and regulatory agencies in an effort to boost sales.



You May Also Like: 8 Lies the Beauty Industry is Telling You



The company issued a statement to Reuters after the verdict: "We have no higher responsibility than the health and safety of consumers, and we are disappointed with the outcome of the trial. We sympathize with the plaintiff's family, but firmly believe the safety of cosmetic talc is supported by decades of scientific evidence."

According to the American Cancer Society, the link between applying talcum powder regularly as a feminine hygiene product and an increased risk of ovarian cancer is a known concern. Study results thus far have been mixed, and the World Health Organizations International Agency for Research on Cancer classifies that type of use of talc-based body powder as possibly carcinogenic to humans. To be safe, the American Cancer Society suggests using cornstarch-based products instead because there is no evidence at this time linking cornstarch powders with any form of cancer.
Organisers barred journalists on Sunday from a publicly advertised event in Shanghai that offered Chinese investors the chance to get U.S. immigrant visas if they put money in a real estate project linked to the family of President Donald Trump's son-in-law.

The two-tower luxury apartment complex in New Jersey, One Journal Square, is being developed by KABR Group and the Kushner Companies, which until recently was headed by senior White House advisor Jared Kushner, the husband of Trump's daughter Ivanka.

The developers are seeking to raise $150 million, or 15.4 percent of funding for the project, from investors through the EB-5 visa programme, according to marketing materials posted by the event's organiser, immigration agency Qiaowai.

The controversial EB-5 programme allows wealthy foreigners to, in effect, buy U.S. immigration visas for themselves and families by investing at least $500,000 in certain development projects.

"Sorry, this is a private event," said a man stopping journalists from entering a function room on Sunday afternoon at the Four Seasons Hotel in Shanghai.

Guests at the event said Kushner's sister, Nicole Kushner Meyer, spoke for about 10 minutes, including about her family's humble roots.

According to the New York Times, Meyer attended a similar event in Beijing on Saturday and told the audience of about 100 people the project "means a lot to me and my entire family".

Jared Kushner, whose White House portfolio includes relations with China, sold his stake in Kushner Companies to a family trust early this year. His lawyer said in a statement in March that Kushner was fully complying with ethics rules, removing himself from active participation in his prior businesses and divesting assets.

A Kushner Companies spokeswoman declined to comment in a New York Times article about the Beijing event published on Saturday.

The Times story said Meyer did not respond when asked if she was concerned about possible conflicts of interest facing her brother. Journalists from the Times and Washington Post were removed from Saturday's Beijing event, the newspapers reported.

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One potential investor, Sophie Xing, said a "very important" factor in her decision to attend Sunday's event was the fact that the project was a Kushner Companies investment and that Trump's son-in-law's sister would be showing up in Shanghai.

"Actually I really don't know how close they are but I felt that this was a pretty good project," she said.

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U.S. President-elect Donald Trump greets his daughter Ivanka and son in law Jared Kushner (R) at his election night rally in Manhattan, New York (Reuters)

In a promotional text message seen by Reuters, Qiaowai made note of Meyer's relationship to Trump and called her the event's "heavyweight honoured guest".

Bi Ting, 34, who as also at the Shanghai event, said Qiaowai had told her husband that a relative of Trump would be present.

Qiaowei representatives at the event declined to answer questions from journalists, and calls to its listed phone number went unanswered.

Qiaowei is also known as QWOS. Its promotional materials for the project, which it also calls Kushner1, advertise the prospect of putting money in under the federal EB-5 programme.

The programme is popular among wealthy Chinese looking to shift assets abroad or move overseas, but it has come under fire in the United States.

Some U.S. lawmakers have called for changing or abolishing the EB-5 programme, but the scheme was recently renewed by Congress until Sept. 30.

Potential investor Xing said a Kushner representative who spoke on Sunday stressed that EB-5 rules could change after September to raise the minimum required investment.

Another person who attended Sunday's event, Liu Guoqi, was mindful of the potential rule change. Liu said he had been to previous pitches for EB-5 investments but had concerns about the risks.

"The whole thing may change later this year so we feel that there isn't much time left," he said.

In the United States, the EB-5 programme has also sparked concerns about possible scams. Some immigrants have been burned by misrepresentations made about the programme by promoters, both inside and outside the United States. Many have lost not only their money but their chance at winning U.S. citizenship.

Trump has vowed to clamp down on illegal immigration.

In addition to Beijing and Shanghai, the road show for One Journal Square was scheduled to hit the Chinese cities of Shenzhen, Guangzhou and Wuhan, according to Qiaowai's marketing materials online.

It calls the Kushner family a "famous real estate clan", and touts EB-5 immigration as "peace of mind".

Qiaowai's Chinese-language marketing material describes the project as "supported by the government, created by a star developer", and says the project is its 87th EB-5 programme.
Paris (AFP) - Around 15 news outlets said Sunday they had been barred from the election night gathering for French far-right presidential candidate Marine Le Pen and her supporters.

Le Pen's National Front (FN) said they were turned away because of a lack of space at the venue, a dance hall in Vincennes, just east of Paris.

Bloomberg News, Le Monde, Liberation and L'Humanite newspapers, and the newsweekly L'Obs said they would boycott the event out of "solidarity" with the other outlets.

Buzzfeed and Mediapart were among the online news sites that said on Twitter they were refused accreditation for the event, as well as reporters from Britain's Sky News, the US monthly The Atlantic and the Italian public TV channel Rai.

"In solidarity with our counterparts, the editors of Liberation... have decided not to attend," the paper's deputy editor Johan Hufnagel said, calling the snub "anti-democratic"

Le Monde's editor in chief Luc Bronner said the move, coming "after several other incidents, shows a poor concept of freedom of the press."

Le Pen's rival, centrist Emmanuel Macron, is favourite to clinch the presidency on Sunday with the last opinion polls before the vote giving him a lead of more than 20 points.

After the April 23 first round of the election, a journalist who had recently published a book about Le Pen was among media representatives barred from the party celebrating her second-place showing.

Around 40 media outlets signed a petition after the first round protesting the FN's selective accreditation of journalists to follow Le Pen's campaign, saying it "undermined freedom to inform".

Le Pen's campaign director David Rachline told AFP that because of space limitations "it is obvious that those with the largest audience should have preference."
Appearing on Morning Joe on Friday morning, Representative Steve Scalise of Louisiana didnt flinch when host Willie Geist asked him a direct question about what would happen if the American Health Care Actwhich the House narrowly approved a day earlierbecame law.

So everyone with a pre-existing condition right now who is covered under Obamacare will continue to have coverage? he asked the congressman, who as House majority whip is the third-ranking Republican in the chamber.

Absolutely, Scalise replied.

Everyone? Geist pressed him.

Everyone, Scalise confirmed.

From off camera, Mika Brzezinski let out a sound that was somewhere between a groan and a gasp. In the interest of reassuring the public about the GOPs plan, Scalise had made the kind of blanket commitment that could come back to haunt the party in the future. While Republican leaders were careful to maintain the federal requirement under Obamacare that insurers offer coverage to anyone, including those with pre-existing conditions, their bill would allow states to wriggle out of the mandate that insurers charge those customers the same price. As a result, people with pre-existing conditions could find insurance unaffordable in states that get a waiver to opt out of the federal law.

Recommended: Seven Reasons the Left Is Losing

Did Republicans learn nothing in the last eight years?

From making unrealistic promises to cutting back-room deals, Republicans are ignoring many of the lessons they should have taken from the Democrats experience selling a complicated health-care plan to the public.

Dont Over-Promise

If you like your plan, you can keep your plan.

That one concrete pledge repeated dozens of times by former President Barack Obamaand many other Democrats at the timebecame an albatross for his party once the Affordable Care Act took effect in 2013. They had made the commitment to try to sell the public on the plan and get it passed initially, having seen how the fear of change illustrated in ads by the fictional couple Harry and Louise torpedoed the Clinton health-care bill 20 years earlier. But although Obamacare did not directly force people off their insurance, many had to change their plans because insurers stopped selling due to the new coverage requirements under the law. That broken promise helped the GOP expand its House majority and retake the Senate in the 2014 elections.

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Republicans, however, have ignored that lesson repeatedly in 2017, making all kinds of assurances about their health-care bill that will be all but impossible to keep. Most egregiously, President Trump told The Washington Post in January that his Obamacare replacement plan would provide insurance for everybody. In fact, Republicans made no attempt at universal coverage; their bill cuts Medicaid deeply, and the Congressional Budget Office projected that it would result in 24 million fewer people having insurance after a decade.

In recent days, House Republicans like Scalise have made claims about people with pre-existing conditions that are unlikely to stand up over time. Like Democrats before them, GOP lawmakers may genuinely want their assurances to bear out, but they are putting themselves at political risk by not being forthright about the tradeoffs involved in health policy and the potential consequences of a sweeping new law. If the American Health Care Act never gets enacted, itll be a moot point. But if it does, Republicans better watch out.

Recommended: How The Gospel of Prosperity Explains the American Health Care Act

Read the Bill

Or at least dont admit publicly that you didnt.

After Democrats enacted the Affordable Care Act in 2010, Republicans succeeded in making a couple of key quotes infamous as they rallied opposition to the law. Then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi uttered one of them just two weeks before final passage: We have to pass the bill, she said during a speech, so that you can find out whats in it.

No matter the context, the comment perfectly encapsulated the GOPs criticism of the billthat at nearly 1,000 pages, it was too long for members of Congress to read and understand, much less the general public, and that Democrats were intent on jamming it into law before people found out what it would actually do. (Just watch then-House Minority Leader John Boehner make the case right before the final vote.)

Republicans did take heed of Obamacares length when they wrote its replacement. As Sean Spicer passionately demonstrated, the American Health Care Act is just 124 pages, and even after the amendments Republicans added, it comes in at less than 200 as passed by the House.

But even that was too long for some GOP lawmakers. I fully admit, Wolf, I did not, Representative Chris Collins of New York told CNNs Wolf Blitzer when he was asked if he had read the complete and final text of the AHCA. Two other Republicans admitted as much to CNN, although they noted that their staff read the bill and briefed them on its content.

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The lawmakers have a point when they say they rely on policy experts on their staff to fully read and summarize to them the legislative text of legislation, particularly when it comes to massive spending bills that the House and Senate vote on just days after they are unveiled. But it seems that Collinss team didnt even fully explain the impact of the GOP health-care bill to him. As the Buffalo News reported, the congressman was unfamiliar with a provision that could decimate a state health plan that serves 635,000 New Yorkers.

Unlike staff, its the members of Congress themselves who are elected by the public and accountable to their constituents, and its not too much to ask that they personally read bills that could affect health care for the entire country. Failure to do so just feeds the perception that Republicans rushed the AHCA to passage without sufficient scrutiny, especially after the House adopted late changes that had only been public for a few hours before the vote and after the GOP spent years accusing Democrats of doing the same thing.

Avoid Back-Room Deals

The Cornhusker Kickback. The Louisiana Purchase.

Democrats relied on these side agreements benefitting individual states to secure the 60 votes needed to pass the Senates version of Obamacare in late 2009. The additional Medicaid money for Nebraska wasnt even included in the final bill, but the back-room deals helped sour the public on the new law. Republicans seized on them to argue that Democrats were buying off senators in secret, undermining a bill that actually went through months of public scrutiny and debate.

Eight years later, the GOP resorted to the same kind of tactic in the Buffalo Bribe (or, if you prefer, the Tammany Haul)a provision the House leadership added to the AHCA at the urging of five members of the New York delegation that would shift the Medicaid tax burden away from upstate counties.

But theres a reason this kind of horse-trading is a time-honored, if unsavory, part of legislative politics: It helps to win votes, and members of Congress have a legitimate responsibility to look out for their constituents. The New York lawmakers publicized their victory, so it wasnt a secret, but the provisions inclusion after Republicans reported their bill out of committee underscored the legislations relative lack of public hearings or lengthy formal debate.

Just Stay Away From Health Care Entirely (Or Dont Tackle It Alone)

Maybe Republicans were doomed from the start. The mover on health care loses; to do something is to lose, the always-blunt Democratic strategist James Carville reportedly told party donors earlier this year. Twice now, Democrats have lost their House majority in the next election after pursuing a major overhaul of the health insurance system. With their vote on Thursday, Republicans could be at the same risk next year.

As the president recently discovered, health care is incredibly complicated. But more than that, it is intensely personal. The tradeoffs between cost and coverage will always cause controversy. The economics of private insurance necessarily require younger, healthier people to subsidize the care of those who are older and needier. And changes in policies will almost always mean some will pay more so others can pay less.

Republicans may be missing a lesson the Democrats learned in another way. The party that controls government might not be able to avoid touching health-care policy entire, but it doesnt have to do so alone. Bipartisanship doesnt guarantee a better result, and it cant happen if both parties dont agree to cooperate. But like insurance itself, its at least a way to share the risk.

Read more from The Atlantic:

This article was originally published on The Atlantic.
As scientist-activists who work on climate science and renewable energy, the question we get asked the most is, What can I do about climate change?

Heres our evolving take  a synthesis of what we think are the three most impactful ways to contribute in the face of such an urgent and systemic problem. (To avoid catastrophic climate change, global greenhouse gas emissions have to start falling , now, faster than they have risen for the past 160 years.)

SEE ALSO: We became scientists to help the world. Now we need to take to the streets.

Our theories of change are informed by our understanding of climate science and clean energy, by our journey from scientists to scientist-activists, and, most of all, by the insights of other academics and activists.

Leverage our collective power

Even a homeless person in America has a carbon footprint of roughly 8.5 tons of carbon dioxide per year  far higher than the per capita value needed to hold back dangerous climate change. So no matter how much we try to cut our individual greenhouse gas emissions, it wont be enough. Not while our energy continues to be supplied almost entirely by fossil fuels.

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Yet the infuriating reality is that we already have most of the efficiency and clean energy technologies we need to do away with fossil fuels. The fossil fuel industry , in large part, is standing in the way of their accelerated deployment and cost reduction.

This is hardly surprising when the business model of these companies is fundamentally incompatible with the science of mitigating climate change. And when that model  like our society as a whole  prioritizes economic growth above ecological protection and actual human well-being.

Yes, we are all complicit in climate change. But you and I are passively guilty  stuck in a high-carbon system. Fossil fuel interests and political ideologues, on the other hand, are actively guilty  working to stop the system from changing.

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This is where collective action comes in. As 350.org co-founder Bill McKibben argues , the only thing powerful enough to take on the financial might and political power of the fossil fuel industry is the power of a social movement.

This isnt just rhetoric: historical evidence suggests that it takes roughly 3.5 percent of the population to sustain a winning social movement. The single most important thing we can each do is to be part of the collective 3.5 percent.

 Ask the Tea Party. Ask the civil rights movement, says McKibben.

The question I get asked the most: What can I do to make a difference? It's almost the right question https://t.co/e6rdJIj8zg  Bill McKibben (@billmckibben) October 14, 2016

We all belong to one or more constituencies that can either support the status quo, or challenge it. These so-called  pillars of support  are our points of leverage. Examples include students pushing their universities to divest from fossil fuel companies, mothers lobbying for statewide access to clean energy, doctors raising public awareness, children suing the government and fossil fuel companies over intergenerational injustice, and frontline communities blocking fossil fuel expansion.

To get started, explore existing campaigns and join one that resonates strongly with your values, passions, and background. Many excellent ones are listed here , here , and here ; if none are for you, consider starting your own.

Look not just to D.C., but also to your local community  its there that many of the most consequential battles will happen over the next four years, and its there that you can have outsized impact. Take part in sustained organizing, and also make sure you show up to flashpoints of unity and momentum like marches, rallies, and protests. Resistance groups like Indivisible and the Town Hall Project offer resources on how to effectively pressure elected officials.

You may also be able to bring relevant skills and expertise to bear on the climate movement. From filmmakers documenting grassroots campaigns, to lawyers defending activists, to scientists providing expert testimony, to musicians inspiring action, no matter what interests you pursue or career path you follow, says Voxs David Roberts, you will have some influence. Use it!

End climate silence

Climate communication experts have found that although most Americans say global warming is important to them, many dont hear about it in the media or from people they know.

Indeed, 70 percent of Americans rarely or never discuss global warming with family and friends. In 2016, despite record high temperatures and the historic Paris Climate Agreement, climate change news coverage on evening newscasts and Sunday shows from ABC, CBS, NBC, and Fox amounted to a meager total of 50 minutes .

The result is a spiral of silence: Silence begets silence, making political inaction all too easy.

As climate commentator Joe Romm has urged : Talk about climate change and its solutions with everyone you know a lot more than you do now. Be vocal on social media, at local events, and with elected officials, write opinion articles, and, most importantly, talk to friends, families, and coworkers.

What should we talk about? Values. There is overwhelming evidence from behavioural science and marketing that values, not facts, are the currency of persuasion. Dont just talk about what is happening or needs to happen, talk about why it matters.

Themes like jobs, national security, and public health and safety resonate widely with the American public. Clean energy, for instance, can offer a winning, all-American narrative about job creation, health benefits, and energy independence. You dont need to be a climate expert to talk about why you care. See here for how climate change threatens what we love, here for denial debunking, and here for climate science 101.

How do we tell our stories? Marshall Ganzs " Self, Us, Now " storytelling framework is a learnable, proven formula we highly recommend. Simon Sineks " Why, How, What " is another good blueprint.

Cut the biggest chunks of your carbon footprint

Reducing your largest sources of greenhouse gas emissions is a low-barrier way to contribute. Itll also save you money.

However, be aware that taking collective action and ending climate silence are more impactful than personal greening, because whereas the latter is linear, the first two are exponential.

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The exception is when our individual actions send social signals to those around us, creating a knock-on effect (putting solar panels on your roof is contagious , for example).

For most of us in America, our most effective individual options for cutting our carbon footprints are: trading in our gas guzzler for a more efficient (good), hybrid (better), or electric (best) car; driving and flying less; eating less beef and lamb; and buying green electricity, installing solar panels, and making concerted home efficiency improvements. If you can only do one, make it trading in your car or eating less beef. Another important but less obvious option is to divest our savings and pensions from fossil fuels, which also sends a strong social signal .

On average, these actions would together cut your carbon footprint roughly in half.

This carbon footprint calculator can help you make these cuts. To figure out the best car to get, use this app , based on research by one of us. To find fossil fuel-free investment funds, go here .

If you find this guide useful, please share it. Then, lets get to work!

Geoffrey Supran is a postdoctoral researcher in the Institute for Data, Systems, and Society at MIT and in the Department of History of Science at Harvard University. He has a PhD in Materials Science & Engineering from MIT.

Ploy Achakulwisut is a PhD candidate in Atmospheric Science at Harvard University.
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With mere minutes to go before the end of active campaigning in Frances presidential election on Friday evening, front-runner Emmanuel Macrons campaign released a statement saying it had been the victim of a massive computer hack intended to sow doubt among the French electorate ahead of Sundays vote.

Approximately nine gigabytes of data including emails, contracts, and accounting documents were posted onto the document sharing site Pastebin late Friday. The Macron campaign statement confirmed that some of the documents were authentic, but said that fake campaign documents had been included in the dump as well to sow doubt and disinformation. The operation was obviously a democratic destabilization, the statement said.

Macron campaign officials immediately compared the dump of emails to the Russian hacking waged by Kremlin operatives against Hillary Clintons campaign during last years U.S. election. Security experts cautioned that it is too early at this stage to determine who was responsible for the leak. French security officials had warned of Russian interference over the course of the French presidential campaign.

The document dump comes less than 48 hours before the final round of an election that has been closely watched for its implications for the future of Europe. Macrons opponent, the far-right National Front candidate Marine Le Pen, has campaigned on an anti-EU platform while Macron has embraced the union. Prior to Fridays email dump, Macron appeared to have a comfortable 20-point lead on Le Pen, with voters widely agreeing he had outperformed her in a debate earlier this week.

Its not clear what the effects these new documents will have on the election. The timing means that the Macron campaign will be barred from commenting on their contents. According to French election rules, the campaign went into blackout mode starting at midnight local time on Friday, which means that any commentary liable to influence the election results will be banned until polls close on Sunday evening, and there will be no new polls.

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Suspicions about who was responsible for the leaks quickly fell on Russia. Most analysts suspect that the Kremlin is rooting for a Le Pen victory. Her party has financial ties to Russia, and the candidate made a surprise visit to the Kremlin in March, where she met with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Le Pen has acknowledged Crimea as part of Russia, a stance decidedly not held by most of the international community, and has criticized sanctions put on Russia by the European Union and the United States over the annexation of Crimea.

Macron, on the other hand, while not considered a Russia hawk, has taken a hard line on sanctions on Russia for its actions in Ukraine, calling Moscows foreign-policy stance aggressive and saying sanctions should remain in place until it lives up to the Minsk agreement. Macron has banned two Russian state-affiliated news outlets, RT television and the Sputnik news agency, from covering his campaign. He has also criticized Le Pens ties to Russia, albeit subtly. And who pays for your campaign? he asked her during their final debate on Wednesday.

News stories have pointed to signs of Russian interference on Le Pens side over the course of the election in the form of the dissemination of false news stories through state-affiliated outlets and social media bots.

Those responsible for infiltrating Macrons computer systems took pains to cover their tracks and removed so-called metadata from the files, according to Matt Tait, a former official at GCHQ, Britains signals intelligence agency, now the CEO of Capital Alpha Security. Removing such data makes it more difficult to determine who was responsible for hacking Macrons computer systems.

Last month, the security firm Trend Micro said it had identified a so-called phishing campaign against the Macron team. According to the firm, hackers linked to Russian military intelligence implicated in cyberattacks on the Democratic Party last year carried out the attempt. Those attacks on Macron appeared to be an attempt to break into the email accounts of campaign officials, but the Macron camp insisted that the attempted break-in had been unsuccessful.

The leak appears to contain genuine documents and files from the Macron camp, but in its statement announcing the breach, the front-runner claimed that the breach also included forgeries. Security researchers analyzing the dump identified what appears to be an online order for a synthetic stimulant, to be paid for in bitcoin, the anonymous currency, and to be shipped to the French parliament.

While the bitcoin transaction appears to be genuine, the shipping address points toward what may be an attempt to manufacture scandal, a security researcher who goes by the name misterch0c told Foreign Policy.

The site hosting the dumped documents appears to have been first identified by the message board 4chan, an anarchic online community that carried out an aggressive online campaign on behalf President Donald Trump during the 2016 election campaign. Following his upset victory, 4chan users launched a similar campaign to boost Le Pen.

The online right-wing community that helped propel Trump to the Oval Office also appears to have played a role in spreading news of the hack. According to the Atlantic Councils Digital Forensic Research Lab, the head of an obscure alt-right news site coined the two principal hashtags being used to disseminate the news on Twitter.

PHILIPPE LOPEZ/AFP/Getty Images
Kiel (Germany) (AFP) - Chancellor Angela Merkel's conservatives secured a strong win Sunday in state polls in northern Germany, partial results showed, giving a boost to her bid to retain power in national elections in September.

Voters in the small, northern state of Schleswig-Holstein handed her CDU party 32.3 percent, leaving the centre-left Social Democratic Party (SPD) trailing with 26.9 percent, partial results showed.

The vote outcome marked a blow for the Social Democrats who had earlier this year seen a surge in support since new leader Martin Schulz was chosen in February.

But this enthusiasm appeared to be fading, and Schulz's supporters are increasingly fearful that the momentum he had been surfing on will not carry him into the chancellery, which Merkel and her Christian Democratic Union (CDU) have held since 2005.

The blow to the Social Democrats' confidence also came one week ahead of a far bigger regional vote in their stronghold of North Rhine-Westphalia, also Germany's most populous state.

- Schulz 'sad' -

Schulz expressed disappointment, saying: "This is something that goes under the skin and makes us sad. We all expected a better result."

Merkel's CDU meanwhile was confidently looking to next Sunday's polls, where surveys show the conservatives and the SPD running neck and neck.

"A good election result gives us motivation to go on fighting," said lawmaker Michael Grosse-Broemer, who heads the CDU parliamentary group in the Bundestag.

Merkel's party has seen a comeback, after losing a string of state elections over the past two years as voters punished the German leader for her liberal refugee policy that allowed more than one million asylum seekers into Germany since 2015.

But with the pace of new arrivals slowing sharply, surveys show the conservatives gaining ground.

"The CDU is catching up regionally, and that lends momentum to Merkel ahead of the vote in North Rhine-Westphalia next week and before the national elections in the autumn," said Spiegel Online.

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The populist AfD (Alternative for Germany), which has railed against the migrant influx, scraped through on Sunday with 5.9 percent support, winning its first seats in the state parliament in Kiel, despite a vicious falling-out between moderates and hardliners inside the party.

The result was however a far worse showing than at the end of last year, when it was the third most popular party nationwide.

- 'In good hands' -

Beyond its significance as the last-but-one regional election before the September general elections, there were plenty of local peculiarities in Sunday's vote.

Popular SPD state premier Torsten Albig, 53, has led a coalition of SPD, Greens, and local Danish minority party SSW since 2012.

His CDU challenger Daniel Guenther is 10 years younger and has been an energetic opposition leader in the regional parliament.

The centre-right group there has sparked debate across Germany in recent years with populist proposals like requiring pork to be served in school canteens -- a nod to voters fearful of Islam's influence on public life.

This year's campaign has seen battles over education, policing and roads, a top concern in a state with a population of 2.8 million thinly spread across almost 16,000 square kilometres (6,100 square miles).

Another battleground is wind farm construction near residential areas -- no small matter in a windy coastal region whose turbines are a key element in Germany's "energy transition" away from nuclear and fossil fuels.

Both major parties sent their heaviest hitters to Schleswig-Holstein in recent days, with Schulz making appearances in Kiel and Luebeck on Thursday.

But his interventions have done little to counteract criticism that the former president of the European Parliament has so far failed to offer concrete attacks against Merkel and the right.

Schulz has an uphill battle ahead to defeat Merkel, a leader so popular that one CDU election poster in 2013 simply showed her fingers clasped in their habitual diamond shape alongside the slogan "Germany's Future In Good Hands".

Conservative-leaning daily Die Welt looked ahead to next Sunday's vote in North Rhine-Westphalia, warning that "if the SPD were to lose in seven days, then Schulz would be finished as the beacon of hope" for the party.
Palma (Mozambique) (AFP) - The small, palm-fringed fishing town of Palma was meant to become a symbol of Mozambique's glittering future, transformed by one of the world's largest liquefied natural gas projects.

But construction has fallen far behind schedule and the town's fate is uncertain after gas prices fell and the government became engulfed in a $2 billion debt scandal.

Tucked between the turquoise waters of the Indian Ocean and thick tropical forests, Palma remains a sleepy village of 3,000 people, still waiting for the promised arrival of new jobs and infrastructure.

The discovery of gas reserves in 2010, estimated at 180 trillion cubic feet (five trillion cubic metres) in the surrounding Rovuma Basin, was the biggest natural gas find in recent decades.

Experts have predicted that Mozambique could become the world's third-largest exporter of liquefied natural gas (LNG) -- and an African version of wealthy Qatar.

Plans to exploit the reserves moved fast, and Palma's residents were soon looking for opportunities to lift themselves out of poverty in one of the world's poorest nations.

"It's only through such projects that we will get proper jobs because otherwise we just depend on the sea," said 46-year-old fisherman Pedro Abuda-Nchamo.

Since the discovery of the gas, the face of the town has started to change.

Excavators and construction vehicles are working on the planned liquefaction plant and export facilities.

A gated residential complex for the anticipated influx of skilled workers is almost ready, and the town's first shopping mall is being built.

But the much-touted gas project has run into strong headwinds.

Initial estimates were that the first LNG would come on stream in 2016 but now it is expected in 2023 -- or later.

The plunge in global gas prices has led energy companies to slow down capital expenditure.

Meanwhile the government in Maputo is caught up in a debt scandal that has triggered an economic crisis unseen since the end of the southern African country's civil war in 1992.

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- Vast secret debts -

News emerged last year that the government had borrowed massively -- including three secret loans amounting to $2 billion -- between 2012 and 2014 to fund a coastal protection project.

As a result, the International Monetary Fund and World Bank have suspended budgetary support.

The loans, which the government is unable to repay, were taken out in anticipation of the gas windfall that remains elusive.

"The government thought it would repay the loans with gas money," said Borges Nhamire, analyst with CIP, an anti-corruption non-governmental organisation.

Analysts fear that Mozambique's state-owned Empresa Nacional de Hidrocarbonetos (ENH), a minority partner in the gas project, may now struggle to raise its contribution of the share capital -- although ENH insists it will honour its share of the deal.

Meanwhile, other players in the multi-billion-dollar gas project appear to be making investment decisions.

In March Exxon announced that it was buying for $28 billion, a 25 percent stake in Italian energy giant ENI's Mozambique gas resource.

That same month another major player, US oil and natural gas company Anadarko, also said it was investing $770 million in its deepwater project in Mozambique where it "expects to continue advancing" and that it has "made good progress on the legal and contractual framework."

But Nhamire said it will take a "long time" for any benefits from the gas project to reach average Mozambicans.

- 'Blessing or curse'? -

The long-running conflict between the ruling Frelimo party and opposition Renamo fighters engaged in a low-key armed insurgency resurfaced in 2013, but a ceasefire in place since December has raised hopes of progress towards permanent peace.

Yet the debt controversy has dented investor confidence and provoked fears that Mozambique is another African victim of the "resource curse".

"It's been really a pretty serious disaster that impacted right throughout the economy," said Peter Fabricius, a consultant with the South Africa-based Institute of Security Studies.

"What it does indicate is serious deficiency in governance and that is at the heart of any discussion about whether resources are going to become a blessing or a curse."

For a decade until 2014, Mozambique experienced galloping growth of more than seven percent annually, fuelled by foreign capital inflows on the back of coal and natural gas discoveries.

But growth has slowed by half from 6.6 percent in 2015 to 3.3 percent last year, and the central bank in April forecast "a continuation of the weakening of economic activity".

"Foreign direct investment declined by 20 percent indicating a decline in confidence in the economy," said the World Bank in its latest country overview.

For Palma residents, delays in the start of the gas project are breeding anxiety and frustration.

"They promised that when the companies come we would get jobs but until now it has not happen and people are complaining," said Amade Mussa, a village leader.

The government insists the Palma project is still on track and that local people will benefit even as some have to be relocated for the construction of the gas terminal.

"Our priority is to take that community out of poverty," Land Minister Celso Correia told AFP.
Although they are no longer together, it seems like Nina Dobrev and Ian Somerhalder are still on good terms. They may be on such good terms in fact, that the actress liked both her ex-boyfriend and his wifes joint baby announcements on Instagram.

On Thursday, Somerhalder and wife Nikki Reed shared two separate posts revealing they were expecting their first child together. Although they received plenty of support from fans in the form of likes and well-wishes via Twitter, on Instagram, Dobrevs like stood out because it was unexpected.

Somerhalder shared a photo of himself kissing Reeds baby bump with a message for fans. This has been the most special time of our lives and we wanted to keep it between the three of us for as long as possible so we could enjoy this time with each other and our little one who is growing so fast...because that's what they do, they grow so fast. Thank you for your kind energy, he wrote.

Reed shared the same photo on her Instagram account, expressing the joy she felt over the big announcement and revealing that she already loves her baby and cannot wait for them to finally meet.

READ: Ian Somerhalder and Nikki Reed celebrate second wedding anniversary

Dobrevs support of Somerhalders pregnancy news comes after years of rumors about a bitter breakup and ongoing feud with Reed. While starring together on The CW hit The Vampire Diaries, Somerhalder and Dobrev dated for three years. The couple was rumored to have split in 2013 because Somerhalder wanted to settled down and Dobrev wasnt ready.

Not long after their split, Somerhalder began dating Reed. Rumors soon after began to swirl that Dobrev left TVD because she couldnt stand to be around Somerhalder and his new girlfriend.

However, Dobrev denied leaving the show over her failed relationship and insisted it was simply time to move on. I want to be the first to tell you that it wasnt just a holiday celebration, it was a goodbye party. I always knew I wanted Elenas story to be a six season adventure, and within those six years I got the journey of a lifetime, she wrote in 2015 while announcing her exit from the show.

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When the series finally came to an end in Season 8, Dobrev got together with her Vampire Diaries family and posed for a photo with Somerhalder and Reed seemingly shutting down rumors of any ongoing tensions between the three.

For the last few years we thought addressing any baseless rumors with silence was the best way. Besides, who wants to respond to made up stories about friends backstabbing friends, cheating exes, or cast members exiting shows on low-brow websites like hollywoodlife that are just perpetuating trends that preceded us, Reed captioned her photo of the three enjoying a fun night out.

So heres to putting an end to all those fake stories of on set jealousy, betrayal, made-up-friendships lost & women hating women. Because at the end of the day, thats what this is about: teaching girls that you have to hate other girls only breeds a generation of women who believe you have to hate other women, Reed wrote ending her lengthy post.

Seeing as Dobrev was more than happy to like both pregnancy announcements, it looks like the only thing going on between the three is good vibes and support.

Nikki Reed and Ian Somerhalder

Photo: Getty Images

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SEOUL (Reuters) - North Korea on Friday accused the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency and South Korea's intelligence service of a plot to attack its "supreme leadership" with a bio-chemical weapon and said such a "pipe-dream" could never succeed.

Tension on the Korean peninsula has been high for weeks, driven by concern that North Korea might conduct its sixth nuclear test or test-launch another ballistic missile in defiance of U.N. Security Council resolutions.

Reclusive North Korea warned this week that U.S. hostility had brought the region to the brink of nuclear war.

For more news videos visit Yahoo View, available now on iOS and Android.

The North's Ministry of State Security released a statement saying "the last-ditch effort" of U.S. "imperialists" and the South had gone "beyond the limits".

"The Central Intelligence Agency of the U.S. and the Intelligence Service (IS) of south Korea, hotbed of evils in the world, hatched a vicious plot to hurt the supreme leadership of the DPRK and those acts have been put into the extremely serious phase of implementation after crossing the threshold of the DPRK," the North's KCNA news agency quoted the statement as saying, referring to the North by its official name, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.

"A hideous terrorists' group, which the CIA and the IS infiltrated into the DPRK on the basis of covert and meticulous preparations to commit state-sponsored terrorism against the supreme leadership of the DPRK by use of bio-chemical substance, has been recently detected."

The U.S. Embassy in Seoul and South Korea's National Intelligence Service were not immediately available for comment. The U.S. military has said CIA director Mike Pompeo visited South Korea this week and met the NIS chief for discussions.

KCNA said the two intelligence services "ideologically corrupted" and bribed a North Korean surnamed Kim and turned him into "a terrorist full of repugnance and revenge against the supreme leadership of the DPRK".

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"They hatched a plot of letting human scum Kim commit bomb terrorism targeting the supreme leadership during events at the Kumsusan Palace of the Sun and at military parade and public procession after his return home," KCNA said.

"They told him that assassination by use of biochemical substances including radioactive substance and nano poisonous substance is the best method that does not require access to the target, their lethal results will appear after six or twelve months...

"Then they handed him over $20,000 on two occasions and a satellite transmitter-receiver and let him get versed in it."

North Korea conducted an annual military parade, featuring a display of missiles and overseen by top leader Kim Jong Un and his right-hand men on April 15 and then a large, live-fire artillery drill 10 days later.

KCNA, which often carries shrill, bellicose threats against the United States, gave lengthy details about the alleged plot but said it could never be accomplished.

"Criminals going hell-bent to realize such a pipe dream cannot survive on this land even a moment," it said.

U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said on Wednesday that Washington was working on more sanctions against North Korea if it takes steps that merit a new response. He also warned other countries their firms could face so-called secondary sanctions for doing illicit business with Pyongyang.

Tillerson said the Trump administration had been "leaning hard into China ... to test their willingness to use their influence, their engagement with the regime".

Two women accused of killing the estranged half-brother of North Korean leader Kim with a chemical weapon appeared in court in Malaysia last month.

They allegedly smeared the man's face with the toxic VX nerve agent, a chemical described by the United Nations as a weapon of mass destruction, at Kuala Lumpur airport on Feb. 13.

(Writing by Nick Macfie; Editing by Robert Birsel)
Washington (AFP) - A Texas police officer who fired into a carful of teens, allegedly killing a 15-year-old African American boy, turned himself in after being charged with murder, authorities said.

Roy Oliver, 37, who is white, was one of two police officers responding to a call about underaged drinking at a party in the Dallas suburb of Balch Springs the night of April 29, The Dallas Morning News reported.

Jordan Edwards and four others were leaving the party in their car after hearing gunfire. Oliver fired a rifle into the car, hitting the teen in the head, media reports said.

Oliver, who has reportedly been fired from the Balch Springs Police Department, turned himself in and was booked on a murder charge at the Parker County jail in Weatherford, about 60 miles (97 kilometers) west of Dallas, according to county records.

He was released after posting a $300,000 bond, the records showed.

Police originally said Oliver opened fire because the car was backing up aggressively toward him, but the department changed its account after viewing body-cam footage, saying the car was driving away when Edwards was shot.

Evidence suggested the police officer "intended to cause serious bodily injury and commit an act clearly dangerous to human life that caused the death," the Dallas County Sheriff's Office said in a statement announcing the arrest warrant.

The shooting is the latest killing of an African-American by a white police officer in a string of similar cases that have fueled outrage across the United States and given rise to the Black Lives Matter movement.

According to a Washington Post tally, Edwards was the youngest of the 339 people shot and killed by US police so far this year.
An Illinois woman is accused of trying to poison her 17-month-old stepdaughter with nail polish remover, according to reports.

Authorities alleged that Andrea Vazquez-Hernandez, 37, put nail polish remover in the little girls bottle along with her milk in May 2016.

Read: 2-Year-Old Girl Found Dead in Attic Died of Dehydration At Hands Of Her Stepmom: Authorities

The 17-month-old girl was fathered by Vazquez-Hernandez's husband with another woman while the couple was separated for two years, according to reports.

Police said the child was a constant reminder of a forbidden relationship, and Vazquez-Hernandez allegedly told authorities that she wanted to punish her husband and the girls mother, according to the Chicago Tribune.

When the 17-month-old was given the bottle by her dad that evening, she quickly spit out the contents, according to reports.

Her father then took the girl to the hospital, where she was treated and released.

After an investigation, police said Vazquez-Hernandez put approximately one inch of nail polish into the toddlers bottle.

Read: 5 Years After Kyron Horman Vanished, His Stepmom Insists: 'I Never Harmed Him'

Thankfully the young victim in this case did not ingest any of the nail polish remover allegedly supplied by her stepmother, DuPage County, Illinois, States Attorney Robert Berlin said in a statement.

Vazquez-Hernandez and her husband also reportedly have a child of their own.

Vazquez-Hernandez is charged with aggravated battery and attempted aggravated battery. Her trial is set for May 17.

Watch: Parents Lose Custody of Kids After Posting Controversial Prank Video on YouTube

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Beirut (AFP) - Fighting subsided in Syria on Saturday after a deal signed by government backers Russia and Iran and rebel supporter Turkey to create four safe zones began to take effect, a monitor said.

The zones still exist only on paper and the cosponsors have until June 4 to finalise their borders under the terms of the agreement struck at peace talks in Kazakhstan on Thursday.

But the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported only sporadic skirmishes and shelling early on Saturday in the areas covered by the deal.

"Apart from a few exchanges and bombardments during the night and in the morning in Hama, Damascus and Aleppo provinces, violence was sharply reduced in the areas covered by the deal," Observatory chief Rami Abdel Rahman told AFP.

The agreement covers four main battlegrounds between the government and non-jihadist rebels -- the northwestern province of Idlib, parts of Homs province in the centre, the south, and the opposition enclave of Eastern Ghouta near Damascus.

It provides for a ceasefire, a no-fly zone, rapid deliveries of humanitarian aid to the designated areas and the return of refugees.

It builds on a ceasefire agreed between Russia and Turkey last December that reduced violence for a period but gradually fell apart.

The new proposal is significantly more ambitious, proposing the deployment of monitoring forces from the guarantor countries and seeking to ground all warplanes.

Some of its terms are ambiguous -- it does not specify that the safe zones take effect immediately but gives the three guarantor countries two weeks to form working groups to delineate them and then until June 4 to come up with the definitive boundaries.

It also calls for a continued fight against the Islamic State group and former Al-Qaeda affiliate Fateh al-Sham Front, which could pose challenges.

In Idlib province in particular, Fateh al-Sham is a major component of the rebel forces that control the area.

Washington has given the deal a guarded welcome. UN chief Antonio Guterres said he was "encouraged" by it.

More than 320,000 people have been killed in Syria since the country's war began with anti-government protests in March 2011.
The U.S. House of Representatives last week passed a measure to repeal the Affordable Care Act and replace it with a bill that will increase health care costs for hundreds of thousands of Montanans and put coverage at risk for many across the state.

After failing to reach the votes needed to pass legislation earlier this year, politicians in D.C. changed the bill. Unfortunately, they did not fix the provisions that would result in over 20 million Americans losing coverage by 2026 and many more facing steep increases in out-of-pocket costs for insurance. Instead, House GOP leaders made the bill even worse, by eliminating protections for Americans who have pre-existing conditions, such as cancer, diabetes, heart disease, and even pregnancy.

The bill effectively ends Montanas bipartisan Medicaid expansion program, which extended coverage to over 77,000 Montanans who would otherwise be uninsured and saved the state over $22 million in the first year. Throughout the 2015 session, we heard from Montanans across the state who faced serious health conditions but were unable to access coverage. Montanas Medicaid expansion is saving lives, but now that health insurance could be ripped away from individuals who desperately need coverage.

Instead of helping make insurance more affordable, this bill actually makes it more expensive, by scaling back tax credits and subsidies provided to individuals who are accessing coverage through the health insurance marketplace. This will have a disproportionate impact on older Montanans, as well as those at lower incomes. Studies show that Montanans who are buying insurance from the marketplace could see out-of-pocket costs (such as premiums, deductibles, and copays) increase by an average of $4,606.

One of the most damaging and long-lasting changes would be to the overall Medicaid program. The House bill is proposing deep cuts in federal Medicaid dollars. States, particularly rural states like Montana, will be forced to make devastating decisions, as Congress attempts to cut over $800 billion in federal Medicaid dollars. Today, one in four Montanans (over 240,000 individuals) receive coverage through Medicaid. Children, seniors, low-income pregnant women, and people with disabilities all rely upon Medicaid for affordable coverage. If this bill becomes law, tens of thousands of Montanans could face loss in coverage.

The House GOP amended the bill to also eliminate some of the most popular provisions of the ACA, including protections for individuals who have pre-existing conditions. States would receive almost automatic approval to waive the requirement that prohibits insurers from charging people higher premiums for coverage based on their health condition. Those with pre-existing conditions would face skyrocketing costs for insurance. According to the Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services, over 400,000 Montanans had a pre-existing condition in 2009, the most recent year of information.

If insurers were to charge people the full expected cost of their condition, an individual with metastatic cancer could face premiums exceeding $100,000, according to one analysis by the Center for American Progress. Having a baby, without any complications, could run more than $15,000 more in premiums per year. Montanans facing a pre-existing condition would almost certainly run the risk of losing coverage, as a result of outrageous premium costs.

Congress can and should consider ways to lower health care costs and continue to expand access to coverage. This bill is not it. In fact, it is quite the opposite. It is time for each of us to tell Congress to do their job and protect the health care that Montanans need and deserve. The health care coverage of hundreds of thousands of Montanans hangs in the balance.
Damascus (AFP) - Negotiations were under way on Sunday on evacuating insurgents and their families from two districts in Damascus, a Syrian military source on the ground told AFP.

If the talks are successful, this would be the first time rebels will have been evacuated from Syria's capital since the country's conflict broke out six years ago.

Several evacuations of insurgents and their families have already taken place in towns and cities in Damascus province.

"Negotiations are taking place between intermediaries in the Barzeh and Qabun districts and the authorities on evacuating rebels and their families," the source said, speaking on condition of anonymity.

Evacuations from Barzeh could begin as early as Monday, the source added, without elaborating on numbers.

The negotiations follow Saturday's start of a "de-escalation" process put in place by regime allies Russia and Iran and rebel-backer Turkey in four regions of Syria.

Damascus is excluded from the multi-phase safe zones plan.

Rebels and their jihadist allies currently operate in five districts of the capital.

In the northeast, they control most of Qabun and Tishrin, and in the east they control about half of Jubar.

Rebels are also present in the north of the city in the Barzeh neighbourhood and in the south in Tadamun.

Qabun has seen fierce fighting for weeks as President Bashar al-Assad's forces advance on rebels.

According to the Syrian military source, a "ceasefire until midnight was concluded with a view to reaching a compromise concerning the two districts" of Barzeh and Qabun.

Britain-based monitor the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights also reported the negotiations.

"Barzeh and Qabun are calm because talks are under way on what would be the first evacuation of its kind in the capital," Observatory chief Rami Abdel Rahman told AFP in Beirut.

He said an evacuation would affect several thousand rebels and civilians, and that its timing was still under discussion.

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At the end of April, a vast operation took place in which nearly 11,000 people were evacuated from besieged rebel-held and loyalist areas.

The rebels, who have lost large areas to government forces, have been forced to sign deals to evacuate many of their strongholds.

Syria's conflict erupted in March 2011 with the repression of pro-democracy protests.

Since then, more than 320,000 people have been killed and millions displaced, and the war has become more complex as regional and international powers have been drawn in.
Washington (AFP) - US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson discussed the conflict in Syria with Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov on Friday, the State Department said.

Their conversation took place a day after Russia, Iran and Turkey signed a deal setting up four "de-escalation zones" in Syria during talks in Kazakhstan's capital Astana. The United States did not take part.

"The Secretary of State spoke by phone with Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov today about the efforts to de-escalate the ongoing conflict in Syria," State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert said in a statement.

Experts are skeptical about Thursday's Kremlin-brokered deal because neither the Syrian government nor the rebels were direct signatories and the opposition offered only a lukewarm reaction.

Washington gave the deal an extremely cautious welcome, citing concerns about Iran's role as a guarantor even as it expressed hope the agreement could set the stage for a later settlement.

The United States takes part in separate peace talks under a UN mandate in Geneva, where the rivals have been deadlocked on key issues.

A new round of Geneva talks is set for later this month.

"The secretary looks forward to further meetings with the foreign minister to discuss the respective roles of the United States and Russia in de-escalating the conflict and supporting the talks in Geneva to move the political solution forward," Nauert said.

More than 320,000 people have died in Syria since the country's war began with anti-government protests in March 2011.
President Trump congratulated Emmanuel Macron on his landslide victory over Marine Le Pen, a far-right nationalist favored by Trump, in Sundays French presidential election.

Congratulations to Emmanuel Macron on his big win today as the next President of France, Trump tweeted. I look very much forward to working with him!

Congratulations to Emmanuel Macron on his big win today as the next President of France. I look very much forward to working with him!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 7, 2017

The White House released a slightly longer congratulatory statement:

We congratulate President-elect Macron and the people of France on their successful presidential election. We look forward to working with the new President and continuing our close cooperation with the French government.

Macron, a 39-year-old former investment banker who started his own centrist party a year ago, will now become Frances youngest leader since Napoleon.

His victory brought relief to those who feared Le Pen  whose anti-immigration, France-first policies mirrored Trumps  would ride the wave of populism that led to both the Brexit vote and Trumps election.

Last week, former President Barack Obama formally endorsed Macron in a video message while referencing what was at stake.

The French election is very important to the future of France and the values that we care so much about, Obama said. Because the success of France matters to the entire world.

President Trump gestures as he speaks in the White House Rose Garden on Friday. (Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images)

Slideshow: Macron defeats Le Pen for the French presidency >>>

Before last months first round of voting, Trump said Le Pen was the strongest candidate on immigration and terrorism but denied that he was delivering an official endorsement.

Le Pen, Trump said, was strongest on borders, and shes the strongest on whats been going on in France, language he has used to describe terrorist attacks in Paris.

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Whoever is the toughest on radical Islamic terrorism, and whoever is the toughest at the borders will do well in the election, Trump said.

Trump also predicted that that a deadly shooting in April on the famed Champs-Elysees in Paris would probably help Le Pens prospects.

Another terrorist attack in Paris. The people of France will not take much more of this. Will have a big effect on presidential election!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 21, 2017

That does not appear to have been the case. Projections issued just after the polls closed showed Macron with 65 percent of the vote to Le Pens 35 percent.

Other world leaders also offered their congratulations to Macron.

Your victory is a victory for a strong and united Europe and for French-German friendship, German Chancellor Angela Merkels spokesman tweeted.

In a statement, British Prime Minister Theresa May warmly congratulated Macron on his election success.

France is one of our closest allies and we look forward to working with the new President on a wide range of shared priorities, May added.

Happy that the French chose a European future, European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker wrote on Twitter.

 With Yahoo News Chief Washington Correspondent Olivier Knox contributing reporting.

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President Trump declared Friday that everybody has better health care than the United States, but suggested that the GOPs health care plan will change that. The president tweeted this message after he praised Australias health care system while meeting with Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull in New York on Thursday night.
There were already alarming signs for the White House of a groundswell of discontent among moderates that presages a stormy ride in the Senate



Susan Collins, the senator from Maine who is an expert on healthcare, vowed to effectively bin the House bill and start all over again. Photograph: J. Scott Applewhite/AP

Members of the Trump administration took to TV channels on Sunday to insist they were on track to pass a bill to repeal and replace the current healthcare law and return power to the states to fix an ailing healthcare system.

Fears continued to grow in the moderate wing of the party, however, that the reform could leave millions without coverage, inflict devastating cuts on poorer and older Americans, and cost the GOP dearly at the 2018 midterm elections.



After Republican leaders pushed a revised bill through the House of Representatives that was so rushed several members admitted they had not even read it in full, a battle will now be joined in the Senate. With the party holding a paper-thin majority of just two seats, and with controversy raging around several aspects of the bill, Donald Trump faces an uphill struggle to secure the legislative victory he so desperately craves.

The president used his favorite bullhorn, Twitter, on Sunday to begin the lengthy process of browbeating wavering Republican senators into line.

Republican Senators will not let the American people down! ObamaCare premiums and deductibles are way up - it was a lie and it is dead!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 7, 2017

His chief of staff, Reince Priebus, signaled that a more dignified pace of debate might be tolerated in the Senate, in contrast with the unseemly haste of the House. Everyone is excited and ready to go to work and take the time necessary to look at the bill  No ones going to be beating down their door, he said on Fox News Sunday.

But there were already alarming signs for the White House of a groundswell of discontent among moderates that presages a stormy ride in the Senate. Susan Collins, the senator from Maine who is an expert on healthcare, vowed to effectively bin the House bill and start all over again.

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Making a veiled dig at the breakneck speed of the passage through the House, she told ABCs This Week: The Senate is starting from scratch. We are going to draft our own bill and I am convinced we are going to take the time to do it right. We will come up with a whole new approach.

The prospect of prolonged debate in the Senate, followed by renewed infighting with House Republicans before arriving at a final viable bill, will fill White House officials with foreboding. But influential moderates indicated that they were determined not to be bullied into accepting terms that they are convinced could hurt the party badly in the midterms.

Reince Priebus signaled that a more dignified pace of debate might be tolerated in the Senate, in contrast with the unseemly haste of the House. Photograph: Susan Walsh/AP

John Kasich, the governor of Ohio who sought the Republican nomination for president, sounded the alarm over the plan to rein back Medicaid expansion. He said that could impact 700,000 people in his state, a third of whom have mental illnesses or experience drug addiction.

What happens to those people? he asked on CNNs State of the Union. They give you a $3,000 or $4,000 tax credit to buy insurance. What do you think they can buy for that?

Kasich also raised the other knotty problem that is causing divisions within the Republican party: preexisting conditions. He was derisive about the $8bn subsidy allowed under the House bill to help set up high-risk pools to insure people with preexisting medical conditions in states that opt to allow insurance companies to charge higher premiums to such individuals.

These high-risk pools, they arent funded, Kasich said. $8bn is not enough. Its ridiculous. States are not going to opt for that.

Trumps health and human services secretary, Tom Price, side-stepped questions over cuts to Medicaid and cover for preexisting conditions. He stuck to his official line, telling CNN: The winners under Obamacare were the federal government and insurance companies, the winners under the program we provide will be patients and families and doctors.

Underlying the increasingly bitter fight are concerns that if the legislation ends up hurting millions of Americans the party could itself be punished.

The nonpartisan Cook Political Report has predicted a midterm wave against the GOP on a par with the drubbing the Democrats suffered in 2010  in the wake of Barack Obama passing the Affordable Care Act, better known as Obamacare, in the first place.

On Thursday, when the vote for the House bill was occurring, Democratic representatives goaded their opposite numbers by singing Na na na na, na na na na, Hey hey hey, goodbye! House minority leader Nancy Pelosi warned that the provisions of the bill would be tattoed on the foreheads of all those who backed it, saying: You will glow in the dark on this one.

As Republican leaders downplayed the threat of a rout in 2018, Priebus, a former chair of the Republican National Committee, went so far as to suggest that voters would thank his party.

The electorate, he said, would reward the Republicans that sat up and said: We are not going to see the Obamacare system, which is failing and collapsing, continue any longer.

The speaker of the House, Paul Ryan, who was instrumental in ramming the legislation through, called the bill a rescue mission. He told ABC: We are proud of this effort, its us keeping our promises and its a lot better than Obamacare.

But in constituencies across the length and breadth of America, members of Congress can expect to receive the kind of rough ride that met the Idaho Republican Raul Labrador at a town hall on Friday when he said: Nobody dies because they dont have access to healthcare.

After the comment, his audience erupted in jeers and boos.
cameronabadi

The Trump administration is ready to press ahead with a U.S.-backed military offensive to evict the Islamic State from its last remaining urban stronghold in the Syrian city of Raqqa over strong objections from Turkey.

President Donald Trump is expected to inform his Turkish counterpart, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, of the U.S. plans when he visits the White House later this month.

The long-delayed operation, based on an Obama administration-drafted plan that gives a leading role to Kurdish forces in the operation, will likely move forward in earnest after Erdogans visit, defense officials told Foreign Policy.

U.S. Central Command has sent a request to Defense Secretary Jim Mattis to authorize arming Syrian Kurdish forces for the Raqqa offensive, several officials said. Once Mattis signs off on the request, President Trump must give the plan his blessing to clear the way for the offensive. Officials and experts said Trump will almost certainly approve the plan put forward by commanders.

The offensive will depend on a mixed force of Kurdish and Arab fighters backed by U.S. air power and artillery. Trump inherited the blueprint for pushing the Islamic State, also known as ISIS, out of Raqqa from the prior administration. The Obama team had concluded that the Syrian Kurdish troops represented the only viable force on the ground that could capture Raqqa without resorting to deploying a large number of U.S. conventional troops. Turkey vehemently opposes the idea of Kurdish fighters liberating an Arab city, however.

In the closing days of the Obama administration, the Pentagon made a similar request to arm the Kurds for a Raqqa operation but President Barack Obama decided it was too big a step to take so close to Trump entering office, especially given Turkeys stance.

Senior officials in the Obama administration and military officers briefed Trumps aides on the plan days before he was sworn in and urged them to move quickly with the operation.

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We viewed this as a high priority and one of the top national security issues in our transition discussions, said one former White House official, who spoke on condition of anonymity. But the Trump White House chose to hold off and has been conducting a review of war strategy since January, despite the presidents vows to defeat Islamic State quickly.

Ankara, in the meantime, has lobbied Washington to pursue a different approach that would rely on Turkish troops deployed in Syria and a largely untested Arab force, the Syrian Free Army. But U.S. officials have explored what Turkey had to offer and found that it did not have that much to contribute militarily, said Linda Robinson, an analyst at the Rand Corporation who has advised American forces and recently returned from a visit to Syria with U.S. commanders.

During the Obama administration, senior officials also came away unimpressed with Turkeys proposals.

Despite Turkeys misgivings, the Trump administration has concluded that including Syrian Kurdish forces in the lead represents the only realistic way to push the Islamic State out of Raqqa, which the group has referred to as the capital of its caliphate. But to avoid aggravating relations with Ankara, the White House and the Pentagon chose to postpone any decision on Raqqa until after Turkey held its referendum last month, officials said.

Tensions between Washington and Ankara have been running high since a failed July 2016 coup attempt, when a group of military officers attempted to overthrow Erdogan. The crackdown that followed the coup, which included sweeping purges of the Turkish military, government and universities, dismayed the Obama administration and the European Union. In an effort to build domestic support for its embattled leader, the Turkish government and some of its allies initially floated the idea that U.S. military leaders were part of the plot.

Turkish warplanes also struck Kurdish forces in northern Syria late last month, killing 18 of the U.S.-backed fighters in a raid that occurred less than six miles from where American forces were based. The attack prompted the Pentagon to send another detachment of U.S. Army Rangers to the border as a buffer between the Kurds and Turkish forces.

Last week, the commander of U.S. European Command, Gen. Curtis Scaparrotti, told his Turkish counterpart Gen. Hulusi Akar that the strikes were dangerous, because Ankara gave U.S. forces less than an hours notice before the bombing began.

On Wednesday, one of Erdogans advisors suggested that the Americans could be struck by Turkish missiles, comments he quickly walked back the next day. Pentagon spokesman Eric Pahon told FP the comment was irresponsible and unacceptable.

The angry words and the Turkish air strikes on Washingtons Kurdish allies in Syria underscore the risks of going ahead with the plan to take Raqqa, and the fragile state of U.S.-Turkish relations. The tensions will require delicate diplomacy to reassure Ankara, which fears the Kurds have been promised a possible independent state on Turkeys southern border.

After months of training efforts, U.S. commanders are pinning their hopes on the mixed Kurdish-Arab contingent  known as the Syrian Democratic Forces  to take Raqqa. Ankara considers the Syrian Kurdish fighters to be aligned with the Kurdish PKK, which it regards as a terrorist group, and paints them both with the same brush. Washington, however, makes a distinction between the two groups.

At this late stage, U.S. officials are reluctant to scrap their plan and entertain a major role for forces trained by Turkey. One Pentagon official said that although the U.S.-trained forces are mixed, the Kurds occupy almost all of the leadership positions. Any move to introduce the Turkish-backed militias would complicate the operation, as the Turkish-backed force has previously attacked the Kurdish fighters in northern Syria.

U.S. military officers say that Washington will ensure that Kurdish forces will not operate unilaterally or be allowed to rule over Raqqa once the Islamic State is forced out. They also say they are looking at options including rationing ammunition to Kurdish troops to allay Turkish concerns about a Kurdish militia stockpiling U.S.-supplied weapons to create an independent state.

Lt. Gen. Stephen Townsend, commander of U.S. forces in Iraq and Syria, has played down the risk of Kurdish troops altering the ethnic composition of Raqqa, and emphasized that the forces taking part in an eventual assault will draw from different ethnic communities.

I dont think were going to change the demographics of Raqqa by Kurds or Turkmen or any group participating in the operation. But I expect that probably all types of Syrians in northern Syria will participate in the liberation of Raqqa, Townsend told reporters last month.

The fight for Raqqa promises to be long and difficult. While smaller and less dense than the Iraqi city of Mosul, all indications are that the Islamic State is preparing to use the same tactics that have slowed Iraqi army operations around Mosul down to a bloody, house-by-house crawl.

Similar to defenses erected in Mosul, Islamic State militants have built an elaborate network of tunnels, berms and booby traps to defend Raqqa, Pentagon officials said. We think that thatll be a very dangerous and difficult battle when it does begin, Col. John Dorrian, spokesman for U.S.-led forces in Iraq and Syria, told reporters earlier this week.

Iraqi forces fighting to take Mosul have already suffered heavy casualties. After launching the offensive in October 2016, Iraqi forces are still fighting to clear out the Islamic State from western sections of the city, despite hundreds of U.S. airstrikes.

But U.S. military commanders believe they have the Islamic State in a vulnerable position and that moving on Raqqa while the militants are on the retreat in Mosul and elsewhere could strike a major blow against the group.

While the U.S. militarys top brass argues that moving sooner rather than later is vital to maintain momentum against the Islamic State, they also cite the potential terrorist threat posed by Raqqa.

U.S. and European governments fear a possible terrorist attack against Western targets being hatched in Raqqa, which has been a haven for the Islamic State. Although some Islamic State fighters have already fled the city, U.S. intelligence agencies believe the Islamic State is still planning terrorist attacks or external operations and that retaining control of Raqqa remains a vital part of the groups propaganda message, officials said.

Raqqa still represents an important center of gravity for ISIS, including external operations, a U.S. intelligence official, who was not authorized to speak on the record, told FP.

Photo credit: Ahmet Sik/Getty Images
By Irene Klotz

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (Reuters) - The U.S. military's experimental X-37B space plane landed on Sunday at NASAs Kennedy Space Center in Florida, completing a classified mission that lasted nearly two years, the Air Force said.

The unmanned X-37B, which resembles a miniature space shuttle, touched down at 7:47 a.m. EDT (1147 GMT) on a runway formerly used for landings of the now-mothballed space shuttles, the Air Force said in an email.

The Boeing-built space plane blasted off in May 2015 from nearby Cape Canaveral Air Force Station aboard an Atlas 5 rocket built by United Launch Alliance, a partnership between Lockheed Martin Corp and Boeing Co .

The X-37B, one of two in the Air Force fleet, conducted unspecified experiments for more than 700 days while in orbit. It was the fourth and lengthiest mission so far for the secretive program, managed by the Air Force Rapid Capabilities Office.

The orbiters "perform risk reduction, experimentation and concept-of-operations development for reusable space vehicle technologies," the Air Force has said without providing details. The cost of the program is also classified.

The Secure World Foundation, a nonprofit group promoting the peaceful exploration of space, says the secrecy surrounding the X-37B suggests the presence of intelligence-related hardware being tested or evaluated aboard the craft.

The vehicles are 29 feet (9 meters) long and have a wingspan of 15 feet, making them about one quarter of the size of the National Aeronautics and Space Administrations now-retired space shuttles.

The X-37B, also known as Orbital Test Vehicle, or OTV, first flew in April 2010 and returned after eight months. A second mission launched in March 2011 and lasted 15 months, while a third took flight in December 2012 and returned after 22 months.

Sundays landing was the X-37B's first in Florida. The three previous landings took place at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. The Air Force relocated the program in 2014, taking over two of NASAs former shuttle-processing hangars.

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The Air Force intends to launch the fifth X-37B mission from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, located just south of the Kennedy Space Center, later this year.

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For more news videos visit Yahoo View, available now on iOS and Android.

(Reporting by Irene Klotz; Editing by Phil Berlowitz)
The United States Commerce secretary has said that Canadian threats of retaliatory trade actions against the US in response to tariffs on Canadian lumber announced last month are inappropriate.

The threats coming from Canadian officials, Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross said, would not deter America from imposing the tax on Canadian softwood lumbers.

We continue to believe that a negotiated settlement is in the best interests of all parties and we are prepared to work toward that end, Mr Ross said in a statement issued by his department, according to Reuters.

Read more

Trump and Trudeau clash in phone call over dairy and lumber

Canada threatened to increase taxes on thermal coal if they arent able to negotiate a long-term deal with the United States after Americans said that they were planning on increasing the softwood lumber tariffs last mont.h

I would like to thank Prime Minister Trudeau for his quick action to look at banning thermal coal exports through British Columbia and his commitment to stand up for B.C. and Canadian forest workers, Christy Clark, the premier of British Columbia, said this week after Prime Minister Justin Trudeau sent her a letter telling her he was considering tariffs.

The Canadian government has also said that it is considering levying tariffs on Oregon state lumber products after it said they found existing Oregon business assistance programs that may constitute an illegal subsidy.

The USs trade tariff would impose a 20 percent tax on Canadian softwood lumber, affecting about $5 billion in lumber exports from the country. Mr Ross said last month that the tariff would affect 31.5 percent of the US lumber market so its a pretty big deal in terms of the Canadian relationship, he said.

US competitors to Canadian softwood providers favour the tariff because they say that the US government effectively offers a subsidy to Canadian firms that American companies are not able to access with existing deals.
Berkshire Hathaway Inc. Chairman Warren Buffett took on the Republican Obamacare repeal bill that was passed by the House this week and called it a huge tax cut for the rich.

The billionaire investor was speaking at Berkshire Hathaways annual shareholders' meeting in Omaha, Nebraska, which is attended every year by tens of thousands of investors and is referred to as the Woodstock of capitalism.

Medical costs are the tapeworm of American economic competitiveness, Buffett said, as reported by the New York Times. That is a problem this society is having trouble with and is going to have more trouble with.

Read: Trump's Australian Healthcare System Comment Earns Rebuke From Bernie Sanders

The worlds second richest man  according to Forbes 2017 ranking  explained how healthcare costs were a bigger problem for American businesses than high taxes. While most developed countries publicly finance their healthcare spending, U.S.-based employers provide health insurance coverage for almost half of the population, often at high rates. Buffett added that the costs will go up a lot more.

Buffett said if the bill pushed by President Donald Trump was in effect last year, his federal income taxes would have gone down by 17 percent.

So it is a huge tax cut for guys like me, Buffett was reported saying by Reuters. And when there's a tax cut, either the deficit goes up or they get the taxes from somebody else.

Trumps proposed tax plan is expected to cut corporate tax to 15 percent  to the benefit of shareholders as Buffett put it  and the new Republican healthcare bill would also repeal most of the taxes that paid for the Obamacare, or as it is formally known, the Affordable Care Act.

The GOP bill, however, has an uphill task ahead of it as it faces the Senate. Critics of the bill have said it will take away the healthcare benefits of millions of people and allow the rich to get tax breaks, just as mentioned by Buffett.

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Donald Trump and Republicans just celebrated voting to let thousands of Americans die so that billionaires get tax breaks, Trump critic and Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders tweeted after the bill was passed in the House with a 217-213 vote. Think about that.

Another Democratic senator who has been a vocal critic of the new bill said it would just make the rich wealthier while taking away basic healthcare from those in need.

Trumpcare isnt a health care bill. A bill that destroys health care for millions to shovel cash to the rich isnt a health care bill. #AHCA Sen. Elizabeth Warren tweeted.

Buffett is a Democrat who is said to be close to former President Barack Obama. He supported Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton during the 2016 election and has asked Trump to release his tax returns in the past.

Buffett was joined by his longtime business partner, Charles Munger, who said both political parties  Republicans and Democrats  were facing great difficulty in thinking rationally about the issue at hand because they hate each other so much.

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Kim Jong Un is a smart cookie, President Donald Trump said recently of North Koreas leader.

Hes 27 years old, Trump mused. His father dies, [he] took over a regime. So say what you want but that is not easy.

Kim, who has assassinated his internal rivals using anti-aircraft guns and chemical weapons, seeks to develop a nuclear missile that can reach the United States. These actions may provoke a major, major conflict with the U.S., Trump has said: I hope hes rational.

In my research on political leaders, Ive found that different people have different definitions of rationality. The core question  What is my best move?  is often answered by a leaders idiosyncratic beliefs, rather than by an immediately obvious logic of the situation as seen by external observers.

The history of dealing with inscrutable foreign leaders is instructive: From Hitler to Saddam to Khrushchev, understanding the other is the most urgent challenge of national security decision-making for the U.S.

To influence Kims behavior, we must ask: What is his particular vantage point?

Lessons of the past

In the spring of 1943, the director of the first centralized U.S. intelligence agency, Colonel William Wild Bill Donovan, sought help in understanding Hitler. Donovan wanted to give President Franklin D. Roosevelt a sense of the things that make him tick.

Donovan called Walter C. Langer, a psychoanalyst helping with the war effort, in for a meeting: What do you make of Hitler? If Hitler is running the show, what kind of a person is he? What are his ambitions?

Langer combined the scant intelligence on Hitler with insights from Freudian psychoanalysis into a study on Hitler. He accurately predicted that Hitler would commit suicide rather than be captured by Allied forces. But his insight was largely irrelevant to the military strategy for defeating Germany. The report took so long to produce that the war was nearly over by the time it was delivered to Donovan.

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Photo: REUTERS

More recently, the former top U.N. weapons inspector Charles Duelfer and I studied what made former Iraqi president Saddam Hussein tick. For several years, Duelfer was the senior point of contact between Iraq and the U.S. After the regime fell, he produced the definitive report on its weapons programs.

Looking for logic in Saddams decisions, we found instead a morass of idiosyncratic thinking. Most astonishing was his misreading of President George W. Bushs June 2002 speech to the West Point Military Academy. Intending to warn Saddam that he must comply with U.N. demands or face war, Bush struck a stern tone. The gravest danger to freedom, he said, was unbalanced dictators with weapons of mass destruction. Later in the speech, Bush praised President Ronald Reagan for standing up to the brutality of tyrants.

What Bush said and what Saddam heard were two very different things.

Saddam did not see himself as unbalanced, and he knew that he did not have weapons of mass destruction. And U.S.-Iraq relations had been excellent under President Reagan, Saddam recalled. The United States had tilted toward his side during the Iran-Iraq war. Things started to deteriorate only under the Bushes, in his view.

Our analysis showed that Saddam believed Bush could not have been talking about him. Instead, Saddam concluded he must have been threatening North Korea, not Iraq. Kim Jong Il, father of Kim Jong Un, possessed the nuclear weapons that the Iraqi president desired but did not have.

Bush was dumbfounded by the lack of Saddams response to his threats. Later he asked, How much clearer could I have been?

Duelfer and I had the academic luxury of malleable deadlines in studying Saddam. Langer spent many months on his Hitler study. Scholarship on Kim Jong Un may be too slow for the current crisis. Major decision-makers may instead need to rely on their intuition.

Empathize with your enemy

Former Secretary of Defense Robert S. McNamara spoke about intuition in a 2003 documentary about his role in the Kennedy and Johnson administrations. McNamara revealed crucial new details about the 1962 Cuban missile crisis. Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev had smuggled nuclear missiles into Cuba, threatening 90 million Americans. President John F. Kennedys first reaction was that he must destroy them with a massive air strike. This would have courted war with the USSR.

Seeking the widest possible range of advice, Kennedy asked Llewellyn Tommy Thompson, former U.S. ambassador to the Soviet Union, to supplement his foreign policy team during the crisis. Thompson had come to know Khrushchev well and had stayed at his house in Moscow.

Mr. President, youre wrong, McNamara recalls Thompson saying of the air strike plans. I think Khrushchevs gotten himself in one hell of a fix. The former ambassador knew that Khrushchev could be impulsive and later regretful. He imagined a terrified Khrushchev, in awe of the events he had set in motion. Thompson suggested that Kennedy help the Soviet leader find his way out of the crisis. Kennedy decided on a naval blockade rather than an air strike, and Khrushchev backed down.

The lesson McNamara drew? Empathize with your enemy, and intuit how the world looks to them. We must try to put ourselves in their skin, and look at ourselves through their eyes, he said.

History tells us that to influence Kim, we must empathize (note: not sympathize) with him. To figure out what makes him tick, Trump and his advisers must first understand how we look to the North Korean leader, peering at us from his very particular vantage point.

Stephen Benedict Dyson, Associate Professor of Political Science, University of Connecticut

This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the original article.

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Photo: The Conversation

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Paris (AFP) - Pro-EU centrist Emmanuel Macron stormed to victory in the French presidential election on Sunday, roundly defeating his far-right rival Marine Le Pen in a run-off vote.

Here is a selection of comments from world leaders and other political heavyweights on Macron's election victory.

- United States -

"Congratulations to Emmanuel Macron on his big win today as the next President of France. I look very much forward to working with him!" President Donald Trump wrote on Twitter.

- Germany -

"Congratulations, @EmmanuelMacron. Your victory is a victory for a strong and united Europe and for French-German friendship," said Chancellor Angela Merkel's spokesman.

- Russia -

Russian President Vladimir Putin urged Macron to bridge deep rifts between Moscow and Paris and work together to fight the threat of terror.

"The citizens of France entrusted you to lead the country in a difficult period for Europe and for the entire world community. The growing threat of terrorism and violent extremism is accompanied by an escalation of local conflicts and the destabilisation of entire regions," Putin said in a congratulatory telegram released by the Kremlin.

"In these conditions it is especially important to overcome mutual distrust and join forces to ensure international stability and security."

- Britain -

"The Prime Minister warmly congratulates President-elect Macron on his election success. France is one of our closest allies and we look forward to working with the new President on a wide range of shared priorities," said a Downing Street spokesman.

Prime Minister Theresa May also discussed Brexit with Macron, saying "the UK wants a strong partnership with a secure and prosperous EU once we leave," the spokesman added.

- European Union -

"Happy that the French chose a European future," European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker wrote on Twitter.

EU Council President Donald Tusk also offered his congratulations, saying the French had chosen "liberty, equality and fraternity" and "said no to the tyranny of fake news".

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European Parliament President Antonio Tajani told AFP: "We have received a vote of confidence from France in the European Union."

- China -

President Xi Jinping congratulated Macron, saying the two countries share a "responsibility toward peace and development in the world."

"China stands ready to work with France to move the strategic Sino-French partnership to a higher level," Xi said in a congratulatory note, according to the Chinese foreign ministry.

- Japan -

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said "the victory of President-elect Macron is a symbolic victory against inward-looking and protectionist moves and shows a vote of confidence in the EU".

- Iran -

Iran's foreign ministry spokesman Bahram Ghasemi offered congratulations, voicing hope that relations "expand in the new era after this election based on groundwork laid during recent years".

- Canada -

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said he wanted to work together with Macron on a "progressive agenda" to "promote international security, increase collaboration in science and technology, and create good, middle-class jobs on both sides of the Atlantic".

- Greece -

Prime Minister Alexis Tspiras said Macron's victory was "an inspiration for France and for Europe", adding he was "sure we will work closely together."

- Spain -

"Congratulations to @EmmanuelMacron, new president of #France. Let us work in France and Spain for a stable, prosperous and more integrated Europe," Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy said in a tweet.

- Sweden -

"This is a victory for the French people and for European cooperation. New opportunities will now open up for the proactive agenda needed to strengthen the EU, including more jobs and fair working conditions, a stronger climate policy and a functioning asylum system in which everyone takes responsibility," said Prime Minister Stefan Lofven.

- Brazil -

"I congratulate @EmmanuelMacron on his victory in the French presidential election. Brazil and France will continue to work together for democracy, human rights, development, integration and peace," tweeted President Michel Temer.

- Others -

Defeated US presidential candidate Hillary Clinton, who like Macron had her campaign hacked, tweeted: "Victory for Macron, for France, the EU, & the world. Defeat to those interfering w/democracy. (But the media says I can't talk about that)."

- Nigel Farage, former leader of British anti-EU party UKIP, who backed Le Pen, said on Twitter: "A giant deceit has been voted for today. Macron will be Juncker's puppet."

- In The Netherlands, Dutch far-right leader Geert Wilders commiserated with Le Pen, saying in a tweet: "Well done anyway @MLP_officiel millions of patriots voted for you! You will win next time -- and so will I!"

- In Austria, Heinz-Christian Strache, head of the far-right Freedom Party, said Le Pen deserves "respect... She is from now on the strongest opposition force against Macron."

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By Andrew Cawthorne and Corina Pons

CARACAS, May 5 (Reuters) - A 20-year-old Venezuelan protester died on Friday after being shot in the head, authorities said, taking fatalities from a month of anti-government unrest to at least 37 as the opposition geared up for more demonstrations.

Hecder Lugo was hurt during fighting between demonstrators and security forces in Valencia on Thursday that also injured four others, the local opposition mayor Enzo Scarano said in a series of tweets.

The state prosecutor's office, which keeps an official count of deaths since protests began against socialist President Nicolas Maduro in early April, confirmed he died after being shot in a protest.

Another 717 people have been injured and 152 are still in jail from the hundreds rounded up in widespread unrest around the volatile South American OPEC nation of 30 million people, according to the office's latest tally.

There has been violence and widespread looting this week in Valencia, a once-bustling industrial hub two hours from the capital by road.

Venezuela's opposition, which now enjoys majority support after being in the shadow of the ruling Socialist party since Hugo Chavez's 1998 election win, says his successor Maduro has become a dictator and wrecked the economy.

Vowing to stay in the streets for as long as necessary, opposition leaders announced nationwide women's marches for Saturday with the biggest planned for the capital Caracas.

Opposition lawmakers briefly unfurled a banner on Friday at the National Assembly, where they won a majority in 2015 thanks to voter ire over the recession, saying "Maduro Dictator".

The president says they are seeking a violent coup with U.S. support, and is setting up a "constituent assembly" super body to shake up public powers, change the constitution, and possibly replace the existing legislature.

"President Maduro has made a big call to national dialogue," Foreign Minister Delcy Rodriguez told diplomats at a meeting on Friday, showing them images of violence and vandalism on the streets caused by youths at the front of protests.

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"They are not peaceful, the opposition leaders share big responsibility in these acts of extremism and vandalism."

FATALITIES ON BOTH SIDES

Opposition protests have often started peacefully but degenerated into violence when security forces block marchers and masked youths fight them with stones, Molotov cocktails and fireworks shot from pipes turned into homemade mortars.

Fatalities have included supporters of both sides, bystanders and members of the security forces.

Gunshot wounds have been the most common cause of deaths.

The opposition is boycotting Maduro's constituent assembly process, saying it is a ploy to keep him in power by setting up a body with mechanisms to ensure a government majority.

Having failed to trigger a referendum on his rule last year, the opposition is calling for delayed state gubernatorial elections to be held as soon as possible, and for the next presidential election slated for 2018 to be brought forward.

Polls show the ruling Socialists would badly lose any conventional vote due to four years of economic crisis that has led to debilitating food and medicine shortages.

While Maduro says opposition ranks include armed hoodlums, activists accuse the security forces of using excessive force including firing teargas canisters directly at people and allowing pro-government gangs to terrorize demonstrators.

Opposition leader Henrique Capriles said on Friday that 85 members of the military in Caracas had been arrested for opposition "repression," adding that their relatives had asked him to publicize the detentions.

"Cousin, it's enough!" Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino's cousin, Ernesto Padrino, wrote to him in an open letter.

He was following in the footsteps of the state human rights ombudsman's son who surprised the country by publishing a video begging his father to "end the injustice."

"Eighty percent of Venezuelans want elections as a way out of our nation's grave economic and political crisis," wrote Ernesto Padrino on Facebook.

"Sooner or later, the Venezuelan people will make you pay."

(Reporting by Andrew Cawthorne and Corina Pons, additional reporting by Andreina Aponte, Diego Ore and Alexandra Ulmer; Editing by Andrew Hay)
By Andrew Cawthorne and Corina Pons CARACAS (Reuters) - A 20-year-old Venezuelan protester died on Friday after being shot in the head, authorities said, taking fatalities from a month of anti-government unrest to at least 37 as the opposition geared up for more demonstrations. Hecder Lugo was hurt during fighting between demonstrators and security forces in Valencia on Thursday that also injured four others, the local opposition mayor Enzo Scarano said in a series of tweets. The state prosecutor's office, which keeps an official count of deaths since protests began against socialist President Nicolas Maduro in early April, confirmed he died after being shot in a protest. Another 717 people have been injured and 152 are still in jail from the hundreds rounded up in widespread unrest around the volatile South American OPEC nation of 30 million people, according to the office's latest tally. There has been violence and widespread looting this week in Valencia, a once-bustling industrial hub two hours from the capital by road. Venezuela's opposition, which now enjoys majority support after being in the shadow of the ruling Socialist party since Hugo Chavez's 1998 election win, says his successor Maduro has become a dictator and wrecked the economy. Vowing to stay in the streets for as long as necessary, opposition leaders announced nationwide women's marches for Saturday with the biggest planned for the capital Caracas. Opposition lawmakers briefly unfurled a banner on Friday at the National Assembly, where they won a majority in 2015 thanks to voter ire over the recession, saying "Maduro Dictator". The president says they are seeking a violent coup with U.S. support, and is setting up a "constituent assembly" super body to shake up public powers, change the constitution, and possibly replace the existing legislature. "President Maduro has made a big call to national dialogue," Foreign Minister Delcy Rodriguez told diplomats at a meeting on Friday, showing them images of violence and vandalism on the streets caused by youths at the front of protests. "They are not peaceful, the opposition leaders share big responsibility in these acts of extremism and vandalism." FATALITIES ON BOTH SIDES Opposition protests have often started peacefully but degenerated into violence when security forces block marchers and masked youths fight them with stones, Molotov cocktails and fireworks shot from pipes turned into homemade mortars. Fatalities have included supporters of both sides, bystanders and members of the security forces. Gunshot wounds have been the most common cause of deaths. The opposition is boycotting Maduro's constituent assembly process, saying it is a ploy to keep him in power by setting up a body with mechanisms to ensure a government majority. Having failed to trigger a referendum on his rule last year, the opposition is calling for delayed state gubernatorial elections to be held as soon as possible, and for the next presidential election slated for 2018 to be brought forward. Polls show the ruling Socialists would badly lose any conventional vote due to four years of economic crisis that has led to debilitating food and medicine shortages. While Maduro says opposition ranks include armed hoodlums, activists accuse the security forces of using excessive force including firing teargas canisters directly at people and allowing pro-government gangs to terrorize demonstrators. Opposition leader Henrique Capriles said on Friday that 85 members of the military in Caracas had been arrested for opposition "repression," adding that their relatives had asked him to publicize the detentions. "Cousin, it's enough!" Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino's cousin, Ernesto Padrino, wrote to him in an open letter. He was following in the footsteps of the state human rights ombudsman's son who surprised the country by publishing a video begging his father to "end the injustice." "Eighty percent of Venezuelans want elections as a way out of our nation's grave economic and political crisis," wrote Ernesto Padrino on Facebook. "Sooner or later, the Venezuelan people will make you pay." (Reporting by Andrew Cawthorne and Corina Pons, additional reporting by Andreina Aponte, Diego Ore and Alexandra Ulmer; Editing by Andrew Hay)
The Algeria-backed Polisario, which is claiming sovereignty over the Western Sahara territory in Southern Morocco, is losing more ground in Africa day by day.

On Friday, the separatists were dealt another blow as Malawi announced that it withdrew its recognition of the pseudo-Sahrawi republic proclaimed by the Polisario.

The announcement was made by Malawian Foreign Minister, Francis Kasayla, at a meeting in Rabat with his Moroccan counterpart Nasser Bourita.

The Republic of Malawi has decided to withdraw its recognition of SADR which it recognized on March 6, 2014, and to maintain a neutral position vis-a-vis the regional conflict over the Sahara, Francis Kasayla said.

Malawi has thus joined its voice to the over two thirds of African countries, which support Moroccos sovereignty over the Sahara and which applauded Moroccos return to the African Union last January.

Actually, Moroccos return to the African Union, sounded the death knell for the Polisario, which is now seeing support for its separatist thesis waning in the continent. Several African countries that once supported the Polisario, including heavyweights such as Nigeria and Ethiopia, are backtracking and joining Moroccos efforts to reach a lasting political solution.

The Polisario is also losing ground at the international level. Just a week before the announcement of Malawis decision, the Polisario suffered another setback at the United Nations. The UN Security Council forced the separatist front to withdraw its militiamen from the demilitarized buffer strip of Guerguarat on the borders between Morocco and Mauritania and adopted resolution 2351, which calls for a political settlement of the Sahara conflict and reiterates support for the Morocco-proposed autonomy plan as a credible basis for reaching a mutually acceptable solution.

Also on Friday, Washington sent positive signals to Morocco as it expressed support for a political solution to the Sahara issue based on the autonomy proposal under the Kingdoms sovereignty.

This came in the US 2017 appropriation bill, adopted by the Congress and promulgated by President Trump Friday.

Morocco welcomes the provisions relating to the Moroccan Sahara in the 2017 appropriations bill, said the Moroccan Foreign Ministry in a statement, adding that the bill provides for the use of funds allocated to Morocco in all the national territory including the Saharan provinces.

For the Moroccan Foreign Ministry, the provisions on the Sahara and the report accompanying the bill reflect the Congresss unambiguous support for Moroccos autonomy initiative. The report also emphasizes that the Secretary of State should pursue a negotiated settlement of this dispute, in accordance with the United States policy supporting a solution based on autonomy under Moroccan sovereignty.

The appropriation bill encourages the US administration to support investments of the private sector in the Western Sahara. It also alludes to the embezzlement by the Polisairo leaders, in connivance with Algerian officials, of the humanitarian aid sent to the Polisario-run Tinfoud camps by stressing the need for firmer monitoring of the humanitarian aid sent to the refugees across North Africa.

It is high time the Algerian regime realized that the separatism thesis it is nurturing is collapsing.
KALISPELL, Mont.  Authorities have released the name of a man who drowned after falling into a river in northwestern Montana.

Lincoln County Sheriff Roby Bowe says 22-year-old David Ramsey, of Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, was taking a photograph near Yaak Falls north of the town of Troy when he fell into the water Sunday. His body was found about half a mile downstream.

Bowe tells The Flathead Beacon (https://goo.gl/xw5jeP) it took most of the afternoon to recover the body because of the rugged terrain.

___

Information from: Flathead Beacon, http://www.flatheadbeacon.com
Is it considered waste, fraud or abuse if state governments do it?

Thats a question we could ask about Montana legislators recent decision to divert federal Medicaid funds from their intended purpose to instead explore ways to expand access to private pre-schools (House votes to charge hospitals for pre-schools, AP in Missoulian, April 26).

While expanding access to early childhood education is a worthy goal, albeit controversial among some state legislators, it hardly meets Medicaids purpose of helping lower income people with medical costs. This misuse of funds also drives up federal Medicaid spending, with no benefit to intended recipients.

Its ironic that many of the same legislators who decried the potential for abuse of Medicaid funds by beneficiaries  and who fought successfully in 2015 to add a work requirement and minimum co-payments  evidently see no problem in diverting federal funds to non-medical programs, with the excess of such diversion flowing into the states general treasury.

Montana has joined a growing list of states using the same dubious technique to bolster state revenues. Heres how it works.

Medicaid is a federal-state partnership, under which the federal government reimburses states for a portion of their Medicaid spending  from a minimum of 50 percent up to 100 percent for newly enrolled beneficiaries under the Affordable Care Act, or Obamacare.

These federal matching funds are intended to encourage states to provide health care for their lower income citizens, at a lower cost for states.

States use different approaches to obtain higher Medicaid matching funds to divert to non-medical uses. The most common method is to make large payments to hospitals, nursing homes or other eligible institutions in excess of the cost of medical services these institutions provide, and then to take back those increased payments through taxes or other means.

Some states even hire consultants who specialize in crafting ways for states to maximize revenues from federal Medicaid funds.

In Montanas case, according to AP, state officials obtained a higher Medicaid reimbursement rate for hospitals to the tune of $212 million over three years. Legislators then voted to impose a temporary hospital community benefit assessment on the states largest 14 hospitals.

This temporary tax  whoops, assessment  will increase state coffers by about $13 million over three years, of which $6 million is targeted for studying pre-school access.

Everybody wins, right? Well, maybe not.

As the U.S. Congress investigative arm, the General Accountability Office, noted in a 2004 report, these state financing schemes undermine the fiscal integrity of the Medicaid program because they enable states to make to providers payments that significantly exceed their costs. In our view, this practice is inconsistent with the statutory requirement that states ensure that Medicaid payments are economical and efficient.

Because this practice uses hospitals and other Medicaid providers as mere pass-throughs for federal funds, perhaps we should label it official money laundering.

Congress has been aware of the problem for decades and has made efforts to fix it, but creative new schemes continue to emerge in states determined to augment their share of Medicaid funds.

One way to fix this increasingly popular state practice would be to mandate that states cant reimburse hospitals and other entities receiving Medicaid funds for more than they actually spend for medical purposes. However, this solution would entail even more bureaucracy and red tape than currently saddles states and Medicaid providers.

Medicaid accounts for roughly 10 percent of all federal spending. And, according to the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, Medicaid is the single largest source of federal funding for Montana, accounting for one-third of all federal funds flowing into our state budget.

But as pressure builds to reduce spending at the federal level, rising Medicaid costs figure prominently in fiscal conservatives sights. Depriving lower income citizens of affordable health care would be an unfortunate outcome in the face of ongoing state misuse of Medicaid funds, estimated to be in the billions of dollars.

Any way you look at it, using Medicaid funds for their intended purpose really is a win-win proposition, as tax revenues are used efficiently and more people gain access to affordable health care.

Is anyone in Congress listening?

***

As a parenthetical note, I was dismayed to find while researching this column that historical federal budget information previously available on the website of the White Houses Office of Management and Budget no longer appears. Is this part of the administrations wider war on facts? Whatever the motivation, it is, to quote our president, Sad!
It was a purely serendipitous moment for Courtney Little Axe.

The anthropology major graduates from the University of Montana on Saturday after spending much of the past two years holed up in the wonderland of UMs little-known ethnographic collections in the basement of the Social Sciences building.

It hasnt been without struggles, Little Axe related last week.

I went through a time when I was having trouble staying in school and stuff, she said.

Her therapy in hard times is to browse through old pictures, which led to a startling discovery.

Little Axe cant give details, for cultural sensitivity reasons that well discuss later. What she can say is that she noticed something familiar in one of the old internet photos. It was associated with a tribal member, and she recognized it as one of hundreds of Native American artifacts in the UM collection that dates back to the universitys founding in the 1890s.

Super-surprising and a rewarding situation, Little Axe said. I was able to find its origin, where it came from. Honestly, I dont know how something like that happens. I think I was led to it.

***

Call it the museum that isn't.

Reopened in 2012 after 20 years in dead storage and more than a century of deferrals by UM leadership (see Page A1), the basement Anthropological Curation Facility, or UMACF, is home to upwards of a million items if you count the pottery fragments and projectile points in its archaeological section.

Most people arent aware it even exists because its been behind closed doors for so long. More know about its sister collection at the Montana Museum of Art and Culture, Montanas only state-owned art museum. The two have the same origin story that dates back to 1895 with the creation of the University Museum, collections of which were displayed and stored in Main Hall when it was completed three years later.

MMAC has a public presence in the Performing Arts/Radio Television building near the Adams Center but still hungers for a building of its own to adequately showcase 11,000 art and art-related pieces, including works by Rembrandt, Picasso, Remington and Rockwell.

The art is kept in 10 secure locations around town, including a larger storeroom across the hallway from the 1,500-square-foot cinderblock walls of the UMACF.

Walk into the latter and you feel rather than see the centuries peel back.

Most of the artifacts are boxed and shelved in varying sized containers of archival quality. Ten years ago, during the collections dormant years, it was a mess down here, said Riley Auge, curator of the curation facility.

Everything was literally just jumbled together like garbage, said Auge.

A graduate student who wrote her thesis on the plight of the collection spurred an effort to breathe life and order back into the room. In the following years it was upgraded to National Park Service standards, and efforts resumed to investigate and inventory the collection to make it available to researchers, students and faculty.

Our big dream for the future is to actually have exhibit space so that some of these materials can go on public exhibit, said Auge. We have some really amazing things.

Theres a mix of the bizarre (a boar tusk necklace from a warthog); international (a New Zealand Maori war club and 19th century Chinese pottery), and local, such as artist Edgar S. Paxsons Native American pouch made of woven grasses. It was later stuffed with horsehair, sewn shut and made into a pillow.

Paxson painted the historical murals on the walls of the state Capitol and Missoula County Courthouse in the early 20th century, and he painted any number of works depicting American Indians in his studios in Butte, Deer Lodge and at 611 Stephens Ave. in Missoula. Along the way he collected an impressive array of artifacts in order to lend authenticity to his works, said anthropology professor Kelly Dixon.

***

NAGPRA is a well-known acronym down here in the vault.

The Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act was passed in 1990, and its effects have been felt on campus, where remains found during various construction projects have been quietly moved to reservations to which they belonged.

The act also applies to other cultural items  funerary and sacred objects and objects of cultural patrimony. Its a federal civil offense to withhold such artifacts, museum quality or not, from their rightful indigenous tribes.

Those are the culturally sensitive artifacts in UMs collection that Little Axe cant talk about in detail and that cant be photographed without a go-ahead from appropriate tribal entities.

Maybe, mused Dixon, the best place for these things isnt in a sterile box in the basement of UM.

In 1936, then-Montana State University of Missoula received the collection of John Ellsworth Lewis, who built what became Lake MacDonald Lodge in Glacier National Park. Lewis sister Nettie donated some 100 Indian and pioneer objects after his death.

The gift would belong to the university so long as the University shall remain free from Church Domination, Nellie Lewis stipulated.

Valued at thousands of dollars, the Lewis collection includes complete mens and womens costumes in skin, entirely sinew sewn and embroidered with porcupine quills; early Indian weapons; a magnificent and authentic collection of war bonnets, many of which were once the property of chiefs and warriors famous in the Northwest, newspapers reported at the time.

Its considered the largest and most impressive collection in the Anthropological Curation Facility.

Herein also lie pipes, moccasins, ceremonial objects, clothing and other American Indian artifacts from the collection of Missoula architect A.J. Gibson, who built Main Hall, and his wife. Maud Gibson had an in on the Blackfeet Reservation, where her brother Joseph Sherburne ran the Sherburne Mercantile Co. in Browning at the turn of the 20th century.

Both Gibsons were aficionados of the early automobile and were known for their many travels in it.

They had an intense interest in Native American things, and so they spent a tremendous amount of time up on the Blackfeet Reservation, as well as traveling all around the state and going to Native communities, said Auge.

It was with compliance to NAGPRA in mind that the UM collection was resuscitated in 2012.

We realized going through the ethnographic objects  the drums and the pipes and the tunics  that there might be some culturally sensitive issues with regard to handling these things, Dixon said. Maybe some of them shouldnt be touched by women, or men. We got very concerned with how we should move forward without adult supervision, meaning regional tribal cultural leaders.

In 2015 and 2016, money from Humanities Montana, donors, and a few UM administrators funded two on-campus tribal summits for historic preservation officers and cultural leaders from Montanas state and federally recognized tribes.

According to a summary statement, the unprecedented summits were called "to establish dialogue emphasizing reconciliation, respect, the spirit of cultural resource laws and importance of defending the well-being of cultural collections under UMACF stewardship."

Dixon said they've drawn interest from others in the world of cultural collections and are "especially important in the era of Standing Rock."

Groundwork was laid for a programmatic agreement, a scope of collections, and procedures and policies. But the next steps are on hold after funding for a 2017 summit dried up.

Dixon said nothing has left the collection yet.

The process of figuring out what gets repatriated could take years, she said. It requires all of the tribal historic preservation officers being in one room and putting our heads together, so we still have a lot of bricks to put into that foundation.

***

Auge has been curator of the anthropology collection since 2014 and stands in awe of it.

"This is a facility that is so rich in what is contained here and has just amazing potential for learning, not only for research but taking some of these objects out into the public," Auge said.

Little Axe couldnt agree more. In June, three weeks after she graduates, shell be in Salem, Massachusetts, where shell spend the summer working on research and exhibitions at the Peabody Essex Museum.

Its a step, she said, to maybe getting a museum going on the (Northern Cheyenne) reservation.

That would be my dream to do that, Little Axe said.  I feel like its a really important component to keeping our culture alive and connect it to present-day members  not only tribal members but other people, tourists coming through town, to maybe better understand what its all about.

Two other students from the anthropology department, Michaela Shifley and Danny Smith, are among just a dozen nationwide to receive fellowships to the Smithsonian Museums Summer Institute of Museum Anthropology.

Shifley, whos in her first year of a four-year doctoral program, is an intern at the curation facility. Shell spend four weeks in Washington researching Blackfeet moccasins.

After working here for a semester and learning all the cool things we have, it kind of inspired me to learn about the Blackfeet culture collection, she said. Im really passionate about advocating for descendant communities and making sure that their rights and cultural restrictions are considered when we put things on display, and that their voices are heard. The university really has people here who believe the same thing.

Montana, Shifley said, has one of the largest American Indian populations in the nation.

I think were really in position here to lead the charge on descendant community rights in terms of museum exhibitions and cultural collections. What a wonderful opportunity that is.

This story has been updated to correct the location of Courtney Little Axe's summer fellowship in Massachusetts. She'll be at the Peabody Essex Museum in Salem.
Montana owes a tip of the hat to Dr. Caroline McGill.

She was our first pathologist and when she returned to Butte from Johns Hopkins University in 1913, she became the states third female physician.

But McGill, who died in 1959, is best remembered as the co-founder with Merrill Burlingame of the Museum of the Rockies at Montana State University in Bozeman, which can now boast on its website to being one of the world's finest research and history museums ... renowned for displaying an extensive collection of dinosaur fossils.

Missoula couldve had that T. rex.

During a medical career that lasted more than 40 years, McGill amassed an extensive collection of historical items. In 1952 she agreed to bequeath the whole thing to what's now the University of Montana and its Museum of Northwest History.

The first 32 artifacts that were shipped west included furniture and a box of pictures that had belonged to Christopher P. Higgins, a founder of Missoula who died in 1889. McGill said she'd send the rest when the university was prepared to receive it.

It never happened.

In October 1956, McGill wrote to Mary Elrod Ferguson, assistant director of the museum, that she had taken her remaining collection to Montana State College in Bozeman. It was the bones of what became the Museum of the Rockies.

We are starting in quansit (sic) huts. I feel safe storage even poor display is the important thing, McGill said.

I felt I had given the University more than they were able to house or care for," she explained. "I had written about storage ... all I ever got was an indefinite some day. I feel there has been little interest in Missoula outside of you and the history department. Too little attempt by the university to make the museum a community affair.

Within 10 years, UM's museum closed. Its collections were decentralized through loans to various departments on campus. Carling Malouf and the anthropology department took purveyance of the cultural artifacts, most of which were recentralized in the basement of the Social Science building in the 1970s.

Those collections are now separate from the Montana Museum of Art and Cultures world-class art and art-related collection. They include some 800 Native American items and private collections of artist Edgar S. Paxson and Missoula architect A.J. Gibson.

Largest and most impressive is the assortment of some 100 Northwest Indian-related objects donated in 1936 by family as a memorial to John and Olive Lewis of Columbia Falls. It was said at the time that John Lewis, who built Lake MacDonald Lodge in Glacier National Park, was inspired after meeting cowboy artist Charles M. Russell in 1889. The meeting led to a long and happy friendship and a shared passion for collecting vestiges of the Old West and its tribal people.

Access to UMs ethnographic collection was closed for lack of funding in 1992. Only in the past five years has it enjoyed a rebirth as the UM Anthropological Curation Facility, through efforts of the anthropology staff and students and the universitys Office of Research (see Territory, Page E-1).

Momentum created by the hiring of a professional curator/director led to summits of Montana's tribal cultural and preservation leaders in 2015 and 2016 in an effort to establish protocol and rules for handling culturally sensitive materials.

That was kind of a historic thing, said Chris Comer, dean of UMs College of Humanities and Sciences. I dont think such a meeting has ever been called before.

Anthropology professor Kelly Dixon called the summits the shot heard 'round the collection world.

This is kind of cutting edge in the world of museum and cultural management, Dixon said.

It points the way to exciting possibilities, an excitement reflected among UM students, Native American and otherwise. Courtney Little Axe is headed for Massachusetts in June for a summer fellowship at the Harvard Peabody Museum. Doctoral candidate Michaela Schifley and graduate student Danny Smith are among an elite group chosen for a month of study at the Smithsonian museum in Washington, D.C.

I already have students lined up for next years internships, curator Riley Auge said. Even students who arent in anthropology, they just want to be down here and have this experience and be in connection to the cultural objects, that immediate connection to the past.

Its an exciting time to be at UM in this field, and how ironic that it's not the most exciting time financially. Theres the rub, Dixon said.

An unprecedented drop in enrollment and, thus, funding has left UM facing budget cuts in every department. Dixon viewed a third tribal summit as key to finalizing plans for repatriating Indian artifacts to their proper tribes, but that's not going to happen this year.

Auge, already working part-time, faces even fewer hours, which means less accessibility to the collection for researchers and students.

Comer said base funding for the curator position has been secured.

Its not quite as healthy an amount of support as we want, but we wanted to get that line item in there, he said. Its no small feat at a time when our budget is pretty challenging, but weve certainly learned over the years how important that collection is. Perhaps in the past it wasnt as appreciated as it should have been.

***

The story of Caroline McGills rebuff is the best known but far from the only one in UMs struggles to come to grips with its vast museum collections.

Artifacts and donations started rolling as early as the first year of classes in 1895, and there was a University Museum even before there was a campus. When Main Hall was completed in 1898, it became home to displays and storage.

Oscar Craig, in his presidents report of 1903-04, noted, Room very crowded. However, as soon as more room is offered, the Museum will have a showing second to none in the Northwest.

According to university records, the Museum of Northwest History opened its first exhibit in Main Hall in 1912. In the 1930s, plans for a museum building got as far as architectural drawings but never materialized due to funding constraints. After a new journalism building was completed in 1936, the existing museum for cultural objects was moved to its third floor location behind the efforts of history professor Paul Phillips. But it closed soon after when Phillips resigned in scandal, only to be reinstated by the state Supreme Court several years later.

Phillips was made director of the Museum of Northwest History when it reopened in 1947 and led an effort to acquire ethnographic items from western Montana tribes.

In Phillips' absence, professor Harry Turney-High took up the fight. In a letter to interim president Charles Leaphart, the dean of the law school, Hyphen-Harry asked for help handling a donation offer.

Honestly I am but a lowly anthropology professor so I dont have the authority to receive it, Turney-High wrote, suggesting that Leaphart be the one to say yes.

Theres a larger problem involved, he went on. So far as I know no one is officially responsible for the receipt, storage or preservation or occasional display, so our collection is not displayed at all or very rarely. I hardly think this is the proper way to treat state property or show our gratitude to benefactors.

So we arent the first ones, OK? Dixon said last week.

Were carrying a torch, agreed Tully Thibeau, who chairs the anthropology department.

Thibeau and Dixon acknowledge that whats happening to the Anthropological Curation Facility is happening all over campus.

We really dont want to be whiners, said Dixon. We want to be optimistic. But really this needs to be brought to the attention of the public. In the first place, most people have no idea that the university has these collections and what these collections mean in terms of cultural value.

Thibeau said a research institute like UM depends on its research collections.

I dont think that this is a budget issue for an individual department to have to manage, he said. I dont think the chair of a department should have to make a decision of, well, do I want a curator or do I want something else? Curation at the University of Montana is the University of Montana. Its campuswide.

Auge chairs the governor-appointed state historic preservation review board, and she received the prestigious 2016 Kathleen Kirki Gilmore Dissertation Award from the Society of Historical Archaeology. Last month she spoke at a workshop at the Montana Archaeological Society conference in Missoula about UMs collections.

The title of the workshop was Beyond the Shelf, she said, and it spoke to the whole idea of if (artifacts) are just sitting on peoples shelves someplace, they have no meaning, they have no value.

Auge staunchly defends the value of her position in the Anthropological Curation Facility.

What we all want to see and need to see is that this facility has a full-time curator, Auge said. It cannot function and cannot provide any of those opportunities and services if theres not a person in a full-time capacity over multiple years, in order to not only care for the objects as they are now but to build the programs and build the opportunities for that kind of interaction to occur.

Dixon yearns for the day the collections can be put fully to work or returned to their rightful owners.

I would love to see hands-on, intergenerational, interactive projects with these cultural collections, she said. Not a static museum setting so much, but work with elders who may be experts in conserving and fixing beadwork or quillwork, and have those experts train young people.

Imagine having students at UM who represent descendant communities working on internships and other projects that connect them with cultural offices at home.
A funny thing happened at the Mo Club when Harry Fritz and Fritz Daily met up after teaching a class this semester on Butte and the Berkeley Pit.

Daily, from Butte, had just given a guest lecture in Fritz's history class at the University of Montana, and the longtime friends were sharing pints at the Missoula Club downtown.

Fritz was talking about retiring.

"The proudest moment is when former students come up and say they took my class 20 years ago and still remember it, and I was the best professor they had, which is probably B.S.," Fritz said.

"Nah. It's true," Daily said.

A few minutes later, a stranger interrupted the conversation at the bar. Neil Buckley introduced himself and said he attended UM years ago and remembered just three professors.

"I remember one because of how bad the professor was," said Buckley, from Butte. "And I remember one because of how pretty she was. And I remember this guy because he was an amazing lecturer.

"This guy is the real deal."

This guy is Harry Fritz, celebrating 50 years of teaching at UM, apparently retiring this term, but either way leaving a legacy of service not only for the university but for the state.

"He's very humble," said Daily, who got to know Fritz when both served in the Montana Legislature. "He's one of the great Montana historians without question, and he's also a great political leader in the state of Montana. He's an equal to K. Ross Toole, a great Montana environmentalist and historian."

And people are at the heart of his life and connection to history, said another longtime friend, Bob Brown, former secretary of state. Brown, a Republican, and Fritz, a Democrat, traveled to China last summer to teach children about the presidential election from both political points of view.

Since the students had studied English for 12 years, they didn't need an interpreter, Brown said: "He captivated students in China the same way he does here."

Fritz's warm smile encourages people to be friendly with him, Brown said, and at the Great Wall of China, beautiful Chinese women and old Chinese men all wanted their pictures taken with Fritz, who stands 6 feet, 5 inches tall.

The towering man with a constant twinkle in his eye would beam into the camera with the other tourists, the locals.

"People would walk away laughing that they'd had this picture taken with this big large American man with a western face," Brown said.

Diane Rapp, administrator in the UM History Department, said his classes draw crowds and Fritz is their fan.

"Harry loves the students. He totally loves them. He even loves the bad ones. He gets a kick out of them. And he just tells them like it is," Rapp said.

After class a couple of weeks ago, Rudy Marmaro, a nontraditional student, said the professor's deep love of Montana and storytelling skills are a magnet for the young people.

"Young ladies have got crushes on Harry Fritz. I think it's hilarious," Marmaro said.

***

In academics, people have the tendency to complain, but not Fritz, said David Emmons, former colleague in the History Department.

Right after K. Ross Toole died in the summer of 1981, Emmons took over the chairmanship of the department, and he was immediately faced with a large problem. Toole's Montana history classes drew nearly 1,500 students a year, the university was in terrible shape financially, and Emmons needed a faculty member to pick up the class of 750 students.

"Harry volunteered to teach the Montana history course, and he was not trained in it, and that is a ton of work," said Emmons, professor emeritus of history. "Nobody knows how much work it is for an academic to take on a new course."

In doing so, Fritz saved a faculty line and deserves enormous credit for the act of good citizenship, Emmons said. Fritz was interested in the subject as well, he said, but he always stepped in when the department needed it.

"Not only was it Harry who jumped in to teach it, we all knew  as did the administration  that he would teach the hell out of it," Emmons said.

Fritz, who was a chemistry major at Dartmouth College before getting a master's in history at UM and doctorate at Washington University in St. Louis, remembers taking on the course.

"I did everything I could to increase enrollment in history. But I couldn't let 800 registered students go to waste, so I took over the class," Fritz said.

"All I knew about Montana was essentially to spell the name of the state."

So in the first term, he ran a team-taught lecture class, bringing in experts from all over the state to fill some 25 slots. Fritz gave just two talks, one about Lewis and Clark and one about Custer's last stand.

In the spring, he gave two or three more lectures, and then even more in the fall. Toole had developed the course of early Montana history, and eventually, Fritz augmented it.

"I brought that right up to the morning paper," said Fritz, who also has served as chair of the department.

And he packed the classrooms, said Richard Drake, a history professor who described Fritz as "irrepressible," "a splendid individual," "terrific colleague" and "extraordinarily talented."

For many years, Drake was the faculty member who reviewed all the student evaluations in the history department, and Fritz delivered a rare performance. He taught 1,000 students a year, and his student evaluations were "always exceptionally good."

"There's no one in the department, no one on campus, who matches his record for success in the classroom," Drake said. "There's no one on campus who can match his record for service to the state."

Around the time of Abraham Lincoln's birthday, Fritz grows a beard, puts on a stovepipe hat, and gets in period garb to speak to schoolchildren all over Montana, Drake said.

"He not only has been the public face of the History Department for 50 years, he's been the department's broad shoulders," Drake said. "He has just carried the History Department along with him to higher and higher levels of success and appeal in the academic world."

A biography published by the Digital Commons at Montana Tech notes Fritz edited several anthologies.

"The two books that he wrote, 'Montana: Land of Contrast' (1984, rev. ed. 2001) and 'The Lewis and Clark Expedition' (2004), established his credentials as a leading authority on the history of the state," said the biography.

"Moreover, his 'Best Books about Montana' surveys of 1982 and 2002 for Montana: The Magazine of Western History, constitute a major contribution to our cultural history."

In 2008, Fritz received the H.G. Merriam Award for distinguished writing. Other recognition includes being named UM's Teacher of the Year in 1972 and 1999, and the Carnegie Foundation's Montana Professor of the Year in 2004.

***

At a recent lecture, the professor looked over the 80 students with his sharp eyes and talked about gaming laws and the relationship between tribes and the state, the importance of tribal colleges, and the Montana economy.

As promised, he brought the students right up to the present with bills the Legislature adopted just this year, discussing the recent surge of craft brewing in Montana.

"One of the bright spots in the Montana economy, and you'll appreciate this, is beer," Fritz said.

(The topic of beer has long played a role in the classroom for the professor. In 2004, after he won the Carnegie award, the Missoulian ran a story identifying Fritz's recipe for success: "Don't teach classes at 8 a.m. Be funny. Make numerous references to beer.")

The revolution in craft beer started in Helena, came to Missoula with Bayern Brewing, and then grew to other cities and towns, Fritz said. Along the way, he said, the Montana Tavern Association bitterly opposed the expansion.

"It explains why you can't get beer or wine in every restaurant, which ought to be a constitutional right," he said.

Of course, the students followed along, and he told them lentils were going gangbusters in Montana too, from growing on just 100,000 acres to 1 million acres. But that doesn't necessarily mean good news for farmers.

"Eighty-five percent of income earned by farm families is not earned on the farm," Fritz said. "It's earned on the jobs they have in town. It comes from non-farm employment."

After class, Marmaro, who wants to be a teacher himself, praised Fritz's teaching style and enthusiasm for the subjects.

"I really like Mr. Fritz. I just like his humor. I like his knowledge," he said. "I like the fact that he has such an intense love of Montana."

Clearly, he said, Fritz loves history, and he can talk from memory about a wide variety of topics.

"It makes learning fun, you know?"

***

Fritz said the only reason he's teaching Montana history this semester is the faculty member who normally teaches it is on leave. Apparently, Fritz is retiring, but he's tried to do that before, and he ended up teaching as an adjunct.

The former state legislator also teaches MOLLI courses at the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at UM, and Rapp said she didn't want to call Fritz's recent party a "retirement" party.

In fact, if money becomes available, she'd like to see the professor emeritus of history keep teaching.

"He still draws crowds. His classes fill. So we're hoping he's around for a while," Rapp said.

Drake hopes the same.

"I wish we could lure him out of retirement because we need him more than ever here to attract the students," he said.

And Fritz knows the gig. In fact, he said his lady friend is a little puzzled about what he plans to be doing if he's not teaching.

"All I've done my entire life is read books, take notes, and teach classes," he said.

Fritz is closer to 80 than 79, but he recently felt like a newly minted teacher in the classroom, butterflies and all.

"This semester is funnier 'n hell," Fritz said. "After 50 years, I'm teaching a new class. A brand-new class. So I'm reading all these new books and taking all these new notes and just as nervous as I was on the first day in 1967."
Back in January, when the year 2017 was new and the legislative session held so much promise, the Missoulian editorial board offered a list of six resolutions for Montanas legislators.

On Friday, April 28, the 65th Legislature adjourned sine die, meaning no date has been set for the session to resume. However, legislators did wisely leave a couple of days remaining in their 90-day allotment, should they need to return to Helena for any reason.

They should indeed return, and soon, ready to finish important and as-yet unfinished work on infrastructure legislation. On that resolution, they dropped the ball  big time. On the other hand, the session was blessedly free of the sort of silly bills that have been forwarded in previous sessions. There were certainly a number of unnecessary, puzzling and downright dangerous legislative proposals, but none that rose to the same level of outright absurdity as in sessions past.

Heres how the Missoulian rates Montanas Legislature on the six resolutions suggested at the beginning of the year:

***

Infrastructure funding: Incomplete

Legislators got off to a promising start, with several dedicating a great deal of time and energy to put together packages of infrastructure projects that would take care of critical infrastructure needs, from roads and bridges to schools and sewers, across the state.

It was encouraging to see legislators make this a priority, and even more encouraging to see specialized packages dealing with certain kinds of infrastructure gain necessary support.

The two-year budget sent to Bullocks desk for signature totals $10.3 billion, and authorizes $1.1 billion (including federal matching money) for spending that could be included in a broad definition of infrastructure. However, cash expenditures total only about $173 million.

Two important bills  one to pay for rural water projects and the other to fund $80.3 million in construction and renovation projects in schools and urban areas  failed to muster enough votes to become law, largely due to partisan and ideological obstinacy. Until these projects are funded, members of the House cannot consider their work on this issue done.

***

Raise the state gas tax: B

Last week, Gov. Steve Bullock signed House Bill 473 into law. This is the legislation that passed after a proposed fuel tax increase was reduced from eight cents to 4  cents per gallon. The amended version also raises vehicle registration fees by 3 percent. The money raised through HB 471, which was sponsored by Kalispell Republican Rep. Frank Garner, will be used exclusively to pay for upgrades and repairs to highways and bridges.

The increase will raise the state tax on gasoline to just 31.5 cents per gallon, which will keep Montana well below the national average and among the states that pay the lowest gas taxes.

While the bills evolution and eventually passage was a model of negotiation and compromise, the final version does shift more of the costs of repairing and upgrading Montanas highways to from out-of-state visitors to residents, which is a shame. Its only fair to expect those who use the states roads ought to help pay for them, and that includes the millions of tourists who drive through Montana each year.

Requiring resident drivers to pay 3 percent more for services through the Motor Vehicle Division means they end up paying more, while visitors pay less, for the use of those same roads.

***

Medical marijuana reform: B

Nearly everyone could agree Montanas system of regulating medical marijuana was in need of reform. It did not, however, need a major overhaul designed to destabilize and therefore destroy it.

Fortunately, legislators for the most part abstained from the sort of overly restrictive or permissive regulations that have plagued the medical marijuana industry since Montana voters first legalized its use in 2004. Largely following the recommendations offered by medical marijuana advocates themselves, the Legislature approved Senate Bill 333, sponsored by Helena Sen. Mary Caferro, a Democrat, and created a system for collecting fees from medical marijuana dispensaries and issuing licenses to those that meet basic guidelines. They also required a tracking system to ensure the drug is being sold as intended  to relieve the suffering of legitimate patients.

Legislators also resisted the temptation to tap a potential new source of revenue. Patients throughout the state can breathe a sigh of relieve that efforts to tax their medicine did not gain traction; House Bill 529, which would have levied a tax of 6 percent on the sale price of medical marijuana, died in committee.

***

Jail diversion: A

Nine solid steps forward were taken from a series of 12 specific recommendations offered by the state Commission on Sentencing Legislation. All but three were approved by the Legislature, thanks in large part to the hard work and advocacy of Sen. Cynthia Wolken, the Missoula Democrat who carried a number of them. Taken together, the bills revise criminal justice laws to eliminate overly burdensome requirements while freeing courts and the Department of Corrections to take advantage of proven interventions.

Also, one of the rare pieces of legislation to earn near-unanimous support was a bill sponsored by House Majority Leader Ron Ehli, R-Hamilton, to revise county crisis intervention and jail diversion grant procedures. It passed the Senate unanimously on its third reading, and the House with 98 votes in favor before being signed by the governor last month.

House Bill 328 tweaked the states procedures tor awarding mental health crisis intervention and jail diversion grants, allowing tribal governments to apply for grants, among other adjustments. It didnt provide for sweeping improvements, but it does represent one more small, solid step forward.

***

Transparency: F

Legislators turned a blind eye and deaf ear to statewide calls to improve the states record-keeping system and provide for comprehensive guidelines governing the storage of official public documents. Their lack of action leaves Montana vulnerable to lawsuits over lost public records, and keeps the Montanans in the dark about potentially important communications involving our public officials.
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. The Gianfortes have also contributed extravagantly in many ways to Montana.

Greg Gianforte 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. Gianforte 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.

Greg Gianforte's 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. Gianforte 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 25.

Liane Johnson,

Cut Bank
The Rev. Dr. Karen Oliveto is still bishop of the Mountain Sky Area of the United Methodist Church, which includes Montana.

That much is clear one week after the UMCs Judicial Council ruled that consecrating a gay bishop violates church law. But confusion still remains about the complex decision handed down by the denominations judiciary body.

The 19-page decision, which came on a 6-3 vote, was in response to questions concerning the legality of the nomination, election, consecration and assignment of a gay bishop. Oliveto was not named in the complaint.

She is, however, the first and only openly gay woman to serve as a bishop of the UMC. Oliveto was elected last July and assigned to oversee an area that includes Colorado, Wyoming, Montana, Utah and a sliver of Idaho.

After her election at the Western Jurisdictional Conference in Scottsdale, Arizona, Oliveto was consecrated by the jurisdictions College of Bishops. She previously served as pastor of the 11,000-member Glide Memorial Church in San Francisco.

Oliveto began her tenure on Sept. 1. But soon after her election by the Western Jurisdictional Conference, a complaint was filed with the Judicial Council.

A hearing was held in New Jersey on April 25, with the decision handed down three days later. The Judicial Council ruled only on the question of the bishops consecration.

It is not lawful for the college of bishops of any jurisdiction or central conference to consecrate a self-avowed practicing homosexual bishop, the decision said, citing the denominations Book of Discipline.

Up until the decision, the Book of Discipline more narrowly referred to people as homosexual if they publicly declared to denomination officials that they were homosexual and engaged in sexual acts with a person of the same gender.

The recent decision expanded that to say: A same-sex marriage license issued by competent civil authorities together with the clergy persons status in a same-sex relationship is a public declaration that the person is a self-avowed practicing homosexual.

Thats where the confusion comes in, said Richard Marsh, the attorney who represented the Western Jurisdiction in the hearing. Oliveto remains in good standing, he said, and a lot of language in the decision confuses her with a hypothetical future case.

Marsh referred to a section of the decision that said until a process is completed to decide if a clergy person meets the criteria of a self-avowed practicing homosexual, he or she remains in good standing.

It reads: There is no provision in The [Book of} Discipline making it lawful to deny consecration to a duly elected episcopal candidate in good standing without fair and due process, even if there are serious concerns about his or her same-sex marital status at the time of consecration.

Because Oliveto hasnt been part of such a process, she remains in good standing, Marsh said.

The Judicial Council acknowledged that she was in good standing, eligible for election and therefore had to be consecrated after she was elected, he said.

He sees the decision more applicable to the hypothetical election of an LGBTQ bishop in the future, and outlined procedures that need to be followed well before that person could become a candidate for bishop.

The expanded language is forward-looking, maintained Marsh, who lamented its effect on other LBGTQ clergy.

Any clergy in a same-sex marriage faces the fear of somebody digging up the license and filing charges and forcing that person to say I am not engaged in sex, which is kind of an incredible turn, Marsh said.

Mirrored conflict

In a statement released the day of the ruling, the Western Jurisdiction College of Bishops said the decision mirrors a conflict in the denomination.

The ruling is long and complicated, reinforcing the reality that the church is not of one mind about inclusion of LGBTQI people and practices outside heterosexual marriage, the bishops said.

The statement went on to say that while the Judicial Council ordered a review of Olivetos qualifications for ministry, the Western Jurisdiction is in the process of responding to complaints filed after her election.

This process will continue according to the provisions of our Book of Discipline, the bishops said.

The Rev. Rob Renfroe, president of Good News, the largest orthodox renewal movement in the UMC, differed from Marsh in his interpretation of the councils decision.

Were grateful that they ruled that Karen Olivetos consecration was unlawful, which the Book of Discipline clearly states, Renfroe said. We wish they had been able to indicate that she should be removed immediately.

He is frustrated that the Judicial Council turned the matter back over to the very people who elected her and who consecrated her.

And they did so knowing she was living in contrast to what the Book of Discipline says, Renfroe said. We have a track record with the bishops of the Western Jurisdiction, and its not one where they address matters swiftly or, in my opinion, with integrity.

By electing Oliveto and then consecrating her, Renfroe said, the Western Jurisdiction has made it very clear how dire our differences are and how difficult it will be to move forward together.

'2 churches ... 1 body'

In 2016, the UMCs Council of Bishops created the Commission on a Way Forward, representing all sides of the denomination, to scrutinize and possibly recommend revisions to the Book of Discipline related to human sexuality. The bishops have called a special General Conference for Feb. 23-26, 2019, to consider the recommendations in the commissions report.

The commission was an effort to find common ground between the progressive and orthodox sides of the UMC. Renfroe doesnt believe that is possible.

"There was no decision good or bad that was going to change the state of the United Methodist Church," he said. "And that is we are fractured and broken, and we find ourselves two churches that are within one body."

He hopes the commission will come up with a way for two sides with irreconcilable differences to go their separate ways.

Lets stop fighting, he said. Lets create a solution thats no-win, no-lose, where no one is punished, we set each other free, take our own property assets and are free to go our own ways.

Looking forward

Oliveto, who has been at the center of the storm, has spent the past week at the Council of Bishops meeting in Dallas. Waiting for the decision was hard, she said, adding that its part of a faith journey.

She was struck that the Judicial Council appears as conflicted as the rest of the UMC when it comes to the role of LGBTQ people.

Yet through all of this, the Holy Spirit has been incredibly precious to me and the people Ive worked with, she said. I felt very sustained by the prayers of people, not just my colleagues, but literally United Methodists around the world.

Oliveto is worried about what the ruling will mean for young people who feel called to the ministry but are gay.

Is their call going to be affirmed in the United Methodist Church or not? she said.

Oliveto is looking forward to continuing her work as bishop of the Big Sky Area. In the past seven months she has fallen head over heels in love with the clergy and laity and the vital ministry Ive seen there.

She said she wants to help strengthen churches, giving them the resources they need to be agents of Gods transforming love in their communities.

God has put a vision in our hearts in the work we do together, Oliveto said. The clergy and I continue to be inspired by each other to roll up our sleeves and dig even deeper into the work ahead of us.
Problem solvers of the world, watch out.

Silver Bow Montessori School students captured first place for Montana at the Washington State Affiliate Bowl of Future Problem Solving Program International recently in Seattle.

Jimmy Blow, Brooklyn Holms, Hunter Holms, and Kaden McGillen put their heads together and solved a real-world problem to qualify for the international conference in June at University of Wisconsin-LaCross. Their topic will biosecurity.

The brainy quintet researched and prepared a problem-solving analysis on the subject of identity theft.

Founded by creativity pioneer Dr. E. Paul Torrance, Future Problem Solving stimulates critical and creative thinking skills, prompts students to develop a future vision, and prepares them for leadership roles. Thousands of students from Australia, Canada, Great Britain, Hong Kong, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, New Zealand, Portugal, Russia, Singapore, and the United States compete each year.

Established in 1988, Silver Bow Montessori School is a non-profit, non-sectarian, 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to Montessori education for greater Butte area children ages 3 to 12. Montessori offers a child-centered, hands-on, individualized approach to education.
Editor's note: This is the first in an occasional series of stories about the legacy of mine and smelter pollution in southwest Montana.

Retired rancher Kenny Fleming remembers the taste of arsenic in his mouth.

Now 84, Fleming grew up on a ranch in the Deer Lodge Valley west of Interstate 90. He still lives in the house his parents bought in 1947. Flemings home is less than 20 miles north of the Washoe Smelter.

Years ago, when that south wind blew and that stack was in operation, that taste of arsenic in your mouth was just horrible, Fleming said from his kitchen recently.

But southern Powell County is not a Superfund site, nor is it part of Anacondas.

The Washoe Smelter, which shut down in 1980, processed thousands of tons of copper a day for around 80 years. The Environmental Protection Agency declared 300 square miles surrounding the old smelter, whose 565-foot stack was one of the tallest in the nation, a Superfund site in 1983. EPA gathered evidence about a decade later that the stacks primary wind path blew northeasterly  straight up the valley to Deer Lodge in Powell County.

But the boundary for Anacondas Superfund site stops relatively close to the county line Anaconda-Deer Lodge County shares with Powell County.

EPA doesnt say there is no arsenic in Powell County but rather that the amount of arsenic in the soil is below the trigger established in both Butte and Anaconda to warrant soil cleanup.

That trigger is 250 parts per million of arsenic in the dirt. But what critics find disconcerting is thats one of the highest levels of arsenic being left behind in the soil anywhere in the United States. Just three other sites  one in Idaho, one in California, and one in Colorado  have higher trigger levels set for arsenic in peoples yards.

The level is set high enough to preclude further attention in Powell County by the EPA.

Coleman says arsenic is higher than normal all the way to Garrison, which is roughly 35 miles north of the former copper smelter. He theorizes arsenic in the soil in some of Powell County could be around 100 ppm of arsenic in the soil.

But that, Coleman says, is not a level that warrants concern.

What were interested in is what is the level we think causes an unacceptable risk to people, Coleman said.

Coleman says the risk range for arsenic in soil is 3 to 300 ppm. According to EPA, 250 ppm in the soil and dust presents an acceptable level of risk in Anaconda and Butte. That assessment was determined by studies performed on monkeys and New Zealand white rabbits.

Atlantic Richfield Co. spokesperson Brett Clanton said, via email, that the 250 ppm arsenic level established by EPA is based on extensive studies and research that documented lower levels of exposure to arsenic than are typically assumed.

Clanton points to a study conducted in Anaconda in 1992 and 1993 to measure arsenic in the urine of Anacondas children which found exposure levels were lower than expected.

These studies demonstrated that (the 250 ppm for) arsenic in Anaconda would be health protective, Clanton said.

But Fleming, waiting for his daughter to call while his wife watches TV in the next room, mentions that four people had cancer right in a row here, along the road where his house sits. The road is sparsely populated.

His wife, Shirley, was one of those four. She survived; the other three did not. Fleming also knew two women who were diagnosed with neurodegenerative disorders who lived nearby.

Thats not all that Fleming can recall.

The snow on Mt. Powell had a grayish cast when the smelter still operated.

Now, since the stack shut down, its just the purest white, Fleming said while sitting in his kitchen with Mt. Powell visible from the house. It never was that way before (the smelter shut down in 1980).

Arsenic in other Superfund sites

Anaconda community leader Jim Davidson said that years ago the Anaconda community group Arrowhead fought EPA on the idea that arsenic levels below 250 ppm would remain in the soil and dust.

It was a battle the group lost.

Yes, it concerned us. Utah is like 50 parts per million, so what difference is Utah arsenic versus Anaconda arsenic? We pushed for studies. Whats the relationship between arsenic and cancer? How is it we have certain cancers here? Why are there higher cancer rates in certain areas? They kept coming back and saying theres no relationship, Davidson said.

To clarify: At one former smelter site in Utah, the cut off to trigger cleanup is 50 to 100 ppm of arsenic in the soil. At four other Utah Superfund sites, the trigger ranges from 61 ppm to 126 ppm for arsenic found in peoples yards.

According to legal documents in the Opportunity residents lawsuit against Atlantic Richfield Company over yard cleanup, the trigger level for Anaconda and Buttes arsenic is higher than 31 other sites. Thats out of a total of 34 Superfund sites.

EPAs Denver-based toxicologist Susan Griffin said the reason for those differences has to do with studies EPA performed to determine what is safe  for Anaconda.

Arsenic was such a driver, it was going to drive all the decisions (in Anaconda), Coleman said. It was worthwhile to Atlantic Richfield to do those studies.

In response to long-held fears of cancer in Anaconda, EPA requested the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry in the 2007 to look over EPAs shoulder at the work it had done. ATSDR concluded that EPAs cleanup plan is protective of human health, according to a recent email.

Clanton said, via email, that a more recent study in 2013 on Anaconda residents was conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of the ongoing (cleanup). A little over 100 persons volunteered to participate in the study. Most participants were found to have arsenic levels below thelevel used to identify unusual arsenic exposures.

The Montana Standard recently requested that the ATSDR return to Anaconda and Butte to reexamine several health issues, including whether EPA-ordered remedies regarding arsenic and lead remain protective of human health.

The states health department demonstrates the limits of data. The states epidemiologist Laura Williamson said that, even now, the states cancer registry cannot detect a cancer cluster in Libby in northwest Montana. Libby is the site of a former asbestos-containing vermiculite mine. To date, about 2,400 residents and workers have died or been diagnosed with asbestos-related disease in Libby, including lung cancers and mesothelioma, an asbestos-caused cancer of the lining of the lung.

Our cancer registry doesnt detect cancer clusters in Libby. Their cancer cluster rates are the same as the rest of Montana, Williamson said. I think records did show Libby dying of respiratory disease at a higher rate than the rest of Montana, but it didnt pop up as a cancer cluster at the time due to the technical criteria used in identifying such clusters.

Technically speaking, it still doesnt.

Davidson, who says hes seen a lot of cancer, points to another problem with the data: People move. Williamson agrees that this can have bearing on agencies picking up on data.

States dont share cancer data information. Doctors also dont ask questions, such as where a patient lived before or occupational status when treating patients. The U.S. lacks a good tracking system for any disease, including cancer. This makes it virtually impossible to connect environmental hazards to disease incidence, says Williamson.

What about Deer Lodge?

Deer Lodge City Councilman Bob Stone, now 74, said he wonders why Deer Lodge didnt really raise Cain when EPA was investigating Anaconda and Butte.

The predominant wind was northeast out of the smelter, Stone said from his home recently. I often wonder why the people who were here in the valley at the time didnt ask questions as the process was going on to remediate. Why werent they vocal?

But EPAs Griffin calls the animal studies done to determine the 250 ppm for arsenic a by-the-book risk assessment.

EPAs Montana Superfund director Joe Vranka said EPA follows policy to get out of those individual judgments of what is an acceptable range.

Coleman said some private properties in southern Powell County near the county line did get cleaned up years ago. But once EPA found consistent soil sampling of less than 250 ppm of arsenic in the dirt, it quit looking further.

So Deer Lodge citizens like Stone will be left to wonder.

Coming soon: Renewed concerns about lead contamination in Anaconda.
WARM SPRINGS  As water chemistry equipment goes, you cant beat a Coke bottle.

Mixed in with the microfilters, GPS units and conductivity monitors on last weeks National Science Foundation river survey were eight red-capped plastic soda bottles. Project principal investigator Marc Peipoch of the University of Montana made sure they were in easy reach in his canoe.

You can spend money on gear or you can buy Coke, Peipoch said. This is the best gas-tight bottle you can find.

Replace the soda with river water, and a geoscientist can determine the age of radon gas isotopes dissolved within. Radon gas signifies underground water, and its isotopes slowly decay over about four days exposure to sunlight. Knowing the gas condition gives hints about the mix of ground water and surface water flowing in the Clark Fork River.

At its headwaters just east of Anaconda, the Clark Fork looks like any pastoral stream. Just a couple dozen feet wide and a few feet deep, it writes a cursive script through the Deer Lodge Valley next to Interstate 90. An attentive motorist might notice a lot of earth-moving going on in its floodplain.

Thats because in 1908, a catastrophic flood tore through the mine tailings of Butte and Anaconda and deposited lethal amounts of arsenic, copper and other metals throughout the drainage. The surge nearly ripped out brand-new Milltown Dam just east of Missoula. The dam held, and thats where several million tons of heavy metal sludge came to rest in its reservoir.

Lots more got deposited in oxbows all along the Deer Lodge Valley. Known as slickens, these poisoned riverbanks remained virtually sterile for a century. Mining cleanup efforts between Butte and Missoula formed the largest contiguous federal Superfund site in the nation.

A lot of the big-ticket work grew out of settlements between the legacy mining owners and the state and federal government. Those agreements provided millions of dollars for removal of Milltown Dam, reconstruction of Silver Bow Creek through Butte, and numerous other smaller projects throughout the drainage.

Today, most of the upper Clark Fork work depends on the Montana Department of Environmental Quality for removal of the remaining toxic metals, and the Department of Justices Natural Resource Damage Program for restoration of the resulting ecosystem. Theyre working from a $96 million trust fund paid by the mining companies to repair damage to the 47-mile upper reach of the Clark Fork.

To do that, we have to know how the upper Clark Fork should behave if it hadnt endured a century of abuse. That requires lots of scientific detective work.

The upper Clark Fork is a sleeping giant of a fishery, said Will McDowell of the Clark Fork Coalition, a Missoula-based river conservation group. It has natural productivity, probably tied to those natural nutrient sources. If it was otherwise healthy, it could be a tremendous fishery. Theres no reason it shouldnt be, except for the metals.

The Natural Resource Damage Program (NRDP) sees the upper Clark Fork in three segments: headwaters to Drummond, Drummond to Rock Creek, and Rock Creek to Bonner. That middle reach has the worst fishery conditions, but the upper end might be the source of the problem. Removing the heavy metals will have a big impact, but that leaves the nutrient load in search of answers.

We want to know why is the green algae in that stretch from Drummond to Rock Creek so prominent? said NRDPs Doug Martin. And if possible, how to fix it? Whats the limiting factor? Is there something we could do or some way to use our restoration funds?

But rivers are giant, moving chemistry sets, and the upper Clark Fork presents some remarkable puzzles. For example, phosphorus has a huge impact on plant growth in rivers. Add too much and it works like fertilizer that gooses plant growth, which consumes all the oxygen in the water and kills the fish.

Phosphorus can come from things like cleaning products, which is why places like Missoula participated in campaigns to use non-phosphate-based laundry detergent to improve water quality. But it also occurs naturally, as any I-90 motorist driving by the Phosphate exit near Garrison might realize. That commemorates the last underground phosphate mine in the United States, which closed in 1993.

The other major nutrient in a river system is nitrogen. Those who remember their earth science classes recall the frustratingly complex nitrogen cycle of phases the element goes through as it builds up and breaks down in living systems. University of Montana systems ecologist Maury Valett suspects that cycle is misfiring in the upper Clark Fork, jerking its plant and animal life in awkward directions.

This river is way greener than it should be, Valett said. The state has set up a 15-phase project to remove the mining metals from the upper Clark Fork and restore its floodplain to a more natural condition. But that assumes we know what natural looks like.

Valett and Peipoch have a five-year, $450,000 National Science Foundation grant to help the state agencies learn what that chemistry should be. Theyve combined with funding from state agencies to make sense out of huge collections of data developed over the years of restoration work on the river.

And in the upper Clark Fork kitchen, lots of chefs stir the pot. The Warm Springs Ponds just above its headwaters were built to catch mining waste flowing down from Butte in Silver Bow Creek. They remove lots of copper, and also trap a great deal of nitrogen. But they also release arsenic downstream, and they interfere with water temperature and flooding cycles that other parts of the nitrogen cycle depend on.

Then theres human activity, including the sewage treatment plants at Butte and Anaconda and Deer Lodge, the septic systems of the surrounding ranches, and the fertilizer applied to the farm fields. Theres acres of cow manure that both absorbs and releases different forms of nitrogen as it gets plopped onto and plowed into the soil. Theres even a possibility that the decades of ammonium-based explosives used in digging Buttes open-pit copper mine might be contributing residual nitrogen to the system.

And dont forget the natural world. Valett and Peipoch can tell to some degree where the nitrogen compounds in the water come from. And a surprising amount bears chemical signatures of soil bacteria. That hints at the activity of wetlands full of microorganisms decomposing organic matter and turning it into nitrogen fertilizer.

Thats why we need a bunch of boats and a bunch of bottles, Valett said. On a water-sampling float last November, a series of test sites showed virtually no nitrogen until one spot where it seemed to come in through a fire hose. But there was no smoking gun of a sewer pipe or irrigation ditch to produce the spike. Furthermore, the nitrogen was flowing in winter, when those microorganisms are typically too cold to digest anything.

Conversations with mining historians hint at a possible ancient, underground wetland near Anaconda that might be insulated enough to function better in winter than in summer, when much of its groundwater gets drawn away for irrigation. But thats just a guess. It will take multiple floats down the river to determine where the nutrients come from and how to bring them into balance.

It takes just six minutes for a freeway driver to cover the distance between Warm Springs and Racetrack. A canoeist needs about seven hours of constant paddling to get through the 11 miles of curlicue curves packed between those two exits. The UM sampling crews plan to float that reach several times a year.

Of course, that counts the time needed to take new samples every 500 meters, to check every tributary stream for its water signature, and to escape the occasional entanglement with low-hanging willow bushes. The upper section of the river is closed to public floating because of all the restoration and remediation work along its banks. That makes it a haven for nesting geese and ducks, muskrats and beavers, and the occasional tail-slapping brown trout.

This is fun science, Valett said. Its a chance to preserve and improve some of things Montana is known for. Were trying to help the landscape make sense. Its complicated as hell, but most good problems are.
North Korea has detained a US citizen on suspicion of "hostile acts" against the regime, the state-run Korean Central News Agency reported Sunday.

The regime described Kim Hak-song as "a man who was doing business in relation to the operation of Pyongyang University of Science and Technology." KCNA said the American was detained Saturday, but did not release more details on his alleged crime.

"The relevant authority is currently carrying out a detailed investigation into the crime of Kim Hak-song," the state-run news agency said.

A State Department official told CNN the US is "aware of reports" that an American citizen was detained.

"When a US citizen is reported to be detained in North Korea, we work with the Swedish Embassy in Pyongyang, which serves as the United States' Protecting Power in North Korea," the official said. "Due to privacy considerations, we have no further comment."

Kim Hak-song is believed to be the fourth US citizen currently detained in North Korea.

In April, KCNA said Tony Kim -- also known as Kim Sang Duk -- was detained for "hostile acts" toward the North Korean regime.

Otto Warmbier, a University of Virginia student, was sentenced to 15 years of hard labor in 2016 for removing a political sign.

And Kim Dong Chul, the president of a company involved in international trade and hotel services, was arrested in 2015 and is serving 10 years on espionage charges.

CNN's Holly Yan contributed to this report.
MISSOULA  A 39-year-old Missoula man who cut off his GPS tracker and ran away last summer while on probation from a 1996 attempted homicide conviction has been sentenced to 25 years in the Montana State Prison.

Working with local law enforcement, the U.S. Marshals Service caught up with Chad Earl Williams  who had a $1 million warrant out for his arrest  in Arizona last month.

In August, Williams, who had been in and out of the Missoula jail throughout the year for a series of probation violations, cut off his GPS monitor while out on bail awaiting sentencing on those violations.

On Thursday, after Williams was brought back to Montana, District Court Judge Robert Dusty Deschamps imposed a new 25-year prison sentence on Williams for absconding, in addition to weapons possession, methamphetamine use and other release violations he had collected throughout 2016.

Williams originally had been convicted of attempted deliberate homicide in 1996 after shooting a Missoula man in the head while trying to rob him. In June, while out on probation, Williams was involved in a seven-hour standoff in Bozeman because there was a warrant out for his arrest. Williams was brought back to town after surrendering, but posted a new bail in July.

Days before he was set to be sentenced for drug use and weapon possession  both violations of his probation  Williams fled.

Per Deschamps' order, Williams also must pay just more than $1,500 for the cost of extraditing him back to Montana from Arizona.
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GREAT FALLS  A judge has sentenced a 22-year-old Montana man to 40 years in prison for raping a girl.

Montana District Judge John Kutzman followed the prosecution's recommendation Friday and sentenced Robert Mitchell to 60 years in prison with 20 years suspended.

The Great Falls Tribune reports (http://gftrib.com/2qMlUcu) the female victim was 8 or 9 years old and Mitchell was 14 when he began abusing her. Prosecutors say the rapes happened over several years in Great Falls, Box Elder and the Rocky Boy's Agency.

An investigation began in 2015 when the victim and her parents talked to a school counselor.

The girl's father told police the girl was too frightened to tell anyone about the rapes for years. A jury found Mitchell guilty of rape last fall.

___

Information from: Great Falls Tribune, http://www.greatfallstribune.com
Sometimes it appears that we have become a Government of the Government, by the Government, for the Government.

A case in point was last month's Napa School Board meeting. Everyone in town seems to semi-understand the Indian logo issue at Napa High, and it has become one of the most divisive school issues that most people can remember.

Here are a couple of interesting and perhaps disturbing observations. The meeting was held in the auditorium because of the size of the crowd. The administrators decided to lock down the building, even though there was a driving rain outside, requiring people to walk all the way around to the front entrance to access the building. The excuse was, so they could count the numbers going into the auditorium, which could have easily been done at the entry doors to the auditorium.

There is a sense that our employees and elected officials act like they own the building, not us voting tax paying citizens. They are only our representatives elected to represent the majority of Napa citizens.

That brings up the next point. There was a limited time for speakers, who should have been Napa citizens who wanted to express our community opinions. We listened to two women from John Swett High School who were ashamed of their school logo, and the San Francisco rep from the ACLU, wanting to lecture us on their Liberal agenda.

One of the most pertinent and eloquent speakers was a Napa woman with a proud Indian heritage who actually works in that school building, who counseled the Indians from outside the community to use this discussion opportunity to educate people about their proud heritage. We are not sure who picked the speakers from the cards presented.

That brings up the matter of the Board Chairman Jose Hurtado, who has long been a proponent of trashing the Indian logo for some unknown better logo. He should recuse himself from any further leadership role in these meetings due to his extreme and campaigned bias against the Indian logo, including past meetings with our students.

Then there is Mr. Sweeney, who tried as best he could to rush this matter to a decision, even when several board members pointed out concerns, that he should have been addressing, like costs to the taxpayers of this political correct-motivated proposal, and other issues.

This is a Napa community issue, not some Dakota Access-Woodstock type of event, and our public servants need to bring this back under local control and stop trying to make everyone outside our community happy. We are tax paying voters so let the legitimate voters of this community decide this issue.

The school board does not own our Indian logo, and if they believe that they do, then it will take a recall election to convince them of this. They have bigger fire storms brewing in that district building that need their immediate attention. Perhaps it is time to bring the state, or our grand jury into that building to investigate what is going on.

Tom Johnson

Napa
During her graduate school work, and even earlier, Carol Rowland Hogue recognized how socially and politically fraught issues surrounding womens and reproductive health had a wide-ranging impact on the health and lives of Americans.

Throughout her career, her determination to improve the health and lives of women and children has driven Hogue to conduct groundbreaking research and create programs to prepare the best possible scientists to eliminate the health inequities that lead minority women and children to die prematurely.

That passion, a commitment to interdisciplinary collaboration, a dedication to education and mentorship, and an impressive history of research are a few of the reasons Hogue is the recipient of the 2017 Thomas Jefferson Award, which honors a member of the Emory faculty or staff for significant service to the university through personal activities, influence and leadership.

Emorys Rollins School of Public Health (RSPH) recruited Hogue in 1992 from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, where  as the division director of Reproductive Health  she pioneered the first epidemiologic surveillance of maternal morbidities and innovative research on racial disparities in preterm delivery. Hogue was named the Jules and Uldeen Terry Chair in Maternal and Child Health, the first endowed professorship awarded at RSPH, where she established and has led the Womens and Childrens Center for the past 25 years.

Holding joint appointments in the School of Medicine, Emory College and RSPH, Hogue has served on Emorys Faculty Council, the provosts Faculty Advisory Committee and the Faculty Advisory Committee of the Laney Graduate School. When the Board of Trustees invited faculty to serve as counselors, Hogue was among the first chosen.

Among many honors, she served as president of both the Society for Epidemiologic Research and the American College of Epidemiology, and in 2016 she received the MCH Epidemiology Coalitions Greg Alexander Award for Advancing Knowledge Advancing Public Health through Epidemiology and Applied Research.

I love Emory and I have felt very at home here. This just reinforces that love, says Hogue of being honored with the Jefferson Award. It is really special that President Claire Sterk called me into her office to tell me Id received the award because I hired her 24 years ago for the Womens and Childrens Center.

Decades of dedication

Hogues contributions to public health began well before Emory. She was an assistant professor of biostatistics at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill and an associate professor and director of the epidemiology program at University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences in Little Rock before she took a position as a visiting scientist in the CDCs Pregnancy Epidemiology Branch in 1981.

That six-month opportunity turned into a 10-year career beginning in 1982, including positions as director of the Pregnancy Epidemiology Branch and as director of the CDCs Division of Reproductive Health and a corresponding role as an adjunct professor at RSPH.

Michael R Kramer 97AH 09PhD, assistant professor of epidemiology at RSPH, was a clinical physician assistant interested in public health when he attended the annual meeting of the American Public Health Association in 2003. There he heard a talk by Richard David, a professor of pediatrics at University of Illinois-Chicago, about ground-breaking work in the scientific study of racism as cause of racial disparities in maternal health outcomes. One of the two experts whose work David cited was Hogue.

I went on to come to Emory and work with Carol. Some of what had inspired me was hearing Richard David talk about the history of this research and the things researchers were doing. It was only later that I realized she was one of the experts hed mentioned, Kramer says. That kind of perspective of moving the science forward, of how we can understand determinants of health in new ways, is what Carol continues to bring to the field.

Hogue served as Kramers dissertation adviser and the two have collaborated on more than two dozen papers since Kramer joined the RSPH faculty.

I think one of the things that seems clear to her is how a place like Emory could make a real impact by creating high-quality training programs for professionals in maternal-child health. RSPH had one of the first CDC-funded MCH certificate programs and she wrote the HRSA (Health Resources and Services Administration) PhD training grant I work now direct," Kramer says.

"Carol does all of these things with the idea of really preparing a workforce that can engage in high-level thinking about the real-world problems of high-risk women and families," he continues. "That has been one of her big visions and contributions at Emory."

Committed to collaboration

At Emory, Hogue has been an active proponent of interdisciplinary efforts. She was a member of the Templeton Foundation, sponsored faculty dialogues on science and religion, a Gustafson Scholar, and a Senior Fellow of the Emory Center for the Study of Law and Religion. Hogue was a co-chair and now serves as a member of the executive committee of the Religion and Public Health Collaborative, which has built on Emorys unique strengths in these areas.

Ellen Idler came to Emory in 2009 as director of the Religion and Public Health Collaborative; she is a Samuel Candler Dobbs Professor in the Department of Sociology and holds a joint appointment in the Department of Epidemiology at RSPH.

Carol was absolutely instrumental in the background and formation of that unusual alliance between public health and religion that led to a key strategic initiative and the programs we have today, including the dual degree in public health and theology, Idler says. The two schools [RSPH and Candler School of Theology], which are often strangers at other universities, are partners here at Emory. That is important because so many things in public health are impacted by faith-based organizations.

"We need to make sure there is some cooperation and knowledge and trust and working relationships between people in public health and in faith-based organizations if we want to tackle public health problems around the world," Idler notes. "Emory is one place where this happens and there is no question that Carol was one on the instrumental people in building that. She is a very strategic thinker on ways to build institutions that are successful at seeing and taking advantage of opportunities, and knowing how to build coalitions.

Keeping the focus on health, rather than politics, is crucial to progress.

Oftentimes the political ramifications of family planning have gotten in the way of recognizing that planned families are healthier families, Hogue says.

Lauren Christiansen-Lindquist 09MPH 15PhD is a maternal and child health researcher and deputy director of the Center of Excellence in Maternal and Child Health Education, Science and Practice, of which Hogue is director. She also has worked with Hogue both as a PhD advisee and since joining the RSPH faculty in 2015.

Hogue "is really an outstanding mentor and she really invests a lot of time in the students and colleague she works with. It is important to her that they are successful and she invests the time to make sure that happens. She really helped to shape the direction my research career took, says Christiansen-Lindquist, who started out with an interest in studying STDs and HIV, then switched to studying the causes of stillbirth and improving the quality of data collected surrounding stillbirths in the U.S. on Hogues recommendation.

She told me there was a lot of work being done looking at stillbirth, an area that has been really understudied. Both of my children were born during my PhD studies. My first reaction was I cant study stillbirth. That is probably one of the most depressing topics in public health. I cant do it. But she was really persistent, she adds. She kept talking to me about it and I did some reading and the more we talked and the more I read, I realized it was an area where there was a great need for quality research. I never would have come to that on my own, but she helped me discover there was not only a great need, but there were skills I had that I could apply to really make a difference.

Hogue also has been instrumental in the creation of a certificate program in Maternal and Child Health at RSPH, a program she championed at the request of students who came to her asking for a program.

She responded to this need the students had and really put her heart in to it. The program has grown quite a lot and she made that happen, Christiansen-Lindquist says. I think she sees that healthy women and families will help create healthy societies and that is a guiding philosophy she has that comes through in all the work that she does.

Hogue says her lifes work boils down to one desire.

I continue to be interested in ensuring that couples have the pregnancies they want, when they want them; that they dont have the pregnancies they dont want; and they have as healthy pregnancies as possible, she says.
Retired rancher Kenny Fleming remembers the taste of arsenic in his mouth.

Now 84, Fleming grew up on a ranch in the Deer Lodge Valley west of Interstate 90. He still lives in the house his parents bought in 1947. Flemings home is less than 20 miles north of the former Washoe Smelter.

Years ago, when that south wind blew and that stack was in operation, that taste of arsenic in your mouth was just horrible, Fleming said from his kitchen recently.

But southern Powell County is not a Superfund site, nor is it part of Anacondas.

The Washoe Smelter, which shut down in 1980, processed thousands of tons of copper a day for around 80 years. The Environmental Protection Agency declared 300 square miles surrounding the old smelter, whose 565-foot stack was one of the tallest in the nation, a Superfund site in 1983. EPA gathered evidence about a decade later that the stacks primary wind path blew northeasterly  straight up the valley to Deer Lodge in Powell County.

But the boundary for Anacondas Superfund site stops relatively close to the county line between Deer Lodge and Powell counties.

EPA doesnt say there is no arsenic in Powell County, but rather that the amount of arsenic in the soil is below the trigger established in both Butte and Anaconda to warrant soil cleanup.

That trigger is 250 parts per million of arsenic in the dirt. But what critics find disconcerting is thats one of the highest levels of arsenic being left behind in the soil anywhere in the United States. Just three other sites  one in Idaho, one in California and one in Colorado  have higher trigger levels set for arsenic in peoples yards.

The level is set high enough to preclude further attention in Powell County by the EPA.

Coleman says arsenic is higher than normal all the way to Garrison, which is roughly 35 miles north of the former copper smelter. He believes arsenic in the soil in some of Powell County could be around 100 ppm.

But that, Coleman says, is not a level that warrants concern.

What were interested in is what is the level we think causes an unacceptable risk to people, Coleman said.

Coleman says the risk range for arsenic in soil is 3 to 300 ppm. According to EPA, 250 ppm in the soil and dust presents an acceptable level of risk in Anaconda and Butte. That assessment was determined by studies performed on monkeys and New Zealand white rabbits.

Atlantic Richfield Company spokesman Brett Clanton said the 250 ppm arsenic level established by EPA is based on extensive studies and research that documented lower levels of exposure to arsenic than are typically assumed.

Clanton points to a study conducted in Anaconda in 1992 and 1993 to measure arsenic in the urine of Anacondas children, which found exposure levels were lower than expected.

These studies demonstrated that (the 250 ppm for) arsenic in Anaconda would be health protective, Clanton said.

But Fleming, waiting for his daughter to call while his wife watches TV in the next room, mentions that four people had cancer right in a row here, along the road where his house sits. The road is sparsely populated.

His wife, Shirley, was one of those four. She survived, the other three did not. Fleming also knew two women who were diagnosed with neurodegenerative disorders who lived nearby.

Thats not all that Fleming can recall.

The snow on Mt. Powell had a grayish cast when the smelter still operated.

Now, since the stack shut down, its just the purest white, Fleming said while sitting in his kitchen with Mt. Powell visible from the house. It never was that way before.

Arsenic in other Superfund sites

Anaconda community leader Jim Davidson said that years ago the Anaconda community group Arrowhead fought EPA on the idea that arsenic levels below 250 ppm would remain in the soil and dust.

It was a battle the group lost.

Yes, it concerned us. Utah is like 50 parts per million, so what difference is Utah arsenic versus Anaconda arsenic? We pushed for studies. Whats the relationship between arsenic and cancer? How is it we have certain cancers here? Why are there higher cancer rates in certain areas? They kept coming back and saying theres no relationship, Davidson said.

To clarify: At one former smelter site in Utah, the cutoff to trigger cleanup is 50 to 100 ppm of arsenic in the soil. At four other Utah Superfund sites, the trigger ranges from 61 ppm to 126 ppm for arsenic found in peoples yards.

According to legal documents in the Opportunity residents lawsuit against Atlantic Richfield Company over yard cleanup, the trigger level for Anaconda and Buttes arsenic is higher than 31 other sites. Thats out of a total of 34 Superfund sites.

EPAs Denver-based toxicologist Susan Griffin said the reason for those differences has to do with studies EPA performed to determine what is safe  for Anaconda.

Arsenic was such a driver, it was going to drive all the decisions (in Anaconda), Coleman said. It was worthwhile to Atlantic Richfield to do those studies.

In response to long-held fears of cancer in Anaconda, EPA requested the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry in the 2007 to look over EPAs shoulder at the work it had done. ATSDR concluded that EPAs cleanup plan is protective of human health, according to a recent email.

Clanton said, via email, that a more recent study in 2013 on Anaconda residents was conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of the ongoing (cleanup). A little over 100 persons volunteered to participate in the study. Most participants were found to have arsenic levels below thelevel used to identify unusual arsenic exposures.

The Montana Standard recently requested that the ATSDR return to Anaconda and Butte to reexamine several health issues, including whether EPA-ordered remedies regarding arsenic and lead remain protective of human health.

The states health department demonstrates the limits of data. The states epidemiologist Laura Williamson said that, even now, the states cancer registry cannot detect a cancer cluster in Libby in northwest Montana. Libby is the site of a former asbestos-containing vermiculite mine. To date, about 2,400 residents and workers have died or been diagnosed with asbestos-related disease in Libby, including lung cancers and mesothelioma, an asbestos-caused cancer of the lining of the lung.

Our cancer registry doesnt detect cancer clusters in Libby. Their cancer cluster rates are the same as the rest of Montana, Williamson said. I think records did show Libby dying of respiratory disease at a higher rate than the rest of Montana, but it didnt pop up as a cancer cluster at the time due to the technical criteria used in identifying such clusters

Technically speaking, it still doesnt.

Davidson, who says hes seen a lot of cancer, points to another problem with the data: People move. Williamson agrees that this can have bearing on agencies picking up on data.

States dont share cancer data information. Doctors also dont ask questions, such as where a patient lived before or occupational status when treating patients. The U.S. lacks a good tracking system for any disease, including cancer. This makes it virtually impossible to connect environmental hazards to disease incidence, says Williamson.

What about Deer Lodge?

Deer Lodge City Councilman Bob Stone, now 74, said he wonders why Deer Lodge didnt really raise Cain when EPA was investigating Anaconda and Butte.

The predominant wind was northeast out of the smelter, Stone said from his home recently. I often wonder why the people who were here in the valley at the time didnt ask questions as the process was going on to remediate. Why werent they vocal?

But EPAs Griffin calls the animal studies done to determine the 250 ppm for arsenic a by-the-book risk assessment.

EPAs Montana Superfund director Joe Vranka said EPA follows policy to get out of those individual judgments of what is an acceptable range.

Coleman said some private properties in southern Powell County, near the county line, did get cleaned up years ago. But once EPA found consistent soil sampling of less than 250 ppm of arsenic in the dirt, it quit looking further.

So Deer Lodge citizens like Stone will be left to wonder.
21:33

North Korea says it has detained a US citizen on suspicion of "hostile acts" against the state.





Kim Hak-song worked at the Pyongyang University of Science and Technology and was held on 6 May, state-run news agency KCNA said.





Three other US citizens are currently held in North Korea, including Kim Sang-duck, who had taught at PUST.





The US has in the past accused North Korea of detaining its citizens to use them as pawns.





KCNA said that "a relevant institution" was "conducting [a] detailed investigation" into Kim Hak-song's alleged crimes.





It gave no further details.





Kim Hak-song had previously described himself as a Christian missionary who intended to start an experimental farm at PUST.
The invitation to set up the manufacturing facilities was extended by Jaitley during a bilateral meeting with Japanese Finance Minister Taro Aso in Yokohama. The minister is on a three-day visit to Japan to attend the 50th Annual Meeting of the Board of Governors' of the Asian Development Bank (ADB).

Jaitley also highlighted various initiatives under the "Make in India" programme which is a flagship scheme of the central government to spur domestic manufacturing, it was officially stated in New Delhi on Sunday.

Besides taking part in the 50th Annual Meeting of the Board of Governors of the Asian Development Bank (ADB) on Sunday and the Annual General Meeting of ADB on May 4-7, Jaitley was scheduled to attend other engagements also.

--IANS rv/dg

( 159 Words)

2017-05-07-15:54:10 (IANS)
Treating prostate cancer with a single, high dose of radiation delivered precisely to the site of the tumour results in good quality of life and fewer trips to the hospital, with adverse side effects that are no worse than if the radiation treatment had been given in several lower doses, according to a recent study. Alfonso Gomez-Iturriaga, from the Hospital de Cruces, Baracaldo, Spain, told the ESTRO 36 conference that the results were encouraging from the phase II trial of high-dose rate (HDR) brachytherapy, delivered in a single fraction of 19Gy, to 45 patients with prostate cancer that was at low or intermediate risk of spreading elsewhere in the body. Gomez-Iturriaga noted that the study demonstrates that patients do not suffer higher toxicity or a worse quality of life than might be expected with other methods of delivering radiation treatment. In fact, patients are very satisfied with this single outpatient treatment, which they find convenient and which allows them to return rapidly to normal activities. He added, "It is too early to say that this strategy can be used outside the trial setting, but it seems quite clear that the toxicity and impact on quality of live are very low. Longer follow-up for at least five years is needed to demonstrate definite cancer control." HDR brachytherapy involves the very precise positioning of catheters, with the aid of ultrasound, at the site of the tumour while the patient is under spinal or general anaesthetic. A radioactive source (iridium-192) is delivered via the catheters to the target, avoiding other structures such as the bladder and the bowel, so that they deliver the maximum dose precisely to the target. The treatment usually takes about 30 minutes. Though HDR brachytherapy has been considered for treating prostate cancer, until now there has been limited evidence of its safety and efficacy. In this study, 45 consecutive patients received HDR brachytherapy at the Hospital de Cruces between January 2014 and July 2016. In terms of quality of life, the need to pass urine urgently declined significantly between the first and sixth month after treatment and had returned to normal after a year. There were no significant changes in bowel movements, sexual or hormonal functioning. Sixty percent of patients who had normal sexual functioning before the treatment continued to function normally afterwards. Six months after the radiation therapy, 77 percent of patients said they were "extremely satisfied" with their treatment and quality of life and 23 percent were "very satisfied." Gomez-Iturriaga said that these were excellent results in terms of patient satisfaction, quality of life, toxicity and tolerability and safety. (ANI)
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Sunday demanded Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar to sack his ministers, who are accused of renting out their official bungalows for private functions. Bihar BJP president Nityanand Rai termed the news reports as unacceptable and demanded resignations of the accused ministers. "There is chaos like situation in Bihar. It is unacceptable that the ministers have been renting out their official bungalows to private persons. Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar should sack the ministers involved in renting out their official bungalows for marriages," Rai told ANI. Another BJP leader, S Prakash termed the incident 'as a new change that the new dispensation has brought into Bihar'. He said it was very shameful that the Bihar ministers have been lowering the respect of the post they were holding for some petty cash. "It is very unfortunate that official bungalows are being rented out for marriage and other private functions for petty cash. This is the new change the new dispensation has brought into Bihar. Now only the people who are looting and indulging in all types of criminal activities are part of Nitish government," said Prakash. He demanded the Bihar Chief Minister to immediately sack ministers involved in the case. "If Nitish has some respect to the promises he made, then he should immediately sack those ministers who have indulged in such shameful act of renting out their official bungalows for private function for petty cash," demanded Prakash. News reports say that some ministers in the Nitish Kumar-led government have been renting out their official bungalows for private functions. Two Bihar Ministers, Abdul Ghafoor and Shivchandra Ram are accused of allowing private functions in their official bungalows for hefty rent. Ghafoor and Ram are MLAs of Lalu Prasad Yadav led Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD). (ANI)
Dubbing the incident of Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) chief Lalu Prasad Yadav conversing with his party's jailed former MP from Siwan, Mohammad Shahabuddin as "shocking", the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Sunday said it is appalling to know that a former state chief and a cabinet minister is taking orders from a criminal. BJP leader Subramanian Swamy said the revelation has brought down Yadav's in a serious way. "It is shocking that a person, who has been a Chief Minister and a union minister, is talking to a criminal, a murder who has been sent to jail. It is shocking that he is taking orders from him. This has brought down the image of Lalu Yadav in a very serious way," said Swamy. Meanwhile, another BJP leader Shaina NC questioned Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar's silence on the issue and urged the people of the state to franchise their votes in the future cautiously. "Isn't it shocking that you have a leader like Lalu Prasad Yadav who is talking to a underworld don who is in jail. And then you have Nitish Kumar absolutely silent and not even commenting is this the ideology of Lalu Prasad ji, if it is then I think people of Bihar will well be aware of their future electoral choices," said NC. A news channel yesterday aired an audio clip of Lalu having a conversation with jailed Shahabuddin. It played a recorded conversation which it claimed took place between Lalu Prasad and his convicted MP. (ANI)
Defence expert Wing Commander (Retd.) Praful Bakshi has said that activities of Jammu and Kashmir Democratic Freedom Party president Shabir Shah need to be neutralised in order to curb the separatism in the Valley. Reports say that Pakistan's Inter Services Intelligence (ISI) every month sends fund to Mehboob Ahmed Sagar, who is well connected with Pakistan's High Commissioner to India, Abdul Basit. In turn, Sagar sends money to Shabir Shah and other Hurriyat functionaries. Wing Commander (Retd.) Bakshi said that it was necessary to put Shabir Shah to task and neutralise his activities. "Shabir Shah is the centre of controversy of funding. He has got lots of support of Hurriyat. He is the person who is involved. Now his sources have to be tapped and he has to be put to task. If the activities of people like Shah are not neutralised then this will continue," he told ANI. He added that funding is a must to continue separatist movement and people like Shah are helping this cause. "It is an incontestable fact the funding of Hurriyat and Kashmiri separatists is being done by Pakistan's Inter Services Intelligence (ISI). This has been an ongoing process. Until and unless the security forces clamp down on these elements, especially those funding the separatists in Kashmir, it remains a very serious issue," said Wing Commander (Retd.) Bakshi. He hoped the Indian government would ensure that no more funding comes to Kashmir. "I believe Indian government is taking very strong steps in this direction to ensure that no more funding comes to Kashmir. It needs to be investigated that who is organising it. We have to physically eliminate these sources. Going to the world and giving their names actually won't help," said the defence expert. (ANI)
A police party at Malpora on Qazigund-Kulgam road was clearing the traffic when the terrorist group comprising three members opened indiscriminate fire upon them.

The cops retaliated resulting into the killing of a terrorist.

In the attack, four policemen and two civilians sustained serious bullet wounds.

All the injured were immediately evacuated to the nearby hospital where a policeman and two civilians succumbed to injuries.

A massive hunt has been launched to find out the other terrorists involved in the attack.

Yesterday, Pakistani troops violated the ceasefire along the Line of Control (LoC) in Balakote Sector of Jammu and Kashmir's Poonch District, prompting the Indian Army to retaliate.

Later in the day, the Indian Army's 62 Rashtriya Rifles unit and police authorities busted the module of the militant organisation Hizb-ul-Mujahideen.

The forces busted modules of three Over Ground Workers (OGW) of the HuM.

Earlier on Thursday, two Army soldiers and a civilian were injured after terrorists attacked an Army patrol party in the district.

Following this incident, a search operation was carried out in the area on Friday by the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF).

"South Kashmir is a bit hot, lots of local militants are joining various outfits and we are trying to bring the situation under control. The operation was important, was carried out successfully," CRPF IG Ravideep Sahi told ANI. (ANI)
With one more civilian succumbing to injuries in the hospital, death toll in the Kulgam encounter has mounted to five.Three civillians died, a police constable and a militant were killed when a group of ultras, travelling in the car, opened fire at a police party, which had gone Mir Bazar to investigate a road accident on the highway.Providing details, official sources said, the militants opened firing at a police party, which was retaliated and in the encounter, two civilians died , a police constable was killed and four others injured. One more civilians later died in the hospital. The injured police personnel have been admitted to Army base hospital. The ultra killed in the encounter was identified as Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) militant Fayaz Ahmad, who was involved in Udhampur attack on Border Security Force (BSF) convoy in 2015.The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has also announced a reward of Rs 2 lakh on him.They said two militants, including one in injured condition, managed to escape under the cover of darkness after the attack at Mir Bazar.A massive hunt has been launched to nab the militants, they said.This was the first major militant attack after Kulgam attack on cash van of Jammu and Kashmir Bank in which five police personnel and two bank employees were killed early this week. Hizbul Mujahideen (HM) had claimed responsibility for the attack.UNI BAS SV 1014 -- (UNI) -- C-1-1-DL0103-883638.Xml
Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik today effected a major reshuffle in his cabinet after three years of assuming power for the fourth term in a row by inducting 10 new ministers, six of them in the cabinet rank and rest four as minister of state, while elevating two minister of states into the cabinet rank. Two minister of states Prafulla Kumar Mallick and Ramesh Chandra Majhi were elevated and sworn in as cabinet ministers in the Naveen Patnaik government. Governor S C Jamir administered the oath of office and secrecy to the newly inducted ministers inside the Abhisek hall of Raj Bhawan in the presence of the chief minister and several of his council of ministers and other senior leaders of the party. Yesterday, 10 council of ministers, including Finance and Family Welfare Minister Pradeep Amat had tendered their resignation and on Friday Odisha Assembly Speaker Niranjan Pujari also resigned from the post to be included in the new cabinet of Mr Patnaik government. Mr S N Patra, Mr Maheswar Mohanty, Mr Niranjan Pujari, Mr Prafulla Samal, Mr Pratap Jena and Mr Sashu Bhusan Behera were administered the oath of office and secrecy as cabinet minister. Mr Ananta Das, Mr Narashingha Sahu, Mr Sushant Singh and Mr Parthasarathi Behera were inducted as Minister of state in the cabinet. Minister of state for Steel and Mines Prafulla Mallick and minister of state for commerce and Transport Ramesh Majhi were first sworn in as cabinet minister by the governor.More UNI DP AD1015 -- (UNI) -- C-1-1-DL0213-883636.Xml
Menge with firm

Matthew S. Menge has been hired as an associate attorney at Stebbins Mulloy Law Firm, Bismarck.

Menge did his undergraduate work at Minnesota State University Moorhead and graduated from the University of North Dakota School of Law in 2016.

His practice is in family law, criminal defense and civil litigation.

Two hired at KLJ

Karen Albaugh and Ashley Moser are new employees at KLJ in Bismarck.

Albaugh is an accounts payable specialist.

Moser is a graphic designer. She earned an associate's degree in graphic design and communications from Bismarck State College.

Hired, elected

One person was recently hired at the Bismarck branch of EMC Insurance Cos. and two were elected officers of Dakota Fire Insurance Co.

Ashley Kittleson was hired in marketing. Originally from Bottineau, she most recently was an insurance agent at Starion Bank. She holds North Dakota licenses in property and casualty, life and health insurance.

Erica Berg, underwriting manager for the Bismarck branch, was elected an assistant vice president and member of the board of directors of Dakota Fire Insurance Co.

DJ Campbell, administrative services manager, will serve as an assistant secretary to the company.

EMC Insurance Cos. purchased Dakota Fire in 1973, making it the EMC Bismarck Branch.

Hanson with Flint

Ted Hanson has been hired as business development and account manager in Flint Groups Bismarck office.

Hanson earned a bachelors degree in mass communications public relations from North Dakota State University. He has more than 30 years of marketing and sales experience and was the business relations director at KK BOLD for 12 years.

Gallagher inducted

Deb Gallagher, CEO of Capital Credit Union, was inducted into the Credit Union Association of the Dakotas Hall of Fame during last months CUAD Summit in Deadwood, S.D.

Gallagher has been the CEO of Capital CU for 23 years, with 20 previous years of experience there, starting as a teller and secretary.

In 2016, Gallagher was appointed by Gov. Jack Dalrymple to a five-year term on the North Dakota State Credit Union Board. She is a member of the Credit Union Executive Society and served as a director for the Midwest Corporate Federal Credit Union for 15 years.

Martin is consultant

Robin Martin has joined the North Dakota Safety Council in Bismarck as a part-time safety consultant.

Martin earned her associate's degree in business from Bismarck State College, served more than four years in the U.S. Army and has worked for 36 years in the utilities industry.

Melvie on list

Loren Melvie, a private wealth adviser with Ameriprise Financial in Bismarck, was named to Financial Times list of FT 400 US Financial Advisers 2017.

The annual list recognizes advisers who meet six criteria, including client service, assets under management, online accessibility and at least 10 years in the industry.

National award

Mica Schuchardt, a respiratory therapist at Vibra Specialty Hospital in Mandan, received Vibra Healthcares first national Employee of the Year Award.

Schuchardt received an expense-paid vacation for two to Las Vegas and $5,000 for going above and beyond in her job.

Wald recognized

David Wald, Bismarck, has been named adviser of the month for April by Securian Financial Advisors of N.D. Inc. based on production and client service. Wald has been a representative with Securian since 2008.
Governor Keshari Nath Tripathi was today admitted to a private hospital in the city with bleeding nose and medics said the octogenarian was out of danger. The 82-year-old governor was admitted to a Minto Park hospital after he complained of unregulated oozing of blood from his nostril around 0730 hours. The medics treating him said the governor was out of danger and was kept on observation. A four-member medical board was also set up by the hospital authorities for the governor, who may be released later in the day after observing his recovery. As per the primary treatment, the medics said that due to an earlier injury, a fresh wound cause the bleeding, which was stopped.UNI PC AD1117 -- (UNI) -- C-1-1-DL0213-883671.Xml
Unleashing the campaign of persuading Hindu agenda by the BJP across the country, a large number of Muslim voters joined the party leaving the CPI-M and Congress in the past six months, claimed BJP Tripura Observer Sunil Deodhar here today. He said the Muslim believers and religious performers, who had fought against Chief Minister Manik Sarkar in Dhanpur constituency of Sonamura along western border of the state, from Congress Shah Alam along with a large number of his followers, have joined the BJP. According to the BJP, more than 2000 dedicated CPI-M supporters and more than 4000 Congress and Trinamool Congress supporters have shifted their allegiance to them in last one year and the continuous erosion in both CPI-M and Congress base made the party confident. In the past elections, the Indian Nation Congress and the Communist Party of India (Marxist) have been contesting in all the three seats of Sonamura, but this time both the parties have been suffering from jolt well ahead of the election, as BJP entered into the base and made a remarkable presence, Mr Deodhar stated. He, however, pointed out that Boxanagar of Sepahijala district and Kurti of North Tripura district are unofficially reserved for Muslim candidates for both CPI-M and Congress in last four decades. "But this time in both the seats BJP could be able to reach at the grass root level that BJP is not at all against Muslim rather the party is pleading for establishment of constitutional rights of the minority people of the country and after massive victory in Muslim dominated areas of UP, it becomes acceptable for Muslims of Tripura," Mr Deodhar underlined. "Peace loving people of Tripura do not take BJP as the party of only Hindus. They just want development. Political symbol is not at all a point of consideration for them," he said, adding that in the last 24 years the ruling government could not fulfil the minimum requirement of the people of the state. The party has won the heart of the people of Tripura and it established that BJP is the only option to unseat the Left Front government for better development, employment and peaceful co-existence of multi-cultural and religious society.UNI BB AD1142 -- (UNI) -- C-1-1-DL0213-883709.Xml
The toll in the accident inside the IISCO Steel Plant, Burnpur in Asansol district, rose to three after one more contract labourer succumbed to his burn injuries at a local hospital, sources said here today. Two contract labourers - Ashik Sikka (25) and S K Shahnawaz (23)- were killed on the spot when molten iron fell on them at the CTP unit of IISCO, a subsidiary of Steel Authorities of India (SAIL) yesterday. Among the seven injured, four had been hospitalised in Burnpur, which is about 120 kms northeast of Kolkata. Technical snag was the reason for the mishap, as the SAIL authorities ordered a high levelprobe into the accident.UNI PC AD1148 -- (UNI) -- C-1-1-DL0213-883712.Xml
In the continuing drive against smuggling of liquor into 'dry' Bihar, police seized huge consignments of liquor and arrested three peddlers, including the son of a ward councilor, in 'dry' Bihar's Nawada and Rohtas districts today. While 1,070 cartons of foreign liquor were seized in Nawada district, police seized 15 cartons of foreign liquor and 5,700 pouches of country liquor in Rohtas district. A Nawada report quoting Police Superintendent Vikas Burman said that police seized 1,070 cartons of foreign liquor from a container near Shanpur roundabout under the same police station area following a specific intelligence input. Mr Burman said that driver and co-driver of the truck had been arrested in this connection. He said the consignment was being smuggled from Kolkata for its delivery in Nepal when it was intercepted. The driver and co-driver of the truck were being subjected to intensive interrogation, he added. A Sasaram report said that a peddler Vikas Kumar, son of ward councilor Kalwati Devi, was arrested from Wazirganj village under Mufassil police station area in Rohtas district when the consignment of liquor was being off loaded from pick up van for keeping it in a car. Police recovered 15 cartons of foreign liquor and 5,700 pouches of country liquor from the spot. The consignment was being smuggled from Jharkhand when it was intercepted. An intensive interrogation of the peddler is on to nab other members of his gang.UNI DH AD1310 -- (UNI) -- C-1-1-DL0213-883790.Xml
Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley today highlighted the initiatives under Make in India and called upon Japanese companies to set up facilities in India for the manufacture of rolling stock for the Metro rail projects during the bilateral discussion with his Japanese counterpart Taro Aso. Both ministers noted the growing synergy between India and Japan and committed themselves to working closely to further expand India-Japan bilateral economic cooperation. Later, Mr Jaitley had a meeting with Asian Development Bank (ADB) president Takehiko Nakao and discussed India-ADB bilateral engagements. While noting with satisfaction that India today is the largest client of ADB, Mr Jaitley urged the ADB president to ensure that since ADB provides services to developing member countries, the bank should ensure that primacy is accorded to these countries' views in ADB's operations and resource planning. The Finance Minister is on a three-day official visit to Japan to participate in the annual meeting of Board of Governors' of ADB among others. During his visit, he is being accompanied by Shaktikanta Das, Secretary, Department of Economic Affairs (DEA) and other senior officials of the Finance ministry, an official statement here said.UNI SD RSA SNU 1446 -- (UNI) -- C-1-1-DL0005-883881.Xml
A person was beaten to death and two others, including a woman, injured in a clash between two rival groups over a land dispute at Shadipur Karari village under Balia police station area in the district today. Police said here that supporters of Ramnandan Singh and Deo Narayan Singh attacked each other with bamboo sticks over the land dispute leaving Ramnandan Singh`s son Gulab Singh (50) and two others Sumitra Devi and Vijay Singh critically injured. Gulab Singh died on way to Begusarai Sadar Hospital when all the injured were being rushed to hospital. While Vijay Singh was shifted to Patna Medical College and Hospital later, the injured woman was undergoing treatment at Sadar Hospital here. The body has been sent to a government hospital for autopsy, police added.UNI XC DH AD1423 -- (UNI) -- C-1-1-DL0213-883877.Xml
BJP National President Amit Shah today in his brief address at a mammoth party rally in Kumarghat of North Tripura urged the voters to ensure victory of BJP in next assembly election for development of the state. He charged Chief Minister Manik Sarkar with misusing the fund allotted by the Centre for development of the state and said, "So far the Modi led government has given Rs 35,000 crore to Tripura in different schemes but these were not utilised properly, which caused underdevelopment of the state." Mr Shah alleged that Mr Sarkar and several of his party leaders have been involved in Rose Valley scam but the state government did not pursue for CBI investigation into the scam despite repeated demands from the opposition. "Except the state government or court, no one can ask CBI to start investigation as per the provision of law. If Manik Sarkar feels he is not involved in the scam, let him request CBI to start investigation in Tripura where more than Rs 10,000 crore of money belonging to poor people were looted. Let Sarkar probes his honesty here," Mr Shah stated. He further stated that in the next election BJP will ensure one to one fight with CPI-M in Tripura and all necessary steps to be taken to unite opposition votes and prevent division among opposition parties to bring an end to 25 years long rule of the Left Front. "The CPI-M speaks for development of tribals but in practice tribals, minorities and other backward classes are the worst victim of maladministration of Manik Sarkar. These people are deprived of basic minimum need despite sufficient allocation from the centre for them. The life and livelihood of tribals in Maharashtra and Gujarat cannot be compared with the tribals of Tripura. We are committed to develop their life once come in power and ensure their rights," Mr Shah pointed out. He also maintained that government employees of Tripura have been getting the salaries as recommended by 4th central pay commission (CPC) when their colleagues in all BJP ruled states are getting pay and perks at par with 7th CPC. "If BJP comes in power, immediately 7th CPC and other benefits and privileges to be extended for the state government employees," he said. Mr Shah accompanied by top leaders of BJP and Finance Minister of Assam and Chairman of Northeast Development Alliance (NEDA) Hemanta Biswasharma came here on a two-day visit to formulae poll strategy. They made at least seven meetings with the party leaders and a few other opposition leaders and MLAs regarding upcoming elections till late night. Mr Shah offered prayers at Tripureswari temple in Udaipur early this morning and from there he flew to Kumarghat by helicopter. After returning to Agartala he held a meeting with the selected individuals and intellectuals of the state regarding the next election. He is scheduled to hold BJP core committee meeting in the evening before flying to Delhi tonight.UNI BB AD1516 -- (UNI) -- C-1-1-DL0213-883930.Xml
He has been arrested on the suspicion of grand theft auto and for allegedly again violating his former girlfriend Hunter Salomon's restraining order by breaking into the house of her mother, actress E.G. Daily.

The 23-year-old Hilton hotel heir was booked at a Los Angeles jail, with the bail being set at 60,000 dollars, reported TMZ.

According to the sources, Conrad first broke into the house of Hunter's father Rick Salomon and "stole his Bentley."

The 21-year-old model had obtained her restraining order against Conrad in 2015 after he attempted to break into her home. (ANI)
"I am deeply saddened by whatever I saw on television," Hazare told media persons here after sacked Delhi Water Minister Kapil Mishra said he saw Delhi Health Minister Satyendar Jain hand over Rs 2 crore to Kejriwal at his Delhi residence.

He said he had been fighting corruption for the last 40 years and Kejriwal had joined in his fight against the menace.

Hazare had led the 2011 anti-corruption campaign in Delhi to seek introduction of the Jan Lokpal Bill.

"It was because of the anti-corruption fight in Delhi that Kejriwal became the Chief Minister. And today, when he (Kejriwal) is accused of corruption, I cannot tell how deeply sad that makes me," Hazare said.

The social activist said he will talk in detail after studying the accusation made by Mishra.

Mishra, who was sacked on Saturday as minister, said: "Day before yesterday (Friday), I saw Jain hand over Rs 2 crore in cash to Kejriwal. When I asked about the money, Kejriwal refused to answer."

--IANS and/tsb/dg

( 206 Words)

2017-05-07-17:12:10 (IANS)
Calling Tripura backward on all fronts, BJP President Amit Shah on Sunday asked the people to bring his party to power in the 2018 assembly polls as only the Modi model can develop the state and eliminate corruption. "In the 24-year rule of the Left government, Tripura has remained backward on all fronts. Only (Prime Minister Narendra) Modi model can develop the state and remove corruption if the party comes to power in next year's assembly elections. "Rate of development in Tripura is a big zero as the Left government did nothing and central funds were siphoned off. CPI-M (Communist Party of India-Marxist) cadres ate the funds meant for development," he said at a public meeting in this northern Tripura town. In his 19-minute speech in Hindi, the BJP chief said a large number of tribals live in Bharatiya Janata Party-ruled Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra where "every basic facility like water, electricity, and health services have been provided in each tribal and remote village". Highlighting the Modi government's efforts for development of Tripura and elaborating various projects that it had sanctioned, he said the first measure of a BJP government would be to implement recommendations of the 7th Pay Commission for state government employees. Amit Shah noted that during the regime of Congress-led United Progressive Alliance, the 13th Finance Commission gave Rs 7,283 crore to Tripura for five years while the 14th Finance Commission under the National Democratic Alliance government gave Rs 25,396 crore. "This money would not reach the people, it would go to the CPI-M cadres' pocket," he alleged. He said around 25 per cent of Tripura's educated population was jobless, crime against women was the highest while corruption was mounting as Chief Minister Manik Sarkar remained inactive. "Due to the misdeeds of the Left Front government 10,323 government teachers recently lost their jobs following the Supreme Court verdict," he said. He also alleged that during the Left regime, activities of the illegal chit funds mushroomed in Tripura and CPI-M members benefited from these unlawful deposits. He dared Sarkar to hand over the cases to the Central Bureau of Investigation. Assam Finance Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, West Bengal's former state unit chief Rahul Sinha, Union Minister Faggan Singh Kulaste, party General Secretary Bhupendra Yadav, and state BJP President Biplab Kumar Deb also addressed the meeting. Shah is on a two-day visit to the state to finalise the party's strategy for next year's assembly polls. --IANS sc/vd/dg ( 425 Words) 2017-05-07-17:22:10 (IANS)
Social activist Anna Hazare, who has been Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's mentor, on Sunday expressed grief over the repeated reports of corruption and misbehaviour in and under the latter's government. Anna Hazare told ANI, "What I am seeing on the television makes me sad. I have been fighting since last 40 years, Kejriwal also came along with me. Ousted Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Kapil Mishra allegations against Kejriwal are really saddening." Hazare further stated that firstly he would study on this matter in detail and thereafter, he shall speak. Mishra on Sunday made a shocking revelation, alleging that he "saw" Jain give Rs. 2 crore to Kejriwal. "Day before yesterday, I saw Satyendra Jain giving Rs. two crore to Arvind Kejriwal and I wasn't able to sleep the entire night," he said in a press briefing after meeting Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal. Mishra also claimed that he urged the Chief Minister to disclose as to from where he got the money. "There are several allegations on money laundering and black money against Satyendra Jain which are known to all. It is known to all that before holding the post of Delhi Cabinet Minister and after taking the oath, he gave a prominent position to his daughter and other relatives," he said. Pledging to remove corrupt people from the party, he said that he will go to all the higher authority and make the revelation about these things. However, Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia flatly rejected the charges as absurd and baseless. "There is nothing much that I can say about the baseless allegations that he has charged against us today. These things are not even worth answering, nobody is going to believe in it," said Sisodia in a quick press briefing. Earlier on Saturday, shortly after being removed from the Delhi Cabinet, Mishra said he may have been axed for saying he would submit the names of those people involved in the tanker scam to the Anti Corruption Bureau (ACB). "It has nothing to do with the MCD polls, and till now, I have not received any official confirmation so far. But I met Arvind Kejriwal this morning, and I said that it has been a year since the report on the tanker scam was tabled and no action has been taken," Mishra told ANI. "I had told him that I will submit the names of the responsible persons to the Anti Corruption Bureau (ACB)," Mishra added. He said he would expose the names involved in the tanker scam on Sunday. However, sources close to Kejriwal claim that Mishra did not meet the Chief Minister and neither had he submitted any papers related to the tanker scam. "I have also written a letter to the ACB and have sought appointment from them. I will expose everyone involved in the scam and will apprise the ACB," he added. He also denied that he was ousted for supporting AAP leader Kumar Vishwas. Mishra tweeted that he was the only minister who has not come under the CBI scanner and has not been charged with corruption. "I am the only minister with no corruption charges. No CBI enquiry against me," he said. This decision came soon after the AAP suffered a humiliating defeat at the hands of the BJP in the recently concluded MCD polls. (ANI)
While the Chief Ministers of Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, Uttar Pradesh, Telangana and West Bengal have been invited to attend the meeting, the Union Ministers in charge of ministries of MoRTH, Railways, Civil Aviation, MoRD, Power, New & Renewable Energy and Telecom will also attend.

According to official sources, the Union Government has evolved a multi-pronged strategy centred around security, development and ensuring rights and entitlements of local communities. The Centre has been providing assistance to states in terms of Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) battalions, intelligence, training and capacity building of state police forces.

Also Central help is focussing on schemes that support building of infrastructure, specially road, railways and power, they said.

Tomorrow's meeting will focus on devising new strategies to maintain the momentum achieved in 2016, notwithstanding a couple of incidents. Development issues will also be discussed with a view to ensure rapid development of LWE-hit areas.

The day-long meeting will include two sessions to discuss upon operational issues like role of states in CAPF operations, raising and employment of India Reserve (IR) battalions and Special India Reserve Battalion (SIRB), capacity building and Intelligence issues like vacancies in state police forces, capacity building of state intelligence units and other ministry-wise related matters.

The meeting will also be attended by the Secretaries of the Central Ministries, Chief Secretaries and DGsP of the LWE affected states.UNI SD RSA SHK 1718

-- (UNI) -- C-1-1-DL0005-884078.Xml
As an aftermath, thick smog surrounded the heavily-polluted lake, making it difficult for the passers-by to breathe.

On April 19, the NGT had called for immediate shutting down of polluting industries near the Bellandur lake and asked the BDA to undertake cleaning.

A notice was also issued by the Karnataka State Pollution Control Board (KSPCB) regarding issuance of directions of closure of certain industries, slaughterhouses and a few industries located in the state.

The notice has also been issued for the closure of the industries in Bellandur Lake Catchment Area under Section 33 (1) of the Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act 1974.

Slaughter houses in Belgaum district have also been issued notice as per order of the NGT, Chennai.

Jean-washing industries located in Bellary and industries located in other than Bellandur lake catchment and other than Bangalore have also come under the scanner.

A total of 93 industries, including Loka Sai Jean Washers, Jai Ambe Jean Washer, KGN Garments, Manjunatha Agencies and Nesargi Butchers, have been issued the notice.

The highly polluted Bellandur lake earlier on February 17 caught fire due to toxic effluents in it.

Bellandur lake, the largest of the 262 lakes and tanks in Bengaluru, receives about 40 percent of the city's sewage. (ANI)
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president Amit Shah on Sunday asserted that the Manik Sarkar Government in Tripura had done nothing except corruption and destruction and were a hindrance for the development of the state. "The Manik Sarkar Government has been in power due to the working class and farmers. But have they done anything other than corruption and destruction? No. They are a hindrance for Tripura's development. Whatever money that the Central Government allots for the development of the state, it goes to the pockets of the Communist Party of India's (CPI) cadre," Shah said, while addressing a rally here. Shah further said, "For 25 years, the State Government has done nothing for development of the state. On the contrary, in every state where the BJP is there, even remotest of the villages have developed." Referring to the Rose Valley chit scam, Shah said, "If the government is free of corruption, then they should give the investigation of the scam to the Crentral Bureau of Investigation (CBI)." Pointing towards various development projects, Shah mentioned the railway connectivity between Bangladesh and Agartala which has come up in Prime Minister Narendra Modi's tenure. As a part of his tour to states where BJP needs to strengthen its position, Shah is on a two day tour to Tripura. Yesterday, he said the next government in Tripura would be that of the saffron party. Highlighting the achievements of Prime Minister Modi he said, "The recent election results prove that after independence, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is India's most popular leader. Since Modi has come to power, the BJP has improved its condition in every poll results and in many places we have been able to form governments for the first time with a full majority. Even in the North- East, we have governments in Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur and a partnership in Nagaland." (ANI)
The delegation has been invited by the Institute for National Security Studies (INSS) in Tel Aviv, National Nuclear Security Administration and Centre for Global Security Research, according to the statement from the office of Congress leader Jaiveer Shergill, who is also part of the delegation.

The members of the Indian delegation will speak on security and economic issues facing the Middle East and South Asian countries.

The delegation also comprises National Security Advisor Ajit Doval's son and Indian Foundation Director Shaurya Doval, and other individuals having expertise on security issues, said the statement.

Efraim Halevy, a former head of Mossad, will address the Indian delegation.

The Indian delegation is also expected to visit the Golan Heights and the Lebanese border, the statement said.

Modi is expected to visit Israel while returning from G-20 Summit in Hamburg (Germany) to be held July 7-8.

--IANS sid-spk-vd

( 194 Words)

2017-05-07-20:44:10 (IANS)
Sources today said investigation has been started on complaints of a Kasargod native Harris Mastan getting a WhatsApp message informing him of adding him to a group called ''Message to Kerala.''

On further inquiry, he found that the message originated from Kasargod native Rashid Abdulla, who was among 21 persons missing from the state and suspected of joining the dreaded outfit.

Sleuths believed that the group was created from Afghanistan and administered by Abu Isa, a native of Palakkad in the state and among those reported missing, it said.

The probe officers had interrogated some of the members of the group, it added.UNI PCH AE SHK 2002

-- (UNI) -- C-1-1-DL0100-884460.Xml
The violence was sparked off by setting ablaze roadside properties of one community last night, demanding the arrest of a person, who allegedly circulated an audio clip on an instant messaging platform.

Police lobbed tear gas shells to disperse groups belonging to both the communities, which gathered in the town this morning, to avert any communal violence.

People belonging to one community, however kept on stoning, despite police action.UNI SMS RJ 2115

-- (UNI) -- C-1-1-DL0098-884535.Xml
Prof Anisa Basheer Khan, Vice-Chancellor (In-charge) Pondicherry Central University today congratulated Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the historic achievement of India, over the launch of GSLV GSAT9.In a letter to the Prime Minister, Prof Khan congratulating him on behalf of the PU and on her own behalf, also said that Pondicherry University has a unique Institution like UNESCO Madanjeet Singh Institute of South Asia Regional Co-operation (UMISARC) under its direct control, where students from different SAARC nations are taking education. ''Now with the launch of GSLV GSAT9, we will be able to expand our educational activities in this Centre and I am sure that Pondicherry University will take all actions possible to perpetuate the vision of the Prime Minister and start new educational programmes in all fields, for which GSAT9 will be useful,'' Prof Khan said. This will bring greater approbation for the leadership of India for the region and accolades for the actions of the Prime Minister. ''With the launch of this satellite GSLV GSAT 9 by your visionary self, the information and data collected by networking for this Institute will be of immense aid to our teachers, researchers and students, who can access facilities needed by them. Pondicherry University will extend all possible assistance to expand the research and higher education under this Centre,'' she said.UNI PAB RJ 2231 -- (UNI) -- C-1-1-DL0098-884586.Xml
A notorious rowdy here was hacked to death by an unidentified gang at Kurumambet, near here tonight. According to police, when the rowdy Jagan was riding on his motorcycle, the gang intercepted and hacked him before he could react. Jagan died on the spot. Police seized the body and sent it for post-mortem. A case has been registered.UNI PAB RJ2242 -- (UNI) -- C-1-1-DL0098-884590.Xml
Gaza based Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas on Saturday elected Ismail Haniya as its new political chief, replacing Qatar based veteran Khaled Meshaal. "The Hamas Shura Council on Saturday elected Ismail Haniya as head of the movement's political bureau," said a statement on the group's official website. This change of leadership comes just days after Hamas released its new policy document last week accepting the establishment of a Palestinian state based on 1967 lines. The 42-point document reaffirms the group's belief that 'no part of the lines and no part of Palestine shall be compromised or conceded'. Haniya served as Palestinian prime minister after Hamas won a 2006 parliamentary election but was sacked by Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. Recently, United States President Donald Trump has vowed to revive the stalled Israel-Palestine peace process by acting as a "mediator, an arbitrator or a facilitator". During his meeting with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas at the White House, Trump had said he is committed to working with Israel and the Palestinians to reach an agreement. Trump said the Palestinians and Israelis must work together to reach an agreement that allows both peoples to live, worship, thrive and prosper in peace. President Abbas said that their strategic option and choice is to bring about peace based on the vision of the two-state, a Palestinian state with its capital of East Jerusalem that lives in peace and stability with the state of Israel based on the borders of 1967. Palestinian militant outfit Hamas chief Khaled Meshaal has said that 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 civilized world 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.(ANI)
As North Dakotans, we always have been an aspirational people. We see beauty and opportunity where many dont. We dream big and work hard.

Yet when our administration assumed office on Dec. 15 we were facing fiscal challenges and civil unrest of historic proportions.

Sluggish oil and farm commodity prices slowed economic recovery. Thousands of pipeline protesters disrupted daily life and commerce, tore at the social fabric of our state, and cost the state millions in resources. A massive revenue shortfall of $1.5 billion drained much of our savings and demanded significant cuts for the next biennium.

However, as Albert Einstein said, In the middle of difficulty lies opportunity.

We seized it, dedicating more time and resources to improving dialogue and using a collaborative response to bring the DAPL situation to a peaceful end, with the last protesters leaving the camps on our 76th day in office.

While such a colossal effort consumed much time, our office remained fully engaged in the legislative session, working hard to balance the budget through sensible reductions, limited use of reserves and new initiatives designed to streamline state government.

Working in tandem with the Republican-led Legislature, we downsized the general fund by a whopping $1.7 billion, or more than 28 percent. Not since the Dust Bowl have North Dakotans seen their states day-to-day operating fund shrink by such magnitude.

We accomplished this without touching the principal of the voter-approved Legacy Fund and while maintaining $2.3 billion of financial support for K-12 education. Most notably, the state will provide more, not less, property tax relief in the next biennium.

Well do so through a $154 million increase in K-12 property tax relief and by assuming the full cost of federal- and state-mandated social services previously charged to counties. This raises the states social services bill from $23 million to $161 million while removing an unfair and unfunded financial mandate on our 53 counties.

The net result is a $50 million increase in state funding to offset local property taxes  a commitment that, given our budget and revenue situation, is nothing short of remarkable.

Simply put, the state is doing its part and more. Its now incumbent on elected officials at the city, county and school district levels to follow the states lead and make property tax relief a priority, ensuring that increased property assessment values do not arbitrarily result in higher tax burdens.

A critical component of the cost of government at the local level is how we build and maintain our cities and towns. Locally elected leaders dictate local spending. Our Main Street Initiative seeks to highlight that through smart development and prioritizing utilization of existing infrastructure, we can ensure economic sustainability for our communities while simultaneously attracting a workforce to fill the nearly 15,000 open jobs in North Dakota.

On the campaign trail, I made a commitment to innovation and reinventing government. We are taking bold steps to challenge the status quo, despite our fiscal limitations.

For example, were redirecting $7 million from corrections to substance abuse treatment, recognizing its more expensive to incarcerate than to treat addiction like the chronic disease it is. While that may not seem like a lot of money being moved upstream, it represents a huge philosophical change in keeping with the states justice reinvestment initiative.

The aptly nicknamed innovative education bill opens the door for teachers and school boards to better shape educational delivery to meet the needs of the 21st century.

With budgets now set, we can fully focus our administration on reinventing government and improving services for the citizens of North Dakota. Even with leaner budgets, every state agency can focus on innovation and doing more with less.

With this challenging session behind us, we stand ready to tackle the next challenge. Our future has never been brighter.
The curator's job is to work closely with the White House interior decorator and the Committee for the Preservation of the White House.

Allman's departure will create another high profile vacancy in the White House's residential staff after Angella Reid's departure on Friday.

"It is a museum, but it's also the White House, and so it's a working house," Allam told New York Times in 2011.

"There are times when you are screaming, telling somebody. You can't pot those hot television lights up against the portrait of Washington!'You worry about someone spilling a drink on something. Sometimes somebody breaks a piece of furniture. But it's the nature of it. It's a place where people actually live," CNN reported.

Allam was among the team of curators and served as the chief curator since 2002.

House fired its chief usher, Angella Reid, who was the first woman and second African American to have the job.(ANI)
North Korea said today it has detained another American citizen for suspicion of acts against the state, which if confirmed would make him the fourth US citizen to be held by the isolated country amid diplomatic tensions.Kim Hak Song, who was detained yesterday, worked for the Pyongyang University of Science and Technology, the North's KCNA news agency said."A relevant institution of the DPRK detained American citizen Kim Hak Song on May 6 under a law of the DPRK on suspension of his hostile acts against it," KCNA said. DPRk is short for the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, the North's official name.A third US citizen, Kim Sang Dok, who was associated with the same school, was detained in late April for hostile acts, according to the North's official media.The Pyongyang University of Science and Technology (PUST) was founded by evangelical Christians and opened in 2010. Its students are generally children of the country's elite.The volunteer faculty of PUST, many of whom are evangelical Christians, has a curriculum that includes subjects once considered taboo in North Korea, such as capitalism. The college is an unlikely fit in a country that has been condemned by the US State Department for cracking down on freedom of religion.No further details were available about the circumstances related to the arrests of the two men associated with the college. A spokesman for the Pyongyang University of Science and Technology was not immediately available for comment.The reported detention comes as tensions on the Korean peninsula run high, driven by harsh rhetoric from Pyongyang and Washington over the North's pursuit of nuclear weapons in response to what it says is a threat of US-instigated war.North Korea has in the past used detained Americans to extract high-profile visits from the United States, with which it has no formal diplomatic relations.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 RJ 1818 -- (Reuters) -- C-1-1-DL0098-884236.Xml
The man, named Kim Hak-song, was arrested on Saturday by "a relevant institution of North Korea" on suspicion of hostile acts, Xinhua news agency cited the official Korean Central News Agency.

It was the second time within one month that North Korea has arrested American citizens for allegedly carrying out hostile activities against Pyongyang.

The report said Kim "had worked for operation of Pyongyang University of Science and Technology".

"A relevant institution is now conducting detailed investigation into his crimes," said the report without citing any source.

North Korea arrested a US citizen for alleged hostile activities in April at Pyongyang airport.

Both arrested are of Korean origin and had worked here as teachers.

There are two other US citizens serving jail sentences for anti-North Korea activities.

North Korea said on Friday it has foiled a plot by spy agencies of the United States and South Korea to assassinate its top leader Kim Jong-un during mass celebrations last month. An unspecified number of suspects have been arrested in the case.

It is not known whether the latest two arrests of US citizens were connected with the case.

--IANS lok/dg

( 217 Words)

2017-05-07-20:18:10 (IANS)
OSLO, May 5 (Xinhua) -- Norwegian oil and gas company Statoil is searching for great finds in the Barents Sea, leading newspaper Aftenposten reported Friday.

Statoil, in which the government of Norway is the largest shareholder, has made seven findings from the nine exploration wells it has drilled in the first quarter of this year. Six of these were on the Norwegian continental shelf.

After two years of break, Statoil is also launching a test drilling in the Barents Sea, where the company will test five different prospects in three different areas throughout the summer.

"When we look at the prospects, we think we can make great finds here, if we make finds in the first place," Statoil president and CEO Eldar Saetre was quoted as saying.

He emphasized that uncertainty is great as these are all new, unexplored areas. The last time Statoil drilled in the Barents Sea, in 2014, the result was disappointing. Now, however, there are other areas to be explored, Aftenposten wrote.

Saetre also said that the increase of oil prices, lower costs and bigger production as well as positive results abroad influenced the company's recent positive development.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-05-06 23:57:14|Editor: ZD

A voter casts ballot during the French presidential election in Paris, France, April 23, 2017. Millions of French voters began casting their ballots in the first round of the presidential election Sunday morning amid an atmosphere of uncertainty. (Xinhua/Li Genxing)

PARIS, May 6 (Xinhua) -- French voters in overseas territories started their voting for the decisive second round of presidential elections on Saturday, a day before it is scheduled in the mainland.

But the results will be only know after all votes are casted on the French mainland.

Official campaigning period ended Friday night, signalling the start of a blackout on any campaigning and media coverage, according to French electoral laws.

The polling stations in French mainland are scheduled to open at 08:00 a.m. local time (0600 GMT) and close at 20:00 p.m. (1800 GMT) in big cities, and at 19:00 (1700 GMT) in other places.

According to French law, no exit poll or early counting results of the vote is allowed to be released until all polling stations are closed.

Nearly 47 million voters are expected to cast their ballots on Sunday in 66,546 polling stations in the French mainland, where final preparation work is being carried out on Saturday.

Opinion polls indicate that pro-European Union (EU) centrist Emmanuel Macron is on course to become the country's youngest ever leader, after a tense campaign against his anti-EU challenger far-rightist Marine Le Pen.

An Ipsos-Sopra Sterna poll released on Friday showed Macron widening his lead to 63 percent of votes, up by two points compared with the previous poll, while Le Pen dropped to 37 percent.

This is Macron's best score in polls since the first round of votes on April 23.

Analysts say Macron has been improving his performance since a final and harsh televised debate between the two contenders on Wednesday evening, in which he was more convincing to French viewers, according to surveys.

Unlike the 2012 election, which was a race between candidates from France's right and left parties which had dominated the country's political mainstream for decades, this year, two anti-establishment candidates emerged as the frontrunners in the first round.

Macron, never held an elected office, aims to build a democratic front involving faithfuls from different political views, as well as new, talented faces.

A pro-market advocate, the 39-year-old ex-investment banker has been campaigning for a stronger eurozone and further economic openness to bolster domestic economy and create wider business opportunities for millions of people without work.

His rival, Le Pen proposed the other face of the coin via a nationalist project aiming to install internal borders to slash immigration which she considers the main cause of rising security risks and rampant unemployment.

The 48-year-old lawyer from the far-right party National Front (FN) also proposed to restore national security and to put a France exit from the eurozone to a referendum.

After a campaign overshadowed by a series of twists, the 2017 French election is one of the most unpredictable in the country's modern history, as growing public disenchantment forced many voters to turn their backs on the mainstream parties or even refuse make a choice.

An Odoxa survey released on Friday said a quarter of the French was likely to abstain in Sunday's vote, making the predicted abstention rate second-highest for a presidential election runoff since 1965.

The pollster estimates a turnout at 75 percent, compared with 77.8 percent in the first round.

"Traditionally, the turnout is higher in the second round, but this year's election does not follow the usual rules," the polling firm said.
by Joy Nabukeya

LAMU, Kenya, May 6 (Xinhua) -- Hundreds of fishermen and herders in Kenya's coastal Lamu County, a UNESCO world heritage site, are reeling from a prolonged drought that dried up fresh water lakes.

Sources at the department of fisheries told Xinhua that fishermen who eke a living out of ox-bow lakes spread across Lamu have been forced to explore alternative sources of livelihood following a severe drought that is yet to subside.

Meanwhile, herders who depend on Lamu's major fresh water bodies like Lakes Witu, Didewarede and Kenyatta are spending colossal amount of money in purchasing water for their animals that are on the verge of starvation due to loss of pasture.

In Kitumbini in Witu sub-county of Lamu, the situation has become so dire that villagers lost count of animals that have succumbed to starvation.

Igiro Shora, a 60-year-old pastoralist, has to spend a large share of his dwindling income on purchasing water for his cows.

Shora's humble abode is adjacent to Lake Witu that is home to hippos and crocodiles and a critical source of water for herders.

"Even in the worst of droughts that I ever witnessed, this lake never used to dry up completely. A large section of the lake would dry up but we would still have some little water left for our animals and for domestic use," Shora said.

"Herders from northeastern Kenya and from as far as Somalia have found refuge here in times of worst draught. But this year the situation has been different. Even the wild animals have disappeared and occasionally coming to our homesteads to look for water," he added.

Lake Witu provides a lifeline to an estimated 20,000 livestock keepers and small holder farmers.

According to local officials, several fresh water lakes that have been a source of livelihood to local communities have also dried up amid escalating drought in the greater Lamu County.

"Lake Witu has always been a sight to behold as we troop there with animals and watch them drink water," said a local herder called Ido.

Just like his aged fellow herders, Ido still does not understand how the area which is known to receive rain in four seasons every year, all attributed to the surrounding Witu forest, could be going through such a lengthy dry spell.

But the situation has also been worse for wild animals. Ido said it is now common to come across carcasses of livestock, hippos and other wild animals that have succumbed to the drought, a scenario that heightens their worries.

A local leader called Hassan Albeit said there was no doubt that climate change was seriously at play given the ravages he was witnessing.

"This lake and several other lakes that have dried up," said Albeit. "This is a big blow to our lives and we all have to take responsibility for this sorry state of affairs. In this day and age we should be thinking of how to harness theses lakes as places of recreation for the domestic tourists and not worried about them drying up."

He regretted that such important resources have been ignored by the county and national governments to be left to die out just as there have been no plans to safeguard them.

He said it was unimaginable that such lakes as the Lake Kenyatta could just be left to dry up and in their wake unleash suffering to thousands of residents and wild animals who depend on them.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-05-07 01:17:43|Editor: ZD

Swiss President Doris Leuthard speaks during an interview with Xinhua in Bern, Switzerland, on Jan. 12, 2017. She is expected to attend the Belt and Road forum for international cooperation in Beijing on May 14-15. (Xinhua/Xu Jinquan)

GENEVA, May 6 (Xinhua) -- "The Belt and Road Initiative will strengthen well-being and contribute to poverty reduction in concerned regions. It will improve 'connectivity' between Europe and Asia, and help develop trade and the exchange of people," Swiss president Doris Leuthard told Xinhua in a recent interview.

Leuthard is among the heads of state and government leaders who accepted China's invitation to attend the Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation slated for May 14 and 15 in Beijing.

The trip to China reflects Switzerland's support for the Belt and Road Initiative. It also highlights the very positive relations prevailing between Switzerland and China, she said.

Leuthard noted that Switzerland was among the first non-Asian countries to become a member of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB), whose mandate involves, amongst other things, financing infrastructure projects along the Belt and Road.

The improvement of transportation and communication links between Europe and Asia is also important for Switzerland, she said.

According to Leuthard, the Belt and Road Initiative has the potential to strengthen Sino-Swiss relations. By using the know-how and innovation of Swiss businesses, Switzerland's private sector can play an important role in the implementation of infrastructure projects.

As an example, Switzerland boasts globally recognized expertise in the green energy sector, as well as in the construction of tunnels.

"Only a few months ago, we opened the world's longest and most modern railway tunnel in the Swiss mountains," Leuthard said.

Leuthard stressed however that the initiative must integrate meticulous risk management for it to succeed.

This entails respecting internationally recognized norms and standards, something Switzerland already encourages within the AIIB in terms of social and environmental benchmarks.

It's also important to guarantee transparency with regards to project-financing mechanisms and legal measures guiding bidding procedures and attributions.

Finally, concerted planning on an international scale is crucial to carry out the projects in question.

Speaking of the relations between Switzerland and China, Leuthard said that they were characterized by "friendship and mutual respect."

The state visit of China's President Xi Jinping in January this year, she said, underscored the quality of bilateral relations, while highlighting that despite numerous differences "in terms of size, economic model and political system, healthy relations and successful cooperation is both possible and necessary".

Switzerland has always shown a pioneering and innovative spirit when it comes to its relations with China.

The confederation was one of the first Western countries to recognize the People's Republic of China in 1950, and among the first European countries to recognize China's market economy status, Leuthard said.

Switzerland was also the first nation in continental Europe to establish a free-trade agreement with Asia's economic powerhouse.

Today, China is Switzerland's top trading partner in Asia, and its third biggest after the European Union and the United States.

"This pioneering character is indeed an important feature of the bilateral relations between our countries, and Switzerland counts on consolidating and pursuing these good relations," the Swiss president said.

Switzerland and China are working together on a series of projects in areas of common interest such as culture, research and education, the environment and energy, finance, intellectual property and human rights.

Over 20 bilateral mechanisms of dialogue and cooperation are currently in force between Berne and Beijing.

"This highlights the maturity of our relationship and the trust that our governments have fostered. This is further reflected by the numerous high-level visits in both Switzerland and China," she added.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-05-07 03:08:17|Editor: Zhang Dongmiao

Warren Buffett, chairman and chief executive officer of Berkshire Hathaway views an exhibtion of goods he invested during the annual meeting in Omaha, Nebraska, the United States, May 6, 2017. The Annual Meeting of Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway attracted more than 40,000 shareholders from around the world as well as a wide variety of media outlets to Omaha every year. (Xinhua/Yin Bogu)

OMAHA, the United States, May 6 (Xinhua) -- Warren Buffett, Berkshire Hathaway's chairman and chief executive, said on Saturday that his company preferred reporting investment losses this year for the tax advantage.

"We would rather take losses than gains because of the tax effect ... and there's probably just one touch more emphasis on that this year," Buffett said at Berkshire's annual shareholder meeting, often known as Woodstock for Capitalists, held at the CenturyLink Center in downtown Omaha of Nebraska.

"There's some chance of that rate being lower, meaning the losses would have less tax value to us after this year," he said, pointing to the tax cuts proposed by the Trump administration.

U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said last week that the administration would work with congress to pass the ambitious tax reform this year, which would cut the corporate income tax rate to 15 percent from 35 percent.

"It may get to be more of a factor in deferring any gains and perhaps accelerating any losses as the year gets closer to Dec. 31," Buffett said, noting the company has unrealized investment gains worth of 90 billion U.S. dollars.

Berkshire reported on Friday that its net earnings for the first quarter of this year fell by 27 percent to 4.06 billion U.S. dollars, driven by underwriting losses at Berkshire's insurance business.

About 40,000 investors around the world over the weekend came to Omaha to attend Berkshire's annual meeting.

The main focus of the meeting is the question-and-answer session, during which the 86-year-old billionaire and his 93-year-old partner, Charles Munger, take questions from financial journalists, analysts and shareholders, ranging from Berkshire's business, the economic outlook, the stock market to the investment philosophy.
TIRANA, May 6 (Xinhua) -- The European Union ambassador to Albania, Romana Vlahutin, hoped Saturday the country's politicians will have the courage and wisdom to find ways of giving citizens the constitutional right of voting and end the current political impasse.

Vlahutin said that the main goal and ambition remained to make Albania a member country of the European Union so the political parties should focus on this priority, the current crisis should not be a block of EU integration ambition. Albanian Minister of Integration Klajda Gjosha also said Saturday that the politicians here should live up to the citizens' expectations rather than stand in the way of Albania's EU integration.

She called on politicians to work on solving the political deadlock, noting that although this year's parliamentary elections were not set as a condition for integration process, they were a key criterion that could become a condition if Albania failed to hold free and fair elections.

Gjosha further said that the continuing impasse and lack of political dialogue would hold back the process of integration.

On the other hand, the head of the Albanian opposition, the Democrat Lulzim Basha, announced Saturday that the opposition will hold a massive protest on May 13 in Albania's capital.

Albania was expected to hold by-mayoral elections on May 7 in the western town of Kavaja. But since the opposition stayed out of the election process, even the majority decided to withdraw its candidate and cancel the elections.

According to Basha, the head of government Edi Rama withdrew from by-mayoral elections due to the pressure of people and the opposition.

The opposition had warned of civil disobedience and massive protests in Kavaja in order to block the by-mayoral elections.

Meanwhile, Albania will hold general elections on June 18. But, opposition parties have decided to boycott these elections. For more than two months, the opposition has also been boycotting the parliamentary works.
For much of the legislative session Gov. Doug Burgum wasnt too visible. Thats not unusual in many ways. Previous governors have tried to stay in the background, knowing legislators like to govern while in town.

As a new governor who ran on a promise of reinventing government it surprised some observers that he wasnt more vocal. Last week in a meeting with the Bismarck Tribune Editorial Board he explained his first 76 days in office were dominated by work involving the Dakota Access Pipeline protests. During the protests he held many meetings and traveled a number of times to the Standing Rock Sioux Reservation. When the camps were cleared and the arrests ended he was able to concentrate more on legislative matters.

Last week he made his presence known by vetoing provisions in eight agency budgets along with a bill relating to Job Service North Dakota-owned properties. His most notable action was rejecting portions of the Public Employees Retirement System budget. He issued a line-item veto on provisions allowing for the early termination of the state employee health insurance contract and he vetoed the formation of a legislative committee that was to study and recommend terms for future contracts.

The PERS bill had been a pet project of House Majority Leader Al Carlson, R-Fargo. In the 2015 session Carlson also had worked on a PERS bill. The question now is whether lawmakers will come back for a one-day special session in an effort to override the vetoes. So far, no decision has been made.

Burgum has issued 13 vetoes, with 10 involving line items and three being entire bills. The vetoes were the most since Gov. Ed Schafer issued 20 vetoes in 1993. Burgum has signed more than 400 bills.

One section of the PERS bill, HB1023, he rejected would have forced the state to end its six-year contract with Sanford Health Plan on June 30, 2019, rather than in 2021. Burgum said this would be unfair to Sanford since it was in its first contract with the state and just learning the ramifications of the contract.

A couple of themes can be found in his vetoes. At least three times he cited the encroachment of the Legislature on executive authority and he used his veto pen. Hes been careful to protect what he sees as the lines of authority between the executive and the legislative body. Hes also been watching for duplication of services, acting when he thought unnecessary steps were taken. This fits in with his efforts to reinvent government. He wants agencies to work with him to find ways to be more efficient in providing services. He points out a number of agencies may serve the same people and they need to explore ways to streamline services.

Burgum will receive a lot of scrutiny in the next two years from legislators and others as he goes about reinventing. The governor campaigned hard on the issue and set the bar high for himself.

Hell also be watched on his Main Street Initiative, which is an effort to avoid urban sprawl and have cities, big and small, spend wisely. He says hes not advocating a one-size-fits-all approach, but wants communities to be smart when planning. Some might question how much of a role the governor should have in community decisions, but Burgum has a point about giving projects a close look before committing funding.

It will be interesting to see how visible and active Burgum becomes in the next few months. The Tribune hopes he continues to explain his vision and unveils his plans to the public. The voters expressed their desire for change when they elected him and now hell have to start delivering.
LAGOS, May 6 (Xinhua) -- A head-on collision between two buses along Nigeria's southwest Lagos-Ibadan expressway on Saturday left at least 26 people dead, a road safety official said.

The two 18-seater buses caught fire immediately after a head-on collision on the expressway, Yusuf Salami, the Oyo State Sector Commander of the Federal Road Safety Corps, told Xinhua on the phone.

On his part, the state police spokesperson Adekunle Ajisebutu said 26 people were burnt to death before any intervention arrived.

He said 11 people including children were injured in the crash and were being treated in the hospitals.

Eyewitness said the passengers in the two buses were burnt beyond recognition.

Nigeria has one of the highest fatality rates for road accidents in the world mainly due to shoddy highways, poorly maintained vehicles, violation of traffic rules by inept drivers and lack of monitoring.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-05-07 04:29:35|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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LAGOS, May 6 (Xinhua) -- At least 82 out of the more than 200 Chibok girls that were kidnapped by Boko Haram in 2014 in Nigeria's restive northeastern Borno State have been released, a government source told Xinhua late Saturday.

The source told Xinhua that the girls were released following a negotiations between the extremist group and the Nigerian government.

"Yes, 82 girls are freed and they are due to fly to Abuja from Banki town in Borno State," the source told Xinhua.

The release came barely a month after President Muhammadu Buhari said his administration has engaged local and international intermediaries in reaching out to Boko Haram for the release of the Chibok schoolgirls in captivity.

The government was willing to bend over backwards to make the abductors of the girls release them, the Nigerian leader said in a message to mark the coming 3rd anniversary of the abduction of the schoolgirls on April 14.

He said the government was in constant touch through negotiations and local intelligence to secure the release of the remaining girls and other abducted people.

He appealed to the parents and all Nigerians not to lose hope on the return of the remaining schoolgirls.

More than 200 schools girls were seized by armed men who stormed their dormitories on the night of April 14, 2014, at the Girls Secondary School in Chibok. Some had managed to escape while others remained unaccounted for.

In October, 2016, 21 girls were freed following negotiations between the Nigerian government and Boko Haram, which claimed responsibility for the abduction.

Boko Haram has been blamed for the deaths of more than 20,000 people and displacing of 2.3 million others in Nigeria since their insurgency started in 2009.

Nigeria has made a considerable gain on the Boko Haram front, with its security forces operating in the restive region dislodging Boko Haram fighters from the Sambisa Forest, the group's largest training camp in the country, in January.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-05-07 05:04:26|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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OMAHA, the United States, May 6 (Xinhua) -- Berkshire Hathaway's vice chairman Charlie Munger said here on Saturday that the Chinese stock market is cheaper than the U.S. stock market and the country has a bright future.

"I do think the Chinese stock market is cheaper than the American stock market, and I do think China has a bright future. I also think there will be growing pains of course," Munger said at Berkshire's annual shareholder meeting, often known as Woodstock for Capitalists, held at the CenturyLink Center in downtown Omaha of Nebraska.

The price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio of the U.S. stock market, a measure used to estimate the valuation of a stock market, is currently around 25, while the P/E ratio of Shanghai stock market stands around 16, according to analysts.

Munger said China's room for further economic growth will allow it to see a boom in investments going forward, but speculation may bring some trouble to the market.

"They're very bright people. They have a lot of action. Sure, they are going to be more speculative, but it's a dumb idea," he said.

While there're always some speculations and some value investors in the market, Warren Buffett, Berkshire Hathaway's chairman and chief executive, noted that developing markets tend to be more speculative than mature markets.

"Markets have a casino characteristic that has a lot of appeal to people, particularly when they see people getting rich around them," Buffett said.

"Those who haven't been through cycles before are probably a little more prone to speculate than people who have experienced the outcome of wild speculations," he argued.

Around 40,000 investors around the world over the weekend came to Omaha to attend Berkshire's annual meeting. The main focus of the meeting is the question-and-answer session, during which Buffett and Munger take questions from financial journalists, analysts and shareholders, ranging from Berkshire's business, the stock market, the economic outlook to the investment philosophy.
KHARTOUM, May 6 (Xinhua) -- Sudan is planning to cultivate 800,000 feddans (336,000 hectares) of cotton to utilize the revenues of the cash crop, whose prices are rising internationally, official SUNA news agency reported Saturday.

"We are planning to cultivate 800,000 feddans with cotton crop at both irrigated and rain-fed sectors in Sudan," Ahmed Al-Tigani, national coordinator of cotton research at the agricultural research authority, an affiliate of Sudan's Agriculture Ministry, was quoted as saying.

Around 95 percent of the total area will be cultivated with the Chinese genetically modified cotton type and the Indian hybrid type, while the remaining five percent will be cultivated with traditional samples, he said.

He added that cotton farmers in Sudan are eager to resume cultivation of the crop under its internationally rising prices, pointing to the government's readiness to support it.

Cotton revenues in Sudan have greatly declined recently, from 188 million U.S. dollars in 1990 to 24 million dollars during 2013-2014.

Since 2016, China has entered as a major investor in the field of cotton cultivation in Sudan with cultivation of 450,000 feddans (189,000 hectares) as part of a plan targeting one million feddans (420,000 hectares).
Source: Xinhua| 2017-05-07 07:38:24|Editor: Zhang Dongmiao

Participants pose for group photos during the 50th annual meeting of the board of governors of Asian Development Bank (ADB) in Yokohama, Japan, May 6, 2017. (Xinhua/Ma Ping)
Source: Xinhua| 2017-05-07 07:26:49|Editor: ying

A German student takes part in an electronic technique competition during a vocational school skill contest in Shanghai, east China, May 6, 2017. The last 10 competitions of the contest were held at Shanghai Science and Technology Museum on Saturday. (Xinhua/Liu Ying)
ISLAMABAD, May 7 (Xinhua) -- The Pakistan army said that at least four civilians were injured in an Indian firing along the Line of Control (LoC) in the disputed Kashmir region.

The Indian troops "committed ceasefire violation and targeted civilians with mortars" in village Thruti in Nikiyal sector at LoC, the Inter-Services Public Relations said in a statement late Saturday.

"Pakistani troops effectively responded to silent Indian firing," the statement added.

The latest incident happened as escalation along the LoC, which divides the two neighbors in the disputed Kashmir, has been seen since a militant attack on an army center in the Indian-controlled Kashmir killed 19 soldiers on Sept. 18 last year.

The Indian military blamed the Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammad group for the attack and also pointed fingers at Pakistan. However, Islamabad rejected the charges and suggested an independent investigation.
PHNOM PENH, May 7 (Xinhua) -- The World Economic Forum on ASEAN 2017, to be held in the Cambodian capital next week, will yield substantive outcomes to further promote sustainable development, peace, stability and prosperity in the ASEAN region.

According to a Cambodian Foreign Ministry statement, Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte, Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc, Lao Prime Minister Thongloun Sisoulith, representatives of heads of state/government and ministers from across Asia-Pacific region will take part in the May 10-12 forum.

Cambodian Prime Minister Samdech Techo Hun Sen will open the forum on May 11 under the theme: "Youth, Technology and Growth."

"The World Economic Forum on ASEAN 2017 is expected to focus on how the region's expanding young and dynamic workforces can be engaged in ways that build the brightest future for the region," the statement said.

It added that the forum will also provide an opportunity to raise Cambodia's international profile and enhance the national prestige of Cambodia.

"Furthermore, it will contribute to the promotion of investment opportunities and tourists to the kingdom where majority of huge potentials has yet been unlocked," the statement said.

The World Economic Forum (WEF) was established in 1971 as a not-for-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 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).

Last year, the WEF on ASEAN was held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-05-07 09:21:10|Editor: ZD

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RIO DE JANEIRO, May 6 (Xinhua) -- Real Madrid are closing in on a deal to sign highly rated Brazilian teenager Vinicius Junior, according to media reports in Brazil.

The Spanish giants have offered Vinicius Junior's club Flamengo 45 million euros to bring the striker to the Bernabeu this European summer, according to Globo Esporte.

The report added that both clubs have already agreed in principal to the move.

Vinicius Junior, who has yet to make his first team debut for Flamengo, is tied to the Rio de Janeiro outfit until 2019 and has a 30 million release clause written into his contract.

The 16-year-old has made 19 appearances for Brazil's national under-17 team and scored 17 goals.

Barcelona, Chelsea and Manchester United have also been linked to the forward.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-05-07 09:52:01|Editor: ying

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CHANGCHUN, May 7 (Xinhua) -- In a few months, Huiyuanlongyun Chateau, a huge leisure park, with wine as the theme in northeast China, will throw open its cellar doors to the public.

At a cost of more than 400 million yuan (58 million U.S. dollars), the 13-hectare complex in Tonghua City, Jilin Province, will be an area for grape plantation, wine-making, eating, drinking, sightseeing and having fun.

"People tend to think that such chateaus only exist in France, but as demand grows, domestic chateaus are also growing," said Liu Shuhang, in charge of the wine industry in Tonghua.

In Tonghua, the best wine-making area in northeast China, similar complexes have sprung up in the last few years. There are now about 20 of them in the city.

Tonghua is located between 40 degrees to 43 degrees north, a similar latitude to some of the best wine-making regions in Italy and Spain, making it one of the best places for viticulture in China. The city has around 3,500 hectares of vineyards, producing almost 60,000 tonnes of grapes each year. There are now close to 70 wineries there, with over 100 production lines, but the wine industry in China has huge room for growth. The country currently has close to 500,000 hectares of vineyards, with only about 100,000 devoted to wine-making.

China was the world's fifth biggest consumer of wine in 2015, but it is also the most populous country in the world. In the United States, for example, annual wine consumption is around 11 liters per capita. That's about ten times more than the average Chinese, according to the Wine Institute, based in California.

In March, the wine and spirit exhibition VINEXPO, released some projections which put China as the world's second biggest wine market by 2020, when sales in the country are expected to reach 21 billion U.S. dollars.

In places like Tonghua, visitors can not only drink wine, but also have fun picking grapes and joining in parts of the production process.

"Chateaus are not just a place to taste wine and enjoy the scenery," said Liu. "They are learning centers where visitors come to a better understanding of wine culture."

Liang Zhengkui, a chateau owner in Tonghua, sees building such complexes as a way to expand the wine industry.

"We allow the tourists to feel the wine culture by having a great experience in the chateaus," he said.

Such idea has become common among those engaged in the wine industry in northeast China.

Wang Jun, a Tonghua vintner, believes that the wine industry will not be just about wine itself, but about spin-offs.

"We incorporate wine and tourism by inviting the consumers to the chateaus," Wang said. "For them, drinking wine becomes a wonderful cultural experience."

"Compared to Bordeaux, the number of Chinese 'chateaus' is quite limited at the moment, but I am sure that they have a bright future," said Liu. "We have a unique Chinese culture, and I believe it will attract more and more domestic and foreign oenophiles."
FARGO  Elsie Brenkworth doesnt like people telling her what to do. So when her daughter who lives in Maryland lined up someone to visit the 93-year-old weekly at her home here, Brenkworth resisted.

Volunteer companion Mary McCormack, 64, admits it was a stumbling start for the two.

At first, she tried to get rid of me, McCormack laughed, so we did have some weeks when we didnt get together.

Now, their friendship is humming along, with a two- to three-hour visit every Tuesday.

I do enjoy her, and I look forward to her coming, Brenkworth said.

Brenkworth is among a growing number of seniors in the state who live alone. In fact, North Dakota tops all states in the percentage of seniors living solo, a situation that for some means a day-to-day feeling of deep isolation.

U.S. Census figures show nearly 32 percent of people age 65 and older in North Dakota live by themselves  about twice as many women as men.

South Dakota ranks fourth, with 30 percent of seniors living alone. Minnesota is 12th, with about 29 percent of it seniors being solitary.

In contrast, only 19 percent of seniors in Hawaii and 22 percent of seniors in Utah live alone. Some have taken up the term elder orphans to describe these seniors, many of whom have no close family support.

Nancy Nikolas Maier, director of aging services at the state Department of Human Services, said while that term isnt familiar in North Dakota, the situation certainly is. And its bound to become even more pronounced in the coming decades.

We have a lot of individuals who are living longer, are widowed, maybe lost their spouse, people whose children have moved away, Nikolas Maier said. Others may be divorced, or have never married or had children.

Days are long, lonely

Brenkworth has lived alone for nearly 40 years following the loss of her husband, Bob, who died in his late 50s after a career in the U.S. Navy and Washington politics.

She later moved to Fargo to be near her youngest daughter and her family, plus shes fortunate to have the support of her other daughter on the East Coast. Brenkworth attends church and plays bingo regularly in the retirement complex where she lives, but doesnt sugarcoat things when her kids call to ask, How was your day?

Ill say long, lonely,  she said.

Brenkworth is one of six clients McCormack sees regularly in her volunteer role with Senior Companion, a program of Lutheran Social Services of North Dakota.

Several of those clients dont get out of their homes at all.

There are some people who are very lonely, Im afraid, McCormack said.

Becky Telin, statewide director of the LSS Senior Companion Program, said its helped reduce feelings of isolation for seniors who often want to stay in their homes, and out of nursing homes, as long as possible.

Thats the way people want to age, Telin said.

Of 620 clients served statewide by LSS between July 2015 to June 2016, about 83 percent remained in their homes an additional 12 months after being matched with a Senior Companion.

Telin said it means a significant cost savings to clients, families and taxpayers.

More seniors, fewer family caregivers

The Senior Companion Program is just one way to support seniors who are living independently in North Dakota. Nikolas Maier says there are multiple home- and community-based services available, paid for by either federal or state funding.

Some seniors may need help maintaining or cleaning their home. Others may need assistance with cooking or personal cares.

There really is a wide variety of services people can take advantage of, Nikolas Maier said.

Similar programs are available in Minnesota, including Senior Companion and meal services through Lutheran Social Services.

In addition, the Tri-Valley Opportunity Council based in Crookston has a Caring Companion program. It serves the counties of Clay, Kittson, Lake of the Woods, Mahnomen, Marshall, Norman, Pennington, Polk, Red Lake and Roseau.

The demand for those senior support services will only grow.

According to U.S. Census population projections, the number of people age 65 and over in North Dakota is projected to rise 41 percent over the next 15 years.

At the same time, there are expected to be even fewer family caregivers in the future.

While there were 7.2 potential family caregivers for every person 80 and older in the U.S. in 2010, that ratio is likely to fall to 4 to 1 by 2030, and to 3 to 1 by 2050, according to a 2015 AARP public policy report.

Though Elsie Brenkworth really doesnt want anyone fussing over her, she understands why her children are concerned.

Its because they love me, and they didnt want me to be alone, she said.
Picture taken on March 6, 2017 shows Min Bahadur Sherchan,an 86-year-old former Gurkha greets while expressing his plan to become the oldest person ever to conquer Mt. Qomolangma (Everest) during a press meet organized in Kathmandu, Nepal. (Xinhua/Sunil Sharma)

KATHMANDU, May 6 (Xinhua) -- Nepal's Min Bahadur Sherchan, 86, who had sought to reclaim the crown of the world's oldest Qomolangma summiteers, died at the mountain base camp on Saturday evening.

Shivraj Thapa, managing director of the Summit Nepal Trekking, told Xinhua Saturday that Sherchan died at the base camp at 5:14 p.m. local time.

Officials of the Nepali Department of Tourism which issues climbing permits has not confirmed his death so far.

Thapa said the cause behind Sherchan's death is yet to be confirmed as the doctors accompanying the expedition team are examining it.

Thapa said Sherchan left for the mountain on April 16.

Born in Nepal's western Myagdi district, Sherchan stood atop the mountain in 2008, becoming the oldest climber to reach the summit of the mountain at the age of 76.

But five years later, Japanese mountaineer Yuichiro Miura snatched the title of the oldest summiteer from Sherchan as the Japanese senior citizen summitted the peak when he was 80.

Since then, Sherchan had sought to reclaim the title.
YANGON, May 7 (Xinhua) -- Myanmar's Peace Commission is negotiating deals with non-ceasefire signatory armed groups to the Nationwide Ceasefire Accord (NCA) so as to enable them to attend the Second Meeting of the 21st Century Panglong Peace Conference later this month.

The government's commission said in a statement released on Sunday that the negotiation, which took place in Chiang Mai, Thailand, covered areas proposed by the armed groups' Delegation for Political Negotiation (DPN), for them to sign the ceasefire pact.

The DPN consists of seven non-ceasefire signatories mainly the Kachin Independence Organization (KIO), Kayinni National Progressive Party (KNPP) and New Mon State Party (NMSP).

Myanmar's previous government and eight armed groups mainly involving Kayin National Union (KNU), Arakan Liberation Party (ALP) and Restoration Council of Shan State (RCSS)/Shan State Army (SSA)-South signed the NCA on Oct. 15, 2015.

As part of its efforts for national reconciliation and peace, the first meeting of the 21st Century Panglong Conference was held in Nay Pyi Taw in August 2016 and the second of its kind is scheduled for May 24, a nationwide dialogue open to all ethnic armed groups.

The government is also trying to bring in those non-NCA signatories, which are members of a coalition of the United Nationalities Federal Council (UNFC), to join the peace process.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-05-07 12:08:10|Editor: ZD

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by Xinhua Writers Li Ming, Wang Naishui

NEW YORK, May 6 (Xinhua) -- The Belt and Road Initiative is extremely attractive because it brings cooperation between countries along its routes to a new level, a senior official of an international transport organization has said.

The initiative "combines many directions, from investments in infrastructure to people-to-people exchanges. It's really a comprehensive approach to re-establish Asia's Silk Road," Igor Runov, head of the International Road Transport Union (IRU)' s permanent delegation to the United Nations, told Xinhua in a recent interview.

Proposed by China in 2013, the Belt and Road Initiative comprises the Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road, aiming to build a trade and infrastructure network connecting Asia, Africa and Europe along ancient trade routes.

"What also makes the initiative attractive is that it's based on a very rich tradition that the Silk Road had existed for thousands of years before it stopped about 600 years ago for many reasons," said Runov, who also serves as the executive secretary of Global Partnership for Sustainable Transport, an initiative focusing on the implementation of the UN sustainable development goals (SDGs) and the recommendations of the UN Secretary General's High-level Advisory Group on Sustainable Transport.

"Now it is really time to re-establish (the tradition)," he added.

Over the past four years, the Belt and Road Initiative has won support from over 100 countries and international organizations, with nearly 50 cooperation agreements signed, official data shows.

Runov attributes such a success to the initiative's inclusiveness and openness.

"What's important is that it's not limited to the government activities, but also includes civil society businesses," said the top IRU official, who believes that it is the idea of "public-private partnership" behind the initiative that makes it powerful.

Runov speaks highly of such financing mechanisms as the Silk Road Fund and the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank which work to support the initiative, describing them as "very appropriate" and "innovative."

He also suggested participants of the initiative implement other mechanisms such as green-financing so as to sustain future development.

"We need to make sure that investment in infrastructure doesn't lead to deterioration of environment and climate," he said.

On May 14-15, Beijing will host the Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation which is a high-profile international meeting designed to pool more consensus.

Runov, who has been invited to speak at the forum, said the meeting is a great opportunity for the international community to know more about the initiative and find more solutions to its implementation.

"Such conferences should be staged in different regions and different countries to promote the ideology and wisdom behind the concept," he said.
DHAKA, May 7 (Xinhua) -- At least two suspected militants were killed on Sunday after Bangladeshi police stormed a house in the western Jhenidah district, where members of the banned Neo-JMB group were holed up.

The district's police chief Mizanur Rahman told Xinhua that the militants were most likely killed in "suicide explosions."

Based on a tip-off, security forces had surrounded the house early Sunday.

A huge blast and sporadic gunshots were heard from the house.

Two police officials sustained bullet injuries as the suspected militants opened fire at law enforcers after they encircled the house, Rahman said.

According to the official, police were primarily sure that the slain militants were members of "Neo JMB."

The Neo-JMB, an offshoot of the banned militant outfit Jamaatul Mujahideen Bangladesh, was blamed for the deadly July 1, 2016 attack on a Spanish cafe in Dhaka, which killed 22 people, mostly foreigners.

Last month police found at least 17 large containers of hydrogen peroxide, a chemical used to make bombs, from a suspected militant den in the district.

Over the last few months, Bangladeshi police have conducted series of large-scale operations against militants, in which dozens of suspected militants were killed.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-05-07 12:38:35|Editor: ZD

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BEIJING, May 7 (Xinhua) -- Since childhood, Palestinian Dima Albughdadi dreamed of going to China to learn the Chinese language.

"When I was a little girl, I used to stare in wonder at the Chinese ornaments displayed in shop windows and imagine going to China myself one day."

She remembers copying down Chinese characters crookedly in her notebook and seeing them on T-shirts. "Although I had no idea what they meant, joy would fill my heart whenever I saw them," she said.

However, in Palestine, it was never easy for girls like Albughdadi to go to university. She applied to study Chinese at the University of Jordan after high school, but as a Palestinian her options were limited and she couldn't enroll in her dream major unless she paid double the amount in the tuition fees.

Out of practical considerations, she eventually studied engineering. "My mind grew numb with dull formulas and mechanical thinking, and I derived no pleasure from it," Albughdadi said, recalling her two years of engineering study.

As her request to change major was repeatedly denied by her family, she realized that she had only herself to rely on in the pursuit for learning Chinese. So she began seeking whatever way possible: searching free online materials, watching video courses, and looking for Chinese-major students as language partners.

During her final year in college, Albughdadi was granted a scholarship by Dalian University of Technology for a one-year study in northeast China's port city of Dalian.

She said China gave her a sense of "deja vue" upon arrival, but the country is "far more beautiful that I thought, and the people here much kinder ... I've brought myself closer to my dream. My dreams of learning Chinese have come true over and over again."

Learning Chinese has become increasingly popular overseas in recent years, especially after China proposed the Belt and Road Initiative in 2013. Like Albughdadi, more young people from around the world have become fascinated with the Chinese language as well as Chinese culture.

The ever closer ties between China and countries along the Belt and Road have provided ample opportunities for young people to realize their Chinese dreams.

Hamid Gholami from Afghanistan began learning Chinese in 2010 at the Department of Chinese Language and Culture of Kabul University, where he now teaches Chinese.

Calling the Chinese language a "magic key" that has unlocked a new country for him, Gholami said China's long history, warm and friendly people, and continuous striving for self-improvement all fascinated him.

With the implementation of China's Belt and Road Initiative, Gholami said, the two countries will see their ties enhanced.

"I hope to compile teaching materials suitable for Chinese teaching in Afghanistan, pass the magic key of the Chinese language to more Afghan people, and contribute to the friendship and development of the two countries."

Not only do these young people learn Chinese to grasp the language, understand Chinese culture and mentally enrich themselves, they do so also with the aim of using the Chinese language as a tool to bridge peoples.

Izabela Flis, a 23-year-old Polish girl, now takes advanced Chinese courses at Guangdong University of Foreign Studies in the southern Chinese city of Guangzhou.

"It all started with my interest in the Walt Disney feature animation 'Mulan'," Flis said recalling her first encounter with the Chinese language. She was referring to the 1998 Walter Disney film based on a Chinese folklore dating back to the fifth century about a girl joining the army to replace her father.

"Although I was only six when I first saw the movie, I still could not help falling in love with Mulan's typical Asian eyes," she said, adding that she used to squint and lift the outer corners of her own eyes in front of the mirror to make her eyes resemble those of Mulan.

Flis has been closely following the development of China-Poland ties on all fronts, and speaks with great familiarity of the diplomatic ties between the two countries.

Highlighting Poland's beautiful landscapes, long history, profound traditions in culture and art, and warm and friendly people, Flis made a strong pitch for her home country's tourism industry, saying she hopes more Chinese will come and visit.

"Exchanges between China and Poland are ascending," she said, "so I hope I can master the Chinese language and be able to promote China-Poland friendship in the future."
Source: Xinhua| 2017-05-07 13:18:49|Editor: ying

China's Finance Minister Xiao Jie (L) speaks during the annual meeting of the board of governors of Asian Development Bank (ADB) in Yokohama, Japan , May 6, 2017. (Xinhua/Ma Ping)

YOKOHAMA, Japan, May 7 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Finance Minister Xiao Jie has called on the Asian Development Bank (ADB) to play a positive role in supporting different economies, social classes and communities in Asia to share the fruits of economic globalization.

Xiao said at the 50th Annual Meeting of the ADB's Board of Governors here that the world economy is still amid deep adjustment, with globalization facing challenges, wealth inequality and north-south gap underlined.

He said Asia, home to over half of the world's population, still faces arduous tasks with over 300 million people living in poverty.

He called on the ADB to make the best of its resources to vigorously support innovation-driven growth by promoting development concept innovation, mechanism innovation and technology innovation, to summarize, spread and share the experiences of Asian development and achieve common prosperity in Asia.

Xiao said the regional cooperation promoted by the ADB is highly compatible with the connotation of the Belt and Road Initiative put forward by China. He hopes that the ADB could enhance strategic alignment with interested parties of the initiative to further promote regional interconnectivity and deepen regional cooperation.

The minister pointed out that middle-income countries are important practitioners, sources of experiences of poverty reduction and important contributors of world economic growth. He also called on the ADB to further clarify its purposes and strategic positions, and deepen all-round cooperation with middle-income countries while enhancing its support for low-income countries.

Xiao stressed that China has built an all-round, wide-ranging, equal and mutually beneficial partnership with the ADB since it joined the ADB in 1986.

China is willing to deepen all-round cooperation with the ADB to jointly promote poverty-reduction and prosperity in the Asian region, he said.

On the sidelines of the meeting, Xiao exchanged views with ADB President Takehiko Nakao on cooperation between China and ADB as well as ADB's support for the Belt and Road Initiative.

Central bank governors, government officials and business leaders around the world gathered for the 50th annual meeting of the ADB and related events from Thursday to Sunday.

Participants of the meeting recognized that the ADB has made positive contributions to poverty reduction and regional development and cooperation in the past 50 years.

They called on the ADB to enhance cooperation with middle- and high-income countries to promote regional economic integration and increase investment in infrastructure, healthcare and education among other areas.

They also recognized that the joint financing of the ADB and the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) has played and will continue to play an important role in promoting regional economic and social development.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-05-07 13:18:51|Editor: ying

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BEIJING, May 7 (Xinhua) -- China's top insurance watchdog decided to toughen supervision of the industry to guard against financial risks.

Insurance regulators at all levels should shore up weak parts of the regulation to build a strict and effective supervision framework, according to a statement released by the China Insurance Regulatory Commission on Sunday.

The statement pointed out that there are some loopholes in the current insurance regulation, which have given rise to risky practices in recent years such as disorderly buying of stakes and unchecked growth of risky business.

Chinese insurers grabbed headlines for using leveraged money to buy shares in listed companies, triggering sharp volatility in the market at the end of last year.

Insurance funds should not invest in risky products and there will be tougher supervision over equity changes of insurers.

Companies with risky business expansion will be targeted and regulators will blacklist senior management for practices that violate regulations and laws, according to the statement.

In February, China's insurance regulator barred Yao Zhenhua, chairman of Foresea Life Insurance, from the insurance sector for 10 years for irregular market operations.
File photo shows released 21 Chibok school girls wait to meet Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari at the State House in Abuja, Nigeria, Oct. 19, 2016. (Xinhua/Olatunji Obasa)

LAGOS, May 7 (Xinhua) -- At least 82 out of the more than 200 Chibok girls that were kidnapped by Boko Haram in 2014 in Nigeria's restive northeastern Borno State have been released, a government source told Xinhua late Saturday.

The source told Xinhua that the girls were released following a negotiations between the extremist group and the Nigerian government.

"Yes, 82 girls are freed and they are due to fly to Abuja from Banki town in Borno State," the source told Xinhua.

Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari (Front-R) talks to the rescued Chibok schoolgirl, Amina Ali-Nkeki (Front-L), during a meeting at the Presidential Villa in the capital Abuja, Nigeria, May 19, 2016. (Xinhua/Olatunji Obasa)

The release came barely a month after President Muhammadu Buhari said his administration has engaged local and international intermediaries in reaching out to Boko Haram for the release of the Chibok schoolgirls in captivity.

The government was willing to bend over backwards to make the abductors of the girls release them, the Nigerian leader said in a message to mark the coming 3rd anniversary of the abduction of the schoolgirls on April 14.

He said the government was in constant touch through negotiations and local intelligence to secure the release of the remaining girls and other abducted people.

He appealed to the parents and all Nigerians not to lose hope on the return of the remaining schoolgirls.

More than 200 schools girls were seized by armed men who stormed their dormitories on the night of April 14, 2014, at the Girls Secondary School in Chibok. Some had managed to escape while others remained unaccounted for.

In October, 2016, 21 girls were freed following negotiations between the Nigerian government and Boko Haram, which claimed responsibility for the abduction.

Members of Bring Back Our Girls (BBOG) movement protest along the streets of Abuja, capital of Nigeria, Jan. 8, 2017. The protesters on Sunday marked 1,000 days since the abduction of the Chibok School Girls by Boko Haram militants in Nigeria's Borno State on April 14, 2014. (Xinhua/Olatunji Obasa)

Boko Haram has been blamed for the deaths of more than 20,000 people and displacing of 2.3 million others in Nigeria since their insurgency started in 2009.
PARIS, May 7 (Xinhua) -- Polling stations opened on France's European mainland on Sunday for a decisive round of the presidential election between centrist candidate Emmanuel Macron and far-rightist Marine Le Pen.

More than 66,000 polling stations in the French European mainland opened at 08:00 a.m. local time (0600 GMT) and are scheduled to close at 20:00 p.m. (1800 GMT) in big cities, while the rest will close at 19:00 (1700 GMT).

Nearly 47 million voters are expected to cast their ballots on Sunday.

French voters in overseas territories casted their votes on Saturday, but the results will be only known after all votes are casted on the mainland.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-05-07 15:39:47|Editor: liuxin

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TRIPOLI, May 7 (Xinhua) -- Italian Foreign Minister Angelino Alfano on Saturday met with Libyan UN-backed Prime Minister Fayez Serraj in Libyan capital Tripoli to discuss further cooperation.

The two officials discussed issues of mutual concern, including cooperation on illegal immigration and human trafficking.

Serraj, during the meeting, stressed the importance of relations between the two countries, and praised Italy's support for the government.

For his part, Alfano said "Only inclusive and Libyan-owned dialogue, within LPA, can advance reconciliation and consolidate effective institutions."

Thousands of migrants depart from Libya toward Italian shores due to the state of chaos and insecurity in the north African country.

"We trust Libya to effectively work with us in the fight vs. human smuggling". Alfano said when met with Ahmad M'eteg, the deputy prime minister, on Saturday.

Italian embassy returned to Tripoli in earlier January, making it the first western embassy to return to chaotic Libya after escalating violence forced foreign missions and companies to flee in 2014.
GRAND FORKS  Bruce Gjovig, former leader of the entrepreneurship-focused University of North Dakota Center for Innovation, says his recent retirement from the organization wasnt entirely by choice.

I was told I was going to retire, Gjovig said.

Gjovig said the direction came from UND, but he was informed by members of the board of the centers foundation. The center itself is a division of the UND College of Business and Public Administration, and the foundation exists as an independent, nonprofit entity intended to serve as a link between the private sector and the various UND assets. In mid-March, three members of the governing board of that autonomous organization flew to Grand Forks to tell Gjovig it was time for a change.

Gjovig marked his last day as a UND employee on April 30.

The retirement comes in the midst of a personnel shake-up and institutional restructuring of UNDs focus on entrepreneurship. Since 2014, the university has maintained the UND School of Entrepreneurship as an academic track within its business school.

Tim OKeefe, former chair and director of the entrepreneurship school, resigned his leadership position shortly before the current spring semester, citing personal and family reasons. OKeefe returned to his former faculty posting in the business school, but has since been hired as dean of the College of Business and Economics at Longwood University in Virginia. OKeefe officially left UND Thursday, May 4, and will begin his new position this summer.

He attributed his decision to resign his chair position at UND to personal circumstances and said the choice to leave was his own. He also said the schools leaders had underestimated the challenges of pulling together a cohesive unit.

Gjovigs direct supervisor, former UND business school Dean Margaret Williams, also left UND in April to lead the Rawls College of Business at Texas Tech University.

Williams served only briefly at UND, becoming dean at the beginning of the 2014-15 academic year. A year before announcing her departure from North Dakota, she interviewed in the 2016 spring semester for a deans position at Kansas State University.

A request for comment made to Williams at Texas Tech went unreturned. The deans position at UNDs business school is held on an interim basis by Steven Light, who was formerly the UND associate vice president for academic affairs.

Now outside the loop, Gjovig said hes unsure what change means for the both the school and for the Center for Innovation. He also said its not clear to him why he had to leave his post.

Theyve never told me anything, Gjovig said, though he believes the foundation board is unanimously saying they thought this was a bad decision that was passed down by university leaders including the schools president, provost and the former dean of its business college.

We all have change

The board of the UND Center for Innovation Foundation is chaired by Dale Morrison, a noted alumnus of the UND business school for whom an annual alumni summit has been named. As of press time, Morrison did not return requests for comment. Board member Dick McConn praised Gjovig as a very talented person and said hed done well in his role at the center. He wouldnt answer whether Gjovig was asked to leave, but described the retirement as a very sensitive issue to various people.

How this thing unfolded, I think will probably come out at some point in time, McConn said. It affects Bruce, it affects the hierarchy of the university and even to some of the strong opinions the leaders of North Dakota have, politically.

McConn said Gjovig was held in high regard by public figures such as Gov. Doug Burgum and members of the states congressional delegation. Gjovigs April 18 retirement party was evidence of his affiliations with political players. The party was emceed by Sen. John Hoeven, R-N.D., and featured more than a dozen speakers including Lt. Gov. Brent Sanford and state Sen. Ray Holmberg, R-Grand Forks.

We all have change, McConn said. Sometimes it happens sooner than you expect, and for various reasons.

Among the university administration, UND Provost Tom DiLorenzo said he did not say Bruce should retire.

My understanding is  the board had a conversation with him and I dont know what came out of that, DiLorenzo said.

UND President Mark Kennedy had an even shorter answer when asked if Gjovig had been pushed out of his position.

He retired, Kennedy said. He repeated that same statement when asked if Gjovigs departure was self-motivated and again when asked if UND leadership had sought it. Kennedy then commended Gjovigs work in building the center and said the university now is looking to the future of the facility and entrepreneurial studies.

Semi-autonomous

Despite its placement within the university since its 1984 founding, the Center for Innovation appears to have operated in a semi-autonomous fashion. The announcement of Gjovigs retirement came as new academic leadership turned a more critical eye to what had been seen by some as an independent entity synonymous with Gjovig. His departure solidified as the university adapted to growing budgetary pressures brought on by an expected reduction in state-appropriated general fund dollars.

He announced his retirement shortly after the closing date of an application period of an employee buyout program launched by the university to cut personnel costs.

According to Gjovig, the center is largely self-funded by an endowment managed by the foundation, as well as other private donations and various federal grants. Employees of the center receive their salaries through UND, though Gjovig said the bulk of the funding for their positions comes from the foundation.

Gjovig has reported to the dean of UNDs business school on an as-needed basis since the late 1990s, working most recently with Williams. OKeefe declined to comment on the schools recent changes, but Gjovig believes the entrepreneurship area took on a big, disproportional cut as the college reduced its budget to meet a universitywide 12 percent decrease. In the future, DiLorenzo has stated, the leadership of the school and the Center for Innovation will likely be consolidated under a single director who would answer to the provost. The provost also said his office is still tallying the impact of budget cuts on the schools capacities.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-05-07 16:04:51|Editor: Tian Shaohui

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Photo taken on Oct. 17, 2015 shows the aerial view of the port in Beihai city, southwest China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. Beihai city, starting point of China's ancient marine silk road towards outside world, plays an important role in China's foreign trade over 2,000 years ago. To revitalize economic prosperity, Beihai is playing catch-up by joining the movement behind the Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st-Century Maritime Silk Road to make its port an export channel for west China and a star of the modern version of the maritime Silk Road. (Xinhua/Huang Xiaobang)

by Xinhua Writers Zhong Ya, Chen Yao, Chen Yin

BEIJING, May 7 (Xinhua) -- For centuries, the ancient Silk Road had played a significant role in commercial and cultural exchange among the countries plying its route.

Today, entrepreneurs are devoting themselves to rejuvenating the historical route and building a new world.

STRONGER TRADE LINKS

More than a thousand years ago, Emperor Xuanzong of China's Tang Dynasty (618 AD-907 AD) sent special envoys and fast horses to Southern China thousands of miles away from the capital to get freshly picked lychees for his favorite concubine, killing many horses and envoys during the exhausting long trip.

Now even for fresh fruits tens of thousands miles away, say fresh cherries from Chile in South America, they can easily "fly" into Chinese supermarkets for ordinary people to enjoy thanks to the current convenient and fast trade routes.

China has now become the largest export destination for Chilean cherries. Data from the Chilean Fresh Fruit Exporters Association shows that during the last cherry export season, over 80 percent of the country's cherries were exported to China.

Chilean cherry planters and traders have made huge endeavors to ensure the fresh, crisp texture of cherries for Chinese customers. For example, newly picked cherries are transported to China by "private planes" to ensure good quality.

"I hope direct flights between China and Chile will be opened in the near future, so that Chile's cherries could arrive in China sooner and at a lower cost," said Ricardo Vial, trade manager of the Rucaray Corporation, a large-scale Chilean cherry manufacturer.

Poland is the world's third largest apple producing country. In 2014, the Russian government imposed a ban on food imports from the European Union and the United States in retaliation for their sanctions against Moscow over the Ukraine crisis, forcing Poland's apple exports to plunge.

"We launched a three-year apple promotion project focused on the Chinese market, bringing new hope for fruit farmers," said Miroslaw Maliszewski, principal of Polish Fruit Growers Association.

BOOMING INVESTMENTS AND ECONOMIC COOPERATION

In December 1992, China's Shougang Group bid for 98.4 percent of Peruvian Iron Ore Corporation's stocks and the right to tap, explore and run the mineral resources of its mineral field.

Shougang headquarters founded Shougang Hierro Peru S.A.A., a mining company, which extracts, processes and sells iron ore in Peru.

The company's entrepreneurial path in the South American country with a different language and environment from China has been bumpy with obstacles, both big or small.

"During the past 24 years, Shougang Group has invested nearly 1.5 billion U.S. dollars in equipment replacement, technology transformation, environmental governance, living quarters and project expansion. Its output has surged from less than 3 million tons in 1992 to 11.12 million tons in 2015," said Kong Aimin, general manager of Shougang Hierro Peru S.A.A.

In addition to founding new companies abroad, a large number of Chinese corporations have deepened their cooperation with local companies overseas.

Zhejiang RIFA Digital Precision Machinery Company is a manufacturer of high-end precision machine tools with annual sales exceeding a billion yuan (about 145 million dollars).

In 2014 and 2015, it bought out Italian corporations MCM and Colgar, which were suffering from an economic crisis in Italy.

The two Italian companies are world-leading machine tool manufacturers, whose customers include renowned airplane manufacturers such as Airbus and Boeing and industrial giants General Electrics and Siemens.

"Improving technology, boosting development and expanding markets are not only play an important role in the Belt and Road Initiative, but they also meet the needs of both Chinese and Italian corporations," said Wang Benshan, chairman of Zhejiang RIFA Digital Precision Machinery Company.

"MCM and Colgar boast high-quality products and good word of mouth. Chinese companies help Italian ones out of difficulties with the market and funds, and increased taxes and stimulated employment for our city. This is win-win cooperation," said Maria Catrina Wono, deputy mayor of Cornaredo, where Calgar is based.

SMOOTHER PASSAGEWAY LINKING CHINA AND WEST

Kazakhstan is an important hub on the ancient Silk Road. The city of Khorgas is located in China, in Kazakhstan and on the border of the two countries. It serves as China's youngest border port city, a special economic zone forged by Kazakhstan, and the first cross-border trade area between China and its neighboring countries.

In December 2014, the Khorgos-Eastern Gate special economic zone in Kazakhstan, the most significant logistics center, was officially put into use.

Some foreign enterprises have gradually settled down in the special zone. With a soaring population and schools, hospitals, kindergartens and other supporting public facilities having been built, a brand new town is appearing. Many young Kazakh people have come to the special zone, some even giving up their jobs in big cities, because they think highly of the development potential and vitality here, said Zaslan, investment director of the special economic zone.

"The China-Kazakstan Horgos Frontier International Cooperation Center is the busiest among the three Horgoses," said transport driver Juura.

Spanning Chinese and Kazakh territory, the center is 5.28 square km in size. With special access linking the two countries, a constant stream of Chinese and Kazakh customers come here to buy Chinese commodities.

"My customers are merchants from Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Belarus and many other countries," said Zhang Wei, who sells bed linen at the center's Yiwu International Shopping Mall.

The Horgos city in China has become an important nod opening up to the West. Central Asia freight trains and China-Europe trains have linked up Horgos with the outside world.

Once the highway in Kazakhstan linking western China and western Europe is complete, travel time will be reduced from 40 days by sea to 10 days by land.
PARIS, May 7 (Xinhua) -- A new law banning the use of super skinny fashion models in France came into effect on Saturday, in efforts to target unrealistic ideas of beauty and eating disorders.

Models operating in the fashion hub will be required to provide doctor's certificate to state their overall physical health and prove their body mass index (BMI) sits within a healthy range.

The index, a measure of weight in relation to height and age, will be compared to the World Health Organization's standards of underweight to decide whether a model is certified.

Marisol Touraine, French minister of social affairs and health, explained the new rules on Friday in a statement, saying that they were aimed at avoiding the promotion of inaccessible beauty ideals and preventing youth anorexia.

The previous version of the law, backed and adopted by French parliamentarians in late 2015, suggested a minimum BMI for models and up to six-month imprisonment for employers who violate it. However, it prompted protests from the country's fashion industry.

In addition, another law obliging magazines and advertisers to label digitally altered images will come into force on October 1.

According to the law, images where a model's appearance has been manipulated need to be labeled "photographie retouchee" (retouched photograph).
LAGOS, May 7 (Xinhua) -- Eighty-two schoolgirls abducted by the Boko Haram terrorist group have been released in exchange for the freedom of some Boko Haram suspects, the government said Saturday.

"President (Muhammadu) Buhari is pleased to announce that negotiations to release more of the Chibok girls have borne fruit with the release of 82 more girls today after months of patient negotiations. Our security agencies have taken back these abducted girls in exchange for some Boko Haram suspects held by the authorities," said presidential spokesman Garba Shehu on Saturday.

"The girls are due tomorrow (Sunday) in Abuja to be received by the president. The president expressed his deep gratitude to security agencies, the military, the government of Switzerland, the Red Cross, local and international NGOs for the success of the operation."

Some 276 girls were seized by Boko Haram fighters who stormed their dormitories in April 2014 in Chibok town of Borno State in northeastern Nigeria.

Over the following two years, 57 girls managed to escape. The rest of them had been missing until 21 girls were freed by their abductors in October 2016.

Nigeria's northeastern region has been a Boko Haram stronghold. The group has been blamed for the deaths of more than 20,000 people and displacing of 2.3 million others in Nigeria since their insurgency started in 2009.
PARIS, May 7 (Xinhua) -- Outgoing French presidential Francois Hollande on Sunday morning voted in the second round of the presidential election, which could decide the future of Europe.

Around 10:25 local time (0825 GMT), Hollande voted in Tulle in southwest France, where he used to serve as a mayor.

The two candidates standing for the presidency are pro-Europe, pro-business centrist ex-economy minister Emmanuel Macron, and anti-immigration, anti-EU far-rightist Marine Le Pen.

Hollande publicly endorsed Macron, who had served in his government, after the first round of election on April 23.

On Friday the Socialist president called on voters to support Macron and to reject the rise of the far-right.

Nearly 47 million voters are expected to cast their ballots on Sunday in more than 66,000 polling stations on the French European continent.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-05-07 17:25:16|Editor: Tian Shaohui

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URUMQI, May 7 (Xinhua) -- More than 100 snow leopards are estimated to be living in mountainous areas east and south of Urumqi, capital of China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region.

Staff with Wildlife Xinjiang, a non-governmental organization, studied about 10,000 photos taken by infrared cameras and identified 30 snow leopards, said Xing Rui, head of Wildlife Xinjiang.

The organization estimates the total number of snow leopards in the area is more than 100, said Xing.

Starting in 2014, cameras were deployed over a 100-kilometer area in mountain areas south of Urumqi.

"Photos have captured these animals seeking food and roaming around. Some show snow leopard mothers taking their cubs to look for water," said Xing.

"There is a remarkable concentration of snow leopards here," Xing said.

Snow leopards are endangered species listed by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. They live in the Himalayas of central and south Asia at an altitude of 2,500 to 4,500 meters. They have been spotted in China's Gansu, Qinghai, Sichuan, Tibet, Yunnan and Xinjiang.

According to Wildlife Xinjiang, compared to those living on the Qinghai-Tibet plateau, snow leopards living in the Tianshan mountain are active in a smaller area due to the harsh environment.

The mountainous area near Urumqi may be one of the main habitats for snow leopards, Xing said.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-05-07 17:25:18|Editor: liuxin

Marine Le Pen (L), far-right National Front (FN) party presidential candidate, casts her ballot in the second round of the presidential election in Henin-Beaumont, France, May 7, 2017. The two presidential candidates facing off in the final round of a watershed election for both France and Europe casted their votes on Sunday morning. (Xinhua/Gong Bing)

PARIS, May 7 (Xinhua) -- The two presidential candidates facing off in the final round of a watershed election for both France and Europe casted their votes on Sunday morning.

Centrist former economy minister Emmanuel Macron arrived at a polling station in Le Touquet, north France, accompanied by his wife Brigitte, and casted his vote around 11:00 local time (0900 GMT).

His rival, far-right candidate Marine Le Pen arrived at a polling station in Henin-Beaumont, north France, to cast her vote around 11:05 (0905GMT).

The two contenders proposed very different prospects for France throughout an intense campaign.

Dubbed himself as "the candidate for jobs," Macon invited electorate from various political views to endorse his pro-business projects and plans to revive the European project.

On the other hand, proposing a strict opposite program based on protectionist approaches, his rival Le Pen promised voters a return to the national currency and tightening internal borders to restore security.

Outgoing French presidential Francois Hollande and prime minister Bernard Cazenveuve both voted around 10:25 (0825GMT).

Nearly 47 million voters are expected to cast their ballots on Sunday in more than 66,000 polling stations on the French European continent.
CAIRO, May 7 (Xinhua) -- Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi left Cairo on Sunday on state visits to Kuwait and Bahrain for discussion of issues of common concern, official MENA news agency reported.

According to the report, Sisi's two-day official visit to Kuwait will be followed by the visit to Bahrain "to continue consultation and coordination over the different regional and international issues of common concern."

Experts believe that Sisi's new Gulf tour seeks to refresh Egypt's ties with Gulf partners amid regional disorder in some Arab states including Syria, Libya and Yemen.

"The visits will also discuss ways of enhancing unity among Arab states to boost their ability to protect their common interests, meet the aspirations and hopes of their peoples and decisively stand against all attempts of foreign interference in their domestic affairs," said the report.

Egyptian relations with Saudi Arabia had temporarily been awkward due to the two countries' different positions particularly on Syria and Yemen, yet the latest Arab summit in Jordan and the efforts of the UAE helped bring Cairo and Riyadh closer.
NEW DELHI, May 7 (Xinhua) -- Indian Health Minister Jagat Prakash Nadda said he has constituted a five-member committee of doctors from All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) to deal with New Delhi's gas leak incident, officials said Sunday.

Around 475 people mostly girl students and seven teachers, at two schools - Rani Jhansi Sarvodaya Kanya Vidyalaya and Government Girls Senior Secondary School - near Railway colony in Tughlakabad area of South Delhi were rushed to hospitals on Saturday following a gas leak in the vicinity.

The students from classes 6-12 complained of breathlessness and irritation in eyes, following which authorities raised an alarm and sought help from administration. The students were admitted in four nearest hospitals.

"Team of AIIMS doctors have visited the Tughlakabad depot, Delhi gas incident spot," Nadda said. "They also checked the victims and confirmed that all of them are out of danger."

Officials said the AIIMS team was constituted to deal with any eventuality.

The gas leak was detected around 7:30 a.m. local time when morning assembly and some class work was going on inside the schools.

Apart from police and fire service officials, teams from National Disaster Response Force have reached the location to control the leak.

The gas leak was said to be Chloromethyl Pyridine, a chemical used in manufacturing insecticides and pesticides.

While the number of students admitted in the hospitals was increasing, Nadda ordered federal government-run hospitals to remain vigilant for extending help to the victims.

Police officials have registered a case in this regard and initiated investigations into the incident.

Delhi government has also ordered a magisterial probe to investigate the matter.

Meanwhile, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and his deputy Manish Sisodia visited hospitals to met the victims.

Reports said many students were discharged from the hospitals, however some were kept under observation.

Chemical gas leak in Bhopal city of India in 1984 killed 25,000 people, and is considered to be the world's worst industrial disaster.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-05-07 17:50:32|Editor: Tian Shaohui

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MANAMA, May 7 (Xinhua) -- The trial of a top opposition spiritual leader in Bahrain was postponed on May 21.

Shaikh Isa Qassim is on trial at the High Criminal Court on charges for collecting money illegally and conspiring to transfer funds to Iran for fugitives.

Prosecutors have accused the cleric and two of his employees of money laundering, collecting cash without a licence and hiding sources of funds.

The government revoked the citizenship of the cleric on June 20 last year for setting up an "extremist sectarian environment" and establishing organisations with foreign links.
PYONGYANG, May 7 (Xinhua) -- The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) on Sunday urged South Koreans to dump the conservative forces in the upcoming presidential election.

"The South Korean conservative group's pro-U.S. traitorous behavior brought detrimental consequences to the inter-Korean relations and the cause of national reunification," said the official Rodong Sinmun daily.

"It is most horrible to think these conservatives come back to power," said the paper in a commentary.

The paper also accused the outgoing South Korean government of trying to make a last-ditch effort to stifle the DPRK by calling on the United States to take punitive measures against the DPRK for its nuclear and missile programs.

Minju Joson (Democratic Korea), another official daily, also accused the outgoing South Korean government of making a "desperate move to stoke confrontation with the DPRK."
FARGO  About 30 people from the group Indivisible FM on Saturday protested passage of the Republican-backed American Health Care Act by the House last week on one of the busiest corners in the West Acres shopping area.

Under sunny, blue skies, protesters chanted Hey, hey, ho, ho, Trumpcare has got to go!, Health care not wealth care! and Shame on Cramer! (aimed at North Dakota Rep. Kevin Cramer), as they waved signs such as Humanity is not a pre-existing condition and Honk if you have a pre-existing condition!

Were really worried about health care and the health care of our neighbors, said Nicole Mattson, who helped organize the hourlong pop-up protest at the southeast corner of 13th Avenue South and 42nd Street.

Were not here to cause any trouble. Were here to let our representatives and our fellow citizens know how we feel, Mattson said.

She said 24 million people could potentially be left without health care coverage under the Republican-backed plan, which she said has not been fully examined by the Congressional Budget Office to determine its true impacts in terms of cost and health care coverage.

The AHCA was passed Thursday, May 4, by the House, and now goes to the Senate for consideration.

Theyre going to take away services from children and the elderly, Mattson said. People will die if this becomes law.

Kristin Nelson of Fargo has atrial fibrillation, one of the health problems considered a pre-existing condition under the AHCA, which could potentially cause her to lose insurance coverage, she said.

That makes me nervous. I was hospitalized one time, Nelson said. I feel there are so many people who say this is going to affect me. It affects everybody. Its a huge issue.

Karen Rosby, a Fargo native and current Detroit Lakes, Minn., resident, helped lead the chants of the protesters who lined a strip of sidewalk by the former TGI Fridays restaurant building.

Im very, very concerned about this, the retired teacher said. It affects all of us. I am literally afraid for our future.

Rosby said if people arent afraid of what could happen to their health care coverage if the AHCA passes the Senate and is signed into law by President Trump, Theyre not paying attention.

Drivers and passengers in many of the vehicles that zipped by on 13th Avenue honked and waved at the protesters, but a few cursed, or gave them a thumbs down.

Fargoan David Givers and his wife, Juneve, were also waving signs along the protest line.

David Givers, wearing a black Veterans for Peace hat, also waved a peace sign to passing cars.

Most people seem supportive when they go by. I wonder how many people are paying attention to this? Givers said of the issue.

Trumpcare is wealth care for the wealthy, Givers said. Its not a health care. Its taking away what people have under Obamacare. We could do things to improve it rather than kill it.

They (Republicans) just dont like his (former President Obamas) legacy and are trying to kill it, Givers said. Its obvious they dont know how to lead the nation.

Mattson said Indivisible FM is calling on Republican North Dakota Sen. John Hoeven to vote against the current measure.

She said both Rep. Cramer and Sen. Heidi Heitkamp, D-N.D., have held town hall meetings on the health care issue.

Wheres John Hoeven on this? He needs to talk to his constituents, Mattson said.

Mattson encourages lawmakers who want to replace the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare, with new legislation to take more than a few weeks to hastily cobble something together.

They need to take their time for this, Mattson said.

She said House Republicans created the AHCA to give tax cuts to wealthy people and corporations. They need to be honest about that, Mattson said.
JUBA, May 7 ( Xinhua) -- At least 21 civilians were killed and 25 others injured in South Sudan on Friday during an attack by gunmen on commercial vehicles, a local government official said Sunday.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-05-07 18:40:46|Editor: liuxin

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SINGAPORE, May 7 (Xinhua) -- Singaporean Deputy Prime Minister Teo Chee Hean will visit Ethiopia and South Africa for a week from Sunday, as part of the nation's ongoing engagement with countries in Sub-Saharan Africa, said the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in a press release.

In Ethiopia, Teo will call on Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn to discuss opportunities for enhanced bilateral cooperation.

Teo will also meet Singapore companies based in Addis Ababa, the capital of Ethiopia, and visit the northern Axum city where he will meet key regional leaders, the statement added.

In addition, Teo will attend the 20th meeting of the Total International Advisory Committee in South Africa.

He will also meet South African leaders and attend a reception for Singaporeans based in Johannesburg.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-05-07 19:06:16|Editor: liuxin

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JALALABAD, Afghanistan, May 7 (Xinhua) -- Up to 27 militants loyal to the extremist Islamic State (IS) group were killed and 13 others injured after the security forces aircrafts targeted the insurgents' hideouts in Achin district of Afghanistan's eastern Nangarhar province on Sunday, spokesman for provincial government Attaullah Khogiani said.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-05-07 19:16:23|Editor: liuxin

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PHNOM PENH, May 7 (Xinhua) -- Cambodian Prime Minister Samdech Techo Hun Sen returned home on Sunday after having been hospitalized in Singapore with "extreme exhaustion" for five days.

"I have returned to Cambodia with very good health," he wrote on his official Facebook page, along with a pair of pictures showing him sitting on a sofa with his grandchildren at his mansion in Phnom Penh.

The 64-year-old prime minister also expressed thanks to the compatriots for sending him best wishes during his illness.

Hun Sen had fallen ill with "extreme exhaustion" and was admitted to a Singapore hospital on May 3. During his illness, he postponed a gathering with civil servants and armed forces in southwestern Kampong Speu province, and cancelled scheduled meetings with foreign diplomats from France, India and Japan.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-05-07 19:26:29|Editor: liuxin

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JALALABAD, Afghanistan, May 7 (Xinhua) -- Up to 27 militants loyal to the extremist Islamic State (IS) group were killed and 13 others injured after the security forces aircrafts targeted the insurgents' hideouts in Achin district of Afghanistan's eastern Nangarhar province on Sunday, spokesman for provincial government Attaullah Khogiani said.

"The security forces aircrafts conducted two sorties in Mohmandara and Kandarpisha areas of Achin district at 11:00 a.m. local time today killing 27 IS rebels on the spot and injuring 13 others," Khogiani told reporters.

The official added that the government forces would continue to target the armed insurgents elsewhere in the country.

Militants loyal to IS are yet to make comment.

Parts of Nangarhar province with Jalalabad as its capital 120 km east of Kabul have been the scene of IS activities over the past two years.
A picture taken on March 12, 2017, shows an Iranian labourer standing on a platform at the oil facility in the Khark Island, on the shore of the Gulf, on March 12, 2017. (Xinhua/AFP Photo)

TEHRAN, May 7 (Xinhua) -- Iran's Petroleum Minister Bijan Namdar Zanganeh said that 55 U.S. dollars per barrel is a suitable price for crude oil in the global market, Tasnim news agency reported on Sunday.

"The price range of 55 U.S. dollars per barrel would be suitable for oil," Zanganeh said, adding that the Organization for Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and non-OPEC member states have indicated their support for extending the agreement by world's biggest producers to cut outputs.

Zanganeh said earlier that Iran will support earlier decision by the OPEC to extend oil output freeze agreement.

He made the remarks on the sidelines of the 22nd Iran International Oil, Gas, Refining and Petrochemical Exhibition underway in Tehran.

The exhibition was kicked off in the capital Tehran on Saturday with the participation of 1,500 foreign companies from 37 countries.

The show is aimed at showcasing the country's latest technical achievements and attracting the foreign investments.

The ongoing energy exhibition is considered as the biggest in the Middle East and major companies from China, the Netherlands, France, Britain, Italy, Spain, Turkey, Russia, Japan, South Korea and Australia attend the event which will continue until May 9, 2017.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-05-07 19:45:19|Editor: MJ

A student answers questions during the final of a national university spokesperson simulation contest in Beijing, capital of China, May 7, 2017. Students from 24 universities across the country participated in the contest. (Xinhua/Li Mingfang)
Source: Xinhua| 2017-05-07 20:16:58|Editor: liuxin

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MANILA, May 7 (Xinhua) -- Troops from Australia and Japan will participate in the annual joint exercises between U.S. and Philippine militaries that will officially kick off on Monday, a Philippine military spokesman said on Sunday.

Maj. Celeste Sayson, Balikatan public affairs director, said 2,600 U.S. troops and 2,800 Philippine troops will participate in this year's drills, adding that 80 soldiers from Australia and 20 from Japan will also participate in the exercises.

The annual exercises called Balikatan or "Shoulder-to-Shoulder" will run until May 19 on multiple locations in the Philippine main Luzon Island and the Visayas region in central Philippines.

Philippine Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana told reporters that Balikatan 2017 will focus on humanitarian and disaster response (HADR) and honing counterterrorism skills.

The Armed Forces of the Philippines has invited military forces from several other nations to be part of the international observers, Sayson said, adding that troops from Australia and Japan will participate in all major training events.

In addition, the participants will also train to prepare their ability to respond to natural disasters and deliver humanitarian aid, she said.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-05-07 20:47:15|Editor: MJ

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BEIJING, May 7 (Xinhua) -- China's national observatory on Sunday issued a blue alert, the lowest in a four-tier weather warning system, for rainstorms in southern China in the coming days.

From Sunday to Monday, heavy rain is expected in some parts of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region and provinces of Guizhou, Hunan, Guangdong, Fujian and Zhejiang, the National Meteorological Center (NMC) said in a statement.

Some areas will see torrential rain accompanied by thunder or hail, according to the NMC.

Local authorities were asked to prepare for emergencies, cut off power in dangerous areas and be on guard against floods and landslides.

China has a four-tier color-coded warning system for severe weather, with red being the most serious, followed by orange, yellow and blue.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-05-07 20:57:28|Editor: liuxin

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TEHRAN, May 7 (Xinhua) -- Iran will hold an international tender to find financers for its plane purchases from the aviation giants Airbus and Boeing, Press TV reported on Sunday.

The national flag-carrier "Iran Air is preparing the tender documents so that they would be sent to all credible financers across the world," Asghar Fakhrieh Kashan, Iran's deputy minister of road and urban development, was quoted as saying.

"We are in conditions that allow us choose our desired financers in a competitive atmosphere," Fakhrieh Kashan was quoted as saying.

Britain's key export credit agency, UK Export Finance (UKEF), has proposed a plan to Iran to facilitate the financing of aircraft purchases from Boeing and Airbus, he said, adding that the UKEF has announced that it could resolve any banking problem that might occur as a result of U.S. pressures.

The agency has announced that it would even provide cash for the purchases if they would face problems with banks regulations, he said.

Iran will hold the tender to provide the funds for its purchases through competitive mechanisms so that it would not have to rely on one single source, Fakhrieh Kashan said.

Following the implementation of Iranian nuclear deal in September 2015, Iran started negotiations with major international commercial plane manufacturers to renew its aging fleet.

In December 2016, Iran sealed a contract with Airbus to buy 100 aircraft worth over 18 billion U.S. dollars.

Also in December, Iran Air finalized another agreement with the U.S. Boeing to purchase 80 commercial planes.

The agreement envisages the purchase of 50 twinjet narrow-body Boeing 737 planes and 30 long-range wide-body 777 aircraft with a total value of 16.6 billion dollars.

Last month, Iran signed another contract with the French-Italian ATR company to purchase 20 passenger planes.
When Darryl Jarvis grew up in West Virginia, he didn't care much for school. In fact, he dropped out when he turned 16.

"If I couldn't understand it, they wouldn't explain it," he said. "When I got behind on classes, it got old."

Now, Jarvis, 28, is locked up at the North Dakota State Penitentiary.

He was dealing drugs in Fargo, he said, and police caught him with methamphetamine in August. When they tried to arrest him, he reportedly kicked and tried to bite an officer.

When he entered prison in September, he tested at a 10th-grade reading level and sixth-grade math level.

"I just had too much going on out there to stop and go to school," he said.

Jarvis was enrolled in classes and assigned an inmate tutor, who helped him improve three grade levels in math. He is also participating in drug treatment.

And on Monday, he got some "pretty awesome" news: He passed his GED exams. He's optimistic that he'll get paroled in June and move to Minnesota to start technical school for diesel mechanics.

The North Dakota Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation requires all men, women and kids entering the 1,800-person prison system without a high school equivalent diploma to take GED classes.

The idea, according to Penny Veit-Hetletved, director of education at the North Dakota Department of Corrections, is that education will reduce recidivism by opening future job opportunities and new, non-criminal frames of mind.

"Once they have the attachment to education, it's one of those biggest factors that puts them in the change hallway," Veit-Hetletved said. "It opens some possibility doors that they have never allowed themselves to think about."

In the past four years, the number of people coming into the state penitentiary without a diploma has risen from 22 to 47 percent, Veit-Hetletved said. The average reading level for men entering the facility is second grade. Women do slightly better at fourth to fifth grade.

A lack of education and reading ability can reduce someone's critical thinking abilities and make them more susceptible to the kinds of impulsive thinking that leads to crime, Veit-Hetletved said.

"That puts them in always a catch-up mode," she said. "Their choices will be more impulsive, less thought through in the consequences."

While taking the GED classes, inmates earn $1.55 per day, the lowest wage in the prison, Veit-Hetletved said. Once they complete a degree, they can go on to another prison job or take classes, such as computer skills and welding.

Veit-Hetletved attributes the decline in diploma-holding prisoners to the increasing dropout rate in the state and failures of special needs education. She said many prisoners attended multiple elementary and middle schools and became truant.

GED pass rates have been increasing, according to Veit-Hetletved. North Dakota led the nation in 2015 in terms of GED pass rates, according to the testing service, and 171 adult inmates graduated with the degree last biennium, according to the department. She said that may be due to collaboration among the 20 teachers and that some prisoners had the skills but no degree.

About half of states have similar GED mandates, according to Lois Davis, a senior policy researcher at RAND corporation, who co-authored a study on correctional education in 2013. Davis research found that people who participate in prison education classes are 13 percent less likely to get locked up again. Those who earn a vocational credential inside are 28 percent more likely to get jobs, said David, adding that, $1 spent on education saves $4 to $5 in future incarceration costs.

Education is one of the clear winners in helping in the rehabilitation process, said Davis, who indicated North Dakota's mix of secondary and vocational education is fairly typical of state penal systems.

Some states are, however, starting to add more college opportunities than North Dakota, which has struggled to offer courses since a new rule requires instructors to have masters degrees in their subject areas.

On Monday morning, about 30 students sat in a large classroom at different learning stations, where the only bars were used to cage computer towers and printers. Some men were at tables, listening as a teacher lectured about basic algebra and the mean, median and mode. Others typed on computers, practicing word processing, spreadsheet and presentation skills. Meanwhile, a third group practiced computer-assisted design, AutoCAD, building digital models of homes and furniture, useful if inmates wish to work at Rough Rider Industries.

Alongside traditional teachers, long-serving prisoners tutor inmates in GED and advanced classes. One of those tutors is Tim Olson, 43, who learned AutoCAD in prison and now teaches other inmates. He is building a website with the curriculum and recently designed a certificate that inmates could present to future employers. He said he's always been a computer nerd and wants to give others the skills they need to get jobs and never come back to prison.

"This job gives me meaning and purpose," said Olson, who pleaded guilty in 2009 to continuous sexual abuse of a child. "I figured, if I don't better myself, I insult the people I hurt."

In the next couple weeks, Jarvis will take part in a graduation ceremony with full cap and gown and a classic rendition of "Pomp and Circumstance." There will be cake, punch, coffee and family is invited.

Jarvis, Veit-Hetletved said, exemplifies the mindset change the education system seeks to promote.

"He had no intent of changing until he started to be successful within education," she said. "Now he can see himself as a diesel mechanic."

At the ceremony, Jarvis will move the tassel from the right to left side of his cap, and Veit-Hetletved hopes that will be a sign of what's to come.

"Left to leave," she said.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-05-07 20:57:30|Editor: liuxin

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JERUSALEM, May 7 (Xinhua) -- Israel's cabinet on Sunday voted in favor of the controversial "Nationality Bill," which claims Israel as the nation-state of the Jewish people and cancels Arabic as a formal language.

The bill was approved by the Ministerial Committee for Legislation, but it still needs to pass three rounds of votes in the Israeli parliament, the Knesset, to become law.

The bill, considered by its opponent as discriminatory and racist, call to evoke Arabic's "official language" status and keep Hebrew as the only formal language in Israel.

It also claims Israel as "the national home of the Jewish people," and holds that "the right to realize self-determination in the State of Israel is unique to the Jewish people."

The bill was tabled by Avi Dichter, a lawmaker with the Likud ruling party and a former head of the Shin Bet security service.

Acting-committee chairman, Yariv Levin, said in a statement that "this is a basic law, which has the simple objective of safeguarding Israel's status as the nation-state of the Jewish People."

"I don't understand why it hasn't been made into law so far," he added.

Arab and left-wing lawmakers oppose the bill, saying its approval would undermine the democratic character of Israel, where Arabs make up some 20 percent of the population.

Issawi Farij, a lawmaker with the liberal party of Meretz, denounced the new legislation as a "Marine Le Pen-style law." Meretz Chairwoman Zehava Galon warned that the bill would be a "declaration of war" against Israel's Arab minority and would "enshrine in law racist and discriminatory practices."

Numerous researches have demonstrated that Arabs in Israel suffer lack of job opportunities and less government budget spending in many fields including in education, health, transportation, infrastructures, and housing.

Arab citizens of Israel are Palestinians who stayed put during the 1948 war and became citizens after the statehood of Israel.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-05-07 21:07:36|Editor: liuxin

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MOGADISHU, May 7 (Xinhua) -- Somali security forces killed a senior Al-Shabaab leader heading the group in Lower Shabelle region on Friday in southern Somalia, a government official confirmed on Sunday.

Information Minister Abdirahman Omar Osman said the security forces killed Moalin Osman Abdi Badil alongside his three associates in a raid in Bariiree area, but did not indicate if the same raid involved U.S. forces.

A U.S. navy SEAL member was killed in Bariire area Friday by Al-Shabaab militants.

"This operation marks a turning point in our fight for security - security from attacks by Al-Shabaab, and security from the stealing, suffering, and fear that al Shabaab attempt to provoke," Osman said in a statement issued in Mogadishu.

The minister warned that the security forces with the help of its allied partners from the Africa Union mission will intensify fighting against the insurgents.

"Leave Al-Shabaab now. Defect, as many of your brothers are beginning to do. It is your only chance to be a part of Somalia's future, a peaceful and prosperous future for you and your families," Osman said.

Osman said the death of Badil significantly "disrupts the terrorist group's ability to operate in Lower Shabelle, which is a major step towards peace in the region."

The latest death of the militants comes after the U.S. confirmed that Senior Chief Special Warfare Operator Kyle Milliken was killed in Bariire some 40 miles west of Mogadishu Friday.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-05-07 21:17:47|Editor: liuxin

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ASTANA, May 7 (Xinhua) -- Kazakhstan on Sunday held the biggest military parade since independence to mark the Defender of the Fatherland Day and the 25th anniversary of the founding of its armed forces.

Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev attended the opening ceremony of the parade at the Independence Square.

"We have no enemies in any part of the world. We are building friendly and trust-based relations along the entire perimeter with our neighbors," said Nazarbayev.

However, the Kazakh armed forces are under modernization and must be ready to fight terrorism and any possible threat, he said.

About 70 military jets, airplanes, helicopters and over 5,00 servicemen took part in the parade.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-05-07 21:42:41|Editor: MJ

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HELSINKI, May 7 (Xinhua) -- Two young Finnish dockers climbed onto a two-meter-high package of goods, connected more than 30 hooks to it, then jumped down, raising their hands as a sign that everything was in place.

A giant crane lifted the goods slowly and shifted them to the nearby cargo ship named Tian Le.

A Finnish worker aboard the ship then guided the crane to put the package in a vacant place. He pressed the button of a remote control in his hand. All the hooks were released at once.

It was the scene of cargo loading by Tian Le before it departed from the port of Kotka, southeastern Finland, and returned to China on May 3. It was packed with paper pulp boards as well as some wood cants made in Finland and to be shipped to China.

The multifunction vessel owned by China Ocean Shipping Company (COSCO) had come to Europe via the busy shipping route of the Indian Ocean and the Red Sea. It unloaded three containers in Morocco, more than 14,000 tons of equipment and rolled steel in Belgium, over 2,000 tons of wind towers and leaves in the Netherlands, and over 1,800 tons of wind power equipment in Ireland, before it finally docked at two ports in Finland.

"In the past, our ships were quite often half-loaded or less than half-loaded when returning from Europe, but since last year, my ship has been almost fully loaded each time," said Captain Chen Fengzhong when embarking on the journey back to China.

Chen Feng, managing director of COSFIM, a joint venture of COSCO and Finnish logistics company John Nurminen Oy, told Xinhua that plenty of pulp produced in the Nordic countries has been popular in the Chinese market, but Chinese vessels were not involved in the pulp shipping until last year.

"Pulp boards are vulnerable to water, dust, collision and extrusion. The shipping of pulp boards requires food hygiene level of transport," said Chen Feng. As late as a few years ago, COSCO's customers still doubted the capacity of Chinese carriers for shipping pulp, he added.

The situation changed last year, when COSCO built eight multi-purpose cargo ships with the latest design. They were all titled with Tian, a Chinese word meaning the sky. For example, Tian Le boasts an open cargo bay of 25 meters wide and 150 meters long, adjustable partitions and four 100-ton heavy cranes, so that they are especially suitable for loading pulp.

In addition, COSCO is building three more cargo ships with a high level of performance in icy conditions, enabling the ships to adapt to the Baltic Sea even in the winter. The three vessels are scheduled to be put into use by the end of this year.

Chen Feng said that his Finnish customer, on knowing that COSCO obtains a new fleet of the latest designed cargo ships, agreed in March 2016 to sign a transportation agreement with the group for five and half years.

The ships titled with Tian have world leading dynamic power, hoisting facilities and navigation systems.

Since last summer, COSCO cargo ships have started to dock in Finland on a regular basis for loading pulp. It marks that the ocean shipping group has entered the field of maritime transport of pulp. The new contract attracted pulp manufacturers in other countries. Chen Feng said a Brazilian customer has made inquiry at COSCO.

"The Nordic region is a traditional source of pulp exports, and a large number of products are sold to China," said Chen Feng.

"Enlightened by the Belt and Road Initiative, we are more committed to the characteristics of the Nordic market and its supply of goods, and have built more suitable ships. It makes the maritime Silk Road wider than before," Chen Feng added.

Kevin Slater, chartering manager of COSFIM, said that the Chinese market and Finnish products have shared the common interest.

"I think Finland will benefit from the Belt and Road Initiative by helping us to expand Finnish market to the Chinese market, for COSFIM, that means handling the shipping transportation for these projects and cargos," said Slater.
Somali security forces keep guard around the presidential palace in Mogadishu, Somalia, Feb. 26, 2015. At least seven mortars landed inside Somalia's presidential palace in Mogadishu Thursday when the prime minister and his cabinet was holding a meeting, police said. (Xinhua/Stringer)

MOGADISHU, May 7 (Xinhua) -- Somali security forces killed a senior Al-Shabaab leader heading the group in Lower Shabelle region on Friday in southern Somalia, a government official confirmed on Sunday.

Information Minister Abdirahman Omar Osman said the security forces killed Moalin Osman Abdi Badil alongside his three associates in a raid in Bariiree area, but did not indicate if the same raid involved U.S. forces.

A U.S. navy SEAL member was killed in Bariire area Friday by Al-Shabaab militants.

"This operation marks a turning point in our fight for security - security from attacks by Al-Shabaab, and security from the stealing, suffering, and fear that al Shabaab attempt to provoke," Osman said in a statement issued in Mogadishu.

The minister warned that the security forces with the help of its allied partners from the Africa Union mission will intensify fighting against the insurgents.

"Leave Al-Shabaab now. Defect, as many of your brothers are beginning to do. It is your only chance to be a part of Somalia's future, a peaceful and prosperous future for you and your families," Osman said.

Osman said the death of Badil significantly "disrupts the terrorist group's ability to operate in Lower Shabelle, which is a major step towards peace in the region."
Source: Xinhua| 2017-05-07 22:18:08|Editor: liuxin

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HANOI, May 7 (Xinhua) -- Vietnamese political bureau member Dinh La Thang was relieved from his post on Sunday, becoming the third ousted Politburo member so far, local media reported.

The ongoing fifth plenum of the 12th Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) Central Committee voted against Dinh La Thang, Ho Chi Minh City's party committee secretary and former secretary of the party committee and former chairman of the member council of the state-owned National Oil and Gas Group (PVN).

According to the voting results, he will be warned and relieved from the post of Politburo member, local online newspaper Tuoi Tre (Youth) reported.

Earlier, the CPV Central Committee's Inspection Commission decided disciplinary actions for a number of former executives of the PVN, including Dinh La Thang, for their serious legal violations that caused great economic losses and negatively affected the prestige of the Party organization and related individuals.

The Commission found that the PVN Party Committee's Standing Board in the 2009-2015 period was irresponsible to direct, supervise, monitor and manage the Party organization and members, causing serious violations of Party regulations and legal rules.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-05-07 22:58:19|Editor: Yamei

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ZAGREB, May 7 (Xinhua) -- Under the framework of the Belt and Road Initiative, the southeast European countries could develop their cooperation with China in a broader context and it would maximize benefits of the initiative, said a leading Croatian expert.

"To shape their (the southeast European countries) relation with China, not only serving as national but also regional, would help to access to new technologies, build new infrastructure and attract Chinese capital to the region which was featured as small markets and weak level of transport connections," Jasna Plevnik, vice president of the Geoeconomic Forum, a renowned think tank of Croatia, told Xinhua in a recent interview.

The Belt and Road Initiative, comprising the Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road, was first proposed by China in 2013. It is expected to include more than 60 percent of the world's population and more than one third of global economic output.

"This is an initiative that requires a stronger and more multilateral approach," said Plevnik, a senior researcher on China, adding that it may help the region to create more prosperity by strengthening the economic ties with not only China, but also with other sides involved in the Belt and Road Initiative.

The expert also believed that the initiative would lead to further integration and connectivity between the countries in the region in the fields of trade, production and infrastructure.

Plevnik said she has published several articles and lectured on many occasions to call on the southeast European countries to take the opportunity to upgrade their mechanism and translate the cooperation within the framework of the Belt and Road Initiative into more jobs and benefits for people.

Croatia, as an EU new member, was pretty well equipped to address the issue of conformity of the Belt and Road Initiative projects in the region with EU norms, laws and practices, she added.

Plevnik also said the upcoming Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation, scheduled in Beijing on May 14-15, will provide a wonderful opportunity to solidify arrangements under the initiative.

At the platform, all participants could discuss the joint development of the project and share the benefits of win-win cooperation, she said, expecting that some early harvests would be presented at the forum to demonstrate the great potential and feasibility of the huge project.

The expert noted that today's world is facing the challenges such as Brexit, the refugee crisis and terrorism, but she was confident that the initiative would continue to make great progress and facilitate the recovery of economies in the southeast European countries and other parts of Europe.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-05-07 23:13:27|Editor: yan

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DUBAI, May 7 (Xinhua) -- Money outflows from the United Arab Emirates (UAE), where 80 percent of the 10.5 million residents are foreigners, grew by 1.1 percent year-on-year to reach 37.1 billion dirham (10.11 billion dollars), state news agency WAM reported on Sunday, citing statistics by the UAE Central Bank.

Indian expatriates topped the list sending a total cash of 12.95 billion dirham (3.52 billion dollars), accounting for 34.9 percent of total remittances, followed by Pakistani nationals accounting for 9.4 percent, then Filipinos at 7.3 percent during the first three months of the year.

Americans accounted for 5.4 percent, followed by Egyptians at 4.95 percent and Britons at 4.4 percent. The report did not disclose the value of remittances conducted by Chinese nationals who make up to 300,000 in the UAE.

Up to 75 percent of total remittances, amounting to 27.8 billion dirham (7.57 billion dollars), were conducted through money exchange companies during this period, an increase of 2.7 percent from the same period last year. Twenty-five percent thereof was done through banks.

The Central Bank attributed the hike in remittances to 2.2 percent in the average value of UAE Dirham against other currencies comparatively with the same period last year.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-05-07 23:18:31|Editor: yan

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PARIS, May 7 (Xinhua) -- The turnout at 17:00 local time (1500 GMT) in the ongoing runoff of the French presidential election on Sunday is 65.30 percent, lower than the figure in 2012, the French interior ministry announced.

In 2012, the turnout for the runoff at the same hour was registered at 71.96 percent.

In the first around of the election on April 23, the turnout at the same time was 69.42 percent.

The turnout released at noon on Sunday was 28.23 percent, also lower than the figure in 2012, which stood at 30.66 percent.

The two candidates standing for the presidency are centrist former minister of economy Emmanuel Macron and far-right candidate Marine Le Pen, who proposed very different visions for the future of France and Europe.

Nearly 47 million voters are expected to cast their ballots on Sunday in more than 66,000 polling stations on the French European continent.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-05-07 23:28:38|Editor: yan

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DHAKA, May 7 (Xinhua) -- Former Bangladeshi President Hussain Muhammad Ershad, considered a key ally of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's Awami League-led grand alliance government, on Sunday launched a new political coalition "United National Alliance (UNA)" ahead of the country's next general elections slated for early 2019.

Former military strongman Ershad, who ruled the country for nearly nine years from 1982 to 1990, launched the 58-party coalition at a press briefing in Dhaka on Sunday.

The former military ruler, now the special envoy to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, reiterated that his Jatiya Party has already walked out of the ruling Awami League-led Grand Alliance and said they are now playing the role as opposition party in the parliament.

There are now two leading political parties in Bangladesh - Awami League and Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) - besides some small political parties.

The Awami League leading coalition has been the ruling party since 2009.

Hasina's Awami League-led 14-party alliance returned to power in 2014 for its second consecutive term following an election boycotted by ex-Prime Minister Khaleda Zia's BNP-led 21-party alliance.
GRAND FORKS  A North Dakota man took to social media on Friday evening to complain he and his friends were denied drinks at a Grand Forks restaurant after a waitress  who has since been fired  asked which presidential candidate they voted for in November.

The Facebook post, shared more than 80 times by Saturday morning, May 6, was made by Lucas Mondry, a Minto native who was at Brick and Barley restaurant in downtown Grand Forks. According to his social media profile, he lives in Fargo and appears to be a student or recent graduate of North Dakota State University.

We were asked who we voted for, and because of our response we were denied our drinks, Mondry wrote in his post. I understand people can have their opinions, but I felt this was extremely unprofessional. I respect everyones right as a citizen to vote for whomever they choose and I expect the same. Extremely disappointed on how I was treated.

Mondry couldnt be reached for comment on Saturday.

Sarah Horak, one of the restaurants owners, offered an apology in a comment on Mondrys post.

Coming in should be fun and relaxing, which was definitely not what occurred this evening. When we were made aware of what happened, I immediately drove downtown and fired the employee. That was completely unacceptable behavior and I am so sorry, Horak wrote.

In a separate comment, she called it one of the shortest firing conversations of my career.

Reached for comment on Saturday, Horak indicated that Mondrys group indicated their preference for Donald Trump. She said the group then complained to staff at the bar, who apologized and alerted her. Were a small business. We cant afford for all these people to believe thats who we are as individuals or that we would allow that in our business.

It was an employee who went rogue and made her own choices, and unfortunately that has consequences, Horak said, expressing her hope that customers dont view the bar by the dismissed employees actions.

Fridays Cinco de Mayo incident at the Brick and Barley happened on the one-year anniversary of President Trumps now-infamous tweet from the campaign trail about taco bowls. Happy #CincoDeMayo! The best taco bowls are made in Trump Tower Grill. I love Hispanics! Trump tweeted.

In addition to last years May 5 tweet, Trumps immigration policies, border wall project and rhetoric towards Mexico have all drawn varying degrees criticism.

Horak stressed that she doesnt care about the political preferences of her restaurants patrons.

I care that you wanted to enjoy your time, she said.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-05-07 23:38:44|Editor: Mengjie

Photo taken on May 7, 2017 shows bridge cranes unloading goods from the merchant vessel (M.V.) COSCO Netherlands and loading goods to the vessel at Port of Piraeus, Greece. It is the 22nd day on the sea for the merchant vessel (M.V.) COSCO Netherlands to complete its voyage from China to Europe on a route known as the Maritime Silk Road. From the Pacific, the Indian Ocean to the Atlantic Ocean, and from the South China Sea, the Red Sea to the Mediterranean, the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road spans the oceans and extends beyond time and space. Covering a total of 7,878 nautical miles (14,590 km) from China's Yangshan Deep Water Port in Shanghai to the Greek Port of Piraeus in Europe, M.V. COSCO Netherlands has witnessed inter-connectivity, close partnership and win-win cooperation between the two sides on the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road from April 16 to May 7. As the largest port in Greece, Piraeus is one of the Top Ten European ports and one of the Top 50 container terminals in the world. Located in Southeast Greece, Piraeus is one of the nearest ports to the main shipping route from the Suez Canal to Gibraltar, and serves as a hub on the west end of the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road. (Xinhua/Yan Liang)

by Xinhua Writer Yan Liang

PIRAEUS, Greece, May 7 (Xinhua) -- It is the 22nd day on the sea for the merchant vessel (M.V.) COSCO Netherlands to complete its voyage from China to Europe on a route known as the Maritime Silk Road.

From the Pacific, the Indian Ocean to the Atlantic Ocean, and from the South China Sea, the Red Sea to the Mediterranean, the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road spans the oceans and extends beyond time and space.

Covering a total of 7,878 nautical miles (14,590 km) from China's Yangshan Deep Water Port in Shanghai to the Greek Port of Piraeus in Europe, M.V. COSCO Netherlands has witnessed inter-connectivity, close partnership and win-win cooperation between the two sides on the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road from April 16 to May 7.

KEY HUB ON WEST END OF 21ST CENTURY MARITIME SILK ROAD

COSCO Netherlands arrived at the port of Piraeus on late Saturday night where it unloaded 1,159 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEU). As the largest port in Greece, Piraeus is one of the Top Ten European ports and one of the Top 50 container terminals in the world.

Located in Southeast Greece, Piraeus is one of the nearest ports to the main shipping route from the Suez Canal to Gibraltar, and serves as a hub on the west end of the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road.

With superior shipping conditions, the port has a deep water area and well-maintained port facilities, which have made it a favorable port of transshipment for vessels.

On February 18, 2016, COSCO and China Shipping merged into COSCO SHIPPING, the world's largest integrated shipping group. In June 2008, the former COSCO won the international bid for a 35-year concession for the No. 2 and No. 3 piers at the port of Piraeus.

Piraeus Container Terminal S.A. (PCT), a subsidiary corporation of COSCO SHIPPING, has been formed and started to operate the No. 2 and No. 3 piers.

On August 10, 2016, COSCO SHIPPING acquired 67 percent of the shares of the Piraeus Port Authority (PPA), officially taking over the port's business.

HEARTWARMING FREE LUNCH

"Here in Greece, COSCO SHIPPING is not only seeking its own development, but also contributing to friendship between China and Greece. COSCO SHIPPING has helped solve the local employment problem," President of the PPA, Fu Chengqiu, told Xinhua.

"There are 276 employees at the PCT with outsourcing staff accounting for more than 1,200, but there are only seven Chinese managers including me. Today, we still firmly adhere to the commitment that there will be only seven Chinese managers despite further development and growth of the company," Fu said.

With years of hard work overseas, COSCO SHIPPING has become a well-recognized name card of China in Greece.

After taking over the operation business of the No. 2 and No. 3 piers, the management of COSCO SHIPPING decided to provide free lunch for its employees, as it was very hard to find a dining place around the port and some staffers could only bring their lunch from home.

Through such heartwarming measures, the employees of the PCT feel the warmth of the Chinese-funded company and have realized that its development would be the guarantee of their life in future.

Since the founding of the PCT, there has never been any strike. The local Greek employees are highly proud of this "strike-free mode."

DREAM EXTENDED BY CHINA-EUROPE LAND-SEA EXPRESS LINE

The 21st Century Maritime Silk Road has opened a channel for trade between China and Europe, while the China-Europe Land-Sea Express Line connecting Piraeus through COSCO SHIPPING has extended the Maritime Silk Road into the hinterland of Europe.

With more than 32 million people directly involved, the Express Line stretches from the port of Piraeus in the south to Budapest, Hungary in the north, and goes through Skopje of Macedonia and Belgrade in Serbia.

It has realized combined sea and land transportation, which means that after arriving at Piraeus, containers can be immediately transferred to railway before reaching Austria, the Czech Republic, Poland and other Central and Eastern European countries via the Express Line.

At present, some world-renowned manufacturers, such as Sony and the HP, have become loyal customers on the Express Line.

To further improve the service of Piraeus as the hub, COSCO SHIPPING opened express routes for container transportation between China and Europe in 2017, with Piraeus as the port of call. M.V. COSCO Netherlands has traveled through a part of the routes.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-05-08 00:24:09|Editor: yan

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VIENNA, May 7 (Xinhua) -- Austria commemorated the 72nd anniversary of the liberation of the Mauthausen concentration camp on Sunday, with 7,000 people including national leaders attending the memorial service.

The service held at the former site of the camp in the state of Upper Austria, this year had the motto "Internationality connects."

Austrian President Alexander Van der Bellen, Chancellor Christian Kern, and a number of senior officials went to the site to represent the government.

In a press statement, Van der Bellen said one must "work together for a world in which human rights, freedom and respect are ensured."

He further denounced nationalism as a "violation of the dignity of humans," and said that a rejection of all that is foreign "does not solve a single problem," but rather "creates new ones."

Kern also stated via a press release that the "commemoration is our obligation," and rejected "nationalism, chauvinism, and racism."

These are "showing their ugly grimaces again today," he added, and said they must be opposed "with our strongest weapons."
Source: Xinhua| 2017-05-08 00:33:57|Editor: yan

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ISLAMABAD, May 7 (Xinhua) -- A senior Pakistani military officer said Sunday that the country's security forces had killed over 50 Afghan security personnel in the recent cross-border firing.

Chief of the Pakistani paramilitary troops Major General Nadeem Ahmed said that about five Afghan posts were destroyed and more than 50 Afghan security personnel were killed in a recent exchange of firing and shelling.

Border troops of the two countries involved in hours of exchange of firing on Friday that caused casualties on both sides.

Pakistani army spokesman had said that the Afghan Border Police "opened fire" on Pakistani border forces Frontier Corps (FC) in charge of security of a population census team in southwestern Balochistan Province Friday.

However, Afghan officials had blamed Pakistan for "incursion" into Afghan side of the border.

Ahmed, however, described the events as unfortunate.

Afghan officials had confirmed the death of seven security personnel and some several civilians. Pakistan officials had said that three security men were among 12 people killed in the Afghan firing.

Both sides later declared ceasefire along the Chaman border.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-05-08 00:39:17|Editor: yan

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WINDHOEK, May 7 (Xinhua) -- Consultations on whether Namibia should set aside May 28 as a day of remembering the 1904-1908 genocide committed by German forces on the Nama and Herero tribes will start Monday.

German forces killed about 100,000 Namas and Hereros who resisted occupation, while many others were sent into concentration camps.

A Parliamentary Standing Committee on Constitution and Legal Affairs will consult traditional leaders across the country on the proposed National Genocide Remembrance Day.

The motion to declare a remembrance day was moved by the leader of the South West African National Union party Usutuaije Maamberua in April 2016.

May 28 was proposed because this was the day when the Germans released the tribesmen from concentration camps.

The standing committee will report its finding to the National Assembly.

Both the Nama and the Herero have taken the German government to court in the United States, demanding an apology and reparations.

The Government of Namibia has also started proceedings that could see them demanding billions from the German government.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-05-08 01:49:52|Editor: yan

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CHICAGO, May 7 (Xinhua) -- A Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) bus and a car collided in the West Side neighborhood of Chicago early Sunday morning, leaving four people dead, tweets from the Chicago Fire Department said.

The car was heading west at high speed, struck a parked car, lost control, and crashed head-on into the eastbound CTA bus.

All four people in the car were rushed to hospital in critical condition, but were announced dead later.

The bus driver and three passengers on the bus were also taken to hospital but their injuries were not life threatening.

The police is investigating the cause of the incident.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-05-08 02:20:13|Editor: yan

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STOCKHOLM, May 7 (Xinhua) -- Swedish authorities detained 9 workers without work permits at a construction site in southern Stockholm, Swedish public television broadcaster SVT reported Sunday.

The Swedish Work Environment Authority and the Border Police raided a construction site in southern Stockholm where 100 new apartments are being built. Nine people from Uzbekistan who were here on tourist visas have been put in detention and will be repatriated because they lack work permits.

The sub-contractor now faces stiff fines.

Mikael Roos, an inspector with the Swedish Work Environment Authority, said the company did not have order in its personnel register.

It is unclear how big the fines against the companies will be, but according to the Swedish Work Environment Authority, the sub-contractor was not following the laws.

"The building company is a Swedish company with foreign workers and that is where the law has been broken. They probably don't have the correct terms of employment. What it says on the paper and what is happening in reality does not match. The Swedish Economic Crime Authority and the Swedish Tax Authority are investigating," Mikael Roos said.

The Swedish government presented several measures to address the problem of people living in Sweden illegally, in the wake of the truck attack on April 7. The new measures include cracking down on companies that hire undocumented workers.

On April 7, a man hijacked a truck and drove it down one of Stockholm's busiest pedestrian streets, killing five people and injuring 15 others. One woman who was severely injured in the attack died three weeks later in the hospital.

Rakhmat Akilov, a man from Uzbekistan who was living underground after his asylum application was rejected, told police that he was the driver of the truck.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-05-08 02:35:06|Editor: yan

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LAGOS, May 7 (Xinhua) -- Nigeria's Minister of Communications, Adebayo Shittu, on Sunday expressed optimism that more schoolgirls abducted by the Boko Haram terrorist would be released soon.

Eighty-two schoolgirls abducted by the Boko Haram terrorist group were released in exchange for the freedom of some Boko Haram suspects on Saturday.

Speaking at a forum in the southwestern city of Ibadan, the minister said more of the girls held hostage by the insurgents would be set free as government was adopting the same method used in brokering the earlier releases.

He said the current administration was averse to propaganda, adding that it was diligently working hard to put the country on the path of growth and development.

"Electricity has improved, price of petroleum products has stabilized, corruption has reduced to the barest minimum, Boko Haram is no longer in control of territories and the Niger Delta issue has been resolved," Shittu told his audience.

Meanwhile, the Bring Back Our Girls Group (BBOG) has applauded the government and security agencies on the release of the 82 Chibok girls.

The commendation came in a statement signed by the Convener of the group and former minister, Oby Ezekwesili on Sunday in Abuja, the nation's capital.

She said the efforts that led to the freedom of the girls were through the combined efforts of security agencies, the military, the government of Switzerland, the Red Cross, local and international NGOs.

She said the group members were delighted by the good news which followed the release of 21 girls in October 2016.

"We commend Mr President, the Federal Government and all the other partners for this heartwarming development," she said.

"We are also glad that the statement from the Presidency makes a strong commitment to rescuing the remaining 113 of our Chibok girls that are still captives of terrorists," Ezekwesili added.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-05-08 03:10:40|Editor: liuxin

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Newly released Chibok girls wait to receive medical check-up after arriving in Abuja, Nigeria, May 7, 2017. Nigerian President Muhammed Buhari on Sunday evening received the newly released 82 Chibok girls at his official residence in the Presidential Villa, Abuja, the nation's capital. (Xinhua/Olatunji obasa)

LAGOS, May 7 (Xinhua) -- Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari on Sunday evening received the newly released 82 Chibok girls at his official residence in the Presidential Villa, Abuja, the nation's capital.

The country's Minister of Women Affairs, Aisha Alhassan arrived with the girls in two white Nigerian Army buses.

A Xinhua reporter said the buses had window blinds that made it impossible to see the faces of the girls.

The girls were received behind closed doors by the President as only Nigeria Television Authority (NTA) Cameraman and the President's Personal Photographer, Bayo Omoboriowo were allowed in.

Service Chiefs and many top government officials were also at the meeting, the reporter said.

The girls were released on Saturday after negotiation with the militants.

This brings to 103 the girls already freed by the Boko Haram militants.

The first batch of 21 were freed last October with the aid of the Red Cross and Switzerland. Two others walked into freedom on their own, making 105 girls out of the Boko Haram clutches.

Over 200 girls were kidnapped at Chibok Girls Secondary School on April 14, 2014, to the shock of many Nigerians and the international community.

The Buhari administration, since it came into office on May 29, 2015, has been working toward freeing all the girls still in captivity.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-05-08 04:51:44|Editor: yan

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PARIS, May 7 (Xinhua) -- Emmanuel Macon, the 39-year-old former minister of economy, won the 2017 runoff French presidential election on Sunday, defeating his far-right rival Marine Le Pen, according to polling agency projections.

The projections indicate that Macron garnered between 65 to 66.1 percent of votes, and Le Pen between 33.9 to 35 percent.

The results will make Macron, who has never held an elected office, the eighth president of the French Fifth Republic and the youngest ever leader of the European powerhouse.

From a middle-class family in Amiens, northeast France, Macron obtained a master's degree of philosophy at Paris Nanterre University and a master's degree in public affairs at Paris Institute of Political Studies (Science Po), before training for a civil service career at National School of Administration (ENA).

After graduation, he worked as a finance inspector in the ministry of economy between 2004 and 2008.

From 2008 to 2012, he worked as an investment banker at Rothschild & Cie Banque.

Macron was an advisor to Francois Hollande during his election campaign and later became Hollande's economy minister in 2014.

He was one of main figures that forged the law on growth and activity, as well as the Responsibility Pact, flagship pieces of the Socialist government's roadmap to revive sluggish growth and lower unemployment in France.

Two years later, he quit his post to launch his bid for the 2017 presidential election, and created his own political movement "En Marche!" (On the Move!), which he described "neither in the left nor in the right."

Throughout his campaign, Macron has been portraying himself as a "candidate for jobs," and proposing "progressive" measures to "pull France into the 21st century."

He pledged to further reduce French high employment charges and increase workers' minimum wages by 500 euros (549 U.S. dollars) per year by cutting taxes on wages. He also wants to raise taxes on consumption and wealthy pensioners.

Furthermore, he promised to cut public expenditure by 60 billion euros (65 billion U.S. dollars) in order to stick to France's commitments to bring down budget deficit to GDP (gross domestic product) ratio to the eurozone threshold of 3 percent.

He also vowed to reduce corporate tax to 25 percent from the current 33.3 percent and to slash civil servant jobs by 120,000.

In addition, he proposed a public investment scheme worth 50 billion euros (54 billion U.S. dollars) aimed at improving training, financing energy transition and modernizing the country's administrative services.

As for unemployment issue, the centrist candidate vowed to lower joblessness rate to 7 percent by 2022 from the current 9.7 percent.

Macron promised to boost the defense budget, create 10,000 police jobs and 4,000 to 5,000 teaching jobs.

On governance, he planned to cut number of lawmakers by a third in both the Senate and National Assembly and ban the hiring of family-members as assistants of lawmakers.

Macron is also known for his pro-European Union (EU) position, pledging to "revive the European project," which made him the favorite of Brussels and Berlin throughout the campaign.

Macron is married to Brigitte Trogneux, his high school teacher who is 25 years his senior.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-05-08 05:02:38|Editor: yan

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LAGOS, May 7 (Xinhua) -- Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari is to proceed to London on Sunday night for follow-up medical consultation with his doctors, a statement said.

The statement signed by Femi Adesina, the president's spokesperson added that the Nigerian leader had planned to leave Sunday afternoon, but decided to tarry a bit, due to the arrival of 82 Chibok girls who arrived in Abuja earlier in the day.

The statement quoted Buhari as assuring all Nigerians that there is no cause for worry.

Adesina said the length of the President's stay in London will be determined by the doctors, saying that government will continue to function normally under the able leadership of the Vice President.

"President Buhari has transmitted letters about the trip to the Senate and the House of Representatives, in compliance with Section 145 (1) of the 1999 Constitution," he added.

The Nigerian leader had traveled to London in January for a similar check up. He returned on March 10.

Last June, the President also traveled to check for an ear infection.
Ed Simek was sailing across the Pacific Ocean on Aug. 6, 1945, when he learned the United States had dropped an atomic bomb on Hiroshima.

Historians will continue to debate whether it was a good choice, but, at least for that day, Simek was grateful.

"The atomic bomb saved my life," he said.

The U.S. Army was amassing troops to invade Japan, just as had been done in Europe on D-Day. He was intended for the front lines.

"It wasn't a good feeling," he recalled of riding the ship. "I'm sure I would've been one of the first."

Simek was in Okinawa, awaiting his turn to fight in Japan, when the U.S. dropped the second atomic bomb on Nagasaki and Japan surrendered.

"What a joyous time it was for us," said Simek, now 93. "We were overwhelmed with happiness."

Instead of marching into Japan, Simek was deployed to South Korea, where he worked as a radio operator for two years. He transmitted messages about refugees traversing the country. Set up atop a hill, he and five other radio operators used a three-quarter ton Dodge pickup to power the equipment.

In February 1947, he returned to Minnesota and married his sweetheart, Genevieve.

He translated the skills he learned in the Army into a career in radio and television back home. He attended radio school in Minneapolis with help from the GI bill. Then he moved to Devils Lake to work at KLDR radio. In 1957, he moved to Bismarck to work at Meyer Broadcasting, which became KFYR-TV.

"I'm grateful to the government for giving me the education they promised," Simek said.

After he retired in 1991, he worked with Meals on Wheels for the next 24.5 years, becoming the local organization's longest-serving and oldest driver.

It has been hard for Simek to watch the country become involved in more wars shortly after the big victories in Germany and Japan.

"We thought, surely, now we're going to have peace forever. But it wasn't to be. Shortly thereafter, we got into the Korean War and Vietnam," he said. "It tears a veteran's heart apart that we worked so hard to have peace, and now it's all coming apart. And it will never be the same."

Reflecting back on the atomic bomb today, Simek acknowledges the considerable harm done, but contends that it may have been worth it as thousands of Americans and Japanese were saved, he said.

But he's not sure if the atomic bomb would work as well today, given the recent turbulence and smaller factions in conflict with one another.

"Today is even more unsettled than at the time the bomb was developed," Simek said. "A simple mistake by one could be a tragedy for the whole world."
Russian President Vladimir Putin (5th-R) talks with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan(4th-R) during the World Energy Congress (WEC) in Turkey's Istanbul, on Oct. 10, 2016. The two presidents signed an agreement on the same day on piping Russian natural gas to Turkey and possibly Europe. (Xinhua/WEC)

MOSCOW, May 7 (Xinhua) -- Russian gas giant Gazprom said on Sunday the construction of the Turkish Stream gas pipeline had begun under the Black Sea.

"The project is being implemented strictly according to the schedule, and our Turkish and European customers will have a reliable new route for importing Russian gas by the end of 2019," Gazprom CEO Alexei Miller is cited as saying in a statement.

Pipe-laying works began off the Russian coast of the Black Sea, the statement specified.

The Turkish Stream project, initiated by Russian President Vladimir Putin in 2014, intends to deliver Russian natural gas to Turkey and European markets through the Black Sea.

It was suspended amid escalated tensions caused by Turkey's downing of a Russian warplane in November 2014, and negotiations resumed in the middle of last year as bilateral relations were improved. Earlier in March, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that cooperation plans for the project have started getting back on track.

According to an agreement signed by Moscow and Ankara last October, two lines of the undersea section of the Turkish Stream gas pipeline will be built with the annual capacity of each to reach 15.75 billion cubic meters of natural gas.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-05-08 05:23:08|Editor: yan

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by Burak Akinci

ANKARA, May 7 (Xinhua) -- Dissident voices inside Turkey's main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) have sharply criticized their leader Kemal Kilicdaroglu of failing to win the crucial referendum which granted executive powers to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and pressing the leadership to hold an extraordinary congress amid growing dissent.

The intra-party unrest took a drastic turn on Saturday evening when one of the prominent figures of the party, Selin Says Boke announced her resignation as vice-chairman responsible of economy and spokeswoman, accusing the leadership of weakness and insufficient reactions against the referendum results.

In a written statement, Boke, a young and energetic lawmaker from the western Izmir province and seen as a rising star of CHP, criticized the party for its stance following the constitutional referendum.

"I do not think it is suitable for me to be a part of the current administration's mentality," said Boke, who suggested that the CHP should boycott the parliament after the referendum.

Erdogan, who is leading Turkey for 15 years, cemented his authority at a very tight referendum win on April 16th that granted him sweeping new powers. Turkish voters narrowly (51.4 percent) approved a raft of constitutional amendments that will transform the country from a parliamentary democracy into a presidential one.

The changes allow Erdogan to run for office for two more terms, potentially governing as the head of a powerful executive until 2029. They remove key oversight powers from the legislature and abolish the role of prime minister.

The CHP campaigned very hard for "no" vote at the referendum. In an exclusive interview to Xinhua ahead of the vote, Kilicdaroglu was confident that his camp will win and the powers now entrusted to Erdogan would drive Turkey head-on into "catastrophe."

His party challenged the results of the vote, which they claimed have been rigged, appealing for an annulation of the referendum but the bid has been rejected by every court, leaving supporters and some dissidents of CHP in rising dissent.

A congress of this historic political party founded by Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, founder of modern Turkish Republic on the ruins of the Ottoman Empire, is planned for the end of this year, but several heavyweights are appealing for an immediate extraordinary congress to challenge Kemal Kilicdaroglu.

"With the central executive board meeting held on May 3, we have commenced the regular congress process," CHP Deputy Chair Tekin Bingol told reporters last week after the party's weekly meeting.

"We held our 35th regular congress on Jan. 15 and 16, after which we commenced the congress process in 2015. Our regulations oblige us to hold a congress every two years. For this reason, within this year, we must schedule our party congresses and hold our regular congress on the date that our party assembly will decide on," Bingol added.

His comments came after former CHP leader Deniz Baykal urged Kilicdaroglu to convene an extraordinary congress to determine the party's presidential candidate and even mentioned the name of former President Abdullah Gul, one of Erdogan's historic ally, stirring a bitter debate.

Following Baykal, deputy and former minister Fikri Saglar also criticized Kilicdaroglu, vowing to stand as a candidate for the party leadership if an extraordinary congress is held.

"Kilicdaroglu campaigned against the 'one man' in the referendum, but he himself became the only man in the campaign," Saglar said.

However, Kilicdaroglu, who has led the CHP since 2010, blasted dissident voices in the party.

"We will never allow an inner-party fight ... We will get rid of those who cause such fights. I will show the door to whoever harms this party," he said after which the CHP's central board launched initial disciplinary proceedings against Saglar.

Bingol also stated that the CHP will continue to reject the referendum results in the coming period, as legal works to complete the appeal to the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) continue.

Prominent CHP deputy Muharrem Ince, who had in the last years challenged party leader Kilicdaroglu, has once again called for an extraordinary general assembly to hold a leadership election one of the many of the latest years.

"This general assembly should be consecrated to elect a new president," he said to journalists. He was in fact referring to the presidential election scheduled for 2019, when Turkey's first executive presidential election will be held, in line with the constitutional revision adopted by Turks.

Ince said that the CHP must fight against "internalizing the spirit of defeat," calling the party who lost each and every election against the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) since the later came to power in November 2002.

"There is need to refresh the party," argued Ince, but his remarks do not convince many of fellow CHP members.

"The CHP is a democratic party. Everyone has the right to speak their mind but at this stage the majority don't think that a change of the leadership is needed," Yildirim Kaya, a prominent member of the party said to Xinhua.

Kaya argued that CHP's referendum campaign was successful, because the "no" prevailed in the three biggest cities of Turkey, Istanbul, Ankara and Izmir.

Spokeswoman Boke's unexpected resignation may have come as a shock, but according to experts others will not follow and this action will not have a big impact on party matters.

"This resignation is something very personal. No other high ranking official of the party is expected to do the same," said to Xinhua political commentator Deniz Zeyrek.

"I just spoke to Kemal Kilicdaroglu and he told me that an extraordinary congress is out of the question," he said.

The CHP has become for many an anchor to the Turkish democracy after the coup attempt against Erdogan last summer, engineered according to Ankara, by followers of the US exiled muslim cleric Fethullah Gulen.

In the aftermath of the coup attempt, Erdogan and his government carried out a massive crackdown targeting the Gulen network but also other opposition circles, dismissing tens of thousands of civil servants, army and police members and also academics.

At first, the CHP mobilized in support of the government, but in the wake of the crackdown, the party slammed Erdogan more than ever for his "authoritarian" rule, accusing him of being aware of the coup plot and "controlling" it for his benefit in order.

Now, the oldest party of modern Turkey is facing yet another dissidence which may weaken her hand against the governing AKP, where Erdogan returned in line of the constitutional changes. Erdogan will retake the presidency of the party that he founded in 2012 at a congress.

"It is realy disturbing to see the party being swirled into chaos on such a difficult time. Everyone has to think first at the welfare of CHP," urged vice chairman Erdal Aksunger, in televised remarks.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-05-08 05:58:19|Editor: yan

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ALGIERS, April 7 (Xinhua)- - Algeria on Sunday reiterated the commitment of Libya's neighboring nations to continue their efforts in a bid to help warring parties in Libya to restore peace and reach national reconciliation.

"The political agreement reached in 2015 between Libyan warring parties in Morocco should be the corner stone for sustainable resolution to the Libyan crisis," Algerian Minister for Maghreb Affairs, Arab League and African Union, Abdelkader Messahel, told reporters after his talks with Head of the United Nations Support Mission in Libya Martin Kobler, On the eve of the 11th ministerial meeting of Libya's neighboring countries due on Monday in Algiers.

"Libya's neighboring nations are committed to help Libyans to reach final solution to their crisis, and this commitment should not be seen as interference in Libya's affairs," Messahel noted.

For his part, Kobler stressed "the key role of Libya's neighboring nations in restoring peace and security to this North African country. He noted "that the 11th ministerial meeting of Libya's neighboring countries is a great opportunity to boost peace process there."

The UN official further added that the international community has to make more efforts to help Libyans regain peace and stability, stressing "Libyans themselves have been requiring support for the settlement of their crisis."

Algiers on Monday hosts a meeting of Libya's neighboring nations, to assess developments and discuss the peace process there.

The neighboring nations of Libya are Tunisia, Algeria, Niger, Chad, Sudan and Egypt.

Libyan protagonists reached a shaky peace accord following UN-sponsored talks held in the Moroccan resort of Skhirat on Dec. 2015, in an attempt to put an end to more than six years of civil war.

A national unity government and a cabinet were established led by Prime Minister Fayez al-Seraj, whose top mission is to unite Libya's two warring parliaments.

Libya now has two rival parliaments, namely the internationally recognized one, based in the eastern port city of Tobruk, and the General National Congress based in capital city Tripoli supported by General Haftar.
Barataria man shot dead

Dead is Rasheed Khan, 41, from 8th Avenue, North Barataria.

According to police, at about 7.15 pm officers of the Tunapuna crime patrol received information of an incident at Caura Royal Road.

When they arrived, they found a resident with a bleeding Khan in his vehicle who was about to take him to hospital.

Police were informed that earlier Khan was parked in his Nissan Wingroad when he was approached by two men who fired several shots, hitting him in the chest. The men then escaped.

Khan was taken to Eric Williams Medical Sciences Complex, Mt Hope and efforts were made to save his life but he died at about 9.20 pm. At about 7.20 pm, two men were held in the area and a firearm seized.

In an unrelated incident, the body of a man was discovered by workers of the Community- Based Environmental Protection and Enhancement Programme at the Tunapuna cemetery yesterday morning.

Police say the man appeared to be an aged person and possibly a vagrant.

Enquiries are continuing into both matters.
Maduro a dictator

Local psychic Yesenia Gonzalez, a Venezuelan who has been residing in this country for a number of years, told Sunday Newsday the march went very well and many Venezuelan professionals came out.

Gonzalez said Maduro is a dictator and people are being killed and children are starving due to lack of food. She said many Venezuelans are running from the country because of the food shortage and the difficulties they face.

Sometimes they only get one item to eat a day. Is that a good government? she asked.

She said those who are fighting for their freedom in Venezuela are being crushed and within the country the news is being controlled. Sunday Newsday attempted to contact Trinidadians in Venezuela last week but was informed that they were afraid to speak out, even off the record.

On April 28, local Venezuelans held a 10 minute protest outside the Venezuelan Embassy.

Local protesters have criticised Venezuelan Ambassador to this country Coromoto Godoy-Calder?n saying she has been downplaying the crisis in Venezuela in her public statements.

Last Friday, National Security Minister Edmund Dillon said Government continues to monitor the situation without getting involved in the internal affairs of Venezuela. Responding to a question in the House of Representatives, Dillon said the situation in the South American nation, continues to be very fluid and dynamic. The minister said an impact analysis of the situation is ongoing, with respect to various scenarios and possible courses of action. He identified the immigration flow out of Venezuela, narco- trafficking, gun trafficking and human trafficking as some things being actively monitored.

Dillon said Government liaises regularly with our military attache in Venezuela and also holds periodic meetings with the Venezuelan Embassy in TT. The minister explained that Venezuelan citizens can stay for 90 days in TT without a visa.
Sinanan: Hillside houses triggers flooding

So said Works and Transport Minister Rohan Sinanan, yesterday, as he visited the Arouca/Maloney constituency and other areas along the East-West Corridor as part his countrywide tour.

He has already been to nine constituencies and is expected to complete the other 30 in Trinidad in the ensuing months.

Sinanan was accompanied by Planning and Development Minister and Arouca/Maloney MP Camille Robinson-Regis and officials from PURE (Programme For Upgrading Roads Efficiency).

What we have on the East-West Corridor is a lot more flooding problems now. The reason for that is because of the amount of new developments that taking place. A lot of the developments now are happening on the hillsides and those developments are causing problems downstream, Sinanan said.

He said the existing infrastructure along the corridor was not built for the increasing number of developments in the region.

Sinanan, who listened to the complaints of residents, said the drainage division of the ministry needed to be more stringent in handling developers, especially in the area of water retention.

So, what we are looking at now basically, is putting in some retention ponds as we go along because the amount of water coming out and the size of the developments, the infrastructure really was not built for that, he said.

Sinanan observed that pipes also were running through and under bridges.

Maybe in the past the water flow may have allowed that. It is just not going to work now, he said.

So, it may mean that we have to ask WASA (Water and Sewerage Authority) to come a relocate some pipes and all that so at least we can clear under some of the bridges. Asked what has been the major issue he has encountered during his visits to constituencies, Sinanan said: Different areas have different problems. On the East-West Corridor, basically what we saw is flooding. He said several squatter developments also had sprung up in the DAbadie/OMeara constituency So, you have a lot of people building on the river banks and watercourse banks and I saw a place where there was a commercial building with the foundation in the river just to expand on the land size. Saying that flooding and road rehabilitation were among the issues plaguing Arouca/Maloney, Sinanan said the assured that the problems will be fixed in the shortest possible time.

We looking at the jobs and prioritising them to bring the most relief to residents. We are looking at what could be done immediately so we can get it done immediately and then as funding comes available, then you programme the more major projects, he said.

Sinanan observed some areas had pavements but no roadway.

I am wondering, no houses and no road but pavement, why are we wasting money in areas like that.

The idea now with the funds flowing in the way that it is, we have to make sure that wherever we spend money, we actually get value for money.
NJAC: Probe TSTT/Massy deal

On May 2, TSTT CEO Dr Ronald Walcott announced the company had signed a share purchase agreement to acquire 100 percent of Massy Communications Limited.

NJAC in a release yesterday stated that such a significant transaction involving a substantial amount of public funds should not be shrouded in secrecy, especially at a time when citizens are being faced with so much economic hardship and increasing taxation NJAC also stated it considered the alleged failure of the TSTT board to disclose this acquisition to the Finance Minister, and by extension the Cabinet, to be a direct breach of the law governing State enterprises as outlined in the State Enterprises Performance Monitoring Manual.

The party also pointed out that chapter three of the manual states that State Enterprises or their subsidiaries are required to obtain prior approval of the Minister of Finance for the acquisition of significant assets, new investments in non-government securities, the incurrence of new/additional long-term debt and entering into significant contracts (relative to the company). NJAC pointed out that is in accordance with the Incorporation Act No. 5 of 1973, Chapter 69:03.

NJAC is also in total disagreement with the chairman of TSTT, Mr Emile Elias, that the acquisition of Massy Communications by TSTT, is an operational decision, and therefore falls within the remit of management. NJAC is of the view that any decision by a corporation, either private or public, that would have a long term effect on the entire direction of the firm is a strategic one. The responsibility for strategic decisions within state enterprises lies strictly with the board of directors.

NJAC therefore calls for full transparency and accountability in this matter involving TSTT and Massy Communications.
Kamla, Hinds row over water

The sparring over water occurred during debate on an urgent matter of public importance in the Lower House.

Persad-Bissessar cited recent news headlines of water woes in areas such as Todds Road, Chatham, Lopinot, Penal, Moruga, St Barbs (Laventille), Maracas and Las Cuevas.

It seems to be a widespread problem.

I have had first hand experience. What has happened? Citing promises made in the Peoples National Movement 2015 general election manifesto of sustainability in water supply, she said, About 20 months later they have failed miserably. She said people now face pain and trauma as WASA is allegedly not fulfilling its own water delivery schedule, leaving some people to pay $1,000 per truckload illegally.

Persad-Bissessar said if there is no shortage in the nations reservoirs, public complaints of non-supply must be due to poor management of water distribution. She asked how schools or tourist hotels could function without a water supply.

Hinds, in reply, cited news headlines from 2011, 2013and 2015 all lamenting water shortages saying it is nothing new, as he accused Persad-Bissessar of trying to create panic.

He said WASA has told him that the water- levels in their reservoirs are now above average. He proposed using the Madamas River as a new source of water supply.

Hinds estimated that 50 percent of WASAs water supply is lost in leaking pipelines. He challenged an Opposition claim to have supplied 73 percent of all homes.
Khan: Its a private matter

However, Khan has said the dispute is between private companies and he cannot get involved.

Ramdeen, at a media conference held at Suite 404, Long Circular Mall, St James, called on Khan to mediate in the Parenco Trinidad and Tobago and Mora Oil Ventures dispute which led to Mora halting production in the Teak, Poui and Samaan offshore fields in east Trinidad in December 2015.

Ramdeen noted Parenco is the operator of the fields while Petrotrin and the National Gas Company (NGC) each own 10 percent, which means a minimum of 20 percent of government shareholding.

The Ministry of Energy and the Minister of Energy cannot simply sit back and say this is a private matter between two commercial entities. There is a public stakeholding in this matter and the Minister of Energy has a duty to act under the Petroleum Act and resolve this matter. He said workers employed with Mora, who were at the media conference, and all affected stakeholders are calling on Khan to act.

We are not threatening court action, as yet, but we are calling on the Minister of Energy to do what is right and to exercise his powers - bring this parties together and resolve these matters so that these people that you see here today could start back working.

They could start back providing for their families. These companies can start back producing oil and the people of Trinidad and Tobago can start back collecting the royalties and taxes that they are due from the production of oil off the east coast. Lennon Richardson, operation technician 2, said, We are not in the habit of asking for handouts but being unemployed since December 2015, all we are really asking is for the Ministry of Energy, the Minister of Energy to intervene and just have a speedy resolution of this issue so everybody could get back their lives together. He said when oil is taken out of the ground it is metered and this issue surrounds a report where Mora was challenging the fact that Repsol, which was later taken over by Parenco, were putting forward figures which they knew did not properly represent what was being taken out of the ground.

And therefore the Minister of Energy said it was in the interest of all the stakeholders to get this meter back on the platform working properly, install new meters if we have to. He said they have proposed to the Energy Minister and to Parenco that they are prepared to purchase and install new meters, which is a cost that should be shared by all the parties. This is not a well that is producing two or three barrels of oil per day.

This is an oilfield that has 200 million barrels of oil and if it is that the Government of Trinidad and Tobago cannot properly measure what is taken out it puts them in a very embarrassing, prejudicial position in terms of collecting revenues and royalties from what is taken out of the ground. Ramdeen stressed if what is taken out of the ground is undervalued and there is a lower figure it not only affects the revenue of Mora but it affects the ability of the ministry and the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago to collect what is actually due to them.

He recalled that when the Energy Minister had meetings with Parenco and with him, (Khan) indicated that this was a matter that could be easily resolved. He reported the minister agreed to have all parties meet to resolve the issues.

He said Parenco said they would be free to negotiate with legal proceedings hanging over their head and in response Mora chose to withdraw the action they had begun.

Khan, contacted yesterday, said he met with Mora and Parenco as well as oil companies operating in Trinidad.

He said the impasse is about a sales and purchase agreement which is between two private companies and he offered to assist in the metering of the oil and the type of meters. He added he cannot be involved in the resolution of the impasse.

They have to sort out their issues. The ministry is willing to assist in metering, where it is placed, the type that have to be used and the accuracy. He confirmed Petrotrin and NGC have a stake in Parenco but not the Mora fields.
Nick Herringer claps along with a metronome. He draws lines on a big screen, repeating patterns drawn by the computer. He identifies icons of cars when they flash before his eyes. This is the 22-year-olds speech and cognitive therapy, which he has been doing at least twice a week. Every wee
The battered tourism sector in Tunisia has received a much needed boost from Chinas Shanghai World Travel Fair which celebrated the north African country as the Best African Tourist Destination in 2017.

This timely distinction will add fresh impetus to the tourism sector in Tunisia as it seeks to diversify its tourist sources. It will also help Tunisia showcase its tourism attractions in China, the largest tourists emitting market in the globe with 100 million travellers annually.

Last year, Chinese tourists visiting Tunisia rose by 94% to stand at 7396 tourists. This year the number of Chinese visitors to Tunisia jumped 400% during the first quarter of 2017 compared to the same period last year.

Tourism was severely impacted by the terrorist attacks that struck Tunisia in 2015 scarring the countrys reputation as a holiday destination. Russians and Algerians have to some extent saved the tourist season in 2016 after ISIS attacks deterred tourists hailing from the traditional markets of France, Britain, Germany and the Netherlands.

The 2015 attacks tarred the image of a peaceful Mediterranean country in north Africa where tourism is a vital sector in the economy and main source of hard currency as well as the largest employer.

In 2010, Tunisia boasted 7m tourist arrivals and revenues reached $3.5 billion. But arrivals fell to 5.5 million last year and tourism receipts plummeted to $1.5 billion.

The repercussion of the decline of the tourism sector were felt in a slow economic growth, standing at a meagre 1% and the depreciation of the Tunisian dinar which hit record lows against the US dollar.
Students of local history will come across the name John Grant (1796-1887) many times in any research of Jackson County's outstanding leaders.

The Singing River Genealogy-Local History Library (formerly Pascagoula Genealogy and Local History Department) has a small collection of Grant's original letters and documents that the public is welcome to see.

John Grant was deemed Father of the Port of Pascagoula.

The collection brings up close and personal the life of this man who was called the "Father of the Port of Pascagoula." Much more background on him is found in history books and articles of his era, the first half of the 1800s.

A Mississippi State Historical Marker on South Pascagoula Street in Pascagoula states: "Tomb 1/2 block west. Built the first railroad in old Southwest, 1831. Invented passing track and raised platform. Dredged Grant's pass: & E. branch Pascagoula River. Legislator in Miss. Ala. & La., voting for Ala. Charter to N.O. & M (L&N), 1866."

Grant was born in Pennsylvania. His unusual talents and genius for things mechanical were recognized at the early age of nine when he went out into the world to make a living as a mechanic. In an undated article by Rowland Stockk it was noted at age 12 he was the chief support of his mother and eight siblings.

By age 25 he had built and was operating a much-improved dredging machine in Baltimore Harbor. In 1827 he moved south to build a dredge for the federal government at Mobile and spent the rest of his life in Alabama, Mississippi or Louisiana. He was described as "one of the best practical hydraulic engineers in the country."

He built the New Orleans and Lake Pontchartrain Railroad and invented the first elevated railroad platforms for more efficient loading and unloading.

He is responsible for the creation of a channel to connect Mobile Bay and the Mississippi Sound, forever known as Grant's Pass. It was a significant economic development opening a vigorous trade between Mobile and New Orleans.

In 1840 he dredged the east branch of the Pascagoula River and helped to develop East Pascagoula Beach that became a draw for tourists for many years.

He lived in Covington, La., during the Civil War but was known as a strong Union man. He served in three different state legislatures as noted in his marker.

According to the "New Orleans Times Picayune," at his death he left behind four children, 29 grandchildren and 78 great grandchildren, or 111 living descendants.

For updates on collections and programs of the SRGLH Library, check out its Facebook page.
From rejection, contradiction, collusion to conviction

 25  2017-5-7 11:32 |:Thought Leader|: 

From rejection, contradiction, collusion to conviction: A journal of science to faith

(everyone is unique: find your own uniqueness - a life journey. You can bounce your own to others, but it's still your own pursue - you can't accept what others find as in your human nature.)





"What do you got to lose by believing in God? " Pastor Greg Lauie told me when I's in his seminar room.

Yes. The older you're, the more you think about spituality - most of my former classmates as atheist, now inquire about where they'll go after death, pursuing their journey of faith. How? where to start? An alumna Cao Yanxia WeChat her finding, as below.





My conviction was you can't come to faith by investigation, detective as what as human you're limited - hard to ponder what God thinks and does - but if you're such, you're your own way to your faith. Here is an example.





~~





Lee Patrick Strobel (born January 25, 1952) is an American Christian apologetic author and a former investigative journalist. [1] He has written several books, including four which received ECPA Christian Book Awards (1994, 1999, 2001, 2005) [2] and a series which addresses challenges to a Biblically inerrant view of Christianity. [3] Strobel also hosted a television program called Faith Under Fire on PAX TV, [4] and runs a video apologetics web site. Strobel has been interviewed on numerous national television programs, including ABC's 20/20, Fox News, and CNN. [5]





~~

LEE STROBEL Case For Christ Full Documentary) Special Upload Movies

https://www.google.com/webhp?tab=mw&ei=Ml0PWdSLEorX-QH195jICQ&ved=0EKkuCAgoAQ#q=Lee+strobel+movie&spf=1 (Case For Christ Full Documentary)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vaQxCyoalJQ (The Case for Faith)

Excellent!! I loved The case for the Creator too. Thanks for making these videos. Its so sad that even with evidences like these there are people who refuse to consider and think themselves smart when the deride Christianity and its claims. Paul was right when he said that the god of this world has blinded the eyes of those who do not believe.... 2 Corinthians 4:4.Open their eyes Lord that they see the light of this glorious gospel.





~~ the book at Amzon ~~

The Case for Christ Movie Edition: Solving the Biggest Mystery of All Time (Case for ... Series)Paperback February 28, 2017

Is there credible evidence that Jesus of Nazareth really is the Son of God?

Now a major motion picture, Case for Christ, Strobel retraces his own spiritual journey from atheism and former legal editor of the Chicago Tribune to faith. Strobel cross-examines a dozen experts with doctorates from schools like Cambridge, Princeton, and Brandeis who are recognized authorities in their own fields. He challenges them with questions like, how reliable is the New Testament? Does evidence for Jesus exist outside the Bible? Is there any reason to believe the resurrection was an actual event?

Strobels tough, point-blank questions read like a captivating, fast-paced novel. But its not fiction. Its a riveting quest for the truth about historys most compelling figure.

The new edition includes scores of revisions and additions, including updated material on archaeological and manuscript discoveries, fresh recommendations for further study, and an interview with the author that tells dramatic stories about the book's impact, provides behind-the-scenes information, and responds to critiques of the book by skeptics. As The Case for Christ and its ancillary resources approach 10 million copies in print, this updated edition will prove even more valuable to contemporary readers.

https://www.amazon.com/Case-Christ-Movie-Solving-Biggest/dp/0310350573/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1486491243&sr=1-1&keywords=case+for+christ+movie+edition

~~ comment on this movie



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Osaagj5COlQ







 ,: "," ( wonderful)?
Event staff wait for potential investors outside the Four Seasons Hotel ballroom where the Kushner Companies investment presentation was made on Sunday in Shanghai. Photo: AP

At events in China on Saturday and Sunday headlined by Nicole Kushner Meyer, the sister of senior White House adviser Jared Kushner, wealthy Chinese attendees were told they could obtain EB-5 investor visas to the U.S. if they invested at least $500,000 into one of the Kushner familys development projects. Washington Post journalists attended the Saturday presentation at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel in Beijing, where they watched Meyer  who was promoted as Jareds sister in advertising for the event  and other representatives of the familys business, Kushner Companies, try to convince a ballroom full of Chinese investors to help finance the familys luxury apartment-building project in New Jersey, including selling them on the idea that the investment would enable them to gain visas to immigrate to the U.S. The brochure for the event even included the tag line, Invest $500,000 and immigrate to the United States, and investors were urged to invest early so they could invest under the old rules, suggesting that changes to the visa program could be coming under the Trump administration.

The Kushner familys status as a star real-estate family (or celebrity developers) in the U.S. was also cited in promotional materials for the event, which was hosted by a China-based immigration agency, Qiaowai, which helps U.S. companies hook up with wealthy Chinese investors. Such events are not uncommon in China, where the EB-5 visa is very popular among the countrys wealthy citizens.

Meyer, the headliner, told the potential investors that the project means a lot to me and my entire family, mentioning her brothers time at the helm of the company, according to the New York Times. Jared Kushner, who is also President Trumps son-in-law, ran Kushner Companies until January when he left to join the Trump administration. In his role at the White House, Kushner has, among other things, become a top adviser to the president on matters related to China.

An image of President Trump is shown via projector outside the Kushner event in Shanghai on Sunday. Photo: AP

The investment opportunity being promoted in China was the Kushner 1 project in Jersey City, also known as One Journal Square, a luxury apartment complex being developed by Kushner Companies and KABR Group. The companies are looking to attract $150 million in financing from 300 EB-5 investors for the project. Construction on the 1,476-apartment complex, which is slated to include a medical center for its residents pets, is set to begin next year.

Event organizers, likely realizing their mistake in allowing reporters to attend the Saturday event, ultimately tried to stop the Post journalists from reporting on the presentation, telling them that their presence threatened the stability of the event. They also tried to block reporters access to attendees and at one point even grabbed a reporters phone and backpack. A PR person at the event apparently flat-out said this is not the story that we want when asked to explain why they didnt want reporters there, and journalists were subsequently banned from attending a similar (and similarly publicly advertised) event at the Four Seasons Hotel in Shanghai on Sunday, where Meyer was also the headliner, according to Reuters. Official requests by the Post, Times, and Associated Press for comments on the events from Kushner Companies, the White House, and Qiaowai went unanswered.

Nicole Meyer, Kushner's sis & principal at Kushner Cos, hung up on WSJ reporter who called about China marketinghttps://t.co/JvHEwn0j4O pic.twitter.com/92BtuXlSuk  Michael C. Bender (@MichaelCBender) May 7, 2017

Anecdotally, in exchanges with reporters, attendees of both the Saturday and Sunday events seemed to say that the Kushner familys connections to President Trump made the project more appealing to them.

EB-5 visas are a widely criticized class of U.S. visa in which a wealthy foreigner with no special skills can effectively buy expedited legal immigration to the U.S. in exchange for an investment of $500,000 or more in the U.S. Applicants still have to pass background checks, but do not face the same proof of education and work qualifications as other immigrants, and EB-5 visa holders are given conditional status to live and work in the U.S. for the first two years, after which they can apply for permanent residency. The EB-5 program has been particularly popular among wealthy Chinese investors looking to move their families and money out of the country. The EB-5 is popularly referred to as the golden visa in China, and an estimated 80 percent of the EB-5 visas issued over the past few years have gone to Chinese citizens.

The program began, in theory, as a way to encourage foreign investors to help create jobs and assist poor areas in the U.S. without incurring cost to American taxpayers, but it has become very controversial in recent years. A 2015 Government Accountability Office report on the program was pretty damning, noting the that the program came with unique fraud risks related to counterfeit documentation and uncertainties in verifying that the funds invested were obtained lawfully and various investment-related schemes to defraud investors. Furthermore, as the Post report notes, in recent years, many real estate developers have used the program as a source of cheap financing by using foreign investors, especially from China, for flashy projects in Manhattan and other city centers. The GAO report adds that USCIS officials continually identify new fraud schemes involving the program, and the Chinese government isnt much of a fan, either, because investors apparently illegally move their money out of China using the program as well. The program has also faced additional recent criticism from members of Congress and the Department of Homeland Security.

There has been a surge of interest in the EB-5 program since President Trumps election because many wealthy foreigners anticipate that the program will eventually be targeted as part of the Trump administrations general crackdown on immigration to the U.S.  and again, that was also implied in promotional materials for the Kushner Companies investor-recruiting events in China.

Jared Kushner, in a financial disclosure form he was required to submit earlier this year as a member of the Trump administration, reported that he had divested himself from the Kushner 1 project being promoted at the events, but that he had already made between $1 million and $5 million in income from the project up to that point. However, the Times points out that the form shows he was a manager or president at six entities associated with the Jersey City project until January and while he did report divesting from K One Journal Square LLC, its still unclear what happened with the other entities. A lawyer advising Kushner told the Times and the AP that Kushner sold his interests in the project to a family trust that he is not a beneficiary of, per the Office of Government Ethics suggestion. However, Kushner and his wife, Ivanka Trump, the presidents daughter, still remain the beneficiaries of a series of trusts with stakes in Kushner Companies and other investments likely worth $600 million or more, according to White House ethics filings reviewed by the Times.

Kushner is also no stranger to EB-5 visas, as he reportedly raised $50 million in loans using the program to help finance a Trump-branded 50-story apartment tower in Jersey City called Trump Bay Street. Kushner, who has done repeated business with Chinese firms, has become a primary adviser within the White House regarding matters related to the country. He has promised to recuse himself from any White House discussions on the future of the EB-5 program, but his family is clearly still looking to benefit from the program before any decisions are made by the Trump administration.



This is also not the first controversy involving Kushner Companies and China since Jared took on his multitasked role in the White House. The companys recently abandoned effort to negotiate millions of dollars in equity for a Manhattan redevelopment project from Chinas Anbang Insurance Group was widely criticized by American lawmakers and government ethics experts as a scenario in which China might be trying to gain favorable treatment from the Trump administration.

President Trump and his administrations once-adversarial stances on China appear to have mellowed considerably in recent weeks.
Emmanuel Macron addressing his supporters at a victory rally outside the Louvre Museum in Paris on Sunday. Photo: Patrick Kovarik/AFP/Getty Images

As expected, centrist independent Emmanuel Macron has soundly defeated far-right nationalist Marine Le Pen to become Frances new president, taking a projected 65 percent of the vote in Sundays runoff election. Macrons victory represents a decisive rejection of the populist Le Pen and the anti-EU and anti-immigrant views espoused by her and her National Front party. The result is also sure to assuage, at least temporarily, the fears of many in the West over a general rightward populist shift in European politics, as well as concerns over further breakup of the EU following the U.K.s shocking Brexit vote last year.

Macron supporters celebrating his victory at a rally outside the Louvre Museum in Paris. Photo: Patrick Kovarik/AFP/Getty Images

It should also be noted, however, that Le Pens nearly 35 percent support is a historic high point for the far-right in France, and could thus be a harbinger of political power to come (though as FiveThirtyEights Nate Silver points out, the result was the sixth straight European election where the nationalist candidate has underperformed pre-election polls). It is also far from clear how successful Macron will be at solving the enormous problems France currently faces, including a depressed economy, high unemployment, and an ongoing state of emergency following several major attacks by Islamist terrorists. Macron will also need to try and spearhead reforms within the EU, which he supports close integration with, and also reform the French political system to more effectively respond to the needs of the countrys citizens.

Related Stories Liberals Should Still Be Worried About France

As New York contributor Heather Hurlburt highlights in her sobering postelection warning to Frances liberals, both abstention and blank-ballot rates among French voters reached historic highs on Sunday, and the politically inexperienced Macron now has to try to cajole political unity within France if he hopes to have any real power moving forward. The next and possibly hardest test of his political skills will come in just six weeks when parliamentary elections are held. While much of the French political establishment that Macron originally defeated ultimately rallied support for him against Le Pen, the unity may not last.

And... France's 1st congressional poll (Sofres):



En Marche (Macron) 24%, LR (right) 22%, FN 21%, Left Front 15%, Socialists 9%, Greens 4%  Taniel (@Taniel) May 7, 2017

Hurlburt also explains that there are reasons Le Pen and her National Front party have gained the support of so many people in France despite, or because of, their extreme views, and so Sunday wasnt the last time Macron will have to contend with Le Pens burgeoning movement.

In a subdued televised address following his win on Sunday, Macron tried to acknowledge the difficult path ahead. I know the the divisions in our nation that led some to cast a vote for the extremes; I respect them. I know the anger, the anxiety, the doubts that a large part of you also expressed. It is my responsibility to hear them, he said. Macron also promised to defend France and Europe, insisting that it is our civilization that is at stake, our way of life, while declaring that France will be on the front line of the fight against terrorism on its soil and in international action, and that he will lead the country against other threats, such as climate change, as well.

Later, in a short speech at a victory rally outside the Louvre Museum in Paris, Macron struck a more celebratory tone, announcing that, Tonight, France won, and adding that, Everyone told us it was impossible, but they dont know France.

Marine Le Pen giving a speech to her supporters following her defeat on Sunday. Photo: Thierry Chesnot/Getty Images

Le Pen, in her concession speech, characterized the result as French voters having chosen continuity and vowed to renew and transform the National Front into a stronger and larger party, and that she would lead it to gains in parliament next month. She also insisted to supporters that together they would form the primary opposition fighting Macrons agenda, framing that conflict as the patriots of the National Front versus Macron and the globalists.

President Trump, who had once called Le Pen the strongest candidate in the race, tweeted his congratulations to Macron on Sunday afternoon:

Congratulations to Emmanuel Macron on his big win today as the next President of France. I look very much forward to working with him!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 7, 2017

A former investment banker and economy minister who has never held elected office, Macron formed his own political party, En Marche!, last year in order to offer French voters an option that was neither left nor right. At 39, he will also be the youngest-ever French president. Despite his lack of experience, Macron was the clear front-runner heading into Sundays vote. He and Le Pen defeated candidates from both of Frances major political parties, as well as seven other candidates, in a preliminary election on April 23. Indeed, Sundays runoff was the first time that no candidate from either of Frances main political parties was represented in the final round of voting in a presidential election in postwar French history, and that alone represents a significant rejection of the political Establishment in the country. Nonetheless, the overall European political Establishment is undoubtedly happy with Macrons victory, which is clearly a victory for centrism and globalism in the region as well.

The other big news out of France over the weekend was that the Macron campaign reported on Friday night that it had been hacked and that the hackers had posted about nine gigabytes of stolen emails and documents online in an effort to derail Macrons candidacy. Some cybersecurity analysts believe the attack on Macrons campaign was conducted by the same Russia-linked hackers who were allegedly responsible for the hacks on the Democratic Party and the Clinton campaign during the U.S. presidential election. Because of a legally mandated blackout on campaigning, which began midnight Friday, the contents of the data dump ultimately received little attention and clearly did not sway the election against Macron. French prosecutors have opened an investigation into the hack.

This post has been updated throughout to reflect additional details and context in this breaking-news story.
by Doctor Science

Vox reporter Julia Belluz wonders what's going on with Google's Calico project, launched in 2013 "to harness advanced technologies to increase our understanding of the biology that controls lifespan."

I recently started poking around in Silicon Valley and talking to researchers who study aging and mortality, and discovered that four years after its launch, we still don't know what Calico is doing.

Belluz considers various possible reason for Calico's secretiveness--secrecy that's out of line with current scientific practice and also with Google's professed open culture . But she doesn't talk about the one that jumps immediately to my mind: that Calico is a scam or a con.

I'm not saying Calico is a deliberate con, where there's a conman who knows it's all a fake. I'm talking about the kind of scam where the mark pays a lot of money for something the seller doesn't realize is worthless: something like homeopathy, for instance. Specifically, Calico reminds me of alchemy.

In the late 1970s and early 80s, I did a lot of thinking and research about the difference between science and magic. This led me to read a lot (including primary sources) about alchemy in the 13th to 17th centuries, and how part of it turned into chemistry. I also was reading the volumes of Science and Civilization in China as they were coming out, especially the multiple tomes about Chinese alchemy (including gunpowder).

I can no longer remember what specific works I read, that led me to conclude that the critical difference between magic and science is communication. The proto-chemists and the alchemists of the Renaissance did the same sorts of experiments or procedures, the difference was how they wrote about them. The proto-chemists struggled to be as clear about what they were doing as possible; the magical alchemists always held something back, becoming opaque or completely metaphorical at crucial points.[1]

The Black Sun by Jorg Breu, from the alchemical text Splendor Solis (1531/32). Wikipedia: Sol niger (black sun) can refer to the first stage of the alchemical magnum opus, the nigredo (blackening). In a text ascribed to Marsilio Ficino three suns are described: black, white, and red, corresponding to the three most used alchemical color stages. Of the sol niger he writes: The body must be dissolved in the subtlest middle air: The body is also dissolved by its own heat and humidity; where the soul, the middle nature holds the principality in the colour of blackness all in the glass: which blackness of Nature the ancient Philosophers called the crows head, or the black sun.

Scientific knowledge is, fundamentally, *shared* knowledge, open knowledge. Ideally, it is broadcast, sent wide into the world. Magical knowledge is hermetic[2]: secret, hidden, open only to those who have the key, who are taught by the correct master. Magic is passed down.

Now look at what Belluz reports that Calico is doing:

Eric Topol is a cardiologist who studies aging and the director of Scripps Translational Science Institute. Topol knows some of the scientists at Calico from their pre-Calico days. "They're hyper secretive," he said. Since they moved to Google, he can't seem to reach them. "I have invited them to speak at our program we have on genomic medicine. They say no, they can't talk about what they're doing.' I am not sure why that's the case." ... "I don't interact with them," Felipe Sierra, director of the division of aging biology at NIH's National Institute on Aging, said. "They don't want to interact with me. I ignore them as much as they ignore me." He also invited Calico scientists to present at NIH. "They come to the meeting but they don't talk about what they are doing  [They] wouldn't even talk about general directions [of their research]."

They don't publish much, either. For 2016, PubMed only shows 15 publications from Calico; the National Institute on Aging had 623. Belluz says the two institutions have comparable budgets, but that's not correct: NIA'sbudget is $1.5B, which is the total amount of money Calico supposedly has. It's not an apples-to-apples comparison (I'd love it if someone else could figure out how to do one), but I feel confident that the NIA is getting many more scientific papers per research dollar than Calico is. That's not the only possible metric for scientific progress, of course, but at least it's measurable.

Calico's secrecy would make sense if they were developing salable drugs and procedures -- but they're not filing patents, and their researchers aren't experts on human disease. It's a long, long way from studying mice and naked mole rats to finding something that works for people. Belluz concludes:

Another potential reason for the lack of transparency  the one I find most compelling  is that it's the company culture. Art Levinson, the CEO of Calico, is also chair of the board of Apple Inc. and was close to Steve Jobs, who was renowned for his clandestine approach to research and development and running a business. It's possible that Levinson has made secrecy part of Calico's DNA, the way it's part of Apple's DNA.

A secretive, hermetic approach may be appropriate for commercial R&D, but it's not really science. Scientific research requires openness, so that discoveries can be fact-checked from all sides -- including by people who aren't your friends. Secret projects, hidden labs, clandestine research: that gets you alchemy, not science. And by comparison to science,

Calico is like alchemy in its secretive, hermetic approach, but of course it's also like alchemy in its choice of subject. Immortality was always a main goal of alchemy in both China and the West.[3] In China in particular, the search for an elixir of immortality was taken very seriously for several thousand years -- and it was always a scam, though one which fooled the alchemists just as much as the emperors who paid them.

I'm certain that the Chinese alchemists really believed the elixirs they prepared, at great trouble and expense, could help their Imperial clients toward immortality. Unfortunately, these elixirs were generally full of heavy and toxic metals -- gold, mercury, arsenic, lead -- and quite a few Emperors died of elixir poisoning. It's an open question whether Emperors kept trying elixirs because they were psychoactive, or because heavy-metal ingestion tends to result in a particularly durable corpse -- but as a route to immortality they were clearly a bust.

I'm not saying that Calico will prove to be a self-scam on that level, but the connection to Apple and Steve Jobs is not encouraging. Steve Jobs died because he trusted his own specialness and hermetic knowledge more than public scientific medicine, even when friends like Dr. Levinson tried to talk him out of it.

Tad Friend at the New Yorker writes:

[A] scientist who's familiar with Calico's workings said that it's pursuing its mission judiciously, but that the company began, fatally, as a vanity project. The scientist said, "This is as self-serving as the Medici building a Renaissance chapel in Italy, but with a little extra Silicon Valley narcissism thrown in. It's based on the frustration of many successful rich people that life is too short: We have all this money, but we only get to live a normal life span.' "

This attitude, of being extra-special, more deserving, andthan other people is endemic in Silicon Valley and the tech industry generally, as summed up in a recent xkcd



Mousover text: "We TOLD you it was hard." "Yeah, but now that I'VE tried, we KNOW it's hard."



Secrecy, Not Invented Here-ism, valuing hermetic knowledge: these are the hallmarks of alchemy, not science. Add luck and you can exploit them to get gold, but they won't give you knowledge.



1. It took a *lot* of reading for me to realize this, because all 16th-17th century science-like writing is pretty opaque for a 20th-C reader.

2. I'm using lower-case "hermetic" in a general sense, to mean "secret, hidden, known only to an elite." Is there a better synonym?

3. The other alchemical goal, creating gold (or money), is something Silicon Valley has mastered already.
Yes, it's extremely cringeworthy and this is exactly why. Ugh.

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fucking yikes

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If I have to here my white neighbor scream drinko de mayo everytime her opens up another bud light for another year im gonna lose it.

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Bud Light?



how tragic

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That sounds super white trash! Lol

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ready for the excuses ready for the excuses

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omg a symmetra gif!! this over powered bitch

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I can't stop watching that one piece of fabric in front disappear and then show up behind her leg.

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SO cringeworthy.

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Yes I've been staring at that last pic. Really hides the bump, kind of weird.

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ppl think it's Mexican Independence Day, but lol no. that's in September.

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Ikr, it never fails I run into someone who think it's Mexico's Independence Day. Even if it was, it makes no sense to be celebrating it if you aren't Mexican...like do they celebrate (insert random country here)'s Independence Day too?

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If I had a dollar for the amount of white people who are like "Don't you know your own country's independence day" to me over cinco de mayo...

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I'm Mexican-American and it used to bother me. I mostly hate when I see sombreros with the mustache and sarape. NONE of my friends in Mexico gaf though. So at this point I just don't have the energy to care about who is drinking for cinco de mayo.



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Mexican-American and same as above, it used to bother me but these days mostly I just look down on people who wear sombreros and shout "cinco de drinko!" I'm just embarrassed for them. My M-A friends are usually just like yeah whatever it's May 5, but my friends of other ethnicities including Indian and east Asian can get just as yikes as the gringos today.



Also I can't fathom how people in Texas can get excited about having an excuse to drink tequila and eat tacos. Mexican and Tex-Mex are as pervasive as burgers here so it's just like going out to dinner except all the Mexican restaurants are packed.

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I'm mexican american and I really don't care. I don't celebrate it other than to occasionally go out for margaritas with friends.

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I'm Mexican-American and it slightly bothers me, tbh.. B/c if I venture too far 'middle of nowhere' America, not only do I get the side-eye but am told to "go back home.." *Which is funny because I was born and raised, in the States.. If anything, at times, I even feel a huge disconnect with my own culture (I don't even celebrate Cinco de Mayo).. Apparently, ALL Latinos = Mexicans



It's ignorant af, to think the States does not have a growing problem with racism... Which is a shame, because Mexican culture is pretty awesome.... but to act like non-Mexicans gaf about Mexicans in general, is pretty laughable at this point. B/c we're nothing more than 'sarapes & sombreros'...





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My friends from Mexico hate it. Gringos and beer companies hace co-opted 5 de mayo and people think they are celebrating Mexico's independence when it was really the battle of Puebla. But since people are too stupid to even Google they don't know. 

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Born and raised Mexican, gringos need to stop

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Mexican-Canadian and I hate it. Also so many white people either try to explain the holiday to me or try to get me to explain it to them and it's like "No, fuck off".



It fortunately isn't too big of a thing here though. I've never seen anyone wearing sombreros, occasionally a bar has like a drink special or something on the day.

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I'm completely Mexican and I hate it. I hate that gringos think we dress like that, that they think using a sombrero like that is cool, and that they think that we drink margaritas or similar bullshit drinks lol No real mexican drinks margaritas.

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It's stupid, not even Mexicans celebrate it. Americans just use it as an excuse to get drunk. If it was a celebration of Mexican culture it wouldn't bother me.

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im mexican and like stellar_kar said no one heres gaf, it's a very non important holiday that most people see just as a 'yay no work/school' day, i wouldn't even be surprised if a lot of mexicans don't know what's supposed to celebrate lol



i find it funny that gringos make such a big deal out of it tho, and bc i live on the internet i do find the sombrero/maracas thing a little cringey and side-eye worthy but im sure to the regular folk living here they will find it cute cuz mexicans love when gringos "appreciate" our culture

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it's messy but idgaf i have more important things to spout my venom at like 45 and taylor swift

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I hate it tbh if only just for the fact that 364 days out of the year it's "fuck you, your country, your people" against mexicans migrating/born in the US and this one day it's all about tacos and drinking and loooooooving mexico!!!! it's just another one in the wave of ~we hate everything you are but will eat up what you produce type of thing like when some idiots went to fucking cancun during spring break and chanted "build that wall" on OUR own fucking soil



i find it cringeworthy af that this has become some kind of ~trendy celebration to have that's basically just a straight up mockery of mexicans/our culture under the guise of appreciation especially when NO ONE back home gives a single solitary fuck

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Am Mexican, it's stupid that gringos celebrate some random holiday that a lot of Mexicans don't celebrate but then talk shit abt Mexicans the next day.

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I don't get why Americans just don't make up their own bullshit holiday to get drunk. I don't think the celebrating part is the issue, but the weird racism behind dressing up and making jokes about Mexican people/using their culture and the turning around and telling them to get out of 'our' country.



Edited at 2017-05-07 05:02 am (UTC)

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I'm not mexican but why the hell americans goes to drink cos of this...is a battle that mexico won over france like learn a bit of history...and im not even mexican and I know what 5 de mayo is

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Yup, I'm glad its becoming more of a holidays to celebrate mexican heritage than anything, and if people eat tacos I'm happy (hopefully they eat at a restaurant owned by mexicans)

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Born and raised in Mexico, living in Mexico... it annoys me. It's just a holiday in the country and it's not even a day we have off (only in primary and secondary school). You gotta work on that day. No one makes a huge deal about it (although I think in Puebla they do). Gringos have a weird way to ask us about every single holiday we have like "do u do something big? Like a party?" eh nope.

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I have an issue with people who consider Cinco de Mayo our National Holiday.



It is an important historical event, of course, but not our Independence Day.



We do not "celebrate" it as people do in the U.S. Most people go to work as normal and there are no big events either, except for Puebla, where the battle against the French Army took place.



I specially hate the sarape, maracas and fake mustache stereotypical stuff.



As if you really need an excuse to drink tequila and have tacos on a Friday night :P











Edited at 2017-05-07 04:21 pm (UTC)

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I used to not care but in this political climate and now that I'm more aware at how racist this shit is, I really do have an issue with it. Like fine drink some margs, but enough with the racist outfits and ridiculous decorations.

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But isn't it Mirror Mirror? #MandelaEffect

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it is tripping me out

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mte

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It's so fucking weird?! It's this pregnancy's Red Dress optical illusion



Edited at 2017-05-07 05:51 am (UTC)

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surrogate #2 confirmedt

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I've been staring at these wondering the same thing, idgi with her

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I also can't @ the same people who want a wall built and support Trump's policies celebrating Cindo de Mayo.



White People: HAPPY CINCO DE MAYO!!! 



Weren't y'all just sayin "Build The Wall" the other day?



White People: pic.twitter.com/4fdMromkIF  Craig The DJ (@DJTGIF) May 5, 2017

The pics were definitely cringey tbh.I also can't @ the same people who want a wall built and support Trump's policies celebrating Cindo de Mayo.

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white people wanna be tan and brown so bad until they don't.

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keep in mind many of the white folks who support building a wall are probably alcoholics, so any chance to give them the excuse to get drunk they will take.

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i love how useful this gif has become

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I don't understand the American fascination with Cinco de Mayo. We dgaf about Mexico any other time, except to be fuckheads and whine about illegals and violence, but a holiday most of us don't actually know the point of rolls around and suddenly we love Mexico. :/



Which is to say naw, I don't celebrate it.

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It's an excuse to get drunk like St. Patrick's day.

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I don't get this 'excuse' thing, as in why do people need one and Why the fuck does it involve the holiday of a country/culture so many Americans gleefully disparage.





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It's so weird, it's like, don't you have your own battles to celebrate?

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it's like the americans who are obsessed with calaveras and dia de muertos but don't know a damn thing about it

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According to an article I saw, it was a movement by Hispanic civil right leaders in the 60's and 70's to promote Mexican heritage. They needed sponsors because they needed money to bring it to the people and their sponsors just happened to be food and beverage companies.

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Also idk why people use Cinco de Mayo as an excuse to drink and eat tacos... that's what Taco Tuesday is for! And that's EVERY WEEK!

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Truth. When i wanted tacos and booze I just took my happy ass around the corner to ~Carnitas and stocked up. Any day can be about food, beer, and tequlia! (Or pasta and wine. Fried chicken and beer.) Why be limited?

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lmao I don't understand either. Like, you need an excuse to eat Mexican food? How about that it's Wednesday?

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I could eat Mexican food all day, every day. #forevergordita

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The people who work at my local Mexican place know my takeout order. Whenever I walk up to the counter, they just start putting in my usual order into the register. :|



Maybe a sign I go there too much.



But their enchilada sauce is so goooooooooood.

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Starring : Mariko Okada, Rentaro Mikuni

Director : Kiju Yoshida, Yoshishige Yoshida

Plot Synopsis

The work of Kiju Yoshida is one of Japanese cinema's obscure pleasures. A contemporary of Nagisa Oshima (Death by Hanging, In the Realm of the Senses) and Masahiro Shinoda (Pale Flower, Assassination), Yoshida started out as an assistant to Keisuke Kinoshita before making his directorial debut at age 27. In the decades that followed he produced more than 20 features and documentaries, yet each and every one has proven difficult to see in the English-speaking world.

This collection brings together three works from the late sixties and early seventies, a loose trilogy united by their radical politics and an even more radical shooting style. Eros + Massacre, presented here in both its 169-minute theatrical version and the full-length 220-minute director s cut, tells the parallel stories of early 20th-century anarchist (and free love advocate) Sakae Osugi and a pair of student activists. Their stories interact and intertwine, resulting in a complex, rewarding work that is arguably Yoshida's masterpiece.

Heroic Purgatory pushes the dazzling cinematic language of Eros + Massacre even further, presenting a bleak but dreamlike investigation into the political discourses taking place in early seventies Japan.

Coup d'etat returns to the past for a biopic of Ikki Kita, the right-wing extremist who sought to overthrow the government in 1936. Yoshida considered the film to be the culmination of his work, promptly retiring from feature filmmaking following its completion.

LIMITED EDITION CONTENTS
Genres : Music, Opera, Concert

Plot Synopsis

A profound, powerful and yet unfinished opera, Moses und Aron ends with an admission of defeat: ""O word, thou Word that I lack!"", Moses' last cry, is also the last phrase the composer has been able to set to music. Recounting the story of Moses, who has experienced the immensity of God, and of Aron, who tries to speak of it; casting doubt, with dodecaphonism, upon the adequacy of tonal and traditional musical language; Moses und Aron questions the possibility of a True Speech. Following in their wanderings the chidlren of Israel, a stateless people lost in the desert and looking for signs and images, Moses un Aron symbolizes the challenges encountered by a community looking for her own identity, torn between spiritual ideal and material needs. The opera thus reveals, in Romeo Castellucci's spectacular and poetic staging, a tragic divide between what can and cannot be represented, between God and idols, between endlessness and constriction, between the realm of intuition and the realm of language. The Paris Opera Chorus and Orchestra, who, thanks to his musical director Philippe Jordan's work, has pierced all the secrets of Schonberg's audacious score, reveal with grace and accuracy all the emotion contained in this anxious, overwhelming and unforgettable masterpiece.
Units welcome trained soldiers

LATHAM  Maj. Gen. Anthony P. German, the adjutant general of New York, announces the recent service accomplishment of members of the New York Army National Guard in recognition of their initial commitment to serve community, state and nation. The newest citizen soldiers to complete Army basic combat training and advanced individual training were welcomed to their units during a New York Army National Guard battle hand-off ceremony.

The New York Army National Guard welcomed 75 new soldiers to their units during the April 9 ceremonies around the state, including the following:

Pfc. Timothy Morris of Corinth was formally welcomed into the Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 42nd Combat Aviation Brigade, during a transition ceremony at the Queensbury Readiness Center in Queensbury; and

Pvt. Vanessa Vanguilder of Gansevoort was formally welcomed into the 1427th Transportation Company during a transition ceremony at the Queensbury Readiness Center in Queensbury.

Local graduates from boot camp

QUEENSBURY  Jonathan W. Law of Queensbury graduated from USMC boot camp at Parris Island in South Carolina on April 12 and is attending military police school in Missouri.

He is a 2016 graduate of Queensbury High School.

His brother, Jacob Law, is a sergeant in the Marine Corps.
GLENS FALLS  The Rev. Linda Hoeschle, the pastor of First Baptist Church in Glens Falls and Village Baptist Church of Fort Edward, has died, according to church officials.

David Fisher, the moderator of the church, said the regional Baptist group had informed the churchs assistant pastor of Hoeschles death.

She became pastor about two years ago following a 31-year career as a nurse.

Further details, including funeral arrangements, were not available Sunday.
HAMPTON  A family of six was left homeless following a Friday afternoon blaze at a wood-frame home on North Quivey Hill Lane in Hampton, according to the American Red Cross.

When firefighters arrived on the scene shortly after 1 p.m., flames were already shooting through the windows, said Hampton Fire Department Second Lt. Joe Mead. And as firefighters battled the blaze at 1130 North Quivey Hill Lane for several hours, the fire kept flaring back up, Mead said.

On Friday afternoon, firefighters were concerned that one of the children had gone back inside the blazing home to retrieve belongings, but he was later located at a friends home in Middle Granville. No one else was home at the time the fire broke out, Mead said.

According to Washington County property records, the three-bedroom home is owned by Michael Dirga.

Volunteers from the Northeastern New York Chapter of the American Red Cross provided emergency aid to the family on Friday night. According to the Red Cross, they provided financial assistance for necessities such as shelter, food, and clothing for two adults and four children, ages 2, 8, 12, and 17. Volunteers also offered emotional support and comfort kits containing personal care items as well as stuffed animals for the children.

In 2016, the Red Cross responded to more than 400 home fires and other disasters in the 24-county Eastern New York Region. Red Cross staff and volunteers provided assistance, care and comfort to more than 2,000 local residents last year.
QUEENSBURY  Three people were injured, one seriously, in a two-vehicle collision that slowed traffic on Quaker Road for more than four hours Sunday afternoon.

Officers said Peter M. Leonard, 48, of Fort Edward was traveling west on Quaker Road in the Town of Queensbury in a 2001 Dodge Ram pickup truck when he started to turn left into a business and turned into the path of an eastbound 2012 Hyundai driven by John J. Morring, 28, of Queensbury. The accident took place at 12:10 p.m.

A passenger in the 2012 Hyundai, Avaughn Butchino, 30, of Queensbury suffered serious injuries and was transported to Albany Medical Center.

Leonard and Morring were taken by ambulance to the Glens Falls Hospital for treatment of non-life threatening injuries. Three additional passengers in the Hyundai were unhurt, officials said in a press release.

Speed and alcohol do not appear to be factors in this crash, officials said. The case remains under investigation by the Traffic Safety Unit and the Criminal Investigation Division.

The Queensbury Central Fire Department, Glens Falls Fire Department and the Fort Edward Rescue Squad all assisted at the scene.

 Bill Toscano
This region has numerous artists who show up to gallery openings, sipping wine and hovering near the appetizers. But few can live on what they earn from their art. Most are retired or have a job, such as teaching, that pays the bills. Some have a spouse who provides most of the income and extras such as health insurance. But a handful do earn a living through selling the art they make, and two of them, by coincidence, live in the tiny and lovely Washington County hamlet of Shushan.

***

In his mid-30s, stricken with progressive hearing loss from Menieres Disease, Christopher Pierce was forced to give up his livelihood as a classical pianist.

Resolving to stick with strictly practical careers, he switched to painting. Soon, he was drawing 10 hours a day.

I was told by an artist, You cant be an artist half-time. You have to do it full-time. Its the only way. 

He gave himself two years to succeed, and in 1998, he wrote and sent slides to Steve Doherty, editor of American Artist magazine. Doherty interviewed him, put one of his flower paintings (Pierces specialty) on the magazines cover and included more inside. Since then, Pierce has been featured in other artist magazines, won awards and supported himself by selling his works, sometimes for tens of thousands of dollars.

He lives in an old farmhouse that was his family's home, and he has added a barn, a studio and a library  each in its own building  to the lovely Washington County hillside. He shares the compound with his partner, Efton, who he will be marrying in June.

The studio looks like a barn, but on the inside the space goes up two stories, with windows that reach toward the ceiling. Pierce has rigged up shades with dangling drawstrings so he can cover even the highest windows and use electricity to light the space evenly for shows.

Where there arent windows, his works are on the walls  rich paintings of flowers and sensitive portraits.

I work from life, he said.

Near an easel, a daffodil stood in a glass vase on a tabletop. He puts it in the refrigerator at night, he said, but still it will fade long before hes finished with the painting.

Fifteen years ago, he made most of his money through galleries, but now most of his sales are private. Galleries will take half the purchase price in commission, and he has to buy supplies and the frame, so if a large painting sells for $65,000, say, hell realize about $25,000.

Ill get $25,000 out of three months work, which is not a fortune, he said.

But if he can sell several paintings a year  this has been a good year, he said  then he can survive off his work, more than most artists can say.

***

Years ago, trying to get some business tips for managing her career as an artist, Leslie Parke went to a workshop run by the U.S. Small Business Administration.

The mentors giving expert advice were guys who were retired GE executives, she said, and they didnt know what to do with me.

But they did tell her to track her sales against the stock market, which led her to a discovery: When the stock market drops 2,000 points, I wont sell anything for two years.

Thats what happened in the financial crash of 2007-08, after which she was so broke she sometimes went hungry.

A friend of mine who was on food stamps brought me a bag of groceries for my birthday, she said. That was so moving to me.

Parke is in her 60s, small and sturdy, with flaxen hair that curls at her shoulders. On a chilly, drizzly afternoon, she was in her studio, leaning against a kitchen-type counter that runs along one wall.

Parke eats in on workdays, when she paints 9 to 5. The studio is large and spartan, with plastic wrap on the windows, tall white walls and a floor speckled with paint.

Parke, too, bore a smudge of white on her forehead. Her clogs were spattered.

She has supported herself solely by selling art since 1985, when she was 33. She described herself as an art nun.

I made a decision not to have kids, she said. A near-marriage fell apart when her intended said her work was interfering with his vacation.

She smiled.

As the country came out of the 2008 crash, collectors were filled with pent-up desire, she said, and at a show in the gallery that represents her in Houston, they snapped up her biggest and most expensive works.

I love the business side of my job, she said. Everyone has their strategies to get by. When I have money, I buy supplies. I pay the rent ahead.

Her studio is on the third floor of an old industrial building in Cambridge, with dim stairways that smell like old pipes. She has worked there for 40 years.

Outside her studio are cold, cavernous rooms she uses as storage space and to display more of her work. Her large paintings are the size of storefront windows.

I love working big, she said, and at least in Houston, buyers love it, too, she said. The bigger the better, the flashier the better.

She paints photorealistic works that show the Batten Kill, water flowing over a boxful of crockery she dumped into the river; light coming through a window and falling on a linen tablecloth; a collection of crushed soda cans; and she paints more abstract works of trees, the calligraphy of limbs within dense spatterings of paint.

Her photographs, also big, often look like paintings, with streaks and smears of color, just as her paintings often look like photos.

She has been doing a series in which she shoves a camera out the car window as shes driving and snaps a shot. Its based on the way people see the landscape  in glimpses as theyre driving past.

I want to call it Drive-by,  she said. Everything you can do wrong with a camera, Im doing.

In the 1980s, she survived by selling abstract paintings of handmade paper, made with cotton (mostly old T-shirts) macerated into pulp. She connected with corporate dealers in New York who found clients who wanted art of a certain size, price and look for lobbies and meeting rooms.

It was the right product at the right time, she said.

For about 10 years, she made a good living selling the works for a couple of thousand dollars apiece, until, seemingly overnight, the market dried up.

Then I could not sell them for love or money, she said.

But she had put those 10 years to good use, practicing and developing her painting style, and she has been able to sell paintings  and in recent years, photographs  ever since.

Pricing her works, she aims for the spot where the work starts moving. When she has a feel for the right range, shell set a square-inch rate for her works  to keep emotions out of it, she said.

Most of her paintings sell for $10,000 to $22,000, but still, she said, when time and materials are added up, youre almost never making what it costs you to do.

When shes not painting, she is promoting and marketing her work, through galleries and shows  especially the Open Studios Tour of Washington County, which is held every other year  and on social media.

My business is not one in which you can be assured of success, no matter how hard you work, no matter where you show, she said.

But if you want to succeed, you have to put in the time: You have to show up every day, she said.

Pierces and Parkes work is very different, but they agreed on the necessity of working at it day after day. Also, both said they had no intention of stopping.

I have no hopes of retiring, Parke said. At most, she said, she might cut back someday to a 9 to 3 schedule.

Pierce, when asked about retirement, had a single-word reply: Why?
Emmanuel Macron defeated Marine Le Pen by about 66%-34% in France's presidential election Sunday, with few votes outstanding. Macron, a 39-year-old centrist newcomer, faced a strong challenge from his far-right adversary, but polls never gave her a serious shot at the job. And on the day, the margin was even wider than expected.

Mr Macron will also become the first president from outside the two traditional main parties since the modern republic's foundation in 1958.  The Macron team said that the new president had had a "cordial" telephone conversation with Ms Le Pen. In a speech she thanked the 11 million people who had voted for her. She said the election had shown a division between "patriots and globalists" and called for the emergence of a new political force.

The result came despite an internet-driven effort to torpedo Macron's campaign with hacks, leaked emails and conspiracy theoriesa pattern that stoked fears of a similar outcome to last year's election in the U.S., where similar circumstances saw millionaire reality TV star Donald Trump prevail over Hillary Clinton.

It is indeed a sad day for American media who hoped the French were as dumb as us.
We didnt have to look very far to find the latest act of violence on a college campus.

A University of Texas student, carrying a machete-like knife, attacked four students Tuesday, killing one of them before being taken into custody.

It also didnt take us long to find an instance in which an armed police officer used deadly force on an unarmed suspect.

A policeman in suburban Dallas shot and killed a 15-year-old who was in a fleeing car on Tuesday as well. The officer was investigating an underage drinking complaint.

We dont envy the SUNY Adirondack Board of Trustees and college President Kristine Duffy as they work through whether to arm public safety officers.

Back in October when arming officers was first proposed, our editorial board was skeptical it would make anyone safer.

Thats where we start the discussion.

We dont believe you are going to find communities any safer than the ones in Warren and Washington counties in which we live.

Wed walk down any street at any time of the day without a worry.

Random violence is simply not part of our communities, and that includes SUNY Adirondack. Were sure safety is one of its selling points when recruiting students.

Weve racked our brains and over the past 30 years, we could only recall two incidents in which officers discharged weapons in Warren County. In the second incident, the officer was terminated because he should not have used his weapon. Thats a good track record and an accurate snapshot of the type of low-crime profile our communities have.

So while we acknowledge anything is possible and other safe, low-crime communities have been the victims of horrific tragedies, we urge caution before introducing deadly force into a college community where there does not appear to be any need.

We do not believe expecting the worst is the best way forward.

SUNY Adirondack has responded appropriately since it opened student housing on campus. It upgraded its security officers to public safety officers, invested in more training and located the public safety office in the dorm. It also employs a behavioral intervention team to counsel students.

Fewer than 400 students live on campus and fewer than 4,000 take classes there. It is a small, intimate campus where any disruption would be obvious.

Still, 63 percent of the faculty, staff and students surveyed said they favored arming campus security officers.

A task force was appointed and after three months of discussion recommended the college arm its officers.

Guns would have to be purchased and each of the current officers would have to undergo 80 hours of training at a cost of nearly $37,000. It would cost the college a little over $3,000 each year after that. The cost is not a deal-breaker, but what if new officers have to be trained down the road? There could be added expenses.

We are still skeptical SUNY Adirondack needs to arm its officers.

We wonder if stun guns are a better alternative, despite concerns from the task force that they are not as effective.

Or if the officers could have firearms available under lock and key in the public safety office rather than wearing sidearms around campus.

Or might it be possible for the Warren County Sheriffs Office to establish a satellite office on campus?

Any combination of these options might be better. And with the Sheriffs Office just 3.6 miles away and the State Police 4.1 miles away, both organizations are positioned to respond quickly in an emergency.

From the comments we heard from members of the board of trustees, many of them were also struggling with this decision.

We should always be prudent when it comes to security, but just as we pointed out last October, no measure will make us 100 percent safe.

Introducing deadly force as a tool for its officers is something that should only be taken as a last resort and with great care. We dont believe SUNY Adirondack has that need yet.
Bridget Mary's Books: https://www.amazon.com/Books-Bridget-Mary-Meehan/s?rh=n%3A283155%2Cp_27%3ABrid A Promise of Presence

Affirmations from the Heart of God

Exploring the Feminine Face of God

God Delights in You- A Four Week Journal

Heart Talks with Mother God

Inclusive Worship Aids

Living Gospel Equality Now-

Praying with a Passionate Heart

Praying with Celtic Holy Women

Praying with Visionary Women h

Praying with Women of the Bible

The Healing Power of Prayer-New Edition Dr. Bridget Mary Meehan ARCWP


Business / Local

by Simbarashe Sithole

Thousands of Airtime vendors are crying foul as the cashless society is slowly coming into existence in Zimbabwe.Vendors who spoke to Bulawayo24.com in Harare and Bulawayo respectively bemoaned plastic money, lamenting that it is killing their business."Many people are buying their airtime via plastic money methods like Ecocash bank accounts and purchase in supermarkets through the swiping machine so our business is very low now," said Fidelis Mutombo from Market Square Harare.Another Bulawayo vendor said they were now resorting to other vending products as airtime is no longer conducive."Airtime business is no longer viable as plastic money is now in control, but for us to survive we have accommodated many products like sweets biscuits and frozen staff to add to the flopping business," said the source.In December last year, Government gave mobile operators a six-month ultimatum to phase out airtime scratch cards and adopt electronic airtime recharging options.Though the ultimatum is long over due, if it comes into existence many airtime vendors will be left jobless.
News / National

by Stephen Jakes

Anti - Riot police ram[paged on tobacco farmers at the Tobacco Sales Floor (TSF) attacking the farmers after they protested to be paid theiur dues.Heal Zimbabwe has strongly condemned the violent attack on tobacco farmers by riot police at Tobacco Sales Floors (TSF) in Harare on 4 May 2017.Anti- Riot police were called in to disperse scores of farmers who were peacefully demonstrating against failure by TSF to pay them their dues on time."As a way of dispersing the tobacco farmers, riot police started throwing teargas and assaulting them. In the chaos that ensued, several farmers were injured. A farmer who spoke on anonymity to Heal Zimbabwe testified that riot police refused to entertain any grievances that the farmers highlighted," heal Zimbabwe reported."Heal Zimbabwe notes that the use of brute force to disperse and crush demonstrations is not only barbaric but an infringement of human rights and violates Section 59 of the Zimbabwe Constitution which state that, "every person has the right to demonstrate and present a petition."The trust said the economic conditions bedevilling the nation has forced citizens to express their displeasure by embarking on peaceful demonstrations."The police as custodians of the law must take it as priority to protect and promote the enjoyment of fundamental human rights and freedoms by citizens such as freedom to petition or demonstrate. The Government must rather move in to address the current economic problems affecting the country by implementing sound economic policies that enhance and attract investments and promote foreign currency injection," said the trust."Heal Zimbabwe also implores the police to use peaceful means in resolving conflicts. Heal Zimbabwe further calls upon the Government to put measures in place that ensure that its citizens enjoy their constitutional rights of demonstrating and petitioning. Government must also swiftly operationalise and establish an independent complaints mechanism that is provided for in Section 210 of the constitution. This mechanism allows members of the public to report misconduct on the part of members of the security services and is key for remedying any harm caused by such misconduct."
That would suggest life in the UK is getting better for most people: We're moving out of public housing and into our own homes. Hooray! More Englishmen's homes are now their castles, to torture the phrase.

But that impression is misleading.

Here's the chart, and then we'll explain what is really going on:

The chart can't be understood until you know what is going on inside the yellow and blue bars. The data are drawn from the government's English Housing Survey, published in March this year. It shows two new shifts among the 64% of us who live in our own properties and the 19% in private rented accommodation:

A majority of property owners now own their homes free and clear:

Half of all rent payers are under 35:

Put simply, as social housing shrinks, the property market is sorting us into two classes: Those rich enough to own their own homes, often outright; and those under 35, who pay twice the percentage of their incomes to rent in the private market.

The trend is new. Ten years ago the country was more egalitarian. A majority of people under 35 had mortgages (53%), the EHS survey says.

You can tell that wealth inequality is getting worse when you see this chart of who owns homes. Nearly 40% of buyers are in the upper fifth of incomes. Those in the middle are represented at roughly half that rate. Those in the lower two-fifths are less than 10% of buyers:

Of course, it is not surprising that wealthier people are more likely to own property. But this split occurred in a period when UK property became more expensive compared to incomes than ever before. Here is a chart from Morgan Stanley analyst Christopher Fremantle. It shows that mortgage-to-income values today are well above their peak in the 2007 property bubble:

In sum, the price of housing is so high that the jump from renting to owning is becoming a higher hurdle as time goes by. In the late 1990s, you could buy a house with a mortgage roughly 2.5 times the size your income. Today, the average mortgage is 3.5 times your income.

The British mythos is that if you work hard, have talent, and get onto the property ladder, you'll build wealth and equity over time. Crucially, the bottom of the ladder is theoretically open to anyone. But the new data suggest the first rung is increasingly difficult to reach if your money only comes from your job.

That's why last week's news about BOMAD  the Bank of Mum and Dad  is suddenly very, very important. Mortgage cash deposit lending from parents is now equivalent to the size of the Yorkshire Building Society  Britain's ninth-biggest mortgage lender. Every year, 77 billion ($95 billion) in property deals is financed by BOMAD.
The President, in welcoming the initiative, stated that this Agreement would embrace all aspects of our national lives, and, if undertaken with sincerity and transparency, it should enhance considerably the chances of our two countries to attain progress and prosperity.

President Akufo-Addo made this known on Friday, May 5, 2017, in response to the award to him of Cote dIvoires highest national award, La Grande Croix dans lordre National Ivorien (The Order of the Grand Ivorian Cross), at a State Dinner held in his honour by the President of the Republic of Cote dIvoire, His Excellency Alassane Ouattara.

Describing the relations between Ghana and Cote dIvoire as being of the highest priority, for reasons which are self-evident, President Akufo-Addo noted one of the areas of focus of this Agreement will be in the cocoa industry.

Together, we produce 65% of the worlds cocoa, and if we work together and coordinate our policies, we can protect our farmers and guarantee a better life for them, he added.

Battered by the volatility of the international cocoa market, despite their position as largest suppliers of the commodity, the two countries have resolved to develop solutions which will ensure resilience to price volatility in the market, and, thereby, curb the fall in revenues derived from cocoa exports. It should be recalled that cocoa contributes to about 15% of Cote dIvoires GDP and 7% of Ghanas.
The father, Ngor Duanghakhon, 65 was making pork soup for lunch when his son, Sakdin Duangphakhon, 36, bought the fish.

Sakdin grew angry when his father told him he had forgot to add the fish sauce - a staple ingredient in Thai cooking.

The boy grabbed an empty bottle and hit him over the head before slapping his mother Pa, 66, when she intervened.

Sakdin picked up a knife and repeatedly stabbed his father when her mother ran to ask for help. Police arrived and found the son covered in blood calmly lounging in a hammock at the front of the single-storey home.

Officers took the handcuffed son to the scene on Friday to re-enact the crime.They even made him kneel down and apologise to his father's corpse.Deputy Inspector Colonel Nitipat Kitichartchai said: "The father volunteered to cook the pork."The son went to drink a some liquor and then wanted to eat the food. But the dad said it was not finished and not cooked yet."The son did not want to wait. Then he said he forgot the fish sauce and he became angry."The son, who has two brothers, had to kneel down, apologise and say a prayer next to his dead father when he returned to the scene.

Col. Nitipat Kitichartchai said the son admitted the murder and has been sent to Amphore Nangrong prison in Buriram to await sentencing.

"It was reported to us that the son had used a knife to stab the father at the home," he said. "I knew we would have to go to investigate the scene. It is a single storey house. The father was wearing a loin cloth without a shirt.

He added: "He had more than 10 stab wounds on his back, particularly across the left shoulder, and one the deeply penetrated the heart. The smell of blood stained the area.
He said that most African leaders are in power at a time when the continent needs to be reshaped.

The most important thing is to recognise the need for us to stand on our own two feet and resolve African problems with African resources and African personnel, he said during a visit to Burkina Faso.

READ ALSO: Man arrested for carrying gun to police headquarters

We cannot and will not accept that other people can come and develop the continent of Africa for us. It will not happen, and the sooner all of us work together and recognise the necessity of collaborating on a platform that will lead to the prosperity of our peoples, the better, he added.

President Nana Akufo-Addo was speaking when he met his Burkinabe counterpart Roch Marc Christian Kabore.

Speaking on the fight against terrorism, President Akufo-Addo assured President Kabore that in Nana Akufo-Addo and in his government, the people of Burkina Faso have a strong and steadfast friend.

He added that the rest of Africa appreciates Burkina Fasos fight against terrorism.

He, therefore said that Ghana will be standing beside you in that fight and want you to know that whatever, within our modest means, we can do to promote the success of that struggle, you can count on us.
He made the comments as he flew to Abidjan from Ouagadougou for talks with President Alassane Ouattara on illegal mining, cocoa production and maritime boundaries dispute.

Whatever the result of that litigation, and, naturally, I hope it goes in favour of Ghana, I want to assure President Ouattara, his government and the Ivorian people of the determination of my government and I to work with you in a healthy manner of co-operation to deal with the consequences of the pending judgement, said president Akufo-Addo.

What is of paramount importance to the populations of the two countries is the peaceful exploitation of the maritime resources for their benefit, he added.

Both countries have opened their oral submissions with Ghana praying the special tribunal to uphold it's position on the maritime boundary dispute.

The Attorney-General and Minister of Justice, Ms Gloria Afua Akuffo said the request of Cote DIvoire should not be granted since there has been a long-standing agreement on their maritime boundary under their domestic laws.

Gloria Akufo argued that Ghana had only developed its oil industry based on a recognised pre-existing maritime boundary by the two countries.

However, Cote DIvoire argued that they never had an agreement with Ghana on the maritime border for both countries.
If you want to introduce common language in West Africa to facilitate trade and so forth, the most widely spoken language in West Africa is Hausa not French or English. I dont know anywhere in Ghana that they dont speak Hausa. Nigeria which is the largest economy in West Africa, Hausa is the dominant language and so on. So, if we want to promote West Africa trade and so on, why would we promote French instead of Hausa? Hausa is the dominant language in West Africa and Hausa has become an international language he said on Peace FM Friday.

If Hausa is already the widest spoken language in West Africa, why dont we use Hausa? Why dont we develop Hausa to become the official language of West Africa if that is what we want? Why do you go for French?

so what future are we looking at? Are we looking at the next 5 years? Are we looking at the next 30 years? Are we looking at the next 100 years? What projections have we made that were saying French should be a compulsory language in our Senior High Schools? he quizzed.

Mr Pratt also added that if the government wants to make language as an instrument for development, then the study of Chinese has an edge over French because there are more Chinese speakers in the world.

"...if were taking a global approach to language as an instrument for business and so on, why French? Why not Chinese? Chinese is more widely spoken than FrenchChinese is becoming an international language today he said.

READ MORE: Government aims to make French second language

He made the comments in response to a statement by President Akufo-Addo that French will be made a compulsory subject in Senior High School.

During a visit to Togo last Wednesday, the president noted that to survive in the ECOWAS sub-region, it would be essential if majority of Ghanaians can speak French.
He also called on ECOWAS leaders to show strong political will to make ECOWAS an economic and political success, and to make the integration of the region real.

He said: I am fully committed, and I know President Alassane Ouattara is too. With West Africas population set to reach some 500 million people in 20 years time, there are immense opportunities to bring prosperity to our region with hard work, enterprise and creativity.
Speaking on Saturday, Akomea said Ghanaians must sympathise with the NDC after it has emerged that some 17 people are ready to contest former president John Mahama for the partys flagbearership race.

All of us must sympathise with the NDC for what they are going through. I mean here is a party that has suffered the biggest electoral defeat in the fourth republic. Both parliamentary and presidential, the defeat they suffered has never happened before in the 4th republic so the party is clearly in shock. Very deep shock. Especially when they were the incumbent and the incumbent taking part in the elections, he said on Joy FM current affairs show, Newsfile.

He added: This kind of defeat will really demoralised everybody. They are in a very demoralised state and they are in a state of shock. We must sympathise with them what they are going through at the movement."

Nonetheless, the New Managing Director of the Intercity State Transport Company said the former president will easily win the partys presidential race if he decides to contest.

I still believe that if the incumbent John Mahama is to contest he will be the man to beat especially if they are going to have four or five contestants, he said.

"This is because the incumbent has an organisation on the ground by reason of the fact that he is the incumbent. All these District Chief Executives who are stalwarts of the party at the district level and the constituency level, the Ministers of State [he appointed], that is an organisation. His wall chest is bigger. You are starting from scratch to build up structures on the ground to prosecute your campaign but he [Mahama] already has them so he has the advantage.

Meanwhile, a senior NDC MP has said 2016 elections result is "very difficult and mysterious to understand."

Speaking on Saturday, Mr Rashid Pelpuo, MP for Wa Central, said the NDC administration did it best to meet the expectations and developmental needs of Ghanaians, citing the construction of 50 day Senior High Schools, hospitals and roads to back his claim.

He said: this is one of the elections that have been very difficult and mysterious to understand. You have a government that is responsive to the needs of the people, you have a government that built schools, they [Ghana] wanted roads, we built roads, they wanted hospital, we built hospitals, they wanted water, we supplied water, we did everything that was possible to ensure that the people of Ghana know that this is a government that is responsive and responding to their basic need and creating conditions for them to be able to develop themselves individually and creatively.
In a statement released by the Nigerias Presidential Spokesman, Femi Adesina confirmed the released of the 82 Chibok girls who will be received in Abuja, today, May 7, 2017, by President Muhammadu Buhari.

President Muhammadu Buhari is pleased to announce that negotiations to release more of the #ChibokGirls have yielded results, the statement read.

Today, 82 more #ChibokGirls were released.

After lengthy negotiations, our security agencies have taken back these girls, in exchange for some Boko Haram suspects held by the authorities.

The released #ChibokGirls are due to arrive in Abuja tomorrow Sunday, May 7, and will be received by the President.

On the night of April 14, 2014, 276 female students were kidnapped from the Government Girls Secondary, Chibok, Borno State, Nigeria by Boko Haram, an extremist and terrorist organisation based in the Northeastern Nigeria. Over the last three years, about 163 of the girls have been released through either successful escape from the group, military adventure or an international organisation facilitated prisoner exchange swap deal.

The current release/swap deal of the 82 girls was mid-wived by the Switzerland and the International Committee of the Red Cross, who had earlier helped to secure a similar release of over 20 girls in October 2016. It is believed there are about 113 of the girls still missing.
Malam Garba Shehu, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, confirmed the release of the girls in a statement he posted online on Saturday in Abuja.

The presidential spokesman stated that the President was pleased over the successful negotiations leading to the release of the affected girls.

He announced that President Buhari also commended the nations security agencies for their efforts in ensuring the release of the girls.

According to him, the president will be receiving the rescued girls in Abuja on Sunday.

Shehu also confirmed that the girls were released by their captors in exchange for some Boko Haram suspects held by the Federal Government.

The statement read: President Buhari is pleased to announce that negotiations to release more of the Chibok Girls have bore fruit with the release of 82 more girls today after months of patient negotiations. Our security agencies have taken back these abducted girls in exchange for some Boko Haram suspects held by the authorities.

The girls are due tomorrow in Abuja to be received by the President. The president expressed his deep gratitude to security agencies, the military, the government of Switzerland, the Red Cross, local and international NGOs for the success of the operation.

It may be recalled when the first batch of 21 girls were released in October 2016, the president directed the security agencies to continue in earnest until all the Chibok girls have been released and reunited with their families.
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Mr Femi Adesina, Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, who confirmed this development on his twitter handle, said the Chief of Staff to the President, Alhaji Abba Kyari received the girls at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja.

The 82 girls were released to international negotiators who have been working in collaboration with the Federal government for their safe return since they were kidnapped in April 2014.
Dogara, in a statement issued in Bauchi on Sunday by his media aide, Mr Turaki Hassan, also commended the efforts of security agencies and others involved in the negotiation process.

Last month, the House of Representatives adopted a motion, urging the Executive to expedite negotiation for the release of the schoolgirls who remained in captivity, and the news of the release of 82 Chibok girls is delightful, to say the least.

President Buhari has further proven that he is a man of his words, as he could have used the initial inaction by the previous administration as an excuse to not take action, but he didnt.

It has been said in many quarters that true leadership is defined not by apportioning blame, but by solving challenges irrespective of their genesis, and the President deserves all commendation for this feat.

It is extremely gladdening that these 82 girls will finally be reunited with their families.

It is my ardent hope that they get the required medical attention, and that the other girls and all others who remained in captivity are released soon, Dogara said.
The Police spokesman in the state, DSP Kennedy Idirisu confirmed the abduction to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Sunday in Lafia.

According to Idirisu, the gunmen in their numbers, stormed the residence of the lawmaker at Moroa in Akwanga at about 8 pm and shot sporadically before whisking the two women away.

He said that the police was collaborating with the vigilante group in the area to locate the victims.

As we speak, our men are already combing the areas in search of the victims and to apprehend the perpetrators, Idirisu said.

He, however, appealed to members of the public to assist the police with useful information that could lead to the rescue of the women.

Meanwhile, a family source who preferred anonymity said the abductors have contacted the family and demanded a ransom of N30 million.
As part of the ongoing Art Wise Distinguished Speakers Series, the Hunter Museum of American Art announces artist Maria Brito on Thursday, May 11 at 6 p.m. Ms. Brito is a painter, sculptor, and installation artist who will discuss her process as well as the installation piece included in the Hunters current special exhibition Our America: The Latino Presence in American Art.Our America presents works in all media by nearly 70 leading modern and contemporary artists. Drawn entirely from the collection of the Smithsonian American Art Museum, this exhibition showcases artists of Mexican, Puerto Rican, Cuban, and Dominican descent, as well as other Latin American groups with deep roots in the United States.The exhibition explores how Latino artists shaped the artistic movements of their day and recalibrated key themes in American art and culture.Ms. Brito was born in Havana, Cuba and came to the United States in 1960. She holds B.E. and M.F.A. degrees from the University of Miami and B.F.A. and M.S. degrees from Florida International University in Miami. Ms. Brito is the recipient of numerous grants and fellowships including two National Endowment for the Arts Visual Artists Fellowship Grants, a Joan Mitchell Grant, a South Florida Consortium Fellowship, and a Pollock-Krasner Foundation Grant. Her work is in the Olympic Sculpture Park in Seoul, Korea; the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, DC; Art in Public Places in Metro-Dade Center, Miami, Fl.; Oscar B. Cintas Foundation in New York, NY, among others.Art Wise events occur multiple times a year at the Hunter Museum, often coinciding with special exhibitions, and feature nationally and globally recognized speakers from the art community. Past speakers include Lalla Essaydi, Lynsey Addario, and Albert Paley. The Art Wise series is sponsored by the Blue Cross Blue Shield of Tennessee Community Trust. Media support provided is by Brewer Media.Our America: The Latino Presence in American Art is organized by the Smithsonian American Art Museum. Support for the exhibition has been provided by Altria Group, the Honorable Aida M. Alvarez, Judah Best, The James F. Dicke Family Endowment, Sheila Duignan and Mike Wilkins, Tania and Tom Evans, Friends of the National Museum of the American Latino, The Michael A. and the Honorable Marilyn Logsdon Mennello Endowment, Henry R. Munoz III, Wells Fargo and Zions Bank. Additional significant support was provided by The Latino Initiatives Pool, administered by the Smithsonian Latino Center. Support for Treasures to Go, the museums traveling exhibition program, comes from The C.F. Foundation, Atlanta.
Moyi told newsmen in Sokoto on Sunday that the arms were surrendered under an Amnesty Programme of the state government, headed by the Secretary to the State Government, Prof. Bashir Garba.

Isa Local Government is close to Niger Republic and had witnessed many acts of brigandage and cattle rustling.

Moyi said 55 of them surrendered their arms on April 14,2017, and were rewarded with cash, land plots to build houses and farmlands, to the tune of N30.5million.

 The remaining twelve surrendered their arms afterwards and we are expecting more of them to do so soon.

Similar welfare packages are also being arranged for those who surrendered their arms subsequently.

According to the chairman, the repentant bandits were each given a minimum of N100,000 and a maximum of N 500,000, for each gun.

Similarly, a N500 compensation was given for each bullet surrendered.

 No fewer than 290 ammunitions have been surrendered, Moyi said.

Moyi also explained that each of the ex-bandits was additionally given an assistance of between N 100,000 to N 200,000, to restart life.

Moyi commended Gov. Aminu Tambuwal for initiating and effectively funding the amnesty programme.

 The programme has fully boosted peace and security in the area,as the repentant bandits were hitherto involved in kidnapping, cattle rustling and armed robbery, among other crimes.

 They are now assisting the various security agencies with surveillance and intelligence gathering.
On the night of April 14, 2014, 276 female students were kidnapped from the Government Secondary School in Chibok town, Borno State.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that with the latest development, the Federal Government has secured the release of 103 girls held by Boko Haram.

Mr Ikechukwu Anyene, President of Nigeria Union, South Africa, said that the move was a welcome development and sign of good things to come.

Anyene told NAN in Lagos that Nigerians living in South Africa and citizens of other nationalities were happy for the latest released girls.

He said that at the height of the abduction three years ago, Nigerians and other citizens joined in the campaign to free the girls.

 The Nigerian community in South Africa and other Africans resident in that country are happy with the latest events concerning the Chibok girls.

 We commend the Federal Government and pledge to continue our support for the freeing of the remaining girls. We appreciate efforts by the government and Nigerians in ensuring that the girls are brought back safely, he said.

Anyene urged the Federal Government to work hard and ensure that the remaining girls in captivity are released to end the trauma faced by their parents and guardians.

According to him, efforts should be made to re-orientate the freed girls before sending them back to their families.
This was made known by Femi Adesina, the Special Adviser on media and publicity to the President on Sunday night, May 7, 2017.

In a tweet by the President's aide, Buhari is billed to travel on Sunday night, May 7, 2017 for medical follow-up.

"PMB returns tonight for medical follow-up. Length of stay to be determined by London doctors. Govt to function normally under VP.

"President Muhammadu Buhari proceeds to London tonight for follow-up medical consultation with his doctors.

"He had planned to leave Sunday afternoon, but decided to tarry a bit, due to the arrival of 82 Chibok girls who arrived Abuja earlier in the day.

"The President wishes to assure all Nigerians that there is no cause for worry. He is very grateful for the prayers and good wishes of the people, and hopes they would continue to pray for the peace and unity of the nation.

"The length of the President's stay in London will be determined by the doctors. Government will continue to function normally under the able leadership of the Vice President.

"President Buhari has transmitted letters about the trip to the Senate and the House of Representatives, in compliance with Section 145 (1) of the 1999 Constitution," Adesina said in the statement.
In a report by Punch, Fani-Kayode said it was unfortunate that Obanikoro would join the APC at the heat battle.

He said, My brother, Musiliu Obanikoros decision to join the APC irks and saddens me. I say this because I have always loved him and I care. You cannot fight evil by joining it. You cannot bring light by entering the darkness. You cannot find joy by partaking in the bread of sorrows.

You cannot run away in the heat of battle. You must have the courage of your convictions. Where is your honour? Where is your strength? Where is your dignity? Where is your self-respect? Where is your sense of self-worth?

You and I are royalty. We are princes and kings and children of the living God. We were taught and brought up to fight to the end and never to bow to the enemy.

Obanikoro and Fani-Kayode spent a month together in the custody of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission in October 2016 for different allegations.

ALSO READ: Obanikoro reportedly moves to dump PDP for APC
The presidency announced late on Saturday that months of talks with the jihadists had "yielded results" some six months after 21 of their classmates were freed with the help of international mediators.

"Today 82 more Chibok girls were released," a statement said.

"After lengthy negotiations, our security agencies have taken back these girls, in exchange for some Boko Haram suspects held by the authorities."

No details were given about how many suspects were released or their identities.

But AFP understands three Chadian nationals, allegedly senior commanders under Boko Haram leader Abubakar Shekau, were handed over.

Military and civilian militia sources in the town of Banki, on the border with Cameroon, said the girls left for Borno state capital Maiduguri on board six military helicopters at 6:10 am (0510 GMT).

"One of the girls was carrying a baby with her, a boy of less than two years," said the source on condition of anonymity.

The presidency said the teenagers would be brought to Abuja to meet Buhari, who was swept to power on a promise to defeat Boko Haram, whose insurgency has killed at least 20,000 people in Nigeria since 2009.

Shehu Sani, a Nigerian senator who has been involved in previous negotiations, said the talks lasted for "three to four months".

The government would now look to secure the release of the remaining hostages, he added.

Symbol of the conflict

Boko Haram fighters stormed the Government Girls Secondary School in the remote town of Chibok on the evening of April 14, 2014 and kidnapped 276 teenaged girls who were preparing to sit high school exams.

Fifty-seven managed to escape in the hours that followed but the remaining 219 were held by the group.

Boko Haram's Shekau claimed in a video message that they had converted to Islam.

The audacious kidnapping brought the insurgency to world attention, triggering global outrage that galvanised support from the former US first lady Michelle Obama and Hollywood stars.

The girls have become a symbol of the conflict. Last month, parents and supporters marked the three-year anniversary of the abduction, describing the situation as an unending "nightmare".

But they said previous releases had given them strength.

Enoch Mark, a Christian pastor whose two daughters were among those kidnapped, said of the latest releases: "This is good news to us. We have been waiting for this day.

"We hope the remaining girls will soon be released."

Patrick Yousef, the deputy regional director for Africa at the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), confirmed the group "facilitated the safe return" of the girls as a "neutral intermediary".

The Swiss government was also involved, Nigeria said.

Military and civilian militia sources in Banki said the girls were brought back to the town in ICRC vehicles late on Saturday afternoon and stayed in the military barracks there overnight.

Boko Haram has used kidnapping as a weapon of war, seizing thousands of women and children, and forcibly recruiting young men and boys into their ranks.

In a less publicised attack in November 2014, some 300 children were among about 500 people kidnapped from the town of Damasak, on the border with Niger, in the far north of Borno state.

Most are still missing.

Ongoing talks

The release of the 21 girls in October last year followed talks between Boko Haram and the Nigerian government brokered by the ICRC and the Swiss.

Three other girls have also been found. The first had a baby and was accompanied by a man she said was her husband but the military said was a Boko Haram suspect.

Shekau has previously said the girls would be released if militant fighters held in government custody were freed.

jpegMpeg4-1280x720When the 21 were freed, Buhari's spokesman Garba Shehu said the government was hoping to secure the release of 83 others being held by a different Boko Haram faction.

A total of 113 Chibok girls are now missing, although Shekau claimed last August that some had been killed in military air strikes.
Sunday's demonstration largely drew members of the PAME communist labour union alongside others representing small- and medium-sized businesses (SMEs) who oppose reforms demanded by Greece's international creditors.

Demonstrators rallied in the city centre carrying flags and banners in Greek reading "Never work on Sunday," an AFP correspondent said.

Shops in Greece are currently compelled to open on the first Sunday of every month in a step imposed three years ago by the country's creditors.

The reform would increase the number of Sundays from 12 times a year to 30.

Extending Sunday trading is one of a list of demands by the creditors, the European Union and the International Monetary Fund, which are among the measures that must be approved by the Greek parliament by mid-May.

Unions have called a 24-hour general strike on May 17 to protest against the new measures, whose adoption is a prerequisite for unblocking a new seven-million-euro ($7.7 million) tranche of loans that Athens needs to meet its debt repayment schedule in July.

Deregulation has been at the heart of the "reforms" demanded by Greece's creditors since the explosion of the country's debt crisis in 2010, with the aim of boosting growth.

Following an unprecedented six-year recession, the Greek economy is still struggling to recover with growth flat in 2016.
The President of the Republic has learned with great satisfaction about the release of our compatriot, who was abducted in eastern Chad and then taken by his captors to Sudan, it said in a statement.

Sudans national security service said earlier that the man had been freed and was on his way to the capital Khartoum.

The man was kidnapped south of Abeche, a mining area about 800 km (500 miles) east of the capital NDjamena, a French military source said.

Chad, a landlocked former French colony, hosts the headquarters of Frances 4,000-strong regional anti-militant operation, known as Barkhane.

It closed its northern border with Libya in January to block militants fleeing the conflict there, and has said it is worried about Islamic State operating in its territory.

Around 1,000 French troops are stationed in Chad, including a small detachment at Abeche.

About 1,500 other French nationals also live in the country.
The County School Board will begin interviewing nine finalists for superintendent on Monday evening.

The board will interview three candidates each Monday for the next three Mondays with each one getting an hour each.

The interviews will mainly be by Skype.

Candidates on Monday, starting at 5 p.m., will be Stuart Greenberg, Alan Coverstone and Natasha Baker.

The following Monday it will be Wayne Johnson, Clifford Davis and Bryan Johnson.

The final Monday the schedule includes Jack Elsey, Kirk Kelly and Timothy Gadson.

The interviews will be from the superintendent's conference room at Bonny Oaks.

The public is invited to attend.
The owner of an excavating company who was found to have polluted the Green River in Henry County, Illinois, by placing chunks of asphalt and slabs of concrete containing metal rebar along the riverbank to reduce erosion has applied for an after-the-fact permit that would bring his activities into compliance with the law.

David Ballegeer, of Ballegeer Excavating, was ordered to apply for the permit from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers as the settlement of a five-year civil lawsuit that was filed against him by Quad-Cities Waterkeeper Inc. and Prairie Rivers Network, both nonprofit environmental organizations.

Waterkeeper alleged in the suit filed in 2012 in U.S. District Court, Rock Island, that Ballegeer's placement of materials from his Geneseo, Illinois, excavating business along the riverbank  the suit called it dumping  was a violation of the federal Clean Water Act because some of the materials consisted of asphalt and concrete with exposed metal rebar that fall under the act's definition of pollution.

The materials were placed on a stretch of the river that runs along a 300-acre farm owned by Ballegeer's father, Francis, who also was named in the suit.

In the 1970s, the Ballegeers built an earthen levee on this stretch to prevent flooding of their farm, and through the years they added large slabs of concrete to protect it from erosion and to armor it against future flooding, Judge Sarah Darrow wrote. To some extent, the levee also prevented flooding in Colona, she stated.

But in a decision rendered Sept. 29, 2016, Darrow agreed that some of these materials constituted pollution, although, as she stated later, "not serious" and "largely the sort of material that is routinely and legally used as riprap to stabilize banks."

After a three-day bench trial held Jan. 30-Feb. 1 to determine penalties, she issued an order on March 28 requiring Ballegeer to apply for a permit under Section 404 of the Clean Water Act, a section that regulates the discharge of dredged or fill material into waters of the United States.

As a civil penalty, she ordered Ballegeer to pay $4,750, the amount Ballegeer estimates it will cost him to apply for the permit.

It is in the issuing of a permit that the environmental organizations expect to see some of the remediation they were hoping for on the river, because permits could come with stipulations. This could include removal of the offending pollutants.

The groups had asked for more, including a restoration injunction. Darrow rejected that, stating a permit "is appropriate and sufficient."

Violations 'not serious'

Darrow had checked with Corps and was told that "the violations in question are not serious."

"While they were ongoing for a long period of time, the material being discharged was not obviously toxic or dangerous; indeed, it was largely the sort of material that is routinely and legally used as riprap to stabilize banks," Darrow wrote.

She also noted that, "over the years, the Ballegeers have attempted to make sure that their levee complies with the law."

"They did so by, on several occasions, going to the local offices of (the Corps) ..."

"All the evidence suggested no bad or reckless motive on (the Ballegeers') part, but rather, a desire to protect their land, and to some extent Colona, from flooding," Darrow wrote.

"While the members of Waterkeeper and PRN (Prairie Rivers Network) might be pleased were more trees to be planted, or studies of mussel populations taken, none of these proposed steps relate to remediation of the illegal action at issue here," Darrow wrote.

Although the law allows for a maximum penalty of $25,000 per day for the duration of a violation, which in this case was at least six years, that amount would be on the order of $55.5 million, and "as both parties recognize, that figure is absurd," Darrow wrote.

Waterkeeper, Ballegeer react

The lawsuit was prompted by Art Norris, of Barstow, Illinois, and executive director of Waterkeeper, who took a boat down the Green River in 2011 with fisherman John Daggett. They had to go slowly to avoid hitting the concrete, some of which was in the river, according to court documents. Both regarded the concrete along the banks as ugly.

Waterkeeper was represented in the suit by the Earthrise Law Center, Norwell, Massachusetts.

Both sides claim victory in the judge's order requiring a permit.

"It's a great win for us," Norris said.

"What he (Ballegeer) was doing was just wrong."

Norris also feels a precedent was set in that he, as a private citizen, brought the suit.

Kevin Cassidy, lead attorney for the Earthrise Law Center, said that, "we were looking for compliance with the Clean Water Act, and she (Judge Darrow) ordered them to come into compliance. That was the point of the lawsuit."

"This wasn't a private lawsuit, it was in the public interest."

For his part, Ballegeer said he feels "vindicated" because the judge acknowledged that he had consistently checked with the Corps and had, in fact, previously secured a permit under section 404 of the Clean Water Act for a different portion of his riverbank.

He did incur about $250,000 in legal fees, however, and publicity about the suit hurt his business, he said. "It's been in the paper how many times that I've polluted the Green River."

And motions still are being filed regarding the payment of attorney fees; the environmental groups are asking that Ballegeer pay their $328,520 in fees and litigation costs because they are the "prevailing party."

That he could be liable for such a huge amount is scary, his attorney said.

Next: Corps to review application

Donna Jones, chief of the Illinois and Missouri section within the regulatory branch of the Corps, said in an interview that she received Ballegeer's request in late April, but is still reviewing to see if a 404 permit is appropriate.

If she determines that it is, the application will be posted on the Corps' website for 30 days for public comment and adjacent landowners will be notified individually.

After taking comments into account, Corps personnel will determine what the terms of the permit will be.

"What is proposed and what we find in the public interest might be slightly different," she said, speaking in general terms.

Ballegeer said of the Corps, "They could do anything they want. They rule the river."

The 404 permit the Ballageers already have for a different section of the riverfront required them to regrade the riverbank slope to be less steep than it was and specified the type of riprap allowed.

The material was to be in pieces "no greater than three feet across" and had to consist of native fieldstone or clean quarry run or clean broken concrete. Any rebar in the concrete had to be removed or cut flush with the surface. Trees on the river bank had to be protected and additional trees planted.

The Corps' Jones said that occasionally a permit will be denied, "but it is not common."

"Whatever is the sticking point, we will work with them (the permit seeker) to get within the parameters that we can authorize," she said.

The Green River flows about 89 miles from Lee County, Illinois, southwest through Whiteside, Bureau and Henry counties before ending at the Rock River in Colona.

More than 160 docket entries have been recorded in the litigation, with attorney fees and litigation costs from both sides totaling nearly $600,000, according to court documents.
Dont tell John Dabeet the "American Dream" is dead.

The 52-year-old economics professor at Muscatine Community College says he is a proud PalestinianAmerican that through hard work and dedication has not only realized his dream, but continues to make his dreams of a better life for his family come true.

Dabeet, who has been in the United States for 23 years, was speaking to a crowd of about 30 at the Cultural Celebration Festival held Saturday at The Center in Davenport.

The event featured a wide array of foods and cultural events and music, as well as the fun things kids love, such as face painting and games. The event was sponsored by the Quad-City Alliance for Immigrants and Refugees, or QCAIR.

Dabeet said that immigrants all want something better for their families and their children. It doesnt matter where youre from; if you're white or black; if youre Palestinian, Israeli, Hispanic, African, it doesnt matter. Each of you can be a role model, a citizen diplomat for all immigrants and represent our peoples.

Immigrants are an important component in the makeup of todays America, he said.

Despite what people hear over the many media inundating society, Dabeet said, immigrants serve a valuable purpose in America. Lets not stop moving forward, he told them.

Stacee Leatherman, one of the many QCAIR volunteers who helped create the event, said it was all about bringing the community together and celebrating the many cultures that make up the Quad-Cities, and the promise of a bright future immigrants bring.

We want people to know theyre accepted here, Leatherman said.

It is not an easy task, physically or psychologically, to pick up and move half-way across the globe in an effort to seek a better life for yourself or family, said Leatherman, who is studying immigrant psychology.

Amar Latoundji, 29, who moved to the area six months ago from Benin, said it has been hard adjusting.

Speaking through a French interpreter, Latoundji said he thought about returning home to his native country, but realized if he stayed he could help his family. Now a member of First Christian Church in Davenport, Latoundji said he will continue working and going to school so he and his family can have a better life.

Hadeel Janabi, 27, of Milan, who moved to the U.S. from Iraq, attended the event with her three children. Her husband works as a chef at Jumers Casino and Hotel, Rock Island.

Weve been here four years, Janabi said. While it has not been an easy transition, and things are different, in some ways the different things are much for the better.

Were free here, Janabi said. We can walk outside and we can talk and we can work.

Davenport Mayor Frank Klipsch has grandchildren who came from Ethiopia, and, he said, it has been a wonderful, loving experience.

Two of the most harmful words in the English language are, those people, Klipsch said. This is America. Its not those people, its we people.
The Jones County Sheriff's Office asks for help in finding Frank Thomas Young, 29, who is a fugitive.

At about 5 p.m. Saturday, the sheriff's office received an emergency call from a residence outside Oxford Junction, Iowa, saying that Young was at the residence trying to take a child. Protective and custodial orders were in place against Young in this matter.

Young grabbed the child and left the residence in a vehicle.

The Jones County Sheriff's Office were putting out an Amber Alert when a Cedar County deputy found the suspect vehicle. During an attempted stop, the deputy's patrol vehicle was damaged. Young left the child behind and fled on foot into a wooded area.

The child was recovered uninjured. The search for Young was called off because of darkness.

Young is wanted on charges of violation of a protective order, violation of a custodial order, domestic abuse assault simple misdemeanor and voluntary absence from custody (escape from work release). He is wanted on a $5,000 cash bond.

According to the Jones County Sheriff's Department, Young can have violent tendencies, so the public is asked not to try to detain him, but instead to call 911.
Our state is on a historic quest for a better economy, for a better tomorrow. Both political parties are adamant that Illinois must do more to create jobs, keep Illinoisans from fleeing the state and give our children hope that our best days are yet to come.

And yet every day, the longer the states budget impasse continues, the more one catalyst to that growth we all wish for pays a serious price: our college and university campuses around Illinois.

In his latest budget address, Gov. Bruce Rauner again proposed cuts to higher education. He called for a small increase in funds for the Monetary Award Program, but MAP grants havent been funded this year. The last two years of devastating funding cuts to MAP grants and operating funds for Illinois colleges and universities have been only an extreme example of 15 years of defunding, devaluing and dismantling this states once nationally ranked higher education system.

Higher education has its perception problems: charges of inefficiency, duplicative programs and administrative bloat. But try telling the leaders of many communities around the state that those concerns are worth the costs of draconian funding cuts.

In Bloomington, the local impact is enormous from three local colleges and universities: $725 million, with more than 4,500 jobs. Just south in Decatur, nearly $200 million is generated from Millikin University and Richland Community College. From Rockford to Carbondale, Quincy to Champaign, and Springfield to the Metro East, colleges and universities drive local economies and prepare our next generation of leaders and workforce. Yet the longer this budget impasse runs, the more paralyzed our system becomes  and the more the costs of this crisis grow.

Its too easy to ignore higher educations value and benefits, because we take them for granted. As the state has cut more than $1 billion from 2000-2015  36.4 percent  in higher education funding and aid for students, we fail to appreciate how much a role colleges and universities play to provide higher average salaries, better health, longer employment, more tax support for local services, and much more.

As the House, Senate and governor debate approving a full-year budget or more short-term help through stopgap/lifeline solutions, higher education withers away. Its not that our policymakers cant recognize the need for urgent action when economic crisis rears its head. When Exelon, Sears and CME needed help, or when other businesses asked for incentives to stay and expand here, those calls were heard and addressed. Why not higher education? After all, its a mammoth employer: $50 billion in economic impact annually, with 800,000 students and 175,000 employees in more than 200 locations.

As the discussion at the Capitol centers on Illinois economic recovery and building a stronger workforce and tax base, slashing higher ed is hypocritical, counterproductive and digging our hole deeper. Students are choosing out-of-state schools or skipping college altogether. Others are deciding not to come back after going away for school. Talented faculty and staff are laid off and leaving for better opportunities elsewhere. And with each blow, the recovery takes much longer than the initial damage.

Until the trend in funding for higher education is reversed, the promise of a better Illinois is an illusion. A state without a plan is a state with a very dim future.
Hours of testimony. Reams of documents. Months-worth of email chains.

The past 18 months of political upheaval in Muscatine has been laid bare because of the impeachment trial of Mayor Diana Broderson. And after listening, reading and culling, there's only one reasonable conclusion for Muscatine City Council, which is expected to vote Thursday: Broderson's ouster would be an egregious abuse of power.

Kill the resolution to remove Broderson from office and, instead, beat her at the ballot box in November.

There's no doubt that Broderson entered office in 2016 without a clear understanding of her duties. But all the evidence suggests a clumsy first-time politician trapped in a battle of personalities within City Hall. Rampant, benign bumbling is not an impeachable offense. Nor is being a liberal in a town long run by conservatives.

Put bluntly, the so-called charges against her, and associated facts, in no way suggest negligence or dubious intent. In fact, they are but a long list of petty grievances compiled by Muscatine administrators and council members themselves. It's now that very City Council, which initiated this mess by illegally stripping Broderson's power, that is judge and jury of a kangaroo court that should never have existed.

Prosecutors spent copious amounts of time, for example, hammering away on the fact Broderson held monthly Coffee with the Mayor confabs. It's an official act, because of the title and use of letterhead, the prosecution contends. Such an act requires City Council approval under local code.

Yes. This is an actual charge that could fuel a mayoral removal that's almost unheard of anywhere in the country.

How about another?

Broderson discussed various issues with city staff without first seeking City Administrator Gregg Mandsager's permission. Apparently, bringing a pothole directly to the attention of public works staff, too, is a violation of city code if done by the mayor without consent of the unelected administrator.

One more? Sure.

Broderson dared send out a political mailer  using campaign funds  calling her political opponents "good old boys." Allegedly, even such a staple of small-town American politics violates city code, because it disparages elected officials. It's as if, once elected, the mayor of Muscatine forgoes even First Amendment rights.

All of those alleged wrongdoings are, in fact, precisely what mayors do throughout the country. They meet with constituents. They take feedback to relevant departments. They play ugly little political games with opponents. Broderson has been impeached for simply acting as a mayor.

Broderson is being held to a unique standard, one that isn't applied to any other elected official in Muscatine. This is personal. And that's a problem.

Frankly, this entire charade has been an utter embarrassment. Broderson stormed into office, occasionally overstepped her bounds and the entire dumpster fire spun out of control. The council stripped her of appointment power. She took it to state officials, who determined that was illegal. The council wouldn't back down. She asked local law enforcement to prosecute. Yes, this farce has cost Muscatine taxpayers. But to pin the entire expense on Broderson is an exercise in dishonesty.

There's nothing impeachable here. There never was. All this time and money spent. All this embarrassment heaped on Muscatine. More cash will no doubt be blown on defending the City Council when Broderson sues, should council members vote to remove her. And all of it has done nothing but expose the sewer that is Muscatine local politics.

It's a ruthless, farcical crusade to oust an elected official for not toeing the line. It's an affront to the voters of Muscatine and the democratic process itself. It's the weaponization of an incredibly serious mechanism of impeachment for purely personal and partisan ends.

Broderson might not be a quality mayor by most measures. But then again, she never had a chance.
11/7/2022

Lee Universitys Department of Natural Sciences, along with the Tennessee Iota chapter of Alpha Epsilon Delta, inducted three new members into the national preprofessional honor society and service ... more
Opponents of a proposed uranium mine near Edgemont claimed prior to this weeks public hearings on the project that waste fluid from other mines will be disposed of there, while a mining company spokesman denied the claim and a federal agency called it a possibility.

The unverified claim, and subsequent adamant denial, illustrate the rising tensions as the proposal to mine for uranium in the southern Black Hills moves closer to possibly being permitted after a years-long process.

A video posted to Facebook by a South Dakota-based nonprofit, the Council for Responsible Mining, includes a narrator saying that if the mine is permitted, the mining company will bring in waste from other mines.

They want to haul in waste from other states and possibly even other countries to permanently inject it right into our water, the narrator says in the video.

The video is part of a campaign by opponents of the mining proposal to encourage attendance at federal regulatory hearings Monday and Tuesday in Rapid City, Wednesday in Hot Springs and Thursday in Edgemont.

Gardner Gray of rural Pringle, chairman of the Council for Responsible Mining, admitted in a Journal phone interview that he has no direct knowledge of a plan by the mining company, Powertech, to bring other companies' waste fluid to the mining site.

I havent heard it from them, but I have heard it, Gray said.

Gray referenced uranium prices, which were $50 to $60 per pound five years ago but are now $20 to $30 per pound. He predicted Powertech will not mine uranium if prices stay so low but will instead seek revenue by accepting and injecting waste fluid from other mines at the Edgemont-area site.

Mark Hollenbeck, an Edgemont-area rancher and project director for Powertech, spoke with the Journal by phone and denied the claim by the Council for Responsible Mining.

That is absolutely false, he said.

Hollenbeck said Powertech  a U.S. division of the global Azarga Uranium Corp.  does not plan to accept waste fluid from other mines. But even if it did, Hollenbeck said, other mines already have their own disposal permits and would have no economic incentive to haul their waste to the Edgemont-area site.

Powertech has received two draft permits from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, including one that would allow the company to inject mining waste fluid underground. According to the EPA, the permit would not restrict Powertech from bringing in waste fluid from other mines.

The waste-disposal issue and others will be aired this week as the EPA conducts 28 hours of public hearings on the draft permits before issuing a final decision sometime after May 19. This week's hearings will be from 1 p.m. to 8 p.m. each day  Monday and Tuesday at the Best Western Ramkota Hotel in Rapid City, Wednesday at the Mueller Center in Hot Springs, and Thursday at St. James Catholic Church in Edgemont.

During the first hour of each hearing, EPA officials will be available to meet individually with members of the public and answer questions. The EPA officials will then make a brief technical presentation and open the hearing to public comments. Attendees who wish to speak will be asked to sign up and speak in the order of the sign-up sheet.

The first hearing was April 27 in Valentine, Neb., and drew about 50 people. The EPA located the meeting there to accommodate residents of Native American reservations in South Dakota and Nebraska.

The proposed mine location is in a sparsely populated area 13 miles northwest of Edgemont, near the old Dewey and Burdock townsites along the southwestern edge of the Black Hills. Instead of extracting uranium-bearing ore with traditional pit and tunnel mining, which was conducted extensively in the Edgemont area from the 1950s to the 1970s, Powertech wants to use a method known as in situ  a Latin phrase meaning in its place.

The company would capture underground water, mix it with oxygen and carbon dioxide, and inject the solution into underground ore bodies to loosen deposits of uranium.

The uranium-bearing solution would then be pumped to the surface, where the uranium would be removed and dried into yellowcake for eventual refinement and use in nuclear power plants. The water-based solution would be reused until all the uranium at the well site is extracted. The solution would then be treated and disposed of by injecting it into a deep underground body of water known as an aquifer.

A similar system is now operating near Crawford, Neb., about 120 miles due south of Rapid City.

The Council for Responsible Mining video describes the waste fluid as toxic and radioactive. Hollenbeck, of Powertech, said regulations require the waste fluid to be treated and made safe before it is injected underground.

"It's basically saltwater," Hollenbeck said.

Powertech acquired its Edgemont-area mining rights in 2006 and has been attempting to begin mining ever since. It already has a license from the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission. If Powertechs EPA permits are finalized, the company would still need additional permits  including from the state of South Dakota  to begin mining.

One of the EPA permits would allow Powertech to drill as many production wells as the company desires  potentially 4,000 of them, according to one EPA document  within 14 designated well fields. The production wells would go hundreds of feet underground into the Inyan Kara formation of aquifers.

The other EPA permit would allow Powertech to drill up to four disposal wells, from 1,615 to 2,540 feet underground in the Minnelusa formation of aquifers. The Council for Responsible Mining has claimed that Powertech is seeking eight disposal wells. That was originally true, but Powertech has since withdrawn its request for four of the disposal wells, leaving only the remaining four wells in the draft EPA permits.

The EPA is also proposing to exempt the portion of the Inyan Kara aquifer in the project area from the Safe Drinking Water Act, which is necessary for mining to occur there.

Critics of the project say the mining solution and the injected waste fluid could migrate and contaminate other underground water sources.

No money is worth that, Gray said. If we dont have water, we dont exist down here.

Hollenbeck said Powertechs project is environmentally sound, and while he will attend this weeks hearings, he does not plan to comment orally and instead plans to submit written comments prior to the EPAs May 19 deadline.
As West Ash Creek gurgles in the distance, a peaceful silence envelops a spot on West Ash Creek Road not far from Crawford in northwestern Nebraska.

Though still an open field, it's almost as if the serenity is a form of tribute to fallen soldiers that will one day be memorialized here.

Put forth by retired Col. John D. Folsom, the plan is to create a living memorial to the veterans who have died in the U.S. Central Command Theater since Sept. 11, 2001. Folsom is the president of Wounded Warriors Family Support (not to be confused with the Wounded Warriors Project) and this spring has started planting 7,000 trees on land owned by the group.

Initially I bought the land thinking we could build a veterans retreat, Folsom said.

Logistically, however, it was going to be difficult to transport veterans to the retreat down West Ash Creek Road outside of Crawford, about 120 miles south of Rapid City. But Folsom and his organization still wanted to use the land, acquired about 10 years ago, to honor veterans.

He has never much liked the idea of marble and granite, and chose instead to plant trees  one for each of the casualties in the Central Command Theater.

Sept. 11 for a lot of Americans  for a couple of generations  was their Dec. 7, 1941, Folsom said, referring to the Day of Infamy that was the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor.

We are going to nurture and care for these trees in the same way we look after our children, the same way those parents raised their children to serve our country.

Folsom was commissioned as a 2nd lieutenant in the U.S. Marine Corps in August 1980. He spent six years on active duty, including three years with a helicopter squadron in Hawaii and was aboard the USS Tarawa in 1983 in the Suez Canal and Beirut, Lebanon, when it was getting really crazy.

Before he retired in 2010, his military career took him to Asia, Africa, Europe and the Middle East. He lives in Omaha now, and purchased land in the Pine Ridge in 2006. He traded parcels with a neighbor the next year and has been working toward his dream of a tribute to veterans ever since.

Northwest Nebraska captivated him with its beauty and historical significance.

Its a special land to a lot of people, he said. It figured prominently in the development of our country.

From the Oglala Lakota Sioux and fur traders to the pioneers and all of the military history captured at Fort Robinson, the region is rich with history, and Folsom often finds himself wondering if Crazy Horse crossed where hes working. Whether or not Crazy Horse walked the land that now belongs to Wounded Warriors Family Support, it does carry a piece of its own history, reflected by a grave marker inscribed Wandas Highway with the names of former Dawes County commissioners.

According to a 1976 story in The Chadron Record, when the county was grading the road bed for West Ash Creek Road in 1923, the remains of what was believed to have been a Native American woman were discovered. Local residents built a wooden coffin lined with satin and conducted a burial ceremony to re-inter the woman in a hill along the road. The road marker was inscribed in her honor.

With the help of Dan Larsen and Randy Wheeler, Folsom has started the planting process, choosing the Rocky Mountain juniper tree in part because it is native to the area and in part because its bluish color brings to mind the highest military honors. The evergreen tree, like a Christmas tree, will remind those who visit that we are promised a life in the hereafter, Folsom said.

Nearly 6,900 soldiers have died in the Central Command Theater since 2001, and the 7,000 trees Folsom is planting will represent each one of them.

As I plant, I talk to the trees. I sometimes wonder who they will represent and encourage them to grow, he said.

The trees will be staggered like the stars on the American flag, and phase two of the project will be stone markers at each tree that will carry the name, rank, unit and place and date of death in chronological order.

As you move through here, youll have a chronological sense of where we were.

Donors will be able to subscribe to a stone marker, which will help maintain and expand the memorial and keep the land in perpetuity. The group is also working on an interactive website  a virtual forest, if you will  so those who are unable to visit in person will be able to pull up data about each service member represented.

Across the road, Folsom has plans to develop a picnic area, a place for families to make memories by trout fishing or simply spending quiet time together. The picnic area will be named in honor of Ronald Leroy Coker, a Vietnam veteran from Alliance who received the Medal of Honor. Coker was serving with the Third Marine Division in 1969 when the patrol he was leading encountered five enemy soldiers. He wounded one of the enemy soldiers and his squad pursued them to a cave, where they came under hostile fire. One of Cokers men was wounded and exposed.

Coker braved enemy fire, ignored his own injury and reached the wounded man after throwing a hand grenade toward the enemy and suppressing hostile fire.

As Coker began to drag his man to cover, an enemy grenade landed near them. Coker grabbed the weapon and turned away from his wounded companion. Before he could toss the grenade away, it exploded, causing him further injury, but he refused to leave his comrade. As the men made their way toward friendly lines, Coker suffered injuries from two other grenades but continued to crawl and pull the other wounded soldier with him. His fellow Marines were eventually able to suppress the enemy and reach the two men. Coker later died from his injuries.

Folsom said the Wounded Warriors Family Support group will continue planting trees as casualties in the Central Command Theater mount. Anyone wishing to volunteer to plant, tend to the trees or donate toward the effort may contact him at 402-490-7875.
Fox Hollow Animal Hospital(NEW YORK) -- Footage of a veterinarian singing to his furry patient is capturing the hearts of animal lovers across the internet.



On April 27, Dr. Ross Henderson was recorded serenading Ruby the golden retriever at Fox Animal Hospital in Lakewood, Colorado. The video, which was shared on the hospital Facebook page, has been viewed more than 260,000 times.



"Dogs spend 99 percent of their time at home and when they come into the hospital, we try to give them as pleasant an experience as possible," Henderson told ABC News. "I think that's why attention and music, those two piece together causes a little bit of familiarity to them. It's the best part when they start to settle down and say, 'OK, I can relax now.'"



Henderson, 28, has apparently been singing to cats and dogs at Fox Animal Hospital for the past few months. This time, his colleague Darcy Holloway shot video while he covered Elvis Presley's "Can't Help Falling in Love." Henderson sang the song to 6-month-old Ruby, who was about to be spayed.



"Ruby was back there jumping on the cage and she was crying," Holloway told ABC News. "We don't know if it's the one-on-one attention or if it's the song, but they usually respond really well to it."



Both Henderson and Holloway believe the singing helps calm the nerves of their patients, they said.



Given the video's positive feedback, the hospital plans on sharing more in the future, Henderson said.



Copyright  2017, ABC Radio. All rights reserved.
The Photographic Society of Chattanooga will open its Summer Season show on Friday, May 19. PSC members currently have their works displayed at the Gallery at Blackwell. Prints are on display for viewing and purchasing.

The hours of operations for the Gallery are Monday-Friday from 8 a.m.-5:30 p.m. and Saturday from 8 a.m.-12 p.m. The show will end on Sept. 22.

The Photographic Society of Chattanooga will hold a reception at the Gallery at Blackwell on Friday, May 19, from 6:30-8:30 p.m. to present the summer season show.



The theme will be Chattanooga Scenes. Refreshments will be provided, and the public is welcome to view the fine art images of the members of the Photographic Society of Chattanooga.

The Gallery is at Blackwell Automotive at 71 Eastgate Loop.

For more information call 344-5643 or e-mail info@chattanoogaphoto.org. For more information about the Photographic Society of Chattanooga, visit http://chattanoogaphoto.org.






I resent putting my money on a road to service city folks. Let the city go ahead and fix it for their people.

George Ferebee

Pennington County Commissioner

While the statement above likely wont be etched into any marble monuments, it nonetheless reveals a state of mind as well as a lack of knowledge about the nature of property-tax collections that should alarm all county residents  even those who are not "city folks."

Ferebee, a retired rural Hill City resident, made his divisive comments Tuesday while the Pennington County Commission considered a proposal to spend $98,000 to resurface a section of road on South Valley Drive that happens to take travelers to and from Rapid City.

Thomas Wilsey, the county highway superintendent, said at the meeting the road is in need of repairs and we can save money by doing it now.

Ferebee, known for his combative nature, said he would rather see the asphalt removed than fix a road that benefits city folks, a clear reference to Rapid City. He and Mark DiSanto, a longtime Rapid City resident who thinks he knows better than Wilsey about what roads need to be repaired next, voted against what many would consider a routine matter. Nonetheless, it passed on a 3-2 vote.

Ferebee's "my money" and "their people" references are troubling on a couple of counts.

First, the obvious one: Rapid City's approximately 70,000 residents do live in Pennington County, which has a population of around 100,000. In addition, property owners in Rapid City send about 30 percent of the property tax they pay to the county, which makes the city a significant contributor to its budget.

But more important than his apparent lack of knowledge about tax collections is Ferebee's attitude toward those he calls "city folks," a reference that oozes with disdain for the very people whose taxes also pave the streets he drives on and are now being used to pay off millions of dollars in bonds the county used to finance its numerous building projects.

Ferebee's comments give voice to the destructive us-versus-them mentality so prevalent in politics today. While this is difficult enough to stomach on the national level, it has the potential to be quite harmful locally as it deters progress by undermining thoughtful growth that, among other things, can increase property values and thus property-tax collections that South Dakota is so dependent upon.

Instead of advocating tearing up a road that links the county and city, local elected officials need to build bridges through the process of collaboration and cooperation with the goal of improving our local economy and maximizing the public investment fueled by taxpayers.

This can only be done, however, if a commitment is made by the Rapid City Council and the Pennington County Commission to meet regularly to discuss and plan for a future that benefits rural and urban residents, which is a fine line in an area that has far more in common than Ferebee apparently recognizes.
A secretly recorded tape in which Republican Congressional candidate Greg Gianforte says he is "thankful'' for the passage of legislation repealing the Affordable Care Act sheds light on the high stakes of Montana's special election.

Gianforte has made no secret that he favors replacing the health care plan pushed through by President Barack Obama and Democrats in Congress. "It's not working. It's in a death spiral,'' he told the Missoulian. "It needs to be repealed and replaced.''

But how that's done could have a dramatic impact in Montana, where the percentage of people without insurance dropped from 20 in 2012 to 7.4 percent last year, according to the Commissioner of Securities and Insurance.

A recent report by the Montana Budget and Policy Center predicts that 142,000 Montanans could lose insurance if the Affordable Care Act were repealed.

That makes the replacement plan particularly critical here, especially with an election to select Montana's lone House member in Congress only 18 days away and with the race tight.

"We're seeing numbers in the single digits with still a lot of undecided voters out there, and that's why this race is still in play,'' Sen. Steve Daines said on the tape first revealed Friday by the New York Times and verified by the Lee Montana newspapers.

On Thursday, the day the House voted 217-213 to repeal the Affordable Care Act, Gianforte's campaign issued a statement to Lee Montana saying he would not have supported the bill because he needed more details about what it would do.

"Greg has repeatedly said he will not support a bill until he knows it reduces premiums, preserves rural access, and protects Montanans with pre-existing conditions,'' the statement from campaign spokesman Shane Scanlon said. "As an engineer, Greg needs all the facts because it's important to know exactly what's in the bill before he votes on it.''

That same day, however, Gianforte held a private conference call with conservative donors in Washington, D.C., in which he expressed support for the legislation.

According to a tape of the call, Gianforte told the donors "that the votes in the House are going to determine whether we get tax reform done, sounds like we just passed a health care thing, which Im thankful for, that were starting to repeal and replace.

At a Friday editorial board meeting with the Missoulian, Gianforte was again expressing more caution.

"We got into this mess with Obamacare because someone famously said we need to pass it to find out what's in it,'' Gianforte told the Missoulian."This bill just passed yesterday, I have not been privy to the conversations in D.C.

"If I was back in Washington, the three criteria I would make a decision on voting for or against a bill (are) No. 1, does it bring premiums down, No. 2, does it protect people with pre-existing conditions and, thirdly, does it preserve rural access. I haven't had enough time or been party to the conversations to know if the bill that passed yesterday does those three things. If it does, I would have voted for it; if it didn't, I wouldn't,'' he said. "We're learning about what's in it right now.''

The GOP health bill would eliminate the fines Obama's law imposed on people who didn't buy coverage, and erase the tax increases in the ACA on higher-earning people and the health industry. It would cut the Medicaid program for low-income people and let states impose work requirements on Medicaid recipients.

It would transform subsidies for millions buying insurance, which are now based largely on their incomes, making the funding skimpier and tying it to consumers' ages. And states could get federal waivers freeing insurers from other ACA coverage requirements.

With waivers, insurers could charge people with pre-existing illnesses far higher rates than healthy customers, boost prices for older people to whatever they wish, and ignore a mandate that they cover specified services such as pregnancy care.

Democrats believe Republican votes to repeal and replace the ACA will work to their political advantage, citing nationwide polls that show voters strongly support continued coverage for pre-existing conditions and other Obamacare provisions.

Gianforte told the donors Thursday that he needed their financial support because the stakes were high not only in Montana, but nationally.

Liberal Democrats are pouring money into the state in an effort to "stop the Trump train,'' he said. And his Democratic opponent, Rob Quist, has more than 30,000 individual donors to the Republican's 5,000.

"There is no question we could win this, but we could also lose it,'' Gianforte said on the tape.

Daines, who also participated in the call with donors, added that the outcome of the special election for the U.S. House could set the stage for the 2018 Senate race in Montana, in which incumbent Sen. Jon Tester, a Democrat from Big Sandy, is seeking re-election.

A Gianforte victory, Daines said, "would send a strong message that Tester is a vulnerable incumbent.'' He said Republicans already are courting a popular statewide elected official to get into the race to challenge the Democrat.

Holly Michels, Lee Montana state reporter, and the Associated Press contributed information for this story.
[New Zealand's right-wing political commentators have been taking a certain pleasure in the economic collapse and mass protests in Venezuela. Kiwiblog's David Farrar recently



I did a bit of research on Venezuela]



Why dont New Zealand leftists, like supporters of Labour and the Greens, accept that their ideas have been discredited by the terrible performance of the Venezuelan economy over the past couple of years, and join the National Party or Act en masse? New Zealand's right-wing political commentators have been taking a certain pleasure in the economic collapse and mass protests in Venezuela. Kiwiblog's David Farrar recently asked why left-wing New Zealanders had nothing to say about the crisis of Hugo Chavez's Bolivarian revolution. Here was a comment I put under Farrar's post.I did a bit of research on Venezuela a decade ago , but haven't been able to follow events in the country closely more recently. I think my original research was hampered by the fact that I don't know Spanish, and by my failure to visit Venezuela. In recent years I've tried always to visit the places I write about.Why dont New Zealand leftists, like supporters of Labour and the Greens, accept that their ideas have been discredited by the terrible performance of the Venezuelan economy over the past couple of years, and join the National Party or Act en masse?

One way to answer this question is to rephrase it, and ask something like: why didnt Kiwi advocates of free market capitalism change their minds when the Argentinian economy, which had been the subject of an ambitious experiment in neo-liberalism during the 90s, collapsed at the beginning of the twenty-first century?

The collapse of Argentina back in 2000-2001 was just as spectacular as the disaster in Venezuela today. But I dont remember the members of the Act Party or the Business Roundtable folding up their tents at the time.

If they had been asked, I would guess that local advocates of neo-liberalism would have denied that events in Argentina had much relevance to the very different society that is New Zealand, and would have pointed to unique features of the Argentinian situation that made neo-liberalism a failure there. They would, if they were clever enough, have said that it is not a good idea to take a set of events in one country and make them into generalisations valid for all times and places.



And the same can be said now, when we see the crisis in Venezuela.

Both the left and the right have tended to forget about the very particular history of Venezuela when they have analysed the Chavez and Maduro eras. Instead of understanding Venezuela and the rise of Chavez with reference to unique local factors like the countrys lopsided, oil-dependent economy, unusually structured military, and chronically underdeveloped agricultural sector, both left-wing supporters of Chavez and right-wing detractors of the man have tended to talk in very abstract terms about the pros and cons of socialism. Some articles about Venezuela in the Chavez era have spent more time discussing the Soviet Union and Cuba than South America.

If we are to compare Venezuela with another country, then we shouldnt turn to the Soviet Union, which had a vastly different economy, nor to a New Zealand run by a Labour government, but to Nigeria.

Like Venezuela, Nigeria has been dubbed a petrostate, because of the almost complete dependence of its economy on oil exports, and the way that its governments have traditionally held power by distributing revenue from oil sales through intricate networks of patronage. And like Venezuela, Nigeria is in crisis at the moment, as the result of the big drop in oil prices.

In both Venezuela and Nigeria, a succession of governments have attempted to deal with the key problem of a petrostate: the problem of how to insulate the economy, and therefore society, from the inevitable fluctuations in oil prices. Some governments, like the regimes that ruled Venezuela during the Punto Fijo era of the 60s and 70s, have attempted to protect themselves by pursuing economic nationalist policies like tariff-driven import substitution and state-driven investment programmes. They wanted to build a strong domestic economy insulated from the global market.



Other governments, like those that ruled Venezuela in the late 80s and the 90s, have taken the opposite approach, and have privatised, cut tariffs, and tried to create favourable conditions for foreign investment. Its easy to forget today, but these neo-liberal policies were very unsuccessful in the Venezuela of the late 80s and 90s, and the governments that implemented them had to resort, just like Maduro is resorting now, to the use of violence to put down dissent.



The Caracazo of 1989, which was prompted by falling oil prices, a shrinking economy, and the removal of state subsidies for transport, was an uprising against neo-liberalism that was put down with machine guns. Fifteen hundred people died during the Caracazo, mostly in the poor suburbs of Caracas.



The point Id make, then, is that we have to understand the latest crisis in Venezuela with reference not to some abstract concept of socialism or to the very moderately left-wing programme of Labour and the Greens here in New Zealand, but as the latest in a series of disasters caused by the impact of falling oil prices on a petrostate. Maduro has demonstrably failed to protect Venezuelas economy from the terrible impact of collapsing oil prices; but so, just as demonstrably, did his neo-liberal and Punto Fijo predecessors.



[Posted by Scott Hamilton]
CLEVELAND, Ohio - On Sunday mornings, a dozen or so faithful still gather in Cleveland's Tremont neighborhood to carry on a tradition started by German immigrants in 1867.

The tiny congregation at Zion United Church of Christ stopped using its Gothic-inspired house of worship for weekly services a few years ago, when the maintenance costs became too much to bear. Now members assemble on the first floor of the attached school building, where the words "Zions' Schule" hang over the red-painted front doors that open up onto West 14th Street.

Last year, the church's governing body agreed to sell its real estate to Dan Siegel, a local apartment landlord who has teamed up with high-end residential developer Andrew Brickman on plans to fill the building with 25 rental units. Construction could start later this year.

But - thanks to an unorthodox marriage - the congregation isn't disbanding, moving to the suburbs or merging with another church. Instead, Zion UCC will stay put as a tenant in the old school building, where money from the sale of the property and other assets, including the bronze church bells, will pay for renovations to the group's space and a last grasp at survival.

"There's still a portion of you that says, 'Man, oh man, it's hard to lose that,'" Keith Konet, the church council president, said of giving up control over the buildings and preparing for new neighbors. "But it's better to see that happen than just walk away and close the doors."

An 1898 map of Cleveland's Tremont neighborhood shows Zion, then labeled as the United Evangelical Church, in the lower lefthand corner. The congregation has changed its name several times over 150 years.

Zion UCC is celebrating its 150th anniversary this weekend. The congregation started out as the United German Evangelical Protestant Church, formed by 40 German families who met at College Avenue and Tremont Street.

The current building, with a 175-foot-tall steeple that's visible from miles away, opened in 1885.

South of Lincoln Park and steps away from small shops and restaurants, the church sits silent most days. Fiberglass panels conceal the stained-glass windows. Plywood orbs fill spaces where oculi - round windows - once provided another pop of color against the grimy brick.

Konet, a 70-year-old lifelong member of the church, grew up within walking distance on Branch Avenue. During the 1960s, when freeways cut up the neighborhood and sliced through other parts of Cleveland, his family lost its house to road construction. Interstate 71 runs just west of Zion, making the church a bit of an island on the edge of Tremont's historic district.

The highway-building boom was, perhaps, the start of Zion's decline. A church that once attracted nearly 600 parishioners withered thanks to suburbanization, outmigration and crime.

That story is a familiar one in Cleveland, where churches of all stripes have fallen vacant due to demographic shifts and changing fortunes. Some buildings get demolished. Others find new life as offices, galleries or community space. But the Zion plan is a rarity, blending housing with homage in one of the city's most in-demand neighborhoods.

"There are going to be some unique challenges," said Rev. Scott Rosenstein, the interim pastor at Zion and a community organizer at Tremont West Development Corp., a neighborhood nonprofit. "I don't think this is a common pattern, to have the congregation remain."

Apartments will make creative use of space



Siegel, who owns roughly 6,000 apartment units across the region, and Brickman plan to divide the sanctuary, entrance and bell tower at the church into 13 apartments. They'll keep the central aisle open from floor to apex, creating a dramatic corridor flanked by a second-story catwalk.

A site plan shows the proposed layout of the Zion property as an apartment complex, with a reconfigured parking lot behind the buildings.

Their plans call for removing the stained glass and incorporating it into the units inside; however, the Cleveland Landmarks Commission recently pushed back, asking the developers to consider keeping some of the stained glass in place and vetoing the idea of vinyl windows.

The commission, which has oversight of projects in historic districts, also laughed off - and panned - Brickman's request to put large lettering referencing his company, Brickhaus Partners, on the church's roof or running down the steeple.

"I was actually crying, what he proposed to me was so funny," said Freddy Collier, the city's planning director, who otherwise expressed enthusiastic support for the redevelopment.

The Cleveland Landmarks Commission will not allow the developers to put large-scale lettering on the church's roof or steeple.

The school building will house a dozen apartments between the basement, which sits partially above ground and is lined with light wells, and the second floor, where lofts will stretch into the attic.

Siegel said the apartments will range from a 400-square-foot efficiency to two-bedroom units of 1,200 to 1,300 square feet. At rents of $2 per square foot, it might cost $800 to $2,600 a month to live at Zion. Tenants will park in a secured lot behind the buildings.

To make complicated preservation projects work, many developers in Cleveland pursue historic tax credits through national and state programs. Siegel and Brickman aren't likely to do that, though. Their project might not be eligible for credits, since the developers will make such dramatic changes to the interior of the church. Tax-credit financing would put more constraints on the design and would extend the project timeline.

"We do plan on keeping as much of the historic features as we can. ... Because we're unable to get historic tax credits for the project, dollars are going to be very tight," Siegel said. "It's not an economic home run. We're okay with that. But we also don't want to lose money."

Plans for the second floor of the church building and the adjacent school building show the potential apartment layouts.

And Siegel already has been waiting on Zion for more than two years. He started talking to the congregation through Tremont West, which helped the church quietly gauge the market without officially putting the property up for sale. Parishioners initially went for an alternative redevelopment proposal, for a rock-climbing gym that would have left the sanctuary open.

When the rock-climbing concept crumbled - largely due to financing issues - the church reconsidered the apartment plan. Meanwhile, Siegel partnered with Brickman, who converted a Cleveland Heights church into condominiums a decade ago.

Robert "Roby" Simons, a Cleveland State University professor and a co-author of a new book on conversions of derelict churches and schools, said residential use makes sense at Zion. But he, also, noted that developers rarely make much money repurposing churches.

As for keeping the congregation in place, Simons said such an arrangement is rare - if not unheard of - but seems like a good move for both the developers and the neighborhood.

"It's a socially responsible way to go," Simons said. "It's sensitive."

Congregation seeks survival through change

In the coming weeks, workers will bring down three bronze bells - each weighing 1,000 to 2,000 pounds - from the church tower at Zion. Crafted in the Midwest more than a century ago, the bells are headed to Vietnam, where a Catholic Church revival is fueling demand.

"It's pretty amazing, isn't it? It shocked me," said Jeff Crook, president of Chime Master, a Lancaster company that makes, sells, restores and installs church bells. He brokered the sale of the bells for Zion UCC, which is clearing out space for the apartments and building up cash.

Konet said the church also plans to sell off its pews as scrap. The organ will be disassembled and partially reused as a decorative element in the congregation's renovated space.

A maze-like array of books in the school's basement, where bookseller Mike O'Brien has been camped out for the last eight years, will move out to University Circle. Somewhere in the basement, Konet said, there's a two-lane bowling alley that will have to go.

The congregation already has discontinued its program to feed the hungry. Serving meals to the homeless once a week was not going to work well at an upscale apartment building. Other churches in the neighborhood have filled the gap.

Zion UCC has a long-term, essentially rent-free lease that lets the congregation occupy and fix up the school's first floor. That lease factored into the sale price for the property, a price nobody involved in the transaction was willing to disclose. The figure isn't in public records.

Konet realized a few years ago that he needed to do something dramatic to help Zion avoid the fate of other churches that have fallen vacant and deteriorated beyond repair.

"It was one day where I walked in and looked at the school building, and a huge stone that makes up part of the gable above one of the windows had come down," he said. "It would have seriously injured, if not killed, somebody. And I looked at that and said 'The time has come.' We can't put up with this any longer. We can't maintain what we have."

He's pragmatic about the future, acknowledging that the aging congregation needs to attract new, younger members to have a chance at marking another major anniversary.

The part-time pastor, Rosenstein, sometimes wonders if the church is just prolonging the inevitable. But over the past 20 years in the neighborhood, he's seen Zion UCC claw its way back from the brink many times. He's putting his faith in something bigger than real estate.

"With God," Rosenstein said, "anything is possible."
KATHMANDU: May 7, 2017- Minister for Foreign Affairs Prakash Sharan Mahat held a meeting with Nancy Pelosi, Democratic leader of the US House of Representatives and former House Speaker, on Sunday, and informed her about the country's present politics, local level election, the peace process and its success, and promulgation of the new constitution and its implementation.

In a meeting at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Singha Durbar, in Kathmandu todya, the Foreign Minister shed light on the provisions guaranteeing inclusiveness, human rights and democracy in the Constitution of Nepal. He also informed the US leader regarding the constitutional provisions related to women and ethnic inclusiveness in every state organ.

While expressing confidence that the cooperation the US government has been providing to Nepalis living in the US would be continued in the days ahead, Minister Mahat thanked the American people and government for the support it has been extending to Nepal in the economic, social and broader areas.

He also extended gratitude for the US support in the post-earthquake rescue and relief as well as reconstruction operations.

On the occasion, the US leader Pelosi praised the provisions made in Nepal's constitution regarding women's participation and inclusion, expressing that the US could take a page out of these provision.

She gave assurance that the US would continue to provide the support that it has been giving Nepal in the coming days as well no matter which government comes to power in Nepal.

Appreciating the role played by Nepal in the management of the peace process, drafting of the constitution from the Constituent Assembly and managing the political transition, Congresswoman Pelosi wished for the success of the election taking place in Nepal.

Also present in the meeting were Foreign Secretary Shanker Das Bairagi, the members of both parties in the US House of Representatives as well as high-ranking officials, US Ambassador to Nepal, and Nepal's Ambassador to US, among other officials, according to Foreign Affairs Minister's press coordinator Yek Raj Pathak.

US House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi arrived here on Saturday for a three-day visit to Nepal, leading a bipartisan Congressional delegation. RSS
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NATIONAL ALLIANCE OF PEOPLES MOVEMENTS

National Office : 6/6 (Basement) Jangpura B, New Delhi a 110 014 .

Phone : 011 2437 4535 | 9818905316

E-mail: napmindia[at]gmail.com | Web :www.napm-india.org

For Immediate Release

7th May, 2017a

NAPM pays respectful salutes to Jst. Leila Seth

Abolition of Death Penalty and implementation of Jst. Verma Commission recommendations would be a befitting tribute to her life and work.

National Alliance of Peopleas Movements is deeply saddened to learn of the demise of Justice (Retd.) Lelila Seth, well-known (she disliked the word eminent) jurist and champion of rights of women and marginalized genders. Her 6 decades of work as a legal practitioner including about two decades as a judge was a testimony to the values that she carried easily on her a conviction, compassion and wisdom.

It is indeed remarkable that even as an octogenarian, she accepted responsibility of being on the Jst. J.S Verma Committee constituted by Govt. of India for amendments to criminal law, in the light of the Dec, 2012 Nirbhaya (Jyoti Singh) gang rape and gruesome murder that sparked protests by women, citizens and youth across Delhi and India. Jst. Seth, along with Jst JS Verma, as the Committee Chairperson and Mr. Gopal Subramaniam submitted a comprehensive report to the Union Govt. within a record one-month period and made some far reaching and significant recommendations on rape law as well as on rights of women and marginalized genders, who are subject to sexual crimes. While some recommendations such as an expanded definition of rape was accepted; many other progressive recommendations of the Committee such as review of AFSPA, criminalization of marital rape, compensation to rape victims etc. were not incorporated in the final version of the Criminal Law (Amendment Act) Act, 2013 that was passed by the Parliament.

Jst. Sethas book, Talking of Justice: Peoples Rights in Modern India, published shortly after the Committee submitted its report conveys her dynamic understanding and position on a whole range of contemporary issues including death penalty, marital rape, consent, gender neutrality of rape, juvenile justice, rights of children, women, jail inmates, Uniform Civil Code, administration of justice etc. Her autobiography (On Balance), translated into Hindi as Aurat aur Adalat is also a crucial first person narrative of the thick walls of patriarchy within the judiciary and the sexist challenges a woman, whether as a client or convict, a lawyer or a judge faces within the system. Indian Judiciary needs more such strong and stoic women to render justice to the masses.

As an active member of the Law Commission, her role, leading to recognition of the property rights of daughters under Hindi Succession Act is also well-appreciated. As the first woman Chief Justice of a High Court, she pushed the frontiers further within the judiciary, establishing the fact that women can be equally good or better judges, if only they are given appropriate opportunities at the right time. She has truly been a champion all her life, from the beginning of her legal career when she became the first woman to top the Bar in England.

She was also a strong votary of LGBTQIA+ rights as a jurist and also as a mother who respected the sexual orientation of her son, acclaimed author Vikram Seth. She had a principled and reasoned position against the death penalty. It will indeed be a befitting tribute to this stalwart if, the Apex Court reviews its recent decision to impose death penalty on the four convicts in the Nirbhaya case and the Parliament removes death penalty permanently from the statute book. Jst. Leila Seth will truly be missed for all that she lived and loved. We convey our heart-felt condolences to her immediate and extended family, fraternity and well-wishers.a

Endorsed by: National Team of Advisors, Convenors and Special Invitees of NAPM
A Walker County detention officer has been charged with shooting and killing his son.

Pat Wooten is facing a charge of malice murder in the death of Lance Wooten.

The incident happened on Saturday on Hood Avenue at Chickamauga.

The victim had a gunshot wound to the chest. He was dead at the scene.

Pat Wooten is a former Chickamauga police officer.

The GBI is handling the case.
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The nation took a hard left turn on Friday. After the snowflakes descended on Tennessee legislator Mark Green for his conservative views, a man who would have been a glorious Secretary of the Army withdrew his name from consideration on Friday. And his regretful decision, counted as a victory by Muslims and the LGBT crowd, will do far more to hurt each fringe group than help.

The Muslims got agitated because Rep. Green does not feel we need to teach Muslim beliefs and practices in our public schools.

I dont either. And the LGBTers hate Greens quite-civil ideas about unisex bathrooms and that he once said some psychiatrists believe transgender is a disease. I respect all people but I got to tell you -- I am past being tired of less than 5 percent of the population antagonizing the other 95 percent.

Were not teaching Muslim and the rest room rant has no more fizzle. We aint doing neither  deal with it.

No, what has left the majority of America screaming is clearly crystal. The country didnt want Dr. Green to study different cultures or religions. We dont need his views on why some people are gay and the ridiculous restroom argument has about run its course in our loony-verse. We wanted him to become the Secretary of the Army and, by every true measure, the 54-year-old achiever would have been a dandy.

Political correctness is suicidal. I have never hated Muslims and I have more gay people who I revere as friends than ever before but there is a solid argument Green has just as much of a right to freedom of speech, freedom of religion, and his conservative views as any of his detractors. Somebody said not long ago the wackos are silencing themselves and heres a great example.

As one reader commented, our nation is allowing a twisted media to represent conservative heterosexual Christians as willful racists. Thats preposterous. Lay the blame squarely where it belongs  the Muslims and the LGBT lefties just denied our nation the skills of a fine and noted military veteran.

Mark Green was born and raised in Ashland City, think Cheatham County -- midway between Nashville and the Kentucky border. Proud of his country, went to West Point, became a Ranger and led men in Iraq. His dad had a near-fatal health problem, spending 45 days in ICU, and almost immediately Capt. Green talked the Army into sending him to medical school.

Fast forward to the night of Dec. 13, 2003. A covert Special Operations team launched Operation Red Dawn in the scrubby town of ad-Dawr, Iraq, near Tikrit, and soon pulled the despicable Saddam Hussein out of a grimy spider hole. Want to guess the doctor who interrogated Hussein for the next six hours? A guy from Tennessee, Mark Green, the chief medical officer on the Special Ops team. And, yes, the same guy we just allowed Muslim and LGBT loud-mouths to thwart becoming our Secretary of the Army.

Green explained. Unfortunately due to false and misleading attacks against me, this nomination has become a distraction. Tragically, my life of public service and my Christian beliefs have been mis-characterized and attacked by a few on the other side of the aisle for political gain."

No, let me tell you what was most tragic. War hero John McCain, age 80, is the Republican chairman of Armed Services Committee. He was among those who threw Green under the bus. McCain has been acting strangely for some time. McCain said Greens comments about LGBT were very concerning. About three dozen Democrats in the House had asked the Senate to block Green, and Daniel Feehan, who was an official at the Pentagon under Obama, said his views could hamper military recruitment.

The statements he has made on a number of fronts  in particular to the LGBT community, to different minority groups, different religious groups  are a great, great concern toward military readiness, Feehan told USA Today.

The way the military works, the way the Pentagon works, your reputation precedes you, Feehan also said. Please. Tell me you notice more. To wit: I would point to Greens humble journey from a little town in upper East Tennessee to West Point to his Ranger tab. He was deployed to Iraq three times, where he led men into combat. Look at his devout faith and the standard it holds, his experience as a state legislator, a medical doctor and the head of an emergency-room staffing group that sends ER physicians to 50 hospitals in 11 different states.

Mark Green deserved to be the Secretary of the Army but, in the end, the United States did not deserve Mark Green. Im glad hes back home in Tennessee. It is here where we admire and appreciate him the most.

* * *

THE EIGHT BEATITUDES

The eight Beatitudes in Matthew 5:312 during the Sermon on the Mount.

Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of Heaven. (Matthew 5:3)

Blessed are those who mourn: for they will be comforted. (5:4)

Blessed are the meek: for they will inherit the earth. (5:5)

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness: for they will be filled. (5:6)

Blessed are the merciful: for they will be shown mercy. (5:7)

Blessed are the pure in heart: for they will see God. (5:8)

Blessed are the peacemakers: for they will be called children of God. (5:9)

Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. (5:10)

Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward in heaven is great, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you. .5:11-12

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Over the past several decades, America has seen a startling divergence between crime and punishment. While crime rates dropped steadily from the dramatic peaks of the 1990s, the nations incarceration rates continued just as steadily to grow. And so, despite containing only 5 percent of the worlds population, the United States came to hold a quarter of the worlds prisoners.

Weve covered this divergence extensively in the print and digital pages of The Atlantic, from Ta-Nehisi Coatess landmark story on the rise of the carceral state and the devastation it wreaked on black families to Inimai Chettiars exploration of the many causes of the decline in crime. Among the findings that emerge most clearly from this robust, sad literature is that the factors driving both aspects of the divergence  the fall in crime, the increasing spread of punishment  are highly complex. Despite dawning awareness of the deep social and economic costs of mass incarceration, no one-size-fits-all solution exists to change this picture. Rolling back mass incarceration while protecting public safety will require a legion of efforts in thousands of prosecutors offices, police departments, parole boards, and legislative chambers. "What we have is not a system at all, as Fordham Universitys John Pfaff told The Atlantic's Matt Ford, "but a patchwork of competing bureaucracies with different constituencies, different incentives, who oftentimes might have similar political ideologies, but very different goals and very different pressures on them....

In collaboration with reporters across the country, well highlight local initiatives that merit national attention, and talk with experts about where and how lessons from states and municipalities can be applied more broadly. Well look at where the carceral state has spread beyond merely responding to crime, examine the time people spend behind bars without having been convicted, and explore how cities can depend on police to collect fines and fees from their poorest residents to make up for too little tax revenue.

The title of the project comes from Martin Luther King Jr., who included the phrase in his famous letter from Birmingham jail. That context is worth understanding for the challenge the letter poses to us today, as America struggles to reconcile the need for public safety with the moral imperative of justice.... From his cell, King wrote the famous letter that would cleave the nations understanding of law and order right in half, arguing that the observance of an unjust law violates the moral order. "An individual who breaks a law that conscience tells him is unjust, and who willingly accepts the penalty of imprisonment in order to arouse the conscience of the community over its injustice, is in reality expressing the highest respect for law, he wrote. He castigated "the white moderate, who is more devoted to order' than to justice; who prefers a negative peace, which is the absence of tension, to a positive peace, which is the presence of justice."
This is all so stupid and sad, and all these lives are ruined, says Mitri Hanania, an attorney who once represented murdered man Keith Green, speaking to the Associated Press in a revealing new piece about his case. Green's former girlfriend, 31-year-old Tiffany Li, stands accused in his April 2016 killing, along with her boyfriend, 30-year-old Kaveh Bayat, and a fellow MMA fighter who described himself as Bayat's "bodyguard", Olivier Adella, who has a questionable past of his own and who is now cooperating with investigators. To the dismay of Green's family, Li's mother and her wealthy friends put up $4 million in cash and $62 million in property to bail her out last month, a bail amount unprecedented in San Mateo County  a judge set Li's bail at $35 million, and under California law, twice the bail amount can be met with real estate property, freeing her under house arrest after nearly a year behind bars.

Prosecutors have released a number of new details in the case to the AP, some of it from interviews with Adella and Li's mother, who described Green as a "black hole" in the family who she clearly disapproved after he fathered two children with her daughter.

We've known since the case first made the news last May that Green was last seen on the evening of April 28, 2016, when he left his apartment to meet Li at the Pancake House in Millbrae, strangely leaving his wallet and keys behind, according to roommates. According to prosecutors, Li has said she and Green simply sat in a car in the restaurant parking lot and had an "amicable" talk about their children, after which Green drove off, never to be seen alive again. Just two days later, Green was set to assume 50 percent custody of their two small children, after Li had broken up with him and kicked him out of the Hillsborough mansion they shared, paid for by Li's mother  a Chinese real estate magnate who, like Li, is a naturalized US citizen.





We also now learn that Li grew up privileged, largely in the Bay Area, attending the tony Santa Catalina boarding school in Monterey as well as five other private schools in the region, and she met Green in 2009 when she was 23 and he was 21. Green, a college dropout, would eventually enroll in the Cordon Bleu culinary school in San Francisco, bankrolled by Li's mother, while Li collected a $100,000/year salary from her mother to help manage her real estate holdings. After they broke up, when Li began a relationship with Green's friend, Bayat, Green was allegedly being paid a $4,000/month stipend and given a vehicle.

Prosecutors say that cellphone pings contradict Li's version of events on April 28, putting both Green's and her own cellphone back at her Hillsborough home. Green's cellphone would later be found in Golden Gate Park, and his body would be discovered two weeks later in some woods in Healdsburg.

According to Adella, the six-foot-five-inch "bodyguard" and MMA fighter whose estranged wife told the media last year that he was a con man, Bayat called on him the night of Green's murder to dispose of the body, but he had no role in Green's death.

The most chilling part of the AP piece:

[Adella] said Li and Bayat showed up at his apartment the night of the restaurant meeting with Greens body in the front passenger seat of Lis SUV, blood coming from his mouth and ears. Olivier told detectives Bayat showed him a handgun stuffed in his waistband and handed him gloves. I need you to take out the trash, Olivier says Bayat told him.

It's unclear what other physical evidence investigators may have, but both Li and Bayat were arrested at the Hillsborough mansion and charged with murder on May 24, 2016. Using cellphone records, Adella was arrested several days later and also charged.

Li remains free on bail, despite prosecutors' protests that she could be a flight risk given her mother's wealth and connections.

Previously: Millbrae Murder Suspect Tiffany Li Posts Unprecedented $35 Million Bail
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SIOUX CITY | UnityPoint Health  St. Lukes will host the 43rd Annual Perinatal Conference from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on May 24 at St. Lukes Institute for Health Education Auditorium at the hospital in Sioux City.

The conference offers continuing education credit for physicians, mid-levels, nurses and other health care professionals from across the region who provide prenatal and perinatal care to mothers and newborns.

This years conference will highlight a number of important prenatal and perinatal topics including preterm premature rupture of membranes; precision neonatal medicine; pregnancy and childbirth-related pelvic organ prolapse and urinary incontinence; strategies for effective management of chorioamnionitis; and an update on guidelines for reducing SIDS and other sleep-related infant deaths.

The cost of the conference is $89 and $99 after May 17. To register, go to unitypoint.org/professional-education. For further assistance, call the Department of Education and Lifelong Learning at (712) 279-8941 or 1-800-352-4660, ext. 8941, or email naomi.holtz@unitypoint.org.
ORANGE CITY, Iowa  Daniel Huey, assistant professor of music at Northwestern College, has earned a doctorate in music theory from the University of Massachusetts Amherst.

Hueys dissertation, Harmony, Voice Leading, and Microtonal Syntax in Ben Johnstons String Quartet No. 5, measured levels of consonance and dissonance in harmonies tuned to extended just intonation.

Huey teaches music theory and provides leadership for Northwesterns music and worship leadership program. Prior to joining the colleges faculty in 2016, Huey taught as an assistant professor of music at Shorter University in Georgia, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in New York and the University of Iowa.

A graduate of the University of Illinois, he earned a masters degree in music theory at the University of Iowa.
SIOUX CITY  Geoff Arnold envisions a day where downtown Sioux City is plastered by the shiny green hard hat that serves as the logo for Lienwaivers.io.

The 36-year-old serves as CEO of the start-up tech firm he co-founded in western Iowa's largest city, alongside Chief Revenue Officer Luis Trejo and Chief Product Officer Sean Richardson.

But before Arnold's grand vision can come true, he and his partners have to convince more members of the $1.73 trillion a year construction industry to use their product, which simplifies the construction payment process.

What we do is build a payment platform for construction payment, Arnold said. In construction, its not just about sending money from A to B; its invoices involved that have to get approved and all this other stuff.

Most transactions in the construction industry involve lien waivers, a legal document from a contractor, subcontractor, supplier or other party holding a mechanic's lien stating that they have been paid in full and waiving future lien rights to the disputed property.

What weve done is we've built software that facilitates that exchange of lien waiver for payment and it gives both parties  the general contractor and the subcontractor  the confidence that if they send a payment, they are going to send a lien waiver back and if they send a lien waiver, they are going to have their payment, so we act as a trusted third party, Arnold said.

Typically, completing lien waivers and mailing payments is a time-consuming process for people who work on the financial side of the construction business.

This is something Trejo, a 35-year-old accountant by trade, discovered when he worked as a controller for a construction company.

Part of my duties outside of accounting, the financials and managing the accounting team, was process improvement, he said. One of the processes that I latched on to was the payment and lien waiver exchange process. It was basically just paper-ridden and very slow, manual and took up a lot of time just to complete and pay people to get the work done.

A couple of years ago and over drinks one night, Trejo relayed his issue to Arnold and Richardson, both of whom have backgrounds in the technology sector.

At the end of that, I dont think we necessarily had the idea of going into business with this  and certainly we didnt have the background, except for Luis  the background to the problem, but the more that we talked with other builders, it really became clear that this was a problem that the industry is struggling with and thats when we really saw the opportunity and said, Hey, maybe we should quit our jobs and start our own business. Arnold said, followed by a laugh.

Arnold and Richardson tinkered with the foundation of what would eventually companys namesake technology solution for about two years. They didn't get into the hardcore" building of the program until October 2015, which was about three months before Lienwaivers.io formally launched.

Working from Springboard Coworking, a collaborative work space on the second floor of the Stifel Nicolaus building in downtown Sioux City, Lienwaivers.io and the men behind it are starting to make a name for themselves in a short amount of time.

In the past few weeks, the company won the Judges Choice award at the 2017 NACHA Payments Awards ceremony in April held in Austin, Texas, and was a finalist for the Technology Association of Iowas Prometheus Award for outstanding start-up of the year. Arnold also was a finalist for the Omaha-based Silicon Prairie Technologist of the Year Award. These and other accolades have started to pile up for Lienwaivers.io.

Although peer recognition can provide a confidence booster for any new company, steady business and loyal customers are also important.

One Lienwaivers.io client who has used the companys services since almost the beginning is Virginia Anderson. Anderson is the chief operating officer of Kelly Construction, a Sioux City-based residential construction firm.

When asked how using Lienwaivers.io has impacted her workload, Anderson said the programs effectiveness cut down the time it took for her to write checks from two hours to 30 minutes. While she is pleased with the results, Anderson, who describes herself as a multi-tasker, jested about it being a bittersweet situation.

My hand doesnt cramp every week from signing checks for two hours, (but) my TV time has went down because I used to sit and watch a couple of shows while doing it," she joked. "Now I dont get to watch my shows as much."

Moreover, using Lienwaivers.io also trimmed Andersons personally curated six hour method for filling out lien waivers into a hyper-efficient 30 minute task.

In the past, Anderson said she wrote a lien waiver to everyone she had to cut a check to, exported a report from the bank, printed that report out and matched that information to specific checks, mailed all of that out, and then tracked what she sent out until it was returned.

If I didnt get them back, then I would have to send them a reminder  it was (all) manual, Anderson said. I mean I was doing pretty good to have a mail merge system  this way that they do it, it keep tracks of it all for me and I dont have to watch for it to come back.

Testimonials similar to Andersons are all over Lienwaivers.ios website and has helped the less than two-year-old company attract customers from 11 states so far. Additionally, through its affiliate program, existing customers that promote Lienwaivers.io to industry colleagues are rewarded by the company.

Our customer base is growing about 25 percent every month, Arnold said.

Being a tech firm, Lienwaivers.io also relies heavily on social media and other digital efforts to gain new business.

We have couple different means for acquiring new customers and one of the best has just been organic search, said Richardson, who leads the charge on customers recruitment and marketing. People just get on Google and search lien waiver software and we pop up as one of the top search listings."

Although Sioux City is part of Silicon Prairie  a play on Silicon Valley that references various tech-heavy locales in the Midwest  the Lienwaivers.io team still gets questioned on why they are purposely building a technology company in Iowa.

"Why not?," said Arnold, who moved to Sioux City from the East Coast. "The support we have received through the community and the state has been unbelievable. I mean, why not? We know tech, we know construction, it seems like a good business."

Trejo, a Sioux City native, often touts the benefits of living in the Hawkeye State to others when prompted.

"Iowa's a great place to live, you can really get involved in your community and you can actually make a difference," he said. " You can get into whatever you want to get into, whereas in bigger cities there may be more constraints and here you can really jump in and make a difference for your community."

With all three men having such an affinity for Iowa, the "mid-term" goal of having the Lienwaivers.io logo spread throughout downtown Sioux City remains something they are committed to seeing.

"I want to build a company right in the heart of Sioux City that is making money and employing people meaningfully, where they find meaning in their work and also we're able to bring high-quality jobs to this area," Arnold said. "I want to see the green helmet on a neon sign on a building in downtown Sioux City and a parking lot full of people."
After the rain passed by, the Chattanooga Lookouts defeated the Pensacola Blue Wahoos, 5-1.

Matt Tracy allowed just three hits over six innings. Luke Bard and Mason Melotakis held the Wahoos scoreless over the final three innings.

After winning their fifth straight, Chattanooga has jumped to third place in the Southern League's North Division, four games out of first.

Tracy (2-2) picked up the win after he struck out four while allowing one run.

The Lookouts pounded out eight hits, scoring all their runs in the second and fourth innings.

Chattanooga started the scoring in the second inning when Nick Gordon hit a two-run single driving in Lamonte Wade and Travis Harrison.

The Lookouts later tacked on three runs in the fourth when Edgar Corcino hit a two-run double plating Engelb Vielma and Tanner English.

They then scored on an RBI single by Jonathan Rodriguez scoring Corcino to secure the victory.

Keury Mella (0-3) went 3 2/3 innings for Pensacola, allowing five runs and six hits in the Southern League game. He also struck out two and walked five.

Box

The teams meet again Sunday at 1:15 p.m.to play two seven-inning games.
For a lot of kids, summer is a time to travel intellectually as well as literally, to dive headlong into new languages and cultures in a way that classroom learning alone doesn't allow.

For instance, every summer around 4,500 kids between the ages of 7 and 18 travel to one of dozens of "language villages" nestled in the north woods of Minnesota and run by Concordia College. The camps, which also include typical summer-camp activities like swimming and crafts, offer serious cultural and linguistic immersion in 16 different languages.

There is belly dancing and Middle Eastern food at Arabic language camp, for example, or traditional calligraphy, taiko drumming, karate and Japanese meals in Japanese camp.

"Having a foreign language and cultural skills in your background is vitally important. Sometimes it's a matter of heritage or ethnic background, or sometimes it's about community demographic. Or it's just what a child seems to be passionate about," says Christine Schulze, executive director of the program, based in Moorhead, Minnesota. "Korean pop culture, for example, seems to be a big driver of interest in Korean language and cultural studies."

For younger kids, the camps run one or two weeks, while those for high schoolers are four weeks.

The longer high-school-level camps are designed (and accredited) to cover an entire year of high school language learning, Schulze says, and unlike a summer overseas, the camps offer the security and ease of remaining in the United States. Kids also can try out several of the "country" villages to find the best fit.

"Children come in with the full range of language abilities, with some starting at the very beginning and others quite advanced and ready push their skills even further," she says. "Sometimes children do a summer at a village as preparation for a program abroad the following year."

The programs cost roughly $1000 per week, with about 20 percent of the children receiving some level of financial assistance.

Middlebury College, in Vermont, also offers summer language programs for eighth to 12th graders, as do some other colleges and universities.

For older kids, the Washington, D.C.-based Youth for Understanding offers high school study-abroad summer programs in dozens of countries. They include group travel for language teachers and their classes, and more traditional, individual home-stay programs, says Heather Deno, sales director for the organization.

Youth for Understanding was started after World War II to foster peace, and is also known for high school programs lasting a semester to a year, and gap-year programs between high school and college.

In its summer programs in India, Ecuador, Paraguay, South Africa and Thailand, kids stay with a host family and do community-oriented volunteer work.

"Our organization started in the 1950s with the idea that it's hard to hate or generalize about a culture once you know people personally," says Deno.

The summer programs run four to eight weeks and cost between $5,500 and $9,000 depending on airfare; many students receive financial aid. "We give out $2 million a year in scholarships. Many Japanese companies, in particular, offer full or partial scholarships to Japan," she said.

Of course, you don't have to leave home to get summer language study. Many bilingual and language schools across the U.S. offer their own immersive day camps.

The French American School of New York, in Larchmont, offers summer camps for kids, as does the German International School in Portland, Oregon, among many others. Prices vary widely depending on the school and region.

To find such a program, begin with a quick online search of local bilingual, dual immersion or international schools.

For sleepaway camps, Schulze recommends checking that the program is affiliated with the American Camp Association, which sets general and safety guidelines.

And for overseas programs, Deno, at Youth For Understanding, says programs should be certified by CIEST (the Council on Standards for International Education Travel).
SIOUX CITY | After scanning the room at a recent job fair, Jerod Walding made a beeline to the Seaboard Triumph Foods booth.

The 42-year-old Sioux Cityan stopped by to make sure the company had received his application for a maintenance job at its soon-to-open pork plant.

Im just looking to advance my career a little bit in maintenance, Walding said after receiving assurances his application was in the companys pipeline. A brand new facility and Im just kind of looking to grow with a brand new company  nobody really knows what to expect  and Im hoping to move up into the management field a bit more, which I havent had a real lot of opportunity to do.

A week earlier, Seaboard Triumph Foods had started hiring 900 hourly workers for the initial shift at the $300 million plant, which is nearing completion and expected to start slaughtering hogs around July 31. As of last week, the company also has filled about 41 of 200 salaried positions.

Its been at least a half century since a food processor in Siouxland has hired so many people at one time. Bridey Hayes, STF director of human resources, described the monumental challenge as akin to trying to eat an elephant.

How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time, Hayes said.

Three months ago, in the midst of constructing the more than 900,000-square-foot plant in the city's Bridgeport industrial area, company officials felt confident enough in their recruitment efforts that they announced plans to add a second shift in May 2018. The move will create an additional 900 hourly jobs, raising the total workforce to nearly 2,000.

Nearly doubling the employment will put further strain on an already tight labor market. Some community leaders believe the mass hiring will lead to increased competition for workers in a region already short of labor and drive up wages, particularly in the region's large food processing industry.

STF officials hope to hire as many workers locally as possible, but, with unemployment at near historic lows, they acknowledge their recruitment efforts extend well beyond the tri-state area.

Immigrants, a cornerstone of Sioux City's meatpacking industry dating to the late 1880s and the rise of the city's once-thriving stockyards, are widely expected to fill many positions. Seaboard Triumph officials said they are open to hiring refugees from other nations, as long as they meet qualifications for the job, are at least 18 years old and are in the United States legally.

St. Joseph experience

The largest private capital investment in Sioux City history and the first all-new pork slaughter plant built in the United States in a decade was announced in May 2015 by St. Joseph, Missouri-based Triumph Foods and Seaboard Foods, a subsidiary of Merriam, Kansas-based Seaboard Corp. The two integrated pork producers, who have cooperated in the past, formed a joint venture for the Sioux City project, with each firm owning a 50 percent share.

The state-of-the-art complex will be nearly identical to the pork plant Triumph Foods operates in St. Joseph, Missouri. The Northwest Missouri plant opened in January 2006 with 500 employees but has grown to 2,800 in the decade since, nearly the exact same amount St. Joseph's population has increased over that period, according to a release from the company. It took 18 months for the St. Joseph plant to double its initial workforce to 1,000, but Seaboard Triumph Foods Chief Operating Officer Mark Porter noted that had more to do with mechanical issues at the plant than worker availability.

In recent years, the plant demographics have changed. At one time, Hispanics made up more than half of the workers, but more recent figures break down the workforce as 29 percent Asian, 28 percent white, 26 percent Hispanic and 17 percent black.

Immigrants make up a sizeable portion of the workforce, including refugees from the war-torn African nation of Sudan and the southeast Asian nation of Myanmar, formerly known as Burma.

Porter said Triumph Foods has a "strong connection" to Myanmar and directly advertises to the country's displaced citizens housed in refugee camps. The foundation of Triumph Foods relationship with Myanmar was formed through the Catholic Charities Kansas City - St. Joseph office in 2010, according to the St. Joseph News-Press.

Local immigration officials say Siouxland does not currently have a significant population of Myanmar refugees.

Porter said company officials arent sure how the demographics of the workforce will eventually look. He noted he recently reached out to the Mary Treglia Community House, a Sioux City-based nonprofit that has helped immigrants and refugees get acclimated to their new surroundings since 1921.

He said Seaboard Triumph is more than willing to offer newcomers to the area a job and he views the services of Mary Treglia as something that can benefit employees, whether thats through an English as a second language course or other support services the nonprofit provides.

Amy Chabra, Mary Treglia Community House executive director, also views the potential pairing as mutually beneficial.

With our English language classes, I really feel our students are ready to go into the workplace, she said. So, hopefully, well be able to build these relationships across our internal borders in the realm of Sioux City and Siouxland.

Chabra said she wasn't aware of any mass number of immigrants or refugees preparing to move to Sioux City, and company officials also said they have no direct plan in place at the moment to support that effort either. However, Chabra noted she could see immigrants who already have family in the area relocating to the region due to the abundance of job opportunities.

"All our food processing plants offer competitive salaries and I think we'll see people moving," she said. "As refugees, they'll go to Sioux Falls or Omaha, but after awhile it's a free country and you can move where you like. I think we will see some more people through that."

Growing the market

Marty Dougherty, Sioux City's economic development director, said finding enough skilled labor has been one of the biggest challenges new and expanding employers have faced over the last few years, but he's hopeful the pork plant and other recent large-scale expansions could spur "real population growth."

The metro area has made progress in that area with the most recent U.S. Census estimates showing the metro area experienced a 0.3 percent increase in population from July 1, 2014, to July 1, 2015, elevating the total population to 169,140.

David Swenson, a professor and economist at Iowa State University, noted the Seaboard Triumph plant will more than offset the losses from the closure of Sioux City's John Morrell pork plant in 2010, when 1,300 jobs were eliminated.

"If you look at the larger-area labor supply considering not just the Sioux City metro, but Denison, Council Bluffs, and several smaller operations in Sioux County, there is quite a bit of skilled meat processing labor in the region," he said. "Sioux City should have no trouble attracting labor to the new plant."

Seaboard Foods President and CEO Terry Holton noted the "large, legal immigrant population, mainly Hispanic" already in the region during a recent interview with the trade publication Meatingplace.

"Agriculture is the mainstay of this community and there are other plants in the area, so I think the mindset is there for this kind of work," Holton, a Cherokee, Iowa, native, told the publication. "That said, no matter where you go, labor is the biggest issue and the unemployment rate in Sioux City is about 4 percent, so, weve got to create a great working environment, provide adequate compensation."

Wages for entry-level jobs start at $14 to 15 an hour, and with scheduled overtime, workers can earn up to $50,000 annually, Porter said.

In comparison, the Tyson Fresh Meats beef plant in Dakota City, Nebraska, recently advertised a starting wage of $14.67 an hour and a top rate of $19.50 an hour for processors. Tyson is the metro area's dominant employer, with more than 4,500 on the local payroll. Not since the beef slaughter and processing plant opened in 1966 has a food processor hired so many workers at one time.

With the labor market so tight, some local officials have expressed concern the new pork plant might poach workers from existing plants. To help combat that, Korey Menken arranged a series of meetings last year between Seaboard Triumph executives and top officials with several large employers that included Tyson and Le Mars, Iowa-based Wells Enterprises Inc., makers of Blue Bunny ice cream. Menken, then the director of workforce solutions for The Siouxland Initiative and Siouxland Chamber of Commerce, stressed the need to increase the pool of candidates in the tri-state region.

How can we collaborate and bring people to Siouxland to Sioux City has really been that message there, Bridey Hayes said.

Although Menken left the Chamber and The Initiative in March to become the executive director of the Spearfish (South Dakota) Economic Development Corporation, Hayes and Porter said the effort Menken launched is continuing.

Recruitment strategies

Excitement to work at a new facility is just one of the factors Seaboard Triumph officials hope entice potential applicants.

There is no shortage of strategies company officials has utilized in its detailed tactical recruitment plan, which includes targeted digital advertising and more old-fashioned methods.

Word-of-mouth is a good tactic, Hayes said. All of our employees are recruiters.

Seaboard Triumph also is relying on traditional and social media to appeal to employment prospects. Prior to posting job openings, Hayes and Kirsten Wynn, the plant's recruiting manager, used social media  Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and Twitter  to build their presence and to teach people about the culture the company wants people to become part of when they work there.

There might be people going to our website who arent necessarily looking for a job  they are looking at more about the company, but they might then decide to look for a job or tell their neighbor or they know somebody whos looking for a job, Wynn said.

Maybe somebody who will be finishing (his or her) education soon or somebody who is looking to make a change," Hayes added. "So really, thats where things have started. Well be doing job fairs and career fairs, some recruitment advertisement  you know a number of more traditional things. We want to hire folks locally, but we also want to help draw people to Sioux City.

Opportunity to grow

Thanks to his previous tenure at Tyson's Dakota City plant  where he was a second-generation maintenance employee  Jerod Walding views himself as an ideal candidate for the new Sioux City pork processor.

"At Tyson Foods, they go by levels of maintenance experience and the top level is eight and I was a Level Eight mechanic," he said. "I've got my welding experience and my hands-on tools experience."

His visit to the Seaboard Triumph booth during the April 27 job fair at Western Iowa Tech Community College solidified his interest in working for the pork plant. As the start-up date inches closer, he remains hopeful he will be part of the initial team that keeps the plant up and running.
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SIOUX CITY | On Friday, several seniors at West High School in Sioux City energetically took markers and wrote their names on posters with the names of varying colleges, signing those where they plan to attend in a few months. They are three weeks from donning gowns to graduate.

Graduating seniors can have the grades and the diploma to move to the college level, but some won't get far without financial aid to cover the often considerable costs, which are often at least $20,000 per year.

Some will unfortunately fall victim to "the summer melt" factor, where following through with all the details to get to college don't get carried out and they don't make it to campus, Sioux City School District official Jen Gomez said.

That's why completion of the FAFSA, or Free Application for Financial Student Aid, application ranks prominently for those who plan to enroll in a college for fall 2017. Lots of Siouxland schools have counselors and programs to help students negotiate their route to college. That's important, because the FAFSA can be a daunting form to fill out.

"It is intimidating for a student or a parent to complete that. It can be complex," said Gomez, the district's director of student services and equity education.

FAFSA asks for personal and monetary information about the prospective student and family members, to assess their financial standing. Even if a person doesn't get financial aid, a FAFSA must be completed to get a federally-insured student loan. It is also a requirement for many scholarships.

The FAFSA deadline for the 2017-18 school year is July 1. Gomez said the Sioux City district at least twice per year has evening sessions where parents can learn about FAFSA details. For the 2018-19 year, applications can be submitted beginning Oct. 1.

The school district has 28 counselors and many at the high school levels work with seniors one-on-one with tips about FAFSA, especially in March and April. Gomez said some seniors annually don't get to it until after graduation, once the reality of the nearing fall college semester hits.

"The first day to college is getting closer...It just doesn't seem so real to them while they are still in (high) school," Gomez said.

By this fall, the Sioux City district will have a five full- and part-time volunteers from Vista (Volunteers in Service to America) and AmeriCorps dedicated to helping students complete the FAFSA. Additionally, Allison Larson, will be back for a second year as director of Sioux City College Access Network. Larson works closely with local colleges and universities and the school district to identify barriers to students enrolling in a first year of college. Larson's position is funded by the Iowa College Student Aid Commission.

"Some students just need that extra assistance," Gomez said.

Another resource for students is the Gear Up Iowa program, which has the goal of fostering a statewide college going culture among low-income, minority and first-generation students. Gear Up Iowa helps them learn how to plan and pay for college, and on Friday four high school freshmen from Iowa were named to attend the 2017 Youth Leadership Summit this summer in San Francisco.

Two of the four with the Gear Up Iowa honor are from Siouxland, including Lessly Ortega of Storm Lake High School and Rylie Maliszewski of Sioux City North High School.

With my parents highest level of education being a high school diploma, this experience is very new to me and my family. Not having much family to talk to about college experiences, Gear Up gives me the opportunity to talk with college students, alumni and explore colleges," Maliszewski said.

Larson said avoiding "summer melt" is one of her key goals as she links students and parents to college opportunities, ideally so the young adults can achieve the educational and career goals.

"It is really about having kids work through that college access pipeline," Larson said.

However, she's seen people tripped up by FAFSA, which can take an hour or more to finish, since it "is something that comes with a lot of technical language."

In some families, Larson said, "it gets put off, put off, put off and then you are scrambling." Her tips are to start early with FAFSA completion and to pay attention to school evening help sessions.

Heather Bryan, of Moville, Iowa, has been filing FAFSAs early in the process, including November most recently. Bryan handles finances in her family and has completed six financial aid reports, first for son Jason when he attended Iowa State University and Western Iowa Tech Community College, and twice now for son Hunter, who will be a sophomore at the University of South Dakota in 2017-18.

Bryan recalls Woodbury Central School District Counselor Greg Royer offering a helpful parent session in fall 2009, where she and other parents had the chance to process through questions. Since that initial filing, Bryan said she knows the drill of required information. She's glad when the form is completed online, with a confirmation that processing is underway.

"The first time, it was a little hairy. It has gotten easier," Bryan said.
Todays top picks from our online calendar. Find more events at siouxcityjournal.com/calendar.

The Origins of World War I

The first of three illustrated presentations on the Great War by Dr. Don Hickey this afternoon at 2 p.m. at the Betty Strong Encounter Center. Admission will be free; a reception will follow. A Wayne State College professor of American history, Hickey will focus on the causes of the war and how the United States got involved.

First Date: A Musical Comedy

When blind date newbie Aaron is set up with serial-dater Casey, a casual drink at a busy New York restaurant turns into a hilarious high-stakes dinner. Tonight's show at Shot in the Dark Theatre begins at 7 p.m. Tickets $15-18. Visit shotinthedarkproductions.org for additional information.

The Music Man

There's trouble in River City when a fast-talking salesman gets his heart stolen by the town librarian. Tonight's show begins at 2 p.m. at the Sioux City Community Theatre, 1401 Riverside Blvd. Visit scctheatre.org for additional information.
Ag Growth International Inc., together with its subsidiaries, manufactures and distributes grain and rice handling, storage, and conditioning equipment in Canada, the United States, and internationally. The company offers storage equipment comprising grain and bolted bins, hopper bins, smooth wall bins, temporary storage equipment, unloads and sweeps, water tanks, fuel tanks; and conditioning equipment, such as mixed flow dryers, fans and heaters, aerations, airaugers, aeration floors, vents and exhausters, stirrings, and accessories. It also provides portable handling equipment, such as portable augers, conveyors, grain vacs, post pounders, seed treaters, and accessories; and permanent handling equipment, including bucket elevators, chain and belt conveyors, enclosed belt conveyors, distributors, feed handling equipment, screw feeders and conveyors, and spouts and connections. In addition, the company offers towers, catwalks, ladders, all-steel buildings, flat storage buildings; batch blenders, bulk scales, declining weight blenders, vertical blenders, micro-dosing systems, mixers, milling equipment; and controllers, hazard monitoring equipment, monitoring and automation equipment, sampling solutions. Further, it provides cleaning and destoners, rice milling and processing equipment, bin unloads, blending and control systems, Liquid and dry fertilizer blending and conveying equipment, turnkey design and build construction solutions for seed and fertilizer facilities, and farm management software. The company markets its products under the AGI, Airlanco, Batco, Brownie, CMC, Compass, Danmare, Ezee-dry, Frame, Grain Guard, Grainmaxx, Hi Roller, Hutchinson, Improtech, Junge, Keho, Mayrath, Milltec, MMS, Neco, PTM, REM, Sabe, Sentinel, Storm, Suretrack, Tramco, Twister, Westeel, Westfield, Wheatheart, and Yargus brand names. It provides its equipment for agricultural commodities. The company was founded in 1996 and is headquartered in Winnipeg, Canada.
Chinese President Xi Jinping (R) meets with visiting Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Xi'an, capital of northwest China's Shaanxi Province, May 14, 2015. (Xinhua/Yao Dawei)

Sino-Indian relationship is often described as one of "the Dragon and the Elephant" by the media. After the "Belt and Road" (B&R) Initiative was proposed, this relationship seems confounded. The rendering by media has resulted in the Indian government's irresolution to develop relations with China.

The B&R Initiative was promoted by Chinese President Xi Jinping in September and October 2013 in Kazakhstan and Indonesia successively, referring to the "Silk Road Economic Belt" and "21st-Century Maritime Silk Road." Except India, many countries along the B&R routes have responded actively to it.

Some scholars pointed out that India aims to become the largest country in the world and sees China as a competitor. It is worried about the possible economic impact from China. In fact, the B&R Initiative has countless ties with India, which will certainly help to promote the economic, trade and cultural exchanges between China and India.

The Silk Road traditionally advances the exchange of business, culture and ideas between China and South Asian countries. In a broader sense, it refers to each and every cultural exchange and business route formed since the medieval times crossing Eurasia, North Africa and some parts of East Africa. It involved the maritime silk route, the northwest silk route and the southern silk route.

Historical records showed that the Sino-Indian trade along the southern routes of the Silk Road was prosperous; China's raw silk, silk thread and silk were transported to the Indian port -- Barygaza commercial center -- and then sold to other Indian areas. According to estimates constructed by Angus Madison, a British economist, the trade volume between China and India accounted for more than half of world output in 1600.

Currently, the Silk Road Economic Belt comprises six economic corridors designed to build up a trade and transportation network connecting Europe, Asia and Africa. The Bangladesh-China-India-Myanmar (BCIM) Economic Corridor, as one of the six, is expected to radiate the economic effect of the Eurasian Economic Corridor to South Asia, South East Asia and the Indian Ocean region.

The 21st-Century Maritime Silk Road envisages two major routes, one running from the coastal ports of China to the Indian Ocean via South China Sea, and the other running to the South Pacific via the South China Sea. According to China's Vision and Actions in relation to this initiative, the focus will be on collaborating with the countries interested in the initiative to build smooth, secure and efficient transport routes connecting major sea ports along the Belt and Road to promote trade.

At present, there are few interactions between China and India under the B&R framework. With the overwhelming trend of global economic development in Asian areas, co-building of the Belt and Road will be an inevitable topic for Sino-Indian relations and regional interaction.

Firstly, China and India have conjunction points in infrastructure construction. In the past 20 years, China has raised lots of ideas on infrastructure construction and achieved success, such as establishing the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank. Meanwhile, India has grand designs in infrastructure.

Since the Modi government took office in May 2014, a series of measures in relation to economic revitalization and government reform have been introduced, such as "Made in India," "Start-up India," etc. The total budget for the fiscal year of 2017 shows that investment in rural areas, infrastructure and poverty elimination will be expanded. One trillion rupees (about US$14.8 billion) have been budgeted for boosting agricultural development. In respect to the aged railway system, the Indian government plans to allocate 100 billion rupees (about US$1.48 billion) in the new fiscal year to improve train safety. India has also allocated a budget of 640 billion rupees for highway construction. In addition, the Indian government plans to build 10 million houses by 2019 for those without houses or living in a Kutcha house made of mud, straw and leaves. Based on China's successful experience in infrastructure construction, there is extensive room for cooperation in this field between the two countries.

Secondly, broad space exists in economic and trade cooperation of China and India. Alibaba Group invested in Indian e-commerce Snapdeal; Ant Financial Services Group bought into the largest online payment tool Paytm; and Chint Group has established deep cooperation relations and new energy network systems with famous Indian enterprises such as TATA and POWER. According to data from the Department of Commerce of Zhejiang Province, Zhejiang alone has invested in up to 22 large projects in India in the past three years, totaling US$46.12 million.

Currently, the key and difficult points of economic and trade cooperation between China and India are how to identify their respective advantages and positions in the industry chain. Chinese and Indian enterprises could try strategic cooperation and open up the third-party market jointly to improve their positions and interest in global value chains.

Thirdly, China and India have a consensus in anti-terrorism and combating piracy. They have organized joint anti-terrorism training sessions as well as maritime search and rescue exercises. Although cooperation has not yet extended to combating piracy on the Indian Ocean, China has dispatched at least 25 navy fleets to the Gulf of Aden; it is possible for the two countries to establish strategic dialogue and cooperation in this field in the future.

The Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation will be held in Beijing on May 14 and 15, 2017. The leaders of China and India are expected to take the opportunity to start cooperation in various fields under the B&R framework. This will surely inject strong and positive energy to the peaceful development of the region and the world at large.

Yang Fanxin is an associate research fellow with Chongyang Institute for Financial Studies at Renmin University of China.

Opinion articles reflect the views of their authors, not necessarily those of China.org.cn.
"for the childless, thinking in terms of the generations to come loses relevance. Therefore, they behave more and more as if they were the last and see themselves as standing at the end of the chain".



Living for today: Europe's most important leaders are all childless, among them German Chancellor Angela Merkel (left) and Mark Rutte (right), Prime Minister of the Netherlands. (Image source: Minister-president Rutte/Flickr)

"It is that idea of 'Western civilisation' that greatly complicates the demographic panic. Without it, the answer would be simple: Europe has no need to worry about finding young people to support its elderly in their declining years. There are plenty of young migrants banging at the gates, trying to climb the razor wire or setting sail on flimsy boats to reach our shores. All we need to do is let them in".



Giulio Meotti, Cultural Editor for Il Foglio, is an Italian journalist and author.



There have never been so many childless politicians leading Europe as today. They are modern, open minded and multicultural and they know that "everything finishes with them". In the short term, being childless is a relief since it means no spending for families, no sacrifices and that no one complains about the future consequences. As in a research report financed by the European Union: " No kids, no problem! ".Being a mother or a father, however, means that you have a very real stake in the future of the country you lead. Europe's most important leaders leave no children behind.Europe's most important leaders are all childless: British PM Theresa May, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte and the French presidential hopeful Emmanuel Macron. The list continues with Swedish Prime Minister Stefan Lofven, Luxembourg's Prime Minister Xavier Bettel and Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon As Europe's leaders have no children, they seem have no reason to worry about the future of their continent. German philosopher Rudiger Safranski wrote:"Europe is committing suicide. Or at least its leaders have decided to commit suicide", wrote Douglas Murray in. "Europe today has little desire to reproduce itself, fight for itself or even take its own side in an argument". Murray, in his new book, entitled, called it "an existential civilisational tiredness".Angela Merkel made the fatal decision to open the doors of Germany to one million and half migrants to stop the demographic winter of her country. It is not a coincidence that Merkel, who has no children, has been called " the compassionate mother " of migrants. Merkel evidently did not care if the massive influx of these migrants would change German society, probably forever.Dennis Sewell recently wrote in the Catholic Herald Merkel's childless status mirrors German society: 30% of German women have not had children, according to European Union statistics, with the figure rising among female university graduates to 40%. Germany's Minister of Defense, Ursula von der Leyen, said that unless the birth rate picked up, the country would have to " turn the lights out ".According to a new study published by the Institut national d'etudes demographiques , a quarter of European women born in the 1970s may remain childless. Europe's leaders are no different. One in nine women born in England and Wales in 1940 were childless at the age of 45, compared to one in five of those born in 1967.French politician Emmanuel Macron has rejected French President Francois Hollande's assertion that, "France has a problem with Islam". He is against suspending the citizenship of jihadists, and keeps insisting, against all evidence, that Islamic State is not Islamic: "What poses a problem is not Islam, but certain behaviours that are said to be religious and then imposed on persons who practice that religion".Macron preaches a sort of multicultural buffet. He speaks of colonialism as a " crime against humanity ". He is in favor of " open borders ", and for him, again against all evidence to the contrary, there is no "French culture".According to philosopher Mathieu Bock-Cote , the 39-year-old Macron, who is married to his 64-year-old former teacher, is the symbol of a "happy globalization freed of the memory of the French lost glory". It is not a coincidence that "Manif Pour Tous," a movement that fought the legalization gay marriage in France, urged voting against Macron as the " anti-family candidate ". Macron's slogan, "En Marche!" ("Forward!"), embodies the globalized elites who reduce politics to an exercise, a performance.That is why Turkish leader Erdogan urged Muslims to have " five children " and Islamic imams are urging the faithful to " breed children ": to conquer Europe. Islamic supremacists are busily building a clash of civilizations in Europe's midst, and they depict their Western host countries collapsing: without population, without values, and abandoning their own culture.If you look at Merkel, May, Macron and others, are these Islamic supremacists so wrong? Our European leaders are sleepwalking us to disaster. Why should they care, if at the end of their lifespans Europe will not be Europe? As Joshua Mitchell explained in an essay, "'finding ourselves' becomes more important than building a world. The long chain of generations has already done that for us. Now let us play".
Le Collectif Cheikh Yassine a organise un certain nombre dactivites et de festivites pour les enfants de Gaza sous le theme  La joie des enfants de Gaza pour lAid . Ces activites ont commence le premier jour de lAid et continue jusquau 4eme jour de lAid dans la bande de Gaza.



Plusieurs activites, ont ete organisees parmi lesquelles : des competitions recompensees par des prix, des jeux, des animations et des chants presentes par un groupe ainsi que des distributions de cadeaux et daides financieres.




If there were any doubts that freshman champion Huntsville would come out smoking for his three-year-old debut, he quickly dispelled them in Saturdays $151,280 Pennsylvania Sires Stake at The Meadows when he roared to victory by an eye-popping 10 lengths.

His time of 1:50.3 in the slop not only is the fastest this year by a sophomore on a five-eighths-mile track, but it also was nearly two seconds faster than the clocking of any of the other three divisional winners Saturday.

Downbytheseaside, runner-up to Huntsville is last years Dan Patch Award voting, also fashioned a successful if less spectacular seasonal debut, scoring in 1:52.1.

Filibuster Hanover and Fear The Dragon also won splits, the latter giving Brian Brown, trainer of Downbytheseaside, a PASS double. Brown also collected a Pennsylvania Stallion Series victory with Kellys Bett.

Huntsville had qualified well for his sophomore campaign, but even trainer Ray Schnittker, who owns the son of Somebeachsomewhere-Wild West Show with Ted Gewertz, Charles Iannazzo and Steven Arnold, wasnt expecting a runaway.

I thought he might win by a length or two, Schnittker said, but I guess hes right back to where he was last year. He looked really good.

Huntsville quarter-poled around Highalator, opened up five lengths at the three-quarters and poured it on from there. Highalator, who saw his nine-race winning streak snapped, saved second, with Blood Line third.

Winning driver Tim Tetrick had mixed feelings about the huge performance of Huntsville, who now boasts $708,724 in lifetime earnings.

That was all him, that was Ray getting him ready, Tetrick said. I was hoping I didnt have to go that fast. I wanted to save that for another month. He just dragged me around there  hes that talented.

Using Lasix for the first time, Downbytheseaside was efficient in victory, powering to the lead from fifth before the half for Chris Page and holding sway in a business-like manner  Page never popped his earplugs  to down the first-over Normandy Beach by 1-1/4 lengths. Boogie Shuffle earned show.

I thought he was a little dull getting out of the gate, Brown said, but Chris kept him really quiet. Last year we had trouble taking him off the gate. This was perfect for the first start. Everything went as easy as it could.

Country Club Acres, Joe Sbrocco, Richard Lombardo and Diamond Creek Racing campaign Downbytheseaside, a son of Somebeachsomewhere-Sprig Hanover who extended his career bankroll to $596,016.

Their trainers indicated the next starts for Huntsville and Downbytheseaside likely will occur in two weeks in the PASS leg at The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono.

Filibuster Hanover defeated both Huntsville and Downbytheseaside early last year. In fact, trainer Ron Burke once regarded him as the most promising two-year-old in his stable. But the son of Somebeachsomewhere-Fashion Ecstasy became unfocused and wilful as the year progressed and so was gelded.

He was fast and professional Saturday, moving three wide into the final turn for Matt Kakaley and downing Point Somewherelse by 1-1/4 lengths in 1:52.2, with Candell third.

Hes a lot smarter and way more manageable to drive, Kakaley said. I think he has things figured out now. The front wasnt too good in the early races, so I just tried to get him in the middle where he could make a big move on the end.

Filibuster Hanover has earned $133,309 for Burke Racing Stable, Joseph DiScala Jr., J&T Silva Stables and Weaver Bruscemi LLC.

The Derby Day card also featured four $20,000 divisions of a PA Stallion Series event, with wins going to Cougar Bait, Independent One, Southwind Yukon and Kellys Bett.

Mike Wilder (Cougar Bait, Kelly Bett) and trainer John Butenschoen (Cougar Bait, Independent One) enjoyed stake doubles.

Cougar Bait was impressive in his seasonal debut, moving first over and grinding out a tough win in 1:55.4. Keystone Phoenix shot the Lightning Lane for second, 1-3/4 lengths back, while Cinnabar Dragon completed the ticket.

The rail today is real heavy, and he doesnt show a whole lot of gait speed, Wilder said. I just kind of landed where I did and planned to move when they forced my hand. In the stretch, he just paced right off. Thats not the ideal trip, but it sure didnt seem to bother him.

Harmony Oaks Racing, Jeremey Day, Tangie Massey and VIP Internet Stable own Cougar Bait, a Western Terror-No One Is Along gelding.

Southwind Yukon took the final of a late-closing series at The Meadows in his most recent outing, and he kept on rolling Saturday, retaking the lead for Dave Palone and defeating the hard-used Magritte by 1/2 length in 1:54.4. Iminurblindspot completed the ticket.

Hes a big, lazy colt, only does what he has to, Palone said. Thats what I like best about him  hes very easy on himself.

Burke trains the son of Somebeachsomewhere-Southwind Solara for Burke Racing Stable, Larry Karr, Richard Suda and Weaver Bruscemi.

(The Meadows)
The winning streak is now three in a row and counting for Jins Shark, who turned in a rock-solid performance to capture Saturdays $34,000 Preferred Pace.

Trevor Henry was in no hurry with Jins Shark, who got away sixth while Easy Lover Hanover shot to the top and supplied the field with an opening quarter clocked in :27.1. American Virgin challenged for the lead in the backstretch, and he cleared shortly after the half-mile marker of :55.3 popped up.

American Virgin made a break, however, going into the final turn and that changed to whole landscape of the Saturday evening feature. Jins Shark was pressing American Virgin from first-over, and he assumed command when the favourite made the miscue. Jins Shark passed the three-quarter marker in 1:23.4 before using a :28-second closing quarter en route to winning by 1-3/4 lengths over Ellis Park in 1:51.4. Easy Lover Hanover was third in his return race.

Isaac Waxman trains the six-year-old son of Four Starzzz Shark-Gordons Jin Ms for Aaron Waxman of Ancaster, Ont. and Liv With Autism Stables LLC of Dickson City, PA. The gelding is a four-time winner this season and a 17-time winner to date. The $17,000 payday bumped his lifetime earnings to $255,049.

Trainer Richard Moreau enjoyed a solid Saturday night at Mohawk Racetrack thanks to a three-win performance.

The multiple OBrien Award-winning conditioner, who has sent out more than 5,000 winners over the course of his career, clicked with Dewar N Soda (1:53.3), Blatantly Best (1:54) and Evenin Of Pleasure (1:51.3).

Moreau has banked more than $1 million in earnings in each of the last 18 seasons, and hes coming off his best season to date  a year in which his barn banked in excess of $4 million.

To view results for Saturday's card of harness racing, click the following link: Saturday Results  Mohawk Racetrack.
KapStone wants its wood waste boilers to earn cash. And the Longview mills biomass facility could be a moneymaker if Gov. Jay Inslee approves a bill that has cleared the Legislature.

Inslee initially was expected to sign the bill Monday morning, but at the last minute it was withdrawn for further review and rescheduled for his signature May 16, the governor's press office said.

The bill would allow older biomass facilities like the one owned by KapStone to sell renewable energy credits. KapStone stands to earn hundreds of thousands of dollars annually under the legislation.

Inslee vetoed a similar bill last year out of a concern that biomass energy could undercut the competitiveness of other renewable energies, such as wind and solar. This years bill is narrower in scope. Sponsored by Takko, the bill passed the Senate unanimously and glided through the House, 91-7.

Burning wood waste is considered a carbon-neutral form of energy because the wood on its own would eventually decay and release stored-up carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas. So biomass is considered renewable energy that does not add to global climate change.

The bill comes at a time when demand for renewable energy is poised to expand. Utilities across Washington must comply with the latest round of standards in voter-approved Initiative 937. Currently, electrical utilities with more than 25,000 customers must get 9 percent of their power from renewable sources, but the percentage must increase to 15 percent in three years.

Instead of building their own renewable energy facilities, utilities can also purchase renewable energy credits to meet those standards. KapStone and other pulp mills across the state want to be among the sellers of such credits.

Under current state law, only mills with biomass facilities constructed after 1999 can sell renewable energy credits. This now excludes KapStone, which has boilers and furnaces dating back to the 1950s and 1960s. Takkos bill would amend the law so that any facility that made significant upgrades to biomass plants after Jan. 1, 2010, could sell renewable energy credits.

KapStone has argued that it should be recognized for the major upgrades it has made at its Longview biomass facilities since 2007. These improvements enabled KapStone to boost biomass energy production to 25 megawatts  enough to power about 16,000 homes. Thats up from 15 megawatts originally.

This years bill would only give KapStone credit for 13 megawatts of power, about 10 megawatts less than last years version of the bill. Under current market conditions, 13 megawatts worth of renewable energy credits could sell for $225,000 to $800,000 annually, according to estimates from the Cowlitz PUD. However, the price of renewable energy credits varies widely and could change.

Environmental groups appear to be more neutral about this years version of the bill since the changes have been made.

Expanding the definition of renewable energy could help mills and utilities comply with the increased renewable energy standards under I-937, said Chris McCabe, Executive Director of Northwest Pulp and Paper Association.

Our members have been making significant capital investments to upgrade their boilers and other technology to make them as energy efficient as possible, McCabe said in a press release.

Proponents argue the bill will encourage other companies to make investments into upgrading their biomass facilities, too.

KapStone is proud of the investments it has made in its energy infrastructure and its efforts toward being more energy efficient, said Mike Roberts, KapStone energy manager, in a press release. The governor would be giving a nice environmental and economic boost to rural Washington by signing this bill, especially here in Cowlitz County which is so heavily invested in natural resources.
Its the middle of the night and youre deep asleep. A piercingly loud beeping jars you awake and you quickly realize its the smoke alarm. You gather your loved ones and safely escape. When it comes to a house fire, getting everyone out safely is the best possible outcome.

On Saturday, local American Red Cross volunteers joined with the Longview Fire Department to reduce the risk of a fire by installing free smoke alarms at the Delray Mobile Park.

This is part of Home Fire Campaign, which is a 5-year initiative to reduce fire-related deaths and injuries by 25 percent nationwide, Red Cross spokesman Curtis Peetz said Saturday.

A working smoke alarm can cut the risk of death or injury by home fire in half. However, Peetz said many people dont realize that replacing the batteries in your smoke alarms every six months may not be enough.

Alarms are good for about 10 years from the date of manufacture. ... Over about 10 years, the sensor actually starts to become less and less sensitive, so you wont have as much early warning, said Peetz. And thats an important piece that we talk to people about.

In the past month, the Red Cross has been called to help people affected by three home fires in the Longview area alone, including a large residential fire on April 19 that affected more than 100 people.

The smoke alarms being installed Saturday, which were all donated to or purchased by the Red Cross, are good for 10 years and have an extended battery life, and also a hush feature that allows you to turn off a beeping alarm for a few minutes in the case of a nuisance alarm.

The Red Cross would not be able to do what we do without community partners like the Longview Fire Department, said Red Cross Disaster Program Manager Gabrielle Rhett, who was also one of the volunteers at Saturdays event.

The volunteers worked in teams of three installing new smoke alarms, checking existing alarms and providing education about fire prevention and the importance of having an escape plan.

With a fire, you have two minutes or less to escape, Peetz said. We ask them, How will you get out? in the event of a fire, so that they think about their plan.

The Red Cross installs free smoke alarms in homes that need them and has installed more than 13,000 smoke alarms in Oregon and Southwest Washington since 2014. Safety experts recommend a smoke alarm being placed in each bedroom, outside each sleeping area and on every level of the home, including the basement.

Community members can schedule an appointment for a free smoke alarm by visiting redcross.org/CascadesHomeFire or by calling 360-768-3129.
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Leading French presidential candidate Emmanuel Macron's campaign said on Friday it had been the target of a "massive" computer hack that dumped its campaign emails online 1-1/2 days before voters choose between the centrist and his far-right rival, Marine Le Pen.

Macron, who is seen as the frontrunner in an election billed as the most important in France in decades, extended his lead over Le Pen in polls on Friday. As much as 9 gigabytes of data were posted on a profile called EMLEAKS to Pastebin, a site that allows anonymous document sharing. It was not immediately clear who was responsible for posting the data or if any of it was genuine.

In a statement, Macron's political movement En Marche! (Onwards!) confirmed that it had been hacked. "The En Marche! Movement has been the victim of a massive and co-ordinated hack this evening which has given rise to the diffusion on social media of various internal information," the statement said.

An interior ministry official declined to comment, citing French rules that forbid any commentary liable to influence an election, which took effect at midnight on Friday (2200 GMT). The presidential election commission said in statement that it would hold a meeting later on Saturday after Macron's campaign informed it about the hack and publishing of the data.

It urged the media to be cautious about publishing details of the emails given that campaigning had ended, and publication could lead to criminal charges. Comments about the email dump began to appear on Friday evening just hours before the official ban on campaigning began. The ban is due to stay in place until the last polling stations close Sunday at 8 p.m. (1800 GMT).

Opinion polls show independent centrist Macron is set to beat National Front candidate Le Pen in Sunday's second round of voting, in what is seen to be France's most important election in decades. The latest surveys show him winning with about 62 percent of the vote.

Russian hand seen

Former economy minister Macron's campaign has previously complained about attempts to hack its emails, blaming Russian interests in part for the cyber attacks. On April 26, the team said it had been the target of a attempts to steal email credentials dating back to January, but that the perpetrators had failed to compromise any campaign data.

The Kremlin has denied it was behind any such attacks, even though Macron's camp renewed complaints against Russian media and a hackers' group operating in Ukraine. Vitali Kremez, director of research with New York-based cyber intelligence firm Flashpoint, told Reuters his review indicates that APT 28, a group tied to the GRU, the Russian military intelligence directorate, was behind the leak. He cited similarities with U.S. election hacks that have been previously attributed to that group.

APT28 last month registered decoy internet addresses to mimic the name of En Marche, which it likely used send tainted emails to hack into the campaigns computers, Kremez said. Those domains include onedrive-en-marche.fr and mail-en-marche.fr.

"If indeed driven by Moscow, this leak appears to be a significant escalation over the previous Russian operations aimed at the U.S. presidential election, expanding the approach and scope of effort from simple espionage efforts towards more direct attempts to sway the outcome," Kremez said. France is the latest nation to see a major election overshadowed by accusations of manipulation through cyber hacking.

U.S. intelligence agencies said in January that Russian President Vladimir Putin had ordered hacking of parties tied to Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton to influence the election on behalf of Republican rival Donald Trump. On Friday night as the #Macronleaks hashtag buzzed around social media, Florian Philippot, deputy leader of the National Front, tweeted "Will Macronleaks teach us something that investigative journalism has deliberately killed?"

Macron spokesman Sylvain Fort, in a response on Twitter, called Philippot's tweet "vile". En Marche! said the documents only showed the normal functioning of a presidential campaign, but that authentic documents had been mixed on social media with fake ones to sow "doubt and misinformation".

Ben Nimmo, a UK-based security researcher with the Digital Forensic Research Lab of the Atlantic Council think tank, said initial analysis indicated that a group of U.S. far-right online activists were behind early efforts to spread the documents via social media. They were later picked up and promoted by core social media supporters of Le Pen in France, Nimmo said.

The leaks emerged on 4chan, a discussion forum popular with far right activists in the United States. An anonymous poster provided links to the documents on Pastebin, saying, "This was passed on to me today so now I am giving it to you, the people."

The hashtag #MacronLeaks was then spread by Jack Posobiec, a pro-Trump activist whose Twitter profile identifies him as Washington D.C. bureau chief of the far-right activist site Rebel TV, according to Nimmo and other analysts tracking the election. Contacted by Reuters, Posobiec said he had simply reposted what he saw on 4chan.

You have a hashtag drive that started with the alt-right in the United States that has been picked up by some of Le Pens most dedicated and aggressive followers online, Nimmo told Reuters. Alt-right refers to a loose-knit group of far-right activists known for their advocacy of extremist ideas, rejection of mainstream conservatism and disruptive social media tactics.

Reuters
MANIKGANJ: The extended meeting of Daulatpur Upazila Awami League was held at Zila Parishad Auditorium on Friday.
View exchange meet held at IIUC

Vice Chancellor Prof Dr Akm Azharul Islam was present as Chief Guest at a view exchange meeting held at IIUC permanent campus at Kumira in Chittagong on Thursday.

Chittagong Bureau :

A view exchange meeting was held at IIUC at their permanent campus in Kumira with the students who obtained scholarship holders from this University in Chittagong on Thursday.

Vice Chancellor Prof Dr Akm Azharul Islam was present as Chief G uest and said that the power of knowledge is real power , no one can conquer this world without knowledge ,the challenge of globalization,

He also adding that to build modern Society we must acquire knowledge according to our religion sprit and science base education . There are a numerous talents in the country, with assembling talents and labor, we can uphold the development.

Director of Stuff Development and Students Welfare Division and Vice Chairman of Board of Trustees Prof. Dr. Kazi Din Mohammed presided over the meeting.

The view exchange meeting was addressed among others trust member of IIUC, Engineer Khaled Helal Al Hasemi , Prof of Oman University Dr Zuma Khadem Al Alavi, female Section Chief Prof Dr. Mohammed Mahbubur Rahman and Director of Students Affair Division AJM Obeyedullah .
Tagore : Aspiring for a better future

A remarkable aspect of Rabindranath Tagore's life is the way his persona had changed radically from the restricted identity of an oriental romantic-mystic to the wide-ranging identity of a concerned citizen of the world. A poet, who had earlier attempted to blend spiritual and romantic notions in his quest of grasping the mystery surrounding individual human soul and the divine, increasingly began to give voice to the minds of the colonised and oppressed people and expressed his passionate desire to be identified as one of them. This absolutely stunning transformation is manifested in the non-conformist and modernist approach of his later works. Quite obviously, this aspect of his life was somewhat overlooked by his ostensible admirers who has imposed upon him the title 'Gurudev' and converted him into a sacred idol. W. B. Yeats, who was primarily responsible for forming the synthetic image of Tagore as a mystic poet in the West found problems with his later works. Amartya Sen in his brilliant essay 'Tagore and his India', has rightly pointed out that the "neglect and even shrill criticism" that Tagore's later writings received from these early admirers arose from the "inability of Tagore's many-sided writings to fit into the narrow box" in which they wanted to place and keep him. 'To those who do not read Bengali, Tagore is exclusively a literary person or a mystic of sorts," regrets historian Tapan Roychoudhury. He further clarifies, 'The fact that some two-thirds of his writings are serious essays, mostly on political and socio-economic problems of India and the crisis of civilization has been more or less ignored in Tagore scholarship."

The crucial social and political transformations that were taking place all over the world including his own country was clearly the principal reason that had caused Tagore to take on such an inclusive approach. During his later years, his concerned voice was heard loud and clear on every moments of crisis that has taken place on every corner of the globe. Viewing through the "crumbling ruins of a proud civilization strewn like a vast heap of futility," he became disillusioned by history but firmly remained a quintessential optimist to declare: "I shall not commit the grievous sin of losing faith in Man". Instead of getting dispirited, he became more and more responsive to the great rush of toiling people who works from age to age on the "ruins of hundreds and hundreds of empires". He had lamented about the "missing notes" of his flute, about his lack of strength to break fences and enter the lives of the peasants, weavers and fisherman. He had also recognised that art becomes fake merchandise if it can't link life to life. With a candid admission about his own failure in this regard, he had eagerly awaited for the close to the earth poet to give voice to the voiceless hearts. He had intensely aspired for the day when "unvanquished Man will retrace his path of conquest, despite all barriers, to win back his lost human heritage."

Tagore was profoundly influenced by the liberal humanistic thoughts of nineteenth-eentury Bengali intellectuals like Ram Mohan Roy, Iswarchandra Vidyasagar, Keshab Chandra Sen and Swami Vivekananda and inherited a rich legacy from them. The seeds of humanitarian concerns were sowed in the mind of a young Tagore when his father Debendranath sent him to live and manage the Tagore family's rural estates in East Bengal and Orissa. He was then twenty-nine. His stint as a zamindar (landlord) became a life-transforming experience for him since it was in these rural terrains where for the first time in his life he got the opportunity to observe the socio-economic conditions of his country.

While living in the estate buildings of Shilaidaha and Shahzadpur and in the houseboat Padma for a substantial period, he came into direct touch with the existing economic and social wretchedness of the peasants who lived under "the worse indifference of a rigid social orthodoxy and of an alien political rule". From "a great tenderness for these peasant folk," he felt a deep urge to extend his aesthetic, philosophic and socio-political ideas beyond its thin intellectual space and started thinking seriously about social reform and reconstruction as the principle means for liberating the people of his country. But he was still skeptical about the shortcomings of his "middle class background" which he thought might stand in his way of doing something for the rural people because, " ... whenever the middle class babus intend to do something for the rural people, they show their contempt for them."

'There he had made two important discoveries," wrote Tagore's English colleague Leonard Elmhirst, "first, that the villagers seemed to have lost all ability to help themselves; secondly, that both research and technical assistance would be needed if they were ever to learn how to rescue themselves from their creeping decay." While travelling all around the vast estate to collect annual rents from the ryots (peasants), Tagore visited villages, conversed with the poor villagers, listened to their problems and also witnessed the worse indifference that affected their lives. Depicting his experiences as the "hideous nightmare of our present time," an inundated Tagore later wrote, "Our so-called responsible classes live in comfort because the common man has not yet understood his situation. That is why the landlord beats him. The money-lender holds him in his clutches; the foreman abuses him; the policeman fleeces him; the priest exploits him; and the magistrate picks his pocket." Although at this stage, his attitude towards the impoverished masses was of a romantic onlooker as he was still not well-acquainted with the basic complexities of land relations and the socio-economic rationale behind the privation and helplessness of the subaltern class. But he was definitely trying to understand the prevailing social contradictions through his daily encounters with the rural people.

In the introduction of W. W. Pearson's book Shantiniketan, Tagore had described how he "woke up to the call of the spirit of my country" and felt the urge to dedicate his life in "furthering the purpose that lies in the heart of her history". Ideas that had originated in his mind while spending a great part of his youth in the riverside solitude of Shilaidaha become deep rooted in his consciousness. These ideas later developed as a highly original and distinctive vision. From a genuine attempt to understand the problems, he gradually came to realise the necessity of rural reconstruction as the real solution to India's problems. Instead of idealising rural life, he started to sense that poverty can be dealt through the spread of basic education, by inducing self-reliance among the peasants, through the application of scientific methods to agriculture, setting up cottage industries and cooperative banks.

He came to realise that the greatest enemies of India are not the outsiders but the forces that reside within its borders. In 'The Future of India' he writes, "So long as we, out of personal and collective ignorance, cannot treat our countrymen properly like men, so long as our landlords regard their tenants as a mere part of their property, so long as the strong in our country will consider it the eternal law to trample on the weak, the higher castes despise the lower as worse than beasts, even so long we cannot claim gentlemanly treatment from the English as a matter of right, even so long we shall fail to truly waken the English character, even so long will India continue to be defrauded of her due and humiliated. " To bring his ideas of rural reconstruction into reality, he later went on to establish Sriniketan under the Agricultural Scientist Leonard Elmhirst.

In 1939, in an address on his last visit to Sriniketan, Tagore spoke about his early Shilaidaha days, "I was filled with eagerness to understand the villagers' daily routine and the varied pageant of their lives ..... Gradually the sorrow and poverty of the villages became clear to me, and I began to grow restless to do something about it. It seemed to me a very shameful thing that I should spend my days as a landlord, concerned only in money making and engrossed with my own profit and loss. From that time onward, I continually endeavoured to find out how the villagers' mind could be aroused, so that they could themselves accept the responsibility for their own lives."

Internet
DU celebrates Tagore's birth anniv today



Dhaka University (DU) authorities have taken various programmes to celebrate the 156th birth anniversary of Biswakabi Rabindranath Tagore today on the campus in a befitting manner.

Marking the day, a key note presentation programme on Rabindranath Tagore and a cultural function will be held at DU Teacher Student Center (TSC) Auditorium at 6 pm, said a DU press release on Sunday.

The theme of this year is "Religion of Human Beings: Rabindranath and Contemporary Relevance".

Visva-Bharati University Professor, also DU "Rabindra Chair" Dr Mahua Mukherjee will address the function as the key speaker with DU Vice-Chancellor Professor Dr AAMS Arefin Siddique in the chair.

DU Music Department will perform in the cultural function, the release added.
Remove concern over Rampal power project

THE UK based global activist group Greenpeace presented a study report in Dhaka early this week to say that the coal fired Rampal power plant would cause at least 6,000 premature deaths and low birth weights of 24,000 babies during 40-year of its life time. Another AFP report said the Norwegian Sovereign Wealth Fund -- the world's largest fund with pensioners' money has delisted India's Bharaat Heavy Electrical Company from its investment portfolios for being a partner to Rampal Power Plant. Earlier many global wealth funds and multilateral agencies declined to finance the power plant for its high risks to people's life and environment that also include existential threat to the Sundarbans located only 14 km from the project site. But the mystery remains as to why our government is untouched by local and internal opposition to the project.



Greenpeace disclosure and Norwegian Wealth Fund action came at a time when the government continues to claim that the joint venture plant with India will give electricity to people at low cost. But as per expert opinion the unsolicited project will sell electricity at very high cost and moreover what is highly intriguing -- if the project will kill so many people and cause so many faulty birth because of toxication of air, water and environment, how the government can claim it to be a good project to people is not clear. The disclosure that exposure to toxic pollutants will increase the risk of diseases such as stroke, lung cancer, heart and respiratory diseases in adults, as well as respiratory symptoms in children needs serious consideration. This would happen even if Bangladesh currently had zero air pollution," the report said.



Greenpeace report said the 1320 MW power project built by Bharat Heavy Electrical in collaboration with Bangladesh government would burn 5 million tonnes of coal a year and the emissions would raise the levels of toxic particles over the entire south-western region and 100km to the northeast due to prevailing wind patterns. It would cover the entire Sundarbans' ecosystem, Satkhira, Khulna, Noakhali, Comilla, Narsingdi and Dhaka districts as well as Ashoknagar, Kalyangar, Basirhat and Kolkata of West Bengal.



Needless to say the plant will equally damage the people and the environment in both countries but it is yet unclear why the Indian government is not paying heed to the growing opposition to the project by local environmentalists as well as from United Nations environment panel, UNESCO and WHO. It appears that Bangladesh government is implementing the wish of the Indian government for reasons not clear when many believe the project site can at least be relocated at certain distance from the Sundarbans to protect it taking the brunt of the threat.



We must say that the Norway's Sovereign Wealth Fund, currently estimated worth $934 billion has rightly taken the action against Bharat Heavy Electrical to register its support to global environmentalists' struggle to stop or relocate the project. We don't know whether it will work, but the action nonetheless must be taken as a big protest against people working to endanger our environment.






Stop human traffickers from misleading our youths

THE global refugee crisis enters its fourth year but the demography of migrants reaching the European shores from Libya using the Mediterranean route had witnessed unprecedented shift by now from predominantly Syrians to Bangladeshi nationals where Afghans, Iraqis, Eritreans' and Sub-Saharan Africans were at the forefronts earlier. Bangladesh topped the news early this week as the World's one of the biggest source of illegal capital flight which was around $ 9 billion alone in 2013 and the total amount lost was $ 75 billion in nine years since 2005. But new story has hit the headline this time that Bangladeshi nationals are also at the forefront of illegal migrants to Europe via Libya as human traffickers have warned up illegal trade. Invariably we must say when our leaders regularly tell about big development the ground reality is that we are both losing our hard earned capital in large amount and also our manpower, which could be used otherwise productively to create jobs and protect our youths. Our youths would not have fallen to human traffickers desperate from joblessness to lose everything and even their lives illegally crossing the Mediterranean in small boats.



News reports galore often that Bangladeshi nationals in Libya were being held in bondage and families in Bangladesh were paying the ransom to free the boy to move onward to Italy. Many reach the Italian coast while many others drown in the sea.



The New Nation reported on Sunday that the number of illegal migrants from Bangladesh to Europe has tremendously increased over the recent months. When the number was just one in three months in the first quarter of last year, it rose to 2,800 during the first three months of 2017 making the country the largest single origin of migrants currently arriving on European shores. They are reportedly paying more than $10,000 (7,750) each to be taken from Dhaka to Dubai or Turkey onwards to Libya which provides the sailing point across the sea.



The International Organisation for Migration (IOM) said the emerging route had dramatically changed the demographics of asylum-seekers arriving in Italy, who until now have largely hailed from Sub-Saharan Africa. "The thing that's really changing is the main nationality of the migrants, and the number coming from Bangladesh," IOM's representative told the London based The Independent.



"Some migrants taken ashore in Sicily and Apulia said their trip to Libya was organized by an "agency" that provided them with a working visa for between $3,000 (2,300) and $4,000 (3,100). "From Bangladesh, they first travelled to Dubai and Turkey and finally reached Libya by plane," an IOM spokesperson said. "At the airport, an 'employer' met them and took their documents."



We must say the traffickers are not unknown to immigration officials, law enforcers as well as to political leaders and yet why they are failing to stop them is the big question. The government must find out the 'agency' doing it and must immediately destroy the network.
JL man shot dead in Narsingdi

UNB, Narsingdi :

A Jubo League activist was shot dead by some miscreants in the district town early Sunday.

The deceased was identified as Rahat Sarker, 25, son of Jasim Uddin Sarker of Uttar Satirpara of the district town.

Family sources said Rahat went out of house around 10 pm for going to Mosleh Uddin Bhuiyan stadium to decorate a manch on the occasion of Jubo League conference and did not return home.

Being informed by some traders of Abdullah bazar, law enforcers went to the spot and found the body of Rahat near an Eidigah adjacent to the bazar, said inspector (insvestivation) of Madabdhi Police Station Abul Kalam.

Police suspected that criminals took Rahat to the area and shot him to death over previous enmity.
Muhith against ADB regional hub in New Delhi

UNB, Yokohama (Japan) :

Finance Minister AMA Muhith on Sunday rejected the idea of setting up a regional hub of the Asian Development Bank (ADB) for South Asian countries in New Delhi.

"I'm not in favour of the regional hub because the country and the sub-regional offices of ADB are doing well except in the pacific," he told reporters after a meeting with ADB President Takehiko Nakao.

The meeting was held on the last day of the 50th Annual Meeting of the Board of Governors of ADB held at the Pacifico Yokohama Conference Centre.

Muhith said the ADB President has assured him that if there is any hub the dealing will be from its headquarters.

Indian Finance Minister Arun Jeitley on Saturday strongly called for setting up an ADB regional hub in New Delhi for South Asia region so that proposals could speedily be processed.

He also said such hubs could be set up in other regions as well.

Asked to compare the development assistance that Bangladesh receives from donor agencies and countries, Muhith said Japan is still the largest bilateral development partner of Bangladesh, and they are most likely to come up with $1.3 billion assistance this year.

Apart form the multilateral development agencies, China and India have recently come with so much of assistance commitment, he said.

Chinese President Xi Jinping, during his visit to Bangladesh last year, committed to providing around $23 billion for an uncertain period of time, while India has come up the 3rd Line of Credit against various projects in Bangladesh in addition to the previous two LoCs.

Replying to another question, the Finance Minister said Bangladesh has no concern with the China-led Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) as the bank has been following the footsteps of their predecessors.

He told another questioner that Bangladesh has already expressed its interest to joint the BRICS Bank.

Asked about the stolen money from Bangladesh Bank to Manila, Muhith said the government and the Reserve Bank of the Philippines have not yet changed their position. "I mean any money, which source is theft, then it's not acceptable to any country and that's the position of our government."

He said if the Reserve Bank pursues any other policy, then it cannot win the banking business. "If a bank thinks it'll depend on the stolen money then it'll be stolen out of the banking system....it's entirely a matter of Trust."

Part of the $ 81 million, stolen from Bangladesh Bank's Federal Reserve account in New York and transferred to bank accounts in the Philippines, was recovered in December last year.


Bodies of two masterminds given to Anjuman



The bodies of Gulshan terror attack 'masterminds' Nurul Islam Fahad alias Marzan and his associate Saddam were handed over to welfare organisation Anjuman Mofidul Islam for burial.

Counter Terrorism and Transnational Crime (CTTC) inspector Abdullah handed over the bodies to Anjuman Mofidul Islam duty officer Mahmudul Hasan.

Later, the two militants will be buried at Jurain Graveyard. Marzan and his associate Saddam were killed in a gunfight with members of Counter Terrorism and Transnational Crime (CTTC) at Beribadh in the city's Mohammadpur area on January 6.
Medical test of 2 rape victims` done

None arrested so far

Staff Reporter :

Two rape victim girls of a private university underwent medical test at Dhaka Medical College and Hospital on Sunday.

A girl student yesterday filed a case with Banani Police Station alleging that she and one of her friends were raped by two youths in a posh hotel in the capital's Banani area over a month ago.

Talking to the reporters, the girl said that all this time they had kept mum because the accused were repeatedly threatening them and tracking their movements. However, they now want justice.

The girl alleged that Banani police have registered the case after a long delay. As she first went to the police station on Friday evening, officers refused to record the case. She could manage to lodge a written complaint on Saturday morning and it was filed as a case last night.

According to the complaint, five youths, including the two alleged rapists, were made accused in the case.

Around 10:30pm on Saturday, the girls were sent to the Victim Support Centre in Tejgaon, said SI Sohel Rana from Banani Police Station.

Talking to this reporter over the phone, the plaintiff said she and the other girl got acquainted with the two culprits through one of their friends early March.

Invited to a birthday party, she along with her friend went to the hotel around 8:30pm on March 28. "They (the two accused) confined us in two separate rooms at gunpoint after the rooftop party ended around midnight," she said, adding that one of them raped her twice.

According to the allegation, the rapists are: Shafat Ahmed, son of Dildar Ahmed, owner of Apan Jewelers and Nayeem Ashraf, son of a powerful politician, confined the victims in two separate rooms of 'The Hotel Raintree' in the city's Banani area and rapped.

The driver and bodyguard of the rapist were present in the room and the driver even filmed the incident, she alleged.

"My friend was raped in the other room by the other culprit," she said, based on what the other university girl had told her.

The fifth accused is the person who introduced the girls to the alleged rapists. He had left the hotel soon after the party, she added.

The plaintiff alleged that police were dilly-dallying while filing the case because the accused were from rich families and that there could be an underhand dealing.

Contacted, Abdul Matin, Inspector (investigation) of Banani Police Station, refuted the allegation, saying they took time for primary investigation as the girls came to the police station more than a month after the incident.

When this correspondent visited the hotel, an official said there was a birthday party on the night of March 28 and two rooms were booked by the host and one of his friends for that day.

Around 9:00am the next day, the youths along with the two girls left the hotel, he added.

However, the plaintiff told this newspaper over the phone, "Both of us (the girls) were crying while leaving but no hotel official came to help us. We could not make any complaint as the rapists were with us."

The hotel authorities said they don't have any CCTV image of that day as they have the capacity to store footage of one month only.

However, Dr Sohel Mahmud, head of forensics at the hospital, who conducted the test of the victims, said, "The incident took place more than a month ago, so it is difficult to determine now."

"We collected samples for three medical tests - DNA profiling, radiology and microbiology. The reports are likely to be ready within the next 20 days," the doctor said.

Meanwhile, Dildar Ahmed, father of Safat Ahmed claimed to the reporters that the incident might be happened by mutual understanding. He also claimed that his divorced daughter-in-law might be involved with the latest development as part of her conspiracy against him and his family members to tarnish their social image.


Students blocked Sunday the Dhaka-Mymensingh highway on Trishal point in Mymensingh in protest against the glitch in the Technical Education Board that dropped 465 students from the SSC result sheets.
2 militants killed in Jhenaidah raid Three cops injured: House owners among three held

Two suspected militants were killed during a raid by Counter Terrorism and Transnational Crime (CTTC) unit on a hideout at Bajrapur in Maheshpur Upazila of Jhenaidah on Sunday.

Staff Reporter :

Two suspected Neo-JMB militants were killed in "Suicide blasts" during a raid conducted by the law enforcers at a 'militant hideout' in Bajrapur village of Moheshpur upazila in Jhenaidah district on Sunday morning.

During the raid, three law enforcers were injured. They are Counter Terrorism Transnational Crime (CTTC) unit's Additional Deputy Commissioner (ADC) Nazmul Haque, Jhenaidah police's Sub-Inspectors Mahsin Ali and Mozibur Rahman, Didar Ahmed, Deputy Inspector General (Khulna Range) of Police told reporters near the militants' den in the afternoon.

The DIG said that, one of the militants was identified as Tuhin, but could not provide details about the other suspect.

"One of the militants detonated the suicide vest he was wearing after police entered the single-story building at around 5:30am," said our Jhenidah correspondent quoting Mizanur Rahman, Superintendent of Police (SP) of the district.

Police cordoned off the building based on information that the suspected militants went to the house on Saturday night, the police official said.

Ahmed Kabir, Officer-in-Charge (OC) of Moheshpur Police Station, said he had a scuffle with Tuhin when he

entered the house. "Tuhin fell down on the ground and detonated the suicide vest he was wearing after the OC kicked him during the brawl."

Soon after Tuhin killing, the second militant died in another suicide blast inside the building, the OC said, adding a total of four blasts were heard inside the house during the raid.

Earlier in the morning, police in a drive detained three people from a tin-shed house at Laboni village in Sadar upazila. They are Alamgir Hossain, a tenant and suspected militant, Johurul Islam, 45, owner of the house and his son Jasim Uddin, 25, said the Officer-in-Charge of Sadar Police Station Harendranath Sarker.

Police seized six grenades, one 9mm pistol and eight bullets during the raid, he said.

The local administration has imposed Section 144 in the area since morning to avoid any untoward incident, he said.

Using loud speakers, law enforcers were seen asking locals not to come out of their homes for the sake of their safety, our correspondent said.

A bomb disposal unit from Dhaka visited the suspected militant hideout at Bajrapur village under Moheshpur upazila of the district yesterday.

Fire service trucks and ambulances have been kept on standby and the media is not being allowed to go near the scene.

Meanwhile, the bodies of 'Neo JMB' leader Nurul Islam Marzan, the operational commander of July 1 Gulshan cafe attack, and his aide Saddam Hossain were handed over to Anjuman Mufidul Islam for burial in the capital on Sunday morning.

The bodies were handed over to the charitable organisation around 10:30am, Dhaka Medical College morgue sources said.

Later, the two militants will be buried at Jurain Graveyard, said Anjuman Mofidul Islam's Duty Officer Mahmudul Hasan.

Marzan and Saddam, also the "Neo JMB" activists, were killed in an alleged gunfight with law enforcers in Beribadh area of the city's Mohammadpur area on January 6 this year.
Tagore`s birth anniv today

The 156th birth anniversary of Biswakobi Rabindranath Tagore will be observed across the country on today - the 25 Baishakh of the Bangla Calendar.

Tagore, who enriched the Bangla language and literature with his astounding talent and merit, was born on May 7, 1861.

He composed hundreds of poems, stories and novels to take the literary creations to their zenith.

The government and different socio-cultural organisations will observe the day with elaborate programmes

while President Abdul Hamid and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina have issued separate messages on this occasion.

This year, the theme of Tagore's birth anniversary will be "Religion of Humankind: Rabindranath and Contemporary Perceptiveness".

A colourful event will be held at the Devendra Mancha of Katcharibari in Patisar under Naogaon district where President Abdul Hamid will be present as the chief guest.

Cultural Affairs Minister Assaduzzaman Noor, Textiles and Jute Minister Emaz Uddin Pramanik, local MP (Naogaon-6) Israfil Alam, acting cultural secretary Mohammad Ibrahim Hossain Khan and Naogaon Deputy Commissioner Mohammad Aminur Rahman, among others, will be present on the occasion.

A 30-minute cultural programme will be also held after discussion on the life and works of the Nobel laureate poet. Besides, various programmes will be held at Shilaidah in Kushtia, South Dighi and Pithabogh in Khulna.

Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy (BSA) will organise a programme focusing on the works of Tagore while an exhibition of his paintings will also be arranged.

The Cultural Affairs Ministry and Bangla Academy will publish a commemorative booklet and posters, marking the poet's birth anniversary.
Drug lords listed, crackdown soon

Staff Reporter :

Some 365 most powerful persons control the drugs trafficking routes throughout the country, Anti-Corruption Commission Chairman Iqbal Mahmud on Sunday said.



As per ACC directives, the Department of Narcotics Control (DNC) submitted a list naming such 365 persons.

"But during ACC's drive against 17 top drug peddlers, it found all those addresses inaccurate. Has the NDC has gone out of control. I'm giving one month time to the DNC to provide with an updated and corrected list of addresses of the drug peddlers," Iqbal Mahmud told a programme yesterday.



DNC organised the programme at the Bangladesh Institute of Administrative Management in the city with Salahuddin Mahmud, Director General, DNC in the chair. The ACC chairman attended the programme as the chief guest.



"Based on a list prepared by the DNC, these 365 drug traffickers are the most powerful persons in the country. I would like to send a message that they (drug peddlers) won't be spared in any way," Iqbal warned.



He said these drug peddlers are destroying the country's young generation.



"The drugs are very easy to buy everywhere. Shun drug peddling or go to jail. A countrywide massive crackdown will be launched against the organised drug peddlers immediately," he said.



Iqbal Mahmud gave a one-month ultimatum to the drug peddlers to shun the path, urging them to return to normal work.



"By selling drugs they are getting rich. If they don't give up the drug peddling within a month, they will have to face dire consequence," the ACC Chairman said.



Iqbal Mahmud said it is not the ACC's job to go for action against the drug peddlers but it will take stern action as all the money are earned through illegal business.



In response to Iqbal Mahmud's comments, DNC DG said he was newly appointed to the department and would take necessary measures in this regard.
Tk 6.65 m looted after shooting businessman in Gazipur

bdnews24.com :

Robbers have shot one businessman in Gazipur and snatched away Tk6.65 million from him.

The incident took place on Sunday in the Maleker Bari neighbourhood along Dhaka-Mymensingh Highway.

The victim, Robiul Islam, owns a garment company, RN Corporations, in Tongi.

His chauffeur Mozammel Hoque said Robiul came under attack while returning to his factory from Islami Bank's

Gazipur Chowrasta branch.

Robiul withdrew the money from the bank to pay his employees.

"A yellow pickup truck blocked our way and 4-5 men came from behind by motorbike and encircled the car," said Mozammel.

"They broke the windshield and windows of the car and physically assaulted Robiul and his accounts officer.

"At one point, they shot Robiul and fled with the money," he said.

Robiul has been admitted to Dhaka Medical College Hospital.

Police Sub-Inspector Zakir Hossain said Robiul did not inform the police that he was carrying a huge amount of cash. Anyone carrying more than Tk 500,000 must inform police for security reasons, as per the law. The SI said police were trying to retrieve the money.
The Chippewa Herald is publishing excerpts from the 32nd Annual Excellence in Education banquet to recognize the 21 seniors and their educators who were honored. This is the second installment.

Mitchell Brunke

Brunke, son of Erin and Tim Brunke, is a senior at Chi-Hi. He chose his high school teacher, Tamara Slowiak, as his most influential educator.

Brunke said of Slowiak: The moment I stepped through Mrs. Slowiaks door, she took me under her wing. Mrs. Slowiak went out of her way to make sure my transition from middle school to high school was smooth. She taught me its okay to fail sometimes, because thats the only way to learn.

Slowiak said of Brunke: Mitchell is a driven, dedicated, self-motivated, mature student. Its not often a freshman has the vision to know what they want by the time they graduate, but Mitchell did and I had no doubt he would reach his goals of being accepted into the Air Force Academy. Congratulations Mitchell!

Brunke plans to further his education and begin his military career at the United States Air Force Academy. He is still undecided in what he will study, but is interested in aviation, engineering and medicine.

Dawson Dubberke

Dubberke, son of Jeannie and Eric Dubberke, is a senior at Chi-Hi. He chose his high school vocal music teacher, Ron Buckles, as his most influential educator.

Dubberke said of Buckles: Mr. Buckles has helped me progress in my own musical abilities further than I ever expected to, as well as giving me immense love and appreciation for music, choral and otherwise. Not only that, his instruction has helped me become much more confident, both in performance and in who I am.

Buckles said of Dubberke: Dawson came into the music program as a shy yet eager, quiet yet passionate, and very reserved freshman. Now, Dawson is a leader beyond compare. He thinks far quicker than most (certainly me), leads by example, helps to put out fires before they start and always wants himself and everyone involved to experience music at its best. I cannot thank Dawson enough for all he has given of himself for the sake of so many others and he didnt even know it!

Dubberke plans to attend UW-Eau Claire and continue singing in the choral program, but he has not decided on a major.

Katie Gienapp

Gienapp, daughter of Lisa and Brian Gienapp, is a senior at Chi-Hi. she chose her high school teacher, Greg Adams, as her most influential educator.

Gienapp said of Adams: In the three years Ive known Mr. Adams, hes always cared about me as a person first, and student second. He believes in me more than anyone outside my family, and far more than Ive ever believed in myself. Im so blessed to call him my teacher, mentor and friend.

Adams said of Gienapp: At the 2015 UW-Whitewater High School Creative Writing Festival, I worried about Katie Gienapp, a lone Chi-Hi student among 600 writers. Instead of cowering, Katie was excited, brave. A truly outstanding writer, Katie is, more importantly, an impressive human being who strives to improve herself and uplift everyone around her.

Gienapp will double major in creative writing and journalism at the University of Iowa in the fall. She is not completely certain of her future career, but hopes to continue writing throughout her life, if only for pleasure.